Mount and Blade

.........

"Hey, anyway, the task assigned to us has been completed." Listening to the grumbling complaints of the people above, Gambino ignored them and picked up the snacks in his nose.

"...You mercenary! Really, forget it, this is your salary for this mission." The man complained, but still gave the money to Gambino and his soldiers.

"Thank you, boss."

Gambino took the money and left in a hurry. He flicked his fingers and picked out his ears. His ears were almost scratched and calloused.

"...Uncle North, can you help me see what's written on it? They all say that you are the most literate in the entire military camp!"

"Hahaha, okay."

Uncle North was one of the people who helped carry Gus back to the tent when he was injured last time. He was an uncle with some sense of justice.

After hearing this, Gus sat happily on the edge and waited for Uncle North to read it to him. Gambino also came over.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Gambino sat directly on the wooden post on the side.

"Hahaha, the kid asked me to read the letter his brother wrote to him."

"Yeah!" Gus nodded nervously, looking in a very good mood.

"Well, let me see... Dear adoptive father and my brother, I have been doing well these days when I was away from home. Don't worry, I have completed my tasks well. I'm sorry, Gus, I lied to you. ..Well."

North paused, then continued reading.

"But that's all for your own good. But I'm living a good life now. I have a very powerful master who teaches me swordsmanship. I hope I won't lose to me when I go back and practice swordsmanship well. Signed - Green."

Gus was happy at first, but when he heard the second half of the sentence, his tears suddenly fell on the cold snow, and his body gradually began to shake. While crying, he punched the sitting person hard. on the wood.

"Asshole! Who wants you to be nice to me?! Liar! Big liar! I will beat you up when you come back!!"

As if he couldn't understand his hatred, Gus started splashing on the ground, mixing with the snowflakes on the ground and patting the wood randomly like a giant panda, and he didn't stop until his palms were bleeding.

"Uh, Gus..."

North reached out his hand to comfort Gus, but Gus slapped it away stubbornly. Gus buried his head in the snow to force himself to wake up, but judging from his shaking shoulders, it was Crying.

Gambino also looked at the arrogant Gus with a speechless expression, although he had never seen anything that could make this stubborn donkey-like boy cry.

"Hey." Perhaps because he didn't think it was interesting, Gambino was going to buy a drink with the money he just paid today.

As soon as he took a step, Gus grabbed his ankle.

"Gambino! Why didn't you tell me? Green...what did he do?" Although Gus's stubborn little face was full of snot and tears, his eyes were still so stubborn.

"Tsk, how do I know? It hurts me, kid!"

Gambino still kicked Gus away impatiently, as if feelings didn't exist for him.

"Uh-huh, where is he?"

Gus had long been accustomed to Gambino's punches and kicks during training. He just couldn't reconcile himself to everyone hiding it from him, and he couldn't reconcile himself to Green not taking him with him.

"Hey, Midland, maybe one day..."

Gambino was about to say something hurtful but suddenly shut up. Oh, forget it, that kid probably didn't want him to worry.

"...Why don't you practice your sword well, or you'll give him a beating? If you lose then, don't come and cry to me."

"I won't lose to him!!"

Upon hearing this, Gus's eyes instantly surged with a strong unwillingness to admit defeat. He got up from the ground, clenched his fist tightly in his right hand, and roared loudly in a child's voice.

"Hmph, is this decent? I will practice with you."

Seeing Gus like this, Gambino suddenly felt energetic. He wanted to see if Green's master taught him better or if he taught him better.

Since then, Gus has worked harder and harder every day than before, because he has the first goal in life, which is to beat Green with strength.

............

Midland Barracks.

"Asshole, you don't even know if the scout is one of your own!?" Yuris slapped the deputy general in the face.

"It's because of the negligence of my subordinates. Please punish me, Captain."

The man did not dare to look up at Yuris. The scouts had already run away behind the team before being ambushed and did not go to the lake with them.

"Hmph, I will be demoted one level and receive forty military sticks. Go away. If you do this kind of negligence again, you will commit suicide and apologize!!"

"yes!"

Cold sweat broke out on the man's forehead when he heard those forty military sticks. Even so, he did not dare to refute, because the entire White Dragon Knights were almost wiped out because of him.

As the lieutenant left, Yuris sat directly on the chair and stroked his forehead and eyes. Most of the retinue and some attendants who had been attacked by the camp were already dead, but now it was better. The horses that were finally recovered were on the ice again. Many horses were broken down, and now there are only about 500 knights left who can barely ride. The remaining 300 attendants and dozens of retinues have no horses to ride at all. Another batch will be shipped from Midland to return them. Have to wait a month.

In addition to the fact that the elite troops are of no use at all, the elites consumed on the battlefield will also be quickly lost.

"Calm down. If you can't attack proactively, you have to defend. If you attack, you have to wait for the White Dragon Knights to recover."

"...You are right, Lord Laban."

"Well, it is more than enough for you and me to defend a fortress together. Besides, the black gunpowder obtained from the Kusha Empire is very useful. The last experiment on the battlefield had very good results. The gunpowder developed by the firearms workshop has a low success rate and cannot be produced on a large scale."

"Yes, and since the influx of black gunpowder, each single-walled castle has become easier to capture, and we must also guard against the enemy's artillery units."

"Well, at present We should bypass Lake Rheina and go to Or Castle to reorganize. After bypassing Lake Rheina, Viscount Eric of the Erot family will lead the Tumel Knights to guard Rheina Castle. "

"Yes."

Eric nodded. The two of them had already discussed it before. Rheina Castle is a small wooden castle behind Or Castle. It is one of the key supply lines of Or Castle and the most convenient castle for military support. The southwest has the Dordo Mountains and the Dorma River Basin as a barrier. It can not only effectively block the Joda army in the Dordore area, but also effectively prevent Or Castle from being surrounded by enemies. It occupies an excellent geographical location for attack and defense.

"Okay."

............

"Ah Qiu~, who is thinking about me..." The cold wind in the snow made Green sneeze.

Nearly three hours had passed since the army treated the wounds of the knights, recovered the remains of the dead, carried the bodies of the noble knights, buried the dead civilians, and brought back the lost horses. They were all hungry, so they simply ate some frozen rations and set off with the army.

Green and his men could only walk forward, because all the horses were given to the knights to maintain their due combat power.

The wind and snow were howling, and they could only pray silently that they would have a sheltered camp to rest before the night came.