Chapter 187: The War Between the South and North 2

Spinola’s forces stealthily marched through the forest under the veil of night, having infiltrated Lorraine’s territory. An air of tense apprehension gripped them.

“We must proceed with utmost caution. Detection here would be perilous.”

“Understood, I shall warn the soldiers.”

With dawn approaching their arrival near Lorraine’s sovereign estate, General Spinola knew vigilance remained paramount.

While the covert forest march granted them an advantage, it also constituted a vulnerability.

Maintaining formation proved arduous amidst such complex terrain, rendering them susceptible if ambushed.

Unable to leverage their numerical superiority yet defensively exposed – an unsettling predicament.

Yet Spinola saw no grave concerns regarding their current circumstances.

‘The enemy cannot possibly detect us. This is the most sparsely populated route in Lorraine. Moreover, Generals Tilly and Wallenstein are providing a smokescreen – no need for worry.’

Extensive preparations had facilitated this endeavor, and Spinola ensured no missteps occurred that could jeopardize it.

Executing an optimal strategy, Spinola remained tense yet unperturbed, boasting of their impending success.

Thus, he cautiously led his troops through the woodland, instructing:

“Halt!”

“Stop!”

The vanguard’s command prompted the 20,000 soldiers to pause their advance while orders propagated through their ranks – a momentary respite as Spinola approached the front scouts.

“What is it? Some issue?”

“Yes sir, I spotted lights ahead.”

“Lights?…The enemy?”

“Uncertain, the distance obscures details…but someone is undoubtedly present.”

Heightening their tension, the seasoned Spinola calmly issued orders rather than alarming rashly.

“First, we must ascertain if they are indeed the enemy. Scout ahead and discern their movements.”

“Yes, General.”

Relying solely on moonlight amid the night’s obscurity, meticulous caution proved essential.

Even the slightest oversight could imperil the entire force.

Thus, Spinola instructed preparedness while the designated scouts stealthily approached the lights’ source.

Adept at maneuvering through shadowy woodlands thanks to their training, they soon discovered…

“Huh?”

“What is this…?”

An abandoned campsite greeted their eyes – a smoldering campfire at its center.

Though recently inhabited, no figures lingered, prompting bewilderment and wariness as they cautiously approached.

“What could this be…”

“Hunters perhaps, camped here? But where are the people…”

Surveying the perimeter while pondering possibilities…

-BANG!-

“Ugh—argh!”

“!”

“What was…!”

A sudden, piercing gunshot rang out.

One of the scouts fell with a scream while the rest reeled in shock.

“Dammit! An ambush!”

“We must alert the main force immediately!”

Though no further shots followed, the gruesome death of their comrade compelled their panicked retreat toward Spinola’s position.

Hearing their frantic account, the general’s expression hardened as he issued immediate orders:

“Dammit! Have we been discovered?”

“Uncertain, but it seems likely. Simple hunters wouldn’t open fire unprovoked.”

“Indeed…sound the alarm. For now, extinguish all lights and brace for a potential enemy assault.”

“Understood!”

Spinola’s troops reluctantly assumed defensive positions.

While hoping to avoid combat amidst the forest, confrontation became unavoidable if the enemy lurked nearby.

‘Engaging here would rapidly devolve into chaos. Dammit…how did they detect us? The forward scouts reported no unusual enemy movements when surveying the area…’

Conflicting with those initial assessments of the enemy remaining confined within their fortifications, this startling development left Spinola puzzled yet clinging to hopes of a mere misunderstanding.

‘A shot was fired, but no enemy presence observed…perhaps merely hunters mistaking our men for brigands and discharging a warning volley. Moreover, the enemy cannot number more than 10,000…no matter the terrain, maneuvering such forces here would prove equally arduous for them.’

The more he contemplated, the less probable an ambush seemed to Spinola.

Indeed, despite their defensive preparations, no further hostile actions manifested – increasingly convincing the general this was likely a false alarm.

‘No enemy attacks…it was probably just startled hunters overreacting. Though if only I could project a wider mana radius like others, such misunderstandings could have been avoided…’

Reminiscing his relative ineptitude with magic despite his 10th-rank prowess, a pang of regret struck Spinola as he prepared to resume their advance, dropping their guard.

However…

“Hmm?”

“What’s that stench…?”

An abruptly foul odor assailed them, accompanied by a chilling sound amidst that unsettling silence:

-Tap…taptaptap!-

Faint yet unmistakable.

Recognizing its implications, Spinola’s expression froze.

Simultaneously, his soldiers’ faces too darkened with dread.

‘The smell of burning…those sounds…could it be…?’

Desperately surveying their surroundings, Spinola recoiled at the vividly apparent illumination sources:

“F…fire?”

“You cursed…!”

Flames erupted around them from all directions.

The soldiers automatically grasped the dire implications.

“An ambush!”

“Damn them! They’ve set the forest ablaze!”

The worst calamity amidst the direst circumstances.

Anticipating a potential enemy assault, they had clustered together in a hasty defensive formation – an unavoidable decision by Spinola, as the obscured darkness precluded distinguishing friend from foe, prohibiting dispersal.

Yet that very choice now proved catastrophic as the entire woodland ignited around them.

Remaining clustered hindered mobility while the encompassing inferno blocked escape routes.

“Dammit! Scatter, all of you! We must flee this place by any means!”

As Spinola’s troops desperately attempted to comply amid the pandemonium, the instigators Duke Moritz and Prince-Elector Friedrich watched the chaotic scene unfold with satisfied smirks.

“Proceeding as planned…”