Time soon came to the day of war.
Simon rode a war horse and commanded his escort soldiers to push an extremely simple catapult to follow Baron Iser's team. Fortunately, the terrain here is flat and the entire team is moving very slowly, so Simon and his team did not fall behind.
"Sir Simon, I hope your magical car can bring us good luck!" When the marching team was resting after arriving at its destination, Baron Iser rode to Simon's side.
Due to time constraints, Simon could only summon all the carpenters to make different parts, and finally assembled them into a simple torsion catapult. Due to the haste, even some of the wooden parts that made up the catapult didn't even have time to peel off the bark on the surface.
However, the catapult test yesterday afternoon surprised everyone.
At that time, two strong soldiers were seen laboriously rotating the cross levers on the left and right sides of the catapult with both hands. Then, a servant placed a basket of pebbles picked up from the river on the slingshot head of the catapult.
Following Simon's command, the power arm quickly lifted up and hit the stop rail at the other end. The basket of pebbles on the slingshot head was also thrown out at high speed, scattered in mid-air, and scattered in the woods nearly two hundred meters away. Suddenly, various birds flew out of the woods.
"Of course, Lord Baron, you have seen its power!" His thoughts returned to reality, and Simon smiled at Baron Iser.
"Yes," Baron Iser also recalled the catapult test that shocked him yesterday afternoon, "I believe in the powerful combat effectiveness of your catapult and your soldiers. But what troubles me now is that this group of marchers is fighting Peasants and soldiers who are slow and run faster than rabbits will lose their morale when they see that the enemy army is more numerous than us."
In this era, fighting wars also depends on the numerical advantage of the army's population. Especially this kind of "large-scale armed fighting" war in which most of the soldiers on both sides were composed of serfs. In this kind of war, if one side has a numerical advantage, the other side's army will most likely suffer from low morale.
"It doesn't matter, sir. The most important thing is to promise these peasants and soldiers some rewards for killing the enemy. Although it will cost some money, if the war is victorious, the loot you will get is much more than this small amount of money." Simon stroked his beard and said to Baron Iser said with a worried expression in front of him.
"Hey," Baron Iser seemed to be fighting in his heart, and finally sighed heartbrokenly, "You are right, although I really don't want to do this, but in this case, I must find a way to boost morale. ”
Simon was speechless. Many operations that seemed normal to him from later generations, to the indigenous nobles here, were like cutting a large piece of flesh out of their hearts and making huge concessions.
These nobles are always thinking about maximizing their own interests. Unless they had no choice, they would not even let go of a copper coin.
"I'm glad you think so, noble Lord Baron. I believe your soldiers will cheer for your generosity in a while and fight bravely on the battlefield." Simon smiled far-fetched.
"My lord!" At this time, a light cavalry scout galloped towards Baron Iser from the direction of Arnhem Barony, "They are coming!"
………
"Look!" An old peasant soldier sitting on the grass patted his companion next to him and pointed to the dense "black line" in the distance.
"Oh, my God, they are very close!" A peasant soldier was pressing his ears tightly to the ground, listening to the increasingly louder sound of horse hooves.
"The enemy is attacking, everyone is on alert!" Baron Iser rode his horse to the center of the resting team in the temporary camp and shouted loudly.
Some young serfs quickly stood up, holding pitchforks and looking around nervously; some middle-aged serfs frowned and sat up, as if someone had disturbed their leisurely lunch break, patted the soil on their bodies leisurely, and slowly Slowly stood up; but some old serfs, as if they were deaf, were still lying on the ground sleeping soundly. Finally, under the fierce yelling and beating of Baron Iser's private soldiers, they stood up in a small chaos, Looking ahead numbly.
"These guys..." Simon looked at the farmers and soldiers who had different reactions, and recalled the spirit of the new recruits when the Verde Village Army was first formed.
"Oh! My God, there are obviously more of them than us!" An old serf looked at the approaching Baron Arnhem army, his eyes rolling, and he was already retreating.
"Old Mars, why don't we fight later and take advantage of the chaos..." A middle-aged peasant soldier with a face full of vicissitudes of life next to him looked at the old serf.
"That's what I meant," the old serf licked his lips, looked around, and after confirming that there were no private soldiers of the baron nearby, he continued, "I still have a large family that I need to support, and I must not die here. This place is broken. It will still be the same then."
"This is simply a hellish war to the death." The middle-aged peasant soldier complained in a low voice.
………
Simon rode his horse to the baron who was looking blankly ahead.
"Damn Baron Arnhem! If this beast hadn't robbed one of my villages a few days ago and killed my villagers, we wouldn't have such an obvious gap in the number of troops now!"
Simon squinted his eyes and looked into the distance. Nearly two hundred people came from the opposite side, and there were only more than one hundred and sixty people on my side.
"Pull up the catapult!" Simon turned his head and shouted behind him.
Several escort soldiers slowly pushed the heavy catapult forward. Following the catapult were several baron servants holding baskets of pebbles in their hands.
"What are you looking at? Please help me!" Baron Iser looked at the peasant soldiers nearby who were curiously watching the catapult being pushed, and shouted angrily.
With the help of farmers and soldiers, the catapult was quickly pushed in front of the entire temporary camp.
"When their army presses forward, we will fire pebbles to entertain them. If their private soldiers form a shield wall, we will fire heavy stones to defeat them!" Simon said to the two escort soldiers operating catapults.
………
"Stop!" Baron Arnhem rode a brown war horse wearing a heraldry-patterned camisole, an Anglo-Saxon helmet with a leather gorget, exquisite chainmail, and a shiny coat on the outside. Bright scales.
The noisy peasant soldiers and private soldiers behind Baron Arnhem stopped. The soldiers joked with each other as if they had won the battle.
"Kun, follow me." Baron Arnhem, Sir Kun and another heavy cavalry left the team and rode forward to the middle of the battlefield between the two armies.
"Sorge!" On the other side, Baron Iser didn't need to say anything more. The baron's son Sorger, who came back a few days ago, the failed knight before and two other heavy cavalry, followed him to Ana on their horses. In front of Baron Mu.
"Long time no see, my good neighbor and old friend Baron Iser," Baron Arnhem said playfully, "May God bless you in this unsuspicious war!"
"Haha, then I really thank you for your kindness." Baron Iser stared coldly into Baron Arnhem's eyes, word by word bursting out from between his teeth.
"Ha, there is no need to look at me like this," Baron Arnhem smiled contemptuously, "As a loser who is about to become a joke, please recognize the reality clearly, whether it is for yourself or the lives of your men. Surrender now and admit that the woods belong to me, and I can make you a gracious loser and keep your ridiculously precious honor."
"Bah," Baron Iser spat on the ground in front of Arnhem, "I have nothing to say to you, a arrogant, arrogant bastard like you. I will remember all your humiliations in my mind, and I will keep them in mind." Under the witness of God, I will give it back to you twice as much!”
After speaking, Baron Iser led the heavy cavalry to turn their horses and ride towards their position.
"Oh, incompetent and furious," Baron Arnhem said to himself nonchalantly, "We don't have many troops, but our tone is not small!"
………
"Dear Father, we can begin!" Baron Iser said loudly.
A man with a Mediterranean mushroom head wearing a white robe with a cross pattern walked to the front of the line, holding the cross high while praying before the battle.
All the soldiers closed their eyes and lowered their heads, making prayer gestures, asking for God's blessing.
"God, I bow my head to salute you, and I praise you devoutly! I extremely hope that you can protect your most loyal believers in the war! I will put on the helmet of salvation, the armor of truth, and the boots of peace. , pick up the sword of justice, raise the shield of faith, block the attack of the evil-doing Baron Arnhem, and defeat the evil man full of sin! Please give me help and strength, Almighty Lord! Amen!"
Baron Iser prayed quietly, sweat flowing down his face. Although he himself felt very unsure, at this time, he still chose to let go of his uneasiness and fear and look forward to a miracle.
In the army behind Baron Iser, people kept discussing something in low voices. The expressions of the peasants and soldiers were not relaxed, and many of them were secretly planning their escape routes.
"Attention everyone, as long as you kill one person in this battle, I, Baron Iser, swear to reward you with three copper coins on my honor. The more you kill, the more rewards you will get!" After Baron Iser finished his prayer, He said loudly to the peasants and soldiers.
Some peasants and soldiers who originally had fear and numbness in their eyes suddenly brightened up.
"Hey, Old Mars, if I can kill one person, it will be equivalent to earning more than half a month's salary. If I can get some trophies to take back, it will be a small fortune!" The middle-aged peasant soldier from before was a little eager to try. .
"What an unprecedented first time, Baron Iser, this old iron cock, actually plucked his feathers!" The old peasant soldier picked his nose and rubbed his filthy fingers on his clothes.
"Let's save your life first and get the reward first." Some peasants and soldiers were still fearful and numb.
But at least many peasants and soldiers who originally planned to escape grasped their weapons again, intending to make extra money.
While the peasants and soldiers here were regaining their morale, Baron Arnhem's army had begun to slowly press forward like dense ants.
"Sir Simon, give them some color!" Baron Iser shouted at the top of his voice towards Simon at the front of the team.
"Get ready to reload!" Simon said to the two soldiers next to the catapult. The two guys tried their best to turn the cross lever, and "lowered the power arm amidst the creaking of the shaft and rope loops." ".
"Load!"
A servant picked up a basket of pebbles and nervously placed it on the slingshot head at the end of the power arm.
"emission!"
"clatter!"
The power arm was lifted up at a high speed under the strong torsion of the tendons, and the basket of pebbles was violently thrown out.
At this time, under the astonished eyes of the Baron Arnhem troops, pebbles the size of fists flew towards them at full speed like fairy flowers.
"Get away!" Several farmers and soldiers with quick reactions quickly knocked down the people around them and fled in an attempt to avoid the pebbles flying towards them.
"Hmph!" "Ah!" "Pfft!"
With the painful groan of heavy objects smashing bones, and the dull sound of pebbles hitting flesh at high speed, blood and brains flew among Baron Arnhem's army. Immediately afterwards, painful wails and feeble moans floated through the ranks of Baron Arnhem.
"Damn it," Baron Arnhem was so angry that he suffocated. The opponent threw a round, and although most of the pebbles hit the grass with poor accuracy, more than ten people on his side still lost their combat effectiveness in an instant. "All cavalry charges, Destroy their vile catapults!”
As soon as Baron Arnhem finished speaking, he led the light and heavy cavalry away from the team and rushed towards Simon's catapult at high speed.
"Archers shoot, cavalry attack!" Baron Iser also gave the order loudly.
"Drive!" Sir Thorger, the son of the baron, led the cavalry to greet him.
"Quick, reload!" Simon said anxiously to the two guard soldiers beside the trebuchet, who also tried their best to re-rotate the cross lever.
