Since entering the Drakwald Forest, the chivalric army had been plagued by relentless Beastmen attacks and harassment. The Beastmen waged guerrilla and mobile warfare, targeting the supply lines in an attempt to slow the knights' advance. Although these skirmishes were minor, they caused considerable disruption to the army.
To counter this, King Ryan meticulously planned the Udoine counter-ambush. He deliberately allowed part of the logistics unit to separate from the main force, using their scent to lure the Beastmen into an ambush. The dense fog created by the Lake Goddesses' sorceresses concealed the main army, allowing them to turn the tables.
The plan's challenges were numerous: ensuring the Beastmen would take the bait, preventing the separated force from being too weak and overwhelmed, or too strong, causing the Beastmen to flee instead of summoning reinforcements. Thankfully, the creation of the magical fog was the easiest part, thanks to Morgiana and her sorceresses.
Ryan and Duke Berchmond's extensive experience dealing with Beastmen proved invaluable. They understood that Beastmen, at their core, were corrupted and twisted humans, sharing many human traits. Hunger in the harsh winter months made both humans and Beastmen desperate. The promise of food—livestock and grain—would surely entice the Beastmen into taking risks.
Additionally, Ryan predicted that the Beastmen's lack of familiarity with the Bretonnian army would work to his advantage. Like humans, they possessed a gambler's mentality: without firsthand experience of the knights' strength, they would underestimate their foe.
Thus, the counter-ambush was a resounding success.
---
As the fog dissipated, the Bretonnian army began cleaning up the battlefield. The convoy was mostly intact, having lost only a few horses, eight oxen, and several dozen sheep—most of which had been bait purchased from nearby villages. Ryan dismounted to inspect the Beastmen corpses up close. Aurora, Morgiana, and Theresa stayed away, clearly repulsed by the gruesome sight. Meanwhile, Duke Berchmond and Veronica accompanied Ryan.
"Only around 4,000," Ryan muttered with some disappointment. "Fewer than I expected. I didn't see any Cyghors, Doombulls, Four-armed Minotaurs, Dragon Ogres, large Chaos Spawn, or those legendary Mutant Beast hybrids. Those are the true elites of the Beastmen."
"Bestigors, Minotaurs, Beastlords, and Bray Shamans," Berchmond replied, pressing his iron-shod boot onto a Beastman corpse. Soldiers and knights from Bastonne were finishing off any Beastmen still clinging to life before piling the bodies for burning. "We've wiped out a significant chunk of their core troops. It'll hurt them for a while. Don't forget, the vast majority of Beastmen are Ungors and Gors."
"Darling, wasn't it battling Beastmen that made your name decades ago?" Veronica asked sweetly, clinging to Ryan's arm. The sorceress of the Garland Tower beamed with fond memories, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling. "It feels like history repeating itself."
"Hah! Let me tell you, Veronica—every single one of these Beastmen helped build my legend." Ryan chuckled. "In an avalanche, every snowflake plays its part."
"Hahaha!" Veronica laughed, her mind wandering to the early days of adventuring with Ryan. The icy forest around them reminded her of those times, and her heart swelled with nostalgia. Playfully, she tapped Ryan's nose. "We shouldn't linger here too long. The Beastmen are licking their wounds, and we should seize this opportunity to rendezvous with Middenland's forces."
"You're right," Ryan agreed. "Berchmond?"
"I concur with Veronica," the Duke of Bastonne said. "The Beastmen will retreat for now, but if they have serious plans for us, they'll return stronger."
"Summon Bertrand, Hagen, and Davout!" Ryan commanded.
Soon, the leaders of the Old Guard and Duke Hagen arrived.
"I'm assigning the Old Guard's pikemen, greatswords, and gun grenadiers to you, along with a contingent of troops," Ryan ordered. "You'll lead the vanguard, scout the way, and relay information to the main army. Duke Hagen will accompany you with knights from Gisoreux and Lyonesse. Your priority is to establish contact with Boris Todbringer and inform Middenland of our position."
"The Old Guard as vanguard?" Bertrand and Davout exchanged surprised glances.
"Assist them?" Duke Hagen was similarly taken aback. As a member of one of the founding Holy Grail Knight families, it irked him to assist two commanders who weren't even barons.
"The vanguard will consist of 7,000 troops," Ryan stated decisively. "Bertrand will command, with Hagen and Davout as deputies." He then turned and called out, "Aurora and the Anselyu Sisters will provide magical support."
Aurora reluctantly accepted the task, while Morgiana assigned three young Lake Goddesses' sorceresses—the Anselyu Sisters—to the vanguard. These sisters, daughters of Mousilon's Evroul Knight, had tragic yet distinguished histories. Each was taken as a child by the Lake Goddesses to be trained as prophets, leaving their mother heartbroken. After years in the Lake Goddesses' realm, they returned as powerful sorceresses.
With the 35,000-strong Bretonnian army split into two groups—a 7,000-strong vanguard led by Bertrand, Hagen, and Davout, and a 28,000-strong main force under Ryan, Morgiana, and Berchmond—the army pressed deeper into the Drakwald Forest.
---
After a week of forced marches, the vanguard neared Bergen Castle.
On the Middenland road, Bertrand marched at the head of the Old Guard. His iconic tricorn hat, now adorned with a unicorn insignia and griffon feather, gleamed as he surveyed the ominous surroundings. The disciplined Bretonnian troops moved as a single, dazzlingly organized force.
Snow fell relentlessly, as it often did in Middenland's winters. The bleak mountains, desolate roads, and scattered villages along the way were a far cry from the warmth and burgeoning population of Bretonnia. The haunting calls of beasts echoed from the forest depths, leaving soldiers uneasy about what lurked in the shadows.
Information from scouts indicated that parts of the Drakwald Forest led directly into Chaos-corrupted realms. The Empire had tried burning sections of the forest, but Beastmen always intervened. Large-scale logging projects had also failed, with small groups being slaughtered and larger ones proving too costly for noble sponsors.
"It's freezing!" Old Guard Captain Raymond pulled his lake-green winter coat tighter. Though a legendary warrior in his 30s, he grumbled about the cold, unaccustomed to the harsh environment. "How do the Imperials survive in this icy hell of endless forests?"
Snow-laden winds stung Davout's face as he adjusted his distinctive bicorn hat, deliberately askew to make a statement. The white griffon feather on it was now flecked with frost. "It's impressive," Davout admitted. "Despite these conditions, they've endured for 3,000 years."
"Impressive or not, they still need our help," Duke Hagen scoffed. Dressed in his ancestral armor adorned with a red-and-black surcoat bearing a white stag, he rode confidently. "We've been marching for ten days. Why haven't we met their forces yet?"
"Middenland's rule doesn't extend this far," Aurora replied, her icy tone matching the weather. "Not everyone can enter the forest as freely as Ryan's brother Angron. Most Middenland nobles avoid it entirely."
"Thank you for the insight, Aurora," Hagen replied curtly.
The vanguard maintained a steady pace. Since the Udoine battle, Beastmen attacks had dwindled, allowing for faster progress.
Finally, near Bergen Castle, the vanguard encountered a human army.
Both sides froze at the sight of each other at a bend in the road, just 10 kilometers from the castle. Startled, the Imperials raised their weapons. A line of musketeers and crossbowmen aimed at the Bretonnians. "Identify yourselves! What unit are you?" shouted an Imperial officer.
Equally surprised, the Old Guard formed their own line. Bertrand shouted back, "You first! Identify yourselves!"
Tensions rose as both sides prepared for battle. The knights, red-faced with indignation, braced for a fight.
"Wait! That's Middenland's banner!" Aurora cried, pointing to a flag bearing a white wolf atop a city crest. "They're from Middenheim! Bertrand, lower our weapons!"
"Why should we?" Hagen growled. "Is this how the Empire greets its allies? I'll teach these pups a lesson!"
"Old Guard, lower your weapons!" Bertrand ordered, raising the Bretonnian royal banner—a red and blue field emblazoned with a lion and fleur-de-lis.
"In the name of Ulric, welcome, allies from across the mountains!" An Imperial officer emerged, leading a force of 5,000 soldiers. He was clad in full plate armor, a wolfskin cloak, and a colorful helm plume. "I am Heinrich Todbringer, Marshal of Middenheim. On behalf of my father, Boris Todbringer, and the god Ulric, I welcome you! Where is King Ryan?"
"This is the vanguard. King Ryan's army is two days behind us," Bertrand replied, his brow marked with the emblem of Taal. "I am Bertrand, commander of the Old Guard."
"Taal's Eye?" Heinrich removed his helmet, revealing a scarred face. "
I've heard of you—the outlaw from Châlons turned champion of Taal. And Davout, the Old Guard who drank from the Grail. Your reputations precede you."
With the tension eased, the two armies formally joined forces.
As they exchanged greetings, a sinister presence watched from the depths of the black forest. The legendary Beastlord Kazrak One-Eye, a terrifying warlord with a bounty of 10,000 gold marks on his head, observed the human armies.
"Filthy insects… Kazrak will crush them," he growled. Though enraged, he chose to abandon his ambush, knowing his 7,000 Beastmen couldn't defeat the combined human forces of over 12,000.
Instead, Kazrak issued new orders:
"Summon the tribes. Summon the Doombulls. Summon the Great Gors and Minotaur Destroyers.
Hunt the humans. Burn Middenheim. Destroy civilization. Annihilate everything!"
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