Chapter 1384 - 1300: Crossing the Yin River

Chapter 1384: Chapter 1300: Crossing the Yin River

On April 21, Imperial Calendar 1463, Konyaz ordered Kaimira to lead two Forbidden Army Envoys and the Ravenno Clan Military, totaling 40,000 men, to move south.

As for the Silvaticus Clan Military and the Neruius Clan Military, they were to feign an attack to ensure that the Falan Army could not provide support.

The remaining 20,000 Royal Palace Forbidden Army were tasked with guarding the Karagant ferry in Violet County.

Under Konyaz’s orders, Kaimira must swiftly capture Tulip Castle with the eight corps under his command.

After this, regardless of the enemy’s current numbers, they must retreat.

He aims to swallow the bait that Falan has thrown without truly being hooked.

Though challenging, it is not an impossible feat.

This requires a seamless coordination between the clan militaries and the Royal Palace Guards, with the leaders maintaining calm and resisting the lure of military glory.

Even though Konyaz knows that both these tasks are challenging, what if they succeed?

If all else fails, he still has a contingency at the ferry.

As for the Falan Army, after initial silence, they began frequent maneuvers.

But overall, they maintained movements similar to the Royal Court, namely enhancing the southern flank (left wing).

From the Royal Court’s perspective, this seemed like an attempt to rescue the besieged Tulip Castle, unwilling to abandon those two corps.

The subsequent actions of the Falan Army further proved this point.

Numerous corps began crossing the River Yin, attempting to intercept the southward-moving Vampire Army, and commenced battle.

The previously peaceful southern banks of the River Yin once again fell into the flames of war.

The previously critical area on the northern side of the River Yin, in contrast, strangely quieted down.

...

Spring rain drizzled, carrying a bone-chilling damp and sticky cold.

The rain wove a slanting gray net that enshrouded the entire wasteland, suffocating and lethargic.

On the land of the west bank of the River Yin, the Royal Court’s camp ensconced itself between the River Yin and the Black Forest in a flat area.

Thousands of black tents were tightly arranged, with rainwater sliding down the oilcloth covers, heavily splattering onto the grass below.

Warhorses and baggage oxen moved between the tents, the ground already trampled into a muddy path.

On this muddy path, vampire soldiers in crimson autumn attire wielded whips, driving the human Servant Army to transport blood pact muskets and ammunition boxes.

On the wasteland path surrounding the camp, four cloaked figures trudged through the mud, patrolling.

This is the classic patrol formation: two vampire soldiers paired with two Servant Army soldiers.

The leading vampire soldier, Lelius, chatted with a fellow as they walked, "Tacus, when do you think we’ll head south?"

"Us? Forget it, Silvaticus and Konyaz have grudges, they won’t send us." Tacus trudged on, his head down.

"Ah, what a pity."

Now the situation has become that around Tulip Castle, the Royal Court and Falan are both escalating, leading to a standoff involving tens of thousands.

The Royal Court alone has over 30,000 regular troops, along with the Servant Army, boasting at least 50,000 strength.

The humans have gone mad too, with the Falan Foreign Legion fiercely counterattacking while regional corps constantly gather, seemingly aiming for a grand battle.

Not fighting is fine, but once they do, it’s a guaranteed good place to earn military merits.

Lelius licked his chapped lips, "With so many forces gathered, imagine, Tacus, the kind of merit one could earn in a battle of this scale.

Then I could shed my title-less lower vampire status, be promoted to Vampire Count, live in a spacious castle, and reach the pinnacle of life!"

"Who doesn’t wish for that," Tacus sighed enviously, "But unfortunately, we’ve been assigned here to guard the perimeter, watching others earn merits."

The two human Servant Army soldiers behind scratched their heads, "But the previous Battle of the Fat Toad..."

"Fools." Lelius abruptly turned back, "Falan never won a grand battle, even the Holy Alliance only succeeded through trickery.

During the last Battle of Toad Town, if the map wasn’t drawn wrong, those Holy Alliance soldiers would have lost.

Once this grand battle ends, the Holy Alliance and Falan will be flattened.

You’re lucky; you might become one of us, whereas others will probably end up as livestock we raise."

The two human soldiers turned pale with fear, quickly lowering their heads, not daring to speak again.

"Why waste words on these humans," Tacus patted Lelius’s shoulder, "Let’s head to the hill up front, go up, check it out, if all’s clear, we’ll report back. With this rain, we should return early."

Leleus nodded and was the first to head towards the nearby hill.

The hill wasn’t tall, only about seven or eight meters in height, with a few clumps of yellowing wild grass on the top, battered by the rain and leaning in all directions.

Slipping on the muddy ground, the four climbed up the hill, and just as Leleus was about to take a glance, he turned to leave.

Suddenly, he seemed to be choked, forcefully swallowing back his words.

Tacos was about to ask what was wrong when he followed his gaze, instantly freezing in place.

Below the hill, on the once-empty wasteland, rows of cavalry had appeared at some point.

In the light rain, they rode tall warhorses, wearing blue-gray woolen military coats and sturdy mithril alloy breastplates.

The cavalry formed neat columns, densely packed, stretching endlessly like a moving forest.

The cavalry in the front row held a flag of red and black, the sun gear emblem on the flag remaining clear in the rain.

It was the flag of the Holy Alliance!

"Holy... Holy Alliance cavalry!" Tacos’s voice trembled, "What are they doing here?"

Leleus was the first to react, turning to run down the hill: "Quick, report back! The Holy Alliance has invaded!"

"Whizz—"

A sharp breaking sound pierced the rain curtain, and Leleus’s body stiffened, looking down in disbelief.

A blood hole in his chest rose with black-red smoke; he took two steps forward before heavily collapsing into the mud.

"Enemy attack!" Tacos roared and reached to pull out the signal pistol at his waist.

But before he could pull the trigger, a barrage of gunfire rang out, and a holy oil lead bullet precisely pierced his shoulder.

Tacos screamed, falling to his knees.

Two human soldiers turned in fright and fled, but were pounced on by two faster figures.

Two Holy Alliance hunters emerging from the bushes on the side of the hill pressed their short pistols against the backs of the soldiers’ heads.

The cold gun barrels left the soldiers rigid and immobile.

The entire process took merely ten seconds, leaving one patrol soldier dead, one injured, and two captured.

Soon, an officer rode up from the cavalry columns on a white horse.

He wore a black officer’s uniform, his expression stern and eyes sharp like an eagle’s—it was Kaler, the Vanguard Corps Commander of the Sacred Grail Cavalry of the Holy Alliance Central War Army.

Pulling his horse to a halt, his gaze swept over the bodies and captives on the ground, Kaler frowned slightly: "Interrogate them."

The hunters immediately took out familiar thumb restraints from their pockets, and upon seeing them, the two human soldiers immediately understood.

They prostrated themselves on the ground: "Spare us, Holy Alliance masters! We’re just the Servant Army; we’re willing to tell you anything!"

Holding his wound, Tacos half collapsed on the ground, shaking with anger: "Traitors! You despicable traitors!"

One of the human soldiers shrank back fearfully but still mustered the courage: "Sir, we know the location of the vampire encampment; it’s three miles ahead... They have about five thousand troops and over thirty desecrator cannons... There are also three outposts in the black forest on the east side of the camp, each with over fifty vampire soldiers..."

Kaler listened expressionlessly, saying nothing.

Seeing the soldier ignore him, Tacos continued to curse at Kaler: "You two-legged sheep, you think you can survive by relying on the Holy Alliance?

Serafe, His Majesty, will lead us to flatten the Royal Court Barracks and nail your Pope to the cross! You will all perish!"

Kaler sneered, having no intention of retaliating.

He casually pulled out his pistol from his waist and pointed it at Tacos’s head.

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot sounded, and Tacos’s head exploded like a smashed watermelon, his body falling to the ground.

The brain and heart are vampires’ only instant fatal weaknesses.

Putting away the pistol, Kaler wiped the splattered blood on his hand with a handkerchief: "Give the order, hunter squads infiltrate first, destroy the outposts in the black forest, eliminate dark posts.

Cavalry regiment one and two follow me to charge, directly storming the vampire camp, focusing on destroying the desecrator cannon positions!

Be quick, don’t give them time to react!"

"Yes, Commander!" The adjutant saluted and immediately turned to deliver the orders.

Kaler mounted his horse, his gaze fixed on the vampire camp not far away.

The light rain continued to fall, and his horse’s hooves tread over the muddy earth, making a uniform, dull sound, galloping towards the vampire camp.