New Reinforcements

Translator: Cinder Translations

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When Catherine entered the tent, her fiancé was listening to Schroeder's report on the latest developments. 

Many unfamiliar faces surrounded Paul. They were clad in the standard-issue uniforms of Alden's army, and the insignias on their shoulders indicated they were high-ranking officers. 

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Paul looked up, and his eyes met Catherine's. 

I should take the initiative, Paul thought. He walked around the table, approached his fiancée, and took her hand. 

Catherine instinctively tried to pull her hand away but stopped herself just in time. 

"It's a relief to see you safe, my dear." 

Being addressed like this in front of so many people made Catherine's heart skip a beat. A blush crept onto her fair cheeks. 

She glared at Paul in slight annoyance, reminding him of the occasion—although she wouldn't have minded such an endearment in private. 

"Thank you for your support, Earl Grayman." 

Realizing he might have overstepped, Paul awkwardly smiled and greeted Ophina, Klein, and the others behind Catherine. 

Everyone took their seats around the meeting table. 

Paul began introducing his entourage. "Catherine, there are many here who have accompanied me to Crystal Glare, whom you already know. But there are a few new faces I'd like to introduce. This is Bryce Alder, my artillery director. He has served the Grayman family as a knight for generations. Since I brought nearly all our cannons here, he's joined us." 

The burly Bryce immediately stood and respectfully saluted the future mistress. 

"This is Ron, my logistics officer..." Paul introduced everyone qualified to attend the meeting. 

Then he outlined the reinforcements he had brought. 

After Alden expanded its recruitment, the remaining four and a half understrength battalions were quickly filled and brought to the front line. 

In addition, Paul had brought nearly the entirety of Alden's artillery forces—40 cannons, mostly 4-pounders and 6-pounders. Combined with the artillery Schroeder had already brought, the total number of cannons now reached 60. 

This was accompanied by a robust logistics force, totaling over 5,000 personnel. 

The primary logistical challenge was ammunition: gunpowder, shells, and bullets amounted to over 20 tons, transported in more than 40 wagons. 

Even so, with the combined forces of 4,000 soldiers, each could only be allocated 50 bullets. Each cannon was equipped with about 30 rounds—but the current supply of gunpowder wasn't even enough to fire all the ammunition. More would have to be shipped in. 

The new battalions consisted primarily of retired veterans, who needed only minimal retraining before deployment. The local militia had been tasked with defending Alden's homeland. 

Schroeder provided an update on the enemy's forces. 

"Based on the latest intelligence, the orcs have deployed between 15,000 and 20,000 cavalry in our direction, led by the orc general, Calem. 

"They also have a large contingent of human soldiers, sourced from various places—some sent by traitorous lords, others forcibly conscripted locals, or even opportunistic civilians. Their numbers total about 20,000, mostly infantry." 

Paul frowned. "Nearly 40,000 enemies—this is a grim situation." 

On his side, there were about 10,000 troops from the Northwest Bay territories, 4,000 from Crystal Glare, 10,000 from Blackstone Pass, and a small contingent from the neighboring Giant Elephant Plains. The numbers were inferior to the orcs, and prior defeats had left most troops demoralized and panicked. 

"What kind of person is Calem?" Paul asked. 

Schroeder replied, "He's an ambitious orc. While he isn't yet in the core circle of the Leadership, Calem is eager to prove himself by conquering the kingdom's northwest, earning the favor of the Great Chieftain Abal." 

"Well then," Paul declared resolutely, "I have no intention of becoming a trophy on his ladder of achievements." 

He stood and swept his gaze across the room. "The claws the orcs extend toward us will stop here—and be severed." 

Many of the commanders, especially those from the Northwest Bay, admired his confidence, but others remained skeptical. 

Duke Osman Alambre of Blackstone Pass voiced his concern, "Earl Grayman, I urge you to take the orcs seriously. I thought I had adequately prepared for their ferocity before the Sunset Valley battle, but when the fighting began, I realized I had underestimated them." 

The duke, who had narrowly survived the battle, had lost nearly all the troops he brought from his territory. 

To him, Paul was a confident young man, but youth often led to overconfidence, which could spell disaster when facing challenges beyond one's grasp. 

Moreover, Paul was Catherine's fiancé. The recent defeat at Sunset Valley had already tarnished her reputation. Another failure by her husband-to-be would exacerbate this. 

"Thank you for your advice, Duke. I will ensure that our strategies are based on thorough evaluations of the enemy and collective wisdom," Paul replied with a polite nod, recognizing the duke's well-meaning counsel. 

Then Paul noticed a somewhat hostile gaze directed his way from the young man standing beside the duke. 

"And you, Sir Monterlit Tavares? Do you have any advice to offer?" Paul inquired, recognizing the man from earlier introductions. 

"None, Earl Grayman," Monterlit replied curtly. 

Monterlit suppressed his irritation. Though he bore significant responsibility for the Sunset Valley defeat, he felt compelled to remain low-key. 

Still, seeing someone younger than him speak with such authority stirred his displeasure—especially since this person was set to marry Catherine. 

Before leaving, Paul shared a recent message. 

"Before I departed, Alden Town received a telegraph—pardon me, a letter—from Crystal Glare." 

He handed the paper to Catherine before passing it around the table. 

"Prince Jasim has departed northward to negotiate with the orcs?" 

This sparked a flurry of discussion. 

"What is the kingdom's leadership thinking? At a time like this, they should be sending more troops to crush the orcs, not engaging in diplomatic chatter." 

Most attendees couldn't understand why the kingdom would negotiate after suffering a defeat—it felt akin to begging for mercy. 

Only Catherine and her Crystal Glare entourage understood the bitter truth. 

The negotiations weren't a choice born of strategy but of necessity—the kingdom simply didn't have enough troops to fight. The south remained under threat from the ever-watchful Giles and Vibern. 

(End of the Chapter)

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