The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 170

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The steady beat of war drums.

Accompanied by synchronized stomps, the sound reverberated across the battlefield as the allied forces steadily advanced toward Nardern.

Bertom's expression twisted into a sneer as he watched the slow but deliberate advance. "Fools! Do they think they can reach us at that snail’s pace?"

He raised his hand and shouted. "Fire arrows! Stop their advance!"

"Fireeeee!"

"Loose!"

At Bertom’s command, another volley of arrows launched into the sky.

Thousands of arrows darkened the air, casting shadows over the advancing allied soldiers.

But once again...

Boom!

The advancing allied forces halted in perfect unison, raising their shields to meet the arrows.

Thwack! Clang! Thud!

Arrows struck the shields or fell harmlessly to the ground, and the formation remained unbroken.

Bertom's brow furrowed deeper.

"They’re like turtles... slow and armored, steadily closing the distance," he muttered.

Watching this, his lieutenant offered a suggestion.

"Their spacing is much wider than a standard formation. Shall we deploy the cavalry to break through their lines?"

"Hmm..."

Bertom contemplated the idea.

While the cavalry would need to cover considerable ground to reach the enemy, continuing to fire arrows seemed pointless. It only wasted ammunition without achieving any significant result.

Looking at the allied forces' unusual formation, he noted its peculiarities.

The front-to-back spacing was tight, but the left-to-right spacing was noticeably wider—at least a full step apart, unlike the typical half-step spacing in standard defensive formations.

"They’ve prepared well against arrows," Bertom mused.

The extended width allowed many soldiers to remain out of the effective range of arrow fire.

But once the formations clashed...

"That’s when this formation will crumble," he thought.

The wide gaps between soldiers would make the line fragile and vulnerable during melee combat.

The lieutenant's suggestion seemed viable.

"If executed properly, the cavalry might even decimate part of their forces."

Finally, Bertom nodded decisively. "Deploy the cavalry. Smash their formation completely!"

"Yes, sir!"

Bwooo! Bwooo! Bwoooo!

"Deploy the cavalry! Deploy the cavalry!"

At the order, the lead imperial commander mounted his horse, fixing his helmet and brandishing his spear.

"Let’s go! We’ll crush these arrogant fools who dare to step onto our land!"

"Hyah!"

Dududududududu!

Five hundred cavalrymen charged with tremendous momentum.

Instantly, the rain of arrows ceased.

It was only natural—friendly fire could wreak havoc on their own troops.

But just as the cavalry surged forward...

"All troops, halt! Third and Fourth Divisions, prepare throwing spears!"

Kiaran’s sharp command rang out, cutting through the din of battle.

The Third and Fourth Divisions promptly lowered their shields, reaching for the short spears slung on their backs—specifically designed for countering cavalry.

"Third and Fourth Divisions, prepare to throw!"

"Ready for orders!"

"Spears prepared!"

The division commanders shouted in unison, confirming their readiness.

Kiaran watched the cavalry close the distance and gave the order.

"Throw!"

"Third Division, throw!"

"Fourth Division, throw!"

Shhhhwhoooosh!

Thwack! Crack! Thud!

The devastating difference between arrows and throwing spears was immediately apparent.

Though fewer in number, the combined might of over 4,000 soldiers throwing their spears simultaneously was catastrophic.

"H-huh?!"

"Throwing spears! Scatter!"

"Evade to the right! Retreat!"

The imperial cavalry, caught within the lethal range of the spears, fell into disarray.

Thwack! Crash! Boom!

"Aaaaargh!"

"Neighhh!"

"Uwaaahhh!"

Horses and riders alike tumbled to the ground, unable to withstand the rain of spears.

Seeing the devastating impact of the spears, the allied division commanders promptly issued retreat orders.

"Fall back! All units, fall back!"

Bwoooooo!

At the sound of the retreat horn, the soldiers swiftly withdrew, shields raised, moving back to safety beyond the range of enemy archers.

Once out of range, Kiaran commanded.

"Reform ranks!"

The allied forces reassembled, preparing for another round of advance.

This cycle would repeat for the next five hours, Kiaran had planned.

The Nardern defenders would be denied any chance to rest, constantly under the pressure of relentless attacks.

Dianal, observing the scene, muttered in disbelief.

"...This is ruthless. Are they really going to keep this up for five hours?"

"They’ll rotate divisions every five hours to maintain stamina," Damian explained.

"The enemy will think we’re making a real attack, won’t they?" Dianal asked.

"Of course. At this distance, it’s impossible to assume otherwise," Damian replied.

The knowledge that an Aura Master was among the allied forces would only heighten the enemy’s anxiety.

An Aura Master approaching the walls was nothing short of a nightmare for the defenders.

Turning to his own men, Damian issued an order.

"We’ll move toward the eastern wall. Make sure we’re highly visible to split their forces further."

"Understood. We’ll prepare immediately," Dianal responded, moving quickly to ready the soldiers.

Though the Caion Unit numbered only 300, a mere fraction of the tens of thousands clashing on the battlefield, it was more than enough to draw the enemy’s attention.

As Damian led his unit toward the eastern gate, he glanced up at the sky.

"Seventeen hours... That’s how long they’ll face a hell they’ve never known."

With a steely resolve, Damian and the Caion Unit moved into position.

***

The cold dawn wind had begun to blow.

“Uraaaaaa!”

“Attack!”

Bertom was on the brink of madness as the allied forces’ relentless attacks continued even after nightfall.

But more than frustration, there was a bitter realization gnawing at him.

‘Damn it... we’ve been played.’

The constant assaults, with brief pauses between waves, suddenly made sense to Bertom.

‘The gaps between attacks... those were when they rotated their troops.’

The allied forces had been cycling their soldiers, but their identical armor had masked the changes.

If his assumption was correct, the army he was now facing had cycled through three rotations.

‘How many divisions do they have? Just how large is their total force?’

He couldn’t accurately estimate the size of the allied army since the rear formations remained out of sight, far beyond Nardern's walls.

Sending scouts had crossed his mind, but the dense encirclement made it nearly impossible.

Then, a soldier reported urgently.

“Sir Bertom, the enemy forces that moved to the eastern flank are making a move!”

“The eastern flank? Weren’t they a small force?”

“Yes, sir. Their numbers are estimated to be under 500.”

“Such a minor force is not worth our attention. Deploy archers to the eastern wall and instruct them to signal immediately if anything happens.”

“Yes, sir!”

While the possibility of an Aura Master leading the eastern group lingered in his mind, Bertom dismissed it.

‘They wouldn’t deploy an Aura Master with such a meager force.’

Aura Masters were invaluable national assets, not to be risked recklessly.

Securing the main formation took precedence. Once dawn arrived, reinforcements led by Piaran would join them.

‘When Piaran arrives, we’ll have nothing to fear from their Aura Master.’

The Empire’s third Aura Master, though criticized for past failures, was undoubtedly a formidable force.

For now, Bertom steeled himself, suppressing his mounting exhaustion, and refocused on the advancing allied forces.

Then...

“Bwooooooo!”

The blaring of horns erupted once again from the allied formation.

Bertom clenched his jaw. The sound, once a source of tension, now only filled him with irritation.

‘What now?’

But what he saw next was unexpected.

“Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!”

Dust clouds rose as the allied forces abruptly began retreating.

Unlike their previous tactics of halting just outside arrow range, this time, they pulled back completely.

“W-What? They’re retreating entirely!”

The allied forces withdrew far beyond reach, leaving Bertom frowning deeply.

“...What are they scheming?”

Considering their previous tricks, Bertom doubted this retreat was genuine.

‘Or... is it possible they’ve reached their limit?’

Though it was only the second day of battle, their relentless assault must have exhausted them.

Bertom turned to his lieutenants.

“Pull some of the soldiers stationed outside back into the fortress to rest. Have the archers remain in position but rotate them so they can sleep in shifts.”

“Yes, sir!”

The stamina of troops was as crucial as strategy or numbers in war. Well-rested soldiers could fight effectively when it mattered most.

Yet, Bertom knew the allies' tactics had pushed his forces to their limits. The constant waves of attacks had denied them any meaningful rest.

Letting out a tired sigh, Bertom leaned back and closed his eyes. Even the commanding officers needed rest to lead effectively.

At the same time, Kiaran stood with her army fully regrouped and repositioned beyond Nardern’s sightline.

“Sir, some of the enemy forces have retreated into the fortress,” a scout reported.

“Good,” Kiaran replied with a sharp nod.

The retreat served its purpose—giving her forces a chance to regroup for the final assault.

“All units, prepare for formation,” she ordered.

Kiaran’s forces began forming up in a precise and disciplined manner.

Their temporary withdrawal had not been one of retreat but a calculated move to strike decisively.

She dispatched a messenger to Damian’s Caion Unit, stationed near the eastern wall.

“Deliver the order to Damian: begin the operation.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As the messenger sped off toward Damian, Kiaran mounted her horse and rode to the front of her formation.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

The steady rhythm of her horse’s hooves added to the tension of the silent dawn.

Though Kiaran said nothing, the silence itself seemed to bolster the soldiers’ resolve.

Breaking the silence, Matirn of the Iren Kingdom approached her.

“Are you certain about ordering him to attack first?”

“Yes,” Kiaran replied firmly. “He has resolved to do it, and he will succeed.”

Matirn pressed his lips together, his unease clear.

‘Does she truly believe a mere 300 soldiers can breach the walls?’

Even with Damian, an Aura Master, leading them, such confidence seemed reckless.

As the faint light of dawn began to spread across the horizon, Matirn turned to Kiaran again.

“Commander Kiaran,” he started, about to suggest that the main force advance before sunrise.

But then...

“KRRRRAAAAAA-BOOM!”

An earsplitting explosion echoed from the eastern flank.

Matirn and Weiner’s heads snapped toward the source of the noise, their eyes widening in shock.

At the same time, Kiaran’s voice rang out, amplified with magic.

“CHARGE!”

The thunderous roar of her command shattered the tension of dawn, rousing her soldiers to action.

“Uraaaaaa!”

With a deafening battle cry, Kiaran’s 80,000-strong army surged forward, rushing toward Nardern with unrelenting momentum.