"Sigh, I can't buy any horses. I didn't expect the capital to be so short on horses. We've been collecting them for the past few days, and we've only managed to get ten or so at double the price. They're all being used by my lord to pull the carriages," Freya grumbled as he fiddled with the campfire.
"We were too optimistic. We thought we'd be able to buy mounts in the capital, but we forgot that the Andinac Kingdom doesn't produce horses in the first place. His Highness also needs a large number of horses for his six legions, so there's a shortage of horses. We didn't think we'd have to walk back. "
"We've only traveled fifteen kilometers in half a day. Tomorrow, we'll probably be able to travel sixty to seventy kilometers. That's not good for us. We're used to galloping in the north, so we feel like we're moving at a snail's pace. My lord, why don't we buy some carriages from the nearby lords to speed up the march? Since Ciloas Island is going to be developed, these carriages can be used for transportation. "That was Eyre's idea.
After walking for half a day, Freya ordered them to set up camp on the spot when the sky darkened. The five hundred guards were well-trained and quickly settled down. A few of the family knights began to complain around the campfire. Eyre, Jim, and the others had always been riding horses in the north, so they weren't used to walking on their own. They could still sit in the carriages that were used to transport the second prince's prisoners, but they wouldn't be able to do so when they returned.
Laurist had bought thousands of books in the capital to bring back. Although he had more than twenty carriages, they were all filled to the brim with books. There wasn't even an extra horse. Even Laurist could only travel on foot.
"Alright, we'll change our direction tomorrow and head towards the Doni River. We'll reach Samba Town in a day. That's the main crossing of the Doni River, so we'll find a boat there. We'll follow the river and disembark at Domesco. It'll only take us two days to reach Port Qilin, and we'll be able to board a boat back to Ciloas Island, "Laurist decided as he looked at the map.
"Then do we still buy carriages when we pass through those territories?" Eyre asked.
"Forget about the carriages, but we can buy a few horses and let your guards ride them as scouts. If there's any danger, we can send a warning in advance, "Lollister said.
"Hah! My Lord, we are the elites of the Andinac Kingdom. Which lord of the Andinac Kingdom dares to provoke us?" Everyone laughed.
That was true. The lords and nobles of the Andinac Kingdom had been subdued by the second prince, and most of their families' armed forces had been integrated into the reserve army. It was already good enough to have a hundred-man garrison in the territory. Just as Carritok had said, as long as it wasn't the Second Prince's army, Laurist and his 500 guards could do whatever they wanted in the kingdom.
"Sir, why can't we transport horses from the North to sell here? I think it's a good business, "Howard said.
"Haha …" Laurist stroked Schwartz's hair. "It's good that you thought of this. Logically speaking, this should be a good business deal, but you neglected the most important point. Who are you doing business with? The second prince really needed a large number of military horses, but he didn't have the ability to pay for them. Three hundred thousand soldiers already took a lot out of him, and he didn't have extra gold to pay for them. The only thing we can get from transporting the northern horses is his promissory note. He will promise to compensate us after he unifies the kingdom … "
"Alright, everyone rest early. Schwartz, boil some hot water for everyone to soak their feet. We still have to walk for a day tomorrow, "Laurist said.
The night passed uneventfully, and they continued their journey the next day. They only got seven mounts from the four territories they passed through, and five of them were fifteen or sixteen years old. Eyre smiled bitterly. "My Lord, are we buying these horses for their old age?"
They arrived at Sangba Town in the evening. This was the territory of Count Santos. It was said that the Count was now the commander of the Third Royal Guard Legion and was stationed at the border of the Redelis Kingdom. The person in charge of Sangba Town was his trusted butler, Old Sunny.
Butler Sunny was very respectful to Laurist. No matter which Count it was, they should be respected if they had five hundred soldiers in standard equipment. He told Laurist that Sangba Town was a very important river crossing in the Andinac Kingdom. It was mainly used to transport a large number of supplies along the river to the frontline, which was the border between the kingdom and the Redelis Kingdom. This saved a lot of manpower and animal power on the road.
Therefore, the supplies that Laurist needed could be replenished here, and he could also buy some carriages here. As for the river ferry that Laurist needed to go to Domesgow City, Butler Sunny said that he could help to find a captain in charge of the transport fleet and see if he could help.
When he heard that Loriste was willing to pay 800 gold fords for his soldiers and more than 20 carriages, Captain Horison's eyes immediately turned red. That very night, he ordered his soldiers to move the provisions that had been loaded onto the ships ashore, freeing up more than a dozen empty ships to turn around and make a trip to Domesego City.
When Laurist asked Captain Morrison if this would affect the transport plan of the supplies to the frontline, the captain replied indifferently, "It's okay. It's common to be delayed for ten days to half a month on the road. The trip to and from Domesgow City will only take seven to eight days, and we can transport some of the supplies that have been piled up there back. No one will blame us. "
When Captain Morrison heard Ell complain that they couldn't buy horses in the Andinac Kingdom, he laughed and told Laurist and Ell that it was because they didn't find the way. He volunteered to bring Laurist, Ell, and the others to the camp of the transport fleet. Soon, Laurist reached an agreement with the person in charge of the transport fleet. Laurist spent 1,000 gold fords to get 120 horses from the person in charge. Although they weren't the best warhorses, they were more than enough to pull the carriages.
Captain Morrison didn't go to waste. 200 gold fords fell into his pocket, but he still had to free up four empty ships to carry the horses.
Ell asked him curiously, "How are you going to explain to the higher-ups that the transport fleet is missing so many warhorses?"
Captain Morrison laughed, "There are too many excuses, such as dying of illness, falling into the water, not acclimatizing to the climate, startled horses, and so on. He can find 120 different reasons to remove these 120 horses from the transport fleet's roster without arousing suspicion. In less than a month, this matter will disappear without a trace. As for the missing horses, he can make a report and get the logistics department to replenish them. Of course, he'll have to share half of the 1,000 gold fords with the others … "
Ell was silent for a moment. When he returned to the camp, he whispered to Laurist, "Loke, I finally understand why you don't think His Highness' 300,000 troops can unify the empire. Based on the conduct of his men, even 600,000 troops won't be able to do it, let alone 300,000 …"
Four days later, Laurist and the others arrived at Domesgow. After handing over the remaining 500 gold fords, Laurist shook hands with the smiling Captain Morrison and bade farewell. He then went on a shopping spree in Domesgow and rested for a day before setting off for Port Qilin. In another day and a half or two, the group would arrive at Port Qilin and set sail for the sea.
In the evening, Jim, who was in charge of scouting, came with two guards to report, "My Lord, there's smoke rising behind us. It seems like a large group of cavalry is coming. I think there's around 3,000 men and horses, and they'll be here in about ten minutes. Should we give way to the main road and avoid them? "
Laurist and the others looked back, and indeed, there was smoke rising behind them.
Freya hurried back, "My Lord, that's not right. They're coming for us. The smoke rising so quickly means that they're charging at full speed. There's no one else on this road, so it goes without saying that we're their target … "
Laurist pointed at a small mound on the side of the road, "Go up there. The carriages are in front, and the others are surrounding it in a defensive formation. Hurry up."
The mound wasn't tall, only 20 to 30 metres tall. There were sparse trees on it. Just as they moved to the top of the mound, the cavalry arrived in the distance. They were indeed coming for Laurist and the others. Seeing that Laurist and the others were on the mound, they slowed down and began to set up a perimeter around the mound. From the looks of it, they wanted to trap Laurist and the others on the mound.
Dolais cut down a tree the size of a bowl with a swing of his sword. Two soldiers came over and removed the tree pole. It was to be used as a defensive barricade. Dolais wiped the sweat off his forehead and asked Laurist, who was also chopping down the tree, "My Lord, the cavalry below are wearing the standard equipment of the Royal Guards. Did His Highness send them to keep us as hostages?"
Laurist shook his head with a wry smile, "I'm not too sure either. His Highness is an ambitious person, so he shouldn't be so unwise. I defeated the great swordmaster protecting him right in front of him, so he should know that sending cavalry to deal with me like this won't be able to keep me here. Even if he kills all of you, it'll be difficult to trap me. Once he becomes enemies with the Norton Family, he'll definitely face wave after wave of retaliation from our armed forces. Under these circumstances, he can forget about unifying the Empire. He'll be lucky if he can withstand our attacks. That's why I don't understand what's going on for him to make such a big fuss … "
Freya and Josk walked over, "My Lord, we've surveyed the terrain of this mound. The path to the main road is a slope, and it's the easiest to climb up. We've arranged the carriages in that direction to form the first line of defense. After that, we'll need to set up barricades and dig trenches. That should be enough to stop the cavalry's charge.
To the left is a cliff that's more than ten meters tall. Neither cavalry nor infantry can climb up here, so there's no need to arrange guards for now. To the right is a slope of different heights. Infantry can still climb up, but cavalry can't ride horses. I've already arranged a platoon of a hundred men in that direction, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Behind us is this small forest. We need to cut down more trees to clear the firing line, build a few walls, and prevent the enemy from using the trees as cover to attack us. But there's bad news, my Lord. We can't find water here, and the water we brought with us can only last us two days. If the enemy attacks with fire, we'll become roasted pigs … "Freya said seriously.
Josk added, "My lord, I just estimated that the enemy is a cavalry platoon of around two thousand five hundred men. They've formed a semicircle around the cliff to the left of the mound, and it looks like they're trying to trap us on the mound. I suspect they're waiting for the infantry to arrive before attacking. My suggestion is for my Lord to break out of the encirclement first. We'll hold them off here. As long as my Lord returns to the family territory, the enemy won't be able to carry out their schemes. "
Laurist shook his head, "I brought you out, and I'll definitely bring you back with me. I don't have the face to go back to the family territory alone. El, when it gets dark, bring Jim down from the cliff to the left. Capture someone alive and ask them about the situation. "
"Yes, my Lord," El replied.
The sky was filled with starlight, and the mound was lit up with fire. Be it the Norton soldiers on the top or the Royal Guards below, they all lit fires to prevent the enemy from breaking out of the encirclement or launching an attack.
However, this was not a problem for El and Jim. They slipped down the cliff when the enemy wasn't paying attention, and quickly captured a captive before sneaking back.
In front of everyone, El used a sharp dagger to slice a thick branch into a chopstick, threatening the captive that if he didn't tell the truth, he would slice him like a branch.
The terrified captive quickly spilled the beans.
"What?! Did you say that you were ordered by Aslan, the Division Commander, to come and tie us down? To wait for him to lead two infantry brigades to surround and annihilate the Norton soldiers? He still needs two more days to get here? "
Things were clear now. It was Count Aslan, the elder brother of Viscount Aslan who was beheaded under Laurist's orders. He was the Gold Knight Count Aslan, who was the commander of the Royal Guards. He had secretly dispatched his troops to hunt down Laurist and his men. Fortunately, Laurist had changed his route of march and took a boat to Domesgow City, causing Count Aslan to chase in the wrong direction. Otherwise, they would have encountered a massacre three days ago.
Right now, the order given to the cavalry below was to hold back Lollister and his men until Count Aslan's two infantry battalions of 5000 soldiers arrived to surround and annihilate them. Count Aslan walked very quickly, not knowing that Laurist had defeated Master Swordsman Cremondo. He was confident that with his three brigades of 7,500 infantry and cavalry, not a single one of Laurist's 500 men could escape.
"Pfft." Laurist spat out the grass in his mouth, "Since he wants to play, I'll play with him."
The sky was still dark, but dawn was about to arrive. A new day was about to begin.
A small group of cavalrymen who were patrolling below the mound raised their heads to look at the top of the mound. With the help of the faint light from the flames, they could see the blurry figures of the Norton Family soldiers who were surrounded and the tip of their spears illuminated by the flames.
"Let's go back to camp. We can change shifts now," the leader of the team said.
The sound of running water came from behind, as well as the neighing of horses. The leader did not mind. "Can't you get off your horses and take a piss? What lazy bums."
Then, he smelled a faint scent of blood. Something's not right. He quickly turned around, but what he saw was a sharp blade with a cold glint …
Everyone was stunned. They watched as Laurist killed the last rider of the patrol team with a single slash. The enemy did not even make a sound. Then, Laurist leaped onto his horse, pulled out his sword, and handed the corpse to El and Jim, who were following behind him. They gently placed the corpse on the ground. Just like that, the three of them killed their way from the back to the front. The most surprising thing was that the enemy did not notice them at all. Not a single one of them made a sound. Laurist's speed and ruthlessness sent chills down the spines of the people hiding in the bushes.
This was the fourth patrol team of around 20 men. In total, they had collected more than 80 warhorses.
"Alright, everyone get on your horses. Those without horses, stay hidden at the side. We'll kill our way into the enemy's camp. Remember to set fire. Freya's side will start moving as soon as we set fire here."
The cavalry had set up five camps in three directions around the mound, with about five hundred men in each camp. In addition, they had deployed a team of about twenty cavalrymen to patrol around the mound. However, they did not expect Laurist's group to sneak down from the cliff of the mound and launch a counterattack.
"Kill!" Laurist took the lead and killed his way into the first camp on the left. Josk, El, and the rest behind him were determined to carry out Laurist's strategy. First, set fire. Second, control their mounts. Third, kill.
Two Silver-tier Knights were killed by Laurist's spear, and the knights of the first camp broke down. Their clothes were disheveled, and their hair was disheveled as they ran towards the second camp. Laurist followed them into the second camp and started a massacre.
At this time, the patrols from the third to fifth camps had reacted. 120 cavalrymen gathered together and rushed to the second camp as reinforcements. Unexpectedly, they were only halfway there when they heard battle cries coming from behind them. Freya had led 400 guards into the fifth camp. The cavalry that had yet to mount their horses were no match for them. The fifth camp collapsed even faster.
The second camp was also broken through. Laurist chased the hundreds of cavalrymen who were running away barefoot towards the third camp. At the same time, the fourth camp was also attacked by Freya's group.
It was daybreak, and Freya excitedly urged his horse to Laurist's side, "Victory, victory! My Lord, we broke through five camps in one night. The enemies that did not run were all captured, and most of their horses are in our hands. "
"Did we suffer heavy casualties?"
"About half of the Imperial Guard Battalion's soldiers were killed or injured. 147 died in battle, and more than 120 were injured. The main reason was the cavalry that gathered at the end. After all, the guards are used to fighting defensively. They're not good at sneak attacks like this … "Freya said.
"Let's clean up the battlefield first. I still need to think about whether I should give Count Aslan a greeting gift when he arrives in two days …" Laurist said fiercely.
… …
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