Chapter 76 - 76

It only takes another thirty minutes.

Only thirty minutes before the enemy forces dissolve before you.

In the end, your reinforced left flank proves to be the factor that breaks your foe.

There's no heroic cavalry charge. Just the struggles of tired, desperate men. Your left flank continues to push hard, deeper and deeper into the rebels, until finally, a breakthrough.

It happens quickly. Your troops shatter the enemy left and push around, encircling the enemy center. Seeing this, the enemy right panics.

And all at once, the enemy infantry just collapses. The enemy flanks flee the field. The rebel center, however, is encircled by your forces.

It's a complete rout.

Your soldiers surge forth with the force of a tidal wave, slaughtering disorganized rebels as they begin to flee. Any who stand their ground are cut down.

Motion from the treeline catches your attention. Loyalist cavalrymen burst out of the woods in flight, fleeing from some unknown threat. Moments later, this threat materializes, breaking free from the woods.

Enemy knights, steel plate glinting under the sun, step forth from the forest.

They pause and survey the scene unfolding before them. The battle is over. Their army is defeated.

Some sort of argument ensues. After a few seconds, the column turns around, heading back through the forest.

The nobles have abandoned their soldiers to the slaughter.

Next

The battle is effectively over. You've won. The enemy army is in flight.

Or rather, the enemy who weren't encircled by your men are. Your troops managed to completely surround roughly two thousand rebels, just below a third of the entire enemy army.

A shocking success.

The rest flee, desperate to escape the slaughter that awaits the rest of their forces.

As of now, the enemy has only suffered one thousand, two hundred losses, not counting those encircled and doomed. You could easily double these losses, if you wish. Any surviving rebels would likely gather back together under Count Nado once again.

Elya turns to you, trying to find some comfort in you. But you're so… completely focused on the scene in front of you. Without speaking, she turns her horse around, not wanting to watch the killing.

Darin calls out to you. "Marshal! Enemy's fleein'. Should we's send men to pursue?"

You consider your options.