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After advancing approximately 1,000 kilometers, the Barcelona army encountered fierce Resist from the Zenit people.
Surrounded by his guards, Pedro stood atop a high hill, gazing at the distant battlefield shrouded in smoke and filled with the deafening roar of battle. His brow was furrowed deeply—in fact, he hadn't felt any peace or satisfaction throughout the entire journey.
In the Battle of the Byzantium Harbor, although the Zenit navy was partially defeated, their own losses were several times greater than the Zenit navy's. To their utter dismay, the Barcelona, who had finally broken through to the land and were eager to massacre and plunder the city, were utterly disappointed to find that the Kingdom of Byzantium capital was a ghost town. There were no people, no treasure, not even a chicken to be found; only chicken feathers drifted in the wide streets.
The Byzantium had already scorched the land here.
For a time, they couldn't even find a door panel to carry the wounded.
Despite being tortured for a full day and night, subjected to all sorts of inhuman cruelty, the captured King of Byzantium Constantine remained as tough as iron, revealing not a single piece of information throughout the ordeal.
To be honest, by the end, even the prison guards who were using torture were on the verge of collapse.
They had never seen anyone so resilient, repeatedly beaten to a pulp, then healed and restored by a magician, only to be beaten to a pulp again, then healed again... This cycle was unbearable even for a god. They seriously doubted whether this King was even made of flesh and blood, and what kind of strength and belief sustained him through it all.
Even now, Pedro has developed a slight sense of admiration for this King.
The interrogation and torture had to be brought to a halt.
After a brief stop in the Kingdom of Byzantium capital, the arrogant and powerful Barcelona army, brimming with murderous intent, imagined themselves as tigers plunging into a flock of sheep. They swiftly organized an offensive, advancing rapidly along the main road and invading the Zenit people's Southern Frontier inland regions.
They believed they could advance unimpeded and defeat any Zenit who dared to Resist.
However, they, who considered themselves the number one superpower on the continent, suffered a great loss due to insufficient pre-war preparations.
The first land encounter with the Zenit army occurred approximately two hundred kilometers from the Byzantium capital.
A Barcelona vanguard squad of approximately two thousand men was ambushed by an equal number of Zenit troops from the Southern Frontier. Kazuya, who had previously disappeared, reappeared, and caught in the crossfire, they were routed within an hour. By the time Barcelona reinforcements arrived, they were only there to collect the bodies of their own men.
The despicable Zenit people not only took away the bodies of their own people, but also stripped all the armor and weapons from the fallen Barcelona soldiers, leaving behind two thousand naked corpses.
During the ensuing advance, the Barcelona army encountered unexpectedly fierce Resist.
Although the losses were still within acceptable limits, the constant attacks and harassment were extremely annoying. When they had advanced more than 500 kilometers, Pedro had no choice but to order a full reorganization and a temporary rest, postponing the previously planned operation.
The Barcelona army that landed consisted mostly of naval soldiers, not particularly skilled in land warfare. They numbered approximately 60,000, though their equipment was quite sophisticated. The main land forces, transported later, had only just arrived in Byzantium. Due to Pedro's underestimation of the enemy, coordination within the Barcelona army was disrupted, leaving the vanguard isolated and trapped in a difficult situation.
At this moment, the Barcelona troops in the rear were still dreaming of conquering the Zenit Empire within ten days, while the vanguard legion at the front was already beginning to feel the cold of the Northern Region and the ferocity of the Zenit people.
Along the way, the legion had suffered no fewer than a hundred attacks and ambushes.
Although these were all small-scale battles, the Barcelona suffered losses approaching six or seven thousand, far exceeding previous estimates. Of course, the Zenit also paid an extremely heavy price, losing four King of vassal states and leaving behind over ten thousand corpses; however, most of them were not regular troops.
When the advance reached 1,000 kilometers, the two sides finally clashed in their first large-scale battle.
Pedro still doesn't understand whether he's encountered Zenit's regular army.
The enemy before him was several times stronger than the ragtag troops from the previous vassal states, both in number and combat power. In about fifteen minutes, an elite battalion's frontal Charge failed to break through the enemy's lines and was even driven back, leaving Pedro utterly shocked.
Incredibly, Pedro soon discovered that his army was being subtly surrounded.
This was unbelievable to many Barcelona: how dare the lowly Zenit have the courage to react so quickly and launch a counterattack? How dare a pack of lowly jackals plot to besiege a mighty dragon?
It turns out that the Zenit's previous fearless attacks and harassment were all to buy time, allowing their main force to calmly set up an encirclement. They... were actually planning to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
What a big appetite!
What a grand ambition!
At this point in the battle, even this top graduate of the La Masia Royal Military Academy had to admit that he had encountered an enemy— the Zenit. There was definitely a tactical mastermind behind the scenes directing the war in the Southern Frontier; this lowly first-rate empire was prepared.
Pedro quickly realized that it wasn't just him; the entire Barcelona team had encountered an unexpected enemy.
The Zenit are not like ordinary first-tier empires that are easy to defeat. Their long-standing arrogance led the Barcelona Military Department to neglect thorough intelligence gathering and analysis before the battle. This perfunctory approach to combat planning and mindset has resulted in a significant loss, and if not corrected, it will cause future major setbacks for the Barcelona main force.
"This can't go on; it seems we have to fight to the death."
Seeing the tense situation ahead, Pedro finally couldn't resist taking action.
A tremendous power surged from his body, sweeping across the battlefield like a hurricane. The terrifying pressure made it almost impossible for ordinary soldiers to stand. The Barcelona army began a highly methodical retreat, breaking free from the tangled web of fighting. This allowed Pedro to launch a wide-ranging attack on the Zenit without fear of friendly fire.
However, almost at the same time, a force no less powerful than Pedro's appeared inexplicably within the Zenit camp.
This power was subtle and cold, filled with an aura of slaughter and destruction.
Pedro paused slightly.
"How could this be? Such a master is hidden within the enemy camp, yet I didn't detect him at all. Could it be... that Emperor Yassin personally led the attack?"
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