At the end of the year, Henwell rides north with the Lord Iron Guards to discuss some matters with Count Jansen. On the way back, Henwell’s horse slows as they pass through a small town. He pulls up and stops.

From a distance, Henwell watches the trembling militia and garrison stationed there. He doesn’t move a muscle—just stares silently at the town.

Simon nudges his horse forward. “Sir, is there something wrong with this town, Diversion Bay?”

Henwell says nothing. He just gazes for a while at the place where he grew up.

Then, Henwell pulls the reins and turns south, heading back toward his battlefield.

At the frontline command center, Duveen of the Ironwall Watchers reports to Henwell, “We’ve received solid intel. The Ika Kingdom’s two legions—the Golden Blade and the Royal Third Guard Legion—are marching south. Each legion fields about 14,000 troops. Both have a long, glorious history of battlefield achievements.”

”When Lord Fabio led the Ironwall Guards against the Third Royal Guard, we barely managed a 2:1 casualty ratio thanks to our terrain advantage.”

”The Golden Blade Legion is even more formidable—widely regarded as the continent’s elite, capable of withstanding charges from medium cavalry orders. Together, these two legions number nearly 30,000—almost the strength of three full legions.”

”I suggest we pull back for now, avoid clashing head-on with these forces. They won’t linger near Peace Haven for long.”

Henwell falls silent for a moment. “Retreat? Where the hell would I retreat to? One step back, and I’m dead. I’ve fought tooth and nail to get here—I can only push forward. Not an inch back!”

”Elite troops? The reason I’ve invested so much in this army isn’t to bully noble militias or standing legions. I want Peace Haven’s troops to stand toe-to-toe with the best elite forces out there.”

”If I dodge Ika’s Golden Blade Legion today, tomorrow I’ll have to dodge Ogiro’s Blue Warhammers. The day after, the Grand Duchy’s Steel Lion Legion. Where am I supposed to escape?”

After finishing, Henwell stands up. “Everyone, get ready. We’re about to face the Ika Kingdom’s elite legions. If we win this battle, Peace Haven will enjoy a long period of stability. If we lose… everything’s over.”

News of Ika’s two elite legions rushing to the Peace Haven battlefield spreads quickly.

Allies close to Henwell send messages urging him to pull back and focus on defense.

Those who dislike him just sit back, waiting for the show to unfold.

The Grand Duchy sends an order demanding Henwell hold his ground—no retreat, no excuses.

The Ogiro Kingdom’s Divarak receives orders to contact Peace Haven and brings a message: if needed, Ogiro can dispatch three legions to support Peace Haven.

Why is Ogiro so eager?

Because they definitely don’t give a damn about Henwell.

If Peace Haven falls back, Ogiro will face the full force of Ika’s elite legions alone—a nightmare no one in Ogiro wants.

Henwell replies to everyone’s concerns one by one.

He reassures Arius that he can handle it, but if he ever can’t, he’ll just follow Arius.

He thanks Viscount Holdsworth for his concern and vows to die before retreating.

He tells Fabio to stay calm, promising that once he wins, he’ll ramp up the offensive to seize the main battlefield advantage quickly.

He appreciates Ogiro’s concern and expresses confidence in victory.

To Princess Catherine, he jokes that if he loses, he’ll come serve as her knight commander.

As for the Grand Duchy’s order, Henwell promises strict compliance—he will defend the homeland with no retreat.

Finally, he tells Count Marcus to get ready, because once the battle’s over, he’s coming to marry his daughter.

Count Jansen doesn’t send a message—he comes to see Henwell in person.

“Henwell, are you really that confident? Why don’t I just pull back inside our borders and recall the mixed legions from the north?”

”We can release those noble prisoners you’ve got surrounded—it’ll save face for the Ika Kingdom. Then we’ll have six main battle legions ready. I doubt Ika would dare attack recklessly with that kind of force. As for the Grand Duchy’s orders—screw that. We’ve already done enough.”

Henwell shakes his head. “Stick to the plan. Even if the battle kicks off, it’ll be around spring. By then, my fortress network will be complete.”

”If the kingdom wants an advantage, one or two elite legions won’t change the big picture.”

”And yes, I’ll follow the Grand Duchy’s orders. Otherwise, if I gobble up part of Ika’s territory, who’s going to take the blame? I’ll be fighting tooth and nail for land under the Grand Duke’s command.”

”If they want me to give it up, they’ll have to announce it across the entire duchy. For the sake of reputation, morale, the people, and their own transformation, the Grand Duchy must shoulder the responsibility of taking Ika’s land.”

Henwell pauses, then continues, “As for my army’s strength—I want to know how far we really lag behind those elite forces.”

”We’ve got plenty of challenges ahead. If I back down today, I’ll have to back down tomorrow.”

”Uncle, when the fighting starts, don’t rush in recklessly. If you move too soon, Ika’s southeastern forces might jump in, turning this into a major battlefield. That’s not what we want.”

”Trust me—if I can hold off these two legions, everything else will fall into place. We can’t let this place become the main front; that would only please our enemies.”

After Jansen leaves, Henwell dives into studying the intel on Ika’s two elite legions. These reports come from all sides—even the Grand Duchy sends detailed dossiers.

What he finds is that the two Ika legions fight very differently.

The Golden Blade Legion excels at aggressive assaults, charging hard and fast.

The Royal Third Guard Legion specializes in tight, crushing formations that squeeze enemy lines.

This mirrors Henwell’s own two regular legions somewhat—but there are still significant differences in essence.

Henwell plans to pit his First Legion, skilled in formation warfare and pressure tactics, against the Royal Third Guard.

His Second Legion, the attack specialists, will stay in reserve—ready to support the frontline and guard against other kingdom forces.

Henwell intends to personally lead the garrison troops to face off against the Golden Blade, Ika’s elite spearhead.

He’s not looking to outsmart them with fancy tactics this time—just straight-up clash spear to spear, shield to shield.

It’s time to test raw strength.

After several skirmishes and battles, his troops are finally about to chew on some real tough bones.

Only by smashing through hard opponents can Henwell truly gauge Peace Haven’s army’s strength and confirm his military build-up is on the right track.

Plus, this kind of brutal showdown promises enough spoils afterward to secure Henwell’s interests.

Casualties?

Well, there’s no battle without dead men.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep