Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 958- Duke Vordanaz (2)

The Second Apex War—one of the most cataclysmic events to ever scar the world—was unfolding right in front of his eyes. A war so devastating that its very existence was nearly erased from history, leaving behind only whispers in ancient texts.

And here he was, expected to navigate through it, survive it, and somehow rewrite the course of fate.

He let out a bitter laugh under his breath. Yeah, no pressure. Yet, despite the enormity of the task, he knew he had to go through it. The only path was forward, through blood and fire. The only question that remained was how.

Thankfully, scouting the Gorgor Mountains had yielded one potential solution: the abandoned fortress perched on the mountain pass.

The ruins were ancient, yes, but defensible. If used correctly, they could serve as the foothold needed to slow the Demon Lord's forces.

It wasn't much. Hell, it might not even work. But it was the only chance he had. A chance to buy time. And in this trial, time was everything.

 "They are taking quite a while" Simon muttered.

In this subquest, the hardest part was convincing Rothgard and Dravik to commit to the plan. Moving the entire army eastward—sideways across the battlefield—was not a decision leaders made lightly.

Soldiers needed clarity and structure, and moving in an unexpected direction could easily lead to confusion, desertion, or worse. But if they followed the conventional way and moved the way they did in the historia, they would be doomed.

If Rothgard followed the standard approach that is meeting the Demon Lord's army in open battle—they were all as good as dead.

Just as Simon was agonising over the difficulty of the trial, a voice came from inside the tent and he was called in.

.

.

Inside, Rothgard and Dravik sat at the table, their expressions grim but determined. It was clear from their demeanor that the discussion had been long and serious.

Rothgard steepled his fingers as Simon took his seat again, "We've considered your strategy, Taking the fortress at Mount Gorgor is our best chance to halt the advance of the Demon Lord's army."

 "But," Dravik added with a heavy tone, "for this to work, we'll need to move the bulk of the army without the enemy noticing. If they catch wind of the maneuver... it's over."

"The problem is, moving an army of this size—even in the dead of night—won't go unnoticed. Their scouts are everywhere. A force this large leaves tracks, churns the ground, and makes noise even if we split them into smaller units."

 Simon nodded. It was not like he didn't anticipate this obstacle.

A large army's movements were like waves across a lake—impossible to conceal. To overcome this, they would need…

 "A decoy" Rothgard continued. "We'll need a smaller force to stay behind and give the illusion that we intend to fight here—head-on. A distraction to keep the enemy's scouts focused in the wrong direction."

 As he had thought, things came down to this after all.

After finishing his piece, Rothgard and Dravik both looked at him. Althgouh they didn't make it obvious, it was clear from their gaze what they intended to say next.

Dravik sighed, feeling a little conflicted he said-

 "Not only it is a very important role, but it is the most dangerous. The decoy will have to engage the enemy first. They'll have to hold their position long enough to convince the enemy that this is our main force. If they fail..."

 He didn't need to finish the sentence—if the decoy broke too soon, the entire operation would fall apart, and the army retreating toward the fortress would be exposed mid-movement.

 "Normally, it should have been me taking on that role. However, I cannot leave those greenhorn on their own. As such, it would have to be either…"

Simon's crimson eyes flicked for a moment. He could already see where this was heading.

 "I'll do it" he spoke accepting his role. Since the moment he came up with this strategy he knew that he would had to be the bait.

As such, it came as no surprise to him that the two of them wanted him to be the decoy.

Rothgard arched his eyebrow, surprised by how quickly the mercenary accepted the role. He was prepared to step in if needed but it seemed like it was not needed.

 Dravik, on the other hand gave a small, approving nod—he had some understanding of the mercenary named Simon and knew that the other party would accept the role given the stakes.

"Here is the plan we have formulated. you'll form the decoy from the mercenaries and light infantry, a force small enough to move quickly, but large enough to look convincing.

"You'll need to stage skirmishes along the way to draw attention—harass the enemy scouts, make them believe the main army is here."

 "You are asking a lot given the level of the soldiers here but… I'll do my best"

 Rather, he had to do his best if he wanted to complete this ridiculous quest.

 "So How long do we need to hold them for?" Simon questioned looking up from the map.

"Until dawn, That's when the bulk of our forces will reach Mount Gorgor and begin fortifying the fortress. If the enemy realizes we've moved before then, we'll be overrun."

It was a plain answer but one that was given after much thought and deliberation. Rothgard's face looked grave when he said that.

 "Can you do it? Can you last that long?"

Whether he can do it or not, there was no reason to een judge it. He must simply do it.

"Understood," Simon said. His voice was calm, as though he were discussing the weather. But the truth was, he knew exactly what this mission entailed—suicide.

But someone had to buy time for the larger force to reach the fortress. If Simon didn't do it, the entire southern alliance would collapse under the weight of the Demon Lord's horde.

"Then it's settled," Rothgard said. "We move tonight."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om