The Beginning of the War

Yin Nuo's battle plan was very steady.

The kind of steady that left no room for surprises.

They would establish hidden mobile-sentinel supply points up front, then, after confirming there were no enemies behind them, block and ambush the enemy at unavoidable choke points and build fortifications. They would not approach areas where friend and foe could not be distinguished. Everything was centered on the flanking force's interception duties.

It was a textbook example of following the rules to the letter.

Yin Nuo didn't accept a single one of the suggestions the others made.

"Although the Northern Wanderers have undergone extensive training, including specialized drills for desert conditions..." After finishing her battle plan, Yin Nuo finally looked up. "We need to keep our position in mind. We're a new army."

"..."

"And a new army serving as a flanking force," Yin Nuo continued. "The troops performed quite well while mustering in Freljord, but ever since we boarded the ships, all kinds of mishaps have been happening."

At Yin Nuo's words, the others' expressions turned somewhat complicated. Some looked helpless, while others seemed unconvinced.

Objectively speaking, the Mountain Walkers had indeed performed rather poorly after boarding the ships. Many routine activities had been canceled as a result.

But everyone felt that the main reason was that more than one-seventh of the troops had gotten seasick.

After they reached Uzeris, rested for three days, and set off into the desert, hadn't everyone performed well?

"Our main task as a flanking force on this expedition is training." Yin Nuo clearly understood what the others were thinking. "All training needs to proceed step by step. Since we can complete our mission safely, then we should act safely."

"But if we play it safe, we lose the point of training." The chief of the Fifth