The moment he stepped out of the tent, cold wind and fine snow brushed his face, carrying the distinctive chill of late autumn in the Northern Frontier.
Louis tilted his head slightly and glanced at the leaden sky.
...Less than three hours left. Several contingency plans raced through his mind.
The defensive perimeter was complete, and every trap was ready. The fuel for the opening fires and the Demon Explosive Bombs had also been brought out, waiting only to be ignited when battle began.
Everything was as laid out in his sketches, so he felt no panic.
Louis turned to Lambert and instructed him, "Notify all the knights. Assemble immediately. I have something to say."
Within fifteen minutes, the entire knight order stood in formation on the open ground east of the Red Tide camp.
Louis stepped onto a hastily erected platform, his gaze sweeping over the knights he had trained himself.
He spoke, his voice quiet but every word ringing clear. "According to reliable intelligence, a Brood Hive has fully awakened in the Blue-Rock Rift. The Insect Corpses will reach the borders of the Red Tide Fief within three hours."
Those few sentences struck like thunder crashing onto a battlefield.
A shudder passed through the ranks. Murmurs rippled outward, and hands instinctively tightened around weapons.
Many knights' expressions changed. This was not their first time hearing the words "Brood Hive." Many had even participated in campaigns against one and knew what it meant.
It was no mere enemy. It was calamity itself. Even though their lord had defeated it twice, it could not be underestimated.
But Louis gave them no time to dwell on it. His voice rang out firmly. "I know what you're thinking. But you need not be afraid. Because we're ready! Every means of attack is