"A total of three people. All of them died in the shack under the platform." The presiding judge nodded. "The watchmen of the beacon tower are rotated once a week, so when I arrived at the scene, the corpses were already smelly."
"Very good, so the beacon fire was not set by them but by someone else." Soli punched the desk and laughed angrily. "Are they deliberately making fun of us? Or are they trying to find a reason for the Holy City to go to war? "
"The specific reason is still unclear, but Your Excellency, one of the Rats' testimony is very interesting." He pointed to the report and said, "I wrote it down on the last page."
The presiding judge flipped to the last page and skimmed through it. "Two weeks ago, someone set up checkpoints along the road under Coldwind Ridge, forbidding anyone from going to the Impassable Mountain Range, but not stopping people from leaving?"
"Exactly. He originally planned to go to Deepvalley Town to try his luck, but he saw a caravan that was supposed to go to Hermes was stopped."
"It seems that it really wasn't done by the Lord?" Soli thought. "Wait... two weeks ago? When was the last time those peddlers showed up? "
"Three days ago."
The archbishop's face instantly darkened. "In other words, the checkpoint that forbids anyone from going to the Impassable Mountain Range let those peddlers go?"
The answer was obvious.
"They're a group," the presiding judge replied. "At least it looks like they're a group."
"How many people are there at the checkpoint?"
"The Rats only glanced at them from a distance. I estimate there are hundreds of them."
"As long as they show their tails." Soli Dahl stood up. "Pass down my order. Summon the Judgement Army!"
"Your Excellency, do you want to go down the mountain?" The presiding judge was stunned at first, and then he hurriedly dissuaded him. "His Holiness the Supreme Pontiff ordered us to stay here after seizing Coldwind Ridge, ensure the mountain road is unblocked, and wait for the army to move out... If you want to catch a few people for questioning, just send a small team."
"Not only do I want to catch a few people, but I also want to crush their checkpoint. This is the price for making fun of the Holy City!" Soli waved his hand impatiently. "If we set off now, I'll see their heads hanging at the city gate the day after tomorrow. This has no impact on the Holy City's battle plan, and His Holiness won't blame us."
"But, what if the enemy sets an ambush..."
"Ambush?" Soli glanced at him and said, "I once led an army to attack the Broken Tooth Castle of the Kingdom of Wolfheart. It was an extremely tough battle. However, even if we relied on the mountains, the ambush of ordinary people could only bring some trouble to the God's Punishment Army, not to mention the open flat land at the foot of the mountain. Any action of ambushing the God's Punishment Army is tantamount to suicide. I hope they really have that kind of courage, instead of fleeing at the sight of us. "Speaking of this, the Archbishop paused." Now that you understand, go and execute my order. "
"… Yes, my lord."
Soli sneered as he watched the chief judge leave. He would never let those blasphemers off.
*****
"Coldwind Ridge sent a large group of people?" Iron Axe asked as he looked at the fat pigeon that flew into the tent.
"Almost a thousand people, coo!" Maggie flapped her wings. "There are no food trucks or militia. They are all wearing armor, and some of them are carrying giant shields and short spears. Coo!"
"Giant shield?" Iron Axe was surprised. "How big is it?"
"Well..." Maggie tilted her head and glanced at him. "Almost as big as you, coo."
"I see. Good job." As usual, the Sand Nation took out a piece of dried meat and handed it to the pigeon. Then he summoned the guards outside the tent and said, "Inform Gun Battalion Commander Brian and Artillery Battalion Commander Van'er to come to my tent for a meeting. The enemy is on the move."
…
After listening to the information provided by the witches, Brian could not help but frown. "How could they come so fast? His Majesty needs two or three days to reach Deepvalley Town, and the Longsong Cannons are not in place..."
"The church reacted faster than we expected, but no matter whether His Majesty is here or not, we have to fulfill our duty and never retreat," Iron Axe said calmly. "In any case, the enemy must not cross the defense line at the foot of the mountain."
"Yes, my lord!" Both of them said in unison.
"Very good. Next is the specific combat arrangement." Iron Axe licked his lips. "The enemy will need at least one day to reach the foot of the mountain, so we have plenty of time to prepare. There are only about 2,000 God's Stones of Retaliation in total. Try to give them to the soldiers on the front line. The machine gunners are the focus of protection, so they must wear God's Stones. " He roughly explained the plan in his mind. "In addition, I'll arrange 10 soldiers with good marksmanship and a machine gun squad to guard Miss Sylvie and focus on the most threatening enemies according to her on-site investigation instructions. The rest of the soldiers will follow the rules of the drill."
"I have a question," Van'er said hesitantly. "Is it possible that the guy carrying the giant shield in the enemy team is..."
"It's very likely to be the God's Punishment Army." Iron Axe nodded. "According to Miss Maggie, ordinary people absolutely can't march with a shield of that size."
"Can bullets penetrate it?" Brian asked.
"No one knows until they try," Iron Axe replied without hesitation. "If the flintlock can't do any effective damage, your people will try to hinder the God's Punishment Army and let the artillery take care of them."
"Yes."
"In the end, we still have to rely on the artillery to solve the problem." Van'er smiled. "Leave it to me, my lord."
*****
Early the next morning, Danny held his beloved rifle and went into the trench.
According to yesterday's arrangement, he soon came to his prearranged position, a trench in the center of the position on the right flank. The shrubs and bushes had all been eradicated, so he could see the whole battlefield, which was very suitable for accurate shooting.
He picked up a few stones from under his feet and piled them on the edge of the trench to make a small support. Then he put the rifle on the stone and aimed at the front.
Through the crosshair, Danny could see the dew hanging on the grass on the ground, the spiders clinging to the barbed wire, the red dirt road covered with horse hoof prints, and the Impassable Mountain Range in the distance.
It was an excellent position to block.
He pulled the bolt and pushed the first bullet into the chamber. Then he waited for the enemy to appear.
As a hunter, Danny had always been patient.
Since he was recruited into the Militia by His Majesty, he had participated in a series of battles such as the defense of the Months of Demons, the defense of the Duke of Longsong, and the attack on King's City. His weapon had also changed from the flintlock to the latest bolt rifle. In terms of combat experience, he was definitely one of the best in the First Army. If he had not insisted on staying in the front line, he would probably have become an officer in the Gun Battalion, second only to Sir Brian.
But compared to commanding others, he preferred the feeling of shooting prey.
From the day he touched the flintlock, he fell in love with it.
It was easy to use and powerful. All it needed was a pair of good eyes and a little talent.
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