<h4>Chapter 68: it''s a trap (3)</h4>


    The two cavalries rode towards each other, theirnces trailing after each horseman, their steel swords gleaming in the light. The sh of the two cavalry groups was a sight to behold, as the sh ofnces gave way to the thundering of horses'' hooves and the shing of steel as the cavalry rode into one other. The noise was deafening, and the dust cloud caused by the two cavalry charges colliding made visibility impossible, but the overwhelming force and ferocity of the Ghibelline cavalry forces were in and irrefutable.


    The sh ofnces sounded like thunder, and the shing of steel against steel made the scene appear chaotic. The dust cloud formed by the two enormous cavalry charges colliding was thick and blinding, making it impossible for anyone to understand what was going on. The initial charge was a draw; knights cocked theirnces against each other, breaking them via the force of collision in each other''s armors. Many riders were thrown from their horses, and many more died.


    Most of the horses survived the initial charge; after all, killing the enemy horse was against the rules of chivalry, and it was also counterproductive because it would be the loot that the knight would take after the battle and gift it to their king while receiving a portion of it themselves, what happened afterward would usually depend on the king they served . Some monarchs gave the knights some money and kept the armor and horse, while others instead allowed the knights to bring home their booty, thetter one would be the dream of each father. After all, armor and horses were expensive, and most knights couldn''t afford to acquire a new pair. As a result, they generally used it as an inheritance for their family, and having one additional set meant that the secondborn would also receive an armor or a horse, increasing their chances of sess in life.


    Knights frequently battled with their secondary weapon, which wasmonly a mace or a hammer, because it was easier to inflict wounds on an opponent wearing thick armor. Nheless, because the Mnese cavalry simply wore chainmail, it was obvious that no significant effort was required to inflict wounds on the enemy''s body.


    As the Ghibelline cavalry crashed through the Mnese lines, the horsemen collided, and the noise was deafening. Conradin''s knights swiftly broke the line of the Mnese cavalry and began to drive through the Mnese army. The Ghibelline cavalry was clearly superior, and they were soon gaining momentum as they began to dominate the battlefield.


    The Mnese cavalry was having a difficult time holding onto their lines, and they were beginning to fall backward. It was clear that if the battle continued in this manner, the Mnese forces would face a decisive defeat. They were being overwhelmed by the sheer power of the Ghibelline cavalry, and they were being forced to give way, with many falling to their deaths or being wounded as the Ghibellines rode past them and continued their charge towards their target. Their strength and sheer power were overwhelming, and it was clear that the Mnese were outmatched.


    Sure enough, after a few minutes, nearly half of the Mnese cavalryy dead or wounded, and with no other option but to run or die, the Mnese horsemen decided that it was not worth it to die for the Guelph cause, and as such, they began to turn tails and retreat. The battle was slowly starting to turn in favor of the Ghibellines as the Mnese fled the battlefield, leaving their fellow warriors at the mercy of the Ghibelline army. It was only a matter of time before the Mnese position would copse and the entire army would then be overrun


    Conradin''s cavalry did not give chase to the fleeting cavalry since their strategic objective of neutralizing the Mnese cavalry had been achieved. After all, it would be useless to pursue them since, being light cavalry, they would easily outrun their heavier and slower counterparts. They instead decided to charge at the Mnese footmen from the back, not from the same side as their Ghibellinerades'' knights but instead on the opposite side. (look at thement)


    The knights readied for another charge, hoping that this time the conflict would be over. They couldn''t use theirnces because they were damaged in the initial charge, so they raised their hammers, maces, axes, and swords in the air and rushed against the Mnese footmen. When the Mnese footmen saw the charging force approaching, they raced to create a defensive line in the back , but it was toote; they were easily overrun by the charging force, and many of them were swiftly killed.


    Two divisions of heavy knights were quickly overrunning the Mnese line in, cutting through them easily and piling up their casualties, and finally, in the east, another two divisions of heavy knights were doing the same. Many of the Mnese soldiers did not want to die there, in the middle of nowhere; they joined the fight in search of booty, not honor nor glory as such. Seeing that things were not going their way, many threw down their weapons and fled. The few who remained tried to fight against the Ghibelline forces, but they were quickly cut down and killed on the battlefield. With the Mnese army quickly copsing and many soldiers fleeing, the battle quickly turned into a massacre as the Ghibellines continued their charge against the Mnese troops. A few of them continued to fight, but it was only a matter of time before they too would be defeated and killed.


    Orsolo, the Mnese general, understood that the battle was over, and as such, he did anything to save as much of the army as possible by coordinating the retreat and making a few men fight against the enemy army to buy time. However, while He was giving off orders, a stray bolt hit him in the front, piecing his right lung. He did not know if the bolt had been fired with the intention of killing him or if he was a coincidence, since from the start of the battle he was on his horse giving orders, which must have gained the attention of the enemy. These were thest thoughts passing through Orsolo''s head before the darkness crept in, shutting his consciousness forever.


    Every Mnese soldier that witnessed the death of the general understood that it was over; that was thest straw, and any hope of saving the day was lost. The coordinated retreat ordered by Orsoldo did not happen; every soldier threw their weapon to the ground and did everything to save their skin, even throwing theirrades to the ground. Conradin''s army quickly closed the and descended like a horde of wild men onto the weakened Mnese army. They massacred the remaining Mnese soldiers and captured those that they could. The heavy cavalry easily wiped out most of the remaining Mnese troops, and they were killed in droves by the Ghibellines'' heavy cavalry. What was left of the Mnese army was quickly overrun and defeated, and the Ghibellines had now achieved aplete victory over the Mnese army.


    It was a humiliating and tragic end to a battle that had begun so well, and that would have devastating consequences for the Guelfs and Charles, for after all, without knowing it, he had lost 4,000 men that would have been more than critical for his army.


    As for the Ghibellin, instead, this battle served to Increase morale, keeping up their streak of victory from one to two, and increased the general attitude of the Italian cities allied to Conradin that maybe this was not apletely lost gamble. It was a humiliating and tragic defeat for the Guelfs, and it would have devastating consequences for Charles and his regime.


    After the battle, it was time for the loot, and as Conradin ordered, his men were to take everything that they could and bring it all to the main tent, where the general would then distribute the loot to the troops ording to the percentages that they had been allocated. Themon soldiers would get 20% of thebined value of the loot that had been brought, while the knights were allowed to have 40% as a reward for their services and their loyalty. It was a great and sweet victory for the Ghibellines.


    Since most of the troops used were from Conradin''s main tent, he was allowed to get the lion''s share from the lot. After all, for the battle, 3500 troops were employed, of which 2000 were Swabian heavy knights, 500 were Frederick''s footmen, and the other 1000 footmen were from the other alliedmunes. As for the 500 crossbowmen, they were all from Genoa.


    ''I wonder how many we have killed, Conradin thought'''' Nheless, he knew that he would know the number of casualties from the enemy''s army the next day, as for his casualties, they would be shared with him insteadter that night.


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