"Marshal, the enemy just left. Should we pursue them?"
The question from his subordinate made Duke Daniel hesitate. Several consecutive operations had come up empty, and this time they had actually caught the enemy's tail. Could this be an enemy trap?
He quickly dismissed the thought. A scheme still needed room to be carried out.
This was the Orc Empire. They had neither favorable timing, terrain, nor popular support. Even if the enemy wanted to set an ambush, the Expeditionary Corps did not have enough troops.
"Leave five thousand men behind to clear out the Undead. The rest, follow me and pursue the enemy!"
The army had barely set out when signal smoke suddenly rose on the horizon. Looking in its direction, they saw it was coming from the route they had taken.
"Not good! The enemy has targeted the infantry corps behind us and deliberately lured us here!
Pass down the order! The entire army is to turn around immediately and return to rescue the infantry corps!"
Duke Daniel gave the order in a panic.
The infantry corps in the rear were all a hastily assembled rabble. Their combat strength was far inferior to that of the cavalry corps. If they came under enemy attack, the consequences would be obvious.
Still, even rabble had its value. Throwing a hundred thousand troops onto the battlefield, even as cannon fodder, could play no small role.
Failing to capture infiltrating enemies on their own territory was already humiliating enough. If they then let the enemy swallow another hundred thousand troops, he, as commander, would be nailed to the pillar of shame.
Ordinary Beastfolk did not know it, but Daniel knew very well. Similar scenes had unfolded before on the Warhammer Great Plains.
The unfortunate allied army of the Ancient Remnants had been