Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 233: Day of revelation

Alpheo sat tall on his horse, gazing up at the clear morning sky with a quiet, simmering anticipation. The day had finally come, the long-expected battle on the horizon. The scouts had brought word that the Herculian army was closing in, now only half a dozen kilometers out. By Alpheo's measure, they would arrive by early afternoon, perhaps even sooner.

He turned his gaze from the sky down to his army, spread across the camps, now bustling with activity as the soldiers gathered their arms and secured their marching formations. The rhythm of preparation—the sound of armor clinking, of horses shifting, of quiet commands being barked to ready the ranks—filled the air. Alpheo felt a steady pulse of determination rise within him. Every step they'd taken, every night spent under the stars, every stone cast against the walls of Arduronaven had led to this day. It was finally time to face their enemy head-on.

From the moment he arrived at Arduronaven, Alpheo had carefully studied the surrounding terrain, scouting every detail to gain an edge. The land stretched out flat in all directions—a feature that brought him both frustration and a certain satisfaction. The open, level ground would suit his strategy well, allowing him to execute his plans without the obstacles of hills or dense cover. But the same terrain also worked to the enemy's advantage, as it was ideal for a strong cavalry charge while also allowing the enemy to stretch his forces and overwhelm Alpheo's. Alpheo knew very well who held the advantage here.

He had received troubling reports from his scouts: the Herculian army advancing toward them was estimated at 3,300 soldiers, outnumbering his own force of 2,200 by a significant margin. Worse still, he couldn't rely on the full strength of his army; he'd been forced to station at least 300 men in the eastern camp to guard against any surprise sortie from the garrison within Arduronaven. He had no doubt that Vroghios would attempt a breakout once the main Herculian army arrived to divide Alpheo's attention. Which left him with only 1,900 soldiers to face the incoming force,something that made intimidated Alpheo quite a bit as he was outnumbered nearly two for each of his own man.@@novelbin@@