Chapter 227: Planning the ambush (02)

All the third-stage warriors gathered in the room studied the map spread out before them for a long moment before stepping back in silence.

Naturally, the opinions that carried the most weight were those of Aerick and the three other veterans who, alongside him, had conducted a thorough sweep of the territory within a fifty-kilometer radius of Goldenveil.

The four of them analyzed the map carefully until, at last, Aerick extended his calloused hand and pointed to a specific spot marked on the parchment.

"My lord, if you desire an ambush, this spot is perfect," Aerick declared, keeping his finger fixed firmly on a region about thirty kilometers from Goldenveil.

Whitefall’s forces would inevitably pass through there. Even without Ophelia’s inside information, Aerick and his men would have known it.

The region harbored a massive fault in the earth that opened into a wide canyon, stretching for many kilometers through the wilderness.

It was a little-known place, where the dense forest gave way to a small pocket of short grass and sparse vegetation, roughly two hundred meters long.

Steep earthen walls rose more than ten meters high on either side, like natural ramparts carved by the ages.

Any army would cross such a place with extreme caution. But Goldenveil held a decisive advantage over Whitefall: Alistair was absolutely certain his mother controlled Goldenveil’s entire intelligence network.

Whitefall, for the moment, had no concern for caution.

They wished only to reach Goldenveil as quickly as possible and catch Ethan’s forces completely off guard.

Alistair could never even conceive of the possibility that his own mother would betray him.

"There’s a specific spot here—" Aerick slid his finger slowly across the surface of the map "—where the canyon opens up slightly into a hill we can use as a hiding place.

We’d be able to advance over Whitefall’s army without having to face a descent that’s too steep."

His finger drifted to another point on the parchment.

"There’s also a small but deep river cutting through the middle of the canyon. Only ten meters wide, but more than enough to drown an entire army. The terrain east of the river is quite rugged, which will force them to follow the western side."

At those words, Ethan’s eyes flashed, the corners of his mouth slowly curving upward.

It was... perfect!

They could keep all the infantry concentrated on a single side of the canyon while moving the archers to the opposite bank.

That way, they could press Whitefall’s forces against the river while the archers, together with Alice and Veronica, would rain hell down from the heights of the hill at the enemy’s back, striking the completely unprotected rear of the opposing army.

Ethan’s smile widened, and he squeezed Aerick’s shoulders firmly.

"Very well. Prepare the men. We’ll march today. The Whitefall forces shouldn’t be long in reaching that point, so we need to set the stage for the ambush before they arrive."

Aerick nodded gravely.

There was still much to be done before they were ready to march.

First, naturally, they assembled a militia of about five hundred men.

They were, for the most part, hardened veterans who had already witnessed the horrors of war and still possessed considerable strength.

Their age, however, no longer allowed them to serve actively in the regular guard.

These five hundred men would remain on the walls of Goldenveil, maintaining constant vigilance while the main army marched into battle.

They were, essentially, an auxiliary defense force, intended to hold the wall for as long as possible should the worst happen.

The other fifteen hundred militiamen, who had been training weekly alongside the guard, were also summoned without delay.

Together with the Goldenveil guard itself, they formed an imposing army of two thousand men.

Fifteen third-stage warriors, not counting Doran and Aerick, were each given command of a force of about one hundred men, whom they would lead personally on the battlefield.

The elite of the guard, in turn, was divided into two formations of two hundred and fifty soldiers each, under the command of Doran and Aerick respectively.

They would fight as a single, cohesive army, but it was still prudent to distribute command among specialists to avoid confusion in the chaos of battle.

In the end, after just over five hours of organization, and with another hundred civilians recruited to help transport supplies, the Goldenveil guard found itself finally ready to march.

Ethan, however, still remained inside his mansion, his eyes feasting on the sight of Alice and Veronica standing side by side.

Evelyn carefully helped him don his imposing armor, adjusting each buckle with delicate hands.

"Nervous?" Ethan asked, noticing the deep blush tinting Veronica’s pale cheeks.

"Y-yes, my lord," Veronica replied, nodding hastily and lowering her eyes to the floor. The shy reaction drew a soft smile from Ethan’s lips.

"Don’t worry. You’ll have Alice by your side throughout the battle, and your brother will be on the front lines as well. Nothing bad will happen to you." Ethan spoke in a comforting tone, raising a hand to gently stroke Veronica’s embers-red hair, his fingers drifting through the silken strands.

The young beauty blushed even more intensely at his touch, half-hiding behind Alice, her master, like a shy little girl, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest.

During her time training at the mansion, Veronica had naturally overheard many whispered comments about Ethan from the five maids who served there.

All of them were his concubines, frequently serving him in the master bedroom.

It hadn’t taken long for Veronica to begin standing before the tall mirrors in her chambers, admiring the curves that were finally blossoming now that she was being well fed and her health fully restored.

Her breasts were no longer much smaller than Alice’s. Round, firm, and full, they sat high on her chest with a haughty pride.

Her waist was almost as thin as Ophelia’s, flowing in soft, sensual curves down to generous hips and a plump, rounded ass that molded itself enticingly beneath her garments.

Whenever her eyes fell on Ethan, her mind would wander far from innocent territory and she would find herself blushing uncontrollably, an unfamiliar warmth coiling low in her belly.

Would he be interested in taking her as a concubine as well?

Veronica couldn’t delve too deeply into that line of thought, for soon Ethan stood fully ready before her, clad in his powerful silver armor.