The sound of the trumpet echoed in the morning sky, and a light gradually illuminated the misty sea from the east, and the oncoming sea breeze blew the flaming goshawk flag on the bow of the ship, as if in harmony with the sound of the trumpet echoing in the sky.

Facing the dawn that was still cold, a warship of the expeditionary force sailed through the waves, and the white sails filled with the sea breeze bulged out, and the white waves kept splashing up from both sides of the hull, leaving an unknown trace on the silent sea.

"The Whole Army Assembles - !!!"

A rough roar shattered the ship's tranquility, and a noisy sound of footsteps and exclamations immediately rang out below the otherwise quiet deck. Standing on the bridge, Edward held his sword silently, and the black on his body fluttered in the wind, making this slightly thin black-haired young man finally begin to become a little majestic.

Even little Goodwin, who stood behind him, seemed to be honored, the squire holding the flagpole high on his chest, and his beautiful black curls were blown into a mess, but he did not feel his face tense, as if he was worried that the slightest movement would make people think that he was uneducated.

After only a quarter of an hour, all the soldiers on the entire battleship were lined up on the deck in a large phalanx. Blake Hubble, the Knight of the Sacred Tree, dressed in black smock chain armor, walked up to Edward with a resolute expression, and his iron boots cracked on the deck: "Salute you in the name of the Radiant Cross, Admiral Edward Witwood, the soldiers have all assembled!"

"It's also a privilege to be with you. Edward still maintained a considerable degree of respect for this elder of the Knights of the Holy Tree, and said with a humble smile. Blake Hubble didn't say much, just nodded and walked up the stairs, standing behind Edward.

Looking at these soldiers lined up on the deck, waiting for his orders, Edward couldn't help but feel a kind of confident arrogance - he knew that this army of only a few hundred men was only improvised, and it would be dismissed as soon as the war was over, but now they were all his own men, and these people were the beginning of his glory and power!

One hundred elite sergeants of the Knights of the Sacred Tree, sixty West Coast hoplites and sixty longbowmen under the Silver Blood Mercenary Regiment, plus a detachment of 100 Garrison Legion infantry - this 100-man team was the last to join Edward's command, and they happened to be present on the day of the Dominica Emissary uprising, and they knew Edward.

On the undulating deck, Edward gently raised his long sword and slammed it down, the sharp blade piercing into the wooden crack of the deck: "I'm sure you knew what we're going to do before you get on this ship, and I'm sure you know how dangerous the battle will be, so I'm not going to hide it from you—just like Sir Leonardo didn't deceive you." ”

"Our first battle will be to take Fort-Clarion - it's a small pitiful island plus a small pitiful fortress whose gates are weak enough to be broken open by a goat, and I'm sure you'll be fine!"

The big-headed soldiers on the deck laughed one after another, and the corners of their mouths curled up with triumphant expressions on their faces.

"The key to the battle is after this - the enemy may not yet know that our expeditionary force is in the city, but when we take Fort Horn, they will know if they don't want to know. Edward's expression was still flat: once the news is learned, the army of Bright Star City will definitely do their best to retake this castle, and by that time, we will be the same as the current defenders of Horn Castle. ”

There was a sudden silence on the deck, which was still relaxed just now, but Edward didn't show any intention of stopping: "But even so, we can still hold on to the terrain - it is a castle after all, even if there are only a few hundred people, it can hold on for many days, and it is absolutely impossible for Bright Star City, which is besieged by the expeditionary force, to send too many troops to besiege us, and if the Radiant Cross blesses, we can even annihilate them on the beach of Fort Horn!"

"But the next battle was not like that - when reinforcements from the east arrived, that was when we really had to fight. Maybe many of us don't see the morning of victory, maybe the enemy will raze us along with Fort Clarifolia. Edward shouted, "But victory must be ours!"

"I know that many of you are unhappy - yes, you will not get the same glory as sacrifice in this Horn Fort, and no one will cheer you for you when you fight here, but in the name of the Radiant Cross, I promise you that if anyone survives, he will have the same feats as the first warrior to storm the Bright Star City!"

"Do you want to get ahead, do you want to get twice the military pay and triple the retirement salary, do you want your family to move out of the slums of Dongcheng District and live in a clean and beautiful apartment? Then follow me to take that Horn Fort, and then hold it!" Edward pulled the steel sword out of the ground, and the cold blade pointed at everyone's gaze, and read it word by word:

"Brethren of the expeditionary force, kneel before this sword, and swear allegiance to me - and anyone who will not fight alongside me until the last moment, please leave this ship now, we do not welcome the cowardly!"

.................. "I didn't expect it to be you...... It was a little bit of a surprise. Edward, who had stepped down from the deck alone, looked with a slight amusement at the same figure of Shirrell Lytrunk, the female leader of the Silver Blood Mercenary Regiment, with her large, exaggerated steel sword on her back, and sitting on the barrel with her right leg crossed.

Probably because of the special reason, after crossing into this strange world, Edward rarely saw anyone with the same black hair and black eyes as himself, even if there were a few black-haired guys, they were curly like little Goodwin, and there was no one with black eyes.

These special feelings gave Edward curiosity, and he couldn't help but investigate the mercenary a little - his father was a Dominic wizard, and his mother was a famous female musician on the West Coast, a slightly special family. No one knows how she got into this business, but being the head of the regiment as a woman is enough to prove a lot of things.

"Didn't a certain lieutenant general once say that mercenaries only need to obediently receive money and obey orders, and it has nothing to do with us whether they are righteous or evil. Although it was still the slightly indifferent face, Edward could still see a slight mockery at the corner of her mouth: "I'm just obeying orders, is there something wrong?"

"You're not the kind of person who fights for money, but it's best if you can. Edward pursed the corners of his mouth slightly, and slowly approached the purple-haired woman with a cold gaze: "I want to know the real reason." ”

Shirrell snorted softly, but didn't answer Edward's meaning, "When you came to us last night, you promised a large sum of money, but...... You don't have that much money, do you?"

"Oh...... Why do you think that?"

"Intuition, although there is also an element of guessing. Shrell replied softly: "At first glance, you know that you are the kind of person who has really lived a poor life, or has encountered difficulties, and the real rich people are not paid like you - the young master of the Minest family directly gave us ten thousand silver coins and asked if he would like to take this job, so that he would not be as meticulous as you." ”

“...... Don't doubt my ability, as long as I promise, I will never go back, you will be paid. Edward was silent for a moment, "But you still haven't answered my question." ”

"No, that's my answer - I'm willing to say yes even if I know you can't afford to pay. Shirrell hugged his shoulders and lifted his chin slightly: "See, it's not funny to talk about justice with a mercenary!"