CH 91.1

Chapter 91.1 – When a Giant Cannon Fires

The right-wing of the imperial army has 20000 imperial troops.

This army is made up of many knights and soldiers from Trakia and Gartland, two of the three great kingdoms at the east end of the empire.

Although large in number, the army was made up of the subordinate states that were called from the far east and soldiers recruited from the cities of the empire so their morale was the lowest.

Even so, they were only up against 500 royal knights. If they put their mind to it, they could crush them all in one go.

However, the commanders of the army, Trakia General Da Jeshka and Gartland General Sandor Nefskie, were not motivated.

「General Sandor, are you not going to attack?」

「No, given the chaotic situation, I think the chariot tactics of the renowned Trakian Knights would be a better strategy.」

In that way, they checked each other and never made any progress.

With both generals in command, there was no way the soldiers who were forcibly recruited from their distant homeland could mount a proper offensive.

「I heard that General Rai of Rastor had a terrible time in the Oracle’s Great Cave in the rear.」

「So, General Da thinks so too. They’ve obviously laid out a trap for us here.」

The royal knights of Silesie are a heavy knight battalion like the royal knights of Germania.

However, these 500 royal knights before them are wearing light armor instead of full plate armor. It was natural to assume that there was a reason behind that.

Although the light cavalry was less defensive, they were more agile.

Given their orderly maneuvers, it is obvious that they are luring them into a trap.

If a bunch of imperial conscripts approach with their long spears in an unmotivated manner, they would be outmaneuvered and scattered by the mobility of the light cavalry.

And skirmishes like this are being repetitively done by the kingdom. Even so, the empire has no intention to advance.

They don’t think they would lose since they are 20000 strong but no territorial army would want to go to the trouble of running into the enemy’s traps and reducing their precious troops.

At the beginning of the battle, when they learned that the Golden Lion Emperor Freed was defeated in a duel against Hero Takeru, the territorial army began to think that the Germania Empire was nearing its end.

There is no need to flatter a weak crown prince. It would be foolish to take a battle like this seriously.

「Oh, General Da, it looks like the imperial knights are coming this way.」

「I’m blind so I don’t know. However, it should be that guy Barbarossa. Well, let’s just have the empire fight its own war.」

Da Jeshka, the famed general of Trakia, is blind and wears a black eye patch.

This old general, who is famous for having devised unusual tactics called chariot tactics, lost his sight in a former war but even though he’s blind, he is still respected as a general and a hero of the Trakian people.

「Oi, you bunch of cowards! My knights will clean this place up so straighten up your pants and follow us!」

Barbossa von Barant, the fiercest general of Germania, shouted in a loud voice that even the two generals of the territorial army could hear while launching a furious assault.

He has a big body and so was his voice. It was an incredibly loud voice that made the air tremble in fear.

The kingdom was not happy to be attacked by the 5000 cavalries led by Barbossa.

The royal knight of the Kingdom of Silesie scattered and fled as soon as they collided.

「Fuhahaha! The Silesien knights are a bunch of cowards too! You dare call yourselves royal knights! Don’t run away and fight!」

Barbarossa, the red beard general is chasing after the light cavalry knights of Silesie while swinging his execution axe in full glee.

He is a war fanatic who finds joy in slaying his enemies on the battlefield.

But still, it was an unusual battlefield.

The grassy field was lined with many anti-horse fences of various sizes. Some fences were so low that horses could jump over them and the light cavalry of the kingdom just leaped over them.

The imperial knights were heavily armed and many of them tried to imitate jumping over the fences but failed, breaking their horses’ legs, or jumping over a pit, and many of them fell off their horses.

Barbarossa resented the territorial troops at the rear, who were not moving well too because the battlefield was full of obstacles. He thought the long spearmen should have accompanied the knights.

「This is just a small trick!」

Even Barbarossa’s prized red horse is stuck as its feet were caught in the mud.

Then, a petite female knight from Silesie, equipped with a notched shield and throwing spear arrived. Her long chestnut-colored hair is swinging.

「Hmm, you’re a famous knight!」

「…….」

She is Marina Hose, the current commander of the Silesie’s royal knights but she did not speak.

Instead of words, she threw the spear on her hand at Barbossa with all her might.

「Fuh, bold!」

「…….」

If it was someone else, that could have been quite a blow but it was easily repelled by Barbarossa’s execution ax, which had already sucked the blood of a hundred generals.

When Maria saw that her spear throw failed, she grabbed her light bow and fired again.

「Fuhahaha, that’s nothing but a mosquito bite.」

「…….」

The arrows aimed at Barbarossa bounced off his thick armor.

However, his red horse did not get away unscathed.

The red horse, which had been caught in the mud, was unable to support Barbarossa’s massive body due to the arrows that struck it and fell on the spot.

「Mou, so the horse was your target?」

Barbarossa had no choice but to jump off the red horse.

He chased after the knight in front of him, swinging his execution ax in anger for shooting his beloved horse.