Pivot of the Sky

Chapter 120: Prelude to the war

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On the one hand, Amon did this because he had just taken control of the legion and needed to win people over to stabilize morale. On the other hand, he was not short of money.

In addition to the head of the legion, the highest officer in the legion is also the chief priest, who has fifty magicians under his command, and their treatment is very generous. Amon himself was clean and honest, but he didn't ask the chief priest, George, to live with him. The supplies and salaries that should belong to the priests were all allocated to George to handle by himself.

As a result, George also gave away all the supplies and equipment, leaving only 10% of the military salary, which was handled in full accordance with Amon's approach. As the high priest of the Temple of Isis, George has plenty of opportunities when he wants to make some money, and he doesn't need to make a fuss about it.

The equipment and military salary were all provided, but Amon was not lenient in training his troops. He planned to run the army strictly, but in the end he ran into a former commander who was stricter than his requirements. John was known for his violent temper when he was in Mount Horeb. Now that he came to the legion to lead soldiers to fight, he was given enough equipment and money. How could he tolerate the laziness of the soldiers

Whoever does not do his best during the drill, the front commander will skip over the lower-ranking officers and directly drag him out and give him a beating. On the contrary, Amon played a lenient role, often persuading John not to be too harsh, and to deal with it according to military discipline, without additional punishment.

Amon also told John not to be too impatient and not to increase the burden on the soldiers without authorization. For example, archers are required to shoot fifteen arrows in a row in a round of volley, so they shoot fifteen arrows in normal practice. There is no need to force them to shoot twenty arrows, and in the end they lose their accuracy and strength. After all, they are still on the march and need to recharge their batteries.

After being instructed by Amon in Mount Horeb, John has gradually been able to control the uncontrollable restlessness, but the power of restlessness has not disappeared. When we met again, the sixth-level warrior had become stronger than before. He still had moments of irritation and impulsiveness, but found a way to turn this restlessness into bursts of strength, able to suddenly enter a state of greater strength, mobility, and heightened awareness.

This seems to be a strange and explosive power awakening, which is a very interesting discovery for Amon.

Amon had experimented with John's burst of power, and when he entered this state, even Medanzo didn't dare to fight head-on. If Amon didn't use divine spells and only used martial arts, he would be able to suppress him. John becomes stronger than usual in this state, but after this state ends, he also becomes weaker than usual and needs a period of rest to recover.

According to Amon's analysis, if John overuses this explosive power, it may cause unpredictable physical and mental damage, and reminds him to pay more attention.

In addition to strict requirements and command skills in military training, two conditions are required to achieve the best results. First of all, food and nutrition must keep up. Amon ordered the quartermaster to absolutely ensure that the fleet organized by Xiou provided sufficient dairy and meat products. Another condition is the cooperation of the priests.

Magicians will not directly rush to the front line of hand-to-hand combat in the army formation. Their role is mainly reflected in two aspects. One is to use various magical techniques to assist the soldiers in fighting, and the other more important point is to improve the morale of the army. Divine spells can be not only offensive but also auxiliary. For example, although healing spells cannot immediately heal the wounds suffered by soldiers, they can make them temporarily forget their pain, and blessing divine spells can make soldiers become Be braver and no longer afraid, and some clever spiritual magic can even give soldiers a certain victory belief, inspiring them to sacrifice their lives and put themselves into battle.

This is very important in large army battles. Often the failure of a battle is not due to the number of casualties, but the collapse of the front due to low morale. Because once the soldiers lose confidence and have no courage to continue fighting, their despair will be contagious to each other, and the commanders cannot control it.

These magical masters are used to being pampered, and marching is already considered a hardship for them, and they generally don't use this force until a real battle. However, Amon asked the priests accompanying the army to play a third role besides the battlefield, which is to form a formation to perform healing and blessing magic spells during troop training, so that the soldiers can recover from fatigue, and improve morale at all times to maintain a confident and passionate battle state.

Amon cannot directly command the priest, this needs to be ordered through Lord George. The chief priest, George, was very cooperative and issued an order according to Amon's request, dividing his magicians into four teams, each with twelve members, forming a magic circle to help Amon train his soldiers in turn every day.

Now it's hard for those magical masters, their mana is very precious, how can they consume it at will? Very noble adults occasionally use this method when training their own soldiers, but it is almost unheard of to do this in the entire legion. The sorcerers complained in a few days, and went to Lord George to complain—and they were not really fighting, how could they allow noble priests to consume mana at will for those commoner warriors

George didn't say anything at first, but after seeing that there were too many priests complaining, he made a dumbfounding decision. The great magician personally came to the training ground with a staff in hand, and led four different teams of magicians to perform magic to cooperate with the training for four consecutive days. Even Lord George himself did this, and the other priests did not dare to complain publicly anymore.

Only then did George openly say: "Our legion lacked training before, and if we encounter a real war, we may not be able to hold our ground. Once the warriors on the front line in a big war break up, you as priests will have no good end, and the training of soldiers is also protecting us. Yourselves. You start to complain before the battle is fought, what will you think if you really go to the battlefield?"

Sir George’s words were so beautiful that the priests under him did not dare to refute, but Amon’s actions were indeed unconventional. I have never heard of any commander who would allow the magicians accompanying the army to consume mana needlessly. Every day on the march. Amon, a student taught by Nietzsche, has never had the concept of using mana that was taught in the temple. He used to use magic at any time even to shelter from the rain and sun, and he has long been accustomed to it. What's the big deal.

The priests didn't know that their boss, Mr. George, was also a magician in his early years, and he was a friend of the old lunatic Nietzsche. He also knew Amon's details. This time he cooperated with Amon.

But Amon would not waste his time and effort, and he presented George with a precious staff. Although as the High Priest of the Temple of Isis, George does not lack a good staff, but it is also an excellent thing to keep in his hand or reward students and subordinates. Amon had obtained three staffs in the mysterious cave, one was Nero's relic and had been returned, the other was given to Link, and the remaining one was finally given to George today.

In addition, Amon bestowed a large amount of divine stones on each of the priests, which was a jaw-dropping feat.

Where there is reward, there is punishment. Although the priests dare not complain anymore, they can be lazy and play tricks. As a result, Amon really didn’t give face, and regardless of the noble status of these people, he once ordered John to drag out two priests who did not work hard in the training ground , beaten to death in public. From then on, everything went back to normal.

Of course, magicians are all of noble origin. These priests may come from some prestigious family, or they may be relatives with a certain imperial minister. But now in the legion, they have to bow their heads temporarily. Even if anyone has complaints about the head of the legion, they can only wait until the end of the war.

In this way, Amon marched and trained his troops, advancing steadily along the coastline. Two months later, when the army entered the territory of the cape city-state and was close to the border, he finally ordered that the drills be stopped when they were stationed, and that the whole army only needed to rest well. According to the battle plan, Amon could neither advance alone nor lag behind. He had to follow along the northern coastline according to the speed of the main army.

There are reconnaissance and cavalry exchanges between the An-La Legion and the main force to pass messages, and if it comes to a critical moment, there will be magicians to send messages directly with the help of flying objects.

The An-La Legion finally left the border and turned north, with the desolate Syrian desert ahead. The winding coastline divides the blue sea and light yellow sand, and the waves and sand dunes spread out as far as the eye can see. The sky is as blue as washing, with clusters of white clouds floating, as if the gods in the sky are grazing their flocks.

The scenery is so beautiful, but the surrounding fields are so desolate. In this tranquility, a big battle is about to come in the distant desert. After leaving the border, Amon marched more cautiously, dispatching divine magicians to monitor the surrounding movement at all times to detect divine magic, and the transport and supply fleet followed far behind, no longer getting too close.

At this moment, the detectives reported an unexpected situation. The Horus Legion led by Pharaoh himself did not advance steadily according to the original battle plan, but suddenly accelerated and rushed to the center of the Syrian Desert. The Seth Legion, which was originally stationed at the border, had to change its plan, covering the peasants and food and supplies and entering the desert to follow the pharaoh.

According to the original plan, the Isis legion was supposed to advance hand in hand with the Horus legion. The legion was dozens of miles behind at the time, but Pharaoh did not wait at the border. The Horus army suddenly accelerated, throwing the Isis army away. For fear of losing something, the Isis Legion left the large luggage in the cape city-state, and marched lightly into the Syrian desert.

This is not in line with the original plan of the Eju military department. If it affects the whole body, the entire strategic situation has changed, from a steady advance to a surprise attack.

Although the situation on the battlefield is ever-changing and requires the commander to make various temporary decisions, but to make such a big change before the battle has started, the general army commander has neither the courage nor the authority. After all, there is nothing wrong with marching according to the plan. Even if the battle is unfavorable, it is the responsibility of the overall command. However, if the main force makes a surprise attack without authorization, all cooperating teams must make corresponding adjustments. Only the head of the Horus Legion dared to do this, because he was the supreme pharaoh.

While the Horus Legion launched a surprise attack, it did not issue a cooperating order to the An-Ra Legion. This made Amon feel a little at a loss as to whether he should advance according to the original plan, or follow Pharaoh to speed up the march? It took a few days before he received a scouting letter from Rod Dick, the commander of the Seth Legion, requesting that the An-La Legion also speed up their march to cover the flanks of the main battlefield.

Not to mention Amon's doubts, Rod Dick, who led the Seth Legion and was in charge of the army's supplies, felt miserable at the moment. He once advised His Majesty the Pharaoh not to change his plan to advance aggressively, but Rasis II didn't listen at all.

From Rod Dick's point of view, Ecu's national strength is obviously stronger than Hatti's, and the combat power and equipment of the legion also have a great advantage. The safest choice is to advance and fight in a stable manner. What's more, this time is His Majesty the Pharaoh's royal conquest, and there is no room for any risk of mistakes. The only obstacle to the conquest of Hatti is the huge consumption of logistics and supplies across the Syrian Desert, which requires a high price.

But something unexpected interfered with the original battle plan and changed Pharaoh's decision.

According to the reports from the spies before the war, this time King Lucier of the Hatti Kingdom also led his most elite Enlil Legion to march in person. Lucille didn't intend to go to the battlefield in person, but the royal nobles, important officials of the Manchu Dynasty, and the elders of the Theological Academy all wrote letters asking the king to lead the army in person like Pharaoh Eju, even if it was only as a symbol.

The army of the Eju Empire is approaching aggressively, and the Hatti Kingdom has been planning for this war for many years, and it is the moment when the greatest strength needs to be erupted in silence. The opponent's Lacis II is on the front line. If King Lucier is still retreating in the capital, it will give the public an impression of timidity and lack of self-confidence. The king leads the most elite legion in the kingdom to conquer, which is the best way to boost morale.

The significance of this battle to the Hatti Kingdom and the Eju Empire is different. If the Ecu Empire loses, it is nothing more than losing a vassal state. However, if the Hatti Kingdom loses, it will be a turning point in the fate of the entire country. At least it will lose a large area of territory, pay heavy indemnities and tributes, and completely submit to the rule of the Eju Empire, and will not be able to recover for a long time.

Although King Lucier was reluctant, he still marched on his own. Over the years, the city-state of Syria, which seemed peaceful and peaceful, suddenly assembled a well-trained and well-equipped elite army, which was the Anu army originally stationed on the western border. As a great magician, Ge Lie actually served as the head of the legion. The chief priest of the legion is his disciple Wallace, the front commander is the great warrior Mu En, and the chief logistics officer is the governor Xiao Mo.

Another Nannar Army, which was originally stationed in the southern coastal defense, also advanced along the coastline towards the Syrian Desert. The Kingdom of Hatti was fully prepared for the war and marched very fast. The three legions had assembled in the northern part of the desert south of the Black Fire Forest and west of the inland lake.

The above is the last message sent back by the spies sent to Hatti Kingdom. It is already very difficult to travel through hundreds of miles of desert without being discovered by the enemy. The opponent's latest and timely developments are temporarily unknown through our own channels.

The reconnaissance cavalry sent by the Horus Legion went deep into the desert and captured several groups of people in different places, some were passing caravans, some were fishermen by the sea, and some claimed to be plundering robbers. They appeared in such a place at such a time, so they were naturally very suspicious, so they were all treated as enemy spies. Under torture, they all confessed that they were spies of Hatti Kingdom.

The same information was mentioned in the confessions of all the spies. King Lucier led the army of Enlil to advance to the grassland bordering the desert on the south bank of the inland lake and is establishing a permanent camp. The Anu Legion led by Ge Lie was stationed in the southern part of the Syrian city-state, mobilizing combat supplies while building fortifications, two hundred miles away from the king's Enlil Legion. Another Nannar army was stationed near the coastline, also two hundred miles away from the Anu army.

These three legions are distributed in an inverted triangle and echo each other, waiting for the Ecu army to enter the ambush circle.

According to the original battle plan of the Eju Empire Army, the main attack line of the pharaoh's army was to directly attack the southern pass of the city-state of Syria, and it would be blocked head-on by the Anu Army led by Ge Lie. And Hatti's other two legions may suddenly attack from the left and right, even if they can't stop the supply line of the Eju army, they can hold back the main force of the Eju army. In this way, the Ecu army will fight a costly war of attrition on the other side of the desert far away from the country.

If only one person said this, it might be fraudulent, but the spies caught in different places and the interrogation statements all revealed similar information after analysis, it seems that the possibility is very high. His Majesty the Pharaoh was very angry at first, and even suspected that there were traitors among the top military officials in Eju who had provided Hatti with a top-secret battle plan, so that the other party made targeted arrangements.

The former commander of the Horus Legion, the general Blaze, the chief priest and the high priest of the imperial capital, Li Quide, all persuaded the pharaoh to calm down. According to the normal strategic situation, as long as people who understand military affairs analyze a little, they can judge the main attack of the Ecu army. route. There is nothing surprising about the combat plan formulated by the Ecu Military Affairs Committee, it is quite satisfactory and steady.

The Kingdom of Hatti has been preparing for war for a long time, and it is completely normal to make this kind of response plan. They just want to rely on the border to carry out defensive operations, and take advantage of the favorable conditions for logistical supplies and troop replenishment.

The Eju army only needs to attack the southern pass of the city-state of Syria according to the original plan. The connection between the Lille Legion is enough to block the return of the Enlil Legion.

As for the Nannar Legion stationed on the coastline, the An-La Legion led by Amon can take advantage of the trend to advance northward and face off, and Amon is not required to win. As long as the Nannar Legion can be contained near the coastline, the main force cannot A joint attack on the Ecu army will be considered a success.

If the battle is carried out like this, it will be a head-to-head competition without any opportunism. It will depend on the comprehensive results of the combat effectiveness, equipment and training conditions, battlefield command, and logistics supplies of both sides. However, Pharaoh vetoed this plan and decided to launch a surprise attack on Enlil's Legion on the south bank of the inland lake. Lasis II's decision cannot be said to be unreasonable.