Chapter 239 Charging Toward
The sound of hooves echoed throughout the Malfoy kingdom as the Empire army charged towards the former Rapidclaw kingdom.
It took them a whole week to arrive at the borders, but on their way, they did a lot of heinous things to the former lands of Nalfoy kingdom and its land.
As they rode, the soldiers took pleasure in the destruction they left in their wake, pillaging and plundering the noble lands of the Malfoy kingdom.
Most of the nobles lost their valuables, and some of them even lost their lives as they didn't support the empire's army and its rule.
"Ha! Look at these peasants squirming. We're doing them a favour by teaching them to fear the Empire," said one soldier, smirking as he grabbed a handful of coins from a trembling villager.
Beside him was his young wife, who was bowing her head in fear as the soldiers asked villagers to bring their wives along with them, for whatever reason but all of them understood what their intention was.
The soldiers who noticed the woman's face quickly got down from their horses and looked at her with a creepy look.
Suddenly, one of them held her husband, who was trying to escape with her wife, even at the cost of his life.
Seeing this woman screamed in terror as another soldier grabbed her by the hair, dragging her towards the rest of the group.
"What do we have here? A little plaything for us to enjoy before we reach the next town?" He said, licking his lips.
The commander of the Empire army, General Mansoor, rode up to the group of soldiers, his face twisted in disgust.
"Enough of this, we are not bandits, so act like soldiers, otherwise I will report this to the empress," he said, his voice cold and commanding.
"We're not here to rape and pillage. We're here to conquer and restore our fame, don't forget that."
The soldiers grumbled, but they knew better than to disobey their commander. They quickly mounted their horses and followed General Mansoor towards the border of the two kingdoms.
They let the woman go without doing anything more to her and she couldn't help but thank every higher being for helping her.
Her husband also hugged her in happiness that she didn't have to experience the horrible things.
As the empire rode, they could see the border of the Rapidclaw kingdom in the distance, the banner of the once-great kingdom fluttering in the wind.
But something looked different, as the banner they knew wasn't theirs and even the walls and defence, that were protecting the borders looked different.
Since they didn't have the energy to fight right after arriving and they had battle plans to make, the empire side decided to camp for the night to restore the strength and mindset of the soldiers.
The night was dark and quiet, except for the sounds of the empire army setting up camp near the border of the Rapidclaw kingdom. They had been planning this attack for weeks, convinced that their army was kingdoms to that of the kingdoms.
As the soldiers settled in for the night, their overconfidence showed in their conversations.
"Those Rapidclaw soldiers won't stand a chance against us," said one soldier.
"We'll wipe them out in no time."
"Commander Mansoor thinks he's so clever with his tactics," said another soldier.
"But we'll show him that brute force is all that's needed in war, besides, didn't their king change recently, I'm pretty sure the kingdom won't even have soldiers to attack us,"
Little did they know, Commander Mansoor was listening to their conversation from a hidden vantage point.
He was really displeased and disgusted with his army, but for this campaign only he had to remain calm since, they have to achieve success in this war, no matter what.
As the morning sunlight fell on the camp, everyone gathered near the entrance of the temporary camps under the orders of their relevant leaders and waited for the orders.
After a few minutes, General Mansoor also came forward with his horse and the mightiest armour to show his superiority to the common soldiers.
"Are you ready, men?" General Mansoor asked, his voice booming around the camp.
"Ready, sir!" the soldiers replied in unison, their swords at the ready.
They were confident in their abilities, and they believed that victory was within their grasp, and nobody had any doubt about it.
General Mansoor stood before his army of empire soldiers, his eyes blazing with determination. He had led his troops to many victories, but he knew that this battle would not be an easy one, because he knew that Emperor Pete was under their arrest and they were truly at disadvantage because of it.
"Soldiers," he began, his voice echoing across the camp.
"We are about to embark on a dangerous mission. The former Rapidclaw kingdom may have fallen, but their soldiers are still fierce and battle-hardened. Do not underestimate them."
But as he spoke, some of the soldiers snickered and whispered to each other. One young soldier even rolled his eyes.
"General, with all due respect," he said. "We are the mighty empire. What could a few remnants of a fallen kingdom possibly do against us?"
Mansoor's eyes narrowed.
"Do not let our victories make you overconfident," he warned.
"Remember, the Rapidclaws was once a powerful force to be reckoned with. And they will fight with all their might to defend their land, besides they manage to defeat our emperor,"
The soldiers grumbled, but Mansoor was not finished.
"Furthermore," he continued, "we do not know what kind of weapons or tactics they may have at their disposal. We must be prepared for anything."
One of the soldiers scoffed.
"I highly doubt they have anything that could even put a dent in our armour, let alone defeat us."
Mansoor's expression turned stern.
"Your arrogance could be our downfall," he said.
"Remember, we are not invincible. We are only as strong as our weakest link. So I implore you, do not underestimate our enemies. Be vigilant and stay alert at all times."
The soldiers grudgingly nodded, but Mansoor could tell that some of them still did not take his warning seriously. He sighed inwardly, knowing that he would have to keep a close eye on them during the upcoming battle.
But he also knew that he could not afford to let his guard down either. This would be a battle unlike any other, and he was determined to lead his troops to victory, no matter the cost