Restart:Untalented Man

Chapter 417  Retreating Westward

"Arrgghh!!"

The battlefield echoed with the clash of swords and the deafening roars of soldiers as two armies collided relentlessly.

The metallic clang of swords meeting resounded across the battlefield, creating a dissonance that mingled with the cries of wounded soldiers.

Dust clouds billowed into the air as the combatants engaged in intense combat. The war in the southern region showed no signs of de-escalation, with both sides locked in a fierce struggle for dominance.

Near the vicinity of the battlefield stood a command centre and camp of one of the opposing forces.

Bearing the purple colour and insignias, the banners fluttered atop makeshift fortifications to display the symbols that represented the allegiance of the soldiers within.

Outside the encampment, the ruler of the Inver Kingdom, King Isaac Hadria Inver is watching the battle unfold through his binoculars. He can vividly see commanders barking orders, attempting to orchestrate their forces.

How many days had it been since the war began?

King Isaac pondered the question but found no immediate answer. He had lost the count.

Taking his eyes off the binoculars, King Isaac directed his gaze toward his war minister.

His expression didn't look good.

"Duke Yolger, our army is losing. I don't remember us being this weak," the king remarked, his tone edged with disappointment.

They had recently lost the city of Norish to the forces of Inverloch which became a severe blow to them.

Now, facing yet another setback in the ongoing conflict, King Isaac was grappling with the realization that their strength might not be sufficient to withstand the onslaught.

"I believe Inverloch is going all out in this war. They are mobilizing every able-bodied to restore the original border," Duke Jean Yolger replied.

"Wouldn't that be bad?" the king asked. "We should also deploy all of our available forces."

"We can't," the duke responded with a shake of his head. "We don't have enough resources to sustain a larger army. The prolonged conflicts have strained our reserves, and pushing for an all-out deployment may lead to a shortages of foods."

"Damn it!" King Isaac's curse echoed in the encampment.

If not Ryntum suddenly halting trade with them, his kingdom might had a change.

To think they wouldn't even think of helping them. Adding to the loss of the Norish region, his kingdom didn't have stable food sources that could supply them in huge quantities. "Are you sure there's no alliance between them and Inverloch?" Isaac asked his intelligence minister, Martin Midvier, a confirmation. "There's none, Your Majesty. Ryntum's action is simply because they want to appease the Inverloch. Their king opted to not strain their relationship because they have just emerged from a previous war," the elderly minister explained.

"So, there's a low possibility they will join this war. That's good," Duke Yolger remarked.

"It still doesn't change the fact that we're losing, Duke Yolger," Martin responded.

"Duke Yolger, tell the field commanders to retreat. We're going to Larkish and defend there," the king ordered.

"But, Your Majesty, that will boost the morale of Inverloch even higher. Larkish also originally belonged to them. If we lose that, we'll be forced back to our starting point. All our previous efforts will be for nought."

"I don't care. We should minimize the loss of manpower first. Else, we won't have anyone to fight for us."

Duke Yolger obeyed the instruction and promptly conveyed the order to the field commanders, instructing them to execute the retreat and consolidate their defences in Larkish.

At the same time, the encampment began its preparations for the retreat.

Soldiers hurriedly tidied up the area and packed their belongings.

The atmosphere was tense, echoing with the sounds of hurried movements and commands.

As the kingdom's forces retreat westward toward Larkish, cheers echo from the enemy ranks.

King Isaac turned around and saw the massive army of Inverloch that he couldn't ignore.

'Once I get to Larkish, I will write a letter to Bideford.' n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He had an idea of how to sway Ryntum's stance and pull them in.

Even if he couldn't, at the very least, he is confident Inver can gain their support.

"Martin, prepare the fastest rider available and put him on standby. In the event we are unable to defend the city, I want that rider to deliver my letter to the north."

Thinking the king most likely wanted to request their help, the old man asked, "Wouldn't it be a waste of time?"

"It won't. I guarantee you they will step in once they understand my reasoning."

Seeing how confident the king is, the old minister simply nods. ....

At Bideford, the person who becomes the subject of conversation is currently reading another letter.

The content is about the report on the incident in Tegrot. Bain has splendidly completed his task and captured the criminals.

Unfortunately, there's a loss of lives, mainly consisting of people kidnapped.

However, because they had no family, there was no way for Riz to compensate them aside from giving them a proper burial.

"I will think about compensating them in another way. This incident has brought my attention to matters regarding the orphans."

He predicted many sides would talk about this fact, especially the public.

Since the victims are relatively young, they will question Bain's decision.

This will definitely spark the discussion on the priority dilemma.

Should Bain focus on saving the victims despite its low success change or catch the criminal with a high chance of escaping?

Riz put down the letter and opened the next one. "Let's see...Oh?! It's from Niden." He began to read but soon found himself frowning. "They pinned the fault on Albert, huh? Seriously?"

Riz dismisses the fact that Niden also told him about the execution of two drivers and many merchants whom he found guilty.

They are not so important and are mostly small fry. As for Albert...

"He should be in Turtevekesia or Sidgean. Hmm...I suppose it's about time to order the spy in Mindsza to check his whereabouts. It's gonna take a while for sure."