"How so?" Buck widened.

"Today's supplies didn't arrive on time, I thought it would be late, but—" Ernest didn't continue.

"What's the news at the port?"

Ernest immediately looked serious, "There hasn't been a response from the port yet, but an hour ago, the logistics department received a message from the Grace Quarry stronghold, saying that the supplies had been delivered to us on time yesterday!"

"How could that be..."

"Your Excellency!" Ernest couldn't help but interrupt Buck's words, "Will we have been abandoned?" he swallowed, looked at the shaking Buck and added, "Or rather, we were originally prepared to be abandoned!"

"Impossible!" Buck shook his head suddenly, "Nearly ninety percent of the officers and men of the Combined Fleet are here, and abandoning us is equivalent to abandoning the Combined Fleet, not to mention that the Kingdom's heavy cavalry corps is here, and there is also Knight Rennes, who is a close minister of His Majesty the King." ”

"But..."

"My lord, there's a military report from the elves. A military intelligence staff officer appeared at the door with a military newspaper and deliberately interrupted the conversation by speaking loudly.

"Bring it now!" Buck said in a loud voice, with an impatient look on his face.

The newspaper was written in a copy of the bark of a dried and bloodstained tree, and Buck's face suddenly turned ugly when he saw it in the flickering light of the fire.

"What's going on?" Ernest asked subconsciously.

"There is an army of ghouls and a large number of low-level necromancers in the right defense zone. Buck seemed to be very dehydrated in his mouth at the moment, and his voice was as unpleasant as a belt pulling, "General Nemero has led his troops to evacuate to the central defense area. ”

"What?" Ernest instinctively exclaimed, drawing sideways glances from the officers around him, and he immediately lowered his voice and asked, "How could he do that?"

"Don't think of him so badly, General Nemero is carrying out my orders. Buck took a deep breath to calm down, "But I didn't think it would be so soon—" He picked up the saber hanging from a nearby stake as he spoke, and then put on his dirty major general's uniform as fast as he could.

"Losing the plains on the right side would have crumbled our entire line of defense in two hours. Ernest looked at Buck's intention to leave Command and immediately tugged at his arm.

"Then do you have a way to resist the attack of the undead legion?" Buck immediately retorted, "Why hold on to a doomed war, and a senseless defeat?"

"Your Excellency!"

The officer at the receiving station of the teleportation array next to him suddenly shouted loudly, picked up the letter wrapped in an iron book that had just been transmitted, and quickly walked to Buck's side, and said quickly: "It's a letter from the High Command. ”

Buck had already figured out where the letter came from from the insignia marked on the military newspaper, so he grabbed the letter in his hand when the officer reported and opened the letter as quickly as he could.

When the contents of the letter met Barker's eyes, he was visibly surprised and puzzled.

Ernest next to him leaned over when he saw that his boss didn't let him avoid suspicion, and when he saw the content of the letter, he showed the same expression as Buck, and said, "It's the same as the content of the previous letter, and the old knight asked you to make a decision?"

"No, it's not the same as the last one. Buck pointed to the bottom of the envelope and said, "Sir Bowenwright promises that he will take all the responsibility for whatever decision I make." ”

"What do you mean?"

Buck grinned, "That means I can do whatever I want now?"

Ernest subconsciously asked, "What do you want to do now?"

Buck shook his head, "I'll leave this to you now—" he said as he spoke, and the man had already walked out, "I'll go to the middle line and meet General Nemero first." ”

Ernest subconsciously chased out, and Buck turned his head to look at him, "Wait for my order!"

...

As soon as General Nemero and his troops arrived at the central defense area of the 'Adiri Line', Buck hurried in.

"What's going on now?" Buck stopped Wren from giving a polite military salute, his gaze falling on Nemero.

"As you might expect, the undead legion on the other side must have increased its troops. Nemero looked dusty, the dust on his white face was very conspicuous in the shaking of the firelight, "It's not an ordinary reinforcement, our priests feel that a very powerful evil energy is gathering on our opposite side, and the scouts I sent have found at least three regular legions of the undead on the flank plains. ”

"Before you come, we are working on how to deploy defense on the flanks. Wren took over and pointed to the northern flank of the middle lane defense area on a dirty cowhide map, "My two heavy cavalry corps have good armor, even if I give up my horse and fight on foot, I can have very strong combat effectiveness, and I am confident that I can hold this defense area." ”

"I do not doubt the combat effectiveness of the heavy cavalry corps. Buck responded to Wren's words very formally, then looked at Somero and asked, "How long do you think we can hold this line without any reinforcements with the strength we have now?"

"Haven't the supplies arrived yet?" Neckroe didn't answer Barker's question, instead asking a crucial question.

"Yes, but there was news from the Grace Quarry that there were supply convoys carrying logistics to us the day before yesterday and yesterday, but we didn't even see a single axle. Buck looked serious, "If the supplies don't arrive tomorrow, we won't even have a replacement weapon." As he spoke, he looked at Wren, "Although the heavy cavalry corps has strong combat effectiveness, it mainly relies on powerful weapons and equipment, if the logistics supply is not available, there is no way to repair the weapons and equipment, and it will be difficult for the heavy cavalry corps to maintain its current combat effectiveness." ”

"Do you have any ideas?" asked Neyro immediately.

"My idea is simple," Buck met the two of them looking at him, "I think we should retreat now!"

"Retreat?" both Nemero and Wren subconsciously asked rhetorically.

"Yes!"

"Now?" asked Nemero again.

"Yes!" Buck nodded affirmatively.

Wren stared at Buck with an incredulous expression on his face and asked, "The main battlefield outside Iruk City is at a critical time, and you want to retreat at this time?"

Buck looked at Wren, "Our opponent has obviously changed his strategy, otherwise there would be no formed undead legions outside our defensive line, and it would be impossible for a whole team of iron guards to appear." ”

"What do you mean?" Wren asked subconsciously.

If it was another subordinate, Buck wouldn't have explained, but Wren was different, so he had to simply say: "Have you read all the battle reports that the High Command Staff Office reported to us today?"

"It's not time yet. Wren said truthfully, and Nemero shook his head.

"If nothing else, the battle to the west of Elok will end after dawn. Buck pulled a document from the skin pouch around his waist, "It's clear from General Command that some intelligence is hiding from us... However, I have guessed by now that they concealed the movement of the main forces of the undead legion. ”

The elf's reading habits made Nemero read today's military report quickly, and when he heard Buck's words, he said, "You mean, the Undead Legion is moving their main force to the opposite side of us?" Obviously, he was shocked by his own subconscious words.

"I had the same look on your face at the time. Buck glanced at Nemero and stared at the map, "The next war here is not something we can participate in with this little power. ”

"If all the main forces of the Undead Legion are transferred to us..."Wren thought along the train of thought, "Isn't the lair of the Undead Legion completely exposed in front of the main forces of the coalition forces in El Luk City?"

"Yes... That's the most interesting part. Buck stared at the map, "If the main force of the Undead Legion is really transferred to the opposite side of us, it will not only be as simple as exposing the lair of the Undead Legion in front of the front of our main army, but also... The city of Elok was also exposed to the main forces of the undead army. ”

At this time, Buck pushed aside the map, straightened his waist, looked at the two of them, and asked, "Do you think Sir Bowenright will command the army south to fight the undead in the southern plains, or will he attack the lair of the undead legion?"

Wren subconsciously said: "Of course we are going south! Soon, we can assemble a force in the Yekgyel military port, as long as the undead army dares to put the main force into the southern plains, we can give them a front and rear attack." ”

"It's a normal idea..."Buck first complimented, and then said euphemistically, "but the commander of the Undead Legion is not a fool, and it is not an easy matter to get them to obediently drive the army into the Southern Plains. ”

Wren was stunned for a moment, then fell into deep thought.

Buck obviously wanted to continue talking, but Nemero next to him interrupted, "If you're determined to retreat, now is not the time to talk about these irrelevant topics. He pointed to the north of the defense zone on the map, "The army on the opposite side will soon besiege it." ”

...

In the dim darkness of the night, the noisy battlefield of the 'Adiri Line' fell silent as if it had been yesterday's dusk, the naval officers fighting on the earthen walls were gone, the magical warriors and heavy cavalry on the central defense line had lost their traces, and the stronghold fortress on the plain on the right was swallowed up by endless undead creatures.

The undead army soon crossed the 'Adiri Line', the last of the fires in the camp were slowly extinguished under the ravages of the army, and the smell of corrupt death once again enveloped the land, and the silent darkness swallowed up all light sources.

Running away was a very uncomfortable feeling, at least Buck was very uncomfortable now. On the southernmost official road of the Eluk Territory, he silently marched through the withered grass by the roadside, silently watching the dejected soldiers on the road.

Buck remembers that just a few days ago, he stood on the top of the hill in Grace's Quarry and watched these soldiers go on their march, and at that time these warriors burst out with a momentum that seemed to be able to swallow even mountains and rivers, and now... They are worse than the withered plants of the nearby grasslands.

"We didn't fail, General. Nemero's voice came from the side.

Buck subconsciously turned his head to look at the elven general, and was immediately attracted by the other party's turquoise eyes that sparkled in the night. At this time, Nemero was looking through the layers of darkness at the endless land and mountains in the distance, with a sense of heaviness that had been tempered by the years.

"You have to learn to fail, General. Nemero whispered softly, "Your soldiers are still watching you, and your emotions affect them. ”

"It's not the first time I've failed, I know exactly what I have to do. Buck took a deep breath, "Only this time I thought I was going to make it... But I overlooked the fact that our presence was not important to the war as a whole in the battle of the Elok Territory. ”

"That's why you're lost?" asked Nemero.

Buck didn't answer the question head-on, he smiled self-deprecatingly, "I thought I was the main character, but in the end I wasn't even a supporting role." ”

A very special smile appeared on Nemero's indifferent face, "No one is born to be the protagonist, not even your king was just an ordinary minor nobleman in Suke City three years ago. ”

"Are you comforting me?" Buckle pulled the reins to stop the horse.

"I just don't want an emotionally depressed commander to command us. Nemero's tone returned to indifference.

"Haha!" Buck burst out laughing, and as the laughter spread to the surrounding area, the soldiers turned their heads to look at their commander. Buck straightened his back under the gaze of the soldiers, his sloppy gaze became dazzling again, and looked at Nemero and said: "Your Majesty is not a small nobleman in Suke City, he is the second son of the Prime Minister of the Empire, a direct member of the Reagan family, and the 'strongest paladin' preached by the Church of Divine Radiance, no matter where His Majesty is, he is the most dazzling existence!"

"I just want to say that he wasn't as brilliant as he is now. Nemeiro subconsciously whispered, "You seem to admire your king." ”

"I don't worship anyone, but Your Majesty is the trustee of my life. ”

"What I just said didn't mean to offend you..."

"I didn't say you were offending me, you're always so sensitive. The gloom on Buck's face gradually dissipated, revealing a hearty smile, "I heard when I was a pirate that many elves like to study the history of empires, have you studied the oath between knights and rulers?"

"My subject is maritime history, so it's a pity. ”

"Then you'll probably never understand what I'm saying, so let's change the subject, anyway... Thank you for your comfort, although it is not of much use. Buck turned his head and gave the elven general a serious look, then took the reins of his horse to the flank of the marching column, and shouted, "Don't be as listless as your wife has been slept with!" He shouted and ordered to the herald beside him, "Pass my military order, everyone speed up!"

The herald immediately flew his horse to convey Buck's orders to the group, and Buck himself controlled his mount to and flank the army, occasionally shouting at the dejected officers and soldiers.