Realm of Power

The impact of the disastrous defeat in the Southwest Campaign is fading away. In August, the withered yellow color has become dense in the Gaul region, and the once fertile land has become dry and cold. In the area east of Rusty, the Gallic province was not greatly affected by the war. , at least on the surface, it still maintains a prosperous scene. White frost can be seen on the road. In the villages along the way, notices recruiting new soldiers can be seen everywhere.

A group of young Gallic people gathered around the recruitment office, pointing at the content on the recruitment notice.

"Come and join the Imperial Army, and you will have food and drink." The officer at the recruitment office had a loud voice and tried his best to promote the benefits of joining the army. Behind him stood a few specially selected Imperial infantrymen. Their infantry armor looked bright in the sun. It is majestic and attracts the attention of many young people.

"Wearing gorgeous imperial armor, wielding a sharp knight's sword, and earning 3 silver coins a month, maybe next time you come back, you will be the most influential person in the entire village. Even if the village master sees you, he will also I bow my head and call you my lord, I have all the glory, beauty, and wealth. Such generous conditions are not always available!"

"Is it true, the conditions are so good this year!"

A young man in the crowd stared at the notice. Gulu swallowed, his eyes showing uncontrollable desire. The conditions were really generous. In previous years, soldiers were recruited for one silver coin a month, but this year, three coins a month. Silver coins, three times more military pay than in previous years, except for the adventurous passion for adventure, which young man has no intention to move in his heart?

The thought of a man wielding a sword and fighting in all directions and returning home with glory makes people's blood boil. What's more, in the interior of the Gallic Empire, the hierarchy was strict, the nobles were superior, and the system of inheritance was adopted. If civilians wanted to jump The only way to reach the aristocratic class is through military merit.

"Come on, this young man who is destined to become a big shot, come forward and press your fingerprints. It seems that you are the material to become an officer. If you are appreciated by an adult, you may become a millionaire. An eye-catching figure." The officer at the recruitment office looked at this excited young man and immediately smiled.

He pointed at the row of polished infantry mail armor and iron shields on the weapons rack behind him, and said, "Have you seen the soldiers behind me? The full set of armor and shields of the imperial soldiers. Just put your fingerprints on the book, and you can What an honor it is to be one of those lucky people who are envied by others!”

"Really? Ribru, let's join the army together!" A young man in sackcloth looked at the majestic soldiers behind the recruiter and couldn't help but said to his companion in a low voice next to him.

"Don't listen to his nonsense. I heard that the empire was defeated by the Black Demon Army in the northwest, and many people died!" The companion named Ribru was a young man with blond curly hair. Although his eyes were Full of desire, but with a bit of disdain in his mouth, he said, "Now join the army. Just be cannon fodder!"

"Who said this? How could the empire's army fail?" The officer happened to hear the two people's words, his face suddenly changed slightly, and he said in a stern tone

"Not necessarily. My cousin just came back from the Rusty region in the west. The young man who spoke just now curled his lips and said unconvinced. "She said that in Rusty, the Northwest Demon Army massacred hundreds of thousands of people. Imperial team! The corpses were spread out for more than ten miles. There are too many to count, and even when walking at night, you can clearly hear the sound of wild dogs gnawing on corpses in the wild! "

"Yes. I also heard that the western part of the empire has completely fallen into the control area of ​​the northwest demon army." Another young man said hesitantly, "The emperor suffered heavy casualties on the front line, so he launched the conscription in advance. Otherwise, As a rule, troops are usually recruited in the spring!"

"Nonsense, the reason for early recruitment is because the empire is advancing rapidly in the northwest, and the barbarians from the northwest who are fighting on the front line are throwing away their armor. As good men of the empire, this is a good opportunity for you to make contributions," the officer at the recruitment office said angrily, "If I hear you again If you slander like this, I will immediately order your arrest!

"Those who don't want to join, please go away immediately and don't waste my time. You really don't understand good people!" The officer angrily waved his hand to the people surrounding him, and several soldiers behind him quickly stepped forward to drive them away.

"What! You got angry so quickly. There is something wrong! Go quickly, go quickly, I don't want to die." The young people gathered in front of the recruitment notice dispersed, leaving the recruitment office empty.

"Assholes, they are all a bunch of selfish, cowardly guys!" The recruiting officer saw that no one was left, and he yelled angrily. Several soldiers lowered their heads, and one soldier looked up at the sky. He hesitated and said, "Boss, there is news of the defeat of the front line everywhere now. What is going on! The recruitment notice was supposed to be released in the spring, but it is posted so eagerly now. Nothing really happened. Question!"

"Hey, who knows!" The officer sighed helplessly, placed his hand heavily on the blank roster on his desk, and said in a dumbfounded voice. "I only know that the western front is in a tight situation and urgently needs additional troops. There are also rumors in private that the empire is gathering The army in the west suffered a disastrous defeat, with hundreds of thousands of army corpses scattered across the fields. Although such news has been blocked with all efforts, a small number of people cannot be avoided. The officer in the recruitment department once heard some senior officers say privately that the empire had lost more than 300,000 troops in the west, and the defense in the west was being dragged into the whirlpool little by little. Once the fragile appearance was If it breaks, the interior of the empire may be affected on a larger scale, and the front line will continue to require reinforcements. Otherwise, the empire will lose not only the west.

"No way, the attack will be here soon!" Several soldiers trembled in fright. They belonged to the local army in the Beiqi area, which was less than 400 miles away from the rumored Rusty area. It only spans one province.

"That's why we need to recruit so urgently! This time, there is a strict order from above. Each recruitment office needs to recruit at least 10 people. Otherwise, a penalty of one silver coin will be deducted for each person missing. The recruitment notice has been hung up for half a year. Months have passed, and we have only recruited eight soldiers. In previous years, with such favorable conditions, we would have recruited 100 soldiers, which is really worrying! "

The recruiting officer looked gloomy. He was only the lowest-ranking officer. His position was similar to that of an ordinary infantry captain, and he only got ten silver coins a month. This was because he was senior and had been in the army for more than ten years, so he had three more coins. Allowance of silver coins. If it were other lower-level officers, life would be even more difficult.

Of course, this recruitment is not just about punishment. If the number of people recruited exceeds the standard, there will be a silver coin for each additional person. This is a condition that was just mentioned recently. All the infantry captains came out to recruit soldiers, hoping to recruit as many soldiers as possible. As more young and strong men join the army, the region's supply of soldiers begins to tighten. As for the situation on the front line, this officer in the recruitment department didn't know. He was just a low-level officer, and most of the news was hearsay. But from the bottom of his heart, he still firmly believed that the empire would not fail.

The officer waited for a while and saw that several young people passing by were deliberately avoiding the recruitment announcement, and realized that no one was coming. So he ordered his subordinates, "We can't wait any longer. Tomorrow is the final deadline. Clean up and let's go to Anqili Village to have a look!"

"Anqili Village? Head. That's a village of mountain people!" After hearing the officer's order, several soldiers were startled and their faces turned pale.

So called mountain people. They are the kind of hunters who live in deep mountains and old forests all year round. Such people are generally excellent shooters because their residence is not fixed. Therefore, people who do not pay taxes to the local tax officials are the most hated people by the tax officials. Coupled with the discrimination and expulsion from some local nobles, conflicts often break out between the two. The relationship between the mountain people and the outsiders is very tense.

"There is no other way, now I can only go there and give it a try!" the officer sighed with an ugly face. He was a middle-aged man in his forties, with some gray hair on his temples, and was wearing a sergeant's uniform that had turned white after washing. Uniforms with crosses on a blue background, recruitment notices have been posted for half a month, and fewer and fewer people in nearby areas are willing to join the army.

The officer felt a headache when he thought that he still lacked the last two places. Looking at the hesitant expressions of several soldiers, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. Although the mountain people are barbaric, they often maintain a certain attitude towards our local army." There is a tacit understanding. After all, we don’t want to provoke the mountain people with strong folk customs. The local people do not want to provoke the local army to encircle and suppress them. Sometimes, some young people from the mountains will go out of the mountains and join the army as mercenaries in exchange for property. The last time I went there, I brought out three young people. Where are the mountain men? I heard they performed several missions in the 27th Infantry Regiment and made a fortune."

"The 27th Infantry Regiment in the Yaqi area? I heard that they also went to Rusty last month! I don't know what's going on now!" A soldier who was packing the weapons rack heard the officer's words and turned around in surprise. , there was a sudden silence all around, everyone stopped what they were doing, and their eyes focused on the officer

"What else can I do, I'm afraid it's more dangerous than anything else!" the middle-aged officer said to himself, looking at the red glow in the sky with a solemn expression, and exhaled out of breath. At this moment, there was a faint rolling sound. From a distance, several soldiers also felt something, and their eyes suddenly turned in one direction.

The west,

Under the crimson clouds all over the sky, in the shadowy pale sky, groups of black-armored cavalry swept across the earth like strong winds. The shards of snow on the ground were rolled up under the hoofs of their horses, like a white tornado sweeping across the earth.

"That's it!" The middle-aged officer's eyes were dull and he was completely frightened.

I saw a group of black cavalry, forming a long, fast-moving black line, shining with a dark luster under the golden light of the sun. The dense cavalry queues continued to emerge on the high hills, looking like a blockage from a distance. The black wall that suddenly appeared in the hilly area, the vast hard wall The ground gradually became clear amidst the huge vibrating sounds raised by the galloping war horses. As it got closer and closer, a golden falcon war flag with fangs and claws fluttered in the wind, and its wings made of golden threads flew into the sky. Bursting with momentum, it was like a living creature staring coldly at the earth in front of it.

"It's the cavalry of the Northwest Demon Army!" The middle-aged officer shuddered and shouted quickly, "Everyone get out of the way." Several soldiers were so frightened that they quickly dispersed to both sides.

"Enemy... enemy attack!" A soldier looked at the group of black cavalry attacking from the front. His eyes were dull, his lips were trembling, and his eyes almost popped out. Staring at the clearly visible black armor of the cavalry, he felt a lump in his throat. Qian, before he could run away, he sat on the ground with his feet weak and groaning.

The rushing black iron current drowned him

"Riley!" The middle-aged officer who stepped aside saw this scene with bloodshot eyes. He shouted the soldier's name with all his strength. The rumble of horse hooves made his shout seem so blurry. The black cavalry rolled forward. , raising dust all over the sky, the bursting wind passed through their queue, and the flaming red tassels on the tops of their helmets were blown neatly. Just like a bright red suddenly appeared, a soul-cooling chill spread in the wind,

Everything in front of him was black cavalry armor, and the surging torrent of steel blocked the officer's sight. The officer's shout gradually became fainter, and even revealed a sad despair.

He didn't know why he saw the cavalry of the Northwest Demon Army here. This was the hinterland of the region four hundred miles away from the front line!

It is conceivable that Ruilai, who did not have time to run out, was trampled by so many war horses. At this moment, I am afraid that it has turned into minced meat that cannot be distinguished. The black color rolling over his body is exactly the color of the rumored Northwest Demon Army. It is synonymous with death, blood, and cruelty!

"The whole army speeds up, we must enter the Ruige area today!"

Hu Keqili was riding on a galloping horse, looked up at the sky, and ordered loudly. The black imperial general's armor exudes the coldness of metal. Behind him is the red cape of the Guards fluttering in the wind. The horse is galloping like the wind without slowing down at all. Galloping past a Gallic soldier who was completely frightened when he was trapped in the middle of a group of cavalry,

Next to him, there was a gray-haired veteran wearing the silver-white gold-edged general armor of the Gallic Empire. Trying hard to control his horse to keep up with the cavalry group, his eyes paused on the body of the Gallic soldier who was finally paralyzed by fear, and said with some dissatisfaction.

"General Hu Keqili. This is the hinterland of Gaul after all. You can easily cause unnecessary misunderstandings by galloping like this!"

"My king wants me to reach the capital of Gaul within five days. Although it is a bit reckless, please forgive me, Lord Fetanli!" Hu Keqili smiled nonchalantly on the horse. "And I believe that the cavalry of my subordinates. They are all elites who have experienced battles for a long time. They are used to seeing the sea of ​​swords, guns and arrows. Such basic dodge skills are not a problem! On the contrary, when they came in, they saw the scene of recruiting soldiers everywhere. It seems that your country is very interested in this. There may be other expectations for the armistice agreement."

"No, it's just a routine recruitment every year!" Veteran Feitanli blushed, and his hand holding the reins couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. What a shame! The other party's ridicule was so obvious, but he could only pretend to be calm. He was the deputy commander of the Sixth Legion of Gaul and was ordered to accompany the Falcon Empire's negotiators to the capital of Gaul.

Gaul has lost its left wing in the Rusty region, and the situation has taken a turn for the worse. The commander of the Sixth Army, Hassan Rimbaud, has issued an order to fight to the death. He has made preparations for more than 100,000 soldiers of the Sixth Army to fight to the death. To block the frontline of the northwest rebels in the Rusti area,

But for some unknown reason, the northwest rebels who dominated the situation suddenly stopped their strong attack on the right wing. Instead, they sent an envoy to propose that the two countries sign an armistice agreement in the name of the country. This made Hassen Rimbaud, who was already determined to die, overjoyed.

According to the agreement, the Gallic Empire recognized the Falcon Empire's occupation of the southwest and northwest regions, and the Falcon Empire stopped invading the hinterland of Gaul. The two armies rested with Rusty as the center line.

Although Hassan Rimbaud, the commander of the Sixth Army, knew that once this agreement was signed, the Gallic Empire would truly lose its nominal management rights over the southwest and northwest regions,

But if you don't sign it, once the Falcon Army attacks with all its strength and the Rusty area is breached, Gaul will fall into a dangerous situation of turmoil throughout the country.

With a heart of ambivalence, Hassan Rimbaud had to report the armistice agreement to Kyoto in Gaul, and said that the war situation in the Rusty region was close to collapse, there was a shortage of troops, and it was no longer possible to continue fighting. Although there were losses in the armistice, the empire could gain a period of peace. During the training time, as long as you recover your strength, you can take back the southwest, northwest, and northwest! "

The capital of Gaul quickly responded and allowed both sides to armistice, but the armistice agreement must be signed in the capital of Gaul.

In response to the Gauls' request, the fat man just smiled disdainfully, "You're almost beaten to ashes, but you still don't forget to take care of your own face!"

Obviously, the Gauls also know that they can no longer fight, but a celebration is being held in Kyoto, Gaul. At this time, being forced by the northwest rebels to sign an armistice agreement will undoubtedly be a slap in the face, but if the northwest rebels send people to Kyoto, Gaul Signing the contract is another matter. Gaul and Kyoto can completely interpret this armistice as a gift to the northwest rebels.

"You go and go!" The fat man casually threw the Gauls' reply to Hu Keqili, the confidant next to him. "I will give you a thousand Guards Cavalry to accompany you. Don't lose the face of my Falcon Empire, Gao." Emperor Lu’s celebration, if I have the chance, I would like to go, it’s a pity.”

The fat man sighed, looking a little lonely, and said, "Remember, the most important thing is..."

"You are examining the terrain and provincial conditions along the way, and paying attention to the internal changes in Gaul, right? My Majesty!" Hukochili raised his head, and suddenly said with bright eyes

"Yes, this is the real reason for sending you to the Gaul capital. Salon is too rough, and Duoze does not understand military affairs. Only you are the most suitable person to go to the Gaul capital!" The fat man laughed and grinned (To be continued..)