Gaven didn't even bother with a greeting this time and directly spurred his horse to brush past the Bear Goblin, luring it into attacking him.
The heavy weapons in their hands were certainly lethal, but the wide swings were deadly, especially when facing skilled coordinated attacks—that was even more fatal.
This Bear Goblin was easily throat-cut by Zalanda.
However, such monsters, born with a professional template and abundant health, wouldn't die from a throat-cut critical hit right away—if not quickly bandaged or healed by divine arts, they could bleed out slowly.
Gaven and Zalanda didn't have the chance to combine their attacks on a third Bear Goblin.
For the twelve Regular Cavalry had already caught up. In the face of overwhelming numbers, a single Bear Goblin on its own was inconsequential. It only withstood the charge of five Nort Knight Cavalry before it fell with a crash and didn't get up again.
"Catch the spear!"
The following Nort Knight Cavalry, seeing that Gaven and Zalanda had used up their spare spears, directly threw their own to them.
"Follow my charge!" Zalanda caught the long spear, and the momentum of their charge, which had started to slow, picked up again as he thrust straight toward the Hobgoblin ranks.
"Charge!" Gaven charged out without hesitation.
"Charge!" The twelve Nort Knight Cavalry also charged out without hesitation.
Fireball Technique!
Fireball Technique!
Fireball Technique!
Three scorching fireballs soared into the air simultaneously.
Two smashed into the Hobgoblin ranks, while one was hurled towards the Nort Knight Cavalry.
Hidden among the Nort Knight Cavalry were two spellcasters capable of casting third-level spells.
To be more precise, they were battlefield spellcasters equipped with Fireball Magic Wands—they hadn't reached the mage level to cast Fireball Technique, specializing in combat spellcasting and armored spellcasting.
There was also one in the Hobgoblin ranks.
At that moment, the Hobgoblin ranks finally showed disorder; they hadn't expected the opponent's commander to be so patient, holding back this trump card until now, not even utilizing it when the entire Cavalry Squad was in danger of being wiped out the previous day.
Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to use such a dense formation to face a Cavalry charge.
The Fireball Technique was too devastating against a closely-packed formation, capable of instantly clearing all the Hobgoblins within a six-meter radius of the impact point—there was no room for evasion, as they were all shoulder-to-shoulder.
The most fatal part was that the spellcasting range of the opposing side was too close, making it impossible for the spell to miss. It was aimed at the densest part of the Hobgoblin formation, and with two thunderous blasts, the Hobgoblin ranks lost a fifth of their forces, with many more overturned by the blast wave of flames, entering a critically wounded state.
Battlefield Spellcasters had become a popular occupation in Thacel over recent years.
Mixed in among knight units, they could often achieve unexpected effects.
They transformed a straightforward Cavalry charge into a fight full of tactical trickery.
A single mishap could lead to a minority overcoming a majority.
On the other hand, the Fireball Technique that fell towards the Nort Knight Cavalry achieved very limited success.
Firstly, a charge required maintaining a proper distance, and secondly, they were already in a state of high-speed sprint. Seeing the fireball incoming, they only spurred their horses faster instead of slowing down.
The spellcaster among the Hobgoblins must have been facing a Cavalry charge for the first time, casting the spell a bit too soon.
Just as the Fireball Technique a moment ago, if it had been delayed by a few seconds until the Nort Knight Cavalry crashed into the Hobgoblin army's formation and their speed slowed down, launching the attack heedless of their own casualties, at least half of the Nort Knight Cavalry would have been taken out, instead of now, where only two knights were toppled over.
Bang! Bang!
What Gaven had originally anticipated—a clash of flesh—did not occur as the leading pair of Hobgoblins were sent flying; they almost tore through the enemy formation entirely, and those Hobgoblins behind them had already been laid low by the two Fireball Techniques just now.
"This way!" Gaven called out loudly, slightly altering the direction of his charging steed, rushing towards the small and frail figure ahead.
A Goblin deep within the Hobgoblin army's formation, especially one with a magic wand in hand, it was easy to deduce that this was certainly the spellcaster who had thrown fireballs at them and was undoubtedly the most important target to be dealt with.
"Save me! Save me!"
Seeing the crazed Cavalry Squad change their direction of attack towards him, the Goblin Sorcerer completely panicked, abandoning the second Fireball Technique he was preparing and turning to run towards where there were more of his kind.
The Hobgoblins around him instinctively moved to shield the front of the Goblin Sorcerer; protecting the Sorcerer's safety was their top priority, a task they were committed to fulfilling even at the cost of their lives.
A Hobgoblin clad in full armor and riding a Giant Dire Wolf, urgently leading several Hobgoblin Wolf Cavalry, charged towards them.
But the very next second, they were hastening to leave the area with utmost speed.
Because two blazing fireballs flew out once again from among the Nort Knight Cavalry.
The two Battlefield Spellcasters embedded with the Nort Knight Cavalry did them proud by once again achieving a magical synchronization and casting successfully.
Bang! Bang!
Two heavy Incendiary Bombs dropped, clearing their path of charge into an open road.
The Goblin Sorcerer might have dodged the bombardment of the two Fireball Techniques, but he couldn't evade the seamless combined attack. This time, it was Zalanda who led the assault. Gaven followed with a decisive slash, dragging the gravely wounded Goblin Sorcerer onto the saddle, landing a punch that sent him into near-death unconsciousness—they had captured him alive.
In Gaven's eyes, every spellcaster was precious, even a Goblin was no exception; if possible, capturing them alive was always preferable.
The now completely berserk Nort Knight Cavalry locked onto a new target of attack—the Hobgoblin Wolf Cavalry who had just attempted to save the Goblin Sorcerer.
Based on the mounts they rode and the equipment they wore, no one would believe they weren't the chieftain leaders of this Hobgoblin battle group.
Subduing them would mean a complete victory for Nort Castle in this battle, this Hobgoblin battle group would be thoroughly decimated, no longer capable of organizing any fighting force. They would either naturally collapse or be absorbed by other Hobgoblin or Goblin tribes.
If they were to slip away, their battle achievements would be greatly diminished. Gaven, upon seeing the Hobgoblin riding the Giant Dire Wolf, recognized him immediately—it was the Hobgoblin Warlord who had caused Zalanda tremendous trouble in his past life, the one who had captured him and traded him as merchandise.
This bastard had not been discouraged by the minor setback at Nort Castle; instead, he used the profits extorted from Nort Castle and its people to rally more Hobgoblins and Goblins, wreaking havoc in Thacel for a while, until it took a coalition of armies from the neighboring towns and fortresses to finally defeat them and drive them back to the Marching Mountains.
When the second wave of Fireball Techniques rained down, the Hobgoblin Warlord knew the tide had turned against them. With over a third of their forces lost and the fate of their Sorcerer uncertain, even he couldn't reorganize the Hobgoblin battle group in a short time, nor would the enemy grant him such an opportunity—the distance thronged with surging infantry.
Not just the heavily armored Militia following behind the Cavalry, but even those wearing medium armor and the Civilian Spearmen who guarded Nort Castle were emerging en masse at the agreed signal. They maintained minimal formation as they rushed forward—now was the moment to seize an expanded victory.
All the Hobgoblin Warlord could think about was fleeing, the farther the better.
Grease Spell!
The Battlefield Spellcasters among the Nort Knight Cavalry wielded their magic wands again, and not just a single one.
A slick, greasy, six to seven meters in diameter black substance, filled the very path the Hobgoblin Warlord and his troops were set to escape through.
[Hobgoblin Warlord]