Faced with this tempting proposal, Derek felt that the chances of success were high. If they could eliminate these 20,000 remaining troops, the pressure for the next year would be much lighter. Derek walked back and forth, his mind racing.

"Let me break it down. What would we gain if we launched a night attack? Wiping out these 20,000 men, maybe capturing a count. The ransom alone could be worth a barony, and there’s also the reward from the king. The pressure for next year would be significantly reduced."

Derek counted the benefits one by one, and they were indeed numerous. The knights’ breaths grew heavier.

"But what if this is a trap? Then everything would be ruined. White Birch Fortress would definitely fall, and then Saint-Miller Province. If we’re lucky, we might escape alive, but we’ll quickly become fugitives. On the other hand, if we do nothing, everyone will still have a title, and some even have lands. We each hold parts of the industries in Saint-Miller Province, and with time, that will turn into power. Next year, even if more troops from the Kingdom of the Holy Cross arrive, our pressure will be even smaller. Even if we do nothing for the rest of our lives, our family name will be passed down."

As Derek spoke, he calmed down. The rewards were great, but so were the risks. Was this the time to gamble with his life? No. He had a golden opportunity, and time was on his side. When one was barefoot, fighting desperately made sense. But now, clothed and part of the exploiting class, why should he risk it all?

The knights also calmed down. The reward wasn't big enough to warrant the risk. Holding onto White Birch Fortress would certainly bring a reward from the king, and many of them had just received lands that would expand with time. There was no need to take such a risk. The tens of thousands of soldiers of the Kingdom of the Holy Cross who had fallen under White Birch Fortress were already a huge military achievement. There was no need to chase after the last piece of fat.

"I understand, my lord. We’ll just watch them retreat," said Simon. "Once we’ve gathered enough strength, we’ll deal with them next year."

Simon had high ambitions, and for now, he was content to let Lord Connell keep his head on his shoulders for a few more years.

"Exactly. But that doesn't mean we do nothing. Simon, take a flag of cavalry and 'escort' Lord Connell out of here. The main army will remain still, but some light cavalry can both monitor the Holy Cross army and probe for weaknesses."

Simon took the orders and left with a flag of cavalry. The army of the Holy Cross Kingdom withdrew in great disarray, discarding a large number of supplies along the way. Simon could even see some scattered peasant soldiers, which confirmed for him that the Holy Cross Kingdom was simply unable to hold out any longer.

"Lord is too cautious," Simon thought, feeling more adventurous after seeing the traces of retreat. However, his long-standing admiration for Derek made him feel that his lord’s caution was more likely to be the right course. So he could only feel regretful.

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In his eagerness to track the Holy Cross army's movements, Simon didn’t have the time to inspect carefully. Therefore, he didn't notice that some of the so-called peasant soldiers, whose faces appeared flushed and whose bodies looked stronger than ordinary peasants, were not what they seemed. When Simon’s cavalry passed by, one of the supposed peasants quickly jumped up, his ragged clothes failing to conceal his strong body. He ran for a while, then darted into a small forest.

If Simon had followed him, he would have found a group of private soldiers from the Holy Cross Kingdom hiding there.

"My lord, a group of Locke Kingdom cavalry just passed by. About one flag’s worth," a scout reported quickly.

The officer hiding in the woods was elated. "Good, it looks like the count’s plan worked. These must be scouts from Locke. Stay hidden and don’t let them find us."

Having been trapped under White Birch Fortress for so long, suffering huge casualties, and with so much resentment, the nobles of the Holy Cross Kingdom couldn’t wait to strike back. It wasn’t that they thought they were inferior; they blamed Derek, the slippery one in White Birch Fortress, for everything.

Now, with a chance to teach Derek a lesson, they were ecstatic. The news spread quickly.

If someone were to look from above, they would see small groups of soldiers using the woods and valleys to hide themselves, forming a loose but effective trap, like a fishing net. While it wasn’t perfect, it was enough to catch the Locke Kingdom forces if they came after them.

Lord Connell had not wasted the past month under White Birch Fortress. From the first day of failure, he realized the enemy was formidable. So, while performing his act in front of White Birch Fortress, he sent people to survey the surrounding terrain. With the ample time he had, he built a rough net, a trap.

Now, ahead of Simon, the only thing left were the bait. Cannon fodder, destined to die, the only question was whether they would freeze to death in the heavy snow or be slaughtered by the Locke Kingdom forces.

Lord Connell didn’t mind sacrificing these 10,000 lives to add blood to his title. The resolve of the Holy Cross Kingdom was stronger than many people imagined.

Simon remained unaware. The information gap in battle was just like this. One side carefully prepares, and if you don’t examine things closely, you won’t notice the traps. The opportunities are fleeting, and it’s all about sensitivity and timing.

However, as Simon followed the retreating army, he began to feel more and more unsettled. He had a sharp instinct, but there was something strange about the situation.

In fact, the military theories in this world were still relatively primitive, and many high-ranking officers kept their best strategies a secret. Most talented generals either relied on instinct or fragmented knowledge passed down through family lines. For Derek, however, he had a relatively complete understanding of military theory, filling in the gaps with personal experience.

Simon, and others like him, didn’t fully realize how valuable the military theories they learned from Derek really were.

Now, those hidden lessons were being triggered by the sight before him.

The Holy Cross Kingdom’s army could not rest during their retreat. They were retreating, not yet completely defeated. Even though some soldiers had fled, the overall military structure remained intact. They set up camp, made fires, and cooked meals—there wasn’t much change.

However, these traces were hard to hide. No matter how cunning Lord Connell was, the limitations of the era restricted his thinking. He had never paid attention to some key details.

Simon only needed to walk around the camp’s traces once before he found what was bothering him.

"The number of cooking stoves is wrong."