As soon as the spring ploughing was over, Fort Andermatt, on the eastern border of Tiniets, was transformed into a large military camp, with several heraldic flags planted on the wooden walls of the fort, and military tents and bonfires everywhere.

Baron Antaas hasn't had a good night's sleep since Alsburg was forcibly seized by mountain bandits last fall. The crime of losing power and land was enough for him, and he also took the life of a knight, and the punishment was inevitable, and if he could not recover Alsburg as soon as possible, he, the hereditary baron, would have done it. So as soon as the spring ploughing was over, he called up all the knights in the territory and gathered at Fort Andermatt.

Now, the Knight Druids of the Inner Mansion have gathered five knights, eight knights, and more than sixty serving peasants brought by the knights. In addition, Antayas also selected fifteen young and strong farmers from his direct territory near the fort to join his fort guards.

Merchants and liquor sellers from villages and estates from all over the country gathered at Andermattburg, including women who were engaged in the leather and meat trade. The small Fort Andermatt suddenly flooded into so many people, and it was particularly chaotic that people came from all over the world to cook, and pee everywhere inside and outside the fort, and the already stinking military fort was now completely transformed into a big pigsty......

............

In the lord's hall of the stone house of the military fort, a military council is being held.

Baron Antayas didn't say much nonsense and went straight to the point: "This time everyone is called up to recover Alsburg. As you all know, it's been almost half a year since last autumn, and even if the old guys in the palace are all deaf, it's time to know the news that Alsburg has been captured by mountain bandits. Therefore, we must retake Ars before the court's accountability is settled, or we will not think about it. ”

A thick-eyed yellow-bearded knight asked, "My lord, you also fought Alsburg a few times last year, why didn't you capture it?" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, the knight felt that something was wrong, and quickly added: "My lord, I have no intention of offending your majesty. ”

Antayas shook his head and said indifferently, "Last year, I had planned to quietly lead people to retake Alsburg from the mountain bandits, but I underestimated the combat power of those mongrels, and I stopped in front of Alsburg twice. You have been called up this time to take Alsburg in one fell swoop. ”

Another middle-aged knight with a rather capable face asked in a deep voice, "My lord, have you figured out the number of bandits in Alsburg and whether they have reinforcements?" ”

Antayas glanced at the middle-aged knight named Chloe and said, "I sent people to the sentry before the cold winter came last year, and the number of mountain bandits in Alsburg increased to about forty, but we don't know if there are still mountain bandits in the bandit nest in the Bore Mountains. ”

"Forty? Could there be more than that? My lord~ There are only seventy or eighty of us in total, half of whom are farmers who can't even hold swords, and the rest have not fought for many years~~ I am afraid it will be a bit difficult for us to attack the large number of ferocious mountain bandits. "The middle-aged knight had experienced war in his youth, and he knew how effective this improvised army was.

Several other knights also whispered.

Antayas raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then said to everyone: "I also know that this situation is dangerous, but everyone is a brave and fearless knight, and it is the mission of God to you to eliminate violence, how can you lose the courage to defeat the devil because of its strength?" ”

The crowd bowed their heads and remained silent.

Knowing that these noble teachings were pale at this time, Antaas looked at the crowd and whispered: "If you can recapture Alsburg, I will exempt you from half of your taxes and service this year, and I will also give half of your war harvest as a military reward after taking Alsburg." In addition, I have hired an elite team to help with the attack, and I guess I am already on my way to Fort Andermatt. ”

Hearing the benefits and learning that there were reinforcements, the knights raised their heads and said that they would train their soldiers diligently and would be able to recapture Alsburg in a battle......

Looking at the backs of the knights leaving, the knight druid of the inner house spat and said, "It's all TM a group of guys who see money." ”

"Alright druids, there's no such thing as free cheese bread. If we can't get Alsburg back, all the money we have saved now will be left to the nobles who will take over the realm. ”

Speaking of this, he remembered the original owner of this sentence, and turned sideways to the druid beside him and asked, "Do you think that the Border Patrol Officer will really come to help suppress it?" ”

The druid thought for a moment and replied, "My lord, I said that there was no one before the end of spring, and I am afraid that I will not be able to count on ......."

…………

"I'm afraid I can't count on it this year, you see that now there is not even a shadow of a vendor on that road, except for the homeless people who are homeless."

On the road to Fort Andermatt, Otto followed Art's side about setting up checkpoints on the southern border to collect taxes, and he felt that Lord Pierre's promise to allow them to collect a one-year tax on inbound merchants at the border was nonsense.

"Yes, it is impossible to receive commercial taxes this year, we can only wait for next year or the year after next to collect them, there will always be a day when the war is over, and business will always prosper." Art said.

"But Lord Pierre only authorized us to collect taxes for one year~"

Art smiled and replied, "Really? At that time, we will stop collecting the inbound merchant tax, and we will levy the tax instead. We don't need Mistress Pierre's permission for this, as long as the swords in our hands are sharper than those of the caravan guards. ”

At this time, Ron rode back to the group from the front avenue, "Sir, there is no enemy ahead, and three miles further east is Fort Andermatt." ”

"Okay, keep scouting"

Art turned and shouted to the patrol soldiers who were following him, "Stop moving forward and fix on the spot, and camp in Andermatt tonight." ”

…………

In the city of Fort Andermatt, a rider galloped into the city to report an army coming from the west. The fort was suddenly a little flustered, especially the farmers and small traders outside the city, thinking that the mountain bandits had come to attack Andermatt, and they all retreated into the fort.

When the Inner Knight Druids arrived at a hill west of Andermatt with three or four horsemen, they saw an army of men in black robes and capes approaching them, and two more horsemen joined them in a short time.

"Art? Patrol officer. ”

Seeing the silhouette of the person who came, the druid muttered to himself, and said to one of the cavalrymen beside him, "Go back and tell the Baron that Lord Yate, the patrolman, is here with the team." ”

Then the druids drove their horses towards the people and greeted them himself......

Instead of stationing the patrol party at the fort, Art set up a tent in a clearing outside Fort Andermatt as a camp. Art had set up four outposts around the patrol camp, not so much for fear of an enemy attack, but for the undisciplined conscripts and farmers.

In the evening, Baron Antayas hosted a banquet for all the army leaders who had come to assist in the siege in the stone house of the military fort, and Yate, as the leader of the patrol party, was also fortunate to be invited to the dinner. Large plates of beef and mutton were served on the table, light beer and ale were poured into the stomach one after another, and the stone house was filled with enthusiasm and indulgence.

A middle-aged knight with a calm face bypassed a few frolicking guys with a wooden wine glass, came to Yat, who was sitting at the end, sat on a chair, and asked, "You are the patrol officer who came to help the baron said?" ”

Art put down his glass, glanced at the tall knight with long hair and thick beard, and said respectfully, "Lord Sir, I am Art Wood Wells, the Southern Frontier Patrolman. ”

"Art Wood Wells? Don't have a title? ”

"Yes, I'm just a civilian officer."

"Oh yes, but I look at the army you brought, and you don't look like a civilian with no knighthood." The middle-aged knight was a little skeptical about how an ordinary civilian officer could train an army with such a appearance, not to mention that this commoner also had a surname that looked like a nobleman.

Art shrugged.

The middle-aged knight raised his glass and said to Art, "I am Chloe de Bourbon from the Boning Canor estate. ”

"You're from the Bourbons? Son of the Eagle. Art had heard of this illustrious family.

"Oh yes, I'm proud to be a part of this family, but my family doesn't feel like it's glorified by me......," the middle-aged knight said with some resentment toward the Bourbons.

During the whole banquet, Art did not speak much, but sat quietly at the end of the long table and listened to the knights tell the wild boars they had hunted, the women they had slept with, the battles they had fought and the most vulgar jokes they had ever heard in their knightly career, and apart from the Baron Antaas politely offering wine to Art, only the Knight Chloe came to speak a few words to Art, not because the knights looked down on Art, it was a matter of noble posture, and this group of rough people had always been very careful on this matter.

In the camp outside the fort, a banquet was also going on.

Baron Antayas generously brought the patrol party several large pieces of pork and a large barrel of pale beer. Otto arranged for someone to stew a pot full of onion pork, and everyone got a lot of delicious beer.

When they returned to the tent outside the fort, the soldiers had already fallen asleep, and after inspecting the surrounding posts, Art summoned Otto and the others to the army.

Several people sat in the Yate military account.

Art observed the people in the tent for a while, and seeing that everyone was not drunk, he nodded and said, "Very good, you still have the most basic vigilance." From the moment we step out of the wooden fort in the valley, we must maintain this mentality that we will encounter the enemy at any time, resist the enemy at any time, and attack the enemy at any time. I allow the soldiers to be lax, but I will not allow a few of you officers to be slack. ”

Everyone promised.

Art took out a simple map of Alsburg, dictated by Lawrence and drawn by himself, and said: "Baron Antayas has ordered the whole army to march towards Alsburg from Andermatt at sunrise in the early morning of the day after tomorrow. ”

"At present, there are six armies assembled at Fort Andermatt, with a total number of about a hundred, except for a guard squad left behind in the fort, there are five knights and eight knights (four archers) who participated in the suppression of bandits; There were 20 sergeants (including 6 archers), 62 peasants, and 21 of our patrol team. A total of one hundred and fourteen men (including fifteen cavalry), all of which were commanded by Baron Antayas. ”

"In the marching sequence, we are the third team of the whole army, and in front of us is the army of the Knight Chloe."

"If it is a siege, the guards of the military fort and the knights and servants of Baron Antaas are the first echelon, and we are the main force of the second echelon; If it is a field match, our patrol team will serve as the left flank of the whole army. ”

"Now let me talk about the specific deployment of our patrol team......