Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 488 - 488 228 Tactics Are Unpredictable_2

488: Chapter 228 Tactics Are Unpredictable_2 488: Chapter 228 Tactics Are Unpredictable_2 The situation at hand was far better than expected.

The traces of battle were evident in the tributary countryside suitable for crossing the river.

At the village camp taken from the Urians, there were some wounded soldiers, but the casualties for the army covering Eriv’s retreat were not serious.

Upon inquiry, Baron Anquela revealed that the thousand-strong Urian reinforcements had lacked fighting spirit.

They had only launched a few probing attacks before retreating.

….Leon couldn’t help but marvel that in warfare, so few things ever go according to plan.

But regardless of the twists, a victory had ultimately been achieved.

Although the unexpected appearance of enemy reinforcements forced the 2,400-strong flanking unit to split, with half protecting the rear and intercepting the enemy, making it impossible to seal off all their retreat routes and annihilate them entirely, the 2,000 Urian vanguard still paid a heavy price.

It was, without a doubt, a resounding victory.

Close to an hour later, nearing dusk, eight hundred River Valley County infantry returned and joined forces at Beyerl Village with Eriv’s seven hundred cavalry units, as well as the thousand-plus troops under Anquela.

Without hesitation, everyone took advantage of the temporary camp the Urians had established outside the village, along with a significant amount of food supplies stored within.

Finally, the army that had been on the move all day could rest.

…Throughout the camp, where fires and cookware were now blazing, the soldiers’ voices of celebration mixed with the aroma of food.

Having seized several days’ worth of rations from the enemy’s camp, Eriv generously allowed the entire army to indulge in a feast.

Outside the village, a few carcasses of warhorses left behind by the enemy also made sure the greatest “hero” of this battle, Death Claw, feasted on fresh horse meat until it was completely satisfied.

Leon, after participating in the nobles’ military conference, rushed over to Azeryan and the others’ camp before nightfall to check on the safety of his companions and his subordinates.

Upon seeing Leon arrive, Azeryan, Lokhak, and Zabron, along with their veteran guards, reacted calmly.

However, the Avalon cavalrymen, who had experienced the enhanced state on a real battlefield for the first time, couldn’t help but look at Leon with eyes full of fervent admiration.

“Hail, my lord!”

A few young men, fortunate enough to be recruited into the guard, stepped forward excitedly, straightened their backs, and pounded their chests in salute to their liege.

Even the worst performance among them had managed to take down at least two Urian cavalrymen.

Today, they didn’t just feel the exhilarating bloodlust of striking down foes; after the battle, they also experienced the admiration and respect in the eyes of their fellow Thorny Flower comrades.

Standing nearby, Knight Filipo was equally elated:

“It’s truly an honor to fight alongside you once more, Mr.

Leon.”

With a chest-thumping salute to the leader he now served, Filipo was all smiles, recounting how today, he had been fortunate enough to slay a Urian centurion.

This accomplishment had even prompted a rare visit from his long-estranged father.

As one of the less prominent second sons in his family, Filipo had, for the first time in years, finally seen such an expression of pride and gratified relief on the face of his father, Baron Anquela.

“Your strength…

it’s indescribable,” Filipo remarked with gratitude.

“I never thought I’d perform on the battlefield as valiantly as Sir Marcello or Sir Redo.”

The other three young knights newly enlisted in the order eagerly nodded in agreement, visibly inspired.

Leon nodded in response, unsurprised by the fervor of these young knights.

The title of knight, at its essence, was merely a reflection of noble identity and honor.

This wasn’t a game where gaining the title suddenly imbued a soldier with the extraordinary martial prowess and capabilities of a true “Knight of Valor.”

These four young Thorny Flower knights, though honed and trained over the years as noble attendants, boasted combat skills far exceeding those of civilian soldiers but still fell short of the seasoned prowess of knights who had survived countless battles.

Yet today’s battle, with the amplification from the Boiling Heart, temporarily elevated their strength to a level where they could match wits with ordinary Knights of Valor.

The left-wing Thorny Flower cavalry, with merely two hundred men, managed to pierce through five hundred elite enemy riders.

Though credit also belonged to the Griffin’s aerial assault, without the leadership of these suddenly appearing Avalon “warriors,” it would’ve been unimaginably difficult.

To make matters worse, the right-wing Thorny Flower knights suffered considerable losses today.

Thinking of the necklace now sealed into the Netti Card, Leon recalled what Kovis had said: even an entire imperial legion might only possess a few hundred Boiling Hearts.

These items were considered high-grade military equipment by the Mage Empire.

How one had been smuggled to the Western Continent and ended up in Dawson’s hands was still a mystery.

Of course, now it was his to use, and with Lady Aphrodite’s Netti Card Magic, this rare item could now scale its effects based simply on his own Magic Power levels.

Not long ago, he could only barely amplify six or seven people.

But now, as his Magic Power steadily grew, at maximum exertion he could already extend its influence to fifteen or twenty people.

Unfortunately, as Lola had noted when explaining it to him, the black Netti Card’s magic effects were ultimately limited, capable of amplifying at most around a hundred human targets simultaneously.

But considering his situation, that was already substantial.

The Thorny Flower family was newly revived, and excluding himself and Lokhak, it probably only had about a dozen Knights of Valor altogether.

If, in the future, he could truly mass-produce a hundred Knights of Valor to dominate the battlefield…

Anticipating such a scene overflowing with security and reassurance, Leon responded to everyone’s greetings, casting his gaze over the Avalonian soldiers gathered around him, his mind slightly at ease.

He didn’t need to count, as he could instinctively tell there were twenty people exactly.

Perhaps due to studying magic, his memory had improved immensely.

If he paid attention, he could remember the faces of almost every soldier he had encountered under his command.

At least among the cavalry he had led this time, Leon saw no casualties, only a few attendants with minor scratches.

“Knowing everyone’s safe gives me peace of mind,” Leon said, patting Sir Filipo’s arm.

If it were possible, he wanted to bring everyone back to Avalon, intact and unharmed.

Exchanging a few pleasantries, Leon left the cavalry camp.

The tent arranged for him was situated further away due to Death Claw’s need to avoid the warhorses while ensuring Leon could immediately take flight if necessary.

Walking over mud-filled terrain marked by the tracks of wagon wheels and hoofprints, Leon hadn’t gone far when he heard Azeryan’s call.

Turning back to see his close companion approaching, Leon stopped.

Azeryan caught up with him, a curious expression on his face.

“Leon, we’ve clearly just won a battle—why do you seem so unhappy?”

Leon froze slightly at the inquiry.

“Have I been that obvious?”

“Not that obvious, but I know you.

Whenever there’s something weighing on your mind, you tend to speak less.” Azeryan shook his head.

Leon bitterly smiled.

“Alright, you’re correct.”

He nodded toward his trusted companion, not hiding his inner doubts and worries.

“Not going to lie, during these past few days in Ustato, there’s been an idea that keeps gnawing at me.

I can’t tell if it’s good or bad…”

Leon looked down at the muddy soil, then upward at the overcast sky.

“I’m almost certain it can work, and it might yield miraculous results in ending this war quickly.

But I’m torn about the severe consequences it might bring once the war is over…”