Chapter 47: The One Who Must Be Protected

  On the last Monday of December 984, after besieging Asulon Castle for three days, the Scarlet Flame Legion finally chose to retreat in anger, fear and helplessness. General Red Fox skillfully turned the rear army into the vanguard and began a forced march towards the territory of the Joseph family.

  After arriving in Yorkshire, the Scarlet Legion redeployed three thousand troops to garrison the county town, so as to avoid being pursued by the Ashkoreth family after the siege was lifted - even a ten-thousand-man army would be in danger if attacked from both front and rear. As a mature general, General Red Fox naturally wouldn't make such a mistake.

  The remaining 7,000 people, excluding the garrison, formed the main force and began to march towards Yosefburg after a brief rest.

  At the same time, the two thousand elite elves led by Mideer immediately abandoned Joseph's Fort after the nobles' council and the queen issued a statement to remove Quin's noble status.

  Of course, Mide doesn't want to be attacked from both sides. The difference between this heir of the Asuleks family and the Red Fox General lies in that he has taken down Joseph's Fortress, so he can do it more thoroughly.

  Joseph's family of one thousand regular soldiers and five hundred reserve soldiers were disbanded on the spot, sent back to their respective hometowns. All officers above centurion were executed, not a single one was left. From then on, Joseph's garrison can be said to have been thoroughly disintegrated from the system.

  In addition, the weapons and various supplies within the castle that can be taken away will all be taken away, and those that cannot be taken away will be destroyed on the spot. As for Count Joseph himself, he naturally goes into action with the army under the name of "fighting shoulder to shoulder with allies and personally killing his unfilial son".

  Up until now, the aristocratic war between the Sesshousehold and the Athrecks household has finally switched roles of offense and defense.

  "I have a question," Alice said, which was rare.

  "Please speak." It's rare for the Fog Witch to ask on her own initiative, and Midei was worried that there were too few opportunities to get close to each other, so he immediately put down all his tasks and listened carefully.

  "Why didn't the enemy continue to attack your father's castle? The demonic vines are extremely exhausting and can't be sustained for long, they could have waited. To carry out their original strategy, take down the castle, annihilate Asrelex's 3,500 soldiers, and then turn back to deal with us, isn't that a better choice?" Alice asked one question after another.

  The Fog Witch wasn't really interested in the war of the nobles, however, war was like a game of chess, a huge board, thousands and thousands of large or small pieces, and countless strategies.

  In this chess game, Alice, who is accustomed to using various different summoned beasts for cooperative battles, naturally also wants to infer how the game will go and how it should be played.

  Now she has encountered a problem that cannot be understood, so naturally she will want to ask the person who caused this situation.

  "It's very simple." Middy smiled slightly, pointing to the edges of the map with his hand. "Because the Principality of Bellmare is not just the two noble families of Seth and Aslex, but other nobles, especially the Iron Duke of Hamilton, have been watching from the sidelines all along."

  "But they didn't offer a helping hand before," Alice retorted.

  "The nobles only see profit, previously we had no chance of winning, who would have bet on it? But now, I've already broken through Joseph's fort, captured... no, made an alliance with Count Joseph and became the de facto ruler of Joseph's territory in terms of law. In this situation, the longer time drags on, the greater the possibility that other nobles will intervene." Middy replied seriously, "Moreover, as long as we use 'the right to govern Joseph's territory' as a bargaining chip, there will be plenty of reinforcements available, probably even the Iron-Blooded Duke would want to come and take a share."

  "Isn't Seth's family the leader of the Parliamentarian faction? He can also seek reinforcements." Alice continued to retort.

  "That extent means the civil war of the Principality of Bellmare, currently, compared to the strength of the Seth and Hamilton families, they don't dare take that step yet, can only endure. Since they don't dare break the rules of the game, then in this game, I have the upper hand, I have the chips, and only I can seek aid. So, the Scarlet Flame Legion has no other choice but to come back, and will definitely eliminate me at all costs."

  While explaining various rules of the nobility and mentioning possible constraints, Midy concluded with a resolute tone.

  Alice finally couldn't ask any more questions, looking at the bright eyes of the black-haired boy, she suddenly understood something.

  So it was like that...

  Is this the choice of this guy who is only seventeen or eighteen years old?

  The leader freed the people from the enemy's slaughter, saved the castle from its doomed fate, and every time he stayed up late to make plans, doing his best to minimize the casualties of the elf warriors. During battles, he always led the troops in person to face the strongest enemies. In the end, was his strategy to point all the spears at himself alone?

  Now, whether it's the Seth family or the Joseph family, and those aristocrats who are eyeing them covetously, all the hatred, hostility, malice, jealousy, suspicion, and scrutiny have converged on him alone.

  And yet this guy can chat with himself here like nothing's wrong, and he even seems quite satisfied with the current situation.

  It's as if from the very beginning, he had already made up his mind to protect everyone.

  Is this what the man in front of me, Midas Alstreix, believes in?

  For an instant, albeit an extremely brief one, Alice, who had almost never shown interest in others until now, genuinely had the thought of wanting to get to know this black-haired boy with a resolute gaze.

  Why can you remain so calm despite carrying such a heavy burden?

  Why would this person want to protect so many things?

  Does this include Fiona Hamilton too?

  At this point, the gaze of the Fog Witch involuntarily shifted to the other side of the table, the position that belonged to Feena.

  However, the red-haired girl was not there.

  When leaving Joseph's fort, Feina quietly parted ways with the main force. In order to ensure Midie's forces as much as possible, the Queen of Magic Bullets even left Siegmond and Lilian behind, taking only a small team of six Night Blade Leopard Riders on the road to complete her mission.

  So Alice had no way of confirming to her peer, who used to fight with her and was very determined, what kind of person Middy was.

  No, even if the Bullet Queen were here, she would probably be too embarrassed to ask such an annoying question herself.

  At least one thing is clear: the Fog Witch understands.

  The next battle, must win. Moreover, must win beautifully, otherwise, those nobles who are still watching from the sidelines, may produce some confusing and troublesome thoughts.

  Alice hated trouble, even if it was Midie's trouble, she still didn't want to see it.

  "What's next?" Alice asked directly.

  "It's not just your help we need, it's all your strength." Midy replied.

  Although they are still in a "transactional" relationship, Alice helps Middy fight and Middy provides spirits for Alice to study. However, Middy hopes to convey his feelings honestly to the other party, so without any disguise, he directly spoke out the current predicament.

  What a hassle...

  The Fog Witch immediately thought of this idea in her mind, compared to the temporary interest and excitement, the usual habit is deeply rooted, so it's still a hassle.

  "Without you, I wouldn't have won." Midei said seriously, looking at the black-haired girl, and added another sentence.

  This sentence made Alice swallow back the complaint that had already reached her lips.

  A faint smile involuntarily floated onto the girl's face, and then she nodded slightly: "When Redhead is not around, it will be temporarily handed over to me."

  On the sixth day of leaving Joseph's Fort, on the last day of Arad in 984, on the eve of the arrival of the Gran Forest fire and the New Year, Middy's elf warriors finally encountered the Red Flame Legion, which had been rushing along the way with a momentum.

  In the forest of white birch trees on Joseph's land, the scouts of both sides almost simultaneously discovered the presence of the opposing army, long swords were immediately unsheathed, crossbows were already fully drawn, only waiting for a single order, this battle that may decide the fate of the Ashreks family, or even affect the future of the Principality, would erupt.

  But before Lǐ Yè could savor the taste of fresh blood, a vast and boundless fog quietly arrived.