It happened when Lieutenant-General Bison and his men were halfway to Fort Lientz. 

The forward scouts discovered one detachment of troops laying ahead of them.

“Who’s this? To whom do they report?”

“Are they not the supply unit dispatched from Fort Lientz?”

“Yet they do not wave any banners. Go up and confirm, one of you lads.”

But the scouts were in for a surprise. 

The unidentified unit ahead of them raised their standards, but these were…

“It’s the enemy! They’re the Strabus Kingdom’s allies!”

“Let the main force know immediately! The Strabus’ allies have appeared!”

An unthinkable enemy had crossed their path.

***

“Amazing. It is as if the battlefields are no more than backwoods hunting grounds for you.”

Viscount Sabian laughed at Milton’s awe-filled compliment.

“It was nothing.”

‘That was nothing? Unbelievable.’

All Milton could do was marvel at Sabian’s planning, as he was well aware of all the circumstances that led them here.

First, Viscount Sabian directed the combined army to attack the five minor strongholds simultaneously. With all five under assault at the same time, the Kobrook Republic surrendered two of them and concentrated their manpower on the remaining three in order to maintain their defensive lines. 

Afterward, the Republicans carried out a series of skirmishes on the captured forts with the intention of steadily bleeding...