Chapter 297 - 227: The First Battle: Kalia Town

This was an idea that had just occurred to Levi. They were only five days’ journey from the Southern Territory. The road ahead was flat all the way; only this spot could be considered remotely defensible.

If the enemy captured this location, their supply lines would suffer a devastating blow.

Especially since the Skinning Clan was also nearby.

To be honest, Levi’s first impression of Earl Polhaidon had been very poor.

Most of this stemmed from the man’s incredibly cruel family maxim: A naked person has few secrets, but a flayed person has none.

His banner depicted a flayed man. Rumor had it that this man was the first person his family had ever flayed, and his descendants seemed to have inherited the hobby.

As a result, the Debei family did not have a very good reputation in noble circles.

"That’s not necessary. Duke Fulina will leave more than enough soldiers here. What we need to do is focus on establishing a bridgehead first."

Andao shook his head.

Despite how polite Earl Polhaidon seemed, if we dared to leave soldiers in his territory, it would absolutely cause trouble.

That’s why a matter like this had to be handled by a Duke like Fulina, not by a few minor Counts like us.

"Then let’s get going. We’ll leave this problem for Lady Fulina to solve."

Levi patted the dust off his rear and stood. He and Count Andao unbuttoned their pants to douse the campfire, then mounted their horses as the last group to cross the Stone Bridge.

...

As they advanced deeper into the Southern Territory, the enemy sent out an increasing number of scouts.

Even Count Andao’s cavalry scouts found the going tough, trading wins and losses with the enemy. In the end, they had to dispatch the Jackal Wolfman Scouts to easily regain the upper hand.

You see, the Warg Mounts ridden by the Jackal Wolfmen have soft paws. This means that even when they run, the sound is so faint it’s hard to hear, while the clatter of horse hooves is impossible to conceal.

Not to mention their keen sense of smell, which allowed them to detect the enemy’s trail from miles away.

Scouting is all about stealth and being the first to spot the enemy. In this, the Jackal Wolfman Cavalry completely crushed the human Knights.

The clearest example of this was when the Jackal Wolfman Scouts, after detecting the enemy from miles away, silently circled around behind them like ghosts and launched a surprise attack, dealing them a crushing defeat.

However, the enemy was remarkably resolute, leaving almost no survivors to be captured. This forced the entire Vanguard Army to rely on the frequency of enemy scout deployments and intel from the main force to assess the situation.

Their gut feeling was that they weren’t up against the main army of the Southern Territory, but most likely a single legion.

Another day passed. Around noon, with a light snow still drifting from the sky, Levi was squeezed into the army’s only carriage with Fatir, Sophia, and four Zor Elves, discussing magical theory.

Andao came galloping over in a great hurry on his Antlered Horse, a beast with a trace of Magical Beast bloodline.

"Levi, we’ve got a situation up ahead!"

Levi pushed aside the carriage curtain and jumped out.

"There’s a contingent of Southern Soldiers garrisoned in a small town up ahead. About four to five thousand of them."

"Four to five thousand men..." Levi pulled out a map and studied it for a moment before speaking. "That shouldn’t be one of Damon’s main legions. It’s most likely a conscripted lord’s army."

All of Debei’s legions follow the same organization: six thousand men form a legion, and twelve thousand form a grand legion.

A legion is almost never split up, as doing so would severely impact its combat coordination.

So, a force of four to five thousand points to only one possibility: their commander is either the lord of this town or another noble conscripted by Damon.

The three men exchanged glances, unable to hide their interest. After all, four or five thousand men was fewer than their own Vanguard Army. Even defending a town, a force that size wouldn’t be enough to stop them.

They could act without waiting for the main legion and claim the credit—and the honor of the first victory—for themselves.

It wouldn’t even be considered disobeying orders. After all, the very purpose of the Vanguard Army was to clear obstacles for the main force whenever they were able.

But whether to attack or not still required a careful comparison of their respective strengths.

"Is this place a strategic pass? One that’s easy to defend and hard to attack?" Count Tisi asked.

"No." Andao, who was in charge of scouting, shook his head. "According to the map, the town is called Kalia. It’s just an ordinary farming town whose only special product is cabbage."

"The walls are only Sanren Gao high—not even as tall as Levi’s Centaur Captain."

"The enemy has also spotted our scouts. Whether we attack, or retreat to a suitable position to build fortifications and wait for the main army, we need to make a decision as soon as possible."

"Could this just be bait?" Count Tisi’s brow furrowed. "To lure us into attacking the town, only for their main force to perform a pincer attack?" Although he was eager for glory, war was no game. They had to be extremely cautious.

"We can’t rule out that possibility. That’s why I think we should surround the town, send my scouts to sweep the area, and only launch an all-out assault once we’ve confirmed there are no other enemy forces nearby."

"Even if they have a main army, as long as it can’t get here in time, we can still take the town."

Levi had thought it through, offering a prudent suggestion.

’A pincer attack only works if the target is already bogged down in a heated battle, unable to watch their own rear. Only then can a tactic like that succeed.’

’Otherwise, trying to swallow our thirty thousand prepared men would be no simple feat.’

"I think Levi’s proposal is good," Andao said, neatly folding the map and tucking it into his clothing. "As long as we take the town with extreme speed, we can occupy it and defend, even if their main army shows up later."

Although the town’s walls were practically nonexistent, once their thirty thousand men were stationed inside, they could create adequate natural fortifications out of ice in a very short time. An enemy force would need at least twice their numbers to have any hope of taking it.

Tisi had been inclined to take the glory from the start. Since the other two were in agreement, he had no objections. "Then let’s give it a try," he said.