Chapter 106

Cranequiniers

 

Nicopolan Column

During their march to South Hill, the Lord of Korelia often spent time walking with his men on foot, claiming that riding all day was tiresome. And just as he had promised at the start of the campaign, he treated his men equally. Without any hesitation, the Lord marched alongside the Nicopolans, with Servius proudly at his side.

It was clear from his interactions that the Lord did not discriminate between his established columns and the newly joined Nicopolans. He repeated this multiple times, slowly gaining the trust and respect of the Nicopolans. While it might have seemed small and insignificant, his camaraderie and the fulfillment of his promise for equal treatment resonated genuinely with everyone involved.

Physically, the Lord was an unassuming man, yet approachable and sincere in his actions. Unlike the charismatic noble born, who attracted people with their physical presence and elaborate clothes, the Lord of Korelia gave more of the impression of being a comrade in arms.

He wasn't stingy, pompous, or demanding like most nobles. He resembled the few nobles who didn't mind sitting and eating with their subjects. Beyond his strict military law, he was genuinely concerned with his men's well-being, as shown in his policies.

While he couldn't control the food situation, he made efforts to secure clean water, improve camp conditions, and even allow longer midday breaks so everyone could mend their footwear.

Despite their limited interactions, most Nicopolans came to view the Lord as a trustworthy leader. His leadership felt natural because he had earned his victories and acted honorably, even toward those he defeated. Thus, despite his rather unassuming character traits, people were drawn to his presence out of admiration, eager to see and listen to him speak.

His men followed him not because of his rank or title, but because they believed he was the one who could truly protect them in these chaotic times. While other nobles would send their men to their deaths to settle petty rivalries, in Lord Lansius they saw hope. A way to escape from this time of chaos and turbulence.

This sliver of hope for peace was well-founded. With his recent victories still vivid in their minds, the march had once again proven the Lord's canny abilities. Despite covering long distances, they were not rushed. The Lord never called for a forced march, opting instead to maintain a steady pace. Yet, surprisingly, they covered significant ground each day.

Many of the former mercenaries realized that this performance was due to meticulous planning and expert scouting practices.

Currently, the Lord had scouts as far as three days ahead. He also employed another group constantly looking for suitable places to build camps, along with alternatives. They looked for water availability, the height of the land, and food sources if available.

Thus, even though they marched at a steady pace, the Blue and Bronze army moved faster than most troops of their size. This feat was also attributed to the Lord's humane treatment of his troops. From the start of the campaign, he had set aside dozens of horse carts for the injured or weakened men who couldn't continue the march.

For everyone involved, the thought that no one was left behind naturally boosted morale. Because of all this, and the fact that the Lord and Lady were personally involved in solving the Nicopolans' hunger crisis, the Nicopolans felt immensely grateful.

They had expected to be abused or treated as a burden to be discarded at convenience, but their new Master proved to be magnanimous and treated them like first-class citizens.

Thus, when Lord Lansius asked his troops to continue hiding despite their arrival at South Hill, the Nicopolans complied without question.

Although eager to take the villages, as they were still on rations, they chose to endure it. Even the thousand camp followers chose not to escalate their complaints when Servius barred them from visiting the village.

Under the care of Sir Harold, the Nicopolans happily camped far from the village or any farmland and kept a lookout to avoid detection.

When they learned that the Lord disguised himself as a merchant, the Nicopolans watched with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. Many believed that this was nothing but a scouting activity, while some thought that this was the start of an elaborate ruse to conquer South Hill with as little fighting as possible.

 

***

 

Village

Caught off guard by the sound of cheering outside, the girl's hope returned. She nervously took a peek outside and couldn't believe her eyes. A large force of unknown origin was mustering just outside the village and now encroaching inward.

She quickly waded through the hay, frustrated when she couldn't find the previous hole in the wall to peek. Instead, she found a smaller crack, but it was enough to see Sigmund and his allies rejoicing.

"It must be the Bandit King," the girl muttered as she recalled Sigmund's words. "So he wasn't lying."

She returned to the window and observed the Bandit King's forces closing in. They were so numerous that the entire village was surrounded.

Suddenly, the old donkey made a hearty, infectious laugh, prompting her to peek out.

At the same time, the silhouette of someone appeared at the door. "Girl, where are you?" a familiar voice shouted from below.

She looked down and saw Sigmund. "Maester, I'm up here!"

The man looked up and grinned happily. "Climb down, hurry. I'm going to take you to the Lord. I mean, the Bandit King."

The farmer's daughter caught the word 'Lord' again and grew suspicious of the Bandit King's true nature. However, her excitement led her to climb down as quickly as she dared.

Below, Sigmund was waiting for her, spear in hand, and helmet worn in a relaxed manner.

"Maester," she called out again as she ran toward him.

"Easy, I'm dirty and sticky," Sigmund warned her.

Stopping shy of hugging him like she did to her uncle, she looked at the blood on his armor with great concern. "Maester, are you injured?"

"You're not afraid of blood? Never mind that, can you run?" Sigmund asked. "We might need to make haste. There's still danger out there."

"We're repositioning?"

"Clever girl," Sigmund replied, leading her outside where his men were already on the move. They had loaded their wounded onto the three horse-drawn carts they had. Although there was space for the little girl, Sigmund didn't want her to see the gnarly wounds some of his men had sustained.

With urgency and heightened alertness, the Skirmishers made their move. The South Hill forces had abandoned their attack, opening a path for Sigmund to lead his men to safety.

 

***

 

The Nicopolan Column

Three days after their arrival to the South Hill region, the Nicopolans received their commands. They donned what armor they had and fastened their belts. Despite being weakened by hunger, they were well-spirited for battle. After a short march, what they saw surprised them. The Lord had unexpectedly used an elaborate ruse and lured the South Hill army into a trap.

This thrilled the Nicopolans, who understood that a guaranteed victory awaited them as they surrounded the village as ordered.

Without wasting time, Sir Harold led his knights and cavalrymen in attacking the opponent's isolated column, which he perceived as the most significant threat. As the knights rode to glory, Servius led his select one thousand to descend upon the South Hill main column where Lord Gunther's banner was located.

Feeling grateful for the Lord's fair treatment, the Nicopolans under Servius were eager to show their worth in battle. As their column rushed toward their opponent, the remaining Nicopolans at the back cheered hard for them. Deep inside, many harbored fears of being seen by the Lord as unworthy, or worse a deadweight.

Thus, Servius and his men doubled their efforts to secure a spectacular win. "Let us teach these South Hill backwater shepherds and farmers how the Imperium finest condottieri fight wars!" Servius rallied as they reached the final distance.

The deadly whistling of bolts greeted them. Two hundred strong South Hill men-at-arms stubbornly brandished their spears and threw everything they had, but the one thousand picked Nicopolans were unfazed. Approaching steadily in good line formation, they endured the punishment and enveloped the enemy. Soon the South Hill's flanks recoiled as the Nicopolans exacted terror upon them.

Like ants, the Nicopolans swarmed upon the smaller and already exhausted force, which could do nothing else but form a circle and brandish their swords and spears in vain.

 

***

 

Sir Harold

The opponent's cavalry and vanguard were baffled by the appearance of a large army surrounding the village. Before they could regroup, Sir Harold and his twenty knights and thirty cavalrymen were already galloping toward the Vanguard's position.

While the narrow and winding village streets weren't ideal for cavalry, Sir Harold knew he needed to take out the Vanguard to prevent them from regrouping with the main army. He only needed to break this column and stop the South Hill from struggling further. If he failed, then the opponent might attempt to break out, prolonging the fight and possibly inflicting unnecessary casualties on both sides.

The thought of a decisive victory lingered heavily in his mind as he latched his visor shut. Through the narrow iron slits, he watched as the opponent was running away from him.

The South Hill Vanguard, numbering around one hundred, panicked at the sight of heavy cavalry bearing down on them. The combination of being surrounded by an unexpected army and now facing a heavy cavalry charge convinced them that their situation was hopeless. They weren't prepared to fight such formidable opponents.

Worse yet, their advantageous position for a back attack on Sigmund's skirmishers was now completely turned against them. Separated from their main army, they were vulnerable from all sides. Facing a heavy cavalry charge, the Vanguard had no choice but to abandon their position.

Sir Harold's knights gained on them and delivered a punishing blow. The first row of casualties led to an almost instantaneous rout. The Vanguard quickly disintegrated, with soldiers discarding their unnecessary equipment and fleeing for their lives.

"Commander, they're breaking up," a fellow knights reported.

"Ah, what a beautiful sight," Sir Harold laughed, unlatching and lifting his visor. "Let's not let them get away. Men, your ransom awaits."

With that simple command, Sir Harold and his cavalry hunted down the Vanguard remnants.

 

***

 

Audrey

Watching Sir Harold and the cavalrymen aim at the Vanguard, Audrey knew there was a chance that the South Hill cavalry might come to help. Thus, like she had been taught by Lansius, she divided her Dragoons into two groups: one as the hammer, the other the anvil. The Dragoons were flexible enough to dismount and fight like crossbowmen or footmen, even set up ambushes.

However, the South Hill cavalry didn't react as she had expected; instead of aiding the Vanguard, they headed toward their main army. Without recalling half of her Dragoons, Audrey led the remaining one hundred in a swift race along the outer side of the village, intent on capturing the opponent's cavalry.

Riding with the wind blowing hard against the vents of her visor, the Baroness spearheaded the pursuit. Their cavalry was lighter, and only a few of the one hundred Dragoons wore heavy armor. Like Audrey, those in heavier armor compensated with better horses, more than capable of matching the speed with the rest.

The South Hill cavalry, stunned by the chase, veered to avoid contact. Yet, the Dragoons' warhorses were fresh and well-rested. Moreover, having marched and fought since summer, their speed and stamina had increased significantly.

"Don't aim at the horses," Audrey commanded as they were getting closer and preparing their crossbows.

Finally, Dietrich, who led a separate detachment, managed to block the opponent's move. Bolts were fired, causing the enemy to react with unease and confusion. This distraction was all Audrey needed; her Dragoons rushed from behind and moved past the opponent's side and crossbow bolts were loosed.

Within a few breaths, they inflicted significant damage and spread terror toward the South Hill cavalry. It was widely known that only Mage Knights were proficient with crossbows on horseback, as they alone could reload the heavy draw using just their arm strength. Thus, the sight of a mass of mounted crossbowmen was unexpected.

Realizing they were facing a different type of cavalry, the South Hill remaining cavalry decided to offer combat. They gambled that crossbowmen on horses wouldn't anticipate close-quarters fighting. They veered and charged into the Dragoons' double-file formation.

However, it was a mistake. Lady Audrey and her select riders had already swung their spent crossbows to their backs, trusting the leather slings to hold them, then retrieved their second crossbows from their left waists. They aimed at the approaching cavalry and loosed their second volley. As soon as the crossbows reverberated and the bolts flew true, they pulled their sabers, ready for a fight.

Under the barrage of bolts, the South Hill cavalry broke from the wounded in their ranks. While not all bolts penetrated, it was enough to cause tremendous fear and destroy morale. More than twenty fell, twenty fled, and the remaining thirty who maintained their courage finally tasted defeat in close combat. The lighter and more nimble Dragoons were more than a match against their heavy opponents.

Audrey pulled the reins of her horse and her staff followed dutifully. She lifted her visor and saw that one of her riders was proudly carrying the captured enemy's banner. She had experienced firsthand the power of mounted crossbowmen. Even without the special cranequin crossbow with a spanning mechanism that Lansius had talked about, they were a powerful addition to their force.

She considered them a second-best yet more readily available option compared to mounted nomadic archers, who required ten years of practice.

Now, after observing the South Hill cavalry was nullified, Audrey knew that what remained was cleanup. "Anyone without a hostage, give chase."

Hearing her command, forty riders galloped after the remaining twenty.

Meanwhile, Dietrich approached and reported, "My Lady, they're fleeing. We've achieved complete victory."

"How's the situation with Sir Harold?" she inquired, still concerned.

"I saw Sir Harold routing South Hill's column."

Audrey pondered for a moment. "Task our separated 100 to assist. And also, Dietrich, good job blocking their path."

"At your service, My Lady."

"Armed men approaching!" one of her lookouts suddenly cried out.

She gave a quick look and replied confidently, "It's Sigmund."

"Watch your aim," Dietrich instructed, squinting his eyes to discern whether it was truly Sigmund. The distance was too great for him to see.

After some time, Sigmund appeared, leading his seventy skirmishers and a few horse-drawn carts. The two groups, brothers in arms, greeted each other.

"Reporting, My Lady," Sigmund announced as his force rejoined with the Baroness' column.

"Good work holding them for so long. And who's the little girl?" Audrey asked from atop her charger.

Sigmund brought forward a girl from behind him and presented her to the Lady. "She's a peasant's daughter whom I saved. Today, before the battle, she bravely informed me of South Hill's approach."

"Clever girl," Audrey commended.

"G-gratitude, My Lady," the girl stammered, still confused about how Sigmund, a self-proclaimed bandit, could befriend a noble.

"Can you read and write letters?"

"A little, My Lady."

"A little will go a long way," Audrey mused, smiling. "I can use more attendants. Come to my tent and say: Lady Audrey, the Baroness of Korimor, invited you. Or you can continue to follow Sigmund."

The little girl's eyes sparkled at the offer. "Y-yes, My Lady. I'll do as you say."

The naive answer piqued something within her, and Audrey teased, "You should ask your family first. Don't just abandon them."

"Y-yes, My Lady. My apologies, I shall run and inform them... But is it safe enough right now?" she asked nervously.

Watching her childish reaction, Sigmund, Dietrich, and the rest of their men chuckled. With their victories, the battle for South Hill was nearing its end.

 

***