After finalizing the plan, the Ash Legion immediately began their preparations.
Fogen led a force of thirty thousand, divided into two groups, arriving at the Vampire Coast. This land, heavily corrupted by the undead, was sparsely populated. The lizardmen had no interest in occupying ports far from the jungle, and Luthor Harkon rarely stayed here for long, aside from establishing a few pirate outposts and treasure caches. With only minimal resistance, Fogen's army successfully reached the edge of the Vampire Coast's jungle.
The army set up camp.
Fogen divided his forces into several parts. The right wing comprised an artillery regiment equipped with over twenty Imperial cannons, a dozen mortars, and several dwarf cannons that Fogen had painstakingly acquired. He ordered the vice-captain, Fernando Pirazzo, to lead the regular swordsmen, pikemen, spearmen, archers, and crossbowmen in setting up camp at the front. The left wing consisted of winged hussars and a cavalry unit led by the golden mage, including some Arabyan sailors and guards under his command.
Undoubtedly, the Arabyans were the best-equipped cavalry in the Old World. The cavalry under the golden mage were fully armored, each riding a crossbred elven warhorse, a level of equipment even the knights of Bretonnia could not match. The warhorses in Bretonnia were mostly descendants of purebred elven steeds left behind after the elves withdrew from the Old World, mixed with local forest horses, resulting in a bloodline that had significantly thinned over generations.
Similarly, the Arabyans' gear was the finest in the Old World.
Yet despite this, the Arabyans still couldn't match Bretonnian knights. The reason was simple: Bretonnia had Grail Knights.
During the Great Red Crusade, a Grail Knight of Saint strength had single-handedly killed nine Araby champions in succession, their heads hanging so low on his horse that they nearly touched the ground, until the opposing army's morale collapsed.
Fogen himself led the Phoenix Guard, elite Ash Legion greatswordsmen and foot knights, and a small contingent of knight retainers. Notably, this elite force of several hundred was fully armored in purple and gold plate armor, with helmets adorned with vibrant, multicolored plumes and capes featuring the Ash Legion's banner. Even from a distance, they appeared dazzling and majestic.
The army camped in the jungle, with Fogen ordering his troops to bury a large gemstone artifact provided by the lizardmen beneath the beach, then waited for the vampire pirates to arrive.
At night, the camp buzzed with activity. Ash Legion soldiers lit bonfires, gathered around to roast meat and sing songs, and regardless of which human nation from the Old World they hailed from, they seized the chance to relax. Halfling Hobbits and their companions linked arms, singing and dancing atop tables, while the soldiers laughed heartily and drank ale.
Even the recently surrendered Imperial soldiers quickly joined in.
However, Julius felt uneasy. The expedition knight thought that despite the impending battle, Fogen seemed far too relaxed, even if the vampire pirates weren't expected to arrive immediately.
After wandering around the camp, Julius noticed that aside from a few soldiers on watch at the perimeter and the beach, most were enjoying the brief moment of joy. His frown deepened.
He decided to find Fogen.
Fogen's tent, located in the camp's center, looked luxurious from the outside. Several Phoenix Guard members were roasting chickens at the entrance, brushing honey on the birds as the dripping fat sizzled in the flames, sending sparks flying. Inside, a soothing melody played.
Fernando Pirazzo, noticing Julius's arrival, looked slightly surprised. He grabbed a roast chicken and tore off a leg. "Sir Julius, care for a chicken leg?"
"..." Julius frowned slightly. "Is the Legion Commander inside?"
"Of course. Something on your mind?" Pirazzo knew Julius and Fogen were related and couldn't block his entry.
"Yes, I have something to discuss."
"Please wait." Pirazzo lifted the flap and entered, emerging a few seconds later. "The Legion Commander will see you."
Julius opened the tent flap and stepped inside. Thick animal pelts lined the floor, and Fogen sat alone on a low stool, gently playing a marlin lute. The music rose from high to low, then back to high, before shifting into an intense melody and suddenly stopping.
As the music ceased, a few words popped into Julius's mind: "standard ending" and "to be continued."
"Julius, what brings you here?" Fogen set the lute aside. "Have a seat."
"It's nothing, really. I'm just a bit uneasy about the situation outside. I feel that you and your soldiers..." Julius said as he sat down, his attitude slightly shifting.
"Too relaxed?" Fogen smirked, pouring a drink from a gourd.
This gourd was a gift from Lord Mazdamundi, filled with fruit wine that could rapidly restore the drinker's magic and psychic energy. Though Fogen could down the entire gourd in two gulps, it was best used twice during a battle.
He filled a glass and handed it to Julius, smiling at Ryan's brother-in-law. "What do you imagine war to be like?"
After serving as a stable hand for Fogen for two weeks, Julius suppressed his irritation and was about to answer when Fogen waved him off. "In your mind, is war something like this: peasant levies forming neat lines, holding off the enemy's attack, knights already mounted, ancient horns sounding, and you charging into battle shouting the Lady of the Lake's name, with the enemy crumbling like dust?"
"..." Julius had no response. In his imagination, war was indeed something like that.
"Then let me ask you this: what if the situation were different? What if you were preparing to attack the enemy, only to find that your troops hadn't fully assembled? They come from the Empire, Bretonnia, Estalia, Tilea, and even Araby. You're short on men, lacking confidence in victory, but delaying the attack would damage your honor. What would you do?"
"Some of your units, already owed back pay and rations, are on the brink of mutiny. You know you need to appease them, but without money, your efforts fall short. You try to use both kindness and authority, but some of them aren't familiar with you, making you anxious!"
"Your officers are not united; some are from Bordeleaux, others from Bastonne, and still others from the Cult of Myrmidia. They not only quarrel but also have their own backers!"
"Of course, you have your loyal troops, but they are few in number."
"The army has its strong points and its weak points. The most elite troops might be your personal guard, while the weakest might be the ragtag forces from the Border Princes and Estalian mercenaries. You know these soldiers, who are the most numerous but least reliable, are likely to falter. Yet, you can't simply dismiss them all, as this would leave you with an overwhelming numerical disadvantage. What do you do?"
Question after question left Julius speechless. After a moment of thought, he finally said, "Then, I suppose the priority would be to ensure the combat effectiveness and loyalty of my personal guard. The rabble wouldn't be able to cause much trouble."
"Mm-hmm, heh heh heh~" Fogen continued to laugh, his tone growing more playful. Given his striking handsomeness, Julius found himself blushing and his heart racing.
"War isn't that simple. My legion is made up of people from all over the world. They differ greatly in culture, faith, and race, so I must find ways to help them recognize and accept one another," Fogen finally explained. "They know whom they fight for. I enforce discipline and elevate their overall quality. They need a sense of honor and unwavering belief to be useful to me. You need your soldiers to recognize you, Julius, not just focus on controlling your own men."
"Of course, I'm fortunate to have a few brass lungs to ensure my orders reach the entire battlefield." Fogen made a joke.
Brass lungs? A few? Julius was puzzled by the term but assumed it was a metaphor and let it go. Taking advantage of the moment, he saw his chance to ask something that had been on his mind for a long time. "Lord Fogen, I've been on my Grail quest for many years now. My strength isn't lacking—in fact, I'm stronger than many ordinary Grail Knights—yet I still haven't earned the Lady's approval. What do you think is the reason?"
"My thoughts?" Fogen chuckled, elegantly sipping his fruit wine from the goblet. "Do you really want to hear?"
"The Lady sent me to find you. There must be a reason for it," Julius replied.
"Then let me ask you a few questions." Fogen nodded slightly. "I'll ask, and you must answer truthfully with either a yes or no."
"Alright."
"Do you think Ryan is an excellent knight?"
"Do you think Ryan is a womanizer? For instance, does he have too many women around him? Or perhaps he has a particular fondness for certain types of women's clothing or accessories?"
"Do you think Ryan likes to use little tricks to circumvent chivalry and the kingdom's laws to achieve his goals?"
"Do you think Ryan is a good husband?" Fogen finished his questions. "Answer me."
"Yes, yes, yes, yes," Julius answered seriously, though he didn't fully understand the connection between the questions.
"Good, now for the next four questions."
"Do you feel that the Lady of the Lake favors Ryan too much, to the point of being unjust and excessive?"
"Do
you believe that, as a noble descendant of the first Grail Knight, 'The Pure' Redmond, you are destined to be a knight, no matter how disgraceful, despicable, or corrupt you may become?"
"Has your Winford ducal family taken advantage of Ryan's rise to enrich themselves and infiltrate his power?"
"Lastly, have you ever felt jealousy, believing that if you were chosen as the Lady of the Lake's champion, you would certainly be better than Ryan?" Fogen leaned back on his stool, relaxing his body. "I've asked my questions; now answer."
Julius reviewed the four questions in his mind. Undoubtedly, the answers were all "yes," but when he tried to speak the simple words, he found himself unable to say them!
The expedition knight began to sweat profusely, beads of sweat soaking through his back and clothes. He struggled to give a definitive answer, but something within him resisted! It was something called vanity, something called arrogance, something called greed, and something called jealousy. Deep within his heart, certain violent and corrupt thoughts roared, cursed, and cursed everything in Julius's ears.
Julius's expression shifted dramatically, and he quickly pulled out the Lady of the Lake's holy icon, trying to calm himself down.
The instigator, Fogen, remained calm, enjoying his dinner and wine with such elegance that the rather simple tent seemed to expand with grandeur.
After a long while, Julius felt the darkness deep within him slowly recede. He walked up to Fogen and bowed lightly. "I understand now why I haven't been able to approach the Grail. Thank you for your guidance, Lord Fogen."
"You trust too much in your sword, Julius," Fogen said, seeing Julius's state. His deep, star-like eyes showed a trace of sadness and weariness. "Your blade harbors too much arrogance and darkness. Only by overcoming it can you approach the Grail. Otherwise, you are destined to either die on your long quest or return in failure."
After Julius left, visibly relieved, Fogen couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hmm, Tzeentch's schemes."
...
A few days later, as expected, a dense fog and a chilling cold spread along the coastline as an undead fleet gradually approached the Vampire Coast.
These were dozens of undead warships, covered in barnacles and coral! They were manned by vampire pirates whose eyes blazed with green flames and whose mouths exhaled wisps of blue smoke. Thick fog shrouded their figures, making them appear and disappear intermittently.
"They're here." Fogen, leading the Ash Legion soldiers hidden in the jungle near the beach, squinted at the approaching enemy.
Amidst the fog, rough shanties echoed across the water.
"Ah~ah~our blood is icy cold~"
"Our plundering never ends~"
"Ah ah~ah ah ah~"
The undead warships drew closer to the shore. A vampire lord, clutching a shovel in one hand and an Old Ones tablet in the other, jumped off the ship and rushed onto the beach. "Ah~yes, yes! I can feel it! It's calling to me!"
"It's Luthor Harkon!" Karim, the golden mage, approached Fogen. "Shall we begin?"
"No, wait a little longer." Fogen signaled everyone to hold their positions.
Luthor Harkon, completely oblivious to the movement in the jungle, frantically used the Old Ones tablet to locate the treasure. He then grabbed the shovel and began digging into the sand, muttering to himself, "Perhaps no one would believe my story, but honestly, the beginning of this story was terrible."
"I was once a whole person, but now we have become many." Luthor Harkon continued talking to himself, digging furiously at the sand. "But we all believe in one principle: to claim all the world's treasures—One Piece!"
Luthor Harkon soon unearthed the lizardmen treasure buried beneath the sand. Overjoyed, he held the treasure in one hand and the Old Ones tablet in the other. "Then we will become one!"
With that, Luthor Harkon suddenly drew his scimitar and pointed it toward the jungle. "Fire at those humans!"
"They will all be my new recruits!"
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]