It was late at night, and all things returned to stillness.
Arthur's soldiers' encampment was brightly lit, with vigilant soldiers still arrayed in formation at the fortifications, exuding a murderous aura.
Arthur ordered that Lucien and Hakon's teams would rotate shifts, while the other team rested on the spot.
But they must be able to reach the scene immediately when the horn sounds!
Inside Arthur's temporary tent.
Arthur looked at Hakon: "How were our casualties in today's battle?"
Hakon took a deep breath: "Two people died."
"One unlucky fellow, a Burning Men Tribe savage rushed over, threw an axe, it flew over the first three rows, and directly hit his head, who was standing in the fourth row."
"And another poor soul, when the savage rushed over, he stumbled into a fence in his panic."
Luck truly played a role on the battlefield, Arthur said in silence: "I will fulfill my oath and record their information; if their land is taken, their families will be brought to Dreadfort."
"Yes, Lord Arthur!" Hakon responded loudly, but then he scratched his head and asked in confusion: "Lord Arthur, why didn't we pursue the Burning Men Tribe savages when they retreated?"
He was clearly bothered by this, even though he staunchly carried out Lord Arthur's military orders.
But in his opinion, when the enemy was in retreat, wasn't it a good opportunity to strike while the iron was hot and expand their gains?
Arthur put down the map in his hand and looked up at Hakon.
"Why?" Arthur's voice was calm, showing no hint of emotion.
"Yes, Lord Arthur, they were all in disarray! If we had pursued them then, we definitely could have killed them all!" Hakon said eagerly, a look of eagerness on his face.
Arthur smiled, his smile carrying a hint of understanding and more helplessness.
It seemed he would have to make them both read more in the future; he might even write a simple military law textbook himself.
"Who are they?" Arthur pointed at the soldiers around him who were resting or on guard.
Hakon froze, unsure why such a question was asked, then replied: "We are your soldiers! Lord Arthur!"
Arthur nodded, but then changed the subject: "What did they do before? What did you do before?"
Hakon scratched his head and said, "They are all farmers and craftsmen."
"Lucien and I are farmers who work your fields, my Lord."
"Exactly!" Arthur's voice rose slightly as he looked into Hakon's eyes.
"You are all farmers, small-town craftsmen; you only picked up weapons a few days ago."
"This is your second time on the battlefield, and their first time. Most of them probably have never seen so much blood."
He paused, as if waiting for his words to sink into Hakon's mind.
"Pursuing on the battlefield!" Arthur continued, raising his voice. "Is an extremely dangerous and risky act!"
"It requires a disciplined, coordinated team that can maintain formation and keep their heads in chaos!"
"Can the team you lead do that?"
Hakon's eager expression vanished upon hearing this, and he fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.
Arthur paused, then pointed to the brightly lit fortifications: "We were able to withstand the first assault of the Burning Men Tribe savages behind the fortifications, relying on the wood and ditches, relying on standing shoulder to shoulder, relying on my orders, and your two commands."
"We held off the Burning Men Tribe savages' first charge because we held the high ground and utilized the fortifications."
"Most importantly, we gathered individuals weaker than the savages and formed a cohesive whole."
"They only needed to stand there, obey orders, thrust their spears, and shoot their arrows."
"But what about pursuit?" Arthur asked Hakon in return.
"Pursuit means leaving our familiar and safe fortifications, entering open ground, entering areas where the Burning Men Tribe savages might set traps or counterattack."
"You new recruits, who have only just learned to stand in formation, once you rush out, you will easily scatter and become individuals fighting on their own!"
"In that case, our advantage will be completely lost, and the close-quarters combat ability of the Burning Men Tribe savages will be maximized!"
"Can your soldiers guarantee close-quarters combat with the savages?"
Arthur suddenly thought of various idioms from his past life.
He looked at Hakon's suddenly crestfallen expression.
Arthur patted Hakon's shoulder, looking at him with a smile and saying:
"I have one more crucial thing to tell you."
"As a commander, you must observe, observe from all sorts of details."
"I ask you, were there any savage corpses left at our front line?"
"Do you know what that signifies?"
Hakon rubbed his hair tightly with both hands, falling into distress. This was Lord Arthur testing him.
Arthur watched him with a smile, saying nothing.
Hakon slapped his head, as if he had discovered something monumental;
"I understand! I understand everything!"
Arthur frowned: "What do you understand?"
Hakon straightened his body, his eyes no longer just confused, but now containing a hint of realization:
"When the savages retreated, they dragged and carried the injured savages, whether dead or not, retreating together!"
"This means this force wasn't routed, but was making an orderly retreat! Is that right, Lord Arthur!"
"Alright, you do understand." Arthur's face twitched.
Arthur took out the map, no longer paying attention to the excited and self-absorbed Hakon, and began to consider his next move.
Their appearance here now had only one reason.
They couldn't enter Deep Valley City; according to the refugees, Deep Valley City was completely surrounded, with at least over a thousand savages around it.
Trying to enter with these people would be harder than ascending to heaven, and relieving Deep Valley City would be like throwing meat buns to dogs—a futile effort.
There was only one way: to deal with the High Mountain Clan savages using the method they were best at—guerrilla warfare.
To eliminate the savage forces scattered for looting provisions.
Even besieging a point to strike at reinforcements.
So he could only hope that the unseen allies in Deep Valley City would be strong.
Having fewer numbers had its benefits and advantages: three hundred people could be commanded quickly, react quickly, and maneuver quickly.
As long as they understood the activity patterns of the small savage units.
Then, using their own advantages, they would eliminate those isolated enemies or those wandering on the outskirts, weakening their strength and dividing their energy.
They couldn't directly rescue Deep Valley City, but they could create trouble on the outskirts, preventing the besieging savages from feeling at ease.
This was the only thing he could do now.
Although it was easy for the allies in Deep Valley City to see him as an unmoving mountain when allies were in trouble.
He put away the map and stood up. The night wind brought the silent scent of distant mountains and forests, making one feel relaxed and comfortable.
His gaze became resolute.
As long as Deep Valley City held firm! There would be a way!
Hakon had been paying attention to Lord Arthur's movements.
Seeing Lord Arthur put away the map and end his contemplation, he immediately walked up, curious about Lord Arthur's next move.
"Lord Arthur." Hakon rubbed his hands. "What do we do next about the Burning Men Tribe savages in the village?"
Arthur turned and looked at Hakon.
In the flickering firelight, a smile appeared on his face.
Hakon looked at the smile on Arthur's face illuminated by the firelight; he was somewhat afraid, feeling that his Lord Arthur's smile was a bit sinister, with an inexplicable sense of dread.
This smile was different from Lord Arthur's usual gentle demeanor, carrying an indescribable quality, as if a hunter were calculating something about his prey.
"The Burning Men Tribe savages in the village?" Arthur repeated Hakon's words, his smile deepening as he looked at Hakon. "Haven't you always wanted to attack! To have a good fight with them!"
"The opportunity!" Arthur's voice lowered a few notches, carrying an even stranger smile. "Is coming soon!"