Dusk had already covered the vast mountains, and the sun was setting in the west. Above the sea of Ampere Seale, there was a sparkling golden light. However, the sky had gradually darkened, and the silhouette of the moon could be seen in the dark purple sky in the east.
Just as the sergeants had predicted, a group of light infantry appeared behind them in the evening.
Brando received news that the scouts of the Royal Knight Academy were the first to encounter the enemy. It was also a group of light cavalry scouts. According to the report of the girl named Bess, after a short fight, the enemy left behind eleven corpses and two captives. In the end, the enemy deliberately let about a quarter of the people go back to report.
After interrogating the captives, the enemy should be an independent light infantry brigade that belonged to the Finn Column of the Black Blade Squad. The structure of the Black Blade Squad was different from the White Lion Legion that followed the previous King Erik's era. The structure of the Black Blade Squad was similar to the Roman Legion, but the scale was much larger. Under the Black Blade Squad were the Columns, which had a total of 4500 people. Under the Columns, there were also Brigades and Centurions. Generally speaking, the Black Blade Squad had twenty Columns, and the name of each Column was decided by the name of the Commander. The Finn Column's Commander was naturally from the Finn Family.
Brando had previously boasted to the princess that he knew the military forces of Erouine like the back of his hand. Naturally, he was not bragging. Although the Black Blade Squad was the Imperial Army, the royal family only had one or two noble commanders. When it came to the composition of the Black Blade Squad, even Princess Gryphine was clueless about it.
But Brendel's understanding of the situation was very different. He knew that Finn's division was stationed in today's Nale, which was actually south of the Corvado province and west of the Seifer province. Most of the soldiers were from the poor mountain people, and one of them was the famous Finn's First Highland Infantry Brigade.
Brando suspected that the independent light infantry brigade behind him was the First Highland Infantry Brigade. Generally speaking, light cavalry or the Wyvern Cavalry were the most suitable troops for pursuing and attacking. However, due to the terrain limitations, Viscount Finn might have used the Highland Infantry Brigade to replace the former two units. After all, the Highland Infantry Brigade was known for their mobility.
The troops in The Amber Sword all had special attributes. For example, the Kingdom's White Lion Infantry always had the initiative and high morale. On the battlefield, an army that always had the initiative would respond to orders faster, and an army with high morale would not be easily defeated. The special attribute of the Highland Infantry was that they could adapt to the mountains and forests.
The meaning of this attribute was actually very simple. It meant that their mobility would not be affected when fighting in response to the terrain, and the rank of the troop class would be increased by one level. On the other hand, ordinary infantrymen's mobility in mountainous areas and forests would be reduced by one level, while heavy cavalry would be reduced by two levels.
These attributes were more realistic in this world. The students of the Royal Knight Academy were all light cavalry. If they were on the plains, they would have been able to travel thousands of miles in a day. However, in the forest, they could not travel far during the day.
However, regardless of whether Finn's First Highland Infantry Brigade was behind him or not, the plan still had to be carried out. Brando could not let them stay behind forever. There was not much time left for him to begin with.
The hour hand on the brass pocket watch pointed at about half past seven o 'clock. The Wyvern Cavalry of the Black Blade Squad disappeared from the forest for the first time. Although Erouine's viper had night vision, the Knight on it still needed to be equipped for night combat. For example, they needed to change into cotton armor to keep out the cold.
Count Audine, who was most familiar with the Wyvern Cavalry, had pointed this out in advance. Therefore, they had about an hour's window in between. Brando had to race against time. Fortunately, Nosida and his Wyvern Cavalry had already found a suitable place for an ambush. He immediately ordered the scouts to lead the enemy into the preset ambush.
Leading the enemy into the ambush was easy to say, but it was quite complicated to do. However, this was not a problem for the scouts of the Royal Knight Academy. The tactics they learned in the academy revolved around this. Not to mention, this group of youths who went to Ampere Seale were personally taught by Makarov. Makarov was known as the Cunning Fox, and he was quite accomplished in playing tricks. He had a lot of experience in how to set up an ambush and how to lure the enemy in.
Therefore, these youths who were personally taught by him were quite good at acting. The scouts of the Black Blade Squad seemed to always' suddenly 'encounter enemy scouts. Although the scouts of the Southern Legion were always at a disadvantage, they were able to figure out the direction of the princess's group.
At least that was what it looked like. The number of scouts of the Royal Knight Academy that they encountered in front of them was' increasing ', which was in line with the pattern of the battlefield. It just happened that they were heading in the right direction.
Brando's guess was not wrong. Following behind them was the Black Blade Squad's First Highland Infantry Brigade of the Finn Division. Baron Warren, who was also from Nariel, commanded this army. However, the baron did not seem to realize that he was walking into a trap. Instead, he was confident that he had caught the enemy.
In fact, Baron Warren was a cautious person. He knew that his mission was to delay the princess's group, not to surround and annihilate them. In fact, he did not have such thoughts. From the news that came from behind, he knew that there might be a few armies in front of them. His Highland Infantry Brigade was not a match for the enemy.
However, for some reason, Baron Warren did not know that the enemy he was facing had defeated the White Lion Legion in a head-on battle. Behind him, Duke Seifer and Marquis Yoakam more or less knew that the White Lion Legion had suffered a loss. However, they only thought that the enemy had broken through the encirclement before the White Lion Legion could surround them.
Come to think of it, how could a mere 200-odd student Knight defeat the White Lion Legion? However, if Baron Warren knew the truth, he might be more careful. At least, it would not be so easy for him to walk into the ambush.
Unfortunately, there were no ifs in war. Baron Warren was distracted by the demonized wild boars that popped up from time to time. The Red-Backed Wild Boar was one of the famous' specialties' of the Silver Cliff. In fact, they were not rampant yet. However, after the Great Demonic Wave, the Coast Guards of Ampere Seale had a tough battle with these creatures. In the past, Brando was a member of this' pig slaughtering army '. Now, it was finally Baron Warren's turn.
Young Red-Backed Wild Boars in "The Amber Sword" had the strength of a Level 20 Iron-ranked beast. Adult Red-Backed Wild Boars were only Level 25 Iron-ranked beasts. The most abhorrent thing was that these beasts always came together in their families. They were the legendary fans of bringing along their families in one wave. When Baron Warren's army set out, he was not as cautious as Brando. As a result, countless demonized wild boars, young and old, surrounded him. In a day, the casualties of the scouts were less than half, but more than half were 'accidentally' injured by the wild boars.
He couldn't stand it anymore. He just wanted to pass through this barren land as soon as possible. Even though the forest was dense, the scouts reported that the princess and her entourage were still ahead. Baron Warren was confident that he had kept a good distance from the enemy. Although the accompanying wizards warned him to be careful of the enemy's illusions, he didn't mind at all.
Little did he know that he had already walked into Brando's field of vision. Baron Warren ordered his army to maintain marching formation. At this moment, they were walking into a valley. At this moment, Brando was standing behind a bush about a hundred meters away. He was surrounded by longbow-wielding Knight Academy students, but Brando didn't notice him.
The sea monster, Bridget, brought a team of Grey Fin Naga Priestesses. The storm in Ampere Seale had just passed, and the air was filled with water vapor. The Naga Priestesses were naturally attracted to water, so this illusion was the best condition for them to cast spells. A huge illusion shrouded the sky above the valley. This illusion didn't change the terrain, but it was just a smokescreen. It made Baron Warren's men see that the surrounding forest was denser and covered some sounds.
The effect of the spell was very simple, so the effect on every soldier was stronger. Baron Warren's cavalry scouts circled around the two flanks. They thought that they hadn't encountered the enemy, so after a dozen rounds, they went back to report. Brando, who wasn't affected by the illusion, thought this scene was a little funny.
However, the use of magic on the battlefield also made these young people feel a deep fear. It was too scary. The enemy was on the side of the blind and the deaf. They had heard many classic examples of the use of magic in the textbooks, but experiencing it for themselves was another thing.
Brando looked at the surprised faces of these young people and nodded secretly. These young Erouine officers would meet stronger enemies sooner or later. In the land of Wohnde, these nobles' private soldiers and the backward royal army were not the only opponents. Whether it was Madara or Cruz, they had already started military reforms, and they had to keep up.
However, even if it was the nobles' private soldiers or the backward royal army, Baron Warren still had a few wizards accompanying him. Among them, the most senior one was a mid-level Silver-level Advanced Wizard. In The Amber Sword, a mid-level Silver-level Advanced Wizard was about level 29 to 32, and he had mastered level 4 spells. Although he was not yet a Wizard Mentor, he had entered the ranks of Advanced Wizards.
Unfortunately, their opponent was The Shire, a real Gold-level wizard mentor. Brando let the Naga Priestesses focus on maintaining the illusion, and the counterspell was left to the young wizard servant beside him. Wizards who studied the law of spells were naturally good at dismantling spells. As soon as The Shire made a move, the wizards around Baron Warren suddenly became blind. They didn't even realize that their spells were suppressed, but they vaguely felt that something was wrong.
The first highland infantry brigade of Finn's column had about 1500 people, and Baron Warren was barely qualified as a commander. Even when marching in the forest, the formation was still decent. Brando patiently waited for more than half of the enemy to pass by. When Baron Warren and his Knight were the closest to him, he raised the shale longbow in his hand.
The bowstring in his hand flashed with a faint gray light, and the light wrapped around the arrow, making it look like a stone arrow wrapped in rock. This was the effect of the shale longbow's petrification arrow, but the level of the bow was so low that this powerful special effect was not very obvious when dealing with many high-level enemies. It was only at this moment that it could be used to its full potential.
Brando was aiming at Baron Warren, but the latter didn't notice it at all. He just slightly judged the distance and the humidity of the air, and then released the bowstring. Because there was no wind, the arrow almost didn't deviate at all except for a slight drop. It went straight to the baron on the horse.
"His skills have regressed." Brando couldn't help but shake his head. The warriors in The Amber Sword were not just muscle men who only knew how to fight. Warriors were a class that included mercenaries. Warriors often had to familiarize themselves with various weapons and armor in order to adapt to various battlefields. Brendel was a level 130 warrior, and he was a master, but it had been too long since he used a bow.
Baron Warren finally heard the whistling of the wind. As a soldier, he couldn't be more familiar with this kind of sound. The adepts beside him reacted quickly as well. They immediately erected a shield of wind around them. Unfortunately, the arrow came a little too close. A distance of a hundred meters was nothing to a magic bow. The petrification arrow drew a bright gray track and even went through the wind shield a second earlier.
"Be careful, my lord!" The Knight beside the baron was a master of the silver rank. In an instant, he pulled out his long sword and wanted to cut off the arrow. Unfortunately, before he could swing his sword, the petrification arrow exploded with a bang.
A grayish white light shrouded Baron Warren and all the knights around him in the direction of the arrow, freezing their last movements of surprise, screams, and drawing their swords. Together with their mounts, they turned into stone statues.
Seven Knight, two wizards, and the baron were all hit, and only one wizard escaped. But the wizard's left arm was also turned into stone, and it was still spreading to his shoulder. He immediately raised his right hand and hit the petrified left hand. In a flash of fire, the stone arm was suddenly shattered.
"Enemy attack!" The previous scene was just a flash of lightning. After the wizard shattered his left hand, he immediately grabbed the staff next to him and screamed.
Unfortunately, it was a little too late. In an instant, the originally calm forest was suddenly filled with thousands of arrows.
Brando put away the bronze longbow in his hand. After all, it was a magic weapon with a brass label. Although it was not enough to deal with elemental awakened monsters or even gold-rank masters, it was a surefire way to kill small fries.
"Ah! A magic bow? "A small surprised voice came from behind.
Brando turned around and saw the girl named Bess staring at the shale longbow in his hand. "You want it?" He asked. A good bow was indeed very important to a scout. Besides, Brando actually did not value the bow in his hand very much. After all, it was not a good thing.
"Ah, no, no." Bess was a little embarrassed. Although she was born with a boy's personality, it was still something that belonged to the commander. How could she just ask for it? She just said it out loud in a moment of carelessness.
"Haha, my lord, of course Bess wants it. She's just too embarrassed to ask." A young officer at the side laughed and joked. Brando did not put on airs. Although these young people respected him, they were not afraid of him.
Brando looked at the person who spoke. He actually recognized him. If I remember correctly, his name was Hollande. He was saved by Carglise from the White Lion Infantry. It seems that this guy is interested in this girl. Oh right, it seems that the two of them got married later on.
He thought with interest and threw the shale longbow to him. "Then I'll give it to you. As for how you persuade Miss Bess to accept it, that will depend on your ability."
"Ah!" Hollande did not expect his thoughts to be seen through. He immediately blushed. He turned around and did not expect to be glared at by Bess. She then turned around and joined the battle.
"My lord, this …" Hollande could not help but look innocent.
"Oh my," Brando laughed in his heart. Young man, this is the best I can do for you. A magical weapon with a brass label could be sold for a hundred or two in the game at this time.
Brando was joking with the young man from the Wang Li Knight Academy because he did not care about the outcome of this ambush. Or rather, he did not think that they would lose this battle. Count Audine and Maynild were in charge of the battle. That was more than enough for him.
Finn Division's Highland Infantry Brigade was famous, but their reputation was mainly built on Anson VI's rebellion and the several raids in the early stages of the last Holy War. They were known for their mobility. Moreover, that was a reputation built by their seniors. The current Highland Infantrymen were new blood that had joined the Black Blade Legion after the November War. Although they still retained the perseverance of the Gray Mountain people, they did not have the unyielding spirit of the White Lion Legion in the face of a surprise attack.
In particular, the military system of the Black Blade Squad was even more outdated than that of the White Lion Legion. Each column was divided into three brigades, and each of them had ten divisions under their command. Each division was commanded by a centurion. Most of these centurions were actually Baron Warren's knights. They were not really junior officers.
These centurions were the centurions. Except for a few who were in charge of maintaining the formation, most of them were petrified by Brando's arrow. The fact that Finn Division's Highland Infantry Brigade did not scatter immediately after losing their command center was due to the strength of the Highland Highland Infantry Brigade.
However, Naga's team of twenty priests no longer maintained the illusion. Instead, they used hailstones and frozen spells to attack the Highland Infantry Brigade. Hailstones were not small stones that could be blocked by shields. Instead, they were magically reinforced icicles that were as thick as a fist. These icicles could pierce through ordinary leather helmets. The Highland Infantry Brigade's light armor could not withstand them at all. After a round of magic, they were dead.
Without the restraint of their commander, the Highland Highland Infantry Brigade instinctively turned around to hide and spread out. But how could the scattered Highland Highland Infantry Brigade fight? Waiting for them were Audine's private soldiers and the light cavalry of the Royal Cavalry Regiment, who had separated and surrounded the battlefield in groups.
A single Highland Infantry Brigade was obviously no match for the Highland Highland Infantry Brigade with spears, but once they gathered together, they would be scattered again by magic. The Highland Infantry Brigade of Finn Division's Highland Infantry Brigade only held on for about ten minutes before they completely collapsed. What awaited them was death and surrender. Some of them even managed to escape, but that was because Brando was too lazy to chase after them. He did not want to increase the number of casualties.
The whole battle, from the ambush to the end, took less than half an hour. The sky was not even completely dark yet. Brando looked at the time when he was cleaning up the battlefield. It was at least a quarter of an hour before the Black Blade Squad's Wyvern Knight Regiment returned to the battlefield. This was beyond his expectations.
He glanced at the direction where the Black Blade Squad fled and heaved a sigh of relief. There was no more worry. Next, he could carry out his plan with peace of mind. And those fleeing Highland Infantry Brigade would lead their real enemy into a trap.
…
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Background Notes:
(1) Nalie, the name of a town located in the Gray Mountain Territory. In Aouine, the Grey Mountains to the south of Corvado were the main settlements of the Northern Highlanders. These Highlanders used to be the barbarians of Kirrlutz, but they were more unruly and untamed than the southern part of Aouine. The Northern Highlanders had long since submitted to the late King Eckmi when Aouine was founded and became the subjects of the kingdom. But until today, the Highlanders still retained a little independence.
(2) Silver Cliff Sea Cliff, a geographical term that refers to the area from Ampere Seale south to Tranquil Anchorage, the northernmost bay of Frada.
— — —
PS: I caught a cold again. How unlucky. I was not in the mood for the whole morning. I went out for a few rounds before I felt better. But my head is still a little dizzy. I'll first post 6000 words to ensure two chapters. I'll see if I can write another chapter later.
Also, the weather is getting colder. Take care of your health.
Also, recently, at the request of some readers, I've started to add some annotations. These annotations are about geography. In fact, I've posted maps before. You can go and look for them. When I have time, I'll make another detailed map. Qidian's map-sending mechanism is not very friendly. It's often posted for a while. Try to remind me to make it up in the future.
Finally, Amber's chronology is also in the process of being made. But I still need everyone to brainstorm and help me find the names of the years that appeared before, so as to avoid bugs. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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