Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Counter to the Ambush (2)
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When facing off against armies from other empires or republics, it's usually the case that if a division commander like me steps right up to the front lines, our troops' morale shoots up while the enemy's takes a nosedive.
That's because the vast majority of soldiers in those empires or republics are just like Korean conscripts—guys who can't wait to finish their service, head home, grope their wives or fiancées' breasts, and get back to plowing the fields.
No soldier wants to fight against troops whose high-ranking officers are leading from the front. Whether consciously or subconsciously, they shy away from it.
And that makes sense. Whether it's the Empire or the Republic, most regular soldiers are serfs at best, or middle-class citizens if they're lucky.
For them, if their country falls, all that changes is who they pay taxes to—their daily lives stay pretty much the same...
So dying to defend the nation just means you and your family suffer for nothing, like a dog's death.
But Switchland is different. They don't have a serf system, so their citizens have incredibly strong loyalty and pride in their nation.
Even these ordinary farmers they drag into service have morale that rivals any elite unit.
Despite getting ambushed and being thrown into chaos just because I, their division commander, stepped forward, our troops' morale was still rising.
But the enemy wasn't scared at all. Instead, they hurled taunts and unhesitatingly aimed their weapons at me and my knights.
"Hey, no cowards here who get spooked just 'cause the enemy division commander showed up, right?"
"If we lose this war, we'll end up as serfs getting mocked every damn day. That's scarier than death."
"If we retreat from here, our families' lives will turn into pure hell! Fight to the death!"
And the important thing right now is that these guys are our enemies.
"Die, you filthy invading scum!"
Shouting that, one of them swung a halberd—the signature weapon of Switchland—aiming to smash my head. I dodged it.
Then I thrust my half-sword into the gap between an attacking infantryman's helmet and neck, killing him instantly.
At that moment, our rear infantry had managed to somewhat reorganize. The pikemen were advancing slowly in a proper phalanx formation.
"While we were dazed from the ambush, the division commander bought us time! Now it's our turn!"
"Long live the Reich Empire! Long live the 7th Division! Long live the division commander!"
"Kill every last one of those Switchland mountain bandits! Slaughter them all without mercy!"
I'd been thinking it wouldn't be easy to buy time up front with just these few knights, and was considering pulling back.
But right on cue, reinforcements arrived. I felt grateful and relieved.
If we successfully repel this ambush today, I should commend the officers.
Meanwhile, arrows whistled through the air from the rear, flying toward the Switchland bandits hiding in the forest.
"Shit, shit! Arrows! Incoming arrows!"
"Damn it, they're already snapping out of it."
"Might as well loot 'em good before we bail? Or just run?"
The Switchland soldiers didn't lose their cool or panic under arrow fire. They endured just like in every battlefield they'd experienced before.
Watching that, I couldn't help but think it would be great if our Reich Empire troops could stay that calm and composed in a situation like this.
But that's beside the point. Right now, my job is to kill as many of these Switchland bastards in front of me as possible.
"Pikemen, push back the enemy! Keep formation and stab them dead! Crossbowmen and archers, keep firing into the rear of their ambush unit! Attack with the resolve to let not a single one escape."
At my command, the pikemen began thrusting and shoving back the Switchland infantry.
From beyond the forest, groans of soldiers dying from arrows started to echo.
Plus, no trumpets or request-for-reinforcements flags were rising from anywhere else except where I was fighting.
So the enemy's attack seemed limited to this spot under my command.
Analyzing the situation, we held the advantage over the ambushing enemy.
And do soldiers sense this shift first?
The infantry let out cheers and started pressing the attack aggressively.
"Kill the Switchland hicks! Cowards who ambush at dawn like trash!"
"Don't forget the grudge of marching in full kit because of those bastards!"
"Frontline pikemen, watch your insteps and shins! These Switchland roaches will crawl up and stab with daggers."
Step by step, our soldiers advanced, killing Switchland bandits and piling on the pressure.
Right on time, a loud trumpet blast rang out from the Switchland side.
"Shit, we gotta kill all these damn Reich Empire pigs."
"Retreat, retreat! Tch, damn it."
"Consider yourselves lucky, you greenhorn brats! Deus gave you a chance to suck Mommy's tits a bit longer."
With that, they grabbed their pikes and bolted into the forest.
It's natural for an ambush to fail and then run, but seeing them scamper off so quickly right in front of me was almost comical.
Militarily speaking, slipping away fast is way better than stubbornly holding out.
Meanwhile, my officers and men, remembering how they'd marched in full gear because of these jerks, were pissed beyond belief.
Fuming, they gripped their pikes and charged forward, ready to pursue.
"That bastard twisted my back marching in full kit!"
"Shit, dragged out in my twilight years is bad enough, but full gear?! Me, marching in full armor!"
"Kill every one who ruined Sergeant Otto's retirement!"
As our pursuing infantry cut down a good number of Switchland troops, the tide fully turned—we were driving them back completely.
As a commander, I naturally wanted to exploit this to crush their morale and numbers as much as possible.
And considering most war deaths happen not in solid formations but during pursuits when lines break, we should chase now without hesitation.
But instead of that tempting option, I issued a more conservative, safer order—regrettable as it was.
"Orders to all units: Halt the pursuit and return to positions. Anyone who continues pursuing will face military justice."
We were the ambushed, not the ambushers, so we couldn't gauge their full numbers or any traps they might have waiting.
And unlike these Switchland locals who know the terrain, charging in blindly could easily lead to us getting ambushed in turn.
Better to avoid the risk and take satisfaction in repelling their operation intact.
"Cease all arrow fire. All troops, hold your positions firmly. No one moves, even if the enemy shows an opening, until the division commander orders it."
At my command, the signalers and trumpeters relayed the order to maintain formation across the division.
The infantry, who had chased right up to the forest edge, turned around and headed back to their units.
"Hah, shoulda killed 'em all."
"Still, they took more losses than us."
"Bet they came in grinning like idiots for the ambush. Now they're dying in agony."
Even after all units returned, we stayed on alert for about an hour. Meanwhile, we sent scouts to sweep the forests where Switchland soldiers might be hiding.
Since we found no hidden enemies then, I ordered the division to stand down.
We kept watch with sentries for another half day, but no sign of the enemy appeared.
"All units, recover friendly and enemy dead. Identify only the enemy officers, then dump the rest in pits. Bury our dead with respect. Then take the rest of the day to rest."
That was the cleanup order.
The tally from today's ambush defense came out like this.
Our side: 60 dead, 90 wounded.
Enemy: 140 dead, wounded uncountable.
Reading the report, I muttered to myself.
"If we'd chased into the woods, we would've been slaughtered horribly. Damn mountain bandit scum."