Arcane Journey

Chapter 256 War Strategy
She came in a gorgeous dress, moving lightly in lotus steps, the exquisite hollowed-out crown shone in the shadow of the sun, and her long brown-red hair was also shining with golden luster.

The breeze blew past, blowing the broken hair under her crown, and those silver-gray star eyes flickered.

When she saw him, a faint smile gradually appeared on her fair cheeks, and she raised her hands and feet, looking graceful, elegant and noble, which made Brian secretly admire.

"Brian," said the Iron Regent warmly, walking towards him with his arms outstretched in welcome.

"Madam Regent." Brian responded politely and politely, "It seems that I have arrived in time, and I will do my best to serve you."

The current situation in Cormyr is unstable. Among the aristocratic forces, there are not only the queen party represented by Prime Minister Fefaril, but also the forces that suspect Hesaiah's true identity and try to make Prince Serrant ascend the throne.

In this case, he can only deliberately keep a distance from him in public, lest the two major forces unite.

Although he gave the prime minister a blow at the very moment when he returned to Susar, and took away the custody of the little king cleanly, but this was also his way of slapping a sweet date.

Afterwards, he paid a personal visit and promised him some corresponding benefits.

In the game world, without his participation and the appearance of Hesaiah, the city of Susar was controlled by the rear party forces, and finally lost in the duel with the rebel army of Prince Serant.

"Your efforts will be beyond the reach of most people. I am so happy to see you again, and Cormyr is also very happy to have your wisdom to help. Your first-hand information on orc tactics is also very happy. It will benefit us a lot.”

She held his hand and asked, "Is there anyone else with you? Or..."

As if sensing Brian's gradually serious expression, a faint blush appeared on Sisaiah's pretty face, and she let go of her hand without a trace.

"I brought the most elite army from the north to fight in the south to help you defend the city of Suzar." Naturally, Brian noticed Hesaiah's funny expression and said without changing his face.

With the support of the female lord Myrcella, in addition to half of the combat personnel in Mokou Town, the armies of Tiffantun and Araby also came here with him, and were on standby outside the city of Suzar, where the orcs had not yet noticed.

In order to prevent the counterattack of the ghost man, he asked Myrcella to help him sit in Mokou Town.

After all, in this disaster, the north of Cormyr was the one that the enemy focused on. However, with his efforts, many powerful legends such as Haj Horner, the leader of the Dragon Cult, and even the ancient red dragon Professionals were either killed or fled with serious injuries, which allowed the North to retain most of its armed forces.

Even so, the Dangerous Rock Fortress in the Horn of the Storm Mountain Range and the Morningstar Town in the Forest of Kings were still destroyed in the flames of war. Although the orc troops have been expelled, the reconstruction work is still not on the agenda.

"I still have some new news about the orcs, which I must share with you as soon as possible." Brian looked at Hesaiah and added.

"I agree, Your Excellency Bryan is right." The dwarf leader Dagna Warfist said, "It's time to have a good talk."

"Agree." Hesaiah stared at Brian without a trace, restored the demeanor of the regent king, and said immediately:

"It would be even better if there was a time for formal ceremonies. This will help your team and warriors get acquainted with the entire city and its defenses. Lords and generals, please follow me. We still have a lot to discuss."

Not long after, under the leadership of Hisaiah, Brian and others, as well as the war lord Oglas stationed in Suzar City, the prime minister Fafaril, the royal mage Sandra Cote, etc., all gathered around a large table. The table is seated.

Ink, quill, and paper lay before him, and cups filled with clear water.

Not even the drunken dwarves wanted to drink, obviously knowing that their heads had to be clear and sane under the circumstances.

"Once again I welcome all of you," said Hesaiah before the others could speak:

"Everyone, the Mr. Brian sitting in front of you is the mage lord who defeated the orc army and the city of ghosts. He represented Duke Raul and came to provide us with insights and talents in defending the city of Suzar."

"Defense..." Kingdom Prime Minister Feifaril looked at Brian and frowned, "Why didn't the female lord of Arabey come in person, I guess she must not have chosen her position in the upcoming battle Bar?"

As soon as these words came out, the people at the meeting began to discuss and complain in low voices.

Most of the complaints were about 'why the female lord didn't come in person'.

As the second legendary wizard of the Kingdom of Cormyr, her arrival can still provide a strong deterrent.

Brian knew well that although the prime minister's rear party forces had temporarily reconciled with him, it didn't mean that he would obey his orders obediently.

After all, his son is not only the war lord of Tempus, the god of war, but also the nominal supreme commander of the Purple Dragon Knights in the entire Kingdom of Cormyr.

"Although it's not realistic for the female lord of Arabey to come here in person, I still hope that no one will discuss such a boring topic in the future." He raised a hand to signal for everyone to be quiet, with a Rarely calm, said:
"The purpose of our coming here is to defend the city. Naturally, we need to do our best to reduce the city's losses. Many of you are quite professional in killing people, and we will reflect it in the next plan." value."

He could see that the old prime minister wanted to compete with him for the supreme command of the army.

As for how to expel the orcs, he had already made detailed arrangements in his heart, and naturally he would not let the insiders destroy them at this time.

"The aid of the good camp comes from all directions, different camps, and different ethnic groups." Moglan, the paladin leader of the Armor Order, spoke for Brian.

"I don't care what you think. For me personally, whether it's my personal standpoint or my true inner thoughts, I welcome His Excellency Brian's arrival, welcome his wisdom and unique talents."

Everyone nodded, but a few seemed a little reluctant.

"During this dragon rebellion, I witnessed with my own eyes Lord Brian's mage tower, beheading the ancient red dragons that ravaged Mokou Town." The paladin said righteously:
"He also used the same method to repel Hajhorner, the Hand of the High King in the City of Shades, Severin, the leader of the Dragon Cult, and the red-robed outcast from Cyre in Araby City. No matter what you think, In the name of the gods, nearly a hundred priests of my Gauntlet Order will stand unswervingly on the side of His Excellency Brian, follow his command, and expel the orc invaders who are raging in Cormyr."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone changed their views on Brian, and even the prime minister of the kingdom, Fefaril, and his son, Oglas, the war lord of Tempus, also showed surprise.

In fact, Brian, who was the focus of his attention, didn't even think that he had a group of paladin fans from the Armor Order.

Nearly a hundred clergymen, including Lathander the Lord of Dawn, Irmat the God of Suffering, and Tom, the God of Truth, probably belong to the entire Kingdom of Cormyr.

Despite their differences, Bryan respects all good-aligned clergy, especially lawful good.

Because their purpose as priests is to pursue goodness, protect justice and eliminate evil.

The unexpected appearance of this upright paladin can be said to be a great favor to him, so he doesn't have to waste his time talking and convince others of himself.

"As the regent princess of Cormyr, I am really relieved that everyone can realize that we have a common enemy." Under the surprised eyes of everyone, Hesaiah smoothed things over with his kind smile, "So many people who know the truth of war The faces of Tao are gathered here. I am deeply grateful for the presence of each of you."

Brian secretly gave Hesaiah an appreciative look, but he didn't expect that he had grown to the point where he would impress him after only a few days away.

Obviously, at this point, the royal mage Sandra Cotter standing behind Hesaiah, a legendary wizard who is loyal to the royal power, has contributed a lot.

He leaned forward and said to the crowd, "Before we start discussing strategies and plans, Lady Regent, I need to tell you what I saw on my way back to the city."

"Is it something about the orc army?" Hesaiah asked worriedly.

"They were still launching a small-scale attack on Suzar a few days ago." Warlord Oglas frowned slightly. "Now they are hiding in the King's Forest. It seems that they have no plans to attack in an all-round way. It's a pity that we The scouts can't detect any information at all."

"However, we are all ready. As long as they have the slightest plan to attack the city, we will return the most violent counterattack." He added: "It's just that this group of orcs seem to be very calm, hiding at the edge of the King's Forest , as if watching the scenery, motionless."

The head of the Dwarf Legion, Barend Crackstone, roared in a low voice: "It is still not possible to kill the orcs happily. I personally express my regret for this."

"Our purpose is to end the war." Warlord Orglas said again, "But the strange thing is that they surrounded the city of Suzal, and they were fully armed, just...waiting."

Farrell, the supreme commander from the east of the kingdom, cleared his throat, "Can I say something, Regent, have you ever thought that this might be a trick? Perhaps the 'Great Sage' of the orcs wants you to believe His target was Suzar, but it was actually somewhere else?"

"But in my opinion, there is no other suitable target for attack." The dwarf leader Dagna Warfist laughed:
"Wars cost money, and there is no reason to gather all the tribesmen to stay there. It does seem a bit stupid. I have to admit that under the leadership of the 'Great Sage', the orc tribes in the Stormhorn Mountains are The most powerful in nearly 200 years, but not strong enough to swallow the entire kingdom of Cormyr."

The Mountain Dwarves of the Shield Clan used to be the aborigines of the Stormhorn Mountains and the first line of defense of the Kingdom of Cormyr against the orc tribes.

But 200 years ago, due to the inability to resist the invasion of the orcs, all the territory was occupied, and finally with the help of the human army, they moved to Thunder Peak in the east of the kingdom.

Now it has grown to a scale of tens of thousands of people, and it is one of the main sources of weapons production in the kingdom.

As one of the parties involved 200 years ago, it can be seen that he can be called the most powerful.

"We thought so too." Moon Elf Ranger Besrina said, "But we really couldn't find any evidence that the orc tribes planned to make a fuss."

"I'm pretty sure their goal is the city of Suzal." Brian thought about it carefully, and said to the crowd, "This is the information my scouts took from the Forest of Kings after taking a lot of risks."

"In that case." Paladin Morange nodded, "We should trust this brave scout and be fully prepared to prevent the orc army from attacking the city."

"Your Excellency Brian." Moon Elf Ranger Besrina leaned forward and said:

"On the way here, we have talked about many details about the orcs, but neither the regent nor you have. Now you can explain all the information to everyone in detail, and then we can start to formulate strategies."

The ranger commander showed a gentle smile at Brian, but Brian, who knew the other party's details, knew very well that this was not a kind smile.

Bethrena Arrow is a true stalker, and her ranger's old enemies are orcs.

In Brian's impression, after Cormyr died in name only, the other party not only represented the moon elves of the Hurek Forest, became the most staunch supporter of the female lord, but also a ranger with potential in the legendary field.

It was clear that she was ready to hunt orcs.

"Led by their spiritual leader 'Great Sage', the orcs came out in force." Brian returned to the original topic and told everyone the detailed information he had.

"Their orc army united by the eight major clans is at least [-], which does not include many large ogres, hill giants, and trolls in the Sunset Mountains who chose to join the orcs after being expelled from the Dragon Cult. tribe."

In fact, when Brian got the news, he was too shocked to sit still.

Obviously, this has completely shifted the timeline in the game world.

Even the orc great sage, who hid in the depths of the mountains to recharge his batteries and didn't appear until five years later, couldn't stand his loneliness at this time, and chose to launch a full-scale invasion of the Kingdom of Cormyr.

Hearing the news about Brian, most people gasped in disbelief.

This is understandable. After all, when the Purple Dragon ravaged Cormyr, the towns around Suzar City were almost destroyed, and the Purple Dragon Knights and Battle Mage Corps also suffered heavy casualties.

With the current defense force of Suzar City, at most 6000 regular troops and purple dragon knights can be gathered. Among the reinforcements brought by the battleships, there are about 1500 dwarf warriors and about 700 elf rangers. The defenders of Sambia also came to support 1000 purple dragon knights and 3000 regular troops.

All add up to only about 12000 people.

And because Bryan still needs to guard against the City of Shadows, and he has experienced another big battle, the number of troops he brought is actually not much different from the army in the East.

Even so, the army did not exceed the number of orcs, and this did not include other large humanoid tribes who joined them.

Just from a simple data comparison, it can be seen that the orcs put pressure on everyone.

"Prince Serrant's army didn't come over." The royal mage Sandra Cote grasped the point of the problem, "If I expected it, the army, the second fleet, and the second fleet stationed in Mashanbai and Twilight City The Fourth Fleet and the Fifth Fleet can gather at least tens of thousands of people."

After the royal mage finished speaking, he looked at Prime Minister Fei Farel with slightly cloudy eyes.

"I sent him at least 10 messages of support." Fefaril frowned slightly: "But Prince Celant claimed that the pirates from the Weihong Sea area and Ximen's revenge fleet have gathered at the port of the Dragon Coast. He didn't dare to act rashly."

"What's so scary, without his army, we can still kill orcs." The dwarf legion leader said nonchalantly, "In my opinion, with the thickness of Suzar's city wall, [-] orcs are simply not enough to see."

"This is too passive." Warlord Oglas said, "If we get the assistance of Prince Serant, we will at least have a comprehensive counterattack and drive the orcs back to the capital of the Stormhorn Mountain Range."

"Obviously." Farrell, the supreme commander of the Eastern Army, said:

"The threat of the Dragon Coast cannot be underestimated. If these pirates land on the territory of Cormyr, the disaster will not be much less than that of the orcs."

Regarding their discussion, Brian knew that Prince Serant had already rebelled.

There are indeed a lot of pirates from the Vihon sea area, and they are indeed acting as if they are threatening Cormyr's territory, but these pirates are actually Prince Serant's mercenaries.

In order not to support Suzar City, he deliberately showed it to the people here.

Once the situation reached a stalemate, he would lead the pirate army to take down Mashanbai and take advantage of the situation to attack Suzar.

Therefore, in this case, not only could he not disclose the news of Prince Serrant's rebellion, so as not to arouse the other party's vigilance, but he also had to end the battle with the orcs as soon as possible and take precautions in advance.

"Lord Farrell is right." Brian said to the crowd, "Prince Serant has his reasons for doing so, we can't take it into account because of this, the most important thing for us now is how to expel Orc."

"Your Excellency Brian must have already thought of a countermeasure against the orcs." The Ranger Commander said, "Then don't waste time, tell us as soon as possible."

"That's right, what strategy is there? We'll just listen to you." The dwarf leader said, "As the elf said, any orc who dares to attack the city wall will have to burp."

"The elves don't use such vulgar words, Lord Warfist." The moon elf ranger corrected the dwarf gently.

"Anyway, it means the same thing." The dwarf replied.

"My countermeasure is very simple." Brian said bluntly: "That is to give up defense and launch a full-scale attack on the orcs."

Before everyone could refute, he continued, "According to the reliable information I got, the orc army has already prepared for a protracted war, and even started to build a military fortress in the King's Forest. If this continues to delay, the consequences will be disastrous."

Brian's words silenced most people.

Because of this news, they completely lost the idea of ​​fighting a protracted war.

If the orcs were really allowed to build the military fortress, it would mean that they had gained a firm foothold in the territory of the Kingdom of Cormyr.

Moreover, they were backed by the King's Forest. The area of ​​this primeval forest was second only to the Hulek Forest. Even if the battle was unfavorable, they could still hide in the dense forest for refuge.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Brian and Hesaiah looked at each other, nodded secretly, and continued:
"Now that the Third Fleet has returned, before the war begins, I hope to transfer all the children and accompanying family members, as well as civilians who cannot participate in the war, to Masamba."

"War is cruel. I can't guarantee it. This is a battle of justice over evil. We must be prepared to fail and have dire consequences."

What he said was from the bottom of his heart. His purpose of doing this was indeed that even he himself was not sure that he would be able to defeat the orc invaders outside the city.

Orc Sage is a mid-legendary war shaman who also has an ancient green dragon as an ally.

The most important thing is that the price he paid for his wizard tower to reach such a long distance is too expensive, and it is impossible to fight for a long time.

In order to guard against the City of Shades, Myrcella must sit in his wizard tower.

Although the royal mage Sandra Cote is also a mid-level legendary wizard, but in the battle of the dragon and the evil spirit of disaster, the Felin Mokui hidden in Suzar found an opportunity to kill him. Severe injuries, soul and spiritual damage, have not yet recovered.

The wizard's tower was also damaged by Felin's magic sunflower, and it has not been able to resume normal operation so far.

Now Brian, the only thing he can do is to do his best.

In his opinion, this battle to defend the city of Suzal can be called a last stand.

"It is true that children should never be involved in war," said the paladin Moranger. "It is also the right choice to send them to a safe place."

"The younger generation is too precious to take risks." Ranger Commander Besrina tapped her slender fingers on the table and added softly, "And... civilians will only get in the way of war."

"Although these words are a bit cruel, they are indeed true." Hesaiah said slowly:
"War requires all those who participate in it to go all out, and must not be distracted by worrying about whether the children will be injured or not. Whether it is out of moral or strategic considerations, it is necessary and wise to move the children out .”

"What about the little king?" Prime Minister Fafaril looked at Hesaiah.

"The little king is no exception." Brian replied calmly, "I will send the best guards to let him reach the safe area."

This is what he discussed with Myrcella in advance. If the battle is unfavorable, he will give up the city of Susar and the entire south of Cormyr, and let Hesaiah take the little king to the city of Araby.

The purpose of transferring the children and civilians of Susar is also to protect their safety, so that they will not be massacred after the city is broken, and at the same time ensure the population.

After all, with the protection of two wizard towers, the northern border of the Kingdom of Cormyr is enough to deal with most disasters, and there is no need to worry about the rebellion from Prince Celant.

In this case, as long as his strength grows, he can drive the floating city to recover all the lost territories in the south of the kingdom.

After all, he is really not sure that he will definitely win this war.

There was a sudden silence, the wind howled, and the sash rattled on the castle walls.

"That's it." After a long silence, Warlord Auglas broke the silence first, "I agree with this proposal."

Then, he looked at Brian, "I also agree with His Excellency Brian's command of the army, fully cooperate with his actions, and counterattack the besieging orcs, but we cannot make mistakes, and we cannot afford the consequences of making mistakes, so the premise of all this is that you The strategy can convince me."

"I will try my best to convince you." Brian met the resolute eyes of the war lord of Tempus, the god of war, and said seriously.

…………

(End of this chapter)