"What the?!"
"It's an ambush! The enemy is ambushing us!"
Arrows suddenly rained down, throwing the Brans Army's formation into disarray.
I quickly grasped the situation.
Unfamiliar soldiers were attacking the flanks of the Brans Army from both sides, tightening their formation like a vice.
'...What is this?'
At a glance, the number of soldiers seed comparable to the 8,000 strong Brans Army. A force of such magnitude had appeared out of nowhere to launch this ambush.
"This... this is...!"
Kane, utterly baffled, looked around in shock, unable to comprehend the unfolding chaos. Just then, a man approached us rapidly.
Judging by his attire, he wasn’t part of the Brans Army but rather belonged to the attacking force.
The man stopped in front of Kane and posed a question.
"Are you Sir Kane of the Lunarian Army?"
"Y-Yes, that's ."
"As I thought. You are just as described."
The man removed his helt and introduced himself.
"I am Kale, the vice-commander of the Raven rcenary Corps."
'The Raven rcenary Corps?'
The na instantly struck a chord in my mory.
The Raven rcenary Corps—a specialized unit of "Raven Archers." Hiring them required clearing specific events and fulfilling certain conditions, as well as paying a hefty sum. Although their numbers weren’t impressive relative to the cost, their offensive and defensive capabilities far surpassed those of regular archers, making them invaluable once recruited.
This ga had other unique rcenary groups besides the Raven rcenary Corps, but that was beside the point.
The problem was that this group shouldn’t have appeared at this juncture.
'If my mory serves right, they aren’t supposed to be here yet.'
To recruit the Raven rcenary Corps, the first prerequisite was conquering three castles. With that initial condition unt, their sudden arrival to assist us was baffling.
Kane, still struggling to believe the situation, asked, "How did you recognize ?"
"I will explain later. Right now, aren't you under attack by the Brans Army?"
"That's correct."
"We’ll assist you."
With those words, the man departed. As soon as he left, I raised my voice as loud as I could.
"All troops, charge!"
"Uwaaahhh!"
The morale of our soldiers soared with the unexpected reinforcents. They charged fearlessly into the overwhelming 8,000-strong enemy force, while the Brans Army, already disorganized by the ambush, began collapsing like a house of cards.
Even though our combined forces were slightly less than 8,000, the addition of the Raven rcenary Corps made the battle feel winnable.
Moreover, the man had made a cryptic comnt to Kane: "You are just as described." Slowly, it started to dawn on why I had positioned Kane at the forefront of the vanguard.
At that mont, Kane turned toward , his voice trembling with disbelief.
"Swen... Did you anticipate this outco?"
I closed my eyes slowly, pretending to be soone who had foreseen it all.
"Thankfully, they arrived in ti."
Even as I said it, I couldn’t help but inwardly scoff at how convincing it sounded. Anyone would see as an all-knowing, brilliant strategist.
"This... this can't be. Swen, just who are you...?"
Kane was probably overwheld with astonishnt by now. And in his mind, one thought must have solidified: "We must listen to Swen's advice no matter what." Even if that thought hadn’t fully taken root yet, I was confident I could prove it over and over again.
After all, my predictions were 100% accurate, without exception.
Which ant, in this war too, victory was assured. If it weren’t, my prediction would have led to the conclusion that we needed to retreat.
With a confident expression, I shouted to the soldiers once more.
"Victory is ours! Fight with everything you’ve got! Let’s protect Zeilant with our own hands!"
*****
"Stay calm! Stay calm and hold the line! Prioritize taking down the archers!"
Despite the sudden ambush from both flanks by the archers, Carlints, who led the vanguard of the Brans Army, managed to rally his forces and restore order to their chaotic formation.
'Damn it!'
Observing the battlefield, it beca clear there were far more archers than expected. It was hard to confirm, but the fear crept in that their numbers might actually surpass 8,000, surrounding his army in a terrifying encirclent.
"Argh!"
"General, you must retreat!"
"What nonsense...!"
Before Carlints could finish, the lieutenant next to him let out a death cry as an arrow pierced through his skull, killing him instantly.
Startled, Carlints reluctantly turned his horse to withdraw.
'I can’t just retreat without capturing Zeilant...!'
This expedition was ant to establish dominance over the central continent. They had already crushed the Walnut Army, which had previously humiliated them. There was no way the Brans Army could falter against the Lunarian Army, whose strength was less than a third of the Walnut Army’s.
Still, as much as he hated to admit it, the pressure was mounting. Carlints’ usual calm was beginning to erode under the weight of his frustration and the need to prove himself against his elder siblings.
Even so, he refrained from recklessly unleashing his forces in a fit of rage. Assessing the situation, he determined that if the archers were neutralized, his forces could easily crush the Lunarian Army’s vanguard.
"Don’t panic! Divide into three groups and prioritize neutralizing the archers on the flanks! We outnumber them! Don’t falter—divide and conquer!"
Carlints issued his orders, and the soldiers split into three units, engaging the archers on the flanks and the Lunarian Army head-on. Despite so losses, Carlints was confident they would erge victorious if things continued as they were.
'But where did these archers co from?'
The archers didn’t bear the markings of the Lunarian Army. That ant they must be an external force—rcenaries, perhaps.
But how could a small army like the Lunarian Army afford to hire a rcenary group of this scale? Moreover, after a few skirmishes, it was clear these troops weren’t ordinary. Their skills were exceptional, even if Carlints loathed admitting it.
If the Brans Army’s infantry had been slightly fewer than 8,000, they might have been overrun.
'Damn it!'
Still, if he could seize victory here, it wouldn’t matter. Capturing Zeilant would make the losses of a few thousand soldiers justifiable.
As he fought, that thought lingered.
"Ca-Carlints, sir! From behind! They’re coming from behind...!"
"What is it?!"
A soldier rushed toward Carlints, panic written all over his face.
"From behind... an enemy ambush!"
"What?!"
Carlints’ face twisted in disbelief. They were already ambushed from both flanks, and now there was an attack from the rear? If enemy forces struck from behind, it would devastate the soldiers who had been divided to deal with the flanking archers.
It all made sense now. The staggered ambushes had been carefully tid for this exact purpose. Realizing he had been dancing in the palm of soone else’s hand, Carlints clenched his jaw, his thoughts spiraling.
'Damn it... where did it all go wrong?'
The intelligence reports had indicated only about 3,000 soldiers in total. Had they hidden this many troops, lying in wait for the perfect mont to strike? In hindsight, it was suspicious that the Lunarian Army, despite being so close to the Brans Army, had shown no signs of preparation for battle. Even as the Brans Army conquered neighboring states, including the Walnut forces, they had seed strangely relaxed.
But now it was clear. It had all been a ploy to lull the Brans Army into a false sense of security. The fact that they were now on the verge of annihilation was the ultimate proof.
'Lunarian Iniang... what a terrifying woman...'
"You must retreat, sir! At this rate, we’ll be wiped out. Please, make the call!"
Another lieutenant, desperation in his voice, pleaded with Carlints. After a mont of hesitation, Carlints made his decision.
First, the flanks. Now, the rear. There was no guarantee another ambush wasn’t coming.
"Retreat! All troops, retreat! Officers, relay the order imdiately!"
"Yes, sir!"
Turning his horse, Carlints ground his teeth in frustration.
'Lunarian...! I’ll repay this humiliation with my own hands...!'
*****
Near the walls of Zeilant Castle:
"Haaah!"
Tifa, wielding a massive axe, stood at the gates, cutting down enemy soldiers with brutal efficiency.
"Stop coming at one at a ti, you bastards! Co all at once!"
"Hyah!"
Beside her, the ruler Lunarian Iniang led the charge with a sword, tearing through enemies at the forefront. Unlike Kane and I, who stayed in the rear issuing commands, these two generals took to the battlefield directly, their overwhelming strength making them nearly unstoppable.
The enemy besieging the castle was the Garmil Army, led by Garmil Retas, who watched the battle unfold with a grim expression.
The situation had reached a stalemate. The Garmil Army had brought 4,000 soldiers, while the defenders appeared to have fewer. While defending a castle was inherently easier than attacking one, the two monstrous won at the gates made breaching the walls seem impossible.
Garmil muttered to himself, "The only reason we even attacked was because of the pact with the Brans Army."
For now, the Garmil Army was rely testing the defenses, sending a few hundred soldiers at a ti to probe the enemy’s strength.
"Lord Garmil, how long do we continue this futile skirmishing?"
His strategist’s question prompted Garmil to nod slowly.
"Word will soon co of the Brans Army’s assault on the castle. We’ll make our move then."
There was no need to risk their lives unnecessarily. Once the Brans Army breached the castle, they could join the battle. But the prolonged delay was worrying.
According to reports, the Lunarian Army had only around 3,000 soldiers. Even if they had dispatched so to form a vanguard, it was unlikely they could hold off 8,000 Brans troops for this long. The Brans Army was no ordinary force; they were practically the undisputed rulers of the central continent.
'What could be causing this delay?'
At that mont, a scout galloped toward him.
"My lord!"
"What is it?"
"The Brans Army... The Brans Army has been defeated and is retreating!"
"What?!"
The Brans Army defeated? Their 8,000 soldiers, crushed by fewer than 3,000 Lunarian troops? Judging by the number of defenders still at the castle, they likely had even fewer than 2,000—possibly just 1,000. And yet, they had held off and routed the Brans Army?
Moreover, the fad female general of the Lunarian Army was here, fighting in front of him. The only remaining commander was that old man.
None of it made sense, but Garmil knew what he had to do.
"My lord, what are your orders?"
"Hmm..."
With the Brans Army in retreat, there was no reason to fight to the death. Garmil quickly made up his mind.
"Withdraw the troops! We’re returning to the territory!"
"Understood!"
The Garmil Army swiftly reorganized and began their retreat.
Watching them flee, Tifa turned to Lunarian.
"What’s this? They’re running without even putting up a proper fight. Should we chase them?"
"...No, let them go."
Lunarian lowered her weapon and assessed the situation.
Had they managed to hold them off?
'Did we... protect Zeilant Castle?'
"Uwaaaaaahhh!!!"
The defenders erupted in cheers, their voices echoing around Lunarian as they watched the enemy retreat.
The large-scale siege of Zeilant Castle by the Brans and Garmil Armies had ended.
The victor was Lunarian Iniang.
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