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I was being guarded by Jerich squad and Wott squad as I quietly observed the battle from a hill a short distance from the road.
The three hundred cavalrymen were, on closer inspection, indeed heavy cavalry. Even their horses were clad in armor.
The five hundred infantrymen, on the other hand, wore lighter gear. They wore expensive chainmail, but the weapons I could spot were bows, short spears, and swords.

“This is strange.”

I muttered, and Jerich tilted his head.

“Something’s off, boss. They look like they’re trying to scream, ‘Look how much money we spent.’”
“You think so too?”

Numbers-wise, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to take Schaldir, but I couldn’t quite see where they planned to use their expensive heavy cavalry.
Sure, it was nice their infantry had chainmail, but against arrows—the biggest threat in a siege—that wouldn’t be worth the cost.

Old man Wott, a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, spoke in a relaxed tone.

“Maybe they’re just here to spook Schaldir a bit. There’s always those types who like to wave their armies around to get better terms at the table.”
“Could be. But that’s a lot of iron to flaunt… Hey, boss, look at that!”

Jerich grabbed my shoulder.
I followed his gaze and saw infantry marching around a wagon.
Made of thick planks and iron plates, it was probably a prisoner transport.

“So they’re even considering capturing Aram.”

Whether they were serious or just bluffing, their goal was now clear.

I prepared the Dragon Orb… aka the signal flare, ready to set them off anytime.

“When they take the road around the lake, we strike.”
“Got it, boss.”

The Miraldian army advancing southward reached the lake north of Schaldir.
Then they began moving westward along the lakeshore.

If they’d gone east, their right flank would be exposed to Schaldir, but going west meant showing their left side. That would let the heavy cavalry shields be most effective. Looks like they were being careful.
Then the Miraldian army’s movements slowed.
They must have noticed the Demon Lord’s army surrounding Schaldir’s gates.

“Now!”
“Got it, boss!”

Jerich fired the signal flare.
And thus the battle began.

At that signal, the Azure Scale Knights stationed at the west gate wheeled around as one.
As if they were a single living creature, the drake-mounted draconic warriors formed up in perfect ranks. Their discipline was terrifying.

The Miraldian army reacted quickly. I wouldn’t expect less from a professional army.
The heavy cavalry began to reform their lines.
But their left side was blocked by the lake. They couldn’t spread out.
They had no choice but to scatter wide to the right, forming a line to charge with their lances.

But the Azure Scale Knights didn’t give them the chance.
With nimble movements, they cut into the heavy cavalry before their formation was complete.
While bipedal drakes lacked the raw charge power of warhorses, they easily outclassed them in maneuverability.
And their teeth, their scent—those alone were enough to terrify horses. Armor or not, it didn’t matter.

“Whoa…”
“That’s insane.”

The werewolves’ awed growls were understandable.
The fight was completely one-sided.
The heavy cavalry had raised their long lances to show off, but before they could even form up, they were thrown into chaos.
They hastily drew swords, but their panicked mounts made fighting impossible.

To make matters worse, Vice-Commander Baltze maneuvered his troops to drive the heavy cavalry toward the lake.
Mounted as they were, cavalry could handle some depth of water. But if a heavily armored rider fell, drowning was certain. No one wanted to get into the water.
And their terrified horses were on the verge of panic.

At this moment, the heavy cavalry’s command structure completely broke down.
Some tried to push their mounts into the lake to gain distance.
Others resolved to turn and fight.
Some tried to escape toward Schaldir.
Others fled toward their own infantry.

The fate of those who stood to fight was grim.

“I am Baltze the Azure Knight! Those who would not shame their names, come face me!”

With that bold declaration, Vice-Commander Baltze drew his twin blades. He was a master of dual swords.
From horseback, he wielded his curved blades with terrifying precision, cutting down the heavy cavalry.

Despite his graceful swordplay, every strike landed with crushing power. Their armor was sliced and shattered; riders fell one after another.
Around Baltze, riderless horses multiplied rapidly, creating gaps in the enemy line.
The calm, gentle man had turned into a ferocious warlord.

But the Miraldian army wasn’t about to sit back and watch.
The infantry behind them leveled their short spears, moving to encircle Baltze’s troops. At this rate, it would be the Azure Scale Knights getting trapped against the lake.

But Baltze’s retreat was as brilliant as his attack.

“Turn back!”

Using their maneuverability to the fullest, the Azure Scale Knights pulled back toward Schaldir, breaking free just before the trap closed.
Then, without mercy, they turned on the heavy cavalry fleeing toward Schaldir, wiping them out.

The remaining heavy cavalry and infantry panicked.
As their numbers dwindled, they scrambled to regroup and charge in to save their comrades.
The battlefield began shifting from the lakeshore toward the west gate of Schaldir. We followed, careful not to be spotted.

“Move out.”
“Gotcha.”

Only about a hundred and fifty heavy cavalry remained.
The rest were dead, wounded, or scattered and unable to fight. The losses were devastating.
Meanwhile, all five hundred Miraldian infantry remained intact, so they seemed to decide to make their infantry the core of their formation. Even with short spears, they were a nasty match for cavalry.
But then came the sound of pounding hooves.

“Warriors of pride, show our ancestors a battle worthy of them!”
“Ooohhh!”

The five hundred centaurs stationed at the east gate emerged from the south of Schaldir, loosing arrows as they charged.
The Azure Scale Knights quickly joined them.
Unlike horses, centaurs didn’t fear the drakes, so they could form ranks. Together they numbered a thousand riders.

The infantry must have been shaken by this reinforcement. Their formation started breaking.
With twice as many cavalrymen bearing down on them, fighting was no longer an option. Unless they were in a tight phalanx with long spears and large shields, their light gear only made them prey.
And now they were being showered with arrows.
Yet on foot, they couldn’t possibly outrun mounted enemies.
If this turned into a slaughter, they’d fight like demons.

At that moment, Schaldir’s west gate opened.
With blaring trumpets, heavily armed infantry marched out in formation, carrying the guards’ standard.
They bore long spears, large shields, and a dense formation like a Spartan phalanx.
There were about three hundred of them, a serious threat to cavalry.
And they’d be striking the Demon Lord’s army from behind.

“Now! Save our comrades!”

Thanks to werewolf hearing, I could hear Aram’s voice shouting in the distance. He sounded fired up.
The Schaldir guard force, supposedly only a hundred and twenty strong, had fielded three hundred men and was advancing on the Demon Lord’s army. Was it really okay to commit all of them?
Meanwhile, the Miraldian infantry had regrouped, shielded on the flank by the surviving heavy cavalry.
The tide had turned against the Demon Lord’s army.

“Alright, time’s up.”

I ordered Jerich to fire another signal flare. They were faster and more reliable than messengers. I couldn’t do without them anymore.
Seeing the retreat signal, the centaurs and Azure Scale Knights immediately withdrew from the battlefield. Most of the enemy were infantry, and the remaining cavalry were too heavily armed to pursue.
Raising clouds of dust, the Demon Lord’s army vanished toward Lüenheit.

Good. Everything went as planned.
The rest was up to Aram.