Chapter 126 – Soldiers Of The Wasteland (2/2)

Hearing Ma Carme’s order, the messenger of Count Biron, who stayed behind, voiced out his doubts.

“This time it’s not our goal to kill the enemy.” (Ma)

It is foolish to try dealing with 500 people, Ma Carme strokes his beard.

“Withdraw as fast as possible after the second volley.” (Ma)

His subordinates, who precisely followed the order, began to set up the firing of the five spear throwers in pairs.

“There’s still quite the distance left…”

As the shouts and vibrations are slightly audible, they convey the approach of a large army with a rattling.

If it was the common bows and arrows, they wouldn’t be in range yet.

“Fire.” (Ma)

“Huh?”

One spear after the other is fired from the lined-up spear throwers next to the baffled messenger.

The spear, fired off with a *bam* fell precisely down in front of the enemy’s leading group with a *plop*. Two of the five spears have been stabbed into the ground.

“Until such far distance…”

“Get the second charge ready…. Fire!” (Ma)

Even the next five released spears hit the ground in front of the enemy forces and one broke miserably.

Several jeers and loud laughters can be heard from the enemy army.

“Alright, that’s enough. Withdraw! We will abandon the spear throwers, but cut the bowstrings so that we are not hit in the back!” (Ma)

Once Ma Carme began to run in the direction of Horant followed by the messenger, the other unit members cut off the bowstrings installed at the discharge device of the spear throwers with knives and followed afterwards.

Once again ridiculing voices can be heard from the enemy army in the rear, but Ma Carme and the other members run without minding it in the least. The messenger ran off the highway as well while taking the horse along. He has been told the route in advance by Ma Carme.

When he ran desperately for about a minute, he reached the national border of Horant.

“Five people set up the spear throwers, the rest gets ready to receive them as planned!” (Ma)

“W-What are you going to do?”

“Well, just watch it.” (Ma)

In front of the border there have been placed thirty high stakes at various places. The unit members are tying a rope between those one after the other.

As it’s obvious from their appearance that the stakes and rope are thick and sturdy, they probably won’t be torn down even from being kicked by horses.

“Won’t those be seen by the enemy army right away?”

“I guess so.” (Ma)

Once one of his subordinates told him that the preparations are done, Ma Carme told the troops, who were working on that, to help preparing the spear throwers.

(Will they fire the spears after the horses get ensnared by the rope? They will step over that obvious rope…)(Messenger)

The messenger, who is drenched with sweat and stirred up by worries, looked at Ma Carme calmly watching in the direction of the approaching enemy army.

The light mood, that had lasted until just now, has vanished and he is moving attentively in order to grasp the entirety of the enemy forces with a serious gaze.

“… They came!” (Ma Carme)

At the same time Ma Carme was convinced of something, screams began to rise in the rear of the enemy army.

“They got here, it’s Count Biron’s army.” (Ma)

“However, the vanguard is already this close…”

The enemy army, which was attacked in the rear due to its long file of soldiers, approaches with an even further increased speed towards the border where Ma Carme is waiting in order to drive them away.

Several mounted knights, who are affiliated to territories in the provinces, are getting close while holding their spears out in front of them.

“Those kind of fellows, who are in a hurry to obtain achievements, are the easiest to set up.” (Ma)

Once Ma Carme mutters that, the leading horses jump over the obvious rope and fell down just like that.

Having been thrown off, the knights tumble around while being smeared with dirt.

“What the heck…”

“Our side’s rope is laid out over sand. If you walk normally, it’s no problem, but it will likely give in once the forelegs of horses are thrust into it.” (Ma)

None of the knights, who are falling off their horses one after the other unable to cope with it, are able to get up.

Since they are scared of being stepped on by the following riders, they were crawling frantically, but it was apparently in vain.

Although the knights, who noticed the sandy soil, lowered their speed, they die instantly after being sniped by spears. (Support this novel by reading it on the translator’s site!)

“The cavalry is insufficient. The rest is staying with the nobles in the rear.” (Ma)

There is also the matter of it being a mish-mash army. There’s likely only few people who can mount a horse, Ma Carme saw through that accurately.

“The rest is a large quantity of infantry, eh?” (Ma)

The infantrymen, who have come running, are approaching with bloodshot eyes due to being pressured from behind without any concerns towards the knights who had been done in.

Stepping over the rope and although there were also some who tripped by having their feet entangled, the vanguard comes walking on the sandy soil after stepping across their fallen comrades. Their movements have become quite slow, but as the pressure of a large army closing in continuously is quite high, even Ma Carme begins to get cold sweat on his back.

“And, will you fire spears at them?”

“Not yet. Look.” (Ma)

A soldier, who placed his foot on solid ground after the sandy soil ended, showed a relieved expression for just an instant, but the second step turns into hell.

“Gyaah!?”

It’s a hole with just a shallow depth, which was hidden by covering a cloth under the sand, but their numbers are plenty. A fistful amount of sharp pointed scrap iron has been prepared in those holes.

If it’s the shoes worn by a common soldiers, they will be easily penetrated.

“Ouuuch! W-Wait…”

The soldiers, who crawls with blood flowing from his feet, disappeared in a cloud of dust after being crushed underfoot by those following him.

The soldiers, who stepped into the traps one after the other after that, fall down and their speed of advance become even slower than walking.

“Now’s the time. Fire!” (Ma)

One spear after the other is fired off upon Ma Carme’s order.

“Aim properly at them! Ignore the collapsed fellows and target the healthy ones behind them!” (Ma)

The spears are pouring down with a force of piercing two people at once.

At this point in time the 500 knights and and infantrymen surrender to death or combat inability.

“Gubu!?”

“Agyaah.”

A soldier, who saw his comrade dying by being skewered next to him, was unable to bear it and tried to change his course, but he trampled his comrade, who had fallen while facing upwards, to death due to the strong pressure still coming from behind him.

“Move! I have to escape!”

“Don’t spout unreasonable stuff, idiot! From behind. they are steadily…”

“Shut up!”

The dispute turns into a fist fight and there are people appearing who try to get away from the battlefield even if they have to draw their swords against their comrades.

“Move back! Withdraw!” (Okshion)

General Okshion raised an angry voice from atop his horse.

“You have seen the range of the spears just now, haven’t you!? Hurry up and take some distance!” (Okshion)

His voice, which had shouted at his subordinates for many years, resounded clearly.

Earnestly conveying his verbal message, the madness settles down a bit and stops the flow of advancing. They begin to retreat slowly.

“We were probably attacked by the feudal army of Count Biron in the back. Go and confirm the circumstances of the counts. Once you have calmed down, we will reverse it and attack the enemy from behind. Thus if the counts are safe, tell them to proceed in the direction of the enemy with the allies who have been separated away from the highway.” (Okshion)

“H-Haa!”

The aide, who was stunned by the situation, came back to his senses after being hit on his back by Okshion.

“However, the enemy in front is…” (Read this novel at Infinite Novel Translations!)

“As they set up traps at such vast range, they are not planning to make a move themselves. It’s unnecessary to worry about them.” (Okshion)

Seeing off his aide, who headed towards the rear while pushing his way through the soldiers, Okshion clicked his tongue after gazing at the border of Horant once again.

“I got a bad feeling.” (Okshion)

The numbers are overwhelmingly in our favour, he estimated, but it was absolutely unforeseen for him to be attacked within the territory of his own country by those who should be their allies. It seems the queen is more angry at the actions of Count Aspilketa than I imagined.

“Do we have to give up on the attack against Horant? But, assuming that we defeated Count Biron’s army here, who would become the opponent to boast as achievement?” (Okshion)

However, at this point in time Okshion hadn’t realized it yet. The reason why Ma Carme had the first spears drop in front of Okshion and the others.

If a telescope had been already invented, Okshion and the others might have seen the appearance of Ma Carme chuckling as he watched them turning around. If he had seen that, Okshion might have reconsidered.

But, all of the rebels had turned their backs towards Ma Carme already.