Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 500 Division of Troops
They continued north for another ten days, and the griffin riders they had sent out returned one after another, bringing increasingly worse news.

Ahead, a large area was almost deserted, villages were reduced to ashes, towns were mostly ruined, and traces of demonic activity were becoming increasingly dense. Even more unsettling, in the ruins of some destroyed towns, it was discovered that higher-ranking demon commanders had clearly made those areas their own territories, which were teeming with demons.

To outsiders, this place is nothing short of a demon's kingdom, a paradise in the abyss, and a death-filled underworld.

The expeditionary force had been marching here for ten days, which was nothing to Gaoyabao.

However, the expeditionary force soon had to face an urgent problem.

As they ventured deeper, the scattered demons never ceased to appear, making logistical support increasingly difficult. It was hard to say whether the rear support troops would be attacked by demons, which would be absolutely devastating for them.

Moreover, given the sheer size of their force, as long as the demons aren't blind, they can easily spot them. Once a conflict breaks out, the only options are to kill the demons or be killed by them, which further slows down their progress.

"Another group of Fallen Ones is here." The lord rode his three-headed dog, with Li Buji on the side.

His short, black hair, reaching his ears, danced wildly in the wind. He wore a suit of gilded armor crafted from fine gold, with a red cloak embroidered with a giant dragon draped over his back. He was a hundred times more handsome than the most carefree and dissolute prince of the Seven Kingdoms.

With a casual snap of his fingers, a squad of griffin riders took to the air, and with just a few hundred pulses, they wiped out all the low-level demons, leaving none alive.

“Old man, we have to part ways here.” The lord approached Bernard: “If we continue at this pace, we’ll never reach Hadar before we die.”

"What do you mean, Levi?" Bernard followed Levi's gaze into the distance, but all he saw was a vast, boundless expanse of land.

"Divide the forces." Li Wei said decisively, "You have the main force advance slowly with the logistics support, clearing out the demons along the way and establishing supply points, while I..."

Li Wei looked at Bernard, his tone as relaxed as if he were going on a trip: "Lead an elite force and march straight to Hada. Traveling light and with minimal supplies, the speed will be several times faster."

Bernard straightened up slightly, his silver hair ruffled by the wind, and a look of hesitation on his face: "Li Wei, this is too risky. The situation here is already so dire, I can't even imagine what Hada is like now..."

"I have informed Her Majesty Ashirul of the situation here, and she has notified all the countries. In a little while, we will receive more support."

It wasn't that Bernard looked down on the dragon knight's strength, but the fact that so many demons could appear in the material world meant that the Northern Province must have a portal connecting to the abyss.

Because of the demons, he has recently been looking at many ancient books about the abyss and demons, and knows that it is an endless, suffocatingly terrifying place.

The environment there is extremely harsh, a place where life is extremely dangerous. There is no morality or ethics there, a place of endless killing. There is no friendship, family, or love, only betrayal, killing, and destruction.

This environment has thus created this group of evil demons, making it one of the most famous and terrifying lower planes in history, with countless powerful beings.

Therefore, no matter how powerful Li Wei is, he will inevitably be at a disadvantage when facing a force several times stronger than himself.

As a governor, Bernard naturally understood the importance of speed in warfare, but he was even more unwilling to see anything happen to the dragon knight, as this would be an intolerable and significant loss for Debe, who had already suffered various setbacks.

Although it was cruel, from the perspective of a military governor, this dragon knight was even more valuable than the hundreds of thousands of troops here.

“Then let’s charge in.” Li Wei interrupted him, a nearly ferocious smile spreading across his face. “I want to see whether the claws of those abyssal scum are harder, or my sword is sharper.”

“I cannot control the will of a Dragon Knight, the Hand of the King.” Bernard took a deep breath. “Levi, I will go to Hadar with you. Although I have lost an arm, as a master of aura, I should be able to play a role.”

“No need, we need you here.” Li Wei shook his head, speaking the truth.

“After Harland died, I broke my decades-long commitment and started drinking heavily again, not just because I was grieving his passing.” Bernard gave a bitter smile. “It was also to numb my fear of the endless stream of undead and demons, or more accurately, my fear of a future that had been unchanging but had suddenly become unfamiliar.”

“I thought you had already gotten over Harland’s death,” Levi said unconsciously.

He did notice that Governor Bernard, who never drank, had unusually sought him out for a drink, and assumed it was a sign of his newfound freedom, but it turned out not to be.

“Unfortunately, no.” Bernard rested his hand on his sword, his eyes bloodshot, a sign of prolonged sleep deprivation. Levi had previously thought he was just overworked, but that was clearly not the case: “As a knight, I am ashamed of my cowardice and fear. This shame relentlessly gnaws at my soul, tormenting me with nightmares day and night. I am deeply ashamed of myself.”

“I never imagined you would feel fear of the undead and demons,” Li Wei sighed.

"This arm of mine was cut off when I was a child by a group of undead that suddenly appeared. The culprit was a lousy necromancer who lost control of the undead, which led to this tragedy." Bernard recounted the story briefly and casually, without mentioning that his arm was cut off by the undead while trying to save Harland.

"I am not saying this to seek comfort or pity."

“I’ve just realized that fear is not shameful.” Bernard’s voice was low but firm, his bloodshot eyes staring straight at Levi. “What is shameful is being bound by fear and not daring to move forward. Harland’s death, the demons here, this severed arm… they should all be reasons for me to fight, not excuses for cowering.”

He released the sword he was holding and patted his empty sleeve with his only remaining hand: "I've been hiding for so many years since I lost this arm. Now, the demon has come again. Am I supposed to hide again and spend the rest of my life tormented by nightmares until I become a coward that I despise even myself?"

“Even if they die in Hadda in the end, it is the most perfect curtain call for a soldier.” Bernard looked at the two figures in the distance leading horses side by side, which were Tannis and Mill. His eyes were filled with a little affection: “The only one I couldn’t let go of was Tannis, but now it is clear that I don’t need to worry about her anymore. Since her mother died, this is one of the few times I have seen a genuine smile on her face.”

Bernard smiled as he said this: "It's time for me to work towards my childhood dream: to end in an epic story and be remembered for all time. Now that opportunity is in front of me, I won't miss it."

Li Wei pondered it carefully, and then felt a deep sense of respect.

It's no exaggeration to say that Bernard has somewhat returned to a simpler, more natural way of life.

Now the other party has chosen to give up everything in front of them and become the knight who has been hidden in their heart for many years.

To be fair, if it were the lord, he absolutely could not have done it.

Li Wei remained silent for a moment, then met Bernard's firm gaze and finally nodded slowly.

He wouldn't shatter a middle-aged man's dream.

"Okay." He only said one word.

Bernard smiled slightly, a smile of relief that came from the weight of a burden lifted.

He turned and summoned his adjutant, quickly and clearly explaining the various matters.

Orders were issued one after another, and the army began to move in an orderly manner.

“Adjutant Jonathan has been with me since he was ten years old. He’s perfectly capable of handling these matters in my absence, but his indecisive nature makes him unsuitable as governor; he’s only fit to be a deputy.” Bernard turned and chatted with the lord again, sounding as if he were giving his final instructions. “Don’t be so pessimistic, sir.” This made the lord somewhat amused and exasperated.

To be honest, he wanted the governor to work for him for another twenty years or so, so he could retire at seventy and still have a few more years to enjoy life.

"It's not exactly pessimism, I just couldn't help but chat a bit more." Bernard smiled.

Li Wei could sense that the other person was noticeably more relaxed with him than before.

After chatting for a few minutes, Li Wei returned to his camp at Gaoyabao and convened a meeting.

All the guards' leaders were present, and Leah and Taylor's Muslim and Ansuna were also in attendance as guests.

Since the lord returned, he has put High Cliff Fort in charge of the security of the Taylor West Mage Corps.

Although there were some conflicts with Taylor in the past, those conflicts have long since disappeared.

In fact, everyone present knew about the planned division of forces, but they didn't know which elite troops would be sent to Hada alone.

"You all know the purpose of this meeting, so I'll keep it brief." The lord looked at the pairs of eager eyes before him.

There are no cowards in High Cliff Fortress, except for Sofia and Sam.

So, apart from the little old shaman still huddled in the corner, all that could be seen were longing eyes.

"Zart, Layton, Mil, Paya, Helena, Volibear, and Swain, you form a team and head to Falling Spring Forest. Kemish, you're going too. You're from the Persian Gulf, so you'll definitely know the route better than them. Your job is to meet up with Ifra and her Medusas." Levi immediately began assigning his men.

Zart wanted to say something more, but in the end, all that was left was the dull thud of his fist hitting his chest.

Originally, Ifra went back to prepare for the entire tribe to migrate to High Cliff Fortress, but so much time has passed and there has been no movement. In addition, the northern provinces are now full of demons, and the lord suspects that the other party must have encountered trouble.

Although Ifra is a legend, she is bound by her people, which inevitably makes her feel constrained.

“Skye, Lia, Masha, Aisha, you and some warriors stay here to watch over the vassals and supplies. The High Cliff Griffin Knights will only take their weapons and come with me to Hadar,” Li Wei said in quick succession.

No one objected. Even though Leah and Skye wanted to go, they knew that Levi's decision was irreversible at this point.

“Your Majesty Li Wei, Muslim and I will go with you,” Ansuna suddenly said.

“You are the bishops of Taylorism, I have no right to order you around, there’s really no need for you to come with me on this adventure,” the lord said, looking at the two youngest bishops of Taylorism.

If anything were to happen to these two, especially the Muslim, the old Pope Thales would probably tear him apart.

“Your Majesty Li Wei.” The Muslim stroked his messy hair: “The demons are a danger to the entire material world. Everyone has a responsibility, and you should not have to bear it alone.”

“Ansuna and I discussed it before deciding to go. We will hand over the management of Tyler’s team to a suitable bishop.”

"Alright, welcome to the team." The lord finally nodded.

Both of them are epic mages, far superior to ordinary lowly soldiers like Lai Zi.

The main reason is that the lord actually wants to bring these two to High Cliff Fortress. Not only are they outstanding in strength, but they also suit his temperament quite well and don't have the arrogant attitude of a mage at all.

Bring them along; when they witness his awe-inspiring figure as he single-handedly defeats the demon, they might just bow down in worship.

……

After the meeting, the entire camp mobilized, and preparations were finally completed as the sun rose high in the sky.

Bernard originally planned to leave quietly, but for some reason, Tennys eventually found out and stopped him.

“Father, you…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but the worry in her eyes was clearly visible.

Bernard turned the saddle on the back of the griffin, gently hugged his daughter with his one arm, and said in an unusually gentle voice: "Tannis, remember everything I have taught you. You are the daughter of the Edward family, and more importantly, a brave and fearless knight."

Then Bernard rode the griffin into the sky without hesitation.

"Li Wei, when are you going to come back victorious?"

Under Levi's influence, Lia also started speaking her native dialect in a very broken way.

"When you miss me the most."

The lord's single sentence made the Duke of the Southern Border blush with embarrassment.

Without much delay, the elite team set off.

Layton and his party, along with fifty dragon berserkers, orc barbarians, beaver bearmen, and one hundred griffon riders, set off in a slightly different direction from the lord's.

The lord then led the remaining griffin riders to Hadar, leaving the rest of the legions behind.

Their speed was indeed much faster. Without the burden of a large army and logistics, the squad darted into the northern provinces like a sharp dagger.

The further north you go, the more terrifying the scenery becomes.

Various demons can be seen occasionally on the ground. In fact, not only on the ground, but also in the sky, there are sporadic appearances of two-headed dragons and bat demons.

This time, however, the lord did not choose to deal with them. Instead, he had the Muslims use the spell "Sunblindness" to conceal the whereabouts of their group as they headed north.

(End of this chapter)