Work Prophet

The fall of the Deer Horn Gate did not disrupt Ireya's marching plans; the young girl continued to lead her army steadily toward Elk Valley.

However, because her pace was slow, Allister and the others once mistakenly assumed she was afraid, intending to stay in Golden Valley to decide the battle with the three or simply return to the western territory.

No help for it, communication in this era was so unsmooth; there were no satellites, no reconnaissance planes, making it hard to know the situation of the other side when far away.

Luckily, on the side of the three kings, they still had the Wing Tribe, who served as scouts. They found the whereabouts of Ireya and her western army and confirmed that they were still heading to Elk Valley.

It's just that the pace was a bit slow.

Allister thought this evidenced Ireya's hesitation; she lacked the confidence to defeat the combined forces of the three, but probably felt losing Elk Valley was a bit disgraceful, mainly because she wouldn't have an explanation for her followers without fighting back.

So she walked with starts and stops, likely hoping the three would retreat halfway.

However, apart from Conley, who had financial difficulties, the other two were relatively well off and had gathered a huge amount of local grain in Elk Valley, enough to feed the army for two to three months.

Now the three were debating whether to take the initiative to attack if Ireya delayed in entering Elk Valley.

Among them, Allister was inclined to push all the way to the western territory, and Conley was also tempted, primarily by the idea of seizing something along the way to offset war expenses.

But he was also cautious, worrying that leaving the Deer Horn Gate might result in defeat against Ireya and her western army.

As for Claudio, he insisted on confronting them at the Deer Horn Gate.

Of course, he was acting from his perspective; being supported by the Second Son Alliance, he was in the best financial position among the three, able to sustain the situation the longest.

This time, if they could defeat Ireya and drag down the other two, it would be the best scenario for him.

In short, each of the three had their own calculations, leading to many arguments in the castle these days.

Allister even proclaimed that he would lead an army to engage Ireya by himself.

But that was just talk; Allister wasn't foolish enough to believe he could defeat Ireya with his strength alone, and since all three of them were involved in this war, it wouldn't be fair for him to suffer the greatest losses.

Even if they defeated Ireya, it wouldn't be worth the price.

Days passed, filled with arguments, and Ireya continued her tortoise-paced advance toward Elk Valley.

Finally, after two months, she and her army arrived at their destination, taking even longer than initially expected.

Mainly due to consecutive days of rain en route, missile launch vehicles got stuck in the mud, and the draught animals in front couldn't exert force in the muddy ground. Eventually, people joined in to pull the vehicles out of the bog.

But they didn't go far before getting stuck in a new pit.

Miss Rabbit decided not to let people pull anymore and simply camped nearby, waiting to move on after the rain stopped.

With her start-and-stop approach, it's no wonder Allister thought Ireya was timid.

However, the seemingly "timid" Miss Rabbit arrived eventually, saving the three from waiting in vain.

The spirits of the trio lifted; defeating Ireya and her main force in Elk Valley would be ideal, avoiding having to chase her to the western territory to battle on their opponent's turf.

Besides, the Wing Tribe scouts brought back a piece of great news.

"What? Ireya didn't bring that White Dragon this time?" Allister could hardly believe his ears.

Claudio was equally shocked, "Doesn't she know we brought two Dragons this time?"

Conley, however, was excited for another reason, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"If we send the giant dragons to burn their food while they're outside Elk Valley and cut off their supply routes, they could starve alive."

Even though none of them were famed generals, having fought for so long, their military acumen was at least passable. Hearing Conley's words, their breaths quickened.

An opportunity to win without a fight lay before them, enticing anyone to seize it.

Moreover, the plan seemed flawless, except for why a mighty Empire Valkyrie Dragon Slayer Knight would make such a fatal mistake?

Ireya herself was not deliberately showing off, opting not to bring the White Queen.

Mainly because the Dragon could only manage a one-on-two when Li Yu was present; otherwise, with just a ten percent permanent power aura, it could only fight the three-headed dragons' strongest, the Red Dragon, to a stalemate. Adding a Green Dragon would be too much.

And warfare, unless a premeditated ambush, is hard to time.

It was better to have the White Dragon remain in the western territory, doubling as a deterrent using its previously displayed terrifying power to intimidate the Wing Tribe and the other two dragons, preventing them from attempting extreme home raids.

Furthermore, the Dragons have astonishing appetites, and bringing the White Dragon would increase food consumption for the troops.

Miss Rabbit wouldn't handle it like Lannita, letting the Dragon scavenge for itself, as it might harass civilians.

After all, for Dragons, eating free pigs, sheep, or even humans is simpler than hunting in the forest.

Of course, the crux was that the Double Rest Sect had promised to deal with the other two dragons, so Ireya didn't bring the White Queen on this expedition.

In Allister and the others' eyes, this omission was a death sentence for her.

Yet Lannita was somewhat puzzled, "Even though Ireya didn't bring a Dragon, my people saw her bringing some other things."

"What things?" Claudio asked.

"It's hard to describe; my scouts reported seeing some unusually shaped large iron blocks."

"Could it be another New Holy Artifact from the Double Rest Sect?" Conley's words made their hearts skip a beat once more.

Compared to Ireya, the name Double Rest Sect made them more uneasy, for all who underestimated it paid the price without exception.

Prophet Merlin's endless tricks made his enemies shudder with fear.

Whether it was the terrifying curse that nearly wiped out the Wing Tribe or the later appearance of the Italian Cannon and muskets, their fame was spreading across the Continent.

"We must destroy those Holy Artifacts," Conley said decisively.

Claudio also agreed, "Leaving those things unchecked won't work; the Divine Arts of Saturdays are too powerful."

At this moment, Allister couldn't help but remember Cornelia; if she were here, she would have known what to do.

Against Divine Arts, it's best to use Divine Arts.

But Allister quickly dismissed this thought from his mind; he wanted to prove to that woman that he could defeat formidable foes without her help.

Conley then turned to Lannita, "We can set aside the grain issue for now. Under the cover of night, have your Dragon destroy these things first."