Chapter 382 - Episode 374: The Battle of Fioluviki Gorge — Decisive Battle ③
"What are you doing! There's no distance left! The enemy, the enemy is coming this way! Finish them! Finish them quickly! Don't kill the golems, kill the casters behind them! Kill the enemy soldiers holding magic tools too! They're only a small force after all! Hurry up!!"
Cadne, whose past traumas were awakened by the approaching swarm of golems, screamed in a state of near-madness. Because specific countermeasures were mentioned, albeit in a voice shrieking hysterically, the remaining seventy or so soldiers of the main camp's direct guard faced the enemies before them.
Another mage died from the enemy's previous volley, and the two remaining mages unleashed attack magic at the enemy golems. They already knew it would be ineffective due to the shields, but it was at least a diversion.
In the few moments gained, the elite soldiers deployed widely with seamless movements. They took a formation that surrounded the enemy in a semicircle and charged all at once,
and were then wiped out in one fell swoop by the golems, which had similarly deployed in a semicircle.
The Claymores, who had undergone enough formation training to be sick of it—training designed to block the enemy's advance like a wall—were well-practiced in deploying golems.
Once the golems began to rampage while maintaining an exquisite distance—where their own arms did not collide, yet it was nearly impossible for enemy soldiers to pass between them—infantry who approached carelessly were blown away like withered leaves.
It didn't matter that they were elite soldiers of the main camp's direct guard. No matter how much they had trained, there was no way they could withstand the arms of golems that swung like logs. Soldiers who took a direct hit from a charging shield were torn in two from the torso.
Then, as soldiers tried to circle around the wall of golems to finish off the casters inside, attack magic unleashed from magic tools assaulted them.
Against the flinching soldiers, the golems suddenly advanced in various directions, expanding the range of their attacks. The soldiers were pushed back by the wave-like attacks of magic and golems, and by the time they managed to recover from the shock, the golems had formed their ranks again, building another thick wall.
By that time, the seventy soldiers had been reduced to less than half. Once they had decreased this much, there was no chance of victory no matter how hard they tried. All that remained was to be exterminated.
Meanwhile, the main force attacking the fortress had finally noticed the anomaly at the main camp through some of the soldiers in the rear. Even if they wanted to send reinforcements to the main camp, it was impossible to take immediate unit action in a situation where soldiers had become mixed together in the heat of battle. It was impossible for a general's instructions to reach the subordinate soldiers smoothly.
In other words, help would not arrive in time before the main camp's direct guard were completely annihilated.
"Your Majesty! The main camp cannot hold any longer! Please, evacuate!"
The one who said this and brought a horse to Cadne was the most senior Guard Captain, who had served him since their time in the Lancel Kingdom. The captain and five Guard soldiers—also survivors from the Lancel Kingdom era—had each brought their own horses.
"There is no time! Your Majesty!"
The Guard soldiers lifted the immobile Cadne and placed him on the horse. Since Cadne could not control a horse with his legs, Yvette, who had acquired riding skills for such situations, mounted in front of him and took the reins.
"Y-Yvette! Run! Run away from this battlefield quickly!"
As Cadne screamed while clinging to Yvette's waist, Yvette galloped the horse toward the north, attempting to leave the battlefield.
"Wait! Your Majesty, please wait!"
The Guard Captain shouted instinctively, but Cadne would not listen, and Yvette only listened to Cadne's orders.
While suppressing a click of his tongue, the Guard Captain thought.
Originally, he intended to move toward the main force, merge with them, and have them protect Cadne, but the main force was also in a state of considerable confusion in this situation. If they were to be pincer-attacked by the enemy's detached force and the fortress unit now, there was no telling how the battle would turn. It might actually be more dangerous to throw the physically disabled Cadne into a battlefield that was guaranteed to be a chaotic melee.
The enemy's detached force was on foot. If the only goal was to keep Cadne alive, fleeing by horse now to gain distance might be the best option.
"Everyone, mount your horses! Follow Yvette! Protect His Majesty!"
After a moment of thought, the Guard Captain decided to abandon the battlefield. There was nothing they could do for themselves in this situation anyway. He could make plenty of excuses later for fleeing the battlefield.
When the six members of the Guard, including the captain, mounted their horses and began to chase after Cadne, the soldiers of the main camp's direct guard were just about to be completely wiped out.
...
'Your Excellency, Gustav and the others have succeeded in their surprise attack. The enemy main camp is nearly destroyed. Cadne and a few guards have fled. The magic tools of the detached force might be able to reach them; how shall we proceed?'
From Yuri, who was looking beyond the fortress walls from the rooftop of the checkpoint, a report reached Noein's mind via Far-Talk.
"Thank goodness... It's a shame, but we can leave Cadne alone for now. More importantly, have them attack the enemy main force from the rear quickly. We're nearly at our limit here."
'Understood. I will have Konrad relay this to Gustav.'
As Noein gave the instruction with sweat beading on their forehead, Yuri answered and cut the Far-Talk.
That was close, Noein thought.
Yesterday's battle had been quite intense, but today was even more so. The offensive by the forces of the Virgo Kingdom was reaching a peak of ferocity.
The enemy had stopped all petty tricks and were attempting to scale the fortress walls while simultaneously attacking the gates relentlessly. This brute-force attack was, ironically, what was making things difficult for Noein and the others.
Being overwhelmingly disadvantaged in numbers, they had no choice but to resist with tricks. Yet, they were not being given the opening to make those tricks work. Attacks from ballistas, stone-throwing, and arrows were only half as effective once the enemy closed in on the fortress.
Furthermore, because they had allocated precious puppet mages and magic tool units to the detached force, the fortress's combat power had dropped significantly. Six golems, including Noein's, and four attack magic tools were not enough. There was a limit to how long they could continue to hold back an enemy offensive that was more violent than yesterday's.
Taking a breath and looking forward at the very front of the fortress, the defensive line atop the walls was quite thin. Casualties were mounting, and transfers or rotations could not keep up; moreover, due to the overly violent enemy offensive, the conscripts who made up the majority of the combat power were becoming terrified.
Originally, the plan was to continue the defensive battle for about an hour to firmly draw the attention of the enemy main force to the fortress, ensuring the enemy's formation was disrupted so they could not easily respond to a surprise attack, and then deploy the detached force. However, Noein and the others judged that the fortress would not last an hour, and they ordered Gustav and the others to sortie the moment a single unit conveniently separated from the enemy main camp.
That had paid off. The plan Noein had devised was finally starting to bear fruit.
"Now, if we just sally out from the fortress and pincer the enemy together with the detached force..."
At the same time Noein muttered, Marquis Sulho Hakkarainen, who had descended from the checkpoint rooftop a while ago to join the fight on the walls, shouted.
"Prepare to sortie! Men, take up your spears! Gather in front of the gate!"
That was an order to those who had until now been throwing stones, transporting the wounded, or waiting their turn to ascend the walls.
An order to carry out the sortie that would lead to victory, the one that would decide the outcome. However, the conscripts of the Levrant Kingdom turned pale upon hearing it.
From their position not standing on the walls, they could not see the state of the enemy camp. They did not know that the enemy main camp had collapsed due to the surprise attack, or that the allied detached force was about to strike the wide-open rear of the enemy main force.
All the conscripts could see were the footholds on the walls where allies were being seriously injured or dying one after another, and the gate that groaned under the impact of the enemy's battering ram, with cracks forming in the inner bolt. The image that came to mind beyond those sights was the defeat of their own army.
In such a moment, an order to prepare for a charge was given. To them, it sounded like nothing more than an order to fight to the death.
"...I-I don't want to."
The words someone muttered became the trigger that shattered the conscripts' meager morale.
"I don't want to die."
"That's right, I don't want to die in a place like this."
"If I'm going to die anyway, I'd rather be with my family..."
"If we run now, we might still make it."
"My wife's legs are bad, I have to escape the country with her."
While uttering complaints or excuses, several conscripts began to run. They headed toward the rear of the fortress, through the gorge and toward the inhabited areas of the Levrant Kingdom.
That was, in other words, desertion. Once one person fled and several others followed, the collapse would not stop. Fear is contagious. A mass panic erupted, and the conscripts began to flee, each trying to be the first. Some regular soldiers of the Levrant Kingdom army were mixed in among them.
"Wait, you bastards! Get back and fight!!"
Marquis Hakkarainen's angry roar echoed, but this time it had the opposite effect. Because he was a brave and daring general, that roar only served to fuel the fear of the deserters.
"Wait! Stop! If it's now, we still..."
"What are you doing! Get back! Form ranks!"
Noein, Pence, and the Guard soldiers also tried to stop the deserters, but with fewer than ten people, they could not stop hundreds of soldiers. The mass of deserters pushed past Noein and the others.
Even though things had gone so well until now. Even though they should be able to win if they sally out now.
Are we going to lose? In this manner? If that happens, what will become of Gustav and the detached force? What will happen to the Levrant Kingdom? What will happen to the future of the Archduchy of Arqvist?
Regret swirled through Noein's mind. In that instant,
"—Please wait!"
From the rear where the soldiers were fleeing, a high-pitched voice, somewhat out of place for the battlefield, was heard.