Trouble at the docks

After leaving the Count's study, Yellen was full of ambition and rushed to the military camp immediately.

This military expansion and preparation operation in Great Oak Territory doubled the existing 10 battalions of the army.

Apart from the one brigade that Yellen left in Boler County, the remaining nine brigades were split up and reorganized.

The troops assigned to Yellen this time were a reorganized force, exactly the size of a regiment.

This was also the first time Yellen had commanded such a large army, and he was very happy and grateful for the Count Black's trust in him.

Upon arriving at the military camp, Yellen followed procedure and first found the officer temporarily in charge of the unit, but this person was somewhat unexpected.

"Regimental Commander Ron, what are you doing here?"

Yellen was quite surprised to see the man in front of him. He didn't know Ron when he met Victor at the end of last year.

However, during his time stationed in Perilla Territory, he often used reconnaissance as an excuse to communicate with the War Department of Golden Sunflower Territory, and over time he became very familiar with Ron.

"Brother Yellen, you didn't expect this, did you? I've been in Sunset City for a month now, and after I arrived, Count Black invited me to help train this unit."

As Ron spoke, he invited Yellen to sit down. This room was Ron's temporary residence. Fortunately, Count Black valued his cooperation with Victor, so Ron was treated very well in Great Oak Territory.

Although the house is located in a military camp, the living environment is excellent, the decoration is exquisite, and the furniture is made of top-quality torreya wood.

Ron was very satisfied with the place and had a great time there. He talked with Yellen for a long time, including explaining why he came here.

"I was left in the Golden Sunflower Territory by Viscount Victor to be in charge of the defense of the entire territory. We saw each other quite a few times back then."

Later, you also learned that Count Black and Count Colt had a collaboration. At that time, Count Colt sent a lot of warhorses to Great Oak Territory, Count Black directly expanded your original large Cavalry unit into a regiment.

While soldiers were easy to recruit, no one in Great Oak Territory truly understood regimental-level Cavalry tactics. Count Black was well aware of this, so he simply wrote to Golden Sunflower Territory for assistance, since their territory indeed had a large number of Cavalry.

Yellen nodded in agreement. As a newly emerging and powerful noble family in the Northlands, Viscount Victor's private Cavalry force was certainly not weak. It was perfectly normal and necessary for Great Oak Territory to seek help from Golden Sunflower Territory in training its Cavalry.

"Later we sent a letter to the Northlands, and Viscount Victor replied. You know several of the senior officers in the Golden Sunflower Territory, including me, Foss, and Holmes, but I am the one most familiar with Cavalry tactics."

Therefore, Viscount Victor assigned me to Great Oak Territory as a Cavalry instructor to help train the Cavalry troops.

So far, we've achieved our initial goal: this Cavalry Regiment is well-trained, only lacking combat experience. Yellen, that's something you need to keep in mind in the future."

Yellen then asked Ron a lot of questions. Ron greatly admired Yellen; having spent a considerable amount of time with him in Perilla Territory, he knew just how outstanding Yellen was.

"Alright, that's all. If you want me to teach you anything more, I don't have anything else to teach you. The rest is up to you."

That's how Cavalry units work. Including Viscount Victor, our strategy is to disrupt the enemy's formation and then find a weak point to attack. It would be a waste to actually send armored cavalry to charge a well-prepared infantry square.

It's not that it can't be used; if it's a necessary exchange, then it should be.

Yellen nodded. Ron didn't say much, but it was all about the tricks of commanding Cavalry, passed down from the Northern Frontier nobles through words and deeds—something you couldn't learn anywhere else.

"Regimental Commander Ron, what are your plans for the future?"

"As I was told by Steward Magnus, Victor has already landed his troops at the agreed location. After that, I will leave with Viscount Sonanda and join the main force by ship."

Yellen, many of these troops are your old subordinates. You shouldn't need much time to organize them. We'll meet again on the battlefield.

"Yes, Regimental Commander Ron."

Afterwards, Ron summoned several Battalion Commander from the Cavalry Regiment and began the handover process.

At this moment, at the dock Sunset City, a fleet of ships was docking under the unified command of the dock management; it was the First Legion's fleet.

On a ship, a middle-aged general wearing a red cloak stood on the bow deck, dressed in a set of black chainmail with a five-pointed maple leaf emblem.

At this moment, he was frowning as he looked at the bustling dock in front of him. He was none other than Beck Viscount Five Point Maple, the Legion Commander the First Legion directly subordinate to the Duchy.

He shouted behind him, "Penelopem, how did you communicate? Our fleet has been here for so long and still hasn't docked."

An officer ran over quickly; it was Penerom, Beck's adjutant.

"Legion Commander, we've spoken with the dock managers several times. They say their Great Oak Territory fleet is departing, and there are no available berths at the dock. They told us to wait a little longer, saying the fleet will depart soon."

Beck became even angrier upon hearing this. "We received news of the Northern Alliance Army's landing six days ago. In these six days, we have traveled from Wright County to the Blackwater River. Are you telling me that the Great Oak Territory's fleet has not yet launched an attack on the Northern Alliance Army's landing fleet?"

Penelope wiped the sweat from his brow and said softly, "I don't know either, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"It seems that His Majesty the Grand Duke is still too polite to these local nobles. He has given them so many rich territories, but when it comes to their contribution to the duchy, they still make excuses."

Beck looked at the bustling Sunset City and port before him with a touch of envy.

He is from a collateral branch of the Silver Maple Ducal House. His ancestors made great contributions to obtain a not-so-wealthy territory from the Ducal House. It took several generations of development to achieve the current status of the Five Point Maple family.

Although the Five Point Maple family was a collateral branch of the Ducal House, they were granted the title of viscount based on their lineage. Despite their high status, they were not very wealthy. Their territory was not as developed as that of some independent baronial nobles, so they naturally felt envious and jealous of the rich Great Oak Territory.

"No, Penelope, take me to their leader. I am the commander of the Duchy Legion, and a viscount at that. How can they expect me and my troops to just wait like this? If they keep making excuses, then ignore them and just force our way in."

Penelope nodded in agreement after hearing this, but inwardly he thought, "You're still a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong. This is only because it's Count's territory. If it were any other noble territory, you would have already taken action."

The two men, accompanied by a group of guards, boarded a small boat and landed on the other side of the dock. They then found the dock's managers, a group of plump middle-aged men.

"Legion Commander, it's not that I don't allow it, but I simply don't have the authority to command our fleet. The docks are currently controlled by the fleet's troops, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Who is in charge of your fleet? Bring him here. Do you even know the difference between superiors and inferiors? Our First Legion is here on behalf of His Majesty the Grand Duke to carry out a mission to suppress the landing forces of the Northern Alliance Army. Are you trying to shirk your responsibilities and obstruct us by saying that Count Black is plotting to betray the Duchy?"

The chubby middle-aged man broke out in a cold sweat immediately after hearing Beck's words.

"Legion Commander, you can't say that. I'm just a lowly port tax officer. How could I have such authority?"

At that moment, Penelope rushed forward and grabbed the tax collector by the collar, saying, "If you won't let us through, then we'll do it ourselves."

Soon the guards caught up and surrounded the tax collector and his men. The port's tax soldiers were not to be trifled with either; they had encountered unreasonable caravans and sailors before, and they drew their weapons to confront them.

Just then, a group of soldiers wearing sharkskin armor suddenly ran over and surrounded the soldiers of the First Legion.

Soon a man pushed through the soldiers' encirclement and walked in. "Who did I think it was? Isn't this Viscount Beck of the Viscount Five Point Maple?"

"What, are you going to lead the First Legion to attack Great Oak Territory?"