Realm of Power

The three virtuous ministers came out of the palace hall, their faces looking a little unnatural. They walked past the four-meter-high and 10-meter-long building in the center of the hall, which was completely made of gold. A four-meter-tall golden statue,

It was to commemorate the majestic appearance of Yagrandis, the greatest hero in the history of Nord, who ascended the throne of Nord five hundred years ago, holding the Sword of Royal Power, which the Nords have regarded as the most precious treasure for generations. Although this seems a bit exaggerated. The posture was shaped by the imagination of later generations of successors, but most Nords believed that Agrandis must have been like this at that time.

, and from that moment on, the scattered Nords united under the unified king's banner. In the past five hundred years, the Nords fought in the north and south, and their territorial scope expanded from the original southeastern region to almost the entire central and southern regions. Continent, if it were not for the rise of the Radian people in the central part, the Nords might have a chance to become the masters of the Ikadiva continent.

But that is already the past, and the glory of the past will not last forever because of the existence of this statue.

Nowadays, the Kingdom of Nord is declining day by day. Under a series of militarism and various extreme tax policies, it is pushing the country into the abyss. Behind the eight-fold increase in income in one quarter is the impending collapse of the domestic economy. The wail of the withering merchants is the overburdened agriculture. The kingdom is like a carriage full of decay, running on the rugged mountain road at the fastest speed. No one knows when this carriage will fall apart.

"Lord Aikes, how long can we support it, one month? Or two months?"

Finance Minister Duke Harristi stopped at the door of the hall. He looked deeply at the golden statue in the hall. His heavy steps and tone were so inconsistent with the gorgeous and luxurious statues in his eyes. He asked Harristi about internal affairs. Minister Aikes subconsciously deviated his gaze,

"Is there really no hope?" Harristi raised his head unwillingly. Dark clouds were rolling in and heavy rain was about to pour.

"To be honest, I don't know." Interior Minister Aikasi sighed with an ugly face before saying, "1.28 million gold coins sounds like a lot. In fact, you and I both know the huge expenditure of a 150,000 frontline army. It's like a bottomless pit. No matter how much supplies we have, we can’t fill it up. Being able to support it for a month is already the limit. I’m afraid that after one month, it will be gone.”

Aikesi's god stopped talking and did not answer, but it was better than an answer.

Harristi was silent for a while before continuing to ask, "In other words, if there is no victory or defeat within a month, we will collapse from within, the soldiers will mutiny because of lack of pay, and the citizens will riot because of hunger. Is it true that farmers who are the most conscientious people will rise up and resist as time goes by?"

"It's possible, or it could be more serious than this, such as a nationwide turmoil." Aikes closed his eyes and nodded as if he couldn't bear it.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Saugus, the logistics director of the Ministry of Military Affairs, who came out last. As a hard-liner in the military, he curled his lips disdainfully. "That's what you civilians are like. You always like to worry about things."

"What nonsense is there that one month is the limit? Will our kingdom of Lude be shaken because of those untouchables?"

Saugus waved his hand to the cavalry waiting below, then proudly mounted his horse and said loudly, "If those untouchables really do this, I will let their heads hang all over the long street, and our Nord army will definitely defeat them." Achieve victory and unify the continent"

He quickly left under the sight of the two important ministers, and the cavalry followed behind him. People on the road got out of the way, which was in sharp contrast to the two important ministers who were alone.

"It is because of such short-sighted generals holding power that the kingdom is in such a militaristic and embarrassing situation." Interior Minister Aikes stood next to Harristi, looking at Saugus's retreating back, with an angry look on his face. snorted,

The Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Finance are the most important ministers in any kingdom, but this is not the case in the Kingdom of Nord. Nord established the country by force, and the core axis of its rule lies in the traditional martial arts power represented by the Kingdom. The Minister of the Interior A position like the Minister of Finance will always be just a foil to the army.

Their role is like a tool to help the military management. In the eyes of the powerful military, the two important ministers have very little say. Even the head of the logistics department like Soges can do so without any scruples. To shame the two important ministers,

"The kingdom is in such trouble, you and I can only encourage each other and may God bless me, Nord." Hallisti sighed, patted Aikes on the shoulder, and got into the waiting carriage at the foot of the steps.

"May God bless Rude." Aikes raised his head and glanced at the golden statue standing in the hall from a distance. He put his hand on his chest and walked down the steps in unknown loss.

At this time, a Nord cavalry galloped from a distance. Aikes relied on his intuition and felt that something big must have happened this time. The Nord guard cavalry was stopped by the palace guards in front of the palace gate.

"What's going on?" the Guards officer asked loudly.

"Urgent battle report sent back from the front line," the Nord cavalry replied in a hoarse voice like a broken bellows.

"Come, drink some water first. Which legion does your brother belong to?" The guard officer handed her a water bag and looked up and down. He was covered in dust, and his armor and horse were covered with a thick layer of mud. It looked like the result of galloping with all his strength, but the look on his face showed that this time it was really serious.

"I'm from the Seventh Army." The messenger took the water bag and drank several gulps before panting and saying, "The Third Army on Anruode's side has mutinied. This matter must be reported to His Majesty immediately."

"Third Army Mutiny" The Imperial Guard officer's face changed. Although the Imperial Guard rarely went to the battlefield, he also knew the seriousness of the word mutiny. He quickly asked someone to bring the messenger in, and just as he turned around At that time, a war horse came quickly from the distance, and on it was still the messenger from the front line.

"What's going on? The guard officer's face was stunned for a moment. He had an ominous premonition. With such frequent reports, could it be that the war on the front line that involves everyone is about to end?

"Report-Book_) Battle Report"

The messenger who came from behind was in a state of embarrassment, and his voice was out of breath. His body on the horse was swaying from side to side, and it was more precarious than the previous one. Not only was his whole body covered with mud and water, but even the person who had always been regarded as The precious war horses were also panting, exhausted, and seemed to be almost at the point of fainting. War horses were very rare in the Nord army. According to Nord military law, if the horses and cavalry were not lost in battle, they would suffer extremely serious consequences. punishment,

The war horse rushed towards the gate almost without any slowdown. It wasn't until it saw the spears of the Imperial Guards erected at the gate that it let out a shrill neighing sound and leaped high with its hooves.

"Come here, hold the war horse." The guard officer ordered the soldiers behind him to help the shaky orderly soldier hold the war horse, and helped the pale-faced orderly soldier off the war horse.

The messenger who was helped down by two guards was a young man in extremely poor spirits. His face was as pale as paper and his eyes were bloodshot. He was holding the reins tightly and had to be opened hard to let him go. His body was like He was about to fall down at any time, but he still muttered vaguely, "Quickly, quicky, Tihbog Fort Tihbog Fort."

"Quick, go get some water and food."

The experienced guard officer quickly shouted to the soldiers behind him. He knew that this was mental weakness caused by severe physical exhaustion caused by continuous horseback riding. This was a common problem among the Nords. The southern Nords were not good at cavalry. Very few people can ride a horse for a long time. The only people who can ride a horse for a long time are the Kugits in the north.

After taking in some water and half a piece of bread, the messenger woke up from his weakness. He first looked around blankly, then fixed his gaze on the guard officer, and then realized that he had arrived at a safe place. Struggling to stand up quickly

"Slow down, what's wrong with you? What does Tichbergburg mean?"

The imperial guard officer stretched out his hand, held his arm, and asked nervously. For some reason, he suddenly felt a frightening throbbing, as if he was facing an extremely terrible secret.

"Quickly, go and report to Your Majesty that Fort Tihebog has been lost." The messenger replied with a pale face and tried his best to answer.

"How is it possible? How could Fort Tichberg be breached? Isn't there tens of thousands of troops stationed there all year round?"

The Guards officers could hardly believe their ears. Fort Tichberg, which has a complete defense system, is the most important central fortress of Nord's northern defense line. It is known as "the one that can never be broken" like the solid Anjod defense line. "How could the defense line be breached without any warning?"

The messenger shouted with a cry in his voice, "The tens of thousands of troops have been mobilized long ago, and the remaining troops are less than 10,000. The Falcon Army attacked Tihebog Fort at night, and the soldiers guarding the city gate The squadron leader opened the gate of the fortress. It was late at night, and tens of thousands of falcon troops rushed into the fortress from the front in the dark.

"What about Lord Salton?" the Guards officer grabbed his shoulders and shouted.

"No, it's all gone. Although our army fought desperately, the disparity in strength is too great. The number of Falcon Army clans that poured into the fortress were several times ours," the messenger shook his head and responded with a grim look on his face. The panic look on his face seemed to still linger on from the brutal raid.

"Lord Salton personally led the army to cut off the rear, but there were too many enemies and our army could not resist it. Lord Salton could only choose to fight and retreat, but in the end he still could not withstand the powerful impact of the Falcon army and was completely defeated. "If Lord Salton hadn't sent his own guards to cover me and send back the battle report, I would have been killed by the pursuing Falcon Cavalry on the way to escape like those defeated troops."

"So, the Falcon Army has completely broken through the defense line of Fort Tihbog." The guards officers were also frightened by this information. Tihborg and Anrod are the two most important support points of the northern defense line.

Now that one support point has collapsed, the other support point has exposed the entire flank to the front of the Falcon Army. The fall of Fort Tihebog has plunged the 150,000 Nord army on Anrod's side. The danger of being attacked from both sides

"Due to my duties, I am unable to enter and report in person. Please report to His Majesty immediately." The guard officer personally helped the messenger onto the horse, gave him a military salute with an extremely sincere gesture, and said, "Please." "

On July 8, the stalemate between the two armies was finally broken. The 50,000-strong Saronian Army stationed on the border made a sneak attack on the Nords' most important central fortress on the northern border, Fort Tychborg, under the cover of night. After a fierce battle in the middle of the night, most of the defenders of Fort Tihebog were annihilated, and the guard general Salton was injured and captured. This battle is considered to be the most important turning point in the later period of the Unification War of the Ikadiva continent.

Nord's northern border

The white mist in the early morning meanders on the mountain road, like a white stream of water flowing through the mountains and forests. The fog at night makes the ground wet, as if a haircut has been pushed through it, drawing rough lines on the ground. The sun has just Revealing the distant horizon, the blood-red morning glow and dense purple clouds cover up the looming dawn in the east,

These brilliant colors are changing in the distance. Most of the sky has not yet woken up from the vast darkness of last night, showing a vast floating dark blue like an ocean.

The crisp sound of horse hooves seemed particularly clear and getting closer and closer. In the refreshing morning breeze, groups of cavalry swept across the earth like strong winds, leaving behind invisible dust. The sound of horse hooves woke up the small animals around them. The coldness made it particularly lively. The frightened wild birds were fluttering around looking for a place to hide.

The darkness before dawn gradually passed, and the morning light slowly opened the prelude to the darkness of the earth. The weak light gradually illuminated the black armors of the cavalry. The sun shone on the earth, and the cold air revealed a sweet smell. The green grass buds seemed to have grown a lot overnight.

The golden variegated grass lets its pale yellow petals bathe in the warm winter sunshine as much as possible,

"Patriarch, beyond the ridge in front is the Fecaros Mountain to the west of Anjod, and 30 miles further is the headquarters of the Nord Seventh Army." A light cavalry responsible for guiding the way pointed to the undulating hills in the distance. Plateau and hilly land

Duo Weiyan reined in his horse, took out a map, and looked at his route. At the end of the map was a barren highland, where was his ultimate goal, An Ruode.

In addition to the scene of mountains and rocks, a beautiful scenery, green undulating plains suddenly appeared in front of everyone, giving people a sense of openness and joy.

"Speed ​​up before dark, I want to see the enemy's camp"

Duo Weiyan raised his riding whip with excitement, and dense queues of Kugit light cavalry continued to emerge on the high hills. From a distance, they looked like black walls that suddenly appeared in the hilly areas.

The rumble of horses' hooves is like bursts of thunder, occasionally mixed with the neighing of war horses and the sound of the collision and friction of metal vests.

The black armors were lined up in several long moving black lines, shining with a dark luster under the golden light of the sun. The rumbling sound of horse hooves was like bursts of muffled thunder rolling in the sky. The sound of horse hooves shattered the tranquility of the mountains.

The morning light shining down from the morning mist gave these black cavalry a dark luster all over their bodies. The cold, bloody, mysterious and neat formation looked like someone had agreed to command it.

At the same time, Varisien, who was waiting anxiously for Anrod, also walked into his headquarters with excitement.

"Everyone, look what this is." Varisien loudly raised the approved report in his hand to the generals who were waiting for orders inside. "His Majesty has agreed to transfer the two central army flag regiments directly under him in Pergla. Attached to our legion's sequence, and approved our legion's proposal to launch an active attack on the Western Front, which means that we will have an additional 20,000 elite troops."

"Two Central Army Flag Regiments." Upon hearing Varisien's voice, there was a sudden roar inside.

Everyone knows that His Majesty Falcon’s Central Army is the most powerful force in the Falcon Dynasty. It is extremely well-equipped and fully manned. They are all experienced soldiers who have served under His Majesty Falcon. They are the most powerful force in the entire Falcon Dynasty. The elite of

Although the number was only about 60,000, they defeated several times the number of enemies in large battles many times.

Now His Majesty the Falcon has handed over 20,000 of them to Varisien at once, which shows that His Majesty the Falcon affirms Varisien's suggestion. Since even His Majesty the Falcon, who has always fought without leaving any stone unturned, has also agreed with this attack plan. , that basically guarantees victory

"Okay, everyone, let's put the happy things later, we are very pressed for time."

Varisien waved his hand to stop the whispers of the soldiers, strode to the map on the table in the middle, pointed at Anjod's western front, drew an eye-catching arc, and said in a loud voice, "There is also A piece of news that is not really good news,

Just last night, Salon, the guy who likes to pick up bargains the most, used 50,000 border guards to break through the Nordic defense line of Fort Tichberg.

Then Duo Weiyan's 20,000 Kujit Cavalry Corps followed the trend and came towards An Ruode's western front. Their target was the Seventh Army."

"We have another food grabber. What do you think we should do?" Varisian tapped the map with his finger and shouted to the other generals.

"Damn it, whoever dares to rob us, I will fight with him." A flag commander pulled out his sword

"That's right, never mind it," another flag commander echoed. "I've heard that the Nord's Seventh Army is the richest army. If the Kugits rob it, what will we eat? Everyone in this area We stayed at the defense line for almost a month, and if we let the food in our mouths slip away like this, the soldiers would call us motherfuckers.

"It's done, no matter who he is, just cut him down and then talk about it," a flag commander said angrily.

"Okay, it's good if everyone has such morale." Looking at the high-spirited generals in the headquarters, Varisien's eyes narrowed into a thin line, with a frightening murderous intent flashing inside. (To be continued)