PS: Sneakily adding an extra Chapter, hopefully no one notices?

PS2: Huge thanks to book friends "FH56", "Long Ying Zhi Ling", "I don’t want my account to be stolen again", "As Attachment 2", "ndjlcyx", "Shidana loves Xiaohuang", "An uninformed passerby", and "Bohemian Poet" for their generous rewards, much appreciated!!

Old World, Brittania, late autumn, Gray Mountain Range, outside Black Stone Stronghold.

The Knightly Army is camped here.

After more than half a day of bloody battle, the knights and peasant infantry corps are exhausted. The army chose to camp here to rest, collect bodies, and properly bury the remains. Most knight remains will be cremated, and their ashes will be placed in Moore Cemetery. Death God Moore’s power will protect them from undead magic. Peasants aren’t given such privilege; they will be buried on site.

After the battle, human infantry were very fatigued. Many leaned, laid down, or chatted briefly while eating.

Humans are tired, dwarves are not.

King Belgar Iron Hammer of Eight Peaks Mountain bragged triumphantly about how he and his army decided the victory and turned the tide in the battle. The dwarves gathered together, singing loudly, drinking barley wine, and celebrating victory, chanting the names of the three main gods: Glarni, Grimnir, and Valaya.

They will have a new home. After countless years of exile, the Angland Clan finally has a new base!

After Belgar’s inspection, Black Stone Stronghold’s facilities are complete, and many dwarf mechanisms and devices can still be used. Kemler only used Black Stone Stronghold as a resting point; he didn’t delve deep into the fortress.

Now, the countless gold and silver treasures inside belong to this army. The treasure within Eternal Dragon Rock is plentiful; piles of gold and silver fill the palace like mountain heaps. Dwarves even discovered a richly stocked iron ore vein beneath the fortress. According to Belgar, these are their future capital to counterattack Eight Peaks Mountain.

It’s roughly estimated that the gold and silver treasures stored here exceed fifty thousand Gold Crowns.

Laine ordered no one to directly take these gold and silver treasures. As one of the vampire bases, these treasures have traces of vampire corruption.

Belgar assured that this isn’t a problem. He will summon the Ancestral Souls of the Angland Clan to purify the gold and silver treasures with a large ritual. Afterward, dwarves and Brittania’s alliance army will split the riches, dwarves 40%, Brittania people 60%.

The allure of riches stirred many knights’ dissent towards such division. Many believed Brittania funded the war expenses, supplies, and maintenance fees. We attacked Black Stone Stronghold to find you a base. Now these dwarves only give us 60%?!

That’s colossal wealth, conservatively estimated at fifty thousand Gold Crowns!

Shouldn’t we get at least 80%?!

Knights’ opinions were suppressed by Francois and Laine together. Without the dwarves’ large ritual, how would we use these vampire-corrupted gold and silver treasures? Let dwarves handle this troublesome matter; they enjoy inventorying these items.

Knights weren’t entitled to challenge Laine and Francois’s decisions, especially under this victory, all could only agree.

In the evening, the Knightly Army’s commander and the Angland Clan’s king gathered for dinner and a meeting in the main tent. This war’s victory delighted Francois. Under the tent’s goose-yellow magic chandelier and candlelight, the Duke laughed heartily and actively engaged Belgar: "Thank you, Belgar, sir. Without you and your army, we might not have won this brilliant victory."

"Oh ho~ You must thank the dwarves. With their help, victory naturally follows." Belgar, seated on a raised small stool, raised his large beer mug, clinking it with Francois’s glass goblet: "Of course, you should also thank Laine for his request. Without his sincere and earnest appeal for dwarf assistance, we wouldn’t have had this victory! Dwarves aren’t just willing to help; I was moved by his genuine attitude and obliged him."

All present knights smiled awkwardly, thinking these dwarves were rather shameless.

Forget it, given the dwarf cannon power and great victory, knights couldn’t be bothered with Belgar.

Belgar and his Angland Clan’s significant contributions were well understood by the Knightly Army leaders.

Why did the undead Grand Mage Heinrich Kemler choose to battle human and dwarf alliance armies in the field rather than defending Black Stone Stronghold?

Because of the dwarf cannon existence, dozens of dwarf cannons and organ cannons crafted by the Angland Clan became siege weapons, along with the dwarf musket team’s presence.

The undead had no long-range weapons. Defend Black Stone Stronghold? How? Watch the walls blasted by dwarf cannons and organ cannons like target practice, then lined up against longbowmen, rangers, and dwarf Thunderous Musketeers for execution?

If that’s how the battle went, Laine and others would laugh out loud. Laine’s stockpile of artillery and ammo could bomb Black Stone Stronghold continuously for three days and nights without ceasing, prepared from the start of the year.

Kemler and Mathew Bade knew choosing siege warfare favored the human-dwarf alliance, adept at siege, tunneling, and confined terrain warfare, thus forced into field battle.

The banquet was very lavish, with buckets of various grains, meats, vegetables, fruits, and seafood sent beside the main tent, prepared deliciously by army chefs.

After mutual toasts and a satisfying meal, knights began discussing crucial matters. Francois set down his wine glass: "It’s a pity we couldn’t completely kill Kemler today. We have another battle ahead. We can’t let Kemler and his Ancient Tomb Legion roam our land gifted by the Lady! His story must end utterly on this land."

All the knights nodded, and everyone was a bit silent; the knights had made too many sacrifices to resist Kemler and his Ancient Tomb Legion.

"That Undead Chaos Warrior is really strong. I don’t know where Kemler unearthed such a powerful Chaos Champion’s remains and a group of Undead Warrior corpses, but we still need to find a way to defeat those Undead Warriors," Kaled said as he sat on the middle-left of the round table and picked up the conversation, "Without a method to deal with those Undead Warriors, winning might come at a great cost."

"Geoffrey also died in battle," Antelme said quietly.

"That Chaos Undead Warrior, even the combined strength of the United Duke and Count Laine couldn’t defeat him. Unless we seek further aid from His Grace Bohemond or even His Highness the Green Knight, I can’t think of a way to defeat such a strong enemy," Sir Jerald focused his attention on Guer.

"His Highness the Green Knight’s whereabouts have always been mysterious, and His Grace Bohemond is leading the Red Dragon Knight Brotherhood to defend the borders of Bastogne, blocking the path of Kemler and his Ancient Tomb Legion into the Bastogne Plains," said Fulcard, the Duke of Montfort.

"The army is fatigued; both knights and soldiers have gone through a great battle. We have many wounded that need care, and for now, we need time to recuperate," Laine followed up, frowning, "We can’t keep up with the undead, nor can we wander aimlessly following Kemler in the mountainous regions of Gray Mountain Range. We must determine where Kemler and his legion may escape to... Also, I suggest we immediately seek advice from Her Highness Mogiana on how to deal with the formidable enemies we face."

"Lord Laine’s advice is sound; I second it."

"Seconded."

"I second it as well."

All the knights seconded, and Belgar shouted, "Yes, you humans should think of a plan."

The attendants took away the tableware and food scraps, clearing the table. Only Belgar continued to eat heartily, which everyone was accustomed to; dwarves can always eat heartily.

A huge map was placed on the table, and Francois, Laine, Fulcard, and Antelme gathered together, carefully identifying the strongholds along the Gray Mountain Range and human settlements, discussing where Kemler might attack next.

"Having suffered heavy losses and injuries, Kemler and his Ancient Tomb Legion have just one last chance. If he fails again, only destruction awaits him," Francois touched his goatee. His golden beard had just been freshly groomed, looking very dashing, not feeling very tired as a Holy Grail Knight and Holy Sanctuary Grand Knight, "Therefore, the opportunity is only one, where will he attack?"

"Would he return to the Jisoleox Duchy?" said Fulcard, the Duke of Montfort, "The Jisoleox Duchy is geographically complex, bordered by the Pale Sisters Mountain Range to the north, Gray Mountain Range to the east, and Arden Forest to the west, allowing him to easily hide."

"Or, he might choose to turn to that Black Knight of Musillon," Kaled also shared his view, speaking seriously, "They could also possibly retreat to Musillon."

"Hmm," Francois also pondered where Kemler might escape; he gradually found an answer within his heart.

The tent fell silent for a moment as everyone consecutively proposed various possibilities; even some knights thought Kemler might try to cross the Axe Bite Pass to flee to the empire or head south along the Gray Mountain Range, escaping through Aisloron Forest to Tiriel.

After discussing without results, Francois looked up and asked Jerald, "How much time is estimated for rest before deployment?"

"The army needs rest until the morning after next to set out; otherwise, the soldiers and knights won’t recover from the battle, and even the warhorses need rest," Jerald replied.

Francois glanced at the sky outside the tent, the moon full overhead. The Duke of Winford, an old adversary who knows Kemler well, analyzed and deduced where Kemler would go next.

He turned to ask Laine, "Laine, how long would it take to reach out to Her Highness Mogiana?"

Laine took out a jade cup from his chest, "Right now."

"Good. Then we break camp the morning after next and head to La-Mesnil Abbey!" Francois waved his hand; his blue eyes seemed to burn with flames, "We will have a final showdown with Kemler there!"

That lunatic, he’s sure to make a last-ditch effort. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

So be it, my father’s vengeance, our family’s vengeance, my twenty-plus years of feud with Kemler, will end there!

The place where it all began and originated, La-Mesnil Abbey, will also be Kemler’s end.

"Yes!" all the knights loudly answered.

"Laine, it’s up to you to contact Her Highness Mogiana!" Francois continued.

"Understood!" Laine nodded.

"Dismissed!"