Chapter 9: Food for the Battle
Having made up his mind, Yeler stopped overthinking. Just as he wouldn’t agree with Sir Gray, he would surely agree with these simple-minded knights—in his eyes, knights were beyond question. Rather than letting those guys give orders pretentiously, it was better to take control himself. Intelligence had to be verified by his own scouts, and troop movements had to be planned by him. This way, at least the risks could be minimized. At the very least, he could intervene forcefully and withdraw decisively—as long as he kept the army under his control, things wouldn’t get too bad.
As soon as Yeler returned to his command post, he issued a series of orders. Almost all his scouts were sent out immediately to find out what the enemy was planning—understanding their intentions was of utmost importance.
Yeler wasn’t really worried about the enemy. After all, his own cavalry force was far superior to theirs. The advantage of cavalry lay in their mobility—even at the last moment when things went wrong, they could use their mobility to retreat. Or, once they entered the battlefield and realized the situation had changed, they could also withdraw quickly. Compared to infantry, the mobility advantage of cavalry was undeniable.
Bao Ling watched the distance impassively. The Thousand-Mile Mirror had already been equipped for high-ranking commanders. Though expensive, it was domestically produced, so Ko Mer didn’t skimp on it. Through the Mirror, Bao Ling could clearly see that the enemy’s knight corps was preparing to strike. Obviously, the cavalry force behind the knight corps wasn’t aligned with them, as could be seen from the distance between the two forces.
Cavalry scouts flew out like locusts, spreading out to both flanks—this was their main task: to prevent encirclement on the wings and also assess the strength of the enemy forces in the front.
Bao Ling wasn’t worried because there were no infantry forces in ambush on the wings, which wouldn’t go unnoticed by the enemy’s scouts. What he needed was to draw the enemy’s knight corps in. Only by holding them back and putting them in a difficult situation could he lure the Attic cavalry fully into battle. Otherwise, it would all be just talk.
To mobilize the enemy’s knightly forces, it would depend on the performance of Leclerc’s Homer Knights. They couldn’t appear too powerful, as that would frighten the Attic knights, nor could they seem too weak, as that would boost their confidence to carry out their tasks independently and delay the involvement of their cavalry, allowing them to escape the encirclement at any time. Leclerc hated this situation, having to use himself and his knights as bait—a task unappealing to any commander. Though he agreed to it, he was still displeased. But since he had committed himself, he must complete it successfully, as that was his principle. The horses under the knights moved like a group of dancing gentlemen, their rhythmic hooves keeping the formation orderly despite the chaos. The enemy’s knightly forces far exceeded theirs, but by leveraging the terrain and their preparedness, Leclerc skillfully controlled the situation. The Attic knights didn’t gain much advantage; though they seemed formidable in spirit, their results in the fierce battles were pitiful. Leclerc discreetly issued orders, and the knight commanders immediately passed them on to each knight according to their leader’s intent. The Homer Knights launched alternating counterattacks, forcing the Attic knights to constantly defend against ambushes. Their fierce retaliation left the Attic knights momentarily stunned—they hadn’t expected the Homer Knights to dare launch such a sudden and violent counterattack despite having the upper hand. By the time they reacted, the Homer Knights had already used the brief respite to quickly withdraw from the battlefield, infuriating the Attic knights. To be outwitted right before their eyes was unbearable; if the Homer Knights escaped, the Attic knights would have no face left to show. The Attic knights on the flanks immediately reorganized their formation and sped up, forming a pincer attack to trap the steadily retreating Homer Knights within the encirclement.
A faint smile appeared on Bao Ling’s lips. Jiang was indeed experienced and cunning; Leclerc had executed this move brilliantly. A counter-slap had left those self-proclaimed noble knights of Attica stunned. When they regained their senses, they would surely be furious at such a humiliating act. It wasn’t easy to remain calm while keeping an eye on the changing situation—especially for the leaders of the Attican Knights.
The formation of the Attican Knights was gradually expanding, and their pursuit speed was increasing. Under such circumstances, it was difficult to control the entire force of the knights. Bao Ling turned the Thousand-Mile Mirror further back, focusing more on the Attican cavalry behind them—those were the key players. Those knights were like showy peacocks; though they appeared dazzling, their actual combat strength was questionable. The real threat came from those composed cavalry, who were his true targets.
As expected, the cavalry behind them weren’t affected by the disarray among the knights. They continued at their own pace and speed, even maintaining their distance from each other, as if those knights had nothing to do with them. Of course, Bao Ling didn’t believe this. Knights had always been the foundation of a nation, especially in the countries of the Northern Alliance. Since the Attican knights seemed to have the upper hand for now, it was normal for the cavalry to remain calm. But what if the knights suffered a devastating blow they couldn’t accept? Could they still stay indifferent?
Bao Ling smirked coldly. It was time to teach those arrogant Attican knights a lesson. This might encourage them to perform more earnestly, making the drama even more intense and exciting.