Many people present responded loudly, but Theresica couldn't make out what they were saying. There were too many people, and the wind was too loud. Still, judging by their spirited shouts, they seemed to like the phrase.1
On the second night after setting out, they were attacked by the Sarkaz. The Kazimierz knights weren't fools. They quickly adjusted their deployment, expanded the logistics detachments, altered the pace of marching and resting, and issued an order to the entire army to march in combat formation.
But at this rate, it would probably take thirty days to reach Kazdel.
Moreover, this passive method of responding didn't cause the Sarkaz much trouble. Every Sarkaz unit fighting independently in the desert was equipped with communications equipment, allowing them to coordinate with one another.
Since Kazimierz had expanded its logistics detachments, the Sarkaz likewise joined several units together to operate as one. The Knights Errant had seen countless wars, but the Sarkaz weren't rookies either. Their experience in launching surprise attacks from the shadows was as practiced as the Kazimierz knights' skill at handling Siege Rams.
They requested the support of casters, secretly using Siphon Drones during the day to track their targets continuously. They kept harassing them and provoking small-scale clashes, causing the Kazimierz Knights Errant to misjudge the Sarkaz forces around them.
Then, during the latter half of the night, when everyone was fast asleep, the Knights Errant—who had already been secretly worn down by Siphon Drones for more than ten hours—became groggy, no matter how strong they were. At last, they lowered their guard.
But at that very moment, a massive barrage of Arts suddenly rained down inside the Kazimierz camp. The Knights Errant, caught off guard, stared in terror at the Sarkaz soldiers charging toward them.
They weren't merely charging. Behind them, Sarkaz casters continued firing overhead. The charging Sarkaz trampled through the smoke of the explosions and stormed into the camp. Behind them, Sarkaz archers crossed over their comrades without hesitation and opened fire.
This suicidal style of fighting completely exceeded the knights' imagination. Even the convict soldiers in Ursus's mines had never been this insane!
Under the night sky, in the desert, a transport convoy guarded by a thousand soldiers was wiped out. By the time the main Kazimierz forces arrived, the supplies they had been transporting had already been reduced to ashes by the Sarkaz—food, medicine, arrows... everything was charred black. And this time, the Sarkaz hadn't "cruelly" slaughtered everyone. In their "mercy," they had left quite a few survivors behind in the camp.
Amid the soaring flames, the commander who had led the rescue party stood blankly staring at the scene before him. In front of him was a nearly hysterical medical officer. Beside that officer lay more than a hundred Knights Errant in neat rows. Every one of them had lost one hand and one foot, and they lay helplessly on the ground, groaning.
Firelight, blood, severed limbs, and groans intertwined before the Kazimierz knights, sketching out a scene from hell.
PS: Please give me some votes!!!
PS2: I have an exam tomorrow, so I should only be able to post one chapter.
Chapter 50: Purge
Inside the transport ship of the Kazimierz expeditionary force, a routine meeting was underway. All the high-ranking Knights Errant in the force had arrived, but the atmosphere was frighteningly tense.
They had suffered one blow after another recently, and their losses in supplies were severe. They had taken all sorts of countermeasures, yet they hadn't even caught sight of the enemy. All they knew was that the Sarkaz were attacking.
"Those disgusting Fiends! Don't they dare fight us head-on even once? They scurry around like thieves!"
One Knight Errant complained irritably. The expressions of his fellow knights around him were just as unpleasant. The supplies for this expedition had been purchased and transported with their own money, and they hadn't even reached the battlefield before a huge amount of it had vanished into thin air!
That was money!
"Long Rider Toke has arrived!"
The attendant's shout made everyone straighten their posture and compose their expressions. When an old man in armor entered, all the Knights Errant rose and saluted.
"What is this? Did fighting Ursus's grand armies turn your minds rigid?"
The old man keenly caught the trace of discomfort remaining on everyone's faces. He calmly took his seat and gestured for the attendants to enter. They carried plates of neatly cut fruit in their hands.
"These were just delivered. Have some, everyone. They're very fresh. The fragrance of fruit can help settle the mind."
He unhurriedly speared a slice of fruit and tasted it carefully. The people around him could only eat along with him, though their movements inevitably betrayed a hint of urgency.
"Some supplies were lost, so they were lost. Even after losing so much, we can still eat fresh fruit in this desert. Can those Sarkaz?"
The old man laughed. "We are powerful. Why panic and lose our temper just because an ant bit us once?"2
"But Lord Toke, their harassment is doing serious damage to morale, and we have to send out additional personnel to care for the wounded."
A Knight Errant spoke up. "We have to think of some way to change the situation. Otherwise, this is simply too frustrating!"
"Our supply line is too long. No matter how much we reinforce it, under the Sarkaz's targeted attacks, it will be like a leaky screen door. It won't hold."
The old man's words left the knights stunned, but he immediately continued, "That is why I've already sent people to purchase supplies through Leithanien instead. This will greatly shorten our supply line, allowing us to dispatch knightly orders for careful protection."
The old man's smile never left his face. Under his influence, the Knights Errant present slowly smiled as well, and the atmosphere immediately became like it had been when they first set out.
"We have numbers, strength, and speed to be proud of, yet we've been dragged into the Sarkaz's rhythm of battle, preventing us from making use of those advantages. We should drag the Sarkaz into the range we're accustomed to instead."3
The old man looked over everyone and rose to his feet. "The Siege Rams haven't run in a long time, have they? Let them get accustomed to this desert first. Take twenty thousand Beastmaster Knights out and use speed to herd all those Sarkaz running around the desert into one place. I won't concern myself with the details. Handle it yourselves, and let the young fellows vent their frustration properly."
"Understood!"
The Knights Errant answered in unison.
"Your Majesty, the Kazimierz have responded."
"Mm. I know."
After Theresica finished reading the report delivered by the shapeshifter clan leader, she had to admit that changing the location of their supply depot had been a good move. It had shortened their supply line by more than half! Moreover, the Kazimierz Beastmaster Knights were now guarding the entire transport route tightly. They no longer set up camp to rest along the way, instead replacing one transport team with another.
"Besides what you saw, we also had a shapeshifter disguise himself as a medical officer and infiltrate the Kazimierz forces. He reported that many knights have recently drawn wilderness trauma kits, and the Siege Rams have all undergone a condition check."2
"Oh?" Theresica glanced at the location of the Kazimierz forces on the map and pondered for a moment. "They're planning to purge us."
This was genuinely troublesome. For the time being, the Sarkaz would have difficulty threatening Kazimierz's supply line again. Guerrilla units could carry out surprise attacks in the desert, but taking the charge of a massed cavalry force was essentially impossible.
Should she order the forces to withdraw to Kazdel, or continue scattering them across the desert and wait for another opportunity to launch surprise attacks?
If they didn't withdraw, they would have to face the cavalry's purge. But if they returned, Kazimierz would be able to advance without restraint. Besides, retreating across the desert essentially meant retreating all the way to Kazdel. How could two legs outrun four? They would easily be caught!
"We can only fight them once and see."
Theresica spoke with difficulty. Twenty thousand young adults might not mean much to Kazimierz, but ten thousand combat-ready soldiers were an extremely valuable resource to the Sarkaz.
"Order this batch of troops to set out. Also, notify the Pardon Master and have the new experimental unit join them. This is the perfect chance to test the results."
Across the desert, the Kazimierz Beastmaster Knights relied on their advantages in numbers and speed to track the Sarkaz forces day and night. Although the Sarkaz had many experienced scouts who could always lead their troops through the gaps between the knights, their tracks couldn't be erased completely. The Kazimierz knights didn't charge straight in to fight. Instead, they continually compressed the Sarkaz's room to maneuver.
At that point, nearby allied units would come to their aid, trying to open a gap and help their comrades escape. But before the Siege Rams trained by Kazimierz, all of this was simply too weak. More often than not, it caused even more Sarkaz units to be exposed to the knights' sight.
"Long Rider Roman! After driving them around for the past few days, we should have gathered a sizable Sarkaz force ahead of us."
"Good! That's excellent!"
At the night camp, Roman shouted excitedly upon hearing the report from his subordinate. The frustration of being repeatedly ambushed at will by the Sarkaz had finally come to an end!
In the end, two human legs still couldn't outrun a Siege Ram!
"Long Rider Roman, should we try to swallow this Sarkaz force?"
A subordinate suddenly stepped forward with a suggestion. "Our casters have been under considerable strain lately. They need to rest."
This was the countermeasure Kazimierz had devised against the Sarkaz's nighttime attacks. Casters with light-emitting Originium Arts would illuminate the area around the camp throughout the night, leaving the Sarkaz no way to launch a surprise attack.
The Sarkaz had indeed stopped coming at night, but this had made things difficult for Kazimierz's already limited number of casters. The Originium density in their bodies was still fine, but their physical condition had recently become frighteningly weak. Since Kazimierz had no experience with prolonged use of Originium Arts, they had yet to determine the cause.5
After considering it for a while, he ordered, "Have the surrounding forces converge on us. We'll destroy this batch of Fiends first!"
After giving the necessary instructions, Roman stepped outside the tent and checked on the casters standing watch. He encouraged them, "Hang in there a little longer. Tomorrow, I'll swallow the Sarkaz force in front of us, and then you can rest."124
PS: Here I am! Please give me some votes!3
Chapter 51: Demons in the Smoke
At dawn, with the sky still dim, the Kazimierz Knights Errant sent out to hunt the Sarkaz were gathering at Roman's position.
The adjutant called softly from outside. Only after receiving Roman's permission did he enter the tent.
"Long Rider Roman, all the Knights Errant who could come from the surrounding area have gathered with us. Five thousand are currently in position. We sent people to scout the Sarkaz's tracks, and they're still within the direction of our pursuit. There are roughly two thousand of them."
The adjutant drew a circle on the map, and Roman nodded in satisfaction.
The desert between Ursus and Leithanien was simply too vast. Twenty thousand Beastmaster Knights gathered together made for a magnificent sight, but once they charged out, they could no longer see one another. He was already quite satisfied that five thousand knights had gathered in one night. As for two thousand Sarkaz...
There were no obstacles ahead that could hinder the Siege Rams' charge. A concentrated cavalry charge would trample the disgusting bodies of those Fiends.
Imagining the exhilarating charge to come, Roman's mood improved greatly. He glanced outside the window and instructed the adjutant, "It's almost light. Have the casters rest for a while. The Fiends have many casters of their own. They may need to cover us during the attack."
"Understood!"
The adjutant turned and went out to relay the order. The Kazimierz casters, who had worked hard all night, could finally rest for a while. The area around the camp immediately became a dim, murky blur. But no one was worried about a Sarkaz attack now. The camp held no large quantity of supplies, only Knights Errant. If the Sarkaz charged in, that would be exactly what they wanted.
"Come on, go rest for a while."
"I haven't closed my eyes all night."
Relieved smiles appeared on the Kazimierz casters' faces. They stretched their stiff hands and feet while taking small portions of hot food from their comrades to warm themselves.
The temperature difference between day and night in the desert was enormous, and the wind was fierce. Standing there continuously while releasing Originium Arts had been excruciating.
After greeting the knights coming to relieve them, the casters headed into the camp. But several faint clinking sounds came from behind, as if something had fallen.
"What is this?"
One person curiously picked up the object from the ground. It was a small, hard item. Something suddenly sprang out of it, and smoke rapidly sprayed outward.
It wasn't only the one in his hand. Many similar hard objects scattered across the ground around them also began spewing smoke. The entire camp was instantly shrouded in thick clouds.
"What is this?"
"Where did it come from?!"
Many Knights Errant had only just arrived and hadn't yet been assigned a place to rest, so the camp immediately became chaotic. The knights riding on Siege Rams had to dismount and seize the reins to prevent collisions, but then a tremendous force slammed into one of them from behind and knocked him to the ground.
Boom--
Boom--
Originium Arts rained down inside the camp one after another. The entire area erupted into chaos, but they couldn't see a thing. The Knights Errant had indeed seen countless battles, however, and they didn't run blindly. Instead, they remained where they were and followed the commands of the higher-ranking Knights Errant. The frightened Siege Rams in the smoke, however, charged about in every direction, throwing the camp into complete disorder.
"Messenger! Messenger! Where's the messenger?!"
Roman shouted loudly, but all he could see was the increasingly dense smoke. He couldn't tell one person from another and could only keep yelling.
"Everyone, get out of the smoke! Charge out!"
A cloud of smoke covering the desert made them nothing more than a target! The enemy casters didn't need to aim precisely. They only had to keep blasting into the smoke, while the Kazimierz forces had no idea where the enemy was.
Perhaps some messenger had heard him. The Knights Errant mounted their Siege Rams and began charging out of the camp. But the smoke seemed endless, and then sand and wind suddenly rose, making it impossible to open their eyes.
"This must be the Fiends' work! Charge at full speed and break out!"
A Knight Errant in command shouted loudly. But an arrow that came from nowhere in the flying sand pierced straight through his chest and knocked him from his mount. The knights around him immediately raised their shields toward the direction of the arrow's tail.
The next second, two more knights fell to the ground without a sound. The arrows had entered through their backs, shocking everyone who remained.
"Are we surrounded?!"
"Impossible! How many of them can there be?!"
Another Knight Errant took command. "Get off the Siege Rams! We're too obvious on them! Use the Siege Rams as cover and walk out!"
He had just placed one foot on the ground when an arrow instantly pierced his throat.
"Long Rider!"
The lower-ranking knights hurriedly dismounted and went to check on the high-ranking knight. But in the blowing sand, a warhammer suddenly appeared and slammed into the back of one knight's head.
Bang--
His entire helmet had been crushed out of shape, and blood poured through the gaps. A chill ran through the remaining knights as they watched. They looked around blankly, but couldn't see anything. Fear immediately crawled into their hearts.
Where is the enemy?!
The Knights Errant began frantically whipping their Siege Rams, trying to leave as quickly as possible. But no matter which direction they charged in, the smoke and sand seemed endless. Dense volleys of arrows flew at them from every direction, and as they ran, the people beside them dwindled until less than half remained.
"Damn Fiends! Come out and fight!"
The frustrated Knight Errant shouted blindly into the sandstorm. The next moment, a warhammer smashed into his spine from behind.
He lay on the ground, intense pain filling every inch of his body. At last, he saw a blurred shadow, but he could do nothing as his opponent raised the warhammer in hand.
Crunch--
As the mid-ranking knights with command authority fell one after another, the Kazimierz forces' command structure finally collapsed. Without the officers maintaining order, the entire force disintegrated.
The knights began fleeing blindly for their lives. They completely lost all organization, and the few surviving officers could no longer stop them. All they could do was watch as the knights disappeared into the sandstorm.
The sun rose over the desert, and the Sarkaz casters stopped their bombardment. But the sandstorm still carried the screams of the Kazimierz knights.
By morning, the Sarkaz had vanished without a trace, and the area had returned to silence.
When the sandstorm cleared, the bodies of Knights Errant covered the ground. Some had been killed by Arts, some had died horribly beneath warhammers, and some had been trampled by their own Siege Rams. But most had been shot down by Sarkaz arrows.
The knight who had come to deliver the order stared at everything before him in astonishment. He stood blankly among the corpses and called out instinctively.
"Are there any survivors?"
"Are there any survivors!!!"
Before you continue