Chapter 25 – The Prince’s First Battle

While it depends on the situation, battles often begin in the morning. This is to secure a longer period of daylight on the battlefield, as fighting becomes difficult once it gets dark.

The invading force of around 7,000 had already infiltrated enemy territory, yet they were caught off guard in the early morning.

“Vilgard-sama”

“Aa…Begin the attack.”

We had already ascertained the positions of the Imperial troops and the captured Para tribe the previous night.

The 7,000 Imperial soldiers were deployed in three main formations stretching from north to south.

I first ordered 300 light cavalry archers to attack from the south as the sun began to rise. They were to continue advancing northward, assaulting the second position.

The Para tribe were being held at the northernmost position. By the time the second formation was ambushed, the Imperial forces would likely send troops from the north to catch us in a pincer attack.

In the meantime, a separate squad I had dispatched the previous night would circle north to rescue the Para people. If the feint failed, we would move to the backup plan of deploying the main force.

‘It’s my first time commanding on the battlefield… yet strangely, I feel no tension.’

Perhaps it was overconfidence from inexperience. But for some reason, I could already foresee the outcome of this battle.

■

“Alfred-sama! The enemy!”

“Hm…?”

Alfred was the overall commander leading the Imperial troops deployed onto the plains.

Born into nobility, his family had military ties. Thanks to this, he held a respectable position within the knights’ order. However, he was not enthusiastic about this current expedition.

After all, he was leading 5,000 new recruits and mercenaries to suppress barbarians in the frontier regions. What’s more, he had been instructed to thoroughly train these new soldiers.

It was such a hassle having to travel this far. Truthfully, he just wanted to return to the capital quickly.

At the same time, as a knight, he understood the importance of raising the readiness of new troops. The plains were well-suited for practical field training in group tactics.

Just the travel time alone would amount to considerable training days. The long march there and back would serve as conditioning.

As for the enemy, they were just scattered barbarian tribes on the plains. Through coordinated group manoeuvres, they could encircle and decisively defeat them. It would provide invaluable experience for the inexperienced soldiers.

As soon as Alfred entered the plains, he immediately started capturing any barbarians he encountered without hesitation. Since there were more than expected, he set up a camp and remained there.

He then divided his forces into three, positioning them to the north, centre and south.

The plains were vast. There was no way to know where the barbarians were or how many there were. So starting today, the three divisions would advance eastward separately.

When they regrouped in the eastern region, each division should have captured many barbarians.

Just as he was thinking this, the enemy launched an attack in the early morning right after sunrise. There had been some skirmishing the day before too, so he assumed it was just sporadic resistance.

“…Location and scale?”

“Yes! It seems around 300 have appeared from the south!”

More than he expected. They had likely come to rescue their captured comrades at the northern camp.

Though it was an early morning ambush, the numbers were vastly different. The fighting would die down soon enough.

“Hmph. They’ve come to retrieve their friends, but they’ll be suppressed while blindly searching in vain.”

A report of the suppression should arrive shortly. Nomads were weak after all. They hadn’t struggled much when capturing the large number here before. But something was bothering him.

‘The barbarians in this area had various tools…Bows, arrows, and horse tack were understandable. But some clearly intended for combat against people, like curved blades. Impossible to be for slaughtering beasts…’

It was doubtful nomads would have metalworking skills. They probably traded with the occasional merchant passing through. He’d ask around about it later.

As he was thinking this, he heard the sound of wind being sliced.

“Hm?”

Looking outside, an arrow was embedded at his feet.

“…Eh?”

If he had stepped out a bit further, that arrow would have hit him. He briefly wondered if an untrained recruit had accidentally fired it but that thought vanished instantly.

“Wha…”

“Gyah!?”

“Wah!”

“A-Arrows!?”

“What!?”

Suddenly, a massive volley of arrows came raining down from the sky. Then another report came in.

“Alfred-sama! The nomads that appeared in the south have advanced straight towards our camp!”

“Wha…What did you say!?”

At first, Alfred wondered if perhaps a new enemy force had appeared.

But there was no way nomads could coordinate such precise military timing. It made more sense that the group in the south was simply charging straight at them.

However, their objective was unclear. Weren’t they coming to rescue their captured comrades?

Given how little time had passed since the initial report, the nomads likely hadn’t been in the southern camp long.

“……….! Could it be…!”

He could see the nomads advancing from the south towards their position.

They were neatly arranged in three rows, galloping across the plains. As the lead group angled diagonally towards the camp, the rows behind followed in perfect formation.

“…….!!”

What had seemed like just three riders in the lead row now revealed the entire rear guard in clear view. They had taken an arcing formation angled towards the Imperial camp.

And timed perfectly, all 300 cavalry loosed their arrows simultaneously.

“Wha…! A vollied bombardment…!?”

Instead of scattered individual shots, it was a coordinated volley from 300 archers. It placed immense pressure on the Imperial troops in the camp.

And they were mostly new recruits, so the shock was palpable.

“Gyaaaah!”

“S-So many arrows!”

The nomads wheeled around in an arc, temporarily retreating from the camp. But they circled back, advancing on the camp once more.

It was clear they intended to take an angled formation again and unleash another vollied bombardment on the Imperial position.

“Those bastards…! They didn’t come to rescue their captured comrades, they came to slaughter us…!”

If they were concerned about their captured allies, they wouldn’t indiscriminately shower the camp with arrows like this. There were other unsettling signs too but issuing orders was the priority now.

“Prepare for battle! Send messengers to the north as well, we’ll surround them! The enemy is outnumbered, handle this calmly!”

“Yes sir!”

Eventually Imperial troops would pursue the nomads from the south as well, advancing northward. They had ceded the initiative but from here they would apply pressure from three directions to encircle and crush them.

“Second volley incoming!”

“Tch!”

Even as he issued orders, the nomads loosed another barrage of arrows.

Alfred braced behind a large shield, feeling the powerful impacts reverberating through it.

‘Damn it…! Just as I thought…!’

The nagging feeling had become conviction. Normally, untrained riders wouldn’t maintain orderly spacing, with the lead rider and those behind straggling at random intervals.

Yet these nomads kept perfect formation. Their volleys were timed with absolute precision, not wasting a single arrow.

This was highly irregular behaviour for nomads. Alfred could no longer deny the truth staring him in the face.

Furthermore, the horses they were riding – how long had they been galloping relentlessly?

‘Just 300 measly riders…! Damn, now I see why they resorted to an ambush!’

When outmatched in force, underhanded tactics and ambushes became necessary. A frontal assault would be suicide.

However, even horses had limited stamina. At some point, the nomads would have to retreat.

“Alfred-sama! Allied forces have appeared from the south!”

“The vanguard from the north is also emerging!”

“……Alright! Anyone ready, advance! We’ll encircle them!”

■

“It’s about time…”

We had dismounted and taken cover crouching in the tall grass as much as possible.

The initial ambush squad seemed to have executed the pre-planned manoeuvres well. The Imperial forces were deploying troops from their three camps, attempting to encircle them.

But as expected of the horses bred by the Gagaru tribe. To be able to gallop relentlessly like that…

“Give the signal.”

“Yes sir!”

At my order, one of the men fired a specially crafted signal arrow high into the air, making a resonating sound.

Upon this cue, the ambush squad began falling back towards us, luring the Imperial troops.

The Imperial forces stretching to encircle them from three sides were spread widely apart. Their flanks looked quite vulnerable to my eyes.

“…Everyone mount up! Second and third squadrons begin the attack!”

“Yes sir!”

Lying in wait on the plains were 2,300 more of our forces. My first squadron of 300 heavily armoured Ruto cavalry included me.

The remaining 2,000 were split into the second and third squadrons.

They advanced from the north and south, catching the Imperial troops who had pursued the ambush squad in a pincer attack. Under withering archer fire, they pressed in, allowing my squadron to charge through their centre.  We then stormed straight into the Imperial camp to demolish the remaining forces there.

Meanwhile, a separate detachment led by the Utt tribe would rescue the captured Para people…that was the plan.

“Forward!”

The sudden appearance of our forces sent the Imperial troops into disarray. The nomad cavalry tightened the encirclement from north and south with seamless coordination.

“Alright…! Now it’s our turn!”

“Yes sir! We’re ready to advance on your order!”

And so it played out. The Imperial troops who had pursued the ambush squad were overwhelmed by our frontal charge, rendering combat ineffective. We then poured into the enemy camp, annihilating the remaining Imperial forces.