Rising Shadows: The Fight for Freedom I

Chapter 24: The Slaughter

Since the Lionheart Cavalry Legion split into ten paths and charged into the Naglan Plains, Dahn's cavalry battalion had been roaming the grasslands for over ten days. During this time, the battalion continuously launched attacks on the orc tribes they encountered, inflicting casualties upon the orcs and earning military merit for themselves!

From the initial tension of following the group into the orc ranks to the first time he cleaved through an orc's flesh with his broadsword, Dahn experienced in just a few days what he had not in over a decade, and his temperament underwent an unprecedented transformation.

Embracing his identity as a warrior, fighting alongside his comrades, and being accepted by them, Dahn gradually became more composed, mature, and calm, absorbing experiences in battle that books and teachers could not impart, with both his martial skills and spirit rapidly evolving.

Constantly searching, charging, and slaughtering, then relocating to search for suitable prey to sink their teeth into!

In this process, sometimes the cavalrymen would enjoy remarkable luck, suffering no casualties or only minor losses while inflicting significant damage on the orcs. At other times, however, their luck would falter, and while causing trouble for the orcs, they would inadvertently deliver fresh meat to them.

The once full cavalry battalion now had many unclaimed steeds. If one excluded the lightly wounded who could keep pace with the group, the losses were still manageable. However, if the wounded were included, the situation became dire...

Upon hearing the familiar sound of the horn, Dahn immediately opened his eyes. Realizing that this horn signaled departure rather than an encounter with the enemy, he relaxed once more and silently calculated the casualties in his unit.

Twenty men have died! There are an equal number of wounded, meaning the cavalry battalion has already suffered a quarter of its strength. If we continue fighting at this rate, the entire battalion will perish on the Naglan Plains within a month!

Damn it! Why is that fool, Gerald, still lingering on the plains? Does he think his military merit is insufficient? With this thought, Dahn couldn't help but glance at the cavalry captain, the knight Gerald, who was mounting his horse and ordering the cavalry to speed up.

In truth, although the cavalry had suffered significant losses, they had inflicted even greater casualties on the orcs. Compared to the cavalry, the orcs who had repeatedly fallen victim to Gerald's cavalry battalion were at least ten times more numerous, and the orc tribes that had been weakened and subsequently annihilated by rival tribes were even more numerous.

"This is the plains, where survival of the fittest prevails. All we need to do is draw blood from those bull-headed orcs, and the carnivorous orc tribes will come charging in. When they clash amongst themselves, we will achieve our goal of delaying the orcs!"

After successfully ambushing a bull-headed tribe and luring another orc tribe towards the bleeding bull-headed orcs, Knight Gerald proudly proclaimed to his subordinates.

Without exerting ourselves, countless orcs would fall; such a scenario was immensely satisfying. However? To achieve this effect, we must pay a price; there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world!

The results we have achieved are already astonishing! Hundreds of orcs have perished because of us, perhaps even thousands-this number far exceeds our own losses. Yet why hasn't Gerald led us away from the plains? Why does this fool continue to attack the orcs time and again?

As he spotted a distant line of black dots, Dahn felt frustrated and drew his broadsword. Then, amidst the piercing and fervent sound of the horn, he urged his steed towards the newly discovered target.

The horn blared, and the warhorses neighed. When Gerald's cavalry battalion suddenly charged out from behind a small hill, the attacked orcs, like the previous bull-headed tribe, were instantly thrown into chaos.

Dahn, mingling among the cavalry, felt his body rise and fall with the galloping steed. Yet this motion did not hinder his actions; the youth, with his legs tightly gripping the horse's belly, had gradually become accustomed to fighting amidst the violent charge, growing familiar with the chaos of the battlefield.

In the next moment, when an orc unexpectedly appeared before Dahn, he hesitated not for a second. His cold broadsword swept out, and in an instant, the orc was cleaved into two bloody halves under the cavalry's rapid charge.

"Charge forward! Charge forward! Do not linger! Charge forward!"

At Gerald's loud command, the cavalrymen pierced through the orc ranks like a sharp dagger. By the time the last rider crossed over the fallen orc bodies soaked in blood, the attacked orcs had only just begun to regroup.

"These fools! Mindless beasts! We shall strike back!" After charging two hundred meters, Captain Gerald abruptly halted his steed and turned around.

"Captain, those orcs have already gathered together; perhaps we should not..."

As the most senior non-commissioned officer, and the direct leader of Dahn's cavalry squad, Cowell happened to be beside Gerald. As a seasoned veteran, Cowell immediately offered his opinion to his superior, but...

"Sergeant! Do you not see that this orc tribe is on the brink of annihilation? Why should we not seize this opportunity? Rally your men; we shall strike back!"

Gerald was correct; this time, the cavalry faced a significantly weakened orc tribe, which numbered no more than a hundred. After suffering a sudden attack, the tribe had been reduced to half its original strength.

Alright, alright! Since this orc tribe appears to lack any significant resistance, we shall not let this clear opportunity for military merit slip away. Although, hmm, even if we do not intervene, this tribe will surely be devoured by another orc tribe!

As Gerald led the cavalry back into the fray, they faced over thirty orcs who had already braced themselves for a desperate fight, and behind these thirty orcs were a dozen smaller orcs with expressions of despair.

Perhaps aware of their fate, both the combat-capable orcs and the unarmed ones went berserk, launching a counter-charge as the cavalry attacked. However...

Faced with elite cavalry armed to the teeth with an average of third-tier fighting spirit, the orcs, lacking any armor or protection and wielding only crude wooden clubs and stone hammers, found their resistance easily crushed!

In the torrent of cavalry, the orcs were swiftly felled, regardless of size or strength, becoming sacrifices upon the Naglan Plains. In the end, only one orc remained, futilely resisting.

"Scouts on alert! Others rest, and remember to bring us some meat! After eating this dry rations for so long, we can finally feast today!"

Gerald commanded loudly, and the cavalrymen sprang into action. Some rode out to establish a perimeter, some dismounted to rest, while others, heavy swords in hand, approached the dead or dying orcs.

"Ha, perhaps we can capture a prisoner this time; what do you think?" Ignoring the actions of his subordinates, Gerald dismounted, and before the lieutenant and the cavalry captain, the lone surviving orc glared at the encircling cavalry, gripping a hefty wooden club tightly.

Screams erupted as the wounded orcs were systematically slain. Hearing and witnessing the fate of his comrades, the orc's muscles tensed further, and in his eyes, Dahn saw a blazing fury.

"Ah ha, this fellow is angry! And why is that? Because we killed his kin!" Gerald, noticing the orc's expression, suddenly burst into laughter.

"However, these beasts came to Bailins for slaughter, did they not? Did they not wish to storm into human villages to plunder and pillage?" After chuckling a few times, Gerald raised his voice, addressing his soldiers.

"If we do not teach these beasts a harsh lesson, exterminating them, they will do the same to our people! Therefore, we cannot show mercy! We fight for justice!"

"Kill the orcs! Annihilate these beasts!" The cavalrymen rallied, their blood stirred by their lieutenant's fervor. Their actions, framed by their commander's words, took on an aura of honor. Thus, when the cavalrymen looked upon the lone orc, their eyes reflected not only ruthless cruelty but also boundless fervor!