Lord: Start with the Pioneer Knight

In late October, the first outpost located 50 kilometers away from Lumen South Mountain lit a smoke signal to warn the rear, collect supplies and retreat to the rear.

Looking at the black smoke in the distance, Kyle hurried to the tent to report to Weilin.

"My lord, a signal was sent from the south that there are enemy troops attacking, with a number of at least 5,000."

"Notify all troops outside to return to Lumen South Mountain Fortress immediately. Send a warning to the nobles and pioneer knights in the east. In addition, send a signal to the north to tell the commander about the situation we are facing." After hearing Kyle's report, Weilin did not panic and issued orders in an orderly manner.

"Yes, my lord."

The troops on mission around Lumen South Mountain received the order and directly abandoned everything in their hands and returned to Lumen South Mountain Fortress with necessary supplies, a shelter they had built for a month.

Twenty kilometers away from the first outpost in the south, the rat wizard squinted at the black smoke in the sky, his eyes rolling non-stop.

"Tucker."

"Master, I call you by your humble name, what do you want me to do?" A two-meter-tall giant ratman came to the rat wizard Tattersall with a stone hammer and knelt on the ground respectfully.

"How many cannon fodders have been recruited?"

"In reply to the master, I have recruited 4,000 cannon fodders, including 500 young and strong, and 3,500 old and weak. All of them have taken the plague potion you gave me."

"I have raised them for a few days. It's time to show their value."

After asking questions, the rat wizard drove the rat mount and let the troops move forward.

A day later, at the foot of Lumen Nanshan Mountain, tens of thousands of monsters were stationed here, facing the Lumen Nanshan Fortress on the hill.

Several scouts hid in the pits, carefully observing and recording the number of monsters through the cover of bushes.

"The smell of humans." A rat soldier sniffed the surrounding breath and said uncertainly.

"Are you sure?"

The rat officer looked at the soldiers with a keen sense of smell in his patrol team and asked in a deep voice.

"Captain, I'm not sure, but there is a strong human smell around, which is stronger than the human smell left in those outposts."

"Search, send a team over, search around."

The ratman officer made a prompt decision and decided to believe it rather than not believe it.

After a while, hundreds of ratmen soldiers filed out of the camp, searching the surroundings carefully in teams of five.

Relying on the ratmen's sensitive sense of smell, the search range is getting smaller and smaller.

"It's too late, leave here first." Looking at the ratmen soldiers not far away, the leading knight attendant said to the clerk beside him.

"Yes."

Several people climbed out of the cave and headed towards the top of the mountain.

"Sir, humans, it's humans."

The ratman officer who led the search looked in the direction of the sound, and saw that the figures of three humans had appeared hundreds of meters away. It was definitely too late to chase them now.

"Keep searching, turn everything around for me."

Looking at the ratman officer who was so anxious that he jumped up and down, the other ratmen soldiers immediately scattered and conducted a carpet search.

On the other side, Weilin obtained intelligence about the monster army and immediately held a pre-war meeting to deploy defenses and boost morale.

"Kyle, start reporting."

Seeing that all centurions and above were present, Weilin sat down in the main seat and gave instructions.

Hearing this, Kyle spread out the parchment and began to report: "According to our reconnaissance, the number of monster troops is about 10,000, including 3,000 ratmen, and the number of goblins and dog-headed men is unknown. According to the number of tents, the number should be between 5,000 and 7,000. In addition, there are about 2,000 monsters of various types, such as jackals, lizardmen, centaurs, ogres, etc."

"In addition, half-dragons were found. The specific number is unknown, but it is not less than two."

As Kyle's report ended, the atmosphere in the whole room became extremely solemn.

They call it a defense army, but at best it is a second-line force. It is okay to fight against monster clans such as goblins, gnolls, and ratmen, but it is difficult for them to muster the courage to fight against medium-sized monster clans such as gnolls and lizardmen, or even monsters as terrifying as ogres.

"Everyone, I know it is difficult this time, but." Weilin took a deep breath and encouraged loudly, "But I have reported our situation to the commander. As long as we survive these few days, the commander and his men will definitely come to support us."

"In addition, the monster army appears here. I believe that the provincial army and the kingdom army will not stand idly by."

"Finally, danger is often accompanied by opportunities. As long as we can hold back this group of monster armies, we will have many military merits, and even war merits."

With Weilin's encouragement, the eyes of nearly a hundred people in the room gradually became clear, no longer fearful and numb, and some hope emerged in their hearts.

Then, Weilin stood up, drew out his knight's sword, and stuck it on the wooden table: "In the defensive war, I will stand in the most dangerous place and fight with you."

"If I flee in battle, you can always point your weapons at me and attack me."

As soon as the voice fell, nearly a hundred people whispered, making the quiet conference room noisy in an instant.

A few minutes later, a thousand-man captain stood up and said: "Sir, you are usually fair and just, and you will not be partial to who is a legitimate descendant or not. Your character has won my respect. I am willing to obey your orders and fight with you."

"Under the witness of the goddess of life, I am willing to fight with you. If I run away, please kill me mercilessly." Another centurion stood up and said respectfully to Weilin.

Then, the other four centurions also swore to defend the Lumen Nanshan Fortress to the death.

The other centurions followed closely and swore with their direct superiors.

"Defend this city and destroy the monster's conspiracy. You are all heroes."

After the meeting was dissolved, the centurions who attended the meeting promoted and encouraged one level at a time, so that the low morale gradually recovered.

Already surrounded, fear of cowardice is death, and bravery will also die. Why should we fear the enemy, not to mention that the high commander is willing to go to the front line in person, what else do they have to fear.

The next morning, thousands of cannon fodder with pustules all over their bodies and stinking bodies were driven to the front, followed by thousands of rat soldiers, escorting this batch of goblin and dog-headed cannon fodder to attack the fortress.

The rat wizard stood on his rat mount, looking at his masterpiece, feeling proud.

"Today, pollute this mud fortress."

"Break the city tomorrow."

"Master is mighty, these humans will surely become the nourishment for the master's promotion, and will soon be promoted to the soul level and revive the glory of the rat people." Seeing this, the giant rat man said flatteringly.

"Hahaha, Tucker, if the master is promoted, you will not be missing, and the position of the rat warlord cannot be missing you."

"Thank you, master, thank you, master."