Chapter 234: Out of the Forest

"My lord, can I also charge with you?"

Squire Noah Rowan looked at Samwell with longing eyes.

"Okay," Samwell did not refuse, "Follow me, don't run around."

"Yes, sir!"

Looking at Cleopatra, who wanted to follow, Samwell shook his head and refused, signalling her to stay where she was.

She's not big enough yet to be of much help, and she can't fly high in the jungle. If she is injured by crossbow arrows, Samwell will feel very distressed.

At this time, the fighting at the rear of the military formation became more and more intense. The Stormlanders seemed to have gone crazy and suddenly burst out with shocking shouts of killing.

Samwell looked up and saw several flags of different styles appearing behind them. It seemed that the nobles of the Stormlands had appeared.

He recognized the flags of House Selmy, House Fell, House Penros, and House Buckler. These were all the great families in the northern part of the Stormlands.

As expected by Earl Randyll, the enemy has taken the bait.

Samwell quickly put on his helmet and rode forward, preparing to meet the enemy.

At this time, under the crazy attack of the Stormlanders, the casualties of the Reach soldiers suddenly increased. Their rear position had obviously been shaken, and the rotation of the military formation was out of control.

At this time, military judges had to come forward to supervise the battle and even executed some wavers before the battle to improve military discipline.

But generally, when this happens, military discipline will only slide in a more chaotic direction.

This really can't be blamed on the Reach soldiers in the rear position for not being firm enough. They suffered too heavy losses.

What's even more frustrating is that because of Earl Randyll's strict orders and the large army moving forward, they can't organize an effective counterattack at all and can only be beaten passively.

At this moment, the flags of the Stormland nobles' army on the opposite was clearly seen. Amidst the dull sound of horns, the Stormland cavalry also swarmed in and launched a final attack on the Reach military formation.

Upon seeing this, Earl Randyll immediately ordered the entire army to stop advancing and sounded the horn for a counterattack.

Finally, the war finally entered the decisive stage.

After receiving the signal, Samwell decisively led the cavalry to charge backwards, swarmed out of the gaps in the infantry array, and launched a full counterattack against the Stormlanders.

Facing the Reach people's counterattack, the Stormlanders, who were already red-eyed, chose to fight head-on.

Two torrents of steel crashed into each other in the forest.

On the battlefield, many factors determine victory or defeat, including the commander's strategizing, the knight's on-the-battle command, the courage and will of the soldiers, and even some miraculous and low-probability events, such as a war horse suddenly losing its front hoof.

But in the end, when the two sides collide head-on, the real competition is things such as equipment, weapons, and the quality of soldiers—these things that truly reflect hard power.

And it just so happened that the Reach army at this time was significantly stronger than the Stormland army in this aspect.

So after the two sides collided without any fancy, it was Reach who finally had the upper hand.

What's more, Samwell, the God of Death, is here. When the great sword [Dawn] was unsheathed and slashed out, the hot sword light was like the dawn, melting and dispersing everything in front of him.

Whether it was steel armour, bones and flesh, or tall trees, they were all chopped off and burned with a single slash.

This kind of unearthly terrifying power has a terrible impact on the enemy, especially psychologically.

"The legend of Skyreach City is true," Sir Quinta Buckler looked at the terrifying knight who looked like a demon, and his heart was instantly filled with fear and panic.

When he heard that Caesar from Eagle Island killed four kingsguard with one swing, he didn't believe it and thought it was an exaggerated rumour.

But what he saw with his own eyes at this moment made him believe it.

How can we fight against such an enemy?

"He can't keep swinging his sword!" Earl Harwood Fell said firmly, his eyes fixed on the Reach Knight who brought the battlefield into a blood and fire.

At this time, Samwell no longer wielded the great sword.

Because it was no longer needed.

The power of the three slashes had frightened the Stormlanders. They were avoiding Samwell as if avoiding death. No one dared to go up and test the power of the great sword again.

Samwell looked at a no-man's land-like passage that appeared in front of him and stopped wielding the sword. The tip of the sword drooped, and the firelight on the sword dimmed.

This scene gave Lord Harwood Fell the courage, and so he decided to give it a try.

He also has to give it a try.

After all, further ahead is the Fell family's Felwood City. Others still have a way out, but he doesn't have any.

"He can't keep swinging the sword!" Earl Harwood Fell repeated again, not sure whether he was trying to convince himself or his companions.

Count Arstan Selmy has actually decided to quit.

Judging from the reaction of the Reach soldiers, the opponent should have been prepared, and even the flaw in the tail was probably a trap intentionally left by Randyll Tarly.

But at this time, he did not dare to issue an order to withdraw his troops.

With this withdrawal, the Reach soldiers will be able to leave the Kingswood tomorrow.

After leaving the Kingswood, his army alone would no longer be able to hinder the enemy. If Reach's army intercepted the king's army before it entered Bronzegate City, then they would have to fight again and they have no chance of winning.

The entire northern part of the Stormlands will fall into the hands of the Reach.

Thinking of this, Earl Arstan gritted his teeth and said, "Earl Harwood is right, the Viscount of Eagle Island has probably exhausted all his strength. Everyone, rush in with me!"

After that, he rushed out immediately.

Earl Harwood Fell immediately followed, and the knights and soldiers behind him followed suit, rushing forward with a tragic aura.

Samwell had already broken through the enemy formation at this time, and the Stormlanders' attack was about to collapse, but they heard the sound of the horn again, and the Stormlanders actually pressed forward with their entire army, seemingly ready to give it a try.

The enemy was approaching fiercely, but Samwell was not surprised but delighted.

He turned around, looked at his younger brother who was following him closely, and asked, "You ready ?"

"Of course!" Dickon nodded without hesitation.

Just the flashing red-gold light in his eyes made Samwell frown slightly.

But at this time, he couldn't care about this and immediately raised [Dawn] high above his head, and the fire ignited again, like a guiding torch, and said: "Everyone, follow me and charge!"

After that, he turned the horse's head and headed towards the Stormlanders, charging forward with the crowned stag banner held high.

Count Arstan watched the giant sword in the hand of the Viscount of Eagle Island burn with fire again, and the luck in his heart receded like the tide.

But at this moment, it was impossible for him to retreat.

He can only move forward.

He is the nephew of Barristan the Fearless Selmy, the famous kingsguard in the Seven Kingdoms. How could he back down from the battle?

Count Arstan held his breath, levelled his spear, and recalled what his uncle had said to him in his mind: "There is nothing more terrifying than war, nothing more glorious than war, and nothing more absurd than war, but equally, there is nothing more suitable for becoming a knight than war."

Walking through the forest, Count Arstan could already see the bronze armour of the Reach Knight opposite and the strange runes carved on it.

He saw the flaming giant sword.

The great sword slashed out, and Count Arstan's vision was filled with blood.

The Lord of the Haystack Hall closed his stinging eyes and secretly wondered if his uncle had the same thought when he was on the banks of the Trident River.

War is the best destination for knights.

The fire roared out and completely engulfed the blue brass buckle flag of the Selmy family.

Samwell didn't stop and rode on.

All his mental attributes were transformed into strength, his thinking began to freeze, and his slashing movements were almost entirely instinctive.

Under his leadership, the Reach Cavalry was invincible and their forward momentum was unstoppable.

For a moment, flesh and blood were flying everywhere, fire was everywhere, and human lives were like paper.

The Stormlanders' army finally began to collapse.

The first one to evacuate was Sir Quinta Buckler of BronzeGate City. When he saw Count Arstan Selmy being killed with a sword, he became so frightened that he turned his horse's head and fled.

As soon as he left, the troops of Bronzegate City immediately lost their discipline.

What followed was an avalanche chain reaction.

Soon, the entire Stormland military formation began to waver and collapse, and countless people turned around and ran deep into the jungle.

At this time, the Reach army, under the command of Earl Randyll, had begun to surround them, preparing to completely eat up the largest storm army behind them.

Samwell had stopped his horse at this time and stood at the edge of the battlefield, surrounded by a circle of bloody Reach Cavalry.

"Lord Caesar, do you want to give chase?" a knight from the Tarly family asked excitedly.

"No need," Samwell put the great sword back into its scabbard, his body almost exhausted.

At almost the same moment, Earl Randyll issued the order to withdraw his troops.

The red-eyed Reach soldiers finally woke up from the bloody and senseless pursuit and began to move closer to the main force.

After briefly cleaning the battlefield, Earl Randyll did not stop and ordered them to continue moving forward.

___

After another day of marching, the Reach North Route Army finally walked out of the Kingswood.

Not far from here to the south is Felwood City, which is built on the mountain. To the north, you can reach the hub fortress in the northern part of the Stormland - Bronzegate City.

This city guards the King's Road and is the northern gateway to Storm's End. It is also the only way to reach the Haystack Hall and other northeastern castles in the Stormlands.

According to the intelligence Samwell had received before, the king's landing over 50,000-strong army is heading south towards Bronzegate City at this moment.

If this army is allowed to successfully enter Bronzegate City, then it will probably take an extremely heavy price to successfully capture this fortress...

According to the previously discussed plan, after leaving the Kingswood, Earl Randyll led the main force of infantry and supplies and marched north to Bronzegate City, while Samwell led the Reach Cavalry, totalling more than 4,000 people, to take the lead. Intercept the king's landing army heading south before it enters Bronzegate City.

After a brief farewell, Samwell led four thousand cavalry to the north, with smoke and horse hooves rolling all the way.

The white dragon Cleopatra finally broke free from the shackles of the jungle, spread her wings, and soared over the cavalry, neighing with excitement.

[END]