Chapter 50: The Battle of the Grand Highlands

Herman Buckley advanced aggressively, but it seemed that the Idar forces had already prepared for his arrival.

When he led his knights in a furious charge into a village located within the Idar controlled section of the Grand Highlands, he was disappointed to find the place completely deserted.

The serfs had long been evacuated by Old Ford, leaving behind only a few lonely thatched huts.

In this manner, Herman Buckley "conquered" three or four empty villages in succession, which greatly frustrated him.

From the morning when they entered the Grand Highlands until the afternoon, Herman Buckley had yet to even see a single Idar soldier.

"These cowardly Idar rats! These spineless weaklings! Do they not even have the courage to face us head-on?" Herman Buckley cursed.

"My lord... we have now reached the southernmost part of the Grand Highlands. If we continue forward, we will soon leave the highlands altogether..."

"What are you trying to say? Speak plainly!" Herman Buckley shot him a sharp look.

"Should we rest here for the night and march straight for Idar City tomorrow?" the adjutant suggested.

Even on horseback, the journey from the Grand Highlands to Idar City would take a full day. Moreover, among the Soren forces, only about fifty were cavalry, while over a hundred were commoner soldiers, who severely slowed their pace.

"These damn commoners! Every single one of them is a lazy fool! They've ruined all of my plans!" Though Herman Buckley was arrogant, he was not entirely foolish.

Despite his eagerness to engage the Idar forces, he accepted his adjutant's suggestion.

Marching south at this moment would lead them into an open plain with no cover—an unfavorable terrain for the Soren army.

Furthermore, in this era, soldiers often suffered from a lack of vitamins, barely managing to stave off hunger. Many of them had symptoms of night blindness, making night marches almost impossible.

Thus, rather than risk an Idar ambush in the dark, it was better to use the advantageous terrain to camp again and plan for the next day's battle. After all, the Grand Highlands were already under their feet.

Although early spring had arrived, the winds in the Grand Highlands remained particularly cold. The high altitude and barren landscape offered little protection from the chill.

The knights fared better they had thick clothing and could sleep inside the abandoned thatched huts, ensuring a comfortable night.

But the commoner soldiers were not so fortunate. They could not enjoy the privileges of their noble commanders and were forced to huddle together in the freezing wind, shivering violently.

They ate a few bites of the dry rations they carried and curled up together, drifting in and out of sleep, frequently waking up from the cold.

By morning, two or three commoner soldiers had frozen to death from hunger and exposure.

This infuriated Herman Buckley he hadn't even seen the Idar army yet, and his forces were already taking casualties. It was an utter humiliation.

Thus, he immediately ordered the army to march south, leaving the Grand Highlands behind.

Between the Grand Highlands and Idar City lay a small, nameless town. Under normal circumstances, it served as a transit station between the highlands and the city.

But now, three hundred infantry (standing army) and fifty cavalry (personal guards) had been assembled there, awaiting the arrival of the Soren forces.

Bruno's objective was clear—to annihilate the invading enemy and seize the opportunity to counterattack Soren's territory.

For this reason, he had chosen this location as the battlefield.

He had deliberately avoided engaging the Soren forces in the Grand Highlands, instead luring them deeper into Idar lands to ensure a total victory and prevent any enemy from escaping.

Moreover, the nights in the Grand Highlands were bitterly cold, significantly reducing the combat effectiveness of commoner soldiers. Of course, a noble commander like Herman Buckley would never consider such factors his arrogance blinded him to the struggles of his own troops.

The commander of the Idar army was Sam Layton, while Bruno, accompanied by Lister, had traveled to Salt Fields for an "inspection."

Though Bruno was confident in their chances of victory, he understood the importance of safety. If anything unexpected happened, at least he had fifty guards at Cape Salt Fields to ensure his protection.

Finally, around noon, Herman Buckley's Soren forces appeared in Sam Layton's line of sight.

Herman Buckley, too, spotted the Idar army in the distance.

"Those cowardly Idar scum have finally shown themselves!" Herman Buckley laughed excitedly upon seeing them.

The battlefield was located in open plains, allowing both sides to easily estimate each other's numbers. Seeing that his forces clearly outnumbered the enemy, Herman Buckley felt even more confident of victory.

Still, he followed protocol.

"Adjutant! Form up the commoner soldiers in front! Personal guards behind them! Knights on both flanks prepare to charge!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Seeing their numerical advantage, even the adjutant's voice was filled with excitement.

On the other side, Sam Layton and his men had long been itching for battle.

Not only him, but every soldier in the standing army had been anticipating this moment!

The rigorous training they endured daily had left them eager to prove themselves in real combat. And the rewards Bruno had promised were too generous to ignore!

Even if they fell in battle, their families would receive high compensation, ensuring they had no fear or hesitation.

Meanwhile, the Soren soldiers looked weak and dispirited clearly, they had been forced into service by their noble masters. Compared to the well equipped standing army, they were vastly inferior in both appearance and morale.

Krell tightened his grip on his weapon, standing in formation.

This was his first time on the battlefield. His palms were sweaty from nerves, yet he felt no fear.

This war was not just about defending Idar's land it was about protecting the interests of all Idar people!

Thus, not just Krell, but every Idar soldier stood fearless.

"Attack!" Herman Buckley roared.

As the Soren army began its advance, the long-awaited battle finally began!