Saster did not want to put more pressure on the captains, but he had to. A veteran who had attended officer training and heard the marquis lecture, he knew that aiming high was the only way to achieve even a middling result.
So he had to set the objective high if he wanted a good outcome.
He had his own reasons, too. Before setting out, he had read the territory's battle report. At the Northwestern Border Fortress, the First and Second Regiments under Viscount James had already won a resounding victory.
As a mid-to-senior officer, Saster knew what would happen if things went badly at Blue Lake Bay Fortress. If the Fourth Regiment held everyone back, its standing within the territory's army would suffer.
Even if they ultimately won the war, their failures would cancel out their achievements, leaving the Fourth Regiment with little credit afterward. That affected everyone in the regiment, especially someone like him who stood on the brink of promotion.
Saster had no intention of failing. That was why he had volunteered to lead the night raid. For his own sake and for the Fourth Regiment's, this operation had to succeed.
It was dangerous. The settlements were packed with Barbarians, and between them, they likely held twenty or thirty thousand troops. Even if only half were warriors fit to fight, they were more than enough to overwhelm a three-hundred-man raiding party.
So Saster remained cautious. After firing up the squad leaders, he ordered the men to fall silent and wait for the moment to strike.
Suddenly, the distant night sky began to brighten. Saster knew the light came from the Small Fortresses. Then came the sounds of battle. As agreed, their garrisons had begun drawing the Barbarians' attention.
Saster said nothing. He merely gave a quiet hand