The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations

Chapter 439

The formation of the Rayfold army resembled an arched bow, with the front protruding outward. Given the overwhelming number of barbarians, the center of the formation needed to be thick and robust to withstand the collision.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The central section bore the brunt of the battle, as it was the first to clash with the barbarian warriors.

The barbarians, led by their great warriors, were attempting to break through the Rayfold line. With their numerical superiority, they aimed to use brute force to smash through the center.

Woroca bellowed incessantly from the rear.

“We are stronger and far greater in number! Push through! Encircle them!”

The flanks of the Rayfold formation were inevitably less fortified than the thick central section.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Encirclement wasn’t just about surrounding the enemy; it required inflicting enough damage to collapse their defense.

To crush the Rayfold army completely, the barbarians needed to break through the flanks of the mid-heavy infantry.

While the central warriors pressed heavily on the line, reinforcements charged at the flanks, aiming for a breakthrough.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Amelia, watching the charging barbarians closely, issued her next command.

“Hold the flanks. Do not retreat.”

The soldiers began to reform their positions.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

They raised their shields in tight, layered formations, with spears emerging between the gaps in their defense.

Their intent was clear: to endure the cavalry charge at all costs.

The two forces collided shortly after.

Boom!

The left and right flanks of the Rayfold army shook violently, slightly pushed back by the impact, but they did not collapse.

The barbarians, unlike the kingdom’s knights, lacked full armor for themselves and their mounts. Against such a robust shield wall bristling with spears, they struggled to break through.

For the barbarians, who relied heavily on cavalry charges, this was an infuriatingly effective formation.

Woroca, watching the scene unfold, shouted in frustration.

“Dismount! Fight on foot! We outnumber them greatly! Push through with brute force!”

Since the cavalry charge wasn’t succeeding, it was better to dismount and engage in close combat. The long spears made it difficult to approach on horseback.

The barbarian warriors drew axes from their waists and charged at the Rayfold soldiers.

Dodging the long spears, they closed the gap, swinging their axes and climbing over the shields. The Rayfold soldiers were forced to draw their swords to counter.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Both sides clashed fiercely, swinging their weapons with relentless energy. The barbarians sought to break the formation, while the Rayfold soldiers fought to hold their ground.

Woroca, seeing the battle unfold in their favor, grinned and shouted.

“Yes! Keep pushing! This is it!”

The enemy’s traps had been exhausted. They wouldn’t be able to rely on the same weak tricks again.

In a contest of sheer strength, their numerical superiority gave them the advantage.

If this stalemate continued, the Rayfold soldiers would eventually tire and collapse.

Just as the lines seemed locked in place, Amelia issued a new order.

“Hold the flanks steady. The center will retreat slowly.”

The soldiers began to move in response to her command.

The formation, made up of layered ranks, started to shift. The rear ranks stepped back, planting their shields.

Thud!

The rank ahead of them followed suit, stepping back and planting their shields.

Thud!

The synchronized movement created a rippling effect, like waves.

Even the soldiers engaged in close combat at the front adjusted their movements to match.

Thud!

The protruding bow-like formation gradually retreated. It appeared as though the Rayfold army was being pushed back.

“Hahaha! They’re finally tiring!”

“Kill them all!”

“Push through!”

The barbarians, intoxicated by their bloodlust, surged forward with renewed enthusiasm. They believed they were on the verge of breaking the enemy formation entirely.

However, the flanks of the Rayfold army remained firmly in place, maintaining their tight formation.

After a while, the bow-like formation of the Rayfold army shifted, with the center sinking further inward.

It was then that Woroca’s expression hardened.

“No... no way...”

The warriors on the front lines were too focused on fighting to notice their surroundings. Their only concern was attacking the enemies directly before them.

The reinforcements pouring in from the rear also funneled toward the center, as it was the only available space.

Meanwhile, some of the soldiers in the Rayfold center moved to reinforce the flanks.

The barbarians were notoriously difficult to control in battle. Ignorant of the bigger picture, they simply continued chasing the Rayfold forces.

“RETREAT!!!”

Woroca stormed forward, shouting repeatedly until the warriors began pulling back.

But only the warriors attacking the flanks managed to retreat. Those trapped in the center couldn’t escape and continued dying at the hands of the Rayfold soldiers.

Still, as the Rayfold flanks moved backward, the encirclement began to loosen, giving the barbarians trapped in the center a chance to breathe.

There were too many barbarians for the Rayfold soldiers to eliminate them all at once. They could only kill them steadily as they moved.

Woroca frantically urged his warriors. The flanking forces had all retreated. There was no reason to continue fighting since the enemy had loosened the encirclement on their own.

“Quickly! Get out of there now!”

Now, only the warriors who had pushed deep into the center needed to retreat. Many of them were still alive. If things continued this way, a significant number might escape.

Believing this, Woroca clung to hope.

But just as he held onto that thought, Amelia spoke again.

“Crush them.”

Clank! Clank! Clank!

Suddenly, the central ranks of the Rayfold army shifted, opening up a wide gap.

Now, only the soldiers on the flanks were blocking the barbarian warriors.

The barbarians who had been retreating hesitated, confused by the sudden maneuver.

It was then that the Rayfold cavalry, which had been waiting at the rear, finally moved.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

“Prepare to die, you wretches!”

A loud roar erupted as Vulcan, a former bandit wielding a massive club, charged forward, laughing maniacally.

Beside him, Conrad, the elegantly armored leader of the Actium Trading Company and one of Amelia’s advisors, held his lance at the ready.

The flanking forces of the barbarians had already retreated. The central warriors were just beginning to turn and flee.

They were utterly defenseless.

The Rayfold cavalry crashed into them.

Boom!

“Arghhh!”

The barbarian warriors couldn’t mount any resistance. The warriors who had pushed into the center were slaughtered.

The retreating barbarian forces could only watch helplessly as their comrades were annihilated.

Woroca stammered, his voice trembling.

“We... we must rescue them...”

But his decision to pull back the flanks had allowed the enemy cavalry to strike. Once again, he had fallen into their trap.

The center of the Rayfold formation now stood wide open. If he sent in more troops, they could potentially push through. But Woroca hesitated, unable to speak further.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The Rayfold flanks stopped their movement and raised their shields once more.

Woroca couldn’t bring himself to send in reinforcements. He still didn’t understand the enemy’s formation or strategy.

“What is this? Are they planning to hold again? Or is this a bluff? Another trap? What happens if we go in now?”

In the chaos of battle, a commander must make swift decisions.

But Woroca was paralyzed, unable to decide.

He couldn’t discern the enemy’s intentions.

Even if there was no deeper meaning behind it, having fallen for their tricks multiple times, Woroca couldn’t stop overthinking. Amelia had completely outmaneuvered him—even his mind was now her battlefield.

In the end, the warriors trapped in the center were completely crushed by the Rayfold cavalry.

“What... what is this...?”

Even then, Woroca failed to issue a single command. The barbarian warriors who had been watching from the flanks looked on with haunted expressions.

The battle had been fierce and chaotic, but when they finally regained their senses, they realized they had been thoroughly beaten and forced to retreat.

Focused solely on the enemies before them, they had no idea what had hit them.

The Rayfold army made no further moves. Severely outnumbered, they had no reason to overextend themselves by advancing.

This single battle had resulted in the deaths of nearly 10,000 barbarian warriors.

Amelia nodded a few times as she gently stroked Bastet, her feline companion, and gave her next command.

“Move to the next location.”

Meow.

At her order, the Rayfold forces began retreating in an orderly fashion. Their formation remained flawless, without the slightest hint of disarray.

Woroca and his warriors could only watch in stunned silence.

Especially Woroca, whose mind was in complete turmoil.

“Why are they retreating? What’s the point? Weren’t they trying to stop us? Or... are they luring us again?”

Once again, he found himself unable to make a decision. All he could do was watch the retreating Rayfold army.

As if reading his thoughts, Amelia looked back at the barbarian forces and smirked.

“I’ll fight on my terms, at the place I choose, at the time I choose.”

That was her way of waging war.