Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

Chapter 643 The dangerous move of the army

Four Yoda cavalrymen rode out of the camp under cover of night, their hooves pounding the frozen ground with a dull, rhythmic sound.

The group proceeded along the narrow mountain path, flanked by dense, dark forests. The tree branches stretched out in the night, the air was bitterly cold, and the exhaled breath instantly condensed into white mist, dissipating into the darkness.

However, not far from the camp, a sudden burst of rapid bowstring vibrations echoed from the depths of the forest, followed by the sharp whistling of arrows piercing the air, so piercing it sent chills down one's spine.

"There are enemies in the dense forest!"

The cavalryman at the front shouted loudly and immediately reached for his longbow, but it was too late.

In the darkness, dozens of arrows shot out like meteors, accurately striking the cavalry.

A cavalryman was unable to dodge in time, and the arrow pierced his neck. He didn't even have time to groan before he fell from his horse and crashed heavily to the ground. Blood quickly spread and froze into dark red ice on the frozen ground.

Another cavalryman attempted to draw his bow in retaliation, but before he could even pull it halfway, an arrow struck his wrist, sending the longbow flying from his hand. Immediately afterward, a second arrow pierced his throat. He clutched his neck, his body convulsed violently a few times, and then fell silent.

The third cavalryman raised his shield to parry, and the arrows struck the shield with loud "bangs," as densely as falling hailstones.

However, the shield's defensive range was limited. An arrow bypassed the shield from the side and struck his abdomen. The excruciating pain caused him to bend over, lose his balance, and fall off his horse. He struggled to get up, but was struck in the back by a subsequent arrow and died instantly.

In just a few seconds, only one of the four cavalrymen remained. Suddenly, a tearing pain shot through his shoulder as an iron arrow pierced his flesh, its fletching still trembling slightly. Warm blood instantly soaked through his leather armor, flowing down his arm and dripping onto his horse's back.

The excruciating pain made his vision blur and he almost fell off his horse, but he gritted his teeth and his will to survive and his sense of mission to call for help overcame the pain. He suddenly squeezed the horse's belly, pulled the reins, and the horse, in pain, galloped wildly toward the direction of Rona territory.

The shouts of battle and the sound of bowstrings behind him gradually faded into the distance, but he dared not linger for a moment. His nerves were taut to the extreme, and only one thought occupied his mind: to reach Yoda Camp on the edge of the Ronna Territory Mountains as soon as possible.

The pain in his shoulder was suppressed by an intense sense of urgency. He almost forgot about the wound, gripping the reins tightly until his knuckles turned white from the force.

The horse galloped along the rugged mountain path, nearly crashing into tree trunks several times, but he managed to keep it steady each time. In the darkness, only the pebbles and withered grass kicked up by the horse's hooves and the sound of its rapid breathing could be heard.

He didn't know how long he had been running, but his vision began to blur, and the horse's speed gradually slowed down, clearly reaching its limit.

The cold night wind stung his face like a knife, making him shiver involuntarily. Just when he could barely hold on, a blurry outline finally appeared in the distance.

That was the camp's wooden fence, and you could vaguely see the campfire burning on the watchtower, its flickering flames standing out starkly in the darkness.

He felt a surge of energy, as if a new force had been injected into him. He squeezed the horse's belly again, and the horse let out a tired neigh, but still increased its speed.

Meanwhile, in the dense forest outside the camp, a dozen mountain militiamen were lying in ambush behind tree trunks. They were responsible for scouting the Yoda camp on the edge of the Ronna Territory mountain area and had been lying in ambush here all night. When they saw the lone cavalryman, they immediately huddled together and whispered to each other.

"It's Yoda's cavalry; they must be here to ask for help."

one person said.

"Kill him. We can't let him enter the camp and report the news."

The other person immediately agreed and reached out to grasp the longbow on his back.

The others nodded in agreement without hesitation, slowly drawing back their bows and aiming their arrows at the galloping cavalry.

The cavalry drew closer, and the figures of the soldiers on the watchtower could be clearly seen.

He shouted at the top of his lungs towards the watchtower:

"Hey, open the door!"

The shouts echoed through the night sky, and before the soldiers on the watchtower could respond, five arrows shot out from the dense forest, heading straight for him.

He was startled and instinctively tried to dodge to the side, but the horse suddenly let out a shrill neigh, and an arrow struck the horse's neck with pinpoint accuracy.

The horse's forelegs buckled, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud. The immense inertia threw him off the horse, and he crashed heavily to the ground. A sharp pain shot through his chest, and he almost couldn't breathe.

It was this fall that allowed him to narrowly avoid the other four arrows.

The arrows grazed his body and landed on the ground not far away.

The Yoda soldiers on the watchtower had already noticed the commotion and, seeing the arrows coming, immediately shouted:

"Enemy attack!"

The shouts instantly echoed throughout the camp, turning the once quiet camp into a noisy one.

The soldiers rushed out of their tents, grabbed their weapons, and ran towards the outer perimeter.

The soldiers on the watchtower quickly raised their longbows and returned fire in the direction from which the arrows came. The arrows crisscrossed in the air, and the mountain militia in the dense forest were not to be outdone. They kept changing positions and continued to fire arrows. The two sides were engaged in a fierce exchange of fire. The arrows landed on the fence and the ground, making a dense sound.

Inside the simple cabin in the center of the camp, the light was dim, with only an oil lamp on the table casting a faint glow that projected Dester's shadow onto the wall.

Dester was looking down at the map spread out on the table. The map was covered with many small dots and lines marked with charcoal. These were the locations of the Hawk Band's settlement in the mountains, which he had marked based on several days of reconnaissance and analysis.

After repeated verification, he has confirmed the exact location of most of the settlements and narrowed down the core hideout of the Band of the Hawk to a range of less than ten miles.

However, the sudden shouts of "Enemy attack!" from outside broke the silence of the cabin.

Dester's body tensed instantly, his eyes sharpening, but he didn't get up immediately. Instead, he paused for a second, listening carefully to the sounds outside.

The chaotic sounds of footsteps, shouts of battle, and the twang of bowstrings mingled together, reaching his ears. He quickly deduced that the attackers were not numerous and were likely just a small reconnaissance unit.

Just then, the door of the cabin was suddenly pushed open, and a soldier strode in, his face showing urgency and his breathing rapid.

"Sir, the Midlanders from the mountains have launched a night raid on the camp!"

Dester nodded slightly, his tone calm:

"Understood. Proceed with the planned counterattack."

"There was also a cavalryman who said he came from the Yoda camp on the edge of the Anda mountain range. The camp had been attacked, and he had broken out to seek help!"

The soldier added, a hint of unease in his voice.

"The Anda territory's camp has been attacked?"

Dester frowned slightly, a fleeting look of surprise crossing his face, but he quickly regained his composure.

He had already conducted in-depth research on the military situations of both Midland and Yoda, and had even read through military books and past combat records of both countries.

Based on the conventional combat capabilities and tactical levels of the two armies, they do not possess the ability to launch night attacks. Night operations require meticulous organization, precise command, and ample preparation. As for the individual qualities of the soldiers, needless to say, the armies of Mitland and Yoda have always lacked this kind of training, and their nutrition is also inadequate.

Moreover, it is winter now, the weather is harsh, and the transportation of food supplies is difficult, which will greatly affect the soldiers' combat effectiveness. Logically speaking, even if war were to break out, it should at least wait until next spring, when the weather will be warmer and food supplies will be plentiful, before conditions for large-scale operations are met.

"Bring him in."

A moment later, two Yoda soldiers carried in the wounded cavalryman.

The cavalryman's face was as pale as paper, his lips were cracked and peeling, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and the wound on his shoulder was still bleeding, soaking through the bandage and dripping onto the ground, forming a small pool of dark red blood.

He leaned weakly against the two soldiers, his breathing rapid and shallow.

"Go and fetch a doctor immediately, and bring enough hemostatic medicine and bandages."

Dester gave an order to one of the soldiers beside him, then walked to the wounded cavalryman, his gaze falling on his pale face, and asked urgently:

"What exactly happened at the Anda territory's camp? Did they break into the camp?"

The cavalryman struggled to raise his head, looked at Dest, his throat moved, and his voice was weak but clear:

"In the middle of the night... the camp gates were opened... I don't know how they were opened... there were Hawk cavalry everywhere... we couldn't hold them off... all my brothers died... only I escaped..."

When he heard the camp gates being opened, Dester's eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately concluded that the Yoda camp in Anda territory had probably fallen completely.

The Band of the Hawk's actions were so swift, and the fact that they employed nighttime attack tactics was completely beyond conventional understanding.

His initial assessment of the Hawk Band was that it was just a small unit skilled in mountain guerrilla warfare, but he never expected them to possess such strong combat capabilities and organizational discipline.

"This leader of the Band of the Hawk is no ordinary man," Dester thought to himself.

Their tactical deployment was meticulous, their actions decisive, and their timing perfectly executed. They were nothing like scattered soldiers from the mountains; rather, they resembled well-trained officers from the Kingdom of Heldran.

The situation instantly became dire. The fall of the Anda territory camp meant a breach in the defense line, and the main force of the Hawk Band should still be in the Anda territory area, busy clearing the battlefield and consolidating their gains. It would be difficult for them to return to their hideouts and bases in a short time.

This is a fleeting opportunity; once missed, it will be difficult to find such a chance again once the main force of the Hawk returns to reinforce.

Without the slightest hesitation, Dester made a quick judgment and decision.

He turned to the communications soldier beside him and gave the following instructions:

"Immediately select two riders, one to go to Thorne Territory as a messenger and convey my orders to abandon support for Yoda's camp in Anda Territory, and to defend their own lines with all their might, and guard against the Eagle Band taking the opportunity to launch a surprise attack."

"The other team, immediately return to headquarters and request reinforcements from Commander Atton. Tell them that the main force of the Hawk has left the mountains, and it is the perfect time to encircle and annihilate them."

Dester continued:

"Also, assemble all troops immediately. Except for the necessary personnel who remain behind, everyone else should bring weapons and three days' worth of rations and assemble at the camp gate in five minutes."