Chapter 49
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Chapter 49: The Secret Revealed
"Can you give me an answer?" Kalian looked at Leo with confusion, then glanced at the soldier nearby.
"Yes," Leo nodded, looking at the soldier, "I think the Marquis of Logan is not in this Winter Fortress at all, and not just him— the main forces of the Tersk Territory are also not inside this Winter Fortress."
"How dare you say such nonsense!" The soldier squinted, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.
"Viscount Carter, let him speak," Miss Kalian’s face changed.
"Um…" Viscount Carter, still holding the sword hilt, finally gritted his teeth and released his grip.
Looking at the flushed face of Viscount Carter, Leo became even more curious about Miss Kalian’s true identity. He gathered his thoughts, licked his lips, and continued:
"When I arrived just now, I found that the soldiers in the tent, apart from the injured, were just a group of disorganized and undisciplined warriors. They even lacked the smell of blood. It is clear that neither the army of the Marquis of Logan nor the personal soldiers of the northern nobles could look like this."
"So, these people are either newly recruited soldiers from the royal city or mercenary rangers called by the summons."
As he spoke, Viscount Carter and Miss Kalian’s facial expressions became more and more vivid.
Miss Kalian’s face showed disbelief, while Viscount Carter’s gaze revealed concern.
Leo seemed not to notice their expressions and continued, "Even if Winter Fortress is a strong castle, and even if there are plenty of supplies to defend it, how long can such soldiers hold the city?"
"So, it is clear that this castle, along with all the soldiers gathered here, is just a pawn; no, it should be called bait."
"That’s right, it is bait to lure the Night Demon Army to attack. The Marquis of Logan and his main forces, including the Black Cavalry, are probably hiding behind or beside the Night Demon Army, ready to cut off their supply line or launch a surprise attack."
"Am I correct, Viscount Carter?"
Listening to Leo’s words, Viscount Carter’s expression was dark and uncertain, finally breaking into a silent laugh, "Heh, did you come up with this by yourself, or does the Church already know?"
"I thought of it myself. You kept this from Miss Kalian, and as for whether the Church knows or not, even if they do, they would definitely not tell us, right?" Leo shook his head. "As for why to keep this matter a secret—"
"Because they fear the soldiers might give up and flee before the battle starts." Kalian timely followed up on Leo’s thought.
Leo nodded, agreeing with her statement.
That’s right, no matter what the Marquis of Logan’s purpose was in coming up with this tactic, one thing is certain.
The Winter Fortress, which has no main army stationed and must face the Night Demon Army’s siege, will pay an unprecedented and terrible price in this war.
Even if the Marquis of Logan wins in the end, the warriors inside the Winter Fortress are likely to be left with hardly anyone alive.
If these soldiers were to know the situation they were in, they might only have the option to run away, so it is necessary to keep it a secret from them.
Of course, the Marquis of Logan also knows that with such scattered and untrained troops, it is impossible to defend the Winter Fortress or hold back the Night Demon Army.
If they cannot hold back the army of the Night Demon, this so-called tactic will lose all meaning.
Once the Winter Fortress falls, there will be no defenses left within four hundred miles north of the Tersk Territory, and the Night Demon Army can march south to capture Winter City and gaze longingly at the Royal City.
By that time, it will truly be a scene of devastation.
He, the Marquis of Logan, is destined to be nailed to the pillar of shame in the history of the Dawn Empire.
But, the Northern region has not only nobles and soldiers, but also the Order Sect.
After Mary Ann’s Great Wall was broken, the leaders of the Order Sect knew better than anyone that the situation in the North was not optimistic.
The result of the defense battle at Winter Fortress not only determined the fate of the Northern region of the Dawn Empire but could also decide the fate of the entire empire.
Therefore, no matter how unwilling they were, they had to send the believers over to fight alongside the Marquis of Logan.
This is also why the White Cavalry Army and the Holy Guard appeared at Winter Fortress.
All the things he did not understand before, Leo probably figured out most of them at this time.
When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold; the nobles and the Order Sect, who are not in harmony, wore the same pants at this moment of life and death.
Moreover, judging by Viscount Carter’s performance, it seems that the Order Sect has no idea about the Marquis of Logan’s strategy of using Winter Fortress as bait.
It makes sense; if the Marquis of Logan planned to use the power of the cult as bait, how could the Pontiff have sent soldiers here?
That Marquis of Logan is not very skilled in battles, but he is excellent at political fights, easily tricking the Order Sect into joining him.
However, there is one thing Leo cannot see clearly right now — where is the true master of the North, the Duke of Tersk, at this moment?
"Since you have figured all this out, what do you plan to do next?" Viscount Carter’s cold words pulled Leo back to reality, "Are you going to tell the other Order believers your thoughts and then take them away?"
He looked up and saw the Viscount staring at him intensely, gripping the hilt of his sword once again.
The tension in the tent was thick.
Leo knew very well that if he showed even a hint of fear, this noble Viscount would not hesitate to draw his sword and run it through him.
This time, even Miss Kalian would probably not be able to stop him.
But Leo was not worried because he had never intended to lead the Order believers out of this Winter Fortress.
On the contrary, he wishes that those mad believers in order could all
Charge onto the battlefield and be severely injured instead.
This way, Miss Skuld, she can devour them one by one.
The bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish!
Thinking of this, Leo puffed out his chest, let out a light snort, and pretended to be passionate, "Viscount Carter, you underestimate the followers of order and me, Leo."
"Behind Winter Fortress are countless subjects of the North. If we retreat now, where will they go?"
"If we retreat, where will the light of order shine?"
"I, Leo, will never survive at the expense of order and the people of the North. I will fight, along with Winter Fortress, until the Marquis of Logan launches his surprise attack, until the day victory arrives."
"We will leave not a single one of these vile dark creatures who dare to defile order and slaughter the people of the North!"
His voice was strong and clear, and with the charm of 7 points and his sincere posture, it caught Miss Kalian and Viscount Carter off guard.
Especially Miss Kalian, she never expected that this man, who deduced the entire plan of the Marquis of Logan from just a little information, would show such an attitude at this moment.
It is known that seeking benefit and avoiding harm is the instinct of living beings; smart people are often cold, not to mention that order believers have always been known for their absolute rationality.
Realizing that he had been manipulated by the Marquis of Logan and used as bait, shouldn’t he hurry back to inform his colleagues, report to his superiors, and take the order believers away from this dangerous place?
Why does this Mr. Leo show no intention of doing that?
Her thoughts were not yet finished, but Leo continued speaking…