Black Iron’s Glory

Chapter 234: Inspections by Major Ledfank

“The reward for our victory over Castle Black Maple has been awarded.” Major Ledfank lit his golden horn pipe, which he didn't know where to get it, took a deep inhale and spit a cigarette ring into the air with pride.

Claude, that's all I can remember: “What took you so long? ”

“I don't know, maybe it was planning a surprise attack on three counties in the southern part of the Principality of Eskirin by the Blue Feathers Legion, so leave the battalion's success report alone. Now that the situation is settled, they finally give us a response.” Major Ledfank speculated.

“You are the only one in our battalion who has won a first degree medal for successfully taking over Castle Black Maple with minor casualties, and more than twenty second-degree medals, the rest being awarded a third. In addition, our Ranger Battalion, as a pioneer of the Blue Feather Regiment, has collectively earned the first credit for opening a road to the three counties in the southern part of the Principality of Eskilin in the Piclett Mountains.” Major Ledfank said with some satisfaction.

Taking over Castle Blackmaple has given everyone in the battalion a first-degree medal instead of climbing ice and snowboarding in the Picklet Mountains in search of a smuggling trail leading to the southern three counties of the Principality of Eskilin?

After careful reflection, Claude understood that the capture of a Black Maple Castle did not affect the entire battlefield, and that the unexpected capture of the southern three counties of the Principality of Eskilin during the cold winter months by the Blue Feathers Corps surprisingly overthrew the Picklet Mountains had broken the impasse in the war in the eastern part of the continent. No one would object to the fact that a battalion of Rangers who were pioneers in the road would collectively be awarded a first-class merit.

“Your boy can be promoted to lieutenant with just one more level of merit.” Major Ledfank said to Claude with some envy, "You're only 21 this year, and I think I was still trying to be a sergeant when I was 21. Thirty-six years have passed before becoming a major, and I don't know if I can be a general for the rest of my life. Unlike you, you are promoted because of real war work. Perhaps if this war continues, you will soon catch up with me...”

The military service of the Kingdom of Ovilas is divided into three levels of merit, and a lieutenant like Claude needs three levels of merit in order to be promoted. At the same time, the meritorious service is three or three systems, that is, the first meritorious service is equal to three second meritorious service, and the second meritorious service is equal to three third meritorious service. Major Ledfank, formerly the logistics director, could be awarded a second level of merit to reward him for his diligence and dedication as long as he did not make major mistakes and violate military discipline in a year. This is also considered a way for the Royal Army to survive a career in peacetime without success.

Claude laughed bitterly: "Major, don't talk cold, I'd rather be an officer in charge of logistics like you, build a career in the army than fight hard on the battlefield. Soldiers are in danger of war, and no one can say when they will be unlucky. If the war continues, even if the promotion is faster, it will be on the front line. If it falls, what's the point of higher honor for us? ”

Major Ledfank is one of his own. Claude doesn't have to hide in front of him. The relationship between the two is very close. He can speak his mind. Although the Blue Feather Regiment was reluctant to allow a Battalion of Rangers to share in the military work that continued to occupy the city in the Principality of Eskilin, it split up a Battalion of Rangers to guard the main roads of the three southern counties. But for the soldiers of the Rangers Battalion, they actually welcomed the directive, which meant that they didn't need to go to war, they could get out fast, and there was nothing worse than that.

It has been two and a half years since this war, which has engulfed the entire eastern part of the continent, has taken its place in the kingdom of Ovieras, but it has not really seen the dawn of victory. The anti-Olympic alliance is not powerless, and no one knows how long the war will last. It's a realistic idea that junior officers like Claude are more concerned about being lucky enough to survive and return to their homeland after the war, rather than being promoted to war.

Major Ledfank also understood the idea of the following officers at the grassroots level. He sighed and shifted the subject: “This time I have also brought the reward for your first degree of merit, twice for the first degree of merit, the reward is six gold crowns. You sign here and collect the reward. At night, you will be invited. ”

As Claude signed the roster with a pen, he asked curiously, "Major, why did you personally pay the reward? You can call a finance officer. ”

Major Ledfank shook his head: "You don't know, most of the Corps's logistics staff have some background and some backstage. Although this is a time of war, they will not discount weapons and equipment in these respects. But on top of the bonus, they still do something, and it's common to get a discount. I am a logistician and know these tricks well.

Our Rangers Battalion is a newly formed operational unit, and as the Officer-in-Charge, I must be accountable to every soldier, so I personally award this award. In the meantime, I can take this opportunity to look around and see what's happening to the split forces below, instead of sitting in the battalion office as a signed puppet with no idea of what's happening to the troops. ”

Claude extended his thumb and expressed his admiration. Obviously, Major Ledfank's visit around this time, along with a bonus, will give him real control of the Ranger Battalion, and all soldiers will understand that he is the real helmsman of the Ranger Battalion.

Major Ledfank pulled a linen purse out of his briefcase and threw it at Claude: "What's the situation here, two mountain paths leading to the Kanas Prairie and the eastern part of the Duchy of Eskirin, any anomalies? Speaking of which, you're the real front line, and I'm guessing this is where we're going to have a battalion of Rangers in the future. ”

“Nothing unusual is happening at this time.” Claude replied at his discretion: "These two highways lead to the private territories of both principalities. I interviewed some people who had fled the three counties in the south the previous two days, and several people who had crossed the two corridors replied that they were indeed aristocratic territory and that they had established special toll gates by paying transit fees.

It's winter and the highway is freezing so hard that we can bring in two light infantry cannons that can also take passenger carriages. According to the villagers here, after the rainy season, this side of the highway, with the exception of the horseback squad, can't even get through the wagon. Mud goes without saying, there are huge pits everywhere, and the large army can't get through.

Because the exits of these two highways are private territories of nobility, I do not think it is possible for the enemy to attack us before the rainy season, and it takes time for the enemy to mobilize troops and negotiate passage with the nobles of those territories. As for not having much to do with the rainy season, enemy forces will not be able to cross the two corridors unless they send a large number of people to build the roads first.

But the two highways are connected by private territory, and I'm sure the heads of the two principalities will not be so kind as to help the aristocrats in those territories by charging them for building roadblocks. As long as there is no way to pull large artillery, it is more than enough to resist an enemy battalion attack with the danger of our garrison and the blockade of two light infantry artillery. ”

“What will you do if the enemy gathers a group?” Major Ledfank asked.

Claude shrugged: “They can't open it, and at most just one battalion can attack. I'll show you out. This is the intersection of the three mountains. And our position is 20 meters above this fork. The enemy wants to attack, we can only follow this road to Squirrel Village, and they can't climb anywhere else.

And our position is right in the upper left corner of Squirrel Village, high and low. Just guard the entrance to Squirrel Village and no matter how many enemies you come. But when you get back, you have to give us some more ammunition and food reserves. If the enemy does attack us, I don't want to have to retreat because I have to run out of food... ”

Major Ledfank nodded: "Okay, I'll send you some ammunition and food as a stockpile when I get back, and I'm going to set up a garrison on this hillside behind you, and a squadron. If you have a war on your side, send the squadron behind you to reinforce us and seal off the hill completely. One more thing, Claude, you have to be prepared to stay here for long. ”

“Hmm?” Claude wondered, "You mean we have to stay here for a long time. Isn't all this checkpoint guard work in the back camp? When did our Ranger Battalion become a local guard battalion? ”

Major Ledfank was also depressed: “The situation is that we have to do the work of this guard camp. The Bluefeathers flew lightly over the Picklet Mountains, taking up three defenceless southern counties with surprise attacks. Today they are planning to build a defensive front after the rainy season that will resist hundreds of thousands of enemy shocks, which will require heavy equipment such as artillery.

The three southern counties are the military land of the Principality of Eskirin, but production is now stagnant and construction cannot begin. Secondly, the quality of their artillery is still slightly different from that produced in our kingdom, that is, the caliber is also different. The officers of the Blue Feather Regiment's Logistics and Equipment Department were only partially selected, and there were still significant gaps, and they had been urging the rear to deliver their artillery and other heavy equipment as soon as possible.

You are also the one who crossed the Picklet Hills to smuggle trails, and you know very well that those trails can be taken, and that it is very difficult to transport heavy equipment such as artillery. But now an order has been made to repair the road before transporting the artillery. Be sure to deliver heavy equipment such as artillery needed by Blue Feather Corps to them before the rainy season so that Blue Feather Corps can successfully build a solid defensive front after the rainy season.

The plan is for the Blue Feather Regiment to lead two second-line regiments into the southern three counties and to accompany the Guardian Regiment on this side to surround the rear path of the Allied Anti-Olympic Army in the Principality of Rimodra, as long as hundreds of thousands of anti-Olympic forces are besieged in the Principality of Rimodra and forced to surrender. Then the anti-Olympic alliance was broken by us, and there was no possibility of turning over.

So the Blue Feather Regiment believes that without heavy equipment such as artillery, they cannot rely on guns in the hands of soldiers to resist the siege of hundreds of thousands of enemy troops. Those two second-line regiments, which have not yet entered the three southern counties, are building roads in the Picklet Mountains, and the Blue Feather Regiment in the rear and this side are forcing those captives who surrendered to work hard in the mountains in order to build as soon as possible a road that can carry heavy artillery.

You said that now those guard battalions in the rear could not come to replace us. In addition to maintaining offensive pressure on the anti-Olympic coalition forces on the front line, the boss could not help but devote all his manpower to repairing roads in the Picklet Mountains, hoping to surround the enemy in the Principality of Rimodra after the rainy season, and play a role... "

Claude understood, silenced for a moment, and said, "We have no problem guarding this place, but you have to get us some sacks and shoveling tools. It's winter and I don't think the enemy will attack us yet. But it is difficult to say after the rainy season that I intend to build some defensive facilities in this cantonment camp to be safe. ”

“Bags and shoveling tools?” Major Ledfank shook his head: "These two things are really scarce. Some of them were sent directly to repair roads, and these tools were simply not found in the warehouse of the logistics department. All the grocery stores in the three counties were reportedly broken open and all the sacks and shoveling tools were requisitioned by the Blue Feathers Corps. By the way, aren't you next to Squirrel Village? There must be one at the villagers' house. You can borrow it. ”

“Borrowed?” Claude said I wanted dozens of shovels and hoes to dig trenches. This squirrel village is poor with only two iron pots, and most of those tools and farm tools are wood, for fuck's sake.

Not far from Squirrel Village, the dilapidated nests, Major Ledfank probably understood Claude's difficulties. And he thought, "Well, I'll go back and get you ten shovels and a hoe. As for the sack, there's no way to do this, but you can let the villagers of Squirrel Village knit you some, and we'll pay big money for it. ”

Claude nodded: "Okay, that's it. ”