Quest: book 3

by Yufeng Zhuang

8

  Another day was in the past, the senior officers headed by Martin Arthur and me gathered together in the twilight, we deliberated carefully our battle plan over and over, we considered every detail again and again to obtain it perfectly.

  A messenger ran to us with his fastest speed, he had the newest information just received in his hand.

  "There is no problem," I took over the intelligence the messenger handed to me and took a look on it, I spoke to everyone, "they are getting close in our arranged time and way, they lost hundreds of people again, they will have the contact with us soon after dark. They are really very cooperated enemies."

  "Boys," Martin Arthur announced loudly, "success or failure is all in this battle! All up!"

  Looked at these eyes flashing bellicose light officers, I was also very like to have a few words of encouragement, but the words changed out of my mouth, "prepare well, no one to be allowed missed in the celebration party!"

  "Yes!"

  The officers walked away, only I and Martin Arthur stood in situ.

  In view of the actual situation of our army, I decided to abandon the battle way we had the day before, we would fight this battle with our adept infantry fight way. Of course, this couldn't avoid many troubles. But the victory was so attractive, compared with it, it's nothing at all to have more troubles.

  Like the camp in front, it cost us almost a whole day today to build,

  It's in a place not far from the yesterday's battlefield. Not only the size and the style were exactly same as the camp which was breached by us yesterday, but also we added some "facilities" in it, to ensure the "friend troops" feel like staying at home.

  "What are you thinking?" Martin Arthur asked me by the side.

  "I think, we should have a special corps of engineers to do these things." I pointed to the new camp and spoke to him, "the not professional amateurs have the much slower actions."

  "Oh?" Martin Arthur was a bit surprised, "at this moment, what you are caring about is not the battle ahead?"

  "Is there anything to worry about?" looked at him in the eyes, I had the smile on my face, "we will win for sure!"

  This is not the blind confidence, this hand-to-hand battle mode is my adeptest in my former life. In the elaborate arrangement, I have the grasp of the win!

  "Ha ha ha ha!" It is a little bit exaggerated when Martin Arthur laughed, "let's go! We should go get ready too."

  I rode on a very common war-horse, I was in the full iron armor. Although it is the standard equipment for the empire intermediate officer, but this armor's handwork is not that much well, in the joint of everywhere, the gaps are so damn big, you can put your finger in and out easily.

  The wind was getting up, it carried the sand dust occasionally. I had to pulled down my face guard. But a few dyed brown hair came out from the forehead armor gap, and flickered in trouble before my brown crystal eye chips...

  I have been waiting here for a long time. Waiting, is one of the several things I hate the most.

  The war-horse let out a cry, it shook its neck uncomfortably. That was because the night breeze brought the or have or have not depressing hoofs poundings.

  "Nervous?" I asked the aide next to me, "just only two of us."

  "Have... some!" The aide's voice scattered a bit in the wind, "but...I'm not afraid!"

  "Remember," I patted on his shoulder, "both of us now are the key, the key to open the victory door!"

  The aide nodded his head and said to me, "Sir, I know! I'm glad that you picked me to cooperate with you. My name is Cole, I'm ready."

  "Really? Let's go!"

  Clamped the horse abdomen, I rode to meet the dashed coming light cavalries team from distance. Cole rode tightly behind me.

  I held the horse bridle rein with my both hands, I slowly approached the oncoming troopers with neither fast nor slow speed. Cole had launched a flag representing the infantry team in the wind. We found this after we broke the camp yesterday, it was thrust on the watchtower right then. It is different from its former host, it was almost still all new.

  We got to the close position that we could see each other clearly, that was a fifty or sixty light cavalry team. Cole began to use a special technique to wave the flag in hand, the other also response with the flags.

  We both sides crisscrossed, took hold the belt of the horse head, I went around a big circle to the side of the lead officer of the other party.

  "Is the avant-garde?" I asked loudly.

  "Yes! The camp?" the officer answered me, you could feel a few exhaustion from his voice. It is different from my armor, his armor is mud yellow color, that is the magic armor.

  "Of course!" I lifted my face guard, this is an movement that can get more trusts, "how are the things going?"

  "All in the back," the officer raised his left hand, and the thumb pointed to his back, "troubles along the way, very hard!"

  "Cole!" I nodded my head at the officer with the concern on my face, I spoke to Cole, "you bring some brothers go front first, report to the commanding officer, just say that the brothers will arrive soon. Let the camp prepare the food and the rest place!"

  "Yes!" Cole nodded his head, he raced to leave with several "brothers".

  We were still waiting in situ for the large force behind.

  "Sir, it's not too much loss this time?" I asked the in magic armor officer.

  "Don't mention it, it's a fucking failure!" he spitted a mouth of spittle maliciously on the ground down the wind, "it was still good when we went in, but there were all the sneak attacks when we were coming back, what wing-men flying in the sky, what sandmen hiding in the sand! Don't say we are dead-beat, we also lost hundreds of brothers!"

  "Come back is good! Come back is good!" heard the words, I comforted him kindheartedly, "go to the camp have a rest, I guarantee that you will be full of vim and vigor right after."

  “You just don't know!" took off the helmet, he showed out a full face of fierce-looking, he said with a sigh, "general Harrick that temper... Fortunately we come back not empty-handed this time."

  How could I know all these secrets? So I just kept silence.

  Maybe he was thinking of the things after he gets back later, the guy had no words to talk. In the silence, the time runs slowly...

  "They are here!" the officer said to me pointing at the distance.

  I followed his hand and took a look, a somewhat messy formation of cavalries began to appear in my eyes.

  "It seems that the soldiers behind didn't chase across the border," the officer said delightedly, "they are going slowly."

  "Let's go to the camp to prepare first," I said to him, "just leave some people here to give them the news."

  How dare I stay over here? Although my acting is not bad, but we would waste all our previous efforts once I give the show away.

  "That would be alright!" the exhausted by fatigue officer was pleased to accept my suggestion. That's right, after the long march, who wouldn't want to have a rest earlier?

  We will let you to have a good rest, a forever rest. I said this in my heart.

  "Coming! Coming!" Kept watching the gate in the camp is Marf, "hurry open the gate!" a lineup of people passed through the gate, I led them to the stable. More than ten rows of poles for tying the reins were arranged in rows outside of the stable. That should be enough for the enemy to tie their horses? Once the cavalries get off the horses... Ha ha, that would be the phoenix without feather, it is not as great as the chicken!

  Besides, thousands of horses! Oh my, we'll make a great profit.

  "Go take a look at the rest place?" after fastened the horse, I said to the officer, "and the food."

  "Well!" the officer's throat moved up and down once, "go take a look."

  I brought them to the other side of the camp, I introduced for him along the way.

  "You see, here this empty space is prepared for you to pile the goods, it's in the center of the camp, it's very safe! There, oh yes, that is the place wher
e the soldiers have their food. You see the place is enough?"

  "Nearly enough." the officer answered me.

  "Oh! Here we are," I brought him to in front of a few big tents, "here is the place for the officers to have meal and rest, what do you think? Enough place?"

  "I need to calculate it..." the officer was looking at the size of the tents and counting his fingers, "more than seventy junior officers, more than twenty intermediate officers, and four lead chiefs... that should be enough!"

  "Enough is good! Enough is good!" I had the laugh, and my eyes hinted at Jack aside. Jack ran in small steps, he ran to find Martin Arthur with the number of the enemy officers.

  "Do you want eat something first?" I asked someone to bring a bowl of thick meat soup over and gave it to the in magic armor officer, "you look like that you are very hungry. Just take off the armor!"

  "I will wait for a moment!" he shook his head stubbornly, "the chiefs are not here yet, just give me some water."

  I looked at him drinking the water in gulps, I tried not to think anything in my mind. Basically, besides his bad looking, the rest of this officer are not too bad. I kept trying not to ask his name, because... killing, no matter what reason you have, afterwards you will always have some feeling more in you heart, a feeling hard to be dispelled, I don't like it. But if I don't know the other guy's name, maybe I can get rid of it a little bit quicker.

  When he once again held the bowl up, the main force of the enemy had begun to enter the camp.

  "The chiefs are coming!" he put down the bowl and said tome, "let's go meet them."

  We were on the trots, came to the front of the chief executive who was escorted by a group of bodyguards.

  "Sir!" the officer gave a salute to the people on the horse, "the infantry battalion has gotten the foods and the rest place ready! I have already checked it, everything will be all right!"

  "Where is their leader?" the man on the horse dressed in all white, he has a cold facial expression, this is my opponent?

  "Sir!" It's my turn to play, "our chief and we went to meet you separately earlier! He that group didn't meet you. I've sent someone to notice our chief! He could get here in a moment!"

  "Not in?" the white dress officer looked at me with suspicious eyes, he thought for a while and wanted to ask me again.

  My heart almost jumped to my throat.

  At this moment, an officer next to the white dress officer came close to him and spoke to him softly, "the soldiers are too tired, the horses also can't prop too much longer."

  The white dress officer had no alternative but dismount, he spoke out the words that I have hoped for long, "go to have the meal and rest! No discharge, and no horse saddle off!"

  "Somebody here!" I called the soldier aside, "take the chief's horse to the stable!"

  "No need," the white dress officer handed his horse to one of his bodyguards, "your chief, Mr. Lecule, is he alright?"

  "He's alright! But our chief executive's name is Vincent!" I answered loudly, I have already prevented that you would play this hand!

  He nodded his head relieved, they walked into the tents prepared for them under my lead.

  After I had arranged everything, I walked back out. From far away, I could see the cavalries were fastened their horses in succession, and then go to aside to eat. Only a small team was guarding dozens of horses loaded with large pockets at the camp center.

  Marf came to my side, he whispered to me, "they have all come in, the camp gate has been shut down."

  I nodded my head, I came to a small tent with Marf.

  The tent was full with people, everyone had a full face of sweat.

  "What? Scared?" I was changing on my own black iron armor while I was teasing them.

  "No, it's stuffy." Moah said with a bitter smile.

  I had a "hey hey" smile, "I will take you out for some fresh air right away."

  "Boss!" Marf looked at the outside through a small hole on the tent, "they are eating!"

  "Let them eat satisfied!" I said, "otherwise it will waste the food."

  "But..." Moah spoke slowly, "boss, let them to eat that kind of thing... We really can do it that way?"

  "You remember, all of you remember." I looked at all the people around, "for me, as long as it can let my soldiers die some less, even just die one less! I'm willing to do anything! You also need to do like like this in the future, no matter what way, and no matter how others look at you, as long as it's for our advantage, you can do it! The other things like the personal fame or something... all throw them away for me from now on!"

  "Yes!"

  Who would know, this paragraph makes the first Chancellor of the duchy in the future, "the contemptible Chancellor"--Jack, but more people call him so.