Chapter 438: It’s Fine As Long As It Stays This Way. (5)

Waroka bit his lip, irritation rising within him. No matter what, engaging in battle would inevitably lead to casualties.

He turned to one of the priests of the Salvation Church standing nearby and asked, "You said there wouldn't be an army in the North to stop us! Why has Rayfold mobilized? Now we'll have to break through them!"

Some priests of the Salvation Church had remained with Waroka's forces to act as guides and advisors within the kingdom.

Of course, their true intent was to manipulate Waroka's army in alignment with the goals of the duchy.

The priest, aiming to steer Waroka in the desired direction, spoke soothingly.

"Hmm… it seems some sort of deal was made."

"A deal?"

"Yes. Otherwise, there's no reason for Rayfold to act."

The Duchy had believed Amelia wouldn't move. They were convinced that the ambitious woman wouldn't help Ghislain under any circumstances.

Moreover, in their eyes, Amelia was nothing more than a figurehead who had barely succeeded in seizing power with their help. They assumed she lacked the resolve and ability to fight against the barbarians.

"Anyway, isn't our military strength overwhelming? No matter what she's thinking, it won't be difficult. She's just a noblewoman. What does she know about war?"

At the priest's words, Waroka nodded.

The army Waroka had gathered from all the tribes was formidable, totaling 60,000 warriors.

Although the force included even the youngest and least experienced warriors, the North's fighters were hardy from a young age, so none of them could be dismissed as weaklings.

In contrast, the opposing force numbered only about 10,000. While the Rayfold army was larger, it seemed they had left part of their forces behind to defend their territory.

Though 10,000 was not a small number, it was insignificant compared to 60,000.

The priest continued in a coaxing tone.

"We had anticipated such possibilities. We simply deemed them too insignificant to pose a real obstacle."

It wasn't entirely a lie. They had genuinely believed that Rayfold alone couldn't stand against the barbarian horde and thus ignored the possibility.

"In fact, this could work to our advantage. If we eliminate Rayfold here, it will be even easier to conquer the North."

"Well, yes. What does a woman know about war? This isn't bad."

For Waroka, coming from the great plains of the North, such an opponent was almost laughable. But from another perspective, this situation was better for him.

The plan was to utterly crush Perdium and Fenris first, destroying their infrastructure. Once that was accomplished, the supposedly "invincible" Fenris army would be unable to continue fighting.

If they also defeated the last remaining army at Rayfold, the North would be completely empty.

"This works. I was planning to take another territory, but I might as well settle in Rayfold. I heard it's a good estate."

Afterward, they could seize a few more territories and hold their ground. The Duchy would then make their move to seize the kingdom entirely.

Suddenly, Waroka asked a question, his tone curious.

"What if those people fail to stop the rift and end up dead?"

The rift had already expanded significantly when he last saw it.

If Perdium and Fenris were wiped out, his forces would have to face the rift. Waroka had no desire to fight those monstrous creatures himself.

The priest chuckled reassuringly.

"That is possible, given how large the rift has grown. However, the Fenris army is a powerful force. The rift must have suffered considerable damage already, so dealing with it wouldn't be too difficult."

"Hm, I see."

Waroka nodded in agreement.

Ghislain wasn't someone who would die so easily. With a nickname like "The Bloody Demon," it seemed plausible he would at least ensure mutual destruction with the rift.

'Even if they stopped the rift, they must have suffered heavy losses. They wouldn't be able to chase us right away.'

Whether the rift remained or Ghislain succeeded in stopping it, there would be problems. Waroka's mind grew restless.

'No, no. I shouldn't think about it anymore. The war has already begun.'

Shaking his head, Waroka dismissed his worries. He felt he had overestimated Ghislain. It didn't matter anymore whether the man won or lost.

They would crush and destroy everything in Perdium and Fenris. That would be the end. Victory was inevitable.

"Let's start by wiping out that insolent woman!"

Waroka surveyed the surrounding terrain.

The northern passage was flanked by hills and low mountains. While not overly narrow, it was difficult for his army of 60,000 to charge through all at once.

"They're probably trying to use the terrain to hold out, given their numerical disadvantage. What a futile effort."

While his army consisted entirely of cavalry, the Rayfold forces ahead were mostly infantry. A direct charge would trample them easily.

To make things worse, the opposing cavalry was positioned behind their infantry.

"Who taught them such a stupid formation? Do they think they can block us just by holding up their shields?"

Scoffing, Waroka raised his hand. Though it was impossible to move all 60,000 at once, a formation of 5,000 cavalry would suffice to break through.

"The vanguard of 5,000, followed by another 5,000. That should be enough. Trample them!"

"Waaaahhhh!"

Thud, thud, thud!

The barbarian warriors, itching for battle after prolonged inactivity, roared and charged forward.

As the charging barbarians approached, the Rayfold soldiers raised their shields in formation.

"Fire."

At Amelia's command, the archers loosed their arrows.

Whizz!

The arrows rained down on the center of the charging cavalry.

The barbarian warriors deflected and blocked the arrows with their shields, continuing their charge undeterred.

In the cramped space, a few horses fell to the arrows, slightly disrupting the formation, but the warriors pressed on.

These were northern warriors, raised on horseback since childhood.

The disruption to the central formation wasn't enough to halt the charge.

Amelia, observing the scene, issued another command.

"Push the center forward slightly. Don't stop the arrow fire."

Clank, clank, clank!

The infantry in the center of the Rayfold formation moved forward slightly. The archers continued to target the center of the barbarian charge relentlessly.

Several more horses fell, but it had little effect on the 5,000-strong cavalry.

As the barbarians drew closer, Rayfold's mages stepped forward.

Fwoosh!

Spells from around 30 mages streaked toward the center of the barbarian formation.

Boom! Boom!

The magic caused significantly more damage than the arrows. The barbarians had no mages to counter the attacks.

At that moment, the priests of the Salvation Church stepped forward.

Hummm!

Their black energy spread across the battlefield, shielding the barbarians. While their power couldn't completely negate the spells, it was enough to protect their allies.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The arrows and spells of the Rayfold forces were neutralized by the black energy. Seeing this, Waroka laughed heartily.

"Ha ha ha! Did you think we'd leave our weakness unchecked forever?"

Barbarian shamans were spiritual leaders but lacked practical power, leaving their armies vulnerable to magic in large-scale battles.

Now, with the Salvation Church's priests compensating for that weakness, their forces were unstoppable.

"Push forward! They're far fewer than us! Trample them all!"

The initial losses had been minor and inconsequential. Confident, Waroka shouted encouragement to his warriors.

Thud, thud, thud!

With the mages neutralized, the warriors charged with savage grins, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

"Ha ha ha! Finally, we'll taste blood!"

"Kill the women, no—kill everyone!"

"The North will be ours!"

Anticipating a blood-soaked feast, they surged forward, releasing all their pent-up rage.

As they galloped fiercely toward the Rayfold army, they soon encountered an unexpected obstacle.

Neighhh!

Crash!

The central vanguard, charging ahead, suddenly began to topple as they collided with something.

"Ahhh! What's happening?"

"It's a trap!"

"Stop! Slow down!"

As the vanguard collapsed en masse, the warriors following behind became entangled and fell as well. It was nearly impossible to slow down during a charge.

"It's stakes! Stakes have been driven into the ground!"

The low stakes, sparsely placed and barely visible from a distance, had slowed the charge. Some were even connected by ropes.

Horses running at full speed tripped over the stakes or ropes, lost their balance, and fell.

Hearing his warriors' shouts, Waroka clenched his teeth.

"How dare they use such petty tricks…."

There hadn't been enough time to dig proper traps, so they had resorted to such measures.

The stakes were somewhat effective. A small portion of the central formation had been disrupted.

But it was just that—a minor setback. The warriors on the flanks were still charging toward the Rayfold forces.

"Central warriors, dismount! Push forward on foot! We outnumber them greatly!"

There might be more stakes ahead, and the vanguard had already become tangled with fallen horses.

Only the vanguard was affected by the stakes. The following troops could avoid or step over them easily.

"Charge!"

Apart from those crushed beneath fallen horses, the damage wasn't severe. The central warriors abandoned their horses and charged on foot.

The troops following behind also dismounted. The blockade had rendered the advantages of cavalry useless.

Thud, thud, thud!

While the central troops ran on foot, the flanking cavalry maintained their momentum.

"Dieeeeee!"

The barbarian warriors roared fiercely as they reached the edge of the Rayfold forces.

Watching calmly, Amelia issued another command.

"Open the path."

At her order, the formation of the Rayfold soldiers shifted.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The soldiers moved apart, creating gaps in their formation. A corridor opened precisely where the barbarian warriors were charging.

The central warriors, now slowed, were left behind, while only the flanking cavalry advanced through the opened corridor.

"What? What? They're not blocking us?"

The barbarians, already at full speed, couldn't stop.

Such was the nature of a cavalry charge. If the vanguard suddenly stopped, the entire formation behind would collapse. They couldn't stop until they collided with their target.

"What? What? What?"

With the path open, the barbarians had no choice but to charge straight through.

Then, the Rayfold formation shifted again.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The soldiers turned sideways and raised their shields. As the barbarians passed through the corridor, they tried to attack the soldiers but could only strike futilely at the sturdy shields.

Most of the barbarians on the flanks had entered the Rayfold formation.

Amelia gave another command.

"Trap them."

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The soldiers at the front raised their shields, closing off the corridor the barbarians had entered.

The barbarians who hadn't yet made it in slowed down as they saw the situation at the front, only to find their path blocked by the soldiers.

Amelia's voice rang out again.

"Cut them down."

The soldiers surrounding the barbarians raised their shields, and from below, countless hooks shot out, slashing the horses' legs.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Neighhh!

The horses screamed and collapsed as their legs were suddenly cut. The barbarians on top were thrown to the ground, tangled in a chaotic heap.

"Ahhhh!"

"What the hell is this!"

"Get up! Fight back!"

But with the chaos and the entanglement of men and horses, getting up was nearly impossible.

The few who managed to stand raised their axes in fury, but they were hemmed in by the soldiers' shields.

"Damn it! Break through! We have to get out!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

They struck at the shields desperately, but the Rayfold formation didn't even flinch. The soldiers' movements were astonishingly precise.

Amelia's relentless training had molded her forces into a unit that moved seamlessly at her slightest gesture, without hesitation.

Looking down at the trapped barbarians, Amelia spoke coldly, her voice icy.

"Kill them."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The hooks retracted, and the shields returned to their positions. Immediately after, countless spears thrust out through the gaps between the shields.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Aaaargh!"

The barbarians trapped within the Rayfold formation had no way to defend themselves. Surrounded by an unyielding wall of shields, they had no escape.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

No matter how hard they struck with their axes, the shields didn't budge.

Breaking through a formation of heavy infantry required either overwhelming numbers or immense force. Once surrounded, there was no way out.

Especially when the opponents were well-trained elite soldiers, escape was nearly impossible.

"Arghhh!"

The screams of the trapped warriors echoed relentlessly. Waroka shouted in fury.

"They pushed the center forward on purpose! They planned to take the flanks first! Push the center! Save our allies! Send reinforcements to the flanks!"

A massive army doesn't move all at once. It responds dynamically to the enemy's tactics and traps.

The reserve forces began charging toward the Rayfold flanks.

Thud, thud, thud!

They had already observed the enemy's traps and tactics. In the current situation, no new corridors could be created. They believed a full-force assault would succeed.

While it would take time for the reinforcements to reach the Rayfold flanks, the central warriors running on foot quickly closed in on the Rayfold line.

"Charge!"

The barbarian warriors roared, their ferocity filling the battlefield. Their savage momentum seemed capable of tearing through anything in their path.

In contrast, the Rayfold soldiers stood silently. Their cold expressions showed no sign of being shaken by the battlefield's chaos.

They simply raised their shields as they had been trained.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The fiery determination of the barbarians met the icy discipline of the Rayfold soldiers.

Boom!

The axes of the barbarian warriors collided with the shields of the Rayfold soldiers.

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