Barbarian Quest

Chapter 258

Clip, clop.

The sound of hooves striking the ground echoed.

The majority of the heavy cavalry was composed of knights. Even in the empire, which adopted a professional military system, only nobles could call themselves knights. Occasionally, commoners who rose to prominence could become knights, but even that only happened during times of intense war.

A man who understood honor and sacrifice. Being a knight was a role that signified more than a mere soldier.

The knights' outer garments bore the crests of their houses. Wealthy knights sometimes had their entire crest engraved on their armor.

Among the heavy cavalry, there were some with particularly gleaming armor. These were the emperor's elite, known as the steel knights. Their polished steel armor was a masterpiece produced in limited quantities by the imperial smithy. Only the royal family of the empire knew why such steel equipment that was far superior to regular iron gear was produced in limited numbers only.

Leading the charge of the heavy cavalry was Harman. He had served as a knight in the Order of Imperial Steel for ten years. After receiving his orders, Harman raised his hand high.

“Chaaaarge!” Harman shouted, closing the visor of his helmet.

The cavalrymen spurred their horses and leaned forward.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

The heavy cavalry kicked up clouds of dust with every step. Even the enemy could tell the heavy cavalry was coming.

Varca widened his eyes at the sight of the rising dust.

“Urich!”

“I see it too, idiot. I have eyes just like you, you know.”

Urich squinted one eye. On the front lines, the two armies were already locked in combat. The imperial heavy infantry maintained their formation closely, clinging together. Even when the head warriors on the front line tried to lure them into chaos, the imperial army's formation remained unbroken.

‘Dammit.’

Urich was anxious, but it wasn't because the cavalry was charging at them; it was because he felt useless standing in the back rows while his brothers fought desperately. Despite knowing it was necessary, it felt like a thorn was stuck in his throat.

“Left?”

The dust was rising from the left wing. Urich called for the standard-bearer and gave a command.

Buuuup!

The horn's sound echoed through the alliance’s camp. Olga and the other captains of the pike units confirmed the signal. Those on the battlefield couldn't see the overall situation. They had to trust and follow the command's judgment.

“To the left!”

The three pike units moved to the left wing. There was still time before they had to clash with the enemy’s heavy cavalry, which allowed the pikemen to regroup.

“Oh, Lou, please...”

Varca prayed as he watched the pike units move. He had done his best, and all he could do now was leave the outcome to his god.

On the other hand, Urich kept his eyes wide open, watching the battlefield. He opened his mouth wide.

“Shit!”

Urich, with his right eye nearly closed, shouted urgently. The command was startled and looked at Urich.

“What’s the matter? Things are going as we planned!”

Duke Lungell also urged Urich for an elaboration, bewildered.

“No, signal the standard-bearer again! It's not the left! Send the pikemen back to their original positions!”

The standard-bearer raised the flag high, sweating profusely. The trumpeter also sent the signal, but the moving pike units were slow to respond. It took much longer to return to the original position when units were intermingled.

“A-ah, no!”

The others finally understood Urich’s words.

‘Before, I would have noticed sooner!’

Urich’s vision was not what it used to be. He looked at the cavalry charging from the left.

“What's coming now isn't the real heavy cavalry charge! The real one is coming from the right! Send the signal quickly!” Duke Lungell also shouted urgently.

Frustrated, he grabbed the flag himself and waved it to the right. But sending signals frantically didn't make the army move any faster.

“That ‘Great Carnius’ resorting to such a cheap trick!” The nobles of Porcana fumed.

‘He positioned the heavy cavalry at the front and followed them with light cavalry to make it seem like there were more.’

Urich gritted his teeth. It wasn’t a cheap trick. It was a good tactic to catch them off guard.

‘The empire wouldn't have known about the pikemen. They just mixed in a deception before the real attack. Dammit. This strategy reeks of experience.’

Before the Porcana-Alliance army could even respond, the real heavy cavalry unit emerged. They were charging toward the right wing at high speed.

“Stick closely together! Solidify the defenses! Here they come!”

The warrior captains on the Porcana-Alliance right wing shouted. They, too, saw the heavy cavalry charging at them.

The pike units, which had shifted to the left, couldn’t take their positions on the right. The pikes they were hiding also hindered their movement.

“Do not throw away your pikes!”

The pike unit captain shouted. The excited warriors were itching to throw down their pikes and rush forward with their heaving shoulders.

‘But rushing without maintaining formation would only result in meaningless deaths. No matter how slow, we have to keep our formation.’

It was maddening for the barbarian warriors. They had to move in a roundabout way even with the enemy right in front of them. They wanted to throw aside the discipline and rush forward.

“What the hell are we doing? We fight! Woooaaaah!”

Some warriors tried to break off from the pike units. They threw down their cumbersome pikes and drew their swords and axes.

Schluck!

The warrior who was inciting others was speared and fell. The one who thrust the spear was Olga. He squinted his eyes and glared at the warriors.

“Leave the formation... and you... die... by my hand,” Olga said coldly.

Olga also knew the importance of this strategy. Without the pike units’ contribution, there was no chance of victory.

‘Discipline...’ Olga muttered. In this battle, discipline was more important than bravery and madness.

‘This is a trial for us.’

Olga advanced, looking at the sky. Until now, the alliance army had fought however they liked and won victories that way. They always had a grand strategy, but didn’t have to worry about any detailed tactics.

‘If we don't move forward from here, we can't defeat the imperial army. We have to maintain discipline.’

Olga hated the ban on plundering and various other rules just as much as anyone, but what he hated even more was losing to the empire.

The empire's deception was successful. The internal movements of the alliance army became tangled, and the imperial heavy cavalry carved through the right wing of the Porcana-Alliance army.

“Woooaaaah!”

The warriors charged with a battle cry, but their bravery was meaningless. When the heavy cavalry swept through, they left behind heaps of bodies skewered by lances.

The charge of the heavy cavalry caused the right wing of the alliance army to waver greatly. Taking advantage of this gap, the imperial heavy infantry encircled the alliance army as if they were devouring them. As the right wing of the alliance army collapsed, the entire formation began to break down.

“Ah, aah! No, this can’t be!”

Screams erupted from the command post. The formation that was broken by the heavy cavalry's charge was hard to restore. The empire seemed to be devouring the Porcana-Alliance army.

“We couldn’t even use the pike units!”

Duke Lungell was furious. If the formation of the army collapsed, the pike unit was practically useless. This wasn’t a problem that could be solved by simply sending out the conscripts waiting in the rear. They needed a unit strong enough to push back the imperial heavy infantry.

“Katagi, lead the remaining troops and follow me. We will restore the collapsed right wing!” Urich shouted as he descended the hill.

“Urich! You need to stay here and command!” Varca shouted.

“Stack those brains of yours and figure out the command yourselves. Are the men beside you just decorations? The trick they used earlier won't work again, so figure out where the heavy cavalry is and send us a signal.”

Urich could no longer stand it. He couldn't just watch the mess happening down the hill while he stood around watching from a safe place.

“Dammit, I was the one blabbering about discipline to the warriors... I guess I can’t help it either.”

His blood was boiling. He was always going to jump into the battlefield as soon as he found any excuse to do so, anyway.

“Great Chief! I will handle it. You don't need to go out.”

Katagi followed beside Urich.

“No. Our formations have already crumbled significantly. If I don't step in, we won't even last until their next charge.”

As the close combat resembling a war of attrition dragged on, the differences between the two armies became increasingly apparent. It was the difference between warriors and soldiers.

Peeeeeeep!

The imperial infantry officers blew their whistles. At the sound of the whistle, the soldiers in the front line extended their shields and retreated, while the soldiers in the rear rushed forward. The imperial army alternated their frontline at regular intervals.

The Porcana-Alliance army had no concept of fighting in shifts like the imperial army. Once they were on the frontline, they simply swung their weapons until they died.

The battle dragged on. The imperial army, fighting efficiently while taking turns to rest, suffered significantly fewer casualties. Anyone with a bit of sense would know that alternating was beneficial, but knowing and doing were two very different things.

“Shift!”

Peeeeeeep!

The infantry officer blew the whistle loudly. The heavy infantry with shields stood shoulder to shoulder and changed formations.

“Ho!”

The blood-soaked soldiers retreated to catch their breath. The wounded were also able to withdraw and receive treatment.

The imperial army was the only army in the civilized world who was trained enough to alternate their lines during battle. This was because they used professional soldiers as their main force, based on the vast national power. Other kingdoms were well aware of the system of the empire but could not imitate it.

“Are you running away? You cowardly bastards!”

The warriors shouted, throwing their axes. But fresh soldiers stepped forward in place of the fatigued, pressing the warriors with their weapons.

Warriors who were exhausted from fighting for a long time. Soldiers who fought in shifts and had plenty of rest.

Breaking the stalemate and causing chaos was the only way for the warriors to have a chance at winning as the combat powers of the two forces were similar.

‘To hell with causing chaos, we're at risk of being devoured.’

The chiefs and head warriors frowned as they watched the collapsed right wing. If the imperial heavy cavalry charged one more time after resupplying their spears, the right wing would completely collapse. They needed a single moment that could rectify the broken formation.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of drums spread.

“What are you idiots dawdling for? Move forward!”

Urich stepped into the front line after arriving on the battlefield. The warriors' eyes widened, and they roared. The warriors buzzed and their eyes lit up at the news that their Great Chief had arrived.

“The Great Chief is heeeeeere!”

“Urich is here?”

Even the warriors who were aggressively shrugging from being out of breath turned to look. Urich and his warriors had reached the right wing.

“Watching you fight was so frustrating that I ran down here, you bastards!”

Urich picked up a spear from the ground and threw it. The spear, which was not built for throwing, flew far and pierced the body of a heavy infantryman. His chainmail couldn't stop the hefty spear.

“Uuuuuuuriiiiich!”

The warriors jumped up and shouted. Even the right wing, which had been pushed back, gradually extended forward again. The reinforcements joining certainly helped, but it was the presence of the Great Chief that raised the morale of the entire army. They had a belief that as long as their Great Chief stood on the battlefield, they would not lose.

“Follow me! We’re going to break through! Rip them apart!”

Urich stood at the forefront of the collapsed right wing. Despite having arrived merely moments ago, Urich's body was already covered in blood. He destroyed the enemy's formation with his outstanding combat power and led the warriors. Urich and the warriors slashed through the enemy like a sharp blade.

Sometimes, a single presence could change the course of the entire battle. Such individuals were those with superhuman physiques who had earned a fitting reputation. They were called the heroes of the battlefield and became legends. Heroes who have survived numerous battles could easily do the work of a thousand men on the battlefield.

When Urich stepped forward, the warriors leaped into the enemy's formation with even their slight sense of fear paralyzed. The awl called Urich tore deep into the enemy lines and spread outward. Soon, the right wing that had collapsed advanced to a line similar to the other fronts.