Chapter 64

The protagonist was setting up a formation like this.

(In fact, the protagonist’s formation is larger than this.)

In truth, the crossbow is a ranged weapon, but since it can shoot directly, it is a weapon that allows for ‘aiming’.

That’s why in novels set against the backdrop of ‘medieval Europe’, there are often scenes where knights are sniped with crossbows, piercing their armor…

To put it bluntly, killing a knight in armor with a crossbow is exceedingly difficult.

Because plate mail made of iron is almost impervious to something like a crossbow.

The armor can be penetrated only when shot from very close range, targeting the weak points of the armor or the gaps.

However, a knight charging from ‘a distance’ must approach directly at a mere 8 kilometers per hour within the crossbow’s range of 300 meters, thus enduring dozens of shots.

Then, the front line or even the second line gets pierced, and the most important factor, the ‘cavalry’s charge speed’, dies.

As mobility decreases, the knight comes to resemble just an extremely sturdy barrel.

Therefore, the best way to deal with a knight is not to aim precisely at them but rather to shower them with arrows crazily.

Thus, I too took up the crossbow to raise the morale of my soldiers in the war.

After holding the crossbow, I placed the goat’s foot on the stock and aligned the front claw with the bowstring.

Then I pulled the handle of the goat’s foot to draw the bowstring tightly and took a bolt from the quiver strapped to my waist and loaded it into the crossbow.

This took about 15 seconds, and glancing over, I saw that other soldiers, thanks to their training, managed to load in just 10 seconds.

Once loaded, the approaching enemy knights looked even more imposing, raising clouds of dust.

The shining silver armor of the knights, the lances as long as trees, their shields emblazoned with colorful crests, and the massive horses draped in dull armor.

Such formidable beings loomed over us, looking down as if the distance between them and the knight beside me was non-existent.

Most terrifying were the thundering hoofbeats of the horses that seemed to shake the ground as if there was an earthquake, and the horses walking as slowly as if out for a stroll.

The procession of slowly walking horses felt as fearsome as if ‘a demon reaping souls’ was quietly matching its steps toward us.

However, if I fired ‘arrows’ before they accelerated, it would be a waste.

So, to prevent my soldiers from shooting arrows in vain, I drew my sword and shouted loudly.

“Until they pick up speed, no one is to fire an arrow! The first shot must be taken with utmost caution! Anyone who disobeys this order will face military law later.”

Whether my words were effective or not, there were no fools, with only a few exceptions, who reflexively shot arrows in response to the ‘approaching terror of death’.

This must be the result of training.

If they were untrained soldiers, they would already be firing wildly, and the enemies would be laughing at arrows that would never reach them.

Of course, the idiots who acted foolishly… would later be punished by the squad leader, but I hoped there would be no moronic squad leader to take them to the ‘military court’.

I was so scared that I almost shot as well.

And shortly thereafter, the enemies began to pick up speed.

The slight increase in pace from a slow walk meant that the enemy knights had entered the ‘range where arrows become effective’.

So, I shot arrows while saying as quickly as my mind ordered me to, trying to send as many arrows as possible at them.

“Everyone, keep firing until the whites of their eyes are visible! Shoot one more arrow!!!”

With that order, countless arrows flew forth to issue a ‘death sentence’ to the enemies.

Perhaps too many arrows were released at once, it created the illusion of a complete line connecting them.

Then, I swiftly loaded the next arrow and aimed again.

I couldn’t afford the time to aim properly but, because of the incredible number of arrows, the enemies’ speed was greatly mitigated.

At this speed, they were probably going a bit faster than a slow walk.

And due to the line of knights being hit and either killed or unseated by arrows, cracks began to appear in their otherwise ironclad formation.

Although they were still charging towards us at a slightly slower pace, the fact that they weren’t adhering to the fundamentals of a ‘cavalry charge’ that closes the ‘shallow cracks’…

It seemed that those fools had lost their composure from fear faster than our infantry.

So I continued loading arrows, laughing loudly as I spoke.

“Haha, those idiots! Nobles trying to look dignified while proclaiming ‘Honor above death’ are charging in staggered formation, forsaking their honor to survive! Such fools will be our meal!! Keep shooting!!!!”

By the time I had fired about 3? No, 4 arrows, they had come so close that I could see the pupils of their eyes through their helmet gaps.

When their lances were merely about 30 meters away, the shouts of the squad leaders rang out.

“If you want to live, raise your shields!”

“Spearmen, halberdiers, raise your shields!!”

“Crossbowmen, prepare to shoot after the lance charge when the shields lower!!!”

“His Excellency rides with you in the same carriage, sharing life and death! If you fall, the precious families of the territory will be plundered together!!”

As soon as I heard those words, the spearmen quickly hung their lances on the rack of the wagon and grabbed the thick wooden planks hanging beside the wagon to hold them like shields.

It took about 10 seconds for that motion to be completed, and the remaining 3 seconds, the spearmen and halberdiers supported the wooden plank like a shield.

From the moment the wooden plank was hoisted, I and all the soldiers could no longer see where the knights were.

We could only pray that the knights’ lances wouldn’t penetrate our wagon.

In those eternally long 2 seconds, all of us together unified our hearts in prayer…

The enemy knights also began shouting as if they were trying to overcome the ‘fear of charging against a thick wooden plank that was hard to pierce with lances.’

“Long live Count Schwabin!”

“Great Deus, protect us!!”

“Maria!!!!”

Then, the sound of the enemy lances and horses crashing into the wagon echoed.

Since I was holding the crossbow, I didn’t feel the direct impact like those holding the wooden plank…

Still, the cart was shoved backward forcefully from the impact, and I almost fell over in an instant.

However, falling from this cart would almost certainly result in death, so I endured with gritted teeth.

For a moment, I worried about whether the other soldiers were safe, but this was not the time for such thoughts.

About 10 seconds after the knights had charged fully into the wagon, the spearmen holding the wooden plank pushed it aside.

Several knights fell from their horses, and amongst them, the most unfortunate ones died instantly from broken arms, legs, or even necks.

The other knights, too, seemed to have been drained of strength as they moved forward at a crawl, trying to regroup.

This was proof that we had perfectly thwarted their charge, but the price was certainly not cheap.

Just looking around the cart with the Frost squad, among our spearmen and halberdiers, there were several with broken or dislocated shoulders, struggling to hold their spear properly.

Some of the injured soldiers would likely be incapable of standing on the battlefield or continuing with their daily lives…

But now was not the time to feel sad for them; we could only coldly butcher the enemy as much as possible.

To that end, I issued an order to execute the most efficient and brutal strategy possible in the current situation.

“Sergeant Randell! Raise the flag!! And crossbowmen, keep firing at the knights on horseback until they are a good distance away! But, for the first shot, aim for the gaps in their armor or at the horses! Everyone, fire at once!!”

In accordance with my order, the soldiers in the wagon facing the enemy unleashed a hail of arrows.

As a result, even though it was clear that about 9 out of 10 arrows missed or bounced off their armor…

The one arrow that hit certainly inflicted a fatal or serious wound upon the enemy.

The fact that hundreds of soldiers fired in unison meant that tens of knights died…

For the enemy, that would be an irreparable loss, and furthermore, it would instill enough fear that ‘even on the battlefield, where luck shouldn’t matter, knights could die.’

It might sound strange to call it fear, but in this era, knights rarely died due to the solid armor and implicit agreements among nobles, allowing such reckless charges.

Perhaps due to this, some of the more timid ones began to lower their weapons as they were swept by the desire to live, abandoning their honor.

However, knights are professionals trained to overcome the ‘fear’ that comes with charging directly at the enemy while knowing they are unlikely to perish.

As such, some of the vanguard among them, having resigned themselves to death, began to dismount and charge toward us.

True knights willing to protect their honor and the Count, even at the cost of their lives…

“Sergeant Randell, wave my flag to signal all soldiers except the crossbowmen to charge! And the Frost squad, prepare to charge with me! Are you ready to charge to take Schwabin’s neck?!”

At those words, all soldiers, including Lieutenant Frost, responded in unison.

“Long live Count Croilet! We will follow you!”

Though I had just dismounted, charging at a knight in metal plate mail is insane, yet without a single exception, they showed their willingness to follow me, which was… no, it was truly moving.

I had never seen such a scene even in a war movie.

So I wiped a tear with one hand, opened the left wall of the wagon, and advanced toward the enemy territory with Lieutenant Frost’s squad.

“Charge! We lack nothing against our enemies! And do not be afraid! We are at least five times their number! Surround them, pummel them, and capture or kill them! Accumulate achievements to cast aside the limitations of your status!”

With those words, along with Lieutenant Frost’s squad leading the way, the soldiers within 200 meters started to charge toward the knights.

Though a charge meant arraying the spear-wall and moving very slowly…

After about 30 seconds of advancing, the spear tips finally touched the enemy knights’ armor.

Now was the highlight of this battle.

To achieve a half-surrounding strategy, we must strike here and act as the anvil.

Only then could we pierce the nearly exhausted 2000 enemy knights with only 200 of our knights.

And through those scattered gaps, our infantry could then move in and completely decimate them.

When studying Western history, I had told my professor that I’d have no regrets if I could experience such intense close combat…

But now that I found myself in this situation, it truly…

“It’s shit! Damn Nante Count!! I will personally go in with my soldiers and make sure you face your own demise!!!”