Chapter 31: The Power of the Collective
Ange, having grasped some new insights, quickly selected the most obedient soldiers and formed them into a special squad.
The other soldiers found it odd but didn't uand the significe, tinuing to perform their duties half-heartedly.
Some soldiers, catg on, quickly followed suit and tighteheir discipliually gettied.
Sometimes, the differen personal fate es down to small choices.
Just like with Matthew and his former panions.
To undermihe heril Empire, Matthew and his panions had once ducted extensive iigations and preparations.
They quickly uncovered many systemic issues within the empire's structure.
The Seventon cil, representing the Seven Towers, the high arists, and the caster elite, prioritized their own is.
The needs and is of the empire’s vast millions were ignored—or ht ed.
The only path to upward mobility was being a spellcaster or having a family member who became one.
If a child showed potential, the empire would deted nurture them, abs them into its system.
Yet most casters, due to their backgrounds, identity, talent, and resources, were destio bee assistants, followers, researchers, or eve subjects fher arists.
The system of the heril Empire was ily distorted.
The general popuce had little loyalty, relying solely on the near-omnipotent power of the high arists to maintain order.
The aristocratic spellcasters, lords, and families existed solely to serve the arist anizations.
Their purpose was to gather resources and find children with potential to bee future spellcasters.
They served the anizations.
They served the high arists.
They served the mighty floating cities.
That’s why, despite the magical advas of the heril Empire, the living ditions of the popuce remai a medieval level.
The betterment of the on people mattered little to the high arists.
Thus, the spellcasters didn't care either.
Matthew and his panions had realized back then that the heril Empire wasn’t truly a nation but a vast popution trolled by a spellcaster anization.
The only way to topple the current regime was to elimihe high arists.
Now, Matthew sought to walk the same path—harnessing the power that the spellcasters had overlooked.
The power of tless mortals!
The power of other professionals!
The power of the collective!
"Charge! Break them!"
Old Johhe way, charging forward with a wooden staff in hand.
Behind him, 20 soldiers rushed ahead, eager to eheir oppos.
They were bigger, wielded more mature ons, and had more warriors in their ranks.
fident of victory, they were determio be the best of the five squads and earn the honor of receiving a salute from the others.
Across from them, Ange remained unmoved, calmly issuing orders:
"Shieldbearers forward, spearmen behind, hold your positions, keep the formation, advance!"
Though they hadn’t fully synized yet, the soldiers Ange had chosen made a scious effort to adjust their positions and maintain the formation.
As they advaheir steps gradually unified, w together and showing signs of teamwork.
Old John refrained from directly engaging, stepping aside like Ange and shouting orders:
"Squad One, fnk from the left! Squad Two, attack from the right! Squads Three and Four, hold the ter!"
Ange remained calm, watg as the two distinctly different squads cshed.
The tips of the wooden staffs were marked with white chalk. A hit to the head or mask meant a soldier was out; two hits to the torso also eliminated a fighter, while strikes to the limbs didn’t t.
At first, Squads Three and Four charged fiercely, aiming to push through the shieldbearers.
But the shieldbearers were also professionals—they couldn’t be pushed back, and seven ht staffs suddenly thrust out from behind the shields.
Though the staffs were deflected, they had giveackers a scare.
Before the fnking squads could join in, the shieldbearers pressed forward, and their staffs stabbed out again.
Squad Three and Four’s soldiers couldn’t dodge in time and suffered heavy losses, retreating quickly.
As they fell back, their formation crumbled. The shieldbearers surged forward, stabbing in unison.
The disanized soldiers had no choice but to retreat from the fight.
One warrior fended off two staff thrusts but realized that his teammates had been pletely routed—he was soon overwhelmed, marked by white dots all over his body.
Squads One and Two intensified their attacks, but Ange's victorious squad swiftly adapted their formation.
The shieldbearers turo face them, firmly holding the front line.
Outnumbered, Old John's squad was forced back by the disciplined formation.
Soon, they were pushed to the edge of the training field, uo retreat further.
pletely defeated!
The defeated soldiers wrim expressions—they couldn’t prehend how they had been uo break through such a stiff and simple defense.
Matthew wasn’t surprised by the result—heril’s forces were heavily reliant on their arists.
Ordinary soldiers and troops were often just fodder to draw fire—det in defense, but mediocre in open-field es.
Old John was equally perplexed, repying the battle in his mind and sensing something was off.
In small-scale skirmishes, shouldn’t individual strength be enough to break through formations? Wasn’t shield-bearing tid?
The victorious soldiers from Ange’s squad, still in disbelief, fought three more battles against the other squads. Despite sustaining some losses, they emerged victorious in eae.
Triumphant, they looked smugly at their defeated peers, already pnning to show off after training.
The other soldiers, feeling humiliated, now uood the purpose of the seemingly rigid formation drills.
Seeing Ange's squad basking in their victory, the other soldiers felt a pang ret aly vowed to train harder. In the practice, they would get their revenge!
Soon, with calls eg across the field, the training area grew even more lively.
