XVIII

Before noon on August 4, 1666 (MDay+125).

General Headquarters of the Jena Free Army

The first wave of magic saturation attacks was over, and Naimon pressed the beautiful woman beside him hard against the player's seat in front of the organ.

"I'll leave it to you, Annie—uh, no, Miss Demon. Be sure to stop. ”

"This thing absorbs mana quite well, so I seem to have lost it...... How much extra magic can an employer give?"

"If there is any loss, please report it to the Logistics Department of the Lenny Army, and the documents should be in triplicate. ”

Naimon casually responded to the demon's complaints, pulling the safety rope from the emergency supply box and using it to connect the railing on the side of the guard tower to himself. After taking a deep breath, he leapt down. The safety rope is more than ten meters long, just enough for him to stay safely at a height only a little above the ground. A backhand combat knife sliced through the rope, and the impact of the landing on the ground made his legs ache faintly. He didn't use the second stage of magic that slowed the fall, because he knew that he couldn't waste even a trace of mana now.

The camp was in chaos. Even with the protection of the "Dragon Slaying Melody", there were still some heavy shells and magic that pierced through the layers of defenses and smashed on the piles of supplies and rudimentary barracks. The few officers who had mastered the magic of the middle and could extinguish the fire with water dragons or rainfall spells tried to control the large flames in a group of threes and fives, while the rest of the officers and soldiers ran between the fires like flies. The garrison of the headquarters reluctantly assembled and rushed to their posts, but no one could organize an effective attack or defense. Accents from the republics were mixed, and some of the recruits were thrown into disarray.

"It seems that the headquarters has not yet given an order. ”

Talking to himself, Naimon quickened his pace through the camp. At times like these, the camp always seems huge. A camp capable of stationing 50,000 people was a huge city in itself, but he rarely noticed it, as all the actions and plans had already taken this into account.

Normally, now the headquarters should be organizing a counterattack. Of course, the premise is that the generals and officers have access to accurate information.

He could probably guess what it was like in the staff: there was no information, let alone reliable information. The scout cavalry squad on the west side of Jena was taken lightly, and the magic scout post was completely paralyzed by excessive magic fluctuations in the first place. The "Dragon Slayer" slot is the only sentry that your opponent didn't expect, but it struggles to support under saturation attacks.

He was the only staff officer who knew what was going on.

Overhead, a vortex of magic swirls and spun against incoming enemy fire. A group of acid bombs, though intercepted, exploded not far from his right front, and the acid splattered from it reimbursed a cannon, causing the entire artillery crew to roll in the ground with their eyes covered. Obviously, the opponent has adjusted the type of shells for the magic cannon and used magic that can fight against a single interception, and the Imperial soldiers are definitely not stupid people who have no ability to learn.

At the gate of the headquarters, the heralds were coming in and out, and the senior sergeants were questioning their colleagues where they had sent reliable information. Because there are so many people coming in and out, there are no people who even check the password. Naimon frowned, grabbed the first sentry and reprimanded him casually, crossed the command, and rushed into the staff headquarters.

"The quality of the soldiers has also declined...... After all, there are quite a few troops in it that have only been trained for about four weeks. ”

As expected, the entire staff was immersed in low pressure. A large group of colleagues were crouching or lying on the ground waiting outside the marshal's office, holding their breath as the two magical officers focused on maintaining their magic. Naimon patted an officer he knew on the shoulder and tried to ask him what was going on, but the man smacked his lips impatiently without even replying his head.

"Shhhh

Naimon calmed down and listened. The two sides under discussion were Colonel Hull Tedwood, executive secretary of the Council of Staff, and his official-speaking deputy, and the old voice that interjected from time to time was naturally Field Marshal Conti Fox.

"According to the regulations, if the opponent's forces and firepower are more than double ours, we should organize a defense, and we should not attack. ”

Hull's rhetorical question hit the nail on the head: "Can defense win?"

"No, you can't. But we can make the losses of the Empire's troops slightly larger. And it can give Blenheim's Western army a little time to react. ”

"How much more?"

"Two days. ”

"Well, what's the use of two days?

"Not enough, but enough for our mages to construct a makeshift teleportation to Interre. ”

Silent. There was a heavy silence - it was a bit strange to describe it, but the whole room fell into a strange silence.

The "Kengal Fox", who was sitting behind the desk, spoke. For a few hours, his voice seemed older. He didn't ask why he was retreating, or what he would make up for by doing so.

"Why Interre? Our headquarters is in Lenny. ”

Hull hesitated, then replied for his deputy, "We contacted Lennie at the beginning of the attack. Thirteen of Lennie's internal teleportation locations were failing, and the remaining four were unreliable. The Capital Garrison Command believed that the Emperor's Guards were just outside the city. ”

"We thought they were here, we thought they were there. According to the available intelligence, they may be here or there, of course, logically they cannot be both here and there. Fawkes's tone was teasing, "And my best men want me to escape from here, and then huddle on an island two thousand kilometers away and watch here and there, just because of this threat that I don't know where." I thought I was still a good general, and you two didn't have to play double reeds. ”

Silent. There was still a heavy silence. Hull's voice shattered the silence.

"Yes, you are still a good general. But this is not the fourth war. It was our fault, none of us expected to meet in Jena. We have no intelligence, but we are now faced with the dilemma of having to win all three battles. No matter where you are, you can't win 100 percent, but as long as you're in Interre, we have a 100 percent chance of fighting again. ”

His lieutenant chimed in: "We can't lose all the chips at once. It takes experienced people to rebuild the troops. ”

"Your Excellency, please decide. That way, we can fight here to the last man with peace of mind. ”

Silent. Silent. Silent.

"I'll allow you to build temporary teleportation channels, two. One to Lenny, and one to Interre. However, it is not allowed to lose, and all the backbone troops must retreat together. The bastards out there too—"

"Knock knock".

There was a knock on the door. The staff officers whispered to each other, trying to find out who was interfering with the conversation at this tense moment.

"The special post surveillance officer, Captain Namen Soleton, has an urgent military intelligence report. ”

"Come in. The old marshal coughed twice, "The door doesn't need to be closed, anyway, the bunnies outside our conversation here are listening." Now the senior officers know magic, and they are not as easy to carry as I was when I was younger. ”

The two officers, who were focused on maintaining the magic, hurriedly put away the eavesdropping magic and rushed back to their places pretending to be serious about their work.

"It's about the enemy disposition, Field Marshal Fox. The enemy army has a clear weakness. It couldn't be more obvious. Naimon took a deep breath, "I'm guessing based on the enemy's troop reaction, it's a new tactic of the enemy, gathering magicians for a surprise attack. There was no reason why they could organize an attack of this distance and on such a large scale. ”

He paused and looked at the expressions of the three people around him. Hull looked suddenly enlightened, and the marshal loosened some of his frowning brow.

In other words, they don't have ordinary troops to match this firepower, and they don't have reserves. All we need to do is concentrate our superior forces—"

The entire room jumped from their seats. If you don't understand it to this point, you are definitely not qualified to sit in this room.

"They didn't bring defenses and reserves?!"

"Strike at the whole army and cut off their outstretched hands!"

"The opponent only has strong firepower, so use the dispersed formation!"

"Even if you exchange ten ordinary soldiers for one of their mages, it's worth it!"

Fox coughed heavily, and all eyes were on him.

"Let the artillery of the sortie sound, everyone! Now disband, investigate the losses of the various units in the shelling, and replenish the lost front-line commanders in order of priority!

The staff officers cheered, and a tidal wave of scraps of paper poured into the marshal's desk. The proud Free Army men consider themselves to be working inside the world's most professional war machine: one that, once activated, is irresistible.

The trumpets sounded immediately, setting the time for each commander to carry out their mission. Based on Field Marshal Fawkes's clock, the heralds fired their trumpet guns attentively. When three cannons were fired, all the troops that could be organized were given orders. At nine sounds, the first unit rushed out of the camp gate under the cover of the third wave of enemy fire. At thirteen times, the enemy shelling stopped urgently, and the troops began to move on the western peaks. Twenty-five later, three Inter companies and three Julok companies were ready to assault, staying at the farthest end of the range of medium-range magic and six-pounder guns. In the suppressive firing of long-range magic, this unit remained disciplined.

Naimon did not sign up for the assault force. He had to live, and he wouldn't be willing to join such a courageous task unless he had no choice. In the end, he chose to stand far behind, quietly watching the warriors advance. In the sound of the organ sonata, in the iridescent sky, swirling colorful swirls.

"I wonder if the current enemies are nervous?"

On the opposite hill, the enemy commander was also looking at the Free Army, which was preparing for the attack. Viscount Vrazor Rasta lamented and lowered his binoculars, knowing that the Free Army in front of him could not be suppressed by long-range magic alone.

The plan started out as a genius idea: to concentrate the Empire's most elite forces and take out the headquarters of the Free Army in the first wave. Eight hundred magicians and five hundred light magic cannons, half of the ammunition of the Imperial army were here, and the bombardment that lasted for two hours was enough to turn Jena into a living hell. The Imperial General Staff, of course, also considered the whole plan of retreating after the enemy fell into chaos - but no one thought about how to retreat "if the enemy can defend and then organize a counterattack".

"How much ammunition do we have left?" Rasta asked the staff officer beside him.

The adjutant probably misunderstood, and confidently replied, "At least seventy percent." Let them attack, we don't have to fear them!"

"It's only a quarter of it. The viscount sighed, "I thought they would be a little slower...... Could it be that they have a high-level mage who uses an artifact to defend against it? ”

The Free Army had only 15,000 soldiers in Jena. But for this squad of more than 1,000 people, 15,000 people is a staggering number. Rasta could also conclude with the simplest arithmetic that the Free Army could organize at least ten assaults of the scale in front of him. If, by the Empire's standards of attack, each company was used three times, they could organize thirty times. A force of magicians and artillerymen, unable to withstand the wave onslaught unleashed by well-trained infantry. Moreover, he had already seen that the enemy forces had begun to deploy forces on his southeastern flank.

What would happen if eight hundred mages and five hundred magic cannons were all left here? Rasta could hardly have imagined.

That meant that the 35,000-strong Southern Expeditionary Force would lose 80 percent of its magical combat power, and it might even be defeated by a mere 15,000 men. From the Imperial Guard to the Army of the Duchy of Soma, countless proud names will be disgraced - although many of the unit's names have already been disgraced once in the last Freedom War. As for himself, he will completely lose all his status and honor. The offensive was organized by his biological father, the Minister of War, Duke Figota, and for this purpose, the Duke had placed all of his sons and illegitimate children on the front line, and this defeat would mean that the entire Figota family would completely lose all positions in the empire.

"Provided that the empire survives after this defeat. ”

Rasta began to talk to herself again. The pressure was too great for the Viscount to wait for his opponent to attack—it would be too late then.

"Retreat as planned, guys. Heading northwest, not southeast as we expect. The problem is that before that we have to defeat the first attack. ”

"Retreat. "All the staff officers who were arranging the defense stopped and began to call the commanders of the detachments," understood. ”

Rasta knew that everyone was waiting to retreat. But the question is how to retreat.

"It's all my responsibility. The Freedom Army's magical combat power is far higher than the upper limit of our estimates, which is my mistake. We can only retreat in batches, but the question is how. It stands to reason that I should die for my country here, but I want to be able to go back and take all the responsibility myself, and not hold you responsible for my mistakes in judgment. ”

Regrettably, this speech did not have much effect. One obvious reason is that most of the magic officers are on temporary transfers, and another obvious reason is his illegitimate status. The viscount thought for a moment, took out the retreat plan, and began to arrange the order of the retreat.

"Well, let the ladies and those under twenty years of age retreat first. Then all those over forty years old and with rank above the Golden Emblem and the Bishop were in the second batch, as were the deputies of the various temporary squads, who were responsible for directing the retreat. The third group is the remainder, but we must have some mages to take on the volley. ”

The hint in Rasta's words is obvious. Soon, the volunteers were up to the numbers. Volunteers from the Knights of Liberation and the Order of Medicaries made up half of the total, while the nobles who were young and self-conscious made up the other half.

Two hundred and fifty volunteer mages and six hundred gunners, the most determined force of the Empire. After that, two hundred of the younger, more promising or stronger mages would follow the group, leaving fifty men and artillery to resist to the last. If the enemy catches up, then these 200 mages and Orthodox priests will organize a second volley on a nearby farm to ensure a smooth escape of the main force.

The enemy's signal cannons still rang non-stop, rhythmically one set per minute, and the change in length indicated that they were conveying orders. Rasta could see the front of a total of six companies, as well as an equal number of reserves.

"Stop all long-range magic. Mid-range magic preparation. ”

The Freire assault began, and the shouts of "Forward!" and "Assault!" mingled to create a chaotic soundstage. The total strength of the assault was about a thousand people, and they were trotting towards here at a speed of three hundred meters per minute. One by one, the preset mana-sensing enchantments on the ground were trampled on, but the speed of the Free Army did not slow down in the slightest. It was a powerful and accurate war machine, and it was as if they were saying to the Strategists of the Empire: Times are no longer the same.

It's not like three or five magicians can turn the tide of war anymore—no, not even eight hundred magicians can't turn it around, Rasta thought a little lonely. In contrast, the identity of the Royal Security Department agent is more of the style of the lone heroes of the ancient knights-

Then several green rays of light were triggered in front of him. Three or five walls of fire burned, but the free army's magical officers skillfully suppressed them with throwing potions.

Without hesitation, the viscount issued an order: "Two hundred meters line trigger! Shoot!"

In an era when there were no watches and most junior officers could not afford pocket watches, these magical enchantments and trumpet cannons were necessary. There are many more options for medium-range magic than long-range magic, and some of the most well-known spells, such as fireball magic, which is difficult to burn textiles, or poison cloud magic, which can create a continuous obstruction, do not have a range of more than two hundred meters. The mid-range suppression ability of the eight hundred mages was equally dazzling: if anyone used detection magic to see the current scene, their eyes would undoubtedly be blinded. The artillerymen were replaced with shotguns and were also firing hard, and the enemy soldiers were cut down piece by piece like wheat.

The Free Army's response was that they began to use haste potions and defensive magic. Each company had three or four real mages and priests, and they began to systematically provide some defense for their soldiers, and organize another assault between the firing of medium-range magic. Medium-range magic does not require the use of supermagic techniques, and the frequency of firing is much higher, but thirty seconds is only enough to fire four or five rounds, and the loss rate of the Free Army has dropped significantly. The most terrifying thing is that none of these six companies retreated, and no one stopped.

They just charged with muskets and spears with bayonets stuck in them. 200 meters is just 40 seconds for them. The only makeshift trench did little to impede it.

"One hundred and fifty meters. One hundred meters. Fifty meters. The loss rate is 60 percent...... Aim! Engage the enemy!"

When the size of the battle does not exceed a hundred, it is skill and ability that are compared. When the scale of the battle exceeds a thousand people, the stamina and exchange ratio of the two sides are compared.

The gunners had only short knives, and the mages and priests, who were nobles, preferred swords to bayonets. With the help of magic, they still have the upper hand, but the exchange ratio has been reduced to two to one. The front lines of the two armies were in disarray, the magic cannon position was completely abandoned, and the explosions of the fire were heard one after another. At several breakthrough points, Orthodox priests used mind control and fear techniques to cause small-scale shaking of the enemy, leading to a larger rout.

"Gunners retreat! Destroy your opponent's formation with psychic magic!"

Rasta bowed slightly, and the two-handed sword "Honor" at his waist was unsheathed with a sonorous sound, shrouded in a layer of yellow light. There were still four hundred enemies left, which meant that even he had to fight these non-magical spearmen. He took a deep breath and rushed into the center where the enemy forces were retreating. The slashing and slashing seemed to dissipate some of the heavy responsibilities on his shoulders.

"I command you, 'stand back'!"

The special effects on "Honor" are not powerful. Just a momentary dullness is enough to nullify the advantage of long weapons. The sharp sword slices through flesh with a pleasant cracking sound, which is very different from the dull poke and turn of the bayonet after being stabbed. The wind brings the sound of the organ, and the smell of fresh blood. Vlasol Rasta was immersed in the feeling of leading the charge, and together with the reserves behind him, he destroyed all the enemies who rushed in. Eventually, he stood still, and there was not a single enemy around him, except for a few young soldiers who had been controlled by immobilization magic and fear, and there was real fear in their eyes.

"Shotgun fire. The first group retreated as planned, and the remaining units reported losses. ”

He stood proudly in front of the magic cannon position, which had been turned into scrap metal, and gave the order. His armor and uniform had been stained red black with dried blood.

"Ninety-five people were killed, one hundred and eighty wounded, about a hundred magic cannons were destroyed, and half of the ammunition was lost. ”

Hearing his subordinates' report, Rasta wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. In a wave of assault, he lost a third of the magic cannon. The enemy seems to have been frightened by the total annihilation of the first wave and is mobilizing more troops. But the Free Army will still attack. They are determined and their goals are clear. The cannon stopped for a while, and that was only because the enemy was going to organize a second attack. The Free Army won't give him a choice.

"Leave the wounded behind and fight until the last moment. You have the right to surrender. Every word of the command, it was so difficult to utter, "Anyway, we'll be back." Tomorrow, we will return with the most powerful forces of the Empire. Revenge for you. Emperor...... Banzai. ”

Rasta unconsciously tilted her head, avoiding the gaze of her men. His eye sockets were a little moist.

"Long live the Emperor!"

It was the roar of the wounded and the gunners. The viscount turned and stepped onto the retreating horse without hesitation. The second assault of the Free Army was about to begin.

What he lost in this defeat will be recaptured tomorrow.

In the afternoon of August 4, 1666 (Mday+125).

Front line of the army of Blenheim-on-Metz

Legend has it that the mother of an oriental sage migrated three times to escape the pursuit of her enemies. In order to boost the morale of the troops and hide from the enemy's advance, the headquarters of the Lenny Army also moved three times on the morning of August 4. Bonnie, as General Pluto Luthor, ran twenty-eight positions in one morning, and even killed more than 60 enemy soldiers and deserters with her own hands to stabilize the line. Now, his command is set up on a farm very close to the front line, so that any news from the front can reach here within five minutes.

"I just received an urgent communication from Jena. The enemy magic forces attacked Jena, but were fortunately repelled by our army in three rounds of decisive assaults. 1,100 were killed, 680 wounded, 330 killed, and no prisoners were taken. The casualties were two to one, and it was unexpectedly tragic. ”

Like all other senior commanders, Major General Luthor had a separate room in the headquarters. The information gathered from his staff would be sent directly to him, allowing him to concentrate in a quiet place. In the face of the new situation, the plan submitted by the subordinates was not complicated: there was only one word "stick". With the current state of the Western army, it is absolutely impossible to go back to the headquarters in Jena.

"Of course, you already know that, Annie, what do you think is going to happen next?"

The female lieutenant officer, who was sitting across from him, looked up from the thick logistics with a panicked look and looked at her sister innocently.

"What did you say? Jena?"

"Don't be confused. You were not at all surprised to hear that Jena had been attacked, and at the time of the war in Jena, you found a logistical excuse to retreat from the front...... You've set up your own reconnaissance tools. ”

Anne raised her hands in surrender: "Okay, okay, I know Jena was attacked, but I don't know how the battle went. ”

Bonnie tossed the bulletin in her hand. "It's all here, and the logistical losses haven't been counted yet. Your face is not very good, can you continue to fight?"

"There were a few battles on the left flank in the morning, and the consumption was a bit big. Just rest and rest. Anne sneered at the unbridled contract to turn into a demon by using her magic, "The enemy is really attacking without restraint on the left flank, regardless of losses." From last night to now, there must have been tens of thousands of people invested, right?"

Bonnie shook her head and replied, "According to the statistics of the Ministry of Intelligence, the enemy has accumulated more than twenty thousand troops - of course, some of them are duplicated. ”

As if to testify to her words, the voice of the herald came from outside the door. The two pushed the door open, only to find that the person who had come to report it was a second lieutenant with magical officer qualifications. He was sent to the left flank in the early hours of the morning to increase his combat effectiveness, but he fought until now and did not return.

"The enemy offensive is strong, and the left flank will be broken through at any moment! We have lost almost all the heralds and half of the officers, and the opposing cavalry infiltration has cut off most of the companies from each other! The left flank needs reinforcements on all fronts, General!"

Hardly anyone paid attention to what he was saying, because all the staff officers' eyes were focused on his right arm. The officer's right arm was no longer there, and it looked like it had been severed by a sharp blade, and he was clutching a bloodstained report with his left hand. The wound did not bleed because the military doctor had roughly tied the wound with strips of cloth, and the end of the wound had turned blue-gray. The fact that a wounded man is used to convey a message already shows how critical the situation on the left is.

"It's hard work, go down and rest. ”

General Luthor stepped forward quickly, chanted a prayer in a low voice, stopped his bleeding, and took the report with his own hands. The words on the report were scribbled, and the impatience and nervousness of the writer jumped on the page.

"Is the cavalry cut off...... Our opponents intend to end this campaign here. War Department, tell me how many reserves there are to put in. ”

The staff officer in charge of tracking the situation at the front immediately reported the figures: "There are still thirty-six companies on the central front that are undamaged, and about twenty companies that have been withdrawn and reorganized, sir." ”

"Fifty-six companies. About 8,000 fresh troops. The major general calculated the comparison of the forces of the two sides, "Then transfer eight full companies from the center to the left flank, and we must hold it." If we still have cavalry, transfer half of them. ”

"Wait a minute, is eight companies enough? If the other side can cut off our communications, there should be a lot of troops. ”

This time it was Anne who raised the objection. Not only her, but the few remaining staff officers in the military department also showed surprised looks. Throughout the morning's fighting, General Luthor opted for the tactic of refueling, throwing his valuable reserves and reserve officers into the meat grinder of the left flank, little by little.

"No more. Anne, if you were in command of the enemy, what would the phrase 'the left flank at stake' mean to you?"

"Does it mean ...... 'push harder and you can break through'?"

"That's right. These huge investments and the effects that have already produced have formed a pattern in the minds of several marquises, who cannot resist the temptation to 'work harder'. If they could have launched a central breakthrough in the morning, perhaps they would have won. We traded heavy losses for time on the central front. In war, it is not the side with the better strategy that wins, but the side that makes fewer mistakes wins. ”

This is also not a comprehensive statement. A middle-aged man's voice interjected, "It's more like playing cards than a game error." It's not about how many big cards you use to overshadow your opponent in the middle game, it's about having the right cards in your hand when the final decision is made. The characteristics of the war are very similar to the cards: the winner wins, the loser loses, and the tie loses. ”

Everyone in the room bounced up from their seats and saluted their commander. López waved his hand casually and returned the salute.

"Luther, at your request, my reserves have been transferred to the trenches behind the central position. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that you spent a night and a morning digging such a big trench?"

Major General Luthor smiled: "Since there is enough time, there is nothing wrong with making more preparations. But General López, how did you have the leisure to go to the front?"

"My intelligence officer said that the main forces of the enemy had moved and that many troops had retreated from the left flank. I calculated the time it would take for the Empire to prepare for the offensive, and it should be almost over, so I simply went to the front. ”

As soon as he finished speaking, the earth suddenly shook, and the deafening explosion drowned out the conversation of the officers. Except for the officers on duty, everyone ran out of the makeshift headquarters and looked out at the front line that was being covered in artillery fire from a nearby observation post. Anne and Bonnie exchanged glances, each seeing the surprise in each other's pupils. In an artillery bombardment of this magnitude, it was impossible to have a conversation, and the two exchanged opinions telepathically.

"This uncle's estimate is only two minutes, right?"

"People are really different, and there are really people who can see through the fog of war at a glance. ”

"What now, do we want to use our true strength?"

"Judge for yourselves, sister. ”

Bonnie coped as she set up a force field barrier to block shrapnel. Knowing of the existence of her senior priest, the other party did not throw a single shell at the place, on the contrary, almost all of the shells accurately hit the trenches and sandbags of the defenders.

Clad López frowned, walked up to Luther, and said loudly, "The enemy reconnaissance cavalry has managed to get to this area?"

"The left flank had previously been successfully infiltrated by the enemy's cavalry, and our cavalry was outperformed. ”

"So, if you're lucky, only half of the right flank company of the Medic Knights will be involved in this assault. Clad turned to his chief staff officer, "Robert, is there an artillery specialist on the other side?"

Robert Ayer, chief staff officer of the General Army of the West, nodded: "Marquis Cavendish von Figota, the third son of the Minister of War. Fellow of the Royal Society of Science, expert in fortification and siege. ”

"Did his opinion override the traditional cavalry faction of Figota? General Luther, ask your artillery to shoot as the enemy begins to cross the river. ”

If Cavendish had heard Clad's words, he would have felt something similar to that of the Seffir sisters, but he couldn't hear them now. He was instructing a few of his subordinates to tie up the big brother who was going to the front line in the headquarters.

"In any case, this battle maniac can't be put in command anymore. The left flank that he frantically threw into was just a meat grinder for the enemy, breaking through one layer and one layer after another. Cavendish rubbed his glasses, "While the artillery fire is ready, let the reserves enter the starting position and start crossing the river in fifteen minutes." The Force Commanders are now on the table with me. ”

Ignoring the shouts of Atlas von Figota in the hut behind him, "You bastard, let me out" and "I'm the captain of the right wing of the Medicorder", the generals of the Figota army pulled out their pocket watches. Cavendis's Third Army was known for its "clock-like marches," and pocket watches were even distributed to battalion commanders. This kind of accuracy is necessary for the "coordinated assault of infantry and artillery" advocated by him.

The officers scattered and headed for their units. The calm on the north bank of the Mez River contrasts sharply with the intense bombardment facing Blenheim on the south bank. All the ammunition that was supposed to be brought to His Majesty the Emperor was poured on the ground, and powerful magic bombs that could change the terrain were fired like iron balls, and no one considered that what they were squandering was half a year's military spending of the entire Imperial Army. Even through the binoculars, you can see the tragic scene of the position on the south bank: the planks of the trenches and the wooden deer bars lie in the mud in all directions, and the serpentine trenches that have been dug with great difficulty have been disemboweled, and cut into one pit after another.

"With the Third Army of Figota as the lead, the offensive begins!" "The offensive begins!" "The offensive begins!"

The magicians skillfully threw an instant freezing potion worth tens of thousands of gold coins into the Metz River, freezing the upper half of the river. The ice-filled pontoon bridge stretched out over the river, enough for a thousand people to pass side by side at the same time.

Cavendish did indeed line up a lineup of this size: eight hundred men in front of each line, twelve in depth, and the entire Third Army, with a total of nine thousand six hundred soldiers, gambled heavily on this central breakthrough.

The shelling did not stop when the troops crossed the river, which made the Free Army a little skewed in its judgment. It wasn't until the first platoon came across the ice that their artillery reacted and opened fire - but the ice was hard to imagine. Only a few chain and incendiary bullets caused relatively large casualties, and the remaining iron ball bullets could only slide across the ice and injure a few hapless soldiers. One of the ices at the end of the downstream was frozen and collapsed under shelling, and one company of soldiers stumbled and fell into the water.

"Passing through the Metz, three hundred people withdrew from the battle. Cavendish looked at the battlefield with a telescope and quickly mentally calculated the amount of losses, "Acceptable." ”

Then came the first round of shooting.

The Free Army soldiers, who had survived the shelling, poked their heads out from behind the surviving trenches and breastprints, and fired their smoothbore guns at the advancing Imperial troops. Part of the Imperial Army, under the command of officers, stood in directional trenches to shoot, while others began to run forward in preparation for hand-to-hand combat. It was clear that the side without cover would suffer heavier losses, but the Imperial army had a first-line superiority in strength and could overwhelm the opponent in hand-to-hand combat.

But at this moment, the Imperial soldiers on the front line screamed. Before their eyes, the flat river beach disappeared and was replaced by potholed traps and mud pools. Countless plants absurdly covered everything in sight and also filled Cavendis's telescope.

"Illusion line?!Illusion magic on such a large scale?!"

On the high ground where the temporary headquarters of the Figota Army was located, the air seemed to freeze. Everyone was shocked by the courage of the enemy army, and they couldn't help but have a sense of admiration: it was not inferior to the boldness of freezing the entire river with a freezing potion. The Free Army was able to cover the entire river beach full of traps with pre-prepared illusion magic on a front of nearly two thousand meters!

But no one panicked.

"Fourteen hundred people withdrew from the battle, slightly more than planned. Only a fool would be glad that illusion magic can obscure the enemy's vision. When we look at the phantoms in the sky, don't you see the phantoms in the sky?"

Cavendish looked at his men in the phantom jungle who had begun to unstrap their shoulders and light their bombs, and softly repeated the command in the Combat Regulations, "When the front road cannot be passed quickly, use the grenade to clear the way." ”

With a brief visual memory, the Imperial Grenadier rained down on the trench in accordance with the regulations. The fuses hissed, the fires flickered, the throwers fell to their stomachs, shrapnel and nails flew everywhere—

But there was a sound that didn't seem to be heard: it was the sound of a bomb hitting an obstacle.

“...... There is a reverse slope in front of the trench and a second phantom breastophing!Free Army, bastards!"

About a third of the bombs were bounced back, and a third were blown up in the clearing. The rest were bombed in almost as many Freias positions as in the Figota Army's marching array.

The ranks of the Imperial Army finally became disorganized, and their various companies began to attack blindly according to the line, disjointed from front to back. Some companies have tripped up their feet by magically wrapped vines buried in the ground, which seem to have the same effect as barbed wire in later generations. From the rear of the Free Army, there was a rhythmic sound of shelling, which grew more and more intense.

"Open fire on the illusion area!"

The command staff in Bonnie's hand drew a pattern in the air, activating one large magic circle after another. Clad's reserves advanced along the communication trenches and were replenished to the front-line troops, and his self-propelled guns followed to the front line and began to fire covering fire.

Trenches, deer, tangled vines...... These things are no strangers to Bonnie. The idea of tactics is the same, slow down the enemy's forces and concentrate lethal fire. Although it was impossible to build barbed wire in this era, and the deer barbs were also wooden, all this was enough to intercept the enemy phalanx troops. There are no machine guns, but continuous salvo fire can also play a role. All the artillery was in motion, harvesting the dense array of Imperial soldiers with fragmentation shells.

The smell of blood soars into the sky. Cavendis's head hurts more and more: this is not a left-wing meat grinder, this is the slaughter field of purgatory.

"Three thousand...... Three thousand four hundred ...... Eight hundred...... Four thousand one ...... Six hundred ......"

He saw that groups of soldiers were barely trying to break through the Phantom Forest, but they were broken by the enemies in the trenches because they could not concentrate their forces. If it weren't for the fact that the ice had been shelled by the enemy, some battalions would have turned around and fled.

"Put in the reserves! The reserves of the Third and First Armies are ready to cross the river—"

Although his voice was still calm, Cavendish's teeth could not help but tremble. At this moment, a voice stopped him.

"Calm down, Cavendish !In the illusion area, it is impossible for the enemy to aim and shoot, only a salvo! Replace the dispersal bomb and shoot at the friendly area to disperse the fog of war at any cost!"

Cavendish jerked his head to see four lieutenants dressed as maids, huddled around Atlas and his fellow medics. He understood at once.

"Blucher, you actually calculated my Third Army! No wonder you supported me to control the Atlas and launch a central offensive in advance!"

Atlas seemed indifferent. The third-strongest medician knight in history shrugged his shoulders and turned his horse's head in the direction of the illusion line.

The unrighteous friendly artillery bombardment ended, leaving only the wounded struggling on the ground and the three or four thousand scattered infantry still standing. The commanders of the units grabbed their pocket watches and began to regroup, but they were often immediately targeted by enemy mages and musketeers. Losses continue to widen.

"Medic Knight's Right Wing Company, Charge!"

The Knights of the Medic, composed entirely of high-ranking clerics, formed several trapezoidal formations and began to charge from where the ice was still intact. Their bodies are shrouded in all kinds of protective aura, worthy of the name of "the best protected troops in the world".

It was only at this moment that the generals of the Free Army understood why Duke Figota was the Minister of War of the Empire, and why the Figota Army dared to claim that they could confront the Guards head-on. The right flank company had only three hundred men in total, and only two hundred men were involved in the charge, but they rushed through the death zone that killed and wounded nearly 6,000 soldiers at the cost of only 17 cavalry.

The only difference between vine magic and barbed wire is that it can't stop the real elite cavalry. The breastwork of the first trench was already vulnerable to bombs and scuffles, and the knights could easily break through it, and the second low trench could not hold back the elite cavalry. Atlas, who was the leader, jumped off his horse and rushed forward with a glittering magic battle axe in his hand. In an instant, the battle line retreated to the third line of trenches, and the knights' medium-range magic was already capable of attacking the Crad's artillery group.

Atlas roared, charging for the nearest roaring cannon. A cannonball hit him, and it was bounced off by his deflection magic, and it flew back into the sky in a parabola!

"Give me some power to kill this XXX thing, great XX gods!"

Sacred prayers are mixed with foul language, but they can also have a great effect. Atlas grabbed a lead cannonball from the ground, blessed it with the magic of Instant Divine Power, and threw it out, piercing the steam cylinder of the Klad cannon, causing a white mist and explosions to soar into the sky.

Encouraged by this, the infantry, who had lost the will to fight, began to advance again, occupying the trenches that the cavalry could not carry. The shouts of "Long live the Empire!" were silenced by the shelling from both sides.

What he didn't know was that at this very moment, a weapon that did not belong to this era was aimed at him.

Few people have the opportunity to take their destiny into their own hands.

Even those who once had their fate in their own hands rarely realized that at that moment it was in their own hands.

This may be because it is too heavy to take your destiny into your own hands and realize it.

How can a person act normally if he knows that his next actions will inevitably affect the whole world?

At this moment, Anne Seiffel held her pistol and hesitated, as if she were in control of her own destiny.

The knight in the scope of the "Spellslayer" is clearly the commander of the enemy army. She also didn't expect that the Medic Knight would be able to break through the imitation of the modern defense system. If it enters a melee, then the general army of the West will definitely be greatly damaged, and it will never be possible to save Jena or Rennie again.

"War is improvisation. It's improvisation. If you can't stop it, use my real magic ......"

There are two options in front of Anne. What would happen if this place was breached? The defeat of the free nations, the reunification of civilization by the Empire, and what would happen if magic was used? What would happen if Anne Sephir became a true nine-rank mage and then become embroiled in the changes of the times?

The storm of change is already getting bigger. Her sister was at home in the midst of this change, and even wanted to seize a historic position, but she only felt a moment of confusion. But both she and Bonnie carefully control the knowledge they possess that is ahead of their time, for fear that history will be dragged too far off the right track, for fear of creating a powerful enemy that even they will not be able to deal with. Maintaining the power that no one knows looks like it leaves more room for choice and movement.

At the very least, the survival of the United Nations Republic should not be an issue. The country should have existed until the age in which they lived. The Holy Koman Empire should not be revived, it is not sacred, it is not Koman, it is not an empire, and this medieval legacy does not have the almost infinite possibilities of the free nations. It was supposed to be turned into an enlightened and authoritarian power by Namen Hugh Kirman, leading the modernization of science and becoming the last "evil empire" of the civilized world.

"Then why do I feel that my goal is getting farther and farther away......"

She felt like she was doing the right thing all along. She felt like she was using her power correctly all the time. She felt that she could be rational about some events or people that were different from what she expected......

Or people. Or people. Or people.

But in the end, can fate really be in the hands of one person?

Even if she is the strongest magician in the world, or a time-traveler?

The cold handle of the gun seemed to be a little hot.

Anne shook her head vigorously, banishing the thoughts from her mind.

There's no choice, isn't it?

She is Anne Sefir, a nine-dan magician who chases the unreal. To keep history on track is to keep the last glimmer of hope alive.

"MetaHeightened - MetaExtended - Precise - "

With his left hand, he shoved the heavy double-layered demon-breaking bullet into the pistol, and with his right hand, he held the barrel still.

In this era, she had no sniper rifle to work with, only relying on this magically enhanced pistol. Three hundred meters is not difficult for artillerymen, nor for a rifle, but too difficult for a recoilless pistol.

The only way to achieve victory on the cruel battlefield is to rein in all human nature and fight with instinctive cruelty. Anne held her breath, cautiously extending her perception little by little in the enemy's zone of control. She even withdrew all the mana she had lent to the summoned demon to concentrate on the blow.

That target seemed to be saying something.

"Tell Cavendish to keep the troops going to expand the results—"

Shoot.

A cone-shaped silver bullet pierced Atlas's magic shield, cutting off all the lines he wanted to say.

"I killed the enemy commander, and I'll leave it to you, Bonnie. ”

Anne Sefir blew off the crumbs from the tip of her pistol and turned back to her camp. The magic that can resist the cone-shaped magic bullet has not yet been invented.

Things are unpredictable.

War is always a contest of the number of mistakes made by both sides.

And the battlefield mistakes of the Imperial Army, this time happened to be a little more.

The Medic Knight, who had lost his spearhead, inevitably paused, but this pause gave the Freers the opportunity to use their magic to control the target area.

"Marquis of Figota is dead!" roared across the battlefield, and Clad López's reserves lost no time in throwing them in.

The rest of the story is logical: Blenheim is on the defensive, and Jena is facing an even greater test.

That night, Lieutenant Anne Seffier received an urgent supply request from Jena, and a mysterious person requested an additional supply of mana in the name of Captain Soleton, in triplicate.

"So, I'll go to Jena first. Do you need any local produce, Bonnie?"

"Major General Luther" yawned, she had also used up all her mental strength in the daytime battle.

"Hold out until I destroy the enemies here. ”

In this way, the battle of Jena-Blenheim entered its second day.

Postscript: That's right, I'm sadly updating again at Christmas. This time there are 13,000 words, my God, I can't control the number of words as soon as I write them lately, and the addiction to writing about war is uncontrollable...... Forget it, everyone who is still reading this book, Merry Christmas. Continued next year.

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