Black Iron’s Glory

Chapter 338 Planning

The three were silent.

Half a day later, Colonel Bolognick finally couldn't help but say, "Tell us what we're going to do next. It's none of our business if this Baron Strasson is guilty, but we have to ask Baron Strasson to surrender his powers of admiration and let us take over the armament of the territory under Tyrsim. Without this, we will not be able to accomplish the task of building a reserve here, where the guard armament has been completely eroded..."

Colonel Sevicht said bitterly: "While we have the task of preparing the ground for the armed forces, we do not have the authority to take over the local guards in the direct jurisdiction, which will have to wait for the subsequent divisional units and personnel from the Army Department to arrive to form the wartime logistics command. And this Baron Strasson is Her Majesty's nephew, or the governor here, who can refuse to cooperate with our demands under the pretext that he is ill and unable to sleep...”

“If so, we will arrest him directly for malfeasance and embezzlement!” Colonel Bolognick is far worse than Colonel Sevicht: “Anyway, we have the evidence that the Governor General has given us, and it is now during the war that Baron Strasson and we cannot afford to delay it. If he knew each other, his problems could wait for the follow-on troops to come and say that he could still be at large for three or four months. If we don't cooperate, let him stay in the cell. We don't have time to delay...”

Rapid knife amputation, while good, is prone to extremes. Colonel Sevicht could only shake his head and did not approve of Colonel Bolognick's disposition. Ridiculously speaking, the Rangers called it the most trusted close-guard arm of the Sterling royal family, but it was truly silent and ironic to expect to come to the first day of Tyrsim's reign on the Nubitian mainland to open the knife with Her Majesty's own nephew.

“What do you think?” Colonel Sevicht asked Claude.

Claude had thought about it for some time, and he said to the two deans, "We probably thought about it all too simply. Before we reach the Nubian mainland, we believe that the areas under the direct jurisdiction here should be almost as armed as the interior of the Kingdom. But what we are seeing now proves that we think too well of the progress in armaments in the Territories, and I think we need to change the original plan and leave a regiment behind to assemble and integrate the armaments and reserves in those Territories.

Otherwise, we are all on the front line, and I am sure that all three of our forces will have to fight alone once we have engaged the enemy and the rear is unable to provide support. And if casualties are too heavy, we simply cannot set up a strong defensive front against enemy fighters. Maybe three or four months from now, the enemy will be able to hit here.

We must take over the armed forces in the area under Tyrsim's direct administration, and if this Baron Strasson is willing to cooperate with us in handing over his authority to govern, he can continue to be at home sick and at liberty. Even the shortage of local guard regiments in Port Cobichous and local guard battalions in the remaining four towns can be replenished with firearms and ammunition. If he doesn't want to, I think it's no surprise that one of the seven overseas governors has died in the battle on the sand... ”

Colonel Bolognick and Colonel Sevicht were all over the place. All Colonel Bolognick wanted to do was arrest this Baron Strasson, but Claude was even harsher, sending people straight to the front line for heroic sacrifice. But when you think about it, you have to admit that Claude is a better idea, that when people die, everything is over, there is no scandal, there is no charge, the reputation of the royal family can be preserved, and even Baron Strasson's sacrifice brings more prestige.

“I don't think Baron Strasson has much choice, and he will certainly cooperate with us. And we promised him that he would be very satisfied with the shortage of armed troops and firearms in those places.” Colonel Sevicht laughed.

“Not so cheap, he needs to give us more than 50,000 gold kroner in sponsored military expenses to show his bold loyalty to the kingdom.” Claude said, biting his teeth.

Colonel Bolognick stunned: “Is this possible? How can he afford this money? ”

“If you can afford it, you can figure it out. Vacancy rates of 4,000 troops a year, a soldier's salary and welfare allowance of two gold kroner a year, alone, have earned more than 8,000 gold kroner. Coupled with military spending, guns and ammunition sold back, and pensions for soldiers he falsely falsified, Governor Fox estimated that 15,000 a year would be less, I think. We don't want too much, just let him take out the three years of corrupt military spending. If you don't want to pay for your sins now, go to the battlefield for your kingdom...”

Claude was generic in his calculations, but the two presidents were able to approve the cost. With that money, it would be easier to prepare the reserve force for armaments without having to talk to the Governor about the cost of military expenditures in time of war, and the delay would have a very negative impact on the war.

“What about Lieutenant Colonel Everard, the head of the local guard corps in Port Cobi Chus, who is said to be a close associate of Baron Strasson, who deals in the resale of firearms and ammunition, and Captain Sinkson, who should also be involved in those matters very deeply and ask us for spare armaments from him…” Colonel Bolognick said.

“All Baron Strasson's close associates and subordinates who know their crimes will be taken to the front line by me in the name of a guide, in the hope that Baron Strasson will cooperate with us in the surrender of the Governor's powers. Otherwise, he will go to the front to detect hostilities...”

Claude was convinced that Baron Strasson would make a wise choice, and although he had lost a great deal of money and supervisory power, the crimes he had previously committed had disappeared. All operators and intellectuals are on the front line, and their return depends on their performance and luck during the war. The most important thing was to preserve the dignity of the Sterling royal family, as the Queen's nephew, a relative of the royal family, whose actions would become a major scandal of the kingdom if they came out, and even his appointment to local public office as a relative of the royal family would be questioned by the ministers in the future.

It is also the view of both deans that Claude is the best way to send this Baron Strasson to the front line for a heroic sacrifice. After all, even if Baron Strasson made a wise choice this time, he would still hate Claude, the three men who executed it. There is a good chance that the three Claudes will be discredited in front of the Queen to avenge his loss of money.

Claude did not care, however, that he and the two deans had negotiated to record all the events, including evidence of crimes such as the embezzlement of military expenses by Baron Strasson, which was handed over to General Michel before being handed over to Grand Prince Hansburg. Believing that this Baron Strasson would be abandoned by the royal family, a powerless baron would be of little use to the Claudes. And His Majesty the King and the Great Prince will thank the three Claudes for preserving the royal family with dignity...

“We are running out of time, and tomorrow my Range One, Three and One battalion will have another day to rest, and the day after tomorrow we will have to set sail to the front line to detect hostilities and map out the current war situation. Where the army of the Kingdom of Hicks has marched, and where it has now taken up, we need to find out. So we only have one day at most to solve this Baron Strasson problem, and if he really doesn't cooperate, I'll force him to the front line. ”

Claude looked at the two deans: “You must leave one regiment at a time to preside over the restructuring and restructuring of the local guards. At least two local guard corps can be formed to the front line under the direct authority of Tilsim. There is no need for voluntary recruitment. Didn't Baron Strasson resell firearms to civilians here? According to the roster, a compulsory pool of reservists was first recruited, and three men in the family had to serve alone, or else they would be arrested for evading military service and confiscated their property to serve in the family. ”

“It's war time, I think.” Colonel Bolognick nodded: “During the dinner at the Governor's residence, I asked Viscount Cruz, one port and four towns under Tyrsim, with 370,000 full inhabitants of the Kingdom, to recruit two local guard regiments. ”

“Our time is tight and we can only stay here for ten days at most and we have to go to the front to set up a defensive front. We don't know if we can form two local guard corps and set out with us in the next ten days.” Colonel Sevicht said.

“Assemble first, and we'll talk about training on the way.” Colonel Bolognick has little hope either: "If we can set up a defensive front on the front line and the enemy hasn't arrived yet, we can take the time to train these local guard regiments in defensive combat. ”

“Pull back the local guard corps in Port Cobichous and those in the remaining four towns and form a corps first. The other four towns will have to reconstitute a brigade of guards each, and Port Cobichous will have to leave behind a guard battalion in case of local indigenous riots. ”

Claude walked to the table next to the map of the seven Overseas Territories of the Kingdom of Orvillas, and said a little: “Actually, what worries me most is that Baron Strasson is not an isolated incident. The governors of the other Territories are actually similar to him, and the situation of local armed guards is not optimistic...”

“Look at the map,” Claude said. "The Kingdom's seven overseas territories, with the exception of Bering Ghana, are all lined up along the coastline. To the south of Tyrsim there is also the direct administration of Arturas, which is close to endless pristine forests to the south, and no one can enter and come out again, so the security of Arturas' direct administration in this regard remains uncertain.

Tillsim runs north, Mormary runs, followed by Amphiston runs, which connects Bering Ghana and Robisto. Among them, the direct jurisdiction of Bering Ghana is the only inland jurisdiction of the Kingdom, the vast majority of which is the Alberto Plains. The Dolinibara River, the largest river in the mainland of Nubicia, is also under the direct jurisdiction of Bering Ghana. The waterway is connected to the direct jurisdiction of Robisto and the trans-shipment of goods from the Dolinibara River is very convenient.

Beringana, Robisto, is connected to Cromwell, and we learned before we left that Cromwell fell into the hands of the enemy, who are now attacking Beringana, Robisto, in two separate directions.

According to information given to us by the Royal Ministry of the Army, the Kingdom of Hicks had two field regiments in his colony, and those local guard units were also a regiment in size. We do not know if another regiment was transported after the outbreak of the war, but I estimate that the total strength of their colonial garrison is around 245,000 troops in four regiments. ”

Colonel Bolognick and Colonel Sevicht nodded, and Claude said all this was common sense, and estimates of the strength of the colonial garrison in the Kingdom of Hicks were accurate.

“Before the war broke out, the Kingdom of Hicks sought jurisdiction from our kingdom over three overseas territories: Cromwell, Beringana and Robisto. It is conceivable that the purpose of this war is to seize the direct authority of these three kingdoms. Of course, I do not think the Kingdom of Hicks would mind swallowing the seven overseas territories of our kingdom one by one, if those territories of our kingdom were to be overwhelmed with armaments.

Our kingdom does not wish to wage war against the Kingdom of Hicks, which is the dominant power of the North in the Farea continent, or the eastern part of the continent, where our kingdom has just ended five years of war. The victory, but also the fatigue of the country as a result of the war, made it impossible to compete with the Kingdom of Hicks on the Nubian continent. So the kingdom can only send our Rangers to teach the colonial garrison of the Hicks kingdom, hoping to make peace with war.

The fact is that the Kingdom of Hicks does not have much fewer colonies on the Nubian continent than our Kingdom, but most of the colonies of the Kingdom of Hicks are located in the hinterland. It was not until they acquired the colony of the Kingdom of Nasri that the fine seaport city of Port Vibato became a reliable and secure landing place for them to deliver their goods and mobilize their troops.

Thus, for the Kingdom of Hicks, the port of Vibato is linked to the security of all the colonies of the Nubian continent. Perhaps they ask our kingdom of Bering Ghana, Robisto's two direct jurisdictions, to find themselves a second and third safe port of landing and supply.

Therefore, I believe that the strength of the colonial garrison of the four Legions of the Kingdom of Hicks, in addition to the size of one Legion-sized local guard force to defend against indigenous riots everywhere, should be distributed in Port Vibato and the newly occupied Cromwell Overseas Territories of our Kingdom. In that way, I think they can only attack Belingana, Robisto, with the two remaining regiments.

Bering Ghana, Robisto's two capitals are on our side of the Dolinibara River, and the enemy needs to cross the river in order to launch an offensive. And the port of Patres, the capital of Robisto's direct administration, was the destination port for the east-bound route of the dauntless fleet of our kingdom. The city has always been heavily guarded. It is difficult for the Hicks kingdom to let an army take over the port of Patres. If they were to transport heavy siege guns, it would take longer.

We set sail the day after tomorrow at Battalion 131 and are expected to arrive in Amphiston territory within half a month. The Division Command gave us the task of forming the first defensive front in Amphiston territory. I will send my scout cavalry to Beringana, Robisto, to see what is happening to the enemy and find an opportunity to launch an attack on the enemy's small unit and convoy of transport logistics to slow down the enemy's attack. ”

Colonel Bolognick looked at Claude and explained these tactics on the map, and he understood what Claude meant: “I know, let me stay and guard my armaments in the rear of the rectification and adaptation of these direct jurisdictions. We will have Colonel Sevicht lead his Ranger 034 regiment and two local guard regiments north of Tyrsim as far as possible within half a month, arriving in Amphiston territory to set up a defensive front and complete the tasks assigned to us by the Division Command...”