…………

"Chief Kazak, are we still chasing?" Bangada, deputy commander of the 1st Company of the 1st Branch of the Wells Regiment who was following Kazak in pursuit of the Kodors, asked.

Kazak and the others, who had been pursuing the remnants of Kodor's army for two days, had reached the slope of the hill five miles south of the town of Diguan.

"You can't chase anymore, ahead is Diguan Town, the gateway to Kodor City, the enemy situation is unknown, if you rush to pursue, you may encounter an ambush by the enemy."

"And we let that Count Kodor run away so easily?"

"The order given to us is to constantly interfere with the remnants of Kodor's army, find the right time to attack the garrison in Diguan Town, disrupt their deployment, and wait for the arrival of the follow-up army. Now that our tasks of the first stage have been completed, the main goal now is the garrison of the town of Diguan. As for that Count of Kodor, sooner or later there will be a chance to clean him up! ”

"Now it seems that this is the only way to go." Bangada said helplessly.

"Tell me to go down and set up camp here tonight. In addition, send a few sentry agents to follow quietly and feel the situation on the outskirts of Diguan Town. Kazak ordered.

"Yes!"

…………

The town of Diguan is located in the plains of a day's road south of the city of Kodor. It is also located on the western trade route of the country, but compared to Marssiburg, the status is naturally slightly inferior. It does not have the strategic importance of Fort Marsi, nor does it have the geographical advantage of Fort Marci connecting the north and the south. But as the southern gateway to the city of Kodor, this place is naturally not comparable to ordinary towns.

The whole city is located in the plain area south of the city of Kodor, and the surrounding terrain is flat and fertile, which is an important grain producing area in the province of Kodor. The western trade route of the country runs from the south gate of Diguan Town to the north gate, and then extends in the direction of Kodor City. To the east of the castle is a large wheat field, and it is common for vendors to avoid commercial taxes from the wheat fields in the east to make a detour to the town of Kodor. Due to the increase in the number of people walking, a special platform was gradually set up on the eastern path, and seven or eight Kodor soldiers were stationed here to stop the small traders who sneaked through the town of Diguan from here.

To the west of the town of Diguan, a wide river runs from the west to the southwest corner of the city wall of Diguan Town, and then flows from south to north along the west wall. As a result, the river has become a natural barrier to the west of Diguan Town.

Looking at the town of Diguan from a small hill in the distance, the city walls are fifty feet high, and they are all made of huge stones one by one, and the joints of the stones are almost impossible for ants to climb into, and they are impermeable. There is a watchtower in the southeast and southwest corners of the city wall to observe the surrounding situation. Underneath the watchtower is a concave platform made of stone repaired to light wolf smoke.

…………

At this time, the sky around Diguan Town had darkened, and a trace of coolness gradually wandered on the soldiers on duty standing in the watchtower in the southeast corner......

"Ouch......" The soldier who was looking left and right on the watchtower was shaken by the cold breeze that blew in.

"It's so cold tonight." Seeing this, the other soldier said.

"yes." The shivering soldier agreed.

"Hey, Dylan, look, there's somebody over there." A soldier pointed to a torch dotted in the distance and said to the shivering soldier.

"Really, how could there be people at such a late hour, it seems that there are quite a few. Hurry up and inform Knight Yuri, I'm here to watch. ”

"Good!"

…………

"Open the gates!"

"Open the gates!"

……

In less than a moment, the group had already arrived at the south gate of Diguan Town.

"Who are you?" Looking at the group of guys below with tattered clothes and a stench, Yuri, the knight of the city guarding standing on the city wall, asked the people below.

"In front of you is the Count of the Province of Kodor, Mormon. Kindness. Lord Fayek, open the gates and let us in. The people below shouted.

"What? Even you beggar-looking fellows dare to have anything to do with my Earl. I see that you are spies sent from the south, and you want to sneak into the city, but there is no gate. Get out of the way for me now, or you'll have to give an account of your lives here!" The knight said fiercely.

"Yuri, do you remember my voice?" At this moment, a familiar voice came from under the city walls, and looked up at the city walls.

"You, you're the Earl!" With a familiar voice and the torches under the walls shining on the barely recognizable face of the Count of Kodor, the knight stammered.

"Open the gates, open the gates ......"

…………

"Lord Earl, how did you become like this, if I hadn't heard your voice, I would have ......" Seeing Count Kodor sitting on the large leather chair in the inner fort of the lord's hall in Diguan Town without saying a word, the city defender immediately withdrew the words that had already reached his lips.

At this time, the Count of Kodor was unkempt, his dirty clothes and armor exuded a disgusting smell of sweat, and the boots on his feet were frayed, and he looked like an old beggar begging in the streets.

The Count of Kodor sat alone in the large leather chair, without saying a word. He would never have imagined that he would be so down. A few days ago, he had marched south with an army of more than 1,000 men in an attempt to reclaim Fort Marssi and drive out the lone army. Unexpectedly, only a few days later, he was beaten and fled by a group of untouchables led by a down-and-out nobleman, and finally only about 30 personal guards and less than 60 remnants fled back to Diguan Town, looking embarrassed and unbearable.

In those years, as one of the few lords of the Earland who was good at managing trade and land, he provided a large amount of money, food, weapons and other important materials in the process of the former Marquis of the Earland Iryav freeing himself from the rule of the principality, which can be said to have made great contributions. Because of this, as the founding hero of the country, Ireyaf gave himself a fief in the province of Kodor and became the count of the province of Kodor, which can be described as a moment of glory. The province of Kodor is also prosperous under its own management for many years, with a solid warehouse and prosperous commerce. However, with the beginning of the war of the successors, the war broke out in the country, and in the end, the province of Kodor was not able to escape and joined the side of the court of Bernard's Thorne. As the two sides gradually fell into the quagmire of war, more and more manpower, financial resources, and material resources were invested. This led directly to the withering of commerce and the desolation of the land......

Thinking of this, Count Kodor couldn't help but shake his head. At this point, there is nothing he can do but immediately ask for help from the Thorne court to resist the attack on the city of Cordor by the Wells army.

So, without bothering to change his dirty clothes, the Count of Kodor immediately went to the side hall and took up a quill pen and wrote as quickly as possible on a small piece of sheepskin......

"Someone!" When the writing was finished, Count Kodor shouted to the guards at the door.

"Your Excellency." The guards hurried in through the door.

"Immediately send this secret letter to the court of the province of Saône by means of a flying pigeon."

"Yes!" With that, the guard ran out of the door.

The Earl of Kodor only stayed in the town of Diguan for half a day, leaving a leading baron and more than 50 remnants to assist in the defense of Diguan and collect the rout that fled behind. He ran back to the city of Kodor with his own soldiers and guards......

…………

The Count's Mansion in Bernard, the city of Saône, where officers walked back and forth. In the Earl's office, an officer reports to Bernard on the situation at the front.

“…… Lord Earl, the Liberation Army has launched a full-scale attack, and the battle line has advanced thirty miles into the province of Saône, and two counties and six castles on the border have fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the Thorne army has lost more than 300 men killed and more than 200 captured, including three leading barons and a viscount in charge of the defense of the border. These are the battle reports that have been transmitted from the front in recent days. ”

Bernard listened to the report with a cold face, his eyebrows furrowed, and his hands rubbed back and forth on the armrests of the large leather chair.

After the officer finished the report, he held his breath and did not dare to raise his head.

"Is there any news of reinforcements from the Duchy of Burgundy?" After a while, Bernard asked coldly.

The officer broke into a cold sweat and looked up at Bernard's advisor (strategist).

"Lord Earl, the reinforcements of the Duchy are in the west, but they don't have the slightest intention of crossing the border to support us."

The bachelor advisor beside Bernard hesitated for a moment, and said to Bernard in a low voice, "Lord Count, I received a letter from a friend in Paris yesterday, which stated that I am afraid that the Kingdom of France is going to attack the Duchy~"

Bernard wiped his face, sighed, and leaned back in his high chair.

"Your Excellency?" The officer asked in a whisper.

"Stand down." Bernard said with his eyes closed.

"My lord, do we have any help~" The officer wanted to ask again.

"Get out of here!" Bernard roared.

Seeing this, the officers and the bachelor advisors hurriedly retreated.

As soon as the two of them left the office, Bernard's guard barged in with a note.

"My lord, there is a secret message from the Earl of Kodor."

Bernard opened his eyes suddenly, took the small cylinder containing the note handed over by the officer, and said in his mouth: "That old thing has finally sent a letter, has it killed those southern barbarians and led the army back to help?" ”

Bernard took out the note and looked at the news from the note with joy: The Kodor army has been defeated, and the troops should be sent to the aid of Kodor City!

"My lord, is it true that the city of Kodor has taken Fort Marsi?" The officer asked hurriedly.

With a thud, Bernard fell to the ground.

"Come on, someone!" Seeing Bernard slumped to the ground, the officer shouted to the soldiers outside the door.

…………

"Are you feeling better, Lord Earl?" The healer, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, asked Bernard.

Bernard kept his eyes open and didn't say a word. Half an hour, after the healer left. General Bernard called in the officers who were waiting outside the door.

"Is there any news from the people sent to Tinets?" Bernard asked, with his lips white and his eyes fixed on the officer.

"Back to the earl, according to the time, there should be news in the next two days......"

…………