On the battlefield, the slaughter between both sides had entered its final stage.
Faced with the combined assault of the Pitchfork Knights and the Hound Unit, the joint forces of King Arthur and the Evil Grand Duke, who were inferior in both numbers and equipment, began to collapse entirely.
The soldiers fled in all directions, the generals led their men in retreat, and even the Evil Grand Duke and King Arthur withdrew into the royal city.
Even Lancelot, the First Knight, was forcefully taken down by Mature and Kasamoto Eri while trying to cover King Arthur's retreat.
As the battle came to an end, fewer than twenty thousand soldiers from the joint army managed to escape back into the city, only to find all escape routes cut off—truly trapped within a lone, besieged fortress.
Outside the city, over a hundred thousand troops surrounded them tightly, with both modern and ancient forces present. A massive warship even hovered in the sky above.
Seeing that his own troops had also suffered considerable casualties, Qin Ming didn't recklessly order an assault on the city. Instead, he temporarily set up camp outside and had the soldiers tend to their wounds.
Many of the Pitchfork Knights had been injured in this battle, but that was fine. Don't forget—the Hound Unit still held the black-tech military rations from the Metal Slug world.
As long as you weren't dead and were a plot-relevant character, one pack of rations could absolutely bring you back. If one wasn't enough, have another.
Eating this special food and watching their wounds rapidly heal, the Pitchfork Knights, who were already prone to worshipping Qin Ming as the Holy King due to their low level of education, became even more convinced that he was a divine messenger.
The Hound Unit, on the other hand, wasn't superstitious—but they were extremely pragmatic.
As long as Qin Ming brought them benefits, he was their God of Wealth. Wherever he pointed, they would strike without hesitation.
With the introduction of adjutants Shuke and Beta, Qin Ming quickly met with new recruits in the unit as well as officers who had joined from the forces of Five-Star General Jamie Force after hearing of his fame.
Naturally, he also took the opportunity to absorb and enhance some of the valuable items these newcomers had brought, helping to stabilize morale.
Looking at their originally modest treasures, which suddenly doubled, tripled, or even increased tenfold in value with a ding—many officers and soldiers who had been skeptical of the three-star general they'd never met but only heard about suddenly felt like they had found family.
They immediately declared that from now on, the Hound Unit was their home!
Some soldiers who hadn't brought enough of their valuables were filled with regret, pounding their chests in frustration, feeling like absolute fools.
But after the chest pounding, they quickly came up with a new solution, which was...
Inside the command tent, Qin Ming sat at the head seat with a stern expression, flanked by Generals Kasamoto Eri and Mature.
Below him sat the buddy duo Shuke and Beta, along with General Torettia and others.
Looking at the officers sitting neatly below, all turning their heads to look at him, Qin Ming looked exasperated.
"Shuke! Beta! Keep your men in check! Tell them to stop scamming the villagers! Selling supplies is one thing, but what's with selling guns? Some even dared to sell tanks! Are you all out of your minds?!"
Hearing Qin Ming's reprimand, Adjutant Shuke kept a straight face and said nothing, while Beta grinned and replied cheerfully.
"Boss, it's not like we get to come here often. We couldn't just walk away empty-handed. They need weapons, we need money—it's mutual benefit, right?"
"Still, keep them in line! Don't stir up trouble for me!"
"Got it, got it. Uh, Boss, when are you coming back to our camp? The guys are still waiting for your orders. Also, you probably haven't heard—General Modern, that old bastard, broke out of prison! Word is he's gathering troops again to stir up trouble! The guys are just waiting for you to lead them to some glory! General Jamie Force has already promised—if you take Modern down, he'll nominate you for Five-Star General! He even wants to introduce his daughter to you!"
"Five-Star General? Even if he made me the Five-Star Emperor, it wouldn't matter! How would I know when I can go back? Just wait! And stop hanging around that old fox Jamie Force all the time—he's a real schemer."
"We know, we've been keeping our guard up. Don't worry, Boss."
After reprimanding the Hound Unit for their wild arms trafficking, Qin Ming leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
Staring at the map on the table, his brow gradually furrowed.
Although the main force had won the battle and crippled the enemy coalition, King Arthur and the Evil Grand Duke had escaped into the city with several generals. Taking down these bosses together would not be easy.
"...Inform the entire army to prepare. We rest for one day, and begin the siege tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir!"
"Gather the tank divisions and the fighter squadrons. Tomorrow, we'll show them what a modern siege really looks like!"
"Yes, sir!"
With the orders given, the entire camp sprang into motion.
Countless soldiers quickly packed up their little market stalls and rushed to begin pre-battle preparations.
Selling stuff was fine and all, but the soldiers knew how to prioritize.
Most importantly, they were very clear on who they relied on to make money.
If they missed the chance to score something valuable, it was just bad luck. Next time, they'd be better prepared when the boss called up troops again.
But if they disobeyed the boss and got kicked out of the Hound Unit—then they'd really be cut off from their money-making pipeline.
In the Hound Unit, it was understood: orders from the boss came first. If the boss didn't speak, then listen to Beta, the logistics officer. This was common knowledge.
As for the other adjutant, Shuke? Everyone in the camp knew he was just a broke guy who only knew how to fight. He had no clue how to make money and never dealt with finances.
Sure, they'd follow his lead during battles, but in daily affairs? Listening to him would mean starving to death.
The guy even had to collect a salary from Beta to support himself. He didn't even try to make side money during missions—what a rigid blockhead!
Meanwhile, the mobilization of troops outside quickly caught the attention of the soldiers inside the city.
They watched in horror as those steel monsters—the tanks—gathered, and flying iron birds—jets—formed tight formations.
Especially frightening was the sight of that massive floating island positioning itself right outside the city gates.
The soldiers within the city turned pale, while the common folk grew more and more panicked.
Sure, the rumored Holy King supposedly never killed peasants—in fact, he was known to share spoils and redistribute land with them after taking over towns...
But so many people had died this time—who knew if he'd become furious and vengeful?
If it weren't for the elite soldiers stationed in the city, and King Arthur's tremendous influence after years of rule, the terrified citizens likely would've already opened the gates and surrendered!
Time ticked by, with dawn drawing ever closer.
Inside the city, in a great hall, King Arthur was drinking.
Seated at the table, guzzling mug after mug of malt beer, King Arthur looked haggard and worn.
The two generals who had followed him from the very beginning had been killed. The tens of thousands of troops he had painstakingly built over the years had been reduced to just a few thousand.
Once a Chosen King of destiny, he was now a desperate stray dog, cornered and under siege—King Arthur was on the verge of mental collapse.
What pushed him further to the edge was that the man outside seemed to embody the role of "Chosen One" even better than he did.
Now, he had no army, no sword, and no hope of breaking the deadlock. All King Arthur could do was numb his senses with alcohol.
(End of Chapter)