Translator: Cinder Translations
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Since retreating to Eagle's Beak Pass, Giles had been busy reorganizing his troops and preparing for battle. He continuously sent letters to his vassal territories, urging the local lords to provide him with fresh soldiers. He also wrote to Vibern, located to the east of his territory, demanding to know why his army had not yet arrived.
Initially, he was relieved to find that the royal army seemed to have halted once again for rest and reorganization. This suggested that the imminent attack he feared might not be as pressing as he had thought. During this period, under the personal supervision of the Wolf Duke, Eagle's Beak Pass was heavily fortified. A large number of nearby civilians were conscripted as laborers, continuously transporting stones, timber, and other building materials to the pass. The original walls were raised by an additional three meters, and numerous defensive facilities and weapon traps were constructed.
Eventually, the royal army arrived. They set up camp not far from Eagle's Beak Pass. To Giles's surprise, the royal army did not launch an immediate attack but instead merely blockaded the pass's exit. As days passed, suspicion grew among Giles's troops.
A few days later, rain suddenly began to fall. Giles believed his opportunity had come, as he had intelligence that the firearms of the Alden army performed poorly in rainy or damp conditions. Once the rain lessened, he ordered his troops to march out of Eagle's Beak Pass and prepare for a major battle with the royal army.
The royal army did not retreat. Instead, they immediately sent out their forces to engage. Giles's assessment was correct—the weather did indeed hinder the effectiveness of the royal army's firearms. However, the rigorously trained royal army did not rely solely on firearms.
On the open ground before Eagle's Beak Pass, the two armies' pikemen formed disciplined ranks, standing like a forest of steel. The occasional sunlight breaking through the clouds glinted off the cold tips of their pikes, casting a sharp, chilling light. As the war drums sounded, soldiers from both sides let out a deafening roar. The two forests of pikes closed in on each other in the light rain, then suddenly halted before thrusting forward with full force.
The clashing of pike tips produced a piercing metallic sound. The front-row soldiers gripped their pikes tightly, thrusting with all their might, while the rear ranks pushed forward relentlessly, creating an unending wave of attacks. Blood splattered, armor shattered, and fallen soldiers were quickly replaced by those behind them. The air was thick with the scent of blood and dust, and the sounds of battle cries and screams intertwined.
Giles deployed his "Undying Legion," soldiers who were under the influence of stimulant drugs. Their facial muscles twisted grotesquely, and their eyes glowed with a bloodthirsty red light. They fought while shouting and screaming, hurling vile and venomous insults at the royal soldiers. In contrast, the royal soldiers remained calm and resolute, their steps steady. No matter how much they were provoked, they maintained their formation, advancing or retreating only on command.
Every step taken by the soldiers on both sides was a matter of life and death. The battlefield was like a meat grinder, mercilessly consuming lives. After a prolonged and fierce battle, Giles realized that his army had not gained any advantage. Reluctantly, he ordered his troops to retreat back to the pass.
The royal army, having already initiated their detour strategy, did not pursue aggressively, fearing that they might push Giles into abandoning his position too soon.
"Damn it!" Giles roared, throwing his helmet to the ground in frustration. He had returned to the command center at Eagle's Beak Pass and was in a fit of rage. "What did Rodney XVIII feed his soldiers?" he wondered, suspecting that the royal soldiers might have been given some kind of strange substance, much like his own Undying Legion.
"Our losses are heavy, and we urgently need reinforcements. Has the new batch of soldiers not arrived yet?" Giles asked, his bloodshot eyes glaring at his trusted lieutenants, Wendell and Samal.
The two exchanged a glance, both sensing the other's unease. In recent days, they had undergone a complex psychological journey. Initially, they had been confident in their army's strength, and when Earl Zeck fled back in panic after his defeat, they had looked down on him. However, after several battles alongside their lord against the royal army, their earlier arrogance had completely vanished. They now realized the grim reality they faced.
The combat effectiveness of the royal soldiers had increased several fold compared to the last war.
Seeing their lord's gaze fixed on them, Samal stiffened and reluctantly spoke up, "Uh... Neilson, who's in charge of recruitment, left early for Frog Croak Town to receive the new troops. By now, he should be back. Perhaps we should send someone to hurry him along."
Wendell frowned. "Neilson has always had a fondness for drink. Could he have gotten himself drunk in some tavern in town?"
Giles angrily whipped the ground with the whip he was holding. "Send someone to Frog Croak Town to check. If he's delayed because of drinking, skin him alive and hang his hide in the town square!"
The duke's furious roar echoed through the room.
However, Duke Giles's order regarding Neilson would never be carried out. Neilson had already been captured by the royal army.
Frog Croak Town was nestled in a valley south of Eagle's Beak Pass, a crucial point on the route leading further south. Due to its strategic location, it was often bustling with merchants and travelers, making it a prosperous town in normal times. However, the recent war had led to many of the town's young men being forcibly conscripted by Giles for labor. Those who remained dared not venture outside, fearing they might be seized as conscripts if they wandered the streets. The town had taken on a desolate and somber atmosphere.
One morning, a resident who had gone out to gather firewood encountered an unusual sight—a large contingent of troops was descending from the nearby mountains. They were armed and dressed in uniform, clearly a military force. Though they were dusty and their clothes were dirty, each soldier seemed to carry a determined energy, marching with their heads held high and their chests out, moving in a long, orderly column as they entered the town.
This was the Royal Infantry Second Regiment, which had detoured through the mountains to reach the rear of Eagle's Beak Pass. They had overcome numerous hardships and obstacles, finally emerging from the treacherous folds of the "Devil's Belly" and arriving at their planned destination just in time.
When they caught sight of Frog Croak Town from the mountain, every member of the Second Regiment couldn't help but cheer. After the initial excitement, their commander, Ed Chambers, calmly sent scouts to approach the town quietly. Once they confirmed that there were no troops from Giles stationed in the town, he ordered his soldiers to tidy their appearance and form a disciplined formation, entering the town with an air of authority.
To establish the kingdom's firm control over the southern territories, the first impression the army made on the locals was crucial.
(End of the Chapter)
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