Chapter 49: Conflict

The next morning.

A large force was assembling at the edge of the Grand Highlands.

The burly Hermann Buckley sat atop a towering northern steed, squinting as he gazed into the distance toward the Grand Highlands.

For this long-planned campaign, nearly all of Soren's forces had been mobilized. Except for a small number of knights left behind to defend the territory, almost all of Soren's armed forces had gathered here.

And this was precisely what gave Hermann Buckley his confidence.

Behind him, ragged and impoverished peasant soldiers were being herded into formation by Soren's knights.

They looked weak and sickly, heads hung low, clutching a mishmash of weapons hoes, clubs, kitchen knives...

Their equipment was crude, their faces pale, but they had the advantage of numbers, appearing to be at least three or four hundred strong.

Though it seemed absurd to send such feeble men into battle, these peasant soldiers were nothing more than cannon fodder in Hermann Buckley's strategy. Their sole purpose was to wear down Idar's troops, not to serve as his main fighting force.

Soren Earl had entrusted nearly all of his personal guards to Hermann Buckley. These soldiers wore somewhat worn chainmail and carried sharp longswords far superior to the ragtag peasants.

In addition, over fifty imposing knights on horseback closely followed Hermann Buckley.

These were true knights!

Clad in standard Imperial armor, their polished helmets gleamed under the morning sun, adorned with vibrant plumes of varying colors, creating a striking sight.

"My lord, the troops are ready," the adjutant reported after a while.

"I've been waiting for this moment!" Hermann Buckley declared.

Turning to the knights behind him, he bellowed, "My knights! Today marks the day we finally take the Grand Highlands for ourselves! Drive the Idar people out for good! Let the Buckley family's banner fly over every corner of the Grand Highlands! For Soren!"

"For Soren!" the knights responded, though their voices were scattered and unenthusiastic.

"Move out!"

With that, Hermann Buckley led the charge, followed closely by his knights and the disorderly mass of peasant soldiers, advancing toward the Grand Highlands…

—

Bruno had already received reports from his scouts.

Hermann Buckley had made no effort to conceal his movements. His army advanced openly and at a leisurely pace, almost as if on an outing.

"The serfs living in the Grand Highlands have all been evacuated," reported Old Ford in the lord's castle, updating Bruno on the enemy's movements. "This invasion involves a significant force, personally led by Hermann Buckley. He has about fifty knights, nearly a hundred personal guards, and three to four hundred peasant soldiers. Essentially, Soren's entire military force has been mobilized…"

"So in total, around five hundred troops?"

"More or less." Old Ford nodded.

Bruno, having grown up in a world where wars involved hundreds of thousands of soldiers, used to think that battles involving only a few hundred men were nothing more than skirmishes.

However… now that war was at his doorstep, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Idar's forces were outnumbered, with only three hundred standing troops and fifty personal guards.

Due to historical reasons, Idar's personal guards were equivalent to Soren's knights both were mounted warriors with noble status.

Before Bruno transmigrated, the Stuart family had served as Imperial generals in the Norman Empire. Many of these personal guards were descendants of those who had once followed the Stuart family into battle.

Originally, Bruno's personal guard numbered a hundred, but after assigning fifty to form the Salt Field Guard, their numbers had dwindled.

And since Bruno had been focused on forming a standing army, he had never replenished the guard's ranks, leaving them at fifty.

Even though battle was imminent, the troops guarding the Salt Fields couldn't be redeployed after all, it was Idar's most critical source of income and could not be left vulnerable.

A 350-man force against over 500 enemies Bruno found this worrying… The numerical disadvantage was obvious.

He had great confidence in his well-trained soldiers.

But this would be the standing army's first battle, and the pressure on him was immense.

"How's the production of the Wind Arrows coming along?" Bruno asked.

"I've been working overtime these past days and managed to produce a little over 110 arrows," Arnel replied.

Bruno nodded. After all, Arnel was working alone, and making over a hundred enchanted arrows was already an impressive feat.

Over a hundred Wind Arrows—if used wisely—could prove to be a decisive advantage!

The biggest strength of Wind Arrows was their extended range. In a battle where both sides had archers, the side with superior range would hold a clear advantage.

"How's the standing army?" Bruno turned to Sam Layton.

"The soldiers are fired up!" Sam Layton said enthusiastically. "They've been training for so long, and they can't wait to crush those Soren scoundrels. No doubt about it!"

"Good! But… I need more than just a simple victory. If the Earl of Soren intends to take the Grand Highlands in one stroke, then we should have the same resolve!" Bruno's eyes burned with intensity as he locked onto Sam.

"What do you mean…?"

"Idar has been on the defensive for too long! Instead of endlessly fighting over the Grand Highlands, it's time we end this once and for all! I believe in the standing army's strength!" Bruno declared.

Since Soren had come knocking at his door, why not strike back?

In Bruno's eyes, nothing not even war was allowed to interfere with his grand plan for development!

If Earl Soren coveted the Grand Highlands so badly, then Idar would ensure he never dared set his sights on it again!

"We can do it!" Sam quickly agreed. "But… while we can crush Soren's peasant soldiers and personal guards with ease, his knights will be a different story…"

"Don't worry. Our personal guards aren't pushovers, and… I've prepared a special weapon just for them."