Chapter 90: The Orc Retreat
With the impregnable Mark Fortress before them, it seemed the Orcs had no choice but to retreat.
But the Beast King was not happy about it at all.
Not only had their southern expedition yielded little this year, but they had also suffered significant losses.
While the small fry soldiers could be overlooked, the deaths of Sam and Sko genuinely infuriated the Beast King.
A thousand troops are easy to find, but a single general is hard to come by!
Though Sam and Sko weren’t the most perfect of leaders, they were undeniably reliable underlings for the Beast King.
Yet now, they had fallen, one after the other, within the territory of the human kingdom.
It was only about a week apart.
“Your Majesty, staying here to continue the assault on Mark Fortress will only lead to further losses for us, while our gains remain negligible.”
Mahat, seeing the Beast King lost in thought, continued to persuade him.
No matter what, he would not agree to continue the attack on Mark Fortress.
“Then let’s retreat!”
At this point, there was nothing more for the Beast King to say but to issue the retreat order.
However, he had not given up hope; he was determined to take down Mark Fortress, which stood firm in the north, blocking the Orcs’ path.
The next morning, just as dawn began to break, the Orc camp outside Mark Fortress started to buzz with activity.
Countless Orcs began to pack up their gear, preparing to head home.
After coming to fight, and with the Orcs’ resilient nature, their gear was minimal, consisting mostly of simple belongings.
Thus, the Orcs swiftly finished packing and set off to return to their homeland.
“The Orcs are retreating! The Orcs are retreating!…”
Upon seeing this, the human sentry immediately spread the news.
Accompanied by such joyous cries, the fortress of Mark, which had endured battles for days, woke up from its slumber.
The soldiers resting on the city walls stood up upon hearing the shouts, gazing toward the castle’s exterior.
In the now clearer sky, they could see the Orcs’ retreating formation.
However, the Orcs were not completely off-guard against the humans.
They had left a rear guard.
To prevent the humans from pursuing them.
Seeing the Orcs retreating, the human soldiers were overjoyed.
They had won!
They had defended Mark Fortress, sending those Orc bastards back to where they came from.
Soon, it wasn’t just the soldiers on the walls; everyone within the fortress learned of this exhilarating news.
Instantly, the serious solemnity of Mark Fortress faded, replaced by a vibrant atmosphere of celebration.
Duke Ogg, the highest commander of humans stationed in the fortress, rushed to the wall upon hearing the news, observing the slowly receding Orc troop.
It wasn’t just him; Crown and Georges also made their way over.
“The Orcs have truly withdrawn.”
As he looked at the Orcs left to cover the retreat, Duke Ogg spoke.
The middle-aged man’s eyes sparkled with keen perception.
He had suspected the Orcs would retreat.
But until he saw it with his own eyes, he dared not make a final conclusion.
Considering the current situation and the present state of the Orcs, he felt ninety-nine percent certain that they were indeed retreating.
With this, the tension in Ogg’s heart eased.
Looking at the cheerful soldiers around him, though he pursed his lips in a serious manner, anyone could tell he was quite pleased.
However, Crown beside him didn’t look as happy.
He was not satisfied with his performance in this war.
Though he had fulfilled his duties, it wasn’t enough to satisfy him.
He was a prince; the attention of others drove him to ensure he appeared flawless.
Just being responsible didn’t cut it; he had to excel!
But now, with the war coming to an end, he had lost his chance to shine.
His evaluation in this battle would only be mediocre.
While he hadn’t made any major blunders, he had also not distinguished himself.
To him, that wasn’t a victory!
Meanwhile, Georges happened to glance at Crown and caught this scene.
He had a vague inkling about what was on Crown’s mind.
But what could he do even if he knew?
The war was practically over; they could not pursue the retreating Orcs now.
Although the Orcs were retreating, they were clearly doing so in an orderly manner.
Chasing after them would just be self-defeating.
So, his father would never order a pursuit of the Orcs.
In the end, he could only gently pat the prince’s shoulder for comfort.
Besides Georges, no one else noticed Crown’s expression.
Everyone’s attention was focused on the retreating Orcs.
As if they wanted to see them off until they disappeared from sight.
And that’s exactly what they did.
After the last squad of Orcs—the rear guard—retreated, Duke Ogg had a new reaction.
He dispatched scouts to follow the departing Orcs from a distance, observing their subsequent actions.
Though it was mostly certain the Orcs were retreating, Duke Ogg still did not dare to let down his guard.
Some things only felt reliable when they were actually confirmed.
On the other side, Airael and her companions were still unaware that the Orcs had retreated.
They were silently making their way toward the Mark Fortress.
Compared to before, they were now moving a bit faster.
Meanwhile, Duke Rayman and his group, who had not yet received any news, were also hurrying along.
When Airael and her companions arrived in the vicinity of Mark Fortress, they were somewhat incredulous at the sight.
There wasn’t a single Orc in sight near Mark Fortress.
Only the human soldiers patrolling the area remained.
And they even ran into an old acquaintance, Knight Otem.
He was leading a patrol to check for any “lost” Orcs, ready to deal with any he might find.
“Mr. Axi, Miss Ailia, it’s good to see you again.”
Upon meeting, Otem stepped forward to greet them.
Knowing Axi wasn’t keen on conversing with these folks, Airael took the initiative to speak: “Hello, Knight Otem. May I ask what’s the situation at Mark Fortress?”
She also inquired further.
“The Orcs have left, but we can’t confirm if they truly intend to withdraw, so the news hasn’t spread yet.”
Airael nodded in understanding and then continued to ask, “So that means there won’t be any battles here from now on.”
“Pretty much… I’d say so.”
Otem’s response was not very clear.
Primarily because he didn’t know the details and was simply following orders.
