Religion and Royal Power in Conflict (Part Two)

The warriors ate and drank their fill, then exercised where they stood. They engaged in low-intensity sparring, which barely drained their stamina while effectively loosening up their bodies so they could unleash their full strength in battle.

The weather in March had already begun to turn chilly. Although the imperial capital lay in the relatively warm central region, wisps of cold still enveloped everyone.

The warriors donned their armor and secured it with leather belts, moving back and forth to limber up. Reiner's personal guards, meanwhile, were building a wooden platform that would serve as Reiner's vantage point for observing the battlefield and issuing commands.

The armies of the various vassals were also in position. They now clustered around Reiner, eagerly awaiting the battle to come.

Everyone understood that this war would determine their futures. Although some of the vassals were indeed under immense pressure, they still chose to support Reiner.

They knew that once their liege fell, all the benefits they enjoyed would have to be surrendered as well. That was something none of them wanted to see.

"Today is the battle that will decide our fate!" Reiner raised his head to gaze at the sky and murmured, a long-forgotten feeling surging through his heart.

It reminded him of the time he had checked his results for the national college entrance examination. The fear and uncertainty in his heart had mingled with his hopes for the future.

This war would decide far more than Reiner's fate alone. His family, his vassals, the families of his vassals, the people of the Northern Frontier, the people of the empire—in short, everyone's future was entrusted to this battle. It would be Reiner's most important "exam."

Reiner's light cavalry continued to patrol the surroundings. The light cavalry scouts monitoring the enemy's movements also