As the battalion commander of the local garrison battalion in Rodex Bay City, Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando is very satisfied with his position. This is indeed a good place to retire, with beautiful scenery and pleasant climate. He even planned to write to his relatives, asking them to move here from their hometown, build a manor and farm here, and make the family a local celebrity in the colony.
Lieutenant Colonel Lemando is forty-three years old. He has served diligently in the Verona Fleet of the United Kingdom of Fox Islands for twenty-five years. From a small trainee sailor to a naval lieutenant commander in the kingdom, he became the captain of the ocean transport ship Fathead Fish. For a naval officer with civilian background, this is already a very remarkable achievement. In his hometown, a small fishing village, Mr. Le Mando has become something of a legend.
But Mr. LeMando was unlucky. Two years ago, in a skirmish with pirates, his left wrist was severed and he had to retire from the Navy. In order to appease this hardworking lieutenant commander, the Navy of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands transferred him to the local garrison and appointed Mr. Le Mando as the battalion commander of the local garrison battalion in Rodex Bay City. , promoted to Army Lieutenant Colonel.
It’s just that Lieutenant Colonel Lemando doesn’t understand why the United Kingdom of Fox Islands wants to intervene in this colonial war between the Kingdom of Hicks and the Kingdom of Ovelas. The Kingdom of Hicks is the dominant regional power in the northern part of the Farea continent, while the Kingdom of Overas is also a regional power in the eastern part of the continent. Even though the Kingdom of Overas was in decline due to a five-year war in the eastern region, the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands was a big country that could not be easily offended.
Perhaps it can only be blamed on the fact that the golden light of the Hicks Kingdom's Golden Kop Shield was so dazzling that the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands set a precedent of leasing the entire colony. Fortunately, the lease agreement clearly stated that, with the exception of Rodex Bay City, it was not under the jurisdiction of the Hicks. Otherwise, Lieutenant Colonel Lemando, the commander of the local garrison battalion, would have lost his job less than a year after taking office.
Precisely because the lease of the colony was a precedent, Lieutenant Colonel Lemando had to deal with the Hicks every day like other local administrative officials. Although Rodex Bay City is still under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands, most of the livelihoods of the residents in the city are outside the city, and they inevitably interact with the soldiers of the Hicks Kingdom. There are endless disputes between the two sides. Local administrative officials are trying to It is exhausting to mediate these conflicts.
Lieutenant Colonel Lemando's mission is much simpler. He is only responsible for the security of the city and the protection of Rodex Bay City. Even if the Hicks were drunk and causing trouble in the city, he only needed to throw the uniforms of these drunks into the carriage and send them back to the base camp. In his opinion, these Hicks people are all very good men, with plenty of money around them. Since their arrival, the romantic place in Rodex Bay City has become much more lively, and the prices have increased.
Today is still a very ordinary night for Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando. He had a habit of going to the city walls for one more inspection before going to sleep, a habit he had developed on his battleship. On the vast sea, the captain's night patrols will keep the soldiers on the night shift in high spirits and prevent them from becoming careless. At the same time, it can also bring courage and confidence to the night watch soldiers to face the endless night at sea.
At the end of the inspection, Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando wanted to walk down the city wall, and suddenly heard the sound of gunshots. The sound was not loud. It must have been a Hicks soldier who drank too much and the gun went off. This kind of thing has happened several times before. Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando looked towards the Hicks general logistics base camp in the distance, and then he froze there.
Gunshots and explosions rang out in the Hicks general logistics base camp, which was always brightly lit. Under the light of the campfire, one could clearly see figures falling to the ground one after another and running away in panic. In the dark wilderness outside the camp, there seemed to be countless black shadows approaching the camp. Gunshots, explosions, cries and screams kept coming from the camp.
What surprised Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando was that the attackers attacked as if they were in an uninhabited area. With the help of the bonfire at the gate of the camp, one can see vigorous figures rushing into the camp. They knelt down on one knee and shot, or stabbed the fleeing figures with shining bayonets. The Hicks in the camp seemed to have never organized an effective counterattack. They only saw gunshots and explosions quickly moving from the periphery to the depths of the camp.
Night attack! I actually saw a real night attack. Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando's body was shaking on the city wall. This was not fear, but excitement. There is nothing more shocking than witnessing a real actual battle. That is not what it is. Drill, what is happening in the camp over there is a real war, countless lives are disappearing, and blood is flowing on the ground.
"Lieutenant Colonel, what should we do? Will we also be attacked by those people?" A trembling voice next to him suddenly woke up Lieutenant Colonel Lemando.
"Quick! Close the gate quickly! Don't let anyone into the city, and don't let anyone out!" Lieutenant Colonel Lemando shouted, "More bonfires will be lit at the top of the city. No firewood? Why don't you hurry up and collect it!" Place more flags of our United Kingdom of Fox Islands so that people can see them at a glance below the city walls! Why, idiot, I'm protecting everyone's lives. Don't forget that we are neutral and will not take part in any side of this war! Come on! point!"
Under the urging of Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando, the soldiers of the local garrison on the city wall had arranged everything in less than an hour. Immediately afterwards, all the soldiers in the local garrison who were resting in the military camp were awakened and held muskets. He hurried up the city wall and prepared various defensive artillery on the wall, finally calming down Lieutenant Colonel Lemando.
I don't know if these local garrison battalions that deal with pirate attacks can withstand the attacks of those night raiders. Lieutenant Colonel Lemando was thinking about this life-and-death issue in his mind. At this time, in addition to cries and screams, there were only occasional gunshots and explosions in the camp two kilometers away. It was obvious that the Hicks general logistics base camp had been captured by the attackers. It should be in the finishing stage now
It was so fast. It only took more than an hour to capture such a large camp. There was also a division of Hicks defending it. Lieutenant Colonel Lemando had to marvel at the combat power of the night raiders. That was the so-called Austrian army. Are they the troops in the Overseas Territory War Zone of the Kingdom of Vilas? Doesn't it mean that they only have two local second-tier legions? If the combat effectiveness of the two second-line local legions of the Kingdom of Ovelas is so strong, then it is really difficult to determine the winner of this colonial war between the Kingdom of Hicks and the Kingdom of Ovelas.
It was not that Lieutenant Colonel Lemando had never seen the Hicks regiment. In his eyes, the Hicks officers were not worth mentioning. Those logistics officials and senior officers of the army are all greedy and lustful vulgar people. They are even using this colonial war to enrich their own pockets. Don't think that Lieutenant Colonel Lemando doesn't know that all the money they spend in the city every night is public funds, and he cleverly increases the expenses so that they can get a profit from it.
Sometimes Lieutenant Colonel Lemando thought that the residents of the city had offered exorbitantly high prices for selling goods to the Hicks. But what he didn't expect was that the Hicks people in charge of purchasing went even further and doubled or tripled the purchase price as their kickback. As a result, a sheep was sold for the price of a cow.
No matter how much he despised the senior officers of the Hicks Kingdom in his heart, Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando still had to admire the strong combat power of those Hicks veterans. In his opinion, these soldiers of the Hicks Kingdom were all the best soldiers, but they were a little older, more gloomy and less talkative. But they obey orders very well and perform very well in tactical training exercises. No matter which country they are in, such soldiers can be called elite soldiers.
Therefore, Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando believed that no matter how incompetent Hicks' senior officers were, with such strong and elite soldiers, they could still easily win this colonial war. After all, the Kingdom of Hicks has prepared ten standing legions and an army of more than 600,000 people this time. This is already a powerful army in the Farea continent, enough to destroy some small kingdoms and principalities.
But tonight's night attack with his own eyes made Lieutenant Colonel Lemando understand that the news about the setback of the frontline war revealed by senior Hicks officers at the banquet a few days ago was true, and they were not making up mysteries. To cover up the truth, the troops in the Overseas Territory War Zone of the Overas Kingdom were more powerful than the Hicks.
There was a loud quarrel from behind.
"What's going on?" Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando turned his head angrily, only to realize that it was a large group of Hicks senior officers who were having fun in the city who somehow got their general logistics base camp under attack. After hearing the news, they all came to the city wall to see if someone was deceiving them or joking with them. A few drunken senior officers were still yelling and cursing, asking the soldiers from the local garrison camp to open the door, and wanted to go back to the camp to take a look.
"Tear off their uniforms and put them on the city wall." Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando thought for a while and felt that he and the Hicks were still in the period of cooperation. It was best to give them a face and let them go up. The city walls, but they cannot be allowed to come up wearing the military uniforms of the Kingdom of Hicks.
"Le Mando! What do you mean?" A senior Hicks officer who knew Le Mando was stripped of his uniform before letting him go up the city wall. He was so angry that he almost went crazy. Even Le Mando's rank as Lieutenant Colonel Instead of weighing people, just call them by their names. In fact, this is very impolite and insulting and can even lead to a life-or-death duel.
However, Lieutenant Colonel Lemando didn't care about them. He just looked at him with pitiful eyes. "I'm saving your lives, idiots! Your enemies have captured your general logistics base camp. If you are still wearing Xi The military uniforms of the Kingdom of Rodkes are standing on the city wall. I guarantee that the enemies who attacked the camp will turn around and attack our city. Do you think a local garrison camp like ours in Rodkes Bay City with less than a thousand people can withstand it? Their attack?"
The senior officers of Hicks Kingdom who were on the city wall were speechless. They were greedy for money and lust, but they were not stupid. They all knew that Lieutenant Colonel Lemando was telling the truth. They just raised their eyes and looked in the direction of the camp. Some of them even Those who brought monoculars held them in front of their eyes and kept looking at them.
"Have our camp really been attacked?" a fat Hicks logistics officer in charge asked with a trembling voice. The camp seemed a little peaceful now, with only occasional gunshots ringing out. The explosions had disappeared, but there were still cries and screams. The firelight in the camp was also brighter, and it was not as regular as before. There were probably tents burning in several places, but no one seemed to care, and no one went to put out the fire.
They were more than two thousand meters away, and even though the fire in the camp was very bright, they were still not clearly visible through the monocular telescope. There were many figures coming and going at the gate of the camp, but the senior officer Hicks standing on the city wall almost inserted his telescope into their eyes, but he still couldn't see clearly what military uniforms those figures were wearing. look.
"Yes, it only took the attackers more than an hour to capture your camp." Lieutenant Colonel Lemando's words made all the senior Hicks officers standing on the city wall feel cold. They knew very well what impact the loss of the General Logistics Base Camp would have on this colonial war, and they were even unable to explain the past to Mechid III.
Suddenly there was a noise in the wasteland in front of the city wall. It sounded like many people were rushing towards the gate of the city wall. Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando immediately ordered, "Everyone is ready, extinguish the match ropes, and no shots are allowed. The artillerymen on the city wall should also be careful not to light the cannons!"
In the darkness, a large group of people rushed within the range of the firelight on the city wall. Only then did Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando realize that what was rushing over was a large group of broken troops of the Hicks. It seemed that they had all escaped from the camp. . They were running out of breath, and were in a state of embarrassment as if they had thrown away their armor. Some had no hats, some had disheveled military uniforms, some had one foot bare, and most had empty hands, holding nothing at all. arms. When they ran to the gate of the city wall, they all stuck out their tongues, exhaled and inhaled loudly, and relaxed their bodies. Those who still had some strength were already crying for the superiors to open the door for them and let them into the city.
"Ignore them, and don't open the city!" Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando ordered viciously.
A senior Hicks officer rushed over and grabbed Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando by the collar. "Why don't you let them into the city? They managed to escape. We still need to get the enemy's information from their mouths." Information, tell them to open the city gate quickly!"
The soldiers in the local garrison camp nearby were shocked. They either lit the match again and pointed their guns at the senior Hicks officers on the city wall, or used bayonets to hold the senior officer who grabbed Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando "Let go quickly." ! Let go immediately and step back!"
Lieutenant Colonel Lemando calmly waved his left hand. There was no left palm on it, only a big iron hook, signaling to his soldiers not to be nervous.
"Do you know what it means to let these soldiers in front of the city wall enter the city? It means that our Rodex Bay City local garrison stands with your Hicks Kingdom and becomes the enemy of your enemies. And we, the Fox Islands United The Kingdom has issued a statement that we are neutral in this colonial war between you and the Kingdom of Ovelas and will not intervene or interfere in this war. If the enemy does not invade Rodex Bay City, we cannot shoot. Counterattack and provocation to the enemy are strictly prohibited.”
Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando pointed with the iron hook of his left hand at the Hicks' deserters who were begging under the city wall. "If I let them enter the city, it means that I am on your side and protect the defeated soldiers of these large camps. Your The enemy can justifiably launch an attack on Rodex Bay City, but we, the United Kingdom of Fox Islands, cannot blame them because we violated our promise of neutrality first.
If I meet your request, it means putting the entire Rodex Bay City in danger. Once the attackers attacking your camp launch an attack on this city, then not only these defeated troops, but also you will also be killed. Will die in battle or become a prisoner. And I will also become the biggest sinner of our United Kingdom, because I sent all the residents of my Kingdom of Rodex Bay City into the hands of your enemies, allowing them to be trampled, plundered and killed."
The senior officer Hicks who grabbed Lieutenant Colonel Lemando's collar weakly let go, collapsed on the ground, covered his face with his hands and cried. The senior officers of Hicks on the city wall all knew that Lieutenant Colonel Le Mando was right. They could do nothing to deal with the large group of defeated troops under the city wall, and could only let them cry and beg under the city wall.
Time passed like this little by little, and the large group of defeated soldiers under the city wall had changed from begging and crying to loud curses and hateful curses like gnashing of teeth. However, the defenders on the city wall remained indifferent and did not open the city gate to let them go. They mean to go in.
"Pull back the troops and let Colonel Berklin collect these deserters. The commander in charge of the local garrison in Rodex Bay City was very wise and did not open the city gate to let these defeated troops enter the city. We can't find any reason to attack this city." City, just let them go." Claude ordered calmly.
"But General, those senior officers from Hicks are all in this city, are we going to let them go like this?" Murray Ed said reluctantly next to him.
"So what? The United Kingdom of the Fox Islands has long declared that it will remain neutral in this colonial war, and leasing the colony to the Hicks Kingdom is just a business. We and the Hicks will fight to the death in their colonies and they will not care. I will take care of it, but our unreasonable attack on Rodex Bay City, which belongs to them, means declaring war with them. The Hicks will be happy to death. They wish we had one more enemy.
Although the army of the United Kingdom of Fox Islands is not worth mentioning, their naval fleet is indeed very powerful and can easily cause trouble in the seaports and coastal areas of our territorial theater. We don't need to add a powerful maritime enemy to ourselves at this time, and let those senior officers of the Kingdom of Hicks stay in the city to escape the fate of being captured by us. So what, I can't wait for such incompetent senior officers. The more Hicks Kingdom the better”
Now that Claude has made his decision. Murield stopped persuading, and instead arranged for messengers to notify Colonel Berklin who was ambushing in front of the city wall.
Seeing the soldiers of the Thunder Legion appearing silently and suddenly in the darkness, they surrounded the large group of yelling Hicks troops in front of the city gate and quickly took them away as prisoners regardless of their pleas. Lieutenant Colonel Lemando on the city wall felt a cold feeling on his back. When he reached out and touched it, he realized that his clothes were soaked with cold sweat.