novelraw Chapter 132 : Chapter 132
Chapter 132 : Chapter 132
Chapter : 132
Is it said that people seek God when they face unbelievable events or deny reality?
Count Bozen was exactly like that right now.
"Oh... God! What on earth is this nonsense!"
Watching his knights collapse one by one in front of the Margrave of Bellua every time they went out, Count Bozen wished this were a dream.
They were not ordinary soldiers but trained knights.
Yet to crumble like dry stalks. That Margrave of Bellua isn't some hero from mythology. It doesn't make sense.
"Y-You must get a hold of yourself. Lord!"
"That is correct. Even now, withdraw the knights and advance the mercenaries. It will be a big problem if morale drops further."
The surrounding vassals shouted urgently. The situation unfolding was more unusual than expected. It was a bit humiliating, but shouldn't he still win the war?
"Ah, ah! Right."
Only then did Count Bozen regain his senses. Just as the vassals said, losing the duel didn't mean it was over, did it?
He still had 2,000 mercenaries and a sturdy force of about 1,000 heavy cavalry. If it went to battle... the situation would change.
Thinking so, Count Bozen drew his sword.
"Advance the soldiers! We will crush the bastards-!"
* * *
'Hmm, is this enough?'
I thought while counting the number of fallen knights by eye.
There were as many as eight knights who collapsed at my hands.
I had just ruthlessly smashed every one that came out.
Thanks to that, I bought enough time for the soldiers, which was the original goal, to reorganize. The drop in the opponent's morale was a bonus. Probably at this point, Count Bozen wouldn't have any other particular moves either.
Sure enough.
There were no more knights rushing out saying they would deal with me.
-BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Drums began to beat in the distance. Seeing Count Bozen's mercenary unit, which had fallen into silence, moving, it seemed he had ordered an advance.
Indeed, sending knights only led to them falling at my hands one by one, so there was no reason to send more.
Only morale would drop.
Then, what remained was only a powerful head-to-head all-out war between armies.
"Hmph! Is that all you do because you lack confidence! You coward!"
-Uh-ha-ha-ha!
I mocked Count Bozen with all my might, then immediately turned my horse and returned to the formation.
As I raised my hand upon returning, enthusiastic cheers erupted in response. The soldiers' morale had reached its peak.
"Good. Advance the soldiers. Captain Konrad. Biden. I count on you this time as well."
"Trust in us. Human Lord! We will show the bastards a very terrible end."
"Honor to the Lord! We will show the Margrave of Bellua's power to the ugly invaders."
Making confident assertions, Captain Konrad and Biden led 2,000 soldiers each and headed to the front.
They had already reached a higher level through past combat experiences. Although I provided the basic tactical doctrine, it was Captain Konrad and Biden who applied and actually implemented it. They were opening a new era of infantry tactics.
"Ready shooters forward!"
Especially as expected of a dwarf race skilled in using mechanical devices, Captain Konrad's operation of crossbowmen was amazing.
"Never shoot first! Wait until the enemies come as close as possible-!"
Watching Count Bozen's mercenaries rushing in, Captain Konrad pressed his subordinate soldiers like that.
Perfect fire control.
And even devastating firepower projection on the enemy inflicted through this.
This was the core of this infantry tactic that Captain Konrad thought of.
And finally.
-WAAAAAA! Kill the Margrave of Bellua's bastards-!
Around the time when the angry faces of Count Bozen's mercenaries became close enough to be visible to the eye.
"Fire!"
Captain Konrad's order fell.
-SWISH!
Bolts containing the heavy tension of steel bows were shot toward the front.
Hundreds of bolts covered Count Bozen's army rushing in.
-THWACK THWACK THWACK-!
-CRUNCH!
-Ack! Cough.
Bolts penetrated the front row through to the back row, hitting the soldiers. Count Bozen's vanguard, which was charging, tumbled to the ground in heaps.
Moreover, it didn't end here.
"Fired shooters back! Rear line waiting shooters forward!"
It was a compensation in its own way for the weakness of the steel crossbow, which had a slow rate of fire as much as it was powerful.
"Fire!"
Captain Konrad gave the order again.
-TWANG!
-SWISH!
-THWACK THWACK THWACK!
Once again, a rain of death fell on the heads of Count Bozen's soldiers.
Under this overwhelming attack, Count Bozen's soldiers fell one by one without even being able to scream.
"D-Do not retreat! Reloading speed is slow! Just rush in again-!"
A commander at the front who survived by chance after being hit on his steel helmet jumped up and shouted like that.
However.
"Uh...?"
He soon realized that there was no response to his order and made a dumbfounded expression.
"A-Are they all dead...?!"
Because he realized that among his subordinates who rushed in together, he was the only one standing properly.
This was the shock tactic due to firepower projection using the powerful steel crossbow discovered by Captain Konrad.
On the other hand, Sir Biden focused on something slightly different.
While the firepower of the crossbow is important, he focused on the powerful defensive power of the pike phalanx and the powerful offensive power of halberdiers linked with it.
"Hold! Hold-!"
-Kill!! Let's smash the bastards! OHHH!
"Fire-!"
-THWIP THWIP THWIP THWIP!
Waiting with crossbows and using them in a state as close as possible was the same.
However, the difference was.
"All forces forward! Don't break the formation. Advance to the call-!"
Exactly the offensive application of the pike phalanx!
Sir Biden realized after several battles that while this pike phalanx is defensive if moved passively, it can become a heavy hammer that nothing can match if used offensively.
So Sir Biden decided to split the pike phalanx more finely than before to increase mobility.
-Clomp clomp clomp clomp.
Thanks to that, there were dozens of medium-sized pike units under his command.
They moved quickly and began to encircle Count Bozen's army, which had sat down under the baptism of powerful crossbows.
And.
"Stab to the command-! Ha!"
-Ho!
"Ha-!"
-Ho!
Matching Sir Biden's command, they thrust their pikes in unison and began to advance slowly.
-CRUNCH!
-CRACKLE!
People used to mistake pikes for being flexible and lacking power, but the force carried on the tip of the pike was powerful enough to penetrate even shields.
-Kuh, cough!
-Save me! Don't push! You bastards! If you push, I die-!
In front of the pike thrusts closing in from all directions, Count Bozen's soldiers became skewered meat in an instant.
"Chahat-!"
-CLANG!
"I will open the path. Follow me-!"
Some guys with outstanding martial arts trusted their armor, parried the pikes, and tried to attack bravely, but that was just it.
"Uh, uh...?"
They shook off the wave of pikes, but what was behind it was another wall of pikes.
In addition, that wasn't all.
Soldiers holding heavy halberds embedded here and there beyond the pikemen.
-WHOOSH!
-THUD!
They were exactly the heavy hammers prepared to beat down guys running wild like moths to a flame.
"Rotten. As expected, not even a handful of help."
And Count Bozen, watching that from afar, spat out curses.
Mercenaries recruited with expensive money collapsed in an instant without doing their worth.
"Surely those bastards said with their mouths that they had a lot of combat experience...!"
"Please calm down. Is mercenaries' bluffing a one or two-day thing?"
"That is correct. Lord. Trust us!"
"The flower of war is ultimately us knights. Don't we always solve all problems!"
Although his anger subsided inwardly at the words of knights speaking while pounding their chests, it was true that it was regrettable.
Still, he thought they would inflict significant damage or at least create fatigue, but when actually revealed, they collapsed miserably. Rather, didn't it only raise the enemy's morale consecutively?
"Prepare the knights! Charge immediately!"
"What should we do with the mercenaries...?"
"Hmph. Must I tell them to avoid such trivial bastards one by one? If so, it would rather give time to reorganize. If they interfere, push them aside and rush in straight!"
It was a quite cold-hearted order, but this was the treatment of mercenaries in [Pangea Universalise].
Count Bozen said that, mounted his horse, and lowered his visor.
Now the skirmish was over.
It was time for the real fight.
* * *
"Hmm, indeed."
"A very cruel judgment, but still tactically outstanding. To think he knows to move quickly straight away without losing reason."
"It seems so. Magician Agpiel."
Watching Count Bozen's cavalry moving in the distance, I nodded.
Currently, the formation was slightly disordered while dealing with the remnants of Count Bozen's infantry.
In the midst of this, receiving a lance charge as is would be dangerous no matter how it was a pike phalanx.
"May I ask for the reserve force?"
In the rear, I deployed 1,000 reserve troops and 500 elf knights in preparation for unexpected surprise attacks and the collapse of the battlefield.
Indeed, I thought I did well to do so.
"Are you going to step forward yourself again?"
"What can I do? Shouldn't I be there to control those friends."
"My goodness.... You really are."
When I pointed to the back with a glance, Magician Agpiel clicked his tongue.
Because in the back, there were elf knights extremely excited with sparkling eyes.
They were all clamoring to let them go out and fight immediately. Although they were only half compared to the opponent, if left alone, it was clear they would rush straight in for the sake of warrior's honor.
"Then it can't be helped. Still, take care of your body and move carefully. Understand?"
"Hahaha. Thank you for worrying. Magician Agpiel."
I laughed like that and stepped forward leading the elf knights.
I had to give time for Captain Konrad and Sir Biden to reorganize the units.
"You guys, if I tell you to retreat, you must retreat immediately. Understand?"
"Yes? Your Excellency! What do you mean? Fleeing with one's back to the enemy is very dishonorable...."
"Ah, really? Then my withdrawing earlier was a very dishonorable thing? Hmm?"
"Eek! N-No. Your Excellency!"
When I asked holding the war hammer stained with the blood of knights I dealt with in the duel a moment ago, the elf knights were terrified for a moment.
My appearance smashing knights' heads while swinging the war hammer around had an aspect that was terrifying to accept even for brave elf knights.
'Hmm.... Good.'
Seeing them show a somewhat obedient appearance, I smiled with satisfaction.
Well, if the battle becomes fierce, it is clear this won't work even a bit, but they will think about it at least once.
Thinking so, I closed the visor of my helmet and raised my spear.
"Good! Then let's have a round of fun-! Let's show the true power of knights to coward Count Bozen!"
"WOOOOO! For honor!"
"KIIYAAAA! Giddy up-! Run!"
And a short while later.
-CRUNCH!
-NEEEIGH!
-ARGHHH!
Two armies possessing immense mass collided.