Chapter 480: Fire For Fire No loss Nut

"Fire!"

On the vast, open plain, the armies of the Eldorian Empire and the Red Wolves steadily advanced towards each other.

Lancelot wore a solemn expression as he commanded his troops to unleash their second volley.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Another wave of gunfire erupted. Once again, soldiers in the Red Wolves’ front ranks fell, but those behind them immediately stepped forward to fill the gaps. No matter how many men fell, the remaining soldiers continued advancing.

At the artillery position, Prince Simon watched the scene with a cold expression.

The Red Wolves’ formation was remarkably stubborn.

On the expansive battlefield, the two armies stood facing each other in long, opposing lines, neither willing to give ground.

After Liam had nearly destroyed the Red Wolves’ artillery positions, the Brambleford artillery had turned its attention towards their infantry formations.

Every bombardment tore open gaps in the enemy ranks, yet the Red Wolves continued replacing their fallen comrades. Their determination was almost frightening.

The sight made the generals of the Brambleford army abandon their previous underestimation of the enemy. Even Prince Simon no longer regarded the Red Wolves as an ordinary collection of pirates.

According to the intelligence Richard had gathered, a particular pirate warrior ideology was being vigorously promoted throughout the Red Wolves’ territory.

From the information contained in the Technology Crystal, Prince Simon had learned that this ideology had existed since ancient times. However, over the years, individuals with ulterior motives had distorted and exploited it for their own purposes.

Even now, their leader, Scott, continued promoting this dangerous philosophy, encouraging his followers to sacrifice their lives without hesitation for his ambitions.

In Prince Simon’s opinion, this was what made the Red Wolves particularly dangerous.

Their weapons were not especially impressive, and their military technology remained inferior to that of the Eldorian Empire. However, their willingness to die for their leader made them far more troublesome than ordinary pirates.

Such an ideology could transform a flock of sheep into a pack of ferocious beasts.

And the Red Wolves were gradually becoming exactly that.

Despite enduring one bombardment after another, Zack continued leading three ranks of soldiers towards the Brambleford army.

Once they entered effective matchlock range, he raised his katana and shouted:

"Ready! Fire!"

Suddenly, confidence surged through him.

He believed that if the Eldorian Empire suffered the same casualties as his men, its army would quickly collapse.

After all, during their previous coastal raids, the soldiers of the Eldorian Empire had often retreated after suffering casualties of barely a tenth of their forces.

In his eyes, these soldiers were nothing more than cowards who had grown accustomed to peace.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Flames erupted from the Red Wolves’ guns, followed by thick clouds of white smoke.

The Brambleford soldiers in the front ranks immediately bore the brunt of the volley. Bullets struck several men, while others cried out and fell to the ground.

However, the soldiers behind them immediately stepped forward to fill the gaps.

Those who remained in formation did not hesitate. They continued following their commanders’ instructions while preparing their weapons for the next volley.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

Gunshots echoed continuously across the battlefield.

The two armies exchanged volleys without interruption, while artillery roared from both sides of the battlefield.

Lancelot’s eyes gradually reddened as he watched his soldiers fall. Nevertheless, he understood that retreat was not an option.

This was the spirit of the well-trained Brambleford army.

It was the dignity of a nation.

When these soldiers raised their rifles, they understood what they were fighting for.

Unlike the soldiers of the past, they were no longer fighting merely because their superiors had ordered them to do so.

They were defending their homeland, their families, and the future of the Eldorian Empire.

The Brambleford soldiers did not panic despite the casualties.

They had been trained to remain in formation under fire, and the Hall of Heroes outside the city gates constantly reminded them of the honour and responsibility that came with being a soldier.

To them, serving their country was an honour, and defending it was their duty.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunfire continued to reverberate across the plain.

Gradually, the superiority of the Brambleford army’s firearms became increasingly apparent.

Its flintlock muskets allowed the soldiers to maintain a more effective firing rhythm, while their weapons delivered greater power than the matchlocks carried by the Red Wolves.

More importantly, the Brambleford soldiers maintained their tight formations and followed their commanders’ instructions with remarkable discipline.

Their artillery support continued inflicting casualties on the enemy, and the Red Wolves’ seemingly endless supply of replacements was finally beginning to falter.

Lancelot immediately recognised the opportunity.

After another coordinated volley, he suddenly drew his sabre and raised it towards the enemy.

"For the sake of the Empire... CHARGE!"

His thunderous command spread through the ranks.

"CHARGE!"

The Brambleford soldiers fixed their bayonets and surged forward together.

Thousands of soldiers advanced across the battlefield, their rifles held firmly in their hands as they closed the distance with the enemy.

"How is this possible?!"

Zack stared at the approaching Brambleford army in disbelief.

Weren’t these the same soldiers who had previously fled whenever his men attacked their coastal settlements?

Weren’t they supposed to be cowardly, undisciplined troops who would collapse at the slightest pressure?

Then why were they advancing so fearlessly?

Why hadn’t their morale collapsed despite suffering such heavy casualties?

Zack could hardly believe what he was witnessing.

However, he had no time to dwell on his confusion.

"Hold your positions!"

He shouted sharply.

At his command, the men positioned behind the Red Wolves’ infantry lines immediately surged forward.

Unlike the ordinary soldiers, these men had received extensive training in the art of swordsmanship and had been deeply influenced by the warrior philosophy promoted within the Red Wolves.

Their katanas flashed as they rushed towards the advancing Brambleford soldiers.

With their sharp blades and considerable combat experience, these warriors had become a nightmare for the Empire’s coastal troops.

On the elevated artillery position, Liam continued directing his cannons towards the Red Wolves’ rear formations.

After observing the fierce fighting for some time, he turned towards Prince Simon.

"My Lord, these Red Wolves are indeed formidable fighters. No wonder Prince Valeric and Prince Gerad have struggled to deal with them."

"That’s true."

Prince Simon nodded slightly.

"Even after suffering such heavy casualties, they have yet to completely collapse. The Red Wolves are certainly more troublesome than we anticipated."

Nevertheless, he remained unconcerned about their warrior ideology or their apparent disregard for death.

History had repeatedly demonstrated that courage alone could not overcome a technological gap.

In this battle, the Red Wolves were inferior to the Brambleford army in terms of firearms, military training, and battlefield coordination.

If the Brambleford soldiers were as solid as rocks during a firefight, the Red Wolves were merely like pine trees.

They might withstand strong winds, but they were still no match for rocks.

The growing number of Red Wolves’ casualties scattered across the battlefield was already proof that they had lost the exchange of fire.

What kept them fighting was their confidence in the swordsmen positioned among their ranks.

Unfortunately for them, that confidence was about to be shattered.

The moment the two sides clashed, the advantage of the Brambleford army’s bayonets became apparent.

One of the Red Wolves’ swordsmen swung his katana with all his strength, aiming to cut through an approaching rifle.

Clang!

To his astonishment, the bayonet remained firmly attached to the rifle.

Before he could recover from the shock, several Brambleford soldiers thrust their weapons forward simultaneously.

The man had no opportunity to retreat.

Elsewhere, many of the Red Wolves’ swordsmen discovered that their celebrated swordsmanship was far less effective against the disciplined formations of the Brambleford army.

Some were overwhelmed before they could even properly display their abilities.

The Brambleford soldiers were now fighting with tremendous determination.

Watching their comrades fall around them, their hatred towards the enemy continued to grow.

For years, they had endured oppression from the Reaver tribes in the north. Now, these smaller barbarian states across the eastern sea had also begun raising their weapons against the Empire.

However, things had changed.

Under the guidance of Prince Simon, the people of Brambleford had gradually begun understanding the meaning of a country, a nation, and their collective identity.

They were no longer the ignorant and indifferent soldiers of the past.

They understood that an attack against their homeland was an attack against everyone who called the Empire home.

And they would no longer tolerate foreign aggression.

"Kill!"

The Brambleford soldiers roared as they continued advancing.

Their morale remained high, and their formations pressed relentlessly against the increasingly disorganised Red Wolves.

The enemy’s resistance finally began to crumble.

One soldier turned and fled.

Then another.

Before long, the Red Wolves’ infantry formations descended into chaos.

The musketeers who had previously stood their ground began abandoning their positions and running for their lives.

"Don’t retreat!"

"Nobody is allowed to retreat!"

Zack’s expression twisted with anger.

He swung his katana at the fleeing soldiers, cutting down several men in an attempt to force the others back into formation.

But it was useless.

The fear of death had finally overwhelmed their earlier determination.

No matter how loudly Zack shouted, he could no longer stop the rout.

Watching more and more soldiers abandon the battlefield, desperation finally took hold of him.

He glanced towards the elevated position where the Brambleford artillery was stationed.

For a moment, he considered his options.

But when he saw the advancing Imperial soldiers and the complete collapse of his own formation, he abandoned the thought.

Instead, he blended into the fleeing soldiers and escaped from the battlefield.

At the artillery position, Prince Simon observed the entire scene through his telescope.

When he finally saw the Red Wolves’ army break apart and flee, a weight was actually lifted from his heart.

The battle was over.

However, there was no particular excitement on his face.

In his eyes, the Red Wolves might have possessed an unusually fierce fighting spirit, but they were still nothing more than irregular troops being led to the slaughter.

Their determination had made them difficult to defeat.

But it had not changed the outcome.

In the face of a properly trained army equipped with superior weapons, even the fiercest fighting spirit could only delay defeat.