Manuel quickly understood Genoa's intentions: they also wanted to launch a surprise attack during Christmas, when Theodoro was immersed in festive joy, to reverse their current disadvantage in one fell swoop.
The idea was good, but the problem was that Theodoro had the same idea: to wipe out their main force while the Genoa army celebrated Christmas.
"They thought of the exact same thing," Manuel felt a headache coming on. "But we can still try to gamble, after all, according to current intelligence, they don't know our goal, but we know theirs."
With this thought, he had an urgent idea: "You want to launch a sneak attack? Then I'll turn it into a decisive battle for you."
He immediately rushed to find Patniko and his father to ask if they could temporarily switch to the backup plan now.
After briefly informing them of the situation, they quickly reached an agreement and approved Manuel's idea.
Thus, Theodoro Army began to implement their offensive strategy several hours in advance.
Meanwhile, in a coastal area called Lazunia, south of Olstyn, most of Carlo Merlo's forces were advancing along it, seeking to quickly penetrate the southwestern region.
"Why hasn't Vargas's vanguard reported back to me?" Carlo felt somewhat worried.
To avoid muddy ground caused by snowmelt, he had specifically marched towards the beach.
However, looking at the navy, which could provide support at any time from the sea, he felt much more at ease.
"No matter what, with the navy's support, this time should not fail."
But as time passed and they advanced, they gradually heard what seemed like some firelight from the side of the cliff, and indistinct sounds of horse hooves from ahead.
"Is it Vargas and his men returning to report? They're so slow. Could they have been held up?"
Carlo finally became vigilant and ordered some soldiers to prepare for the enemy, but he still had a bit of a Luck mentality , and did not order the entire army to be on alert.
It was only when the army approached so closely that their weapons could even be seen at the front that Carlo was astonished to find that it was not at all the size that Vargas's vanguard should be.
He hastily ordered: "All troops prepare, enemy attack!"
Indeed, the large army opposite him was Theodoro's main force.
And their commanders, Patniko and Manuel, were stationed in the far rear, commanding the entire army.
"Has Genoa's General taken the wrong medicine? How could he only order a large-scale defense when we are already so close?" Manuel couldn't help but sneer after learning the details from the messenger.
Patniko was also a bit puzzled, but such a great opportunity could not be missed.
After clarifying the situation, he had the entire army move away from the coast to avoid the threat of Genoa's navy, then ordered the musketeers and crossbowmen on the cliff side to repeat their tactic and fire at the enemy.
"Is it that 'hollow iron tube' unit again? Or should I call them the 'small caliber arquebus' unit?" Carlo's mind raced as he watched the lead bullets and crossbow bolts flying wildly and inaccurately into his army.
But having learned from experience, he had already anticipated that Theodoro would continue to use this unit to strike him.
He immediately ordered the cavalry in his army to charge out and rush towards Theodoro Army.
Upon receiving the order, the cavalry quickly charged in the direction from which they were being fired upon, but as they charged, they gradually discovered something was amiss: the enemy didn't seem to be on flat ground?
The faster cavalry were the first to notice this problem, and just as they were about to reach their conjectured position, they were surprised to find that the lead bullets were coming from the rugged slopes where horses were difficult to charge, and below the slopes there was only one team after another of spearmen hidden in the night.
This immediately made the cavalry feel a chill down their spines.
Just as the timid ones wanted to retreat, they were directly pursued by a wave of thrusts from the spearmen, impaling both men and horses to their core—physically, that is.
Soon, this unit of Genoa cavalry suffered heavy losses, but many successfully escaped back to inform their General.
When Carlo learned of this, he was first exasperated, but he quickly adjusted his direction, sending the cavalry to pursue another unit of Theodoro Army suspected of moving from the beach towards the cliff, while ordering the crossbowmen to provide cover, and the entire army to ignore the lead bullets that had already caused many casualties, charging with full force in the direction he had now set.
The two Theodoro commanders, realizing that the remaining enemy cavalry were charging towards their main army, exchanged a helpless smile, and had no choice but to let their own several units also charge to meet them.
Genoa's cavalry discovered several units of cavalry appearing in Theodoro Army.
At first, they didn't pay much attention, believing that cavalry trained by such a small Principality certainly couldn't match them, but they soon regretted it.
Those who came to fight them were not ordinary light cavalry armed with lances and spears, but an unknown number of Tatar cavalry and Eastern European hussars.
These cavalry kept circling outside the range of the crossbows, yet continuously drew their bows, shooting arrow after arrow at the vital points of Genoa's cavalry, causing these mercenaries to cry out in pain.
Many were accurately shot in the face and fell from their horses, trampled to death by the chaotic warhorses of both armies; others were unknowingly approached and cut down from their horses by their scimitars.
This fighting style resulted in Genoa's light cavalry either being killed, wounded, captured, or fleeing back to their army, while the heavy cavalry, which made up a smaller proportion, were still fighting.
But these heavy cavalry also suffered a similar fate.
While the enemy cavalry continuously harassed them with bows and scimitars, Theodoro's main army had already advanced.
Facing these difficult-to-deal-with heavy cavalry, Theodoro first ordered his cavalry to avoid them and instead harass Genoa's main army, then had the front-line spearmen, under the cover of shield-bearers, firmly protect the entire army, preventing the heavy cavalry from gaining any advantage.
Subsequently, under the cover of night, Theodoro brought out several "chariots" supervised by Manuel.
The chariots were protected by thick armor plates, converted from horse-drawn carriages, and not fast, but combined with the relatively orderly infantry formation, they were sufficient to block the charge of heavy cavalry.
Soldiers inside the chariots carried crossbow bolts, spears, or muskets; they would hide when the momentum was unfavorable and emerge to use firearms or spear tips to pierce the heavy cavalry's armor when the momentum was favorable.
With the cooperation of the chariots and infantry, Genoa's heavy cavalry also could not hold on.
Seeing the sharp decrease in cavalry numbers and the enemy cavalry beginning to harass his main army, Carlo was anxious.
After he retreated from the front and learned of Theodoro's deployment from the taxiing soldiers, he felt a sudden surge of blood to his brain: chariots?
What was this? Why learn from the Hussites of Bohemia of all things?
He forced himself to recover, ordered the artillerymen in his army to advance and bombard Theodoro, and at the same time sent people to request support from the navy.
But just as Genoa's artillery was about to begin bombarding, the distance between the two sides was constantly closing.
Seeing this, Manuel ordered the musketeers to start firing, and they did not disappoint, firing in coordination with the musketeers and crossbowmen on the cliff under the cover of spears and shield-bearers, causing the front ranks of Genoa's army to fall one after another.
And due to the heavy losses of cavalry earlier, Genoa's flanks were quite exposed, making it difficult to charge Theodoro's musketeers and spearmen, who were protected by their flanks, rear, and front ranks.
There was only one path left.
Looking at the central army showing signs of collapse, Carlo Merlo made up his mind—
"All troops attack, regardless of casualties, charge straight through."