Chapter 387: Deployment to the Front Lines

“After the struggles over inheritance among the deceased Lord Macbeth’s children, the Macbeth family, the foremost clan in the Northlands, suffered a severe decline in strength.”

Tick, whose memory was as sharp as his agile skills, could recount the detailed information effortlessly without any notes.

“The new Viscount Macbeth, formerly the eldest son of the old viscount, Bolton, succeeded in obtaining the title, but at a great cost. At least two-fifths of the viscount’s assets were lost, falling into the hands of other Macbeth family members. Among them were the two most prominent craft workshops in Far Mountain Town, the core territory of the Macbeth family, which had been their ancestral property. Without these, the viscount’s household now earns at least 30% less annually than before, and the remaining revenues have also decreased to some extent. A month ago, unable to sustain his vast estate, the Viscount Macbeth sold off two shops on the Commercial Street in Giant Stone City to ease his financial burden!”

“Within both the military and noble circles, the Macbeth family’s influence has also diminished greatly. Many nobles rarely invite the new viscount to their banquets. Although the Viscount Macbeth’s household held two banquets in succession, it hasn’t hosted any since three months ago due to lack of funds!”

After presenting this information, Donald said expressionlessly, “Has it come to this? No wonder the Macbeth family chose to ally with the ambitious Church of the Dawn Lord!”

If it were him, having lost his former glory and facing mockery from those who once followed him, he would also take such a desperate gamble. At least by supporting the Church of the Dawn Lord and achieving victory, the Macbeth family could regain some of its former honor and status!

However, though he could understand the Macbeth family’s situation, he couldn’t approve of their betrayal of the kingdom to join such a fanatical religious force as the Church of the Dawn Lord!

After all, forcing an unbeliever or someone with different beliefs to live in such a rigidly religious environment, where people are arrested and imprisoned on charges of heresy or blasphemy, and even minor verbal mistakes are seen as sacrilegious—entering such an institution means suffering greatly if not dying outright. Those who manage to return safely after losing all their wealth are fortunate!

Such an environment could indeed be called hell for the Celts and most who uphold the original ideals of the Banai Empire!

It was an unbearable torment for Donald, who valued freedom above all! Thus, faced with the invasion of faith by the Church of the Three Glorious Gods, Donald was determined to drive them out of Celt’s territory at any cost, even if it meant offending such a powerful force. As long as the forces led by the Church of the Dawn Lord harbored aggressive intentions, hostility would inevitably arise between them—due to differences in faith and ideology. They could never coexist on the same land unless one side completely prevailed or gave up! Now that he understood the Macbeth family and the forces behind them, it was easy to guess their intentions. They aimed to reignite war in Celt’s northern interior and even fulfill the Macbeth family’s ambition to carve out their own territory, preventing the royal forces from dealing with both fronts simultaneously and allowing them to be defeated one after another. Even if their plans varied, the ultimate goal remained the same. Therefore, Donald needed to make some changes to the team he sent to the southern part of the kingdom to suppress the rebellion. Initially, he planned to send all four legendary warriors, leaving only mages like his teacher Mersel and elves to guard the territory. His only demi-god warrior, Amps, would secretly follow from the demi-plane to offer aid in emergencies. But now, due to the threat from the Macbeth family, he had to leave behind a warrior above legendary status to prevent the legendary paladins of the Church from taking actions he didn’t want to see. After some consideration, Donald decided that leaving High Warlock Chikofield was the best option. Although his identity could be accepted by most neutral and good-aligned forces, he was still an undead, making it difficult for him to appear in the midst of battle. Even if he disguised himself, it would be easy for the priests of the Church of the Three Glorious Gods, who hated undead the most, to see through it. Chikofield wasn’t the strongest among the legends, but he had the most experience. With numerous allies under his command, the Macbeths would likely fail no matter what tactics they used! If the Macbeth family really sought self-destruction, Donald wouldn’t hesitate to unleash his wrath. After all, the Merlin family had been persecuted because of the Macbeths’ selfish ambitions, leaving only Donald as the sole survivor.

This hatred did not completely vanish with the death of Lord Macbeth the Elder; it needed to be washed away with the blood of their enemies. If there was a valid reason, Donald was more than willing to see the century-old Macbeth dynasty in the Northlands crumble!
As for Amps, Donald had some pessimistic predictions about this battle. The actions of the Church of the Dawn Lord had been disrupted several times recently. Given their eagerness to seize control of the Northlands, they would surely make extra preparations!
Therefore, Donald decided it was better to have the demi-demonic demons on standby in the demi-plane at all times. Even though their demonic nature might cause some trouble, it was still better than facing danger themselves!
After deciding on the combat team, Donald assembled them the next day and traveled to the battlefield aboard a flying magic ship.
This time, Dalaran sent a total of 500 troops—the entire Holy Shield Infantry Regiment along with its supporting units, plus Uther and a small group of apprentice paladins from the Silver Knight Order he had selected and trained.
Although their group consisted of just over twenty people, combined with their newly acquired holy light powers, their combat strength could rival that of 200 elite infantrymen!
There were also the musketeer guards already part of the Holy Shield Infantry Regiment, along with newly formed units such as the mortar squad, crossbow squad, and engineering squad. With Donald’s energy expenditure, they were all fully equipped.
Though they might not be as experienced or agile as the dwarves and goblins in the game, these young men selected from the territory’s militia and trained in professional construction skills were quick-witted and talented in these areas. Surely, these innovative methods—such as mortars, crossbows, and alchemical explosives—whose power rivaled ordinary offensive spells—would bring a huge surprise to the enemy on the battlefield!