Giant Footmillipede Camp.
"Your Majesty, this city is already in ruins. Even if we defend it, it won’t be of much use.
The enemy’s forces are only half of ours. Why not take advantage of their unstable position and catch them off guard!"
The proposal of the Six-winged Centipede was just concluded when he sensed something amiss. The looks from the other centipedes were simply too strange.
"Marshal Howell, is this the kind of centipede you brought, acting so rashly?
If dealing with the Alpha people were easy, would we have retreated all the way from the Hundred-Mile Corridor to here!
Blindly engaging in decisive battle with the enemy, even a lucky victory would be a significant loss for us.
Compared to the grand and extensive human race, our resources are merely equivalent to the military strength of one of their provinces!"
Master Seyam was the first to refute.
As a cautious centipede, he most disliked risks.
After clashing with the Nobles’ Allied Forces of the Southeastern Province last time, he personally captured a few human nobles for interrogation, eventually learning about the total military strength of the Southeastern Province.
The reserve is also considered the military. In terms of numbers, Giant Footmillipede and the Southeastern Province’s forces are comparable.
Rounding up both sides puts them on equal footing, which makes sense.
A powerful provincial military power being equivalent to theirs, the disparity between the two species’ strength becomes significantly vast.
"Master Seyam, the calculation isn’t that way. There are both strong and weak among the human race; the Southeastern Province of the Alpha Kingdom is just an exception.
If all human provincial forces were that strong, the Continent of Aslante would have long been unified by the human race.
As we’ve battled along this path, we’ve witnessed the disparity between strong and weak nations among humans.
While Six-wing’s proposal might seem slightly aggressive, it is not without merit.
Taking advantage of the enemy’s unstable position to deliver a harsh strike is a good strategy.
Not expecting to significantly damage the enemy army, but at least to blunt their momentum!"
Marshal Howell responded with slight displeasure.
He cherishes his subordinates, and Six-wing has followed him through numerous campaigns, achieving many exploits.
Advising as a strategist is a fundamental duty. Even if there were imperfections, they are understandable.
One can reject the proposal, but criticizing by name is excessively harsh.
If he acted cowardly in such situations, how could he continue as a Marshal!
If not for concerns about Master Seyam’s special status, Howell would have burst into curses. There aren’t many good-tempered generals emerging from the battlefield.
"Please, both of you calm down, all for the future of our species. Let’s sit down and discuss it slowly!"
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Prime Minister Javat quickly stepped in to mediate.
The enemy hadn’t yet attacked, and internal conflict had already broken out, which would be truly tragic.
After the minor episode, the on-site atmosphere shifted. Many centipede commanders wanted to speak up but feared a repeat of the earlier scenario.
The bizarre change made King Centipede secretly regret not separating the discussion of battle plans from the outset.
Although the respected individuals within the race are personally powerful, they have been away from the battlefield for countless years, and how much military command ability they retain is unknown.
Even if they have retained their peak command standards, in the present environment, outdated battle ideas likely struggle to keep up with the times.
"With the enemy’s situation still unclear, we shall observe first, and once we understand the enemy’s strength, we will decide on the next battle plan!"
Seeing no one else speaking, King Centipede stated with a sullen expression.
In fact, they should have clarified the enemy’s strength much earlier.
However, with morale and motivation dispirited upfront, everyone was focused on fleeing and dared not confront the enemy.
Reconnaissance of the enemy’s camp was done from afar, and getting slightly closer meant no return.
From the gathered intelligence, it seemed like the Alpha Kingdom had reinforced, or perhaps the Dark Forest Army was disguised.
The weaponry of the human noble’s private army was entirely determined by the Lord, without standardized equipment.
The convergence of two different reconnaissance outcomes left the senior officials of Giant Footmillipede utterly baffled.
Essentially, aggressive and conservative combat methods stemmed from these two possibilities.
In the morning, the familiar rumbling of the Magic Crystal Cannon startled King Centipede from his slumber.
"What’s going on, what happened outside?"
Perhaps instinctively, as he asked, a flicker of fear crossed between King Centipede’s brows.
The last time he heard this sound, the Giant Footmillipede lost the crucial Earth Core Passage and was forced into a massive retreat.
Just as they had established their footing, the nightmarish sound resurfaced in his ears.
"Father, it’s not good; the enemy has launched an attack!"
Justin’s voice came from outside the door, prompting King Centipede to immediately scold:
"Rascal, stop spouting nonsense!
It’s just an enemy attack; it’s not like the sky is falling. Why make such a fuss?"
His words seemed relaxed, but deep inside, King Centipede was equally uneasy.
After the panic came relief; fortunately, they decided to defend the city firmly, otherwise, with such an enemy strike, who knows what might have happened.
Unfortunately, time was too short; otherwise, rebuilding the complete defense line first would greatly increase the odds of success in confronting the enemy.
According to the agreement with the Demonic Crocodile Clan, they only needed to hold off the Allied Forces, no need to go out for a desperate fight.
Currently, the Giant Footmillipede essentially took on the role of the previous defending army in Bofeil Province, except the enemy came from the opposite direction.