But this was not all there was to the direct unit, for more than 300 wagons laden with food, ammunition, and supplies, and one hundred and fifty camels carrying pack bags were also under the command of the direct unit, including doctors, craftsmen, coachmen, camel drivers, handymen, and vendors and women accompanying the army, and the total number of non-combatants was more than 1,000.

At the center of the army, the vast convoy of men and convoys was closely guarded by four combat brigades, which were responsible for transporting large quantities of supplies to the vast Imperial coalition forces ahead, and were an essential part of every larger force. The non-combatants were not marching in the same orderly manner as the combat brigades, and the sound of laughter and singing was one after another, and the dwarf musketeers in the convoy chattered with the coachmen, servants, and women, and the atmosphere was very lively.

These feisty gnomes hail from the Halfling Dominion near the Duchy of Avalan in the southern part of the Empire, and are led by a senior member of the council and a Grand Technician. Most of them were less than three feet tall, with large heads, large bright eyes, and smooth and soft skin, and looked more like a group of children of four or five years old.

Although they were nowhere near in strength comparable to their fierce distant relatives, they were no less skillful and clever than the bearded dwarves. This child-looking subhuman race is skilled in all kinds of technical work, and has a temper that is not as stubborn as the dwarves, so it is popular all over the empire, from the technicians of the royal arsenals to the chefs of the high-end hotels of the metropolis.

These gnome warriors were well equipped, and they were all dressed in elaborate plate armor with green trim. The round head wore a cocked silver-carved helmet, and the long colored feathers swayed in the wind on the top of the helmet, many of which were more than a foot and a half long, as if they were an interesting choice to increase their height. They were of average physical strength and were not good at walking, either sitting on a four-wheeled donkey cart loaded with their secret weapon, a steaming pot, or shyly leaning into a light-loaded wagon. The childlike cute cheeks characteristic of a dwarf are a very lethal pass, and they are basically not denied.

They wore half-foot-long broad-brimmed copper-handled daggers around their waists, sheepskin scabbards with green Dominion coats of arms, and sniper muskets longer than their bodies on their backs. With a fine oak and silver butt and a slender bronze scope, this unique weapon is so beautifully crafted that it far exceeds the muskets of Imperial soldiers. In fact, these childlike gnomes can use this magically crested sniper musket to shoot armored Chaos warriors at a distance of 180 to 200 meters, which is more than four to five times the effective range of a normal Imperial army smoothbore gun!

"It's so cute! It's like a toy army of little babies! Come on, let me hug it!"

Catherine, who could not be idle, looked at the lively gnomes, and her eyes rolled and she came up with a new trick. She suddenly rode close to a small four-wheeled donkey cart, and quickly reached out to grab a gnome with a round face, and lifted him to her saddle like a chicken, and hugged him in her arms with a smile. This startled Frey, but the dwarf who had been attacked was calm and unfazed.

"I am so happy to be able to get your love from your big sister!"

Amazingly, the dwarf, with the soft face of a four-year-old child, answered the surprise attack of the delicate princess in his childish voice, and then immediately curled up his little body like a round hamster and snorted in the arms of the red-haired girl. In a sense, being good at using their cute advantages to sell cuteness is also the reason why they are weak and powerless and can thrive in the empire. After all, gnomes can only survive in this cruel world if they are protected by powerful humans, and mutually beneficial cooperation is the best option.

"It's such a cute little thing, it's really cute. But dear princess sister, I must remind you that they are likely to be much older than you, Your Highness, is that appropriate?"

Frey couldn't help but laugh. The beautiful black-haired girl couldn't help but reach out and touch the dwarf's child-like red face, then straightened her hair, and reminded Catherine with a smile.

"Cut! You're so boring! Forget it, if you don't think it's appropriate, then I'll give you a hug first! I'll play with his musket first, this thing is very delicately made, I like it. ”

Catherine shook her fiery ponytail from side to side a little unhappily, pursing her pink lips and throwing a tantrum. The delicate girl grabbed the dwarf by the collar and shoved the round little thing straight into Frey's arms. At the same time, she took off the dwarf's sniper musket and studied it with joy.

"Big sister, the bullets and gunpowder in this gun are all loaded......!

As soon as he saw that the musket had been taken away, the dwarf, who had just pretended to snore like a sleeping hamster, immediately struggled in Frey's arms, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Because the gnome's sniper musket was fired from clockwork black flint, it was far more likely to misfire than the Imperial infantry's smoothbore arquebus, and indiscriminate placement of guns on the march was a serious offense in the Imperial Military Code, especially if someone was wounded. Clever and studious dwarfs have read a lot of books and know everything about the Imperial Military Code.

"Go, you little hamster! This princess, I am a genius mid-level metal mage, and I have even been to the Imperial Foundry in Naguer City, and I have personally fired a storm siege cannon that uses three hundred and sixty pounds of super-heavy shells, and the muzzle of that cannon can fit ten small hamsters the same size as you! The harnesser of the Gurna Wind is a natural guardian of guns, and I will punish you for ...... nasty little hamster who despises me so much."

Upon hearing the gnome's pleading, Catherine immediately made a fierce gesture of opening her teeth and claws, reaching out and twisting the dwarf musketeer's small ears, and making a tirade as she twisted. She seemed to be angry at the contempt, but it was not heavy, with a joking nature.

"Dear princess sister, please let him go. You are the noble Highness of the Principality of Tubaro, a powerful mid-level metal mage, and too much of a poor halfling will have a bad effect. ”

Seeing the little dwarf's face full of tears and a pitiful look wringed by Catherine, Frey's sympathy also came up. She reached out and grabbed Catherine's wrist, gently but surely stopping the ravages of the unruly princess. But suddenly, a sudden voice froze both her and Catherine, and it was none other than a loud gunshot, a shot that pierced the sky!

"I didn't mess with the gun, it's a hallucination, a hallucination......"

Seiko's sniper musket snapped and fell to the ground, and Catherine froze, then scrambled to explain. Her red ponytail was beating wildly, as uneasy as her heart. Although this delicate princess loves to cause trouble, breaking the code is always a headache.

"It's not an illusion, but it has nothing to do with Your Highness, it's gunfire from the left flank, it's an enemy attack. I could feel the earth tremble, and in my experience, it was about the Chaos Brigade of cavalry to appear. My dear princess sister, don't be happy with the gnomes. Let's get back to His Highness Hyde and get ready to take on the enemy. ”

After a moment of silence, Frey answered in a solemn voice to the red-haired princess in front of her, who was in a mess. The morning breeze stirred her red silk ponytail, her slender eyebrows twisted, and a dignified heroism appeared on her beautiful cheeks, like a heroic goddess. This gentle and slender girl is also a "veteran" who has experienced many years of regular army life, and in terms of war experience, she is much stronger than Catherine. At the same time, the dwarf in her arms had quickly jumped off the horse, picked up his sniper musket, and rushed to their donkey cart, completely ignoring the two beautiful girls.

But Frey's words were already superfluous, for layers of gray shadows had already appeared on the distant skyline, like trees and clouds, and there was a faint concussion through the snow-covered earth, which was the echo of the hooves of thousands of horses! A series of gunfire rang out like firecrackers, and clouds of white gunpowder smoke rose slowly on the left flank of the army, with a pungent smell of sulfur. One after another, the military flags waved eagerly, and the sharp and long sirens swept over the military formation, no longer the daily harassment, the real battle was coming!

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