I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 255 Skirmishers
"This enemy... is not easy to deal with!"

Xiao Dao stood on a large rock, looking down at the Bohemians standing in a small clearing below the forest.

With the help of the dim sunlight and the advantage of the high ground, Xiao Dao, holding the binoculars, finally knew the exact situation and number of his enemies.

Judging from the banners, there should be about 1,500 Bohemians below, which is exactly one large infantry square... The large infantry square is a unit of the Bohemian Army, officially an infantry battalion, which is a combat unit of the Bohemian Army.

The spear formation, led by spearmen and axe-wielders, twisted into a deformed centipede shape in a small clearing on the narrow mountainside... This small clearing was probably cleared by passing merchants and caravans who cut down trees to make it easier for them to rest.

The place is not small, but it can only accommodate two or three hundred people to rest here at most, but now it is crammed with a large infantry formation.

The Bohemian spear formation, which should have stretched for a hundred meters, was squeezed into three sections by rocks and fir trees, with four-meter-long steel spears interlocking in the forest, causing their formation to become crooked and discontinuous.

Even so, they still managed to squeeze out seven rows of horizontal formations in this small clearing. Even though the left and right sides of the formation had disappeared into the woods, these Bohemians still rigidly formed a large square of infantry spearmen.

The arquebusiers, who should have been positioned in front of the spear formation or at the four corners, were instead gathered on a small hill to the left of the clearing.

The hilltop wasn't very high, only about ten meters higher than the open space next to it, and there wasn't much room for people to stand. Of the three hundred or so arquebusiers from Bohemia, about a hundred could stand on the hill, and they were packed tightly together. The remaining two hundred stood in the woods on both sides of the hill.

The entire Bohemian formation, in Xiao Dao's opinion, is quite strange, but it's not entirely without merit. Although it's somewhat distorted and awkward, it has everything a large infantry square formation should have.

In addition, three long-barreled cannons were lined up in front of the pikemen.

Xiao Dao never dared to ignore artillery. He observed it carefully for a while and confirmed that it was three bronze field guns, and that the style was somewhat similar to the bronze field guns of the Minieses... the kind that fired two-pound shells, weighed five hundred kilograms, and had a maximum range of six hundred meters.

There weren't many cannons, only three, but for the Overlord Tiger Regiment, which hadn't brought its own artillery, this was a fatal problem.

And it should be afternoon now, almost four o'clock. The sunlight coming down from the slanting sun is somewhat dim and yellowish. Xiao Dao estimated that he could only launch one attack before it got dark.

"The combat conditions aren't very good."

Xiao Dao sighed, but... he wouldn't give up the attack because of that.

This is partly due to Xiaodao's personality, but also because his subordinates, the Overlord Tigers, can't wait. If they were really made to stay overnight before fighting the boss, they would definitely rebel.

Therefore, an attack is imperative and cannot be delayed, but those three cannons are also an obstacle. What should we do?
Xiao Dao thought for a moment and decided, "Never mind, there aren't many other options. Let's use some old tactics."

These Bohemians are really disciplined; they form ranks very quickly, giving the players absolutely no chance.

Even with the Overlord Tigers fighting group, Xiao Dao wasn't confident he could lead them through that group's gunfire.

Without wearing three layers of armor, charging head-on into a formation of spearmen would be risky even for a dagger-wielder; they wouldn't be able to survive, let alone other players.

……

"Prepare for bombardment!"

The artillery lieutenant of the Bohemian Spear Square roared, and the artillerymen behind the three cannons immediately sprang into action. The gunners deftly cleaned the breech with scouring pads, the loaders stuffed pre-prepared powder packs into the muzzles, and another soldier carried a round iron ball into the barrel.

"Ready...fire!"

As the lieutenant's sword slashed down, the three cannons roared simultaneously. White smoke billowed from the muzzles, instantly engulfing the entire artillery position, and three iron shells whistled towards the players on the hillside.

Then, the three shells plunged into the forest, crackling and popping as they broke two trees as thick as bowls, sending up a spray of snow, and then... nothing more.

Smash the enemy to death?

No, not a single one. They had hidden themselves long ago, scattered everywhere—among trees, behind rocks, and even lying in snow pits.

The players employed hiding skills that even modern artillery fire might not be able to kill them. It would be a miracle if those three cannons, which fire solid projectiles, could even hit them.

Carlos held up his binoculars, his eyes wide, straining to see the enemy's strange behavior on the mountain.

"Ah...this is...the enemy...they're all scattered soldiers?!"

Beside Carlos, a young officer in a diamond-blue uniform with gold tassels on his shoulders, pale-faced and with swollen eyes, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Why aren't they forming ranks? Do these Bagnian barbarians have any basic military knowledge?"

Carlos turned his head and glanced at the noble adjutant he disliked, but he did not utter a rebuttal or make sarcastic remarks, because the noble adjutant's question was also Carlos's question.

Because anyone who has attended any formal military academy in the present era, even the military academy established by the Bagnian barbarians in imitation of the Bohemian Empire, will be taught the most basic formation tactics.

But the enemy force before them had completely overturned the rules of traditional warfare.

Are they crazy?

Carlos understood skirmish tactics, but in his mind, skirmishers were simply a group of lightly armed harassing troops responsible for reconnaissance, harassment, and covering the main force. But now, he was seeing an army composed entirely of skirmishers, which completely overturned his common sense about military affairs.

This is not skirmish tactics.

Carlos's fingers unconsciously tapped the telescope tube.

"This is an army that is completely disorganized."

But what are they doing here?
Carlos had never experienced a battle like this before. He thought for a moment and then gave the order.

"Musketeers, fire freely! Artillery, fire another round..."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than continuous plumes of smoke erupted from the forests on the hilltops scattered with players, not from the Bominian Musketeers... but from the players' intense barrage of fire.

This was because Xiao Dao saw the enemy artillery attempting a second volley and, finding them arrogant, ordered his men to fire. Five hundred flintlock muskets simultaneously spat fire, lead bullets swarming towards the blue army like a death swarm. "Raise shields!"

Carlos's roar was drowned out by the metal storm. He watched as the oak shields of the front-row spearmen shattered like paper, three bullets piercing the shields in a triangular pattern and pinning the soldiers behind them to the fir trunks. The splinters from the shattered bark even pierced the eyes of the second-row axemen.

Carlos immediately dismounted, as did his noble adjutant. The two hid behind the guards' iron shields, listening to the whistling bullets and the cries of the spearmen outside, their faces equally grim.

The pikemen were hit by a barrage of lead bullets, and many of them fell. Even though the officers commanding the three arquebusier companies next to them had not received official orders from Colonel Carlos, they knew what they had to do.

Soon, continuous gunfire erupted from the hilltop, with gunshots rising and falling, smoke billowing, and a barrage of bullets even denser than when players were firing freely.

The player's flintlock pistol fires one bullet at a time, meaning that only one lead bullet is loaded during reloading.

Bohemian arquebusiers were different, because their arquebuses were heavy firearms with a caliber of 18 to 20 millimeters. The muzzles were thick and heavy, and a wooden frame was needed to support the barrel when firing.

With such a large barrel caliber, loading only one lead bullet is a bit wasteful. Chris, who just arrived, lacks common sense; he used to let players use such heavy muskets with only one lead bullet.

In fact, one of the correct ways to use the heavy muskets in Bohemia was to load them with three lead bullets... one large and two small, so that when the musketeer fired, he could fire three lead bullets, creating three times the firepower.

Three lead bullets, one large and two small, are certainly not as powerful or far-reaching as a single large lead bullet. They are also somewhat ineffective against heavily armored infantry and are unlikely to achieve a fatal blow at medium to long range.

However, three lead bullets are more than enough to defeat the Mountain Tiger player who is currently only wearing a cotton armor for protection... As long as he gets hit by a bullet, even a player will cry out in pain.

Therefore, when the arquebusiers on the hilltop also launch a free-fire attack, the players on the opposite hilltop have to obediently hide and avoid the enemy's overwhelming force.

After the enemy finishes their first round of fire, the player can then peek out and engage in a firefight with them, or cause trouble for the spearmen.

Carlos peeked out from behind the shield wall, watching his own musketeers exchange fire with the enemy. After only a minute, his brow furrowed.

The Bohemian Empire's musketeers suffered a loss in the exchange of fire.

However, this is quite normal. On any battlefield, when musketeers in formation and elite skirmishers exchange fire, the former usually suffer the most... A crowded group of people is definitely more likely to be hit than a lone skirmisher with cover.

However, Carlos felt that something was wrong... The number of fallen musketeers was more than expected.

Carlos didn't have time to delve deeper into the main reasons behind this problem, because if he continued to think about it, dozens more of his men would die.

"Sword and shield warriors, attack!!!"

Carlos shouted orders. He realized that continuing to rigidly form ranks and wait for the enemy to attack would only be a waste of lives. The enemy was just a large group of skirmishers, hiding in the forest with muskets and firing incessantly. They probably wouldn't come forward until the barrels of their muskets were blown off.

"The spearmen have abandoned their spears and are now equipped with longswords and shields, or short spears. They are also ready to charge under the command of their respective officers and take the initiative. The cavalry company, prepare to charge along the mountain path and drive away the enemy after I give the order!"

Carlos didn't know what the enemy commander was thinking, but he was going to take the initiative anyway.

As for the musketeers... let them stay on the hill. Their matchlock guns are powerful, but their corresponding weight makes them rather cumbersome.

In order to carry such a heavy musket and ammunition, Bohemian musketeers had virtually no other weapons or armor besides a short sword and a cotton-padded coat. They didn't even have helmets; at most, they were issued a wool hat for warmth, which couldn't even stop arrows.

It's fair to say that the Bohemian musketeers' close-combat abilities were quite worrisome, making it really difficult for them to charge into battle.

"Kill!!!"

Carlos's order descended upon the Bohemian army like a mountain peak, triggering a tense and rapid change. Upon receiving the order, the swordsmen immediately raised their shields, gripped their longswords, and strode towards the players deep in the forest. Their movements were uniform, each step firm and powerful, like a moving wall of steel.

The spearmen also acted swiftly, discarding their heavy spears and replacing them with lighter pistols and sharp longswords. This not only made them more agile in close combat but also gave them a greater advantage when facing the enemy.

Led by their respective commanders, these Bohemian pikemen and axeman quickly assembled into small squads, following closely behind the swordsmen and shieldmen, and charged towards the enemy.

Just as Xiao Dao had sensed before, the Bohemian army soldiers were somewhat rigid in their tactics, and even when encountering the enemy in the mountains and forests, they would force themselves to form ranks.

However, it was precisely because of this rigidity that they displayed astonishing discipline. When the bugle call sounded, this army operated like a sophisticated war machine.

Carlos stood on the high ground at the rear, watching his troops surge into the forest like a tidal wave. A steel torrent of swordsmen and shieldmen led the way, followed closely by spearmen and axe-wielders, forming an unstoppable offensive.

Even the cumbersome arquebusiers were doing their best to provide fire support, although their shooting was chaotic and inaccurate due to concerns about friendly fire.

"Colonel, our cavalry..."

Another civilian adjutant hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Wait a little longer."

Carlos narrowed his eyes.

"Let the infantry deplete the enemy's ammunition first, and drive them away a bit."

In Carlos's view, there was no reason why his infantry, taking the initiative, could not defeat or drive away a small group of Bagnian skirmishers, even though these skirmishers looked excessively elite and their muskets looked rather strange from a distance.

However, skirmishers' close-combat ability is definitely not as good as that of dedicated close-combat soldiers; this is a matter of weaponry and training.

However, when the Bohemians launched a fierce charge, the green figures did not retreat immediately. Instead, they quickly changed formation as if they had been prepared.

They formed small combat teams, using trees and rocks to build tiny defensive positions, and quickly opened fire on the nearest enemy, the gunfire crackling loudly.

"Something's wrong..."

Carlos's fingers unconsciously tapped the hilt of his sword.

(End of this chapter)