Chapter 0008: Beacon Fire

One day later, Chris led 400 soldiers to rendezvous with more than 80 retreating soldiers at the outskirts of the eastern forest, blocking the essential route from the eastern deep forest to the city of Selis.

Accelerate the march! Do not give the Ailanshir family any time to react!" Enser lowered his head to glance at the corpse of the Seris officer, frowning as he commanded.

"Order! Artillery, load the howitzer shells! Five rounds of ammunition... Prepare to fire! Await my command!" Chris thought of this and turned to a messenger beside him, giving instructions.

Light the signal fire! Hurry! The Main has invaded!" At the first moment, he crouched at the edge of the watchtower, shouting to his companions below: "Light the fire quickly! Hurry up!"

As long as the Arant Empire does not pursue the matter of Maine's occupation, Chris can develop and expand his own power with a clear conscience, managing his territory to become even stronger

Although the opponent has a numerical advantage in troops, Chris remains confident in his ability to defeat the adversary. His current thought is on how to quickly expand the gains after defeating this enemy force

Thus it is arranged! I will personally lead 500 soldiers to engage in a decisive battle with Enser in the eastern forest! You and Vagrong will head straight for Maine... to eliminate any future threats!

... ...

Encel has become utterly greedy and treacherous... declaring war on us without notice! His troops crossed the border yesterday, and today they are likely already at the edge of the eastern forest," Deans said anxiously to Chris

"Main actually came to seek death himself?" As soon as he entered, an angry voice echoed in the beams, causing a buzzing sound in people's ears

The two hundred cavalrymen in his hands were to be used for subsequent counterattacks, reconnaissance, and battlefield cleanup, and at this moment, they could not easily join the battle

Shield! Shield! The officer in charge of this watchtower kicked aside the arrow shaft stuck in the ground, drew his longsword, raised the enormous shield, and loudly alerted his subordinates

He has no time to waste; being able to crush the opponent while seizing their rear stronghold, expanding his own territory, and eliminating future troubles is a more rational approach to warfare

He kicked the corpse, and Enser wore a look of disdain on his face: "Put out this bonfire! Hurry up!"

On the direction of the crenellations of the beacon tower's city wall, the soldiers of Maine, who had already climbed up using ladders, surrounded the remaining few Sireen guards. Soon, the soldiers of Maine overwhelmed their opponents.

Now is not the time to fall out with the Arant Empire; occupying Maine must provide an explanation to the Arant Empire. This is the shrewd calculation of Chris

Set off immediately! We will confront each other at the exit of the eastern forest! There, we can leverage our firepower advantage!" Chris glanced at the map and resolved to ambush the opponent.

Why are you kicking me? The soldiers of Maine? How could they come to the border to drill at this time... Another sleeping soldier struggled to stand up, the clanking of armor producing a series of crisp sounds

When Enser climbed onto the platform, the bloodstains above had not yet dried and solidified. The corpse of the Seris officer lay beside the bonfire, and the ground was still littered with unretrieved arrows.

Arrow rain! Before everyone could react, a volley of arrows flew in from the direction of Maine, descending from the sky and landing on the high lookout tower

"Let Wageron refrain from participating in the battle! Order him to take 300 cavalry and 300 new troops, equipped with 10 artillery pieces, to take a shortcut and bypass the main force at Maine, directly attacking the Maine fortress!" After contemplating for about a second, Chris decided to adopt a dual approach.

The dark vine patterns on his armor twisted and turned, exquisite and delicate, shimmering with a faint cold light. The warhorse beneath him was restlessly snorting, its hoof the size of a bowl continuously stamping on the ground

Do not let them extinguish the beacon! Long live Alan Hill! Long live Selis!" As he looked at the crumbling gate, the officer raised the longsword in his hand

With a loud bang, the Maine soldiers carrying the massive timber began to strike the gates of the beacon tower, while the soldiers atop the tower gripped their weapons in terror

Ah! After letting out a big yawn, the guard stationed at the border in the city of Selis sleepily gazed towards the direction of the rising sun

It is over... This was the thought in his mind. Beside him, a massive beacon of fire had already been ignited, and the enemy's second wave of arrows had also descended, with all the soldiers raising their shields.

"Sir! In this situation, is it a bit risky to divide our forces...?" the adjutant of Wageron asked with concern

The battle flag flutters in the wind, and the straight long spears stand upright before Chris like trees in a forest

General Wagerlon has prepared the army, with 500 cavalry and 500 new troops ready to depart at any moment. Wagerlon's aide, holding a helmet, stood beside Chris and reported on the state of readiness.

On that afternoon, Encel led 200 cavalry and 1,800 assembled infantry, appearing in the distance of the Chris camp.

"Deans! You are personally stationed in Selis City!" Chris glanced at the somewhat nervous Deans and Stride, and began to assign tasks.

Both sides, of course, would not cease hostilities and negotiate peace at this point; they were merely regrouping and preparing for a decisive battle. Early the next morning, Chris organized his soldiers to break camp, setting up a formation that indicated his intention to engage in a life-and-death struggle with Ensar.

In this way, Chris would only have a pitiful 400 men facing Enser's troops. Even if we include the soldiers retreating from the Maine direction, the forces under Chris's command would not exceed 500 men

With a loud bang, the gate of the beacon tower was finally smashed open by a massive log, and the soldiers of the Principality of Maine surged forward. Awaiting them were sturdy shields and sharp blades

In response, Enser also sent a letter, demanding Chris to surrender immediately and to offer all his wealth and territory.

What did you say about the soldiers from Maine? Huh? Damn it! Sound the alarm! Maine is attacking!" Rubbing his eyes and looking in the direction pointed out by his companion, the soldier who had just been awakened was wide awake and shouted loudly

The dull sound of war drums beat against everyone's chest, making the air thick and breathing increasingly difficult

Our frontline infantry strength is too low, with fewer than 100 men! We cannot allow the enemy to launch an attack! Otherwise, we will have no resources to maneuver!" Chris was contemplating the next tactics in his mind, lightly tapping his fingers on the hilt of his sword. This was a habit from his previous life; every time he thought, he liked to tap his fingers on a hard object.

Behind him, in the direction of the interior of Selis, a series of black smoke columns extended into the distance, disappearing at the horizon's edge

The Seris guards fell one after another, forcing the remaining ones to retreat to the steps above. Behind them, the beacon fires rolled up and merged with the white clouds, obscuring the sky and blocking the sun

"Is it considered a risk for 10 cannons to crush 2,000 people?" Chris looked at the adjutant, a cruel smile appearing on his face: "I am actually afraid they will surrender too early, not giving me enough opportunity to vent my anger!"

Enser also planned to achieve his goal in one decisive battle, leading 1,000 main infantry and 200 cavalry, setting up his formation 3 kilometers away from Chris's troops

As it was already late, neither party had the intention to engage in battle that day. Chris sent a letter to Ensar, condemning Ensar's despicable act of declaring war without prior notice

Hey! Hey! Wake up!" He shielded his eyes from the sunlight while looking into the distance, and kept kicking his companion with his foot: "Soldiers from Maine! So many soldiers from Maine!

The messenger immediately pulled the reins and went to convey Chris's orders. At that moment, on the horizon, Maine's formation began to move forward slowly to the accompaniment of war drums

The enemy launched a sudden attack, and they no longer had the opportunity to retreat. Once the soldiers of Maine burst in, they could only face death.

Ah! Caught off guard, a soldier was pierced all over by arrows, struggling as he fell from the high platform. At the place where he landed, the soldiers of Selis poured a barrel of black oil over the dry firewood

He was clad in a suit of black armor, the plates on his body clashing together with each resolute step, producing a pleasing sound of clattering.

The enemy is four times that of Chris! This battle seems to hold no suspense: while there have been instances of the few defeating the many, such occurrences are indeed rare

Thus, he lacks the capital to engage in mutual attrition with his enemies and can only rely on firepower to catch his opponents off guard, swiftly transforming the decisive battle into a one-sided attack and pursuit

"Yes, my lord!" The aide clenched his right fist, placed it on his chest, and bowed in response, saying: "Long live Alanxir!"

This is Chris's first experience of real combat. Regardless of how extensive the knowledge in his mind is, he cannot help but feel a bit nervous. Fortunately, in terms of numbers, this is merely a battalion-level battle, which does not exceed Chris's scope of imagination.

The sunlight was blinding, causing him to involuntarily squint and look away. However, he quickly realized something and turned his gaze back to the horizon in the east

At this time, the cavalry of Maine had already swarmed in, their numbers as numerous as ants. Having served here for three years, the officer from Cerys was seeing such a large number of Maine soldiers for the first time.

The clash of metal against metal echoed as several soldiers from the Principality of Maine, the first to charge up the stone steps, screamed and toppled down. More soldiers from Maine, armed and ready, surged forward.

Kill! A few lonely soldiers beside him raised their shields, blocking the stone steps leading to the watchtower, their sharp longswords pointed at the entrance

Chris, with an expression of anger, pushed open the large doors of the conference hall. Due to the excessive force, the two doors slammed against the walls on either side, producing a loud bang

After finishing with Deans, he turned to Stride and said: "You will personally escort 1,000 gold coins to the Arant Empire! Be prepared to deliver the tribute from Maine after our victory!"