Chapter : 69

Cavalry was strong, but not invincible. A well-organized infantry could sufficiently neutralize them.

And that was being demonstrated very well right now.

-Surround them. We must prevent them from escaping-!

-Phalanx! Maintain the phalanx.

-Crossbowmen! Fire-!

During the first charge, the cavalry of the city of Mangtong, having lost their momentum, became stranded between the pike phalanxes.

As the front rank was impaled on the pikes and collapsed, the cavalry following behind them tripped over them and fell one after another.

Now, in front of the pike infantry I was leading, countless bodies of horses and cavalrymen were scattered about.

So, could they retreat?

That wasn't an option either.

-Whoa, whoa!

-Tie them down until the infantry arrives-!

Because from behind, Biden was blocking their escape route with a small number of cavalry.

Thanks to that, infantry units were attached not only to the front but also to the left and right, completely sealing off the enemy cavalry's movements.

The enemy cavalry tried to regroup and break through the encirclement somehow, but that too was not easy.

That was because, from between the dense pike infantry that resembled a porcupine, hundreds of crossbowmen were firing in volleys whenever they had a chance.

-Pyushushushushuk!

No matter how sturdily they were armored and how they held their shields, it was impossible for them not to have weak spots.

No, the crossbows pierced through even the shields and armor with each shot, rendering them useless.

Thanks to this, the cavalry, who were being unilaterally beaten, were having a taste of death.

-Heeeeeeing!

-Aaaargh-! Help me!

The well-armed cavalrymen collapsed one after another without being able to put up a fight.

Considering their enormous ransoms, it was a truly heartbreaking sight.

And indeed, Chairman Modric, who was watching this, was screaming in despair.

“Impossible! My army! My soldiers! My knights! Aaaaaargh!”

This was not the outcome he had wanted when he went to the battlefield-! He was on the verge of losing everything and being utterly ruined.

Watching the movements of the Margrave’s army and the composition of its troops, Chairman Modric realized.

These were not mere conscripts.

They were truly well-trained elite soldiers.

That Margrave, who was rumored to be weak, was in reality an insanely powerful knight, and a monster who led an elite army in the short span of two years.

“Chairman! We must retreat at once!”

But there was no time to wail like this. The encirclement was closing in by the second.

“Retreat? To where in the world am I supposed to retreat! And even if I do retreat, will anything be left? Fuhuhuhu.”

“Good heavens….”

At Chairman Modric’s despondent words, the knights of the Holy Empire let out a sigh.

This is why they shouldn’t have joined hands with a weak city noble!

“Damn it! Get a grip, Chairman Modric!”

“We will break through. Then you can escape.”

But they couldn't leave him behind.

He was their staunchest supporter.

Besides, they hadn't even been paid for this job yet. If they were captured by the Margrave's army, they would be in a hopeless situation.

“What’s the point of going…”

“We have to live to plan anything!”

“Chairman Modric, you must decide quickly. Otherwise, we really won’t be able to escape for good!”

A brief argument ensued.

But this argument did not last long.

Because in the distance, that monstrous Margrave was pointing at them and leading his cavalry towards them.

“Damn it! I’ll apologize later!”

In the end, with those words, the knights of the Holy Empire began to flee, kidnapping Chairman Modric in a way that wasn’t quite a kidnapping.

* * *

“Heh, well.”

As someone who was trying to capture Chairman Modric, I let out a hollow laugh at the sight.

To think that he, who had been so arrogant, was now in a panic and being dragged away by his own knights.

It was truly an absurd situation.

“Well, it doesn't seem to be a bad thing.”

With the commander deserting the battlefield, the enemy's morale plummeted.

The cavalry who had been resisting in groups began to resign themselves to their fate and surrender.

A few knights were still resisting sporadically, but that too was coming to an end.

“A complete victory! My lord.”

As the battle was winding down, Biden approached me with a flushed face and shouted.

To think that they had defeated cavalry with only infantry, even though they had the numbers. And not just any cavalry, but 300 heavily armed heavy cavalrymen.

As a knight who knew the power of cavalry well, Biden was very encouraged by the victory in this battle.

“Yes, you’ve worked hard.”

“How should we pursue them, my lord? Just give the order.”

The extremely excited Biden pointed at the fleeing Chairman Modric and shouted.

Capturing the enemy commander as well would make it a perfect victory. Biden wanted to offer this honor to his lord.

But I shook my head.

“No. Our mission is to be the vanguard anyway. It’s important not to take unnecessary damage by chasing after that man. Every single soldier is precious.”

“Ah-! I understand, my lord.”

“So, tend to the wounded soldiers and gather the prisoners.”

Even if we captured the fleeing Chairman Modric, the city of Mangtong was unlikely to surrender.

Chairman Modric was not a noble who ruled a domain, but a representative chosen by the city.

Therefore, it was a better choice to focus on the aftermath rather than wasting energy on useless things.

‘Still, cavalry is cavalry, after all.’

The infantry unit that had taken the heavy cavalry's lance charge head-on was about half-decimated. Even if they were impaled on the pikes and fell, the mass of the charging cavalry crashed into the infantry, causing damage.

If there had been more cavalry, the damage might have been even more severe.

Still, for a first real battle, this was a pretty good result.

No, it was excellent.

Considering the cost of training cavalry, repelling them with this much damage was an incredible exchange ratio.

‘Of course, it’s a bit much to talk about cost-effectiveness with people’s lives…’

A bitter taste filled my mouth, and I smacked my lips.

But what could I do?

This was the nature of war.

Even now, people were scouring the area for spoils of war.

The armor and weapons of the dead or captured soldiers and knights were all money. It was even better if among them were nobles or members of influential city families.

There was no ransom as hefty as that of a prisoner with a strong background.

“Hmm, is this all of them?”

“Yes, my lord.”

In that sense, this battle wasn't very profitable.

Too many cavalrymen were wiped out in the first engagement and later, while surrounded, killed by crossbows.

“The number is smaller than I thought.”

I had high hopes with 300 heavily armed cavalrymen, but it was just a shame.

Then, Biden approached, pointed at the trembling prisoners, and asked.

“Should we kill them all?”

“What?”

“Aren't they all apostates? Heretics are not worthy of being kept alive, my lord.”

“Baaa-! That’s right, baa! They must all be executed! Lord-nimu.”

Oh my.

I had forgotten. That this was an era heavily influenced by religion.

The customs between nobles were to be respected, but that was only for those who were worthy of it.

Heretics were treated worse than pagans.

“No, treat them all well as prisoners according to custom.”

“Pardon?”

“They can't all be heretics, can they? And that is not for us to judge.”

“T-that's right!”

“Your Excellency! I am not a heretic. I am a faithful servant of God.”

At that, the captured prisoners began to clamor. They seemed to be well aware that the atmosphere was not flowing in a good direction.

But Bishop Marco's thoughts were different. Very different.

“Baaaaa! Lord-nimu! You'll receive divine punishment, baa! You must execute them all. Baaaa-!”

“But don't they have legitimate rights?”

“Once they have been excommunicated, those rights have disappeared! Baa!”

The unexpectedly strong opposition gave me a headache.

This damn goat beastman was usually a complete quack, but only at times like this did he act like a bishop.

But I had absolutely no intention of executing them.

‘How much money are they worth?’

They were influential figures from a port city famous for its wealth. Thinking of the ransom they would cough up, there was no way I could just kill them.

Of course, there was another reason.

The intertwined relationships.

It was the law of the world for like to meet like. The complex marriage relationships that had been passed down through generations created relatives with vested interests far and wide.

If I rashly killed them for being heretics, I would be buying their resentment.

“Hah, Bishop Marco, come here for a moment.”

“Bwha?”

Therefore, I sighed and decided to persuade Bishop Marco.

How?

“Think about it, Bishop Marco. Imagine all of them repenting. Then, how much wealth will accumulate before you.”

“Baaaaa?!”

With what the greedy Bishop Marco liked best, of course.

“If you spare them, won't they all buy indulgences? It's all for your sake.”

At my words, Bishop Marco’s square goat eyes blinked as if he had a great realization.

“Baaaaa! Lord-nimu…!”

Only then did he begin to see all those prisoners as money.

* * *

Having defeated Chairman Modric’s army, there was nothing to fear. My army quickly moved south and soon arrived near the city of Mangtong.

-Ding-ding-ding-ding!

-The enemy has appeared!

As the army of 5,000 appeared, the city became busy. It seemed they were gathering people and mobilizing soldiers for defense.

But regardless of that, I gave my orders leisurely.

“Pitch the tents and prepare the campsite-! There will be no battle today.”

My role was to be the vanguard, anyway.

And since I had fought a battle on top of that, I had already done all I needed to do. I had no intention of expending any more soldiers.

Besides, as a wealthy port city in the southern region, the walls of the city of Mangtong were high and sturdy.

‘The walls are incredibly high. Truly befitting a trading port.’

It was incomparable to the city of Markel.

‘I took enormous damage even when attacking the city of Markel, so I shouldn't even think about attempting it.’

With that thought, I stationed my soldiers outside the range of the city walls. Even if I couldn't control the goods coming and going by sea, I planned to control all the goods coming and going by land.

This threw the city of Mangtong into chaos.

“Damn it! Didn't you say the Margrave's army was small?”

“And to lead the troops out and lose all that precious fighting power!”

“Aaaah. What should we do? We are all finished. We’re all going to die…”

The Mangtong City Council, having received the report, fell into despair.

They had lost their most powerful heavy cavalry on a large scale, and before they could even request reinforcements, the city was surrounded by an army of 5,000.

The number of troops remaining in the city was only about 1,000.

And they said the main force was coming after them, so it was truly the worst-case scenario.

“How about we surrender now?”

“Will they forgive us when we’re being subjugated for excommunication?”

“We’re not all heretics, are we? It's just that the church diocese that believes in heresy is in the city!”

“That’s right. I’m a faithful believer-! Why am I a heretic?”

As is characteristic of a city where various groups gather, opinions were bound to be divided.

The opinions of the council members, which had been momentarily united by the war, began to fracture in an instant.

“By the way, what is the Chairman doing?”

“I heard he’s still holed up in his room and won’t come out.”

But.

The cries of these council members were nothing but useless wails.

“That crazy bastard! He still hasn’t come to his senses even after leading us into this situation?”

Chairman Modric, who was supposed to gather their opinions and make a decision, had gone into seclusion out of shock.