Of course, there are 6,653 knights officially registered in the Kingdom of Zealand, of which about two-thirds are serving in the army or powerful departments. It seems that there is not much more than before the establishment of the kingdom, but after In terms of specific quality and fineness, they are the same.
On the one hand, it is because the kingdom has established a management, preferential treatment, and welfare system for the blood of knights, which has matured and established its corresponding credit; it is far better than the descendants of knights who were forced to register and accept management during the national census. That kind of atmosphere of panic.
It can be said that as long as one is proven to have knight heritage, one can get the most basic job and simple social security, ensuring that the subject has enough time and energy to exercise while having basic food and clothing, and can get free one-time use of potions and nutritional ointments. Activate bloodline opportunities.
As long as the bloodline is successfully activated, you will naturally obtain the title and treatment of a sergeant; then, based on your performance in the department or army sequence, and gradually accumulate merit and service to a certain level, you can be promoted to military rank or equivalent public position. Even junior knighthoods are awarded.
Even after the bloodline is activated and it is found that there are no obvious specialties, but that they are slightly better than ordinary people in all aspects, they can also choose to request to be exempted from military service. But they have to serve in a designated department for a certain number of years, accept the guidance of the royal government on marriage, and give birth to more children.
Then, choose one from the next generation, or give them all to the government to raise; and some disabled and retired knights can also retain their honors and titles during service, and even their annuities and welfare benefits; but they are also required to pay more Give birth to children and take one of them to a vocational school.
Under this situation, the last hidden knight bloodlines from the old dynasty and old nobles also emerged one after another; they actively accepted the government's registration and supervision. Just in exchange for a little protection and subsidies after old age, as well as the opportunity for future generations to start over in the new dynasty,
On the other hand, through the kingdom's southern and northern wars, the knights participating in the war have greatly improved and upgraded their combat skills, accumulated experience, and stimulated their potential. In particular, a small number of them have been tempered on the battlefield. and the transformation between life and death; to achieve bloodline activation again.
A very small number of people can achieve the third awakening, or even show signs of the fourth awakening, such as Hugo, the Oathbreaker Knight who is the only one who has always remained single and whose self-destructive tendencies are deeply hidden. However, many people want to get his bloodline, including some ancient surnames.
The knight Lourdes who climbed the city wall first was a distant relative of Hugo the Oathbreaker's maternal family, and one of his apprentices. In a sense, he is also a new generation of knights, the first batch of knights to be activated and awakened after the establishment of the new dynasty.
In other words, with the rise of the predecessor of the Tulip Dynasty/the Free Army regime, many southern knight families and bloodlines that had been severely declining were revitalized, worked hard, and prospered; therefore, these knights who had gone from prisoners of war to die-hard knights were Known as the Old Generation/Elder Knights.
Then as the times evolved, most people seemed to have gotten rid of some invisible shackles, or an invisible curse that had been lingering in the bloodline inheritance; on the one hand, the ratio of young knight inheritance/bloodline awakening gradually increased, on the other hand, the new born The survival rate of mothers and infants has increased sharply.
The probability of premature death and deformity among the offspring that have been born has also been further greatly reduced under the medical and health system implemented by the kingdom. It is difficult for the general public to understand the reason and reason, so they can only attribute it to the "blessing of the King of Knights", and worship it more and more devoutly and fanatically.
Therefore, compared with those senatorial knights with complex backgrounds and more or less traces and residual influences of the past, the knights of the new era represented by Ludd are undoubtedly more able to adapt and accept everything that the new dynasty brings; they are also less burdened to learn. Master new things and keep fighting for them.
Therefore, in addition to the traditional knightly skills such as riding, shooting, swordsmanship, etiquette, dancing, swimming, etc., there are also the mastery of firearms and exotic knowledge, documents, teachings, arithmetic, and surveying, and one or two things must be carried on the shoulders. , hobbies such as poetry, painting, and sculpture.
It is said that this can adjust the mood and physical state, making it easier for the new generation of knights to awaken to the inheritance in their blood; they will not be easily addicted to personal desires due to the side effects of awakening; or they will lose awe and compassion for the life created by God and become immersed in it. Of killing and destruction.
Of course, there is also a ridiculous saying that it comes from the remnants of the old nobles, which is like a curse; that is, the knight inheritance of many ancient families in the kingdom is actually contaminated at the source of the blood, so it will lead to more distortions and premature deaths. , or even the risk of losing control of body and mind.
Due to poor management, bankruptcy and debt, some knight families ended up struggling to make a living and with few people. As a result, they lost the qualifications to awaken; their bloodline inheritance was cut off in history. But the resurgence of the mysterious element brought about the Knight King and saved the kingdom's only remaining knight heritage.
Lourdes was born from such a knight, whose bloodline had declined, whose family fortune had been ruined, and who was left with almost only a useless title. If it hadn't been for the fact that he had a distant relative, Hugo the Oathbreaker, who provided his family with a testing opportunity, I'm afraid he would still have survived.
Therefore, he became a member of the special attack company at the first level of the Kingdom's corps, with the rank of second lieutenant, salary, and benefits; his family also received corresponding subsidies and support. On the battlefield, the knights in the company will further divide their labor according to actual combat needs.
There are the Bear Team, which is responsible for frontal breakthroughs and attacks; the Eagle Team, which serves as scouts and vanguards; and the Snake Team, which sneaks in for assassination and destruction; the Wolf Team, which is good at long-distance attacks and outflanking; the Bear Team, which accompanies the core of the assault, and the Bee Team, which provides firepower and support. ; and Rudd is a Bears standard-bearer.
Not long after, Bears Cavalier Ludd once again stood up from the pile of corpses on his hands. And on the side of his cracked and rolled pot helmet, there was a blood-stained hand ax embedded in it; fortunately, it was cut with a flat blade on one side, rather than the other end as sharp as a horn.
Otherwise, even if he had extraordinary physique, tolerance, and resilience, he would inevitably suffer severe injuries to his vital organs, or even die on the spot. But at this time, the huge wound on the side of his neck was no longer bleeding, and the muscles on both sides of the wound could still squeeze inward to close.
This is a time-effective medicine taken before the attack. It is derived from the liver extract of the Leviathan species, which brings an overall increase in physical activity in a short period of time. If used on an ordinary person who has not undergone long-term training and over-adaptation, it will turn the opponent into a dead person with broken flesh and blood.
It can be said to be a kind of biological poison, but for Kingdom Knights, it is just one of the diluted comprehensive additives that is necessary for daily physical fitness. Therefore, he felt the muscle pumping and surging blood flowing through his body as he slowly recovered, as well as the multiple injuries caused by the damage to his armor.
He easily tore off the crusader flag with a red background and white stripes (of the Latin Principality) and placed a roll of blood-stained blue background with a smiling face, the Golden Sun Flag, tightly and unfolded it. It immediately attracted the remaining defenders nearby, running towards them howling and roaring in despair; then they were knocked down by more knights who climbed over the city wall.
As this military flag was erected, it was like an invisible guide; more and more kingdom infantry following the knight squad were able to rush up the city wall along the long ladder without any hindrance. The divided defenders, together with the supporting armed forces, pushed down the wall.
However, for Grand Duke Ramsay, it was too exciting to have the outermost city wall defense line breached in the enemy's first attack. Excited, he handed over the immediate command without hesitation and retreated as quickly as possible to the back of the third city wall.
After all, the King of Knights had not shown any power or abnormality. He only relied on the cover of ordinary soldiers and the assault led by the knights to break through one of the three walls that the family had run for a long time; you must know that the outermost one is also The latest city wall was built only a few decades ago.
It was the former Grand Duke who, at the invitation of the merchant guilds, rebuilt the city periphery with stone, mortar and bricks in order to protect the city's emerging markets, handicrafts and plantation areas. Even the city walls were garrisoned by multiple local militia groups and the fully rebuilt Third (Phoenician) Corps.
Even if their intended role is to consume the enemy's offensive momentum and vigor through repeated battles and tug-of-war. But just as he witnessed it, his morale collapsed. Therefore, he did not hesitate to order the 24th Army Corps, the reserve force within the second city wall, to attack in advance.
The Twenty-Fourth Legion, the full name is "The Twenty-Fourth (Latin Special Province) Defense Legion of the Orthodox Roman Empire". It is also one of the local legions that must be provided under each provincial division; although it is not as good as the historic "Augusta", "Italian", "Skylark" and other classical designations,
It is not as good as the silver shield logo (field) legions such as "Flavian", "Cylangani" and "Severu" that were re-established after the empire was re-established, or the "Mars", "Rose" and "Iron Arm". "Throwing electricity", etc., with exclusive eagle flags of glory (elite) and Guards Corps;
But at any rate, the 3,000-strong army was organized and trained in accordance with the empire's formal regulations and military codes. Except for the fact that it is not equipped with auxiliary cavalry units or auxiliary corps with multiple arms, its other tactics, organization, and equipment are the same as those of the Silver Shield Corps, which is the main force of the empire's field battles.
According to his expectations, the purpose of this force should be that after repeated bloody battles, the enemy finally captured the first city wall; and spent twice the price to break through the second city wall, but was distracted by complex street obstacles. After that, the reserve team for counterattack will be put in place.
Therefore, as this well-prepared reserve team attacked, the rout after the first city wall was breached was quickly contained in the streets and alleys, as if in front of the ubiquitous thick shield walls and spears; Violent impacts, clashes and shouts in wide or narrow streets.
However, just when the Latin Archduke retreated into the inner city and climbed up another towering tower, he saw that the twenty-fourth legion that he had given great hope to had been divided into two parts by the fierce force of the royal army. Everyone in the neighborhood was fighting; the Royal Army was the first to rush to the second wall.
Guarding this city wall are Carrilia's long-established Citizen Guards and the fully rebuilt Second (Garcia) Corps from the remnants that had withdrawn into the country. Compared with the various local militia groups that were ordered to gather in the capital, and the Third Corps composed mainly of new recruits.
Whether it is the Citizen Guard with a strength of 2,000 or the Second Corps with four regiments (900 members per regiment), the fighting will and morale displayed are obviously superior. Ramsay watched them with his own eyes, fighting to knock down the enemy knights who flew up to the wall.
Then, the second city gate suddenly opened outward. One of the senior vassals of the Latin Principality; the commander of the second regiment nicknamed "Winter Bear", the Count of Alghero, and the only leader of the principality's two small knights, already led a group of well-dressed armored knights. Break into the enemy's formation.
Following closely behind were the knights' retinue with colorful armor and flags; and a large group of motley infantrymen carrying broad axes and swords. Apparently losing the supervision and pressure of the 24th Army Corps, the noble private soldier who was transferred to the second line of city defense and served as a reserve actually succeeded in encouraging this man to take the initiative to attack.
Just when Ramsay quickly ordered, the large mercenary group waiting behind the third line of defense, which was also the private armed force "Black Hook Scythe" specially supported by the duke and royal family in order to circumvent the restrictions of the empire, quickly went to receive and support. Not long after, it had already rushed The knights who entered the enemy group fell off their horses one after another.
Because the enemy troops that seemed to have been rushed in, trampled, and knocked over did not break up or escape; instead, they used the messy streets to obstruct their vision and range of activities to block and vaguely surround these knights again. And while firing muskets, these superior knights;
On the one hand, they kept throwing explosives and incendiary objects; blocking the follow-up noble private soldiers; bombing and burning them until they were so battered that they fled in all directions. Therefore, when Count Alghero fought desperately, his horse's legs were cut off, his halberd was embedded in his armor, and he was dragged off his horse alive and captured.
The second city wall also resounded with a terrible roar that was demoralizing; even without the enemy attacking again, some people in the second corps remembered the miserable experience of being a defeated general under their command, and took the lead to turn around and throw down the city wall. Although these people were very He was about to be shot dead in front of the third city gate.
However, the remaining dispersed Second Corps and the overwhelmed Citizen Guards were unable to withstand the enemy's offensive; even if Alphonse, the eldest son of the count as the deputy leader of the Knights, stepped forward, Wearing family armor and leading guards, they blocked the city gate and fought hard.
But it still failed to stop and save him. The private soldiers of the fleeing noble families launched a counterattack like a landslide. After killing several people in succession, he was knocked down with a saber, along with the family's logo. Together with the heraldic flag, it was submerged and trampled in the surging crowd without a trace.
However, at this time, the offensive of the Royal Army also seemed to be obviously tired, and it only stopped at the second city wall, and did not continue to pursue the private soldiers who fled upward. Therefore, Grand Duke Ramsay had a buffer, and under the distant surveillance of the other party, he could regroup the defeated troops under the third siege.
At this time, as the "Black Hook" flag appeared on the city wall, some masked leather-armored soldiers who were taller and obviously different from ordinary people also appeared behind the towering battlements; they also looked coldly at the second city wall. On board, the Royal Army carried out defense changes and transported the wounded and prisoners.
In the narrow and undulating residential houses between each other, no one knew who started the fire. In a short period of time, it quickly ignited into a blaze of flames and blurred each other's vision. Obviously, this is some kind of potential trap reserved by the Latin Principality in this narrow residential area.
Although this area of the city is not big, it is densely packed with so many violations that the fire lasted for several hours; amidst the beeping fire and the crashing and crashing sounds, Both sides are silently preparing for the upcoming next round of confrontation.
However, between the second city siege and the third city siege, not only did the terrain become much narrower, but the overall slope also reached nearly 40 or 50 degrees, with only a winding and soot-filled muddy road running through it. . (End of chapter)
