Chapter 442

Chapter 442 – Outside Sword Pine City

Outside Sword Pine City, Clancia.

Although it was already deep autumn, the mountains and plains outside the city were still lush and green, with a faint chill in the mist shrouding the mountain area.

This was the southernmost part of Clancia, once the border of West Wind, named for the tall pine trees growing abundantly around it. These pines were hardy and stood straight like swords, hence the name Sword Pine.

In the past, this wasn’t a significant place in West Wind; the only notable feature was the Black Pine River next to the city. Following this river south led to Vergha.

Those who hadn’t been there might think it was a bustling trade hub, but in reality, due to the shallow waters of the Black Pine River making it difficult for large ships, and surrounded by high mountains, trade between West Wind and Vergha was primarily conducted via the wide roads leading to Hope Lane.

However, with the changing times, the division of Vergha and the establishment of Clancia, the Black Pine River was given to Frost Rose, making this area the vanguard of Clancia facing Frost Rose’s alliance.

After receiving orders from Frost Rose to mobilize troops, Clancia urgently summoned 80,000 soldiers to guard this area.

Due to the mountainous terrain and sparse population, the original resident population of the city was only about 50,000. Suddenly having so many people increased the difficulty of supplying food and the rough mountain paths made resupplying even more challenging. Further troop movements would likely be unsustainable.

General Segr, standing on the iron-gray stone wall, looked down at the tranquil river and asked his adjutant beside him.

“When will the Frost Rose army arrive?”

The adjutant, dressed in a neat military uniform, replied, “Sir, according to messages from the new Vergha Alliance, they passed Turbulent City three days ago, about 100 miles away. They should be close now.”

“Even though the war golems are powerful and sturdy, they are extremely heavy. If they use ships, they can only sail up to 60 miles before having to disembark and continue on foot.”

“Does Frost Rose have enough ships?” Segr continued, just arriving from the imperial capital and not fully aware of the situation in Clancia’s south.

“They didn’t before, but after annexing half of Vergha, they can requisition numerous merchant ships. Additionally, it’s said they’ve built ironclad ships.”

After two years, with the assistance of Deyas Chamber of Commerce, Frost Rose began deploying their first ironclad ships. The most famous among them was the ‘Great Eastern.’ Although some of these ships had performance issues, they were repurposed to transport the war golems.

“If the golem army arrives, with our current forces and means, it will be difficult to resist,” the adjutant said worriedly, having received intermediate military education in Clancia and understanding the strengths of various nations’ armies.

“Yes, but as soldiers, our duty is to defend this place and prevent the enemy from advancing.”

“Even if we eventually lose, we must inflict heavy damage and deplete their strength, gradually weakening them,” General Segr’s voice was steady and firm, like the rocks in the mountains.

For many soldiers in Clancia, the peaceful times were short-lived. It seemed like they had fought the nobles of West Wind just yesterday, and the blood and determination from the early uprising still lingered. Despite knowing the battle ahead would be perilous, no one complained or avoided it; instead, they followed the orders without hesitation.

Though West Wind was declining, its extraordinary beings were often several times more numerous than those in Clancia. To defeat such enemies, Clancia had pushed its military development to the extreme. Their discipline and combat willpower were beyond comprehension; they could advance undaunted even after losing over 70% of their numbers, until they exhausted the enemy’s magic and strength and killed them on the spot.

Sacrifice had become commonplace. Death, while terrifying at first, became numb and familiar with time.

Clancia’s senior officers felt both pride and helplessness. They were proud of their fearless warriors but helpless that without higher-tier extraordinary beings, they could only fight this way.

Fortunately, the civil war had ended, allowing them to lay down arms and focus on recuperation and strengthening the nation.

But there was no guaranteed interlude in this world; others took advantage when you were weak. Seeing Clancia not yet fully stabilized, Frost Rose launched their northern campaign according to their long-planned strategy.

They hadn’t acted two years ago because they lacked suitable means to transport the golem army. Though powerful, the cumbersome golems moved slowly, making them ineffective as offensive tools.

Now, with the right conditions, they mobilized domestic ships and ironclads to invade central regions, entering the former heartland of West Wind—a vast plain connecting Snowflower Seven Kingdoms, a necessary path for Frost Rose’s growth.

As General Segr completed his inspection and descended the wall, a series of metallic grinding and collision sounds echoed from the distant mountains and rivers, slowly approaching from the riverbank to the north.

Silver-gray steel armor bore faint scratches and dust. In the morning mist, these war machines constructed of metal trampled over stones and dirt, leaving massive footprints.

Dewdrops condensed on the steel exteriors, sliding off and carrying away some dust onto the grass, which was then trodden into the ground by the approaching golems. With screeching metal and crashing trees, the golems cleared a path through the mountain shrubs and forests for the following troops.

On one side of the golem formation, a towering 10-meter-tall golem halted by the roadside, its back hatch opening. A man in a mage robe peered out, soon followed by a younger mage flying in and landing on the golem’s shoulder.

“How’s the situation ahead?”

“We can see the walls of Sword Pine City. This city built halfway up the mountain has the Black Pine River below it, a formidable obstacle in the mountain valley.”

“Phew, we finally arrived,” the mage sighed in relief.

“These past few days have been the hardest I’ve experienced in ten years. In Rourna, golems were mainly used for defense and forming lines of defense, as the verdant threat was our primary concern. Transport issues weren’t considered much during design. Now, trekking through the mountains, we realize how inconvenient the design is. About 20% of the golems had to stop along the way due to malfunctions and await maintenance. We finally made it.”

“But we reached our destination, didn’t we? By occupying this city, we’ll establish a stable repair and supply point for the golem army, making further attacks on Clancia easier.”

“Right, send the signal. The Steel Axe Legion will stand by, rest for half a day, and start the assault at noon. Subsequent units like Bronze Horn and Fire Thorn will reinforce us, aiming to capture the city before nightfall.”

As the words fell, a signal arrow with a sharp sound shot up into the air, exploding in mid-air. Then, the gray-silver steel golems began to reorganize, slowly spreading out.

On the distant watchtower, the great bell rang continuously, and soldiers, startled by the officers’ urgent calls, grabbed their weapons and rushed toward the city walls.

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Thank you, Dustlike, Tangmen Infantry, Past Years Fleeting, Lonely Traveler, Lihen, Reader 20200423150503496, Bicycle Killer, Do You Want to See Something Funny, and eight other readers for your support.

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(End of Chapter)