"Is that so? Is it really like that?" Kailar nodded and smiled, listening to the elf whispering in his ear. Then, with one finger, he playfully tousled her delicate hair and small head, causing the elf to giggle.
To Kailar, these elves were like his children, cute and tiny. More importantly, they were one of his means of contacting the outside world and his method of reconnaissance.
Previously, he often released photons from his entire body to receive information from over ten kilometers away, but now he was blind. This ability was limited to a visibility range of about fifteen meters around him, and he no longer received information from further out.
Elves, however, were different. They were naive and pure, joyful and graceful, and also immune to physical attacks. Long-distance travel held no meaning for them, so they were the best for such tasks.
But they also had weaknesses. One was that their language could only be understood by Kailar and could not be widely popularized. The other was that their minds were only like those of a two or three-year-old, so their descriptions of events were not very accurate. Kailar had to rely on his own deductions to interpret the little elf's descriptions.
These two points might be fatal in normal circumstances, but for Kailar, they were not a problem. Kailar simply laughed happily.
Artoria had crushed over 250,000 Barbarians on the Guilford Plains, killing 150,000 enemies, with fewer than 50,000 escaping back to Red Leaf Ridge.
"Wonderful!" Kailar tossed the elf high into the air and exclaimed loudly, "It's truly wonderful!"
"Has Lily grown to this extent during my absence? I provided the plan and arrangements, but their timing was absolutely precise! Excellent! Simply wonderful!" Kailar raised his hand high, tossing the elf up, making her giggle with delight.
"Very good!" Kailar settled her on his shoulder and looked towards the harbor. "It's probably time... it's time..."
"Lily... attack... attack..." Kailar murmured, "Attack, eliminate them. With a hundred thousand Knights, with the plan, crush them, shatter them, let them know the taste of invasion, and then..." Kailar slammed his hand down decisively. "Annihilate them completely!"
"That's right. After this battle, perhaps some Barbarians will remain, but they will no longer be a threat. Perhaps in two hundred, five hundred years, they will rise again, but they won't have the chance. Once Camelot thrives, I will completely integrate them—civilization, culture, race, memories, everything." Kailar's expression became distant, then suddenly resolute. "This time, Camelot, no prisoners!"
"Seize the opportunity, Lily," was all Kailar had to say.
That's right, the perfect time to strike while they're down!
Continuous fleeing troops rushed back to Red Leaf Ridge, and the news they brought weighed heavily on Inglish's heart. The worst-case scenario had finally happened: Camelot was not without the strength to defeat them!
But if they had the power to defeat them, why did they allow them to penetrate so deeply into Camelot's territory? What were they trying to do?
Total annihilation!
A heavy word appeared in his mind, startling him, but then he gave a self-deprecating smile. No matter how bold the Camelot people were, it was impossible for them to annihilate over half a million people, right?
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat, and his face turned grim. He suddenly thought that if it weren't for the 300,000 reinforcements, these Knights might have already wiped out their 200,000-strong allied army.
The feeling of unease grew stronger.
He walked out of his tent and said to the person beside him, "Order: everyone prepare to retreat."
"But Marshal?" a berserker beside him asked, stunned. He completely didn't understand why they, who were currently gaining the upper hand, needed to retreat. Everything was developing in a good direction; the enemy, Red Leaf Ridge, was about to collapse. The other two Barbarian tribes had also been defeated and absorbed by the Vikings. Now, they only needed to finish absorbing the entire Viking force, which would reach 350,000, to become the overlords of this land. Why retreat?
He didn't understand, nor did he comprehend, so he hesitated and didn't immediately carry out the order.
This was the difference between a disorganized mob and professional warriors. If there were Camelot Knights here, they would surely salute and then turn to leave.
With a bitter smile, Inglish opened his mouth to explain the situation to him, but the earth-shattering sound of a horn blared from outside, penetrating the thick cowhide tent. This was the command center, so it couldn't be too close to Red Leaf Ridge's city walls, living in houses left by the Camelot people. Thus, Inglish was stationed about five li outside the city, but even from his location, he could hear the horn... Inglish's face changed, and he rushed out of the tent, looking at the outer perimeter, which was slowly stirring like boiling water. Further out, in the hazy distance, was the continuous sound of horns.
Like a signal, thunderous cheers erupted from within Red Leaf Ridge, as if to pierce the clouds.
"Damn it!" Inglish, instead, froze. Not only did he not move, but he began to order everyone to be quiet, set up camp, and defend.
However, his orders could not be effectively relayed down to the lower ranks. The reason was simple: he had no senior or mid-level officers. All orders could only be delivered by messengers running one by one. He originally had 180,000 men, and counting those who fled back, besides those killed and trampled, his forces had gradually approached 220,000. How long would it take to notify 220,000 people one by one?
A very long time!
Long enough for the messengers to run their legs off!
Even if hundreds of warriors simultaneously issued orders, it would take a long time, but this time was fatal... The woman with the golden longsword led the Knights to stand on a high slope, looking at the besieged city, her former homeland, the pearl of Camelot. Red Leaf Ridge had been made a mess by the Barbarians. The order Kailar had created, her home, had completely disappeared. They plundered, tore down houses for the siege, and relieved themselves everywhere, making the outer city of Red Leaf Ridge incredibly dirty, disgusting, and filthy... Was this truly her home? Artoria looked at the devastated land in disbelief.
Having lived here for fifteen years, she had never been attached to the palace. In her view, her small home was always Kailar's small manor.
And now, everything had been razed, like a land walked over by greedy gluttons. Except for the unyielding banner of Red Leaf Ridge, everything else... had vanished!
Her face flushed with anger, and then she drew her longsword.
Like a signal, the entire army drew their longswords, their gazes fixed on her.
My King, please give the order! We are ready!