Translator: Cinder Translations
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The Church Army followed Webster's orders and retreated from the battlefield of Hestia.
Since the retreat was hasty due to their failure, it quickly turned into a disaster in the already chaotic situation.
The soldiers who fled in a rush first stormed into the supply camp and looted, while those who arrived later fought violently with those who came earlier. These soldiers, who usually fought in the name of gods, completely disregarded the teachings in the Holy Scriptures, fighting one another in a messy and brutal struggle over a few precious items, even drawing swords against each other.
Those who prioritized their own survival took the smaller paths to escape, but there were so many people that they got stuck and couldn't move.
Naturally, the New Faith Army did not let this excellent opportunity slip by. Under Andrew's command, they chased the Church Army relentlessly.
Even the scattered forces of the Horns Bay Alliance reorganized, shouting and chasing after the once-dominant Church officers and soldiers.
The Hestia battle marked a complete victory for the New Faith Alliance.
According to the post-battle statistics, the New Faith Army killed over 8,000 and captured over 15,000, while the Church Army suffered over 23,000 casualties, a heavy loss.
On the other hand, the New Faith Army lost fewer than 3,000, including those from the less capable Horns Bay Alliance forces.
Having witnessed the entire battle, the Lady Scarlet Flame, Marianna, again praised the performance of the army under her eldest son's command.
Without a doubt, the Alden Army was the core of this battle.
When the right-wing forces of the Horns Bay Alliance collapsed, the mercenaries from the Alden Army completed an astonishing turnaround in front of the enemy, re-establishing the right wing of the army. Their skill in maneuvering was truly impressive. In the brief time they had, they managed to rebuild the right wing before the Church Army could strike a devastating blow from the right side.
When the Church Army advanced using a diagonal strategy, it was the Alden Army's infantry that decisively launched an attack. Supported by artillery, they broke through the central part of the Church Army's trapezoidal formation, cutting the enemy into two.
The coordination between the Alden infantry and artillery was flawless, clearing obstacles for the advancing infantry without hitting their own forces.
While Marianna admired their performance, she also felt a hint of regret. Her son's army performed so well that she didn't have the opportunity to use her trump card, which would have made magic the decisive factor once again.
Originally, her plan had been to replicate the miracle at Eaton, where the New Faith Army was about to retreat, and then summon all the spellcasters to take down Webster with a powerful fireball, turning the tide in favor of the New Faith Army.
This would have elevated the status of spellcasters once again.
Well, this outcome wasn't so bad after all! After her regret faded, Marianna felt a surge of pride for Paul Grayman.
News of the Hestia battle spread like wildfire across the Horns Bay region and soon reached other parts of the continent.
The cities along the Horns Bay coast plunged into celebrations, as the people of the New Faith Alliance could hardly believe the dramatic turn of events, with a previously dire situation now completely reversed.
Meanwhile, inland nations supporting the Horns Bay Church fell into despair, with rulers trying to block the news or downplay the Hestia battle as just a minor setback.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Webster rallied his forces and wrote to the Papacy for greater support.
However, the response from the Holy City sent his spirits crashing. The Papacy rejected his request, stating that they could not keep pouring resources into the bottomless pit that was the Horns Bay, especially after the Alden merchant fleet refused to provide services to the Papacy.
The Papacy's higher-ups instructed Webster to achieve victory using the resources at hand.
"Go! The Father will always protect His beloved children!"
Webster ground his teeth as he read the final line, then tore the letter to pieces in front of the messenger, his hands trembling with rage.
Just as Webster struggled to rebuild his army, a reinforcement from far away reignited his hope.
Giles' army had arrived.
They had set off from the southern border of Alden with the intention of attacking the northern Horns Bay city-states allied with the New Faith Alliance. However, the Horns Bay Church repeatedly sent envoys urging them to continue south and join Webster, even threatening not to pay the commission.
Giles made a small compromise, raising the commission significantly before sending his army into the Horns Bay interior and heading south through the Church-controlled territories.
But before they could reach their destination, Webster, believing he had regained the upper hand, led his army westward. By the time they reached Collins, they encountered Webster retreating with his defeated forces.
Giles' army commander, Viscount Fernando Payton, blamed Webster for launching the attack before they arrived. He argued that if the "Undead Army" had appeared at the Hestia battlefield, the northwest country bumpkins would have been in for a painful lesson.
In need of reinforcements, Webster unusually showed humility. He "admitted" his mistake and hoped that this new ally would help him reclaim victory.
Thus, another great battle unfolded within the borders of Collins, as Payton led 3,000 Undead soldiers and 3,000 auxiliary infantry as reinforcements for the Church Army.
The spellcasters recruited by Giles lived up to their value, enabling their employer to maintain the Undead Army's formidable fighting strength through special potions. Although these potions were slightly less effective than the original versions provided by the Arcane Order, they were fully controlled by Giles, without any external restrictions.
This was why the greedy Duke felt confident enough to send such a large force of Undead soldiers to the Horns Bay.
Having learned from the previous night raid on Lion's Port by Dirk Doyle, Payton was determined to improve his soldiers' defenses. He knew the enemy had used metal projectiles to take down his men, and after discussing the Hestia battle with Webster, he confirmed the Alden Army's methods of attack.
He concluded that the failure to stop the Northwesterners' Flame weapons was due to insufficient armor and decided to enhance his soldiers' protection.
When the New Faith Army infiltrated Collins, they met Payton and Webster at a key location, and the battle began.
(End of the Chapter)
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