Return of the Fallen Nobleman With an SSS-Rank Talent-Chapter 57: Never ignored an intuition

Migzar Camp, two days earlier.

The military tents were lined up in perfect formation, as if even the canvas obeyed discipline. There was no disorder. There was no unnecessary noise—only preparation.

In the center of the camp, General Darion Vex stood in front of a map spread out on a field table, pinned down with daggers at the corners. His iron armor was polished to perfection, reflecting the gray light of dawn.

"Arkham remains weakened after the flood."

One of his officers spoke as he held several reports; a white messenger raven rested motionless on his shoulder.

"Its walls are damaged."

Darion nodded slowly. More than interest flashed in his eyes.

Opportunity.

"And the lord of the territory?"

"Unable to intervene directly. According to our reports, command now rests with his son. He was decisive during the uprising... but since his father’s return, he has remained secluded in Zephyr’s room."

A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved the general’s lips.

The situation was ideal.

And they hadn’t lifted a finger to help.

His own lord had deliberately ignored the request for reinforcements. Not out of carelessness... but out of calculation. They were acting under indirect orders from the neighboring kingdom.

Kamelot.

Darion placed a gloved finger on the map.

"We will enter under the pretext of ’protecting the southern border.’"

His smile widened slightly.

"If they cooperate, we will occupy the city without unnecessary bloodshed. If they resist..."

His finger descended firmly on the drawing of the main gate.

"We will crush them. I do not want a prolonged siege. Heavy cavalry to the front. Break down the gate. Eliminate all resistance."

The officer nodded, but did not seem entirely convinced.

"And the heir? Adam? Despite his age, he is already a Knight Novice. He was instrumental during the monster tide."

Darion narrowed his eyes, as if the name annoyed him. Then he waved his hand slightly, dismissing it.

"You overestimate him."

His voice was calm, almost indifferent.

"Fighting monsters is not the same as waging war. Beasts charge. They will roar, they will attack... but they do not strategize. They do not set ambushes. They do not manipulate the terrain."

He leaned slightly over the map.

"A boy can survive a tidal wave. That does not mean he can sustain a conflict between armies."

There was a brief pause.

Too brief.

Because, deep down, something didn’t quite add up for him.

The reports received in recent days were excessively accurate. Detailed movements. Quick reactions. Decisions that did not seem improvised.

He continued, his tone now slightly firmer:

"However... we must not be careless. The worst mistake in war is to underestimate your opponent."

His finger pointed to the hills south of Arkham.

"Keep the formation tight when we cross here. Advance scouts and reinforced flanks. I don’t want any surprises."

Darion Vex never ignored an intuition.

...

After receiving the news that Migzar’s territory had been invaded, Adam quickly sprang into action; he had little time before his first battle since returning to the past.

However, he had very little time to prepare. And, of course, he did not neglect the safety of his father, mother, and fiancée, Selene; all three are under Lucas’s care.

...Although that was really a gamble, because Adam could be sending them straight to their deaths, or Lucas could be the traitor.

So he was betting on that small chance that he wasn’t the traitor.

The wind blew in from outside, carrying dust and the dry smell of damaged stone.

From atop the northern wall, still cracked after the tide of monsters, Adam watched the horizon with his arms crossed. Repairs had barely begun when another threat was already advancing toward them.

The city was not ready.

And perhaps neither was he.

Two hundred soldiers and fifty knights.

"State of the defenses?"

"North wall unusable. The main gate is still operational, but weakened. We have redeployed archers to the remaining towers."

A knight reported with a grim expression.

Adam nodded and glanced sideways. The soldiers and knights had not had adequate rest.

"Evacuate the civilians to the market area. Reinforce the internal barricades. I want boiling oil on the battlements and long spears on the front line.

The knight hesitated for a moment.

"Young master... if they attack directly, we won’t be able to withstand a prolonged siege."

Adam knew that. But they weren’t planning on holding out either. He intended to wipe them out completely, which wasn’t very feasible.

"We will not be besieged. If they cross our lands with hostile intent, we will strike them before they form."

His eyes drifted down to the fields to the south. The terrain was uneven, crisscrossed with irrigation ditches and rolling hills.

Perfect for breaking heavy formations.

Perfect for splitting up cavalry.

Perfect for killing.

...

A few hours later, night had fallen; the armory was bustling with activity.

Blacksmiths hammered steel tirelessly. Archers strung their bows. Squires distributed hastily repaired armor.

Adam descended the tower stairs as the knights gathered around him and said,

"They are not monsters. They are men. They bleed just like us."

The looks on their faces hardened.

"Don’t expect honor. Don’t expect negotiation. If they come with fifty knights, it’s not to talk."

A knight stepped forward.

"Orders?"

Adam looked south, his face dark.

"We’ll open the gate."

A murmur ran through the group.

"We will feign weakness. When their cavalry charges... we will retreat to the low ground. We will flank them on both sides with spearmen hidden among the crops."

He pointed to the spread-out map.

"I want enlarged ditches tonight. Cover the traps with straw. If their horses fall, their formation dies."

His eyes shone with a coldness that did not correspond to his age. It was not the first time he had faced an army from Kamelot.

Only this time... he wouldn’t die.

As Adam gave his final orders, the night slipped away unnoticed. The dark sky began to tear apart as the first rays of dawn appeared on the horizon.

The tremor came before the image.

The earth vibrated with a heavy, steady rhythm, like the heartbeat of an approaching beast.

And then the banner appeared.

The silver lion of Migzar waved proudly under the rising sun.

The ranks advanced with impeccable discipline: two hundred soldiers in compact blocks, shields lined up like a moving wall. Fifty knights at the front, shining armor, spears tilted toward the enemy.

In the center, General Darion raised his hand.

"Assault formation."

The drums began to roll.

From the walls of Arkham, Adam watched silently, the wind stirring his cloak with an unsettling gentleness.

"Wait..."

Below, the enormous city gate began to open slowly.

From a distance, it seemed like a desperate act. From the top of the wall... it was an invitation.

Darion smiled.

"Charge."

The cavalry surged forward like a wave of steel, kicking up dust and thunder. The ground shook with increasing force as the distance closed.

Fifty meters.

Thirty.

Ten.

Adam raised his hand.

"Now."

The first horse disappeared.

A sharp crack. A heart-wrenching neigh.

Then another.

And another.

The ground gave way beneath their armored hooves—hidden traps opened like hungry mouths, devouring steel and flesh.

Screams.

Metal crashing against the earth.

Formation broken.

From both flanks, spearmen emerged from the crops, spears low and accurate. Arrows rained down from the walls in a dark shower.

In a matter of seconds, the disciplined advance turned to chaos.

Darion gritted his teeth as he watched the line fracture.

"Rally! Rally!"

Too late.

The war had not begun with a siege.

It had begun with an ambush.

And as the field filled with dust, blood, and screams...

Adam descended onto the battlefield.