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Vol 03 Chapter 99: Rapid Progress III

Around the area, beautiful wheat fields stretched as far as the eye could see. The wheat had been harvested, and the fields were in the middle of being trampled underfoot by thousands of soldiers.

The combined forces of Rosais, Equus, and Carlo, and the Aldo army had set up their camps about two kilometers apart from each other.

The first to make a move was Aldo. After allowing his soldiers a minimal rest, he quickly led them out to approach the combined army.

The combined army also marched out to meet Aldo’s forces.

Both sides beat their drums, gradually organizing their formations. Since each army numbered in the tens of thousands, it took some time for their formations to be set.

◇

「What is this formation?」

Aldo muttered, tilting his head as he looked at a drawing of the enemy’s formation handed to him by a magician.

The heavy infantry’s shields were designed to cover half the body of the soldier to their left, protecting each other. As long as their formation remained intact, the heavy infantry boasted invincible strength.

However, such a formation of heavy infantry had a weakness similar to Siegfried’s back—a vulnerable right flank.

Obviously, there is no shield on the right side of the soldier who stands at the very edge of the formation. Therefore, it is common sense to position elite troops on the right flank to prevent it from being compromised.

Aldo had learned as much.

Yet, the enemy had set up the opposite formation. They had placed an excessively large force on their left side. All their cavalry units were also on the left.

「…So they aim to break through our right side and carry out a flank attack.」

Aldo’s troops were also heavy infantry. Both forces shared the same weakness on their right side.

To exploit this weakness, they deliberately concentrated their forces on the left side—a strategy easy to foresee.

「But that makes their right flank vulnerable…」

Essentially, it becomes a battle of who can break through the right side first.

「What shall we do, my king?」

「Keep going as planned. Our formation is nearly complete, isn’t it? It’s too late to change now. …Keep the hawks flying at all times to monitor the formation from above. Do not respond to any provocations from the enemy magicians. Also, send a message to the cavalry on the left wing. …This war depends on your brave efforts.」

A decisive battle over the rule of King Domorgal’s Country was about to unfold.

◇

The wars on the Adernian Peninsula began with an attack by the light infantry and cavalry. The first to move was the cavalry on the left wing of the combined forces.

The combined forces had 600 cavalry, compared to 200 in Aldo’s army. Moreover, 400 of the combined 600 were cavalrymen of the Equus Tribe, who lived all their lives on the saddle.

The 600 cavalry of the combined forces quickly began to push back the 200 of Aldo’s army.

But Aldo was not worried.

「While our right-wing cavalry holds off the enemy’s left-wing cavalry, our left-wing cavalry will circle around to the enemy’s right flank. The enemy has not stationed any cavalry on the right. Our flank attack will succeed first.」

◇

「General Tonino! The enemy cavalry is approaching!」

「It took longer than I expected. Perhaps the delay on the right wing has served us well. This battle hinges on whether we can hold off this cavalry… Contact the light infantry. Start throwing the blast javelins!」

As Tonino gave the command, the sound of drums immediately filled the battlefield.

At the same time, a loud explosion rang out.

◇

「What’s that? What’s happening?!」

「Damn it! The horses are panicking… Ahhh!」

Startled by the sudden blast, flames, and smoke, the horses began to panic.

Aldo’s cavalry was completely immobilized. Some horses threw their riders and fled, while others dragged their masters as they ran at full speed.

The strength of the cavalry lies in their mobility and charging power. Stationary cavalry are hardly a threat.

「Kill them all!」

The light infantry and the heavy infantry led by Tonino attacked the cavalry. They surrounded the horsemen in groups, methodically taking them down one by one.

「Really, this ‘blast javelin’ is a marvelous weapon… I wonder if we could possibly get our hands on one.」

Tonino sighed as he watched the light infantry of King Rosais’ Country.

◇

Just as Tonino finished repelling Aldo’s left-wing cavalry, the combined forces’ cavalry also defeated Aldo’s right-wing cavalry. Continuing their momentum, the combined forces’ cavalry charged into the right flank of Aldo’s army.

Around the same time, the combined forces’ heavy infantry clashed head-on with Aldo’s right wing.

Aldo’s right-wing found itself sandwiched between the cavalry and heavy infantry of the combined forces. Naturally, this wing was composed of elite troops. However, no matter how elite they are, being caught between forces from the front and the right leaves them no chance.

Aldo’s right wing collapsed entirely.

※ Blue represents the combined forces. Red represents Aldo’s forces. Square represents infantry. Triangle represents cavalry. Diamond represents light infantry (blast javelin throwers).

「Hey! Don’t run away! Fight to the end!」

Aldo shouted at the top of his lungs. However, his heavy infantry, having their formation disrupted by being outflanked, couldn’t stop their retreat.

「Aldo-sama! Please escape. Our formation has already collapsed! We’ll hold them off while you get away!」

「Damn it… understood. Damn!!!」

Aldo kicked his horse’s flanks and tried to flee the battlefield. By now, Aldo’s army was in complete disarray. There was no semblance of formation or command left.

An experienced commander might have been able to manage a swift retreat… but to expect such from the young Aldo was asking too much. All he could do now was to try and survive.

「You are Prince Aldo, right? I’ll be taking your life.」

「What! Why are there cavalry here?!」

Aldo looked around. Soldiers who should have been fleeing north had started escaping south instead.

The conclusion was clear: they were encircled by cavalry, caught in a pincer attack.

This meant that Aldo’s forces were sandwiched between heavy infantry in front and to the right, and cavalry at the rear.

「Damn, damn, damn! Why, why is this happening?!」

Aldo desperately kicked at his horse’s flanks, trying to escape. As he did, spears, stones, and arrows flew towards him.

「Really… there’s no helping it.」

In the next instant, all the projectiles were caught in a white net and fell to the ground. Alice had stopped them.

「Aldo-sama, please escape to the east for now. It’s still safe there. Hurry before the enemy heavy infantry circles around to the east and completely surrounds us.」

「Alice… well done!! When we get back, I’ll increase your feed a little!!」

Aldo sped off to the east at full speed. The cavalry of the combined forces tried to pursue him, but the next moment, their horses spectacularly tripped over.

They had been caught in Alice’s threads.

Unable to chase Aldo without killing Alice, the cavalry of the combined forces surrounded her.

Before long, Alice and the combined forces’ cavalry were the only ones left.

「What a remarkably loyal slave you are. Were you well cared for?」

「Not at all. Prince Aldo would never embrace a filthy spider like me. Why did I save him?」

The answer was simple. Alice was afraid of Aldo. This wasn’t a matter of logic; it was psychological.

As long as Aldo was alive and as long as Alice wore a collar around her neck, she had to protect him. Otherwise, she’d be beaten. To avoid being beaten, she had to obey Aldo’s commands.

She was driven by a strong compulsion.

「Well, whatever. You’re in the way. Die!!」

The cavalrymen attacked Alice all at once. Spears, swords, and arrows closed on her. Yet, with a high-pitched sound, Alice deflected every attack.

In her hands, Alice clutched thin knives.

「Damn! You’re quite tough, aren’t you?!」

The cavalrymen simultaneously thrust their spears at Alice, determined to overcome her defense.

However, the spears did not strike Alice but instead stabbed deeply into the ground.

「Up?!」

At the moment the spears struck, Alice leaped high into the air. But this was a risky move. Escaping upwards might save her momentarily, but soon gravity would pull her back down, and she would fall right where the soldiers, ready with their spears, could easily end her.

That would be the case… normally.

As Alice descended, she hurled her knives at the soldiers waiting below. The cavalry, skilled as they were, couldn’t react quickly enough to the knives flying at high speed, and one by one, they fell from their horses.

Upon landing, Alice quickly jumped onto a horse that had lost its rider.

She then forcibly turned the horse’s head eastward and kicked its flanks hard. Alice had no experience in horse riding; it was all improvisation and leaving it to the horse.

「I’ve bought enough time by now. If he’s dead after all this… well, there’s nothing more I could have done.」

Alice murmured as she clung to the horse.

◇

After the battle, 7000 soldiers of the Aldo army were taken prisoner. Around them, 7000 of their dead comrades littered the ground, 2000 of them showing signs of having been trampled to death by their own allies.

The few remaining soldiers scattered and fled, leaving Aldo with only about a hundred soldiers by his side.

The combined forces’ casualties were 53 dead and 80 wounded.

Indeed, it was a decisive victory. Thus, the tide of the civil war swiftly shifted in favor of Carlo.