185 – Eastern Franchi Expedition (20)

Around the time when the armies of the Marquis of Creutel, the Marquis Simon, and the Count Laurent were fighting bloodily just 1km away from here.

Colonel Frost, the Marquis’ favored subordinate and leading the Cavalry Regiment, was waiting for orders to attack on horseback with his men.

The soldiers, who were burning up because they couldn’t participate in the battle while everyone else was fighting, grumbled in disgruntled voices.

Colonel Frost would normally have reprimanded soldiers who complained of idle chatter during battle.

However, even though the war was unfolding so quickly, he didn’t say anything and just listened blankly, as if he was tired of having to watch it blankly.

Then, now even the officers around him complained that they did not like the current situation.

“To think of you sitting there waiting like this while your comrades are dying in front of you.”

“Ensign Blanc, you watch your mouth. All of this is the Marquis’ strategy. Also, be vigilant because you never know when the enemy might come.”

“Captain, it’s not that I don’t believe in the Marquis. No, on the contrary, I absolutely trust you. However, seeing the soldiers in front of me dying… ”

“I agree with that. However, if we miss the time to exit and enter, we too could be annihilated. No, we are most likely to be annihilated. Isn’t it?”

Hearing this, Lieutenant Blanc inspected the uniforms worn by the captain and other soldiers.

A top and bottom made of cloth dyed in blue, symbolizing the family of the Marquis of Creutel, a white belt, a shoulder strap, a 70cm long sword and a matchlock.

Unlike the other foot soldiers in the family, the outfit specializes in hitting the side of an enemy with a gun and escaping, so it has almost no defense.

“It is as you said. Even a single shot from an arrow will kill you.”

“And the colonel, who is near us now, will be even more upset. Because if this happens and the Legion collapses or suffers a major blow… Not only will you feel guilty, but you may also be held accountable for not responding.”

After waiting for the order to attack for about 30 minutes, a messenger ran at high speed to the colonel, who was listening to the occasional complaint, and then got down on one knee and said,

“This is an order from His Excellency, Marquis of Creutel. The Frost Regiment told us to cover the rear. Also, ammunition and matchlocks for covering operations will be issued soon.”

“Okay. Were there specific instructions on how to move?”

“His Excellency told us to act based on strategy #3.”

After that, the messenger got on his horse and quickly left the regiment.

And not long after, a supply officer ran out from the rear of the regiment and said,

“Lieutenant Colonel Layla gave us 1000 matchlocks and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. Also, reserve matchlocks and ammunition were supplied to other infantrymen in the rear.”

The fact that essential materials for war, such as matchlocks and ammunition, have been supplied in large quantities, is no different from saying that a great battle will take place here.

Because, in a place where the only vehicles that can be used for transportation are horses or human-drawn carts…

This is because unless there is a compelling reason, there is no need to spend a lot of time transporting large amounts of strategic materials.

Perhaps because of this, there was a tense atmosphere between all commanders and soldiers, including Lieutenant Blanc and Captain Blanc, who had been grumbling just before.

After a while, Colonel Frost gave orders to his men in a loud voice.

“All commanders and soldiers of the Frost Regiment, keep your existing matchlocks and additional matchlocks loaded with ammunition! Next, put 10 rounds of ammunition in the ammo belts slung over each shoulder. Get ready to go on stage!”

At the command of the regimental commander, the soldiers and officers dismounted for a moment, received their assigned matchlocks and ammunition, and began preparing to attack.

The officers saw the soldiers and began to give strict instructions, like a mother-in-law reprimanding her daughter-in-law.

“Those who have 2 matchlocks, load the matchlocks with ammo immediately!”

“One loaded matchlock that you will hold in your hand and shoot, and the other that will be hung on the left side of the saddle, with the muzzle pointed upwards! Also, cover the gunpowder cover right away and leave it alone!”

“Also, be sure to pack a small pot with a thick rim on the saddle in case the fire of the monk painter goes out! Those who fail to shoot when they have to, will be dealt with with martial law!”

Seeing all the soldiers being bullied by the officers of their battalion, company, and platoon, Colonel Frost muttered as he recalled the contents of Operation No. 3.

“His Excellency the Marquis said that since the two Counts Elias and Isra were only fledgling and had high confidence, they would surely make a big mistake this time. Then, naturally, they said that their corps would retreat with near-annihilation damage, and at that time, the enemy knights would aim for the rear of the allies who were concentrating on the frontal battle. Therefore, we reversed the enemy’s strategy, strengthened the defenses of the rear, passed by them to kill the spirit of the charging knights, fired twice, and fired again at the retreating enemy knights… ”

Colonel Frost paused and thought of two futures.

One is, what if the Marquis of Creutel was ambushed by the enemy knights without giving orders to himself and the soldiers in the rear to prepare for the knights’ attack?

‘Surely, thousands of knights clad in iron armor and horses weighing hundreds of kilos weighed down, and all the soldiers in the rear must have turned into meat paste. And with that momentum, the enemies would launch a pincer attack back and forth, eventually annihilating the allies… ‘

However, what if you fight against the enemy in a perfect state of preparation for the enemy’s surprise attack?

‘If you pour guns on those guys who are a bit tired from defeating Count Ilias and have less momentum to charge… The momentum will surely go down. And since our soldiers already had the ability to defeat knights with long spears and crossbows from the Battle of Strenheim Plain, we should be able to defeat them.’

Shortly thereafter, Captain Raccoon, who had replaced Captain Mark as the new adjutant, approached the colonel and said:

“Colonel, all 1,000 members of the Frost Rifle Regiment are ready for battle. Please order us to depart.”

“Okay, I will be at the forefront of this operation as well. Everyone follow me.”

After that, Colonel Frost mounted his horse and led the regiment under his command and moved toward the rear of Kreutel Corps.

What the regiment saw after arriving was Count Ilias’s army being overrun by thousands of knights.

The number of soldiers exceeding 10,000 has decreased to 6,000, no, close to 5,000 at a glance with the naked eye, and on the ground are the soldiers who were trampled by the knights, and the soil where the troops stayed because of the bodies and blood of the knights. to the point where it doesn’t look that good.

At this level, it is impossible to rebuild as more than 50% of the troops are lost beyond the 30% lost strategically and tactically.

In the midst of this misery, some commanders think that it will not be possible…

“Damn it, retreat!!”

“I’m in charge! The front centurions retreat here!”

“Your Excellency Count can no longer properly command or control us! Let’s use this opportunity to return to Ilias!”

Hearing the orders of the commanders urging desertion, who had nothing to say even if he was executed immediately if Earl Ilias listened to it, Colonel Frost clicked his tongue.

“If Count Illius suffered like this, Count Isra next to him wouldn’t be safe either. No, the troops completely. That person too… It must have been destroyed after being attacked by enemy knights.”

As the saying goes, the two units were so weak that they could not defend the rear unless they cooperated with each other.

So, if one side collapses, the cooperation itself collapses, so it is natural that Count Isra’s army cannot stand alone.

And not long after the Frost Regiment arrived near the battlefield, the flags symbolizing the corps of the Marquis Simon and Count Laurent were raised and the trumpets sounded.

Then, the knights belonging to the two families quickly brushed off the blood from their secondary weapons such as swords, short spears, and maces and started to move away again.

Colonel Frost also instructed his soldiers at this time.

“The enemy will soon form a wedge formation and ignore Count Ilias and attack our rear. As they charge at the soldiers in the rear, we advance in a straight line to the right until near the wedge formation, then turn and turn to the right and fire in unison.”