novel bin Chapter 406 406: Fierce Battle
Chapter 406 406: Fierce Battle
Behind the defensive palisade, the longbow unit nocked arrows and aimed high toward the sky.
In the Greater Kovir region (which included present-day Kovir, Poviss, and Targo), there was a law: all adult men were required to practice archery regularly. Archery competitions were held annually across the region, open to anyone regardless of identity or social status. Winners often received substantial prize money.
As a result, a strong archery custom and tradition were maintained throughout Greater Kovir. The rulers of these regions could naturally recruit high-quality longbowmen, leading to a surprisingly high proportion of longbowmen in their armies.
Currently, the Kovir Restoration Army had a full three thousand longbowmen serving in its ranks. Under the orders of their officer, these archers drew their bowstrings tight.
"Loose!"
A dense shower of arrows filled the sky, then fell like a sudden downpour. The attacking League soldiers, sensing danger, raised their shields to meet the torrent.
Had they been a Roman legion using a testudo formation, the arrows' lethality might have been greatly reduced. However, the League soldiers' shields were neither the tower shields that could completely cover a Roman infantryman, nor did they possess the synchronized discipline of a Roman legion.
Thus, when those three thousand arrows rained down, countless screams immediately erupted within the League ranks.
And this was only the first volley. A skilled longbowman could loose twelve arrows a minute; even a less proficient archer could fire several.
Several rounds of longbow fire not only caused heavy casualties for the League Army on their approach but also sent the morale of the conscripted peasant soldiers—who had been given only a single spear and pressed into service—plummeting. These farmers, who had spent far more time holding a hoe than a spear, had never witnessed such a sight.
Instinctively, the peasant conscripts began to fall back.
However, they didn't get far before being stopped by noble-organized execution squads. After cutting down a few unlucky souls, the morale of the conscripts miraculously recovered somewhat. Perhaps they reasoned that an enemy arrow might not kill them, but the swords of the execution squad certainly would.
After a brief hesitation, the conscripts let out animalistic roars and charged forward again.
After firing several volleys, the Restoration Army's longbowmen were forced to retreat to the second line due to the enemy's proximity, replaced by the pikesmen behind the palisade, waiting for the enemy to close in.
When the League soldiers finally reached the Restoration Army's defensive line, bearing heavy losses, the bloody melee began. The two sides stabbed with their pikes through the palisade; blood sprayed everywhere. Men constantly fell, but were quickly replaced by others. Though outnumbered, the Kovir Restoration Army, using the advantage of its defensive position, managed to hold off the enemy's advance for the moment. Simultaneously, the longbowmen who had withdrawn to the second line began parabolic fire again after a brief rest.
King Nedamir's face was dark, looking as though it might drip water. After the battle commenced, he realized the opposing Restoration Army did not have four thousand men, but their full eight thousand.
But words spoken are like water spilled—how could he take them back? Especially in warfare, the first rush of morale is everything. If he ordered a retreat now, the enemy would surely seize the opportunity to pursue, potentially turning a retreat into a rout. History was full of such examples.
At this point, the other nobles also realized that the situation was entirely different from what King Nedamir had claimed. But they were already committed and couldn't pull their armies back. They decided to grit their teeth and continue the attack.
However, the Restoration Army had eight thousand disciplined soldiers and the advantage of a prepared defensive position. Defeating them would not be easy. The sheer number of longbowmen in the Restoration Army exceeded the expectations of Nedamir and his nobles. Their troops were suffering far heavier losses than anticipated with little progress. It pained them deeply, but they had no better option than to press on, hoping the Kovir Restoration Army would eventually break.
What these nobles didn't realize was that King Nedamir had one more card up his sleeve.
He spoke respectfully to an elderly man in a long robe standing beside him: "Master Met, I rely on you."
The old man smiled. "Heh-heh, leave it to me. Just make sure you keep your word, Your Majesty."
"Of course, Master Met. If you help me win this battle, you will henceforth be an Earl with real power."
"Good. Then I ask Your Majesty and the loyal knights to withdraw a distance and leave me some space."
King Nedamir naturally complied. They withdrew thirty meters from Met, and Nedamir also instructed his bodyguard to form a hollow square formation of four ranks around Met. These soldiers were all from Nedamir's well-trained and well-equipped personal guard.
Met dismounted, planted his staff on the ground, and began drawing an intricate and complex magic circle on the earth. He then took out a large amount of casting material from his magical pouch and placed it on the circle. Only then did he steady his staff and begin chanting the spell.
On the Restoration Army's defensive line.
Istrad frowned deeply. Although the advantage of their prepared position had temporarily halted the League's offensive, continuing the stalemate until nightfall would likely result in heavy casualties for his side. Greater losses would make reclaiming Kovir and Poviss even more difficult.
Istrad didn't have many good options. He still had five hundred cavalrymen, but he was hesitant about committing this force. Sending the five hundred cavalry to the enemy's flank might inflict significant casualties on the League Army, but he doubted those five hundred would ever return. Istrad had invested heavily in creating this cavalry unit, and sacrificing them here, before even stepping foot on his homeland's soil, was a sacrifice he was reluctant to make.
More importantly, he was still waiting. If the witchers and the Ironwood City garrison arrived in time, the situation would certainly be reversed. Sending the cavalry then would not only yield greater results but also minimize their losses.
Holding this thought, Istrad kept the five hundred cavalry on standby.
Just then, Istrad suddenly heard a shout beside him.