"Uncle, we need to make preparations early," a young knight said quietly as he came up behind Ilius.
Ilius said nothing as he watched the scene in the distance.
The king's order had been for him to hold Rostock City for half a month, but against an army of two hundred thousand, he could not even hold it for five days.
Ilius rested both hands on the battlements and looked down at the moat below. It was a full five hundred meters wide, its waters stocked with countless Barbary piranhas—a pack-dwelling magical beast capable of devouring a three-thousand-jin bull in just three minutes.
"Pass down the order. From this moment on, armor is not to leave the body, weapons are not to leave the hand. Every stretch of wall must have two thousand soldiers stationed on it, day or night."
"Rostock City is to be placed under complete lockdown. Other than the military, no one may leave their residence. Anyone suspicious is to be killed without mercy."
"Notify the Church of the Beast God. They are to be ready at any time to activate the Divine Shield and stop enemy powerhouses from forcefully assaulting Rostock City."
"Yes, General."
The officer delivering orders struck his chest in salute and swiftly left the city wall.
After watching for a moment longer, Ilius clasped his hands behind his back, glanced at his nephew, and said gravely, "Come to my study after eleven tonight."
"Yes, Uncle," the young knight replied.
Inside the Fifteenth Army camp, Velin looked over the documents in his hand. They contained detailed information on Ilius Tonnes, the commander defending Rostock City, including his family background, combat style, and leadership habits.
"The Tonnes Family has endured for three hundred years, existing under the protection of the German Kingdom's Kingdom Army. Ilius