Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 382 The Majestic and Magnificent Fantasy Army and the Immediate Launch of the Offensive
Seeing Hilde walk over with a serious expression through the guards surrounding her, Su Li knew that something important was likely happening.

So he stopped his tour of Flashspear City with Speaker Ron and looked at Hilde, asking, "What happened?"

A sharp glint flashed in Hilde's heroic eyes as she replied with a fierce fighting spirit, "My lord, Marshal Orstein has sent word from the front lines that just two hours ago, Blue Mirror Territory officially deployed heavy troops to seal off the border, and all passing caravans are being subject to tariffs of over 150%!"

Su Li snorted heavily. The territory had been preparing for war since last winter for this moment!

He gripped his sword tightly, head held high, chest puffed out, his fighting spirit awe-inspiring. He clenched his fist heavily and proclaimed in a triumphant voice: "Our army is righteous and vigorous! Those who dare to defy us, no matter how strong, will be slain! Order the entire army to assemble immediately and crush this baron in one fell swoop!"

"war!"

"war!"

"war!"

As Su Li raised his arm and shouted, the Black Forest Guard knights and high-ranking personal attendants around him were all filled with high spirits and roared fiercely, raising their weapons and shouting.

The people of the empire have never been afraid of the battlefield, and true knights have always been happy to go into battle to kill enemies and win glory!

Moreover, this battle is of extraordinary significance to the territory. If they can defeat Baron Grant's domain and annex it directly, it will undoubtedly mean that the Hessian territory possesses the strength of a baron. No one can question that.

By the end of the year, the Empire's assessment will be successfully passed, and the lord will receive the official title of Baron. With this title, he can rightfully bestow the title of Kingdom Knight upon other knights!
This is the most important reason why countless knights followed Su Li to the Black Forest Territory and fought loyally and bloodily.

They all hoped to follow Su Li and obtain a prestigious noble title!

In this battle, Su Li's prestige soared to its zenith.

With the might of a tiger, he pointed at the map, and thousands of the most elite and valiant warriors and troops immediately set off from all directions to fight a bloody battle for him.

Less than two hours after he announced the order, the troops stationed around the city of Flashspear began to march out of their camps and assemble on the plain in front of the city.

As the strength of the Black Forest Territory increased, Su Li's army became increasingly fantastical.

Here, the first to set out were undoubtedly the griffin riders in the sky. Four knights, their bodies gleaming with golden light, appeared in the air riding tiger-striped griffins. The griffins flapped their huge wings and flew through the huge spires and fortresses of Flashspear City with a noble and elegant posture. They flew out of the towering towers, holding high the vermilion banner of the Black Forest Territory. The majestic banners fluttered in the sunlight.

Their armor and banners, bathed in the golden light of the blazing sun, seemed to illuminate the sun and moon.

The eagles circled in the sky, their gazes passing over the flying griffin riders and their raised banners, and they were struck by the sight of a large and well-disciplined elite army below.

A group of half-griffin riders, led by two chosen knights, walked at the head of the procession. So many monster riders, galloping forward, would be a formidable and terrifying force wherever they went.

Behind the galloping half-griffins were hundreds of Black Forest Royal Guard knights and high-ranking personal knights, their golden lances held high, banners fluttering, and armor gleaming.

They were all clad in vibranium rune armor and star armor, and when they charged on horseback, even the dwarven cannons could not slow down their surging momentum.

Behind them was a massive army of ogres, carrying clubs and machetes on their shoulders, their potbellies bulging as they strode forward, their height not much less than that of the knights riding tall horses in front of them.

The powerful cannibalistic mage carries a fiery red molten staff on his shoulder. This is the most representative piece of equipment of the fire stomach mage. It is not only a staff, but also a heavy melee weapon. The staff head is usually inlaid or filled with scorching magma, burning embers, or even some kind of bound fire elemental core, which makes the entire staff head radiate high temperature and dark red light at all times.

Behind these behemoths is a massive legion of halfling machines, including combat ram chariots and halfling harvesters. Although they are usually used for production, they can also harvest heads on the battlefield.

Behind the halfling machines was the most powerful artillery force in the Black Forest Territory, including 4 cauldron cannons, 18 mortars, and 2 cannons.

If the knights of Blue Mirror Territory were to engage in a decisive battle with the main force of Black Forest Territory on the plains, these massive artillery units would inflict heavy losses on them.

Behind the artillery units were rows of fully equipped dwarven legions, including dwarven thunder musketeers, dwarven rangers, dwarven butchers, and dwarven mountain shield formations.

The entire legion, from powerful monster cavalry to towering ogres, heavy war machines, and massive human knights, halfling legions, and dwarf legions, vividly showcases the fantastical elements.

What was even more inspiring and uplifting was that all the legions were well-trained, clad in fine armor, with impeccable military bearing and fluttering banners.

Just as this legion was marching forward with thunderous steps and high spirits, a huge and majestic dragon roar suddenly rang out from behind the army formation, followed by an overwhelming pressure that rose up from the city like a blazing sun!

The next moment, a huge figure suddenly swept across the sky above the city, its outstretched wings blotting out the sun, and swept over the entire army from behind with a gale.

The shadow fell over everyone's heads, and all the soldiers looked up to see the same thrilling sight.

The lord of Black Forest Territory, the invincible Sun Goddess, the Rising Star, the Radiant Sun, the Iron Father, the Bauhinia Knight, Su Li, rode a colossal dragon over 50 meters long and with a wingspan of over 70 meters, soaring over the entire army.

The low-flying aerial cavalry always greatly boosted the morale of the army, let alone the most powerful dragoons in the world!

As Su Li rode the giant dragon through the sky, the entire army looked up at the majestic and noble figure in the sky, cheering wildly, their morale soaring instantly.

The army of Hessen was already in high spirits, and with Su Li's encouragement, their morale was even higher. The entire army was overjoyed at the prospect of battle, and in just three days, the army swiftly marched to the front-line camp where Marshal Erstein was stationed.

By this time, Marshal Erstein had already engaged in several battles with Baron Grant's army in the Coldwind Valley, with the two sides fighting three battles involving only a few hundred men each.

The fighting prowess of the knights of the Church of the Sun Goddess is beyond doubt, but the knights of the Church of Mannan also displayed astonishing resilience. They were not directly defeated; on the contrary, they launched several counterattacks, attempting to use their numerical advantage to compress the Black Forest army's operational range and attack the Black Forest army's camps.

The fiercest battle took place last night when the Black Lynx Knights launched a surprise attack on a military camp southwest of the Black Forest Territory's main camp. This camp was located on a low hill in the Cold Wind Valley and was an important defensive stronghold on the outskirts of Marshal Erstein's main camp. It was not only one of the high points of the main camp but also an outpost responsible for reconnaissance on the front line to prevent a full-scale surprise attack from the Blue Mirror Territory.

Therefore, for the Blue Mirror Territory's army to launch a large-scale offensive, it was essential to first capture this forward camp. The Black Lynx Knights dispatched more than 200 knights and more than 300 armed squires to besiege this camp, which had only 30 dwarves and more than 60 armed squires.

The two sides fought fiercely from nightfall until dawn. Corpses rolled down the mountainside, and blood splattered all over the mountain road. The pile of corpses in front of the camp gate was more than 3 meters high.

In the end, the Blacksene territory held its line at the cost of almost all of its armed squires being killed and the dwarves suffering more than half their losses, until Marshal Orstein's reinforcements broke through the enemy's outer defenses and arrived safely.

Seeing that all three lines of defense had been breached and the camp on the mountain was still unconquered, the enemy had no choice but to abandon more than 300 corpses and retreat back to Stromgarde.

When Su Li arrived, Marshal Erstein had not slept for more than 30 hours. After taking stock of the losses with bloodshot eyes, he waited in front of the camp gate.

Upon seeing Su Li arrive with a large contingent of half-griffin knights, he took a deep breath and bowed to Su Li: "Greetings, Lord. May the goddess's radiance forever illuminate your sword. With your arrival leading the army, my burden has been greatly reduced."

Su Li jumped off the dragon's body, and then Eliria transformed into the form of that aloof queen, following behind him. A large number of powerful chosen knights and champion knights escorted them into the camp.

Su Li led these powerful reinforcements to Marshal Orstein, patted his strong arm with a smile, and said, "Long time no see, my Marshal. Your lion-like demeanor remains as magnificent as ever. I heard you won another great victory. You gave those arrogant Mannan knights a good kick in the ass with your military boots!"

Marshal Erstein calmly replied, “Yes, my lord. The Blue Mirror Territory attempted a surprise attack on our camp, but we successfully thwarted their plot. However, the situation was far from optimistic until your arrival. The enemy relied on superior numbers to win and always had the upper hand against us.”

Victory comes from numbers; this is always the right way of military strategy.

This also demonstrates Marshal Orstein's unparalleled military capabilities. Commanding only a little over 1000 infantry and cavalry, he firmly held the defensive line at Stromgarde, preventing the enemy from advancing despite their numbers being several times greater. The Blacksene army, with only a fraction of the enemy's strength, maintained a strategic offensive, while the enemy was unable to break through this stalemate. Su Li clenched his right fist heavily and declared passionately, "My Marshal, I led the army here to solve this problem for you!"

"Let's go into the camp first. The size of our army will definitely surprise you!"

Orstein immediately stepped aside, allowing Su Li to enter the camp first, then he followed Hilde into the tent. The elite Hessian Royal Guard knights immediately took over the guard duties around the tent.

As the knights and generals escorted Su Li into the tent, everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to the huge map hanging behind the commander's position. It detailed information about both sides' camps and strongholds, based on intelligence gathering.

The line of confrontation between the two sides is longer than Su Li expected. The main force is undoubtedly in the Cold Wind Canyon area, but there are also large-scale garrisons along the Frost Fang Mountains in the north and the Sand Shade Forest in the south.

Especially in the Frostfang Mountains, Marshal Erstein had strategically placed six or seven dwarf outposts. This was because the terrain of this mountain range was not as treacherous as the Grey Mountains, which humans and greenskins could easily traverse. Moreover, it contained rugged limestone peaks, deep canyons, and a complex network of caves.

The dwarves and knights of Blackwood Territory were unaware of the situation inside, or whether there were any shortcuts leading through. However, the army of Blue Mirror Territory had very likely found a way to bypass the Greenskins after clearing them out. Therefore, Marshal Orstein had no choice but to defend against all of this.

At the same time, he was actively seeking more ways to launch surprise attacks. The way of war is to engage with the enemy through orthodox means and to win through unorthodox means.

In a battle, it is impossible for a large number of troops to gather on one battlefield and remain stagnant, especially in a treacherous terrain like Jiliubao, where a single man can hold off a large enemy force.

As the attacker, the best option is to send a flanking force to attack from both flanks and open up another front.

This approach was shared by all the generals, which led to the continuous expansion of the flanks of both sides. Now, the army, which numbered less than 1, had spread out for dozens of miles.

Currently, the Blue Mirror Territory undoubtedly holds a greater strategic advantage in this regard. Their sheer size allows them to expand to the flanks while simultaneously possessing ample mobile forces to launch a concentrated attack on a single point. Last night's fierce battle perfectly illustrated this situation.

If the war continues like before, with the enemy relying on superior numbers, Marshal Erstein will eventually lose due to prolonged defense, resulting in a camp or stronghold being completely breached by the enemy before reinforcements arrive.

Fortunately, Su Li arrived with a large number of reinforcements, which will sweep away this stalemate.

Upon entering the military tent, Marshal Orstein excitedly asked, "My lord, I have been preparing a fierce counterattack for a long time, but I have been unable to do so due to insufficient troops. My lord, how many troops did you bring this time?"

Su Li sat down in the commander's seat, his back to the massive map behind him. He stood ramrod straight and replied with unwavering confidence and composure: "In this battle, the main force of our territory's army has been deployed! The professional army has expanded to more than 2800 men since the Glory Festival. In this battle, 2500 elite infantry and cavalry have been mobilized. Apart from the necessary guards of the treasury, castle, and palace, I have brought along the rest of the high-ranking squires, knights, and provincial troops."

"In addition, we mobilized four squadrons of dwarves, 900 Free People's Legion members, and nearly two squadrons of ogre bull warriors."

In addition to the free guild soldiers supported by Flashspear City, as well as the local dwarven butchers and battle pilgrimage groups who came from afar, Su Li mobilized a total of 4500 troops for this battle!
To be fair, the army of the Black Forest Territory at this point had already reached the size of a baronial territory, and in terms of strength, it far surpassed it. The Chosen Knights, Champion Knights, and even the Earls of the Black Forest Territory could not compare.

Such a large and powerful army gives the Hessen Territory a very clear military advantage.

Of course, a war between two territories cannot be decided simply by comparing whose military advantage is greater. Otherwise, the Black Forest Territory would not have been able to win the war against the Green Dragon.

If Blue Mirror Territory can effectively utilize its geographical advantages, it can also keep Black Forest Territory out of Coldwind Canyon.

The protracted war was clearly more disadvantageous to the Hessen territory.

After Su Li finished his introduction, he turned to Marshal Orstein and asked, "My Marshal, having entrusted such a large army to you, what battle plan do you have to defeat the enemy?"

As the commander of the army, Erstein was still very cautious. Upon hearing this, he replied carefully: "We are currently in the process of testing each other with Blue Mirror Territory. Before we understand the enemy's trump cards, no general dares to claim that victory is certain."

"When two large armies clash, they must begin by probing the flanks, constantly accumulating advantages for themselves, so that when they have an overwhelming advantage, they can defeat the enemy in one fell swoop."

"Therefore, although we dare not make any rash judgments on a strategic level, we have the confidence and determination to act decisively on a tactical level."

After speaking, Erstein walked to the map, pointed to the jagged lines on the map, and circled a military camp on the high ground on the north bank of the Coldwind Canyon.

"This military camp is located on the north bank of Striking Fortress, perched on a cliff in Coldwind Canyon, overlooking the entire battlefield and controlling mountain routes to prevent any army from bypassing the canyon and attacking Striking Fortress from the rear."

"Previously, the Blue Mirror Army had been deliberately leaving the gate wide open, intending to challenge us and provoke us into attacking this camp. They clearly wanted to take advantage of the Mannan Knights' abilities and their numerical superiority to set a trap, surround our attacking army, and then strike them all at once."

"I've been deploying troops and preparing a fierce counterattack right here. They wanted to trap us and surround us. We're just luring them out here to wipe out their main force in one fell swoop."

The saying goes, "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub." Marshal Erstein's tactic was to attack the camp on the cliff with a large force, thereby luring the army of Stromgarde to cross the Brienne River and attack the rear of the Hessian army.

After the enemy's main force was mobilized, the army of Hessen launched another attack from the center, coordinating with reinforcements, and engaged in a large-scale main battle with the knights of Mannan by the river valley.

This kind of fierce open-field battle is naturally more advantageous to Blackforest Territory. The Fiery Knights can use their superior combat strength to inflict heavy casualties on the enemy, thereby reducing the difficulty of the siege.

The only question is, is this canyon traversable?
Su Li asked curiously, "Isn't it said that Strikingstream Fortress is a formidable pass that can hold off ten thousand men? It controls the throat of the entire Coldwind Valley, preventing us from advancing an inch?"

“That is indeed the case with the terrain, which is why Blue Mirror Territory has a great geographical advantage,” Marshal Erstein continued. “But no matter how treacherous the pass is, it is not an insurmountable barrier. Especially here in Coldwind Canyon, it is not a steep and majestic mountain. Our dwarf ranger troops and mountain shepherd troops can cross this mountain range without taking the usual route.”

"The reason why Jiliubao is geographically important is that it controls the route for our main force and the transportation of supplies. If we can abandon logistical support and travel light, we can still cross the Cold Wind Canyon and detour to the rear of Jiliubao."

That would be a risky operation. If thousands of troops, carrying only a few days' worth of provisions, crossed the Frostwind Canyon and appeared behind Stromgarde, only to be unable to launch a surprise attack and capture the core city and heartland of Blue Mirror Territory, then those 1000-plus troops would be in grave danger. Blue Mirror Territory could use only a small force to defend Stromgarde, and then send a large army back to the rear to participate in the encirclement and annihilation of the 1000-plus Black Forest Territory troops whose logistics had collapsed.

"And this right bank military camp is the breakthrough direction we have chosen. The right side of the entire Cold Wind Canyon is a huge highland. The water above has washed down to create a five-mile-long hidden gate, which is a passage on the highland. It is only a few meters wide, just enough for one vehicle to pass through. Above this five-mile-long hidden gate is the Blue Mirror Commander's military camp."

"We plan to send mountain ram chariots and dwarven rangers to force our way through here and open a passage into the interior of Blue Mirror Territory. I believe the Stromgarde army will not stand idly by. And once they engage in battle, that will be our opportunity."

The Mountain Ram is the unit best suited for this type of terrain, as it can move freely on steep mountain walls that are almost vertical.

The existence of these fantastical units makes even the most formidable barriers seem like easy roads.

If they manage to scale the cliff above the canyon and capture the camp, regardless of whether Black Forest continues its advance and launches an offensive into Blue Mirror Territory, Black Forest will hold a significant strategic advantage in the ensuing war.

This was a strategic move of great significance, regardless of whether the attack continued or not. Even if the attack on Jiliubao was to continue, the camp had to be captured first, so that the enemy could be viewed from a high vantage point.

The rangers will then hoist the dwarven cannons up with ropes, from where they can overlook Stromgarde on the other side of the river. The garrison's every move will be under their surveillance. The cannons will only need to fire at the dense crowd, bypassing the sturdy walls and directly inflicting casualties on the personnel.

That's why Marshal Erstein planned for so long, brewing this fierce counterattack.

The strategy is theoretically sound, and if successfully implemented, it will greatly increase our advantage. Su Li had only one remaining concern, asking, "What are the risks of attacking this fortress uphill in the Brienne River valley? Could luring the enemy out of their hiding place lead to our main force being completely wiped out at the bottom of the river?"

Marshal Orstein hesitated for a moment, but his attitude was firm: "When fighting the knights of Mannan, one must always consider the immense impact of the giant waves and rivers. But I believe that Mannan does not possess the terrifying divine power to directly annihilate thousands of knights. If he truly intervened in a mortal war in this way, then the Goddess of the Sun will surely grant us protection!"

Su Li was completely convinced and stood up, saying, "Then I approve your battle plan. You should start the attack immediately. While our army is newly arrived and full of vigor, let's take this right bank camp in one fell swoop and severely damage the enemy. I will personally lead the main force of the army to support you."

(End of this chapter)