Iron Vine Territory (11)
Victor Lenster was holding his hand tightly and staring at him with burning eyes, he couldn't help but worry about Lenster's sexual orientation. Just as he was hesitating whether to forcefully pull his hand away, Lenster finally let go first.
"Viscount Victor, please excuse my over-excitement."
"Not at all, Mr. Lenster. I was just doing my duty. Commander-in-Chief Count Colt of the Northern Alliance Army ordered me to come and support Ironvine Territory. We should thank Lord Count Colt."
After Victor finished speaking, he gave a respectful look to the north, showing his respect for Count Colt. Seeing this, Lenster followed suit, saying, "Count Colt hasn't forgotten our Iron Vine Family. We are truly grateful."
"Viscount Victor, we have arranged a welcoming banquet. Please come with us back to the camp to rest for a while. There's no rush to start the battle."
Victor was surprised that Lenster, who had been so excited when they met, had calmed down so quickly, and couldn't help but think more highly of him.
However, given the urgent military situation, let's skip the reception.
"Lenster and Viscount Ferry, please forgive me, but I think we should discuss the next steps of the battle plan before holding a welcoming banquet, as time is of the essence."
Lenster and Viscount Ferry were surprised that Victor was even more eager than they were, but since Victor was unwilling to waste time, they naturally did not object.
As soon as the two men agreed with Victor's opinion, Victor immediately told them his battle plan on the spot.
After hearing this, Lenster and Viscount Ferry looked at each other in surprise. They hadn't expected Victor to do this; no wonder he came to the Southern Defense Line first.
At first, when Manzo told them that Victor had brought tens of thousands of troops, the two were somewhat skeptical. After all, if there were really that many troops, why didn't Victor go directly to the Ironwire City and fight the Fourth Legion first?
But after hearing Victor's explanation, the two felt that Victor's approach actually made a lot of sense.
"Viscount Victor, thank you for considering all this for us. Once Iron Wire is out of trouble, I will definitely report this matter to my father personally. From now on, the Golden Sunflower Family will always be an honored guest of our Iron Vine Family."
After hearing Lenster's words, Victor felt somewhat strange. This Lenster, as the eldest son of Count Lloyd, didn't seem worried about the fall of Ironwire City or the safety of Count Lloyd.
He subtly inquired about Lenster, but to his surprise, both Lenster and Viscount Ferry laughed. This time, Viscount Ferry stepped forward to explain, "Indeed, the Duchy's army is very powerful, and the Fourth Legion is also very elite. They suddenly appeared in the north while we weren't paying attention."
However, the Count Lloyd's retreat to Ironwire City was not to defend the Northern Defense Line, but rather a strategic retreat.
To my shame, Viscount Victor, the biggest problem facing our territory right now is not a lack of troops or equipment, but a shortage of food and provisions.
In the battle at the end of last year, our northern territory was swept away by the Duchy's Sixth Legion. Dozens of villages and farms were destroyed, a large number of our people and serfs were slaughtered, and our grain was burned. It can be said that this greatly affected the strength of our territory.
Before the war, Count Lloyd discovered the state of the northern territories and realized that it was no longer realistic to rely on the severely damaged northern territories to provide supplies and provisions for the Northern Defense Line.
Not only were there not enough military rations, but even the laborers transporting the rations had to be brought in from the south. Therefore, Count Lloyd devised a plan to retreat to Ironwire City.
By voluntarily ceding the northern territory, we have lengthened the supply lines of the Duchy Army and increased their losses. Although this may cause secondary damage to our territory, it will make things more difficult for the enemy.
Moreover, we have already evacuated the people and most of the supplies from the northern territories to the rear of Ironwire City, and with Count Lloyd personally guarding it, the enemy's army will not dare to easily bypass Ironwire City and enter our heartland.
Even if they send out a small force, we have plenty of reserves deep within our territory, enough to deal with them.
Count Lloyd's plan was that we would only need to wait for reinforcements to arrive before launching our counterattack. Now that you have arrived, faster and stronger than we imagined, we can finally launch our counterattack at the opportune moment!