I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy - Chapter 194: Linz Plains Giant Slalom (6)

The front, left, and right were surrounded by the infantry of the Reich Empire, and from the rear, over ten thousand knights were swarming in.

For the Reich Empire’s army, this situation was the best moment to annihilate the knights, but for the Grand Duchy of Ostarica’s army, it was the worst moment that sealed their defeat.

The Ostarica army knights, shadowed by defeat, were only permitted to flee or resist as much as possible and die there.

“Ostarica’s honorable knights, even if we all die here today, let us not surrender or flee to save our lives in disgrace!”

“Our brave fight will be remembered by our descendants forever!”

“Death is momentary, but honor lasts forever! Let’s fight the enemy with our swords!”

The officers leading the knights were prepared to struggle and die meaninglessly, as they had been educated in academies, the Staff College, and as nobles.

So, they naturally ordered their knights to join them on the path to the afterlife.

“Damn, I want to live!”

“The consolation money for our families after we die won’t even be enough to feed them!”

“If you’re going to die, die alone! You incompetent bastard!”

Not being officers, the commoner knights, merely soldiers wearing iron armor, naturally resisted the order to fight and die honorably.

Because, as they shouted, the nobles might not have a problem living on even if they died, but the consolation money returned to the families of the soldiers, and non-commissioned officers who died in a lost battle was barely more than a rat’s tail.

Because it was clear what the future would hold for their families if they died gloriously fighting fiercely here.

Meanwhile, as the saying goes, ‘one person’s misfortune is another’s happiness,’ the Reich Empire’s knights were given a perfect opportunity to choose their feats as a result of the Ostarica knights being in great misfortune.

Understanding the situation, Colonel Carlos, leading the knights, raised his lance and shouted loudly.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has granted us an opportunity to shine! Surely, none of you here would be foolish enough to miss such an honorable and glorious opportunity, right?”

The knights responded to his words.

“I’ll get promoted this time and buy my wife a new dress!”

“Let’s earn our stars! There’s no other opportunity but now!”

“Aaah! Those dog-like bastards are blocking the path of His Highness the Crown Prince! We’ll crush them into dust today.”

It was a situation where the infantry had already set the table, and all they had to do was place the spoon; failing even in this meant that, honestly, the chance for promotion would never come.

Fortunately for the Crown Prince and General Yaeger, not a single person in the imperial army, including Colonel Carlos, had given up on the opportunity for advancement.

They charged at the knights of the Grand Duchy of Ostarica just as they had learned in dozens and hundreds of charge training sessions.

Moreover, unlike the infantry of the Reich Empire, those dismounted were wearing full iron armor.

They did not even have halberds capable of stopping the charge of those weighing over 600kg.

“Mom! I don’t want to die here!! Aaah!”

“You crazy bastard, don’t run forward! Just stand there and die! Die alone, you bastard!”

“Aaaaaah! I’m flying!!”

So, the knights were crushed into minced meat under the massive hooves weighing hundreds of kilos, wearing their iron shells, or died from the shock of being flung and hitting something due to the impact.

In addition, Ostarican knights running back to survive the vanguard collided with knights from the Reich Empire coming from behind, trying to escape forward.

They fell like dominoes, being crushed by each other’s bodies, dying instantly from the impact or slowly suffocating.

Colonel Carlos thought,

‘I’d like to pull back and then charge again to kill all the knights. But for the next operation, we need to retreat.’

“Leave this front to the infantry! We shall retreat! Return to the main camp, catch your breath, and grab your lances again!”

Following that order, the knights of the Reich Empire, although somewhat reluctantly, obediently returned to the main camp.

“Since we’ve got them on the run, we should have charged three or four more times.”

“It can’t be helped. Instead, let’s take the heads of the enemy generals in the pursuit.”

“Let’s go back, have a drink of water, and wait for the next operation.”

As they returned, one of the reserve infantry divisions took over for the knights, blocking the retreat path of the Ostarican knights.

Through this, the nearly twenty thousand knights of Ostarica were surrounded on all sides in a nearly combat-incapable state, buried in a situation where they could no longer survive.

“Your Highness, the 9th Division is unable to withstand the fierce attack of the Reich Empire’s infantry and is requesting to retreat! What should we do?”

“Your Highness, Baron Peter von Bine, the commander of the 11th Division, has fallen in battle.”

“Your Highness, the infantry of the Reich Empire’s army is surrounding us on both sides!”

The Grand Duke of Ostarica felt like he was going mad with the endless news of defeat.

‘We have more troops, so where are we being pushed back? Damn, it would be great if we could look down on the battlefield from the sky.’

But in this era, without technology like drones, all commanders had to imagine how the battlefield was unfolding based solely on the information conveyed by messengers.

They had to decide where to send reinforcements and which sub-units of which unit to call upon accordingly.

And now, Grand Duke Baitman von Ostarica had surpassed the limits of what he could imagine with his abilities, so he was utterly unable to decide what orders to give.

“Staff officers, immediately draw a picture based on the reports from messengers so far to see what our situation looks like! Hurry, even a rough sketch will do!”

Following that order, the staff officers around Grand Duke Baitman von Ostarica reviewed each report from the messengers and drew it out.

During this, Max von Benner had an intuition.

‘Ah, my brother-in-law said to flee if it seemed the Ostarica army would suffer a great defeat. Now, it’s time to start preparing to escape.’

Then, while the other staff officers were busy devising alternatives around the Grand Duke, he pondered how to escape as safely as possible.

Surviving and returning from here would be enough, but it would be better to gather as much information as possible, and if he could greatly disrupt the Ostarican formation on his way back…

‘I could achieve the military exploits equivalent to an entire regiment on my own. Damn it, I’ll do whatever it takes to restore my honor and return as a father my wife and child can be proud of.’

While gritting his teeth and looking around, Benner caught sight of Matthias, the traitor who had abandoned the empire and his former friend.

For some reason, today, the back of Matthias’s head looked as attractive as a piece of art in Benner’s eyes.

Then, Benner suddenly clutched his stomach and said,

“Matthias, I’m really sorry, but could you go to the restroom with me? My stomach hurts so much I think I’m going to die.”

“Ha, damn it. That’s why I told you to drink less, even if you wanted to look good in front of His Highness! I might not be that familiar, but you can’t move alone within the camp, right? Wait for me.”

“Thank you, my friend.”

“If you’re sorry, think about how you can save His Highness from this crisis. If His Highness wins, you’ll get a wife prettier and more charming than those you used to hang around with. It’s time for a new start.”

After saying that, Matthias approached a colonel who was wearing the staff officer insignia near the Grand Duke and sought permission.

The two moved to a corner of the camp where no one could see them, and Benner quietly pulled down his trousers, squatted, and began to relieve himself.

“I’m sorry, my friend.”

“What are you apologizing for between us? Frankly, there are only four people here I can trust other than you. If you’re really grateful, buy me a drink after winning the war and returning. I’ll introduce you to the bar.”

“Thanks a damn lot, you bastard.”

Thus, Benner and Matthias shared a warm conversation in a corner of the camp, like friends who had known each other for decades.

“Hey, but actually, I have a good strategy. Do you have the military deployment map you were just working on?”

Matthias found those words suspicious but didn’t doubt him much.

“Why? Did you come up with a good strategy without telling me?”

“Since we have more troops, we just need to mobilize the rear units to strike the empire’s left flank. That way, we’ll find a breathing space.”

“…But why are you telling me this?”

“After all, there’s no guarantee that His Highness would believe me if I said it. So, it’s better to tell you to get it approved. If we turn the tide with that, you’ll get promoted, and I’ll at least get some crumbs, won’t I?”

Matthias was greatly moved by those words, and just in time, Benner finished his business and quietly stood up.

Then, Matthias, filled with gratitude, patted Benner’s shoulder, intending to continue saying something, but at that moment, he could not say anything.

A dagger was stuck in his throat, specifically in his windpipe, so all that came out when he tried to speak was the sound of air escaping and blood bubbling.

Looking down at his former friend, Benner said with pity,

“Matthias, you son of a bitch, you shouldn’t have done that when my brother-in-law gave you a chance to live. Let me tell you one more thing. Judging by the way the Grand Duke speaks, it seems he plans to kill all five of you, including me, after this battle. You’re worse than an idiot, really.”

Saying that, Benner mercifully ended the life of Matthias, who was dying in despair, confusion, and the shock of betrayal.

Then, he took the military deployment map Matthias had prepared and carefully left the camp.

“Damn, if I deliver this information to my brother-in-law on time, not only will I restore my honor, but I also won’t have to hear anyone call me a fool who only got promoted by riding on my brother-in-law’s coattails after returning.”