Chapter 93
The Red Dragon Corps advanced towards the kingdom army's left wing, led by their scouts.
The 1st Infantry Regiment, which had been pursuing the decoy force, also gradually entered the forest starting from the rear ranks, joining the advancing main force.
Alejo, who was waiting for reports from the scouts, was the first to notice something strange.
"Still no reports coming in?"
"That's correct."
"That can't be right. Maxi, go and find out."
"Yes."
As the scout units monitoring the advancing Red Dragon Corps along the road continued to send no reports, Alejo dispatched additional scouts, and,
"So, did you come..."
"The enemy has entered the left forest! They're approaching straight towards our left wing!"
Only after pushing most of the scouts into the forest could they grasp the Red Dragon Corps' suspicious movements.
"What? Why are you only saying this now!"
"Most of the enemy scout units towards the left forest..."
"Ah, enough with the excuses! Quickly inform Count Gonzales! Tell him the left wing is in danger! ...No! I'll go myself!"
Alejo ran to Sancho's tent and immediately delivered the terrible news.
It hadn't been long since the report that the Red Dragon Corps' lure had succeeded was delivered.
"The enemy has entered the left forest? ...Didn't they say the enemy was properly pursuing?"
"Only some of the infantry participated in the pursuit, and even that is continuously decreasing."
"..."
Sancho, knowing what the Red Dragon Corps' movement meant, bit his lip and remained silent.
Controlling troops that have begun pursuing a defeated enemy is difficult even for highly disciplined forces.
So, the fact that even the pursuing soldiers were gradually decreasing meant,
"...They've already read us."
He thought it was right to assume that Viktor had read his strategy from the beginning and had already instructed his soldiers.
"They've seen through our strategy!"
"What's going on!"
The nobles, who had been excited about the expected victory, were flustered by Sancho's muttering and murmured, but.
"Everyone, quiet! Now is not the time to argue about right and wrong!"
Sancho, who had been pondering, suppressed the nobles' reactions with a shout.
"Baron Banderas."
"The scout units guarding the surroundings of the left wing forces are still fine! The same goes for the forest on the other side!"
"...No need for excuses. What's the enemy's expected route?"
After confirming Alejo's expression full of resentment, he put aside the existing operation plan and redrew the Red Dragon Corps' route on the map as Alejo had reported, and,
"...For now, have the left wing forces retreat to this point and prepare for defense. The right wing should move to the main road immediately to annihilate the pursuing enemy and then support the left wing."
"Yes!"
"Even if the enemy has noticed our intentions, we're still at an advantage as long as they don't flee. We'll move too."
"Understood."
He quickly readjusted the deployment of forces to match the Red Dragon Corps' movements.
"Increase the number of messengers and have them move along different routes. And... deliver this letter to our forces at this location at the front."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
Judging that the Red Dragon Corps scouts had completely penetrated, he sent several messengers along different routes to minimize the chance of them being caught, while also attempting deception by sending messengers with false information stating they were waiting for the success of the lure towards the expected enemy position.
"Tell Baron Rey! Turn around and counterattack immediately! Also inform him that there's no need to worry about the mercenaries, as the enemy keeps entering the forest!"
"Yes!"
As most of the battle would take place in the forest, Sancho regretted that he couldn't grasp how the battle was unfolding with his own eyes.
After instructing Imanol, who would still be attempting to lure the enemy, to counterattack, he prepared for the main force's advance while gripping his baton with sweaty hands.
---
Baron Enrique Martínez, in charge of the kingdom army's left wing, who had hidden his forces in the forest and stationed in a small clearing,
-Flutter!
"Huff, huff... huh... haaah, Y-Your Excellency..."
"...!"
Received Sancho's letter from a messenger who collapsed as soon as he entered the tent.
"...Retreat and defend against the enemy's attack?"
It was an order exactly opposite to what the messenger who had arrived just before had brought, which was to prepare for an ambush by the lured enemy.
As there had been no reports of being discovered by the enemy, Enrique doubted the true intention of the letter for a moment, but,
"...Haaah, huh... Kuhak..."
"...Bring some water."
Seeing the messenger who could barely breathe and the hastily scrawled handwriting on the letter, he decided to follow the letter's instructions for now.
"Have we been found out... Can't be helped. Then..."
-Ratatatatat!
"...Oh no."
But before he could order retreat and defense, gunshots were heard from the front.
"Your Excellency Martínez! The imperial army... Argh!"
"I know! Everyone listen! Our allies are coming to support us, so hold your positions firmly!"
"Yes!"
Enrique rushed out before the messenger could enter the tent and encouraged the soldiers, and,
"Send a request for support to Count Gonzales, quickly!"
"Understood!"
He instructed the messenger beside him in a low voice.
"We must enter the forest! Let's go! Let's defeat the invaders!"
After confirming that the messenger had run off, he drew his weapon and commanded the soldiers who were flustered by the sudden raid, shouting.
-Ratatatatat!
"Ugh, over there! That way!"
"Yaaaaaaah!"
The kingdom army soldiers bravely charged towards the direction of the gunshots.
"Got you!"
-Thud!
"Guk..."
"Damn it, stab!"
"Aaaaargh!"
Some managed to knock down enemies and stab at weak points like armpits, gradually accumulating damage to the Red Dragon Corps by taking advantage of the relatively easy-to-approach environment, but,
-Clang! Clang!
"Argh!"
"Stick close and stab their eyes!"
"Ack!"
Most fell before they could approach, and even those who managed to get close died by the bayonets of the heavily armored Red Dragon Corps.
-Bang!
"Ugh..."
"Platoon leader!"
Moreover, scout units armed with flintlock rifles sniped those who appeared to be enemy officers, causing the kingdom army's left wing to rapidly lose control.
"Your Excellency, you must hide!"
"Hide what! Hold on! Our allies are coming!"
-Ratatat!
"Ugh..."
"Your Excellency!"
"Uh... co-come and cover me."
"Your Excellency..."
"Quickly, before everyone notices..."
Even Enrique, who had been moving actively across the battlefield, was eventually sniped, and despite his efforts, the kingdom army's left wing, having lost its head, rapidly collapsed.
Enrique, fallen after being shot, helplessly watched the battlefield, and,
"...Retreat for now."
"You mustn't get up!"
"Guillermo! It's an order! Retreat! I'll take care of this place!"
"...!"
He stood up, bleeding from various parts of his body, and walked forward.
Guillermo, who was beside him, finally followed his order and commanded the retreat.
"Over here, you vile bastards! I am Enrique Martínez!"
Enrique charged forward, summoning his last strength, and swung his sword wildly.
-Ratatatatat!
"Ugh... How unjust..."
Of course, there were no variables, and he fell again, hit by another volley of bullets.
The situation was similar for Imanol's central forces.
"...So it was like that after all. Those who want to run, run! We're starting a counterattack!"
Imanol, who had been suspicious of the gradually decreasing number of those pursuing them, turned his forces around as soon as Sancho's order came down, and charged towards the 1st Infantry Regiment, which now numbered less than half.
However, as Imanol's forces were those who had assumed retreat, they were relatively lightly armed for easy escape, and,
-Ratatatatat!
"Argh!"
"How...!"
They melted away under the fire of the long line of the Red Dragon Corps.
Even the mercenaries who had tried to muster courage fled as they saw them helplessly defeated, and approaching using the forest wasn't enough to avoid the Red Dragon Corps' concentrated fire.
"...We'll support the left wing too! Enter the forest!"
Imanol's forces, having suffered heavy casualties from a brief charge, avoided them and entered deep into the forest.
Of course,
-Ratatat!
"Kuhek..."
"What, how?"
"Is it that way? Where is it!"
The forest wasn't safe either.
The 1st Infantry Regiment, which had been joining the main force, stopped and ravaged Imanol's forces, and the number of kingdom army soldiers decreased rapidly.
"Retreat!"
Unable to withstand this, Imanol ordered a retreat, and as they fled to the rear, they were able to meet Sancho's main force.
"...Baron Rey."
"I-I thought I'd met a ghost!"
He knelt before Sancho as if throwing himself down, and tried to explain his hardships as if making excuses, but Sancho was looking elsewhere, not at him.
"I hear Baron Enrique Martínez has fallen in battle."
"...Pardon?"
Sancho had already received news that Enrique had died and that the left wing forces had retreated.
Unable to shake off the feeling of being led around, Sancho took out the map from his bosom.
"...Baron Rey. Where was the enemy's position? It doesn't need to be exact."
"Uh... Probably around this point."
"I see. Then we should march to this location."
"...?"
Seeing that the point Imanol indicated was quite far from where the kingdom army's left wing had been deployed, Sancho decided to defeat piecemeal the forces joining up after chasing Imanol instead of the enemy's main force, estimated to have crushed 7,000 of the left wing.
"Alejo. Can't you grasp the enemy's position in more detail?"
"..."
"...I see. You must be doing your best too."
While comforting Alejo, who was in a depressed state as scouts kept disappearing every time they were sent out,
"This is our kingdom's land! Let's drive out the invaders!"
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
Sancho shouted loudly to shake off his anxiety, trying to grasp the thread-like hope visible before his eyes.