Chapter 246: Heavy Casualties

Chapter 246: Heavy Casualties

"My Lord Earl, what's wrong?" Carolina asked, her voice filled with concern.

Wiggins lifted his head and locked eyes with the liaison officer from Wushan Fort. His gaze was sharp, his expression fierce—perhaps due to his anger, his eyes were bloodshot, and the intensity of his look made Carolina uneasy.

Something had happened in Chishan Town, something significant.

Wiggins took a deep breath, struggling to control his emotions. "Carolina, please go to the front and inform Sir Toru, Ronin, Kabir, and the others. Tell them that I am at Wushan Fortress..."

"No, take me there now," Wiggins added.

Although he had not wanted to interrupt the banquet, the urgency of the situation left him no choice. He needed to inform the nobles and knights present immediately.

Inside the ballroom, the lights were still bright, and the music continued to play. However, most of the guests had grown tired of dancing and were now enjoying dessert, chatting, laughing, and sharing stories.

At this point, the evening's banquet seemed to be winding down successfully.

Diane, sitting down to enjoy her dessert, let out a sigh of relief. She had proposed to Lu Lans that she personally host the event, and if it went smoothly, it would be a good reflection on her.

Suddenly, a noise broke through the atmosphere: Carolina was pushing Wiggins back toward the ballroom.

"What's this about?" Diane noticed the exchange and the intense expression on Wiggins' face. From her years of knowing him, she immediately sensed that something grave had occurred.

She quickly stood up and approached him, briefly eyeing Carolina before asking, "Wiggins, why do you look so distressed?"

Wiggins had become less irritable since breaking his leg. If this had happened in the past, he would have surely shouted at the guests to leave. Now, he managed to hold his temper.

"Toru, Kabir, Ronin, Albert, Curry, come with me," he said, glancing back at Carolina. "Push me to the side hall."

The people called by name exchanged confused looks but said nothing. Seeing Wiggins' serious expression, they immediately followed.

As the main guests began to leave, the nobles' relatives and performers who had stayed behind paused their socializing.

Diane clapped her hands and addressed the remaining guests. "Alright, everyone, the banquet is over. Hallward, please take care of the rest."

"Yes, ma'am," Hallward replied.

Diane waved to Bretton. "Let's go see what's happening."

In the side hall, after everyone had gathered, Wiggins dropped a bombshell that stunned them all.

"Red Mountain Town has been taken by the Polante Thieves!" he announced.

Luo Ning was struck with disbelief. How could it have happened so quickly? Less than six hours had passed since the carrier bird was sent from Chishan Town to Wushan Fort. The day before yesterday, Corian had sent word that reinforcements were on the way from Kashier Town.

In other words, Chishan Town had fallen in less than two days?

"Impossible!" Kabir was still in shock. "There's a knight group stationed there! Both Corian and Hahn are powerful. How could this happen?"

Wiggins then revealed another shocking detail.

"Deputy Captain Hahn is dead, and more than half of the Fifth Knights were killed in battle. Now Corian is leading the remaining knights in retreat to Boulder City!"

"How can that be?"

While defeat was one thing, the death of so many knights and the loss of their deputy commander was unimaginable.

Toru stepped forward, took the letter from Wiggins, and began reading. His expression darkened with every word.

"Why... why are the Polante Thieves so strong?" he muttered.

The Polante Bandits had only controlled one city and three towns. How could they have grown so powerful so quickly?

"I've been to Chishan Town," Kabir said, furrowing his brow. "I saw the fortifications there. As long as we weren't negligent, the enemy would have suffered heavy losses if they tried to force their way in."

"Could they have formed two knight groups during their rest?" Ronin suggested. "Or maybe they have multiple golden knights leading them?"

Ronan took the letter and read it too. There were no details about the exact cause of failure—whether Corian had neglected to mention it or was intentionally avoiding blaming his own mistakes was unclear.

But one thing was certain: Wushanling had lost another border town, and that couldn't be ignored.

"We can speculate all we want, but the real question is what to do now," Wiggins interrupted.

He was clearly distressed.

He had just finalized a deal with Ronin earlier in the day, expecting to make significant gains, only to learn that Chishan Town had fallen. The loss of the town and its knights was crushing, as it meant the family would lose nearly two thousand gold coins annually.

"Chishan Town cannot be lost like this!" Wiggins' voice was resolute. "I'm issuing a war order. All the nobles in Wushanling must send troops to support Boulder City and retake Chishan Town!"

Kabir and Toru exchanged a glance but didn't object immediately. However, such a decision would be hard to refuse.

Luo Ning spoke up. "The most urgent thing is to send reinforcements to Boulder City immediately. We cannot let the Polante Bandits advance any further."

Mobilizing for war could take months—one or two at least. Who knew if Boulder City could hold out that long?

"Yes, you're right," Wiggins agreed, a determined gleam in his eye. "Luo Ning, my son, I hope you can represent me and the Wushan family in this expedition!"

Nobility was closely tied to the military, and when a great noble declared war, they usually participated in person or sent suitable representatives.

Since Rulans was injured and Wiggins was unable to fight due to his broken leg, only Ronin and Bretton were left to take the lead.

But Bretton, at only fourteen, was still too young. Ronin, however, was eighteen and the Viscount of Wubei Territory—making him the perfect candidate to represent the Wushan family.

Ronin hadn't expected such a huge responsibility. He had agreed to escort supplies to the front lines, but he hadn't expected to be thrust into leadership. If he joined the battle, he would need to lead his own knights and manage the logistics.

To be honest, Ronin didn't want to go to war. Even though victory could bring him considerable prestige, the task ahead felt daunting.

"Father, I fear that Wubei Territory doesn't have enough soldiers or supplies to help much in this battle," he said hesitantly.

"It doesn't matter," Wiggins replied dismissively. "The Wushan family needs someone to represent them in this war. I can't do it, your grandfather can't, and Bretton certainly can't."

His reasoning was clear.

"So, all I need from you is to command the battle in my stead. Leave the rest to the knights and other nobles."

Ronin was taken aback. Could it really be that simple?

He exchanged glances with Toru and Kabir, both of whom remained silent.

"Father," Ronin began slowly, "Are you sure about this? I've never commanded a battle before. I have no experience, and I don't have any knights or the respect of others yet."

He had no power base of his own, and without any experience, how could he command the noble knights? Could he really earn their respect and trust?

Wiggins considered this, then nodded. "Let's go to the back garden. We'll settle this tonight."

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