Kruger's plan was simple: split his forces into three groups to encircle the enemy, leaving only one escape route to demoralize them.
He personally led 8,000 cavalry as the main attack force, with an infantry phalanx on his right to lure the enemy into a charge and entangle them. The remaining 4,000 cavalry were positioned on the far right to attack the flanks and outflank the enemy.
The plan was good, but there was a problem: if the other side simply ran away, wouldn't all this fuss be unnecessary?
Kruger didn't see anything wrong with it. He'd just chase after him; the plains offered plenty of room for him to maneuver. He wanted to see how many people could escape his encirclement.
The scouts brought back good news: the enemy didn't seem to be fleeing, but rather beginning to prepare for battle. This greatly pleased Kruger. He once again confirmed the combat mission with each unit. Messengers rushed back and forth, and the soldiers were in high spirits. This familiar scene further lifted Kruger's spirits, who was recovering from a serious illness. He rarely showed a relaxed smile among the troops and even tried to joke with his personal guards.
A crow's cawing came from overhead, causing Kruger's smile to falter. He looked up at the tiny black dot, unusually contemplating the potential bloodshed and carnage that awaited him upon his victorious return.
"General, the enemy has left their camp and is charging towards us. Their formation is dense, and they've been advancing slowly since they left the camp," the scout reported. Kruger nodded, drew his longsword, weighed it in his hand, and then signaled the troops to halt. He rode to the front of the column, looked at the black line slowly appearing on the distant horizon, and coughed softly.
"Over the past two months, we have fought countless battles, clashed with all sorts of Galician armies, and emerged victorious in every one! Even the inexplicable plague did not delay our journey back."
Kruger raised his voice, "The facts have proven twofold: first, the enemy is utterly vulnerable; second, victory is on our side. Therefore, we have nothing to fear, charge forward with confidence! Let them know that strength is justice! Warriors of Belvaldo, long live King Soi! Long live Belvaldo! Charge! Charge! Charge!!"
"Long live King Soi! Long live Belvado!" the soldiers cheered, drawing their sabers, adjusting their formation, and charging towards the black line, first slowly and then at high speed.
Krugra removed his mask. He was pleased with his earlier words, and also pleased that his opponent hadn't run away but instead faced him head-on.
As the first battle after physical recovery, it couldn't have been more perfect.
The cavalry duel that would change the course of Western Wars has begun.
Beneath the black and red banners, the Belvedere cavalry's sky-blue cloaks billowed in the wind, forming a vast, boundless expanse. Apart from a few cavalry captains clad in heavy armor, most of the cavalry wore only simple leather armor. Although their armor coverage was 100%, it was still far too thin against the heavily armored cavalry cobbled together by Yun Zhe. However, their successive victories had boosted their morale, making them fearless. They were filled with confidence for the upcoming battle. They believed that their opponents, like the armies they had encountered recently, would crumble at the slightest touch, utterly devoid of fighting spirit.
Yun Zhe's side was far less impressive. Their armor was varied, and they lacked cloaks, making them look like a filthy mess. Before the charge, Yun Zhe suggested to Tedler that they gather the strongest horses and knights in the column, cladding them in double armor, even double leather armor would suffice. The horses were also fitted with armor plating, and these soldiers were arranged in three ranks, each wielding a hand axe, hammer, or similar weapon, forming the first line of the charge. Behind these three ranks of heavily armored cavalry were three ranks of armored soldiers wielding spears. Finally, there were archers, both armored and lightly armored, primarily responsible for using their bows and crossbows to inflict casualties on the enemy.
This troop formation was exceptionally novel, but it was only a matter of time before Tedler had to agree. He found the arrangement useful, but unnecessary; in his view, boosting the soldiers' morale was more important than any formation. Besides, what cavalry formation had ever existed before?
“But it does seem like it might be effective,” Tedler said, leading the vanguard of the double-armored troops. Beside him stood Charles, also heavily armored, but he wasn’t as optimistic as Tedler; instead, he was filled with doubt about the formation. The fact that he was at the forefront, wielding a short weapon, made him even more apprehensive.
Finally, the blue tide collided with the murky sewage. Ravens flying high in the sky quickly informed Jom in the camp of this situation. Jom was surprised that the enemy actually dared to resist. However, he had no further thoughts about the outcome of the war. Upon learning that the battle had begun, he issued only one order: the entire army marched on towards Uralburg.
What Yom didn't know was that this time, the blue tide didn't crash into dirty sewage, but into hard reefs. In the blink of an eye, the variegated reefs remained intact, while the blue tide had shattered into countless sprays.
Like a knife cleaving through rotten wood, Tedler's troops pierced through the Belvedere cavalry's formation. They suffered minimal losses, but inflicted heavy casualties on the Belvedere cavalry.
The unexpected result surprised Tedler, but it was a real shock to Kruger.
He rallied his troops and charged again, but it was like waves crashing against rocks, resulting only in his own destruction.
After two failed charges, Kruger was shaken to his core, and Belvaldo's cavalry lost all their fighting spirit.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
