The armies of the northern and southern countries are rarely equipped with crossbows.

Poor cost performance, narrow application area, and high maintenance costs make this kind of machine bow only occasionally seen by adventurers or mercenaries.

Compared with ordinary feather arrows, crossbow arrows are relatively short, generally made of stainless steel and hard iron, and the trajectory is straight after shooting, and even has a certain armor-piercing effect. However, it can only shoot in a straight line and has a limited range, which is its natural limitation.

An experienced general like Albert only had to listen for a moment to hear the characteristic trills of feathered arrows, but the stiff clashing sound, to know that the enemy was using a strong crossbow instead of a longbow.

And the army on the mainland that is issued with strong crossbows is only the Torm Federation, which is not bad for money and has a developed handicraft industry.

"General, looking at the outfit, it should be a mercenary from Thorm. Sure enough, a knight with a colorful coat on his body rode up and shouted loudly.

"Heavy cavalry, line up!" Turning his head to see the fire getting bigger and bigger, Ebert was anxious and gave a sharp order. A staff officer next to him leaned over and said, "My lord, do you want to send a battalion of archers to the city wall to cover the cavalry assault?"

"It's too late," said Ebert, waving his hand and drawing his sword, "all of them, rush out of the city!"

The sound of hooves sounded suddenly, and the only 3,000 hoplites in the Western Route Army pulled down their armor, lowered their bayonet guns, and charged in a column of ten. Dense steel arrows rained down, and knights fell to the ground. Even the heaviest armor has weak points, and when facing heavily armed knights at close range, a strong crossbow is better than a bow and arrow.

However, this also meant that cavalry units could quickly break through to the crossbowmen array, inflicting a devastating blow on them.

However, Snowton's iron cavalry was greeted by a dense trap of horses, and the heavy cavalry who crossed the drawbridge fell to the ground one after another. Roll into a ball. Within a hundred steps outside the city gate, holes several feet deep were secretly dug out.

Albert stood beneath the city gates, watching the chaotic battlefield in front of him. The enemy shoots very layered, reaping the lives of their own fighters in waves, if you guess wrong......

"It's Thorm's crossbow formation," Albert calmed. The orderly command said, "The hoplites advance with shields, the 'Horse Rejection Spear' follows, and the archers spread out a formation along the city wall, a distance of one hundred to one hundred and fifty paces, and shoot in an arc!"

In the chaos of war, a calm commander can play the role of the mainstay. The soldiers of the Western Route Army marched according to the order and gradually stabilized their position.

The city was in flames. There was a sound of killing outside the city, and the two sides fought desperately, and a bloody battle began.

When it was dark, Snowton's mid-lane army finally broke out.

They rested temporarily on the hills southeast of the city, while the Torm mercenaries retreated westward.

"Our army lost four men and horses, but thanks to the general's command, the main elite was preserved," a tall, thin staff officer bowed and reported. "But the logistics are all burned, if they are not replenished. In three days at most, the soldiers will run out of food and grass that they carry with them. ”

"How's the situation at Ferenc City?" said Ebert, sitting in a rudimentary tent as a military physician treated an arrow wound to his back.

"Half of the buildings were destroyed, the city was almost a blank field, the number of casualties was close to 100,000, and the damage to property was incalculable. The staff officer asked in a deep voice, "The refugees are dragging their families and moving to the south, your Excellency General, do you want to send troops to stop them?"

"Let them go. Albert was silent for a moment, then shook his head. It is not necessary to show that it is necessary.

"In the hands of the refugees, there is still some food, which can be collected and used for a while...... "The staff officer hinted softly.

Albert glanced at him, but did not answer, and closed his eyes to himself.

At the same time, in a camp on the mountainside.

"Our family has been running this place for hundreds of years, and it is only now that it is prosperous," said the Marquis of Ferenman with a sad sigh on his face, "I didn't expect to be hit by this flying disaster, the city is prosperous, and all of it will be burned, it's a pity, it's a pain!"

"The Holy See can even give away the Northeast Theater of Operations, let alone a small Ferenman Dominion," said Dios, "but to disregard the safety of the people and use such a brutal method is probably contrary to the doctrine of the Lord of Light's 'benevolence'." ”

"Alas......" heard the irony in his words, and the Marquis of Ferrenman was speechless.

First captured by the Snowdon Southern Expeditionary Army, and then abandoned by the Bright Church, he completely lost his belonging.

The Middle Route Army, the King's Tent.

"Where is your usual bravery?" asked King Nacini, his finger almost against Davide's face, "at the critical moment, greedy for life and afraid of death, what kind of face do you have to come back to me?"

"Your Majesty...... I am also here to pass on the military affection to you. Davide explained hesitantly, but this reason is really not convincing.

In the battle of Pandev yesterday evening, Davide's troops and horses were ambushed and suffered heavy losses, even the red dragon Pringer almost had an accident. Fearing that the dragon mount would be killed or captured by the enemy, he turned around and fled all the way back to Snowton's camp.

Fortunately, this kid was not stupid enough to get home, so he went to Cartroman's plan first. But the movement of the dragon's landing was too great to hide it, and King Nacini summoned Davide to ask him, and he was furious, and he scolded him for scolding.

"How did the enemy cross the St. Imas, and how did you set up an ambush right under your nose?" said King Nacini, as he approached him, "and the marching regulations stipulate that there must be sentries within ten miles of the camp and rangers within thirty miles, have you done it?"

"Yes, Brother Wang, I really did," Davide changed to a more affectionate title, and defended himself repeatedly, "but the enemy army suddenly appeared on both sides of the valley without warning, as if they were collectively invisible. ”

"Perhaps, like the new army of light that rushed to Severa, with the help of some kind of invisible magic. Carter Roman interjected, trying to exonerate him.

"That doesn't be a reason for him to escape," said King Nacini, pacing back and forth in his tent, and after a moment, he frowned and asked, "Mordusic, is there an urgent report from the front?"

"Not yet," replied the young scribe aloud, sorting through the text on the case, "At the speed of the letter eagle, it is expected that the exact battle report will not be received until noon tomorrow." ”

"Well," King Nacini nodded, turning his head to stare at Davide, his voice cold, "You go back and reflect seriously, temporarily dismiss Yiqiē from his position, and if there is a next time, he will be severely punished!"

Hearing "there is another time", Davide suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, he gave a military salute, and obediently withdrew from the king's tent.

... (To be continued......)

PS: (First update.) ）