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.

pouch of dry tobacco, their minds unable to come up with a new plan. Even if the court decided to send reinforcements, it wasn't clear who would be chosen. For now, they just had to deal with the

speech to rally their spirits.

with dried blood. It wasn't his blood, but the blood of a soldier who had been standing beside him, struck in the head by a stone from a trebuchet. The

especially terrible

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 of the

pipe, inspecting it for a moment before setting it

is just walking to their deaths. If the Sandorians keep up these smaller-scale assaults, our troops' morale will be crushed completely. Soon, the Southern Frontier will fall

hesitation evident. "Do you think His

up, fury in his eyes. "Don't ask. If His Highness were still alive, he would have sent word to calm the troops. But there's been no

should be so pessimistic. His Majesty can't possibly believe

optimistic. Although they were far from the Southern Frontier, they understood

he had systematically undermined the power of the court officials. Salvador didn't need Jeremiah to advise him. He 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

sharp and their voices thundering, now there was no fire in their hearts. Their eyes were filled with disappointment and confusion, their

riding along the gaps between the ranks. He spoke passionately of

but the cheers he had once stirred up were nowhere to be heard.

mounted his horse and shouted, "Pull yourselves together! What's this pitiful display? Are you still the undefeated Southern Frontier Army, or have you forgotten who