Chapter 58: A Tragedy
While the Imperial Capital was shrouded in a mix of emotions, Abbas XI and the ministers were
anxiously discussing the war. Rody returned to the Tulip Family's home and was unable to
sleep. The situation in the Northwest where a fierce battle was ongoing, changed yet again.
Somewhere at the edge of the mountains in the western plains of the Northwest Region, the
light of the night had already been shrouded as the moon was hidden by the clouds. The moon
only showed half of its face occasionally. Under the skies without stars, the army was
struggling to march on a mountain path.
The soldiers wore the armor of the Radiant Empire and looked extremely tired. Many of them
were dragging their tired legs, following the person in front with their heads down. The flag
bearer on horseback was also in low spirits. He could normally lift the banner with the thorny
flower but now he only managed to pull it along. He also struggled to make sure that he did not
fall down.
The soldiers and the officers were all gloomy and feared for the future. They were originally
under the command of the Northwest Legion and were stationed at the Blackstone Fortress.
However, two days ago they received an order from the commander of the Northwest Legion,
General Reuben, to give up Blackstone Fortress and to fortify Watt Fortress of the Northwest
Legion at all cost.
At that moment, the whole army was surrounded by a pessimistic atmosphere. They all knew
the Northwest Legion was gradually losing ground. General Reuben’s main force of 150,000 was
completely defeated by the devil, Reuenthal of the Great Moon Kingdom and his armored
cavalry.
After losing most of the territories on the Northwest Rostock Province, including the
headquarters, Redwood Fortress, General Reuben led the Northwest Legion to stand fast at the
last major fortress, Watt Fortress.
They heard a lot of news during the past two days. They heard that Reuenthal raided the
strongholds around Watt Fortress for two days and two nights and captured those positions.
Even the Loulan Fortress and Trier Fortress were captured in one night.
The commander of the Northwest Legion ordered everyone to regroup together with the main
force. This order was not wrong. As they were already at a disadvantage, it was better for them
to gather their forces for a confrontation compared to spreading out only to be defeated one by
one.
However, when the commander of the Blackstone Fortress received an order from General
Reuben, he could not help but gave a wry smile. He was ordered to immediately deploy his
15,000 soldiers in the Blackstone Fortress and to gather them at the headquarters. General
Reuben only gave him one day and one night to do so.
What the hell!
The commander of the Blackstone Fortress turned around to look at the long line of soldiers
behind him and cursed in his heart.
How are we supposed to get there within two days? It is more than 600 miles away! We are not
horsemen! We are just infantries! How are we supposed to travel 600 miles within 2 days on
foot? What a joke! We also have the supplies to bring along. It’s not like these things can fly!
The commander could not help but seek the blessings of the gods. His army had been walking
for the entire day without rest.
Even if the soldiers could reach their destination, they would not be in any condition to fight.
The soldiers were already too tired to even walk… If… If we encounter an enemy right
now...then...
As he thought about this, he also thought about the news he received two days ago.
It was said that two other garrisons also received the order to regroup and were on the way to
join the main force. However, they were intercepted by the cavalry of the foreign barbarians
and were almost completely annihilated...
There is no choice but to beg the gods for blessings!
He looked at the surrounding terrain. Fortunately, it was not an open area like the plains. The
size of the hills around them made the path narrow. Even if they were to encounter their
enemy, the opponent’s cavalry would not be able to attack properly.
At that moment, several scout horsemen came back from afar. The commander was
immediately alert and asked, "How is it?"
One of the scout horsemen was sweating profusely but he still managed to keep his calm and
spoke loudly, “Your Excellency, we are nearing the end of the hill path. We will be out of this hill
in about half an hour! After crossing this hill, we will be in an open field. There are no signs of
the enemy. However, we cannot find a better place to camp for the night. In front of us is an
open field and beside the field is a small forest.”
The commander carefully listened to the report of the scout without missing a word and was
silent for a while.
It seems like it will rain tonight so camping in the forest will not be a big problem. We will not
need to worry about the enemy using a fire attack… Sigh, I really hope we will not meet the
enemy. The Great Moon Kingdom will probably not attack if it rains. Moreover, the muddy
water would not be suitable for a cavalry charge.
“Order the army to speed up. We will leave this hill and pitch camp!” He loudly issued the order.
The soldiers who received the order were already very tired. However, when they heard that
they could pitch camp and rest soon, they increased their pace.
When the soldiers crossed the hill and saw the flat plains in front of them, they uncontrollably
let out an exhausting cheer, “We can finally rest!”
After the order to pitch the camp was given, the soldiers became busy. The only thing that
disappointed the soldiers was that the forest the scout mentioned was too small. The tall and
thin trees were saplings and could not be chopped down to use as materials to build the camp.
In desperation, they used the simple lumber from their supplies to form a frail wall.
However, the warriors felt thankful as the enemy did not appear. The Devil of the Great Moon
Kingdom also did not appear. Probably with that kind of weather, the enemy would also feel
exhausted. Everyone believed that they could at least safely survive the first night.
A veteran soldier taught the restless amateur soldiers not to panic. If the enemy made a
surprise attack, the scout horsemen would warn them first. If they wanted to escape, it would
not be too late to run after they hear the sounds of the enemy's drums and horns.
The whole camp was in disorder as the soldiers were busy making tents or preparing a meal.
“Boom!” The loud sound of thunder was heard as the lightning struck. It immediately started to
rain heavily.
The soldiers all gave a sigh of relief as it finally rained. Since it rained, the enemy cavalry would
not appear!
When the sky grew dark, an amateur soldier was up and totally soaked in the rain. He was
trying to use a hammer to repair a wall that was damaged by the wind. Suddenly, he sensed
something and raised his head to look at the open space, feeling alarmed. There seemed to be a
black shadow in the distance.
“What is that!”
A veteran soldier turned his head to look at it. His face changed immediately and he said, “It
looks like… a person! My God! It is the enemy! It is the Great Moon Kingdom’s cavalry!”
“Enemy attack!”
It was unclear who shouted the warning first but it was immediately transmitted throughout
the army. All of them were frightened. They all screamed and threw away the tents and fences
that they were about to erect. The infantries searched for their swords in panic and the cavalry
units quickly donned their armor. The whole camp was in an uproar.
It could not be denied that within the past 200 years of the Radiant Empire’s history, their
traditional martial spirit had created a lot of heroes! At that time, the person who still showed
such spirit was the loyal and courageous commander.
“Why are you panicking? Everyone take up your arms!” The order was given as the commander
immediately took out his sword and beheaded a few soldiers who were running away in a panic.
“If this confusion persists, all of us will not live! Infantries! Battle formation!” His majestic
voice could be heard permeating the night. The commander kept running as he cut down
chaotic soldiers who did not obey his orders and were running around blindly. Then he
gathered the scattered soldiers to form an array.
“Fools! Do not panic! The enemy is still lining up! Until then, we still have time!” The
commander tried to calm down as many soldiers as possible. “Pick up your weapons and
shields! Shields form the first row! Lances form the second row!”
A few soldiers finally grouped into a battle formation. There were also about 500 horsemen who
positioned themselves behind the infantries. These 500 horsemen were personally trained by
him and were elites. They were all filled with determination as they tightly held the reins and
their swords.
The dull sound of the horse hooves trampling on the earth could be heard. Tens of thousands of
horse hooves made the earth shake and dust fly. Their trampling sound also masked the
roaring thunder.
The commander watched the speed of the approaching enemy and had some doubts.
Something is not right. Why are they charging so slowly?
As the distant black figures approached, the soldiers of the Empire were finally able to clearly
see the appearance of the enemy cavalry. They were even able to see the tassels on the enemy’s
helmets. The commander suddenly showed fear and shouted, “Not good! They are mounted
archers!”
“Kill!" Suddenly, a frightening piercing sound could be heard as the enemy cavalry let loose
thousands of arrows into the sky. There were not enough soldiers with shields and they were
unable to withstand all of the arrows in the sky. An uncountable number of soldiers gave bloodcurdling
screams as they fell to the ground. There were also some shield soldiers who just lifted
their shields only to have them be pierced through. Suddenly someone shouted, "Mounted
archers! Everyone run!"
Almost instantly, the morale of the army collapsed and the soldiers fell into disarray. Everyone
knew that the infantries were no match for mounted archers. Their limited equipment would
not be able to protect them from the arrows. When the enemy had finished shooting the arrows,
they performed a cavalry charge. It was a massacre.
Countless soldiers were shouting, “Run! Run for your lives!” The commander of the Imperial
Army went to the crumbled infantry formation and cut down a few soldiers who were trying to
escape. Yet, he was still unable to control the situation. In addition, the disorderly soldiers also
destroyed the alignment of the cavalry behind him.
At this point, the enemy cavalry suddenly became quiet for a moment. Soon after that, a loud
voice shouted, “Change to your swords! Charge! Strell¹!
“Strell!” Thousands of horsemen shouted loudly. The commander of the Imperial Army realized
that he and his army were finished.
The black armored figures roared and charged at an incredible speed. The earth trembled under
the charge of the cavalry. The sound of the iron hooves coming into contact with the earth
made it seem like everything in its path would be trampled.
With a thunderous roar, the enemy cavalry broke through the fragile infantry formation. Those
who valiantly held their positions were crushed before they could even take a good look at the
cruel and twisted faces of their enemies who were wearing helmets.
The enemy cavalry quickly passed through the infantry’s line of defense and directly charged at
the camp of the Imperial Army.
The remaining infantries from the broken formation were being killed by a stream of cavalry
soldiers, continuously coming from behind. They were either cut down by the enemy or
trampled by the enemy's horses before they could even swing their swords.
The commander of the Imperial Army fell into despair as he watched the infantries under his
command torn apart easily by the enemy. He trembled and spoke in a deathly quiet voice to his
messenger, “Pass down my orders. Tell everyone to escape. Run as far away as possible!”
After he gave his final order of his life, the loyal servant of the Empire turned to his 500
horsemen and spoke, "I used to be the bodyguard of the Tulip Family Duke! There are absolutely
no cowards under the banner of the Tulip Family! Are you all afraid?"
“Follow His Excellency!” The cries of the 500 horsemen seemed to overshadow the sound of
screaming and killing in the air. Five hundred swords shined as they were held high.
The commander no longer looked behind him. He rode his horse forward with a sword in his
hand, fully determined not to turn back. No one among the 500 valiant and elite horsemen
hesitated as well. They drew their swords and followed their commander.
The last cavalry of the Empire struck their enemy ruthlessly. As the momentum of the enemy
cavalries was weakened by the infantries, the Empire had the upper hand at the beginning of
the attack. As such, they also bought time for those who were retreating. In future generations,
historians believed that without the commander's heroic charge, the army of 15,000 support
soldiers would have been completely annihilated.
Nevertheless, their assault did not last long. The valiant commander and his 500 horsemen
were like stones thrown into a river. Although they could create some splashes, they were soon
washed away under the current of the river.
In that battle, the Great Moon Kingdom cavalry of 20,000 defeated the army of 15,000 defenders
sent to reinforce the Northwest Legion. For the entire night, the plain was filled with the roar of
the armored cavalry of the Great Moon Kingdom and the miserable cries of the Empire’s
infantries. It was not a battle but the cavalry’s wanton massacre of the defeated army!
That night, the 15,000 soldiers of the Imperial Army were completely defeated and less than
5,000 soldiers managed to escape. The lives of those 5,000 people were exchanged with the
lives of the courageous commander and his 500 elite horsemen. However, there were no
records of the commander's name.
In that battle, the crown prince of the Great Moon Kingdom, Reuenthal and his 20,000 strong
cavalry had a decisive victory. They completely defeated the reinforcements of the Northwest
Legion. They had killed over 10,000 soldiers and took no prisoners.
Translator’s Note:
¹ Foreign word, meaning kill.
Chapter 58: A Tragedy
While the Imperial Capital was shrouded in a mix of emotions, Abbas XI and the ministers were
anxiously discussing the war. Rody returned to the Tulip Family's home and was unable to
sleep. The situation in the Northwest where a fierce battle was ongoing, changed yet again.
Somewhere at the edge of the mountains in the western plains of the Northwest Region, the
light of the night had already been shrouded as the moon was hidden by the clouds. The moon
only showed half of its face occasionally. Under the skies without stars, the army was
struggling to march on a mountain path.
The soldiers wore the armor of the Radiant Empire and looked extremely tired. Many of them
were dragging their tired legs, following the person in front with their heads down. The flag
bearer on horseback was also in low spirits. He could normally lift the banner with the thorny
flower but now he only managed to pull it along. He also struggled to make sure that he did not
fall down.
The soldiers and the officers were all gloomy and feared for the future. They were originally
under the command of the Northwest Legion and were stationed at the Blackstone Fortress.
However, two days ago they received an order from the commander of the Northwest Legion,
General Reuben, to give up Blackstone Fortress and to fortify Watt Fortress of the Northwest
Legion at all cost.
At that moment, the whole army was surrounded by a pessimistic atmosphere. They all knew
the Northwest Legion was gradually losing ground. General Reuben’s main force of 150,000 was
completely defeated by the devil, Reuenthal of the Great Moon Kingdom and his armored
cavalry.
After losing most of the territories on the Northwest Rostock Province, including the
headquarters, Redwood Fortress, General Reuben led the Northwest Legion to stand fast at the
last major fortress, Watt Fortress.
They heard a lot of news during the past two days. They heard that Reuenthal raided the
strongholds around Watt Fortress for two days and two nights and captured those positions.
Even the Loulan Fortress and Trier Fortress were captured in one night.
The commander of the Northwest Legion ordered everyone to regroup together with the main
force. This order was not wrong. As they were already at a disadvantage, it was better for them
to gather their forces for a confrontation compared to spreading out only to be defeated one by
one.
However, when the commander of the Blackstone Fortress received an order from General
Reuben, he could not help but gave a wry smile. He was ordered to immediately deploy his
15,000 soldiers in the Blackstone Fortress and to gather them at the headquarters. General
Reuben only gave him one day and one night to do so.
What the hell!
The commander of the Blackstone Fortress turned around to look at the long line of soldiers
behind him and cursed in his heart.
How are we supposed to get there within two days? It is more than 600 miles away! We are not
horsemen! We are just infantries! How are we supposed to travel 600 miles within 2 days on
foot? What a joke! We also have the supplies to bring along. It’s not like these things can fly!
The commander could not help but seek the blessings of the gods. His army had been walking
for the entire day without rest.
Even if the soldiers could reach their destination, they would not be in any condition to fight.
The soldiers were already too tired to even walk… If… If we encounter an enemy right
now...then...
As he thought about this, he also thought about the news he received two days ago.
It was said that two other garrisons also received the order to regroup and were on the way to
join the main force. However, they were intercepted by the cavalry of the foreign barbarians
and were almost completely annihilated...
There is no choice but to beg the gods for blessings!
He looked at the surrounding terrain. Fortunately, it was not an open area like the plains. The
size of the hills around them made the path narrow. Even if they were to encounter their
enemy, the opponent’s cavalry would not be able to attack properly.
At that moment, several scout horsemen came back from afar. The commander was
immediately alert and asked, "How is it?"
One of the scout horsemen was sweating profusely but he still managed to keep his calm and
spoke loudly, “Your Excellency, we are nearing the end of the hill path. We will be out of this hill
in about half an hour! After crossing this hill, we will be in an open field. There are no signs of
the enemy. However, we cannot find a better place to camp for the night. In front of us is an
open field and beside the field is a small forest.”
The commander carefully listened to the report of the scout without missing a word and was
silent for a while.
It seems like it will rain tonight so camping in the forest will not be a big problem. We will not
need to worry about the enemy using a fire attack… Sigh, I really hope we will not meet the
enemy. The Great Moon Kingdom will probably not attack if it rains. Moreover, the muddy
water would not be suitable for a cavalry charge.
“Order the army to speed up. We will leave this hill and pitch camp!” He loudly issued the order.
The soldiers who received the order were already very tired. However, when they heard that
they could pitch camp and rest soon, they increased their pace.
When the soldiers crossed the hill and saw the flat plains in front of them, they uncontrollably
let out an exhausting cheer, “We can finally rest!”
After the order to pitch the camp was given, the soldiers became busy. The only thing that
disappointed the soldiers was that the forest the scout mentioned was too small. The tall and
thin trees were saplings and could not be chopped down to use as materials to build the camp.
In desperation, they used the simple lumber from their supplies to form a frail wall.
However, the warriors felt thankful as the enemy did not appear. The Devil of the Great Moon
Kingdom also did not appear. Probably with that kind of weather, the enemy would also feel
exhausted. Everyone believed that they could at least safely survive the first night.
A veteran soldier taught the restless amateur soldiers not to panic. If the enemy made a
surprise attack, the scout horsemen would warn them first. If they wanted to escape, it would
not be too late to run after they hear the sounds of the enemy's drums and horns.
The whole camp was in disorder as the soldiers were busy making tents or preparing a meal.
“Boom!” The loud sound of thunder was heard as the lightning struck. It immediately started to
rain heavily.
The soldiers all gave a sigh of relief as it finally rained. Since it rained, the enemy cavalry would
not appear!
When the sky grew dark, an amateur soldier was up and totally soaked in the rain. He was
trying to use a hammer to repair a wall that was damaged by the wind. Suddenly, he sensed
something and raised his head to look at the open space, feeling alarmed. There seemed to be a
black shadow in the distance.
“What is that!”
A veteran soldier turned his head to look at it. His face changed immediately and he said, “It
looks like… a person! My God! It is the enemy! It is the Great Moon Kingdom’s cavalry!”
“Enemy attack!”
It was unclear who shouted the warning first but it was immediately transmitted throughout
the army. All of them were frightened. They all screamed and threw away the tents and fences
that they were about to erect. The infantries searched for their swords in panic and the cavalry
units quickly donned their armor. The whole camp was in an uproar.
It could not be denied that within the past 200 years of the Radiant Empire’s history, their
traditional martial spirit had created a lot of heroes! At that time, the person who still showed
such spirit was the loyal and courageous commander.
“Why are you panicking? Everyone take up your arms!” The order was given as the commander
immediately took out his sword and beheaded a few soldiers who were running away in a panic.
“If this confusion persists, all of us will not live! Infantries! Battle formation!” His majestic
voice could be heard permeating the night. The commander kept running as he cut down
chaotic soldiers who did not obey his orders and were running around blindly. Then he
gathered the scattered soldiers to form an array.
“Fools! Do not panic! The enemy is still lining up! Until then, we still have time!” The
commander tried to calm down as many soldiers as possible. “Pick up your weapons and
shields! Shields form the first row! Lances form the second row!”
A few soldiers finally grouped into a battle formation. There were also about 500 horsemen who
positioned themselves behind the infantries. These 500 horsemen were personally trained by
him and were elites. They were all filled with determination as they tightly held the reins and
their swords.
The dull sound of the horse hooves trampling on the earth could be heard. Tens of thousands of
horse hooves made the earth shake and dust fly. Their trampling sound also masked the
roaring thunder.
The commander watched the speed of the approaching enemy and had some doubts.
Something is not right. Why are they charging so slowly?
As the distant black figures approached, the soldiers of the Empire were finally able to clearly
see the appearance of the enemy cavalry. They were even able to see the tassels on the enemy’s
helmets. The commander suddenly showed fear and shouted, “Not good! They are mounted
archers!”
“Kill!" Suddenly, a frightening piercing sound could be heard as the enemy cavalry let loose
thousands of arrows into the sky. There were not enough soldiers with shields and they were
unable to withstand all of the arrows in the sky. An uncountable number of soldiers gave bloodcurdling
screams as they fell to the ground. There were also some shield soldiers who just lifted
their shields only to have them be pierced through. Suddenly someone shouted, "Mounted
archers! Everyone run!"
Almost instantly, the morale of the army collapsed and the soldiers fell into disarray. Everyone
knew that the infantries were no match for mounted archers. Their limited equipment would
not be able to protect them from the arrows. When the enemy had finished shooting the arrows,
they performed a cavalry charge. It was a massacre.
Countless soldiers were shouting, “Run! Run for your lives!” The commander of the Imperial
Army went to the crumbled infantry formation and cut down a few soldiers who were trying to
escape. Yet, he was still unable to control the situation. In addition, the disorderly soldiers also
destroyed the alignment of the cavalry behind him.
At this point, the enemy cavalry suddenly became quiet for a moment. Soon after that, a loud
voice shouted, “Change to your swords! Charge! Strell¹!
“Strell!” Thousands of horsemen shouted loudly. The commander of the Imperial Army realized
that he and his army were finished.
The black armored figures roared and charged at an incredible speed. The earth trembled under
the charge of the cavalry. The sound of the iron hooves coming into contact with the earth
made it seem like everything in its path would be trampled.
With a thunderous roar, the enemy cavalry broke through the fragile infantry formation. Those
who valiantly held their positions were crushed before they could even take a good look at the
cruel and twisted faces of their enemies who were wearing helmets.
The enemy cavalry quickly passed through the infantry’s line of defense and directly charged at
the camp of the Imperial Army.
The remaining infantries from the broken formation were being killed by a stream of cavalry
soldiers, continuously coming from behind. They were either cut down by the enemy or
trampled by the enemy's horses before they could even swing their swords.
The commander of the Imperial Army fell into despair as he watched the infantries under his
command torn apart easily by the enemy. He trembled and spoke in a deathly quiet voice to his
messenger, “Pass down my orders. Tell everyone to escape. Run as far away as possible!”
After he gave his final order of his life, the loyal servant of the Empire turned to his 500
horsemen and spoke, "I used to be the bodyguard of the Tulip Family Duke! There are absolutely
no cowards under the banner of the Tulip Family! Are you all afraid?"
“Follow His Excellency!” The cries of the 500 horsemen seemed to overshadow the sound of
screaming and killing in the air. Five hundred swords shined as they were held high.
The commander no longer looked behind him. He rode his horse forward with a sword in his
hand, fully determined not to turn back. No one among the 500 valiant and elite horsemen
hesitated as well. They drew their swords and followed their commander.
The last cavalry of the Empire struck their enemy ruthlessly. As the momentum of the enemy
cavalries was weakened by the infantries, the Empire had the upper hand at the beginning of
the attack. As such, they also bought time for those who were retreating. In future generations,
historians believed that without the commander's heroic charge, the army of 15,000 support
soldiers would have been completely annihilated.
Nevertheless, their assault did not last long. The valiant commander and his 500 horsemen
were like stones thrown into a river. Although they could create some splashes, they were soon
washed away under the current of the river.
In that battle, the Great Moon Kingdom cavalry of 20,000 defeated the army of 15,000 defenders
sent to reinforce the Northwest Legion. For the entire night, the plain was filled with the roar of
the armored cavalry of the Great Moon Kingdom and the miserable cries of the Empire’s
infantries. It was not a battle but the cavalry’s wanton massacre of the defeated army!
That night, the 15,000 soldiers of the Imperial Army were completely defeated and less than
5,000 soldiers managed to escape. The lives of those 5,000 people were exchanged with the
lives of the courageous commander and his 500 elite horsemen. However, there were no
records of the commander's name.
In that battle, the crown prince of the Great Moon Kingdom, Reuenthal and his 20,000 strong
cavalry had a decisive victory. They completely defeated the reinforcements of the Northwest
Legion. They had killed over 10,000 soldiers and took no prisoners.
Translator’s Note:
¹ Foreign word, meaning kill.
