For a familiar place, you can get there with a clear goal no matter how you go. It is not easy to find its place in a place that is not very familiar, especially in the middle of nowhere.

I did worry about this journey, but I'm glad I didn't run into orc scouts. And when I found the Eastern Fortress, what I didn't expect was that the fortress had already fallen.

It's incredible! Doesn't it mean that there are thousands of defenders on such high walls? How could it have fallen? I walked around the fortress twice and found no extensive damage to the walls or gates...... This is...... How did it fall?

I searched around the fortress for any traces that might have been left, and in the end I found no signs of fighting, no fighting, no blood, not even a single corpse!

Could it be that this was given to them?

I have to go back and report it quickly, this is an extremely serious problem, it's not that I want to sue Leoric, it's not that I want to mess with him, but it's not hard to imagine the consequences of the fortress falling like this!

Desperately out of the woods, I ran along the road, dangerous, but the quickest way to get back. As a result, when he was about to arrive in Donggu Town, he naturally encountered an orc patrol. I had no intention of fighting, but I just got into the woods and tried to escape, and of course the orcs didn't want to let me go.

It would have been impossible to get rid of them if it hadn't been for the hard way through the little river in the woods, which had almost lost the body of a horse. I don't remember such a big river in the woods...... Or am I lost? It should be right to go north along the riverbank, I'm a little confused right now. I hadn't gone far, but I was stopped by an orc army crouching in the woods.

I'm dying, what's going on? How are there orc troops everywhere! Where is this? What are these orcs going to do?

They were stationed in the forest not far from the riverbank, and I couldn't tell where they were, and even if I went back to report that all I could report was that I found a large number of orcs on the riverbank, and that's it!

The number of this force is estimated to be in the hundreds. Let's go around! It can only be circumvented. I tiptoed cautiously around the horse's head and quietly went around the distance. Fighting is really not just a battle of men and weapons, and I can't be sure what these orcs are trying to do here, but I can imagine what it would be like if these guys suddenly appeared on the flanks or rear of our army.

As I was walking through the woods, I suddenly felt someone behind me. I drew my bow and arrows to give him an arrow. A man came out of there when I was already aiming in that direction.

I glared at him, and he stared at me.

"Are you a scout from Shining Gold?" He asked.

"What about you?"

"I escaped from the Eastern Fortress." He raised his hand as he spoke.

"I was about to ask, what's going on?"

"The commander led a part of the men to attack the town of Donggu." He grimaced, "The soldiers who fled later said they were killed and wounded. There weren't many defenders of the fortress in the first place. ”

"You can ask for help!" I looked at the little man in front of me in amazement.

"The letter has been sent, but ...... The deputy commander said to withdraw for the time being. ”

"Fart!" I grabbed him by the collar, "How can you hold up such a high wall for two or three days!" ”

"It's useless for you to howl with me, I'm just a scout." He said with a sad face.

"What about your people?"

"Orc troops ...... evading pursuit"

"Take me there." I say.

In a depression not far away, I found the escaped guys. I actually know the deputy commander at the head! I forgot what his name was...... But I must have seen him when I first went to the Eastern Fortress.

He watched me stare at him, and he stared at me for a while. "I know you......"

"What's the matter with you guys?"

"What?" They didn't take their eyes off me.

I ignored him and just looked around at the people around me, who were dressed fairly except for the gray faces they were running. "Why haven't you evacuated to Shining Gold Town?"

"Orc troops have been spotted ahead, and we've been withdrawing." Effahibi said.

"What's going on with the fortress?"

The guy's eyes twitched to the left, "At that time, the orc army had defeated the commander's army, and we were alone. "He gave himself a reason first.

"That's all?"

He nodded.

"Where's Leoric?"

He frowned, his face slightly displeased. "The Commander's whereabouts are unknown."

"How many people were in the fortress at that time?"

"Four thousand...... Many. He said.

"All sorted?"

"Whose command are you now...... What's your name? He squinted as he recalled.

"You guys should break out as soon as possible." I turned and left. "The army of Lothar is about to arrive."

"Lothar? He's alive! ”

"Are you surprised?"

There was a buzz around them, and they were muttering something to each other. "That'...... It's just wonderful. Effahbi laughed dryly. Brothers, let's get ready to break out. ”

I got back on my horse and headed north, but the birdmen didn't look very good, and I didn't bother to bother with them. Now I just want to hurry up and report the situation to the main forces.

Luckily, I met the army that was marching towards Donggu Town, and Lothar was surprised, "Where did you go?" ”

"Good news and bad news for you."

"Good news." He said.

"There aren't many orcs in Donggu Town." I say.

"Bad news."

"Leorik is defeated, and now there is no one to be found, and the fortress is lost."

Lothar's face was still so thin, probably a little rejuvenated. His beard and hair were now gray. "What's going on with Leorick?"

"Do you know about the fortress?"

He nodded.

"It is said that Leorick sent troops to Donggu Town, I don't know what he thinks, this can only be asked to him, but now his life and death are uncertain." I say.

"How many people did you bring?"

"All."

"All?" Lothar glared at me in surprise.

"There were very few people left in the city, and then ...... You got it. ”

Lothar lifted the curtains on the car window and said, "Tell the front row to speed up!" Be sure to take the town of Donggu tonight! ”

"I met soldiers who had escaped from the fortress in the field, and now there is an ambush in the woods on the right side of the road." I say. "At least a few hundred people."

The feint was led by a major named Maxwell, who led 1,000 Wubai as the vanguard to attack the town of Donggu, and Reggie, who was promoted again, led 700 men as backup, and 3,500 men under the personal command of Lothar to follow. In order to ensure that the enemy can respond quickly in the event of a surprise attack, in addition to the heralds, Lothar also left a thousand men at the rear as a rapid emergency force behind the palace.

Sure enough, not long after Reggie cooperated with Maxwell to attack the town of East Valley, a large number of orcs suddenly killed from the southern forest. I'm not sure if this was the one I had discovered, but then the 3,000 men under Lothar's command pounced on it and soon the orc force was crushed, one with a numerical advantage and the other with high enough morale.

The last of the emergency forces didn't work, but their presence reassured me, and it was just after it got dark when we stormed the town of Higashiya and drove all the orcs out.

The group of soldiers who had escaped from the fortress in the middle of the night found us, and Lothar simply arrested the deputy commander who was at the head of the group.

Now finding the missing Leorik was the most important thing, and more than 200 scouts were scattered overnight.

Someone came back after daybreak, but it wasn't news of Leorick, but the bad news of the defeat of Red Ridge Mountain.

Actually, I only felt that it was a pity that people were killed in the defeat of Red Ridge Mountain, but Lothar told me that if Red Ridge Mountain was all lost, the orcs in the eastern, northeastern, and northern parts of the Elwyn Forest would attack the Elwyn Forest in multiple directions.

In fact, the loss of the Eastern Fortress made Lothar very angry in advance, in fact, I also understand that the Eastern Fortress at this time is not far from Donggu Town, and this place is occupied by us at this time, but if we have any trouble and is known by the orcs, then this town is likely to fall into the hands of the orcs again, and more importantly, once we send troops to Donggu Town, then we are likely to be trapped. And the orc troops occupying the fortress are completely unknown!

Speaking of this, he wanted to cut off the head of the guy named Epheshibi. I also remembered that the guy's name was Epheshbi. I have a very general impression of him.

After a day of repairing in the town, the army quietly left the town in batches that night and went directly to the northern lumberyards. Reggie told me that there was a Hunter Mountain Trail in the northern mountains that led to Red Ridge Mountain.

As I followed them through the logging area, I remembered a lot of things, and I don't know if I had ever stepped on the road under my feet at this time, but I couldn't find the feeling I had when I woke up just a few years ago.

Only ...... The wolves on the hill. The moon was fine tonight, not round but still bright, and the shadows of wolves appeared on the hills, and they watched quietly as we passed. The giant wolf they had once been a weeper didn't seem to be in their pack.

In fact, at this time, I still have a little expectation for the wolf, really, it is said that after the wolf is favored, he may repay the person who helped him. It did help me...... I admit it. Well...... Isn't it a bit ...... to keep thinking about it? Greedy.

Our unswerving heralds, who were not afraid of sacrifice, caught up with us and brought news that was not a surprise, but not bad. Perhaps Leorik wasn't dead, and found the scattered remnants to the east of the Deep Forest Crossing. Yesterday the remnants were with Leorek's forces, and they had a fight with the orcs, who were assembling on their way to Red Ridge Mountain. But...... They were separated from Leoric's team.

Lothar gritted his teeth angrily, this kind of war of attrition will only make the already small army fight less and less. So he ordered the herald to let him save his strength and survive first once he found out about Leorik, and they were rushing to the rescue of Red Ridge Mountain, and let him decide whether to attack or not.

At this time, our troops were either marching in a hurry, or completely forced. I was really worried about whether this group of soldiers could stand it, Lothar looked at me and said firmly, if I can't stand it, then it won't be long in the future, and the outcome is destined to be even more death.

The road in the mountains and forests is not easy to walk, and it is higher and higher, and people can say that the horses have become a big problem, and the carriage is directly thrown on the road. Before leaving, I glanced at the carriage, and I don't know how soon one day a man would suddenly find out how a carriage could have appeared in such a place, and it was impossible to say whether it would become an unsolved mystery.

The patrol of the Pathfinder returned, but only one. The blood on his face, looking at him almost out of breath, I felt a sigh in my heart, could it be that this mountain has been occupied by orcs?

Even after a while, the guy gasped, "Oh no! A large number of gnolls have appeared in the mountains ahead! ”

This news made me stunned for a moment, how can there be a jackal! "Isn't this hunter's way? What about the guide? ”

Lothar called a halt to the procession, and the guide was found. "I haven't found a gnoll on this road before." The guide was also confused. "It's not a very common trail, and hunters rarely go that far." He said.

"What's the boundary ahead?" I asked.

"Red Ridge Mountain, the front is basically to the boundary of Red Ridge Mountain, where the terrain is even higher than this." He said.

"Do you know how many gnolls there are?" Lothar asked.

"I don't know...... Billy was unfortunate enough to be dragged away by them, and I had to flee back to report the news. He bowed his head.

"All on alert!" Lothar said to Reggie. "Before we fight the orcs, we'll need to rid up those damn brutes."