Both men locked their eyes onto the board as soon as Luna said "Begin." Roland did not hesitate to advance.
He pushed his cavalry divisions and surged forward toward the central plains The infantry followed in disciplined columns, pushing toward the river crossings.
It was an aggressive and offensive center claim but despite that Cassian did not contest it, he simply watched his opponent..
He separated his forces, one of his divisions moved north toward the mountains.and the other one moved south toward the coastal port. Only two remained near his capital, as they repositioned quietly.
A few cadets in the gallery scoffed at his move, thinking that he was scared to push and would lose against someone like Roland.
"He's yielding center control." One of the onlookers said.
"Too cautious." Another said with a chuckle.
While on the other hand, Roland crossed the river unopposed. The central plain was his by the end of the first turn.
The second turn started and Roland pressed harder. All five of his forward units began advancing in unison, stretching across the board and aimed at Cassian's capital.
With this move, the distance between Roland's supply origin and his vanguard grew.
Cassian still continued retreating. On the surface to the onlookers, it looked like hesitation.
But on the board, small markers flickered along Roland's supply line. Then out of nowhere Cassian deployed his covert unit.
A silent marker appeared on a midline supply node. Luna glanced down at the projection of the table she saw..
"Sabotage?." She muttered.
Professor Hawthorne who stood beside her smiled, so far Cassian had shown exceptional skills in casting spells. He had high expectations from Cassian.
Roland's brow creased at Cassian's move. His supply integrity dropped as he pushed further. It was minor but noticeable.
The third turn passed without much happening, the fourth turn started as Roland's cavalry struck Cassian's northern division near the mountain foothills.
The impact calculation flashed above the board. Cassian's forces lost, the unit retreated deeper into mountainous terrain.
A visible morale dip flickered over the miniature soldiers on the board.
The onlookers clicked their tongues in distaste and nodded as if this was all for Cassian.
"Outclassed." A senior who stood by the table as the second referee.
Roland advanced further, his lines extended again.
At the start of the fifth turn, Cassian's southern division captured the coastal port without resistance.
It was a small but critical point gain. Because it severed potential reinforcement routes.
Despite that, Roland ignored it. He was focused on finishing the center push.
He sent another division forward to crush what he assumed was Cassian's weakest flank.
His supply integrity dropped further and now penalties began applying.
His infantry cohesion weakened slightly as well as the movement speed reduced.
Roland frowned as he reinforced the supply corridor but doing so cost him momentum..
The sixth turn started and frustration crept into Roland's posture; he was unsure of what to do as advancing forward would continue to drop his supply integrity but not doing such would give Cassian a chance. He decided on using the Divine Asset.
As he activated his divine asset, the air above the board tore open and a shimmering rift formed and a slash came downwards toward one of Cassian's midline divisions.
Cassian's unit took severe damage as gasps echoed in the hall.
But then the rift destabilized and a faint backlash pulsed outward.
Roland's entire army lost morale, he could no longer use the divine asset while Cassian still had not used his. Professor Hawthorne's gaze sharpened on Cassian's side as he tried discerning his next move.
In the seventh turn Cassian's routed northern division re-emerged through the mountain passes. But its purpose was not to attack, but rather to move behind.
While his southern force advanced simultaneously. Though not toward Roland's vanguard but toward the supply corridor. The covert unit activated again.
Supply integrity: zero.
The board shimmered red along Roland's extended line and desertion checks initiated. One of Roland's infantry divisions flickered and partially dissolved.
The murmurs from before in the gallery stopped, everyone was too shocked to even say a thing. Rolan was someone uncontested among the seniors in Tactical War Table and known for his aggressive pushes and wins despite that.
Roland attempted to withdraw his forces but his cavalry without supply moved sluggishly. His formation had advanced too far, too quickly.
In the eighth turn Cassian advanced. Not recklessly, he moved two divisions in unison, closing the space gradually.
Roland's army found itself stuck between the river and mountains. The encirclement marker triggered for Roland and the combat resolution calculated.
Roland's forces were technically stronger.
But due to low morale, no supply and cohesion penalties, the outcome was reversed. And then one of Roland's divisions shattered completely.
Points awarded: Cassian.
Roland stared at the board.
"You…" he muttered.
But Cassian said nothing.
In the ninth turn Roland attempted one final push. He ordered a desperate cavalry charge. But Cassian activated his divine asset at last.
"War Blessing."
Its purpose was not to attack but to stabilize his most damaged division. Roland's charge failed as his second division collapsed from accumulated penalties. The room was utterly silent now.
No one had anticipated this outcome, Luna had a smile on her face. This way of playing Tactical War Table was one of the best she had seen. And only Ironveil's were capable of doing so.
While Professor Hawthorne was busy writing on a piece of paper, the other professors talked about the match being the most interesting of the day.
Back on the board in the tenth turn Cassian did not annihilate the remaining units. He repositioned methodically, and forced Roland into a defensive posture around his capital.
When the twelfth turn ended, the examiner tallied:
Roland, two divisions destroyed, supply collapsed, divine backlash and his capital threatened.
While Cassian had, one division lost, supply intact, divine corruption at zero and positional superiority
"Victory," then Luna declared. "Cadet Cassian Morrigan."
Roland's voice was firm as he spoke.
"You never fought me head-on."
Cassian adjusted a single miniature cavalry piece.
"I didn't need to."
"You surrendered the center."
Roland stared at the severed supply line glowing faintly red across the board.
"You planned this from the beginning?"
Cassian met his gaze calmly. "You advanced exactly as your previous matches suggested you would."
It wasn't mockery and that made it worse.
Professor Hawthorne had already come down and clapped at his students' win, the onlookers embarrassed by what they had said also clapped.
Roland walked towards Cassian who was talking to some other juniors now, "Cassian, since you won welcome to The Tactical War Table Club."
He forward his hand with a smile, Cassian shook it. He didn't want to get on the bad side of Roland at all, he was someone important for the future and it was the reason he played it safe in a way it wouldn't feel mocking to him.
***
As the hall emptied, Professor Hawthorne approached Cassian.
"You could have crushed him entirely."
"Yes." Cassian replied.
"Why didn't you?"
Cassian watched the war table deactivate, the miniature armies dissolving into light.
"Total humiliation creates enemies. And measured defeat creates doubt. I didn't want either of those."
The professor was quiet and studied him.
"You predicted his third turn before he made it." Professor Hawthorne said and patted Cassian's back but his expression did not change.
"I studied." He replied with a slight shrug.
The professor's eyes lingered a moment longer than necessary, he deduced that this was not first-year thinking and surely this was not instinct or luck, rather it was experience,
Experience that was carved by repetition and that was earned by watching the same mistake play out again and again.
Cassian bowed lightly.
"Professor, I need to head to the Sword and Aura Discipline Circle next, maybe we can continue later at the Audit Office?."
"Ah, yes. Go now, you don't want to be late, Rolad will definitely test you himself." Hawthorne replied.
Cassian and Professor Hawthorne went their separate ways, but the latter did not go to a classroom, he told his assistant that he would be going to the Headmaster's office and that he should take over for the class.
He needed to tell the Headmaster about Cassian, students like him are rare and to an academy which is the oldest and has its own secrets, a student like him is a blessing.
Hawthorne opened the door to the Headmaster's office, it was almost as big as The Grand Strategy Hall he was just in.
In the far end of the office was a huge oak wood table lined with documents, a sword lay against it while a mage staff was on top of it, behind it was a chair, its back facing Hawthorne.
"Headmaster, I've come to report a student, probably a special student." Hawthorne said and waited for the reply.
"Go ahead."
***
[Chapter 7 - Tactical War Table(2)]