Chapter 204
–Third Person POV–
Late Summer, Central Region of the Western Plains
The western plains continue to experience sweltering hot weather and depending on the day also an unpleasant level of humidity, however, the strong wind blowing from the sea made it slightly more bearable today .
This was especially true for the soldiers standing under the blazing sun in their iron armor, who thought the breeze was like an angel’s breath .
「So they’re finally here……」
The name of the man who muttered softly was Ivan Galchenko, the Supreme Commander of the Federation Army gathered here .
He is slightly above the age of 50 aad the white hairs in his head are especially prominent .
However, his overflowing spirit1 from just sitting quietly is not one belonging to a typical elderly man who is tired of living .
This veteran soldier radiated a dignified air one level above all the other sharp and able-bodied men lined up around him .
「Sir! The fools have come . 」
The western plains spread out before his eyes and the entirety of the squirming Garland Empire Army comes into view as he gazes upon the unobstructed horizon .
「I assume the preparations to intercept are complete?」
「Of course, Commander Galchenko Your Excellency . The troops under you have already made preparations to fight a defensive battle . 」
「Umu…… they’re very well-trained . 」
The Federation army is under direct control of the Royal Government and is mostly composed of the soldiers from the armies of State Governments and nobles around the district, with the exception the elites guarding the capital .
Normally, just gathering the armies of the vassals would not make for a decent military force .
However, the State forces and the vassals’ armies were formed under the assumption that they would fight and train together as the Federation’s army during wartimes in the first place .
The army is fundamentally different from a simple mishmash of soldiers .
「A force of 800 000…… but from what I can see, the enemy’s forces are even larger . 」
The 800 000 of the Federation army has set up camp in the center of the western plains filled with nothing but grasslands, but the enemy marching slowly towards them appears to be even greater in number .
「According to the reports from our spies, it seems they have mobilized more than 2 million this time . 」
As expected, even Galchenko sighs at that fact .
「They gathered all 2 million in one place at the same time…… how foolish . 」
「Those guys from Garland are just violent savages . We can’t understand them using our senses . 」
In war, there are times where number is more important than quality .
But, that has its limits too .
If you can secure infinite food and water, medicine and a hygienic toilet, then an army of 2 million will be able to exhibit unrivalled strength .
But in reality such a thing is impossible, maintaining the 800 000 the Federation gathered here plus each of the flanking parties of 100 000…… totalling 1 million, requires the mobilization of a large number of carriages and laborers to prepare a mountain of stockpiled supplies .
「Even more so when they’re the invading army and the attacking side, there’s no way they can stockpile their supplies . 」
「Normally it would be standard practice to divide an army numbering in the tens of thousands into several field armies . 」
Galchenko’s men also have enough talent to lead their own armies .
That’s why they did not excessively fear an army who would throw away supplies like it was nothing .
「It may be somewhat troubling though if they spread out and advance from the west to the east of the western plains . 」
It’s because the Imperial army is approaching as a single group that Galchenko concentrated his army in one place .
If the advancing army scatters, there will be more of them running around and the possibility that some of them might seep through the cracks is annoying .
「However, regardless of the numbers, it may be just the pressure that’s overwhelming us, and in that case, we just have to work together with those around us while falling back gradually . The plains are also spread out behind us, it’s not like we’re blocked by a wall . 」
If order is maintained while retreating, the one who would exhaust themselves first is without a doubt the Empire’s side .
The issue with numbers, the issue with supplies, each of those are in the Federation’s favor .
「We also have a sea route for transportation after all . 」
「Umu, I may be an amateur at naval warfare but the Empire’s fleet only consists of large boats and their tactics are practically like a pirate’s . 」
Because the Empire also conducted surprise attacks during the war with them last time, it might be temporarily disadvantageous for the Federation on land .
To turn that around, a victory in naval warfare is needed, but unlike the land battles where you could manage to win just by gathering numbers, in a battle of fleets, the skill of the crewmembers and the well thought out tactics are the most important .
Although, only having size just makes the ships nothing more than a target .
The Empire’s ships sunk to the sea floor while still packed with the soldiers and supplies and then the Empire was defeated even on land shortly after .
「Because of that, those guys in the navy have been getting a big head in recent years . This time, let’s rout them on land . 」
「I agree, unlike last time, we’re prepared……」
Galchenko turns around and one of his subordinates speaks out after saluting neatly .
「Stationary large cannons totalling 80, field cannons totalling 500 per corps, both have been installed completely without complication . 」
「Fumu…… good . 」
Up until now, cannons could only, outside of certain circumstances, be used in siege battles but they are now being lined up for a large scale field battle .
Galchenko is the first to advocate and realize the range and destructive power of the cannons is sufficient for use on the field .
Which is why most of the cannons the Federation held in possession have been gathered here .
「I really wanted to gather double the amount though . But the navy ended up taking some of them . 」
「It can’t be helped . Most of those in White City are stubbornly sticking to using cannons either in sieges or in naval warfare . 」
Galchenko snorts .
「Seriously, they’re even more stubborn than me at 50 plus years old…… their heads could actually be used as the shells for our cannons . 」
Laughter leaks out from all of those in the headquarters .
The enemy has great numbers, yet not a single one of them were feeling pessimistic .
The army of the Federation, matchless in the entire continent, has a total strength of 1 million and is being led by the great veteran general . Why would they have any reason to feel anxious or scared?
Eventually, the distance between the two armies closed and the soldiers began to hurry back and forth even more within their respective camps .
The march of the Imperial army also got visibly slower .
With each side busy changing of formations, it was only a matter of time before the armies transitioned into attack .
Galchenko draws the sword at his hip and declares casually .
「Gentlemen, it’s time for war . Let’s kick the heads of these savage Empire wolves and set fire to their tails . 」
「「「Oooh!」」」
The Imperial army makes a move .
The soldiers in the vertical formation split off and arrange themselves in a single file horizontal line .
You couldn’t call those movements beautiful even if it was just flattery, as the army becomes like a clump of people and advances while everybody squirms restlessly .
Nevertheless, the spread out horizontal line consisted of roughly 200 000 men and their footsteps made the earth where the archers could not shoot at from long range rumble .
The mysterious thing was that there were no archers nor cavalry in sight .
All the soldiers were wrapped in a grey armor and they were moving forward as if they were being chased by something .
The Federation army quickly responds by forming a horizontal line of their own .
Unlike the opposite side, the Federation army was orderly without a single arrow out of place even upon close inspection, and one would be able to judge the army’s superior skill and command in an instant .
「Hmmm……」
Yet Galchenko seemed troubled .
「Your Excellency, that is…… they’re also……」
「So these savage people are surprisingly like regular people too?」
Behind the Imperial army’s horizontal formation, cannons which appear to be suitable for field battles, can be seen being pulled on wagons .
However, Galchenko’s staff officers do not lose confidence .
「No need to worry . The Empire’s technology is inferior to ours, so the range and accuracy of our cannons should be superior . Let’s crush them with our cannons before we get into range of the enemy . 」
「From what I can see, they only have roughly 100 of them, while we also have large stationary cannons on our side . If it becomes a shoot-out, the winner will be determined immediately . 」
As if scared of those words, the Empire’s cannons stopped moving .
Those around Galchenko couldn’t hold back their laughter .
「Hahaha, it’s just like with their navy . They copied the structure but the interior is nonexistent . At that range, they’ll only shoot their own allies . 」
「It looks like their cannons are for saluting and celebratory purposes . 」
The atmosphere in the headquarters relaxes at the sight of such shabby tactics .
Galchenko himself also nods in agreement, saying how there was no way they would lose to people as foolish as this .
However that atmosphere did not last for very long .
Right when the cannoneers of the Federation were about to make preparations, the Imperial army let out a collective battle cry .
「The enemy…… they’re charging! They’re doing an all-out charge! The entire line is coming at us!!」
「Ridiculous! They’re sending their infantry forward all of a sudden!?」
There was no formation to be found anywhere as the enemy soldiers scatter and rush forward while shouting .
The 200 000 weren’t advancing in an orderly fashion but rather in a frenzied state .
「Are they some savage tribe!? Eeei, don’t let them rattle you, we have no intentions of following their pace! Shoot them as soon as they enter your range! Archers and cannoneers, get your preparations in order!」
The Federation soldiers were slightly in shock but quickly regained their composure .
And then the cannoneers held their flame-lit sticks to their respective barrels .
「……Fire!」
There was a tremendous echo of booming sounds .
It was loud enough to drown out the shouts and sounds of footsteps and even induce screams from the Federation side .
A few moments later, it all changed into agonizing dying cries .
The rain of iron balls mercilessly crush the Imperial soldiers into clumps of meat .
The ones who were hit directly were blown to pieces, while the ones who were showered with the shrapnel and debris were torn to shreds .
A few hundred people died without even knowing they died, and several times more people died after suffering extreme pain .
It was literally like hell on earth .
「How terrifying…… who would have thought a single volley from all the cannons would deal this much damage……」
「What’s regrettable is that we couldn’t show this to those blockheads in White City, or they might have cracked . 」
There was a stillness after the cannons fired as this scene of destruction was being processed, which could break the morale of more soldiers than the number of casualties .
The war cries from the Imperial army were silenced and the soldiers started to turn back one after the other .
What they found was the group of Imperial army cannons which stopped before the frontlines .
「「「U……uooooooh—!!」」」
「Impossible! Are they barbarians…… no, have they gone insane!?」
The Imperial army resumed their charge .
They advanced forward, trampling over the remains of their allies .
「The interval between shots for the cannoneers is long, archers should fire away ceaselessly . Spearmen, stay in defensive formation!」
In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with arrows .
The cannons which were already prepared were also shot and a similar hellish scene was born .
The archers of the Imperial archers who could return fire didn’t have cavalry to quickly close the distance and so they were defeated one-sidedly .
The battlefield was turned into a scene from hell with only the corpses of the Imperial soldiers lining the ground, but still their legs don’t let up .
They continue shouting and charging earnestly, trying their hardest to close the distance .
「……Your Excellency, the enemy appears to be concentrating its forces on the 10 000 men of our third corps in front . 」
「Doing something so abnormal…… it makes them just like a beast, no!?」
The Federation is 800 000 strong, but they won’t do something as foolish as lining all their units in a line .
Only two corps consisting of 200 000 are deployed in the front and it looks like the enemy is focusing its attacks to one side .
It seems a bit premature from the Empire’s viewpoint of this standoff to break formation in order to be rescued .
In the past, the Empire never fought in a way which respected their soldiers’ lives, rather they would often bulldoze their way by taking full advantage of numerical superiority .
Despite that, they still wouldn’t fight in such an outrageous way though .
「In any case, it doesn’t change what we have to do . We will use our cannons and arrows to confound them . Right now, they’re just excited by the moment . Once they suffer a few casualties, they should return to their senses…… when that happens, the number of fleeing soldiers should increase . 」
Galchenko speaks powerfully as if trying to persuade himself .
At the same time, the clank from the clashing of metal echoed out .
Both armies finally collided with each other .
In the beginning of the fierce fighting, the strange pressure coming from the middle pushed into the left and right wings of the Federation .
「The enemy is just trying to push through . Pull back while fending them off!」
Even so, the on-site commanders of the Federation don’t panic .
The Federation army maintains their order while counterattacking the Imperial soldiers who swing their weapons around madly .
「Third company retreat! Bowgun squad, shoot through the gaps! Second archer unit, use high-angle fire to disrupt the enemy rearguard . 」
「Second company, stand your ground and don’t let the formation crumble!」
The Imperial soldiers push forward like a flood while the Federation army obstructs the path like a giant boulder .
After retreating to a certain extent, the momentum let up and eventually they stopped moving .
「Move forward! They don’t have shields or armor!」
Compared to the beautiful yet functional armor of the Federation, the Imperial army soldiers mainly wore shabby chainmail and some among those even wore dirty leather armor .
The Imperial soldiers wielded a wide range of weapons from swords to maces, but most of them didn’t have shields .
「Treat this like driving barbarians away! Thrust!」
The spearmen were able to realign themselves despite the confusion and then push the tips of their weapons outward altogether .
「Waah!」「Gyaah!」
The sharp spearheads hit in places besides the face and the gaps in their armor, but the crude armor could not completely block the attack and Imperial soldiers start falling over one after the other .
The frightened enemy soldiers pull back after seeing the forest of spears jut out in front of them, only to get picked off mercilessly by bowgun bolts .
「Close the distance! Unless you make it a close-combat fight, your swords won’t reach them!」
Obeying the commanding shouts of the Imperial commanders, the soldiers reduce the gap between them and the Federation army, but defenses have already been erected .
Before the Imperial soldiers could reach their desired destination, bowguns and spears take them out, and furthermore, a completely armed heavy infantry walled off their paths .
「Damnit! Take this, bastard!」
「First Corps Heavy Infantry, advance! Push back the enemy . 」
The attacks of the Imperial troops could not get past the armor or the hardened defenses of the Federation’s heavy infantry .
On the other hand, the Federation ignores the shabby equipment of the Imperial soldiers and successively defeat soldier after soldier using spears, swords and bowguns .
Nearly ten Imperial soldiers were defeated for every Federation soldier defeated .
The flow of battle has completely changed from what it started off as and now the Federation is fighting with an advantage in all fronts .
「Stay calm! The enemy is just shouting for show . There’s no need to fear!」
「「Ooooooh–!!」」
This time, battle cries were raised from the Federation side and the soldiers on the right wing start mounting a furious counterattack .
Now that the initial impact from the Empire side is gone, the Federation comes out on top in terms of skill level and equipment quality .
Even the Empire’s numerical advantage was wasted when many soldiers were kept idle after their battle ranks become clumped into a ball, making the actual number of soldiers fighting the same amount as the Federation .
The left wing of the Empire could not hold the Federation off any longer and began to be pushed back, eventually returning even further behind the point where the two sides initially collided .
Both the central part and right wing were shaken and retreated while keeping pace with the left .
「Hmph, war is not something you can win if you act rashly . Cavalry squad, detour around them . Archers, don’t let the enemy rearguard rest and continue shooting . 」
Galchenko was watching the state of battle and sensed the destruction of this enemy to be quite soon .
Once the legs of a charging wild boar are stopped, there is no way it could win against a lion .
The detouring cavalry eventually made their way around to threaten the enemy flank and with that, the Empire army’s fate was sealed .
「The enemy’s left wing has collapsed!!」
A lookout from the top of a watchtower screamed .
The right wing, or the Empire’s left wing, was the side which pushed the most, so it was expected that the Empire would collapse there and the soldiers would start fleeing .
In this situation, tearing off one wing meant the collapse of the entire division .
A portion of the frontline troops have already transitioned into chasing after the stragglers .
「Pursue them! We should at least ensure the destruction of their vanguard!」
A Federation soldier makes a deep slash in the back of an escaping Imperial soldier .
「Kyaaaaaah!!」
「What the-!?」
The soldier froze instinctively after hearing the high-pitched squeal .
When the Imperial soldier fell to the ground with a hand against their bloodied back, a darkish skin and black hair was revealed underneath their loosened helmet .
「A woman, huh…… gugh!」
A sword was thrust into the side of the standing soldier, and he joined the fallen woman on the ground, collapsing motionlessly beside her .
「There are still guys holding their ground! Run them down!」
The left wing of the Empire completely collapsed and were gradually scattering in different directions .
And then, a thunderous sound erupted .
It was the unmistakable sound of cannon fire .
「Impossible! Who’s the idiot who fired a cannon during this melee!!」
One of the staff officers yell loudly .
It was no longer a situation suitable for cannons now that both ally and enemy are engaged in close-combat fighting .
The lookout makes a report to deny their first assumption .
「It’s the enemy…… the enemy cannoneers…… the enemy cannoneers on the left wing……?」
「Huh? An accidental misfiring!?」
「Considering this enemy, that’s possible……?」
However, the lookout replies differently .
「That’s not it! The Imperial army is…… shooting at their allies…… at their fleeing allies!」
「No way…… shooting…… their allies……?」
Galchenko and his staff officers were rendered speechless .
They could not follow the logic behind intentionally firing at friendlies .
「The enemy, the left wing…… the fleeing has stopped . They’re heading towards us once again . 」
Galchenko shakes his head as if he couldn’t believe what was happening .
It wasn’t a look of confusion which appeared on his face, but rather a look of anger, coming from the pride he has as a veteran soldier who protected his country for many years .
Allies were allies even if they were just privates . He understood there were times where tactics required the use of sacrificial pawns and he also understood there were times where soldiers fought knowing they would be annihilated .
But he never once intentionally shot at his own allies .
For a soldier, that is an absolute taboo .
「So this is why their cannons didn’t come out in the beginning…… so they were aiming at their own allies from the start!?」
The right wing of the Federation army thought it had won already but had to take the full force of the revived momentum from the crazed charge and started retreating again .
「Movement spotted in the enemy headquarters! A new squadron is deploying…… their equipment and formation are different!」
Galchenko hops on his horse and shouts .
「That squad just now was a sacrificial pawn! The enemy’s main army is coming, don’t lose to these fiendish tactics, you hear!! Show them the pride of the Federation!」
His cry extended to all the soldiers and cleared them of any confusion and bewilderment .
The reserve squadron of the main army of the Federation was deployed in preparation for the new enemy .
The battle is about to reach its climax .
Garland Imperial Army, Headquarters
「The 200 000 slave soldiers are slowly being pushing back . 」
Zaphnes watches the complexion of the man kneeling in front of him and laughs after hearing the report .
「So it seems . I didn’t think the military slaves would be able to defeat them anyways . 」
Seeing a slight feeling of relief wash over his subordinate’s face, he gave out a grand order which matched his large body .
「Have the slave soldiers continue attacking! Make them fight until the last man falls over!」
Military slaves is the name of the soldiers who were drafted from Empire’s subjects .
However, they weren’t just the Empire’s subjects, since those who remain under the control of the Empire are considered subjects and will be treated as human as long as they listen obediently .
The drafted soldiers would make up an army under the Empire’s subject army and accept being used by the national army, but they also get the chance to earn rewards or promotions depending on their achievements in battle .
The military slaves are the ones who resisted against the Empire until the very end, the fate of those who wielded power and were crushed .
They would make up an army without any specific formation or composition, relying only on numbers to fight the enemy .
Naturally, it would result in tremendous casualties, but that didn’t matter at all .
They weren’t considered soldiers . Rather, they existed as sacrificial pawns to be thrown at the enemy .
Of course, they aren’t allowed to just fight, a squad of barrier troops dispatched from the country or made up of the Empire’s subjects would stand in the rear, keeping a watchful eye and attacking if any slaves who disobeyed orders or tried to escape .
「You slaves . Think of this as an opportunity for you lowlifes and your families to become human!」
The slaves were treated harshly and forced to live a hard life by the ruling class during wartimes and peaceful times .
The heavy taxes and poor land conditions could not compare to the Empire’s subjects and the high-handed treatment by the guards and feudal lords were also tolerated .
The only way to free oneself from that position was to become a military slave, fight, and survive .
The slave soldiers were treated as sacrificial pawns but after fighting and surviving two battles, the person in question and their family will be treated as regular subjects of the Empire .
However, if they ran away or revolted, their entire family would be massacred or sold as slaves where even greater misfortunes await them .
The roars of the cannons resound and the slave soldiers who were fleeing once again rushed towards the Federation’s battle lines .
Zaphnes looked down from the tall watchtower and nodded, seemingly satisfied with what he saw .
「Umu, those Federation guys are preoccupied with the slave soldiers . 」
「Chief Commander, but the overall battle has pretty much been decided . They won’t hold out for longer than half an hour . 」
「I know that . How are the squads sent to the sea and mountains doing?」
「It looks like the Federation also dispatched squads . They’re each engaging the enemy and the victor has not been determined yet . 」
Zaphnes grins slightly and exhales .
「I’m sure it won’t be simple to defeat them . The Federation is tough when they’re on the defensive, so it looks like our only option is to breakthrough the middle . 」
「Then-……」
「Yeah, wait until the slave soldiers are on the verge of being wiped out, then deploy the second to sixth army corps . Order Steshina’s seventh army corps to assist and attack as the opportunity arises…… the Federation’s cannons are more powerful than ours, bring the battle to a close-combat fight immediately . 」
With just that one command, Zaphnes was able to make close to 1 million soldiers squirm around and change formation .
These soldiers are wearing impressive armor and polished weapons and shields…… their equipments are completely different to those of the military slaves, in other words this is the true Imperial army .
「Adjutant…… it’s about time . The expansion of the subjects is a fixed match with a predetermined outcome…… it’s time to fight for real now . 」
Everything was meant for this very moment, from the humiliating retreat earlier to this army’s continued reinforcement on the Emperor’s orders .
Their once inferior skill is higher and their equipment are in order .
Ruling over some small countries was just some extra entertainment, everything was aimed at shooting down the Olga Federation .
「Yes, when we win this battle and then mount an attack on White City, the name of Your Excellency the great Zaphnes will be carved into history . 」
「When that happens, I’ll speak of the excellent adjutant in my autobiography . 」
Zaphnes laughs, then glares at the enemy camp .
The battle has spread from end to end across the horizon .
Being the Supreme Commander, this is the most he can do in terms of leading, all that’s left is to rely on the various generals to complete their duties .
「Fufufu, with that said though, it’s not like the outcome of battle has any significance…… right, Sekrit?」
Zaphnes mumbles the name of his comrade while looking to the west where the sea is .
Federation Army
A large part of the 200 000 military slaves were taken out so the rest completely collapsed, unable to function as a proper unit . Right when the Federation soldiers were about to raise shouts of joy, the sight of five army corps, roughly one million in number, entered all of their eyes .
Even so, the soldiers did not show their agitation of having to enter another battle after just winning one, only focusing on rearranging their battle ranks .
「Their lines are immaculate . They are in lockstep as well . These guys are completely different from the ones we just fought!」
「So these are the rumored slave soldiers…… don’t think these next opponents are together with the others, they’re tough!」
The large cannons slowly change their angle of fire .
「So they’re putting cavalry against us, they must want to rush in before we can get off a decent shot . 」
「We showed them our cannons earlier after all . 」
Galchenko sighs, realizing the first group sent to fight them was just to test the waters .
But the cannons have not lost their value yet .
The cannoneers were given the order to fire freely, so the large cannons blew smoke and fire every time the command was given, sending the heavy iron balls at the enemy .
The archers also followed suit and rained their arrows at the enemy .
After several dozen shots made mincemeat of human and horse, the Imperial army’s formation opened up .
The cavalry instantly disperse in a wide area to minimize the damage done by the cannons .
「……So we can’t expect them to be foolhardy . They came up with a solid plan . 」
With the enemy spread out so much, the cannons won’t be as effective .
In fact, with cavalry as vanguards, they will probably make contact with the ally vanguards before two or three shots can be fired .
「But…… we already knew this would happen . 」
Galchenko, his adjutant, and the staff officers in the headquarters all grinned .
The point where all their eyes met were at the fiercely firing stationary cannons and the yet-to-fire 500 field cannons, despite the target being in range, glaring at the enemy .
「The enemy is approaching!」
「Fufufu, the generals are quite aware as well . As expected of the Federation’s commanders . 」
Garland’s cavalry increases their speed further .
The deployed cavalry shouldn’t be able to breakthrough the Federation’s defensive formation .
But if they get close and the battle turns into a melee, the cannons won’t be able to get a clear shot .
That’s when the infantry will push forward and use numbers to overwhelm .
「Chargeeee—!!」
Eventually, Garland’s cavalry draw their swords, making the final charge while shouting .
「Fire!!」
At the last possible moment, the Federation’s field cannons fired at extremely close range .
It was practically right when the tip of the enemy’s noses were touching, a distance where you would think a cannon is almost useless .
But what occurred was a windstorm of death . The Imperial cavalry exploded, spraying blood and guts of both horse and rider everywhere before falling to the ground .
What came out of the field cannons was not an iron ball .
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