Eagle’s Glory

Under Aigron's order, the entire army resumed intense preparations for the upcoming new operation.

After several previous victories, his prestige among the entire army has reached its peak at this time. Whether it is an officer or a soldier, they all believe that this young man who has inherited the great surname will soon lead them to new victories. A legend.

However, although Aegron seemed to be impassioned, he had always remained calm in his heart. Before the war was about to come, he decided to use a meticulous grand ceremony to do the final ideological mobilization.

This ceremony is the celebration and commendation ceremony for a series of wars in Nafpaktos before.

On this morning, on the beach on the outskirts of the small harbor, a large group of soldiers in black military uniforms gathered here.

In the center, where everyone's eyes converged, there was a small earthen platform with sand and gravel raised, and on the earthen platform stood Aegron and his main subordinates.

Andre Davout, Edmund Dantès, Michel Ney, and Prince Louis, as well as the rest of the Order...though they were involved for different reasons, with different ambitions In Aegron's team, but after this period of war, their complexions have turned a lot darker, and they have begun to have the fortitude and chill that really belongs to the soldiers.

Aegron, who stood at the top, looked at the people beside him—there was no doubt that they were the core members of his organization at this time, and only through them could he command the entire army to fight for the next goal. struggle.

There is also no doubt that he will have to rely on them to rule that country in the future.

Just as he was thinking, there was the roar of cannons in the distance, which was a reminder that it was time for the entire ceremony to start.

So, he covered his chest and observed a moment of silence for the soldiers who died in the previous war.

At the same time, in an instant, the entire army fell into silence.

Aegron squinted slightly and glanced at the members of the Knights in front of him. His heart suddenly felt a little painful - because during the war during this period, several members of the Knights had been killed or died of injuries.

The loss of them was more painful for Aegron than the deaths of ordinary soldiers.

This is the price you have to pay for victory—

God knows how many more he will lose after this war; God knows what will he lose in his future struggles?

He doesn't know about these issues. The only thing he knows is that in order not to make all these sacrifices worthless, he must go all the way until he reaches the throne that is destined to belong to him.

Despite his usual indifference, at this moment, Aigron's eyes still couldn't help showing a little sadness.

As the fine drum beat slowly sounded, Aigron raised his head and looked at the blue sky.

"Our brothers, our loyal and fearless warriors, have left us forever and threw themselves into the arms of God." Aegron shouted out his prepared words, ending the silent ceremony, "They died for the Lord. , who gave their lives for the liberation of their suffering Christian brothers, whose souls will be bathed in the purest and noblest glory! We buried them here, but they will always walk with me!"

Aigron knew that there might not be a heaven above the sky, but he didn't mind using the Lord and heaven to paint himself, "Now, living warriors, the Lord is watching us, and the Lord will bless us as always! We will Keep fighting for justice!"

When he had finished, the cannon began to roar again, and this time, it brought joy rather than sadness.

Under the orders of the officers, the soldiers present cheered in unison, the sound of cannons and cheers converged, and the deafening sound seemed to make the sea beside it tumbling.

Next, came to the most important part of the ceremony - the reward for meritorious deeds.

Aigron made a gesture, and the incessant sound of gunfire and cheers slowly disappeared, and everyone held their breath again to stare at the earth platform in the middle.

And the officers on the soil platform were equally nervous, because it was time to repay their hard work and sweat.

Aigron walked towards them step by step, then stopped in front of Andre Davout, the captain of his guard.

Then he drew his sword.

"Andre." He smiled slightly, then pointed his sword at the young man in front of him.

Andre didn't have any fear or nervousness. He knelt down on one knee and greeted the honor that Aigron was about to bestow on him.

"Andre, since I saw you on the island of Monte Cristo, your performance has always been in my eyes. I am very satisfied with your loyalty and bravery..." Aigron said as he put his sword on the "Because of this, I decided to reward you with a special honor - from today, you are the Marquis of Lepanto, I hope you can remember my expectations for you, and continue to be as diligent as before in the future. work for me."

The Marquis of Lepanto... After hearing this title, Andre Davout was stunned for a moment.

Although he had long known that Aegron planned to confer the title on him, he did not expect that he would receive such a heavy reward so quickly.

His uncle, Marshal Davout, had been in the army for half his life, and was finally named Duke of Auerstedt by Emperor Napoleon; and although he is fighting bravely beside His Majesty, how could his achievements ever be compared with that of his uncle?

He was very satisfied with the title of "Lepanto" - the imperial tradition is to use the location of victory as the title of generals, and this is how his uncle got his title.

If it is the Baron of Lepanto, he will be very satisfied and honored. If it is the Count of Lepanto, although he is afraid but can bear it, but now it is such a high title - you must know that in 1815 Gru Marshal Xi is only a marquis...

For a moment, his heart was not honored, but fear and ashamed, "Your Majesty... Your gift is too heavy, far more than what I deserve... It is my duty and mine to serve you. You don't need to reward me with such an extraordinary courtesy..."

"Why, at this time, do you still want me to take my life back in front of so many people?" Aegron asked with a smile.

"Your Majesty, that's not what I meant..." Andrei shook his head quickly.

"Okay, Andre, don't say more, this occasion is really not suitable for us to talk for too long." Aigron retracted his sword, then patted Andre's shoulder, who was half-kneeling, "I think you If you can afford this honor, then you can afford it. If you feel uneasy in your heart, then serve me with greater enthusiasm in the future! Hmph, as long as you serve me, will I still be stingy with rewards? Don't talk about the Marquis, what's so strange about you becoming the Duke of Lepanto or the Prince of Lepanto in the future?"

Aegron recognized Andre Davout as his first credit, so he was the first to reward him and gave him an exceptional honorary title.

In the battle of Nafpaktos, he stayed by Aegron's side all the time, but participated in the battle when blocking the reinforcements, and his performance was not outstanding - but in the following battle, as the commander, he led the The weak army left by Aegron resisted the attack of the enemy army far more than himself, defending Nafpaktos for Aegron, and creating the conditions for him to lead to victory.

In view of his loyalty and bravery in this series of battles, Aegron, after some consideration, made him the first of his subordinates.

In addition to his performance in the war, Aigron had other considerations—among the people around him, Andre Davout was one of the few people who was the second-generation imperial marshal without a title. As a nephew, he is very loyal to the empire, and he has no title, making it even more difficult for Aegron to buy.

In Aigron's conception, his captain of the guard was not only responsible for the protection work around him, but also for his communication with the entire army in the future. He had to be the most loyal and reliable person.

Since he wants a reward anyway, it's better to give it in place at one time and let him be grateful.

Seeing Andre's excited expression on the verge of crying, Aegron knew that his goal had been achieved - Andre would definitely follow him more fervently in the future, and it would also give him one of the most reliable confidants. .

"Okay, get up-" Aigron smiled and patted his shoulder again, "You have the right to accept everyone's congratulations."

Andre Davout stood up in a trance, and the people next to him congratulated him. Of course, some people came from the heart, and some people were just acting on the surface.

Edmund Dantès guarded Nafpaktos with André Davout before his most sincere congratulatory, and forged a deep friendship.

At that time, the two of them were chatting, and Andre teased that he was not as good as Edmund. After all, he didn't have any title on his head, and he was ashamed at the time and comforted Andre, saying that His Majesty would definitely give him the reward he deserved.

I didn't expect that a word would become a prophecy, the reward would come so quickly, and it was still so high.

But that's what he deserves.

Edmund Dantès glanced at the young man in front of him - whether it was the Count of Monte Cristo or the Marquis of Lepanto, he raised his hand and appointed him. He did have that kind of generosity that was almost grandiose. Deserves to lead himself and the people around him.

Yes, I will continue to follow him and repay this kindness.

After conferring Andre, who was the first, Aigron began to reward other members of the Knights who had made great achievements one by one. For those who already had titles, he promised jewels; for those who did not have titles, he Then he directly conferred the title of Baron.

Next, he began to award medals to those soldiers who had fought bravely and made meritorious deeds.

After arriving in Greece, Aegron had already found someone to start designing the medals prepared for the war in Greece. After some discussions, he finally decided on the style.

Like the Legion of Honor Medal, this medal is also divided into several levels. The lowest-level Knight Medal is easy to make, so some are now ready, and he just took it out and distributed it.

This kind of medal, the main medal is a silver cross with blue glaze, at this time he was pinned to the soldier's chest, shining in the sun.

In order to improve the effect, he also specially asked a few Greeks as typical characters and awarded them honors in person.

Aegron knew that as a leader, he must be rewarded for his merits when conditions permit, and only when he did this would other subordinates see it and gain the motivation to continue to serve him.

In other words, if the rewards and punishments are unclear, then no matter how "legitimate" the king is, he will only end up detached from his courtiers and end up alone.

So, thanks to Aigron's efforts, the entire celebration scene was full of cheers, until the moment the curtain came to an end, there was hardly any stop to cheer.

His purpose has also been achieved.

After the celebration was over, it was already noon, and under the leadership of the guards, Aegron came to the command room of the room next to his residence.

And there were already several people present at this time - those Austrian officers who came in secret.

These Austrians were sitting around a small table at this time. In the center of the table, there were several maps. They were arguing in a low voice, and from time to time they used their fingers to draw on the drawings. .

Several cups of steaming coffee were placed next to him, and there were only half a cup left. It seemed that these coffees had become the fuel for their brains and stamina.

After seeing Aegron approaching, they stopped immediately and saluted him respectfully.

As soon as he saw what they looked like now, Aegron understood that these people were arguing about their next specific action plan.

"Thank you all for helping me so hard. However, today is a celebration of the whole army, I ask you to take a good rest and relax." He said humbly to the officers, "I have already prepared a hearty lunch, Please be sure to appreciate it.”

Seeing him say this, these officers also took advantage of the situation to end their discussion today, and then went back to pack their clothes for the next lunch, while their leader, Major Henchy, stayed in the room alone.

"I'm really sorry, Major, you are so dedicated to serving me, but I didn't give you the honor you deserve." Aegron looked at the major with guilt. "If I could, I would definitely make you enjoy the cheers of the whole army today."

"This is not important, Your Highness. I may have cared about medals and honors more than ten years ago, but after staying at the Invalides for a long time, I have already taken them lightly." Major Henchy replied indifferently. "Besides, when we came here, the Grand Duke had already told us to keep our identities secret, so as not to cause trouble for him and ourselves, so I would rather stay here quietly than cheer in front of everyone."

Because of their sensitive and special identities, Major Henchy and other Austrian officers stayed in the camp and did not attend the celebration. Aigron felt a little ashamed about this. After all, he knew in his heart that although Major Henchy and the others came It wasn't long, but they gave him a lot of help with their rich military experience, so when there was no way for them to get public honor, he wanted to compensate them with money.

"Please allow me to give you the compensation you deserve, gentlemen." Aegron insisted again, "I can't allow others to be kind to me and get nothing."