Chapter 285: |
The news of Alda’s army landing upstream of the Weiss River quickly reached Center City, causing a great stir in this largest city of the northwest bay.
The Duke’s Mansion immediately stepped in to suppress the news, declaring it merely a rumor spread by the rebel alliance led by Count Parker, designed to destabilize the military and the people’s morale. They ordered a ban on any discussion of the matter.
However, the citizens remained anxious, and the news continued to spread quietly. As the city where the Duke of the Northwest resided, Center had not experienced war for a long time. In this era, war meant looting, slaughter, and humiliation for women. Many wealthy families were already planning to flee quietly.
In the grand hall of the Duke’s Mansion, the atmosphere was tense, and everyone silently awaited the arrival of their lord.
In recent days, a series of victories by Jace had filled the place with laughter and cheer. Now, not a word of it was heard.
In a small room behind the hall, Marltz Kent was discussing matters with his intelligence chief and Emerson.
“It’s that Grayman again!” Marltz Kent gritted his teeth in frustration. He glared at his intelligence chief, his meaning clear:
What’s going on? All the effort spent, and you only managed to hold him off for such a short time?
The intelligence chief, sweating under his gaze, quickly defended himself:
“After the salt worker’s uprising, Lakeheart Town has been on high alert for similar incidents. Creating a second uprising is exceedingly difficult.”
Marltz was visibly unsatisfied and coldly said, “I don’t want to hear excuses. I gave you money, I gave you resources, and I expect corresponding results. Otherwise… it won’t be as simple as just replacing you.”
The intelligence chief shivered, replying fearfully, “Yes, Duke.”
Marltz sighed heavily, “All of them are useless…”
Emerson then asked, “Uncle, don’t be too anxious. Once all the lords arrive, we will surely find a suitable way to deal with the current situation.”
“Hmph!” Marltz replied discontentedly, “As if they can come up with anything useful. I know exactly what they’re thinking. When the wind is fair, they rush to claim their benefits. In adversity, they hesitate, fearing their own losses. These people are tools, not partners. Emerson, I plan to delay our offensive on Fort Bidou and have Jace return to deal with the situation in Fish Tail Town. What do you think?”
Emerson pondered and said, “I don’t think that’s wise. The siege on Fort Bidou is critical, and we’ve invested substantial troops and resources. Abandoning it now would waste all our efforts. Moreover, withdrawing now could cause unrest among the troops. Running back and forth between two fronts would be exhausting, and it would clearly signal that we are in trouble at our rear.”
“You’re right. Any other solutions?”
“How about sending the mercenaries training longbowmen in Center to Fish Tail Town, along with our newly trained archers? We can test their training results. We don’t need to recapture Fish Tail Town immediately, just holding them off is enough. Once Fort Bidou falls, we can then concentrate our forces to annihilate or drive back Alda’s army.”
“Hmm…”
Marltz Kent stroked his beard, contemplating Emerson’s plan.
“Alright, let’s do that.”
Just then, a servant cautiously entered, “Duke, the lords from various regions have all arrived and are waiting for you.”
Marltz stood up and gestured, “Come, follow me. It’s time to extract some more value from them.”
The lords gathered in the great hall finally welcomed their Duke. They were already anxious, as the situation in Fish Tail Town, though dismissed as a rumor among the common folk, posed a real threat to these rulers.
The Duke had finally arrived.
“We can’t withdraw from the siege of Fort Bidou, so we need to organize another army to drive back the Aldans from our rear!”
The Duke’s words left everyone inwardly groaning, but it seemed there was no better option at the moment.
“Counts must contribute no less than 800 men, viscounts no less than 400, and barons no less than 200!”
Marltz set strict standards for troop contributions from each house, leaving no room for negotiation.
“Additionally, you must provide your own provisions and arms!”
…
It took a week, but a massive army was finally assembled in Center City. The troops sent by various lords amounted to 5,000 men, and with Marltz Kent’s own 1,000 recruits and the mercenary troops, the army’s strength reached over 6,000.
Fergus, observing the immense military formation training on the parade ground, sneered.
“Your Duke is too cautious! I heard that the Aldans who landed at Fish Tail Town are barely over a thousand. Is such a grand display really necessary?”
He was the leader of another mercenary group brought in by Emerson. Arriving late, they had missed Jace’s campaign. Jace’s consecutive victories meant Fergus’s group wasn’t deployed to the frontline but remained in Center to train longbowmen for the Duke, who wished to have a longbowmen unit completely under his control.
This arrangement greatly dissatisfied Fergus. Only Emerson’s private promise of uncompromised payment kept them there.
A military officer sent by the Duke’s Mansion to coordinate with the mercenaries could only offer a wry smile at the mercenary leader’s evident sarcasm.
“Fergus, you should still be cautious. The Aldan fire crossbows are not to be underestimated. Their range rivals that of longbows, and their power is even greater. The only drawback is their slower firing rate.”
“And their terrifying thunder hammers, like a gift from the gods, shaking the earth and invincible!”
The officer had experienced the Battle of Fort Bidou firsthand. The performance of the first and third infantry battalions had left a deep impression on him.
“And there’s more…”
“Their fire crossbows can also be used in close combat, and their soldiers are skilled in melee fighting, right?”
Before the officer could finish, Fergus completed his sentence, leaving him at a loss for words.
“Hmph! I’ll show the Aldans who the real kings of land warfare are.”
The mercenary leader’s face showed clear disdain.
“And let Doug know who’s the top mercenary group!”
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