27 True and False News

The Sixth and Seventh Squadrons suffered heavy casualties, making them unique as future defenders of the third fortress, which is currently under reconstruction. They were all brought to the castle, where Harden awaited with his troops, along with part of the main army of the north.

Harden's castle is thirty kilometers west of the mountains, forming an obtuse triangle with the castle and the other two main castles where troops were stationed.

The group of main fortresses that fought on the front line today is now in the rear, guarded by the defense forces of the nearby second-line city.

After the Sixth and Seventh Squadrons were transferred, on Baron Harden's orders, the city's defense army immediately mobilized soldiers to supplement the formation. This group of additional soldiers is elite due to their strength.

There is also a master archer whose archery skills have reached targets from three thousand meters with an enchanted crossbow, and he is one of the main eyes relied upon on the front line.

The new soldiers were undoubtedly the best that humans could produce, with their magical shields and magic swordsmen capable of fighting demons in close combat.

Damian rode on a war horse towards the rear with his soldiers, thinking that now his Divine General was complete and could be used in battle.

"Should I have been more assertive?" Damian thought behind his tunic that covered his entire face. The only thing visible was his skeletal hand because his right hand was covered by a leather glove.

The cold in the outbreak was intense, causing many deaths due to weather-related causes.

He was told that he was now the captain of the magical group of the sixth and seventh squadrons, having control over two squadrons due to his great feats in the morning battle.

A man named Ron is a subordinate officer, and after the battle, the priest will tend to his serious wounds.

After using the healing technique, most of his wounds have recovered, and now he can move normally. If he continues resting for about ten days, he will almost fully recover.

In this battle, Damian, who knew that his combat skills needed to be reinforced, thought of some other spells that could have been more effective in this morning's battle.

"I am not only strong but also skilled, but I still have a lot to improve in my combat experience and how to kill in a much more effective way," Damian thought as he looked at his slender sword in his left hand.

Luke, who was riding beside him, did not speak a word, even though the differences he felt towards Damian had been resolved; he felt strange addressing someone he once hated.

Of course, this didn't stop him from asking a question: "If you were so strong, why didn't you go to the battlefield with Adda?"

Damian, who heard this question, did not respond immediately, but after a few minutes, he said, "Have you seen how they look at us? We are just children in their eyes. What do you think those men feel when they see us fighting the same battle they want to keep their children from participating in?"

"That answers my question."

"It answers it well. Just think about it: fighting at fourteen years old—do you think it will make a difference? I don't think so. It won't make a difference in this war unless you're the most powerful human mage in this world," Damian said as he looked at his hands with different thoughts from those around him.

In recent days, Damian has been training hard and has gained some combat experience, something he had not done before. He has improved a lot since then and is learning a better way to kill every day. However, there is still a long way to go to make progress.

Especially in his mana suppression method, which is related to both his physical strength and the amount of magical power he uses daily.

If he practices the breathing method step by step, it may take two to three years to advance to levels where he may not be surpassed by any human.

A mage's combat effectiveness is based on mana quantity and magical power, while warriors handle sufficient strength and heavy weapon handling. As the mage or warrior level increases, mainly mana, experience, and strength increase. A good breathing method, good martial arts, or incredible training make that person much stronger than they have ever dreamed.

Even if the training is mediocre, talent prevails. Prodigies learn in a few days what a common person learns in ten or twenty years of their life. Imagine that with demons who can live thousands of years against humans, this battle is a matter of time before they start losing.

It is rumored that the training techniques practiced by the three northern armies are all techniques treasured by royal families.

It seemed like they were on the right track until the demons knew about it, improved, and crushed them. The power evolution between humans and demons is very different, which now puts demons at a disadvantage.

This is why mages are most effective in massacring demons; their spells are what keep this war somewhat stalled.

The top priority is to improve his experience in magical combat, maximize his effectiveness in each of his movements, and be a better leader than he currently is.

Damian now had his divine general, but he feared it would be mistaken for a demon if he openly summoned it on the battlefield.

Fortunately, it was not necessary to summon it now because they were holding the center of the battle very well.

After that, the Sixth Squadron had been resting at Castle Harden, and Damian had made some improvements to his Divine General, such as increased weight, agility, and strength.

In this way, the Sixth Squadron spent ten days at leisure.

But on the last day, they received news that demons were aggressively attacking the fortresses.

This time, there were up to two and a half brigades of demons in the orc countryside, trying to break through the fortresses to reach the city. Three of the eight squadrons were moved to the rear fortresses to maintain maximum defense, ensuring that the fight could continue steadily.

In the last two or three days, the battles on the front lines have been very tense.

Damian found that the number of wounded soldiers withdrawn from the front line had increased significantly, with the total number exceeding three thousand.

Among the wounded were members of Baron Harden's Cavalry Regiment.

Talking to the wounded, Damian heard that Baron Harden once again led a team to charge into battle, killing the sixth-level demon and defeating the main orc brigade, only then stabilizing the battle line and repelling the invaders.

After two defensive operations, the eighth brigade had suffered two thousand casualties in total. Although not a centimeter of ground was lost on the front line, relying on the eighth brigade to resist, it was already difficult to support the defense line.

The orcs also began to cross the mountains and infiltrate the rear grounds where Harden was stationed.

The incoming news kept changing.

At one moment, it was said that Baron Harden was preparing to leave the rear complex, and the next, it was said that Baron Harden insisted on holding on and waiting for reinforcements.

Whether true or false, the wounded soldiers who withdrew feared everything they said; even Damian, who was personally present in the battle, was a bit confused.

In Baron's castle, besides the seventh squadron, there are several city defense squadrons stationed there. Additionally, Baron Harden also left behind several officers, leading a part of the servant army to protect his

family.

The city defense army not only lacked enchanted equipment, but each squadron had only a dozen soldiers practicing unknown combat techniques. The backbone of the city defense army was transferred to complement the Sixth Squadron, but again, tension rose.

Several combined squadrons cannot defeat one squadron of the main army.

Even if the Sixth Squadron had just completed their replenishment, a single charge led by Damian could end up losing a dozen soldiers.

The combat effectiveness of the city defense army was already very poor, and what was even worse were the servant soldiers.

The servant soldiers in the castle were not even fully equipped with weapons. Many of them had shovels and forks for manure, and very few had armor and bows and arrows. Except for a few officers who looked good, they were useless against demon attacks.

"They are just dead meat," Damian muttered as he looked at his long sword in his hand.

He now understood what it was like to participate in a war and how badly they were treated as a human race. He knew that if it weren't for the barriers that the mage Flamme had placed over the main cities, they, as humans, would have already been exterminated.