I'm not a lord

Chapter 301 Hunting Deer (Part 1)

After receiving an urgent military intelligence report from Sanhe City, Lynn held a small-scale military meeting that evening in a makeshift tent.

The attendees consisted of only a few core generals, plus Victor, the secretary in charge of taking meeting minutes.

According to Victor, these meeting minutes will be extremely valuable primary historical materials in the future, and are key to writing a magnificent epic, so they cannot be taken lightly.

Inside the tent, the thick beeswax candles emitted a constant, crackling sound.

Lynn stood before the map, and by the flickering candlelight, he explained the latest battle situation to the generals in an extremely calm tone, as if the three armies posed no threat to him.

"As you all know, there are currently three enemy forces launching attacks against us from different directions."

However, there's not much to worry about with these three enemy forces. The Earl of Blackwood, who has invaded Turbulent County, still lacks sufficient troops; he only dares to burn villages but not launch an attack on heavily fortified manors and castles. A small number of elite cavalry can easily repel them all.

After a pause, Lynn continued, "Although the Southern Army that is approaching White River Territory is large in number, it is composed of diverse elements. As its commander, Earl Reiner must not have much control over this army. The garrison troops left in the territory can easily resist the enemy's offensive."

It wasn't that Lynn deliberately underestimated the more than 10,000 troops under Earl Reiner's command; in conventional warfare, the defending side naturally has a significant advantage.

Moreover, Sanhe City blocks the passage into Baihe Territory. Without taking this city, the Southern Army will find it difficult to penetrate deep into Baihe Territory.

Faced with the attack of the southern army, the city's militia and civilian armed forces will surely fight back with all their might, and it is conservatively estimated that about 1,500 people can be mobilized for the city's defense.

In the western suburbs of the city, three thousand troops under Lynn's command were stationed, including one thousand new recruits under the fifth brother Andrei and two thousand barbarian infantry under little Hafdan.

Both armies can rely on strong fortifications and support each other. As long as they do not launch a rash attack, they will be able to hold their ground.

Finally, Lynn slammed his fist on the map, his voice suddenly rising:

"Both of these armies can be ignored for the time being. Therefore, our main task next is to completely crush the tail following behind us!"
"If we win the final battle against Golden Deer Fortress, everything north of the Tranquil River will be ours!"

The spot where Lynn's fist landed was the very place he had planned for the decisive battle of this war: the north bank of the Sami River.

In the common language of mainland China, the word 'Sami' contains the meanings of 'clear' and 'small river', so this secondary tributary of the Jing River can also be called 'Clear Small River'.

The Sami River originates in the northern mountains of Turbulent County, flows generally from east to west, and eventually joins a first-order tributary of the Quiet River in Oak County.

Forewarned is forearmed, without prejudging the waste.

While attacking castles and manors throughout Oakshire, Lynn had been carefully surveying the geography and terrain of each location, planning several decisive battle sites, and preparing several different tactics.

In his mind, it was unlikely that he would launch a direct assault on the heavily fortified Golden Deer Fortress. Even with the aid of artillery, it would be difficult for him to capture that sturdy castle located on the island in the middle of the lake.

Therefore, it is necessary to lure out the army in Golden Deer Fortress.

To this day, everything is proceeding according to his plan.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Lynn's army continued its eastward march, maintaining a relatively slow pace.

He himself led his personal guard away from the main force and arrived at the pre-arranged decisive battlefield ahead of schedule that afternoon, where he conducted pre-battle reconnaissance.

As Lynn was surveying the terrain in a grove of trees, Captain Carroll of the Royal Guard approached him carrying two large geese and reported:

“Sir, I’ve asked the local village head. Normally, the Sami River doesn’t have much water, and you can even walk across it. It only swells during the snowmelt season and the rainy season. Right now, it’s the snowmelt season, so we have to rely on boats to cross the river.”

"Yes, I already went to the river to check." As he spoke, Lynn smelled blood and turned his head with a hint of doubt, asking, "What are those two geese?"

“Bought from a local village, paid for.” Carol tossed the two geese on the ground, and then several guards went to gather firewood from the surrounding area to roast the geese.

Lynn looked up and saw that it was already getting dark, so he ordered, "We'll spend the night in this oak grove."

The existence of this oak forest was the main reason he chose this place as the battlefield.

In Oakshire, almost every village has oak groves of varying sizes.

The oak grove where he is currently located is not only quite large, but also close to the north bank of the river, making it the best barrier against cavalry flanking attacks.

Lynn is currently at a disadvantage in terms of troop strength. In order to avoid being outflanked by the enemy cavalry on the battlefield, he must make full use of natural factors such as terrain and vegetation.

Another day passed before his main force finally arrived, albeit late.

Along with the main army arrived the latest information on the enemy's movements to the west.

Scribe Victor met Lynn in the oak forest and, after reporting the military situation, concluded:
"In the past two days, the army of Jinlubao has accelerated its march again, seemingly trying to catch up with our army as soon as possible. By this afternoon, the distance between our army and the enemy army had been reduced to less than ten kilometers. The enemy's reconnaissance light cavalry clashed with our light cavalry several times, and both sides suffered casualties."

Lynn was having dinner on a large blue stone when he handed Victor a roasted goose wing and said, "I've decided that the battlefield will be on the shallow riverbank east of this oak grove, and our camp will be set up on the west side of the grove."

Victor took the goose leg, looked up and around, and said with a smile, "The terrain here is very suitable for our army. The forest can block the enemy from attacking the camp at night, and it can also protect our rear and flanks during the decisive battle."

After attending several military conferences, Victor, who came from a civilian background, had gained a certain understanding of military affairs, so that he wouldn't give himself away when discussing military strategy on paper.

Lynn smiled slightly: "If even you can see it, then Golden Deer Fortress certainly can too. Now it's just a matter of seeing how they act on the battlefield."

Just a month ago, Oakshire was still the territory of the Duke of Marshland. Even if Anna and Laszlo were not familiar with the terrain, some of their generals certainly were.

However, Lynn was playing an open game and wasn't afraid that the enemy would see through his intentions.

With the distance between the two sides closing to less than ten kilometers, this decisive battle was now unavoidable.

If the enemy turns back due to fear of battle, then the roles of both sides in this pursuit will be reversed.

Lynn's army was able to maintain its formation during the retreat thanks to its strict military discipline, something the few thousand infantrymen at Golden Deer Castle probably couldn't do.

Therefore, he was certain that the enemy would participate in this decisive battle.

After Victor finished gnawing on the goose wing, the sky gradually darkened. Lynn instructed, "It's about time. Write a challenge letter for Anna. She can decide the time of the duel; tomorrow or the day after is fine." That evening, Anna received Lynn's challenge letter, and she quickly summoned her generals to discuss the duel.

In his challenge, Lynn frankly stated that his sudden retreat was due to the threat posed by the Southern Army to Three Rivers City, and that the reason for stopping was to have a final battle with the Golden Deer Fortress, a battle that would determine the ownership of the entire Swamp Territory.

The eldest court count smiled after reading the challenge: "Lynn is quite generous, giving us a day to recover our strength. Let's set the decisive battle for the day after tomorrow."

In order to catch up with Lynn, the army at Golden Deer Fortress was speeding at a rate of twenty kilometers per day. Most of the soldiers' stamina was almost depleted, and the warhorses and draft horses were also exhausted and needed a day to rest.

Lynn's initiative to propose a decisive battle the day after tomorrow perfectly embodies the chivalrous spirit of the time and is very much to the liking of this court count.

Furthermore, Lynn hardly engaged in any looting during his occupation of Oakshire, which impressed the old Earl even more.

These days, there are very few commanders who can strictly control their troops.

The old count's opinion was affirmed by everyone present; being able to rest for a day was naturally excellent.

Moreover, the enemy camp is less than seven kilometers away from our troops, so we are not afraid that the enemy will continue to flee.

"Since everyone agrees, the decisive battle will be held the day after tomorrow." Anna looked around at the generals present and asked, "Does anyone have any objections to the choice of battlefield location?"

As Anna finished speaking, the generals' eyes quickly focused on a middle-aged general.

The general immediately stood up: "I was born in the eastern part of Oakshire and am very familiar with the area. The reason Lynn chose the north bank of the Sami River as the decisive battleground and set up camp near the oak forest was to use this forest to defend against our cavalry."

When the decisive battle comes, he will surely line up with his back to the trees, using the trees to cover his vulnerable rear.

The generals present were all seasoned veterans, so they understood immediately.

Using forests to defend against cavalry is a conventional tactic that has been used for thousands of years, and similar examples can often be found in war history books that have been passed down from the southern border.

At the beginning of last year, when the Duke of the Marsh defeated Maurice in the north of Coron, he also lined up his troops with their backs to the woods.

Laszlo, sitting to Anna's right, sneered, "This kid is imitating my father's tactics, but how can his infantry compare to the court cavalry who fight on horseback? Besides, he has a four thousand-man advantage over our army. If he dares to back up against the woods, he's doomed this time!"

Thanks to the relentless reconnaissance of the light cavalry and the observations of stewards from various manors, László had a basic understanding of Lynn's approximate troop strength.

Lynn's total force should not exceed seven thousand men, of whom only five hundred are qualified heavy cavalry, and the rest are infantry and archers.

Meanwhile, László has gathered nearly 11,000 men under his command. During the pursuit of Lynn, he received reinforcements from noble territories and autonomous cities, and even brought in a small mercenary legion of more than 200 men from the grasslands to the west.

In terms of cavalry alone, he had as many as 3,500 riders under his command, which could exert an extremely terrifying impact on the battlefield. Perhaps a single charge could break through Lynn's infantry formation from the flank.

László looked down on Lynn from the bottom of his heart and did not believe that Lynn's infantry could withstand the fierce charge of the court cavalry.

His father, Lothair, was able to defeat cavalry on foot because the court cavalry had dismounted and fought on foot.

Those palace cavalrymen had all received more than fifteen years of professional training, and each of them was well-equipped and highly trained.

In contrast, most of Lynn's infantry had been trained for less than a year, and their equipment was likely inferior to that of the court cavalry. How could they possibly defend against the cavalry?
László's words immediately sparked a heated discussion among the generals, most of whom were quite optimistic about the upcoming decisive battle.

However, the most senior court count expressed a different opinion: "I think we should take into account the advantage that longbowmen and infantry spearmen have over cavalry. If our army rashly charges into the enemy's infantry lines, we are very likely to suffer heavy losses."

Longbowmen are a rare unit in the North, but by studying Lynn's past battles, some generals have realized the threat they pose.

Another experienced court count suggested, "It's simple. We'll participate in the final battle but won't attack first. The other side should be anxious anyway. Why not wait for them to attack first? That way, we can also prevent that oak forest from being used."

This suggestion immediately won praise from a group of generals, and the old count, who spoke first, exclaimed in admiration: "This method is brilliant! Forming ranks but not attacking can perfectly avoid the disadvantage of our infantry!"

The Golden Deer Fortress army had an absolute advantage in cavalry, but its six thousand serf infantrymen would clearly be a hindrance.

If these serf soldiers were to launch a frontal attack on the enemy's central army, they would likely crumble at the slightest touch. Instead, having them hold their ground behind the palisade, forming a spear-wielding formation, would allow them to capitalize on their strengths and avoid their weaknesses.

Anna also favored this plan, and she immediately made the decision: "Then it's settled! Just form ranks, but don't launch an attack."

Anna always prefers stability, so this plan is exactly what she wants.

However, the young generals present were not very satisfied with this plan.

It's called being stable, but it's really just being complacent and doesn't fit the drive of young people at all.

László was also very dissatisfied with this.

If he, as the side with superior troop strength, does not take the initiative to attack, it will certainly damage the morale of his own side.

But Anna had already made the decision, and he couldn't object. He could only wait and see on the battlefield.

The following day, the scout cavalry of both sides continued to move back and forth like the wind, and both armies were making final adjustments in their camps in preparation for the great battle to come.

The agreed-upon day of the decisive battle was a bright, sunny day, and at dawn, both sides' camps simultaneously rang out with the distant and profound sound of bugles.

The soldiers picked up their weapons, left the barracks, and went to their designated positions to make pre-battle preparations.

Lynn's position was slightly higher, with his back to the rising sun. He could see clearly what was happening a kilometer away: enemy soldiers were setting up fences and digging trenches.

Dude, why are you guys still laying fences and digging trenches even in the final battle?
Does this look like a final battle is about to begin?

However, when Lynn lowered his gaze and saw that his own soldiers were doing the same thing, he smiled helplessly.

I did it too!
That's fine.

The decisive battle had an eerie atmosphere from the very beginning, with both sides trying to take a defensive stance.

(End of this chapter)