Inside the Arc de Triomphe of Xiongwei, Santa Croce Avenue. Originally, this was the widest avenue in Osgilia. This avenue was built in the early days of the city and expanded repeatedly in the following hundreds of years. .
But now, this street, which is big enough for six carriages to walk side by side, has almost become a huge barracks. The houses on both sides of the street have been requisitioned, and the horse hitching stakes in front of the shops in the rows on both sides of the street have all been removed to fill the city defense. And the houses on both sides of the street have become military camps, and there are constantly carriages transporting weapons and food from the city to the front of the city gate.
Just 200 meters away from the city gate, a three-story building was originally a very prestigious business hotel on this street. At this moment, it has also been requisitioned by the army, and the commanding camp of the defending army is set up here.
A group of guards like wolves and tigers are closely guarding the place. The hall on the first floor has long been turned into a military conference hall. A model of the city defense of Osgilia, which is a wood-carved city, is placed in the middle of the hall, on the side wall. It is the topographic map of the administrative district of the Imperial Capital of Osgilia, and some officers such as staff officers are rushing back and forth in the hall, holding some military manuals or military information in their hands.
In the direction of the city defense not far from the window, the roar of slings could be heard occasionally, and in this temporary command post, in the room on the second floor, after a rush of footsteps, a doctor in a white robe was nervous. Walking out of the room, an assistant next to him sprayed a wooden plate in his hand. The plate was covered with blood, and there were three arrows! The blood on the arrow was amazing, and there was even a trace of flesh left on the hook horn.
Suddenly, there was a sound of Xiaoxiao's military boots in the corridor, and then several guards walked over and shouted in a low voice: "The Minister of Military Affairs is here!"
Adric had already walked over quickly, with blood and stains left on his armor. He saw the plate in the hands of the doctor and the assistant next to him. When Adrick saw the arrow on the plate, the expression on his face The scar distorted slightly.
The doctor recognized Adric and hurriedly bowed his head to salute, but Adric waved his hand and asked in a low voice, "How is it?"
"It's all right, but there's a lot of bleeding, and it's best to let him rest. And..."
"What else?" Adrick looked gloomy.
"And... I'm afraid his right arm can't use the strength. It will take at least three months to restore it to the way it was before." The doctor replied cautiously.
Adrick's eyes were gloomy, he pondered for a while, and then said: "I have already invited a pastor from the church to come here..."
"Please forgive me." The military doctor raised his head, met Adric's eyes, and said sternly: "Although I am only a doctor, I know a little about healing magic. Healing magic can't really repair the essence. Injury to the body is just to forcibly destroy life force. This method of forcibly destroying hair can speed up the speed of the body's self-healing. This method can be used occasionally, but it is actually very harmful to oneself. . As for the injuries on his body, these days, there have been 16 large and small injuries! In my opinion, four of the injuries are fatal. Because he has used the healing technique before, and the use of The number of times is too frequent. In 15 days, he used the healing technique seven times! Now his body is actually very fragile. In this situation, if he uses the healing technique forcibly, I am worried that his body will collapse. Lose!"
As he said that, he pointed to the deep blood on the plate, gritted his teeth and said, "Look, he bleeds so much today! I spent a lot of time trying to get these arrows for him. In fact, he suffered a lot today. The injury was not too fatal, but his wound was bleeding! I tried almost everything to help him stop the bleeding - this is a very abnormal phenomenon! It means that his body function has been seriously damaged, I think you should understand a truth: a beef tendon, if it is forced too tight and too long, it will break sooner or later!"
After speaking, the military doctor saluted and retired.
Adrick stood there and seemed to be out of his mind for a while, then he sighed, walked to the door of the room, took a deep breath, made a relaxed smile on his face, and then pushed the door and walked in.
"Haha, how's it going? I heard you were bitten a few times by the rebel archers today..." Adric strode into the room, laughing deliberately, then glanced at the room sitting on a chair The person who was there, continued to laugh: "Yi? I think you are still alive and kicking. Damn, I have been very worried on the road for a while."
The person sitting on the chair was the commander-in-chief of the city guard, General Spahn.
At this moment, Spahn's armor has been removed, and his upper body is naked, but thick bandages are tied around his chest and shoulders. The originally white bandages are now oozing deep red under his shoulders. On his naked upper body, there are many deep and shallow scars, but most of the scars have been healed to seven or eight, and it is the effect of forced healing.
Spahn sat there, his face unshaven, his eyes deeply sunken, his cheeks thin. When Adrick came in, Spahn was staring at the table beside him. On this table, there was a long sword lying horizontally on it, and there were bloodstains on the blade that had not been wiped clean.
Hearing Adric's movement, Spahn came back to his senses and looked up at Adric. He raised his brows slightly and smiled: "Sir, you are here."
"Well." Adrick deliberately stopped in front of Spahn and looked up and down: "It seems that you are in good spirits."
Spahn nodded and said with a smile, "I can't die now."
Adrick sighed: "Thank you for your hard work."
Spahn just shook his head silently.
These days, the pressure on the rebels to siege the city is increasing. In a short period of more than ten days, the attacks took turns, almost regardless of losses, and the losses on both sides inside and outside the city were not small.
Spahn was commanding operations on the front line of the city defense, and experienced the front-line battles. Even though he was the respected general and his own strength was quite good, after all these days of fierce battles, he suffered a lot of injuries after all.
Originally, Adrick had persuaded him to go down to rest. After all, after Adrick returned to the city, he was regarded as a famous general of the empire and the high post of the minister of military affairs of the empire (originally a deputy minister, but after the complete rebellion of the warlord party, it has been Appointed as Minister of War.), Adric has been appointed by Cantos the Great as the supreme commander of the Osgilia garrison, and also gave him the power to control the army of the city field king.
It was Adrick who wanted to fight on the front line of the city defense himself, but Spahn insisted that he still command the city guards to fight on the front line of the city defense.
Moreover, Spahn's reasons made Adrick unable to refuse: although Adrick was a famous general of the empire, he was very famous in the army. But after all, Adric's direct line was the original Rodriguen cavalry regiment. In the army, there has always been an unavoidable drawback, that is, the emphasis on seniority and faction. This is an unavoidable problem in almost all countries at any time. Although Adrick is famous, the city guards of the imperial capital are currently in charge of defending the city.
Most of the officers and men of the City Guards are from Spahn's old division. Although Adric has a famous reputation, after all, the newest person in the minds of the officers and men of the City Guards is Spahn—this has always been such a tradition in the army, The prestige of the old boss is always the greatest. As for other famous generals, no matter how famous you are, it is one thing to respect you, but it is another thing to be willing to obey your orders and sacrifice your life for you.
In this case, Spahn's first-line combat experience had a much stronger effect on morale than Adrick.
So these days, Spahn still insisted on personally commanding the city guards on the front line. The battle was fierce. He was injured many times, but he still refused to rest. With his old boss in charge, the City Guards fought desperately to defeat the rebels again and again.
It was only today that Spahn was shot a few more times, but he fainted on the spot, and was forcibly carried down from the city by his guards.
At this moment, Spahn listened to Adrick's sentence "It's hard for you", but he just smiled and asked, "Where's Nigur?"
"He is still in the city. This kid has done a good job these days. Today, he cut off the heads of two rebels with his own hands. I have already promoted him to be a team officer according to the military law."
Adrick's answer made Spahn a lot more happy. Immediately, Spahn stood up forcibly. Although the pain caused his face to turn pale and the muscles on his face were slightly twisted, his waist was still straight: "Come on, pierce my armor!"
Adric frowned: "Okay, let's take a rest today. With me in the city, what are you worried about! Besides, the guys outside today have suffered a lot, and I don't think there will be any big losses before tomorrow. Offensive."
But Spahn shook his head and said sternly: "I fainted on the city wall today, and all the soldiers around saw it. These are my old subordinates. I fainted on the city wall, I'm afraid the army will not be stable! I still have to go up and see. Look, those boys will feel at ease when they see me."
After all, Adrick is also a famous general. Although he understands that Spahn's words are very reasonable, but at this moment, Spahn seems to be unable to stand even standing. After all, he can't bear it. , Adric sighed: "Okay!"
Instead of summoning the guards, he personally helped Spahn put on the armor, and then took his hand and slowly walked out of the room, and the two brought people back to the city wall together.
Sure enough, seeing Span's return, the city guards on the city wall immediately cheered. Si Pan stood on the tower, raised his long sword, laughed loudly, and then shouted loudly: "I'm back again! Those rebels outside, the archers are not only accurate, they even have the same fucking strength as women! I've been bitten twice, but I'm still alive and kicking!! All the troops are optimistic! As long as I have a breath, I will be nailed here!! You all work hard for me! As long as we are still here, don't think about those bastards One step into the city!"
The city wall was full of cheers and shouts.
Adrick stood beside Spahn, seeing that Spahn was struggling, but his face was as pale as paper, and sweat was dripping down his forehead. He couldn't bear it in his heart, and after Spahn finished speaking, he quietly supported Spahn's rib, supported his body, and then pulled him to sit down against the tower.
At this moment, it is getting late, standing on the city wall and looking into the distance, the camp of the rebels is endless, brightly lit! Moreover, the rebels dug deep trenches outside the camp, the camp was densely packed, and a large amount of wood was cut down, the camp was thick, and hundreds of arrow towers were erected! From a distance, it seems as if a dense fortress is endless on the wilderness!
Spahn looked in his eyes and couldn't help but sighed in a low voice.
Adric looked at him next to him, seemed to smile, and said, "Span, don't worry too much. We fought so fiercely here today, and there was such a big movement. Socia and Butler outside must have seen it. West Asia and Butler are both my old clubs. I know these two guys. Socia is like a fire, but Butler is calm and forthright. Both are veterans. Seeing that we fought hard today, they will definitely find a way tomorrow. Pretend to attack the rebels and draw the attention of the rebels to reduce our pressure. So tomorrow, the rebels will not have much energy to attack the city, we can take the opportunity to take a breath. And the guy Ruhr, the fat man is the best Cunning, maybe tomorrow he can take the opportunity to bite the rebels hard."
Span forced a smile and said, "Since you say that, sir, you must be sure, but..."
He pointed out.
Spahn was referring to the other side of the river below the city. On the other side of the river, the rebels once again erected a row of high towers. The towers were high and low, with a height of more than ten meters, and they were almost equal to the city wall from a distance.
At such a height, the archers of the rebel army could shoot directly with the defenders of the city defense with bows and crossbows on the tower, which greatly weakened the advantage of the city defense.
Moreover, the defenders in the city had destroyed the arrow towers of the rebels several times at night. The rebels suffered a few losses, and they have become more and more strict. Even at night, they left tens of thousands of troops by the river to guard those arrows. Tower, it is no longer possible to send troops out to destroy these arrow towers at this moment.
In the past few days, Adric tried to mobilize the ballista on the city defense to bombard the rebel arrow tower on the other side. Although the power of the ballista is huge, the rebels have too many arrow towers. Often more than ten ballistas are bombarded for a long time before they can barely destroy one arrow tower, but the cost of the arrows is too amazing, so the effect is not good. it is good. Moreover, the rebels' arrow towers were built right next to the river, so even if they were shot with rockets, the rebels could fetch water on the spot to put out the fire.
Adrick also looked at the arrow towers on the other side, and said lightly: "Span, I know what you are worried about. But you must understand that at this moment the enemy is strong and I am weak. These arrow towers, we can't do anything. Besides... Defending the city, both sides All you have to do is to consume!! Under the war, life and death depend on your life! Don’t you understand this truth? Don’t try to destroy this arrow tower. You have taken many adventures before, and although you were lucky, But after a few days of delay, they will be able to build another batch! But it just cost the lives of our soldiers in vain!"
Sipan was silent for a while, then muttered: "Don't let these guys act like this to offset our city defense advantage... These days, our archers have lost their condescending advantage, and the damage is not small!"
"In a war, where can there be undead." Adrick said with a resolute expression: "Now there is only a head-to-head fight. Don't expect any tricks."
The two were discussing when suddenly they heard a surprised voice next to them: "Uncle!"
Spahn turned his head and saw that it was his nephew Nigur.
Nigur's burly body is wearing a set of "black flat armor" equipped by the low-level officers of the City Guard. Although it is already the largest armor, it is still a little tight when worn on Nigur's huge body. a feeling of.
At this moment, Ni Gu'er's face no longer had the frivolous and immature appearance he used to have on weekdays, and he had a calm and reserved temperament, especially on that face, which seemed to have more sharp edges and corners.
His black flat armor is exactly the equipment of the low-ranking officers in the Byzantine army. At this moment, although he also wears a sword on his waist, he still carries the usual double-edged hatchet in his hand, and he also wears a knife on his chest. A badge that symbolizes the military rank of a team officer, it looks like a young and heroic imperial officer, and no longer looks like the playboy in the past.
Seeing Ni Gu'er, Span's eyes suddenly softened a bit. Ni Gu'er strode over, fell to the ground and knelt down on one knee: "Uncle, you are all right, I can rest assured!"
Just as Span was about to speak, he suddenly took a deep breath and shouted with a sullen face, "Damn! There are no uncles in the army! Call me General!"
"Yes! Lord General!" Nigur raised his head.
Spahn was relieved and whispered: "Get up. I heard you did a good job today."
Ni Guer said proudly: "Yes, Lord General! I personally killed a rebel army today, and shot two dead!"
"Okay." Span's eyes seemed a little complicated, but more of it was a kind of deep relief. After thinking about it, he said, "Do it well, don't humiliate your surname!"
Adric on the side suddenly said: "General Spahn, I think Nigur is a good kid, and I want to accept him as my personal guard adjutant, how about it?"
Adrick is a famous general in the empire, an outstanding representative of the eagle generals, and he is also the minister of military affairs. I don't know how many young officers of the empire regard him as an idol. At this moment, he opened his mouth to bring Nigur to his side, which means that he has the meaning of cultivation. If you can be by the side of a famous imperial general like him, you will be immersed in your eyes and ears all the time, and you will naturally be able to get a lot of advice from him. I don’t know how many young officers in the empire dream of having such an opportunity!
Nigur immediately showed a surprised expression on his face.
General Spahn was also overjoyed at first, but suddenly remembered something, his face sank, he turned to look at Adrick, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice, "My lord's love, I thank him for him. However, we should wait until after the war.”
Ni Guer was stunned, not understanding why his uncle refused, but what his uncle said naturally made sense, he also quickly bowed his head and saluted: "Thank you for your kindness, Ni Guer is grateful!"
Adrick glanced at the pair of uncles and nephews with a complicated look, and finally sighed: "Since General Spahn doesn't allow it, then... Let's talk about it after the war."
Immediately after Spann waved Nigur to step back, after a while, he said in a low voice, "Lord Adric... Thank you."
"You're welcome." Adrick smiled bitterly.
In fact, Adrick's mind is very simple, he knows that Spahn is very cherished for his nephew. These days, the rebels have been attacking the city, and the battle has become more and more tragic, and the defenders on the city's defenses have also suffered more damage. Nigur is the only seed in General Spahn's family. Although he has made some progress recently, if he stays on the front line of the city defense as a small officer - the sword has no eyes on the battlefield, there may be some damage. He was well-intentioned. As the imperial military minister and the head coach, most of the time he didn't have to go to the front line to fight in person, he only needed to command in the city. He wanted to take Nigur by his side, and he also wanted to protect this kid as much as possible, so as to keep this single seedling well for General Spahn's family.
But he didn't want Spahn to reject his good intentions.
Adrick looked at Spahn's face, and a trace of respect was born in his heart.
After the two patrolled the city wall, Adrick saw that Spahn's face became more and more ugly, and finally forcibly dragged him back to the command post to rest. Spahn also knew that he couldn't hold it any longer. If he fainted on the city again, he would probably mess up the army, so he had to follow Adric back down the city.
The two came out of the city, and suddenly they saw a fast horse galloping in the distance from the street. An officer galloped in front of him and was stopped by the guards long ago. The officer immediately took out his badge: "Urgent military affairs, General Where is your lord!"
"Let him come here!"
Adrick recognized that it was his officer and spoke immediately.
The officer rushed to the front with a nervous expression on his face, and quickly said in an anxious tone: "Sir! The port! There is a discovery at the port and dock! Sea! Sea!!"
Adrick's face changed suddenly, and he grabbed the officer: "What did you say? At sea?!"
"At sea! A fleet appears!!"
Spahn's expression suddenly became tense: "Is it the rebel fleet? They are going to forcibly land and attack the city from the sea?!"
"No, not the rebels." The officer was sweating profusely: "This fleet came from the west, and we found them on the lookout, they, they seemed, like..."
"Like what?"
"It seems that the sea fleet of the rebels is facing off!"
Adrick and Spahn glanced at each other, and immediately shouted: "Prepare the horse! Go to the dock! Quick!!"