Work Prophet

Drake spent less than fourteen days gathering eight allies; if it weren't for Ireya arriving too quickly, Drake could have gotten more help.

But just eight Lords combined with Drake himself could put together nearly ten thousand troops.

Seeing more and more troops available, the famous commander of Golden Valley couldn't help but birth a bold thought.

He spread out the map, turning his gaze onto the Golden Grain Avenue in front of Berries Castle, and following the avenue westward for about a day's journey, there was a stretch of hills.

Drake stroked his chin. Since becoming the Family Head of the Marson Family, he has been fortifying Berries Castle, making this once-unknown fortress now a famous stronghold in Golden Valley.

However, after the previous bitter fight with those Dwarves and the month-long siege by Lilania and her husband, Berries Castle was no longer as solid as it used to be.

Drake doesn't have time to repair it now, and the enemy this time comes from the western region; Drake also heard about how the Double Rest Sect robbed the Wing Tribe of a Dragon.

Although it's said that Ireya didn't bring the Dragon on this trip, if the Divine Chosen Queen faced Berries Castle and couldn't conquer it for a long time, soon enough the people inside might confront that White Dragon.

Songshi Castle's Frederiksen Family is a lesson from the past, and Drake definitely doesn't want to follow in their footsteps.

So he plans to give Ireya a surprise.

No one would expect him to abandon Berries Castle's stronghold and choose to take the initiative to attack.

Moreover, Ireya and her western region army are far less familiar with this land than he is. As a famous general, Drake wouldn't let such an advantage slip.

Thus, he hurriedly led his army to the east side of Golden Grain Avenue before Ireya arrived and completed the ambush in those hills, quietly waiting for the prey to come to him.

And just half a day later, Drake's scouts spotted the Rabbit flag of the Arias Family.

This troop changed the general impression of Western soldiers; usually, their equipment looked ragged, and their formation was loose, lacking discipline.

But this army's equipment was noticeably better, especially the Arias Family guards, who were mostly wearing chainmail, Iron Helmets, shields, and even iron gauntlets, with a high armor rate, clearly difficult to deal with.

The formation couldn't be called tidy, but in comparison to the overall marching level on the Bratis Continent, it's considered strictly disciplined.

The troops led by various Lords were under the dual constraints of Ireya and the Double Rest Sect, not running amok, pillaging nearby villages or small towns.

However, after hearing the scout's report, Drake's face broke into ecstatic joy.

Perhaps due to brimming confidence, Ireya surprisingly did not, like a typical Commander, place her elite troops at the center and surround with militia and mercenaries.

This means that if the ambush succeeds and the elite warriors of the Arias Family on the periphery are defeated, the remaining personnel might flee without a fight.

Additionally, Ireya's position was quite forward, as the scout saw her riding a tall horse at the forefront of the army.

If she could be captured in one fell swoop, victory in this battle was assured.

Drake hesitated no longer, because timing on the battlefield is always fleeting.

The scout's round trip alone took up quite a bit of time, and Drake drew his treasured sword, saying to the subordinates behind him:

"Our enemies have appeared; it's time to show those western bumpkins our prowess!"

"Capture that arrogant woman who calls herself the Divine Chosen King and both Allister and Claudio, and even Conley will gladly pay a hefty sum for her."

Drake's words received everyone's approval; then he looked at his grandson, "Joseph, remember what I told you, lead the charge."

The young man named Joseph, his face pale at this moment, nodded after hearing Drake's words, mounted his warhorse.

Suppressing his inner fear, he led the charge, crossing the hills before him, and immediately saw the enemy unit not far away on Golden Grain Avenue.

But strangely, the enemy did not continue moving forward; they just stopped there, as if waiting for someone.

This gave Joseph a sense of foreboding, but he knew it was too late to turn back now; his grandfather Drake wouldn't heed his advice, and would only see it as a sign of weakness, so Joseph pressed forward with difficulty.

Then he saw the spear soldiers ahead suddenly stepping aside, revealing rows of black, hollow tubes.

Joseph's intuition was correct; Miss Rabbit indeed was waiting for them to show up.

Those scouts who thought they were well-hidden were completely exposed under telescopic sight, and Drake and his army in the valley planning an unexpected surprise for the girl were already under drone surveillance.

This was entirely a foreseen ambush.

Ireya had prepared her artillery long ago, and once Drake's troops appeared, fifty Italian Cannons fired in succession.

The massive roar instantly resonated throughout Golden Grain Avenue, accompanied by rising white smoke, seemingly like a grand welcome ceremony.

Welcoming the queen and the arrival of her new era, with Drake and his ten thousand warriors as the sacrificial offering.

The Nobles of Golden Valley, who hadn't seen the power of black gunpowder, were directly stunned by the loud noise, viewing it as nothing less than Heavenly God's wrath.

Linking it to previous events, they worried whether Saturday had struck again, aiding his followers in repelling powerful enemies.

But the truly dreadful event happened after the noise; scores of black iron balls flew into the crowd at terrifying speed.

Anyone hit by it, even just a slight graze, immediately suffered severe injuries or even death.

Witnessing this scene, Joseph's heart almost stopped; because he charged quite forward, he wasn't targeted by the cannons, fortunately surviving.

However, the courage he had painstakingly amassed was entirely depleted during this round of bombardment.

He pulled his reins to turn, attempting to flee, only to bump right into his grandfather, Drake.

Drake liked to lead in battles; he and his team followed closely behind Joseph. Although they weren't much injured, Drake felt a chill rising in his heart.

He had spent a lifetime in battle, experienced in various enemy encounters, but today's scene was utterly unprecedented.