Section 139 Before the war

"This is the current situation in the country. ”

Dressed in a military uniform, Byron pointed to the map on the wall. The map has been carefully manipulated to delineate the distribution of the various potential forces in different colors.

Among those present were not only officers in his army, but also a large number of civilian officials. Byron was indeed a smart man, and in fact, this meeting was out of the realm of a military conference, but a meeting of encouragement, a mobilization meeting, a meeting of confidence for all.

"If Her Majesty our queen sends troops, the number of troops will definitely not exceed 30,000. Byron looked around at his subordinates and said confidently. "She only has two lines of attack. ”

His hand pointed to the map. This was her first march, crossing the river from the bend of the river. This is also the way we withdrew before. The advantage of this road is that the terrain is open, the road is sound, and it is easy to advance and retreat. And if you can control the ferry, you can ensure the safety of your own retreat. If she had gone like this, we would have been here. His hand was on a location on the map. "Engage her. We will have twice as many troops as hers, plus two castles to back on. At the end of the day, we will also have a flat and vast battlefield where we can give full play to our combat power. ”

"What do you think, Essien?" Cleo asked his friend softly. It was the first time in a long time that Essien had participated in a military conference. But then again, as long as it's an officer, it's all here. There were no chairs in the whole hall - there were too many people to sit in. This is because Byron's important goal was to build up confidence in all his men that he would win. Because in any case, he is also hostile to the queen, and the vacillation of his subordinates in this case is not too much to worry about.

"Ashrufat will never go down this path. Essien replied. "If I were Ashrufat, I wouldn't have taken this path. Because in this case it is a must-lose. ”

"Can the Duke win?"

"You can win. Essien replied. "The advantage is big beyond a certain boundary...... It's hard to get into a game. Ashrufat may be far superior in military talent, but no matter how good an ant is, it can't resist an elephant's casual step. ”

Clio nodded and said no more.

"There's another way, this way. Byron gestured to another location on the map. "You have to go through the mountains. If Ashrufat walks from here, he can avoid the defensive lines that have been set up by our side. It can even pose a direct threat to the city of Fornoros. But the question is...... I've sent someone to take a closer look at the road. ”

Byron looked at everyone. "The answer is that the terrain is complex and the roads are so damaged that they cannot be used by large armies unless enough time and manpower are spent on repairs. ”

Those with military experience nodded one after another. Byron's basic strategic idea is to play defensively, so that means he only needs to defend one side. In other words, your side can gather all its forces to defend one place. This is strategically advantageous.

"Byer, I order you to stay in Fornoros!" Byron began to give orders one by one. He was already determined to lead his army to fight this victorious battle, so he let his eldest son stay in the lair. "I'll give you five thousand soldiers, and besides, you can recruit militia at will. In any case, the goal must be to preserve the city of Fornoros itself, and it must not be taken lightly. ”

Byron's order did not come as a surprise to anyone. Originally, when he was regent, Bairheim was in charge of the city of Fornoros, and now it is just a matter of restoring it to its old state. In addition, although Bayer was punished by his father for material problems, he then ventured into Eagle Falcon City and made great achievements. Because of this, Byron quickly regained his trust in him.

But on this point, in fact, many people think that this is just pretense. How could a father not love and trust his wonderful son? But there are still many who think that Byron is indeed a monarch with clear rewards and punishments.

"Yes, sir. Bairheim stepped forward and saluted.

Byron began to give orders one by one, assigning each man to lead the army by separate routes, and arrived at the battlefield that Byron had predetermined.

"Lord Duke," Essien stood up, unable to bear it. Cleo tried to pull him, but unfortunately he didn't.

"Why, do you have any opinions?" asked Byron, slightly surprised.

"Lord Duke, you are going to wait at the battlefield you have booked...... Ashrufat?"

"Of course. Byron replied. Although he had little experience or talent in military affairs, at least he knew that there were many advantages to arriving on the battlefield first. At the very least, it can also give the enemy no time to set up the battlefield and arrange traps.

"But if Ashrufat insists on forcing his march from that path......"

"It meant that he had to throw away all his baggage. This time it was Bairheim who spoke. "In addition, he had to suffer a lot of losses on the march, especially the horses. As a result, his army's combat strength may be reduced by half. ”

"Even so, it is better than him facing our army on the plains. Essien replied. "Because it's a low chance of winning, but at least he can gamble. And if on that battlefield...... He doesn't even have a 'very low' chance of winning. ”

"What do you think?" asked Bairheim. "Do you want to divide our army into two armies and divide them against the enemy?" he asked, his voice full of provocation. At this moment, the poor relationship between Bairkheim and Essien is no secret in the city of Fornoros.

"Lord Duke," Essien stepped forward and walked over to Duke Byron. "I think our army can get here. His hand pointed toward the map. Everyone could see that Essien had chosen the location in the middle of the two routes, and there was a small town here. "Here, it's easy to help both sides. ”

"Well, if Ashrufat comes along the main road, it means that our two castles will have to hold out alone for two or three days under enemy attack. Barheim said sarcastically. "What an excellent suggestion. ”

"If those two castles can't be defended for even three days, then there is no point in the ......"

"Essien," Byron waved his hand like a pesky fly. "We have the advantage that our spies are able to keep us informed of the enemy's movements. It doesn't cost much, just a few teleportation scrolls and a minions or two. Ashrufat has come by the great road, and we can wait for work. If Ashrufat walks the path...... As long as we get the information in time, we can still arrive in time to intercept his way. ”

"Lord Duke, as long as the enemy governs the army properly, spies cannot be controlled. Essien replied. "If something unexpected happens...... This means that the enemy gets the opportunity to lay out the battlefield. Maybe he will set some trap to offset the disparity in forces. We had a double superiority in numbers, but Garunas had defeated Tiberius's army with a third of his forces. ”

He said this sentence too quickly and urgently, and his tone was too serious. Byron's face was a little uncontrollable. While he didn't mind using the opportunity to show his wit, Essien's words were a bit too much.

"Do you think I'm the fool of Tiberius back then?" Byron snorted.

"I didn't mean that, my lord, I just ......"

"That's enough, I'll know it. Byron said. He no longer cared about Essien, but turned to someone else. "Ladies and gentlemen, although the enemy is weaker this time, we must not underestimate the enemy's ......."

Essien did not listen carefully to Byron's passionate speech, and retreated to his original position, that is, Clio's side. Clio could clearly see his friend clenching his fist.

"Essien......" Clio said softly. He didn't understand military affairs, and he didn't know why he was so excited.

"We were meant to win. Essien whispered in an indescribable tone. "But now, we have given the enemy a chance to defeat us. ”

......

The mother-in-law gently put on the neck armor for her.

Aside from the helmet, this is the last part of the armor. The one in the mirror no longer looked like a queen, but a young knight. The little girl turned halfway around. It fits perfectly, even perfectly.

"How's it going, mother-in-law, is it good-looking?"

"I don't have to say it. Truly the most brilliant queen!" replied the mother-in-law, smiling softly.

This wasn't the ceremonial armor she had worn before. It wasn't really armor at all, it was just a leather coat painted with silver powder, but it just looked like a pair of armor. Compared to the "leather suit", the set she was wearing was a real armor. It's thin, but it's made of steel. Since growing up so much, the little girl has felt the feeling of being wrapped in steel ladle for the first time.

In the mirror, she looks heroic and full of vitality. But it looks fresh, but it feels really bad to wear such a full suit of armor. The main reason is that the weight of the armor itself drags down, which makes the body sluggish. In addition to this, the limitations of the joints also make the body very unfree.

The little girl took a few steps. After putting on the armor, the center of gravity of the body is different, and it is really inconvenient to move.

"Your Majesty, are you dressed?" came the voice of Ashrufat outside. Then he walked in from the outside, also wearing the full armor he had worn as the Queen's bodyguard. As mentioned earlier, this suit of armor is gorgeous, and it is just right for you.

"Ashrufat, what do you think of me?" Seeing Ashrufat, the little girl immediately asked with great interest.

"Outstanding. Ashrufat gave him a slight look and replied.

Of course, there is a reason for the little girl to wear this set of armor, and she has to take the oath ceremony today. In the name of the Queen, she will send troops against the traitors. Truth be told, before she announced this, the others had no idea that the little queen would actually take the throne herself—at her current age of twelve, it really seemed a bit child's play.

"Are you nervous?" Ashruphat helped the little girl straighten her cloak with her hand.

"A little. The little girl said softly.

"We're out of the woods. ”

Truth be told, the human psyche is really incredible. When she put on the armor, the little girl didn't actually feel much nervousness (but felt fresh and curious), but as she left the room step by step and walked outside, an inexplicable pressure quickly grew in her heart. When only the last part of the road remained, she almost lost the courage to take a step. She's going to war now...... A real battlefield. This is not a game or fantasy, but a realistic Jin Ge Iron Horse and flesh and blood.

"Ashrufat...... "The little girl found that her throat was so stiff that she couldn't even speak.

"What's wrong?"

"Yes...... Let me hold your hand?" she held out her hand tremblingly.