On the one hand, Amon did this because he had just taken control of the legion and needed to win over the people and stabilize their morale. On the other hand, he was not short of money.
In addition to the Head of the legion, there was also the chief priest. The chief priest had fifty mages under his command, and they were treated very well. Amon himself was very honest, but he did not ask the chief priest, George, to suffer with him. The resources and salaries that belonged to the priests were all allocated to Idu to handle on his own.
As a result, George also distributed all the supplies and equipment, leaving only ten percent of the soldiers' salaries, completely following Amon's practice. As the high priest of the Temple of Isis, there were plenty of opportunities for George to fish for benefits, so there was no need to make a fuss in this regard.
The equipment and salaries were sufficient, but Amon was not lenient in the training of the soldiers. He intended to be strict with the army, but he met a commander who was even stricter than him. John was known for his bad temper when he was on Mount Horeb. Now that he had come to the legion to lead the soldiers to war, how could he tolerate the soldiers being lazy?
Whoever did not put in their best effort during the drill would be dragged out by the frontline commander and given a good beating, bypassing the lower-ranking officers. On the contrary, Amon played the role of leniency, often persuading John not to be too harsh and to deal with the soldiers according to the normal military discipline.
Amon also told John not to be too impatient and not to increase the burden of the soldiers. For example, if the archers were required to shoot fifteen arrows in a row in a battle formation, then they would shoot fifteen arrows during the drill. There was no need to force them to shoot twenty arrows. In the end, they would lose their accuracy and strength. After all, they were still on the march and needed to rest and build up their strength.
Under Amon's guidance on Mount Horeb, John was gradually able to control the irrepressible agitation, but the power of agitation did not disappear. When they met again, the sixth-level warrior had become stronger than before. There were still times when he was irritated and impulsive, but he found a way to turn this agitation into an explosion of power, and he could suddenly enter a more powerful, flexible, and perceptive state.
This seemed to be a strange, explosive awakening of power, which was a very interesting discovery for Amon.
Amon had tested this explosive power of John. When he entered this state, even Medanzo did not dare to face it head-on. If Amon didn't use magic and only used martial arts, he would only be able to suppress it. In this state, John became stronger than usual, but after this state ended, he would also become weaker than usual and would need to rest for a period to recover.
According to Amon's analysis, if Hardedef used too much of this explosive power, it might cause unpredictable damage to his body and mind, which reminded him to be more careful.
In addition to strict requirements and proper command, there were two other conditions to achieve the best results. The first was diet and nutrition, which Amon ordered the quartermaster to absolutely guarantee. The fleet organized by Sio provided sufficient dairy and meat products. The other condition was the cooperation of the mages.
Mages would not directly rush to the front line in the battle. Their role was mainly reflected in two aspects. One was to use a variety of magic to assist the soldiers in fighting, and the other was to improve the morale of the army. Magic could not only be offensive, but also supportive. For example, although healing magic could not immediately heal the wounds of the soldiers, it could temporarily make them forget the pain. Blessings magic could make the soldiers braver and no longer fear. Some brilliant spiritual magic could even give the soldiers a belief that they would win and encourage them to risk their lives in the battle.
This was very important in the battle of a large legion. Often the defeat of a battle was not because of the number of soldiers killed or wounded, but because the morale of the troops collapsed. Because once the soldiers lost confidence, they would not have the courage to fight anymore. Despair would infect each other, and the commanders would not be able to control it.
These mages were used to living like princes. Marching was already a hardship for them, so they generally wouldn't use this force unless it was a real battle. But Amon asked the mages to play a third role outside of the battlefield, which was to form a formation to cast healing magic and blessings during training, so that the soldiers could recover from fatigue and constantly improve their morale to maintain a confident and excited state of battle.
Amon could not directly command the mages. He had to give orders through Lord George. The chief priest, George, was very cooperative. According to Amon's request, he divided the mages under him into four teams, each team of twelve mages. They would form a magic formation and take turns to help Amon train the soldiers every day.
This made it hard for the mages. Their magic was very precious. How could they use it so casually? Lords of very high status occasionally used this method to train their soldiers, but it was almost unheard of in the whole legion. The mages complained incessantly after a few days. They went to Lord George to complain. It was not a real battle. How could they, the noble mages, be allowed to consume magic for the civilian warriors?
George did not say anything at first. Later, seeing that there were too many complaining mages, he made a stunning decision. The supreme mage came to the training ground with his staff in hand. For four days in a row, he led four different teams of mages to cast magic and train the soldiers. Even Lord George did this himself. The other mages did not dare to complain openly.
At this time, George said publicly, "Our legion lacked training before. If we encounter a real war, it is likely that we will not be able to hold our ground. Once the warriors on the front line collapse in a war, as mages, you will not have a good end. Training the soldiers is also to protect yourself. The war has not even started, and you are already complaining. What will you do if you really go to the battlefield? "
Lord George's words were very beautiful, and the subordinates of the mages did not dare to refute him. But Amon's approach was really unconventional. They had never heard of a commander who would let the accompanying mages waste magic needlessly, and on the march every day. Amon, a student of Nietzsche, had never had the concept of using magic as taught in the Shrine. He would cast magic at any time even to shelter from the rain and sun. He had long been accustomed to it. He did not think it was a big deal to let the mages do this.
The mages did not know that their superior, Lord George, was also a sorcerer in his early years and was a friend of Crazy 'Ole Nietzsche. He more or less knew the details of Amon. This time, it could be said that he was cooperating with Amon.
But Amon would not let people waste their efforts for nothing. He gave George a precious staff. Although as the high priest of the Temple of Isis, George did not lack good staffs, it was also a good thing to keep in hand or reward his students and subordinates. Amon had obtained three staffs in the mysterious big cave. One was Nero's relic, which had been returned, another was given to Link, and the last one was finally given to George.
In addition, Amon gave each of the mages a large number of parangons, which was a stunning generosity.
When there were rewards, there were punishments. Although the priests didn't dare to complain anymore, they could still be lazy and play tricks. However, Amon didn't give them any face. He didn't care about the noble status of these priests. He once ordered Hardedef to drag out two priests who didn't work hard and beat them half to death in front of everyone. From then on, everything went on the right track.
Of course, mages were of noble birth. These mages might come from noble families, or they might be relatives of some ministers of the Empire. But now, they had to bow their heads for the time being. Even if they had complaints about the Head of the Legion, they could only wait until the war was over.
In this way, Amon marched and trained his troops, advancing steadily along the coastline. Two months later, when the Legion entered the territory of the Cape States and was close to the border, he finally ordered the troops to stop drilling. All officers and soldiers only needed to rest. According to the battle plan, Amon could not advance alone, nor could he fall behind. He had to follow the main force along the northern coastline according to the speed of the main force.
There were scouts passing messages between the An-Ra legion and the main army. If it came to a critical juncture, there would be mages using flying vessels to send messages directly to the An-Ra legion.
The An-Ra Legion finally left the border and turned north. In front of them was the desolate Syah Desert. The winding coastline divided the blue sea and the pale yellow sand. Waves and dunes spread out as far as the eye could see. The sky was blue, with clusters of white clouds floating in the sky, as if the gods in the sky were herding their flocks.
The scenery was so beautiful, but the wilderness was so desolate. In this tranquility, a war was about to break out in the distant desert. After leaving the border, Amon's army marched even more cautiously. He sent mages to take turns to use detection magic to keep an eye on the surroundings. The supply fleet also tailed far behind, no longer getting too close.
At this moment, the scout reported an unexpected situation. The Horus Legion, led by Pharaoh himself, did not advance steadily according to the original battle plan. Instead, they suddenly accelerated and rushed to the center of the Syah Desert. The Legion of Sète, which was originally stationed at the border, had to change their plan. They covered the civilians and supplies as they entered the desert to follow Pharaoh.
According to the original plan, the Legion of Isis and the Horus Legion were supposed to advance side by side. The Legion of Isis was dozens of miles behind, but Pharaoh did not wait at the border. The Horus Legion suddenly accelerated and left the Legion of Isis behind. The Legion of Isis was afraid that something would go wrong. They left the large supplies in the Cape States and accelerated into the Syah Desert with light supplies.
This was not in line with the original plan made by Eygut's army. The whole strategic situation had changed from a steady advance to a sudden attack.
Although the situation on the battlefield was ever-changing and the commander had to make all kinds of last-minute decisions, the general commander had neither the courage nor the authority to make such a big change before the battle had even started. After all, marching according to the plan was meritorious. Even if the battle was not going well, it was still the overall commander's responsibility. However, if the main force launched a surprise attack without authorization, all the cooperating troops had to make corresponding adjustments. Only the commander of the Horus Legion dared to do this because he was the supreme Pharaoh.
When the Horus Legion launched a surprise attack, they did not give the An-Ra Legion an order to cooperate. This made Amon a little confused. He did not know if he should advance according to the original plan or follow Pharaoh. After a few days, he received a message from scouts sent by Rod-dick, the commander of the Legion of Sète, requesting the An-Ra Legion to speed up and cover the flank of the main battlefield.
Not mentioning Amon's doubts, Rod-dick, who led the Legion of Sète and was responsible for the logistics of the army, was also suffering. He had tried to persuade His Majesty Pharaoh not to change the plan and advance rashly, but Lasith Ii did not listen at all.
In Rod-dick's view, the national strength of Eygut was obviously stronger than Hittite. The legion's combat strength and equipment also had a great advantage. Advancing steadily was the safest choice. Moreover, this time it was His Majesty Pharaoh who was leading the army in person. There was no room for any mistakes. The only obstacle to conquering Hittite was the huge logistical cost of crossing the Syah Desert.
However, there was an accident that disrupted the original battle plan and changed Pharaoh's decision.
According to the intelligence report before the war, this time, King Lucier of the Hittite Kingdom also led the most elite Enlil Legion into the battlefield. Lucier did not intend to go to the battlefield himself, but the royal nobles, the ministers, and the elders of the Academy of Magic all requested the King to lead the army in person, just like the Pharaohs Of Eygut, even if it was just a symbol.
The army of the Empire of Eygut was coming fiercely, and the Hittite Kingdom had been planning for this war for many years. It was the moment when they needed to unleash their greatest strength in silence. The enemy's Lasith Ii had already gone to the front line. If King Lucier still hid in the capital, it would give the impression that he was timid and lacked confidence. The King leading the most elite legion in the kingdom was the best way to boost the morale of the army.
The meaning of this war for the Hittite Kingdom and the Empire of Eygut was different. If the Empire of Eygut lost, it was nothing more than the loss of a vassal state. But if the Hittite Kingdom lost, it would be a turning point for the whole country. At the very least, it would lose a large area of territory, pay heavy tribute, and completely submit to the rule of the Empire of Eygut. It would take a long time for it to recover its strength.
Although King Lucier was reluctant, he still led the army in person. Syah, which had seemed peaceful over the years, suddenly gathered a well-trained and well-equipped elite legion. It was the Legion of Anu that was originally stationed on the western border. Goliath, as a supreme mage, became the head of the legion. The chief priest of the legion was his disciple Walter, the commander of the front was the supreme warrior Munn, and the chief logistics officer was the governor Schmul.
Another Army of Nanar, which was originally stationed on the southern coast, also advanced along the coastline towards the Syah Desert. The Hittite Kingdom was well prepared for the war and marched quickly. Three legions had been assembled in the northern desert area south of the Charcoal Forest and west of the inland lake.
The above was the last news sent back by the spy sent to the Hittite Kingdom. It was difficult to cross hundreds of miles of desert without being discovered by the enemy. The latest movements of the enemy were not known through their own channels for the time being.
The scouts sent by the Horus Legion went deep into the desert and caught several groups of people in different places. Some were passing caravans, some were fishermen by the seaside, and some claimed to be robbers. Their appearance in this place at this time was naturally very suspicious, so they were all treated as enemy spies. Under torture, they all confessed that they were spies of the Hittite Kingdom.
All the spies mentioned the same information in their confessions. King Lucier had led the Enlil Legion into battle and had advanced to the southern shore of the inland lake on the grassland bordering the desert. They were building a permanent camp. The Legion of Anu led by Goliath was stationed in the southern part of Syah, mobilizing combat supplies and building fortifications. They were two hundred miles away from the Enlil Legion of the King. Another Army of Nanar was stationed near the coastline, two hundred miles away from the Legion of Anu.
The three legions were distributed in an inverted triangle and coordinated with each other, waiting for the Eygut Army to enter the ambush circle.
According to the original battle plan of the Empire of Eygut, the main attack route of the Pharaoh Army was to directly attack the pass in the southern part of Syah. They would be stopped by the Legion of Anu led by Goliath. The other two legions of the Hittite Army might suddenly attack from the left and right. Even if they could not cut off the supply line of the Eygut Army, they could still delay the main force of the Eygut Army. In this way, the Eygut Army would have to fight a costly war of attrition on the other side of the desert far away from their homeland.
If there was only one person who said this, it might be a trap. However, the spies caught in different locations revealed similar information after interrogation. It seemed that the possibility was very high. His Majesty Pharaoh was very angry at first. He even suspected that there was a traitor among the senior military officials of the Eygut Army who provided the top-secret battle plan to the Hittite Army, allowing them to make targeted arrangements.
The frontline commander of the Horus Legion, General Vadis, the Oracle, and the High Priest of the Imperial Capital, Rickard, all advised Pharaoh to calm down. According to a normal strategic situation, as long as someone who understood military affairs did a little analysis, they would be able to determine the main attack route of the Eygut Army. The battle plan formulated by the Ejyptian Military Council was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just a well-behaved and steady plan.
The Hittite Kingdom had been preparing for war for a long time. It was completely normal for them to come up with such a response plan. They would rely on the border to carry out defensive operations and occupy the advantage of logistical supplies and troop replenishment.
The Eygut Army only needed to attack the southern pass of Syah according to the original plan. The main force would fight the Legion of Anu led by Goliath head-on. At the same time, a part of the Legion of Isis and a large part of the Legion of Sète would cut off the connection between the Legion of Anu and the Enlil Legion. This would prevent the Enlil Legion from returning.
As for the Army of Nanar stationed on the coastline, they could let the An-Ra Legion led by Amon take advantage of the opportunity to march north to confront them. They did not expect Amon to win. As long as the Army of Nanar could be restrained near the coastline and could not attack the Eygut Army with the main force, it would be considered a success.
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