Two signal flares exploded simultaneously, their lights in the sky signaling to everyone that... something had gone wrong!
"Dominica!"
"Your Highness, something has happened! It's an emergency!"
Before Luo Li could finish her sentence, Dominica suddenly pulled back the carriage curtain and leaned halfway inside.
"A large number of elites have suddenly appeared at the Demon King's Castle, and five feathered serpents have been spotted in the sky. According to urgent reports, the demon race is using a special toxic mist that is drifting toward the main camp with the monsoon!"
"The wind dragons are trying to block the mist's advance, but they won't be able to hold it for long. It will reach the vanguard camp in five minutes at the earliest!"
Luo Li's mind went blank with a loud buzzing sound.
That was it!
The monsoon!
As the waves around the demon island pushed out and returned, the monsoon would suddenly reverse and blow toward the continent at this time.
Although it happened every year, she hadn't considered it from the start.
After all, no one expected the demon race to have a toxic mist up their sleeve!
I failed.
Those words flashed through her mind.
As expected, while she had ensured unity among her people in her first time commanding such a massive war, she had failed to account for the timing of nature!
Fortunately, the Lion-Tiger tribe's reaction was swift.
"What is the situation at the rear?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, the rear army has discovered demon elites rapidly approaching. They will make contact with our rear guard in five minutes at the latest. Please make a decision immediately, Your Highness!"
Beside her, Ligeia reacted quickly.
"Since the toxic mist is following the monsoon, it will only head west!"
"I understand..."
Luo Li nodded, her finger lightly tapping on the table three times.
"Order the Flame Kingdom vanguard camp to retreat south immediately and abandon all heavy baggage."
"The central command must break camp at once and head southwest to engage the demon race."
"Notify the rear guard to fight and retreat, contracting the defensive line to meet the central command at the southwest point."
"The right wing is to move to the meeting point at maximum speed to support the rear guard."
"The left wing will cover the central command's withdrawal."
"Order Lancelot to lead two thousand members of the Dragon Knight Corps to cover the airships as they evacuate with the army!"
Dominica quickly recorded Luo Li's orders and turned to make preparations.
Luo Li then turned back to Ligeia.
"Ligeia, please notify the Dragon King. Tell all dragons to scatter as much as possible and meet at this border of the demon island in two days."
"Notify the Great Wall and Moonrise City to gather all available sea vessels immediately to provide support here."
The southwest side of the demon island was further from the channel.
Excluding the channel itself, this was the flattest area among the regions explored so far.
Only here could the army withdraw normally.
"Your Highness..."
Ligeia's brow furrowed, clearly understanding why Luo Li was making these arrangements.
"Do you think the demon race intends to pin us all down on the demon island?"
"Yes. There are only a few days left before the channel closes. I originally planned to leave two days for the withdrawal."
Luo Li stood up and looked toward the distant Demon King's Castle.
"But it seems the Demon Emperor has seen through our strategic intentions this time."
"Communication at sea has basically been cut off, so he has no way to notify the armies ahead."
"His best choice now is to keep all of us who are surrounding his castle and intercepting reinforcements here to make up for his losses."
She turned back to Ligeia.
"The communication to the rear has likely been severed already."
"Since the demon race has this intention, they won't give us a chance to retreat through the channel."
"I'm counting on you. Although the dragons can retreat, they are too large a target and easily tracked. I can only rely on you."
Ligeia looked at Luo Li in disbelief.
"Your Highness, do you plan to... cover the retreat yourself?"
Luo Li shook her head.
"Of course not. What I want is the safe evacuation of the entire army, so please make sure to deliver my message."
"Whether we can save the airships is a fifty-fifty chance. The next two days will be a bitter struggle."
"If the airships are lost and the supporting fleet hasn't arrived, we will all have our backs to the sea, forced into a final stand."
She reached out and patted Ligeia's shoulder.
"Ligeia, you are the only one I can trust. Please... no matter what, deliver the message accurately."
"Do not give it to those nobles. You must deliver it to Brilliant City first, to Lola."
"Tell her she must contact the Pope and mobilize the army in his name."
With a solemn expression, Ligeia took the communication stone Luo Li handed her.
Still uneasy, Luo Li continued her instructions:
"To prevent those nobles from using petty tricks, do not make a scene once you reach Brilliant City."
"Use this communication stone to contact Lola first."
"I understand."
Ligeia solemnly tucked away the stone and looked directly at her Saintess.
"Your Highness, please... return safely."
"I will."
Luo Li curled her lips into a smile, watching Ligeia leave the Saint's Carriage and fly toward the horizon.
Only when she was certain the figure was out of sight did her expression gradually darken.
Inside the Saint's Carriage... there was dead silence.
'Thud!!'
A delicate hand slammed onto the solid wood table, the palm instantly turning crimson.
Feeling the pain in her hand, Luo Li stared blankly at the ceiling and murmured to herself:
"I miscalculated... I never thought I'd end up like Cao Cao."
The toxic mist was the fire, and the monsoon was the boat.
In this state, wasn't she just like Chancellor Cao during the Battle of Red Cliffs?
What came next? Being pursued and intercepted?
No... the Demon Emperor wasn't Zhuge Liang, and she wasn't Cao Cao fleeing through Huarong Trail!
Although the battle formation was in chaos, the losses so far were not heavy.
The Lion-Tiger tribe had reacted extremely quickly, and with the help of the dragons, the army's losses had been minimized.
Even though the situation was urgent, she could not let herself panic.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Li looked up at the map before her.
Although it only showed the left corner, this map was incredibly precious.
It was the first map of the demon island drawn by the continental races in a thousand years.
Even though it was only a partial map, it was a monumental achievement!
The most suitable area for evacuation on the entire demon island was the southwest corner.
It was located four hundred kilometers south of the channel, at the southwest tip of the demon island.
The distance was roughly equivalent to the sea distance between Weihai and Lianyungang.
It wasn't too far, but not close either.
Luo Li studied the map intently.
The noise outside seemed completely unable to affect her.
If I were the Demon Emperor... and I wanted to set an ambush, it would be in these two places.
Luo Li's finger tapped lightly on the map.
Where this flat land met the ocean, there was a very wide slope.
This section was roughly the size of a medium-sized city.
It was more than enough for a battlefield.
On both sides of the slope were high-ground areas.
If the demon race wanted to trap them, they would have to occupy these two strategic heights!
Once they held those heights, they could launch an attack from above the slope.
At that point, to retreat was the sea... and to advance was the demon race's encirclement.
Either way meant death.
The only way was to seize these two strategic heights first.
However, the most troublesome part was... when the rest of the army had evacuated, these two points could not be abandoned!
And by the time the rest of the army had finished evacuating, these two units would instead be surrounded like dumplings.
There would be no way for them to pull out.
She felt a slight movement beneath her feet; the carriage was moving.
This meant the central command had already begun to break camp.
Ignoring the noise outside, Luo Li was lost in thought.
Just then, a voice suddenly came from outside the door.
"Saintess Luo Li, is it convenient to talk?"
Hearing that voice, Luo Li knew instantly who it was.
That excellent, magnetic voice that could rival a professional voice actor definitely belonged to that handsome Dragon King.
"Please come in."
Luo Li said without turning her head, her eyes still fixed on the map.
The door to the Saint's Carriage opened, and entering alongside the Dragon King was a member of the Lion tribe.
But it wasn't the Beast Sovereign, Ricardo.
It was the lionman she had seen before, the one who always followed the Beast Sovereign.
Compared to other lionmen, this person was slightly shorter, standing at just over one hundred and ninety centimeters.
"Saintess Luo Li, I assume you are already aware of the situation?"
Asfield was not one for pleasantries. His first question upon entering was that, and then he instinctively followed Luo Li's gaze to the map.
"What do you plan to do?"
"Your Majesty, you've come at the perfect time. I would like to hear your opinion."
She explained her analysis. The lionman beside them remained silent.
Because time was tight, Luo Li didn't pay him much mind. Since he was here, he must be representing the Beast Sovereign.
So, they would listen together.
She explained her deductions to the Dragon King.
Asfield remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Who do you plan to have guard these two strategic heights?"
These two heights had almost no natural defenses; the only advantage was the high ground.
But for the demon elites, that wasn't particularly useful.
Consequently, the army holding these two strategic heights would inevitably face the demon elites head-on.
"The beastmen elites and the knights I brought from the Kingdom of the Moon will hold these two locations while the others board the ships and evacuate."
Saying this, Luo Li turned to look at the lionman she didn't recognize.
"Sir, I wonder what you think of my suggestion?"
Luo Li then gave a polite smile.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Luo Li Saint Sariel, the Saintess of the Moon of the human race."
This lionman was clearly very composed. He lacked the arrogance of Ricardo and instead appeared exceptionally calm.
"I am Rhine. As a messenger for His Majesty the Beast Sovereign, I agree with your plan; it should be the best evacuation plan available. However, I have one question I would like the Saintess to answer."
"Please, go ahead," Luo Li nodded, listening intently.
Rhine took a deep breath.
"Your Highness wants the army to occupy these two strategic heights, which means those two units will face the demon elites directly."
"Leaving aside whether they can resist the demons, even if they can, how will they evacuate?"
"Although these two positions look close to the evacuation point, the difference in elevation is at least two to three hundred meters."
Luo Li smiled slightly.
"I have already thought of that. We have airships that can fly at low altitudes, and we have the dragon race to cover the evacuation."
However, Rhine still seemed to distrust Luo Li. After a pause, he said, "But the demon race also has feathered serpents. Even with the dragon race, safety cannot be guaranteed."
Luo Li pondered for a moment, then looked up, her gaze meeting Rhine's.
"Master Rhine, if I may be blunt, you are worried that I will abandon the beastmen elites... aren't you?"
Rhine said nothing, but his steady, unwavering gaze was a clear admission.
Indeed, the population of the Lion-Tiger tribe was not high to begin with. Strictly speaking, their growth cycle was even longer than that of humans.
These five thousand Lion-Tiger tribe elites had an average level of over thirty, and those at level forty were everywhere.
If so many elites were lost on the demon island, it would be a massive blow to the beastmen.
Furthermore, although humans and beastmen were allies against the demon race, there were still internal conflicts between the two sides.
"You believe that as a human Saintess, I might take this opportunity to weaken the beastmen's strength, don't you?"
Rhine lowered his head slightly, but his expression showed no apology.
"I wouldn't dare. However, I have heard that the Saintess of Ice is very close to you."
He looked up slightly, glancing at Luo Li from the corner of his eye.
"Moreover... twenty years ago, the previous Saintess of the Moon sent almost all her Guardian Knights to support the Snow Country. Given the close relationship between the Kingdom of the Moon and the Snow Country, I hope you will forgive my petty suspicions."
"Insolence!!"
Before Luo Li could speak, Asfield could no longer contain himself.
He let out a sharp shout!
It was accompanied by a massive aura that felt as though it could crush a person into mincemeat.
Even Luo Li, standing behind Asfield, felt her legs tremble and her shoulders grow heavy.
Not to mention Rhine, who was facing the Dragon King's wrath directly. His pupils were filled with terror.
His body was already bending over, clearly on the verge of collapse.
Watching Rhine's reaction, a flash of 'approval' crossed Asfield's eyes.
"Oh? You can actually withstand my dragon might. Ricardo certainly has a good subordinate."
"Th... thank you for the praise, Your Majesty. I... I am unworthy."
Facing the pressure, Rhine forced himself to stay conscious. Though his words were staggered, he was still able to respond.
The Dragon King suddenly snorted.
"Hmph. Even so, that does not mean you can speak to Luo Li in such a manner. Kneel!"
With another sharp shout, that massive pressure intensified instantly.
My friend, just apologize. If you don't kneel soon, I'm going to be the one kneeling!
Luo Li groaned inwardly. If she hadn't been holding onto the chair beside her, and if the Dragon King hadn't been directing the pressure away from her, she probably would have knelt first.
"Your Majesty... please, calm your anger."
Ah, I can't take it anymore, almost there!
If this continues, she really is going to kneel!
Asfield startled slightly upon hearing Luo Li's trembling voice behind him.
He likely just remembered that Luo Li's strength was too low to withstand his dragon might and quickly withdrew it.
"I..."
Turning back to see the fine beads of sweat on Luo Li's forehead, Asfield looked slightly embarrassed as he tried to explain.
"I'm fine. You don't need to worry, Your Majesty."
Luo Li waved her hand and let out a long breath. The feeling of the dragon might being gone... was wonderful.
After calming her mind, Luo Li looked back at Rhine.
"Rhine, your concerns are not without merit. While I cannot give you any absolute guarantees, I hope you can believe me."
"In this war, I will not harbor any racial prejudice. I only hope we can stand united against the demon race."
Rhine looked up, meeting those slightly weak but crystal-clear eyes.
"...I understand. In that case, on behalf of His Majesty the Beast Sovereign, I agree to your plan."
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