Chapter 353: The Mercenary Association suffered heavy losses in its regular army, and the Crocodile
The mercenaries retreated quickly like a tide to the castle's wide lawn. Exhausted, they took their beloved mounts away and handed them over to the castle's special personnel to be properly raised and cared for.
Some of these people who had experienced fierce fighting found a place to sit down and gasped for breath; others just lay on the soft grass, stretching their sore limbs, trying to relieve the extreme fatigue of their bodies.
At the same time, the serious officers had already started counting the number of people. After careful verification and statistics, they finally determined that the actual number of people who arrived was only 1,100.
This number means that of the 3,000 brave warriors who originally set out on the expedition, 1,900 warriors have now unfortunately died on the battlefield. Such a huge number of casualties is extremely tragic! Especially the light cavalry, with less than 100 people surviving, becoming the most seriously damaged part of this battle.
At this moment, the mercenaries and regular troops from the neutral Principality of Roland were filled with endless sadness and frustration.
How could they not feel heartbroken when seeing their comrades who had fought side by side and shared life and death resting forever in this strange land? However, despite their grief, they knew that war was cruel and merciless.
After a while, the armed forces of the merchant corps came hurriedly with a group of civilians, having already prepared a sumptuous dinner for these exhausted mercenaries.
The mercenaries lined up silently, received their own portion of rich and warm food, and then each found a quiet corner to sit down.
Sitting quietly on the lawn, chewing the food in his mouth slowly, as if every bite contained deep longing for his deceased comrades.
Not far away, the busy alchemists were busy treating the injured soldiers.
They skillfully used various magical potions and spells, and did their best to help the wounded recover as quickly as possible so that they could re-engage in subsequent battles.
After all, for this badly damaged team, every bit of combat effectiveness retained is crucial.
It has to be said that the Mercenary Association sent troops to fight this war at a really inappropriate time, so much so that Tan Aili felt that there was no need to launch an attack and increase casualties, and the situation naturally became extremely serious.
This heavy loss undoubtedly dealt an unprecedented blow to the core strength of the Mercenary Association.
On the other side of the battlefield, the white-robed priests were nervously counting the casualties on their side. Shockingly, more than 4,000 of them had lost their lives in this fierce battle.
In comparison, the powerful combat power displayed by the mercenary team of only 3,000 people was obviously superior. In just one day, both sides lost more than 10,000 elite soldiers, and the entire battlefield was filled with a strong bloody and tragic atmosphere.
"Your Excellency, the Secretary of the Holy See!" A soldier, covered in blood and exhausted, knelt on one knee and reported in a trembling voice:
"We suffered heavy losses in this battle! A total of 32 sharpshooters were killed, six generals unfortunately died on the battlefield, and 140 grassroots officers also left us forever. Even 120 priests lost their lives, not to mention the 60 brave and fearless paladins..." At this point, the soldier was already sobbing.
The white-robed priest standing nearby slowly raised his head and looked up at the sky, his eyes revealing a hint of sadness and unwillingness.
He muttered to himself, "I didn't expect this battle to be so difficult. Those damn 500 mercenary heavy cavalry are too sharp, they are simply a group of demons! Next time we fight, we must find a way to avoid a head-on confrontation with them. We must not die in vain like today!"
Then, the pastor took a deep breath, pulled himself together, and gave an order: "Let the logistics troops act immediately and bury the bodies of all the fallen soldiers properly here. Move quickly and without mistakes!"
After receiving the order, the logistics troops quickly got busy. They first spent some time carefully cleaning the battlefield and collecting the scattered weapons and armor one by one. Then, they began to dig a large pit to bury the bodies.
After some intense and orderly work, the cold bodies were placed into the pit and finally covered with soil.
The whole process was solemn and dignified. No one spoke, and only the occasional slight sobs broke the silence.
When everything was done, the army slowly withdrew to the several manors they had occupied with a heavy heart. At this moment, the morale of the entire army was extremely low, and everyone seemed to have lost their souls and was listless.
The attack that day suffered a setback and progress was extremely slow. For the church armed forces supported by faith, the consequences were undoubtedly very serious.
If we cannot restore morale and confidence as soon as possible, the next battle will probably become more difficult.
A night passed quietly, everything was silent, and the whole world seemed immersed in tranquility.
Early morning
After a good night's rest, the exhausted mercenaries were indeed in a much better mood.
Their previously tense nerves finally relaxed at this moment, and their mentality also changed significantly. The morning sun shone on them, as if injecting new vitality into them.
They began to collect food in an orderly manner. The rich food exuded an enticing aroma, which made them unable to resist eating heartily and having a delicious meal. Everyone's face was filled with satisfaction, as if they had temporarily forgotten the trauma brought by the previous battle.
President Crocodile Holly, the brave and fearless leader on the battlefield, was seriously injured.
Fortunately, a magician performed a magical healing spell, allowing him to walk. However, his body was still weak and he could not exert any strength at the moment. He was lucky to be alive.
He dragged his heavy steps and slowly came to the lush lawn where the mercenaries were. This lawn, which used to be their place of rest and communication, was now filled with the feeling of rebirth after a disaster.
He looked at every mercenary with concerned eyes, especially the wounded ones, and patted their shoulders gently, giving them comfort and encouragement.
In fact, just last night, when everyone was sleeping to recover their energy, Crocodile Holly had a chat with the head of the Tan Aili family.
They conducted an in-depth reflection on this battle, and President Crocodile found that there were serious problems with the entire decision-making process, which directly led to heavy casualties in this battle.
Crocodile Holly knew that as a leader, he had an unshirkable responsibility in decision-making, and at this moment his heart was filled with guilt.
These mercenaries are all the passionate men of the Principality of Roland. They throw themselves into battle with full passion and fight for the honor of mercenaries.
However, some people have now left forever and can never return to their loved ones and friends.
When Crocodile Holly thought of this, he felt heartbroken. He felt that the mistakes he made in decision-making were a betrayal to these brave men.
On the other side, the church armed forces, despite their fierce force, could not take Sheldon Castle, which was like a solid barrier, blocking their progress.
Because of this, they did not dare to attack Shadowmoon City rashly. Crocodile Holly knew that as long as he kept his troops in place, he could effectively contain the church's armed forces. This made them dare not attack the castle with all their strength, because there were many concerns.
You know, the supply of the church's 100,000-man army is an astronomical figure. As far as the mounts are concerned, the amount of meat they consume in a day is an astonishing amount. Horses need a lot of grass and water, and the supply of these materials becomes increasingly difficult during long-term combat.
The extreme shortage of supplies made it difficult for the church's armed forces to hold out for too long. Just wait patiently for a few days, and they would fall into chaos due to the lack of supplies, and eventually suffer a crushing defeat.
Therefore, in this situation, there is no need to send troops to fight and cause unnecessary casualties. It is wise to use stillness to overcome movement.
There was no need for Crocodile Holly to start this war. He humbly accepted Tan Aili's criticism last night, which resulted in the loss of 1,900 high-level professionals of various arms. He was deeply saddened...