Battle of the Extraordinary Legions (Part 2)

Battle of the Extraordinary Legions (Part 2)

Viscount Landa panicked at that moment as well.

As a Viscount and the governor of Cold Mountain County, he had a full 2,300 soldiers under his command. After the Orcs moved south, many slaves were also temporarily drafted into the army, bringing his forces to 10,000.

Once the defensive line was established, every noble in Cold Mountain County sent troops into the city. A Baron or Pioneer Knight could produce four or five hundred soldiers. Although the vast majority were slave troops, Cold Mountain City still had 50,000 soldiers in total.

With an army of 50,000, Viscount Landa had been confident he could hold the city. As long as Cold Mountain City was safe, he had decided that, regardless of whether other counties were in trouble, he would absolutely not send troops out as reinforcements.

But now, faced with tens of thousands of Black Goat Orcs and several thousand Black Goat Cavalry, he no longer knew whether his city was safe.

"Previous Orc invasions only ever plundered the territories around cities. It should be fine, right?"

A noble voiced Viscount Landa's innermost thoughts. This was what all the nobles feared.

They had previously been concerned about their territories, but now they had already abandoned them and begun wondering whether they themselves were safe inside the city.

Many nobles immediately wanted to flee. Forget Cold Mountain County and their territories—so long as they survived, their territories would still be theirs. But if they died, who knew who their lands would belong to?

"It won't happen. Even the Black Goat Orcs can't just attack a city like this. No matter how powerful cavalry are, they can't run up city walls."

Viscount Landa spoke confidently. He wanted to keep these nobles here; otherwise, the fewer troops he had, the more uneasy he would feel.

But he suddenly realized that the moment he finished speaking, the surroundings had fallen deathly silent.

He swallowed and looked at the native nobles of Northwind Province.

"Black Goat Orc cavalry really can climb walls," a noble said in utter despair. They recalled the records and legends from history.

"The Black Goat Orc tribes have always been scattered across the steepest cliffs in the Northlands. The sturdy Black Goats they raise search for moss on sheer precipices, and they even eat antelopes nearly as large as themselves."

Just as the noble finished speaking, the Black Goat army outside the city moved.

Watching the Black Goat Orc army charge forward madly, despairing fear also appeared in Viscount Landa's eyes.

In just three days, eighty percent of the lordly territories across all of Cold Mountain County had been swallowed by the Orcs. This news reached Frozen Earth Territory on the eighth day.

The twenty Flying Wolf Cavalry Count Winter had sent to Cold Mountain County had originally been meant to deliver messages, but they ultimately became Viscount Landa's final lifeline.

News of the Black Goat Orc goat cavalry consequently spread throughout all of Northwind Province.

"Legend says that among the Black Goat Orc tribes, only the bravest Orc warriors can receive the blessing of Baphomet, the god they worship. Their strength then greatly increases, allowing them to ride mighty Black Goats and become warriors."

"In a tribe of a thousand, having thirty to fifty Black Goat Warriors would already be considered pretty good."

"Ten thousand..."

Ryan was starting to panic as well. Could it be that all the Black Goat Orc tribes in the Northlands had been unified?

The infighting among Orcs was far more primitive and brutal, because many of them stood in predator-prey relationships with one another.

For example, when the Orc Army invaded Northwind Province from the south, Ryan believed their numbers truly reached seven or eight hundred thousand, perhaps nearly a million.

But as they marched south, their numbers would plummet. The lowliest Ratmen and Honey Pot Tribe members, for instance, were often eaten clean along the way.

These Orc tribes might become very powerful, but they all had one fatal weakness.

Amid year-round snow and wind, they did not have enough food. Without food, they could not form massive tribes.

That was what Ryan could not understand. How had the Black Goat Orcs gone from scattered tribes to one great tribe?

There was no point investigating that now, because more than ten thousand Black Goat Orc Warriors had already appeared in Northwind Province.

"Ah."

Ryan realized that he still was not strong enough.

Across all of Northwind Province, Ryan knew of only two forces that could deal with this army of Black Goat Orc Warriors—probably the only two.

One was the Flying Wolf Cavalry under Count Winter, Governor of Northwind Province. This cavalry force consisted of Giant Horned Flying Wolves with a pair of fleshy wings, together with 3,000 knights who rode them. They could be said to be unmatched throughout Northwind Province.

The other was the 5,000 Dragonblood Warriors of Count Soron's house. Legend had it that every Dragonblood Warrior's ancestor had bathed in a dragon's blood, becoming part of a special Dragonblood Warrior bloodline. They were renowned throughout the Empire as heavily armored infantry.

Ancient legends in Northwind Province claimed that the Soron Family had even worshipped a dragon several centuries ago.

After so many years, the Dragonblood Warriors' bloodline should have grown increasingly thin. But no matter what, they were still an Extraordinary Legion.

Without relying on those two houses, dealing with the Black Goat Orc Warriors would require paying at least ten times the price.

And that was not even the most frightening part. The Black Goat Orcs possessed intelligence. Their warrior army would surely be guarded by a vast number of Black Goat Orc infantry.

"If that's the case, Count Soron was right back then. We should have taken the initiative and attacked on the Fragrant Mountain Plains."

"Apart from Northwind Great City, I'm afraid none of Northwind Province's remaining county cities can stop the Black Goat Orcs."

Just as Ryan had thought, once the more than ten thousand Black Goat Orc Warriors appeared in Northwind Province and the nobles gradually learned about such an Extraordinary Legion, they all began viciously cursing Viscount Hogg.

If they had listened to Count Soron back then, deployed the Extraordinary Legions of the two Earldoms together, and added the military strength of the entire province, they might have been able to bury the Black Goat Orc Warriors on the Fragrant Mountain Plains.

But was that still possible now?

The Orcs had already appeared all across Northwind Province. How could they possibly gather their forces now?

No matter where they gathered, another group of lords would have no choice but to abandon all their wealth and territories.

"Governor Count Winter, say something!"

Inside Northwind City, Viscount Landa glared furiously at Count Winter and slammed his palm onto the table, leaving two large handprints.

He no longer cared whether he offended Count Winter.

Quite a few people from his territory had escaped the Orcs' pursuit and were now hiding in the fortresses of Cold Mountain County. Only if Count Winter deployed the Flying Wolf Cavalry and destroyed the Black Goat Orc warrior legion could Cold Mountain County be reclaimed.

"Viscount Landa, mind your station!"

Count Winter looked coldly at Viscount Landa, but he also stated that he would not stand idly by.

After all, he would ultimately bear great responsibility for this matter. With so many nobles dead and wounded, their complaints could pile up like mountains in the Imperial Senate.

"I will send the Flying Wolf Cavalry to intercept the Black Goat Orc Warriors, and I will also dispatch 50,000 soldiers to accompany them."

"But Muya Soron, that old bastard, still hasn't given me a reply."

There was a savage glint in Count Winter's eyes.

"That old bastard refuses to let the Dragonblood Warrior Legion accompany the Flying Wolf Cavalry under its protection. How many of my soldiers will have to die before we can deal with that army of Black Goat Orc Warriors?"

Count Winter let out a low roar. Compared with helping Viscount Landa and those nobles reclaim their lands, he cared more about the losses to his own army.

Viscount Landa looked at Count Winter. All of a sudden, the Viscount calmed down.

They wanted more money?

He understood Count Winter's meaning. Between nobles, everything was an exchange of interests, even when it came to driving out the Black Goat Orcs and reclaiming the Empire's territory.

"I'll persuade Count Soron to deploy the Dragonblood Warrior Legion."

Viscount Landa gritted his teeth. He knew that Count Soron was probably waiting for this as well—waiting for those lords whose lives were under threat to offer enough benefits.