Only God-Chapter 592 - 502: The King was Wrong!

Before leaving the Helong Mountain Range, Maxwell heard from the scouts that a troop of dwarves seemed to have ventured too deeply into the Helong Mountain Range.

This move from the dwarf troop garnered special attention from Maxwell, causing the elderly Earl to hesitate about his initial plan to immediately evacuate the Helong Mountain Range.

"Father, what are you thinking about?"

His eldest son noticed the Earl’s hesitation and proactively asked.

"That troop... That troop that burst in, ventured too deeply... "

Maxwell made no effort to hide it,

"I’m considering that this might be an opportunity."

The eldest son, somewhat puzzled, continued to inquire,

"What opportunity?"

Maxwell looked far into the distance, not answering directly,

"The dwarves’ new machinery has given us enough shock, but even so, I swear on Scatty’s pristine shoulders, no one in Golan truly understands those new machines. If we cannot understand our enemy, understand our enemy’s weapons, even if reinforcements arrive, we will ultimately suffer a crushing defeat."

Maxwell’s words were sensible, and his eldest son nodded repeatedly, but he didn’t see at first how this was related to the dwarf troop.

The elderly Earl sighed, understanding that his children lacked great innate talent for war, and knowing that they would only be wealthy nobles after his demise.

"Listen, Weiset, I want to turn around and ambush that dwarf troop, seize their new machinery, and bring it back to Golan Royal City for study. We might even capture some of the accompanying dwarf craftsmen."

Maxwell’s words caused his eldest son’s eyes to widen. They had all witnessed the overwhelming power of the dwarves during sieges. The dwarves from Kaelonde marched at speeds unmatched by any previous enemy, and in such a critical moment, his father actually wanted to ambush a dwarf troop.

Although the elderly Earl could have safely left Helong without risking anything, Maxwell believed that if they could not likewise master this new machinery, then no walls in the Golan Kingdom would be able to withstand the dwarves’ attacks.

"This idea is too bold... It’s simply madness. If we don’t hurry to leave, those dwarves will catch up with us."

The eldest son strongly opposed his father’s decision,

"Moreover, what if that dwarf troop is meant to lure us into combat? Once the dwarves’ legion surrounds us, we will stand no chance."

However, no matter how much his eldest son objected, Maxwell had already made his decision. He tightened his grip on his horse’s reins,

"Don’t be naive, Weiset. It may seem like we still have a way to retreat, but we have no other choice."

............

Several days later.

Before the war, Maxwell had consulted with the Beastmen still living in the Helong Mountain Range on how to combat the dwarves, and the Beastmen had said that dwarves were innately impulsive and prone to rushing, often falling for traps or stubbornly attacking a strong point to their own detriment, usually gaining early advantages only to fail later.

Now, the words of the Beastmen were proven. Maxwell first used a strategy to lure the dwarf troop deeper and then led his troops in a surprise attack. Even though the dwarf troop was well-equipped and each member brave and skilled, they had ventured too deeply, becoming isolated and unsupported. With their overwhelming numbers, the elderly Earl crushed the dwarves. Although it came at a cost, they successfully seized a steam siege hammer, a massive bed crossbow, and more than a hundred suits of armor. They captured almost three hundred people, including taking the troop’s commander, who incredibly could use multiple Ancient Languages and called this power "God Path."

Due to the urgency of time, Maxwell immediately released most of the prisoners, but detained the dwarf commander and craftsmen, and without stopping, transported these precious spoils back into the interior of Golan.

Even though Maxwell achieved victory, if he thought back, he would realize it was undoubtedly a risky gamble. Just as his eldest son had said, ambushing that dwarf troop entailed significant risks. In the event they were merely luring Maxwell, in the event they detained Maxwell for enough time, in the event their combat strength was far more formidable than expected, potentially crushing the people of Golan in dire straits...

"Before this ambush took place, there were many uncertainties, but fortunately, my gamble paid off."

Maxwell gazed at the endless Helong mountains, which gradually faded from his sight.

Then, the elderly Earl turned his head toward the direction of the Royal City,

"Next up is another gamble."

His younger son hung his head low, obviously understanding what his father meant.

Despite the triumph in this ambush, no matter how it is put, the Helong Mountain Range had been lost. For the Golan Kingdom, Maxwell was still a defeated commander. They had been easily repelled and shamefully retreated from the land once bestowed by the former King.

When they returned to the Royal City, how would the King and his wife judge them, and how would other nobles see them? All these were unknowns.

"Father, the King has long wanted to reclaim Helong from you."

The younger son spoke up,

"Once we go to the Royal City for assistance, perhaps... the King will immediately take over our troops..."

Maxwell fell silent, and after a long while, the old general nodded with difficulty.

His younger son was right; perhaps the King would be pleased to see the fall of the Helong Mountain Range, because once the people of Golan successfully reclaimed the Helong Mountains from the dwarves, this fief might no longer belong to Maxwell.