Chapter 311: Battle of Afton (I)

Afton Plains, front line of the battlefield.

The weather was clear and cloudless. From time to time, two-legged flying dragons flew over the distant mountains, and long roars could be heard.

There were camps standing on the snow-covered wasteland, and groups of dirty slave soldiers were building fortifications and carrying supplies. The armies from the northern countries such as the Principality of Bosk, the Principality of Fano, and the Principality of Carter also gathered here.

The middle-aged noble in exquisite armor stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance with a heavy tone. On his breastplate was the emblem of a lion and crossed swords.

"Has the Edson family not arrived yet?"

"Sir, we have not received any message from them, I am afraid..."

"damn it."

His face suddenly became gloomy, and he paced back and forth, muttering to himself.

"The Edsons, the Durans, the Rosas, the Wolffs"

"We agreed to have 70,000 troops, but now we have less than two-thirds of them. How can I hold back the Burning Cinders Kingdom?"

His name is Loren Bosco, and his noble status can be seen from his surname. He is the second son of Grand Duke Leo, the earl and general of the Principality of Bosco, and the commander-in-chief of the first line of defense of the coalition forces.

In order to show his determination to fight the dragon to the end and to shut up those northern nobles, Grand Duke Leo sent his second son, whom he valued very much, to the front line of the battlefield.

The two-legged flying dragons in the distant sky became increasingly dense, like a chaotic dark cloud. Under those messy wings, even the earth seemed to become a little darker.

Loren stared at them closely with a serious expression. He instructed the adjutant standing beside him:
"We are running out of time. The Burning Cinders' army is coming."

"Notify all the troops to prepare for war. I don't expect to achieve any results. Our only mission is to delay their army, find out their weaknesses, and gain more for my father."

Suddenly, the sound of heavy war drums interrupted his words.

"Boom, boom, boom"

Loren turned his head subconsciously, and saw that the ground and sky in the distance were occupied by the Burning Army:

An army of hobgoblins marching in step, sturdy ogres, armored dragon beasts as big as hills, black masses of wyverns coming in droves, and huge cannons pointing to the sky, even an ordinary march of this kind of army can give people a sense of despair and oppression.

The rhythmic drum beats continued, and the earth trembled slightly, like the heavy footsteps of death.

"Tempus is above"

Lauren couldn't help but pray.

Although the weather was quite cold, cold sweat still oozed from his forehead.

He had observed the army of the Burning Kingdom from magical images, but he did not think it was invincible. But when Loren faced them in reality, he truly felt how terrible this Scourge was.

"Are you kidding?"

"So, that's our enemy?"

"how could it be possible."

"Are you trying to get us killed?"

The soldiers in the fortifications looked at the legion in the distance, talking in a flurry, their voices trembling.

They were originally private armies from various northern countries, and their overall quality varied greatly. Among them were professional mercenaries hired for money, and even serfs from manors mixed in, passing off inferior troops as good ones.

Such a huge and hopeless gap in strength could be seen intuitively by any human with a normal brain. Loren frowned as he listened to the mixed discussions.

"This can't go on like this."

He knew that if he continued like this, their troops might completely lose their morale and flee in all directions before the army of the Burning Kingdom arrived, and he would not be able to complete the task assigned by his father.

As a descendant of the Bosk family, while enjoying preferential treatment, Loren also longed to become the successor of the family, or even the nominal ruler of the North.

It’s a pity that he is the second son.

Compared to those dissolute young men who indulged in sensual pleasures, Loren has been working tirelessly since he was a child. He practiced riding, learned tactical exercises, and observed family affairs, all in the hope of being noticed by Grand Duke Leo, so as to replace his brother and become the true successor of the family.

However, under the thousands of years of "glorious tradition" in the North, his efforts seemed so vulnerable.

This time, Grand Duke Leo has high hopes for him, and he also hopes to turn things around through this war, at least to play a role in the principality and become a hero that can be recorded in the family epic.

Thinking of this, Lauren clenched his teeth.

“I have to stand up.”

He personally came to the battlefield, drew his sword, and raised it high.

Loren is a count and the son of Grand Duke Leo, and he is quite famous in the entire North. His special behavior immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding soldiers.

"soldiers--"

His voice was heavy but powerful.

"I believe you have seen that the enemy is unexpectedly powerful. This may be a war that cannot be won. The enemy is a terrible monster, a flying dragon, an ogre, and a hobgoblin. They have the powerful power from the evil dragon, while we are just a group of ordinary humans. Compared with them, the only advantage we Scanians have is our tenacity."

Loren paused, and his tone became passionate, even the drumbeats of the Burning Ashes Army became the background of his speech.

"Please remember that the land beneath your feet is the homeland of the Scandinavian people and the land that our ancestors have protected for thousands of years."

"I am a descendant of Bosk. Nine centuries ago, my ancestor, the first 'Lionheart King' Roselle Bosk, led your ancestors to the unfamiliar land of Anzeta. We reclaimed wasteland, built cities, and created a glorious Scandian civilization. The frost giants and white dragons from the north never defeated us. We built walls with blood and defended our homeland time and time again.

"Nine centuries later, I, Roselle's descendant, Loren Bosco, stand here with you. The enemies we face are stronger and more cunning, but I believe history will repeat itself."

Suddenly, the distant drumbeats stopped.

Even Loren, who was speaking generously, was stunned for a moment, and then he continued: "We will guard together--"

But his voice was interrupted by a calmer voice, and the soldiers' gazes seemed to pass past Loren and converge on a more distant place. They even exclaimed as if they had seen a miracle.

"Damn bastard, you have no sense of honor."

Seeing that his words were ignored, Lauren gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. He turned around and then stood there in a daze, stunned.

The army of the Burning Cinders Kingdom stopped and stationed there quietly, and above them was a huge magical image that was hundreds of meters high.

The image showed a handsome young man with black hair and golden eyes. His temperament was far more noble than any noble in the history of the North.

He just smiled politely, and his deep light golden pupils made everyone involuntarily fall into it - even Loren Bosque himself was no exception.

"Hello everyone from the North."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Cassius. You may have heard of this name. I'm the supreme ruler of the Burning Embers Kingdom, and the 'King of Burning Embers' that you all know."

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(End of this chapter)