Chapter 53 : Second Clash (12)

Chapter 53: Second Clash (12)

“Shatien!!”

As soon as he returned to the unit, the first to welcome Shatien was Captain Mordo. Mordo, who had watched everything early on from the top of the wooden palisade, was very pleased with the results of this night raid.

“That was excellent. At first I hesitated because you asked for so few people, but that really turned out to be a superb choice.”

They had gone out with a small group that didn't strain them, although the core of that group had been very expensive cavalry. With that, most of the company could rest. Compared to the imperial soldiers who had gone through that chaos in the night, the difference in fatigue would be huge.

“Well, it’s not just my achievement. On a larger scale, it is thanks to you, Captain, for believing in my plan and supporting it, and on a smaller scale, it is thanks to the cavalry who trusted me and followed me to the end.”

“I didn't know this about you. But you also flatter people quite well.”

At Shatien’s modest words, Mordo smiled and personally helped him dismount.

“While you were preparing, we finished all our discussions. Since the night operation will affect you, I plan to pull you back to the rear. Same as the last siege battle. I want you to take charge of the rear palisade when we fall back.”

“You do not have to go that far for my sake…”

“For your sake?”

At Shatien’s words, Mordo shrugged as if to say what nonsense are you talking about.

“This is not about looking after you. It is about efficiency. With a massive clash expected at the front, there is no way I am going to leave a fresh Centuria sitting around and then send you forward. That would be foolish. Do you really see me as such a hopeless commander?”

“Of course not. I would never. Haha.”

In the end, Shatien could only nod and laugh.

“We only need to endure for about three days. I have sent another messenger to Count Bellua, so once he hears of our success he will come rushing. I will leave things to you until then, Shatien.”

It was a rather positive outlook.

Shatien nodded.

“Leave it to me.”

“Yes, yes. Who else am I supposed to trust if not you. You even turned down excellent offers and chose to stay under me. Haha.”

Looking very pleased, Mordo clapped Shatien on the back as he spoke. Then something seemed to occur to him and he looked at Shatien again.

“By the way, is your unit’s reorganization finished?”

“Not yet. The damage we took crossing that palisade was too heavy so…”

“Tsk. It certainly did a lot of damage, since they had a crossbow unit on that side.”

“That’s right. But why do you ask?”

“It is nothing.”

Mordo shrugged and continued.

“The crossbowmen we captured this time say they want to work off their ransom by serving with us.”

“Ah-!”

It was a fairly common thing.

When high grade troops with expensive ransoms, like crossbowmen or men at arms, were taken captive, they sometimes switched sides and served in a new army.

It was just a bit unexpected to switch sides so quickly when battles were breaking out in such rapid succession.

“The others are hesitant because of that. They say it is hard to trust them.”

“Even so, it’d be a waste to just throw away the firepower of trained crossbowmen, right?”

“That is why I brought it up. If your unit’s reorganization is not done yet, I wondered how you would feel about taking those crossbowmen into your command.”

“Hmm…”

It was not a bad offer.

You didn't easily get soldiers of that type. The question was whether they could bring out proper results if he accepted them.

At that moment, memories from his past life surfaced in his mind.

The memories from when he fought the imperial army. Back then, there had been a noble who handled crossbowmen like ghosts.

If he used that noble’s method…

They might be able to inflict enormous damage on the imperial forces.

“Alright. In that case I will take those twenty.”

So Shatien’s eyes gleamed as he answered.

* * *

At daybreak.

Putting the disordered formation back in order was roughly finished. The soldiers who had stayed up all night yawned and rubbed their eyes from fatigue. Even though casualties had not been that high, their eyelids looked heavy. Their voices mixed tiredness and disappointment, and the mood turned gloomy.

Thanks to that, Baron Friedrand’s head throbbed.

Before the battle even started, morale lay in pieces. He had no idea how to pull it back up.

‘How.’

Because they were mercenaries, cowardly and ignorant of honor, he had of course thought a night raid might come.

But he had never imagined they would take such losses from a night raid he had been aware of!

From Baron Friedrand’s point of view, it was a completely absurd situation.

“How did you even keep watch?! I said you may rest, but I clearly said to do it properly!”

“B-But they were charging with cavalry and fighting so loudly, so…”

“Do you call that an answer? Cavalry? They are mercenaries. What mercenary company commands cavalry? And at best they are a bunch of rabble who know how to sit on a horse, so how can we have taken this kind of damage? Huh?”

If this had been Count Bellua’s army, he would have understood. Count Bellua had many knights and their squires under his banner.

But this was only a mercenary company.

On top of that, they had only a handful of cavalry, yet they had dealt such devastating damage.

At his roar, the officers shrank back. With lips slightly parted, they blurted out excuses.

“But they really did do a lance charge, my lord. In the dead of night, with no time to form a square, we had no way to stop them.”

“It is true, Baron Friedrand. I saw it myself at the scene. They really performed a lance charge. It seemed that man Shatien, whom Baron Ludwig mentioned, was leading them.”

“Huh…”

When Baron Lichten joined in from the side, Friedrand frowned.

“So you are saying we let ourselves be driven around by some random mercenary?”

“He said that at the very least he is knight class, so he probably knows how to handle a charge on that level.”

“Even so, we are the imperial army…”

He said that, but in the end, Baron Friedrand was the one who looked ridiculous. The reality that they had been toyed with by a bunch of mercenaries was simply infuriating.

“Sigh… We have no choice then. In that case. We attack at once.”

“…Very well.”

Baron Lichten thought for a moment and then agreed. Enemy reinforcements could arrive at any time. Instead of sitting there stunned because of a surprise attack, it was better to attack first. Morale could be raised as they fought.

For the sake of their own prestige, an attack was necessary.

“In that case, I will strike from the front. Baron Friedrand, I ask that you circle around and attack their rear.”

“...That is exactly what the enemies did.”

“We have no other way, do we?”

“What you say is true. Then I will deploy the knights in the front.”

It was impossible to send a full lance charge up the steep slope in the rear. If the knights had to climb, then the relatively gentler front was more efficient.

But unexpectedly, Baron Lichten shook his head.

“No, Baron Friedrand. They will think the same way, so how about we go for a surprise instead?”

“A surprise?”

“Yes. We place more knights in the rear.”

“It sounds better to concentrate them in one place, does it not…?”

Baron Friedrand wrestled with it in his head.

The knights were an extremely powerful force. There was no obvious reason to split them up and weaken their power to pierce the front.

“They will be thinking the same thing. So that is precisely what we should exploit. Their defenses might be weaker in the rear than we expect. If we give armor to the men in front, dress them as knights, and use that as a feint, they will fall for it easily.”

“Hmmmm.”

It was not an honorable trick, but the enemy were mercenaries anyway. Honor applied to equals within the same fence of nobility.

But there was something that still worried him.

The slope at the rear.

The full weight of a fully armored knight was roughly thirty kilograms. They might tire quickly.

“I feel like the knights will wear out quickly, no?”

“They can take their time. With that kind of armor, they are practically immune to any half hearted attacks.”

“Hmm, that’s true. If we place shield bearers in front and have them advance together, the enemy will not suspect a thing.”

Once they finished aligning their thoughts, the two barons rose to their feet. Now that they had a plan, it was time to act.

A crooked smile appeared at the corner of Baron Friedrand’s lips.

“If possible, I would like that mercenary Shatien captured alive.”

“Heh heh. Of course. We will stick him upside down on a spear shaft for you, Baron Friedrand.”

They were noblemen who knew how to show mercy even to enemies, but that mercy only extended within the boundaries of the nobility.

If that was not the case, then they simply brought a hammer of wrath down on the impudent.

* * *

“Eek!”

The newly attached crossbowmen shrank back in fear as soon as they saw Shatien. The demonic figure he had shown in battle had been seared into their memories.

“Calm down. I didn’t come here to do anything to you guys.”

“I-Is that true?”

“Yes. I am going to assign you to my Centuria as new members. From now on you will follow my orders.”

“Y-Yes. Understood.”

“That is right. Just… give us the order.”

They were almost absurdly submissive.

Shatien smiled wryly. He had wanted to build a fine reputation, but it felt like he was spreading infamy instead.

“S-So then… What do you want us to do, Centurion.”

Shatien pointed at the mercenaries standing in front of him.

“You teach these men how to load a crossbow.”

Murmur murmur.

The moment he finished speaking, the crossbowmen broke into a stir.

“Er, Centurion sir. A crossbow is easier to learn than a bow, but you still need training to shoot properly.”

“He is right. And we will be fighting right away…”

“Hm, yes. Indeed.”

“We are right, right?”

“Which is why I only want you to teach them how to load.”

“Pardon?”

What kind of nonsense was that supposed to be? The crossbowmen all looked bewildered. Then the one who seemed to be the most senior clapped his hands.

“Ah-! Wait? You literally want us to teach them only how to load, do you, Centurion?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

At last, someone who understood appeared. Shatien decided he would make this man an officer in the newly organized crossbow unit.

“We already have more crossbows and bolts than we know what to do with in the supply base, so all you need to do is shoot, yes?”

“Of course. If we have people next to us who only reload, we can fire almost like archers. Haha. That is a brilliant idea.”

“It is. I do not know how you came up with that idea… I feel like a light flashed in my head just now, Centurion.”

Of course, it was not without flaws.

He would waste too many men in support. It would have been better to bring many more crossbowmen to the first engagement and deliver one overwhelming blow.

‘But on high ground like this, and in a special situation like now, it’s different.’

On flat ground it might be another matter. Here, on the high ground and atop the palisade, they would be far more efficient.

In a defensive battle, there was nothing more powerful than long range weapons.

“Alright. Then start preparing practice immediately. Everyone needs to load at least once.”

“Understood. We will begin at once.”

While the crossbowmen busied themselves teaching the new Centuria how to reload,

-Bwooooooo.

“The imperial army is forming up!”

“They are coming!”

“Take position! To your positions! Hold your posts at once!”

With the blaring sound of horns, the central main force on the front line grew noisy.

Yes.

-Boom boom boom boom.

The imperial army had finally begun its advance.