Ironvine Territory (54)

Just as everyone in the camp was happily dreaming of conquering Ironwire City and achieving great military exploits, an urgent report shattered the joyful atmosphere.

"Report! Our cavalry units have been attacked by the enemy. Several squads have lost contact, and the remaining dozen or so squads that encountered the enemy have also suffered heavy casualties."

"Regimental Commander Bush and the main force of his First and Second Cavalry Battalions are now besieged at Greenbelt Mountain. Regimental Commander Bush is requesting reinforcements from the Legion. The enemy's attack is very fierce, and it is unknown how long they can hold out."

The disheveled messenger shouted loudly to the officers in the tent, while the guards who had brought him in exchanged bewildered glances.

Ursus stood up abruptly upon hearing the urgent report, leaving the officers and nobles who had been chatting and laughing at a loss for what to do.

Ursus walked to the map and beckoned the messenger over, "Come here and tell me the locations of the attacks!"

"Yes, Legion Commander."

The messenger wiped his face, walked over, and began to carefully trace the map.

"Here, and here... the cavalry and Light Cavalry patrolling all the way from the south of Jade Belt Mountain to the ferry crossing have been attacked."

In particular, the three patrol teams near the ferry crossing had all lost contact, and Regimental Commander Bush concluded that they must have been completely wiped out.

Ursus rested his chin on his hand, staring at the map in thought.

The officers behind him began to whisper among themselves after hearing this.

Some people gloated. "Both Cavalry battalions have been attacked. Bush only has these two battalions left!"

If they lose this, he'll be Regimental Commander without any troops left!

This person may have a personal grudge against Regimental Commander Bush, and is actually pleased to hear that Bush has encountered a formidable enemy.

"Keep your voice down. If the Legion Commander hears you talking like that, you'll get a scolding."

Upon hearing this, the officer who didn't get along with Bush shrank back.

Another officer chimed in, "Aren't you worried? Bush's troops were attacked so badly; the enemy must be quite large."

After we scattered that Cavalry unit, they shouldn't have this many troops left. Could it be that Bush encountered that reinforcement legion from the Northlands?

Someone immediately retorted, "Impossible! Didn't we say before that the Yalori Valley was destroyed? They shouldn't be able to get here so quickly."

Besides, with so many troops, they would be spotted by our scouts when they crossed the ferry. Bush has quite a few men; wouldn't they run away at the sight of such a large enemy force?

The officer who had interrupted raised another objection, "It's hard to say. If they could run, they definitely would. It's possible they really can't."

Someone agreed with him, "That shouldn't be the case. Does that viscount of the Golden Sunflower Family have other Cavalry units under his command?"

However, the officer quickly changed his tune. "It's not impossible, after all, the Northern Frontier nobles have always been known for their large and elite Cavalry."

Another data-driven officer countered, "That's an exaggeration. I think it's just that the scattered Cavalry unit has been reorganized."

"That Viscount Golden Sunflower isn't a god, how could he possibly conjure up such a large Cavalry force? Do you know how much food and fodder it takes to support so many Cavalry?"

As a result, their conversation veered further and further off track, and their voices grew louder and louder, until Ursus heard them directly.

Although Ursus was angry that his thoughts had been interrupted, these guys did make a reasonable guess. After all, it was impossible for the Viscount Golden Sunflower to suddenly conjure up a new Cavalry unit. It was estimated that the unit besieging Bush was still the same Cavalry unit that had been scattered.

Ursus felt that this way of thinking made everything make sense; there was no Cavalry unit that had suddenly crossed the river, nor was it the remnant of the Cavalry unit he had defeated.

Based on this, it seems that the enemy cavalry besieging the Bush regiment should not be too many, at most only three or four thousand men. Ursus does not believe that the Cavalry unit that was scattered could regroup so quickly.

The commander of that Cavalry unit disbanded his entire force in order to escape. Under normal circumstances, those disbanded Cavalry would have become bandits and fled far away.

With this in mind, Ursus quickly devised a plan. After seizing the reserve warhorses of the Cavalry of the Southern Marching Legion, he expanded his Cavalry forces, in addition to increasing Bush's Cavalry battalion to two full-strength regiments, also expanded several other regiments to half-strength battalions with four to five squads each.

In other words, he could still muster at least 2,000 Cavalry. With that cavalry force and a regiment of Cavalry, it would be enough to rescue Bush.