Chapter 408: The Enemy's Rout
However, the sheer numbers of the League Army were undeniable. Although the surprise attack had inflicted heavy initial losses, once the League forces reacted, they slowly managed to check the attack of the Ironwood City defenders. Seeing that the enemy force was small, they mobilized a much larger number of troops than the Ironwood City defenders, attempting to envelop the attacking force from both flanks.
This was exactly the moment Lynn had been patiently waiting for.
"Now! Everyone, follow me!"
Lynn kicked his horse's flank and charged forward. The witchers' spirits lifted, and they followed closely behind Lynn. Behind them were the two hundred cavalry detached from the Ironwood City garrison.
They formed a wedge formation and charged, following Lynn directly toward King Nedamir's position. In terms of sheer impact, light cavalry naturally couldn't compare to cataphracts. But with the League Army's formation already in disarray, even a light cavalry strike would be devastating.
And so it proved. The flank charge launched by these two hundred-plus riders delivered a shock to the League Army that surpassed even the impact of the eight hundred infantry attacking their rear. Even before the charge reached them, many League soldiers were already terrified.
The League nobles quickly mobilized their flanking cavalry to intercept, hoping to buy time for the infantry to brace for the charge. It must be noted that while the nobles of this era might be uncultured, they were not entirely clueless when it came to military command. The League's reaction to Lynn's cavalry unit was swift.
Unfortunately, sometimes, battlefield engagements are not determined solely by proper command. They also depend on morale, equipment, troop quality, and so on…
"Prepare to throw!"
The formation of the witchers following Lynn subtly shifted, changing from the tip of the wedge to a line. Every witcher retrieved a Higher Beehive Bomb from their tactical pouch, holding it ready.
"Throw!"
When the two cavalry units were separated by only twenty to thirty meters, the witchers violently hurled their Higher Beehive Bombs. Instantly, the League cavalry formation was shredded and scattered by the bombs exploding in their midst.
"Kill!"
The witchers and the Ironwood City cavalry took advantage of the chaos and surged forward, shattering the League cavalry unit in a single charge. Miraculously, not a single friendly rider was unhorsed.
"Stop them!"
The League commanders had hoped their cavalry could at least stall the enemy for a time. Who could have thought they would be broken in a single clash? They hadn't bought any time at all!
The soldiers on the League flank frantically organized a defense. But it was clearly too late. Reality is not a video game where you can just drag-select your units. An army that can achieve the textbook formations seen in video games would be considered the elite of the elite in reality.
Met, the sorcerer protected by the King's guard, stared at the direction of Lynn's charge. He planted his staff on the ground and began chanting a spell. Chaotic magical energy gathered around him. He was clearly preparing a spell to impede their movement.
But just as his spell was about to finish, the gathered chaotic energy suddenly seemed to vanish, leaving him with no sensation of it whatsoever. It felt like accumulating power for a punch only to strike air, leaving him incredibly distressed.
Met was stunned. He found that he couldn't sense even a trace of chaotic magic. It was as if he had suddenly become a Muggle utterly devoid of magical ability.
Unbeknownst to Met, this was the active effect of Lynn's title, 'The Chosen Champion', which could turn a thousand-meter radius into an anti-magic zone. While this effect had no friendly fire immunity, and Lynn and the witchers would also be affected, it didn't matter. Even without Signs, these witchers who had undergone the second mutation were far beyond what any mortal could contend with.
Lynn charged into the League flank first. His Aerondight, wide as a door, swept sideways, claiming several lives. Following closely, the rest of the witchers surged in. Their horsemanship wasn't particularly exquisite, but relying on their superior physique, they gripped their horses tightly and remained firmly seated. Although their two-handed swords lacked the reach of specialized lances for a charge, once they crashed into the enemy ranks, the swords became like the Grim Reaper's scythe, inflicting terrifying casualties.
Finally, the two hundred remaining cavalry crashed in, and with the renewed slaughter, the chaotic League flank finally broke apart into a panicked mob. Nobles and knights desperately tried to maintain order, but Lynn led the witchers to specifically target the noble riders wearing surcoats and heavy armor.
In short order, without the command of those nobles and knights, the chaos in the League flank became unstoppable, spreading like a plague toward both the front and the rear of their forces.
Seeing the League's disarray intensify, Lynn wheeled his horse and led his men toward King Nedamir's position.
King Nedamir, however, was decisive. When he saw the enemy cavalry charge from the flank and turn his battle line into a complete mess, he unhesitatingly fled with his personal guard and the sorcerer Met, abandoning his entire army. He gave Lynn no chance to approach him.
Although the enemy was now a panicked mob and no longer posed a threat to Lynn, the confusion of the routed forces created a major obstacle to his advance. Conversely, King Nedamir, facing no resistance, fled with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, he was far away.
With no other choice, Lynn abandoned the chase and focused on decisively crushing the enemy.
"Everyone, shout with me: 'King Nedamir has fled!'"
The battlefield was loud and chaotic, and without the aid of magic, a single voice would quickly be swallowed. But with over two hundred people shouting in unison, the cry naturally drew the attention of the nearby enemy soldiers. They turned their heads and instantly noticed that King Nedamir's banner was gone.
If the King himself was no longer there, what was the point of them continuing the fight?
Thus, the Hengfors League Army finally collapsed across the entire line.
When the enemy withdrew, the soldiers of the Restoration Army, exhausted from the fierce fighting, collapsed onto the ground, disregarding the filth beneath them. The troops led by the Count of Ironwood City attempted a brief pursuit.
But the most successful pursuit belonged to Lynn and the witchers. The bizarre thing about the witchers was that it didn't matter if their horses foamed at the mouth from exhaustion; they could simply dismount and pursue on foot, as men had much greater endurance than horses. Even in the dark night, the witchers' vision remained unimpaired.
Ultimately, nearly all the nobles of the Hengfors League who had not been killed, save for King Nedamir, were captured by the witchers.