On the Eve of Battle

"Waaah..."

At dawn, a long bugle call rang out, and the entire Main Camp of the Northlands Southern Marching Legion was abuzz with excitement.

The soldiers began to emerge from their tents under the command of their platoon leaders and Squad Leader, lined up to wash and eat, while the Logistics Department Auxiliary Troops also began to organize the soldiers' armor and equipment.

In the Cavalry camp, Cavalry neighed as cavalrymen fed and watered them and fitted them with tack. This was especially true for Heavy Cavalry units, where fitting armor to their horses took a long time.

Due to the suppression by James's Cavalry, the Duchy Allied Forces cavalry dared not stray too far from their Main Camp, and the only one with a well-organized Cavalry force was Great Oak Territory.

Yellen, the Cavalry Regiment of Great Oak Territory, refused to fight, citing the fact that his unit was newly formed and lacked strength. This infuriated Beck, but unfortunately, Count Black was also in the army, so he could not use his position as the commander of the Duchy Legion to force him to fight.

However, after that, Beck simply joined forces with some independent nobles to establish an Eastern Regional Allied Forces Command and suggested that Count Black serve as the commander-in-chief, in an attempt to keep Count Black in check and get Great Oak Territory to send troops. But Count Black simply refused Beck on the grounds of being unwell.

Left with no other option, Beck took over as commander-in-chief, seeing that he could no longer break through the Cavalry blockade of the Southern Marching Legion.

The Allied Command under Beck simply built watchtowers outside the camp to gather intelligence. The observers on these watchtowers noticed the movement in the opposite camp and quickly sounded the alarm.

And so, the Main Camp of the Duchy Allied Forces became lively in an instant. Messengers ran around the camp, and soon the command learned that the Southern Marching Legion was suspected of setting out.

Due to the urgency of the military situation, Beck did not convene a meeting, but instead directly ordered all units to prepare for battle.

His Legion Deputy Commander asked him, "Legion Commander, isn't it too hasty to go into battle now? The other side might just be feinting, and even if they are, we have well-prepared military camps, so we can wait for them to tire themselves out."

Beck said unhappily, "Our forces outnumber theirs by several times, and yet we still have to fight a defensive war? Do you want me to become a laughing stock in the entire Duchy's military?"

Stop talking nonsense and immediately notify our troops to go into battle.

However, the enemy has only just begun to form ranks; they're still a long way off. Tell the troops not to rush; finish your meal before going into battle.

Seeing Beck's determination, the Legion Deputy Commander went down to relay the order. He didn't ask out of caution, but simply thought that Victor was just bluffing and there was no need to react.

This is not the fault of the Legion Deputy Commander. After all, the difference in troop strength between the two sides is so great that anyone would think that the weaker side would not take the initiative to attack. Moreover, the Southern Marching Legion led by Victor has a very complete military camp, which can fight a defensive war against the Duchy Allied Forces.

Soon the Allied Army camp began to stir. Soldiers, kicked awake from their tents, squinted as they received Black Bread and cold water. The Squad Leader shouted at them to eat quickly and then get their weapons and line up.

On the other side, in order to better fight, the squad leaders kept reminding the soldiers to only eat until they were 70% full.

Today's breakfast was very plentiful, with plenty of fresh fish, beef jerky stew, canned fruit, and white bread, all brought out by the cooks for the soldiers to choose from. The aroma of food filled the entire camp, and the soldiers ate their meals with cheerful expressions.

After quickly finishing their food, the soldiers went to the warehouses in their respective barracks, where, with the help of Auxiliary Troops, they put on their armor and organized their weapons.

Even the leather armor of the archers was coated with new tung oil by the Auxiliary Troops, while the half-body iron armor of the Sword-and-Shield Soldiers and Pikemen was cleaned and emitted a faint, cold light. After the soldiers were dressed in their best clothes, they felt as if they were going on a blind date rather than going to the battlefield.

Victor rode his horse around the camp, occasionally chatting with the soldiers.

"How was breakfast today, my soldiers?"

"It's delicious, Your Excellency! I've never had such a good breakfast before!"

"Haha, this is delicious? After today's battle, dinner will be even more sumptuous. I've prepared fresh lamb and fine wine. There will be plenty of meat and wine to drink. What do you say?"

"That's amazing! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!"

"Me too!"

The soldiers discussed it excitedly, and Victor was also pleased to see this.

"However, if you want to have such a dinner, you'll have to return to camp victorious. Anyone who doesn't come will regret it!"

"Your Excellency, rest assured, we will surely achieve victory!"

"That's right, just for this dinner, we have to win big. The wine tastes best after a victory."

"The enemy outnumbers us several times over, aren't you afraid?"

Victor asked a question to a very young soldier.

"What are you afraid of, Your Excellency? Look at my armor. They can't hurt me." The soldier patted the armor plates on his chest and raised the spear in his right hand.

"Look at my spear again, how sharp it is! It can penetrate any armor. I'll take them down one by one with each thrust, and I'm sure I can win the victory for the Viscount."

The soldiers and officers around burst into laughter upon hearing this.