In the Forest of Arden, Marquis Unchy's army was also advancing.
Unlike the army on the right, there were a large number of scouts and cavalrymen at the front of this army of more than thirty thousand people. Behind them were about three thousand serf soldiers, who were holding long spears or long swords, carefully observing their surroundings. At the front were the serf archers, who were of the lowest status.
In the middle of the army was a large number of serf infantrymen and a large group of sergeants. The ranger knights and the royal knights were at the back, protecting Marquis Unchy and other nobles. The knights were also protected by a large number of infantrymen on both sides.
The whole army was already several kilometers long.
The knights were not fully armed. Most of them wore ceremonial robes and uniforms, with swords and shields.
When the knights went out to battle, they would only be fully armed when facing the enemy. When they were marching or resting, they would not wear armor. This was because being fully armed was not only a heavy burden on the horses, but also on the knights themselves.
If the battle was too long, the knights would also get tired.
Only animals like the Holy Grail Knight could wear plate armor and fight from morning to night without getting tired. However, there were very few Holy Grail Knights. This time, Ryan was the only Holy Grail Knight participating in the Knight's War.
A standard Brittany warhorse could carry a knight for five to eight charges. After that, the warhorse would get tired, and the effect of the charge would be greatly reduced. Therefore, when marching or setting up camp, the knights would not wear plate armor. Otherwise, they would tire themselves to death.
Most of the ordinary ranger knights could not afford full plate armor. They were equipped with a combination of mail armor, kite helmet, and smock. Only a small number of noble ranger knights could wear plate armor.
Therefore, when a knight went out to battle, he would usually be equipped with three horses: a warhorse for battle, an ordinary horse for peacetime, and a workhorse for carrying all kinds of equipment. At the same time, he would also need at least two squires to help him put on the armor and help him get on the horse before the battle.
Behind the knights were a large number of troops and logistical personnel, including a large number of carriages carrying the knights' equipment.
"My Marquis, Jursen Castle is not far away." This was the suggestion of the experienced lieutenant general, Baron Pierre. He was an excellent knight of the kingdom. "We haven't encountered any decent resistance along the way, but I think we should still be careful."
"Hmm, I know. The Orcs are very cunning. We have to be careful." Even though Marquis Angci was proud of himself, he was a general sent by the Academy and had received good military training since he was a child. He knew that he could not be careless.
It was not easy for King Richard to get this opportunity for his grandnephew, so he had to make good use of it.
The Marquis was frustrated. After entering the forest for three days, his army was harassed and attacked by the Orcs. His scouts and cavalrymen suffered heavy casualties, but the Orcs didn't attack his army directly.
Some of the Rangers were complaining. They felt that the Orcs weren't impressive and that the Marquis was too cautious. The Orcs only knew how to shoot arrows and hide from the Rangers. They were a group of scoundrels.
Marquis Angci warned the Knights to be careful of the Orcs' ambush.
But where were the Orcs? Marquis Angci pondered. The Knights were troubled by the absence of the Orcs.
When the army was 20 kilometers away from Jursen's Castle, there was a sudden commotion.
A few injured cavalrymen rushed out from the forest and shouted, "Enemy attack! It's the Orcs! "
"It's the Orcs!" It took some time for the angry shouts to spread from the front to the rear. The army, which stretched for a few kilometers, reacted slowly. The vigilant Serfs lined up in rows and raised their weapons. The Knights looked for their squires and put on their armor, preparing for battle.
In the dark forest, hundreds of Orcs appeared. They had ferocious faces and wielded Pikes and Axes.
"Archers, prepare to shoot!" The sergeants standing in the first row immediately ordered. The serfs immediately obeyed and raised the wooden bows in their hands.
A rain of arrows flew towards the charging Orcs. Many Inferior Horned Beasts and Chaos War Hounds were hit by the arrows. Even though the Serf Archers had poor accuracy, the fragile Inferior Horned Beasts and Chaos War Hounds were easily killed by the arrows.
However, the Orc army didn't only consist of the fragile Inferior Horned Beasts and Chaos War Hounds.
"It's a group of Horned Beasts!" Many soldiers shouted, "Defend against the Javelins!"
The Horned Beasts raised the Javelins on their backs and threw them at the chaotic Brittany army.
A dense rain of Javelins streaked across the clear sky and flew towards the Serfs. Many of them were hit by the Javelins and fell to the ground.
The formation of the infantry began to shake and fall into chaos. Many knights killed the deserters on the spot to stabilize the morale. The serf archers were frightened by the overwhelming number of javelins and retreated. After a few steps, they found that the hit rate of the javelins was as terrible as their arrows. Therefore, under the stern eyes of the knights, they returned to their original positions.
"Archers! Disperse the formation and fire! "Under the command of the Knights, the Serf Archers fired their arrows.
The Horned Beasts were stronger than the Inferior Horned Beasts. The Serf Archers weren't elites, so their arrows couldn't cause sufficient damage to the Horned Beasts. After a round of volley, the Horned Beasts drew closer.
"Pike Circle Formation!" The Serf Soldiers raised their Pikes and formed a circle formation. The sharp Pikes attacked the strong Orcs.
The horned beasts raised their axes and charged into the serf army. The serf army was attacked by the horned beasts, and many serf soldiers were killed on the spot. Seeing their compatriots die, the serf soldiers also fiercely straightened their spears. The dense spear formation caused great damage to the horned beasts. More than two hundred horned beasts had just charged into the spear formation, and thirty to forty horned beasts had their vital points pierced and fell down one after another.
More Horned Beasts appeared from the forest.
"Kill! For the Lady and the King! For Brittany! " The high-level soldiers were equipped with Breastplates, Helmets, Halberds, and two-handed Greatswords. They attacked the Orcs ferociously. The soldiers were promoted from the serfs. They and the Rangers represented the highest achievement of the serfs, so their combat skills and power were very strong. Some of them were even comparable to the Knights. Their participation changed the situation of the battle. After a fierce battle, the morale of the serfs stabilized, and the battle became a stalemate.
At this moment, the knights of Brittania finally put on their armor. The rangers dismounted from their horses and charged into the battlefield.
The appearance of the Knights boosted the morale of the Serfs. The skillful, heavily-armored, and well-armed Knights defeated the Horned Beasts.
"For the Lady and the King! For Brittany!!! "
Though the path was narrow and the forest was dense, the Rangers fought to be the first to charge at the Orcs. They chanted the name of the Lake Nymph and shouted their own names.
The uneven land, dense bushes, and dense forest slowed down the Knights' speed, but it didn't dampen their enthusiasm and desire to succeed. As they were about to surround the Orcs, a bugle horn sounded from the depths of the forest. "Woo … woo … woo …"
When the Orcs heard the horn, they immediately retreated. They abandoned the Horned Beasts and Chaos Hounds and fled into the forest. The Chaos creatures moved very quickly in the forest. The heavily armored Knights wanted to chase after them, but Marquis Angci stopped them.
Marquis Angci knew that the scattered Knights couldn't give chase.
In this battle, the Brittany lost more than 200 Serfs and a few Knights. The Orcs also lost more than 300 corpses.
Many of the knights heaved a sigh of relief. For the past two or three days, they had been constantly harassed. Their enemies often disappeared without a trace after they put on their armor.
It was a frustrating battle!
The Orcs weren't honorable. If they had the ability, they would have set up a formation on the plains and fought a fair battle!
"Marquis Angci, we won a great victory! We only lost a few knights and a dozen or so rangers. "Soon, the clerk reported the losses to Angus.
The loss of the Serfs wasn't considered a loss. They were cannon fodder and used to share the damage.
"Very good. After marching for three days, we finally won a battle. This is our goal! We'll accumulate small victories and slowly destroy the scattered Orc factions. Then, we'll force the beasts to fight us! " Marquis Angci said proudly. The Orcs had planned an ambush, but they had defeated it.
This meant that even in the forest, the Orcs wouldn't be a match for them.
Good would defeat evil. The Brittany Knights wouldn't submit to the beasts.
"How many Orcs are left? Come at us. This summer will be the death of the Orcs! " Marquis Angci continued to give orders. "Don't let down your guard. Let the Rangers continue scouting. Who knows if there's another ambush waiting for us!"
"Yes!"
The Knights reorganized and continued their advance.
On a cliff a few kilometers away, the Orc King "Bloody Horn" Malas and the Great Shaman "Heart Devourer" Groz stood together. Behind them were several Doomsday Bulls and Cyclops.
Seeing the Orcs retreating, Malas opened his bloody mouth and said, "Knights … Be cautious. Ambush … Difficult."
"Humans … are numerous. We can't … fight them head-on."
The Great Shaman waved a staff with a large number of skulls and bones hanging from it. Its body was full of festering scars, and a swarm of flies was flying around it, emitting a foul and rotten smell.
"Lure the Knights … deep into the forest. Decay and life will guide us to victory." Groz waved his Magic Staff, and a large amount of tainted energy gathered above it. Evil green energy spread out continuously.
"Power of the Wicked Moon … Changing seasons … Wait for an opportunity." Malas pointed at the tainted runes on the Blasphemy Altar and said, "Son of Chaos … Destroy everything … Humans … False Gods in the lake … Destroy them all!"
Behind the Orc King, there was a terrifying altar pulled by several Razorbeasts.
This altar used to be the shrine of the Lake Goddess, but it was now surrounded by countless tainted patterns and chaotic energy. On top of it hung the head of the Lake Goddess. "Gather the Great Horned Beasts!"
The altar emitted blood-red tainted energy that told the Orcs what they were about to hear.
"Prepare … for a new battle!"
…
The Knights didn't encounter any more ambushes. Soon, the 30,000 Knights arrived at Jursen Castle.
This was a castle on the top of a mountain made of limestone. It was surrounded by a river valley, and the castle walls were tall and sturdy. However, the area wasn't very large, so the 30,000 Knights couldn't live in the castle. Hence, the slaves could only camp outside the castle.
Seeing the arrival of the Knights, Count Adelaide opened the castle gates, and the Knights swarmed into the castle.
"Greetings, Lord Uncy!" Count Adelaide led a few Knights to welcome them. "I heard that our Commander has won many victories outside the castle. The Orcs don't dare to appear anymore?"
"Not at all. Sit down and talk." Several nobles walked into the castle. The attendants hurriedly fed the warhorses, and the logistics staff began to serve dinner to the knights.
The inner courtyard of the castle was in the southwest tower. It was a large room that was reinforced. There was a map on the table, armor on the shelf, and a sword and shield on the wall. In the stove, thick meat soup was simmering, and the aroma assailed their nostrils.
Adelaide had already prepared dinner. Marquis Uncy and Baron Pierre were tired, so they decided to sit down and talk while eating.
"Previously, they said to be careful. Now, it seems that the Orcs don't intend to fight us near Jursen Castle." Marquis Uncy said proudly, "Along the way, we scared off two Orc gangs and defeated an Orc ambush. Hence, these beasts should know our power. They have retreated and are waiting for the next opportunity to ambush us."
"I think so too!" Count Adelaide nodded. This new Knight of the Kingdom was proud. "Since I came here, we've repelled the Orcs' attacks three times. Every time, they're powerful, but once they suffer a setback, they retreat immediately. They're not a threat at all."
"So, this is my plan. Adred, you will lead the armies of the three duchies to attack Alldemons Cliff from the left, while I will lead the main force from the middle …" Marquis Angci explained his plan to Count Adred in detail.
This plan had been explained before, so it would not be repeated here.
"Adred, remember, our middle army and left army should put up more flags to increase our morale. We already have a lot of people here, so we just need to put up more flags." After saying that, Adred and Angci exchanged glances.
"Let him have an accident. Let them have an accident."
Count Adelaide and Marquis Anci looked at each other and smiled. Nothing needed to be said.
"Everything is for the Lady and the King! For Brittany! "
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