Chapter 1564: Chapter 56: The City Falls
“Clop, clop, clop…”
The sound of marching footsteps surged from the Black Stone Mountain Range toward the Black Forest Kingdom. Realizing something was amiss, the scout responsible for observing the Centipede Clan hastily lit a signal fire.
In a flash, the news of the foreign invasion spread from the Black Stone Mountain Range back to the kingdom, causing a huge uproar in the Black Forest Kingdom.
The worst-case scenario, after all, has happened!
Before the Black Forest Kingdom Government could respond, the Centipede Army had already emerged from the Black Stone Mountain Range and launched an attack on them.
“Kill!”
With shouts and cries of battle, the Baron’s Territory, which had just been half-evacuated, fell immediately. Countless people who couldn’t evacuate in time became food for the Centipede Clan.
Righteousness and morality, propriety and shame, none of these exist here; all that is left is endless slaughter.
Gutland Province, Cleston County.
Viscount Pierre, as the host, was standing on the city wall at this moment, anxiously gazing into the distance.
The small territory lacked the ability to resist the enemy’s attack and was abandoned by the kingdom early on. To better resist the enemy’s invasion, the kingdom government had ordered a strategic withdrawal half a month ago, relying on fortified cities and fortresses for defense.
In the end, time was just too short, and it wasn’t possible to evacuate a large population and much wealth quickly.
Apart from rare decades-old beast tides, Cleston County had no experience in resisting foreign enemies, now forcibly thrown into the fray.
The footsteps came closer and closer; the march of thousands of troops caused the ground to tremble.
“Viscount, the enemy has camped five miles away!”
Upon receiving this information, Viscount Pierre first let out a sigh of relief, followed by another sigh.
The kingdom’s leadership placed their hopes of eliminating the Earth-core Species from the Black Stone Mountains on the Alpha Kingdom, not dispatching a large army to garrison, merely ordering the border nobles to mobilize.
This response would suffice if it were the Alpha Kingdom. But the problem is: Gutland Province is not the Southeastern Province, and the Black Forest Kingdom is not the Alpha Kingdom.
From the discovery of the Earth Core race’s tracks to now, only a short month has passed, and the military mobilization within the province hasn’t been completed.
Inefficient mobilization was a systemic issue, as well as a human issue. Countless noble lords didn’t take the Earth Core race invasion seriously at all.
Especially upon receiving the news of the Centipede Army’s invasion of the Southeastern Province, everyone became even more complacent, naively believing that the enemy, with the strong rival Alpha Kingdom to deal with, wouldn’t dare provoke the Black Forest Kingdom.
After all, given a choice, no one would foolishly provoke strong enemies everywhere, putting themselves in a strategic position of being surrounded on all sides.
Including Viscount Pierre thought so, but unfortunately, none had anticipated that the Earth Core race couldn’t be judged by conventional wisdom.
With a lack of information, the inexperienced Centipede Clan had no idea what fear was.
First, they unfortunately kicked against the iron board of the Southeastern Province, then were taught a lesson by the magical beasts. More tragically, they didn’t know that the magical beasts of the surface world were far more cunning than they were thousands of years ago.
After receiving promises from a group of Sanctuary Divine Beasts, they assumed the Black Stone Mountain Range was safe, and they no longer had to fear being attacked from both sides.
Even after the Southeastern Province achieved a great victory, they delayed launching a military counterattack, interpreting this as due to a fear of the magical beasts’ response, not daring to march into the Black Stone Mountain Range.
If the magical beasts of the Black Stone Mountain were to fiercely protect them, this judgment would actually not be unjustified. Hudson wouldn’t foolishly provoke the strong enemy that is the magical beasts.
History has long proved that fighting magical beasts is rarely cost-effective.
Even if they could barely win, the barren Black Stone Mountain Range isn’t suitable for farming.
No matter how rich the cultivation resources, it wouldn’t compensate for the high cost of war.
With the financial strength of the Alpha Kingdom, they couldn’t afford such a luxurious endeavor. The same war budget would rather be spent on the Orcs.
However, this is all hypothetical; if they had lived a few more years in the surface world, they would know that provoking a Sky Blue Beast would certainly bring no end of trouble.
The Sky Blue King’s promise at most represents his own stance; other Sanctuary Divine Beasts made no promises to them.
The Sky Blue Beast has some credibility; it might not blatantly violate agreements, but it’s adept at finding loopholes.
Go back for a nap, or perhaps go out to visit.
By the time it returns, the battle would have already ended.
After all, what was promised was the safety of the Black Stone Mountain Range, not the safety of the Centipede Clan.
“Pass on the order, light the fires early to prepare dinner, and be on high alert for a possible enemy night attack!”
Viscount Pierre gave the order, feigning composure.
Deep down, he was already in a panic.
The Earth Core race varies in strength, but based on reconnaissance intelligence, the Centipede Clan entrenched in the Black Stone Mountain Range is certainly not weak.
As long as it’s a major clan from the Earth Core World, even the weakest can’t be resisted by a remote border county.
The request for reinforcements was sent out as soon as their tracks were discovered.
Neither the kingdom nor the province was left out.
At one point, he even fantasized about annihilating the Centipede Clan with the help of reinforcements, establishing his position in the kingdom’s military.
The idea was beautiful, but carrying it out was not so easy.
The kingdom’s military resources were stretched thin, with many hastily conscripted corps still in training.
In the short term, the only reliance could be on provincial support, and Viscount Pierre was well aware of how efficient his colleagues were.