Skarn:
"Your Majesty, scouts report that the army coming from Caelmor is within a day's distance from us. According to reconnaissance, the estimated force is thirty thousand troops—ten thousand cavalry, ten thousand infantry, and ten thousand armored warriors. Ralden himself is personally leading the army."
Aeth:
"Excellent. Mobilize all units. Prepare for the next battle. This will be the moment we prove the strength of our Empire to the entire world."
Tharic:
"Your Majesty, the number of units currently capable of fighting is twenty thousand. We have many wounded. I will immediately mobilize everyone available."
Skarn:
"Your Majesty, there is still no news from Lord Ferdinand's army. Most likely, the battle of Caelmor took longer than expected."
Aeth:
"Whether Ferdinand arrives or not, there is no turning back from this point. To prevent the people here from becoming victims of slaughter, we must strike first. Even if we are defeated, Ralden's army will take the city without bloodshed—if any of them remain alive to do so. Therefore, take this battle even more seriously than the battle for Eryndor. I will not accept defeat. I will need the professional warriors here for battles far more severe than this."
Tharic, Skarn:
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The twenty-thousand cavalry force led by Aeth departed the city and advanced toward Ralden's army. The miners and wounded warriors remained in Eryndor. As both armies moved toward one another, they encountered each other in the Karzan Valley, far from Eryndor. Aeth had positioned his cavalry using the same strategy as before.
At that moment, within Ralden's army…
Olyan (Ralden's General):
"My lord, this appears to be a planned attack."
Ralden (uneasy):
"Olyan, it's clear they have been tracking us. This is not their full force. The numbers here are low. Without question, this is nothing more than a pile of inexperienced warriors. Otherwise, who would enter a battle so foolishly? This is an ambush meant to delay us. Kill them all immediately. Show no mercy."
Olyan:
"I will carry out your order at once, my lord."
Ralden's army first sent forward its ten thousand infantry units. The cavalry units remained slightly behind, splitting into two divisions to secure the left and right flanks. The armored units stayed in place as Ralden's personal guard and reserve force.
Aeth:
"These fools see us as nothing more than inexperienced recruits. Tharic, immediately position the crossbows and issue the order to prepare for battle."
Tharic:
"At once, Your Majesty."
The rotary crossbows were one of the designs Aeth had given to the blacksmiths. Mounted on a rotating wheel, these crossbows were capable of firing three bolts per second. By turning the handle, loaded crossbows were fed into the firing mechanism. This same handle simultaneously rotated the wheel and activated the firing system. Each wheel was capable of holding up to one hundred crossbows. In essence, it resembled a drum-fed machine gun. At present, Aeth possessed one hundred of these modified crossbows. The only time-consuming part was reloading the wheel. However, the current load was sufficient for Aeth's needs. This meant three hundred bolts could be fired at the enemy every second. There were a total of ten thousand crossbow bolts available, enough to deal devastating damage to both infantry and cavalry units. These weapons had already been used in Eryndor to neutralize enemy archers.
Aeth:
"Open fire."
The moment the crossbows began firing, they inflicted massive damage upon the enemy forces. Not only infantry units, but cavalry formations also suffered heavy losses. The armored units immediately formed defensive formations, attempting to shield Ralden from the barrage.
Under the protection of raised shields stood Ralden.
Ralden:
"What kind of hell is this!? How many crossbows do they have!? Did they bring crossbows instead of an army!?"
Olyan:
"My lord, the infantry and cavalry units are suffering heavy casualties! The crossbow barrage is relentless!"
Ralden:
"So what, are we all going to stand here waiting for death!? Charge immediately, or none of us will leave this place alive! These are not inexperienced warriors! They are not fools either! Attack at once!"
The crossbow assault had just ended when Aeth drew the sword at his left side with his right hand and pointed it toward the enemy.
Aeth:
"Attack!"
After the crossbow barrage, Ralden's infantry and cavalry forces had been severely reduced in number and their formations shattered. Aeth's army crushed them through a complete encirclement, just as they had done in Eryndor.
Seeing this, Ralden panicked. He attempted to retreat, but at that moment, another army appeared behind him. Ferdinand had arrived with his forces, surrounding Ralden's army from the rear.
Ralden:
"What kind of hell is this!? This cannot end here! No—this was a scheme from the very beginning! To draw me out of Caelmor! That means Eryndor has already fallen… and Caelmor as well! So this is the end!"