Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

Chapter 343: Chapter 330: Ambush Plan

Compared to the other nobles of the Golden Valley Kingdom, Duke left a completely different impression on Roland.

The Duke of the West was far more candid and unrestrained, his every word and action carrying an unpretentious frankness.

He acted decisively, without any of the usual roundabout political games, and he was surprisingly generous.

Gloria had only just made her request for troops, without even detailing their purpose, yet Duke had unhesitatingly assigned a full two thousand elite soldiers to her command.

Even more surprisingly, he had also dispatched two true Extraordinary Professionals to accompany them.

However...

Roland glanced at the sizable army behind him, confirming that the soldiers were indeed well-equipped, disciplined elites. Only then did he turn to face the two men before him, who looked almost identical...

...bald, burly men, and offered a faint smile.

"Hello, I’m Roland."

"I’m Sven. A pleasure to meet you, friend!"

Upon hearing this, one of the burly men enthusiastically responded. He reached up with a large hand to scratch the striking cyan tattoo on his smooth scalp, a brilliant and somewhat simple-hearted smile spreading across his face.

The other man was his stark opposite.

He merely gave a slight nod, his expression as calm as still water. His voice was deep and succinct.

"Fide."

Noticing the flicker of surprise in Roland’s eyes, the bald man, Sven, grinned. He jabbed a thumb toward his silent companion and offered an explanation.

"Don’t mind him, friend! Fide’s my twin brother."

"We were war orphans. The Duke took us in, gave us our names, and put food on the table."

He thumped his chest, his voice booming.

"So our lives belong to the Duke!"

Roland took the opportunity to ask,

"Would you mind telling me your Professions?"

Sven answered readily, his voice ringing out.

"Of course! Like the Duke, we’re both ’Barbarians’!"

The answer brought a flash of understanding to Roland.

’No wonder the Blood Qi I sensed in the Duke was so abnormally immense, far beyond that of an ordinary Knight.’

From what he knew, Transcendents who followed the Barbarian path didn’t rely on tempering their bodies or cultivating Fighting Spirit with the Knight’s Breathing Technique. Instead, they focused on awakening and refining the primal, violent "Qi and Blood Power" within them.

This power stemmed from life’s deepest potential, allowing for rapid advancement and the ability to unleash astonishing combat strength in a short amount of time.

However, this power came at a heavy price.

The more one pursued vigorous and powerful Blood Qi, the more susceptible one became to a backlash from primitive instincts of slaughter and rage. The erosion of one’s sanity was a constant, looming threat.

Furthermore, during the tempering process, losing control of one’s Blood Qi or failing an advancement could have dire consequences. Minor repercussions included damaged bloodlines and a permanent halt in one’s progress. Severe outcomes involved descending into complete madness or even one’s body exploding, with virtually no hope of recovery.

Therefore, from what Roland understood, most who chose Barbarian as their Extraordinary Profession on this continent were Beastmen, whose bodies naturally teemed with vigorous Blood Qi. Humans rarely chose this path.

A sliver of doubt surfaced in Roland’s mind.

’Duke is a man of respected status and abundant resources. Why would he choose this path, one so seemingly at odds with his noble station and so fraught with peril and self-destructive tendencies? Why not the steadier Path of the Knight, which is far more in line with noble tradition?’

Just as Roland was formulating the words to voice his question, a clear voice spoke up beside him.

Gloria had ridden up beside him.

"Lord Roland, we are about to reach Sunset Canyon."

Hearing this, Roland raised his eyes and surveyed their surroundings.

A bleak yet magnificent vista unfolded before him.

On either side, towering, winding cliffs of reddish-brown rock rose as if carved by a titan’s axe. Between them, a deep Rift Valley stretched east to west, appearing to lead to the world’s end in the fading light.

This was a recognized gray area on the border between the Golden Valley Kingdom’s eastern border and the nations of the River Domain. It lacked clear boundary markers, with only a natural pass worn into the earth by centuries of foot and horse traffic. It had once been one of the busiest trade routes between the two powers.

Now, however, with the clouds of war gathering, the once-endless stream of merchant caravans was gone. Only a bleak wind remained, sweeping sand and grit across the empty valley floor.

"Halt the advance."

Roland said, his gaze returning from the distance and his tone firm.

"Her Imperial Highness the Princess, Anno would never leave a strategic pass like this unguarded. He’s certain to have defenses in place."

Gloria nodded in agreement and immediately dispatched a squad of elite Scouts to investigate.

Before long, the Scouts returned with a report.

A simple outpost was indeed established midway through the canyon, but it was lightly manned.

Upon hearing this, Roland quickly grasped the situation.

They had only been able to reach this point and rendezvous with the Duke undetected thanks to that secret passage in the Land of the Sun Crown.

Secret passage aside, Sunset Canyon’s strategic position was quite clear.

Its eastern exit was adjacent to the front line where Anno’s main force was stationed, facing off against the armies of the River Domain.

The western end, meanwhile, led directly into the heartland of Anno’s territory.

Under these circumstances, Anno had no reason to station a large force in what was essentially a "rear" channel. A small contingent of sentries would be sufficient for early warning.

Having clarified his thinking, Roland made a decisive proposal to Gloria.

"Her Imperial Highness, we should seize this outpost immediately and take control of Sunset Canyon. When Anno’s forces are defeated, this location will be the key to cutting off his retreat."

Gloria wholeheartedly agreed and gave the attack order without hesitation.

The battle went as smoothly as anticipated.

The small garrison at the outpost could hardly mount an effective resistance against the fierce assault of three thousand soldiers, comprised of Fiery Sun Temple elites and hardened troops from the Western Domain.

In a matter of moments, the allied army had complete control of Sunset Canyon.

After carefully instructing Gloria to reinforce the fortifications along the canyon, Roland gathered with her, Fide, and Sven to discuss the specific strategy for ambushing Anno.

Gloria and Sven’s idea was rather direct.

They proposed waiting until the Scouts spotted Anno’s retreating army, then leading a full frontal assault.

Hearing such a simplistic tactical plan, Roland felt a pang of exasperation.

He mulled it over for a moment before proposing a more thorough plan.

"We will divide our forces into three groups, led by Lord Fide, Lord Sven, and Your Highness."

"Lord Fide and Lord Sven will take two ambush parties and conceal them on the high ground on either side of the canyon’s eastern end. If Anno does indeed retreat this way, he will have no heart for a real battle. Wait for his column to pass, then have your forces harass them in succession, constantly draining their numbers and morale."

He sketched the terrain on the ground with his fingertip and continued.

"After two waves of surprise attacks, Anno’s remaining troops will be exhausted and panicked. At that moment, Her Highness Princess Gloria will lead the main force to intercept them head-on, while Lord Fide and Lord Sven attack from behind. A three-sided encirclement. That is how we will deliver the fatal blow."

Gloria was taken aback by Roland’s detailed ambush plan.

In the conventional warfare of this continent, armies possessing Extraordinary Power tended to rely on their superior strength to crush enemies in a direct confrontation. Such finely layered, pre-planned battlefield tactics were a rarity.

As this thought crossed her mind, Roland’s image came into sharp focus within her perpetually calm and composed eyes for the very first time.

She no longer saw just a Warrior who possessed great power, but a meticulous strategist with a keen insight into the battlefield.

She gazed at his profile, as if truly seeing the man standing beside her for the very first time.

Sven broke the brief silence by slapping his thigh, his voice booming with admiration.

"Brilliant! That bastard Duke won’t be able to escape even if he sprouts wings!"

As for Fide, though he remained silent, a slight nod confirmed his approval of the plan.

However, faced with their praise, Roland felt little joy. Instead, a flicker of indescribable exasperation passed through him.

’Being praised for his cunning by companions whose way of thinking could only be described as "simple" felt... strange.’

He raised a hand, decisively cutting off any further praise.

"There’s no time to waste."

His voice was steady and left no room for argument.

"Anno’s main force could engage with the River Domain at any moment. We must begin deployment immediately. Lord Sven, Lord Fide, please assemble your respective troops and move to the designated ambush positions as planned."

"Your Highness Princess Gloria, I’ll need you to personally oversee the canyon’s defenses and command the main force."

His urgency snapped them out of their admiration. Their expressions grew serious, and after acknowledging their orders, they swiftly turned to leave, beginning to execute the well-structured ambush plan.

While Roland was laying his plans in Sunset Canyon, Duke had personally led the elites of the Western Domain to the Eastern Front.

Across the vast plains, military camps stretched endlessly and banners snapped in the wind. A grim, murderous aura permeated the air.

And Duke Anno had been waiting for some time outside his command tent to welcome the commander of these reinforcements who had come from so far away.