Imperial Throne

Chapter 199 : Battle Formation Slaughter

Chapter 199: Battle Formation Slaughter

The movement of a great army was something that could never truly be concealed.

Moreover, Yam had never intended to hide it from the beginning.

The fortress originally had only one thousand five hundred soldiers. After giving Sien three hundred men, there were actually only twelve hundred soldiers left within. However, Yam used some small tricks he had learned from his father, Ion, to disguise the fortress as if it still held more than two thousand troops. He waited until Akar arrived with reinforcements and supplies, finally raising the fortress’s true strength to over three thousand five hundred men.

So, when Yam decided to set out, he left only five hundred soldiers behind in the fortress and took the remaining three thousand all with him.

“Enemy movements?”

“The enemy army is also quickly mobilizing, and the commotion is not small,” a Bloodline Knight swiftly reported.

When Yam began gathering his army for assembly, he had already led a few Bloodline Knights acting as scouts to perform a quick reconnaissance. They were all among the veteran survivors from the first White Mountain Territory defense war. Following Yam, they had run back and forth across the Fertile Plains many times, familiar with the basic methods of reconnaissance, breakout, and counter-reconnaissance. Naturally, they had easily gathered a large amount of intelligence.

“In the three settlements to the southwest, there are indeed enemy soldiers. Their numbers seem to be around three to four hundred, not exceeding five hundred.”

“In the three settlements to the southeast, there are also signs of enemy troop movements. The scale looks to exceed two thousand, though the exact count is unclear.”

“About five hundred of them are beginning to gather near our target location. The enemy’s main force seems to be attempting to block our route south.”

Hearing this report, Akar’s face showed disbelief. “The enemy actually hid such a large force right under our noses? And we didn’t even notice?”

Yam’s expression also darkened. “So, we were indeed infiltrated.”

This time, Yam had not brought many Bloodline Knights from White Mountain Territory — only four. Therefore, in the early stages, it had been impossible for them to handle all the legwork themselves, relying instead on ordinary soldiers for reconnaissance. Yet the information they brought back seemed perfectly normal. Trusting his own men, Yam and the others had not thought much of it at the time, especially since those soldiers were all his private troops brought from his own domain.

Their loyalty, naturally, was beyond doubt — yet now, after encountering that enemy who could disguise identities, Yam finally realized that in a national-level war,

  intelligence gathering must be verified and filtered repeatedly.

After all, the wars he had participated in before were merely internal territorial disputes. The identities and abilities of his enemies were always crystal clear.

Not to mention, in those past wars, whether in arms, manpower, or personal strength, they had always held overwhelming superiority.

“Our troop numbers are now evenly matched,” Akar said gravely. “As for the enemy’s Bloodline Users—”

“According to Lord Tyrot and Lord Wade, the number of lower-tier Bloodline Users should not exceed forty,” Yam said in a low voice. “At least twenty have already been identified in the north, so even if there are more here, they shouldn’t exceed twenty. However———”

“But we didn’t even know the enemy had so many troops hidden in the south. So those forty low-tier Bloodline Users might not be the real figure, right?”

Yam nodded slightly.

White Mountain Territory and Gem Territory combined now had only thirteen Bloodline Users—two of whom had already died in the second White Mountain defense battle. So, even counting the Soderbell Family, along with Cindy and Annie, the total did not exceed twenty.

As for Third-Tier Bloodline Users, there were only two: him and Akar.

The intelligence from the southern region could no longer be trusted, while the report personally investigated by Aliman in the north revealed four Third-Tier Bloodline Users there.

So for now, Yam could only use that as reference: twenty lower-tier Bloodline Users, among them four Third-Tier.

“We must prepare ourselves mentally for at least five or six Third-Tier Bloodline Users on this front.”

“Shall I lead the charge?” Akar’s eyes gleamed with eagerness.

“Be cautious.”

Yam hesitated for a moment, then finally gave tacit approval.

By now, both sides had completed their full mobilization, forming two vast battle formations upon the grasslands.

The Aust Empire’s forces seemed intent on observing traditional war etiquette, even attempting to send someone forward to shout formal words before battle.

Unfortunately, there was no interpreter, and no one knew what that flamboyantly dressed man on horseback was shouting between the two formations.

Watching the man’s arrogant posture, Yam frowned slightly, a faint sense of foreboding rising in his chest.

“嗡一—”

In the air, the sudden hum of a bowstring trembled sharply.

The next second, that arrogant horseman lost his entire head.

“噢一—”

The Aust Empire’s formation instantly erupted into chaos.

At the same time, Akar had already charged ahead, leading five hundred soldiers as the vanguard, storming toward the enemy.

Behind him, another thousand soldiers quickly advanced in ordered lines—but they did not recklessly rush into the fray, instead maintaining a measured distance from the vanguard, cautiously following behind.

Yet moments later, they too were forced to charge forward—

For the Aust Empire had fully mobilized.

“Commander! Lord Bolens has been killed by the Tyrella forces!”

“I’m not blind!”

The young Aust Empire commander’s face darkened to a terrifying degree, his breathing growing heavy.

He watched as the envoy he had sent out to perform the formal pre-battle courtesy—hoping to “amicably” negotiate the timing of battle—was shot dead the moment he began to speak. The plan he had made to delay the battle by a day was now utterly ruined, and rage filled him.

“Damn Tyrella pigs!”

‘Do these barbarians not understand etiquette?!’

“They’re no different from beasts!”

“Damn it!”

As the commander cursed furiously, the enemy’s vanguard of about five hundred soldiers was already charging forward.

The adjutant beside him finally reminded, “Commander, our troops are furious.”

“Give the order! Full assault!” The young commander roared, “Transmit to all troops—whoever takes the head of that vanguard officer will be rewarded with one hundred gold orders! Any common soldier who succeeds will be instantly granted the rank of lord and all knightly privileges! Knights will receive a near-second-class war medal!”

The adjutant swiftly departed to spread the command.

In moments, the already enraged Aust army’s morale surged sky-high.

Under the commander’s order, over two thousand soldiers moved as one—unlike Yam and Akar’s side, they did not use a vanguard assault formation but instead charged with the full might of their entire army, a flood-like torrent crashing forward toward Akar’s troops.

At the forefront were two Third-Tier Bloodline Users.

In that instant, the enemy’s assault came too swiftly and suddenly. The thousand soldiers maintaining distance behind Akar could not join up with his troops in time, even as Yam immediately ordered a countercharge.

The battlefield situation turned in an instant—Akar and his five hundred soldiers became a lone boat swallowed within the encirclement of the enemy army.

“Damn it!”

At the rear, Yam swore loudly. “That idiot Akar—does he not understand the unspoken rule of war not to slay envoys?!”

“Lord Yam, I think even if Lord Akar knew, he probably wouldn’t care,” sighed a Bloodline Knight. “Given his temperament, since this battle was inevitable anyway, there was no reason to waste time. Besides—we didn’t have an interpreter, so we had no idea what the envoy was saying, right?”

“These Aust people are idiots!”

“Did they not think to bring someone who understands the Tyrella tongue to act as envoy?” Yam said incredulously. “If this is how they operate, how did they even manage to fight the Southern Army before?”

“Maybe their translators and envoys who knew Tyrella were already dead… and they assumed we had someone for that?”

Hearing the speculation from those beside him, Yam could only sigh helplessly.

The Aust Empire lay to the west of the Tyrella Kingdom. The ones most familiar with Tyrella were those under the Duke of the Black Hawk’s domain—but Yam’s own forces were far from that region. Besides, he was merely a family knight—no matter what unique status the Soderbell Family held within the Marquisate of Red Eagle, to outsiders, he was merely a fortunate knight who had married into a lord’s house.

So, how could he possibly have such a luxury as a personal interpreter?

The two armies soon collided completely.

The brutal slaughter and roars resounded endlessly.

Very soon, the scent of blood spread thickly across the battlefield.

However, Yam’s forces now found themselves forced to break through enemy lines—for Akar’s unit had been surrounded, and they needed to tear open the encirclement to reach him.

What angered Yam even more was that Akar showed no sign of retreat or breakout. Instead, he had adopted a circular defensive formation,

  entrenching himself at the enemy’s center and resisting assaults from all directions.

At that moment, he was no longer a lone boat, but an isolated island amid a sea of foes.