When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 790 - 741: Battle Results and Promotion
The "retreat" ordered by the Duke of Redwood was not a careless shout, for he was an old duke who fought Norn people almost daily, and was very sensitive to the battlefield.
In this chaotic battle, thousands of knights from Shattered Stone Plain besieged a small convoy fort of several hundred troops from Thousand River Valley.
The result was not an easy victory, and they even lost several Imperial Knights.
They used Divine Art and potions, but still couldn't break through the convoy's formation.
Upon careful count, they had already left about seventy corpses in front of the fort.
For an unplanned encounter battle with an advantage, such a casualty rate far exceeded what the knights' morale could bear.
It was also beyond the acceptable loss for the Duke of Redwood.
So, between pressing the attack and retreating, he chose to cut losses promptly.
Before morale could hit rock bottom, the duke planned to retreat to the east bank of the Iron River.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
At the edge of the rain curtain, on the plains blurred by rainwater, flags adorned with iris flowers fluttered like fish in the sky.
Thousands of knights were running back and forth on the muddy plains, with armored soldiers and the new army of Thousand River Valley's spears pushing against each other.
The Falcon Cannons and Holy Rifles shattered the rain curtain, turning it into a field of blood rain on the plains.
No one expected that this small encounter escorting convoy would escalate to its current scale.
First, the garrison of Feldheim, upon receiving the news, launched a preemptive strike to delay the Duke of Redwood's army.
Subsequently, a Count of Shattered Stone Noble led several hundred troops to assist, attracting the attention of the Mountain Knights who were in a standoff.
Then these hundreds of Mountain Knights also arrived at the battlefield, followed by the Duke of Redwood's infantry.
Both sides engaged in a seesaw battle, fighting from morning till evening.
As reinforcements accumulated on both sides, the small encounter soon turned into a large-scale battle involving nearly six thousand troops from both sides.
But even with Old Laver's blurry vision, he could see that the situation was gradually tilting in favor of Thousand River Valley.
Although most troops on both sides were cavalry, with only a few mounted infantry, the reinforcement speed of Thousand River Valley was much faster than that of Shattered Stone Plain.
These Mountain Knights and the soldiers from the Autocratic Duke's side did not have the high morale of the Salvation Army, but they were very resilient in battle.
And the knights of Thousand River Valley, under the pressure of iron fists and rattan canes, would follow orders even if knives were upon them.
The knights led by the Duke of Redwood were unwilling to continue marching once they encountered heavy rain during their journey.
Besides, several nobles were waiting to see the Duke of Redwood make a fool of himself.
......
On the other side of the Iron River's west bank.
Sitting slump by the cart, Old Laver could distinctly hear the distant roar of the Falcon Cannons.
A large tent was erected by the original convoy fort, with alchemist priests, witch doctors, and pharmacists going in and out.
Even sitting not far from the entrance, Old Laver could smell a strong scent of potion.
The Iron River was named for its unique red sandy riverbed, now carrying a strong scent of rust.
From both man and weapon.
Although the Bether Infantry Corps' battle ended this morning, the exhausted Old Laver and others only came to their senses by the afternoon.
Old Laver still saw things in double vision.
After resting again by the cart, Old Laver waited until his double vision subsided a bit before propping himself up with his scabbard.
He limped across a row of grass huts, stepping over the heads of others who were sleeping soundly.
In the camp for those with external injuries, one could hear wails, with arms and legs broken, tendons snapped, and bones fractured.
The barber used special spider silk to stitch soldiers' wounds, while the military chaplain held each soldier's hand or head, anointing them with Holy Oil and praying for them.
Old Laver roughly estimated that after this battle, excluding the runaway laborers, the composition would shrink by a third.
After walking in the camp for a long time, Old Laver found Kaler lying on his side, his chest wrapped in gauze.
Old Laver quickly straightened him: "You're crazy, your ribs are broken, and you're lying on your side."
Kaler responded weakly: "The doctor repositioned my ribs using his knee on my back; it hurt too much."
"You're lucky to be alive." Old Laver said, offering a wine pouch to Kaler's lips, yawning, "Have a drink."
After a sip of wine, Kaler's face flushed, "That tastes awful..."
Old Laver put down the wine pouch with a sour face, "I can't bear to drink this good wine myself and you, who don't know wine, disdain it." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
"How's the battle up front?" Unlike the previously lively Kaler, the young man now appeared listless.
"We're sure to win, so instead of worrying about that, consider promotions."
Kaler immediately perked up, reviving the family's honor was an unshirkable duty for him.
He eagerly asked, "Can I become an officer?"
"I don't know, I expect maybe a promotion to reserve array leader; you could become a sergeant, with a chance to become a Captain Ten."
Compared to the Salvation Army's relatively flat and composite structure, Moliat's new army had a stricter hierarchy with different titles.
In the Salvation Army, the structure was from Colonel (500 people) to Escort Captain/Array Leader (50) to Captain Ten (10) to the lowest Cudgel Soldier.
While Moliat added five Captain Bai (100) under the Colonel, and one Deputy under each Captain Ten.
Previously, when Old Laver was regularized as Captain Ten, he was promoted to sergeant, and Kaler was his appointed soldier.
In this battle, Old Laver performed moderately, while Kaler was outstanding.
It's estimated Kaler might leap three levels, from sergeant, Captain Ten, to reserve array leader, and sit on equal footing with Old Laver.
Reserve array leader is essentially Captain Ten of the direct team of the Array Leader, usually learning command and assisting the Array Leader.
When the time is right and he passes the exam, he can be promoted to Array Leader.
Being able to lead fifty people in the past required being a squire knight.
Kaler was fine, but Old Laver, a mere farmer, could now be an officer of this rank.
He hadn't even served for half a year yet; it felt like a dream.
"What about the spoils?"
"Not yet counted. Since you're wounded, you might get a bit more."
According to the rules set by Moliat, a third of the spoils and loot were distributed to soldiers, a third held as military common funds, and the remaining third turned in.
This time, Old Laver and others, an infantry regiment, held off nearly a thousand knights and even helped nearby troops seize the opportunity to split the enemy's infantry and cavalry, executing an annihilation battle.
It was easy to guess that their military exploits this time would be significant.
As Old Laver predicted, soon after, the military judge found the two of them.
"Laver Ironwater Hunter from Adrian Village, Ansel Hundred Households District, Mire Village, South Mangde County?"
"I am."
"Do you know where your squad member Kaler is?"
Old Laver turned to the side, pointing to Kaler lying on the ground.
"Mm, heal well." The military judge showed a gentle smile, pressing down Kaler, who tried to sit up, "Today you killed two Imperial Knights with a single shot, a great achievement."
After saying this, he took out a booklet and wrote and drew for a while: "Sign here, if you can't write, then make a fingerprint, a commendation letter will be sent back home."
Upon hearing of the commendation letter, Kaler was no longer sleepy: "Yes, may I ask if the battle up front is finished?"
"Since night is falling, whether finished or not, it will be." The military judge casually handed the register to Old Laver to continue signing, "Now it's not about winning or losing, but whether we can capture the Duke of Redwood."
After speaking, he glanced at the two with considerable envy: "You are in luck. Just last night, His Highness the Despot drove away the envoys from Shattered Stone Plain and declared war on them.
Today you opened with a victory, for these commendation letters, His Highness will certainly take a look at them."
"Which Highness?" Kaler asked dumbfounded.
The military judge immediately perked up: "Both Highnesses! Ahem, both Highnesses will be looking."
