Shadow of the Evil God

"I have a way to observe the overall situation from a distance, but it's not glorious to just stand by and watch." Diana raised her voice slightly.

"If you want to test his credentials, this is the best opportunity. After all, you can't guarantee that his repeated successful ambushes weren't orchestrated by Vermeer. Two such smooth victories would be fine, but the more they happen, the more abnormal the situation becomes. Once people equate themselves with victory, their personalities become arrogant and their impulsiveness intensifies. A young commander, already without the constraints of his superiors, can easily bring about his own destruction once his pride intoxicates him. It's that simple. Otherwise, why would this man break with his usual caution and arrive at the front lines in person?"

"You speak as if we are already older, young officers who have just graduated."

"I'm just putting myself in your shoes." Altiniya pretended to be aggrieved, then couldn't help laughing.

So what do you think?"

Diana had no objection. "Is there a more appropriate way to test him? The worst result would be that his army would be defeated and flee, and he himself would die on the spot. This would be a good opportunity to save his life and send him back to the kingdom."

"We can all go and catch Vermeer red-handed trying to harm him. With you by Dominic's side, our good governor won't be able to cause much trouble no matter what. If you can take the credit for this victory, we'll also gain more resources in the north in the future."

What they didn't mention was that if Dominic seized the opportunity, the ownership of Gonzales would be in jeopardy. However, just like the Neuen Fortress, border areas had always changed hands. Local farmers never cared who they paid taxes to, and Diana never took it to heart either.

What mattered most to her was all the preparations they had made for the North.

......

The soldiers' shouts woke Cesar up, and he came back to his senses from his reverie. He looked down at the marching column at the foot of the hill and couldn't help but look for Phils nearby. He had become almost mentally dependent on her in recent days, and when he saw that he couldn't find her, he even wanted to bite the knuckles of his clenched fist.

He had been in the rear for so long, but he still couldn't avoid the situation where he had to be at the front. But was this really necessary? Or was he just inspired and felt that he had to be the one to fight the next battle?

Although sweat kept oozing down his forehead, soaking his hair and even running into his eyes, Cesar didn't take off his helmet. There was no other reason, just that he felt he had to learn to endure the torture of heavy armor. This tin can not only saved him from a lot of injuries, but also concealed his body's abnormalities in the heat of battle. There was no better choice.

Chapter 121 I Want to Eat a Few

This operation was more than just an ambush.

They had been out of the city for five days. Since leaving the Gonzales fortress, they had been marching through the mountainous region, slowing down only when they approached a road where a smuggling caravan passed. Simply calling it a smuggling caravan wasn't accurate; it was more specifically a route used to transport military equipment from outside of Olidan to Gonzales. During the initial ambush, they had recovered a number of armor pieces with their emblems and crests removed from the rebels; it was likely from this route.

Cesar had spent so long tracking down the rebels' weapons, capturing and interrogating countless prisoners, eager to delve deeper. Although Vermeer claimed the rebels were a ragtag group of peasants and bandits, Cesar felt that no amount of searching would be effective unless he could uncover their superior weaponry and precise tactics. They were like ghosts in the Gonzales mountains, elusive.

Of course, since it was a smuggling team transporting important military equipment and supplies, he would not underestimate the other party's defense capabilities.

Most of the cavalrymen on this expedition were lightly armed, naturally to adapt to the mountainous environment and to maneuver. They could quickly execute orders to charge, retreat, and turn, and, like the steppe people, they could disperse into long lines, dispersing through the woods and mountains to deliver medium-range fire. In addition to the light cavalry, a small number of lightly armed soldiers also accompanied them, carrying long spears and firearms, fulfilling the duties of both musketeers and close combat infantry.

To avoid any accidents on the return journey, patrolling troops were waiting on the main road outside the mountains. Once the signal was given, they would quickly rush to support the battlefield. At this point, Cesar had made all the preparations he could, and all that remained was the actual assault.

As for where did he get all the firearms he had... where else could they come from? Vermeer's military support was limited, and he had written to Urbino to request these supplies. As for who Urbino had asked for them, Cesar did know, but he didn't care.

If he really wanted to trace the matter back to Urbino's superiors, why didn't he just trace it directly to the factory that produced these firearms?

"Our fort is northwest of Gonzales, and the military supplies smuggling route is in the eastern area near Dominican Republic," Cesar said that night. "Considering that recent ambushes have all occurred at strongholds near the fort, I think even if we leave the city under the noses of spies, no one will realize we are heading deeper into the eastern area. We have to take a long route deep into the rebel activity area. To maintain secrecy, we have to split our forces into several small groups, bypass the rebel fortified areas revealed by the prisoners, and then reunite to raid their smuggling routes."

Cesar spoke calmly at the time, but he had never been so uneasy about his decision in his life. His decision was straightforward. If it was carried out successfully, it would allow them to intercept the rebels' support materials, further investigate the truth and cut off their supplies, causing serious damage to their activities.

However, his decision was also risky. After all, he led his troops deep into the mountainous area where rebel activity was frequent, using a method of infiltrating small groups. Gonzales's control over the eastern region was not very good, and the possibility of being surrounded and counterattacked was actually very high.

Going from ambush to active assault, and covering such a vast depth, was honestly risky. However, relying solely on traps and ambushes was no longer sufficient. He had only captured a few insignificant rebel soldiers, and after repeated interrogations, he had only uncovered a handful of insignificant intelligence. If Cesar wanted to further leverage his current intelligence, he had to take the initiative.

Gonzales is a shithole. Looking up is a tragedy,

Urbino, who treated him like a night soil collector and sent him to clean the toilet, could neither provide reliable officers and elite soldiers nor support supplies in the name of the kingdom. It would have been fine if he provided support in his personal name, but

He even embezzled his daughter's property. Looking to the side, the situation was even more tragic. Governor Vermeer was completely clueless, unwilling to provide sufficient military equipment and spouting nonsense about the situation in Gonzales. It would have been better if he hadn't existed.

If he didn't take the initiative to attack with his officers and soldiers, Cesar felt that he would rot here sooner or later, and it would take more than ten years.

The troops, having split into several groups and crossed the rebel zone, gradually gathered, like silent streams flowing from all directions of the valley, converging into a vast lake. The air gradually filled with a pervasive cloud of smoke and dust. Cesar took a deep breath and inhaled the damp, sticky scent of blood and sweat—the various groups must have killed many sentries on their way, he thought. The rich, fragrant aroma lingered for a long time, as if he were standing right where the bodies were gradually losing their life...

No, he should have been more sober. He should have focused on the battle and the situation, not the smell of blood and death.

In theory, the officers of each unit had carefully studied the "Military Strategy" and had a clear understanding of how to respond to unexpected situations. In practical operations, they had also commanded recent ambushes. Thanks to these two things, no units lost contact during the military assembly.

Cesar stood on the edge of the hill, first glancing down at the depression below, then gazing for a moment at the rolling hills in the direction of Dominica. Although it was called the Dominica direction, the actual border was actually very vague. Both sides were keen to extend their territory toward each other when drawing maps, so there were almost no residents living nearby.

Who could stand the fact that the tax collectors from Dominica left last month and now are coming from Olidan? Tax collectors from both countries would consider this place their own territory, would come to collect taxes from the residents regularly, and would not prevent the other from collecting taxes from the residents.

This area and terrain are indeed ideal for a smuggling route...but what could be the source of the smuggling? Is it the Kingdom of Dominion? Or some other unknown force using Dominion's routes to transport supplies? Is it opponents within Olidan, or some other force outside of Olidan?

It all depends on the outcome of the raid, Cesar thought. The rebels transporting vital military supplies in the rear must be more prestigious than those raiding small and medium-sized strongholds on the front lines. Of course, if he could capture a batch of armor with its emblems and patterns still intact, he'd gain more information and be able to further drag the enemy out of the darkness and into the sunlight.

Fighting with your eyes blindfolded is not a good idea.

"This tastes really good!" said the dog beside him, "I want to eat some..."

Cesar looked at the Faceless One. "If you hold it in now, until we get back," he winked. "Then I'll cut open my arm and feed you my blood."

Chapter 122 Today Only

Compared to what was about to happen, the faceless creature disguised as a human seemed insignificant. He had merely thought, issued a few commands, and cast his dice in the darkness, and so many lives were at stake. Not just the arms smugglers, but also those who had broken into groups and moved through the rebel zone. Everyone's fate was centered on this moment.

The thought of so many lives, now a fragile gamble in his hands, oppressed him, threatened him, kept him awake at night. Had he really always been like this, as Firth or the gray-haired Ajeh claimed? Had he always been doing one thing: putting his own life and the lives of others on the line without blinking, only to face his actions and reflect on the bloodshed and cruelty they implied after the fact?

He reflected, he repented, he questioned himself again and again, but they seemed unable to stop him from stabbing his sword, nor would they retract his bets. He claimed that he wanted the leisurely life of a court aristocrat, but in fact he poured great enthusiasm into every victory, and was satisfied with the weapons, corpses and prisoners recovered by his troops.

Now he is no longer content with passive ambush...

"Perhaps this means," Gouzi's birdlike voice startled him awake, "that the education you received in that world can no longer suppress your true desires." She seemed soulless and selfless, but her words always pierced his heart like thorns. "The world you came from had too much order and too many moral precepts..." She paused, as if trying to let him grasp the significance of her words. "You've been away from it for so long. Why not consider it from another perspective? Perhaps you no longer need it, nor those moral precepts?"

Cesar looked at her carefully for a moment and said, "You are like a mirror. Sometimes you can help me see myself more clearly."

She nodded, a childish yet joyful smile on her face. "You are gradually adapting to this world and accepting new moral standards. Isn't this a good thing, Master? We all need to adapt to different environments in order to survive better."

"I prefer the environment to adapt to me," Cesar denied. "There's no reason to get used to scavenging just because I'm stuck in the mud and swamps. But I do have to use scavenging to support myself and crawl ashore before I collapse from hunger."

"What do you mean by shore?"

"I haven't seen it yet. Since I haven't seen it yet, I have to keep struggling upwards until I can't move anymore." Cesar

Er said he was still staring at the direction where the smuggling team was expected to come, "I feel the traces of people over there..." he said.

He felt it, but not with human senses. For a moment, he thought he had an invisible, intangible eye hanging in the sky, like a full moon as huge as a millstone, casting shadows farther than the horizon, and casting new shadows as it passed through living flesh and blood.

It was an inhuman gaze. Perhaps it was due to the experiments Fils had recently conducted on him... Cesar couldn't explain it. Back then, on the streets of Neuen, his shadow spread everywhere, with countless eyes swimming within it. Both the shadows themselves and the vision they created were unholy and distorted. He simply didn't want to recall them.

But Phils still forced him to recall. Not only was he forced to recall his original feelings, he was also forced to accept her experiments and had to repeatedly experience that crazy vision.

He had to try to get used to this inhuman feeling, and try to use it instead of avoiding it.

What if he couldn't get used to it? Of course, he'd cling to the little witch like a lifeline until he could breathe again. It sounded wonderful, like a heroic act, to endure the pain, but what was the point? He closed his eyes and asked himself the question, his answer coming to him without hesitation – if licking her toes could relieve the pain, then he'd just put her toes in his mouth, just in case the pain wasn't relieved enough.

"The prey is about to fall into the trap!" The dog was in high spirits, with shining eyes like a hound about to bite a hare caught in a trap.

Cesar glanced at the Faceless One and said, "No, you cannot join the battle. You need to check on the patrol troops supporting us."

"Ah?" The dog said dejectedly. "Alright, Master, whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it. So, do you want me to make sure the patrol arrives in time?"

"I hope I don't have to use them, but this is about the future of all of us," Cesar said.

She leaned forward, leaning closer, and whispered to him mysteriously, almost coquettishly. "But if they don't arrive in time, what do you think I should do, Master?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Just use your best method." Cesar frowned. "For today only, you can chase your prey to your heart's content. Remember, for today only."

Don't worry about too many irrelevant factors...

"All troops, prepare!" Cesar commanded, turning to face the assembled troops. The light cavalry, scattered into long lines, began to canter. Behind and on their flanks, infantry armed with muskets and spears marched in multiple lines at a steady pace, ready to provide fire support and meet any retreating cavalry. At various key commanding heights, several small groups of soldiers, shields and flags ready, awaited the signal to raise their flags high in the mountains. The goal, naturally, was to instill panic in the enemy, who had already suffered a round of casualties.

This is a densely wooded forest, and many times it doesn't take many troops to create the illusion of a large number of ambushes.

That's assuming they actually inflict some casualties in the first few rounds.

......

Even from her carefully chosen vantage point, and despite the fact that the battle had just begun, Diana found the battlefield chaotic and difficult to discern. At the forefront of the smugglers' group, a large number of musketeers, ensconced behind a newly constructed mound, blocked their path, ready to engage the escort head-on. To the smugglers' left, a large number of light cavalry skittered through the woods. To the right, several flags were raised, and infantry advanced in an orderly fashion, firing continuously at the convoys on the road. The forest was so dense that she couldn't clearly discern how many troops were near the suddenly raised flags.

Everything happened very quickly, and more than just quickly, many things happened in multiple directions, and many battles of different natures were fought.

Diana glanced at Altinia. "Wait a minute," Altinia said. "I'm trying to understand his strategy."

"You mean you didn't teach this in your military academy?"

"It may seem strange for me to say this, but for a young commander in his early twenties, the battlefield deployments he made are no longer those of a normal human being. His known experiences are also very limited, and it is impossible for them to support the picture he has drawn of the battlefield."

Chapter 123 God's Chosen One

"Maybe it's Helgast's chosen one." Diana said after thinking for a moment.

Altinya glanced at her, her expression a little subtle. Her attitude toward the various temples had always been subtle. "I've never seen this term anywhere other than in unofficial history and anecdotes," she said.

Diana shrugged. "That's the only explanation I can find in historical facts. As you know, King Milava of Tyre was born in the countryside, young and inexperienced. He was only in his early twenties when he took to the battlefield, yet he was able to lead the remaining humans to expand their territory in the early Second Era, becoming virtually invincible."

"There is no historical record claiming that Milava was the chosen one of the God of War."

"Have you read further the historical records of the time and compared Milawa's increasingly distorted personality with his age?

"Is it?" Diana asked back, "Cold, suspicious, bloodthirsty, constantly asking his followers to prove their ability and value, these are the marks of Helgast. What kind of person was he originally, and what kind of person did he become later? Many historians believe that this is the tragedy caused by war.

The drama is that the war has distorted a kind-hearted country hunter, but we believe that it is only because he is too close to Helgast that his soul is tugged at. "

"You mages have your own explanation for everything."

"Everyone has their own perspective on the world. It's just that our views are colored a little differently, that's all." Diana said, looking towards the increasingly chaotic battlefield. "So, what are his battlefield arrangements like? Have you come to any conclusions?"

"This smuggling unit is a professional army," Altinia explained. "You can see they're carrying several light artillery pieces, pulled by just one or two horses. The infantry are all protecting the newly erected artillery positions, and the heavily armored cavalry are also marching with them, ready to charge at any time. This is a traditional formation, not surprising on a northern battlefield, but it's quite interesting to see it in a smuggling group supplying weapons to the rebels."

"The other side looks more like a group of bandits," said Diana.

She looked out into the distance and saw long, loose lines weaving through the woods. Some of the lightly armed cavalry were charging, while others retreated under fire, retreating up the hillside to try to regroup. The several lines of infantry following behind them also didn't form a phalanx, but simply protected the cavalry's flanks.

"Not entirely," said Altinya. "This smuggling group is considered a regular army, but they're too small. They're just a guard to protect against bandits, and the majority of their forces are operating further west. Commander Cesar does have a few light cavalry and light infantry, but they're vastly outnumbered. Have you ever wondered how he managed to assemble such a large army? You know, this is the rear of a battlefield."

"Be careful when exploring and crossing..."

Altinya shook her neatly combed white hair. "No, an army of this size can't possibly move through an area where the enemy is active. Furthermore, carefully exploring the route isn't practical. They need to cross the defenses as quickly as possible."

"You mean split into several smaller armies?"

"I'm so sorry you didn't come to the military academy," she patted Diana's shoulder. "You have much better insight than my classmates."

"Having insight doesn't mean I can actually do this kind of thing."

"The agile light cavalry and infantry can be divided into small, fast-moving groups, quickly penetrating the defensive lines. This team does have both flexibility and speed, but without artillery support, it will have to make full use of its advantages..."

Artinia's voice trailed off, and Diana gazed at the battlefield with her. They saw that wherever the light cavalry flew past, except for the areas where the infantry formed a square, all other areas were routed. The musket fire was continuous. After one line of light cavalry charged and fired a volley at close range, they would turn or retreat with almost no pause, and then switch to the next line. The light cavalry's fire line was spread out, long and thin, and from the charge to the turn and retreat, almost no one was shot or felled.

Meanwhile, the infantry's long-range fire was intense, with multiple platoons simultaneously firing a single volley. The smugglers' heavily armored cavalry repeatedly attempted to charge and break the line, but were repelled by the intense fire. Looking back, more flags were rising from the hillside, and more infantry lines were approaching the battlefield. Diana guessed they were Commander Cesar's reserves. The dense woods obscured much detail, but the number of flags and support troops was considerable.

"I've got some new ideas," Altinya suddenly said. "I think a capable and skillful commander, combined with a group of frustrated mid-level officers, could be a much better combination than a bunch of self-righteous young talents who refuse to give in to each other."

"Before you suddenly decide to attack the battlefield not far away, I must remind you, Al." Diana had to emphasize her tone, "The Borgia family's feud is more troublesome than all the family feuds of everyone else combined."

"That's true," she said, "but sometimes paying a little more can earn you more in return."

Diana didn't quite understand the scales on which she weighed the pros and cons of things. "Is it worth making such a decision?"

Altinya smiled gently. "Let's continue assessing the battlefield not far away," she said. "Have you noticed the commander's position and how he's issuing orders?"

Diana headed northwest. A detachment of light cavalry retreated beneath the heavily armored cavalry of the smugglers' escort, but their long line retreated quickly, using the infantry protecting their flanks as pivot points for maneuver. She heard a bugle call, and the cavalry turned and circled around the smugglers' other flank. Thanks to their incredible agility and speed, the maneuver was accomplished quickly.

"Most battlefield decisions are made by mid- and lower-level officers themselves," Diana said, "but when different bugle calls sound, more obvious decisions will occur."

Altinia nodded in agreement. "Commander Cesar has deployed numerous buglers on the battlefield. They've prearranged various orders based on the varying rhythms of the bugle calls. When an order is issued, the troops who received that instruction before the battle will know the moment has arrived and quickly respond as needed."

Diana scanned the woodland and the road. Many cavalrymen were turning like flowing water.

The smuggling team was under increasing pressure. Because the light cavalry's line was too long and too thin, the artillery fire from their positions was not accurate even if they concentrated it. As the frontal defense pressure gradually increased, more light cavalry were also flowing towards them like water.

Surrounded by flanks.

"The defenders are already under enough pressure," Altinia continued. "The more they defend the front, the more their flanks are exposed. However, attackers sometimes become too obsessed with playing with the enemy and miss opportunities that should be seized. At this time, someone with a broader perspective needs to make battlefield adjustments. These adjustments don't need to be too specific, just reminding them what they should do."

"The heavy cavalry still couldn't break through the blockade," Diana said. "One unit charged out, but the defeated light cavalry quickly retreated further west and reorganized their formation. The heavy cavalry themselves were surrounded on all sides."

"Commander Cesar's troops have been divided into many long lines, reducing the threat of concentrated artillery fire and severely hindering the heavy cavalry's charges. They can break through one or two lines of fire in a single charge, but the momentum of each charge decreases, and it is followed by more intense musket fire. Did you notice any difference between these and the drills you're used to seeing at the Military Academy?"

"People who are under attack during an exercise are more likely to collapse."

"Yes, on the battlefield, people are easily influenced by others, and once their emotions are infected, their weaknesses in discipline will be exposed. When cavalry launch a charge, they will target the leading team, which is the direction where the enemy soldiers will subconsciously gather. But here, the flexible light cavalry teams gather and disperse like water, able to retreat and regroup at any time. Their infantry is also divided into multiple long lines, each with two or three rows of musketeers firing simultaneously to ensure maximum coverage. After the firing is completed, the previous group of soldiers will quickly retreat, replaced by the next group of soldiers with loaded rifles to advance and maintain continuous firing. These infantry are divided into many groups, which can be in the front or on the left and right flanks."

"You mean to give up on cavalry charges, and give up on confronting them head-on..." Diana pondered, "Is it possible that he simply doesn't understand the nuances of a cavalry charge?"

"I think... not quite that, right?" Altinia replied. "This type of tactic has a long history and has always been a core curriculum at various military academies. Rather than him being a complete novice, I'm more inclined to believe he's found a targeted solution and countermeasure. Don't you think this tactic is very similar to that of steppe cavalry? Cesar's hometown of Noyen has always been a hard-hit area by steppe invasions."

Diana suddenly thought of something. "What about Governor Vermeer's response? You said he was most likely an insider in Gonzales's rebellion. Wouldn't he have prepared only a few light artillery pieces and a unit of heavy cavalry?"

Altinya pinched the ribbon on her sleeve between her slender index finger and thumb, twisting it slowly. "I've been thinking about this," she said. "If Governor Vermeer wants to formulate a targeted response strategy, when would be the best time?"

Chapter 124: Just Kill Them All

"If you were to make the decision, how would you do it?"

"Considering this is a long-distance raid," Altinya said, hands behind her back, "I believe that even if there are accomplices, it would be impossible to determine their targets in advance. If it were me making the decision, I would use the areas that may be attacked as bait and deploy several fully armed troops ready to counter-encircle at any time. However, in order to cover as many vulnerable areas as possible, these troops cannot be close to every location..."

"What you mean is that it takes a long time for the rebel troops to arrive from the time the smuggling team is attacked to the time they send out the news of the attack. Commander Cesar's troops are very mobile, and as long as the raid ends quickly enough, they will still have time to return." Diana said.

"Indeed."