With his hand forming a visor, Thierry stood with one foot on a mound and the other on the ground, gazing towards the bottom of the Three Mounds.

Over ten thousand Holy Alliance soldiers were deployed in the Gallar Array, and the Black Crown Battle Group, Wild Wolf Battle Group, and Chongxin Battle Group formed the black, grey, and yellow phalanxes.

In front of the tri-colored phalanxes, however, was a metallic ocean more than five times their thickness.

The drumbeats and bugles alternated between the two sides, as metallic waves churned and pulsated.

At times, a turbulent flow would strike from the side, sometimes moving crab-like left and right, or suddenly several dozen Great Swordsmen would rush forward in a manic charge.

Wave after wave of metallic surges pounded against the tri-colored dyke, while the Holy Gunmen rotated like machine gears.

Whenever the enemy retreated, the engaged units would rotate with the rear units, dressing wounds and reorganizing formations at the rear.

From the perspective of many commanders standing on the mound, and even the members of the Falan Observation Team, the battle formation seemed less like a military lineup and more like a precise machine.

No matter how Leia's metallic tide surged, it turned into mere splashes before this precise war machine.

Under the direction of the Battle Commander and Corps Commander, all of Leia Army's assaults and maneuvers were perfectly intercepted.

Thierry softly asked beside him Abazi and Venice: "Do you think, if we had Falan infantry, could we break through this Gallar Array?"

"..." Venice said nothing.

Abazi spoke up: "Best to take another look at the distant battle formation, Sir Thierry."

Thierry's heart sank even deeper.

The combat prowess of Leia infantry in this battle had left a profound impression on him.

Compared to the peacefully developing Falan infantry, these Leia infantry had spent years in feudal skirmishes and border conflicts with the Norn people.

They later participated in the kingdom's civil war and the second Thousand River Valley War, spanning over five years.

After five years of honing, new recruits became seasoned veterans, their morale and combat will beyond Thierry's imagination.

Across the vast battlefield lay dense blood and severed limbs.

The soldiers in the front row were repeatedly pierced by walnut-sized pellets, flesh and fragments flying wildly.

Sometimes without warning, they would fall over, only to find upon turning over that their heads had been pierced by lead.

Yet still, they continued their advance.

Had it been Falan infantry, they would likely need a half-hour rest to recover.

Thierry even began to question their ability to attack windmill fields, unsure if their infantry could truly match Leia's infantry.

In essence, Leia low-ranking nobles in their feudal state were full of martial virtues, lacking the cunning unique to Falan civilian militia.

After all, the prosperity of commercial life brought diversity and choices, offering alternative paths aside from military service, naturally increasing the value on life.

Leia, however, was a poorer and more isolated society where military service was often the only route, and life was seen far more lightly than by Falan people.

Otherwise, how could King Jiji have the courage to wage war against a Falan with five times his own fiscal strength?

Civil war trained soldiers, consumed population, naturally freeing up land, and then used land to win soldiers over.

Yet despite these valiant Leia soldiers, before the Holy Alliance infantry they were unable to progress an inch.

But unfortunately, Leia people were not just here to be beaten.

"Woo woo woo——" The bugle sounded, and after the second round of attacks failed, Thierry could guess the next move.

Thunder roared in the sky, seven or eight black dots descended from above, growing larger, smashing into the ground.

The dry soil flew into the sky, raising a cloud of dust and rolling trenches of blood and flesh within the Holy Alliance army formation.

"Traitors!"

"Damn it, are you still Thousand River Valley people?!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Roars of anger echoed incessantly within the dust cloud, the ground full of writhing Holy Alliance soldiers in agony.

The response to anger was only the continued assault by the Knights.

Leia people, or rather Raffel and Ginijis, were indeed clever, developing the simplest complementary tactics within half a year of obtaining the clockwork cannons.

Cannon fire scattering formations, cavalry charging, infantry advancing—this was the tactic Horn used to thrash the Falan at Black Snake Bay back then.

War is indeed the best teacher, as after suffering once, Leia Army quickly learned this pattern.

The decrees collided as thunderous charges met formations loosened by clockwork cannon fire.

Soon, except for the Black Crown Battle Group holding firm, both the Wild Wolf and Chongxin Battle Groups started to see soldiers fleeing to different extents.

Drumbeats sounded at an appropriate moment, marked the first retreat of the Holy Alliance army after almost an hour of fierce combat.

The large phalanx of Leia infantry naturally pursued relentlessly.

Sand struck the skin, causing pain with crisp popping sounds, as the summer sun refracted amidst the toxic smoke and dust, scattering into the Tyndall effect.

From Thierry's perspective, beams of light pierced through the smoke, standing sharply upright as if the pillar of fire from the Gospel had truly descended upon earth.

The soldiers on both sides seemed to be fighting within a Fire Prison.

Pressing his lips tightly together, Thierry raised his head, his gaze focusing on the Grey Robe Hill not far away.

Grey Robe Hill almost ran parallel to a tributary of the Nao'an River, both extending north-south, with a height of over a hundred meters and several gaps in between.

Due to insufficient troops, controlling the front line was already difficult, so the Holy Alliance only placed a few observation posts on Grey Robe Hill to prevent enemies from flanking.

Grey Robe Hill was quite steep, making it hard to transport the heavy clockwork cannon up, so no cannon positions were set.

Now on a high point of Grey Robe Hill, over a dozen three-pound falcon cannons and six-pound sand sculpture cannons spouted iron streams incessantly.

But the Holy Alliance had no means against them, as the artillery position on the Three Mounds was too low.

Even with firing at a 45-degree angle, they could only reach three-quarters at most, whereas Leia's cannons could fire down from a height onto the Three Mounds.

In other words, the Holy Alliance had no way to deal with them.

Ultimately, it was the Holy Alliance's lack of hands, and now it depended on who could maintain morale under the cannon fire.

"You three." Bernardo's voice sounded behind the Falan trio, "What do you think and suggest about Leia people's cannons?"

"Do you have any misunderstandings?"

Most of the original Falan Observation Team had returned home, leaving this trio behind.

Horn had even specially permitted them to watch the battle, considering Falan would be the future commodity output region for the Holy Alliance.

As with many obsolete clockwork cannons and clockwork guns, rather than leave them in storage, they could be sold to Falan at a high price.

Recently Thierry had discreetly and openly asked Horn if there was any intention to export clockwork cannons and winding machines.

"Did you see that cannon position?" Bernardo smiled, seemingly not in the midst of a battle, "I'm curious, how was that cannon transported up?"

Thierry and Abazi exchanged glances, both shaking their heads, while Venice gave a cold snicker: "What other method? Using human lives to fill it, of course."

"Using human lives to fill?"

Venice shrugged: "Don't forget, those Leia people have thousands of peasant soldiers left; is it really difficult to forcefully transport a few cannons up there?

If you ask me, your Staff Department is still too inexperienced, didn't even think to assign some soldiers to guard the top of the hill?

Even if sacrificing some Service Soldiers, right?

At least this way, even if you couldn't prevent them from transporting the clockwork cannon, you would know they are moving the cannon up."

Bernardo, with his hands behind his back, said: "Actually, the Staff Department did have investigations and ideas about that hill, His Majesty even personally ascended it, stating it was an excellent artillery position…"

"Don't be stubborn." Venice continued coldly, "If you had foreseen this, how could you let the clockwork cannon be transported onto the hill now?"

"If they keep the clockwork cannon behind the military formation, it's always a threat, plus the range isn't enough, so we must gather Leia's clockwork cannons."

The Falan trio sensed something amiss—what did it mean to gather clockwork cannons?

"Plasma shells?" Thierry asked tentatively.

Bernardo shook his head: "That's the second plan; as for the first plan, you can see by looking up."

The three simultaneously raised their heads, yet all they could see was the dazzling sun, Venice about to ridicule was suddenly choked on his words.

"Cluck cluck cluck—Angel? No... why are the wings black?"