Twilight, February 19, 1171 A.D. (After the end of the second operational meeting, another two months passed)

"How's it going? Are you able to get used to the keel now?"

Todd took a pen and paper, observed the horse in front of him, wrote something from time to time, and asked the knight on the horse.

Huggins, who was sitting on horseback, moved his arms and twisted his waist, and the parasite hook pierced into his back spine caused him a dull pain, and he squinted his eyes and said slowly: "When I first started two weeks ago, I couldn't even move my fingers, but now I am much better." ”

Todd pointed to his back, "What about the Hive, and how does it work now?"

Huggins closed his mouth, and the "dragon bone" parasite on his back suddenly made a rattlesnake-like tail swinging sound. Several subordinates ten meters away from him shouted at him, "My lord, this is a good idea!"

Todd asked curiously, "What did you 'say'?"

Huggins shrugged: "I'm just telling them that I still have a frozen leg of lamb at home, and everyone can roast it together at noon." ”

Todd laughed, patted the horse's neck, and finally asked, "How are these xenomorph horses doing?"

Huggins touched the horse's mane lovingly, causing the latter to snort in pleasure, and said happily: "They run with all their might, like a lightning bolt, and no wound can prevent them from fighting." I can't think of anything else in the world that can stop them from charging!"

Todd tapped the paper in his hand with a pencil, and thought to himself, "Speed", "Regeneration", "Pain Resistance", and "Metal Skin", in order to convert your 13 war horses into 'Inheritors', I have used more than half of the potion stock.

Huggins stopped what he was doing and looked in the direction of the hills.

Todd followed his line of sight, and the knight Alfonso swung his greatsword, still practicing there day and night.

"He still won't put on the keel?"

Huggins sighed: "I've talked to him several times, and he still can't accept that tragedy in his heart. ”

Todd retracted his gaze, looked at the parasite limbs all over the man's body, and sighed: "We can't help him, maybe he can only get out of the past nightmare by relying on himself...... As for you, take your subordinates to get used to the Dragonbone and the Xenomorph Warhorse, as we have less and less time left. ”

Leaving the Inheritors squad in intensive training, Todd meets Cumberland on the way. When the old knight saw him, his expression was overjoyed: "Chief Commander, I was just about to look for you, and the Silver Ring City has moved." ”

When Todd heard this, he hurriedly asked for details.

Cumberland sorted out the information he had obtained in the last few days: in the barracks of the Silver Ring City, logistics officers had begun to allocate consumables according to the troops; some nobles' private soldiers had left the manor and began to assemble outside the city; and the government hall had held several meetings in succession in recent days. All indications are that the kingdom is likely to launch an offensive against Twilight in the near future.

After Cumberland said this, he began to comfort Todd: "Don't worry, even if the Kingdom army starts to set off today, it is estimated that it will take seven days to reach Twilight Town. Our troops, as long as they set up an ambush close to the town, can intercept this force. ”

Todd asked again, "Is that fake military order ready?"

Cumberland nodded, "It was a perfect forgery, and all the seals on it were unimaginably fine, exactly like what I remembered." ”

Listening to the old knight's admiration, Todd was a little strange, even if Queen Mary was good at painting and had touched royal things, it was incredible that she could write down so many seal styles and draw them exactly right.

But now was not the time to think about that, so Todd asked Cumberland a few more questions, said goodbye, and returned to his experimental building.

Pushing open the door and coming to the back room, Rachel and Karin are standing in the depths of the room, debugging and operating the Volcanic Environment Simulation Flask.

Compared to the cold outside, the room was as warm as spring, Todd took off his coat, put it on the back of his chair, and walked behind the two nuns: "How's it going?"

Rachel didn't reply: "The No. 1 and No. 3 culture flasks are broken again, I asked old Aiden to take them and repair them." The Sutherland Potion produced in the past few days is enough for one person, and I plan to select another person among the xenomorphs to be inoculated. By the way, the "regeneration" and "pain resistance" in the cold storage have been used up, and I have told these two xenos to get here as soon as possible. ”

Todd nodded, signaling that he understood.

Karin raised her little face covered with soot: "Todd, why can't I give Sister Richel's ability to others?"

The person who was asked was stunned.

Todd touched the bridge of his nose, about Richel's "Mental Power", Karin's "Attachment" and Adlena's "Beast Language", he tried several times to transplant abilities, but all failed, the specific reason is not clear to him, he can only vaguely guess that it should be related to human genes or something smaller.

He wiped Karin's face with a damp cloth in the laboratory, and replied helplessly, "Maybe it's because you're special." ”

Rachel took his eyes off the flask, picked up a record book from the table, and said to Todd: "From two months ago, as of today, we have cultivated a total of twenty-seven 'inheritors', including four xenomorphs from the elemental attack system, two xenomorphs from the 'Flame Breath' system, and two xenomorphs from the 'Sonic Shock' system, who are equipped with 'Speed' and 'Regeneration', thirteen xenomorphs from the melee attack system with 'Regeneration', 'Pain Resistance', 'Metalskin' and 'Weakness', and ten xenomorphs from the underwater attack system, who are equipped with ' Regeneration, Breathing, Flippers, and Speed. ”

After reading it, Rachel put down the notebook in his hand, and suddenly thought of something, and complained to Todd: "If you want me to say, it was a waste to use the Sutherland Potion for 13 horses, and if all those potions were used to breed the 'Inheritor', maybe we would have a company of abilities by now." ”

Todd smiled and shook his head: "Huggins' cavalry squad is the most important link in defeating the Silver Ring Alliance, give them more strength, and the more chance of victory." As for the town of Twilight, we are much more familiar with it than the enemy, and it is more advantageous for us to resort to street fighting. What's more, I still have that thing......"

Seeing that the speaker pointed to the bundled cloth bags in the room, the woman's face turned pale and she moved her body back: "I have heard you mention gunpowder, but I never thought that they would be so powerful. ”

Todd's tone was tinged with regret: "This is improved gunpowder, if it weren't for the fact that there was too little raw material...... Cumberland said to me today that the Silver Ring Army is ready to go......"

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That evening, Todd convened the third pre-war meeting of the Knights of the Twilight.

At the meeting, Todd and the others discussed and determined the general strategy for the defense of Twilight, and clarified the responsibilities and tasks of each person in the war.

The general outline is as follows:

1. Cumberland led the cavalry and sergeant infantry to engage the Silver Ring coalition first to attract the enemy's attention, while Huggins led the "Successor" heavy cavalry squad to attack from the rear of the coalition army, with the goal of killing or capturing the enemy's main general.

2. Todd and Alfonso were responsible for leading the militia and the Believers to garrison the town, and to use street fighting to hold back the pirates and barbarians, so as to prevent Cumberland's army from being attacked on their backs.

3. After Cumberland and Huggins defeated the Silver-Ring Alliance, they returned to Twilight Town to provide support.

4. In addition to the military forces mentioned above, the rest of the residents of Dusk West Town will withdraw to Lone Rock City in the south in the early morning of the next day.

In Todd's opinion, the tactics don't sound complicated, but some details are up for debate.

However, the old knight Cumberland, for the general commander's worries, only smiled and persuaded with a paragraph.

"There is a lot of uncertainty in war, because everything is changing. To a certain extent, the implementation of plans in chaos is the true meaning of war. Nitpicking will be the worst enemy of a good plan......

A week later, Cumberland and Huggins' armies marched from Twilight in the direction of the Silver Ring.

Before leaving, the old knight pulled the chief commander aside: "Yesterday, the Silver Ring Alliance army set off from the city. I guess by this time, they'd have seen the fake order. If they are struck and speed up their march, the seven-day journey will be shortened to four days, that is, in about three days I will fight them, and if they do not, then after three days I will take the initiative to move closer to the enemy and attack. Regardless of the outcome of the battle, I will do my best to destroy the enemy's cavalry units. Remember, Commander, if on the fourth day we have not returned, I have left a few horses in the stable, and you know what to do......"

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At the same time, the Silver Ring troops on the march.

The commander of the coalition army, Marquis Roderick, sat on his horse, looking at the army that stretched for hundreds of meters, with high spirits and guidance.

"It's just to destroy a rat's nest built on the seashore, and to send so many troops. Actually, it's more than enough to give me half of the troops!"

Around him, a group of flattering aristocrats followed him.

An abrupt voice broke the harmonious scene: "I hope you will not underestimate the enemy, the enemy has defeated the cavalry company of the Eastern Legion, and there should be a complete cavalry formation on hand." ”

Everyone looked at the source of the voice, an old man with two neat mustaches, sitting tall on horseback, the silver crown on his armor shining brightly.

"Count Emerson, look at this army!" Roderick waved his whip to his side and said unhappily, "We have hundreds of cavalry, as well as the regular armies of the Southern Army and the Northern Army, plus the troops you support. Even if all the rats come out of their holes, we'll have three times as many troops! I don't understand what you're worried about?"

The aristocrats chimed in.

Some people even speculate with malice that Count Emerson deliberately said such things because he was robbed of the commander's throne.

Count Emerson sighed, took the reins and left the group.

Marquis Roderick glanced at the departing figure, and complained dissatisfiedly to the nobles around him: "I really don't understand what His Majesty thinks?! Regardless of everyone's opposition, he insisted that Emerson, a stubborn fellow, participate in this battle, and gave him the title of general adviser! Looking at his timid and cowardly appearance, it is no wonder that people who knew him gave him the nickname 'Old Turtle'......"

"Lord Marquis! Lord Marquis! Silver Ring City has sent an urgent military order!"

Roderick looked at the letterhead in the herald's hand and said suspiciously, "At this time, an urgent military order was sent? ”

In front of everyone, the commander opened the envelope and carefully read the contents.

After a while, the marquis was furious, and scolded angrily: "These unruly pigs! Monkeys! They have agreed to attack together and divide the spoils equally, but they dare to lie to me!"

A familiar nobleman took the letterhead from the marquis's hand and read it quietly, and the more he read, the more annoyed he became, and he scolded him.

It turned out that the letter stated that according to the latest information, the fleet of barbarians and pirates had departed ahead of schedule, and was expected to arrive in Dusk Town three days earlier than the Silver Ring army. The Imperial Government wanted the Marquis to speed up his march and make sure to get to Dusk before the fleet reached the shore.

After knowing what happened, the remaining nobles also scolded.

Someone loudly reminded the Marquis that the town of Duxi was a "land of miracles", the town was full of wealth, the well water could make people live longer, the land could grow gold, and if the barbarians and pirates were allowed to take the lead, then when the kingdom's army arrived, I am afraid that it would only be enough to eat the soil......

There were also some cautious people who asked the marquis if he had checked the military order seal, after all, he had received an urgent military order just one day after leaving the city, which was really a bit unreasonable.

As soon as Roderick heard the reason, he sent someone to find the past military orders, carefully checked the seals, and finally found that all the seals were exactly the same, and the points were exactly the same.

In this way, no one doubts the authenticity of the military order.

The commander of the coalition forces, Marquis Roderick, then issued an order to the whole army to march quickly, requiring all troops to arrive in Dusk within three days.