Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 383 The powerful war machine of the Black Forest Territory shines for the first time
At Su Li's command, the elite troops of the Black Forest Territory immediately launched a fierce attack on the right bank camp.

The Rusty Sword Knight Algernon, wielding his greatsword of slaying sins, led over 200 dwarven rangers aboard his war ram chariots and swiftly arrived at the right bank of the Brienne River, launching a fierce attack on the military camp in the canyon.

The north bank of Coldwind Canyon, the cliff where the military camp is located, is a near-vertical slope, but this cannot stop the Fighting Ram. In fact, it could be said that this is the Fighting Ram's most natural battlefield.

Therefore, when Hessen led his army to launch a fierce attack, the military camp on the mountain was immediately plunged into a very urgent situation.

A large number of dwarven rangers leaped off the battle rams and charged towards the military camp along the Five Mile Secret Gate. Their muskets fired continuously, and gray smoke even lingered in the canyon, forming a fog and dust.

In front of their firing range, the Blue Mirror Territory's military camp couldn't even show their faces.

Admittedly, they have the advantage of terrain; even throwing stones downwards could cause considerable casualties. But how many would dare to show their faces under the guns of the dwarven rangers? After all, the dwarven muskets are truly enhanced by ancestral relics. With Doglin using the [Prospector's Sniper Telescope], they can indeed fire lead bullets, and every hit will bring someone down.

The defenders peeked out several times, only to be shot dead by musketeers who were carefully aiming from above. Three knights and more than a dozen armed squires have already been killed.

At this moment, the Blacksene army inside Stromgarde could clearly see the dwarven army climbing up the cliff below, their spread-out lines already approaching half the height of the cliff.

The rolling stones and thunderwood constantly being thrown down from the mountain could not slow down their offensive. Although dwarves were constantly being hit, for these resilient dwarves, as long as they did not fall directly from the sky and be smashed to pieces, they could find cover on the spot, use potions for treatment, or even receive healing from Sharya's divine magic.

At the foot of the mountain, behind the attack line, the army of the Black Forest Territory had set up a religious icon of Sharya. This icon would guide Sharya's divine grace to descend continuously, healing and blessing a soldier every once in a while.

If the enemy forces on the mountain are unable to destroy the religious icon, it means that the attacking army will always have a strong state of support.

Inside Stromgarde, Baron Grant, surrounded by a group of knights, looked across the river at the Blacksene army launching a fierce attack. His brow furrowed, he asked, "Has Orstein gone mad? Attacks our camp so relentlessly, aren't they afraid we'll harass their attack lines from the flanks?"

He witnessed firsthand the horrific state of the dwarves after they fell. Due to their extremely high body density, dwarves have absolutely no chance of survival once they fall from a height of tens of meters.

The dwarven rangers, who frequently roamed the mountains and were accustomed to such horrific scenes, were able to maintain their morale and continue their attack.

This caused Grant some concern. The military camp they had set up was intended to counter human knights, and logically speaking, the Lynx Knights' fighting strength should make it easy for them to hold off human knights' attacks in the mountains. However, when it came to mountain warfare, the dwarves still found it difficult to gain the upper hand.

This made the camp extremely vulnerable to fall once the dwarves arrived.

Joseph Hans, the leader of the Black Lynx Knights, crossed his arms and looked up at the fierce attack on the opposite bank, replying with great enthusiasm, "Isn't this a good thing? I saw that the champion-level dwarf rangers are also in this attacking army. With this terrain, I wouldn't be surprised if they died in the attack. Those are powerful champion-level rangers. Before the giant rocks, all beings are equal."

"Besides, wasn't this one of the purposes of setting up this right bank military camp? Why aren't you happy now that the other side has actually attacked?"

Compared to the reckless Joseph, Baron Grant was undoubtedly more cautious; otherwise, he would not have been able to establish himself in this perilous border princely territory.

He said cautiously, "A champion-level ranger might be able to influence the course of a battle in other territories, but he probably won't make much of a ripple in the enemy's army."

"What worries me is why Orstein suddenly launched this fierce offensive. According to calculations, they shouldn't have this many troops. Therefore, I suspect they may have received a large-scale reinforcement."

"Doubt, doubt, you're always doubting everything, aren't you tired of it!" Joseph interrupted his speculation impatiently. "So what if the other side has reinforcements? Does that mean we don't need your tactics? Just use Mannan's magic to flood them, right? Do you think they can go anywhere, even the sky or the sea, just because they have reinforcements?"

Grant clenched his fists in anger. Joseph had maintained this attitude ever since he entered Blue Mirror Territory, not only because of the army built by their Knights' Mad Marquis, but more importantly because Joseph had always held the border princely territory in contempt.

In the eyes of this proud Grand Master of the Knights, those who ventured to the border princely territories were all failures of their families. Which family would send its direct descendant with potential to this barren land? Aren't they all supposed to stay within the family to inherit titles and territories!

He held all border princely knights in the same contempt. Even the army of the Black Forest Territory was never a threat to him.

This mentality might seem incomprehensible to the border princes, but it is quite common within the empire, where honor, status, and lineage are highly valued.

Therefore, even if the enemy forces were powerful chosen knights and champion knights from the border princely territory, in his eyes they were just a bunch of good-for-nothings who had gotten lucky, and were no match for him, the noble commander of a knightly order within the empire, and could not possibly pose a threat to him.

As long as the Black Lynx Knights launch an attack, victory will be within their grasp!
As reinforcements, they were even more arrogant, displaying this attitude at all times since entering the border prince's territory.

Baron Grant, having been driven to the brink of madness by this reckless fellow several times, immediately said, "In that case, then go and fight. Choosing to set up camp on this mountain is also part of your Black Lynx Knights' tactics. Aren't you confident that you can surround and annihilate the enemy on their way to attack?"

Joseph sensed the anger in Baron Grant's words, but he didn't care at all. As the Grand Master of the famous Black Lynx Knights, his status was comparable to that of an earl in the empire. At least in terms of prestige, many people agreed that becoming the Grand Master of the Imperial Knights was roughly equivalent to the position of a secular lord.

He didn't care about a baron's attitude at all, and said with full fighting spirit, "Then send a fleet to take us there! I don't believe that the army of a border settlement can be invincible, able to go up mountains and down to the sea. The honor will belong to our Black Lynx Knights!"

Soon Su Li saw the rear of Stromgarde Fortress, where a large fleet of ships sailed upstream and stopped at the edge of the valley, unloading hundreds of elite knights and a large number of armed servants from the huge warships.

As the territory of the Mannan Church, Blue Mirror Territory clearly had a highly developed maritime and shipbuilding industry. Their warships were quite large, with more than 20 large ships deployed in a single operation.

Su Li and Erstein stood on a low hill not far to the east of the battle line. This was also the military camp of the Hessen army, where they could clearly see the enemy's movements.

Seeing this, he clicked his tongue and exclaimed, "The enemy really dares to go into battle! Their courage is commendable, hahaha."

He had full confidence in the knights of the Church of the Sun Goddess in open field warfare and was naturally very pleased to see this situation.

Marshal Orstein, also beaming with delight, said, "Since the start of our battle, this fleet has been hiding behind Stromgarde, appearing in every surprise attack. Perhaps in this battle, we can capture them in one fell swoop, greatly enhancing our shipping capabilities."

As the two were talking, a fierce battle broke out on the battlefield ahead.

The battlefield situation is far more fantastical than the war against the Green Dragon, most notably in the latitude of the two sides' battles! Previously, the war between human knights and kobolds/tree people was mainly on the ground. But this time, the two sides are not only fighting on the ground, but also on hillsides, high ground, and even cliffs, where fierce battles are taking place.

In an instant, the battleground was shifted from the plains to the mountains, making it more in line with the fighting style of the dwarves and the Black Lynx Knights.

This made Su Li particularly excited, and made him realize more deeply that humans are by no means the only protagonists in this world, and even military wars cannot be fixed from a single perspective.

From a human perspective, how can cliffs and steep walls be battlefields?

Judging from the abilities of the Dwarven Rangers, the Battle Rams, and the Black Lynx Knights, both sides possess such capabilities. The Black Lynx Knights, also known as the Black Lynx Knights, are knights with lynx-like abilities; their expertise in mountain warfare is not just a simple description.

They are truly capable of scaling cliffs, moving nimbly among steep rocks, and delivering a fatal blow to their opponents.

At the same time, they did not give up their advantages as humans. After arriving at the valley, they immediately split into two groups. One group attacked the dwarves and chariots on the cliff with the help of their allies above, while the other group formed ranks and rushed towards the religious statue at the foot of the mountain like a black tide, aiming to wipe out the dwarves' reinforcements in one fell swoop.

After Joseph jumped into the river, he laughed excitedly and wildly: "You bastards, today I'll show you the power of the Black Lynx Knights. I've heard that dwarves value honor above all else? I'll shave all your beards off one by one!"

He was, of course, arrogant. The dwarves on the mountain were already surrounded, attacked from both sides, and trapped, perfectly illustrating the meaning of having nowhere to go. The Black Lynx Knights didn't even need to launch a fierce attack; simply trapping them would be enough to kill them.

As the commander of the ranger force, Doglin's courage and generosity surged upon seeing the situation. He roared, "Blood of the mountains! Don't let humans look down on our axes! These damned lynxes are betting we can't take the camp on the mountain. Now charge with me! Charge into the camp in one fell swoop! Those little cats behind us are nothing!"

With his roar, the dwarves on the mountain echoed with a mighty battle cry. More than thirty dwarven rangers immediately removed their cumbersome armor, wearing only linen clothes, and wrapped their beards around their thick waists before roaring as they launched a further attack.

Armed with muskets and carrying battle axes, they moved swiftly through the mountains, leaping several times with ropes to reach the Five-Mile Secret Gate, the steepest and narrowest passage in front of the Right Bank military camp.

The pass was only wide enough for one person to pass through, and only three dwarves could stand side by side. They formed a line, holding muskets, and launched a fierce attack on the guards at the five-mile-long secret gate.

This was a battle of wits between the two sides, a fantastical version of a wall of soldiers. A single stone thrown by the opposing side could easily obliterate a powerful dwarf. But simultaneously, anyone who showed their face would be shot dead by muskets.

Whoever can withstand higher casualties and advance the front line will be victorious.

Joseph, the Grand Master of the Black Lynx Knights, turned ashen-faced below. His eyesight was exceptional; he could see the situation above at a glance. The garrison on the right bank had been utterly demoralized and dared not show their faces. Had it not been for the catapult they had built above, allowing them to use machinery and levers to pry the stored stones down the tunnel, the dwarves would have already charged up.

However, it was precisely because of this weaponry that the defenders above had a strong desire to escape and dared not risk greater casualties to exchange their lives with the dwarves.

At least for now, with a considerable distance to go and before the battle for survival, these human armed squires did not necessarily have the conviction to fight to the death. They preferred to wait for the blind-haired black lynx knights to defeat the besieged dwarves rather than confront them head-on.

This drove Joseph to extreme agitation. He never imagined that his meticulously designed tactics could fail because the dwarves had smashed through his front line with warhammers.

It can only be said that he spent too long within the empire and had far too few opportunities to come into contact with the mountain dwarves. If you were to ask a lord of a frontier territory what the most important thing to be aware of when fighting dwarves, you would certainly get a very clear answer: be careful not to be rammed head-on by these short, stocky creatures! These tenacious and stubborn dwarves are unparalleled in their ability to advance in a direct confrontation.

Joseph immediately roared, "Powerful Lynxes! The Blue Mirror Territory is a bunch of useless trash, unable even to hold the line! Charge forward and execute all these children! Glory belongs to our Black Lynx Knights!"

At this moment, his Grand Master of the Black Lynx Knights was leading his army to attack the religious statue at the central defense line of the Black Forest Territory. In order to guard this statue, Dietrich personally led more than 30 medical knights and more than 60 dwarf butchers to guard the place.

Seeing the Black Lynx Knights charge, he yawned in boredom, turned to look at the command flag behind him, and seeing that the flag gave no instructions, he waved his hand dismissively and ordered the dwarves: "Cut them to pieces."

Actually, he also wanted to test his Chosen-level combat power. Since obtaining the Holy Tear of Sharya and breaking through to the Chosen-level, he hadn't yet transformed into his God General form for a proper fight. His only combat experience was when he used "sparring" as an excuse to settle a personal score with Bishop Rong En.

However, the commander believed it was not appropriate to immediately reveal the terrifying combat power of the Chosen Ones, lest it scare away the reinforcements from Stromgarde, so he had no choice but to suppress his restless heart.

Even though this chosen knight didn't make a move, the powerful military force of the Black Forest Territory still stunned the Black Lynx Knights in an instant. The members of the knights were almost completely disoriented and questioned their existence.

Because right here, the imperial engineers of the Blacksin Territory sent over a full six war wagons, which were upgraded versions of the mortars, pulled by two strong warhorses, with four dwarves quickly loading ammunition inside the sturdy wagons.

This rapid deployment of accompanying firepower caught the Black Lynx Knights completely off guard. They never expected that the Black Forest army, which had moved so quickly to the bottom of the Cold Wind Canyon, would be carrying heavy cannons.

More importantly, this cannon uses a sealed cavity structure, and when it is fired, it produces the effect of the "Ujur Sacred Flame". The six cannonballs turn into more than 40 bursts of flame in the air, instantly engulfing the Black Lynx Knights' path of charge.

Even if the fireballs are only slightly less lethal, taking two or even three shots to kill a single knight, they would still cause casualties among more than a dozen knights.

You should know that although the knights wearing Star Armor could withstand one or two cannonballs, they would never dare to withstand a third.

From beginning to end, no master forger or imperial engineer dared to guarantee that their superior or elite-grade armor could withstand the direct impact of three cannonballs.

In fact, the cannonballs modified by Francesca, a master engineer at the Imperial Academy of Engineering, were far more powerful than Su Li had imagined. While a single shot was indeed less powerful than a normal cannonball, the sheer area-of-effect flames made up for it. A single shot could cover an area of ​​2-3 meters, and the explosion upon impact would increase the area by another 4-6 meters.

Therefore, the minimum kill radius of such a fire beam is 6 meters, and it could even be as high as 10 meters. This means that many knights will suffer the combined damage of several fire beams.

Unfortunately, the Black Lynx Knights are known for their agility, but their defenses on the front lines aren't top-notch. More importantly, they don't even have warhorses!

Su Li initially set the primary battlefield and target for the mortar as bombarding slow-moving infantry formations such as goblins and gnomes.

As a result, the mortar encountered the perfect target replacement in its first battle: the large number of bipedal black lynx riders became the perfect targets for artillery attacks.

Meanwhile, the dwarves below the mountain had already witnessed the Black Lynx Knights' attack on their brethren on the cliff. Their eyes were bloodshot with rage, and the Black Lynx Knights, rushing over, became their perfect targets for their fury.

They unleashed their furious rage almost without restraint. Before the black lynx knights had even completed half of their charge, the dwarves had already unleashed seven volleys of cannon fire!
The exploding flames turned the front line into a sea of ​​fire. The sand in the valley was scorched red-hot, with flames still burning everywhere and limbs torn apart in the air. Dozens of Black Lynx Knights fell on their way to the front, most of them charred and their lifeless bodies twitching unconsciously on the battlefield. The remaining Black Lynx Knights had also broken their formation, losing their fighting spirit and wandering in fear, unable to advance or retreat.

This scene not only terrified the members of the Black Lynx Knights, but also truly shocked Su Li, Erstein, and Eliria, who were watching the battle.

Even Aria's usually composed demeanor faltered. She couldn't help but glance repeatedly at Su Li's heroic back. Fortunately, this man hadn't been this violent when they fought before, meaning he had shown mercy. She could reward him that evening.

Su Li, standing in front of Ariria, was not composed and heroic; instead, he was so shocked that he straightened up and froze on the spot.

He always knew his artillery unit, heavily funded and well-equipped, should be quite strong, but he didn't have a clear idea of ​​exactly how strong. During the clearing of the spider's lair, he relied on manpower and the knights' swordsmanship to achieve victory. That environment wasn't suitable for carrying artillery, so he had never witnessed the full power of the Blackwood Territory's artillery.

After this battle, the artillery and war wagon fortresses of the Black Forest Territory proved themselves! They destroyed at least two knightly regiments in just a few rounds of attacks (a knightly regiment is usually 60 men, while a monster cavalryman is 24 men).

If they continue their relentless bombardment, the enemy might not even have a chance to get close to our lines!
Dietrich, who was in command at the front, stared wide-eyed. The sealed cavity structure was a first-time invention and had shone brightly on the battlefield. Even this chosen knight was shocked.

However, he reacted faster, shouting, "Stop! Stop! Stop! Cease fire! You may have vented your anger, but that costs money. There aren't many of these shells in total. If the lord sees you using them like this, he'll kill me!"

He was also afraid that a single bombing raid would cause the enemy army to collapse and disrupt the Marshal's plans.

The dwarves were overjoyed; they were absolutely thrilled by this outburst.

But the dwarves, who were besieging the camp, were even more thrilled. Their overwhelming firepower stunned the enemy, severely damaging their morale. Then, the knights seized the moment when the enemy's morale wavered and launched a surprise attack on the camp above! This battle was meant to clearly demonstrate to the enemy what a fantastical force truly is. Who says knights have to be on horseback? Air cavalry are cavalry too!
While the enemy forces were distracted by the dwarves' frontal assault, their eyes drawn to the cannons, and their ears pounded by the deafening roar, the powerful griffin riders, accompanied by pegasus riders and swan riders, launched a surprise attack on the rear of the right bank camp.

In military strategy, one should engage with the enemy using orthodox methods and win with unorthodox ones!

Marshal Erstein, the Lion King, was not only adept at crushing defeats on the front lines, but also extremely skilled at using surprise attacks.

When a fire broke out in the right bank military camp, the battlefield situation was instantly pushed to a critical moment!

(End of this chapter)