I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy

Chapter 213: Night Raid (1)

Instead of responding to the soldiers who returned from scouting, I silently signaled them to be quiet with my hand.

Instantly, the northern cavalry around me quieted their breathing, and even the horses made no sound, not even the noise of their hooves rolling on the ground.

I really like the classic silence of these guys, who were serious about ambushes.

The yawning Stockholm soldiers on guard, the poorly defended camp, and the brightly lit torches were all evidence of their complacency.

Also, to prepare for enemy ambushes, they should have surrounded the camp with wooden stakes to hide and defend behind in case of an attack.

Now, based on common sense, they might not have thought that the enemy, still tens of kilometers away, would attack, so they didn’t even set up the minimal defensive stakes.

If the soldiers of the Stockholm Kingdom were this complacent, it was definitely worth a try.

No, it would be a disqualification as a commander not to take advantage of such a weakness.

So, I spoke in a low voice, audible only to the chieftains around me.

“You all know this. The army of the Reich Empire grants wealth and honor to those who prove their abilities, and even nobles cannot advance if they prove incompetent.”

Under normal circumstances, all the chieftains would have cheered because after I personally killed the Khan and provided a living space for the Northerners, everyone here, including the chieftains, adored me just for breathing.

Perhaps for that reason, all the chieftains here deeply nodded their heads to express their emotion instead.

“You may not believe this because you haven’t had the chance to prove your abilities in the past four years. But remember, I, Peter Yaeger, the Northern Army’s General standing before you, am now a count, a son-in-law of the empire, and a general leading you. But my original status was that of an orphan, something you wouldn’t even glance at now.”

The fact that my status was low and humble had become a significant advantage for me now, depending on how I used it.

Because someone like me, who crawled from the bottom of the social hierarchy, had now reached just below the top of the empire’s social pyramid.

This fact gave hope that those marginalized from power, like themselves, could also achieve a better life depending on their efforts.

“And now, I, or rather the empire, will give you the opportunity to fight for a better life—the same opportunity I was given. The right and duty to prove your worth on the battlefield.”

After saying that, I lightly mounted my horse, drew my sword, and pointed it towards the enemy’s camp.

“You don’t have to answer with words, but prove it. Prove that you are worthy of the grace given by His Majesty the Emperor, who offered this opportunity to you, who were once barbarians of the north. All of you should no longer ponder what the empire can do for you, but what you can do for the empire. Show it on the battlefield. Prepare to charge, all troops.”

The place where I was currently ambushing was dominated by giant trees like the Taiga forests of Siberia, so there was a wide gap between the trees.

Thus, those who were really good at riding could easily run about 20 km/h without crashing into the trees, and this would be no problem for the northern cavalry.

The problem was that more than a thousand of them, especially during the dark hours when visibility was poor, could accidentally crash into a tree and die.

However, since I did not hesitate, none of the northern cavalry were afraid.

No, it was because we were quietly moving in preparation for the surprise attack.

Everyone around seemed to be enjoying it, as if they were teasing a girl they liked.

“I will take the lead. Follow me from behind. All troops, charge!”

After saying that, I spurred my horse and ran out as fast as I could.

My horse quickly accelerated to its top speed, and the northern cavalry following me matched their pace as fast as they could.

“Riding a horse with the General like this has been our dream!”

“In fact, you have the hot blood of a northern wolf, don’t you? You are more northern than any of us!”

“As expected of someone who killed the Khan, you are brave! It’s an honor to die alongside you, General.”

Looking around for a moment, the chieftains were moved by their hot trust in me and the joy of finally having the opportunity to prove their abilities.

Even though we were charging towards the large army of over 150,000 from the Stockholm Kingdom, there was no sign of fear.

Indeed, in terms of courage, these men were no less than, if not better than, the soldiers of the 7th Division I commanded.

After running about 300 meters, one of the chieftains, no, an officer of the archer cavalry led by Anya, said from beside me.

“Colonel Kerzhit said it seems too dangerous for you to be at the forefront. Won’t it be better for you to step back and stay behind now?”

I was grateful for the concern, but if I were to pull back now, the Northerners would lose some of their trust in the imperial army.

That could cause a slight disruption in the future integration of the north.

Thinking of myself as possessed by the Mongol cavalry who slaughtered Russian knights, I drew my sword with one hand and pointed forward.

“Colonel Anya, no, I tell this to the entire army! I, the Northern Army Commander, will take the most exciting and thrilling vanguard in today’s ambush! If you feel aggrieved, earn your stars and rise in ranks! Uraaa! Focus on the charge, all troops!”

After saying that, I looked around the camp of the Stockholm Kingdom’s army and saw that the squad leaders and company commanders, who had belatedly noticed the cavalry’s surprise attack, were completely losing their composure and panicking.

The soldiers, seeing their officers in such a state, either had expressions of giving up on everything, dazed, or were trying to survive on their own by taking out their weapons or armor.

“Squad! Form up! Form up here! Get closer together! Lower your spears! We have to cut them down with swords.”

“Damn it, stop talking nonsense. If it’s that easy, you do it!”

“Commander, we need to go near the commander’s tent! 4th squad, move!!”

“What the hell are you talking about?! Don’t listen to that guy, Company, gather!! Quickly, grab your spears and gather!!”

Seeing them so clueless made me feel almost guilty, as if we were doing something wrong.

But this was a battlefield, and we had properly declared war and were fighting, so there was no need to feel guilty.

Of course, from the perspective of those who were caught off guard and thoroughly defeated, there could be nothing more unjust in the world.

But that wasn’t my concern.

Who provoked this war in the first place?

“The warriors of the Reich Empire’s north have come here to cut off your heads! Only those who wish to die, block my way!!!”

Saying that, I extended my sword forward and ordered to charge at full speed.

At the same time, instead of forming a proper defensive formation, those who were panicking and holding spears started to be cut down one by one with the sword in my right hand.

Since they were caught off guard in their sleep and weren’t properly armored, swinging my sword wildly cut them down easily, which felt good.

It seemed the other northern cavalry shared my sentiment, as they all shouted with joy while starting to completely annihilate the enemy soldiers in front of them.

“Feel the tradition of the Reich Empire’s northern archer cavalry! Hahaha! Die, die, die!”

“It’s really satisfying to see these dog-like bastards die like dogs!”

“Your fate was sealed the moment you accepted that bastard Istvan!!”

Even in a properly prepared battle, infantry panic when cavalry charge in; now, with a night attack by 1,000 cavalry, they began killing.

However, commanders of regiment level and above had the presence of mind to issue relatively good orders even in this situation.

“19th Regiment, calm down and gather under the regimental flag!! Defend each regiment unit!!”

“Companies belonging to the 21st Regiment, run to the 21st Regiment Commander’s tent!”

“If you want to live, defend thoroughly with each regiment unit!!”

Since merely 1,000 mounted troops couldn’t confront an infantry regiment, we must sweep through as fast as possible and then retreat.

“Disperse in units of 30 and kill as many enemy soldiers as possible! However, do not engage those who are forming up and resisting! Also, take the torches placed around the camp and set them on fire!”