Battle of the Biddeburg 7

Translator: Cinder Translations

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The right flank of the army was defeated!

The Kent commanders were confronted with a sight they found hard to accept. They had hoped their archers could stand up to the enemy's firecrossbows on equal terms… or at least hold out a little longer.

The earlier volley of muskets had drawn the attention of everyone on the battlefield, and then the Kent army's right flank was shattered by a bayonet charge from the Alden troops, all under the gaze of both sides.

This result had a more direct impact on the lower-ranking soldiers, visibly causing the morale of the Kent troops to plummet instantly, while the allied forces' morale surged.

The thunderous sound of battle resumed, and with the shift in morale, the allied forces pushed the enemy back step by step.

The Alden troops reloaded their ammunition, adjusted their direction, and began advancing and shooting from the right flank of the Kent army.

Suddenly subjected to flank fire, the morale of the Kent army fell to a new low, with soldiers fleeing in panic everywhere.

Jaius lashed out at an officer who was clearly in a state of panic, shouting furiously, "Go! Lead the reserve troops to block the enemy on the right flank!"

He was already contemplating a retreat, but the collapse of the right flank had put him in a semi-surrounded predicament. Issuing a retreat order recklessly would likely result in a rout.

The reserve troops rushed in, but to Jaius's dismay, the Alden's firecrossbows dispersed them with a volley of fire.

Originally, the reserve troops had been selected as second-line forces under Jaius's arrangement, equipped and trained at a lower standard. Expecting such troops to hold back the Alden forces was a desperate move.

Moreover, the Alden artillery had not been idle. The artillery unit first concentrated its fire on destroying several Kent crossbow carts, then began shelling the reserve troops.

To minimize casualties and prevent these troops from scattering at the first sign of cannon fire, Jaius had no choice but to order the reserve troops to lie low in the grass.

Even so, by the time the reserve troops were called to reinforce the right flank, their numbers had already been reduced by nearly half since the start of the battle.

Defeat was inevitable, and Jaius ordered a retreat.

As expected, except for the knights and a few elite soldiers who maintained basic order, most of the troops fled in all directions like headless flies.

Earl Parker seized the opportunity to wave his command flag, and the previously stationed reserve formations immediately moved forward to join the pursuit.

Jaius fled eastward under the protection of family knights, while other lords allied with the Kent family looked out for their own interests.

The allied forces chased the fleeing soldiers for several miles before withdrawing. By the time they returned to their camp, it was already evening.

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"Ha ha ha!"

"Drink up, drink up!"

As night fell, the entire camp was filled with laughter and cheer. Bonfires were lit, and the officers and soldiers gathered around to feast and drink heartily.

Although the ultimate objective of this campaign—the capture of Biddeburg—had not yet been achieved, today's victory was of great significance, and it was only fitting to celebrate. To honor this great victory, the lords and commanders unanimously agreed to reward the troops.

The Kent army's retreat had evidently left no time to secure their supplies, which now became a boon for the allied forces.

While cleaning up the Kent army's camp, there were some unpleasant incidents among the troops of various territories, as they vied for the spoils of war. After the old Earl Pryce Parker personally led the cavalry in pursuit of the enemy and returned, he suggested consolidating the spoils and waiting until Biddeburg was captured to discuss a fair distribution plan that would take everyone's interests into account.

Due to Earl Parker's prestige, everyone agreed to his proposal.

Once the battlefield was cleared, the camps began slaughtering pigs and sheep. Usually, the lower-ranking soldiers subsisted on simple foods like black bread, but tonight they could finally indulge in meat.

Since the spoils were plentiful and to boost their reputations and morale, the lords were eager to display their generosity for the night, considering that the newly acquired pigs and sheep were still "public property."

In the room where the lords and commanders gathered, the atmosphere was jovial. The guests exchanged toasts and enthusiastically discussed the day's battle.

Colonel Bryce Alder, the commander of the Alden army, became a minor focal point of the celebration, as the Alden forces had played a significant role in the day's battle.

Everyone had witnessed how the Alden army, with their thin three-row formation, steadily advanced under the rain of arrows, and within minutes, broke the Kent army's right flank archers, then repelled the enemy's reserve troops' counterattacks. The collapse of the right flank eventually spread to the entire Kent army.

"Bryce, let's have a drink!"

Derrick of the Heller family raised his glass and clinked it with Bryce's.

"Cheers!"

Bryce did not hesitate and downed the drink, as did Derrick.

The Heller family's troops had benefited significantly from the Alden army's efforts. The Portley infantry and the Alden infantry had formed the left flank of the allied army, with the Portley troops lined up behind the Alden infantry. When the Alden army advanced, the Portley infantry followed closely. When the battle reached close combat, even the Portley troops could easily handle the Kent soldiers who were already terrified by the firearms.

This battle had redeemed the disgrace from Derrick's previous reckless advance, so he was quite grateful to the Alden troops.

Including Earl Parker, several notable figures in the allied forces came to drink with Bryce. Although many still maintained an air of noble superiority towards commoners, their tone was noticeably softer compared to their initial meeting.

There was no doubt that today's battle had proven to the northwest territories that Alden commanded a powerful armed force.

Not only were their weapons formidable, but the quality of their troops was also exceptionally high. Some commanders who had participated in the royal court's suppression campaigns last year secretly compared them to the elite forces directly under the royal family and were surprised to find that this force was of an even higher standard.

However, there was a significant drawback—numbers. A force of a thousand was insufficient for capturing a somewhat larger town.

But who knew how many such troops Lake Town still had?

In future dealings with the "Exiled Family" that ruled the most remote territory in the northwest, they would need to weigh their options carefully.

Though Bryce was quite confident in his drinking capacity, he was already a bit tipsy. As a commander, he shouldn't have drunk so much, but since he was being urged by various lords, it would be awkward to refuse, as it could strain relations with the Grayman family.

To handle this situation, only Bryce attended the feast among the two battalion commanders; Joyce did not come, using an injury from the day's battle as an excuse. Fortunately, his arm wound was not serious.

In case of any urgent situations, Joyce would substitute for Bryce in commanding the troops.

(End of the Chapter)

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