The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 996: Volume 32: Dark Clouds Gather, - 14: Sweeping Through

Chapter 996: Volume 32: Dark Clouds Gather, Chapter 14: Sweeping Through

Yale finally took a breath. His Heavy Armored Cavalry had broken through the encirclement constructed by the opponents, which seemed to prove that the defensive system made up of Half-Beastmen and Barbarians was not impregnable. However, Yale tasted an immense bitterness in his mouth. To put it precisely, the opponent hadn’t truly defended against his Heavy Armored Cavalry at all. Aside from a continuous onslaught of Javelins, they had even purposely left a gap small enough for his Heavy Armored Cavalry to pass through.

It would seem like the opponent recoiled due to the impact force of his Heavy Armored Cavalry, but the gap that was let open wasn’t wide, and the Heavy Armored Cavalry, due to their high density, suffered a number of casualties several times higher than usual. Almost every Javelin caused a casualty among the Heavy Armored Cavalry—a brutal toll that Yale found unbearable.

What pained Yale even more was that the entire Light Armor Cavalry was encircled and annihilated by the opponent after the Heavy Armored Cavalry had broken through. Not a single cavalryman was able to escape from the encirclement. The opponent masterfully played a cruel game of striking the weak while sparing his Heavy Armored Cavalry but swallowing up the already exhausted Light Armor Cavalry in one go, using despicable tactics to extreme measures.

But this was as far as Yale could go. Sir Gray had safely retreated. The old fellow’s speed in fleeing was not inferior to those agile young men, and even Yale secretly admired this—if only he could maintain such responsive reflexes at that age, that would be perfect.

The fate of the Knights had been decided, and along with it, Yale had dragged his six thousand Light Armor Cavalry into the mire. Yale was furious with his own cowardice. Why couldn’t he have simply refused? Even if it meant being dismissed from his post, it would have been much better than the current humiliating rout.

Yale glanced at Sir Gray, who seemed to have aged many years in an instant. After their return, both he and Gray would probably only face a tragic downfall. But none of that mattered anymore. The loss of six thousand Light Armor Cavalry meant that the Attica Duchy’s mobile units on the Cartin Northern Front were entirely wiped out, leaving behind only the Heavy Armored Cavalry whose mobility was far inferior. And the several thousand infantry still stationed in Cartin City wouldn’t be able to gain the support of a striking Cavalry force to back their operations for a long time, which could turn this military campaign into an extremely ugly farce.

The complete demise of the Knight Group would also plunge the country into great political turmoil. Their loss could have even more serious consequences than that of the six thousand Light Armor Cavalry. Not because their combat power was so formidable, but because their influence could affect the entire direction of this military campaign. The Officials and Nobles at home would never tolerate their sons and daughters falling powerlessly as captives under the swords of the Caucasus Barbarians. And those Nicosians certainly wouldn’t stop there easily; they might retaliate with even more ferocious Power, perhaps not even allowing a moment’s respite.

Yale’s guess was correct. Just as he had barely managed to withdraw a hundred miles back to Cartin City to regroup, Scouts found the vanguard of the Nicosian forces—the Godeburg Knight Group—thirty miles away. Although the prominent figures of those Barbarians and Beastmen had yet to be seen, since the Godeburg Knight Group had appeared on the scene, they were unlikely to remain hidden for much longer. For the Attican Army stationed in Cartin City, this was undoubtedly a difficult choice between advancement and retreat.

The situation on the Southern Front was equally disheartening, and Yale’s ominous predictions had come true without exception, darkening his mood even more.

Despite the support of a powerful Cavalry Force as an auxiliary attack power, the Atticans still hadn’t found a suitable strategy to counter the exceptionally cunning and seasoned Fran. The Nicosians, relying on their powerful infantry force, pressed forward relentlessly, forcing the Southern Attican Army into two pitched battles under circumstances that were far from favorable.

The formidable magic power of the Nicosian Mages and the unexpectedly prominent Earth Dragon Battle Team gave the Attican Cavalry a hard time, especially those damned Puppet Mages who released Magic Metal Puppets that became like invincible killing machines on the battlefield. Even the strong Heavy Armored Cavalry were cut down like slicing vegetables in the face of these metal puppets, leaving corpses strewn across the battlefield. The Nicosian Mages, working together to launch Fire Magic Arrays, also exacted a toll on the infantry formations beyond imagination—the balance of war had undeniably tipped in favor of the Nicosians.

This war had lost any value and necessity to continue; further prolonging it would only result in more Attican bloodshed. Up to this point, the Cretans in the South were still entangled with a diversionary force from Livonia and the Nicosians, and they had even suffered a significant setback. Yale could not fathom how those incompetent Cretans could be so thoroughly tied down by a mere diversionary force; the situation sounded more like a wildly exaggerated tale.

Fortunately, Sir Gray seemed to have awakened from his previous dazed state, showing an extraordinarily calm and rational demeanor regarding the decision to either withdraw or continue fighting. In addition to dispatching a messenger back to report the current predicament to the Duke and propose further strategies, he had taken it upon himself to send envoys to negotiate with the Nicosians. While this smacked of overstepping his authority, it was undeniably a wise move.

"Well done! I will award medals to Baoling and Dragumo!" Komer drained his gin in one gulp, his extreme excitement making him restless, like an excited, angry lion, he paced back and forth on the soft carpet in his study.

"Boss, the envoy from Basarabia has also arrived. They’ve formally proposed a marriage request to Sir, perhaps stimulated by the events at Cartin," Puber said languidly, reclining on a sofa, "These Basarabians really know how to pick their moments, warming up to us the moment they see the situation turn. Boss, it seems that little skylark Furina might end up in your big bed as your prize soon, heh heh. I wonder where you’ve stashed Vero this time?"

Komer’s brow furrowed suddenly, his previous excitement cooling down as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him. Puber had mentioned the very issue that vexed him the most, but he knew it was something he couldn’t avoid.

(To be continued. For more information on what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, support the author, support authorized reading!)