Chapter 88 Hasting’s precaution part 1
Translator: Tchu
Editor: Koreanmist
Shaar was unconscious for about a half hour and when he woke up, he found himself lying in a tent. Both his armor and coat had been removed, and his disloyal squire, the magician Tatara, was using a wet towel to wipe off the blood from his body.
Now that Shaar was awake, the resentful expression on the magician’s face quickly turned into a respectful and submissive one. With an obedient smile, he said: “Master, do you want to eat something or drink some water?”
Shaar barely managed to stand up; he felt as if his whole body was broken by an iron hammer. His bones were about to shatter, while every muscle on his body spasmed with pain. Snorting twice, he managed to sit up with a bit of struggle.
There was a rare reflective look on his face the as he gently breathed. Suddenly, he abruptly asked, “Tatara ……tell me, how does one become stronger?”
“Uh…..” There was a humble and respectful expression on Tatara’s face, but in his heart he actually cursed (If I told you know, I’d be bullied nonstop by a hillbilly like yourself……)
“Ah ……Then, after someone becomes strong, what will happen? Will he become a source of pride to a strong powerhouse?”
This was Shaar’s second issue.
(After becoming strong? If I, Lord Tatara, become strong, the first thing I will do is fiercely trample a hillbilly like you under my foot.)
Fortunately, Shaar wasn’t really focused on getting an answer from the magician. Staying silent for a while, he made Tatara use an arm to support him and walked out of the tent.
Shaar’s heavy body made Tatara’s pair of small and thin legs shake heavily under the strain.
After being helped into the big military tent, Shaar saw that Slate and a group of officers were locked in a heated argument.
Seeing Shaar entering the tent, everyone immediately fell into silence. Unknowingly, Shaar had established a little prestige here, although it was only amongst these second-tier junior officers of the auxiliary force.
Today, Shaar displayed an incredible bravery while fighting against the first wave of the Odin assault. In addition, he unexpectedly challenged Hasting, who made the Byzantines suffer for many years, to a duel on the battlefield. Ah, although his method was shameless, he managed to use magic to injure Hasting!!
This was simply a miracle!!
Hasting, Odin’s Lord of War! How many years had it been since he was injured in a duel or a battlefield?
Therefore, these junior officers would naturally look at Shaar with a great respect.
With a kind and welcoming face, Slate greeted Shaar and personally escorted him within the tent. Seizing this opportunity, Tatara quickly ran away.
“How are you?” Slate frowned and looked at Shaar.
“I won’t die.” Shaar smiled bitterly and looked at the people inside tent. “What are you arguing about?”
“Counter-assault.” Slate’s reply gave Shaar a surprise.
“Counter-assault?”
Slate looked at people inside the tent and nodded:,”We still have 200 cavalry soldiers. A few of had the idea to use the cavalry during the next Odin offensive to fight back……ah, in any case we are all dead. If we have to die anyway, might as well maliciously rip off a big piece of the Odin’s meat!”
The 13th Army was really worth its name; even its second-line auxiliary camp had Rhodelia’s valiance and bravery.
“We can’t.”Shaar heavily swayed his head, but this quick movement soon gave him a headache.
“……Why?” Slate’s face turned gloomy: “In any case, we cannot defend ourselves here, and for the final fight ……we need to reduce their numbers as much as possible.”
“No means no.” Shaar raised his head and his face revealed a forced smile. “I think that we made a mistake.”
“Mistake?”
“Mistake!” Shaar heavy nodded before saying: “Damn, this uncle was mistaken before, we all made a mistake. We all turned Hasting into a terrifying figure in our heads! We all thought that we cannot defend against him, but in reality, we ignored Hasting’s soft underbelly and weakness at that moment!”
“Weakness?” The officers inside the tent were all surprised.
“Weakness!” Shaar nodded in affirmation. “Hasting……He has a shortage of troops! It is not enough to capture our camp!”
When this sentence came out, the various people inside tent showed an expression full of disbelief.
A shortage of troops?
A joke! Right outside this stronghold wall, Hasting had over ten thousand troops! The 13th Army only had a bit more than 1000 remaining!!
Smiling and somewhat exhausted, Shaar still managed to grin “Let us think about it in another perspective……In order for Hasting to outflank and attack the 2nd and 9th Army, what did he rely on?”
“Speed.”This answer wasn’t difficult to think off. The biggest surprise attack naturally took advantage of speed.
“That ……What represents speed? Cavalry!” Shaar breathed out, feeling a bit discomfort and pain in his lungs while talking.
Slate, an old military veteran with plenty of experience, immediately understood a portion of Shaar’s thoughts.
“In order to launch a fast surprise attack and outflank us using maneuvers, he could only bring cavalry soldiers.” Shaar reluctantly continued: “To compete with speed, he had to divert some his forces to the south and attack Primal Wildfire Town, thinning his military strength. Therefore, the troops that arrived here was only about 10,000 men. These should be his current military strength……All of his forces consist of cavalry, and he lacks infantry!! ! During today’s first wave, he used cavalry to attack the walls! Dismounted cavalry!! Hasting is absolutely reluctant to spend his military strength like this.”
Letting the expensive cavalry dismount and using them as infantry.
Creating a line of defense was common military tactics.
“The second problem…” Shaar forcefully rubbed his chest while trying to make breathing easier. “According to the information we have, the Odin army that General Adrick and Ruhr’s armies fought in the north was not that strong. At least, not as strong as Hasting’s elite troops. So I ask everyone, with such a power balance, would our generals possibly lose?”
Of course not! Everyone inside the 13th Army trusted Aderick and nearly worshipped him! Moreover, they frantic believed in the combat prowess of the 13th Army! As long as they didn’t run into Hasting, the 13th Army was confident that they could counter any Odin army!
Moreover ……there was also Ruhr’s army of infantry units!
“Therefore, our general will certainly come back from the north, but they are being delayed by the Odin army in the mountain valley right now. However, that Odin support army is not enough to threaten our general. Once the general slaughters his way back, Hasting would never be willing to let his valuable cavalry be wasted by attacking a wall.
“Therefore, Hasting has a shortage of troops! He must keep enough cavalry to cope with our main cavalry! No, is not even that simple ……I have a feeling… it is only a feeling and I don’t even have some proof, but I feel as if Hasting was preserving his strength. He didn’t really intend to break through our defensive lines to occupy this stretch of land!”
Those words made people startle in disbelieve.
Hasting didn’t want to break through here? During today’s first wave, they almost couldn’t stop them!
“I have no way to explain why I feel this way.” Shaar scratched his head and seemed unable to find any appropriate words to explain this subtle feeling. “Look,if he wanted to he launch a second wave of attack, he would be able to break us right now ……but they still haven’t moved.”
Only his last sentence had some persuasive power. Many officers’ faces were somewhat strange. Shaar’s words were somewhat absurd – Hasting would actually go easy on them? This kind of event was absolutely impossible, but they couldn’t ignore the fact that Hasting indeed hasn’t launched another attack. How could it possibly be that a famous general such as Hasting could not estimate the remaining strength in this stronghold!
“It seems like he does not want to capture this camp. The strength of today’s first attack, although it gave us a hard time, was actually the exact limit that we could withstand! Although this sounds inconceivable, but I think if I was Hasting, I could achieve such a feat and it wouldn’t be to anyone’s surprise.”
The one who spoke was Slate, the garrison officer that currently had the highest military rank and the only one who commanded soldiers in a battle before.