Willian was surprised. He imagined they were going to change their strategy. He expected it to be the apex of idiocy. Because of that, he intended to act as a balancer so that he could deal with anything the enemy might try. It was because of that that he slowed down his marching speed. He didn´t let anything escape his eyes. He thought so.

“This… What is happening?”

The spectacle he was watching from that spot that had a good view was the spectacle of the white being exterminated by the blue. Until yesterday, it had been the opposite of that spectacle that was unfolding. Today, it suddenly was completely turned around. Their standing, the precision in their movement…

“Willian! How will we move?”

Karl´s desperate voice expressed the ugliness of the situation.

“Sorry. Let me think a little. Give me a bit of time.”

Willian had his eyes shut behind his mask. Needing nothing but just a bit of time, he was diving into his deep vast sea of knowledge. Holding everything stored inside him, he studied the situation.

““First of all, I can´t imagine Nehderks army had been easing up on us until yesterday. There is no reason for them to do that, and I couldn´t smell any kind of trick of the sort in their movement. They were not playing dead. This is the first thing to consider.””

Nehderks was extremely scared of making a mistake. Because they were a conservative country, commanders hated the most to suffer defeat and have their career damaged. They feared failures, so they wanted to win at all costs. Although they were also scared of mistakes, they were much more scared of changing their methods. The people of their kingdom had this type of mentality, and this influenced their military. (TL note:I can´t find some explaining this expression anywhere, so I just going by the context from what I found in google ->一度レールから外れる<>

“”Besides, why did they suddenly change their strategy today? Thinking about their desperation charges, they were clearly too focused on the results. It couldn´t be helped that their [bad side] would be completely in display along their advance. With how Gregour and Anzerm are being pushed back, it can be seen that the enemy is taking note of where to emphasise and lay destruction. From that, I can without doubt declare that the [head] has changed. Someone who isn´t Anatour is moving this army.””

The army movement before Willian´s eyes was completely different from yesterday. He couldn´t think of them as the same enemy. He couldn´t think of them as the same army. He couldn´t think of them as having even come from the same country.

“”To begin with, why can them move like that? Even though they are deviating from the way the army of Nehderks has been moving… Have them been sparing time for doing these kind of drills regularly? If so, then their crus.h.i.+ng defeats they´ve been having until yesterday would be impossible. I can´t understand. The change in their movement…. I can´t understand.”

For the first time Willian headed out to the battlefield, he was a.s.saulted by a fear whose nature he couldn´t understand. All the enemies he had faced until now, and even that Strakules, had never made any deviations in their strategies. Although his strength had indeed surprised Willian, he didn´t have any parts about him he couldn´t understand. However, his opponent this time had.

“It really feels bad to leave it like that without understanding what´s happening though.”

Willian muttered those words. His closed eyes opened.

“Karl, let´s move.”

It was a battlefield that required mobility. Until yesterday, they were supposed to be the ones having the advantage on that. However, that advantage was now backfiring.

“”There is no mistake about them having gathered their combat strength at the two ends of the battlefield being a bluff. Anzerm and Gregour aren´t opponents one can easily ignore. The proof of that is how they are sending forces even at Anzerm, who had set his defensive position. They are doing that in order to keep them stranded. And so, their goal must be…””

Before Willian´s eyes was their main army. Looking to the sides along them was their battle line. Their fighting force was focused in the two ends of it. Because of that, there was a gap open. It was a very indistinct gap that only Willian, who had complete understanding of the terrain, noticed.

“”You´ve really been doing as you wished. Allow me to take it from you. To take your head!””

Willian was angered at how he had been led by his nose. The White Mask moved out.

Gilberto couldn´t move. He knew that his allies were losing. Looking at it superficially, they were at a situation they immediately needed to be sent reinforcements to rescue them. However, by looking at it in the long term, it was simply impossible for Gilberto to move. He was the link between the mountains and the flatlands. If Gilberto was to move from there and partic.i.p.ate in the battle, he would leave an opening at this vital position.

“Gilberto-sama.”

“Don´t say anything. If we move, we will be eaten. That´s the kind of opponent we are facing.”

Their position being captured would mean that the defeat of the whole battle would have been decided. Although right now they are separated by the river, if he lets his position fall, Nehderks would be able to advance into the borders of Arcadia pretty much without needing to care about the river. They would lose the buffer zone of the mountains, which was a natural stronghold, and which would also become a strong strategic point for Nehderks.

“Who is it? Who is the one that surpa.s.sed that underhanded man?”

The underhanded man was Willian Rivius. Although he wasn´t a likeable person in Gilberto´s eyes, Gilberto couldn´t help but recognize his intelligence. Including the fact that he had been using Karl and also the evaluation Gilberto had of him, he thought of him as an existence he wouldn´t be able to

But someone surpa.s.sed such person.

“So he moved? Whether he read into that or not… Since he moved, he knows about the strength of the enemy.”

Gilberto predicted Willian´s moves. Understanding his aims and following along, Gilberto decided to defend their fatal weak point. It was because of that that he decided on his own to protect his position.

“”I will see whether the strength of that underhanded man will win or lose.””

Gilberto´s decision was an extremely honest one. If,

Of course, the enemy obviously also predicted that. If Gilberto had done something as reckless as moving out, Willian wouldn´t have entrusted him the protection of that position.

“Ah, as to be expected of the army of Arcadia. They´ve been well trained.”

The one running through the battlefield was Volf, the [Black Wolf]. He was wearing black pelts and light armor. The group following along him were similarly wearing black. Volf had elected those few to go with him. It was a composition that put emphasis on speed. With that, they were going to bite at their enemy´s throat.

“White Mask. A strength that doesn´t differ from the rumours, and also your intelligence. You are really good, aren´t you?”

Volf praised White Mask. He was still a ten-man squad leader, but by properly using his master who was a centurion and bribery to get the favor of the other officers, he moved the whole army. Volf wasn´t sure whether he could give an immediate reply on whether he was capable of the same or not. Volf had the personality of liking to be at the leading position. He couldn´t endure being in the shadows. Willian´s maneuvers required him to do that. It was because of that that he couldn´t give a reply on that.

“He has a good head. He also has strength. Besides, he is young. The only difference from me would pretty much be the face. I am the most handsome, but he hides his face. In other words, he has a plain face.”

“B-but you can´t decide it with just that…”

Hearing his subordinate´s comment, Volf snorted as if he had heard something stupid.

“The only one chosen by G.o.d and can be intelligent, strong and handsome at the same time is me, you know? Well, he still doesn´t lose at strength and intelligence. But even then, it is still my complete victory!”

Volf was looking at a certain direction while smiling.

“Okay. So you started moving, White Mask. So we will be b.u.mping heads at that place? I see you got really mad.”

The speed of comprehension, the speed for deciding to make his move. He indeed wasn´t average.

“I still say I have the crus.h.i.+ng victory over you though, White Mask. There isn´t much difference between you and me. That is, for now.”

His subordinates´ eyes became wide-open by the surprise. It was rare for Volf to praise others. At the times he would be comparing them to himself, that would be much more the case. Even his men, who had lived together with him for a long time, didn´t know of any person Volf had acknowledged to that point. Volf was a man that declared that even compared to Strakules, all he lacked was experience, and didn´t fall behind on anything else.

“The same amount of intelligence… Strength… Well, I wonder if I am a little bit ahead? It is my complete victory in handsomeness though…. Sorry there White Mask. It can´t be helped, you know? Heavens don´t give people more than one talent. Now to give three is already unreasonable. You have two. I am at the same cla.s.s as G.o.d, so I have three. Can´t be helped.“

That man was someone Volf acknowledged. Volf though that decision was very close to his. He could guess his strength from the draw he had with Anatour. Yes, there wasn´t that much of a difference between the two. Even so, Volf was sure of his victory in this battle.

“The difference between you and me isn´t something about talent. It is the difference between light and darkness, plain-faced-kun.”

Volf advanced. He was certain of his victory.