I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Chapter 481 Strategic Contraction

"Help me down..." Alpha's voice suddenly became hoarse, and the battlefield in front of him began to shake violently.

The overdrawn internal energy and fighting spirit were like the receding tide, completely draining away Alpha's strength.

The moment his knees hit the gravel hard, warm blood slid down the corner of his mouth and dripped onto the hilt of Arthur's holy sword.

"Sir!" A crisp exclamation pierced the noise of the battlefield.

The two human girls, Mingyue and Fanxing, were like deer running out of the woods. Their light green skirts were stained with gun smoke, but they still swiftly passed through the mess on the ground and steadily supported Alpha's shaky body.

The moment the holy sword was solemnly taken over by the personal guards, Alpha felt that almost all of his weight was on the shoulders of the two girls, but their slender arms were unexpectedly strong.

The central army chariot was filled with the aroma of medicine made from dragon blood grass.

As Alpha leaned against the cushion inlaid with the star emblem, he happened to see the original No. 2 through the car window.

This five-meter-tall war machine was using one knee and its warhammer to support its body as it struggled to crawl among the corpses, its broken mechanical joints constantly oozing blue coolant.

"Baras." Alpha summoned the dwarf forge master, his fingers unconsciously stroking the lines on the chair armrest. "Can the original No. 2's legs be made into purely mechanical prostheses?"

Baras's prosthetic metal eye gleamed with a faint blue light, and his beard trembled slightly with a sigh. "Pure mechanical engineering is too difficult, but I can unite with the goblins and use magical runes and adamantine gears to forge a pair of legs... that will allow a warrior to fight on the battlefield again!"

As the dwarf patted his chest to make a promise, the iron gloves and breastplate collided with a clanging sound.

Alpha looked outside the car and saw the stretcher-bearing team carrying the wounded through a pool of blood. The military doctors' white coats had already turned dark red.

This was the most brutal battle since Alpha led the legion. Broken oaths and unfinished lives were scattered among the broken swords and spears.

Alpha suddenly thought of the beacon fires burning on the border of the Ottoman Empire and the skull flag flying on the flagship of the Pirate Alliance. Those threats lurking in the darkness will eventually turn into a more turbulent tide of blood.

"Pass the order on," Alpha gripped the lion head emblem on his waist, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"Tighten the defense line and give priority to treating the wounded. Tell Baras that any materials needed... are available at any cost." As the chariot slowly started, Alpha looked at the regrouped front in the distance. Burning in his amber eyes was not only the flame of revenge, but also a far-reaching strategy that went beyond this battle - the real war may have just begun.

The annihilation battle lasted until two o'clock in the afternoon. Phyllis stumbled through the makeshift medical tent, her hair still stained with the ashes of the ruins of the mining city.

When Phyllis heard the news that Alpha had fainted, the parchment scroll recording the battle damage in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter", and the silver chain mail made a messy sound as she ran wildly.

The knights guarding outside the chariot had not yet informed, and Phyllis wanted to board the chariot but was blocked by Alpha's personal guards. She could only look anxiously at the figure leaning on the couch with his eyes closed.

"Master Darwin, is Lord Alpha really okay?" The girl's voice was trembling uncontrollably, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the edge of her cloak. She could only ask for help from the only person she knew.

The silver-haired wizard turned around, his prosthetic eye flashing a faint blue light. This was a magical artifact of the goblin clan, which could increase the wizard's aiming speed by 30%. "It's just that his energy is overdrawn. The bright moon and the stars are taking turns to restore Alpha's energy."

Darwin signaled Phyllis to be quiet, but saw Alpha's pale brows suddenly frowned - even with his eyes closed, his keen hearing still caught the familiar footsteps.

"Come in, all of you!" Alpha called softly.

The carriage was filled with the bitter smell of dragon's blood and magic potions.

Mingyue knelt beside the couch, her slender fingertips hovering over Alpha's chest, and her emerald green internal energy was slowly seeping into Alpha's injured body.

When Phyllis approached, the thin figure suddenly spoke, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper: "Who is here?"

"It's me, Phyllis..." The girl knelt on the cushion, tears finally bursting out.

"We...we failed to defend the mining city..." Before he could finish his words, Alpha raised his hand and pressed his eyebrows, his pale lips pressed into a cold and hard straight line.

"Mingyue, please step aside first." Alpha turned towards the void to the south, his eyelashes casting tiny shadows under his eyes. "I want to talk to Phyllis alone."

When the hatch closed, Alpha groped and stretched out his hand: "Help me up."

Phyllis hurried forward to support him, but was suddenly pulled into his arms the moment she touched his palm.

Amid the sound of leather and metal colliding, Phyllis fell onto the soft couch and met those amber eyes that were still burning despite being covered with white gauze.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Alpha's palm brushed across her sweaty neck, and the edge of the metal armor caused a slight shudder as it scraped across her collarbone.

"Defending the mining city to the death would be the biggest mistake." Alpha suddenly grabbed the girl's slender waist, pressing her completely under the quilt. "Those mechanical blueprints and energy veins... can be recreated if lost, but your lives, once lost, are truly gone."

Phyllis struggled to get up, but he bit her earlobe and said, "There are others outside to defend us."

Hot breath sprayed in my ears, "Now, let me see if you really understand the lesson..."

The setting sun stretched the shadow of the chariot very long, and the bloody sun shone through the carved windows, casting ambiguous light and shadow on the entangled figures.

The faint sound of war drums and the groans of the wounded could be heard in the distance, and inside the carriage, Alpha's kiss was like a prairie fire, turning all the worries and fears into the scorching heat of their entanglement.

"Phyllis, let Makina organize the defense, and all the remaining captains come to the meeting." Alpha narrowed his eyes at Phyllis and reminded her in a low voice.

The night was hazy, and Alpha's eyesight had recovered a little. He could vaguely see that Phyllis had put on her clothes and was ready to leave.

Alpha is currently thinking about how to resolve the crisis in the mining city. At the moment, they only occupy a corner of the mining city, and it would be extremely difficult to take it over completely.

However, Alpha is thinking about how to get along with the Pirate Alliance and the Ottoman Empire. The Empire is not without him, and the Alliance is not necessarily a complete enemy.

The Alliance and the Empire are not allies, but enemies with conflicting interests. Since they are enemies, there is no need for Alpha to fight for the Empire and the Alliance.

Having figured this out, Alpha seemed to have made up his mind.

The iron roof of the temporary meeting room whimpered in the night wind, and the swaying emergency lights dyed Alpha's pale face a sickly blue-gray.

Alpha slowly sat down on the battle-scarred conference table, his fingertips rubbing against the coagulated bloodstains on the tabletop—those were left over from the daytime battle, and now, amidst the interweaving of light and shadow, they resembled some strange totem.

Glancing at the faces sitting on both sides of the long table, Alpha's Adam's apple rolled slightly.

Sitting on his left were the elite soldiers who had joined him in this expedition: Quinte's mutant werewolf eyes gleamed with a cold light, the dwarf Baras's beard was still stained with slag, the dwarf Baruk was adjusting the miniature cannon in his palm, and the goblin Perov's mechanical prosthesis made a clicking sound of gears turning.

The magic staff on the elf Evelyn's waist was still flashing, detecting traces of magic in the surroundings at any time. The dark elf Mashu's poison quiver was empty. Da Gama was wiping his sword as calmly as ever. The druid priest Balman's antler headdress was wrapped with bandages brought back from the battlefield.

On the other side, the resistance fighters in the mining town bore different scars.

Phyllis's leather armor was cracked with a makeshift bandage, and dark red liquid was still dripping from the chest of Rowling's armor. Lina's fingers trembled slightly as she stroked the magic pistol.

The most surprising thing was Alice and Tony, brother and sister - they should have rushed back to the Vatican area to protect their father-in-law, but at this moment they placed the modified magic rifle across their knees.

Near the iron gate, Darwin pushed his magic glasses, which were magic props modified by the goblins and could increase the aiming speed by 30%.

"Da Gama, Quinte, what are the casualties here? How many of us can still fight?" Alpha's voice was particularly clear in the silence. The iron roof suddenly shook violently, as if a shell had exploded not far away.

Quintiles rose first, his metal prosthetic eyes flashing with the blue light of data streams. "Lord Alpha, the 1st and 2nd Raging Regiments suffered heavy losses in the street fighting in the mining city. 478 men were killed, 512 were disabled, and the slightly wounded have been sent to the hospital. The 3rd Regiment did not participate in the battle due to being stationed on the supply line, and all members are currently combat-ready. The total combat strength of the three regiments is 1500."

Quintile's voice seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his chest. Every time he said a number, Mingyue marked the corresponding red mark on the tactical board behind Alpha, and at the same time, Fanxing was quickly recording everything.

Da Gama's sword clanged softly as he rose. The usually calm Grand Master frowned for the first time. "The First Regiment of the Free Knights deployed to the front lines with 2,000 men, 330 killed, 760 seriously wounded, and incapacitated. The Second and Third Regiments remain fully staffed. We currently have 4240 combat-ready men."

Mingyue quickly wrote down the number of Da Gama's knights on the tactical board behind him. The golden mark representing the Free Knights dimmed in the southwest corner of the city.

Alpha stared at the casualty figures constantly jumping on the tactical board and laughed self-deprecatingly. The laughter was particularly harsh in the confined space. "Including the 1800 warriors of the various races of druids, dwarves, and elves... the combat strength is barely 7000."

Alpha suddenly remembered the high spirits he had when he led 3,000 people to rescue the mining city yesterday. At this moment, the smell of disinfectant and blood in the conference room completely crushed those heroic feelings.

"Evelin, Baras, Perov," Alpha's eyes swept over the three responsible persons, "activate the full-scale rescue plan. Whether they are flesh and blood or mechanically modified, every life must be saved. The goblin and dwarf workshops are fully committed to manufacturing magical prosthetic limbs. Those who are willing to undergo the modification will be given priority. Those who are unwilling to accept will not be forced. After the disabled are discharged from the army, we will establish resettlement areas on the outskirts of the city to ensure that they have enough food and clothing."

Alpha turned his gaze towards the people in the mining city. The sudden flare explosion outside the window cast everyone's shadows on the mottled wall. "It's time to talk about the situation on your side. How much available combat power is left in the mining city?"

In the meeting hall where the smoke had not yet dissipated, the bronze candlesticks cast swaying shadows on the stone walls.

Alpha stroked the knight sword at his waist, and the worn family emblem on the hilt flickered in the firelight.

Intermittent wails could be heard outside the window, mixed with the roar of siege equipment in the distance, like the whispers of death.

The battle in the mining city is far from over, but it is no longer as intense. The Pirate Alliance and Alpha are quickly moving all the resources and equipment in the mining city.

"Lord Alpha, the city of Fields has exchanged defenses with the revolutionary army. Please punish me." Rowling knelt on one knee, and the blood seeping from under her chain mail spread on the blue bricks.

Rowling didn't dare to look up and look directly into those hawk-like eyes - half a month ago, she had taken the initiative to send 5,000 cavalry from the Tagula Mountains to support the mining city. At this moment, the flag of the revolutionary army was flying in the Knights' camp.

Alpha's fingers tapped against the armrests of the chair, making a crisp sound. "Firs is just a small border town. The mining city is the lifeblood. Your decision is correct."

Of course, the importance of Phils cannot be ignored. It is an important trade route connecting Portos and the Fatalia Empire, but it is no longer important now.

Alpha's voice was as low as ever. As the commander of the Knights, he knew that this decision might shake the morale of the troops, but sometimes necessary sacrifices were necessary.

Of course, even if it is really important, given the relationship between Alpha and Rowling, if it is lost, it is lost.

"Yes." After getting Alpha's approval, Rowling let the matter go.

"This time, my army has 5,000 people, and we will subsequently recruit 5,000 people from the mining city, a total of 10,000 people. 4,300 people were killed in the battle, 3,300 people were seriously injured, and 2,400 people can still fight." Rowling continued to explain.

After Rowling finished speaking, Lina untied her blood-stained cloak, revealing half of her bandaged arm. "The mining city originally had 2,000 defenders, and 2,000 new recruits... Now, only 760 are left who can wield swords."

She pointed out the window, choking with sobs. "The hospital is full of brothers with broken limbs and arms, and the wailing continues day and night."

Phyllis unrolled the parchment, which was densely marked with casualty figures. "Captain Makina's Heavy Armored Knights, along with the conscripted miners, now only have 3,300 men left. The elderly, weak, women, and children in the city have all picked up farm tools to defend the city, leaving only 1,500 men able to fight."

Her voice was filled with tears. "The Pirate Alliance's transformed knights are all made of iron. Our swords can't hurt them at all!"

Alpha stood up suddenly, and his cloak swept the tactical map on the table.

Amid the sound of tumbling gravel, his gaze swept across the weary faces of the crowd. "Eight thousand people... is more than I expected. You've done much better than I expected. Now, the most important thing for you is to rest and recover your strength."

A rare hint of relief appeared in his hoarse voice. "Pass the order down. The wounded will be given priority for herbs and bandages. Those who are willing to undergo the transformation of iron hands and iron feet shall not be stopped, and those who are unwilling shall not be forced."

The ground suddenly shook violently, and dust fell from the beams and pillars of the conference hall.

Alpha held onto the hilt of his sword to steady himself, a cold glint in his eyes. "Quinte, Da Gama, lead your troops to the mining city immediately."

Alpha pointed to the battle map on the wall. "Put aside all outposts. Our goal isn't to hold on to the land, but to preserve our manpower."

"My Lord!" Phyllis clutched the parchment scroll anxiously. "The mining city has the most sophisticated forging workshop in the entire continent. Once..."

"Load everything that can be moved onto the trucks!" Alpha interrupted Phyllis's explanation. "Burn anything that can't be dismantled! Tell the craftsmen that as long as people are here, there will be a day when we can rise again!"

Alpha looked out the window at the sky, which was red with flames of war, and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "In this war, we will never be the butchers of anyone!"