General Dude rode amid a large escort, his face livid as he watched the skirmish erupting two kilometers to the right of the marching army. It was a completely one-sided affair.
Reinforcements had already set out, but the mounted infantry squad under attack collapsed before they could arrive. Through his telescope, Dude saw every disgraceful moment as the men wailed in terror, threw away their helmets, and abandoned their armor.
For a moment, Dude could hardly believe those cowards were men of Minisia, men who dared brave the seas and battle hurricanes.
Dude knew that compared with great land powers like Bohemia and Raitelia, the kingdom's army had not existed long enough, had few honors to its name, and was only average in overall quality.
But even an average army should not have crumbled at the first blow!
Their abysmal performance had completely ruined the planned forced march. To guard against enemy attacks, the entire army was marching in battle formation rather than a conventional column.
The advantage was that they need not fear surprise attacks. The disadvantage was their slow pace: a journey that should have taken one day would now take three, perhaps even longer.
Some officers tried to organize effective counterattacks, but the enemy's flexible tactics disrupted every attempt.
These enemies wore heavy armor yet moved with astonishing speed, and they seemed to be everywhere. Using the terrain and their superior mobility, they constantly harassed the Minisia troops, even employing heavy weapons such as cannons to sow panic.
"General, we can't keep sitting here and taking a beating!"
A colonel spoke anxiously, a slight tremor in his voice.
"The enemy's tactics are too cunning. They seem to know our every move."
Dude knew why... it was those cavalrymen roaming in the distance, carrying flags and openly monitoring