Chapter 257

There wasn't much time to train with the pikes. They only had three days for the adaptation training. Even then, many warriors found the rather new weight distribution and use of the pikes unfamiliar. They preferred weapons that they could swing directly to attack the enemy.

Pikes were passive and defensive. Their role was to rely on tight formations to stop the heavy cavalry. The barbarian warriors had to restrain their inherent aggression and strictly follow discipline.

‘Discipline.’

Urich muttered as he looked at the pike unit. In war, individual combat ability wasn't everything. The organization and discipline of each unit performing its role were crucial. That's why the imperial army was strong in war.

‘Samikan realized the importance of discipline early on. He even standardized the equipment of the Blue Mist warriors and utilized phalanxes. It was probably thanks to Noah, who brought in the strategies and tactics of civilization. He was the one who opened Samikan’s eyes ahead of our time.’

Urich also encountered the civilized world early on, but his interest was in civilization and culture itself. Samikan, on the other hand, meticulously sought out only strategies and tactics for his ambitions.

“Who would’ve thought that I’d be using what Samikan left us with? The world truly is unpredictable.”

Urich looked at the altar. Six-Fingered was offering a sacrifice before the battle. It was customary to perform a human sacrifice by cutting open the belly of a prisoner ahead of an important battle, but since they were now allied with Porcana, they used a cow instead. A human sacrifice would undoubtedly lower Porcana’s morale.

‘Six-Fingered is quiet now, but who knows what he'll do in the future. He doesn't pledge loyalty to me; he just supported me because he hated Samikan. Now that Samikan is gone, he has no reason to back me anymore.’

Urich pondered various thoughts as he watched the ritual. Political judgment came first whenever he looked at important figures in the alliance.

‘They say the position shapes the person....’

Urich chuckled to himself. He could understand Samikan a little now.

‘Now that I'm in the position of Great Chief, everything seems suspicious, and I tend to think twice. It's hard to think as simply as I did before.’

Even when he faced Olga and the head warrior of the Blue Mist Tribe, the first thing that came to his mind was rebellion.

Splat!

Six-Fingered pulled out the cow's entrails and scattered them on the ground. Then he lifted its heart, which was still thumping.

“Woahhhh!”

The warriors cheered. The heart beating freshly meant the blessing of the heavens was with them.

“Great Chief.”

Six-Fingered knelt and raised the cow heart. Blood dripped down his hands. The nobles of Porcana cursed among themselves at the grotesque sight.

Munch, munch.

Urich bit into the cow heart. Blood filled his mouth, staining even his teeth red.

Gulp.

After swallowing a bite of the heart, Urich raised his arm and shouted. Urich’s health was top-notch, and he proved it by eating a raw heart. Since the former Great Chief Samikan had health issues, Urich flaunted his physical strength to set himself apart.

Thump, thump.

The warriors stomped their feet, preparing for battle. They wore the helmets and armor that they looted from various places. The pike unit was particularly well-equipped, all wearing iron armor. Chains clinked with each step they took.

“I know we practiced, but is this going to be effective?”

“Eh, if it doesn’t work, we'll just die. Together. Hehe.”

The warriors laughed heartily, checking on each other.

The pike phalanx had to be tightly packed like a hedgehog. In fact, it was an adaptation of the imperial army’s hedgehog formation.

The hedgehog formation was an all-purpose phalanx where soldiers worked in pairs using shields and spears to press the enemy. Only professional soldiers like the men of the imperial army could execute it. The formation wouldn't hold without trust in one's comrades. It was a tactic that could not be expected from conscripts like peasants or slave soldiers.

The morale and courage of tribal warriors were higher than those of professional soldiers, and they hunted together with their brethren until death. They had the potential to become excellent soldiers, barring the characteristic disorder of barbarians.

“Do not even think about breaking out of formation on your own.”

The warriors who took on the role of unit captains emphasized this repeatedly. Breaking formation in a battle frenzy would lead to the death of the brothers beside them.

The pike unit was divided into three groups of a thousand warriors each. One unit was placed at the center, and one on each flank. This formation allowed them to respond to heavy cavalry from any direction.

“We only deal with the cavalry charges. Do not engage in the other general combats,” the chiefs said. They were also the captains of the thousand-man units.

Olga of the Frost Snake Tribe commanded the central pike unit. An interpreter stayed close to him to relay his orders.

‘Samikan said we could stop their heavy cavalry with this.’

Olga was a warrior who primarily used spears. Yet, even to him, the pike still felt unfamiliar. He doubted its effectiveness. No one had ever used such pikes in real combat.

‘To think we have to trust the insight of Samikan who’s dead...’

Olga smirked. Samikan was remarkable in many ways. If not for his health problems, he would have accomplished even more.

The Porcana army served as support troops in the rear.

Porcana also had about five hundred heavy cavalry. However, compared to the imperial heavy cavalry, they significantly lacked both combat experience and equipment.

The Porcana-Alliance army descended the hill in formation. The imperial army advanced its formation in response.

The pike units did not reveal their spears. They held their spears at waist height, hiding them despite the inconvenience. New tactics were most effective in the first engagement. They didn't give the enemy a chance to prepare a countermeasure.

Creak, creak.

The sound of crossbows being loaded and bows being drawn came from all directions.

Most of the warriors of the alliance had the archery skills of trained archers. In alternating ranged engagements, the alliance warriors fired far more arrows.

“Fire!”

Urich shouted, thrusting his sword forward. The warriors with bows shot in unison.

Tatatata!

The arrows fired in an arc had a range equal to the modified crossbows of the empire. The alliance warriors also bested the imperial army in their firing frequency.

Thump! Thump!

The imperial crossbowmen who came up to the front lines planted large, fixed shields they carried on their backs in front of them. The large shields, weighing over five kilograms, were the war supply for crossbowmen who had long reload times.

Tatatata!

The alliance arrows were blocked by the large, fixed shields. The effort of the supply soldiers who had brought them tirelessly proved its worth. The crossbowmen finished reloading safely, briefly poked their faces out, and fired.

Although the alliance fired more arrows, the casualties were far fewer on the imperial side. Other than the ones who were unlucky enough to be hit by arrows, there wasn’t much damage.

“Ow, ow, ow.”

Warriors with arrows stuck in their limbs grumbled as they pulled them out.

“Give us some shields here. Damn bastards.”

The warriors also held shields, but they couldn’t cover their entire bodies. Even if their torsos were protected, their limbs were still exposed.

“Drag these bodies out of our way! They’re getting in the way.”

The warriors shouted. Despite their chatter, they continued to consistently draw their bowstrings.

“Chikaka!”

Urich called for Chikaka of the Phergamo Tribe. The mountain goat warriors, who numbered five hundred at the start of the campaign, had dwindled to three hundred. This was partly because the battle goats couldn't adapt to the foreign climate and died, and also because many had perished carrying out dangerous reconnaissance missions.

“Teach those cowards hiding behind the shields a lesson.”

Chikaka smiled only with his mouth and put on his wooden mask. They were an alien presence. They were exceptional warriors not only in the civilized world but also within the alliance army.

Tap, tap.

As the alliance army's formation opened up, the mountain goat warriors quickly dashed out to the left. The three hundred mountain goat warriors were armed with horn bows. With their child-like stature, they could not generate enough tension with a regular wooden bow.

But the horn bows, with their excellent elasticity, allowed for great tension even with a short draw. However, these were very difficult to make and were a secret weapon used only by the mountain goat warriors even among the Phergamo Tribe.

Creaaaak!

The horn bows bent significantly. Phergamo was the only tribe that possessed warriors who could skillfully use bows while mounted. They were a shocking combat force even in the civilized world.

“Kaaagh!”

The mountain goat warriors swiftly moved to the side of the crossbow unit. They fired arrows from an angle that large shields couldn't protect. The crossbowmen tried to counter, but hitting the warriors on goats was difficult, and their small stature made them even more elusive targets.

“Kill them all!” Chikaka shouted fiercely.

The masked dwarf warriors were monsters in the eyes of the civilized men, and the battle goats with their strangely developed leg muscles seemed like beasts created by heathen sorcery.

The mountain goat warriors were called human hunters even in the west. If barbarians hunted civilized men, the Phergamon mountain goat warriors hunted those barbarians. They were warriors at the very top of the food chain.

‘If only we had three or four times more mountain goat warriors...’

All the alliance warriors who were observing the battle had the same thought. Having the Phergamon warriors on their side was incredibly reassuring. They were invincible warriors with both mobility and lethality.

‘But if the number of mountain goat warriors reached thousands, the Phergamo Tribe would have been the one to take control of the west.’

After a few passes by the mountain goat warriors, the imperial crossbowmen were busy fleeing to the rear.

“Make way! The mountain goat warriors are coming back!”

Chikaka checked the condition of the battle goats and turned back to the alliance camp. The mountain goat warriors, having fulfilled their role, rested.

“M-monsters. What the hell was that?! What are those things?”

The crossbowmen who had returned to their side were trembling, and the fear was magnified because they had no idea what had just happened. At least barbarians looked like civilized men.

“Heavy infantry! Forward!”

Carnius gave the command.

The core of the empire, the heavy infantry, moved. Every single man was a professional soldier, armed to the teeth with iron armor and shields. They were elite troops capable of switching weapons according to the situation as well. Though not mounted, their combat power rivaled that of knights from most kingdoms.

“They're finally coming.”

The Porcana-Alliance command murmured. The skirmishes were over, and the real battle was beginning.

“Pike units, fall back to the second line. Do not show yourselves until the heavy cavalry charges.”

As soon as Urich’s command was relayed, the pike units quickly moved to follow the first line closely.

‘Watching from the back makes me itch.’

Urich tilted his head from side to side. He was riding with the command. The battle required precise formation combat, making it impossible for the Great Chief to lead from the front. This wasn't a battle where the Great Chief raising morale by rushing forward would ensure victory.

“We must time the pike units to counter the heavy cavalry perfectly. If we fail, we're done for, Urich.”

Varca also understood the key strategic and tactical points. He emphasized them several times out of anxiety. Varca, lacking military skills, had no choice but to rely on Urich.

Urich held back his urge to stand at the forefront and observed the battle situation from the back instead.

“Come on! Come at us, you cowards! A whore would be braver than you!”

They were close enough to hear each other’s shouts. Warriors growled and threw axes and spears meaninglessly to provoke the soldiers.

Though they spoke in different languages, insults were universally understood.

“You horseshit-looking bastards! My dog back home is probably cleaner than you!”

Though they shouted confidently, warriors and soldiers alike had slightly trembling fingers. They knew their opponent’s combat prowess better than anyone else.

“General, there aren’t many routes for us to bypass them, but if we go around following the base of the hill, it seems feasible. We will engage the front line and then use the cavalry to break them down.”

An adjutant reported to Carnius after surveying the terrain. There were a few routes that the cavalry could bypass while the heavy infantry clashed. Though the terrain was a bit rough, sturdy warhorses could manage.

The imperial heavy cavalry had two roles. One was to repeatedly charge the front lines to break down the infantry's formation, and the other was to use the infantry clashing on the front lines as an anvil and the cavalry as a hammer to strike the enemy's flanks or rear.

Carnius chose the latter strategy. Now he had to decide whether to send the heavy cavalry to the left or right flank.

“Huff.”

Carnius took a deep breath and touched the sun necklace. He calmed his mind, muttering his son's name.

‘Leo, today I will be a father you can be proud of.’

Carnius opened his eyes and gave orders to the cavalry.