NOVPUBIt was night again, and the Dark Bat Hawks arrived as expected.
Compared to the previous night, the invading armies were much calmer.
All warriors had found cover before dark.
Be it foxholes, fences, or hastily built earthen walls.
In short, whether dealing with Night Stalkers on land or confronting Dark Bat Hawks in the sky, everyone looked experienced.
Inside the tent at the center of the camp, a Sentinel Corps member flickered in the shadows of a corner.
"Have you found out?"
Delilah was expressionless, her face betraying no emotion.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it has been ascertained."
"Speak!"
Delilah's tone was flat. It was normal for the mixed armies to have wavering morale.
She just hadn't expected those profit-blinded human mercenaries and merchant groups to leave the main force at this time.
"Are they not afraid of death?"
"Or, in their eyes, are we the bait attracting the dark creatures?"
Delilah was analyzing human nature; her guess was not wrong.
Among the human mercenary corps, a small faction believed that leaving the main force at this time would give them a higher chance of survival.
The invading armies were too numerous and would surely become a common target.
Staying here, even if not used as cannon fodder, they would sooner or later be overwhelmed by dark creatures.
This was the thinking of some clever individuals and was agreed upon by most.
"Those human mercenaries slipped into the woods during the afternoon march and separated from us."
"They left in the direction to our left. It seems Sir Godfrey doesn't know their plan."
"Sir Godfrey is still in the camp; he thought those people had merely fallen behind and appears quite anxious."
Delilah waved her hand, dismissing the Sentinel Corps intelligence officer.
Because not far away, Knight Godfrey, Grum Ironfist the dwarf, and Saelen the Blood Elf were walking towards the temporary tent with grim expressions.
"Your Majesty, we..."
The blunt Grum Ironfist began to speak. He had intended to state their purpose directly, but halfway through, he couldn't bring himself to say it, feeling it was too shameful.
Evidently, they had already learned the truth about what happened with the mixed armies during the day.
Under their management, such an incident of abandoning teammates had occurred within the mixed armies; it was truly somewhat difficult to speak about.
"Let me say it. Your Majesty, those human mercenaries under our command..."
Delilah waved her hand, cutting Godfrey off.
"They left in the afternoon, moving in the direction to the left of the main force."
"They were safe when they left."
Delilah didn't blame Godfrey; instead, she gave the three an explanation.
Hearing this, the three of them collectively sighed in relief.
They couldn't, and didn't want to, control the life or death of those people.
This was another world; they couldn't even guarantee their own lives, let alone others'.
However, regardless, Godfrey, Grum Ironfist, and Saelen had to give a reasonable explanation to the people under them.
"Everyone, there's a proverb in the south: fear not the number of beasts, but the disunity of warriors."
"Their departure is actually a good thing, isn't it?"
Delilah said with a smile, turning a bad thing into a good one. For Godfrey, Grum Ironfist, and Saelen, this was a way to save face.
"Your Majesty, the blood elf race is willing to follow your steps in this otherworld."
"We dwarves are too!"
Grum Ironfist and Saelen successively expressed their stance, indicating they would not break away from the Stoneheart Horde's main force.
Compared to those human mercenaries, the Stoneheart Horde clearly seemed more reliable; this was their wariness towards humans, developed from long periods of interaction.
"Your Majesty, I am very sorry!"
Godfrey performed a knight's salute. He felt this was his dereliction of duty and that he needed to take responsibility.
Furthermore, in front of these foreign clans, he felt those human mercenaries were a disgrace.
Those people had displayed the greedy, cowardly, and sinister side of humanity to the foreign clans.
As a human, Godfrey felt ashamed.
This made Knight Godfrey unable to hold his head high, and he didn't know how to face the remaining humans.
"Sir, your bravery, your courage, you already proved it during the last dark beast tides."
"We know what kind of person you are!"
"As for those mercenaries who left, they don't care about you, and you can't control them, so why trouble yourself?"
"The Dark Bat Hawks could attack at any moment. Wouldn't it be more reasonable for us to focus our energy on the enemy?"
Delilah's mental strength fluctuated slightly; she was encouraging Knight Godfrey.
At such a critical combat moment, an Alpha-level powerhouse couldn't afford to have such low morale.
"I understand. I will fight bravely to prove to everyone that humans can also be valiant, and we do not fear any battle."
Godfrey's gaze became much firmer, and he performed another knight's salute to Delilah.
Thus, the matter of the human mercenaries deserting was closed.
The four discussed the night's watch rotation for a while longer before leaving the temporary camp.
West of the camp was the area where the mixed contingent was stationed and also the area they were responsible for guarding.
"Godfrey, if you'll pardon my bluntness, among the humans I know, only you and King Harold are worthy of respect."
"The other humans are all spineless cowards."
The outspoken one was Grum Ironfist the dwarf. He was acknowledging Knight Godfrey and also consoling this newly made friend.
These past few days, the three of them had led the mixed armies together, spending most of their time in each other's company, and had gained a clear understanding of each other's dispositions.
Godfrey's character was worthy of their friendship.
"The human kingdom is powerful and also exceedingly wise. Over countless years, it has nurtured innumerable mighty knights and mages; they are worthy of respect."
"However, the human kingdom also has its sordid side. Over several thousand years, we have witnessed too much of it."
"Sir Godfrey, as an oath-keeper, upholding justice, leading everyone to survive, and completing the holy war against outsiders is far more worthy of remembrance than worrying about those despicable individuals."
Saelen seemed to know something of the knight's background and deeds; she persuaded Godfrey from a different perspective.
The effect was excellent!
Keywords like oath-keeper, survival, holy war, and remembrance invigorated Knight Godfrey like glory itself, making his eyes shine ever brighter.
"You two, the timid are not worthy to bathe in a knight's glory!"
Knight Godfrey stood straight and saluted. At this moment, he was like a sharp lance.
And his enemies were the dark creatures endangering everyone's lives.
