Black Iron’s Glory

Chapter 560: Holy Light, September 604

On 7 September 604, the Thunder Regiment and the Rock Regiment in the Northern Bay Battalion waved their flags, forming a huge queue of eight marching across the streets of Campaste City, heading straight to the pier, and boarded the long-awaited ocean shipping vessels. Due to the large number of people, it was almost night when the Rock Regiment boarded the ship, so the Hicks agents lurking in the city did not find that the Rock Regiment's soldiers were equipped not with new rifles, but with a new type of fire rope gun with a rear chamber device...

The Hicks did not know that the force, which was flying the flag of the Rock Regiment, consisted of only four Hicks Return Regiments, even though they were lurking in overseas autonomous territories, but because the two continents were too far apart, the information transmitted from there was essentially three months late, so that the Hicks Return Regiment, lurking in the northern bay, considered the Hicks Return Regiment as a Rock Regiment and reported on it.

It will take three days from the Northern Gulf to the waters of the Kingdom of Hicks, but because transporting two regiments of men and horses will basically not continue sailing at night, it will be a matter of finding a place off the coast to stop and form a huge defensive fleet that will sail after night, lest it be damaged by an enemy attack at night. So the voyage was delayed to five days, and senior officers of the Royal Hicks Army estimated that the fleet of Overseas Autonomous Territories would arrive in the Kingdom's waters on 12 September.

Since the islands of Minsk and Chimback in the Kingdom of Hicks have been occupied by the Overseas Autonomous Territories, it is clear that the enemy will surely anchor its fleet on these two offshore islands. Minsk Island is relatively large, less than 30 miles from the coastal zone of the Kingdom of Hicks, and if the Overseas Autonomous Leaders transported two regiments to Minsk Island, they would most likely have targeted Port Benguela or Port Arenas.

Because both seaports are only a day's voyage from Minsk Island, if the Ironclad fleet of the Overseas Autonomous Military Regions can defeat the gunships off the cities of those two seaports, it will be easy to transport the Thunderclad and Rock Regiments on Minsk to shore, attack the docks and defensive positions in the town and take a foothold for them to attack the Kingdom of the Hicks.

Of course, the island of Kimback is not to be ignored, it is the nearest island to the coastline of the Kingdom of Hicks, or, to say the least, just across from the port of Koona, just over a decade away, and the weather is so high that we can see each other. The port of Koona, however, is the territory forcibly cut off by the Kingdom of Hicks from the Kingdom of Breot, and if the autonomous military region chooses to land there, it would be a self-inflicted place, and all officers of the military forces of the Kingdom of Hicks would jump with joy.

Simply put, the seaport of Koona and the rear port of Patcala and the Plains of Manoli are all lands taken from the Kingdom of Breot by the Hicks, a coastal plain just three counties in size, surrounded by mountains and mountains belonging to the Kingdom of Breot.

If the Overseas Autonomous Territory chooses to land at the port of Koona, the landed Legion of Thunder and Rock will be sealed off in this narrow plain as long as the Kingdom of Hicks mobilizes troops to guard the mountain exits of the port of Patkara. The Kingdom of Hicks can even mobilize the Mountain Regiment of the Kingdom of Breot to attack from the mountains for a nuisance attack, and Avettelli I should help with so much armament aid as Machid III...

On the evening of September 8th, the waters of the Kingdom of Menbamak.

After a daytime cruise in which more than 300 ocean cruise convoys docked, the fleet did not set up overnight defensive formations, but landed on shore. The coastal waters here have been covered by countless empty wooden crates with a long wooden stack. More than a dozen offshore transport vessels were crucified by boards and connected to a floating marina at sea, where the convoy landed.

“Hurry up and focus!” A bearded lieutenant officer drank loudly, commanding soldiers on the transport boat to climb down from the rope net connecting the floating docks and assemble in a row at the docks to run ashore through the boardwalk under the leadership of their respective commanders.

On the deck of the Ironclad Cruiser St. Huslind, the flagship of the Ironclad fleet, Admiral Muried is sending a trip to Buick Road.

“I'm sure the Kingdom of Hicks didn't expect his back door to be open, and the Kingdom of Breot joined us, wishing the boss unimpeded access to the city of St. Hiplian, King of Hicks.” General Muried was somewhat lost, although he became the head of the navy in the autonomous military region, and he also lost the glory of attacking the city to destroy the country's broken army.

Standing next to Claude, General Berklin and General Diaveed came forward and embraced General Muried, the pioneers and chief fighters of this raid on the city of St. Hiplian in King Hicks, and Claude stayed behind to take control of the big picture and coordinate the command of the three Mountain Regiments of the Kingdom of Breot to help attack.

“Come on, this surprise attack will require the full cooperation of your Ironclad fleet, don't worry about your failure.” Claude patted General Muried on the shoulder: “Can you hide from the Kingdom of Hicks and let them mobilize their troops to the coastal zone and watch your performance? Don't let the Hicks see the bloom. As long as we take Wang King, the Hicks will be powerless. ”

Yes, the Kingdom of Hicks never dreamed that the Autonomous Territory would land in a valley off the coast of the Kingdom of Menbamak, diverting the Kingdom of Breot from the east into the hinterland of the Kingdom of Hicks towards the city of St. Hiplian in King King.

The current situation is that the Kingdom of Hicks has redeployed seven of its eight standing regiments to the coastal zone, with only one Iron Guard Corps stationed in the city of San Hiprian in Wangjing. The rear and hinterland of the kingdom are empty, with only local guards armed. In addition, the Kingdom of Hicks decided to recruit and form eight reserves in eight local counties along the southern coast, while the counties elsewhere in the kingdom would only need to transport all kinds of strategic supplies to the city of San Hiplian in Wangjing, and would have to wait for the two regiments of the autonomous territory to launch an offensive before making a decision on whether to mobilize at the highest level...

The maritime areas on which the convoy landed have been blocked, even in the valleys ashore by the Legion of Thunder and along the roads travelled, by the coalition of nobles occupying the Kingdom of Menbamak. Claude spent all his mind planning this final battle against the Kingdom of the Hicks, and had it not been for the clandestine dedication of the Kingdom of Breot, the Autonomous Territory would not have thought of this direct plan to attack the Kingdom of the Hicks.

All carriers carrying General Thunder Regiment and Hicks Return Regiment soldiers landed on the boat and left the floating dock before erecting strawmen in autonomous army uniforms on the side of the boat. Look away, as if the ship was still full of soldiers. They will also be escorted to the waters of the Kingdom of Hicks by an Ironclad fleet, before finally docking on Minsk Island to seduce the Kingdom by dressing up as soldiers landing.

This time, the Overseas Autonomous Territory launched the Legion of Thunder and the newly formed Typhoon Legion, together with eight Hicks Return Regiments, and counted as having more than four regiments, together with a coalition of noblemen preparing to take a trip to the Kingdom of the Hicks in the event of a fire raid, and three Standing Mountain Legions of the Kingdom of Breot, which already outnumbered the eight Standing Legions of the Kingdom of the Hicks. And the Kingdom of Hicks is sending all its troops to the coast, exposing its empty belly to the Autonomous Territory...

On the afternoon of 11 September, Claude arrived at the camp on the border between the Kingdom of Menbamak and the Kingdom of Breot, where King Avitre I of the Kingdom of Breot greeted Claude with his beloved son, Prince Ixdo, as well as the royal nobles of Colonel Boquer, the Duke of Red Dragon and the Marquis of the Lion Vulture. For reasons of confidentiality, there were no welcoming ceremonies, so everyone went into the big accounts after a chill.

First, Colonel Bockard gave an account of the current situation in the Hicks Kingdom, and when he heard the defenceless situation in several local counties of the Hicks Kingdom adjacent to the Breott Kingdom, everyone in the ledger split their mouths and laughed.

“There are fifty-three local counties and Wangjing districts in the Kingdom of Hicks, basically divided into nine counties in the east, eight counties in the south, ten counties in the west, eleven counties in the north and fifteen counties in the centre, plus Wangjing districts. From the Kingdom of Breott to the city of St. Hiplian in King Hicks, it takes seven days to reach the Wangjing area through the eastern counties of Kristi, Tolstoy and Westmen in the centre, and the Thunder Regiment to ride a surprise.

There are also only three local counties, Dartmouth County, Ridleys County and Lenvoyork County, from Wangjing District to the southern coastal zone. The Standing Regiment of the Kingdom of Hicks is now concentrated along the coast, as is the case in Lenvoyork County, where Solem Standing Regiment is stationed, while Ridleys County is already recruiting to form a reserve.

If the Legion of Thunder hits the city of St. Hiplian in Wangjing lightly, it needs to be undiscovered by the Kingdom of Hicks on this seven-day trip, which is the biggest challenge. Once discovered by the Hicks, Wang Jing's garrison will be more alert and heavily dispatched to the south to rescue, the Solem Standing Army stationed in Lenvo Yorkshire will be able to rush to Wang Jing within three days, which will cause us a lot of trouble for our surprise attack... "

Colonel Boquer pointed to the map of the Kingdom of Hicks to analyse the information available to everyone in the battalion's accounts and did not endorse General Berklin's proposal to raid the city of St. Hiplian in Wangjing with light cavalry. After all, the road is far away, and the light cavalry is so fast that there is no fast and fast message from the heavenly eagle.

It is also very difficult to conceal the whereabouts of the Legion of Thunder. Near the national highway to Wangjing, there are towns, people moving around, and there are many merchant vehicles on the road. It is not possible to make the march of 90,000 troops disappear in front of everyone. And the Kingdom of Hicks does not have such a large force of light cavalry, and any Hicks local official who sees the parade of the Thunder Legion will be suspicious, and as soon as they interrogate, the news will be leaked.

“I have received a letter from Machid III asking us in the Kingdom of Breot to send two mountain regiments to the southern coast of the Kingdom of Hicks to assist in our defense. Perhaps we can do something here, hide in reinforcements from the towns along the way, and reach Wang Jing...” says Avettelli I.

Colonel Boquer shook his head: "While His Majesty is sending reinforcements to them, he will send officials to monitor the two Breot regiments, rather than letting you go on your own. They will even point fingers at your regiment and plot to take command of your regiment so that you can become their cannon dust on the front line. ”

Claude looks at the map and points at Dartmouth County, near Wangjing: “If a defensive front is set up here in Dartmouth County to resist the Solem Standing Army's rescue of Wangjing in Lenvoyork County, it will only take three days, and we will be sure to attack the city of St. Hiplian. Once Wang Kyung is here, we will have enough troops to fight the Hicks Standing Army in the southern coast and sweep the Kingdom of Hicks..."

Claude's plan was simple, with Avettelli I and Machid III negotiating and sending a Trojan of Thereots to the southern coast of the Kingdom of the Hicks to coordinate their defense. The two divisions of the Bryot Legion dressed as the Bryot, when they arrived in Temus County, took control of the Hicks officials who came to oversee the Legion and set up defensive lines on the ground.

After the first Breot Legion departed, they managed to leave a small group of horses in each town along the way to find out the details of the Hawk Pigeon Newsletter in those towns. After the arrival of the two remaining divisional horses of the second Breot Legion and the Legion of Thunder, they first took control of the communications offices and avoided sending warnings to Wang Jing. Once the Legion of Thunder and the subsequent Storm Legion have arrived in Wangjing and besieged the city of San Hiplian, there is no need to disguise them.

When the Solem Standing Army stationed in Lenvoyork County came to rescue Wang Kyung, it defeated or annihilated the Hicks Army. Claude believes that two divisions of the Thunder Legion are more than enough to deal with a standing legion in the Kingdom of Hicks. As for the Hicks Standing Army, which is located in other coastal zones, the journey time required varies depending on the distance. They were either stationed on the ground to prepare for defense or rushed to rescue Wang Jing to his death, not to worry.

On 17 September, after a four-day hawk message from Avitre I and Machid III, an agreement was finally reached between the Hicks and Breot kingdoms that Avitre I would first send a Breot regiment to the Wang Kyung area in 15 days, rest for a full day and be rewarded by Machid III, before proceeding to the southern coastal zone for coordinated defense with the army of the Kingdom of Hicks.

Avettelli I agreed to the participation of officials from Machid III in the military meetings of the Breot Legion and had command of the Senate. At the same time, he demanded that Machid III assume the supply of grass and horse logistics required by the two Breot regiments to march along the route and provide communications and information to the Breot regiments along the route. The Breot Legion will leave a small team in the towns along the way as messengers of communications between the two Legions.

Of course, Avitre I promised to send a second Briot Corps to reinforce the southern coast within half a month of the departure of the first Briot Corps. King McGidd III of the Kingdom of Hicks was pleased with this, and even allowed ministers to read the letter of Avitre I. He was proud of his success in using two regiments of the Breot kingdom as cannon dust for the Hicks kingdom.

On 19 September, the First Mountain Regiment of the Kingdom of Breot stepped onto the territory of the Kingdom of Hicks, and several Hicks officials, mandated by the Royal Court, came with a large number of locally collected carriages to prepare for the delivery of these Breot fighters to the Wangjing area. And the Kingdom of Breot has mobilized a battalion of light cavalry and has embarked on a journey with hundreds of carriages full of armaments and soldiers.

Claude stayed in the newly established battalion on the border between the Kingdom of Breot and the Kingdom of Hicks, explaining to local Hicks officials that the battalion was prepared for the impending departure of the Breot Second Mountain Regiment, who were not as lucky as the First Mountain Regiment to take a carriage. The Second Mountain Regiment can only be reached on foot to the southern coast of the Kingdom of Hicks, which is expected to take more than thirty days.

In front of the battalion is indeed the second mountain regiment of the Kingdom of Breot, but behind the battalion is the third fourth division and headquarters of the Legion of Thunder, followed by the Storm Regiment, the eight Hicks Return Regiments, and the noble coalition formed by the Duke of Red Dragon and the Marquis of the Lion Vulture.

Claude convened the last military conference before the attack.

“The seaport of Corona and the rear port of Patcala and the Plains of Manoli, the three local counties that would have been the homeland of the Kingdom of Breot, will be returned to the Kingdom of Breot after the war, and the four local counties of the eastern neighbouring counties of Cristi, Meghivana, Pierre Forest and Von Kecky Hills will also be assigned to the Kingdom of Breot, so we cannot intervene in those seven counties. ”

What Claude is doing now is splitting the fence, and he knows exactly what kind of noble coalition the Dukes of Red Dragon and the Marquis of the vultures are, saying they're here to help, but he's fighting to rob another one: “I've divided the 10 western counties between you, the ten counties are empty, there are only a few places to guard the armies, and your alliance of aristocrats of nearly 100,000 men can sweep the area. ”

The Duke of Red Dragon and the Marquis of the Lizard nodded. The ten western counties, though not particularly affluent, are also hilly areas rich in mineral resources of the Kingdom of Hicks, and the nobility of the Kingdom of Hicks sealed here should still be very oily. Most importantly, the two standing regiments formerly stationed in the ten western counties were sent to the coastal zone to guard against their emptiness, a juicy persimmon for the coalition of nobles.

Instead of asking to act alone, the Kingdom of Breot, which was to launch three regiments in total, had handed over command of the three regiments to Claude and had sent his beloved son, Prince Ixdo, to Claude as his personal deputy. In addition, he himself will travel with Claude to the Kingdom of Hicks, because he would very much like to see the demise of the Kingdom of Hicks...