Two days later, only a few people were left in the legion camp. The commander of the Mars Legion led the army to set off for Maz'er, a small town located in the center of the Houtangedan Plain. The Houtangedan Plain is located in the northwest of the kingdom. The territory of Apodoli has steep mountains and hills. The Houtangedan Plain is the most beautiful and fertile land and pasture given to the kingdom by God. It produces almost all the horses of the kingdom's world-famous cavalry regiment. It is also the only way from the northwest coast to the hinterland of the kingdom. Once the invaders passed through the plains - if they were mounted, they could reach the city of Babkole in a matter of days. It's smooth sailing, without any obstacles.
But such a nightmare will never happen. Apodoli will be favored by the gods.
Apodo Lido has high mountains and ridges, and is called the "mountain country" by people from other countries on the continent. The southern border only borders the Kingdom of Karagard. The east and southwest are steep mountains and dense forests, which isolates the rest of the continent from communication. To the northwest is the vast blue ocean. Therefore, even if there are no natural dangers such as mountains and rivers, it is still the safest area. Although there are occasional pirate attacks and some losses, all Apodoli people know this clearly - pirates are disgusting, but they are definitely not a fatal threat.
When the Guards Corps camp set out, Greene and his heavily armed First Squadron had already been galloping on the endless green plains for two days and two nights. In addition to replenishing appropriate supplies when passing through towns, they could only rest for a short period of time each day. Everything is to reach the legion's designated defense area as soon as possible and monitor the calm coastline.
Glenn showed no signs of fatigue. Along the way, he often thought of Captain Philo's expression when he gave him orders. Although he was a little surprised, he still felt Captain Philo's trust and expectations for him. There are many squadrons in the Guards Corps that are capable of fighting, but Captain Philo still chose him, and it had been less than a month since he joined the Corps.
He will never betray the trust placed in him by Captain Philo. He assured his team leader that the mission would be completed with flying colors. Under no circumstances should the honor of the Guards be tarnished. He still remembered Captain Philo's approving look at that time.
Of course, he still put forward his opinions pertinently. He believed that it was difficult to fully defend the more than 100 miles of coastline that each squadron needed to defend with just a squadron of 200 men. Not to mention the defense zones of the adjacent left and right wing squadrons. His thoughts were exactly the same as those of Captain Philo. In the meeting held in the big tent, he also expressed his doubts and uneasiness about this.
Commander Philo explained the regiment commander's plan to him in detail and said to him: "When only nine squadrons can be dispatched, the regiment commander's plan is already the best choice." He also expressed his silence. of approval.
But what surprised him even more was what Philo said to him before he left. That is, although the Legion Commander expressed some doubts about sending him on the expedition, "But I can still see that the person he originally wanted to send was you. So when he asked, I did not hesitate to choose you. Could it be that you were the one he originally wanted to send." Do you really think that I just admire you and send you with only one month of military career in a possible battle with real guns and swords?
Yes, I trust you. However, if the legion commander doesn't trust you, do you think I will still be stubborn? I admit that my reputation for bravery in the Guards is not unfounded, but this does not mean that I am really stupid enough to casually despise the commander of the regiment, whom I also respect very much. I'm also looking forward to your performance. You have to remember - it's not just your soldiers and me who are staring at you. And, Your Highness the Prince. "
Glenn sighed. The lives of the two hundred soldiers of the First Squadron now depended on his thoughts. He was not worried about the upcoming battle, nor was he worried about whether he could really shoulder such a responsibility. He wasn't worried at all.
Yes! He is more than just what the legend says. He is better than what people hear and imagine. Mr. Astral is not only a wise man with profound knowledge, but also a master of swordsmanship that is rarely known. Therefore, he learned fighting skills that were enough to be proud of all the brave men in the mainland, and his archery skills were also outstanding. Thanks to Mr. Wang’s earnest teachings, he is tenacious, benevolent and sincere. His face does not change despite the weight of mountains, and he takes life and death as a matter of course.
Since he was eighteen years old, he would travel around for most of the year according to his husband's instructions. He traveled to many countries and tribes on the continent, made many friends, learned about people's lives, and felt their happiness and pain. His footsteps have been through wild mountains and dense forests, and he has learned how to deal with and solve countless dangers. Returning to my husband does not mean that I can get some leisure. He gets up early in the morning to practice martial arts. In the evening, I will continue to learn various knowledge from my husband.
Now he knew how grateful he was to Mr. Astral. Thanks to his teacher's teachings and his own experience of traveling, he understood the details of each country on the continent, as well as their kings, people and armies. He even knows the powerful wolves in the southwest and the pirates floating on the sea.
It was entirely out of his absolute respect for his husband that he would not ask: "Why does a civilian need to learn how to control a huge army? Even if he is dealing with a group of extremely vicious thieves, there is no need for the entire army to fight back and forth!" "
At this moment, he felt infinite emotion in his heart. The wise Mr. Astral, the prophetic Mr. Astral. Everything I learn from you will be put into full use in the coming days.
Now he was as confident as Mr. Astral expected him to be.
When he conveyed Captain Philo's order to his soldiers word for word. The soldiers were all excited to gain the trust of the Mars Legion Commander and Philo Commander.
Trinville was the happiest one. He couldn't help waving his powerful hands and said loudly: "I'm such a lucky guy. I knew that I should have joined the Guards a long time ago - in that case, maybe I would have joined the Guards long ago. I have seen many, many, all kinds of pirates. But all pirates are no different to me. They will all be beaten black and blue and trampled underfoot like the robbers I caught before."
Grain was pleased with the high morale of Trinville and the soldiers. Among the excited young soldiers, he was also excited for the coming battle. "It's just, as I have told you. The legion cannot even determine how many pirates are waiting for us at the front. Once a battle occurs, all we can rely on are the comrades around us. Don't forget, we only have two hundred people, It must not be taken lightly.”
But what he didn't expect was that after hearing his kind reminder, the soldiers all looked at each other, and some even looked at him coldly.
One soldier looked encouraged by the other soldiers and raised his hand. Glenn calmly pointed at him with his finger.
"Silger, do you have something to say?"
Silger walked out of the queue, held his hand and saluted: "Captain Grein, please forgive me. Maybe you have just joined the Guards and don't understand our traditions."
Glenn could feel the hostility in their eyes. He smiled softly and said: "I am not so arrogant as to despise the tradition of the heroic Guards. So, Sirge, please tell me the tradition you are talking about, so that I can have the opportunity to understand and go with you in the future. Follow it.”
A soldier who dares to jump out and accuse his captain is certainly not a coward. He said: "When we were children, we knew that the Guards never bothered to fight against evenly matched enemies. In fact, there is no opponent that can compare with the Guards. The Guards are the only ones who can defeat many with a small number and one against ten. A battle to be proud of. It would be a shame for us if we had two hundred Guardsmen and yet we were still complaining about the threat posed to us by pirates who would just run away. Our Legion Commander That’s never how we were taught.”
The other soldiers gathered around him and nodded. Some even said loudly: "That's right, we are only afraid of encountering too few enemies. If our entire squadron defeats the same two hundred pirates, or less, then there is nothing worth bragging about."
Glenn looked at these young soldiers, and Silge looked at him with provocative eyes. Trinville blushed.
Grilaine knew that it would not be possible to make these soldiers from noble and wealthy families completely trust and obey his orders. And only soldiers who trust each other and unite as one can truly rely on him.
He said solemnly and sincerely: "Silger, I have no doubt about your bravery. And please believe that, like you, I will respect and be proud of all traditions that can inspire the noble honor in our hearts. Just as your Sir, all I can say to you is that being brave doesn't mean you can disregard your own life.
Being outnumbered can indeed win the people's praise for us, but what we want is to defeat the enemy, protect ourselves, and achieve greater victory at the smallest cost. Instead of deliberately putting yourself in danger just to show off your so-called strength and bravery. Such a victory may be earth-shattering, but it is also meaningless. You will find that there is no need to be ashamed of keeping the fear of battle deep in your heart at all times. Go get ready before departure. We must get to the next station before dark. "
At dusk, they arrived at the small town of Mazir. This will become the temporary base when the legion camp arrives, and it is also the largest and most prosperous town in their defense zone. It was less than fifty miles from the town of Maz'er to the coast. From the perspective of the cavalry, it was already very close.
Grein ordered a camp to be set up outside the town and sent out sentries to guard. The 1st Squadron would depart at dawn for their final destination.
Grein summoned squad leaders Silger and Eisen and asked them to lead their respective squads in a fan search in both directions to determine the location of other squadrons.
"If you find them, inform them of the location of the First Squadron. If everything is normal, you can return to our defense area. Search carefully on the way and don't be careless." His order was concise. Although Silger and others did not think highly of Glenn's appointment as squadron leader, they did not hesitate to execute his orders.
Until the sound of horse hooves disappeared in the dark night, Green ordered the remaining four teams to stay put. He then said to Captain Dano: "I'm going to the local sheriff and do some research in Maz'er. When I leave, you will be in charge of the leadership of the entire squadron. Until I come back."
Dano is mature and prudent, and he also respects Glenn. That's why Grein gave him the squadron. Dano held his hand and saluted: "Yes, sir."
Grain took Trinville and a few soldiers and rushed to the town sheriff's station. A sentry saw a Guards officer coming with a few soldiers and immediately looked at them nervously.
Grain dismounted and handed the reins to the soldiers who followed him. He asked the sentry: "I am Captain Glenn of the Guards Squadron. I want to see your commander."
The sentry blushed and said, "Yes, Captain Glenn. But our Sheriff is not here."
Glenn frowned and asked, "Then can you tell me where to find him?"
The sentry hesitated and said, "I don't know where he will be tonight. However, you might want to try the Fat Duck Tavern, the busiest restaurant in town."
Without saying a word, Green mounted his horse and said to Trinville: "Let's go."
The Fat Duck Tavern is like all ordinary pubs in Apodoli. It is brightly lit and full of people at night. The drunkards' unbridled laughter and enthusiastic greetings filled my ears. Normally, Glenn might just laugh it off. But today he was slightly unhappy, but it didn't show on his face.
He opened the door and walked up to the smiling shopkeeper and asked, "I am the Guards Squadron Captain Glenn. Excuse me, can the local Sheriff be here?"
When the fat shopkeeper saw the majestic officers and tough soldiers, he replied with a more attentive smile: "Sir, welcome to the Fat Duck Tavern. It is an honor to serve you. Sheriff Stubby of Mazier Town is here At that table. Look, it's the old man with a red face. Don't look at him drunk, he might be doing it. Anyway, Mazur has always been an easy-going small town, and the sheriff is nothing more than It’s just a decoration.”
Glenn interrupted: "Who are those people sitting at the same table with him?"
"Who, who are you talking about?" The fat shopkeeper winked and looked carefully in the direction of the Guards officer's gaze, "Oh, the one who was as drunk as him was his old friend - the best in Mazier Town. Rim, the doctor. Sitting on his right is the grocer Rondel, and in front of him is an honest horse dealer named Rab."
"So, who are the other two people? Do you know them?" Glenn asked calmly.
"Oops." The fat shopkeeper said in embarrassment, "Please forgive my clumsy eyesight. But this cannot be blamed for my bad eyesight. I dare not say that I know everyone in Mazur Town, but these two people are indeed familiar. Very. I don’t know them. I don’t know if the others know them. Sir, do you want me to call you the Sheriff?”
"No, let's not disturb his drinking pleasure. It looks like he is drinking happily. I don't have to look for him. So, please give me and my friends a drink too." He smiled said.
Don't mention how weird Trinville is. When he walked into a familiar environment, he resisted the temptation of the fragrant wine. How he wanted to have a drink. But he knew that if he asked for a drink without knowing the importance of it at this time, he would definitely be scolded by Glenn. So when he heard Glenn happily asking for a drink, his eyes widened.
Glenn winked and said with a smile: "Come on, come on, old friend. Let's try how the Fat Duck Tavern's wine compares to Blueberry Daddy's wine."
Trinville was full of doubts, although he didn't know what Grayne's intention was. But in his eyes, Glenn has always been so enigmatic, and this is what he admires most about Glenn.
"Perhaps he is having some brilliant idea now?" He muttered and stopped asking questions.
They sat in a dark corner where the torches could not shine, and Gray's eyes were bright.
When you are worried, no matter how delicious the wine is, it will be tasteless. After all, Trinville couldn't bear the dual temptation of curiosity and wine. He coughed and said: "The pirates are on the seaside and will kill them at any time. But they only care about drinking. The Sheriff has left his post without permission. I think he has been gone for a long time." Remember what you do.”
Glenn tapped his fingers on the greasy table, but stared ahead. He said: "The Royal Council did not release the news that the pirates were hiding in the offshore. It must be reasonable. Maybe it was worried about causing unnecessary disturbances. Maybe this is the so-called pride of the Apodoli people. Besides, no one can It’s not certain that the pirates will actually come. We can’t blame them. In the eyes of those who are happy to drink, the kingdom has a strong army and they deserve to enjoy such a peaceful and happy night.”
Trinville nodded: "That's what you say, but I really don't understand why we are sitting here drinking stupidly. Don't we still have a mission?"
Glenn smiled and said, "I thought you would be very happy."
Trinville looked at him with aggrieved eyes: "Grain, I haven't forgotten that I am already a soldier of the kingdom. Am I so unworthy in your eyes? What on earth are we doing? What are you looking at? ?”
Glenn put the wine glass on the table, but he didn't even take a sip. "Okay, I've finished reading. Thank you for the reminder, my friend. Now, let's continue our mission."
Trinville looked at him, increasingly confused.
Green whispered in his ear, and Trinville's eyes widened in surprise. Glenn nodded doubtfully. Trinville also nodded: "Okay, although I still don't know why you did this. But don't worry, Captain Green, I will execute your order immediately."
As soon as Glenn saw him walking out of the tavern, he immediately stood up and strode to the Sheriff's table. At this time, people discovered that a majestic Guards officer had entered the dark and noisy tavern.
Although the town sheriff was drunk, he still knew who was standing in front of him. He hurriedly tried to stand up, but was too drunk to do so.
"Come on, come on, Sheriff Stubby." Greene didn't seem to care that he was facing a sheriff who couldn't even speak clearly. He said, "If sitting makes you more comfortable, please do so. If any of you here would like to have a drink with a Guards officer, I have no objection. I am looking for the Sheriff of this town. I have something to ask him."
Several people stood up in a hurry and stayed away, or went to other drinking tables for the time being and continued drinking and chatting uneasily. From time to time, the fat shopkeeper cast his eyes on Grayne and the shaky Sheriff.
A faint sneer appeared on the corner of Glenn's mouth. He smiled and asked: "Mr. Sheriff Stubby, what were you talking about just now?"
The Sheriff smiled and replied: "No...nothing..."
Glenn's face suddenly darkened, and he said in a tone that left no room for doubt: "What exactly did you say? Please tell me clearly."
The Sheriff looked at Glenn's serious expression and sweat broke out on his face. He hesitated and said: "Okay... okay. If you want to know, I... I will tell you. Rab, he is... a horse dealer. He just came back from selling horses, and a mare gave birth to... on the way. ...gave birth to a foal. He was so happy that he came to drink with me. We all said he was very lucky. Reem, he is my old neighbor, and he is also...a good old man. He said he had not been busy for a whole day. A few patients were bored, and their wives were nagging at home... nagging, but it was still comfortable in the tavern. As for Rondel, his son was about to marry him a daughter-in-law, and he was thinking about selling more goods, so... …Collect credit from neighbors and friends by the way.”
"that's it?"
"Yes, sir."
"So, what did those two people say?"
"Which...which two people?
"The two people who were sitting with you just now. Now, they are gone."
The Sheriff squeezed his red eyes and said with a sneer: "Sir, I don't know them. None of us... don't know them."
"But I see that you guys are having a very interesting conversation." Glenn looked around the dim tavern. Those who were secretly looking at him hurriedly avoided them when they encountered his penetrating gaze. He stared into the blood-red eyes of the town sheriff again.
"It's...not speculation. Of course, I'm not saying that you are wrong, sir. In fact, I...we just drank together. They all said...what they said, I don't even remember. I I don’t know if other people are like me and have forgotten what they said. No...but I seem to remember that they asked us about two people." The Sheriff answered timidly.
Glenn continued to ask reluctantly: "Who are you asking about? What kind of person?"
"I don't know. Really, sir. As soon as they entered the tavern and sat with us, they just introduced themselves and before they had a few drinks, they asked us if...if we had heard of two women from the East. "As he spoke, he secretly raised his head. Glenn's sharp gaze looked directly into his eyes. He was so frightened that he immediately lowered his head.
Glenn didn't think this was a critical issue. But he still asked: "What kind of woman is she? Did they say where in the east she came from?"
"Sir, they only said that one was about twenty years old, or older, named Xina. The other...the other one, I really don't remember."
Looking at the police officer's frightened look, he probably couldn't ask any more questions. He sneered: "As the Sheriff of this town, you are drinking here! Who would like a drunk Sheriff except a thief?"
"But, what else can I do?" the Sheriff said, rubbing his red eyes, "Thanks to the great Majesty Savior Orzin, Apodoli ruled the country in peace, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. I...I I haven’t seen a robber or thief in a long time.”
Grein wanted to remind him that pirates might be out at sea not far away. But seeing his appearance, I knew I couldn't count on him. Since it was impossible to ask more information, now, he wanted to meet Trinville immediately.
He threw a small silver coin on the stage and walked away without looking back, leaving the fat shopkeeper and everyone there in a daze.
