Throughout the harsh winter, Edward seemed to have forgotten what he had said before, and the entire legion was always resting in the fortress of the Green River Valley, slowly recovering the vitality lost in the battle of the Red Horse Canyon, training recruits, treating the wounded, and the fortress was as comfortable as all the military camps, and there was no sign that the chief flag officer would make any big moves in the near future.

After cashing in all the loot and selling the slaves, Edward not only made up for the shortfall in commissions and rewards, but also had a lot of surpluses. At the same time, the Goodwin Chamber of Commerce, which went to Bright Star City, also brought a second supply of supplies, sending a large number of sophisticated weapons to the fortress, as well as equipment, medicines, and various rare materials that were difficult to replenish in the Han Land.

Goodwin, the leader of the Goodwin Chamber of Commerce, knows very well that the fate of their entire Chamber of Commerce has been closely linked to this Viscount of Fort Clarion since he was in Turin City, and his son's status by Edward's side determines what kind of height the entire Chamber of Commerce and even the entire family can reach in the future, so he will spare no effort, even at a loss, to transport these precious materials to the Green River Valley at cost price.

Razor-sharp Dominic scimitars and arrows, delicate crossbows and ballista parts, and most importantly, potions and alchemy materials - these things could not be found in the Vast Lands, and even if Edward had an alchemist of the highest level like Marco Tasker by his side, he would not be able to make high-quality ignition agents without materials, let alone medicines.

Edward would certainly be generous enough to negotiate with the entire Greenland Valley to secure tax exemption for the Goodwin Chamber of Commerce, allowing them to move freely here - and now these towns would not dare to anger the imposing Chief Flag Officer too much. I could only agree to this "not too harsh" request with a smile.

Adequate supplies. Attractive and fairly stable salary. Let all the recruits who were still complaining have been silenced. Victory after victory over the barbarians, as well as sheer credibility, built up enough authority for Edward to convince his soldiers that allegiance to the Chief Flag Officer was a promising thing to keep the danger out of sight.

Under this treatment, even if Edward let these recruits train in the field in the wind and snow, not many people dared to complain - especially after learning that there would be a reward, the soldiers' enthusiasm increased significantly. In order to have an extra piece of meat for dinner every day, in order to be able to become a sergeant major before others. The soldiers were extremely motivated.

The Lund pirates, who had received a large commission, seemed to have become accustomed to this generous Turin nobleman, and began to really regard themselves as Edward's "guards", and were very happy to accept the change, changing from the original fur clothes to the armor and wool coats of the Turines, and even more than 300 people wore the coat of arms of the red cross on a black background, officially swearing allegiance to Edward.

Donner, the captain of the guard who commanded these Lund warriors, also formed a separate team of warriors loyal to Edward according to the custom of the Turines, who were responsible for raising the flag for the entire warband, and following him to lead the charge—the first to charge on the battlefield in the Lund mentality. It must be the best and most loyal samurai in the whole team.

For these Lund people who are willing to owe their allegiance to themselves. Edward was given equal honors - they could live in the Commander's Tower with the knights and sergeants of the Knights of the Sacred Tree, stand guard and patrol for themselves, and in addition to the rewards, they would also have a fixed salary, which was separate from the other Lund warriors.

The military is always the place where the difference between status and identity can be seen the most, and the hierarchy under the strict system also determines the treatment of each other, and how to ensure the difference between them is the most important thing for a commander to learn.

In this way, in the harsh winter season of the entire Han Land, the Battle Banner Legion left behind in the fortress is like a beast resting and licking its wounds, recuperating and waiting for the moment when the blizzard stops.

Compared to the mild west, the fertile south, and the pristine east, the winters in the Hamland are far longer than most people think. After only two months of the most bitter cold, and before even the river began to thaw, Edward ordered the preparation of baggage, and the legion advanced to the city of Hantu in the north.

This result was a relief to the gentry and magnates throughout the Green Valley, especially after hearing that Edward would probably not return—with such an army entrenched in the fortress of the Green Valley, no matter who it was, it would feel like a blade around its neck, ready to fall at any moment.

The only thing that surprised them was that Edward chose the road north, not the King's Road, but insisted on advancing from the wasteland of the Vast Lands, and the reason given by the clerk Virgil was that the war in the north could not be delayed any longer, so the Chief Flag Officer decided to take the nearest route.

To this reply, the magnates of the various towns could only sneer, apparently making a good joke about the Viscount Edward Witwood, and even with the emotion of seeing him ugly - it was definitely not one or two people who wanted to defeat this young and frivolous noble young master.

In their eyes, the vast land shrouded in dense forests and hills and mountains was no different from hell, and the self-conscious Edward Witwood was so arrogant that he did not know how he died in the end!

Unlike the squires who had hollowed out their minds and cursed Edward to die in hell, the soldiers in the fortress were all nervous, but extremely excited, and extremely quickly prepared, waiting for the moment of departure.

The two Lords, the Registrar Virgil and the Chief Centurion Lerbinus, have said that we are going to fight for Turin, and that we are going to support Duke Anson Marcherus, the future King of His Majesty, is there anything more honorable and promising than fighting for His Majesty the King?

In the sound of the loud military trumpets and the alarm bells of the fortress, the hundred-man team that followed the battle flags completed the assembly outside the fortress, the huge team with bright armor and fully armed waiting for the chief flag officer to come to review, proud and proud.

And at the front of this legion, there is a red cross flag on a black background with gold trim and fluttering in the wind, telling everyone who is the commander of this legion.

"In fact, I've heard a lot of soldiers call this flag 'Blood Cross'. With a bit of a bit of joking, Marco Tasker, who was standing next to Edward, said with a smile: "There are many people who swear that they have seen you behead the head of the Great Chief of the Red Horse with a pure black banner, and the blood spurting from his neck stains the shape of the cross on your banner!"

"Sounds like it's true. Edward couldn't help laughing at himself, he had experienced the bloody battle himself, and of course he knew what the truth was - there was nothing romantic or to say, and the person who had his head cut off was just a gambler who couldn't afford to lose, and his blood was not splattered enough to stain the entire banner red.

But Edward was also well aware of how much such a legendary story would help the morale and sense of honor of the Legion - even if it sounded too divine to be true, the soldiers would still believe it, and in this way put the Legion's sense of honor in their blood, and then fight for that glory.

That's how legends are made.

"It doesn't sound like a hero's story. Edward couldn't help but quip, "It's too bloody, and too cruel, for those who like to hear stories about glorious knights and saviors, and for bards to preach in public." ”

"But it's the best story for you. The silver-haired wizard teased, pointing to the soldiers who were looking at Edward and said, "You are not their savior, nor the one who came to save them, you are their commander, the commander who leads them to kill, to fight for wealth and glory!"

"You're right this time. The corners of his mouth raised, and Edward chuckled, "Anyway...... This won't be the last Hantu to die at my hands!" (To be continued.) )