After a long march, we finally reached the front lines. It had been two months since we left Avril Castle, and the fighting at the front had already been raging for a month.
The wars of this world, as described by his father, were very different from what Leo knew.
He knew that wars in this era usually involved large-scale battles, with hundreds of soldiers clashing in massive formations.
However, things were different here.
It was because of the strategic weapons known as 'wizards'.
There were only two to three hundred wizards in the entire continent, but even a few of them could influence the outcome of a battle.
Forming a dense formation in front of wizards capable of mass destruction was foolish. To avoid concentrating the wizards' firepower, the armies were divided into smaller units.
Soldiers were grouped into squads of ten, each assigned a squad leader. Hundreds, thousands of these squads were scattered across the battlefield, pushing the front lines.
It was reminiscent of modern guerrilla warfare.
Lena and Leo were assigned to the same squad.
Six Einar tribe warriors, three soldiers, and a squad leader to command them were grouped together. The squad leader, without bothering with introductions, immediately took charge.
"We're heading to the right ridge. Everyone got their rations?"
After a quick equipment check, our squad set off.
The tense front line had been pushed back another step to the south. The Astin Kingdom had managed to reinforce their troops faster than the Bellita Kingdom, forcing the enemy to relinquish a few hills.
However, such grand strategies were only known to the generals. At the front lines, each squad clashed according to their orders.
Lena and Leo's squad also began their desperate struggle for survival.
"Leo! Behind you!"
At Lena's warning, Leo quickly twisted his body, swinging his sword. The fingers of the enemy soldier who tried to attack him from behind went flying.
Leaving the fingerless man, Leo narrowly dodged a thrust from the soldier he was facing. In the next moment, Leo's sword cleanly pierced the man's throat.
[ Achievement: Ten Soldiers - You become stronger when fighting soldiers. ]
Was that the tenth one already?
He had lost count. Perhaps it was due to the achievement, but he had taken down the fingerless man with even greater ease.
As the fight ended, the squad leader spoke, impressed, to Lena and Leo.
"You two fight like knights. That was incredible."
They had fended off a combined attack from two enemy squads. While six from their squad had fallen, only a few from the enemy side managed to escape.
However, the joy was short-lived as they were surrounded by too many corpses. The four survivors laid their fallen comrades to rest and saluted.
They planted small flags next to the bodies and moved on. Another squad with more manpower would come along later to retrieve the bodies.
Their squad, now reduced to four, needed to link up with another squad quickly. It was unfortunate that they couldn't immediately attend to the bodies, but lingering here and encountering the enemy would be disastrous.
"Lena, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. You fought well."
Lena seemed a bit downcast. Although she tried to remain strong, the deaths of her fellow tribesmen must have weighed heavily on her mind.
* * *
Skirmishes that left behind emotional scars and a trail of bodies continued day after day. Lena and Leo were reassigned to different squads several times, and the squad leader they first met had died.
Meanwhile, spring came to an end, and the scorching summer heat began.
As the foliage grew denser, limiting visibility, each squad was put on high alert. It was an environment knights thrived in.
With infantry unable to form tight formations and scattered in small squads, knights ran rampant on this world's battlefields.
Even the knightly orders couldn't fully utilize cavalry charges due to the wizards. If cavalry amassed or multiple squads combined into units of several dozen, wizards would be immediately dispatched.
Therefore, knights roamed in pairs or trios through the dense undergrowth, picking off squads. To them, ten ordinary soldiers were easy prey.
"There they are."
Two knights stealthily observed the squad ahead.
"Senior Knight, there are quite a few of them."
"Don't whine over a measly fifteen."
The female knight retied her red hair. The younger knight in lighter armor, appearing anxious, kept his eyes on the squad.
"There are two with double-edged swords... Those wouldn't be knights, would they?"
"They're too young to be knights. And there's no way a single squad would have two knights. Let's go."
This young man was new to the knightly order and still unaware of his own strength. He hadn't yet grasped how formidable a knight was against ordinary soldiers, so he tended to cower at the mere sight of numbers.
The female knight, reassuring her junior, charged out of the bushes.
"Knight!"
No sooner had one squad member shouted than another soldier bolted in the opposite direction.
A messenger.
Upon spotting a knight, a squad had to immediately call for nearby units, hoping for one of their own knights to arrive.
The two knights, a man and a woman, wasted no time in attacking.
"Hold them off! Reinforcements are on their way!"
Lena and Leo faced off against the male knight.
The squad leader, trusting Lena and Leo, assigned five men to the male knight. The remaining ten were tasked with holding back the female knight.
The female knight swiftly cut down seven men, but only two had fallen on Leo's side.
"Hey, you idiot! It's just five men, what's taking so long?!"
"...Senior Knight Katrina! These guys are no joke!"
Katrina!
Leo's eyes widened.
An unforgettable name. A chilling bloodlust surged through him.
"This way! Charge!"
Just then, a squad arrived as reinforcements.
Katrina grew anxious. If they wasted any more time here, more squads might arrive. They needed to finish this quickly and disappear. But that fool was slowing them down.
Cutting down another soldier, she shouted,
"Hey! Stop messing around!"
"I'm not messing around! Ugh!"
Lena's sword grazed the knight's head.
As the knight jerked back to dodge, a soldier beside Lena seized the opportunity and leaped forward, bringing his sword down.
"You little...!"
While his upper body was still tilted back, the knight twisted his body, disemboweling the leaping soldier.
As gore splattered, Leo thrust his sword into the exposed thigh of the off-balance knight. The knight crumpled to the ground with a groan.
[ Achievement: One Knight - You become stronger when fighting knights. ]
He had finally defeated a knight. He was no match for his father, but even with five of them attacking, it hadn't been easy. Lena and Leo, catching their breath, looked back.
The female knight was furiously swinging her sword, her frustration evident. She seemed determined to end this quickly, even if it meant sustaining minor injuries.
In the end, despite suffering a few cuts, Katrina single-handedly wiped out the squad. Her red hair was now stained with blood.
As Katrina spat and retied her hair, two soldiers approached her.
"Are you Katrina?"
"Yes, I am. And what good does knowing my name do you?"
Leo grinned, a surge of exhilaration coursing through him as he stood before the knight who had decimated two squads.
Finally! He had found the one who had killed Lena in the previous timeline. It was around this time, on a scorching summer day, that Lena had fallen.
He had seen the name 'Katrina' in the ending of that day, but he hadn't expected to meet her again.
Katrina tilted her head and asked, "Was it you or your girlfriend who killed Deros?"
Blood dripped from the blade she held out. It was this very sword that had pierced Lena in the previous timeline.
"It was me!" Leo roared, charging at her, consumed by rage.