The Thirty-Sixth Chapter: Defeat and Retreat

  The Brunswick people, with a heart full of revenge and anger, even ordinary infantrymen fought bravely, let alone the Germans who were originally a bloodthirsty and warlike nation. Although they were often deceived and used by other nations because of their honesty, once they started to get angry, it was simply unstoppable like a flood.

  The whole mountain was covered with Brunswick people, and just seeing their ferocious faces made one tremble. If it were the Count of Lauzitz who had just invaded Brunswick, he would have dared to fight them, but now not only did he want to fight, but his soldiers also thought about how to return home with their spoils. In the count's camp, there were already three or two soldiers fleeing before the enemy approached, fortunately, the knights of the count's inner courtyard stabilized in time.

  "For the Count, for Honor." The Knights of the Inner City were treated with the utmost respect in the lands of Count Lauteritz, possessing fertile land and political privileges. In return for Count Lauteritz's favor, they offered their swords to serve him. Clad in chain mail, armed with shields and swords, the knights charged into battle, and even the brave Brunswick nobles were powerless against these elite warriors.

  "Clang~~~." The long spears struck the knights' shields with a metallic crash, but these iron spearheads were not sharp enough to pierce the thick wooden shields. Meanwhile, the horseback riders looked down and swung their swords to slash the throats of the Brunswick infantry.

  "Mount up!" The Imperial Guards knew that their advantage lay not only in their heavy armor and sharp swords, but also in their closest comrades - the warhorses. These seasoned riders urged their mounts to push through the crowd, and with ease, the powerful bodies of the warhorses sent the infantry scattering left and right. In no time, the riders broke free from the entanglement of foot soldiers. With a pull on the reins, the warhorses galloped out in an arc across the open space.

  "In the name of my father, let these plebeians taste my wrath." A young imperial knight named Ma Wen adjusted his noseguard helmet upwards to keep his field of vision clear, the chainmail under his chest making a rustling sound as he patted his horse's abdomen with force, spurring it into a gallop. With narrowed eyes, Ma Wen fixed his gaze on a halberd-wielding rural soldier ahead, identifiable as a member of the landed gentry by the leather armor he wore - only those with land could afford such gear. Knights usually sought out opponents of similar social standing; if not slightly inferior, it was also acceptable.

  "Uh-oh~~." The rural squire was concentrating his energy on dealing with the soldier of Count Lauterbach in front of him, completely unaware that he had already been targeted by the god of death. Just as he raised his long spear and fiercely slashed at the soldier's face, a sudden sound of horseshoes came from behind him.

  "Ma Wen remembered that a warhorse is a knight's most intimate partner, and a charging knight is invincible. Don't raise your sword too high when you're far from the enemy, or they'll block it if they see it. Only a swift and decisive swing of the sword will be effective when you get close to them." Ma Wen recalled his father's teachings as he leaned forward, and at the moment the country squire turned around with a terrified look on his face, he swiftly and resolutely swung out his sharp sword. The blade flashed like lightning, sweeping across the country squire's throat as the warhorse galloped by, and Ma Wen saw a burst of blood shoot out. Without looking back, Ma Wen knew he had succeeded just from the feeling in his hand.

  The melee unfolded on this small plain, the Imperial cuirassiers being very fierce, they repeatedly charged into the places where the Brunswick infantrymen were concentrated, driving them away and cutting them down one by one, their tactics were skillful and effective, the Brunswick nobles felt increasingly unable to resist, just then the Saxon duke and his knights broke free from a harassing Imperial cuirassier to come to their aid.

  "Marvin, beware, the Duke of Saxony is coming." Marvin and his warhorse had run too far ahead, he was now in line to face the man who even the Duke of Meissen feared, but the young calf does not fear the tiger. Marvin licked his somewhat parched lips, his sword was stained with blood, and his shield was shattered from withstanding too many attacks.

  "I'd like to see just how formidable this aged Duke is." Marvyn muttered to himself, adjusting the direction of his warhorse's head, not retreating but instead charging straight for the Duke of Saxony.

  "Let me go, Your Grace." The Countess saw that one of the fearless household knights of the Duke of Lusatia was blocking her way. She spurred her horse forward, wanting to get rid of this ignorant man, but the Saxon Duke waved his hand to stop her.

  "This is my opponent, haha." The Duke of Saxony gave a bright smile, he put down the visor on his helmet, the visor had many small holes, through which he could see the movements of the enemy, but the Duke of Saxony knew that his field of vision was actually very limited and affected, what he relied on was not his eyes, but his own battle-hardened intuition.

  "I am Randolph, son of Baron von Kadan, Sir Marvin, at your service, Your Grace." Sir Marvin sat on his horse and followed the etiquette between knights and nobles. He raised his sword with the tip pointing upwards and the hilt touching the front of his face to pay respects to the Duke of Saxony.

  "Hmm." The Duke of Saxony merely nodded on horseback, though as the high-ranking sovereign of the duchy he was fully entitled to do so; but young Sir Marvin felt a surge of anger within him, this self-proclaimed paragon of knighthood having his own pride and sense of honor.

  "Sir, your lance and shield." Just then, Marvin's sword-bearing attendant arrived at his master's side, panting heavily. He took down the lance he had been carrying on his back and handed it to Marvin, presenting him with his shield as well.

  "Good boy, well done." Ma Wen said with a pleased tone to his attendant, taking over the horse spear and shield, putting his own sword into its scabbard. The surrounding infantrymen also voluntarily left the two knights alone.

  "Charge!" The Duke of Saxony raised his own carbine, shielded himself with a buckler in front of his body, and tapped his war horse, which shot towards Ma Wen like an arrow off the string.

  "Charge!" Ma Wen yelled wildly as he urged his horse forward, also charging towards the Duke, with his upright spear pointing at the Duke of Saxony.

  "Bad, Ma Wen fired the horse gun too early." The other imperial guards who were watching and killing enemies on the side saw Ma Wen's action and secretly called out in distress, sweating coldly for this young knight.

  "Clang, clang~~." The knights' lances charged in an instant, and the outcome could be decided. Ma Wen stared intently at the Duke of Saxony's shield, thinking he could shatter it in the first round and then swing his sword at the old man. However, his plan fell through. He saw the Duke of Saxony lower his lance from a few steps away, with the tip aimed at the edge of his own shield. Wanting to raise his shield higher to block it, he realized he was too late to adjust.

  "Oh~~~." Ma Wen fell off the war horse, his feet tangled in the stirrups. The war horse dragged him for several meters before stopping. A broken spear shaft was lodged in the young knight's neck. Ma Wen stared blankly at the sky with wide eyes, blood gushing from his mouth. A seasoned veteran would know that he had already succumbed to his injuries and would soon drown in his own blood.

  "Is this a fair fight?" The Duke of Saxony rode his warhorse at a slow trot for some distance before stopping, the duke threw away the half spear in his hand and lifted up his visor to say to the Imperial Knights.

  "That's right, but we still have to continue fighting." The Knights of the Inner Temple said sadly, they acknowledged that it was a fair fight, which means Marvin's family would not be able to take revenge on the Duke with honor, and Marvin's death was God's will.

  "Good, let's have a good fight." The Duke of Saxony knew that he had to defeat the army of Count Lauzitz, and the core of this army was these Imperial Knights. If they were defeated, the rabble under Count Lauzitz would be nothing to worry about.

  The Duke of Saxony led the charge, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he clashed with the approaching knights. The Countess and the Duke's own knights rallied to their lord's side, their armor glinting as they fought. The battle was intense, with no quarter asked or given, each side relying on brute force rather than tactics. In the end, victory would go to whoever had the most knights or the greatest skill in combat.

  In the vassal system of Duke Moritz, Count von Loewenclau was the most powerful nobleman, with over a hundred knights under his command for many years. This was also an important capital for Count von Loewenclau to dominate the Duchy of Meissen. However, today Count von Loewenclau is in tears as he watches his elite knights fall one after another, either being killed on the spot or captured and bound. The 300 knights under Duke Moritz of Saxony completely overwhelmed and defeated Count von Loewenclau's knights.

  "Count Lauzitz, retreat quickly, we can't withstand the Duke of Saxony!" The Imperial Knight pulled Count Lauzitz's warhorse, leading this disheartened count to retreat, and with him retreated four or five hundred infantrymen.

  "My knights." Count Lauzitz said with tears in his eyes, clenching his fists and pounding his chest. Over a hundred knights, the result of many years' effort and money, were all lost here in just one battle.

  "Do not worry, Count Lausitz, we still have five hundred infantrymen." The Imperial Knight reassured the count.

  "Alas." Count Lauterbach hung his head in despair. How could these five hundred rabble be compared to his own knights? But now there was no help for it, and he had to think of a way to retreat to Duke Meissen's place. Thinking of this, he raised his head and looked around, ordering: "Let the three Wild Boar brothers lead their family soldiers as rearguard, we will retreat."