Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 269

269―――――

Requiem

“Has the main Hispañan force finally started moving?”

“Yes, sir.

According to the news sent by our spies, the mobilization of troops was delayed, and they have only just departed.”

“Then those cavalrymen who have been engaging us until now…”

“It seems likely that it was a smokescreen operation to buy time and weaken us until the regular army arrived.

We approached the 1st Army and deployed scouts to survey the area, but we haven’t found any traces of ambushes nearby.”

The 1st Army Commander grunted in response to the words of the commander leading the reinforcements.

‘I suspected it, but it seems my hunch was right.’

‘Not for luring or ambushing, but a hastily assembled force simply to buy time.

However, they could become troublesome later, so I thought we should quickly eliminate them.’

He thought, glancing at Ive, who was lost in thought beside him.

Aside from being the daughter of a Minister, she was a woman with talents unbefitting her young age, having secretly been active in various parts of Nudia.

To put it slightly exaggeratedly, if Hispañia had Zion Clauser, Nudia had Ive Gi Lestion, a reliable ally with an outstanding mind.

She, too, initially suspected a lure or ambush, but as time passed without finding any traces, she seemed uncertain.

Moreover, upon hearing the news that the main Hispañan force had only just departed, Ive regretted being too cautious.

“…It seems we were too tense.

I can’t believe Hispañia was aiming for this to stall us.”

“Indeed.”

“But there’s no room for complacency.

It’s better to move more boldly, but always be cautious.

Commander.”

The 1st Army Commander nodded at Ive’s words and, leading the 1st Army, which had grown much larger due to the reinforcements, began to stir up the interior of Hispañia at an increased pace.

As a result, the cavalrymen who had been harassing the 1st Army moved even more busily, trying to hold onto the Nudian army by any means possible.

At first, it seemed like they had some ulterior motive, but hearing the news from Hispañia, all their movements seemed like the pathetic gestures of those trying to protect their country.

Finally, as the Nudian 1st Army approached the central highway, they seemed to realize they couldn’t hold on any longer and began to show a posture as if they were really going to attack the 1st Army, with a scale twice as large as before.

The cavalrymen, whose numbers had increased several times than usual, circled around the 1st Army as if daring them to attack, constantly irritating them.

“It seems we need to clean them up once and for all.”

“Indeed.

Even if they are insignificant, they could become the best raiding force against our supply units, so we must eliminate them now.”

“There haven’t been many battles, so it’s also for boosting the morale of the soldiers.”

“The knights and cavalrymen are eagerly awaiting a real fight.”

Securing the rear, boosting morale, and quelling dissatisfaction.

Realizing that they could solve several needs by crushing this army that wasn’t even an army, the command also agreed to see this through to the end.

“But let’s not be careless.

We must be vigilant and respond appropriately, as we don’t know what they might do this time.”

The commander changed the atmosphere and gave a warning.

In response, those in charge of the infantry and those in charge of the cavalry and knights nodded, moving to cleanly eliminate those who kept causing them confusion.

“This time, we’ll wipe out those annoying bastards, those who are a disgrace even to be called fellow soldiers!

We’ll chase them to the end today.

Be sure to catch and kill them all!”

The knights and cavalry, already humiliated and enraged, mounted their horses with murderous intent in their eyes.

Then, they dashed out like the wind, charging towards the Hispañan cavalry who seemed to be waiting for them ahead.

“Yiaaaaa!”

As if they couldn’t back down this time either, those who looked shabby but shouted loudly charged forward, colliding with each other just like the Nudians.

Clang!

Bang!

Thud!

Clang!

Rather than the sound of metal clashing against metal, there was only the sound of horses colliding with horses.

And the dull thud and the sound of people floating in the air before falling off their horses filled the air.

Shouts and screams echoed from all directions.

And the first to break through the enemy and pierce through their ranks were, of course, the Nudian knights.

“Alright!”

“Infantry, maintain formation and advance!”

Although the cavalry had good mobility, if their formation was broken and they were caught from behind, they would be nothing more than expensive prey.

Even if they lost their mobility, it was a situation where one infantryman could take down one cavalryman, achieving an absurd exchange ratio.

The Nudian infantry increased their speed as they approached the area where a fierce battle was taking place.

They were not just an army but the executors of light who had come to punish the followers of the demons, and seeing those who had been tormenting them until now being held back by their allied cavalry, they desperately wanted to rush in, assist them, and gain merit.

“Hoi, hoi!”

“Hoi, hoi, hoi, hoi!”

A loud voice was heard from among the Hispañan cavalry who were in the midst of fighting.

Then, they immediately turned their horses and began to retreat from the battlefield.

Despite being a fierce battle, they seemed to have endured it well, as their numbers hadn’t decreased significantly, but their already shabby appearance looked even more pathetic as they abandoned their weapons, hats, and even clothes.

“Chase them!

Pursue them!”

“We’ll finish them here!”

The knights and cavalry, judging that they had gained the upper hand, followed closely behind them all at once.

The infantry also increased their speed a little, even though it was a bit much, to watch the rear in case the allied cavalry fell into an ambush.

At that moment, the retreating Hispañan cavalry turned around again and drew their bows.

It seemed they were trying to use a trick to shake off the pursuers, just like last time.

The Nudian knights shouted that such tricks no longer worked and spurred on their horses.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Thud!

Thunk!

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

At that moment, some knights and cavalrymen clutched their necks, faces, or armpits and staggered before eventually falling out of formation.

All the arrows were thought to be harmless, but it seemed that some arrows had flown properly due to luck from their perspective and bad luck from Nudia’s perspective.

“Leave the fallen comrades to the main force in the rear!”

“We have to wipe out those dirty things!”

Already enraged, they sped up madly as their comrades fell to the arrows.

The nobles on the command side, realizing that the distance from the main force was too great, considered calming them down, but they felt that if they retreated the army again in this situation, the situation would not end with mere dissatisfaction.

At the same time, they desperately wanted to catch and annihilate those annoying bastards as soon as possible and advance in peace, so they didn’t bother to stop them.

Rather, they were swept away by this will and atmosphere, shouting and running forward, ready to wipe out everything in front of them.

“…Commander.

The knights and cavalry are advancing too far ahead!”

“I know.

Signal them immediately…”

They hurriedly raised flags and blew trumpets from the main force, but the excitement of the battlefield was more than enough to blind and deafen those thrown into it.

Even though the infantry was gradually getting tired, they were only increasing their speed, so their worries could only deepen.

Meanwhile, the knights who were chasing the Hispañan cavalry heard the enemies suddenly look at each other and shout something.

“Judai!”

“Judai, Judai!”

‘What the heck is that nonsense?’ Just as they were about to burst into laughter at the absurdity,

The Nudian cavalry could see the enemies spreading out neatly to the side, as if looking at a painting!

And beyond that, they could see another group of cavalry in similar attire to those they were chasing.

“An ambush?”

“What should we do!”

“There’s no choice!

We break through!

We have the advantage in a power struggle using a charge anyway!”

Shabby soldiers and small, insignificant horses.

The Nudian knights and cavalry were confident that even though the enemies had ambushed them, such a shabby force would collapse in an instant with a single charge.

Peeeeee!

A strange sound suddenly echoed throughout the sky.

Starting with arrows with strange round things instead of tips soaring into the air, those who had been chasing them until now turned around and took the Nudian flanks in unison.

‘How can they switch so quickly?

Until recently, they seemed to be struggling just to ride a horse!’

Thwoom!

Thwack!

Thwack!

The moment those in front drew their bows and fired arrows again,

The Nudians instinctively knew that something was very, very wrong.

It was a completely different sound than before, the sound of heavy steel tearing through the air, and a sense of death they had never felt before was looming over them.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Thwack!

“Kuaaack!”

“Pu-uck!”

It wasn’t the childish attacks like before.

What they were shooting now were arrows that aimed at the weak points of the armor like ghosts.

In an instant, the front line collapsed, and the fallen soldiers and horses blocked the path, making it impossible for anyone to gain speed.

The soldiers and horses were injured, so their speed naturally decreased, and soon the Nudians quickly lost their mobility and fell to the level of moving targets.

Swish, swish, swish!

Then, from the fields on their flanks, horses and people rose together.

The horses, with their riders on their backs, had been lying down in the forest, hiding themselves, and they moved in unison as if they were highly trained elite soldiers, grabbing the Nudians from behind.

The Nudians, who had lost their speed and were wandering around in a group.

They were targeted by the cavalry rushing from the flanks and the rear, and by the other cavalry blocking the front.

“Commander!

Something seems to be wrong!

There are screams coming from the front!”

“I sent the signals!

Hurry!

If our cavalry and knights are swept away, then everyone will be in danger!”

They had to move to the battlefield somehow and watch the rear of their allies.

At the very least, they had to be a refuge for those who were retreating.

If they lost all the soldiers here, this huge army would be nothing more than slow-moving, delicious prey.

“Commander!

No!

The main force will be swept away too at this rate!”

But Ive stopped the commander of the 1st Army and continued.

“There!

Look there!”

“When did they?”

They had clearly deployed scouts around the main force.

To make sure there were no approaching enemies.

But when, and in what gap, had another group of cavalry taken the flanks and rear, screaming and circling around them?

“If our troops move urgently and the formation stretches out, they will definitely try to cut off the waist [attack the center of the formation]!

Once it starts to be cut off, the next time will be easier, and the next time will be much easier!

If we move recklessly here, everyone will die!”

“Then what about the troops that went ahead!”

“We have to move forward as one mass.

A large ice cube can withstand not melting in the water, but once it starts to be cut off, it melts and disappears in an instant!

Get a grip!

We’ll all be annihilated at this rate!”

Screams and the sounds of horses crying were already filling the air in front.

They had to rush to support their allies right away, but if they moved rashly, there were those who were circling around them, trying to dig into their formation and cut it in half, and eventually break it apart in all directions, so they couldn’t move recklessly.

“A square formation is absolutely not allowed.

The corners are the weakest.

We’ll form a circular formation and gradually widen the formation forward to receive and support the retreating allies!

Commander, please keep the soldiers from being shaken and hold the center.

I’ll go and rescue our knights and cavalry!”

The damage would be significant, but if the allied cavalry had fallen into a trap, it was certain that they would be attacked intensively in one place after losing their mobility.

In that case, there would be no place to escape, and the probability of being annihilated was very high, so Ive had to accept them as much as possible by any means.

‘The spies all reported that the main Hispañan force had only just departed.

To come out like this… Really, is this also your work, young master Zion Clauser?’

To use tricks for nearly a week for this one devastating blow.

Ive bit her lip hard enough to draw blood at the terribly great strategy.

“Keugh!”

“Kill!

They’re insignificant!

These guys are… Keheok!”

The head of a Nudian knight, who appeared to be a mid-level commander, was crushed as it was.

Blood and brain fluid flowed down from the helmet, and the dead man was turned upside down and rolled under the horse, and the woman roughly swung her mace to wipe away the blood.

“Temujin.

What should we do?”

Men with no particularly impressive armor or decorations.

However, the atmosphere emanating from their eyes and bodies was so terrifying that one would believe they were walking, or rather, horse-riding killing machines.

They already held swords, axes, and maces soaked in Nudian blood, but their eyes were still pouring out blue light as if they were thirsty for battle and slaughter.

“As always.”

Zhan Temujin, the leader of such warriors and the strongman of that distant northern land,

said, searching for the next target with his eyes.

“We don’t need prisoners.

Kill everyone you see and cut off their ears.”

―――――――Author’s Afterword―――――――

If you give a recommendation, the ultimate skill cooldown will charge faster…!

I’m always thirsty for recommendations…!