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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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The enemy forces that emerged from the Twin Towers formed a horizontal line. They seemed to have judged that holding the high ground was more advantageous than attacking our still disorganized troops.
They numbered around two hundred, with about thirty elite soldiers. There were fewer than ten cavalry, even including Powell Osborne and the two knights.
“While the enemy has twice as many troops, our elite forces are comparable, and we have the advantage in cavalry. This means we can achieve victory with wisdom and courage.”
As all the vassals from prominent families were cavalry, our core strength was superior.
“It’s all thanks to Sir Allen defeating two of their knights!”
The soldiers weren’t the only ones whose attitudes had changed after I drew the enemy out of the tower with three stones.
Several vassals looked at me with awe. Even Bolton, who had been antagonistic towards me, regarded me differently.
Of course, in the latter case, it wasn’t in a good way. I had defeated two knights and forced the enemy, who had been holding a strong defensive position, to come out into the open.
These feats alone were significant achievements, and if I could further distinguish myself in battle, this war would truly become my own.
Conversely, it meant Bolton and the other vassals would receive meager rewards for their investment. While it wouldn’t be a loss, it wouldn’t be a significant gain either, considering the risks of war.
That was why Bolton had no choice but to make his proposal.
“Sir Allen, allow us to take charge of the right flank.”
The role of the right flank was to break through the enemy’s left flank and encircle their forces. Due to its importance, the right flank typically received a larger share of the spoils of war.
Bolton, facing the prospect of returning empty-handed, was trying to recoup his losses in a single battle. Moreover, if he successfully fulfilled the role of the right flank, he could even become the hero of the war.
His intentions were transparent, but I couldn’t refuse outright.
It was customary to deploy elite soldiers or highly mobile cavalry on the right flank, as they were responsible for breaking through enemy lines. The vassals, all of whom were cavalry, would be a suitable choice.
“Ahem.”
The vassals weren’t the only ones interested in the right flank. Fiore, standing behind me, coughed and nudged me. Then, she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear,
“Don’t forget our promise.”
I had promised Fiore that if she followed me, I would ensure she gained fame and recognition that transcended her gender. She seemed to believe the right flank was the perfect opportunity to fulfill that promise.
I remained silent and observed them. Their faces were flushed, and their bodies fidgeted restlessly.
‘They’re all excited.’
Was it the prospect of a bright future, fueled by my heroic feats and the seemingly favorable war situation? Perhaps it was their inexperience.
As befitting a group of heirs to prominent families, this was likely their first time participating in a war as key players. Fiore was no exception.
The same applied to me, but the difference was that I knew Powell Osborne was a formidable opponent.
‘The Fox of the Battlefield is no mere nickname.’
While Powell Osborne had been repeatedly outmaneuvered by me, it was only because he had been caught off guard by my unconventional tactics.
A knight whose reputation was built on strategy rather than brute force would be even more formidable in battle. Indeed, I noticed something peculiar.
‘He’s concentrated his elite soldiers on the left flank.’
As I mentioned before, it was customary to deploy elite soldiers on the right flank. This was simply because most soldiers were right-handed. Therefore, the most common tactic was for the right flank to break through the enemy’s left and encircle them.
However, Powell Osborne had concentrated his thirty elite soldiers on his left flank. Moreover, their numbers were far greater than those on his center or right flanks.
‘He wouldn’t have concentrated his forces there just to defend against our right flank.’
After all, the enemy still had twice as many troops. They wouldn’t adopt a defensive strategy. Moreover, he was known as the Fox of the Battlefield. He must have had something up his sleeve.
The problem was that I couldn’t discern his intentions until we clashed. Therefore, I needed to be cautious.
One thing was certain: people devised strategies based on typical scenarios. While a skilled strategist would also prepare countermeasures for unexpected moves, their primary focus would still be on the most likely scenario.
‘That means our right flank, which looks so tempting, is the most dangerous.’
Having organized my thoughts, I looked at the vassals, their eager gazes fixed on me like chicks waiting to be fed.
“Wouldn’t our breakthrough be more effective if I were on the right flank?”
The vassals hurriedly waved their hands in protest.
“We’re more than enough!”
“You’ve just come from a grueling duel, Sir Knight! Leave the right flank to us!”
“Holding the line is just as important as breaking through! It would be reassuring to have you on the left flank, Sir Knight.”
It seemed the vassals had finally realized Bolton’s intentions and decided to join in. I reluctantly stepped back.
“Well, I suppose you all have your own aspirations for this war. It wouldn’t be right for me to hog all the glory.”
I made it clear that I was aware of their scheme and that this was a concession on my part. It was a preemptive measure to prevent them from trying the same tactic again.
The vassals offered awkward smiles and expressed their gratitude. Of course, it was impossible to please everyone.
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“You idiot! How could you give up the right flank so easily?! The merit you’ll gain from defeating two knights and drawing the enemy out of the tower is nothing compared to the contributions you could make on the right!”
As the vassals gathered their troops and moved to the right flank to organize their ranks, Fiore, now alone with me in the command tent, revealed her true feelings. I poured her a cup of wine from a brass bottle.
“One cannot live alone in this world. They, too, are risking their lives on the battlefield. They won’t follow me if they gain nothing.”
It was an excuse. I couldn’t tell her I had taken the right flank away from them because I thought it was dangerous. It was a weak justification, and Fiore, in her boldness, might have even embraced the danger for the sake of glory.
“Then you should have at least put me on the right flank!”
Perhaps that was what she truly wanted to say. Her transparent intentions made me chuckle.
“You have a different role to play.”
“A different role?”
“The left flank isn’t always relegated to a defensive position.”
Powell Osborne’s troop deployment had given me an idea. Couldn’t Fiore, myself, and the thirty elite mercenaries fulfill the role of the right flank from the left?
“You… You had this planned all along?”
“Fiore, will you join me?”
“You’ve already set things in motion, so what’s the point of asking?”
Despite her gruff words, Fiore grinned.
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Once our troops were in formation, I drew my sword and stood before them. The elite mercenaries I had hired looked nervous. The less capable conscripts were even more so.
With the enemy outnumbering us by roughly two to one, their fear was understandable. Unlike the confident vassals, they were pragmatic.
If this continued, we would be defeated before the battle even began. I raised my sword and yelled,
“I don’t expect loyalty! That’s a knight’s burden to bear! Think only of what lies beyond! You’ve all heard that the enemy’s territory is rich in resources!”
Baron Debussy’s territory was famous for its vineyards. The wine produced there was even supplied to the royal family. Moreover, alcohol was a commodity that never lost its value, even in times of war.
“Once we break through their lines, there will be no one to stop us! You can all return home wealthy! I won’t ask you to fight for me! Think only of the riches you’ll gain!”
“Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!”
The spearmen struck the ground with the butts of their spears, and the swordsmen struck their shields. Their hands tightened around their weapons, and their feet pounded the earth, ready to charge.
Their eyes gleamed with the thrill of battle and the promise of riches. Fear was no longer a factor.
I pointed my sword towards the enemy and yelled,
“Plunder!”
Fiore, looking at me with newfound respect, blew her horn.
Poo— Poo— Poo—
Our troops advanced in a horizontal line. The enemy moved when we were halfway up the hill. But their movements were strange.
Their right flank remained stationary, their center advanced slowly, and their left flank moved at normal speed, gradually forming a diagonal formation.
At this rate, the enemy’s left flank would engulf our right before our left flank even encountered their right. Having destroyed our right flank, the enemy’s left would then encircle our remaining forces.
‘So that’s why he concentrated his elite troops on the left.’
It was a pincer movement using the left flank, contrary to conventional tactics. It was similar to what I had envisioned. Therefore, victory would belong to whoever annihilated the opposing right flank first.
There was no time to think. The enemy was rapidly approaching, and soon, their protruding left flank clashed with our right.
Clang!
The clash of weapons signaled the start of the battle.
“Fiore! We must annihilate their right flank and encircle them before their left flank reaches us! It’s a race against time!”
Our right flank’s encounter with the enemy’s left was significantly delayed, putting us at a disadvantage. To compensate, I gave Fiore her orders and spurred my horse forward.
“Follow me! If you lag behind, I’ll kill you all!”
Fiore immediately followed, leading the elite mercenaries. The remarkable thing was that she quickly overtook me and reached the enemy’s right flank first. Her horsemanship was superior.
“Hiya!!”
Fiore charged like lightning. A startled enemy soldier instinctively thrust his spear, but she deflected it with her sword and, pushing deeper, cut down the soldier who had tried to stab her.
With each playful flick of her wrist, another enemy soldier fell. Her horse, in perfect sync with her movements, carried her towards the next target.
It was a perfect example of horse and rider as one. I had seen it during her fight against Jude Horn, but Fiore’s horsemanship was truly masterful.
I wasn’t idle either. Following the path she cleared, I cut down the enemy soldiers who tried to attack her from behind.
“Oh?”
Fiore, realizing that the soldiers she had been about to attack were gone, glanced at me and grinned.
“You’ll fall if you only look ahead.”
“You can protect me, can’t you?”
Fiore, caught up in the excitement of battle, made a bold statement she wouldn’t normally utter. Realizing the implication of her words, she quickly turned away and spurred her horse.
“I’m going ahead!”
Thanks to the enemy concentrating their elite forces on the left, their right flank was poorly equipped. They were no match for Fiore and me. Nor were they a match for the thirty elite mercenaries following behind us.
“Reserves! Advance!”
Powell Osborne wasn’t idle either. Seeing his left flank being overrun, he blocked my path with his reserves.
He was able to deploy reserves thanks to his superior numbers. While they weren’t numerous, they were better equipped than his right flank.
Despite the chaos of battle, our eyes met. He smiled and said,
“A duel and a war are completely different. You’re surrounded, and you’re already dead. Surrender!”
Powell Osborne’s reserves blocked my path, and the remnants of his right flank began to encircle me from behind. I was trapped.
Moreover, our right flank, which had initially charged into the enemy’s left, had lost its momentum. The vassals were being pulled from their horses and killed one by one. The infantry followed suit.
At this rate, the annihilation of our right flank was only a matter of time. Powell Osborne had won the battle of attrition.
His tactics and leadership were truly impressive, exceeding even his reputation as the Fox of the Battlefield.
Yet, I smiled.
“You think I’ve lost?”
“Can’t you see the situation?”
“War is merely an extension of politics.”
How could the vassals’ deaths be a loss for me? The fewer there were, the more Segeric would rely on me.
Moreover, they had taken a significant number of the enemy’s elite soldiers with them. In other words, while I appeared to be surrounded, the number of elite soldiers who could actually stop me had dwindled to single digits. And they were at the rear of the enemy formation, far away from me.
“What…!”
“This is what I mean! Hiya!”
I spurred my horse forward. If I could just break through Powell Osborne’s reserves, I could still turn the tables.
My horse, excited, charged despite the spears pointed at us. I swung my sword, deflecting a spear thrust before it could reach my horse.
As if to reward me, my horse carried me closer to the enemy soldiers, and I swung my sword again. My full-powered diagonal slash split the soldier in two.
It was a gruesome sight, rarely seen even on the battlefield, and one that reminded the enemy soldiers of the carnage at the tower.
“Eek! A-A demon! The demon has returned!”
The soldiers around the slain soldier stumbled back. Fear was contagious. Even those who didn’t understand the situation began to retreat, swept up in the panic.
“Don’t retreat! Don’t…”
Powell Osborne yelled, but it was too late. I had already exploited the opening, Fiore and the elite mercenaries following close behind. Our right flank wasn’t far behind.
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Many gore happens lately…
