Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 237 The Wise Lord
"Correct."

Rumba nodded thoughtfully: "The undying starlight."

"What are you trying to say?" Grand Duke Ronnie frowned. "The greatest threat to us is Sonia Sathere?"

But Rumba ignored him. The Grand Duke of Black Sands simply stared blankly at the table and continued speaking:
"The Starshine Legion is young and inexperienced—even with their experience fighting domestic rebels, they are utterly no match for our battle-hardened and invincible Northern warriors."

Grand Duke Lecco's expression changed, and he fell into deep thought.

“On the road from the North to the Central Territory, we crushed them in our first battle,” Rumba took a deep breath, his expression hardening and determined. “Nothing special, just the usual: light cavalry probed, archers suppressed, light infantry held off the main force, and heavy cavalry launched the decisive charge.”

Rumba nodded slowly, but his eyes held an incredibly complex expression:

"In the blink of an eye, their main force was routed, and the rest scattered and fled. They didn't even need to use the heavy sword infantry and heavy armored axemen who were good for fighting tough battles. It was an easy victory."

“Like all the enemies before,” Rumba raised his fists, his right fist slamming into the knuckle of his left, like a craftsman hammering a chisel, “you gather the best and toughest warriors, strike them with thunderous force to destroy their strongest parts, and then wait for the rest to flee, scatter, cry out, surrender, and never rise again.”

"They're not even as tough as the private armies of those local lords in the North—at least they're North people."

Grand Duke Ronnie gave a strange look: "So?"

He keenly observed that neither Archduke Aurelius nor Archduke Trudida, as those who had been directly involved, spoke about the issue; they simply remained serious.

It even carried a hint of...respect?
“So that was the Star Legion,” Grand Duke Lyco answered him, and the old Grand Duke let out a long sigh: “Back then, nobody took them seriously.”

The bald Grand Duke of the Guardian City shook his head: "Until a few days later."

Ronnie frowned slightly.

Rumba took over the conversation.

“A few days later, they—those child soldiers who should have been routed, utterly defeated, scattered, and terrified,” Grand Duke Lombard sat in his chair, squinting his eyes:
"It's back again."

Ronnie was slightly taken aback.

"Just when we were about to conquer Ice River City, they stood before us again," Rumba said calmly, as if he were seeing that scene from more than a decade ago again in the distance.

“Although their numbers are fewer, they are organized, disciplined, and well-formed, as if they had just been conscripted,” Rumba continued, his tone erratic and his eyes unfocused. “They simply regrouped and, just before our siege was about to succeed, decisively launched a surprise attack on our rear.”

"Like dead ashes reignited."

“No,” Grand Duke Lyco closed his eyes and shook his head, “not ashes, but undying starlight.”

Grand Duke Ronnie's suspicions deepened.

“But we still crushed them,” Archduke Lyco’s eyes snapped open: “once again.”

Rumba looked at him.

Yes, once again.

Grand Duke of Black Sands nodded slowly: "However, this time we will send light cavalry to pursue them and wipe them out."

“We’ve lost nearly ten percent of our light cavalry,” Lyco sighed. “I remember… it was the light cavalry I dispatched.”

"And then?" Rumba's expression was unreadable as he answered his own question: "Again."

Ronnie raised an eyebrow: Once again?
"Again!" Rumba's voice rang out decisively, like the clash of metal:

"The Starshine Legion, which had scattered across the fields, regrouped and reassembled under the battle flag in just a few days, and launched another ambush against us along the Mu River."

Grand Duke Ronnie finally changed his expression.

"How could this be?" the Duke of Qiyuan asked in surprise. "How did they reorganize their routed troops? What about morale? Are their supplies and logistics adequate?"

Rumba shook his head.

“This game has been repeated many times,” Lumba said wearily. “But no matter how many times we defeat them, as long as we don’t completely annihilate them, their scattered remnants always miraculously regroup and return to their units. I don’t know how they manage logistics on that damned battlefield, but at least those child soldiers have very decisive eyes. Then, at those awkward moments when we are either attacking cities, seizing territory, resting and resupplying, or rotating troops, they will appear on our side or behind us like ghosts, delivering a cold blow.”

Grand Duke Lyco's face darkened: "The Undying Starlight—that's the title our people gave them."

Rumba gave a soft hum.

"What we all can't understand is how such a young, ordinary legion can reorganize itself without any obstacles every time it experiences such a crushing defeat and collapse?" the Black Sand Grand Duke asked softly.

No one answered.

Archduke Aurelius frowned and looked at the others.

“Star God of War was a good leader. He trained his legion very well, and this is his honor,” Aurelius said with certainty and determination. “A great opponent, though dead, his spirit lives on.”

Rumba's laughter interrupted at an inopportune moment.

"Really? Just because John Canxing is a great military strategist, all the civilian soldiers under his command can become exceptionally skilled warriors?" Lumba sneered coldly, his tone unfriendly: "Then are our king, dukes, nobles, commanders, and even warriors all useless?"

The dukes' faces all turned cold.

“Watch your words, Rumba.” Leko narrowed his eyes.

But Rumba ignored them.

"Why is this happening?"

"An isolated and helpless force that is no match for us is actually an 'indestructible' force?" Lumba's face was resolute: "We are puzzled, we are surprised, we are astonished, because even the Northerners, who are known for their fighting prowess, cannot imagine such a situation."

The other dukes fell into deep thought.

“Yes, the Northerners are the strongest in physique and the most fervent in spirit among humankind. Under equal conditions, no one can defeat us on the battlefield! Not even the most formidable enemy!” Rumba raised his head and said firmly.

But he clenched his fist, and his tone immediately changed:
"But even we, the leading military power in the Western Continent..."

"After a great victory, the commander-in-chief would spend a day setting up camp and taking stock of the troops. He would send his trusted nobles and personal guards, some armed with swords, spears, and axes, others with noble warrants, to gather and appease the excited and fanatical soldiers who had fought to the point of losing their eyes, grabbing weapons, and loosening their trousers. These soldiers were scattered around the battlefield, either venting their anger or pursuing the enemy."

"If the troops can be reorganized in a day and a night and set off again the next day, that would be considered normal efficiency."

Grand Duke Lecce shook his head.

“That’s not surprising,” the eldest duke said slowly. “We’ve been fighting like this for hundreds of years.”

Rumba turned his head sharply, his gaze as sharp as a knife as he looked at the eldest duke.

The eldest son was slightly turned to the side by the stab.

"And what about when we lose a battle?" Lumba said coldly. "Even the Exter people—after a chaotic and fearful rout, it would take weeks or even a month for us to reorganize, arrange logistics, and regroup the defeated troops when everyone was at a loss!"

“This is not like hunting, where you just whistle once and your loyal hounds that have strayed will come running back.”

"As for quickly regrouping, reorganizing in a short period of time, allocating manpower, arranging logistics, organizing into an army, reorganizing combat forces, and advancing again?" "It's no exaggeration to say," Rumba crossed his arms, looked at the four grand dukes with different expressions, and coldly snorted, "In the entire Kingdom of Exter, only the White Blade Guard and the Glacier Outpost can achieve this—I doubt that many grand dukes' personal guards and standing armies can do it."

He looked at Ronnie.

“Kurikun, your Qiyuan City has seen a lot of blood in the Golden Corridor and the Great Desert, and your military strength is considered outstanding in Exter,” Lumba nodded, “Can you do that?”

Ronnie didn't speak, but his expression was serious.

The other dukes also did not reply.

Rumba narrowed his eyes: "Have you ever thought about why?"

A few seconds later, Aurelius sighed softly.

“They’re on their own land,” the Grand Duke of Weyland shook his head, “and they have a huge advantage—both in terms of local support and familiarity with the terrain…”

But he was quickly interrupted by Rumba's rudeness.

"To hell with our own land!" the Black Sand Duke roared.

"Those child soldiers were mostly recruited by the Starshine War God from the south and west of the starry sky. They were new recruits of less than a year. In comparison, we, as people from the north, are more adapted to the climate and terrain of the northern border of the starry sky to the central territory."

Trudida snorted:
"Just tell me."

The Grand Duke of Rebuilding the Tower smirked: "What are you implying?"

Rumba's eyes immediately turned to him.

"hint?"

“I have reviewed the battles against the Star People over the past three or four hundred years,” Grand Duke Black Sand said coldly. “In the past, at least in the great war a hundred years ago, the Star People were just like us. After being defeated, they could not regroup for a month or two. From logistical capabilities to the speed of reorganization, they were on par with us.”

"Why is it that when he becomes the Star God of War, he can train the Star Legion?"

The four dukes all frowned.

“Get to the point, don’t give a history lesson,” Trudida said impatiently, echoing everyone’s sentiment: “We’re not idiots.”

Rumba's eyes narrowed.

No, you're not idiots.

His face turned cold: What's more terrifying than a fool is someone who thinks they're clever.

One second later.

"Which one?" Rumba asked softly.

The four dukes were slightly taken aback.

"Which one?" Trudida asked, puzzled.

Rumba leaned forward, his entire body pressing down on the table like a small mountain under the glow of the brazier, looking down at the four dukes with an oppressive gaze.

"I mean……"

He narrowed his eyes: "Which of you has the most profound impression of a Star King in history?"

The four dukes exchanged puzzled glances.

King of the Stars?

impression?

"The kings of the stars... there are more than thirty of them..."

Rumba leaned back in her chair, stretched out her right hand, and slowly began to count:
"Is he the 'Restoration King' Tormund I, who fought alone for ten years and vowed to restore his kingdom in dire straits?"

"Is it 'Black-Eyed' John I, who expanded the territory and fought a series of battles with Nunn I around Watchtower?"

"Is it 'Far Sail' Kessel II who single-handedly destroyed the Hamber fleet in the Second Continental War?"

"Queen Erica, the only woman to rule the stars and seize Coldhold from Exter?"

"Is it the 'Oathkeeper' Midil IV, who is exceptionally brave, swore to keep his oath to the death, and is as close as a brother to Sara?"

"Is it still 'Red King' John II, and his royal wrath that wiped out the entire Duchy of Brad within a month?"

"Oh, or perhaps it's Eddie II, the 'King of Constant Rule,' who reigned even longer than Nunn, whose country was stable and who, except for his last year, didn't cause any major trouble? Although his end wasn't so good."

As Rumba spoke, he observed the expressions of the dukes.

But he saw nothing—the dukes didn't even make the slightest facial expressions.

Rumba gave a mocking sneer: "No? Impossible, right?"

A few seconds later, he sighed dismissively.

“Alright,” Rumba squinted, “the Star King who impressed me the most…”

The dukes narrowed their eyes slightly.

Lumba simply said, "Mindis Star III."

Upon hearing this, Grand Duke Trudida's expression shifted slightly: "Could it be that..."

Rumba nodded slowly.

“Yes,” the Grand Duke of Black Sands said calmly, his eyes filled with complex and unfathomable emotions: “One hundred and fifty years ago, there was Mindis III, who experienced the Fourth Continental War.”

He said softly:

“That 'wise ruler'”.

Um, I saw that Maple Leaf Anthem and DB are not reasons for giving 10000 points again.

Waiter, put this in the books (with a calm expression). We'll add it back when we've saved up enough drafts.

Also, why haven't you updated in the last two days?
Well, if I told you that I found myself trapped in a time gap, and while I was writing, I would suddenly jump to two days in the future, so I had to stop updating—would you believe me?

By Wujian, who looked on with anticipation.



(End of this chapter)