The wind was blowing harder and harder, but the soldiers on the pass were still busy setting up the battlefield. Along the main road, which was two kilometers long, troops were stationed at almost every slightly elevated spot that could be used as a firing point. Now, they needed to quickly build simple small gun emplacements out of stones.
Meanwhile, in the forests on both sides of the main road, soldiers were also busy. Some soldiers were cutting down trees to clear the field of vision, while others were digging trenches. The felled trees were also put to use, and the soldiers worked hard to pile the tree trunks on top of the trenches to serve as defensive barriers.
They had been busy for most of the day, cutting down large swathes of trees and exposing bare ground. The soldiers also chipped and smashed the rocks as much as they could to prevent them from obstructing the view down from the pass.
These measures were taken on Dylan’s orders, which were issued in the morning. During that time, Dylan received news from soldiers who had withdrawn from the front lines.
It was this news that prompted Dylan to issue the order to clear the obstacles on the hillsides on both sides of the pass. As for the troop deployment on both sides of the main road, Kyle had already done so a few days ago after arriving at the pass, and now it was just a matter of increasing the number of troops for defense.
It was not yet five o'clock in the afternoon, and the sky was already quite dark. However, the soldiers were still busy and tense. The deployment on both sides of the main road was basically completed, but the task of clearing obstacles on the slopes on the side of the pass was not yet completed. According to the orders given by Dylan, the soldiers needed to clear as much area as possible for observation. The better the visibility, the easier it would be to detect the enemy's ambush.
Two hours ago, news came from the mountain pass that the sentries had spotted an enemy force advancing rapidly along the main road. Although they couldn't see the enemy's movements from beginning to end, even seeing just a section was enough to make them nervous. After all, there were still a large number of enemy soldiers lurking in the mountains where they couldn't see anything. Therefore, the soldiers quickened their pace. Once it got completely dark, they would have to retreat.
Meanwhile, inside the main army camp at the mountain pass.
"What does Harris mean by this?! Openly disobeying orders?!" Dylan raised his eyebrows and shouted at the communications soldier who had just entered the tent to report.
"Sir, General Harris said he's worried and needs to keep an eye on the soldiers and stay with them until the battle is over," the communications officer said somberly.
"What's wrong with him?! He's not even listening to my orders?! Bastard!" Dylan was furious, while the other officers in the tent had complicated expressions on their faces.
"After the supplies were delivered, did everyone except Harris and his men evacuate?" Kyle suddenly asked.
"Yes, sir, they've all been evacuated. There are only forty-six people left on the summit," the communications soldier replied.
"Hmph! That bastard Harris! He actually disobeyed orders at a time like this!!" Dylan stood with his hands behind his back, his face turning ashen.
At this moment, Kyle waved to the communications soldier and said, "You can go down now."
After the communications soldier left the tent, Kyle turned around and glanced at the officers inside. Including Dingle, there were only nine people in total, all of whom were high-ranking officers.
"No, we have to call this bastard down here!" Dylan suddenly said.
The officers remained silent. Kyle turned slightly to look at Dingle, who was covering his mouth and coughing softly, but his expression remained as indifferent as ever.
“Sir, I think Harris…” Kyle had barely begun to speak when Dingle suddenly spoke up as well:
“General Harris has made up his mind. This time, let’s respect his choice, sir…” Dingle lowered his eyes, his gaze dull and lifeless.
Kyle shut his mouth, and the others remained silent on the ground, except for Dylan, who paced back and forth in the tent, looking troubled.
After a long while, Dylan finally stopped. His cold expression had vanished, replaced by deep regret and helplessness. He let out a long sigh, so loud that others heard it and sighed in hushed tones as well.
Kyle, however, didn't want to see the heavy atmosphere. He suddenly clapped his hands, straightened his back, and said loudly:
"Alright, everyone, we've basically done everything we can. Now we're just waiting for the Yan Kingdom to launch their attack so we can defeat them."
"Although we suffered some setbacks in the previous battles, as long as we win this battle, the Yan people's ambitions will be thwarted at Enzos's hands!"
Upon hearing this, Dylan turned to look at Kyle. Since the defeat of the Verri army last night, the atmosphere in the entire camp had been dejected. They desperately needed a victory to boost morale and keep the soldiers going.
Kyle then continued in a loud voice, "Now that we have cleared many areas of obstacles, if the Yan Kingdom rats try to sneak in from the mountains again, all they will get are cannonballs."
"In addition, everyone should know that although General Saski's troops did not arrive as scheduled, I think they will not be too late. We will hold off the Yan people here for a while, and we will still have the ability to counterattack after they arrive."
"Overall, we still have considerable advantages!"
Upon hearing this, some officers' eyes gradually turned fiery, while others remained unmoved, their faces grim and their brows furrowed.
According to the Emperor's orders, the Fifth Army, commanded by General Saskia, was to arrive in Enzos by the end of the month. However, tomorrow is the last day of the month, and recent news about the Fifth Army indicates that they have just crossed the Hessen River. This means that they will not only be unable to arrive on time, but will also need an extra week.
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