Battle of the Extraordinary Legions (Part 2)

Battle of the Extraordinary Legions (Part 2)

Count Winter shook his head at Viscount Landa's words.

"Not enough."

"That old bastard is as greedy as a dragon. It won't be easy to sway him."

He was referring to Count Soron, but he was also telling Viscount Landa that what he wanted absolutely could not be less than Count Soron's share.

"One million Gold Coins, plus three hundred thousand jin of Refined Iron."

Landa stared at Count Winter as he spoke. One million Gold Coins was no more than the development funding the Empire allocated to Northwind Province each year.

Three hundred thousand jin of Refined Iron was likewise worth a fortune, but for Northwind Province, rich in Mineral Deposits, the deal seemed reasonable.

Count Winter looked at Viscount Landa. "Do you know how many Gold Coins my Winter Family spends on the army every year, especially on those Flying Wolf Cavalry?"

"If one dies, do you know how much Gold Punk I'll lose?"

Count Winter was truly enraged. Viscount Landa was only willing to offer one million Gold Coins and three hundred thousand jin of Refined Iron.

"Six hundred thousand Gold Coins, plus one hundred and fifty thousand jin of wrought iron."

Viscount Landa's offer had instead dropped. He stared hard at Count Winter.

"Every county will give you six hundred thousand Gold Coins and one hundred and fifty thousand jin of wrought iron. I'll persuade the remaining counties, but whether Viscount Hogg of Silver Stream County in the far south will pay... I can't say."

There were seven counties in Northwind Province. That meant at least over four million Gold Coins. Even Count Winter fell silent at that figure.

The Empire might grant them one million Gold Coins in development funds every year, but that one million had to be divided among every noble in the province. Not much of it would end up in the hands of him, the count governor.

Counting the taxes from the Winter Count Family's territory and Northwind City, the Gold Coins they collected each year only came to around one million. In good years, they could earn more; in bad years, they even had to buy grain from the South.

And that was only because he was the governor. Without that position, his income would drop by at least two or three hundred thousand Gold Coins.

More than four million, split between him and Count Soron, was still a huge sum. It could further strengthen his Flying Wolf Cavalry Legion. Those Life Potions from the Imperial Merchant Guild were terrifyingly expensive.

On the Empire's frontier, strength was king.

"I'll give you three days. Get those lords to sign the contract. As for Viscount Hogg... you don't need to worry about him."

Count Winter knew a tremendous secret: Viscount Hogg's ancestor had been an illegitimate son of the Mayers Grand Ducal Family.

If they were short six hundred thousand Gold Coins, so be it.

"I'll make them sign it. But the Black Goat Orc Warriors must be completely wiped out. I don't want to send you another million in wealth next year."

"Don't worry. Noble honor will guide us to victory."

Count Winter spoke with confidence.

Three days later, Count Winter's Flying Wolf Cavalry and fifty thousand troops, along with Count Soron's Dragonblood Warrior Heavy Armor Legion and three thousand cavalrymen, advanced toward Golden Wheat County. The Black Goat Orc Warriors Legion had already arrived there.

Another half month passed. When the Orc Army began attacking Golden Wheat County's city, the armies of the two counts finally reached the battlefield.

The war between more than three hundred thousand orcs and nearly one hundred thousand human soldiers made many soldiers tremble uncontrollably even on the battlefield.

But such soldiers were destined to die there.

Three thousand Flying Wolf Cavalry soared through the sky like vicious birds, while five thousand Dragonblood Warrior Legion soldiers in crimson heavy armor formed a square formation and charged toward the Black Goat Orc Legion at the heart of the Orc Army.

"Hahahaha! These stupid humans have fallen for it!"

In the center of the Orc Army, a Black Goat Orc leader standing three meters tall laughed loudly. His goat mount was also the most robust, and fine teeth glinted coldly beneath his savage face.

"Charge! Kill all these humans! Northwind Province will be ours!"

Tens of thousands of Black Goat Orcs and seven or eight thousand Black Goat Orc Warriors charged at the Dragonblood Warrior Legion. There was no formation at all. No matter how intelligent orcs were, once battle began, their bloodlust became impossible to restrain.

In barely a minute, the dark mass of orcs had rushed before the Dragonblood Warriors. As blood and flesh collided, roaring dragon cries echoed even through the sky.

Under the Dragon's Might, the foot-bound Black Goat Orcs following behind were overcome with terror. The Black Goats beneath the Black Goat Orc Warriors trembled even more violently, and many simply dropped to their knees.

Of both armies on the battlefield, the orcs were affected most severely by the Dragon's Might, but unrest also broke out among the humans.

At this moment, the power of an Extraordinary Legion—

"Kill!"

Cold gleams flashed as spearheads pierced the bodies of Black Goat Orc Warriors one after another. Yet many bleeding Black Goat Orc Warriors did not lose their fighting strength. Instead, the blood robbed them of their Reasoning and gave them even more berserk power.

They tumbled from their mounts, but even standing on the ground, the two goat-horn scimitars in their hands sharply stabbed into the gaps in the Dragonblood Warriors' armor.

Black mist spread over many Black Goat Orcs, while the Dragonblood Warriors were equally berserk. Apprentice Knights unleashed power comparable to Formal Knights.

There were more Black Goat Orc Warriors than Dragonblood Warriors, and the Black Goat Orc Warriors in the rear had not lost their mounts. They rapidly moved to encircle the Dragonblood Warrior Legion, but at that very moment, the Flying Wolf Cavalry in the sky, affected by the Dragon's Might, shook off its negative effects.

Giant Horned Flying Wolves descended from the sky with tremendous momentum, their sharp claws easily tearing through the flesh of Black Goat Orcs.

The knights riding behind the flying wolves wielded lances one or two times longer than their own bodies. Their immense force directly impaled the Black Goat Orc Warriors.

After only a few breaths, the flying wolves carried the cavalry into the sky once more. That was their greatest advantage: when to fight was decided by those who flew above.

It could be said that the Flying Wolf Cavalry's restraint over the Black Goat Orc Warriors was fatal. No matter how nimble orcs were, they could not match humans. The orcs bitten and carried into the sky by flying wolves needed no further treatment—dropping them was enough to smash them to death.

They could not catch the Flying Wolf Cavalry.

Count Winter understood this clearly. It was also why he had been willing to send troops directly. He believed his Flying Wolf Cavalry would suffer few casualties.

On the battlefield, the slaughter between the three Extraordinary Legions was undoubtedly the most eye-catching sight. Their strength, several times greater than that of ordinary soldiers, kept the surrounding ordinary orcs and human slave soldiers from daring to approach. Many nobles watched with their blood boiling.

"If only I had an Extraordinary Legion like this..."

Every noble had the same thought in mind.

Yet just as everyone was lost in fantasy, the Flying Wolf Cavalry that had risen into the sky and had not yet prepared for a second dive began falling from the air one after another. Screams rang out from atop the flying wolves' backs.

Some powerful nobles saw slender blue shadows nimbly leaping across the backs of the falling flying wolves before darting toward the distant battlefield.

Those figures had blue cat heads, but their limbs were more coordinated than those of any orc. They even carried slender rapiers on their backs.

"Assassins? Catfolk?"

Some nobles cried out in alarm. Catfolk Assassins had appeared among the orcs of Northwind Province? Those weak Catfolk actually possessed such terrifying Extraordinary assassins?