Chapter 422
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Beginning of the Counterattack
Translator : PolterGlast
The first stage of the counterattack operation proposed by
General Golpa was the 『gradual reduction of enemy fighting strength』. Its intention was clear. Against
an enemy army confirmed by reconnaissance to be at least twenty thousand or
more, the expeditionary force was seventeen thousand, and the disadvantage in
numbers could not be wiped away. A field battle might be one thing, but a siege
battle would be overwhelmingly disadvantageous. Even more so against Longbow
soldiers who exhibit their true worth in defense; a forceful attack is a poor
plan and would incur tremendous damages. Therefore, the General planned to
first have a small army act as a decoy to lure the enemy army out of the Royal
Capital, and then aim to defeat them in detail through a surprise attack by a
unit lying in ambush in advantageous terrain. In accordance with the operation,
the day after arriving at the rendezvous point, we were also taking part in
preparations to entrap the lured-out enemy army. This was to add additional 『our style』 elements while adhering to the premise of the operation.
During that time, information from spies—former Cain Kingdom soldiers
that the General had sent out—continued to come in one after another. Among
them, hearing an unfamiliar unit name, I asked Glenn, who would likely know the circumstances.
「I don't know much about it, but have
you ever heard of the Holy Knights of the Istoria Imperial Kingdom
(Orthodox Theocracy)?」
Because he was formerly a battalion commander of the Longbow
soldier unit of the Imperial Kingdom Army, I thought he might know
something. We had faced the military forces of the Imperial Kingdom many
times so far, but I tilted my head at the unfamiliar name of the army corps. To
begin with, the soldiers of the Istoria Imperial Kingdom (Orthodox
Theocracy) were centered around Longbow soldiers and heavy infantry,
and all cavalry should have been light cavalry. However, I received a report
that the unit occupying the Cain Kingdom had a considerable number of
heavy cavalry, and they called themselves the Holy Knights. To this
question, Glenn visibly changed his expression.
「Yes... if it's about those guys, I
know them well. No, there probably isn't a single person among us who doesn't
know them. They are the only heavy cavalry unit in that country, but they
almost never come out to the front lines. Because they were always stationed in
Isra as the escort army under the direct command of the Holy King...」
「Does that mean they are an elite
unit of the Imperial Kingdom, similar to the Royal Knights?」
To that question, Glenn shook his head broadly. Then,
as if spitting it out, he continued his words.
「They are fierce against the weak.
Composed of fanatics relying on the authority of the Church, they are full of
cruel and domineering individuals. They are like starving beasts, but they have
no experience fighting on the front lines, merely reckless warriors who just
rage wildly.」
「Then there's no need to hold back
when fighting them?」
When I said so, Glenn floated a clearly meaningful
smile and nodded broadly.
「There is not a single person in our Longbow
soldier unit who harbors good feelings towards them. This much I can assert.」
I see, so that's how it is... It matches the reports coming
in.
「According to the reports, it seems
they have changed the lord they serve. Individuals like that are mixed in among
the Orthodox Theocracy Army that invaded the Cain Kingdom, and
even now they are committing atrocities such as looting and assault in broad
daylight in the occupied Royal Capital, doing everything tyrannical imaginable.」
I kept my words restrained, but it seems atrocities
unbearable to hear are being committed in the Royal Capital of the Cain
Kingdom. To such words of mine, Glenn distorted his face as if to
say 『As
expected』.
「I beg of you, please let the shame
of our compatriots be settled by our hands!」
「Understood. Inferior in numbers, we
do not have much leeway. Also to suppress allied sacrifices, regarding them, I
intend to prioritize annihilation over capturing, so I want you to lend me your
strength.」
At my words, Glenn forcefully nodded his head over
and over again.
※
And the next day... The Commander and I climbed up to
a command post set up camouflaged amidst the thickly growing trees at the
summit of the highway crossing the mountain that passed through the national
border, and watched the progression of the operation. The straight-line
distance down this highway to the Royal Capital of the Cain Kingdom was
about ten km, but I had received an explanation that the highway on the
steep slope was deemed unsuitable for transporting baggage trains, had low
utility value, and was a bypath not used much normally. Perhaps because of
that, it seemed to have slipped out of the enemy's patrol net, and General Golpa
had chosen this highway as the decisive battleground.
「The enemy army has begun to move!
Heavy cavalry is coming out of the Royal Capital!」
In response to that voice, I looked through the telescope I
carried. Exactly as General Golpa predicted, the Orthodox Theocracy
side also sent out cavalry against the cavalry we sent out for provocation.
Moreover, the ones pursuing seemed to be heavy cavalry; that must probably be
the Holy Knights.
「Allies have entered planned actions!
The enemy army, around six thousand in number, is pursuing!」
「Then raise the yellow flag for
battle preparation so that only the waiting allies can see it!」
The light cavalry unit of two thousand directly led by
General Golpa began to retreat, seemingly flustered and frightened by an
enemy army over three times their size.
「Hahaha, their acting of hurriedly
retreating and falling into confusion is masterful. That would likely deceive
the enemy too.」
Watching the transition, I unconsciously burst out laughing.
I had seen the Commander guiding enemy armies on battlefields up to now,
but the General's movements also had something in common with that. While
maintaining a distance where they seemed barely reachable but weren't, because
the allies—who should originally have been superior in foot speed—were in
confusion, they fled around at the same speed. The enemy heavy cavalry, with
prey fleeing right before their eyes, was raging wildly and continuing the
pursuit. And that pursuit... was beginning to approach the highway crossing the
national border.
「Raise the Z flag for our allies! We
will engage the enemy shortly, annihilate every last soldier!」
The highway spreading while threading through the low
mountain range of the national border turns into a steep downward slope upon
crossing the summit and entering the Vile Kingdom side. From the perspective
of those pursuing, the field of vision would suddenly open up, and upon
entering the downward slope that was close to a headlong drop, the width of the
road would appear to widen greatly to the left and right.
「Enemy army deploying left and right!
They are spreading across the full width of the road and pursuing! Shall I
signal the start of the attack?」
Already even the center army of the enemy had crossed the
peak of the slope, but since the number was nearly six thousand, nearly half
were still climbing the uphill slope of the highway.
「Unnecessary. I have left the initial
attack entirely to the Commander, and if we move now, we will let the
enemy's rearguard escape. This is where we must also endure. The Long Spear
unit will stand by in firing preparation!」
And... around the time the tail end of the enemy army
approached the downward slope, a sudden change occurred at the vanguard.
※
Against General Golpa's unit—which did not widen its
formation even upon entering the downward slope, but rather fled while
maintaining an orderly column—the heavy cavalry unit of the Holy Knights
that had been pursuing while spreading both wings suddenly danced in the air.
「Pincer them from left and right and
crush… theeeeeeem?」
「Nnaaaaahhhh!」 「It's a traaaap!」
This was because the ground had suddenly disappeared from in
front of the Holy Knights, who were spread out widely everywhere except
the center of the highway where the enemy army was fleeing. The men and horses
bounded in the air for just an instant, then fell into a dry moat that had been
secretly dug out, fiercely embracing the earth.
「S-Stoppppppp!」 「D-Don't come!」 「To the c-center, gwaaahhh!」
The highway, which had spread out nearly a hundred meters in width, had deep dry moats dug on the left and right, excluding
a thirty-meter portion in the center. Furthermore, because the area right
before the drop-off was skillfully stepped in a slightly raised shape, the
pursuers did not notice the presence of the dry moat until they had advanced
close to it. Even more so because the highway was enveloped in dense clouds of
dust as thousands of cavalry galloped through. And even if they noticed, the
momentum of coming down in a headlong drop could not be stopped so easily.
Horses tired from pursuit fell one after another due to forceful braking, and
the gruesome sight of that further engulfing the rearguard was repeated.
Further hands attacked the Holy Knights who were lucky enough to escape
disaster and were stagnating in the danger zone where the dry moats were. This
was because trenches had been dug on both sides of the highway, and inside
them, two thousand soldiers were waiting with Estol Bows at the
ready.
「E-Enemy ambush!」 「Retreat! Retreat!」 「Fall back! I said fall back!」
Receiving a simultaneous volley of two thousand arrows from
a range of a hundred meters, they
fell into great confusion. Soldiers were also rushing in from the rear onto the
only remaining safe retreat path; clustered together in a state where they
couldn't retreat even if they wanted to, they merely became targets. On the
other hand, fortunately, those pursuing directly behind General Golpa's
unit were able to escape the initial disaster. However... misfortune equally
struck them as well.
「The enemy has been lured in
successfully! We will transition to a counterattack from here. The feelings of
having our homeland trampled, we will clear them here! Entire army, charge!」
The two thousand-strong decoy unit led by General Golpa
deployed to the left and right, each drawing a circle and rushing at them. With
many of their allies blocked by the dry moats, the pursuit unit of the Holy
Knights, which had now become overwhelmingly outnumbered, had its narrow
retreat path blocked by the rearguard as well, and those who protruded were
struck down one after another...
※
Watching the transition of the battlefield from the command
post, I issued instructions to press the attack further.
「Orders to the Longbow
soldiers (1,800) and the remaining bowmen (8,000) hiding in the forests on the
left and right! Join the attack and annihilate them! Stretch ropes at the
summit so they cannot escape!」
A storm of arrows assaulted the center army and rearguard of
the Holy Knights—who were staying halfway up the slope without
understanding what had happened—all at once from within the forests. At this
timing, at the place where the highway began to descend towards the Vile
Kingdom side, several ropes that had been buried in the ground beforehand
were drawn tight, and both ends were tied to trees, blocking their retreat to the
rear.
「The Long Spear unit alone
shall proceed according to the designated operation, and annihilate the enemy
soldiers fleeing towards the Cain Kingdom side from the left and right.
First, prepare for a simultaneous volley on the unit checking the war situation
at the very rear. Fire!」
When the bell was rung at my instruction, a Long Spear
attack boasting a range of six hundred meters,
in coordination with Wind Mages, assaulted the unit that was still
checking the war situation from a distance on the uphill slope of the Cain
Kingdom side. Bows and arrows with fierce momentum like flying spears
assaulted them, and taking crossfire from the left and right, both men and horses
were blown away.
「From here on, the Long Spear
unit shall focus on sweeping the enemy forces fleeing towards the Cain
Kingdom side; do not let a single soldier escape!」
After that, the fierce arrow attacks continued on both the Vile Kingdom side and the Cain Kingdom side of the highway, and in a short time, the six thousand cavalry of the Holy Knights that had sortied were annihilated. On this day, the highway on the Vile Kingdom side was dyed red with their shed blood...
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