Chapter 00183: Pocket Encounter (2)
# Pocket Encounter (2)
Chapter 183
Novel: AFK Game: Portal to Another World
Chapter 183: Pocket Encounter (2)
Demon Lord Calendar, Year 648.
Late June, in the morning.
On a hillside about five kilometers from Count Fran, a troop of two hundred cavalry was leisurely meandering.
Compared to Count Fran's desolate state, they appeared much happier.
Many held cheese given by a nearby farmstead, and they even had the leisure to complain about the increasingly heavy rain.
But surprisingly, the general leading them was a young man not yet twenty years old.
Dressed in a suit of bright silver armor that complemented his tall stature, he looked majestic just by standing there.
His sword-like brows and star-like eyes made him appear even more handsome and dashing.
His name was Isaac, the grandson of the Tiger of the Kingdom.
At a young age, he was already skilled in archery and horsemanship, with outstanding martial arts.
He had followed his grandfather since childhood, familiarizing himself with military strategy.
At thirteen, he had already followed his grandfather onto the battlefield, and at fifteen, he even joined the vanguard force to lead charges.
Although he was still a bit green now, with time, he was bound to become a Tiger General.
"Report, Count Fran's troops are five kilometers away from our position, currently looping around to the west side of the Spine of the World Mountains."
"The west side? Oh, he must be looking for a weak point in our encirclement."
The west side was where the main camp of the Subia Demon Kingdom Army was located.
Heading in that direction was tantamount to surrendering.
Based on Count Fran's personality, it was more likely he was looking for an opening to break through.
But unfortunately for him, Isaac had already anticipated this.
He took out a waterproof map made of whale skin from his bosom, glanced at it, and said:
"Have the Third Squad harry them from the flank. There's no need to catch up to them. Our encirclement is about to close."
The herald relayed Isaac's order to the army's accompanying mage, who then acted as a radio to notify the other squads nearby.
In the beginning, the Subia Demon Kingdom hadn't really taken Count Fran seriously.
If he had obediently stayed put in Half-Moon Fortress, they wouldn't have moved against him, at least not before capturing Sailing Harbor.
Count Fran would have had ample time to consider whether to surrender.
But he didn't know what was good for him and came to harass the logistical supply lines of the Subia Demon Kingdom Army.
Although the damage caused was negligible, it felt like a toad jumping on one's foot—it doesn't bite, but it's disgusting.
So, the Tiger of the Kingdom had sent his grandson to resolve this matter, perhaps with the intention of giving Isaac some training.
Isaac did possess military talent, and this wasn't just reflected in his personal martial prowess.
But he was young, after all, and possessed some of the inherent flaws of youth, such as being impulsive, eager for grand achievements, and not always thinking things through thoroughly.
Although he was still that tiger, the Tiger of the Kingdom had truly grown old.
He had to raise the next generation before he entered the grave.
Encircling and suppressing Count Fran was a good training opportunity.
However, although the Tiger of the Kingdom acknowledged his grandson's military talent, he still laid out a detailed and meticulous plan for him.
Every time Isaac opened the map and saw the dense annotations his grandfather had left, he felt that he was indeed far too lacking.
It was hard to believe such a meticulous plan was something made in his grandfather's spare time.
And Count Fran's military talent was clearly no match for his administrative abilities.
Even a plan made by the Tiger of the Kingdom in his spare time was something he couldn't see through at all, and he had walked right into it like a foolish sheep.
"General, what do we do after we capture Count Fran?"
"I know, you all don't want to go back so soon. Don't worry, I've already thought it through."
Isaac put away the map:
"We'll take Count Fran to Half-moon Fortress. I believe the beloved Count will surely become our key to entering the fortress."
The cavalrymen beside Isaac grew excited upon hearing this.
They had been part of the siege on Sailing Harbor for almost three months, and the soldiers could barely remember the taste of wine.
Once Half-moon Fortress was taken, they could finally relax properly.
"But General, this heavy rain doesn't seem normal. According to the nearby commoners, it doesn't rain this heavily even during the rainy season."
"It's just a bit of rain. As soldiers of the kingdom, how can we be scared off by a little rain?"
Isaac didn't think much of it, but the cavalryman who had just reminded him seemed lost in thought.
Before they came, the old general had specially instructed him to have Isaac return immediately if they encountered anything strange.
But on second thought, it was just raining a little harder than usual.
That probably didn't count as anything strange, right?
–‐‐——–‐‐——
On the other side—
Lord Fran unfastened his arm armor, gritted his teeth, and pulled out an arrow that had pierced his arm through a gap in his armor.
Blood gushed out, mixing with the rainwater.
A cavalryman under his command poured medicinal powder on the wound, but it was quickly washed into a sticky mess by the rain.
They had just encountered the Subia Demon Kingdom's cavalry not long ago.
The thick curtain of rain obscured their vision, and Count Fran didn't know how many men the enemy had.
But he knew clearly that if they stayed in one place for too long, more and more reinforcements would arrive.
At that point, he wouldn't be able to escape even if he grew wings.
So he led his men in a fighting retreat, using the increasingly heavy downpour to successfully shake off the enemy.
"No, it wasn't that we shook them off. It's that they didn't pursue."
After hastily wrapping his wound, Count Fran finally realized this.
Cavalry has high mobility.
Even if pursued by another cavalry unit, it's very difficult to truly pin them down, especially since there was no absolute advantage in numbers.
The terrain at the southern foot of the Spine of the World Mountains was complex, and the heavy rain was now obscuring vision.
If the horses were to run about randomly, accidents could easily happen.
That was why the enemy hadn't pursued with all their might.
But Count Fran didn't think the enemy intended to let him go.
He realized he was being herded, guided to a certain place—a place suitable for an encirclement, one that could both prevent his escape and allow the enemy cavalry to be effective.
The enemy's goal was not to eliminate this cavalry unit harassing their supply lines, but...
Me!
Belatedly, Count Fran got up and mounted his horse, his eyes wide as he surveyed his surroundings.
This area was a shallow part of the Solhan River.
Because the enemy had built a dam on the river channel to block the connection between Half-Moon Fortress and Sailing Harbor, the water level of the Solhan River had dropped.
The summer water level was now about the same as in the dry season of winter.
At this moment, Count Fran was situated on the foreshore exposed by the receding water, with the Spine of the World Mountains at his back and rolling hills to his east and west.
This was a perfect pocket!
"All troops, mount up! This place isn't safe!"
—-Wuuu!
The loud sound of a horn echoed through the valley.
Count Fran turned to look.
Amidst the watery mist brought by the downpour, dark-clad cavalrymen, like visitors from hell, broke through the fog and charged toward them.
It was too late to turn around and launch a counter-charge.
A warhorse isn't a car; its acceleration isn't that fast.
It needs a long distance to build up to a charging speed.
Moreover, in the watery mist, it was impossible to see just how many of them there were.
Count Fran's first reaction was to lead his men and run, but the words died in his throat.
Run?
Where to?
My beloved nation no longer exists.
Even if I return to Half-Moon Fortress, how long can I hold out?
The flame in his heart had almost been extinguished, leaving only a pile of faintly glowing embers.
But this handful of embers could still be enough to burn the invaders' hands!
(End of this chapter)