187 – Eastern Franchi Expedition (22)

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More than half of the thousand bullets missed.

However, half of the bullets that hit pierced the iron armor and pierced the huge horse’s body, killing both man and beast.

Also, when the horses and knights rushing to the vanguard suddenly died and stopped, the damage gradually increased as the knights riding the horses behind them collided in series.

That’s how the knights led by Count Laurent failed in an honorable and splendid charge, and thought of them as they died sprinkling blood and flesh in a figure inferior to that of a snake or beast that crawls on the ground.

‘The swordsmanship they have learned, horseback riding, chivalry, the education to live as a knight… I was blown away by a lead bullet from those lowly guys.’

However, Colonel Frost, who actually created the mayhem, did not even watch the scene, and immediately turned right and caught the rear of the French knights.

Light cavalrymen with matchlocks were moved not to ‘annihilate or inflict heavy damage on the enemy’, but to perform a tactical role of breaking the enemy’s speed and momentum.

Also, the attack of the 1,000-handed matchlock gun was like a magic wand that could inflict tremendous damage beyond simply breaking the enemy’s momentum.

So, a few knights at the rear of the wedge formation, who witnessed the scene preparing to fire, quickly turned their heads and shouted in response.

“You crazy bastards! I can’t understand why it’s such a big deal for a knight to die on the battlefield! I got your words straight and stopped!!”

“If you don’t want to die, turn around and follow me!!”

“Going back is much more likely to live than going forward! I take the responsibility!!”

However, even the few knights who cried out did not make a judgment based on reason, but acted instinctively based on their experience of surviving the war.

Nevertheless, acting on instinct was a good countermeasure to increase the chances of survival.

However, the bullets flew faster than their weapons reached the enemy, trying to respond correctly.

The gunmen used up the two matchlocks they had prepared and left the battlefield leisurely.

Around that time, Baron Frost of the Marquis Corps of Creutel led his troops and ordered the knights to fire at the chaos caused by the Cavalry Regiment’s attack.

When the order to fire was given, soldiers holding matchlocks pushed themselves between the pikemen.

Then, all at once, they pulled the trigger of their matchlock guns at the knights.

After a while, thousands of rounds of gunpowder were ignited, and a thunderous sound and black smoke began to pour out.

It would be frightening to anyone to see it as if a dark cloud had risen above the ground and struck down the enemy of the Marquis Creutel with lightning.

And the soldiers led by Count Laurent were seized with shock and fear that the knights’ charge, which was their pride, was blocked by an iron club that only fired flames.

“Damn it, the mere soldiers in front are shooting weapons like guns like crazy… Troopers with guns in the back… ”

“God, Deus, are you really abandoning us? Did we lack our faith?”

However, the soldiers of Marquis Creutel did not harbor any mercy or sympathy towards the enemy who fell in fear on the battlefield.

After three or four shots were fired, Colonel Frost, who commanded the Rifle Regiment, and Baron Frost, who commanded the infantry, gave orders almost simultaneously.

“It is an order from His Excellency the Marquis. The Rifle Regiment will reorganize here and then go straight to support our forces in the front.”

“I, Baron Frost, command. Leaving only the wounded soldiers and some troops to protect them, all of them turn counterclockwise to defeat the knights of Count Laurent and Marquis Simon.”

**

By the time the Rifle Regiment and infantry in the rear slaughtered 5,000 knights and were rushing to support the front.

The Marquis of Creutel led his personal guard and continued to support the soldiers who were falling behind in infantry warfare.

As a result, the Marquis was able to protect his soldiers as much as possible even in the face of the enemy’s continuous input of troops.

However, in the future, if the enemy began to gain momentum like this, there was a high possibility that the corps would collapse.

So the Marquis ordered the soldiers in the rear to take appropriate damage to 5,000 enemy knights, then turn to the enemy’s left and act as hammers.

The Marquis retraced the current situation, commanded the guards to save another company from danger, and then spoke with his ears to the ground.

“I can hear the footsteps of the foot soldiers! In other words, soldiers from the rear are coming to support us! Everyone, spread the news to the fullest!”

As he said, the footsteps of more than 10,000 foot soldiers could be heard in the distance.

However, looking at the battle situation that was still revealed, it seemed that Elaine’s Eastern Expeditionary Force was collapsing with the force of tearing paper, and only the Marquis of Creutel was holding out.

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Marquis Simon used this opportunity to order the annihilation of Elaine’s Eastern Expeditionary Force.

“Drive the momentum and crush the enemy! press kill! Whoever decapitates the Marquis of Creutel will be given the title of baron and a fiefdom, regardless of rank!”

And the Marquis encouraged the soldiers by driving the momentum, and he himself stood on the front line and began to fight alongside the soldiers.

Simon had a happy dream for a while…

Shortly thereafter, a messenger rushed in and reported hastily to the Marquis Simon.

“His Excellency Count Laurent is badly wounded! 2,000 out of 5,000 knights were captured or killed! Currently, His Excellency Baron Franc, under the command of Count Laurent, is leading the knights in retreat.”

“The Marquis of Creutel must be concentrating on the frontal battle while fighting us… Otherwise, there’s no way a guy called the commander of a corps leading up to the bodyguards would fight in the vanguard!! How did you deal with it!!”

However, when everything in life started to go wrong, another messenger hurriedly approached and reported, as if countless disasters were about to strike.

“3500 knights under the command of the Marquis of Creutel attacked our rear! Also, as they slip away, the cavalry with guns that Count Akitel spoke of continues to attack the rear! The retreat is blocked!”

Hearing the report, the marquis laughed vainly, as if realizing that he could never win this battle…

“I will report you!! About 10,000 soldiers of the Marquis of Creutel are approaching the infantry deployed on the right wing!!”

As if the sky had not already given Marquis Simon a chance to recover, his troops reached a situation where three sides were blocked by the enemy and one side was blocked by the allies.

In a battle like this, even a great general who will go down in history will never be able to win.

On the other hand, the Marquis of Creutel, who received the same report, ordered his soldiers.

“A cornered mouse may bite a cat’s hand. Besides, those damn rats are much bigger than us, so it’s better strategically to give them an escape hole and pat them! Order the Cavalry Regiment to retreat and regroup, and order the troops of the Duke of Orléans to support them!”

As the Marquis said, no matter how low the morale of the soldiers is because they are made up of serfs, no matter what they do, if they are in danger of dying, they will resist fiercely with the mindset that you will die or live.

And in the event of such resistance, fatal damage could be done to the Creutel Corps, which has to fight with fewer soldiers than the enemy in the future.

After about 30 minutes, the Cavalry Regiment stopped blocking the enemy’s rear with rifles and retreated on horseback.

The Marquis of Creutel drove the momentum and continued to slaughter from the front and left.

In order to survive, the tens of thousands of serfs began retreating at will, pushing the elite soldiers of the monopoly unit to prevent them from deserting.

No, some dictatorship captains shouted at the serfs.

“We are also injured, so we will retreat with you! So, be at ease!”

With the unit completely collapsed, an unauthorized retreat continued…

The Marquis Simon eventually ordered the entire army to retreat.

“Damn it, all forces retreat and reorganize! I caught the damn Duke of Orléans, Isra, and Count Elias… The Marquis of Creutel ruined the job!!”

Then all the soldiers and knights started running to the safe rear like crazy as if they had waited for that moment.

Fortunately for them, no one pursued as long as the soldiers of the Marquis of Creutel surrounded the front and right flanks.

The battle that started at dawn, which would end with the one-sided victory of Creutel’s corps, ended by the time the sun went down.

And on this day, except for Marquis Creutel’s army, almost all units suffered damage to the extent that it would be difficult to maintain their function as an army without reorganization.