Chapter 88 - Setting up Defenses (2)

[14 Days Remaining]

“Are you finished, Mage Captain Valha?” I asked the man wearing an immaculate white uniform with neat lines of buttons. He also wore black shoulder guards and had a black circular metal with wings sewn onto the right side of his uniform.

“They will only serve as a small hindrance, General Verath. Still, it should prove useful.”

I nodded at that. “Thank you for your work, mage captain. You and your men can go back now.”

“I shall take my leave then, general!”

The sounds of footfalls soon became distant noises as the mages left the vicinity to go back to the camps.

Somewhat alone, I observed what the 25th, 24th, and the 23th Earth Mage Battalions had created. For more than a month since their arrival, I had been ordering those sixty Earth mages to create obstacles and every kind of hindrances they could think off.

The result had been quite satisfying, to say the least.

Across a large stretch of the Northern Grasslands, I could see all kinds of walls, spears, mazes, and various other obstacles, all of them made out of earth. This area, however, was only one of seven regions the mages had placed these earthen obstacles.

Just like this region of the Northern Grasslands, the other six regions around Milgard Outpost were also filled with more than twenty feet tall walls, mazes, and various other hindrances. These seven regions spanned about a hundred and fifty miles distance around Milgard Outpost. And between these regions were forests and purposely made paths for the enemy to go through.

Basically, I had made the sixty Earth mages create natural formations and obstacles across a hundred mile distance near Milgard Outpost. It was somewhat amazing what sixty Earth mages could do in just a month when they combined all their magic.

Having looked at the finished results, I headed back to the camp on my horse. I had a lot of distance to cover, so it took a little less than half a day to return. Along the way, I had also caught up to the Earth mages who had went on ahead of me.

--------------------------------

It was late in the afternoon when I arrived back at the camps, which had grown considerably larger now that twenty thousand soldiers and supporters were living there.

As I was passing through the cavalry section, five female Air mages descended from the skies above me. They stopped in front of me, and some of the nearby soldiers gathered around, anticipation on their faces.

The five female Air mages were part of the 17th Air Mage Battalion and I had been sending them around for some weeks doing scouting work. All of them looked exhausted and their white uniform and black shoulder guards looked ragged and crumpled. The backpacks they wore on their backs also looked ragged and thin, most of the rations having been eaten.

“I trust your scouting trip was successful?”

“Yes, General Verath,” the leading Air mage said in a weak voice, while her fist went toward her chest in a salute. “The enemy forces have split up into three armies which look to be equal in numbers. Each of them, based on our estimations, seem to be around fifty thousand or sixty thousand.”

“As expected, one army is also heading to this front. Based on the path and distance they are currently at, I expect the army to most likely arrive in no more than two weeks. The army will most likely go through the fourth and fifth regional earthen defenses you set up, General Verath.”

“Dismissed, mage captain. And good work,” I said.

Based on her information, I would need to move the army toward the fourth and fifth regional earthen defense. But the enemy forces were still too far away to tell. For now, it was best to stay based near Milgard Outpost at the second regional earthen defense.

As I started riding toward the central camp, I heard whispers among the soldiers who had gathered around.

“So the enemy forces will arrive in two weeks, huh.”

“Hah. Best to savor life right now then. I am going to drink till I crap my pants, and before the leaders set up a drinking prohibition. ”

“I would have liked to die peacefully on my deathbed, but I guess that is not possible.”

“If it was me, I would have liked to die in a woman's embrace.”

On top of my horse, I turned around at the group of talking soldiers and said, “As for me, I would like to die with a sword in my hand.” Then my lips formed a small curve.

The group of soldiers froze at my words. They had not realized I had overheard them.

“We were just joking, General Verath! Our dreams are the same as yours! WE ALL WOULD LIKE TO DIE WITH A SWORD IN OUR HANDS!” one of the soldiers shouted.

Another one then took up the cheer, and soon the whole group was cheering.

“That's nice to hear,” I simply commented before nudging my horse forward.

I was somewhat chuckling inside my mind at their reactions. Most of the soldiers were now somewhat cautious around me and a few even feared me after than one action I had took against a Knight Commander who had been objecting to my every action.

What was the action, you ask?

Just a simple one, really.

I simply cut off the Silver Knight Commander's arm and then tore off the fingers of that severed arm with my mouth. Then I handed the sword he had pointed at me and had “accidentally” dropped back into his other hand, his non-sword arm.

Afterward, I proceeded to wipe my mouth with a white cloth, while ignoring his screaming. Then I left the screaming commander lying on the ground. Of course, I couldn't just leave the commander lying on the ground and bleeding, so I went toward a nearby knight and told him to call for a mage healer.

A simple action, really, though I confess I had been a little irritated by the troubles the three female monsters who called themselves my “wives,” had been causing around the camps. It was just not fun having balls of fire explode near your face.

So you see, I had been lying when I had told you that these twenty thousand men worshiped the ground I walked on. In truth, they were only cautious of the ground I walked on. Their caution, however, felt as if they were seeing a god walking among the mortals.