When Sophie really saw Hasting, the famous "Odin Valkyrie", even if she had fantasized about this famous general in the mainland countless times before, she had already depicted it countless times in her mind. His appearance—but Sophie still couldn't help sighing when Hasting was really in front of her.
His previous ideas seemed to have come to nothing.
Hasting's fame was like a nightmare for the Byzantine Empire. And through various channels, Sophie has learned a little bit about this famous Odin general.
It is rumored that he is not tall and burly. Unlike the Odins who are born with a strong physique, he is even a little thin and not tall. But according to the rumors, this Odin Martial God was imposing, and standing in front of him was like looking up at a high mountain. The three-edged war gun in his hand, on the battlefield, exists like a death god who harvests life.
He should undoubtedly be a person who is extremely proud and extremely cold.
Murderous and majestic—perhaps this should be the image of a peerless general.
but…
At this moment, in this airtight cowhide tent, the man in front of him is sitting in a chair covered with a soft and thick tiger skin, his body is leaning on the chair cup - this action even seems a little bit Aged taste.
In the impression, only those old and frail old people will show this weak curled up posture when they sit down.
And the famous three-edged war gun was hanging crookedly in the corner of the tent, and there was no sign of it.
Even Sophie felt that the man in front of him even had a heavy breath.
The lights in the tent were dim, because it was too tight and had a strange smell.
This man's face, as if under the dim light, also seemed so blurred.
This... This is Hastings
This guy who looks weak and even has no edges and corners, is that Odin Valkyrie? The Odin Valkyrie who has killed countless imperial soldiers and has not been defeated for many years? !
Sophie sighed secretly in her heart, but she still bowed slowly and performed a solemn etiquette.
"You were sent by Xia Ya?"
Hasting's voice was hoarse, and Sophie noticed that Hasting's breath was a little disordered when he spoke. Although he had tried his best to conceal this, the concealment was unsuccessful.
(He was badly wounded.) Sophie came to this conclusion in her mind at once.
"Yes, Your Excellency." Sophie raised her eyelids to face Hastings: "My name is Sophie, and I am the chief of staff of General Xia Lei Ming."
"..." Hastings scrutinized the young woman in front of him, and after a while, he suddenly raised his eyebrows: "You seem a little disappointed?"
"?" Sophie looked at Hastings in surprise.
"You are very disappointed." Hasting smiled self-deprecatingly: "You must be thinking in your heart now: The famous Hasting is actually like this. He doesn't look majestic at all, more like a sick cat. is not it?"
Sophie frowned, she didn't answer the question, but smiled lightly: "Your Excellency is a contemporary famous general, you have never been defeated in your life! You are so amazing and beautiful, who in the world doesn't hear your name? What does it count?"
"..." Hastings was silent for a moment, and he looked at Sophie with a slightly more serious look: "You're right—you seem to be a very talkative person. I'm beginning to understand why that guy Char would trust a guy Woman, let a woman be his chief of staff."
Sophie smiled lightly and didn't say anything about the topic of "women". She looked around a little, and before Hastings spoke, she found a seat and sat down.
Hasting's eyes narrowed immediately, but he didn't speak. Instead, he looked at the little woman in front of him with a bit of interest.
"Your Excellency, since I'm here, I'm here to show the sincerity of our Northern Army. Earlier..." Sophie pondered for a while before she said this, but Hasting suddenly interrupted her and said lightly, "Since you've come At this point, can I think that you are ready to cooperate with me?"
"No." Sophie said very simply: "Your Excellency, I'm afraid you will be wrong!"
"Oh?" Hastings frowned.
"Cooperation... This kind of thing usually has to have the basis that both parties must have enough bargaining chips and have the same status to talk about 'cooperation'." Sophie's words were very sharp, looking at Hastings: "Dare to ask, Your Excellency, do you think that with the current situation of your army, compared with our northern army, your weight is enough to be an equal ally?"
Without waiting for Hastings to speak, Sophie said loudly: "My Northern Army is a start-up, with many heroes under its command, swept away the Chixue Army, and became famous all over the world! Now it sits on the land of three counties, has a population of one million, and has tens of thousands of soldiers. , the soldiers are rich in food, and the tiger is in the north of the empire! And your army, although the black flag army has a great reputation, but you ask yourself, since your army is only 8,000 remnants of the army, you are qualified to be an equal and friendly ally with our army. Is it?"
"Hahahaha!!" Hastings laughed instead of getting angry! Just as his laughter sounded, this skinny man like a sick cat suddenly burst out with a force like a lion!
Although he still sat there and didn't move, he just smiled like this, and his heroic aura was suddenly revealed. From the originally dull eyes, a sharp edge like a sharp sword suddenly came out! Covered by such eyes, even Sophie, whose heart is as calm as water, couldn't help but feel a little shaken.
The laughter came suddenly and went quickly! As Hasting's eyes changed, the laughter stopped abruptly, stared at Sophie, and said coldly: "So your Excellency is not here to discuss cooperation, but to recruit surrender?!"
He took a deep breath and said slowly: "Do you know? Over the years, no Byzantine has dared to say such arrogant words in front of me. Before you, anyone who dared to speak like this in front of me, Now even the corpse has rotted away!"
At this moment, Sophie immediately felt the killing intent of the other party. Standing in front of this angry male lion, she suddenly felt that she was so insignificant, like a boat in front of the stormy waves. The other party can completely engulf him at any time!
Among the people that Sophie knew, among the famous generals of the empire, Adrick did not have such an aura! The Duke of Minas did not! Even Xia Ya was slightly inferior!
Such a frenzy-like momentum is the majesty of how many times he has crossed the battlefield, what he wants to be invincible, how many mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and how many bones of famous generals and soldiers of the empire are piled up!
The majesty of the invincible star!
(Only such a guy is worthy of the title of "Odin Valkyrie". Only such a guy can single-handedly rush to the Denzel City garrison behind the enemy to kill several enemy generals, and then besieged by the army. Below, go away... )
This moment is the real Hastings!
Facing Hastings, Sophie bit her head and said slowly: "I'm a little girl, if you offend your majesty, you want to kill me, but it's just a thought. But..."
"I'll let you finish." Hastings snorted: "But remember, don't try to tempt me with words to provoke me again, I won't kill you now, not because of your cleverness, but because of Xiaya's On the boy's face."
"Even if your Excellency is annoyed, I still have to say it." Sophie's expression turned cold: "I don't need to say anything about your army's current situation. I dare to ask you to ask yourself, there are eight thousand remnants of the army, and they lost their homes. , People behind the country, how many bargaining chips do you think you have for negotiating conditions?"
Hastings sneered.
"You are all over the world, and you are invincible with the three-edged war gun in your hand. I am a little girl, so naturally I dare not doubt your ability." Sophie said lightly: "However, no matter how powerful Odin Valkyrie is, your Black Flag Army is currently not. It is a tree without roots, how can it last for a long time? Do you still need me to say this?"
Hastings remained silent.
"I just want to ask your Excellency, how much food is left in your army?" Sophie said lightly.
Hasting raised his eyelids and glanced at Sophie: "There are still three months to pay, so you don't need to worry about it!"
"March?" Sophie smiled: "More than 8,000 troops of your army have traveled here, and I think they have already abandoned most of the baggage. If you say that there is still food for March, Your Excellency, are you deceiving me that I don't know the military strategy?"
Hastings still sneered: "I said March, it is March! If the food is in short supply, I have a three-edged war gun and eight thousand tigers in my hand, wouldn't I go get it myself? Your city of Denzel It’s only a hundred miles away from here! Fast horses gallop, day and night will come! When the time comes to drink Ma Danzel City’s moat, Little Denzel City, how can you block my edge!”
"I believe it!" Sophie said eloquently: "With the ability of a general, if you want to take Denzel City, a small city, you can't resist it, but I dare to ask the general, even after you take Denzel City? How can it be?"
Hastings frowned and said nothing.
"The Black Flag Army is already an army behind the country, and the only foreign aid we can make friends with is our Northern Army! If you take Denzel City and fight against our Northern Army, then the world will be big, and your Black Flag Army will also be there. Is there a place to stand? Is it possible that the dignified Black Flag Army will flee into the wildfire plain to become a pirate? To do that horse thief’s deeds?”
Hastings sneered for a moment: "Okay, don't talk about it, tell me the conditions you brought!"
"My northern army is willing to accept your army, and also willing to set aside a city for your army to stand on. At the same time, we can provide the army ration for a month." Sophie said here, paused a little: "However, The Black Flag Army will also pay a certain price, and when needed, the Black Flag Army will fight for our Northern Army."
"Ha! That's surrender!" Hastings sneered proudly: "Do you think I, Hastings, will bend over and be a lackey?"
"It's not recruiting." Sophie smiled, "It's hiring."
"… Hire?" Hastings was a little quieter, looking at Sophie.
"It's hiring!" Sophie spread her hands: "We pay for food, even if it's the price of hiring the Black Flag Army to fight for us. The Black Flag Army is not under the command of our Northern Army, but only with money and food. To put it bluntly, it is A mercenary army."
Having said this, Sophie has completely relaxed: "So, our relationship is not an ally, not a subordinate, but a simple employment relationship. We pay for food, and your army will fight for us. It's that simple."
Hasting pondered for a moment, then suddenly sneered: "What a vicious woman."
His tone was a little angry: "Your idea is shrewd! Using money and food as bait, let my black flag army become a knife in your hand, but this knife will only cut more and more bluntly! We are homeless and rootless. No matter how good our Black Flag Army is, how many battles can we fight? In the end, our Black Flag Army will become weaker and weaker, and the fewer and fewer people will fight, and in the future, one day, it will be truly annexed by you. "
"I don't deny that I have such an idea." Sophie made no secret of it, and said lightly: "But, I am a member of the Northern Army, so naturally I only think for my Northern Army! Is it possible, Your Excellency thinks that our Northern Army Will you give away your money and land for nothing? There is no such cheap thing in the world, right? To be honest... In addition to being able to fight, the Black Flag Army is very famous, but other than that, what else should we value? What about value?"
This is the sadness of the "lone army"!
A lonely army with no roots and no home is so tragic!
The Black Flag Army used to be invincible, but after all, it was the army of the Odin Empire, with a huge empire behind it, as well as tribal territories and countless people. After fighting for many years, the army suffered damage, and naturally there were also the territorial tribes in the rear to supplement the source of troops, and the lost money and food, but also the support of the empire!
But now, a lonely army, without a home, without a foundation, the tribes in Odin are afraid of being wiped out...
Sophie's words can be said to hit the nail on the head!
How can a tree without roots last? !
Even though the Black Flag Army can still fight now and has a strong fighting power, but without a foundation, how can it last? In wars, people will always die, and there will always be injuries. After each battle is fought, how many of the 8,000 elites will be left
This is not what it used to be. Without the support of the rear, the army will be worn out, and the number of people will only become less and less, and there will be no replenishment of troops - is it possible to recruit the Byzantines into the Black Flag Army
Wouldn't that be a joke.
No matter how you look at it, this lone army has no future! There is no future!
Sophie knew this, and Hastings must also understand it. However, now everyone is reluctant to break through this layer.
For Hastings, he is very clear about the fate of his Black Flag Army. In the future, he will either fight it all out on the battlefield, or, sooner or later, it will be annexed.
Just because of his pride, he is not willing to face up to this fact, nor to face it.
"I agree to what you said!" Hastings took a deep breath, his face grim: "However, I have one more condition. This one, if you agree, I agree! If you don't agree, then I agree. Don't talk anymore! I'll lead the troops to take Denzel City in the coming day!"
"Please say."
"Go back and see Xi Ya." Hastings said slowly: "He knows what I really want, and he also knows what I really want! Can he help me finish it! If he can help me finish it, then... even if the Black Flag Army really gave it to you, I will recognize it! If he can't do it, then... "
Having said this, Hastings closed his mouth, and Sophie did not ask any more. The meaning is already very clear. If Xia Ya can't give Hasting a satisfactory answer, then there is no possibility of cooperation between the two parties.
It's just that Sophie is wondering, what exactly is this Hastings thinking in his heart? Why does Xia know that
※※※
Xia Ya and his party went north, and had already entered the site of Besta Military Region, Haske City.
This time, when he went north to return home, Xia Ya was uncharacteristically and did not hide his whereabouts and identity at all. Since entering the territory of the Besta Military Region, in the first town he passed, he bluntly revealed himself. The identity of the Northern Army Commander, the Duke of Noz of the Empire, and Lord Xia Lei Ming are here...
For Char, it seems that there is really no need to hide his identity now.
Whoever changed it, he was accompanied by a golden dragon companion, and he also carried a "god" that was almost invincible in the world. At the same time, this "god" obeyed his own words.
In such a situation, if you are careful to hide your identity, you will be sick! At this time, Xia Ya can't wait to do as high-profile as possible! He couldn't even help thinking that if his father-in-law, Odin, God Emperor Hannigan, came to find him, he would point to Hannigan and say, "Enemy, death base!" Then little Orc just jump on...
When the group walked dozens of miles outside Haske City, the defenders in Haske City had already sent people out to greet them.
The carriage that Xiaya was riding in has naturally been changed a long time ago. It was no longer the junk car from before, but two high-quality cars from the Besta people on the road. And our magician, Lord Dodoro, finally got rid of the pain of the coachman - the Besta defenders on the road naturally sent special entourages and coachmen.
About thirty miles outside of Haske City, the cavalry team greeted by the defenders arrived at Char, but to Char's surprise, Dax was also there.
This guy Dax is used by Xiaya as the liaison officer for the alliance with the Besta people. He has been left here for a long time. On weekdays, the news of the Besta people is also based on him. Pass, and I heard that this guy seems to have a very comfortable life in Besta. The beautiful governor's wife also treated him very favorably, and even often summoned this guy to ask him for opinions on many things.
(It shouldn't be turned against by the Besta people.) A malicious guess in Char's heart.
However, seeing Dax at this time, this guy's face is not relaxed, as if there is no lazy and weird smile of the past, but a very serious look.
After he received Char with the cavalry team that greeted him, he seemed to be greatly relieved.
Dax rolled over and dismounted, and when he came to Xia Ya, Xia Ya said: "Why are you here? Didn't you accompany the governor's wife in the capital of the Besta people?"
"Something's happened." Dax looked solemn: "I sent the news to Xincheng the day before yesterday, but Xincheng replied, you are not at home at all! This matter is urgent, if you don't come back, Xincheng really doesn't know. How to decide!"
Seeing that Dax, who is always in a serious state on weekdays, showed a solemn expression, Xiaya also understood that maybe things were really unusual.
"what happened?"
"Osgilia, mutiny!" Dax smiled bitterly: "Boss, your old boss, General Adric, launched a mutiny and took the highest command of Osgilia, and the emperor has been forced to Let him be the grand marshal of protecting the country, and command all military affairs and military power inside and outside the empire!"
When Xia Ya heard this, it really changed color!
He never expected that Adric, who was loyal to the empire, would actually launch a mutiny? !
The first reaction, he immediately grabbed Dax's neck: "What about the royal family? Is there any damage in the palace?"
Mutiny... Adrick is so loyal to the empire, yet he would do such a thing... Xia is certainly shocked, but at this moment, what he cares most about is his own woman in the palace!
damn it! Mutiny is bound to be a chaos! ! Under the chaos... Daphne, Daphne... Will she be okay
"I haven't heard anything. Adric seems to be restrained. He just led the troops into the palace, forced the emperor to give him full power, and took away the military power of all the nobles' private armies, but I haven't heard anything else. But... Dax said with a wry smile: "Before the mutiny, there was chaos in the south of the empire. Duke Minas took control of the military and brought tens of thousands of troops to the south to fight the rebellion. And it was not long before his army left the emperor, and Adric mutiny. The situation inside is far more complicated than we expected."
Xia Ya's mind has already turned all kinds of thoughts quickly.
And at this time, Dax added: "You came all the way, and the Besta people have been reporting to each other, knowing that you will pass by here, this morning, the Governor's wife has already arrived in Haske City, and wants to be here. Meet you. I said boss, I have to remind you that the situation has changed a lot now. We can't guess what the governor's wife is thinking. We will meet the woman in the city later. You just need to stay distracted. This woman... hehe, but a guy who eats people and doesn't spit out bones."
Um
Mrs. Governor? That woman came here specifically to meet her
I think it is to discuss the cooperation between the two, how to deal with the new and huge changes in the empire.
The Duke of Minas has mastered the military power and divided his troops to the south... Adric took the lead in the mutiny in the imperial capital...
There's something weird about this!