Chapter 370 - 130: Just How Many Good Mothers Do You Have!?

Chapter 370: Chapter 130: Just How Many Good Mothers Do You Have!?

Aus immediately understood. He opened the folder in his hands and began to lay out the detailed arrangements.

He went through the plan item by item, covering everything from the time of departure, the route to take, and where to make camp, to the distribution of provisions and supplies, the stockpiling of medicine and bandages, and even the protocols for handling spoils of war. His explanation was methodical, his arrangements flawless.

His focused and competent demeanor earned the silent approval of everyone present.

’With Lord Aus managing the home front, we’ll have nothing to worry about on the campaign.’

The meeting lasted the entire morning.

By the time all matters were settled, it was already noon.

Afterward, the tense and busy pre-war preparations began.

「Three days later.」

「Early morning.」

The main street of Lakefront Town was thronged with people, and banners fluttered in the wind.

The three elite grand companies of the Ninth Battle Battalion, four hundred musketeers, and the elite units of the Undead Army were all assembled in formation, ready to march.

The soldiers were in high spirits, their armor polished to a gleam and their weapons glinting coldly.

The militia musketeers shouldered their firearms, ammunition pouches hanging at their waists, each one standing as straight as a pine.

The Undead Army was arrayed on the other side. A Corpse Demon, its massive, nearly four-meter-tall body standing at the very front of the formation, radiated a surging Evil Qi that was utterly oppressive.

The townspeople of Lakefront Town, knowing the army was to depart today, had flocked from all directions to line the streets, seeing off the expeditionary force.

An old man leaned on his cane, his cloudy eyes glistening with tears.

A woman held her child, silently praying for her husband’s safe return.

A child sat on their father’s shoulders, excitedly waving a small hand and shouting, "Beat the bad guys!" and "Come back victorious!"

Some young women even mustered the courage to dash out from the crowd, blushing as they pressed hand-sewn Protective Talismans into the hands of soldiers they knew.

Soon, it was time to depart.

With a blast from a horn, the expeditionary force slowly began to move.

Catherine, mounted on a magnificent warhorse, clad in silver armor with a longsword at her waist, led from the very front of the column.

Just before leaving, she turned and glanced back at Lynch, who was standing at the entrance of the garrison headquarters.

Lynch gave her a nod.

Catherine turned her gaze forward, raised her right hand, and gave a sharp cry, "March!"

With that, she spurred her horse, which immediately began to move, heading out of town.

Everyone immediately followed.

In an instant, banners snapped in the wind and footsteps thundered.

The vast and mighty procession soon left Lakefront Town behind, growing smaller as it traveled down the winding road.

Lynch stood at the entrance of the garrison headquarters, watching until the army vanished into the morning mist.

Aus, standing beside him, said softly, "An army of this size setting out... The bait must be quite tempting, wouldn’t you say?"

Lynch chuckled lightly. "Let’s go. We have more important work to do."

"Yes, my lord."

Aus’s eyes lit up, a glint of excitement flashing within them.

******

「Several days later.」

「Sardinia Province, the middle reaches of the Vire River Corridor.」

This was a region of rolling hills, dense forests, and crisscrossing ravines. However, hidden within one of its secluded valleys was a sizable army.

The valley entrance was narrow, flanked by steep cliffs, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. The valley itself, however, was quite open, spacious enough for several thousand people to make camp.

At this moment, the central clearing of the valley floor was densely packed with tents.

Soldiers patrolled the camp, every one of them looking battle-hardened and formidable.

They wore a mix of gear: standard-issue armor stripped from Empire regulars, homemade leather armor, and even chainmail. But without exception, they were all armored warriors, and the cold glint of their weapons made it clear they were not to be trifled with.

More importantly, their eyes set them apart from a common Bandit Army. Their gazes held none of the greed and laxness typical of bandits. Instead, they possessed the detached composure of elite troops who had charged into battle countless times and seen much bloodshed.

And this force of elite troops numbered over twenty-two hundred in total.

These were the core elites of the Crimson Cross, though some of them were hand-picked veterans from the reformed Blue Crow Battle Group.

The overall strength of this force was considerable. Among its junior and mid-level officers were numerous Tier One and Tier Two elites, while its senior officers included seven or eight powerful individuals at Tier Three or Tier Four.

Though they were merely two thousand-some men, their combat prowess was enough to crush a motley battle group of over five thousand in a direct confrontation.

At this time, inside the largest tent deep within the valley, candlelight blazed.

This was the command center of the allied forces.

In the center of the tent sat a simple wooden table, upon which was spread a map of Red Ridge Mountain and the surrounding area.

Although the map was crudely drawn, the geographical layout was completely outlined. Locations such as Lakefront Town, Gray Claw Gorge, Rock Fortress, Red Ridge Castle, the West Ridge Mining Area, and Mirror Lake were all clearly marked.

Furthermore, every key location on it was marked with a red circle.

All the high-ranking officers of the allied forces were currently gathered around the table.

Seated at the head of the table was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his early forties.

He wore a deep red cloak over an exquisite suit of half-plate armor. The plate armor bore no ornamentation, yet it was polished to a mirror shine.

He had a square, handsome face with a neatly trimmed beard, and his entire being exuded an aura of calm authority and dignity.