The Falcon's message stated that Colonel Bock'ar did not come back alone, but brought forty-eight dilapidated ocean-going transport ships, smuggling ships and fishing boats of various sizes to the Port of Kaubicius in the Tiersim Direct Territory. These ships were loaded with nearly 60,000 refugees from various local counties in the Kingdom. They survived the arduous sea voyage for more than 20 days and finally arrived by relying on a little bread dumplings mixed with sawdust, bark and wild vegetables. Overseas territories directly under the jurisdiction...
In addition, only thirty-seven people from the guard squadron that followed Colonel Bockal to the royal capital to meet King Sterling XI to escort the gifts came back. Including Colonel Boqar's personal guards, a total of twenty-four people died on this trip. Most of the reasons for their sacrifices were robbers, thieves and bandits they encountered on the roads in the kingdom. It is said that the most dangerous time was when they were besieged on a small hill by a bandit gang of three to four hundred people, and they escaped after a bloody battle. .. ...
Also, the main reason why Colonel Bockaar has not returned is because he was affected by those refugees. This is because after the end of the war, Sterling XI in the kingdom has not adopted a policy to heal the trauma of the domestic war. Instead, the people who joined Prince Hansback during the war were brutally held accountable and liquidated. As a result, the kingdom has been in turmoil and countless people have been displaced. In order to bring the refugees who followed them to overseas territories to give them a way to survive, Colonel Bockard spent all his money and his family's property...
In order to collect ocean-going ships that could go to sea, Colonel Bockal spent three months traveling to various port and fishing villages along the kingdom's coast, purchasing and hiring them, salvaging and repairing them, and finally assembled such a shabby fleet. After loading the refugees onto the ship, the fleet finally set sail and returned to the overseas territories.
However, the fleet's voyage at sea was not very smooth. Two ocean-going fishing boats sank, and despite timely rescue, hundreds of refugees died. The worst thing was to encounter black sail pirates. Fortunately, there were refugees on board, so there was nothing to rob. After the black-sail pirates boarded the ship for inspection, they cursed and let the refugee fleet go. They even showed compassion and replenished the fleet with some food and water, as well as some green radishes and some old pumpkins...
Claude stayed at the Port of Vibato for three days, where the 1st Thunder Division went ashore to Monknade Castle, while the Wolf Fang Squadron followed Claude back to Lanhu City, and the 2nd Thunder Division stayed on the ship as usual. Five days later, the combined fleet arrived at the Port of Patres in the Robidos Territory. All warships and ocean-going transport ships were anchored here waiting for the reorganization of the theater. The combined fleet would be adapted into an ocean-going cruise fleet in the territorial territory.
Claude and General Albert led the Wolf Fang Squadron and the Second Thunder Division back to Lanhu City. In less than half a year, Lanhu City once again became a large construction site, with dust flying everywhere, ditches everywhere, and scaffolding connected together. .
"Actually, it's a good thing that Lanhu City was reduced to rubble," General Albert suddenly said with emotion.
"Well" Claude didn't understand what General Albert meant by saying this.
"You don't know, General Skerry encountered a lot of trouble when he expanded Lanhu City last time." General Albert explained: "Many homeowners in the old city refused to renovate their houses, and even the underground drainage pipes It was impossible to lay and construct. In the end, General Skerry was forced to move the city center eastward and build a new city. The road traffic and underground drainage and sewage pipes in the new city and the old city were two systems. This time Lanhu City was reduced to rubble. It is precisely during the reconstruction process that the old city and the new city are integrated into one, and the overall city planning is carried out... "
Claude nodded. This is true. General Skerry has wanted to rectify the old city for a long time. In many big cities, because of the separation of the new city and the old city, the old city is often reduced to slums and the territory of underground gangs. Because of the numerous lanes and remote location, it brings a lot of trouble and hidden dangers to public security. This time Lanhu City was smashed into ruins. Although the loss was huge, it was like a blank piece of paper on which planning and construction could be carried out again.
When he arrived at the theater headquarters, Claude didn't see Bockaar. After asking, he found out that he had gone to settle down his family. This time Bok'ar came back and moved all his family and relatives, as well as the employees and family members of the family business, to overseas territories directly under the jurisdiction of the country. General Bolonik gave him half a month's leave and asked him to settle down his family and relatives first.
Although he didn't see anyone, Claude could see the report and trip diary written by Boker. Combining the two, you can find that due to the civil war, the kingdom's mainland is full of devastation, the people are in dire straits, refugees are everywhere, and bandits and bandits are emerging in an endless stream. The local officials of the kingdom not only failed to appease the people and eliminate banditry, but also intensified their exploitation of the people under their subordinates. Their purpose was only to flatter King Sterling XI, so as to keep their official positions and avoid the The ongoing wave of accountability and reckoning in the kingdom.
In fact, Bok'ar did not get along very well with the naval officers and soldiers on the dozen or so Storm Fleet warships that returned to the Kingdom's homeland, and the relationship between the two parties was not good. Sometimes Bock Aldu wonders if he will be plotted by them if he takes the boat alone. He will be tied up and thrown into the sea in the middle of the night, leaving no clues behind. He can even say something about himself. Jumped into the sea in the middle of the night or accidentally fell into the sea from the boat...
Therefore, Bock'ar's eighteen-day voyage on the ship was very difficult. He urged his guards to be careful at all times, especially food and drinking water, which had to be inspected before they could be imported. After finally arriving at White Deer City, Bock Al was stunned, because what he saw from the boat was a ruins, and the lively and prosperous town scene in the past was like a bubble, only remaining in his memory.
The armies of Prince Hansback and Prince Wiederek had been fighting back and forth in White Deer City for more than a year, and not many intact buildings were left in the entire city. Now all the ruins are shabby shacks, but Bok'ar didn't find a few old people he knew well in White Deer City. Most of them were afraid to avoid him when they saw his military uniform...
The local officials in Bailu City have changed again. They are concerned about the dozen or so returning Storm Fleet warships and the specialty materials brought by naval officers from overseas jurisdictions. For Bokoal, the envoy who came to see Sterling XI on behalf of the overseas territorial war zone, he only coldly provided instructions and certificates, and arranged for two carriages to be loaded with gifts and luggage. There was nothing else, so Bokhar had to spend his own money to buy about sixty packhorses to serve as mounts for his group.
As a result, the packhorse and carriage made them become big fat sheep in the eyes of the bandits and bandits on the road. They suffered seven large-scale sieges and roadblocks along the way. The most dangerous time was when he was besieged on a small hill by a bandit gang of three to four hundred refugees. Bockal said that he heard with his own ears that the refugees were shouting. He rushed up, killed them, and snatched their pack horses. They had them at night. Meat eaten...
Fortunately, the squadron of guards guarding Bock'ar were all selected elites with excellent marksmanship. They fired three rounds of muskets and took away more than a hundred bandits who were at the forefront of the bandit group. Then there was a bayonet fight, with the guards fighting one against three. After the bandit leader was shot to death, the bandit gang, which was like a refugee, all fled. But in that battle, seven guardsmen were killed and eighteen were wounded.
It was not until Ibiniste Plains where the royal capital was located that the security situation improved. The production recovery situation here is also better than that of other local counties. After all, it is an area under the jurisdiction of the royal capital. There are regiments of guards stationed here. Generally speaking, there are few large-scale bandit gangs. It's just that checkpoints have been set up on the roads around the Ibiniste Plain to prohibit refugees from other counties from entering the plain area under the jurisdiction of the royal capital...
Bok'ar and his party successfully passed the checkpoint and trekked for several days to reach the royal capital. They were planning to settle down at the Mining and Commerce Association's office in the royal capital, but they didn't expect that when they arrived at that address, what appeared in front of them was a ruins destroyed by fire.
According to people with knowledge of the surrounding area, they were soldiers of the Blue Feather Legion under the eldest prince. They wanted to evacuate the royal capital because of the defeat, so they robbed the business district. The office of the Mining and Commerce Association here unfortunately suffered a disaster. It was probably because the resistance angered the soldiers and they were shot. Finally, in order to cover up the crime, the soldiers set a fire before leaving, and half the street was burned to the ground.
However, there were still several members of the Mining and Business Association's office in the royal capital who escaped. When Bok'ar saw them, he discovered that they had become beggars. The reason is that once the fire burned, all the bank account books, seals, formality certificates and other documents hidden in the office were reduced to ashes. The funds reserved by the Mining and Commercial Association in the National Bank were swallowed up by the bank's handling staff. The lawsuit was never filed because all the savings and withdrawal certificates were gone, and I couldn’t find the proof even if I wanted to report the loss...
In addition, the business in the royal capital has collapsed due to the war and has not improved so far. They have to guard these ruins to prevent the overseas governors from finding them as survivors, so they can only stay in the They work odd jobs or beg for a living nearby, and spend the night in a small shack built on the ruins.
When they met Bok Al, a special envoy from an overseas territory, the staff burst into tears and unanimously asked Bok Al to take them home. Bok'ar could only agree to them and put them into the team, preparing to take them back to the overseas territories when he left.
Next, Bok'ar had no choice but to find another hotel. He found that prices in the royal capital were two or three times higher than after the war in the eastern region. In order to save money, he found the garrison of the Royal Guards in the royal capital and wanted to stay in the military camp. Unfortunately, his request was rejected by the guards officers in the military camp. Those guards officers said that outsiders were not allowed to enter the military camp without the permission of His Majesty the King.
In the end, Bockal went to the Kingdom's War Department and spent three days submitting an application to meet King Sterling XI. At the same time, he obtained a camping site from the War Department, which was located near a park surrounding the Kingdom's War Department. Several rows of wooden dormitories were built on the vacant land, which used to be the location of temporary military camps. Now it is the residence of many family members of Army Department officers who come to visit their relatives. Accommodation is free, but food and horse feed are all provided by oneself, and the Kingdom's Ministry of War will not reimburse them.
After settling down, Colonel Bokoal visited everywhere to test the opinions of Stirling XI and the kingdom's senior powerful figures on the Overseas Territory War Zone, and what they had to say about the colonial war with the Kingdom of Hicks that has continued to this day. None of the goals were achieved. Whether it is Sterling XI or those high-level powerful figures in the kingdom, they seem to have forgotten that the kingdom also has an overseas territory directly under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom, and there is also a colonial war going on there with the Kingdom of Hicks.
When Colonel Bokoal visited them, they were always happy to accept the gifts, but when it came to the overseas territorial war zones and this colonial war, these high-ranking and powerful figures in the kingdom would only express their spiritual sympathy and support for the territorial war zones. Encouragement, but in reality there is no support or help at all. In the end, a person who knew the inside story of the kingdom told the truth. Given the current situation of the kingdom, it would be impossible to support overseas war zones directly under the jurisdiction of the country because it was powerless.
The most egregious one was Stirling XI. When Colonel Boker met with him, he first rebuked the war zone's gift as being too shabby and of little value, and then asked why the overseas war zone had not paid taxes and taxes to the royal capital in the past few years. Tribute, do you think they can't use it if they are separated by an ocean kingdom? They can't wait until this wise king has tidied up the old country and reorganized the kingdom's fleet. At that time, he will personally conquer the war zone under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government and teach a lesson.
Colonel Bokoal was scolded inexplicably. He hurriedly explained that the colonial war with the Kingdom of Hicks was still going on in the territorial war zone. Only then did the wise King, who was still smelling of alcohol from the night before, realize that he was not Not knowing the truth. He didn't know that there was still this war in the overseas territories. After asking several ministers standing next to him, he found out that what Colonel Bokoal said was true.
However, Sterling XI did not apologize for this. Instead, he arrogantly told Colonel Bokoal that he did not care whether the territorial war zone was engaged in any colonial war with the Kingdom of Hicks. In the past few years, the overseas territories had not been handed over to the national treasury. The taxes and tribute paid to the royal family must be paid, and the fines must be doubled. After saying this, he turned and left impatiently, asking the royal manager how the preparations for tonight's palace ball were going... ...
This was the end of the meeting with the king. In the following days, Colonel Boker became a frequent visitor to the Kingdom's War Department, and once again visited all the powerful people who could speak in front of Sterling XI, but no one could help him. busy. Because Sterling X was busy holding various banquets, dances and cocktail parties, he had no time to deal with an envoy from an overseas territory.
Only then did Bockal discover that the Kingdom's Ministry of War was no longer the powerful authority it was when the late King Sterling X was on the throne, but had become a rubber stamp. The most they can do is send documents to the local garrison forces in various local counties to convey the king's instructions. They can't even raise the funds to maintain the operation of their own institutions. A civilian lieutenant colonel in the Army Ministry who is friends with Colonel Bockher said that he I haven’t received a salary for more than half a year. Now I stay here just to get free food at noon to bring to my family...
Nowadays, the Kingdom's three major legions, the Guards Corps are directly in the hands of Sterling XI, the Red Dragon Legion is the father-in-law of His Majesty the King, and the Kingdom's Marshal Duke Siegfried is in charge. The Griffin Legion did not show weakness. They elected their legion commander, the Hereditary Marquis of the Kingdom, Admiral Jarias Ho Hadero, to be their commander-in-chief and obeyed their orders.
The field ace corps of these three kingdoms are now somewhat warlord-like. All military expenditures are directly allocated to the corps from the Kingdom's Treasury Department, instead of being allocated to the Kingdom's Army Department, which then controls the military expenditures of each corps. The budget is reviewed and tested. Even the collection and trading of arms and supplies such as muskets and artillery were left to the logistics departments of the three legions.
The Kingdom's Ministry of War has lost power, and even the funds to maintain its offices have been delayed. It is said that the reason was that during the civil war, most of the officers of the Kingdom's Army Ministry supported Prince Hansback as the new master of the Kingdom, and countless people went to defect. There are only a handful of people who uphold neutrality and support Prince Wedelek, and they cannot even maintain the daily operations of the Kingdom's Army Department.
For this reason, Prince Wedelek hated the Kingdom's Army Department deeply. After defeating Prince Hansback, he even wanted to abolish the Kingdom's Army Department, but was dissuaded by his father-in-law. No matter how other kingdoms have war ministries, the Kingdom of Orvelas must establish a reputation, otherwise it will become a joke to other countries. Now the Kingdom's War Department is the most disliked department in the eyes of Sterling XI. Its only role is to forward documents and stamp them.
After staying in the royal capital for more than a month without achieving any of his goals, Colonel Bockal could only give up his efforts. After getting a formal reply letter from the Kingdom's Army Ministry, he returned to the three southwest counties to find the whereabouts of his family and relatives. . On the way, due to the temporary kindness of his entourage, he gave alms several times, and as a result, a large number of refugees followed him.
It wasn't until they arrived at Bock'ar in White Deer City that they discovered that the dozen or so Storm Fleet warships had been summoned to guard the waters around the Ibiniste Plain. Sterling XI was very afraid that someone like Prince Hansback would come again. The first time they landed, the troops penetrated directly into the side of the royal capital. He was not willing to flee again, especially since he had officially become the new king of the kingdom.
Without the ship, Bokoal could only find ocean-going ships on his own, and the number of refugees was increasing. In the end, Bockal couldn't find his father and persuaded his father to transfer the family business to others. All the property was used to hire ships that could sail the oceans at high prices and buy food. Then he took his family, relatives, and six More than 10,000 refugees set sail to return to overseas territories under direct jurisdiction...