Knight: Becoming King of the World

As long as Henry hadn’t reached the point of wanting to wage war daily and kill everyone in sight, intelligence still held its value.

As Westwood Laine developed, Henry considered establishing a more formal and systematic intelligence agency. A comprehensive intelligence network would allow him to manage his domain more effectively.

The reason this large-scale meeting was being held in the castle was simply because all the officials and military officers were nearby.

Once a proper town hall was built for the officials and Civil Servants of various departments, they would move out.

All the key figures in Henry’s army had already gathered in the great hall, including his Attendants, military officers, and the officials in charge of warehouses and logistics.

Some were standing, others were seated, all discussing something in low voices.

Bain and Leon exchanged a smile. ’Judging by this formation, it looks like this is going to be a major campaign.’

Henry sat at the front of the great hall, gesturing for everyone to be quiet.

Henry cleared his throat and said, "Gentlemen, we are about to face a crucial war. This time, our objective is to utterly crush our enemies and ensure the security of Westwood Laine."

The atmosphere in the hall immediately grew tense. ’He’s talking about defending the security of Westwood Laine?’

’Is there still someone around who dares to threaten Westwood Laine’s position? Could it be Count John?’

Henry continued, "We have received intelligence that the enemy is massing troops to launch an attack against us. We cannot sit back and wait to be destroyed; we must strike first."

"We need to formulate a battle plan. Bain, Leon, you both performed outstandingly in the last battle. I hope you can play a key role in this plan."

The two men immediately stood at attention, signifying their readiness to accept any mission.

Henry nodded, then began assigning tasks, including but not limited to reconnaissance, ambush, main force assault, and logistical support.

"Selas, Philip, you two will lead the Cavalry units. You are responsible for reconnaissance and harassing the enemy’s flanks."

"Roland, Leon, you two are in charge of commanding the archers and Grassland Warriors. You need to find the best attack positions to ensure you can deal a blow to the enemy’s morale."

The two naturally accepted the order. Commanding the ranged units was the most coveted job, after all. It was safe, and there was no shortage of glory to be won. The only downside was the mental strain of constantly watching for an enemy charge.

"Bain, Vasco, you two will be in charge of the infantry, responsible for the frontal assault."

"Yes, Milord!"

Henry looked around at the people in the room and said, "We don’t have much time. The enemy could attack at any moment. We must assemble our forces as quickly as possible and set out immediately."

Everyone responded with a resounding cry, but their eyes remained fixed on Henry, shining with intensity. No one moved to leave.

They still didn’t know who they were going to fight. They wanted to know just who in the world had the audacity to make a move against Henry.

’Does someone have a death wish?’

Seeing this situation, Henry said with a smile, "I know many of you want to know, who is our enemy?"

"According to the exact intelligence I’ve received, a large army composed of six Barons and fourteen Knights has already finished assembling in the Autongard region."

"Their forces number around twenty thousand, and moreover, they are trying to persuade more nobles to join their ranks."

The moment Henry finished speaking, the great hall erupted in whispers as everyone exchanged their thoughts.

They had never imagined an Alliance Army of this scale would form to oppose Henry. The last time a coalition of nobles this large had been assembled was to fight the Half-Beastmen.

When Henry first received this intelligence, he too found it unbelievable. The cautionary tale of Count John was a recent memory, yet someone was still foolish enough to provoke him.

’I wasn’t even coming for you, but you were so afraid I’d forget about you that you jumped up and begged me to beat you down.’

’Honestly, it’s enough to make you weep.’

"Some of these Barons and Knights are friends of those we’ve already defeated, like Baron Nurulan, Baron Sura, and the former baron of Ximira Castle."

"Others are those who didn’t attend our New Year’s festival. They were panicked by our actions during the festival and fear they will be our next target."

A wave of understanding washed over the crowd. ’So it’s old grudges and new fears combined.’ No wonder.

Henry surmised, "They probably think that rather than waiting for me to defeat them one by one, it’s better to band together and strike first, trying to crush me here in Westwood Laine."

At this, a hint of contempt crept into Henry’s voice. He clearly didn’t give a damn about this Alliance Army.

Henry said disdainfully, "They may think that by uniting, they can stand against me. But they are wrong! Dead wrong! They don’t know how powerful my army is, they don’t know how brave my Warriors are!"

The Attendants and officers stood by, their eyes glinting with the thirst for battle.

Henry’s words were a massive boost to morale. That genuine contempt and disdain, in particular, gave them the feeling that they were following the right man.

’Come to think of it,’ they realized, ’we’ve never actually lost a battle.’

"Our enemies are still trying to win over allies everywhere, possibly still trying to increase their own strength. But we will not give them this opportunity. We will take the initiative and attack."

"We will move swiftly and deal them a fatal blow. We will make them learn the price of challenging us."

Henry’s plan was simple yet effective. His enemies might try to overwhelm him with superior numbers, but he knew his army’s quality far surpassed theirs.

His soldiers were well-trained, and their equipment was excellent.

"We will use our advantages, we will be flexible and mobile on the battlefield, we will find the enemy’s weaknesses, and we will deal them a fatal blow. We will make them understand their mistake!"

Henry’s words ignited everyone’s fighting spirit like a raging fire. A resolute light gleamed in their eyes.

The tension they felt upon hearing about the Alliance Army instantly dissipated. Instead, a fire now burned within them, and they couldn’t wait to unleash it upon the enemy.

They trusted Henry’s judgment and decisions. As long as they followed Henry, they were certain of victory.

The Attendants and officers nodded one after another, their spirits completely ignited.

They had all experienced battle and fought alongside Henry. They knew how powerful Henry’s army was; nothing was impossible.

"We will cut off their heads and pile them into a mountain, so everyone can see the consequences of opposing us," an officer shouted, his words met with a chorus of approval.

"Yeah! We’ll show them what we’re made of!"

"We will make them regret being born into this world!"

"We’ll crush them completely!"

Waves of cheers echoed through the hall, each person expressing their determination and fighting spirit.

They were eager to throw themselves into battle, to utterly defeat those enemies who dared to challenge Henry.

Henry looked at these hot-blooded Warriors before him, his heart filled with pride.

He possessed an unparalleled army, an army willing to go through fire and water for him.

He wasn’t sure what had happened, but ever since he had cut off the heads of those Mercenaries and piled them all together...

...his officers and Attendants seemed to have caught some kind of sickness. Now, whenever they saw a corpse, they just wanted to lop off its head and add it to a pile.

Henry had even asked them why, and the answer he received was that they thought it looked "nice" and was "aesthetically pleasing."

This left Henry speechless. ’How could that possibly be considered aesthetically pleasing? It’s meant as a deterrent, for crying out loud!’

But after calming down and thinking it over, he had to admit it was rather aesthetic. It was a deterrent to his enemies, so of course, his own people would find it appealing.

"Alright, everyone."

Henry raised his hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down. "We move out now. Everyone, go and prepare."