I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy - Chapter 192: Linz Plains Giant Slalom (4)

The morale of the 20,000 knights under the Grand Duke of Ostarica was very high.

The reason was that those leading the knight units were the Grand Duke’s personal guard knights, boasting the highest prestige and claiming to be the strongest in the Grand Duchy.

Thus, although the Grand Duke himself did not participate in this charge, they were advancing under the Grand Duke’s banner.

Because this path was laden with opportunities for honor and advancement.

“Whoever captures General Yaeger or the Crown Prince will be granted the title of baron and a prosperous barony! Do you want to change your fate? Those who desire wealth, honor, and beauty on each arm, capture those bastards! Everything you desire hangs on the necks of those two!”

Additionally, it was common sense that knights could only truly be countered by knights.

While the Grand Duke of Ostarica commanded 20,000 knights, the Reich Empire’s forces only had about half that number, around 10,000.

Thus, in a war where the number of knights significantly swings the outcome, their chance of dying, being numerically double, was very low.

The probability of winning was estimated to be over 95%, so their morale could not be low.

“Maria, wait for me! From now on, I’ll make sure you can eat white bread and meat every day!”

“Forget a nagging wife; I also want to have a beautiful woman in my bed occasionally!”

“Damn! Let’s capture those two bastards and change our fates once and for all!!!”

As they rode with their morale at its peak, circling around the left flank of the Empire’s forces, something caught the eye of Hans von Grunwald, the deputy commander of the Ostarica personal guard knights.

“Damn Reich Empire bastards… crawling like cockroaches! Agh!”

“What’s so funny about smashing people’s heads like that?!”

“The reserve troops, when are the reserve troops coming?”

Because the Grand Duke of Ostarica deployed the reserve troops at an inopportune time, the deployed reserves were not providing much help in the battle.

With the commander’s poor judgment, Hans feared that thousands of soldiers deployed here would quickly die, making him even more anxious.

‘We must succeed in our attack here by any means necessary. Otherwise, the Ostarica forces might face defeat.’

Thus, when he looked to the side, the urge to strike the undefended rear of the Reich Empire’s infantry suddenly surged, but as a soldier who must follow the Grand Duke’s orders, he resisted the temptation and prepared to strike the back of the Reich Empire’s forces, passing through several divisions.

“Form a wedge formation. We will strike the Empire’s 7th Guard Division and press forward with that momentum to capture the Crown Prince.”

Upon this command, the knights of the Grand Duchy of Ostarica naturally formed a wedge-shaped formation and began moving towards their target in that formation.

“Deputy Commander, 20,000 Ostarica knights are currently moving along the rear flank of the infantry troops. They will arrive in about 15 minutes.”

“Send a signal to Lieutenant Colonel Anya’s northern cavalry regiment to completely shake the left side of the wedge formation. Then, signal the knights to stab them from the rear. Also, request His Highness to lead the personal guard closer to the rear.”

“We will follow the orders.”

The Crown Prince, having received General Yaeger’s instructions, moved to the rear of the 7th Division and began focusing on boosting the morale of the soldiers.

Lieutenant Colonel Anastasia led her northern archer cavalry regiment, composed of northerners, to carry out the given orders.

“For General Yaeger! For Her Highness, the 4th Princess Louise! Let’s show our utmost strength and beyond!”

Her true intention in saying this was not so much for the princess, but rather, to perform exceptionally here, achieve great merit, and receive praise from General Yaeger.

‘The General will gladly make time if I ask him on the night the war ends. Then, while discussing strategy, I’ll get him to drink a bit and subtly seduce him. Lady Laura seems to acknowledge me to some extent, so she might help…’

What she was overlooking, however, was how to outmaneuver another vixen like Charlotte, who was also eyeing General Yaeger.

Her subordinates, the archer cavalry, responded very positively and cheered to her cry.

“Long live the great General who killed the tyrant of the North!”

“Long live Her Highness, Princess Louise! Long live the Reich Empire!”

“Long live the Empire that freed us from damn starvation! Damn, let’s change our fate!”

The northern archer cavalry raised their morale and then, with bows and arrows in hand, ran towards the location of Ostarica’s knights, running side by side at a distance where the knights’ lances could barely reach.

As always, they continuously shot arrows at them, tormenting them to the point where they couldn’t regain their senses.

Most of the arrows bounced off the horses’ armor and the knights’ armor, but occasionally, some arrows found gaps and killed knights.

When one was hit by an arrow and fell dead, the formation would break due to the dead, causing two or three following knights to be trampled to death by others charging from behind.

“Damn barbarians, fighting like little girls! Let’s fight properly!”

“Fighting in such an annoyingly sly manner! If caught, you won’t be left alone.”

“Go to hell, you barbarian heathens.”

The knights of Ostarica cursed in an attempt to dilute their fear of those who were steadily reducing their numbers with arrows shot from afar.

The Reich Empire’s archer cavalry sincerely mocked the knights, who could do nothing but hurl insults.

Thus, inevitably hit by thousands of arrows, they moved toward the rear of the 7th Division where the Crown Prince was.

The Empire’s infantry units began to show signs of tension gradually.

When the Ostarica forces changed direction to attack where the Empire’s 7th Guard Division was, Lieutenant Colonel Anastasia ordered,

“Archer cavalry, cease arrow firing! Shake out the bags of caltrops you’ve prepared and scatter them liberally!”

At her command, the archer cavalry took the bags of caltrops hung on their saddles and scattered them along the path the knights were charging.

“Take that! Isn’t it nice to charge over a field of caltrops?”

“Bastards, here’s a gift. Don’t go too far.”

“Have a nice trip to the underworld.”

Naturally, the horses, unable to avoid stepping on the iron caltrops, lost their minds and went wild.

As many horses failed to run in the direction commanded by the knights, their steps tangled, and with the knights atop, these masses of over 0.6 tons collided with each other.

With tremendous sounds of crunching, thudding, and clattering, horses and men were crushed and squashed into lumps of flesh.

“Aaaah! Onyx, stop! No, run! Go forward!!”

“Damn, Mom! Dad! Filia!”

“These damn nomadic bastards! Die and go to hell!! Aaaah!”

Thus, the charge formation’s left wing of the Grand Duke of Ostarica’s knights dramatically lost its momentum, and Colonel Grunwald noticed the effects.

“Damn, damn… To really kill or capture that bastard Crown Prince and General Yaeger hiding among those infantrymen, we must maintain the knights’ high morale to the end.”

However, what’s done is done, and trying to stop the charge now would result in over a thousand knights dying because they couldn’t stop.

“Damn it, by any means necessary, we must tear those bastards apart! Kill them!”

Upon that grim command, the many knights simply followed.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince decided that he must show courage to his soldiers here and now.

“I will stand with you! Brave soldiers of the personal guard, warriors of the 7th Division who transformed my disgrace at Reichen Hill into the Empire’s brilliant honor! Take up your spears! Let’s clear away those filthy obstacles blocking my path!”

With those words, the Crown Prince positioned himself at a spot where the knights’ charge could barely reach, dismounted, and took up a spear.

“I am not the same as I was before. I will not run away. So, do not turn your eyes away from those armored masses! Those who are afraid will die, but those prepared for death will return alive with glory!”

The commanders were inwardly impressed that the Crown Prince had taken the risk of holding a spear on the frontline, and the soldiers were moved to see the Crown Prince standing with them on the frontline.

“Long live the great Reich Empire! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Once more, the courage of Reichen!”

“Even if we are to die, let’s kill at least one more of those damned knights coming right before our eyes!”

“You crazy bastard! We have to return alive to receive the Crown Prince’s reward.”

As trained and disciplined, the soldiers extended their spears toward the knights, following the officers’ commands.