Realm of Power

In early June, the hot summer really comes. The dew on the plains disappears in the morning. The sun shines brighter and the entire earth shrinks. Under the clouds and mists in the distance, the high peaks are still covered with white as always. The snow and the damp woods are silent, as if the world is frozen at this moment,

A forest piebald bird jumped on the branch, and the crisp and melodious chirping of birds revealed the joy of summer in the light sand-like fog. The sun shined through the clouds, and the milky white mist enveloped the earth. Blown by the breeze, the light The fog slowly dissipated, gradually rose from the ground, and finally disappeared.

Under the blue sky in June, the world suddenly became much fresher and clearer.

On the flat meadow in the northern part of the Great Basin of Gaul, the line of sight is very clear. You can see almost anywhere ten miles away. On the edge where the sky and the earth connect, you can still vaguely see the rolling clouds. A young figure stands there. On the raised mounds of the plain, his eyes were gleaming as he looked at the vast wilderness that he was about to enter.

Under his gaze, the Gallic Empire's light cavalry wearing the Imperial Army's heraldic robes rode quickly past the weeds with high morale. The whole group of infantrymen holding the Imperial standard tower shields stepped into the front with a determined expression. In the deserted fields, in front of the army, was a sentry tower that was lit, with thick black smoke rising straight into the sky.

It seems that there is no interest in this abandoned watchtower. It can be seen from the gorgeous battle flag of the Gallic Legion embroidered with golden tassels. The people who abandoned this watchtower walked in a hurry, and there were discarded items everywhere. Gaul The troops marched in an orderly manner. Like a long black dragon spreading on the edge of this plain, it was blown by the wind. The dense spears are like the cold light of the wilderness, and the flags are flying all over the sky,

"Lord Philogos"

The sound of horse hooves came from the front, and a Gallic messenger cavalry galloped from a distance. The horse was reined in in front of the young general. Because the speed was too fast, the horse's hooves were raised and it took a few steps back to stabilize. The messenger cavalry reported loudly and respectfully, "Our scouts discovered Slavic troops ten miles ahead."

"How many people are there?"

The young man looked away from a distance. He took the attendant's whip and mounted the horse next to him with a stern look on his face.

He has a handsome appearance, about 25 years old, with a stern face showing a sharp edge, and is wearing the armor of a Gallic general. Long chestnut hair sticks out from behind the golden helmet. He is full of heroic spirit and his eyes are like lightning. The most eye-catching thing is the unique cross-shaped epee carried on his back. The length of the epee is one and a half meters. . Carrying it on the back, the heavy sword guard spreads out like a pair of small wings, which is a bit exaggerated. The end of the sword hilt is a metal hook in the shape of a goshawk. The sword has complex dark patterns and a family crest surrounded by dark red gems. This is a color that has been inherited for hundreds of years.

It was not the Gaulish style to use birds of prey as decoration for long swords. Anyone who sees this sword will feel that this sword has an aura from the wild land of the northwest. This sword is called the Eagle. The previous owner was the famous Norman god of war Goshawk Avize. Since the Goshawk Avi died in the battle of Salander, and the Normandy region experienced the brutal Norse During the Rebellion of Mandy, millions of Normans were massacred by the Salander expeditionary force. Even more died of freezing and starvation during the war. The number of Normans who survived was less than 100,000. These Normans were scattered to Throughout Gaul, this sword that once represented the Norman God of War has become a mystery.

"There are five thousand troops, and the leader seems to be a Slavic chieftain-level noble! It should be the garrison force in this area."

The scout cavalry made his own guess. He looked at the young man with admiration in his eyes. This young man's name was Feroges. A month ago, he was just an inconspicuous follower of Duke Sid, the local garrison. Slav An army of 100,000 people marched south, and at its most ferocious time, they broke through the defenses of three cities in succession.

People in Gaul were in panic, from the local provinces to the capital of Gaul.

No one seems to think that there is still enough force to stop the Slavs' 100,000-strong army. Even the famous Gallic general Yarde, who was temporarily transferred to the northern battlefield, thinks so. His tone at the military meeting He said sadly and angrily, "Our army has been fighting to the death with the Slavs for half a month, and has blocked the Slavs for half a month. Although it is helpless, this is the decision of the Imperial Military Affairs Department. In order to preserve our military strength, we wait for the opportunity to counterattack! We must within ten days Get out of here!"

Duke Sid, the local guard, turned a little pale, "Why, didn't you say before that you wanted to live and die with Anrak?" His glaring eyes swept across the faces of the guards officers opposite, and the generals all lowered their heads. , no one said anything, everyone knew that they would inevitably evacuate, but everyone was avoiding this issue in their hearts,

In Ankra, they fought bloody battles with the Slavs for half a month. More than 20,000 Gallic soldiers died here, and more than 10,000 Slavs died. According to this ratio, in another half month, the remaining 20,000 If there are too many Gallic Guards, they will be exhausted. The decision of the Gallic Ministry of Military Affairs is correct, because once the Gallic Guards withdraw, they will It is tantamount to announcing that the entire Anrak has fallen into the hands of the Slavs. For the Anrak people who once helped the Gallic Guards to resist the Slavic invasion, it is undoubtedly the beginning of a bloody nightmare. The revenge of the Slavs is well known. In the Anrak area that had been occupied by the Slavs, more than a hundred villages were massacred.

"You..." Duke Sid looked at the silent Gallic Guards officer, clenching his fists, and the veins on his hands even popped out.

His family, his property, and his fiefdom were all in Anrak. Without these, what would the Sid family have left? It is self-evident that the nobles who gave up their fiefdoms and industries due to the Slavic invasion lived in embarrassment in Kyoto. It is said that in the outer river of Kyoto, the bodies of three or four northern nobles who jumped into the river and died out of despair can be picked up every day. Could that be his future as Duke Sid? No! Duke Sid stood up from his seat angrily, glanced at everyone else's faces, and said coldly, "I will stay. Even if I fight alone, I, Sidrak Faya, will never be a deserter!"

"Your Excellency the Duke... If there was a slight possibility, I would not choose this!" Yard looked at the stubborn Duke of Sid with complicated eyes and said in a deep voice, "Our strength is less than 40,000. It's really... Unable to fight against a hundred thousand Slavic troops. "At this time, the entire military tent suddenly However, when I heard the sentence "Just saying "I can't fight", can I shirk my responsibility as a soldier to defend our country? One hundred thousand Slavs are not completely unable to fight. If they can be dragged into our battlefield, It’s not entirely possible. .

"Presumptuous, is this a place for people like you to make remarks?" A Guards officer in the military tent angrily scolded a young attendant behind Duke Sid.

The other officers also looked curiously at this young attendant who had the courage to express his views at such a meeting, wanting to see how bold he was, but they were all disappointed. It was just a handsome man who spoke such powerful words. There is nothing particularly noteworthy about the young man. If there is anything, it is his bright eyes. Maroon hair with a bit of green, which is rare among Gauls,

It should just be an angry remark, everyone thought so,

"Forget it, Laslund, after all, we did something wrong first!" Alder waved his hand to his adjutant calmly. He moved his eyes towards the young man who made the sound. His face did not show an angry look, but a thoughtful expression. He wanted to say, if possible. No soldier is willing to give up his country and become the target of bullying under the hooves of the enemy's army! Under the enemy's pressing tactics, avoid their sharp edges. Preserving strength is the first priority, but facing the Anrak people who are about to suffer bloody revenge from the Slavs, how can you say such a thing!

"What I said is not wrong. I don't know about other places, but if it is in Anrak, I am confident that I can defeat 100,000 Slavic troops in one fell swoop!" The young entourage held his head high, and his stubborn persistence made Yarde feel a little stunned. He showed a serious look for the first time and raised his hand to such a young man. "Okay, I give you the right to speak. You say, what should we do! What you call our battlefield, and where you are confident of defeating Ten in Anrak, What does Vanslav Army mean?”

"It's nothing interesting, but I think we have the most advantage in defeating the Slavic army in Anrak, and that is the large swampland at the southern end!" With Yarde's permission, the young follower became bolder, He walked to the wall with the map, pointed to a corner on the map and said

"It is raining in Anrak now. Although it stops and falls, it is enough to turn the swamp area in the south into a mud that can cover the ankles. As you all know, the most powerful Slavs are the cold infantry wearing heavy armor. , they are tall, elite in combat, and fearless of death. They are powerful enemies of our cavalry. Lady La's light infantry is very average. If we can lure them into this swamp, it will be difficult for the heavy infantry to move quickly in the swamp. When launching a charge, the opponent's light infantry will inevitably rush forward. If our army launches an attack with cavalry, , the opponent's light infantry will inevitably collapse, and we will have the initiative on the battlefield."

"It's just the collapse of the light infantry. How big an impact can it have!"

Hearing the words of the young attendant, some of the Guards officers showed disdain. Everyone knew that the Slavic light infantry had extremely poor combat capabilities. Almost every battle did not collapse five or six times without feeling sorry for the enemy commander, but These light infantrymen gathered quickly in the rear, just like reincarnation, charging, collapsing, charging again, collapsing again,

But every time, like the sand blown by the tide, it can always consume some of the enemy's defense line. In this way, by the time the slowly advancing heavy infantry arrives, the defense line on the opposite side has suffered several impacts, and even if it is not loose, it is at least difficult to Maintaining a stable formation, the Slavic heavy infantry was like a pendulum swinging high, cutting through the loose defense line with complete advantage! Later, the Gauls also realized that this kind of crushing impact of emotions was also a tactic of the Slavs.

"Destroying the light infantry is not completely meaningless. I observed several battles with the Slavs and found an interesting thing!" Hearing the mocking laughter coming from below, the young follower continued unconcernedly, "Then That is, their heavy infantry and light infantry are disconnected from each other. That is to say, their operations are not unified. They are like two blind dogs advancing side by side, each looking for its own food. In fact, we have every chance to kill one first and then deal with it in reverse. Another one"

"That's interesting. Yal's eyes lit up when he heard it. He didn't expect that this little follower had a sharp gaze that would put most generals to shame, and he fought with the Slavs so many times. Several generals would notice the Slavs. Weaknesses. In most cases, the Gallic army fought to the death with the Slavs. Either one party was completely killed, or one party completely escaped.

He seemed to feel something in the magnificence of this entourage, but he couldn't see clearly clearly. He said in confusion, "I admit your blind dog Lun. The Slavic light and heavy infantry are indeed two blind dogs, but these two blind dogs There is a thread connecting the dogs, and that is the Slavic light cavalry! If this thread cannot be cut off, these two blind dogs will bite people to death."

"Although I'm not a Slav, based on past examples, I feel that Slavs don't like riding horses!" The young attendant was silent for a moment. His eyes flickered and he said slowly, "In the Battle of Linde in the north last winter, the Slavic army, which was short of food, killed horses for military rations. In the Battle of Slade at the beginning of the year, the Slavic army that besieged Slade Castle also slaughtered a large number of horses. The act of making military food. This shows that as long as the Slavs feel a crisis or lack of food, they will habitually kill horses. A light cavalry without horses is not a light cavalry! "

"And I think the Slavs marched very fast. Although they penetrated two of our provinces in succession, they did not expand, but went southward. In a hurry, they could not find enough food at all. This is our opportunity, if. . . . "The young attendant's voice stopped, but his judgment made all the Gallic generals start to sit up. Yes, I don't know why. In the words, I saw a glimmer of victory,

"What if!" "This time, even Yarde seemed excited. His eyes were red with a desire to kill. It had been a long time since he had been so excited. The empire was defeated again and again in the northwest, and in the north With the region being defeated again and again, the imperial soldiers' desire for victory has reached the point of resentment. No matter what nonsense the Ministry of Military Affairs punishes, Yard has decided to give it a try!

The voice of the young entourage echoed in the meeting, and his finger finally settled on the southern swamp area, saying, "Our army hooked the main force of the Slavs with a proactive attitude of fighting, and fought and delayed. Then we sent people to attack the small troops they sent to seek supplies. The villages everywhere are deserted, and everything that cannot be taken away will be burned. The Slavs will be short of food in at least half a month." The young follower said with increasing confidence. With a sonorous voice, he said in a solemn voice, "Without food, the enemy will kill their horses. Our army will lure them into the swamps in the south. Without the light cavalry as a link, we can completely retreat when the enemy's light infantry rout." At this time, we took advantage of the situation to cover up the enemy, without giving the enemy a chance to breathe, and truly defeated the Slavic light infantry. The opponent's heavy infantry was stuck in the mud, and even if they wanted to go back, they could only stare! "

"As for the enemy's heavy infantry!"

The voice of the young follower stopped, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, "If it rains heavily that day, the enemy's heavy infantry will fight in the mire, covered with mud, heavy and wet, even if the Slavic heavy infantry has extraordinary physical strength, they will not be able to support the army." long, if that If the sun is shining brightly, then they will be in trouble. They have to move in the hot and humid quagmire. It is difficult to walk in the heat. In less than three hours, we can just cut off their heads with a sword, because if they don't faint from the heat , just lying there so tired!”

"Haha!" The words of the young entourage caused a burst of laughter in the meeting. The pessimistic and low atmosphere just now was swept away, replaced by confidence in the victory of this war.

"Those who think this method is feasible and are willing to stay and continue to fight raise their hands!" Yarde looked at his subordinates below and said with a smile. Everyone raised their hands, and some even raised their hands. Yarde clicked He nodded, very good. It’s been a long time since I saw such a strong determination to win.

After the meeting, he met the attendant alone. The sunlight from the roof of the tent shone on the ground covered with brown carpet. He raised his hand to the young attendant and made a sitting gesture, "Sit down." , what’s your name, are you a graduate of the Imperial Military Academy that year? A person as good as you shouldn’t be buried in silence! Are you interested in joining the Imperial Guard? I need an adjutant!”

"Adjutant!" The young attendant's eyes lit up for a moment, but then dimmed again. He gritted his teeth and held his head high and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't agree to your kindness because I am not a graduate of the Imperial Military Academy. I am a Norman, and I don’t want to be an adjutant who switches between affairs and official documents every day. I want to go to the battlefield. My goal is to become a general, an undefeated general!”

"Undefeated general! Interesting, do you know what this sentence means?" Hearing the words of the young entourage, Yarde was happy and smiled in his seat. "Any soldier wants to become an undefeated general, but is that possible?" ? Maybe there really is such a person, but that guy is the most terrifying enemy of the empire! "

"I know it's difficult, but I will do it!" the young follower replied with a stubborn look, repeating a sentence in his heart, "I will do it, just like I once said to that person, I'll be the one to beat him!"