yasinovel Chapter 1169: The Other Side
Chapter 1169: The Other Side
Chapter 1169: The Other Side
Bill stood in his office at the Law Gate, studying the reports scattered across his broad mahogany desk.
The past months hadn't been easy at all. With Monica's death, only he remained behind to ensure all the blackguards from the human continent traversed the ocean and went to Mur.
Many lives were lost.
Maps and displays covered the walls. On them were markers showing troop positions and defensive installations.
The markers also showed the places where the blackguards believed Erik's troops were.
The blackguards even found some of the forest bases, yet they didn't know that most of Erik's troops took the place of Hin's troops months ago.
The latest intelligence updates said nothing about their enemy and his troops.
"Any news about Erik Romano yet?"
Bill's attendant's boots clicked against the floor. The blackguard's uniform bore the Enforcers' insignia.
"No, Commander. Our agents spotted him in Sleb Harbor three days ago, but after that, there is no more news about him."
Bill's expression hardened. After Monica's defeat, there was only one thing for Erik Romano to do: kill him.
Sure, that was part of the whole blackguards purging, something he himself was helping Erik to do by sending the blackguards on Mur. Yet the two had different reasons. Bill wanted to save his soldiers; Erik to kill them.
As the Law Gate was the blackguards' last major stronghold on Hin, Bill knew Erik would not rest until it fell.
"What about his army?"
"Several of them had been seen reaching the main island and heading to Sleb Harbor."
"Hin's army did nothing?"
"Based on what we know, sir, they didn't even notice them."
Bill slammed his fist on the desk, sending papers flying. His face turned crimson with rage as he paced the room like a caged animal.
"Incompetent fools!" he roared, sweeping a stack of reports off his desk. They scattered across the floor in a chaotic mess. "We've spent years training them, equipping them, and this is the best they can do? FOOLS!"
The veins in his neck bulged as he grabbed a map from the wall and crumpled it in his hands. "Their enemy is here, on their land, yet they are so useless as to even fail to find them."
The attending blackguard took a cautious step back, having rarely seen his commander lose control like this. After a moment, Bill took several deep breaths.
Bill's attendant tried calming him down. "They don't have our agents, sir. It would be hard for them to do that."
Bill could only sigh at that, because he knew the man was right. Erik's soldiers were strong, and only powerful scouts would be able to find them.
The blackguards themselves were in the same situation the previous year, when their troops didn't have a lot of neural links in their second brain crystal power and when many of their troops didn't even have a second ability.
Bill walked to the window. Below, the Law Gate's massive defenses stretched out like a labyrinth.
Bill chose to remain here at Monica's suggestion, but the guard towers, the anti-air guns, the barrier, and the hundreds of thousands of troops there made him feel safe.
The news of Monica's defeat had spread already among the troops, sowing fear and doubt. There was not a way to prevent that information from reaching the soldiers. However, the result was that even battle-hardened veterans were unnerved by Erik Romano's army.
Bill knew fear could be very dangerous. He had seen how it could weaken discipline, break unity, and make soldiers lose hope.
The soldiers now questioned whether defending the Law Gate was worthwhile or if it was just a way to delay the inevitable. Regardless, everything was going to result in their death. Bill knew he had to improve his soldiers' spirits. For any army to fight well, the soldiers needed to believe in themselves. Right now, his troops lost that belief.
His troops needed a clear sign of leadership. By maintaining a strong defensive position and
staying to face the threat head-on, he would show his soldiers that their commander trusted in their abilities and was committed to their success.
will have to fight him.>
This didn't mean he couldn't employ some tactics against him.
Despite having multiple opportunities to withdraw his forces, Bill remained at his post.
It helped that the Thaids on Mur were getting restless, and attacks on the first division were increasing. The first division commander had been forced to hide, creating a hideout in the
Lorogia Region.
Since the biological supercomputer had been created in that region, finding a hideout there was a straightforward decision. The first division commander simply repurposed one of the existing laboratories to shelter his troops.
There were many places like that, most already taken by the blackguards, but there were some
still hidden in the jungle.
"Monica underestimated him," Bill said, remembering his colleague's last communication.
"We won't make the same mistake."
Yet even as he spoke, Bill felt unease growing in his gut. Their retreat from Frant had cost
them valuable resources and manpower. The entire war did.
Trapped on Hin, they now faced an enemy who had already defeated some of their best
fighters. Bill could only hope that the time he gave to the first division would be enough to
make them strong enough to at least resist him.
"Send word to all Sentinels," Bill said. "I want hourly status reports. If Erik moves against us,
we need to be ready."
The blackguards saluted and left. Bill returned to his maps, studying possible attack vectors.
The Law Gate's defenses were strong, but Erik Romano had shown a troubling ability to accomplish the impossible.
"One way or another," Bill said to himself, "this ends here."
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