Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 702: Hold Fast

TL: Rui88

The soldiers on the outermost layer of the squares desperately used their bayonets to block the orcs’ sabres, providing cover for the soldiers in the inner layers. The soldiers in the inner layers took loaded muskets one by one, then aimed, pulled the trigger, and bang! A brilliant flower of blood bloomed where they pointed.

The soldiers in the innermost layer were responsible for loading ammunition, ensuring a continuous output of firepower for their comrades.

The rigorous training of peacetime paid off. At such a close distance, almost no one missed a shot. Besides the cavalrymen on horseback, the larger warhorses were also excellent targets.

The orc cavalry threaded their way through the gaps between the squares, but they soon discovered that no matter which direction they turned, there were human soldiers shooting at them with those terrifying fire-spitting weapons. The orcs caught between two squares found themselves under attack from both left and right.

They pushed their riding skills to the absolute limit, attacking, provoking, shooting arrows, trying to tear open a corner of a square. But all the human soldiers stood their ground, unyielding. When a soldier fell, dead or wounded, someone from behind immediately took his place.

The tactic of luring them out with a single strike and then retreating was also ineffective. No one would leave the square to fight, and in fact, there was no need. The orcs found that the fire-spitting weapons in the hands of the human soldiers had a much longer range than their short bows, and their warhorses could definitely not outrun those deadly projectiles.

Armour could effectively protect against arrows, but it was useless against these projectiles that were so fast they were almost invisible to the naked eye.

With each thunderous crack, a massive volley of musket fire was unleashed. Thick gunpowder smoke began to fill the battlefield. The orc cavalry within the smoke could not see their distant comrades; in the swirling mist, there were only the deadly projectiles constantly flying towards them.

Such an unfamiliar combat environment made them wonder if the humans were using some strange witchcraft.

The infantry’s fear of cavalry was not only due to their astonishing momentum when they charged, but more so due to the lack of means to counter them.

If you had a metal storm beside you, or were driving a tank, any number of cavalry would be nothing more than a pile of meat in your eyes.

Although the Alda soldiers were only holding flintlocks, after continuous iteration and improvement, they had long since moved beyond the category of primitive firearms. In terms of range and power, they had already crushed the short bows used by the orcs on horseback. The orcs’ usual hit-and-run tactics were ineffective; a horse could not outrun a bullet, and pulling a trigger was simpler than turning a horse’s head.

How does one overcome the fear of a fearsome thing? By discovering that it, too, can be killed.

The Alda soldiers recovered from their initial panic and began to calmly deal with the enemy’s attack.

They had absorbed the brunt of the orc cavalry’s charge.

The allied soldiers on the wings, peering through the gunpowder smoke, vaguely saw the Alda troops being “drowned” by the orc cavalry. At first, they were terrified. If the Alda forces in the centre were defeated, the entire Ordo army would undoubtedly be cut into two parts that could not support each other.

The officers hesitated whether to order their soldiers to move towards the centre to support the Alda troops—some brave men had even already begun to act.

Schroeder noticed their movements in time and immediately sent a fast horse to strictly order them not to move rashly.

They soon had no time to worry about the Alda soldiers, because the orc cavalry had begun to attack them as well. According to the pre-arranged plan, the allied forces also formed hollow squares like the Alda army, with archers protected in the middle and dense pikes pointing in four directions. In fact, when it came to resisting a cavalry charge, the pikes in their hands were more intimidating than the bayonets in the hands of the Alda soldiers.

The fierce battle lasted for a long time. The allied forces were pleasantly surprised to find that the Alda army in the centre had held on, like a magnet attracting the main force of the orc cavalry.

Although the poor conditions prevented them from seeing clearly, the sound of musket fire was easy to hear. That sound, like popping beans, had not stopped for a quarter of an hour. Correspondingly, a steady stream of wounded orc cavalry was hastily retreating from the smoke.

This greatly encouraged them. This battle was winnable. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The orc cavalry who had bravely inserted themselves into the gaps between the squares were the most unfortunate. The crossfire from both sides caused them heavy casualties, and men continuously fell from their horses.

Due to the smoke, many lost their way. A few scattered orc cavalrymen even charged near Paul and the others. Outnumbered and weak, they were killed or captured by the guards.

“Bring him over here.”

Paul beckoned to the guards.

A newly captured prisoner was escorted before him by the soldiers.

Paul looked at him with great interest. This was the first time he had seen an orc from this world with his own eyes, and the second non-human race he had encountered. Before, he had met a dwarf, a fellow obsessed with reclaiming his position as chieftain. He wondered how his prince’s revenge was progressing.

The orc before him was a tall fellow, powerfully built and robust, with a back as broad as a board. Through the gaps in his armour, one could see thick hair.

The prisoner still wanted to struggle, but he quickly earned himself a good beating. Although the orc was strong, the Alda soldiers serving as Paul’s guards were also carefully selected, strapping men. Besides, his hands were tied.

His leg was kicked hard, forcing him to kneel with a thud. Two guards pressed down hard on his back, preventing him from getting up again.

“Humans, you… you…” The orc, sporting two black eyes, was still defiant. “You used evil black magic, you cowards!”

Paul scoffed, “Uninvited, obnoxious guests have no right to say such things!”

His voice then turned cold. “I’ll ask you, how many orcs have entered Ordo territory? And how many have come this way towards the northwest?”

The orc took a punch to the face. Blood spurted from both his nostrils, and the hair on his face was matted with it.

The fellow remained stubborn, saying, “Human, don’t even think about getting a single word out of me. The brave Arguzal will not betray his own kind.”

Just as Paul was about to have his men beat him to a pulp, a figure scurried in front of him.

It was the wizard Denson, who had sworn allegiance to him not long ago. Before setting out, the man had recommended himself and insisted on coming along.

“Lord Grayman! Please hand this long-haired bastard over to me! I will pull out every word he knows, he’ll even remember things from his mother’s womb.”

“You?” Paul looked at the wizard’s hopeful face. The fellow seemed extremely eager to prove himself.

“Let him try,” Mariana suggested to her son. “Denson is a wizard who specializes in the mind.”

Ah, right. His mother’s words reminded Paul that this fellow should be an expert at interrogation.

“Alright, you will be in charge of interrogating them.”

Paul’s words made Denson overjoyed. “I will be sure to satisfy you, Lord Grayman.”

At this moment, the situation on the battlefield changed again.

The orcs’ left and right cavalry wings charged over, intending to support the bogged-down centre. The Ordo army’s left and right wings, also cavalry, would naturally not let them have their way and rode out to meet the attack.