Realm of Power

Apiggs walked up the stone steps leading to the top of Poppara Castle with a heavy heart. The torches on both sides of the corridor made a whistling sound in the dark, dry and cold air. He had been in a bad mood for several days. Soldier Their figures running back and forth aggravated this ominous feeling.

First of all, there is news from the clan. The leader Slo Ariston has basically rejected the request from the southern empire to annex. This means that his Poppara Castle has become a war front and may face attacks from the south at any time. The attack of the imperial team could not help but make the Apige family, which had been living in the cracks for hundreds of years, feel a hint of crisis.

Although the Apige family is a family with a long history, it is just a local Xin tribe that no one pays attention to. In the era when the Dika people controlled the northern cold land, their status was not even considered to be a local leader, they were just a few people. Ten managers of cold land lumberjacks. But in that chaotic era,

The ancestors of the Apige family struggled hard. Although there was no outstanding figure who made the family suddenly rise to prominence, the family business was steadily expanding through the hard and unremitting efforts of several generations. By the generation of Apige's grandfather, With his heroic performance in the war with the enemy, he led a peasant group of tenant farmers to kill two of the opponent's nobles for the first time, and finally obtained the power to be granted land, and finally obtained the status of a surrender of the city. ownership of this land

The current lord Apiges is a conscientious but contented man. He has no dissatisfaction with his territory and property. At over forty years old, he knows that he will have no further development. He can hold on to this piece of land and I would be satisfied if my family could continue safely.

In his generation, too much blood has been seen. The Dika people and the Asuos people, these once glorious and prominent names in the North, have now been lost in the long river of history with the passage of time, as if they had never appeared. It's the same as before, and the situation in front of me is also somewhat Mysteriously, the great southern empire that defeated the Asuos seems not to be satisfied with just holding the core area of ​​the northern cold land in its hands, but wants to cover all areas within its sphere of influence. This will undoubtedly move Lai to get closer. The interests of the East Eleanor people on the edge of Northland,

Just when Apiges was worried about this, the war preparation order from the city was also issued here. Although the leader insisted that the empire from the south would not have the extra energy to take risks and launch conquests in remote areas. , but still sent 300 additional soldiers to Poppara Fort, which is located at the forefront, hoping to add the 50 defenders of Poppara Fort itself to form the Poppara Fort outpost.

Poppara Fort, a small castle with an area of ​​just over 300 square meters, achieved a breakthrough of 350 troops for the first time. The first person to show dissatisfaction with this arrangement was the local lord Apiges.

His territory is not small. Strictly speaking, it covers an area of ​​nearly 20 square kilometers. If it were inland, such an area would be at least the area of ​​a medium-sized wealthy family. However, this is a barren ice field. In addition to the vast expanse of cold hard soil, , the only areas that are really useful for survival are the two birch forests near the castle. The food in the territory in the past and the furs used for trading were all produced here.

The food problem has become a big problem. With hunting, it only supplies 50 soldiers and the lord's family. Such supplies are more than enough. Occasionally, the lord can also obtain some more precious furs. Apiges will carefully collect them and wait for them to accumulate to a certain amount. If you have enough, go to Post near the south to exchange for the bacon you need.

However, this year's development has disrupted all this. Two months ago, Apiges received news: a huge force from the south declared war on Asuo, which had just gained control of Hulanbei.

Apiges also heard the inside story from the fur traders who came and went. In the past, the conflicts between the two families due to geopolitical relations have developed to the point where it is now difficult to say who is the cause of a certain incident.

Anyway, in the end, the most direct solution is to have a life-and-death war. Only the final winner has the right to speak.

As a result, the Asu'o people were beaten to a pulp. Not only were the entire clan confiscated by the Dongting people, but all the men in the clan were killed. I heard that even the leader of the generation, Asu'o, had his head beheaded and hung on a battle flag.

When such news came, Apiges was frightened for several days. In such a troubled world, even if you don't look for trouble, trouble may not come to you.

The special geographical location of Poppara Fort also made him, as a lord, have to worry about these things. If the victorious southerners insisted on continuing to move north, then his Poppara Fort would be the first to bear the brunt. Once the territory became a major battlefield, Or if the war lasts too long, then this year’s hunting preparations for the winter may be ruined.

If the situation just mentioned really happens, even if this winter is not a disaster, it will still be difficult. He will have to use his insufficient savings to buy food rations for his family and the people in his territory, or he will become a target of the war. Every time he thinks about it, These made him feel frightened

Just when Apiges was worried about this, his brother Apinisa, who stayed in the city to take charge, sent him a letter: "The leader's refusal to surrender has become obvious. Although there is no sign of war yet, Many people have openly and sincerely clamored to teach people from the south a lesson. The geographical location of Poppara Fort is destined to be the primary target of attacks by the southerners. Instead of waiting for destruction, it is better to give up the property and move the whole family to this city to temporarily avoid disasters."

After receiving the conclusive news, Apiggs finally felt relieved. He could no longer stay here. Even if his daughter would reach adulthood in two years, she would also need to go to a place like this city to see the scene. Otherwise, she would not be able to stay here any longer. I am afraid that sometimes I will become a woman that others do not want to accept. Anyway, the guard work here is taken over by officers from the city.

I can go to this city to find my brother and recruit some people to do some logging work. With my achievements in guarding the border for so many years, and my brother's reputation as a logistics officer in this city, the adults who want to come to this city will not be too embarrassed. Himself, but it is not easy to abandon the foundation that the family has worked hard for for hundreds of years.

In the midst of hesitation, the real trouble came to the door. Early this morning, someone was sent from outside to report that unidentified troops had appeared in the castle.

Hey, why can't people just relax for a while? Apigos walked up to the top of the castle with a filial look on his face, and Osdote, the squadron leader from the city, immediately greeted him.

Apiggs did not speak to him, but first looked at the wilderness outside the city. The white fog was filled, almost blocking the view a hundred meters ahead. There were only some bright black shadows, which should be the birch forest near the castle.

"Where is the enemy?" Apiges asked puzzledly. Although Poppara Castle is not tall, its terrain is very dangerous, blocking the road from central Hulanbei to the north.

"I'm afraid the situation is not going well this time," squadron leader Osdote said with a gloomy expression next to him.

"We didn't get any warning last night, but we found out early this morning that such a big thing had happened. To be able to do this is by no means a tentative harassment, I'm afraid it is a real main attack..."

"Tell me first what happened?"

Apiges was infected by his emotions and became a little uneasy because it was morning and the fog in the wilderness was too heavy. No matter how hard he looked, he could not see the shadow of the enemy in the fog that filled the wilderness.

"Lord, where are you looking first?" Osdote said with a bitter look on his face, and stretched out his hand outside the battlements to point to a mountain peak on the left. Apiges stretched out his head in confusion and looked in the direction he pointed. I immediately felt a chill coming up my spine.

There was a sentry post set up outside the castle, and now there was a heraldic military flag of a snarling bird flying above it. I quickly looked at several other higher-lying posts, only to find that they had all changed their flags overnight.

"No need to look, all eight outposts we were monitoring outside the city have been lost..." Squadron Leader Osdote said, his voice full of pain and helplessness.

"How is this possible?" Apiges asked with a trembling voice, still feeling a trace of luck in his heart. "Didn't you get any news during this period?"

"No, and the current situation may be worse than we imagined. I have every reason to suspect that the other party captured the outpost guarding the north passage in order to allow more troops to pass quietly, and we were ignored." Osdote Looking at him, he shook his head silently

Seeing his expression, Apiges's heart suddenly sank. There were not many troops stationed at the eight outposts outside the castle to monitor the roads.

Nearly 200 soldiers, including not only archers but also a small number of heavy infantry,

This kind of military strength accounts for two-thirds of the force that Poppara Castle can mobilize now, but now... It may not be surprising that the defenders of 200 people fell in a sudden attack, but what is terrible is that not one person can Without running out, this is the truly chilling part,

From this point of view, how powerful must the enemy be? What kind of preparations has he made? Two-thirds of his troops were destroyed without even hearing a sound. How should we fight the next battle? And just like Ostow As Te said, the enemy only quietly occupied the guard tower and did not attack the weak castle.

It is entirely because they are unwilling to spend the limited time in the castle. It is conceivable that the enemy's target is not Poppara Fort, but the area behind Poppara Fort. Could it be that the enemy's target is this city? Andrade thought Here, Apiggs couldn't help but shuddered and didn't dare to think about it anymore.

"No, this situation must be reported to the city immediately." At this time, he heard the squadron leader Osdot from the city next to him said firmly, "So many enemies have crossed the border, and the city still knows nothing about it. If you fight with nitrous oxide, I'm afraid this city will pay heavy losses."

"Going out now, I'm afraid it's useless. The other party didn't attack the castle, but that doesn't mean they won't be on guard against our actions." Apigos pointed at the outside of the city through the mist with an ugly face. "If you don't believe it, just look there."

I saw a cavalry force of about 10,000 people driving out from the woods nearby. They slowly walked along the foot of the mountain on the left to the outside of the castle. The black armor and the scale-like horse armor seemed to be a whole sculpture. The copper nails and the scimitar on the waist shone with a frightening light in the sun.

Everyone in the "East Court Cavalry" gasped, and at the same time they were secretly glad that they had not acted recklessly just now. Until the last East Court Cavalry took a circle under the castle and disappeared into the nearby woods.

The two people on the castle slowly breathed a sigh of relief. No one thought that they could escape from the pursuit of the East Court cavalry. Moreover, the reindeer of the Northlanders could not outrun the war horses. Once bitten by the East Court cavalry, no matter how capable they were, , there is only a dead end in the end

On a high slope invisible to the two people in the fog, the fat man stopped his horse and looked at the hazy scene in front of him with stern eyes. The atmosphere of the cold land in the north had a sense of vastness, especially when the sun rose. The nights in the northern cold land are very cold. After marching through the cold night in the middle of the night, everyone felt a little excited about the warm sunshine projected on the distant horizon.

"Your Majesty, after passing through the Poppara Pass as an outpost, 40 miles ahead is Andrade, the capital city of the East Aile people. Judging from the time, the Fifth Flag Regiment as the vanguard will be able to enter the expected position this evening. After a short rest, we can launch a surprise attack on Andrade."

Adjutant Anlius pointed into the distance and said respectfully from the side. To his side, a black army was crossing the pass leading to the north, heading towards the northern land that could not be seen clearly. This was the third man in charge of the flank. and the Fourth Flag Regiment marched forward in four formations, like four long black dragons crossing the wilderness.

"Bring the map, I want to know where the Fifth Flag Regiment that is responsible for the assault should be now?" The fat man straightened his collar and rushed down from War Horse Mountain. He waved to the guards behind him, who quickly The military map was handed over. The fat man examined the map in his hand with filial red eyes. Finally, he pointed to a point on the left side of the map near Andrade City and asked, "Where is this place?"

"It's Pabka, which is a small town affiliated to the north of Andrade City." Adjutant Andrius glanced at the map, hesitated for a moment, and then responded cautiously, in order to formulate this strategic advance plan. , he had read the map of the entire Northland hundreds of times, so he recognized the name of the point pointed by the fat man at a glance.

"Pabka? The fat man nodded after hearing this, raised his head, and looked at Andrius with bright eyes." If I remember correctly, the word "Pabka" means "lost" in Hindi. Is this a small town? Is there something unique about it that’s why it was given such a name?”

"Your Majesty is right. The word Pabka does mean lost in Northern dialect. And because this town is a three-way intersection leading to the northern wilderness, the businessmen who come and go call it Pabka, which means "time". After a long time, no one remembered the original name of the town. Everyone called the town Pabka.

"Lost haha, good name"

For some reason, the fat man smiled slightly, pointed at the location of Pabka Town with his hand, and said, "I'm not worried about the Fifth Flag Regiment's attack on Andrade. Compared with occupying Andrade, I care about which way the guy who clamored to be my chamber pot will escape. Now I have decided to let him go astray and give him an end with this name."

"Lost? Pabka." Looking at the position of the fat man's finger, Andrius asked with some confusion, "Your Majesty, when the army is pressing on the city, the possibility of Slo Ariston choosing to escape is very high, but the way to the north is There are so many paths, why does Your Majesty dare to say that the other party will definitely take Pabuka?"

"Haha, because this is what I chose for him," the fat man said with a mysterious smile with a nonchalant look on his face. "As a commander, you must not only command your own troops well, but also command the enemy well and let the enemy follow his instructions." Only by continuing on the set path until the final helpless curtain call can one be a qualified commander."

Looking at His Majesty Falcon's confident smile, Andrius felt a cold sweat break out. Although he didn't believe His Majesty Falcon's judgment, if these words came from the man known as the Continental God of War, that would be another matter. Got it

He glanced at the points on the map again, filled with confusion and hesitation. Could it be that, as His Majesty predicted, Slo Ariston would inevitably go astray?

The lonely moonlight in the cold land shines on the forest floor through the gaps between the leaves. In the somewhat dark hinterland of the forest, there are clusters of soldiers wearing black armor sitting in clusters in the east and west. Some of them are leaning against the trees. Some were napping, and some were whispering to each other in low voices.

General Hu Keqili of the Central Army was squatting on a flat ground. In front of him was a map of the outskirts of Andrade City. This city of the East Aile people is not big, and its defense is average. , but there are two large arrow towers on the left side, which can not only attack enemies outside the city wall, but also control the city wall.

On the outskirts of the city, there are three small sentry towers, which control the main road leading to the castle. The suspension bridge they own is usually lowered, and will only be raised when the alarm on the periphery is heard. The lights on the city wall are very dim, and it can be vaguely seen. I saw a few black spots moving back and forth,

This city rarely has a moat. Because of the cold in the north, it is rare to see such a setting. This determines that if you want to attack this city, you must first seize and hang it. Otherwise, even if you are in the ice cave-like moat, No matter how brave a warrior is, it is impossible for him to go there wearing heavy armor.

"This is indeed a problem." Hu Keqili looked at the map, listening to the explanation from the Besu guide, and nodded slightly with an ugly face.

His piercing eyes were like a sharp blade, passing through the faint night fog, looking at Andrade under the night.

With such a solid defense, coupled with their own impressive combat power, it is no wonder that the East Ailai people can compete with the previous controllers of the North based on this place, to be continued)

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Volume 3 of Quan Guo: Overlord’s Continent 1114