If he could endure this tide and force this force to retreat, then a path to life might be opened.
Since he could not run toward that area where the main force is situated, he could use the narrow passes and rush out from this pass to go away from the battlefield and from this war
His plan from the beginning had never change. Run away from this place, escape from this war and try to learn about this new world that he suddenly found himself in
"And I need to confirm one thing"
"And that is if I could really run from this battlefield and this war" Henrik did not know how this mechanism work. Does it only work in certain scenario? Is this the scenario and could he escape the scenario?
Could he even run away from the war?
Or is this like some kind of instance or a dungeon that he could not escape unless he solves it?
He wanted to cross this possibility from his list.
Yes, he did say that he did not have time to verify many things about the odd thing that is happening to him right now.
But this did not mean that he did not think about it and did not try to confirm some things.
Some things had been confirmed and some things are still in mystery.
For now, he needs to stay in this place. At least until he found a more probably way
Henrik take his time to regulate his breathing and the others are also regulating their breath.
"We need to go back down"
And they began sliding down
..
All the people that follow Henrik and Miklos follows him as they slide down the hill.
They have seen from a distance the route that is quite safe.
Some places have their lines of defences that are about to crumble, and there are arches on some boulders or hiding behind trees.
But the area where Henrik chose to slide on, lack such covers and as such the route is quite safe.
And unlike his battle field before, this time, the gras sis there and there is lack of mud
The sun is till high but dark clouds begins slowly creeping in
In the distance the noble army churned and surge and attack the forces of the rebel army. The area around Henrik previous battlefield has already been taken by the noble army.
"Faster!" Henrik thought to himself.
He hopes his death loop is still there.
This feeling of uncertainty is more terrifying than anything else.
He really does not know whether if he died this time, he could be brought back or not. There is never a guarantee. But he does learn something after his nine deaths
Sometimes, the only way to break the destiny of death, is to bravely confirm it. No one could run away from death
But if you confront it, a chance might open up to show a true path to life.
And the other reason why he had the brave idea of confronting the defender is also because he is confident in his strength and his skills
After all, he had learned swordsmanship with nine deaths and each death brings him closer to proficiency
After all, if you are doing the same thing again and again, you would surely eb familiar with it. Your body remember it and the instinct honed from those encounters and those repetition is etched on your body and even if you forget it in your mind your body remember it
That is how it is for him.
Other than a few deaths where he dies a worthless death, most of his death has been used by him to master some methods of swordsmanship
"Laika! Keep shooting them!" Henrik heard this as he comes closer and he could see that these rebel soldiers are so focused on the enemy in the distance that they did not realize that their rear is now being approached.
But then someone look towards him.
It is a woman, with a scar and there is bleeding on her fingers and she look at Henrik. Then moment she looks at Henrik she was shocked but she quickly raises her bow
"We're allies!" Miklos suddenly shouted from beside Henrik
Henrik look at the group of people around the wagon. Around twenty men
Miklos is talking with the people from this group. It seems that Miklos knows these people. But while Miklos is talking Henrik is looking around.
There is men and women, young and old
He looks at the woman and the people and see some of them has swords and some have lances and some have maces. Most of them however uses bow and arrows.
Henrik look at the distance.
"I don't understand strategy. But I understand taking the head of the leader disrupt the enemy. That tactic works on the rebel army and that tactic would also work on noble army"
This is because command and orders, and strategy is only given to the leader of an army and without the noble or the commander most organizations falls apart.
It is not in the modern times where there are all kinds of measure and the soldiers are at least somewhat educated and have their protocol if the leader is incapacitated.
Some would even leave some orders like retreat or hold on after a leader is defeated. But that is clearly not the case in this era
From what Henrik had seen and experienced till now, most common soldier would not know the grand objective or the plan of the superior.
Sometimes, they did not have time to explain it to the soldiers, but most of the time it is simply that the leader did not think it is worth their time to explain it to the common soldier.
What they need is an army that follows order not an army that could replace them.
The idea of keeping the population ignorant is a measure that many feudalist rulers always employ
There were only a few civilizations in ancient past who would build universities and allow their people to seek knowledge.
In the modern world on the other hand, the knowledge is many but the discipline is chaotic, the knowledge itself is distorted by the ruling power and news are controlled
In democratic government, the news is controlled by corporations and rich and powerful men by using money.
In authoritarian government, the news is controlled by the states and rulers behind the curtains.
News have become propaganda. Too much knowledge is not good. Especially when the knowledge is just useless.
But in this current era, it is the ruling class fearing the people below them to have knowledge, to understand their power plays. This is not a time for him to think about his old world
"I need to think how to take the head of the leader" this is the resolve Henrik made just a few moments after he made his decision
Henrik, or to be more accurate, Elias, has always been quite indecisive in many things in his life.
But sometimes…. he would be very decisive.
The reason why he was forced out of town and had to work as a sweeper in CERN is also because in his most decisive moment, he did something that is harmful to him
But he had never regretted what he had done. That is a part of him that he hates and yet at the same time liked
This sense of justice. And now, after dying twelve times, his resolve is stronger.
There are things you dare to do, when you face death many times.
Those who confront their deaths bravely…. the courage one would cultivate after confronting such a moment…. that kind of feeling is not something he could teach anyone and it is hard to describe it unless you experienced it yourself
Henrik look around trying to see anyone that could be considered a prominent person of the enemy force
In the current era losing the leader is a recipe for disaster.
Henrik did not know what to do and he did not know how to defend.
One thing is clear to him though.
One glance at the area around him and he shakes his head
"This place is unstainable"
What is clear to him is that defending this wagon is impossible.
Right now, Henrik had managed to spot this group and regroup. They could hold, but this hold would not be long. If Henrik could think of such method of regrouping, it is considerable to thin the enemy is also eager to regroup.
"It is impossible for the enemy forces to split their forces like this"
Then the only possible reasons why there is one pocket of noble army on different sides is before they could enter this forest, they were already attacked and they have scattered forcing them to enter through these difficult makeshift passes.
It could not really be called passes.
It is not as tall as mountain but it is quite tall. Whoever choose this location, really knows how to utilize the terrain
Henrik was thinking all of this time, seemingly not looking at this group. He is also not that started when someone is pointing bow towards him
Instead, he let Miklos talk to this group.
Henrik had adopted a stance that the less he talks, the less he would make mistake.
Among these group, many of the young people and even the old people seem to know him.
Only a few people in the group does not know him.
Henrik could not really explain to these people that he come from a different world.
..