The Master of the Brave - Chapter 133
The Master of the Brave
Chapter 133. The Battle of Peshlika
The main force of Prince Neumann’s army of 40,000 men, and that of the Lyon Royal Army of 60,000, clashed in a basin in the mountains near Peshlika. Prince Neumann’s army was skillfully positioned on high ground, holding the outlet of the basin in the mountains.
“Dammit, they really have the terrain advantage.”
It was just before dawn and the surroundings were dimly lit. At first, the Lyon Royal Army moved away from Peshlika and camped the troops in an open meadow. When Raul saw the map illuminated by the flames of the candlesticks at the military conference held there, he clicked his tongue. In the rear was the great Murray River. The only bridge in Peshlika was the one held by the 20,000 Knights of the Western Sector of the Lemmrousell Empire who had joined Prince Neumann, and the Royal Lyon Army was trapped in the basin with its front and back covered. In terms of military strength, they were evenly matched. In terms of skill level, they were probably superior to the Western Knights who threatened the rear, but they were pinned down in a pincer form of attack and the enemy’s main army held the high ground in front of them.
To attack the enemy’s main force, the Lyon Royal Army would have to climb the hill, and Prince Neumann’s army would intercept them. A moat was built and fenced with many layers of logs. And if they drew spears from inside the encirclement and rained arrows and attack magic on their heads, they would be bound to take heavy losses no matter how great a general led the army.
Moreover, there were 20,000 soldiers in the rear. Even if they were inferior in ability, 20,000 was a number that could not be underestimated. It would be extremely difficult to reach the enemy’s main force, which was heavily entrenched on high ground, after dedicating troops to the defense of the rear.
“The first thing to do is to drag the enemy out of his position towards the plains. To do this, we will first attack the Western Knights who are entrenched in Peshlika. When the main force of Prince Neumann’s army comes out to attack behind us to save their allies, we will launch a reverse offensive and break through the enemy lines immediately. This will be the only way.”
“If we misjudge the timing of the attack, our army will be caught in a pincer attack and will be in danger of being destroyed.”
“However, if we continue to be pinned down front and back, we will be in an extreme situation. We will be the first to fall without supplies. Perhaps our compatriots in our homeland will become aware of our situation and send reinforcements, but if they do, we will be ashamed. Historians of the future will laugh at us.”
At Raul’s words, the officers of the Lyon Royal Army burst out laughing. They were confident that they could get out of trouble even in this situation where they were almost pinned front and back.
“Prince Neumann’s main force that made this formation cannot be underestimated, but we are not fighting against the true elite forces of the Lemmrousell Empire, the Knights of the North and East. I am convinced that we are superior in skill level. I hope you all put up a good fight.”
“Yes, sir!”
The assembled officers dispersed to return to their respective units.
After bidding farewell to his trusted subordinates, Raul left the tent where the military meeting was being held. When he looked at the sky, he saw that it had already turned a faint white. It would soon be dawn.
There was a light fog surrounding the camp due to the rain the night before, but a strong wind was blowing, so it would clear by the time the sun came up.
Raul, who was feeling a bit shaken before the battle, took a deep breath. The cool early morning air helped calm his nerves a bit. He was aware that he felt calmer, and then he entered the tent next door. A few guards were guarding the tent, where the flag of the Lemmrousell Empire and the banner with the bellflower shield, the crest of the imperial princess Cornelia, were waving within the army of the Kingdom of Lyon.
“It will soon be dawn. Perhaps the battle will begin as soon as dawn breaks, Princess Cornelia. You will stay in the main camp with me, but you never know what will happen on the battlefield. I want you to be prepared for anything that may happen.”
“Yes, I know. Prince Raul.”
Raul nodded in satisfaction at Cornelia’s answer. Then he looked around the tent prepared for the young princess. With the exception of the guards outside, the people inside the tent were Cornelia’s entourage, including Wynn, and the ambassador to Lyon, Count Riselman, and his men.
“Hmm? Where is Letty?”
There was no sign of Letty, who would normally be at Wynn’s side. She would also be staying in the main camp with Raul, as would Cornelia. Just as when they escaped from Count Schlihaden’s mansion, Raul had no intention of making Leticia fight. Like the Brave, she was not to wield a sword against others. Especially not in a war between countries.
Leticia’s overwhelming power was beyond human comprehension. If that power were wielded against a human being, the admiration and respect she now received as the Brave would easily turn to terror and panic. An existence that was beyond human comprehension would turn the Brave into a “monster,” that is, a new Demon King would be born.
Before Leticia was recognized as the Brave, many people saw her as a monstrous human being. Even those whose lives had been saved by her power could not see her as a person. They were afraid of her and treated her as if she were a nuisance. She was a girl who had been forced to go on a journey to save the world, even though she didn’t want to, and yet she was shunned by people all over the world, which only deepened her loneliness.
Raul, Tiara and Liara, who had traveled with Leticia, had seen her up close. They would not let her be alone again. This was the unanimous thought of the three people who had been her companions. They were never to allow Leticia to fight a battle between people.
Of course, Leticia now had Wynn, the person who had understood her most throughout her life. As long as she had him, she would never feel alone. That’s why Raul didn’t want Wynn to get into another life-and-death battle.
Fortunately, Wynn was Cornelia’s squire. Unless the enemy approached the main camp, he would not be on the front lines. If that were the case, Leticia, who basically would not leave his side, would not have to fight.
However, there was no sign of her, who should be at the boy’s side right now. Of course, there would be times when Leticia might have to leave her seat to conduct her private business.
Normally, Raul would be aware of such things, and would not go out of his way to check on Leticia’s whereabouts just because he didn’t see her. But at that moment, he had a hunch.
It was Wynn who opened his mouth to Raul’s question.
“Letty went to…”
?????
The fog that had been hiding the two armies was being blown away by the wind and cleared as the time of sunrise approached.
The generals of Prince Neumann’s army, who had deployed forces in a way that seemed to be confining the Lyon Royal Army within the basin, were waiting for some movement from the latter, which was deployed in a position behind the cleared fog. If the Lyon Royal Army attacked the Western Knights in the city of Peshlika, they would attack them and conduct a pincer attack with their allies. On the other hand, if they decided to attack the main force of Prince Neumann’s army, they would entrench in a strong position and aim to weaken them with the Western Area Knights from the rear.
As the allied positions were on the high ground, the Lyon Royal Army would have to run up the slope and their assault power would be reduced. On the other hand, when Prince Neumann’s army went on the offensive, they would be able to take advantage of the momentum of the descent of the slope, so greater than normal attack power could be expected. Their plan of action depended on how the Kingdom of Lyon’s army moved. Prince Neumann’s army commander predicted that the Lyon Royal Army would first attack the Western Knights at Peshlika, draw in the main force of Prince Neumann’s army, and then launch a reverse offensive.
So how would they move?
All the generals and soldiers of Prince Neumann’s army watched the movements of the Lyon Royal Army with bated breath.
At that moment.
A small figure stepped out of the camp. It was walking directly towards the position of Prince Neumann’s army. Its face was indistinguishable, but its long hair swam in the strong wind that carried the morning mist.
“Is it a woman…?”
Was it a messenger announcing surrender or a recommendation to surrender? Many of the generals thought so. Or had she come to deliver a letter of acknowledgment of some sort of prelude to battle? Otherwise, she was not even riding a horse. As she approached, they could make out his figure. She was still young enough to be called a girl. That was why the Colonel in charge of the front-line troops could not lower his hand even when the girl had come within range of his bows and arrows.
The girl, who had walked without hesitation towards the front of the large army, stopped less than 20 meters from the leader of Prince Neumann’s army. A murmur spread among the generals who had taken up position to see the girl. None of the soldiers present had ever seen her face before. They had only heard of her. They had heard rumors of her in the city taverns, in the stores, on street corners, on roadsides… everywhere.
The girl’s hair glistened with a golden sheen in the morning sun. She was tall and dignified, and her emerald eyes, visible even from a distance, shone brightly.
“Wh… why?” muttered one of the front-line soldiers to himself. The murmur carried on the wind and, strangely, reached the ears of the surrounding knights and soldiers. “Why… is the Brave coming from the enemy camp?”
Leticia von Mavis, the Brave. The same Brave who defeated the demon king. She slowly drew her sword, took a half-hearted stance and pointed the sword into the air.
“Drop your weapons. Do it now and you will not be punished.”
The soldiers gulped.
The Brave now stood before them, drawing her sword and pointing it at them. She declared that she considered them the enemy. She had a clear intention to attack. If they fired, the arrows would undoubtedly reach Leticia. Rather, she was at a distance where it was difficult to aim and miss. Even a novice would be able to hit her with certainty.
There must have been hundreds of archers in front alone, and they probably had their sights set on the girl even before they knew she was the Brave. But none of them were able to shoot an arrow.
The general of the army, which numbered over ten thousand, had been engulfed by Leticia’s presence alone.
In the past, Leticia had intimidated an army of demons numbering nearly ten thousand with her presence. Even the demons, who were said to have only fighting instincts, were frightened by Leticia’s presence and retreated.
An ordinary human being would find it difficult to remain calm in the face of the girl’s seriousness.
Still, if one of the knights in command had given the order to attack, the well-trained soldiers might have been able to fire their arrows. But who would be capable of giving such an order to attack? Kill the Brave. The one who ordered it would surely be the one who would commit the greatest crime of mankind, and would be forever named as a great sinner in history.
“But if you do not retreat, you leave me no choice…” A tinge of sadness resided in Leticia’s eyes. “I will have to fight you all.” She said to the astonished soldiers in a dejected and trembling voice.
How long had it been since then? Only a few seconds after Leticia’s ultimatum. But to many of them it seemed like minutes. The change began first with the soldiers who, unfortunately, had to face Leticia head-on.
“I-I can’t… I can’t do it. I couldn’t… fight the Brave. There’s no way I could do that.” He dropped the spear he was holding and dropped to his knees on the spot.
“I couldn’t either.”
“Neither could I…”
“I’m not going to…”
One by one, the soldiers dropped their spears, swords, axes and bows. Their knees buckled. It was as if a ripple spread out.
In front of Leticia, a knight with the insignia of Colonel stepped out of Prince Neumann’s army. He was probably the commander in charge of the front-line troops. He got down from his horse and knelt in front of Leticia.
“Please put away your sword, Brave-sama. We were not informed that you were with the Lyon Royal Army. Had we been informed, my men would never have done such a foolish act as blocking your path. And even if my homeland, the empire, is destroyed by your hands, we could not draw our bows against you. I am sure that is the fate that is set by… by the Goddess. This thought is the same as that shared by my subordinates.”
“I would never do such a thing.”
“Of course, it never crossed our minds that you would be capable of such an act.”
Leticia smiled at the Colonel and sheathed her sword.
“Then it’s all right for the Kingdom of Lyon’s army to pass safely through the basin, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” The Colonel stood up and quickly raised his right arm.
Then, the soldiers immediately raised the hedge and quickly dismounted it to clear the way.
“Thank you all. Thank you very, very much indeed.”
“Please come in. Leticia von Mavis the Brave-sama. And if you will permit, we would also like to ask your permission to join the army you lead.”
“To side with me means to side with the First Princess Cornelia. You would be making enemies with Prince Neumann. Is that all right with you?”
“We don’t care about that.”
Leticia bowed to the soldiers surrounding her. Her bow was full of gratitude to the soldiers who had led the way, and the crowd erupted with joy.
“Long live the Brave Mavis-sama!”
The voices quickly grew louder and spread throughout the troop. The Colonel, who was standing in front of Leticia and observing the scene, waited for the shouts of praise for the Brave to subside, and then shouted in a clear voice:
“All right! From this moment on, we will side with the Brave Mavis-sama and Her Highness the First Princess Cornelia. Those who are not happy with this decision should immediately join the troops in the rear! If you want to work with me, stay here! I will join the generals of the Lyon Royal Army!
?????
Cheers of praise for Leticia reached the distant main camp of the army of the Kingdom of Lyon.
“Wow… in front of Leticia, an army has no sense of existing.”
Raul, who averted his gaze to the camp of Prince Neumann’s army, where Leticia would be, although she was not visible from the main camp, muttered with a dumbfounded expression.
“I’m glad that the Brave-sama has no ambition. If she did, the continent would be unified in the blink of an eye.”
“It seems we have arranged the spearhead troops of Prince Neumann’s army. I will have to re-decide their deployment.”
“Do you plan that wherever we go from now on, the Brave will capture enemy armies one after another?”
“I wonder if you can call that a strategy. It seems to me that they have joined our side without permission. Well, anyway, as the army increases, we’ll have to prepare our supplies better than ever.”
“Haha, that would mean the Western Knights in Peshlika are going to be just a nuisance.”
Raul nodded and stared at the walls of Peshlika behind him. High up on the heavily enclosed Peshlika walls, there was movement among the soldiers. They might have heard it. They might have heard the shouts of praise for Leticia coming from the troops at the spearhead of Prince Neumann’s army.
“Now is the right time. We can take down Peshlika with a little time and effort.”
The officers nodded in unison at Raul’s words. The reinforcements that were to come to intercept the Lyon Royal Army had simply turned against them. Only the troops at the spearhead went over to their side, not Prince Neumann’s entire army, but they could not find out from inside the city walls. Count Schlihaden, the Western Knights and the Lords of the Western Provinces who were taking refuge in the city of Peshlika, must have been very upset.
“Then, launch the attack on Peshlika as planned. Although we have forcibly subdued the spearhead of Prince Neumann’s army, many of the enemy forces are still intact. Do not miss this opportunity when the enemy entrenched in Peshlika is agitated!”
As soon as Raul’s order was given, the Lyon Royal Army began attacking the city of Peshlika. A little more than two hours after the start of the battle, a white flag was raised at the gate of the city wall. As Raul had predicted, the lord of Peshlika, Count Schlihaden, assumed that the 40,000 members of Prince Neumann’s army who had come to his aid had surrendered. If his reinforcements had not come to his aid and if the 40,000 soldiers had been absorbed into the army of the Kingdom of Lyon, the scale of the army would have been 100,000. It was five times the size of the western army of 20,000. It seemed to Count Schlihaden that there was no other course left but surrender.
As always, if you like what I do, consider support me through Ko-fi with the following link:
And If you find some error or something off, please feel free to tell me.