Divine Kingship

Chapter 646 Where are their main forces?

Ultimately, everyone agreed to Rand's request.

In other words, "Don't stop Rand."

Although they were unclear about exactly what Rand was going to do, and what the consequences would be.

However, compared to supporting Rand's ascension to the throne and then completely accepting Rand's orders, this is still a more acceptable option.

If this choice can help them get through this difficult time.

Of course, they are also seeking their own solutions.

In such a time of crisis, everyone will have their own thoughts, and every country will have its own thoughts.

This is perfectly normal; Rand's prestige isn't high enough for everyone to be willing to accept his proposal and gamble everything.

Rand could understand the current situation, but that didn't mean he could accept it.

So he had to take action.

The action he was to take was actually quite simple.

Control the thoughts of the soldiers on the front lines.

Soldiers need spiritual leaders.

Simply giving them orders is not enough to sustain them in fighting when they are surrounded by hordes of the dead and rats.

Of course, those who can undertake this task are members of the Torch Church or the Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health.

However, a certain level of training is required.

……

"Sigh~" Rand sighed.

Elsa nudged Rand's shoulder with her elbow. "Our leader can't always be sighing."

Elsa has returned from her field mission, so she's been staying with Rand lately.

“Many of these familiar faces may never be seen again,” Rand said.

“At least our soldiers will have no regrets when they sacrifice themselves,” Elsa said softly.

"Sigh~" Rand sighed again, lacking any leadership qualities.

Although he made the decision without hesitation, he now finds it very difficult to accept the situation that has followed.

“The first group of cultists has already been escorted by soldiers to their designated defensive section, and they will be in effect soon,” Rand said.

"Then, shouldn't we start taking action too?"

“Yes.” Rand stood up, dusting himself off. “Let’s do what we have to do.”

Rand walked from his back garden to his palace.

Rand sat on his throne.

The "giant" artifact beside him, the Eternal Barrier, remains kneeling on one knee, holding a sword in both hands, looking ready for battle at any moment.

"Any new battle reports from the south?" Rand asked.

“Yes.” Olena presented the analyzed battle report.

……

In the south, many countries that could not tolerate submission to the Rand have formed their own alliances.

Instead of setting up defenses to stop the invasion of the undead like Rand did, they stayed in their respective kingdoms and closed themselves off.

These countries are mostly located in remote areas, and they believe that their geographical location and strong fortifications will help them withstand this disaster.

In short, it's the idea of ​​the Wisteria Kingdom and the Emerald Shadow Duchy during the Northern Alliance Orc War.

Rand commented that he was about to die.

And now, they are indeed about to die.

"Damn it, why don't the undead go after those fertile lands and instead go to all this trouble to surround us?" cursed a king who was hoping to hold out.

“Because, because…” The nobleman in the palace did not know how to answer.

Based on the current situation, it is very likely that the undead who are causing them trouble are actually a detachment within the undead army.

But even such a small group of undead was too much for them to handle.

This made many nobles feel sorrow for the fate of humanity.

"Is there any news from the hero?" the king asked hopefully.

"No, the warriors are no longer actively operating in the south," the minister in the palace replied.

"Damn it," the king cursed again. "Now we have no choice but to hold on. It will take these undead a long time to break through our defenses, and things might turn around."

One of the ministers asked, "Should we send a letter to ask Rand?"

“Given the current situation, Rand is bound to be in dire straits as well,” another minister said with a hint of despair.

"Damn..."

In the past, those countries that relied on their terrain or special products to survive in the human world are now facing a nightmare.

……

When Rand received news of the demise of some countries, he simply sneered.

"If they are not smart or decisive enough, then they can only perish. Even if they perish, they will only increase the strength of the undead army. It's really annoying."

“Thanks to your efforts, the number of countries unwilling to cooperate with us has become very small,” Tanl said.

Rand is currently on his way to the front lines, and Tanl is passing by on this route, so he can take some of Rand's instructions.

"Haha, Tanl, you don't need to comfort me. Let's talk about practical matters instead," Rand laughed.

Rand had known Tanl for over ten years.

Rand still looked like a young man, while Tanl looked two or three years older, transforming from a young paladin into a middle-aged paladin.

Because of their busy schedules, Rand and Tanl didn't meet very often, but they weren't infrequent either. When Rand had free time, he would visit Tanl's house with some treats and gifts.

Tanl is a very reliable old fellow, and Rand relies heavily on his help.

Although if Rand activates Blessing 6, Tanll will turn gray-black.

"What do you think our war strategy should focus on next? And we're currently unable to mobilize the troops of those southern countries, and their morale is also problematic," Tanl said directly.

Due to climate and topography, southern countries are often more prosperous, with larger populations and greater wealth than northern countries.

Moreover, the southern countries do not face the same super problem as the orcs that the northern alliance has to deal with; a few murlocs and naga are hardly a big problem.

However, the soldiers from the southern countries also have less experience. If it weren't for the large-scale and protracted war like the Gold Mine War, those soldiers would be even less capable now.

"I've already started working on the morale issue. We really can't defeat the undead in the short term, so don't fight to the death. We should fight and retreat, using fortifications and space to buy time," Rand instructed.

Tanl nodded to indicate that he understood.

Rand gave the order, and most of his worries dissipated. He had served Rand faithfully for years, and His Majesty Rand always managed to devise effective solutions; he believed this time would be no different. "You seem to have reached your destination," Rand said, glancing out the window.

“Then farewell, Your Majesty.” Tan’er hesitated for a moment before speaking again, “Your Majesty, please take care of your health and don’t worry too much. We will fight for you to the bitter end whenever you need us.”

Then, Tanl jumped off the speeding centaur chariot.

Jumping off a vehicle is an extremely dangerous act, but it's not a problem at all for a high-ranking paladin.

The soldiers outside were ready to meet Tanl, so there was no need to worry about the general encountering any enemy decapitation plan.

Tanl and Rand only had a short stretch of road on their way, and they had chatted in the carriage earlier, but now they had to part ways immediately.

Rand's destination is the southern front. Since he has not yet found the location of the "main force" of the undead army, he is somewhat worried and is preparing to go to the front to provide support at any time.

Rand turned his gaze back to the map.

The first line of defense, centered on the new Holy City, has not yet shown any signs of being breached.

The second line of defense, centered on the Ratman City, now only needs to deal with a small number of undead that have slipped through the defenses.

The third line of defense is centered on the border of the Lunar Kingdom and is currently located in the rear.

Rand had previously discussed with Olena that the enemy's main force would appear on the fertile plains between the first and second lines of defense. The population there had not been completely evacuated, and a direct raid would cause heavy losses to the humans, which would also replenish some of the undead forces.

But it never appeared.

This greatly worried Rand, as the presence of this main force in an unexpected location could cause even greater damage.

This kept Rand very busy, along with the higher-ups of the Sanctuary.

“Elsa, Olena,” Rand called out.

Elsa and Olena appeared in the carriage. They had been working overtime in the centaur carriage in front, but upon hearing Rand's call, they used their professional skills to jump into this carriage.

"Shouldn't our first group of followers be in place by now?" Rand asked.

“Yes,” Olena replied.

……

Since believers were needed to be stationed at the defense line, Chad and Ranta readily agreed to participate.

Then the attempt failed, and Rand wouldn't allow it. Now, both Ranta and Chad are married. Ranta somehow found an elf girl, while Chad married Ranta's sister, Ranta.

However, after repeated maneuvering and harassment of Rand, they finally gained the right to work on the relatively safe front line.

However, things aren't going very smoothly at work.

They looked up and saw that the soldiers above the somewhat filthy castle had already gone to report, but their garrison commander was unwilling to let the two missionaries into the castle.

Clearly, Rand had obtained permission through the meeting not to be stopped.

But at least the lords, or rather the royal family, of the garrison here have decided to outwardly comply but inwardly defy them.

After all, who knows what Rand, who always manages to gain the most from various events, will do in this one?

Although the number of undead is terrifying, Rand's plan is actually quite effective; at least everyone feels that the crisis of annihilation is some distance away.

At this point, one must consider one's own interests.

“We have already obtained permission to act from the King of your country,” Ranta shouted.

The defending general remained unmoved.

Ranta and his partner Chad weren't angry; they just smiled.

His Majesty Rand had already considered this situation.

Therefore, the first group of believers to carry out the work were all equipped with weapons.

Lanta and Chad turned and left.

Half a day later, a Dragonblood Eagle Knights blasted the city gates apart.

Lanta stomped the garrison commander's head into the mud: "Sigh, I wanted to give you face, but it seems you don't want it."

Lanta knew, of course, that the garrison commander was simply following orders, but Lanta couldn't very well humiliate his superior, could he? That would be too disrespectful to the other countries.

So we had no choice but to reluctantly let this commander suffer a loss.

Lanta looked at the defenders who were slowly closing in on the defensive line and coughed lightly: "I am Lanta, a missionary under His Majesty Rand. This is Chad, a missionary from the Torch Church under His Majesty Rand. You must have all heard of the Torch Church and the Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health. We are not your enemies."

"His Majesty Rand sent us here to assist you in your defense, but your commander is not very cooperative. However, don't worry, orders from higher up will be issued soon, and your commander will not blame you."

Lanta quickly persuaded the soldiers, and of course, the most important reason for not tying them up was the Dragonblood Eagle Knights behind Lanta.

Once the soldiers had a barely plausible reason, Ranta and Chad got to work.

Their mission was to boost the morale of these soldiers, but of course they wouldn't say that they were there to raise everyone's spirits as soon as they met.

This will only arouse vigilance or resentment, and the effect will be very poor.

So Ranta and Chad decided to start by treating the wounded, improving their diet, and telling them some short stories.

They were all seasoned missionaries, and they knew exactly how to build rapport with strangers.

Ranta observed the defensive line.

This is the second line of defense, relatively close to the Skaven City, and is therefore safe. In case of crisis, His Majesty King Berlan, who is currently stationed in the Skaven City, can arrive quickly.

However, the occasional wandering spirits at night still tormented the soldiers here to the point of mental exhaustion.

Moreover, judging from the filth on the city walls, it must have been attacked by a small group of undead, resulting in some casualties.

Hmm... there really is a smell of herbs and blood in the air.

Lanta and Chad took some herbs to the wounded soldiers' camp.

Lanta approached a soldier who appeared to have a broken leg and was gnawing on a dry loaf of bread.

Chad gave Lanta a wink and then left, as he needed to investigate some other matters first.

The soldier looked at Lanta with a bewildered expression.

"Hello, I'm Ranta, or as you might say, a missionary," Ranta said.

“I am Guli.” Although the soldier was somewhat wary, he did not refuse Ranta’s attempt to strike up a conversation.

In the eyes of ordinary soldiers, although missionaries are mostly arrogant, have many rules, and may even be greedy, they are still good at fighting evil, and at this time they are definitely one of their own.

Lanta examined Guli's short legs. Bloodstains seeped through his tattered, dirty trousers, and there were some bulges inside, probably from herbs stuffed inside.

“I know a little about treatment methods, let me help you?” Lanta waved the splint and gauze in his hand.

“Ah? Ah—no, no need,” the soldier replied.

Lanta wasn't surprised. She put the plank and gauze into the bag she had brought: "Are you a soldier from nearby?"

Seeing that Ranta didn't insist on treating him, the soldier relaxed a bit: "No, I come from far south and came here with the main force."

"What do you think of the undead? Are they easy to deal with?"

The soldier's pupils contracted, as if recalling a scene from a previous encounter with the undead, which made his already chapped lips even drier: "Them, us, can we really defeat the undead?"

(End of this chapter)