Chapter 21: Battle of the Long Thorn Plain

**Western Karad Empire, Long Thorn Plain.**

This vast plain is steeped in history, having been the site of hundreds of wars that have determined the fate of the continent. 

In the stories spun by wandering bards, there is a common background: beneath the soil of the Long Thorn Plain lies layer upon layer of bones. Countless lives have been sacrificed here, and many heroes have been born on this battlefield.

Today, two great armies are facing off on the Long Thorn Plain.

To the west is the army flying the blood-red horsehead banner of the Kingdom of Saint Martin. 

To the east, bearing the newly established fan-shaped shield banner of the Western Empire. 

The commander of the Western Empire's forces here is the younger brother of Duke Andrew. He is a very young nobleman but has received an excellent family education, especially in military matters. Many people praise him as the "Tiger of the Empire."

At this moment, the "Tiger of the Empire" is delivering a pre-battle speech and has taken the opportunity to engage in some "friendly" banter with Hexis across the battlefield. In reality, it was not so friendly.

"You bunch of horse-riding brutes, how dare you attack the great Karad Empire?"

"Did you hit your head on the great bell of the Light Church before you left? We are here at the behest of the rightful ruler of the Karad Empire, Queen Laya, to punish you rebels."

"That shameless harlot! What right does she have to inherit the great Karad Empire? The rightful heir to the Empire should be a war hero like my brother."

"Your family's bloodline is not noble enough to bear the glory of the Empire!"

...

Both sides engaged in a bout of insults, almost cursing each other's ancestors.

After this "friendly" exchange, they finally remembered they had brought armies and had to defeat the opposing side today.

With their tempers flaring, both sides returned to their camps.

The battle commenced at that very moment.

From a manpower perspective, the Kingdom of Saint Martin held the advantage with 1,500 soldiers. The Western Empire only had 1,000 soldiers, many of whom were newly drafted recruits.

As the war horns blew, the cavalry from both sides charged simultaneously.

The warhorses neighed, their hooves thundering on the ground, creating a rhythmic clatter. Hundreds of warhorses charging at once produced a sound like rolling thunder.

The Kingdom of Saint Martin's cavalry had a significant advantage in numbers, with a total of five hundred cavalrymen. On the other hand, the Western Empire had only two hundred cavalrymen.

The two cavalry forces collided violently. At that moment, countless soldiers were thrown from their horses by lances and trampled mercilessly. In addition to the cavalry clash, numerous crossbow bolts flew through the sky. 

The Empire's equipment was evidently superior, with their arrows flying farther and hitting harder. Once the battle began, the battlefield became chaotic. Infantry, under their commanders' orders, roared as they charged, fighting alongside their lords. The atmosphere on the battlefield was tense and oppressive, with the carnage easily driving men to madness. 

As the battle reached a fever pitch, everyone had only one thought: kill the enemy. Among the few who remained rational on the battlefield was Alexander. His unit was part of the cavalry and participated in the initial charge. 

Alexander's unit was positioned on the edge of the cavalry formation, and he deliberately held back a bit during the charge. As a result, his men suffered minimal losses from the enemy's arrow barrage. 

Now, the infantry had clashed, and the cavalry from both sides were chasing or slaughtering isolated infantry around the perimeter. At this moment, Alexander neither engaged the enemy cavalry nor foolishly led his cavalry into the infantry ranks. Instead, he chose to charge directly at the enemy archers!

The Western Empire's archers were divided into two main groups: one armed with bows, serving as the primary firepower, and the other equipped with heavy crossbows, tasked with focusing on heavily armored warriors.

Alexander targeted the crossbowmen. His strategy was simple: exploit their slower reloading time. The Western Empire had over a hundred crossbowmen, while Alexander had only thirty men. However, they had already circled around the battlefield. 

Martial ethics? Alexander had no intention of adhering to them today; he was set on launching a surprise attack!

With thirty men and their horses charging at full speed, they reached their peak velocity, like roaring chariots, as they headed straight for the hundred crossbowmen.

At this moment, the battlefield was in complete chaos, and ordinary soldiers couldn't hear the sound of approaching hooves. By the time some crossbowmen realized what was happening, Alexander had already positioned his lance.

Alexander had never formally learned how to brace a lance, but he knew the basics. He tucked the end of the lance under his arm, gripped the shaft, and adjusted the direction. With his other hand, he raised a large shield. The rest was left to fate!

It's no wonder medieval knights had strong faiths. When they charged, their lives were left to destiny; no one knew if the next moment would bring death or a breakthrough in the enemy's line. Alexander even saw a young soldier hastily raise his crossbow to shoot him. However, in his panic, the soldier forgot to aim properly, and the bolt went wildly astray.

The sound of hooves grew louder, adrenaline surged, and the men of the Kingdom of Saint Martin brandished their lances, roaring in anger to mask their fear.

"Thud!"

Alexander felt the lance pierce through human flesh, and his perception of time seemed to slow down. He saw the enemy's face, filled with despair, anger, and pain.

He also saw countless Imperial soldiers turning to flee and the nearly insane Saint Martin cavalry. Everything became slow and clear in his vision.

As Alexander's lance pierced the enemy's chest, his men charged into the crowd. The powerful warhorses trampled, and the lances stabbed mercilessly, shattering the formation of the Western Empire's crossbowmen. They fled and struggled, but their resistance was futile. They didn't need to be pierced by lances; the sheer force of the horses' impact was enough to crush their ribs and internal organs.

Duke Andrew's brother finally realized something was terribly wrong at the rear. He was still skirmishing with the Saint Martin cavalry when his crossbowmen were wiped out.

"Alphat, immediately take your unit to protect the archers!" he urgently commanded.

The crossbowmen had been decimated; the mission now was not to rescue the scattered crossbowmen but to protect the remaining archers.

Alphat, seeing the situation, quickly led his men out of the infantry skirmish. He and his troops sprinted towards their archers to protect them.

At the same time, he finally noticed Alexander. After assessing the number of men under Alexander's command, their incomplete standard Saint Martin cavalry equipment, and various obvious mercenary traits, Alphat concluded that this was the group that had seized his fief.