Chapter 75
Southern Gate Defense Battle ⑦
(Day 4 of War)
Light Falls on the Battlefield
Translator : PolterGlast
"What's the
situation on the battlefield?!"
Dust raised by cavalry
swirled across the battlefield, and a constant, strong wind blew only towards
the front, kicking up clouds of dirt.
These obscured the
Gryphonia Imperial Army's vision, so the First Prince couldn't see the battle
situation.
As a result, their
response to their allies' crisis was delayed.
The only unit that
reacted swiftly was the Imperial Army's left wing.
"Light on the
battlefield! He's on the front lines!"
"This is the time
to avenge our long-held grudge! All cavalry units, slaughter him!"
Margrave Goth ordered
his entire force of iron cavalry and cavalry to sortie.
Many of them had lost
family members in the previous war. They charged out with a fierce
determination to avenge their kin.
Their target: the
Solis Baron's army, and Darek, the Knight of Light.
They had lived for the
past few years with the sole purpose of taking his head and offering it before
the graves of their loved ones.
Meanwhile, the
Imperial Guard Iron Cavalry was still in complete disarray.
They had already been
hit by three volleys of long-range fire, battered by a total of 9,000 arrows.
Just when they thought
they had managed to scatter and escape effective long-range fire, high-powered
arrows, though few in number, began to strike them in a straight line, without
pause.
This was because the
Solis archers under Takuhir's command had begun effective firing using Estol
Bows and the combination with wind mages.
Furthermore, the
scattered iron cavalry were being attacked from both flanks by the Allied
Cavalry Corps, gradually whittling down their strength.
The escape route in
the central part, where they won't attack, was a terrifying path of arrows.
Thus, half-encircled
and cut down one after another, the 3,000 Imperial Guard Iron Cavalry had
already lost nearly half their number.
"The enemy's
reinforcements will arrive soon. Further attack is useless. All units, retreat
to your positions and regroup."
At Commander Weiss's
order, the Allied Cavalry Corps began to disengage from the battle line and
move back to their own positions.
At this point, a group
appeared on the battlefield, oblivious to the situation.
"If the battle
turns offensive and becomes a mopping-up operation, participate in the front
lines when the opportunity arises!"
These men, who had
been dissatisfied with being left in the fortress as a defensive unit,
misinterpreted the last words spoken by Margrave Hastburg. Seeing the enemy
Iron Cavalry being defeated one after another, they emerged from the rear and
pushed to the front lines.
Of course, no matter
how foolish they were, under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have appeared
on the front lines at this point, which was not the final phase.
Under normal
circumstances...
"The enemy is
routing! Why aren't our allies pursuing them?"
"Now is the time
to show our strength!"
Disregarding the
attempts of their retreating allies, the First Youth Knight Corps charged at
the routing Iron Cavalry.
"You fools! For
your final dance, dance wildly and spectacularly!"
No one noticed the man
who stood far away, observing the scene and laughing.
"Even so, only
about 1,000 cavalry came out to die... meaning about 200 remained in the
fortress.
To think there were
still some who could make proper judgments, my magic (suggestion) is still
lacking..."
He muttered, and then
his figure vanished.
※
"Get out of the
way! Move!"
The First Youth Knight
Corps, engrossed in hunting their immediate prey (the routing Iron Cavalry),
was scattered in a single blow by the Goth Margrave's army, which charged from
their rear.
Their good fortune in
this misfortune was that the enemy army considered them nothing more than pebbles
hindering their advance and did not even bother to treat them as worthy
opponents, seeing them as weak soldiers.
Therefore, despite a
situation where they should have been annihilated, half of them still remained
as a group.
Though they were
merely surviving...
※
"What in the
world are those idiots doing?!"
I involuntarily
screamed.
Although they didn't
say it aloud, Father and everyone else who participated in the battle felt the
same way.
The archer corps, in
particular, were all hampered by the First Youth Knight Corps, unable to
effectively fire at the charging Goth Margrave's army.
The Imperial Guard
cavalry, dispatched by the First Prince, finally grasped the situation and
provided cover for the retreating Iron Cavalry Corps, but they did not launch
an offensive.
Even if they wanted to
assist Goth Margrave's army, a storm of arrows was flying at them from the
front.
Therefore, they did
not participate in the front-line combat, stopping outside arrow range and
maintaining battle readiness.
Goth Margrave's
forces, who were receiving only sporadic attacks, rampaged across the
battlefield with a fervor that could only be described as madness.
The left-wing unit of
the Allied Cavalry Corps, 1,500 riders, which included my brother, turned their
horses around and launched a counterattack to save the First Youth Knight Corps
from their predicament.
The right-wing unit,
led by Commander Weiss, was mainly composed of cavalrymen directly under
Margrave Hastburg, and had high combat power.
However, the left-wing
unit was mainly composed of cavalry levied from the southern nobles. They were
vulnerable to adversity, and their training and morale were insufficient.
"How careless! To
think I misjudged at this critical moment!"
The commander gnashed
his teeth and cursed his own poor judgment.
He wanted to rush to
their rescue as quickly as possible, but 2,000 Imperial Guard cavalry, newly
deployed by the First Prince, stood in their way, preventing them from going to
the aid of the left-wing unit.
"The head of
Baron Solis!"
"The head of the
Knight of Light!"
The 2,000-strong Goth
Margrave's army, driven by a furious momentum, charged the 1,500-strong
left-wing unit of the Allied Cavalry Corps.
The left-wing unit,
burdened by the First Youth Knight Corps, which was a liability, could not
withstand the offensive and were cut down one after another.
To avoid friendly
fire, the archer corps had ceased their attack.
Only the Solis Baron's
archers, those capable of precise firing, were releasing arrows to support the
left-wing unit, but the number of arrows fired was not large.
Those who were not
archers had taken on the role of loaders, and they were desperately trying to
cover the small number of arrows with a high rate of fire.
But the momentum of
the enemy soldiers was extraordinary.
They continued to
attack even after being showered with arrows.
Their madness
dominated the battlefield, and the left-wing unit's battle line finally
collapsed.
History always tries
to balance things out... The anxiety I had vaguely felt after the flood flashed
through my mind.
My brother, my brother
Darek...
My good confidant, the
hope of the Solis Baronial family, a brother who showed talent not only in
swordsmanship but also in tactics and had a promising future.
I couldn't lose such a
brother...
The left-wing unit,
where my brother Darek was, collapsed, and the enemy swarmed around my brother,
who had continued his organized resistance to the very end.
I stood frozen in a
daze.
At that moment, a band
of light spread from the very rear of the Allied Cavalry Corps' right wing
unit, on the opposite side of the left wing unit.
"Is the Solis
brat over there?!"
"So he was hiding
in a place like that!"
"Take the brat's
head!"
Goth Margrave's army,
raising furious shouts, turned their horses and charged straight towards the
very rear of the right-wing unit, traversing the battlefield.
Thanks to this, the
small group led by my brother was somehow able to hold their own.
"Takuhir-sama!"
Anne's words brought
me back to my senses.
Kran, realizing my
brother's predicament, was using himself as a decoy to draw in the enemy.
"Everyone, free
fire! Shoot, shoot, shoot! Don't let a single one get through!"
Goth Margrave's army,
burning with madness, crossed the battlefield towards their intended enemy,
charging in a straight line.
Yes, right past our
front.
The archers from other
territories, who until then had only been able to fire warning shots, also
began to fire simultaneously.
A storm of 3,000
arrows poured down on Goth Margrave's army one after another.
Severely wounded, but
still, nearly 500 enemy cavalry attacked the very rear of the right-wing unit.
At the same time, the
2,000 Imperial Guard cavalry, seeing this as an opportunity, also attacked the
right-wing unit from the front.
As the battle turned
into a chaotic melee and effective firing became impossible, I immediately
leaped onto a horse, taking Mars and Danke, the fire mages, with me, and headed
towards the right-wing unit, accompanied by Anne, who followed silently.
The left-wing unit,
where my brother was, having its battle line collapsed, was being enveloped by
the advancing allied Noble Allied Army's Third Army, which secured the battle
area and transported the wounded to the rear.
The Noble Allied
Army's Second Army also advanced to the front, covering the Third Army while
glaring at the enemy's reinforcements.
This was because Goth
Margrave's infantry and archer units, a total of 2,500 men, had advanced to the
front line and were showing signs of attacking us.
The ones currently in
a difficult situation were Margrave Hastburg, Commander Weiss, and the
right-wing unit where Kran was.
Father could not leave
the command of the archers.
Instead, he sent 200
riders from the Solis Baron's Iron Cavalry Corps to follow me.
They had been assigned
the role of archers, but Father had them participate in the front lines with
their mounts as a precaution.
※
"Protect the
Margrave!"
"Don't let them
whittle us down!"
Margrave Hastburg's
1,200 cavalrymen were the elite of the Kyle Kingdom.
The vanguard of the
right-wing unit, though surrounded by twice their number of the First Prince's
Imperial Guard cavalry, resisted stubbornly.
The 500 cavalrymen in
the rear of the right-wing unit also resisted desperately, but they continued
to lose strength, unable to withstand the forces of Goth Margrave, who had
become desperate soldiers.
Even so, under these
circumstances, the Noble Allied Army's First and Fourth armies did not move
from their positions.
"They're just
standing there, twiddling their thumbs, while our main commander is in a
crisis! You fools!"
I cursed, desperately
spurring my horse forward.
"Mars, Danke,
conjure a wall of fire in the middle of the enemy army!"
The order was executed
immediately.
Suddenly divided by a
wall of fire erupting within their own ranks, Goth Margrave's forces, who had
been rampaging like desperate soldiers, hesitated for a moment.
In that gap, the 200
riders of the Solis Iron Cavalry Corps, who followed, charged in.
But the enemy
soldiers, resolute and unyielding, fiercely attacked the rear of the right-wing
unit.
The rear of the
right-wing unit was composed of cavalry levied from various noble families,
just like the left-wing unit.
They were not the
elite who had been fighting on the front lines.
Therefore, they could
not be expected to perform according to their numbers.
The right-wing unit of
the Allied Cavalry Corps began to collapse from its vital point, the rear.
If that happened, it
would spread to Margrave Hastburg's unit, which was holding its own against
twice the enemy's numbers at the front.
"Damn it! I can't
reach them. Is it impossible...?"
Just as I muttered
such a complaint, new allies appeared from somewhere: 300 cavalrymen joined the
battle.
Leading the cavalry at
the forefront was Viscount Gorman, who was not supposed to be here, but leading
the archer corps instead.
With this, the number
of elite cavalry was somehow evenly matched.
There was a reason why
Viscount Gorman was able to lead the cavalry.
He was positioned at
the far right of the archer corps, and because the Noble Allied Army's Second
and Third armies had advanced to the front, there was now a surplus of
defensive forces.
Like the Solis
Baronial family, he had brought 300 cavalry with him to the front as a
precaution.
He had also been able
to entrust the command of the remaining soldiers and units to Baron Cornell,
with whom he had always acted together this time.
Such circumstances
proved fortunate.
With the charge of 300
new elite cavalry, the forces of Goth Margrave, who had been fighting with
abnormal desperation, finally collapsed.
The cavalry who
scattered them, the reinforcements, merged on the battlefield, becoming a force
of about 500 riders.
This elite unit then
attacked the First Prince's Imperial Guard cavalry, who had been pressing
Margrave Hastburg.
Furthermore, in
response to this movement, Margrave Hastburg also launched an offensive and
began to push the enemy back all at once.
This proved decisive,
and finally, the Gryphonia Imperial Army withdrew their forces back to their
own positions.
The fourth battle
ended in a costly draw for both sides.
The land of Southern
Gate was dyed red with the many lives lost.
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