Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 69: The Battle of Buteya 1

Translator: Cinder Translations

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For the Byerldine soldiers who were conscripted by their respective lords, September 3rd was an extremely tragic day.

Just a few days prior, they were diligently working in the fields to support their families when the steward from the lord's castle arrived in the village and asked the village chief to gather all the able-bodied men.

The steward selected those who appeared to be more robust from the crowd and announced, "The despicable and lowly Aldens have kidnapped Lord Malon Ganard of Byerldine. We must teach them a harsh lesson. From now on, you will fight for the glory of Byerldine."

The lord's orders had to be obeyed; otherwise, they might be hanged, and their families would be punished by being enslaved.

The steward instructed the selected men to bring whatever household items could serve as "weapons" and follow him to the lord's castle because the weapon stock at the castle was often insufficient.

Sure enough, upon arriving at the lord's castle, only about half of the men received spears, a few received wooden shields, and the rest had to fight for their lord with their "farmer weapons." These "farmer weapons" were varied: pitchforks, hoes, sickles, and even wooden sticks.

They were divided into several hundred-man teams, each led by a knight for training.

In the following days, they trained on how to form a line, move collectively, and set up camp. Most of the time was spent using wooden sticks to practice hand-to-hand combat.

Occasionally, a few enthusiastic knights would offer combat tips, but more often, they stood by watching for amusement. There were many instances where practice injuries led to real fights, which were a great source of entertainment as long as no one was killed.

After a few days of hasty training, the soldiers were led by the knights to Buteya, where they were to collect supplies and some other military equipment before heading to the neighboring territory to settle accounts with the Aldens.

Upon arrival, they found that the needed supplies were not yet fully prepared, so they had to stay in Buteya for a few days. The barracks in Buteya couldn't accommodate so many people, so they were lodged in some local homes.

Some unruly individuals caused frequent conflicts between the soldiers and the civilians. The lord's manor sent people to execute a few individuals indiscriminately, which brought a temporary calm.

Suddenly, orders came that the Aldens had approached, and they had to immediately leave the city to fight them. The city of Buteya was thrown into chaos. It took several hours from noon to gather everyone. Led by the knights, they marched out of the city and formed their ranks.

After exiting the city, under the supervision of the knights' whips, the soldiers had just formed four phalanxes when the Aldens appeared in their line of sight. Seeing that the Aldens were only half their number, they felt there was nothing to worry about.

Various small leaders shouted the lords' orders hoarsely: "Anyone retreating without orders will be hanged. A reward of 100 copper coins for killing or capturing an Alden soldier, and 1 silver coin for an Alden officer."

The strict military regulations and generous rewards stirred the troops. Many began to talk excitedly about how to earn more military merit, while many others closed their eyes and silently prayed to the Lord of Light.

The Aldens stopped not far away, and the lords decided to take the initiative to attack them. Four knights each commanded a phalanx to move towards the enemy's position.