Speaking of this war, Frederick suffered a loss in intelligence work. It's not that this guy doesn't pay attention to intelligence work, and he said before that there are some separate intelligence sources that can be mixed up to his level. And these emperors and kings, who seem to be just and solemn on the surface, attach great importance to these yīnsī things behind their backs. So, as an enemy.

Frederick did attach great importance to intelligence work about Egir, about Norman. In the Norman army, as well as in the Norman capital, there were a considerable number of spies.

However, it's still very inconvenient, I mean the messaging aspect.

In the Norman capital of Gothenburg, let's not mention it for the time being, but it is said that those who followed the Norman army disguised themselves as merchants, or spies of outcasts, gangsters, and bards. When Egil's army was activated, he sent men to deliver the news to Innsbruck and Salzburg. This back and forth was more than ten days, but when they finished sending the information, the defenders of the two fortresses began to prepare for defense in full swing, and at this time, the spies realized that their preconceived understanding was wrong. The Normans did not rush to these two fortresses at all. Rather, it was all the way to the west, as if to take the road of Renaya and Marseille.

This is what makes the spies of the Holy Roman Empire very frightened, after all, their job and area of expertise is intelligence gathering, not intelligence analysis. They did not understand that Egil was not straightforward and attacked the Holy Roman Empire. It's the reason to turn west.

Is it following the path of last year's crusade and wanting to return to Normandy?

Do you want to attack France?

Is it to attack the Holy Roman Empire somewhere along the border between France and the Holy Roman Empire?

So where is it? And where are you going to attack?

The spies of the Holy Roman Empire naturally couldn't guess it, and they guessed it. Nor are they the ones who make the final decision. As a result, they could only deliver information, and this time they couldn't send messages to a border town in the Holy Roman Empire alone, and they didn't have that many men. And this kind of transmission of information to a place with a little psychological preparation in the interior, causing panic, if the other party finally calls, it will be fine. But if you don't call it, then no one can afford such a responsibility.

So, in the end, after a total of several days, the spies finally sent their men to detour around Innsbruck again, and then send a letter directly to Emperor Frederick in North Saxony, apparently, perhaps.

As a result, the Messenger was gone. I don't know if I ran away, or if I was robbed, or if I met a wolf and lost the leader of the spies, but after a few days, I still felt that it was inappropriate, and finally sent out two more groups of messengers.

At this time, the Norman army had just left Marseille, and its destination was still unknown. So there is no change in the information. It was just a change to the date of the send, and the location of the Norman army.

Eventually, after more than a month, the two messengers finally found Frederick, who was at the forefront of the battle to persuade Hamburg to surrender and now began the siege of the city, and passed on this information.

So, like the spy chiefs before him, Frederick began to mutter, wondering where the Norman army would send troops from.

And such hesitation and distraction also led to the fact that in the attack on Hamburg, although it had dozens of times the strength of the opponent, the attack did not go smoothly because of the wrong command. Frederick also understood that there should be no hesitation at times like these. No matter what the decision is, whether it is good or bad, he should make up his mind as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, however, Emperor Frederick has not been in great shape in recent times. His insomnia, headaches, joint pain, lack of energy, nausea, inability to eat, and all the negative reactions related to his health can be found in him. Or this guy is really old, or the years of fighting have made this eighty-year-old man really unbearable. Eventually, after three days, Frederick barely managed to pay a decent attention.

He wrote the epistle and pressed it with a heraldic ring. The order was sent to the general now stationed in the capital Swabian, General Johann Zeklavontilly, to quickly concentrate all the forces that could be concentrated in Bavaria, to reorganize an army, and to reinforce the Normans in any military position. ,

General Tilly was a veteran of Frederick's long-time following, though not a native of Bavaria or even the Holy Roman Empire. But after being hired decades ago, General Tilly has shown extreme loyalty throughout. Strictly, meticulously executed every command Frederick commanded. As a result, Frederick was deeply trusted. Although in recent times, the old general has also shown some physical inconvenience. However, he was still entrusted with the important task of garrisoning Bavaria.

Although the old general's troops were small, only a brigade of 1,500 men, if necessary, he could quickly gather a large army with his connections among the mercenaries. And the old general's brilliant achievements and generosity towards his subordinates also made the mercenaries happy to fight under his command.

However, it still takes time to gather mercenaries and reorganize mercenary forces. And fighting with mercenary forces alone, Frederick also felt that something was inappropriate. And in terms of numbers, the mercenary troops are definitely not comparable to the Norman army of 80,000.

Therefore, after writing this letter, Frederick sent a letter to Albrecht, who was also the Archduke of Bō Simia, the Archduke of Austria, and the first prince of the Holy Roman Empire, who was the only prince in the entire Holy Roman Empire who refused to fight the Normans and did not fight a single soldier, hoping that he would abandon his previous suspicions, quickly mobilize the Czechs and Austrians, form an army, and aid the Holy Roman Empire itself. In return, Frederick promised to elect him the next emperor of the empire.

Frederick believed that the price would be enough to make the young and impatient Duke of Austria desperate for it.

In this way, the two letters were sealed again, and then sent by the spies again, but by this time, the Norman army had crossed the Swiss mountains and crossed the forests to attack the unprepared Swabian.

Before this, Egil had already inquired clearly that Swabian's defender, General Tilly, had a strict style and a high combat effectiveness of the army under his command. And recently, although no news has been received, General Tilly has strictly enforced the curfew and severely restricted the entry and exit of people from Swabia. The soldiers guarding the city gates were also in high spirits. At the slightest disturbance, the gates of the city will be closed.

In this way, Egil's prepared plan to charge the cavalry and capture the city was basically impossible to achieve.

Of course, if you use the regular method of warfare, you can directly besiege the city, and then the counterweight catapult will be assembled, and several volleys will be fired, and then the city will be sieged with heavy infantry. It won't take much effort that way. Because there are really not many defenders in the city. But then there is no deterrent in the form of a rapid, efficient, assault that Egil wants.

So in the end, Egil chose a slightly cunning and very unchivalrous way: he paid for some of the carriages of the merchants accompanying the army, and then asked the remaining eighty or so battlefield assassins in the army to disguise themselves as merchants, take the opportunity to seize the city gates, and when they succeeded, they used the sound of the city as a signal. After receiving the signal, the professional cavalry, Finnish light cavalry and Hungarian rangers dispatched as fast as they could, attacking strategic locations such as palaces, barracks, and cathedrals.

In this way, in the early morning, when the gates of Swabia were opened, the guards guarding the west and south gates spotted a caravan one after another.

It was no different from ordinary caravans, the obscene merchants with Italian accents, the tattered but serious-looking mercenaries, the apprentices who looked gauze rubbish, and the partner soldiers who didn't seem to have traveled far before, just checked it a little and asked what kind of goods it was. After learning that it was olive oil and wine, he extorted half a barrel of inferior old wine and dozens of copper in the toll tax. Then he was ready to let them go.

"Let's go. I am afraid that the market has not yet opened. You'll have to wait a little longer. Also, the market tax collector on the east side has a bit of a conscience, and he can pay less tax when he goes there. 1, the guards sighed like this, and reminded the merchants like this. I thought to myself: this is almost worth the price of this half barrel of wine. Even if I died immediately before God, he asked me what I had in the old man!!!

Immediately afterward, the soldier felt a sharp pain in his neck and tried to turn his head to look at it, but he held on for about two seconds, but finally failed......

"Kill them!1, the leader of the remnants ordered in a whisper, ruthless voice.

"Enemy 1, the few guards who understood it were wiped their necks before they could shout. The guards standing on the tower, about to ring the bell to warn, were killed by the Assassin's throwing knives and Sherwood's bow and arrows.

In this way, the Assassins on the battlefield were quick with their hands and feet, and directly killed the defenders who were nearly twice as numerous as them. Then Sherwood Archer pulled out a special, hollow chirp, and then drew his bow and arrow, shooting it into the sky.

"The signal is coming, soldiers, it's time to do a big job!!Go rob, rob, rob!!1," the cavalry leaders who heard the message shouted unusually as they waved their scimitars in their hands. It poured out like a flood when a dam collapsed!