I will be crowned king

Duke Eden sat on a chair and calmly allowed the soldiers of the guard company to search him. They took away all weapons or metal products that could be used as weapons, and his hands were tied to the back of the chair with ropes.

The tent was ransacked on a rainy night, leaving only a flickering kerosene lamp and twenty soaked soldiers from the guard company standing around the tent with loaded guns, their right index fingers pressed against the triggers.

The dark midnight rain was pouring heavily, but the dull sound of rain made the tent seem unusually quiet. It was so quiet that Duke Eden felt that he could hear the nervous breathing and heartbeats of the Clovis soldiers around him.

and the sound of footsteps as someone enters the tent.

"Your Excellency Anson Bach, we meet again."

Looking at Anson who was a little embarrassed by the rain, Duke Eden smiled softly, as if he was just welcoming a friend he had just met:

"What a surprise. I originally planned to send someone to deliver the invitation to the warehouse, but I didn't expect you to take the initiative to come to my place."

"Yeah, it's quite unexpected." Anson, expressionless, snorted:

"I thought the next time the two of us would meet would be next month at the earliest, but I didn't expect that we would meet again just after we parted."

"I can't help it, I'm just so enthusiastic sometimes."

The corners of the young Duke's mouth raised, and his meaningful eyes quickly looked at Anson: "I heard that you have been sick recently. Is it okay to be caught in such a heavy rain?"

"Thank you for your concern." Anson said expressionlessly:

"I'm still young and have a very healthy lifestyle. One or two minor illnesses won't do anything to me - but sometimes I catch a cold and cough, and I can encounter some unexpected surprises."

"oh?"

Duke Eden seemed to be very interested: "For example?"

"For example..." Anson narrowed his eyes slightly:

"Isn't it now?"

The young Duke was startled for a moment, then "Pfft!" he laughed out loud.

Anson, who had slightly cold eyes, was indifferent, watching the guy tied to the chair and laughing; the Duke's hearty and weird laughter echoed in the lifeless tent.

After more than ten seconds, the hearty laughter finally stopped. The Duke, whose shoulders were slightly hunched, looked at Anson with a smile: "I said... Dear Deputy Commander, you will not think that you will catch me... in this 'Battle of Green Valley'" Even if you win the bet, right?"

"Oh, isn't it?" Anson raised his eyebrows.

"Uh... okay, I'll just pretend that you're joking with me."

Duke Eden, who smiled bitterly, shrugged again, and the smile at the corner of his mouth gradually turned into a smile:

"But if you really think so, then I can only say sorry - the order for a full-scale attack has been issued, and all the messengers have been sent out by me. Coupled with the current dark night and heavy rain... Nothing can stop their drive to kill."

"Even if you shoot me to death now and throw my head in front of them, it will only make this battle more chaotic."

The young Duke's eyes were blazing: "After all...that's more than 10,000 people. Including your soldiers, it's nearly 20,000 people."

"Is there anything that can stop nearly 20,000 people from desperately fighting each other in the dark night?"

Anson frowned slightly, with a hint of solemnity in his eyes.

"So let us pray, Your Excellency Anson Bach." Duke Eden's smile gradually became colder:

"Your tactic of deliberately letting go of the defense line and outflanking and attacking the rear is indeed an unexpected and decisive move. It is indeed very unexpected."

"Therefore... I hope your soldiers can understand your good intentions and can still hold on to the warehouse stronghold with high morale without you as the commander-in-chief until the sun rises."

……………………

Green Valley's southern city wall, warehouse stronghold.

After experiencing a series of fierce offensive and defensive battles, the originally stalemate battle gradually began to become clearer.

Although the troops have been reduced as much as possible to reduce the width of the front, and there are ready-made barricades and bunkers on the streets and at all intersections - left behind by the previous defeated troops of Carindia - they are still facing a force twice their own. Many enemies attacked like mad dogs, and the Storm Division, which was retreating steadily, became increasingly stretched to control the defense line.

On the one hand, although the Storm Division has installed a large number of breech-loading rifles, and the firing frequency is much higher than that of the opposite Eden Army, but that was before, the Leyden muzzle-loading rifle was still the absolute main weapon of the expanded Storm Division, and the real firepower was not Open up a qualitative gap with the opponent.

On the other hand, the low visibility caused by heavy rain and darkness also weakened the shooting accuracy of the skirmishers; unlike the Storm Regiment, which was fully equipped with Leopold's main force of the Storm Division, the main role of counter-fire was still fire cover and deterrence. , and could not completely block the bayonet charge of the Aiden Legion, which was roaring and fighting.

When the first Aiden soldier carrying a bayonet rifle rushed into the position, the brutal melee began uncontrollably; the shouts of fighting were like wildfire, and were quickly ignited, burned, and raised at the forefront of all defense lines. Burn all the flames.

In the warehouse stronghold, the anxious Carl Bain kept using various means to stabilize the morale of the army. At the same time, he continued to mobilize the few reserve troops around him to support and cover the frontline troops. He slowly shrank his position under the front of the Aiden Legion, step by step. Retreat.

However, when shrinking the position, it also means constantly giving up one's own detour space, allowing the enemy to mobilize forces on a larger scale, mobilize more fresh troops more leisurely, and organize a new round of offensive with more fierce attacks.

But fortunately, Carl Bain did not need to face this problem - the low visibility and the nearly crazy attack of the enemy before, the organization of the entire Aiden Army has reached the brink of collapse. In addition to being able to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, each company All are fighting on their own.

In addition, the battlefield itself is very narrow and very long, resulting in a large number of troops being blocked in the back row. They have to wait until the front row is killed or defeated before they can continue to launch a new round of attack.

But this little bit of "advantage" became insignificant under the rapid encroachment of the enemy; the Ayden Army on the opposite side was not a human being, but Carl Bain was responsible for Anson and his Storm Division, doing his best to Reduce soldier casualties.

After all, the Storm Division is only a partial division of the Southern Army, and it is simply too difficult to replenish its troops; if they, with only 5,000 men, suffer heavy casualties in a small battle like Green Valley, the area they have finally conquered and controlled before will become restless. .

According to his most pessimistic prediction, if he does not consider a head-to-head bloody battle with the Aiden Army, I am afraid that the Storm Division will consider a retreat plan in four hours at the latest.

………………

"Indeed."

Anson frowned and said with a slightly heavy tone: "If you really intend to occupy Green Valley no matter the cost, given the current situation of our army, we have no capital and no intention of continuing to fight with you."

The silent Duke Eden did not speak, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Anson Bach's reaction was basically consistent with his previous guess - at present, the Clovis people's attention on the southeastern battlefield is mainly focused on the Elf Kingdom of Yser, and there is not much spare energy to invest south of the Dawn Mountains. of vast soil.

If nothing else, the Anson Bach in front of him and the more than 5,000 Stormtroopers behind him should be all the troops Clovis is willing to invest in the vast land; therefore, he will not take risks for the Carinthians. Fighting a battle for the Green Valley that has no benefits at all!

Yes, he lost this battle, but the final result is nothing more than that both sides take a step back and continue to maintain peace; unless he is willing to fight for the Carinthians, the situation of the war will not change at all.

This is the courage that Victor Emmanuel dares to sit here and "take advantage of" - as long as Anson Bach still intends to cooperate with the Principality of Ayden and does not hope to get a relentless opponent in the vast land, he will not dare to put himself how.

"If...there is no unexpected situation." Anson suddenly said.

Accident?

Duke Eden was startled and looked at the expressionless deputy commander inexplicably:

"What accident?"

"An accident that made me finally make up my mind to risk a fight with you in the Green Valley."

Anson's expression suddenly became relaxed: "As you said, when the order has been issued, even you and I can't stop nearly 20,000 people from fighting each other."

"If you and I can't stop them, then what on earth can stop them?"

Um? !

As if he guessed something from these words, the Duke, who had been calm and calm just now, suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Anson in front of him; he suddenly realized that there was still a flaw in his original plan. A very fatal flaw.

"Very good, it seems that you already know the answer to the riddle." Anson nodded slightly, with a little more playfulness in his eyes:

"Save me the nonsense."

"impossible!"

The stunned Duke Ayden suddenly retorted loudly: "It is impossible for Thun's army to catch up with such a heavy rain! Unless Claude Francois is crazy, he would send troops in such horrible weather!"

"No matter how hard they rush, they will have to wait until evening at the earliest to reach the Green Valley - the battle should be over before then, and it will be too late!"

"Yes, it's too late." Anson admitted frankly:

"But I am still willing to accompany you in tonight's gambling game and make another bet!"

………………

"Bang-!!!! Bang-!!!! Bang-!!!!"

The deafening sound of volleys of gunfire exploded again and again like thunder in the heavy rain; the roaring sounds of fighting in the darkness were like rushing waves, attacking the warehouse stronghold from three directions at the same time.

As time goes by, the defense lines continue to retreat in the face of the offensive of the Aiden Legion; the soldiers of the Storm Division, who have been used to fighting smoothly in the past few months, encountered such a fierce and unafraid of death for the first time, even if they were not afraid of death. Not that they were unprepared, but they were also overwhelmed by this sweeping attack.

When the last frontier barricade was breached, more than 4,000 Storm Division troops retreated all the way. In the end, apart from the warehouse stronghold, only the southern city wall was still firmly under control.

If even this only escape route is cut off, the Storm Division will really have no choice but to fight to the end.

"It's over, it's over."

Looking at the tide of Aiden's army, Karl, who was about to collapse in his heart, muttered to himself. His face, which he had tried to keep calm, was so pale that no trace of blood could be seen. The hands that were pressed on the bunker to support his body were trembling slightly.

The people behind him were all extremely nervous... The officer cursed loudly, trying to cover up his fear with his voice; the soldiers all had numb expressions, mechanically executing every order that sounded either nonsense or unbelievable.

"Chief of Staff, what should we do next?!"

Amidst the deafening shouts of killing, a skirmisher company commander whose head was bandaged and still bleeding suddenly said, pressing Karl's shoulder eagerly:

"If we continue to fight like this, the warehouse stronghold will really be undefendable - are there really reinforcements tonight? You and the deputy commander are not lying to us, are you?!"

"If you can hold it, you can definitely hold it!" Karl, who suddenly woke up, quickly interrupted: "Let go of your heart, stick to your post, and keep on holding on; there will be reinforcements, there will definitely be them!"

"Relax, everyone. This is all within the deputy commander's plan. There is nothing to be afraid of!"

In order to stabilize the morale of the army, he could only say these words against his will.

However, the situation in front of him was not as he described... As the outer defense lines fell one after another, the originally safe warehouse stronghold was completely exposed to the firepower of the Aiden Legion.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Aiden's army had exhausted all its artillery shells, the bunker where Carl was staying would have been covered by rounds of artillery fire.

On the other side, the Aiden Legion, which finally saw some hope of conquering the warehouse stronghold, was full of momentum. Despite the huge casualties, the Aiden officers once again reorganized the army and moved towards the crumbling defense line with joy.

In the pitch-black night, groups of Aiden soldiers shouted excitedly, stepping on their robes and enemy bones to break through the blood-soaked position, and followed in the direction of the retreat of the Storm Division army.

at this time……

"Men of Thun—forward!"

A loud shout penetrated the layers of rain and rang out from under the south wall facing away from the warehouse stronghold.

The chaotic fighting came to an abrupt end at this moment. The soldiers of the Storm Division and Aiden Legion were stunned almost at the same time, staring in the direction of the shout with either horror or surprise.

Amidst the sound of falling rain, the roar of cavalry resounded!

"Cavalry! It's cavalry!"

Accompanied by the exclamation of a sharp-eyed skirmisher, hundreds of figures formed a formation like sharp knives, rushed through the city gate at a speed that was almost only an afterimage, and drove straight into the chaotic battlefield under the warehouse stronghold.

"For Hantu, for Clovis, for Francois!"

The leading Thun knight shouted loudly, facing the wind and rain, and forcefully unfolded the flag in his hand - the red thorn flower of Thun with a gold edge:

"Men of Thun—forward!"

"Kill all the Aiden dogs!"