Chapter 413: Senseless Slaughter (2/2)

”What... What do you intend to do to us!?!”

Berengar began to stride back and forth with confidence as he began to express his evil plan.

”It is quite simple; I will cut you and your army loose, where you shall be allowed to run north, back to your homes. However, when you have reached a certain distance, I will order my artillery to open fire on you all. If God is truly on your side, then you will survive the barrage and make your way to freedom; if not, well then may the Lord have mercy on your soul.”

Arnulf gazed upon Berengar's back with a look of shock as he heard these words, whereas Adelbrand had a cruel smile etched upon his face. He felt that this ”game” of Berengar's would be genuinely entertaining. As for Lorenzo, he could not fathom what he was hearing; he had personally witnessed the destructive display of the Austrian artillery and immediately began to shiver in fear.

”And... if we refuse?”

Upon hearing this, Berengar kneeled in front of Lorenzo, so he was at eye level and spoke with a chilling tone.

”Then my army shall execute you all!”

After saying this, Berengar stood up and turned around so that he was facing his troops; after a few seconds of hesitation, Lorenzo swallowed the saliva pooled up within his mouth with an audible gulp before nodding his head in affirmation.

”Alright, we will do it!”

After hearing this, Berengar turned around with a smile on his face as he began to speak in a cheerful tone.

”Wonderful! Remember, not one step back, or I will shoot you myself!”

After saying this, Berengar turned back towards his army, giving them their orders.

”Release the prisoners!”

Those who had not heard Berengar's plans gazed upon him with shock, but they refused to disobey; as such, they cut the Iberians loose, Where they marched forward on foot towards Castile. Two of his underlings supported Lorenzo as they helped the crippled Duke march along.

After the army of prisoners was out of earshot, Berengar immediately issued an order to his artillery brigades.

”Load the guns and prepare to fire once they have reached a safe distance, do not stop firing until every last man has been obliterated! We will see who God truly favors in this conflict!”

After hearing the King's words, the Austrian artillery began to make range adjustments before loading their field guns with the 75x200mmR shells. Only after the Iberian prisoners had reached a distance of over 600m, the thunder of the field guns echo in the air.

The moment the familiar sound of the sound barrier-breaking crackled in the sky, the prisoners gazed in horror as they began to panic and sprint north as fast as they could muster. Lorenzo had not informed them of their fate, for it was far too cruel to say. The first shell to land upon the Catholics directly fell upon Lorenzo as he made the sign of the cross and said one final prayer; in the next moment, he was blasted to bits.

Berengar looked upon the army in the distance through his binoculars as the shells continued to fall upon them; by the end of the barrage, not a single man remained standing. In his cruelty, Berengar had wiped out an army of tens of thousands of men who had already surrendered. As for those who managed to escape the senseless slaughter made up but a fraction of the force that initially consisted of a hundred thousand strong.

With this victory, 1/5th of the Iberian Forces had been slaughtered; if not for their fear of the flares, and artillery they may have managed to put up a better fight. Yet, Berengar's military technology was so far advanced over his enemies that they believed it to be an act of demonic sorcery; the very thought that Berengar had caused Angels to fall from heaven was enough to force their retreat before they had even begun to fight.

As for the remainder of the Iberian Armies, they would come to know of this change in a few weeks, as the survivors of this conflict would report everything they had witnessed to their superiors, and thus the Catholics would be prepared for such unfathomable sights. The war for Iberia had only just begun.

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