"Ah!" Letting out a big yawn, the Sentry City guards stationed on the border lazily glanced in the direction where the sun was rising, their sleep-filled eyes squinting from the glaring sunlight.
However, soon they realized something and looked back towards the eastern horizon.
"Hey! Hey! Wake up!" Shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand and looking into the distance, one guard kicked his companion repeatedly with his foot. "Maein's soldiers! Lots of Maein's soldiers!"
"Why are you kicking me? Maein's soldiers? How could they be here at this time for drills on the border..." Another soldier who had been deep in slumber struggled to stand up, and the clinking of armor echoed as he did so.
"What did you say, Maein's soldiers? Huh? Damn it! Sound the alarm! Maein is attacking!" Rubbing their eyes and looking in the direction their comrade was pointing, the recently awakened soldiers were instantly alert, shouting loudly.
"Ignite the signal fires! Quick! Maein is invading!" Without delay, the first guard leaned over the edge of the watchtower and shouted to the companions below, "Hurry up and light the fires! Quickly!"
"Arrow shower!" Before everyone could react, a rain of arrows came from the direction of Maein. These arrows descended from the sky and landed on this elevated watchtower.
"Ah!" Caught off guard, one soldier was pierced through with arrows and struggled to fall from the high platform. Where he fell, the Sentry soldiers poured a bucket of black oil onto dry wood.
"Shields! Shields!" Kicking away the arrows embedded in the ground, the officer in charge of the watchtower drew his long sword and raised a massive shield, loudly urging his subordinates.
Maein's cavalry had already swarmed in, numbering like ants. Having served here for three years, it was the first time the Sentry officer had seen so many Maein soldiers.
This is it... He thought. Around him, a massive signal fire had already been lit, and the second round of enemy arrows was raining down. All the soldiers raised their shields.
"Boom!" Maein soldiers, carrying giant logs, began to slam against the gates of the signal fire tower. The soldiers on the signal fire tower clung to their weapons in fear.
The enemy had suddenly attacked, and they had no opportunity to retreat. Once Maein soldiers broke in, they would only meet their deaths.
"We can't let them extinguish the signal fire! Long live Ailanxier! Long live Serys!" Watching the shaky gate, the officer raised the longsword in his hand.
"Kill!" Several lonely soldiers next to him raised their shields, blocking the stone steps leading up to the signal fire tower, their sharp swords pointing towards the gate.
"Boom!" With a loud crash, the gate of the signal fire tower was finally broken open by the giant logs, and the Maein soldiers swarmed in. They were met with sturdy shields and sharp blades.
Metal clashed with metal, and the first Maein soldiers to charge up the stairs screamed and fell, while more Maein soldiers advanced with their weapons.
Serys guards fell one after another, and the remaining few had to retreat to the steps. Behind them, the signal fire was rolling up into the sky, obscuring the sun.
At the battlement of the signal fire tower, Maein soldiers who had climbed up with ladders surrounded the few remaining Serys guards. Soon, Maein's soldiers overwhelmed their opponents.
When Enseil reached the high platform, the bloodstains were still fresh. The body of the Serys officer lay next to the bonfire, and the ground was littered with uncollected arrows.
He kicked the body with a look of disdain on his face. "Put out this bonfire! Quickly!"
Behind him, in the direction of Serys' heartland, one black smoke pillar after another extended into the distance, disappearing at the horizon.
"March faster! Don't give the Ailanxier family any time to react!" Enseil glanced at the body of the Serys officer and ordered with a furrowed brow.
...
With an angry expression, Chris pushed open the doors of the council chamber. Due to the force applied, the two large doors slammed into the walls on either side, producing a loud bang.
He wore a suit of black armor, and the armor plates clinked together with his determined strides, making a pleasing rattling sound.
"Maein actually came to us for a suicide mission?" As soon as he entered, his irritated voice echoed throughout the high-ceilinged chamber, making everyone's ears buzz.
"Enseil is naturally greedy and untrustworthy... declaring war on us without notice! His troops crossed the border yesterday, and today they're probably on the edge of the eastern forest,"
Deins said with concern.
"General Vaglon has already prepared the army. 500 cavalry and 500 new recruits are ready to depart at any moment," Vaglon's adjutant reported the state of readiness, holding his helmet beside him.
"Immediately set out! We'll confront them in the eastern forest at the chokepoint! There, we can make use of our firepower advantage!" Chris examined the map and made up his mind to engage the enemy head-on.
Although the enemy had a numerical advantage, Chris was confident in defeating them. Right now, he was thinking about how to expand his gains quickly after defeating the enemy.
"Have Vaglon not engage in the battle! Order him to take 300 cavalry and 300 new recruits, bring ten cannons, and take a detour through a narrow path around the main Maein force to attack Maein's castle!" After about a second of thought, Chris decided to go for a two-pronged approach.
He didn't have time to waste. Taking Maein's stronghold while defeating the enemy would give Chris a chance to make himself more powerful. However, this meant that Chris would face only 400 pitiful soldiers in the head-on battle against Enseil's army, even with the soldiers who had retreated from Maein's direction.
The enemy outnumbers us four to one! This battle appeared to be lacking suspense; battles where the outnumbered side emerged victorious were rare, although not impossible.
"Sir, isn't it a bit risky to divide our forces in this situation?" Vaglon's adjutant asked with concern.
"Is it a risk to crush 2,000 men with ten cannons?" Chris turned to the adjutant, a cruel smile on his face. "I'm more afraid they'll surrender too quickly and won't give me a chance to vent my anger!"
"That's the plan! I'll personally lead 500 soldiers to confront Enseil in the eastern forest! You and Vaglon will head straight for Maein... eliminate any future threats!"
"Yes, sir!" The adjutant clenched his fist and bowed his head in response. "Long live Ailanxier!""Dienz! You'll personally oversee the defense of Serys City!" Chris looked at the nervous Dienz and Stride, assigning their tasks.
After giving Dienz his orders, Chris turned to Stride and said, "You'll personally escort 1,000 gold coins to the Arante Empire! Be prepared to pay Maein's tribute after our victory!"
Chris knew that he couldn't afford to have a falling out with the Arante Empire at this moment.
Taking Maein required giving an explanation to the Arante Empire, and Chris had already planned it out.
As long as the Arante Empire didn't question the occupation of Maein, Chris could develop and expand his territory without worry.
One day later, Chris led 400 soldiers and met up with more than 80 soldiers who had retreated from the eastern forest. They blocked the essential passage leading from the eastern forest to Serys City.
In the afternoon of that day, Enseil appeared in the distance with 200 cavalry and 1,800 hastily assembled infantry, about 3 kilometers from Chris's camp.
Because it was already late, neither side intended to start the battle that day. Chris sent a messenger to deliver a letter to Enseil, condemning his despicable act of starting a war without declaration.
In return, Enseil replied with a letter, arrogantly demanding Chris's immediate surrender, along with all his wealth and territory.
Both sides had no intention of ending the conflict there and spent the night preparing for the upcoming battle. The next morning, Chris organized his troops to leave their camp and assumed a formation to face Enseil, who was about 3 kilometers away.
"Our infantry force in the front is too small, with fewer than 100 men! We can't allow the enemy to attack first, or we won't have the means to survive!" Chris calculated the upcoming tactics in his mind, lightly tapping his finger on the hilt of his sword. This was a habit from his previous life; whenever he was deep in thought, he liked to tap his fingers on hard objects.
His 200 cavalry were intended for a counterattack and battlefield cleanup, so they couldn't be readily involved in the fight at this moment.
Therefore, he couldn't afford to engage the enemy in a battle of attrition. He had to rely on his firepower to surprise the enemy, swiftly turning the decisive battle into a one-sided attack and pursuit.
"Give the order! Artillery, load the shells! Five rounds as the base ammunition count... Prepare to fire! Await my command!" With his plan in mind, Chris turned to a messenger and gave orders.At that moment, Maein's formation on the horizon began to move forward slowly to the rhythm of the war drums.
