Chapter 60: The Battle of White Mountain (Bilá Hora) 1

In the late hours of night, the Emperor’s soldiers arrived near the city of Bohemia and began establishing their encampment, having just completed the arduous three-hundred-kilometer march. Weary from the journey, they diligently erected their formations under General Tilly’s orders as the sun neared the horizon.

Hurrying their efforts before daylight faded completely, the sheer scale of the camp – constructed to accommodate a staggering twenty-five thousand men – extended to the very outskirts of Bilá Hora, where the Bohemian forces lay in wait.

As the exhausted Imperial troops labored, their eyes fell upon the unusual sight of tall iron rods scattered across the area.

“…What in the world is that?”

“Some kind of pillars with stones attached to the tops…”

At first glance, they resembled peculiar monuments.

While a few regarded them with mild suspicion, most paid them no heed – or rather, they chose to remain willfully oblivious.

‘We’re utterly drained… What do some pillars matter?’

‘If we report them as suspicious, our superiors will only order us to remove them…’

‘Actually, this works in our favor. We can stack our belongings near them for easy identification.’

Having rushed to this location, the soldiers were too fatigued to concern themselves with such trivialities. Whether the pillars existed or not held no significance to them, and reporting them would only invite additional, unwanted tasks.

Even the officers commanding the units lacked the energy to raise alarms over such matters amidst their haste to establish a proper camp before nightfall.

Arriving slightly later than anticipated, failure to secure their encampment risked forcing the troops into battle at dawn, still weary from the march – an utterly undesirable scenario.

‘Our fatigue is already severe. If we cannot even set up a proper camp, our combat effectiveness will be gravely compromised.’

‘Securing shelter must take priority before attending to any other concerns.’

Thus, some pillars were disregarded, while others were naturally incorporated into the Imperial camp’s layout, their presence unremarked upon and unaddressed.

This development went entirely unreported to Supreme Commander Tilly, who remained oblivious to the presence of these stone-capped iron rods scattered throughout the encampment as he focused his efforts on preparing for the impending battle.

“Phew…”

“We can finally catch our breath…”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the soldiers, having narrowly completed their encampment preparations, collapsed onto the ground, utterly spent.

Meanwhile, as his troops and officers sought their rest, General Tilly remained vigilantly seated within the command tent at the vanguard of the Imperial camp.

“General, night has fallen. With the battle commencing at first light, perhaps you should retire and rest?”

“…You may go and rest yourself. I shall keep watch through the night.”

“Sir? But surely there is no need for such measures…”

Despite his aide’s concerned plea, Tilly addressed him in a measured tone.

“There is indeed a need. As you are aware, our forces are utterly fatigued from the long march. Were the enemy to launch a surprise attack in our present state, we would find ourselves at a severe disadvantage.”

“While true, Your Excellency, should you not also secure some rest?”

“Even in this state, I remain an Archmage. Such trivialities pose no challenge. I shall rest once victory is ours tomorrow. You may retire for now.”

“…Umm… Very well, then…”

Acknowledging Tilly’s unwavering resolve, his aide could only acquiesce and depart, leaving the General alone within the tent.

Once unaccompanied, Tilly slowly released his mana, diffusing it into a spherical form enveloping his surroundings.

The Mana Sphere.

With a radius spanning one and a half kilometers, this immense detection area allowed him to sense every entity across the vacant plains surrounding the Imperial encampment.

‘For now, I only perceive our own troops’ movements… However, should the enemy attempt an ambush or assault at dawn, the situation will become precarious. The likelihood of such an occurrence is undoubtedly high.’

Despite the Imperial forces’ numerical advantage, they occupied hostile territory deep within the enemy’s domain.

Just as the saying goes, “Even a mere dog takes a bite before retreating from its own yard,” the geographical disadvantage could not be disregarded. Furthermore, the long march had left the troops utterly drained.

In short, this was the most perilous juncture for the Imperial army, and Tilly maintained vigilant watch, personally monitoring for any enemy movements while bracing for potential incursions.

‘Come, if you dare… I shall not allow events to unfold according to your designs, vile heretics.’

Without relenting his heightened alertness, Tilly sustained the Mana Sphere throughout the night.

Even for an Archmage possessing stamina far surpassing ordinary humans, this endeavor was no trivial feat.

Apart from the inherent tedium, prolonged maintenance of the Mana Sphere inevitably drained one’s mana reserves over time.

Of course, as a Grade Nine Archmage, Tilly’s combat capabilities would not be crippled by such mana depletion. However, he would undoubtedly face some degree of diminished power compared to his full strength.

Yet, Tilly paid this no heed.

Even with his abilities slightly reduced, victory would be assured as long as his forces remained intact to engage the enemy at their full might.

Adhering to this rationale, Tilly persevered through the night, committed to doing everything within his power… only for his vigilance to prove seemingly unwarranted, as no night ambush materialized.

‘…Umm… Could it be they truly do not intend to attack? Dawn approaches… If so, perhaps I have overestimated the enemy. Then again… Such ineptitude would be unsurprising from these heretical scum…’

An inexplicable sense of disappointment crept into Tilly’s thoughts.

Then, at that very moment…

“!…”

Countless entities suddenly manifested within his Mana Sphere’s radius.

Perceiving this, Tilly, who had been meditating with closed eyes, immediately dispelled the spell.

‘So, they are making their move after all. Later than expected, but nonetheless…’

Having detected the enemy’s advance, Tilly prepared to act.

The foes who had begun their march at dawn would arrive within mere minutes.

If he roused his troops and established defensive preparations immediately, they would have a narrow window of time to brace themselves.

‘Moreover, the sun shall soon rise, diminishing the effectiveness of any surprise attack. I shall teach these fools the folly of such half-baked attempts!’

With this thought, Tilly emerged from the tent.

That instant…

“! What… What is this?”

The unexpected scene before his eyes momentarily struck Tilly with bewilderment.

True, the rising morning sun had begun to illuminate their surroundings, dissipating the darkness.

However, contrary to this brightening horizon, Tilly’s vision was utterly obscured at that very moment.

Yet, this was not due to any magical phenomenon.

Fog…

A dense veil of mist shrouded the area, rendering anything beyond a mere arm’s length invisible.

The instant he perceived this, profanities instinctively spilled from Tilly’s lips.

“Curse it! Of all the times for this to happen…”

In such conditions of impaired visibility, even assembling his troops would prove immensely challenging.

Meanwhile, the enemy had likely already arrayed their forces and begun their advance.

Furthermore, at that moment, certain elements that had previously eluded Tilly’s notice became glaringly apparent.

“What… What are those pillars?”

Iron rods of unknown origin.

Owing to the mist’s moisture, the gemstones atop these pillars now radiated brilliantly, akin to beacons, emitting patterns of indecipherable symbology.

It was as if they signaled the Imperial army’s precise location amidst this concealing fog.

Sensing the ominous implications of this development, Tilly channeled his mana, his urgent voice booming across the camp:

-“All forces, awaken! The enemy approaches! The enemy is upon us!”-