No one believed this group of infantry could withstand a knight's charge. Ever since King Uther used mass heavy cavalry charges to destroy the invincible Roman heavy infantry, Camelot began to encourage horse breeding and urged nobles to raise their own Knights.
The advantage of doing this was that it allowed for the rapid mobilization of domestic armed forces during wars between nations.
The disadvantage was that it granted nobles and lords too much freedom, making it very easy for them to harbor rebels and grow too powerful.
However, it was precisely this laissez-faire attitude that allowed King Uther, in his mere fifty years on the throne (which was actually not short), to cultivate over one hundred thousand Knights—a force that was already the strongest in all of Europe.
Although Scotland also had vast grasslands and horse farms, their start was later, and their requirements for Knights were not as high. So, while Camelot meticulously selected over seventy thousand Knights, Scotland could only muster about forty thousand Knights for their entire country.
The advantage was immediately clear.
But even if the opponents were irregular Knights, the Camelot Knights did not think they could win.
The advantages and disadvantages were too obvious. The heavy armor of the Knights was specifically designed for these infantry: when light cavalry and archer cavalry faced heavy armor, even if they fought and retreated, arrows would absolutely not penetrate heavy plate armor (unless bow-making technology was upgraded). Even if heavy infantry couldn't catch up, light cavalry couldn't do anything to them either.
And when heavy cavalry faced heavy infantry, it was a one-sided slaughter: no matter how strong, how resilient, or how great their defense, could they withstand the impact of a horse clad in battle armor?
Common sense!
This was basic military common sense.
But clearly, Kailar was exploiting the intelligence gap! If the enemy knew him inside and out, he wouldn't even fight! He'd run away!
With a cold sneer on his lips, Kailar pulled the reins, turning the Unicorn around.
He raised his staff high in front of the formation, its crystal glowing brightly: "O!!!G!!!O!!!" (For Camelot! For the King! For Glory!!!)
"Ho ho! Ho ho ho! Ho! Ho ho ho!" Their roar of "home" echoed, and to the beat of the drums, they advanced step by step towards the center of the field.
Their momentum was like a rainbow, their fighting spirit reaching the sky, causing many Knights to change color. These Knights had seen large-scale battles and elite troops from Rome and other countries. The aura of this infantry unit could already vaguely rival the imperial guards protecting the capitals of other nations.
What a sharp killing intent!
Each shouted step was a surging condensation of passion, each taken step was a gathering reborn from fire.
Their spirit, energy, and will were condensing with each step; they were fearless warriors.
But Kailar knew that they still needed singing, synchronization, and comrades to inspire and consolidate morale. When they had experienced countless battles, and could quickly integrate themselves into the collective and begin fighting just by standing there, they would have transformed into a truly seasoned army.
They would have succeeded!
They would be as invincible and unconquerable as the White Horse Righteousness, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the Xuanjia Elite Cavalry, and Yue Fei's Back-to-Back Army, prevailing everywhere!
Where did the current Knights' pride come from? Many young Knights among them hadn't experienced many battlefields.
Of course, it was forged by King Uther!
King Uther led the Knights to strike north against Scotland, block Romania to the west, and repel Gaul to the east, almost always achieving victory. Retired Knights passed their merits and glory to the next generation of Knight candidates and squires. When these candidates became true Knights, they only needed to see blood, and that sense of honor and mission would grow with the wind, becoming the raw spirit of an elite force.
Knights are undefeated!
Knights are immortal!
This was King Uther's legacy!
He used his life to establish the soul and immortal spirit for all the Knights of Camelot.
He truly was an extraordinary man!
As Kailar slowly gained a deeper understanding of the entire structure of the Kingdom of Camelot, the more respect he felt for the old King Uther.
Aside from some blemishes in his personal life, this man was truly impeccable as a King!
He was too great!
Putting aside King Uther's foresight, the Scottish Knights on the opposite side were also ready for battle.
Their equipment differed from that of the Camelot Knights.
Camelot Knights typically wore chainmail (like a chain shirt) as an undergarment, then donned heavy plate armor, making the threat from both ranged and close-quarters attacks very limited.
Even their horses were completely encased as if in an iron can. Aside from various degrees of ventilation holes and exhaust for the leg muscles to prevent impeding the horse's run, no other part was exposed.
This was also a point Kailar often criticized: in an era where most daily necessities, apart from tableware, were bronze, to smelt iron for so much armor! Kailar finally understood where the money in the national treasury went, besides what the one hundred thousand Knights consumed in Camelot in a week—Merlin and Morgan truly weren't corrupt!
Scottish Knights, however, had little defense for their horses. Instead, they hung a large shield on the left side of the saddle. It appeared to be a wooden shield inlaid with iron, offering seemingly good defense. Aside from the long and sleek lances, the Knights themselves were still encased in iron, but the style was different from Camelot, reflecting a cultural difference.
Their horses only had armor protecting their chests and heads. This revealed their country's manufacturing capabilities: Scotland had vast iron ore deposits, yet they were still so constrained, clearly indicating a lack of cultural development. They simply couldn't produce so much, or even complete, horse armor.
But even so, they were still more lavishly equipped than Kailar's infantry, who were encased in helmets and only had refined iron body armor (refer to Roman gladiator armor for details).
Comparing the two sides, Kailar's infantry looked as poor as beggars. Aside from the unusually long spears in their hands, there was truly nothing else noteworthy!
The leader of the opposing Knights was a titled Knight. He had once fought against King Uther's army, and although he unfortunately lost, the legend of him cutting his way in and out of the Knights' encirclement was widely spread in Scotland. If one had to describe him with a single word, it would be—ace.
The titled Knight, with his angular face, saw Kailar's formation and, with a disdainful smile, turned his horse back to his own ranks.
"Is this the new generation of Camelot? Utterly naive and innocent... Do you want to quickly stabilize your position by relying on a victory over Scotland? I can only say you've picked the wrong person! Rookies, let me show you the real difference between true Knights and your bunch of peasants."
Killing intent radiated from his sharply defined face, as chilling as his gleaming sword.
P.S.: I'm getting busy again recently... I don't know if updates will be disrupted... I crawled out of bed to write a chapter for everyone, then I'm off to my night shift...