At dawn, the flames of the bunker flickered, almost extinguished.

The sky was beginning to lighten, and behind the wooden walls of the Holy Alliance Army's encampment, Horn held a long brass telescope, gazing out at the plains before him.

Although Hotam County is a plain region, it is not a vast expanse like the Golden Plains.

Within several miles, there are always hills and undulating terrain.

The hills, like waves in a green sea, are now covered by charred black, resembling patches of eczema.

Under the turbid light of the red sun, a massive army of tens of thousands marched through the hills, treading on scorched earth.

Between the unfolding phalanxes, the knights proudly carried swallowtail flags, while the counts raised even larger emblem flags.

The morning wind whipped back and forth, colorful and fluttering.

Yet, from left to right, the horizon of green land and blue sky was filled with silver-armored soldiers and guards holding long spears and greatswords. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Horn put down the telescope, and on the plains before the bunker, one could see with the naked eye, thumbnails-sized cavalry skirmishes.

Rangers, sacred artillery cavalry, and Imperial Knights pursued and counterattacked in figure-eight patterns across the slopes and fields between the encampments.

"How's the injury?" Hearing the staggering footsteps behind him, Horn asked without turning his head.

Relying on a cane, Selomis was bandaged all over from limbs to head.

Stains of blood, even now, still seeped out.

Selomis gave a smile uglier than crying, "It's nothing serious, I can still fight."

"With your injuries, not to mention fighting, even standing firm is a luxury." Turning around, Horn reached out and helped Selomis, pressing her to sit on a barrel nearby.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace, I wasted the bunker we set up for days." Selomis looked at her trembling hands with some hatred.

This battle was meant to be a retaliation against the Church, a battle for the survival of the Holy Alliance and the Black Snake Bay Federation.

It was supposed to be her revenge battle against the Church, but now it was all turned to naught.

The first battle in this decisive war cast a shadow over the campaign.

How could they lose?

"Your Grace, I am willing to personally lead the army to retake the bunker!" Selomis suddenly raised her head, even wanting to struggle to stand up.

"The Shadow Crow Army has lost nearly a third, their structure is scattered, and I don't know if they will regain combat capability by supper.

Moreover, the enemy has over thirty thousand troops, occupying the first five bunkers, and recapturing them would require a full-force attack."

"At least let me go into battle."

"Even if you rely on sunbathing, you cannot recover to battlefield condition within three days."

As a "male witch" who had long mingled with witches, Horn's judgment of a witch's recovery capability was quite precise.

Selomis stood stiffly for a while, then sat back down on a wooden box.

She held her head in her hands, "Now how will other battle commanders see me, or the Shadow Crow Army... starting the war with a defeat, how should the regiment's history write this?"

"Selomis!" Horn's expression was solemn, "Setting up the bunker was our decision, and assigning the Shadow Crow Army to guard the bunker was also our decision.

You arranged both visible and hidden sentries, dispatched rangers, and arranged perfect night defense.

I should have sent reinforcements to support and could have held the bunker line.

We didn't expect the Leia Army to come so quickly, and it was a night raid with no preparation, causing the soldiers to have a long sleep.

At the tactical level, you executed without issue, and the soldiers fought bravely.

When I ordered the retreat, you executed it too. Of course, you did err in not detecting the Blood Knights early.

But war is both random and deterministic, and you controlled the deterministic part; you were defeated by randomness; no one can laugh at you or mock the fledgling Shadow Crow Army."

Seeing Selomis still looking despondent and discouraged, Horn angrily straightened Selomis's shoulders, "If you continue like this, the Shadow Crow Army's history will only write about losing the first battle.

If you can pull yourself together, there are countless greater victories ahead to render this defeat insignificant.

If you bear shame, go cleanse it. Losing to a strong enemy is not daunting; losing to yourself is terrifying!

Ask yourself, in all of the Eastern Continent, who is the undefeated general in a hundred battles?"

Selomis thought for a long time, slowly raising her head, but she was staring intently at Horn, "Isn't that you?"

Initially stunned, Horn then burst into laughter, "Alright, you take the Shadow Crow Army back to recuperate; you go rest, and this battle can still be fought."

With a snap of his fingers, two service soldiers walked up to support Selomis as she left.

Returning to the wall, Horn did not take out the telescope. Instead, he placed both hands on the wooden wall.

His knuckles turned white, and the tips of his fingers tinged with red. After a while, those around him faintly heard a soft sigh: "Who is always the undefeated general?"

Only the secret monks and the forbidden army clerics looked up and saw the War God's Grandson still brimming with confidence and vigor.

......

Ginijis' heart pounded violently.

It wasn't just the pressure and tension brought on by this fateful battle, but also because of the scene unfolding before him.

"Then tell me, why didn't you follow my attack wave? If you had pinned down those cannons, I could have cleared this line of bunkers!"

"Why don't you ask around if I deployed the troops to flank as soon as I saw you charge?!"

"That's bullshit!"

"I have a clear conscience! And does Your Highness trust you this much? Did you even thank him? You didn't! You're just riding on his trust to steal achievements!"

"I'm riding on his trust to steal achievements? Wasn't it you harboring self-interest, looking down on His Highness, not following orders, that let the Thousand River Valley People escape?"

"Would you dare to vow your family's life that you weren't stealing achievements?"

"If I were stealing achievements, let my family perish; would you dare to vow your family's life that you weren't harboring self-interest?"

"If I were harboring self-interest, let my family perish, so what? You opportunist!" Duke Barry fumed more and more, "Your Highness, I request a duel with Duke Alaric!"

Alaric, usually honest and mild, blushed rarely: "Your Highness, I accept the duel invitation..."

Before Alaric could finish his words, the plate in front of His Majesty the King soared into the air.

The gilded silver plate crashed to the ground, sending green porcelain dishes, steak, melon, and silver cutlery with thick soup and peas splattering everywhere.

"Your Highness?"

Ginijis slowly stood up, his face darkened, veins bulging on his temples, clearly struggling to restrain his anger.

"A duel?" The king's tone was especially icy, "In the war with the Thousand River Valley People, not a single one of you was injured or killed, and now you want a duel to lose one?"

Both men fell silent, and the tent felt deathly quiet.

As if to let the two calm down, Ginijis maintained this silence for almost three minutes.

It was, in truth, a trivial matter.

On one hand, Alaric misjudged the charge speed of the Blood Knights, which was faster compared to normal cavalry attack waves.

On the other hand, Duke Barry stuck to the old wave attack method and couldn't adapt on the fly.

Staggered attacks naturally created intervals, giving the Thousand River Valley People time to react and retreat.

The originally set strategic goals were basically achieved, wasn't that enough?

Couldn't they endure for the sake of the nation?

Ginijis' gaze shifted between the two; he couldn't punish either.

Both were valuable, neither had committed any error.

Duke Barry, albeit not in the core circle, was in the semi-core circle, one of the few dukes who supported him to rise to power.

Alaric, even more so, if he were to leave, Ginijis would have few reliable and capable warriors left.

"What do you consider the Thousand River Valley? What do you take the Holy Alliance for?" Ginijis beckoned a servant to clean up the floor, "A bunch of bandits? Or peasants?"

"Your Highness, I..." Alaric anxiously began to speak but was cut off by Ginijis.

"I dare say, the Thousand River Valley is no less formidable than the entire Norn Kingdom, or even the Falan Kingdom!

Who is at a disadvantage now? Do you think it's the Holy Alliance? We are the ones forced into a final decisive battle!

At a time like this, you still have the leisure to quarrel? How can you argue at all?

Is personal glory and shame more important than the survival of the kingdom and the continuation of your family?

If the Holy Alliance were to rise in the future, even if you survive now, you'd face a fate of being hanged later.

I'm not trying to smooth things over nor will I act as your judge; settle your conflicts through a duel.

Once the Thousand River Valley People are defeated, I'll personally arbitrate your duel.

But for now, both of you must collaborate fully to win this battle for me!"

Duke Barry and Alaric turned to glance at each other and fell silent.

Raising two glasses of chilled grape wine, Ginijis forcibly handed them to both men.

Forced to clink glasses, drink the wine, and kiss cheeks, Ginijis then returned to his seat: "Drink this glass. If you dare to sabotage each other on the battlefield again, I'll be the first to strip the title and lands from the responsible one!"