Throne of the North.

Chapter 719 The Second Orc War (Part 5)
Hot Springs Fortress could not completely stop the orc army from the north, and large numbers of orcs infiltrated into the Hot Springs province from both sides of the fortress.

The imperial army did not remain stationary in the fortresses; the mobility of warhorses allowed soldiers to appear in many places, and thus, the entire province of Hot Springs became a battlefield.

The land within the Onsen Province is almost entirely divided by the name of a hot spring, with hot springs of varying sizes representing different areas of this land.

Meisi Spring.

This is the largest hot spring in the baron's territory, covering more than ten acres, and there are more than a dozen hot springs of varying sizes scattered around it.

The hot springs emit heat year-round, so much so that the land of the Hot Spring Province is always shrouded in a dreamy mist. This mist accumulates on the surface of the land, and in some places it can even reach above a person's knees, while in others it can submerge a person's instep.

Every year, people unfamiliar with the area accidentally step into the hot springs, ending up soaking wet and facing punishment from noblemen who believe those filthy fellows have ruined the water quality.

The nobles no longer have time to concern themselves with these matters; war has already begun.

The orcs were still there, and the royal orcs of the six great kingdoms had appeared here.

As the leopard-beastmen drew ever closer in the distance, the hundreds of soldiers on this side gripped their spears tightly, their eyes instinctively turning to their leader, a knight with the strength of a bronze knight.

"Lord Cook, what should we do?"

This hundred-man force was a temporary formation. His Excellency Duke Russell had conscripted all the men in the Hot Springs province into the army. They were lucky enough not to be directly sent to the front lines. Instead, they were led by an imperial officer, a nobleman, and under the command of the Hot Springs Fortress, they were responsible for traveling from here to Sunny Meadows, where the largest hot spring in the Hot Springs province was located. The army would then assemble into a legion to resist the orcish attack.

However, they encountered a little trouble.

The trouble wasn't the orcish army they were facing, but rather the master of this land, Baron Mace.

The baron ordered his army to go to his castle to protect his family and the baron himself.

Knight Cook himself was a member of the nobility, but it was clear that there was a huge difference between being a member of the nobility and being a nobleman.

Moreover, his family already had a fairly close relationship with Baron Mace; in fact, the two nobles were relatives.

This put Knight Cook in a difficult position, as his orders were to proceed to the Legion for assembly.

However, Knight Cook is no longer in such a predicament, because no matter what, he now has to face the leopard orcs that have appeared in front of him.

The six royal courts of the orcs are the bear, wolf, tiger, leopard, behemoth, and raven. Although the wolf has now been replaced by the dire rhinoceros, the strength of the royal orcs is still widely recognized.

Cook is no longer worried about the Baron and the Legion's accountability; he's worried about whether he can survive.

Turning around, he glanced at the hundred or so soldiers whose faces were... fairly clean. To be honest, Knight Cook would have preferred these hundred soldiers to be emaciated and malnourished.

These people are stronger and better equipped, but if they become soldiers... their total training time is no more than two days.

The Duke forced these people into the task, and Cook was unsure whether they would become deserters.

How can these soldiers be kept combat-ready? Cook didn't believe for a second that the two days of training would turn them into elites.

How can we win this battle?

In the distance, the leopard-beastmen roared. They had caught the scent of humans and soon spotted more than a hundred human soldiers standing in the misty fog.

The orc laughed with a mixture of surprise and cruelty, charging forward with a howl. Cook was extremely nervous, but the next moment he was surprised to find that the leopard orc at the front suddenly staggered, and then his entire strong body fell to the ground.

Pfft! ! !
Water splashed everywhere as the leopard-beastmen thrashed about. The other beastmen behind them were also unable to control their bodies and brake suddenly. In an instant, dozens of leopard-beastmen all fell into the hot spring.

Cook's eyes lit up, his breathing quickened, and he brandished his knight's longsword.

"Soldiers, charge! They've fallen into the water! Kill them!!!"

The knight roared and charged ahead, followed by soldiers who, though unaware of the danger, charged towards the leopard-beastmen with overwhelming force.

It can only be said that no matter what kind of creature it is, as long as it is not a fish, it will instinctively panic and its fighting ability will drop sharply in the water. What's more, these orcs have lived in the North for many years, and the hot spring environment is unfamiliar and scalding hot to them.

The advantage of a spear is that it has a longer attack range.

The leopard-like orcs' thrashing dispersed the water mist. The soldiers, standing on the shore, prevented the orcs from climbing up while simultaneously piercing their bodies. They were well-fed and clothed and possessed considerable strength, capable of penetrating the orcs' defenses.

The milky white hot spring water gradually turned blood red. The stimulation of the blood and the advantage in the battle made the soldiers gradually lose their eyes and forget the fear they should have felt in the face of battle.

Cook was the only warrior on the battlefield who remained calm, kicking an orc off the battlefield while simultaneously pulling a soldier back with his other hand.

"Don't fall into the water."

He rationally ordered his soldiers to attack from a safe location. Even so, a dozen or so of them were still dragged into the water during the leopard orcs' counterattack, or the leopard orcs simply rushed onto the ground. In the end, it was Cook who ran over and killed the orcs who were soaking wet and had lost their agility.

Half an hour had passed, and the thirty-odd leopard beastmen had still inflicted twenty-three casualties on the hundred-man army. The soldiers were both terrified and incredibly excited.

Because it was a victory, their first victory since becoming soldiers.

Victory brings courage and a boost to morale; elite troops are always born from victories in battles.

Cook also breathed a sigh of relief. He admitted that he had been terrified before, but at this moment he was incredibly proud.

The hot spring water was stained blood red, and corpses were carried out one by one. Cook led these corpses to Baron Mace's castle.

The baron's castle in the Hot Spring Province was not as magnificent as I had imagined. It was just a walled enclosure with two or three low-rise castle houses inside. After all, this land did not have any terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

"Your Excellency, we have killed the orcs who invaded your territory."

"Sir Cook, thank you so much. Please give my regards to Baron Orank."

Baron Mayes eagerly brought out plenty of food to reward the army, which had just gone through a battle and was still carrying a fierce aura, with a broad smile on his face.

The arrival of the army gave the Baron a great sense of security.

The baron's smile flattered the soldiers and Cook, who kept echoing his words. After all, even though the people of Hot Spring Province were wealthy, the class gap between them and the nobles had not narrowed.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, the Baron sighed and said:

"While I congratulate you, Knight Cook, on your victory, it is a pity that it was not these orcs that invaded my territory, but rather bear-men orcs. They are tall and burly, with palms bigger than the heads of soldiers."

"I hope you can stay and help me protect the land of Messspring. Don't worry, after the war is over, I will write to Baron Orank and ask him to reward you."

Knight Cook's smile froze, and he said:
"Your Excellency, we have received orders to proceed to Sunny Meadows to assemble our legions."

“I know about this, but it’s alright, Sir Cook. I know about Grand Duke Russell’s orders, but in the rules of the Empire, protecting the nobles is always the first responsibility.”

Baron Mace's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "You cannot afford the consequences of nobles being surrounded by orcs in front of your army. Even His Majesty the Emperor has no right to order soldiers to abandon the lives of nobles."

"But……"

Cook gritted his teeth, feeling incredibly troubled.

Baron Mayes narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Cook's expression, then continued:

"Rest assured, Sir Cook, I do not ask you to contradict Grand Duke Russell's orders, but rather I hope your army can protect me and my family as we travel to Warm Water City in the south."

Cook knew that city; it was the southernmost city in the Hot Springs Province, and the largest city among the several counties of the province. Merchants from the south would gather there.

“Once you get me to Warm Water City, you can return to Sunny Meadow. I will write to His Excellency Duke Russell to explain this to you.”

Cook finally stopped hesitating and nodded.

"So, Your Excellency, when do you plan to depart?"

"Now."

"what?"

Baron Mace was more decisive than expected. He had already ordered all the castle's supplies to be hidden in the cellar. The baron's family, including the baroness, consisted of only five direct descendants. The baron's family had thirty or forty members, plus soldiers and slaves, totaling more than three hundred people.

"Sir Cook, these soldiers are now under your command. We hope you can protect our safety."

Baron Mace patted Knight Cook on the shoulder solemnly, and the knight was very moved, clenching his fist and pounding it on his chest.

"I will protect your safety with my life, Your Excellency."

Although this was not the lord or noble he served, the knightly code strengthened Cook's resolve.

However, Knight Cook quickly understood why the Baron had been so determined to go to Warm Water City in the south.

The bear-men and orcs have caught up. Not long ago, they attacked and occupied a village in the territory of Messspring. The old, weak, women and children in the village were killed or wounded, and their men have all been conscripted.

The village bought the Baron's castle some time, and even though Knight Cook hadn't arrived, the Baron was already preparing to flee.

As a nobleman, Baron Mace knew a little about the war situation at Hot Springs Fortress and the size of the orc army. He did not believe that his house, which only had one wall around it, could withstand the orcs' attack.

This baron was quite intelligent and capable.

But that wasn't enough. The orcs had arrived, and Cook, with all his soldiers under his command, gritted his teeth and ordered the army to stand still and point their weapons at the path they had come from.

"The Baron's safety must be guaranteed! Everyone, do not retreat!"

This time, they no longer had the geographical advantage they had in previous battles. The bear-men were even tougher and more resilient than the leopard-men, and their fierce roars shook the water mist beneath their feet. The moment the mountain-like monsters charged forward, the slaves collapsed.

"No retreating, charge!"

Cook rode off at full gallop, killing several slaves. The remaining soldiers finally mustered some courage and charged towards the orcs with a roar.

……

Sunlit meadow.

This is the sunniest place in the Hot Spring Province, and with abundant water, this land is the best place to raise horses. However, every morning and evening, a thick layer of mist covers the surface of the sun-drenched grassland.

In addition to the largest hot spring lake, there are also hot spring pools of all sizes here. You could say that you can dig a hole anywhere and create a new hot spring.

In addition, with spring approaching, everything in the world seems so damp.

This land was once aloof and serene, but now it is different. The sky is filled with the shadow of war, and the ground is covered with visible blood-red mud. Milky white hot springs boil blood water, which is the power of magic. In these 'big pots', one can vaguely see the corpses floating and sinking.

War. This is the second battlefield that Grand Duke Russell has opened up west of Thermopylae Fortress. More than 200,000 imperial troops have gathered here, and the number is still increasing. The banners of the Bauhinia and the Earl of Ferguson fly high, representing the great nobles of Thermopylae Province. The insignia of other lesser nobles are also constantly waving. Military tents are set up on this grassland, and the galloping horses have been recruited and become the soldiers' mounts. War could break out at any moment under their iron hooves.

Right here, on this sunny meadow, war breaks out every day for a brief two or three hours at noon, and to this day, the Empire's army has withstood seven bloody and devastating charges by the orcs.

Why noon? Actually, it wasn't at first. The orc army that slipped in from both sides of the Hot Spring Fortress launched attacks from morning till night, even in the dead of night, trampling the grass to attack the human defenses.

Until one night, Duke Russell finally received the Emperor's full support, and a large number of mages crossed the void to arrive in the province of Hot Springs. They cast terrible forbidden magic on Sunshine Grassland, boiling all the hot spring water in the entire Sunshine Grassland until it became scalding hot.

The orcs suffered heavy casualties, giving the Imperial army a great deal of time to regroup. A massive amount of war equipment was transported to the Imperial army, and stone and wood walls were erected as defensive lines.

The orcs suffered a great loss. Those boiling hot springs contained more than just boiling water; the empire's most powerful and numerous members were the life mages.

Their presence made the war bizarre. Beneath those hot springs existed countless terrifying forces: endless vines, living stones that dragged orcs to the bottom of the water, and even the mud at the bottom of the lake turned into monsters, becoming war puppets to block the orcs.

Gradually, the beastmen became afraid, so they only dared to launch an attack when the midday sun dispelled the water vapor on the ground, clearly exposing the hot springs.

But time and again, the imperial army has been able to resist their attacks.

"The orcs are attacking again!"

The sun was shining brightly at noon that day, and the soldiers disliked this kind of weather.

But there was no other way. They mounted their horses. Many ordinary soldiers had their own horses, which, although not warhorses, still gave them great courage and confidence.

woo-

As the horns sounded, the Empire's army surged out of the defensive line. This was sunny grassland, and their crudely built wooden and stone walls could not stop the elite orcs who possessed extraordinary powers.

The only way is to attack, using the superior speed of the horses to change the orcs' formation.

But today, the orcs' attack seems a little different.

"East! Damn it, an orc army has appeared in the east!"

"There are some in the west too!?"

The scout's loud, startled shout caused Earl Ferguson, positioned in the middle of the army, to look around sharply. He was surprised to find that a dense orc army had surrounded them from several directions at the edge of the land.

"Damn it!"

(End of this chapter)