"Raise the gun!"
"Get ready!"
"Aim!"
"Fire!"
As the command to fire was given to Company Commander, a loud crackling sound sounded, and a burst of thick white smoke rose from Drill Ground.
Josse endured the choking smoke and hurriedly retreated to the third row with his comrades in the same row. He hurriedly took out the paper-cased fixed ammunition and loaded it.
After some operations, he pulled out the Cleaning Rod, inserted it into the barrel and filled it with compacted ammunition, then stood still with the gun in both hands and waited for the next shot.
"Idiot! You forgot to take out Cleaning Rod again! Do you want to take it out too?"
There was a low cry from the side. Sergeant Makarov, who was Squad Leader, stood in the same row with him. As a veteran, he was the first to load the ammunition, and then habitually checked the loading steps of others in his squad. He saw at a glance that Josse and Cleaning Rod had forgotten to take it out.
"Sorry, Sergeant!"
Josse slapped his forehead hard in annoyance, pulled out Cleaning Rod under the stern gaze of Makarov, and waited nervously for Company Commander's launch order.
Josse's company had arranged shooting training in the morning. Under the command of the officer, he kept repeating the mechanical movements. When he first touched the musket, he was very excited. Sergeant Makarov said that this weapon can make a big hole in the enemy's body with just a move of his fingers, even if the enemy is wearing armor.
"A divine weapon!"
When he shot for the first time, Josse couldn't help but admire the single hole punched in the front board.
But after several training sessions, the excitement at the beginning has disappeared, leaving only the caution of not making mistakes.
"Xu Jin shoots! Step together - let's go!"
Just when Company Commander was about to proceed to the next subject, Drill Ground came over and a Orderly blew his whistle and shouted, "Assemble the first battalion, assemble the first battalion!"
The company on Cao Shang immediately stopped the current training and quickly moved to the assembly area. Other personnel who did not participate in the training also arrived after hearing the order.
"Sergeant, are we going to fight on the front line?"
Thinking of the discussion he heard in the cafeteria during breakfast, Josse quietly asked Makarov next to him.
The sergeant answered him, "Maybe, maybe not, but no matter what the order is, we have to carry it out."
Everyone in the army knows that Arda is already involved in the battle between the two factions Northwest Bay. Sooner or later they will be sent to the battlefield. Since February, the army has suddenly increased the amount of training, which has been confirmed without a doubt.
The two battalions were assembled, with more than a thousand people from First Infantry Battalion and Second Infantry Battalion standing neatly on Drill Ground. In addition, Soldiers of company Artillery and Transport Company were also present.
Several officers walked onto the reviewing stand, and Josse recognized the two leading men as First Battalion Commander Bryce Lieutenant Colonel and Third Battalion Commander Joyce Major.
"Soldierss! The day to test your training results has finally arrived!"
Bryce seemed very excited and his voice was surprisingly loud.
"You must have guessed that we are about to enter a fierce battle, and stupid enemies are coming!"
Is there really going to be a war? The people below were muttering in their hearts.
"First of all, we must clearly identify our enemy. Yes, it is Kent Family who humiliated us last year! This insidious family severely humiliated Arda and Bairdin last year, and then We forgave them based on our generous nature of good neighborliness, but we did not expect that their patriarch Maltz Kent would rebelliously usurp the title of Duke this year and attempt to launch a rebellion against the kingdom. This is an unforgivable crime!"
"We have formed a strong alliance with Lanaka, Stanlo, Potri and other territories, and vow to eliminate Kent Family and his followers! It is a great honor to, the brave First Battalion and Third Battalion were selected as the first batch of troops to go out, while the loyal Artillery company and Transport Company became our solid backing."
"We will pierce the enemy's heart with the sharp sword in our hands as lords! Let the scum left behind by Heavenly Father when he created the world know that we are not easy to mess with, and let them tremble with fear when they hear our name, just like maggots in the sewer when they see the sun!"
Bryce Lieutenant Colonel waved his big hands while speaking to Soldierss with spittle,
"Now I order all the troops to prepare immediately and bring your marching supplies, weapons and ammunition. We will set off early tomorrow morning!"
The whole day, the two selected Infantry Battalion were undergoing intense preparation work.
Early the next morning, all the officers and soldiers of the expedition team gathered on Drill Ground again, and then left Lakeheart Town and headed for Biduo Fort in the south.
The townspeople lined the streets to see off the officers and soldiers who went on the expedition. Slogans such as "Teach Emden People a lesson" and "Long live Arda" resounded throughout the streets.
Government Affairs Council sent Propaganda Personnel to shout in the streets with loudspeakers every day.
"If we can't get Biduo Fort, the trade route will be cut off, the goods won't be sold, and you will all lose your jobs!"
"Emden People will attack us and turn us into slaves! Steal our money and insult our sisters."
The propaganda method is primitive and effective. After all, the targets are the townspeople who have little information and have just learned a few words in the literacy campaign.
Thanks to the opening of various factories in the past year, the income of many townspeople who have become workers has been greatly improved, and their quality of life has also been greatly improved. The common people can't bear the thought that that count may destroy everything in front of them.
As a result, everyone from top to bottom unified their thinking.
This operation was led by Bryce as the supreme commander. Although Drill Ground performed impassionedly yesterday, he was still quite uneasy until the moment before departure.
This is the first time that he has sole command of an entire army. It is not that he is worried about his own abilities. Alarda Army is fully trained and has advanced weapons. As long as he performs to the same level as in daily training, not to mention that it can determine the outcome of the entire battle, but there is no problem in self-protection on the battlefield - Paul has been working hard to build an army that can be invincible even if the commander is mediocre.
What he was worried about was his identity - a Wild Knight without a formal title. Will he be laughed at by other lords and knights when he gets there? Will the two dignified counties of Arda and Bairdin run out of talented people?
Bryce strongly recommended Chief of Staff Schroeder to be the commander of this expedition at the meeting. After all, this was a genuine knight, but Paul refused on the grounds that Schroeder must take charge of the Staff Department.
The count said to him, "Go, Bryce! There always has to be a first time for everyone!"
Bryce is very grateful for Paul's trust in him and feels that he has a heavy responsibility, because this is the first official appearance of Arda's new army in front of major territories. The previous encirclement and suppression of pirates and the suppression of the Bairdin rebellion did not attract much attention in Northwest Bay.
The enthusiasm of the townspeople also infected Bryce.
"This time Battle of Biduo Fort is a good opportunity to show off!"
He no longer felt uneasy in his heart. Although the decision at the military meeting was to "help the allies as much as possible while preserving himself," Bryce decided to make an outstanding performance. He wanted to announce the new life of Arda to other lords and create Greiman's reputation so that they could no longer look down on this "exile family".
Lieutenant Colonel, who was riding a horse, raised his whip and pointed south. "Target - Biduo Fort!"