Chapter 194: Fighting against Jatu
Andongjia's guess was probably right. The Lord curled his lips and said, "Let the man-eating wolf live in his house to help him keep away the mountain cats that steal food? Does Gregory IV think that the Jatu people are more friendly than the Misty Mountain people?"
"Gregory IV doesn't care about these things at all. In his eyes, the throne is obviously more important than the country."
Sir Ryan sighed: "If he really loves the Kingdom of Ravenstern, he wouldn't destroy the Falcon Knights with his own hands..."
"Are you from the Falcon Knights? What is your intention in coming here?"
Leon looked at the emblem on Ryan's body.
"My name is Ryan, sir. I am now loyal to Lady Ursula. She and I are probably the only remaining Falcon Knights... I came here because Lady Ursula asked me to find Count Stephen and tell him that Gregory IV sold his Oldenburg and Dark Falcon Castle..."
Ryan did not hide his mission. After all, Amy and the female soldiers saved his life. He was not an ungrateful fool. Besides, now that Earl Stephen had left, his mission would not have been completed.
The lord nodded. "So, Lady Ursula is planning to get Earl Stephen to join her and withdraw the troops to stop the Jatu people... It seems that she can achieve at least half of her goal - Earl Stephen has withdrawn his troops two days ago. As for the other half, she can probably only tell Earl Stephen in person... Sir Ryan, I don't intend to be an enemy of Lady Ursula. In fact, you can leave now, but I think it may be difficult for you to return to Ravenstern now."
It is indeed difficult. Now the north is full of Jatu camps, and Ryan does not intend to be hunted again.
So Ryan shook his head directly: "Both the Jatu and Gregory IV are our common enemies. In fact, Her Majesty the Queen has now become an ally of the Sarleon Kingdom. I can fight the enemy with you here, if you are willing, sir."
"Queen? You mean Lady Ursula... She has become an ally of Sarleon? What's going on?"
Leon didn't know Ursula's plan.
"...The army of Stern Crow is actually lured out by Her Majesty the Queen... According to the original plan, I should have returned to Dark Falcon Castle to gather the army and wait for Her Majesty the Queen, but now it is difficult for me to cross the Jatu Grassland, and Her Majesty the Queen probably can't get through either. So, what I should do now is to try my best to gain your friendship and win an ally for Her Majesty the Queen."
Ryan took the initiative to tell the lord all of Ursula's plans, and was frank about his intentions.
"So, Lady Ursula is in Sarleon? Don't you need to report to her?"
Leon looked at Ryan carefully and was a little surprised by Ryan's reaction.
He knew that this was supposed to be his partner in the game, a knight who had been trying to restore the Order of the Falcon to status.
It was not surprising that Ryan became a subordinate of Lady Ursula, just as Frederick had once served Foucher.
However, there is a formal loyalty relationship between Ryan and Ursula, after all, they are both members of the Falcon Knights.
Therefore, it was impossible for Ryan to join Leon's team now, and he had a mission to complete. Logically speaking, after he was sure that he could not complete the mission, he should immediately go to Sarleon City to report to Ursula...
But he planned to stay with Leon.
"My lord, the Queen may have already left. It would be safer and more appropriate for me to wait for her here. In fact, I hope you will meet her. I think you might also be happy to have an additional ally..."
There was something meaningful in what Ryan said to Leon.
The word he used was 'ally' rather than 'friend'.
This was probably because Ryan saw the female soldiers of the Noldor elves and the Sword of the Griffin mercenaries .
As a knight who grew up in Longsong Harbor, Ryan had little contact with the Noldor elves. It was not popular for the nobles in Ravenstern to show off Noldor slaves at home, so Ryan did not have any prejudice against the Noldor people.
But he knew that no human had ever been able to command the Noldor elves to fight - but the Baron Leon in front of him did it...
Not only that, Leon's team actually includes a female soldier unit that is not much different from the Falcon Claws, as well as members of the Horn Summoning Rangers.
In Ryan's eyes, this meant that this lord was very unusual. A lord who could command the Noldor elves was probably not someone that the Fierce Lion King could control.
Therefore, Ryan told Leon all about Lady Ursula's plan. Under the current circumstances, Lady Ursula's plan had failed, and being honest about everything would gain Leon's trust.
Ryan directly regarded Leon as an independent force and actively hoped to establish a cooperative relationship with Leon.
The Lord also had a new respect for Ryan. He certainly understood what Ryan meant. It was rare to find someone so perceptive...
In fact, Ryan's combat power in the game is very average, and all his statistics are very average. He even seems a bit unworthy of such a special identity as the 'Last Falcon Knight'.
But now, Leon knew why Ryan, who had mediocre fighting ability, became the last remaining Falcon Knight besides Ursula - most people who can live a long life do not rely on force.
It’s just that the game can’t reflect the intelligence and adaptability of these characters…
Just then, Sir Roland came in, "My lord, Dumbledore of the Ebony Gauntlet has arrived. He has captured a Jatu prisoner."
Li Ang turned around and went out to greet him.
Dumbledore was just outside the door, his body was covered in blood and mud. It looked like he had fought a battle with the Jatu people at Brave Shield, and he had fought hard...
He brought with him a Jatu man wearing lamellar armor and a visored helmet. Judging from his attire, this Jatu man seemed to be of high status, but now he was tied up tightly and covered with wounds.
"Dumbledore, your Knights are really good at capturing prisoners. It's not easy to capture Jatu prisoners like this...Have the Jatu attacked Brave Shield?"
My lord is truly praising you. Only the Ebony Gauntlet Knights have this ability. It would be very difficult for other troops to capture the Jatu officer alive.
"Lord Leon... The Jatu people did not attack Brave Shield Fort. I saw a lone Jatu team and took the initiative to attack in order to get some spoils and find out what such a large Jatu group was going to do."
Dumbledore frowned and pointed at the prisoner: "But the problem is, no matter how we tortured him, he wouldn't speak, and we couldn't understand Jatu. Baron Leofric said you might be able to make this guy speak, so I brought him here..."
"Raphael! Come here! Oh, wait... Anson, bring Drash over here..."
The Lord originally wanted to find Raphael, but then he realized that he had a more suitable translator than Raphael...
The Jatu captive looked very similar to Leon's horseman Drash, who said nothing and looked ready to die.
When he saw Drash, the Jatu captive asked a few questions with his eyes wide open, and then actually started chatting with Drash.
From the looks of it, it seems like they are acquaintances.
"Sir...he...is one of my people."
Drash speaks much more fluently now. Over the years, this middle-aged man who changed his career from a small warlord to a groom has actually always been conscientious. Of course, this is probably because he really likes raising horses.
Perhaps for Drash, raising horses without fighting is a good job, and the lord has always been nice to him.
However, there was a more important reason that Drash had mentioned before, and Leon already knew it - Drash was a subordinate of the 'Destroyer' Juda, and he had been captured. If he returned to the tribe, he would only suffer more cruel torture, and his wife, children and the elderly would all become slaves.
But if he no longer appears in the tribe, his children will be able to live like human beings.
So he won't run away or mess around - he has nowhere to go.
This is how Zhuda's tribe is. Before the order to retreat is given, those who flee on the battlefield will be shot to death, and those who surrender to the enemy will have their entire family enslaved. Only the brave warriors who fight forward will get more property and women.
This high-pressure inertia formed a sense of honor, which led to a strong fighting spirit among Zhuda's tribe.
But it was also because of this sense of honor that Zhuda's troops only had two tactical instructions - advance or retreat...
But another great warlord, Zakar, was different. Even the Noldor were afraid of Zakar's tactics and strategies.
The Jatu man currently being captured by Dumbledore is obviously also a subordinate of Juda and is from the same tribe as Drash.
Drash talked with his people for a long time, and then told the lord that the Jatu people camped nearby were not pure troops, they were actually the expelled Jatu tribe - Juda's tribe.
The great warlord Zakar took advantage of the fact that Judah lost thousands of elite soldiers in the Noldor Forest to expel the tribes that disobeyed him.
The prisoner didn't know much, but he said he had no intention of attacking Brave Shield or Fletcher. They only planned to wait until the battle at Eagle Claw was over and then find a place to settle down in the grassland east of Eagle Claw.
Therefore, Zhuda's tribe, that is, these expelled Jatu people, are now also very nervous, and they just plan to wait and see the situation.
If they encounter a small group of Ravenstern they will attack them, but they will not launch a large-scale attack on BraveShield or Fletcher. If they see a larger group they will retreat directly.
They have no intention of fighting now...
"I understand...I understand..."
Li Ang now understood.
Warlord Zakar negotiated a deal with the Kingdom of Ravenstern not just to plunder Ravenstern, he had a bigger purpose...
The Kingdom of Stern Crow promised to give Zakar all the hundreds of miles of grassland and hills east of Eagle Claw Castle, so Zakar planned to expel Juda's tribe to this grassland and hills. To be honest, Zakar did a pretty good job, after all, he did give the expelled tribe a place to live.
But the problem is that Zakar drove Zhuda's tribe to the east of Eagle Claw, actually to block the armies of the Kingdom of Sarleon and the Kingdom of Ravenstern that were fighting each other - no matter what the situation was, these troops had no chance of going to Ravenstern.
Since he has such an idea, it means that Zakar himself will lead his troops to Dark Falcon Castle, Oldenburg, and may even capture Xiaolu City. These places are now quite empty.
Maybe Zakar wanted to transform the Jatu people from a nomadic and pillaging tribe into a semi-settled... country, just like the Principality of Desha!
He was not making a deal with Gregory IV at all. He planned to take advantage of the opportunity when the elite troops in the eastern part of the Stern Crow Kingdom were all out to swallow up the entire eastern part of the Stern Crow Territory!
"It seems that everyone wants to take advantage of it? But in the current situation, it seems that no one can take advantage of it..."
The lord stroked his chin and thought for a while, then turned to look at the female soldiers of the Griffin Sword Mercenaries outside.
"Amy, do you know Countess Valera and her falcon's claws?"
"Ah? Leon, you want to..."
"I want the Falcon Claw to return to Eagle Claw Castle, and the Falcon Knights to return to Dark Falcon Castle... No matter what other forces plan, they must fight Jatu with me!"
…
Eagle Claw Castle.
Gregory IV was engaged in battle with Faust's forces.
The war has been going on for several days.
Since Lord Kaedron of Eagle Claw Castle sold out his teammates and went to Lion Lake City, the army of Stern Crow Realm has gained the upper hand at this time.
Fothert was defending the city, and Granlong's Lion Lake City Flag Guard was supporting from the Biglen Village on the flank of Eagle Claw Castle. The two sides supported each other and could hold out for a while.
The two people who originally had a grudge against each other actually worked closely together for a few days...
After all, they all grew up in Lion Lake City, so when it comes to defending their homes, they will do their best.
But now the battle situation is very unfavorable to them. When Kaedren left, he took away most of the food and military supplies, and the defense reserves of Eagle Claw Castle are seriously insufficient.
It looked like the army of Stern Crow Realm had less than 5,000 people, and it seemed that Fothergill's 2,000-plus people could hold the city, but war was not about numbers...
The troops dispatched by the Kingdom of Stern Crow this time are all elite.
They came across 700 miles of grassland, so of course they would not bring too many miscellaneous soldiers with them. Basically, those who went out were experienced veterans.
Moreover, there were many highly skilled archers in the Stern Crow army. Even though they were defending the city, Fothert's troops still suffered heavy losses - they were almost shot to the point where they couldn't raise their heads at Eagle Claw Castle.
Fawcett's troops suffered heavy casualties, and their morale was getting lower and lower - in fact, their morale was not high at the beginning, because when they entered Eagle Claw Castle, they did not see Kaedren and Ursula, and there was nothing in the warehouse.
But the enemy had already engaged the enemy and they could not retreat easily.
And now, they just received the news that Kaedren occupied Lion Lake City, and their morale was even lower...
But now they are surrounded in Eagle Claw Castle and it is not easy to retreat.
They were betrayed by friendly forces, their homes were robbed, their morale was low, and they were short of military supplies. Naturally, their overall combat effectiveness was not much. It would be good if these two thousand men could exert 30% of their combat effectiveness...
Twice that day, Ravenstern's iron guards had stormed the city walls.
If Granlong hadn't led the Lion Lake City Flag Guard to rush to the rescue in time, Eagle Claw Castle might have been breached...
Granlong charged outside the city not only to rescue Fothert, but also to tell Fothert the news that Kaedren had stolen the house.
He did not enter Eagle Claw Castle and had been cooperating outside the city, so he was able to obtain this information.
Of course, Granlong planned to return to the army to kill the thief Kaedren first, and stay in Lion Lake City to defend his home - Lion Lake City was his hometown.
He would bring his troops to Eagle Claw Fort only because once Eagle Claw Fort was lost, Lion Lake City would be plunged into war.
But Kaedren occupied Lion Lake City at this time, which meant that the thief Kaedren was using Fothert and him as cannon fodder. Without the supply delivery from Lion Lake City, Eagle Claw Castle could not be defended!
So Granlong planned to return to Lion Lake City and then resist the Crowmen in Lion Lake City.
The Lion Lake City Flag Guard he led was a powerful heavy cavalry unit and was outside the city. If he wanted to retreat, the army of the Stern Crow Territory would not be able to stop him.
But the problem is that it is impossible to recapture Lion Lake City by relying on heavy cavalry alone. He must rescue Fothert and work together with Fothert to fight back Lion Lake City.
Fothert was gathering men in Eagle Claw Castle. He was indeed preparing to break out. Granlong had just dispersed the Stern Crow Realm troops west of Eagle Claw Castle. Now was a good time to break out of the city.
But just as he was preparing to charge out of Eagle Claw Castle, he saw smoke and dust rolling in from the east...
"Those are the Jatu people! Your Excellency the Duke! They are the Jatu cavalry!"
The soldiers on the city wall shouted.
At this time, the Cold Crow Realm troops that were attacking the city also blew the horn to retreat.
"...What's going on...Why are there such a large number of Jatu cavalry?!"
Fothert obviously did not dare to break out. From the city wall, he could see a large number of Jatu cavalry heading towards Eagle Claw Castle, at least several thousand of them. Leaving the city at this time was basically tantamount to seeking death, and he would definitely not be able to return to Lion Lake City alive.
Granlong also quickly evacuated the battlefield at this moment. He didn't know what was going on, but the arrival of so many Jatu people was obviously not a good thing...
But he did not go to Lion Lake City in the west, but went directly south.
Faced with the armies of Stern Crow and Jatu, Fothert would definitely not be able to get out of Eagle Claw Castle for a while, and he could not take back Lion Lake City from Kaedren by relying on heavy cavalry alone. Granlon was helpless with a solitary army.
Glancing at the direction of Lion Lake City, Granlong gritted his teeth and spat: "Kedren..."
Afterwards, he evacuated southward with the flag guard...
Kaedren, whose whole family is worried about by Granlong, is now trembling in the lord's hall of Lion Lake City.
He originally wanted to occupy Shihu City and Changhe Town, intending to gain the benefits of both sides.
But who knew that Ursula did not go to Changhe Town, but instead formed an alliance with the Kingdom of Sarleon in a way that was consistent with the identity of a claimant to the throne - Kaedren sold out his teammates, but in the end he was sold out by his teammates.
It took only one day for Brennus to capture Lion Lake City with his large army. The price he paid for this was that the two barons, Aldfred and Leofurvan, almost used up all their knights and conscripts...
That is, for Brennus himself, there was no cost.
In fact, Aldfred and Leofurvan both understood their situation. They followed Prince Alanric while King Ulric was still alive, so the king would certainly deal with them.
However, they didn't expect the punishment to come so soon...
