The final outcome of the battle remained unknown to many, but after the demonic tribe's frenzied charge was defeated by Rody City, Rody and Chris, along with their elite squad, rushed to the camp for a rescue operation. They found only a few dozen old soldiers remaining; General Quentin and a dozen other generals had all perished.
Lying before them were the bodies of over forty thousand half-human, half-horse creatures, strewn across the hills and fields, a grim collection of bones and corpses.
This battle, up until the very moment Rody arrived for the rescue, the camp had never fallen. The human flag still fluttered high.
The survivors were a handful of old soldiers who were magicians.
They had fainted from overexerting their magical powers, which was the reason they had not died in battle. A thousand weak slaves now took up the old soldiers' swords and guarded the camp. Outside, thousands of half-human, half-horse creatures, weary and scarred, rested, waiting for reinforcements. They dared not cross the line again, as each probing charge was met with old soldiers rushing out in a suicidal attack, instilling deep fear in these creatures for the old soldiers' fearless sacrifice.
A thousand girls wept as they tended to the severely wounded old soldiers. In the absence of sufficient medical supplies, there was little more they could do.
In the distant mountains, the beastmen had not yet departed.
Their watchful gaze made the half-human, half-horse creatures hesitant to move rashly. These beastmen waited, seemingly eager to scavenge the remnants of the battle. But before the half-human, half-horse creatures could receive reinforcements, they were slaughtered by the elite squad that had hurried to the scene. Rody and Chris were the fastest, followed closely by Red-haired Sael, Ice Demon Gao, young powerhouse Nutidora from Kamaron, Silver Fang Jelstoni, and others. The frenzied onslaught of these young legions, especially the well-coordinated elite squad, decimated the exhausted half-human, half-horse creatures.
After their victory in battle, the young soldiers tearfully buried the bodies of the old soldiers.
Many of the self-destructed old soldiers were beyond recognition, and some, who had been completely obliterated, were represented only by a set of military uniforms.
According to the wishes of General Quentin and others, they hoped to be buried alongside the common soldiers. Rody and all the young people dug a massive grave, the Tomb of Ten Thousand, placing the remains of twenty thousand old soldiers within it, and inscribed the names of everyone on a giant stele.
The central stele, inscribed personally by Rody, read as their epitaph: "We will forever remember you, our fathers, please watch over us from the skies..."
The remaining old soldiers, either surviving or severely injured, refused to leave.
They wished to stay forever, guarding this grave until the end of their lives.
Despite Rody's repeated persuasion, the remaining old soldiers would rather threaten suicide than leave the Tomb of Ten Thousand.
"Young Marshal, we belong here, let us stay. As soldiers, we have completed all our duties, and now, we formally apply for retirement. We won't return, young Marshal. You can recruit the young to protect everyone; we are old now. This is the era of youth for you, and we can retire in peace... Here, we have our companions, our brothers; they need our company. Let us stay!" The last surviving old soldiers refused to return to Rody City, wishing to remain here as their final resting place.
"Old warriors, don't you understand? The moment we retreat, you will be subject to retaliatory attacks," Red-haired Sael also tried to persuade them.
"We know, but that means nothing to us. Death is but a release for us. We wish to die here, in the company of everyone, not in our beds. That's not our wish," the old soldiers laughed heartily, as if the return of the enemy was exactly what they desired.
For the old soldiers who insisted on staying, the young soldiers had no choice but to salute them repeatedly, unable to express their admiration in any other way.
A thousand slaves and a thousand girls were rescued unscathed, but twenty thousand old soldiers were gone forever.
In their final moments, they displayed the heroic spirit and valiant determination of human heroes. Though old, their courage remained undiminished.
Tens of thousands of half-human, half-horse creatures, emerging from nowhere, plotted to thwart the rescue mission. But the twenty thousand old soldiers showed them that humans are not afraid of death, and that there is never a shortage of brave warriors among them.
Whether old and feeble or young and strong, all were capable of defeating the enemy.
The old soldiers might not have had the strength of the young, but their spirit and experience were unparalleled. The ferocious and numerous half-human, half-horse creatures fell in droves in the glorious self-sacrifice of the old soldiers, becoming a testament to their victory. General Quentin, who had slain ten enemy leaders, and General Heta, holding a giant explosive, charged into the ranks of the half-human, half-horse creatures, taking out a thousand with them in a mutual destruction.
Their bodies were obliterated, but their spirit will forever be a source of pride in the hearts of humanity.
This is what old soldiers are.
These are the old soldiers, long abandoned by the world, who, in their final moments, burst forth with the most beautiful and brilliant radiance.
The glorious twilight of the twenty thousand old soldiers, their sacrifice and dedication, left anyone who witnessed the scene profoundly moved.
When Rody and his troops withdrew, the beastmen waiting did not attack the old soldiers' camp. Instead, they sent an envoy to Rody with a memory crystal, which detailed the old soldiers' battle. From another perspective, it clearly and shockingly showed the fierce confrontation between humans and the half-human, half-horse creatures.
In terms of individual strength, the half-human, half-horse creatures were far stronger and more formidable than the old soldiers. They possessed the attack power surpassing that of infantry, the speed of cavalry, and even ranged attack capabilities. With fifty thousand in number, plus aerial creatures attacking from above, it seemed impossible for humans to achieve victory. But the old soldiers did. They held their ground inside the negotiation camp, neutralizing the speed advantage of the half-human, half-horse creatures, then striking from a distance with bows and crossbows.
Unable to overpower the enemy, the human old soldiers chose to sacrifice themselves in self-detonation.
Not a single half-human, half-horse creature survived the explosions. Countless old soldiers, holding smoking barrels, charged into the enemy ranks one after another, trading their lives for victory.
This video, filmed by the beastmen, moved people to tears, even the filming beastmen warriors expressed that they rarely saw such human soldiers. They were shocked, believing that even beastmen warriors would struggle to defeat them.
"Human old soldiers are commendable; such a spirit of sacrifice is terrifying!" This was the assessment of the beastman's Fifth Marshal, Colin Chax, the Axe King.
"If every human soldier were like these old soldiers, like those of Rody City, then we should immediately retreat. Fortunately, our opponent is the fool Torosky!" Leshishisa, the Shaman Witch King, praised the old soldiers while not forgetting to mock the Sanctus Great Alliance.
"We will not send any soldiers to attack the Tomb of Ten Thousand. The old soldiers there, we beastmen regard them as heroes," declared the Lionheart King to the world.
...
"I am proud and honored, forefathers, you have taught us one final lesson," Rody expressed his feelings for the first time in a magical newspaper.
"Tears can't help but fall when you leave us, I realize that we have lost our most steadfast support, our best teachers, and elders. Through your astounding victory, we have understood and learned this spirit. Whether it's the demonic tribe or any other monsters, we will not have a trace of fear. Inheriting your will, we promise you, we will not let their schemes succeed," Chris, the son of the elf, also published an obituary in the Kamaron magical newspaper.
"Your blood, old soldiers, shall not have been shed in vain," Red-haired Sael.
"Learning from you!" Even Ice Demon Gao, such a cold character, also expressed his feelings in the magical newspaper.
"Father, please watch over us from the skies. In front of you, I am always the son who relies on his father, always the one you worry about the most, the son who never grows up... My father, please infuse courage into my heart, let me also be as brave as you; my father, please guide me from the skies, let me follow in your footsteps! Father, being your son is my lifelong pride, and if you wish, in my next life, still be my father! Father, the hero in people's hearts, General Quentin, please allow this soldier to salute you!" The magical newspaper published Keli's obituary for his father, General Quentin, causing a great sensation in the Norn Empire.
"Salute to you, old soldiers, old heroes! We will forever remember you!" Kamaron People's Daily.
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"Old soldiers, farewell," the Dennis Free Alliance Express.
"General Quentin was my right-hand man, a great hero. Norn will erect a statue of him, enshrine him in the Norn Heroes Memorial Hall, a place not even I, the king, can be enshrined. Let the hero be remembered by history forever, always remembered by the Norn people," the Norn King, besides posthumously awarding General Quentin as the Iron Blood General and Grand Duke, also bestowed the title of Earl to Keli's elder brother, along with a piece of land and a castle.
"The glorious battle, in the old soldiers, I saw the greatness of humanity. But also in them, reflected the pettiness of some people. Besides mourning the valiant old soldiers, we should also loudly call out, not to let the old soldiers' sacrifice be in vain, not to let their reputation be tarnished. Everyone says, should we let some idlers who occupy positions of power continue to hog the name of human soldiers? They don't deserve to be soldiers, generals, much less marshals! They claim righteousness, yet engage in shameless betrayal and assassination plots. It is because of these despicable people that the beastmen and demons mistakenly think humans are weak and can be bullied. If not for their betrayal of humanity, would we still need to worry about the beastmen and demon army today?" Famous magical journalist Ivan Yev in the people's magical newspaper directly targeted the Sanctus Great Alliance.
"We are indeed disappointed, why do the abandoned old soldiers terrify the beastmen, yet the Sanctus with hundreds of thousands of troops dare not strike at five thousand beastmen? Twenty thousand old soldiers killed over forty thousand half-human, half-horse creatures, the Sanctus with four hundred thousand soldiers, how many beastmen can they defeat? Forty thousand? Four thousand? Don't tell us, you can only defeat four hundred!" Mire's magical newspaper also did not hold back in its sarcasm.
“Heroes will forever be immortal!” declared His Majesty William II.
“Mireille has designated this day as 'Veterans Day'. On this day every year, Mireille will lower the flag to half-mast to pay tribute to the veterans,” announced the Empress of Mireille.
“Indeed, veterans deserve praise, but I hope more for the Sanctity Alliance and Rody City to resume dialogue, not to fight each separately. This is the true blessing for humanity,” suggested His Majesty King Adrujeser of Great Fley, proposing a joint effort between the Sanctity Alliance and Rody City.
“For the life of twenty thousand, only two thousand were saved. Even a three-year-old child knows how to calculate this account!” critiqued the Redlands National Magic Newspaper.
“Recklessness! That's the only word I can use to describe it. These veterans have already retired, they no longer have the strength to fight. But that magical kid Rody insists on sending them to their deaths, a foolish decision. As for the veterans, it's an act of overestimating their abilities! We've also noticed something else: Rody City is using a despicable, powerful weapon, a magical cylinder that causes massive explosions. It must be a secret killing weapon developed by Rody, something against the path of righteousness. We should ban its appearance on the battlefield to avoid harming the innocent!” criticized the Temple's Truth Newspaper.
“The position of Marshal is not for some self-righteous generals to decide. It requires authorization from the Temple and recognition from the heads of nations around the world. Who would recognize Rody, this mixed soldier, as Marshal? The true Human Alliance Grand Marshal is Trosky, our pride of Galle!” loudly condemned the Galle Ducal Newspaper, declaring Rody's claim to be Marshal as illegitimate.
“Listen, banning powerful weapons from harming enemies, that's the truth according to the Truth Newspaper!” mocked the Naples Newspaper.
“Go kiss the centaur's behind! You hypocritical bastard, don't let me see you, or I'll blast you with the magic cylinder!” cursed the vitriolic journalist Simpson, deeply incensed by the comments of the Temple's Truth Newspaper.
“If I use the magic cylinder to blow up the Temple and am condemned by the world, I wouldn't be surprised. But what astonishes me is how the veterans using the magic cylinder to perish together with the centaurs has become a condemnable terrorist attack? Such a heroic act, even someone as cold-blooded as I am feels the blood boiling. How can those bastards in the Temple feel nothing? No, I suddenly realize I have more humanity than those Temple dogs, and that makes me sad!” exclaimed the leader of the anti-human terrorist organization, Buland, in astonishment.
“We no longer recognize Trosky as Marshal. Does he still have the face to represent us humans as Grand Marshal?” criticized the Mesdunia Morning Newspaper.
“Rody is indeed a suitable candidate for Marshal, but the transition to this position could have been handled better. If the Sanctity Alliance acknowledges Rody as the Human Grand Marshal, it would be beneficial for them in every negative aspect, and also for the fate of all humanity,” reasonably assessed Norn's Magic Newspaper.
“Magical kid Rody is good at war, but not suitable as Marshal, he's too young!” responded the Temple.
'He's too young', this response shattered the hopes in people's hearts.
Now, even a fool knows that the relationship between the Temple and Rody can never be mended. Even if Rody defeats the impending crisis of the demon and orc armies, the Temple will not spare him. It seems the next assassination attempt is not too far off.
In such dire times today, when Rody has established his great military achievements, the Temple still cannot reconcile with Rody.
Rody's ultimate fate, no need to guess, is already imminent.
But what can people do?
…
“We can also achieve victory! And a grand victory at that!” suddenly proclaimed Trosky, who had been silent all this time in the Sanctity Fortress.
This message left everyone somewhat astonished.
When did Trosky, the coward, become so brave? Could it be that besides his expertise in drinking and womanizing, he actually had a talent for warfare? For a moment, the world was abuzz with countless speculations and uproar among various nations. Some believed that if Trosky dared to send troops into battle, all the soldiers would end up being cooked in a pot by the orcs.
Others thought that Trosky might have already negotiated terms with the orcs, preparing for another ‘Night Visit Gate’.
In short, all eyes were on Sanctity, waiting to see a joke unfold.
Several days later, the Sanctity Alliance's army indeed fought a splendid battle, recording the combat and broadcasting it publicly, stunning the world. Of course, what shocked everyone was not the victory itself, but the incredibility of this victory.
In this battle, the soldiers of the Sanctity Alliance were brave, not just holding their ground but confronting over fifty thousand centaur monsters.
After two hours of fierce combat, the Sanctity Alliance's air force defeated the flying monsters, and their magic legion destroyed nearly half of the centaur legions. The vanguards of both sides were ground into mincemeat. Eventually, the centaur monster army was forced to retreat, leaving behind over thirty thousand corpses and fleeing into the Evil Forest under the pursuit of the human cavalry and air force.
After the victorious battle, there was no Night Visit Gate scandal, nor any negative reports.
The battle was very real, with fierce fighting and significant casualties on both sides. Finally, the Sanctity Alliance won by sheer numbers.
From any angle, this victory had no flaws and didn't seem fabricated. Had it not been for the prior Night Visit Gate, people would have been eager to cheer, but now, except for the Galle Empire and other supporting countries, there was silence worldwide. No one questioned the victory, nor did they cheer. Everyone was waiting for the truth of the matter, or perhaps sending magic reporters directly to ask the magical kid Rody, what would be the result if he had fought this battle.
Rody didn’t answer; he only wished the Sanctity allied forces a grand victory.
The magic reporters then caught hold of the Elf Son, Kris. What couldn't be asked from Rody often could be obtained from him.
"Our soldiers in Rody City couldn’t have fought such a spectacular offensive battle. We can only defend, not attack, let alone achieve a glorious victory in an offensive. I find Trosky's victory unbelievable and congratulate him on it!" Kris, the Elf Son, said with a cold smile.
"If Trosky is capable, let him try fighting a battle against the orcs and the demons," suggested Red-haired Saul, adding to the confusion.
What did he mean by fighting a battle against orcs and demons? Weren't the centaur monsters attacking the Sanctity Alliance part of the orcs or demons? Did Saul mean the centaur monsters were Trosky's allies? They clearly came to exterminate humanity and had previously attacked the veterans.
The appearance of the centaur army was very mysterious, but judging from their form, they should be orcs or demons.
"The play was well-performed," commented Ice Demon Gao, more directly, suggesting it was all an act.
"Congratulations to the Sanctity Alliance for the victory, and congratulations to Trosky for using a hundred thousand army to defeat fifty thousand centaurs, killing thirty thousand of them with only a few thousand casualties. It's quite remarkable. I, Guilede, am very impressed and plan to bring ten thousand troops to learn from this, hoping Marshal Trosky won't refuse!" Orc Guilede directly challenged them to a battle.
"The victorious battle, witnessed by all, clearly seen by everyone, is beyond doubt!" reported the Galle Ducal Newspaper extensively, engaging in utmost propaganda and national celebration.
“If anyone says no, it's just blatant envy!” declared the Redlands Newspaper.
“Reward: A hefty reward of ten thousand gold coins for anyone who can provide the truth about the Sanctity centaur battle,” announced the Thieves Guild with an extraordinary bounty.
“I can't tell with my own eyes, but I dare say, the truth will come out one day, and then let's see what Trosky has to say. Dear friends, let's wait, believing the truth isn't far off! Think about it, if Trosky had the ability to defeat thirty thousand centaurs, then why would he stage the Night Visit Gate incident with just five thousand orcs? In a word, everyone knows, he's an incompetent fool, such a miracle couldn't possibly happen to him!” the People's Voice of Kamarlon responded in kind.
“Everyone, pay attention, Trosky predicted his victory before this battle even started,” pointed out the Dennis Free Alliance Newspaper, also highlighting evidence.
Countless magic reporters rushed to Sanctity, not to sing praises or interview the meritorious soldiers, but to exhaust every means to probe the truth of the victory. Every day, under the pretext of interfering with military matters, Sanctity expelled dozens of magic reporters, and all soldiers were under a gag order.
However, under the scrutiny and search of the magic reporters, the Sanctity Alliance, before it could even cheer for its victory, turned to worry.
Daily inquiries about the details of the battlefield also greatly annoyed the generals.
It was unclear whether the magic reporters' questions were about reporting their glorious victory or probing for flaws in the battle. Nearly every magic reporter had their pockets full of gold coins, ready to reward heavily anyone who could reveal even slightly useful information.
The battle between the Sanctity Alliance and the centaurs was taken as a negative case study by various magic and knight academies around the world.
Teachers and students alike repeatedly analyzed and practiced, trying to find flaws.
Finally, from the mouths of bold young elites like Red-haired Saul and Ice Demon Gao, magic reporters 'sharpened' a bit of a flaw. It was about the distribution of spoils and handling of corpses. Everyone knows that spoils represent honor; the wooden clubs and animal skins from the Night Visit Gate had become show-off spoils. If it weren't for the orcs' exposure, they would have continued to deceive the world!
Now, after killing thirty thousand centaurs, where are all the spoils?
The most crucial point, the veterans killed forty thousand centaurs, Rody and the human elites, along with a thousand slaves, took a whole day to hastily bury the mountainous corpses of the centaurs.
Where did the corpses of the thirty thousand centaurs killed by the Sanctity Alliance go?
Were they 'resurrected'?
Although the Sanctity officials explained several times that the centaur bodies contained some toxin and their blood could impregnate women, so the Sanctity army buried them in the most concealed place. He also said they were worried about the demon necromancers turning the centaur corpses into skeleton centaurs, so the location couldn't be disclosed to the public. As for which troops covered up the burial, he replied it was the Temple's nine knight orders.
“Blow, keep blowing! Centaurs are poisonous, their blood can impregnate women, I've never heard of such a thing, this lie is getting bigger and bigger! We're not in a hurry, just waiting for it to burst!” angrily accused the Wise Man of Landon, expressing his disgust at the fabrication and forced explanations.
“Reward: Capture a live centaur for three thousand gold coins, a corpse for eight hundred, and fresh blood also earns three hundred gold coins,” announced the Thieves Guild with a new reward.
"The noble Templar Knights personally burying the dead, how remarkable. When did they start rushing to do the work of a slave legion? Would any general or knight come forward to respond, admitting they were part of the burial? Come on, humanity's joke continues to play out. After the Night Visit Gate, Trosky has concocted an even more spectacular 'Burial Gate'. Although we haven't found enough evidence yet, the truth is right under our eyes!" the Dennis Free Alliance Express pursued relentlessly, causing great annoyance to the Sanctity Alliance.
The Sanctity Alliance protested against the world's suspicions, stating that their blood and sacrifices to protect all humanity were met with merciless questioning, which was truly heartbreaking.
This reaction from the world was not one of sympathy but even greater refutation.
Newspapers around the world stated that due to the 'Night Visit Gate' precedent, the Sanctity side needed to provide the most detailed explanations to regain people's trust. Moreover, Sanctity's protest against the reporting on Rody City and Sanctity indicated their own fault. In Rody City, war correspondents could go directly to the front lines, and everything captured was the absolute truth, including the enemy's corpses in abundance. Rody, besides killing, also had to worry about burying bodies. But the Sanctity side had done it 'cleanly', leaving nothing behind, no wonder the army was scrutinized.
Moreover, declaring victory before the battle was a bit too much, no wonder everyone was analyzing the details with full force.
In a word, if you have a clear conscience, why fear scrutiny?
No one exposed or revealed anything, but due to the meticulous research and on-site investigation by countless magic reporters, Trosky's victory leaned more and more towards ridicule, a disgrace even more notorious than the Night Visit Gate.
The same victory, yet with entirely different outcomes.
General Quentin led the veterans to a victory, and though they all died, people and history would forever remember this battle.
Trosky also won a victory, but instead of cheering for him, people continuously sought the truth and authenticity of the victory, the hidden truths... These two different fates, apart from being ironic, also showed their different standings in people's hearts.
Pursued relentlessly to the point of breathlessness by not only human magic reporters but also orcs.
Orc Axe Barbarian Guilede really brought more than ten thousand orc elites to the foot of Sanctity City for a challenge. At this time, the entire world's gaze was on Trosky; he had previously won against thirty thousand centaurs, and now, if he could defeat the orcs who exposed the Night Visit Gate, then everyone would truly believe in him. Or, regardless of whether he had defeated more than thirty thousand centaurs before, as long as he defeats these ten thousand orcs, everyone would cheer for him.
Ten thousand orcs, with no reinforcements, coming alone, even if all elites, should be a fightable battle.
Inside Sanctity, there were as many as four hundred thousand troops.
Kings of various countries made speeches, stating that if Trosky wanted to regain everyone's confidence, then he should come out and fight.
Especially King Adrujeser of Great Fley, who personally invited dozens of kings and deans of magic academies, formulated a combat plan that could be called perfect, and sent messengers overnight to Trosky. He also stated that the troops of Great Fley could fearlessly serve as the vanguard, as long as Trosky went to battle. Great Fley would then mobilize another hundred thousand troops in full support.
With such enthusiastic support from King Adrujeser of Great Fley, the Sanctity Alliance had no reason not to send troops.
Thus, everyone's gaze turned to Trosky, waiting for his decision.