Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Chapter 1317

Alec arrived to report the casualties from the first battle: 356 dead, and 1,732 injured.

The mood among the officers immediately plunged back to the freezing point.

They had been tasked with defending the city, with archers stationed on the walls. But even with their defensive advantage, the Sandorians had managed to deploy their siege ladders and hurl stones, causing so much loss of life and injury.

This wasn't even a full-scale siege the Sandorians were simply testing their strength and the teamwork of the Southern Frontier Army.

It was clear that the Sandorians understood the situation. They weren't rushing to deploy their full forces. Instead, they were playing a psychological game, careful not to provoke a decisive battle just yet.

The Southern Frontier Army, despite their diminished morale, would fight fiercely once their lives were at stake.

But if these probing attacks continued, the casualties would steadily rise. Ultimately, the psychological toll would break the Southern Frontier Army's will to fight.

At this point, discussing battle strategies seemed pointless. Everyone's spirits were so low that they couldn't muster the strength to even consider another fight. It would be a futile sacrifice.

a new plan. Even if the court decided to send reinforcements, it wasn't clear who would be chosen. For now, they

their spirits. We can't let this go on

wiping off a layer of dust mixed with dried blood. It wasn't his blood, but the blood of a soldier who had

feeling especially terrible right

a speech we give. The marshal is gone, and no one has been ordered to take his place. Everyone believes the Hell Monarch has been killed. Unless he appears on the battlefield in the Southern Frontier, the morale

Alec's pipe, inspecting it for a moment before setting it aside

part of the problem," he added, "is the collapse of morale after Mr. Prince escaped. The soldiers no longer believe victory is possible. To them, stepping into battle now is just walking to their deaths. If the Sandorians keep

at Louis, his hesitation evident. "Do

up, fury in his eyes. "Don't ask. If His Highness were still alive, he would have sent word to

think we should be so pessimistic. His Majesty can't possibly believe His Highness is a traitor. At the end of the

weren't so optimistic. Although they were far from the Southern Frontier, they understood

only needed the older man to sit in the council, to maintain the illusion of control and keep the scheming nobles at bay, all while solidifying his own position. The next day, Louis and Timothy called together the original Southern Frontier Army, the Hell Monarch Army, and the Sinclair Army. The three armies gathered in the training field, standing in formation. The mass of soldiers was so dense that it seemed to stretch endlessly, much

had stood tall like a tree, their eyes sharp and their voices thundering, now there was no fire in their hearts. Their eyes were filled with disappointment and confusion, their bodies devoid of any fighting

gaps between the ranks. He spoke passionately of the

be heard. Instead, there were only a few scattered,

by frustration. His eyes blazed with anger. He swiftly mounted his horse and shouted, "Pull yourselves together! What's this