Chapter 109: Twelfth Episode: Chapter 9 (1/2)
Chapter 109: Twelfth Episode: Chapter 9
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Black Woods stretched out for thousands of miles. The seemingly-infinite, ancient forest emanated an invigorating air as white mist hung in the air. At the fringe of the woods, larch trees, birches, and willows integrated with one another. From afar, it appeared like a bizarre tribe, draped in the woodland clothing of an overwhelming array of colors with rugged branches sticking out.
Occasionally a mighty gust of Northwestern wind would blast through and the loose snow between branches would slip down gently. The snow powder swirled up into a mist and following the course of the wind, slowly drifting out of the woodland.
As the Sun was setting in the west, a monstrous silhouette emerged at one side of Saijo Mountain. Following the gradual shift of the sunrays, the silhouette of the highland slowly crept closer to the thicket.
The wind again came in a gust and the soldiers of Titan stood facing it. A refreshing sensation slammed into their faces. Wiping over it, they registered that their hands were smeared with bloodstains. The veterans jeered at the ignorance of the new soldiers. This was nothing odd as the corpses of their foes were left behind on the battlefield before them. The blood disseminated in the air relied on the wind to convey the message of death and its revolting odor.
At a location about a hundred meters from the open space at the foot of Saijo Mountain was the forefront of the defensive position. The First Independent Brigade soldiers of the Steinberger Family’s Loantz Front had already established their final defensive structure. It was a defensive line comprising all sorts of military supply wagons that were facing the exact center of the battlefield. Standing atop these vehicles, one could distinctly make out the orderly formation of Deiss’ cavalry.
Once in a while, orders from the officers would ring out at the hilltop and orderlies would be seen shuttling inside the tunnels. According to the orders, the archers in the infantry phalanx at the front lines started to adjust their positions little by little. The archers' formation was arranged to be about fifty meters away from the front lines by the battlefield commander, General Abassia, while the soldiers close to the military supply wagon defensive line were composed of a uniform group of battle soldiers. The Infantry Divisions lying in wait in the left and right wing of Saijo Mountain maintained their positions, watching over the battlefield silently and waiting for a formidable enemy to approach.
The people were used to referring to the Casualty Assembly Point, the place where emergency rescue were commenced at the battlefield as a hell. In the depths of the Black Woods, the Casualty Assembly Point set up by the Deiss reflected that name thoroughly. In the former days when soldiers fell, they would howl in agony and scream in hysteria. The number of military doctors was absolutely insufficient to rescue the pitiful casualties. They classified the casualties based on the practice adapted since thousand of years ago. The green tag signified death, the red tag indicated emergency rescue was required, the yellow tag implied that they could wait while the black tag was the most terrible mark that signified having given up on them!
The soldiers of Deiss supported their broken legs and covered their mangled arms. They were transfixed by the little pouch at the doctor’s waist, which contained all sorts of tags, with different colors representing a different fate.
Marshal Veron, escorted by a crowd of officers, had finally arrived at the Casualty Assembly Point. The Marshal assessed the hell filled with miserable howling and fresh blood.
”It is my fault! I have committed an unforgivable wrong!” The Marshal started to blabber on subconsciously while taking in the snow grounds splattered with red slush, ”I should not have underestimated the enemy’s strength and dispatched an Infantry Army Group to launch an attack, I… I only wanted to increase the deployment of cavalry when the infantries are engaged in a war against our foes… Then… Then… subdue them in one swoop. I only wanted to…”
”Marshal!” The commander of the Kingdom’s Fourth Corps came up beside him. ”The people of Titan possessing weapons beyond our knowledge had nothing to do with you. Deploying a suppressive force at the front of the battlefield and then sending the cavalry to charge at them is a sure victory; this is the best option as well as the best strategy! There is absolutely no need for you to blame yourself and I believe the authors of war history and military critics will have the same evaluation about you. Moreover… We will acquire victory for this military campaign in the end.”
”Yes, that’s right!” Marshal Veron gazed at a blood-soaked soldier who was at death’s door and nodded to him with conviction, ”We will attain victory in the military campaign at Saijo Mountain in the end!”
The soldier struggled to raise his arm. His sleeves were empty, his hand was absent, only the remnants of a woeful, white bone could be seen sticking out. He… wanted to salute the commander.
Veron averted his eyes. He had experienced situations such as these umpteen times. The soldiers of Deiss were the most tenacious, valuable warriors in the world. Yet… they always collided with a tragic fate.
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”Commander! Commander!” The technical head of the artillery team staggered out of the tunnel in a hurry and gasped for breath below the observation deck, ”Commander! Did you see? Have you seen it? Our… Our tractors… are being pulled towards the Defensive Front.
Torry tossed his water pouch down from the observation deck. He could tell that the adorable volunteer was already dehydrated by the cannon’s residual heat.
”I know about this matter!” Torry, to one’s surprise, shrugged indifferently, ”It is I who suggested to the First Independent Brigade to move the tractors. Not only are those things exceptionally heavy, its carriage is also a half-sealed, sturdy deck. Even if the cavalry of Deiss charged one after another, they will be unable to break through. Besides, nothing is more suited than these things for the snipers. Our party has quite a number whose archery skills are exquisite…”
”I am not referring to these!” The artillery team’s technical head took a huge swig of icy-cold snow water. ”I am saying… If you sacrifice our tractors, then how are we going to move the cannons from the battlefield?”
”Who says we are leaving the battlefield?” Torry’s adopted an expression as if the question was completely absurd, ”The cavalry of the Deiss has already broken through the front lines. I estimate that at this rate, frankly, we do not have the opportunity to utilize all twenty-nine of the cannons. From how I see it, they will not expend too many of their armed troops at the front of the battlefield but will commence a roundabout from the left and right wings. At that moment…”
”I do not understand this!” The technical head flung the water pouch aside, ”You know, engaging in war is the soldiers’ business! I am only concerned about how you will deal with my cannons! Do you want to hand them over to the Deiss?”
Torry smirked, ”To be honest, I am reluctant to! But… My respected technical head, if a Deiss were to break into the tunnel, you will also need to execute the order of destroying these cannons and artillery shell!”
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General Abassia withdrew his gaze from the direction of the observation deck. The officers of all ranks of Saijo Mountain’s suppressive force had once again convened around the long table.
”You all heard it right? Our artilleryman commander has already seen through the enemies’ ruse.”
Looking on at the crowd of Generals, the commander of the battlefield let out a heavy sigh, ”The enemy still possesses two entire Cavalry Corps and an Infantry Corps, which also means that when their whole Front is pressured, that will be the hour which bloodshed will descend upon us.”
”At that time… At that time at Doncaster plains, how… did you successfully subdue the enemy’s Cavalry Corps using an Infantry Corps?”
Abassia lifted his head and saw that the person who asked the question was a commander of the First Independent Brigade in charge of the front lines.
”Doncaster?” The former hero of war recalled fondly. He cradled his broken arm and with a resolute gaze, bored into the General who was defending the front lines.
”I used my chest to fill in the breach in the battlefront, my flesh to charge against the enemy’s cavalry, my teeth to tear at the enemy’s war horses, and my blood to obscure the enemy’s sight. I used my broken weapons to end the enemy’s life, my fighting spirit that raged like a flame and my sincerest patriotism to fend off the enemy’s repeated attacks. When I was left with the last few warriors at the front lines, the enemies have been vanquished from the face of the earth!”
The General of the First Independent Brigade stood to salute the commander in a haste, ”Your distinguished General! Please remember my name; I am Rabiel Tuonnes! Deputy Commander of the First independent Brigade!”
Evidently, the infantry brigadier general named Rabiel Tuonnes knew what he had to do.
”So… What about my two wings?”
Colonel Kapitch Drake stepped forwards, ”General, my two divisions will take the left wing, equipped with their heavy crossbows and bow and arrow; the right wing will be taken by my heavy armored infantry group which is lying in wait in the naturally formed soldier hidey-hole.”
Abassia nodded, the counterforce of both the wings were already adequate. The people of Deiss would under no condition choose to charge on a precipitous terrain, which also means that everything will be resolved at the center of the battlefield.
”Well… What is our Imperial Highness Prince up to?”
Sarlat Drosha the paladin joined the group. ”Your distinguished General, I… am really reluctant to bring up this matter, but since you asked… His Imperial Highness dug a pit in the huge tent and is battling with his unsettling digestive system.”
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It was 3:27 p.m. on the 31st day of the 3rd month in the Church's year 797. We could already refer to that sun nestling on the western horizon as the sunset now. The soft sunlight suddenly transformed into a fiery red, illuminating the snowy grounds in a spectacular ray of light.
The Deiss group suddenly erupted in thunderous cheers. A General clad in silver armor inlaid with gold brandished a great sword in both his hands and pointed towards the frontlines of the battlefield. The three black groups stirred slowly, like three hellhounds who had just barged out from the depths of hell. The three-colored eagle flag and golden star flag of the Teutonic knights flapped in the wind. The flags initially beat up and down and in the end, became snapping red ribbons. Bathed in blazing sunlight and clad in black armor, the Teutonic knights launched their army group attack meant to defeat the enemy in one swoop.
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Titan’s earth was trembling in agony. The enemy’s iron hooves of oppression had upturned the soil of the native land. The warriors on Saijo Mountain witnessed everything unfold before them tensely. They constantly rubbed the warm sweat on their hands onto their armor and sleeves. They had to ensure that with each swing of their sword, one was decapitated and every arrow shot out pierced through a chest.
A tent on the mountain peak was savagely torn open and the huge fallen canopy stirred up an enormous puff of snow. A knight masked behind a copper helmet with sharp edges and clad in a black and red armor emerged from the snow mist as if having descended from heaven. He carried a machete at his waist and a great sword on his back. A familiar whistle stirred up the Raytheon and it broke the hitching post to leap towards its master’s side.
The General of the guards, His Imperial Highness O’Neil Andrew Morisette measured up his oddly excited old partner. Giving a small grin, he knelt on one knee just like what the men of his family had done before and kissed a corner of the Fierce Tiger Flag of Narcissus. After that, he whirled around and mounted the horse and raising the war flag, he charged toward the most conspicuous position of the Front. Behind him, Sarlat Drosha was fully equipped with rapiers and even had on the paladin medal he hadn’t touched in ages. Paul, the King of assassins finally presented himself on the battlefield with the status of a knight. The wind whipped up his cloak, revealing daggers and short blades within it. Mendez Blane, the Hercules from the north actually had his upper body bare. However, the front of his battle-ax was huge enough to cover his chest.
Throughout the journey, the soldiers of the mountain’s Defensive Front knelt down one after another and paid their noblest respects to the commander.
Lieutenant General Endorph of the First Independent Brigade held on to the reigns for young Oscar, ”Your Highness! Come, let us go all out.”
Oscar jiggled his bottom with a grimace. He dug against his anus over his pants, which was sore from all the friction, ”Yes, that’s right! Let us go all out!”
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”A distance of a thousand five hundred meters! Target red three, green three, blue three! White three! Eight cannons at the front, fire!”
Following the shouts of the artillerymen’s commander, Saijo Mountain finally started to rumble. That few seconds felt like a century long. The Delin artillery shell finally exploded violently. The immense sound wave, smoke, and fire swept the battlefield. The horses’ torn limbs and fragments of armor rained down everywhere and blood red mist saturated the open land overhead. The procession of the Teutonic Knights was in momentary chaos; the horses were out of control and in a frenzy and the helpless knights were stamped on by their companions from behind.
The Teutonic knight clad in silver armor inlaid with gold raised the command flag and practically at once, the three army groups that flanked the cavalry on both sides suddenly wheeled their horses around and changed their course.
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Torry snatched off his beret and tore at his collar. The thing he most feared had finally become a reality; he eyed in trepidation at the enemy’s assault route. The sole attacking army group at the center of the battlefield had already charged out of the line of fire of the second wave of bombardment. Their party was already extremely disorganized, yet they kept adjusting their formations relentlessly. The assault army group that had dispersed to both wings had already thoroughly escaped from the radius of range. Despite their circling back requiring time, there was already nothing that was hindering their advance.
”Cannons number two and nine! Adjust the cannon base, face the two wings!”
The artillerymen manning the two fortress cannons started to shift the pedestal where the cannons were placed on frantically. The guards responsible to guard the cannon pits also came to give a hand. They still only managed to turn the muzzle of the cannon by a few degrees with the united strength of the men, but when the Deiss’ center assault army group was sixty meters away from the front lines, Torry’s artillerymen successfully completed the turn of the cannon base.
”Archer group! Raise your bows to 50 degrees, fire!” The roar of Titan’s soldiers finally rang out over the front lines.
From afar, murky dark clouds rose from the foot of the mountain. Under the color that exuded with the omen of death, a black shiny object streaked across the sky. The silver knight bellowed in the language of the Deiss and the command flag kept changing along with the orders. The middle Cavalry Army Group pushed forward with pressure and inclined their dense hardwood shields over their heads.
The rain of arrows arrived right on schedule and pierced the horses and embedded into bodies through the gap between the shields. The Knights of the army group fell continuously, yet the Titan soldiers at the Front could already hear the roaring rallying cries of their enemies!
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”I will like to see just how you all will break through my front lines!” The commander of the front lines, Brigadier General Rabiel Tuonnes laughed coldly at the enemies who were approaching fast. ”Shieldbearers, raise your shields! Javelin throwers take the center; ax and great sword wielders to the rear; spearmen and flail bearers forwards!”
”Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!” The two thousand Titan soldiers cried in unison and marched towards the front lines with quick small steps. When the military supply wagons and gigantic artillery tractors emerged before their eyes, the gallant soldiers used their shields and chest to press up against these vibrating vehicles.
”Attention! Attention!” Brigadier General Rabiel Tuonnes bellowed, ”Beware of the horse hooves of the Deiss! Prepare for the charge! Be ready for the charge! Use all your might to press up against the vehicles!”
The Deiss center assault army group finally neared the front lines; their formation was still as tight and their fighting spirits were still soaring. Rabiel brandished a spear and pointed it directly at the enemies. It seemed that… we should not mention any unhappy matters; due to the change in the formation and the attack by the rain of arrows, the First Army Group approached Titan’s front lines with a speed that could only be described as ordinary.
The horses huffed faint, white fog from their noses, which filled the forest of black armors. Titan’s soldiers observed all these through the cracks of the vehicles while waiting for orders from the deputy brigade leader.
”Javelins!”
”Yaaaaaa!” The group of javelin throwers let out an earth-shaking bellow. The steel javelins flew over the heads of their companions at the front. Some glinting shapes streaked across the front lines and the Deiss’ knights of the front lines fell at twenty meters from the front lines.
The archers of Titan were waiting for this golden opportunity. The enemies who were trampling on one another again lowered their attack speed. The horses were timid little creatures and even the veteran horses of the battlefield had difficulty overcoming the fear planted in their hearts. When a wall of vehicles that they had no way of getting through materialized in front of them and the menacing glint of the countless blades protruded out from it, the cowardly animals paid no heed to the pressure from the spurs and slowed their footsteps. The rain of arrows descended at the Front and Teutonic knights who were too preoccupied with the fight to notice the skies and care about their shields were gravely injured.
Finally! Separated by a long wall constituting of vehicles, the Patriots and invaders came face to face, in a decisive standoff!
”Long live our motherland!” The brigade deputy commander mounted the tractors, brandishing his sword. His sudden appearance startled the opponent knights.
”Long live our motherland!” Louder, deeper cries that traveled far into the distance echoed the courageous infantry of the Brigadier General. An ocean of soldiers with chains and spears in hand charged up the intercepting wall of vehicles.
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”Cannon number four! What are you doing? Why did you stop firing?” Torry howled from the top of the observation deck fanatically.
”Colonel! We have already fired thirty-two rounds continuously!”
Torry flung the beret in his hands onto the ground, ”Damn it! Damn it! Cannons one, two, nine, ten! Continue firing at the cavalry of both wings! Don’t stop, don’t stop!”
The artillerymen manning the cannons could not hear the commander’s shouts at all, they only knew to seek the enemy’s front lines and open fire! Open fire! Don’t cease opening fire!
The Deiss cavalry, which had divided into two wings to charge into the center of the battlefield, was experiencing a tougher time than anticipated by the commander. When they were traversing the incline to the left of Saijo Mountain, a hail of arrows suddenly came from the tunnels in the mountains. Completely unprepared, the whole Front of the Teutonic cavalry’s outer flank was taken out. Although the army group of the right wing that had doubled did not encounter many problems, the cannons at the right wing were firing away like a concerted orchestra. When they pretty much managed to charge into the center of the battlefield, they instead realized that there was absolutely no place for them to position themselves. The center army group had already surrounded the wall of vehicles and the entire front line was spread out. Unable to secure a position to launch their assault, they could only reunite with the army group of the left wing and cruise around within the battlefield.
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”It can’t be this way! It is also not like this!” Marshal Veron Blundindt paced restlessly in the forest at the fringe of the battlefield. The outflanking unit within the forest and the Fourth Corps that had already infiltrated the battlefield were yet to come to the people of Titan’s attention, but omitting the unfavorable aspect of the cavalry’s assault, Marshal Veron still had a nagging feeling. Where were the Narcissus knights? And the Red Tigers? What were they doing?
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Torry pounded his sword on a square table nearby and shrieked hysterically.
”My battlefield commander! Now is not the time to dawdle around! The Deiss has already dispatched an infantry corps to the outer zone at the center of the battlefield!”
General Abassia replaced his teacup and asked without even taking a glance, ”Can your cannons still fire?”
”Only nineteen rounds! Nineteen rounds! The natural cool down takes thirty over minutes!”
The single-armed General stood up, ”It seems that there is nothing more you can do! Messenger!”
A lieutenant, having heard the shout, hurried over.
”Inform General Murat, when the infantries replace the Teutonic Knights and enter the front lines, ask him to seek the most favorable hour to launch his attack!”
Torry suddenly jumped up as he gazed at General Abassia who after delivering his message, swiveled around to descend the mountain, ”Hey! Where are you going?”
”To the front lines!” Abassia used his sole arm to wave his wide-blade sword.
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Front lines! Front lines! The front lines were a death cradle that snatches lives, the final point that deprived one of their privilege to live. The archers of Titan continued their horde of attacks, screaming at the top of their voices to boost their spirit and tightening the bowstrings using their blistered fingers. As for the shieldbearers, they were not a useless asset on the battlefield. The shieldbearers had allocated a sack by their legs and in them were fine axes. Following commands from officers, the party of shield bearers would spin the lethal weapons and take the lives of their enemies! Titan’s assault soldiers surrounding the front lines were bathed in a dazzling multicolored ray of light. They used their blades to cut down enemies and swords to parry. The enemy cavalry maintained their rapid motion while continuously looking for an opening to strike the Titan knights’ vital points while their wretched creatures kept stampeding on the defensive lines. Despite all that, they could not slack off! They could not take it easy at all! The cries of those at the verge of death, the shouts of the enemies being hacked, transformed the snowy grounds into a raging murder scene where fighting spirits surged and blood boiled. This scenario was all around the front lines that had already suffered enough losses, occasionally toning down a little and sometimes escalating. The fight and massacre continued on.
”Hehe! Hehehe!” Torry trained his eyes attentively onto the infantry army group in the distance. He was aware that if the enemy lost their speedy assault cavalry, they would not make it up the mountain no matter what. Nine artillery shells, perhaps these were the last nineteen artillery shells of Saijo mountain’s defending battle! These nineteen artillery shells must explode among enemies to sufficiently turn the fate of the battlefield around.
”Move forward a little! A little more!” Torry silently calculated the scale used in the demonstration diagram. Let us not forget the artillerymen commander cultivated by this rogue had yet to showcase the Fortress cannon’s maximum firing range.
”Two kilometers to the front! The front lines of the enemies! Attack!”
The muzzles of the cannons were lifted and, after a violent tremble, the machine that reaped souls was completely engulfed in smoke, fire, and snow mist. The Deiss infantry army group that was approaching the battlefield received a violent surprise. The infantries started charging head-on like a bunch of maniacs for they did not wish to procure the same fate as their comrades!
”Again!” Torry was aware that the continuous shouting had left him hoarse, but he still heard the loud boom of the cannons with satisfaction.
This was the last volley of attacks from Titan’s artillerymen unit at Saijo mountain. What followed was the half an hour long interval for the cannons to cool down. As we know, within half an hour, lots of things could take place!
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The Black Woods was dense with fog, preventing light from penetrating through. However, the winter sunset still managed to paint a layer of pink over it. Under the freezing climate, the wild rattan had fused to become one with the snow grounds. Along the surface of the ground, they crept towards the tree trunks and following the tree trunks, traversed the between the small gaps in the woodland where patches of skies could be seen.
Urgent and chaotic noises rang out through the snow grounds. Deprived of the sun’s rays, the accumulated snow in the Black Woods was as thick and solid as usual. The Deiss’ entire cavalry division was responsible for surrounding the rear of Saijo Mountain. The commander of the party, upon hearing the sound of the bugle a while ago, registered that the fourth infantry corps had already set out and he had to hurry to coordinate with the whole progress of the military campaign.