Fabio, covered in blood, rushes to Henwell. “The casualties are too high! We need to get out of here!”

It’s the thirteenth day of the ambush battle, and Fabio has just returned from leading his guards to the front lines.

Since the ninth day, the allied forces have launched fierce attacks, even sending soldiers to climb the mountains and target those pesky arrow towers.

However, the new troops, comfortably stationed in the fortifications, have managed to fend them off. Charging uphill in the cold weapon era is a grueling task that drains stamina.

Initially, when the allied forces reached the valley defenses, they suffered heavy losses and were quickly repelled.

But the sharp-eyed enemy generals soon realized that the defenders weren’t part of the regular allied army and weren’t as formidable as they seemed. The real challenge was the valley’s defensive structures.

Recognizing this, the allied forces increased their stakes, deploying elite units in an attempt to break through.

Seeing this, Fabio wanted to lead his personal guard into battle but was stopped by Henwell.

Ultimately, the enemy was pushed back, not because the new troops fought valiantly, but due to the deadly accuracy of the arrow towers.

Even with the arrow towers’ support, the battle resulted in a two-to-one exchange ratio, and the “one” here refers to the allied forces.

Once the allied forces grasp the full capability of the new troops, they launch relentless assaults. In just three days, the new army suffers thousands of casualties.

Today, the enemy manages to break through the new troops’ lines and nearly breaches the valley. If not for Fabio leading his personal guard into battle, it would have been disastrous.

Henwell, however, remains unfazed. If Fabio had followed his advice and integrated his personal guard among the new troops, the situation wouldn’t be so dire. In any era, veteran soldiers are crucial.

Although the new troops are strong and well-equipped, their combat mindset is still stuck in the mentality of fighting noble private armies—a mindset not easily changed with a few lessons.

Henwell believes that mixing one veteran guard among every ten new troops would quickly change the dynamics.

When faced with life-and-death situations, people learn rapidly, especially when their survival is at stake. The lessons learned are deeply ingrained.

According to Henwell’s plan, after just two rounds of battle, these new troops would mature significantly, rather than now, where the absence of veteran leadership causes them to falter against the elite allied forces.

At this moment, Henwell shakes his head in response to Fabio’s request.

“Not yet. Not enough people have died.”

Fabio’s eyes are bloodshot.

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“We’ve already lost over six thousand. Isn’t that enough? How many need to die for it to be considered enough?”

Still short by four thousand.

Henwell doesn’t voice this, instead pointing at the allied forces.

“They haven’t lost enough yet.”

Seeing Fabio’s tense demeanor, Henwell reassures him, “Hold on for two more days. Then we’ll leave.”

Fabio sinks onto a nearby rock, defeated.

“But the morale is already so low. I’m afraid we can’t hold out much longer.”

Henwell replies calmly, “We only promised to take some back to the duchy, not everyone. If they don’t trust you and choose to leave on their own, their fate is no longer our concern.”

Fabio is silent for a long time before putting on his helmet and standing up.

“I hope you’re right this time.”

Watching Fabio’s retreating figure, Henwell lets out a sigh.

By the afternoon of the second day, the allied forces deploy a heavily armored battalion, advancing into the valley.

Fabio, commanding the battle at the front lines, feels a chill run down his spine at the sight of the oppressive wave of armored soldiers. He knows that arrows and his troops alone can’t stop these ironclad warriors.

Just as he’s rallying his guards for a breakout, he hears a strange, growing noise. Quickly, he identifies the source. From both sides of the valley, rocks begin to tumble down, seemingly out of nowhere.

These rocks range in size, the smallest half a meter, and the largest towering over a person. As they gather speed down the slopes, some bounce and leap, joyously heading for the valley floor.

Witnessing this catastrophic scene, the allied commander screams for the armored troops to retreat. But it’s too late; they’ve already ventured too deep into the valley.

Their heavy armor and the accelerating rocks make a swift escape impossible. Moreover, due to the nature of their charge, their formation is tightly packed.

What follows is a gruesome spectacle. Out of the more than five thousand armored soldiers, only a little over a thousand manage to retreat, with the rest lost amidst the rock-filled valley.

Additionally, the allied soldiers already in the valley fail to escape. Faced with the terrifying sight, they lose their will to fight and turn to flee.

By the end of the battle, the allied forces suffer thousands of casualties in the valley.

That night, Fabio excitedly approaches Henwell.

“The enemy shows signs of retreat. We’ve held our ground.”

Henwell responds calmly, “We’re leaving tonight.”

“Why? The allied forces are retreating. Why rush? We should at least rest for a day. The soldiers are exhausted from continuous fighting.”

Henwell sighs, “Precisely because they’re retreating, we need to leave. We have to make it seem like we’ve been defeated and let them take over without destroying anything.”

“Otherwise, we’ll become a valuable target. If they leave now, next time they’ll come back with relentless vengeance. It’s better to let them claim the glory of breaking through here.”

After causing such devastation to the armored troops, even Henwell feels it’s excessive. It’s no longer just hurting the enemy but kicking fiercely towards the crotch. That’s why Henwell decides to withdraw tonight; they can’t wait any longer.

Once the allied forces occupy the defenses, at least they save face. If it were another group, they’d need to prove their superiority, and they’d certainly chase Fabio down.

But with this group occupying the area, they’ll exaggerate the new troops’ strength to boost their own achievements. After all, only a strong enemy can highlight their bravery.

In this way, if any allied forces do pursue them, they’ll be more cautious.

Additionally, Henwell specifically instructs Fabio not to kill all the prisoners today. He leaves them, along with previous captives and the wounded, in the camp.

These individuals serve as a signal to the enemy, making it appear as though they haven’t suffered significant losses, providing an explanation to their superiors.

While the battle-weary soldiers rest, the remaining new troops and logistics personnel work through the night, packing up. By midnight, they quietly cross the valley and leave the Six Bay Mountain area via a previously scouted route.

The next day, as the allied forces prepare to retreat, prisoners return from the empty fortifications to report the situation. The generals of this allied group cautiously occupy the stronghold and confirm the direction of the new troops’ retreat.

However, none dare to pursue. They quickly find an excuse: their mission was to break through here and chase the main allied force, not to pursue this dangerous adversary.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep