Carlion smiled a little when he saw Shirak’s multi-layered defense. The enemy’s insight to ignore their feints and go straight for the main army caused the name of a certain person to flash through his mind.
As Carlion felt the tenacity of the Elks Clan that they failed to defeat, he muttered to himself, “Indeed. There was such a person within the Elks Clan, wasn’t there? The tactician that supported Touri’s rapid rise to power, the Silent Moon, Pale Symphoria.”
The guest general, Wyatt, advised that it would be a poor plan to attack, but Carlion insisted that they attack swiftly.
One reason was because they didn’t have time. That was true both for him and the Red King.
The other reason was because the enemy tactician, Pale, was probably waiting for reinforcements.
Shirak Town could only fit so many people. At most, just 2,000. Stopping the Red King’s massive army with just those didn’t match what he’s heard of the person known as Pale Symphoria.
Carlion believed Pale wasn’t the sort of person who couldn’t tell the difference between recklessness and bravery.
And if she was so calm, there must be a good reason why.
“Let’s see what you got,” Carlion said.
Carlion believed that it would take at most 5 days to defeat Shirak.
The battlefield was a place full of misinformation and wrong decisions. It was within such a battlefield that Carlion wove all sorts of plans as if in an attempt to prove who the greater tactician was. He even included his own death within the details.
Before Carlion stood Saldin’s platoon, which was burning with fighting spirit.
“Use them as you please,” Saldin said enthusiastically.
He was really glad to see Carlion standing in the battlefield once more.
“I want you to get the enemy’s attention, then go in and out of their range to figure out what their range is,” Carlion said.
“Understood!”
“Saldin, don’t just charge in recklessly, okay? Make sure to focus your attention in leading the cavalry. Give orders to the mixed army as well. Tell them to harden their defense and approach the town. Their job is to pull out the fences,” Carlion said.
After seeing off Saldin and his cavalry, Carlion continued to give one order after another.
“Our platoon, which is under the king’s direct control, shall move east. Be wary of your surroundings and gradually move to the north.”
Carlion had split the main force into three and mobilized them, then he sent out smaller platoons to serve as feints. The forces of the Red King looked like a swarm of ants as they came from every direction except the north.
The various commanders kept pace with each other through Carlion’s commands, as well as their own slight touches. Like this they gradually approached Shirak like a pack of beasts eyeing their prey.
But the counterattack from Shirak was not just adequate but also without waste.
They ignored the platoons that were only acting as diversions and attacked the platoons with long-ranged attacks when they reached a certain distance.
Arrows shot toward the approaching forces of Attibel, but these arrows were not just mere arrows, for they were powerful enough to penetrate their shields and armor.
“There is a powerful archer among the elves and the demihumans. There is no mistaking it now, is there?”
Carlion was sure of it now. The enemy was Pale.
The movement of the platoons had gotten a little chaotic after receiving the counterattack of Shirak, so Carlion gave some orders to fix that, but then the mixed army, which was closest to Shirak, received even more long-ranged attacks.
“Send the heavy infantry to the front, then after an hour, line up the spears.”
◆◇◆
“…”
Pale looked down at the swarm of enemies below from atop the walls of Shirak.
Pale quietly thought to herself.
It is said that the elves’ long ears allowed them to read the flow of the wind. And because of that ability to read that invisible flow, they could become exceptional hunters. They could even find their way in the depths of the forest, where humans would lose their way.
But even without that ability, Pale’s beautiful face as her hair fluttered in the wind, deep in thought, could pass for a painting and none would complain. It was so strange how despite all the ruckus and jeers down below, her surroundings were so quiet.
“One hour later, they will gather their troops and advance. Lure them to our traps, then shoot simultaneously. For now, Lord Tianos’ battalion can rest. We will hold out with Lord Zaurosh’ battalion alone,” Pale said without averting her eyes once from the direction of the enemy camp. Her eyes narrowed a little as she gave those orders.
“Understood. We will hurry the men to prepare the arrows… Lord Pale, you should also rest,” Zaurosh said.
Zaurosh of the Leon Heart Clan was known to be a skilled general within the eastern parts of the continent. As someone who led a giant clan himself, he could easily prepare the things Pale needed with just a few words. Even better, the quantity he prepared was always correct.
Pale nodded and dragged her body to her room.
After closing the door, all alone, she closed her eyes. Reflected upon the back of her eyelids were the countless corpses of her comrades brutally murdered in cold blood.
“…It won’t be long now,” Pale muttered.
So filled with spirit was Pale that it seemed sleep would be difficult to find, but she still intentionally closed her eyes. Even as she slept, the fire of battle continued to burn within her.
Her battle continued yet.
