When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 792 - 743: Fight Again, Then I’ll Admit Defeat

Through the stained glass window, the evening twilight cast its glow upon the lapis lazuli floor tiles.

Within the velvet curtains, twenty-four gleaming bronze candelabras flickered with bright light.

Passing through the purple curtains beside the pillars, at the end of the crimson carpet, was a pit filled with sand, the size of three beds.

In the yellow sand, stones and branches were placed to represent mountains and forests, with finger-sized flags planted as military camps.

This was a makeshift sand table, lacking precise mountains or accurate elevations, only flat surfaces.

The Duke of Wing Nest's Red Falcon paced quietly along the edge of the sand table, occasionally lowering its head to push the sand with its buttery beak.

"Your courage is smaller than that of lambs!"

A rugged voice filled with hidden anger echoed under the vaulted ceiling of the castle hall, as the Duke of Wing Nest, Ordasare, in a black sable robe, trembled with rage.

"My dear cousin was captured alive, yet you behave like winter ravens curled in their nests, unwilling to let even a feather be touched by frost?"

Fingers that were thin and long, mismatched with the beard, tapped the table before the sand table, causing the rainbow pearl necklace on his neck to sway.

"The thousand riders from the Red Pine Family battled fiercely all day, only to be cut off by four thousand peasant soldiers, yet all of you here are feasting and drinking?"

The nobles on either side of the sand table looked sorrowful, some studying the patterns on the floor, others admiring the religious paintings on the ceiling.

As for the Duke of Wing Nest's roar, none dared to respond.

"Tarkhan, tell me, seeing the Duke of Redwood captured, why did you not go to the rescue?"

The Knight Commander, having been named, reluctantly stepped forward: "Your Excellency, it's not that we didn't rescue, it's Redwood Duke who didn't strive hard enough, being held by hundreds of infantry. If he could win, there wouldn't have been any further problems."

The Duke of Wing Nest glared at the Knight Commander: "Get it straight, the Duke of Redwood's failed assault on Carfort resulted in less than a hundred losses, it was later when encircled and destroyed that half were lost.

I ask you why you did not rescue, not why the Duke of Redwood could not break through Carfort with just a few hundred men!"

Yet Knight Commander Tarkhan remained unconvinced, though bowed and admitted error, he still mumbled: "Couldn't hold off for a bit, I just summoned the knights, set out not too long ago, and it was defeated…"

"Ah, you really are so considerate, yet a group of elite knights marches slower than those mismatched knights of Thousand River Valley?" The Duke of Wing Nest sneered coldly, "How did the Thousand River Valley people arrive timely then?"

Of course, the Knight Commander could not answer the question, he only looked dejected, repeatedly blaming himself: "The rain was too heavy, I did not anticipate it, the Duke of Redwood's defeat was too quick, it's my fault too…"

The hall was filled only with the mosquito-like voice of the Knight Commander's self-blame, later, even that stopped, leaving only silence.

After a long while, Archbishop Jin Weisi of Silver Bay City slowly spoke: "The Thousand River Valley people used magic; after death, they face the Fire Prison."

The Duke of Wing Nest closed his eyes slightly, containing his anger without speaking.

André used attrition tactics, swiftly mobilizing forces, capturing the Duke of Redwood alive with overwhelming troop superiority.

Not only that but also slew and captured over a thousand knights and soldiers.

Initially, they had somewhat over thirty thousand troops, all backed by the local Church's full support, with the new Pope even waiving this year's tax from Shattered Stone Plain.

Among these forces, roughly half were mercenaries, urgently needing strong core fighting power.

The reinforcement army of the cousin Duke of Redwood and his main knights were precisely the expected core battle force.

As soon as this force was halfway there, nearly a thousand knights and two thousand soldiers were overwhelmed by Thousand River Valley people.

Whenever he thought upon this, the Duke of Wing Nest felt a heart-wrenching pain.

Standing before the Duke, Knight Commander Tarkhan sensing the Duke's expression growing more perilous, swiftly turned the discussion towards a certain Black-clothed Count: "Duke, I recall administering aid to the Duke of Redwood, Count Luceni was nearest, Count, where did you go?"

Luceni promptly defended: "The Thousand River Valley people diverted their forces, the rear must be vacant, so I decided to bypass them from behind to achieve drawing away the Thousand River Valley."

Before the Duke of Wing Nest could speak, a knight who escaped from the Duke of Redwood's troops cursed: "Then did you succeed?"

Count Luceni responded awkwardly: "It was the allies' untimely support, Your Highness Knight Commander, since you set out, you should have been nearby?"

The Knight Commander pointed on the sand table with a branch: "I was at this location."

The Count immediately pointed at him and cursed: "Well! Only thirty li away, why didn't you collaborate to aid me?"

The Knight Commander retorted: "Is the Duke of Redwood more important or are you more important? Moreover, the forces of the Thousand River Valley were diverted, just needing a few men stationed at the pentagon watchposts, why blame me for untimely reinforcements!"

"I only dispatched troops because I saw Hesio sending forces, once I arrived, he hadn't arrived, hence couldn't break through…"

"What nonsense, Luceni, I wasn't attacking that outpost at all."

"How come you weren't seen with the reinforcement teams aiding the Duke of Redwood…"

"Have the guts to pick a solo duel, one against one…"

"Bang!"

Appearing displeased with everyone's quarrel, an elderly knight with an irate clap captured everyone's attention.

"Stop arguing."

At once, everyone who was originally arguing stopped, their sights fixed on the grey-haired elder knight, anticipating his wise opinion.

"To put it bluntly, it was Moliat's lack of martial ethics for abruptly declaring war, catching us unprepared.

Duke, dispatch envoys to Thousand River Valley, have them release the Duke of Redwood so we can array and fight again.

If we lose again, I'll admit defeat convincingly…"

The crowd finally fell into profound silence, unlike before, this time they were completely speechless.

The Baron of the Court couldn't help but say: "Knight, let me speak frankly, will re-fighting change anything?

It's still they're faster than us, and enduringly hardy.

Though we appear to have more troops, we fail to break through Thousand River Valley outposts and obstruct their army from amassing.

Scattered, we face annihilation; concentrated, we face encirclement.

Their offense against us is simplistic, even without Holy Cannons and Spring Cannons, only losing slightly less badly.

Without breaking this, we can't contend with Thousand River Valley people!"

Everyone in the hall fell silent; if there were solutions, would they need to toss blame back and forth?

Looking at these purple-clad, fur-coated nobles, the Duke of Wing Nest suddenly envied Moliat.

Though Thousand River Valley people lack noble glory, the two Great Lords' authority was indeed immense.

He could not decide any noble's fate in a single word but must discuss it with all nobles together.

"Go back and think carefully, within three days, each of you submit a plan to defeat Thousand River Valley to me."

In the silence, the many vassals and nobles bowed, as if the previous quarrel hadn't occurred.

Finally, as the last noble left and closed the door, the Duke sat alone before the sand table.

Rising from his seat, the Duke approached the sand table.

By now, the sand table had been scrambled by the Red Falcon, showing only a rough outline.

Standing before the sand table, the Duke of Wing Nest compared it with the map in his hand, and after a long while, as if making a decision, he severely slammed the map onto the location of Salt Flat Gathering.