"You must keep your word!" Senamon boarded the flat-bottomed boat with some engineers and trebuchets, and asked again with expectation and worry.
Early on the morning of March 21, the city defense troops and engineering troops of Yangbor Town were brought out and gathered at the riverside to prepare for departure.
Griffith glanced at him and slapped a certificate signed by himself on his collar:
"Put this away, the certificate and recommendation letter submitted by Ms. Sonia de La Mole's Suitoral. Even if I am killed in battle, as my final proof, this document will allow you to make your request without any difficulty. Earls Court honors my promise.
"As we said last night, Larmore House will give you the status of a reserve officer, organized under the name of the Reserve Army Headquarters. After half a year of training, you will serve as an officer of the new weapons and technology test force being formed. Annual salary and The post allowance is 1,800 silver francs, a single room, and he is stationed in Beyelan.
"You can issue recommendations to the engineering soldiers who participated in the war. Those who are brave and outstanding among them can serve as sergeants under your recommendation. The specific criteria are up to you."
Sennamon rubbed his hands uneasily. The offer seemed attractive to him.
This is the status of an officer and the personnel appointment and dismissal rights of squadron non-commissioned officers!
The regular army is no different than the city defense army and militia. Officers are all well-known figures. They have lifetime salaries and allowances, live in bright and warm military camps or dormitories, wear beautiful bearskin hats, and eat three meals a day for free and well. Respectable and wealthy families would compete to have their girls married to them.
Following ancient tradition, when the army was mobilized, dukes and counts acted as marshals and generals, and viscounts and barons were appointed as field officers. The generals issued orders to summon the knights and tenant farmers scattered across the territory to take up arms. They trained as they marched, experienced knights becoming lieutenants and captains, and farmers, miners, and hunters forming private soldiers.
All officers are commissioned and are as noble as knights.
Ordinary people cannot become commissioned officers, no matter how brave, noble and intelligent they are, the rank of senior sergeant is the end of their military career.
"Really, no problem, I'm not questioning Miss Larmore," Senamon said excitedly, "Of course, I'm not questioning you either, it's just that this kind of thing, appointing an officer is such a big thing..."
"Shut up, you idiot."
Griffith interrupted him coldly:
"Did you know that some Scitorals would marry countesses?"
"!!!" The technical sergeant was shocked.
"The current Count William de Larmore was once a Sciutral, just like me." Griffith stared into his eyes. "If you continue to nag me, get out of here." Go to Yambol Town and be your sergeant, and I will lead these engineering soldiers myself."
"No!" Senamon shouted in a low voice:
“I, that’s not what I meant.
"Oh, my God, Miss Larmour is a famous beauty."
"Yes," Griffith leaned down slightly and whispered in the technical sergeant's ear, "I have said everything that needs to be said. If you dare to question my orders again, or if my Sonia is even slightly damaged, I will I will sink you into the Vero River, do you understand?"
Senamon rushed out like a rabbit with a tail on fire, heading to the predetermined location with the engineers.
Griffith assigned them a special mission, and he himself led three other ships of soldiers to the vicinity of Bate Manor.
With no reinforcements and only a group of unreliable local city defense troops in hand, he could only harass the rebel camps one by one to contain them.
However, after all, this is just a Sequence 8 and more than a hundred stragglers, and it can only be so good. If the pressure on the rebels is not high enough and they are allowed to free up their army to attack Bate Manor, or if the Sequence 6 Sword Master is brought in to attack, Griffith will be considered a failure.
The sudden appearance of Sennamon and the Engineers gave him an additional tactical option.
He stayed up all night and made a preparation and supply plan overnight, and handed it over to the town government, which was still running slowly, along with most of his remaining money. He reorganized the city defense army, militia and engineering troops and divided them into two teams. .
Griffith compiled the limited intelligence, obtained information from the town mayor's office, and estimated the terrain changes based on the flooding of nearby rivers and the location of highlands despite time constraints and lack of on-site exploration. Then he conducted staff work himself and provided Senamon developed a route and action plan, and raised the necessary ropes, pulleys, tools and boats.
Although he was only the temporary commander of a small force of more than 200 people, Griffith completed a full set of logistics organization, staff operations and command work.
In the precious night that just passed, the rebels were resting, and the classmates in Bate Manor may have been tossing and turning in pain and worry, but Griffith himself did not waste a minute.
Now, he stared sharply at the river that divided the plain, and at the army of more than two hundred people who was deploying according to his plan.
Come on, rebels!
I didn't have a choice before, but it's different now. I want to show you the power of military science and organization.
…
Griffiths advanced northwest with a squadron, heading straight for the river bank near Bate Manor.
Because of the relationship between the river course and the terrain, he and Senamon set off from the Vero River south of Yambol Town, first moved westward along the river, and separated at the mouth of the Vero-Bet River, which was in an irregular inverted T shape. The engineers continued westward along the Vero River, and he himself led the team northward, approaching the baron's castle along the meandering east bank of the Bete River.
Although flat-bottomed boats are stable and convenient, they are slow and have no weapons. Once intercepted by the rebels, only Griffiths in the squadron of more than 100 people had the means of long-range attack, and the others could only be beaten.
Therefore, before approaching Bate Manor or the west bank ferry, Griffith should try his best to stay close to the east bank to avoid the harassment of rebel rafts and boats. If there are rebel strongholds there, he will eliminate them along the way.
Southeast of Bate Hall, Griffith found the half-submerged ferry and village.
According to the map, this is the Boulogne ferry. Sonia once thought about letting everyone cross the river and escape to the east bank.
Now, this small ferry is half-destroyed. As the flood gradually recedes, large areas of muddy low hills and ruined walls are exposed.
Griffith observed it and found that it was not easy to get close to the west coast. The floods from the mountains to the north carried a large amount of mud and sand, making the water nearby very turbid. Tree trunks and boulders could be seen everywhere. If you were not careful, It may capsize.
One or two small wooden boats might be fine, but if the army wants to cross the river, it can only pass through Boulogne Ferry. The siltation situation in the harbor there is not that bad.
According to the current water situation, the ferry will expose more land in another day and become a key point of contention between the two sides.
Just as Griffith was thinking about how to occupy this place, a small wooden boat suddenly appeared on the water in the northwest, sailing quickly towards the east coast. Behind this small boat were three other boats of similar size.
This direction...should be from Bate Manor! Griffith's heart moved, and he hurriedly ordered to move closer to the direction of the boat.
The punt was just too slow. Griffith saw that the four ships were about to dock on the east coast in the north, so he jumped to the shore and rushed across the land.
These four boats docked one after another. Four figures jumped out of the first boat and ran quickly inland. However, more than 20 people rushed out of the three boats behind them, holding weapons and chasing after them.
Griffith immediately threw down his halberd and shield, armed only with his long sword, feather sword and a few daggers, and began to charge at full speed.
Among the four people, three men dressed as city guards held short spears and shields in their hands, waving them in a panic to scare away the pursuers. The man surrounded by them was tall and tall, wearing a winged helmet, a slim silver breastplate and skirt. He wielded a shining cross sword, and his waist-length blond hair shone in the morning sun.
Fiona!
A bad thought came to Griffith's mind. This girl is almost never separated from Lana, let alone this critical moment.
But now is not the time to think about that.
The rebels bent their bows and fired at Fiona and others, knocking down one city defender and wounding another. Other rebels brandished muskets, axes and hatchets and attacked.
Fiona actually stopped and tried to protect the city defense army. In the blink of an eye, she was surrounded by rebels.
Griffith sprinted at full speed, gaining ground behind the rebels. A sharp ice spike spear has been condensed in his hand. Now is not the time to hold back.
A rebel had noticed the trainee knight appearing behind him, and just as he was about to open his mouth to shout, an ice spear pierced his throat, emerged from the soft back of his neck, and was nailed to the ground like an insect specimen.
The second ice spike followed, shooting through the chest of a rebel who turned around in a hurry, and nailed him to the back of another companion.
Blood splattered and screams made all the rebels jump in shock. Griffith fired a third ice spike, killing another person.
Griffith surged through the crowd like a storm, striking the terrified faces head-on.
He split a spearman's head in half with a sword. The inferior long sword suddenly broke with a "pop" sound, and half of the sword's hilt got stuck in the spearman's head.
Griffith waved his hand and grabbed a short gun, and four or five spearmen were already stabbing him with their weapons.
They work well together, and these rebels are well trained. An idea flashed through Griffith's mind, and he resisted this round of attacks with his breastplate without dodging.
The tip of the spear struck a spark on the fine armor. Griffith held the short spear and plunged it into the throat of a rebel, pulled out the Corrupted Feather Fencing Sword and swung it towards the crowd.
The jet-black short blade slit the throats of the two men, and even the blood that spurted out turned black.
More rebels rushed forward, attacking with hatchets and short lances.
"Griffith!" Fiona, who was surrounded by the crowd, shouted happily and was about to throw her sword to him immediately.
"Stay where you are, protect yourself!" Griffith shouted, grabbed a soldier and knocked him to the ground, then raised his foot and stepped on his chest.
"Bang!"
With a muffled sound, the rebel's guts and blood spurted out of his mouth like a fountain.
Griffith grabbed the short gun and stabbed another rebel, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his thigh.
A rebel hit him hard from behind, and the spear tip pierced the mail leggings and penetrated into the flesh. This blow directly knocked Griffith to one knee.
Seeing that the attack was successful, all the rebels around him looked fierce. They were about to chop the enemy into pieces together when they were suddenly swept over by an astonishing momentum.
The bone-eroding extreme cold swept through the whole body, whether it was fear or cold. The rebels' fingers were cold and their feet were frozen in place like lead.
In the center of the crowd of rebels, Griffith, who was wearing armor, stood up slowly like a wild beast, his cold eyes scanning the crowd, like a giant bear surrounding a pack of wolves.
Sudden power exploded from his body. The blow just now inspired his extraordinary ability.
Griffith pulled out the short gun on his leg and swung it with his hand. The sharp spear pierced the rebel's jaw and tore open the bridge of his nose. He suddenly turned around and hit an approaching rebel with his elbow. The hit rebel's head exploded like a ripe watermelon, and brains and blood splattered out in a radial pattern, covering the faces of everyone behind him.
A dense mass of spearheads stabbed at him. This group of rebels sent to pursue was indeed different. Griffith used his hand as a knife and slashed at the short spear that pierced the breastplate.
In the crackling sound, the short gun shattered into pieces.
Fiona felt like she was watching a bear fighting a pack of wolves. Both sides had no weapons and were extremely brutal, almost fighting face to face.
Griffith grabbed a rebel's hands and smashed them onto his knees, breaking the rebel's spine in two. At the same time, two rebels grabbed daggers and stabbed them into the gaps in his armor.
The rustling sound of tearing flesh and bone and the frightening sound of bone cracking were endless. The two sides fought until the end, and the ground was covered with rebels who were dead in horrible conditions. Griffith grabbed the body of a rebel and swung it like a club, smashing it into the crowd.
This group of determined and crazy rebels finally collapsed. In less than a minute, half of them were killed by the heavy-armored trainee knight who had lost his main weapon with his hands and daggers. The remaining people screamed and turned around and fled towards the shore. boats on the side.
Griffith picked up two broken guns and chased the broken soldiers whose backs were facing him. Before they could see the death coming from behind, the fierce killing intent struck them on the back of the neck.
The rebels were overtaken one by one, and bodies were scattered from the meadows where the battle took place to the boats on the shore.
Fiona covered her mouth and stood far away. She didn't know where to look at the heads and broken corpses on the ground. Griffith, who had been chasing them all the way to the water's edge, didn't listen to the cries for mercy. He didn't return until he killed all the rebels, carrying a captured long sword in his hand.
"Sonia and everyone are still trapped in the castle of Bet Manor. We were besieged by the rebels yesterday. There were many enemies, and Lana was seriously injured," Fiona said anxiously, "Because I know a little swordsmanship and With the spell of protection and wearing armor, everyone decided to protect me first to break out."
That's it... Griffith looked at the girl in front of him.
The finely forged silver winged helmet, breastplate, skirt and gauntlets provide sufficient protection while highlighting the girl's graceful figure. The breastplate is engraved with blue dust crystals with magic patterns, and the arrows are permanently stationed to avoid the elegant protection of the wind. It is indeed the most suitable equipment for breaking out.
Fiona noticed Griffith's gaze and took a step back embarrassedly. The blue petticoat under the skirt swayed with the light footsteps, and it was no less beautiful than the costumes at the ball.
"Is Sonia injured? How long can the defense last?" Griffith withdrew his rude gaze.
"Sonia is safe for the time being. Nona and Murat covered my breakout for a distance and were repelled back to the castle." Fiona calmed down, "Do you know how long it will take for reinforcements to arrive?"
Griffith first pointed to the south: "Two groups of regular troops coming from the south camped downstream. Even if they were not washed away, they were severely damaged. They are also the only regular troops nearby."
Fiona nodded sadly: "We know this. The Echo Crystal's communication has recovered somewhat, and we can intermittently communicate with Old Town."
At this time, the soldiers on the flat-bottomed boat had just arrived.
Griffith pointed at them:
"I gathered an engineering squadron and some local city defense troops and militia, mainly unarmored spearmen. There is no armored assault force at all. Yesterday I broke a camp and defeated hundreds of rebels. Today I plan to continue attacking others. The camp supports the manor,
"What's the situation like around the Barony of Bate? How many enemies are there?"
Fiona looked at the sparse soldiers and shook her head: "No one can do this. There are more than a thousand enemies surrounding the manor, scattered in a large camp and several small camps, led by extraordinary people. Their The commander is a Sequence 7 Extraordinary named Lance. All of us can't defeat him together.
"After paying a heavy price, he was injured by us. Sonia and everyone set up many magic traps, and they were able to defend for a short period of time.
"But the rebels there have many archers and ships, and even Murat and the others can't ensure their own safety."
It seems that there is no way to secretly rescue people. Moreover, the mysterious extraordinary swordsman may be here, and I am no match for him in a head-on confrontation. Griffith nodded and said:
"I understand, have you ever encountered a sword master?"
"The Sword Master of the Extraordinary?" Fiona exclaimed, "Don't scare me! Professor Witzleben was killed. If another Extraordinary comes, everyone will be in danger!"
The professor was killed! ? What did you say... Griffith, who had not been notified, was shocked:
"Fiona, I suggest that you take some city defense troops to the nearby town of Yambol as soon as possible, contact the old town there, and apply to mobilize the city defense troops there to move closer to us.
"I will send you back first, and then rush back immediately to contain the rebels and wait for the arrival of follow-up reinforcements."
"Okay," Fiona thought for a moment, "I have no idea about commanding operations. Lana is usually in charge of this profession."
"Pasho!" cried Griffith, "come to me."
The young city defenders rushed over. Griffith said to him:
"From now on, you are responsible for Miss Xia Long's safety, and you must protect her at the risk of your life!"
"At the risk of life!" Paxiu immediately beat his chest.
Griffith turned to Fiona and said: "I have made preliminary arrangements.
“The terrain in this area was changed by the floods, and the rebels encountered great difficulties in their movements. Even inferior troops could contain them as long as they were well commanded.
"I will attack them fiercely and suppress them so that they have no energy and thoughts to pursue the idea of the manor."
Fiona thought about Griffith's suggestion, then looked at the turbid water, and said to the trainee knight: "Then let's set off, and tell me your plan in detail on the way."
