Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 186

Whether it’s something desirable or terrifying, nothing stirs greater joy or fear than the unexpected. Nowhere is this more evident than in war. Even the most superior forces can be thrown into chaos if caught off guard.

I recall a saying from a Greek philosopher, though I can’t remember who. It makes sense, after all. Our ambush was successful, and the enemy camp before us is now in disarray.

This Faust von Polydoro lacks knowledge in strategy or tactics. However, I have some understanding of the subtleties of the battlefield. Human fear has a threshold. Once that threshold is breached, people become defenseless, fleeing in panic and begging for their lives. This has been my experience.

I asked Martina only one thing: what happens when the fear across an entire army surpasses that threshold? Martina answered that only one thing occurs—a one-sided massacre resulting from the collapse of the battle line.

“……”

Without uttering a word, I reached out from horseback and grabbed a spear from a fleeing enemy soldier with one hand. Even on horseback, it was effortless to seize a throwing spear. With a twist of my wrist, I took the spear and hurled it at the dazed soldier before me.

The sound of flesh and organs being torn apart echoed as the spear pierced through his abdomen and embedded itself in the ground. The force of the impact lifted the soldier into the air, skewering him in place. A scream erupted, spreading another wave of fear.

“……”

Despite my rage, I tried to remain calm. I desperately thought things through. Somehow, I needed to spread fear, to cause widespread panic. I believed fear was the key to victory on this battlefield. Yet, I also wondered if I was pondering something futile.

I’ve already fulfilled my role, and from here on, I need only act as a knight. The tactics are in Martina’s hands, and the overall command of the cavalry is with Lord Berlichingen. The cavalry charge has been executed without a hitch, and we’ve breached the enemy’s front line.

The enemy made a fatal error. It’s all well and good to use artillery to thwart our cavalry charge, but they failed to consider the possibility of their cannons being shattered right before their eyes. When that happened, they didn’t anticipate the front lines panicking and fleeing. This oversight is entirely the fault of Cardinal Mainz’s tactics, and she should be held accountable as the commander.

This outcome is simply a result of her negligence.

“Keep charging! Don’t let up!!”

I cast a quick glance around me. Lord Berlichingen has managed to organize this cavalry unit, whose members vary widely in skill and horsemanship, into a formidable force. He has plenty of experience as a knight-errant, and this seems to be second nature to him. He seems far more suited to command than I am. There’s no problem in leaving everything in his hands.

“Let’s make sure that the name of Lord Temeraire and our ‘Order of the Rampaging Boar’ is known far and wide!”

The orders from the “Loyalists” were conveyed. The six members of the ‘Order of the Rampaging Boar’ are equipped with poleaxes provided by Duke Temeraire. There’s no expectation of any superhumans capable of challenging us on this battlefield, so a means to kill common soldiers efficiently is more critical than using familiar weapons.

I have no complaints. If a superhuman with combat skills does show up, I’ll deal with them myself, and that will be the end of it.

Gripping the holy staff in my left hand, I slapped the back of my horse, Flügel, with my right palm. My intent, conveyed to my beloved horse, was the same as Lord Berlichingen’s battle cry.

“Focus only on breaking through to the rear!”

No matter how much the enemy’s frontline may have lost its will to fight, there is no reason for us to show mercy.

Blood sprays into the air.

It is the blood of the Mainz Monastic Knights.

The ‘Order of the Rampaging Boar’ swings their poleaxes with brute force, lopping off heads, arms, and other upper body parts, armor and all.

When a person is hit by a charging boar, they die as their limbs are torn off.

Armor made of spring steel, barely 2mm thick and lacking any magical engravings, is meaningless in the face of a superhuman’s violence.

A mere few centimeters of penetration is enough to kill a person.

Once a superhuman cuts that deep, they can tear through flesh and bone with just a twist of the wrist.

It is an extremely efficient way to destroy a human body and scatter flesh and blood.

“……”

On a battlefield where thousands clash, even a superhuman can easily die when alone.

That is a fact, but if a group of superhumans forms a unit and simply advances, there is no problem.

During a cavalry charge, there is no need to worry about the rear.

This was not a feasible military formation in ancient times, when the population was clearly smaller and weapons that could withstand a superhuman’s strength did not exist. But now, Duke Temeraire’s idea of a superhuman cavalry is not a bad one at all.

The only misfortune she faced was encountering the monstrous Lord Reckenber, a rare breed.

It’s a wonder she survived being struck seriously five times by Lord Reckenber.

“As expected of my lord. The bloodthirsty Valier von Anhalt, who shines ominously in this era. To think she commands such knights. The honor I gained by securing an oath of fealty from Princess Valier will only increase.”

Following us, the feudal lords have brought along their own subordinate knights.

These vassal knights praise their lord’s judgment from the bottom of their hearts while stabbing soldiers to death from horseback.

The enemy has lost all will to fight, making them easy prey.

I’ve heard the stories—there are over a dozen feudal lords with larger domains than Polydoro’s, possessing castles and controlling key routes to the imperial capital.

Why are they all participating in this cavalry charge?

When Martina asked them if they would retreat, they replied, “I have daughters, so it’s not a problem if I die. In fact, it would be a disgrace to my lineage if I did not participate in this historic battle. Personally, since I have once sworn allegiance to Her Highness, I cannot ignore my knightly contract.”

Indeed, they are feudal lords.

They volunteered for the cavalry charge, even though it’s typically a last-ditch effort.

Well, since this is guaranteed to be a complete victory, there should be no problem.

“I’ll make sure it’s recorded for posterity. While I couldn’t match the bucket-headed knight leading the charge, I’m sure my descendants will honorably claim that Princess Valier von Anhalt praised me as ‘the second greatest knight in our army, a hero without peer!'”

One of the feudal lords has begun actively rewriting history in his favor, but it’s perfectly normal for a knight to die before turning 30, so there’s no need to criticize her playful spirit.

The troops of Cardinal Mainz are being slaughtered one-sidedly.

The right flank of her diagonal line formation is beginning to collapse.

“Glory to Princess Valier! She has bestowed honor upon us fallen grains; we must not let go of that hand. Do not falter! Kill a few more, and the enemy won’t be able to retaliate!!”

At the very rear are the Black Knights and the third and fourth daughters of the Anhalt Religious Knights, who have borrowed horses from horse traders and traveling entertainers.

At first, their handling of the horses seemed dubious, but Flügel’s leadership has somehow kept them in line.

They are familiar with violence, so once they got over their initial hesitation, they could perform well on the battlefield.

There are already Black Knights who have undergone the knighting ceremony beside them, and perhaps they believe that if they achieve something in this cavalry charge, they too could be knighted.

Once that thought crossed their minds, any hesitation they had toward fear was likely erased.

On the contrary, their morale was so high that they tried to chase down the fleeing enemies, forcing Lord Berlichingen to shout and stop them desperately.

“……Well, I suppose it’s either unfortunate or fortunate.”

It seems there were no renowned superhumans among the concentrated forces of Cardinal Mainz’s right wing.

If there were, they likely would have been killed by now if they had confronted us.

It’s a futile thought, but as I continue to kill soldiers in the line, I can’t help but think.

Have I killed 30 by now?

Combining the entire cavalry unit’s efforts, we must have killed around 100.

By now, there are no enemies before us.

We had killed everything in our path and broken through the enemy lines.

The enemy could not regain their command structure and began to flee in all directions.

Or, on the contrary, they huddled together and refused to move.

They were cowering in fear.

“Very well, well done. Keep running for a while longer!”

I hear Lord Berlichingen’s cry.

At any rate, our initial objective has been achieved.

My duty was to complete the first charge, and from here on, I can leave the rest to Lord Berlichingen.

Martina had said as much.

So, perhaps it’s time to get serious.

I could discard any distracting thoughts and fully embrace my role as a violent knight.

“Take a brief rest. Exhale deeply, rest your horses, and report any injuries. Princess Valier has said that falling out due to battle wounds is no disgrace. However, I don’t expect anyone seeking honor in this battle to request to withdraw. Once rested, we will turn around and strike the enemy’s rear.”

Lord Berlichingen, parched from her constant shouting, let out a dry laugh.

She took a single sip of water, swirled her tongue around to moisten her entire mouth, causing her cheeks to lift.

Then, just behind me, she laughed with genuine joy.

“Well, after all, there was super-violence. My search for a worthy lord has finally borne fruit. Of course, there had to be super-violence.”

There was only one thing.

I didn’t fully understand the meaning of the words she spoke with such significance.

Well, it didn’t really matter to me.