Chapter 363 - 256: The War Has Only Just Begun
With a great wave of his hand, Henry roared, "Soldiers, charge! Today, let the city of Odoche become our field of glory!"
The words had barely left his mouth when he charged alone deep into the city, his soldiers surging behind him like a tide.
’Are you kidding me? We have to charge! The Lord isn’t even human! If we’re late, he’ll have killed all the enemies himself!’
’That’s Dinars and land we’re talking about! Our Lord is so cheap, stealing even this little bit of glory from us. He isn’t even human!’
Boman and Fass also gave the order to charge at almost the same time.
They stood atop the city walls, looking down at the battlefield below, their eyes filled with a fiery fighting spirit.
’We have no choice but to charge. Henry has already rushed so far ahead he’s out of sight, and the first Cavalry unit to break in were his men, too.’
’That man Henry is a beast, and every last one of his men is a beast! If we’re a step too slow, we probably won’t get any of the spoils.’
’Not a shred of glory!’
At Boman and Fass’s command, the soldiers on the walls erupted with a heaven-shaking roar. Like a flash flood, they poured down from the walls via stairs and breaches, some even leaping, and charged into every corner of the city.
In the barracks, the garrison’s reserve soldiers had already descended into chaos. Their morale was low to begin with, and now, seeing that all was lost, they had no will to resist.
’How the hell are we supposed to fight this?! The walls have fallen, the gates are lost, and we can’t even find the Count. What is there to fight for?’
’Go defend the castle at the Earl’s Mansion? With just us? Even if we could hold it, is there enough food? How long could we last?’
’There’s no way we can defend a castle until we die of old age!’
The armies of Henry, Boman, and Fass were like sharp blades, easily plunging into the defenders’ ranks and cutting them to pieces.
The soldiers brandished their weapons, mercilessly slaughtering the enemies before them. Every slash and thrust was filled with ruthless killing intent.
In the streets, countless Cavalrymen weaved through the narrow alleyways.
The thunder of their hooves shook the ground. Their scimitars traced cold arcs through the air, and wherever they passed, defending soldiers fell in droves.
And it wasn’t just the defenders. Anyone who dared appear on the streets was shot dead with an arrow or cut down by a scimitar from a charging warhorse.
Some soldiers, their "loyalty" stirred by the Count’s promise of high pay, tried to organize a resistance. But they were instantly scattered by the Cavalry charge, like autumn leaves swept up by a gale, only to be mercilessly slammed back to the ground.
The city’s civilians were scared out of their wits by the sudden chaos. They hid in their homes, bolted their doors and windows, and trembled uncontrollably.
’Holy shit, are they killing people on sight? They saw children and old people carrying bundles get run down and trampled by the Cavalry, their heads sliced clean off.’
’Seriously? They’re killing them, too?’
A few of the bolder ones peeked through the cracks in their doors, witnessing the horrific carnage outside. The city was filled with the soldiers of Henry, Boman, and Fass, who were like packs of bloodthirsty wolves, madly hunting and slaughtering the garrison troops and any "outsiders" they laid eyes on.
The streets and alleys were littered with severed limbs. Blood flowed freely, and the thick, nauseating stench of it filled the air.
Henry’s army rampaged through the city. They stormed the garrison’s barracks, slaughtering the dazed and confused soldiers one by one.
They charged into the sleeping quarters, engaging in fierce hand-to-hand combat, forcing the enemy back until only a floor of corpses remained.
They broke into Odoche’s granaries and armories, seizing all valuable materials for themselves.
Not to be outdone, the armies of Boman and Fass acted as two sharp blades, cutting in from either side of the city. They formed a pincer with Henry’s forces, completely surrounding the enemy and compressing their space.
It couldn’t be helped. Henry’s army had already struck first and claimed the biggest prizes. They could only head to the untouched flanks to meticulously pick through what was left.
In the central square, Bain reined in his horse and looked around.
He was somewhat... at a loss. The battle had gone too smoothly, not at all according to his expectations.
The countless, meticulously crafted battle plans Bain had devised flashed through his mind. He had imagined himself commanding with calm assurance on the battlefield, carving a bloody path out of an enemy encirclement, and seizing a critical opportunity amid the chaos to turn the tide of the entire war.
He had even fantasized about stepping forward at the most dangerous moment to rescue comrades surrounded by the enemy, becoming a hero in everyone’s eyes.
He had spent countless nights poring over maps, running endless simulations, considering how to leverage terrain, weather, and troop deployment to achieve victory after breaching Odoche.
He had even simulated worst-case scenarios, such as having his retreat cut off by an ambush on the march, or how to secure victory while being outnumbered.
He had prepared a contingency plan for every possible scenario, confident that he could use these masterfully crafted strategies to make a name for himself in a single battle.
𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
However, the battle unfolding before him left him feeling somewhat let down.
Henry’s charge had effortlessly torn through the enemy’s defensive line. The main army had immediately followed, with Boman’s and Fass’s forces moving in swiftly to cut off and surround the enemy.