After the temperature warmed up, the Restoration Army's southward advance was no longer hindered by the climate. Under the surveillance of the orc overseers, Louisa could no longer find any excuse to delay the war.
Just on the second day of the new year, the Restoration Army, which had been dormant for a brief period, set out once again. Like a giant beast awakening, it continued to push deeper into the heart of the Southern Territory.
The outposts and small fortresses along the way crumbled almost at the first touch before the Restoration Army, falling one after another. In just ten short days, the vanguard of the Restoration Army had already reached the walls of Chester Garrison City.
Chester Garrison City, this fortress situated at the narrowest point of the Kendong Gorge, was not only the largest stronghold in the Southern Territory but also the final barrier blocking the southward advance of the magical creatures during the summer Magical Tides.
Similarly, its double-layered stone walls over twenty meters high, and the dense network of arrow towers and catapult positions behind those walls... also stood like an insurmountable chasm, firmly blocking the Restoration Army's continued southward advance.
After receiving the Misty Bay Harbor Trade Alliance's all-out infusion of military resources, the defensive power of Chester Garrison City visibly and dramatically swelled. Not only were the private soldiers originally stationed there from the Southern nobles reorganized, but a large number of mercenary groups hired by the Trade Alliance also moved in.
Among these mercenaries were no shortage of true Extraordinary Professionals. Simultaneously, a massive amount of magic scrolls, potions, expensive enchanted arrows, and even magical constructs were continuously transported into the fortress.
From the magic formation patterns spreading out from the foot of the city walls, to the newly added enchanted ballistae on the towering arrow towers, to the obviously superior enchanted light armor on the defenders... the entire Chester Garrison City was practically armed to the teeth.
Alice stood behind the observation slit of the Restoration Army's frontline command post, carefully observing the defensive layout of this formidable pass through a monocular telescope, her brow deeply furrowed.
A moment later, an Elf Mage responsible for assessment put down the magic crystal slate in his hands and reported to Alice with a grave expression, "Knight Commander, the preliminary estimate is out."
"Even a legion at its peak strength, attempting a frontal assault to capture this fortress, would suffer an estimated casualty rate exceeding thirty percent, and would require consuming a large amount of siege equipment and time. Let alone our current..."
He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear—the downsized Restoration Army was even less likely to breach this fortress.
Alice put down the telescope, her heart sinking.
It seemed they had encountered the first truly tough, hard-to-crack nut since the southern expedition began.
However, being blocked by Chester Garrison City might not necessarily be a bad thing.
Over the next seven days, the Restoration Army launched dozens of probing attacks on Chester Garrison City.
From daytime frontal feints and flank harassment, to nighttime raids and sabotage of supply lines, various tactics were employed in turn.
Yet the defenders' response appeared exceptionally steady and experienced. Those Trade Alliance mercenaries displayed discipline and combat prowess far surpassing that of the Southern nobles' private soldiers. They relied on the sturdy fortifications, cooperating seamlessly.
Especially the mages stationed in the magic towers; their area-of-effect attack spells and protective barriers caused immense trouble for the Restoration Army soldiers trying to get close.
After seven days of fierce fighting, aside from leaving a number of damaged equipment below the fortress walls, the Restoration Army had failed to find any obvious weaknesses.
Chester Garrison City was like a steel hedgehog curled into a ball, leaving no opening to bite.
In the temporarily requisitioned city hall of Ronnan City.
The flames in the fireplace crackled, dispelling the chill of the early spring night, but they could not disperse the heavy atmosphere within the hall.
"Bang!"
The orc overseer's large hand slammed heavily onto the table, making the inkwell on it jump.
The orc warrior growled discontentedly, "Princess, is your army sunbathing below the fortress walls? An entire day, and not a single wall brick has been knocked down."
"Louis's army has already set off towards the Royal Capital. Every day of delay is a waste of precious opportunity!"
Princess Louisa sat at the head of the long table. She did not get angry at the orc overseer's rudeness, merely speaking calmly,
"Overseer, please calm your anger. It's not that we are unwilling to advance, but rather that we lack the capability."
She sighed appropriately, "You've seen it yourself. Chester Garrison City's defenses far exceed expectations. The Trade Alliance has invested astonishing resources. The defenders include a large number of experienced mercenaries and Extraordinary, with a complete magical defense system."
"And as for the strength of our Restoration Army, you know..."
The orc overseer furrowed his thick brows. He stared at Louisa for a few seconds. Finally, he snorted, "The Palaver needs a breakthrough on the southern front as soon as possible, to cut off the Trade Alliance's material supply to the main city. You must find a way."
Louisa thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Overseer, if... if the Restoration Army could receive some substantial support, such as a crack orc legion, perhaps the situation would be different. Relying solely on our current strength is truly..."
She didn't finish, but the implication was obvious.
Hearing this, the orc overseer said in a deep voice, "The Palaver's main army is advancing east towards the Royal Capital; no legions can be spared to head south for support. However... I can request instructions from Overseer Durotan to dispatch Extraordinary Professionals to assist you. But that will take time."
Louisa gave a slight bow, "Thank you, Overseer."
The orc overseer seemed somewhat satisfied with Louisa's attitude. After giving a few more instructions, he left the city hall with his clansmen, their heavy footsteps echoing.
Only after the sound of orc footsteps disappeared down the corridor did the clerk behind her dare to step forward.
"Princess, do we really need the orcs' help? Allowing those orcs to mix into our legions would likely bring more harm than good."
"They might very well use the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of our true situation, even seize our weaknesses to threaten us."
Louisa chuckled lightly, picked up the now lukewarm teacup on the table, took a small sip, and then said unhurriedly, "Camila, of course I know that."
"But I know even better that the orc army already broke camp and marched with full force towards the Royal Capital three days ago. They simply cannot spare any legions to support us now. That overseer's so-called 'request for instructions' is most likely just a perfunctory gesture."
A look of realization flashed in Camila's eyes.
Louisa put down her teacup, her gaze turning towards the silent nightscape of Ronnan City outside the window. "Camila, now, go and handle one thing immediately. Use all our channels, including the Southern Army soldiers who 'escaped back,' and the wandering bards and merchants active among the populace. Spread the news."
"Hmm... just say that the orcs are extremely dissatisfied with the stagnation on the southern front and have decided to support the Restoration Army, and that the Restoration Army will launch an unprecedented all-out assault on Chester Garrison City."
"Ensure this news reaches the ears of the Chester Garrison City defenders as quickly as possible."
Camila immediately grasped Louisa's intention.
"Your Highness wants to use false information to create panic, forcing the defenders to make erroneous judgments."
The curve at the corner of Louisa's mouth deepened. "His Majesty has already laid the groundwork. We just need to give it another push, completely drawing the Trade Alliance's attention to the 'orc reinforcements' and the 'impending all-out assault,' forcing them under pressure to actively open the fortress gates for the 'New Sun followers.' Then..."
"Then, when the time comes, the fortress will fall without a fight," Alice finished the latter half of the sentence.
"Not only that, afterwards we can attribute the credit for breaching Chester Garrison City to internal strife that erupted between the Xirik Church and the Southern nobles over uneven distribution of benefits."
"That way, we can continue to conceal the Restoration Army's true strength, avoiding prematurely arousing excessive vigilance from Orc Louis, while also directing the Palaver's wrath towards those heretical cultists lurking in the shadows. Killing two birds with one stone."
"As expected of Princess and His Majesty."
Camila praised sincerely, then bowed. "I will go arrange it immediately."
...
The news of the impending Restoration Army all-out assault, after two days of fermentation and spread, rapidly spread throughout the Southern Territory as if it had grown wings, eventually passing through the thick walls into Chester Garrison City.
Chester Garrison City, Commander's Office.
This place originally belonged to a Southern Grand Duke, now temporarily requisitioned. Behind the oak desk sat a knight in military attire who seemed out of place amidst the surrounding luxurious decorations.
His name was Raymond Sterling, known as "Iron Wall Raymond."
He was not born a Southern noble, but came from a collateral branch of the Caldwell family of the Misty Bay Harbor Trade Alliance. Relying on exceptional military talent and outstanding performance in numerous trade route protection wars, he rose step by step to become the leader of the Trade Alliance's largest mercenary group.
This time, he was appointed by the Trade Alliance's upper echelons as the commander of the Southern Army, with full authority over the defense of Chester Garrison City.
At this moment, the man sat in his chair, staring intently at the urgent intelligence report on the desk.
Since he replaced those corrupt and incompetent Southern nobles as commander, he had not slackened for a moment.
He acted swiftly and decisively, purging the deeply entrenched noble factions within the army, firmly grasping command authority, reorganizing the troops, enforcing strict military discipline, replenishing equipment, and strengthening the fortress defenses using Trade Alliance resources.
In a short time, the previously somewhat demoralized Southern Army was indeed revitalized under his command. This was the main reason the Restoration Army was helpless before Chester Garrison City.
They had finally encountered a true military opponent, not those hereditary fools who only knew how to boast and were afraid of death.
However, at this moment, the brow of this commander known for his calm decisiveness was tightly furrowed into a deep frown.
However, at this moment, the brow of this commander known for his calm decisiveness was tightly furrowed.
As a former knight who had served at Storm Fortress for several years and had a deep understanding of the Border Corps, Raymond understood better than anyone the substantial foundation and strength of the former Border Corps.
He could also comprehend just how terrifying the Magical Creature Legion that could defeat the Border Corps and breach Storm Fortress was.
Everyone had underestimated the Restoration Army... or rather, underestimated the Slime Kingdom behind the Restoration Army.
The Restoration Army, which had integrated the remnants of the Border Corps and the Magical Creature Legion, had performed below expectations, even seeming somewhat mediocre. Now it seemed this was most likely Princess Louisa deliberately hiding her true capabilities before the orcs.
She was accumulating strength, waiting for the right moment, plotting something.
And now, the arrival of orc reinforcements was undoubtedly a dangerous signal.
This meant the Orc Palaver might already believe the Restoration Army's previous performance and had decided to increase its investment to quickly open the southern front.
Once the Restoration Army received orc support and the two joined forces, the pressure on Chester Garrison City would multiply.
Raymond felt somewhat anxious. He stood up from his seat and began pacing back and forth in the office.
Outside the window, the fortress was brightly lit. The footsteps of patrolling soldiers and the faint clanging sounds from distant workshops were audible. But this scene, which usually brought him peace of mind, could not now dispel the gloom in his heart.
After pacing for a long time, he suddenly stopped, turned back to the desk, picked up a document that had been prepared long ago, and ordered the clerk standing by, "Immediately leak this report on the Storm Territory and the Restoration Army, along with our analysis estimating the strength of the Border Corps remnants and the Magical Creature Legion, to the orcs through our secret channels, as much as possible."
The clerk was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted, bowing to accept the order. "Yes, Commander!"
Raymond's purpose was clear—sowing discord.
He wanted to make the Orc Palaver realize that the Restoration Army was not as it appeared on the surface, but had been hiding its strength all along.
This way, perhaps it could stir suspicion among the orcs towards their ally, damaging their cooperative relationship and buying Chester Garrison City more time.
However, merely sowing discord was not enough.
The orcs' and the Restoration Army's goal was to cut off the Trade Alliance's supply lines to the Royal Capital. This was a fundamental conflict of interest.
Even if the orcs temporarily became suspicious of the Restoration Army, as long as they still needed progress on the southern front, the pressure on Chester Garrison City would not disappear.
"I need more powerful strength... real confidence capable of withstanding the Restoration Army and the possibly arriving orc legions."
Pacing, pondering, weighing the pros and cons... time passed minute by minute. The sky outside the window gradually lightened.
Finally, Raymond took a deep breath. He spread out a new piece of parchment and began personally writing an order. He had the knight guarding the door convey it.
Allow those New Sun followers into the fortress.
He had made this difficult decision.
If these New Sun followers truly possessed the mysterious sacred relic capable of eliminating high-ranking demons, then perhaps they could play an unexpectedly crucial role in this fortress defense battle.
Although he still harbored doubts and distrust towards these suddenly emerging cultists, the current severe situation forced him to utilize every possible force he could.
But just in case, after finishing the order, he quickly wrote a private letter.
The letter detailed his suspicions regarding the Southern Territory's "New Sun followers," as well as the decision and reasoning for allowing them into Chester Garrison City.
He gave this letter to a magic messenger, instructing it to be delivered to the Church in the Royal Capital with the utmost speed, requesting confirmation of these Southern followers' identities.
I wonder if there will be enough time...
Watching the messenger hurriedly depart, Raymond felt heavy-hearted.
But with the Restoration Army's all-out assault imminent, and the news of orc reinforcements of unknown veracity, he could only choose to trust these followers for now, while placing hope that the Church in the Royal Capital could provide a response as quickly as possible.
...
Royal Capital, Holy Light Cathedral.
In a secluded side hall prayer room, Simon had just finished his morning prayers and was slowly leaving with the small groups of low-talking believers.
The believers' conversation inevitably drifted into his ears, the content mostly still revolving around the Southern Territory's "miracle"—how their brothers and sisters there, relying on the power of the sacred relic, had successively eliminated several powerful demonic lords, demonstrating the might of the New Sun.
Simon's footsteps paused slightly, his brow furrowing subtly.
For some reason, every time he heard these discussions about the Southern followers' "feats," a faint unease always rose from the depths of his heart.
It wasn't jealousy towards fellow believers' achievements, but more like a panic towards the unknown, an unease at the thought that the Bishop might be conducting secret plans even he, the Envoy, knew nothing about, mixed with a sense of being excluded and left out.
Simon, your faith is not devout enough, to actually doubt the Bishop's arrangements.
He sternly admonished himself in his heart, forcibly suppressing the unease, and continued forward, preparing to leave.
However, just as he was about to exit the side hall corridor, a young believer hurriedly approached him from the opposite direction. Seeing him, the believer quickly bowed in greeting.
"Envoy, there is an urgent secret letter delivered directly from the Southern Army in the Southern Territory, specifically for you."
"Southern Army?"
The unease Simon had just suppressed rose again in his heart.
He took the letter. After reading its contents, without even speaking, he hurriedly walked towards the great cathedral.