Lord of the Oasis

"Since they have forced us into a dead end, we cannot admit defeat." Devitt stood up and said, "Everyone quickly return to their cabins, bring the medical boxes, food, and matches, and then gather on the deck."

Based on the current situation, the first part to sink into the sea should be the aft part. Staying on the deck would help delay the fall.

After receiving the order, the soldiers quickly scattered. They walked back to their cabins to clean their luggage.

Claremont asked Devitt to stay on the deck to organize the team while he was responsible for packing their luggage. The cabins of the two of them were a little further away from the captain's cabin where the ordinary soldiers lived. They were almost close to the stern.

Claremont tried his best to maintain his balance on the sloping floor and walked at the fastest speed possible. However, the support of the ship was on the verge of collapse. Before Claremont reached the cabin, the floor of the corridor collapsed. A wave swept Claremont away.

"Captain Claremont!" a Caradia soldier tried to reach out to pull him back, but he only touched the corner of Claremont's clothes.

The dark sea surface was vast, and the waves roared mournfully. After Claremont fell into the sea, no one saw his figure anymore.

A soldier walked to Devitt and told him the sad news.

Devitt clenched his fists tightly. He roared at the sky outside the deck in grief:

"Raphael!"

Raphael, who was hated to the bone by Devitt, was currently paddling towards the shore in a lifeboat.

An elven soldier at the bow of the boat had been using a telescope to observe the fire on the ship. He reported to Raphael, who was beside him, "Boss, the second part of the explosion can be carried out now."

Raphael took the telescope and glanced into the distance. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it."

The elven soldier asked in confusion, "For this mission, the 'King' said that we are not allowed to fail. If they succeed in escaping..."

"Who are you calling 'King'? Did he give you any benefit?" Raphael widened his eyes and said sternly, "The weather is freezing, where can they run to? Whoever dares to detonate the remaining bombs, I will be the first to throw you off the boat."

"Yes." the elven soldiers looked at each other and nodded.

"Drive the boat." Raphael ordered.

The next morning, Raphael and his group hurried and finally docked at the Elf Kingdom's harbor.

Everyone who came down from the boat looked slightly disheveled, giving the elven citizens a fright.

The soldiers who were maintaining order on the boat rushed to the scene and humped the weak elven soldiers on their backs. They rushed to the road outside the harbor.

"Go and call a carriage! They are all soldiers who were sent to the island a few months ago on a mission!" a captain of the soldiers ordered, "Send them back to the barracks first. Someone, go to the palace and report the news to His Majesty."

"Yes!" a soldier walked out of the crowd and accepted the order.

Elf King immediately rushed to the barracks in a carriage after receiving the news. He bumped into Raphael, who was lying on the hospital bed.

"How are they? How are their bodies?" Elf King walked into the medical area and nervously asked the nurse who was taking care of the soldiers.

"They are just dehydrated," the nurse reported. "They have already undergone recovery treatment."

Elf King heaved a sigh of relief and sat down in front of Raphael's hospital bed.

"How did you guys end up like this?" the Elf King asked with a frown. "Oh right, where are the soldiers of Caradia?"

"There was a reef accident on the ship. The crew and the pilot are all inexperience, and they took a new route," Raphael explained, his voice was still very weak. "The elven soldiers and the Caradia soldiers' cabins were separated. At that time, we could only save ourselves. I didn't expect that... none of the Caradia soldiers were with us."

"The ship sank?" Elf King's eyes were filled with disbelief, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Yes." Raphael lowered his eyes and said, "We left enough lifeboats for the Caradia soldiers, but we didn't see them board the lifeboats..."

"This..." Elf King choked. "How am I supposed to explain this to Lord Kant? They didn't have to get involved in this mission the first place."

Elf King's words reminded Raphael that the letter that Devitt sent to Caradia had been destroyed in his hands. He had to send a fake letter to Drondheim as soon as possible. The secondary goal of this mission was to prevent Elf Kingdom and the human race from continuing to involve in the struggle between the forces on the island after this operation.

"You guys should rest first. If there's anything, we'll talk about it after your bodies recover." Elf King instructed. "You've worked hard on this operation. Even though you suffered heavy losses..."

Raphael glanced at Elf King and did not say anything else. After Elf King walked out of the tent, he lay on his bed and closed his eyes to rest.

The news of the mass deaths of the Caradia soldiers had spread to the Caradia Empire.

Kant ordered, "The whole country shall pay their respects. There will be no events in the main city of Drondheim on this day."

After receiving this news in his own residence, Bunduk did not sleep for the entire night. He walked into the doors of the senate hall with a haggard look on his face.

Kant didn't look too good either.

"The letter written by Devitt has been delivered." Kant said to Bunduk.

"What... did the letter say?" Bunduk coughed twice and asked.

"It reported the situation they encountered on the island." Kant sighed and said, "It was probably sent before they left the island."

"Your Highness, I'm sorry for your loss." Bunduk squatted down and bowed.

"I want to go to the Elf Kingdom to meet the elven soldiers who escaped from the shipwreck. " Kant said.

"It's the beginning of the new year now, and there are many matters in the court waiting for Your Highness to make a decision." Bunduk thought for a while and replied, "Why don't we let the ministers of the court go on this trip for Your Highness?"

"No, I have to make this trip. Otherwise, I won't be able to settle down." Kant's mind replayed the miserable scene of the soldiers swaying in the wind and rain. He couldn't hold his tears anymore.

Bunduk looked at Kant's appearance and took a deep breath. He said, "Then let me go with Your Highness."

Kant waved his hand and said, "You can't leave the military camp."

"Why not?" Bunduk asked.

Kant raised his head and met his gaze. He said, "Alright then. We will set off the day after tomorrow. Before that, you must remember to hand over your military affairs to someone else to take care of for you."

"Yes!" Bunduk nodded.

Kant had been busy with government affairs recently, so Bunduk did not look for him to discuss the details of going to the Elf Kingdom. After receiving the permit, he bowed and left.

The day after tomorrow would be the first time that Drondheim would open the city gates after the New Year.