Work Prophet

These days, Tristan had been going to bed very late; it wasn't that he didn't want to sleep early, but he simply couldn't fall asleep. Only after receiving news from the messenger did he finally breathe a slight sigh of relief.

At least, Ireya hadn't abandoned him upon hearing that the other three had joined forces. She had promised to arrive as soon as possible, which meant she was confident in defeating the army led by Allister and others.

Tristan knew that his gamble wasn't misplaced.

However, the issue before him remained severe. He needed to hold out for at least a month and a half to wait for reinforcements.

Bear in mind, even the former Emperor Gars of the Empire, leading the Imperial Guards, the Royal Knight Order, and tens of thousands of troops, relying on the continent's most robust castle, Lion Heart Castle, only managed to hold out a little over three months.

Moreover, once those giant dragons arrived, Lion Heart Castle quickly fell, and Junlin Tower was reduced to ruins.

Now, Tristan had fewer than four thousand guards in his hands, many of whom had been newly recruited in the past year.

Even adding the garrison, militia, and the like, they could at most muster eight or nine thousand people, a far cry from the opposing force.

But fortunately, the geographical location of Deer Horn Gate was very unique, situated on a cliff with cliffs on three sides, and only a small path leading down the mountain. This was where Tristan's confidence lay.

As news of the great war spread, many farmers and merchants from nearby areas also came into the city for refuge over these past few days.

Tristan did not refuse; these were his people. As the lord, he had an obligation to provide protection for them.

Besides, he only needed to hold out for a month and a half, at most two months, so there wasn't an issue of running out of food due to having too many people.

After entering the city, these people could also help defend the city, an effort that came with no loss. However, Tristan also reminded the guards defending the city to be vigilant against spies sneaking in.

In history, many strongholds weren't breached from the outside.

Tristan was acutely aware of this and thus paid particular attention to this aspect. He even personally came to the city gates to supervise the inspection of refugees.

Tristan gave special attention to those with accents from the Royal Capital, the south, and the north. A caravan from the Red Plain thus lost the opportunity to enter the city.

The leading merchant, due to suspicious behavior, was detained by the garrison to undergo a more rigorous interrogation there.

After a busy morning, Tristan was planning to return to the castle to eat, but from a distance, he saw an army heading this way.

Tristan squinted, and once he recognized the flag held by that troop and the leading knight, his brows relaxed.

The visitors were his vassals, the merciful Ivan.

Ivan hailed from the Betak family, renowned for their loyalty, with four Imperial Forest Guard Captains emerging from the family.

Ivan was also the cousin of the former Imperial Guard Commander Duren, who was slain by the Wing Tribe. Many people witnessed his death process.

However, later, for some reason, he was resurrected by the Double Rest Sect, and now he worked for Ireya as the queen's military advisor.

Thus, Tristan considered Ivan as half one of his own, especially after meeting him and hearing that Ivan came to Deer Horn Gate for support upon receiving the news, Tristan liked him even more.

Tristan also knew that some of his vassals had been dissatisfied with him for a long time, likely intending to side with the likes of Allister.

This was why he didn't summon other vassals to join in defending Deer Horn Gate.

But Ivan should still be trustworthy, though Tristan remained cautious.

After letting Ivan and his two hundred men into the city, he immediately sent scouts to search the vicinity. Upon confirming no enemy troops were present, Tristan then fully relaxed.

Tristan hosted a banquet in the castle, entertaining Ivan and his knights. The host and guests all enjoyed themselves.

Tristan then tasked Ivan and his two hundred men with the recruitment and training of the city militia, and they didn't complain at all.

About five days later, Allister's army finally entered Elk Valley, capturing the towns along the way with minimal effort.

Only a few lords resisted, while others, facing an enemy force dozens of times their size, chose to surrender, and only a very few abandoned their cities and fled.

However, awkwardly, when they fled to Deer Horn Gate, Tristan, fearing they were spies, didn't open the gates for them, so they had to turn back and surrender to Allister.

Approximately fifteen days later, the three emperors and their armies arrived at the mountain beneath Deer Horn Gate.

They launched a probing attack along the narrow path, but Tristan hadn't been idly waiting during this time.

He had many giant stones prepared, and when the enemy attacked, they rolled the stones down from the mountain, crushing many. Thus, Allister and company's first attack ended without success.

Still, there was little joy on Tristan's face; he hadn't seen those Wing Tribe people or the two giant dragons yet.

This attack wasn't a serious effort.

Ivan stood beside him on the city wall, looking down at the sea of heads at the base of the mountain. When those troops charged up, Ivan even asked Tristan for permission to lead an expedition against the invaders.

But Tristan didn't agree. He told Ivan, "Don't rush, the war has just begun; there will certainly be places where you are needed later."

Ivan solemnly replied, "I will uphold those sacred oaths and obey your commands."

Tristan was comforted by this and patted Ivan's shoulder, "Rest assured, I will not treat you poorly. When the war is over, I will reward you with a large piece of land."

Following this, for three consecutive days, the enemy troops at the mountain's base launched no fewer than seven attacks, during one of which someone even reached the city gate of Deer Horn Gate.

They killed several civilians pushing stones, but were quickly driven back by the archers on the wall.

However, before Tristan had a chance to rejoice, two shadows appeared overhead in the sky.

Ivan, with sharp eyesight, spotted the two dragons first and promptly shouted to warn, "Be careful, dragons are coming!"

He then drew his own sword and rushed to Tristan's side, saying, "My lord, I will escort you to the tunnel."

Tristan nodded, but he worried that the enemy would seize the opportunity to launch another attack with the dragons' appearance. So, before leaving, he called several trusted commanders, instructed them to guard the gates, and assigned them additional personnel.

Then he hurriedly descended from the city wall, diving into the recently dug tunnel before the dragons landed.