Realm of Power

On the evening of July 22, the golden afterglow shone the last light from the horizon. A young man wearing the uniform of an infantry regiment leader was riding a horse on the road north of Rusty. He had just marched in the hinterland of Gaul. Viscount Seriola of the 35th Regional Infantry Regiment in the Rada Province, who had completed his three-year term and received an urgent combat order before he could return to Kyoto to report.

The distance from Anglada Province to the destination Rusti is more than 700 miles. Behind him are 6,000 imperial infantrymen of the 35th Local Infantry Regiment, escorting more than 1,000 large vehicles loaded with various supplies. , the war between Guan and the west has shaken the entire Gaul like the aftermath of an earthquake.

As the war spreads, once the province of Rusti, the last channel to the hinterland of the empire, falls, the rich interior will be plunged into flames of war. This time the Gauls mobilized the troops of at least twenty nearby provinces to fight on the same route. On the avenue, not only Serriola's troops, but also a large number of surrounding troops were marching in the direction of Rusty. The main infantry regiment, local reserves, reinforcements, and baggage vehicles, countless people, gradually merged into a huge lineup. The dust raised by the troops covered the sky and the sun.

The main force of this mobilization was local garrison troops, so their equipment varied widely. The soles of their boots made a sizzling sound on the muddy road that was softened by the rain, and the hem of their coat slapped against their thin and small legs wrapped in leggings. ,

Most of the soldiers looked malnourished. It had just rained last night. The cold armor of the soldiers covered the entire plain. Thousands of soldiers were swarming on the road like a colony of ants.

Segliola stopped his horse on a high ground and watched the advancing army. I couldn't help but feel a lot of emotions in my heart, and found out based on my own battle report. This time the northwest rebels are very powerful and have defeated the regular legions of two empires in succession.

This is true for the regular army of the empire, not to mention these miscellaneous troops. According to Gallic military regulations, miscellaneous troops often suffer the highest battle losses, because they will be assigned to perform frontline tasks to block the opponent's most powerful cavalry attacks. Very few survive

As he went deeper into the Rusti area, Serriola also felt that the atmosphere of war suddenly became stronger. In broad daylight, the streets in the city were actually empty. Only troops were seen coming and going, not a single civilian. Lightly-armed infantrymen wearing helmets and holding long rifles closely inspected various intersections. I heard that the northwest rebels are very cunning. He is used to launching harassing attacks. The scale is not large, but it always makes people worry, "Sorry, you can't enter the city!"

At the entrance to the city, the guard on guard read the transfer letter in Serriola's hand. It is very regrettable to express that there are too many troops and it is difficult to continue to relocate in the city. According to the orders of the base camp, the troops that arrived later need to report to the designated location. "Designated place?" Serriola asked with confusion on his face. "Your 35th Infantry Regiment asked General Gleda on the left to report. His station is in the Arras area, sixty miles away from here. He will Arrange it for you!" the guard replied helplessly, "What? ! This bastard Gleda is here too!" Seriola frowned slightly. He knew that General Gleda was an experienced commander, but he had a very cold style. , that is to win regardless of the cost,

There was a cruel record of using a local infantry regiment to hold back the charge of 4,000 enemy heavy cavalry, creating opportunities for the enemy's cavalry to be encircled and annihilated. At that time, Serriola was the deputy commander of the infantry regiment that was ordered to block the attack. He will always Remember that your subordinates are in pieces, Under the hooves of the enemy's heavy cavalry, it turned into a horrific scene of bloody minced meat. In that battle, Gleda finally annihilated the encircled enemy cavalry and forced the main enemy force to retreat, while Serriola's The 7,000-strong infantry regiment suffered more than two-thirds of the battle losses.

Because it was a local army, its achievements were directly and ruthlessly obliterated. As for the regular army, it was not even reported to the Ministry of Military Affairs. In the eyes of most of the Gallic regular army, the status of the local army was very low, because most of the sources of the local army were Ordinary people with humble status and ordinary nobles can get a job in the local army. If they are high-ranking nobles, they will not go to the local army to gain experience.

"Sir, please report to General Gleida!"

The guard looked at Serreola who was in a daze and reminded him again. His eyes looked a little unnatural and he couldn't bear to see the painful look on his face that was covered with dust and sweat. This time, two-thirds of the local army was deployed. Under the command of General Gleda, this is the order of Army Commander Hasen Rimbaud. Many people have heard some rumors. In order to deal with the fierce and terrifying cavalry troops of the northwest rebels and reduce the losses of the main army, Army Commander Hasen Rimbaud seems to intend to let Local troops are on the front line

"Let's go to the left wing to report!" Serriola waved his hand with a gloomy face, and the cruelty of the war could not help but come to mind.

"Abandoned!" On the way, Seriola sighed secretly,

Late that night, Serriola came to a small town in the left-wing defense zone of the province. It seemed that martial law had been imposed. Under the hazy moonlight, only patrols were walking around in the town, and their footsteps made a rustling sound on the rugged land. A low voice, and the barking of dogs could be heard faintly in the low houses.

"Every squadron is resting on the spot!"

Serriola waved at the front of the team. After traveling for more than 700 miles and more than ten days, the people and horses were exhausted, and they also needed to replenish water and food in this small town. Thousands of people set up camp outside the town. He sent a unit to the local garrison to discuss supplies. When he heard that an infantry regiment commander had arrived, the head of the local garrison quickly came over in person. This was a Chinese soldier. Captain, also belongs to the local military system,

"Kaalete, captain of the fifth squadron of the 21st local infantry regiment!" The person in charge of the garrison was a kind middle-aged man. He saluted Serriola.

"Segliola, commander of the local 35th Infantry Regiment!" Serriola nodded in response. He just needed to go to the local garrison and ask about the situation of the war, morale, food, etc.

"Not very good." Kaalette's face looked a little strange and she shrugged her shoulders. He made no secret that he had no confidence in the war situation. "We have not yet engaged the enemy, but the news coming back from the front is not good. The northwest rebels' combat power is very terrifying."

"Terrible?" Serriola's face changed color slightly. This was the first time since he entered Rusty that he had heard one of his own use such a fearful word to describe the enemy opposite him several times.

"It is said that there was a record of one cavalry killing eight of us, and most of the infantry are extremely well-equipped," Kaalet explained with a slightly pale face, "To be honest, rather than saying that they are barbarians from the northwest, we What is the equipment of these local armies?" I once took a look at the front line from a distance, and the armor was absolutely black and shiny. The cold light of the spear makes people feel uneasy even from a long distance. I can guarantee that even the regular army will never feel so elite! Even the regular army calls the northwest rebels on the opposite side the Demon Army! "

"Demon Army!" Seriola couldn't help but feel a little scared after hearing this.

"I hope it's just a rumor!" Caalete's voice with an ugly face stopped, and he asked Serriola insinuatingly what kind of combat plan the base camp had. In the eyes of these mid-level officers, an infantryman in charge of thousands of people Corps commander. At least he is at the general level, so he should know the secrets and plans of the base camp.

Caalete smiled sheepishly. "Local armies from all over the place are constantly marching here, and all kinds of rumors are flying all over the sky. Although they know that this is suspected of violating confidentiality, it is like the people in the dark who are eager to see "It's so bright, please forgive me!" "It's a pity that I don't know either!" Seriola opened her mouth. In the end, he expressed some regret that he knew nothing, but the tragic scenes of the war flashed through his mind. These low-level garrisons and soldiers would not understand the strategies and plans of the adults. They just wanted to protect themselves since childhood. The city where I grew up. Defend the home and land you love, protect yourself and your parents, wives and children. After hearing the call of the country, they rushed to the battlefield in their hearts excitedly.

But they may not have expected that in the grand battle blueprint in the hands of the famous generals of the empire, they and their persistence are destined to be abandoned. They will become the best cannon fodder of the empire. Rather than knowing this kind of thing, it is better to It’s better to know nothing!

The cool July night wind blew in from the window of the conference room, as gentle as a lover's hand gently brushing against it.

The door to the conference room was closed tightly. Ten guards in black armor stood at the door, scanning everyone who passed by the conference room with vigilant eyes. The conference room was brightly lit, with hundreds of candles hanging on a huge bronze candlestick. , the white wax ash drags out long shadows in the light

There were only three people in the room. The fat man was wearing a black military uniform, and Hu Keqili was wearing the imperial uniform. A map full of scrawled illustrations was spread out on the table in front of them, representing the Falcon Army. The black and the blue representing the Gauls are very clear. On this map, you can clearly see the situation in the Rusty area. As the two armies continue to increase their troops, it becomes increasingly tense. The atmosphere of the war is about to break out. The strong atmosphere is used You can smell it with your nose,

In order to cope with the serious situation of Japan and fully command this battle that determines the fate of the empire, Fatty personally took charge of the base camp. The Falcon Army in the Rusty area was divided into three parts. On the high ground on the left wing, Hu Keqili led the Central Army's Thirty thousand people relied on the terrain for defense. In the city area on the right, Salon led 50,000 people from his legion headquarters to build a defense line with Lacey City as the core of defense. Fatty personally led 50,000 central guardsmen to sit in the Aslan area on the center line. ,

The reason why Hu Keqili was brought here is that the current situation is very unfavorable for the Falcon Empire.

The Gallic war machine is fully activated, just like the skin will naturally bleed when a needle pricks it. The Gallic army, relying on its local advantages, is continuously entering the Rusty area in large numbers. During this period of stalemate between the two armies, The balance of troops between the two sides has been basically the same as before, to 280,000 to 140,000, a ratio of 2:1. The Gallic army, which has the superior strength, is already ready to move. If it is not hindered by a large number of hungry people, or it has already Launch a full-scale counterattack against the Falcon Army.

Facing the Gallic army that was about to break through 300,000 men, the fat man looked serious, Salon stared at the map, and the central general Hu Keqili stretched out his hand with a worried expression, pointing to a certain person on the map in front of him. position, and said in a solemn voice, "Your Majesty, according to the intelligence, today In the morning, two more Gauls' local infantry regiments arrived in the Darasti area! The total strength of the Gauls has exceeded 300,000, while our army's strength is only 140,000. Lord Dorset's 100,000 are still there. On the way here, even if we arrive, our army is obviously at a disadvantage.

Especially on the left wing of our army's defense line, in addition to the original 60,000 men of the Sixth Gallic Army, the Gauls are still increasing their strength."

Hu Keqi pointed at the map and explained the current comparison of military strength very carefully. He glanced at the silent fat man opposite him, and found that His Majesty Falcon had no expression, so he stopped talking. He continued, "Although the main frontal force of the Sixth Army has no intention of a full-scale attack at present, the troops on the left wing have deployed more than twice our army's strength, constantly exerting pressure on the left wing of our army's defense line. My subordinates are worried, Once the Gauls' offensive begins, the left wing of our army will be the focus of the attack. The opponent will choose to use this as a breakthrough point. At that time, the opponent will learn from the way we dealt with the Eighth Army of Gaul, rush in from the breakthrough point, and adopt similar cutting tactics against our army. Moreover, our army's defense line is too long and very dangerous! It’s difficult to focus on defense.” “What’s your suggestion?”

The fat man looked at Hu Keqili's finger and frowned slightly. Indeed, after suffering a series of disastrous defeats, the Gauls actually adopted upright battle tactics this time, attacking steadily and taking advantage of their superior strength. On the one hand, they took advantage of the flat terrain of the Rusty area to completely drag the main force of the army into the quagmire of this head-on confrontation. On the other hand, we constantly mobilize forces to strengthen the left wing

Although I don’t know who is arranging this battle, if it is just to give up the Eighth Gallic Army and give up half of the Rusty area as a bait, so that I have to have a head-on confrontation with the Gallic army, the opponent’s arrangement is undoubtedly If it succeeds, even if you know that the opponent's target is on the left wing, you will still stare blankly because of the lack of troops.

As the confrontation between the two armies continues, Fatty only recently discovered this dilemma.

After all, this is the homeland of the Gauls, and most of the Rastians only recognize the existence of the Gallic Empire. Fighting the Gauls in such a place will fall into a psychological disadvantage, let alone the Rastians. The Ti region is backed by Gaul's rich and densely populated hinterland. With one order, armies continued to flow. It can be said that they had the upper hand in both internal support and soldiers, but they had to mobilize troops from Ikadiva itself. , comparing the two items, this is one of the rare times when he is not in a dilemma. "My subordinates believe that some necessary measures can be taken to strengthen the defense on the flanks." Hu Keqili glanced at the fat man with frowning eyebrows. As the person in charge of the left wing, he had been thinking about it for several days. This time, he came here to ask questions. The fat man asked for instructions.

After hesitating for a moment, Hu Keqili traced his finger on the map of the Rusti area, and finally settled on a point. He clicked his finger, raised his head and said to the fat man opposite.

"After field observation, my subordinates discovered that there are some dangerous highlands on the left wing, located on the flanks of the main defense line. These areas have very ancient defense systems. Some city walls and wall fortresses can be used as military fortresses with a little repair.

There are seven or eight similar sections on our army's defense line. If they are renovated and reinforced, it should be able to greatly strengthen the defensive strength of our army's flanks."

The confrontation area between the two armies was the ancient battlefield. It is said that more than 300 years ago, before the Gallic Empire was established, there were many lords in the Rusty area and the remains of ancient castles could be seen everywhere. It was originally controlled by the Eighth Army of Gaul. Strongholds, but with the full withdrawal of the Eighth Army, these nodes have fallen into the hands of the Falcon Army.

When Fatty was inspecting the defense line, he once walked past this highland. There was an ancient and huge fortress leaning on the somewhat desolate wild grass. It was more than three hundred meters long and wide. It stood on a cliff. It was said that it was once a fortress. A nobleman named Agilent lives in the castle,

In hundreds of years of historical changes, the entire Agilent family has disappeared into the long river of history, leaving only these ancient castles built of solid stones standing on the cliffs. "Repair the original defense measures?" The fat man looked at the position of Hu Keqili's finger and suddenly felt his eyes light up. He didn't know what he thought of. He was silent for a while and suddenly said in a condensed voice, "This method is not bad, it is too scattered defense." Line, it is better to concentrate on strengthening it. "The fat man stretched out his hand and tapped heavily on a point that Hu Keqili once pointed at." You can use these castles as the core of the defense to form a separate defense area. Some locations set Thor...'

The two were talking closely. "Bump." There was a knock on the door of the conference room. "Come in." The fat man stopped his voice, raised his head and shouted, "Your Majesty, the news just came from Xinhai City!" A guard pushed away the meeting. He opened the door of the room, holding a report in his hand, "It's the Dongting Cavalry who has arrived!" The fat man took it and took a look, and suddenly showed a hint of joy that could not be concealed.

30,000 prairie cavalry have just arrived in Xinhai City. Although these prairie people who have never been on a boat are all vomiting to death, according to the tenacity of the prairie people, they will become full of vitality in less than half a day.

30,000 grassland cavalrymen who are good at long-range shooting are at least equal to more than 60,000 infantry combat power. This finally comforted the fat man who felt that the troops were seriously insufficient. Even if he was a god of war, he would feel very troubled when facing the military gap of two to one between the enemy and us. The flatness of the Rusty area made it impossible for both armies to avoid it. (,.., or enter "),.