Ch.127Chapter 127: Swift and Decisive

Thus, the expedition began its march and arrived at the forest where the orcs were stationed without any particular difficulties.

The eastern region has many plains. However, despite the abundance of flatlands, there were clearly small mountains and forests scattered throughout.

This was natural, as fertile land itself can only exist where vegetation is present.

Even the southern plains would not have been so barren if they had been lush with vegetation.

“Hmm… Just as the scouts reported, this looks quite troublesome.”

Forests were more familiar territory for orcs. They typically tended to establish their settlements in wooded areas.

Their movement in forests surpassed that of humans, and they knew how to utilize the forest to their advantage.

Of course, they weren’t as adept as elves or beast folk, but they were still far better than humans.

Simply burning down the forest wouldn’t be a bad strategy, but the disadvantages far outweighed the benefits. The forest was truly nature’s storehouse. Since people and animals lived alongside the forest, indiscriminate arson would be detrimental in the long run. Moreover, if the orcs retreated, they might end up destroying the forest while letting the orcs escape.

“Hmm… They don’t seem to want to come out, do they?”

The adjutant who spoke beside Grace was the very knight who had served as the commander-in-chief in Leverik.

“Indeed. If we ignore them, they’ll hide and ambush our supply units. If we attack the forest, they might drag things out while fleeing.”

“Huh? Would orcs use such tactics?”

But Grace knew well that these creatures were different from ordinary orcs.

“Have you not been observing the orcs’ movements all this time? They’re more cunning, not less. This is a delaying tactic. Our supply units will have to pass through the Malfen Forest anyway. That’s what they’re targeting.”

Setting up a supply unit alone takes considerable time. Considering the time it takes to move, even one supply unit being attacked could be devastating.

There’s a reason they say war is all about supplies.

“Hmm… We could win if we push forward, but our casualties wouldn’t be small. It’s a very clever move to increase our losses even slightly.”

If the entire army had been composed of Oscar Kingdom soldiers, she would have ordered a charge without hesitation. But while there were Oscar Kingdom soldiers among the forces gathered here, most were mercenaries.

They were people who had gathered to fulfill a request, and she couldn’t treat them recklessly like national soldiers.

Of course, there were those who regarded mercenaries’ lives as worthless as flies, but at the very least, Grace knew how to value human lives.

Eventually, they set up temporary tents in front of the forest where the orcs were stationed, and Grace’s expedition began their meeting.

“I would appreciate any good ideas or strategies without reservation. Annihilating the enemy head-on would be the quickest way to defeat them, but I’m concerned about the potential casualties.”

At Grace’s words, everyone appeared deep in thought.

The first to speak was Lindhi, the mage from the Magic Tower.

“No matter how important the forest is, could it be more important than this war? Form a detachment to set fire behind the orcs and charge with the entire army to annihilate them instantly. This way, we can block their retreat and quickly eliminate them.”

It was an efficient proposal befitting a mage. The burning of the forest might be unavoidable, but fire tactics in a forest involved too many variables.

The direction of the wind, the spread of the fire, and unforeseen damage to friendly forces.

It would be good if it went well, but if luck wasn’t on their side, the damage to their own forces could be severe.

“Hmm, it’s a good idea, but I find it too extreme. Any other opinions?”

While everyone was evaluating Lindhi’s strategy as reasonable, someone cautiously raised their hand.

“May I say something too?”

Upon identifying who it was, Grace smiled warmly.

“Oh, Lady Lisa. Of course. Please speak freely.”

At that moment, everyone’s attention turned to Lisa.

Despite her small stature, Lisa faced their gazes confidently.

“I also agree with forming a detachment.”

Those who had expected Lisa to modify or complement Lindhi’s strategy were somewhat surprised by what she said next.

“But let’s send the strongest detachment possible.”

“Huh? Lady Lisa, what do you mean by ‘the strongest detachment’?”

“From what I’ve observed while accompanying Prince Balt, the enemy’s main force consists of the mage unit, Orc Lords, and Orc Generals gathered in the rear.”

This had been the case in all regions. Humans had suffered great defeats because they were weakened by ordinary orcs first, and then faced with the simple strategy of Orc Lords and Generals leading the charge.

“There are two Orc Lords, and I estimate there are about 70 Orc Generals. And there should be around 150 orc mages as well.”

These were generally accurate numbers.

“Hmm, that’s right. But are you suggesting we intercept them with a detachment?”

Lisa’s plan was to strike the rear.

“The forest actually makes it easier for a detachment to move. We can target the enemy’s rear without being detected.”

As Lisa began to express her opinion in earnest, Grace placed her finger on her chin and responded thoughtfully.

“But too large a force would be easily noticed by the orcs. As you know, their scouts are Orc Riders. They ride wolves. They have better mobility than horses, so our chances of being detected are high.”

This was one of the reasons why the orcs had chosen the forest. The orcs’ mobility came from the wolves they had tamed.

Wolves have better mobility in forests than horses.

“I don’t think we need such a large force.”

“Oh? To strike the Orc Lords’ rear units, a considerable force would be necessary. Do you not know the strength of an Orc Lord?”

“No, I know it very well.”

In truth, Lisa hadn’t fully grasped the strength of an Orc Lord.

This was because Balt had dispatched them so quickly. However, Lisa had been able to gauge the Orc Lords’ strength to some extent from hearing about Grace and Luktan’s battle.

“Princess Grace, you can handle an Orc Lord alone, right?”

At Lisa’s words, Grace confidently exclaimed.

“That is correct. If there are no interferences, I can certainly capture an Orc Lord by myself.”

Then Lisa looked at Luktan.

“What about you, Brother Luktan?”

Upon being addressed, Luktan confidently beat his chest and said.

“Hahaha, little sister, you have a good eye for people. I might not have been sure before, but today I would definitely win. And overwhelmingly so.”

Luktan’s confidence was by no means arrogance. And Lisa had occasionally watched Balt and Luktan’s training out of boredom.

Luktan was by no means inferior to Balt. Although Balt had won one sparring match, that was before Luktan had learned about Aura.

The enemies had surprised humans with their unexpected capabilities?

In Lisa’s opinion, that wasn’t surprising at all.

After all, there was a race here that was crazy enough to learn Aura in just two days and emit an Aura comparable to a fifth-level user.

“Are you sure about this? As you know from fighting them, Orc Lords are not to be taken lightly.”

It wasn’t that she was dismissing Luktan. Grace’s tone was filled with concern for him.

“Don’t worry, darling! Two swings of my axe and I can take an Orc Lord’s head! But it has to be the one I fought before!”

He was referring to the Orc Lord that he and Grace had tried to capture but had escaped.

“Well, then it seems settled, doesn’t it? Princess Grace and Brother Luktan will handle the two Orc Lords. Prince Balt here will take care of the 70 Generals, and Princess Liris will handle the 150 mages.”

But Grace still remained skeptical.

“Is that possible, Balt?”

Blocking 70 Generals wasn’t an impossible number. Orc Generals at the 6-7th level were strong, but they relied solely on brute force.

And the same went for the mages. Even if it was impossible to annihilate them all, Liris could hold them off.

After all, Liris still had some of Balt’s blood that she had been saving.

Later, it was discovered that there were side effects to Liris drinking Balt’s blood.

It’s a bit hard to call it a side effect; it should be called an aftereffect.

After transforming into a white-haired true ancestor, she found it difficult to use magic for several days.

This was fine at first, but the more she overused it, the longer this period became.

The best frequency was once a week. That was the optimal time for a vampire to drink a Gerungtoo’s blood and properly awaken the power of a true ancestor’s blood to fight.

That’s why Liris had been saving Balt’s blood until now. If Liris were to drink Balt’s blood and face the orc mages, they would be no match for her, as they only used simple curse magic.

“It’s possible. As long as the Orc Lords and mages are taken care of, it’s more than enough.”

With Balt’s confident answer, Grace made her decision.

“A swift strike at the enemy’s rear. I like it very much. I like it even more because it’s a strategy where I can resolve matters with my own hands.”

This strategy would also neutralize the rear support mages, which would benefit the expedition members facing ordinary orcs.

The only personnel who would be absent from the main force would be Grace, Luktan, Balt, Liris, and Arias.

Lisa judged that it would be more helpful for her to remain with the main force and assist Grace’s close aides with command.

Arias was an indispensable party member for potential recovery needs.

“Good! We’ll go with Lady Lisa’s plan! Now, let’s work out the details!”

Thanks to Lisa’s accurate analysis of the enemy forces and terrain, the most efficient strategy was born.

If the enemy hadn’t been in a forest, sneaking to the rear would have been impossible, and without a proper understanding of the enemy’s strength, such a lineup wouldn’t have been proposed.

While Grace and others marveled at Lisa’s keen eye, Lisa herself had a different thought.

‘What’s the big deal? Just crush them with a Gerungtoo and we’ll win.’

To Lisa, a Gerungtoo was nothing short of a cheat key.