Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 668: The Festering Situation
Chapter 668: The Festering Situation
TL: Rui88
A man who looked like a beggar was brought before Catherine.
Catherine was greatly surprised.
She could vaguely recognize the man’s face; he was Becky Mendel, the second son of the noble Mendel family from the royal capital.
A year ago, he had accepted his family’s arrangement to go to Watcher’s Fortress to gain experience and earn his knighthood.
In Catherine’s memory, Becky was a strapping young man who, like other young nobles of the capital, paid great attention to his appearance.
But the person before her was a far cry from the Becky she remembered.
He staggered along, looking utterly exhausted, as if he had been through a long journey. His murky eyes revealed the hardships of his travels, his clothes were tattered, his exposed skin was covered in red wounds, and his hair was a messy, dirty tangle, blown about by the wind.
“Are you Becky Mendel?”
Catherine asked, finding it hard to believe.
“Sob… Your Highness, I never thought I would see someone from Crystal Shine again, that I would see you alive! This must be a gift from the Lord of Light.”
Becky was so moved that he burst into tears. He stumbled and nearly fell, but thankfully Ofina, who was beside him, caught and supported him.
The black-haired female general comforted him, “Becky, you are among your own people now. You can relax. Tell Her Highness the details.”
Becky Mendel composed himself and, speaking rapidly, described a terrible reality to Catherine.
The Bradley Family had betrayed the kingdom, and Watcher’s Fortress had already fallen.
“The front of the fortress was under a fierce assault by the orc army. That in itself was nothing; we were confident we could repel them, just as we had done countless times before.”
“But… we were shamefully ambushed from the rear. The Bradley Family’s army used the pretext of delivering supplies to enter the fortress area…”
“What was worse was that it wasn’t just the Bradley Family’s rebel forces that came from behind, but also a large contingent of orc troops!”
“We simply couldn’t understand how an orc force of that size had appeared behind us!”
“Although the entire legion fought with all its might, the main fortress could not hold out in the end. To preserve the last seeds of the Watcher’s Legion, the deputy commander, Sir Duke, finally ordered a breakout!”
“Given that the west was the Bradley Family’s territory, we chose to break out south towards the Algin Plateau, which was at least nominally the kingdom’s territory.”
“The squad I was in was ordered to cover the rear, but after a fierce battle, we were separated from the main force and lost our way in the wilderness.”
“We crossed primeval jungles and barren deserts, losing people along the way until I was the only one left. Just as I was about to give up, the Lord of Light gave me one last breath of life, allowing me to see this small town and the kingdom’s flag flying above it.”
After saying all this, Becky Mendel began to wail.
“I’m the only one left! I’m the only one left!”
He repeated this sentence over and over.
Damned traitors!
Rage burned in everyone’s chest.
The generals beside Catherine all gripped the swords at their waists.
Ofina suppressed her anger and asked her mistress on their behalf, “Your Highness, what should we do now?”
The princess’s golden eyebrows were knitted tightly together.
From Mendel’s words, it was not difficult to deduce that the situation in the kingdom’s northeast had descended into an utterly festering state.
The most important gate had been lost, and the greatest local lord had allied with the enemy from beyond that gate.
What was worse was that her own force was now deep within the traitor’s territory, like a leaf on a raging sea.
No wonder that boy from the Bradley family had dared to be so rude to her.
“A trap has already been set for us.”
Catherine immediately gathered her generals to discuss their next move.
“Retreat immediately, back to territory loyal to the kingdom!”
“What about Watcher’s Fortress? We just ignore it?”
“The fortress has already fallen!”
Given the grim situation, everyone quickly reached a consensus: they had to retreat.
“If the Bradley Family planned this in advance, I’m afraid our return journey will be fraught with obstacles.”
Catherine voiced her concern.
Lester’s eyes were cold. “Then we’ll kill those traitors! As long as we make them pay an unbearable price, it will be worth it, even if we have to give our lives.”
“No, no, no!” Klein disagreed. “Lester, you are a general commanding the kingdom’s army, not a knight charging into the fray!”
Demps also nodded and said, “Our responsibility should be to preserve as much of the kingdom’s strength as possible when the situation is already irreversible.”
Klein spread a map on the table.
“Look, this is the area we are in.”
“Based on my judgment, the bulk of the Bradley Family’s forces should be used to deal with Watcher’s Fortress, while another part is either near us or ambushing us on our route south. Therefore, I suggest…”
His finger slid west.
“We go west!”
“To the Blackstone Plains?”
“Yes, to the Blackstone Plains. We’ll rally the forces loyal to the kingdom there.”
Lester asked, “The orcs are plunderous by nature. If they truly enter the kingdom’s heartland on a large scale, they might immediately attack the rich south to loot its wealth.”
Klein continued to elaborate on his point. “If we build up a considerable force in the Blackstone Plains, it will seriously threaten the flank of the orc army, preventing them from heading south with their full strength. And there is another important reason.”
He looked at Catherine. “Further west from the Blackstone Plains is the Northwest Bay. As far as I know, the Northwest Bay now produces more than half of the kingdom’s steel and weaponry, which is true wealth in a war. But this place has long been relatively closed off and has never been tested by a large-scale external war. We must establish a barrier in the Blackstone Plains for the Northwest Bay.”
Most southern nobles’ impression of the orcs was a bunch of barbarians wandering the plains—tall and brave but with poor discipline. As long as human soldiers formed up properly, a single charge could scatter them.
But most of the generals of the Royal Knights had experience serving in Watcher’s Fortress and had a more accurate understanding of the orc army’s strength, especially now that a new King’s Tent had emerged on the plains. It was better to be cautious.
If Watcher’s Fortress were still in the kingdom’s hands, the situation would be better, but now that great fortress had fallen.
Klein said, “As long as we can help the Northwest Bay adapt to war, I believe that with its support, it wouldn’t be impossible to push the orcs back directly from the Blackstone Plains.”
Ofina nodded. “Then we must notify Count Grayman to prepare as soon as possible.”
“Your Highness, what are your thoughts?”
Everyone looked at Catherine, waiting for her decision.
The blonde princess made her decision quickly.
“We are going to the Northwest Bay!”
“But before that, we need to get some leverage against the Bradley Family.”
AN: I’m very sorry for the long delay.
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Chapter 668: The Festering Situation
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