Rise of the Northern Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Time was urgent—Vaerik had to rapidly improve his territory’s combat strength in these few days.

So he brought his white-haired secretary Siv to the training grounds to observe the soldiers’ training progress.

Siv watched the uniform battle formation movements, her mouth slightly agape.

This was her first time seeing Crimson Tide Domain’s soldier formation practice, her heart filled with shock.

Crimson Tide Domain’s soldier tactics were completely different from common warfare in this world.

Most lords’ tactics were nothing more than piling rabble into a wall of flesh, trying to use numbers to resist cavalry charges.

But the result was often being torn apart by knights, defeated in one strike.

But Crimson Tide Domain was different—they used the "Layered Formation" designed by Vaerik.

He divided the battle formation into three layers, representing coordinated combat of ranged suppression, close combat interception, and lethal counterattack.

Battle Formation First Layer: Archers.

Archers stood in the front row, divided into three groups for continuous volleys—similar to triple firing—maintaining sustained arrow rain.

"Target the horses!" the training officer shouted on the training ground.

Soldiers drew their bows, arrows shooting out like raindrops.

Thwack!—Thwack!—Thwack!

Arrows densely struck the targets. Though mostly inaccurate, they won through quantity—shooting anywhere would hit something.

The simulated shooting targets weren’t the knights themselves—after all, such attacks were quite limited against knights with battle energy.

Their real targets were the horses under the knights’ asses!

Except for magical beast horses, ordinary horses usually had no armor and couldn’t use battle energy.

As long as they accurately shot horse legs or bellies, they could disrupt enemy cavalry charge formations, greatly weakening knight impact force.

Battle Formation Second Layer: Spearmen.

"Hold formation! Maintain pace!"

After archers completed the first volley, shield-bearing spearmen quickly stepped forward, forming dense spear arrays.

The spears in their hands were four to six meters long, uniformly pointing forward.

Their role was when enemy cavalry were disrupted by archers and their charge momentum weakened, they would step forward to meet them, aiming spear tips at horse bellies, forcing knights to slow down or even lose control of their mounts, unseating the knights.

Battle Formation Third Layer: Sword and Axe Soldiers.

Once cavalry were forced to slow down, it became the sword and axe soldiers’ stage.

They hid behind the spearmen, and when the spear formation successfully blocked enemies, they would swiftly leap out, wielding heavy longswords or battle axes.

Target—sever horse legs, then hack down dismounted knights!

"Strike!"

On the training ground, at the training officer’s command, sword and axe soldiers quickly charged forward. The wooden stakes simulating cavalry snapped, being chopped into pieces.

Those lower-rank knights, even with battle energy protection, would find it hard to leave the battlefield alive when engaged in close combat by several well-trained sword and axe soldiers.

Moreover, this battle formation could coordinate with knights to expand victories.

Of course, this warfare wasn’t Vaerik’s original creation, but referenced the historical "Schiltron Formation" used by William Wallace against the English during his resistance.

In the previous life’s Battle of Stirling Bridge in medieval Scotland, William Wallace used this tactic to successfully annihilate the English army’s heavy cavalry.

"This can kill battle energy warriors?" Siv finally couldn’t help but speak.

"Formal knights and above won’t be killed so easily, but it’s highly effective against low-rank knights," Vaerik said somewhat proudly.

This combat method naturally couldn’t fight high-rank knights—after all, those monsters could take on a hundred enemies.

But for apprentice and formal knights, it was a deadly nemesis.

Just one well-trained infantry squad using battle formations could surround and kill several knights.

But these soldiers could only serve as battlefield support—what truly determined battle outcomes still depended on knights with battle energy.

"Let’s go." Vaerik interrupted Siv’s thoughts, continuing toward the other side of the training ground.

There, knights were also conducting tactical drills.

Unlike soldiers’ infantry formations, cavalry training’s core was "Swarm Tactics."

This was the tactical core Vaerik had modified according to Northern Province conditions.

On the wide training field, knights divided into multiple squads, each led by 3-5 formal knights commanding 10-20 knight apprentices.

They continuously attacked imaginary enemies from different directions.

The tactics were essentially divided into three phases: Harassment—Feint—Focus Fire!

One squad quickly approached targets, throwing short spears or drawing bows to shoot, harassing targets, then immediately withdrawing.

Another squad launched attacks from the flanks, creating the illusion of main force charges, forcing enemy armies to adjust defensive lines.

Two squads cycled repeatedly, harassing enemy forces.

Finally, when enemies wavered, a hidden cavalry squad suddenly appeared, concentrating attacks on key targets, causing maximum damage in short time.

Throughout the process, knights maintained high mobility, never engaging enemies head-on, but repeatedly wearing them down, seeking weaknesses.

As soon as enemies showed fatigue or commanders made mistakes, knights would seize the opportunity to concentrate forces and launch lethal surprise attacks!

On the training field, warhorses galloped, dust flying.

Spears pierced wooden stakes, arrows steadily hit targets.

After months of training, Crimson Tide Domain’s knights could perfectly execute swarm tactics.

Veteran knights were skilled and experienced, while newcomers, though making mistakes, gradually integrated into the system through practice.

Vaerik nodded with satisfaction.

This combat method could maximally protect friendly cavalry while continuously weakening enemies.

Compared to stupid tactics of mindless charging followed by encirclement and annihilation, this dispersed harassment warfare was how elite cavalry should fight.

Siv watched the uniform, disciplined knights, her heart somewhat shaken.

Their actions were precise and flawless, every command executed swiftly without the slightest delay.

This was completely different from the northern tribal warriors she knew.

In tribes, warriors were more accustomed to swarming attacks, relying on individual bravery and physical qualities for combat, not this kind of fighting style emphasizing coordination and tactics.

If Iron Blood Empire knights were all like those in Crimson Tide Domain, northern tribes would be in danger.

Her hands tightened slightly, her mood complex.

As the former Cold Moon Tribe princess, she naturally hoped those traitors would all be killed, especially those murderers who poisoned her father and killed her mother, brothers, and sisters.

She wished them dead without burial places.

But if the empire truly went all-out to sweep the Northern Province, then those innocent clansmen her father protected...

"What are you thinking about? Let’s go to the alchemical workshop."

Vaerik’s voice interrupted Siv’s wild thoughts. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

She came to her senses, glanced at Vaerik, ultimately said nothing, silently following.

Vaerik looked at the increasingly powerful army on the training ground, somewhat pleased.

Soldiers could now skillfully use battle formations, and knights’ swarm tactics had taken shape—combat strength was several times stronger than before coming to Crimson Tide Domain.

Very good. Next were the flame bombs.

If Hilco’s team had already succeeded in research, his upcoming battles would be more certain.

If not yet completed...

Vaerik lightly hummed, already having countermeasures in mind.

Then he’d make Hilco work overtime until completion—hmph, work him to death.

He pulled the reins, urging his warhorse forward.

Siv also mounted her horse, and the two plus accompanying knights rode toward the alchemical workshop.