The military situation was urgent. After making his arrangements, Marquis Oscillate departed aboard a griffin.

Robson returned to camp. That evening, he gathered with Ed and the officers from Sunset Fortress for a few celebratory drinks.

On the battlefield, blades have no eyes. No one knew if a friend’s name would appear on tomorrow’s casualty list.

Robson also took this opportunity to request 300 peasants who knew how to ride horses.

The southern nobles of Frank were short on cavalry, but the Northern Nobles were not. The livestock industry was a major source of income for them.

They were reluctant to part with their cavalry, but they were willing to spare some peasants who could ride.

Besides, Robson had saved the lives of some of them before and left a good impression on everyone. They didn’t mind paying a small price to gain a powerful friend.

After Huang Na finished the Magical Beast Meat, Robson left the gathering.

Bo Yang and Viscount Fuman stayed and chatted for a while. Ed had disappeared, presumably for a final, tender farewell.

The banquet didn’t last long before it broke up.

The Beastmen were advancing relentlessly, and time was running short. Everyone was working against the clock to make their final arrangements.

Early the next morning, Robson awoke in his military tent and was surprised to see that Ed was also up.

For the first time, Ed had donned his suit of enchanted plate armor with such care. He truly looked the part of a cavalryman.

Today, as arranged by Count Offman, Ed was heading to Marquis Oscillate’s side to serve as his deputy.

"You’re up," Knight Ed said with a smile. "I didn’t think you’d be up so early. I was just about to come wake you." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Goodbye, Ed. Stay safe," Robson said, smiling as he patted Ed’s shoulder.

"I will, Robson. You stay safe, too."

As the Beastmen’s southern invasion entered its second phase, the real war began.

Staying safe was the greatest blessing one could hope for.

DING! Ed Deriman has left your unit.

Without another word, Knight Ed left the camp to begin his new journey.

Not long after Ed’s departure, the rest of the camp began to stir, and a messenger from Valentino arrived to inform Robson.

All preparations were complete. Viscount Fuman had also pulled some strings to remain in Robson’s unit.

It was certainly absurd for a Viscount to serve in a Knight’s unit, but Viscount Fuman clearly cared more about saving his own skin than saving face.

He could have had himself transferred to a more elite unit, but the current situation was that any unit more elite than Robson’s was in a less-than-safe position.

The entire Siriel Defense Line stretched for hundreds of kilometers. It took two days just to travel from Reya Fortress to Mold Castle.

...

At that moment, in the great tent at the center of the Beastman Camp, the commanders of the Beastman army on the Western Front were gathered.

Kase of the Beastman Race, Dor of the Gray Dwarves, Bega of the Caucasus Centaurs...

Kase looked at the squabbling commanders before him and rubbed his brow, feeling immensely frustrated.

During the great fire at Sunset Fortress, his most elite regiment of Wolf Cavalry and his priests had taken the full brunt of a Forbidden Spell, a devastating blow to their strength.

Earl Leo’s Forbidden Spell had caused Kase’s prestige within the army to plummet. Now, never mind Dor, even Bega was ignoring him.

If the Caucasus Centaurs hadn’t had their spirits broken by a century of suppression from the Beastman Royal Court, the current situation likely would have devolved into a free-for-all.

"Dor, this is a war council! Not one of your Gray Dwarf mines!"

"Fine! I’ll head back to Black Cliff City right now! I don’t want to stir up trouble, but where were you when my warriors were trying to intercept those humans?"

"I was the first to send troops in pursuit, so where were all of you? Whose fault is it that we’re in this mess now?" Dor demanded.

He hadn’t mentioned Prince Kase by name, but every word was a barb directed at him.

If Kase’s Wolf Cavalry hadn’t suffered such devastating losses, Dor wouldn’t have dared to say a word even if Kase had sold him out. In fact, he might have even had to offer Kase some compensation.

After all, the Human Race had broken through his defensive sector; Dor bore an undeniable responsibility for that.

But now that Kase had managed to get his own Wolf Cavalry decimated, the situation was entirely different.

This wasn’t a case of a general in the field ignoring his sovereign’s orders. Rather, it was a simple fact that in the future, if the Empire wanted to maintain its success on the Western Front, it would have to rely more heavily on General Dor.

As one’s power waned and the other’s waxed, Dor’s voice in the council naturally grew louder.

"I do bear some responsibility for our prior defeat," Kase said viciously, "but this is not the time to dwell on it! If we fail to complete the kingdom’s mission, not a single one of you will escape the consequences!"

Though his Wolf Cavalry had suffered heavy losses, the number of Extraordinary warriors he still commanded was not insignificant.

Not to mention, his political resources were far beyond anything Dor could compare to. His words were a clear warning to Dor not to push his luck. If Dor caused trouble now, Kase would make him pay dearly, even if it meant failing the mission.

Hearing this, Dor silently returned to his seat. He had achieved his goal.

Kase had just taken responsibility. While he hadn’t explicitly stated he was the primary one at fault, when both the commander-in-chief and a general are blamed for a defeat, would anyone really think the general was the one primarily responsible?

As the Fourth Prince of the Beast Race, Kase’s ability to serve as a front-line commander meant the resources at his disposal were far beyond anything Dor could imagine.

The reason Dor dared to be so arrogant was twofold: first, the tense relationship between the Gray Dwarves and the Beastmen, and second, Kase needed him to conquer the Western Front.

Pushing things too far wouldn’t be good for anyone.

"Now that we have some quiet, we can discuss our next steps," Kase said, breathing a sigh of relief.

He had been worried Dor was just a hothead. If Dor had continued to defy him, he certainly had ways to put him in his place, but doing so would have slowed the Beastman Empire’s entire war effort on the Western Front.

This war was crucial to his bid for the title of Crown Prince and allowed for no missteps. Kase knew how to weigh his priorities.

"Your Highness, the advance of the Royal Court’s main army has been temporarily halted at Barol City by that Marshal from Frank. And while the Second Prince has had some success in the east, it has no bearing on the greater strategic situation."

"Right now, the Imperial Court wants us to break through the enemy’s defensive lines, cross the Somme River, and directly threaten their rear. This will create an opportunity for our main army to press south."

An elderly member of the Fox Race stepped forward and began to analyze the current situation for the assembled commanders.

Prince Kase nodded repeatedly. This was the Second Elder of the Fox Race, a clan that had always supported him. The elder’s words resonated deeply with him.

’So what if the Second Prince has had some success? It’s irrelevant to the bigger picture. The key to breaking this stalemate rests with me, Kase!’

"Zakri, since you’ve spoken up, do you have a brilliant strategy for us?" Kase asked.

It sounded like a question, but they had already discussed this "brilliant strategy" the previous night. Kase, however, couldn’t be the one to propose it.

After all, the Fox Race was, on paper, still an independent race. Therefore, any proposal from their Second Elder could only be taken as the opinion of the Fox Race.

’That way, if the plan fails, the Fox Race will bear the brunt of the blame, and I can distance myself from it. But if it succeeds, then it will be a testament to the Fourth Prince’s brilliant and decisive leadership!’

"It is merely a humble opinion, and I invite the rest of you commanders to share your thoughts."

"As things stand, no matter how sturdy the enemy’s defenses are, they have at most 200,000 troops—and that’s including all their support staff and laborers. But us? We are a million strong!"

"More than a million, in fact. Many more tribes from our homeland are on their way to the front. Numerically, we have an absolute advantage," Zakri said.

"Hmph! Easy for you to say. Do you have any idea what that ’million-strong’ army is actually made of?" Dor stood and jeered as Zakri finished.

Since Zakri and the Fox Race behind him had chosen to side with the Beastmen, they naturally weren’t popular with the Gray Dwarves.

Besides, the Fox Race had gotten the better of the Gray Dwarves more than a few times in the past. Those sly creatures were certainly quicker thinkers than blacksmiths.

"Patience, General. Please allow me to explain," Zakri said. Unflustered by the interruption, he continued with a calm smile.

"Since we have the advantage in numbers, we must put that advantage to use.

The enemy’s defensive line may look solid, but it is actually riddled with holes. There are countless places where we can advance.

Earlier, I heard you generals discussing where to focus our main assault. I believe that is the wrong question entirely. We don’t need to choose a main point of attack.

We have a limitless supply of troops from the Vassal Army. We can attack everywhere with full force," Zakri said.

His words sent a murmur of discussion through the assembled leaders.

Everyone present at a meeting of this level held a high station. The deaths of some soldiers from the Vassal Army were of no concern to them. In fact, the more who died, the better.

After all, back on the Beastman Grassland, the lower-ranked races reproduced far too quickly. Since they were all technically part of the same empire, it was difficult to take direct action against them.

The Beastmen’s southern campaign was intended to cull the Vassal Army from the very beginning. Some commanders had even set secret casualty quotas.

Furthermore, given the current size of the Beastman Army, a single breakthrough point wouldn’t be enough for everyone to get a share of the spoils. There was no breach in the entire Siriel Defense Line that could accommodate the passage of a million Beastmen.

Rather than jostle for territory with the Vassal Army, it was better to expend them now. Not only would it open up more fronts for their own troops, but they also wouldn’t have to share the spoils later. It was a win-win-win situation.

"That may be so," Kase said, "but the Vassal Army can’t possibly breach any of the fortresses on their own. We still won’t be able to break the enemy’s line. What are your thoughts on this, Elder?"

Of course, the real method had already been decided. As the saying goes, major decisions are made in small meetings, while minor ones are for large assemblies. They all already knew the true strategy.

But knowing was one thing; Kase still had to put on a show. ’I, Prince Kase, did ask the question! If this goes badly, they can’t pin all the blame on me!’

"Your Highness can rest assured. No matter how inept the Vassal Army may be, under the pressure of a prolonged, wave-like assault, the enemy is bound to grow weary.

By then, we will have a clear picture of the enemy’s troop deployment. The humans will be out in the open, and they’ll be exhausted. Meanwhile, we will be waiting in the shadows, well-rested and ready to strike.

At that point, whether we concentrate our forces for a decisive blow or launch breakthroughs at multiple points, our efforts will be doubly effective," Zakri concluded.

When he finished, Kase nodded repeatedly, glancing at Bega, signaling for him to be the first to voice his support.

Bega took the hint. Despite his extreme reluctance, he had no choice but to stand and raise his hand.

"The Fox Race Elder speaks the truth. I agree."

"Since General Bega agrees, then this Prince agrees as well," Kase said with a smile, raising his own hand.

With the two heavyweights in agreement, and since the plan itself did not conflict with anyone’s interests, the other commanders naturally raised their hands in approval, one after another.