Guns Against Cavalry

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The artillery on the high ground had already noticed the enemy's approach. Spearman came over to assist them, planting the bottoms of their spears on the ground, preparing to defend against the cavalry.

Paul's command reached them, and the artillery adjusted the direction of their cannons loaded with shot, pointing them towards the necessary passage on the advancing route of the Byerldine knights.

Ebbert saw the Alden soldiers turning around to adopt a defensive posture.

"Hmph! Grayman only arranged two thin layers of spearmen against them, which can easily be broken through."

In this era, knights had their own fiefs, wore the best equipment, ate the best food, and had a lofty social status. Under the repeated inculcation of virtues such as loyalty and bravery, they valued honor and faith more than their own lives. These endowed the knights with powerful material and spiritual strength.

Once they violated the virtues of loyalty and bravery, such as shrinking back when ordered by their lord to charge, they would lose everything, a punishment more terrifying than death for a knight.

Therefore, despite the danger, they would still charge at the enemy without hesitation. The first knight to make contact with the enemy would receive supreme honor and rewards, regardless of whether they survived.

Both the knights and their warhorses were clad in thick armor, making them natural heavy cavalry.

The horses also wore specially made iron masks on their heads, leaving only a small opening at the front. The horse's field of vision was close to 360 degrees, allowing them to see the terrain and obstacles ahead through the gap in the mask and a small section of the blind spot in front. The narrowed field of vision prevented the warhorses from being distracted by objects on either side or becoming fearful at the sight of endless forests of spears.

When facing a phalanx of spears, the charge of a knight wasn't simply a matter of crashing into it. Even if a person was determined to die, the warhorse would instinctively avoid sharp objects. That kind of charge would only be carried out when absolutely necessary, with the horse's vision completely obscured, and certain terrain and distance requirements met.

Generally, the first row of knights would throw javelins or shoot with short bows, then spread out to the sides. The knights behind would decide whether to continue throwing or charge directly, depending on the situation. After creating a small gap, the following cavalry would quickly expand it, rushing into the formation to slaughter.

Unless they had undergone long and rigorous training, ordinary people would often mentally collapse before the powerful momentum of a charging group of knights. Infantry formations composed of militia hastily conscripted would often scatter at the sight.

Although Ebbert led only a few dozen knights, as they drew closer, they still exerted tremendous pressure on the Alden army, causing many soldiers to nervously break into a cold sweat.

"This is bad, we've underestimated them!"

Watching the rising dust in the distance, Paul regretted deeply. Two rows of spearmen probably wouldn't be able to hold them back.

He and the two battalion commanders whipped their horses fiercely, running along the formation, hoping to quickly convey the new orders to the entire army: "The third row to the sixth row, all face backward!"

The sudden change in formation caused some confusion in the ranks, especially with enemy cavalry charging towards them at high speed.

Ebbert watched the movements within the Alden army with a cold sneer, "Hmph! Too late! The formation is so thin, it's practically inviting death."

He found a gap between two infantry battalions, preparing to break through from there and launch a pincer attack with the infantry in front.

Then, the artillery of the Alden army roared!

Firing eight cannons loaded with shot simultaneously was a terrifying sight. Accompanied by flashes of fire and billows of smoke, each cannon sprayed out hundreds of shot, creating a fan-shaped area with an arc length of 30 to 50 meters within 400 meters ahead. A terrifying and lethal metal storm rushed towards the Byerldine cavalry.

Just as Ebbert and the knights near him raised their javelins, countless deadly projectiles also came at them from their right side. Nearly half of the 30-strong charging team was directly knocked down, both men and horses pierced through, their protective gear proving useless.

The remaining ones were also severely injured. Those horses that survived either fell to the ground in agony or ran uncontrollably in all directions. Knights falling from their mounts struggled to avoid being trampled or cried out in pain from their wounds.

Several knights' attendants who followed at the rear were very lucky to have escaped unscathed. The tragic scene unfolding in front of them caused them to lose their judgment entirely, allowing their mounts to roam aimlessly on the battlefield.

Paul stared blankly at the tragic scene before him, feeling a sense of familiarity, murmuring to himself, "The morale has been shattered."

He quickly realized and ordered the rear four rows of spearman to turn around and engage the infantry directly in front of them.

In fact, the will of the Byerldine soldiers had already been shattered. In the process of approaching the Alden army again, they were subjected to two rounds of rifle fire from the musketeers and a round of artillery fire. Their morale had hit rock bottom, and many had already quietly deserted.

Finally, the soldiers who didn't approach the side with the musketeers reached the front of the Alden army. They tried several times to disrupt the formation of the spearman, but no matter how they "provoked," the only response they received when they dared to approach was a thrust, unhesitating and unobstructed.

At the command of the officers, a row of spears thrust forward in unison, claiming lives with each strike.

After realizing that the breakthrough was hopeless, they instinctively widened the distance between themselves and the enemy. The fear of death made them instinctively resist advancing, even as the overseer knights whipped them mercilessly.

As the overseer knights drew their swords to punish a few cowards and establish authority, one of them saw through the gap between the Alden soldiers the terrifying fate that had befallen their comrades. With a clang, his sword fell to the ground.

Many Byerldine militiamen standing in front also saw it. "Our lord's encirclement of the enemy knights has been annihilated!" The dreadful news quickly spread among the crowd. Those were the noble knights who were usually so imposing!

The militiamen beside the overseer knight begged him not to continue sending them to their deaths, while the knights who regained their senses ruthlessly dispersed the crowd with their whips and urged their mounts to gallop away without looking back.

Watching the Alden soldiers lifting their spears ready to charge, the abandoned Byerldine militiamen cried and knelt on the ground, begging for mercy from the enemy, devoid of any energy to flee.

With the overall situation determined, Paul said to the officers beside him, "Gentlemen, it looks like we'll be having dinner inside Buteya City tonight."

The order was quickly issued: the first infantry battalion and musketeers to advance towards Buteya City gate, and the second infantry battalion to gather the prisoners.

...

Anckiro and the others had been observing the battlefield all along, and now they finally realized that failure was inevitable.

"Ebbert, that idiot, that bastard, he failed!"

He cursed Ebbert fiercely, realizing that everything was over now.

"Master Ankiro, what should we do now? Should we retreat to the city and defend it to the death?"

Despair was written all over the faces of the two barons.

Ankiro shook his head, "Even if we gather some of the routed troops, what good will it do? Buteya cannot be defended."

He pointed to the south, "Our own territory is also untenable. With just the remaining elderly, women, and children, we can't resist Grayman's army. Now, return to your own homes and gather some belongings, take your families and head south to seek refuge with Count Kent. He will surely shelter us."

The three of them quickly reached a consensus and ran in the opposite direction of the Alden army.

(End of the Chapter)