prynovel Chapter 17 Troop Departure
Chapter 17 Troop Departure
As the meeting drew to a close, Gerns and Choms had already discussed the general direction, and now the main focus was on assigning tasks in the details.
The meeting finally ended late into the night.
After being greeted by the other squad leaders, Gerns did not choose to spend the night at the Red Rose Tavern outside the camp, but instead returned to the tent with Choms to rest.
After being promoted to company commander, you no longer need to share a tent with the regular soldiers. Each company commander and deputy company commander will be assigned a separate tent to share.
Although keeping a mistress is a perfectly normal thing for a squad leader.
But in Gerns’ view, a newly promoted company commander kept a mistress and even slept with a woman outside the barracks shortly after his promotion.
If this gets back to Master Holmes' ears, it will somewhat tarnish the image I have left for him.
"Before we break camp, let's arrange for Sylphie to be taken along with the Baron's caravan."
Gears lay on his own bed and gradually drifted off to sleep to the sound of Choms' regular, not particularly loud, snoring.
The following morning, in the eyes of the people of the Kingdom of Creek, the army of the Kingdom of Collington, which had been silent for a month, began to operate like a giant beast with a "rumbling" sound.
After quickly finishing their breakfast, all the soldiers assembled with their squads at lightning speed, and then the squads quickly regrouped into companies.
Four infantry companies, totaling over four hundred men, formed four long lines and slowly marched out of the military camp. The blood-red triangular spear banners of the Kingdom of Corlington, painted with images of dragon riders, fluttered in the center of the ranks.
The black dragon on the flag is depicted in a pouncing pose, its claws grasping a broken bolt of lightning.
"Giddy up! Drink!"
As a strong wind blew by, the elite cavalry squadron in the military camp was mobilized.
This cavalry unit was the Baron's prized possession and his trump card.
The magnificent warhorses were inlaid with sharp rivets, and their light chainmail armor was faintly stained with crimson blood. The armor of the powerful elite cavalrymen was crisscrossed with wounds, and their sharp lances, raised high, gleamed with a bluish light, all of which showed the strength and bloodthirstiness of this army.
A full quarter of an hour later, the troops in the camp began to set off one after another, heading towards the distance along the road.
If any knowledgeable Creek people were nearby, they would discover that the group was heading in the direction of Luggus, a city not far from here.
After the main force left the camp, the camp gates were slowly closed. Currently, only a small number of soldiers and some logistics and supply troops remain in the camp.
Even so, the Creek refugees could not resist them.
The Creek people, who were hiding on both sides of the road, breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the horde of monsters leave. It seemed that the army of the Kingdom of Corlington had left a very deep impression on them.
Sylphy was also standing at the town entrance watching the Collington army depart. Unlike the others who were filled with fear, she looked worried.
She saw Gerns in the crowd, clad in armor and riding a warhorse. Although his helmet obscured his face, Sylphy recognized him at a glance by his deep, bright eyes.
"Madam, I am Fortes, the manager of the logistics caravan. Lord Gerns sent me to fetch you."
A fair-skinned, chubby man approached Sylphy with a fawning expression. His narrow eyes darted around, clearly the demeanor of a typical businessman.
To show his sincerity, Fortes, the caravan manager, came in person. Crick was doomed, and whether his family could make a big profit at the last moment depended on his efforts.
The Baron of Cairns divided his transport fleet among five companies. Apart from the Baron's share being the largest, the other four companies were all established based on their own abilities.
Fortes’ family was originally just average, but fortunately, after being elected squad leader not long ago, he managed to get in touch with Gerns through his own efforts.
He believed his judgment was sound.
Hilfi realized that this was arranged by Gerns, so he followed Fortes toward the military camp.
The Krock refugees who had been watching scattered in fear to make way for them. Fortes did not come alone; he was accompanied by several family bodyguards.
Although they were only slightly stronger than average, the ignorant Crook refugees mistook them all for soldiers of the Kingdom of Corlington because they were dressed in the uniforms of the Kingdom of Corlington.
"What are you all looking at? Get out of here!"
Perhaps Foster got annoyed by the crowd, because after he shouted at them, the people scattered and ran away.
After leaving Gem Town, the entire group moved forward slowly but in an orderly fashion.
Gerns adjusted his condition while riding his warhorse.
People die in wars. This is the first battle Gerns has fought since he transmigrated. He needs to adjust his condition before the battle to ensure that he doesn't die a second time.
Before this siege, he also had to lead a portion of his squadron to the location designated by the Baron to clear out the goblin's lair, ensuring that his best condition wouldn't be wasted on a group of goblins.
Furthermore, in the original owner's memories, he had witnessed more than once people stronger than himself dying at the hands of weaker individuals, which he considered to be major mistakes caused by poor performance.
He didn't want to be that kind of person, so he wanted to fight to the best of his ability and bring his strength to its fullest potential.
Secondly, there was the warhorse, which he was selected by the logistics department after being promoted to company commander. This was a perk that every company commander should have.
Under Uncle Reger's guidance, Gerns selected a warhorse with a red body and black legs.
These days, warhorses are more valuable than people. The value of such a warhorse is equivalent to that of a full suit of armor worth one hundred silver coins, and it is priceless.
If a person wearing armor dies, the armor can be removed and reused. But if a horse dies, it's difficult to replace it, since the cost of raising a warhorse is much higher than the cost of forging a suit of armor.
This is why a baron, who owns an entire cavalry squadron, only provides horses to the squadron leader and above.
"Giddy up! Giddy up!"
Gerns rode alongside his squadron to check on the situation. Morale was crucial for the soldiers as the battle was about to begin, and his presence near his men was simply to let them know that their squadron leader was nearby.
"Brother Gerns, when will we arrive?"
The speaker was a burly man with a thick beard and a strong build. Of all the people Gerns knew, only Uncle Reggler was a size bigger than him.
This man was originally a squad leader in the first company. Now, Gerns has made him the squad leader of the first squad in his company. After spending a few days together, Gerns felt that this man was worth trying to get to know.
"The troops are marching at a rapid pace; at this speed, they probably won't arrive until evening."
After considering it for a moment, Gerns replied.
"Oh, does that mean the battle won't start until tomorrow?"
The squad leader of the first squad pursed his lips with a hint of regret.
"Nonsense, we'll besiege the city tonight, rest for a night, and then make our move at dawn tomorrow."
Gerns figured out that the squad leader of the first squad was a warmonger, and that his physique was well-deserved. He wondered how crazy this guy would go once a fight broke out.
"Since you're so eager to fight, there's a mission that needs you."
Gerns recalled the mission the Baron had previously assigned to his squadron to clear out goblin lairs, and thought it might be a good warm-up for the man.
"The Baron has assigned our squadron a mission to clear out goblin lairs along the way. I'll be taking a group of men away from the group to complete this mission later."
When the squad leader of the first platoon heard that there was a mission assigned, his previously dejected expression immediately vanished, and he said, "Take me with you! I definitely won't let you down, Company Commander!"
"Alright, then you and your first squad will come with me later."