dognovel Chapter 729 Foolish Adon
Chapter 729 Foolish Adon
With the investiture ceremony now complete, King Midland immediately decided to return to Wembley shortly after the ceremony.
This arrangement was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by the king, but rather the final recommendation given after repeated deliberation by the physicians in the palace who were specifically responsible for the health of the royal family.
As the king aged, his physical functions were no longer what they used to be, and various hidden ailments and chronic diseases began to appear. Staying in the military camp at the front for a long time would only cause continuous damage to his already weak body. The accompanying royal medical team repeatedly emphasized that the king must be brought back to the palace in the capital as soon as possible to recuperate and get away from the noise and hustle and bustle of the battlefield.
At the same time, the king made another crucial decision: to bring the vast majority of the newly formed troops brought on this expedition back to Midland, leaving only a small force to cooperate with the mercenary groups and local garrisons at the front to continue the war.
In a temporary camp in western Dordore, in a tent reserved for the core members of the Band of the Hawk to discuss the war, Gorkas, unable to contain his anxiety, spoke to the people gathered around the map, his tone full of incomprehension and resentment.
"No, what is this king thinking? Is there something wrong with his head?"
Gorcas gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He couldn't understand the royal family's actions and was filled with resentment at the interruption of the battlefield. He stared at the front-line battle map spread out in the center of the tent, his gaze falling on the supply outpost occupied by Yoda's army. His anger surged even higher.
"The battle was going smoothly, and the offensive at the front was advancing all the way. It looked like Yoda's defenses were about to be completely crushed. But then he took his main force and retreated directly. What does that mean?"
Griffith stood directly in front of the map, his gaze calmly sweeping over every troop deployment marked on it. Hearing Gorkas's complaints, he did not immediately show his emotions. Instead, he quickly sorted out the core considerations of the Midland royal family in his mind. After a moment, he slowly spoke, his tone steady and without the slightest ripple.
"The core reason the royal family made this decision is to consider the military balance of the entire kingdom."
Griffith's gaze remained fixed on the map, his fingertip lightly tapping the area of the Midland native noble's fiefdom. He was well aware of the power dynamics within the royal family and saw through the true intentions behind the king's actions. He didn't need to deliberately hide these thoughts; those before him were the core members of the Band of the Hawk, and they already trusted each other implicitly.
"The essence of this war with Yoda was to resolve the external border threats to Midland. Now that the external crisis has been largely resolved, the king is now facing the complex internal power struggles. Those old nobles who are entrenched in various regions all hold their own private armies, and their power is deeply rooted. If the newly formed army that went on this expedition suffers heavy losses in the battle with Yoda, and even loses its complete military structure, how will the king check and balance the military power of the various nobles after returning home, and how will he consolidate his royal rule?"
After hearing this explanation, Gorkas's dissatisfaction did not dissipate; instead, it intensified. He spat fiercely, turned around abruptly, and slumped into the wooden chair beside him. The chair creaked slightly from the sudden weight. He leaned back, his chest heaving violently, filled with disgust for the royal family's weighing of pros and cons and their sacrifice of the frontline gains.
"Damn it, these guys sitting in the palace only ever think about their own power and never care what the soldiers fighting on the front lines are going through."
After venting his resentment, Gorgas understood that the royal family's decision was irreversible and complaining would be futile. He looked up at Griffith, waiting for the leader of the Band of the Hawk to give him the next course of action. He knew that as long as Griffith was there, the Band of the Hawk would never be in a helpless situation.
Griffith withdrew his gaze from the map, surveyed the core members in the tent, his eyes calm and resolute. He knew that after the King took away the main force of the new army, the Band of the Hawk had become the core force for advancing the war on the front lines. Every step from now on had to be precise and efficient, without the slightest mistake.
"Now that the royal forces have withdrawn, the next battle can only be led by our Band of the Hawk. I need to formulate a complete operational plan for the next step: to capture Yoda's key supply base on the front line and cut off their logistical lifeline."
As soon as he finished speaking, Griffith looked directly at Jiedu, who was standing on the left side of the map.
"Jiedu, give a complete report on all the results of your investigation."
Jiedu stepped forward, walked to the map, and pointed to the area marked as Yoda's supply base on the map.
"Okay, the results of this reconnaissance are completely consistent with the intelligence we obtained from the high command in Midland. Yoda has concentrated most of the garrison at the supply base in the area in front of the south gate of the base, which is the area around where they temporarily piled up various combat supplies. The troop density is extremely high, and the focus of the defense is completely biased to the south."
Gorcas, sitting in his chair, couldn't help but interrupt when he heard Jedo's report.
"So, our next move is to circle around to the rear of the supply base and launch a surprise attack from the north gate, right?"
The others in the tent nodded in agreement. In their view, avoiding the heavily guarded south gate and attacking from the weakly defended north gate was the most reasonable and risk-free option. This was the most basic combat logic on the battlefield, and almost everyone agreed with this.
Griffiths gently shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the map, his tone calm yet clear, shattering everyone's preconceived notions.
"No, we will not attack from the north gate. This time, the main force will launch a frontal assault directly from the south gate."
"what!"
Everyone gasped in unison, their doubts and worries surging up instantly. They had followed Griffith in battle for many years and knew that Griffith's battle plans were never flawed, but this choice was simply too illogical.
Rickett was the first to react, stepping forward with urgency in his voice. He was young, but he knew the dangers of the battlefield and couldn't understand why Griffith would choose the most dangerous route.
"Such an offensive method is too risky. The number of troops defending the south gate is several times that of us. If we charge in head-on, we will only be surrounded by the enemy and will not be able to advance smoothly at all."
Griffith remained unmoved by the doubts of the crowd; he maintained his calm tone and slowly began to explain:
"Our core mission this time is not simply to defeat Yoda's garrison, but to capture the enemy's supply base as quickly as possible, especially the armory inside the base, which is the core of the entire supply base. Attacking from the north gate from the rear might be able to break through the defenses smoothly and quickly reach the outer perimeter of the armory, but in that case, the main garrison at the south gate will immediately realize the threat from the rear, turn around, and concentrate all their forces to defend the armory. At that time, we will be facing a completely concentrated enemy force, and it will only take several times longer to capture the armory, and we may even get caught up in a long war of attrition, which will delay the overall progress of the war."
Jiedu stared at the map, quickly processing Griffith's words. His mind instantly deduced the changes in the battle situation, and his previous doubts vanished. He immediately understood Griffith's true intentions. He nodded, picked up the conversation, and completed the core logic.
“I understand. To leave the armory unattended so we can easily capture it, we must launch a frontal attack from the south gate, drawing all of Yoda’s troops to the south gate area, leaving them no time to attend to the armory behind. At the same time, our cavalry can quickly penetrate the area using their mobility advantage, and the enemy will immediately collapse in the chaos, unable to organize an effective defense.”
Griffith turned his head to look at Jiedu, nodded slightly in agreement with his judgment, and then added a crucial piece of advice:
"That's right, that's the idea. There's one more thing we must remember: the armory at the supply base is a place specifically for storing gunpowder and various explosives. It's extremely dangerous. After the main force enters the base through the middle gate, everyone must be extra careful and strictly prohibit any behavior that could cause an open flame or contact with the gunpowder. If an accident occurs, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Gorcas finally understood Griffith's plan. His worries dissipated, replaced by anticipation for the battle. He stood up, walked to the map, and asked:
"So how should the combat formation be arranged this time? Who will be in charge of the vanguard and who will be in charge of the main attack?"
Griffith raised his hand and pointed to the circuitous route north of the supply base on the map, assigning tasks clearly and precisely, with each person's responsibilities matching their area of expertise without the slightest deviation.
"Gus and Casca will lead a cavalry force to launch a feint attack from the north gate, drawing Yoda's main garrison to the opposite north side and creating the illusion that we are about to launch a surprise attack from the rear. Once the enemy forces are completely tied down, the main force will immediately advance from the middle gate and head straight for the armory and the core area."
After assigning all the tasks, Griffith looked around at everyone with a determined gaze and gave the final action orders.
"Everyone, go back immediately to prepare your forces, check your weapons and horses. Once you are ready, there is no need to wait. Begin the operation immediately according to the plan."
Meanwhile, inside Yoda's army's supply base, a bustling scene unfolded. One after another, military wagons loaded with supplies drove into the camp gates. Soldiers responsible for unloading lined up to unload the food, weapons, arrows, and other supplies from the wagons, sorting them and sending them into various warehouses. The sounds of footsteps, wagon wheels, and soldiers' shouts mingled together, filling the entire base.
On a wooden watchtower within the base, Adon leaned against the railing, his face full of impatience and resentment. Since the defeat in the previous battle to defend Rona Territory, he had been stripped of all his official rank and was now left with only the title of commander of the Blue Whale Heavy Knights. From a frontline general who commanded a large army, he had been reduced to a guard of logistics and supplies. The huge drop in rank filled him with resentment.
Adon stared at the busy soldiers in the base, his resentment surging. Born into a noble family with a history of hundreds of years, he had been proud and arrogant since childhood and had never suffered such humiliation. In his eyes, guarding the logistics and supplies was a great insult to his status and ability. He gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, his tone full of indignation.
"Honestly, I, Adon, am a legitimate Grand Master of the Knights, in command of the heavy cavalry. Why should I be assigned to guard these insignificant supplies? This kind of trivial task with no merit can be easily handled by any low-ranking officer."
Hearing his complaint, the adjutant standing next to Adon cautiously stepped forward and explained the reason for the arrangement.
"It's because we're assigned here to replace the Ram Riders, who were decimated by the Band of the Hawk, and to defend the logistics base..."
"Of course I know these reasons, you don't need to remind me again!"
Adon turned his head sharply, glaring fiercely at his adjutant, his tone full of hostility. He didn't want to hear any explanation, feeling that it was all unfair to him. He crossed his arms again and turned his gaze to the wilderness outside the base, still feeling indignant about what he had been through.
"Honestly, for a scion of a noble family like mine, whose lineage has lasted for hundreds of years, to be assigned to this kind of baggage-guarding work is an absolute injustice and a complete waste of my talents."
Suddenly, a black crossbow emerged from the dense grass surrounding the base, aimed at the unsuspecting Yoda soldiers on the watchtower, and the moment the trigger was pulled, the bolt shot out with a sharp whoosh, accurately hitting a soldier in the chest.
The soldier didn't even utter a sound before falling backward onto the watchtower floor, his body twitching a few times before he stopped breathing.