At four in the afternoon, the griffin cavalry captain, Xiangdier, pretending to consider everyone's fatigue from the march, ordered the grain transport troops to rest on the spot.
Everyone knew his intentions weren't good, but no one exposed him. In their hearts, they sneered at who would live or die that night, so they hurried to eat and drink their fill, took the time to rest, conserve energy, and quietly waited for the moment of the final showdown.
Although aware of the plan, many were still extremely nervous and restless.
"Requesting aid, urgently requesting aid!" During the rest, a group of disheveled mercenaries ran towards them, the leader a big-bearded man in broken armor, covered in blood. Upon seeing Rody and his group, he excitedly shouted, "Human army, please help us, we are being chased by a group of fierce orc scouts."
"Orcs?" Captain Xiangdier of the griffin cavalry changed his expression upon hearing this and asked, "How many are there?"
"Perhaps two hundred orcs, with about a dozen berserkers. They've surrounded and killed my deputy commander," the big-bearded mercenary leader gasped, "We were originally over three hundred, but now, only about fifty or sixty of us are left..."
"We will immediately search for the enemy’s trail. All of you, stay put and remain calm!" Captain Xiangdier paused slightly before ordering.
"Thinking of running away?" Rody stood up and sneered, "Captain Xiangdier, I advise you to stay and fight the enemy with us. Otherwise, we will report you and your squad to the military court. Two hundred orcs are not invincible. We have nearly a thousand people here, including your fifty griffin riders. If we use the ancient camels as a base and combine favorable terrain with bows and torches, it’s not impossible to fight the orcs."
"You are all fools!" A griffin rider roared angrily, "What do you know? A bunch of rabble thinking of defeating orcs? Forget two hundred orcs, even a dozen orc berserkers could slaughter all of you!"
"Sergeant, we are not trying to flee, on the contrary, we are going to fight the orcs and win a chance for everyone to escape!" Captain Xiangdier glanced at Rody and sneered, "In terms of rank, I am a lieutenant and you are just a sergeant. You must listen to me! Now that we've encountered the enemy, I order your squad to retreat, and the militiamen, too, must retreat immediately!"
"If you tell the militiamen, you will incite a mutiny!" Rody looked at Xiangdier with a cold glare, "Think carefully, Lieutenant!"
"The orcs are coming, make your decision quickly!" the big-bearded mercenary leader urged, "Whether you fight or flee, give us some food first. We’ve lost our supplies and haven't eaten for days, we’re almost too weak to walk!"
"Griffin team, prepare to take off for alert, Charlie, take four men to scout for the enemy!" Xiangdier issued the command.
"Captain Xiangdier, I suggest you send another five men to fly back to the Shield Camp to prepare the garrison for battle. It would be best for you to go personally, to ensure speed and accuracy. Here, you are the most persuasive and hold the highest rank," squad leader Charlie reported.
"I will go personally, but before that, I must order everyone to retreat. Bring me the leaders of the six militia groups!" Xiangdier instructed.
As the big-bearded mercenary leader and his men were gobbling down food, the six militia leaders were brought over. Hearing about the orc soldiers, each of them showed great fear. Xiangdier comforted them and agreed to let them all retreat back to the Shield Camp.
"You can leave the ancient camels behind. In war, we value human life the most. Although materials are the hard work of the people of various countries, human life is the most important," Captain Xiangdier comforted the six militia leaders. "Don't be afraid, we will do our best to delay the enemy and ensure your safe evacuation! The God of Light is watching over us from the heavens. We will be fine! Now go back and lead the militiamen to start retreating!"
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"No one is allowed to leave, otherwise, don't blame me if you die from poisoning," Rody sneered, "In the roast meat sent to you, I added a mix of Saromanque snake and Thin-Waist Spotted Red-Eye Bee toxins. I dare say, if you run away, you will not see the sunrise tomorrow. Captain Xiangdier, if you dare to run away, I will immediately report this matter to the military court. Not only will you die, but you will also be disgraced, and the deities will surely cast you into hell after death!"
"You..." Captain Xiangdier was furious, about to erupt, but Stanley and the others surrounded him, ready to rain down iron fists at the slightest provocation.
"What are you doing?" Several griffin riders were taken down by Jesse and his team and tied up.
"I declare you are relieved of your military duties!" Rody looked at Captain Xiangdier indifferently, "Based on your passive war avoidance and wrong decisions, I declare that from now, you have become a disgraceful war criminal! You have the right to remain silent, and the right to protest, but everything you say, I will treat as nonsense! Six militia leaders, if you want to survive, stay here; otherwise, lead the militiamen to retreat. I believe, before you even enter the Shield Camp, you will be killed as deserters!"
"Captain Rody, we, we are poisoned too?" The six militia leaders were frightened.
"No." Rody kindly patted their shoulders, "Don’t be afraid. I was ordered by General Quentin to oversee the grain transport, only targeting deserters. I have no ill intentions towards you!"
"Hey, hey, the food you gave us, it's not poisoned, right?" The big-bearded mercenary leader turned pale with fear, "We will obey your commands!"
"Who has so much poison to waste on you, all of you, move aside!" Chris chuckled secretly, amused by Rody's bluff about the Saromanque snake, the Red-Eye Bee, and orders from General Quentin – all big talks.
"Chris, Jesse, you take a few men to ride the griffins and scout for the orc’s trail," Rody instructed the six militia leaders, "If you want to stay, then look after the ancient camels. Blindfold them and tie them in the forest. If you have time, make some defensive structures for your safety, like traps. We don’t need you to join the battle; you don’t have to worry. Stanley, Lopeck, take twenty men and tie these guys up. If anyone resists, execute them according to military law, without exception!"
"Yes!" Stanley immediately raised his axe towards Xiangdier, his fighting spirit erupting.
Xiangdier initially wanted to resist, but seeing that his opponents were all five-star warriors and he was without his griffin and poisoned, he had no choice but to surrender meekly. Two griffin riders, seeing their companions captured and their captain surrendering with a long sigh, immediately chose to give up.
The griffin riders from the distant camp were driven out by Stanley and his team. Some, seeing the military mutiny and finding themselves at a disadvantage, wisely chose to surrender. However, there were some who were blind to the situation, like Charlie, who felt superior and refused to obey orders, attempting to escape on a griffin. Stanley and others were prepared and shot him down with an arrow before killing him in front of everyone.
Soon, the remaining dozen or so men quickly surrendered, dropping their weapons and pleading for mercy.
Rody, taking advantage of the situation to instigate a military mutiny and turn the tide, found even himself surprised by how smoothly it went. He had expected some to try to escape into the sky, even releasing mantises to kill any airborne riders to prevent the leak of information. Being logistics soldiers in Lot's army, they would have eventually been sent to their deaths. The perfect opportunity for reversal came when he thought they were surely doomed, just like the first time.
If they didn't revolt now, finding another opportunity later would be difficult.
"What do we do now, boss?" Stanley knew that a military mutiny was no small matter. Even if they defeated the orcs, others might not believe their story upon return, especially since the griffin riders were one of Lot's personal guards, and he would surely protect Xiangdier and his men.
"Of course, I have a plan," Rody waved his hand, "Wait until Chris and Jesse scout the enemy, then I'll tell everyone what to do!"
"You're the captain? So young... do you really have a plan?" the big-bearded mercenary leader asked doubtfully.
"Of course the boss has a plan. Who dares to question him? He's been praised as a military genius by my father, General Quentin, one of the top ten generals of Norn, and the first student who can defeat instructors!" Kase suddenly stood up, his words stabilizing everyone. With a military genius present, and the son of a general, they might indeed have a way.
Chris was the first to return on a griffin, bringing not-so-good news to Rody.
The orc soldiers were less than twenty kilometers away from their camp, numbering over three hundred, including twenty berserkers and two shamans. The only slight relief was that they were hunting wild animals for food, and they were expected to catch up after nightfall.
"We can defeat them," Rody pondered for a moment, "We’ll use ambush tactics after their meal. Orcs indulge in eating, often overeating, leaving them bloated and unable to exert their full combat strength. We’ll strike then. Chris and I will assassinate the two shamans. Without their leaders, the orcs will go berserk, making them easier to lure. After several rounds of luring and ambushes, when few orcs remain, we’ll lead them to a dangerous place, like a cliff, and annihilate them completely. The other orcs won't know anything, and we can retreat slowly!"
"Great plan!" Everyone applauded, feeling inspired by strategies of assassinating leaders, luring enemies, and total annihilation.
"What about when we return?" Only a few smart people like Chris understood that these words were to boost morale; in reality, executing the plan would not be easy. Orcs were not simple foes; this was just Rody's best current plan. However, these words were timely and precisely what everyone needed!
"When we return, we will be welcomed as triumphant heroes!" Rody laughed, secretly using the 'Joyous Inspiration' psychic magic to boost everyone’s confidence, declaring, "I have prepared a one-way magical communication device. I’ll report everything to the military now. I believe, when we return victorious, the entire army will cheer for us! Heroes, we seek a victorious return, not a shameful defeat. Follow me, and victory will be ours!"
"Long live..." Under Rody's psychic magic, morale exploded, and everyone was excitedly jumping, eager to go into battle.