Ironvine Territory (74)

When Rick learned that the Regimental Commander of the Third Regiment, Ternesov, was also there, he was overjoyed and went to find Ternesov, hoping to use the Third Regiment's strength to suppress the noble private armies and then hold the position while waiting for the legion's support.

However, when he saw Ternesov, he realized that this Regimental Commander, who was more senior than him, had gone mad. He stared blankly and muttered to himself, "So many troops... why... why are there so many troops near the Main Camp, and our army... didn't even notice?"

Upon hearing this, Rick understood why Ternesov had gone mad. After the execution of Jindio of the First Regiment, the remaining Cavalry of the Fourth Legion was assigned by the Legion Commander Ursus to Ternesov, the most mature and prudent of all the Regimental Commander.

With these Cavalry, the Third Regiment of Ternesov was responsible for guarding the area around the camp. Ternesov worked diligently to accomplish this task, even placing his troops' camp on the outermost edge of the Main Camp.

As a result, the enemy launched a surprise attack that night, Ternesov's Third Regiment was the first to be hit, suffering heavy losses. If it weren't for his Captain of the Guard fighting desperately, the old Regimental Commander would have died long ago. However, the Captain of the Guard also died of his injuries after leading Ternesov out of the city.

Ternesov was already ashamed of failing to fulfill his duties as the Legion Commander, and when he saw the Captain of the Guard dead, he was dealt an even greater blow. He was completely stunned and could only repeat the same words over and over again.

Rick didn't say anything about this, but told Ternesov's men to follow his orders and that he would find a way to keep everyone alive, including the already insane Ternesov.

Seeing that Rick showed no contempt for Ternesov, but instead appeared deeply grieved and promised to help them survive, the remaining soldiers of the Third Regiment agreed to follow his command.

Rick was not happy after gaining command of these troops, and he could understand Ternesov's collapse.

As the Regimental Commander, he also knew a secret: his colleague, the elder brother Ternesov, was the Captain of the Guard, who was his only son. In this battle, Ternesov not only failed to protect the camp but also lost his only son, so it was normal for him to go mad.

With the strength of the Third Regiment, he gained a numerical advantage over the nobles, forcing them to acknowledge his unified command and stand guard, awaiting reinforcements from the legion.

To boost morale and unify thinking, he shouted loudly to the nobles, "It's not time to give up yet. The enemy's forces are not many and they are deep in enemy territory. As long as we can hold on and contain the enemy's attack, the Legion Commander will send reinforcements to attack us from both sides!"

"At that time, we will definitely be the victors!"

Seeing that there was no way to escape, a nobleman said in despair, "The enemy can pull off such a night raid; their military tactics are simply divine. Even if the Ursus Legion Commander personally led his troops to the rescue, they might fall right into the enemy's trap. Perhaps the enemy had already prepared an ambush."

"Fine, whatever. At worst, I can surrender when we're defeated. I'm a nobleman after all, and that Viscount Golden Sunflower will spare my life."

Rick was furious after hearing this, but he didn't say much in the end. He just continued to organize his troops to prepare for defense. To prevent the fire from spreading to the camp, he also sent people to clear a firebreak.

Soon, this still orderly camp came into the sights of the night raiding force.

James's troops arrived right in front of the camp and discovered the Foss Regiment, whose attack had been thwarted and were attempting to launch another assault.

Upon seeing Foss, James asked curiously, "Foss, when did you catch up? I saw Victor earlier and he said your unit was separated from you!"

"They did get separated, but they were very close to the battlefield. After seeing the Viscount's signal for the general offensive, they led their troops over!"

"So what's going on here? Are the enemies here particularly troublesome? Or is there a fully-organized Duchy Army here?"

"I don't know if the organization is complete or not, but the commander is at least a Regimental Commander. I saw two regimental battle flags and several Noble Crest battle flags. With so many troops gathered here, he must be a high-ranking officer."

After hearing about the situation, James immediately became interested. "How about it, count me in, let's take this place together. You came first, so the credit is 60% yours and 40% mine."

Because he had just suffered a setback, Foss wasn't very confident, so when he heard James say that, he quickly agreed.

The two quickly joined forces to launch a second attack, and this time they succeeded. Regimental Commander Rick was killed in action, giving the order for his troops to surrender before he died.