Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 736:

TL: Rui88

General Webster was once again tasked with a critical mission. Whether as a devout believer or as a loyal soldier, he could not refuse this responsibility.

He inspected the army, using his infectious speeches to stir up the low morale once more. He sent envoys to travel among the inland countries of Horn Bay, striving for their continued and vigorous support.

As for the various support materials allocated by the Holy See, Webster ensured a just and fair distribution, convincing everyone.

The Crusader Army’s troops were replenished, and their equipment was maintained and updated. Under the general’s unremitting efforts, it gradually returned to the level of its peak.

At the same time, at Webster’s insistence, the other force that had gone north to attack Eton was also recalled and merged with the main force. The Crusader Army would once again clench its fist to strike a single enemy hard.

Among the troops that came from the north to join them was a special group: the army of Grand Duke Jars of Ordo’s southern border. They had arrived in Horn Bay under the guise of mercenaries and were fighting under the employ of the Horn Bay Church.

Considering the so-called “Horn Bay Volunteer Army” on the New Protestant Alliance side, the fact that the two most powerful lords from the south and north of Ordo were clashing on the soil of another country was also regarded as a curious tale of the times. Many people privately saw it as a symbolic event of the Ordan monarchy’s decline to an irreparable state.

The confidence of the Crusader Army was restored. They recalled the beginning of this war when they too had been pushed back, but then they had pushed back in turn. Now, they would create such a miracle again.

The countries of Eton and others in the north of Horn Bay discovered that the enemy army pressing on their territory had withdrawn. Considering the current situation, they immediately understood the enemy’s intentions.

At Mariana’s request, an army composed of the northern states of the New Protestant Alliance sailed south to support their ally, the Horn Bay Alliance.

Because they still had to defend their own territory, the scale of this relief force was not large. Who could be sure that the southward move of the northern Crusader Army wasn’t a feint? But it was a sufficient show of sincerity. The one leading the force was Duke Ettiot Cabre of Eton himself, accompanied by his wife Helen, and Helen’s teacher, Mariana—whose identity remained a secret.

The situation of the Horn Bay War fell into a brief calm, but everyone knew this was just the quiet before the storm. Both sides of the war were preparing for a decisive great battle.

Regardless, the New Protestant Alliance was exhausted, and the forces it possessed were only enough for one last gamble.

On the Holy See’s side, its headquarters was far from Horn Bay, and supporting the Horn Bay Church also came at a great cost. Originally, this could have been solved through the sea merchant fleets of Ordo (mainly Northwest Bay); they only needed to spend money. But Collins’s attack on Lion’s Port had pushed the Ordan merchants to the opposite side. Having lost this important transport channel, the Holy See’s aid to Horn Bay became increasingly difficult.

Therefore, the impending great battle might well be the final battle of Horn Bay.

Many people with foresight could see that the result of this battle would, in a sense, determine the fate of the world.

If the Crusader Army was victorious, the Holy See would restore its prestige to a great extent, regain control of Horn Bay, which was regarded as a major trade hub at the turn of the continent, and then free up its hands to deal with Gabella.

But if the New Protestant Alliance was victorious, the Holy See would lose face completely. The claim of being the spokesmen of the gods would no longer hold water. How could a god let his spokesmen fail?

More countries would rise up to follow their example, and the prestige of the Holy See would be eroded away in one blow after another.

The major powers sent spies and scouts to infiltrate Horn Bay, closely monitoring the development of the situation.

Finally, under the watchful eyes of all, the final battle began.

The Crusader Army was the first to act. After sufficient rest and reorganization, Webster ordered the army to advance west again. The New Protestant Alliance, upon receiving the news, immediately sent out an army to meet them.

The New Protestant Army, including the Horn Bay Volunteer Army, had about forty-five thousand men. The Crusader Army’s force numbered forty-eight thousand. The two sides met head-on in an open area called Hestia, each deploying their formations, preparing for a great battle.

Since the Horn Bay Volunteer Army had dispatched the largest contingent in the New Protestant Army, Andrew naturally became the overall battlefield commander for his side.

The Horn Bay Volunteer Army was deployed in the very center of the entire battle formation. The nine Aldan battalions adopted their customary linear tactics, composed of several horizontal lines with shallow depth. The mercenaries and other allied armies used traditional phalanx tactics. The Horn Bay Alliance army, the second largest in number, was deployed on the right wing, while the armies of Eton and other countries were deployed on the left wing.

The Crusader Army deployed entirely using phalanx tactics. They had arrived on the battlefield before their opponents and had preemptively occupied the higher ground, giving them a very favorable view.

In the period just after they first met, both sides were unsure of the other’s strength, and no one dared to rashly launch a full-scale offensive. There were mainly small-scale cavalry skirmishes to probe the enemy’s weak points.

But before long, the Alda Army’s cannons were deployed. Using their range advantage, they fiercely bombarded the Crusader Army’s phalanxes, causing considerable casualties to the Crusader Army, who were facing such weapons in reality for the first time.

Webster ordered the ballistae and other ranged weapons to be moved forward to counter the New Protestant Army’s cannons.

The Aldan gunners changed their targets, concentrating their fire on the enemy’s ranged units. Superior craftsmanship and ample training allowed the Aldan cannons’ accuracy to be, to some extent, free from the interference of luck. Watching his side’s ranged siege engines being destroyed one by one, General Fedotov, who was in command of the Crusader cavalry, lost his cool.

This valiant general had once led the Crusader Army in a forced march through neutral nations to carry out a flanking attack on the north of Horn Bay. But when he attacked the territory of Eton, he was ambushed by a group of evil wizards and suffered a shameful defeat.

Alda’s cannons reminded him of those bad memories. At that time too, amidst flashes of fire and roars, his army had been scattered by a mysterious method of attack, ultimately leading to a great defeat.

Fedotov had once sworn that he would reclaim his honor on the battlefield. The banner representing the Duke of Eton in the enemy camp drove him into a frenzy.

Seeing the enemy once again use “evil magic,” Fedotov could not hold back.

“Inform the lads, prepare to charge!”

His aide-de-camp was aghast. “General, Lord Webster has not yet given the order!”

Fedotov’s expression was savage. “By the Heavenly Father, Webster does not know the terror of that magic. We must, before that terrible fiery explosion occurs, kill the wizards hidden in the enemy’s formation. At the very least, we can create chaos and interfere with their spellcasting.”

He commanded without allowing for any argument, “Send a man to inform Webster. Everyone else, charge with me!”

And so, amid the neighing of warhorses, Fedotov led his cavalry in a headlong charge toward the opposite left wing, where the banner of the Duke of Eton was flying.

The cavalry charge raised a huge cloud of dust, visible from a great distance. Andrew immediately ordered the army on the left wing to stand ready and form a pike formation to counter the enemy’s assault.

As for the Crusader commander, Webster, he was furious. He roared in the direction of the dust cloud, “You will destroy my lifetime of honor and fame!”