Chapter 419: Feuer

A mercenary company of that size was threat enough. Fortunately, we confirmed that the enemy had no cavalry and was made up mostly of infantry with a handful of archers. I looked down at the troops from atop the platform.

Every eye was fixed on me.

A mix of anxiety and anticipation.

"Whose land is this!"

"The great wolf! The Gale Knight! It’s the land of the Streit family!"

"This is the Streit family’s land, but it is also your home, the ground where you and your descendants will live. I have come here to protect you."

The soldiers’ focus sharpened. Those in armor and those without, those holding sword and shield and those shouldering axe and spear, all of them hung on my speech. This is what makes being a general worthwhile.

"Take up your weapons! The time has come to show those fools who don’t know their place the greatness of Rosenheim! Those who fight bravely will be rewarded, and those who hold this ground will be rewarded as well. God’s blessing will be with you! March!"

"Raaaaah!"

The word "reward" drew the most intense reaction from the soldiers.

To medieval people living in poverty, money held great value. Answering a lord’s mobilization order was military service, a duty owed by everyone living on this land, but that was exactly why I promised a reward on top of it.

I’d realized early on that rewards were an excellent means of drawing out soldiers’ loyalty and devotion. I would continue to spare no expense so they could keep earning money.

And truthfully, soldiers’ rewards didn’t amount to much, so I could pay them out freely. Simply by holding the line instead of fleeing, the levies had done their job.

Now it was the professional combat units’ turn to smash the enemy.

I deployed the units atop the ridge north of Vintenheim. It was a fairly high ridge with a wide-open view, which made it easy to pinpoint the enemy’s position. I sent the reconnaissance unit out again to gather information.

As expected, this ridge lay on the mercenary company’s route.

The enemy still hadn’t noticed our presence.

"The gunners’ faces are quite a sight."

"It’s their first real combat, so they’re leaning heavily on the veterans."

"Guidance from veterans with combat experience is invaluable."

The veterans who had stood their ground at the Battle of Feuzen, firing more than ten shots each against countless enemy soldiers, now served as training instructors and sergeants, so the recruits were relatively steady.

Thanks to the family’s unique unit title, F-Rank Streit Gunners (discipline 10%, firepower 10%, accuracy 10%), and the military passive skill Strong Soldiers (10%), they were in far better shape than other units would be in their first real combat.

With time to spare before the enemy arrived, I summoned every unit commander. Oscar and Peter, Anton, and several lieutenants gathered in one place. They had plenty of combat experience, so they were at ease.

Oscar, though, seemed a little worried about the recruits.

Come to think of it, unlike the retainers of other noble houses, most of my subordinates had been through war, big or small. There are surprisingly many nobles with no real combat experience, so this was a tremendous advantage.

"The vice commander will lead his knights to disrupt the enemy’s archers and rear, and the gunner commander will engage the enemy’s main force head-on. If you don’t forget the coordination we drilled, you’ll achieve excellent results. I’ll take the remaining forces and support you from the rear."

Then I struck the ground with the butt of my halberd. Thud.

The earth seemed to shake as though from a quake.

"Gentlemen, do not let your guard down. Annihilate the enemy so that the moment I have to swing this halberd never comes. If you force me to swing it, you’ll all be training with me again for the first time in a long while."

As a lord, it had been a long time since I’d withdrawn to the rear to yield growth and merit to my subordinates. Apart from when the grand duke or crown prince was supreme commander, there was hardly any occasion for me to pick up the halberd and swing it myself.

If they couldn’t make good on the opportunity I’d given them, there was no better cure than training. At the prospect of training as punishment, my subordinates’ pupils quaked. There was a time when running my men ragged was my hobby.

Most of the subordinates who remembered those days firmly resolved to crown this battle with victory. Only Peter was left bewildered. Knowing nothing of those days, he actually showed interest in the training.

"Even if we win the battle, I’d personally like to train with you, my lord."

"Huh? What’s with that officer? Has he lost his mind?"

"Walking into leg-day hell of his own free will!"

"Oh, Lord! Save that innocent lamb!"

The reactions around him were so strange that Peter was thoroughly flustered, but I threw a friendly arm around his shoulder. He seemed honored, and I could see admiration in the way he looked at me.

"I’ll make time especially for you. If any of your men want to train alongside you, bring them all. I’ll pass on the Streit family’s unique training method."

"It’s an honor, my lord! I’ll be looking forward to it."

It had been a while, and I wanted to train until I lost myself in it, so I’d take on every admirable volunteer who wanted to work his legs. And anyone who failed to earn merit in battle would be attending without exception.

Before long, the enemy drew close enough for their position to register on the Commander Scouter’s radar, and their unit information was displayed. It was a coalition of three mercenary companies; they’d apparently joined forces for one big score before bolting.

You picked the wrong day, boys.

They seemed to have targeted Carnival season, when Vintenheim would be at its most hectic, but if there was one thing I paid attention to above all else, it was the security of my territory. It seemed the rumors about me hadn’t reached that far north.

Then again, if they’d been that smart, they wouldn’t have crossed the border to plunder without any cavalry. The time had come to show those morons, who thought this would be as easy as Essenbach, the power of Rosenheim.

Enemy combat power was 65, morale green, with 475 men.

Our intercepting force’s combat power was 78, morale green, with 232 men.

Of these, one company of 150 would face them head-on, while the remaining cavalry would circle around and launch a surprise attack to disrupt the enemy’s archers and rear.

My direct squad leader, serving as my aide, spoke.

"It seems the enemy has only just spotted us."

"Too late. Anton’s already moved around behind them, so they can’t even run. If they’ve spent time on battlefields, they know it’s over the moment they show their backs to cavalry."

"The enemy is advancing!"

Facing them were the Streit Gunners, standing in two ranks. Fortunately, they didn’t panic; they waited calmly for Oscar’s command. Aim! At his word, they leveled their muzzles at the enemy.

The shield-bearing mercenaries advanced without hesitation.

Hmm, a fine mercenary company that isn’t afraid of gunners.

Feuer (fire)!

Feuer!

Bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang! Bang!

The muzzles of the arquebuses spat fire, and scores of mercenaries charging at the front went down. But the enemy still vastly outnumbered us. The Streit Gunners’ first battle had only just begun.