The Arriving Warhorses
Blackwater City had just enjoyed a brief period of peace and tranquility after a relatively minor war.
Encouragingly, thanks to the efforts of the Interim Management Committee established by Victor, the city gradually regained its former prosperity.
That morning, as sunlight streamed into the Governor's Mansion's mansion, Victor, dressed in hunting attire, led several elite Guard Cavalry out of the gates.
He planned to leave Blackwater City. The streets were bustling with Marlon and crowds of people, with shouts of vendors and laughter rising and falling.
The streets and alleys were filled with a strong sense of daily life, as if nothing had been affected by the war.
Although the distance from the Governor's Mansion to the city gate is only a little over a kilometer, the journey, which should have taken only a few minutes, has become unusually long due to severe traffic congestion.
Several times, the Guard Cavalry could not contain their impulse and wanted to shout out Victor's true identity to disperse the surging, crowded throng in front of them.
However, every time they were about to speak, they were met with stern and resolute rebukes from Victor.
Victor waved his hand solemnly. "Shut up!"
The trade activities in Blackwater City have only just begun to show a slight improvement and signs of recovery. I mustn't let all of this be affected because of me; that would be a huge loss!
I'm hoping to collect more taxes in the coming months!
After leaving the city gate, the group hurried on horseback towards the west of the city.
Before long, a wide, open space appeared before them, very close to the Blackwater City docks.
This place used to be a bustling, lively open-air market.
At that time, large caravans from the Grand Duchy and other surrounding regions would gather here to conduct large-scale trade activities.
However, due to the long-term suffering caused by Civil War, this once prosperous market could not escape the ravages of war and was eventually forced to close down, remaining silent for a long time.
Although Victor ordered the Interim Management Committee and the city's Great Merchant Guilds to cooperate in restoring Blackwater City's trade activities as soon as possible, he did not reopen the trade market.
Victor planned to use this land as a temporary encampment for the Southern Marching Legion.
In fact, just a few days ago, the main force of the Southern Marching Legion had already arrived at Blackwater City along the Blackwater River.
Some of these troops marched directly into the barracks located within the city; while others, following orders, set up camp there.
Therefore, when Victor arrived at this once empty place that had been a marketplace, he was greeted by a bustling scene!
Countless soldiers shuttled back and forth here, carrying heavy supplies, pushing vehicles loaded with military supplies, or participating in the construction of the military camp.
Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that these soldiers cleverly utilized the walls and stalls left over from the original market, transforming them into a well-planned military camp.
This temporary camp not only has spacious and bright barracks and dormitories, but also areas specifically for training and combat command; at the same time, it is fully equipped with all kinds of living facilities: kitchen, warehouse, etc., making it very complete.
The guards at the camp entrance stood ramrod straight, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings like those of hawks.
Suddenly, they noticed Victor and his entourage!
These guards happened to be from the Two Rivers Territory, and they recognized the familiar figure at a glance.
Seeing this, the gate officer dared not delay and quickly waved to signal the vehicles that were preparing to enter or leave the camp to stop temporarily.
He strode forward, saluted Victor, and shouted, "My Lord!" The other guards joined in the shout.
Victor smiled and nodded humbly to the gatekeeper in response.
Immediately afterwards, he patted his horse's back and led his cavalry swiftly into the camp.
Your Excellency is as dashing as ever!
Look at his imposing and majestic appearance, as if he has already grasped victory in this battle.
This time will surely be no exception; he will definitely lead us to be invincible and create another glorious victory!
Unfortunately... alas, it's all my fault for this damned injury, which prevents me from following closely behind the lord in battle as I used to.
The gatekeeper officer muttered to himself as he watched Victor's figure recede into the distance.
He looked down helplessly at his right hand, which was missing two fingers, and his leg, which had not fully recovered from its injury.
"Captain, we heard you used to be Heavy Cavalry and even fought alongside the lord. Tell us about the lord's story!"
One of the guards shouted to the gate officer. These gate guards belonged to a squad and were all Auxiliary Troops of the Logistics Department. They were all young men from the militia and were very curious about the battlefield.
Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper was slightly taken aback, but quickly smiled and said, "Alright, since you're so eager to hear it, I'll tell you."
"But let's get to work now. I'll tell you about the lord's heroic deeds later after we take our shifts and rest!"
He knew that these auxiliary soldiers had never personally experienced real warfare and could not understand the brutality and cruelty of life-and-death struggles on the battlefield. They still held some unrealistic and idealistic fantasies about the battlefield.
Nevertheless, he was still willing to tell these young people about his past battles.
He understood that if these energetic young people were to actually go to the battlefield one day, they might be able to survive by relying on the valuable experience he had imparted.
"Great!" The young people cheered upon hearing their captain's reply!
As Victor walked through the military camp, officers and soldiers saluted him and made way for him wherever he went.
The Southern Marching Legion is now enormous, consisting not only of the Golden Sunflower Family's private troops but also private armies from various noble territories.
However, in any army, almost everyone knew Victor, this respected and invincible commander.
Thus, Victor passed through camp after camp and column without hindrance, and quickly arrived at his destination.
"My lord, you've finally arrived!" Victor had just reined in his horse and hadn't even dismounted when he saw several figures rushing towards him from a short distance ahead.
In the blink of an eye, the group had arrived and bowed to Victor in greeting.
When Victor's gaze met that of the person standing at the front, he was overjoyed and couldn't help but shout, "Luoza! Just seeing you makes me feel so much more at ease!"
That person was none other than Luoza, the head of the Two Rivers Warhorse Ranch!
This person shoulders a crucial mission: to comprehensively manage the breeding of warhorses throughout the entire Two Rivers Territory region. It can be said that he holds one of the core resources of the Two Rivers Territory's powerful military force.
After the Battle of Ironvine Territory, Victor knew the gravity of the upcoming battle and decisively dispatched an envoy to Two Rivers Territory to deliver urgent intelligence.
The authorities demanded that the Two Rivers Territory take swift action to transport urgently needed warhorses and other strategic supplies to their location via sea routes.
Since the start of the Southern Expedition Campaign, one of the biggest challenges faced by the Southern Marching Legion has been the shortage of warhorses.
Due to the severe wear and tear on horses caused by prolonged warfare, coupled with the difficulty of resupplying the rear, many of Victor's Cavalry units had to abandon their horses and switch to infantry tactics.
As a result, the troops that should have dominated the battlefield with their excellent horsemanship and powerful warhorses are now unable to fully utilize their unique Cavalry advantages, and their combat effectiveness is greatly reduced.
Victor initially planned to receive the warhorses and supplies in Golden Sunflower Territory, but plans change quickly, and he didn't expect to capture Blackwater City so quickly and smoothly.
Therefore, the fleet that departed from Two Rivers Territory had to detour directly to Blackwater City, arriving a few days later than expected, just in time to reach Blackwater City together with the main force of the Southern Marching Legion.
When Victor received news that the warhorse was about to arrive, he dropped everything without hesitation and rushed to the destination as quickly as possible.
He knew that these warhorses were of great significance to the Southern Marching Legion, and that they would become an indispensable part of enhancing the army's combat effectiveness.
Victor exchanged a few pleasantries with Luoza, who had come to greet him, and then, eagerly grabbing Luoza's arm, said impatiently, "Quickly take me to see those warhorses! I've been waiting for so long!"
"Don't worry, sir, these warhorses will not disappoint you. I'm currently organizing their recovery training, so let me show you!" With that, Luoza led the way, and the group entered the temporary horse farm.