CHAPTER 565: CHAPTER 543: I ALSO HAVE A PLAN

Watching Gelinon being transported down from the castle in a sling, Seching turned and grabbed Veen’s arm.

He demanded harshly, "Are you truly surrendering, or are you faking it?"

Veen didn’t answer, he just looked steadily into Seching’s eyes.

After less than three seconds, Seching unconsciously released his arm.

"They’re attacking the city so fiercely, without any sign of surrounding to intercept aid.

According to prior intelligence from the Saint’s Grandson, Kasha County is the reinforcement from the Oslar Clan, and the Shattered Stone Noble is likely to move too."

Without answering Seching’s question, Veen slowly analyzed the battle situation.

"At most, we can hold on for another three days, until February 24th." Veen looked at the wounded soldiers all over the city, paused, and said, "They deliberately controlled the speed, fearing that if they captured the castle too early, Little Mo Li wouldn’t come."

When the news of the city’s fall reaches Moliat’s ears, it would probably take one or two days, making it February 26th.

At Moliat’s speed, she might already have entered the battlefield range of the Imperial Legion, and the subsequent encounters would be skirmishes and field battles.

Considering the marching speed and deployment capability of the Salvation Army, they could abandon the South Nao’an River frontline to move north for support.

With the insight of the Saint’s Grandson, he would certainly do this.

But the Salvation Army is not a true savior; they would likely need 20-30 days to break through Deer Horn Town.

This time gap is enough for the Imperial Legion and Moliat’s Mountain Knights to complete a decisive battle.

Earlier, the Mountain Knights could hold out for a while by leveraging the terrain, the castle, and their bows.

In field battles, Mountain Knights lasting ten days would already be good, and it’s not that Veen looks down on the Mountain Knights.

If the Salvation Army arrives by force, upon arrival, they would be exhausted, while the Imperial Legion would be well-rested.

But if the Salvation Army doesn’t come and watches, after dealing with Moliat, Prince Kongdai would head south to attack the Salvation Army.

Veen’s situation in the Sentry Fort is not only desperate, the entire Thousand River Valley is in a dire predicament.

An almost unsolvable crisis!

"Moliat is willing to set out to save me because she believes she can still succeed, so she will come desperately.

But if I’m dead and the news of the city’s fall spreads, she will no longer advance, but will stay around High Castle.

Then the Church’s strategy to lure her to attack fails, and although North Mangde County is likely lost, there remains a sliver of hope."

Veen was so calm as if he was not the one being discussed.

"Do you mean we open the gates and launch an attack? Run if possible, fight to the death if not?" Seching asked tentatively, "Or pretend to surrender, then find an opportunity to defect and escape?"

Veen halted his steps, turned to support himself on the wall, and looked out from a crenel at the continuous camps and patrolling Imperial Knights outside, his expression grave.

"It’s useless, whether breaking out and dying or breaking out and living, surrendering and dying or surrendering and living, none of them can change the final situation." Veen’s hand pressed against the rough bricks, "It only determines my own fate."

The delayed time is enough for the Salvation Army to arrive.

But if Lakunio isn’t stupid, he would certainly have the Shattered Stone Noble Alliance Army hold High Castle in check.

Then he would lead the main force south to engage the fatigued Salvation Army, and even if Moliat could defeat the intercepting Shattered Stone Alliance, it might not be in time to save.

"What should we do then?" Seching followed Veen blankly.

Veen didn’t answer; instead, he appreciated the scene before him.

The purple sunset of spring fell behind the mountains, and the twilight spread like mist over the ridges and treetops. Leaning against the wall, the usually solemn Knight unfurrowed his brow for the first time.

He looked eastward, as if seeing the yellow dust Moliat raised in her rescue from nearly a thousand miles away, and that pinkish face still etched in his memory.

How many years have passed, and what would Moliat look like now?

Unconsciously, a scene flashed in Veen’s mind of Moliat lying in a pool of blood, and Prince Kongdai teasingly using the tip of his spear to flick away her cherished mask.

It was a face innocent and childish as a nine-year-old, struck on the wrist by a wooden sword, holding back tears but refusing to let them fall.

Seeing that Veen remained silent, Seching couldn’t help it. He urgently questioned, "You’ve analyzed so much, can’t you devise a good plan to solve it? Is Lakunio’s design really that perfect?"

"Of course not, it has weaknesses too..."

Veen stopped speaking halfway through, making Seching frantically agitated.

But Veen raised his head, looking at the flags rippling like waves in the western wind behind him.

The first warm breeze from the Jade Sea of 1446 landed in Windmill Land, and the giant windmills on the mills turned slowly.

The warm wind blew over the soft brims of the Falan New Army’s hats, the ambitious new king and the far-sighted prime minister gazing over the rich lands of Leia.

On the road ahead, it blew past the flags fluttering outside Changge City, pushing the smoking warships and fifty thousand surging soldiers along the Golden Nao’an River.

When this breeze, carrying the scent of gunpowder and clashing swords, swept into the Thousand River Valley, touching Veen’s face, he was merely watching the distant Church military camp about to sink into the night.

Perhaps Moliat was right, this is the best opportunity in a hundred years.

In times of peace, none of the three major kingdoms would possibly permit the independence of the Thousand River Valley.

But now, with the Leia Kingdom, the direct sovereign country, embroiled in civil war, the Leia people can’t directly intervene.

The Falan and Norn are external forces, and direct military action would allow the Leia people to divert conflicts by war, so they can only offer all support except sending troops.

Prince Kongdai knows this is his last chance to seize the Thousand River Valley, his sole opportunity to break free from the Church’s grip.

How could smart people like Moliat, Horn, and Juanuo think of it later than Prince Kongdai?

This is the most hopeful and also the most desperate year for the Thousand River Valley.

If Vincent were born twenty years later, what would he do upon seeing the current situation?

Touching the knight’s sword at his waist, Gray Horse Knight Veen looked up at the sky, cut by the line between day and night.

Long ago, it was Moliat’s father, Vincent, who personally knighted the Gray Horse Knight and bestowed upon him a knight’s sword on a spring evening.

As one of the Kush Mountain People, Vincent worked his entire life to support the Juanist Faction, seeking imperial recognition through peaceful reform.

Yet, it was all ruined by the Church’s manipulations and games time and again.

Vincent was Duke Hemashi’s foster son, the husband of the Duke’s daughter, and the prospective Duke Hemashi who had a limitless future.

Yet he still died frustrated and despondent.

What he entrusted to Veen, his most trusted knight, as his dying wish was "I hope Moliat can be saved, so she will do her utmost to come.

But if I die and the news of the city’s fall spreads, she won’t advance further and will stay around High Castle.

Then the Church’s strategy to lure her into an attack will fail, and while North Mangde County is likely lost, there will be a last glimmer of hope left."

Veen remained so calm it was as if he was not talking about himself at all.

"Are you suggesting we open the gates for a sortie? Escape if we can, die if we must?" Seching asked tentatively, "Or pretend to surrender, then seize a chance to escape and defect?"

Veen stopped walking, turned to support himself against the wall, and gazed out from the battlements, gravely watching the sprawling camps and patrolling Imperial Knights beyond.

"It’s useless; breaking out and dying or living, surrendering and dying or living will not change the ultimate situation." Veen’s hand was pressed against the rough stone bricks. "It only determines my own fate."

This drawn-out time is enough for the Salvation Army to arrive.

But if Lakunio isn’t stupid, he’ll definitely order the Shattered Stone Noble Alliance to pin down High Castle.

Then he himself would lead the main force south to intercept the weary Salvation Army, and even if Moliat could defeat the intercepting Shattered Stone Alliance in time, it would probably be too late to rescue.

"What should we do now?" Seching asked, bewildered, trailing behind Veen.

Veen did not answer but began to admire the scenery before him.

The purple evening sun on a spring day fell behind the mountains, and the sunset glow hung like clouds over the ridges and treetops. Leaning against the wall, this knight, who was always frowning, finally relaxed his brow for the first time.

He looked eastward, as if seeing the yellow dust rising from Moliat’s rescue nearly a thousand miles away, and the rosy face that still lingered in his memory.

How many years had passed, and what had Moliat become now?

Involuntarily, a scene flashed through Veen’s mind of Moliat collapsing in a pool of blood, and Prince Kongdai frivolously flicking away her cherished mask with the tip of his spear.

It was the face of a nine-year-old, naive and innocent, struck on the wrist with a wooden sword, holding back tears with all her might and refusing to let them fall.

As Veen remained silent, Seching couldn’t help himself. He urgently asked, "You’ve been able to analyze so much, can’t you come up with a good plan to solve this? Is Lakunio’s plan really that flawless?"

"Of course it isn’t, it has its weaknesses too..."

Veen stopped mid-sentence again, driving Seching to fi dget with nervous anticipation.

But Veen himself raised his head, watching the battle flags behind him ripple like waves in the western wind.

The first warm breeze of 1446 from the Jade Sea landed in Windmill Land, gently turning the large windmills on the farm.

The warm wind brushed over the soft brims of the Falan New Army’s hats, while the determined new king and the farsighted Prime Minister gazed at the Leia Kingdom’s bountiful land.

As the warm breeze continued on, it swirled over the myriad banners outside Changge City and drove the smoke-belching warships and fifty thousand surging soldiers along the banks of the Golden Nao’an River.

Standing amidst the glow of dusk, the Gray Horse Knight looked at the swirling colors in the sky, accompanied by Seching’s gaze.

Perhaps Moliat was right, this is the best opportunity not seen in a century.

What would you do?" Veen murmured, looking at the knight’s sword in his hands.

At that time, it was Moliat’s father, Vincent, who had personally bestowed the title of knight upon him in a spring evening.

As a Kush Mountain man, Vincent tried hard to prepare for this uprising since her youth, she was the opposite.

Instead, Gray Horse Knight Veen became the one who was free and unburdened, without a care in the world.