Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Feigned Defeat, Crushing Victory
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The first to clash were the 10,000 men of the Kingdom Army's right wing under Bevis's command and the 7,000 troops of the Imperial Army's left wing led by Victor.
Once they closed to within sight of each other, they stood off for a moment, spears leveled in a tense standoff.
"Attack!"
With that order from Bevis relayed, the Kingdom Army launched their assault, igniting the full battle.
"Waaaaah!"
The roar of tens of thousands of able-bodied men shook the earth.
"Attack! Press the attack!"
Including reserves and cavalry from the rear, their forces numbered double that of the enemy, so the Kingdom Army spread their formation wide and shoved hard against the Imperial left wing with unstoppable momentum.
It wasn't a perfectly controlled offensive, but with numbers so overwhelming, it was as if strategy and tactics were unnecessary.
"Target their flanks!"
"Charge!"
The Kingdom Army pressed wave after relentless wave, suffering hundreds of casualties yet advancing. Less than thirty minutes after spears locked, the Imperial left began to yield ground bit by bit.
"Fall back! There are too many of them!"
The company commanders at the front of the 1st Provisional Legion bellowed the retreat,
and
"The enemy is fleeing! After them!"
The Kingdom Army surged forward with gusto toward the Imperials retreating step by step.
Some companies in the Imperial rear had even turned tail and bolted outright.
To the Kingdom Army's eyes, the Imperial left wing's formation looked on the verge of total collapse.
"We've got them! Kill them all!"
"Waaaaah!"
Buoyed by sky-high morale, the Kingdom troops charged headlong at the remaining Imperials who still held their spears firm and retreated in good order.
"The enemy is falling back! Their formation has already crumbled, and our troops are in hot pursuit!"
"...Too fast."
A moment later.
Bevis, hearing this from a messenger, sensed something off about how quickly the Imperials were crumbling.
"Halt and reform the... Hah."
He started to issue orders to slow the right wing's advance,
but
"..."
Seeing the messenger's flushed, excited face awaiting orders in the thrill of victory, he lowered his raised hand and pondered again.
Knowing the Imperials' strength, Bevis wanted to reorganize and strike systematically, but halting troops already carried away by momentum wasn't something a few messengers could achieve.
Besides, with him holding 2,000 reserves in the rear for contingencies, it was hard to grasp the full battlefield situation right now—issuing a halt order rashly felt risky.
Morale could plummet if they thought victory was at hand.
And if the Imperial left really had collapsed, stopping would just give the enemy time to recover.
"Viscount Delong. Any scout reports?"
"None on enemy spotted, sir."
"...Good! Relay to Sir Jean Parado: The cavalry will advance into the woods on our right flank, alert for ambushes, and hit the enemy left from the side!"
"Understood!"
Instead, Bevis committed the 2,000 cavalry waiting in the rear to double down on the offensive.
"...This push is our last chance."
Once the messenger departed, Bevis steeled himself and stepped out of the tent.
"I'm advancing! Follow me!"
"Yes, sir!"
He led the reserves forward to support the right wing.
Jean Parado, receiving Bevis's orders, took heed of the ambush warning and
"Sir Francois Philippe, you take point."
"Understood."
sent about 400 cavalry ahead as a vanguard to draw out any hidden foes.
Francois Philippe, renowned for his valor, accepted the dangerous role without hesitation.
"They're all past. Our turn!"
Confirming no attacks as Francois's vanguard passed the likely ambush points, Jean led the cavalry into the woods,
and
"Waaaaah!"
"Wh-what?!"
were ambushed by the Imperial 10th Legion's cavalry regiment, who—per Victor's orders—ignored the vanguard and lay in wait.
"Fall back!"
Jean ordered a hasty retreat, but the Kingdom cavalry, sideswiped by medium cavalry mid-march, took heavy losses.
"Urk!"
"Baron Parado!"
In the chaos, commander Jean was unhorsed by Imperial strikes, and the Kingdom right wing cavalry—leaderless—shattered in moments.
The 10th Legion cavalry, having routed the enemy with minimal losses, left a token force to pursue and, per Victor's next orders, swung toward the Kingdom right wing's flank.
"We have to help our comrades! Move, now!"
Francois, realizing the disaster and wheeling back, rallied the remnants—but barely 500 riders total.
Determined to fulfill his duty to the end, Francois probed the Imperial left, but the "retreating" Imperial spearmen formed square formations at key points, blunting his attacks.
With mobility hampered, Francois's cavalry weakened under fire from pursuing Imperial horsemen and archers,
and deeming retreat impossible,
"...Follow me! For the glory of Brothan Kingdom!"
he led a final charge and perished.
"The enemy is weak! Victory is near!"
Unaware, the Kingdom right wing pressed on relentlessly, most troops now deep in Imperial lines.
Fixated on the Imperial left—which smartly retreated and reformed by companies—they were caught off-guard when
"Enemy resistance is fierce!"
"Push harder! What can retreating rabble do even reformed?!"
the Imperial left formed a perfect defensive line,
"Imperials! Coming from the left!"
"Cavalry, cavalry! Enemy horse charging from the right flank!"
hit by the 10th Legion cavalry charge and 5,000 supports from the Imperial center.
"Baron Jean Parado fell to the enemy cavalry ambush!"
"Gerhard's forces are hitting us from the left!"
"Our numbers still hold! Reserves will handle the right-flank horse—troops, form up and defend front and left!"
Bevis commanded desperately amid pale-faced messengers, but the battle had passed the point where signals or runners could turn the tide.
"Gahk..."
"Archers! Shields u—argh!"
Precise arrow volleys rained on Kingdom troops bunching to respond,
"Argh!"
"S-save me!"
"They're coming, co-coming!"
Imperial cavalry broke the flank in 200-man groups, butchering the panicked Kingdom forces.
"Too many enemies...!"
"Run!"
"Stay together! Scatter and you're dead... Aack!"
Imperials ignored fleeing backs, focusing fire on resisters to shatter the Kingdom Army utterly.
Even as the Imperial left maneuvered by companies for small encirclements, Kingdom right-wing losses snowballed uncontrollably.
"Drop your weapons and surrender!"
Conscripts ultimately flung down arms in terror or knelt at Imperial urging.
"Let's go! We have to save them!"
"Enemy horse coming this way!"
"Enemies from the rear too!"
"Ah..."
Bevis's reserves, rushing to aid, faced all-around Imperial cavalry charges and disintegrated instantly.
All-infantry reserves couldn't withstand the repeated, flesh-rending assaults.
"What... what is this...?"
Bevis couldn't comprehend the horror.
Enemy cavalry units moved organically, carving up Kingdom formations, while the "collapsed" Imperial left reformed and counterattacked.
Archers zeroed in on dense spots, weakening squares instantly.
"How is this even possible...!"
Prior Imperials he'd fought were tough, but never this dominant against equal numbers.
"Milord! Right now...!"
-Boom!
"Gaaah!"
"Bevis Lefebvre! Surrender!"
"..."
Not hearing casualty reports but seeing spears aimed at him, Bevis knew.
This battle was a Kingdom defeat.
A utter, catastrophic rout.
-Thud.
"Robo! Escort this man to headquarters! We press on!"
"Yes, sir!"
Bevis submitted meekly to capture; the Imperial cavalry executed the next real-time orders.
"Our right wing collapsed! Enemy left advancing here!"
"What?! Immediately... "
"Enemy horse from the right!"
"...Damn."
Daniel Reno's center, battling Gerhard's center while shifting rightward, faced the fast-advancing Imperial left and cavalry.
"Your commander, Bevis Lefebvre, is captured! Surrender!"
"What?"
"The commander's taken? We... lost?"
"U-uh... They're coming! Enemies coming!"
News of even Bevis captured, plus flank attacks, tanked Kingdom morale.
Imperials methodically dismantled them without overextending.
"To Georges: Retreat!"
"Yes!"
Daniel ordered quick pullback for force preservation, but Imperial main assault prevented even that.
"Enemies! Urk...!"
"Run! Everyone run!"
Terrified Kingdom troops scattered wildly on the retreat order,
"Wh-what?! Our own are fleeing!"
and the Kingdom left—barely holding under Victor's Imperial right—crumbled as the center fell.
The Imperial 6,000 cavalry roamed the field, crushing scattered resistance.
Charles Becker's cavalry supporting the left got isolated and annihilated like the right's—spearmen, archers, horse in concert.
"The enemy flees! Pursue!"
Imperials pursued primarily with cavalry; Daniel escaped to Saint Touar with a handful.
A flawless Imperial victory.
That evening.
After five grueling hours of battle, Imperial officers gathered in Gerhard's tent to tally results.
"1st Provisional Legion: 268 dead, 920 wounded."
Vice commander and legion leader Victor reported casualties in a calm yet somber tone,
"8th Legion..."
"10th Legion..."
Final count: 937 Imperial dead, 2,881 wounded.
Losses mostly from initial infantry clashes; post-Kingdom right collapse, minimal.
"Brothan Kingdom Army casualties estimated at 8,000. Prisoners around 20,000."
"20,000 prisoners..."
Kingdom losses: over 5,000 dead, ~20,000 captured.
Not all fugitives recoverable, so ~5,000 Kingdom remnants expected.
Before elated officers could speak on crushing 35,000 foes at 3,500 cost,
"The battle isn't over. Colonel Friedrich likely faces far more enemies now. Our deception could unravel anytime."
"Mm."
Victor's face hardened coldly as he outlined next steps.
"Assign hardest-fighting troops to cleanup and POWs. Form support force from fresh reserves. Ready to march by morning."
"Agreed. Others?"
"I concur."
"Same here."
Unanimous this time; plan set swiftly.
"That's all."
Victor sat, awaiting Gerhard's orders, but
"...Seems there's more to say."
Gerhard eyed Victor silently instead of issuing commands.
Other officers gazed at Victor beside Gerhard with awe and envy.
"...?"
In the heavy air, 8th Legion 7th Infantry Regiment commander Carl Yeager suddenly stood and approached Victor.
"Vice commander!"
Grabbing Victor's hand,
"Truly, an incredible strategy and command!"
he exclaimed emotionally.
Murmuring officers rose one by one, applauding.
"Not a single straggler—all returned alive! Thanks to your command, General!"
"Feigned retreat to re-form and counter... Tactics no one else could match!"
Even skeptical 8th and 10th Legion officers hailed Victor, architect of this unprecedented triumph.
From strategy conception to details to clear, audible orders mid-battle.
No one doubted Victor now.
To their earnest praise, Victor blinked, then bowed lightly.
"The result of your leadership, command, and troops' efforts combined. We all fought for the Empire's victory..."
"Not wrong, but you were this battle's star. Isn't that right?"
Gerhard interjected to Victor's modest deflection.
"Yes!"
"Exactly!"
"...Mm."
Victor's stern face finally softened,
"...I'll check on the troops first."
"Haha... Very well."
hand to mouth, he hurried from the tent.
His lips twitched upward to the end.