CHAPTER 10: CRECY REDUX

The second part of the Tri-Skill Tournament, the ‘Command’ phase, had finally come.

“For this stage…” Sophia explained to me, “We’ll be hiring mercenary companies to be commanded by you.”

“Luckily, since this tournament was popular, it always attracts mercenaries from all over Chersea,” William added, “We can find them around the battlefield; they’ll be advertising their forces to the highest renter.”

“Oh, so it’s like the medieval style of warfare,” I remarked.

“Hmm? Medie…what?”

“Nothing. Carry on.”

“I’ve ordered my butler to go around and get the best mercenary companies on our side,” Sophia pointed it out, “To be sure that we’ll win, we need to have a complete mixture of soldiers with different weapon specialties.”

“I see. What have you got in mind?”

“A company of crossbowmen, at least two companies of spearmen, and a company of cavalry will do.”

“The crossbowmen are for harassing and screening the main force, which will be composed of spearmen infantry and the cavalry,” it was William who kept on dropping some backup explanations related to military, “The infantry, like always, will take the brunt of the enemy offensive, and the cavalry will chase down the escaping soldiers.”

“Hmm…sounds like an excellent tactic.”

“It is the standard in our books, silly,” Sophia countered, “Every sane military commander knew of how these troops should work.”

“Well, I’m a commoner, so I’m exempt.”

“Indeed, you are. But you’re not a ‘common’ commoner,” William countered me.

“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, haven’t you heard?” William looked at me like I was some stupid person, “You’ve been the talk of the town ever since you defeated the Paladin Prince Maxwell von Kluck in your duel using a ‘demon weapon’.

“What?” I was surprised by that information.

“Indeed, you are! The commoners were thrilled to learn that someone like you is representing them in this tournament.”

“But I didn’t; I’m just here because a certain pair of kids asked me to fight for their sister.”

“Ahem…as I’ve said earlier, you’re slowly getting famous…or infamous, whichever side you want to see,” Sophia kept on her words, “The nobility suddenly feared the influx of ‘demon weapons’ being traded in human territories after they saw you effectively use it on a battle against a fully armored knight.”

Well, I guess that’s to be expected. Back in the old Earth, the current Pope (before I was summoned here) condemned the makers of firearms because it was an ‘un-Christian’.

“Don’t worry Mister Kuro,” Sophia smiled gently at me, “We’ll protect you from these mad aristocrats until you safely return to the Holy Palatial Gardens.”

Honestly, I didn’t know what to say to her, other than the usual, “Thanks!” I was being creeped out by the kindness of these Rubinforths lately. I noticed drastic changes in how these kids are treating me. Like how when I woke up, and I saw Sophia carrying an ornate silver tray of sumptuous food for my breakfast. She said it’s her usual hospitality, but I highly doubt it.

Before, they would have a maid serve me food on a plain wooden tray with—I don’t know if those are scraps, or if someone took pity on me and set aside some leftovers.

Now, I guess that was a full course meal, something that’s reserved for the nobility. And to think that Sophia herself would bring it to me was something unprecedented as well. William also had a noticeable change in character. Before, whenever I try to talk to him, he’d always give me this uninterested look. But now, every time I tell them something, he’s listening intently to my words and obeys my orders or requests.

I didn’t know about the Duke and Her Holiness though…I hadn’t seen them since I woke up…

“Oh, it’s Mister Kuro!”

“!!!”

Oh, great! Speaking of the devil himself.

“Papa!” Sophia greeted him, “You going now to the tourney field?”

“Yes, I have to make sure everything’s okay in there,” the Duke replied to his daughter with a pleasant smile; something that I haven’t seen since knowing him. And man, that’s kind of creepy too. What the hell just happened?

“Mister Kuro, are you ready for the next challenge?” there’s a hint of intimidation on his tone when he asked me that. But you know, for some weird reason, I also felt that he said that on a pleasant note—as if he’s waiting for something worthwhile from me. A far cry from his usual scowl and frown several times earlier.

“Err…yes, Your Excellency,” I replied.

“Good. See you at the tourney fields then,” the Duke then went off on his way.

Uh…is this what the Beastman Saint told me before that there’s a change happening? If so, I’m creeped out.

----------

Sophia’s butler arrived shortly after the Duke went off to inspect the tourney fields for the upcoming second part of the Tri-Skill tournament. We were surprised when he came back, for he looked so dejected we didn’t recognize him at first.

“Forgive me, Your Excellency,” the old butler bowed, “The price for hiring mercenaries suddenly went way too high for our budget to take them in.”

“Hah?” Sophia was unnerved by what she had learned, “So, what have you got then?”

“I only got three companies of spearmen before spending all the money.”

William aired his concerns, “That won’t do. We’ll never win with just spearmen. What if our enemy would use crossbowmen? We’ll be defeated from afar if that happens.”

“My apologies, Your Excellencies! Word has it that the Templar-Prince bought off most of the companies to gain a numerical advantage over the Imperial Prince, who brought over his hosts.”

“It’s alright, Jeeves,” Sophia dismissed him, “You’ve done what you could. You may rest now.” After the butler named Jeeves left (seriously, was it the standard to name your butlers ‘Jeeves’ or ‘Sebastian’?), the Rubinforth siblings and I discussed our current situation.

“We only got three leftover spearmen companies, huh?” William was visibly dismayed.

“I guess that’s it, my brother…” Sophia commented, “Our cause is doomed.”

“So, we’ll withdraw Mister Kuro’s registration?”

“Do we have any other choice?”

I was only listening to their desperate conversation. Honestly, I was hopeless as well. However, it’s not like we could do something about it.

“Guys, I don’t think we should give up,” I tried encouraging them, “Hey, why don’t we try meeting the men your butler bought for us?”

“Hm…is it still winnable?” William kept on asking me.

To which I replied, “We’ll see about that. But first, let’s see to those guys that were hired.”

----------

The mercenaries’ area was a small temporary enclave that was made to house the hired-arms selling their services to the contestants of the Tri-Skill Tournament. They usually advertise their combat specialties on a small board that was placed outside their respective tents. Think of it as a shopping place for those who need mercenaries. I knew it was a kind of strange, but this was pretty convenient, in a way. Lesser talk, more opportunity to browse around.

“…”

However, during this time, all of them had removed their signs—a sign that someone had already hired them and replaced them with their employer’s banner.

“!!!”

And just like what that butler named Jeeves said, by the time we have arrived, a lot of those tents had displayed the ‘Flaming Mountain’ banner of the Templar-Prince of Baltes.

“That guy made sure that he’ll counter the powerful legions of the Empire with numbers,” I heard what William said.

“Is this empire you’re talking about the most powerful in this land?” I couldn’t help but to ask that; I was interested in this place’s geographical politics after all.

“Well, you can say that,” William replied, “However, my grandfather said that back in my ancestors’ time, they didn’t even lift a finger in humanity’s attempt to drive the invading demon armies in Chersea. As a result, the Empire was ostracized from most of the Chersea’s kingdoms and duchies.”

“They are powerful enough to hold out on their own anyway, so what’s the point of associating with others?” Sophia said with contempt.

Kid, you don’t know how human alliances work? It’s not just simply helping others when they need military aid; it’s also for boosting influence and the prestige of your country. And based on William’s narrative, this Empire he’s talking about clearly treated its other neighboring territories as something of a second-rate civilization. Something like the Roman Empire did back on Classical Antiquity Earth.

“Anyway, here are our soldiers, I guess…” William and Sophia stopped right in front of a tent that displayed the teal and white banner of the Rubinforth house. Across the narrow path, two more tents had the same banner.

I guess those are our three companies of men…

“…”

“Hey, Cap, who are these kids and the weak-ass guy?” the thinly bearded mercenary spoke to someone inside the first tent.

“Hmm? Probably our employers?” a gruff voice came from the tent.

“Huh? They are?”

“I heard that butler said they are a pair of kids; the children of the host of this tourney.”

“Well, if that’s so, then you better show your arse here, Cap!”

“Ayt! I’m coming then!”

A few minutes of awkward silence followed as I, the Rubinforth siblings, and the mercenary waited for the person called ‘Cap’ to emerge from his tent. We heard a few rustling and tussle before a white, curly-haired man with a feminine-looking face showed himself to us. He wore an impressive, but beaten-up armor that looked like it went through many bloody struggles in the past.

“Ooh…” the Rubinforth siblings were intimidated by his presence. I was intimidated as well, but it’s because of something else. This white, curly-haired guy reminded me of someone I knew back in my old world. Wait, is his name—

“Greetings! My name is Griffyth.”

Fuck, it’s the famous NTR man!

“It’s Griffyth with a ‘y’ though,” he explained with a smile, “It’s to avoid legal problems…”

“Huh?” Sophia tilted her head, wondering, “What legal problems?”

“Nothing!” then he turned to me and gave me a look from head to toe, “You there!”

“W-what?”

“I like you; you’ll be mine!”

What the hell? Even the dialogue…Don’t tell me your mercenary company’s name is also—

“Yes, you’ll be with us in the Band of the Oak!”

Ha? Band of the Oak? That’s a lame pun for that famous fictional mercenary group back on Earth!

“Well, I should’ve named that ‘Band of the Hawk’, but I keep on getting the feeling that if I did, I’d be involved in a legal problem, so I renamed it to Oak.”

Indeed. I’m glad you did that since this stupid story might end up in hot, legal water if you proceeded.

Anyway, Griffyth then introduced us to his mercenary unit composed of mostly spearmen.

“This thinly bearded man right there is called Gats. It’s Gats with an ‘a’.”

“Let me guess…” I interjected this time, “It’s to prevent legal problems again?”

“You’ve guessed it right. I really like you!” Griffyth said that with a dreamy look on his face.

Come on man, stop with that homo-sounding dialogue. It’s seriously giving me the creeps.

“Gats is my best subordinate, and we specialize in fighting using spears,” Griffyth showed us to the other members inside his tent, “We’re about 67 men strong, and aside from spears, we can use swords, ride on horseback, and Tarasca over there can simultaneously cast magic while fighting hand-to-hand.”

Tarasca? You mean your equivalent for C*sca? I turned to look over the direction where Tarasca was, but…

“…”

Well, I expected Tarasca to be some cute mercenary girl. Much to my disappointment, Tarasca’s a six-foot, bearded guy that looked like a hippie…

Everything’s not right in this story. I hope the writer is still on his sane mind…

----------

Oh well, so much for the introductions. Gathering the mercenaries we hired, we talked to their captains. The other leaders were a grim, scary bunch, and Griffyth was the only one who looked different. His face looked so pretty he could pass off as a female; something that could cause an internet shitstorm debating whether he’s a ‘he’ or a ‘she’.

Alas, if they could only hear his voice…many virgin dreams would certainly be destroyed…

Ah anyway, the Rubinforth siblings then took the time to introduce me to them as their commander (temporarily)…

“…”

And just what I expected, they didn’t like to be commanded by a weak-looking commoner like me.

“Surely, you jest Your Excellencies,” one mercenary chuckled, “You mean this guy will lead us in battle?”

“I’m sure you know what he just did to the Paladin Prince on the first round,” William tried to defend me.

“This and that, are two different things. He may have been an experienced fighter, but will his skills suffice?”

“Yeah, we’re hopelessly outnumbered here! We don’t want to ‘die’ needlessly!”

“Come on guys, I like him!” Griffyth tried to side with the Rubinforths.

“Shut up Griff! Don’t lump us with you, you effeminate man!”

That shut the NTR man for a while. Anyway, I couldn’t let this continue. I needed to convince them that fighting under me was a worthwhile venture.

“Hey, guys! Listen to me!” I tried to get all of their attention.

“What is it, newbie?”

“Are you guys scared or something?” I asked.

“What did you say?”

“We? Scared? Surely you’re joking!”

“Well, you’re backing out even though you haven’t proved yourselves yet,” I pointed out.

“Of course, we are! How can we be so sure that you’re a competent commander?”

“That’s the point,” I explained, “You see, didn’t you three companies end up rejected because the nobles think you are a bunch of incompetent good-for-nothings?”

“Hey! Watch your mouth!”

“Hold up, let him speak,” Griffyth calmed his companions down; their hands were already on the hilts of their swords.

“Well, I know it’s pretty uncommon to see a commoner commanding you. But here’s the deal; you know we are looked down upon by these nobles because they think I can’t properly command, more so make some good battlefield decisions. Now, imagine if, for some miraculous reason, we won the contest? What do you think those nobles would think of you?”

Silence ruled the entire group as they realized what I was trying to say to them.

“That’s right. They think I’m an incompetent, arrogant commoner. But because your mercenary companies are so good at fighting, your martial prowess made up for my lack of understanding of the battlefield,” a sly smile appeared on my lips, “And so, with that kind of advertisement, I don’t think your groups would go hungry for a long while…”

“He’s speaking the language of the gods!” someone among the mercenaries spoke up.

“Yes, the language of the mercenary god!”

“I don’t think there’s such one!”

“Whatever! What he says is true and reasonable!” A mercenary picked up his weapon and stood by my side, “I’ll be fighting for Master Kuro!”

“Me as well!” another mercenary joined us. And just like a contagious disease, they became convinced I could lead them to victory.

Ugh…I hate playing on people’s hopes…

----------

So, after gathering them in one place, Sophia was having her headaches upon learning that we only had 205 men with spears and a variety of equipment divided into three companies. A hopeless situation compared to the 20 mercenary companies of different weapon specialties hired by the Templar-Prince of Baltes.

I could tell that William wanted to cry in despair, but he’s been holding back the tears pretty well…

Nice kid.

Sophia and the mercenary captains also expressed hopelessness in the situation. From a highly motivated force earlier after my speech, they became desperate and were even considering dropping their participation from the contest upon learning the true situation. Only Griffyth had the guts to convince them to stay. Well, I had the same opinion as most of them. But I decided not to focus much on the numbers. I was looking towards the battlefield site. The weather had been a drizzle, which made the soil wet. There was no high ground that could be turned to our advantage, and also our enemies’ advantage as well.

“…”

I remembered a military maxim that says it’s better if you choose where you fight your battles.

And actually, we could make this field into our chosen battle site. I faced Griffyth, who was surveying the place with me.

“Captain Griffyth?”,

“Just call me Griff.”

“Okay. I’m just curious, what is the reason your companies were not hired by the Templar-Prince?”

“Well, he’s an asshole.”

“No, not that…”

“It must be because we’re too few compared to other mercenary groups.”

“Well, your band is fewer than most of these people,” I kept on asking, “Can I know why? I mean, you could’ve hired more people if you wanted to join and be hired in this prestigious game.”

Griffyth gave me a wide grin, “You know, Master, I and the other captains of these companies don’t look into numbers when we fight. The Band of the Oak prioritizes morale and the quality of fighting men, unlike those other mercenary groups who think they can make a difference with numbers.”

“I see…”,

“Yes, that’s our philosophy as a group. You see, most of these nobles only look at the number of men, and not at their quality. I beg to differ. We may be commoners but given the proper training, and encouragement, we can be a force to reckon with on the battlefields. I saw this happen on other lands, where conflict rages on.”

“Oh…”

“So yeah, the nobles had doubts as to my reasons I keep my men well below the usually accepted numbers. It’s for ease of command and training. You see, Master Kuro, we’ve been training with other weapons to bring out difference and flexibility on the battlefield.”

“Which means?”

“We could become spearmen to fight the cavalry, or swordsmen, to crush the infantry. We can also fight using bows and arrows for long-range duels.”

I was silent when I heard that. Surely, that knowledge could bring about a difference in fighting a battle. If I remember, someone else from Earth pioneered this idea before—in the early days of gunpowder. King Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden had his men ‘cross-trained’, meaning they could operate on any type of battle condition. His infantry could become cavalry, and his cavalry could act as artillerymen.

Such innovations brought his kingdom into power in the years following the Thirty Years’ War.

----------

Now I was having an idea of how I’d fight our battle…

Armed with knowledge of how the mercenary companies we hired could be converted into several types of soldiers depending on battlefield conditions, I set about to check the rest of our little army. Just to give you a background, in this type of RPG-based, or medieval-fantasy world, what I’d noticed was that the warriors were often limited to the weapons they use at their disposal. For example, if you become a knight, then you remain a knight. Thus, you couldn’t use the bow.

In this battle, I’d like to exploit that flaw.

“Uh, Tarasca…”

“Yes?”

“Can you use fire magic?”

“Hm? A little. Only a few barrages of fireballs, and that’s it.”

“How about some magic spell that can turn the soil into a muddy mess?”

“I can, but what for?”

“How about covering the mud with grass?”

“I guess I could do that, too?”

“Can you simultaneously cast them?”

“Well, I can’t, but I can use it in quick succession.”

“Nice,” I just slapped him at the back. I did that lightly, though, but his well-built body was so hard that it hurt my hand. Tarasca looked at me like he was weirded out; it was awkward. Maybe I shouldn’t do any mercenary-like things since I’m not a mercenary, anyway.

And then I turned into the other mercenary company that we hired, ‘The Band of Brothers’. The leader was called ‘Winters’, and though I kept on getting that weird ‘World War II’ vibes whenever I was talking to him, I was having a pretty good time discussing military stuff with the veteran.

“Hey, Winters!”

“Yo, man!”

“I got a few questions about your mercenary company.”

“Hmm? What is it?

“You said earlier that your company can use bows, and crossbows aside from spears?”

“Yes, we can. You know the battlefields; it’s like a capricious lady, she keeps on changing the more the action ensues…”

“I see…well, can you acquire lots of reserve arrows, just in case?” I purposefully kept my plans a secret from them just yet. I was sure we’d be all hard-pressed the moment the battle started.

The last one who I went to talk to were the captains of the last mercenary band we hired, the ‘Golden Territory Warriors’, named Kevin and Stephan.

“…”

I swear, something’s off with these names. Anyway, I also asked them a few questions about the abilities of their mercenary company. Kevin happily narrated the history of their group instead; fortunately, Stephan was more level-headed and gave me the information I need. Well, from the looks of it, they’re the most upstart among the three companies we hired. Many of their members could only use the spear, though they’re aiming to use the sword as well…in case the combat became up close and personal…

And now, I guess I already knew what I should do…

After I was done in finding out the abilities of our little army, I invited Sophia, William, and the mercenary leaders to a ‘war council’—for short, I’d lay out my battle plans before them…

----------

Then came the horn blast, announcing the start of the contest.

“…”

There were four of us that were left in the second part of the Tri-Skill tournament. From the Mithril Group, the Imperial Prince with his professional legions; from the Gold Group, the Grey Knight of the East, with his group of knights and men-at-arms; from the Silver Group, the Templar-Prince of Baltes, and his mercenary hosts…

And well, from the Bronze Group, my motley army of spearmen, led by the NTR man, a pair of basketball players, and a Normandy paratrooper. (Of course, it’s a pun…get it?)

What the hell is this composition? Not that I had anything else to choose from. But I guess, to bite my enemies, I’d put their abilities to good use. And unlike the first contest where no one had the resolve to put their bet on me, this time, I had someone willing to risk their money…

“What? Devras? That demon merchant?”

I was surprised. Considering that he’s a business-demon, he’s way too much of a risk-taker. To think that he’d put his money on me…that’s a lot of confidence there.

I really had to win!

“Candidates from the Silver and Bronze groups! Please step forward and pick a paper!” the judge called out to us.

And so, the two of us took our chosen papers and simultaneously opened them. Well, much to my relief, I was to fight the Grey Knight of the East instead of the Templar-Prince or the Imperial Prince. I guess this was much better than having to fend off the attacks from the sea of mercenaries sent to destroy us or face the wrath of the disciplined legions of the Imperial Prince, to which I was sure our group had no chance to stand against.

Again, as was on the first phase of the Tri-Skill Tournament, the fight between me and the Grey Knight was considered a side-show. So, we were to be the first to cross arms…

“The first group to get annihilated or surrender will be the one defeated,” The judge explained the rules to us, “Any type of weaponry and skills are allowed, but no one is to attack the general of the opposing army. Did you understand my instructions?”

The Grey Knight gave his nod as a sign that he understood, and I also expressed my agreement with the rules. And then, after shaking hands, we went back to our respective sides to arrange our battle lines.

“Alright guys, it’s time to fight,” I told my mercenaries, “Go to the positions you’ll be holding as I told you in our war council.”

The grunts and nods of the men from my little army gave me the confidence that somehow they’ve recognized me as their leader, at least temporarily. Although we knew we’re hopelessly outnumbered and were assured with substitution dolls for safety, I still promised them I’d try to emerge in this contest with them mostly unscathed.

A big promise to fulfill, but in war, encouraging words can spell the difference between a resounding success or an infamous failure.

“Fight!” the judge began the fight in earnest, partly maybe because of the next fight between the Imperial Prince and the Templar-Prince loomed. So, they’re kind of in a hurry for our battle to be done with.

Don’t worry, I’m also of the same opinion, Mister Judge.

As per our plan, I concentrated the ‘Band of Brothers’ unit in a single mass in the middle of my battle line. They were armed with bows this time, but they had their spears at the ready beside them. On their flanks and positioned to protect them from flanking maneuvers was the mercenary group of ‘Golden Territory Warriors’, which I divided into two sub-groups, each commanded by one of its captains.

For the ‘Band of the Oak’, I placed them behind the battle line to act as a reserve force to reinforce any part of my front that was in danger of breaking.

“…”

However, the key piece in this plan was Tarasca. His ability to cast several types of magic in quick succession was my key to winning this battle. He and his skill would be my ‘force multiplier’ so that we could fight on par with the armored knights and men of the Grey Knight of the East.

“!!!”

I heard the horns being blown on the opponent’s side, signaling the start of their advance. The crowd that was watching on the bleachers cheered wildly. Unlike the first part of the Tri-Skill, a lot of the audience watched the ‘arrogant commoner’ battle it out against the greatest nobles of the land of Chersea.

“…”

From a distance, I could see the armored knights of the Grey Knight marched directly into my battle line. His infantry followed closely behind the cavalry.

A pretty direct tactic, I’d say.

I could tell their contempt for our group, since we looked like a ragtag band of bandits and brigands instead of a ‘real’ fighting army. Add my infamous reputation as a ‘commoner’; of course, they’d think that I won’t be able to command and fight properly.

“…”

I would say that the enemy formation would be easy picking for my archer-spearmen, if not for the smokescreen that was deployed by the enemy’s magician at the last minute.

In a matter of a few moments, the entire battlefield in front of us was shrouded in thick, white smoke.

“…”

“Keep your eyes peeled men!” I heard Griffyth shout his orders, “And also, your ears open.”

I could understand why he said that. The horses’ hooves would make an inevitable sound as they galloped towards our line, and that would be the signal that they’d be coming to charge down on us.

“…”

However, there’s no sound to be heard amidst that smoke. Even the crowd fell silent as well, but I guess this quietness was created artificially by the magicians on the opposing side.

Heh, pretty solid tactic, I guess…

At that moment, a huge fireball then came out of the smoke and fell on us.

“!!!”

But Tarasca made quick work on that fireball, which was a diversion from the actual attack!

“To the right!” I heard Kevin shout.

“Raise the spikes!” was my order to the mercenaries.

Then, out from the ground, came several pointed rocks that skewered the horses and the knights that came charging through the right flank of my line. Those that jumped through their incapacitated comrades then found themselves slowed down by the muddy ground after the spikes at which I ordered the archers to let loose a hail of arrows on the trapped men.

“The left is under attack as well!”

“Tarasca, give those bastards to the left a taste of your fireballs!”

Tarasca nodded and followed my orders. Since the archers were busy finishing the poor souls on the right, I thought Tarasca should pick those knights attacking our left flank from a safe distance.

Soon, the left of our line was illuminated by burning knights and horses.

Ugh…even if they’ll live after their damage was absorbed by the substitution doll, it’s still painful to be burned.

Soon enough, the knights realized the futility of their actions and slowly retreated.

“Haha! We’re driving those guys back, and we haven’t suffered a single casualty just yet!” Gats commented.

“Master Kuro, how about us?” Griffyth asked me impatiently, since I was holding them back. I could tell that he also wanted a share of glory for his company…

“Keep your positions, Griff. Those are just reconnaissance units,” I told him, “Expect another round of assault. Tarasca, set up the barriers!”

Tarasca then put up the magic shield and deployed it above us. Next, I ordered the other mercenary magicians in my army to reinforce Tarasca’s barrier; for soon, the missiles from the enemy were raining down on us.

“!!!”

The explosive fireballs and flaming arrows showered our positions with impunity. Tarasca’s shield, with help from his fellow magicians, was holding up pretty well. Griffyth watched in awe as the colorful explosions of the magic spells and arrows made a beautiful spectacle above us.

And then the barrage stopped.

“…”

The battlefield was quiet for a few moments until I noticed that the mud field Tarasca secretly created earlier became rock solid. Must be the work of the enemy magicians.

“Spears at the ready!”

The Band of Brothers unit then quickly dropped their bows and resorted to using their spears, deployed in a phalanx formation. The first three ranks were formed with their weapons pointed towards the enemy, and they silently waited for the incoming assault.

“Here they come!”

The first units of the armored knights appeared through the smoke, which the opposing magicians immediately dispersed after to reveal the mass of knights and men-at-arms charging towards us, with their armors glistening against the sun.

“…”

The mud fields were now frozen solid, meaning they could cross to our battle lines unhindered, and the archers were converted to spearmen to meet the cavalry charge. Tarasca was spent, so he’s resting at the back for a while.

I guess we have to hold this line for a while…

----------

The battle for the front became close and personal. Though the forest of sharp spears deterred the knights and their horses from completely charging us down, the men-at-arms closed in on our spearmen.

“Griffyth, now your chance!”

“Alright boys, time to show these arrogant bastards what they’ve missed from not hiring us!”

“Aaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhh!!!”

The Band of the Oak unit then came with a counter-charge against the men-at-arms. As the spears of the Band of Brothers and Golden Territory Warriors were way too long to fight the enemy infantry in close quarters, I had the NTR man’s group fight them with their swords. Spears protecting the swords from the cavalry, and the swords protecting the spears from the infantry. The enemy’s range infantry and magicians couldn’t rain down their projectiles on us, since doing so would endanger their men as well…

Nice, just like what I used to fight with when I’m playing my real-time strategy games on PC. Rome T*tal War FTW!!!

“…”

However, I’d also noticed that the mercenaries were about to reach their fighting limit. They’re getting exhausted, and this could mean danger—absolute danger. My entire battle line could collapse if I won’t do something soon…

I turned to Tarasca.

“Hey, can you still cast at least one more spell in a large area?”

Tarasca gave me an honest response, “Well, I could. But doing so would completely exhaust me until I sleep again.”

“Alright, cast another spell and turn that area a few distances away from our line into a mud field.”

“Okay, as you say, Cap!” Tarasca then stood up and started chanting. It took him a while to complete his spell since I asked him to cast it on a large area. At the back of my head, I prayed that my entire line would hold against the furious assault of the Grey Knight’s men.

“Mud Field!”

At that moment, the ground in front of us softened and the attacking men were shocked to while they sink slowly into the soil. Many of them panicked and tried to scamper for safety; the horses and the knights were effectively immobilized, and those who were near our battle line were trapped between our swords and spears and the mud field.

Heh, just like what I planned…

At that moment, I gave the order to the Band of Brothers group.

“Arrows on the knights! Fire on my command!”

The archer-spearmen then took their bows and aimed at the struggling knights and men-at-arms who were caught in the mud, as well as those who were still alive in front of us. And then, I let loose the thunderous order…

“Fire!”

A great massacre then followed; Crecy style. (1)

Author's Note:  (1) The Battle of Crecy took place on August 26, 1346 and was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France, which were then locked in a struggle called the 'Hundred Years' War'.

It is one of the three famous 'longbow' victories for the English, so-called because it was won primarily with archers, in a time when armored knights were the force feared in the battlefield.

According to an account that I've read, the French knights were impatient and attacked early before any signal was given. In the process, they were led to mud fields, hills and pits dug by the English, where the combination of terrain and fleeing allied mercenaries hindered their momentum, and so were massacred by the ensuing melee, and arrows from the archers.