Chapter 338: River of Blood, Mountain of Screams (1)
A new military branch had officially been formed within Sefira: the Crusaders, a group of marksmen who were led by Keter and used rapid-fire crossbows, which were engineered by Volkanus.
Their primary mission was one Sefira had previously lacked almost entirely: intelligence. Acting as an espionage unit, they were dispatched across the kingdom to gather shocking information and relay it back to Sefira.
In Sefira’s grand conference hall, with all vassals assembled, Hissop shot to his feet and stared at Taragon in disbelief.
“Repeat that, Captain Taragon.”
Taragon was the head of the Crusaders. Now that he held the position, the hesitant man of the past was gone. With a hardened expression, he took a breath and reported again clearly.
“Rukan’s army is estimated at two million. Rakan’s army stands at eight hundred thousand. More than half of them are child soldiers, and half of the remainder are retired soldiers and elderly men.
“Additionally, the southern noble families Garcia and Luban have mobilized their entire forces to Sefira’s border. They have even recalled the knights stationed at the frontier. The estimated number is twenty thousand, including all knights and even commander-class personnel.”
This was not a war of strength; it was total war—a war with no retreat.
“...How can they be so reckless?”
Thud!
Hissop slammed his fist onto the table, teeth clenched.
“How can they send boys, the future of the nation, and elders who devoted their lives to it, into certain death...!”