Chapter 181 - Sitting Face-to-Face with the Marshal (5)
The 2nd Battalion, now leading the charge for the 13th Regiment, pressed on quickly through the forest without slowing down.
The formation stretched dangerously long, and unlike the vanguard, which was running hard at the front, the 1st Battalion at the rear was reduced to little more than a brisk walk.
"Huff, huff… If we get attacked from the flank like this, huff… we're all as good as dead," said Robert as he tried to steady his breathing.
Right now, anyone could see that the 13th Regiment's midsection was vulnerable.
"No one could've predicted we'd end up like this," Ernest replied, scanning their surroundings.
"At least until the 2nd Battalion actually engages the enemy, we shouldn't have to worry about a flanking attack. The 14th Regiment should have pushed the enemy back to the west, and the east is simply too far away."
Rangers had already thoroughly swept the area, and they were watching over the flanks of the 1st Battalion as well. For now, they were safe.
"But what if we do get attacked?" Robert asked again, his tone cautious.
"Then we have no choice. We'd have to abandon the 3rd Battalion and retreat," Ernest answered calmly.
"Damn it, you're right," Robert sighed.
In truth, Robert knew there was no other way.
The 13th Regiment's formation was clearly vulnerable to a flank attack.
Even Senior Instructor Captain Thomas Kohler of the Imperial Military Academy would shake his head and say, "Better to lose a few than for everyone to die," abandoning part of the troops as decoys and running for it.
There was simply no other option.
'By now, word must have gotten out that the northern defensive line has been breached. There's a chance enemy forces in the east might be nearby.'
As Ernest rode through the plains in his vehicle, he recalled the paths through the forest he'd observed carefully, the time it had taken to traverse them, and the map in his head, trying to estimate how much time they had left.
'It's going to be close.'
Time was extremely tight.
If the Belliang Army forces in the east picked up on the situation even a little quicker than expected, they'd arrive just as the 2nd Battalion started to engage the enemy.
If that happened, all the gains they'd managed to achieve by pulling off two reckless maneuvers would become meaningless.
And Bertrand surely understood this as well.
He would do whatever he could to delay the 13th Regiment's advance.
'I want to do something, but I don't have the authority.'
A flood of tactical ideas filled Ernest's head. But as a mere company commander, he simply didn't have the authority to act on them.
"..."
While moving, Ernest glanced over at Soren.
Despite being in his mid-thirties, Soren was running with steady breaths, even as the much younger soldiers in their twenties around him were panting for air.
He planned to plant himself firmly in the army and enjoy its sweet rewards for a long time, so he made sure to take meticulous care of his health to avoid being discharged for medical reasons.
Even after attaining the rank of Battalion Commander, Soren continued to rigorously train not just his physical fitness, but also his marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, weapons skills, and equestrian skills.
He didn't want to give anyone cause to pick at his performance, and, of course, this was also to maximize his chances of survival in real combat.
If only Soren had shown a bit more ambition, he would have long since earned his colonel's insignia and become a regimental commander.
Maybe, thanks to his actions in the Battle of Bertagne Forest, he could have even become a brigadier general at a relatively young age.
"How much farther do you think we have?" Soren asked a nearby Ranger running alongside him.
"We're almost there. The lead should be starting to pull the formation back together right about now," the Ranger replied, estimating the remaining distance. Soren looked around, and then his eyes met Ernest's.
Thanks to Soren's ruthless betrayal, the Beekeepers Alliance had been dissolved, yet there was a silent understanding in the glance they exchanged—countless emotions passed between them.
"Close up ranks! Adjust your pace!" Soren shouted.
At his command, the 1st Company, which had been leading the charge in place of the 2nd and 3rd Companies exhausted from breaking through the defensive line, eased up their speed a little.
The 2nd and 3rd Companies quickly caught up to the 1st, and while the 1st Battalion's formation was still stretched out, it was now much more stable than before.
However, that did open up a bit of distance from the 3rd Battalion, which was running ahead.
"Stay extra alert for enemy ambushes."
"Yes, sir."
Soren ordered the Rangers to heighten their vigilance.
Having just witnessed Battalion Commander Soren's remarkable bravery in breaking through the defensive line, the Rangers harbored not the slightest doubt about his commands.
The 1st Battalion picked up the pace again, and while there was still some distance between them and the 3rd Battalion, it didn't widen any further.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
"The enemy!"
As they advanced a bit more, sudden gunfire erupted from the left flank.
The 3rd Battalion was under attack, and the 1st Battalion, trailing behind, could see everything unfold.
Sharp gunshots, flashes of red, and thick plumes of smoke—powder guns.
"Rangers!" Soren called out.
Shadows, camouflaged among fallen leaves and tree bark, moved silently.
Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat!
"Aagh!"
"What are you doing? Get the barrier up!"
Even though the Konchanya Rangers used powder guns, they unleashed a tremendous barrage in the blink of an eye.
Their rate of fire was so rapid that the smoke from the muzzles billowed and overlapped, nearly obscuring the entire left side from view.
But if one looked closely, the 3rd Battalion had actually suffered almost negligible losses.
There weren't that many Konchanya Rangers to begin with, and their accuracy was abysmally poor.
This was hardly surprising.
The Konchanya Rangers, even when using pistols, slung several guns with extremely short barrels across their bodies, firing one shot before tossing it aside and instantly unleashing a tremendous volley.
The gunshots, the smoke, and the fear of being attacked threw the 3rd Battalion into confusion.
The accuracy of those pistols, with barrels barely longer than a handspan, was so poor that hitting someone even thirty paces away was nearly impossible.
"Those idiot bastards!"
The Rangers running alongside the 1st Battalion hurled curses.
The Imperial Rangers, who were supposed to run ahead and guard the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, had overlooked the ambush by the Konchanya Rangers.
This was the price they paid for losing the real, long-trained Rangers in the Bertagne Forest and filling their ranks with greenhorns who barely qualified as recruits.
The 3rd Battalion came to a complete halt.
They were stretched out too thin, attacked from the flank, and for a moment, the rapid volley of bullets from the Konchanya Rangers' powder guns created the illusion that a massive enemy force was attacking them.
The deafening gunfire and the billowing smoke made it feel like the enemy had filled their entire left side.
The soldiers descended into chaos, and the influence of their commanders couldn't reach them effectively through the drawn-out formation.
"Don't stop! Keep running!"
The 3rd Battalion Commander realized, after a brief pause with no follow-up shots, that the situation wasn't so dire and ordered his men to advance again.
But in the woods, with thick smoke lingering among the trees and even the wind hesitating as if reluctant to move on, the soldiers hesitated, focused more on guarding their flank than moving forward.
Meanwhile, the Konchanya Rangers, who had brought the 3rd Battalion to a halt with little more than a few wild shots into the air, escaped at their leisure.
Thanks to their camouflaged cloaks, you could blink and lose sight of where they'd gone.
"The enemy is retreating! Move!"
On the left of the confused and faltering 3rd Battalion, Ferdinand Hartmann, 1st Company Commander of the 1st Battalion, charged through the thick smoke and bellowed in a thunderous voice.
Ferdinand, who bore a striking resemblance to his grandfather Heinz, spoke with commanding force, and the sight of the 1st Company bursting through the haze at his side was more than enough to get the stalled 3rd Battalion running once more.
"We've lost ground on the 2nd Battalion! We have to catch up! Run! Move!"
The commanders of the 3rd Battalion shouted themselves hoarse trying to spur their soldiers on.
Even though the 3rd Battalion had come under attack, the 2nd Battalion hadn't stopped but instead had picked up speed, already so far ahead that they were barely visible.
No matter what, you must avoid having your forces split up inside the enemy forest.
But right now, keeping pace was even more important than that.
Bertrand would want to delay the 13th Regiment's charge as much as possible.
And in war, the most important thing is never to give the enemy what they want.
"Don't stop for any reason! Anyone who halts without orders will face severe punishment!"
Even if it means taking a sword to my own belly, I'm determined to disrupt whatever you're trying to do. Driven by that single-minded resolve, the 2nd Battalion Commander risked everything, focusing all his attention on charging ahead to support the 14th Regiment.
Normally, the Konchanya Rangers' attack could have brought the 13th Regiment to a complete standstill.
With the stretched-out line, the 3rd Battalion—the waist of the formation—had been attacked and halted, so, naturally, the 2nd Battalion should have stopped too in order to avoid being split up.
And with both the 2nd and 3rd Battalions halted, the 1st Battalion would have had to stop as well, spending who knows how long reforming their lines to counter the enemy attack and even more time verifying that the enemy had withdrawn before moving out again.
But right now, the 13th Regiment was charging forward with nothing but ultimate victory in sight.
The 2nd Battalion Commander prioritized supporting the 14th Regiment and driving out the enemy to secure control of the forest over any immediate danger looming before him, while the 3rd Battalion, which ought to have stopped and become disorganized, was able to resume their run thanks to the quick action of the 1st Battalion.
All of this, no matter what anyone says, was unquestionably thanks to the outstanding leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Soren Kaufmann, the 1st Battalion Commander, a man gifted with both wisdom and courage.
If there is anyone among the higher-ups still in their right mind, they must ensure that this remarkable soldier's achievements are highly commended and see to it that he gets promoted to colonel and placed in command of a regiment on the field, no matter what.
"Charge."
The 2nd Battalion Commander's decision seemed sound as his troops charged bravely toward victory—at least until Bertrand himself arrived at the front, leading his troops in person and gave the order to charge.
"Chaaaarge!"
"Waaaaa!"
Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
"Argh!"
"Raise the barrier!"
"Fall back! Fall back!"
"Help!"
The vanguard of the 2nd Battalion, stretched out in a long line as they ran, was gunned down in droves by the firing Belliang Army without even a chance to resist.
The Belliang Army had fanned out wide on both sides, taking up space and unleashing their firepower.
Everyone knows that, in a firefight, a line formation is better than a column.
In this situation, all the 2nd Battalion could do was fall back and try to regroup.
The 2nd Battalion's Baltracher created a Balt Shield, but it did little to help.
The Balt Shield is undeniably powerful in a firefight, but its limitations are clear.
No matter how strong the shield, there's no way the leading Baltracher could block the hundreds of bullets pouring down at once all on her own.
Crack!
"Aaagh…!"
Thud!
The Baltracher struggled desperately, but in the blink of an eye, her barrier was shattered by the hail of bullets. Moments later, bullets struck her body, and she collapsed helplessly to the ground.
"Waaaaah!"
The 2nd Battalion, tangled in confusion as they tried to retreat, couldn't even move properly. Belliang Army soldiers surged at them like waves, raining bullets down upon them. By the time the remnants of the 2nd Battalion managed to flee and regroup with the 3rd Battalion at the rear, only seventy percent of their original force was left.
Normally, if thirty percent of a unit is lost, considering the drop in morale and combat effectiveness, the unit is deemed basically unfit for combat.
Even the 2nd Battalion soldiers who made it safely to the 3rd Battalion after that single assault were in total shock and had lost any will to fight.
Unless someone could quickly find a way to boost their morale, the 2nd Battalion would be effectively incapable of fighting, even with seventy percent of its strength remaining.
Flutter!
In the chaos of the forest, trampling over the corpses of the fallen 2nd Battalion soldiers, the Red Flag pressed forward with vigor.
Step! Step! Step! Step!
The Belliang Royal Guard Soldiers—or rather, since Belliang had already fallen, now Bertrand's Guards—marched proudly under the flag, carrying their massive tower shields.
"Form ranks."
"Form up!"
Bertrand's command was echoed loudly by his officers. Now, beneath the last Belliang Royal Flag that could still flutter freely in the wind under the open sky, the Belliang Army moved as one, swiftly falling into formation.
Before the battle, Bertrand had made a meticulous study of the terrain, and his officers knew exactly how to structure their ranks.
The Belliang Army formed up with precision, and the 13th Regiment also halted and arranged themselves into formation.
Soldiers huddled behind trees, rocks, and protruding patches of earth, pressing close to the ground, their breath trembling with nervous anticipation as they waited for the fight to begin.
Everyone, even children, know that defenders hold the advantage in battle.
Bertrand had heard that the 13th Regiment was attacking. Normally, he would have pulled back the forces encircling the 14th Regiment, concentrating on defense from favorable terrain.
But Bertrand did not do that.
By sending in the Konchanya Rangers to harass the enemy's flank, he made it appear as though he was desperate to delay the advance of the 13th Regiment.
As a result, the 2nd Battalion kept charging ahead and became separated from the 3rd Battalion.
Instead of retreating, Bertrand pressed forward, completely throwing off the enemy's timing and expectations for this fight.
The Imperial Army's Rangers at the front had no chance to warn of the impending danger.
Bertrand had launched the assault so boldly that, by the time the Rangers realized what was happening, it was already too late.
Because of this, thirty percent of the 2nd Battalion, strung out in a long column as they charged, was wiped out with little effort.
Among those who fell so abruptly were two Baltrachers, a company commander, and four platoon leaders.
The reason Bertrand acted so boldly was to deny the initiative to the enemy.
Advantageous as defense might be, you cannot just crouch and hide.
He gave up on perfection, determined to sever the enemy's momentum—even at the cost of casualties—and drove the attack relentlessly, surging forward like an unyielding storm.
Only by doing so could he deny Ernest any chance to turn the tables and secure victory for himself.
From the moment he heard that Ernest was here, Bertrand had already given up on a decisive victory.
Instead, his determination was to wear down the Imperial Army, to gnaw away at them through a grueling war of attrition, no matter what Ernest tried, and force their retreat.
He had stepped onto the battlefield with that resolve.
Of course, ideally, it would be best to make the enemy fall back without fighting at all. After all, the greatest victory is the one achieved without battle.
Bertrand filled his lungs with a deep breath.
"Withdraw!"
He then returned the very words Ernest had once spoken to him.
"It's already over! The Imperial Army that entered the forest first is cut off and dying, and my troops from the east are rushing in! You cannot take this forest!"
Bertrand kindly explained why this battle was already lost for his enemies. The Belliang Army fighting the 14th Regiment had taken some losses, making things a bit precarious, but the situation was still very much in his favor.
And if Bertrand simply held his ground here, the troops approaching from the east would soon strike the 13th Regiment in the side and rear and bring them down.
Even though the 13th Regiment's 2nd Battalion had suffered heavy casualties, they were still able to fight.
Yet if you looked at the overall state of battle, with the 13th Regiment halted here, it was safe to say the Belliang Army now held the upper hand.
The 13th Regiment had turned the tides with a deception using their Logistics Corps and a focused breakthrough by Ernest's wedge formation.
But with this one bold assault, Bertrand had seized back the initiative.
Krieger—still seems to be just a company commander.
That is how Bertrand realized that Ernest was still nothing more than a company commander without any real authority.
Bertrand was probably the person who held Ernest in the highest regard on this battlefield—perhaps even more so than Ferdinand, who knew Ernest intimately as a commander.
That's why Bertrand believed Ernest hadn't stepped in this time—because tactics, not strategy, had given Bertrand the upper hand in the current situation.
If Ernest had been a battalion commander, he would have had at least some influence over the other battalions, and Bertrand was certain that, once again, Ernest would have shattered his tactics with some audacious approach.
This is the biggest flaw in the Imperial Army's rank structure.
To leave someone who should be at least a regimental commander stuck as nothing more than a company commander.
Bertrand felt a surge of relief at the fact that Ernest was still only a company commander, and he criticized the Imperial Army's promotion system, which factored in seniority alongside competence.
If it were up to Bertrand, Ernest would have been made overall field commander—after all, whatever weaknesses he had could be supplemented by others, and people like Ernest ought to be put in positions where they could display their full abilities.
"Do you think we can break through?"
Among the murmuring members of the 13th Regiment, Soren—who had taken cover behind a tree—asked the question to Ernest, whose reliability was so overwhelming that Soren had been forced to dissolve the Beekeepers Alliance.
Ernest drew a deep breath, paused, then let out a heavy sigh.
"No, it's already too late. The moment we stopped here, the plan failed."
The moment Ernest saw Bertrand step forward himself, he grasped exactly how the battle situation was unfolding.
"At this point, unless we pull out to the west to help the 14th Regiment and form a new line, or retreat entirely, I don't see any other options."
Almost no one else in the 13th Regiment had this clear a grasp of the situation—besides Ernest, perhaps only Soren, which was why Soren already knew this was the best answer. Still, he had asked Ernest just in case—but as expected, there was no miracle solution.
"Pass this on to the 2nd and 3rd Battalion Commanders. We have no way of stopping the enemy coming from the east, so we'll withdraw to the west, reinforce the 14th Regiment, and form a new front line."
"Yes."
Soren immediately sent a courier.
The 13th Regiment was paralyzed, unable to do anything in this limbo, which only prolonged the stalemate. This was a bad situation not just for the 13th and 14th Regiments, but for the entire Imperial Army.
"The 2nd and 3rd Battalions have both said they'll hold the enemy here."
"1st Battalion! Move out!"
"Yes!"
The moment Soren received the replies from the 2nd and 3rd Battalion Commanders, he ordered the 1st Battalion to head west.
Even when Bertrand saw the 1st Battalion withdrawing to the west, he made no attempt to stop them.
He had figured out what the 13th Regiment intended and simply let them go.
"..."
"..."
As they ran west, Ernest glanced back, his eyes meeting Bertrand's through the trees.
For an instant, as if reflected in a mirror, both wore the exact same expression and simultaneously furrowed their brows.
Click.
Then Ernest swiftly raised his rifle, aiming at Bertrand's head as it peeked over a shield, and Bertrand, forgetting all composure, threw himself down behind cover.
If Bertrand had lingered even a second longer, a bullet would have pierced his head.
Ernest lowered his rifle again and continued walking, while Bertrand, supported by Jade, got back to his feet.
"Curiosity killed the cat, but really, I only poked my head out once. Isn't that a bit much?"
Bertrand forced a nonchalant smile despite his racing heart, but his face had gone so pale that he couldn't hide it.
"…If only Sir Estelle were here."
After helping Bertrand up, Jade muttered wistfully.
Had Estelle been present, they might have crushed the 13th Regiment here and ensured Ernest's death as well.
After that, they could have utterly destroyed the 14th Regiment and secured their victory.
"If you fixate on that thought and fight the enemy, you'll end up suffering a bitter defeat just like last time. We forced the enemy to retreat without taking heavy losses. What more could we ask for?"
Without Ernest, he would have simply pressed in and killed them all.
Bertrand knew this.
In reality, this was a battle he should have won without question.
But because of Ernest alone, he couldn't recklessly attack.
He was prepared for a drawn-out, exhausting war of attrition—but only if the enemy refused to retreat.
Because of Ernest, he had been forced to halt, regroup his lines, and suspend the fighting, which caused him to miss the perfect opportunity to attack.
Now, if he went after the 13th Regiment, which had regrouped, he would suffer heavy casualties.
That's why Bertrand had no desire to fight the enemy right now.
He had to remember: the Belliang Army here was all that remained of the Belliang Army in this world.
Even if he won, if the casualties were too great, Bertrand's position in Konchanya would be jeopardized, and even if Belliang were to be restored after driving out the Empire, they could end up reduced to a mere vassal state of Konchanya.
"But doesn't this mean we're ultimately handing the forest over to the Empire?"
Jade spoke in a troubled voice.
Bertrand had no intention of continuing the fight, and the Imperial Army wouldn't give up the forest either.
The Imperials had pushed in quite far.
If a front line was established in the forest, it would threaten Konchanya's defensive line.
"As long as we don't give up any more ground, it'll be fine."
But Bertrand still understood that the situation wasn't dire yet.
If the Belliang Army retreated even a little further, they might truly have to abandon Konchanya's defensive line.
They were right on the edge.
Still, for now, they had stopped the enemy.
At this moment, there was no need to draw back the defensive line.
"And from here on out, time is on our side."
For the first time, Bertrand genuinely smiled as he spoke.
The Belliang Army, which had been chipping away at the 14th Regiment, allowed them to withdraw without resistance once the 1st Battalion arrived as reinforcements.
It was obvious that if the 1st Battalion attacked from outside the encirclement, they would suffer severe losses.
After that, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 13th Regiment, wary of Bertrand and the eastern forces, carefully retreated west, regrouping with the remnants of the 1st Battalion and the 14th Regiment to form a new front line.
With that, the battle came to a close for now.
The troops who had been pounding against the defensive line to support the 13th and 14th Regiment's infiltration maneuvers also ceased their attacks and withdrew.
Though Bertrand surrendered a part of the forest to the Empire, he succeeded in protecting the defensive line.
The Empire gained control of a part of the forest, but failed to push back the defensive line.
It was a half-success and a half-failure.
And this outcome was not what either the Empire or Konchanya had hoped for.