Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Two "hedgehogs" back-to-back moved closer together, and their sharp spikes finally touched before stabbing into one another.
The soldiers in the front row were the most unfortunate; those extremely unlucky ones, unable to dodge in time, were pierced by the tips of long spears into their chests, throats, shoulders, or legs.
Almost simultaneously, some of the injured on both sides began to howl in pain or fell to the ground without a word.
After the casualties appeared, the soldiers in the front two rows instinctively stopped or retreated, twisting their bodies to avoid being stabbed by the jabbing spear tips.
The two formations engaged in combat immediately halted their advance, with the front rows using their long spears to threaten the opposing faces while simultaneously dodging the wildly swinging spear tips from the other side.
The long spears from both sides clashed and blocked one another in the gap between them.
Commanders on both sides shouted orders, urging their troops to advance, trying to compel them to risk injury and death to jab their long spears into the bodies of their enemies.
However, each time an order was given, it only allowed the troops to advance a little, and after casualties, the soldiers would retreat instinctively.
Contact, disengagement, contact, disengagement... The two armies kept repeating this process, causing a growing unease in Liszt's heart.
At this moment, a cloud of dust appeared on the road leading east. Liszt looked up and saw a cavalry unit rapidly approaching.
This cavalry was evidently on a higher level than the infantry currently engaged in battle; every soldier was armored and wielded a lance.
Some in the Yebu army noticed the cavalry swiftly closing in from their flank, and almost instantly, their formation began to fall into disarray.
Some soldiers turned their weapons toward the oncoming cavalry, while others stood in confusion, uncertain of what to do. The unluckiest were the soldiers in the front rows, many of whom were stabbed as they were distracted.
The cavalry quickly formed a wedge shape as they closed in. When they were about forty to fifty meters from the Yebu army, all the warhorses suddenly accelerated, charging toward the Yebu soldiers at breakneck speed.
The lead cavalryman's horse reared high just before crashing into the enemy's spear tips, but this did not prevent him from thrusting his lance accurately and powerfully. The cavalryman was so well-trained that he seemed to move as one with the horse beneath him.
The Yebu soldiers watched in horror as the lance pierced their chests, falling to the ground with a mix of resentment and lingering fear.
The cavalryman pulled back his weapon and immediately turned his horse to flee.
The following comrades replicated his actions; in fact, the delay between their engagement with the Yebu soldiers was merely a matter of breaths, as the final charge had been so swift.
Not every cavalryman enjoyed the good fortune of the first, some missed their targets or failed to find suitable ones, but none lingered to fight, all promptly turned their horses and disengaged from the Yebu soldiers.
The casualties from the first wave of cavalry were not many, and the fallen were quickly replaced by those behind. However, the Yebu army's formation had begun to weaken. The more timid soldiers stayed where they were, while the bolder or more eager for glory rushed out of the formation as the cavalry retreated, thinking they could score a victory before the enemy's horses sped away. But their hopes were dashed, as the commander loudly ordered these fools to return to their positions.
The cavalry quickly reorganized, once again repeating their previous tactics, dashing toward the Yebu army's formation like a gust of wind, but this time the wind carried deadly blades, causing casualties among the Yebu soldiers with each pass.
With every successive wave of cavalry charges, the Yebu army's formation became increasingly disheveled, and the instinctual fear drove the soldiers to subconsciously move away from the denser areas, as such places often became priority targets for cavalry attacks.
Finally, only the rows of soldiers initially facing the opposing spearmen managed to maintain their formation—these soldiers were clearly better protected and more disciplined than their comrades.
Seeing the cavalry for the first time, Liszt clenched his teeth tightly, feeling immense fear. He imagined himself among the Yebu soldiers, trying to react to the swiftly approaching enemy cavalry.
"Yebu is finished!"
A sorrowful voice, tinged with a sob, sounded nearby.
It was the coachman speaking.
At his indication, Liszt looked back in the direction he had come from, and saw dark smoke rising from the distant Yebu city.
It seemed the battle was not only occurring here; had they already breached the city?
"Sir, we should be grateful we managed to escape in time," he said, unsure how to comfort the coachman who had lost his homeland.
Liszt refocused on the nearby battle, where the cavalry of the church was charging once again.
However, this seemed to be their final assault; the cavalry did not rein in their galloping horses but instead let them charge straight into the mass of Yebu soldiers, as there were no longer dense lines of spears blocking their way. The gaps were so large they could easily avoid them, and after stabbing an enemy, they would immediately discard their lances, drawing their short swords to indiscriminately slay the surrounding Yebu soldiers.
With the previously disciplined rows of soldiers now in disarray, the Yebu army was quickly thrown into chaos, leading to a total collapse.
Many threw down their weapons and fled in panic, trying to escape the battlefield.
But these individuals were often quickly overtaken by the cavalry, meeting their demise with a single sword strike.
Those who remained on the battlefield but had no chance of victory also dropped their weapons, placing their hands behind their heads, squatting or kneeling on the ground, waiting for the enemy's decision.
"Alas!"
Liszt sighed deeply, saying to the coachman, "Let's hide here for a while, waiting for those people to leave before we go out."
Just as he finished speaking, a woman's scream pierced the air behind them.
The two were startled; it was the coachman's wife.
The coachman dashed toward where they had hidden the cart, and Liszt hesitated for a moment before following him.
A heart-stopping scene unfolded before him: three soldiers armed with long swords surrounded the cart, while the coachman's wife and child clung to each other, crying.
"Gentlemen!"
The coachman fell to his knees.
Tears streaming down his face, he pleaded, "We... we are just ordinary people; please let us go!"
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.5K+ Chapters and 1.78M+ Words.