This army from Montfort faction was a reinforcement for Count Ambroise, a faction that was opposing Saxon-Fanoss Union in the weather region. Weeks ago we managed to defend Count Guiscard fortress in Torose that was in western coast.

Leonhardt calmly gave instructions to speed up preparations.

"The army who ambushed the main force is the central army we fought in Torose fortress and the army coming towards us is the northern army."

"So we walked right into their hands?"

What I’d been feeling this entire war was the overall excellence of the enemy officers.

"Not to mention we can only trace the movements of the cavalry and northern army through speculation."

There were so many factors to worry about.

Nevertheless, we had to get to headquarters first.

This was looking like a long and arduous battle.

When we arrived at the headquarters of Ambroise faction, everyone was scrambling.

"Maintain the spear line! Archers, what are you doing?"

"We don’t have a good line of sight to fire! Hold the line with just the infantry!"

"Don’t run into the middle of the enemy. Circle from the right and break up their numerical superiority."

"Cavalry detour in a clockwise direction. We’re going to shift the front of the enemy."

"They’re going to partially surround us, send more troops to the right wing!"

"Cavalry won’t catch up in time! It doesn’t matter if you shoot blind, just fire your arrows and stop their movement!"

Perhaps it was because of the disorganized ranks or the poor visibility at night, but the supposedly overwhelming numbers of the home army were struggling.

"Their composition is terrible too…… archers are practically useless in a night battle."

The battlefield had become a jumbled melee between ally and enemy, and the only way to participate is to dive straight in.

Everything would be over if the headquarters fell so I guessed I would reinforce the center.

"Going to the middle is correct. Carelessly running on the side risks being shot accidentally by our own allies."

Leonheardt nodded as if grading my response as we rushed into the chaotic fray where Count Ambroise probably was.

"Guwah!"

Irijina, our commander of the raiding unit, her horse trampled over a few people as she led our way throughout the darkness and panic.

She and her men charged straight into the enemy lines to create havoc.

She couldn’t go completely wild and swing her weapon all over the place, so she held her heirloom spear horizontally. Sticking out her 2 meters spear seemed effective as her group broke through the enemy lines.

We made it a priority to aim for those giving out orders and those who dressed differently than the others as they were probably officers.

Those who blocked our path and those who bothered us somehow also got killed along the way.

"We won’t fall behind."

"Push back the enemy."

Demia squad fought hard as well.

The difference in strength between her heavy cavalry and the enemy infantry was still quite evident in this free-for-all

More so when unhindered by a focus fire of arrows or an anti-cavalry spear line.

The enemy was able to push back Ambroise troops with help from the surprise attack, so they had no advantage on us, having charged separately from the home force in the beginning.

Pressure let up in the center, allowing our headquarters to temporarily catch their breath and transition to counterattack.

For now, we’d foiled the enemy’s plan to settle the fight with the ambush alone.

"Could it be Lord Gabriel?" A middle aged man surrounded by a dozen of escort defeated a group of enemies when Gabriel and Auclair led us to his position.

"Forgive our late coming, Lord Ambroise. I came here under my father's command." Marquis Cyril 's son greeted him.

"Lord Gabriel! Glad to have――"

I interrupted Ambroise before he could finish.

"Several thousands more are coming from the north. We’re going to fight at dawn too!"

Ambroise, Gabriel and Auclair looked at each other, and then gave new orders.

However, the things they could do at this point were pretty limited.

I spoke out,

"Leonhardt, what is the situation like?"

There was no delay in his answer.

"We are equal in the center, losing on the left wing and on the brink of collapsing on the right wing."

"Where should we go?"

Normally, wouldn’t it be the right wing where the situation was most dire?

"We should move to the left wing. It is difficult to save the right wing itself, but by providing a threat to surround the enemy on the right wing from the left, we can effectively save both sides."

"Then let’s do that."

Irijina and Mithra stepped forward. Malty followed behind them.

Reina and Mirai adhered to my side.

The still unfit Myla would be wrapped in a blanket and left next to Leonhardt.

"…… um."

"Nope."

To be safe, I covered her head with my cloak.

Preparations were complete.

A big reason why the left wing, which had the same thickness in terms of battle ranks as the almost collapsing right wing, was hanging on was because Demia and her defense force was standing at the front.

"Uoooooh!"

Demia was wielding a large shield and a sword, in each hand. Her fighting method reminded me of Myla.

She slashed a man coming from her left before kicking a man from her front. 

She followed up by making three consecutive slashes that killed two men but missed a man. He tried to jump at her back side.

She knocked back the enemy who dodged. 

To finish him off, Demia delivered a flying headbutt.

Her reflex and defensive skills were beneath Myla but she covered that with her crude fighting style.

"My lady. Reinforcements have finally arrived!" Her officer shouted as we approached them.

"Let us show off the defense force’s real power!"

Demia’s squad cheered. My squad also joined the battle and pushed the enemy back.

Morale returned to the other squads on the left wing and they also started to fight better.

"More reinforcements are arriving from the middle!"

Ambroise was continuing to send more troops our way.

Even so, the enemy persisted in their attack.

They didn’t give up despite the difference in strength between us widening slowly and also losing the desire to defeat the left wing.

"In the name of Her Majesty, the queen!"

"There is no retreat. It is either victory or death!"

I lined up beside Leonhardt and stared at the battlefield with a troubled expression.

"They’re not going down."

"You’re right."

The captains shouting aside, I didn’t expect the lower-ranked soldiers to continue fighting regardless of their allies falling down left and right.

Was this a normal occurrence in the Saxon-Fanoss Union?

"Wahahahaha! Here we go!"

"…… handling idiots is easy."

That was when Irijina and Sekrit charged forward.

I quickly followed after Irijina, but she rampaged through the enemy lines.

"Around here or…… over there."

Sekrit preceded Irijina, suddenly advancing forward to engage with an enemy cavalry.

"Guwah!"

In that moment, blood sprayed out from the enemy soldier’s neck and his head slowly slid to the ground.

"Corps commander is dead――! He’s dead――!"

"Deputy commander will take over!"

Unexpectedly, the previously determined enemies fell into disarray.

"We can’t find where he is in this melee!"

"He’s being treated for an injury! What about Captain Normas――"

Neither Leonhardt or I was kind enough to let this chance slip.

A full scale attack commenced as the enemy’s chain of command was out of sorts, finally forcing the enemy to retreat.

"Fall back――! Everyone, fall back――!"

Seeing the enemy withdrew, Demia gave the order to pursue.

A minute later, Leonhardt amended the order.

"Don’t chase, detour around to the rear of the enemy on the right wing. Threaten them with the possibility of an encirclement."

Demia seemed annoyed.

His command was on the mark and the circling of our forces easily scared the enemy into retreating.

"That was quick."

"After the entire offensive has been halted, there is no meaning for the right wing to continue persevering. Cutting their losses is the correct decision here."

The crisis had been averted for now, but the real battle was yet to come.

A few hours were left until dawn and another large army would come from the north when the sky brightened.

If possible, I wanted to move to more advantageous terrain……

"We probably don’t have the luxury."

Sekrit came back with a sneer, covered in the blood of her victims.

She did a good job, so I went to pat her head…… it made her turn emotionless. I guessed she’s different from Mirai.

As she said, Ambroise and Auclair were flying about trying to reorganize their respective armies.

Any kind of movement could not be done before dawn.

"It’ll be fine! The enemy will be coming at us one army at a time! Let’s just defeat each of them!"

Mirai was fired up.

"In this case, they will probably come in waves instead of a successive attack."

Leonhardt destroyed that enthusiasm.

This man really didn’t know how to read people’s emotions.

"Anyways, we have a tough fight ahead of us. Get some rest."

More attacks were sure to come.

It would be easier to see when the sun was out, although the fighting would be fiercer.

And then the dawn battle ended.