CHAPTER 411: BATTLE FORMATIONS

When the Commander moved to the north, he introduced the knights to an aspect they were less familiar with: battle formations.

After extensively looking into the way that Chemois had lost so many of their men during the monster war, Henry communicated with Commander Lothian about what could have gone better for them. What they noticed the most was, at most, knights and their apprentices as battle partners taking on walls of goblins. If they could have had a wall themselves, they likely would have had more success at the beginning of the war.

The Knights of Hydrogia were a larger order of knights in comparison and were able to overwhelm most goblin waves on sheer numbers alone, but it wouldn’t work for a smaller order.

The moment Henry was in the north, he proposed this to Irene and Felix. They both agreed that something needed to happen in case a Monster War of the scale they faced ever happened again. From there, he began researching and showing them ways in which to train the men for something they were so unaccustomed to.

However, as protective as battle formations were, they were actually quite beautiful. The footwork required to move together as one required great athleticism. It also gave a good showing of those watching the impression that the knighthood was fully in sync with one another.

Irene found herself slightly nervous. The wall formation they were called to do required them to collect shields from the servants lining the practice yard. Not only that, but the apprentices would be absorbed into this figurative wall. The knights were the shields, while the apprentices were the lances. Their job was to pierce, but they were less practiced than the knights, and if they lost focus for even a moment, it would be easy to trip over a leg or lance.

"First wall," the Commander ordered.

The apprentices lined up in one line with their lances pointed outward. From there, the entire group of knights who were in a rectangular formation began walking backwards in slow steps, not breaking their focus in front of them. It was the job of the apprentices to manage their lances and ensure they didn’t poke the knights.

The furthest back row of knights protected the upper part of the wall. The middle part filled in the rest until the front was on one knee with their shields in front of them, the rectangular bottom edge touching the dirt ground. All held their weapons as if they were ready to be attacked.

They moved together smoothly like liquid, melting into one another rather than resisting each other. The Commander found himself smiling proudly at his knights and apprentices.

"Attack!" the Commander shouted.

Out came the lances at all angles.

"Attack!"

The lances came again.

"Push!"

The knights moved forward with the apprentices, all their shields locked together without a bit of space between. Irene found herself grinning despite how serious the moment was. She was almost surprised that they were working together so well when the last time they practiced battle formations was in autumn, before the first freeze.

She heard the sound of apprentices laughing, enjoying themselves just as much as the others. Her heart was warm as she was distracted from any negative thoughts she had before.

"Final formation!"

They all moved apart.

Returned were the rows of knights with their shields held in front of them as the apprentices backed away with their lances and took up the space in the very back. They only stopped at the back of the knights and firmly held their lances. They were at attention until the Commander raised his hand.

Surprisingly, as they finished, there was clapping from above as those who had decided to come outside to witness the entertainment.

Irene lifted the visor of her helmet when she saw her father grinning down at her. His hand clapped against his metal one, and there was amusement in his eyes as he witnessed something the knighthood never practiced themselves. Battle formations were lost with time because they hadn’t faced a battle as full-scale as what he knew his daughter faced in the Monster War.

His expression hardened when more attention was given to him, and the Earl approached him. Arthur had only just walked out, hoping to catch the end of the performance. He could always pick out his daughter amongst the other knights, even when her helmet was on.

For the duration of their battle formation showing, the Earl’s personal knights had been hanging along the back wall. They were also warmed up from practice just before the other knights came out.

"Shall we join knighthoods and find sparring partners?" the Commander asked the Earl, who stared down at him with an intense expression on his face.

"Whatever you wish, Your Grace," the old man stated.

"Then I ask my knights not to overdo it," Commander Henry decided as his gaze returned to his men and woman. The other knighthood wasn’t wearing armor since they were only there to practice.

They returned their shields, only to trade them for practice swords.

Knowing how this sort of thing normally went, Irene confidently approached one of the knights in the knighthood. He had to have been a hand taller than her, so he wasn’t the shortest, but he certainly wasn’t the tallest. She didn’t remove her helmet in case he was hesitant because she was a woman.

He seemed to accept, because the moment they were allowed, he offered his sword in a show of good sportsmanship. They tapped their tips gently against one another before Irene backed away a few steps.

Already, wood slapped together throughout the practice field. It seemed plenty of others were already well into their matches. It pushed Irene to want to start and end it quickly.

Even if Irene didn’t have size or mass, she at least had speed.

With surprise on her side, she made no sign that she was ready to attack before she sprang forward and offered a diagonal slash starting from her right and ending with a parry from the other knight. He offered a lower swipe, but she punched it downward with the metal greave over her wrist. She then sent a forward thrust to his half-protected chest. He blocked it with his wooden sword.

However, both his hands were piloting his sword, and she offered a moment of surprise as she redirected and sliced his open armpit. If it were a real sword, she likely would have made contact with skin.

"Got you!" Irene cried.

She then pulled off her helmet and offered her hand to the other knight.

"While normally I might be offended to be beaten by a woman, I’m quite impressed by your footwork and speed," the knight stated with a small smile on his face as he shook her hand.

Irene was pleased that it was an older knight. She didn’t think a younger one would take well to her victory at all.

However, as Irene began to walk back to what was deemed the Knights of Chemois’ side of the practice yard, her green eyes easily found her Commander facing the captain of the Earl’s knights. The captain was visibly frustrated, having a hard time besting the Commander and Duke.

It wasn’t smart to have a hotheaded leader, she silently mused.

More surprisingly, she heard the Earl announce, "The match is finished. We’ve seen enough."

At that, Irene let out a light, quiet laugh. The man must have been confident that he could beat the Commander. He seemed slightly older, but that didn’t always guarantee talent.

Irene’s laughing ceased almost immediately when she heard the captain state, "I don’t know whether or not to believe if you’re that good of a swordsman or if you’re using magic to get ahead."

"Simply work harder—" the Commander began.

Irene tossed her practice sword to the side. How dare someone think her Commander was using magic when it was clear he was simply a better sword fighter?

Would the unfairness Henry had to face ever cease? Would people always doubt him because of his humble beginning? And now he had to face the fact that he was accused of being a mage?

"You ought to be punished for speaking so disrespectfully towards the Duke," Irene practically shouted. "Get on your knees, or I’ll have no choice but to challenge you myself. Based on the match I’ve just witnessed, I will make light work of you."

Her hand was on her sword.