Chapter 4: The Situation as It Stands

As the leader of Galle’s armed forces, Susinov also felt the urgency of the situation. Most of the troops from the Homer border region had been withdrawn, and given the severe conditions on the northern border, Susinov had no choice but to act. However, the lack of any movement by Homer’s forces on the eastern border kept him uneasy. Although Homer’s forces had not launched an attack, their numbers had not decreased either, meaning they could launch an attack at any time. For Galle at present, its defensive forces in the east were far too weak.

“Duke, perhaps we should have a serious talk with them. If this situation continues, it will only get worse. Riots have broken out in several cities. If we can’t stop the orcs’ atrocities soon, I’m afraid the situation will get out of control.” Susinov remained silent for a long time, but the Duke failed to make a decision, so he had to speak up.

“Talk to Komer? What do you think will happen if we go talk to him now?” Zelin sneered. “You don’t really know Komer. His ambitions are enormous. He’s been waiting for this moment deliberately. I doubt that the orcs’ sudden change of plans to attack Galle and Silesia has anything to do with him. According to the information provided by Nisa, the orcs should be satisfied with the current situation and live in peace with us. What could have prompted them to change their minds?”

“Duke, now is not the time to consider such things. If we let these orcs continue to wreak havoc, I’m afraid northern Galle will turn into a land of chaos, and it could even affect the entire Galle.” Susinov looked worried. “You know the orcs’ appetites are huge now. They no longer just loot and leave. Their civilians follow behind, seizing land and settling there. It’s very dangerous.”

Zelin understood this all too well, but in his eyes, Komer was even more dangerous. He thought he understood Komer well—this man had insatiable desires. Compared to the relatively simple-minded orcs, Komer posed a greater threat to Galle.

Seeing the Duke remain silent and merely shaking his head, Susinov grew even more worried. “My lord, if you think this isn’t the right approach, perhaps we have no choice but to borrow troops from Bessarabia or Bohemia, or seek help from the Northern Alliance?”

Zerin Storten remained silent; none of this was his choice. It was even less likely in Bessarabia. It seemed they were now colluding with Komer as well—Bohemia? Even with Brumente’s influence, borrowing troops wasn’t as simple as bringing in a few mages and magic knights. Brumente couldn’t take charge of that, especially since the last operation had already put him under immense pressure. Unless Emperor Newmanur II himself was willing, which was highly unlikely. As for the Northern Alliance, Attica and Knossos had always had poor relations with Nicomedia; getting them to send troops to aid them would require a significant price.

“Susinov, do you think we have no chance at all in fighting the orcs?”

Susinov was stunned for a moment before forcing a bitter smile. “Your Grace, it’s not that I want to undermine my own credibility, but even if we gather all our forces to fight the orcs, no matter the outcome, our losses will be severe. And if the Homers really have any ulterior motives at that time, we won’t even be able to resist.”

“Mr. Susinov, you’re too pessimistic. Our Order of Rebirth is fully confident in defeating those crude orcs. If we can get some help in terms of strength, I’m sure our Order of Rebirth can teach those orcs a lesson,” said Sart, his sharp gaze and handsome face showing immense confidence.

“Mr. Bominges, please forgive me for dampening your enthusiasm, but with the current strength of the orc wolf cavalry and berserker warriors, it’s beyond our Gallic people to withstand them. I’ve never thought our military strength could surpass that of the Golden Oak Regiment and the Fire Shadow Knights of the former Kingdom of Nicomedia.” Susinov had no good feelings toward this man who liked to talk tactics on paper. He also knew full well that this heir to the Bominges family despised him just as much, which made him even angrier.

“Heh, Mr. Susinov, I think you’re just scared of the orcs. The orcs might be able to show off in front of civilians, but in front of our Order of Rebirth, they’re just a bunch of crude farmers,” Sart Bominges sneered at the timid military commander. He never understood why the Grand Council would appoint such a country bumpkin as a high-ranking military commander.

“Shut up!”

“Enough!”

Zerin and another knight simultaneously snapped at the overly arrogant Knight Sart. This was outright disrespect toward their superiors. If not severely reprimanded, Susinov would lose his authority.

Reprimanded by Zelin and Sir Reiman, the leader of the Order of Rebirth, Sir Sart showed little sign of submission. He simply gave a cold knightly salute before walking away proudly, making the atmosphere even more awkward.

“Duke, it seems Sir Sart holds a deep misunderstanding of me. It’s not that I’m timid, but this matter concerns the fate of entire Galle. I never underestimate our enemies. Sushinov won’t fail to fulfill his duties. I hope the Duke can understand.” Sushinov wasn’t bothered by Sir Sart’s disrespect—most nobles were like that. Perhaps Reiman Kretian was an exception.

“You needn’t take it too seriously. Sir Sart spoke without meaning to,” Zelin said, though his words sounded insincere. He didn’t have the heart to comfort this military commander right now; he needed to focus on how to address the crisis at hand. “Sushinov, I think we should first engage the orcs. Only then can we make them realize that Galle will never yield to their tyranny. Only then will we have leverage in negotiations.”

Sushinov gave a faint wry smile. It seemed the Duke still hadn’t given up, believing the orcs weren’t as formidable as the legends said. But he couldn’t say much now—Sir Sart represented the views of many high-ranking officials in Galle, who dismissed the kingdom’s military forces. Especially when the four great lords openly opposed the Utrecht Edict, even with the kingdom’s three major armies—Golden Oak, Iron Cross, and Blue Dove—as well as the Fire Shadow Knights, they still hesitated to confront the four lords. This made many believe the kingdom’s military was just a paper tiger.

But Sushinov didn’t think so. He couldn’t speak highly of the newly formed Blue Dove Army, but he was well aware of the combat strength of Golden Oak and Iron Cross. Those established armies were far beyond comparison to Galle’s forces. Yet Golden Oak still suffered defeats against the orc army. While there might have been various objective factors, it was enough to prove the orc army’s strength.

But Duke Zelin had already made up his mind. He couldn’t say more and could only do his best to prepare thoroughly for the impending battle. Hopefully, this battle wouldn’t cause fatal damage to Galle.

Komer raised his eyebrows in surprise. He really hadn’t expected these guys to dare show up in front of him. He couldn’t help but develop some goodwill toward the leader among them. Although this guy had almost killed him, he didn’t hold much resentment toward him—after all, everyone had their own path at that time. And now these guys had joined forces with Vladkov; it seemed Vladkov’s dream of forming a knight order might actually come true.

“Jacques Mason.”

“Morsen Menoa.”

“Pete Curaçao.”

Before Vladkov could finish introducing them, Komer already started laughing. “Vladkov, haven’t they told you? We’ve known each other for a long time.”

“My lord, they did tell me, but I told them it doesn’t matter,” Vladkov said nonchalantly, nodding. Clearly, he was well aware of Komer’s attitude.

“Oh? It seems you really know me well, Vladkov. Do these friends trust you as well?” Komer looked at the calmly behaving men with interest.

“My lord Komer, I’ve never thought you’d do anything harmful to them,” Vladkov said straightforwardly. “They share the same view as me.”

“Heh, I’m truly flattered,” Komer said, shaking his head. “Well, the past is past. But the three of you left a deep impression on me in the Great Greenland Forest. Well, the Fallen Knights—Vladkov must have shared his ideas with you all, and since you’ve joined him, it seems you’ve accepted his ideas. I won’t say more. I don’t have any special restrictions against anyone. Freedom comes first; otherwise, you wouldn’t have accepted Vladkov’s invitation. I just hope you can prove yourselves fully in future performances.”

Komer’s relaxed and casual attitude immediately eased the minds of the three Fallen Knights. Though they believed Komer wouldn’t harbor any animosity, as a lord who already owned multiple territories, such an unpretentious way of speaking still surprised them. After all, Vladkov’s Black Flame Knight Order was a formal organization, so the idea of having no requirements, no disciplinary constraints, and relying solely on self-discipline sounded rather unexpected.