An Eerie Army

Translator: CinderTL

Would the Church continue to attack with War Elephants?

Upon hearing this, Antonio was momentarily stunned. "Is the source of this information reliable?"

"Absolutely reliable!" Dorati nodded with confidence. "It's information passed back by Anthony Edwards."

"Haha..." Antonio chuckled. "That young man whose name is somewhat similar to mine?"

"Yes!" Dorati confirmed. "He is currently working in the command headquarters of the Church's army, serving as an advisor beside Selvyn Hammond. It was his persuasion that led Hammond to be blinded by the promise of great glory, and he has now resolved to become the first foreign conqueror in the history of the Gabella Empire—with the help of War Elephants."

Antonio snorted disdainfully. "Wishful thinking."

"Haha, you're being too serious," Dorati Maite grinned. "After all, they haven't realized this is a trap."

A glint flashed in Antonio's eyes. "If we can completely destroy the Church's War Elephant Legion in our counterattack, even the Holy Capital would be nothing more than a fruit ready for the picking."

"This Anthony Edwards has worked hard. If I recall correctly, he is also one of our countrymen, isn't he?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"As a Spellcaster within the inner circle of the Church, he must constantly and carefully conceal his traces as a Spellcaster. It must be quite exhausting."

Dorati replied solemnly, "It is Anthony Edwards' honor to fight for the benefit of his countrymen."

He continued, "In addition to the information about the War Elephants, Anthony has also sent back much valuable intelligence. The Church's frontline combat soldiers still have 70,000 troops with combat effectiveness, including 40,000 light infantry, 10,000 heavy infantry, 15,000 light cavalry, and 5,000 heavy cavalry. The serviceability rate of their various military equipment is only 70%, and their provisions are beginning to run short. Currently, they are prioritizing the combat personnel, while the non-priority personnel, according to Anthony, are only able to eat two meals a day."

Aldridge stroked his graying beard upon hearing this. "When the Church's troops first set out, they claimed to have over 200,000 soldiers. Now, their situation... it's like an arrow that has finally exhausted its power."

"You're right, Master," Dorati agreed. "The reason I came to the palace today is to request His Majesty to choose an opportune moment for a counterattack. I believe that under Marshal MacDonald's diligent efforts, the Fire Dragon Legion is well-prepared and ready to engage in battle at any time."

Without Dorati Maite needing to suggest it, upon hearing the intelligence passed back by the informant, Emperor Antonio had already fallen into deep thought. His hand lightly tapped on the desk, while his brow was tightly furrowed.

...

The Church's grand army continued to advance, like a massive python slithering across the vast plains of Gabella.

They had reached Socalo, a place hailed as the western gate of the Gabella Empire's capital. Once this place was captured, the road to the capital would be unobstructed.

To protect such a strategic location, the Gabella people had built a sturdy fortress, which had stood here for over a hundred years. However, due to the empire's military prowess, Socalo Fortress had never been attacked.

Today, this fortress finally faced an assault.

Selvyn Hammond had prepared for a tough battle. Despite the significant losses during the march, this Church commander remained optimistic.

But something unexpected happened. The Church was actually being blocked on the road to the fortress.

On the hill ahead, an army they had never seen before stood in readiness.

The soldiers on the flanks of this army were not much different from the previous Gabella troops, but they appeared more elite in demeanor.

It was mainly the soldiers in the center who looked particularly distinctive. Their equipment appeared extremely refined, clad in dark red Scale Armor, with a Fire Dragon's head etched in simple, fluid lines on their breastplates. Their helmets were cast into the shape of fierce Beast Heads, with only cold eyes visible beneath the visors.

Each soldier held a strange, crimson-colored weapon—it looked like some modified form of a Crossbow. Those with keen eyes could see a crimson crystal embedded in the Crossbow Mechanism, glowing with an eerie luster in the sunlight.

Their formation was not dense, but rather spread out in a loose arc. Every few steps, there stood a figure draped in a long robe. Strangely, they wore only robes and no protective gear in this perilous battlefield. Even more bizarre, they carried no weapons, only a curved wooden staff topped with a crimson crystal, very similar to the crystals on the soldiers' crossbows.

The officers and soldiers of the Church's army whispered among themselves, both wary and curious.

"What kind of troops are these?" Selvyn Hammond quietly asked the people around him. The generals looked at each other, including Deputy Commander Webster. None of them had ever seen such an enemy before.

The enemy's formation was quite peculiar, not the traditional dense phalanx, but spread out in a loose arc. Even stranger were the figures in robes mixed within the ranks. These people didn't look like officers or messengers; the staffs they held, embedded with gems, seemed more like ceremonial tools.

They had never seen Gabella troops dressed like this—neither like traditional heavy infantry nor like light archers, but something in between.

What made some uneasy was the faintly scorching air emanating from the enemy's position, though most dismissed it as the heat waves from the midday sun.

The Church's officers squinted, trying to decipher this mysterious legion, especially the archers with their strange crossbows. The entire legion was eerily quiet, with only the heat waves distorting the air silently.

Deputy Commander Webster gripped his sword hilt, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

He nervously swallowed, noticing more oddities behind the enemy lines. There seemed to be floating clusters of fire, but the flames appeared to be slowly rotating—was he seeing things?

Why would they light bonfires in broad daylight?

Perhaps it was preparation for catapults to hurl incendiary bombs? But there were doubts, as such weapons were typically used for sieges rather than field battles.

The deputy commander speculated, "Judging by their equipment, they might be elite Guards."

Commander Hammond also felt a twinge of unease. This mysterious force was too quiet—no battle cries, no drum beats—like a pack of beasts waiting for prey. What was even more unsettling was that they seemed completely unafraid of the Church's renowned War Elephant Legion, standing there calmly as if waiting for something.

"Whoever they are," he finally ordered, "prepare to attack! Let these heretics witness the wrath of the Lord of Light!"

(End of the Chapter)

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