Chapter 135

It is considered natural to deploy the execution squad and shoot arrows at mercenaries fleeing without any engagement.

However, sending execution squads and shooting arrows at mercenary units that have suffered near-total annihilation is regarded as a war crime even in this era.

Consequently, that mercenary company will have the right and justification to terminate the contract and demand compensation when tomorrow comes…

The issue is that even if the Duke’s actions are extreme, abandoning the battlefield or surrendering could tarnish the mercenary company’s reputation and threaten its very existence.

Thus, ultimately, they have no choice but to risk their lives and come this way for their daily bread.

Even if one understands this background, the sight of the mercenaries charging with blood of their comrades on them was ghostly.

Our soldiers were unable to contain their shock at that horrifying sight and spoke.

“Hey, isn’t this dangerous? The pikemen might as well, but we only have one-handed swords…”

“Lieutenant Mark, we’re all going to die at this rate. Shouldn’t we tell the Lieutenant Colonel to retreat?”

“The Lieutenant Colonel is a wise man. There will surely be a retreat order soon.”

As if in response to that expectation, Frost soon issued precise orders with a calm expression.

“Raise the blue flag for the first shot, and raise the white flag for the second shot. After firing, units must swiftly pass through the pikemen’s formation and fall back. The retreating soldiers should recover as many fallen soldiers’ guns as possible!”

Once the command was given, our soldiers fired matchlock rifles at the enemy mercenary unit.

After two shots, the speed of the mercenary unit charging with the determination to die slowed down.

It was surely because bodies with gunshot wounds were starting to appear in the midst of their ranks, some having been shot dead, others with holes in their arms, legs, and faces.

Taking advantage of that, the matchlock regiment began to pull back while recovering as many matchlock rifles as possible, and Frost and I led our soldiers to retreat last.

Frost and I were clad in armor just in case, so even covering a few hundred meters felt exhausting to the point of death.

After we joined the pikemen’s formation with all our strength, I ordered Frost and Walt, who was managing the infantry.

“Baron Walt, lead the soldiers to engage the enemy forces, and Lieutenant Colonel Frost, position the soldiers on the far left of the formation. After receiving the signal, prepare to fire in unison.”

“Yes, Your Excellency! Leave the infantry to me! I’ll ensure to bring back the head of Baron Agnes commanding the enemy infantry!”

Unlike the boldly responding Walt, Frost wore a troubled expression.

Surely he was confused due to the unfamiliar firing methods they had not trained in thus far.

However, without the matchlock regiment he commands, no other unit would be able to defeat the Duke’s knights.

And the best way to inflict the greatest damage on that Duke is to…

After we lose the initial clash and retreat, to shoot lead bullets into the side of the knights pursuing us in wedge formation.

In that case, the knights atop their horses would be stunned by the shock of realizing that the armor they wore was penetrated only by lead balls.

Also, as seen during the battle at Maxburg, horses that are not specially trained become frenzied due to the noise of gunfire and the smoke of gunpowder.

Then, no matter how elite the knights may be, they would fall off their horses, getting injured or rendered completely powerless.

So, I shook Frost’s shoulder, who wore a troubled expression, to bring him back to his senses and said.

“It will take about 30 minutes from now for me and the knights to come down to engage the enemy knights. During that time, set up a formation to strike at the enemy’s blind spots. At the same time, inform all commanders and sergeants that when the signal is given, we must fire in unison.”

“Understood.”

I patted Frost on the shoulder, full of trust as he returned to his usual self.

“The outcome of this volley will determine the fate of the war. So, make sure we succeed.”

With those words, I left Frost and Walt behind, quickly riding the horse Walt had been on toward the location where the knights were waiting.

Not long after, I could hear the sounds of our pikemen clashing with the enemy’s.

“Die!!”

“That madman is covered in the blood of our comrades, looking like a drowned rat!!”

“Die, you motherless bastard!”

This chaotic battle seems likely to drag on for quite some time, but in the end, the ones who must emerge victorious from this war have to be us.

**

After riding on Walt’s horse for about five minutes, I could see the knights, ready to charge, in the distance.

They were soon to be smashed like eggs against a rock, yet they appeared completely unfazed by such concerns.

A moment later, a knight grabbed the reins of my mount and approached me.

“Your Excellency, please mount your horse.”

“Thank you.”

After mounting, I moved to the very front of their ranks, received the lance emblazoned with my flag, and raised it high, declaring.

“Far away, our infantry and the enemy’s infantry are fighting for their lives. And soon, the Duke Architel, wounded from our matchlock regiment, will come to strike at our infantry’s flank. In that event… our infantry will all perish.”

I may have exaggerated a bit, but a formation is used to block an enemy attacking from one direction.

Thus, if attacked from both sides, even the most trained soldiers would struggle to adequately respond except from the front.

But what if the incoming enemy isn’t infantry, but knights?

Then a one-sided massacre would unfold.

“I, SIEL von Croilet, as their lord and a knight who knows honor, cannot allow my soldiers to fall prey to the knights of Duke Architel. Therefore, I plan to stand against the elite knights of Architel, risking my life today, to repay their loyalty.”

After saying those words, I paused briefly before continuing.

“Of course, it’s no easy feat to fight when we’re outnumbered against 3,000 Romanian knights with just 1,000. However, if we can withstand just one clash… the enemy will surely fall right into the traps I’ve set. Then we will definitely win. So, you must all be prepared to fight and die alongside me. Also, this time, I shall lead the vanguard, so follow my lead.”

The knights murmured at my declaration of leading the vanguard.

“If Your Excellency leads the vanguard and then retreats…”

“Don’t speak such ominous words! The vanguard is a frightening and dangerous position, but dying in the vanguard is at best a one in ten chance!”

“Sir Beden’s point is valid, but… I can’t help but feel uneasy.”

Some generals in the Three Kingdoms also faced this situation, and numerous other renowned commanders have met their demise while holding the vanguard.

Many battles that were nearly won have crumbled due to the death of the commander leading the vanguard, making such incidents countless in history.

Thus, historians have come to assert since the Three Kingdoms era that it is madness for a sovereign to lead the vanguard.

However, in the Western world, especially before the invention of guns, it was rare for a general leading the vanguard to die while clad in full plate armor.

So, I too should likely avoid dying, and to lure that accursed Duke Architel to where the matchlock regiment awaits, I must lead the charge.

With such thoughts in mind, I cleared my head and quietly guided my horse to the front of the knights, lowering the lance I held high as I began to charge.

Many knights formed a line behind me based on my position.

We all rode on, maintaining a gap barely wide enough to fit an egg between the knights on either side and between our knees.

After charging for about five minutes, or perhaps ten, the enemy knights began to come into view ahead.

They were forming up in wedge formation, perhaps confident they could tear us apart with this charge, advancing quicker than us.

According to the formula of speed * mass = impact, in the collision of knights of similar weight…

We were at a disadvantage due to our slightly slower speed.

Despite the circumstances, I spoke to the knights, suppressing the fear welling up inside me.

“They may be large and fast, but those guys have no brains to think! Do not be afraid, just endure this shock!”

As I repeated those words to myself, I focused all my attention on the knight ahead of me.

Soon, the fiercest clash of this battle would occur.