Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 239 Armored Knight Hunter

John French returned the salute to Irwin, whose rank was only colonel.

As a Field Marshal, he naturally knew better than his ordinary officers just how formidable this armored knight squadron, known as the 'Foresters,' truly was.

In this world, the armored knightly forces of various countries can mostly be traced back to the illustrious knightly orders of the Middle Ages.

The most prestigious Order of the Garter in the Holy Britannian Empire was no exception.

As the world's first unit to be equipped with 'magical armored knights' in a complete formation, the Knights of Garde have long been considered the strongest knightly order, bar none.

At least, that's what everyone thought before the Saxons introduced their unheard-of new weapons on the battlefield of Amiens.

Therefore, when people mention armored knights, what comes to mind is always the majestic and magnificent white figure of the Knights of the Garter, bathed in glory.

But in reality, the Holy Britannian Empire had another force that rarely appeared in public, but which was also equipped with armored knights.

In the eyes of the very few high-ranking officials of the Empire who knew their true identities, this "Ranger" squadron, which was nominally just an armored knight squadron, was the real "armored knight killer".

Or rather, hunters targeting armored knights.

The formation of this unit stemmed from a brutal civil war.

Their mission from the beginning was to hunt down the rebels who drove armored knights.

In that war that nearly tore the empire apart but ultimately laid the foundation for the current power structure of the Holy Britannian Empire, the Ranger Squadron was a haunting nightmare for all the rebel armored knight pilots.

After the civil war ended, Brittany had become far ahead of other countries in armored knight technology, and the Ranger squadrons temporarily lost their purpose.

Ultimately, it became an awkward existence, much like a 'dragon-slaying technique'.

Apart from a very small number of elite troops remaining on the island to be deployed at any time, this special force, which has actually expanded to three squadrons, has had most of its members sent to various colonies of the empire.

Especially in the vast North American and African colonies, they fought alone in small squads, engaging in a never-ending struggle against the ever-emerging local rebels and guerrillas.

At this moment, Colonel Erwin, the commander of the ranger squadron that had arrived in Rouen, exchanged a few brief pleasantries with Marshal John French before getting straight to the point.

"Your Excellency Marshal, according to the orders of the Army Ministry, my squadron will be under your direct command."

Irwin's voice was so calm that it was as if the expeditionary force's crushing defeats in Alas and Amiens were nothing more than a line of text in an internal report to him.

"We have only one mission: to capture a Saxon armored knight as intact as possible, or rather, to acquire the new weapon that gives them a huge advantage on the battlefield."

John French looked at the man with several scars on his face and felt a mix of emotions.

He nodded, his tone tinged with weariness and helplessness:

"Colonel Elwin, if you had arrived a few days earlier, there might still have been a chance in Amiens. But now, my troops have retreated to Rouen. I'm afraid we won't be able to engage in large-scale battles with the main force of the Saxons for the foreseeable future."

"Large-scale warfare is not necessary, Marshal."

Erwin seemed to have anticipated this answer; his hawk-like eyes gleamed with confidence.

“We don’t need a major battle, we just need an opportunity. As long as you can find a way to lure out a small number of the enemy’s armored cavalry, we can handle the rest.”

"attract?"

John French frowned, then continued:
"Colonel, you may not be aware of the situation. The Saxons currently hold an absolute initiative. Their armored cavalry units are probably resting in the rear, waiting to launch a general offensive against Paris. How easy is it to lure them out?"

Upon hearing this, Erwin simply smiled faintly, a smile carrying a hint of hunter-like cunning.

"Your Excellency Marshal, every army has weaknesses. For example, their supply lines."

Colonel Irwin paused, looked at the adjutant behind John French, and politely asked:
"My lord, do you have a map with you?"

John French's adjutant paused for a moment, glanced at his superior, and after receiving instructions, took out a map from his briefcase and unfolded it for the two of them.

Seeing this, Erwin smiled and nodded his thanks, then walked to the map and examined it carefully. He then extended his gloved finger and drew a line on the railway line connecting Amiens and Paris.

"The fiercer the Saxons' offensive, the longer their battle lines will be, and the greater their dependence on logistics will become. We only need to create a little trouble here, and we don't need to worry about those arrogant Saxon knights not crawling out of their tortoise shells."

John French stared at the spot where Irwin was pointing, lost in thought.

The plan sounds feasible, but it's extremely risky. If the operation fails, the entire force could be wiped out. Seemingly sensing John French's concerns, Irwin continued:

“Marshal, we ‘Foresters’ are accustomed to hunting in the jungle, and now, the entire northern Gaul is a vast jungle to us.”

"We will infiltrate like ghosts and find our prey. All you need to do is provide us with the necessary intelligence support and block any related information."

Hearing this, John French finally made up his mind.

He didn't have many options left. The pressure from home, Joffre's urging, and the shame of defeat were all suffocating him.

The arrival of the "Forester" squadron was one of the few trump cards he had that could turn around his reputation in Gaul.

“Good!” John French nodded emphatically. “Colonel, how much time do you need to prepare?”

“We can leave at any time,” Erwin replied crisply.

John French gave him a deep look; the man's confidence and professionalism gave him a glimmer of hope.

He turned to his adjutant behind him and gave the order:

"From now on, gather all intelligence on the movements of the Saxon Armored Knights and report it to Colonel Irwin immediately. Also, provide the 'Ranger' squadron with all the logistical supplies they need."

"Yes, Marshal!"

After the order was given, Erwin saluted John French again, then turned back to his armored knight. He didn't say anything more, but his actions spoke volumes.

As the cockpit armor plates of Elvin's special machine were reassembled, the dozen or so dark green armored knights also restarted after receiving the order.

Unlike the Knights of Garter, which roared with deafening engine noise, they quietly activated their magical engines in an almost silent manner.

These cold war machines, with steady and agile steps, quickly disappeared into the warehouse area of ​​the dock, as if they had never existed.

Watching them walk away, John French's adjutant couldn't help but murmur, "Marshal, can they really succeed?"

John French did not answer, because ultimately he didn't know whether the armored knight hunters of the Ranger squadron would succeed.

But he knew that from this moment on, a hunt between top hunters had quietly begun.

He, and his expeditionary force, will become bystanders in this hunt.

Just as the war situation in Gaul was changing rapidly, several letters carrying Morin's 'longing and expectations' finally arrived in Dresden, the capital of the Saxon Empire, after being carefully checked by the military censorship department and transported through multiple layers of channels.

In fact, the verification of Morin's three family letters caused some minor trouble for the Second Army Group.

Because of Morin's own status, the investigation of his family letters could not be handled by ordinary military officers.

Therefore, this task was directly reported to a lieutenant colonel who was in charge of reviewing and maintaining confidentiality for the entire army group.

The lieutenant colonel was naturally aware of Morin's relationship with the Crown Prince and General Mackensen, so after carefully reviewing Morin's letter to Helga, he was already sweating profusely.

Clearly, as an army officer, he understood the technical details of the letter and how those details would change infantry firepower.
After wiping the sweat from his brow, the officer looked at the second letter.

Upon seeing the recipient's name, 'Patricia von Seeckt,' the officer felt the name was somewhat familiar.

After briefly inquiring with others, it was learned that Miss Seeker was also the daughter of the chief of staff of an army group, and her brother was a platoon leader in the Teutonic Knights.

As for herself, she is the youngest genius scholar at the Imperial Magic Research Institute.
After reading the contents of the letter, the officer just wanted to erase all memories of what had just happened.

He didn't understand what was going on with Captain Morin, and why his letters to friends and family were full of cutting-edge technologies that were obviously revolutionary.
However, these complaints in the lieutenant colonel's mind came to an abrupt end when he saw the recipient's name on the last letter.

"Queen of Radiant Crystal. Tsk, I can't read this letter."

The lieutenant colonel in charge of the review breathed a sigh of relief and then casually delivered the letter directly to General Bilo, commander of the Second Army.

In the end, General Bilo, feeling like he was holding a hot potato, dismissed everyone and returned to his tent alone to conduct the review.

His adjutant, only for the moment General Bilo entered the tent, seemed to hear him whisper:

"Thank goodness it wasn't written for His Highness the Crown Prince."

(End of this chapter)