When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1113 The End of the Dawn Island War (Two Chapters Combined)

at the same time.

In a reed bed about ten miles from the crossroads, Jeanne was reining in her horse on the hillside, gazing out and waiting.

The cavalry she sent to scout had been gone for half an hour, but there was still no news.

According to the last report, the pursuing reinforcements seemed to have stopped.

This time, Jeanne deliberately used herself as bait, yet they didn't fall for it.
An atmosphere of anxiety had begun to permeate the air.

On a clearing in the woods on the other side of the reeds, three hundred knights of the Guardian Army were resting with their horses.

The horses pawed at the ground impatiently, not understanding why they had suddenly stopped when they were running so happily.

The knights, on the other hand, looked solemn, some smoking pipes, others drinking water, and talking in hushed tones.

This operation was the result of negotiations between Jeanne and the oligarchs of the five-city council of Dawn Island.

If this battle fails, all the mercenaries will have to be withdrawn.

The oligarchs were still uneasy about having military power in the hands of someone outside their own ranks.

"I said this plan was a pipe dream from the start!"

A rough, hoarse voice suddenly came from the cavalrymen below the hillside; it belonged to a middle-aged man in a silk vest.

City Councilor Greeding.

According to the city council, these were military councilors sent to reward the troops, but in reality, they were military supervisors.

At this moment, Greedin scratched his head in frustration, grumbling incessantly: "The Leia people aren't stupid. They just suffered a loss from a fire attack on Hotwind Mountain. How could they possibly fall into an ambush again?"

The soldiers who were lying in ambush have been waiting since last night, and even if they encounter the enemy, they probably won't be able to fight!
"When we get back, I'll suggest reducing the troop strength. This trip was a waste of resources; we should just move the troops back to the city to defend it!"

"Reduce troop strength?" Tora turned around abruptly, the plaster on his brow lifted by his furrowed brow. "Troops are being kept under Her Majesty's command, just like being kept under the command of you councilors. What's the difference?"

"Of course there is. You insist on training every day, wasting so many unnecessary resources?"

"Chairwoman Joan of Arc trained them in marching and gunnery to ensure their survival on the battlefield, but in your words, they've become a waste of resources?"

Sensing the strange looks from the cavalry around him, Gredin's face flushed red, but he stubbornly retorted, "We really have no money! Your lord's training here every day has consumed half the city's reserves just for bread and sausages."

"Having them in our hands allows for more flexibility in resource allocation. For example, we could assign them to customs duties and collect more taxes!"

"Put it in your hands?" Tora sneered, reaching out to grab Gray's vest collar. "I think you're afraid the soldiers will stick with Her Majesty the Saintess and cut off your source of income!"

"Don't make false accusations! I'm warning you!"

"What are you pretending to be poor for? I know you people are rolling in money, but you'd rather let it rot in your warehouses than let a single drop of it slip through your fingers to the common people. You misers."

Gray, struggling to breathe, tried to explain, "You can't say that... We're doing this for the greater good of Dawn Island. We can't win the war and then lose all the money, can we? Who will rebuild Dawn Island then..."

"Come on……"

Below the earthen slope, the two argued more and more fiercely until Michelle finally couldn't take it anymore: "Stop arguing! This is so pointless!"

Upon hearing Michelle speak, the two of them calmed down a bit and squatted down to rest.

He was still cursing under his breath, unwilling to back down.

"Your Excellency Joan of Arc, haven't the scouts we sent returned yet?" Michel anxiously dismounted and whispered to Jeanne's side, "If Bilette really doesn't come after us, all our efforts will have been in vain."

Jeanne didn't speak, but just stared in the direction of the fork in the road, her fingers unconsciously stroking the brass nails on the saddle.

She wasn't entirely confident either.

She had long heard of Putzillo's caution, or rather, his timidity and cowardice. If Bilette had actually obeyed his orders, the ambush plan would have been a complete failure.

However, the Holy Alliance General Staff provided Jeanne with a small helping hand.

Now, it all depends on whether the Cheka's hidden piece among the enemy troops can be effective.

The gamble was on Bewright's desire for revenge and her vanity.

Kennard's tragic death was a great disgrace to the Maborah family.

As the younger brother, Billett would never let go of this triple opportunity to seize the inheritance, wash away the shame, and grab military merits.

Just as she was pondering this, Jeanne suddenly saw a bright red patch appear on the lush green grass in the distance.

Many people saw it too, and they all stood up, waiting for the news to come back.

The horses' hooves kicked up clouds of dust as the scouts returned, shouting even before they got close: "The Leias are coming! The Leias are in pursuit!"

"What?!" Tora and Gredin jumped up at the same time.

After the initial shock, they all turned their gaze to Jeanne, the Chairwoman of the Joan of Arc.

If Bilette falls for the trap, Jeanne's methods will make victory impossible.

Jeanne sat up abruptly, and grabbed the battle flag that had been leaning against the tree.

The flagpole slammed heavily to the ground, causing the surrounding fallen leaves and pebbles to bounce.

Turning her horse around, her voice was clear and resolute: "Gentlemen, victory in the Dawn Island War is just around the corner!"

The knights responded in unison, grabbed the reins, and mounted their horses with a clanging sound.

Greedin, naturally, also lowered his head, mounted his horse, and muttered, "Foolish Billeller, cowardly Putzillo!"

"What are you babbling about?" Tora happened to be passing by and sneered, "Wishful thinking, huh?"

Greeding's ears turned slightly red, but he turned his head away and said, "I won't hold it against you."

"Hmph, oligarch's lackey!"

"Who are you calling a lackey?"

"You're a lackey, who else can you insult?"

Just as the knights were making a fuss, Michel walked up to Jeanne and asked in a low voice, "Your Excellency, would you like to take a longer detour?"
They had shown signs of retreating earlier, perhaps they had been warned. If the Leias discover the trap, we'll be in trouble.

Jeanne shook her head: "No need. Since Billette dared to come, it means he has lost his mind. Don't do anything useless."

Before long, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard in the distance, growing faster and closer.

Jeanne took a deep breath, stood up, and exclaimed, "Heroic monk, follow me!"

After she finished speaking, the battle flag hanging in her hand immediately fluttered in the wind, and then she dashed towards the lake further away.

Three hundred knights followed closely behind, deliberately slowing down to leave obvious signs of retreat.

Bypassing a densely packed farmhouse, like a sprawling, overflowing torrent of molten iron, three thousand border knights appeared on the verdant land of wheat fields.

At the end of the dirt road and farmland, Billette spotted Joan of Arc at a glance.

That black and red flag was really eye-catching.

Fortunately, they didn't run far. After all, they needed to rest after being chased for so long.

They probably only took a break after seeing them retreat, but they didn't expect to be caught red-handed!

So, Putzillo did him a favor after all.

Looking at the marks still not cleaned up on the ground, Billett waved his hand and shouted, "Chase them! Don't let them get away!"

He spurred his warhorse, quickening his pace, and followed the tracks toward Jeanne's party.

The sound of horses' hooves pounding the ground startled nearby residents, who quickly retreated into their cellars.

On such plains, cavalry pursuit battles are all about who has the better horse, who is faster, and who is lighter.

While the Holy Alliance might not be as good as the Border Knights in terms of horse quality, they far surpass them in speed and weight.

Jeanne ran away, and Bilette chased after her, the scenery rushing past on both sides as they chased further and further away.

As they chased, Billette realized they had gone completely mad, because they were heading straight for Waterwheel Lake.

Lake Nako, let's see how you run now!
Sure enough, not long after, on a grassy field, the three hundred cavalrymen suddenly split into three groups and retreated in all directions.

The shimmering light seemed to illuminate the sneer on Billett's face as he drew his longsword: "The one carrying the black and red flag, wearing the iron mask, is Joan of Arc. Seize her!"

"Oh—!" the knights cheered, raising their lances in unison.

However, they were completely unaware of what was hidden on the ground by fallen leaves and vines.

"Charge—ah!"

"Pickled radishes are a must-eat..."

Suddenly, the warhorses of the first few knights let out a mournful cry and collapsed forward.

Immediately, the knights and their horses fell to the ground, mud splashing more than a meter high.

The knights behind couldn't brake in time and crashed into it, creating a continuous cacophony of neighing horses and clashing armor.

He immediately reined in his horse and looked ahead in surprise.

"No, no!" He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. "This isn't a meadow."

He hadn't realized it at first, but now he saw that what he had just seen as green was not grass at all.

That was a pond filled with duckweed!

It only looks like a pond because it is covered with weeds, or rather, because people have thrown away a lot of weeds and vines.

The most difficult terrain for cavalry to operate in is swampy areas.

It's important to know that even with the added divine power of walking on flat ground, one still cannot walk on water.

It really was an ambush!
Moreover, it was an ambush with a significant terrain advantage!
Damn it, he was going at full speed to catch up with Jeanne, and even the scouts were only two or three hundred meters ahead of them, so they didn't have time to do a thorough reconnaissance.

Even with his hot-blooded enthusiasm, Billette knew at this moment that it was time to retreat.

But just as he pulled his warhorse back, intending to order a retreat, he heard a burst of intense drumming.

The bushes were trembling, as if the earth were shaking.

Soldiers in padded jackets and uniforms emerged from the woods and farmland, behind houses and earthen slopes.

They carried wind-up muskets and long spears, forming a horizontal line and quickly assembling into battle.

As black and red flags fluttered in the wind, Billette blushed and her vision blurred.

In addition to the swamp, there was also an encirclement of nearly 10,000 infantrymen.

"Break out to the east... no, to the south... no, damn it, how did they get here so fast!"

These hidden soldiers were able to skillfully change formations and regroup, their level of organization was astounding...

At least one officer would be needed for every twenty or thirty people to achieve this. How did Jeanne of the Holy Alliance manage to do it?
If Jeanne could hear his thoughts, she would surely tell him.

Because her army spared no expense, training every single day.

Because the Holy Alliance has so many officers and literate veterans, it's not feasible to have one officer for every twenty or thirty men. However, it's still possible to have one officer and two literate veterans for every fifty men.

There were no schemes, no fancy tricks.

Jeanne may employ all sorts of ingenious tactics on the battlefield, but when it comes to actual training, she is honest, down-to-earth, and diligent.

She always understood that no matter how ingenious a plan is, it's all for naught if you can't win.

Gunfire erupted from both sides of the woods, and a barrage of lead bullets rained down on the cavalry.

At the same time, the red dragon's breath rose high from the grenade launcher and landed among the border knights.

Fire dragons shot out in all directions, and the flames spread instantly.

"Kill!" Jeanne's voice rang out, and the three hundred knights suddenly turned their horses around and charged towards the chaotic Leia cavalry.

The wooden planks and turf of the ground trenches were lifted, and infantrymen wearing breastplates rushed out.

Wielding halberds and greatswords, they charged towards the knights trapped in the mud.

These halberdiers and two-handed swordsmen are all mercenaries; the Holy Alliance rarely has dedicated halberdiers or assault swordsmen.

"Don't panic, we still have a chance," Billette shouted before bursting into violent coughing.

He tried to continue organizing, but found that the knights were already in complete disarray.

Some screamed in agony from the burning red dragon's breath, some were hit by lead bullets and fell from their horses, and others were trapped in the trenches, unable to move.

Only a few knights were able to remain calm and attempt to regroup and break through.

"Break through! Break through quickly!" Bilette roared, wielding his longsword to parry the halberd and slashing down an infantryman who charged at him.

Just then, the dry grass and wooden planks on the ground not far away were lifted up, and a creaking mechanical sound came from inside.

Sixteen clockwork cannons were pushed out on both sides, their dark muzzles aimed at the chaotic cavalry.

“Oh, angel’s poop!” Billette’s pupils contracted slightly, and she couldn’t help but utter a curse word from her hometown.

"Fire!" Jeanne gave the order, and the shotguns opened fire simultaneously, a dense hail of iron pellets raining down on the Leia cavalry.

The cavalrymen fell in droves in an instant, their screams and wails filling the air.

Bilette was an unlucky guy.

His brother was hit by so many lead bullets before finally being struck in a vital spot and dying.

Because of his forward position, seven or eight iron pellets pierced through his brain, leaving him and his horse mangled and bloodied.

It must be said that with Bilette dead, the remaining Border Knights are in dire straits, and surprisingly, quite a few of them still have the will to fight.

But by the time the infantry arrived, their escape route was already cut off.

After this battle, Leia's reinforcements of 3,000 elite border knights suffered heavy losses and were no longer able to launch an attack in the short term.

As for Putzillo's side, once the reinforcements collapse, the morale of the remaining soldiers will surely collapse as well.

At that point, with the help of the Cheka at Square Wolfenstein, either Putzillo will surrender on his own, or someone else will help him surrender.

I don't know what he will choose, Jeanne gently strokes the flagpole in her hand.

Michel rushed over: "Your Highness, Putzillo has just arrived with a thousand cavalrymen..."

"Where?" Jeanne's expression immediately turned serious.

Michelle's expression was unusually strange: "According to the scouts, he glanced at it and then left with his cavalry."

"Aren't we going to try to rescue him?" Gredin stared in disbelief at Putzlio, who had vanished like an arrow.

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment. The encirclement wasn't complete yet; there was still a chance!

Why did you just come for a quick look and leave? Were you paying your respects to the deceased Billette?
Jeanne smiled but didn't say anything more.

Putzillo has made his choice.

Greeding looked at Jeanne and suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness. After this battle, who could stop her from becoming the ruler of Dawn Island?
She looked up at the sky; the setting sun was slowly sinking, turning the woods into a golden hue.

The war on Dawn Island has finally come to an end.

(End of this chapter)