Engagement (5)
Just as Marvin was pondering how to handle the problem, a sharp-eyed Heavy Crossbowmen Detachment Commander suddenly shouted to him, "Regimental Commander Marvin, the enemy is coming!"
Marvin saw the smoke and dust in the distance. Although he couldn't see the enemy's full appearance like the Detachment Commander, he knew that the enemy was not far away. Although the enemy had bypassed the battlefield, it wouldn't take them long to get here.
Marvin gritted his teeth, grabbed a spear from the weapon rack, and walked outwards through the open space between the archers and Heavy Crossbowmen.
The officers standing with him immediately understood what Marvin was about to do, and without hesitation, they all did the same.
Next came Marvin's Regimental Commander's guards and other soldiers from the regimental headquarters. However, there weren't enough long guns on the weapon racks at this point, so some people simply used their knives to split the weapon racks open, took out the longest wooden sticks, tied short knives to them, and used them as long weapons.
Right under the noses of the archers and Heavy Crossbowmen, they saw their Regimental Commander, Detachment Commander, and other senior officers of the regiment, along with their guards, walk to the edge of the ranged force's square formation, forming a thin and rudimentary spear formation centered around Regimental Commander Marvin.
Seeing the array of spears already arranged around him, Marvin looked somewhat dazed. He really couldn't think of a better way, but he didn't expect that his subordinates would be willing to carry out such a reckless and impulsive operation with him.
He looked up at the smoke and dust in the distance. Now he could see the entire Cavalry unit, even the mist exhaled from the mouth of the warhorse under the lead officer as it galloped.
He said to the Heavy Crossbowmen Detachment Commander beside him, "Fortunately, the enemy is only Light Cavalry, and their numbers are not many. If we can hold them off, our five crossbowmen squads should be able to break them up."
The detachment Detachment Commander, who was also one of Marvin's old subordinates, knew that his superior was reassuring his men. "It's alright, Regimental Commander, we will win. Our lads will definitely not let us down. I have just given orders to my Company Commander that once our formation is breached and a gap is exposed, the entire detachment will concentrate fire on the gap."
The other four Detachment Commander nearby also heard their conversation and said that they had also given this order.
Marvin felt a surge of warmth in his heart, knowing that they had already disregarded their own lives and expressed their firm determination to fight. He ordered his men to concentrate fire on the breached formation, which, to put it bluntly, meant to perish together with the enemy.
These people in front of him were not soldiers but high-ranking officers of the territory. They were all young, and some were even his old subordinates. But at this moment, they were all willing to fight bravely and sacrifice themselves for the victory of the territory. Marvin was deeply moved by this.
Gripping his spear tightly, Marvin planted the butt of the spear firmly in the ground, raised the spearhead diagonally above his head, lowered his center of gravity, and assumed the classic Pikemen -de-frise stance, staring intently ahead, ready to meet the Cavalry charge.
Soon, the Cavalry grew larger and clearer in his eyes. He could clearly see every face of the front-line Cavalry. Those faces did not show any fear. Perhaps seeing this simple spear formation, many Cavalry even showed excitement on their faces, as if they were about to win.
Marvin silently wrote in his mind, "Come on, you guys, let's see who comes out on top!"
Just then, Marvin heard a loud "bang" behind him, and soon the sound came in quick succession—the sound of crossbows firing in unison.
Marvin knew that the crossbowmen must have found the best time to fire a volley. He swallowed hard and gripped his spear tightly again. Against Cavalry, even the elite Two Rivers Territory crossbowmen only had one chance to fire a volley. Soon after the rain of arrows fell, the enemy Cavalry would be right in front of him.
Marvin saw the rain of arrows fall, and the enemy cavalry at the front instantly fell to the ground. At least a third of the Cavalry fell from their horses, which was estimated to be no less than 40 men.
"Well done!"
The Heavy Crossbowmen Detachment Commander next to Marvin loudly praised the excellent marksmanship of his ranged troops. The fact that a detachment could achieve such an effect with a single volley was already a perfect hit rate. Under normal circumstances, he would definitely kick the Company Commander who was in charge of the volley in the butt.
However, he also knew that there might not be another chance in the future. As the first detachment's arrow rain fell, the arrow rain from the other four detachments followed one after another. Although it was not as beautiful as the first volley, it had already torn the enemy cavalry's front line to pieces, leaving only scattered lone soldiers.
Marvin watched the leading officer, who was an excellent horseman. As the rain of arrows fell, he slid to the side of his horse to avoid them. Thanks to the chainmail he was wearing, the arrows did not cause them any harm, and they maintained their charging posture throughout.