The orc hordes began to fall into madness. Initially, chaos erupted among them, and all the orcs lost control. They first slaughtered the captured humans and horses, then collectively launched a final assault on the human camp.
After the destruction of the Chaos Rock, the loyalty oaths of the orc chieftains of all warbands to the Beast King became invalid with the destruction of Chaos Rock. Now, temporarily having a common enemy, they could still maintain restraint.
Without the Chaos Rock, the orcs would lose their totem and the core of their faith. In the short term, they would lose a significant source of divine favor income, the blessings of the gods of chaos, and the ability to mutate and evolve. In the short term, orc tribes could no longer produce high-level creatures such as the Apocalyptic Bulls, Great Horned Beast Battalions, and Cyclopes. Even maintaining the existing army was a heavy burden.
In simpler terms, the orc's base was downgraded from a three-book technology to a one-book technology.
With the destruction of Chaos Rock, the orcs also had to bear the wrath of the gods of chaos.
They needed a blood sacrifice, made with thousands of knights.
After the blood sacrifice, the dark gods were still not satisfied. The orcs began to kill each other. Countless dissatisfied orc leaders attacked each other to satisfy the dark gods' endless thirst for blood.
Orc warbands worshiping different evil gods were killing each other.
Orc warbands worshiping the same evil gods were killing each other.
The chaotic orc hordes began a frenzied feast, even the Beast King faced many challenges from the Apocalyptic Bulls.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
"Marlas... lost... Chaos Rock, he has no right... to be king!"
"Kill him! Kill him!"
In endless chaos, the orc horde collapsed on its own.
Until a new Beast King is selected, or the current Beast King reasserts control over all orc tribes through bloody conquest, they will remain in this state. This is bound to be a lengthy process, and the reconstruction of Chaos Rock is an even longer process. Two hundred years of accumulation cannot be achieved overnight, even with such a massive blood sacrifice from the orcs.
...
Destroying Chaos Rock, Ryan and his allies could anticipate the orcs' infighting, allowing the allied forces to retreat at their leisure.
Just a day's march, the forest lord Daenerys led her troops to bid farewell: "A splendid battle, Grail Knight, but it's time for us to withdraw."
In just two short days, the steadfast Brettonian knights and the valiant Wood Elf Alliance proved to be a wise choice. Although most knights were initially reluctant to trust these notorious aliens, their shared battles have somewhat changed their perceptions.
"It was an honor to have your support. It was our fortune. Perhaps you could accompany us to Couronne to report back. The king will surely reward you, and humans will understand the role you played in the war," Ryan attempted to retain them.
"The destruction of Chaos Rock is our best reward. We do not wish to make our existence widely known," Daenerys politely refused Ryan's attempt to keep them: "You have already received our support, and some of my people have paid with their lives. That is enough. Do you still think it is not enough, Lord Ryan?"
"... I am deeply grateful for your help. Your kindness will always be remembered in my heart. Will we have the chance to meet again, in my domain?" Knowing the Wood Elves were determined to leave, Ryan no longer insisted.
"Indeed, I hope, Lord Ryan, you remember our agreement. The Wood Elves will soon come to your domain. At that time, I hope you will discuss with us the establishment of observation and trade posts," Daenerys said before turning and leaving.
The Wood Elf army disappeared into the forest, leaving behind a human army returning laden with spoils.
This army still had over 4,600 people left.
Or rather, this is what remained of the Knightly Army.
The initial force of about 40,000 men now only had Ryan's right flank army surviving, with over 34,000 men of the Knightly Army's other two flanks forever buried within this forest.
This was equivalent to one-eighth of Brettonia's military force.
Yet, they still won the victory. The destruction of Chaos Rock rendered the orcs' victory over the Knightly Army meaningless. For the next few years, the orcs will not be able to form a significant horde.
Thinking this, Ryan felt somewhat better. After a long campaign, the gene seed could finally relax a bit.
Unknowingly, it was early September. They were about to head north out of Athel Loren to return to the capital of Couronne to report back, then return to their domains... It's not exactly "return to their domains," as the alliance of ten duchies now only had the armies of two duchies left.
The serf soldiers were discussing what rewards they might receive, and many young questing knights were discussing whether they would be promoted. The entire army had acquired a large amount of loot, including vast amounts of gold and silver from the orc hoards. In fact, nearly all races in the world have a fondness for gold and silver.
Only Ryan's face did not show excitement; instead, the Grail Knight's face bore only a smile.
He had conquered the entire army with his performance.
As they gradually left the forest, the distance between trees grew, the underbrush became sparse, and the knights could finally ride their beloved steeds, enjoying the sensation of wandering through the woods.
Ryan chose not to ride; he merely led his pureblood elf warhorse, Grapes, walking through the woods. The warhorse's hind legs carried the head of the four-armed Minotaur Set, Ryan's trophy.
He would offer this head to the Lady as proof of his victory.
The cool breeze of the forest brushed Ryan's face. The Grail Knight looked up to find that the leaves of the forest trees had changed from lush green to yellow and red, starting to fall, and the grass also turned from lush green to withering yellow.
Summer had passed, and autumn had arrived.
"It's just us left, my knights!" Ryan sighed to the nearby knights.
Leaves covered the ground, everything seemed desolate, and the forest began to lose its vitality. The plants withered, leaves returned to their roots, and the good times were no more.
Such is the way of all things. Although the great Knightly War achieved its objectives, Brettonia paid a heavy price. Over two thousand knights and over thirty thousand troops were buried in the forest. Hearing their commander say this, even the veterans sighed softly.
They had experienced the cruelty of war. Today's victory was built on the sacrifice of countless lives.
"Lord Ryan, please do not be so sad. If not for you, we couldn't have achieved even this victory," Marquis Gabriel also came over, leading his horse: "In any case, the Knightly War achieved its goal. I believe the fallen soldiers can rest in peace."
"..." Ryan and the others had already learned from scouts about the annihilation of the Knightly Army. It proved Ryan's judgment was correct. The Knightly Army didn't last three days; they barely held out for one.
Had Ryan chosen to reinforce them, the outcome would have been predictable, and the right flank army would have been in a difficult position upon hearing the news of the Knightly Army's annihilation.
Ryan's choice was proven correct.
"I hope so," Ryan nodded, knowing his decision was right.
At least it was a Pyrrhic victory.
At least Chaos Rock was destroyed.
Otherwise, by this time next year, half the kingdom's army might have to be deployed near Athel Loren, preparing to face a terrible horde of beasts.
...
As the remaining army gradually withdrew from Athel Loren, the entire Knightly Kingdom learned of the Knightly Army's fate.
The left and center armies were disastrously defeated, utterly annihilated, while the right flank army, led by the Lady's chosen champion, the Grail Knight, and newly enfeoffed Baron Ryan of Gisoreux, achieved the set task and brought back victory.
Of the 40,000 who set out, only over 4,000 returned. The war's outcome left many nobles at a loss for words.
The most intense reaction came from the current Knight King, "The Tiger," Denoir-Jean-Richard de l'Anglune.
Upon hearing the news, the aged Knight King, heartbroken, clutched his chest and muttered to the empty palace interior: "Ansh? Ansh! Return my army, my knights, my Knightly Army!!!"
This Knightly War was personally planned by the king, who issued the assembly order. Now, with the armies of eight duchies utterly annihilated, how was he to explain to the dukes?
Brettonia's royal authority was already weak, with dukes enjoying many powers such as tariffs and autonomy. The king was more like a leader of an alliance. Since his coronation, Richard had spent much effort strengthening royal authority.
While the king was pondering what to do, dukes had already arrived at the palace in Couronne.
The first to arrive were Duke Dalheid of Lyonesse and Duke "The Righteous" Louis de Connaught of Connaught.
Other dukes were also on their way.
Duke Dalheid appeared to be in his forties, but in reality, the duke was over seventy, a prime age for a legendary warrior.
Duke "The Righteous" Louis was entirely different.
The duke was nearing a hundred years old.
Yet, he looked like a man in his thirties, radiating astonishing presence. His vitality and energy were so strong that it seemed uncontrollable, spilling outwards. His bright eyes, handsome beard, and noble features highlighted his Arthurian lineage.
This was a Grail Knight, a saint of the battlefield.
The contrast between his vitality and King Richard's decay and silence was stark.
Duke "The Righteous" Louis immediately began a barrage of questions: "My liege, I wish to ask, where is Connaught's army, the Knightly Army I personally handed over to you? Why only the armies of Béarn and François survived?"
"Why did the Marquis of Glasgow, Ansh-Desmond, you appointed, take our duchy's army? Why were they annihilated by orcs, while that young man named Ryan led a mere force of less than six thousand on the right flank to complete the mission?"
"I need an explanation, my liege!"
Duke Dalheid also asked, "My liege, when you appointed the commander of the Knightly Army, I warned you that Ansh-Desmond was a promising young man but lacked experience. You should have let him fight bandits and water spirits first, not directly command the entire Knightly Army."
"Now everything is ruined. Oh, my God, over thirty thousand troops, more than two thousand knights, how much will we have to pay in compensation?"
"That's not even the most crucial issue. How can we trust you again? How can we confidently hand over our armies to you?"
The dukes' interrogation put great pressure on the king. Richard first snorted coldly, unable to counter Louis's questions, so he turned his fire on Duke Dalheid: "Dalheid, now you criticize me. If not for your appointee, Count Adelard, first being ambushed leading to total annihilation, and then failing to hold Yvresse Castle, would Ansh have had to urgently reinforce? Would this have led to such consequences?"
Dalheid's voice stalled, and the Duke of Lyonesse immediately emphasized, "Then Marquis Ansh also failed his mission. He should have arrived at Yvresse Castle earlier, but he delayed too much on the way, leading to the castle's fall. I believe, for the total annihilation of the left and center armies, Adelard bears secondary responsibility, and Ansh primary responsibility!"
Richard knew Duke Dalheid was trying to shift blame.
But he didn't want to bear this responsibility either.
The lives of over thirty thousand were too heavy; the king could not be responsible for this, or he might face the instability of his throne. Thus, the king roared, "Enough! It's too early to conclude this matter. Many details are still unclear. I believe many areas still need investigation, so I think we should not give the right flank army a triumphant return."
"But that young man named Ryan brought back victory. He led the surviving right flank army to destroy Chaos Rock!" As expected, Duke Louis de Connaught directly countered: "If not for him, maybe next year we would face tens of thousands of orc hordes."
"He should have assisted his allies out of knightly duty!" Duke Dalheid countered: "Going alone for glory, abandoning allies, what does destroying Chaos Rock prove? I can't understand why the Lady made such a selfish person a Grail Knight. I propose we immediately arrest him. I suspect he played a disgraceful role in this Knightly War!"
"Ha! You have no right to arrest a Grail Knight, Dalheid. To arrest a Grail Knight, you need at least six Grail Knights to sign and then report to the Grand Master of the Grail Knights. Only after at least three Grand Knights agree can the arrest be made. Moreover, he is the Lady's chosen champion. Do you want to alarm Morgiana le Fay or even the Lady herself?" Duke Louis loudly mocked Dalheid's foolish plan: "Is your brain filled with anchovy paste? Or do you question the credibility of the Grail Quest? Just because you didn't pass the Grail Quest?"
"Louis, you scoundrel!" Not passing the Grail Quest was Dalheid's sore point, now exposed by Louis. The Duke of Lyonesse was furious but could not retort.
In Brettonia, no one can question the Lady and the Grail system.
"Enough, this is not a knightly assembly. I won't allow you to argue like this in my throne room!" King Richard ordered the arguing dukes to stop.
Dalheid and Louis then ceased.
"So, after such heavy losses, we will not hold a triumphant return for the right flank army. As for the handling of Baron Ryan of Gisoreux, whether it's a reward or punishment... we'll discuss it specifically after all the dukes involved in the Knightly War arrive!"
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