The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations - Chapter 288

Chapter 288: Break Through Them! (2)

Harold’s face momentarily showed confusion.

He hadn’t expected mounted archers to appear so suddenly. When he first saw Fenris’s formation, there had been no one carrying bows on their backs.

The idea that Fenris had developed folding bows using some new material was beyond his imagination.

The spearmen facing them were just as flustered. The heavy infantry with shields were all positioned to defend the flanks, leaving no one to block the incoming arrows.

The commanders and soldiers of Desmond’s forces could only watch in stunned silence as the mounted archers drew their bows.

Screeeech…

Lumina, pulling her bowstring taut and glaring at Desmond’s forces, held her breath for a moment.

‘I can do this.’

Truthfully, she was overwhelmed. Despite undergoing intense training ever since she first mounted a horse, this was her first time participating in actual combat.

She wasn’t the only one. The elves, who had partially learned how to commune with nature, could sense the heavy and ominous energy hanging over the battlefield.

Their bodies tingled with unease. Remaining in such a place went against the very instincts of an elf.

‘Even so, I have to do it.’

There was no turning back. Though they had rediscovered their mission and nature as elves, those who had spent a long time among humans were far more accustomed to human ways of thinking.

They knew all too well how humans lived.

‘Kill, or be killed.’

Hesitation would only lead to greater sacrifice.

Even elves who lived true to their nature had to defend their domains.

And right now, their domain was the territory of Fenris.

They didn’t know if the lord would keep his promises in the future, but for now, they had no choice but to fight alongside him.

‘World Tree, grant your blessing to Fenris.’

Resolving herself, Lumina released her bowstring.

Thwang.

Her shot became the signal for every elf and mounted archer to loose their arrows.

Fwoooooosh!

Thousands of arrows rained down upon Desmond’s forces like a storm.

Papapapapak!

“Aaaargh!”

The heavy infantry stationed on the flanks raised their shields to block the arrows, but the soldiers in the center had no such defense.

Spearmen in the middle of Desmond’s formation started to fall like wheat before the swing of a scythe. Soldiers in the rear lines were also struck down by the relentless rain of arrows.

The mounted archers immediately turned their horses and veered to the sides after firing their arrows. They began circling back to their original positions.

Their movements were exactly as Ghislain had taught and trained them.

Seeing this, Harold shouted in rage.

“Chase them!”

There were no easier targets than cavalry showing their backs. Desmond’s horsemen, who had already been maneuvering to attack the enemy’s rear, moved into action. Despite the painful losses they had suffered, annihilating the mounted archers would compensate for the damage.

Harold’s eyes scanned the battlefield rapidly.

Dudududu!

The retreating Fenris cavalry brushed past the mounted archers who were being pursued. It was clear they were circling widely to target the flanks and rear of Desmond’s formation.

“Shields! Block them!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The heavy infantry stationed on the flanks quickly formed a shield wall.

Though the 2,000 mounted archers were returning to their original positions, the remaining cavalry would find it challenging to break through the tightly packed shields.

Indeed, Fenris’s cavalry did not charge recklessly, but began circling around Desmond’s forces instead.

Taking advantage of this distraction, Desmond’s horsemen galloped furiously after the mounted archers.

They intended to strike before the mounted archers could regroup and take them out in one swift attack.

Dududududu!

Though Fenris’s cavalry was fast, Desmond’s troops gritted their teeth and managed to close the distance little by little.

Then, suddenly, Lumina turned her horse and drew her bowstring while facing backward. All the mounted archers followed her lead, pivoting their bodies.

“What is this…?”

The eyes of Desmond’s knights in pursuit wavered.

Shooting arrows from the back of a galloping horse, releasing the reins, and stabilizing themselves with just their legs? And not just one or two, but all 2,000 of them?

At first, they had thought the earlier attack was a desperate attempt to deal some damage. But this was different.

‘This is absurd. Mounted archery takes years of training in both horsemanship and marksmanship. How are all of them already this skilled…?’

The archers didn’t even seem uncomfortable. It was as if their horses adjusted themselves to ensure their riders wouldn’t fall.

His thoughts didn’t last long. Before he could even raise his small shield, his vision turned black as arrows rained down upon him.

Papapapapak!

“Gaaaargh!”

Screeeech!

Horses whinnied as knights toppled.

Desmond’s cavalry began to fall.

At a full gallop, they couldn’t dodge or block the arrows.

Except for knights clad in full armor and barded horses, most soldiers were helpless against the onslaught.

“Aaaagh! No!”

Boom! Crash! Bang!

As the leading cavalry collapsed under the sudden attack, those following behind tangled and fell into chaos.

And yet, the arrows kept coming. The cavalry pursuing the mounted archers on both flanks crumbled surprisingly easily.

Harold ground his teeth at the sight.

“How… how does that bastard already have such a force…?”

The sheer number of mounted archers made no sense. It wasn’t feasible for a domain like Fenris, which had only just begun to develop, to produce so many mounted archers.

After all, mounted archers were a unit type most lords had abandoned due to the immense time and expense required to train them.

Aside from small reconnaissance units, mounted archers had disappeared from battlefields altogether, so Harold hadn’t given them much thought. Had he known Fenris had so many of them, he would have prepared a different strategy.

“That bastard… just what has he been doing all this time…?”

Over 100 knights, weapons made from new materials, a 6th-circle mage, and more than 2,000 mounted archers.

One unbelievable force after another was unfolding before Harold’s eyes.

Dudududu!

The Fenris cavalry, which had been circling around the heavy infantry, began to change direction.

Simultaneously, the mounted archers reversed course and approached Desmond’s forces from both flanks, forming a pincer movement.

Seeing this, Harold shouted loudly.

“Shields! Protect our troops!”

As soon as his words ended, the mounted archers unleashed another volley at Desmond’s flanks.

Fwoooosh!

“Aaaagh!”

“Counterattack! Fight back!”

“Raise your shields! Hold the line!”

Even with the heavy infantry’s shields, they couldn’t block the thousands of arrows raining down from above.

The spearmen and archers in the interior of the formation fell helplessly, unable to mount any resistance.

“Shoot! Shoot back at them!”

Desmond’s archers attempted a retaliatory volley, but it had little effect. The mounted archers evaded easily, using their mobility to continue harassing Desmond’s flanks.

From the receiving end, it was a maddeningly unfair attack.

“Hold the line! Block them!”

Though the commanders’ shouts echoed across the battlefield, the heavy infantry couldn’t regain their composure. The relentless hail of arrows made it nearly impossible to grasp the battlefield clearly.

While the heavy infantry remained safe behind their large shields, their comrades, whom they couldn’t protect, fell all around them.

Caught completely unprepared for mounted archers, Desmond’s army was forced into a reactive position, unable to regain control.

Dudududu!

As he watched the mounted archers ceaselessly circling the flanks, Harold shouted with bloodshot eyes.

“Recall the left and right wings immediately! Hurry!”

If this continued, his forces would be pinned down and annihilated.

The troops engaging the Kingdom’s forces and the Ferdium family had to return to deal with the mounted archers.

Buuuuuu!

The sound of a trumpet blared across the battlefield, reaching Desmond’s forces fighting against the Kingdom’s army and the Ferdium family.

The cavalry commander facing the Kingdom’s forces, Emerson, bit his lip.

“We were so close to breaking through…”

Emerson’s cavalry had already pushed back the coalition of capital nobles’ forces by nearly half.

The coalition, mixed with the 3rd Legion, was clearly undertrained and disorganized. As a result, Emerson’s strategy of targeting their weaknesses had been highly effective.

“Is it because of the mounted archers?”

Emerson quickly assessed the situation. Mounted archers were notoriously difficult to counter without prior preparation.

Infantry couldn’t keep up, so countering required archers and cavalry. But with the enemy’s superior armor, even that seemed futile.

While his heavily armored infantry was holding out for now, this kind of drawn-out skirmish would eventually chip away at them.

Most of the cavalry was already under his command. He had to disrupt the path of those endlessly circling mounted archers to change the tide. Only then could his infantry maneuver effectively.

“Pull the infantry back slowly and hold off the Kingdom’s forces! All cavalry, follow me!”

Under Emerson’s command, his troops began to retreat and shift direction.

Watching this, the commander of the capital noble coalition, Viscount Iderean, exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Whew! I thought we were done for. How do they fight so well? Let’s pull back a bit while they’re retreating!”

Having joined to avoid losing his investment, Iderean had nearly lost his head. He vowed never to meddle in the affairs of Count Fenris again.

Unlike the nobles’ coalition, the Third Legion was holding strong, demonstrating their reputation as an elite force. Viscount Clifton, commander of the Third Legion, made a decision that differed from Viscount Iderean’s retreat.

Watching Emerson’s forces pull back, Clifton noted the weakness forming in Desmond’s center. This was the perfect moment to surround and secure victory.

“This is our chance! Push forward now! Move quickly!”

“Waaaah!”

As the Third Legion advanced, Viscount Iderean found himself unable to retreat completely.

Even if he slipped away, defeat in battle would mean total annihilation. He couldn’t expect the terrifying Count Desmond to spare his life.

And if by some chance they won, retreating would only invite scorn and disgrace.

“Uh… Fine! Let’s go back in!”

Without Emerson’s cavalry, Desmond’s forces were stretched thin and steadily pushed back by the Kingdom’s troops. Emerson could only grit his teeth as he moved toward the central front.

Meanwhile, Viscount Garein, engaged with the Ferdium forces, was unable to pivot like Emerson.

“Damn it! Since when did Ferdium fight this well?”

The knights and soldiers of Ferdium were aggressively driving Desmond’s troops back. Even though Desmond’s side had superior numbers, they could barely hold off the assault.

“Waaaah!”

The morale of Ferdium’s troops was astonishing. Their war cries echoed unceasingly, and they showed no signs of exhaustion.

“Hold the line! Don’t let them break through!”

Bang! Crash!

“Argh!”

Ferdium’s knights were few in number, but each one displayed the skill of a mid-tier knight or higher.

These were knights trained by Zwalter with Ghislain’s new mana cultivation technique. When they unleashed their strength, the devastation was palpable.

Leading from the front, Zwalter swung his sword with fervor as he shouted.

“Don’t hold back! We must break through here to complete the encirclement!”

Zwalter, always one to worry, was feeling the urgency. While Ghislain’s troops in the center were fighting valiantly, their numbers were significantly smaller than the enemy’s.

If they were surrounded, they could be annihilated in an instant. Breaking through this front was critical.

Under his orders, the knights and soldiers swung their weapons with unrestrained might.

Randolph, commanding a unit nearby, fought with uncontained excitement, unlike Zwalter.

“Hahaha! I can’t believe we’re fighting this well! We’ve gotten this strong!”

To his surprise, they were overwhelming the enemy far more effectively than he had anticipated. Having spent most of their time at the Northern Fortress, they had underestimated their own abilities.

Thanks to Ghislain, their enhanced forces were even effective against Desmond’s troops, reputed to be the strongest in the North.

Even Skovan, who usually followed reluctantly, was slicing through Desmond’s soldiers with astonishment in his voice.

“Wow, this is working? Since when did we get this strong?”

Desmond’s army, whose name once instilled fear, was now being pushed back despite their superior numbers.

The grueling training that had pushed them to the brink of death had paid off. This newfound strength had proved itself against both the savages and Desmond’s forces.

Ferdium’s unexpectedly fierce resistance left Viscount Garein unable to pull back his troops.

Even with more soldiers, he was barely holding the line. To retreat even slightly would mean being overwhelmed in moments.

“Ugh… How is Ferdium capable of this…?”

Garein’s expression was one of disbelief as he fought. He had dismissed Ferdium’s experience with the savages as inconsequential, believing they only dealt with insignificant raiding parties.

But now, the very forces he had scorned were driving him back. Fighting them filled him with equal parts of anger and humiliation.

Since Garein couldn’t spare troops, only part of Emerson’s forces were able to respond to Harold’s call for reinforcements.

Watching this unfold, Harold shouted through gritted teeth.

“Hold on a little longer! Reinforcements are coming!”

While it was unfortunate that Garein couldn’t assist, Emerson disrupting the mounted archers’ movements would provide some breathing room.

With that, Harold could regroup his troops and counter-encircle the enemy.

But as he scanned the battlefield, his heart sank with a chilling realization.

‘Oh no!’

The front line was wide open.

The formation of spearmen had collapsed, and they were now cowering behind the heavy infantry.

While everyone’s focus was on the mounted archers at the flanks, Fenris’s cavalry, which had circled wide, was now charging directly toward Desmond’s front.

Dudududu!

Seeing the open path ahead, Ghislain’s face twisted into a cruel smile.

“Break through them!”

His eyes turned crimson as his spear began to glow with an intense red light.

Vwoooooom!

At the same time, the knights following behind him shone with radiant brilliance from their armor.

The cavalry of Fenris, along with the Labor Assault Team, gripped their spears tightly, positioning them under their shoulders.

Dudududu!

Their speed was far greater than before. Ghislain’s Black King, in particular, galloped so fast that even his own allies struggled to keep up.

Boom!

A red streak of light shot straight into the heart of Desmond’s formation.