As the left fnk army executes its ambush counterattack, another border legion arrives at the occupied border fortress area. By now, twenty thousand kingdom troops have gathered, solidly surrounding the right fnk army, which has only five thousand men defending the fortress. However, the fortress is well-stocked with supplies and has received two rounds of logistical support, ensuring that defense is not an issue.

  Over a month into the conflict, the nearby noble lords have responded to the kingdom's emergency call. More than twenty thousand noble private troops are eager to earn significant merits. With Peace Haven's main forces tied up, they've decided to cut off Peace Haven's logistics once more.

  According to the pn, this noble private army is supposed to be crushed by the returning left fnk army. But since the left fnk army is still en route, the logistics units and their militia escorts decide to temporarily avoid confrontation. This retreat emboldens the noble coalition, making them feel like they've found an easy target.

  The noble coalition can't let this opportunity slip away. After pursuing for dozens of miles, the logistics units and militia notice that their opponents seem to be overextended.

  And the right fnk cavalry, monitoring the entire battlefield, keenly spots the opportunity.

  Commander Rawkins immediately alters the pn, sending word to the retreating logistics units to engage the noble coalition. The nearly ten thousand-strong logistics force escorting two thousand wagons isn't made up of mere farmers! Most of them are Henwell's hidden private soldiers, and even the remaining half, who are genuine supply camp soldiers, undergo monthly training.

  Upon receiving the orders, these supply troops quickly change formation, using the wagons as a defensive line and start setting up a defensive structure.

  Despite Rawkins having already overestimated the noble coalition, their actions still leave him utterly shocked. These noble forces, separated from the main army and numbering just over three thousand, recklessly charge at the already formed infantry ranks.

  The result is devastating—a barrage of heavy crossbows and longbows takes down a rge swath of them in just two volleys. If it weren't for the high-ranking officers remembering Henwell's instructions to capture as many nobles as possible, few of these three thousand would have survived.

  Once the engagement begins, five thousand militia rapidly march to cut off the noble coalition's retreat path. These militia members are soldiers Henwell has stationed across different regions, each with at least two years of training. Their training is on par with, if not stricter than, the regur armies of other nations. Carrying only weapons, armor, and a water fsk, they cover nearly ten kilometers in an hour to fnk the noble coalition.

  As the noble forces realize their vanguard has been decimated, they find themselves with militia closing in from the left and a thousand cavalry charging from the right. Panic ensues, and they struggle to maintain any sembnce of formation. After a swift assault, the rest of the battle turns into a chaotic roundup of prisoners across the hills.

  The battle results in four thousand five hundred enemy casualties and nearly twenty thousand prisoners captured, with minimal losses on their side. Rawkins reallocates half of the supply troops to escort the disorganized prisoners back to Peace Haven.

  Rawkins leads the militia corps away and, two days ter, rendezvous with the returning Arnold. After some discussion, they decide to let the left fnk army rest for a day before unching an attack on the kingdom's forces outside the border fortress. Although they've already cut off the enemy's supply lines and could simply wait them out, Henwell wants a swift and decisive victory—a thunderous onsught.

  Henwell needs his troops to engage the king's army head-on. Winning through strategy alone won't deter those with ill intentions. Only by proving their strength can they dispel unrealistic fantasies.

  On the twentieth day of the war, Arnold leads the left fnk army onto the battlefield. Over five thousand soldiers form fifty hundred-man phanxes, with each wave consisting of five formations. The front rows hold shields and spears, advancing in orderly ranks. To the yperson, it's a spectacle; to the seasoned observer, it reveals a well-honed force.

  The kingdom's commanders quickly recognize this as an elite corps. The best counter would be a cavalry charge to break their ranks or to meet them with a heavily armored legion. However, due to their earlier rash advance, the kingdom has already lost two thousand cavalry.

  Now, with three legions totaling about twenty thousand troops, they have fewer than three thousand cavalry left. Yet, they hesitate to charge, as Rawkins has already assembled two cavalry battalions on the battlefield's edge, totaling around two thousand riders. If the kingdom's cavalry charges first, they'd face Rawkins' ferocious counterattack.

  Still, the left fnk army's advance cannot be ignored. The kingdom's commanders reluctantly muster five thousand troops to block the front while organizing six thousand more into two groups on the fnks, pnning to strike the left fnk army's wings once the battle is engaged.

  Within minutes, the left fnk army, shielded against waves of arrows, reaches the enemy's front lines. They uniformly block with their shields and then fiercely thrust their spears forward. Although this mechanical blocking exposes many soldiers to enemy attacks, the synchronized spear thrusts that follow are shockingly effective. The kingdom's front-line soldiers fall like grass being mowed down.

  A kingdom soldier, initially pleased with having felled an enemy, suddenly realizes that only a few of his comrades remain standing. Before they can regain their composure, the second line of shield-bearing, spear-thrusting left fnk soldiers is upon them.

  The left fnk army crashes over the kingdom's soldiers like relentless waves, crushing them yer by yer. The kingdom's commander is in a frenzy. The sheer scale of the sughter is overwhelming, especially for those on the front lines.

  With only three of the ten pnned waves executed, the kingdom's front line is already on the brink of colpse. Desperate, the kingdom's commander orders three more thousand-man units to bolster the front, hoping that their fnking groups can break through the enemy before their line is completely breached.

  At that moment, a horn bres. On the kingdom's left fnk, several thousand troops rush onto the battlefield. The kingdom's commander is armed; if these troops break through, it's all over. In desperation, he orders the cavalry to charge, hoping to drive the militia away.

  As the cavalry surges forward, Gevana, the commanding officer, shouts, "Form up! Take positions!" What seemed like a scattered militia quickly organizes into a defensive formation. The front line raises their shields while over a thousand soldiers draw their heavy crossbows from their backs, loading them.

  "Two hundred paces! Ready!" Three hundred crossbowmen move behind the spear and shield line, setting up their heavy crossbows and aiming ahead. "One hundred paces! Shoot!" With the distinct twang of crossbows releasing, the crossbowmen raise their weapons and retreat to the back. The second group steps up, shoots their bolts, and likewise retreats, ensuring that no one accidentally shoots a comrade in the back due to nerves or malfunction.

  After three volleys of powerful crossbow fire, a significant number of kingdom cavalry are struck down. More importantly, the cavalry's formation is thrown into disarray, disrupting their ability to maintain peak charging speed.