"Mage Lord, they say the route being used to mobilize the wounded has been neutralized by the demons."
Damian, who was holding a small cat with strange ears that kept biting his left hand, said, "I already told you, I'm still using these bones; I can't give them to you to eat."
Meow!
"Mage lord..."
Damian turned around and nodded. "I've heard it. Now what we need is a plan to eliminate those demons and regain control of the supply line with the border fortresses."
It was hard to tell if the news was true or false. To stabilize the emotions of the soldiers and civilians, Seventh Squadron vanguard leader Luther called all the main officers of the castle who were currently stationed here.
When Damian, Owen, and other officers arrived, Luther said very directly, "I just received news that the passage between Castle Harden and Fortress Group A has been cut off. The wounded soldiers who retreated were massacred by the demons. Only three people managed to escape, and thanks to that, we know. I sent scouts in the morning, but they haven't returned yet. They were probably killed by demons on the way."
"In the past few days, the war on the borders seems to have changed a lot. If we don't regain that supply line, it's only a matter of time before the fortresses are taken by the enemy, and that also means the fall of Baron Harden."
Luther chose not to hide all the information he knew and told it as he received it. In such a critical moment, hiding it is not necessarily a good thing and also serves no purpose.
"Squadron captain, if the front line changes, we must make plans in advance. The location of Castle Harden is very important. Relying solely on one of our troops to protect it may not withstand the demon attacks if they decide to attack us."
The soldiers were being massacred, and Owen behaved very surprised; his face turned pale at first, then a little angry. He had eyes full of a desire for revenge, as if there was nothing else in his plans.
The Seventh Squadron, which merged with what was left of the Sixth, had just made a very important contribution and had rested for a few days; unexpectedly, now they might be in danger again.
"I've sent a messenger to pass the news to Flame Castle, requesting reinforcements from the main Legion."
Damian looked at the map on the table and, looking at the terrain, understood that the route was more than important; it was vital, so he said, "Since the demons and orcs have blocked the mountain path, I'm afraid they intercepted and killed the messengers."
"Then we will continue sending people to find out if we can pass through the enemy's network." Luther had no other choice; he knew this was the only way to hold out and collect the supply route.
"How can we fight this battle if we can't decipher the enemy's location?" The person who spoke was a squadron leader from the city defense army named Dash. He was once the deputy leader of one of the fortress squadrons on the front line and had lived long enough to be admired; only he joined the defense of this fortress in the rear after retiring from the front line.
"It's complicated to understand... But we don't have many options either; Harden's cavalry is on the front line, so abandoning that war would put the fortresses currently in battle against the demons at risk. How do we intend to exterminate the enemies and regain the supply route?"
Damian thought for a moment and said, "Our squadron has some very fast war horses... If you allow me, I will lead the decoy team. If we are not discovered, then we will do a reconnaissance mission. While we do that, the cavalry that left Baron Harden should leave a few hours later in a hurry to share this information with the rear armies."
"What would be the mission of those who stay in this place?"
"Take care of Baron Harden's family and protect the walls; if this outpost is taken, it will be the end of the fortresses on the front line, and that means we would be pushed into the main cities."
Baron Harden's family was in this place; they were committed to the duty of a warrior family, and it would not be a tragedy to die here.
It was known that Baron Harden had two territories, one in the south and one in the north. The southern territories were not only rich but also did not need to face war. Furthermore, he had accumulated deep meritorious service, so everyone knew there was nothing more he could prove at his age.
Although it hadn't been long since Damian entered the baron's castle, he had already heard some rumors.
Damian could tell; many were doubting, and that was okay. No one would be willing to die, but there's something called duty, and that's not something everyone should necessarily have.
"The baron is fighting on the front line, and the only member of the Harden family left in the castle is his family." Luther looked at everyone with his cold eyes.
According to the law, nobles cannot leave the territory; otherwise, they will forfeit inheritance rights to the territory.
Although Baron's family, at least the children, should not count in this kind of treaty, they would never decide to leave this place, much less now. "Everyone in your positions has taken the route to follow, so prepare for the worst."
"The military order given to us by the baron is to protect this place no matter what happens. Neither you nor we are qualified to ignore an order."
Luther continued to speak but still did not convince Baron Harden's cavalry. In the end, everyone could only leave unhappy.
While there was no one around, Damian quietly said to Luther, "The task of opening the passage must be done with or without them; have some men gather old armor and worn-out weapons."
"What will you do?" Luther knew Damian was a second-class friend, but his demonstrated power was undoubtedly first-class, so he didn't know his possibilities.
Damian looked at his hand and said, "I will create a small army that will be my vanguard."
"I'll do what I can."
This was the first time Damian would try to create an army of undead; this would be less graphic because there were no bodies, but the armor would move by itself, so it would be fine.
Many may believe that dark magic has been banned, but that does not apply to Damian because he was a mage studying that magic long before that regulation was issued, and he couldn't change his knowledge right now that he's at war.
When he left the meeting, he looked at Luke, who was cleaning his staff, and said, "Gather the mages under my command; we will leave tonight."
"Shall I tell them that?"
"Tell them we are going on a reconnaissance mission."
...
A few hours later, the night sky was completely dark, and the moon peeked through the clouds, emitting a pale light.
It's already April, early summer, and the forest was anything but quiet.
In the end, Damian left a team that would serve as their backup in case they encountered problems, and accompanied by three others, they walked on foot through the mountain, a few pairs of eyes carefully watching the movement of the mountain pass through the cover of logs and tree branches.
"Is there a demon or orc camp at the entrance to the canyon?"
Luther agilely jumped from the treetops. After a period of recovery, he had regained his mobility, and, of all his wounds, he decided to accompany Damian.
It was known that he was good at climbing and falling from trees without making a sound. Although he had no talent beyond the common people, he had studied investigative skills with his second uncle for a long time and was a qualified scout.
"Can you determine the number of enemies?"
"I just counted. There is a squadron of orcs stationed there—no more than five hundred. There are two very powerful demons among them, and more demons serve as guards."
"Continue observing; we need to know everything in that camp before making a move."
Orcs are not good at using enchanted weapons, but they have a wide range of high-level weapons. They also have incomparable strength, which would give them countless troubles if they were to face them.
Luther observed the orc camp for two hours and whispered, "There is no other discovery. There shouldn't be any other weapons."