Siegfried contacted Irene first before mobilizing his troops. “Thank you for your hard work, Your Highness.” — Oh, please~ That was nothing~ Hohoho! Irene shrugged it off like it was no big deal—no, she looked thrilled. ‘Did she... just relieve some bottled-up frustration or stress?’ Siegfried wondered. He couldn’t help but suspect it after seeing that Irene was unusually happier than usual and not the least bit annoyed. And he was exactly right... ‘Ahhh! That was the most satisfying thing I’ve had in ages! Hohoho!’ Irene was a sadist deep inside. As a member of the Marchioni Empire’s Imperial Family, the House of Stuttgart, she held immense pride befitting the lineage of the continent’s true rulers. For someone like her, there was no way she would look kindly upon the so-called Holy Alliance, which dared to disrupt the world order and challenge the Marchioni Empire for supremacy. Thus, this war was not only a way to punish the holy Alliance, but it was a rare opportunity for her to unleash her pent-up frustrations with clear justification. “Please head north, Your Highness,” Siegfried replied, pointing to a location on the map. The 1st Corps of the Holy Alliance was camped there. — And you’re going south? “Yes, Your Highness.” — Then I guess the Kiev Kingdom will come out from Odessa, right? “Precisely,” Siegfried nodded. Then, he further explained, “Our forces will advance from above and below. We will surround them from their side and rear and—” — The Kiev Kingdom’s troops will hold the front? “Yes, Your Highness.” — Sounds like a plan. Let’s go with that. Irene fully agreed with his plan. — We will move out in about three hours. “...Pardon me? Not right away?” — We just finished a battle. The troops are exhausted. “Huh? What do you mean, exhausted? The Marchioni Empire’s army is tired?” Siegfried asked, tilting his head in confusion. — Of course, we are. We just fought for almost two straight hours, nonstop! Sure, we barely suffered any casualties, but the soldiers are drained. Even with stamina potions, they’re still just human. Besides, marching all the way there will take at least seven hours. — Isn’t it the same for your troops? They must be worn out too after all that fighting, no? “Not really? Our men are totally fine, actually...” Siegfried replied, sounding perplexed at the question. “I think we could march for ten hours straight right away without any problems.” — L-Liar! You just fought in a massive battle, and now you’re saying you can go on a ten-hour march right away?! “Yes? Your Highness?” — Are you seriously lying to me right now?! “No, Your Highness. I am being completely honest.” Siegfried was not exaggerating at all. The Proatine Kingdom’s troops possessed a near-absurd level of endurance, as they trained almost daily with cross-country runs of over ten kilometers.” On top of that, Siegfried and Chae Hyung-Seok unleashed their debuffs and buffs in the earlier battle, so the troops had fully recovered their stamina with just one bottle of stamina potions. “I am not lying, Your Highness.” — Then, are you showing off? — Are you claiming that the Proatine Kingdom’s troops have more stamina than the Marchioni Empire’s troops?! Flames were lit in Irene’s eyes. As a proud citizen of the Marchioni Empire, she held immense pride in what she considered to be the most powerful military force on the continent. Therefore, it was only natural for her to feel that her pride was being challenged. The idea that her troops needed rest while the Proatine Kingdom’s troops did not—well, that did not sit well with her at all. “That is not what I meant, Your Highness. What I meant was... Our men can start marching now.” — W-We can march, too! “We will be heading south now. Shall we meet at this point in five hours? Will you make it?” Irene was shocked yet again. Even if they started marching immediately, the trip would still take at least seven hours. However, Siegfried was claiming his army could reach there in just five hours. “We will reach there in about five hours. But it is fine if Your Highness’ 8th Corps is a bit late. Please, take your time.” — W-Who do you think you’re talking to?! Don’t you dare be the one who’s late! Ugh! Whatever! I’m hanging up! Then, Irene abruptly terminated the call. Right after she hung up, she immediately issued a command for the 8th Corps of the Marchioni Empire to begin marching... ‘Hmph! Five hours? Ridiculous! We might make it, but they definitely won’t!’ Irene was utterly convinced that there was no way the Marchioni Empire’s proud soldiers could fall behind the Proatine Kingdom. Meanwhile, Siegfried casually turned on his heel and walked away. ‘Hmm... We can probably make it in four hours if we take it slow...’ And with that, the march began. Chae Hyung-Seok had no choice but to move while tied to a cart being dragged along by the Proatine Kingdom’s soldiers. It was all because his buffs were more powerful when he was tied to the Demonic Cross. “Hey~ Hyung-Seok~ Toss out a buff or two for our men, will ya? They’re sweating out here~” Siegfried walked alongside the troops, urging Chae Hyung-Seok to supply them with more buffs. ‘Man, this guy is actually super useful,’ he thought, impressed by how much faster the army marched with the buffs. “Lots of men! Might be cool! But they ain’t nothing like us!” “Lots of men! Might be cool! But they ain’t nothing like us!” “Lots of men! Might be cool! But they ain’t nothing like us!” With Chae Hyung-Seok’s buffs empowering them, the Proatine Kingdom’s troops practically sprinted as they belted out military chants the entire way. For them, what would be considered a forced march for most was no different from a regular endurance training exercise. About five hours later... The 8th Corps of the Marchioni Empire arrived at the designated rendezvous point, looking like they were about to throw up. “Huff... Huff—bleurgh!” They had covered a distance that should have taken seven hours in just five, so every last one of them was completely exhausted. It got to the point where vomiting soldiers could be seen all over the place. “Distribute stamina potions to the men.” “Yes, Your Highness!” Irene ordered stamina potions to be handed out to the troops and allowed them a short break. “Ha! You dare bluff against us?” Actually, she found Siegfried’s claims to be nothing but ridiculous. Thus, Irene called first to let him know that the 8th Corps of the Marchioni Empire had already arrived at the rendezvous point. — Oh? You are already there? Siegfried’s voice came through the magic orb, sounding slightly surprised. “Of course! This was nothing for us,” Irene replied smugly, clearly showing off. — As expected of the Marchioni Empire! There is no greater army than the mighty empire’s! “What about you? You’re not there yet, right? Feel free to take your time if you’re tired. We will wait for you—” — Ah, we are already here, Your Highness. “What?! Y-You’re already there?!” Irene cried out, shocked by what she heard. — Yes, Your Highness. As a matter of fact, our troops are taking a break and eating right now. Siegfried turned the communication crystal and showed the Proatine Forces’ camp, where the troops were relaxing. “I-Impossible!” Irene shrieked after seeing that not only were the troops relaxing, but they were cleaning up their food trays and utensils. If taking into consideration the time it would take to cook their meals, distribute them, and eat, then they had to have arrived at least an hour earlier. ‘Are they even humans? How is that even possible?’ Irene was not only shocked but was rendered completely speechless after witnessing just how quickly the Proatine Forces marched. Well, not that Siegfried cared. — A signal flare will be shot in an hour, and that will mark the beginning of our operation. Anyway, I have some stuff to attend to, so I will excuse myself now. “Y-Yeah, okay,” Irene stammered in response. “That man... just what in the world is he...?” Irene muttered to herself. The man who had made the heart of the continent’s worst troublemaker, Irene von Posteriore, skip a beat for the first time. Just as she thought, he was truly an amazing man—a man far beyond what she could imagine. Seeing how he made the impossible possible, she couldn’t help but want to see what else he could do in the future. Due to the swift advance of both the Proatine Forces and the 8th Corps of the Marchioni Empire, the 1st Corps of the Holy Alliance found their path of retreat completely cut off. To make matters worse, the Kiev Forces sallied out from Odessa and were marching forward. In other words, the 1st Corps of the Holy Alliance was surrounded from all sides. “The enemy is approaching, Your Excellency,” General Effenberg, who was now the vice commander, reported. “What about the reinforcements?” Cassius asked calmly. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾※𝙣𝙚𝙩 “Five thousand Adventurers and one corps of one hundred thousand troops are expected to warp in soon.” “How long will it take before they get here?” “They are expected to arrive at our camp in thirty minutes.” “Tell our men to prepare for battle. We’re about to engage in a full-scale clash.” A grand battle with no elaborate tactics or trickeries was now about to start. It was a battle of brute force versus brute force, both sides clashing with overwhelming numbers. Normally, this kind of battle would result in severe losses for both sides. But in this case, the Holy Alliance was at a significant disadvantage. It was all because the Proatine Forces, the Marchioni Empire’s 8th Corps, and the Kiev Forces were all charging in at the same time. Even with reinforcements arriving, the Holy Alliance was still outnumbered. Meaning, it was certainly not the coalition forces who were at a disadvantage here. Yet, there was not the slightest trace of concern on the Dark Sky Lord’s face. ‘So that’s the confidence of a Grandmaster...’ General Effenberg thought. Cassius was leisurely sipping whiskey with utter composure, and not a hint of worry could be found on him. It was all because he was a Grandmaster—the highest pinnacle a human being could ever reach. He was only one of three people on the entire continent known to have ascended to that supreme realm, so for someone like him, this battlefield was not even a challenge at all. Numerical superiority in a battle did not matter when a Grandmaster was involved. This was the strategic value of overwhelming might and power. Indeed, a Grandmaster was worth tens of thousands—no, hundreds of thousands of troops. A signal flare exploded high in the sky. Siegfried marched forward with the Proatine Forces, advancing toward the 1st Corps of the Holy Alliance. At the same time, the 8th Corps of the Marchioni Empire and the Kiev Forces also left their camps and began marching toward the Holy Alliance’s location. With that, the coalition forces under Siegfried’s command were closing in on the 1st Corps of the Holy Alliance in a perfect pincer formation. “Hm?” Siegfried muttered and raised a brow after noticing something on the horizon. The Holy Alliance’s soldiers were rapidly advancing toward them. “Crush the heretics!” “Glory to the Creator!” “Death to all heathens!” Rather than taking a defensive stance, the two hundred thousand-strong army was charging straight toward the Proatine Forces. ‘Hmm... Not a bad decision,’ Siegfried thought, commending the enemy commander. Had they chosen to turtle up instead, they would have been ripped apart by the combined bombardment of the coalition forces. And if that had happened, at least a third of their troops would have been wiped out before the real battle even began. Thus, making the first move was indeed wise, as it would minimize the initial losses. ‘It’s going to mess up their formation.’ While the Proatine Forces clashed head-on with the enemy, the 8th Corps and Kiev Forces would have free rein to run wild on the enemy’s flanks and rear. In the end, the 1st Corps of the Holy Alliance would suffer immense casualties the longer this battle dragged on. “All units, prepare for combat,” Siegfried issued the order. “Commence bombardment. Open fire.” At his command, the Proatine Forces began unleashing a rain of artillery fire on the approaching enemy army. They were marinating the enemy to soften them up before melee battles broke out. The rows of artillery roared, as their shells rained down upon the 1st Corps. The sky began to turn pitch black. ‘Huh? What’s going on? There weren’t any storm clouds earlier. Is this some sort of weather-control spell?’ Siegfried frowned as the once-clear sky grew dark. However, nothing seemed to happen aside from that, as there was no lightning or rain. Still, an unnatural sense of darkness started creeping over the entire battlefield. Meanwhile, the gap between the Proatine Forces and the Holy alliance continued to shrink—until finally, they were close enough to see each other’s faces. The Proatine Kingdom’s soldiers, gripping their weapons tightly, braced themselves against the oncoming enemies. Just moments before the two sides collided— ‘I have to debuff them first.’ Leading from the very front, Siegfried activated Embrace of Despair. The most important thing in battle was to deal the first blow and to hit the enemy hard. His plan was to weaken the Holy Alliance from the start and seize that momentum to overwhelm them with brute force. “Hm?” Siegfried narrowed his eyes after realizing that his skill did not activate. [Alert: Skill cannot be used!] He immediately sensed that something was amiss. His mana was definitely active and flowing just as usual, but for some odd reason, his skill wouldn't activate.