Chapter 99 – The Grand War Simulation
Morning mist still lingered over Eisenwald's marshlands. A long horn was blown from the watchtower, its echo carrying across the valley. Soldiers began to gather on the wide training ground newly built west of the town.
Fenrir stood atop a tall wooden tower with his commanders, his gaze sharp as he surveyed the field below. For the first time, Eisenwald looked like a true army:
5,200 infantry, spears and shields forming phalanxes.
2,000 archers, bows strung with steel, arrows packed in quivers.
2,000 cavalry, mounted on marsh-bred horses.
750 scouts and assassins, clad in dark garb, blades ready.
550 artillery operators with 20 heavy ballistae.
150 Crimson Knights, standing apart on the eastern flank under Kael Morgenstern's lead.
Fenrir drew a long breath. This… this is the new Eisenwald.
---
The horn blared again. Infantry lines advanced from both sides of the field. Eastern Battalion under Darius Holt, Western Battalion under another veteran.
The sound of thousands of boots shook the earth. Spears crashed against shields with deafening clangs. Men shouted, sweat flew, bodies collided.
Fenrir observed carefully:
The East held its shield wall with discipline.
The West pressed harder but left dangerous gaps.
"Darius holds his line well," Fenrir remarked to Viktor Redmane. "But the West must improve. In real war, one gap can spell disaster."
---
Selene Aestra raised her hand.
> "Draw! Release!"
Thousands of arrows darkened the sky, raining down on enemy formations. Simulated "casualties" fell back as planned.
Roland Ironarm gave the signal. Thunk! Massive bolts from ballistae thundered forward, smashing wooden barriers apart. The explosions echoed, shaking recruits unused to such force. Yet they held their ground.
Fenrir allowed himself a thin smile. Discipline is forming. Good.
---
Garrik Stormhoof lifted his spear and bellowed, "Charge!"
Two thousand cavalry thundered forward from the right wing. Their diagonal formation pierced into the flank of the Western infantry. Horses pounded the ground, dust and mud flying.
Spears struck shields, men toppled, formations broke. Yet Fenrir noted the difficulty: swamp soil slowed the charge.
"Kavaleri must combine with archers or Crimson Knights," he thought, "or the marsh will sap their momentum."
---
Lyra Nightshade's scouts did not join the main fight. Instead, they slipped past into the "enemy camp" erected behind the lines.
Within minutes, the flag was down. Supplies "destroyed." Fenrir marked the time: swift, silent, precise.
"Good," he murmured. "They will cripple enemy logistics before battle begins."
---
The loudest roar of the day came when Kael Morgenstern strode forward. He lifted his massive blade and slashed the air. For a heartbeat, a surge of black aura burst forth, a wave of force that silenced the field.
The 150 Crimson Knights advanced with him, not in rigid formation but as a living storm. They carved through simulated enemies, piercing deep, collapsing entire battalions from within.
Infantry buckled, archers "slain," cavalry surrounded.
Fenrir's gaze hardened.
They are not regular troops. They are the spear to pierce the enemy's heart.
---
The sun dipped westward. Sweat-soaked soldiers collapsed onto the grass, exhausted but burning with pride.
Fenrir descended from the tower and stood before them. His voice rang clear:
> "Today you ceased to be mere farmers with spears. Today you are no longer hunters with bows. You are Eisenwald's army. Remember this: any who dares challenge us will be torn apart by the Crimson Wolf!"
The answer was a thunderous roar:
> "EISENWALD! EISENWALD! EISENWALD!"
---
That night, the system's cold voice chimed in Fenrir's mind.
[Quest Progress]
Shadows of the Border – Strengthen Eisenwald's Military: Completed.
Reward: +10 Strength, +15 Stamina, +10 Charisma.
[Status Panel – Fenrir Eisenwald]
Name: Fenrir Eisenwald
Title: Baron of Eisenwald, The Crimson Wolf
Age: 17
Level: 15
EXP: 32,000 / 40,000
Aura: 150
Stamina: 170 (+15)
Strength: 115 (+10)
Cunning: 210
Charisma: 130 (+10)
Mental Fortitude: 170
Skills:
[Aura Control Lv.3]
[Swordsmanship Lv.3]
[Leadership Lv.5]
[Tactical Instinct Lv.3]
[Passive – Legacy of Strategies]
Traits:
[Wounds That Shape]
[Lord of the Marsh]
Active Quests:
1. Expand Eisenwald's Territory – Conquer or integrate two neighboring baronies (Progress: 2/2 Required).
2. Shadows of the Border – Counter the schemes of Hohenberg, Altenburg, Falkenhain, and Drachenfels (Progress: Spies 3/3, Army 5,000+ completed, Diplomacy pending).
---
That night, Fenrir stood atop the tower, wind rustling his cloak. Below, 10,500 soldiers and 150 Crimson Knights slept after their greatest training yet.
The barons at the border… they don't yet know what awaits them. But when the time comes, they will learn the true meaning of the Crimson Wolf.
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