Warhammer Divine Throne

As a Holy Sanctuary Holy Grail Knight, Kaled naturally received a warm reception from Laine’s side, taking the opportunity to observe Laine’s army and his governance policies.

Originally, Laine led a thousand knights stationed in Leonais, partly to help Duke Aldred of Leonais suppress internal rebellions and maintain public order, and partly to observe the results of Laine’s Musillon campaign.

What surprised Laine greatly was the intelligence report that the Sharp-Top Palace fell within just one day! Laine managed to capture the Sharp-Top Palace with only five thousand men in one day!

This made the contender for the throne unable to sit still, and in a rush, Laine led an army of twenty thousand knights to immediately march south, laying siege to Richard Castle.

However, as an eyewitness to this war, Kaled saw that Laine’s so-called siege was actually a "blockade without attack." The twenty thousand strong knightly army seemed imposing, but in reality, nearly seventeen thousand of them were peasant infantry temporarily assembled from Leonais refugees.

Indeed, this twenty thousand knightly army was nothing but "watered-down pork." To appear more numerous, Laine ordered the recruitment of refugees from Leonais. These refugees, without clothing or food, eagerly joined the army as the Kingdom Regent promised them a meal. In less than two days, Laine successfully gathered a peasant infantry corp of seventeen thousand men, each provided with a long spear (or perhaps a pitchfork, dung fork, or even a wooden stick) and a set of ragged clothes, enjoying the lowest grade of food supply.

After completing the recruitment, Laine hurriedly led the army south, surrounding the crucial stronghold of Richard Castle, north of Musillon. The force of over twenty thousand looked significant and intimidating. In the castle, the Vampire Lord had a garrison of fewer than two thousand, feeling immense pressure and having to immediately seek reinforcements from Duke Mathew Bade, who was attacking the Sharp-Top Palace.

However, both Laine and Duke Aldred of Leonais were well aware of how much combat power this temporarily recruited army truly had. It was perhaps a big question mark.

In Kaled’s mind, there was no need to even question it. The Holy Sanctuary Holy Grail Knight, reflecting on the combat prowess of the peasant infantry corps in Laine Territory that had evolved into a semi-professional army, sighed to himself: This army formed from refugees could not even be described as collapsing at the first blow. They were inadequate even for waving flags and bolstering morale, not strong enough for labor or hard work. Recruiting them wasn’t a good idea.

But recruiting these refugees was unavoidable. If these people were left unchecked, and Laine and Aldred departed with the elites, it would truly be a disaster!

"Without a large supply of imperial ally firearms and artillery, we cannot directly besiege the castle, Lord Lorne, Duke Aldred," Kaled finally spoke. "You know the combat effectiveness of our army. Aside from the more than a thousand knights and a few infantry corps, most of the so-called soldiers are a motley crew, they have no ability to fight."

"I am aware of that," Laine, dressed in shining armor and holding the Kulona Sword, also knew very well the state of his army. "Therefore, I am waiting, waiting for reinforcements—not just from the empire, but another group as well."

"Another reinforcement?" Kaled pondered.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Jered de Corona, a confidant of Duke Lorne, was approaching him.

"My duke, Duke Aldred, Lord Kaled, the reinforcements led by Duke Fulcard of Montfort and Duke Hagen of Jisoleox have arrived."

"Good, convene a military council immediately!"