Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Battle of Hatin Forest (2)
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Colonel Charles and his knights had realized they were caught in a trap, and deep down, they were thinking the same desperate thought.
'Fuck, screw everything else—just give the order to retreat! Hell, even a regroup would do!'
But Brigadier General Pontfoudre, who commanded the Franco Republic's 10,000 troops, watched the battlefield without issuing a retreat order... no, he simply couldn't.
The reason was that, unlike the view from Colonel Charles's position, the general's distant vantage point showed the enemy right wing taking some damage from the mounted archers, but still...
it looked like they could deliver a meaningful blow to the Reich Empire's right flank.
'We'll have to sacrifice Colonel Charles and his knights, but the Reich bastards' right wing won't emerge unscathed after clashing with 400 knights. If we strike at that moment...'
Then, victory for the Franco Republic's overwhelming numerical superiority would be as plain as day.
In this state of complete misalignment between the two commanders' thoughts, hundreds of arrows and spells from the Reich Empire's forces surged toward the left flank of the 400 knights led by Colonel Charles.
As a result, the knights—who had been charging proudly in their gleaming silver armor, shrugging off the mounted archers' arrows just seconds ago—came to a grinding halt.
"Fuck, fuck!! Save me, Mom!!"
"This is hell. I'm done for. Fighting for a deposed nation, dying like a dog worse than a mutt—I'll end up in hell for sure."
"My body! My body's burning, burning hot! Water, water!"
Even though their wedge formation had shattered, the Reich Empire's mages and crossbowmen unleashed as many arrows and spells as possible to kill even one more enemy.
The arrows and magic raining down like a storm rapidly thinned the ranks of the Franco knights.
One might expect the Reich Empire's infantry to now step up to the front line, but defying expectations, 300 knights led by Lieutenant Colonel Werner burst forth from the left side of the imperial right wing.
Gripping his lance tightly, the lieutenant colonel bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"You filthy scum who plunder the innocent serfs of the Reich Empire, leaving them homeless in the streets, serving the deposed scum of your nation! Trample their horses underfoot, skewer those bastards like kebabs on your lances!"
With that, the Empire's 300 knights plunged fiercely into the right flank of the Republican knights.
The enemy knights struck by the warhorses' tremendous momentum and weight were flung into the air, pinned to the ground with grievous injuries that left them unable to rise, or killed instantly by the impact of falling.
Those pierced by lances avoided instant death or penetration thanks to their armor, but they were hurled toward the comrades mounted beside them.
The flung knights mostly survived, cushioned by their comrades, but those crushed beneath them died on impact or were left paralyzed from the waist down.
"The Franco knights are tough as nails! Using their own comrades as meat shields just to survive—truly paragons of knighthood!"
In normal circumstances, the Reich Empire's knights would disengage in such situations, draw secondary weapons like swords or maces, and charge again.
But per Brigadier General Jaeger's orders, they had all withdrawn, rearmed, and were on standby when one of the brigade's staff officers approached.
"Brigadier General, this is our chance to annihilate the Franco Republic's 400 knights. Send the right wing's infantry in now to capture or kill them all."
The brigadier general agreed with the intent but, given the fluid battlefield where enemies could strike anywhere at any time...
and considering these were the Franco Republic's best-equipped and most combat-effective troops, pushed to the brink of annihilation but not quite there...
engaging them with infantry could drag out the fight, even if it didn't result in heavy imperial losses.
Moreover, the Franco commander might later lead his remaining infantry in a full frontal assault.
He judged it premature to expend infantry now.
"They're as good as annihilated already. Signal the mounted archers and knights to fall back temporarily for resupply of arrows and lances. And send the reserve crossbow bolts to the right wing."
The staff officer repeated the order and instructed some soldiers from the central brigade.
"Signal the mounted archers and knights with flags, trumpets, and drums to resupply arrows and lances and stand by. Lieutenant Humphrey, have your platoon deliver three carts of arrows to the right wing's crossbow battalion!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Hurry—every minute counts. We don't know from which direction the enemy will charge next."
With that, the mounted archers and knights swiftly returned to the central headquarters, where the central troops handed them salted water.
"Too bad we couldn't finish off those damned bastards completely, huh?"
"Still, we barely lost anyone. Any wounded?"
"Combined mounted archers and knights: four serious injuries. Couldn't even count how many enemy knights we killed."
Brigadier General Jaeger listened closely, and though he kept a straight face amid the battle...
he clenched his fist in quiet joy at the unexpectedly low casualties.
'If possible, if the Franco bastards attack our left or right flank again, we could repel them with the same tactic. But that's unlikely.'
Thus, Colonel Charles of the Franco Republic retreated with barely 150 knights left, while Brigadier General Pontfoudre racked his brains before issuing an order.
"Dismount the able-bodied knights under Colonel Charles. Put them at the front and charge one infantry regiment into the enemy's left flank! If the attack gains ground, the whole army advances together and smashes their brigade!"
His adjutant relayed the command.
"Understood! All able knights under Colonel Charles—dismount and lead the infantry regiment's vanguard in close combat! This time, we'll crush those 4,000 piglets!"
The knights, hearing this, sighed in resignation as they dismounted.
At that moment, commotion erupted from various points in the Franco Republic army's lines.
"Fuck, mounted barbarian scum incoming!"
"Save me..."
"Agh!"
Toward the Franco soldiers, who never dreamed the Reich Empire's outnumbered mounted archers would pursue them into their own lines for a preemptive strike...
the archers circled relentlessly, firing arrows all the while. Officers, before their commander's orders arrived, barked the best instructions they could.
"Archers and crossbowmen—return fire in the direction they're coming from! Just shoot if you can!"
"Don't stand there like idiots—raise your shields! We're not clashing directly, so it's fine!"
"If you want to live, stay in formation no matter what. Step out and you're dead!!"
But some soldiers, unable to bear the terror of the archers freely controlling distance and speed while raining arrows, bolted out in panic.
Those fools were swiftly cut down by the mounted archers.
"Reich Empire, you dog-shit vermin!"
"Fight fair and square. Shooting arrows from horseback—what kind of bullshit is that?"
Others began muttering with utterly defeated expressions.
"Deus has abandoned our Franco Republic. How else could the Empire have barbarians riding horses and shooting arrows?"
Hearing this, Brigadier General Pontfoudre drew his sword and cleaved a defeatist soldier in two.
"Brave soldiers of the Franco Republic, we will never lose! We will triumph and prove that those scum blinded His Holiness the Pope! No more cowardly nonsense! Archers, crossbowmen, mages—shoot at whatever paths they take, kill them any way you can!"
Under Pontfoudre's command, the Franco Republic forces gradually regained composure.
Just as they were forming up for a counterattack, Major Anastasia, commanding the mounted archers, gave the order.
"No more greed—pull back! Hesitate and you'll end up like the Turner tribe's mounted archers, shot by the brigadier general himself! We'll play with them plenty later—head back now!"
At her word, the mounted archers wheeled sharply, wreaked one final bout of havoc on the Franco headquarters and camp, then fled.
Unable to tolerate this any longer, Pontfoudre roared his command.
"The entire army—advance! Kill those damned Reich Empire bastards! Full advance! Crush them with our overwhelming 10,000!"