221: Chapter 219 The First Battle is the Decisive Battle

Mihe's Swift Travel Technique was practically peerless when it came to pursuit; even ordinary Saint Magicians and Saint Knights might not be able to match him.

However, the two of them chased for a long time and failed to see even a glimpse of Brando.

Unwilling to let the cooked duck fly away, Zhang Mu pursued all the way to the edge of the Silent Forest. As night fell, he could only let out a sigh.

He escaped.

After contacting Domit, he learned that the First Army of Gur City hadn't encountered the two of them either.

Zhang Mu stood with his hands behind his back. "They probably took a detour to rendezvous with their main force."

Standing behind him, Mihe stroked his white beard. "Then we should now..."

"Hmm..." He pondered with a somber expression. "I instructed Solon that as soon as he heard the commotion from our fight, he was to report to the royal family immediately. They've likely received the news by now."

"Are reinforcements on the way?"

"Hopefully."

Logically, if the City Lord of a border city reports enemy activity, the royal family must immediately dispatch a legion to support them.

But Gur City's special situation was right there.

Even though Zhang Mu reported that they had "already engaged the enemy," he still didn't dare be certain that the royal family would have no doubts and immediately deploy troops to Gur.

Perhaps they would send Professionals to investigate first?

It didn't matter; he hadn't expected the royal family to be of much help from the start anyway.

After scratching his head and thinking for a while, Zhang Mu asked Mihe to carry him to the command post dozens of kilometers away.

The name sounded fancy, but it was actually just a tent.

Lifting the flap and walking inside, he saw a long table in the center. Several box-like communication devices were placed on the table, and Soldiers sat before them, constantly relaying Domit's orders to the frontline officers.

"Lord Marshal, Mr. Mi He." Domit looked back and saw them arrive, saluting in greeting.

Nodding in response, Zhang Mu asked, "How is the battle going?"

"After a brief engagement with the ten thousand vanguard troops of the Kingdom, the enemy realized their intelligence was incorrect and retreated decisively. I sent the Second Brigade to pursue them,"

"The vanguard was almost completely wiped out."

"Vanguard?" Mihe asked in confusion. "When I went there, the Kingdom had not split their forces."

"The Kingdom's army must have split off ten thousand Soldiers afterward to scout the way ahead."

"Oh?" Zhang Mu smiled. "To maintain such vigilance even with an absolute advantage, there are capable people in the Kingdom's army."

"Yes, I had the same thought."

After speaking, Domit turned to the long table and brought over a hand-drawn topographical map of the Gur region of the Silent Forest. "Just a few minutes after the engagement began, the vanguard commander ordered a retreat."

"I originally intended to conduct a fighting retreat to force them toward their main force's position. That would cause panic among the main force and ideally disrupt their formation."

"Was our objective discovered?"

"Yes."

"The vanguard lost more than half its numbers, yet they refused to run in that direction. They've been fleeing parallel to the main force, maintaining a certain distance."

Tracing his finger along the vanguard's route on the map, Domit's expression was full of regret. "If they hadn't split..."

"There are no 'ifs' in war."

Zhang Mu took the map and pulled it open with both hands. "How much does the Kingdom know about our capabilities?"

"Sensing their main force was behind them, I ordered the Soldiers to refrain from using heavy firepower like grenades and mortars."

"They only suffered attacks from magic rifles."

"Well done."

After praising him, Zhang Mu rolled up the map and stuffed it back into his hands. "Mihe and I took out more than half of the Kingdom's Professionals,"

"But we can't relax. There's still one Magister and one Magister left."

"If those two catch our main force, a single area-of-effect spell could wipe us out entirely."

"Yes!"

"Also, that flying magic beast hasn't been spotted. I reckon it's circled around to the south of Gur City."

"The magic beast is carrying a squad of elites. You all need to be careful."

"Yes!" After standing straight and responding, Domit asked, "Lord Marshal, what about our next move?"

"Since we've been exposed, an ambush won't work anymore. Let's head on directly."

After giving the subsequent instructions, Zhang Mu prepared to head into the forest to find those two who had slipped through the net.

Before he could move, the Professional assigned as Solon's assistant suddenly sent a message to Domit via sound transmission crystal.

After listening, he said in surprise, "Lord Marshal, I just told Solon that Joey died outside the city, and he went to search the Vice City Lord's manor."

"Any results?"

"He found over a dozen recording crystals. They contain records of conversations over twenty years where the City Lord reported to the royal family that the Kingdom might launch a sneak attack on Gur City."

Eh?

Zhang Mu's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Good grief, he's quite something. He actually played 'the boy who cried wolf.' No wonder the royal family's reply to me was to stop messing around."

"Weren't they afraid the royal family would actually send a legion?" Mihe found it a bit strange.

"That's simple," Zhang Mu laughed. "The first few times he reported false news—for instance, that the Kingdom had enough flying magic beasts to transport an army across the Silent Forest."

"When the people sent to investigate found nothing unusual several times, the royal family naturally felt the City Lord was just dissatisfied with being in remote Gur and wanted some attention."

"That is indeed feasible."

"Alright, that's all meaningless now. Mihe, let's go to the Silent Forest. We absolutely cannot let those two strike at the First Army."

"As you command."

They had just taken a few steps when Domit suddenly called out to them.

"Lord Marshal, regarding the course of the war, I have some personal thoughts."

Seeing Zhang Mu turn back and look at him inquisitively, he hesitated for a moment. "I read the war books you gave me every day."

"Um... the current situation is that the enemy's troop strength far exceeds ours. If we fall into a war of attrition, it will be very disadvantageous for our army."

"Moreover, as the number of engagements increases, they will gradually adapt to firearms."

"When that time comes, the Kingdom will ignore casualties to force us into melee combat. Even if they trade five for one, they could grind us down to death."

This was not impossible.

The Saul Continent was indeed in the age of cold weapons, but unlike the ancient times of Blue Star, this world possessed magic.

The Kingdom's army was peppered with a large number of low-tier Professionals. With the cover of archers, they could close in on the First Army if they were willing to pay the price.

Then, things would develop exactly as Domit had described.

Zhang Mu didn't ask what tactics he wanted to use, only saying, "At this moment, you are the supreme commander of the First Army."

Startled, a smile spread across Domit's face. "I understand."

"Good."

Without further words, Zhang Mu and Mihe left the camp and rushed toward the First Army stationed somewhere in the forest.

Shortly after setting out, Mihe couldn't help but ask, "Zhang Mu, do you trust Domit that much? Not a single worry?"

"You should trust him more, and don't doubt my eye for picking people too much."

Zhang Mu had appointed Domit as the Legion Commander of the First Army not just because he was trustworthy.

Loyalty and capability have no correlation whatsoever.

If a person is loyal but completely useless at their job, what's the point?

Such a person would, at most, be kept close by and given a trivial post to be looked after. They could never be allowed to hold a critical position.

The importance of the First Army's Legion Commander was beyond doubt.

From the moment he decided to form the First Army, Zhang Mu had been thinking about cultivating a group of officers who could be of great use.

Among them, the most vital was naturally the soul of an army: the Legion Commander.

As the saying goes, a cowardly Soldier is just one coward, but a cowardly general makes a whole den of cowards. If the Legion Commander were incompetent, that army would be ruined.

Thus, Zhang Mu had scoured Blue Star for many ancient and modern military books as well as war cases.

Then, he picked a group of quick-witted people from the First Army and gave them lectures personally.

In the end, Domit had emerged from the fierce competition.

Zhang Mu was well aware that a true God of War was never created solely by studying military books and deducing on a sand table.

If anyone held the opposite opinion, a certain general of the Zhao clan from the Ying lineage would probably kick open his coffin lid that had been sealed for thousands of years, jump out, and give him a fierce slap.

Therefore, Zhang Mu would not interfere with Domit's command.

Besides, if it really came down to it, he himself might not know military affairs better than the current Domit.

He briefly explained his thoughts, and Mihe shook his head after listening, indicating he couldn't understand.

Zhang Mu replied with a smile and said nothing.

The two accelerated and arrived at the First Army's temporary camp in the forest half an hour later.

This was a clearing created by Soldiers felling trees at the roots.

Conditions were limited, so there were no tents. Campfires were lit every few meters, and except for those standing guard on the perimeter, the Soldiers slept on the ground around the fires.

Seeing the Lord Marshal's arrival, the Soldiers quickly scrambled up and formed ranks, soon lining up neatly before Zhang Mu.

Scanning the Soldiers whose faces were covered in soot and scorched earth from left to right, Zhang Mu asked softly, "Have you witnessed death?"

"Yes!"

"Do you understand what death is?"

"Yes!"

"Very good." Zhang Mu showed a smile. "Does anyone want to quit?"

"This is your only chance."

The flickering firelight reflected off their resolute faces.

Silence.

The battlefield is the place where humans grow the fastest.

"Dismissed."

Clutching their rifles, the Soldiers orderly returned to the fires and lay down.

"A wrong decision will lead to many deaths," Mihe said in a low voice, standing a few steps behind him.

Having spent some time with Zhang Mu, Mihe felt that given his kind nature, even if he didn't change his mind, he would still offer some comfort.

Things were a bit different from what he thought.

Zhang Mu's expression was colder than it had ever been. "Without sacrifice, there is no victory."

In war, there are no instances where people do not die.

From the start of recruitment for the First Army, no one was forced to join.

And Zhang Mu had emphasized repeatedly that the war with the Kingdom would result in many deaths.

On the day of the ambush, he had even said to all the Soldiers—I need you to give your lives for us.

At that time, Zhang Mu wasn't being sentimental. He knew the cruelty of war; the siblings in the ruins when he went to catch oil rats were just the tip of the iceberg.

He told the Soldiers again and again that fighting meant dying, while also trying to make them understand what death actually was.

One battle was enough for them to understand.

Therefore, the question just now was truly the last time.

Mihe was behind and couldn't see Zhang Mu's face.

After a moment of daze, he asked, "Do you know what kind of decision Domit will make?"

"The first battle is the decisive battle."

Turning around, Zhang Mu's face had returned to its usual faint smile. "The Kingdom can increase its troops. For us, who are already at an absolute numerical disadvantage,"

"Dragging it out will only increase the probability of defeat."

"Decide the outcome in one go?"

"It's the only way." Zhang Mu walked toward the darkness outside the camp. "Right now, our only advantages are firearms and artillery."

"And this advantage will continuously diminish over time."

"Not giving the enemy a chance to adapt and staking everything on a single effort is the best choice."

"What does 'staking everything on a single effort' mean?"

His footsteps paused for a moment, then he continued into the night, saying, "You wouldn't understand."

That's why I'm asking.

Mihe was baffled but followed him.

...

Somewhere on a mountaintop in the Silent Forest.

Similar to the First Army, a clearing had been cut among the trees, and the Kingdom's main force was stationed here.

In a lit tent, Gideon sat across the table from the Legion Commander.

"Correct, I am certain the enemy commander will launch a decisive battle immediately." Gideon slammed his fist onto the table.

The Legion Commander bit his fingernails. "Their weapons are powerful, and they don't seem to lack ammunition. Wouldn't dragging it out favor them?"

"No!"

"Lord Legion Commander, intelligence is the most important thing in war."

"The Gur side doesn't know the Kingdom won't send more reinforcements. We only have the hundred thousand Soldiers on hand."

"They likely worry that we will continue to receive reinforcements until their own troops are exhausted."

"Hmm..." The Legion Commander bit his nail a bit harder. "But those new weapons... the speed at which they harvest lives is simply too fast."

"Close combat!"

Gideon slammed the table again. "I've noticed their Soldiers; they aren't Professionals, just ordinary Soldiers."

"As long as we get close, even if we pay a casualty rate far exceeding theirs, we can absolutely annihilate the enemy!"

Feeling a bit of a toothache, the Legion Commander said with a bitter face, "If too many Soldiers die, I won't be able to explain myself when I return to the Kingdom."

"It's better than failure."

After thinking for a moment, the Legion Commander nodded to himself; that was true.

"You are the commander now, you give the orders."

The meaning behind these words was clear: whoever makes the decision bears the responsibility.

Gideon didn't care; he only craved to bring victory to the Kingdom.

Standing up, he walked toward the tent exit, preparing to formulate a specific battle plan.

"Out of the way!"

As he reached the flap, it was suddenly knocked aside. He was startled and gripped the hilt of the longsword at his waist.

With the sword half-drawn, he saw that the person rushing to the bed was Mahamoda, the Kingdom's Magister accompanying the expedition.

And the person he was carefully laying onto the bed was none other than the missing Brando.

"Lord Brando!" With their swords sheathed, Gideon and the Legion Commander rushed over.

"Keep your voices down!" Mahamoda rebuked the two with a dark expression.

"What happened?!"

"We were ambushed. Only Lord Brando and I managed to escape."

Hearing this, Gideon took a step forward, his face full of shock. "The other three..."

"All dead."

How is that possible?

He was in disbelief. To ambush five High-tier Professionals and leave three behind, including a Great Knight—had the Lake royal family sent people?

"How many of them were there?"

"Two."

Gideon's eyes were vacant. "Two... was it Mr. Potter?"

"No." Mahamoda clenched his fist. "Stranger Professionals. One seemed to be a Magister, and the other was a space-type Magister."

"Impossible!" Gideon shouted, spit flying. "There were five of you, including a Great Knight and a Magister..."

The irritable Magister interrupted him. "Lord Brando was caught in a trap and immediately suffered heavy injuries."

"He... I don't know why he was killed. By the time I arrived, even the body was gone."

Then he frowned. "What are you all doing here? It's dark, and you still haven't left the Silent Forest?"

"We were also ambushed."

After recounting the events, the Legion Commander explained, "We contacted Lord Brando but received no response."

"After Gideon and I discussed it, he took over command of the legion."

"You intend to have a standoff with the enemy?"

"Not a standoff, a decisive battle."

"I object!" Mahamoda retorted sharply. "Withdraw the troops immediately!"

"No, not allowed."

A voice came from the bed. The three of them were stunned and hurriedly turned to look.

Brando's eyes were half-open, and he gasped for air. "Obey... Gideon's... Gideon's orders."