When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 593 - 566: 2 Meetings

After the first wave of the Imperial Decree Company's failure, the subsequent three companies restrained themselves a lot.

Although they left behind a total of twenty-nine knights' corpses, it was still within an acceptable range.

Most of the knights were lightly wounded. After using Divine Art to sustain their lives, they drank potions and performed breathing techniques, allowing them to return to the battlefield the next day.

This is one of the foundations of the Extraordinary Knights' strength.

As long as the injuries aren't fatal, they can be saved, and they can even return to the battlefield after a few days.

Almost every half hour, Prince Kongdai would send out an Imperial Decree Company to attack, while prohibiting them from drinking potions.

When the Death Squad arrived, even the infantry were pushed to charge once.

However, Horn realized that Prince Kongdai was using them for training and held back from using the clock bombs and the last ten Red Dragon Breaths.

Since discovering that neither side intended to engage in a decisive battle, Horn and Prince Kongdai both concealed some of their resources.

Surrounding the wagon formation, the low-intensity battle dragged on from noon until evening.

It wasn't until the Salvation Army's reinforcements arrived that Prince Kongdai slowly retreated under the surveillance of the Kush Cavalry.

However, they didn't go far and instead camped at a farmhouse about five or six miles from the battlefield.

Prince Kongdai placed a piece of roasted magic beast meat into his mouth: "Were all the bridges and fords burned?"

"They're all burned. We couldn't even find a boat."

"Hmph, I knew it." The prince flipped the roast meat over and sprinkled some pepper, "Send this piece of meat to Lord Lakunio and say it's incredibly delicious... have Alfus and the others arrived?"

"They've arrived and are waiting outside."

"Let them all in."

Sitting regally on the soft chair, Prince Kongdai swept his gaze across the faces of the Company Commanders filing in.

Switching to a more comfortable position, the prince looked at Ailard, the last to enter, and asked, "Does the Salvation Army know that Moliat is coming to aid us?"

"Those two Service Soldiers and the Saint Sun's Army, I've interrogated them. They didn't know at least before today."

Though Ailard had fled twice, he was an old hand by the prince's side and wasn't easily punished, just stripped of his position as an Imperial Decree Master Company Commander.

The prince leaned his head against the chair back: "Are you saying my knights are colluding with the enemy?"

"Hard to say." Ailard scratched his head, "I trust the credibility of the Imperial Knights, but they've captured many Hired Knights, and they can't keep their mouths shut."

"As long as the Imperial Knights don't speak carelessly, the information below is all sealed off. Galian, am I right?"

"Absolutely sealed off." Galian, who had been reprimanded, quickly stood up to respond.

Although Prince Kongdai's face was still slightly flushed, his spirits were better than in previous days: "Let's see what their posture is tomorrow. If they pursue, it means they don't know; if they follow and harass, it means they know."

"Your Highness's insight." The Company Commanders immediately flattered.

Standing up from the chair, Prince Kongdai, who appeared more vigorous than before, walked over to the Company Commanders:

"Today's battle, my main goal was for you to understand what kind of enemy you face. You've seen the Devil Wind, you've suffered from the Lightning Witch; although that sonic orb didn't appear, you should be familiar with their methods now, and you won't be surprised later."

With his hands behind his back, he went to the Company Commanders' rear and sighed while shaking his head: "Feiliu Castle, a strategic location in the Thousand River Valley, has witnessed over fifty major wars throughout history, usually ending in victory for the nobles and the Church.

The largest uprising occurred decades ago, led by Shude Shao and Ah Fa brothers, supported by the former Duke Kush.

I had the honor to lead dozens of temple knights, crushing that rebel group with a great victory. Everywhere I went, believers sincerely welcomed me. It's hard to believe that in just a few decades, we've reached such a precarious stage."

"These short-haired farmers are just clowns..." Stenberg, the Death Squad's Captain, immediately chimed in with flattery.

Prince Kongdai scoffed disdainfully: "If you think so, you're the clown. The Salvation Army is definitely a worthy enemy."

Seeing Stenberg hesitating to speak, Prince Kongdai turned and moved towards his chair: "I think, if they don't know Moliat will come to support us, they will definitely dismantle their wagon fortification and confront us tomorrow."

"What if they keep hiding behind the wagon fort?" Alfus asked softly.

"Impossible. If we build a pontoon to cross the river, their food would be stolen for nothing." Prince Kongdai confidently drew a red circle in an area, "If a battle starts tomorrow, we must intercept them to ensure they don't unite with Moliat! Understand?"

"Understood, Your Eminence."

After receiving orders, the Company Commanders prepared to leave.

"One last thing," standing by the door, Prince Kongdai's voice was seductively devilish, "If I become the lord of the Thousand River Valley, would I stingily withhold a duke's or counts' positions? Gentlemen, strive hard!"

...…

About two miles from the battlefield, on a flat ground, was Horn's camp.

After dinner, Horn gathered everyone for a pre-battle meeting.

Unlike most strategic military meetings, which are small, Horn always conducted large meetings for tactical briefings.

Around the central campfire, Horn, along with the Guard Battle Group Commander Dass, Black Crown Battle Group Commander Jeska, and Holy Grail Cavalry Corps Commander Jeanne, sat cross-legged on a fur carpet.

Sitting on a circle of benches outside were twelve Legion Commanders and various cavalry team leaders.

Further out, twenty-four Child Soldiers and Frick Middle School student scribes were led by twelve Legion Secretaries, but they had no seats and had to stand.

And beyond them were various fifty-man unit leaders, though Horn did not require them to attend.

The reason for gathering so many people was to ensure that frontline officers understood what to do on the battlefield and why they did it.

This way, even if any unforeseen events occurred, the frontline officers would know whether to adapt and how to remedy the situation, which is very important.

"The greatest effect of the Hussite wagon fort tactic lies in forcing the enemy to attack," Jeska said, caressing the sword mark on a piece of broken wagon plank. "If the enemy bypasses us, it would be hard to achieve effectiveness."

The biggest problem with the wagon fort tactic, like the Crescent Formation, is that both are defensive formations.

If the enemy doesn't attack and chooses to bypass or wear down the defenders, it poses a big problem.

Throughout history, the Hussite wagon forts were undefeated, not only due to the brilliant command of the one-eyed War God and the benefits of firearm development.

The two most crucial advantages were "the knights' reluctance to retreat in front of lowly commoners" and "having the support of the locals, solving logistical issues."

Later, with the shift in the knights' mindset and the development of artillery, this tactic gradually faded into history, just like the Crescent Formation.

The problem Horn and his group faced was that the proud Prince Kongdai and the Imperial Knights, after a series of defeats, had bowed their heads before these commoners.

For the first time, both sides became equally matched opponents.

"In the end, we still have to set up our formation and fight a battle," Horn said, stoking the campfire with a branch. "We can't hide behind the wagon fort forever; this fort was originally set up to protect our people when they landed."

Hotam County is a good place; its advantage lies in its vast plains and fertile land.

However, Hotam County is also a bad place; its drawback lies in being too suitable for cavalry charges.

During these days at Feiliu Castle, Horn, with a map in hand, personally scouted the surroundings with André and others.

Eventually, he chose the battlefield to be beside this tributary of the Nao'an River, known as the Ham River.

There is a wide riverbank area, and in the transitional zone between the plains and the riverbank, there are undulating hills which, combined with the river, can effectively restrict enemy cavalry.

To this end, he removed all the boats, burned all nearby piers and bridges, leaving only the one the two legions had crossed during the day.

After the two legions crossed the bridge, they also completely destroyed it.

By itself, these actions would not completely trap Prince Kongdai in this region, but combined with Horn's Salvation Army, it was entirely possible.

Hakuto held the map: "We've already used the wagon fort to draw Prince Kongdai near the riverbank. If we take the initiative to attack, Prince Kongdai will definitely have to meet us in battle."

"What if they don't engage?" A voice came from the outer circle. A Frick Middle School student, holding a quill between his fingers, raised his hand to ask.

"Then we will follow them and attack their infantry," Horn said, drawing the river flow chart on the ground with a branch. "Drag them out for three to five days; with their supplies, they can't afford it."

Horn had sent cavalry in the early stages to constantly harass Prince Kongdai's supply convoys, even at the cost of destroying infrastructure or allowing looting, just for this moment.

"That's sneaky, really dirty..." someone muttered softly.

Several legion commanders and company commanders immediately stood up, their angry gazes sweeping through the crowd, causing those noticed to shrink their necks.

Horn merely laughed heartily: "War is all about playing dirty; there is no distinction between base and noble. It is, in itself, a product of unresolved political conflicts."

Jeska also smiled: "The war lessons can wait; let's first think about where to fight tomorrow, how the battle will go, and how to assign tasks."

Horn could not predict the future, so the specific battle plan had to be formulated before the battle.

This was already a quite advanced system. In this era, strategies were often decided only upon encountering the enemy.

Soon, the legion commanders and battle commanders started discussing, and according to the meeting regulations, conclusions were reached efficiently.

After thoroughly considering and dismissing several routes, a battle plan quickly formed in the hands of two staff officers.

"Alright, the plan is set, everyone eat and drink your fill, then go to sleep; rest well, tomorrow is our decisive battle."

Horn stood up, dusted off his pants, intending to leave, but no one echoed his sentiment; everyone was watching him.

A young soldier softly spoke: "Don't you have something to say?"

Horn was initially stunned, then realized with a start that, by custom, he should give a pre-battle motivational speech.

Though he had no script, Horn had given speeches too many times over the past year, having already integrated the knowledge from his days at the women and children's activity center speech class.

Clearing his throat, he strode over to the campfire and began to compose his thoughts.

After finishing his mental draft, he lifted his head to gaze at the crowd before him.

The pure moonlight spilled over each person's shoulders, blending with the flickering light of the flames, illuminating faces both young and old.

Some faces were familiar to Horn, while others he saw for the first time, but their eyes all shared the same clarity.

He opened his mouth, yet could not utter a word.

For the first time in a long while, Horn stumbled, the flames roasting his back as he struggled to find the right words.

After a silence lasting over a minute, Horn suddenly let out a bitter laugh:

"I know you all hope I can deliver an inspiring pre-battle speech, but I can't. This is, after all, an exceedingly difficult battle."

"I don't want to declare certain victory because I don't have the assurance of it."

"War inevitably leads to death. While I dearly hope to see more familiar faces after the battle, I know that's impossible."

"Tomorrow, people will surely die—it might be you, it might be him, it might even be me."

"Should we retreat, then? No, we choose to move forward because this is a war where there's no turning back, a war that decides our fate."

"This war doesn't just determine the fate of countless Thousand River Valley people now; it also decides the fate of countless Thousand River Valley people in the past and future."

"So, win or lose, our deaths will not be meaningless. History might not remember us, but people will remember history."

"I am here, merely hoping that you, that we, can look back on this life before we die, and say—"

"I have done what I ought to do."