âSir, are you really going to do this?â standing above the city wall, Knight Robertâs face looked displeased.
Unlike the loyal knight, Du Weiâs face was stern without any hint of joking around.
âBut ⌠but ⌠Your injuryâŚâŚ â
âMy dear Robert, donât forget Iâm a magician.â Du Wei-stretches his body: âThis little injury isnât hard to treat for a magician, alsoâŚ.. Itâs imperative that I go out!â
âItâs too dangerous!â Robert still objected strongly, âYou carry with you the destiny of everyone around us. You are not only our boss, you are also our banner. If you were somehow faced with an unexpected incidentâŚ. I canât even imagine the consequence! In fact, if I was present last night, I would have done everything in power to stop you from charging into the enemy camp alone!â
Du Wei could only sigh as he pointed to the scene below the city.
The sun has already risen for the day and through the bright light, the contour of the enemy tents was even more apparent. If Du Wei used his eagleâs eye, he could even see some prairie warriors sharpening their blades inside their base camp.
âMy surprise attack last night was effective and I managed to take out one of their shamansâŚâŚ Thus hurting their morale. Even so, the native army wonât back off so easily when they brought out such a force. Watch, they will be back on their feet by noon at the latest and make their comeback.â Du Wei had a face full of cloud: âRobert, you know very well how much resources we have at our disposal. Adding up all of our forces, we only have at best 20,000 soldiersâŚ. And most of them are scattered across the province while 3,000 soldiers is currently present inside the city. Under normal circumstances, do you think 3,000 soldiers can repel 20,000 prairie wolves? Can repel these guys who are naturally skilled on horseback? We need reinforcements! Thatâs why I need to go outâŚ. This is the only way we can overcome the enemy.â
After a pause, Du Wei smiles: âEnough, you donât have to worry since I killed their shaman last night. While I go out, Iâll keep myself high up in the air so the natives canât stop me.â
Robert continues to insist: âMy Lord, what I fear isnât the fact that you are going out! Iâm worried that you will personally go out to battle! You are our leader! You shouldnât be in the front line fighting; instead, you should be in the back commanding us! I implore you to stay in the city and stay in the governorâs mansion!â
Du Wei didnât continue to debate the problem with Robert, he simply gave the order: âBy early evening at the latest, you must light a flame in the city. I want it to be so big that anyone ten miles out can see the smoke and flames! Do you understand? If you ignite the flames, I guarantee you will receive powerful reinforcements. All you have to do before then is to ensure the Tulip Flag remains bristling atop of this wall!â
With that, Du Weiâs body was already slowly floating into the air.
Robert could only sigh. Making a proper knight salute, he watched Du Weiâs body disappear into the sky.
Du Weiâs speculation was very accurate. As he flew over the enemy camp, many of the natives were quick to notice him and since he made a surprise attack last night, many archers were standing by just for this scenario. Under the fierce volley of powerful archers from down below, Du Wei had no choice but to raise his altitude and make a detour around the native camp to avoid the arrows constantly flying at him.
Since he depleted both his magic and the energy reserve in his rainbow colored ring, he simply doesnât have the strength to launch another large scale thunder strike like last night. At best, his magic is only at 50-60%. Facing the opposite direction of the city, he soared away at rapid speed.
âWhere is that Duke Tulip going?â
Standing under his own tent, Gold Wolf Head Generalâs face was gloomy as he watched Du Wei disappear into the horizon.
âGeneral, maybe he fled.â A Prairie native sneers: âThereâs not many people left in the city. Itâs only a matter of time before we break through their wall.â
âIdiot.â Gold Wolf Head General raised a corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with murderous gleam: âHe must be going for reinforcement! HumphâŚ. Send four scouting team around a hundred strong to watch our backs. Also, inform the warriors to get ready. We must break through the city by nightfall! Itâs already a fact that a shaman is dead while in our careâŚ.. I believe I donât need to explain the punishment awaiting us once we go back empty handed, right? Only by ignoring all consequences to achieve our goal can we beg for mercy!â
With the calling of the battle horns, the prairie warriors began to line up into battle formation upon hearing the familiar sound. As for Knight Robert, he could only stand there atop of the city wall under the sunâs ray as the chilling glow of the enemy blade reach his eyes!
âEndure till the evening!â He suddenly drew his sword and slashed down at the battlement in front of him. Then in a loud but clear voice, he cried out: âDefend to the end!â
Like him, all the close guards and lieutenant drew their sword into the air and shouted in unison: âLong live Tulip! Man lives, City lives!!!â
Following the same route he had come from last night, Du Wei flew about seven to eight miles out in search of his own team.
Finally, in a low, loose wood cluster, someone noticed Du Wei in the air and came running out to wave at him. Likewise, Du Wei also noticed the person and lowered his altitude. When he got a closer look, it was the captain of the magic apprentices Ziggy.
The 800 men Du Wei had brought with him were all hidden in this wood cluster. As per his instruction, they had retreated to this spot in order to avoid being detected by the native scouts.
Landing on the ground, Ziggy was greatly relieved to see Du Wei was still intact: âDean! Itâs great that you are safe! But didnât you tell us to wait here for the signal flare from Anglia City? Why did you come here?â
Du Wei taps Ziggyâs shoulder: âNo time to explain!â
With that, Du Wei walks into the wood.
In the wood, all of the Tulip cavalry troops were dismounted and sitting on the floor, but there were some atop of some trees paying close attention to the far off distance. This forest cluster may not be very dense, but itâs more than adequate to hide a thousand men.
When Du Wei saw Guptad, this mini 250, the first thing this guy did was jump up and come running over to give him a hug: âMy lord, my lord!! Itâs a blessing to see you here! Damn it! I really want to kill these guys! How dare they let you charge into enemy camp alone! Itâs too risky!!â He shouts aloud like he was crying.
The lieutenant that had let him run off is Guptadâs men so when this mini 250 went off in search of reinforcement, this lieutenant was in charge of the team. But from his appearance and the traces of blood on the lieutenantâs lip, itâs quite clear Guptad gave his subordinate quite the beating.
âEnough Guptad! It was I who wanted to go in; they got nothing to do with it.â Du Wei smiles: âYour men are all good fighters, they deserve nothing but merits. AlsoâŚ. My harvest wasnât bad; I killed one of their shamans.â
With that, Du Wei immediately asked: âWhat about you? When did you get here any did you bring all of our men?â
âThereâs none, my lord.â Guptadâs face was full of shame: âI only found lord Alphaâs 800 menâŚ. As for the other two teams, I wasnât able to locate themâŚ.. You required me to be here by this time, so I couldnât go any further.â
Guptad suddenly knelt down: âI did not complete your order, please punish me!â
Du Wei shakes his head: âNo, the blame lies with me for not taking into account of the actual situation. Itâs already a great thing that you were able to bring back a team. Whereâs Alpha?â
Du Wei looks around for Alphaâs presence, but tries as he might, he couldnât see the loyal retainer anywhere.
âHe ⌠⌠When he heard you went into the enemy camp alone, he went into a raging fit and ran off to the front lines in search of your whereabouts.â
Du Wei had his heart skip a beat. Uncle Alpha⌠⌠He really does care. But considering the knightâs strength, he shouldnât be in any danger.
With time pressing down against them, Du Wei was just about to speak when Guptad whispered into his ear: âMy lord, though I didnât bring back everyone, I managed to bring back someâŚ. Guests.â
âGuests?â
Guptad made an eye gesture. Immediately, Du Wei looked over to a deeper part in the woods and saw a group of soldiers wearing a different set of armor. These soldiers were also cavalry knights, but unlike the Tulip insignia on all his troops, these guests had the Thorn Flower emblem on their chest and their armor were those usually worn by the local garrison forces in the empire.
The truth is Du Weiâs troops were only his private army while these guests are the genuine army of the empire.
âWhatâs going on?â Du Wei asked with a tinge of surprise in his voice because these guys werenât small in number. From his initial assessment, there should be about five hundred to six hundred men.
âThey are Governor Bohanâs troop from Nuling Province.â Guptad replied in a low voice.