Seeing the allied cavalry retreat, Fabio, at the forefront of the formation, can't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The supposed cavalry of over a thousand isn't a real cavalry unit but a hodgepodge of troops.
They consist mainly of personal guards belonging to various nobles and officers, and even then, they couldn't muster a full thousand.
The rest are armored infantry riding pack mules and horses to look the part.
Just organizing these men into a formation took over two hours.
Forget about charging into battle; even moving slightly would reveal the ruse.
Thankfully, the allied cavalry didn't probe further; otherwise, they would have been in big trouble.
Fabio removes his helmet, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Henwell, how did you know they wouldn't dare attack?"
Henwell explains, "Their job is just to chase down the fleeing soldiers. They aren't strong enough to engage us head-on. If they got tangled up with us, they'd face nearly ten thousand soldiers behind us. Even if they're serf soldiers, the enemy doesn't know that. Their lives count too, and only living to claim their achievements matters. If they die, they gain nothing."
Fabio, now heavily reliant on Henwell, doesn't see him as just a kid anymore.
"So, what should we do next?"
Henwell points towards Wilderness City.
"We head back."
"What? Go back?!"
Fabio exclaims, then quickly glances around, realizing they're all his own men, so he doesn't lose his composure too much.
He then asks quietly, "Isn't going back now a death wish?"
"My lord, do you think the allied forces can completely wipe out the army here?"
Fabio thinks for a moment and shakes his head, indicating it's impossible. Inside Wilderness City and outside, there are over a hundred thousand regular troops. The allied forces in this war zone don't have the capability to eliminate these elite forces.
Henwell continues, "Since they can't wipe out these elite troops, at most they'll capture Wilderness City. Our forces will retreat from the city back to the camp outside. If things go better, both sides might engage in a tug-of-war within the city."
"Our supplies are in the camp, and advancing lightly can only take us so far before we're trapped. So, we must return, and quickly, bringing as many people as possible. The troops that attacked the camp last night weren't numerous enough to destroy the entire camp, let alone occupy it."
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Fabio, still puzzled, asks, "Then what was all the fuss about last night?"
Henwell sighs, "Ah, my lord, if we had stayed in the camp last night, we would have been like the stragglers who came later. Who could guarantee we'd be lucky enough to make it here and not die in the camp? Now that it's daylight, we have strength in numbers. The allied forces' strategic focus is on Wilderness City, not the camp outside, so there's no danger."
"More importantly, going back now is a huge achievement. It also explains why we left the camp last night. It shows you foresaw the possibility of fleeing soldiers, led the troops to intercept them, and deterred the allied pursuit."
"Now, after regrouping the stragglers, you're concerned about the camp's safety and the frontline situation, so you resolutely lead the troops back to support the main allied forces."
Fabio grins foolishly, "Yes, yes, yes! You're right, that's exactly what I was thinking. Let's prepare to head back now!"
Despite Fabio's efforts to maintain his composure, he can't suppress the smile tugging at his lips.
After giving the necessary orders, he leads over twenty thousand stragglers back toward the camp.
Along the way, the roads are littered with corpses. Some are so trampled they're unrecognizable. Only a few were killed by the pursuing forces; most died from exhaustion while fleeing.
This is the terrifying aftermath of a massive rout—everyone runs, and you have no choice but to run too.
Seeing so many bodies, Fabio feels a chill. If he hadn't listened to Henwell's advice last night and stubbornly stayed put, he might have been one of the corpses on the ground now.
On the way back to the camp, Fabio starts to worry again.
"Henwell, will the commanders believe what I say?"
Henwell looks at him like he's a fool.
"Of course not. They won't believe it; they know perfectly well we were running away."
Seeing Fabio's expression change drastically, Henwell continues, "But aren't we the best among those who fled? We stopped the stragglers and are bringing a large force back. That's a fact no one can dispute."
"The command doesn't care about the process, only the result. And the result is that you did very well. The battle report will be easy to write, and all the nobles' reputations are intact—they owe you a favor. The command will definitely reward you greatly."
Fabio finally feels reassured and then asks Henwell, "What kind of reward do you think they'll give me?"
Henwell admits he doesn't know and can't predict the decisions of the high command.
In reality, Henwell has already guessed that Fabio will become the commander of this joint noble private army unit.
However, it's not a position with real power, as the private noble troops won't be sent to the front lines next.
They'll likely be used as logistical support, which frankly means doing the grunt work.
The original captives and slaves in the camp have probably all fled. The professional troops are there to rest, not to work.
But the massive camp requires a lot of manpower to keep running, and these noble serf soldiers, whose combat strength is negligible, will be put to use.
In fact, this is a trap Henwell has set for the allied forces. Under normal circumstances, none of these stragglers would have made it back.
Losing these men wouldn't significantly impact the combat strength of the allied forces.
But now, with Fabio bringing back such a large group, it's estimated that by the time they reach the camp, the number of serf soldiers will exceed thirty thousand.
While this means the camp gains thirty thousand extra laborers, it also means thirty thousand more mouths to feed for the allied forces.
Last night's raid surely targeted the logistical supplies, and even if not everything was destroyed, some losses are inevitable. These thirty thousand returning soldiers will place a huge burden on the allied forces' supply chain.
Henwell, being a minor figure, uses this strategy to tip the scales of victory slightly in favor of the alliance.
On one hand, it's a way to vent his frustration—he's never forgotten that he's in enemy territory. Forcing the enemy to fail so he can escape smoothly has always been his priority. On the other hand, Henwell wants Fabio's status to be elevated, ensuring his own safety.
Why didn't he flee last night? Again, running in the chaos of battle is incredibly unwise. It's like gambling your life on the flip of a coin.