Chapter 176: Cognitive Fixation

On the eastern edge of the South Charleroi defense line, Morin arrived with Manstein and Kleist. The battle just concluded, though brief, was far more intense than anyone had anticipated. Morin watched the red unit tokens representing the Gallic Cavalry on the system map finally merge into one body and slowly retreat south, which allowed him to finally relax slightly.

The 3rd Company Commander Jonas quickly walked over when he saw Morin and Manstein approach.

“Battalion Commander!” he greeted, without saluting, adhering to the Instruction Assault Battalion’s combat drill.

“What are the casualties?” Morin asked directly.

“Not good.” Jonas grimaced, his expression a mixture of relief and lingering fear. “The one and a half platoons that went out suffered over forty casualties, especially the forward alert unit. They came back with only about twenty men, and their ammunition is almost completely spent.”

“If it weren’t for the timely and accurate bombardment from the Field Artillery Battalion, the Gauls certainly wouldn’t have retreated so quickly. Both of my platoons would have been completely wiped out outside the city today…” Jonas continued, his voice still tinged with trepidation: “Battalion Commander, the Gallic Cavalry is quite formidable. Their mobility is too strong. The moment we prepared to contract, they pressed their advantage immediately, as if they had calculated our exact timing, giving us no chance at all.”

“Yes… In cavalry versus infantry combat, they seize the moment of your formation change. The enemy certainly has experience,” Morin nodded. Regardless, the Gallic Republic was a traditional powerhouse of cavalry. It was no surprise that their cavalry commanders knew how to seize timing. If this had been a conventional unit without such fierce firepower, the Gallic Cavalry would likely have consumed the one and a half platoons with minimal losses. But he hadn’t expected…

“And their Cuirassiers! They are ridiculously tough!” Jonas brought this up, his tone laced with both astonishment and frustration. “The retreating soldiers said our Light Machine Guns and rifles hitting their chests felt like scratching an itch, sparking a blue light before deflecting the bullets.”

“It takes several consecutive hits to penetrate one! If we hadn’t thought to shoot the horses later on, our defense line might have collapsed instantly under that frontal charge.”

“However…” Jonas paused, a look of confusion on his face: “I feel like their tactics were flawed; they were too reckless. What kind of reconnaissance unit charges with their entire force right from the start? They fought like madmen, as if they wouldn’t stop until everyone was dead.”

“No, try looking at it from a different perspective.” Morin interrupted Jonas. He had watched the enemy commander’s unit token turn off on the system map. The commander was indeed reckless from start to finish, even leading the dismounted Cuirassiers in a suicidal charge, but…

“If it hadn’t been the Instruction Assault Battalion in Charleroi today, but another regular infantry unit without as much automatic firepower, what do you think the result of the battle would have been?”

3rd Company Commander Jonas was stunned. Morin patted his shoulder: “Take your time to think about it later. Have everyone quickly rest, send the wounded to the Battalion Headquarters Field Hospital, and continue to reinforce the defense line. Ammunition and supplies will be brought to you shortly.”

“Yes, Battalion Commander!” Jonas, having recovered his wits, responded loudly.

Morin gave a few more instructions, urging caution against the enemy returning, and then turned to head back to the temporary command post in the city center.

Walking along the street, Manstein kept pace beside him, speaking with a serious expression:

“Battalion Commander, although we repulsed the enemy’s vanguard this time, quite a few problems were exposed…”

“While our firepower density is high, its lethality against elite units with Enchanted Armor is severely diminished… Furthermore, our Field Unit still appears somewhat passive when dealing with large-scale, rapid cavalry infiltration.”

Morin hummed in agreement, mentally reviewing the recent battle. Indeed, a large part of their victory was due to luck. First, the arrogant Colonel Molière made a critical mistake, giving them a chance to correct their own. Second, the newly arrived Field Artillery Battalion was nothing short of a miracle. Had their bombardment, which seemed blessed by the ‘God of Artillery,’ not been so laser-guided precise, cutting off the Gallic Dragoons’ flanking maneuver, the two surrounded platoons would surely have been annihilated.

“It seems the age of cavalry hasn’t entirely passed in this world,” Morin mused inwardly. At least in this world with magic and enchanted equipment, traditional cavalry could still unleash terrifying combat power under specific circumstances.

Just as he was contemplating this, the system notification chime sounded in his mind at an inappropriate moment.

[Information Updated: Gallic Republic Army Cavalry Forces Organization and Equipment Overview]

Morin paused mid-step.

“What is it, Battalion Commander?” Manstein noticed his unusual reaction.

Morin shook his head and quickened his pace. “We need to get back immediately. Call Kleist over later, and we’ll re-establish our defenses… The Gallic main force will probably arrive soon.”

Back in the temporary command post on the ground floor of the Municipal Hall, Morin plopped down into a chair and immediately focused his mind on reviewing the newly updated information from the system.

[Gallic Republic Army Cavalry Forces Overview]

[Cuirassiers: The Gallic Army’s Heavy Assault Cavalry. They are the only unit extensively equipped with the ‘Model 1890’ Enchanted Cuirass. Following the disastrous ‘Sago War,’ the Gallic Republic heavily expanded the Cuirassier force, which currently numbers up to ten regiments.]

[Dragoons: The backbone of the Gallic Cavalry Force, equipped with lances and Berthier Carbines. They can charge as assault cavalry or dismount to fight as mounted infantry. While not the most numerous among the Gallic Cavalry, they are considered the true main force due to their versatility.]

[Chasseurs à Cheval (Light Cavalry): Light cavalry, primarily responsible for reconnaissance, pursuit, and flank harassment. Equipped only with carbines and revolvers, their protection is no different from standard infantry. They are few in number and usually exist as divisional reconnaissance units.]

[Hussars: The most numerous light cavalry unit, typically serving as corps-level reconnaissance, screening, and communication units. They are known for their flamboyant uniforms and fearless fighting style, but their armament is limited to sabers and revolvers. Their frontal combat ability is limited, and they primarily perform ‘utility’ missions.]

Morin read through the entries one by one, his astonishment growing with every line.

“Holy cow, ten regiments of Cuirassiers?” he couldn’t help but whisper. According to the Gallic organization, one cavalry regiment has 900 men. That means ten regiments equals over 9,000 heavily armored cavalrymen equipped with Enchanted Cuirasses. While the protective capabilities of this Enchanted Cuirass couldn’t compare to the full plate-armored supermen of Britannia and the Saxon Empire, their sheer numbers made up for it!

“The Gauls really are rich, or at least they’ve invested heavily in army construction, even if it feels like the money was spent in the wrong place,” Morin shook his head. Looking further down—Dragoons, Chasseurs à Cheval, Hussars… This well-defined and comprehensive cavalry system made him feel like he was back in a history class at the Saxon War College, studying the wars of Europa.

“These Gauls have truly ingrained revenge into their bones,” Morin sighed inwardly. The crushing defeat in the ‘Sago War’ had clearly been a major catalyst for Gaul. In the intervening years, they had endured hardship, expanded their army, and developed their entire ground forces system—especially the cavalry, a symbol of offense and honor—to a terrifying scale.

“Battalion Commander, what are you thinking?” Kleist’s voice snapped Morin back to the present.

Morin looked up and saw that Kleist and Manstein had arrived and were unfolding the field map of the region on the table. The Saxon Military Intelligence Department had provided the operational units with some field maps along the line of advance, but the information was mainly terrain-focused, with little detail on the city’s internal structure.

“Nothing much, just thinking about the Gallic troop configuration.” Morin stood up and walked to the map, pointing to the open fields south of Charleroi: “The battle just now showed us the capability of the Gallic Cuirassiers… That Enchanted Cuirass is a strong counter to our rifles and submachine guns.”

“Therefore, we must find a way to get a few of those things back here to study them, to see if we can find any weakness.” He spoke while looking at the system map. The red tokens representing the Gallic Cavalry, having suffered heavy losses, had retreated far away and clearly wouldn’t dare approach the urban area again anytime soon.

This was an opportunity. He immediately turned and called toward the door: “Dispatch Rider!”

A young soldier immediately ran in: “Battalion Commander!”

“Go, summon the Logistics Commander for me.”

“Yes!”

Soon, a slightly plump Logistics Officer hurried over.

“Battalion Commander, you called for me?”

“Yes.” Morin pulled him over and pointed to the southeast on the map. “You need to arrange a few Military Trucks immediately, take some men, and go back to the recent battlefield with the 3rd Company Commander.”

The Logistics Officer was stunned for a moment: “Battalion Commander, go out now? What if the Gauls…”

“They’ve just been crippled and are jumpy now; they won’t dare approach the urban area again easily,” Morin said unequivocally, waving his hand. “Your mission is to assist the 3rd Company in collecting as many of those Gallic Cuirasses from the battlefield as possible. Remember, we need the intact ones that haven’t been penetrated.”

“Collect the Cuirasses?” The Logistics Officer’s expression was peculiar. The Supply Train unit had certainly scavenged battlefields for valuable items before.

“Yes, collect the Cuirasses,” Morin confirmed. “That stuff is valuable. We need to study it… And while you’re at it, don’t miss any usable weapons and ammunition. Bring it all back.”

“Yes! I’ll go immediately!” Although the Logistics Officer was still worried, he immediately acknowledged the order and departed.

Watching him leave, Morin’s mind became active again. Those Enchanted Cuirasses were more than just research material; if they could figure out the underlying principle, maybe… they could even use the technology themselves? Once this thought surfaced, it couldn’t be suppressed.

“Battalion Commander, isn’t sending the Supply Train unit to retrieve equipment from the battlefield too risky?” Once the Logistics Officer was gone, Kleist couldn’t help but speak up, his tone laced with concern. “Even though the Gallic Cavalry retreated, they are certainly still watching us from afar. If we send men out like this, what if they counterattack?”

“There’s definitely a risk, but the potential reward is huge,” Morin said, looking at the map without lifting his head.

Manstein also agreed: “Captain Kleist, I believe the Battalion Commander’s decision is correct! The Gallic Cavalry just suffered a heavy defeat, their commander is killed, their formation is shattered, and morale must be at rock bottom. Even if we gave them the courage, they wouldn’t dare approach the urban area easily right now! This is the perfect time window for us to do what we need to do.”

He paused and added: “Besides, didn’t the Battalion Commander send the 3rd Company Commander with them? With combat troops providing cover, the risk is manageable. We can’t let the fear of risk stop us from doing anything, simply shrinking back in the city to wait for death.”

Hearing Manstein agree, Kleist no longer insisted. He knew both men made valid points, but his nature was cautious; he always preferred to consider the worst-case scenario first.

Seeing that they had reached an agreement, Morin guided the conversation to another more important issue.

“This battle exposed a major problem for us.” Morin’s finger tapped the map on the open ground outside Charleroi City. “Our perimeter alert units are too vulnerable when facing enemy cavalry.”

The terrifying mobility of the cavalry made Morin realize they could easily bypass the front and choose the weakest points to attack. Even though the Instruction Assault Battalion had a decisive advantage in firepower, the consequence of infantry on the move being caught by heavy cavalry during a transition would be catastrophic. If it hadn’t been for the Field Artillery Battalion’s quick reaction and timely fire support today, the two platoons of comrades would surely have been cut down by the Gallic Cavalry.

“Are you suggesting we withdraw all our perimeter alert units back into the city?” Kleist asked, frowning.

“No,” Morin immediately rejected the idea. “Completely giving up perimeter vigilance would be like blinding ourselves.” He was unwilling to simply contract inside the city; that would significantly reduce the unit’s control over the surrounding area, especially their line of sight. Once they lost real-time monitoring of the battlefield outside the city, the effectiveness of his cheat-like system map would also be greatly reduced.

“And even if we are to recall the alert units, we should only consider it after the enemy’s main force has completely pressed forward,” Morin added. “Before the main force arrives, we must maintain control of the battlefield initiative as much as possible, not passively huddle in the city waiting to be hit.”

Manstein listened quietly and then spoke: “Indeed… If we abandon the perimeter, the Gauls can reconnoiter freely without restraint, which would be extremely detrimental to our subsequent defense.”

Morin narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then proposed his solution:

“The key to the enemy’s success in the last battle was that they seized the timing of our alert unit’s position shift… Infantry on the move are virtually helpless against a cavalry charge! So, can we address this by improving the mobility of our alert units?”

Manstein and Kleist’s attention focused on him.

“Equip all our perimeter alert units with Military Trucks,” Morin stated word by word.

This suggestion made both men’s eyes light up.

‘That’s right! How could we forget this!’

Although the off-road capability of the Radiant Crystal Military Trucks was virtually non-existent, meaning they could only travel on smooth roads, even shifting positions along the road would be infinitely faster than infantry moving on foot. With the Military Trucks as transportation, the alert units could significantly shorten the time they were exposed in the open while shifting positions, greatly reducing the risk of being ambushed by enemy cavalry. Once enemy activity was spotted, the alert unit could immediately board the truck and quickly retreat back into the city via the road, or move to the next pre-established position.

“I really am an…” Morin couldn’t help but slap his forehead, chastising himself slightly. “Fighting purely against infantry has caused some cognitive fixation. I didn’t even think of such a simple solution.”

He was genuinely frustrated. This was a very obvious oversight. And such a preventable mistake had cost the unit dozens of casualties.

(End of this Chapter)