Fate: The Forged Arthur Pendragon

On the second day after the breakthrough plan was implemented, at 10 PM.

The moon was hidden by dark clouds, and the entire plain of the Bern territory was shrouded in a pitch-black darkness where one couldn't see their own hand.

And within this darkness, reorganized warbands moved stealthily, quietly reaching their designated positions. In the center of this plain, in the only lit central military tent, Suya stretched his shoulders, his gaze fixed on a map marked with over a dozen routes, his expression growing slightly grave.

After eating, his injuries healed at a visible rate. Or rather, they weren't truly injuries; although they looked serious, for Suya's current physique, it was like merely twisting a joint or getting some 'scales' a bit dirty.

Beside him, Dagonet reported the results of the reorganization: "My King, according to your instructions, the twenty-seven thousand soldiers have been divided into ten warbands."

"Among them, over twenty-two thousand light infantry have been divided into eight regiments and moved to the edge of the hilly terrain in a 'tortoise formation'."

"The central Royal Guard Regiment is composed of three thousand of the most elite cavalry. The remaining two thousand cavalry have had one thousand dispersed among the various warbands to serve as intelligence hubs."

"The last one thousand cavalry form a separate regiment. Agile individuals among them have been selected, unarmored, to act as reconnaissance units, and have been deployed at the northwestern and northeastern outposts."

Suya nodded, looking at the current position of the light infantry warbands on the map.

The tortoise formation was a dense formation used by ancient Roman armies, where spearmen advanced with shields interlocked at the front. It was typically used in siege warfare and urban combat and required a high degree of training for soldiers. Apart from ancient Rome, few nations used it; even the Greek and Celtic infantry, who greatly influenced Rome, did not use the tortoise formation. It was a formation born out of specific circumstances.

However, Suya wasn't asking his soldiers to besiege a city, nor was he expecting them to become better than Romans in less than half a day. Even the shields were crudely made earlier in the day by Merlin leading people to dismantle carts and attach tree bark. Their only purpose was to reduce casualties during the upcoming breakthrough; having a shield would at least mean fewer cuts.

Next, Suya quickly focused on the northwestern and northeastern outpost positions and asked, "Are the supplies ready?"

"Thanks to the hurried retreat of the Cornish manor lords and knights, resources like pine oil and tung oil were left behind and are very abundant."

Suya nodded, smiling. "Excellent. Then they can act now."

Dagonet nodded and signaled two nearby guards, ordering them to relay the instructions. Suya's newly organized knight order didn't have the alchemical signal guns for transmitting information that he had seen in the Macedonian army previously. Or rather, they might have had them originally, but there was no way to replenish them now, and besides, such methods were unsuitable for the current situation.

The messengers quickly left the tent, mounted the warhorses tethered outside, and rode swiftly into the lightless night.

Suya's gaze returned to the map, but this time, he wasn't looking at his own arrangements. Instead, he looked at three marked points within the Cornwall region.

"So," he looked up at Lucan, Dagonet, and Merlin, their faces illuminated by the candlelight, and at the ten temporarily promoted adjutants from various warbands standing behind them.

"Let's go over the battle situation again, and our upcoming breakthrough route—"

Suya raised his hand, first pointing to the three points on the map: the northeast, northwest, and southeast.

"To the northeast is Ptolemy of the Togus Legion, numbers unknown, advancing from Thorr City to block our retreat."

"To the northwest is the Conqueror King's main army, led by the hero Philotas, numbering forty thousand, having bypassed St. Michael's Mount from the northern Buttercup Plains and already reached the Bern territory."

"To the southeast is the narrow coastal corridor guarded by the hero Seleucus, numbering fifteen thousand, but with a semi-organized, four thousand five hundred-strong Companion Cavalry Regiment. This area is so narrow that it only allows head-on charges. Once we are bogged down by the Macedonian phalanx, any possibility of passing through here is completely blocked."

"The enemy's objective is to block both flanks, create impassable barriers, and then have the Conqueror King's main army continuously push forward, compressing our operational space towards the southwest until we choose to engage them or completely collapse!"

"This is an overt and straightforward strategy!"

Suya paused here, then said gravely, "But it is also a front that we cannot possibly break through head-on!"

Hearing this, Dagonet unconsciously clenched his sweaty hands, staring intently at Suya, taking a deep breath.

"However—"

At this moment, Suya raised his hand and slapped the map. His palm covered the Togus Legion on the right and the Conqueror King's main army on the left. A confident smile appeared on his face, and he announced loudly:

"Next, we will play tricks on these three legions all night!"

"Cavalry against cavalry, let them see what it means to be Britannian Knights!"

"What it means to be the pinnacle of mobile warfare!"

"We will dismantle the enemy's grand encirclement and carve out a path to survival for our soldiers!"

Having said that, Suya looked up, his sharp gaze sweeping over the faces of the knights before him one by one. He spread his great cloak and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Royal Guard Knights—"

"Depart!"

On the second day after the breakthrough plan was implemented, at 11:30 PM.

On the other side, in the Conqueror King's main army, relocated to the northwest of the Bern territory, inside the central camp, a Macedonian scout ran urgently through the tents, arriving before the main command tent.

He pushed aside the tent flap, bursting inside, and knelt before the old general at the head of the camp, reporting urgently: "General, we've detected movements of King Uther's routed army—"

"They've appeared south of the Togus Legion!"

"Judging by the number and range of their torches, they number close to twenty thousand."

Inside the central command tent, it was as bright as day. From bottom to top sat centurions of composite phalanx regiments, commanders of engineering corps, Phalanx General Parmenion, and Philotas, the commander of the Companion Cavalry within the camp.

Although Parmenion sat at the head, the reporting scout intentionally or unintentionally directed his report to Philotas, who sat to Parmenion's left, appearing valiant and extraordinary with his short purple hair.

"Oh?" Hearing this news, Philotas couldn't help but smile slightly, revealing an arrogant grin that suggested everything was under control.

"Have these rats finally shown their heads?" He looked at the scout knight and asked carefully, "Are you certain, close to twenty thousand men?"

"Twenty thousand men, that's roughly the last of their organized strength. Are they making a desperate stand, then?"

"Choosing Ptolemy is also as expected. After all, there's no possibility of breaking through where Seleucus and I are stationed. If they break through Ptolemy's defenses and bypass Thorr City, they still might have a chance to flee from West Saxony to Mercia, even if that ultimately leads to a dead end."

Philotas narrowed his eyes and chuckled. He looked at his father, who sat at the head, and said, "General, please permit me to lead the Companion Cavalry into battle. Although most of the cavalry are with my brother, we only have three ilai here, but it's enough for us to employ the 'Hammer-and-Anvil' tactic—"

"We'll completely break them here!"

Parmenion stared at his son, his gaze scrutinizing. His calm, deeply lined old face held a composed demeanor that no one could decipher.

"Wait a little longer."

Philotas frowned in confusion. "Wait for what?"

Parmenion closed his eyes and said faintly, "Wait twenty minutes."

Philotas looked puzzled, but it was his father's opinion, so he temporarily suppressed the urge to take to the battlefield.

Twenty minutes later, another scout soldier ran into the tent, kneeling and reporting to Philotas: "General... We've detected more movements of King Uther's routed army—"

"Another twenty thousand men have appeared in front of our main army!"

"Judging by their direction of advance, it seems, it seems..."

Philotas was startled, wondering where another twenty thousand men had come from. He immediately demanded, "Seems what?"

The scout bowed his head deeply and reported gravely: "They, perhaps, intend to create a false impression and launch a night attack on our main camp!"

"A scout ten kilometers outside the camp heard the thundering sound of horse hooves!"

Only then did Parmenion open his eyes. He directly bypassed Philotas and looked at a cavalry commander sitting beside Philotas as his deputy, saying gravely:

"Go. Take your men and guard the army's flanks. Once you see Britannian cavalry, immediately send word back and report their movements."

Then, Parmenion looked at the centurions of the phalanx regiments sitting in the tent.

"Centurions, move your legions and implement a defensive strategy."

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