The Glory of the Seven Gods of Ice and Fire

Chapter 55 Confrontation and Detours

Among the lush hills, a Pentos army was trudging hard.

They held the flag of Pentos, but most of them wore armor made of chain mail and plate armor. Although the armor was messy, its defense was not very low. They were full of complaints as they advanced.

The general content is complaining about how laid-back the people of Pentos are, but they have to do this life-threatening job. Some people began to cry out that they regretted joining this war, but everyone still moved forward, and everyone knew that what they had to do with money This is the job of taking your head off your belt.

Obviously, they are a group of mercenaries hired by the Pentos people. Naturally, they will not let the noble Pentos people do it, not even the slave soldiers, who cross the mountains and ridges to find their way to the enemy, because It was the property of the nobles of Pentos, and of course it was all handled by these lowly mercenaries.

The difficult roads in the hills made them complain constantly. When they complained, the killers who had been waiting for a long time were watching the mercenaries step into the ambush circle, and the fatigue had made the mercenaries numb, and they had no intention of paying attention to alert and vigilance.

Baron Eustace Brun carefully moved away from the bushes in front of him. He felt as if he was attacking the enemy in the hills of his hometown. On the Crab Claw Peninsula, such battles were always common.

However, the plants and hills that were different from his hometown told him that this was a foreign land.

The baron pointed at the men around him. It was time to attack. With the baron's movements, dozens of spears were thrown out.

The baron saw that the mercenary leader who was walking at the front was pierced through the head with a spear, and the iron skin was easily penetrated by the spear. He rushed out of his hiding place without hesitation.

In the trees on both sides of the mercenaries' advancing team, a group of Crab Claw Peninsula barbarians emerged in an instant. They were wearing captured armor and dark blouses to prevent reflection.

Faced with the attack from the Crab Claw Peninsular, the mercenaries were obviously caught off guard. Their leader also fell in the first wave of attacks and lost his command. Needless to say, the outcome of these mercenaries.

The moment Baron Eustace rushed into the mercenaries, the battle was over. To the mercenaries, war was just business, so after a dozen people were chopped down, they dropped their weapons and surrendered decisively.

It was obviously not the first time for everyone in the Crab Claw Peninsula to experience this kind of thing. They held down the prisoners and tied them with ropes with ease. Although these prisoners could not be used on the front line, they were still suitable for carrying bags and digging holes for the army.

According to statistics, there are fifty people in this mercenary group. More than twenty of them were killed by spear throwing, fighting, and the execution of the wounded after the war. The remaining twenty people surrendered directly, but the Crab Claw Peninsulars did not. What casualties it takes.

"That's it for today, let's go back to camp."

Baron Eustace's words caused a cheer, which meant that today's battle was over. They could go back to the camp to enjoy wine and women. Then everyone picked up the captured mercenaries and returned to the camp.

The camp of the expeditionary force is on Wanghai Cliff. This highland has now changed. A huge camp spread vertically is standing on it. A large number of trenches and wooden walls were built near the camp. The people of Crab Claw Peninsula passed through several lines of defense. Before actually arriving at the camp.

Along the way, the wooden walls and towers we saw all had traces of arrows, hacks, and fires, silently indicating the battles the camp had experienced.

Along the way through various defense lines, Eustace's troops were stared at by crossbowmen. Especially when they walked through the killing passage, the soldiers in the fire areas on both sides subconsciously raised their crossbows.

The corpses on the road twice showed why the camp was so vigilant. Most of these corpses had oriental symbols on their bodies, and the largest number of them were centaurs. The barbarians went to the camp regardless, and passed through several fronts.

Naturally, the well-defended camp of the expeditionary force could not be easily broken, so the barbarians suffered heavy losses. The centaurs paid a bloody price for their recklessness, but these barbarians still fought to the last moment.

It was also because of the desperate fighting style of these centaurs that the soldiers were so vigilant. That crazy attack killed many people, and no one wanted to repeat the same mistake.

"You're back early today, Eustace."

Sir Theodore, who was greeted by a group of spearmen, said that although he was speaking to Eustace, his eyes still glanced at the Pentos army camp on the beach in the distance from time to time.

On the flat ground between the expeditionary force and the Pentos camp, corpses can be seen everywhere, from both sides. There are also a few broken flags flying there, broken weapons and shields are everywhere, and there are some giant The corpse of the beast was a Pentos elephant, but the giant beast was now covered with spears and arrows and fell to the ground.

Except for the most desperate corpse snatchers and crows, no one dared to move on that battlefield, because soldiers from the other side might appear at any time, and no one wanted to be hunted as prey.

In the past week, the two armies have been engaged in small and medium-sized battles. The Pentos army has been attacking the expeditionary army's camp, but always failed. The expeditionary army often seizes the opportunity to take the initiative to attack the Pentos people. Caught off guard.

But neither side can do anything to the other.

"We have defeated several Pentos armies today. If we continue, the Pentos people will have to concentrate their forces to surround me. I don't want to end up with Luke."

Eustace walked past a charred siege engine and pouted at the Pentos camp in front of Theodore. He could see a row of wooden piles in front of the high wall, covered with There are various kinds of human heads, and they all come from the expeditionary army. From time to time, crows fly over them and peck at the flesh.

"Go in, Eustace." Theodore moved out of the way, Eustace walked in, and the whole view of the expeditionary camp emerged in front of him.

The first thing that appeared in front of them was a sea of ​​shacks and temporary wooden dwellings. There were not many tents among them. The absolute majority of the expeditionary force were poor, and they could not afford tents.

The expeditionary force camp was very busy. The strong men were being trained, and the laborers were carrying various materials to strengthen the frontline fortifications. Groups of chaotic soldiers were running to different places under the leadership of their respective officers and leaders.

Eustace saw a group of civilians building some kind of chariot on a messy construction site. He heard that it was used to fight against war elephants.

Next to the manufacturing site of this tank, there is a field hospital, which is full of unfortunate wounded people. The expeditionary army really does not have any reliable doctors, so the best they can do is to clean the wounds as much as possible, apply medicine and put them in hospital. There, it all depends on the wounded whether they can survive or not - this is the treatment only given to the lightly wounded, and "mercy" is given to the seriously wounded.

This busy scene made Eustace relax from the bottom of his heart. No matter what, returning to the camp was relaxing.

For the grassroots officers and nobles, they only need to do their tasks well, but for the senior leaders of the expeditionary force, especially Hu Ge, this is not the case.

"Are the nobles still refusing to attack?"

Looking at the map in front of him that described Wanghai Cliff and its surroundings in detail, Hu Ge asked with a dark face.

Hugo's tent was still so plain and simple, consisting of a table, a bed, a chair and a cabinet for storing sundries, but Hugo's mood was far from being as simple as this decoration.

"Earl Gales still said that they obey the Iron Throne and will decide on their own strategy."

The informant lowered his voice and spoke with an imperceptible tremor. The old sparrow sitting beside him quickly waved his hand to ask him to retreat.

"Oh, these nobles, let me do this at this time." After the informant left with relief, Hu Ge complained. There was not much anger in his tone, as if he was telling a fact calmly.

Of course Hu Ge was aware of the structural problems of the expeditionary force. Most of the kings and stormland nobles who followed the expeditionary force were forcibly sent to the east by the orders of the Iron Throne. When they landed, the nobles began to act on their own, and it was basically impossible to command them. The reason why they led the army now was just because the threat from the Pentos was too great, but even so, they were still free from Hugo's command. outside.

There are even some nobles who choose not to come. In their view, the God's Favored Ones will definitely win, so they should not affect the management of their own small territory. Moreover, participating in the war may cause heavy losses to the family soldiers. If the losses are heavy, then what will happen next? How to occupy more land in the east.

This had a very bad effect. Hu Ge thought bitterly that after seeing the nobles like this, Kelal, who was rushing to the Ashen Valley, began to imitate his example. He also obeyed the orders and deliberately retained his own strength. The lords of the Andas Valley now stood with him. together.

As for those further down, they were also a little bit ready to move, but fortunately, the Seven Gods Religion's firm support for themselves stabilized the situation and did not lead to further collapse.

There is a saying that war is the best test for an organization, and the expeditionary force is now faced with problems one after another under the test of war. Hu Ge is only grateful that these problems are not fatal anyway.

"It's enough that they can come. As you said, what is needed now is enough boots on the ground." The old sparrow said calmly, unlike Hu Ge's other officers and subordinates who looked indignant.

Looking at his calm look, Hu Ge thought of the old sparrow who had just heard about his victory in Andas. The old monk almost jumped up at that time, and then quickly kissed his hands and even his feet.

"Yes, in the end, it still depends on ourselves. The nobles will only take advantage of us." Black Blade added. His eyes were dark when he talked about this. Hu Ge understood that he was probably thinking of cutting off the heads of the gentlemen. Black Blade He has always been a martial artist.

"Those gentlemen are so unreliable. Mr. Hu Ge, if you ask me, we shouldn't have looked for these people in the first place." Farmer Snow said. His accent finally became less country-like, but it still sounded like a country person. Simplicity and recklessness.

"Deploy your defense well and don't think about anything else." Hu Ge said, "Especially you, Snow, I don't want to hear about the conflict between you and the nobles." Faced with Hu Ge's words, Snow scratched his head in embarrassment. He scratched his head and didn't reply, because he knew that no matter what he said, he would still be criticized by others. After suffering several losses, he wisely learned to shut up.

And Hu Ge began to think about the power in his hands. After the old sparrow brought reinforcements from the ship barrier, he now has about 18,000 people in his hands, which is more than 10,000 less than the opponent, but due to the occupation Favorable terrain, so numerical disadvantage did not pose a problem.

But he is at a disadvantage after all, and the majority of the people here are strong farmers. The combat effectiveness of these people is really embarrassing...

"By the way, Old Sparrow, when will Earl Grafson arrive again?" Hugo looked at Old Sparrow, he needed some good news.

"According to the last time, it should be two or three days away. I already gave instructions to the shipyard when I came here. As soon as the Seagull Town fleet arrives, let the count mobilize the sailors to come here for support."

During Hugo's journey to Andas, the Seagull Town fleet docked twice at the shipyard, delivering a large amount of supplies and manpower.

And they were able to sail so smoothly on the Narrow Sea because the storm the expeditionary force crossed caused the Purple Sail Fleet to suffer a lot. Although they benefited from the strong navigation skills of the Braavos people and the wise judgment of the fleet commander, not much The purple-sailed and purple-hulled boats sank, but they all need to return to port for repairs.

With the Braavos army returning, the narrow sea will naturally be unimpeded.

The old sparrow also took advantage of this and sent hundreds of sets of Eastern armor when the Seagull Town fleet arrived again to enshrine them in the church where the Seven Gods first conquered, as a propaganda for the expeditionary force's victory - this was Hugo's explanation to him.

If the expedition wants to continue successfully, it is very important to obtain support from Westeros. Hugo attaches great importance to the promotion of Westeros.

Then Count Gerald, who came for the third time, told the old sparrow that the strategy was very effective. The act of offering armor led more people to participate in the expedition, and the fleet brought more people that time - but there were many more this time. The soldiers from the noble territories, and the nobles who had benefited from the east, recruited more soldiers.

However, even though they brought more people, this group of people still started to wildly occupy the territory as soon as they arrived in the east. Fortunately, the east was vast enough, otherwise they would have to fight.

However, because they had just arrived, they actively participated in this battle.

"Really, that's good..." Hu Ge murmured, "Go and do your work. I need to rest for a while. I've been under a lot of pressure recently. Also, Black Blade, don't forget about the scouts. You must keep an eye on Pan." The Thos, they've been a little quiet lately, I doubt they have any plans."

Black Blade responded, and then the three of them looked at each other. They all saw Hu Ge's fatigue, so they didn't say anything. They all bowed to Hu Ge in tacit understanding and then left together.

Hu Ge just rubbed the bridge of his nose and sorted out the thoughts in his mind.

.

Compared with the expeditionary camp on the sea cliff, the Pentos camp undoubtedly did not have as many trenches and fortifications, but they built a trestle on the beach to facilitate receiving supplies from the sea.

The interior of the Pentos camp is roughly divided into three parts. The central part is naturally where the Pentos people live. The noble free people and nobles of Pentos City set up their gorgeous tents here, and the outer part is where the Pentos people live. A hut for domestic soldiers and slave soldiers.

The two camps outside are undoubtedly those of mercenaries and centaurs, guarding the noble Pentos people.

Among the mercenaries, the most conspicuous one is the symbol of the Golden Regiment, which is a spear hanging with the gold-plated heads of past regiment leaders. They also occupy the largest area, after all, they are 10,000 warriors.

The Golden Regiment's camps are very particular and are designed strictly in accordance with the military manuals passed down from generation to generation. There are few camps in the entire Eastern Continent that can build better fortifications than the Golden Regiment.

As for the centaurs, their camp is just a big shed. The centaurs just built a simple shed on the ground. The whole camp is very rough and crude. Neither the Pentos nor the mercenaries will go to the centaurs' camp because of these conspiracies. People always find trouble and kill people for various inexplicable reasons.

In the camp of the Golden Company, this historic Essos mercenary group is holding a meeting, and all the captains of the Golden Company are gathered here.

The Golden Company is a mercenary group established by the noble bastard Aegor Rivers "Bitter Iron" who gathered Blackfire supporters who were exiled in the East, and has been accepting exiles from Westeros, although the mercenaries have always had repeated problems. The Golden Company has a reputation for being unpredictable, but the Golden Company never breaks a contract, so they have always enjoyed a good reputation in the East.

However, although the Golden Company is a mercenary group of Westeros exiles, this regiment has actually taken root in the East for so many years. Most of the officers in the regiment have lived in the East for more than three generations, and you can still see Midsummer here. People from the Islands, people from the Free Cities, even people from Slaver's Bay.

"Your Majesty, the prince is really whimsical."

The speaker was Harry Strickland, the financial officer of the mercenary group. He had a big round head. His family was the first member of the Golden Company and has lived in the East for three generations now.

"It's not necessary to cross the sea and take a circuitous route. We can just attack by force and we can deal with the expeditionary force in front of us. This is a waste of time."

Harry seemed very affable, even when he was contradicting others, but anyone who had financial connections with him would not think so. As a financial officer, he was very qualified.

"He's a lackey of the Iron Throne, Harry," someone added.

In the Golden Company, the name for the expeditionary force is the lackeys of the Iron Throne. This is the name brought by the exiles who came to the east recently because of the Usurper War. Naturally, they are particularly disgusted with the expeditionary force, but those golds who have lived in the east for a long time The regimental officer's attitude was very ambiguous...

"I think the prince's choice is correct. Commander Mito, as long as they pry off their escape route, the Iron Throne lackeys in front of us will immediately become unstable and will come out of their shells. They will inevitably fight in the field. It will fail."

Said the clean-shaven Jon Connington, former Hand of the King to the Mad King and the captain of the Golden Company who was most opposed to the Crusade.

As a newly joined exile, he has continued to rise through the ranks of the Golden Company by relying on his abilities, and is currently regarded as the most promising captain in the Golden Company.

Sitting above the captains was none other than the Golden Captain Mistoin. He was ugly and not as handsome as his ancestors. He has a crooked chin and pot-shaped ears. Still, his smile can make people forget about his appearance.

He listened carefully to what the captains had to say with a thoughtful look on his face, while Treasurer Harry continued to speak.

"But in this case, we will not be able to participate in the battle to defeat the main force of the expeditionary force. A large number of slaves produced by then will belong to those Pentos people, and we will not be able to get anything. I have paid attention to the information about the ship fort, and the one in Seagull Town The fleet came here just recently and took away all the valuable things, so we won't be able to get anything again."

As the financial officer of the Golden Company, Harry was naturally concerned about the company's finances. He looked at the leader, "Master, we have admitted too many exiles recently, and the company's finances have become increasingly tight. If we only rely on Pantos' commission, , the next days for the Corps will be tense for a while..."

"Harry, you only have money in your eyes. Have you forgotten the reputation of the Golden Company? What we have to do is obey our employer." The former Earl Clinton scolded.

Harry, who seemed very kind, was also annoyed, "Clinton, what do you know? My family has been loyal to the Corps for three generations. It is not your turn to emphasize the purpose of the Corps to me here. And it is precisely for this reason that I want to Let me tell you, sometimes the Corps just needs to be more flexible, and if we just listen to that silver-haired bastard, we won’t make any money!”

The silver-haired bastard refers to Valerion Tirecidus. As a Pentos, he has silver hair, which is the standard Valyrian symbol. However, since neither of his parents have silver hair, Valerian Lyon was suspected of not being his father's son. His opponents always liked to talk about this, and this title also spread among those who looked down on him.

The financial officer's words ignited the meeting place, and the captains with different positions began to accuse each other. Some people brought in private grudges to accuse each other, and the situation suddenly became chaotic.

"Everyone be quiet." Captain Mito spoke. As he spoke, everyone present immediately shut up, which showed the prestige of the leader of the Golden Legion among the captains.

"We still have to carry out the employer's order and let the Golden Company prepare to board the ship. As for here, since the employer thinks he can lead the Pentos people to glory here, let them go."

Captain Mito spoke with contempt when he mentioned their employer, the Prince.

"I don't think the enemy on the other side is a weak force at all. The prince has been sitting in the tent watching us fight. He probably doesn't know what the military is like and can't see anything. But it has nothing to do with us. We We only need to get money to do things. It is rare for an employer to take the initiative to reduce our work burden. We must seize this opportunity."

The leader's words were undoubtedly telling everyone that he didn't think the situation in front of him was easy to squeeze. Although many people were puzzled as to why the leader made such a judgment, no one raised any questions.

Over the years, an extremely strict order has been developed within the Golden Company, and orders from superiors cannot be questioned. This is the key reason why the Golden Company has existed on such a large scale in the East for so many years.

(End of this chapter)