After Billy finished with the hills, he wondered what else he could do to make things easier for him. He will fight up close, so perhaps making his spear even stronger will do the trick. He already made his father's spear and Nikola's stronger. He also taught him Fierce Aura and made his skill level up to ten. So, perhaps helping them take the lead alongside the guild masters was the best option. He will have to save his mana in case something troublesome happens…
In any case, just as Gerald had mentioned, the enemy army appeared after two days. Attacking them before they could set their camp was probably a good idea… but they had some monsters ready to fight in their place already. Billy couldn't see them very well from a distance. He couldn't use Appraisal either. However, he could tell that the monsters looked like lions… They had thick fur, and they were like two meters tall and three meters long. Quite the beasts...
"Those things seem rather powerful… long ranged attacks won't be that effective," Alexander said.
"Unless you hit them between the eyes," Billy said.
"I am quite certain that their strength is higher than average soldiers, so those beasts will raise hell into our ranks if they are given the chance," Gerald said. "Tell the soldiers to prepare as many flammable arrows as possible. Fire should decrease their effectiveness if we make it rain down on those things."
A random soldier nodded and then left the area. Billy wondered if just simple flame arrows would do the trick, but it was better than nothing. In any case, Billy was learning how annoying it was to leave when the battle would start in the hands of the enemies. While it was annoying, it couldn't be helped since they were the defenders, and they would lose a lot fewer men by waiting and seeing than risking any moves against a larger army.
Very slowly, night came, and the area got completely dark. While they had some lookouts, the enemy still sent many parties to harass them and make them think that they would attack at night. Unfortunately, Billy couldn't complain since he was planning to use the same dirt tactics once he got his chance.
In any case, Billy was thankful that the enemies didn't bring siege weapons. That would turn the battlefield into a sea of blood and beyond recognition corpses. Perhaps that wasn't a thing since that world had magic, and humans could become stupidly strong… With good reflexes, everyone could dodge those.
Still, things changed the next day… The enemy army began to form their ranks as soon as the sun began to rise. Things on his side were already ready since nightfall of the previous day. Jean had separated the fifteen thousand soldiers into groups of ten and also divided those into three lines. About five battalions of five hundred soldiers were already ready to move, that is without counting the adventurers.
"Jean told us to move as we see fit, but don't be too reckless," Gerald said. "I am going to my group. If things get dicey, don't hesitate in retreating."
"You worry too much, old man," Marie said.
"And you worry too little," Gerald said while forcing a smile. "We are responsible for our guild members."
After hearing that, Marie's expression darkened a little. As expected, she still wasn't over the fact that her friends died two years ago because of those guys. Still, she had a responsibility toward those that joined her guild, even though they were doing it for their own sake.
The atmosphere around Marie changed, and she stayed silent for a short while, but after that, she began to give some orders. She divided their group into two, melee and ranged… and she told the ranged guys that they should keep themselves one hundred meters behind the main group no matter where they went. If they fail at doing that, she will kick their balls so hard until they start to like it and beg for more. Billy was pretty sure that some of them were already waiting for that.
"You guys will work with me to spread chaos among their ranks and to get rid of their commanders…" Marie said while looking at Billy's group. "We won't be targeted, so we will be free to cut through them until we reach the other side."
Billy wondered how exactly she was planning to do that. Even if they are free to attack and they are an irregular force, using brute strength only would be beyond unreasonable. In any case, he will have to wait and see.
In the end, they had around two hundred members that could use bows and around two hundred people that were decent with a spear, they were Alexander's students, and some of them even could use Light Spear, even though it was a pretty low-level version of it. Although he had his bow and spear, it seemed that Alexander was going to use his bow… while he stayed with the frontline.
They didn't even have time to have breakfast… as soon as they finished putting in formation five battalions of five hundred, the enemies made them march. Billy frowned since they were all infantrymen… Why not send the monsters first to weaken them and send another force behind? Regardless, Jean made most of his battalions retreat behind the hills. Billy only left three battalions behind with shields and spear ravished. They were completely in a defensive formation… So Billy knew what Jean was planning.
Just as he thought, the enemy grew careless after seeing so few enemies blocking their path, and so they charged. Most of them were infantrymen as well, and their main weapons were also spears and shields. Although their shields were raised, they still got hit in full when a rain of arrows fell across the field.. They stopped their charge and put the shields above their heads, and at this time, the three battalions charged at them.
