The right-wing of the imperial army has 20000 imperial troops.
This army is made up of many knights and soldiers from Trakia and Gartland, two of the three great kingdoms at the east end of the empire.
Although large in number, the army was made up of the subordinate states that were called from the far east and soldiers recruited from the cities of the empire so their morale was the lowest.
Even so, they were only up against 500 royal knights. If they put their mind to it, they could crush them all in one go.
However, the commanders of the army, Trakia General Da Jeshka and Gartland General Sandor Nefskie, were not motivated.
「General Sandor, are you not going to attack?」
「No, given the chaotic situation, I think the chariot tactics of the renowned Trakian Knights would be a better strategy.」
In that way, they checked each other and never made any progress.
With both generals in command, there was no way the soldiers who were forcibly recruited from their distant homeland could mount a proper offensive.
「I heard that General Rai of Rastor had a terrible time in the Oracle’s Great Cave in the rear.」
「So, General Da thinks so too. They’ve obviously laid out a trap for us here.」
The royal knights of Silesie are a heavy knight battalion like the royal knights of Germania.
However, these 500 royal knights before them are wearing light armor instead of full plate armor. It was natural to assume that there was a reason behind that.
Although the light cavalry was less defensive, they were more agile.
Given their orderly maneuvers, it is obvious that they are luring them into a trap.
If a bunch of imperial conscripts approach with their long spears in an unmotivated manner, they would be outmaneuvered and scattered by the mobility of the light cavalry.
And skirmishes like this are being repetitively done by the kingdom. Even so, the empire has no intention to advance.
They don’t think they would lose since they are 20000 strong but no territorial army would want to go to the trouble of running into the enemy’s traps and reducing their precious troops.
At the beginning of the battle, when they learned that the Golden Lion Emperor Freed was defeated in a duel against Hero Takeru, the territorial army began to think that the Germania Empire was nearing its end.
There is no need to flatter a weak crown prince. It would be foolish to take a battle like this seriously.
「Oh, General Da, it looks like the imperial knights are coming this way.」
「I’m blind so I don’t know. However, it should be that guy Barbarossa. Well, let’s just have the empire fight its own war.」
Da Jeshka, the famed general of Trakia, is blind and wears a black eye patch.
This old general, who is famous for having devised unusual tactics called chariot tactics, lost his sight in a former war but even though he’s blind, he is still respected as a general and a hero of the Trakian people.
「Oi, you bunch of cowards! My knights will clean this place up so straighten up your pants and follow us!」
Barbossa von Barant, the fiercest general of Germania, shouted in a loud voice that even the two generals of the territorial army could hear while launching a furious assault.
He has a big body and so was his voice. It was an incredibly loud voice that made the air tremble in fear.
The kingdom was not happy to be attacked by the 5000 cavalries led by Barbossa.
The royal knight of the Kingdom of Silesie scattered and fled as soon as they collided.
「Fuhahaha! The Silesien knights are a bunch of cowards too! You dare call yourselves royal knights! Don’t run away and fight!」
Barbarossa, the red beard general is chasing after the light cavalry knights of Silesie while swinging his execution axe in full glee.
He is a war fanatic who finds joy in slaying his enemies on the battlefield.
But still, it was an unusual battlefield.
The grassy field was lined with many anti-horse fences of various sizes. Some fences were so low that horses could jump over them and the light cavalry of the kingdom just leaped over them.
The imperial knights were heavily armed and many of them tried to imitate jumping over the fences but failed, breaking their horses’ legs, or jumping over a pit, and many of them fell off their horses.
Barbarossa resented the territorial troops at the rear, who were not moving well too because the battlefield was full of obstacles. He thought the long spearmen should have accompanied the knights.
「This is just a small trick!」
Even Barbarossa’s prized red horse is stuck as its feet were caught in the mud.
Then, a petite female knight from Silesie, equipped with a notched shield and throwing spear arrived. Her long chestnut-colored hair is swinging.
「Hmm, you’re a famous knight!」
「…….」
She is Marina Hose, the current commander of the Silesie’s royal knights but she did not speak.
Instead of words, she threw the spear on her hand at Barbossa with all her might.
「Fuh, bold!」
「…….」
If it was someone else, that could have been quite a blow but it was easily repelled by Barbarossa’s execution ax, which had already sucked the blood of a hundred generals.
When Maria saw that her spear throw failed, she grabbed her light bow and fired again.
「Fuhahaha, that’s nothing but a mosquito bite.」
「…….」
The arrows aimed at Barbarossa bounced off his thick armor.
However, his red horse did not get away unscathed.
The red horse, which had been caught in the mud, was unable to support Barbarossa’s massive body due to the arrows that struck it and fell on the spot.
「Mou, so the horse was your target?」
Barbarossa had no choice but to jump off the red horse.
He chased after the knight in front of him, swinging his execution ax in anger for shooting his beloved horse.
「Wait, you coward!」
However, there’s no way Barbarossa in heavy armor could catch up to the fleeing light armored knight on a horse.
Before he knew it, he was already lured deep into the enemy camp.
The Silesie royal knights, who fled in all directions, had fled to the foot of Mount Ishiriki and the foot of the Devil’s Mountain. The 5000 imperial knights led by Barbarossa, who had pursued them blindly, were also dispersed.
In mountainous terrain, the heavy knights couldn’t move as they wished.
The same was true around the anti-horse fences where they were caught in pitfalls and muddy traps.
「What the hell is that thing….」
Barbarossa could not hide his surprise as he continued his pursuit of the enemy and crawled to the front of the enemy’s fortified City of Ox.
It was obvious since he finally saw the artillery batteries set up in the City of Ox as they spewed fire on the left flank.
The barrel of the cannon that stretched high into the sky of the City of Ox was too big and too long to be called a cannon.
What would happen if such a thing spewed fire?
Just as Barbarossa was thinking of that, he felt the air burst.
It was no longer a roar. The wind pressure even made his body stagger and his eardrum ache. Even with his big body, Barbarossa, the fierce general, was shaken by the sound of the explosion.
「Is that the cannon of the kingdom? Or a monster….」
There are three magic Armstrong cannons in the City of Ox.
The big iron ball rotating like a tornado with the help of wind magic, spewed from the big barrels. They flew in the air and fell at the dense 20000 territorial troops of the empire.
The impact caused a big hole in the 20000 strong army. The soldiers, whose morale was already low, were further shaken.
「Ah, you idiots! Don’t retreat without order!」
Barbarossa’s shouting did not mean a thing. The 20000 territorial troops, who had been hit by the long-range fire from big masses of irons one after another, began to retreat in panic.
If those gigantic cannons were left unattended, the right flank would be totally destroyed.
「Oi, imperial knight order, assemble! We must bring down the City of Ox!」
They no longer have the time to chase the fleeing knights of Silesie.
Barbarossa ordered the attack on the fortified city to stop the three gigantic cannons that kept firing at a long-range.
The 5000 imperial knights order that had been tossed around and scattered by the fleeing enemies, gathered and began their assault toward the fortified City of Ox.
However, six regular cannons and countless of flintlock rifles thrust from gunsights of the fortress open fired at the unified imperial knight order.
Without being able to fight the enemy directly, knights died from gunfire or turned to pieces by bombardments.
Knights kept falling from their horses one after another as they were caught in some stupid traps around the fortified city.
「What the hell is this? What the hell is this dishonorable battle!」
Even if they managed to crawl forward to the fortified city, there is a large moat waiting for them.
The heavy knights, who had lost their horses, still held the honor of being the imperial knights of the Germania Empire in their hearts and followed Barbarossa’s reckless orders, valiantly attempting to cross the moat and break through the gates of the fortress.
However, the pride and fortitude of the imperial knights alone were no match for Silesie’s latest weaponry.
Even selected braves who finally managed to cross the moat and scaled the walls do not seem to have enough strength left to break through the fortified city of Ox which had been turned into a fortress.
Still, exerting their superhuman power, the proud knights charged repeatedly in an attempt to break through the solid gates.
Either they were shot to death at close range by gunners or swarmed by the citizens equipped with spears.
The highly respected knights of the empire were being defeated by peasants and punks of the city.
「Fuha, fuhahahahah, this is ridiculous!」
Red beard Barbarossa advanced like a fiend and entered the City of Ox through the gates that his allies had breached.
Neither the great moat, nor the walls, nor the mob of miscreants could stop Barbarossa, who was as strong in battle like a frenzied fiend.
With a single swing of his execution ax, he kills five or six citizen-soldiers who crowded at him with their spears.
Even under the bullets of the gunners, Barbarossa did not fall down but blew off the heads of the volunteer soldiers who were reloading bullets.
「You bastards! I will not allow you to do this, I will not allow you to do it your way!」
He must smash those monstrous cannons.
Then, the territorial army will be able to move forward again. They will not lose.
He will not allow those cowards to wage this kind of war, he will not allow chivalry to perish.
Every time he was about to die from a bullet to his body, he would take a healing potion from his waist, drink it up, and fight to the death again.
In that way, Barbarossa, covered with the bright red blood of his enemies and his own, wielded his execution ax and continued to move forward.
No matter how many times he was pierced by spears, no matter how many times he was shot, he stood up again and again.
And then, he spotted a female knight ahead of him.
She was not the same knight he met earlier, the one with the spear. This time, it was a female knight with fiery red hair.
She was holding a big sword that was as long as her height. If Barbarossa had not been wounded to the bone, he would have realized that it was the same kind of weapon that the golden lion emperor has, an orichalcum greatsword.
At this time, his healing potion has already been exhausted.
「Commander of the Imperial Knight Order of Germania Empire, Barbarossa! If you’re a knight, introduce yourself….」
Red beard Barbarossa introduced himself as a true knight while vomiting blood.
「Silesie Kingdom’s army, “Ten Thousand Swords” Louise. Barbarossa-dono, let’s have a fair duel!」
「I’ll give you what you….want!」
Barbarossa’s execution ax was smashed by Louise into pieces.
That same execution ax that slaughtered a hundred generals…
「so, this is “ten thousand swords”.」
Barbarossa saw Louise’s brilliant swordsmanship and thought it was beautiful.
He greeted her next slash, which sent his head flying, with joy.
Barbarossa was still lucky to have met Louise in the end.
Thinking about being blown away by a lump of iron, or being skewered at the bottom of a pit, or being pierced to death by the spears of small fries.
He was sent to Valhalla like the splendid knight he was in his death.
Of all the knights who attacked the fortified City of Ox, Barbarossa was the only one who met such an honorable end.
The right-wing of the imperial army has 20000 imperial troops.
This army is made up of many knights and soldiers from Trakia and Gartland, two of the three great kingdoms at the east end of the empire.
Although large in number, the army was made up of the subordinate states that were called from the far east and soldiers recruited from the cities of the empire so their morale was the lowest.
Even so, they were only up against 500 royal knights. If they put their mind to it, they could crush them all in one go.
However, the commanders of the army, Trakia General Da Jeshka and Gartland General Sandor Nefskie, were not motivated.
「General Sandor, are you not going to attack?」
「No, given the chaotic situation, I think the chariot tactics of the renowned Trakian Knights would be a better strategy.」
In that way, they checked each other and never made any progress.
With both generals in command, there was no way the soldiers who were forcibly recruited from their distant homeland could mount a proper offensive.
「I heard that General Rai of Rastor had a terrible time in the Oracle’s Great Cave in the rear.」
「So, General Da thinks so too. They’ve obviously laid out a trap for us here.」
The royal knights of Silesie are a heavy knight battalion like the royal knights of Germania.
However, these 500 royal knights before them are wearing light armor instead of full plate armor. It was natural to assume that there was a reason behind that.
Although the light cavalry was less defensive, they were more agile.
Given their orderly maneuvers, it is obvious that they are luring them into a trap.
If a bunch of imperial conscripts approach with their long spears in an unmotivated manner, they would be outmaneuvered and scattered by the mobility of the light cavalry.
And skirmishes like this are being repetitively done by the kingdom. Even so, the empire has no intention to advance.
They don’t think they would lose since they are 20000 strong but no territorial army would want to go to the trouble of running into the enemy’s traps and reducing their precious troops.
At the beginning of the battle, when they learned that the Golden Lion Emperor Freed was defeated in a duel against Hero Takeru, the territorial army began to think that the Germania Empire was nearing its end.
There is no need to flatter a weak crown prince. It would be foolish to take a battle like this seriously.
「Oh, General Da, it looks like the imperial knights are coming this way.」
「I’m blind so I don’t know. However, it should be that guy Barbarossa. Well, let’s just have the empire fight its own war.」
Da Jeshka, the famed general of Trakia, is blind and wears a black eye patch.
This old general, who is famous for having devised unusual tactics called chariot tactics, lost his sight in a former war but even though he’s blind, he is still respected as a general and a hero of the Trakian people.
「Oi, you bunch of cowards! My knights will clean this place up so straighten up your pants and follow us!」
Barbossa von Barant, the fiercest general of Germania, shouted in a loud voice that even the two generals of the territorial army could hear while launching a furious assault.
He has a big body and so was his voice. It was an incredibly loud voice that made the air tremble in fear.
The kingdom was not happy to be attacked by the 5000 cavalries led by Barbossa.
The royal knight of the Kingdom of Silesie scattered and fled as soon as they collided.
「Fuhahaha! The Silesien knights are a bunch of cowards too! You dare call yourselves royal knights! Don’t run away and fight!」
Barbarossa, the red beard general is chasing after the light cavalry knights of Silesie while swinging his execution axe in full glee.
He is a war fanatic who finds joy in slaying his enemies on the battlefield.
But still, it was an unusual battlefield.
The grassy field was lined with many anti-horse fences of various sizes. Some fences were so low that horses could jump over them and the light cavalry of the kingdom just leaped over them.
The imperial knights were heavily armed and many of them tried to imitate jumping over the fences but failed, breaking their horses’ legs, or jumping over a pit, and many of them fell off their horses.
Barbarossa resented the territorial troops at the rear, who were not moving well too because the battlefield was full of obstacles. He thought the long spearmen should have accompanied the knights.
「This is just a small trick!」
Even Barbarossa’s prized red horse is stuck as its feet were caught in the mud.
Then, a petite female knight from Silesie, equipped with a notched shield and throwing spear arrived. Her long chestnut-colored hair is swinging.
「Hmm, you’re a famous knight!」
「…….」
She is Marina Hose, the current commander of the Silesie’s royal knights but she did not speak.
Instead of words, she threw the spear on her hand at Barbossa with all her might.
「Fuh, bold!」
「…….」
If it was someone else, that could have been quite a blow but it was easily repelled by Barbarossa’s execution ax, which had already sucked the blood of a hundred generals.
When Maria saw that her spear throw failed, she grabbed her light bow and fired again.
「Fuhahaha, that’s nothing but a mosquito bite.」
「…….」
The arrows aimed at Barbarossa bounced off his thick armor.
However, his red horse did not get away unscathed.
The red horse, which had been caught in the mud, was unable to support Barbarossa’s massive body due to the arrows that struck it and fell on the spot.
「Mou, so the horse was your target?」
Barbarossa had no choice but to jump off the red horse.
He chased after the knight in front of him, swinging his execution ax in anger for shooting his beloved horse.
「Wait, you coward!」
However, there’s no way Barbarossa in heavy armor could catch up to the fleeing light armored knight on a horse.
Before he knew it, he was already lured deep into the enemy camp.
The Silesie royal knights, who fled in all directions, had fled to the foot of Mount Ishiriki and the foot of the Devil’s Mountain. The 5000 imperial knights led by Barbarossa, who had pursued them blindly, were also dispersed.
In mountainous terrain, the heavy knights couldn’t move as they wished.
The same was true around the anti-horse fences where they were caught in pitfalls and muddy traps.
「What the hell is that thing….」
Barbarossa could not hide his surprise as he continued his pursuit of the enemy and crawled to the front of the enemy’s fortified City of Ox.
It was obvious since he finally saw the artillery batteries set up in the City of Ox as they spewed fire on the left flank.
The barrel of the cannon that stretched high into the sky of the City of Ox was too big and too long to be called a cannon.
What would happen if such a thing spewed fire?
Just as Barbarossa was thinking of that, he felt the air burst.
It was no longer a roar. The wind pressure even made his body stagger and his eardrum ache. Even with his big body, Barbarossa, the fierce general, was shaken by the sound of the explosion.
「Is that the cannon of the kingdom? Or a monster….」
There are three magic Armstrong cannons in the City of Ox.
The big iron ball rotating like a tornado with the help of wind magic, spewed from the big barrels. They flew in the air and fell at the dense 20000 territorial troops of the empire.
The impact caused a big hole in the 20000 strong army. The soldiers, whose morale was already low, were further shaken.
「Ah, you idiots! Don’t retreat without order!」
Barbarossa’s shouting did not mean a thing. The 20000 territorial troops, who had been hit by the long-range fire from big masses of irons one after another, began to retreat in panic.
If those gigantic cannons were left unattended, the right flank would be totally destroyed.
「Oi, imperial knight order, assemble! We must bring down the City of Ox!」
They no longer have the time to chase the fleeing knights of Silesie.
Barbarossa ordered the attack on the fortified city to stop the three gigantic cannons that kept firing at a long-range.
The 5000 imperial knights order that had been tossed around and scattered by the fleeing enemies, gathered and began their assault toward the fortified City of Ox.
However, six regular cannons and countless of flintlock rifles thrust from gunsights of the fortress open fired at the unified imperial knight order.
Without being able to fight the enemy directly, knights died from gunfire or turned to pieces by bombardments.
Knights kept falling from their horses one after another as they were caught in some stupid traps around the fortified city.
「What the hell is this? What the hell is this dishonorable battle!」
Even if they managed to crawl forward to the fortified city, there is a large moat waiting for them.
The heavy knights, who had lost their horses, still held the honor of being the imperial knights of the Germania Empire in their hearts and followed Barbarossa’s reckless orders, valiantly attempting to cross the moat and break through the gates of the fortress.
However, the pride and fortitude of the imperial knights alone were no match for Silesie’s latest weaponry.
Even selected braves who finally managed to cross the moat and scaled the walls do not seem to have enough strength left to break through the fortified city of Ox which had been turned into a fortress.
Still, exerting their superhuman power, the proud knights charged repeatedly in an attempt to break through the solid gates.
Either they were shot to death at close range by gunners or swarmed by the citizens equipped with spears.
The highly respected knights of the empire were being defeated by peasants and punks of the city.
「Fuha, fuhahahahah, this is ridiculous!」
Red beard Barbarossa advanced like a fiend and entered the City of Ox through the gates that his allies had breached.
Neither the great moat, nor the walls, nor the mob of miscreants could stop Barbarossa, who was as strong in battle like a frenzied fiend.
With a single swing of his execution ax, he kills five or six citizen-soldiers who crowded at him with their spears.
Even under the bullets of the gunners, Barbarossa did not fall down but blew off the heads of the volunteer soldiers who were reloading bullets.
「You bastards! I will not allow you to do this, I will not allow you to do it your way!」
He must smash those monstrous cannons.
Then, the territorial army will be able to move forward again. They will not lose.
He will not allow those cowards to wage this kind of war, he will not allow chivalry to perish.
Every time he was about to die from a bullet to his body, he would take a healing potion from his waist, drink it up, and fight to the death again.
In that way, Barbarossa, covered with the bright red blood of his enemies and his own, wielded his execution ax and continued to move forward.
No matter how many times he was pierced by spears, no matter how many times he was shot, he stood up again and again.
And then, he spotted a female knight ahead of him.
She was not the same knight he met earlier, the one with the spear. This time, it was a female knight with fiery red hair.
She was holding a big sword that was as long as her height. If Barbarossa had not been wounded to the bone, he would have realized that it was the same kind of weapon that the golden lion emperor has, an orichalcum greatsword.
At this time, his healing potion has already been exhausted.
「Commander of the Imperial Knight Order of Germania Empire, Barbarossa! If you’re a knight, introduce yourself….」
Red beard Barbarossa introduced himself as a true knight while vomiting blood.
「Silesie Kingdom’s army, “Ten Thousand Swords” Louise. Barbarossa-dono, let’s have a fair duel!」
「I’ll give you what you….want!」
Barbarossa’s execution ax was smashed by Louise into pieces.
That same execution ax that slaughtered a hundred generals…
「so, this is “ten thousand swords”.」
Barbarossa saw Louise’s brilliant swordsmanship and thought it was beautiful.
He greeted her next slash, which sent his head flying, with joy.
Barbarossa was still lucky to have met Louise in the end.
Thinking about being blown away by a lump of iron, or being skewered at the bottom of a pit, or being pierced to death by the spears of small fries.
He was sent to Valhalla like the splendid knight he was in his death.
Of all the knights who attacked the fortified City of Ox, Barbarossa was the only one who met such an honorable end.
