Afton Battle (II)

Immediately, an uproar erupted in the army formation. People's eyes were filled with disbelief, and a cacophony of discussions filled the surroundings.

"Is he that Red Dragon? That Embers of the Burned King?"

"How is that possible?"

"How could this be an evil dragon? It's clearly an elegant nobleman."

"Could it be that Grand Duke Leo deceived us?"

Keosius's charisma was enough to distort reality, even influencing dragons unconsciously. Therefore, even if he appeared simply as an image, he would be more than capable of captivating these naive mortals.

Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of soldiers, Keosius began his performance:

"I think you may have some misunderstandings about me. After all, in the propaganda of the Northern Nobles, I am a man-eating dragon who doesn't spit out the bones, a demon who rapes women, and an aggressor who breaks peace and order."

"But the truth is that every single time, it is the Northern Nobles who initiate wars, whether it is the three-nation alliance at the Trill Battle or the so-called Anti-Red Dragon Alliance, simply because they cannot tolerate a country that shakes the foundation of their rule, nor can they tolerate a Embers of the Burned Kingdom that has abolished serfdom and hereditary nobility."

Keosius paused, a hint of doubt in his voice, and his expression became exceptionally sincere.

"Soldiers, I really want to know—what are you fighting for?"

"Do you really believe that ridiculous Scania People rhetoric of shared honor and disgrace? The North is not your country, but a paradise for nobles who regard you as ' Gray Livestock,' as lowly commodities."

"Gentlemen, please reflect on your hasty lives in the the North. When have you ever received a noble's respect?"

"The kingdom's scholars have said that class is the sole criterion for dividing society. In the eyes of the Northern Nobles, you of humble birth have never been the same species as them, so how could you be considered their so-called compatriots? When they whipped serfs, abused children, took pleasure in killing slaves, and tormented you generation after generation, they never remembered that you were their compatriots."

Keosius didn't speak with great passion; he simply stated the facts in a calm tone.

But even so, countless soldiers began to think for the first time, their hearts began to waver, and some even began to believe the Red Dragon's words without a doubt.

Is that really true?

"What he said seems to make some sense."

"Yes, those Noble Lord won't share their money with us."

"My daughter was taken away by some old man."

Keosius continued in a deep voice, "In fact, you have no reason to fight for them or give your lives for them. The fact that you don't even turn your swords against these nobles is already a great act of mercy and forgiveness."

"And I, as king, in the name of King Caesus of the Burning, hereby promise—when the Kingdom of the Burning rules this land, you will regain your most basic dignity."

"The hereditary serfdom will cease to exist, and freedom and equality will become the main theme of society. Anyone can become rich through hard work and even strive to rise to the rank of nobleman. This has all really happened in North Wind Fortress in the past few years."

Under the influence of his extraordinary charisma, Keosius's words sounded so sincere to the soldiers. However, considering the presence of the officers, they could only whisper among themselves, offering their own simple assessments.

"Do people like us have a chance to become nobles?"

"That sounds pretty good."

"Then what's the point of us fighting?"

"This is much more generous than those stingy gentlemen."

As the clamor grew louder, Earl Loren Bosk finally realized the other party's purpose—he wanted to demoralize the army!

What chilled Loren the most was that even he himself couldn't help but be captivated by the words he had just heard and unconsciously began to agree with them.

However, even Keosius's words could not distort a person's identity. As a nobleman, Loren naturally sensed the malice in these words.

"This is like the devil's whisper!"

"How dare they believe such words!"

"If it weren't for the guidance of our ancestors, would these beasts be where they are today?"

Loren glanced at the hesitant soldiers and gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with hatred.

"This can't go on any longer!"

Thinking of this, Loren rode his horse and charged straight into the army. With a ferocious expression, he swung his longsword and beheaded an ordinary soldier who was talking enthusiastically and full of hope for the future. He then raised the unseeing head high in the air.

"Soldiers, you have been bewitched by the evil dragon!"

"And that's what happens to a rebel!"

"Did you all see that?"

Loren, holding the dripping head, mounted his horse and surveyed the army formation.

The soldiers who had been whispering earlier fell silent. They involuntarily shrank their necks, their faces filled with fear, but they still stared intently at Loren, a strange emotion suppressed in their eyes.

Yes, they haven't arrived at that "ideal land" yet.

They were still under the rule of the Northern Nobles.

Loren seemed to be losing his mind. He casually discarded the head, pointed his blood-stained longsword at the phantom in the air, and said in a nearly hoarse voice:

"Evil dragon! Do you see it?"

"We Scania People are invincible and will never surrender!"

"The glory of Rosel Bosk will forever shine upon the the North, and we will rule here for a thousand years, ten thousand years!"

But the "Embers of the Burned King" in the video did not change his expression at all. He remained indifferent, as if he had never paid any attention to Loren, or even completely ignored him.

Looking down at tens of thousands of soldiers, Keosius said bluntly:

"It's a pity that you've stood in the way of the kingdom's unification, but I've always been a peace-loving dragon who doesn't like killing."

"I'm giving you three hours. If you don't want to die, leave here."

Time is running out.

Immediately, the military formation became noisy again.

Keep in mind that there were tens of thousands of people here, most of whom were serfs or commoners, with only less than 10,000 noble guards. When the prestige of the Northern Nobles was broken, their rout became a matter of course.

Born into poverty and with very little education, they couldn't understand much of what Keosius was saying, but they could understand the beatings and exploitation by the nobles, because these were things they had experienced firsthand, and more importantly—they wanted to survive.

"I want to live."

"Let's go, let's get out of here."

"I've had enough of those Noble Lord!"

"How could we possibly defeat an enemy like that?"

The soldiers began to scatter and flee, and the officers were unable to stop them.

The army of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom actually kept their promise. Even when people fled in their direction, the kingdom's army suppressed their urge to kill and did not take action. After all, this was the Red Dragon's personal order, and no one dared to disobey it.

Loren roared hoarsely as he rode after the fleeing soldiers:

"Come back! You beasts!"

"You can never repay the kindness of your ancestors in this lifetime!"

His eyes were bloodshot as he killed one deserter after another, but he still couldn't stop the rout, which involved tens of thousands of people.

"Am I... am I destined to fail in this way?"

"It ended before the battle even began?"

"These damned beasts, these pigs, they all deserve to Hell! I was too lenient with them!"

Loren sat on horseback, panting heavily, his contorted face covered in blood—not his own, nor even that of his enemies.

"My lord, my lord, please stop. We still need to gather the remaining troops."

The adjutant quickly pulled him back and whispered something.