Chapter 141 – The Great Eisenwald Drill
The sky above Eisenwald that morning was pale blue. Beneath it, the vast plain—once swamp—had been cleared into the largest training ground ever seen on the border. Grassland was leveled flat, crimson banners bearing the wolf insignia fluttered at every corner, and thousands of soldiers already stood in formation, awaiting the signal.
Fenrir Eisenwald stood atop a makeshift wooden tower built solely for this day. The wind carried the roll of war drums, making the crimson wolf banners snap as if baring their fangs at the sky. Behind him stood the core commanders: Kael Morgenstern, Arno Kruger, Garrik Stormhoof, Rudiger Vale, Varek, Mirae Farlheim, Roland Ironarm, Calder, and Lyra Nightshade. Each wore full armor, radiating authority.
Fenrir raised his sword high, his sharp voice cutting through the noise.
"Eisenwald!" his call resounded. "Victory in battle does not come from numbers alone. Nor from sharper blades. Victory comes from strategy— from the mind that bends thousands to its will. Today, we shall learn not only to fight… but to think!"
A roar of cheers exploded from the ranks.
Fenrir then pointed at Kael. "The Crimson Knights will command the Blue simulation force, six thousand strong. You will be the enemy. Arno, Garrik, Varek, Mirae, Roland, Rudiger, Lyra—you lead the Red force, twelve thousand strong. Today, you will face your own comrades."
Kael smirked faintly, nodding. "I will show no mercy, even in simulation."
Fenrir smiled thinly. "That is exactly what I want."
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I. First Simulation – Hannibal's Deadly Circle
The horns blared.
The Red Army advanced boldly. Arno led 7,000 heavy infantry in tight columns, great shields raised. Rudiger's 3,000 light infantry shadowed the right flank, moving faster.
Kael, commanding the Blue Army, arranged his formation like Hannibal at Cannae: the center slightly pulled back, feigning weakness. Arno spotted what looked like a gap.
"Forward! Push deeper!" Arno roared.
The Red Infantry slammed hard into the Blue center. But this was exactly what Kael intended. Blue cavalry swept in from both flanks, trying to encircle the Reds who had pressed too far.
Fenrir raised his hand, halting the simulation. He fixed Arno with a sharp gaze.
"Arno, what did you see?"
"A gap, my lord. I sought to crush their center."
Fenrir shook his head. "That was no gap—it was bait. Just like at Cannae, Hannibal destroyed an army twice his size by feigning retreat and striking from the flanks. Remember: an enemy retreating is not always weak."
Arno bowed his head, accepting the rebuke. The soldiers murmured among themselves, learning from the correction.
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II. Second Simulation – Khalid ibn al-Walid's Feigned Retreat
Now it was Rudiger's turn. He commanded the light infantry in the vanguard. Fenrir instructed him to copy Khalid ibn al-Walid's trick: a feigned retreat.
The horns blew a second time.
Rudiger advanced, then deliberately faltered. "Fall back! Orderly retreat!" his shout rang out. The Blue Army saw an opening and pressed harder.
Garrik waited on the left flank with his heavy cavalry. Varek held his breath on the right with the Cavalry Crossbow, bolts ready to fly.
Once the Blue cavalry had pushed too far from their line, Rudiger spun around. "Now!"
Varek charged with 1,000 cavalry crossbowmen. Bolts whistled as they rode, a storm of steel pelting the Blue cavalry. Garrik slammed in from the opposite flank.
The Blue force was suddenly trapped in a vice of flanking attacks. Fenrir lifted his hand.
"That is deception!" he called. "This is how Khalid defeated larger armies time and again. Remember: sometimes retreat is the beginning of victory."
The Red soldiers erupted in cheers. Rudiger bowed, face burning with renewed determination.
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III. Third Simulation – Divide et Impera, Caesar's Doctrine
Fenrir pointed to Mirae and Roland. "Your task: divide the enemy."
The Blue Army stood in a solid block, infantry packed tight at the center.
Mirae signaled. Thousands of arrows arced high, raining down upon the enemy. Their front ranks wavered under the storm. Roland shouted, "Fire!" Trebuchets and ballistae thundered, smashing into the Blue center with explosive force.
Smoke, rubble, and arrows blanketed the battlefield. Arno's heavy infantry surged forward into the breach. The Blue formation split in two. Rudiger and his light infantry slipped through the gap, cutting communications.
Kael raised his sword, trying to rally his troops, but it was too late—they were already divided.
Fenrir's eyes glinted with approval. "That is Divide et Impera—divide and destroy. Caesar conquered the world with this principle."
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IV. Fourth Simulation – Alexander's Hammer and Anvil
By midday, the sun beat down on steel armor, but the troops' spirits blazed hotter.
Fenrir declared the next exercise. "Now we emulate Alexander the Great: Hammer and Anvil."
Arno and his heavy infantry stood as the anvil, bracing the enemy. They absorbed the Blue Army's pressure, shields braced, ranks locked. Meanwhile Garrik and Varek lay in wait with their cavalry.
Once the Blue forces were fully engaged against the anvil, Fenrir gave the signal. "Now!"
Garrik's 1,500 cavalry thundered in from the left. Varek's Cavalry Crossbow swept in from the right, bolts streaking.
The Blue Army buckled, crushed between hammer and anvil. Arno pressed harder, driving them against the dual strike like iron against an unyielding forge.
The Red Army roared in unison. "Hammer and Anvil! Hammer and Anvil!"
Fenrir nodded. "Alexander crushed Persia with this. And today, you have done the same."
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V. Fifth Simulation – Napoleon's Column Assault
Afternoon waned. The sun dipped westward, but Fenrir was not done.
"The final drill," he said. "We copy Napoleon—tight columns and concentrated artillery."
Roland and Calder prepared every trebuchet and ballista, unleashing them upon a single point. Wood and stone shattered the simulated fortress wall with thunderous crashes.
Arno led 7,000 heavy infantry in a narrow column, shields locked, spears raised. They surged directly through the breach opened by artillery.
The Blue Army split asunder. Garrik's cavalry poured in for support, Mirae's archers volleyed into the rear ranks.
Within minutes, the Blue formation collapsed completely.
Even as the defeated, Kael laughed. "This army is already more dangerous than before."
Fenrir raised his sword high. "This is the power of strategy. With 18,000 soldiers, we no longer merely endure—we will crush any who stand in our path!"
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Epilogue – Flames Ignited
That night, the entire army gathered around the campfires. They buzzed with awe at the day's strategies. Many marveled aloud at their lord's brilliance.
One soldier exclaimed, "With tactics like these, even if we faced a Count or a King, I believe we'd still win!" Another added, "Aye! It's terrifying… and brilliant!"
Fenrir, overhearing, smiled faintly. They do not know… I am only borrowing the strategies of legends from my old world. He returned to his tent.
Inside, the familiar panel appeared before his eyes.
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New Quest – Masters of Strategy
Train all corps with at least five classical strategies within one month.
Progress: 5/5 (Completed)
Reward: EXP +5,000 → Skill [Strategic Adaptability Lv.1]
Hidden Quest Unlocked – Legacy of Generals
Condition: Apply strategies of five great commanders in live simulation.
Reward: +10,000 EXP, New Passive [Echoes of Conquerors] → Fenrir can recall & adapt historic tactics more swiftly (+15% effectiveness for complex strategies).
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[Status Panel – Fenrir Eisenwald]
Name: Fenrir Eisenwald
Title: Crimson Wolf of Eisenwald, Viscount of the Northern Border
Age: 18
Level: 19 → 20 (UP)
EXP: 82,500 / 90,000
Aura: 300 (+10 reward)
Stamina: 295 (+15 reward)
Strength: 250 (+5 reward)
Cunning: 420 (+25 reward)
Charisma: 265 (+15 reward)
Mental Fortitude: 290 (+10 reward)
Skills:
[Aura Control Lv.4]
[Swordsmanship Lv.4]
[Leadership Lv.6]
[Tactical Instinct Lv.4]
[Crossbow Tactics Lv.1]
[Mobile Volley Lv.1]
[Strategic Adaptability Lv.1]
Traits:
[Wounds That Shape]
[Lord of the Marsh]
[Banner of Unity]
[Iron Banner]
[Echoes of Conquerors]
Fenrir gripped his sword, whispering to himself:
"Once, we were nothing but a silent swamp. Now, we are a school of war. And I… will be the wolf who learns from legends."
The Eisenwald banner flew that night, lit by the fires of thousands of soldiers.
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