Chapter 532: Chapter 3: Loyal Allies

King Monroe was distraught, leading his great army in an urgent rush back to his camp.

When they had charged out, there were nearly ten thousand soldiers. Upon their return, just over seven thousand remained, and a steady stream of troops was still straggling in from behind.

The losses might not have sounded severe, but only King Monroe knew just how devastating they truly were!

King Monroe had taken his most elite legion to engage Kemal.

Those who had fallen were almost all from this elite force of Warriors.

Furthermore, many of them were members of King Monroe’s Personal Guard. With such heavy losses among them, it was inevitable that King Monroe’s prestige would take a blow.

’Sigh...’

’In any case, Kemal is dead. That’s a good thing, at least.’

’But now, I have to get out of here fast. Who knows what nasty ideas those Human Knights are cooking up.’

’I’m certain that Robson has noticed something is amiss! He was just looking for an opportunity to get rid of the Gray Dwarves as well.’

"My King! My King!"

King Monroe was lost in thought.

Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence of the Gray Dwarf army.

King Monroe looked up to see a Gray Dwarf noble rushing toward him.

The noble’s name was Cross, the one Monroe had left to guard the camp. Right now, Cross was covered in a black liquid, as well as the distinctive dark red blood of the Gray Dwarves.

’What’s going on?’

’That black liquid... why does it look so much like the blood of the Dark Giant tribe?’

An ominous premonition welled up in King Monroe’s heart.

"My King! It’s terrible!"

"What is it?" King Monroe was in a foul mood.

"The camp was ambushed! It was those Dark Giants! They’ve betrayed us!"

"Betrayed us? Why?" King Monroe couldn’t understand.

’We’re all in the same boat. The Purple-blooded Beastmen haven’t even fallen yet.’

Cross glanced around, seeming to hesitate.

"Speak!" King Monroe demanded anxiously.

"They... they’re saying we killed the Beast Emperor... that you are the Monarch Slayer. They’re saying that now this isn’t just about purging traitors—that the plan was never to assassinate the Emperor," Cross said.

’Because I killed the Beast Emperor?’

Hearing this, Monroe’s eyes widened.

’Excellent. Just excellent.’

’In truth, I could argue that I killed a Pseudo-Emperor, that the true Emperor is still being held captive by traitors to the Empire.’

’But for that to work, there’s one condition: the Dark Giants can’t be singing a different tune.’

’Everyone knows the Dark Giants were the second-in-command of this campaign to "cleanse the Emperor’s court." Now the second-in-command is claiming the man in charge killed the Emperor himself. The mission to "cleanse the court" has turned into a mission to "cleanse the king."’

’But why!’

King Monroe couldn’t figure it out. ’Aren’t we supposed to be in the same boat? Once the Dark Giants get this reputation, how can they continue the rebellion? If they keep rebelling, it’ll become a true rebellion... No, wait, it already was a true rebellion.’

"My King, what do we do now?"

Hearing this news, the Gray Dwarf nobles’ hearts filled with despair.

No one was a fool; they all understood the implications.

Some were already imagining a future where they would once again be forced to live as wanderers.

Before King Monroe could react, the sound of hooves came from their rear.

"Robson!"

Sensing the commotion, King Monroe’s eyes grew wider than saucers.

’Is he going to wipe the slate clean? Annihilate us completely?’

’Damn it, damn it all.’

’Pursuers at our back, enemies blocking our front...’

As King Monroe pondered this, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

"My King? My King?"

"Enough!" King Monroe snapped. "What’s the big deal?"

"The one we executed was the Pseudo-Emperor! The Dark Giant tribe has now betrayed the Empire!" King Monroe declared.

’I must own this narrative. I absolutely cannot back down.’

’Even if no one else believes it, I have to believe it myself.’

"Our preparations to corner the Pseudo-Emperor this time were insufficient; we did not fully mobilize the strength of our people..." King Monroe said, consoling his men.

"The disaster with the Dark Giants is my fault."

"Pass down my orders: the entire army is to return to Iron Dome Castle immediately. We will rest and regroup, then set out again," King Monroe commanded.

"But... what about the goods in the camp?"

"Goods?" Monroe chuckled.

"Just consider them a gift to my two ’dear’ allies."

...

"Hurry! Move it!"

"Grab everything valuable and let’s go. We’re retreating."

In the Gray Dwarf camp, Dark Giants were looting everything in sight.

A Dark Giant came to Floyd’s side.

"What’s the word? How far away are the Gray Dwarves?" Floyd asked.

"Chieftain, the Gray Dwarves have retreated," the Dark Giant messenger reported.

"Retreated?" Floyd frowned.

The same question that had just been troubling King Monroe now plagued Floyd.

’Why?’

King Monroe’s army was far stronger than the forces the Dark Giants had brought.

Floyd had attacked the Gray Dwarves primarily to secure a legitimate pretext for his future actions.

From King Monroe’s perspective, this rebellion was meant to be a decisive blow that would directly overthrow the Purple-blooded Beastmen.

Floyd, however, didn’t see it that way. He was more interested in making a profit and had never intended to take things to the extreme.

With this in mind, Floyd didn’t dare continue looting.

"Pass the order: gather the troops at once! Prepare to..."

"Chieftain! Chieftain! It’s terrible!"

Before Floyd could finish his sentence, a Dark Giant on a Warg Mount galloped up to him.

"Chieftain, a group of humans is charging toward us."

"Humans?" Floyd was confused.

The trembling of the ground grew more distinct. It had actually been present for a moment, but Floyd had dismissed it, thinking it was the Gray Dwarves.

"Chieftain! The humans are charging!"

...

"For the Lord of Dawn!"

Led by several legendary commanders of Knight Orders, thousands of Extraordinary Knights thundered across the plains—a magnificent sight to behold.

From the Gray Dwarf camp, Floyd stared in shock at the scene.

’I remember the Gray Dwarves saying the humans were their allies, weren’t they?’

’Are the humans avenging the Gray Dwarves? I have the sinking feeling that he’d been played by Monroe.’

’He had played Monroe, but all Monroe lost were some supplies before making a clean getaway.’

’But the trap Monroe had laid for him... this one could actually be fatal!’

"Chieftain? Chieftain!"

Seeing the unfolding scene, Floyd immediately decided to save his own skin, abandoning his army and fleeing all by himself!

’Are you kidding? What was there to do in this situation but run? Fight them head-on?’

’Given the caliber of those Knights, he wouldn’t dare to face them even if he had the guts of a hundred men.’

"Charge!"

"For the Lord of Dawn!"

The Knight Lords charged into the camp.

Robson scanned the forces in the camp. ’Where are the Gray Dwarves? Why are there only Dark Giants here?’

Vaguely, Robson began to understand.

But understanding didn’t change anything.

Wiping out the Gray Dwarves was supposed to be a simple matter of convenience. According to Prince Noah, it was to ensure their own retreat path would be unobstructed.

Now that the Gray Dwarves had retreated on their own, he had no authority to command this group of the Human Race’s finest lords to give chase.

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