Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters
Chapter 1231 - 38 Great Alliance Moves Forward (23)

Chapter 1231: Chapter 38 Great Alliance Moves Forward (23)

The sun set in the west, dust filled the air, and the distant battle was unclear. Only the tattered military flags appeared fleetingly amidst the smoke.

Bart Xialing urgently ran down from the high slope on the south side of the valley.

The warriors of Iron Peak County advanced simultaneously on the South Bank and North Shore, with the marching column extending deep into the valley.

Bart Xialing, rushing down the slope, aggressively cut through the marching formation, jumped into the torrent, and struggled towards the opposite bank. The orderlies and attendants at the foot of the slope were confused for a moment but followed him.

The river in the valley was swift, cutting the channel deep and steep. Scrambling up the North Shore, Bart Xialing couldn’t catch his breath and again sprinted until he reached Tamas, the true commander of this force.

"Hold on," Bart Xialing grabbed Tamas’ arm, urgently warning, "You, I, we only have two battalions!"

Tamas, fastening the chest plate, replied without lifting his head, "Not even two battalions, many have fallen behind."

"Then wait for them to catch up," Bart Xialing tried hard to persuade Tamas, "Wait for the vanguard of the Civil Guard Officer to catch up!"

Tamas tightened the four straps and tugged at his throat guard, ensuring the armor was firmly fixed, "The people of Mont Blanc County can’t afford to wait."

Bart Xialing was momentarily speechless. He lowered his voice, pleading like a subordinate, "At least... let everyone catch their breath."

"That’s impossible," Tamas, fastening the chest plate, shook his head, pursed his dry lips, looked sorrowfully at the soldiers beside him, and firmly refused Bart Xialing’s request, "If we rest now, just once sitting down... we’ll never stand up again."

All around Tamas and Bart Xialing, soldiers from Iron Peak County were on a small open ground at the valley’s exit, preparing weapons and donning armor. Musketeers untied the match cord from their wrists, passing the flame like sharing fine wine, distributing ammunition.

Every warrior’s face showed an unmistakable fatigue, yet their hands moved briskly and skillfully.

Compared to the chaotic noise from a distance, the valley exit was exceptionally quiet, with only occasional short questions and answers, and the faint rustle of preparations.

Tamas and Bart Xialing’s troops appeared in this location by chance and necessity.

The chance was that they followed the "Sixth Legion" flanking troops to the battlefield.

Winters Montagne had planned the gathering point for Iron Peak County Military at Snake Swamp, because the Iron Peak County Military command agreed that the Bod and Sanel units would converge within Snake Swamp — regardless of marching capacity, road conditions, or information from the direction of Bazenaur, all pointed to a battle location there.

Yet, when the Iron Peak County infantry crossed the eastern segment of Yunque Mountain overnight, the advance scouts returned with an overturning storyline: the Sanel unit passed through Snake Swamp without entering, directly heading for Changhai Town, and its strength was even greater than the most irresponsible preliminary estimates.

At dawn that night, Tamas and Bart Xialing successively received the difficultly delivered urgent orders: The entire army turns, rush to aid Changhai.

Thus, following the watershed towards Snake Swamp, the Iron Peak County Military changed direction, with the originally rear-echelon first and second battalions suddenly becoming the vanguard of the entire army.

It was in seeking a route out of the mountains that Tamas and Bart Xialing discovered the "Sixth Legion" flanking River Valley Village.

The two decisively decided: Follow the enemy.

Due to the "Sixth Legion" taking a large detour, and the Iron Peak County Military directly exiting the mountain through the valley, the latter wasn’t left too far behind, and both forces almost simultaneously reached the River Valley Village battlefield.

This was the inevitability within the chance: Wherever the enemy was, Iron Peak County Military would go.

But, they only had two battalions — to be precise, not even two full battalions.

This fact, Bart Xialing knew more clearly than Tamas. In face of the stubborn and rigid first battalion commander whose command rank was ahead of him, Bart Xialing’s patience was exhausted.

Bart Xialing pointed at the valley, shouting at the highest-ranking commander present, "Your men! My men! At least one-third got lost, fell behind, disappeared! And who knows how many can’t find their company, camp, just gritting their teeth to keep moving!"

"So no square formation, it’s impossible to use it," Tamas, unperturbed by the second battalion commander’s offense, picked up a stick, squatted down and drew a reality check, looked up at his old comrade, earnestly explaining, "We’ll use a line formation to face them, one in front, one behind."

"The enemy also has cavalry!"

"Use volleys to repel them, just like in the drills."

"Those were just drills! Never in actual combat!"

Tamas stood up, paused, and slowly said, "Then today we’ll give it a try."

Bart Xialing, nearly driven mad by the first battalion commander, couldn’t care less, pulled Tamas aside and revealed the real reason hidden beneath the various reasonable excuses, "I’ve just been up on the mountain looking at the battle conditions! Wait a little longer!"

Tamas was puzzled, "Mont Blanc County’s troops can’t wait."

"They can still hold on," Bart Xialing’s face was livid, "So I want you to wait! A little! Longer!"

Tamas’ expression turned serious, he directly asked, "You want them to bleed more?"

"The more blood they shed, the less we’ll lose — now, and even more in the future."

Tamas lowered his gaze, "But the Centurion’s order to us is ’engage on sight.’"