Amber Sword

"Ah! Magic Bow?" A thin, surprised voice came from behind.

Brand turned around and saw the girl named Beth staring intently at the Shale Longbow in his hand. "You want it?" he asked. A good bow is indeed quite important for Scouts, and besides, Brand actually didn’t care much for the bow in his hand—after all, it’s not such a good item.

"Ah, no, no." Beth was a bit embarrassed. Although she had a boy’s nature, it was ultimately the Commander’s possession, so how could she just ask for it? She had simply spoken inadvertently earlier.

"Haha, Lord, of course Beth wants it, she’s just embarrassed to ask," a young Officer Cadet beside her joked teasingly. Brand wasn’t imposing, so although these young people respected him, they didn’t fear him.

Brand glanced at the speaker, and he actually remembered him. The guy seemed to be named Orland, saved by Caglis from the White Lion Infantry back then. It looked like this guy seemed interested in the girl. Right, historically, these two supposedly got married later on.

He thought with interest and casually tossed the Shale Longbow to the person, laughingly saying, "Then I’ll give it to you. How you persuade Miss Beth to accept it is up to your skills."

"Ah!" Orland didn’t expect his thoughts to be seen through, and immediately his face turned red. He turned back, unexpectedly met with a fierce glare from Beth, and then joined the battle.

"Lord, this..." Orland couldn’t help but wear an innocent look.

"Oh dear," Brand thought with a laugh, thinking young people, a senior can only help you this far. Brass Label Magic Weapons, back in the game, this time of year could sell for at least a couple hundred.

Brand was in the mood to joke with the young people from the Royal Knight Academy at the back because the outcome of the ambush battle didn’t concern him at all. Or rather, he didn’t think this battle could be lost; with Count Oting and Nemesia personally commanding at the front, that was more than enough.

Indeed, the First Highland Infantry Battalion of the Finn Column was renowned, but their reputation was mainly based on several raids during Ansen VI’s rebellion and the early stages of the previous Holy War, known for their mobility. And those were all reputations established by their forebears; the current Highland Infantry were just new blood supplemented into the Black Blade Legion after the November War. Although they retained the stubbornness of the Grey Mountain Mountain People, they didn’t possess the White Lion Legion’s spirit of fighting without retreat when facing a surprise attack.

Especially the military system of the Black Blade Legion is more outdated than the White Lion Legion. They divide a column into three battalions, each of which is subdivided into ten squads, each commanded by a Centurion. These Centurions mostly were Knights around Baron Valen and weren’t really true Junior NCOs.

And these just were the Centurions. Among them, other than a few maintaining formation at the front, most were petrified by Brand’s single arrow; losing the command center, the First Highland Infantry Battalion of the Finn Column didn’t immediately scatter like birds because of the mountain people’s formidable combat capability.

However, the twenty-member Priest Group of the Naga no longer maintained Illusion Technique but instead switched to Ice Hail Technique and Ice Seal Technique to strike at the gathered Highland Infantry. Ice Hail Technique wasn’t light pebbles that could be blocked by raising a shield, but fist-thick ice cones magically reinforced. Just one of these ice cones could pierce through ordinary leather helmets, and the lightly equipped Highland Infantry couldn’t withstand it. One round of magic resulted in cries and wails, bodies piled up.

Lacking Commander’s restraints, these Light Infantry, hit by sudden attacks, instinctively turned tail to evade, each dispersing. But scattered Light Infantry had no combat power. Awaiting them were Count Oting’s Noble Private Soldiers and the Royal Knights’ Light Cavalry, assembled in long formations encircling and dividing the battlefield.

A single Highland Infantry stood no chance against the spear-holding Infantry phalanx, but when gathered, would be magically scattered again. Cornered, the First Highland Infantry Battalion of the Finn Column almost crumbled wholly, persisting for merely a dozen minutes. Their fate was death, surrender, or an escape route for some, which Brand didn’t bother chasing to avoid needless casualties.

The combat from ambush to end took less than half an hour; the sky hadn’t even dimmed. While cleaning the battlefield, Brand glanced at the time; there’s at least a quarter-hour before the Flying Dragon Riders of the Black Blade Legion could return to the battlefield, which was surprisingly smooth beyond expectations.

He looked in the direction of the Black Blade Legion’s retreat, feeling relieved; the rear trouble was gone, allowing him to calmly implement the plan now. And those fleeing Highland Infantry would lead their true enemy into a trap.

...

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Setting Notes:

(1) Narlie, the name of a town located in Grey Mountain Territory. In Erune, a series of mountains from Grey Mountain to the Southern Kerkova serve as the primary habitat of Northern mountain people, who were once considered barbarians by the Cruz, although more savage and untamed than the Southern Territory mountain people. The Northern mountain people had long submitted to the Former King Ai Ke during the Kingdom’s founding era, becoming its citizens. Yet, they retain a scarce sense of independence to this day.

(2) Silver Cliff Sea Cliff, a geographic term referring specifically to the cliff region from Ambeser southwards to the bay’s northmost area of Flada, ’Serenity Anchorage’.

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PS: Got a cold again, so unlucky, spent the morning without status, had to walk around a bit to find the feeling. But my head is still a bit dizzy, releasing 6000 words now to promise two Chapters, will see if I can draft another one later.

Everyone, take care, the weather’s cooling down, pay attention to your health.

Additionally, due to readers’ requests, I’ve begun to add some term annotations. Among these annotations, containing geographic information, I’ve released maps before; you can go find them. When I have time, I’ll make a detailed one, but Qidian’s image transmission mechanism is unfriendly, susceptible to becoming inaccessible after a while. Please remind me to supplement it later.

Finally, Hu Po’s chronicle is also in the making, but it requires everyone’s brainstorming to help find names from earlier periods to prevent bugs. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)