Berserk: The Prophet

......

After a quick meal and some rest, we prepared to head to the city. The early winter afternoon wasn't too cold, making it a perfect time to go out.

The group of forty-one men, along with the five men behind Green, formed a team and headed towards Barkley City along the path, while scouts scouted the area around the group.

"Tap, tap!" A patrol cavalryman rode up on his horse.

"Captain Cheko, we've spotted militia from another village about a kilometer to our right clashing with the Vanskeri. Requesting instructions!"

Chekhov raised his hand to signal the team to stop.

"How's the battle going?"

"In response to Captain Cheko, that militia group still has about fifty or sixty men left, including several farmers and women who are probably out trading goods. There are also more than twenty Vanskerry people."

The battle was one where the militia could be routed with the slightest mistake, and Cheko made a decision after a brief analysis.

"Everyone, proceed immediately to support our allies!"

.........

When Green and his group arrived at the scene of the conflict, it was nearing its end. The militia's morale had plummeted, and they looked as if they would collapse if they suffered another ten casualties.

The militia had only about thirty men left, and the few farmers with kitchen knives were of little use. Dozens of corpses on the ground stained the entire snow red, while only a dozen or so Vanskerry people remained.

Cheko was also observing the battle below; if he wasn't careful, the losses would be devastating.

"What do you think, Green?" Cheko wanted to hear what the young man had to say.

The patrol team has now gathered the scouts together. Although there are only eight of them, it is enough for a charge. However, because the maintenance cost of cavalry is very high, they are generally reluctant to send them out.

"The cavalry, in two flanking formations, will charge with lances and then regroup in the forest. Archers will spread out on both sides for a volley. Infantry will be arranged in two linear ranks, with the front rank charging with shields, and those without shields retreating to the second rank." [Current tactic +2, increasing the success rate and gaining battlefield advantage.]

"Alright, as you say, from now on the cavalry will be under your command!"

The task assignment was brilliant. Upon hearing this, Chekhov immediately handed over command of the cavalry to Grin and then loudly ordered everyone to form the battle formation that Grin had described.

After everything was arranged, the two looked at each other and nodded.

"charge!!!"

With a shout from Cheko, Green and eight cavalrymen spurred their horses and charged straight toward the Vanscare pirates down the slope.

"drive!!"

"Tap tap tap" "Tap tap tap"

The sound of horses' hooves immediately drew the attention of the people on the battlefield.

"Enemy attack!!!"

"Reinforcements!! Kill them!!!"

The Vanskell men were about to pick up their javelins to shoot when they were entangled by the greatly encouraged militia around them.

"Pfft," "Sizzle," "Sizzle"

"Bang!" "Thud!"

"Ugh..." "Ugh..." "Ugh..."

[Lance charge dealt 113 damage, stunning the Vanscare pirate. Gained 144 experience points and increased polearm proficiency to 116.]

The sounds of spears piercing flesh filled the air, along with the cracking of bones as horses rammed through flesh and trampled underfoot. After taking several lives, the cavalry galloped away without a backward glance, giving the militia more opportunities to finish them off.

"Release the arrows!!" *Whoosh! Whoosh!* *Whoosh!*

Once the cavalry had ridden away, the 20 archers and crossbowmen who were already prepared drew their bows and unleashed two volleys of fire at the densely packed Vanskellians.

"Pfft!" "Slurp!"

"Ugh!!" "Ugh, pfft...uh..."

The Vanskellians, who had just been trampled to the ground by horses' hooves, were shot through the body by a flurry of arrows before they could even get up. They were then surrounded and wiped out by the charging militia.

When Green turned his cavalry around again, the Vanskellians had been completely wiped out; all eight cavalrymen were dead.

The militia members, covered in blood and escorting the villagers, watched as the Vanskerry people were finally wiped out. With eyes of relief and an immense sense of victory, they knelt in the snow, raised their tattered shields and crimson spears, and embraced the newborn sky with their arms outstretched. They let out long, beast-like howls, tears streaming down their faces, for this hard-won victory!

"Tap" "Tap"

Green and his cavalrymen stepped back onto the battlefield, now over. The corpses on the ground and the horrific scene were deeply moving. Nearly fifty or sixty militiamen lay scattered on the ground, their limbs and intestines strewn about. Some were still groaning and moaning in pain, while many had already lost their voices.

How tragic!

"Thank you. We are the militia from Krila village. I am Abbot, the vice-captain. Our captain has been killed in battle. If it weren't for you, we probably..."

Aibo struggled to his feet and grasped the arm of Captain Cheko, who had rushed over to check on the situation, but soon knelt down again, clutching his abdomen and trembling as he wept bitterly.

The soft armor on his stomach was shattered by the axe, and blood soaked the entire piece of clothing. Upon closer inspection, several pieces of small intestine were exposed outside his abdomen.

Cheko patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're all warriors, even though the fighting was so fierce."

"It's all over now. Hurry up and treat your wounds. Your mission is complete. Leave the rest to us. We're heading to the city anyway."

Chekhov watched as the villagers, risking their lives for money, continued to procure goods—not valuable items, but necessities for survival. A single dinar could buy the life of an old farmer.

Several peasant women were not seriously injured and wept over the relatives they recognized on the ground. Every survivor's face was filled with sorrow.

Of the eighty-plus people in the team, nearly fifty died, and several others, even if they survived, would be crippled from now on. The price the war cost them was far too high.

"Thank you... Let Ding Zhuang, who isn't injured, go with you. After all, he's from the same village..." Despite his serious injuries, Ai Bo still spoke with some concern, as the roads had been quite dangerous lately.

Just as Cheko was about to say something, Green had already dismounted and walked over.

"Don't move around, your wound will freeze if you don't treat it soon." After a quick check of the wound on Abbot's stomach, he decided to push the intestines back in and then suture it with a long suture.

"Yes, the entire army rested on the spot and settled the wounded. Two patrolmen went to Klira village to gather villagers to help carry the wounded and find a good place for the fallen soldiers."

"Yes, Captain!"

The two cavalrymen rode off to nearby villages. The scouts on both sides would meet up during patrols, so it wasn't a difficult task.