NTR: Barbarian Harem Conquest

Down in the valley, the tense atmosphere finally broke.

Seraphine’s soldiers stopped performing and instead watched Kane’s mixed group with undivided attention.

Walking down from the rocky ridge, Thora reached him before anyone else even moved.

She skipped any dramatic fuss, simply letting her hands find his bleeding arm and bruised ribs.

Standing still, Kane let her apply the stinging healing spell while his breathing slowly leveled out.

Watching this quiet intimacy, Seraphine filed the observation away in her mind.

’We’ve their attention now,’ Kane thought, rolling his injured shoulder slightly.

Retrieving his maps, Kane spread them flat across a wide boulder.

Milfheim soldiers and Bloodfang warriors gradually gathered around the stone surface.

They remained separate groups for now, yet they were oriented toward the same objective.

”Four days until Menual moves through the western pass,” Kane announced, making sure his voice carried to the edges of the gathered crowd.

”That pass features three viable entry points, but Menual’s planned route utilizes the central channel as it offers the widest lanes and the lowest gradient. It is the most logical choice for transporting bulky siege engines, so they predictably chose it.”

Tapping his finger against the parchment, he traced a line.

”That central channel is also the easiest route to contain. High ridges flank both sides, creating two natural choke points within the first three kilometers of the march. Eight hundred arrogant cavalry riders squeezed into a contained channel with enemy positions above them suddenly stop being a cavalry charge. They devolve into a trapped column, and tight columns are very easy to manage.”

Leaning over the boulder, Seraphine studied his sketched lines intently.

”You want to funnel them into a kill zone.”

”I want to strip away the one advantage that makes them dangerous,” Kane corrected her, meeting her gaze.

”Out on open ground, their cavalry remains decisive. Squeezed into that rocky channel with our archers taking the high ridges above them, they are trapped in a narrow lane. Furthermore, those siege engines cannot deploy while stuck in the pass, as they require flat terrain to operate. They’ll be towed through the entire approach completely useless.”

”What about their two hundred armored foot soldiers?” Seraphine asked, pointing at the troop numbers Firlia had compiled.

”Dealing with armored infantry inside a choke point is just a standard shield wall problem,” Kane shrugged.

”We can manage those with the right positioning and a little creativity.”

Looking up from the map, he surveyed his own unusual family before turning his attention to Seraphine’s hundred disciplined warriors.

”Here is how we split the board,” Kane instructed, drawing an imaginary line across the map.

”Seraphine, I need sixty of your soldiers positioned along the eastern ridge directly above the central channel. Use your divine-designated fighters specifically. Holding the high elevation over a trapped cavalry column ensures your combat capability advantage becomes fully applicable, since they cannot bring their superior numbers to bear against sixty elite fighters raining death from above.”

”And what happens to the other forty?” Seraphine questioned smoothly.

”Those forty march right back west,” Kane ordered.

”Send them toward your eastern Milfheim border position. Don’t send them to fight, but rather make sure they are seen by the enemy. Menual constantly keeps spies on your border watching for the redeployment your Empress originally agreed to. If sixty soldiers quietly disappear while forty remain highly visible in the east, their intelligence network will report an incomplete, hesitant redeployment.”

Seraphine nodded slowly, catching his drift.

”They will assume the Empress hesitated and proceed with total confidence.”

”They will proceed with confidence straight into a narrow channel where sixty of your best killers are waiting right above their heads,” Kane grinned.

’Play the player, not just the game,’ Kane thought, feeling the familiar thrill of setting a flawless trap.

”You’re actively using their own intelligence network against them.”

”I use everyone’s intelligence network against them,” Kane replied.

”Including my own.”

Shifting his focus back to his people, he started handing out the assignments.

”Second split,” Kane said.

”Rutheus, you and Lirael need to take control of the Bloodfang forest camp. Gather those forty tribal warriors and make sure they equip the new iron-alloy armor and composite bows. You’re taking the western ridge to mirror Seraphine’s position.”

Pausing briefly, Kane looked at the old veteran.

”You only have one arm.”

”Having one arm while standing on a high ridge with a loaded crossbow still makes me very useful,” Rutheus countered gruffly.

”I know,” Kane smiled.

”That’s exactly why you are going.”

The scarred giant offered a single nod.

”Brak,” Kane called out next.

Sitting up perfectly straight, the young warrior waited eagerly for his combat assignment.

”Take fifteen warriors and head straight back to the manor in Sylvandar,” Kane instructed, watching the boy’s face fall slightly.

”Thessaly, Caelindra, and Firlia are staying behind to manage logistics, so you are their personal security detail.”

Looking like he desperately wanted to argue about missing the main battle, Brak opened his mouth to protest.

Catching sight of Caelindra standing quietly nearby, his entire expression shifted into something much softer.

”Understood, Chief,” Brak agreed, puffing his chest out just a bit.

Refusing to look at the young warrior, Caelindra kept her eyes glued to her portfolio, though her pointed ears turned a rather shade of pink.

”Kessa,” Kane started.

”Mobile response,” Kessa interrupted before he could even finish the sentence, her tail flicking eagerly.

”I already know. I run faster than anyone else here, which means I can cover the ground between all our different positions.”

”Exactly,” Kane confirmed.

”Sira,” Kane continued.

”Eastern ridge,” Sira answered promptly, double-checking the tension on her bowstring.

”I will integrate with Seraphine’s sixty soldiers and act as the primary range coordinator.”

”Take the two Knights of Elfheim with you,” Kane added. ”Their unique divine designation reads enemy positioning far better than standard sight, which gives you perfect targeting.”

Scanning the remaining members of his inner circle, his eyes landed on Thora and Grieselda.

”The three of us will take the World Tree seed straight to the very first choke point,” Kane revealed, tapping the entrance of the pass on the map.

”Establishing a divine energy node right there changes the terrain permanently. Menual’s cavalry animals will react to it immediately because warhorses refuse to move smoothly through a space carrying that much active, unfamiliar energy. It creates instant hesitation within their ranks at the exact moment we need them to stall.”

”How are we supposed to plant a divine seed without it going wrong?” Thora asked, furrowing her brow.

”Grieselda will handle it,” Kane answered smoothly.

Standing quietly near the back of the group, the angel looked up the moment he spoke her name.

”You know what the World Tree is,” Kane told her softly.

”You were sealed away during the same century it was originally planted. I hope you’ll know how to plant it.”

She nodded.

Taking a step back, he looked at the gathered crowd.

Fighters from two different empires stood united.

”We have three days,” Kane declared, projecting pure authority.

”Every single person needs to be in position before Menual starts moving. No exceptions, no delays.”

”You are willingly trusting Milfheim fighters to hold a crucial ridge position without your direct oversight.”

”Yes.”

”Try not to get yourself killed before the fighting starts,” she advised.

”The Empress wants to meet you properly once this mess is over.”

”I know,” Kane laughed, tossing the rolled map to Firlia.

”Now go move your people.”