92
Having moved since dawn, the Calipha army could reach the outskirts of Delshton Valley before noon.
“Units, move to your positions!”
The troops took their positions according to Delvadova’s command.
There were three main strongholds in Delshton Valley this time.
Northwest. North. And the high ground located in the northeast.
The Calipha army, aiming to strike all three simultaneously, deployed 8,000 on the left, 4,000 in the center, and 4,000 on the right.
“Hoo!”
Delvadova took a deep breath.
Even if the troops were similar in number, the terrain disadvantage was significant. Whether he could turn that into a victory was entirely his responsibility as the commander.
There is no time to hesitate. “All troops, advance!”
With a shout, the Caliper Army infiltrated the mountainous region.
Barret, the commander of the Western Army, sneered as he watched their approach.
“Come on up. I’ll make this mountain your tomb.”
He didn’t consider defeat.
It wasn’t arrogance. It was simply because there was not a single element that could lead to defeat.
He was confident that unless some unforeseen variables intervened, the Delstone Mountains would never be breached in a tactical battle.
“General! The Caliper Army is swiftly attacking the right flank!”
For Caliper, it was the left; for the West, it was the right high ground.
Barret chuckled, saying, “Planning to quickly take the high ground and utilize the archers. Such a predictable move. Respond as planned!”
However, the Caliper Army’s momentum was formidable, making it difficult to fend them off lightly.
By hitting half of their forces at that point, it turned into a breakthrough situation, as the Caliper Army swiftly headed towards the high ground.
“Planning for a decisive battle, are you? That strategy appeals to me, but it’s a foolish move.”
When the Caliper Army allocated too much strength to the left, required to attack all three points, the army’s balance crumbled.
Barret had no intention of playing into the opponent’s hands.
If you focused on one point, pushing back on another would suffice.
He sent the central and left troops down to attack the Caliper Army’s central and right forces.
If the central and right forces couldn’t advance, even capturing the left high ground would be meaningless.
“It’s over now. You continental scum.”
Even capturing the left high ground was not an easy task.
As the Caliper Army tried to ascend the high ground, they soon encountered a massive obstacle.
Gasping for breath, they pushed through rapidly, heading towards the high ground in the northwest.
The high ground here was flat, devoid of trees, cleared to create a path for cavalry.
It was an ideal position to deploy archers.
Arriving at the high ground, Delbadova, breathing heavily, observed the Western forces already in position.
“So, you were here first…!”
Facing Delbadova, the enemy’s leader, Fisher Partin, spoke.
“You’ve climbed up here quite well. I’ll commend your spirit.”
“You were famous for wielding that spear back then. It spread among the prisoners. Some dragon or another, anyway, a flashy name.”
“Hah, I also find such grand names unnecessary. Just one name as a warrior suffices. I am Fisher Partin. Address me, bald one.”
“I am Delbadova Lecuin.”
Soon, Caliper’s officers followed up.
The cadets, including Ruan and Casper, and Delbadova’s lieutenants.
Upon seeing Fisher, they ignited with determination. It was to avenge past humiliations and, most importantly, to establish their expertise.
With Caliper having the upper hand in troop numbers, now was the time to capture Fisher.
“General! Give the command!”
At Ruan’s spirited shout, Delbadova pointed the edge of his axe towards Fisher.
“Attack! Make way for the archers to take position!”
“Uwaaah!”
The soldiers on both sides began to kill each other in a chaotic melee, as it was an area devoid of trees.
“Haah!”
Clang! Fisher, as if possessed, swung his spear, striking the soldiers’ throats. Wherever his spear passed, blood inevitably spurted.
“Is this all you’ve got?”
“My opponent is none other than me! Attack!”
Delvadova vigorously swung his double-headed axe. His strength was so formidable that Fisher couldn’t fully withstand it.
“You’re strong, but…!”
Ting! Dodging the spear thrust, he tried to pierce Delvadova’s vulnerable spot, but was forced to step back due to a swift sword strike from Ruan Chaise.
“You won’t escape like before! Haah!”
“Hmph! You all just talk big!”
Fisher, now under coordinated attacks even from Casper and Delvadova’s subordinates, was starting to feel the pressure.
“All of you, protect the commander!”
“Take them all down!”
Fisher’s subordinates rallied to protect him, leading to a full-fledged bloody battle.
“Argh!”
Swoosh! The axe blade severed the enemy officer’s body in two.
“Haah! Haah!”
Delvadova, breathing heavily in rage, soon sensed a fatal strike aimed at his throat.
“Huh!?”
Whoosh! A spear tip flew like lightning. Delvadova used his axe as a shield, but the sharp spear tip shattered the axe blade and pierced his forehead.
A hair’s breadth away from piercing his skull and brain, it was a dizzying attack.
Stepping back, Delvadova didn’t even bother wiping the blood flowing from his forehead. He dropped the axe and drew his secondary weapon, a sword.
Though blood obscured his vision, turning it red, he remained unfazed, eyes wide open.
Even Fisher was impressed by his determination despite not being a master of martial arts.
“His spirit, despite lacking in martial skill, is commendable. He may be the enemy, but I salute his valor!”
“Hah, talking nonsense. Martial skill is not what matters.”
“What?”
“I am not a martial artist. I am a soldier! For the success of the mission. For the victory of the army, sacrificing one’s life is a natural course of action!”
Clang! For the first time, Fisher took a step back.
It wasn’t due to Delvadova’s martial skill, but simply being pushed back by momentum.
“You!”
Fisher’s pride took a blow.
In terms of martial skill alone, Delvadova couldn’t even reach his feet. Yet, to be pushed back despite that was a hit to his ego.
“Kill him…!”
With that as the turning point, Fisher’s energy surged once more. His movements became faster and more powerful.
Even as Delvadova’s whole body was pierced and slashed by the spear, he didn’t retreat.
“Don’t be afraid! Unite your strength and fight back!”
Fisher, confronted with this tenacity, grew increasingly impatient. The enemy clearly had the upper hand in terms of numbers.
If time drags on, we might be in trouble! Especially if that guy using the Chester-type joins in….
And Fisher sensed discomfort at that thought.
“Wait, why isn’t that guy here now?”
At first, he thought he might still be behind. Then, absorbed in the chaos, he didn’t notice.
If he hadn’t felt the urgency even now, he wouldn’t have noticed.
“There’s something! They’re aiming for something else!”
He quickly turned his gaze towards the center and the opposite side.
Troops descending backward towards the mountains to annihilate the enemy. Moving like that wouldn’t cause a problem even if they lost the left high ground.
“Ah…!”
Fisher, realizing the Caliper army’s target, bit his lip tightly.
Where he was looking.
It was the spot where Commander Barret was.
* * *
Barret was watching the situation optimistically.
The situation unfolded as he expected. While Fisher held the line, forces from elsewhere pushed down, putting the enemy in a tight spot.
“Still, Fisher seems to be facing quite a challenge. Is that guy he mentioned, the one using the Chester-type, stepping up his game. Hm.”
Considering sending support to Fisher just in case, Barret raised his fan to give orders, but that was the moment.
A shiver ran down his spine.
“What is this….”
Barret cautiously looked back.
And then clang! His guards drew their swords to fight.
“Enemies! Enemies!”
“What!?”
He was so shocked, his eyes widened like a rabbit’s.
It was unbelievable how he had managed to come up here unnoticed, and above all, it was absurd that his position had been revealed.
“Ha!”
With a swift, flowing movement, Alse broke through the guards and appeared in front of Barret.
“You!”
A sword in the left hand. A lance in the right.
“The ace of the Chester-type…!!”
“So, you must be the Commander Barret they talk about. I heard it from a prisoner.”
“Ugh!”
Barret hurriedly tried to hide the fan, but his attire was already too conspicuous compared to the others.
“So, the commander shouldn’t wear flashy clothes. What’s with that fan? Are you advertising that you’re the commander?”
“Hurry, kill this guy!”
The guards rushed to protect Barret.
Those who took them down were Dilas and Agert.
“They can’t get close!”
“Erarararatt!”
The two swiftly cleared the area. In addition, a special forces unit of over 100 was following Alse.
They were mercenaries selected by Alz, robust individuals to their very bones.
Alz used them to secretly bypass the battlefield and ambush Barret.
“Yes, you, could it be!”
Only then did Barret realize that Alz had spotted the trap.
It was a strategic move to strengthen the left high ground.
“So, you aimed to divert the central and left forces…!”
“Correct.”
By sending away the central and left forces, Barret’s position at the main base weakened.
Moreover, with battles happening here and there, there were more opportunities for covert bypassing.
Alz had aimed for this and proposed something to Delvadova yesterday.
[General, Casper’s plan is too obvious and likely to be exposed.]
[So, what do you suggest? There seems to be no other way.]
[Yes, so it would be better to allocate more forces. It will force the enemy into an overreaction.]
[Overreaction?]
[If we invest heavily in a point other than the center, the enemy will try to push back the other way. I will seize that moment to flank, locate, and eliminate the enemy commander.]
“It’s too risky.”
“No, General, your life is at greater risk in this operation. To draw the enemy’s attention, you must personally lead the vanguard of the left forces. Are you willing to do that?”
“If that’s the case… there’s no need to worry.”
Barret’s trembling hand reached for the sword at his waist.
“How did you locate my position?”
“I observed the movements of the soldiers and read the flow of the command structure, which led me to this spot.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Is such madness even possible…!”
This place was a mountainous area with limited visibility.
Furthermore, the nature of mountain warfare was significantly different from other battlefields, making it challenging to adapt. To pinpoint a unit’s position by reading the command structure in such a place was absurd.
‘No, if this guy is that guy, then it’s not so strange!’
In that moment, Barret recalled Fisher’s words.
The strategist who killed Samgunjang Lexit through a mountain fortification scheme.
The supernumerary mercenaries who filled the gap left by Dugnan’s death.
“Are you that strategist Wade…!!”
“Oh, you talk a lot. Agent, Dilas! Since we can’t gauge his level, let’s cooperate and eliminate him!”
Alz, fearing Barret’s exceptional martial arts skills, ordered a joint attack.
However, to their dismay, Barret, lacking in martial prowess, failed to block Alz’s initial attack and succumbed to the sword of Agent Dilas who rushed in from the side.
The death of Barret, the chief of the unit.
This signified the paralysis of the command structure.