On the dawn of September 3rd, as the first light of morning touched the earth, the Alda army, which had been gathering near the border for two days, began its advance towards Butuya, the capital of Baylding.
According to intelligence, the four traitorous lords had assembled all their forces in Butuya. They planned to spend 3 to 4 days preparing their military equipment and supplies before attacking Alda. This logistical efficiency drew a sneer from Paul, who thought, “No need for you to come all this way; I’ll just go to you.”
This was the first collision between Paul’s newly established military system and the more “conventional” military forces of this world, so he attached great importance to it. He led a part of the staff officers personally, while Chief of Staff Schroeder commanded the remaining staff in Lakeheart Town, ready to handle any emergencies with the militia.
The border was scouted by Baylding, and the news of the Alda army crossing the border was quickly relayed back to Butuya. Shocked by the enemy’s rapid approach, Albert wanted to lead his troops out immediately to intercept Paul, but the cunning Angelo advised them to wait at Butuya, conserving their energy. Eventually, everyone agreed to Angelo’s plan.
Around 4 P.M., the small city of Butuya came into Paul’s view. Through his telescope, he saw Angelo and others already arrayed in front of the city gates.
As they drew closer, the enemy’s deployment became increasingly clear through the telescope.
The rebel army mainly consisted of four infantry phalanxes, arranged in a line, each with about 500 soldiers. Each phalanx was commanded by a knight standing in front, with more than half of the men in each phalanx armed with uniformly made long spears, while the rest were equipped with a hodgepodge of weapons, including pitchforks and hoes. Behind the four phalanxes were about 30 archers, forming a horizontal formation.
In the middle of the four phalanxes were four people in very splendid armor on horseback, probably the four traitorous lords of the Ganaard family.
Surrounding them were troops consisting of knights and their attendants from their respective families, about 30 people in total.
These 30 or so highly mobile forces were of the greatest concern to Paul. All the knights were clad in armor, not as ornate as that of their lords, but well-crafted, protecting all vital parts of their bodies.
In contrast, the attendants’ equipment was much simpler; some wore chainmail, while others had no protection at all.
As the Alda army drew closer to Butuya, they finally came into the rebels’ view.
Angelo, with a look of disdain, said contemptuously, “Haha, how foolish! He’s still too young, getting arrogant just by wiping out a few third-rate pirate gangs.”
Baron Amos, standing beside him, asked curiously, “Why do you say that, General?”
Angelo explained, “They set off at dawn and have been marching almost a whole day. Paul Grayman might feel fine riding a horse, but his soldiers must be exhausted. How much strength could they have left for battle?”
Although not versed in military matters, Baron Amos felt his face flush with embarrassment for not realizing such a simple truth.
When the distance between the two sides was about 300 meters, the Alda army stopped advancing. Paul ordered the artillery company to build a firing position on nearby high ground and sent a platoon of spearmen to assist and protect the artillery.
A knight bearing a white flag then approached from the rebel side, obviously seeking negotiations before the battle commenced.
As expected, the knight reached the front of the Alda army’s formation and shouted, “Count Grayman, Lord Angelo has a message for you. If you release Count Ganaard and pay ten thousand silver coins, Baylding will no longer pursue the crimes you’ve committed. If you continue your folly, we will crush your army, occupy your lands, and bring you before the Duke of the Northwest for trial.”
“Ha!” The words shouted by the knight amused Paul. Pointing at the knight with his riding crop, he loudly declared, “Go back and tell those traitors to clean their necks and await their fate! I intend to use their heads as chamber pots.”
The knight assessed the size of the Alda army, which appeared to be over a thousand men. The troops were neatly arrayed in uniforms of the same color and style, presenting an impressive sight. However, he thought, what use would that be against an enemy twice their number?
More critically, apart from a few mounted officers, the Alda army seemed to lack cavalry, a factor that seemingly sealed the battle’s outcome.
“Foolishness!” the knight sighed inwardly upon hearing Paul’s reply. He then turned his horse and galloped back to his own lines, quickly relaying Paul’s response to Angelo and others, as well as describing the Alda army’s situation.
“Hahaha!” Angelo and the others burst into laughter after hearing the knight’s account. The outcome seemed certain to them.
Angelo looked around and addressed his men, “Gentlemen! We have the advantage in numbers, stamina, and terrain. Standing here and waiting for that pitiful army to attack would be laughable. I suggest we initiate the attack.”
As Paul debated whether to continue advancing for an offensive or to provoke the enemy into attacking, he noticed the rebel phalanxes beginning to move towards them. He immediately ordered his troops to prepare for the encounter.
With the command given, two battalions of spearmen and a company of musketeers quickly transitioned from a marching column into a linear battle formation. Meanwhile, two battalions of mortars were deployed in the gaps between the units.
To test the effectiveness of muskets on a large scale, Paul instructed the artillery not to fire until given a clear command. He signaled Company Commander Dempsey to direct the musketeers’ firing.
“Check equipment… Light the match…”
Following Dempsey’s loud command, the musketeers prepared their matches and ignited them with their tinderboxes.
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Thanks to rigorous training and the use of cartridge ammunition, it took the soldiers less than a minute to load their muskets.
While the musketeers loaded their weapons, the mortar squads stationed between the units also readied their barrels and loaded grapeshot, prepared to fire at any moment.
On the rebel side, as the four phalanxes moved, what was once a neat formation began to unravel. After advancing over a hundred meters, the phalanxes were barely recognizable, reminiscent of Paul’s first military review in Lakeheart Town Square.
Watching the enemy draw nearer, Company Commander Dempsey once again emphasized to his soldiers not to fire until ordered. To achieve better accuracy, they must wait until the enemy was sufficiently close.
When the rebel army was just over a hundred meters away, Dempsey finally gave the command, “Prepare to fire!” The soldiers fixed their matches to the serpentine, shouldered their muskets, leveled them, and aimed at the advancing enemy.
At last, the moment Paul had been eagerly anticipating arrived.
Yes, chapter 67. Error with the RAWs.