- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 67
**Chapter 67: A Repeated Strategy (Part 2)**
As orders were issued, more than thirty full-fledged knights, over a hundred apprentice knights, and several hundred knight-trainees were sent out by Thor, dispersing to strategic positions around the mine. On the elevated platforms of the mine, the magical crystal cannons had been loaded with mana cores, fully charged and ready to fire.
Meanwhile, Baron Valmy and Baron Graton, filled with excitement, led their large forces toward the mine, imagining the immense rewards awaiting them once they captured it.
A large iron mine—just the thought of obtaining it filled them with elation.
As their troops advanced closer to the mine, the surrounding area remained eerily quiet.
Earlier, the knight unit they sent to probe had faced resistance from a great knight leading forces, but this time, even after approaching within three miles of the mine, no enemy forces had appeared.
“Hahaha, it looks like they’ve fled!”
“By the Goddess of Life!”
Baron Valmy laughed heartily, his expression full of excitement.
“A shame for the Dressrosa descendant!”
“Wait, do you smell something strange?”
Baron Graton, also smiling, sniffed the air with a hint of confusion.
“It must be the smell of the mine processing ore!”
“I heard this place used to be a goblin settlement, and those filthy creatures left everything in a mess.”
Baron Valmy waved dismissively, unconcerned.
“That’s true!”
Baron Graton nodded with a smile, paying no further attention to the smell.
After all, in their earlier probe, Eagle Territory had seemingly deployed all its forces and been soundly defeated by their knights. In such a situation, why wouldn’t they flee?
Caught up in their excitement, neither noticed that the noise around them had died down or that the strange smell wasn’t one of filth.
Their negligence cost them their final chance.
As they neared the mine, a knight finally noticed something odd and muttered in confusion, “What… what is that?”
His voice was small, and no one paid him any mind.
But in the next instant, blue magic circles illuminated the hillside, their brilliant glow cutting through the twilight sky.
Suddenly, everyone noticed.
Baron Graton and Baron Valmy froze for a moment, then their eyes widened in horror.
“This is bad!”
A cry of alarm escaped them both, but before they could react—
“Boom!”
“Boom, boom!”
A deafening roar echoed through the sky as a sea of lightning engulfed everything within a hundred meters. Thunder crackled, and intense heat radiated outward. The fire oil that had been laid out ignited in the lightning storm, setting everything ablaze.
Thor had stocked up on a large amount of fire oil in preparation for this moment. He hadn’t needed it before, but now, to ensure maximum effect, he had made ample use of it.
As the sea of lightning raged, the fire oil burst into flames.
Chaos erupted as fire and lightning consumed the battlefield.
Horses screamed. Slaves panicked. Knights stood stunned.
Barons Valmy and Graton were thrown from their mounts.
Though the sea of lightning hadn’t struck them directly, their years of battle experience had allowed them to immediately activate life-energy shields. But the power of the lightning was overwhelming.
Their organs trembled, and they watched in shock and horror as knights turned to charred remains in the lightning storm.
As great knights, they were spared from death as long as they weren’t hit directly, thanks to the power of the second-tier mana cores. But other knights weren’t so lucky.
Even full-fledged knights struggled to withstand the onslaught, and apprentice knights were almost instantly reduced to ashes.
In disbelief, Valmy and Graton witnessed the destruction of the knightly forces their families had spent more than a decade building.
“Damned bastards!”
“Cursed wretches!”
Baron Valmy roared in fury, his life energy surging.
But just as he prepared to act—
“Boom!”
Another blast of lightning exploded nearby, sending shockwaves and electricity crashing toward him.
“Ugh!”
Blood spurted from his mouth as he was flung through the air like a ragdoll, crashing hard into the ground.
All around, the battlefield was filled with screams.
“Help me!”
“Save me!”
“Aaaaaah!”
The firestorm and the cries of terror engulfed the scene as thousands of troops descended into chaos.
In the midst of this confusion—
“Charge!”
Steve and Mark led their forces in a pincer attack from both sides.
A large group of slaves encircled the remaining soldiers from all directions.
Unlike the previous group of slaves, these ones had a hungry gleam in their eyes as they looked upon the burning battlefield.
After all, each fallen enemy represented merit points.
With enough merit, they could gain their freedom, win women, and perhaps even rise to become noble knights.
Steve and Mark’s combined forces numbered over five thousand.
Among them were two great knights, more than a dozen full-fledged knights, and over five hundred knights in total.
But with a single barrage from the magical crystal cannons, five of the full-fledged knights had been killed, both great knights had been severely injured, and over a third of their knightly forces had been obliterated. Many others were consumed by the flames.
In the aftermath, Steve’s forces easily overwhelmed the remaining troops.
The thousand slaves surrounded the survivors at the base of the mine, ensuring that no one escaped.
This time, unlike the previous battle, Thor’s forces suffered minimal losses, thanks in large part to the use of fire oil.
They had only lost a few dozen slaves.
It was a decisive victory.
Even more satisfying for Thor was the fact that, just like last time, Baron Valmy and Baron Graton had both been captured.
Although their domains weren’t as wealthy as the Lawrence family’s, capturing two barons promised a substantial reward.
A new idea began to form in Thor’s mind.
“Perhaps it’s worth trying…” he murmured, sinking into deep thought.
With the battle over, news soon reached the other side.
Ope Lawrence, who had led his forces toward Eagle Territory, was swiftly defeated by Rein’s knights and slave army.
It was a complete rout.
Even though Ope had hired a great knight and ten full-fledged knights, the forces he brought with him were insufficient. He had only brought a few full-fledged knights, and they stood no chance against Rein’s knights.
In a single encounter, they were utterly crushed.
Ope Lawrence fled in disgrace, leaving behind five or six hundred slaves and a dozen apprentice knights.
When Thor received the news two days later, he couldn’t help but smile. The fact that he hadn’t needed to call upon Neil Morton was the best possible outcome.
As the news spread, Thor sent word to Raine, instructing him to make another trip to Loren City.