I will be crowned king

"Your Majesty, Archduke Roland's army has begun to take action!"

Under the increasingly blood-red sunset, the messenger rushed into the chaotic headquarters and knelt down on one knee in front of the throne with a serious expression: "With the cavalry as the forerunner, the total force is about 15,000 people, and we are marching along the Halcyon River. Attack the Clovis flanking legions."

"Very good...no, very good!"

Joseph III, who was still frowning and with a gloomy face, suddenly brightened up: "Send an order to have the cavalry troops cooperate with Archduke Roland's combat operations according to the situation and destroy the 5,000-man army on Clovis's flank as soon as possible."

"There is no need to annihilate all the enemies, just force them to retreat to the east coast. Make sure that Archduke Roland comes to join me as soon as possible - tell the military band and flag officer at the forward position that as soon as they see reinforcements, they will be there immediately. Raise the heraldic flag of the Roland family!"

Joseph had been waiting for this moment for too long... Especially after the previous battle was frustrated, Bernard, an unfamiliar bastard, dared to openly disobey orders in front of the battle, which really caused a lot of damage to the emperor's confidence.

Of course, he also knew very well what the other party was doing... If he didn't take action early, he would not take action later, but he had to wait until he put in a retreat posture, and the target of the attack was still the west coast, not the east coast where the Clovis headquarters was located. It was clear He wanted to "rescue" him in exchange for more privileges within the empire for the northern nobles headed by him.

But Joseph III didn't care, and he even instinctively hoped that Grand Duke Roland thought so... As long as this was true, the northern nobles headed by the Roland family could still unite, win over and bribe them.

He can also tie up the Roland family's army and scare the Levent family who are still watching, as well as those despicable villains hiding in the dark... everything is still under control!

"Well, what are you still waiting for?"

After taking a look at the knight who was still kneeling on the spot, the emperor snorted disdainfully: "Don't worry, there will also be corresponding rewards for the knights who are loyal to me; all those who contribute to the peace and prosperity of the empire and order the world will be rewarded accordingly." Will be treated equally..."

"No, no!" The knight who suddenly raised his head looked very uneasy:

"It's not because of the reward... but! But... it's..."

"What is it?"

Joseph III's expression changed, and he vaguely seemed to realize something: "Don't be nervous, the emperor will not blame an innocent person for a mistake that was not yours, but it doesn't matter."

Facing the emperor's earnest gaze, the hesitating knight finally opened his mouth.

"Archduke Roland...the Grand Duke's 15,000-man army collided head-on with the enemy's infantry phalanx when attacking the Clovis flanking army. It failed to tear apart the enemy's defense line. Instead, it was defeated by Clovis artillery. The cavalry column responsible for the attack."

"The currently frustrated Archduke Roland has withdrawn his army to the north of the ferry. He seems to be planning to regroup, but there is no sign of continuing the attack... The Clovis flanking legions have also launched another attack and are attacking our cavalry step by step. Tight!"

…………………………

"Very good. It seems that Grand Duke Roland intends to keep his promise."

In the headquarters of the east bank position, Carl Bain, who had received the exact information, finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then turned to look at Anson with excitement: "The next step is to see the movements of Archduke Levent. If he only intends to Just pretending..."

"We can officially play the last trump card and make the beloved emperor completely give up his illusions." Anson couldn't help but show a slight smile:

"So...how should we attack the Duke who doesn't deal well with us?"

"I don't know. Should we try to get the Storm Legion on the flanks to fire warning cannons?"

"I think this is a brilliant idea!"

"Well, so the Storm Legion on the southern front is already in action. Calculating the time, there should be a messenger coming to report the situation in a while."

While speaking, he turned to look at the door: "Counting the time, there should be..."

"Report!"

A hussar rushed to the door out of breath and gave a sharp military salute: "Battle report at the southern front ferry - Five minutes ago, the Archduke Levent's army attacked the rear of our army, with a strength of about one cavalry regiment and two infantry regiments. "

"The commander of the southern ferry... I remember it should be Colonel Julien." Anson said without turning his head, tapping the table with the knuckle of his right index finger: "How is the situation?"

"As judged by the commander-in-chief, the enemy is just feinting and has no intention of advancing at all!" The panting hussar grinned:

"Division Commander Julien only ordered a round of school artillery fire, and the other side took the initiative to retreat; the division commander also ordered us to break the Imperial troops holding on to the ferry and expel them in the direction of Levent's Army. As a result, a line formation was launched directly on the opposite side - our army There were no casualties, but many of the defeated troops were killed by Levent’s lead bullets.”

Even though they had expected it, the staff officers and officers present looked at each other in shock when they heard this result. They could not imagine that the majestic Grand Duke of the Empire would openly and openly order to shoot at the Emperor's soldiers - and in front of the Clovis people. .

Karl, who was originally shocked, calmed down at this moment, vaguely feeling that the other party might have done this on purpose: silencing him in front of the Clovis people, on the one hand, of course, it means that he will not participate in the battle of the Halberd River, on the other hand, he can By the way, the responsibility is passed on to Clovis:

"...It's not that I, Knight Levent, are not brave enough, it's that the Clovis people are too despicable and vicious. They even expelled the captured imperial soldiers to act as human shields and block the pace of our attack!"

"...it is helpless to accidentally injure friendly troops. In order to avoid casualties, our army can only retreat from the battlefield to avoid greater sacrifices; but please rest assured, Your Majesty! I, Knight Levent, will never withdraw from the battle and will unswervingly fight with The Clovis people continue to stand against each other, contain the enemy's forces, and share your Majesty's worries..."

Well, that's probably what happened.

"Send the order - let Julien stay vigilant. The Storm Legion downstream gradually moves closer to the main battlefield, covering the rangers, signal flags and the flanks of the Rising Sun Legion." Anson said solemnly:

"As for the Levent Army... I give him full autonomy. Within four hours, he can do anything as long as he ensures that the enemy will not move closer to the main battlefield."

"yes!"

Looking at the backs of the hussars running away, Anson, who was silent for a moment, turned to look at Karl:

"Léon François...how long until he arrives?"

……………………

"That bastard Levent, how long do they have to wait?!"

At the imperial position on the west bank, the furious Joseph III tore up the letter in his hand: "I have forgiven him for accidentally injuring friendly troops, why is the Levent Army still indifferent?!"

"Archduke Levent said that the Clovis people are acting suspiciously, and perhaps we should be cautious..."

"enough!"

Angrily, he interrupted the hesitating Knight Levent. Joseph III, whose face was extremely ugly, gritted his teeth and said, "Tell your Grand Duke that this is an order from the emperor himself. Let him immediately lead his troops to break through the Clovis people." blockade and reinforce the flanks of the army."

"As long as this can be done, all previous mistakes and responsibilities will be forgotten... The Levent family will be directly recognized by the royal family and become the heroes who save the empire!"

"This, I'm afraid...I'm afraid..."

Knight Levent, who was kneeling on the ground, looked very embarrassed, because when Archduke Levent sent him, he specifically told him: As long as the Levent family is not forced to launch an attack immediately, any conditions are easy to negotiate.

"What?" Joseph III raised his eyebrows coldly: "The Levent knights who defend the southern border no longer dare to confront the Clovis people?"

"Your Majesty, atone for your sins. The Levent family has no intention of being timid and avoiding war! It's just..."

Knight Levent suddenly sweated profusely. Of course he did not dare to admit such a big crime: "It's just that the Grand Duke always believed that the enemy has not yet invested all his troops, and the battle will not be decided in one day."

"It's almost evening now. Stabilizing the situation and ensuring that no accidents occur is the top priority, rather than rushing for victory. If the Clovis people catch the flaw, it may lead to the situation developing in a direction that is not conducive to the empire!"

The moment the words fell, even the knight himself felt that he was too powerful - he could say something so truthful when it was obviously baseless, and even seemed to make sense at first glance.

It is already 5:30 in the afternoon. Even if the sun sets relatively late in the summer, there are only less than two hours left before night. The two sides entered the battle at 8:30 in the morning and have continued until now, without any rest or replenishment during this period. No matter how strong the enemy's fighting will is, the physical consumption is real.

Even if there are still fresh troops and reserves at this time, unless it is really the critical moment of decisive victory, they will probably not directly attack; and the main force of the empire has basically completed the retreat and reorganization, and has re-established a more stable front. No matter how you look at it, It is impossible for the whole line to collapse without warning in just two hours.

Looking at the silent emperor, Knight Levent, who finally thought he had successfully escaped, heard hurried footsteps behind him before he could breathe a sigh of relief.

"His Majesty!"

Without waiting for a response from inside, an anxious-looking Arthur Herred rushed straight to the throne: "Information came from the forward position. A large-scale legion was found on the east coast. Judging from the size and flag, it is probably... the Hantu Legion. !”

"What?!"

Joseph III, who suddenly stood up from his armchair, spoke in unison with Knight Levent, and their shocked expressions were quite similar.

"The enemy moves very quickly. In a quarter of an hour at the latest, the forward troops will enter the battlefield, with a total strength of about 40,000." Glancing at the guy who was still kneeling on the ground, Arthur Herred quickly looked at the emperor :

"Once this new force enters the battle, it is likely to have a huge shake in the morale of our army. Your Majesty, please make a decision as soon as possible!"

……………………

The rushing flood-like footsteps broke the last silence of the Halcyon River, like pouring a basin of hot oil into an already blazing fire!

Accompanied by the excited shouts of the Clovis soldiers on the battlefield, the dazzling François King of Thorns flag buzzed under the clear sky - after a day-long rapid march, the Hantu Army seemed to fall from the sky without a moment's hesitation. , appeared directly on the east bank position, and immediately began the crossing operation.

Almost at the same time, Fabian, who learned of the arrival of the Hantu reinforcements, immediately stopped his offensive on the west bank and began to stabilize the front, gathering the troops whose organization had declined due to the continuous attacks, and clearing out the small groups of enemy troops scattered on the position.

But the imperial knights on the opposite side were not relieved because of this... On the contrary, a violent commotion broke out in the entire position - from top to bottom, everyone was looking at the dark figure in the distance with almost despair, reflecting the At this moment, the bloody sunset on the dome is like a call for the impending doomsday.

They understood that after a day of fighting and being forced to withdraw from their original positions due to a setback in their attack, the imperial army could never stop this new force.

However, what is even more cruel than reality is that before the battle officially begins, the majestic imperial army has quietly collapsed...

"The Garland Army that was defeated in the previous battle, as well as the rear army led by Earl Bernard, totaling about 23,000 people, have all left the battle."

In the headquarters, the knight staff secretly glanced down at the emperor, who looked extremely sad, and reported tremblingly: "In addition, the cavalry troops who lost the battle suffered a lot of casualties. In addition, a large number of cavalry accidentally lost contact with the troops on the battlefield. It has been difficult to maintain the situation." Suppression of the flanks, so..."

"Accidentally lost? Humph!"

Joseph III gritted his teeth: "Go on, tell me if you have any more bad news!"

"Ah...obey, obey!" The staff quickly lowered their heads:

"The armies of Archduke Roland and Archduke Levent still show no signs of going into battle... After losing the battle on the east coast and being forced to retreat, our army still has the strength that can be immediately put into combat. All together, there are only less than a few troops left. By the time we reach the 80th regiment, it is no longer possible to completely protect our flanks from being surrounded by enemies, and there is a possibility of being broken through at any time.”

"Many officers requested Your Majesty to evacuate from the battlefield of the Halberd River as soon as possible. The terrain here is too open. Once the Hantu Army completely crosses the river, the total strength of the Clovis people will reach 120,000! With the current combat strength of our army, we simply cannot resist it. , there is a risk of being surrounded and annihilated at any time!”

"retreat……"

The emperor's brows twitched. For some reason, when he heard this sentence, he remembered Bernard's "advice" before - if the Clovis people were allowed to control the Halberd River, they would never have experienced a local war. The Xiaolong nobles would fall apart and decisively abandon him as the emperor, and even the entire Herid royal family.

Is everything really irreversible?

Due to the incomplete information obtained, Joseph III did not know that things were not as bad as he expected, but ten times worse.

While he was still dying, his enemies and ministers had already begun to plan how to hold a grand and grand funeral for the noble emperor...