Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

On the plains north of Midland's main camp, the Midland army's formation stretched out like cast iron. The ground at the front was deeply dented by the wheels of the cannons, and four bronze cannons stood side by side, their muzzles as black as abyss, facing the open area ahead.

Behind the artillery were densely packed musketeers, standing shoulder to shoulder in three rows. The metal parts of their muskets gleamed coldly in the light, their fingers resting near the triggers, their breathing as even as a single unit.

Behind the musketeers stretched an endless array of infantry and archers. At the very rear of the formation stood the White Dragon Knights, their armor and the manes of their steeds intertwining in the light and shadow, forming an impenetrable barrier that calmly commanded the entire army, radiating an invisible deterrent.

Yuris stood on the high platform at the back, his gaze sweeping over the scene before him, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

He has mobilized a full-strength infantry regiment for the northern defense line, as well as three thousand-man squads of the White Dragon Knights. Each thousand-man squad is led by an experienced knight commander and is a formidable force.

He rationally allocated the remaining troops to the east, south, and west of the main camp, which was enough to defend key passes and ensure that the main camp would not be attacked from the flanks.

In addition, he recruited several mercenary groups from the surrounding area and deployed them on the left and right flanks of the main formation to fill the gaps between the infantry and the knights, making the entire defensive system impenetrable.

Yuris raised his hand and placed it on the railing of the high platform, his heart filled with confidence. This formation was both offensive and defensive, with clear layers. Even if the other side really sent out a thousand elite troops, they could only increase their casualties in front of the position. Even if a complete knight order came, it would be nothing short of a pipe dream to break through these layers of defenses.

He had even begun to imagine the scene of the enemy being bombarded by artillery, shot by muskets, blocked by infantry, and overwhelmed by archers during their charge—that would inevitably be a one-sided victory.

Just then, a scout rode up at full speed, dismounted below the platform, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a hurried but clear voice:

"My Lord, a large number of dark figures have appeared on the hills in the distance, suspected to be enemy troops."

Yuris's heart skipped a beat. He picked up the binoculars beside him and looked in the direction the scout had pointed.

The distant hills were clearly outlined, and the once-empty summit was now filled with a dense mass of dark figures, their numbers appearing quite large. He adjusted the focus of his binoculars and quickly made out the flag erected in front of those figures—a flag embroidered with a ram's head, the emblem of the Ram Charge Knights.

However, due to the terrain of the hills, most of the troops below the flag were obscured by the mountains. Yuris observed repeatedly but could not determine how many troops the enemy had. He could only vaguely see a dark mass, which seemed to be quite large.

He put down his binoculars, his brow furrowing slightly.

He had long heard of the Ram Riders' reputation for their swift charges and ferocious fighting prowess, but he hadn't expected them to suddenly appear here, and judging from their demeanor, they were clearly prepared.

But Yuris quickly calmed down, realizing that no matter how many people the enemy had, they couldn't possibly gain an advantage against his carefully arranged formation.

He stood on the high platform and waited patiently for nearly an hour, but the enemy on the other side did not make any move. There was no sign of charging or adjusting their formation. They just remained quietly on the hill, as if waiting for something.

"Since they refuse to move, we'll take the initiative."

A resolute glint flashed in Yuris's eyes as he turned and gave orders to the messenger beside him.

"Pass on my order: the entire army shall advance, maintain formation, and proceed slowly until the artillery is within range."

The messenger received the order and immediately rode down from the high platform to transmit the command to the entire army via flag signals.

Instantly, the Midland army's formation began to slowly shift, with colorful flags waving in the ranks, guiding the way.

The cannons were pushed forward by the soldiers, with the musketeers following closely behind in neat steps. The entire square formation resembled a moving city wall, approaching the hill step by step.

However, just as the Midland army's artillery was still some distance from the hill and had not yet entered effective firing range, the top of the hill suddenly changed.

On the side that was originally hidden by the mountain, a long row of cannons slowly emerged, numbering more than a dozen, far exceeding Yuris's expectations.

These cannons were arranged in an extremely neat formation, with their muzzles all pointed at the advancing Midland army.

Before the soldiers of Midland could react, the fuses of the cannons on the opposite side were lit, and streaks of fire shot out from the muzzles. Accompanied by a deafening roar, the shells came whistling in like black meteors.

"what!"

When Yuris saw this scene from the high platform, his pupils suddenly contracted, and a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart.

He never imagined that a knightly order would be equipped with so many cannons; it was completely beyond his comprehension.

The Knights have always been known for their cavalry charges. Heavy equipment like cannons are usually only equipped by regular large legions, and it is rare to see so many of them. Moreover, why would the enemy's cannons have a longer range than their own?

The shells landed on the front ranks of the Midland army, exploding instantly, sending dirt and rubble flying and flames soaring into the sky.

The artillery positions at the very front were hit directly by the shells. The cannons were instantly destroyed, and fragments flew everywhere. The soldiers operating the cannons nearby had no time to dodge and were hit by the fragments or blown away by the shock wave of the explosion. Screams of agony rose and fell.

The musketeers following behind were also subjected to a fierce attack. Shells exploded in the dense crowd, each shell taking the lives of several soldiers. The originally orderly ranks instantly became chaotic, with soldiers dodging in all directions, and the formation was completely disrupted.

Yuris gripped his binoculars tightly. He could clearly see that the artillery units in the front ranks had been almost completely wiped out, and the remaining few were also incapacitated. The musketeers had also suffered heavy casualties. The original three ranks were now reduced to scattered soldiers, making it impossible for them to form an effective firing formation.

The situation was worse than he had imagined. The enemy's artillery was not only more numerous, but its range also seemed to be longer than his own, which gave them the upper hand and caught him off guard.

But Yuri was, after all, a seasoned general, and after a brief moment of shock, he quickly calmed down.

It's too late to retreat now, and if we do, it will only cause the army's morale to collapse completely, allowing the enemy to take the opportunity to pursue us and cause even greater losses.

He took a deep breath, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and immediately gave the order to the messenger:

"Order the entire army to advance! Infantry phalanxes, accelerate your pace, break through the enemy's artillery positions, and use your numerical superiority to wipe them out completely! Remaining artillery, provide full cover; archers, prepare to fire suppressive fire!"

The messenger immediately relayed the order, and the chaotic Midland army began to readjust its formation at the shouts of officers at all levels.

The remaining cannons opened fire first, sending shells flying toward the enemy artillery positions on the hill. Although the number was limited, it still served to some extent as a distraction.

Led by their officers, the infantry regrouped, with the spearmen and shieldmen in the front ranks arranged in a mixed formation. The shieldmen raised their heavy shields to form a solid shield wall, while the spearmen placed their spears between the shields, with the spearheads facing outwards, forming a dense array of spearheads. This arrangement was effective in blocking cavalry charges and also provided an advantage in close-quarters combat.

After adjusting their formation, the infantrymen shouted and charged toward the hill.

Just as Midland's infantry rushed to the foot of the hill, preparing to climb it, another accident occurred.

Suddenly, a large number of cavalry and wagons rushed out from the dense forest on both sides of the hill, far exceeding Yuris's expectations. These cavalrymen were different from the heavy cavalry of the White Dragon Knights; they did not wear heavy armor, but only light clothing, and moved extremely nimbly. Each of them carried a musket on their back and held a short sword in their hand.

The wagons were transformed into fortresses, with thick wooden planks installed around the sides, and many firing holes in the planks. The tops of the wagons were filled with musketeers, their muskets already aimed at the Midland infantry who were climbing them.

After emerging from the dense forest, the cavalry did not charge directly at Midland's infantry phalanx. Instead, they quickly split into two ranks, stopping on the flanks of the infantry. They raised their muskets and fired at the sides of the infantry.

Gunfire erupted, and Midland's infantry were caught in a pincer attack. With no shields protecting their flanks, soldiers fell one after another, and their formation once again descended into chaos.

The modified wagons were positioned behind the cavalry, with musketeers on top constantly firing to suppress the Midland infantry's charge. Spears would also occasionally protrude from the firing ports on the wagons, stabbing at any approaching soldiers and preventing them from getting close.

Seeing this from the high platform, Yuris cursed inwardly and immediately gave the order:

"The second and third thousand men will immediately provide support from both flanks, eliminate the enemy's cavalry and wagons, and clear the way for the infantry!"

Upon receiving the order, the two thousand-man squads of the White Dragon Knights immediately sprang into action, urging their warhorses toward the cavalry and wagons on either side of the hill.

However, the knights of the White Dragon Knights were equipped with heavy armor and lances, and their warhorses were rather cumbersome and far slower than the enemy's light cavalry.

The light cavalry were extremely agile. When they saw the heavy cavalry charging, they immediately turned their horses around and began to run in a circle, always maintaining a certain distance from the heavy cavalry and not engaging them head-on. They would only turn around and fire their guns from time to time.

The heavy cavalry tried their best to chase, but they couldn't catch up with the enemy at all. They could only watch helplessly as the enemy passed right in front of them, unable to inflict any effective damage.

Unable to catch up with the light cavalry, the knights had no choice but to turn their attention to attacking the slower wagon fortresses.

However, the wooden planks around the carriage were extremely sturdy, and the impact of the warhorses had little effect. Instead, several spears protruded from the firing ports of the carriage and accurately pierced the approaching knights and warhorses.

The knights tried to cut the spears with their swords, but because the warhorses were charging too fast, they could not exert their strength accurately. Many knights were pierced by the spears and fell off their horses.

Meanwhile, the musketeers and crossbowmen on the roof of the carriage kept returning fire, raining arrows and lead bullets down on the knights. The knights could only raise their shields to block, while firing crossbows at a distance, but with little effect. They could not get close to the carriage at all, and their own casualties gradually increased.

Meanwhile, the infantry fighting on the hill front also reached a stalemate.

Midland's infantry made slow progress under the firepower of the cavalry and wagons on both flanks, and found it extremely difficult to climb the steep slopes.

While dodging bullets and arrows fired from above, they also had to deal with the rugged terrain beneath their feet. Before they even reached the halfway point of the mountain, they had already suffered heavy casualties.

The soldiers also tried to retaliate with crossbow bolts, firing at the enemy above and to the sides of the hill, but the enemy's cover was extremely tight, and most of the bolts landed in empty air, failing to cause effective casualties.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate, with gunfire, arrows, screams, and the neighing of warhorses all mingling together, creating chaos on the battlefield.

Just as Midland's infantry were exhausted and their offensive was gradually weakening, a deafening shout suddenly came from the top of the hill.

The knights of the Ram Charge finally set out, riding tall warhorses and wielding sharp lances and longswords, charging down the hillside like tigers descending a mountain.

By this time, the Midland infantry were exhausted and their formation was in disarray, making them unable to withstand such a rapid charge.

Grand Master Goode led the charge, holding a massive lance whose tip gleamed coldly.

His gaze locked onto a Midland officer ahead, and he spurred his horse forward at full speed, his lance thrusting out like a venomous snake, striking the officer precisely in the chest.

The immense impact lifted the soldiers' bodies off the ground. Goode did not stop, but continued charging forward with the soldiers' corpses on his back. The hooves of his warhorse trampled several soldiers who could not dodge in time. Only after charging a certain distance did Goode suddenly shake his lance, throwing the soldiers' corpses aside.

Led by Goode, the Ram Charge Knights charged straight into Midland's infantry positions like sharp blades.

The already chaotic infantry formation was instantly torn open by the fierce charge of the cavalry, creating a huge gap.

The knights galloped through the infantry ranks, thrusting and stabbing with their lances, wielding their longswords, each swing taking a life.

Midland's soldiers could no longer maintain their formation and retreated in disarray.

Seeing that the frontal charge had succeeded, the cavalry on both sides of the hill turned around and launched an attack on the flanks of the White Dragon Knights.

Meanwhile, the musketeers and crossbowmen who were originally responsible for firing from the top of the hill rushed down the slope and joined the battle.

The White Dragon Knights were attacked from both sides, having to deal with the Ram Charge Knights charging in the front while also guarding against the light cavalry on their flanks, and gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Although the knights fought valiantly and killed many enemy soldiers, the enemy was too numerous and their offensive was extremely fierce. The White Dragon Knights' casualties continued to increase, and they gradually became unable to hold on, so they had to retreat.

Yuris stood on the high platform, looking at everything before him, his heart filled with coldness.

His carefully arranged formation was completely disrupted. The artillery and musketeers in the front row were almost completely wiped out, the infantry regiment was routed, the White Dragon Knights were forced to retreat, and the mercenary groups on both flanks lost contact in the chaos and were unable to provide effective support.

He knew that the battle was already lost head-on, and continuing would only result in greater casualties.

"Completely messed up."

Yuris silently thought to himself, a sense of powerlessness welling up inside him.

He originally thought victory was assured, but he did not expect that the enemy was not only equipped with a large number of artillery pieces, but also had so many ambushes, and their tactics were flexible and varied, completely exceeding his expectations.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his resentment, and gave the order to the messenger in a deep voice:

"Pass on my order: the entire army shall retreat to headquarters and hold out for reinforcements!"

The messenger, pale-faced, immediately took the order and left. The order to retreat was relayed throughout the army through flags and shouts, and the remaining Midland soldiers, as if grasping at a straw, fled in panic.

The infantrymen shoved each other as they raced toward the main camp, while the knights of the White Dragon Knights covered the rear, engaging the pursuing enemy in fierce combat.