Assault Before Dawn

It was now 2 p.m.

The temperature had slightly dropped. After Kant's forces were done with the preparations, they waited on the northeastern side of the Oasis Lookout.

Kant and Firentis took the lead on their horses.

The builders from Suno stood respectfully before them.

"Lord Firentis, you are a noble from Suno. I wouldn't have dared to be at ease if I had known it was you who was around."

Cold sweat was seen on the foreman's fat face.

After he realized that the general who stood side by side with the lord of the place was none other than someone of greater noble birth of Suno, his sweat was even more noticeable. He grew increasingly afraid. He gulped as he obediently stood like a sitting duck.

"Very well," Firentis nonchalantly said.

Firentis quickly frowned after seeing the foreman looking extremely terrified. He asked, "Do you know me?"

"Y-yes, Lord Firentis."

More cold sweat was seen on the foreman's fat face. "Well, everyone in Suno knows about you. Although you and your brother..." He immediately realized that he brought up a subject that should not have been broached. He immediately changed the subject and said, "Umm, nothing much. You're well known for the breadth of your intellect, Lord Firentis."

Firentis had heard what the foreman said but remained silent.

He looked glum. The foreman's eyes seemed to be filled with despair as he said, "I'm no noble lord of Suno."

"Well... umm..." Cold sweat continued to drip from the foreman's face.

He gulped. He thought that he still had the opportunity to make things right, so he blurted, "Lord Firentis, if you just return to Suno, I wonder how happy your father will be."

However, what he said simply made Firentis' expression more complicated.

There was no way that the foreman did not know that he said something wrong again.

"Lord Kant, I'll keep an eye on the forces."

Firentis turned around and said to Kant, "Excuse me for a moment." He rode away without waiting for Kant to reply.

By now, the foreman's fat face looked ashen. His legs seemed wobbly.

It was apparent that, as a commoner of Suno, the foreman greatly feared the noble clan that Firentis came from.

"It's best not to bring that up in the future."

Kant spoke with a calm expression.

He turned his gaze on Firentis. He felt rather exasperated and regretful about what had happened to the knight.

Firentis wandered the continent because he had fought over a temptress with his younger brother out of jealously and accidentally killed his brother. Whenever a player had Firentis in their party while being close to Suno, Firentis told the player about his sad past.

It was where Firentis got his title as the Wandering Knight. He refused to return to his noble family. Instead, he exiled himself to wander the continent.

Kant frowned slightly and took a look at the sun above.

It was about time.

He told the foreman, "Keep a close eye on my village."

"Yes, My Lord."

The foreman quickly nodded and looked at the 30 builders behind him. True to his bootlicker nature, he said, "We will keep your village safe, even if we have to fight to the last man!"

After having offended Firentis, there was no doubt that he wanted to curry Kant's favor.

"Hehe."

Kant did little more than chuckle at what the foreman said. "It'd be great if you did that."

He commanded his horse to move and loudly shouted, "Let's head out!"

"Let's go!" Firentis led the way.

The army, which was already prepared, began to slowly march forward.

The army headed northeast to find the Jackalan Tribe.

Every single member of the village headed out.

"My Lord, we shall await your victorious return."

The foreman waved and followed respectfully. He was acting like a woman who was reluctant to let her lover leave.

However, his efforts were apparently in vain.

Kant and his forces never bothered to even turn their heads around.

The fat foreman did not care. Being entrusted with an additional task like that deepened his relations with the lord. From his perspective, it was absolutely a reward like no other.

There was also the problem of the oasis being invaded.

For now, that was not something that needed to be taken into consideration.

The Oasis Lookout was in the middle of nowhere in the Nahrin Desert.

The place was so barren that even lowly escaped slaves would not have thought of going there.

As for evil people like marauders and bandits plundering the place en masse, that was little more than a fantasy.

The only enemy to be had at the moment was that Jackalan Tribe, which was what Kant was leading a force to attack.

There was no problem leaving the builders in charge of looking after the place.

Kant found no problem with that.

The 200 Swadian Recruits followed behind the carriages in neat formations.

The 70 Swadian Militia members took the rear of the expedition.

The 25 Swadian Footmen headed out alongside Kant and the carriages.

The 17 Elite Desert Bandits were at the forefront of the formation with one additional Desert Bandit that had been recruited that week. All of the riders fanned out, serving as scouts to survey the situation up front.

According to Kant's estimation, the journey was going to take them two days.

Previously, they were able to travel quickly because they had ridden their horses. They had reached the Jackalan Tribe after riding for just one day.

However, the bulk of Kant's forces consisted of infantry units. It was impossible to hasten the march at all.

Then again, Kant did not mind. As long as they reached the tribe in the shortest amount of time possible and launched the attack right before dawn, just as they had planned, all would be well.

Besides, the march was not actually all that slow.

They were undoubtedly moving a lot faster than how it had been with Kant and his 30 Swadian Peasants when they first traveled to the oasis.

They continued moving forward in the dark of night.

At midnight, they set up camp and slept. They continued on their way when the sun, and subsequently the temperature, had yet to rise.

When the temperature was highest at noon, they only dug out pits in the sand to rest.

The process was repeated. Before long, they arrived at the part of the desert where the Jackalan Tribe had been located.

It was getting dark by the time they arrived.

It was evening.

Nightfall was moments away.

Kant sat still with his horse halted as he gazed at the Jackalan Tribe off in the distance. His expression gave him the appearance of being overwhelmed.

He turned around and said to Firentis, "That's them."

"Their numbers are great." Firentis nodded.

He was able to see the messy tents erected at the flatland-like place at the bottom of the dune. Many Jackalans went in and out, seemingly being busy with things in their tribe.

All of them were the enemy, and all of them were marked for slaughter.

The soldiers behind the two of them looked serious. While exhaustion was visible in their eyes, they still clutched their weapons tightly.

They were eager to start the fight.

"Everyone, stay concealed."

Kant's orders reached everyone's ears. "Let's take a break for the moment."

The attack, according to the plan, was not one to be launched in the evening.

The time of the attack was before dawn.

That was the time when the sky was at its darkest and all creatures were at their drowsiest with their brains at their foggiest state.

Be it alertness or reactions, they were all at their worst.

The soldiers quickly set up camp.

The wind was blowing whirling around then. They were behind the dune, which meant that they had no problems lighting up fires to cook food.

Furthermore, where they were was at least 3,280 feet away from the Jackalan Tribe. If anything out of the ordinary happened, sentries at the top of the dune would quickly notice. Be it to fight or retreat, Kant's forces were the one with the initiative.

The night gradually darkened.

Dazzling stars appeared in the silent, dark night.

Kant and his forces ate a small meal. They went to sleep without removing their gear. They were practically sleeping while holding onto their weapons.

They were waiting for the right time.

The sentries changed every hour, ensuring that everyone received ample sleep.

They were waiting for the bright moon above to gradually move westward.

They were waiting for the dazzling stars in the dark of night to eventually dim.

The dark right before dawn eventually came.

"Get up, get up, everyone."

All of the troops gently patted at their comrades. Bonfires remained burning in the sand pits behind the dune.

The Swadian infantry was wide awake by then.

Their expressions were all serious. Intense killing intent was seen in their eyes.

"Lord Kant."

Firentis fetched Kant's horse for him.

The 17 Elite Desert Bandits and the newly recruited Desert Bandit appeared behind him. All of them were leading their horses with their left hands while holding onto their flanged maces with their right hands. All of them waited for orders with serious expressions.

"We'll move according to the plan."

Kant nodded. The 295 Swadian troop members close to him were already ready.

"Understood." Firentis nodded and asked, "Is everyone ready?"

The Desert Bandits all nodded. They quickly checked their weapons. Eventually, each of them fished out two water sacks that were tied together. They all looked at Firentis and Kant and replied with subdued voices, "Ready."

"Let's move." Kant nodded and gave the order to begin.

"Let's head out."

Firentis and the Desert Bandits did not immediately mount their horses. They had instead moved elsewhere, taking a detour while leading their horses.

The target of their plan was different. They were to enter the battlefield from a different place.

Outside that dune, the huge, messy tents of Jackalan Tribe remained silently standing under the dimmed starlight and moonlight. The Jackalans did not have the slightest idea of the impending danger that was about to crush their tribe.