Eagle Byzantium

The next day, next to the camp of the Gimmages Brigade, the Red Hand Brigade quickly replenished supplies and equipment and began to build a camp: they first set up the tents of the medical team, and many wounded soldiers in the previous battle were sent for treatment. Then most of the soldiers and craftsmen began to place a horizontal caravan every thirty feet, removed the canvas, erected the cabin board to protect against arrows, and repeated the same trick in the area between the caravans, using baskets to fill the soil to build a protective wall, and dug a chevaux de frise outside, and used thin wooden boards to build a horizontal shooting hole inside, and set up wooden fences and short ladders for soldiers to shoot from behind. Soon, the Fire Throwers also came to help. After all, they were the main garrison troops in the camp here. The Fire Throwers were equipped with twenty "Persian perfume bottles" cannons in front of the station, plus the eight carried by the Red Hand Brigade, so the commander Leotius was very confident in his firepower.

The brigade camp of Gimmages next to it was a "camping city" in the model of the engineer Geddie. The specific regulations were similar to those during the Battle of Antioch and the Battle of Miliocephalon - a rectangular earth wall was built, the Khitan snow warehouse was placed in a safe place behind it, and the originally concave and convex battlements were all built into flat walls. Dense shooting holes were chiseled on the wall with hoes, and dog-foot wood was placed on it. A double door was set at the main exit to the west. The towering gate tower could allow the general to command the overall situation from above. Outside it, there was a "corset wall" and more than ten sections of staggered sub-walls, and a simple five-bar cannon was set up behind it for counterattack.

In addition, this camp city was very different from the previous ones: a protruding high platform was built at each of the two corners of the city wall to the west, surrounded by dog-foot wood and earth baskets on all four sides, and a perfume bottle was placed on each to look down from above, so that artillery could be carried out on the approaching enemy infantry and cavalry.

In this way, the camp of Gawain's army was actually a combination of a camp city and a field fortification of a chariot.

In the afternoon, under the scorching sun of late spring, several fire-throwers took off their helmets, stepped on the wooden fence, set up two iron guns on the earth basket, stuffed them with fire arrows and waited for them to be fired. Facing the vast and flat land in front of them, the enemy's camp of Brennus stood faintly in the distance, leaning against the vast Philomelon Lake, and several sparkling streams running through the enemy and our camps, about two miles apart. Several hills and forests were scattered there, which could not block the sight of the scouts of both sides.

In front of them, many soldiers took off their armor and helmets, raised pickaxes and hoes, and sweated profusely while digging trenches in front of the chariot. So the task of these fire-throwers was to cover the team of comrades in front of them who were engaged in digging.

"This is a really good place. You can see the traces of the original fields." A fire-thrower squinted and sighed.

The other soldier followed the direction pointed by the other soldier and looked at it calmly. "There are only traces left. Tens of thousands of people have trampled on it. There are also war horses and vehicles, which have long been buried under the dust."

"You said, if the Grand Patron wins this time, the fields here will definitely belong to our country, and our stipends should also increase, right?" A thin but sturdy young soldier sat on a scattered earth basket with full of longing.

"Of course, but don't think so beautifully. I heard that the Grand Patron will expand the army in the future, so he will have to feed more soldiers, supply more weapons, horses and vehicles, so you understand!" The one at the beginning said in a deep voice.

Hearing this, the other two also shrugged their shoulders and agreed.

"It will increase, and in the future, the stipend will not only come from the land and fiefdom, but also from customs duties and commercial taxes."

The three soldiers turned around in surprise and saw the Grand Patron standing on a wooden fence behind them, saying so. The three men hurriedly saluted, Gawain nodded, and patted their shoulders one by one, "We must work hard in this battle, otherwise we will not be able to keep our current stipends."

"Yes, yes!" Not only the three people chatting, but also the soldiers and craftsmen working around them answered in unison.

The two centurions behind Gawain made anxious gestures, asking the three fire throwers to put on their iron helmets and jackets.

Just as the soldiers quickly took the iron helmets from the wooden racks, a lookout on the high tower of "Gimages Camp" suddenly blew a horn, and the humming sound immediately spread throughout the camp.

This was a warning signal. Gawain hurriedly pushed aside several soldiers in front of him and stood at the "crenel" of the earthen basket wall. Others also came over and looked at the "enemy situation" in front of them:

On the flat land three miles away, a blue-striped white cross flag and a purple flag with a gold mark and tassels stood side by side. Below them were foot warriors wearing shining armor. Their shoulder straps were decorated with gorgeous tassels and badges. They carried sharp swords and battle axes, surrounded by the military-clad Emperor Alexius Komnenos and a golden cross inlaid with red, blue and emerald gems beside him, passing in front of the Red Hand Brigade's chariot camp.

The emperor wore a golden helmet, holy armor inside, and a purple long-collared jacket outside. The various harnesses of the black horse under his crotch were shining with noble golden light, majestic and murderous.

On both sides and behind him, the imperial soldiers of each column were in strict order, advancing along the prescribed paths and constantly gathering into a black mass, giving people an imposing pressure. Their weapons also looked very sophisticated. The spearmen carried heavy spears made of natural oak or ash, with shields of various colors hung on them. The archers wore small felt hats and carried leather bags filled with red or white arrow feathers. This kind of weapon that can be used for elite shooting at night made many of Gawain's soldiers who had participated in the Battle of Miliocephalon feel lingering fear; the emperor's cavalry, needless to say, had complete horse equipment and was very high-spirited. They lined up in a neat and solemn formation and trotted on both sides or in front of the infantry team.

Naturally, the most eye-catching thing is the "Immortal Army" newly formed by the emperor. These soldiers wear half-body chain mail, leather lace-up boots, and carry light muskets on their shoulders. On their shoulder straps and belts are ox horns and tin pots containing "Imperial Capital Khitan Snow". Behind them are leather arrow tubes for musket firing similar to those equipped by Gawain's pyrotechnics, swaying.

10,000, 20,000, or 30,000 or 40,000?

All the pyrotechnics and red-handed soldiers watching are wondering about this question, about the number of the emperor's army, "plus the troops of General Brennus over there, it may be twice or even three times ours."

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Although most of them were elite and courageous warriors who had followed the patron in battles, they still felt fear and worry when they saw the emperor's majestic military appearance. Many red-handed soldiers who were digging trenches outside picked up their shovels and climbed back to the car barrier and earth basket wall in a panic. They were afraid that the emperor's cavalry would rush over quickly and shoot them in the trenches.

However, everyone still saw that the patron's attitude was very calm: Gawain twisted his beard with his fingers thoughtfully, watching the emperor's huge army passing by, staring at the other party's whereabouts and actions. (To be continued ~^~)