Chapter 491 - 351: Lagman’s Redemption

When the soldiers of Aleppo saw Sharafi’s head had been severed, their morale instantly collapsed.

The remaining Turkic Cavalry Archers were the first to give up the fight, immediately turning to flee. When the infantry saw their cavalry attempting to escape, they knew that without cavalry support, no amount of bravery could change their fate.

The chaos on the battlefield intensified. The infantry began a desperate struggle to escape the field, which had already turned into a Hell on earth.

The infantry line shattered completely, and almost all of Aleppo’s infantry began to flee in every direction.

As they scrambled to escape, the casualties mounted even higher.

Fear devoured their sanity. The Aleppo infantry lost any semblance of order, shoving each other and unhesitatingly pushing comrades into the path of the pursuing Crusaders to buy themselves more time to flee.

One Turkic Archer lived long enough to have his fingers chopped off and his eyes gouged out, yet he continued to scream his lungs out on the ground.

In the end, his harrowing screams were silenced as his own comrades trampled him to death in the chaos. More soldiers died under the feet of their allies than from the blades of the Crusaders.

Nearly every inch of the battlefield was soaked in blood. The tower became a pile of corpses, and the other fortifications had become tombs for the Turkic and Arab soldiers. The air was thick with the stench of death.

The Knights continued the slaughter. There was no longer any resistance, only a few men desperately trying to sell their lives dearly. Others knelt on the ground, begging the Crusader Knights for mercy, while in the distance, Crusader infantry tried to stop some of the fleeing Muslim warriors.

The victors began to strip the clothes from the dead, searching for coins. Some Knights roared with excitement on the hillside, their Attendants waving their masters’ family banners. On the battlements, Priests and Cultivators praised God.

With six hundred Knights, they had crushed an army of seven thousand Turkic Cavalry and four thousand infantry under the Emir of Aleppo Sharafi, despite being at an absolute disadvantage.

What word could describe this victory better than "miracle"?

Eric stopped their celebration, ordering the Genoese Crossbowmen and English Archers on the battlements to quickly reinforce the West Gate. Although the South Gate had won the victory and successfully beheaded Sharafi, the situation at the West Gate was still unknown.

The two thousand infantry left to deal with the main camp at the West Gate were led by Ragman Crowan. Without the protection of Knights, this force was composed entirely of Frankish Recruits, Anglo-Saxon Shield Soldiers, and warriors from the Isle of Man. Of course, the Nobility Eric rescued from Antioch were also among them as Dismounted Knights. ’I wonder how they are doing.’

’That Arab chieftain who went back to relieve the main camp, and the Arab Cavalry stationed north of Hama... if both forces returned to reinforce the main camp at the same time, and the Crusaders’ two thousand infantry didn’t retreat into the city in time, the situation would be disastrous.’

Eric ordered the infantry to go first, had the Knights switch to new lances, and let them rest for twenty minutes. He then led three hundred Knights who were still able to fight and hurried toward the West Gate.

...

「Meanwhile, at the Hama West Gate.」

Ragman Crowan’s battle at the West Gate was still raging.

He was leading two thousand infantry with no cavalry support. Vastly outnumbered, they were locked in a fierce battle with nearly seven thousand infantry from Aleppo, while over a thousand Arab Cavalry, arriving in waves from the north, harassed and charged the shield wall led by Ragman.

"Today is a fine day for a fight! Come on, warriors!" Ragman roared. "Row! Row! Let the weak tremble in their beds and curse the day they were born! Let the strong prepare for their graves! Let the whole world fear the roar of the Sea Wolf!"

"Glory to the Lord! The holy light shines, and the enemy shall yield! Lord, have mercy upon us! Christ, have mercy upon us! Lord, have mercy upon us! Christ, have mercy upon us..."

War cries and prayers thundered through the air, roaring unceasingly like war drums.

Ragman roared, stirring his warriors’ courage and igniting their bloodlust with a savage cry. "The cold blade will slice the waves!" he yelled. "Axemen, advance! The curved hull parts the tides! Swordsmen, charge into the storm of weapons!"

"Doomed heads will roll! Severed limbs will twitch! Hungry Death rejoices at this feast of battle!"

"The destined sinners shall fall! The wicked bodies shall tremble! Righteous judgment shines bright in this Holy War, and the power of faith shall devour all darkness!"

"Come, wolves! Come, ravens! The feast of flesh is laid! In the hall of the serpent king, drink deep from the blood-red cup!"

"Come, Angels! Come, warriors! God’s holy communion is ready! Before the throne of the Father in Heaven, drink from the redeeming Holy Grail!"

The warriors of the Isle of Man roared like madmen, further inflaming their own battle lust and that of the men under their command. The Saxon Shield Soldiers and Frankish Recruits were also inspired, roaring along with them.

"Giver of gold, pourer of wine, bestower of riches! Heed my call, you makers of corpses, you slaughterers of men! For I shall place wealth into your hands. I will make rivers of gold flow at your feet and silver rain from the sky!"

"Holy Father, almighty Creator, Lord at the beginning of all things! Hear my call, holy soldiers of the Celestial Realm, forces of justice! For I shall lead you, and light and glory will flood the land. Let the wrath of God burn, the fortress of evil shall crumble, and the glory of victory will descend!"