Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Jungfrau Plains Battle (10)
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Meanwhile, Major General Peter Jaeger, leading the Reich Empire's 7th Division, refused to let his guard down despite the optimistic outlook for victory.
He couldn't shake the suspicion that the Switchland forces, facing such ideal terrain for an ambush that could turn the tide, hadn't used any hidden troops yet.
'Count Tissino is probably holding back his ambush for one last desperate gamble. But when the hell is he going to spring it?'
From the current battlefield situation alone, anyone could see that Major General Jaeger held the advantage, but the uncertainty of when the enemy ambush might strike left him deeply uneasy.
That's why, in any other circumstance, he would have issued even more aggressive attack orders, but now he was exercising maximum restraint.
"Division commander, sir! Just as you predicted, Switchland soldiers are creeping in from the forest on the right. We can't pinpoint the exact numbers, but we're estimating around 1,000 to 1,200."
In a normal situation, the division commander would clutch his neck upon hearing of an ambush, while the staff officers panicked in confusion.
But for an army that had thoroughly prepared and was lying in wait, the enemy ambush appearing right where expected was a tremendous stroke of luck.
Major General Jaeger let out a triumphant cheer the moment he heard the report.
"Perfect! Right now... no, wait. Send word to the mages to prepare fireballs. Once the enemy unit is about halfway out of the forest, hit them with a volley and counterattack."
The staff officers sprang into action, relaying the division commander's orders to the units and preparing for a flawless response.
However, since no prior notice had been given to the rank-and-file soldiers and junior officers for security reasons, the sudden orders sent shockwaves through the Reich Empire troops.
It was understandable—they had fought tooth and nail in the infantry clash and nearly seized victory, thinking they just needed to push a little harder.
Now, suddenly facing enemies from both the front and right flank, panic set in. Were they trapped in an enemy snare? Was defeat imminent?
"Damn it, did Major General Jaeger get duped by those mountain bandit bastards?"
"Ah, to go down like this! If I'd known, I'd have slept with Laura before coming! Shouldn't have spouted that nonsense about cherishing you until the wedding during leave."
"We can't just sit here and die! If it's come to this, I'll take at least one more bastard with me to the afterlife!"
The soldiers split into two camps: those despairing over the enemy's surprise attack and those resolved to fight to the death no matter what.
"Calm down, calm down! Our division commander would never lose this easily! He'll have a plan to get us out of this soon!"
"Anyone undermining morale will be executed by Second Lieutenant Checker Schmidt under military law!"
"Don't fear—fight to the end! Hold the formation! Maintain formation until orders come!"
The junior officers had learned at the academy that in such crises, soldiers' survival rates soared by blindly following orders from battalion commanders, regimental commanders, or division commanders.
Even as their own minds raced with thoughts like, Am I gonna die here too? Should've hit a brothel and lost my virginity first,
they feigned composure and did their utmost to steady the troops.
Meanwhile, the Switchland soldiers charging from the right abandoned proper formation to maximize shock, leveraging their surprise attack, and madly rushed the Empire's right flank.
Their spear tips aimed straight for vital spots, faces twisted with hatred, hostility, and rage toward the enemy.
"Kill every last one—no mercy!"
"Long live free Switchland! Switchland forever!"
"Not a single Empire pig will leave our beautiful homeland alive!"
Leading the charge was Baron Ragno himself, fighting at the forefront as per Switchland tradition for a noble and valiant warrior.
His presence skyrocketed the ambush unit's morale to the heavens.
The Reich Empire soldiers, stunned by the sudden appearance of these high-spirited foes, plunged into despair, shock, and terror.
Then, the prearranged signal—three flaming arrows and the division commander's banner—went up.
Suddenly, the Empire's field-grade officers and above burst into laughter as if witnessing a hilarious farce, shouting in unison.
"Those idiots stepped right into the major general's trap! They're as good as dead!"
"Bittenheim Battalion, accelerate and advance! The enemy is faltering—seize the moment. Not one escapes alive!"
"The two soldiers in our battalion who take the most enemy heads? I'll personally ensure they get honorable discharges after the war! Fight like you're already dead!"
Normally, facing a surprise attack calls for hunkering down to bolster defenses and minimize losses.
But charging headlong into the ambushing troops exposes your flanks completely—it's one of the worst possible choices.
The Switchland soldiers were thrilled at the "stupid Reich idiots" making such a foolish error.
But starting with Baron Ragno, the more battle-hardened commanders instinctively sensed something ominous.
"You mad bastards, halt the charge! Slow down and form a square!"
"We don't know where the counterattack's coming from, you fucks!"
"Shit, what's pouring down from where?!"
Baron Ragno and the Switchland commanders signaled their troops to calm down, but their situation could be summed up as:
'When you think it's too late, that's when it's really too late.'
True to those words, Major General Jaeger had already scattered oil-soaked leaves—highly flammable—around the forest entrance where they were emerging.
The Empire mages unleashed their fireballs exactly as planned, when about half the 1,000-strong ambush unit had exited the woods.
The fireballs ignited the oiled leaves, which instantly spread to the dry grass and foliage on the ground.
The blaze rapidly consumed trees and underbrush near the entrance, forcing half the Switchland ambush unit to burn or flee immediately.
"Fuck, it's hot! Save me! Aaaagh!"
"Mom! Mom! I can't see—can't breathe..."
"Water, water! Someone get water! Came to fight and now burning alive. Ah, hot!"
Thus, half the soldiers trailing the baron were cut off from the main ambush unit by the flames and scattered.
The remaining Switchland troops tried forming a defensive square to survive,
but the Empire's reserve infantry, waiting in the rear, surged toward them like a tidal wave.
"Cowardly bastards hiding in the woods for a sneak attack—kill 'em! Not one lives!"
"Scared us good? We'll send you off easy!"
"Life's been tough? Die and find peace!"
The Switchland infantry trembled at the onrushing foe, their blazing ambush morale crashing to the dirt.
Major General Jaeger now felt certain of total victory, while Count Tissino realized his best efforts had ended in defeat.
To minimize further losses, the count hurriedly ordered,
"Retreat! Retreat! Any more fighting just piles up pointless sacrifices!"
Choosing to end the futile battle was wise, but Major General Jaeger had no intention of forgoing the easiest fight in war: pursuit.
"Send the knights and horse archers out again—smash their front and pin their feet! Urge the infantry forward!"
On his command, the horse archers and knights, fully re-equipped, charged from the rear at the Switchland vanguard.
Behind them, Empire infantry relentlessly pursued.
"Scatter! Scatter, you morons! Don't wanna die? Scatter!"
"S-spare me! You invaded us!"
"Surrender! I'll surrender—just spare me!"
Switchland soldiers surrendering to the pursuing infantry became POWs; those who missed the chance were slaughtered without proper resistance.
Finally, the horse archers and knights hammered the heads of the fleeing 9,000 Switchlanders head-on, slowing them and maximizing casualties.
The battle ended in a crushing Reich Empire victory.
Empire losses: out of ~8,000 in one division, 200 dead, 400 wounded.
Switchland Republican Army: out of ~9,000, 1,500 dead, 2,000 wounded, 1,000 captured.
Despite securing victory at an enormous exchange ratio, Major General Peter Jaeger, who planned and commanded the battle, couldn't simply rejoice.
"We won the battle... but how the hell do we rescue His Highness the Crown Prince...?"