Chapter 380: Chapter 362: Battle of Black Mountain (7)
The chainmail glided over his body, rising and falling along with the warhorse.
In the morning sunlight, the gentle breeze blew softly, and the verdant shrubs and lush grassland reflected a jade-like gentle glow.
This radiance fell upon his face, not causing stinging or burning, but rather felt like the gentle brush of butterfly wings against his cheek.
Such a beautiful day should be spent picnicking, lying in the shade with those dim-witted young ladies from nearby estates, who covet status.
They lay under the tree shade, with his head resting upon their soft belly and chest, that is what should be done in this weather.
But what he faced now was not young ladies, but over a thousand big burly men.
Upon hearing Nidesar’s instructions, Zelaken led his lumbering infantry battalion forward.
When truly entering the battlefield, upon seeing the horizontal formation ahead, Zelaken began to rub his nose.
This was his habitual gesture whenever he felt worried and anxious.
The rebel’s horizontal formation spanned about 200 meters in battle width, which is rare in regular Empire Army battles.
Because with equal forces, if the formation is drawn too wide, it means the formation is too thin, making it easy for knights to break through forcefully.
Previously, the knights charged once, and normally, they should be able to break through easily, delivering victory.
However, unfortunately, these brave gentlemen were driven back by the blowing Devil Wind before they could even get close.
These knights, who possessed extraordinary power, once stripped of their extraordinary garb, were even inferior to knights from Horn’s homeland.
But this is understandable since, in Horn’s homeland, after a century of gun technology development, corresponding cavalry tactics also evolved.
It took about a century for guns to evolve from crude matchlock guns to heavy flintlock guns, both sides, through dynamic confrontation, had long gotten accustomed to each other’s presence in warfare.
But for the extraordinary knights in this world, it took only half a year for the most primitive Kanni Di Type I to evolve to the current mature Kanni Di Type III heavy guns.
And the Maurice tactics Horn brought from his homeland are matured tactics after centuries of gun development.
Such tactics were considered quite advanced even during the same era.
Some knights even saw this weapon for the first time; if not for the extraordinary, their performance would probably be far worse.
Zelaken flicked the nasal discharge from his fingers to the side, "Brave knights, can you charge once more?"
The servant shook his head numbly, "They said unless the Devil Wind Wizard fell apart, they wouldn’t fight, they said they were noble knights, not meant to die undignified, lowly matters should be left to the lowly people."
"These cowards! They strike hard against mobs, but tremble when facing rebels!" Holding back anger, Zelaken couldn’t help but curse in a low voice.
"The knights need some time as the medicine effect has just worn off."
"Either they’re up for it or they’re not, what’s the point of resting?" Zelaken cursed a few times but still shifted his focus back to the battlefield.
He lifted his head, amid the chaotic footsteps, finally arrived at a position roughly clear to view the battlefield ahead.
Without continuing to vent his inner dissatisfaction, Zelaken squinted his eyes, carefully observing the battle formation ahead.
Bathed in the blurred sunlight ahead, he silently calculated the numbers.
According to his own estimation, the enemy seemed to be organized as "20 Wizards, 50 Long Spearmen, 20 Wizards, 20 Wizards, 50 Long Spearmen, 20 Wizards."
This was easy to identify; anyone wearing armor was a Long Spearman, and those only wearing helmets were Wizards.
This meant Horn faced 100 enemy frontline infantry in close combat, while Zelaken’s front only had 50.
On the flank of the formation, there was relatively large space for maneuver, Zelaken had to consider the possibility of the opponent using L-shaped tactics to attack from the side.
However, the battalion was already forming, and it was too late to change formation, they could only continue to advance.
"Hold steady, don’t get flustered." Zelaken shouted to the messenger, "When reaching 160 yards (145 meters) from the front, have the archers perform a suppressive volley."
At the four corners of Deng Jia’er’s infantry battalion were stationed 100 archers each, after the messenger disseminated the order, those Forest Patrol Officer-origin archers began ordering other archers aloud.
At a distance of approximately 160 yards, the archers stopped, drew arrows from the quiver slung on their backs, and placed them on the bow arm.
Biting their teeth, their muscular arms bulged with veins, they drew the bows held in their hands until the bow arms formed a semi-circle.
The arrows trembled, and the archers trembled as well, directing the arrows towards a 45-degree angle, based on their experience, even if they did not understand what an angle was.
"Release!"
A series of "twang" sounds immediately resounded within the archers’ ranks.
"Watch the arrows, evade!"
Victor saw wispy black fog rise from the opponent’s formation, immediately shouting towards the soldiers behind him.
Ammunition of arrows rustled and fell upon the saucer-shaped rim helmets, the jingling sound ongoing.
In merely a dozen seconds, on the ground, helmets along with the War Monks’ bodies had many arrows sticking upright.
These arrows only injured several people, unable to lethally hit, nor greatly impact the ensuing battle, some didn’t even penetrate the wool cloaks.
These archers were hunters and Forest Patrol Officers, while Longbowmen, as elite ranged troops, require training.
However, within the glory system of Imperial Knights, longbows were seen as weapons for cowards and weaklings.
Unlike the dry Blood and Flesh Royal Court, due to relatively humid climate, the Empire has yet to develop technology for mass production of composite bows.
Achieving the lethality of war bows with single bows requires very high quality standards, only scarce yew wood might fulfill those conditions.
Yet these archers weren’t standing troops, where could they find yew wood bows.
Moreover, to meet the demands of war bows, at least near a hundred pounds of arm strength is required.
For these hunters and Forest Patrol Officers, bows above sixty pounds exceed hunting needs, they wouldn’t consciously train themselves.
Good quality Longbowmen of adequate lethality do exist in Thousand River Valley but they are known as — Mountain Kush People.
Due to Kush Tribe’s cultural traditions coupled with personal hunting and abundant forest resources, Wild Boar Knights are elite Longbowmen.
Indeed, against spring-loaded guns, the elite Longbowmen Zelaken most needed were instead on the opposing side.
"Brother Mira, why have you come?" Hoofbeats sounded from behind, Victor turned while directing loading, pleasantly surprised.
The arrival was Wild Boar Knight Leader Mira, who had swapped mule for horse, Mira steadied his steed whilst speaking, "His Majesty sent me to assist you, to deflate their arrogance."
Two hundred and fifty Wild Boar Knights and Kush Knights dismounted from their horses on the left side of the formation, they held onto the saddle, nimbly dismounting from the horse.
Handing their warhorses over to designated handlers, Mira then boosted morale among the Wild Boar Knights.
"That commander over there, that’s Zelaken, he hired us to fight at Black Snake Bay the year before last, fought for a year, only paid a third of the salary."
The Wild Boar Knights paused briefly, then burst out with curses.
"Damn, why is it him!"
"Just last year, because of him alone, I got scolded all year by my wife."
"Always wanted to beat him!"
Due to the wage dispute, the Wild Boar Knights’ momentum surged instantly, even continued to escalate.
"Within a minute, shoot all six arrows into their hide!"
With Mira’s vulgar shout, over two hundred ash wood longbows instantly bent into semi-circles, followed by the nightmarish sound of bowstrings snapping.