“Don’t try to charge straight at them! Go around to the side and scatter them!”
Will shouted the order while pulling hard the reins to keep the horse from bolting.
Dust clouds rose all around him, and the air was filled with the neighs of horses and unnatural cries.
Gigantic boars snorted as they ran wildly.
“Damn it! Bastards! Come here and fight!”
Astride them were monsters with beast heads, much more powerful than any orcs. They wielded weapons that had iron hooks on the ends as they desperately urged their mounts forward in an attempt to close the gap.
“Don’t allow them to provoke you! Grab them by the snout and drag them down!”
The Tusk Riders trampled over everything in their path with muscle and mass. In Morania, they were known to be an equal threat as magic beasts to anyone who fought monsters. Once they went on a rampage, they could erase a village or two from a map within a single day.
“Attack the boars, not the riders! You don’t have to cut them! Obstruct their vision, agitate and enrage them!”
Will lowered his scimitar as he shouted, and then a streak of blood flashed on the boar’s rock-like snout.
The monster’s mouth foamed and it went wild so that the orc rider could not control it.
“Now! Attack!”
Countless blades flashed against the staggered orcs, cutting them down until their corpses littered the bloody ground. In a mad frenzy, the boars trampled over their former masters.
“Don’t pursue them too far! Confirm each other’s course! Follow the guidance of your tags, do not rely on your eyes and ears alone!”
Even as the boars were rampaging chaotically, not a single one of the cavalry was colliding into each other as they passed.
Guided the dog tags, they were each given orders in order to maintain their proper distance. All the riders had to do was swing their swords.
By now, the Tusk Riders had lost their will to fight, and they were focused on trying to regain control of their mounts, which gave the enemy an opening to cut them down.
“…Damn it. To think the day would come when Tusk Riders can be toyed with like this.”
Suddenly, an empty space opened up on the battlefield. With the enemy scattered and his men chasing down the boars, Will was able to take all of it in and briefly think about the past.
The memory of his lands being ravaged by Tusk Riders, back when he governed them as the Marquis of the Limiris frontier. They had effortlessly crushed his cavalry and trampled over horse barricades, laying waste to the castle town.
However…
“All of you! Don’t chase the enemy too far! Follow the instructions of the tag and keep your proper distance! If you get carried away on the offensive, they may take you by surprise!”
There was no place for sentimentality or overconfidence on the battlefield. In the first place, they were here to atone for their previous failure.
‘Right wing. Will’s unit. The monsters who were lying in wait in the forest have begun to move. They are using ranged weapons. Suspend your attacks and focus on evasion. We are sending dragoon support now.’
“Understood. All unite, focus on evasion. Hold out until the dragoons arrive!”
The last order was issued through the tag. Routine orders were given verbally, while more critical commands had to be kept from leaking outside. This way, they could ensure accurate information on their own side while feeding the enemy lies.
While using such refined tactics, Will stared hard at the monster throwing unit that was preparing to launch a new assault.
“All of you, stay on your guard! Focus on dodging the incoming arrows!”