By the end of August, all the cities north of Severa had been swept away by Snowdon's southern expeditionary forces.

Since the outbreak of the war, including the undefended border areas and the small half of the Northwest Theater, a total of 150,000 square kilometers of land and more than 14 million people, have all fallen into the hands of Snowton.

And the Bright Holy See, which was slow to react, also officially launched a counterattack.

On August 21, the three major corps of the Guangming New Army left Ranken and set off for the front. It also included the most elite of the First Legion. Known as the "Light Fortress", these sword and shield hoplites can be called the nemesis of the knightly army.

At the same time, a secret agreement began to circulate among the southern states. Archbishop Inedil, at the cost of ceding the Northeast Theater of Operations, borrowed 100,000 troops from the San Setestian Empire. Most people will be skeptical of this rumor, and it is difficult to believe that the Holy See of Light would make such a humiliating move.

But it didn't take long for the Desert Nation to send an army. Part of it, began to take over the cities on the border between the two countries. Another cavalry, numbering 100,000, marched towards the city of Leajch. After merging the local garrison, their total number reached 200,000, which was enough to pose a sufficient threat to the flank of Snowdon's southern expeditionary army.

For this reason, King Nacini had to send additional troops to ensure the safety of the logistics line. The Eastern Route Army, which was composed of most of the "Black Flag" and the "Blue Cloth Long Shot", also moved closer to the Central Route Army in a timely manner to prevent it from being outflanked and annihilated. The General Staff Headquarters is preparing to transfer several infantry divisions and regiments to merge into the Eastern Route Army after the arrival of the second-line corps, so that it will have a certain siege capability. In this way, they can go from being mere patrols to being sharp knives that cut into the gap between the two major theaters of the opposing side.

As for the other news, it is even more bizarre. It is said that the Torm Federation, fearing Snowton after the fall of the "Holy Alliance". will take the knife on himself, so he intends to send troops to help. Regardless of whether this statement is true or not, at least one thing is certain, those Tholm giants who do not see rabbits and do not scatter eagles will never trade at a loss.

However, in order to be sure, Albert still sent a large number of scouts. Closely watch the turmoil on the western border. Located in the northwest corner of the Duchy of Ian, the county of Silin is separated from Torm by a barren mountainous area. And this money country, which is known for its "freedom", even if it does not even have a formed national defense force, the developed mercenary system and the private army of the merchant lords are also a force to be reckoned with.

After all, as the second force in the south after the "Holy Alliance", if the Torm Federation goes all out, Snowton will definitely be attacked from both sides. By that time, it is not yet known who will kill the deer.

It is in such a situation. Allegri arrived at the front.

The county seat of Xilin.

As a typical Snowton general, Ebert did not attach much importance to Allegri's arrival. A random order officer was sent and placed in the rear camp of the Fifth Legion, even if it was over.

"Looks like we're being treated like a fish belly troop. Looking around the deserted and humble camp, Dios rolled over and dismounted, shook his head and smiled.

Snowton's Southern Crusade. According to the combat effectiveness from high to low, it is divided into three echelons. The first sequence of these. Represented by the Praetorian Guard, the "Three Great Hussars", and the "Five Male Soldiers", a total of 130,000 people, it is a well-deserved main elite. And the second sequence, by garrisoning troops from all over the place. The ten major legions, composed of the servant army and the special legion, have a total of 180,000 people, which can be regarded as the basis of the Southern Expeditionary Army.

As for the aristocratic private soldiers who followed, plus the strong men of the people, they were the largest. The combat effectiveness is also the weakest part. The vast majority of them, who are not qualified to go to the front, perform tasks such as transporting supplies, escorting along the way, clearing occupations in the rear.

Only a few private troops who can barely see it will be organized into the reserve of the ten major legions, responsible for auxiliary work such as sweeping the tail of the battlefield, waving flags and shouting, and feints. And there is no doubt that this is also the situation of Allegri and his party today.

Or rather, Ebert's positioning of them.

"Whatever he is, set up camp. Allegri smiled and waved his hand in order.

The soldiers of the mercenary group divided into groups to clean the campsite and arrange sentry posts and guards. Not far from the vicinity, there was the rear camp of the Fourth Legion, which also had a force of several thousand people stationed, and on the maroon flag, embroidered with three white swallows, it should also be the private soldiers of a certain nobleman.

The army brought by Allegri reached more than 20,000 men, 5,000 more than the fully formed Fifth Legion. However, the troops are complicated and do not look neat, and the Southern Expeditionary Army next to them glanced at it from a distance and ignored it. For them, these chicks who have never been on the battlefield, no matter how many they are, will not help.

During this time, Albert took turns sending his troops to attack the county town of Xilin. In the war of attrition for several days, the opponent has become exhausted. After all, Sirin was only a small border county in the Duchy of Ian, not the same as Frodo. In addition to the gap between the garrison and the fortifications of the city, the power of faith accumulated in the Divine Array is also very inferior. According to the research of the mages accompanying the army, even if Inedir unleashed the technique of defeating both sides, it would not be able to reach the strength of the last time.

The day after Allegri's arrival, the Western Route Army attacked as usual.

Feints on three sides, a little breakthrough, and not attacking the head of the city at the same time, this is the countermeasure formulated by Albert. At the same time, the magicians began to set up their circles in preparation for the final general attack.

The special legions of the Southern Expeditionary Army are composed of scouts, siege soldiers, machines, mages and other professional troops, among which the mage legion has the smallest number of people, only a few hundred, and most of them are only at the middle and low-level level, which is still hard to collect by Snowton.

Ordered his soldiers to rest in the camp, Allegri and Dios rode to the front of the battle to observe the siege. Albert spotted them, too, but neither stopped them nor accosted them, apparently not paying much attention.

The moat of Xilin County has long been filled with bones, and the ladder is directly erected on the head of the city, and the soldiers of the Western Route Army brave the rain of arrows to climb hard. For the siege, these warriors were specially issued with iron helmets, as well as shields with metal frames, hardwood bodies, and cowhide masks. However, in front of the rolling stone and the wood, they continued to scream and fall, breaking their tendons and breaking them, and killing them on the spot.

"You see," Dios explained, pointing to the light-filled walls, "the county towns of the Duchy of Ian were built with divine arrays, so they are extremely difficult to break. ”

"No wonder the Southern Expeditionary Army is making slow progress......" Allegri nodded, and just as he was about to say something, the sound of thunderous horses' hooves suddenly sounded in the east.

... (To be continued......)

PS: (First update.) ）