Escape from Death

"How did the main formation collapse so quickly?" Victor muttered.

When he saw that the grand banner bearing the Grand Duke's crest, which had originally stood at the center of the main formation, had also been cut down...

He suddenly understood. Grand Duke Jola might have been killed or captured. It could even be said that the entire command structure at the center of the main formation had just been destroyed by the Iron Knights.

"Damn it." Victor spoke viciously. The worst-case scenario had become reality.

At that moment, their small squad was spotted. A group of cavalry dressed much like barbarians charged straight toward them.

"Young master, hurry! They're Count Colt's barbarian cavalry!" Santos hurriedly said, grabbing Victor's reins.

"Move! Head northwest. We're going to the right flank." Victor immediately ordered, turning his horse around and leading the group northwest.

A quarter of an hour later.

"Damn it, are they ever going to stop? Why are they sticking so close?" James snarled.

More than a li behind their squad, a force of over a hundred barbarian cavalrymen had been pursuing them without pause.

"Young Master James, barbarians are like that. They rely on their light gear to preserve their horses' stamina, forcing their enemies to exhaust themselves before calmly cutting them down," Santos said with a bitter smile.

"Something isn't right, Santos. These barbarian cavalrymen also took part in the Northern Alliance's long-distance raid. Why do they still have such good stamina?" Victor asked.

"Our caravan once heard something. The barbarians of the Northern Grasslands have a special herb called Boiling Blood Grass. Feeding it to horses can increase their stamina for a day, but they can't eat too much of it. It can easily leave the horses weakened or even kill them," Santos said uncertainly.

"The Boiling Blood Grass may be real. Otherwise, there's no way to explain how the Northern Alliance's heavy cavalry could still have such impact on the battlefield after a long-distance raid." Victor smiled bitterly.

Damn it, is this Boiling Blood Grass some kind of long-lasting stimulant? This stuff can grow naturally? Victor cursed inwardly.

"Everyone, hold on! We'll reach the right flank's formation soon!" Victor pointed at the battle flags two li away and shouted encouragement.

As Victor and the others drew closer to the formation, the barbarian cavalry pursuing them finally gave up and turned away.

Victor and the others immediately slowed down to let their horses catch their breath.

Three messenger cavalrymen rode out from the left side of the formation. The leader stopped more than a hundred meters away from Victor's group and shouted.

"Which unit are you from?"

"We are the Sixth Squad of the Light Cavalry Battalion of the Eastern Third Legion. Our captain is Lord Victor!" Santos immediately shouted back.

Generally, the heirs of baronies were granted the title of lord for distinction. The heirs of viscountcies were also lords, while the heirs of countships were viscounts. In the Grand Duchy, landed marquis titles were abolished and made an exclusive title for the heir to the Grand Duchy. It was precisely because this generation's heir to the Grand Duchy had two marquises that this civil war had erupted.

"Very well. Lord Victor, please enter the formation from the north. A passage has been arranged for you there. Do not approach the front," the lead messenger immediately shouted, then ordered the other two messengers to signal the formation behind them with flags.

"Understood. Thank you." Victor replied directly and led his squad north.

A moment later, they had entered the interior of the army and were led beneath the great banner.

Seeing the dozen or so officers standing beneath it, Victor immediately raised his left hand flat before his chest and gave a military salute.

"Greetings, Legion Commander William. Greetings, Vice Legion Commander Ronald. Greetings, my lords."

They were the upper command of the Eastern Allied Army's Third Legion. Among them was Legion Commander William Bitter Bamboo, the current Viscount Bitter Bamboo, one of the influential figures of the eastern counties second only to Earl Great Oak. Two of the Third Legion's five regiments were his private troops.

There was also Vice Legion Commander Ronald Rose, a viscount and Victor's direct superior, responsible for commanding the Third Legion's cavalry, messenger network, and logistics troops.

The remaining men were the five regimental commanders and the Military Judge, including Victor's father, Baron Wembley Golden Sunflower, Regimental Commander of the Third Regiment.

Baron Wembley did not speak, merely nodding to Victor in greeting.

"Lord Victor, what happened to the main formation? Do you have any important intelligence to report?" Legion Commander William asked directly.

Victor immediately took a deep breath.

"Reporting to the Legion Commander: the main formation has been breached. Grand Duke Jola is suspected to have died in battle. Before I left, the four legions should already have been routed."

Victor then recounted everything he had seen.

The senior officers immediately began discussing it in low voices.

"Everyone, this basically matches what the scouts discovered. It seems the intelligence is accurate. Don't waste time. Ronald, report to Count Black immediately. The rest of you, return to your units, shift into defensive formations, and move closer to the First and Second Legions," Legion Commander William ordered at once.

"Yes!" everyone answered.

"Lord Victor, you've worked hard. It seems the cavalry battalion under my command has suffered heavy losses, and its organization will need to be restructured. Take your men to rest first, then come find me." Viscount Ronald spoke to Victor, nodded to Baron Wembley, and turned to leave.

"Yes." Victor immediately obeyed.

Once Ronald had left, Victor ran over to his father.

"Father, thank you for sending those guards. They were a huge help."

"Use my title in the army. Don't call me Father," Baron Wembley said with a stern face.

"Understood, Wembley Plant," Victor immediately replied.

"You brat. It's good that you're all right." The sternness on Baron Wembley's face immediately melted away.

The baron paused before speaking.

"This war made me too greedy. Perhaps I shouldn't have brought you here. Losing you, my heir, would be a devastating loss to our family."

After awakening the memories of his previous life, Victor had been able to think with an adult's mind and possessed strong self-control. Over the past five years, he had continuously studied and trained to improve himself, all so he could live better in this new world.

Those qualities had earned the unanimous recognition of everyone in the territory, and he had even become the sort of child nobles throughout Bole County compared their own children to.

"It was a close call, Father. But what do we do next? If Grand Duke Jola is dead, then even if we stabilize the line, we've still lost," Victor asked.

"We do what must be done and preserve ourselves. The Eastern Allied Army's main force is still intact. Count Black will find a way to contact the left flank's troops. The Northern Alliance is also at the end of its strength. We only need to wait for negotiations," Baron Wembley sighed.

"I had hoped to ride this momentum and completely turn our family into a viscount family. It seems I was too impatient. Haste makes waste. All the eastern nobles will face enormous war reparations. Count Black, who led the charge, may even lose territory and be stripped of rank."

"Can't we turn this around? We still have an advantage in numbers, and our supplies are plentiful," Victor asked.

"We nobles only know how to add flowers to brocade and kick a man when he's down. No one offers charcoal in the snow. Besides, if Jola truly is dead, even Count Black, his maternal grandfather, will not seek revenge. For us, the survival of the family comes first," Baron Wembley said with a bitter smile.

After grasping his father's meaning, Victor asked, "Should we contact Marquis Mora or Count Colt in private?"

"There's no need. At a time like this, the eastern nobles should be united against outsiders. At worst, we can push Count Black, Earl Great Oak, to the front," the baron replied.

"I understand, Father. We brought forty light cavalrymen from the territory. Four died in battle, and five were seriously wounded. I estimate only one of them will recover. Thirty-one can still fight," Victor said painfully.

These light cavalrymen were Victor's comrades and subordinates, men he spent every day with. He had personally trained them over the years, and he could call every one of them by name.

"Once we return to the territory, compensate them according to your standards. Fortunately, I listened to you this time and didn't bring all the light cavalry. When we return, the remaining forty will also be placed under your command. I'll find a way to bring your numbers up to a hundred, enough for two squads, all under your command," the baron said.

Victor froze at those words. The entire barony had only a little over six hundred standing troops. That scale was already close to a viscountcy's, otherwise Baron Wembley would not have entertained ambitions of advancing further.

And light cavalry were the elite among elites. Entrusting such an important force to him showed an almost excessive degree of confidence.

"Before we set out, you advised me to be cautious. You said we could wave flags and shout, but we shouldn't stake the entire family fortune on it. The facts proved that you were right," the baron sighed.

"I intend to transfer the authority over the territory to you. Once everything is stable, I will transfer the baronial title as well," the baron continued.

"Father, I..." Victor hurriedly began.

The baron raised a hand to stop him. "I've already decided. Leave the rest to me. What comes next is the old man's battlefield. You should settle your subordinates. Santos is capable, meticulous, and cautious. He is more than worthy of an important responsibility. Make the arrangements yourself."

"I understand, Father," Victor immediately replied.