Chapter 1217: 31. Great Alliance Moves Forward (16)_2

He was silent for a moment before saying hoarsely, “I have been serving them since the day they were forged.”

After speaking, the veteran straightened his body, respectfully raised his hand to salute, and turned to walk towards the artillery position.

This time, it was Major Walei who was stunned. It took him a moment to realize he had the privilege of meeting a true veteran of the previous era.

However, Major Walei no longer had the time to call back the veteran for a detailed inquiry, nor even the leisure to feel sentimental.

Because the rebel cavalry had already bypassed the northern battle zone of River Valley Village, crossed the nameless river downstream, and charged onto the East Bank.

From the artillery position overlooking to the north, the rebel cavalry appeared like an unstoppable torrent, splitting the river in half.

They advanced in echelon after echelon, orderly and unstoppable, and the uneven terrain on both sides of the river could not disrupt their formation.

The light cavalry deployed on the periphery of the Provincial Army’s line could neither break the spearhead of the rebel cavalry nor even slightly hinder them.

Major Walei saw clearly: short leather boots, bright knee-length coats, caps and helmets adorned with large plumes, superb and fearless horsemanship…

There was no mistake; these were definitely not temporarily conscripted herdsmen and farmers. Major Walei was certain that the fresh force just introduced into the battlefield by the enemy commander was the famous Paratu Cavalry, renowned in the Various Republics.

Major Walei couldn’t help but turn to look at the church in River Valley Village, where the flag symbolizing the enemy commander’s personal standard still proudly stood atop the Bell Tower.

“Order Lieutenant Wei’erqi’s detachment to fall back for defense! Order the reserves to mobilize!” Major Walei suppressed his admiration and regret, giving a stern command: “Engage according to the formation rehearsed before. Any who desert their post or show cowardice in battle will be executed on the spot!”

The Provincial Army infantry detachment stationed in front of the artillery position received the order and immediately turned to move towards the cannon emplacement.

In the prior battle, even when the right-wing line was pushed back to the East Bank, this infantry detachment stationed in the rear showed no signs of engaging in combat. However, upon receiving Major Walei’s order, they sprang into action immediately.

Urgent drumbeats sounded from behind the mound where the Provincial Army’s artillery position was located. A large detachment flag, along with six Hundred-Men Squad flags, wavered shakily from the ridge line, and another Provincial Army infantry detachment deployed on the reverse slope of the mound no longer concealed their movements, openly advancing onto the battlefield.

At this moment, the battlefield north of River Valley Village was split in two invisibly.

On the mound, nearly a thousand infantry from two Provincial Army detachments struggled to change formation, forming a line at the artillery position.

Below the mound, the Provincial Army units that had retreated to the East Bank were fiercely battling the left-wing forces of the rebel counteroffensive.

The initially advancing left-wing rebel forces encountered a head-on and painful blow from the Provincial Army’s heavy artillery.

A round of grape shot from five hundred meters shattered the tightly packed rebel formation, especially the square formation protecting the silver-edged flag, to which Major Walei specifically allocated the four best-condition cannons.

The old-style cannons in the Provincial Army’s possession had many drawbacks, but their shortcomings did not include lacking power. Loaded with tailor-made grape shot, these heavy cannons could rain death from half a kilometer away. They were forged for breaching city walls, but if given the chance, they could unleash equally devastating lethal force in field battles.

Nevertheless, the left-wing rebel forces held on tenaciously. Although the artillery barrage temporarily thwarted their counteroffensive momentum, they swiftly regrouped, seizing the opportunity while the cannons were reloading, and lunged towards the East Bank.

Once again, the area below the mound was shrouded in smoke like morning mist. The haze was not thick but rendered everything within it shadowy and indistinct.

In the grayish-white mist, flashes of red burst forth intermittently, like lightning piercing through dark clouds, briefly illuminating the thin fog.

The drums of war for advancing emanated from behind the wall of smoke, signaling the imminent commencement of another round of square formation combat.

Colonel Sanel had already detected signs of collapse in the Provincial Army’s right wing–the two infantry detachments in front of River Valley Village had broken away from the central forces and were rapidly moving to join the friendly forces below the mound.

Meanwhile, the entirety of the rebel cavalry, which had maneuvered downstream, had already crossed the nameless river.

Lieutenant Peiduofei drew his saber, pointing directly at the artillery position on the mound. The rolling iron column showed not a moment’s hesitation, charging towards the distant artillery position where figures flickered.

On the mound, Major Walei watched the magnificence of the Paratu Cavalry charge with mixed admiration and regret:

Through different paces, the dense large columns altered their tiers during the advance, rather than clumsily waiting for the preceding unit to depart before the next set off, as their counterparts from the Federated Provinces and Vineta did.

This made their arrival much quicker than Major Walei had anticipated, so fast that by the time Major Walei could see the sabers in their hands, the two Provincial Army infantry detachments defending the artillery position had not yet completed their formation change.

Currently, atop the mound at the artillery position, two “square formations” far larger than detachment scale infantry squares were beginning to take shape.

The Provincial Army infantry defending the artillery position did not form up outside the emplacement but within the cannon emplacement itself.

Integrating artillery and infantry into one, eight heavy cannons were embedded at the four corners of each square formation, with the gunners and ammunition encircled at the center of the formation.

The soldiers of the two Provincial Army detachments defending the artillery position were unfamiliar with this new square formation tactic improved by the Federated Provinces Army.

Due to the pressing situation and limited time, they had only rehearsed a few formation changes under Major Walei’s command.