XIII

Time flies. The situation in the south has entered a temporary calm, which masks a crisis that is about to come.

On 1 January, Kengler issued a total of two million pounds of banknotes through the Croso Brothers Bank, and at the same time began to consolidate all banking operations in the Julockian territory in order to obtain loans to survive the financial crisis. On 9 January, secret negotiations between the three parties began. On 11 January, the Central Army, having paid a small price, was forced to retreat thirty-five kilometers back from Kengrad. On 23 January, Lenny, Kengler, and Teresa signed a secret treaty establishing an electoral decision on the autonomy or return of the Julok League, and the Directory recognizing the Constitution of the Republic and the electoral law.

On 11 February, the Imperial Military Advisory Corps and the Volunteer Army reached the north of Kengrad, and the Fifth National Division reached the south of Kengrad. On 21 February, the first election of the Directory was officially decided to begin a month later. The Autonomous Party, which represented the interests of Teresa, the Federalist Party, which represented the interests of Lenny, and the Liberal Party, which had an ambiguous attitude, were all thrown into the fight for the whole of Julok. On 23 February, the 1st "Republic Division" stationed at Fort Stillburg officially announced its support for the Kengal election.

The rest of the winter passed in peace, and the freezing line gradually retreated to the north. When the vernal equinox finally arrived in 1666 in the standard calendar, there were only a handful of places in the Free Countries where snow could be seen, and Kengal was one of them. Spring here is the coldest of all the free nations. The cold current blowing from the hinterland of the northeastern continent is blocked by the central mountain range, and the influence extends from the Oss River, the boundary river in the north, to the King River. The plains of the middle reaches of the King River are referred to in geography textbooks as the "last frontier of the continental climate", and the average temperature is much lower than that of the ice-free port of Deland, the imperial capital 500 kilometers to the north.

Of course, few people know anything about meteorology in this day and age. The spellcasters' prayers and studies were only barely enough to control the mild changes in the climate in a small area - the giant magic of "environmental modification" had been theoretical, but had not yet had a chance to put it into practice. The mages who advocated that human power could change the weather were ridiculed by the church: how could the weather, which even the gods could not control, be changed by human power? As for ordinary people, the only way to know the climate was the thickness of clothing and intuitive natural phenomena.

"It's going to snow in March, it's really like the north. If you're in Lenny, it's time to start preparing for the summer clothes business. ”

The young lieutenant opened the heavy curtains of the one-man officers' quarters and found a thin layer of white crumbs covering the windowsill outside. The cold wind that had been suppressed by the curtains sneaked through the small gap and made him shiver, and he had to turn around and grab his coat and put it on.

The military uniform of the Central Army was a heavy and rough blue-gray army coat, and the color continued the blue preferred by the old Northern Army. These coats are old goods that have been turned out of the warehouse, and they are sad clothes that don't look handsome or lean no matter how you wear them. In the case of a third-rate militia like his part, it was good enough to ensure that everyone had an overcoat to wear, and the demand for quality was purely a luxury—the only advantage was that everyone wore ragged overcoats, and it would be difficult for potential enemy snipers to distinguish officers by their clothing.

The lieutenant walked out of the humble makeshift quarters. The cold wind blew on his injured left eye, causing a hint of pain. He hurriedly retreated into the hallway, carefully took out a small box, took out a glass contact lens from it, and put it on his left eye, feeling much better. He searched for the injuries he had suffered last time but couldn't find a priest who could heal them all, so he had to use the magic items given to him by his lieutenant to maintain his eyesight and wait for a natural recovery.

The rows of 7,500 barracks were built in one night by the combined efforts of spellcasters and soldiers, and they were able to barely withstand the cold wind after filling the gaps with cement five or six times. The fence made of wooden fences and brick walls around the outside of a small camp is a little better defended than a "makeshift camp" as stated in the ordinance, in other words, a caster with a cannon or a standard formation can easily break through. The main entrance of the camp is a simple two-piece wooden pillar with a crooked wooden sign that reads in capital bold letters the Fifth National Division of the Free Central Army "Battle Halberd" (FFCA.5th.MFD. ‘Halberd‘）。

This pathetic national name is well suited to this pathetic army that has shrunk outside Kengal for a month. The unit was poorly equipped, poorly trained, and the officer corps was not excellent, and even its camps were cramped and depressed: even the canteen was borrowed from the houses outside the camp, and a few volunteer chefs were hired to manage it...... This is only because there are not enough qualified cooks in the establishment!

The saddest thing is that he handled this matter himself, and when his adjutant found those chefs, he specially brought them to him for interviews one by one.

Lieutenant Naymen Soleton, nineteen years old, with three months of full military service, is the youngest lieutenant in the Free Army, and is serving as the division's logistics chief and head of the 1st Assault Company. In fact, the division had only one fully equipped assault company, as the lieutenants with formal magical training were reluctant to come to the militia. The division was responsible for the defense of the central province of the Julok Republic and was theoretically supposed to be stationed in its capital, the city of Kengrad, but for various reasons it could only be stationed on the outskirts of Kengrad.

"Hey, Naimon, when will I compensate you for the damage?" "How's the special mission going, Lieutenant?"

As soon as he walked into the cafeteria, several colleagues of similar rank to him called his name in a humorous tone and greeted him. The two school officers, who were picking up food, turned around, smiling faces as if they were wearing masks. The young lieutenant, well aware of his low opinion in the officer corps, coped with his colleagues, playfully picked an empty table next to the crowd and sat down at a buffet table with only a variety of breads, hams, and butters.

To be honest, with his record in the army, it is strange to want a good evaluation. He was too young, a spellcaster who did not attend a military school, and had a bad record of doing special work in the rebels, causing huge losses to the military, and even misrepresenting his military exploits. In the case of a nineteen-year-old lieutenant officer, having such a record is enough to give every superior a headache. He was also one of the few officially appointed officers in the division, which made him look away from unofficial officers with only the rank of "volunteer". He is just himself, and no group wants to accept him......

"Salute!"

Hearing the roar of the guard non-commissioned officer beside the division commander, he hurriedly stood up and saluted with everyone else. Like all temporarily mobilized National Army divisions, the commander of the Halberd Division, Benson Dick, was once a prominent politician. County councillors, local councillors, then mayors, third state secretaries, republicans, ministers, until he was appointed commander of the Halberd Division for his outstanding performance in the midst of conscription and coup crises. As long as he has an outstanding record, he can run freely in the military or political circles.

"Sit down. The day of the Kengal election has finally arrived, and everyone has been working hard lately. I guess when everything is decided, we can change our guard and go back. ”

Benson returned the salute and walked to the table. Of course, the temporary major general always smiled with concern for his subordinates, trying to make an image of a generous and gentle boss. However, as a politician with a keen sense of smell, he is also afraid to avoid a guy with a tricky resume like Lieutenant Namen. After the former commander of the assault company somehow asked not to work with a full lieutenant, Benson decided to hand over the entire assault company to Namen, the only thing he had ever done that related to him. For the rest of the day, the division commander rarely talked about the logistics department and the assault company, and it was more important for the major general Benson to mingle with the dignitaries of Kengla and the officers of the staff headquarters than to military affairs.

After all, no one in the General Staff of the Central Army had ever thought of doing anything great with the more than 7,000 people of the Fifth National Division, and the purpose of their existence here was only to declare the existence of the Central Army and their friendly attitude towards Kengol......

Naimon was as cranky as usual, slowly savoring his breakfast. Unlike the bread eaten in Fortiburg, the Rulok bread is mixed with more coarse grains and tastes more astringent. Benson approached his table with a tray of ham and cheese and sat down across from him.

"Your assault company has been okay lately, Naimon, and I'm still very relieved about logistics. ”

Naimon was slightly surprised, and coped: "Ah, it's okay, I've been thinking about some tactical improvements lately. After all, the mission of an assault company is different from that of a standard company, and it cannot rely entirely on platoon guns......"

The major general pondered for a moment, stuffed something into his mouth casually, and continued: "In the recent Kengele election, you should raise your vigilance over there. If Kengal plans to attack and use the Imperial Advisor Army north of the city to kill him, I'm afraid we won't be able to stop it. In case something happens, that company of yours is our only support, and it will take time for the rest of the troops to be put into a state of readiness. ”

"It shouldn't be possible, right? There are only a symbolic 3,000 people in the north of the Imperial City, and it is impossible for them to do it. No matter how you say it, it's also the territory of the republic. ”

Although he was surprised that this politician and general would talk about military affairs, Naimon coped with his boss according to his own opinion. Benson didn't continue the conversation, chatted a few casual words about the recent election, and left after breakfast. As soon as he left, the other officers followed. Only Naimon was still leaning back in his chair in a daze, waiting for someone to arrive.

"Good morning, everyone, is there anything left for today? Ah, the ham seems to be a little cold...... Heat!"

As usual, his lieutenant rushed into the cafeteria on time after his superiors had left, using magic to heat up the already cold food. From this behavior, it can be seen that she is definitely not systematically trained in magic, because everyone who has been trained knows that she should use magic as sparingly as possible, but she uses magic at will at all times. If it was an ordinary officer, she would have been named by her superiors a long time ago, except for this second lieutenant logistics adjutant - because she was a little red from Wan Lan, the idol of the entire battle halberd division.

Second Lieutenant Anne Reese Shalfir never wore a helmet according to military regulations, and her short youthful blonde hair could be seen from a few hundred paces away. What's more, if she left this beautiful and dazzling practical lubricant, the efficiency of the logistics department would be reduced by half or even more immediately, and her actual ability could not be seen from her appearance.

"Good morning, Annie. I said, do you have to come in after the major general is gone?" Seeing Anne coming over with a plate, Naimon smiled helplessly.

"Because I don't want to salute them. I didn't wear a helmet, and the military salute was not standard. It's cold in the weather, and the ears are so cold with that thing. ”

The blonde girl approached briskly with a plate in her right hand and sat down beside him. She held the plate with her forearms and arms vertical, and her movements were as standard as a restaurant waitress, but the slice of ham between her lips showed her true nature. Seeing her like this, sometimes Naimon really wondered if she was an adult as she claimed to be—he knew that there were many girls of fourteen or fifteen who looked more mature than she was.

"This morning the division commander asked about the assault company, and he told us to strengthen training. ”

He asked about the assault company?...... It's really not in his style. I thought that if the company commander was transferred, no one should ask about it again. Anne swallowed the piece of ham and took a large sip of cereal before replying, "Speaking of which, are you free for Soleton today?"

Naimon cautiously guessed the intentions of the girl in front of him, and carefully prevaricated: "Today, since the division commander has mentioned it, then I think we should arrange intensive training......

"Training? It just so happens that going into the city today is really related to training. The magic items that were ordered in pure gold last time should also be delivered. Anne did not hesitate to reverse the meaning of his words.

"Wait, wait, what about training? Besides, do you have to go with two people to do this?"

"Huh, do you think a lady can handle so many things herself, Soleton?" Anne stared at him with a look of surprise and pleading. In less than three seconds, Naimon surrendered.

“...... Let's go together. ”

"Thank you. Anne quickly finished her breakfast, took Soleton's hand and ran out the door, "You go and inform the company, and each platoon will train on its own until three o'clock in the afternoon." ”

Naimon couldn't find what he had to say for a moment. In fact, she was the last reason for his ostracism...... It's always hard to work with military idols.

*** ***

Two hours later.

"Please note that the voting is over, please leave the polling station. Observers from the North and South will monitor the conduct of the ballot and the collection of ballot boxes, and ask for the help of various civic groups to maintain order......"

Volunteers on horseback walked loudly from polling station to polling place, reminding voters that horses' hooves had splashed many stains in the black mud of the snow. Propaganda posters, commonly known as "Chase Brighton's Great Ambitions", and denigrations that can only be called "displays of all kinds of mentally handicapped patients" were plastered all over the streets, and the slogan of the Julok Autonomous Party "Julok above all else" could be seen everywhere. The Federalist Party, supported by Lennie, was also gaining momentum, and the taxi wagons were lined with banners that read "Unbreakable Union," mostly covered with thin snow. In contrast, the Liberal Party, which also belongs to the coalition government, is less high-profile, and the once terrible Nicolas Machiavelli is as if he has abandoned this election.

"Maybe it's a lack of funds, right?"

Dressed in casual clothes, Naimon sat in a chair for customers to rest, boredly flipping through the newspaper she had just bought, waiting for Anne to emerge from the quagmire in front of the jewelry counter.

At his feet was a black leather case containing twenty-four deflectors for lead that could create a deflection force field, and twelve rapid tunneling picks that could dig a trench in a minute—apparently new experimental equipment that Anne had purchased at the "Blue Diamond" Kengal branch with her own funds. Now the total amount of magical equipment in this assault company is more than five times that of a standard assault company, and the number of various combat potions equipped with each person alone is more than a dozen, and each officer has several small things such as scepters and amulets on hand to support the battle.

"This, this, and this, um, and this cyan one. Oh, I'm going to have this too!"

Anne wore half of the stained glass glasses on her right eye, and looked at the collection of the jewelry store one by one, and bought everything she liked with great pleasure, as if she were a poor maid who had suddenly become rich and showed off her wealth. Naimon flipped through the newspaper under the reverent gaze of the apprentices of the jewelry store, listened to the slogans of the various civic groups outside, and tried to make the gold owner look as calm as he should be.

Today's election special issue has 16 pages, and it is full of discussions about the possible countermeasures of the new government. The current situation is one of the total 100 seats, with 41 from the Autonomous Party, 26 from the Federalist Party and 13 from the Liberal Party, a ratio of 41 to 39. The remaining 20 seats in Kengol would be enough to turn the tide of the situation.

"To sum up, how much is it now?" "Eleven thousand pounds, noble lady. "Discount, nine thousand pounds, right?" "Ten thousand pounds, right? Nine thousand is too low......

While haggling, Anne pulled out her purse and lit a thick wad of hundred-pound bills stamped with the stamp of the "Croso Brothers Bank". Halfway through, her face changed slightly, and she turned to find Naimon.

"Sorry to bother. Can you lend me some money, Soleton?"

"Uh, how much to borrow?" "Two thousand pounds." ”

Hearing the staggering numbers from his adjutant's mouth, Naimon gasped and nearly tore the newspaper in half. With his monthly salary of more than 100 pounds, even if he does not eat or drink for the next two years, he may not be able to lend this money. He replied with a forced smile, "I'm sorry, I don't have that much money on me today, second lieutenant." ”

"That's right......" Anne, who was a little disappointed, turned her head, paid the money in her wallet to her boss first, and walked over and sat down next to Naimon, as if waiting for someone to bring the money. Naimon coughed twice, took out half of the newspaper in his hand and handed it to her.

"Oh, thanks. Anne took the newspaper and skimmed through the headlines, "Are the Dominions and Federalists going to be decided today?"

"Yes, the results are published at two o'clock in the afternoon. More than 50 percent of the people will be able to govern alone, otherwise they will have to govern in coalition with the Liberal Party. Naimon glanced at the desk clock in the store, "There's still an hour and a half." There should be dozens of local councillors in the mission to supervise the counting of votes. ”

"It doesn't make a difference. Whoever wins, the peace of Kengol will be shattered. Anne said thoughtfully, "It's just a matter of who will break it." Want to give it a try, Soleton?"

If you have water in your mouth right now, Naimon will spray the newspaper in your hand. He lowered his voice and asked quickly, "You, what are you kidding? I don't want to become a historical sinner!"

"Don't get so excited, it's just a joke. You should have a little more sense of humor. The blonde girl closed the newspaper, stood up and chuckled, "Ah, the person I'm waiting for is coming, it's really fast." ”

There seemed to be a hint of disappointment in her tone. Naimon looked at the door and saw that it was a handsome and well-mannered young man, wearing a high-end coat and a white top hat, looking a little familiar. Although the snow had stopped outside, the young man's coat and top hat were all wet, which showed that he had been running in the wind and snow before.

"You're suddenly coming to me, what's going on?" the young man took off his top hat and handed it to the shopkeeper who had already stepped forward, revealing a shaggy brown curly hair.

When the boss saw his face, he was stunned for a moment, and then exclaimed, "Lord Luthor, you, your presence has really made the shop shine...... By the way, I, I'm voting for your Federalist Party! I definitely don't support a big talk king like Chase!"

"Thank you for your support. The young man smiled professionally as a politician, "I hope you will continue to support us in the future." ”

Hearing the shopkeeper call him, Naimon remembered who this man was. He lowered his head and flipped through the newspaper as quickly as he could.

Pluto Luthor, a prominent member of the Federalist Party known for his financial prowess, was Machiavelli's right-hand man before joining the Federalist Party and now maintains the Federalist and Liberal alliances as the Federalists. This dazzling rising star of politics has spent the last few months sorting out Julock's finances with Imperial and syndicate loans, unifying the banknotes, and threatening to become the Federalist's No. 2 man. He has a very strong relationship with the eldest lady of the Croso Brothers Bank, and can be said to be a person with a solid credit guarantee, and other banks are willing to trust him.

Anne walked up to the handsome young man and hugged him, a gesture that made Naimon feel slightly displeased. The lieutenant glanced at the newspaper in his hand, which was a denigrating article about the man's debauched private life: the displeasure on his face became more and more obvious.

"That...... I didn't have enough money with me, only you can help me nearby. You must have two thousand pounds on you, right?"

Hearing her words, the young politician had an expression of disbelief on his face. "You—you called me here for this kind of thing, Annie?! I thought it mattered!"

"There's a little bit of that. Anne stuck out her tongue, "By the way, let's introduce me." This is my boss, Lieutenant Naymen Soleton. You should know him. ”

"Oh, that's him......" Luthor looked at Naimon for a moment with his face hidden behind the newspaper, and whispered to himself, his sharp gaze making Naimon feel a little uncomfortable. He offered to hold out his hand, "I'm Pluto Luthor, Miss Sephier's...... Cousin. It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Soleton. ”

"Hello, it's an honor to meet you. Naimon hurriedly dropped the newspaper and stood up, squeezing the hand of the famous politician in front of him. He couldn't hide his surprise: he really didn't see what this man had in common with his lieutenant. "Your Excellency is Anne's watch...... Cousin?"

"Ah, it's a bit of a relative, it's a cousin. ”

Luthor pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper. As the shopkeeper went to pick up the goods with joy, Anne leaned in and whispered something in Luthor's ear, to which he replied solemnly.

Naimon hid to the sidelines, watching the eccentric siblings communicate, incorporating the newfound information into his own judgment. Someone he's known for so long actually has a cousin who is a famous politician?

When he thought about it, he didn't think it was strange. Although she usually runs amok in the camp, Anne's efficiency and ability are beyond reproach. Such a talent—still a young and beautiful woman—would run to such a third-rate army, and there should indeed be a reason to match it to this extent. Strange magic shops and consortia, repeated meetings on strange occasions, and the sudden appearance of politicians, the general election of Julockk......

Thinking of this, the teenager felt that it was difficult to breathe. Why did he get into such trouble again? Could it be ......

"She likes me?" and if it was true, he would be slightly pleased. But this was obviously impossible, she obviously had access to the opposite sex of Luther's level, and would not have any interest in him.

"She agrees with my abilities?" He thought to himself that he was just an ordinary spellcaster, a nobody, and there were thousands of officers like him in the Free Army.

"She's in the Halberd Division to control a force to aid Luther?" Conspiracy, danger, give it a try. In his current position, every opportunity must be seized.

All these decisions happened in a split second. Naymen Soleton is unlucky, inexperienced and often makes mistakes, but that doesn't mean he lacks the ability to think or take risks. By the time Anne and Luthor had finished their conversation and walked up to him, he had already put on a confident face and whispered like a famous adventurer in a legendary novel.

"When should we interfere in the events of Kengler, and tell me the contents of the commission, Miss Adjutant. ”

The blonde girl and the handsome young man looked at each other and laughed.

"Passed. Worthy of ...... You can tell him what to do, Annie. I can't leave for too long now, go first. After a few puzzling words, Luther snapped his fingers at Anne and hurried away.

Anne shrugged, shook her head slightly, and lowered her voice to whisper the predetermined plan in Soleton's ear. It was a plan to trample on the democratic election, but neither the narrator nor the listener had any serious intentions.

"As long as the Autonomous Party wins, we will do our best to escort him and Machiavelli out of the city before planning our next move. Even if Brighton does win the election, we won't let him get his hands on all of Julok – at least, the finances will still be in our hands. If we can't control the finances, we're going to destroy the finances here. ”

"Is it unbelievable that we are going to escort the gold nuggets of the banks to leave together? Naimon suddenly understood, "Could it be that you joined this army to ......?"

"Even so. Anne smiled incomprehensibly, "But the key is still in the assault company." Cities are a place that is susceptible to rumors, and a small victory is enough to push back the Empire's possible attempts. This is the fastest way to reach peace. ”

Naimon felt a little excited for no reason. This is probably the first time that he has really controlled the operation in his own hands, right? Not those passive crises!

"Shall we go back now?"

"Yes. After that, we just have to wait for the election results. ”

After that, they went back and mobilized the whole company. When the messenger with the results of the general election arrived at their residence, it was exactly a quarter past two in the afternoon.

The results of the vote count were delicate. The Federalists won the election by less than 200 votes. Supporters from both sides gathered and marched along the streets of Kengal to the sound of "fraud" slogans. Chase Brighton, the leader of the Autonomous Party, immediately announced that he would not accept the election results, demanded a review, and suspected the Liberal Party and the Federalist Party of fraud in several constituencies.

There was no time to celebrate, because riots were on the verge of breaking out.

Welcome to the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all here!

Welcome the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, the hottest serialized works are all here!