Translator: Cinder Translations
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In the vast valley, the three armies of the Aldor forces advanced step by step, their momentum like a roaring wave.
The orc army's light cavalry continued their earlier strategy.
Engage, disengage, engage again, disengage...
With their superb horsemanship, they quickly adapted to the Aldor army's advancing pace.
The orcs implemented a strategy of dividing and conquering the three formations, trying to lure them farther apart.
The Aldor army, hastily assembled from various factions, was far from tightly coordinated.
The orc strategy quickly took effect, with the distances between the three formations growing larger.
Catherine and the other commanders weren't blind to the orcs' intentions. On the surface, it seemed as though the Aldor army was pushing the orc cavalry back, but in reality, the orcs were controlling the Aldor forces.
The waving of the command flags never stopped, desperately trying to prevent their forces from spreading out too much, but the effect was limited.
Monterlit, who commanded the central infantry, began to grow anxious.
But unlike Catherine and the others, his anxiety was not because the orcs were pulling the strings.
Monterlit still believed that his spear infantry could slaughter the orcs without heavy armor.
What worried him was that the flanking troops might soon launch their attack — perhaps they were already en route.
At that point, the Aldor army would be in a position to flank the orc army from the front and rear.
But Monterlit wanted to take more credit for the victory. He felt his own unit should be the main force in annihilating the orcs.
After struggling internally, he gave the order: "Increase speed, engage the enemy, and kill them!"
The infantry under his command was immediately reinvigorated, their morale soaring as they cheered loudly.
From the officers to the soldiers, they eagerly began running forward, full of fighting spirit as they chased the orcs ahead.
The knight squads on the left wing, seeing their allies' enthusiasm, also charged forward, clashing with the approaching orc cavalry.
Meanwhile, the other two armies, assembled from local troops, were beginning to lose formation.
With their continued advance, they could no longer maintain their initial organized state, instead becoming chaotic like a bustling market.
Catherine furrowed her brow, but felt helpless.
The local lords' armies rarely trained together, only occasionally gathering for hunts to practice coordination.
Moreover, only knights and their attendants had such training opportunities, while the farmers recruited in haste struggled to keep ranks, let alone maintain formation during an advance.
Catherine could only order her own direct troops to stay alert, ready to offer assistance should any surprises arise.
The orc commander, General Callem, watched his forces' handiwork with satisfaction.
"Begin the hunt!"
His command was transmitted as the signal flag waved, and the orc light cavalry, who had been keeping their distance from the Aldor infantry, suddenly began a rapid retreat.
"The orcs are avoiding our attacks. They've lost; we've won!"
Seeing the orcs retreat, the soldiers were filled with excitement.
The disordered retreat looked like a rout, fueling their belief that victory was assured.
Soldiers held their long spears and marched forward, eager to chase the retreating enemy.
"Retreating orcs?"
Catherine felt suspicious.
The tactic of a feigned retreat was a risky move, often backfiring if the enemy took it seriously.
Most commanders were cautious about using it.
"Continue to cover the infantry's advance!"
Catherine issued her orders.
"Your Highness, there's an army attacking from the right!"
A shout brought Catherine's attention to another threat.
The princess quickly raised her telescope and looked to the right.
Dust swirled in the frame, and a tightly organized cavalry unit was charging towards them.
This wasn't a harassment; it was clearly an assault — it was easy to tell from their formation.
"Face them!" Catherine ordered loudly.
Ignoring the need to cover the infantry, the royal knights quickly adjusted their formation to confront the incoming orc cavalry.
"Relay orders to Alambre and Monterlit to halt their advance!" Catherine remembered to notify the other two armies.
The orc cavalry, attacking from the side, was like an iron hammer, swung by an invisible hand.
The well-trained royal knights showed no fear and quickly formed a rectangular formation.
Catherine nodded to the signalman, who immediately sounded the call.
The knights spurred their horses into a slow trot, the steeds' hooves tapping rhythmically.
As the pace picked up, the horses transitioned from a trot to a gallop, charging toward the orc cavalry.
Catherine raised her hand, and the tempo of the signal quickened, causing the knights to surge forward, their horses almost leaping off the ground in their swift charge.
This intense speed lasted only a few breaths, and then the two cavalry forces collided violently.
The air was filled with the deafening sound of impacts.
Spears shattered, armor cracked, and the screams of the wounded rang out as the two forces clashed.
"Hah!"
A particularly strong orc, much larger than his companions, threw his head back and roared, his one remaining eye glowing with a cruel green light.
In his left hand, he wielded a chain weapon and a steel knife, slashing recklessly through the knight ranks.
Anyone who met him either died or was gravely wounded.
The orc soldiers behind him, like crazed beasts, rushed forward with wild abandon.
"Stop them!"
Klein yelled as he raised his lance and charged toward the fearsome orc.
"Die!"
The orc swung his sword at Klein's lance, the recoil sending a jolt through Klein's arm.
"Clang!"
The lance was blocked, and Klein immediately discarded it, drawing his longsword to continue the fight.
The two cavalry forces engaged fiercely, inflicting heavy casualties on each other.
At this point, the three divisions of the Aldor army had roughly formed a triangle, with the infantry positioned at the top, and the distances between the three units growing wider.
"Forward! Forward!"
Monterlit, who was directing the advance of his infantry, was so excited that he didn't notice the royal knights on the right wing were already in a brutal battle.
Boom!
The earth began to tremble slightly, as if a giant beast were charging ahead.
(End of the Chapter)
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