"send troops?"
Junker's face was solemn, he made no secret of his worries, and said slowly: "I am afraid that the problem I am most worried about has happened now."
"Take it easy, Juncker."
Sophie stood by the windowsill with a steaming cup of tea in her hands, looking out the window.
Although it is still only autumn, there is a chill in Syltan County, which is located in the north of the empire. Sophie, who grew up in the south, does not seem to adapt to this northern climate. She is already wearing fox fur. , with a snow-white leather collar around her neck, and her face was extraordinarily pretty and lovely against the soft white fox fur, but such a relaxed expression contrasted sharply with Junker's worried expression.
"Aren't you worried at all?" Junker's voice was solemn: "Compared to Green's departure... I think now is the time for the real test. This order from the imperial capital is obviously from the Duke of Minas. ... Hmph, the great chaos in the south, the Duke of Minas was ordered to send troops to the south to fight the rebellion, and the order of the military commanded our northern army to send troops to attack the rebels in the north, which is obviously to use us to relieve their pressure. You think, Green saw this How will the military order react?"
"So what do you mean?" Sophie turned around, smiled slightly, and looked at Junker: "Do you think now is a good time to send troops?"
"Of course not!" Junker shook his head again and again: "You and I are very aware of the current situation of the Northern Army. The reorganization of the army has not been completed, and we are still working on restoring our strength. Although we now occupy three counties, but However, our strength has been severely damaged. Our finances can no longer support a war. Moreover... the situation of the army is not suitable for sending troops. The reorganization plan has not been completed. According to your suggestion, we carried out disarmament, and the Northern Army The main force of the corps has been reduced to one corps, and the rest have been incorporated into the garrison corps and the reserve. Heck, not to mention the garrison, a large number of retired soldiers have been incorporated into the reserve, and we have just let them take off their uniforms, put away their weapons, and let them They have become farmers again, do you want to call them back with a call-up order now?" Juncker's eyes were serious: "The only one we can pull out to fight now is the main 1st Corps, the guards. The corps can only be used as a defensive place, and it does not have the ability to attack and field battles. We control the land of three counties, and such a huge territory is guarded by the strength of only one corps. Once we pull the main force out to attack Any rebels, I am afraid that the rebels of other forces around us will take the opportunity to attack us."
"Go on." Sophie nodded.
"I don't deny that in terms of overall strength, especially military strength, we have a big advantage over any rebel force entrenched around us. But it's also our predicament. We seem to be strong now. lions, but surrounded by a ferocious pack of hungry wolves! We might be able to beat one or two of them, but if a pack of wolves swarmed up, it would be us who would be torn to shreds. The reason we got these The quiet time in the past few months is entirely due to the benefits brought by the might of Odin's Chixue Army defeated in the previous battle of Siltan. The aftermath of defeating the Chixue Army made the surrounding hungry wolves not dare to act rashly or anger us rashly. But... if we attack first, then this fragile balance will be upset! Once we attack one of them, the other rebels will immediately join forces against us."
At the end, Junker frowned and said: "In the imperial capital, our situation has not been considered for us. They don't care about the survival of the Northern Army at all. They just want to use us as cannon fodder to help them hold back the rebels. As long as we Start a war in the north, attract the attention of the rebels, and fight for a few months to buy them time. As for whether we live or die, those people in the imperial capital don’t care!”
Looking at Junker's anxious expression, Sophie actually smiled. She smiled relaxedly and calmly, and glanced at Junker: "Finished?"
"... It's over." Junker seemed a little sullen.
"Okay." Sophie finally sighed, gently put down the cup in her hand, and whispered: "Compared with this military order we are facing, I am more worried about the situation in the imperial capital."
"Imperial Capital..." Junker's eyebrows were tightly twisted together.
"Duke Minas." Sophie said her own opinion very directly: "Don't forget, when I was in the imperial capital, I dealt with this old man a lot, and we even lived in his mansion for a while. , no one knows those thoughts in his mind better than me. I'm not worried about the military order... I'm more worried about the next move of the old man. Compared with us, the imperial capital is now the center of the storm. "
"Yes, but this military order..."
"You're worried about Green?" Sophie smiled.
"Of course." Juncker made no secret of his opinion: "Although Green was finally persuaded to come back. But after all, he once... This military order is obviously the handwriting of Duke Minas. He went south to suppress the rebellion and needs us to get it in the north. Going out to attract warlords, so... and Green is his old friend, I can't guarantee that Green won't..."
"You can rest assured about this." Sophie smiled: "I know people like Green. He may have wavered before, but once people like him make up their minds, they won't take it easy. Changed. He is indeed the old man of the Duke of Minas, but now, he is the deputy commander of the Northern Army, and I am sure he will make the right decision."
Immediately, the smile on Sophie's face was finally replaced by a worry: "I'm not worried about Green's attitude, but... our General Xia Lei Ming, you have seen this military order from the imperial capital, don't you think? Didn't you notice? Under the military order, the signature is not only the Duke of Minas, but also General Adric! Don't forget, General Adric is the Minister of Military Affairs, he signed the military order jointly, it can be seen that he is also To support this order, I hope that we will send troops."
"You mean, Char..."
"I know a little bit about that guy's temperament." Sophie smiled wryly: "I'm afraid I might not really put it in his heart. That guy is often emotional, and if he recognizes this order, it will be the same. What Derek means, then based on his relationship with Adrick, he will carry out this order desperately!"
Having said this, the two suddenly looked at each other, and Sophie smiled: "You know, I've always complained that that guy keeps disappearing for a while for no apparent reason—Greene probably has a lot of complaints like this. But this time, I'm glad that guy wasn't there, otherwise, I'd be really worried that he would do something idiot when he was so hot."
Just when the two seemed to have ended the discussion, someone outside begged to meet, and the person who came was the captain of the personal guard next to Green in the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion.
"Mr. Chief of Staff, General Green, please come over immediately, there are urgent military affairs to discuss with you."
※※※
Although the captain of the guards did not explain what "emergency military affairs" was, when Sophie and Junker went, they thought that Green was asking them to discuss the order for the Northern Army to send troops to the imperial capital.
Even on the way, Junker has secretly brewed some rhetoric in his heart. If Green asks to send troops, he will definitely fight for it...
But in fact, when the two came to the office of the commander-in-chief Green, they immediately discovered the abnormal atmosphere.
In Green's office, the guards have been closely guarding the surrounding area, and the heavily armed guards are like a big enemy. When Junker and Sophie entered, the tension on the guards' faces was evident.
Green did not meet them in his study, but chose a meeting room for the meeting.
Obviously, the corridor outside the conference room has been firmly guarded by the guards.
The captain of the guard who led the way just told the two that General Green was waiting in the conference room.
Sophie and Junker looked at each other, Junker's eyes were a little wary, and he was a little uneasy about this tense atmosphere - could it be that Green is really against the water? Ready to engage in military change? Take the opportunity to kill the two of you
On the other hand, Sophie remained calm as always, and even smiled kindly at the captain of the personal guard who led the way.
The conference room was a suite with two floors inside and outside. When the two of them pushed open the door and walked in, looking at the blocked window, Junker had subconsciously clenched the matching sword around his waist. On the other hand, Sophie calmly walked towards a small door inside.
After pushing the door open, Sophie immediately saw Green standing next to the first place in the conference room. Green was not wearing a uniform, just a light samurai attire. There were even sweat stains on his forehead, as if he had just returned from martial arts training.
What finally moved Sophie was that Green was not the only one waiting in this conference room!
In the conference room, there was a nervous-looking strong man sitting on a chair. Even if he was sitting, he couldn't hide his burly and tall figure, his broad shoulders, and his majestic body like a hill—generally. It is rare for the Byzantines to see such a burly and majestic man. Even Green or Junker are considered to be outstanding among the Byzantines, but compared with this man, they seem to be slightly smaller. No.
This one has a bulging profile, but a flat, collapsed nose, which is definitely not a Byzantine face. People with just a little common sense, looking at such a figure and such features, will easily recognize the origin of the other party!
Obviously, the giant man sitting there is definitely a standard Odin!
This Odin man was sitting there, his expression was obviously more nervous than Junker's, his fists were clenched, and he seemed to be vigilant at all times. When Sophie pushed the door and came in, the man immediately stood up subconsciously. He stood up, his fists clenched, as if he was about to attack.
But fortunately, Green immediately walked to his side and put his hand on his shoulder. The Odin man finally sat down slowly, looking at Sophie who walked into the room with a confused expression.
"You are here." Green just nodded to Sophie and Junker, and then motioned them to come in and sit down.
After all, Junker was more careful. He immediately realized that what he was about to face must be a secret. He worked for the royal family in the past, so he naturally had such experience in dealing with confidential matters. He subconsciously closed the door tightly with his backhand. Then I chose a chair near the door and sat down.
"Let me introduce, this is Mr. Sophie, the chief of staff of General Xia Leiming, the leader of the Northern Army, and the one next to him is General Junker." Green said lightly: "These two are the leaders of the Northern Army. Someone you can absolutely trust.”
With that said, Greene glanced at Sophie, trying to see even a little doubt or a look of shock and surprise on the young girl's face - but no, Sophie's expression was calm and calm, and even the smile at the corner of her mouth never showed a slight hint of surprise. Waves, sat down quietly, then smiled and looked at Green.
(This young girl is really calm and terrifying.)
Green muttered in his heart, then took a deep breath and pointed to the majestic man of Odin next to him: "This... Let me explain, his identity is a secret to the Northern Army, and I hope , this matter is limited to this room."
Having said this, Green paused for a while, and said slowly: "This is... The Black Flag Army of the Odin Empire, the captain of the bodyguard of General Hastings, Lord Hildo."
Black Flag Army? Hastings' captain of the bodyguard
Sophie's eyes lit up for a moment, and then she glanced at the Odin with a deep meaning, a deep and complicated smile appeared on her face, she stood up, bowed slightly and saluted: "It turns out that It's a warrior by General Hasting's side, Lord Hildo, polite."
The Odin warrior frowned in confusion, as if he was surprised by Sophie's gender—for the Odins, it is an unbelievable thing for a woman to be in power. The etiquette of the Ding people should be to come forward and hug, but facing the delicate Sophie, it is obvious that this rude Odin man does not know what to do. He can only perform the etiquette of the Odin army and beat hard. He glanced at his chest and said loudly: "Hello, I'm Hildo... Well, please don't call me an adult, we Odins don't have this habit, just call me the warrior Hildo."
Sophie nodded, then looked at Green with a smile.
Green coughed and said slowly: "Let me explain, Chief of Staff, in fact... our army and the Black Flag Army have always had some... um, how can I put it, some exchanges. It's just that these things involve The Northern Army's top secret, so it has been... Well, there are no more than five people in the Northern Army, including me and General Char Leiming. I believe you can understand."
"I understand." Sophie nodded with a smile: "Then, General Green has now called us here to discuss... Presumably, he already thinks that Mr. Junker and I are trustworthy people?"
"You have proved your loyalty to the Northern Army with your actual actions." Green said it very secretly, but I believe everyone knows what he meant - if he was not dedicated to the Northern Army group, he would not run away late at night. Chase Green is back.
"Thank you for your trust, then, now that I am here, please explain what happened."
Sophie still maintained a very dignified manner.
"It's the way it is." Green took a deep breath: "We have always been in touch with the Black Flag Army."
Sophie smiled. Of course she knew very well what kind of weight this so-called "connection" had! As the northern "garrison area" established by the empire, it has a secret connection with the elite army leaders of the enemy country occupying its own territory. Once it is spread, it will definitely set off a deadly political storm.
Green has already looked at Hildo: "Your Excellency, please repeat what you said to me before to the chief of staff."
Hildo's eyes were still a little puzzled. According to Odin's tradition, women should stay at home to reproduce, and men should be in charge of everything and charge ahead. After the tradition of the Odins, women have always been the appendages of men—this is also related to the region of the Odin Empire. The Odin Empire is in the bitter cold of the north. In order to make a living, the heavy physical work can only be done by strong men. Competence, which makes men dominant in both the family and the country.
Seeing that this delicate girl in front of her was actually a "chief of staff", to be honest, the proud Hildo deeply despised the Byzantine people in front of her.
However, remembering the heavy responsibilities he was carrying, and the strict orders of the great commander in his heart, Hildo still began to speak with awe.
"Our Black Flag Army has never belonged to the five major tribes in Odin, nor is it a direct line of the royal family. When Lord Hasting created the Black Flag, only Odin's Black Water Department responded at first. The Black Water Department contributed 3,000 men from this tribe. My son, it has become the cornerstone of the founding of our Black Flag Army! After more than ten years of war, the Black Flag Army was invincible in the hands of the great commander Hastings, and the emperor and the tribal dignitaries had to face us. Small tribes can only be annexed or enslaved, and only Lord Hasting can decide for them. In the current Black Flag Army, in addition to the Black Water Department, there are also the White Water Department, the Maolin Department, and the Hasting Department. The thirteen tribes have secretly pledged allegiance to Lord Hastings. We do not want to be oppressed and enslaved by the five tribes, and we are willing to unite with Lord Hastings and be loyal to the Lord. Among the Black Flag Army, the soldiers of the Thirteenth tribe have already occupied more than half of the entire army. We have all sworn allegiance to your lord in secret, so…”
Having said this, Sophie suddenly interrupted Hildo's remarks: "Excuse me, sir, are you from..."
"I am a son of the Blackwater tribe, and my tribe thrives on the banks of the Blackwater River in Odin, but... A few years ago, the territory of my tribe was annexed by the Basak tribe, one of the five tribes, and my tribe was also reduced to For the affiliation of the Basak tribe... Well, it is the tribe of the Red Snow Army Manninger. Therefore, it can be said that in Odin, my Black Water Department and Manninger are feuding. Your army defeated the Red Snow Army, and Killed Manninger, for which I myself am deeply admired and grateful."