I Was Reincarnated as a Marquis in Another World

When looking back at the history of war, it has only been a little over 100 years since sheer firepower could overwhelm a significant numerical advantage.

In the eras prior, even if the troops were greatly outnumbered, maximizing overwhelming firepower could only increase the probability of victory on the battlefield.

In my case, I mobilized all my matchlock rifles, rifles, and cannons to unleash a tremendous amount of firepower on the enemy in a short period, inflicting significant damage.

However, that alone was insufficient to annihilate them before they clung to the castle walls.

The soldiers of Franche began to stick to the walls, seemingly proving my thoughts by withstanding the barrage of 5 cannons and 2,000 matchlocks deployed in four directions, along with hundreds of rifle shots.

“Raise the ladders! If we can get over the walls, we’ll survive!”

“They’re cowards hiding behind the walls, throwing things! Such cowards are weak in melee!”

“Aaaaah! Long live the Franche Empire! Long live Your Excellency Marquis Simon! Long live Your Excellency Count Louis!”

Unlike Joseon, which only fought with ranged weapons, our army had also trained adequately in close combat.

So, as the fools said, even if we engaged in melee, we would likely win against common serfs in a 3-to-1 fight.

However, if enemy soldiers overwhelmed our exhausted troops, fighting countless enemies atop the walls, what then?

The weary soldiers would perish atop the walls, and the enemy troops led by Marquis Simon would seize the position they guarded.

Once the serfs established a stronghold on the walls, elite soldiers led by Count Architel would flood in.

Then, we would gradually be pushed back inside the castle, eventually encircled and annihilated by the enemy.

But if I were unaware of this, I might just sit back and let it happen, but that wouldn’t be the case.

“Order the combat engineers and knights that have been standing by to assist in the frontline defense of the walls.”

“However, Your Excellency… if we wish to pursue and strike the enemy after winning this battle, we need to conserve our knights. How can we charge at a fleeing enemy on horseback, spear in hand, when they’re exhausted?”

Indeed, no matter how strong the knights were, they couldn’t possibly charge on horseback after fighting atop the walls.

From that perspective, the adjutant’s advice was not wrong, but…

The problem was that if the walls were breached, death awaited everyone; thinking about later events was nonsense.

So, while I was already distracted, observing my surroundings to command, I shouted angrily at the adjutant who spoke out of turn.

“Are you out of your mind? The enemy outnumbers us three to one, and they’re attacking like their lives depend on this battle. Therefore, we must commit everything we have to counter their numbers. If not, those damned fools will sit on those walls!”

And I pointed towards the walls with my finger so that the idiot adjutant would understand.

In the point I indicated, several Franche serfs had already managed to climb the walls, breaking through the cannon and matchlock fire, and were atop the battlements.

“I’m up! I made it! If I can just get back alive, I’ll get recognized for my achievements…”

“I finally arrived! I did it!”

“Damned Croilet Marquess, wash your neck…”

However, most of them were killed immediately upon climbing, murdered by the spearmen or swordsmen who remained on the walls.

Additionally, some soldiers who managed to hold out for a moment soon met the same fate as their fallen comrades…

As the saying goes, the first time is the hardest, but once the wall is breached, the soldiers stationed there will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of Franche’s forces; it is only a matter of time.

In such a situation, drawing the knights back as reserves for a pursuit would be a terrible move that could create a crisis.

Seeing the insignia on the subordinate’s uniform, I understood.

“After graduating at the top of the military academy and receiving a commission as a Lieutenant under my command, didn’t you hear what the professors said? ‘95% of theoretical concepts are discarded or altered on the battlefield.’ This is a special situation; you should have acted accordingly…”

Upon hearing that, the young officer seemed to realize that disaster awaited him in his future, turning pale…

However, it would be a harsh action to ruin the future of a lieutenant who merely offered conventional advice.

In addition, the senior officers of this adjutant will hopefully educate him… that’s all I’ll say.

Failing due to a lack of experience can be punishable by death, but giving poor advice is simply a mistake that can be overlooked.

“Senior Adjutant! Raise the flag and prepare to send the knights as reserves for a charge! Also, substitute the troops who fought in close combat with the engineers under Captain Mark and the remaining infantry.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Also, raise the flag and instruct the commanders to go all out. After this battle ends, tell them to fight with everything they have. They don’t need to worry about a pursuit.”

Had their morale been sufficiently high, some knights might have been kept back to prepare for a pursuit.

However, since the enemy’s formation had been shaken the moment they were bombarded by twenty cannons, resulting in deserters fleeing the battlefield, their morale was already low.

Would such a disordered army, which had already suffered tremendous damage from grape shot, rifle volleys, and matchlock fire, be capable of maintaining order sufficient for a retreat?

No, if any officer or squad leader were to suggest an orderly retreat followed by a counter-attack, a rebellion would likely ensue.

Once one soldier draws his sword against an officer who leads them to their doom, the other comrades nearby would join in.

While conflicts between commanders and generals might be one thing, a division among troops that leads to outright rebellion cannot be rebuilt.

Reorganizing such soldiers is easier said than done; it would be simpler to resurrect the dead.

In other words, if we commit our full strength in this offensive, absolute victory for our side is assured.

Just a moment ago, the serfs who climbed the ladders had established a few small strongholds, pushing our forces back…

After a while, as the engineer battalions and knights were deployed into the fray, the situation began to change gradually.

The engineer troops used their two-handed hammers to kindly smash down the helms of the serfs and knights, while our knights ruthlessly jabbed at the gaps in the armored Franche knights.

“Damn it, die! You idiot!”

“Don’t desecrate the castle that Our Croilet Marquess personally labored to build with your filthy feet!”

“Damn dogs, die! Go back to the hell from which your dead parents returned!”

As a result, the enemy, who had built a position on the walls and gradually pushed our forces back, began to be pushed back in return.

Marquis Simon, who likely didn’t acquire his title through mere chance, raised his sword at the front lines upon witnessing this situation, ordering while encouraging his troops.

“Knights, with all your might, climb the ladders!! Serfs, if you want to escape the dreadful shackles of poverty… then climb the walls! I swear upon the name of Jean von Simon, if you sever that Croilet Marquess’s head… all the spoils shall be divided among you! Charge!”

The problem was, despite issuing that command, the knights and serfs did not seem to rally more.

Still, witnessing such determination would surely help alleviate the dwindling morale among the serfs and knights making a frontal assault.

It is not a favorable situation for us.

“Raise the flag to signal to our forces that I’m watching! Also, the most crucial moment of this battle is now. Therefore, do not hold back any reserves and ammunition; unleash everything upon the enemy! If there’s even one bullet left in a unit after the enemy retreats, I will deal with you severely!”

With my command spurring them on, the artillerymen and matchlock soldiers began ruthlessly increasing their rate of fire.

Meanwhile, due to enough training and combat experience among the matchlock marksmen, some got so carried away that they unintentionally loaded their firing rods instead of ammunition and just pulled the trigger, sending the rods flying.

While our forces unleashed overwhelming firepower against the enemy…

The enemy’s morale began to weaken slowly.

As we continued the tedious battle over the wall for about an hour, or rather two…

Even among the engineer and knight units assigned to close combat, soldiers started falling over from fatigue, albeit not from injuries.

Still… I finally heard cheers among our troops.

“Your Excellency Marquis Croilet! The enemy… the enemy is starting to retreat! It seems they deem further attacks impossible!”

“Our side has also suffered significant casualties, but the enemy is at such a loss that even counting the dead would seem irrelevant. In my opinion, reorganization is impossible.”

As I observed the enemy closely, the serfs had already lost all order and were fleeing wildly.

“Run away! We don’t know what those devils might do!”

“That damned Marquis Simon might order us to fight again! I’m going to run!”

“As long as I don’t get caught by the agents, I can escape alive!”

Even I could see many troops executing a deserter’s retreat, and the idea of reorganization was ridiculous.

That was only feasible for legendary naval admirals, not for the army.

“Army, forgo the pursuit. We will rest as we are today and begin to sort out the battlefield from tomorrow.”

Immediately after issuing that command, I and the soldiers collapsed as if we had died, embellishing the scene a little.

Although not pursuing them might be a slight flaw…

This battle yielded the maximum outcome I could achieve, and future historians would likely evaluate it this way…

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