Black Iron’s Glory

Chapter 253: War

In the distance, a black smoke rushed into Claude's study with excitement, shouting to Claude who was reading: "Sir, the enemy is here, I saw the wolf smoke rise...”

Claude dropped the book and asked puzzlingly, "The enemy will always come. Why are you so excited? I don't know. I thought your family was here...”

“Uh...” Mike mumbled with embarrassment: "Sir, aren't I happy? We've all been waiting so long for the enemy to arrive, and we're all a little impatient. Everyone is looking forward to their coming, and saving us the courage of all day. Now that we're here, we finally have a result...”

It has to be admitted that the nobility of these territories is too protracted, and that Claude is ready for all defenses, but the enemy's offensive is slow. Sergeant Markzi, who had no idea of retreating, once again dared to infiltrate the territory of Count Lloyd's Cade, where he spent two days posing as an invited mercenary, and when he returned, his report silenced everyone.

The real reason why the private arming of the aristocracy gathered on the Duchy of Kanas's side delayed the attack was that the aristocracy of the territory gathered later was not satisfied with the agreement on the distribution of results initially reached between the Count of Lloyds Cades and the aristocracy of the territory of the Principality of Eskilin. They consider themselves overcrowded and powerful on their side, demanding that agreements be renegotiated, such as expanding the geographic division available for robbery after entering the three southern counties, expressing dissatisfaction with receiving unified command and discipline supervision, demanding that they be able to do their own thing, etc...

Although the territorial nobles on the Duchy of Eskirin's side would like the territorial nobles of the Principality of Kanas to help, the three counties of the south are still the land of the Principality of Eskirin, and they would not go too far with a decision to salvage it. So they also know very well that, if you agree to the request of the nobles of the territory of the Principality of Kanas, it would be to put a bunch of evil wolves in the sheep's circle. We must not let these territorial nobles of the Principality of Kanas burn and loot in the southern three counties without any hesitation, so that they will carry a black pot on their backs that will lead the wolves into the house...

If the Grand Duke of Eskilin and the Principality's military ministry were to persist in not handing over their own militias, and if there were to be another massive looting in the southern three counties by the nobles of the territory of the Principality of Kanas, it was certain that after the war, Grand Duke Eskilin would use the issue and hit the nobles of his territory with a wrench, or if not, there would be a scourge of breaking the family.

So these aristocrats from the territory of the Principality of Eskilin, who went to the territory of Count Leucade to negotiate, were very impressed by the insistence that the aristocrats from the territory of the Principality of Kanas engage in a restrained robbery after entering the three southern counties. That is, robbing a public warehouse can, but must not, kill without cause, let alone burn a house, deny access to private homes, and require the dispatch of military disciplinary teams to oversee their military operations.

As for the army of the Royal Auvellas, which guards the mountain path, no territorial nobility is concerned. They had long known from those who had fled that the Kingdom of Ovilas was stationed on this hillside with only three squadrons, with less than two hundred men. Even if many of the agents sent in recently have not returned, some wind may have been gained by the guard soldiers. But so what? They had no room for resistance before the dominant forces gathered by the aristocracy of the two territories, which was almost the end of touching stones with eggs.

Markci had already found his proposed withdrawal ridiculous, and now even he was impatient, such enemies could outnumber each other even if they were larger. Especially after Claude improved his defensive facilities, Markzi couldn't wait to see the enemy attack immediately and watch as they hit their head in front of the defensive position on his side.

Claude got up, opened the study window, and saw the wolf smoke rising on a hill in the distance. Soon, three soldiers rode horseback fast across the hillside. As they passed, several soldiers on the side of the road tied a wooden row that had been laid on the pavement behind the two horses and drove them back. The pavement below the wooden row looks no different than the other pavement, but all the soldiers on this side know that it is actually a big trap below, falling or injuring...

Claude went downstairs and saw Markie rushing in: "Sir, the enemy is here. ”

Claude nodded: “I see wolf smoke. ”

"When the three soldiers in charge of surveillance today saw the enemy's advance troops coming, they lit the wolf smoke and came back. They estimate that, at the enemy's march speed, it will take about four to five more hours to get to us. ”

“Is there no movement on the part of the Principality of Eskirin as far as the territorial nobility of the Principality of Kanas is concerned?” Claude looked at the east sky, and there was no wolf smoke rising.

“Maybe they haven't coordinated yet...” Markzi speculated.

“In that case, you send someone to notify the scouts in front of you to retreat. Now that the nobility of the territory on the Duchy of Kanas has contributed, there is no need to wait for the enemy on the Duchy of Eskilin's side. Pull back all the rows on the road and set the trap. Otherwise, if the nobility of the territory on the Duchy of Eskirin delays for two days, we will send another person to the wooden platoon on the road, which may be shot by the enemy, causing unnecessary harm..."

“Yes, sir, I'll send someone to notify them.” Marky turned around and left.

Soon, three reconnaissance soldiers on the hillside on the Duchy of Eskirin withdrew, and the rows of trees laid on the road were dragged back by the soldiers with horses. They then erected the rows on the hillside of the hillside towards Squirrel Village, sealing rows of wooden rows of up to five or six metres every twenty and thirty metres, totalling five rows. All soldiers have now retreated to the mountains.

“McJackie, when the enemy comes across the curve, you light a wolf cigarette and notify Muriel of Blackstone Village to let him do as planned.” Claude commanded.

The highway that leads to the Kanas Prairie is built just across the hill from the cantonment camp, at a straight distance of about 150 metres. But it takes a big bend to connect to the three forks in front of Squirrel Village, from the bend to the mountain path in front of the camp, which is estimated to be two or three hundred metres away, with a steep recess in the middle, falling more than 670 metres apart. In other words, if you fall off a mountain trail, your luck will not die and you will be seriously injured, and you will not be able to climb.

Another two or three hundred metres from the bend to the triple fork, Claude packed gunpowder in a jar and blew five sections of the road open, and then let the soldiers dig five big traps, which were laid with wooden rows for normal walking. Now that the enemy is here, remove the wooden platoon. The trap has been disguised. If the enemy does not pay attention, it will fall very tragically...

Using a trap pit for a few enemies is just a small thing, and it's important that the enemies fill in the trap first if they want to attack, or put wooden rows on it like Claude did. But Claude has ordered the soldiers to empty all the trees in the vicinity of the highway these few days, so that the rocks that the enemy can exploit can roll into the recess. The enemy will have to carry trees and stones from afar in order to bury these large pits. Most importantly, the path is all within the range of the guns in the defensive position, when the soldiers beat the enemies who are preparing to bury the road like targets.

“Sergeant Markzi, you're in command here. If the enemy appears at the corner, you can order the artillery to fire. My request is that the enemy be trapped at the corner today and not allowed to appear on this hillside. I am now going to the position on Didd's side to see if the enemy on the Duchy of Eskirin has appeared. I am a little worried...”

“All right, sir, I promise I won't let an enemy into the mountain path today, so don't worry.” Marquette replied.

Claude took Big Grimes and McJackie to a position on Diavid's side. Their position is on the hillside behind Squirrel Village, where a hillside is very flat and connected to the mountain path. The territorial nobility of the Principality of Eskilin is likely to command its own private forces to climb up from that hillside to occupy Squirrel Village and then attack the cantonment sites.

But Diavid was safe, and there was no one there. Diavid was leaning in the trenches, biting at the grass roots, and it was amazing to see Claude coming, and he stood up and said, "Sir, what are you doing here? ”

“The enemy from the Principality of Kanas has arrived. There is no movement on your side. I retreated the soldiers from the previous reconnaissance and removed the wooden plates from the road to see if there are any problems on your side.” Claude said.

“What's the problem? If the enemy comes, I can see it here.” Diavid refers to the distant winding highway. It is true that, as he said, the enemy came from the hillside and could soon be spotted on his side.

Claude shook his head: "It's okay during the day, I'm worried about the night. You stay here, the enemy will be passive if they touch you in the dark. I mean, you lead the team forward, just like we used to ambush enemy scout cavalry. If the enemy is found to have come, fire directly, then slowly retreat and come here for defense. At night, you go to the far side of the hill and light a pile of bonfires every other distance, so the enemy can't sneak up along the hill. ”

“Fine, just as I'm bored here, take the soldiers to the distance and do as you say.” Diavid laughed: "Rest assured, the private armies of the nobles of those territories are not as powerful as you think. Didn't Markci say it? It's a bunch of people. It's hard to beat. ”

There is no way, the battle is imminent, and Claude is responsible for the command of the entire battle. It was his first experience, both in his previous life and now, so that he was always a little nervous and afraid that he would miss something that would cause unexpected losses. There is also the first enemy to face the superior force, even if all the enemies are a bunch of sheep, but the number makes Claude a little nervous. This is a real war, not a game, but a death...

Returning from the position on Diavid's side, Claude of Squirrel Village inspected the village's layout again. Now that the villagers had moved to Blackstone Village, there was no one in Squirrel Village, and Claude had set up a trap in the village, waiting for the enemy to come and hook up.

Returning to the cantonment camp, Claude discovered that the enemies of the Principality of Kanas had not yet arrived at the bend and that a marching dragon had appeared on the further mountain path. I grabbed a single telescope and couldn't help but chuckle. That's right, these enemies really don't seem to have much fighting power. They've got all kinds of weapons, hunting bows, spears, axes, shields, machetes, even manure forks. The clothes are also ruined. As for the guns, only a few were seen. It is more like a large group of displaced people than an army...

Even more silent is the fact that the march was not queued, and from time to time people came out of the marching army and sat down beside the road to rest, and three or five friends gathered to joke aloud. It was not until the head of supervision came and beat them with a whip that he drove them to march on. The whole team was scattered like a bunch of ducks, and there was no tension at all.

No wonder he hasn't come yet... Claude's mood suddenly relaxed. If such enemies are not prepared to defend themselves against such enemy attacks, they should be ashamed to jump off the ground. These enemies are here to hunt, not to fight.

After waiting for more than half an hour or so, a noisy song came from afar, listening carefully, seemed to be a somewhat nasty folk song with a loud laugh. At last, a group of well-dressed, albeit well-armed, firearms was transferred from the corner of the hill, presumably the private armies of nobles in a territory, not the farmers and pastoralists who had been recruited. Just like the owner of a fruit stall, he's used to putting a big, good-looking fruit in front of him to solicit guests...

This is probably what the territorial nobles of the kingdom of Kanas think, and they know what kind of men and horses they recruit, so they put the well-dressed and well-behaved soldier team at the front of the team as a pioneer in the way to show off their authority. Unfortunately, they have forgotten that there are guard forces of the Kingdom of Ovieras on this highway and that they are not marching safely in their own territory.

“Fire!” Markie drinks furiously, and he waits impatiently.

A lightweight infantry artillery that had already been targeted emitted a deafening thunderbolt, a fist-sized iron bullet sprayed out of the gun's mouth, blinking over a distance of more than 150 meters, crashing into a walking queue, causing several broken arms and a bit of blood mist...

“Bang, bang, bang...” The smoke from the guns on the position spread. After the gunshot, the enemy soldiers standing at the corner were swept away. Except for a few screams, all the enemies who had turned the corner had fallen to the ground...

This sudden blow almost stunned the enemy. After a while, a sudden shout, noise and curse broke out on the back of the hill bend. With a few gunshots and screams, the noise finally quieted down. Another while later, the bend finally got probed and spyed this way.

“Sir, the enemy is on the ground collecting the body..." Markzi reported.

“Collect the bodies, but don't let them get up.” Claude said.

“Yes!”