On the handover line between Ankenrein and Ryrin, stone boundary monuments stand tall and connected in a row. On either side of the pillar, there are carved words in the Ryan language, declaring Anken Rein's sovereignty over the land behind the pillar. The commander of the Western Theater of Operations, a sixty-two-year-old man, Paul Chung, stood beside a boundary monument that had been vicissitudes due to wind and rain, caressed the stone monument, and remained silent. Beside him, the camp of the army of the Neglo Republic was already in sight. The blue and white snow-capped mountain flag fluttered on the land of the Principality of Lailin, making the sound of hunting.

"You must hate me if you didn't surrender, you didn't go to the Central Mountains, you didn't even bow to Paul Chung, didn't you? Hate me for putting you, these 100,000 people, before the two armies, in this Jedi. ”

Paul Bell's voice fluttered in the wind, and Skye Hamm, the commander of the Third Legion, who was standing beside him, stepped forward and helped him.

"My lord, we don't regret it. As long as it is your order, no matter where we go, no matter what we do, we will not regret it, let alone resent it. ”

"Yes, my lord", Miguel Kieli, the chief of staff of the Western Theater of Operations, who was standing on the other side and observing the distance with a telescope in his hand, looked sideways at his commander, "Our lives are all given by you, and even if we return it to you now, we will not lose." ”

Paul Chung chuckled twice and looked back. Since the decision to be stationed in Ankenrein, they have taken the initiative to contact the Ministry of Defense of Ankenrein and have also received some support. At present, the remaining 100,000 people in the Western Theater are building a defensive line on this border. The same iron shield breastwork, the same layers of staggered. It's just that the enemy they are facing is no longer the Negru Republic army that only knew how to use Welsh II rifles to shoot in line.

"My lord, let's go back, it's too close to the enemy, it's dangerous," Tobias Paz, commander of the Second Legion, admonished. The boundary pillars are no longer a safe place, and the enemy can attack at any time. If you stay here for a long time, if you are captured alive by the enemy, it will really be a disgrace.

"Well, the boundary monument has also been seen, the enemy has also seen it, let's go back."

Paul Zhong nodded, and finally gently stroked the rough boundary monument, looked at the words on it, and sighed. To be honest, even he doesn't know how long the mission of this boundary monument can continue.

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"Commander, you're ready to attack at any time!"

Under the banner of the snow-capped mountains, the chief of staff of the Eastern Front Command, Stefan Schwa, dressed in a brand-new military uniform, stood straight. Eastern Front Command Commander Tai George W. Bush stood on a high podium and looked at his men and soldiers.

He waved his hand and gave the order.

"Pass my orders, attack !!!"

Drums sounded in the air, and one after another orders and slogans spread outward like waves from the command platform with Tai Bush at its core. The soldiers, who had long been ready for the march, lined up in neat marches and began to cross the border. The silent pillars, silently watching their enemies enter the territory they defend, indifferent.

At the end of the day, they're just stones. The dignity and glory of Anken Rein can only be maintained by those who live in this land.

On July 27, 848, the Republic of Negru invaded Ankenrein.

————————————

The situation is worse than imagined.

Standing in front of the sand table, Paul Zhong frowned, looking at the terrain that did not have much complexity. The border between the Duchy of Rylin and Ankenrein is flat and almost undefendable. The limited number of hill packs will not be of much use until a way is found to crack the enemy's steam cannons. Therefore, by order of Paul Chung, the soldiers of the Western Theater of Operations established their own line of defense on a plain. The same iron shield breastwork, the same fortifications. Unlike before, the soldiers dug a large number of trenches about a kilometer to two kilometers in front of the iron shield breastwork. These trenches were inspired by Elena, but were only used to stop the enemy's steam cannons. Those eight-wheeled carts carrying steam cannons have high requirements for the terrain, and these trenches can very well delay the enemy's attack with steam artillery as the core, and buy more time for the Western Military District.

"My lord, news from the scouts, the enemy has crossed the border."

Miguel Kiely, Chief of the General Staff of the Western Theater of Operations, has taken up the job of herald. He ran in from outside the tent, out of breath.

"Commander, it's time to begin."

Skye Hamm said softly, but unconsciously clenched his saber in his hand.

"Let's start at the beginning, this battle is always going to be fought."

Paul Zhong put the last small flag in his hand and planted it directly in front of the enemy's front on the sand table. He looked sideways to the left and right, and asked softly.

"Your family, all sent back?"

"Well, it's all sent to the territory of the Grand Duke of the Golden Lion."

"That's good, don't worry about the future, let's fight this battle beautifully."

"Whoa!"

The generals standing around Paul Bell responded loudly and loudly. When victory or defeat is no longer so important, when they choose to return and fight on this land, those once complicated thoughts become simpler, and there is only one belief left in everyone's mind.

In any case, the name of the Western Theater cannot be lost!

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Although both warring parties are well prepared. But the war didn't start so quickly. Taijia Bush's steam cannon tactics, the speed of the army's march relied entirely on those steam cannons that were heavy and inconvenient to transport. More than sixty steam cannons were placed on special steel-framed carts on hardened roads that were originally used to connect the Duchy of Ryrim to Ankenrein. But even so, the engineering team that followed the advance of the steam cannon still had to put the characteristic thick planks under the wheels from time to time to ensure that the cart could pass certain obstacles smoothly. With such caution, the troops of the Negru Republic encountered their first obstacle only half a day after entering Ankenrein.

Trenches dug by the troops of the Western Theater of Operations. The trenches were more than three meters wide and more than four meters deep, and they were like chains across the marching road. These chains completely blocked the advance of the Neglo Republic's army. And in the rear of the trenches, the Western Theater even arranged regimental units, most of which were cavalry, responsible for attacking and harassing the enemy. For the Negru Republic army to fill the trenches, it needed to counter the scattered guns of the enemy's cavalry. To attack, it is necessary to cross the trench. No matter what, it is not possible to march comfortably.

"It's just trenches, press the men up, rush over and occupy the positions on the opposite side, and fill them up, regardless of casualties."

Tai Bush's thinking is clear, and his countermeasures are clear. It is impossible for the enemy to place large forces behind the trench, and your own steam artillery can be erected on this side of the trench to directly destroy the enemy's defensive line. That's why they chose to concentrate the cavalry and implement harassment tactics. And to deal with harassment tactics, as long as your side ignores the sacrifice, fills the trench with soldiers, and then rushes up. The cavalry, who had no way or time to line up in a gun formation, could not stop themselves.

"My lord, the enemy's cavalry lined up in a platoon of guns behind the trench, and the first infantry to rush over suffered heavy losses!"

The new war report brought Taï Bush a deep sense of surprise. The cavalry gave up their horses to fight the infantry tactics of the gun, which could indeed prevent their own men from crossing the trenches. But why did they do it if they weren't going to fight here? You know, as long as you don't care about the casualties on your side, how long can those small gun formations stop you?

"Report to the commander, we have destroyed the enemy's line of defense and have begun to backfill the first trench!"

"Just fill two roads and let the carts pass, you don't have to fill them all."

Taijia Bush gave the order and asked again.

"What about enemy casualties?"

"The enemy fought to the death and did not retreat, our side attacked fiercely, killing and wounding more than 1,000 enemies, and the enemy was almost annihilated by us!"

"I see, tell me to go down and march as soon as possible!"

Taijia Bush shook his head slightly. Although Anken Rein is a large cavalry country, the cost of training a cavalry is still not low. Leaving these cavalrymen here, what is he Paul Chung calculating?

————————————

"The enemy broke through the first trench."

In the headquarters of the Western Theater of Operations, the atmosphere was not as passionate as in the Negru Republic, and everyone's faces were very heavy, and even when they spoke, they seemed to be under pressure.

"What about the casualties?"

Paul Zhong asked in a low voice as he moved the enemy's flag forward on the sand table.

"Seventy percent martyred."

The old hand holding the small flag trembled and stabilized again.

"Get the list done and send it to Roswell, they're all Anken Rein heroes."

"Whoa!"

——————————

On the third day after entering Ankenrein, after breaking through the two trench defenses temporarily dug in the Western Theater, the forces of the Negru Republic finally met their old adversary, the troops of the Western Theater of Operations, again. The blue snow-capped mountain flag and the red meteorite flag fluttered in the wind, making the sound of hunting.

"Two trenches, six thousand cavalry, blocked the other side for three days, and we have done our best."

On the conning tower under the Meteorite flag, Miguel Kiely, chief of staff of the Western Theater, whispered to Paul Chung, "Next, it's a tough battle." ”

"Has His Majesty the Emperor replied?"

After Paul Chung decided to stay in Ankenrein to fight, he sent a letter of apology to Emperor Paul Gibson. In the letter, he admitted his mistake of intending to be independent and occupy the mountain, and also said that in the face of the attack of the Negru Republic, he decided to shed his last drop of blood for Anken Rein and his guilt. At the same time, he also put forward his own ideas on how to deal with the steam cannons of the Neglo Republic. This letter is the last gift that he Paul Chung left to these survivors of the Western Theater of Operations. He hoped that His Majesty the Emperor would be able to look at his own face and give his subordinates a way to live.

"Not yet."

Miguel Killi is one of the few people who knows that Paul Chung wrote this letter. He didn't have much emotion in his reply, but Paul Chung could feel his emotions. That's moving and heavy.

The drums of the Negru Republic were heard in the air. From their command platform, the light reflected from the armor of the soldiers in the front row of the enemy troops could already be seen.

For some reason, the light was so glaring.

——————————————

The first day of fighting lasted a full three and a half hours, and sixty steam cannons of the Neglo Republic fired nine rounds, but still did not break through the defense line of the Western Theater of Operations. These soldiers and generals, who had withdrawn from the Duchy of Ryrin, stubbornly held off the enemy's attack with a willpower and fighting might that surprised both the First Army Corps, which had built a second line of defense in the rear, and their enemies.

"Commander, the numbers are out, because many bodies are unrecognizable and missing, and many units have disappeared in their entire formations, so it may not be accurate......"

Miguel Kiely handed a piece of paper with a few numbers written on it to Paul Zhong, who was sitting in a daze under the pyroxene lamp. It was already late at night, and except for the two generals and the staff team on duty, everyone else had gone back to rest. During the day, the unusually crowded headquarters was a little lonely under the glow of pyroxene lights.

Paul Chung took the piece of paper, glanced at it, and placed it on the sand table beside him, covering the small red and blue flags. He took the teacup, took a sip of it, and put it down again.

"Is the letter back?"

"Not yet."

Miguel Kiely kept his head down, he knew what Paul Chung was waiting for. The only thing this old man who has made a decision now is his subordinates and their loved ones. And His Majesty's forgiveness is the last bit of right he can fight for his subordinates.

"Tomorrow should be a good day......

Paul Chung looked up and looked through the thick felt top of the military tent to the sky. In the inky blue sky, the full moon was low and the stars were shining.

——————————

The next day, the offensive of the Negro Republic lasted six hours, and twelve of the sixty steam cannons were blown up. And the defense line in the Western Theater is still alive.

"Commander......

When Miguel Kiely walked into the tent with the paper, Paul Chung sat in the same position as yesterday, in a daze. A cup of thick black leaf tea was placed on the sand table by him, and the smoke wafted away.

"I don't look at it."

Paul Chung stood up and walked out of the tent. The summer night wind blew across his face, hot. Faintly, there are insects chirping in the night, one after another, like a melody played casually by a music master.

"Did you get a reply?"

"Not yet."

Miguel Kiely's voice was already trembling slightly. What Paul Chung and the Western Theater of Operations did before, it was not so easy to forgive. Is it really right for the commander to want to be here, to use the sacrifice of him and his soldiers in this land in exchange for forgiveness and a way to live?

Really, can you?

"Then wait a little longer."

Paul Chung stood for a while in the darkness of the night and walked back to the tent. Miguel Kiely followed closely behind him, watching the old commander sit in his favorite chair before falling silent.

Leaning slightly, a slight snoring sounded.