Chapter 317: A New City
The Lord's words filled everyone with a strange sense of confidence.
That's right!
Though the Carl Plains were dangerous, worrying about the situation wouldn't solve anything!
More importantly, their families and friends had gradually arrived in Bay Territory.
Since there was no immediate danger, what was there to fear?
It seemed there really wasn't anything to be afraid of!
Seeing that everyone was calm and unafraid, Matthew felt quite emotional.
This group under his command had been well-trained.
At least, no matter who they faced, they had the courage to fight!
In the future, they would continue to grow, becoming the most trustworthy people by his side.
Since morale didn't need further boosting, Matthew began outlining the next steps of the plan.
He extended his hand, tapping on the table.
The smooth tabletop split open, revealing a detailed map already prepared.
In the center was the entire Eastern Province.
It included Bloodmoon City, Bay Territory, and other towns and villages.
To the north was the Dark Forest.
Bay Territory occupied only a small part of it, while the five major troll clans controlled 60% of the Dark Forest.
To the east was the East Coast.
A large expanse of plains and wasteland remained undeveloped, with the newly built pier represented by a tiny speck.
The group stared at the map, which encompassed the entire Eastern Province, their eyes filled with disbelief.
In addition to cities, camps, and territories,
Hills, rivers, plains, grasslands, even small ponds, were all meticulously marked.
Even those unfamiliar with maps could easily understand what lay before them.
"This is the result of much hard work by the Inspectorate and many others. To ensure it stays up-to-date, we've invested significant manpower and resources."
"In the future, we'll send more people to explore and map the areas beyond the territory..."
Matthew's casual words stirred a great wave in everyone's hearts.
Was the Lord revealing his ambitions?
This was excellent news!
Seeing the excitement in the group, Matthew nodded at Angela.
Angela picked up a long wooden stick and lightly tapped a region near the Carl Plains in the Misty Swamp:
"Here, we will build a new fortress, bringing the Misty Swamp under our full control."
"It will block the road from Carl Plains into the depths of the Misty Swamp and stop the advancing orc army from Carl Plains."
"According to our intelligence, they are about 20 days away from us."
"That's enough time to get it built..."
Hearing Angela's plan, everyone began to ponder.
Before any battle, establishing a stable logistics base had always been Bay Territory's style.
Although Bay Territory wasn't afraid of fighting in the wild,
When facing a larger enemy force, having defensive structures greatly reduced casualties.
This time, they would be facing an even larger enemy!
Bloodmoon City.
In the City Hall, Knight Harley frowned deeply as he scanned through the reports in his hands, cursing:
"Are the nobles of Carl Plains a bunch of idiots? How could they let the orc army break through? Do they not know how to defend?"
"Support? With what? The empire's conscription is already complete. How could we expect other nobles to be willing to provide support?"
But thinking of the chaos now spreading across Carl Plains, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Standing beside him, 343 looked grim as she reflected on the information in her mind, thoughtfully saying:
"The Carl Plains are the empire's granary. If they're ravaged and looted by the orcs, it will cause tremendous upheaval."
"Why hasn't the Carl family organized an army to retake the Scarlet Fortress?"
"If they could seal off the gap at the fortress, no matter how many orcs break through, they'd be trapped like fish in a barrel!"
A flash of disdain crossed Harley's eyes as he nonchalantly replied:
"Why? Because they're using this as a chance to eliminate rivals!"
"The Carl Plains are vast, but they can't accommodate thousands of large and small noble families, especially with plans to build a floating city..."
343 was puzzled but said nothing, furrowing her brow as she asked:
"Even if they won't support Carl Plains, what should we do about the 300,000 orc troops advancing south?"
"What's their goal? Why are they attacking us?"
Pointing at their straight marching route, Harley also shook his head, pondering:
"Their exact goal is unclear, but it certainly won't be good for us."
"Notify the other nobles and have them mobilize their armies. This time, we need elite troops."
"And if any noble dares to slack off, don't expect mercy when the orcs attack their lands."
343 quickly sent out dozens of communication spells.
Just then, her usual stiff expression became animated, a red glint flashing in her eyes as she added with interest:
"Bay Territory has sent word that they plan to build a fortress on the northern edge of the Misty Swamp and need to purchase two large teleportation arrays."
"Additionally, they intend to hold off the orc forces heading south, stalling part of the army there."
A hint of surprise crossed Harley's face as he looked at the map, his eyes settling on the glowing red spot: "Bay Territory is quite intriguing!"
The scorching sun cast its rays down from the sky.
Dispelling the surrounding mist and evaporating the water from the foul swamp, leaving it cracked and muddy.
A cool breeze flowed, carrying the faint stench unique to the Misty Swamp.
On top of a towering hill, massive construction golems were hard at work.
They had already leveled the entire hilltop.
The excavated dirt was enchanted into standardized stone blocks.
These were being placed around the hill, expanding the area of the base.
The purpose of this was clear.
It was to ensure that the city they were about to build would be surrounded by nothing but impassable mud and swamp on all sides.
Thus, they would maximize the defensive advantage of the terrain.
Tens of thousands of kobolds were working under shaded tents, tirelessly digging.
They were preparing the underground infrastructure and sewer systems for the entire city.
Storage warehouses, wells connected to underground rivers, and numerous secret passages for stationing troops were all part of the new architectural design.
In addition to the kobolds, thousands of engineers had been urgently teleported in.
They were racing to finish the city's design, which had to be completed in half a day.
Fortunately, they had amassed many blueprints, so with minor adjustments, the design could be finalized quickly.
Besides these laborers, rows upon rows of soldiers were also teleported in.
Dozens of knights from the Inspectorate galloped down the road towards Carl Plains, acting as the eyes of the operation.
Other soldiers worked at top speed, transporting military supplies.
Under Angela's command,
Some soldiers were leveling and clearing the roads at the base of the hill.
As the teleportation glow faded, Matthew slowly opened his eyes and turned to the stunned adventurers.
"Go assist the Inspectorate's knights and scout the surrounding area," he said.
Battle was about to begin.