Battle of Dinant

Battle of Dinant
Part of Archer and Vanadis Arc
Information
Location	Dinant Plains, boarder between Brune and Zhcted
Side	Zhcted; Brune
Result	Zhcted Army decisive victory Regnas presumed dead Tigre was captured Brune Civil War triggered
Media Duration
Light Novel Volumes	LN Volume 1
Manga Chapters/Volumes	MN Ch 1
Anime Episodes	Episode 1
Belligerents Zhcted Army Leitmeritz Army Brune Army Thenardier Army Alsace Volunteer Army Rodant Army Army Strength 5,000 25,000 100 Alsace Soldiers Commanders and Leaders Eleonora Viltaria Limlisha Prince Regnas of Brune(KIA) Zion Thenardier Tigrevurmud Vorn(POW) Bertrand Mashas Rodant Casualties and Losses At least 2 soldiers are killed Unknown but heavy At least 7 Alsace soldiers Aftermath Tigre has become Elen's Prisoner of War Prince Regnas is "killed" during the battle. Thenardier and Ganelon's dispute extended. Concurrent Event
Chronology Light Novel Chronology None ←Battle of Dinant→ Battle of Alsace Manga Chronology None ←Battle of Dinant→ Battle of Alsace Anime Chronology None ←Battle of Dinant→ Battle of Alsace

The Battle of Dinant is the first battle in the Madan no Ou no Vanadis series, where the Earl of Alsace, Tigrevurmud Vorn became the prisoner of the Silver Wind Vanadis of Leitmeritz, Eleonora Viltaria, after the Zhcted Army's decisive victory over the 25,000 strong Brune Army. This disastrous defeat which also resulted Prince Regnas's "death" further boiled Brune's turmoil not only causing King Faron to withdraw himself from politics, but also fueled the feud between Thenardier and Ganelon for the crown. Therefore, its aftermath has became the initial stage to Brune's infamous Civil War.

Background

Brune and Zhcted had engaged in many wars against each other for almost 20 years. Their recent conflict was due to a flooding river during a tremendous rainy season. Despite their effort to calm the flood victims (who blamed both kingdoms for their "inefficiency"), rumors about a flood control's flaw sparked hostility between both kingdoms and began to engage hostilities towards each other.

The feud between Thenardier and Ganelon

Even worse for Brune, King Faron fell ill which caused a fierce feud between Felix Aaron Thenardier and Maximilian Benzer Ganelon for the next heir of the kingdom. In order to maintain it's fragile stability, Prince Regnas was elected to be the next heir of the kingdom. Regnas's position as the heir seemingly suppressed both Thenardier and Ganelon's disputes. However, Brune turmoil had attracted many of it's neighboring kingdoms to invade Brune, including Zhcted who deployed it's army to Dinant Plains.

To repel the invading Zhcted army, Brune was left no choice but to summon able-bodied men from across it's territories, including Tigre, Mashas, Zion and others into a 25,000 strong Army as their first line of defense against Zhcted's army of 5,000 troops. Additionally, the army was led by Regnas, who entered his first battle to obtain experience in the battlefield to help the kingdom.

Chronology

Before the War

During the march, commanders like Mashas found it odd for Brune court to assemble their overwhelming force to repel the incoming Zhcted's army, while telling stories about the Vanadis to Tigre. During the night camp, Tigre was mocked heavily by his fellow Brune soldier, Zion Thenardier, who looked down upon him even though Tigre shared his nobility status. When Zion attempted to destroy his bow Tigre pulled it out from under him causing him to fall backwards, but that didn't stop Zion from spewing more insults while gloating about archer's "bad" reputation for their "cowardice". Mashas managed to halt Zion by calling his attention the banquet which forced Zion and his goons to leave both Tigre and Bertrand, while Tigre remained silent and thanked Mashas for the rescue. Tigre then heard rumors about both Thenardier and Ganelon's cruelty, who used war as taxes and even committed atrocities by both princes, such as taking women as personal concubines and even pit their own men to fight each other for entertainment. Despite Tigre's anger, Mashas calmed him down and told that if he stood up against them, Brune's turmoil was still present and and further reassured him that King Faron would handle the crisis.

Brune Army's Defeat

Elen's attack on Brune Army (Battle of Dinant)

From above the Brune Army's Camp, an ambush unit led by Elen struck the camp and caused panic and disorientation among Brune Army's ranks, prompting them has little time to retaliate against the ferocious. In just one night, 25,000 strong Brune Army was decimated and only a few (including Mashas, Bertrand, Zion and others) managed to survive the onslaught and retreat away from battlefield. Being knocked unconscious during the chaos, Tigre regained his consciousness stood up and was horrified at the sight of his former comrades piled bodies, yet he couldn't helped to be amazed the Vanadis's army's victory. With no time to waste, Tigre attempted to escape the battlefield while hoping for his comrades survival after the raid.

Tigre after the battle of Dinant

After killing a Zhcted soldier but unable to steal the horse, Tigre spotted a small group of people surveying the remains of the battlefield hiding behind a rock to check if they were allies he recognized Silver Flash Vanadis. While knowing the battle was lost Tigre deduced the soldiers were likely pursuing his retreating countrymen and that confusion caused by the death of their leader was the best option to prevent that. He emerged from his hiding place and sniped down 2 of Elen's escort soldiers hoping that their fallen horses would form a barricade preventing her from escaping to the side Tigre then drew his last two arrows(knocking one while holding the other in his teeth) only for Elen to use Arifar's wind to easily leap over the fallen horses and race toward him quickly overcoming his surprise he fired both arrows at her forehead in quick succession however Elen deflected them both effortlessly.

Encounter between Tigre and Elen

Having defenseless against the Win Vanadis, Tigre had to drop his bow under Elen's orders while told the Vanadis his name and title at her order. Staggeringly, Elen spared Tigre's life as she deemed the enemy archer was too interesting to be killed and decided to take him as her prisoner-of-war. While riding on a horse behind Lim, who was Elen's bodyguard and skeptic about Elen's rare mercy, Tigre followed Elen and her army to Leitmeritz.

Aftermath

After a surprising tactical ambush, almost the entire Brune Army (except at least Mashas, Bertrand and Zion who managed to escape) were decimated and Tigre had became the Silver Wind Vanadis's sole prisoner-of-war since his archery skills intrigued her, which ironically later became one of her primary support during his stay in Leitmeritz.

While Brune suffered from it's terrible loss, the kingdom's internal affairs also took a devastating turn when Regnas was announced "dead" during his escape from the battlefield (though she had actually survived under her real name Regin and escaped to Agnes).

Faron's condition after Prince Regnas's death

Traumatized over his only child's death, Faron withdrew himself from politics and shut into his room, causing a chaos within Brune's court. Even as the tragic news spread through the entire kingdom, the feud between Thenardier and Ganelon became rampant as both dukes saw it as a steeping stone in their conquest for Brune's total control. This incident further escalating Brune's civil turmoil, with nobody capable in Brune able to renounce either Thenardier or Ganelon, instantly ignited to the initial stages of the Brune Civil War.

Trivia

• This war is the first encounter of Tigre and the Wind Vanadis. Hence, it is the beginning of a story of Tigre's change from a prisoner of Zhcted into one of Elen's most proficient allies and, the later, one of Brune's renowned hero.

• Instead of sending ransom to demand Tigre's release, Thenardier sent his troops to ravage Alsace as he deemed Tigre as Brune's a "disgrace". His decision would later costs his son's life by the hands of his nemesis as Tigre decided to join Elen to save Alsace from total destruction.