I knew I was the one who proposed the plan to attack early. But for some weird and downright annoying reason, I wasn’t even allowed in the meeting room to discuss it.

It didn’t make sense. I mean, it was my idea! And yet, all I got was an order to attack the rear and distract the Storm Crusaders so the 4th Corps’ main army could make their move.

Yeah, I had plenty of question marks floating around my head, and I wasn’t the only one. Brigadier General Lily looked just as confused when she got the same order. But orders were orders, especially since they came straight from General Declan. Until General Cedric or someone higher stepped in, we had no choice.

Honestly, it wasn’t looking great. I would’ve loved to prefer long-range attacks with catapults since the Storm Crusaders were already weakened. But we’d lost most of those during the supply raid, and the 4th Corps wasn’t about to share the rest with me since I lost almost all of their supplies.

To make things worse, we’d nearly burned through all their Mana Crystal supplies during the raid. So we were pretty much on our own. It reminded me of my time in the 9th Corps, where the kingdom sent us next to nothing.

But this was different. This wasn’t the North, where the leadership was a disaster. These were experienced soldiers and knights, veterans who’d fought countless battles.

Still, all that led to one thing: charging in without a solid plan. Honestly, that plan was terrifying, even for me. Back on Earth, I’d played plenty of games where AI enemies would charge recklessly because they weren’t programmed with complex strategies. Sometimes, I managed to handle them. Other times, they overwhelmed me.

This time, I figured I’d take a gamble. I knew we’d lose soldiers. I knew we’d face fierce resistance. But what I didn't expect was for Otis Folanfield, the Commander of the 20th Knight Brigade, the Storm Crusaders, to show up at the rear and challenge me directly.

And wow, he was no joke.

“You’re really good. Now I see how Remnell lost to you,” Otis said, his tone calm and steady as we clashed. “But you lack any real foundation or formal training.”

“Well, the military here didn’t exactly teach me much beyond ‘don’t die,’” I shot back, gritting my teeth as I barely dodged his next strike.

“A natural talent then, at such a young age,” he said, his eyes gleaming as he thrust forward. His blade pierced the MPA on my right arm, rendering it useless. “I’d love to recruit someone like you into my army.”

“You seemed pretty wild earlier,” I muttered, pulling off the damaged MPA and switching my sword to my left hand. “And here I thought you hated me for all the trouble I’ve caused.”

“Well, when I fight, I get calmer.”

“Funny. I thought it’d be the opposite.”

He slashed upward, and when I blocked it, the sheer force launched me into the air for a few agonizing seconds. I barely managed to break the fall, landing hard as I scanned my surroundings to see the battlefield around me.

It wasn’t looking good. Soldiers were already retreating, and from the chaos around me, it was clear half of the MPA unit was either dead or incapacitated. Otis didn’t show up alone, his personal guards were with him, cutting through our forces like they were nothing.

I turned my head to spot Lura, clad in her battle outfit, locked in combat with one of Otis’s guards. Their duel was intense, and while I couldn’t tell who was winning, it was obvious that if Lura didn’t end it soon, she’d be overwhelmed by the reinforcements closing in.

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“You let yourself get distracted.”

Otis’s voice cut through the noise, and trusting my instincts, I raised my sword just in time to block a sideways slash. But even with the MPA’s support, I lacked the strength to fully absorb the blow. His strike skimmed past my left arm, not deep enough to draw blood, but enough to disable the MPA entirely.

“You know,” Otis said casually, standing in front of me with his sword at the ready, “those MPAs of yours are worthless. We tried using them ourselves. They’re too weak to bother with.”

I didn’t bother replying. Instead, I stripped the ruined MPA from my left arm and switched my sword back to my right hand. Otis didn’t move, simply watching as I rose to my feet, glaring at him.

“You know,” I muttered, leveling my sword, “I can’t help but wonder why someone as strong as you is stuck playing around here. Shouldn’t you be off fighting the Dynasty?”

“That was the plan,” Otis replied, his tone sharp. “Until you got in the way.”

“Guess I’ll take the blame for that,” I said, charging at him with a shout.

Otis smiled as he readied himself. But then, something changed. His movements stiffened, his confident expression faltered, and for a brief moment, I caught a flicker of panic in his eyes.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lura. Her hands were outstretched, her face twisted in pain, but her determination burned through.

“An elf?” Otis muttered, surprised.

I wasn’t about to let the golden opportunity slip by.

Otis and his Storm Crusaders were clad in enchanted armor, imbued with mana. Lura, with her excellent abilities to control magic, was controlling that mana. But she was clearly reaching her limit.

Without hesitation, I drove my sword toward Otis. He shifted his balance at the last second, letting himself fall back, and managed to catch my blade with his guard. Still, it wasn’t enough to avoid the strike entirely. I stabbed him in the left shoulder.

Otis coughed up blood, quickly retreating as he clutched his wound. I moved to follow him, but a commotion behind me made me freeze.

The Storm Crusaders, the largest force I’d ever seen, were retreating en masse toward our position. But before I could react, Otis’s personal guards closed ranks around him, forcing me to pull back. I grabbed Lura, who had collapsed, and began dragging her away.

“Commander Otis!” A knight’s panicked shout rang through the battlefield, loud enough for me to hear. “The enemy has outsmarted us! We’ve lost most of our veteran knights and mages. We need to retreat!”

“What?” Otis bellowed, his voice filled with disbelief. “What are you saying?”

“They sacrificed themselves!” the knight continued, nearly frantic. “Their vanguard troops were all enchanted with explosive spells! As soon as we stepped into their range, they detonated, wiping out thousands of our forces. We lost 20,000 knights and mages. Commander, the campaign has failed! We’ve been ordered to retreat to the Empire. Direct orders from the Vice-Commander!”

Otis stood frozen, blood dripping from his shoulder, as his plans crumbled before him. I didn’t stick around to see his reaction. Dragging Lura with me, I retreated into the chaos, knowing we’d just managed to turn the tide.

However, as I retreated, I finally understood Declan’s intention.

He sent me to the rear not out of caution or strategy but because he knew he couldn’t afford for anyone from another Corps to die in his reckless plan. Instead, he had Lily and me attack the rear, away from the main force, so we wouldn’t be caught up in the massacre.

I didn’t feel any guilt for the men who’d been sacrificed, whether they were aware of their fate or not, but it was undeniably a huge loss. The 4th Corps was likely crippled after this battle, their strength reduced to nothing.

“Fine,” I heard Otis murmur, his voice low but sharp enough to pierce the chaos. “Retreat. But make sure as many soldiers survive.”

I didn’t turn back. Instead, I quickened my pace, pushing through the chaos to rejoin my retreating unit. Even if Otis and his elite forces turned their fury on us, it wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme. They might cut down dozens, but sheer numbers would overwhelm them eventually. Unless, of course, they had powerful mages hidden among them. But from what I’d seen, most of them were focused on body enchantments rather than casting destructive spells.

Still, the weight of Declan’s plan pressed heavily on me. His gambit had worked, but at what cost? I could only sigh, shivering at the thought of his reckless decisions.

Whatever Declan had up his sleeve next, one thing was certain—I wouldn’t trust him again.