"Dear fellow tribesman! It is finally time to Fight!"
I raise my voice after I gathered all the villager on village square.
About 6 days ago, I got the Information around 500 Empire Soldier is making a sortie from supply base, I have made preparation for them for some time now.
The Empire Soldier doesn't need even half a day to reach this village.
According to the Information I got from Joseph by torture, The Empire Soldier will destroy this village, The man will be turn into magic stone and the woman will be taken away.
In the case of mix breed between the race, the birth rate will decline, but the baby that was born will have the same race as their mother.
In other word, even if there is only woman left no matter how many it is, the elf will still exist.
Until now, the village was allowed to exist in order to get tax and magic stone, they intended to keep raising acquisition of magic stone to cover the tax.
"We won't yield anymore. We won't let them snatch it anymore. Let's fight the Empire with our full strength. with wind as our company. This is the Crusade for us to live through tomorrow!"
My words reached each and every one of the elves.
Their silence feels pleasant
"I don't need special thing. I'll lead us win, if you obey my command and move like how we practice. When the war ends, we will return to this place with all the member here, let's celebrate with party for our tomorrow! Therefore lend me your power! "
In the face of the elves there is not a tragic feeling. I believe each one of you will win.
If I win this war, they will organize a large scale army to attack.
But the snow will pilled up in one month time.
Since marching the army in snowy mountain isn't possible, we still can survive until spring come.
If there is that much time I can strengthen this village and make it more abundant.
"Everyone, We will seize victory!"
Right after my speech, I ended it with a short prayer.
And then
"""OUH!!"""
the elves shout at the same time in respond.
I was smiling. I do not feel we will be losing.
then, 100 people with crossbow and special quiver march from the village.
I do not use [Reincarnation Recursion] for this battle.
This is elf fight after all. There is no meaning to it if they can't win by their own power.
I shouldn't attack and exterminate them all by myself. the elves will seize victory and gain confidence and experience.
and [Reincarnation Recursion] can be used as back up to respond to unexpected reinforcement. In the end, only if we ever get driven into a corner, I should keep it in reserve as an insurance.
◇
There is only one paved road to elf village from empire. the road wide is approximately 30 m
Originally, the elf village was located in the middle of the forest, and there is no way to reach there.
5 years ago, My father fought using guerrilla tactics by concealing themselves within the forest, The Empire who found it troublesome burn the forest and cut the tree and make a road straight to the village.
After that, they were able to tread along the ground, and this paved road was result of it.
That was it's history and now the paved road is now surrounded by the forest.
As long as The Empire Soldier wear a whole heavy armor, they will not think of taking other road than this paved road. since the ground around the forest is soft. it is not possible to advance clad with their heavy armor, they can't swing their sword too because it was crowded with tree.
Empire soldier set a camp around 5 km from here, the army was consisted of 90% of foot soldier at the front of formation and 10% of cavalry that was following from behind the formation.
the cavalry soldier at the back must be the commander.
Right now, the vanguard soldiers of the Empire which is visibly seen is approximately 1 Km away
Even at this distance Elf eyes can see their figure clearly. It's even possible to distinguish their face.
[TL: 1 km = 0,621371 miles]
"Don't fire before I give my signal"
I give Elf villager my order.
On human side there doesn't seems like there are soldiers equipped with bow, there doesn't seem to have magician as well.
It is because the bow was useless when used again elves that can control wind, they can make the arrow unable to reach them by controlling headwind again the arrows. Also Human Magician only can attack 2-3 person at the most from 20 m ahead of them so they can't become war potential.
If you think of that, you will be able to call appropriate judgment
If it was me, beside the commander no one should use a horse. Because a horse can't be protected even if the arrow can't pierce the armor. Not to mention if you fall from the horse while wearing such heavy armor you will receive considerable damage.
There is overpowering pressure from 500 soldier that was advancing with full body armor from head to the toe, but there is no elves that was shaken by it. In fact they see the approaching army as a target helmet they used to practice, so they are calm.
Suddenly the Empire soldier stop their march at 500 m in front of us.
The foot soldier that was leading divide to make a way for a horse ridden by stout man with armor that was filled with luxurious decoration which shows that it's a special ordered by their looks.
He was holding an ancient loudspeaker in his hand.
"I am from distinguished family of the Knight family, Second son of Haren guruku! Meris Saku! I have brought 511 courageous Knight of [Sacred Holy Knight] of Lowen Branch, In order to deliver hammer of justice to savage tribe that was bringing harm to the Empire."
what to do with the enemy that was introduce himself and intentionally, giving a report of the number of soldier and their intention,and declaring there is no ambush.
with the number of people I counted from what I can see is the same with what he said, as long as it is not a bluff I didn't need to worry again an ambush.
Doing such a stupid thing to seek honor and pride in the battle.
"Is his brain get eaten by maggot?"
while having ridicule smile, I pointed my crossbow to the sky and pull the trigger.
With the protection of divine wind, the arrow did not affected by the impact of the wind and drawing a beautiful trajectory like a mountain and fly toward the foolish noble.
It trajectory was calculated using [Program]
"Listen! you savage barbarian. there is no- AAAAAAAAAAAAA it hurt"
The arrow pierce his ugly stomach which I shoot purposely avoiding the vital part so he doesn't die instantly.
Of course the arrow already has strong poison applied on it. the pain double with paralysis poison make you think that you are dying. If it enter the blood system, even a bear can't stand for two days.
The scream was amplified several time louder by the loudspeaker.
It make the Empire Soldier lost their moral significantly
the man who looks like a lieutenant beside the noble pick up the loudspeaker.
"You coward! shooting when we are still in the middle of self-introducing! It's unfair!"
my eyes grow wide. rather than addressing why that arrow can hit with this much distance, they are angry because they are getting attacked while doing a self-introducing.
therefore they said I am a coward?
what are they talking about. there is nothing wrong to do everything so we can survive. we aren't here to exchange note. this is not a sport!
[TL:Correct me If I am wrong about this one]
なにを言ってるんだ.命のやり取りをしているんだ.生きるための努力をすることの何が悪い.これはスポーツではない.
I receive another crossbow which already loaded with arrow from my support. I shoot it casually aiming on the guy who just speak now and like the replay when I shoot the foolish noble from before. the arrow also pierce his stomach and his scream resounded through the vicinity, and he fall from his horse.
The horse which was shocked start to act violently and kick the soldier around it circumference and sent them flying.
"Next!"
When I say so, a new crossbow was handed to me.
This time, I have assign two people as my exclusive support.
My shooting accuracy always 100% hitting a target, even if the target is at the distance of 500 m.
Therefore in order to shoot as many time as possible, I leave the task to reloading arrow to the support, so I can concentrate on shooting.
"C'mon, Scream. Scream!"
[TL: Syril sure turn into evil guy.]
I aim at the group of people which has family crest carved into their armor.
It is impossible to catch an arrow movement with the speed of 360 km/h with human eyes, the arrow start to pierce the enemy one after another and because of the pain from poisoned arrow, they become unable to fight anymore.
They can escape if they move, but their body become stiff because of fear. what a bunch of idiots.
Even if you can't comprehensive and catch the arrow movement using your eyes, because the trajectory is making an arc like a mountain it need 5 second for the impact, so if you move forward at that time you will be safe.
"With this, it's the fourth person with a family crest!"
There is two reason why I aim at people with family crest.
First, it is because the army was lead by the noble. If a commander falls, they will lose the leadership and can't take action as a organized army, and they will become panic on the spot. In fact, because they are confused of the change in command structure they are still stuck in the place they stand while I shoot. that is why I purposely marking an important looking people.
The other reason is to make a ransom for this noble that is why they can't be killed in this battle. Because this 100 elf isn't as good as me when it come to shooting they may accidentally kill them.
After I shoot the 6th noble, the Soldier finally make their move.
"Charge! Charge!"
With this word all the soldier wearing heavy armor start charging wildly with all their strength.
what a fool. they already see how easy my arrow pierce their armor and they still charging blindly like this.
Perhaps, they think that only my bow was special?
"Front row, Take your position!"
I give my order to the elves.
Like the practice the elf divide themself into two row with 45 people each.
because the road is narrow and it width is only 50 m.
their looks become focused.
to be honest, I though there will one or two people that will shoot the arrow outside of their range, but they endure it well.
[TL: I really didn't have any idea why the road width grow larger from 30 m to 50 m, maybe it is author typo or some area of the road was wider]
"Not yet, attract them more. Now!"
When the group of soldier approaching 300 m mark, the arrow was fired simultaneously.
Approximately half of the arrow that was fired hit their target.
At this distance it was hard to aim, but it still have enough power to barrage enemy to cause a causalities.
I repeat the barrage while switching between front row with the back row.
The scream of soldier in the front echoed loudly.
it was the second effect of the poison arrow. the scream of their friend make their movement become dull. when they try to save their friend which was in agony, the fear and panic start to spread. various soldier start to pull up their friend.
Furthermore the soldier that already fell down become an obstacle. that make them need more time to cover the distance.
they will need to take 2 minute to advance 100 m.
while they are slowing down, the arrow will pour like a rain.
"It hurt, so painful"
"What is this. Isn't Empire armor suppose to be invincible"
"Hey, Tonamu don't die, you can't die! Here let me carry you on my shoulder"
So far, It was one side battle where I buried enemy with arrows while taking no damage.
If it was proper army, they will judge the necessary thing to do and advance one step at the time with all their power, while steeling themself. or they can choose to stop this reckless dash and choose to withdrawal.
"Back row step forward, Aim.. Fire!"
After they switch line they shoot another volley.
once again, the arrow make innumerable casualties.
Having said that, the soldier keep coming closer.
At this stage the distance was under 100 m, I directed the villagers to aim properly now.
At this distance, almost all the villagers shoot have 100% hit the target.
The damage on Empire side keep pilling up.
Usually the Empire soldier doesn't do this kind of reckless charge.
When they just charge straight forward it is easy to suffer heavy damage. Maybe, the reason why they do not stop the charge was because the people who can order them was knocked out by me.
"Oh, looks like some people which can use their brain come out"
Even if it is hard to move rather then a pavement road where the arrow keep raining down, some of the soldier move into the forest.
They can enter the forest while making a detour and attacking our flank.
Because it was two line formation which was composed of only archer it will be hard to defend from multiple direction.
Indeed, It certainly was an effective tactic.
But, if they make one wrong step, they will judge and be punished for ignoring order.
"However, I already expect that possibility"
Since a while ago, using wind magic [Perception Expansion] I watch the state of the forest.
Some of the soldier fall into a pitfall which was filled with venom, other soldier get caught in the trap and now was hanging in midair, there is also Elves that was stationed in the forest which can mix their presence with the forest, this Elves was good at hunting and was equipped with crossbow that can pierce armor.
I was able to grasp the miserable end of various soldiers
There is countless of trap in the forest, and I already placed 5 experience hunter each on our left and right side.
They can kill their presence when hunting, and they can grasp the enemy location just from sound.
When their armor hit a tree or branch it make a noise and that make their where about known, their movement also become sluggish because of their heavy armor and dirt, when they wave their sword some of it get caught by tree or branch, one by one they was hunted by the hunter which approaching them silently and get killed from their crossbow in close range.
"Is it Impossible for human to beat elf in forest?"
If they have a good leadership among them, it was possible.
If their main force stay in pavement road while using the body of their friends as a shield, and devoted to defense and sent 100 people all at once into the forest, they will be hard to deal with.
You can't ignore the enemy in front of you. Because you can't secure line of fire for archer to fire it will be impossible to cope with them.
The method to silently approach them while killing your present to deal with them one by one can't be used with large number of people.
But, The people that can give instruction is nowhere to be found anymore.
Soon the distance was shorten to approximately 70 m
Although the damage to Empire soldier increased when it reach under 100 m mark, their force doesn't lose their momentum.
There is only around 300 soldier left, because 220 soldier unable to fight anymore.
There is still majority of enemy left, but it is still within acceptable range. Rather there is about ⅓ casualty from enemy side right now, It was considered big.
In the case of infantry unit, when the casualty exceed 30% where 2-4 people was needed to evacuate one person, it was judge that the unit need to withdraw or face annihilation.
But they seems to not mind to take care of their friends. they doesn't show sign of withdrawing and still desperately resist.
I feel slightly dubious.
No matter how you look at it the Empire soldier doesn't have any fear at all.
A friend was suffered from this attack, why are you still attacking?
In the case of ordinary human being, they will loss their willpower when they fight one side battle like this.
It seems like there is something invisible pushing their back.
"Advance, Chargeeeeee! avenge our fallen Brother!"
Hearing that scream, the soldier start to climb out from their friends corpse and charge forward.
Stupid. Even if they won, why do they fight a battle where they need to get rid of their friend. If they fled from here they can avoid annihilation.
Despite my speculation, the distance between the soldier and us keep getting shorter, I am sure in a few minute their sword will reach us. However
"What is this thin chain? I am gonna cut it down"
Suddenly, an Iron wire that was wrapped to wooden stick filled with countless wooden needle, hindering the soldier advance.
It was barbed wire, it was a trap which raged in the past war.
Only that, the thread of iron was sharped and wound it in tree.
It was used to hinder their route. The height of barbed wire was 1 m and 30 cm, with this height it was low enough to not interfere with arrow trajectory but high enough to prevent soldier wearing armor to overcome it.
The barbed wire that was made using minimum amount of material and labor playing an active role to restrict the enemy as expected.
"what is this, I can't cut it. Wait, stop the front is blocked!"
Now that the soldier at front was stopped but the soldier from behind them can't stop on time and crushed into them.
without the armor the needle will cut the body. it make me earn more then enough time.
[TL:I will get back to this later, can't find when the armor got taken off]
"Shoot!"
The time to nock the arrow is enough.
An arrow pours into soldiers who remained standing on their spot and dozens of soldiers become unable to fight.
And the soldier who rests on the barbed wire will be a firmer wall, and disturbs their advance.
I give the order to Lucie and dozen of people under her that was good with crossbow to shoot any people that was trying to save the people that was caught in the wired barbed as the top priority.
"Fire!"
In the meantime the elf continue their volley, they can aim accurately avoiding the enemy that was caught in barbed wire.
The Empire soldier was in agony. they keep falling down one after another before reaching where the Elf at. Seeing how many people that was falling down in that place, people that start to turn around and ran away start to appear.
The casuality on Empire side already reaching more then half of their original soldier. It is not a strange situation to retreat. Even if the human that can give withdraw order is no longer there.
"Step on the body of injured person! Otherwise all of us will die here!"
It looks like there is still a guy with brain left in Empire soldier.
The effective solution right know is like what the Empire soldier said, Pile up your friends that already fell down and step on them to overcome the barbed wire.
Naturally the Elf shoot on the enemy that success climbing over but they cannot hit all of them.
"The remain soldier, around 80 people"
the enemy group, only has 80 people remain. ⅘ of the enemy already die or can no longer fight.
they seems to intend to fight until the last soldier, which was contradicting with the theory of battlefield.
I should compliment them to still have courage and doesn't become panicked and start to escape.
No, it isn't such a good thing. It wasn't the number of people that be able to win even if they reach us. It can be said this is already a suicide.
the remain distance is 40 m.
"Shitty Elf just die! I'll kill you! This is revenge for my friends! Remember that when you die!!"
A voice full of resentment was echoed on my eardrum
As the distance become shorter, the line of fire become clear, the hit rate of each volley increased.
even though they should understand such a thing, because of the lost of their friend, they make a face like Oni and keep charging.
I understand their feeling. Because..
"AAAA, We had this kind of feeling for 5 years. FIRE!"
Once again another volley was fired, this time 30 people was down.
They step over the corpse of their friend and keep approaching.
At this distance some of the arrow would reach first before the front row and back row was switched.
If it is like usual.
"God, What is this."
"Sinking, I am sinking"
"Take off, all of you take off your armor"
I already predicted that they will be able to get here. the last 30 m have deep quagmire.
Elf doesn't only have aptitude in wind magic, they also have aptitude with water magic.
The soil is changed beforehand with high viscosity, it was prepared a few day beforehand so it will turn into quagmire when water was poured.
After that, by manipulating water that was contents on the jar at the back row and pout it, it will become a quagmire in no time.
Motivated by the urge to kill, the soldier who were running in full speed fell into a swamp and drowning one after another. the enraged soldier can't stop suddenly.
"Fire!"
Since long ago, Each volley was shoot by any elf that already finish reloading their arrow into the crossbow.
Empire soldier already in total annihilation. there is only some soldier that still can fight and there is some other soldier that try to escape desperately too. This battle is..
"It's our victory!"
I declare it.
A cheers arises among the elf.
Yes, this was the first victory for the elves in five year.