In the vast wilderness, groups of soldiers lined up in marching columns, playing the brisk flute of "Radetzky March", leaving trails of soil mixed with grass color. If you look carefully, you will find that only the outermost soldiers are wearing armor, and the others are lightly armed.
And as small groups of ranger cavalry rushed back and forth, the faint roar of artillery fire could be heard in the distance from time to time. Just when the marching soldiers arrive at the preset gathering and resting point of the vanguard; usually the roar of artillery has disappeared, and it means that the nearby towns have changed hands.
Then, you can see the ruins of castles, manors, villages, and towns with blazing flames or curling embers wherever you pass. Groups of disgraced prisoners are being escorted out, and they pass by dejectedly. . Awaiting them would be hard labor in the mines.
But more often than not, not even the sound of artillery fire can be heard; there is only a long and monotonous cycle of marching, resting/eating, and marching again. Occasionally, I saw the gate of a certain city along the way open, and the mayor led the girl in a flower crown and long dress, humbly offering a necklace symbolizing dominance.
At this time, the soldiers' food can be improved; they no longer have to eat hard military biscuits, salted fat, bacon and beans; they can eat sausages and cheeses of different flavors, as well as cabbage, turnips, Pumpkins and other fresh vegetables are famous for stews and stews.
Although most of them cannot enter the city, some women who work part-time to make extra money or are nightingales in the city will be summoned. Providing some kind of paid stress-relieving service for soldiers who happen to not have outstanding performance in their duties; this is also their happiest topic of conversation.
Occasionally, they would be ordered to join in individual unexpected unusual battles; that was a special situation that happened to block the marching route, or an abnormal situation that occurred near the camping site; at this time, it was the turn of the special service company accompanying the army, The special attack companies took action one after another to solve the problem.
Sometimes an abnormal situation affects a large area, and soldiers of the Free Army need to be dispatched to conduct a large-scale search of mountains and areas, or to temporarily block off a certain area, a certain castle, or a town. Until professionals who are good at dealing with mysterious people can destroy or destroy the source of the abnormality.
From this, Jiang Tian also witnessed more intuitively the impact and subsequent changes brought about by the changes in the celestial sphere. In fact, in addition to those alien species that suddenly appear in this world, or the abnormal areas caused by it; some creatures in this world also have a probability of mutating.
According to the remaining records of changes in the celestial sphere in the past, there have been examples of distortions, from birds and beasts in the wilderness to livestock that have been domesticated by humans for many years. The most common and obvious change is the rapid growth of body size in a short period of time, and the resulting increase in food intake.
Therefore, driven by the body's hunger and thirst instinct, these mutated giant individuals often preferentially prey on and devour the nearest similar species. Even some herbivores that were originally docile can become bloodthirsty, furious and aggressive, breaking through fences and escaping after injuring people.
However, the food chain in the mountains and wilderness did not provide so many food sources; therefore, lonely humans in the wild, and even settlements, manors and monasteries in remote areas, became the first victims. Many scalp-numbing tragedies and disasters were born from this.
Even some mutant animals that were originally vegetarians will be driven by their instincts and take advantage of their large size and thick skin to break into human farms, plantations and courtyards, wreak havoc on crops, and even Bite, damage and chase to expel the herd within.
But on the other hand, according to historical records left in the past, in large villages, towns, and cities where humans live in large numbers, the probability of such mutations occurring is very small; or even if there are abnormal changes in individuals, it will They were culled and disposed of at the nearest location as soon as possible.
And some churches and other places that are prestigious and have long-term active believers can even exclude and suppress some non-substantial heterogeneous and abnormal phenomena. At least the occasional reminder from Jiang Tian's vision panel seems to be a resonance of a spiritual stance, an interference effect on reality.
Of course, if you really want to face the physical damage of swords and minions, it is still useless; or it cannot be useless at all. At least some kind of spiritual resonance left when these believers pray; it can make aliens uncomfortable. This is also an ancient legend Source of exorcism rituals in China.
Therefore, as the Free Army marched along, they did not eliminate many human enemies in the true sense. Instead, they eradicated and expelled a large number of alien spirits that appeared in an endless stream along the way. They also cleared several areas that blocked the road or affected the enemy. Large abnormal area.
There was no existence that could cause enough obstacles and casualties to the Free Army; the biggest loss was the huge hive several stories high encountered in the wild; the fist-sized giant red bee hidden inside had extremely powerful paralysis. Toxin, a search team was placed on the spot.
But in the end, it was destroyed by long-distance bombardment and arson bombs. The surviving half of the queen bee was put into a special container and taken back for study. Another time, I encountered a foggy area where swarms of skeleton spirits were active; once people entered, they would lose their sense of direction.
Then he was killed by these skeleton spirits in a panic, and his flesh and blood quickly dried up and decayed, and finally only the bones were left to re-condensate into one of them. But the Free Army's solution to this is also simple. Have people wear protective suits that isolate the inside and outside, and then lead the skeleton monster to the edge.
Immediately afterwards, the soldiers waiting outside would use horse-catching poles and net ropes to drag out the skeleton monsters that were passively attracted by silence one by one. They would smash them into pieces with hammers and steel rods on the spot, and then concentrate their fire. Turn into ashes. In a short period of time, most of the active skeleton monsters were eliminated.
Finally, escorted by several heritage knights, the African Order's sacred vessel, the octagonal silver plate filled with water, was found where the water ripples were the most intense, and a twisted man who looked like sintered bones was excavated on the spot. After the accidental destruction, the fog gradually dissipated.
These knowledge are also quite beneficial to Jiang Tian. At least they have very important reference and reference significance in solving the abnormal scenes that also belong to the change of the celestial sphere in another Tang Dynasty time and space. Therefore, he will order the army to slow down and resolve the abnormality nearby.
Just to accumulate more experience in facing alien and abnormal situations. But this is a disguised verification of the declaration made by the Free Army and the Southern Salvation Government when they were first established to protect the subjects of the kingdom and eradicate aliens. Therefore, the effect in places along the way is also seriously polarizing.
Some people rushed to defect and took the initiative to lead the way, while others fled with their families. There are more people who don't know what's going on and who don't know whether it's true or not. They are anxiously waiting for the rule and protection from the new regime in the south amid rumors. There are even people who spontaneously rise up to hunt the aliens.
When the first direct army led by Jiang Tian penetrated eastward to the key points and nodes on the border with the Principality of Lorraine and the Marquis of Alsace, it accepted a few border troops and local troops from the local Vosges Fortress. After the militia surrendered, they turned north and continued their attack.
An armed march/easy occupation style passed through the Champagne and Ardennes provinces; when we finally arrived at the city of Sedan, which is close to the Netherlands in the highlands and on the border with the County of Luxembourg, we encountered the first decent resistance. However, the enemy was the Normans who invaded and occupied the area.
Belonging to the north and northwest of the kingdom, they believe in a major branch of Catholicism called the "Northern Holy See". Among the Norman countries that have long been regarded as uncivilized areas because they have retained a large number of ancient barbarian customs and traditions, they come from the neighboring country called Terry. A tribal army of nearly ten thousand people in the Er emirate.
Before the Free Army arrived, these foreign barbarian invaders were even recognized by the Burgundian dynasty and erected flags and badges in the area. As if they were new lords, they began to assign soldiers to dominate the area. , performing various barbaric customs and traditions.
For example, women, whether newly married or remarried, must first go to the local centurion's home and serve him for three days. Another example is to capture children as blood taxes. Therefore, when the Free Army arrived in the city of Sedan, the suffering local people almost responded in droves.
Under the response of the citizens and peasants who raised their pitchforks, sticks, and axes, the non-stop Free Army captured the small town of Sedan almost as soon as they met, leaving only two to three thousand people remaining in the small town of Sedan; they captured and publicly captured Executed a bunch of Trier generals who had suffered a lot of bloodshed.
However, after a bounty order was issued for the remnants of Trier soldiers scattered in the countryside, whether dead or alive, they could be exchanged for money; the First Direct Regiment, which added a large number of horses and pack animals locally, continued to follow the ancient route of the Western Front. The road leads directly to Reims, where Champagne and the Ardennes meet.
And this is an ancient city with a long history, even much earlier than the island on the Seine River; it is said that it can be traced back to BC before the birth of the Roman Empire. The Rem people, one of the original Gallic tribes, later It became the largest city in the Roman Empire in northern Xinjiang.
Therefore, in the city of Reims, there are still four monumental arches built to commemorate and praise Augustus the Great - the Gate of Mars; at the same time, there is also a temple converted from the Temple of Jupiter by the Frankish leader Clovis. The first Christian sanctuary - the Church of St. Nicholas.
And when the Merovingian dynasty of the Franks was gradually replaced by the Carolingian dynasty; from Charles the Hammer who saved the Iberian Peninsula, to Pippin the Short who later conquered Italy, and even Charlemagne who brought the Frankish Kingdom to its peak Your Majesty, they are all anointed and consecrated here.
Then the Kingdom of Zealand was born on the remains of the Frankish Kingdom, and most of the royal family members, powerful princes, and nobles of the past generations were baptized here. From this, the Cathedral of Our Lady, which was specially used to hold sacraments for members of the royal family, and the St. Anthony's Cross Palace, where the five archbishops of the kingdom held meetings, were successively built.
And the first monastery in the kingdom to be officially recognized and publicly settled and secluded by the royal family - the Abbey of Saint-Remy. Therefore, it is also one of the religious holy places and (northern) capitals of the Kingdom of Sealand, and is recognized as a must-visit place for major pilgrimages and lifelong tours in the Western Continent.
More importantly, the ancient city of Reims is located in the Marne County, adjacent to the eight flower crowns that once formed the royal emblem. The most eye-catching one is located in the capital region in the most fertile Seine River Basin/basin; 2. Thirteen counties/districts/divisions of the County of Soissons.
The only obstacle that can form between the two is the outer fort at the mouth of the basin - Chateau Thierry. And just near Lance City, Jiang Tian and the soldiers of the directly affiliated legion also received good news, bad news, and both good and bad news.
The good news is that the capital region under the control of the Burgundian Dynasty will not be able to send more reinforcements in a short time. But the bad news is that as an ancient battlefield that has been fought over by successive dynasties; now the valley from Reims to Soissons is filled with groups of wandering bones.
Therefore, the good news is that the mountain pass area where Chateau Thierry is located, as well as more than a dozen towns, villages and castles along the way, have all lost contact not long ago. And all the people sent by surrounding cities to explore and conduct investigations never came back.
(End of chapter)
