No matter how thoroughly trained, an ordinary person has clear physical limits. Unless it’s Diemonica, no human can engage in battle for half a day and attempt a night battle without rest.
In that regard, Fernandez was an exceptionally understanding commander. He readily accepted the exhaustion of his cavalry.
And for good reason. A typical ‘cavalry charge’ on flat ground, even just once, is back-breaking labor. Yet, the Beastman Cavalry had fought in the ‘hills,’ overcoming an ‘overwhelming numerical disadvantage,’ with ‘pursuers’ on their tail, and had charged ‘three times.’
But that didn’t mean they had to give up the advantage of a night raid.
“Uh… so… you’re saying we should go down to the base of the mountain?”
“Exactly.”
“Just leave them on the mountainside? By tomorrow, at least the vanguard will have set up camp on the plains. You… surely don’t mean to fight fifteen thousand troops on the plains, do you?”
“Well, if you look at the result, it’s similar.”
“Damn it. I don’t want a suicide charge. I have the right to refuse that.”
Fernandez chuckled at the Cavalry Captain’s grumbling. He shook his head and said, “I promise. You’ll never face more than double your numbers.”
With that, Fernandez ordered the Beastman Warriors to descend the mountain. However, he split the three hundred cavalry into six groups of fifty, each descending in different directions.
“I don’t know if you know about cavalry tactics, but Duke Sephor. Cavalry can’t perform tactical maneuvers when scattered.”
“First, don’t call me Sephor again. Only one person can call me that, and it’s not you.”
Fernandez stared at the Cavalry Captain’s sweaty face and continued, “And second, the cavalry doesn’t need to perform tactical maneuvers. Just stick to the area I mentioned and pick off the enemy as they come down.”
“…What if more than double the enemy shows up?”
“Then retreat and go wherever you want. Oh, in that case, try to stop by the Chieftain’s main camp. Your severance pay and penalties will be well taken care of.”
“I like you.”
The Cavalry Captain grinned mischievously. Fernandez nodded with a shameless expression. Wild beasts need to be handled fiercely, especially Beastmen. They’re the type who are drawn to the label of ‘bad guys.’
-Well, at least I’ve never been beaten in the ‘bad guy’ department.
‘Could the things I did in my past life even be described as ‘bad’ with such a cute adjective?’
-Then what? Rough?
‘Damn it.’
Faijashi and Fernandez laughed heartily.
Considering what had happened during the day, it was only natural that Duke Sephor had set up a textbook-perfect encampment. It took some time, but it was nearly impervious to night raids.
A bold field commander with just a handful of cavalry to ambush fifteen thousand troops would surely not miss this opportunity. The deep mountain night was lethally suitable for a night raid.
“The soldiers are overly tense.”
“They think they’re in a pursuit after a defeat.”
“We’ve never been defeated once!”
Duke Sephor growled at his knights. As a regional duke and great lord, he was a capable commander who had complete control over his vassals. His authority wasn’t so fragile as to be damaged without an actual defeat.
In fact, he and his forces had never been defeated. It was just that the situation had taken a strange turn. The only problem was that it remained a thought in the command’s mind.
The morale of the command directly affects the soldiers’ morale, but conversely, the soldiers’ morale often flows differently from the command’s intentions. The soldiers thought they had been defeated and were being pursued.
This isn’t a matter of persuasion. No matter how loudly the deputies shout about the eventual victory and the enemy’s schemes, ordering troops who have marched a long distance to march back home without visible results is no different from defeat.
“I’d feel less wronged if we’d at least been ambushed.”
Sephor sighed, clutching a wine cup. The silence of the mountains seemed to press down on the camp. Whose idea was it? Whose scheme was it?
-Fire! Fire!!!
-Water!! Pour water!!!
Then, shouts erupted from all directions. The knights and Duke Sephor inside the command tent almost simultaneously jumped up and hurriedly lifted the tent flaps.
And before their eyes.
The entire mountain was on fire.
The fire demon runs. Early summer, right after the rain. It’s not a natural wildfire. Even if you pour oil and gunpowder, it’s nearly impossible to start such a massive fire in this season and climate.
“It’s magic!! Where are the mages? Extinguish it! Now!!”
Duke Sephor shouted as he crossed the chaotic camp. His Palace Mages were seen preparing spells in the distance. Before his command, the mages were already attempting to extinguish the fire.
“Explain! What’s happening?”
“F-fire has broken out!”
“I have eyes, man! This is the first time your salary feels so wasted.”
The non-mage cowered in fear under Duke Sephor’s anger. Despite being much younger, the Duke was a natural leader. His eyes burned as if he could tear the mage’s throat out right then.
“Explain!”
“It’s magical fire. But there was no flow of magic. Normally, to wield magic of this scale, a wide detection of magical flow should have been detected beforehand. The duty mage, even now, there’s no flow of magic…”
“Speak in a way I can understand!”
“…So, it’s not that a mage cast a spell. They used a relic or potion!”
The mage blurted out with a red face. Duke Sephor clutched his forehead, paused for a moment, then shouted as if he could devour him.
“Why not. How?”
