Command Authority

"How long has the Tenth Chiliarch Unit been gone?"

Count Perez asked those around him.

"It is now the second day."

"Too fast, or are the Barbarians simply that weak?"

Though Count Perez said so, he was actually very excited.

"Tell Knight Derek that I'll credit him with the first merit," the count said, rising to pace once around the room before sitting back down. "Have him send over the heads and prisoners. Also... leave this area to him."

After the messenger left, he fixed his gaze on the map again.

If the other chiliarch units were progressing smoothly as well, there would be room to make something of it.

Derek received the new orders, though the spoils were already on their way.

It was certainly impossible for him to keep all the spoils for himself.

But if he handed over the heads and prisoners, he could keep the rest of the loot. That was an unspoken understanding.

There might even be a share of the proceeds later, or it could simply be converted into military merit.

Though they had won the first victory and gained quite a bit, this small amount of merit was still far from enough.

After resting for a day, Derek left some of the wounded behind and set out again.

The new mission area was larger and closer to the main Barbarian army, making it clearly more dangerous.

Simon once again led the Cavalry ahead to scout. Only Derek could afford such extravagance; otherwise, elite knights would never be assigned such work.

"The situation is worse than we imagined. At least half the villages have been overrun, and even the towns have been looted.

"At present, several hundred Barbarians are stationed in Three Rivers Town."

The news Simon brought back was terrible. As expected, once they approached the main Barbarian army, the number of enemies increased sharply.

Moreover, the Barbarians occupied a town with all the basic facilities in place. A forced assault would result in heavy casualties.

And these Barbarians did not seem to be without unified command. Regardless of their competence, they were at least not enemies who could be easily bullied.

It was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and Derek instantly sobered up.

Some of his previous thoughts now seemed more like delusions.

Though mercy had no place in commanding troops, if he truly ground down this hard bone with lives, what would come afterward?

He absolutely did not believe that after taking down this Barbarian force at great cost, he would receive any particularly good reward.

"First, wipe out the smaller Barbarian groups nearby!"

Derek chose to establish his camp directly beside the main Barbarian force.

During that time, the Barbarians tried to attack while the Tenth Chiliarch Unit had yet to gain a firm foothold.

Unfortunately, Derek had been waiting in strict formation and gave them a thorough beating. After leaving behind thirty or fifty dead, they slunk away in disgrace.

Then the Cavalry squads launched relentless sorties, while companies of elite infantry took turns leading one or two hundred-man units close behind.

The Barbarian squads of only a few dozen men had no ability to resist at all.

The Barbarians organized another wave of Cavalry, attempting to break the stalemate.

But Derek met them with tightly formed infantry and forcibly drove them back.

The two sides traded blows and each lost some soldiers, gaining a rough understanding of the other's strength.

"Where did this army come from? Why are they so much fiercer than the ones we encountered before?"

The Barbarian leader Donick stood atop the low wooden palisade. He could see some Locke people watching them closely, while others even had the leisure to train.

Had they not fought several times without gaining any advantage, he would certainly have led his men charging out by now.

As the chief of a small tribe, the Barbarian King had ceremoniously granted him the title of Baron.

Yet they were still accustomed to living in tribal units.

"The Great Commander's order is to delay the Locke people's advance. There is no need for us to leave the town."

Donick comforted himself, though he would never admit that he feared the enemy.

Organized by tribe, the warriors had far greater cohesion. But as a chief, he also dared not lose too many of his tribesmen.

Otherwise, his tribe might be swallowed by others.

The Barbarian Kingdom still retained a primitive tribal system, unlike the Locke Kingdom, which had the Noble Senate to guarantee inheritance rights.

With the Barbarians hiding inside the town, Derek did not hold back.

While leading his men to sweep up the smaller Barbarian groups nearby, he also crossed beyond his assigned sector and operated in the direction of Ironwall City.

From here, Ironwall City was at most three days' journey north.

The main Barbarian army was already not far from here.

There were even more Barbarians there, and more towns and villages had been overrun.

Though there were no major victories, Locke Kingdom troops were launching frequent raids. The Barbarian headquarters could not possibly turn a blind eye.

In the end, all the pressure fell on the Barbarians below.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times Donick charged out, he still could not do anything to Derek's smaller force.

As time passed, the other chiliarch units also advanced to extremely close positions.

Moreover, one or two chiliarch units launched fierce attacks and reclaimed lost ground at tremendous cost.

The other chiliarch units also began following Derek's example, advancing and harassing the enemy without pause.

The Barbarian forces still active outside had clearly dwindled greatly, and even the offensive against Ironwall City had been affected.

In scattered engagements, Derek claimed another hundred or so heads.

Then... a new army arrived.

"Ollie Palmer, Chiliarch of the Eighth Chiliarch Unit of the Northern Province Provisional First Legion."

The man standing before him bore the title of Baron and looked very amiable.

Rather than a soldier, he seemed more like a merchant.

Derek quickly made this simple assessment.

"Greetings, Baron.

"I am Von Derek, Chiliarch of the Tenth Chiliarch Unit of the Northern Province Provisional Second Legion."

The two briefly introduced themselves.

Baron Palmer then produced Count Perella's order.

"The task of our two chiliarch units is to take the town before us, then continue advancing."

"What is the objective? How far are we expected to advance?"

"As far as we can. It would be even better if we could reach beneath the walls of Ironwall City."

Palmer clearly understood the implications of this order, and a bitter smile hung on his face.

"Knight Derek, the two of us will need to look after each other this time. We absolutely cannot die here."

Palmer felt this was extremely dangerous. As bait, one wrong move could mean their end.

But Derek felt there might not be no opportunity.

"What we need to do now is eliminate the enemy in front of us first."

Derek's gaze was resolute. He had not spent the past few days observing for nothing.

He had a fair understanding of the Barbarians inside the town.

"There are only around five hundred Barbarians in the town, and after several defeats, their morale is low.

"If we launch a determined assault, we should be able to take it."

Derek was confident, and Baron Palmer was delighted to hear it.

"Then how about we each attack from two directions and assault together, so we can take it as soon as possible?"

Derek was certain now. This man truly lacked even the most basic military knowledge.

When surrounding an enemy, leave one side open; never pursue a desperate foe. These were the most basic principles.

Once the Barbarians knew there was no hope of escape, they would fight to the death. Even if they won, the losses would be severe.

So Derek offered a tactful reminder. "Baron Palmer, you have never served in the military before, have you?"

Baron Palmer might lack experience, but he was not stupid. He immediately understood Derek's meaning and answered honestly, "No. To tell the truth, this is the first time my entire family has participated in a war."

He did not know what he had said wrong, but he understood that professionals should handle professional matters. He would be better off learning slowly.

So he readily said, "Knight Derek, why not take command this time? I heard you once served in the Perella Knight Order. It would be the perfect chance to let me witness the prowess of a Northland Knight, wouldn't it?"