Bear School Astartes

Lann had already dismantled the Niflgaard command system for this large-scale battle.

At the beginning, the Niflgaard Army took full advantage of their communication system, achieving repeated victories and almost tipping the scales of victory entirely in their favor.

However, subsequently, the Warlocks serving as nodes in their communication system were recklessly slaughtered.

On Lann’s continuous breakout and advancing path, at least a dozen positions’ Warlocks and Commanders were cut down by him on the spot, and the positions were subsequently dispersed by the ’Ember’ troops.

A dozen positions, even on this vast battlefield, is no small area.

Due to a series of command failures, the Northern Alliance Army experienced a chain reaction, but the Niflgaard Army also suffered breaches in their lines due to these dozen lost positions.

And the problem was still expanding.

Because their high command had not issued orders for a long time, causing extreme unease among all subordinate units toward this phenomenon.

The officers had to frequently calm and conceal the situation to barely maintain troop morale stability.

Later, the high command did indeed send a message.

But the content of this message was vastly different from what all the grassroots commanders had anticipated.

”The enemy has means to track the Warlocks’ location, so from this moment, communication based on Warlocks can no longer be used. Warlocks are to be incorporated into the army as ordinary combat power. The time for decisive victory has come, for the honor of Niflgaard! For the Great Sun! We will commence an all-out charge in one hour!”

The commanders could hardly comprehend this order.

Because this was a large-scale battle with over a hundred thousand participants, the vast size of the battlefield made it impossible for anyone to understand its full picture.

Perhaps only the high command could see more and further due to sufficient intelligence support.

So the grassroots commanders were actually lacking a sense of the overall trend of the battle progress.

Is the progress of the battle this smooth now? Are the Northern people that incompetent?

These were the first thoughts that crossed the mind of every grassroots commander upon receiving the order.

In a large-scale battle, the basic procedure is almost fixed.

First, both sides arrange and deploy troops, then invade, squeeze, and annihilate each other in the form of positions and battle lines.

As for the final all-out charge... although this stage is heavily highlighted in various literary works, poems, and plays, as if it is a heroic display and the key to victory.

However, the commanders all had a consensus.

The final mass charge is more like a declaration of victory, not a battle horn signaling the start of an offensive.

When the command announces an all-out charge, it is usually after having established an absolute advantage in the previous attrition and tug-of-war battles and commencing a pursuit.

But this time... the battle hasn’t even lasted a day!

It’s just nearing nightfall on the first day, and the outcome is already decided?

Yet, why does the Northern Army before my eyes not feel on the verge of collapse at all?

After this, no new orders came from the command, as if from Marshal to counselor, everyone was convinced of their victory and couldn’t be bothered to send news to the grassroots commanders.

And the grassroots commanders?

Having been in the invincible Niflgaard Army for a long time, they preferred to believe that this wave of the Northern Alliance Army was exceptionally resilient rather than considering the defeat of their own force.

Perhaps I encountered a particularly elite Northern unit, which is why there are no signs of collapse. But overall, we must be close to victory.

Almost every grassroots commander of Niflgaard thought so.

Then, they really began preparing for the final charge under the command’s orders.

”Just like a group of mindless, oblivious ants circling to their death, isn’t it?”

As dusk slowly fell, Lann had already regrouped with his ’Embers’.

These brave men continued to disrupt the positions that lost their commanders while he went to pursue the survivors of the Niflgaard command, preventing them from reorganizing.

And with just sixty men, thanks to their tight coordination, high initiative, and the help of Demon Hunter alchemy bombs and sword oils, not a single one was injured until now.

This feat of arms, if spoken of, would be elite among the elite in any country.

After all, the positions they have defeated and ravaged were all elite units of Niflgaard.

Black Infantry Archers, Dalelanni Brigade... a pile of tattered battle flags collected from the defeated was enough.

”Yes, my lord.”

Lincoln stood behind Lann, looking down from the hill at the Niflgaard Army, which was already starting a mobilization meeting.

He chewed on dry rations while distributing some to his warhorse.

The battle fought from morning till dusk, and even their sixty warhorses were changed once on the battlefield through spoils.

”Tonight, they will pay back with their blood, yet they won’t even know why they were defeated.”

”Well, tell me, where do you think the fiercest battle will occur?”

Lann sat down on a rock, resting his sword Dulach around him as if very relaxed, while its cross-guard rested on his shoulder, and the sword tip stood on the ground as support.

”Are you testing me, my lord?”

”Just a casual question.”

Lincoln slowed his chewing, clearly deep in thought.

”The Niflgaard Legion’s charge is bound to fail, that’s beyond doubt. The Northern Alliance Army’s line integrity is much better than they expect. An army charging blindly at an intact line is nothing but chaff.”

”...So the most intense battle shouldn’t be during the charge but rather when the Niflgaard people try to flee in defeat, and the Northern Alliance Army seeks to hunt them down.”

Lann nodded gently: ”Well said. Then, where will the most intense conflict occur specifically?”

Lincoln opened his mouth, finally lowering his head in resignation: ”Sorry, my lord. I couldn’t memorize the entire terrain map.”

Lann waved his hand: ”It’s not your fault. There are too many mountains and hills in this area to remember them all.”

The first North-South battle in the Sodden Region saw a terrible defeat for the Northern Alliance Army, known as the Battle of Sodden.

But this time, both the North and South coincidentally chose this hilly, mountainous Sodden Region as the battleground.

Perhaps the Northern side wanted to use the terrain for advantage, or maybe the South wanted to use it to delay the Northern escape speed, aiming for higher annihilation numbers.

Before the battle, almost no one thought the invincible Niflgaard Army would lose; the general mood within the Northern Alliance was also ’since no one would survive if Niflgaard wins anyway, might as well fight fiercely.’

Whatever the case.

In any event, it is now more difficult for Niflgaard people to escape.

”There’s a small hill ten kilometers southwest, known locally as Mushroom Mountain.”

Lann spoke calmly and confidently.

Menthos’ data analysis gave him the confidence to draw such a conclusion.

”There is the nearest retreat route for the defeated and the best terrain for the Northern Army to complete their pursuit and encirclement.”

”There, the Niflgaard people who don’t want to die in a foreign land will explode with a desperate will to survive, hoping to break through the Northern blockade.”

Therefore, that unremarkable little hill is destined to become the bloodiest, most ferocious Asura Battlefield in this battle.

Lincoln nodded; he and his companions trusted Lann’s judgment unconditionally.

”No surprise in a night charge and nothing to see. Get some sleep, rest, tomorrow will be the time to step onto the battlefield.”