Chapter 515: Chapter 249: The Unhurried Lord Robson

"As you command!"

The attendant acknowledged the order and immediately departed.

King Monroe descended from the watchtower to take command of his army, his heart stirring with excitement.

This was the Gray Dwarves’ first charge at the throne of the Beastman Empire. Whether they would be pioneers forging a new kingdom or merely cannon fodder, everything depended on this moment.

...

The Gray Dwarves’ Griffin Cavalry departed swiftly.

By this time, Robson had been leading his army on the march for two days.

Spurred on by the allure of military merit, the entire army demonstrated astonishing speed and organization.

Morale spread through the ranks, growing higher with each passing day.

They covered 150 li on the first day and 190 on the second.

Even Robson was shocked by their pace. ’If they keep rushing ahead at this speed,’ he thought, ’what combat strength will they have left when they reach the battlefield?’

These were Infantry; they were essentially running all day. Even Tier Six Soldiers couldn’t withstand such a grueling pace.

Therefore, Robson personally intervened to slow the army’s pace, forcing everyone to advance more slowly.

That night, the Soldiers were forced to rest.

And why was the rest forced?

The three-day deadline was fast approaching, and with a long way still to go, many Soldiers were clamoring to continue the march through the night.

How could Robson dare push his Soldiers so hard? Using a combination of persuasion and threats, he finally managed to settle the men down.

Robson and Valentino sat facing each other by a campfire.

Robson spread a map out, a pencil in hand, and began to sketch and make notes on it.

He had made the pencil himself. During a period of downtime while developing the Affleck Domain, he had tinkered and created all sorts of little gadgets.

The map showed the army’s current route of march.

Valentino, for her part, paid it no mind. It wasn’t as if she could offer any meaningful suggestions anyway, and she seemed lost in her own thoughts.

"If only we had enough Magic Energy Carriages,"

Robson sighed.

Robson was still unaware that Beast Emperor Kemal had already engaged the Gray Dwarves in battle; the Gray Dwarves hadn’t informed him of this development.

He still assumed the Beast Emperor’s escape route would be through a pass near the Bronze Fields, from where he would retreat into the heartland of the Royalist Faction.

According to his plan, Robson was confident he could intercept the enemy, but it was hardly a sure thing. With enough Magic Energy Carriages to transport his Soldiers, however, it would be a certainty.

Unfortunately, nearly all the Magic Energy Carriages had been requisitioned by the logistics department.

Hearing this, Valentino nodded from the side.

"These carriages are certainly versatile. When we establish a trading company in the future, we could perhaps make use of them," Valentino said.

Establish a trading company.

Robson paused for a moment. ’If I can break away from the Southern Faction in the future, I’ll definitely have to establish a trading company of my own.’

It was an unwritten rule in the kingdom: a true faction had to wield both political and economic power.

Of the four major trading houses within the Human Kingdom, the most famous was naturally the one belonging to the Guterres Family, followed by Marquis George’s. The other two were run by the royal family.

"That’s all too far in the future. For now, let’s focus on how to stop Kemal," Robson said.

Robson was certain that no single person had ever been as important to him as Beast Emperor Kemal.

Capturing Kemal would mean getting the map to the inner world from the Gray Dwarves, connecting the Human Kingdom with the Dwarf Kingdom. Within his own kingdom, his reputation—Lord Robson’s—would soar.

Then, his trading company could be established practically overnight, relying on the Ancient Trade Route to the Dwarf Kingdom.

Just by reselling Dwarven goods, he, Lord Robson, could make a fortune.

Valentino raised an eyebrow, continuing to dream of her commercial empire.

Just then, the cry of a griffin suddenly echoed from the sky.

"Oh?"

Robson looked up at the sky.

A griffin of the Gray Dwarves Race was visible in the sky.

Although the army was resting, there were still sentries on night watch.

The Gray Dwarves’ griffins had come more than once, so the Soldiers were used to the sight.

Before long, Ais came rushing over, carrying a letter.

"My lord! My lord! This is terrible!"

Sweat beaded on Ais’s brow.

’Terrible?’

Robson looked at Ais.

"What is it?"

Ais handed over the letter. Whether it was to emphasize the urgency of the battle or for some other reason, the envelope was covered in blood.

Robson took it.

"The Gray Dwarf who delivered this just told me that the Beastmen have reached the battlefield. They have already engaged the Beastman Army.

Resistance is proving difficult, and the Gray Dwarves’ King Monroe wants us to hurry and send our troops," Ais said.

Robson had not concealed the details of the battlefield situation from Ais.

For one, Robson had promoted Ais himself. He was one of his own, someone he could trust completely without worrying about spies or the like.

For another, it was also a way to develop Ais’s abilities.

Ais possessed a talent for both command and logistics—he was a natural-born commander, perfectly suited for the battlefield.

After all, Robson still had far too few talented subordinates he could rely on—there was only Baron Bo Yang.

Robson frowned and looked at the letter.

After reading the entire letter, Robson not only showed no sign of alarm, but a faint smile even touched his lips.

"My lord? Should we force a march to aid them?" Ais asked.

Robson looked at Ais. ’He really is still too young.’

"How is this terrible news? This is clearly a stroke of incredible luck for me!" Robson laughed.

Ais was confused.

’Ais is only thinking about the immediate situation on the battlefield, the mark of a second-rate commander.’

The Gray Dwarves might not have told Robson that the Beastman Army was marching toward them before.

However, after reading this letter, Robson had pieced together a rough idea of the Beastman Army’s line of march.

"Now that the Beastmen and Gray Dwarves are engaged, the Beastman Army definitely can’t get away," Robson said with a smile.

"Huh?" Ais asked, puzzled.

"But what if the Beastman Army breaks through their camp? Can we hold off the entire Beastman Army by ourselves?"

"We’re currently about two days’ march from the battlefield.

If the Beastmen can wipe out the Gray Dwarves in two days, then our arrival would be pointless anyway," Robson said, shaking his head.

"And the Gray Dwarves won’t let the Beast Emperor go. He is their mortal enemy.

They have no choice but to wear each other down," Valentino added with a nod from the side.

Robson nodded.

King Monroe probably never imagined it.

His letter requesting aid had, contrary to his intentions, given Robson other ideas.

Robson thought for a moment but still felt it wasn’t a sure bet.

’To achieve great things, one cannot place all hope in others.’

Then, Robson pointed to a spot on the map. It would add a little more distance to their journey.

"Starting today, we head for this location.

If the Gray Dwarf Race truly retreats, or is defeated, we can still intercept the Beast Emperor from here.

And if the Beastmen and Gray Dwarves are locked in a bitter struggle, we can simply watch from the sidelines," Robson said.

The only drawback to this plan was that it went slightly against the spirit of chivalry.

But discussing the spirit of chivalry with a band of Gray Dwarves? He, Lord Robson, was not that naive.

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