Chapter 00185: Pocket Encounter (4)
# Pocket Encounter (4)
Chapter 185
Novel: AFK Game: Portal to Another World
Chapter 185: Pocket Encounter (4)
The curtain of rain gradually shrank, but the water vapor it stirred up had not dispersed.
Count Fran stared blankly at the army charging out of the mist.
His eyes were wide open, and for a moment, he thought he was dreaming.
The King and the Crown Prince had died in battle, the Princess's whereabouts were unknown, and contact with other lords was severed.
This was the reality before him.
It was not until Viola led her army past Count Fran's eyes like a fierce wind that he suddenly realized.
That was not a dream, it was reality!
That blood-red hair, pulsating with life like fresh blood, was precisely the one he followed.
Since he was a child, he had heard his father tell stories of their ancestors following the King into valiant battle.
He never expected that he too would have such a day.
The Avarus Royalty were never the kind to hide behind soldiers and generals to issue orders.
No matter the situation, the royalty always charged at the very front.
After all, if the king does not act, how can his subordinates be expected to follow?
It was precisely this charm of fearlessly forging ahead that attracted countless people to follow willingly.
Even now, with the nation shattered, a large number of lords were still resisting bravely.
They were waiting, waiting for a person with blood-red hair to stand up and lead them to victory once more.
The flame that had been extinguished in his heart seemed to be reignited by that mass of red hair.
Covered in wounds, Count Fran felt filled with strength.
He could not even feel the sharp pain from the arrow stuck in his shoulder as he nimbly mounted his horse.
Raising his sword, which had a corner chipped off, Count Fran shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Follow Her Highness the Princess! Follow Her Highness the Princess! Follow Her Highness the Princess!"
Each shout was higher and clearer than the last.
Viola's appearance re-lit the world in Count Fran's eyes.
The gray mist that obscured the future seemed to be torn apart by sunlight.
The cavalrymen were equally inspired, following Count Fran in a charge, just as Count Fran followed that striking splash of red hair.
At this moment, confidence and strength returned to Count Fran's body.
He laughed out loud without a care, swinging his longsword like a madman.
Do you see that!
That is the monarch we follow! She is beautiful, resolute, will not be defeated by any hardship, and always forges bravely forward!
---
Unlike the greatly encouraged Count Fran, Isaac's mood could be described as continuous gloomy rain.
"What? The Third Cavalry Squad can't rendezvous? Did I not tell them to shake off the enemy immediately?"
"The rain is too heavy, the Third Cavalry Squad can't see the road clearly."
"Impossible!"
Isaac stretched out his hand, only a light drizzle fell on his gauntlet:
"You call this heavy rain?"
"Uh… It is unclear, but that is what the Third Cavalry Squad reported. And because of the heavy rain, they are temporarily unable to shake off the enemy."
"Where is the Fourth Cavalry Squad now?"
"They just reported that they have shaken off the enemy and are moving toward our position."
He finally heard some good news, but then another herald ran up, and Isaac's heart skipped a beat.
"Report, the Fourth Cavalry Squad has been ambushed. The enemy has control of the valley, our troops are being attacked by rocks and arrows, suffering heavy casualties. The Fourth Cavalry Squad requests permission to withdraw from the battlefield."
"How is that possible? How could the enemy predict my orders!"
Isaac gritted his teeth in frustration.
Every order he gave to the cavalry squads had taken into account bypassing the enemy to make it easier to rendezvous, but no matter how they detoured, it seemed to be within the enemy's calculations.
"General, what do we do now?"
Yes, what to do?
The original plan was to drive Count Fran into a desperate situation, which was why he had divided his forces into four units.
Using magical communication and the high mobility of the cavalry, they were like four vipers striking from all sides.
This plan was formulated because his own forces were far greater than the enemy's.
After all, Count Fran was only here to harass the supply lines and had only brought four hundred cavalry.
Even after dividing his troops into four, Isaac could still ensure each unit had over three hundred cavalrymen.
But the plan had not accounted for the sudden appearance of Princess Viola, especially since the other side seemed to have figured out all their details.
"Tell the Fourth Cavalry Squad to retreat. The Third and Second Cavalry Squads are to shake off the enemy as quickly as possible and come rendezvous with our main force at full speed. If they encounter any more enemy entanglement, they are to immediately fall back and disengage from the battlefield."
If the dispersed units continued to charge head-on stubbornly, they would likely be divided and surrounded by the enemy.
In the end, even if they were not completely wiped out, the outcome would probably not be good.
Watching the soldier run off to relay the order, Isaac looked up at the sky.
Could it be that Viola has eyes in the sky?
His army's movements were all seen clearly, and behind the scenes, a skilled commander was using the same tactics as his grandfather, annihilating the enemy through herding and ambushes.
Caught off guard, Isaac experienced what Count Fran had felt.
It was a feeling of being completely unable to exert his strength, like being beaten up with a sack over his head.
However, Isaac still had one last card to play.
It was not time for him to give up yet.
"Follow me, let us be the ones to capture Her Highness Princess Viola!"
The First Cavalry Squad below, responsible for the frontal assault, numbered around six hundred men.
Isaac's personal guard also had over two hundred people.
At least on paper, they still had the strength to fight.
Moreover, Isaac was very confident in his own martial prowess.
Today he had been outmaneuvered strategically, but in terms of martial strength, he had not lost yet!
---
"Isaac is definitely thinking, 'I can capture Her Highness Viola with my own hands!', something like that."
Wendy relaxed in front of the sand table.
She sat in a chair and even reached out to take the cup of black tea handed to her by her butler, Reina.
"Little does he know, his every move has been under surveillance since yesterday. Predicting the actions of a hot-headed guy like him is easier than predicting the actions of a fool."
"That is thanks to the scout named Hill in Viola's army, right? Why are you so smug?"
"Of course, it is because I am the one actually commanding."
Although she appeared calm, this was actually Wendy's first time commanding a battle.
She was different from Isaac; the latter was raised to be his own successor, while Wendy had merely learned by osmosis from being around her grandfather.
Her knowledge of military strategy was entirely self-taught.
However, Wendy was very talented.
She had already run countless simulations on the sand table at home, dreaming that one day she could command a vast army.
Although the scale was a bit smaller, this could still be considered a dream come true.
Seeing her so pleased with herself, Audel could not help but pour cold water on her parade:
"Is it not only because the Lord told you the enemy's movements,"
"Indeed, I am also very grateful for the Lord's help,"
"Instead of verbal thanks, you would be better off building a Grand Temple in Sailing Harbor,"
"I have mentioned it to Her Highness and my father, but they both disagreed,"
The situation in Sailing Harbor was too complicated.
Sending people to preach might not be very effective.
Especially after the assassination attempt on Viola, it was very likely that the followers of the Master of a Hundred Feet lurking in Sailing Harbor would target the missionaries.
Therefore, both Viola and Wendy's father believed that it was not suitable to preach, at least not until the siege of Sailing Harbor was over.
But this matter with Lord Fran gave Viola an opportunity, and it was also the first step in her decision to counterattack.
(End of this chapter)