When Sophie really saw Hasting, the famous "Odin Valkyrie", even if she had made countless fantasies about this famous general in her heart before, and had described his appearance countless times in her mind - but when Hastings was really in front of her, Sophie still couldn't help but sigh.

His previous assumptions seem to have come to naught.

Hasting's fame was such that it was a nightmare for the Byzantine Empire. And through various channels, Sophie has also learned a little bit about this famous Odin.

It is rumored that he is not tall and burly, and unlike the Odin, who was born with a strong physique, he is even a little thin and not tall. But it is rumored that this Odin Valkyrie is imposing, standing in front of him, as if looking up at a high mountain. The three-edged war spear in his hand, on the battlefield, is like the Grim Reaper who harvests life.

He should undoubtedly be a person who is extremely proud and ruthless.

Murderous, majestic on all sides - this should probably be the image of a peerless general.

But......

At this moment, in this airtight cowhide tent, the man in front of him was sitting in a chair covered with a soft and thick tiger skin, and his body was tilted on the chair cup—this action even looked a little old.

In my impression, only those old and frail old people, when they sit down, will reveal this weak posture curled up in a ball.

And the famous three-edged war spear hung crookedly in the corner of the tent, and there was no hideousness at all.

Even, Sophie felt that the man in front of her even breathed a little rough.

The lights in the tent were dim, and there was a strange smell because it was too airtight.

The man's face, as if under the dim light, also seemed so blurred.

This...... Is this Hasting?

This guy who looks weak, even without edges, is the Odin Valkyrie? The Odin Valkyrie who has killed countless Imperial soldiers and has not been defeated for many years?!

Sophie sighed secretly in her heart, but she still bowed slowly and performed a solemn courtesy.

"You were sent by Char?"

Hasting's voice was hoarse, and Sophie noticed that Hasting's breath was a little untidy when he spoke, and although he had tried his best to hide it, it had not been successful.

(He's badly wounded.) Sophie immediately came to this conclusion in her mind.

"Yes, Your Excellency. Sophie raised her eyelids to look at Hasting: "My name is Sophie, and I am the chief of staff of General Char Leiming. ”

"......" Hastings looked at the young NV in front of him, and after a while, he suddenly raised an eyebrow: "You seem to be a little disappointed?"

Sophie looked at Hastings in surprise.

"You're disappointed. Hastings laughed self-deprecatingly: "You must be thinking in your heart now: it turns out that the famous Hastings is actually like this, he doesn't look majestic at all, more like a sick cat, isn't it?"

Sophie frowned, she didn't answer this question, but smiled faintly: "Your Excellency's contemporary famous general, you have never tasted defeat in half your life!

"......" Hastings was silent for a moment, and his eyes looked at Sophie a little more serious: "You're right—you seem to be a good talker." I'm starting to understand why Char would trust an NV guy and let an NV guy be his chief of staff. ”

Sophie smiled faintly, and didn't say anything on the topic of "NV people", she looked around slightly, and without waiting for Hastings to speak, she found a place to sit down first.

Hasting's eyes immediately narrowed, but he didn't speak, but instead looked at the little NV in front of him with some interest.

"Your Excellency, since I have come here, it is to show the sincerity of our Northern Army, I ...... before" Sophie pondered for a moment before she opened her mouth to say this, Hastings suddenly interrupted her, and said lightly: "Since you have come here, can I think that you are ready to cooperate with me?"

"Nope. Sophie said very simply: "Your Excellency is afraid that you will be wrong!"

"Oh?" Hastings frowned.

"Cooperation...... This kind of thing usually has to be based on the fact that both parties must have enough leverage and have equal status in order to talk about 'cooperation'. Sophie's words were very sharp, and she looked at Hasting: "Dare to ask Your Excellency, do you think that with the current situation of your army, compared with our northern army, your weight is enough to serve as an equal ally?"

Without waiting for Hastings to speak, Sophie said aloud: "Our Northern Army was founded, and there were many heroes under its command, swept through the Red Snow Army, and became famous all over the world in the First World War! Now it has the land of three counties, has a population of one million, tens of thousands of soldiers, and has enough soldiers and food to eat, and the northern part of the Tiger Empire! And your army, although the Black Flag Army has a great reputation, but your Excellency asks yourself, with your army now only 8,000 remnants, is it qualified to be an equal and jiāo ally with our army?"

"Hahahaha!!" Hastings laughed instead of being angry! Just as his laughter rang out, this thin man like a sick cat suddenly burst out with a pressing momentum like a lion!

Although he still sat there and didn't move, he just smiled, and his heroic aura suddenly appeared, and in his eyes that were originally dull, he suddenly bīshè with a sharp edge like a sword!

As Hasting's eyes changed, the laughter stopped abruptly, stared at Sophie, and said coldly: "It turns out that Your Excellency is not here to talk about cooperation, but to recruit you?!"

He took a deep breath and said slowly, "Do you know that for so many years, no Byzantines have dared to say such presumptuous things in front of me. Anyone who dared to speak like this in front of me before you is now rotting all the corpses!"

At this moment, Sophie immediately felt the other party's sky-high killing intent, standing in front of this angry male lion, she suddenly felt that she was so small, just like a small boat in front of the stormy sea, and the other party could completely engulf herself at any time!

With such momentum, among the people Sophie knew, among the famous generals of the empire, Adric did not! Duke Minas did not! Even Char was faintly inferior!

This kind of crazy cháo-like momentum is a majesty that I don't know how many times I have crisscrossed the battlefield, I don't know how many times I have been invincible, I don't know how many corpses and mountains of blood have been used, and how many bones of the famous generals and soldiers of the empire have piled up!

The majesty of an invincible general!

(Only such a guy is worthy of the title of "Odin Valkyrie".) Only such a guy can single-handedly rush to the garrison of Denzel City behind the enemy to kill several enemy generals, and then under the siege of the army, he will leave...... ）

At this moment, it's the real Hasting!

Facing Hasting, Sophie stiffened her head and said slowly: "I'm a little NV, if you offend Your Excellency's tiger power, you want to kill me, it's just a thought." But ......"

"I'll let you finish. Hastings snorted: "But remember, don't try to test me with words and provoke me, I won't kill you now, not because of your self-cleverness, but for the sake of Char's face." ”

"Even if Your Excellency is annoyed, I still have to say it. Sophie's face also cooled: "Your army's current situation, naturally I don't need to talk about it." Dare to ask yourself, 8,000 remnants of the army, and they are people who have lost their homes and betrayed their country, how much bargaining chips do you think there are to negotiate conditions?"

Hastings sneered.

"You dominate the world, the three-edged war gun in your hand is invincible, I am a little NV, naturally I dare not doubt your ability. Sophie said lightly: "But no matter how strong the Odin Martial God is, your Black Flag Army has lost its foundation at present, and the tree without roots can last long?

Hastings remained silent.

"I only want to ask Your Excellency, dare to ask how much surplus food is left in your army?" Sophie said lightly.

Hastings raised his eyelids and looked at Sophie: "There is still a third month to use, and this will not discourage your heart!"

"March?" Sophie smiled: "Your army of more than 8,000 people has traveled here, and I think I have abandoned most of the baggage, if you say that there is still March food, Your Excellency General, are you deceiving me for not understanding the military strategy?"

Hastings still sneered: "When I say March, it's March! If there is not enough food, I have a three-edged war spear in my hand, and eight thousand tigers, won't I go and get it myself? Your Denzel City is only a hundred miles away from here! Fast horses gallop, day and night are coming! When the time comes, on the banks of the moat of Madenzel City, the little Denzel City, how can it stop me!"

"I believe it!" Sophie said eloquently: "With the general's ability, if you want to take Denzel City, a small city, you naturally can't resist it, but I dare to ask the general, even if you take Denzel City, what can you do?"

Hastings frowned and stopped talking.

"The Black Flag Army is already a traitorous army, and the only foreign aid that can form a knot at the moment is our Northern Army! If you take the city of Denzel and fight with our Northern Army, when the time comes, the world will be so big, will there still be a foothold for your Black Flag Army? Could it be that the dignified Black Flag Army will flow into the wildfire field to fall into the grass and do the work of that horse thief?"

Hastings sneered for a moment: "Okay, don't talk about it, tell the conditions you brought!"

"Our northern army is willing to accept your army, and we are also willing to set aside a city for your army to gain a foothold, and at the same time, we can first provide a month's worth of military rations. Sophie said this, and paused slightly: "However, the Black Flag Army also has to pay a certain price, and when needed, the Black Flag Army must fight for our Northern Army." ”

"Ha! That's the surrender!" Hastings sneered proudly: "Do you think I, Hasting, will stoop down and be a lackey with others?"

"It's not a surrender. Sophie laughed, "It's a hire." ”

“...... Hire?" Hastings quieted a little, and he looked at Sophie.

"It's hiring!" Sophie spread her hands: "We pay for food, even if it is the price of hiring the Black Flag Army to fight for us." The Black Flag Army is not under the command of our Northern Army, but only receives money and food, and to put it bluntly, it is a mercenary army. ”

Speaking of this, Sophie has completely relaxed: "Therefore, our relationship is not an ally, not a subordination, just a simple employment relationship. We pay for food, and your army will fight for us, it's as simple as that. ”

Hastings pondered for a moment, and suddenly sneered: "What a vicious NV person." ”

There was a hint of anger in his tone: "Your idea is to use money and food as bait to make my Black Flag Army a knife in your hand, but this knife will only become more and more blunt! Our homeless and rootless lone army, no matter how good our Black Flag Army is, how many battles can it fight? In the end, our Black Flag Army will become weaker and weaker, and the fewer people will fight, and in the future, one day will be less, and it will be truly annexed by you. ”

"I don't deny it, I have such thoughts. Sophie made no secret of it, and said lightly: "However, I am a member of the Northern Army, so naturally I will only think about my Northern Army! Could it be that Your Excellency thinks that our Northern Army will give you money and grain for nothing at no cost? There is no such cheap thing in the world, right? To be honest...... In addition to being able to fight, the Black Flag Army is so famous, but other than that, what value does it have that we value?"

This is the sorrow of the "lonely army"!

A lonely army without roots and a home is so miserable!

The Black Flag Army was invincible in the past, but after all, it was the army of the Odin Empire, with a huge imperial support behind it, as well as tribal territories and countless people. After many years of fighting and being injured in the army, there are naturally territorial tribes in the rear to replenish the source of troops, and the lost money and food are also supported by the empire!

But now, a lone army, without a homeland, without a foundation, the tribes in Odin's country are only afraid of being wiped out......

Sophie's words hit the nail on the head!

How can a tree without roots last long?!

Even though the Black Flag Army can still fight and still has strong combat effectiveness, how can it last without a foundation? Fighting a war will always kill people and there will always be injuries, and if the battle continues, how many of the 8,000 jīng rui will be left?

Now is not the past, without the support of the rear, the army will be attritional, the number of people will only become smaller and smaller, and there will be no replenishment of troops - is it possible to recruit the Byzantines into the Black Flag Army?

Wouldn't that be a joke?

No matter how you look at it, this lone army has no future! There can be no future!

Sophie knew this, and Hastings must have understood it in his own heart. It's just that now everyone is reluctant to break through this layer.

For Hasting, he knows very well the fate of his Black Flag Army, which will either be wiped out on the battlefield in the future, or, sooner or later, it will be swallowed up.

It's just because of his pride that he doesn't want to face this fact now, and he doesn't want to face it.

"What you said, I agreed!" Hastings took a deep breath and said with a grim face: "However, I have one more condition. If you agree, I will agree! If you refuse, then there is no need to talk about it anymore! I will lead my troops to take the city of Denzel in the coming day!"

"Speak. ”

"You go back to Char. Hastings said slowly: "He knows what I really want, and he knows what I really want! I just want you to ask him if he can help me complete the one thing I want in the future! If he can help me do it, then ...... Even if the Black Flag Army really gives it to you, I will admit it! If he can't do it, then ......."

At this, Hastings closed his mouth, and Sophie didn't ask any more. The meaning is already very clear, if Char can't give Hasteen a satisfactory answer, then there is naturally no possibility of cooperation between the two sides.

It's just that Sophie wonders in her heart, this Hasting, what is he thinking in his heart, and why does Char know?

※※※

Char and his entourage went north and had already entered the territory of the Besta Military Region, the city of Haske.

This time he went north to return home, but Char was unusual, and he did not hide his whereabouts and identity at all, since he entered the territory of the Besta Military Region, in the first town he passed, he unceremoniously revealed his identity, the commander of the Northern Army, the Duke of Imperial Noz, Lord Char Thundering......

For Char, it seems that there is really no need to hide his identity now.

In other words, he was accompanied by a golden dragon companion, and he also carried a "god" who could almost be regarded as invincible in the world by his side, and at the same time, this "god" was still obedient to his words.

In such a situation, if you carefully hide your identity, you will be sick! At this time, Char can't help but think that if his father-in-law, Odin God Emperor Hannigan, came to find him, it would be the best, and he would point at Hannigan and say, "Enemy, dead base!" and then little Oak pounced......

When the group walked dozens of miles outside the city of Husk, the defenders of the city of Husk had already sent people to line up to greet them.

The carriage that Char was riding in had naturally changed a long time ago, no longer the rags before, but two high-quality cars that he had asked for from the Besta people on the road. And our magician, Tatara, has finally been freed from the chauffeur's suffering, and the Besta defenders on the road have naturally sent a special retinue of guards and chauffeurs.

About thirty miles outside of Haske, the cavalry greeted by the defenders crossed to Char, and to Char's surprise, it was Dax who came out to greet him.

Dax, this guy was used by Char as a liaison officer in the alliance with the Besta people, and he has been lost here with the Besta people for many days, and on weekdays, the news of the Besta people here is also passed on by him, and I heard that this guy seems to be living a very comfortable life in Besta. The beautiful Governor's wife also treated him very favorably, and even summoned this fellow from time to time, and asked him for advice on many things.

(I guess it's not going to be rebelled by the Bestas.) Char's malicious speculation.

But when I saw Dux at this time, this guy's face was not relaxed, as if he didn't have the lazy and weird smile he used to have, but he was very serious.

After he received Char with the welcoming cavalry, he seemed to be greatly relieved.

Dax turned over and dismounted, and when he came to Char, Char spoke, "Why are you here? Aren't you accompanying the Governor's wife in the capital of the Bestas?"

"Something is wrong. Dax looked solemn: "I sent the news to Xincheng the day before yesterday, but Xincheng's reply, you are not at home at all! This matter is urgent, if you don't come back, Xincheng really doesn't know how to decide!"

Seeing that Dax, who always looks immodest on weekdays, showed a solemn expression, Char also understood that I was afraid that things were really unusual.

"What happened?"

"Osgilia, mutiny!" Dax smiled bitterly: "Boss, that old boss of yours, General Adric, launched a mutiny and took away the supreme command of Osgilia, and the emperor has been forced to appoint him as the generalissimo of the protectorate, and the commander-in-chief of all military affairs inside and outside the empire!"

As soon as Char heard this, it really changed!

He never expected that Adric, who was loyal to the empire, would actually launch a mutiny?!

The first reaction, he immediately grabbed Dax's neck: "What about the royal family, is there any damage in the palace?"

Mutiny...... Adric, so loyal to the Empire, would do such a thing...... Char was shocked, but at this moment, what he cared about most was his own NV person in the palace!

Damn, such a thing as a mutiny must be a big luàn!!big luàn...... Dephne, Dephnene...... Will she be okay?

"I haven't heard of anything, Adric seems to be quite restrained, but he led his troops into the palace, and Emperor Bī gave him full powers, and also took away the military rights of all the nobles' private armies, but I haven't heard of anything else. But ......" Dax said with a wry smile: "Before the mutiny, there was a disaster in the south of the empire, and the Duke of Minas took charge of the army and led tens of thousands of troops south to quell the rebellion. And not long after his army left the emperor, Adric mutinied, and the situation here is much more complicated than we expected. ”

Char's mind was already racing with thoughts.

And at this time, Dax added: "You came all the way, the Besta people have already informed you that you will pass by here, and this morning, the Governor's wife has already rushed to the city of Haske to meet you here." I said, boss, I have to warn you, the situation has changed a lot, and we can't guess what the Governor's wife has in mind. When you enter the city and see that NV man in a while, you have to pay attention to it. This NV man...... Hehe, but it's a guy who eats people and doesn't spit out bones. ”

Well?

Madame Governor?, the nv man came here to meet him?

I think it's a matter of discussing the cooperation between the two families and how to deal with this new great change in the empire.

The Duke of Minas took control of the army and divided his troops south...... Adric mutined in the imperial capital and took power......

It's weird in this thing!