Woroca bit his lip, irritation creeping in. No matter what, engaging in battle would inevitably lead to casualties. He turned to a priest of the Church of Salvation standing beside him and demanded, “Didn’t you say there wouldn’t be any army in the North to block our path? Why is Rayfold moving? Now we have to break through that!” Several priests from the Church of Salvation had remained within the kingdom as guides and advisors for Woroca’s army. Of course, their true purpose was to manipulate Woroca’s forces according to the wishes of the Ducal family. The priest, aiming to steer Woroca in their desired direction, spoke soothingly. “Hmm... It seems some sort of deal must have been made.” “A deal?” “Yes. Otherwise, Rayfold would have had no reason to act.” The Ducal family had believed Amelia would not intervene. They thought her too selfish to assist Ghislain. Moreover, in their eyes, Amelia was nothing more than a puppet who had barely succeeded in her coup with their help. They assumed she lacked both the determination and the capability to fight barbarians. “Isn’t our force overwhelming? I don’t know what they’re thinking, but it won’t be difficult. She’s just a mere noblewoman. What could she possibly know about war?” Woroca nodded at the priest’s words. The army Woroca had amassed, gathering warriors from all the tribes, was formidable. It numbered a staggering sixty thousand. Though many of them were newly initiated warriors who had just undergone their coming-of-age ceremonies, Northern warriors were hardy from a young age. There were no weaklings among them. In contrast, the enemy had only about ten thousand soldiers. Rayfold’s army was said to be larger, but it seemed they had left part of their force behind to defend their territory. Ten thousand was not a small number, but it was nothing compared to sixty thousand. The priest continued in a cajoling tone. “We anticipated this possibility and judged that it wouldn’t pose much of an obstacle.” This was not a lie meant to placate Woroca. They had simply dismissed Rayfold, confident that its army alone could not stand against the massive barbarian horde. “In fact, this might be a good thing. If we eliminate Rayfold here, conquering the North will become even easier.” “Well, yes. What does a woman know about war, anyway? This isn’t a bad situation.” For Woroca, hailing from the Northern lands, facing such a seemingly absurd opponent was almost laughable. But on the other hand, it was also advantageous. Their plan was to crush Ferdium and Fenris entirely, destroying their infrastructure first. If they succeeded, the Fenris army—renowned as the strongest in the North—would be unable to continue the war. By taking out the last remaining army in Rayfold, the North would be left completely defenseless. “This works out well. Originally, we planned to take other territories, but we might as well settle in Rayfold. It’s supposed to be a good territory, isn’t it?” Afterward, they could seize a few more regions and hold their ground. From there, the Ducal family would move in and swallow the kingdom whole. Woroca, struck by a sudden thought, asked curiously, “What if they fail to stop the Rift and all die?” When he last saw it, the Rift had already expanded to an alarming size. If Ferdium and Fenris were wiped out, his army would have to face the Rift. Woroca had no desire to fight those horrifying creatures himself. The priest smiled reassuringly. “They probably will. The Rift has grown tremendously. But the Fenris army is strong. The Rift has likely suffered significant damage as well, so it shouldn’t be difficult to deal with.” “Hmm, I see.” Woroca nodded. It was true—Ghislain wasn’t someone who would die so easily. The man had earned the nickname “Crimson Demon.” At the very least, it was likely he and the Rift would destroy each other. Even if they manage to stop the Rift, they’ll have suffered heavy losses. They won’t be able to pursue us immediately. Whether the Rift remained or Ghislain stopped it, both scenarios were problematic. Woroca’s thoughts grew more complicated. No, stop. There’s no point in overthinking this. The war has already begun. Shaking his head, Woroca dismissed his concerns. He realized he was letting his fear of Ghislain get the better of him. Whether Ghislain won or lost no longer mattered. Now, he would crush and destroy everything belonging to Ferdium and Fenris. That would be the end of it. There was no way they could lose. “All right! Let’s take down that arrogant woman first!” Woroca surveyed the terrain. The entrance to the North was flanked by hills and low mountains. It wasn’t too narrow, but it was difficult for an army of sixty thousand to advance all at once. “Are they trying to use the terrain to hold us back because they’re outnumbered? What a useless effort.” While his entire army was composed of cavalry, most of the Rayfold soldiers were infantry. They could easily crush them with a direct charge. And amusingly, the enemy cavalry was positioned behind their infantry. “Who taught them that ridiculous formation? Do they think just holding up shields will stop us?” Scoffing, Woroca raised his hand. While advancing all sixty thousand at once was impossible, the terrain was wide enough for five thousand cavalry to charge through. “The first five thousand, followed by another five thousand, will be enough. Crush them.” “Waaaaaaah!” Thud, thud, thud! The barbarian warriors, restless and itching for battle after so long, finally received the command to advance. With fiery enthusiasm, they charged toward the enemy. As the charging barbarians approached, the Rayfold soldiers raised their shields. “Fire.” At Amelia’s command, archers loosed their arrows. Whoosh! The arrows rained down, striking the center of the charging cavalry formation. The barbarian warriors deflected the arrows with their shields, pressing forward without hesitation. A few horses were struck and fell, disrupting the formation slightly, but the warriors paid no mind. These were men born and raised on the harsh Northern plains, riding horses from a young age. Even with minor disruptions, the overall charge continued unhindered. Watching this, Amelia issued another command. “Push the center forward slightly. Archers, maintain fire.” Clink, clink, clink! The infantry positioned in the center of the Rayfold formation stepped forward. Meanwhile, the archers continued to relentlessly target the center of the barbarian charge. Several more horses fell to the arrows, but the five thousand strong formation pressed on undeterred. As the barbarians drew closer, Rayfold’s mages stepped forward. Fwoosh! The magic unleashed by thirty mages flew toward the center of the barbarian formation. Boom! Boom! The impact of magic was far greater than arrows, causing significant casualties. The barbarians had no mages of their own to counter the attacks. At that moment, priests of the Church of Salvation stepped forward. Hummm! Their dark energy spread across the battlefield, shielding the barbarians. While their divine power couldn’t entirely block enemy magic, it was enough to protect their allies. Thud! Thud! Thud! The combined arrow and magic attacks of the Rayfold army dissipated against the black aura. Seeing this, Woroca laughed heartily. “Ha-ha-ha! Did you think we’d leave our weakness exposed forever?” Barbarian shamans, while spiritual leaders, lacked practical power. As a result, they were vulnerable to magic in large-scale battles. The priests of the Church of Salvation had now filled that gap, bolstering the barbarian forces. “Push forward! Their numbers are far smaller than ours! We can crush them all!” Although they had suffered some damage, it wasn’t enough to cause concern. Confidently, Woroca shouted and spurred his warriors on. Thud, thud, thud! With the issue of magic attacks resolved, the warriors charged forward with maddened expressions. “Ha-ha-ha-ha! Finally, we’ll taste blood!” 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎 “Kill all the men and—no, kill everyone!” “The North will belong to us!” Anticipating the bloody feast to come, they galloped forward with ferocious glee, ready to unleash the fury they had long held back. But as they charged toward the Rayfold army with savage momentum, they were soon met with an unexpected obstacle. Neighhh! Crash! The central ranks of the leading charge began toppling as they hit something. “Argh! What’s happening?” “It’s a trap!” “Stop! Slow down!” As the lead ranks collapsed, those following behind became entangled and fell as well. It was impossible to slow down mid-charge. “It’s stakes! They’ve planted stakes!” The charge was disrupted by low stakes scattered across the ground. Barely visible until close, some of the stakes were even connected by ropes. Horses galloping at full speed stumbled over the stakes or became entangled in the ropes, losing their balance and crashing to the ground. Hearing the cries of his warriors, Woroca ground his teeth in frustration. “Damn them for such petty tricks...” They must not have had enough time to dig proper trenches, so they resorted to this crude tactic. It was undoubtedly effective. Though only a small portion of the central formation was disrupted, it was enough to create noticeable chaos. In other words, that was all it amounted to. The warriors on both flanks continued charging toward the Rayfold army. “Central warriors, dismount! Push forward on foot! Our numbers are overwhelmingly superior!” There might be more stakes ahead, and the leading cavalry in the center was already entangled with the fallen horses. The traps only affected the vanguard. The units following behind could either avoid or trample over them without issue. “Waaaaah!” Aside from those crushed beneath the hooves of the horses, the damage wasn’t significant. The barbarian warriors in the central formation abandoned their mounts and charged forward on foot. The warriors following behind also dismounted. Since the charge had been disrupted, the advantage of cavalry was already lost. Thud, thud, thud, thud! While the central formation ran on foot, the flanks maintained their momentum. “Dieeeeeee!” The barbarian warriors roared as they closed in on the Rayfold forces. Amelia, calmly observing the scene, issued another command. “Open the path.” At her order, the formation of the Rayfold army shifted. Clank! Clank! Clank! The soldiers parted, creating gaps in their lines. A corridor opened right in the path of the charging barbarians. With the central vanguard slowed, only the flanking forces of the barbarian army advanced into the empty passage. “Huh? Huh? They’re not blocking us?” The barbarian warriors, already caught in the momentum of their charge, couldn’t stop. That’s the nature of a cavalry charge—if the vanguard halts abruptly, the rear collapses. Until they collided with the enemy, there was no way to stop. “What? What? What’s going on?” The barbarians had no choice but to keep moving down the open corridor. Then the Rayfold formation shifted again. Clank! Clank! Clank! The soldiers turned and raised their shields. The barbarians tried to strike the soldiers as they passed, but their weapons merely glanced off the sturdy shields. Most of the barbarians on the flanks ended up fully inside the Rayfold formation. Amelia issued another command. “Seal them in.” Clank! Clank! Clank! The soldiers at the front of the Rayfold formation closed ranks, raising their shields and blocking the passage. The barbarians who hadn’t entered the corridor slowed upon seeing the situation ahead, only to be stopped by the Rayfold soldiers. Amelia’s next command came swiftly. “Bring them down.” The soldiers surrounding the barbarians raised their shields, and hooks suddenly protruded from below, slashing at the horses’ legs. Slash! Slash! Slash! Neighhh! The horses screamed as they collapsed from the sudden attack. Naturally, the barbarians atop them tumbled to the ground in a tangled mess. “Argh!” “What the hell is this?!” “Get up! Fight back!” But the chaos made it nearly impossible for them to stand. The few warriors who managed to rise brandished their axes with fierce intent, but they were met with solid walls of shields on either side. “Damn it! Break through! We need to get out!” Clang! Clang! Clang! They tried to bash their way through the shields, but the Rayfold formation didn’t budge. The soldiers’ movements were astonishingly precise and unyielding. Amelia had tirelessly trained her troops, using her knowledge and skills to ensure they would respond to her every gesture without hesitation. What stood before the barbarians was a seamless, unified army. Amelia, gazing at the barbarians trapped within her forces, spoke coldly. “Kill them.” Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! The hooks retracted, and the shields returned to their positions. Immediately, gaps opened between the shields, and countless spears thrust forward. Thud! Thud! Thud! “Arghhhhh!” The barbarian warriors trapped within the Rayfold formation were helplessly struck down. Surrounded by unyielding shield walls, there was no escape. Clang! Clang! Clang! No matter how hard they struck with their axes, the shields didn’t falter. To break through such a formation required either overwhelming numbers or immense force. Being surrounded and trapped left no options. Especially when faced with a well-trained and disciplined elite force, escape was nearly impossible. “Arghhhhh!” The screams of the trapped warriors echoed across the battlefield. Woroca, his face contorted with rage, shouted, “They moved the center forward on purpose! To draw in the flanks first! Push the center forward! Rescue our warriors! Reinforce the flanks with additional forces!” An army this large couldn’t move as one. It had to adapt and react organically to the enemy’s tactics and traps. The reserve barbarian warriors charged toward the flanks of the Rayfold army. Thud, thud, thud, thud! They had already identified the traps and tactics. At this point, there was no way the enemy could set up another corridor. All they had to do now was press forward. Reinforcing the flanks to rescue the trapped warriors would take some time. Meanwhile, the dismounted barbarians in the central formation quickly approached the Rayfold lines. “Waaaaah!” Their fierce war cries reverberated across the battlefield. Their savage momentum seemed as though it would rip apart anything in their way. In stark contrast, the Rayfold soldiers remained silent. Their cold, emotionless expressions showed no reaction to the chaotic atmosphere of the battlefield. They simply extended their shields, as trained, in response to Amelia’s orders. Clank! Clank! Clank! The fiery charge of the barbarians finally collided with the steady, icy defense of the Rayfold army. Boom! The axes of the barbarian warriors struck the Rayfold shields.