I Became The Crown Prince Of The Mexican Empire - Chapter 72



Only Noblemtl

Conquest of the Comanche (6)

The battle between the Comanche cavalry trying to break through and the Mexican Empire cavalry trying to block it was too advantageous for the Mexican Empire.

The line requires physical access to be breached, meaning the Comanche warriors cannot maintain the range advantage over their original pistols.

Bang! Bang!

Ugh!

Mexican Imperial cavalry fired revolvers even in close combat.

There are plenty of bullets.

The cavalryman, having fired six shots, stepped back for a moment and began to reload.

A Comanche warrior who had lost a comrade tried to shoot an arrow at him, but a Mexican cavalryman approached and struck him with a sword.

The warrior quickly ducked his body to avoid the sword, but had to give up shooting his bow.

Such close combat was brutal for the Comanche warriors.

Although they could not shoot bows, their opponents could shoot pistols, and wooden spears and stone axes were often broken by iron weapons.

Tata tata tang!

Meanwhile, the AR-33s of the Dragoon unit were spitting fire.

Sigh-

Another life was lost in vain.

The Mexican Empire was pushing back the Comanche tribe with overwhelming weapons such as revolvers and AR-33s, as well as tactics that exceeded the enemy’s expectations.

Even in this dire situation, warriors who used their excellent horsemanship to shake off the Mexican Empire’s cavalry and break through the defensive line continued to emerge, but they were unable to inflict any significant damage on the dragoon forces.

The other Comanche cavalrymen also learned from the example of Mupitzkupu that if they charged blindly, they would only fall victim to the spears of the cavalry blocking them. However, there was no way to deal with the concentrated firepower on those who entered the line, and in the end, the best they could do was to shoot an arrow or two and die from the bullets.

The Comanche cavalrymen were not inflicting any significant damage on the Mexican Empire, but the Mexican Empire was not slaughtering the Comanche warriors with ease either.

Since they were not fighting in formation like infantry fighting in the line, it was not easy to hit the enemy, and the battle became prolonged.

“···I wish you would surrender soon.”

As the crown prince muttered like that, Puhiweakwasoo, the war chief of the Comanche tribe, also sensed defeat.

‘Even if we break through, there’s nothing we can do. If we continue like this, our damage will only accumulate.’

If there had only been cavalry, or only dragoon units, it would have been possible to attack them. However, there seemed to be no way to attack them with a combination of the two.

If it’s hard to win, then just not fighting is the answer, but now is not the time to do that.

Puhiwick and Suu couldn’t find the answer.

‘I was arrogant. Not just me, but all of us.’

The burning desire for victory soon cooled. Only fear, despair, and the last words of the dying men swept through the Comanche tribe.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

Puhiwik and Suu gave the order to retreat.

“The order to retreat has been given! Comanche warriors, fall back!”

“retreat!”

The order was relayed to the battlefield, and the Comanche warriors began a fierce retreat.

“Pursue, but don’t go too far. If you start to inflict damage, stop the pursuit. And don’t kill those who surrender.”

The crown prince gave the order.

The battle, which began when the sun was at its brightest, ended when the sun began to set.

The Mexican Empire did not let them go easily.

Tata tata tang!

The Dragoons were the first to live up to their name by spreading out in all directions and firing as many shots as they could at the fleeing Comanche cavalrymen, while the cavalrymen gritted their teeth and continued to reload their pistols.

“Surrender! Only those who surrender will be spared!”

But the Comanche warriors were no pushovers. As the situation developed into a large-scale chase, retribution began immediately.

The situation was different from when they had fled after the failed plunder. It was a chase by thousands of men. The warriors ran at full speed, but they shot at the Mexican cavalry pursuing their comrades from afar.

Ping!···Bam!

Clearly, after the victory, they were engaged in a chase to hunt down the enemy, but when they engaged in a full-scale battle, the Mexican Empire’s cavalry began to take more casualties than expected.

The cavalry officers, having grasped the situation, gave the order to end the pursuit.

“That’s it! Don’t chase me any further!”

“yes!”

The order to end the pursuit was given, and the cavalry began to clear the battlefield.

“Treat the wounded first and then clear the battlefield. Also check the number of dead and wounded and report back.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Although they had won an overwhelming victory, their losses were not small. There were not many who died from wooden spears, stone axes, etc., but there were quite a few who died from arrows, and surprisingly, there were many warriors with single-shot pistols or iron weapons.

‘It must have been obtained through trade or plunder. It was like that throughout the history of the Yuan Dynasty.’

The crown prince thought so.

“Your Majesty, I think you should take a look at this.”

An officer came in carrying a single-shot pistol.

“Is it made in France?”

Not our Mexican Empire, not the United States, not the United Kingdom, but France?

Although there are large French populations in several cities in Louisiana, such as New Orleans, it is surprising that French-made weapons found their way here.

“I’ll have to check how they got him. I’ll have to interrogate them to see if they know anyone among the prisoners.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

There were many wounded and fallen Comanche warriors.

Most of them were shot in the arms and legs, not the head, chest or abdomen.

***

The situation of the Comanche tribe retreating from the battlefield was truly desperate.

“So now 3,500 people are dead, is that what you’re saying?”

“···There are probably many who didn’t die and didn’t return, but for now, that’s it.”

Puhiwick and Suu regretted it.

‘The order to retreat should have been given sooner.’

If plunder is prevented and buffalo hunting is not possible, the tribe is doomed.

The order to retreat was delayed because the fact could not be acknowledged.

“It’s all my fault.”

Puhiwick and Suu were reproaching themselves.

“···Well, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference even if someone had been the war chief. Rather than blaming myself, I should think about what to do from now on.”

Another chief said so.

“Yes. It is heartbreaking to have lost 3,500 brothers, but now we need to talk about how to overcome this situation.”

Other chiefs said the same thing.

Since all those here were chiefs leading their own bands, they had to think about the safety of their tribe members.

“Is it even possible to overcome it? What are the chances of winning if we fight again?”

One of the chiefs said.

There are still many warriors left. But if we fight again, will we win?

This is a first for the Comanche tribe, which has always been victorious.

“···I’m angry, but I don’t see a way to win by fighting. Fighting more will only increase meaningless sacrifices.”

It was a remark that was hard to imagine coming from a meeting of chiefs, especially from the belligerent Comanche tribe, but surprisingly, everyone nodded.

Puhiwick and Suu also nodded and said.

“···If you can’t win, you have only two choices. Leave or surrender. If you leave, they won’t chase you across the border. They consider this part of the Mexican Empire, even if it’s their own choice, and the north is considered territory of another country called the United States.”

The Comanche tribe, which had lived in this area for a long time and still ruled it, did not accept that this was part of the Mexican Empire, but they did not care for it for a long time.

In the end, everything is determined by the logic of power. Isn’t that why they have been plundering to their heart’s content?

“You’d better leave. Do you intend to live by the orders of those Mexicans who killed all our brothers?”

The young chief insisted, but the older chiefs did not agree.

“It’s not something to be so emotional about. If we leave, we’ll have to worry about what to eat and live on. I heard there are buffalo herds on the northern plains, but there will be competition there too, and if we try to plunder, we’ll have to fight the Americans.”

“Yes. I don’t like Mexicans either, but didn’t we actually plunder them first? What’s more important is whether Mexico is willing to let us live.”

That wasn’t a wrong statement.

Unlike the Chumash, who were stripped of their homeland and forced into slavery, the Comanche never suffered such harm.

Rather, the size of the Comancheria, the territory of the Comanche tribe, was growing, and the intensity and frequency of their raids were increasing, so they knew that they were more of aggressors than victims. However, they simply thought that it was natural since they were stronger.

The young chief was taken aback by their words.

“···After being defeated once, they completely gave up. In the end, they are nothing more than invaders who are after our land. Rather than surrendering to the Mexican Empire and living off of farming, they would rather die.”

As the atmosphere began to heat up, Puhi Wikwasoo intervened.

“Rather than just doing this among ourselves here, it would be better to listen to the opinions of each tribe member.”

Since it was not known whether the Mexican Empire would accept them or not, fighting here would not change the reality, so Puhiukwasoo insisted on gathering the opinions of the tribesmen.

The other chiefs also knew that there was no point in fighting here, so they obediently followed Puhiwikwasoo’s orders.

Although there were exceptions, such as the Iroquois Confederacy in the east or the Pueblo tribes in the southwest, most Native Americans lived in relatively egalitarian societies with no class stereotypes, and the Comanche were no exception.

The chiefs asked their tribesmen for their opinions.

“I don’t like either one, but if I have to choose, I’ll go north. My brother was killed by those Mexican Empire bastards!”

At first, that opinion was overwhelming.

In the immediate aftermath of the war, anger and sadness over the loss of loved ones dominated the Comanche tribe. However, as time passed, the mood began to change.

“But what answer is there to leaving for the North? The United States is as big a country as Mexico?”

“I heard that too.”

It is not the end when the Mexican Empire leaves the territory it claims as its own. Food will not suddenly appear where it was not, and to obtain food, it will eventually have to resort to pillaging and hunting, which of course will require fighting.

The United States at this time was not as alert or responsive to raiding as the Mexican Empire, but the Comanche didn’t know that.

It was just a fear of the might of the once-ridiculed Mexican Empire and the delusion that the United States would be similar.

“But there’s no way they’d just leave us alone if we surrendered to the Mexican Empire.”

“That’s true.”

Among the Comanche tribe, these two grim choices were hotly debated.

The debate continued until an emissary from the Mexican Empire arrived offering surrender.

“···So, if you surrender now, I will spare your life. That’s it.”

“Yes. This is the decision of His Majesty the Merciful Crown Prince, so surrender immediately.”

There were also some Comanche tribe members who spoke Spanish.

This was because they had been the target of long-term plunder and trade since the Spanish era, and some were born from marriages with kidnapped Spanish people.

There was even one with a Spanish name, Santa Anna. He was called Santana within the tribe.

Santana said.

“How can I believe what you say?”

“There is no need for useless words. Surrender or die. There are only two choices.”

“···What if we leave for the North? Will you stop us from doing that too?”

“Your warriors are criminals who committed crimes in our empire. It is only natural for us to stop them. And even if we leave for the north, there will be another country. It would be better for you to surrender obediently.”

In fact, there was no way to stop the Comanche from moving north.

It’s not a terrain where you can just block a specific route, and how can you stop tens of thousands of people riding horses across the plains?

Although both sides knew this fact, the officer followed the Crown Prince’s orders to encourage surrender as much as possible.

“Give me a week. Think carefully about which option is best for the tribesmen.”

After saying so, he left.

There is no option to continue the conflict with the Mexican Empire. Since they have a tight grip on the Comanche’s food supply, there is no way to get food, so if they are going to fight, they will have to fight again right away. And that is suicide.

In the end, you either surrender or leave.

Puhiwi and Suu were inclined towards the former, where they could live a stable life for their children if they paid the price themselves.

Even if it’s a forced labor type, they don’t make you work to the point of death, and they say they even give you food.

He believed that the Mexican Empire’s word was trustworthy, as there were already examples from other indigenous tribes, but people’s opinions varied greatly.

Some people completely forgot about the fun they had had living off of pillaging and regarded the Mexican Empire as nothing more than invaders; others said they could never live a miserable life farming, questioned how anyone could believe the Mexican Empire’s words, and others simply hated their own form of forced labor.

I know there is another great country called the United States, but there were many who wanted to leave for various reasons.

Puhiwekwasuu insisted that they should surrender without losing face, but he could not stop those who wanted to leave.

“···About half.”

“Don’t do that. You should leave too.”

“No, I’ve decided to stay here.”

Phew-

“Then this must be the last.”

“okay.”

Puhiwikwasoo did not want the Comanche tribe to be divided, but the Comanche tribe had been living in several bands since the beginning.

Although he was a war chief, he was a temporary one and had no power to force such matters. About half of the band chose to leave for the north.

Of the 6,500 surviving warriors, half left.

They won’t stop until they cross the northern border with their band.

Puhi Wikwa Suu had complicated feelings, but had no time to become absorbed in them.

He offered his surrender to the Mexican Empire.