dognovel Chapter 596 2 consecutive blows
Chapter 596 2 consecutive blows
Winter 1462
The earth was covered with a thick layer of white snow, a desolate scene. The biting cold wind swept past, like an invisible giant hand, kneading the icy land wantonly.
In this vast and silent wasteland, the two armies were far apart, but they stood face to face like two icebergs, and the atmosphere was so tense that it seemed to be condensed into substance.
Griffith rode on his warhorse, his posture upright and resolute, his deep eyes gazing at the army in the distance, his eyes revealing a hint of complex emotions. Behind him was the 500-man mercenary group he had carefully assembled.
Not long ago, Griffith and his team suffered a nightmarish attack from Blackwatch.
However, Governor Goron extended a helping hand and provided Griffith with a financial subsidy without any reason. With this money, Griffith acted quickly and soon he had formed a team of 500 people again.
This time, Griffith was ordered by Governor Goron to resolve a territorial conflict with other nobles.
This piece of land has always been the focus of contention among various forces. In order to compete for this fertile land and abundant resources, the conflicts between different nobles have become increasingly acute.
Governor Goron hopes that Griffith can use his military talent and the strength of his mercenary group to gain an advantage in this territorial dispute.
"What bad luck, it's another Blackwatch team."
Gorkas frowned and pointed at the Black Watch soldiers behind the opposing army.
Griffith didn't reply. He frowned slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of calmness and contemplation.
He was well aware of the strength of the Black Watch army, and the previous night raid made him realize this deeply.
He turned and looked at Jiedu:
"Are there any enemy ambushes around?"
Jiedu shook his head:
"Our reconnaissance team has explored the entire 20-mile radius around the battlefield. We found no enemy ambushes, and the surrounding area is entirely wasteland, leaving no room for enemy troops to hide."
Griffith nodded. In this open wilderness, without any ambushes, their cavalry could exert their greatest lethality.
"Okay, order all teams to get ready and proceed according to the plan."
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"
Soon, a low and long horn sound came from afar, breaking the silence of the wilderness.
The opposing army began to move. The first thing that came into view was a group of conscripted infantry dressed as farmers. They were lined up in two rows and marched forward with slow and heavy steps.
Behind the conscripted infantry followed armored sergeants and archers. These sergeants wore heavy armor that gleamed coldly in the sun, and held sharp swords and spears in their hands, serving as the backbone of the team. The archers followed behind, carrying bows and quivers on their backs, while the nobles and standard-bearers lined up at the back, protected by a dozen followers.
Griffith drew his sword, and the blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
"Cavalry, charge!"
Then he took the lead and rushed forward. After hearing the order, the cavalry immediately urged their horses and rushed towards the enemy like a torrent.
Just when they were about to engage the enemy, two teams of cavalry suddenly rushed out from both sides, holding crossbows and firing at the conscripted infantry in front of them.
"Whoosh whoosh—"
Arrows rained down, and the conscripted infantrymen were thrown into chaos.
They had never experienced such a battle, and faced with sudden death, fear instantly devoured their sanity.
Some screamed and ran away, some tried to raise their weapons to resist, but more just stood there until the cold arrows pierced their bodies.
Griffith's cavalry did not hesitate, and directly passed the fleeing conscripts and attacked the soldiers in the rear.
Griffith thrust his sword hard, piercing a soldier's neck accurately. Blood spurted out, staining the snow red. The other cavalrymen immediately engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the surrounding soldiers, but those soldiers were defeated in the first round of attack and had no possibility of organizing themselves.
Seeing that there was no one blocking their way ahead, Griffith immediately led the cavalry to crush the archers in the rear.
The archers looked at the charging cavalry in horror, their bowstrings trembling in their hands, but they couldn't shoot a single arrow.
The noble, seeing the situation was bad, immediately rode away in panic. The archers behind him, seeing their noble lord flee, also lost their fighting spirit. They fired a few scattered arrows at Griffith and then immediately fled.
Griffith and others immediately took advantage of the victory to pursue the enemy. Their figures galloped across the wilderness, constantly reaping the lives of the deserters.
"Quick, where are those Blackwatch guys? Stop them!"
A rider galloped towards the Black Watch phalanx, which was not far away. The leading officer looked at the cavalry rushing towards Griffith and immediately gave the order:
"Musketeers, defensive phalanx!"
The musketeers sprang into action, quickly forming a tight square and positioning their muskets, ready to meet the incoming cavalry.
By the time Griffith's cavalry completely broke out of the fleeing troops, what lay before them was a phalanx with muskets aimed at it from all sides.
"not good!"
Griffith was about to order a retreat when he saw the row of gun muzzles, but it was too late. At this time, the noble lord and his men rode past the Black Watch formation on horseback.
When the officer saw that his employer had retreated, he immediately gave the order:
"First row, fire!"
In an instant, the musketeers pulled the triggers, the guns made loud "bang bang" sounds, and the air was filled with smoke.
The dozen or so cavalrymen near Griffith either fell straight down or were thrown out by their horses' stumbles.
"Hey, that won't work either."
The nobles in the distance couldn't help but laugh when they saw Griffith and others being frustrated. It seemed that hiring Blackwatch was the right decision.
However, the battle was not over yet. When the cavalry on both sides wanted to go over to support, they were targeted by the musketeers who had been ready.
Following a burst of gunfire, the cavalry team immediately fell to the ground and fell into chaos.
Musket bullets rained down on the cavalrymen, who fell one after another. Their horses ran out of the battlefield, neighing in fear.
Griffith was startled and felt an inexplicable sense of crisis. He immediately blew the horn on his waist.
The sound of the horn was sharp and piercing, echoing across the wasteland. For a moment, all the cavalry teams immediately retreated.
However, at this time the musketeers fired another volley, and the cavalry behind them fell down like wheat being cut.
"Alright! Now it's my turn to take command!"
Just as the Black Watch officer was about to order the musketeers to retreat, the noble on the side, as if playing a game played by an expert until the last move, stepped forward and shouted:
"Go ahead, kill them all."
Behind him, several followers exchanged awkward glances, but no one dared to step forward to dissuade him.
However, all he received in response was dead silence.
The mercenaries stood there, motionless. There was no obedience in their eyes, only indifference and vigilance.
The noble lord was stunned.
He had never encountered such a situation. In his territory, no matter whether it was serfs or soldiers, no one dared to disobey his orders.
But now, these mercenaries employed by him dared to disobey his orders?
"Why don't you move?!"
The noble lord's voice suddenly rose, filled with incredible anger.
"I'm a noble! And your employer! Why don't you listen to me?!"
His face flushed crimson, veins popping out on his forehead, as if he had been struck by an unprecedented humiliation.
He pointed at the mercenaries, his voice trembling:
"I paid you! I paid you! You should just follow my orders!"
……
"Cavalry, charge forward and reap the remaining soldiers."
Finally, under the order of the officers, teams of cavalrymen armed with short-barreled flintlock rifles rushed forward to pursue Griffith's cavalry. These cavalrymen were agile. They held short-barreled flintlock rifles and loaded and fired while riding.
The short-barreled flintlock rifles made a "bang bang" sound, and the bullets whizzed towards Griffith's cavalry.
Griffith was also leading his team to escape at this time. He did not expect that the opponent's weapons were so terrifying. He could not defeat them by sneak attack at night, and he was also defeated in a head-on battle during the day.
"bump!"
A burst of gunfire was heard in the distance. A cavalryman next to Griffith had his head blown off, his body draped over his horse. The bloody scene was unbearable to watch.
Another burst of gunfire rang out, and the warhorse under Griffith suddenly neighed, raised its front hooves high, and then fell heavily to the ground in the snow.
The huge impact force threw Griffith off the horse. He fell heavily on the frozen ground, feeling a sharp pain in his chest, as if several of his ribs were broken.
At this moment, Griffith only felt his eardrums buzzing and a burning breath hit his face.
He struggled to get up, but saw a Black Watch cavalryman riding towards him in the distance, pointing the black muzzle of his flintlock rifle at him.