coobybook Chapter 172 : Chapter 172
Chapter 172 : Chapter 172
Chapter 172
After checking, I felt a bit relieved.
‘At least we made it this far somehow.’
I thought we might get pushed back heavily in at least one spot, but surprisingly, there was almost no damage.
“Do you not need to go check the north?”
I shook my head at Jeremy’s question.
“Hmm… That side should be fine.”
It wasn’t a joke; it really was fine.
If it were just the Ogre, maybe not, but Calua was there too, so he would run away on his own if it got even a little dangerous.
“Above all, if it’s dangerous enough for the Ogre, would we even be of help?”
“Ah… that is true. Since Mr. Doll seems to excel more in anti-personnel combat, he wouldn’t be much help in a chaotic battle.”
“Exactly.”
Unless the Tyrant stepped up, there was no need to worry about the north as long as no signal came.
Rather, the problem was this side.
“The damage is too little, though…….”
“Huh? Isn’t it fortunate if there’s no damage?”
Jeremy looked at me as if asking how a person could be like that.
“As expected, you were planning to reduce the nobles in this battle…….”
What on earth does this guy think of me?
“That’s not it, I mean the battle was too easy. If we could win this easily, we wouldn’t have dragged for time until now.”
“Well…….”
Jeremy fell into thought at Ian’s words.
‘The reason the Legion is threatening is that they are different from regular Orcs.’
What separates a regular Orc tribe and a Legion.
It isn’t simply the difference in weaponry and armor.
Of course, there might be differences in combat experience or skill, but the bigger difference is that they use strategy.
‘Because a Legion ultimately means Orcs have formed an army.’
The Legion’s power lies in leadership.
Leadership that forms formations and uses strategy.
Just looking at Hlyundeyrr, didn't he lure the Moner army into a trap and use corpses to threaten the Moner army?
‘Huh? Then why did they get beaten so easily this time?’
Jeremy, who was tilting his head, slapped his knee and shouted.
“Ah! Because there are no Legion Commanders!”
What makes a Legion a Legion is the Legion Commander.
Generals who command thousands, tens of thousands of Orcs using strategy and tactics.
“A Legion without a Legion Commander is…….”
“Just Orcs wearing slightly better equipment.”
Reckless and ignorant.
They cannot form formations nor react to traps.
“Then catching the Legion Commanders first was a stroke of luck.”
Ian nodded at Jeremy’s words.
“If there had been even one more Legion Commander, we absolutely couldn’t have engaged in all-out war.”
Even if we lured one to the south, either the Eastern Army or Western Army wouldn’t have escaped a crushing defeat.
No matter how outstanding the Black Noble Troop is, they don't have the ability to dodge thousands of axes.
If there had been a Legion Commander, they could have blocked or suppressed the Black Noble Troop just by ordering them to surround and throw axes.
‘Conversely, without Legion Commanders right now, they are just a ragtag unit.’
Jeremy, who was nodding, asked as if he still couldn’t understand.
“Then, isn’t it natural that we didn’t take damage?”
“If the 4 Legion Commanders were all there was, then yes.”
Jeremy nodded at those words.
“Because even without the Legion Commanders, the King remains.”
If there were Legions led by Legion Commanders, there would be an army led directly by the King.
“To not move even while being attacked from all sides, he’s a guy who doesn’t suit the name Tyrant.”
Realizing that the Tyrant was a much more cautious and smart guy than expected, Ian let out a small sigh.
* * *
Grind.
- The report?
As language close to a beast’s flowed from his tightly shut mouth, the prostrate Shaman quickly shouted.
“Oh King! As you said, the Goblin King and Ogre have been confirmed in the north!”
At the same time, new messages appeared.
[Participation of the Goblin King, Teheki, has been confirmed.]
[Participation of the Ogre pack has been confirmed.]
[The war with the Reime Kingdom is escalated to a Species War.]
“What about other places?”
“Thousands of warriors have become wandering spirits! In the east, swordsmen wielding mana were found, and in the west, traces of magic were found!”
Knights in the east, wizards in the west?
That cowardly Magic Tower wouldn’t have moved directly.
‘Kingdom wizards? Did they move the Kingdom’s military power? Then the Knight Orders?’
The Tyrant closed his eyes.
Even within the experience of hundreds, thousands of wars, this was the first time he couldn’t read the opponent’s moves.
One move.
He only had one move given to him.
That was why he didn’t move.
Instead, he used Orcs as sacrifices to gather information on the enemies.
The problem was that the opponent had anticipated that too.
The opponent hid their power surprisingly perfectly.
The human forces confirmed so far were only a few thousand soldiers and a few hundred knights.
‘There’s no way they aimed for an all-out war with troops that couldn’t even beat a single Legion.’
It was too obvious of a trap.
A trap to induce carelessness by showing weak military power.
If he had moved directly, dozens of powerhouses who were waiting with bated breath would have rushed in to take his life.
‘If I were a normal Orc, I would have fallen for it.’
The more blatant the trap, the more fatal it is.
‘In the end, did I fail to find out their power even after sacrificing over ten thousand troops?’
What he found out after sacrificing over ten thousand troops was only the opponent’s goal.
‘They want me.’
All of the opponent’s moves are aiming only for him to move.
They formed an encirclement loose enough to make him snort, threatened him with a paper knife, and were browbeating him to come out quickly.
‘If White Mask hadn’t warned me about this, I might have fallen for it.’
If it were his usual self, he would have definitely let his guard down.
He would have already swung his axe, asking if they were trying to block the Legion with just those troops.
Then why on earth did he warn me?
Because of the confidence that I couldn’t stop it even if I knew?
Because he wanted to watch me struggle?
Grind.
As blood flowed from his clenched hand, the prostrate Shaman shouted quickly.
“Give, give us the order!”
“Order, you say…….”
The only card in his hand was his own life.
Lost in deep thought, the Tyrant let out a groan.
* * *
Ian looked at the Legion lined up in the distance.
“Wow, those guys seem two heads taller than other Orcs?”
“It’s probably because they selected the most outstanding warriors from each tribe.”
It was the Legion directly led by the King.
Naturally, he would have picked only the best fighters.
“Besides, their armor and weapons all look good. Where would Orcs get weapons like that?”
When Jeremy asked while looking at the sharp axes, Ian answered in a nonchalant voice.
“They probably traded with other species.”
“No way. Monsters trading, not humans?”
Jeremy shook his head as if that couldn’t be, but it was true.
Because the Lizard tribe’s crest remained on the weapons the Legion was holding.
‘They might have obtained them through raids, but then the Lizard tribe would have approached for revenge.’
Although known as monsters on the continent, the lizard-resembling Lizard tribe is closer to a different species than monsters.
Because they are a ‘communicable’ species with a culture that ‘humans can understand’.
Above all, they are intelligent beings who speak before using axes if there is an enemy. If they considered the Orcs enemies, they would have secretly contacted Moner.
“Well, that’s not what’s important.”
Ian looked at the Legion again.
Unlike the Orcs dying all around, this was a real army lined up in formation.
“Tsk, there are more than I thought.”
The King’s Royal Guard, endless to the sight, looked to be more than double the Orcs that died outside.
“If things like that go out to the continent…….”
“They would lightly conquer two or three kingdoms.”
Of course, even if they looked that strong, they would eventually be subjugated.
Since Orcs don’t farm or raise livestock, obtaining food would be impossible.
“Tens of thousands will die in the process, though.”
“Who knows, maybe they’ll just get a few domains and then negotiate with other kingdoms.”
Jeremy looked at him as if he couldn’t understand Ian’s words.
“With monsters? Negotiate?”
“Why not? From the royal family’s perspective, giving meat and food would be better than being destroyed by Orcs.”
“And with that meat and food, the Orcs would increase in number.”
“Because surviving right now is what’s important for humans.”
Actually, it is an event that happens often in 『Lost Chronicle』.
Where the invaded kingdom and surrounding kingdoms support the monsters, biting the bullet, and that species is genuinely recognized as a different species.
‘Since they are indeed a different species, it can’t be seen as purely bad anyway.’
Not all monsters are bad guys.
The ones who swing axes before talking and eat human flesh instead of beef are the bad ones.
Didn't they say the First Duke also tried to stay on friendly terms with other species?
As I was staring blankly at the Legion thinking this and that, Jeremy asked.
“So, do you have a plan?”
If I had a plan, would I be just watching like this?
“No.”
“……?”
Jeremy’s gaze seemed to ask if I was in my right mind, stabbing at my conscience, but it couldn't be helped.
I never imagined the Tyrant wouldn’t move even when attacked from all sides and with the Ogre joining in.
‘I can’t understand. Why aren't they moving the Royal Guard?’
You could tell just by seeing them wear Lizard-made special equipment, but the King’s Royal Guard was incomparable to other Legions.
Even if just a part of them moved, they could suppress the enemies on all sides.
‘I thought they would unconditionally move north since the Ogre is there…….’
They didn't move, as if nailed down.
Even though the Legion Commanders were dead and they were being attacked from all sides.
“…Wouldn’t those guys move if we gather the army?”
“Then the damage would be great.”
“Well, war naturally involves damage…….”
Ahem!
War is generally done by borrowing others’ strength!
I would accept some degree of damage.
But I’ll pass on a head-to-head fight with an army of that size.
I can see the Bad Ending right away.
Their armor is solid so arrows won’t work, and their military strength is much stronger; even if I used all the remaining magic stones to prepare a strategy, they would push through with numbers.
So I ordered other units to retreat without looking back if they saw the Royal Guard.
An army without a commander and one with a commander cannot be compared.
“The initial plan was to rob the empty house and quickly take out just the Tyrant…….”
“Shall we return for now?”
Ian, who was about to nod, suddenly stopped and fell into thought.
‘Why on earth are they not moving the Royal Guard?’
This world is not a game.
It doesn’t mean he isn’t moving because of an AI error or a bug.
There must be a reason why the Tyrant hasn’t moved his Royal Guard even though his troops are decreasing.
Suddenly, he saw a large tent surrounded by the Royal Guard.
The Royal Guard, lined up in formation, were particularly gathered around that tent.
Like the tent of a commander worried about assassination.
‘…Because he’s scared?’
That couldn’t be.
Orcs are warriors who would rather break than bend.
There was no way the King of warriors, who believed in his own strength more than anyone, would be under the protection of the Royal Guard.
Nevertheless, a strange feeling arose from the King’s appearance, hiding like a turtle.
‘If, just if.’
If the King leading the Legion is not an Orc but a player.
So if he is using his brain to analyze the opponent’s strategy and predict the next move.
How would the current war situation look?