Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 357

357―――――

To the Battlefield of Justice!

There’s a saying that if you button the first button correctly, everything else will go smoothly.

In that sense, this battle was a crucial first strike that Hispania, Nudia, and Zion needed to win.

It’s true that the morale of the Hispania army couldn’t be higher.

However, the Nudia army is burning with passion but not effectively mobilized, and Zion’s forces and the northern warriors are occupied intercepting another army of Holy Prussen attempting to reinforce them.

In other words, Hispania has to win this battle primarily with its own strength.

‘The battle preparations are perfect, and most of the Celestials have departed to hunt the Fiends, so there’s no significant aerial threat to the Griffons.

Thanks to that, I was able to pinpoint the exact location of the Holy Prussen army.’

This allowed the Hispania army to change formation at a safe distance and prepare for battle.

Some people imagine battles between armies as chaotic shouting and charging, with soldiers wildly waving spears and swords, but such engagements are rare.

Usually, the two armies form lines, and those lines clash. Soldiers hammer shields and thrust spears, trying to create gaps and break the enemy’s line first.

Meanwhile, cavalry and knights harass the phalanx or aim for the rear or flanks, while their counterparts attempt to block them.

Ultimately, the side whose line breaks first collapses and is pushed back by the enemy, leading to annihilation or retreat – the classic picture of victor and vanquished.

Therefore, knowing the enemy’s exact location in advance and changing formation at a suitable point was a significant advantage.

Ppoooo!―

Thump, thump, thump!

The sounds of trumpets and drums echo in the distance.

The Holy Prussen must have noticed the arrival of the Hispania army, as orders to form ranks are being issued.

However, there’s a significant difference between soldiers who have rested, eaten, and steeled their minds before forming ranks, and those who have just finished fighting, returned to rest, and are now hastily forming ranks due to a sudden order.

‘Even God can’t overcome fatigue.

Moreover, there’s no real god, just fanatics. How can they overcome physical exhaustion?’

The mind influences the body, so those with strong mental fortitude have an advantage.

If we assume both sides have similar mental strength, is it more advantageous to be well-prepared physically or to fight with a tired body?

The answer will likely be revealed in the fight.

“Zion Clauser.”

After all those in charge of each unit returned to their positions, Marquis Volko called Zion.

He gestured slightly behind him and spoke to Zion, who was looking at him.

“From here on out, it’s a head-on power struggle.

You can’t oversee every little detail, so step back and observe the overall battle to direct the army.”

“Are you telling me to take overall command of the army?”

“I’m more comfortable commanding the soldiers and holding the center.

And isn’t commanding large numbers of soldiers your specialty?

What better place for you than this?”

“…”

In truth, Zion couldn’t confidently claim to have outstanding talent in moving armies on the battlefield.

The reason he had been able to win battles so far was that he used unexpected tactics or exploited various variables, and they worked out as he had predicted.

Of course, he certainly had a much higher understanding of the battlefield than most and a talent for seeing the overall picture, but he still preferred using unexpected variables.

“Understood.”

Zion nodded and quickly began organizing.

Marquis Volko would take charge of the infantry in the center, while Zion would lead the reserve forces in the rear, supporting areas where the front line was in danger, observing the situation, and issuing overall commands.

The eastern nobles and soldiers were placed on the left flank, which played a crucial role in the formation.

On the right flank were the armies from the northern territories, possessing comparable strength to the east.

‘What comes next is the most important.’

The flanks and rear are the most vulnerable when the infantry is in formation.

Cavalry and knights move to protect those areas, but if they are pushed back by the enemy’s cavalry and defeated, a devastating rout would ensue.

“Are you sure about this?”

After listening to Zion’s opinion, Marquis Volko cautiously spoke.

Even though Ludwig was his son, he seemed worried about entrusting that important role to him, given his limited war experience.

“Don’t worry.

Ludwig has already witnessed the events of the last war with Nudia, and even if he can’t replicate it exactly, you know he’s not foolish enough not to apply those lessons at all, don’t you, Marquis?”

“If that’s your judgment, I have nothing to say.”

Ludwig had successfully blocked the rear supply route exactly as Zion had planned in the last war with Nudia.

If he led the knights and cavalry in this battle, played the role he had always desired, and protected the flanks and rear of the formation, his contribution would be complete.

Marquis Volko moved towards the central unit, which was advancing, signaling his acceptance of Zion’s command.

‘Next, even though most of the Celestials have left, some will remain.

If they suddenly interfere in the battle, the formation would collapse instantly.

We have to draw them out.’

There’s only one way: to throw bait they can’t resist, a very large and tempting bait.

‘First, Ekaterina is removed from the front line.’

Due to her Dragonkin nature, once she enters a battle, she becomes a berserker.

If that berserker is positioned between allies and enemies, both will be cut down indiscriminately.

So Zion had set her aside to wait.

Although she might not be of great help in a battle between armies like this, she was capable of acting as a one-person army if allowed to operate independently.

“Ekaterina, you can handle this, right?”

In response to Zion’s question, Ekaterina, who had been forcibly restrained until now, grumbled in a disgruntled voice.

“Don’t nag.

Do you think I wouldn’t know what to do?”

“I’m not worried about anything else, just don’t get too excited and cause collateral damage.”

“Are you kidding me?

Do you think I’d lose my mind over low- or mid-level Celestials?”

“Keep in mind: overwhelm the enemy, but don’t be unnecessarily cruel or excessive.

You need restraint.

That’s how you can catch up to Kim Yoo-hyun, who possesses the beauty of restraint.”

“…I understand.

I understand, so stop it.”

If word spreads that a Dragonkin has appeared, the Celestials will naturally gravitate towards her.

It had already been proven in the previous war with Nudia what would happen if the most dangerous being was simply unleashed on the battlefield.

Of course, Kim Yoo-hyun was also present at that time, and it was fortunate that she was there.

Ekaterina was prone to going berserk at the sight of blood, and she was notorious for not killing her opponents quickly, but for killing them very cruelly.

There was a reason why she had the terrifying nickname of White Death.

She would cut them to pieces and drain every drop of blood, leaving the corpses pale and bloodless.

That was why Ekaterina was called the White Death.

‘If I do that here, I’ll be labeled as a follower of evil, just as those guys wanted.

I have to push them back decisively without giving them any excuse.

After this battle, no one should be able to view Hispania and Nudia as mere sinners!’

It’s all about buttoning the first button correctly.

It’s self-evident that if things go wrong from the start, they can be ruined until the end.

That’s why Zion was more nervous than ever, and yet he had completed the preparations more thoroughly than ever.

Zion and Eos were ambushing the path where the enemy’s reinforcements would arrive, and Ekaterina was tasked with engaging the enemy’s main force.

The rest just had to fight as the soldiers of Hispania had been trained to do.

‘And it would be nice if the guys who still haven’t come to their senses would show up….’

That’s just wishful thinking, so let’s not expect it.

The more you expect, the greater the disappointment, as Mr. T [a reference to the actor known for his role in “The A-Team”] said.

“Let’s go!”

Thump, thump, thump!―.

With Ludwig’s command, the knights and cavalry kicked up dust as they moved to the flanks.

The Holy Prussen’s knights and cavalry, recognizing this maneuver, also hurriedly mounted their horses and began searching for a suitable place to engage them.

Meanwhile, the main force of Hispania was forming ranks and steadily advancing towards the Holy Prussen’s formation.

The Holy Prussen also proved their strength, quickly forming ranks and slowly approaching, but Zion could see that they hadn’t completely shaken off their fatigue.

‘It’s doable.

If the left flank can withstand the offensive and the right flank pushes in, it’s enough.’

This kind of formation battle initially takes the form of a straight line colliding with a straight line, but later the formation tends to rotate counterclockwise.

Right-handed people are more numerous, and because they swing their right hands to use weapons and hold shields in their left hands to block enemy attacks, the offensive on the right side naturally becomes stronger for both sides.

Conversely, the left side retreats slightly to counter the enemy’s attacks and reorganize, so the formations often bend in a counterclockwise direction.

‘Most of the time, the battle is decided before that, because the formation of one side, enemy or ally, collapses.’

Whether to withstand the offensive or not, whether to break through or not.

In such large-scale battles, that one small difference always acts as a decisive factor in determining victory or defeat.

Thinking that, Zion watched the battlefield, anticipating the enemies’ schemes.

They would try to break this side’s formation, unless they were fools.

The best countermeasure was to limit the enemies’ movements, prevent them from spreading out the formation widely, force them to gather in the center, make them bump into each other, and prevent them from using the space freely.

Whoosh!―

‘Here they come.’

Like the Celestials, Elves of a certain number would have remained with the Holy Prussen army.

They were a race renowned for their archery, and they could demonstrate their power on this kind of battlefield with their excellent archery skills.

“Cough!”

“Kuaaak!”

The arrows accurately concentrated on the soldiers at the left end.

It was clear that they were trying to create signs of collapse on the left before the formations collided, nullifying Hispania’s offensive.

If you ask why they didn’t return fire, unfortunately, the bows used by the Hispania army had a shorter range than those of the Elves.

As a race of the forest, they had dedicated themselves to crafting stealthy and powerful bows for a very long time, so it was natural for humans to be relatively inferior.

“Master.

The left flank is slowly being pushed back.”

“Send a messenger to tell them not to be afraid, to soothe the soldiers and tell them to hold on, Liche.

If the left flank is already like that, the probability of it breaking as soon as we collide increases.”

“Understood.”

Although the reserve forces are on standby, it is incredibly difficult to restore a broken formation.

Above all, in this kind of battle, the movement of the army in an instant determines victory or defeat, so the moment the formation breaks, the aftermath will be immediately transmitted to the center and right flank, and if that happens, it will no longer be a battle but a one-sided massacre.

“Ekaterina.”

The distance between Hispania and the Holy Prussen became closer.

If the Celestials were present, they would interfere in the battlefield immediately after this, disrupting Hispania’s formation and eventually trying to collapse it.

To prevent that from happening, Zion immediately deployed Ekaterina, who had been quietly waiting.

“If I catch the pigeons [a slang term for Celestials], you’ll tell Kim Yoo-hyun, right?

Tell her to seriously fight me once.”

“Of course.

You granted my request, so I have to grant your request, too.”

“…Good.”

Ekaterina, who answered as if satisfied, unleashed a fierce aura and headed to the battlefield.

Then, as if sensing her energy, the Celestials suddenly spread their pure white wings and flew up from behind the Holy Prussen’s formation, accompanied by a bright cluster of light.

“Waaaaaaah!”

“The descendants of light are with us!”

“Bring judgment upon those arrogant sinners!”

“Judge them!”

The soldiers of the Holy Prussen shouted in unison and cheered for the Celestials’ flight.

They believed without a doubt that those descendants of light would soon wipe out the arrogant enemies who dared to attack them, the agents of divine punishment.

‘Delusion is freedom.’

To stop Ekaterina, you need at least a high-level Celestial, and not just one but many.

But since most of those Celestials had gone to hunt the Fiends due to Zion’s trick, Ekaterina could now be considered the most dangerous element on the battlefield.

‘It would be nice to eliminate the Celestials while the high-level Celestials are away, and capture a few in preparation for Kim Yoo-hyun’s arrival later… but that might be impossible given Ekaterina’s personality.’

That part is an option, not a requirement anyway.

Even the fanatics of the Holy Prussen, if they witnessed the slaughter of the Celestials they revered, could not continue to shout about light and be happy forever.

Thump, thump, thump!

The sound of drums to maintain the formation echoed, and the knights and cavalry who had rushed out first lured the enemy’s cavalry and kept them as far away from the allied base as possible.

On the opposite side, Ekaterina moved as if she would target the flank of the Holy Prussen, and the Celestials mixed inside also headed there following her.

“Fire!”

The archers located in the rear fired arrows, trying to disrupt each other’s formations, and the commanders encouraged the soldiers, urging them not to break formation.

The armies of Hispania and the Holy Prussen, who had been advancing at a certain distance, soon became close enough to see each other’s facial expressions, and the two formations collided, erupting in a roar.

Clang!

“Thrust!”

“Hold on!

You must never collapse!”

“Dirty and ugly heretics!

Devils who ignore the teachings of light!”

“You guys are the ones who only do the most disgusting things while talking about light and whatnot!”

“Push!

Push!”

“Don’t fall!

Hold on!”

Zion watched the battle situation and checked the left formation, which had been under concentrated attack by the Elves.

After receiving the messenger, they had regained their composure and maintained the formation, but the enemies also seemed to have concentrated their main infantry force on the left, creating a powerful offensive.

‘Ludwig needs to end the fight quickly and return.’

Thinking that, Zion turned his head to the opposite side and couldn’t help but exclaim, ‘Wow.’