Chapter 235: We Must Strike First (2)

Zwalter stared blankly for a moment before asking,

"You want us to strike first?"

"Yes. We can't just sit back and keep taking hits like this."

"I understand how you feel. We all feel the same way. But realistically, it's impossible. The land is vast, and there are too many tribes. With our current forces, it's not something we can do."

"So, you're saying we should just wait again?"

"That's the best option. The six tribes near us have already been wiped out. Without them, things will improve significantly."

Ghislain understood what Zwalter meant.

But he had no intention of letting things go as they always had.

The nearby tribes were gone? So what? In time, others would settle in their place, become just as aggressive, and torment this region all over again.

He couldn't leave things as they were. This was an opportunity to properly stabilize the rear.

"I don't plan to wipe them out completely. There are simply too many of them, scattered all over. We don't have the resources to deal with every one of them. But I do plan to give them such a beating that they won't dare come near here for a while."

"Is that really necessary? If we're not careful, we might provoke the barbarians into uniting again. That would put us in even greater danger."

Eliminating small tribes one by one wasn't difficult. But if the barbarians united, as they did this time, it would spell major trouble.

For a force as limited as Perdium's, avoiding the risk of a large-scale attack was the safer strategy.

Zwalter's voice carried concern as he tried to dissuade Ghislain, but Ghislain shook his head.

"The famine has affected the barbarians just as much as it has us. There's no guarantee they'll stay quiet if we leave them alone. Eventually, they'll regroup and attack us again."

"Hmm…"

Zwalter could not argue against that.

The barbarians, to survive, would inevitably continue to raid in small groups.

And if those raids were blocked, they might regroup into larger forces and invade again.

The fortress wouldn't fall. The problem was that if the frontlines were breached, the barbarians would rampage unchecked inside the kingdom, as they had this time.

The other territories that suffered losses would undoubtedly blame Perdium.

'Ah, it's always the same dilemma.'

It was too much for one territory to shoulder the responsibility of defending everything. And for a poor, resource-starved territory like Perdium, it was even harder.

If only the kingdom as a whole offered support. But the lords were too busy hoarding power and engaging in petty rivalries.

"Ugh…"

Zwalter fell into deep thought.

Perdium's strategy had always been the same: block the choke points and defend.

Not because it was the most efficient, but because they didn't have the means to go on the offensive.

Now his son was suddenly proposing to launch an attack, and Zwalter couldn't help but hesitate.

'Ghislain makes a valid point. But can we really go out and fight like this?'

Having never attempted it before, his uncertainty weighed heavily. The plan didn't sit well with Zwalter's cautious and preservation-focused nature.

As Zwalter hesitated, Ghislain spoke, sharing his philosophy.

"Father, as a knight, you know this well. In a fight, is it better to strike first or to take the hit?"

"Well… striking first is certainly better."

Zwalter avoided using crude phrases like "the first strike guarantees victory," unlike Claude. He was, after all, a dignified northern noble.

But Ghislain disregarded dignity and spoke bluntly.

"Yet we've always just taken the hit. And look where it's gotten us—poor."

At that, Zwalter bristled. Calling his territory poor to his face!

"Ahem! Didn't we always counterattack and fend them off in the end? Sure, we've slipped up occasionally, like this time, when they bypassed us, but… that's because, as you know, we can't maintain a prolonged frontline…."

Ghislain wasn't interested in excuses. What mattered was that they were always the ones being hit first.

"I understand why. I really do. But because we've never retaliated, they keep coming. I can't stand that. We don't need to endure anymore, so we're going."

"..."

Zwalter thought to himself, 'Whose temper did this boy inherit?'

'It must be from his mother. It's definitely not me. I'm not this relentless.'

Before Zwalter could respond, Claude, another advocate of caution, interrupted.

"I'm against this."

"Why now, Claude?"

"We've secured the horses! Why deliberately start another fight? Are you so bored with everyday life? Let me tell you, we already live dynamically enough as it is!"

"So, you're saying we should just leave it alone?"

"Yes. We should create a large settlement near the fortress and gather people there. Back then, we couldn't because we couldn't feed them, but now, with surplus food, it's possible."

While he understood Ghislain's point, Claude agreed with Zwalter's more cautious stance.

The nearby barbarians were gone, so for now, there was no immediate threat. Even if another tribe united, they would have enough time to prepare before they arrived.

Why fight when the problem could be solved without conflict?

Randolph, listening nearby, also chimed in.

"That seems like the better option. There's no guarantee the barbarians will unite again. Even if they do, it'll take time because they'll fight amongst themselves first. We'll have time to build new villages."

Other Perdium vassals nodded in agreement. While they wouldn't shy away from a fight, they didn't feel the need to provoke one either.

The fatigue they had accumulated from battling the barbarians over the years was overwhelming.

Ghislain stroked his chin as he looked around at everyone.

"Hmmm…"

Seeing this, Claude gained confidence and pressed his argument further.

"What do you think? My idea's pretty solid, right? We've got over 2,000 horses, we can protect people safely, and while it won't be perfect, it'll be much better than before."

'And I won't have to deal with war….'

Claude kept his inner thoughts to himself, speaking instead with calculated logic. But Ghislain nodded and replied bluntly.

"No."

'Why does this guy never listen to anyone?'

Hiding his frustration, Claude asked timidly,

"…Why not?"

"Because we need to make sure they never even think about coming back here. We've already come this far; we should at least achieve that. And besides, 2,000 horses aren't enough."

Ghislain had no intention of leaving things as they were. If he did, he wouldn't have come in the first place.

'I need to achieve as much as possible in three months.'

When Baron Valois's civil war began, Amelia wouldn't be able to focus on this region for a while. But Ghislain couldn't afford to stay away too long.

He didn't know what Harold or the duchy might be plotting.

Though he had dealt them a heavy blow by turning an assassination attempt against them, Desmond territory would recover quickly. Dragging things out for more than three months wouldn't be ideal.

'To concentrate on the upcoming civil war, I can't leave this region unstable. I need to solidify control here so firmly that just hearing our name makes them tremble.'

Stabilizing the rear would allow Perdium's forces to move freely when truly needed. He couldn't leave an opening for the barbarians to exploit.

Zwalter, sensing the answer but asking anyway, inquired,

"You'll go even if I oppose it, won't you?"

"Of course. But if you help, it'll make things much easier. I'll need cavalry and Perdium's knights."

Fenris knights, after all, were less skilled in horseback combat than the barbarians. But Perdium's knights and cavalry were just as skilled, if not more so.

They hadn't just defended the fortress—they had also chased down barbarians numerous times.

Zwalter let out a long sigh, then steeled his resolve.

"Fine. This time, we'll strike first."

After all, there was no stopping his son. It was better to maximize their chances of success.

Oddly, it was the knights and soldiers of Perdium who rejoiced the most at the news.

"Finally, we're going to crush those bastards!"

"Hahaha! This is great! I was so sick of just defending and running away all the time!"

"We'll teach them a proper lesson this time!"

Everyone was so excited they could hardly sit still.

Perdium had never launched a preemptive strike before, always opting to conserve its limited forces.

Unless they aimed for complete annihilation, a few victories wouldn't make much of a difference.

But now, Ghislain had brought along a force of 400 knights. With this many, they could completely obliterate several small tribes.

The Perdium knights and soldiers, who had been itching to suggest striking back at the barbarians, couldn't help but feel thrilled when Ghislain proposed it first.

"With the Young Lord leading us, nothing will be too difficult!"

"Of course! He's the one who created that insane mana cultivation technique!"

"Let's follow his lead and do it right this time!"

They all knew how impactful Ghislain had been during Perdium's defense battles. His achievements weren't mere luck—conquering Kavaldi had proven that.

On top of that, his exceptional skills were evident in this recent battle as well. There was no longer any doubt about his prowess in warfare.

They had also witnessed the abilities of the Fenris knights. It was clear they had mastered that grueling mana cultivation technique.

With sheer numbers on their side, this combined force would be unstoppable.

The combined forces of Fenris and Perdium quickly prepared for departure. There wasn't much to ready; they could use the fortress as a base.

Clad in armor and exuding an air of dignity, Zwalter approached Ghislain, who addressed him.

"I'll lead the army and return shortly."

"What? Why? I'm ready to go too!"

"Someone has to stay and defend the fortress. Isn't that right? Another tribe could make a move."

"Grr…"

Zwalter glared at Ghislain. The excuse was obvious—he just wanted to lead the operation alone. Somehow, Zwalter felt left out.

'Dear wife, why did you leave so soon…'

If only his wife were still around, they could wait together, enjoying each other's company.

"Fine, do whatever you want. You've never listened to me anyway."

Zwalter reluctantly gave his permission. After all, someone needed to stay at the fortress, just in case.

The commander-in-chief of the expedition was Ghislain. As Perdium's heir, his status and rank now surpassed even Randolph, the commander of the Perdium knights.

Mounting his horse, Ghislain raised his hand and shouted.

"Move out! Follow me closely!"

The combined force of 400 Fenris knights, 20 Perdium knights, and 200 cavalrymen began their march toward the nearest barbarian settlement.

The barbarians often relocated their bases with the changing seasons or shifts in circumstances. For now, they targeted the settlements whose locations were confirmed.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The thunderous sound of over 600 horses shook the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

At that moment, the barbarians in their sights were enjoying a peaceful afternoon.

"Ah! I want to go raiding again!"

"I heard some other tribes joined forces to attack those Perdium fools recently."

"We should've joined them too."

"Heh! Like they'd let us in. We're not exactly on good terms with them. They'll just keep the spoils for themselves."

"Still, we're low on food. We either need to raid another tribe or find a new route into Lutania."

As they casually chatted, the tribe's great warrior suddenly shouted.

"It's time for the hunt! Everyone gather!"

The barbarians didn't rely solely on raiding to survive. They also hunted monsters and animals in the surrounding forests and mountains.

But the number of prey was limited, so clashes with other tribes were inevitable.

Only major tribes near the Forest of Demonic Beasts could afford some level of freedom in such matters.

Smaller tribes often risked sneaking into the forest, evading the eyes of the large tribe warriors, in desperate attempts to hunt for food.

The Forest of Demonic Beasts stretched far beyond Perdium and into the northern expanse. As long as they avoided detection, finding prey there was relatively easier.

"Huh? What's that?"

"Who are those people approaching?"

"It's… it's the enemy! Prepare for battle!"

The barbarians, who had been gearing up for a hunt, were stunned to see an army charging toward them.

At first, they thought it was an attack by another tribe. But then they noticed the gleaming armor and lances.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

As the ground trembled, the advancing force came into view. One of the barbarian warriors, panicked, shouted.

"Th-those fortress bastards! Why? Why are they here all of a sudden?"

The Perdium forces, who had never attacked first, were now rushing toward them with terrifying momentum.

Facing this unprecedented situation, the barbarians panicked and scrambled in disarray. Having never prepared for such an event, they had no plan in place.

As the disorganized barbarians fumbled to prepare for battle, Ghislain smiled coldly.

He had resolved never to be treated like a pushover again. In fact, he'd made that decision a long time ago.

The only reason he hadn't acted sooner was a lack of time.

Now, it was time to make the barbarians pay for their years of raiding and torment.

Holding his spear at an angle, Ghislain shouted.

"Wipe them all out!"

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