Chapter 107 : The Mercenary Bureau’s First Request (21)
Chapter 107: The Mercenary Bureau’s First Request (21)
Shatien surveyed the battle situation below the hill.
-Rumbleeee!
-Waaaaaaah!
-Kill them all!
-Craaaack. Thud! Smash!
The sound of galloping horses and the shouts of men echoed as they cried out to kill their enemies.
He saw the mercenaries isolated in the middle of the wide plain. He also saw the cavalry and bandits circling them while throwing spears and stones.
“To the left! It’s coming from the left!”
“He-ack!”
-Crash!
“Dammit. Urgh! It’s the right, you idiot!”
Curses and screams filled the air from the mouths of the blocking mercenaries. Attacks that didn't have full power behind them were stopped by the flexible pikes and fell away, but the stones or sharp javelins that flew in with lucky strength were different.
They pierced through the forest of pikes, and the mercenaries with relatively poor equipment were collapsing one after another. Shatien furrowed his brow.
‘Centurion Jenga won't be able to hold out much longer. I have to hurry.’
He had to turn their attention toward himself before it was too late.
Shatien quickly assessed their numbers.
The bandits numbered roughly 300.
About 150 bandit cavalry and 150 infantry were surrounding the mercenary company in a circle.
They were constantly getting on the mercenaries' nerves by charging whenever a gap appeared. Shatien watched the bandit cavalry intently.
‘If I just deal with those guys, it seems like the rest will be handled somehow…?’
In an open field like this, ordinary bandits didn't mean much and catching that bandit cavalry would likely decide the outcome of the battle. But how?
Given the situation, Shatien's group, who came as reinforcements should attack, but was it even plausible for infantry to attack cavalry? Breaking the line to fight cavalry was truly an act of madness.
Instead, I have to make them crash into us.
‘Hmm... I’ll throw the bait.’
Shatien thought of that while recalling the games of chess he used to play with his master.
There was no choice but to lure them in and break them.
“Crossbowmen, wait on the hill. Fire a volley when the cavalry comes within range.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Pike units, don't step forward and protect the crossbowmen! Don't respond to enemy provocations and hold your ground.”
“Yes, sir!”
If they had any brains, they wouldn't just blindly crash into a pike formation. In fact, based on what he saw from above, weren't they diligently trying to whittle them down?
Therefore, what was needed was a force that would make them think it was sufficient to charge at us.
Specifically, an infantry unit to play the role of bait. Shatien willingly decided to take on that role himself.
“Halberd unit! Advance with me! Sound the horn and charge!”
-Bwooooooo!
-Waaaaaaah!
-Rumbleeeee!
A horn let out a long blast, and a great shout followed as the unit began to move.
Led by Shatien and the elf knights, the halberdiers descended the hill and began to charge toward the bandits.
At first, the bandits were clearly quite flustered by the sudden surprise, but they soon laughed loudly when they saw only infantry rushing toward them.
“Bwahahaha! These fools!”
“Do they mean to challenge us on flat ground? Trying to fight with those short weapons. I’ll kill every last one of you!”
Bartrok, the bandit leader, had the same thought.
“Show those arrogant bastards a lesson! Tell the infantry to handle those merchant group guys we almost caught! We’re going to sweep those ones away first!”
“Understood, boss!”
The cavalry stopped their attack on the mercenary company guarding the merchant group and turned their horses all at once.
The target was Shatien's halberd infantry unit rushing toward them, just as their leader said. Shatien didn't stop even as he saw the bandit cavalry charging.
The sound of thundering hooves swallowed the mercenaries' shouts. When the distance was close enough, Shatien shouted.
“Set the halberds!!! Shoulder to shoulder, form a scrum!”
“Yes, sir!”
The heavily armed mercenaries raised their halberds and pressed their bodies tightly together. Although the length of the shaft was shorter than a pike, it was still a fairly long weapon.
A horse is an animal that is instinctively afraid of sharp objects. This was even more true for pack horses that weren't trained as warhorses.
The sharp blades of the halberds gleamed under the sunlight.
-Neighhhh!
Horses let out startled whinnies and began to falter.
However, the bandits seemed to have already predicted this.
“Throw the javelins and scatter for now!”
-Swoosh!
-Craaack!
Using the momentum of their charge, the bandits threw their javelins and scattered to the left and right.
The javelins, carrying heavy inertia, struck the halberd unit one after another.
Men let out groans and gasps as the metal struck.
-Ughhh!
-Kughhh!
-Crack
Since they were wearing heavy armor, some were able to block the hits, but not everyone could endure it. Some of the halberdiers in the line collapsed after taking fatal wounds. Miles, becoming urgent, sought out Shatien and shouted.
“Shatien!! Aren't all our guys going to die at this rate?!”
“It’s fine. Not yet! We can hold out longer. We just need them to come in a little deeper. Pull the halberd unit back slowly.”
“Dammit! Understood.”
While grumbling, Miles did what he had to do.
He slowly retreated while maintaining the halberd square even amidst the accumulating damage.
“Ahahaha!”
“Keep pushing them!”
“You clever bastards. You didn't expect us to attack like this, did you?”
The bandit cavalry were quite excited and began to beat the halberdiers unilaterally. Sometimes they came close to swing blunt weapons, and sometimes they threw javelins again.
But they didn't know.
They didn't know why the halberdiers commanded by Shatien and Miles made such a foolish looking judgment.
“Now—!”
Shatien shouted when the enemies had been lured close to the foot of the hill. At the same time, a heavy mechanical sound rang out loudly.
-Pwoosh! Pwoosh!
-Swish! Swish! Swish!
The sound of multiple crossbows firing echoed as bolts flew through the air.
Crossbows properly aimed from atop the hill passed over the halberdiers and struck the heads of the defenseless bandit cavalry.
-Craaack!
-Thunk!
-Aghhhh!
-Bolts! Bolt atta— …Ugh!
-Thud! Thunk!
-Neighhhhhhh!
Men shrieked as bolts pierced through their ranks.
Horses whinnied in pain as they were struck.
The bandit cavalry didn't even have proper armor. The power of the bolts piercing through their bodies was truly formidable.
“What are you doing! Keep moving. Everyone dies if you stop in front of infantry!”
“The horses aren't following control!”
“Fallen horses and corpses are blocking the way.”
The movements of the bandit cavalry were completely tangled up by the fierce attack of the crossbow unit.
“Blast it! Then how about hitting those ones first?!”
“P-Pike units are standing by there.”
“Sigh! It’s a total checkmate! Reorganize quickly. We’re in trouble if we stay like this!”
Bartrok, the bandit leader, shouted while gnashing his teeth, but the situation wasn't good.
They were too deep in, and the halberd unit, which had broken its formation at some point, was moving swiftly. Especially the elf knights and squires among them were not missing this opportunity.
“Sir Shatien!”
“Right! Run fast! Knights!”
Receiving Shatien's signal, the elf knights and squires kicked the bellies of their horses.
-Neighhhhh!
“Bwahahaha! For a glorious death!”
“Kyoooooooot! Death calls us!! Join us in this great achievement. My brave squires!”
It was only two knights and ten following squires, but they were truly brave.
Well, since they were all heavily armed and even had barding on their horses, there wasn't much for them to be afraid of.
“G-Gasp!”
“It’s knights! Knights!!!”
Their appearance was certainly a massive shock. The bandit cavalry shouted in terror at the charge of the knights covered in metal.
“We have to block them!! Stop the lance charge!”
“We have to block them even with our bodies!! Cling to them!”
Bartrok, the bandit leader, shouted urgently, but there was no way bandits had that level of loyalty or discipline.
Despite Bartrok's orders, the bandit cavalry were too busy turning their bodies to avoid the rushing elf knights. And that turned directly into massive damage.
-Crack! Clang!
-Ughhh!
-Crack!
The sharp lances pierced right through the bodies of the bandit cavalry. With a single charge, about a dozen bandits were skewered and died on the spot.
Thanks to that, they couldn't use the lances anymore, but they had no hesitation.
The elf knights and squires immediately drew their swords and clearly showed why they were knights and why they were squires learning the martial arts of a knight.
Swords clashed with heavy metallic rings.
“Y-You crazy bastards! Why are knights here!”
-Neighhh!
The sharp swords cut through pack horses and bandits without discrimination.
“You guys are pathetic!”
“I am Knight Ainser! Is there no opponent to face my sword! Kyoooooooot!”
Shatien briefly admired the performance of the elf knights and their squires.
He supposed even dog dung could be useful if you needed it.
Indeed, the bandit cavalry were collapsing in an instant due to their activity. They were even bumping into each other and falling over as they tried to flee from the elf knights' attacks, creating obstacles themselves. The battle situation was overturned with a single charge.
“Now is the time!! Everyone charge!”
“Charge! Follow Shatien!”
“Waaaaah!”
As Shatien rose like a thunderbolt and dashed out, the halberdiers immediately broke their square and rushed in along with Miles.
-Crack!
-Crash!
The halberds swung with all their might slaughtered not only the bandit cavalry but the horses as well. There was nothing to stop the heavy halberds.
“W-What are these guys...?!”
“T-They’re strong! What is this. I’ve never seen this weapon before!”
Thanks to that, the bandit cavalry fell into confusion. It was their first time experiencing a weapon that could cut through both man and horse together.
But they couldn't just focus on that.
-Flash!
Shatien, who had gained momentum and leaped up before anyone knew it, swung his sword and snatched a bandit cavalryman's horse to ride.
“G-Gasp?!”
“W-What is this guy!”
The terrified bandit cavalry were startled and headed toward Shatien, but that was a foolish move.
The first wave.
A man let out a long, pained cry.
The second wave.
Another cry of pain followed.
The third wave.
Ack!
He cut through the approaching enemies in succession with those wave-like sword strikes.
“Urghhhh!”
“...”
“?!?!?”
It took only the time of a single blink.
The bandit knights were terrified as people collapsed in that short span. They had never seen such nonsensical swordsmanship before.
“Bwahahaha! Did you see that?!”
“This is the wonder of Sir Shatien, the Knight of Flash! Praise him!”
“Kyoooooooot! We shall follow his example. Oraoraoraoraora!!!”
The elf knights, impressed by Shatien's activity, shouted with high spirits. They then swung their swords rapidly, saying they would try it too, which was another disaster from the perspective of the bandit cavalry.
“Ugh... Ugh...! These monsters!”
“Run away!! We’re no match! These bastards are monsters!!”
Finally, the bandit cavalry lost morale and gradually gave up their will to resist. They were turning and scattering to survive.
Then, a man who looked like the enemy commander shouted in horror.
“Come back right now! Everyone dies if you scatter!!! I said fight together!!”
He was larger than the other bandits and his equipment looked quite good.
Shatien's eyes sparkled.
‘It’s that guy!’
Anyone could see he was the leader.
If he caught that guy, this battle would end. Having made his judgment, Shatien immediately drove his horse toward Bartrok, the leader of the bandit group.
“Ha! You brat! Do you mean to face all of us by yourself?! And against the great Bartrok?!”
As if to show his skill, Bartrok, the bandit leader, let out a sneer and drew his sword.
“I’ll show you a lesson... ack!”
Bang!
But the result was always the same.
“...”
“...”