章 239: A Narrow Escape
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
It's almost there, so close!
Watching the columns of smoke rising ahead, Derrick Heller felt waves of excitement surging through his heart.
The enemy camp was in chaos due to the fire, with people running around like headless chickens, desperately trying to extinguish it.
If he charged in and slaughtered them now, it would be like a lion pouncing into a flock of sheep. Today's battle would make his name famous.
Not long ago, while patrolling the camp, Derrick noticed something unusual in the enemy's direction. Scouts monitoring closely soon reported that the Kent family's camp was on fire.
Eager to gain merit, Derrick immediately thought of a surprise attack amidst the chaos. Although this was not a "knightly" act, there was no need to speak of honor when dealing with despicable scoundrels like the Kent family.
His subordinates suggested consulting with the other lords who were in a meeting, but Derrick dismissed the idea as soon as it was mentioned.
"Those old-fashioned guys would discuss it for half a day. By the time they decide to attack, the enemy would have put out the fire! More likely, they would insist on waiting for the Graymans and Ganards, who are still nowhere to be seen."
So, Derrick quickly returned to his camp and gathered all the troops he had brought from Portley, including 100 knights, 300 knight's squires, and over 1,000 militiamen.
"Cavalry, charge into the enemy camp and create more chaos! Infantry, follow up!"
Derrick promptly gave orders to his troops. Having received a noble education from a young age and read many military history books, he knew of many examples where a smaller force defeated a larger one. Today was a godsend, and he was confident he could replicate those historical miracles.
He didn't forget to send scouts to survey the surroundings of the enemy camp, especially the small forest to the south, which seemed like an easy place for an ambush.
But, eager for battle, he didn't wait for the scouts to return and led his knights to launch the attack. War, after all, was a gamble!
The Kent family camp lacked complex defensive measures, seemingly only used as a temporary base. There were a few simple horse barricades arranged around the camp.
A few knights took the lead, using their lances to push aside the barricades one by one, creating a gap. The main force immediately spurred their horses and began the real charge.
As Derrick expected, their attack was a disaster for the enemy, already busy with the fire. The camp descended further into chaos.
"Kill!"
The Heller family knights and squires swung their weapons vigorously, harvesting the lives of enemy soldiers.
After nearly twenty minutes of rampaging through the camp, the Kent family troops began to react. Knights and officers donned their armor and led their subordinates in a counterattack.
With fewer than two hundred knights and squires, Derrick's cavalry began to suffer casualties under the enemy's counterattack.
"Why hasn't the infantry followed up?"
As the enemy's counterattack intensified, the battle-thirsty Derrick began to cool down. He suddenly remembered the infantry that was supposed to follow behind the cavalry.
"Viscount Heller! Surrender!"
Suddenly, a shout came from the west, the direction he had come from! Derrick looked over and saw that it was none other than Earl Kent's son, Jaius.
"You should be the one to surrender, you Kent family fool!"
Seeing Derrick's refusal, Jaius sneered, "Hmph! Truly, you won't shed tears until you see the coffin! Look at this!"
He raised his arm and threw an object towards Derrick, which rolled to a stop at Derrick's horse's hooves.
Derrick knew instantly that things were bad! It was a helmet, belonging to one of his knights, whom he had previously assigned to command the infantry.
Was he already killed? Or captured?
Where did the Kent family troops behind them come from, were they ambushed in the woods, or had reinforcements just arrived?
None of that mattered now; what mattered was that they were about to be surrounded! More and more enemy troops were gathering around them.
"Break through!"
Derrick shouted the order, and his troops, who had been fighting individually, regrouped into a tight formation.
"There are fewer enemies to the north; break through there! Protect the Viscount!"
The family knight commander charged ahead, swinging a flail and breaking into the enemy ranks, followed closely by Derrick and the other knights.
The Kent family troops to the north of the camp were mainly conscripted infantry and couldn't withstand the combined assault of so many knights. Many were trampled into the mud, and even more fled in panic.
These conscripts were utterly useless. Jaius angrily whipped the air with his horsewhip.
He ordered a nearby knight, "Derrick is stuck here. His allies won't sit idly by. Organize the infantry and take a squad of cavalry to block them."
Then he spurred his horse to pursue Derrick with his cavalry.
...
"See! I told you it was a trap!"
The allied lords had just assembled their troops when a scout reported that a large force of heavy cavalry coming up the southern path had scattered Heller family's infantry.
"Maybe, maybe not. Since they came from the southern path, it could just be Kent family reinforcements who ran into Heller's infantry."
"Trap or not, if we don't go now, Heller's boy is finished!"
"That young man better not throw his life away stubbornly. If he must surrender, so be it. We can ransom him back."
"Let's hope so, or how will we explain it to Earl Heller?"
"Hmph! It's his own fault. He can't blame us."
...
The lords were anxious. They left 1,000 men to keep an eye on Biddeburg behind them and marched with the remaining 5,000 towards the enemy camp.
On the way, they encountered a large group of fleeing Heller infantry, pursued by enemy cavalry. Seeing the lords' reinforcements, the fleeing soldiers found hope and rushed towards them.
Viscount Johnston, commanding the vanguard, shouted, "Heller soldiers! Do not charge into our formation! Or you'll be killed without mercy!"
But some of the routed soldiers continued running towards them, shouting for help.
The situation was urgent, and Viscount Johnston decisively ordered, "Archers, fire!"
A volley of arrows rained down, felling many of the fleeing soldiers. The rest scattered, wailing.
Seeing the large number of allied troops, the pursuers also retreated.
The allied forces continued to advance and soon encountered the main body of the enemy infantry, whom Jaius had positioned to stop them from rescuing Derrick.
Neither side wasted words and immediately began to fight...
At this time, Derrick's situation was extremely dire. After breaking through the encirclement, he and his knights headed north, hoping to turn back west towards the allied camp.
But the pursuers seemed glued to their heels, with troops also trailing on the left and right flanks. Any attempt to turn might result in being intercepted, so Derrick had no choice but to continue north.
"Damn it! Am I really going to have to surrender and await ransom in disgrace?"
"No! Never! Kent family, just wait. I'll make you pay someday!"
He swore in his heart.
However, after the earlier battle and a long run, his horse was exhausted, and its speed was clearly slowing.
"Damn it! Damn it... Huh? What is that?"
Just as Derrick was feeling despair, he saw dust rising on the road ahead.
"Flying Dragon Banner? Is that... Graymans' troops?"
A troop appeared right in front of them.
(End of the Chapter)
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