Warhammer Divine Throne-Chapter 688 - 306, Barbarians Move South_2

"Two thousand one hundred knights, six thousand knight's squires, and eight thousand infantry, thirty percent less than I expected." Jules looked at the large army gathered in the square, the Holy Grail Knight Commander's face somewhat troubled: "The Lady told me this is an unprecedentedly powerful invasion."

"The assembly orders have been issued; more knights will arrive with their escorts." Kaled stood behind Jules, speaking softly: "The kingdom has been rather chaotic lately."

"Yes, if we wait, more knights will indeed arrive here." Jules placed a hand on Kaled's shoulder: "But we can't wait any longer. If we delay too much, Leonais will fall, and we must set off."

"Hmm." Kaled nodded lightly, grasping the sword at his waist as he mounted his horse.

"Dong~ dong~ dong~" The long bell continued to ring, knights donned their armor and mounted their horses, soldiers armed themselves with spears and shields, forming an impressive army of about fifteen thousand people.

The residents of the city gathered along the streets, and the area near the square was teeming with people. Recently, news of the Northern Barbarians' invasion had reached the ears of Crona's residents. The entire city fell into deep panic, as people spread the word, rumors stating that a Great Power of Chaos from the north was leading an army of tens of thousands south, determined to destroy everything.

This year has seen too much happen, and amid such crisis, Crona is in a state of chaos, with only high walls offering residents a sense of security.

Jules knew he must say something, as at this difficult moment, with revolts among the peasants, a shortage of food, and the number of knights at its lowest in thirty years, he also needed to take away most of Crona's defending forces and many knights.

He had to say something.

"Knights of Brittania! You know the Kingdom is now in danger. From the north, Barbarian tribes ride dragon ships, bringing destruction and darkness." Jules shouted to all the gathered army in the square, even including the residents watching nearby: "The Kingdom is in peril, we must stand up, or face eternal doom!"

"This is the moment of decisive battle. Knights of Brittania, you once swore to fight to the death, united in the name of Arthur, establishing our nation here, forging a glorious history spanning a thousand years!"

"Now, darkness approaches, but we still possess the strength to resist. In the name of the Lady, we have persevered to this point. In the name of the Lady, we have fought until now. The Kingdom needs us now! The Lady needs us! Tell me, knights, what is our duty?"

"To defend the land of the Lady! To fight for the Lady and the Kingdom!" The knights shouted loudly, with over two thousand knights and their squires calling from the depths of their hearts.

Knight, Shield of Civilization.

"Glorious knights of Brittania, draw your swords, lift your cavalry lances, for our most devout faith in the Lady of the Lake, for the bright and glorious Brittania, march forth!"

"March forth!" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"March forth!"

Jules gripped his divine sword "Durandal" at his waist, mounted his beloved warhorse, and led the way out of the city, with Kaled and Anara closely following.

A large group of cavalry, followed by infantry, marched out with Jules, leaving Crona.

The King stood silently watching from the city walls, as Jules took away seventy percent of Crona's defending forces and the vast army gathered from around Crona at the King's command, leaving Crona nearly empty.

"Thus, the war at Leonais will decide the fate of all Brittania. If Jules fails, the northern part of the Kingdom will have no forces left to call upon." Richard murmured to himself.

"Jules, you must prevail... and bring the knights back safely."

......

The great army left the city, with Kaled following Jules. The Kingdom Knight looked at the gray sky, frowning: "The weather seems unusual."

This was something almost all the knights sensed. This knight army primarily came from the Duchy of Connet, the Duchy of Le Anglong, and the Duchy of Jisoleox. The southern dukes had received the King and Duke of Leonais's call for aid, but they needed time to gather their forces, and it would take about ten days of travel.

"It's the Power of Chaos, the Power of Chaos is eroding the Prime Material World." Jules looked up at the overcast sky: "The Wind of Chaos is blowing across the land, making any strange occurrences unsurprising in such circumstances."

The long line of the knight army was advancing along the road. The capital Crona and the surrounding area were very prosperous, with visible estates and farmland everywhere, and various workshops along the Sannes River.

Five Holy Grail Knights followed behind Jules, the maximum number he could muster considering the security needs of Crona.

"Sir Jules, our food supply can sustain us for at most one and a half months." A Holy Grail Knight came up from behind, addressing Jules: "If the confrontation drags on too long, we risk running out of food."

"The decisive battle won't take that long. A month and a half is sufficient. The Northern Barbarians are a warlike race; I understand their nature." Concerning food, Jules felt confident: "What I'm worried about is Crona's food supply."

The southern dukes had responded; during the Kingdom's crisis, the dukes all understood who the primary enemy was. Bohemond's army was ready to march north, and Laine, Bodric, Francois, and others began preparing to send food support.

Jules thought, hearing the south has been very prosperous in recent years, he must seize the opportunity to visit should he have the chance.

The army continued its advance for two more days, with Jules dispatching a large number of scouts to observe the movements of the Barbarian army. The scouts suffered heavy losses but brought back valuable intelligence.

The Barbarian army initially progressed like a hot knife through butter, advancing rapidly. However, after seizing multiple coastal towns and castles, their momentum began to slow. Many chiefs of smaller tribes were engrossed in pillaging, disregarding Egil's orders, and roaming wildly. Meanwhile, many rivers and mountains began to thaw in spring, creating a muddy environment that hampered the Barbarian army's advance, especially the Chaos Dwarfs' Chaos Hell Cannon and Chaos Mammoth War Elephants.

Holy Grail Knight Eisen led the Kingdom Army's vanguard in several skirmishes with the Barbarian army, temporarily holding them at the Tuer line. Tuer was a sturdy castle, temporarily halting the Barbarians' vanguard, but it was only a matter of time before the castle fell. Once the Chaos Mammoth War Elephants, the Chaos Hell Cannon, and Egil himself, leading ten thousand Stahlings elite troops, reached the front line, the garrison would be unable to hold the castle.

"Once Tuer Castle is breached, the Barbarian army will directly face Leonais Castle." After several days of marching, Jules and several Holy Grail Knights, along with Kaled and his sister Anara, analyzed the scouts' reports: "Have we confirmed which tribe this Barbarian army belongs to and who commands it?"

"It's the Skalings Tribe of the Northern Wasteland, commanded by the King of Skalings, Blood God's… Divine Chosen Champion Egil Steelbjorn." A Holy Grail Knight said: "The situation is not good; the Barbarians destroyed all villages to disrupt our supply line advances. Lord Eisen's vanguard could only harass without the strength to destroy them, while Leonais Castle is still mustering its forces."

"Khorne's Divine Chosen Champion?" Jules looked at the map and suddenly smiled: "That's a fine gift, I shall present his head to the Lady."

"The damned Barbarians will crumble under the Lady's radiance!"

"These Chaos scum will pay for their deeds!"

At that moment, a scout holding a flag approached Jules and the others: "Sir Jules, we have the latest intelligence."

"Speak!"

"The Barbarian army has breached Tuer Castle, and they are gathering on the Nanzi Plain nearby! It seems they plan to have a decisive battle with Duke Dalheid's forces there!"