Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 738:

TL: Rui88 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

“Damn it to hell!”

Andrew held up his telescope. Through the lens, the catastrophic scene unfolding on the right wing stabbed straight into his brain.

When the first phalanx broke, it was as if a domino had been pushed over. The other phalanxes scattered one after another. The Horn Bay Alliance was routed, its soldiers desperately running toward the rear, each man wishing he had two more legs.

Clearly, this lot could no longer be reorganized. A full two-fifths of the New Protestant Army’s strength was lost just like that, and the flank was wide open.

The ten mercenary battalions of the Horn Bay Volunteer Army were forced to become the new right wing. The situation was urgent.

Andrew made a decisive decision, ordering the ten mercenary battalions to make a right-angle turn to face the enemy’s left wing that had broken through, forming a new defensive line to cover the center.

“Is this really alright?” Mariana, who was beside him, asked with a worried heart.

“Madam, although they are local people from Horn Bay, they were all trained our way. Every one of them is excellent. Please maintain your confidence,” Andrew patted his chest and guaranteed.

Mariana had come across the sea with the Etonian army and had met both Andrew and Quik. Although neither of them was an old retainer left by the elder Grayman, they were different from each other.

During the war against the orcs, Mariana had stayed by Paul’s side. The navy did not exert much effort in that war; Quik was either in Port Fran or drifting at sea, so he had not met her.

But Andrew, who had gone on the expedition with Paul, had met Mariana. And upon meeting her, he had immediately connected her with the beautiful wife of the old Count Grayman.

As a nobleman from Baylding, he had seen Mariana as the lady of Alda in his youth. At that time, the Grayman family’s public statement about Mariana’s departure was that she had died young from illness. To see her again after so many years, Andrew had once thought it was just someone else who looked very similar. Besides, for her appearance not to have changed after so many years was too contrary to common sense.

But when he noticed that this red-haired lady was often with Paul, the questions in his heart grew larger and larger. Finally, one time he could not help but ask Paul about it, and the answer he received stunned him. This red-haired lady was indeed the former matriarch of the Grayman family.

Paul’s attitude toward his mother’s return was that if others did not ask, he would not take the initiative to say anything. But if someone asked, he did not plan to hide it. Of course, this did not include Mariana’s identity as a spellcaster.

As for the reason Mariana had run away from home back then, a very reasonable explanation was used—bidding farewell to the mortal world in the name of death to find a secluded place for spiritual practice. Among those devout, fanatical believers of the gods, this was indeed not an uncommon practice.

However, Mariana disappeared again later. After that, Andrew saw her by the side of the Duchess of Eton.

He was very puzzled. Why was the old Mrs. Grayman running all over the world?

“I wanted to see the sights while my body is still strong. I traveled to Horn Bay and was lucky enough to become friends with Her Highness Helen.”

The red-haired lady gave him a vague (or rather, clumsy) explanation, but Andrew had no time to delve deeper. He just hastily wrote a letter to Paul reporting Mrs. Grayman’s whereabouts and then threw himself into the tense military affairs.

Only, Mariana had actually come to the battlefield!

When Andrew saw her, he immediately ordered his guards to protect her closely.

At this moment on the battlefield, it was not just Mariana. Everyone who did not have a deep understanding of the Alda Army turned their eyes to those turning mercenaries.

“Quick, quick, quick! Get to your positions!”

“Look sharp, all of you! Don’t you dare disgrace me!”

Doug and Ferguson, with their powerful voices, commanded their subordinates, waving their arms and shouting.

These two former mercenary company leaders were still called commanders, but more specifically, they were regimental commanders in the Alda Army’s establishment.

After being incorporated by Alda, they and their men finally lived a stable life, no longer having to live on the edge every day, trading their lives for money.

The military instructors from Northwest Bay had restrained this group of mercenaries with their discipline, which was so strict it made one tremble. Apart from their weapons, all other systems were modeled after the Alda Army.

However, although a peaceful life was wonderful, living such an uneventful life was also quite dull.

Lion’s Port’s entry into the war had excited Doug and Ferguson, and they quickly volunteered to go with the army and navy to fight, or rather, to provide assistance.

The rewards and punishments in the Alda Army were clear. They longed for and looked forward to a war that would allow them to climb higher in this system.

Watching the “chaotic” right wing of the Horn Bay Volunteer Army, Webster on the high slope burst into laughter.

Having taken out two-fifths of the enemy’s forces in one go, he believed the outcome of this battle was already a foregone conclusion.

However, the development of events was always unexpected. The mercenaries were seen running quickly, dust flying from under their feet. Before long, they had reassembled into phalanx after phalanx, presenting a broad front to the sweeping Crusader Army.

“How is that possible!” Webster, who witnessed all this, cried out.

Such a large-scale maneuver, and still carried out while the enemy was right upon them, which army and which soldier could be so orderly?

But that so-called “Horn Bay Volunteer Army” had done just that.

“Quick! Press the attack! We must seize this good opportunity!” Webster shouted, directing his soldiers to continue the assault through his messengers.

Their fighting spirit was high, their momentum like a rainbow. After routing the Horn Bay Alliance’s army, the left wing of the Crusader Army, responsible for engaging the enemy, had their morale greatly boosted. Under the strict orders of their officers, they did not pursue the scattering Horn Bay Alliance soldiers but immediately attacked the right wing of the Horn Bay Volunteer Army.

However, no one had expected that these mercenaries, trained by Aldan instructors, could change formation so quickly.

The Crusader soldiers, shouting slogans, crashed headlong into this solid human wall.

Although the mercenaries did not have firearms, the pikes they were equipped with were not to be trifled with. They engaged in fierce combat with the oncoming enemy.

“It’s our turn to catch them off guard!”

Andrew was determined to change the current passive situation. He issued an order: Center army, advance. Attack the junction of the enemy’s trapezoidal formation.

And so, the eight battalions deployed in the middle, including the Naval Infantry, instantly heard a dense drumbeat. Under the unified command of their officers, the soldiers held their muskets tightly in their hands, stepped to the beat of the drums, and advanced toward the enemy’s junction.

Infantry attacks, artillery leads the way.

As they began to move, the cannons also began to clear a path for them.

In an instant, accompanied by a dense roar, cannonballs rained down on the moving enemy army.