A Crusader with System in the Middle Ages

When Robert finished speaking, the men were stunned for a moment before scrambling to their feet. Attendants at their sides rushed to help their masters don their armor and fasten their spurs.

Robert’s attendants rushed forward with his chain armor and helmet and began to dress him.

"Robert, it’s useless! Hugh has at least twice as many knights as we do. Their campaigns in North Wales have never ceased; their combat experience is far greater than ours."

Belem pushed aside a nearby attendant and stumbled after Robert, only to fall to the ground after just a few steps.

Robert ignored him, vaulted onto the warhorse an attendant led over, and took the lance he was offered.

Just then, a familiar banner slowly appeared in the distance. It bore the emblem of a standing red lion.

That was the coat of arms of the Earl of Chester.

The arriving knight was none other than his cousin, the Earl of Chester—Hugh.

He was a burly youth with a perfectly round, pudgy face.

"Oh, I was wondering who would be flying our Normandy banner. So it’s you. Long time no see, Robert. You really are unlucky, aren’t you?"

Hugh had no one behind him. He had come alone.

This was Hugh’s custom on the battlefield: to act as his own envoy, demonstrating his martial prowess to vassals and opponents alike.

He was eight years Robert’s senior. When Robert was still a child, Hugh was already an accomplished knight.

He was a great showman and always struck Robert as insincere. For that reason, Robert detested him.

"We’ll see who’s the unlucky one."

"Indeed, perhaps. But I am certain that my great and formidable uncle—your esteemed father, William, the most powerful King of England—is utterly enraged by your actions."

"Is that so? If it hastens his return to the embrace of the Lord of Heaven, I would be delighted."

"We haven’t seen each other in years, and you’ve changed so much. How arrogant. To confiscate my property in Normandy without His Majesty’s permission... you’ve certainly got nerve."

"Cousin Hugh, you would never side with me, no matter the circumstances. Am I wrong? I’m self-aware enough to know that much. I am the master of Normandy. You should count yourself lucky you weren’t there, or you would have lost far more than just your property!"

"Give it up. You have no hope of defeating me with such a small force. Come with me to London. I’ll plead your case before His Majesty. Your loyal subordinates here can live, and they won’t be dishonored.

You’re making this very difficult for me. We are cousins, after all. I do want to look out for you."

Hugh seemed completely unfazed by Robert’s words, his demeanor remaining perfectly relaxed.

"’Difficult?’ If it’s so difficult for you, then let’s not bother with it at all."

Robert drew his longsword and violently flung the scabbard at Hugh.

Yet, just as the scabbard was about to strike him in the face, Hugh caught it firmly.

"So there’s nothing left to discuss. I’ll take this as your declaration of war."

Hugh chuckled, tossed the scabbard behind him, then pulled on his reins, turning his warhorse back the way he had come.

Hugh vanished from sight.

Robert wheeled his horse around to face the knights behind him, drew his longsword, and shouted:

"Warriors of Normandy, hear my command! The knights will form two lines, a front and a rear. The front line will split into two fifty-man squares, left and right. The second line will form a single column..."

Robert began to order them into a conventional cavalry formation, but stopped mid-sentence.

If the enemy were a typical army with infantry, this plan might work. The two fifty-man squares of knights could potentially shatter the enemy’s flanks. But their opponent had far more knights. Fifty-man squares had no hope of breaking through; it would be a suicide mission.

’No, I can’t do this. It’s suicide... What should I do...?’

He suddenly recalled the strategy Eric had mentioned during their first meeting.

’We need skilled archers and spearmen. A coordinated force of infantry and cavalry is far stronger than knights alone.’

’Combined arms... would a combined-arms approach really work?’

Robert turned and looked at the attendants standing beside each knight.

"All attendants, take up arms! Those who can use a bow and arrow, grab one! Those who can’t, take up a long spear! Form ranks!"

At Robert’s command, the knights who had just mounted their horses exchanged bewildered glances.

To have attendants form an infantry line was, without a doubt, a challenge to the very role of a knight.

Still, they only grumbled for a moment. After all, if they had to resort to using attendants, it meant the disparity in strength between the two sides was immense.

Even though the attendants were much weaker than knights and stood virtually no chance against them in a direct confrontation, they could still serve as cannon fodder to divert the enemy’s attention.

Nearly every attendant had basic training with the bow and arrow and the long spear. While they were hardly experts, they knew how to use them.

Soon, at Robert’s command, the attendants with bows and arrows and those with long spears formed into two separate squares.

Robert drew a third of the men from the archer formation and split them into two smaller squads. He ordered these two squads to hide in the thickets on the left and right flanks of the camp.

He merged the remaining two-thirds of the archers with the spearman formation to create a single square, which would serve as the front line.

"The knights will divide into two groups! One group will remain mounted in formation! The other will dismount and fight with their swords, forming a second line behind the spearmen!"

"What? We are knights! We fight on horseback!"

"I will never accept this! To dismount and stand with these infantrymen is a disgrace!"

"This is absurd! Why should I give up my warhorse?!"

"..."

The knights erupted in protest.

"I will repeat myself once more: one group remains in formation, the other dismounts to fight! Anyone unwilling to obey my command can get the hell out right now!"

Robert dismounted, tossed his lance aside, and took his place with his longsword behind the mixed formation of spearmen and archers.

Seeing Robert’s actions, the knights fell silent and began to move.

Just under a hundred knights dismounted, drew their longswords, and took up positions behind the mixed formation of spearmen and archers.

This settled the hearts of the attendants in the formation considerably. At least they no longer had to worry that their lordly knights would flee on their horses at the first sign of trouble, leaving them to become cannon fodder.

Of the roughly one hundred knights who remained on their warhorses, fifty were split evenly and positioned on the left and right flanks of the main formation. The remaining fifty were sent to the far right wing, positioning themselves beyond the enemy’s line of sight.

"The great and almighty God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but one of a more precious power! It is love! It is self-discipline! It is courage!

Norman Knights never abandon a loyal and courageous warrior! We will never cower before a powerful enemy! We refuse to surrender without a fight!

God is with us!"

"God is with us!"

"God is with us!"

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