"What's wrong? Laing? "
"Your Majesty, what happened?"
Morgiana, Bertrand, and Davu asked almost at the same time.
"Two pieces of news." Laing raised the letter. The Knight King thought for a while and continued, "First, Von Zhukov's castle was lost. Except for Oleg Von Zhukov who led eight thousand people to escape from the castle and retreat to Wolfenburg, all the remaining troops of the Empire died in battle. Auster's marshal, Model, committed suicide. Even Oleg's mother, the Kurfürst Ivana, died during the breakout. Motekin ordered a massacre in Auster, and the whole castle was razed to the ground. The massacre continued until I received the news. On the first day, seventy thousand people of the Empire and Mrs. Kiesler died in the massacre. It is said that the ancestral tomb of the Von Zhukov family was dug up by Motekin … It seems that the rumor is not false. Oleg did destroy his hometown during the Northka Expedition."
"The army of Chaos. How many people are there on Motekin's side?" Morgiana turned around and asked Talleyrand.
"About … a hundred thousand people? Your Highness, I'm just a messenger. " Talleyrand shrugged. He tried to make himself look humble. "I spent a lot of effort to come here. Please don't embarrass me."
"Your Majesty, if that's the case, the situation is very critical." Bertrand, the commander of the Old Guard, approached from behind. "If Motekin really hates Auster so much, then we can almost be sure that the next target of attack is Wolfenburg. Mr. Talleyrand, how many troops are still stationed in Wolfenburg?"
"Other than the backbone of the Bull Knights and the eight thousand remaining troops led by Oleg Von Zhukov, there are only thirty thousand new recruits who are undergoing basic training. They can only move forward according to the drum beats for now." Talleyrand leaned on his cane. "I can divide them into three classes. Those who crumble at the first touch are the upper class, those who crumble at the sight of the enemy are the middle class, and those who flee upon hearing the news are the lower class."
"Very well, we have to hurry." Laing nodded. The Knight King then raised the letter and said, "The second news is nothing special. Steyr sent a message saying that the undead in Sylvania are acting strangely. The last vampire count, Man Frey Von Karstein, has been resurrected. The armies of Steyr and Ivy cannot move."
"Once again, we can only rely on ourselves." Davu said disdainfully, "Mr. Talleyrand, can't you bring some good news?"
"I'm just a messenger, everyone," Talleyrand said humorously. "Objective facts will not change according to my will."
"Then it's not up to you to deliver the letter, Talleyrand. I know what you're thinking." Laing raised his head. The Knight King stared coldly at the high elf. Talleyrand finally could not help but show an unnatural expression. Laing let him go. "But it doesn't matter now. Since you're here, go and help with the logistics."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Leave it to me!" Talleyrand immediately bowed and agreed. Then, he limped away quickly with the help of his walking stick.
"What is he doing here?" Morgiana felt that something was strange about Talleyrand's arrival.
"He's in a hurry to share the credit." Laing sneered and shook his head. "What a cunning man. He's just like a fox. Once he smells something, he immediately pounces on it to get a share."
"Share the credit?" Morgiana wanted to say more, but Laing gestured for her to stop. The Knight King asked Morgiana, Bertrand, and Davu to prepare. It was only morning, and he wanted to spend half a day inspecting the surroundings of Midentstanger to perfect the plan.
On the other hand, Talleyrand, who came out of the hall of the Count's castle, looked terrible. He knew that Laing had seen through his thoughts.
The High Elf from Ossouin really liked the human world and really wanted to make a difference. Since he went to Nur, as the special envoy of Laing, he really worked hard for the interests of the Brittany in Nur. As the personal adviser of the Duchess of the Empire and Laing's spokesperson, he not only helped Emilia in her court battles, but also accumulated a lot of resources and fame.
But Talleyrand soon realized that this was not enough, far from enough. He wanted to enter the inner circle of the Knight King's court, enter the decision-making circle, or at least have a place in it. It was far from enough. Why was it not enough? To put it simply, the cripple had no military merits!
This could be seen from another bureaucrat, Berliat. In fact, Berliat was not a commander good at war. He was essentially a bureaucrat like Talleyrand, but Berliat had military merits! He had followed General Ivan all the way to the battlefield and obtained excellent military merits in the most important expedition of the Eight Peaks Mountains. That was how he found the opportunity to enter the eyes of Laing and show his ability. He also finally gained the recognition of the knights and nobles as a member of the Ugor!
To put it simply, with military merits, he, Talleyrand, would at least be able to retire in the future! Without military merits, he would only be able to retire!
A difference of one word could make a world of difference.
This was the reason why Talleyrand insisted on coming personally to deliver the letter. The cripple, who had an extremely keen sense of smell, knew that a war was imminent, and Laing had proven how reliable he was through countless military miracles and brilliant victories, so Talleyrand had to come personally to deliver the letter. Whether he participated in the war or not, as long as he was in the barracks when the war started, there would be a mark on his military medal! He would also be awarded a commemorative medal!
"Well, where should I start?" Talleyrand began to look for his position with his crutches. Soon, he found that the quartermaster of the Empire and the quartermaster of the Brittany were quarreling. The high elf quickly limped over. "Gentlemen, stop, stop. I'm the special envoy of the Knight King, De Talleyrand -Morris Bennister. Is there anything I can help you with?"
With the high elf's elegant manners, speech, rich knowledge, proficiency in the laws of the human world, and deep understanding of human nature, it only took three minutes for the conflict between the two sides to be satisfactorily resolved. The two quartermasters even shook hands to express their apologies.
"Soldiers have their battlefields, and I, Talleyrand, also have my own battlefield."
… I'm the cutoff line of the retirement treatment …
Just as Talleyrand was wandering around Midentstanger, using his identity as the special envoy of the Knight King to ease most of the conflicts and conflicts within the Human Alliance, Laing and Morgiana had also begun their own inspection. Laing only brought a company of Old Guard, and Morgiana only brought her own twelve-member Holy Grail Guards. Just like that, they strolled under the winter sun of Midentstanger. Although they were out for inspection, Morgiana still liked the time she could spend with Laing. The Lake Goddess witch took a little time to touch up her light makeup. She changed into a gray, moss-patterned fishtail dress with a lapel collar and a laurel crown on her head. From the slit of the dress, one could faintly see her long, pink legs wrapped in ultra-thin, smooth, flesh-colored unicorn velvet pantyhose. She wore a pair of milky pearl straps on her beautiful, fleshy feet. Morgiana rode the unicorn Hillfain and rode side by side with Laing. "Winter, does it always snow like this in Midentstanger?"
"It's not just Midentstanger. It's the same in Nord." Laing said with some nostalgia. "When I was in Nord, I hated winter the most because it was snowing all winter. It was too cold and there was nothing to do. But winter is also my favorite. Winter means less slack and less training. I like to read in front of the fireplace and eat the apple pies my foster mother made."
"Apple pies, huh? I'll make them for you next time. "Morgiana took it to heart. She thought to herself that she should go back and study how to make apple pies.
Everyone patrolled the barracks of the Midentstanger army. Laing looked at the meals of the Midentstanger soldiers and shook his head uncomfortably.
As everyone knew, the logistics of the Brittany's knighthood army was provided by the Empire, and mainly by the southern part of the Empire. Therefore, although the ordinary soldiers' meals were not very good, there was still enough barley bread, beer, stew with meat, and a small amount of milk and eggs.
However, the Midentstanger army was not very responsible for the southern part of the Empire. Boris's army, especially the ordinary conscripts, only had black bread, potatoes, cabbage porridge, and a little oily meat soup. For the people of Midentstanger who were born with a big appetite, their stomachs would growl louder than the roars of the wild beasts in the forest at night.
That was how lowly the conscripts were. The nobles of the Empire recruited them and provided them with food, but the food was of very poor quality. For the northern part of the Empire, the conscripts were not paid. Only when they completed their missions and war goals, the nobles would give them some rewards, and then there would be pensions.
And such lowly conscripts were the main force of the Empire's frontline. They would use their flesh and blood to resist the enemy's attack. They would delay and hold off the enemy's attack for the great swordsmen, musketeers, artillerymen, and the knights of the Empire.
"The pensions for the families of Nord and Midentstanger are pitiful. If a conscript dies in battle, his family will receive about five to fifteen silver coins. That money is only enough to buy one … or half a goat. Even a sheep will do." Laing said to Morgiana, "But even so, the nobles can still easily get a large number of conscripts. Because the barren land in the north of the Empire is destined to be poor."
"Our pensions are several times more than theirs." Morgiana was thinking about something else. "Are we setting it too high? Can we lower it? "
"We can't let the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country bleed and shed tears." Laing said sorrowfully, "For their country, they shed their blood. The knights, the serfs, and everyone else. As the Knight King, the only thing I can do is to take care of their funeral."
"Your Majesty, it's fine for the soldiers to eat such food normally, but a great war is coming. If they eat such food again, they will start to starve in two or three hours tomorrow." Bertrand walked behind Ryan and said voluntarily, "Should we remind Kurfürst Boris?"
"Boris must be thinking of a way." Laing led everybody out.
As he expected, after observing the periphery of the town for more than forty minutes, Laing ran into Boris and his men. Kurfürst White Wolf was leading a dozen White Wolf Knights, a dozen Cheetah Knights (the private knights of the Kurfürst family), and a few soldiers of the province. They were entering a farm. Boris noticed that some livestock and chickens and ducks were not slaughtered in the farm. So, he immediately led his men to knock on the gate of the farm.
The shabby gate of the farm was opened, and a middle-aged woman walked out. She was wearing a headscarf, an animal skin cloak, and a blue robe that was tightly wrapped around her body. Her face was full of wrinkles, and her cheeks were loose. Holding a pitchfork in her hand, she pointed it at Boris and shouted, "Get lost! Get lost! All of you get lost, you wretched dogs! "
"My lady." Boris was rather polite. "A great war is coming. The soldiers need nutrition. We need to collect your livestock urgently. We will compensate you for your loss later. Please …"
"You have livestock! They are right under your buttocks! " The middle-aged woman waved her pitchfork so skillfully that Laing could not help but wonder how many Geralt's she could take away. However, the woman of Midden Hill was so tough that it was frightening. It should be emphasized that she was not facing Kurfürst Boris alone, but dozens of fully-armed knights. However, she still maintained a violent and uncooperative attitude. "If you want more food for your soldiers, kill your horses!"
"My lady, killing the horses is the last resort. We can't do that." Boris tried to negotiate with the middle-aged woman. "We will compensate you for your loss. I swear to Yurick. Ask your husband and children to come out. I will talk to them."
After he said that, the atmosphere changed.
The middle-aged woman's mouth fell open. She held the pitchfork and tilted her head forty-five degrees. She looked at Boris as if she was looking at a pile of trash. She took a deep breath, and tears appeared in her eyes. "Husband? Son? Let me tell you, noble lord, I have a husband and two sons! But Boris Todbinger is a devil! A bastard from hell! In order to win the war with the orcs, he recruited all of them and killed them! Now I am the only one left! Alone!!! "
Boris was stunned.
Kurfürst White Wolf suddenly felt that his armor was very heavy, his shield was very heavy, and the weight of the rune teeth was almost crushing him. Was he too old to bear such a weight?
"Your Excellency, don't lower yourself to the same level as this old woman. We can't waste too much time here!" At this time, Boris's adjutant shouted, "Take it away. In the name of Yurick, we will compensate her for her loss later!"
"Your Excellency?" The middle-aged woman's expression changed slightly. She looked at Boris Todbinger in disbelief. "They called you a Kurfürst? Could it be … "
"My lady, I am that devil." Boris's only eye was mixed with complicated emotions. "A bastard from hell."
"Very good, very good! Your Excellency, go to hell! " The middle-aged woman stabbed at him with a pitchfork, but as a Sanctuary expert, Boris was naturally not afraid of the pitchfork. He used his shield to deflect the weapon. "My lady, your two sons … what are their names?"
"Miller and Thomas." The middle-aged woman seemed to have given up. She said hatefully, "The eldest son went to the front line at the age of 23, and the younger son was taken away at the age of 17!"
"Miller and Thomas, they died in the war with the orcs." Boris nodded slightly. "I promise you, their sacrifice allowed the Empire to continue."
"They served you with their lives, but a piece of trash like you let them die in vain. You're trash. You're less important to me than that pile of cow dung in the backyard. Get out of here! Get out! "The middle-aged woman was almost crying as she asked Boris to get out." Or kill me! "
"Listen, my lady!" Boris's attitude also became firm. Kurfürst White Wolf said angrily, "Of course you have the right to ask me to get out, but the war is imminent, and the soldiers need nutrition! If you will lend us your cattle and fowls, I assure you that I, Boris Todbringer, will avenge your son! "
"Avenge? Is there any meaning to that? I know the latest news, the Empire is full of enemies! Chaos, Green Skin, Orcs, everyone says we are finished, Midden Hill is finished, the Empire is finished! "The woman retorted." The Empire is finished! "
"No! The Empire is not finished! As long as one of Yorick's sons is alive, the Empire will resist until the end! " Boris shouted with his hoarse voice. "Your husband, your two sons, they have all given their lives for the Empire, so that the Empire can continue to stand."
The iron gloves hammered the Kurfürst's chest plate. His voice was rough and agitated. "I can also give my life for this! All of us are sacrificing our lives to protect the Empire! Every year, thousands of Midden Hill people die to protect their homeland. At the frontline, millions of Empire people have died to resist the invasion of Chaos. We are all sacrificing our lives, and you, my lady, can't you lend us your livestock and birds so that the soldiers can have a full meal before the war?! "
The sound of crying echoed in the farm. The middle-aged woman put down her pitchfork. Her tears flowed down the weather-beaten face of the widow, and finally, they were frozen into ice beads by the winter of Midden Hill.
"Take it, take it all. If you see anything you like, take it all!"
"If you lose, even if I go to hell, I'll ask you to pay me back. I'll ask you to pay me back. Boris Todbringer, I'll remember your words!"
This scene made everyone show a painful expression, but the army of the Empire did not stop. They soon entered the farm and counted the chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and sheep. Then, they took away most of them, leaving only a few hens.
"If you were in Brittany, Laing, you would never be treated like this." Looking at this scene, Morgiana emphasized, "The people love you very much. It has always been like this. The people of the Empire only feel pain from war, but we are different."
"That's because I'm always able to win and bring in enough dividends from the war. Also, I don't overly recruit civilians and cherish their strength. In most cases, war causes civilians to suffer too much, no matter if it's from the enemy or … from our own people." Laing said to Morgiana, Bertrand, and Davu, "Therefore, we cannot fail. For these lovely people, we cannot lose. You have to know that what you eat and use comes from the people who support us, and we will fight to protect them, for peace, and to expel evil from this land."
Everyone nodded.
"Back then, I was in the wrong too." Laing said to Morgiana, "I must have told you that I defeated the Four-armed Bull Demon with great difficulty on Skarville Mountain, but I only received a bottle of Sacred Oil."
"Hmm." Morgiana wanted to mock the stinginess of the White Wolf Sect, but after witnessing this scene, she was speechless. She could only respond calmly.
"It wasn't until much later that I realized that it wasn't that the White Wolf Sect was unwilling to pay, but that the barren land and harsh climate here meant that they couldn't pay enough." Leon's voice was very ethereal. "It was all for the sake of survival."
"It's just for the survival of Humans in this dark world."
After inspecting the situation outside the town and making arrangements, time passed quickly, and everyone took the opportunity to rest.
The next morning, the Human army marched out of Midentstanger.
The Orc and Green Skin armies smelled the scent of Humans, and the three sides were in a standoff.
The bugle horn sounded throughout the land and sky.
After the great Sacred War, the largest large-scale battle in Midentstanger had begun.
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