Chapter 173: The Art of Deception
After a moment of initial shyness, Airael became infuriated.
She slightly bowed her head and asked, “Have you had enough to look at now?”
Such words should have been kept private, yet here she was, saying it in front of so many people.
How could you be so shameless while I still have some pride left?!
Airael was roaring in her heart.
And who would want to flirt with you? I’m only with you because I need you!
Arthur seemed completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation.
He looked at Airael and replied, “Not yet.”
“Not yet?”
Airael raised her head slightly to the side, moving like a robot.
Danger—!
Arthur instinctively sensed a hint of danger creeping in.
And that feeling of danger was emanating from Airael.
Arthur felt utterly baffled.
Wasn’t everything just fine a moment ago?
How did it turn so drastically?
“Ailia!”
He tentatively called out.
“Arthur!”
Airael didn’t respond to Arthur but instead sternly called out his name.
Centuries of good breeding kept Airael from snapping at Arthur; she decided to take a different approach instead.
Airael’s sudden change in attitude left Arthur completely perplexed.
What was even happening? One moment it’s sunny, the next it’s cloudy.
However, sensing the danger emanating from Airael, he decided to straighten his attitude and ask, “Ailia, is something wrong?”
“Nothing much, just a little reminder that we’re heading to war, not a game.”
Airael replied.
As she continued, each word seemed to be bitten off with grit and determination.
Hearing this, Cain and the others stopped feigning interest, straightened up, and focused intently on the road ahead.
Their posture was serious, completely lacking the earlier gossip-loving demeanor.
“I know this, and I will take every battle seriously,” Arthur responded.
Airael snorted in disdain at Arthur’s reply, then asked, “I hope you can actually follow through and avoid doing anything pointless, especially in inappropriate situations.”
At this moment, Airael’s intention was crystal clear—she was warning Arthur not to play their previous games.
Flirtation had no place in this scenario.
After saying this, Airael focused on the road again, ignoring Arthur entirely.
Leaving Arthur alone, confused, pondering just what meaningless thing he had done.
He didn’t quite grasp the meaning behind Airael’s earlier statement.
Did he do anything meaningless?
Though countless doubts ran through his mind, no one was there to enlighten him.
He smartly chose not to engage Airael further.
He could still sense that Airael was quite displeased with him.
As reinforcements from the Machia Republic headed to support the northern forces, the northern army was actively preparing for battle, especially strengthening their encampments.
Since they couldn’t win this war, they would hold their ground and drag it out until they could win.
In the west, a combined force of Dark Elf Army and Orcs was swiftly heading to the central battlefield to aid the orcs trapped there.
Meanwhile, the Machia Republic had also sent envoys to the Porcia Kingdom and Nick Kingdom, persuading them to adopt the same strategy against the enemy and help Machia Republic in overcoming the Dark Elves and Orcs.
To ensure this mission was carried out efficiently, the Machia Republic had included a significant figure in their envoy.
On the main road to the Porcia Kingdom.
Andrew, the master of the Tower of the Archmage, sat leisurely on his exclusive chariot.
Porcia Kingdom was a key target for the Machia Republic’s mission.
Compared to Nick Kingdom and Machia Republic, this prairie nation didn’t harbor as much hatred toward the Dark Elves and Orcs.
Thus, persuading them to exert their full force in the upcoming battle would indeed require considerable effort.
This was precisely why Andrew was present on the way to the Porcia Kingdom.
He needed to convince the king of Porcia to cooperate with the Machia Republic’s actions.
Furthermore, the Porcia Kingdom would play a crucial role in the upcoming battle.
They were a massive force of strong cavalry.
No army dared to claim superiority over Porcia when it came to cavalry.
At night, in the temporary camp of the Machia Republic.
The soldiers, after a day of travel, rested in their respective quarters, while the sentinels dutifully remained at their posts around the camp.
Inside the main military tent, Arthur observed the map hanging in front of him under the illumination of magical gemstones.
In war, the situation changes in the blink of an eye.
Thus, scouts frequently returned with information from their reconnaissance missions to report to Arthur.
Various marks had been made on the map by Arthur.
“Have you figured anything out after staring at it for so long?”
Airael asked, unable to hold back any longer.
“Ailia, do you think the Dark Elves will employ the same strategy against the Machia forces as before?”
Arthur asked Airael.
This was what he had been pondering.
While it had been a good tactic, it had been used once already, and they were now prepared against it, making it less effective.
“What do you mean by that?”
Airael retorted.
“I believe those Dark Elves, although making their way here to Machia, may not necessarily target our forces within the orc territory.”
Arthur replied.
Airael nodded and began to closely examine the map hanging in front of them.
Seeing this, Arthur explained, “The Dark Elves’ marching route seems fine; they appear rushed to rescue the besieged Orc stronghold.
However, our scouts spotted Dark Elf scouts near Mils Fortress and engaged in combat. While this seems standard—both sides would naturally seek intelligence on each other by infiltrating enemy lines—the location of Mils Fortress is significant.”
Airael nodded as she continued to observe the map.
It was clearly marked.
If the Machia Republic lost Mils Fortress, the entire northern region would likely grind to a halt.
Moreover, if Mils Fortress fell, the human army inside the northern orc territory would likely be finished as well.
