Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 449 The Great Alliance Marches Forward (Twenty-Two)
Spears clashed, smoke billowed, and the phalanx mercilessly crushed flesh and blood.

"Hold on tighter!" Colonel Srku roared at the top of his lungs, "Hold on tighter!"

In close combat, soldiers with well-organized formations will always be able to defeat those with scattered formations.

Skul Mechren first learned this simple, crude truth, which has been proven time and again throughout the long history of human warfare, in the classroom.

He probably never imagined that one day he would personally verify the nonsense printed in the book in the most cruel way.

"Move closer!" Skull, leaning against the flagpole for support, repeated the command sternly: "Move closer!"

But getting "close" was incredibly difficult: the noise was deafening, the smoke stung their eyes, and the slippery intestines felt like tripwires pulling them down; even the soldiers who could still stand had nowhere to put their feet.

With a "thud," the drummer standing in front of Skul was suddenly ripped open from the back of his head without warning. Bone fragments and brain matter splattered all over Skul, and the drummer's body went limp, collapsing heavily at Skul's feet.

"Beat the drums!" Skul shouted hoarsely, as if nothing had happened. "Stand tighter!"

In fact, the colonel didn't need to order his men to stick together; everyone unconsciously wanted to be closer to their comrades because that was the only way to survive.

The requirement in the manual to "always maintain an arm's length distance" has become, in a literal sense, "armchair theorizing."

With each advance, retreat, and squeeze against each other, every remaining square formation had shrunk to its smallest possible size. Elbows pressed against elbows, shoulders against shoulders; the formation had long since ceased to exist.

The spearmen from the flanks and rear kept filling the front, until only a thin column remained, turning the square formation that was originally facing the enemy on all four sides into a "battle line".

All the formations of the two armies then formed a larger battle line and fought fiercely below the earthen mound where the parliamentary army had set up cannons.

At the northernmost point of the battle line, the combined forces of Leiqun County and Bianjiang County are desperately trying to encircle the enemy; at the southernmost point of the battle line, the Xinkendi Expeditionary Army is also launching a fierce attack on the flank of the combined forces.

Driven by blood and lives, the battle line slowly and uncontrollably rotated, becoming thinner and narrower with each rotation.

Skul Mekron watched helplessly as the brown-clad soldiers in front of him suffered defeats in the battle, forced to retreat step by step by the Allied spearmen, to the point that the standard-bearer at the rear of the battle line rolled up the flag and carried it on his shoulder—a signal for a temporary retreat.

Sure enough, the drumbeats suddenly changed, and the parliamentary army battalion that was fighting against Skul's formation took the initiative to retreat and regroup.

The brown-clad soldiers stumbled and retreated away from the enemy, creating a gap in the parliamentary army's front line.

Every battle example he learned from books was shouting at Skull that he must press his advantage and turn the enemy's retreat into a rout.

However, Colonel Skull was no longer able to command his troops as easily as he had at the start of the war.

His soldiers were exhausted, his officers and sergeants were dead or wounded, and he didn’t even know if his troops would collapse at any moment.

Skul didn't have a reserve team to widen the gap either, because both sides had already scraped out their last chip and put it on the table.

Without even taking a breath, Skul ordered his phalanx to advance and flank the enemy on his right flank.

During this regrouping and advance, the brown-clad soldiers who had previously retreated were once again driven forward and entangled Skul's phalanx.

Meanwhile, Colonel Chloe Torrill, who commanded the right wing of the Parliamentarian army, stared intently at the silver-edged flag that stood tall in the center of the enemy's front line.

He stared so intently that his eyes almost bled.

The people standing under that military flag were Chloe's classmates and old friends, but at this moment, Chloe Torrill's chest was filled with only anger, resentment, and despair.

"Why did you even come?!" Chloe screamed in her mind like a madwoman. "Why can't you just admit defeat?!"

He wanted to choke the other person, question them, scold them... and wail loudly.

Nothing is more brutal and bloody than a fierce battle where the forces are evenly matched; compared to that, a one-sided victory seems merciful.

As the battle has progressed, both the combined forces of Bianjiang County and Leiqun County, and the reorganized New Reclamation Army under Chloe's command, have been pushed to their limits.

Skull has no reserves, and neither does Chloe;

Skul's soldiers were exhausted, and Chloe's men were only more tired than the well-rested Allied soldiers.
Skull realized the opportunity but was powerless to press his advantage, while Chloe watched helplessly as the enemy retreated and regrouped.

Both sides have now lost the ability to turn fleeting opportunities into unstoppable victories and can only wait for the other to collapse on its own.

The battle turned into a game of endurance, seeing who could last one more minute, but every second it lasted meant more Paratus fell into pools of blood.

Amidst the shouts, drums, bugles, and gunfire, Chloe heard some unusual sounds.

The sound was initially very faint, like a wisp of smoke mixed in the morning mist, almost imperceptible. Then it suddenly soared, as if leaping from an abyss to the clouds, transforming into rolling thunder.

It was the sound of horses' hooves, a deafening sound.

Chloe Torrill let out a long sigh. It's here—or rather, it's finally here.

At this moment, the only cavalry that could appear from the direction of the sound of hooves could be the cavalry of the newly reclaimed lands expeditionary force under Sanel.

“Sanel has finally decided to send cavalry to support me,” Chloe thought sadly. “But it’s too late.”

Chloe turned around and saw the blood-stained battle flag of Thundershire fluttering in the wind.

Along the causeway breached by the Parliamentarian artillery, soldiers carrying the flags of White Mountain County and Thunder Hill County surged onto the east bank, abandoning their formations and disregarding any thought of retreat, rushing towards the rear of the Parliamentarian front like a torrent.

More and more soldiers of the newly reorganized reclamation corps, realizing what was happening, turned around, and the supervising officers could not stop them from looking in the direction from which the sound of hooves came.

Even the officers and soldiers who were trying their best to keep the troops from collapsing were thrown into panic.

The lieutenant commander of Chloe's formation rushed to her side immediately. His pupils trembled, his lips were bloodless, but he struggled to remain calm, asking, "Colonel, what's wrong...?"

No explanation was needed; Chloe understood what her men meant. Their lines were too thin, with most of their spearmen packed into the front, making it impossible for them to withstand a single charge from behind.

As they spoke, the Leiqun County cavalry, having removed their armor, had already crossed the provincial highway, and the last remaining distance of less than a mile would soon disappear.

Chloe closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was no longer any sadness in her eyes, but rather a sense of relief.

“Run, kid.” Chloe patted the lieutenant on the shoulder. “Survive.”

Having said that, the colonel straightened his clothes, stepped out of the formation, and met the gleaming blade.

……

When the Thundercrow County cavalry broke into the right flank of the Parliamentarian army, the White Mountain County army was in great danger at the southernmost point of the battlefield.

The newly appeared army on the horizon neither raised its flags nor sent out scouts to communicate, but instead headed straight for the battlefield at top speed.

"How many are there?" Gaisa demanded of the scouts.

There should be four battalions.

"Four battalions!" Gaisa's eyes widened in anger. "How come you only discovered it now?"

“They came from the south.” The scout, pale-faced, tried his best to explain: “As soon as they were spotted, the sergeant immediately sent me to report.”

“Four battalions from the south.” Lieutenant Worthington frowned. “Winters Montagne’s men?”

Gaisa turned his head sharply and asked in a stern voice, "Then why didn't they identify themselves?"

Just ahead of Colonel Gaisa, the White Mountain County's river-crossing troops were engaged in fierce fighting with the left wing of the Parliamentarian army, which was flying the Sixth Army's flag.

As soon as they clashed, the soldiers of Baishan County immediately noticed the disparity—the combat strength of the three battalions deployed in the rear and the two battalions defending the riverbank was worlds apart.

The enemy defending the riverbank collapsed at the first contact, while the enemy stationed in the rear held their own in the bloodiest square battles.

"Find out their identities!" Gaisa made a decisive decision and immediately ordered, "Go and request reinforcements from Colonel Bode!"

He glanced at the unmoving enemy formation, gritted his teeth, and gave the final order: "Retreat!"

As the bugle sounded to signal retreat, musketeers provided cover fire, and swordsmen dragged out lightly wounded soldiers from the forest of spears. The three square formations of the Baishan County crossing force gradually distanced themselves from the enemy, intending to withdraw to the west bank.

However, the Sixth Army, which was on the defensive, changed its previous passive avoidance of battle and launched a counterattack without mercy.

The two battalions of infantry that had been previously driven back from defending the riverbank were reorganized and, in a chaotic manner, bypassed the formation of the Baishan County army and rushed towards the riverbank again.

Lead pellets whizzed overhead, and Geza's men pleaded with the colonel to dismount, but Geza remained firmly seated on his horse, unmoved.

It wasn't that Gaisa wanted to be a hero, but rather that he needed to be on horseback to see the battle clearly.

The situation on the Southern Front has now become a race:
On the east bank, the Sixth Army Corps cut off the retreat route of the troops crossing the river in Baishan County;
On the west bank, an unidentified force is heading straight for River Valley Village.

The two battalions left by Gaisa on the west bank were also transferred away by Colonel Bode, leaving the White Mountain County troops crossing the river completely isolated and helpless.

Gaisa gritted his teeth and looked north, his view obscured by smoke, dust, and the valley village. He wasn't angry that Colonel Bode had transferred his troops without authorization, but he needed Skulr to quickly eliminate the enemy's right flank and then immediately send reinforcements.

Otherwise, he, Colonel Bode, and the sons of White Mountain County would all die without a burial place.

……

[Northern Battlefield]
The defeat was more than a landslide; it seemed as if only a breath had passed before the reorganized New Reclamation Army was completely wiped out.

The Leiqun County cavalry drove the first nail into the coffin of the newly reorganized New Reclamation Army with their iron hooves, and the Leiqun County and Baishan County infantry followed suit, driving the remaining nails to the ground.

If we were to use a person as a metaphor, the reorganized New Reclamation Army Corps had met with utter death. Unless someone rebuilds it, this designation will never reappear. Even if someone does rebuild it, it will simply be another person with the same name.

On the battlefield north of Hegu Village, only the troops of the New Reclamation Expeditionary Army were still putting up a stubborn resistance.

The newly established expeditionary force that came to support the right flank consisted of two battalions. They were originally launching a fierce attack on the flank of the Allied forces. Seeing their comrades being defeated, they quickly merged into one unit, set up a thousand-man square formation with their backs against an unnamed stream on the riverbank.

The Allied soldiers were all chasing and capturing the fleeing enemy, and for a moment no one paid any attention to them.

"Losson!" It was the first time Colonel Skull had met his most trusted and valued subordinate since the start of the war, and it felt like a lifetime had passed.

However, Skul didn't even have time to express his feelings or inquire about the captain's injuries. The colonel's gaze only lingered briefly on Loson's left eye before his first words were still an order: "Forget about those stubborn enemies! Assemble your men! Go and support Colonel Gaisa immediately! Bring me a horse too! And who are those men to the south?"

“I am already gathering my men.” Loson dismounted and gave a meticulous salute. “However, please reconsider the order to support Colonel Gaisa.”

“You…” Skul narrowed his eyes: “What do you mean?”

With his only remaining right eye, Loson looked directly at Selcu without fear: "Colonel Bode has asked me to relay a message for you."

...[Southern Battlefield]
"What?" Gaisa's eyes widened in anger as he demanded of the messenger who had gone to the river valley village to request reinforcements, "What do you mean there are no reinforcements?"

The messenger trembled slightly, then mustered his courage and reported, "Colonel Bode has asked me to relay a message for you."

……

[Northern Battlefield]
Meeting the colonel's gaze, Loson repeated, word by word: "'Today we have no chance of a complete victory, but Winters Montane is leading his troops to our aid under cover of darkness. Therefore, we are not fighting today for a Pyrrhic victory, but to sacrifice ourselves to win the entire war.'"

……

[Southern Battlefield]
"What does it mean to sacrifice oneself to win the entire war?" Geza roared, gripping the messenger's shoulders tightly.

……

[River Valley Village]
“I think,” Woods said calmly, standing behind Colonel Bode, “Colonel Gasa is unlikely to accept your decision.”

Bode stood at the window of the clock tower, gazing at the smoke and dust that appeared simultaneously to the east and west, and replied curtly, "You underestimate him; he understands."

……

[Northern Battlefield]
"Colonel Bode's direct orders," Loson relayed unemotionally. "Your primary task is to completely annihilate the right wing of the puppet government forces, ensuring their utter destruction and defeat, so that they lose the ability to regroup in the short term."

Skul Mechren's eyes were filled with pain and struggle as he asked, gasping for breath, "And then?"

After a moment of silence, Loson replied, "Then you should withdraw from the battlefield immediately and retreat to Long Lake Town to join Winters Montagne's forces—Colonel Gaisa and Colonel Bode will delay the enemy's left flank as much as possible for you."

……

[Southern Battlefield]
Gaisa Adonis clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on his forehead and arms, his eyes bloodshot. He questioned in a desolate and resentful voice, as if the person standing in front of him was not a messenger, but Bod himself: "Why? Why did you trust that kid so much? Why did you trust that brat and not us? Not us?!"

The messenger was so frightened that he dared not look the colonel in the eye. He lowered his head, steeled himself, and said, "Colonel Bode said you would definitely ask that question, so he asked me to pass it on to you."

"Tell what?" Gaisa was about to explode and devour him.

"Yes."

"Is that so?" Gaisa was first taken aback, then fell silent, and finally burst into laughter: "Is that so?"

The colonel's laughter was shrill and mournful. The messenger wished he could plug his ears, but he dared not move and just stared intently at the toes of the boots.

“Go back and tell him! Go tell him!” Geza grabbed the messenger by the collar. “Tell me! I will never forgive him for his decision today! Never!”

After saying that, the colonel shoved the messenger aside: "But since he's decided to do it this way, then let's do it!"

The messenger hesitated for a moment, then quickly climbed onto his horse and galloped off towards the direction of River Valley Village.

……

[Northern Battlefield]
"Does Colonel Bode have anything else to say?" Skull's voice trembled slightly.

“No.” Loson paused for a moment. “He said you understand.”

As if a thousand emotions struck Skul Mechren at once, he turned away, leaving Rosson with a back view stained with blood and fire.

……

[Southern Battlefield]
"Colonel!" Lieutenant Worthington, who had personally gone to scout the enemy situation, galloped into the formation and reported in a low voice, "That group of men, an unidentified force, they raised the banner of the Sixth Legion. The seven kings' crests, I saw them clearly, there's no mistake."

"Hmm." Gaisa nodded indifferently. "I already guessed it."

"How come there are still people from the Sixth Army?" Lieutenant Worthington couldn't help but ask. "Did Grove Magnus transport the entire Sixth Army to Bazenauer?"

Gaisa didn't speak, but instead scribbled something rapidly on the piece of paper.

Worthington, furious, annoyed, and anxious, suddenly realized something and slammed his fist on his thigh. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "I know! I know! It wasn't them! It was them! They were the outflanking force Captain Loson had scouted out! How could we not have spotted them? How far did they go? What were they trying to do? They…"

Colonel Gaisa, having finished writing, looked up and glared at the lieutenant, immediately silencing Worthington who had been muttering to himself.

The lieutenant himself knew that the enemy had sent such a flanking force perhaps to block the Allied forces' retreat, perhaps to launch a surprise attack on the Allied forces' camp, or perhaps, more simply, to launch a surprise attack on the Allied forces from the rear.

But none of that matters anymore.

Importantly, they appeared at this very moment on the west bank of an unnamed stream, on the south side of the battlefield, and in the rear of the Allied forces' undefended lines.

For Colonel Geza, the fact that "this unit appeared behind the front lines" was no longer important.

“Deliver this letter to Colonel Skull, now.” Gaisa folded the paper, tossed it into Worthington’s hand, and said coldly, “Don’t bother coming back if you don’t deliver it.”

"Yes!" Worthington dared not ask any more questions, turned around, mounted his warhorse which was already exhausted and foaming at the mouth, and spurred it out of the formation.

Gaisa watched the lieutenant leave in silence, then took the reins, stepped into the stirrups, and mounted his horse: "Beat the drum! Give the order! No need to retreat any further!"

He solemnly put on the helmet he had never liked: "I'll fight right here!"

……

[River Valley Village]
"Looks like I was right." Woods pointed southwest: "Colonel."

In the direction the lieutenant pointed, the newly formed unit finally stepped into the real battlefield—the fields of River Valley Village. They no longer concealed their identities and displayed the flag of the Sixth Army Corps to everyone.

“Yes.” Colonel Bode ignored the visitor and instead stared at the White Mountain County troops engulfed in smoke to the southeast: “Even if that kid Winters comes fast, he can’t possibly get here today.”

A deafening battle cry erupted across the plains on the south bank as troops, raising the Sixth Army's battle flag, charged toward the valley village in the center of the battlefield.

……

[Northern Battlefield]
"What are you doing?" Worthington lunged at Colonel Skool, nearly losing control of him with a military policeman, and roared, "Why are you retreating? Didn't you already break through the enemy's right flank? Why are you retreating!"

Skull silently read the letter Worthington had sent, then tore the paper to shreds, pointed at Worthington, and said to Loson, "He's coming with us."

Losang nodded.

“I…I’m leaving…” Worthington hesitated for a moment, then began to struggle desperately, cursing, “Fuck you! You bastard! You coward! Fuck! Fuck…”

Without saying a word, Loson pinned Worthington to the ground, tied him up tightly, threw him onto a soldier's horse, and then waved for the soldier to take the latter away.

The square formation of two infantry battalions from the New Reclamation Expeditionary Army supporting the right flank was surrounded and attacked from all sides, and was quickly crushed.

All troops from Leiqun County and Bianjiang County, as well as two infantry battalions from Baishan County, are regrouping and withdrawing from the battlefield as quickly as possible. Although they have suffered heavy casualties, their organizational structure remains intact.

“You go first,” Loson said to Colonel Skull. “Sanel’s pistol cavalry are still fighting. I’ll lead the cavalry to cover the rear.”

Skul didn't say anything unnecessary; he simply nodded and said, "I'll be waiting for you in Lake Town."

"Yes." Losang stood at attention and saluted.

Skul grabbed the saddle and mounted his horse, glancing back one last time in the direction of the valley village.

The sounds of fighting and gunfire could still be faintly heard in the distance, indicating that fierce battles were still raging. Nearby, the village of River Valley was completely surrounded, and the remaining soldiers and wounded who stayed behind were putting up a last stand.

Skul gazed at the four-quadrant military flag still fluttering atop the clock tower and slowly raised his hand in salute.

Just then, Skul heard a familiar yet unfamiliar sound—a clap of thunder, followed by a horrific wound appearing on the church tower of the Valley Village, from which rubble, wood chips, and dust gushed forth.

Colonel Srkur looked with horror at the artillery positions on the opposite bank of the river, where a cloud of cotton-like white smoke billowed from the top of the earthen mound. Looking back at the valley village, the church bell tower groaned in pain, teetering on the verge of collapse amidst the smoke and dust.

On the artillery position, Lieutenant Colonel Valé, covered in blood, rushed to another heavy gun, pushed aside the gunner, and personally adjusted the firing angle. All three usable heavy guns were now aimed at the village of River Valley.

"Aim at the church!" Valé roared, giving himself the order: "Fire!"

Another thunderous roar followed, and a solid cannonball once again smashed a huge hole in the clock tower.

The sound of cannons drew everyone's attention, and the fighting on the battlefield seemed to stop. Soldiers and officers from both sides looked in unison at the clock tower with the four-quadrant military flag.

This time, the clock tower could no longer withstand the pressure. Under everyone's gaze, it slowly, calmly, and irreversibly collapsed, raising clouds of dust.

Colonel Skull could no longer hold back, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Gaisa pursed his lips and remained silent.

A deafening cheer suddenly erupted from the parliamentary troops, with brown-clad soldiers weeping with joy, shouting, and wildly pounding their weapons and chests.

They won. They won. If there is a landmark event proving that the Parliamentarian army has won today, it is undoubtedly now.

But at that moment, another voice emerged from the smoke and dust, a voice that drowned out all the cheers and shouts.

bells.

The sound of the bronze bell being struck by a heavy object was clearly audible to everyone.

bells.

again and again.

One voice after another.

"Let's go!" Skul ordered.

"Keep fighting!" Gaisa roared.

With their backs to the resolute, desolate, and deep tolling of the bells, the soldiers of Leiqun County and Bianjiang County withdrew from the battlefield without looking back.

However, amidst the same resolute, desolate, and somber tolling of bells, another army marched out from the valley south of River Valley Village.

When the Parliamentarian scouts approached to investigate, they did not hesitate to display their dark blue military flags—the flags of Iron Peak County.

They were faster than the most optimistic, pessimistic, and daring predictions because they took the shortest route.

Winters Montagne's army crossed the Silver Sparrow Mountain and entered the battlefield.

[This chapter is a way of making up for what I missed last week Q_Q]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
(End of this chapter)