Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6: Winged Hussar
Group training for the Winged Hussars occurred frequently. Jan III Sobieski wanted his army to be fully prepared for the war that was soon approaching.
Stanisław Jan Jabłonowski, Jan III's Grand Crown Hetman and effectively the current Commander-in-Chief of the Polish forces, crammed the training into the shortest time possible.
Last winter was the best training period. Jabłonowski wanted the recruits enlisted at that time to at least pull their own weight.
This was the final training before deployment. The last mock battle had failed to show their full power because, of all things, an illness had circulated within the camp.
"Begin!"
While the Hetman and various high-ranking commanders watched, the Polish army maneuvered.
The infantry ran diligently as trained, forming formations with orderly movements. Pikemen holding long pikes, axemen holding Bardiches, and musketeers holding muskets interlocked organically.
Of course, from the perspective of experienced commanders, there were too many sloppy points visible, but it was still decent enough. For infantry, that is.
Originally, infantry is the role of the anvil in the hammer and anvil tactic. They just needed to hold their positions. There was no need to climb mountains.
"No, this time they have to climb the fortress walls. What about the cannons?"
"...They are completed to some extent, but the quantity..."
Jabłonowski held his forehead at the report. He looked at their artillery standing far away. It seemed like he could see their expressions standing blankly even from a distance, asking when they would play an active part.
Sorry, but you guys can't play an active part in this training. Jabłonowski had given instructions like that.
Cannons and artillery are money. Right now, the Polish army had almost no money. There were not even shells and gunpowder to consume for large-scale training. That gunpowder had to be consumed entirely in the next battle.
Does this make sense?
Of course, it makes sense. Poland is not poor. Although it was collapsing, it was still a country with potential strength.
But the Sejm (Parliament) was making it poor. They did not allow support going into the army even more. The war budget bill was destined never to pass in the Sejm. Unless their nemesis, the Ottomans, reached right under their chins.
All this mess, ironically, stemmed from Jan III being a famous ruler and a famous commander. It was the Nobles' check against him. They didn't want Sobieski to establish a hereditary dynasty and become like the Piast or Jagiellon dynasties.
In fact, Jabłonowski himself couldn't escape from that original sin. Since he is also a member of the Nobility.
"Let's see the maneuver training of the Hussars."
Still, Jan III did not spare support for the Hussars at least. Since establishing legendary martial tales in Vienna, the Winged Hussars were the pride of Poland. Even the Sejm supported that much.
When the promised flag was waved, the waiting Winged Hussars came out.
—Waaaaah!
The infantry and the artillery standing blankly cheered. In fact, their training had nothing to see. As long as the circumstances of the high-ups were involved, they wouldn't shoot guns right now, nor would they fire cannons.
So the cavalry's maneuver training was a spectacular sight. Especially the training of those Winged Hussars.
"Watch the flag and move!"
"Form the formation, forward!"
The Lieutenants shouted.
Still, it wasn't as frustrating as before. Now the formation was set.
Considering they were recruits, they followed quite quickly.
It is the Winged Hussars where the best qualities of the Commonwealth gather. It had to be.
"Trot!"
With the command, the horses' feet were released.
To control the horses gaining speed, the Hussars slowly put strength into their lower bodies. It would be different if they were just riding horses, but in a state dangling with armor and all kinds of weapons, they really had to focus all their nerves. Especially holding the damn long cavalry Lance, even more so. It is fortunate that the unique wings of the Hussars were removed during training.
But if it was a Hussar with a little leeway, they could look around the surrounding scenery even now. The sight of numerous Banners holding their respective cavalry lances and moving forward on horseback was a grand spectacle.
If it looks so magnificent for a third party to watch, how would it be for the parties involved inside?
Bojan glanced to the side.
Jeong-hun, who was going side by side next to him at the lead, was no longer a burden. But how will it be from now on?
"Canter!"
As the riders kicked the reins, the horses gained speed. Even though they were wearing armor, their buttocks were bumping slightly.
"Lower lances!"
The cavalry lances, which looked like a bamboo forest pointing towards the sky, came down at once. There were no spearheads, but the shafts were the same.
The forest became a huge wall of spears. To those who dare to stand in front of this spear, it becomes a ruthless wave, and it will destroy whatever blocks the front.
But this maneuver practice wasn't the end. Another Winged Hussar Banner moving straight towards them was seen in the distance. By the time their armaments were clearly visible, the commander shouted.
"Gallop!"
With the sound of heavy hooves, the horses sprinted across the earth. Now they really had to devote all their attention to maintaining the formation. Enduring the wind, gaze fixed on the horse's head and the lance, enduring the shock received by the body every time the horse kicked the ground as much as possible while glaring at the opponent.
To prevent the spear tip from shaking, he clenched his hand firmly.
Originally, they would have gone straight. If those in front were enemies, they would trample them, pierce them, and pass through.
But now it is training. Those in front are allies, not enemies. So, as promised in advance, they decided to maneuver to their left just before facing each other. To pass by grazing each other.
"Lead to the left!"
At the commander's words, the lead formation rippled and moved to the left. For the formation to turn perfectly to the left, the left column must lower the speed a little, and the right column must increase the speed.
It was an appropriate command at an appropriate timing. At that time, Jeong-hun, who held the flag at the far right of the lead column, spurred his horse and shouted.
"Right side! A little faster!"
What?
Bojan looked at the Tatar giant with a stupid expression. He is looking forward. He never looked back even once.
But how did he know the situation behind? And why the hell is he acting up like this?
However, as even the commander looking at the other Winged Hussar Banner in front and the rear of the friendly formation shouted, Bojan felt something unusual.
"Right side, faster! Left side, reduce speed!"
Jeong-hun and Bojan's unit didn't do anything wrong. Considering the heavy movements of heavy cavalry, they have to start turning at this distance to pass by safely. The width of the formation was already wide. Only then did Bojan realize. The Hussars on the opposite side were the problem.
They also had to turn to the right. But those bastards hadn't even started turning yet. Furthermore, they were coming down from a slightly higher ground even if the slope was gentle. The speed was much faster than expected.
Bojan and Jeong-hun both realized. This was a battle of pride. Such a very childish quarrel that the one who turns first is a coward. If such a thing remained until modern times, it would have been inherited as something like a game of chicken. Such a childish battle of pride where the one who turns the steering wheel first while riding a car or motorcycle loses.
Between the same Winged Hussars? It was natural. The Royal Hussars and Noble Hussars had different 'Lords they served' in the first place.
Jeong-hun's unit turned a little faster and urgently thanks to the timely instruction. Fortunately, not a single person disturbed the flow.
Rather than that, those bastards had to turn too. Right now! Jeong-hun's body was pulled tight. He drew his Koncerz.
Then he leaned his body back tightly and—
—Threw it with all his might!
"This crazy...!"
With a piercing sound, the Koncerz flew like a ray of light. The Koncerz was a cavalry sword for thrusting. It was long and heavy. It wasn't something that could be thrown like a javelin.
It didn't fly incredibly far. But it fell at an appropriate spot.
The Hussar on the opposite side opened his eyes wide and looked at the Koncerz flying near him. Only then did he accept the warning. And then he turned quickly and sharply like Jeong-hun's unit.
As a result, no collision occurred. The two units were able to pass by narrowly.
As promised.
The right column faced the opponent Winged Hussar Banner with a very slight gap. Just before contact, the two units raised all their lances. And as soon as they met, they touched the raised shafts to each other and shouted.
""Amor Patriae Nostra Lex (Love of the Fatherland is Our Law)!""
The sound of the hollowed-out shafts ringing was tremendous.
Seen from afar, it was a perfect maneuver, an artistic performance. Especially the two Winged Hussar Banners that maneuvered very close were truly impressive. Many commanders who exclaimed in admiration gave a standing ovation.
"Amazing!"
"Haha! Indeed, the pride of the Commonwealth, our Winged Hussars!"
But Jabłonowski and some commanders applauded roughly with awkward expressions. Perhaps the scene just now symbolizes this Poland right now.
"Reduce speed!"
The maneuver ended. Jeong-hun had already run to the commander.
"Did you see?"
Jeong-hun shouted and said to the commander. Anger was dwelling on his face. It wasn't anger towards the allies.
The commander nodded.
"I saw. I will report this matter myself, so don't get excited."
The huffing and puffing Tatar monster calmed down and returned to the unit.
The Hussars of the right column flocked and grumbled. It was truly a terrifying moment. The Hussars who took off their helmets stroked their tingling hands. It was hard because they were holding cavalry lances, but it was hard because they were tense enough to get goosebumps.
"Retarded bastards, really doing this shit again."
"Didn't they do this on purpose? Because they lost to us last time."
The Hussars burst into complaints in groups of twos and threes.
"Anyway, it was excellent."
"Well done, Park."
The Hussars were patting Jeong-hun's shoulder.
After the training, alcohol and meat were bestowed upon the Winged Hussars who showed a decent appearance.
Bojan took this opportunity to start asking the guys next to him what happened. Why they came to acknowledge Jeong-hun.
"Park?"
"Yeah, that Tatar. Since when did you guys acknowledge him?"
The Hussars, who were tearing into the alcohol and meat brought by the Retainers, asked back instead.
"What about Park?"
"Park is the one who should become our Ensign."
Such sounds came out one after another.
"His voice is booming, and since he is tall, I can understand well what he is saying."
"It was thanks to Jeong-hun that we achieved the best results during the last practice."
"He saw the mud pit that wasn't even visible from that distance and went around it, you know? Does he have good eyes or what?"
"I don't know, maybe he received a revelation from God or something."
Before he knew it, the topic returned to Jeong-hun. But the atmosphere wasn't cursing. Rather, it was the opposite. Bojan couldn't adapt to the changed appearance of his comrades. Where did the cursing of the Tatar monster together at first go? Where did all the thoughts as Nobles, as Poles, go?
Even one comrade, Radosław, saw Bojan's expression and even called him out separately.
"You, did you not hear the words His Majesty bestowed?"
"...What words?"
"The command not to cause internal strife within the Winged Hussars due to origin. That he would punish severely. Surely you are not holding a grudge because Park is a commoner, right?"
He couldn't deny it. But Radosław narrowed his eyes.
"You and I, we are both landless nobles. No different from the common citizen Park."
Compared to the great noble Magnates and landed nobles, the landless noble was in a position to be despised for all kinds of reasons. Frankly speaking, in economic terms, they were worse off than wealthy citizens or farmers.
"Like it or not, we are comrades-in-arms. And when you weren't here, Jeong-hun proved his existence. You must have seen it today if you have eyes, right? He suits the Ensign of our Banner more than anyone. He will contribute to raising the probability of our unit surviving on the battlefield even a little bit."
"......"
Bojan couldn't deny it. Today's event was quite shocking.
Radosław lightly hit Bojan's chest.
"In war, it doesn't matter if we are Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, Cossacks, or Tatars. As long as we fight under the same Winged Hussar flag. If you are holding a grudge over that, it is your fault. If you are a true Polish man, a proper Hussar, it would be desirable to apologize first."
Before you get folded in half. Bojan trembled at Radosław's joke.
They are young Winged Hussar recruits in their late teens to early twenties at most. They go around doing childish things full of vigor, but their stubbornness wasn't strong.
Bojan soon discovered Jeong-hun standing on the ridge of the hill far away.
He was like this originally. This Tatar monster lumped together with tenacity didn't come down well from the horse's back.
I thought he was coming down to the ground a bit lately. He is bothering the horse again.
Bojan also received a horse from the Retainer and got on. And approached him quickly.
"What are you doing!"
Jeong-hun knew from early on that he was coming close, but he was too lazy to answer, so he waved his hand. Bojan ignored that hand gesture and approached the side.
"I asked what you are doing."
"What."
Bojan awkwardly held out the alcohol. Jeong-hun, who looked at Bojan doing a strange action, soon smirked and brought the alcohol to his mouth.
"You didn't put poison in it, right?"
"...What do you take me for."
Jeong-hun shrugged his shoulders and said.
"I wondered if you sought another way since you were getting beaten consecutively with the Saber since last week."
"Crazy bastard."
Yeah, a crazy bastard. A monster-like guy.
Bojan felt relieved inside. It was better after acknowledging it. The mental pain stemming from the inferiority complex that I am worse than this guy surprisingly disappeared perfectly the moment he acknowledged the opponent. If he finds points to learn from that opponent, maybe it could produce positive results.
But what on earth can I learn from this guy?
Bojan thought so. How the hell can I see and learn the ability of this person who is sucking up all kinds of knowledge like a water-soaked cloth? It is truly congenital.
So Bojan asked.
"Earlier, how did you know we were about to collide?"
It was a quite long distance. Recruits who were not yet accustomed to cavalry rotation couldn't even get a sense at all.
"The maximum speed of friendly cavalry reaching gallop is about 32 kilometers per hour."
Originally, the speed of heavy cavalry was slower than expected. Even this speed belonged to the fast side because it was the Winged Hussar considered the strongest heavy cavalry of the time with momentary speed. In fact, Winged Hussars would have been slower if they really intended a shock charge. Maintaining the formation had to be prioritized over increasing the speed a little.
".....?"
"The opponent came down riding a hill with a slope of about 4 to 5 degrees. Besides, since they started galloping a few seconds earlier than us, acceleration was attached. It must have been about 36."
"Slope...? Hour what?"
Jeong-hun didn't bother to explain the terms he used. Instead, he continued speaking.
"Based on the opponent's formation width and speed, they definitely should have turned at that point too. That's why I indicated it. If you don't want to collide and fall off the horse while picking a petty fight of pride, turn quickly."
"...How can you see such things? How can you think that?"
Bojan asked as if it was absurd. Is this normal? Even Winged Hussar commanders seasoned in war were not to this extent. This was intuition that far exceeded the level of good talent or quality.
Jeong-hun looked at Bojan's face. The face that contained the light of jealousy until yesterday was nowhere to be seen now.
I want to explain, but I can't explain. I just see it. This is not an ability created by falling here. It was just like that from before.
Jeong-hun turned his gaze and looked at the sky.
—Piii
An invisible hawk is flying in the sky. If he listens quietly to that sound.
He becomes that hawk.
(End of Chapter)
— Translated by Prime Works —