121. Kane’s Premonition 4

"Where?" the two men stood up simultaneously.

"Our scouts dispatched to the southeast have sent word back. They have discovered a large enemy force of nearly thirty thousand, all light infantry. They are moving very fast."

"The Doma Empire!" they exclaimed in unison. That was the exact direction of the Doma Empire.

"Did the scouts report that the main force is headed in that direction?" Kane asked urgently.

"They are heading straight for the Doma Empire. We don't know where they emerged from; our border troops have tightened their defenses, so we are unsure exactly where they crossed the border."

"There aren't many places to hide troops on our side. We are surrounded by major powers; how could they have crossed into our Empire? Where did they come from?"

"While our Empire lacks cover, the Flying Dragon Empire, the Dragon Rock Empire, and the Gold Stone Empire have vast forests. There are plenty of places to hide there; perhaps they have been concealed in those forests all along?"

"But their destination is the Doma Empire. To occupy it, wouldn't it be better to land from the sea? Why cross through our territory?"

"Ever since the Bear Clan's landing, the Doma Empire has built extensive anti-landing fortifications along the coast. Furthermore, with our six thousand elite infantry stationed there, they would pay a heavy price for a direct landing. Behind the Doma Empire lies our Death Empire. The Doma Empire keeps no significant forces on our shared border, meaning once this unit enters their territory, they can advance unimpeded all the way to the capital."

"It seems their designs on our continent have not been a matter of a single day. To make such precise arrangements, they must have conducted detailed reconnaissance of the terrain."

"Perhaps the Bear Clan is simply too poor, which is why they have their eyes on us. Forget it; since we have discovered them, we cannot let them leave." Kane did not want to overthink it; he only wanted revenge for his three gravely wounded brothers.

"That goes without saying. Regardless, we must eliminate them the moment they cross our border. If we let them slip through our territory to strike the Doma Empire, we would be utterly humiliated."

"Then I will take the cavalry immediately and finish them off before they cross the border."

"Of course you should lead them, but since we don't know their combat strength, take thirty thousand cavalry and two hundred ballistae. I will feel at ease if you also take twenty thousand crossbowmen to guard the ballistae."

"Understood, I will do as you say." Kane knew his father had his best interests at heart, so how could he refuse?

Soon, thirty thousand cavalry set off behind Kane. Kane was not worried about being outpaced by infantry; the only reason he did not gallop at full speed was the two hundred ballistae trailing behind. Otherwise, he and his cavalry would have vanished into the distance long ago.

After Kane left the capital, Wade strengthened its defenses. He would not deploy the Bear Clan mages unless absolutely necessary. They were a trump card, a force that could deal a fatal blow to the enemy; he was not willing to expend them yet.

Ever since the scouts were attacked, the giant defensive ballistae on the city walls had been winched and loaded. Anyone approaching without authorization would likely be turned into a pincushion—though he wasn't sure if that term existed on this continent.

Wade no longer hesitated to ramp up the production of military supplies. He knew the enemy could not possibly have sent only this small force; even ten times that number would be insufficient for their goals. The Bear Clan had deployed nearly a million men and still failed; the enemy would surely need more than that to succeed.

Wade considered whether to issue a general conscription order the following day. To cope with the potential retaliation, the current garrison might not be enough. The highly mobile Death Cavalry might be unable to support nearby cities if the capital was threatened. If the city defense was sufficient, it would free up the cavalry to act as a strategic force, ready to deliver a lethal blow at any moment.

By then, Kane was closing in on the enemy. His vanguard relayed their movements constantly. Perhaps this was merely a diversionary force; for the sake of speed, they carried no heavy armor. Even their archers had fewer than a hundred arrows each. Unaware that they had been spotted, they trudged along in a hurry, completely oblivious to the hungry wolf baring its fangs behind them.

Kane ordered twenty thousand cavalry to circle around and intercept the enemy from the front, while he followed with ten thousand cavalry, twenty thousand crossbowmen, and the two hundred ballistae. Not far ahead, near the border of the Doma Empire, was a flat plain—perfect terrain for cavalry.

Finally, the enemy force noticed Kane’s unit trailing them. They immediately formed a large defensive circle, their archers nocking arrows. They still outnumbered Kane, and shortly after forming their formation, they dispatched a ten-thousand-man unit to attempt a counter-encirclement. Little did they know that Kane’s twenty thousand heavy cavalry were already waiting on their path.

Only then did they realize they had been watched all along. The ten-thousand-man unit retreated back into the formation. The great defensive circle began to rotate, slowly shifting toward the edge of the plain; they did not want to fight a two-front war.

Unexpectedly, Kane did not order an attack. He simply let the circle rotate out, while he rendezvoused with his heavy cavalry to face the enemy in a standoff.

The ballistae arrived, quickly deployed under the protection of the twenty thousand crossbowmen. Two dwarves and two berserkers stood upon each ballista, cranking the winches and loading the massive bolts. With a single command, these two hundred machines would deal a devastating blow.

Kane slowly pressed forward with his heavy cavalry, exerting immense pressure. The ballistae remained in place, their range sufficient, but ten thousand of the crossbowmen advanced with the cavalry.

Seeing the sea of heavy armor, the massive beast-mounts, and the giant, glinting bolts in the hands of the cavalry, the enemy could not help but panic. They had plotted for this continent for a long time and knew the terrifying reputation of the Death Empire's heavy cavalry. They had never expected to encounter them here. Their general’s plan relied on using superior numbers to suppress these heavy units, but now, the enemy matched their cavalry numbers one-to-one, not even counting the crossbowmen and ballistae.

Run? How? Two legs could never outrun six. Besides, fleeing without a fight meant death upon returning home. It was better to die in battle. Surrender was impossible; they were a noble race—how could they lay down their weapons before these base creatures?

The two armies stood in an eerie silence. Kane cared little for where they came from or where they were going; he only knew these wretches had gravely wounded his brothers and intended to target their ally. Such enemies would not pass through his hands.

He swung his hands forward—the signal for total annihilation. The flanking cavalry expanded their formation, and the dwarven crossbowmen moved to the front. They could not charge with the heavy cavalry, but they could serve a "death feast" of arrows before the charge began.

Before the encirclement was complete, the enemy realized Kane’s intent and charged forward with desperate roars.

Seeing them charge, a cold smile spread across Kane’s face. "Fire at will!"

Instantly, the rain of bolts from the dwarven crossbowmen and the terrifying whistle of the giant ballistae tore into the enemy ranks. How could light infantry withstand a full-force volley? The sound of the ballistae piercing the air signaled certain death, especially against troops clad only in leather.

The battle had no dramatic twists. Outnumbered by twenty thousand and lacking armor, the enemy was decimated. Their archers were wiped out the moment they tried to enter range. It was a standing rule of the Death Empire: in any major engagement, target the mages first, then the archers. The ballistae’s range was several times that of any bow, ensuring the enemy never stood a chance.

The battle ended after a single volley. Not a single enemy reached Kane’s lines. The ground before the semi-circular formation was littered with corpses. The lack of suspense made the battle feel tedious to Kane. Were these enemies truly this weak? Or was there a greater threat looming? Why did he still feel a sense of dread?

Wait...

If they intended to target the Doma Empire, they must have come by sea, just like the Bear Clan. Could their main force already be positioned off the coast of the Doma Empire? Calculating the distance, this light infantry would have taken four days to reach the coastal cities. Could the main force arrive in four days?

The more Kane thought, the more it made sense. After clearing the battlefield, he ordered his army to march toward the Doma Empire. A small cavalry detachment was sent back to the capital with a hastily written letter for his father, Wade.