WeTried Translations

Translator: Nemui

Editor: Nemui

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 148: Decisive Battle (8)
Battle in the Forest (1)

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At the start of the battle, the ranger unit led by Baron Ivar Velec had been placed at the very rear of the left edge of the vanguard.

Concealed by the noise of the vanguard of twenty-six thousand conscripts advancing toward the enemy formation, they secretly entered the forest on the left flank of their own formation. From there, they ran to circle behind the enemy ambush hidden in the forest, whose position had been discovered through prior reconnaissance, and launch a surprise attack.

The old Velec mercenary band's combatants had decreased by about a hundred since they crossed over from the northern continent, leaving a little over two hundred. To them were added Arelian soldiers who had once been hunters, along with relatively capable men chosen from conscripts who were active hunters, making three hundred in total. Leading a force unlikely to be discovered by the enemy, yet more than enough to carry out the mission, Ivar moved without a sound.

The enemy ambush was probably the Kingdom of Edelstein's Ferdinand Regiment. That was what Count Cecilia Fargiere had told him. For Ivar and his men, it was also an enemy with no small connection to them. In their first battle on the western continent, that enemy had prevented them from accomplishing their mission, and in the recent attack on Arnsberg fortress, they had slain the enemy regimental commander, Count Matthias Hosenfeld.

He had heard that the one newly appointed as regimental commander was Matthias's adopted son, Count Friedrich Hosenfeld. Ivar also remembered the enemy's young knight who had forced them to retreat that day, when they pursued Marchioness Langford of the Empire and her daughter.

That Count Friedrich Hosenfeld was Ivar's target. Even with only three hundred men, if they succeeded in attacking from the rear, they could throw an enemy regiment into sufficient confusion. If they broke through amid that confusion and took the head of the regimental commander Friedrich, they would prevent the enemy ambush from launching its flank attack against the main force. In the end, the unit only held its shape by relying on the prestige of the late hero. If they slew the successor who bore his adoptive father's family name, its movement should stop.

"Commander!"

Acht, the close aide he had sent ahead, had stopped with the scouts he led and was waiting in the forest. When Ivar ran up to him, Acht indicated the front with his hand.

"Enemy troops roughly one hundred meters ahead. They appear to be preparing to charge our main force's flank. They seem to have posted watch toward the rear, but they have not noticed us yet."

At that concise report, Ivar nodded.

If they advanced all at once and closed the distance, even if the watch noticed them on the way, the enemy would not have time to prepare for interception. The mistake was that a unit that should have fought on the plain had deployed inside a forest. To rangers, they were nothing but prey.

"All hands, charge at once. There is no need to hide from here. Advance at full speed and break through the enemy formation!"

After giving that order, Ivar ran out at the head himself. Acht followed, then the warriors of the Velec tribe, and then the rangers borrowed from the Kingdom of Arelia.

Ivar also saw the enemy soldier keeping watch in their direction. Though the forest had poor visibility, the enemy soldier seemed to notice their bold approach and hastily raised his voice to alert his allies.

Too late.

Even with bad footing in the forest, at this distance, it would not take more than a few dozen seconds until they arrived.

As Ivar ran while certain of victory, the enemy rear archer unit suddenly turned toward them all at once and fired a volley.

Hundreds of arrows attacked Ivar and his men as they moved between the trees.

......

"Enemy ranger unit approaching from the rear! Strength between two hundred and three hundred! The archer unit has begun interception!"

Even after hearing the report transmitted to the regimental headquarters at the front, Friedrich was not surprised.

The forest located north of the battlefield was clearly suited for placing an ambush. Even if the enemy did not learn the exact size or unit, Friedrich had naturally assumed that they would detect through scouts and the like that troops were hidden here.

If he were in the enemy's position, if he were in the position of the wise general Count Fargiere, he would send troops to crush the ambush in the forest with a surprise attack. He would use that ranger unit from the northern continent here.

That was why, expecting the enemy to do exactly that, he had made the archer unit in the rear prepare for a surprise attack beforehand. He had lined them up so that once they turned around, they could immediately carry out an organized long-range attack.

Furthermore, the second infantry battalion placed in the middle ranks was also ready to respond at once to a surprise attack from the rear. Like the archer unit, they could turn to the rear, form the prearranged formation, advance to fill the gaps between the archers, and prepare for close combat with the enemy.

"The cavalry unit and the first infantry battalion will maintain their current formation, prepare for the charge, and continue watching the front. The enemy surprise force is small. The rear and middle ranks will repel it as they are."

While watching the order be delivered to each unit, Friedrich also looked back.

The shouts of the enemy ranger unit's charge were gradually drawing closer.

......

At the rear of the regiment's column, the archer unit was now desperately continuing its attack.

"Keep firing! Stop even one more enemy soldier!"

The one raising her voice was Romilda, the archer battalion commander. With bow in hand, she herself shot at the approaching enemy rangers.

As a knight, she had possessed greater aptitude for the bow than for any other weapon from the beginning, which was why she had become an officer in the archer unit and risen all the way to battalion commander. Even in the forest, she loosed an accurate shot, and her arrow slipped through a gap between the trees and struck one enemy soldier directly.

Even as the archer unit inflicted some damage that way, the momentum of the enemy ranger unit did not stop. When the enemy finally drew close, the infantry now met them.

"Our enemies have come to us on their own! Cut them down to your hearts' content!"

"""Yes, sir!"""

Second infantry battalion commander Rudiger roared, and the infantry answered powerfully. They lined up their spears, or readied their swords, then collided with the enemy group.

In melee combat on rough ground, the enemy had the advantage. That was why the infantry fought in small groups of several men, creating situations where multiple soldiers faced one enemy.

"Keep the enemy in check and support the infantry! If possible, shoot them dead at close range!"

"""Yes, ma'am!"""

The archer unit continued firing as well. By checking the enemy soldiers who came one after another with arrows, they made the charge sporadic and allowed the infantry to handle them with room to spare. At times, they drew enemy soldiers right before their eyes and hit them directly with arrows.

The two battalion commanders, who had lost the seniors they should have taken as examples in the previous battle, now boldly commanded their subordinates as the regiment's senior battalion commanders. Answering them, the two battalions neutralized the enemy one after another.

Even while their numbers were steadily reduced, the enemy ranger unit still tried to advance.

......

"Forward! Ignore the small fry! Push through to headquarters!"

Ivar encouraged his men while slipping through the enemy's attacks and advancing.

In the forest, long-range attacks by bow were difficult to get through, and they could reduce losses by advancing while using trees as shields. Even so, when hundreds of arrows rained down again and again, they did not escape unscathed. They closed the distance while taking no small number of casualties, and beyond that, enemy infantry were waiting.

As expected of a regular army unit rich in actual battle experience, the enemy's training was high. They moved so their soldiers would not be isolated, leaving few openings. Even on rough ground, which favored rangers, they would not let Ivar's men fight easily.

But Ivar and his men did not actively fight. They slipped through between the enemy soldiers blocking their path, fought only those who still got in their way, and aimed deeper into the enemy formation.

If they only took headquarters. If they only defeated the regimental commander, Count Friedrich Hosenfeld. That would be their victory. After that, they could use the confusion of the enemy who had lost their commander and escape.

The ranger unit avoided active combat and advanced while slipping through the fierce enemy attacks. Their numbers decreased, and at times a portion of them acted as decoys to create a breakthrough for their allies, but they worked their way deep into the enemy formation.

At last, a group of around ten led by Ivar broke through the enemy archers and infantry and reached headquarters.

Waiting there was the middle-aged knight who seemed to be Count Hosenfeld's close aide, a man Ivar had crossed blades with before. There was also the unusually skilled young female knight. In addition, elite knights serving as the headquarters direct guard stood ready.

"Do not let even one soldier through!"

"Break through! The commander's head is right there!"

The count's aide roared at his subordinates, and Ivar roared back as if to oppose him.

Knights' swords and warriors' mountain blades clashed again and again. Hard sounds filled with killing intent rang out, and sparks scattered.

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