Chapter 1389 - 1261: Battle of Mothe (Part 1 Finale)

Chapter 1389: Chapter 1261: Battle of Mothe (Part 1 Finale)

Turning around to look, the person speaking was none other than Aileef.

"Retreat? You call this a retreat?" In one day, Lanerwus seemed to have encountered Aileef several times over.

The passionate Aileef, the shrewd Aileef, the brave Aileef... now, he saw Aileef’s ultimate form - the cowardly Aileef.

"If we don’t retreat, are we supposed to stay?" Compared to his immaculate appearance before the battle, Aileef was now covered in dust, disheveled.

"I have not received the order to retreat, nor have I seen you receive it, which means we have to stay."

"Does the higher-ups know the situation here?"

"Before the enemy arrived and after the Flesh Titans appeared, messengers were dispatched to relay the message!"

"Then perhaps the order for us to retreat is already on its way."

"Even so, I must receive the order before retreating. This is not a mobile combat mission; it’s a defense mission!"

Lanerwus and Aileef stared at each other incredulously, as if they had become strangers from a few days ago.

Lanerwus couldn’t believe that Aileef actually wanted to run away.

Aileef couldn’t believe that stubborn Lanerwus wanted to stay here and die.

"Have you seen a Flesh Titan’s charge?" Aileef stared wide-eyed.

Lanerwus stiffened his neck, "Of course I have, just moments ago."

"Then you should know how terrifying they are. I’m a survivor of the Battle of Gerwus, I know more than you." Aileef stepped forward, "These are Imperial Knights, adversaries of the Miracle Priests, not ours!"

"You’re not retreating, you’re running away." Lanerwus suddenly slightly raised his chin, looking down at Aileef as if from above.

Aileef was at first startled, then clenched his fist ready to swing, but at the last moment, he stopped.

As if resigning to ruin, he sneered, "Yeah, you’re so noble, unwilling to run away, Falan so cowardly, unable to face strong enemies.

But if everyone throws their lives away facing strong foes, who will retaliate in the future?

Do you want to sacrifice your life for those obese monks and cardinals sitting thousands of miles away?"

Lanerwus didn’t understand his logic, what’s it mean to sacrifice for monks and cardinals?

This is Falan’s land, Falan’s citizens live here, aren’t they fighting bravely to protect their citizens?

It’s important to know, this isn’t Lanerwus’s homeland, yet he originally fought here for justice and for the countless innocent faithful of the Holy Alliance.

Moreover, it was for the welfare of all humanity.

How could it be for the Pope and cardinals?

Only these words he couldn’t articulate, and the legion priest, severely injured and unconscious battling the Flesh Titan, was incapable of mediating.

"I am not that calculative, a soldier’s duty is to obey orders, and that is my stance!"

"Fine, you are noble, you are brave, but I won’t risk my soldiers’ lives; they are living people, good guys. I brought them out alive and I have to bring them back alive!" Aileef turned to leave.

"Fine, but leave behind the cannons and cross picks!"

"Okay."

Aside from a few Falan soldiers willing to stay and fight alongside the Holy Alliance Army, the vast majority chose to follow Aileef.

After Aileef and Lanerwus finished transferring supplies, Aileef stared at Lanerwus for a long time, said nothing, and then turned to leave.

Falan soldiers similarly remained silent, occasionally glancing back, most with expressions of emptiness or simply numb.

"Even if you stand again, it can’t be stopped." Aileef whispered to the marching soldiers, "Lanerwus is earning military merits with soldiers’ lives, we won’t do that."

The soldiers looked at each other, but simply followed quietly.

The ground started to tremble, leaves rustled, and a bloody-scented wind swept down from the mountains.

In the wind, Aileef seemed to hear someone whispering.

"What did you say?" he turned his head.

Standing still, on the position, the trembling sound echoed again on the mountain road behind them, yet Lanerwus stood there, like an old farmer returning from plowing at the village entrance.

"If you run today, run tomorrow, where will you run the day after?"

......

Amidst the dappled light of the trees and sunlight, birds sang high, butterflies fluttered.

Spring flowers still exuded their sweet fragrance.

Lanerwus’s words at first were not taken seriously by Aileef, but when he truly set foot on the path of "retreat," those words began to circle in his mind like a nightmare.

Run today, run tomorrow, where to run the day after tomorrow?

With urgent steps, the formation scattered, everyone in disarray, rushing quickly through the forest paths.

Such a familiar scene, Aileef had witnessed it countless times.

Ever since he joined the army, every encounter with vampires ended with a grand escape towards daylight.

Escaping from the windmill land to the Golden Fleece Beach, from the Golden Fleece Beach to the White Sand Land, and from the White Sand Land to this place?

If he continues, where else can he escape?

Aileef’s steps suddenly halted, as if nailed to the mountain path.

The Falans soldiers behind him also stopped, looking at him in confusion: "Sir, why aren’t you running?"

The wind in the mountains became harsher, carrying the sounds of cannon fire and fighting from the positions, brushing against his cheeks.

He suddenly remembered the firelight of Gerwus, the fellow townsmen who starved to death during the escape, and the increasingly distant homeland in each retreat.

Having fled once, then again, fleeing more disgracefully each time, fleeing with nowhere left to retreat, until there’s almost nowhere left to stand.