Total Victory

Highlander's leader had a good idea, but he had badly misjudged the combat strength of Reiner's directly commanded regular troops and vastly overestimated the fighting ability of his own tribal warriors.

He had actually fantasized about turning the situation around with just a dozen or so men. It had to be said—he was dreaming.

Before those tribal warriors even reached their destination, the defeated soldiers from the rear flank of the Krad People's formation came surging toward them in a frenzy. These Krad People, already scared witless, were now fleeing blindly. They only wanted to escape that terrifying place that could cost them their lives as quickly as possible.

As a result, the dozen or so tribal warriors were instantly swallowed by the human tide. They never even reached the site of the chaos before the routing Krad People disrupted them and broke their formation.

The knights who had charged in did not care about any of that. Their horses slowed somewhat after being obstructed by the Krad People, but they could still use the sharp Longswords in their hands to reap enemy lives. Against the Krad People, who could not summon the courage to resist, the knights had transformed into meat grinders, brutally cutting them apart and slaughtering them.

Some lucky Krad People narrowly escaped the knights' massacre and were beginning to rejoice when Reiner led the infantry charging up. The infantry's appearance at that moment was undoubtedly the final straw that broke the camel's back. Meeting no resistance whatsoever, he led the infantry and completely tore open the enemy formation. No—it had not been torn open. It had collapsed outright, utterly and completely: a massive rout.

The collapse spread directly from the rear flank to the front of the Krad People's lines. The knights had only just punched through the enemy from behind, and before the infantry could press through the gap, the enemy had completely broken.

"Long live victory!"

"Victory!"

"Those damn Krad People have lost!"

"We routed the enemy!"

The soldiers cheered loudly, their hearts overflowing with joy. There could only be one victor, and in this battle, they were undoubtedly the winners.

The cheers grew louder and louder as the soldiers began hunting down the fleeing enemy. Something remarkable happened: only four or five members of the Morland Army could chase down and hack apart more than a dozen Krad People. How could the Krad People's physical strength and running speed compare with the Morland Army, which had trained at running for years? After fleeing for a while, they were soon caught and killed by the wolf-like soldiers.

Although they did not wear armor like the Morland Army, the multiple layers of animal hides they wore for warmth added a considerable burden.

"Hold the line! Tribal warriors! Your ancestors are watching you! Hold the line! For the glory of our ancestors!" Highlander's leader roared frantically, trying to restore the army's morale.

But once an army was routed, everything was over. Regaining their morale and regrouping was virtually impossible. No matter how loudly he shouted, defeat was already inevitable. Meanwhile, on the Morland side, the knights dispersed at Sir Valas's command and pursued the fleeing enemy in groups of three or five.

However, they did not pursue them for long before withdrawing from the battle. Their warhorses could no longer bear it. Galloping through snow consumed far more stamina. The knights' horses were not only burdened with leather-and-chain horse armor, but also with knights wearing full chainmail and all their equipment. They could feel their mounts trembling faintly beneath them. If they continued fighting, the horses might well collapse and die.

It was not only the Morland Knights' horses that were tiring. Even the Crimson Gryphon Knights' mounts had begun to breathe slightly harder. This showed just how much stamina such an intense battle had consumed.

Warhorses were scarce resources in this era. Normally, a suitable warhorse cost considerably more than a full suit of chainmail.

The outcome was already decided. They would win even if they withdrew from the battle, so why sacrifice a precious warhorse?

The pursuit continued for a long time. Large numbers of Krad People lost their lives here, and no more than three hundred managed to escape.

After the enemy had vanished completely from sight, cheers rang across the entire battlefield. The soldiers roared with laughter, raising their spears and pitchforks to wave in celebration. This was a tremendous victory. Every year, when facing invasions by the Krad People, the Moreland Family had always chosen to hide inside the castle.

This was the first winter within the soldiers' memories when their entire families had not needed to hide inside the castle for safety. They felt immense pride. They had defended their homeland.

In the future, they could proudly tell their families and children, "I once fought through blood and tears on the northern frontier, won a victory, and defended our homeland."

What greater glory could there be? In the villages, they would become respected men because of this. Not to mention that the Baron would exempt them from one-tenth of their taxes for a year.

"Long live the Baron!"

"Victory!"

"Long live the Moreland Family!"

The soldiers crowded around Reiner, around the lord who had led them to victory. The Moreland Family's red flag bearing an iris lion snapped in the biting northern wind. Victory flew with the frost and wind toward the endless heavens above. In this dark age, victory was a man's greatest achievement.

Under the soldiers' feverish gazes, Reiner spiritedly removed the helmet from his head, revealing a face that was still somewhat youthful and flushed red from strenuous exertion and excitement.

His joy was not merely because of the victory. The system had also determined that he had completed his mission.

**Ding! Mission complete!**

**You repelled the Krad People's invasion and defended your territory, while also gaining tremendous prestige. Rewards are now being issued.**

**Obtained: Three hundred mu of fertile farmland, one Hero Draw!**

"Baron, you made a wise decision! Your command was magnificent, and your martial skills were incredibly powerful! The Krad People fled beneath your might like field mice!"

The knights also came to Reiner's side, expressing their admiration and respect one after another. This time, Reiner had finally relied on his own abilities to win over this group of loyal yet proud knights under his command.

"Everyone, this victory was not mine alone. All of you made enormous contributions as well! Thank you, my dear knights!" Reiner swept his gaze over the knights, who had removed their helmets and slightly lowered their heads to show him their respect, and spoke with a smile.

"Such a victory must be celebrated with a grand feast! I will hold a three-day feast in the castle. My knights, this will be your Victory Celebration Feast!"

Reiner swept his hand toward the knights as he spoke. He was immensely pleased with how this victory had solidified his position. He could finally take complete control of Morland Castle and the lands surrounding it.

One war had completely elevated his prestige, making him the undisputed master of the Morland Castle region.

"Clean up the battlefield, boys! Capture as many prisoners as possible! They'll still be very useful to us!" Reiner called out to the soldiers. Although the Krad People were extremely poor, the animal hides on their bodies could still be sold for some money. He planned to divide one-third of the proceeds among the soldiers, one-third among the knights, and keep the remaining third for himself.