The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 31: Get Moving

After gathering all the officers, Fabio holds an expanded military meeting. They spend the entire day deliberating but fail to come up with a solution that satisfies Fabio.
In the evening, Fabio seeks out Henwell: "Do you have any good ideas?"
Henwell thinks for a moment: "Let's play to our strengths."
Fabio is puzzled: "What strengths do we have?"
Henwell laughs: "Just like some of the derogatory names given to us, calling us the 'retreating legion'! We're skilled at rapid maneuvers. They're trying to block us now, so let's get them moving and see who can run faster!"
Fabio's eyes light up: "You mean we should shake them off and retreat back to our country?"
Henwell shakes his head: "Of course not! There's still a border river to cross. We need to weaken them, at least hurt them enough. Otherwise, if they attack us while we're crossing, it'll be a disaster!"
"I think we should maneuver them, make quick, small-scale moves on this battlefield, and force them to race against us."
"But will the enemy fall for it?"
"They won't have a choice! If we start moving and they don't follow, we'll cut off their route to the fortress. They don't have as many supplies as we do! We'll see who can hold out longer. So they'll definitely try to intercept us."
Fabio nods, thinking it's a good idea.
Henwell continues, "Additionally, we should exploit their weaknesses. They are two separate legions. When they're together, they keep each other in check, and no one dares to slack off. They'll definitely be ready for a fierce battle with us."
"So, we should split our forces into two parts, forcing them to do the same. Without supervision, they'll be more likely to back off when things get tough."
After hearing Henwell's analysis, Fabio agrees it's a solid plan.
He immediately calls for a second military meeting that night to flesh out the details of the plan.
Once the detailed battle strategy is drafted, Fabio asks Henwell to review it for any oversights.
Henwell makes a few minor adjustments and generally approves of the plan.
Even though Henwell might have better ideas, he's not the general of this legion, and saying too much could be seen as overstepping.
Besides, in Henwell's eyes, the Iron Wall Legion isn't exactly a well-disciplined army, and many of his ideas wouldn't be feasible to implement.
After the battle orders are issued, Fabio strongly opposes one of Henwell's decisions.
"Are you kidding me? You want to go with the right-wing army? Why complicate things? Just stick with me. This time, we're facing real soldiers, not noble serf troops."
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"You're not cut out for this with your slight build! If anything happens to you, I'd be at a huge loss! Don't worry, you know the commander of the right-wing army. You know he's capable!"
Henwell is well aware of the right-wing commander's abilities. The knight named Duveen managed to become a commander partly due to Henwell's behind-the-scenes support.
Duveen has the strength of a knight but lacks the official title. He was a friend of Fabio's from the Silent Battle Axe legion, and Henwell had met him before when he was following Kavize.
During the Fire Eyes city battle, the Silent Battle Axe was destroyed, and Duveen escaped with them.
He was then assigned under Fabio's command, and Henwell often sought his advice on combat techniques.
Their relationship was already familiar, and during one battle, Duveen was injured, and Henwell treated him.
In the Six Bay Mountain skirmish, Duveen was severely injured again, and Henwell treated him once more.
During their retreat, Henwell didn't abandon him; instead, he offered his mule to carry the still-recovering Duveen away.
In the subsequent maneuvers, Duveen, having recovered, demonstrated impressive leadership skills, becoming one of the fourteen commanders in the Iron Wall Legion and one of the more outstanding ones.
When it came time to split forces, there were several candidates to lead the right-wing army. Ultimately, after Henwell's thorough analysis of the pros and cons, Fabio chose Duveen to command the right-wing army.
Now, Henwell insists on going to the right-wing army to break through with Duveen.
Naturally, Fabio is worried, believing Henwell should stay behind him where his personal guard can offer protection, ensuring Henwell's safety.
However, Henwell sees things differently; being near Fabio isn't exactly safe.
That's the main flag position, and countless eyes are watching!But Henwell can't say this outright.
"Sir, only the two of us truly understand the essence of this plan. With you leading the left-wing army, there's no doubt it will be flawless. However, if any issues arise with the right-wing army, there won't be any chance for quick adjustments."
"Once I'm there, you can inform Commander Duveen that you've entrusted me with certain tasks. In critical moments, I'll convey your intentions! This way, both sides can execute the plan smoothly. After dealing a heavy blow to the enemy, we can regroup at the riverbank!"
In the end, Fabio reluctantly agrees but stresses to Duveen the importance of safeguarding Henwell. He even hints to Duveen that, if necessary, even at the cost of failure, Henwell's safety must be prioritized.
Two days later, with everything in place, the Iron Wall Legion suddenly springs into action. The allied forces' two legions stand ready, prepared to counter any assault from the Iron Wall Legion.
However, when the Iron Wall Legion reaches a distance of about five to six hundred meters from the enemy lines, they abruptly come to a halt.
As the two allied generals wonder what this maneuver could mean, the Iron Wall Legion suddenly splits into left and right flanks. In perfect formation, they begin moving again, transitioning from a walk to a full-on run.
"What are they doing? Are they trying to flank us?"
"It looks like they're attempting to encircle us, but they don't have the numbers for that!"
"Could they be trying to slip past us and cross the river to escape the kingdom? That doesn't make sense! They haven't built any boats or bridges to cross, so how could they bypass us?"
"...No, wait! They're trying to cut off our retreat!"
Realizing this, the two generals quickly order their legions to charge towards the left and right flanks of the Iron Wall Legion.
The border army's general, being somewhat crafty, notices the right-wing army has fewer numbers and hasn't raised the main legion banner, so he swiftly leads his troops to charge at them first.
Seeing the enemy take the bait, Duveen instructs all officers to keep their soldiers' pace steady and not to be intimidated by the enemy's charge.
The closest the two armies get is just over two hundred meters apart.
However, the constant sprinting starts to take its toll on the enemy, slowing their charge, while the Iron Wall Legion maintains its steady advance.
In this way, the Iron Wall Legion leads the kingdom's border army on a chase for over two kilometers.