Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 428: Chapter 58: Square Formation_2

The five hundred men small square formation of Robert’s brigade was solemn and silent, save for a scar-faced sergeant with a halberd pacing the ranks, sternly repeating military regulations:

“He who looks around in the presence of the enemy, execute!”

“He who makes noise in the presence of the enemy, execute!”

“He who fires without command, execute!”

“He who advances or retreats alone, execute!”

“He who has vermillion streaks on his back, execute!”

By Colonel Robert’s side stood a military police sergeant with fierce eyes, holding a short bow, armed with vermillion arrows.

[Note: This regulation was a tradition inherited by the Paratu army from their nomadic days. Before battle, military police sergeants would carry short bows and line up behind the troops, armed with cinnabar arrows. Anyone who made noise, shrank back, or advanced or retreated alone would be shot with the vermillion arrows. After the battle, those found with vermillion marks on their backs would be executed on the spot.]

The green-plumed messenger cavalry rushed to the edge of the square formation and shouted, “Colonel Robert! The general orders your unit to seize the opportunity to move closer to the riverbank!”

The six small square formations were lined up in a very poor overall formation. Robert’s square formation was positioned at the eastern end of the entire line, the most perilous location.

“How can I move now?” Colonel Robert, enraged, shouted back, “Let’s survive the first wave and then talk!”

The Herd cavalry were less than a hundred paces away, and the sergeants patrolling outside the formation also began retreating back into the ranks.

In the face of the terrifying onslaught of several thousand charging cavalrymen, no Paratu person was not afraid.

From the privates to the sergeants, to the centurions and the brigade commanders, everyone uncontrollably experienced dry mouth, dilated pupils, accelerated breathing, and a softening grip on their weapons.

Suddenly, a voice magnified by magic echoed across the wilderness, “I stand in formation!”

Upon this call, the Paratu People on the battlefield turned and saw the general’s magnificent plume.

“If I take one step back!”

“Take off my head!”

Sekler stepped into the square formation with his halberd in great strides.

At that instant, even the most timid coward felt boundless courage surge from the bottom of his heart, and the morale of Paratu’s troops peaked.

“Long live! Long live! Long live!”

The cheers even drowned out the thundering sound of hooves.

“Spearmen!” Colonel Robert roared with all his might, “Brace your spears!”

“Long live!” The front rank soldiers pushed their long spears into the ground.

“Long live!” The second rank soldiers held their long spears horizontally.

“Long live!” The third rank soldiers raised their long spears high.

Three ranks of long spears pointed forward at once, their tips gleaming coldly.

The Paratu square formation and the Herd cavalry collided with a roar.

Gunner Pinter was no coward, but when the Herd cavalry charged at him, he still closed his eyes instinctively.

When he opened his eyes again, Pinter found himself unharmed.

The Herd Barbarians didn’t break through; the enemy pulled their reins at the last moment, grazing past the spearheads in front of the formation.

Hundreds of Herd cavalrymen charged the square formation, truly like a towering tidal wave.

But only a few did not dodge or avoid and crashed into the spear forest, while the others veered off at the last moment, or their Warhorses uncontrollably reared up before the spear tips—though the men might not fear death, the horses did.

Right next to Pinter, a fearless Herder on a fearless Herd Warhorse charged into the square formation.

The Paratu People were knocked over, the spearmen facing the charge instantly had their hands ripped open, and were knocked down head-on by the Warhorse, dead or alive unknown.

The chest of the Herd Warhorse was pierced by a spearhead and only after breaking two more long spears did it fall to the ground.

The Herd rider was flung from the saddle, crashing heavily into the square formation, as the surrounding Paratu People quickly stepped aside.

Centurion Lieutenant Roy unsheathed his sword and pounced on the Herd rider, stepping on his chest and finishing the Herder with a stab.

One Herder charged through the formation at the cost of his life, and immediately, several ferocious Barbarians followed suit, breaking into the ranks.

“Ukkaha!” The Barbarians, shouting incomprehensible Herd language, wildly slashed with their scimitars from their superior position atop horses, with each swing taking large swaths of flesh.

“Kill them together!” urged the scar-faced sergeant as he thrust his halberd toward the Barbarians, “Don’t be afraid!”

With the scar-faced sergeant’s lead, other Halberdiers surrounded, dragged down, and killed the Barbarians.

Some Paratu soldiers looked back in panic at the battle inside the formation; without a second thought, the military police shot a vermillion arrow into the back of the onlooker, sentencing him to death.

Roy could hardly contain his anger, “Looking around in battle is punishable by death! Everyone, focus on the front!”@@novelbin@@

Soon, the dozen or so Herders who had surged into the formation either had their necks broken or were collectively taken down by the Paratu People within the ranks.

The severely wounded and fallen were carried into the interior of the formation, and soldiers from the back rows quickly filled their empty spots; Robert’s square formation once again became a hedgehog of spears.

Robert’s square formation was like a steadfast stone in the river, parting the tide of Herd cavalry.

But the thwarted Herders did not give up their attacks; they began to ride around the square formation.

“Watch out!” Colonel Robert, seeing the movement of the Herd cavalry, shouted, “Javelins!”

Herders on horseback quickly drew their curved bows and javelins, launching and shooting them at the Paratu hedgehog formation.

Arrows flew toward the formation from all directions, and the Herders didn’t even need to aim, for the Paratu People, arrayed in formations, had nowhere to hide.

The outer layer of spearmen bore the brunt of the ranged attacks, but fortunately, clad in heavy armor, most arrows clinked off harmlessly.

The real killers were the Herders’ javelins; the Herd cavalrymen holding high their javelins charged at the formation, only throwing them when they were too close to avoid. With the added momentum from the horse’s speed, a javelin could penetrate one unarmored soldier and then plunge into the body of another Paratu person.

“Shake the spears!” Robert, frantic, stood on his stirrups, waved his arms, and bellowed, “Shake the spears!”

The Paratu spearmen immediately began shaking their extra-long spears, the blur of over two hundred spears obscuring the formation, and occasionally an arrow would be knocked away by the shafts.

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