Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 676: Luring Them In
TL: Rui88
Kalem sat on his horse, his brow tightly furrowed.
In front of him, dozens of orc corpses lay scattered on the ground.
It was a truly tragic scene. The air was still thick with the smell of blood, and a large swarm of flies, having come from who knows where, had gathered on the bodies to feast.
The dead orc soldiers still clutched their weapons. These warriors, once strong and agile, now lay on the cold ground.
Many of their bodies were mangled, their twisted faces still showing pain and anger. From the eyes of those who had not yet closed them, one could still sense the hatred and unwillingness they felt before death.
“It looks like they encountered a terrible ambush.”
Langfellow and Boyle accompanied Kalem. The orc general’s silence frightened them, and they could only exchange their observations in low voices.
“Collect their bodies!”
Kalem gave his first command of the day.
“Yes, my lord!”
His subordinates dismounted and began to lift and carry the bodies, arranging them neatly on a flat patch of grass.
“Wurige’s squad had a full thirty men. None surrendered; all died in battle.”
The orc responsible for examining the bodies reported to Kalem.
“What was the enemy’s situation?”
“Judging from the footprints, their numbers should be between fifty and sixty, undoubtedly human. From the signs at the scene, Wurige’s men were first tripped by a horse-tripping rope, then a large number of crossbow bolts were fired from the side of the road, causing them considerable casualties. Finally, the humans suddenly charged out from the woods and attacked them. Everyone fought to their last breath. They are heroes!”
After patiently listening to his subordinate’s report, Kalem walked over to the bodies.
He murmured, “Rest in peace, warriors of the plains. May you soon enter the embrace of the Spirit of the Plains.”
His men lit a fire and burned the bodies on the ground to ashes.
Life on the plains was harsh, and orc funerals were not as elaborate as those in the human world; they were often just a simple cremation.
“They have proven their courage, so what should we do?”
Kalem’s eyes bulged like two bronze bells as he loudly questioned the subordinates who had accompanied him. The firelight cast a red glow over his entire face.
The orcs, spurred on by their general’s presence, raised their arms and shouted.
“Avenge them!”
“Kill the humans!”
“Plunder them, annihilate them!”
…
Listening to those howls, Langfellow and Boyle couldn’t help but frown.
Was the Grand Duke really making the right choice by letting such a bunch into the human world?
But regardless, they were already here.
“Since they were ambushed here, the royal army must have been heading along this road to the Blackstone Plains, which is why they left troops behind to cover their rear.”
Boyle stated his judgment.
A cruel light shot from Kalem’s eyes. He clenched his right fist so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
“I will follow this road and catch up with them! I will use their blood to commemorate my compatriots!”
Waaaaaaah!
The orc general threw his head back and let out a heaven-shaking roar!
As this roar spread rapidly, the earth began to tremble as if a switch had been flipped.
A rumbling sound, like waves, rolled in from the distance.
Langfellow turned to look, and soon, countless cavalry appeared in his field of vision. They had tall, strong bodies, and their mounts were equally large and powerful.
Each one had a resolute expression, their faces cold and hard, as if with a single command from their superior, they could transform into one of the world’s most destructive forces.
The wave of orc cavalry soon washed over this patch of woods. The dense trampling of hooves even compacted the grass on both sides of the road by a layer.
Along this forest road, the huge wave swept ever westward.
——
In Sunset Valley, the retreating royal army was temporarily encamped.
A hurried figure arrived in front of a tent.
“I am Duke Osman Aranbru, here to see Her Highness Catherine!”
“Please come in, Your Grace. Her Highness has been waiting for you.”
A guard considerately lifted the flap of the tent door for him.
Duke Aranbru walked into the tent and saw a figure studying a map hanging on the wall.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Grace, it’s been a long time!”
Catherine turned around and looked at the old nobleman before her, whose hair was already streaked with white but whose mustache was still impeccably trimmed. She couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.
The Aranbru family was the largest noble family in the Blackstone Plains.
The Duke was very emotional. “Yes, the last time I saw you was in Crystal Shine…”
Catherine’s tone changed. “But now is not the time for sentimentality.”
“Is it the orcs you mentioned in your letter?”
“Yes.”
The Duke cursed, “The damned Bradley Family! I always thought there was something wrong with them. To think they would be shameless enough to cooperate with the orcs.”
“Your Highness, how many orcs in total have come to the Blackstone Plains?”
Catherine gave a wry smile. “Based on various signs, there are at least fifteen thousand pursuing us, and they have the Bradley Family’s army cooperating with them.”
Hearing this, the Duke became nervous.
Catherine comforted him, “I have already sent Lester with a team to create the illusion that we retreated along another road. If successful, it could delay them for a few days.”
As she said this, a hint of worry rose in Catherine’s heart. He and his men had not yet returned.
“Duke Aranbru, we need a victory to dampen the orcs’ arrogant spirit. How many men can you mobilize?”
“Your Highness, I can raise twenty thousand from my own territory. As for the other territories… that will depend on the specific situation.”
At least twenty thousand?
Catherine was already very satisfied, although she knew a large proportion of them would be farmers armed with pitchforks.
The Duke continued, “I have already sent out the notice. Soon, lords from all over the Blackstone Plains will lead their troops to support us. By then, we will be able to assemble a large army and deliver a head-on blow to the orcs.”
“Mmm…”
Just as Catherine was about to say something, the tent flap was lifted, and Ofina walked in.
“Lester is back!”
“Excellent!”
The worry in Catherine’s heart finally subsided.
“And there’s more good news!”
Ofina smiled and handed over a letter.
“A telegram?”
Catherine immediately took it, her heart pounding slightly.
The content was not long and could be read at a glance.
“Paul will be sending an army to support us!”
The princess cried out in pleasant surprise.
“Paul? Is that Count Grayman?”
Duke Aranbru immediately guessed who Catherine was talking about. He had met the lord of Lakeheart Town in the capital, and the Duke had also been present when the king announced the engagement.
