This is already the sixth day since the army entered Arden Forest. Due to the rugged terrain of the forest, the Right Army had only covered about one hundred kilometers, with approximately one hundred and ten kilometers remaining to their destination.

The army continued to advance through the forest, and as they ventured further in, the forest's lively green gradually transformed into a twisted scene. Many tree trunks and branches turned grey and brown, under the influence of Chaos Energy. The frantically growing trees kept spreading, with their tangled roots even covering the ground, and curious lumps growing on these roots.

For six days, the Beastmen continually harassed the army. Laine and Gabriel led the peasants and knights in repelling several War Gang attacks successively.

Ranger Knight Hex approached from behind and whispered to Laine: "The soldiers are maintaining their morale well, my Baron. We haven't been affected by the Beastmen's repeated harassment."

"That's what I'm worried about, Hex, Olivier. Don't you think it's a bit too quiet today?" Laine raised his head.

It's September, and the sun is still quite strong. Laine and the knights stood in the shade of trees. Laine was relatively fine, but the other knights felt fatigued. Hex wiped the sweat from his forehead, agreeing with the Baron's observation: "It has indeed been very quiet today."

Olivier also stepped forward: "Unusually quiet, my Baron."

"What do you think, Marquis Gabriel?" It's unusually quiet in the forest; today, the Right Army hadn't even seen a shadow of the Beastmen.

This was unlike the Beastmen.

"...I think the Beastmen might have changed their plans against us." Marquis Gabriel, the most experienced in Beastmen wars, had already sensed the presence of war: "There are only two possibilities for the Beastmen no longer harassing us. One is that they have given up entangling with us, and the second is that they are looking for an opportunity to engage in a decisive battle with us."

"The entire army, halt! Camp here; we'll rest for today!" After some contemplation with no clear answer, Laine decided to let the army rest for now amidst the uncertain situation.

If there indeed is a decisive battle, then it's even more critical to rest at this time.

Upon receiving the order, the peasants cheered. After days of marching, the soldiers were exhausted, so resting was naturally the best option. The peasants began setting up camp in the forest.

Within the large oak forest, the soldiers set up camp under the knights' guidance. The warhorses began eating black beans and various high-quality feeds to replenish their strength, and the pure-blooded elf warhorses of people like Laine and Julius were given something more—small amounts of meat, carrots, corn, and bread in addition to the high-quality feed.

This meal was vastly superior to what the peasants were having.

Laine and Surya stood by the stream. The lady knight, with her exquisitely beautiful face and golden curls, felt a bit tired. She breathed gently, sitting on a small stool, her long legs stretched out, a long single-handed sword hanging from her waist: "Lord Laine, we have covered half of the way. I hadn't imagined the Knightly War to be so exhausting."

Laine gazed from her long, slender legs starting from under the riding boots up to the end where her brown tight pants ended, finally smiling kindly: "It's good to get out and see more. War is not just about the battlefield; marching and camping are equally important."

As he spoke, Laine's pure-blood elf warhorse, "Grape," was drinking from the stream. Laine pulled a red carrot from somewhere, and Grape neighed happily, chomping it down eagerly.

Surya, with her bright eyes, watched Laine's composed demeanor and curiously asked: "Lord Laine, aren't you worried?"

"Worried about what?" Laine's smile widened: "Worried about our safety? We have such a large army and talented knights like Yuri and Marquis Gabriel, and a strong lady knight like Miss Surya?"

"Lord Laine jokes again." Surya gently shook her head, chuckling: "Please, Mr. Laine, do not treat me differently. I'm just a knight, not a lady knight. In the army, I'm like everyone else, just an ordinary knight."

"Everyone always sees me as the Duke's daughter, but I don't like it." The lady knight's words were so soft they were nearly inaudible: "Because of our father's strength, it seems like my siblings and I are expected to be extraordinary."

"..." Just as Laine was about to speak, there was a sudden frenzy of howls from the camp: "Alert! Alert! Beastmen are coming!"

"Damn it! It was impossible for this journey to be peaceful!" Laine raised his warhammer: "Soldiers, follow me!"

"Oh!" The peasant soldiers reacted much quicker than the knights. All they needed to do was drop what they were doing and grab their long spears to fend off the enemy, while the knights futilely donned their armor once again.

"Lord Laine, the enemy is over there!" a peasant shouted loudly, pointing in one direction.

Dozens of Horned Beasts charged, wielding crude axes and pounding their iron hooves towards the encampment.

"Hold your ground! Soldiers! I am with you!" Laine raised his warhammer: "Hold the line! Prepare to face the enemy!"

"Boom!" The peasants formed a tight spear phalanx.

"Kill! Kill!!!" Following the Horned Beasts were many Inferior Horned Beasts and Chaos War Dogs. Seeing that Laine had organized a defense, they rushed directly towards another section of the line.

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