330 – Battle of Brito Plain (8)
The imperial army infantry officers quickly followed instructions.
“Form the 1st battalion square! “The 1st Company stands first, followed by the 2nd Company!”
“Stand up like training, and you’ll be stabbed like training! “As long as you stick the polearm into the ground properly, you can block it!”
“Don’t be scared and move as instructed! Throw away your thoughts! The thoughts are done by this body that directs you! “I will take full responsibility!”
When told to move as if in training, the soldiers moved slowly as if they were one body and instantly formed a large cavalry pike phalanx, and the anxiety that was eating away at their hearts gradually dulled as they were told to let go of their thoughts.
During the training I’ve been through so far, there were times when I felt like giving up because I felt like it was impossible no matter how many times I was given an order as I had rolled over countless times, but the instructions given by the officers at that time acted like a ray of rain that wets the dry ground. Because I had the experience of exceeding my limits when I somehow followed instructions.
It was because I believed that if I followed the officer’s words now, just as I did then, I would emerge victorious from the battle with the knights and return home alive.
Peter Jaeger felt proud to see the results of the training, including the formal training, had been achieved.
On the other hand, General Dante, who commanded the mercenary knights hired by the Venetian Alliance and the knights made up of nobles from each principality, saw the imperial infantry like that and acted as his flagship.
“What kind of training did the imperial infantry receive, and how could they react so calmly to the charge of over 20,000 knights?”
He, who commands 20,000 knights, should not have said that he was surprised or scared when a sword was held at his throat.
Unlike the militia and mercenaries he had seen, seeing the imperial infantrymen prepared to take the charge without the slightest hesitation made him unable to help but utter such a weak sound.
But the good news among the misfortunes was that no one could hear his words because they were covered by the sound of the horses’ hooves, and the knights behind him were shouting loudly.
“Let’s cut off Reich Peter Jaeger’s head and change his name!”
“That lion with a sword emblem is the damn Jaeger emblem! So if you dig down there, you’ll find that bastard Jaeger!”
“Knights of the Principality of Frito! “We have 20,000 knights, but the Reich Imperial Army consists of nothing but exhausted scoundrels!”
The knights charged in a wedge formation, and were struck down by magic and arrows fired by wizards and crossbowmen belonging to the imperial army, shouting their final words.
Depending on the success of this assault, the future depends on whether we will be able to protect our homeland or not…
The noble knights of each principality rushed out to protect their vested rights and honor, while the mercenary knights rushed out to receive money.
Finally, the knights of the Veneta Union and the infantry of the Reich Empire clashed.
Many of the soldiers pierced the weak points of the horse’s armor with their spears and avoided being blown away by absorbing the impact into the ground. However, some of the inexperienced soldiers were hit by heavy horses and flew straight to their deaths.
Of course, there were some soldiers who died after being pierced by lances, and there were also soldiers who lost their human form after being trampled by horses that kept running behind them.
Blood splattered everywhere, a cruel scene unfolding, but the morale of the soldiers of the Reich Empire did not drop…
“It is not too late to mourn our dead comrades even after the war is over! “Knock it down with a mace or a stick!”
“Don’t try to have a sword fight with knights for no reason!”
“Break your left leg and start! “It’s difficult to block attacks coming from the left while on a horse!”
The officers began giving orders as if they were trying to kill at least one more of the knights, and Peter Yeager gave orders to the riders.
“The rear left and right wing units surround them as if encircling them from the inside! Since we outnumber the knights, we now have the advantage. Do not worry!”
The horsemen, trumpeters, and messengers conveyed Captain Jaeger’s orders to the soldiers on the left and right wings of the rear, and they followed the instructions and began to surround the knights, like a person embracing someone with both arms.
When the knights of the Veneta Union saw that, they tried to turn their horses as quickly as possible.
Because the most powerful weapon of cavalry, especially knights wearing heavy armor, is speed, and if they were caught in this state, they were as good as dead.
“Turn your head! “Turn your head and run away!”
“If we don’t get out of here, we’ll die! “Get out at all costs!”
“The Reich Empire, you cockroaches. “I attacked you with a horse, so why are you still okay?”
However, the knights, who lost speed and impact power, which were one of the knights’ weapons, were unable to overcome the imperial soldiers who pushed ahead in numbers.
“Four infantrymen fight against one knight! “One guy blocks it and three guys hit it!”
“Remember how many people you have harassed! “That way, you can receive a proper reward later!”
“Corporal Martin! Three people under Corporal Martin!”
The Veneta soldiers were helpless and died in front of the joint tactics of the squad, where one person blocked the attack and three people beat it down.
As the number of knights was slowly but surely reduced, thousands of knights out of nearly 20,000 were killed or taken prisoner.
When the mercenary knights found themselves in this situation, they thought there was no answer, so they were not satisfied with successfully retreating and escaping. Instead, they broke away from the Venetian allied forces and began to leave the battlefield.
Dante felt a sense of emptiness as he watched that scene.
At the same time, there was something clearly visible in his eyes as the leader of the knights.
‘The knight’s charge was completely blocked and failed. And from what I saw on the way, the infantry was gradually being pushed back… So the Union would definitely lose. ‘You brought 250,000 people and lost against only 150,000 people.’
Now that things were like this, he thought that what he had to do was to save at least one more of the Bolonia knights he belonged to and send them to his hometown.
‘Anyway, Campio, that incompetent bastard, no matter how hard he tries, he won’t be able to turn the tide. So this is the best.’
If it had been the army of the Venetian Principality alone, not the Venetian Union, this judgment would not have been made, but isn’t it natural for each side to abandon the other when the union becomes unfavorable?
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Dante ordered.
“Everyone retreat! No, retreat and leave the battlefield! Hurry!”
At that command, the image of the knight who had been charging majestically up until now suddenly disappeared, and he began running away as quickly as a mouse that had encountered a cat.
Captain Jaeger’s adjutant asked.
“Shouldn’t we give orders to the infantry to pursue them?”
Peter Yeager watched the scene and was lost in his thoughts, contemplating his future strategy.
From a tactical perspective, it would make sense to chase down the knights, but from a strategic perspective, it was a little different.
‘Anyway, we moved our troops with the determination to completely destroy the Farosian Union, especially the Veneta faction. We will have to fight a siege, and in order to do so, we must maximize the conflict between nobles and citizens, so it will be easier in the future.’
And the best means he thought of was this.
Save the nobles as much as possible and focus the attack on the militia.
Through this, the citizens’ resentment was turned towards the nobles who returned alive.
“Leave those who escape the siege alone.”
At that time, a soldier belonging to the archer cavalry hurried over and reported.
“The Veneta Union infantry has now been defeated and cannot maintain its formation! “This is our team’s victory. What will you do?”
Rather than being happy about this good news, Peter Yeager made a rational judgment as quickly as possible and issued orders based on that.
“Order the archers and knights to kill at least one more militia. If we miss them now, they will join us in guarding the walls, which will make it even more of a hassle for us later when we have to attack Veneta Castle and other castles.”
“Do you think the knights don’t have to chase?”
“This commander will take full responsibility, so the knights will not pursue. From now on, focus on chasing down the militia! If you surrender, capture me alive, otherwise kill me!”
The order was soon conveyed to Anastasia and Major General Siegfried, and they immediately gave instructions to pursue the militia.
As a huge number of knights and archers began to chase the demoralized militia soldiers, only screams, death, and pleas for help remained on the battlefield.
“I surrender! “Please just spare my life!”
“Ugh! Mom!”
“……I shouldn’t have started a war.”
Nobles, mercenaries, and civilians all equally fled with all their might to survive, and Peter Yeager could tell from his experience as a commander so far.
He knew that he was victorious in this battle.
In this way, the 150,000-strong Reich Imperial Army succeeded in completely defeating the Venetian Allied Forces, which numbered over 250,000.
10,000 Imperial soldiers killed, 13,000 wounded, no prisoners.
75,000 Dead of the Venetian Allied Forces (the majority were civilians), 30,000 wounded taken prisoner (due to the crushing defeat of the unit, the Venetian Union did not recover the wounded, so all prisoners that the Imperial Army could not secure died), 4 prisoners. Only.
Peter Jaeger ordered the clearing of the battlefield and at the same time sent a letter to General Giuseppe of Milan, asking him to join.
Because it was necessary to discuss how to sort out the Venetian Alliance in the changed situation after this victory.