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Chapter 20: The Persuader
Breyson sat down heavily, glancing at Brandon, convinced the guy was lying. Back in Ankerze, they served in the militia at the same time, and though they hadn't crossed paths during the Braggs period, Breyson had a rough idea of his backgrounds.
Being the son of a miller, even if his grandfather was a knight of the November War and his mother had a hint of noble blood, what extraordinary experiences could he have had? Later, he transferred to the Guard Unit, but Brandon was supposed to follow in his father's footsteps. It was baffling how he wound up spending a whole year in Buchi instead.
One whole year couldn't have possibly broadened his horizons much. However, if he wanted to spew a lie, he'd better think long and hard about whether he could fool Marden. Breyson glanced sideways at his commander. Although their commander had a terrible temper and was stubborn, he was astute. Ordinary lies would easily be seen through by him.
After all, soldiers who had experienced the November War from start to finish and survived were not simple folks.
Once Breyson had settled down, another young member of the Guard Unit, sensing the awkward atmosphere, picked up where Breyson left off. He detailed the events from daytime until the afternoon encounter, with occasional nods of agreement or interjections from the surrounding people. Among the group, only Breyson and the old commander remained silent.
Marden, whom Brandon knew, had a notoriously bad temper, nearly always on the verge of cursing someone out. Yet, at this critical juncture, he could keep a level head—a true mark of a seasoned soldier. It was just that his silver-gray eyebrows would occasionally twitch, revealing an underlying agitation.
As for Breyson, he had made up his mind to observe from the sidelines with a cold gaze.
Brandon knew who they had encountered as soon as he heard their descriptions. The army trailing from Buchi onwards should be led by the "Skeletal Wizard" Roscoe. In the game, Roscoe was a highly talented necromancer, and players had given him that nickname. His talent lay in skeletal wizardry - he could easily convert summoned spirits into skeletal wizards. Hence, his army had the characteristic of quickly replenishing its ranks. Although not strong in assaults, they were adept at endurance, cunning, and using cannon fodder to wear down the enemy and undermine their morale.
At this time, Roscoe should still be just an apprentice necromancer, Brandon guessed his rank in the attack sequence in Targus’ force wouldn't exceed that of a company commander. In fact, his guess wasn't far off. But what he didn't know was that he and Roscoe had already crossed paths once - on the night they escaped from Buchi.
As for the other army, there was no need to guess. It was Kabirus who razed Green Village in history. This undead wasn't famous in Madara's history but was experienced. At this point, he should be one of Targus's main commanders.
So Roscoe's company size should exceed two hundred, with at least twenty skeletal wizards. On Kabirus's side, as a main force, they should have concentrated at least one-fifth of Targus's forces on the left wing. Such a large-scale force couldn't possibly consist only of skeleton soldiers. There might be Black Warriors and Pale Knights as well.
Fortunately, the undead army needed to block several passages in the forest, so their forces couldn't be concentrated in one place. The refugees encountered today should only have been half of Roscoe's company and one of Kabirus's companies. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to escape.
Naturally, Brandon couldn't afford to be overly specific, or his information's credibility might come into question. Previously, he could attribute details to legends, rumors, or tales, but possessing too precise knowledge of the enemy's troop disposition wouldn't be convincing. Even prophets had their ways of persuading people to believe them.
He decided to return to the previous topic. Pausing for a moment, he began, "I don't know if you've heard of Anther, the necromancer stronghold. Actually, Madara is divided into three factions internally: vampires, necromancers - I won't explain these two, you've probably heard their legends. The remaining faction is also a powerful faction, which we call the Dark Lords. They were bandits, outlaws, Knight Templars who had committed crimes, nobles exiled from the human world, or wandering undead. They adhere to the Dark Codex and are the traditional rulers of Madara."
"Interesting, but it's just a story," a member of the Guard Unit said.
"No, imagine if someone were to unite these three factions, Madara would rise from the darkness. Coincidentally, there's a prophecy about it."
"But you said earlier that that kingdom had never truly been united."
"True, but the opportunity is now at hand."
"But what does that have to do with us?"
"Of course, have you heard of the legend of Mercury Staff?" Brandon suddenly changed the subject.
"You mean the staff that, according to prophecy, will unite the dark world when someone obtains it?" asked a member of the Guard Unit.
Brandon nodded, "Its full name is 'Loki's Mercury Staff.' Allow me to tell you about Loki. He was a brilliant necromancer who came close to accomplishing a remarkable feat during his lifetime—the unification of Madara. However, his plans ultimately failed, and the whereabouts of his staff became shrouded in mystery. All that remained was a legend, claiming that whoever possessed it would reign as the king of the dark world once more."
"But since spring this year, someone has reportedly seen the staff appear in Anther."
"Wait," Breyson's expression changed, "Is that rumor from a few months ago true?"
"A few months ago?"
"Ah, I remember now. It seems like a merchant brought news from there, saying someone with a strange staff opened some kind of gate."
"The Gate of Sighs," Brandon added, "That's Loki's treasure trove and the location of his throne."
The elderly commander of the Guard Unit frowned deeply, "Kid, I don't understand the intrigues between those big shots, but are you suggesting there's a major change in the kingdom of Madara? If that's true, it would at least mean that this time, they came prepared. Although I don't know what their purpose is, it's unlikely that it'll just be plundering or invading. It may sound absurd, but it's not completely impossible."
His calloused hand rested on his knee, close to his sword, "Breyson, do you know this young man?"
Breyson was taken aback. He knew that if he voiced suspicion at this moment, although the commander wouldn't immediately run this kid through with his sword, he would at least arrest him and demand explanations.
He couldn't help but cast a dark look at Brandon, not bothering to hide the scorn in his eyes. But after some thought, he didn't choose to do so, "I know him, and I also think he's lying. But my reason tells me there's no reason for him to deceive us."
"What if he's been bought off by Madara?" Marden asked again.
"I've considered that too, but considering his and Freya's experiences, if Madara's commander can orchestrate things to such a degree, then I don't think my loss is unwarranted."
"Very good, Breyson." Marden patted his Vice-Captain's shoulder.
Huh?
Not only Marden, even Brandon couldn't help but glance at this young Vice-Captain in surprise. It seemed this guy wasn't entirely devoid of merit. Of course, his repulsive appearance couldn't be changed, and with such a narrow mind, he would never be able to become anything great. Brandon judged the other party as such from an outsider's perspective. Naturally, if Breyson knew what Brandon was thinking in his mind, he would definitely regret the fair words he had spoken earlier.
But in fact, even if Breyson denied knowing him or even slandered him, it wouldn't matter much. Brandon had his ways to persuade Marden. As someone who could foresee the future, he had the upper hand.
It just meant more effort and the potential for arousing suspicions, which could lead to further complications for him down the line.
"Alright, let's get back to the point," Marden spoke up, "Kid, so you think Madara's target is Ridenburg?"
"In the Goran-Elsun region, Eruin only has the Vimiel Fortress to rely on for defense. And Ridenburg protects the flank of this defense line, so Madara's target can only be Ridenburg." Brandon nodded.
Marden couldn't help but rub his nose and cursed, "Since Madara has made up their mind, I guess the ones hounding us before weren't just small fry. Damn it, why are we always stuck with a bunch of bad luck!"
"I don't know the specifics," although Brandon said so, the truth was exactly the opposite, "But from your descriptions, the army trailing behind should be an undead army led by a necromancer. And the subsequent one might be a dark lord's army."
"The necromancer's army organization is based on skeletal wizards, making them easily distinguishable. According to your descriptions, it should be the size of half a company. As for the dark lord's forces, they are more chaotic, but judging from the troops left at Green Village, there should be at least two companies or more."
"Close enough." Marden nodded.
But he didn't know that Brandon had already halved the numbers. Even with that halving, it still left everyone feeling deeply concerned. How could a skeletal army of this size be overcome, especially with just over thirty members of the Guard Unit escorting a group of elderly, weak, women and children?
The old commander sighed, "Alright, Brandon. Since you've come to tell us all this, can I assume you already have ideas in mind? Let me be frank, if the situation is as you say, I'm not confident I can lead these people out."
This remark elicited a low gasp from Freya.
But Brandon nodded, "I have a plan."
All eyes suddenly converged on him, including Breyson's, whose expression shifted from skepticism to astonishment.
This made Brandon nervously take a deep breath. After all, he had only recently gained some confidence, and being the center of attention like this was putting a sudden pressure on him. He suddenly realized that every word he said from now on could potentially affect the lives of many people, prompting him to wonder if he should be more cautious.
He couldn't help but remind himself to stay calm in his mind, making sure not to forget anything important.
"You can head north, cross the Dagger River Bank," he responded.
"Dagger River Bank?"
"Why there?"
Brandon hesitated. How could he explain why historical figures like White Knight Eberton and Corpse Demon Wesah arrived almost two days late to surround that place?
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