Imperial Crown

Just as the vanguard retreated, Eric was riding on a warhorse, looking grim, and moving slowly with the entire army.

The speed of the army was much slower than when Visdon set out, and most of the soldiers were walking.

Because just outside the army, the remaining packhorses were tied together by ropes, forming a semicircle, wrapping the entire army.

From a high place, it looked like a moving city.

Most of the scouts sent by the Scorpion Nest caught up with Visdon's team, and the remaining small part had been cleared out by Simon and other extraordinary people.

This could delay the time for Heleti to notice their plan, although it was quite limited, but even if it was only for a while, it could increase the possibility of the plan's success.

"Can Visdon come back?" Gore came to Eric and rode with him.

"I don't know, it doesn't matter." Eric still stared at the front, expressionless.

Gore sighed and nodded slowly.

He understood what Eric meant. Visdon was the vanguard this time to lure the enemy. It would be great if he could succeed, but if he couldn't, then they would take over Visdon to continue this task.

At this moment, Simon's voice rang out: "I'm back!"

Gol looked happy, but then his face changed immediately, becoming surprised and gloomy.

Wesdon rushed to the front, he almost lay on the horse's back, his whole body was soaked in blood, a layer of dark red ice crystals formed on the chainmail, and his only remaining left hand was hanging on the ground with a half-sword in his hand, and only the red-bottomed black-patterned battle flag behind him was still fluttering in the wind.

Behind him was the vanguard troops who barely maintained their formation.

They were in a limited state than Visdon. Some were missing noses, some were missing ears, and some were missing fingers. They were squeezed together and covered in blood.

There were 49 people when they went out, but there were less than 20 when they came back!

None of Goll's sword and shield soldiers could come back alive.

The whole team seemed to have rushed out of a sea of ​​blood!

"Stop where you are!" Eric also saw this scene. He looked solemn and a trace of worry flashed across his eyes: "Let go of the horses and let them come in from both sides!"

But Weisdong seemed not to hear and continued to move forward.

Gol glanced at Eric, and after getting a look of agreement, he quickly led people to take Weisdong and others back to the army.

As soon as he returned to the formation, Weisdong slid down from the warhorse softly, leaving a circle of bright red marks on the snow.

The situation of the vanguard army was mixed.

Some soldiers fell directly from the horse, a few of them lost their breath permanently as soon as they got off, and more people fell into a state of exhaustion; other soldiers were able to get off the horse by themselves, but from their trembling bodies, it was obvious that they were also exhausted.

Some soldiers went up to bandage them and handed them water bags.

Gol helped Weisdong up, uncovered his mask, and put a bottle of healing potion to his mouth and poured it in.

After taking the potion, Visdon slowly opened his eyes, choking on a mouthful of blood, and speaking in a hoarse voice:

"... Water."

Gol quickly brought the water bag to his mouth.

Sipping the water bag, Visdon sucked greedily until the beer in the water bag was drunk up, and his face had a little color again.

Seeing Visdon like this, Goll knew that he must have fought hard, but he couldn't explain the doubts in his heart: "What happened, why is the loss so great?"

Visdon murmured weakly: "... Too much."

"What?" Goll didn't understand.

But Eric, who was not far away, had understood.

Not only did he understand, he could also see it, and his face was even more livid!

The mighty horse thieves team, at least more than 150 people!

Counting yesterday's losses and the losses in the battle just now, as well as the scouts sent by the Scorpion Nest, the paper strength of Heleti has reached nearly 280 people!

"Simon!" Eric's eyebrows jumped wildly, but he lowered his voice: "What's going on? Didn't you say that Heleti only had more than 150 people under his command!?"

"That's absolutely correct..." Simon's face was also very ugly: "Heleti indeed has only more than 150 people under his command. Even if there is a mistake, it won't be too much!"

Eric was about to scold him, but suddenly thought of something, and his face changed suddenly:

"... Damn it!"

The information provided by Simon could not be false, and now the facts and the information conflicted, so there was only one explanation-

Heleti, united with other horse thieves!

He had been prepared for a long time! ! !

With two and a half times, almost three times the force, Heleti was still so cautious. He first sent people to test, and then he actually asked them to take the initiative to attack before coming out!

At this moment, Eric finally realized the heavy weight of the title of "Sand King".

"Everyone, three people in a group, ready to fight!!!"

Following Eric's order, the soldiers of the Eagle Army moved, gathering together in groups of three according to the sword and shield soldiers, spearmen, and crossbowmen.

If there is a shortage of people, they will adjust and supplement themselves.

Looking at the surging horse thieves, Simon also realized the problem and asked in a low voice:

"...What should we do with Lord Baron?"

"The intelligence can't be sent out." Eric's eyes were heavy:

"What we have to do is to hold them here, hold Heleti!"

"Buy time for Lord Baron!"

At the same time, Heleti also saw Eric's arrangement. His eyes were slightly solemn. The performance of the Eagle Army before made him more cautious:

"Everyone dismount and use pack horses as a wall-what kind of tactics is this?"

He had never heard of it, let alone seen it.

Even on the bloody highlands, horses are a very important resource, and no one is willing to waste them like this.

Dismounting at this time means completely giving up mobility, which also means that Eric chose this place as the final battlefield.

No victory means death!

What is Eric doing? Desperately delaying time, or is he really sure that he can beat me here?

"Interesting..." Although he said so, Heleti's expression was very cold. He raised his arm and pointed forward: "Eugene, I leave it to you."

Eugene took a deep breath and stroked the mark left by Weisdon on his shoulder: "Don't worry, Lord Sha, I will definitely bring Eric and the so-called "Baron" back alive for you!"

After that, he rode out: "Follow me!"

More than 140 horse thieves, led by Eugene, rushed forward like wolves and pigs!

The purpose of this battle is to establish prestige!

Eugene won a great victory in the encounter just now. Now he has to continue this momentum, not giving the opponent any breathing time, and rushing them when the opponent's morale is at its lowest!

The herd of horses surrounding the Eagle Army is getting closer and closer in front of Eugene. He gradually flattened his lance, found the most balanced point, and pierced in like a cone!

"Eh-"

The packhorse blocking the spear had its shoulder torn by the lance, and fell to the ground with a shrill scream.

Eugene sneered. He had seen Eric's face. The distance between the two sides was no more than 30 meters!

He only needed to deal with two more pack horses, and he could lead the team to rush over and drown Eric with a sea of ​​people!

But at this moment, the warhorse under his crotch suddenly screamed, and then fell down with him!

Although he used Dou Qi to protect his body in time, Eugene still fell down and felt suffocated. He struggled to sit up from the ground, and saw his warhorse falling to the ground and breaking its neck, and a trace of fear appeared in his eyes!

He finally discovered the real secret of this "packhorse wall"!

The reason why they cannot become war horses is not because pack horses have poor physique and physical strength, but the most important factor is that they have not received training, and once they are frightened, they will run away.

Each packhorse has at least six or seven ropes tied to it, connecting them with the surrounding ones, but because of the dense formation, it is not visible from the outside.

Because of the ropes connected, they restrain each other. Once they cannot exert force in the same direction, they will be locked in place.

When the outer packhorses fell, the power of this "packhorse wall" could be truly revealed, and the ropes connecting them became the best tripwires, and any warhorse that wanted to break through would fall down!

"Slow down--stop!!!" Eugene waved and shouted behind him!

However, it was too late!

The horse thieves could not control the warhorses that were fully charged, and they plunged into the packhorse herd, followed by screams one after another!

The scene was far more tragic than Eugene expected!

Some were like Eugene, and after killing the packhorses, the warhorses were tripped and fell down, but they had no fighting spirit and were wearing heavy armor. Even if they did not die on the spot, they would not be able to get up again in a short time without help!

Some relied on their own agility to jump onto the packhorses, but the frightened packhorses showed amazing attack power, kicking their hind legs and raising their front hooves, kicking these people to the ground, and letting them be trampled into meat paste by their companions who followed.

Even if there are occasional successes, they will be surprised to find that they can't drive the packhorse at all, and then they will be shot into sieves by the crossbow arrows that follow!

Others want to rein in their horses and stop, but they are hit by their companions who follow closely, and the two of them and their horses roll into a ball!

These tragic scenes made Eugene close his eyes in pain.

In just a few dozen seconds, more than a dozen horse thieves lost their lives.

The loss is secondary. Now that the offensive has been frustrated, the goal of annihilating the enemy in one fell swoop has completely failed!

Lord Heleti is still watching from behind!

The screams of the horse thieves were a heavy blow to Eugene, but it was also the horn of the Eagle Army's charge.

Gore, Link, Mosingan and Simon each led their men into the herd of horses.

The four extraordinary people drilled in and out of the herd of horses, looking for every valuable target. If the horse thieves who landed were not dead, they would make up a knife; if they were slowed down, they would cut off the horse's hooves and then kill them.

The Eagle Army was implementing the established tactics.

The crossbowmen approached and shot the men off their horses, and the spearmen followed up with another shot, while the sword and shield soldiers were responsible for dealing with the horse thieves who fell off their horses but were not dead.

The packhorse wall seemed to be a creeping meat grinder, wearing away the lives of the horse thieves.

The battle continued, and there was a tendency to develop into a protracted war.

Eugene was a veteran soldier who had been through many battles after all. The pain and loss lasted only for a moment, and his mind began to work rapidly, thinking about how to crack this tactic!

The sound of wind sounded, and a spear was handed over from the side.

"Come and die!" Eugene made an impatient sound, turned sideways to avoid the spear tip, grabbed the spear shaft and pulled it back!

With a low cry of surprise, an Eagle Army soldier was dragged under the packhorse in front of him by Eugene. Before Eugene could make a move, the panicked packhorse had already kicked the soldier on the head.

Accompanied by a clear bone-breaking sound, blood gushed out of the soldier's leather helmet, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Seeing this scene, Eugene's eyes suddenly lit up and he shouted:

"Pass my order, everyone, dismount and fight on foot!"

The moment he heard Eugene's order, Eric quietly clenched his fists.

This "Iron Shield" found a flaw in the packhorse wall!

...