That night, Derek saw many old friends. The arrival of the Pereira Knights meant that the war was about to begin. In the large tent of Count Pereira, the senior officers of the Second Legion gathered. A large map of the northern province hung in the center, detailed down to every mountain range and every village, all marked. Derek saw Knight Chloe. The two nodded to each other. The latter still had a bit of surprise. Obviously, he did not expect to see him here.
"Everyone, Ironwall City is just ahead. According to the scouts' reports, the barbarian army has crossed Ironwall City and we will soon encounter them." Count Perez's words immediately made the atmosphere tense.
"How is the situation in Ironwall City now?" Someone couldn't help asking. The survival of Ironwall City is related to the fate of the Second Legion. If it is lost once, the trouble will be great.
"Our governor has held Ironwall City. There is no problem in a short time." Count Perez gave everyone a clear answer, which made everyone breathe a sigh of relief. However, he glanced around and then said in a serious tone: "Two tasks. Our Second Legion has only two tasks. First, drive the barbarians out. Second, avenge Chris Jeffries. The Jeffries family has offered a reward. Whoever can avenge the count will be given a barony." As another count in the northern province, Count Jeffries died in the hands of the barbarians this time. Speaking of it, he was unlucky. This count was caught off guard and was beheaded by a surprise attack of the barbarian army. The whole process was very smooth. It seemed that the barbarians had determined his location long ago. Everyone understood in their hearts that there must be a traitor. However, catching traitors is not the task of the Second Legion. Avenging the count is. As you can see, as soon as Count Pereira finished speaking, the breathing of all present became heavy. What a great temptation. How many enfeoffed barons are there in the entire northern province? Definitely not more than twenty. No matter who can obtain this fiefdom, it means establishing the foundation of a family. Not to mention other benefits, such as reputation and military merit. Truly, when a count falls, everyone gets fed. It's just that no one knows who will have such good luck.
Count Pereira was very satisfied with the rising morale. To be honest, this task is very difficult because the murderer of the count is the commander of the entire barbarian army. If anyone can achieve revenge, a barony seems stingy. The king will surely be generous in rewards. However, Count Pereira's goal has been achieved. He took this opportunity to start arranging. "The knight order will follow me and be ready to deal with the main force of the barbarians. The first thousand-man team... The tenth thousand-man team... Sweep this area. Within ten days, I want to see the barbarians driven north of Ironwall City. Whoever can't do it... I will remove him. In addition, the messengers of each thousand-man team should report twice a day. I want to know your location and be ready to gather at any time." Count Pereira divided the tasks directly by area. He still holds a part of the reserve force in his hand and can support at any time. Moreover, if the barbarians have any abnormal movements, he can also respond calmly and initiate a general battle. In this way, step by step, first drive the barbarians out of the south of Ironwall City to relieve the pressure. Derek immediately received the order. Compared with others, the tenth thousand-man team has a smaller number and is responsible for a smaller area. It is only an area with one town and seven or eight villages. There are also several knight manors inserted in the middle of the kingdom's territory. However, the specific situation on the ground is still unclear. If most of them have not fallen, it will be even easier. After the meeting ended, he deliberately slowed down his pace. Sure enough, Knight Chloe soon caught up.
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"Derek, have you been appointed as a thousand-man commander?" Knight Chloe was really shocked. He had felt before that the other party was not an ordinary person. Unexpectedly, he rose so quickly.
"Uncle Chloe, I am very lucky and just caught up." Derek still maintained a humble attitude. He knew that this was not the time to be proud. Knight Chloe reached out and patted him on the shoulder, very happy. "Well done. If you need help, come to me at any time. Take advantage of this opportunity to gain more military merits and strive to keep the position of thousand-man commander. There will be benefits for you in the future. Well... also pay attention to safety." The two chatted briefly and soon separated. After all, the great war was approaching and there was not so much time for idle chat.
Derek returned to the camp. The first thing he did was to send Simon with a team of cavalry ahead. Soon he would leave the main army. Since there would be no one to help with reconnaissance, everything had to depend on himself. A thousand-man team is already a complete military unit, sufficient to complete general tasks independently. The test for the commander is also huge. Fortunately, Derek has cultivated a group of good helpers, so he doesn't feel much difficulty yet. Derek left the main army and quickly arrived at the area he was responsible for. The situation was better than expected. The barbarians who had infiltrated here were already small groups. The only town was still safe. At the beginning, it was hit by the barbarians once and a group of militiamen died. The surrounding villages also fought back hard. Although the barbarian troops killed some people and looted some grain and property, they didn't achieve much. Of course, thanks must be given to the king's call. During this period, the northern province has been preparing for war. There are militiamen training everywhere. Of course, it is impossible to deal with the barbarian army, but small groups of troops can resist to some extent. Derek set up camp directly outside the town and refused the invitation of the local garrison officer. He didn't come here to hide inside. Otherwise, although the town would be safe, he would be close to being removed from his position. Count Pereira's intention is very obvious. Divide by area, advance layer by layer, and steadily relieve the siege of Ironwall City. If one really hides and doesn't move, it is tantamount to courting death.
Simon also returned soon and brought the latest news. "Thousand-man commander, in the area we are responsible for, there are probably four or five groups of barbarians, with a total number of no more than two hundred. They have attacked several villages and are currently wandering around." The cavalry led by Simon is very elite. They even touched the tail of the barbarians and delineated the approximate range. Derek quickly determined: "The purpose of the barbarian teams should only be looting and harassing. When they receive the news of our arrival, they will probably leave soon. Prepare the cavalry. We will set off first. Adrian, you command for the time being and lead an elite hundred-man team to march quickly." Derek boldly judged that the barbarian teams might run away. Even if the judgment is wrong, the knights who can come and go freely are also without danger. It's just a wasted trip.