Chapter 175

As I commanded, after a total of five shots, the air was filled with thick black smoke to the point where I could barely see.

At the same time, a faint acrid smell from the potassium nitrate, the raw material of gunpowder, along with the rusty smell of blood from the fallen enemy soldiers and the vile odor of intestines assaulted my nose.

When the smoke clears, I will see the corpses of soldiers, bleeding from bullet holes, pitifully dead, and soldiers terrified and wetting themselves.

After a moment, as the tremendous noise from the matchlock rifle shots faded…

Though less than when I fought against the Duke of Architel, now just the Count of Architel, desperate screams could still be heard.

“Martin! Black! If you don’t want to die, grab your window right now! If the formation collapses, we’re all dead!”

“Henry! What are you saying… the Captain Hundred is already gone… there’s no way out now but to run!”

“Uh… Mom… save me… it hurts…”

The groans of seriously injured or slowly dying soldiers mixed with the desperate words of terrified soldiers, amidst that, there were those trying to gather themselves to counterattack.

With the gunpowder smoke still partially lingering, it was hard to guess the exact situation.

However, judging from what I’ve heard so far, it seems the enemy has fallen into considerable chaos due to the gunfire, but with some soldiers regaining their composure, the forces will soon be rebuilt.

“Anyone who retreats from here will lose their head! And when you return, remember the ones we killed clearly, and find out who their commanding officer is!”

“Anyone caught fleeing won’t return to Deus’s embrace! And their families will be exiled from the village!”

“Your wives will have to sell their bodies in the city to survive, and your daughters will become slaves, while your sons will die begging on the streets!”

“You scoundrel, where do you think you’re running to!! Die!!”

“If we win, the Marquis Simon will generously reward us!! Follow the flag you see ahead!! If we kill Marquis SIEL von Croilet, rank will be granted regardless of status to anyone who kills him!”

As the commanders scolded and encouraged soldiers attempting to desert from behind their lines, they would soon regain their momentum.

So, taking advantage of the moment, mobilizing all our forces like chopping wood would be the most effective tactic to increase the enemy’s casualties.

Temporarily withdrawing the matchlock riflemen to quickly remove the lead stuck in the barrels and resupply the ammunition from the support troops…

Then, the most efficient strategy would be to reduce the enemy infantry as much as possible from the front lines again.

Also, the role of the reserves is to leave the fighting before me to the left wing, right wing, and central forces, and to wait for an opportunity to deliver a decisive blow.

Thus, even if I monopolize the credit for annihilating the enemy’s central forces with my entire army, there would be no objections.

However, to proceed with this war in the direction I desire, it is necessary to share something to a certain extent.

Also, it serves to minimize the sacrifice of my forces.

“Withdraw the troops and resupply ammunition from the supply wagons behind, while they remove any left-over lead from the rifles. After that, coordinate with Count Valier, who commands the infantry, to pursue the enemy’s central forces until they are dust.”

“Yes, Your Excellency! Knights, raise the retreat and resupply flags!! We will resupply the ammunition and clean the barrels and return!!”

Shortly after my orders were repeated, the flags were soon raised, and we temporarily withdrew from the battlefield.

During that time, I instructed a messenger to relay the following to Count Valier.

“In 30 minutes, I will mobilize the matchlock riflemen to hit the enemy’s central forces. However, as powerful as the matchlock rifles are, there are limits, so please mobilize the spear soldiers under His Majesty Orleans for support when the enemy approaches.”

If my matchlock riflemen and the spear soldiers under Duke Orleans cooperate to break through and annihilate the enemy’s central forces, then it is natural that the credit will be shared equally between the commander and Duke Orleans for their support.

Thus, we will not be holding nothing, and will not suffer a loss of honor, and Duke Orleans will also collect a suitable amount of credit, preventing him from pressing us for the damage to the central forces.

“Your Excellency, Count Valier has said he will advance with his knights and spear soldiers to the vanguard. What will you do?”

“I will go to the vanguard with all the matchlock riflemen except for the severely injured.”

“Understood.”

**

As I moved with my forces to the front lines where we were facing the enemy, I saw enemy soldiers who had managed to regain their momentum to some extent.

Using the infantry under Duke Orleans to hold the line against those enemy forces.

First, I positioned my soldiers in a suitable spot behind the infantry under the Duke, and sent a messenger to Count Valier.

“Arrange the matchlock riflemen in six ranks, then fire together to create a large hole in the enemy formation. Following that, use the opening to deploy the soldiers wielding spears, halberds, and polearms. After that, when the enemy regains some composure, retreat quickly. Soon after, we attack again in unison. Repeat this operation until we completely obliterate the enemy’s central forces.”

Not long after sending the messenger, rather than responding directly, Count Valier seemed to wish to show it through action as a large hole was created in the formation made by our infantry.

“Follow me, my soldiers.”

With that command, I urged my horse forward toward the gap in the formation.

The soldiers followed me at their fastest speed, and after about ten minutes, they established the formation.

“Widen your arms slightly more than shoulder length! After spreading them, the first rank will fire in order, and those who finish shooting will quickly kneel! The soldiers in the next rank should wait until the front soldier has knelt before firing!!”

Then, from the back of the formation, I raised my sword and commanded them to fire.

Immediately, rapid firing followed from the front to the last sixth rank.

“Load! Do not fire recklessly until the command to fire is given after loading! And now, Valier’s elite troops will be passing by, so be careful! Don’t collide!!”

In battle, we tend to imagine our cavalry knights falling off their horses or colliding with each other and dying…

But in reality, when infantry collide… it often leads to injuries due to the shock of the rapidly moving soldiers.

Worse still, if someone falls, they might be trampled to death by many of their own soldiers.

In fact, in combat between infantry, it’s common for soldiers who fall while retreating to be trampled by their own side and die.

Like the saying, ‘Even a tiger can be summoned’, it was almost miraculous that Valier’s elite infantry came through with complete awareness.

Also, perhaps because they were elite, every soldier carried proper armor and weapons, moving in an orderly manner was a sight to behold.

“Be quick!!”

“When the enemy is in chaos, we have to push in as much as possible!!!”

“Right now, the enemy’s frontlines are just like a chicken that lays eggs for achievements! So put in your effort for Sir Broil, who will soon be promoted to a knight!!”

“Our Captain Hundred will become a knight faster than I’ll get married. Heave-ho!!”

Before long, the first soldiers wielding spears charged into the hole in the enemy formation.

The soldiers pushed ahead with their spears thrust forward, followed by those with halberds and swords.

The halberd-wielding soldiers crushed heads with their hammers and severed necks with their axe blades, killing the serfs beside where the spears had pierced, while soldiers with swords would hack down the rare enemy commanders or spear soldiers they encountered.

As a result, the enemy infantry unit led by Marquis Simon was pierced even to the back ranks of their elite guards.

Thus, the infantry under Count Iris rushed to provide urgent support, but…

My family’s knights, whom I had commanded to bypass in advance, struck hard at the left flank of Count Iris’s formation, while knights led by Counts Izza and Ilerias came around and attacked the rear.

At the same time.

“The enemy commander, Marquis Simon’s defense was already slain by Baron Dife!!”

“The supplies stacked up in the supply route, overseen by Count Laureant’s vassal Baron Marin, I personally cut down!! Surrender! Or die!!”

With the news that both the command and supply lines were compromised, the enemy generals began a retreat out of necessity to survive.

Since all supplies were compromised, surely many will starve or desert during their retreat.

Furthermore, it would take a considerable amount of time for them to regroup… so taking advantage of that opportunity to seize as much ground as possible would be advantageous.

Otherwise, they would continue to engage in battles that could have been avoided.

“Messenger, suggest to His Majesty Orleans that we use merchant traders to rest until tomorrow, leaving only a minimal number of soldiers here to maintain order on the battlefield while we make a rapid march.”

While regular folks might suggest to retreat in haste during an emergency, in this situation, doing so out of urgency would be foolish.