Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 70: The Battle of Buteya 2

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

"Lord of Light!"

Ankiro and the others who remained in place were dumbfounded. Less than half an hour into the battle, two of their four units had already collapsed. Shocked, they forgot to send archers to reinforce.

At this distance, they couldn't see what weapons the enemy was using. Based on the descriptions from those who came back seeking help, the Aldens were employing a powerful "fire crossbow." They saw flashes of fire followed by countless projectiles hurtling towards them, with unbelievable destructive power. Unprotected militia dropped dead upon impact, while others were injured upon contact.

Before the soldiers seeking help finished speaking, the lords saw another batch of soldiers from the front-line fall. Soldiers fled in all directions, and then the third phalanx was riddled with large holes, watching in disbelief as the entire unit collapsed in an instant.

The most unfortunate now was the second Byerldine phalanx. The front and rear units had dispersed, leaving them stranded in the middle. Continuing forward might lead to the same fate, but retreating without orders posed another dilemma. From the commanding knights to the soldiers below, everyone was caught in a quandary.

The knight commanding the fourth phalanx saw the hesitation of those ahead and halted his advance, standing still and observing.

According to Paul's original plan, after a volley from the musketeers, the spearmen would charge to thoroughly rout the first phalanx. But now, before the charge could even begin, the soldiers were already running away. Being naturally cautious, he instructed Bryce not to pursue the routed soldiers. He didn't want the units to become too spread out, as they might be vulnerable to being outflanked by enemy cavalry.

Paul then ordered all units to advance together. The march drums began to beat, and the two battalions and one company advanced steadily to the front.

...

Ebbert's face turned pale. "This can't go on like this!"

Ankiro said anxiously, "Let's gather all the knights and militia and launch a single charge to break them!"

The two barons were horrified, pleading with grim faces.

"My lords, please reconsider! Almost all the labor force in our territory has been brought here this time."

"If they all die here, there will be no one left to work our land. The elderly, women, and children will all starve to death!"

The Alden's terrifying weapons had frightened them. In their understanding, only the evil magic of legends could have such deadly power.

As minor lords with relatively small populations in their territories, they had brought almost all the able-bodied men here to curry favor with the two big nobles and to seize more goods and loot when they reached the Alden territory.

Seeing the confident demeanor of the two of them before, they thought it would be a grand armed parade that would end within a few days, without delaying the agricultural work in the fields. Who would have thought they would hit a major snag even before departing?

Ankiro roared furiously, "To hell with our territories! To hell with our families! Don't forget what we did to Lord Ganard. This is not a simple dispute between lords! If Grayman wins, do you think compensating him with money will be the end of it? Do you think you can continue to be lords in peace? We'll all end up in prison. We'll all be hanged. Our properties will be confiscated!"

He menacingly threatened the two minor lords, "Your families will be reduced to slaves, your wives and daughters will be at the mercy of Grayman. But by then, you'll already be hanging from the gallows."