Eugaris looked indifferently at the Iberian nobles in the audience, and she felt a certain familiar atmosphere that she hadn't felt in a long time. Pen Fun Pavilion www.biquge.info yes, this is the life she used to have, the life she used to hate and desperately want to get rid of. But the past experiences showed her the fact that she was born for this rotten and rotten life, which has been deeply left in her destiny like a brand, and will not be washed away in this life.

Since you can't get rid of it, then act as a good participant and continue to perform this glittering, drunken and dreamy day until—until the moment when you should close the curtain down. Thinking of this, Eugaris couldn't help but laugh, which seemed to others to be a very proud smile, and the tears that were swallowed down her throat would certainly not be seen by outsiders.

At this moment, Eugaris's thoughts were pulled back by the sudden silence of the scene. As soon as she turned her head, she saw a somewhat familiar face. The Iberian nobles were surprised to see that their king had come from the back of the crowd to the Maido, and they began to exchange words, guessing what the king was thinking. The proprietor of the banquet was also very surprised, but he soon realized that such a good deed would surely make him more favored by the king, so he changed into a flattering mask with astonishing speed.

"Your Majesty, let me guess," said the host of the banquet humbly, "Your Majesty must have met Miss Eugaris somewhere. ”

"As Your Excellency suspected, His Majesty and I have met in Parmis a long time ago. Is it? My dear majesty? Before Eucaris understood her master's Iberian language, she preemptively stretched out her slender hand to the king.

Ofrite III did not forget the etiquette, he bowed his head and bowed to kiss the hand, but his eyes never took off the other man's good face. What Eucaris saw from his eyes was a naked look, it was not that she had never seen such a look, but she had rarely met it in recent days, so she felt somewhat strange. And this strangeness is due to the change brought to her by an upright young man, thinking of this, Eugaris stiffly squeezed out a smile in response to the other party.

"Miss Eugaris would like to give me your reward for tonight?" Although Ofrite's words were very tactful, anyone could see that the king meant it very plainly.

Eugaris laughed charmingly, and asked rhetorically, also in mainland Mandarin, "Is Your Majesty willing to waste your time tonight on a poor woman like me?" ”

Needless to say, although many of the Iberian nobles present were also interested in the bewitching dancing girl, it seemed that there was no chance tonight. The crowd watched as their king took the dancing queen by the hand and left the hall where the banquet was held. It's still late winter, and the nights are still longer than the days.

February 22, 345 Gregorian calendar, Wyvern Valley

Count Stefano of Osasuna and his army have been blocked in the mouth of the Wyvern Valley for more than half a month, and the earl originally heard that Count Lazaramek was a complete amateur in ground warfare, plus the Wyvern Valley had not been recruited by the king for a long time, so the armament was quite lax. Therefore, he and his men had thought that the expedition would be a light outing, and that the war would end before the arrival of spring. You can not only hold the beauty, but also ask Debans for credit. Who ever thought that it was such a group of hillbillies who they looked down on who blocked them here for more than 20 days.

The Count of Stefano had invested heavily in this expedition, and his territory was not very large among the southwestern counties of Iberia, but it was enough for him to feed a considerable number of civilians and knights. This time he mobilized most of the forces in his realm, including 4,000 light infantry, 800 archers, and about 500 well-armed knights. Comparatively speaking, the forces on the Wyvern Valley side were rather lackluster, with only about three or four thousand untrained farmers, four knights, and one dragon knight.

However, the Wyvern Valley side is well prepared. They had built a strong fortification with wood at the dangerous point of the valley early on, and the Ossasuna had apparently not expected to face such a storm, so they did not achieve much success in the initial absence of siege weapons, but lost many men and horses. The enraged Earl of Stefano finally remembered to listen to his knights after a few lashes from the retreating infantry. And all the experienced knights advised him to recruit craftsmen from the realm and build siege equipment on the spot. The Count was reluctant to do so, but there was no other way.

After a while, the Count of Stefano commanded more than a dozen newly built improvised trebuchets to attack the opponent's wooden fortress. However, Osasuna's army apparently forgot an important fact: the other side had a valuable class of troops that they did not have: the Dragon Knights. In other words, the Osasuna army had no intention of covering up the construction of siege weapons, so Count Lazaramek, who patrolled over them every day, easily found out. Since this was the case, several military advisors in the Flying Dragon Valley immediately came up with a plan to deal with it.

The trebuchet, escorted by the dismounted knights, slowly approached the opposing fortress. They were cautious, but boldly approached their targets. Because from the battles in recent days, Osasuna's side found that the opponent did not have enough bows and crossbows, so the Wyvern Valley side was at a disadvantage in terms of long-range firepower. Moreover, the defenders did not have strong cavalry, so there was little need to worry about the opponent suddenly rushing out of the fortress, as long as a few dismounted knights were enough to contain the opponent's poorly equipped militia.

When the trebuchet approached a considerable distance, the defenders attacked, and a large number of small clay pots were thrown from behind the fortress. Smashed on the knight's armor and trebuchet, the Count of Stefano saw this, and mocked his position at the ignorant peasants, and his knight waited for the defeat with optimism.

William, on the other hand, said to Count Lazaranmaker, "If it were to be changed elsewhere, this would be quite an expensive battle, but fortunately this is the Valley of the Flying Dragons." ”

The earl replied: "It is precisely because it is in the Flying Dragon Valley, which is even more heart-wrenching, and the olive oil of the Flying Dragon Valley can be said to be the best quality olive oil on the mainland, and it is about to be used on this group of guys." As a lord, I'm so sad. ”

As soon as the two of them finished speaking, the only dozen or so people who were skilled in bows and arrows shot the rockets they lit in their hands at the unsuspecting enemy. Before the soldiers in the front row could react, the continuous fire of the opponent completely ignited the dozen trebuchets behind them. The olive oil of Feilong Valley is really a high-quality product, and the burning effect is surprisingly good. In addition, the people of Osasuna had not done any fire drills before, and soon the fire would not be cleaned up, and everyone could only watch as the hard work of their side for nearly ten days was instantly wiped out.

The Earl of Stefano was so angry on the spot that he ordered the whole army to forcibly attack the other party's fortress, and although all the knights dissuaded the lord from being so reckless, the count, who had always been arrogant, could not listen. Seeing that his subordinates were opposing the attack, he single-handedly threw down everyone in a fit of rage, beckoning the militia who had just retreated to charge the fortress.

"What a spectacle," Casillas commented, looking at the burning wreckage of the trebuchet, "and sure enough, the arson effect of high-quality olive oil is better." ”

"There's an impulsive guy coming." Canisares pointed to Count Stefano, who was leading the militia.

"It's time for me to do my landlord's friendship." Count Lazaranmaker spoke, already coming to the front of the battle against the heavy crossbow he had used on the Wyvern. He put the arrow in the trough and wrenched the winch vigorously, pulled Hyun to its fullest, set it up on the fence and began to aim.

"It seems that the resentment of the earl who was almost taken away from his wife and the plot of his sister lover are quite deep." Casillas muttered quietly.

"Isn't there no chance for Lord Grant?" Kenisares responded.

"You two! I hear it all. The Count said without looking back, and then focused on his target, "Come closer, dear Earl." ”

With a "boom", Count Lazaranmaker had already pulled the trigger. With the neighing of his horse, Count Stefano, who was at the forefront, fell off his horse, and the knights in this formation hurriedly urged their mounts to come to the rescue. The positions of the Osasuna were deserted and dusty.

"How?" This was asked by Subisareta.

"It's all your colleague muttering in my ear, causing me to be a little off the mark, Stefano is really lucky." The Count said and left the fortress wall with his crossbow.

Count Stefano was hit in the left side of the chest by this sniper, making a frontal and posterior wound just an inch below the collarbone, and because it was at the seam of the cuirass and shoulder armor, the arrow left almost only a tail in the front. Fortunately, the treatment was timely and the wound did not suppurate, so he had to recuperate while rebuilding the siege equipment for the next attack.

As a result, the two sides have reached a stalemate to this day. Francescley, Count of Lazarammaker, who had returned from a routine patrol outside, walked into their makeshift command post without taking off his armor, and when he entered the tent, he saw that all the people were busy packing their bags.

"What are you doing here? I don't think I gave the order to retreat, did I? ”

"Oh, that's right, I gave the order to retreat." William looked up and said.

"Why is that?" The Count took off his helmet and threw it aside, "Haven't we been very successful in keeping them out?" ”

"Lord Earl, it will soon be spring, and everyone will have to go to the farm, and we will not be able to keep our troops here to fight each other all the time." Subisareta explained.

"I know this, but if we want to be busy with spring planting, the other party is the same, and it's not too late to go back when they retreat first." The Count wondered.

"I don't want Osasuna's harvest to be affected."

"Why is that?" The Count became intrigued.

"Because soon it'll be our territory."

The Earl stared at William seriously for a while, and said with a smile: "You are really a careerist. ”

"It was forced out by our king," said William, "and of course I must have been a natural careerist, and well, Lord Earl, I will show you a one-sided victory to-night. ”

"Hehe, I'll see."

"The other party's siege equipment should have been made again, right?" At the end of his life, William asked again.

"Everything is in your plan, why bother asking?" The Count stepped out of the tent in style.

That night, under the cover of night, the Osasuna army quietly transported their newly built trebuchets to the enemy's fortress. As a rocket streaks across the sky, 20 trebuchets are fired at the same time, mixed with several flint shells wrapped in tarpaulin. The walls of the fortress, which looked impregnable during the day, suddenly collapsed, "Rush! "Osasuna's soldiers swarmed into the other party's fortress.

However, to their surprise, the camp was already empty. "Search for me!" Still wrapped in bandages, Count Stefano commanded sharply. The knights and soldiers began to search the camp, but of course they found nothing.

"These bunnies are running fast."

"Lord Earl, judging from the situation of the camp, the other party walked very panickedly, and many things were not taken away, so they should not have gone far." One of the knights analyzed.

"Then don't chase it."

"But it's also possible that the other party has set a trap."

"So what do you say? That's an idea. ”

The knights under him discussed for a while, and unanimously suggested that the pursuit should be carried out for a while, and if there was no result, then it was safe to retreat as soon as possible. The Count of Stefano was eager to rush to the other side to avenge the enemy, so he immediately agreed, and the Osasuna put their ranks together and began to pursue the enemy.

After they had walked about two fats, a keen knight spotted a farmer hiding in the grass by the roadside and pulled him out on the spot.

"Ah, ah, sir, don't kill me, I'm only a farmer." The farmer begged for mercy from the Count of Stefano with a sad face.

"Then if I ask you, you have to answer me honestly, and if it is false, watch your head."

"Yes, yes, if the little one knows, he must not hide it from the adult." The farmer was resigned.

"I ask you, why did you run away at night, your commander?"

"Ah, this ......," the farmer muttered.

"Speak quickly!" The knight on one side flashed his sword.

"I say, I say." The farmer was frightened and raised his hands to protect his head.

"Then you can say it quickly."

"Yes, we are all cultivators, but our earl has to call us to come and fight you. He's a master, can we not listen to him? He didn't know where he had found a few knight-like people and told us to practice this and that, and the countrymen could withstand such a blind toss. ”

"Don't talk nonsense, to the point, why did you run away today?" A knight interrupted the farmer.

"Yes, yes," the farmer nodded, "and at dinner today, the one who ran errands for the Earl secretly told us that you had done a lot of throwing stones, and the Count estimated that it was impossible to deal with those things like last time, and that it was impossible to keep them here." As soon as everyone heard this, they began to calculate how to desert. And we've all been away from home for so many days, and it's almost spring, and who doesn't worry about the work at home. So as soon as a few people got angry, they all ran away, but I didn't expect the big guys to be so thoughtful. ”

"And what about your earl and the knights?"

"The earl has a dragon, and the knight has a horse, and they have already arrived. I was whipped a few times by the knights, and I almost didn't trample their horses to death. The farmer said aggrievedly.

In this way, the opponent's troops should be completely dispersed, and this is a good opportunity to rush towards Fort Philaegi in one go. Several knights discussed it, and thought that the count had made a suggestion. There the farmer blinked, awaiting the judgment of the adults on his fate.

"Old thing, you lead us in front, and if you can catch up with those knights, I will reward you with silver." The Count said to the farmer.

"Okay, okay."

In total, about 4,500 Osasuna troops followed the farmer in pursuit of the enemy they had imagined to have fled.

After about three fats of travel, the farmer at the front of the line suddenly pulled out the knife he had been hiding in his arms, turned around and stabbed one of the knight's mounts in the abdomen. The horse screamed in pain, and the farmer stabbed the knife and fled into the grass by the roadside. When others come back to their senses and want to arrest him, it is not so easy to spot him. And the long roar of the war horse also sent a signal to the people of the Wyvern Valley who were in ambush.

Soon, the Ossasuna saw several huge clumps of burning grass rolling down the hillsides on either side, and they panicked. The grass regiment did not do them any real damage, but it did show the ambush its location. Immediately, the civilian army of the Wyvern Valley began an intensive firefight.

Yes, there is no doubt that this army, lacking bows and arrows, began to deliver long-range fire strikes on their opponents on a considerable scale. The ammunition they use is the stones that are very common in the mountainous region of the area, and their weapons are simple slings. Improvised weapons - slings - made from sticks and animal leather. Although it is slightly less lethal than a bow and arrow, it also has a relatively short range and does not carry much ammunition. But it still has considerable advantages: it is simple to manufacture; The method of use is also easy to grasp; At range, the hand can have slightly more accuracy than a bow and arrow. Moreover, in the current situation, the condescending geographical advantage overcomes the problem of range; The ambush at the pre-set positions also gave them an ample supply of ammunition; Originally, they also wanted to control the number of casualties of the other side, so the slight lack of lethality could also be ignored.

William Grant's chosen ambush site had no cover at the bottom of the valley and was open to vision, with 3,000 three-month-trained slingers firing in three groups and the Osasunas had nowhere to hide. One by one, the infantry was beaten to the point of bleeding and running with their heads in their hands. Before the archer could open his bow, his wrist was wounded, and then the eyebrow bone at the corner of his eye was also scratched, and blood flowed all over his face. The knight wrapped in armor didn't shed any blood, but he also left bruises all over his body. And the constant concussion of the armor from the rocks made them dizzy.

The shooting continued for a full three quarters of an hour, and by the time the militia of Wyvern Valley rushed down to prepare for hand-to-hand combat, there were few people on the ground who could stand. The knights, who were still awake, could only ask their opponents to surrender, and ordinary militiamen wailed everywhere. As for Count Stefano, if it weren't for the desperate protection of several knights, it is very likely that he would have died with the cooperation of resentment, the recurrence of old wounds, and the stones.

"Bandage the wounds of the living and heal the fractures." William ordered.

"Dear Lord Stefano, it's not a worthwhile adventure to covet your neighbor's flowers in exchange for such 'blooming everywhere'." Francesco laughed at his neighbor who had fallen to the ground and was dying.

Of the 5,300 Osasuna troops, 337 were killed and more than 4,000 were injured to varying degrees. On the side of the Flying Dragon Valley, 73 people were killed and more than 200 were injured. William Grant laid the first stake for his career.