Chapter 2280 - 1621: I Want the Natives to Pay the Price! (2)
"Damn it! Reinhardt! How were you keeping watch in the south? How could you let the Cipangu Barbarians slip to the western farm for a sneak attack?!"
Thinking of the heavy casualties this time, and then of the performance of the Shenluo Mercenaries, Deputy Commander Antonio’s face darkened as he fiercely berated the Cannon Fodder Mercenary Captain Reinhardt!
"Carajo! The veterans on the west were attacked at the farm... How dare your mercenary group not go for support? Not even move an inch?!"
"Respected Deputy Commander, it was your order for us to hold the fence without retreating even a step!"
Reinhardt, with his golden hair held high and wielding a heavy two-handed great sword, answered seemingly respectfully but actually sarcastically.
"Witnessed by the Almighty! Commander, we Shenluo Mercenaries have been guarding the southern fence for over a week, repelling seven or eight Barbarian harassments! We suffered heavy casualties there, strictly following orders, without retreating a single step... But who would have thought, the farm guarded by the Holy War Veterans on the west couldn’t defend against a single Barbarian’s surprise attack! Tsk tsk, and suffered so many casualties?"
"Holy Mother! If loyalty to orders and the steadfast defense can be considered a crime of our Mercenary Group... Then next time the Barbarians come to attack, should we just support wherever we are guarding? Or hand over the west or the port to our Mercenary Group and let the veterans guard the south?"
Hearing Reinhardt’s sarcastic and insidious response, Deputy Commander Antonio’s fury ignited, drawing his sword with a clang!
"Reinhardt! You disrespectful scoundrel!"
"Clang!"
At the curse, Reinhardt too unsheathed his heavy two-handed sword, locking eyes with Deputy Commander Antonio, retorting.
"Respected Deputy Commander, are you going to duel with me now when the Barbarians are constantly harassing? As a knight of Bavaria, renowned for my heavy sword, I am very willing to accept your duel!"
"..."
Upon hearing, Deputy Commander Antonio’s expression stalled, looking at the tall, brave Mercenary Captain holding the great sword before him, then at his own officer’s sword. For a moment, he was speechless, only fury boiling within.
Damn scoundrels! These Cannon Fodder Shenluo Mercenaries, seeing the heavy casualties of the Holy War Veterans, actually dared to directly defy him? Even if the stronghold has the remaining 124 veterans, even with just 64 left, they could kill these mercenaries! Just that, with the Barbarians’ threat? If there’s internal strife now...
"Bright Almighty! Please grant us light to drive away those Barbarian demons!"
At this moment, Father Ramon, who had been observing, finally stepped forward, offering both sides a way out.
"Witnessed by the Almighty! Under the current circumstances, absolutely no internal discord harming our faith in the Almighty can occur within the Expeditionary Army! Commander Reinhardt, please apologize to the Deputy Commander! Deputy Commander, please accept this apology..."
Under Father Ramon’s appeasement, Reinhardt smirked and bowed his head to Antonio in salute. Antonio glared hatefully, then nodded in return. After the superficial reconciliation, it was time to truly solve the problem. Even if that problem is, in fact, unsolvable...
"Deputy Commander Antonio, perhaps we should reduce the area we defend in the camp! Abandon most of the villages and farms within the stronghold... Concentrate our manpower in the fleet at North Bay, the shore Wooden Fort, and near the central church!"
Father Ramon had long pondered, and at this time proposed at least a new plan for defense against attacks.
"Where the Almighty’s church stands is the place the Demon cannot tread! After abandoning seventy percent of the ground, we gather our manpower together, making it easier to guard, defend, and support! Then, rearrange the fence, set up defensive wooden walls, clear those burnt structures to reduce the cover for Natives’ raids!"
"As long as we contract our Force, the Natives can’t rush into the stronghold to rampage and massacre as before, at most harassing from the perimeter with Archery!"
"Huh? Abandon seventy percent of the stronghold? Father, by doing this... how would we cut wood and harvest the fields? This construction of Queen Isabella’s Castle..."
Hearing the priest’s suggestion, Antonio hesitated. But Father Ramon gazed deeply at him with his calm and sincere green eyes and admitted.
"Honorable Deputy Commander, in the presence of the Almighty, we must always remain honest! Under the current situation... this Queen’s Castle stronghold can no longer be defended!"
"We lack the Force to control such a Great Island, cannot manage the inland mountains, nor can we blockade the thousand miles of coastline. This means we can’t prevent more Barbarian Tribes from arriving or cut off their supplies... Hence, assaults like last night’s will repeatedly occur!"
"Holy Mother! We initially were an expeditionary army of over a thousand, now only half remain, about five to six hundred. Such numbers can’t exchange lives and continue depleting against these East India Barbarian Kingdom!"
"The Barbarian Kingdom in the west has long discovered us, pinpointed our position, and unfailingly holds hostile intent! Yet, they haven’t sent fleets to attack, employing continuous land invasion as a consumption strategy... proving that their navy is lacking, they are weak at sea! Even though we possess elite Holy War Veterans, our advantage is actually not on land, but at sea!..."
At this moment, wise sparks flickered in Father Ramon’s eyes. Having communicated most with the local Taino Tribe, he had grasped basic Taino language. And those Taino language translations into Spanish were taught by him and his Church Apprentices. Therefore, he knew more and better about both these Taino Natives and the Cipangu Natives in the west than anyone else within the stronghold!
"I support Commander Columbus’s proposal to explore towards the southeast and harbor great expectations for it! Antonio, we are on this Great Island akin to being forced onto a gladiator arena contested with Barbarians, ceaselessly exhausting the lives of devout soldiers. This is untenable!"
"Gathering our manpower and resources to go to a smaller island that can be protected by the fleet, distancing ourselves from Cipangu Barbarians’ threat, is what we should do next!"
"Blessed by the Almighty! Antonio, please let go of the past ’arena’ ’losses’! I will write letters to the Kingdom’s bishops and will write to defend you! When you return to the Kingdom aboard the fleet to face the Queen’s inquiry or even accountability... this letter will undoubtedly aid you! Of course, that’s granted the fleet can return safely..."
Hearing these sincere opinions, Deputy Commander Antonio remained silent for a long time, and veteran Camp Commander Pedro fell silent as well.
Bodies of Holy War Veterans slain piled before them, necks stitched with heads, uncertain if their own. While more Barbarian bodies piled on the other side, dying with eyes wide open, showing no fear or retreat.
Such a cruel battlefield recalled situations from the Moorish Holy War! Yet, the decaying Granada Kingdom had numerous diplomatic divisive, localized assault strategies. At that time, the Holy War Army numbered tens of thousands, moving south in chants like tidal waves. Now, they face a powerful Barbarian Kingdom with no contact or communication, without those tens of thousands of Holy War Army backing them...
"Whew! Whew!"
Deputy Commander Antonio’s eyes were red as he breathed deeply twice before coldly and stiffly nodding. Nevertheless, he spoke in a low voice, seemingly carrying an inner Demon along with cruel hatred and murderous intent.
"Indeed it’s time to abandon this Great Island... But! I want the Natives to pay the price! The price of Plague and death!!"