Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence

Chapter 222: Chapter 216: Luke is Granted the Nu River Territory

At the mention of Raylo’s name, Aiden Duke’s eyebrows rose slightly, a look of keen interest on his face.

”Oh? Do tell.”

”The army of Black Stone Territory was the key variable in this battle.”

Luke’s voice was calm and steady as he slowly recounted the events.

”First, Baron Raylo led his Griffin Knights and Pegasus Knights in an ambush, nearly annihilating the Count of the Falcon’s Hawk Knight Order. Later, during the decisive battle against the main army led by Prince Karachi, he commanded the Allied Army’s hastily assembled Flying Knight Order, suppressing and defeating the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s Pegasus Knight Order.”

”Furthermore, the Mammoth Knights under Baron Raylo and Baroness Lillian broke through the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s infantry lines multiple times in frontal assaults. Their sheer force was deeply impressive.”

The generals in the tent nodded slightly. They had all read the battle reports; the power of Giant Beasts like the Mammoth Knights was indeed astonishing.

”There’s more.”

Luke continued.

”Before the final battle, Karachi proposed a duel of Fighting Generals with our army. Baron Raylo fought in the aerial battle and defeated the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s ’Angel of Death’.”

The atmosphere in the tent instantly grew heavy.

Everyone present was well aware of the ”Angel of Death’s” reputation.

A biological weapon engineered for war, it was extremely difficult to defeat one of the same Level.

Aiden Duke leaned back in his chair and let out a hearty laugh.

”Hahaha, what a kid!”

”That boy failed to gain the acknowledgment of a Thunder Dragon Cub, but I never expected him to go to the Wilderness of the Black Stone Mountain Range and become a ’Beast Tamer’!”

He turned to Luke, his tone teasing.

”Luke, from now on you will be a Marquis of the Duchy. I plan to take control of the Nu River Defense Line. How would you like this place as your fief?”

Luke said.

”If the Duke has need of me, Luke will not disobey!”

Aiden Duke clapped his hands and said.

”Luke, from this day forward, you are the Iron Blood Marquis of Nu River Castle!”

Everyone present immediately congratulated Luke.

Afterward, Aiden Duke’s smile faded as he began the formal proceedings.

”Valerius sacrificed his tail to save himself. He paid a heavy price burning the pontoon bridge to buy his army time to retreat. He’s a decisive commander.”

He looked around at everyone.

”The enemy’s main force still exists, so I have no intention of pushing deeper and chasing them all the way to the Fiery Sun Royal City. That wouldn’t be a victory; it would be stupidity.”

”The Duke is wise.”

Gaius agreed in a low voice.

”Our greatest achievement is not how many enemies we defeated, but that we’ve captured the natural fortress that is the Nu River.”

Aiden Duke’s finger tapped heavily on the map, right on the winding curve of the Nu River.

”From this day on, this will be the Thunder Dragon Duchy’s Eastern Territory defense line. The dynamic between us and the Fiery Sun Kingdom has now shifted.”

His gaze shifted to ”Frosty Winter” Elvin.

”Elvin.”

”Here.”

Elvin stood up.

”You will take half the army and advance north.”

Aiden Duke gave the order.

”Sweep along the northern bank of the Nu River and take Gray Rock Castle and Twin Castles for me.”

On the map, two solid fortresses were marked upstream on the northern bank of the Nu River.

Gray Rock Castle guarded a treacherous cliff, a perfect sentry post for monitoring the river and the plains.

And Twin Castles was like a nail driven deep into the throat of the passage leading to the inland plains.

”Luke, be ready. After Elvin takes the two castles, he will hand them over to you.”

”I want you to use these two castles as a foundation and expand them into a bridgehead large enough to garrison a great army. I want the people of the Fiery Sun Kingdom to remember for the rest of their lives that from this day forward, the Nu River is the land of our Thunder Dragon Duchy.”

”We’ll call it the Nu River Territory! I will give you my full support. The size of your domain will depend on the strength of your fist.”

Aiden Duke laughed.

”As you command, Duke.”

Luke accepted the command.

”All other units will rest where they are, fortify the camp, and await supplies and reinforcements.”

Aiden Duke made his final arrangements.

”The Nu River Defense Line must remain firmly in our grasp.”

”Yes, sir!”

The generals responded in unison.

The war council proceeded smoothly. Everyone approved of the Duke’s prudent strategy.

Just as Aiden Duke was about to dismiss the meeting, the tent flap was suddenly thrown open.

A Knight scrambled inside, not even taking the time to salute.

”Duke! Urgent military intelligence!”

Everyone’s hearts leaped into their throats, assuming the Fiery Sun Kingdom had launched a counterattack.

”Speak.”

Aiden Duke’s expression darkened.

The Knight swallowed hard and shouted with all his might.

”We’ve just received a top-level secret report from our spies in the Royal Capital... Just last night, the King of Fiery Sun died in the Royal Palace after rescue efforts failed!”

The news was a bombshell!

The entire command tent fell into a dead silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Even Aiden Duke’s pupils contracted sharply.

”Also, just yesterday, the Crown Prince of the Fiery Sun Kingdom, Karachi, announced in the Royal Capital... his ascension as the new King!”

If the news of the King’s death was a heavy blow, then the news of Karachi’s succession was nothing short of a violent earthquake.

Aiden Duke slowly rose from his seat of honor.

He didn’t speak. He simply walked to the map, his gaze falling upon the vast expanse of the Fiery Sun Kingdom’s territory. His expression was unreadable, and no one could guess what the shrewd and calculating ruler was thinking at that moment.

After a long while, he let out a breath. His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone’s ears clearly.

”Pass on my orders.”

”The original plan stands.”

”However...”

He turned, his gaze sweeping over all the generals in the tent.

”We are the elders here. Let’s let the younger generation make the first move!”

The waves of the Nu River still surged, but the battle cries on its banks had long since faded.

After the fight for the pontoon bridge, the entire army rested where they were, licking their wounds and taking stock of their bountiful spoils.

Raylo didn’t let his soldiers stay idle. Intense training quickly commenced.

In an open area next to the camp, a dozen straw targets stood over a hundred meters away.

A series of piercing whooshes echoed from the sky.

”A little lower! Slow down! Now!”

Raylo stood on the sidelines, shouting at the sky.

A figure streaked across the low sky. The Knight lay low on his mount’s back, muscles bulging as he forcefully hurled the Short Spear in his hand.

The heavy Javelin carved a sharp arc through the air before, with a dull THUD, it sank deep into the center of the straw target, its shaft quivering violently.

Following that, team after team of Pegasus Knights flew over the range in a long, snake-like formation, their Javelins raining down.

Their accuracy varied; some hit the bullseye, while others missed and plunged into the mud.

This was a new tactic Raylo had designed for the Pegasus Knights.

The Pegasus itself was not a powerful combat Magical Beast, its body being somewhat fragile in a direct confrontation. Because of this, Pegasus Knights had always relied on mobility and harassment with a Bow and Arrow as their primary tactic.

Among the captured supplies, Raylo had discovered a large cache of well-made cavalry Javelins.

This gave him an idea.

Javelins had greater armor-piercing capability than a Bow and Arrow. Especially when aided by the Gravity and momentum of a Pegasus’s dive, they could inflict devastating damage in a close-range assault.

Mastering a new Weapon required more training.

”Second squad, watch your formation! Don’t bunch up! You want to be living targets for the enemy? Spread out!”

Raylo’s voice boomed across the training ground.

The Pegasus Knights immediately adjusted their formation, maintaining a safe distance from one another.

Just as he was about to correct another Knight’s throwing posture, he caught a glimpse of the guards at the camp entrance, who had suddenly straightened their backs, their expressions turning serious and tense.