Blood tax

Chapter 304 The Teutonic-Rum Battle II
Many officers and nobles gathered in the command center of the castle. Even a lifelike magic sand table was built, and the terrain and deployment of the nearby hundred miles could be clearly seen.Ophelia and Midianmeier were also present, nodding to Griffith standing among a large group of imperial guards.

Prince Commodus is majestic and heroic, with brilliant blond hair shining like the morning sun, sapphire-like eyes full of charm yet brave and gentle, broad and strong shoulders, square and powerful chin, noble and majestic like a lion.

He looks at the map and asks a question or two now and then.

"Duke Meyer's food and weapons have arrived? Send someone to urge him."

"Is the deployment of the Lumu Front Army of the Clan Alliance confirmed? Project it."

Several wizards immediately activated the mirror-like projection.Intense warriors all over the mountains and plains appear in the picture boundlessly.They were strong orcs with battleaxes, troll spearmen with spears, ogres who used tree trunks and rocks as weapons, and half-orcs in large numbers.

"Your Highness, the total number of enemy troops is expected to exceed 6, and they are gathering on the plain south of the Rumu Fortress. Their formation is..."

The reporting corps came to a sudden halt.A clergyman came to the prince and whispered.

Griffith recognized the man immediately.He is His Excellency Kervalen who once attended the Hormonworth Mysticism Conference, the head of the executive department of the Holy See of Light, and the leader of the Punisher.

Griffith subconsciously put his hand on his saber, and watched him with a large group of generals and officers.

The prince immediately noticed Krista's arrival, and came to Krista with the kind old man beside him, followed by the respectful Bishop Clariant.

His Excellency Korvalen said to the girl like a kind elder: "Praise the Holy Light, you are safe and sound, I am really happy."

Christa asked and answered gently: "It all depends on the protection of the Holy Light."

Prince Commodus smiled and waited for them to finish, but the head of the Punisher was nagging endlessly, and finally he couldn't help it.

"Saint of Anjou, on behalf of the whole army, I welcome you. During the time you were in danger, we really lived like years.

"I and my [-] comrades welcome you, and welcome the brothers and sisters who come with you. In the coming war, we need to unite all brave and devout hearts."

Griffith found that several generals and officers present did not think so, and some even shook their heads and hummed softly.

"My brothers and sisters will fight side by side with Your Highness," Krista said to the prince, "We fight against the enemy in the name of the Holy Light. No matter how strong they are, we will definitely defeat them. Your Highness will achieve the greatest victory ever." Great victory. The prophecy has foretold that the enemy will be defeated."

……

The generals and nobles of each legion discussed how to deploy six regular legions and auxiliary legions, as well as the gathered more than 2 believers of the Holy Light.The army will launch an attack on the Clan Alliance's Loum Fortress early in the morning the day after tomorrow.

It will be a battle of more than 12 people.

In the well-equipped bathroom of the castle, Griffith quickly washed his body, got rid of the dust and fatigue of the journey, and came to Sonia's suite, ready to start working.

The headquarters will commend him for his achievements in rescuing the saint, but it will take time to issue it.He took out the echo crystal and casually listened to the signal. Before the fierce battle came, the echo was very clear.

Among the many unencrypted messages he heard a beautiful and mysterious verse.

"The violin of autumn weeps long and breaks my heart with a breath of monotony."

This strange code word comes from the unknown Echo Hub.Certain organizations have started to act again, but what are they planning?

Just as Griffith was in a daze, there was a sound of veil brushing the floor from the door.

Sonia, who had just showered and changed, walked out lightly wearing a comfortable silk dress, and knocked lightly on the door.Instead of living in the camp outside, the two of them had rooms in a corner of the castle, very close to each other.

A thick woolen blanket was spread on the wide window sill. The girl did not sit at the desk, but sat down by the window, curled up her legs, and rested her head on her knees, her long, smooth hair was scattered on her fluffy hair. on the wool blanket.

The gray sky was drizzling, and the distant mountains were shrouded in mist.Looking from the window, the vast grassland and wheat fields are empty, and the silence is so quiet that only the sound of rain can be heard.

"It's raining," Griffith said.

"Well, it's raining~" Sonia looked at the water drops on the glass and said, "It makes people feel relaxed."

"Actually, what I want to say is that the rain will make the land muddy, and the movement of artillery and heavy equipment will be difficult," Griffith said, shaking the quill, "Sonia, come to work."

"Sonia doesn't want to work!" The countess raised her head, puffed her cheeks and looked at the knight.

"That girl from Anjou is so beautiful. I wanted to draw her face, but I couldn't," Sonia asked with some confusion. "Is her name Krista? It sounds nice." name."

Griffith nodded.

The Countess rested her head on her lap again: "However, how should I put it, I always feel that she is incompatible with this lovely name. In other words, the fact that she has her own name itself makes people feel strangely inconsistent.

"I mean, when I look at her, I see something like a walking light, mighty power, hazy beauty, a beacon of progress,

"Only, without the feeling that this is a girl..."

……

The legions and auxiliaries received orders to move.Except for a part of the garrison, the rest of the ministries advanced towards the forts and defense lines of the clan alliance.

As soon as Griffith arrived at the barracks, Test Warrant Officer Suster of the 603 Test Squadron dragged Senamon to his tent.

"Did you bring me anything new?"

"Yes, Captain, we found that when we use artillery, our own people gather in front, either by accident or hindering the shooting, but placing the artillery on the front line is easy to be destroyed by the enemy's cavalry charge, so the Ordnance Department conceived a Like a bow and arrow, it is a curved weapon that allows the projectile to pass over the friendly forces in front and fall into the enemy's formation. We can test it in the next battle."

They took Griffith to the clearing where stood a thick and long cannon.

Sergeant Major Fenrir Gunter was leading his men there.Christa was actually here too. She carefully distributed different gunpowder and shells, and it seemed that she was going to test fire a few times.

Sastre opened his voice and shouted: "Look, we call this murder weapon 'Big Snake'. The saintess agreed after seeing it!"

Griffith first looked at Christa, and found that she did not feel surrounded by believers among the group of technicians. Everyone happily exchanged views with her, without restraint at all.After listening to the introduction of the test squadron for a while, Griffith also roughly understood the idea of ​​this weapon - crossed over our army's head, smashed into the enemy's formation, and killed the enemy's troops.

The concept is simple but the operation is not easy. To accurately hit the enemy's head with a howitzer requires superb artillery skills and precise ballistic calculations, unlike other artillery that can cut the enemy soldiers to the ground.

At least the howitzer has an advantage, because the elevation angle is raised, so the range of the shells is also increased; compared with the Eagle Cannon and Snake Cannon, which can only be used within about 500 to 500 meters, this field gun has a thousand Range of more than [-] meters.

This means that before the contact between the enemy and us, the howitzer can be used to steal a few rounds to make the enemy's cavalry fall off their horses in fright, at least to have the effect of harassment.Fireballs can also be launched into the city during siege, creating chaos without breaking the walls.

"But are your things accurate?" Griffith flipped through the calculator, thinking that it was impossible for them to hit any enemies at such a long range.

"We have a solution!" Krista joined the conversation.

She was holding a round cannonball with a rope attached to it: "The ignited fuse will detonate the cannonball and kill the enemy with fragments. As long as it doesn't explode beforehand, the cannonball will create a large-scale killing effect after it hits the ground. "

As long as there is no premature explosion... This premise made Griffith's heart skip a beat, and he made up his mind to stay away from the artillery position tomorrow.

……

October 1444, 10 of the Second Age.After dinner, the whole army set off from the barracks and began to assemble towards the battlefield, preparing to launch a fierce attack on the fortresses and positions of the clan alliance the next day.

In the afternoon of that day, Sonia thought of the autumn at Homenwatts, where there were no noisy voices, only hurried footsteps in the corridor and cadenced explanations at the front of the classroom.At that time, she was busy taking notes, sometimes imagining what the ruins and distant countryside would be like.

At this moment, Sonia heard the rhythmic sound of marching troops.The autumn wind and red leaves make her feel very relaxed, and the hills and creeks here are very similar to Homewatts.

She was in the middle of the team, surrounded by capable cavalry.They were clad in solid armor, armed with lances and horse swords.Behind the cavalry are infantry.At the end of the line is the large carriage for auxiliary soldiers and logistics.

The well-organized infantry and cavalry spread out towards the wide battlefield, and there were artillery and trebuchets on their wings and rear. Such a powerful army was used to capture the fortress of the orcs.

It rained heavily all day long.

At night, Prince Commodus rode a horse and patrolled the nearby mountains with Maximus in the squalling wind and rain. He saw the fire of the enemy extending from the Rume Fortress to the plains and hills in front of him, reflecting on the On the horizon, he felt excited and satisfied in his heart; he reined in his horse, watched the lightning, listened to the thunder, and stayed for a while.

With a powerful legion, as well as the support of the Holy Maiden and the armed forces of the church, the combat force directly commanded by the prince and his teacher, General Maximus, exceeds 6, and there are even more people who are constantly delivering supplies for them .

When Griffith led his stormtrooper squadron to the assembly point, he passed by the hill where the temporary headquarters was located, and heard the prince say to everyone in a passionate voice:
"Destined greatness and fortune have come!"

(End of this chapter)