CHAPTER 365: CHAPTER 244: CLASH

Baka and his son Betta led the Guard to the front line and gazed at the Aldean Alliance Army’s formation. The dazzling reflection of armor on the left flank made him squint his eyes, "Is that the Aldeans’ reinforcements, from a tribe called the Nix Army?!"

"Yes, father," Betta replied solemnly. "According to the intelligence we obtained, this Nix Tribe is located north of the Aldeans and was only established last year. Most of their tribesmen are Illyrians, but they used to be mercenaries fighting outside the mountains for many years. They returned to the mountains last year and allied with the Aldeans...

Yesterday, they arrived here, numbering over 5,000. Our spies mentioned they all wear armor, but I never expected their iron armor to be this thick! Father, should we revise the plan we made earlier?"

Baka pondered for a moment and said, "Send word to Elida immediately, instructing him to lead his tribe’s warriors to reinforce the left flank (formerly the Tribe of Tribali). I don’t demand a death battle from him; I only need him to hold off those Ni... Nix people...

While Nix and the Aldeans are allies, they only joined last year, and logically wouldn’t have deep bonds with the Aldeans yet. This time, they’re merely fulfilling their alliance obligations, so they likely won’t risk everything to fight us. Once we settle the score with the Aldeans, I believe they’ll retreat wisely."

"Understood, father!" Betta’s determination reignited. He grabbed the Guard Captain and whispered orders to him, and the Guard Captain darted off toward the rear formation.

"Father, look, Alistacas has arrived. It’s time for us to go," Betta pointed toward the front and prompted.

"Don’t rush," Baka said leisurely. "Wait until Elida’s troops arrive at the left flank and position themselves properly. Then we’ll head over. We can let that little Aldean brat stew for a while and stir up his anger."

Betta immediately understood his father’s intent.

Alistacas was already standing at the center of both formations, glaring at Baka. Despite seeing him already present, Baka remained stationary, which only fueled Alistacas’ growing fury with each passing moment of waiting. Finally, unable to hold back, Alistacas shouted, "Baka Great Chief! Are you afraid?! Afraid to come and face me?! Baka Great Chief..."

Alistacas shouted several times, his voice becoming hoarse, before Baka finally strolled over slowly, his head held high with a sneering look that reeked of disdain. "Boy, aren’t you tired of screeching like a ghost for so long? Let me tell you the truth: if your father were here, I’d be willing to come earlier. But you... I honestly have no interest in moving."

Alistacas’ fury boiled over, and he blurted out, "You vile old bastard—"

Baka burst into laughter, "Ah, that’s right! You’ve hit the nail on the head. I’m old, and yet I’m doing quite well, thanks to Ares’ protection! Your father and I aren’t far in age, but last I heard, he’s gravely ill. He probably doesn’t have much time left."

Alistacas was livid, his face flushed red. He lunged forward, intending to land a heavy punch on the despicable old man’s face, but Cleobrotas, beside him, yanked him back firmly, issuing a stern reminder, "Alistacas, don’t forget your purpose here! You’re the Commander of the entire army. You must remain composed!"

Cleobrotas then turned toward Baka, speaking righteously, "Baka Great Chief, in such a sacred moment, your disrespect toward your opponent is shameful! Do you not fear incurring Ares’ wrath? And if word spreads, won’t it make all the Illyrian tribes mock you?!"

Baka gave Cleobrotas a cold glance, reined in his laughter, and raised his long spear obliquely. "Enough talking! Hurry and finish the ceremony so I can lead my army to defeat you!"

Alistacas snorted before suppressing his anger and positioning his long spear.

Both sides chanted Ares’ name, swearing to abide by prior agreements.

When the ritual concluded, Baka shot Alistacas a mocking look, shook his head dismissively, and then turned on his heel to walk away.

Alistacas trembled with rage, but Cleobrotas again reminded him to stay calm. With a furious wave, Alistacas stormed back to his formation.

While the two commanders were performing the ritual, Fesaros was moving between the formations of the First Legion, accompanied by a few staff members. As he walked, he proclaimed loudly, "Brothers, behind me are Staff Department assistant Tasines and Civil Affairs Department assistant Laklid. Their responsibility is to record and verify the merits you earn in battle!

Remember, the more enemies you kill, the more merits you earn—the more land you’ll receive, the higher you’ll be promoted! This is the leader’s grand opportunity for our First Legion, so don’t miss it!..."

Fesaros tirelessly repeated his words, eliciting clenched fists holding sword and shield, heavy breaths, and widened eyes from the soldiers, as their fighting spirit surged higher...

Upon returning to the rear formation, a seething Alistacas immediately ordered his men to sound the horn.

The Aldean warriors in the center and left flank began advancing slowly, while the Nix First Legion on the right flank remained stationary. Moments later, copper horns sounded from their rear, banners pointed forward across battalions, and team officers’ shouts drove the soldiers to begin moving.

Horn calls followed on the opposing side as the Otarlat Army advanced as well.

As the two armies approached, closing the fifty-meter distance, both sides’ warriors simultaneously let loose deafening war cries, accelerating toward each other like two crashing waves. In an instant, battle cries and screams of agony filled the skies.

When the Aldean warriors charged, the First Legion surprisingly halted their advance instead of following suit.

"Brothers, don’t panic! Move closer to me! Half-crouch, put your right foot forward, left foot back, and brace your shield firmly against the back of the comrade before you. Plant your stance solidly!..." Casaridaoa shouted loudly to his troops, just as other team officers did. His squad, consisting mostly of new recruits, was positioned in the middle of the formation and didn’t have to face direct enemy assaults for now, but they still needed to contribute to the defense.

Just as the First Legion raised their shield formation, the Otarlat fighters crashed into their ranks with incredible force.

At that moment, Fesaros felt his heart leap to his throat.

Because the Otarlat ranks were considerably longer than those of the Alliance Army, Fesaros extended their formation to prevent the enemy from flanking the sides. He also followed Staff Department assistant Marcus’ suggestion and pulled one battalion into reserve, leaving the formation thinner and down to just four columns. Whether they could withstand the overwhelming Otarlat charge was his greatest concern.

Soon, Fesaros relaxed, as the Otarlat’s charge initially bent, and even ruptured parts of the First Legion’s shield formation. But as their advance waned, the First Legion gradually restored their lines.

This was largely thanks to the soldiers in the front ranks, who were mostly seasoned veterans with extensive combat experience from campaigns in Italy. During the Otarlat’s assault, they skillfully used their square shields to protect themselves, retreating slightly to absorb the impact. They seized the momentary openings exposed during the collision, swiftly thrusting their short swords from behind their shields into the enemy’s ribs...

Born and raised in mountainous terrain, the Otarlat fighters were accustomed to long-spear battles, usually against their own kin. Facing a completely different opponent now threw them off, and this adaptation came at a price—injury or even death.

The Nix fighters wielded large shields and short swords, requiring them to engage in close-quarters combat to kill. This demanded exceptional courage and swordsmanship from the soldiers.

The Otarlat ranks were vast, arranged loosely during formation but tightly clustered after charging. The rear ranks pushed forward relentlessly, driving those in the front into the compact defenses of the First Legion. Ironically, this made it harder for their front-line warriors to evade the stabbing short swords. Most of them lacked armor, which led to rising casualties and rapidly diminished momentum. Eventually, their advance even halted, and they began a slow retreat.

Fesaros, observing this from the rear, breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a twinge of confusion. He didn’t realize that the forces they were confronting consisted of subjugated tribes previously conquered by the Otarlat. For these combatants, Baka’s orders were clear: "Entangle the Nix Army; there’s no need for a desperate fight." However, once the horns sounded and the warriors charged, their bloodlust flared, causing them to forget the pre-battle instructions. It wasn’t until their comrades’ anguished cries rang out that they regained clarity, prompting their leaders’ shouts to initiate a retreat, aiming to distance themselves from the First Legion and reduce casualties.

At that moment, the cavalry sent to scout the enemy began returning.

The rebel army had expanded its numbers significantly within just a year, but its cavalry forces had diminished due to a lack of horses. On this campaign, the Military Department had allocated only four cavalrymen to the First Legion for reconnaissance purposes.

At the onset of the battle, Fesaros had dispatched them all to scout the enemy situation. Since the Auguriate lacked cavalry, he wasn’t concerned about losing any of his horsemen.

"Report, Legion Commander! The enemy has deployed all their troops. No reserve forces were detected."

This was good news! Fesaros felt a sense of relief and turned his attention to the cavalry reporting on friendly forces.

"Legion Commander, our left flank is being encircled from the enemy’s side flanks but continues to engage in fierce combat without showing obvious signs of faltering."

Fesaros grew slightly tense.

"Legion Commander, our center advanced too far during its charge, exposing its flanks. The enemy appears to be concentrating forces on the center, and it has already begun to retreat."