Free Web NovelChapter 418: Chapter 415: Tactical Opportunity
Pascal couldn’t hold the entire hilltop on his own. Fortunately, just as the enemy charged up the slope, his reinforcements arrived.
It was Druao, ever attentive to his men, who brought up the remaining artillerymen and a company of infantry volunteers. With communications cut, only a seasoned officer like Druao could seize such a tactical opportunity, while the other rookies were still bogged down in a bitter struggle with the Empire Army’s infantry.
"Well done, you two!"
"It was Pascal and I, working together," Paul replied before diving back into the fight. The two Mages had achieved a great success in their first battle, especially Paul, who had directed the crucial artillery strike. When they surveyed the battlefield, they found the unlucky bastards hit by the barrage were all carrying Scroll Potions and Enchanted Weapons. Only then did they realize what a big "fish" they had caught.
And so, the gunner was promoted to company commander, commanding one-third of Druao’s artillery battalion, while Pascal, in a turn of events, became Paul’s second-in-command. Their promotion speed wasn’t considered particularly fast at the time. After the National Guard’s expansion, there was a severe shortage of officers, so anyone with a modicum of talent and a record of achievement was promoted. It was also a method for boosting morale.
However, the military’s structure and the situation in Valois both remained chaotic, so the official ranks had yet to be finalized. Even if a commendation order were to arrive, it would already be outdated by Paul’s performance today.
"Set up the cannon! Fire down the mountain!" Pascal cast [Floating Skill] on the grapeshot cannon to help everyone move and set it up faster. However, he momentarily forgot about the recoil. With the first blast, the lightened weapon was nearly launched backward.
Paul, however, was observing the battlefield and suddenly said, "Stop setting up the cannon. We’re moving from this high ground."
Druao couldn’t understand. "We fought so hard to take this key position, and now we’re just abandoning it?" He thought Paul had been spooked by the enemy’s counterattack.
"We’re not abandoning it; we’re preparing to relocate. This position will be useless soon." Paul didn’t use a Telescope. He just squinted, taking in the entire rainy battlefield.
"Down on the main battlefield, our army’s follow-up charges are losing steam, but the Empire Army shows no sign of counterattacking. It looks like we’ve broken through on the western front, but in reality, the enemy hasn’t suffered major casualties. This indicates that the Empire’s infantry is methodically consolidating their lines and shifting toward the eastern flank."
Druao looked and saw that, indeed, the Empire Army’s eastern flank was growing more concentrated.
"But on their eastern flank—our side—they’re moving closer even though they know Hill 2 has fallen, exposing themselves to our artillery fire. An enemy wouldn’t mobilize all their forces just to retake a single position, right? This maneuvering is abnormal..."
"Combined with the enemy forces currently counterattacking this high ground..." Paul’s gaze shifted, looking down at the enemies assaulting the hill.
At that moment, Pascal was leading his comrades from the artillery battalion in a valiant defense, preventing the enemy from advancing an inch. But in Paul’s eyes, it was clear the enemy’s will to fight was low. ’These enemy troops are feigning an attack, rotating small units to avoid casualties as much as possible. And when you factor in their main force shifting east...’
He took out a map. "They must be planning to bypass the woods on the eastern side and head for the semi-permanent camp our scouts discovered earlier."
Paul’s thoughts and speech were rapid, and Druao could only grasp the main idea: Paul had concluded that the enemy was staging a large-scale retreat! Therefore, the strategic value of the high ground they currently held had plummeted. Rather than waste time deploying to fire one or two shots, it was better to advance to the next position to keep the enemy’s main force within range.
"It’s easy enough to verify," Paul said. He ran to the edge of the high ground and conferred with Pascal for a moment using [Communication Skill]. Together, they cast [Fireball Skill], conjuring the biggest fireballs they could manage.
The move wasn’t intended to cause many casualties, but to send the most direct message possible to the enemy below: there are Casters here!
Sure enough, as the heatwave from the Fireball receded, it revealed the cautious, fearful faces of the Empireists. They kept their guns aimed at the Valois people on the high ground, but they had already begun a gradual retreat.
"Just as I thought." Paul looked down imperiously at the retreating soldiers, then turned to report to his superior. "It was a feint, sir. They’re retreating now. And since no enemy Mages returned fire after we used our magic, it proves their casters have already relocated. Those self-preserving Casters are always the first to bolt."
Druao was finally convinced of Paul’s judgment and issued a new order to the entire battalion: advance to a position closer to the enemy. He said to Paul, "You two, on the other hand, are always charging to the front lines."
Pascal thought to himself: ’Actually, he’s the one dragging me along.’
As he walked, Paul pumped his fist and shouted, "Because I must defend my homeland! I will earn great merit! I will become a general!" He gazed contemptuously over the smoke-filled battlefield. "Now that I’m here, I’m more certain than ever that I’m a true Jasikone! Gentlemen, I love a good fight!"
Before leaving, Druao clapped him approvingly on the shoulder. "Good. A soldier who doesn’t want to be a general is a coward."
Pascal noticed the change in Paul’s expression and quietly asked using [Communication Skill], "What’s wrong? Did your shoulder get hurt?"
Paul’s bravado seemed to falter. "No... it’s the commander. Druao stole the line I wanted to say!"
Shouldering his gun, Pascal rolled his eyes. "You have the gall to praise yourself like that?"
...
The Valois Army, pressing their advantage, planned to continue using skirmisher tactics.
The commander replaced the units that had taken heavy casualties and reorganized the soldiers still able to fight. He ordered them to advance straight through the woods; without a rigid formation, the sparse trees wouldn’t be an obstacle. On the eastern route, mounted grenadiers took turns harassing the rear of the retreating enemy. The original reserves now formed the main pursuit force, following behind the cavalry.
The Empire Army, meanwhile, retreated to their "turtle shell."
It was called a "shell," but it wasn’t a permanent fortress. Instead, it was a camp encircled by more than five layers of trenches, connected by staggered communication trenches. Viewed from above, it did indeed resemble the cracks on a turtle’s shell.
The sheer number of layers revealed the madness of "Turtle Richard." It helped that the high command was in rotation, which gave him and his engineers four days and three nights of unsupervised digging. It was easy to imagine that if Mage Richard had enough barbed wire, he would have placed it in front of every single trench.
Now, those trenches, once considered excessive, were playing a crucial role. They sheltered the majority of the Empire’s infantry, and combined with their small steel helmets, gave every Empire Soldier an immense sense of security.
The cavalry, of course, couldn’t break through, and the National Guard’s infantry hadn’t arrived yet. The Empire Soldiers, having made a swift "tactical withdrawal," leaned against the muddy trench walls, catching their breath.
During this time, a few artillery shells actually landed inside the trenches. At first, they were terrified, but they soon discovered that the probability of being hit was extremely low.
At that moment, Paul, who had reached the new position, took the Telescope Druao handed him. The battalion commander asked, "How does it look?"
Paul clicked his tongue. "The results are next to nothing. Those cowardly turtles are scattered in their ditches. Firing on them is just a waste of ammunition."
"A pity. We reached this new position in record time, too." Druao had also taken a risk. His artillery battalion had moved so quickly that if a runner from headquarters couldn’t find them, he could face a court-martial for acting without orders.
"No, our battalion can still be useful." Paul had the cannons adjust their aim. "Fire at that stuff in front of their line. Concentrate all fire on a single spot."
Paul had already noticed that the barbed wire was obstructing their skirmisher tactics. Now the Empire’s infantry had better cover, while the National Guard’s infantry was helpless against the thorny web of barbed wire.
Paul’s artillery blasted an opening, but a new section of barbed wire was quickly put up to replace it.
"We have to find a way to create a sustained breach!" Paul shoved the Telescope back at Druao.
