Episode 145
The most textbook and reliable way to win a battle through encirclement is to completely surround and crush the enemy.
This method, used countless times since ancient times, was perfected by the likes of Alexander the Great and Hannibal.
Even in the medieval era, when a relatively small number of knights could decimate their foes, the effectiveness of this strategy remained unchanged.
However, surrounding the enemy and beating them into submission is easier said than done. It’s not as if you can just snap your fingers and have them encircled, nor can 300 men surround an enemy force of over 5,000.
For a perfect encirclement, you need to have more troops than the enemy. If not, you must have superior mobility to create localized numerical superiority.
And, of course, the Crusaders didn’t meet any of these conditions against the Khwarazmian forces.
They had more troops, and their mobility was superior to our heavily armored forces.
This was Richard’s biggest dilemma. Realistically, it was difficult for the Crusaders to encircle the Khwarazmians, and even in a direct confrontation, it was hard to inflict significant damage due to their superior mobility.
From what we’ve seen in previous battles, the Khwarazmian commander was quite competent.
“Even if we draw them into a battle, fighting them head-on isn’t efficient. Once they realize they’ve been lured, they’ll retreat immediately.”
“That’s true. The reason we haven’t inflicted much damage so far is that they retreat too quickly.”
Especially after Richard had previously outmaneuvered them, they were even more cautious about engaging us directly.
After all the effort put into this elaborate ruse, it would be a waste not to inflict as much damage as possible.
Thus, the strategy was to use the Holy Roman Empire’s forces as bait.
Think of it as a variation of the classic hammer and anvil tactic.
“The Holy Roman Empire should be able to wear down the Khwarazmian forces. Apologies to Emperor Heinrich VI, but they make the perfect bait.”
“While it’s important for them to play the anvil, the priority is for us to reach the enemy’s rear undetected. You understand that, right?”
“Of course. If we mess this up after all your hard work, I’d be a fool… no, calling me a fool would be too kind. King Philip II should arrive on time as well.”
With Nasr and Nur al-Din creating confusion about the movements of the English and French forces, there’s no worry of being discovered.
The Khwarazmians won’t expect to be flanked by the English and French. Once we succeed, even they won’t be able to retreat without suffering losses.
And as expected, the Khwarazmian forces, deeply engaged with the Holy Roman Empire, didn’t notice our approach.
They even mistook us for a detachment of the Holy Roman forces and sent troops to intercept us.
Seeing the enemy, who had been avoiding battle, now eager to engage, Richard couldn’t help but laugh heartily. He tightened his grip on the reins and glanced back at me.
“Marshal, since this plan is practically ours, you know all the details, right?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Good. Then I’ll leave it to you.”
”…What?”
Leave it to me? You’re supposed to be leading, you fool.
Was he serious when he said that last time?
“Your Majesty… isn’t it a bit much for me to lead the English forces?”
Despite my incredulous reaction, Richard didn’t loosen his grip on the reins. In fact, he spurred his horse forward, raising his voice in a lion’s roar.
“Brave knights of England! Open your eyes and look ahead! The cowardly foes who have avoided battle are now cornered. Unleash all your pent-up rage! Leave none alive and sweep them away! The prophet, blessed by God, is with us!”
“For Saint Marshal! For the Crusaders!”
Strictly speaking, I’m not England’s patron saint, but I’m not so tactless as to point that out.
Having subtly passed the command to me, Richard, with nothing holding him back, led his elite knights straight into the Khwarazmian ranks.
With no other choice, I had to give it my all.
“All troops, don’t fall behind! Follow His Majesty Richard and slaughter the Khwarazmians!”
“Follow His Majesty!”
Unlike the Holy Roman or French forces, Richard and his knights hadn’t had a proper fight since the first battle, only running in circles.
Now, as if releasing all their pent-up frustration and anger, Richard charged into the enemy’s heart with even more ferocity than before.
With each swing, a head fell. When he swung his axe, Khwarazmian soldiers’ heads flew, and when he thrust his spear, it pierced through their bodies.
Neither soldiers nor cavalry, not even their commanders, were spared.
As the rain of blood painted the sky, Richard laughed heartily.
“This time, you won’t escape like before!”
“Someone stop that demon!”
“If this line breaks, the main force will be exposed! Stop him! Someone stop him!”
“If you can stop him, then you do it… Agh!”
It was as if a starving lion had been unleashed upon a defenseless herd.
No one could stop Richard as he charged toward the heart of the Khwarazmian forces, where their most important figures surely were.
From the moment we arrived without any interference, the outcome was already decided.
Leading the remaining English forces, I cut through the disoriented Khwarazmian troops, following Richard.
Literally. It’s time to end this war.
“Urgent report from the right wing! The enemy’s assault is too fierce to hold!”
“No, if the right wing breaks, the center will be exposed! Tell General Timur to lead all available troops to intercept them!”
“But that will leave the forces pressuring the Holy Roman Empire completely open!”
“The Holy Roman Empire is no longer the issue! Stop Richard!”
Just minutes ago, Muhammad’s voice was filled with confidence, but now it was laced with urgency.
He tried to redirect all available forces toward Richard, but it wasn’t easy to pull troops away from the standoff with the Holy Roman Empire.
Still, he hadn’t completely lost his composure.
Richard’s return with the English forces was unexpected, but there was still some leeway in their numbers.
“Once again, tell General Timur to leave just enough troops to hold the Holy Roman Empire and immediately block the English forces! I’ll gather the rear troops and send reinforcements. After repelling Richard, we’ll swing around and hit the Holy Roman Empire.”
What had gotten into Richard to change his mind, he didn’t know.
But this could be a blessing in disguise.
Even if it was unexpected, the enemy was still just two nations.
The Eastern Roman and French forces had returned to Antioch, so overall, they still had the advantage.
If they could crush both the Holy Roman Empire and England, it would be easier to pressure the Christian forces afterward.
This could be an opportunity to turn the tables…
“General! Urgent report from the left wing. Knights bearing the French flag are approaching!”
“So, intercept Richard’s forces on the right… What? The French?”
“Yes. They seem to be charging at our left rear! We need to mobilize the rear troops to defend immediately…”
“No, the rear troops must join General Timur to stop Richard. Timur’s forces alone can’t stop him!”
“Then the left rear will be completely exposed!”
His mind was in chaos.
What was happening? How could this be?
He couldn’t understand how Richard had suddenly appeared, and now the French were here too.
The initial reports of the English and French movements had indicated they couldn’t possibly be heading this way.
What had caused them to change their minds?
No, if that were the case, they would have arrived much later, and more importantly…
They couldn’t have timed their arrival so perfectly unless it was planned.
“Could it have been a ruse from the start?”
If England and France had deliberately misled them about their movements, only to change direction and march here at full speed, the timing would make sense.
“Wait. That means they planned this battlefield in advance… which means they coordinated with the Holy Roman Empire…”
“General! You must act now! If we don’t, we could be encircled…”
“Damn it, shut up! I can’t think straight!”
The shock was so great that he momentarily forgot the current state of the battle.
It wasn’t just because they had misread the movements of the English and French.
Though that was a critical mistake.
A terrifying hypothesis, one that made any comparison to him seem trivial, began to creep into his mind.
“The reason England and France embarked on the Crusades was… because they caused a rift. But if their departure was a ruse, then the rift itself was never real…”
The issue was that the Crusaders’ division was triggered by none other than the death of their leader, Marshal.
“Come to think of it, the initial movements of the English and French forces were reported by…”
No matter how hard he tried to avoid it, his thoughts relentlessly traced back to the beginning.
Why Khwarezm had entered this battlefield.
The reasoning behind such actions.
All this information had been provided by Nasr and Nur al-Din.
Of course, Muhammad and Tekish hadn’t blindly trusted them. They had their own ways of verifying the truth.
Despite all these precautions, if they had been deceived, it meant those two had intended to mislead them from the start.
“If that’s the case, even the assassination that set all this in motion…”
Realizing just how long they had been manipulated by their enemies, Muhammad’s face turned pale.
“General! The enemy’s camp is raising flags symbolizing the Prophet and the Crusaders all at once…!”
“The Holy Roman side has switched to an offensive! General! We need to dispatch forces to counter their knights!”
“General! Your orders!”
“Nasr! Nur al-Din, those bastards!”
Cursing the wretched men who were likely mocking them from somewhere, Muhammad’s ears were filled with the urgent reports of messengers rushing to his side.
To him, their voices sounded like…
The Sultan’s army.
Khwarezm.
His ambitions.
Shattering into pieces.