Todd nodded.

Cumberland said, "When singing, once the rhythm is interrupted, it takes a lot of effort to get back on track. The same is true in war. Both sides in a battle have their own rhythm in marching, troop deployment, formation, and charging. It's something invisible and intangible, but it really exists in the minds of commanders and soldiers. If the rhythm of battle is well controlled, the troops will naturally know what to do at the appropriate time. But once the rhythm is disrupted, the troops may fall into a state of confusion."

Cumberland pointed to the sun overhead and said to Todd with a smile, "It's about time we got on the horse. Keeping that noisy bird waiting too long isn't necessarily a good thing."

At 3 PM, the Twilight Knights entered the battlefield of North Stone Fortress.

Sitting on his horse, Cumberland pointed to a boisterous nobleman in striking armor on the opposite side of the battlefield and said, "Look, that's the Earl of Hewlett I told you about."

Todd used his "Eagle Eye" to look at the Earl, whose face was flushed red and who was angrily shouting something in his direction. Judging from his lip movements, it was probably not something pleasant.

The soldiers on the opposite side of the battlefield gradually stood up. Cumberland observed the battlefield intently while listening to the detailed report from the scout Edgar.

"I overheard the enemy talking from nearby. They said there were three armies on the other side: the fortress garrison, the barbarian army, and the mercenary group. The fortress garrison had about 500 men, the barbarian army had 200 men, and the mercenary group had 200 men, for a total of 900 men."

Todd did some mental calculations: the Twilight Knights had 500 men, the Fortress Alliance had 900, and with the advantages of explosives and alien species on his side, their combat strength was basically balanced.

As is customary, both sides went through the basic routine of enthusiastic greetings from immediate family members, inexplicable banging on shields, and hysterical shouting. After leaving behind cavalry and reserves, the troops of the Twilight Knights and the fortress allied forces marched forward.

Todd glanced back and was surprised to find that the wooden crate containing the explosives hadn't been opened at all. He tried to remind Cumberland about it, but Cumberland looked at the battlefield and replied without turning his head, "It's not time to use that yet. This attack was just a test."

A test?

Todd gave the old knight a strange look.

A minute later, the knights and the allied soldiers clashed, the sounds of weapons clashing and shields colliding filled the air. Todd watched for a while and noticed something that puzzled him.

Cumberland didn't place his melee-type mutants in the center of the army; instead, he deployed them all on the right flank of the battle formation. These strongest infantry units of the knightly order faced the barbarian army and launched a full-scale attack. However, against the fortress garrison and mercenary forces, the old knight ordered a defensive turtling strategy.

Just as Todd was completely bewildered, an unexpected situation occurred on the battlefield.

The barbarian army was forced to retreat by the "melee mutants." The barbarian leader shouted for reinforcements to the central army, but the fortress garrison and mercenary group seemed to ignore them completely, continuing to launch probing attacks against the enemy in front of them. They even deliberately broke up their formation and moved away from the barbarian army.

"What's going on?!" Todd, sitting on his horse, widened his eyes. "Has the enemy gone mad?! Don't they care about the lives of their own troops?!"

Cumberland stroked his beard and said to Todd, "Do you remember what I told you before?"

Todd looked confused.

The old knight looked at the hillside opposite the battlefield, his tone full of disdain: "Earl Hewlett, a noisy bird who always talks about his noble lineage, has no ability but plenty of cunning..."