The Battle of Buteya 1
Translator: Cinder Translations
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For the Byerldine soldiers who were conscripted by their respective lords, September 3rd was an extremely tragic day.
Just a few days prior, they were diligently working in the fields to support their families when the steward from the lord's castle arrived in the village and asked the village chief to gather all the able-bodied men.
The steward selected those who appeared to be more robust from the crowd and announced, "The despicable and lowly Aldens have kidnapped Lord Malon Ganard of Byerldine. We must teach them a harsh lesson. From now on, you will fight for the glory of Byerldine."
The lord's orders had to be obeyed; otherwise, they might be hanged, and their families would be punished by being enslaved.
The steward instructed the selected men to bring whatever household items could serve as "weapons" and follow him to the lord's castle because the weapon stock at the castle was often insufficient.
Sure enough, upon arriving at the lord's castle, only about half of the men received spears, a few received wooden shields, and the rest had to fight for their lord with their "farmer weapons." These "farmer weapons" were varied: pitchforks, hoes, sickles, and even wooden sticks.
They were divided into several hundred-man teams, each led by a knight for training.
In the following days, they trained on how to form a line, move collectively, and set up camp. Most of the time was spent using wooden sticks to practice hand-to-hand combat.
Occasionally, a few enthusiastic knights would offer combat tips, but more often, they stood by watching for amusement. There were many instances where practice injuries led to real fights, which were a great source of entertainment as long as no one was killed.
After a few days of hasty training, the soldiers were led by the knights to Buteya, where they were to collect supplies and some other military equipment before heading to the neighboring territory to settle accounts with the Aldens.
Upon arrival, they found that the needed supplies were not yet fully prepared, so they had to stay in Buteya for a few days. The barracks in Buteya couldn't accommodate so many people, so they were lodged in some local homes.
Some unruly individuals caused frequent conflicts between the soldiers and the civilians. The lord's manor sent people to execute a few individuals indiscriminately, which brought a temporary calm.
Suddenly, orders came that the Aldens had approached, and they had to immediately leave the city to fight them. The city of Buteya was thrown into chaos. It took several hours from noon to gather everyone. Led by the knights, they marched out of the city and formed their ranks.
After exiting the city, under the supervision of the knights' whips, the soldiers had just formed four phalanxes when the Aldens appeared in their line of sight. Seeing that the Aldens were only half their number, they felt there was nothing to worry about.
Various small leaders shouted the lords' orders hoarsely: "Anyone retreating without orders will be hanged. A reward of 100 copper coins for killing or capturing an Alden soldier, and 1 silver coin for an Alden officer."
The strict military regulations and generous rewards stirred the troops. Many began to talk excitedly about how to earn more military merit, while many others closed their eyes and silently prayed to the Lord of Light.
The Aldens stopped not far away, and the lords decided to take the initiative to attack them. Four knights each commanded a phalanx to move towards the enemy's position.
"Earn military merit by beheading enemies!"
As they advanced, the various commanders in the army shouted to boost morale, and many soldiers let out strange cries to bolster their own courage.
Just as they were getting closer to the Alden ranks, white smoke suddenly rose from the front row of the enemy. With a crackling sound, tragedy struck...
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"First row, fire!"
Captain Dempsey issued the command, and the first row of musketeers pulled their triggers. Forty deadly bullets flew towards the front phalanx of the Byerldine soldiers.
A chorus of screams erupted. Though the Byerldine phalanx became increasingly disorganized, the soldiers were packed densely together, and over three-quarters of the bullets found their targets. Dozens of soldiers fell, some dying instantly, others clutching their wounds and writhing in agony.
Despite the initial casualties, most Byerldine soldiers did not immediately react. Driven by momentum, they continued to advance with their spears towards the Alden army.
The first row of musketeers quickly retreated to reload. Dempsey commanded, "Second row, fire!"
The crackling sound rang out again, and another swath of Byerldine soldiers fell. This time, the soldiers at the front realized something was terribly wrong. Without even encountering the enemy or seeing any arrows, so many had fallen. It was inexplicable.
Panic began to spread among the front ranks, causing them to slow down unknowingly. Some soldiers widened their eyes to see what the Aldens were up to, while others tried to help their fallen comrades, tearing open blood-soaked clothes to reveal large, shocking wounds.
The slowdown in the front caused a chain reaction. The uninformed soldiers at the back started pushing and shoving, urging the "cowards" in front not to block the way. Shouts and screams mingled on the battlefield.
The musketeers fired again, and more soldiers screamed and fell. The soldiers at the front finally broke down, either turning to hide behind others or running to the sides of the formation, trying not to become targets for the Aldens.
A knight commanding from the rear saw all this and realized it was the effect of the Aldens' strange weapons. He now understood that those oddly shaped sticks were some kind of long-range weapon.
He grabbed the nearest soldier, "You! Go to the rear and inform the lords to send the archers forward!"
Then he spurred his horse to the front, raising his whip to lash at the panicked soldiers, shouting, "Fools! It's just some weapon similar to bows and crossbows. How can you be so terrified?!"
He drew his sword and held it high, shouting, "The enemy has long-range weapons. We must charge forward in one fell swoop! Now, listen to my command: full assault!"
The four "phalanxes" of the Byerldine soldiers moved in a staggered formation towards the Alden army. The knight's voice carried to his fellow commanders, who signaled their agreement to follow the action.
...
Paul was very satisfied with the effect of the first volley. At this distance, the power of the volley fire was significant.
He instructed the messenger, "Notify the artillery to disperse the rear two phalanxes."
Then he commanded the two battalion commanders, "Have your mortars open fire! Spearmen, prepare to charge. After one volley from the musketeers, charge and concentrate on annihilating the front two enemy groups!"
...
The front Byerldine phalanx reformed their ranks and began to advance at a run.
However, at that moment, the six mortars of the Alden army also opened fire. Accompanied by thunderous roars, hundreds of pieces of shrapnel flew out, creating a massive area of destruction. Given the tightly packed formation of the Byerldine soldiers, a large number were instantly mowed down.
Faced with enormous casualties, the instinct to avoid danger overwhelmed them. The first phalanx instantly broke apart, with soldiers running back without hesitation. The knights stationed to keep order were stunned, horrified by the scene that had just unfolded.
The artillery unit positioned on a nearby hill also opened fire. At a mere distance of a hundred meters, there was no need for test shots; all the cannons fired directly at the third phalanx.
The thunderous sound echoed again, signaling another arrival of death. Eight solid iron shells carved multiple bloody paths through the phalanx.
The knight commanding this phalanx was struck squarely in the waist by a cannonball, and everyone watched in terror as their knight was torn in half, his finely crafted armor providing no protection.
The cannonball, after killing the knight, continued its deadly path through the soldiers, causing carnage with blood and limbs flying everywhere.
The third phalanx collapsed!
(End of the chapter)