Fujero’s rank was higher than theirs, so he could only endure the torturous sound.

Their impression of the Baron, who had solved this difficult problem, had improved significantly.

"Don’t blame me. This was a unanimous decision," Levi said with a grin.

He had sold them all out without a second thought.

Fujero glanced at the Thorn Corps officers with a smile before reluctantly tearing his gaze away from the few remaining sweet potatoes.

The officers shot the Lord resentful looks, but Levi pretended not to notice.

The Ice and Snow Priest, Fu Jin, watched all of this with a gentle smile.

"We’ve suffered setbacks in reconnaissance in our previous engagements, so it must be our absolute top priority now." Fujero got down to business, his tone unhurried. "The outcome of a war is largely determined by differences in intelligence."

"Especially with the Shadow Forest just ahead. According to Knight Si Kai, the paths within are extremely complex and gloomy. One wrong step and you could easily get lost."

"Now that this area has been captured by the army led by the Zor Elves, I’m certain they’ve used the natural terrain to their advantage. I can almost guarantee they’ve left a garrison inside."

His subordinate officers listened intently, their faces pensive.

When they previously faced the Alliance Army of Minotaurs, they were at a disadvantage because the enemy had Centaurs—a Race born for scouting. The Thorn Corps’ cavalry couldn’t confront them head-on, forced to simply watch as the Centaurs ran circles around their camp, gathering intelligence.

There had been no real solution to this problem. Only the imperial Griffin Cavalry Corps, powerful enhancement Magic, or an elite cavalry corps with Magical Beast mounts could hope to challenge the Centaur scouts, who were born for that very role.

Unfortunately, the Thorn Corps possessed none of those three assets. This led to them being completely steamrolled, resulting in a series of events that should have been impossible.

"On that front, I believe I can be of some help."

Fu Jin, his hair graying, spoke up.

"My Snowbirds can provide reconnaissance, and my Swift Movement Technique can be cast on the soldiers to make them as fast as snow leopards. I imagine that should be sufficient for our scouting needs."

"Master Fu Jin, thank you for your help," Fujero said, before turning his gaze to the others.

"Si Kai, you’re familiar with the routes. You will serve as the deputy commander of the Vanguard Corps."

"As for the Vanguard Corps Commander..."

"Fujero, let me do it."

Panda volunteered.

The Panda People may love peace, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak. On the contrary, they never shy away from a fight.

"Well..." Fujero hesitated.

’The terrain in the Shadow Forest is complex. If Si Kai’s description is accurate, the enemy will have definitely left a garrison to guard against attacks from the rear and secure their own line of retreat. The Panda Warriors are certainly tough enough to handle the pressure as the vanguard, regardless of the enemy’s strength.’

’But there’s one issue. What if...’

’What if the enemy has set an ambush? Wasting the Panda Warriors inside the Shadow Forest would be a loss we can’t afford.’

’The individual prowess of the Panda Warriors is beyond question, but when it comes to strategy and tactics, that’s another matter entirely.’

’As a commander, he had to consider every possibility.’

Thus, Fujero remained skeptical about whether Panda was up to the task.

After all, he had only known this Panda for a short time and was unsure of his Wisdom.

Levi, seeing Fujero’s hesitation, didn’t hold back and spoke up. "Let me do it instead. I’m itching to test the strength of these bastards."

"If it’s Baron Levi, then I can rest easy." A smile appeared on Fujero’s face.

’In small-unit combat, the Warriors from High Cliff Castle are no worse than the Panda Warriors. Plus, Lord Li is a man of vision with considerable military talent.’

’There would be no problem at all with him leading the Vanguard Army.’

"Let me go with Lord Li," Panda added.

He hadn’t become the Vanguard Corps Commander, but he wasn’t after some temporary title to begin with.

"That works," Fujero nodded.

’If it were only the Panda Warriors, he’d still be worried. But with the Lord of High Cliff Castle added to the mix, there was no problem at all.’

After all, this was the same guy who, with just a dozen Warriors, had held off an attack from several hundred Frenzied Minotaurs. A True badass.

Add a hundred Panda Warriors to that, and Fujero couldn’t even imagine how many men one would have to sacrifice to take down Lord Li.

"Gentlemen!" Fujero raised his voice, nearly shouting. "Our past two failures were merely due to carelessness! Our Power is greater than the enemy’s—that is beyond doubt! What’s more, we now hold two key advantages!"

"First, Duke Fulina summoned us for aid with a Transmission Stone. This means the army led by the Zor Elves has no idea that a legion of more than ten thousand is coming up behind them!"

"Second, the enemy doesn’t know our strength, but we know their numbers and their disposition."

Fujero’s voice boomed like rolling thunder, filled with a confidence that would have put even the Legendary Holy Knights of old to shame. "I have told you many times: temporary victory or defeat decides nothing! Only the final victors have the right to write history! So now, tell me, what must we do?"

"Wash away our shame!" the Thorn Corps officers roared.

"Then go!"

...

In truth, the Vanguard Army consisted of three hundred Warriors from High Cliff Castle, one hundred Panda Warriors, and two battalions from the Thorn Corps, totaling nine hundred and sixty soldiers.

In total, approximately fourteen hundred men formed the Vanguard Army.

The main body of the Thorn Corps could not advance quickly, so they needed a smaller, faster-moving vanguard to clear a path and scout for traps.

But in the Lord’s opinion, this "path clearing" was a bit of an oversimplification.

’After all, there’s no rule that says the enemy has to appear from the front. Especially in a place like the Shadow Forest, where ambushes could be set up anywhere. No direction—front, back, left, or right—could be considered safe. At best, the main force in the center would be slightly more secure.’

The vanguard was a bit more dangerous, but Levi had his own reasons for taking the role.

In fact, ever since learning of the Magic Crystal Ore, he could no longer hide the burning ambition in his heart.

It was safe to say that ninety percent of his reason for offering aid was the Magic Crystal Ore.

Therefore, to obtain enough Magic Crystal Ore to hatch the Stone Egg, he needed to put on a dazzling performance. He had to rack up merits so undeniable that he could use them as leverage when making demands of Fulina.

As for whether the Stone Egg might hatch something detrimental to High Cliff Castle, the Lord had already considered that possibility.

Whether it was the increasing number of Mages that Fu Jin mentioned, or the various monsters and fiends now crawling out of the woodwork... it all told Levi one thing: the world was changing at a breakneck pace.

If he didn’t embrace new things and remained stuck in his ways, High Cliff Castle would sooner or later suffer the bitter consequences of its isolation.

This Stone Egg, with its connection to the Natural Goddess, was surely no simple thing.

He couldn’t just cast it aside because of the potential risks.

Accepting it was a choice where the benefits far outweighed the risks.

Shadow Forest was truly worthy of its reputation as the Elf Race’s first line of defense. The dangers within were even more terrifying than Si Kai had described.

The moment they entered, it was as if the sun had instantly set. The world grew dim, and visibility dropped to no more than a dozen paces.

The surrounding trees were thick and tall. Green vines hung down from above like vipers waiting to strike.

The ground was covered in a multicolored carpet of unknown, ankle-high weeds.

The column had no choice but to light torches as they continued their advance.

"This place isn’t right. It’s the dead of winter outside, but in here, it’s lush and green, without a hint of wind or snow."

The Lord sat atop his horse, a strange, unsettling feeling creeping over him as he gazed at the vibrant green trees and grass.

It felt as if he had been instantly transported from a world of endless ice to a tropical rainforest.