Chapter 400: Elves Don't "Steal"
After some deliberation, the two of them felt that they had gained a lot.
They exchanged opinions and believed that their cooperation with Bay Territory could be further enhanced.
After all, with such a "good" relationship with Bay Territory, gaining some additional benefits wouldn't be difficult.
The two quickly reached an agreement; while they acknowledged the potential advantages of this approach, it still needed to be reported first.
Furthermore, whether or not it would be approved was uncertain.
However, they were sure that if this went through, the relationship between Bay Territory and the Ail Elves would be further strengthened.
They had already made up their minds, passing all the pressure upwards.
With no pressure left on their shoulders, they began focusing on the battle between Bay Territory and the troll army.
The trolls had vast numbers, but their casualties were also enormous.
By the end of the first day of fighting, over 4,000 troll soldiers had been lost.
Though Bay Territory's soldiers were fewer, aside from a few unfortunate deaths, they had suffered minimal casualties.
Thanks to nutritional potions and healing potions, most injured soldiers could quickly return to battle.
Those more severely wounded also received help from the priests of the Goddess of Magic, at least surviving the ordeal.
After a half-day of fighting, Bay Territory's combat strength remained largely intact.
From the perspective of preserving fighting power, Bay Territory had performed excellently.
Even compared to the Ail Elves, they seemed to be a step ahead.
Thinking of this, Annie and Parry cast envious glances at the priests and paladins of the Goddess of Magic.
If the Ail Elves also had priests and paladins who could frequently heal the severely wounded,
Then the attritional tactics of the Cole Elves would be rendered useless.
From this perspective, the training of professionals among the Ail Elves clearly had significant shortcomings.
But the key was, by the time they wanted to make up for these shortcomings, it was already too late.
Now, seeing greater possibilities, they naturally had more thoughts.
If they could compensate for the shortcomings of the Ail Elves in all aspects, and in battles force the enemy to launch desperate attacks,
Then at the very least, they could make the Cole Elves pay a much greater price than they did now!
As for whether their combat methods were learned from Bay Territory, a small human domain, and whether they felt any psychological burden about it?
Absolutely not!
As the saying goes, "Taking without asking is stealing."
They had already made their intentions clear with Bay Territory, so how could this be considered stealing?
With a strong cooperative relationship between both parties, it was certainly not stealing!
For the elves, who prided themselves as the beacon of civilization, how could this possibly be considered stealing?
Elves do not steal!
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Jifan swung with all his might, decapitating a troll, then signaled the flag-bearer for retreat.
Angela noticed this scene and immediately issued a new battle command:
"Second Reserve Battalion, advance!"
Her clear voice spread across the entire wall.
The battle-hardened unit, waiting for their turn, rushed out at once.
Their fighting spirit was particularly strong.
Upon arrival, they drove all the trolls off the walls, creating space for the allies who had been fighting for a long time to retreat.
Afterward, they held their ground firmly, showcasing an unbreakable determination to defend.
After an hour, Angela had them rotate out, bringing in other soldiers in need of more experience.
At first, many of the adventurers watching from outside thought that Bay Territory was in for a hard fight.
Gradually, however, they understood that although the trolls had reached the walls, they never caused any substantial threat.
Many adventurers soon realized that this seemed to be akin to Bay Territory's usual attritional tactics and feigned weakness.
Simply put, they were "baiting" the enemy into a continuous attack, ensuring a flawless defense while maximizing attrition on the enemy's active forces.
More and more trolls piled up below Bull Fort, while attacks came from the other three directions as well.
The pressure on Bay Territory's defenses began to grow.
Many experienced adventurer teams had their members begin warm-up preparations.
Under the astonished gazes of their peers, they indeed received orders from Bay Territory:
"Raid the troll camp."
"Mission objective: burn down tents, reward of 10 gold coins per tent."
This battle wouldn't end in a day or two. Enduring till the end was what truly mattered.
As soon as the order was given, the previously quiet troll camp erupted in chaos.
Various attacks were launched once again.
This time, the adventurers chose a more distant approach.
Burning the tents was far easier than killing trolls. All they had to do was tie some incendiary material to their bolts and make a few attempts.
The tents the trolls carried were made from the hides of their prey.
Even if treated with fireproofing, it couldn't withstand too many people setting them on fire!
In the blink of an eye, the troll priests commanding the battle noticed that their rear had caught fire.
This was unacceptable!
Losing the battle was permissible, but their retreat must be secure!
Seeing that night was falling, the troll priests ordered a retreat.
Most of the trolls, who had stood under the fort all day taking nothing but hits, now charged back toward their camp, their eyes red with fury.
At least there, they wouldn't just be sitting ducks; there would be enemies to hunt!
Thus, the first day of battle ended in such an unremarkable manner.
The trolls who launched the attack suffered massive losses.
They lost as many as 5,000 soldiers, and about a quarter of their tents were destroyed.
Not to mention the supplies lost to the fires and the uncountable number of trolls that fell into pits.
Most laughable of all, the troll priests couldn't even be bothered to count their casualties.
Because their only mission was to appear here!
And to locate Bay Territory's main force!
As for how many trolls died, they didn't care in the slightest.
After all, a massive sacrifice was already part of their plan!
However, the event that truly enraged the troll priests soon occurred.
While the smoke and fire in the troll camp had yet to subside, sudden bursts of flames erupted on the corpse-littered battlefield.
The roaring fires consumed all the troll bodies.
The flames soared into the sky, brighter even than the setting sun.
Despite the foul stench filling the air, every soldier on the wall remained highly spirited.
They rested while discussing the previous battle.
Most had shed their usual stoic demeanor during combat, becoming lively.
They boasted, mocked the clumsy trolls, counted their kills, and teased each other's bravado.
For a while, laughter filled the walls.
But inside the meeting room, the gathered leaders received some bad news.
"The orc coalition is two days away from reaching Bull Fort."
Matthew sensed the marks of fate's power growing stronger!