I will be crowned king

"WTF?!"

In the military camp outside the White Tower City, Claude Francois's expression changed suddenly after reading Anson's "plan", and he slapped the letter on the table with a "Bang!"

"Grand Duke..." Henares did not react immediately.

"The Elf Ambassador sneaked into Thun, colluded with the Brand family to rebel, and intended to overthrow the Francois family..." The angry Grand Duke of Thun's expression was slightly distorted:

"What is this called a 'perfect plan', what is called a 'flawless excuse'? This is a declaration of war, Thun's declaration of war against Israel!"

"Once this thing is released, Thun and Yisel will be sworn enemies. Do you understand that?!"

Claude Francois roared, a fierce light flashing in his pupils.

The panicked Henares quickly lowered his gaze.

Grand Duke Thun snorted coldly, and glanced at the envelope on the table from the corner of his eye.

Of course he knew what Anson's purpose was in sending this letter - Clovis had captured Eagle Point City, and once Israel's Guards Corps arrived, it would be a decisive battle that would determine the direction of the next war.

Therefore, his "dear nephew" is no longer satisfied with Thun's neutrality and wants to express his position as soon as possible.

Damn the Clovis!

Grand Duke Thun secretly clenched his fists.

From another perspective, his excuse is indeed "perfect" - not only does it seem reasonable, but it also takes away all the responsibilities of the Francois family, and all the responsibilities fall on the Elf Kingdom of Yser.

The Brand family has indeed always regarded itself as the Yiser elves, and the Yiser elves in White Tower City have always been very independent. The Yiser elves have indeed invaded the south of the Dawn Mountains more than once, so as long as this scapegoat can be taken away It's absolutely impossible to take them off.

Even if he is facing a confrontation with the Seven Cities Alliance, Grand Duke Thun can still explain that "this is all forced by the Elf King Yser, I have no choice at all, and they also want to take the opportunity to control the entire Seven Cities Alliance."

Anyway, White Tower City has been surrounded by him, all external roads are also under the control of Thun, and the remaining members of the Elf Mission are also in the dungeon of Golden Stone City. It is not his job to say what he wants to say?

only……

"Grand Duke!" Looking at Claude Francois who was still hesitating, Henares couldn't help but said:

"We've come to this point, do you think Thun still has a choice?!"

To be fair, Henares was not in favor of secretly maintaining neutrality from the beginning and trying to find a balance between Clovis and Israel; first of all, betraying important allies for many years would have a very bad impact, not to mention Thun's strength is simply not enough to negotiate head-on with Clovis.

Even if you can get a lot of benefits in the short term, you will have to pay the price sooner or later.

But in any case, now that this path has been chosen, and Clovis has the upper hand in the battle for Eagle Point City, Thun can never look back; otherwise, not only the Clovis people will definitely take revenge, but Israel will also It is impossible to forgive such a blatant betrayal.

Claude Francois looked at Henares blankly, his eyes finally no longer entangled.

"How long until they come?"

"As soon as this afternoon, Anson Bach will lead his Stormtroopers to join you."

Henares suddenly paused, then hesitantly said: "Master Leon... is also in his team, always following His Excellency Anson Bach."

Grand Duke Thun's expression changed slightly.

Obviously, this is both a sign of sincerity and a subtle warning to yourself: Your only heir is in our hands, don't act rashly.

"He...what else did Anson Bach say?"

"The deputy commander of the Southern Army has entrusted me to tell you that the communication line between Thun and Clovis has been opened. As long as you place an order as soon as possible, the Luen family's arsenal will be able to ship the goods within a month at the earliest, and the supply will not exceed a standard. Legion’s weapons and equipment.” Henares said truthfully:

"In addition, he also asked me to tell you that if there is no unexpected situation, it is best not to attack the city immediately."

"Um?"

Claude Francois was stunned for a moment... What does "it is best not to attack the city immediately?"

Now that things have come to this point, does he think that Count Brand and the elf ambassador who knows black magic will surrender obediently?

"I'm not very clear about the specific situation. His Excellency Anson Bach's original words were: A certain degree of 'goodwill' might make the other party relax their vigilance and think that things can turn around."

Henares shook his head. He didn't quite understand what Anson was thinking, so he could only repeat it exactly as it was: "There are some things we know, and some things the enemy knows, but the enemy may not necessarily know what we know, so let them know." They know things we don’t know…”

Grand Duke Thun: "...How about we wait until Anson Bach arrives and let him explain himself."

"certainly!"

Henares breathed a sigh of relief.

Grand Duke Thun stood up from his chair with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth in the camp with a slightly gloomy expression.

No matter what Anson Bach's plan is, once Clovis's army appears under the White Tower, he and Earl Brand will have no room for negotiation and compromise. The two sides will definitely fight to the death.

But Claude Francois really doesn't want to attack the city... Even if this kind of civil war can be easily won, Thun's strength will be seriously weakened. The capital in his hands will become less and less. Facing Claude The Wei Kingdom had no confidence to negotiate, or even obeyed.

So he was very confused. Anson Bach kept urging him to express his position, and at the same time he was persuading himself not to attack the city immediately, to conserve his strength, to ease the situation, and to seek opportunities for a quick victory. He seemed to be worried about Thun's strength being affected. The loss is the same...so what exactly does he want to do?

Everything seemed to have to wait until Anson Bach arrived and find a way to dig it out from his mouth.

The Archduke of Thun, who was in a dilemma, was now eager to know what the Clovis people's real strategic goal was.

Time passed by, and while Grand Duke Thun was still thinking hard, a messenger suddenly walked into the camp and broke the silence.

"The scouts sent news: A Clovis army appeared in the rear, with a size of about two thousand people. They are heading towards White Tower City and will arrive at the military camp in one hour at the latest!"

"So fast?!"

The dumbfounded Grand Duke Thun stood there for an instant, completely stunned.

Yes, the distance from Arkad Castle to White Tower City is not that far, it can even be said to be very close. The Storm Division who set off at the same time as Henares can indeed rush over quickly... but it is too fast!

He had seen Anson's Storm Division, which was a pure infantry force that relied on two feet to move - couldn't it be that his soldiers had wheels under their feet? !

In a sense, Grand Duke Thun really guessed it right. The soldiers of the Storm Division did indeed have "wheels" under their feet.

On the flat and fertile land, hundreds of baggage horses formed a long and slender column. The heavy wheels left deep ruts on the muddy road. The pack horses that struggled to drag them "puff, puff" sprayed white. The huge fleet of cars stirred up yellow-brown smoke, like a river flowing slowly.

But these carriages were not loaded with mountains of baggage, but fully armed soldiers.

If Anson and his Stormtroopers gained anything besides loot during the Eagle Point Pass blockade, it was these baggage trains.

Because they were marching lightly and there was no extra baggage, and the south of the Chenxi Mountains was basically a plain, so the two thousand officers and soldiers of the Storm Division got on the vehicle collectively, not only speeding up the march, but also continuing to rest and recuperate.

Of course, such a luxurious "game" of using baggage carriages to transport troops can only be used occasionally when there is no need to carry baggage. After all, these transportation capabilities are also a considerable asset.

Anson's purpose was not just to transport troops. He needed to use these baggage carriages to speed up the mobilization and marching efficiency of Thun's army, so that this army of at least 12,000 people could move as quickly as possible after solving the White Tower City. He rushed to the battlefield of Eagle Point City at a fast speed.

Ludwig gave a deadline of fifteen days, but based on his understanding of Louis Bernard, this guy who occasionally got into trouble would launch a general offensive within ten days.

He is not worried that Eagle Point City will be captured, but if the Guards Corps is defeated early, Thun's army will not be able to rush to the battlefield in time and will not be able to win the battle. It would be a pity if he misses the opportunity to completely annihilate the Guards Corps. Got it!

Anson, who was sitting on the carriage, looked at the White Tower City that could be vaguely seen in the distance - like many "old" castles, the White Tower City was also built around a tall and solid tower, and then in the The design idea of ​​building a ring of city walls around the perimeter.

In the ancient dark ages, this kind of fortress occupying high ground and having excellent views was a nightmare for all attackers; as long as the defenders huddled in the castle, the enemy could do nothing, and the attack had to start from the outer trenches and moats; even if the city walls were attacked , but also facing the threat of the inner castle and towers from the top, pushing forward to higher positions layer by layer.

Most of the armies collapsed due to huge casualties before they could break through the inner castles and towers.

But in modern times, when all kinds of artillery are popular, these fortresses are no longer indestructible; the low ancient city walls cannot withstand the recoil of heavy artillery, and can only be equipped with light cannons, which is a disadvantage during the bombardment stage.

The tall tower may bring good vision and sniper position, but it is also a fixed target; the tall brick and wood structure building is simply vulnerable to twelve-pound solid bullets.

At the top of the tower where the cold wind was howling, Count Than Brand, dressed in a cuirassier uniform, stared intently at the torrent of baggage trains and the flag of King Clovis fluttering on the carriage... His right hand on the city wall was silently clenched fist.

Along with the sound of slight footsteps, a slender figure appeared behind him.

"Sure enough, it's exactly as you said." Earl Brand said coldly without looking back:

"To be honest, just a few minutes ago I was lucky enough to think that all this was just a misunderstanding, but I didn't expect..."

The words stopped abruptly, and there was a hint of pain in the eyes of Earl Brand, who bowed his head.

"You don't need to be in too much pain, respected Earl Brand." Ambassador Mattias came closer and patted his shoulder with relief:

"Archduke Claude Francois betrayed Yser and the Seven Cities Alliance. The nobles and states of the entire land will not forgive this despicable and shameless behavior."

"If the entire Seven Cities Alliance unites, it will be an army of at least 150,000 people. The Grand Duke of Thun and his despicable lackeys are completely vulnerable to this army and will be torn into pieces in an instant!"

Ambassador Matias became more and more excited as he spoke, with a hateful expression as if he was biting out every word: "At that time, the François family will fall apart, and the Golden Stone City will be burned to the ground; you will become the new Grand Duke of Thun, White Tacheng will replace Jinshi City and become the most prosperous business capital under the Dawn Mountains!"

"The Elf Kingdom of Yser will also fully support you and make Brand the most prominent surname in the vast land!"

Listening to Ambassador Matias's solemn promise behind him, Earl Brand, who lowered his head, could only smile bitterly without saying a word.

It is precisely because of the support of the Iser Elf Kingdom that I cannot gain a foothold in the human kingdom of the Seven Cities Alliance!

As the only elf lord of Yser south of the Morning Mountains, Count Brand is very aware of his value to the Grand Duke of Thun - acting as a middleman between Thun and Yser to secure more benefits for the Francois family. .

Therefore, once the Grand Duke of Thun decides to betray his alliance with Yser, White Tower City and the Brand family will immediately become a thorn in his side, a thorn that must be completely removed!

What's more, Ambassador Matias fled to him. Even if Brand wanted to explain, he couldn't explain it. Could it be that by handing over the envoy, Grand Duke Thun would not doubt his loyalty as an Iser elf? Do you wonder if you are secretly colluding with the Elf King Ysel?

Even if he could tolerate it, could the Clovis people tolerate their ally having an elven vassal from Ityr?

Therefore, even if he knew he was going to die, Earl Brand had to start a rebellion, make Archduke Claude Francois the party who broke his promise, and use the pressure of the Seven Cities Alliance to force the archduke to give up his plan to form an alliance with Clovis in order to save himself. There are tens of thousands of Yser elves in the family and White Tower City.

Anyway, there is no news of the fall of Eagle Point City yet, and it should be too late to stop the Archduke now.

Here, Earl Brand was still suffering from the dilemma, but Ambassador Mattias was pulled aside by an entourage who climbed up the tower. After talking quietly for a while, he frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"There is a message from Archduke Thun's cavalry under the city gate." Faced with Count Brand's inquiry, Ambassador Matthias had a strange expression:

"He said...Claude François wished to negotiate with us, that his nephew had brought an offer...that we could not refuse."

"nephew?"

"Yes, nephew." Ambassador Matias nodded:

"That is, the deputy commander of the Clovis Southern Army and the commander of the Storm Division, Anson Bach!"