Suddenly, a short message came from the forward sentinels, stating that a large number of beastmen warriors and shamans were marching in their direction, with unclear intentions.
The city gate had been reinstalled, but without suitable steel, only a wooden gate was made. This was of no use against any moderately powerful fire mages.
Xiao Xun knew it was useless for defending against the enemy, but it could block the cold wind. Without the gate, the place was swept by "whoosh-whoosh" cold winds. Whether it was cold or not was secondary, the noise was quite bothersome.
Although he knew that Saint Roman and the beastmen were already allied, in this foreign land, one must guard against others!
Therefore, he summoned a large legion of troops to garrison the city walls as a precaution.
Xiao Xun stood on the city gate tower and took out his telescope, looking at the beastmen warriors in the lens. There were wolfmen soldiers wielding swords and tauren soldiers wielding axes. The shamans were boar-men holding staffs, clad in robes with strange patterns.
These beastmen soldiers, in the original timeline, any one of them could have terrified people to death, and the timid would have died of fright.
But now, faced with an endless stream of beastmen warriors, he no longer felt afraid.
Xiao Xun looked at these strong soldiers and thought: I hope they are sincerely allied with me. He also understood how difficult it was for Vincent to fight them back then.
The wolfmen and tauren were not the strongest in combat among the beastmen. The truly strong were the bear-men. Moreover, it was heard that the bear-men had not only produced divine mages but also the chiefs of the beastmen.
Xiao Xun said to the soldiers on the city wall, "We don't know if the other party is friend or foe. Everyone be careful."
More than ten minutes later, the beastmen army stopped about five hundred meters away from the capital of Midoya.
The opponent sent a representative to the city gate. "Is the monarch of Midoya here?"
Xiao Xun had a nearby soldier shout on his behalf. The soldier put his hands on his hips and yelled, "The capital of Midoya has been destroyed. We are the Phoenix Army of Saint Roman."
Upon hearing this, the beastmen representative returned to their ranks, and after a while, the beastmen representative came to the city gate again and shouted, "Our beastmen race and Saint Roman have reached an alliance. Please, the commander of the Phoenix Army, come out and speak."
The soldier who had been shouting glanced at Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun nodded, signaling him to say what he had taught him before.
He looked at the beastmen representative and said, "Just state what you want directly! We will report it truthfully to His Highness Svein."
The beastmen representative turned back in confusion and said to the soldier on the city tower, "Svein? Isn't the commander of the Phoenix Army Duke Horton?"
"That's none of your concern. Just tell us what you want, truthfully!" Xiao Xun himself shouted this, feeling that the longer the opponent delayed, the greater the variable.
The beastmen representative said, "Our General Botu hopes that your army can open the city gates to allow our troops to enter for rest and to jointly discuss matters of confronting the Scourge Legion."
Xiao Xun shouted from above, "Our commander said that you should encamp here at the city gate. After tonight, he will open the gates wide to welcome you."
The beastmen representative left again. After a short while, the beastmen army moved towards them and began to set up camp. Soon, the area below the city gate became lively.
The two legion commanders asked Xiao Xun, "Does Your Highness really plan to let the beastmen into the city tomorrow?"
Xiao Xun nodded. "It's not our territory anyway. If they want to come in, let them come in!"
One of the legion commanders voiced his doubt, "Since Your Highness agreed to let them enter the city, why not let them in now?"
Xiao Xun gave him a look. "If we let them in now, where will we go?"
Both legion commanders were stunned. They were experienced in battle, but ever since they met Xiao Xun, all their strategies had been unconventional.
In their memory, battles were direct confrontations, a test of skill. They had never thought of achieving great victory at a minimal cost.
For dinner, everyone was given at least three mooncakes, considered a festive meal.
However, this world did not celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Xiao Xun could only look at the moon, eat mooncakes, and harbor his homesickness.
"I wonder if my family called me. If they did, I wonder how His Majesty explained it on my behalf."
After tasting the mooncakes, enjoying the fine wine, and finishing the roasted meat, Xiao Xun instructed the orderly to inform all soldiers of the two legions to assemble at midnight and withdraw from here precisely at midnight.
He stood on the city gate tower, looking at the brightly lit beastmen encampment below, and said to Bai Yang behind him, "They are truly stubborn. They were told to camp here, and they just stayed put. No wonder they couldn't gain any advantage after fighting us for so many years."
After a while, the two legion commanders approached again. "Your Highness, forgive our dullness, but we still don't understand your intentions."
Xiao Xun took out a map of Midoya and, by the bright moonlight, said to the two of them, "Look, this is the capital of Midoya. Less than ten li from here is a small city in Midoya called Kache. Although this small city doesn't have city walls as strong as the capital, its geographical location is unique. It's high and commanding, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Since a town could be built here, its water supply must be fine. I plan to move the army away from here tonight."
"Does Your Highness plan to give this place to the beastmen?"
Xiao Xun pointed to the map and drew intersecting lines. "That's right. We have too few people, and we have a historical feud. If we truly opened the gates for the beastmen, we'd see each other constantly. I think it would be awkward for us to look at each other. It's better for each side to guard a location, forming a pincer formation, and be able to look out for and support each other."
The two legion commanders, understanding his intentions, immediately went down to prepare. Meanwhile, Xiao Xun took out his pocket watch and checked the time. It was just past nine o'clock, still early. He went into a room on the city gate tower and said to Bai Yang, "I'll rest for a while. Call me if anything comes up!"
He fell asleep shortly after lying down; he was too tired. If he had a choice, he wished there was no war in any world.
"Awooo~"
After an unknown amount of time, wolf howls, one after another, erupted from below the city gate.
"Awooo~"
Xiao Xun scratched his head and thought, These beastmen are really annoying. It seems my idea and decision were correct. If both races were in this city, they might not be bothered, but the Phoenix Army would definitely not sleep well.
The eyes of those wolfmen glowed like light bulbs in the night, all straining their necks, howling their lungs out at the full moon in the sky, each howl higher and more mournful than the last.
Xiao Xun checked the time. It was almost time. He had the soldiers on the city wall patrol the walls once more, ensuring no beastmen were present. Then, he quietly opened the back gate.
A force of tens of thousands slipped away stealthily and silently, leaving only Bai Yang to report to General Botu of the beastmen early the next morning.
Xiao Xun rode his dragon, following the main force towards Kache. The vanguard sent a messenger to Xiao Xun, informing him that Kache ahead was an empty city and requesting instructions on whether they could enter the city.
"Those bastards from the Scourge Legion..." Xiao Xun gritted his teeth.
Then, he said to the messenger, "Inform the vanguard to wait."
"Yes."
Xiao Xun rode his dragon, passing over the main force, and went directly to the vanguard. Upon seeing the vanguard officer, Xiao Xun dismounted from his dragon.
"Has anyone been sent in to investigate?"
The vanguard officer nodded. "Your Highness, I have already sent our most elite cavalry to charge into the city and agreed with them that if there are no anomalies inside the city, they will light a red lantern on the city gate."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Xun took out his telescope and looked at the red lantern on the city gate tower. After thinking for a moment, he said, "To be safe, send another team of people to remove the red lantern and bring back the person holding the red lantern."
The vanguard officer didn't understand why Xiao Xun was being so unnecessarily cautious, thinking him too wary, but he had to obey the military order. He sent out another cavalry unit to convey Xiao Xun's instructions.
The hooves galloped into the city. Soon, the red lantern on the city tower was removed, and that contingent of people rode back towards them.
Seeing this, Xiao Xun said to the messenger, "Inform the troops behind to enter the city."
"Yes!"