novelraw Chapter 110: Revolution Defense War - Decisive Battle (2)
Chapter 110: Revolution Defense War - Decisive Battle (2)
While the main forces clashed fiercely, the mission of the Light Cavalry Chasseurs was to scout for any hidden cards the enemy might have, aiming at their flanks to force their dispersal.
The Revolutionary Army had expected that the enemy's Light Cavalry, the Hussars, would not be able to suppress the Chasseurs.
However, the battle unfolding around the Rolling Hills battlefield was slightly different from what the Revolutionary Army had anticipated.
“Ha, yah!”
Jerome Morellele, leading the Chasseurs, spurred his horse, galloping across the Rolling Hills.
Normally, when the Chasseurs, equipped with Carbines and sabers, charged like this, the enemy Hussars, armed only with sabers, would be busy fleeing—
“Tsk, detour!”
Morelle had to turn his horse immediately upon seeing the scene before him.
But in a cavalry unit, there are always those who, overheated by the fervor of the charge, cannot control themselves.
Those who charged headlong without knowing any better screamed and fell from their horses as a volley of shots rang out.“Ha, damn it. They’re not to be taken lightly.”
Morelle clicked his tongue.
Unlike the Chasseurs, armed with Carbines from the outset for anti-cavalry warfare, the Hussars, lacking proper mounted firing training and standard-issue Carbines, couldn't imitate them.
Instead, the Imperial Army had brought along a large number of mounted infantry, Dragoons, for this Battle.
They lacked the skill to charge flexibly, fire, draw their swords, and engage in melee combat like the Chasseurs, but they moved in coordination with the Hussars, and when the Chasseurs approached, they would fire from horseback or dismount to shoot.
It was a makeshift solution, cumbersome and not well-suited for reconnaissance over a wide area, but in a limited battlefield like this, it was proving somewhat effective against the Chasseurs.
Morelle raised his telescope and watched his Chasseurs and the enemy Dragoons exchange fire in the distance, both sides taking casualties, then spat on the ground.
“Tsk, the good old days of easy pickings are over.”
“The casualties are not insignificant, General.”
“Those Imperial bastards seem to have come well-prepared this time.”
To his adjutant’s words, Morelle shook his head and replied.
It wasn’t a disadvantage, but they weren't overwhelming them either.
For the enemy, who had been consistently overwhelmed by the Chasseurs since the start of the war, this alone was tremendous progress.
Consequently, the Chasseurs were falling short of their expected performance.
Morelle sighed and reluctantly issued an order.
“Send a Messenger to His Excellency Marquis, tell him it will take us time to subdue the enemy Light Cavalry.”
*
“Don’t fall back! Don’t fall back!”
Nicolas Nere, in charge of the vanguard infantry, roamed behind the Line Infantry, shouting ceaselessly in a thunderous voice.
“Fight steadfastly! Nicolas Nere is with you!”
It was astonishing bravery, displayed as the Line Infantry exchanged fire with bullets hailing down right before their eyes, but the situation was not good.
“Kuaargh!”
“My leg, my leg hurts……!”
The Imperial Army, leveraging its overwhelming numerical superiority, surged forward like a tidal wave.
Though they fought hard under Nere’s encouragement, the Revolutionary Army’s morale was breaking in the face of the endlessly advancing Imperial Army.
“Damn it……”
The Revolutionary Army’s Cuirassiers retreated after an engagement with the enemy Cuirassiers.
Strictly speaking, it was more of a withdrawal to recover the wounded than a rout, but to the frontline infantry, a withdrawal and a rout were one and the same.
The cavalry, which had never retreated since being deployed at the start of the war, had fallen back.
That alone unsettled the Revolutionary Army, while the Imperial Army felt the opposite effect.
The enemy cavalry that had forced the Revolutionary Army cavalry to retreat was now eyeing the flanks of the friendly infantry line.
Nere had to commit a reserve unit to cover this, despite already being outnumbered, and as a result, Nere’s unit was noticeably being pushed back.
“Th-This is madness!”
Eventually, a soldier, unable to bear the losses, turned to flee, and Nere rushed over and slapped the soldier’s cheek.
“Don’t fall back! Are you going to abandon your comrades and run!”
“S-Sorry, sir-”
“Aaaargh!”
While Nere held onto that soldier, screams erupted from all sides, and soldiers who had been watching furtively finally began to turn their backs and flee one by one.
“Damn it. Retreat! Fall back to the second line and reorganize!”
In the end, Nere had no choice but to issue the order.
*
“Assassins, and now Dragoons.”
“Indeed, Your Excellency Marquis. We thought the enemy reinforcement of 10,000 was small for the Empire, but it seems it wasn't a simple reinforcement.”
Listening to Chief of Staff Berthier, I slowly wiped my face.
Truly. Grand Duke Leopold hadn't wasted the time during the standoff.
To cover his inferior knight strength, he mixed assassins into the Heavy Cavalry for a surprise attack, and with Dragoons to support the Hussars, he regained some control of the battlefield.
A mere 10,000 reinforcements, but he brought only those who could precisely compensate for the areas where the Imperial Army had been overwhelmed by the Revolutionary Army.
I turned my gaze to Gaston, the knights, and the Heavy Cavalry, lying limp in the aid station.
And Eris, standing in their midst, concentrating and emitting light.
After a moment, Eris opened her eyes.
“This, it’s the same poison Countess Aquitaine was afflicted with.”
The moment I heard those words, rage surged within me.
The image of Christine, bloodied and limp, consumed my mind.
They've even resorted to openly using assassins with demonic tools?
No, this is war. We even poisoned their supplies, so I should have expected this.
I took a deep breath to calm myself slightly and asked Eris.
“……Can you treat them, Your Majesty?”
Back then, Eris had nearly collapsed just from treating Christine and Baron Charon.
Her divine power was much stronger now compared to then, but…….
“It’s possible now. But it will take time. I won’t be able to participate in the battle.”
“……”
Gaston is hovering between life and death.
The Cuirassiers, who had achieved victory after victory and acted as a fire brigade, suffered considerable losses, and with Gaston struck down, they are intimidated by the presence of assassins.
Now that the enemy has gained the upper hand in cavalry warfare, where we had always dominated, their morale will soar.
“Ha.”
Truly, Grand Duke Leopold.
The soldiers' morale must have been in tatters, but by showing them superiority with his hidden card in an area where we had always overwhelmed them, he has turned it around.
“With General Gaston’s injury, the morale of the Cuirassiers is low. As long as the assassins are present, we cannot rashly deploy them, and if Your Majesty also leaves the front lines given our numerical inferiority……”
Berthier glanced at me, then swallowed dryly and opened his mouth.
“We could be defeated.”
I turned my gaze to Gaston, who lay limp with a pale face.
Others I might not prioritize, but Gaston must be saved.
I still haven't properly repaid him, the man who died fighting for me even before the regression.
Furthermore, he is Francia’s strongest knight. His life carries a different weight than that of ordinary soldiers.
Even if it weren't him, the Heavy Cavalry here are elite soldiers trained in magic. They must be saved.
However—
How many will die in this battle?
I have already deployed Nicolas Nere’s vanguard. I sent them out knowing they would be defeated, ordering them to fight fiercely and then lose.
All of them are sacrifices thrown in because they were needed.
Even greater sacrifices will be made throughout this battle. How many thousands of soldiers Eris could protect and save among them, who knows.
Can I truly say that Gaston and these men's lives are more precious than all of theirs?
……Will Eris agree? The Saintess who stood on the battlefield to save people?
As I lifted my gaze, Eris was looking at me and opened her mouth.
“Marquis Lafayette.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Give your orders. At least on the battlefield, I am not your superior.”
“……Please heal Sir Gaston and the knights.”
“Is that your judgment as Commander-in-Chief?”
Not a decision to save my knight as Marquis Lafayette.
But a judgment as the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army, defending Francia.
Unwavering violet eyes stared straight at me.
“……Yes. I will lead this battle to victory.”
Eris replied with a slight smile.
“I’ll believe you, Marquis. Not just me, but everyone in the Revolutionary Army will believe in you, Marquis.”
“……I entrust Gaston and these men to you, Your Majesty.”
I replied, feeling that trust and its weight.
Gaston is neutralized.
Eris is out.
The Chasseurs can no longer overwhelm their Light Cavalry.
Our proud knights and Cuirassiers are intimidated by the enemy assassins.
All the advantages we held have vanished.
All that remains is a head-on confrontation against Grand Duke Leopold with inferior numbers.
“Let’s go, Chief of Staff. It’s time for the Decisive Battle.”
“Yes! Your Excellency Marquis!”
*
“Ugh, damn it! Why did the vanguard collapse so quickly!”
Count Damien De Millbeau tore at his hair in frustration.
General Nicolas Nere’s vanguard hadn't collapsed quickly.
If anything, they had held on for quite a while despite their overwhelming disadvantage.
But for Demian, the Commander of the 2nd line who was facing the most intense Offensive after the vanguard’s Defeat, such matters were irrelevant.
“A messenger returned!”
A woman’s voice, unfitting for a command tent, rang out, and Demian, frowning, nodded without turning his gaze.
“Yeah, good work.”
Giselle Davy was originally part of Cazel’s Cavalry Regiment, but Demian, feeling uneasy, had immediately transferred her as his personal Messenger.
A Cavalry Regiment. If she were stuck in a place where you’re called a coward if you live past 30, who knows when she might die.
He had no desire to see an officer candidate Countess Aquitaine was interested in suffer a violent end in his unit.
As he was thinking that, Messengers rushed in.
“Your Excellency Count! The 13th Infantry Regiment requests Reinforcements!”
“Your Excellency Count! The 17th Infantry Regiment also requests Reinforcements!”
“Argh, damn it. Do you think I can just conjure up infantry?”
Demian tore at his hair again.
He had never longed for the presence of the Cuirassiers, who were deployed as a fire brigade to crush enemies on critical fronts, as much as now.
The news that Gaston and several of the best cavalrymen had suffered critical injuries due to assassins embedded within the enemy cavalry was known only to commanders and generals, but the absence of friendly Heavy Cavalry and the presence of enemy Heavy Cavalry, constantly roaming and eyeing the flanks, was causing the Revolutionary Army’s Morale to plummet.
And the Imperial Army, which had been unable to launch a proper Offensive until now because of our Cuirassiers, was now completely fired up, unleashing a ferocious Attack.
“Not yet, not yet……”
Nicolas Nere’s vanguard stood on the battlefield, destined for defeat.
Damien De Millbeau’s army also stood on the battlefield, destined for defeat.
But not yet.
At least until the moment Marquis Lafayette desired and until the Imperial Army believed they had finally, with difficulty, broken through, they had to hold on.
But requests for aid were already pouring in from all over, and the Reserve Unit was limited. Where should he prioritize?
At times like this, he was terribly envious of Marquis Lafayette.
Because he had subordinates to whom he could entrust the rear while he personally roamed the front lines, assessing the situation with his own eyes.
As Demian was lost in thought, Giselle, who had been silent beside him, spoke up.
“Your Excellency, may I offer a word?”
“Hmph, an officer candidate dares to-”
No, wait.
Come to think of it, she’s not just any humble officer candidate. She’s from a precious place.
She was a precious person who had come to this humble place. The one that damned Countess Aquitaine was interested in.
Demian, his lips trembling, spoke without meeting her eyes.
“What is it? Speak. Officer Candidate Davy.”
“From what I observed while serving as a Messenger, the 13th Infantry Regiment is in poor condition, but the enemy advancing on them appears disorganized and in need of reorganization. Their offensive sustainability will be low. On the other hand, I saw enemy reserve units approaching the 17th Infantry Regiment’s sector. Therefore, I believe relieving the 17th Infantry Regiment should be the priority.”
Demian’s jaw dropped.
Setting aside the audacity of a mere officer candidate daring to advise him, the Commander, she had grasped all that while briefly serving as a Messenger?
Does that even make sense?
But Demian was in a position without a proper staff officer, stuck among loyal fools who only waited for his judgment and orders every day.
Though absurd, a flicker of hope arose.
……They said her tactics scores at the academy were almost top marks.
“……Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Giselle Davy answered immediately, without a moment’s hesitation.
“As a soldier, I understand the weight of lives attached to my words!”
Her eyes, which had been quite downcast when she first reported as his personal Messenger, were now burning with enthusiasm, and Demian, unknowingly averting his gaze, spoke to the Messenger waiting in front for reinforcements.
“Alright. Deploy the Reserve Unit to the 17th Infantry Regiment. Tell the 13th Infantry Regiment to hold on a little longer. We’ll support them soon.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Ah, understood, Your Excellency Count……”
As the Messengers ran out, Demian said quietly.
“I shall forgive your rudeness in daring to advise the renowned general of this Revolutionary Army, Count Damien De Millbeau, if your judgment is correct, Officer Candidate Davy.”
“Yes, Your Excellency Count.”
“……”
The awkwardness of being alone with her was killing him.
“Messenger!”
I wasn’t hoping for a Messenger requesting reinforcements, though!
As Demian fumed, the Messenger saluted and handed him an order.
“It is an order from His Excellency Marquis Lafayette, Your Excellency Count.”
“Ooh, let’s see!”
Damien De Millbeau snatched the order and spread it open, then frowned.
He himself would soon lead the Cuirassiers into battle, so hold on until then and then retreat?
“No, is this guy really out of his goddamn mind?”
The Commander-in-Chief himself is going to charge into the enemy Heavy Cavalry where assassins are known to be?
“……Well, it’s not my problem. Davy!”
“Yes, Your Excellency Count!”
“Since there’s no immediate need for a Messenger, go out and survey the camp! See where it’s critical, where we can hold! If your judgment proves useful, I’ll remove that ‘candidate’ tag!”
“I obey your command!”
Watching the brown, short-haired figure dash out with an apparently excited look, Demian let out a deep sigh.
“Just gotta fucking hold on. Just gotta fucking hold on.”
Then, while Marquis Lafayette charges in and smashes everything, I can make a run for it.
If not, we’re screwed.