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Rain was falling that day.

Kiaran stared silently out the window, watching raindrops slide down the glass, lost in thought.

Knock, knock.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Edmund entered the room, as usual, carrying a stack of documents that required Kiaran’s approval.

“Commander—”

“Edmund.”

“…Yes?”

“What do you think will happen?”

“What do you mean?”

Today, Kiaran seemed unusually contemplative. When Edmund asked what she meant, Kiaran clarified.

“It seems there’s less than two months left.”

“Are you talking about the Makstri situation?”

“Yes.”

Kiaran’s response made Edmund shake his head.

“I don’t know. I hope for success, but personally, I think the chances of failure are high.”

“Why?”

“No one has succeeded there before, have they?”

Iren Kingdom had its reasons for not being able to give up the gold mine.

As the deadline approached, it was likely that they would deploy their strongest troops, just as we had sent in our regular forces.

“If that happens, no matter how much they’ve improved through recent training, fighting with such a ragtag group will be impossible.”

“That’s true. But, you know…”

Kiaran turned her gaze from the window to look at Edmund.

“A single brilliant commander can dominate the battlefield.”

However, Kiaran then let out a slight chuckle.

“Of course, I’m not saying that’s what he is.”

She couldn’t help but be occasionally concerned about the situation, even if she didn’t want to admit it. Edmund remained silent, simply watching her.

* * *

Fire!

Whoosh!

Arrows shot up into the sky, raining down over the heads of the Iren Kingdom soldiers.

However…

Ting! Ting! Clang! Clang!

The soldiers of the Iren Kingdom, now wielding elongated shields, halted in place and skillfully raised their shields to block the incoming arrows.

These were actions honed through extensive training.

From the front lines, Acar observed the Makstri troops.

He had spent the past few days having many conversations with Manuen, his lieutenant.

Since Manuen had been stationed here for years, he knew much more about the battlefield than Acar, who had only been in command for a little over a month.

Acar reorganized his forces based on the information he gathered from Manuen. There wasn’t much to change, as their forces were already superior.

“Charge!”

“Haaah!”

“Kill them all!”

They were facing the criminal scum of the Baroque Kingdom who had always been trampled underfoot. Recently, something had changed, and they seemed completely different, but…

‘They still can’t beat us!’

The soldiers of the Iren Kingdom were fired up, fueled by memories of their recent defeat. This time, they were determined to reclaim their lost honor.

“Do not let your guard down! Remember, we are fighting trained regulars now!”

Acar’s voice boomed across the battlefield, and the Iren Kingdom soldiers swallowed nervously. The enemy, once easy prey, was no longer the same.

—Acknowledge what needs acknowledging. These are no longer the foes you used to know.

Acar’s words had shifted their mindset completely. The troops in front of them were no longer a disorderly mob; they were to be treated as regular soldiers.

“Haaah!”

“We’re about to clash!”

Boom!

The two armies collided with a thunderous impact.

“Kill them all!”

“Spearmen! Attack through the gaps in their shields!”

The soldiers of the Iren Kingdom pressed hard, with their front-line shield bearers holding back the enemy while spearmen in the second line launched their attacks.

But then…

“One, two! Push!”

With a unified shout, the Makstri troops of the Baroque Kingdom surged forward, thrusting their shields ahead with a powerful charge.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

“We’re being pushed back!”

The Iren Kingdom soldiers staggered, forced a step back and struggling to regain their balance.

At that moment…

“Retreat!”

Damian shouted to his troops.

The reason they had abandoned their defensive position in the fort and moved forward was simple: they planned to engage while retreating.

Their formation was specifically designed for easy withdrawal, and the Makstri soldiers quickly pulled back as soon as the command was given.

But it wasn’t just a retreat.

As the Makstri soldiers pulled back, archers fired arrows directly at the advancing Iren Kingdom soldiers, rather than into the sky.

At close range, shooting horizontally was just as threatening.

“The enemy’s attacking! Raise your shields!”

Lieutenant Manuen’s voice rang out.

Fortunately, quick reactions kept the damage minimal, but…

‘They’re using tactics like this?’

It was as if the enemy had split into two forces, using a guerrilla-style assault in open terrain, a strategy rarely seen in conventional warfare.

Manuen furrowed his brow.

“Pursue them.”

Acar ordered decisively.

This retreat was clearly meant to draw them in. Charging in recklessly might expose them to hidden traps.

‘But…’

They needed to discover what cards the enemy held in order to develop countermeasures for future battles.

Acar observed the opposing commander’s stern demeanor as he barked orders.

The enemy commander’s face was obscured by his helmet, but…

‘Is he really that good at psychological warfare?’

Acar was a master at driving people to their limits.

But putting that aside, the fact that he had turned irregular troops into such a formidable force spoke volumes about his skills.

‘And to think his personal combat prowess is equally strong.’

This meant he was at least a notable commander or officer with some renown.

Acar’s eyes sharpened.

This battle could not be taken lightly.

“Advance slowly while pursuing. They have nowhere to go but back to that base!”

This meant that the only long-range attacks they would face were arrows.

Acar immediately ordered his soldiers to raise their shields in preparation for the incoming arrow fire.

He advanced cautiously, anticipating potential traps, while keeping the pace deliberately slow.

“…Interesting.”

After one clash, the enemy’s adrenaline must have been running high.

Damian looked at the slowly advancing Iren Kingdom soldiers with a surprised expression.

Typically, those with the upper hand would become impatient.

“A new commander who knows his business, it seems.”

It was rare to encounter such a level-headed leader.

But even so, there wasn’t much the enemy could do here.

‘Let’s see how you cope with intense pressure.’

Cautiously watching for traps and maintaining a slow pace was a good move.

“Let’s see how you deal with the axe you’ve brought down on your own foot.”

Damian smirked and raised his hand. In that instant:

Creeeeak!

The catapult, perched at the top of the hill, slowly drew back.

It was the same catapult that the enemy had abandoned.

“You should know this—shields won’t save you from this.”

This was the same weapon that had put Damian’s forces in a tight spot at the beginning of the campaign.

Had it not been for Damian’s quick thinking, half of their troops might have perished.

And now, that very weapon was about to bind the enemy’s advance.

‘It’ll be your turn to get caught in a snare.’

Damian’s eyes gleamed.

“Fire!”

Thump!

As the rope snapped, dozens of rocks that had been loaded were launched skyward.

“Take cover!”

“It’s a catapult!”

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was as if the sky was raining disaster.

The stones rained down directly onto Acar’s advancing forces, and Acar gritted his teeth.

“Damn these bastards!”

How many tricks had they prepared?

But this was not the end of the onslaught.

The catapult’s rope was being pulled back, readying for another shot.

From the front, the enemy’s archers were already raining arrows, while the catapult was loading once again atop the base.

It was a precarious situation—if they didn’t retreat, they would be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Acar bit his lip.

In this situation…

“Increase your speed! Close the distance before the catapult is reloaded!”

This was meant to be a probing skirmish, but it seemed it would be far more than that.

Acar resolved to stake everything on this battle.

“I’ll lead the charge! Follow me!”

With sword in hand, Acar sprinted forward.

His soldiers followed behind him, racing after their commander.

Damian watched the enemy commander, who had come to the frontlines, and raised an eyebrow.

‘Charging in at the front?’

This guy clearly had supreme confidence in his combat skills.

Damian shouted.

“Hurry up the hill! Watch your footing as you move!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Makstri soldiers cautiously advanced up the hill, keeping a close eye on the ground.

Thud, thud, thud!

Suddenly, a different sound.

The ground trembled slightly as if it were shifting, catching Acar’s attention.

‘Could it be…?’

Acar shouted.

“Watch your step! There’s a trap! A trap!”

But even with that warning, they couldn’t afford to slow down.

The catapult was almost ready to fire again.

“Charge!”

“Run!”

The Iren Kingdom soldiers, feeling the pressure, gritted their teeth and chased after Acar.

Acar glanced at the path Damian’s men had just taken and focused on the ground.

Bushes…?

Bushes covered a hidden trap.

It was painfully obvious, but Acar had no choice but to stop.

“Damn it.”

Acar slashed away the bushes with his sword.

Slash! Slash!

Clearing the foliage revealed a deep pit covered by wide planks, serving as makeshift bridges.

The strange ground vibration earlier was caused by crossing over these planks.

Moreover…

‘Is this entire area… a trap?’

The bushes stretched wide, concealing a larger area than expected beneath branches and leaves.

How had they prepared all of this?

“You don’t have time to be impressed.”

Damian called out from the opposite side of the trap.

Acar turned his gaze toward Damian.

“What did you say?”

“We’re already prepared.”

“…Damn it!”

The trap spanned about 4 meters.

It was impossible for regular soldiers to jump across in one go.

However…

“You bastard!”

Thud!

Acar leaped across the gap toward Damian, his combat gear weighing him down, but his mastery of mana making the jump manageable.

Landing in front of Damian, Acar swung his sword at him.

Clang!

Damian swiftly blocked the attack with his spear.

“Do you think you can stop the soldiers of the kingdom with mere tricks!?”

“You think it’s just a trick?”

“Of course!”

Meanwhile, Iren Kingdom soldiers began crossing the planks over the trap, following the same path Damian’s men had taken.

If they could cross, then so could Acar’s forces.

But…

“Sorry, but this is the real deal.”

“…What?”

Acar’s eyes wavered slightly.

And at that moment…

Fwoosh!

The archers ignited arrows wrapped in oil-soaked cloth and fired them into the trap below the advancing Iren Kingdom soldiers.

The arrows ignited the explosive materials and sharp objects set beneath the pit.

“You… you wouldn’t…?”

“Correct.”

BOOM!

An explosion erupted, sending shards of metal and sharp rocks flying into the Iren Kingdom soldiers, engulfing them in destruction.

“This war will end in our victory.”

Damian declared his intent to Acar.