Chapter 89: Northern Conquest War (7)
“Commander, I have a question.”
“Yes, Lieutenant Werner. What is it you wish to know?”
“Didn’t you always instruct the knights not to engage in direct battle with the archer cavalry since the fight against the T?ner Tribe a year ago?”
At his words, I nodded.
Because I believed an officer who suggested catching archer cavalry head-on with knights was not qualified to command.
“Our mobility is inferior, so if we confront them head-on, they’ll escape. We’ll end up chasing them and being hit by their arrows.”
“But why are you gathering knights to fight against the archer cavalry now?”
“However, their only advantage is overwhelming mobility. If we can somehow immobilize them, our knights are far superior in defense, attack, and the shock power needed to break enemy lines. So we have a good chance.”
As I said this, I reflected on how they had greatly sacrificed defense and the impact necessary to cause significant damage to the enemy in a frontal attack.
This was due to their unique tactic, known as the Parthian Shot.
The area a horse must move in to perform their Parthian Shot, which was horse archery, was quite large.
If a knight’s horse charges 100 meters at a time, a soldier executing a Parthian Shot must move at least 300 meters.
Because they need to move 100 meters to reach the enemy, another 100 meters to fall back, and 100 meters to maintain distance.
Thus, even though horses were more physically capable than humans, if the rider’s weight wasn’t minimized, it would lead to massive exhaustion. Therefore, they only wore light armor to reduce the burden, making their defense very weak.
Hence, a single heavy hit by knights could significantly weaken them to the point of collapse.
As I was explaining this, I saw a unit of knights retreating from the archer cavalry’s attack.
Their number was about 40.
I approached them confidently, showed them the orders written by the commander, and said,
“I am Colonel Peter Yaeger, commander of the 24th Regiment of the Northern Army. I am sorry that your unit has suffered greatly, but any knight who can still fight should join under my command as ordered.”
After I said this, a Captain, who appeared to be the most senior officer of the unit, stepped forward and said,
“Our Battalion Commander was unfortunately killed by the enemy’s arrow, and the unit has lost much blood.”
“I am aware. Therefore, I will not force everyone to come. We will only charge once. If you follow me now, I will give you the opportunity to make great contributions in this war, like the chance to take Ludwig’s head.”
If the situation weren’t urgent, I would have tried to persuade them further at this point.
“I can’t give much time. But if you are in a state to fight, think about which choice is more honorable and decide right now.”
At this moment, I found myself in a situation where I needed to find more troops from retreating knight squads that had suffered great losses and select those who could still fight.
It was better to simply advise rather than waste time persuading and accepting only those who chose to follow.
“No, those who wish to achieve great feats should follow me.”
With that, about half of the knights, unharmed and healthy, perhaps trusting my reputation, followed me.
In this manner, I continued to move from the left flank to the right, gathering knights in good condition from the retreating squads to join me.
Eventually, the number of knights following me swelled to around 300.
Even without the insane act of charging archers head-on, they wouldn’t have been able to retaliate against enemies at unreachable distances.
Moreover, many knights must have perished from arrows shot from a distance, resulting in many squads suffering significant losses and being forced to retreat.
As I was nearing the 12th Division on the right flank, Werner asked me while we were on horseback.
“But normally, knights need to be in sync with their own unit to fight as one. If we just mix them up like this…”
Knights in a unit were usually trained for years to harmonize with each other, maximizing their abilities and fighting efficiently.
Recognizing their uniqueness and abilities, the empire allowed even a serf who met the conditions to start as at least a non-commissioned officer, similar to a mage—a unique military class.
So, what I’m doing now—hastily assembling a unit with just any knight—might have adverse effects.
“Can’t knights, supposedly from a knight unit, at least charge with a spear and fight the visible enemy? Right now, that’s all that’s needed.”
“As the Regiment Commander said, knights in a knight unit should at least be able to do a lance charge in sync with a signal. If they can’t keep up, they’d be as good as dead.”
True to his words, knights in a unit were trained to join any unit with a horse, armor, and lance, and align with their signals for a lance charge.
Charging with a lance was essentially the essence of a knight’s existence.
In large-scale battles, sometimes dozens of knight regiments, 200 men each, from different divisions gather to perform lance charges in the thousands.
Any knight of the empire could perform at the basic level of what I want.
At that moment, an infantry battalion that had suffered damage was retreating in front of me.
I showed them the order I used when mobilizing the knights and asked them.
“Can we use those long spears you have effectively?”
“Understood. Please take them.”
“Thank you, Colonel. I’ll send five barrels of wine to your battalion later.”
It might seem strange to receive a long spear, as precious as a soldier’s life, just by showing an order form.
In the empire, all equipment and weapons used by soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers were issued.
If there was a valid reason, they were not held responsible for any damage or loss; hence, they handed it over immediately upon seeing the order.
Had it been an army like Spain’s Tercio, where soldiers had to buy their own weapons and armor, they would have definitely resisted giving up a spear.
It would have felt as though their own money was being taken away.
“Besides, an infantry long spear is similar to a lance, and the imperial military manual states that if you don’t have a lance during a lance charge, you can use an infantry long spear.”
The reason this was feasible was that, after all, whether it was a lance or a spear, once used in a lance charge, it was expended. So, as long as the length was appropriate, it was roughly usable.
This meant that even knights without lances were provided with the necessary spears for a lance charge.
“Damn it! Those damned bastards! Why are they only targeting us?”
“Stop buzzing around like a swarm of flies, you dogs!”
“You cowardly barbarians! Fight us face to face, honorably!”
When I turned towards the source of those voices, I saw the flag of the 12th Division 7th Regiment, just as Laura had mentioned.
And, as expected, the archers under Ludwig were circling around us, continuously shooting arrows in an attempt to massacre our forces.
I would like to step in and help right now, but if we go out now, we won’t be able to inflict any damage on those barbarians.
The moment they would see the knights, they would judge the situation as dangerous and run away again.
Moreover, given the situation, it was assumed that Ludwig was among those archers.
“Everyone, prepare to charge with your lances or long spears under your arms. When the signal is given, follow me in the charge.”
Upon hearing this, everyone solemnly placed their spears under their arms and stared intently at the enemy before them.
It seemed that the morale of one soldier had been completely eroded by the continuous shooting from Ludwig’s men.
The one standing in front threw down his spear and charged forward.
As a tiny crack appeared in the infantry formation, the enemy barbarians erupted in cheerful laughter.
“Now’s the time! Put down your bows and draw your swords!”
“It’s time to take revenge on the pigs who have been holed up in the castle!”
“Cut them all down and kill them!”
Like a single arrow, they began to pierce the infantry’s formation with swift and sharp momentum, swords ready.
“Damn it! Damn it!! Who’s the crazy fool who threw his spear and charged ahead?!”
“Save me! Save me!”
“The lunatic who threw his spear and charged! If you want to die, do it quietly on your own. I don’t want to die!!”
The soldiers of the 7th Regiment were utterly panicked, and seeing the archer cavalry now mounted and brandishing swords, they feared the chaos might spread to other units.
As Ludwig and his henchmen recklessly charged,
“These bastards slaughtered our soldiers and took innocent people of the Reich Empire as slaves and playthings! In the name of a knight’s honor, let’s exterminate those filthy heathens today! Charge!”
All the knights following me echoed my call.
“Let’s trample every single barbarian!”
“No need for surrender! Just kill them!”
“The Battalion Commander’s enemy! You bastards!!”
To lead these more than 300 knights effectively and annihilate the enemy now wielding swords among our infantry on horseback, I simply stood at the forefront, wielding a long spear borrowed from an infantryman.
I had practiced lance charges several times since the academy, but this was the first time I was executing one on horseback in actual combat.
In a war where life and death were decided in an instant, would an enemy not see through a novice’s lance charge?
Yet, I was confident.
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