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Chapter 461: Taking the Initiative
Staring at the retreating cavalry, the orc commander clenched his teeth in frustration, lowered his staff, and shouted loudly:
"Retreat!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the orc commander led several thousand of his elite troops in a swift retreat.
Jifan, leading his cavalry nearby, fired two volleys of crossbow bolts, killing three to four hundred orc warriors before choosing to return to the camp.
After all, there were still three to four thousand orc warriors rampaging through the camp.
Two hours later.
The last orc attempting to flee was beheaded by Jifan, who had caught up to him.
Only then did the camp return to calm.
Looking at the overcast sky and the chaotic camp, Knight Harley sighed.
Instead of immediately ordering the cleanup of the camp, Knight Harley made a crucial decision.
"Deploy more personnel and expand the patrol range to two kilometers!"
Better late than never!
Matthew calculated the Fate Power he had gained, which amounted to a significant 500,000.
This trip had been worthwhile.
After observing the battle's conclusion, Matthew went straight back to rest.
The remaining matters were left to Angela to handle.
The next day.
Matthew learned the specific losses of the army.
Over 8,000 soldiers had died in the orc raid the day before, with thousands more injured.
The Bloodmoon City army stayed put for a day.
They had to deal with the corpses and wounded before they could continue marching.
After this battle, the entire force's morale was shattered, rendering them essentially incapable of further combat.
Fortunately, having suffered such heavy losses,
Knight Harley and the soldiers remained vigilant, leaving no more openings for the orcs to exploit.
This vigilance was confirmed when the force reached the Scarlet Fortress three days later.
Except for the 15,000 regular soldiers brought by Knight Harley, the rest of the troops were reassigned to logistics.
Expecting them to fight the orcs again anytime soon was out of the question.
As the only unit that had emerged unscathed from the raid,
Bay Territory's action team, under Matthew's "negotiations" and "arrangements,"
was sent to the northern pass of the fortress.
They became a thorn to prevent orcs from entering the rear of the Scarlet Fortress through other routes.
In fact, Knight Harley had privately hinted to Matthew
that if Bay Territory was unwilling to take on this dangerous task, he could mediate.
A somewhat amused Matthew sincerely thanked him for his kindness, then naturally asked for additional benefits:
"We'll need more siege weapons and supplies to prevent the pass from being surrounded and cut off from food and water."
Knight Harley patted his chest and assured him there would be no problem.
What Knight Harley didn't know was that Matthew had made these requests for several reasons:
One was a willingness to yield benefits, and another was to avoid drawing too much attention.
The final reason was to create another revenue stream for Bay Territory.
That's right, most of the supplies for the Scarlet Fortress now came from Bloodmoon City.
Starting from Bay City, the route passed through the Swamp Plains and was escorted by the Thorn Merchant Guild to the Scarlet Fortress.
The entire journey took 20 days, already far faster than other competitors.
After all, not every merchant guild had the capability and courage to continue transporting supplies under the threat of orcs.
Upon reaching the pass, Matthew unceremoniously incorporated the original defenders into his own troops.
"The orcs won't attack us anytime soon."
"They must know that human soldiers at the Scarlet Fortress will only grow in number."
"To avoid being driven out of the Scarlet Fortress, they'll undoubtedly make every effort."
"For now, focus on further training the soldiers."
"They could face the orcs' blades at any moment."
After assigning tasks to Angela, Matthew didn't forget to instruct Jifan:
"Lead some Professionals to thoroughly inspect the pass's defenses."
"Additionally, quickly establish contact with the territory and have them send more adventurers here."
Even with the support of Fate Power, Matthew never underestimated any opponent.
His demand for intelligence was immense, and he was never stingy with money.
June 13th.
The previously quiet pass at the Scarlet Fortress began bustling with activity again.
Hidden orc scouts saw smoke rising from the pass and caught whiffs of delicious food aromas, feeling a pang of envy.
These humans only knew how to eat and drink, guarding that troublesome stone tortoise house, which irked the scouts.
Little did the scouts know—
Bay Territory's "bustling" activity was intentionally staged for their benefit.
That night.
A moonless night perfect for killing, with strong winds ideal for setting fires.
Bay Territory's hidden forces emerged from an underground tunnel dug by kobolds, several kilometers away from the pass, in a valley.
As a mage accompanying the troops, Matthew refrained from issuing further commands, delegating authority entirely to Angela.
This was a test and an opportunity for Angela's growth. If she excelled, it would greatly enhance her capabilities.
The troops carefully avoided the scouts' positions and reached a spacious valley.
Near the river in the valley, a massive wooden structure was continuously consuming and unloading supplies.
Angela turned to compare the environment with the map once again.
After confirming its accuracy, she immediately began organizing the battle plan.
Twenty minutes later.
The clouds in the sky grew thicker and more ominous.
The dense sound of hoofbeats echoed through the valley.
Sharp-eyed orc scouts spotted the cavalry from Bay Territory charging toward them and screamed:
"Enemy attack! It's cavalry, moving fast! Approximately 1,000 strong!"
Soon, the shouts and calls of alarm filled the previously silent warehouse area.
Many bored orc warriors suddenly became excited.
"Only a measly 1,000 humans? Not nearly enough for us 20,000 orcs!"
Almost all the orcs agreed.
Quickly, an orc force of about 3,000 charged aggressively toward the Bay Territory cavalry.
They could hardly wait to fight!
Leading the charge, Jifan noticed the overwhelming number of orcs and sneered. He ordered his troops to halt before entering the valley.
"Set up crossbows, fire!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
A dense volley of crossbow bolts rained down on the charging orcs.
Amidst the screams and chaos, over 300 orcs fell instantly.
Hit by poisoned bolts, they were doomed!