When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1043 A Simple War, A Simple Ending
The midday sun in September was still scorching.

The French military camp resembled a piece of ironed red velvet, neatly laid out on the banks of the Ibe River.

Thousands of ochre-red tents lined up behind wooden walls and trenches, while patrolling soldiers were dazed from the heat.

In this weather, only the cavalry had to brave the scorching sun and lead their warhorses to the river to drink.

They had just stepped out of the camp gate and hadn't even smelled the distinctive fishy and acrid smell of the place when they saw a fast horse galloping towards them.

"Urgent military situation! Take cover! Take cover!"

The cavalrymen quickly made way, curiously chasing the figure behind the fence.

Before long, news suddenly came from the central camp, ordering all the captains to immediately put down what they were doing and assemble at the main camp.

The centurions emerged from their tents, mounted their horses, and arrived with their personal knights.

Lifting the tent flap and stepping inside, one finds Legion Commander Monteil and his advisor, Count Cazi, already engrossed in studying the map on the table.

Count Kazi tapped the riverbed with the tip of his ivory cane, his eyebrows furrowed in a deep frown: "It's alright, Xinghuo Town is still in our hands. They've eaten five thousand people, so be it."

"What's wrong with Gale? Even if you catch five thousand pigs, hundreds would still escape, right?"

Inside the tent, Montel paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, strands of his hair sticking to his forehead with sweat.

Count Kazi slowly raised his head: "Montaire, you must learn to stay calm and hold this place. If we do, we will be invincible."

In war, the first priority is to avoid defeat, and only then can victory be achieved; this is the simplest of principles.

"What kind of logic is that!" Montel's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white. "Gail is leading a newly trained army that was only trained last year!"
The armor was new, the spears were new, even the horseshoes had just been replaced in March, and they were just thrown away like that?
The king asked, "What should I say?" I replied, "Say that we watched our fresh troops being eaten, unable to even move."

“This…” Count Kazi frowned. He knew this was Monteir’s first battle, and it would determine the future budget of the First and Second Legions of Stormcap.

But his current impatient demeanor is quite different from before.

That shouldn't be the case; it's very strange that Gale made this sudden attack.

Why is Gale so impatient and determined to win back the score?

Count Kazi didn't have time to think it through, because Montyr directly addressed the centurions: "Prepare yourselves, we're going to meet the enemy."

“No.” Count Kazi, who had been sitting, suddenly stood up. “If we hold this place, the Holy Alliance will have to take the initiative to attack sooner or later. Whether we fight or not, and how we fight, will be up to us.”

"This is my legion, I call the shots. The Francans never cower in fear!"

"No, this is His Highness's army. His Highness makes the decisions. We are just executors."

“Yes, this is His Highness’s legion, but I am the legion commander appointed by His Highness. Shouldn’t I be the one to issue all the orders, Your Excellency?”

Montaire deliberately emphasized the word "advisor".

Count Kazi was taken aback at first, then looked at the student who had been so obedient yesterday as if he were seeing him for the first time.

Then, as if stung, his neck turned red: "How old are you? Have you ever had any combat experience? Have you ever fought against the Holy Alliance?"

"The Holy Alliance is just a newly emerging country; their army has been established for less than ten years!"

"Ten years is enough to build a strong army. I've seen it, and I know how powerful they are."

“Yes, of course you know,” Montel suddenly sneered. “I’ve never fought against the Holy Alliance, but that’s still better than you, a defeated general!”

The air inside the tent was like tamped soil, suddenly becoming airtight in that instant.

The whispers of the centurions grew softer and softer until only the crackling sound of the candle wick popping remained.

"What did you say?" Count Kazi raised his cane and pointed it directly at Monty's chest. "When I was clearing out the Southern County, you were still wearing diapers! Who gave you the right to lecture me?"

"Even if the Frenchmen die, they will still charge!" Montyr, having torn off all pretense, no longer cared about anything else. "You lost once, yet you praise the Holy Alliance as if it were a great honor. Isn't that just to cover up your failure?"
I'm appointing you as an advisor so you can give me effective military advice, not so you can be a coward or prevent others from winning.

"You!" Count Kazi was so angry that he was dizzy and could barely speak. "If you fight like this, you will surely lose. Is the Holy Alliance some kind of peasant uprising army?"
I've said it so many times: dividing your forces is a major no-no!

"They're not much better than the peasant rebels. How brutal were their battles against Leia's army?"

Did we encounter a similar battle when we attacked Windmill Land? Doesn't that prove who is stronger?

Monteil should have participated in the Battle of Windmills from the very beginning, thus gaining a fast track to military advancement.

As a result, he inexplicably got involved in a new military reform mission and was unable to go to the battlefield.

Although he successfully became the legion commander through this mission, who would respect him without a military record?

Now, he must win this first battle, especially since he gave Gale the order to attack.

Most importantly, the Holy Alliance has only been established for a few years, and thanks to the excellent matchmaking mechanism of Thousand River Valley, they are fighting against some low-level armies.

Does the elite legion exist? Montyr knows it certainly does, but isn't the Imperial Guard stationed at Springspring Keep?
The kingdom's spies have all said that the soldiers who are fighting them were hastily assembled.

The original personnel were dissatisfied, and when they heard that war was coming, they hurriedly conscripted soldiers from the civilian population. Even the cavalry rode donkeys and mules.

This is a message delivered by the kingdom's secret agents; it cannot be faked.

The quality of this army is questionable; if they can't win, Monteil will have to change his name to Galar!

"Well, you ingrate, you..." Count Kazi, a former soldier, was so angry that he didn't care about anything else and pulled out his cane to hit him.

The centurions rushed forward, four of them restraining Kazi and three of them pulling Monty back.

A centurion, squeezed in the middle with his helmet askew, said, "Your Excellencies! Calm down! If you keep arguing, the soldiers outside will hear us."

Montyl, panting heavily, broke free from the centurion's grasp, his knuckles white from the effort.

He glanced outside the tent; it was already quite late. Although it was only noon, it would still take time for the army to set off.

The tent gradually quieted down, leaving only the slightly calmer breathing of Monty and Count Cazi.

The silence felt like a needle, making everyone inside the tent restless.

However, when everyone was too afraid to even breathe, Monty suddenly shook off the centurion's hand and came to Count Cács.

Just as the centurions were ready to intercept them, Monty's voice suddenly lowered: "The old count is right, I was confused in my haste."

Count Kazi raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting him to back down.

“If a young person isn’t spirited, can they be called a young person?” Having given him a way out, Count Kazi naturally took it. “On the battlefield, grudges and arguments must give way to victory.”

“The Earl is right. How about this: before dinner, we'll gather all the commanders of the chiliarchs and centurions to discuss whether to stay behind or send troops. What do you say?”

Although this was not the outcome Count Cács desired, he was confident he could persuade the soldiers.

Compared to the inexperienced Montaire, Count Cács had a much higher reputation and prestige in the army.

“Since Lord Montaire has come to his senses,” Count Cazie slowly sat down, “I have no objections.”

The bystander blinked anxiously, only to see Montyle give him a fierce look.

The servant immediately calmed down; he knew his lord's temperament.

After bidding farewell to the central military camp, Count Kazi arrived at a courtyard specially assigned to him.

The soldiers drove away the original owner of the courtyard and let Count Kazi move in.

Compared to the tent environment, this wooden room is much cooler and cleaner.

Count Kazi was supposed to take a nap, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what he did while lying in bed.

The windowsill was scorching hot from the afternoon sun, and tiny dust particles floated in the air, tumbling in the beams of light filtering through the bed curtains.

He lay on the Gothic four-poster bed, the wrinkles on the back of his hands particularly clear in the light.

As sleepiness washed over him like a tide, Montyre's words, "The French army does not cower like turtles," still echoed in his mind.

I remember the first Battle of Windmill Land; he was even more impatient than Montel, charging ahead with his battle axe. Now, all he does is sit there calculating with maps and ledgers.

Although Montel was impatient, his phrase "I will charge even if I die" did reflect his younger self.

"He's really getting worse as he gets older." He clicked his tongue, turned over, and the wooden bed creaked.

Perhaps we should humble ourselves and apologize to Montreal.

He thought himself superior and looked down on Montaire, but now it seems he was too arrogant.

Montyre is the true legion commander; the two of them should ideally agree on something and absolutely avoid giving orders from both sides...

"Hmph, hmph..." The even snoring gradually began.

He didn't sleep soundly. When Count Kazi woke up, the sun was already setting in the west, casting a long shadow over the tent.

He sat up, rubbed his stiff knees, and called to his attendant: "Go, invite Lord Montaire over, and tell him I have something to say to him."

The attendant responded and left, returning shortly afterward, his face somewhat pale: "Your Excellency, the guards of the Montel Legion Commander said that the army is currently conducting military exercises and they are afraid that stray arrows might accidentally injure you, so they asked you to wait a moment."

"A martial arts demonstration?" Count Kazi frowned.

The French army always conducts military exercises in the early morning; they never shoot arrows or fight swords in the afternoon.
Besides, we're already on the battlefield, why are we even practicing martial arts?
He put on his coat and walked towards the door, but was stopped by two guards as soon as he reached the door.

Those were Montyre's personal guards, their iris badges gleaming.

"What are you going to do?"

“Old Earl, Lord Montaire says you are too old and the drill ground is too chaotic. You should go back to your room and rest.” The guard’s voice was respectful, but his hand was on the hilt of his sword.

An ominous premonition rose in his heart. Count Kazi disregarded everything else and felt his temples throbbing.

He suddenly squatted down and pressed his ear against the scorching sand.

At first, there was only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the piles of tent fabric. Then, a slight vibration came from the ground, like distant rumbling thunder.

The sounds grew clearer and more frequent.

It was the sound of horses' hooves, hundreds and thousands of warhorses galloping, the crisp sound of their iron hooves hitting the stones, even the sand on the ground trembled slightly.

"You bastards!" He jumped up, his cane trembling. "You've sent troops, haven't you? That brat Montyr has led his troops to rescue the left flank!"

The guards lowered their eyes, none of them answered, but simply took half a step forward, blocking his way.

"Get out of the way!" Count Kazi swung his cane and smashed it against the guard's shoulder. "That's sending them to their deaths! We can't split our forces, we can't split our forces!"

The cane struck the guard's armor, producing a hollow "clanging" sound.

The guards remained unmoved, letting Count Cazie pound on them without flinching.

"Old Earl!"

A gentle call made Count Kazi pause in his swinging of his cane.

Kazi turned his head and saw the army's chief chaplain, Balgao, walking slowly towards him.

"Bargain, it's not too late. Go and persuade Montel to come back. This is no joke."

The pastor's black robe clung to his body in the wind. He held up a wooden frame and drew the character "屮" on his chest: "Please stop beating these guards. They are just doing their duty."

Kazi's cane stopped in mid-air, his knuckles white from the force he exerted.

He was panting heavily, dropped almost the entire length of his cane, and suddenly felt dizzy.

Balgo stepped forward: "Please sit down and talk. The guards are stopping you because they're afraid you'll act impulsively."

At this point, can't you calm down and have a rational discussion?

Kazi sneered, spittle landing on Balgao's black robe: "Rationality? How can you expect me to be rational?"

Just you wait and see. Based on my understanding of the Holy Alliance, once Monteil sends out his troops, it won't be long before the Holy Alliance's army reaches Starfire Town.

Just like when the Holy Alliance's witch Jeanne broke through seven armies in succession, you and I will both become prisoners.

“That was back then.” Balgo was not pleased to hear these almost cursed words, but his voice remained calm. “Not necessarily. Those temporarily recruited soldiers may not have been as elite as the original Salvation Army.”

Besides, they had a witch leading them back then, and we weren't some loosely organized local lord's army. Could they even be called an army?

Kazi suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot like spider webs, and after a long while, he finally spoke through gritted teeth: "You are too arrogant."

Balga shook his head slightly, pointing into the distance: "Lord Kazi, we've known each other for a long time, but in this matter, I think it's you who's arrogant."

"Arrogant? You call me arrogant?" Kazi laughed in anger, as if he had heard a hilarious joke.

Baal chanted the holy name: "Yes, we haven't even fought yet, how do you know I can't win?"
The Holy Alliance is strong, but our Fran's blacksmith shops are more numerous and skilled; they can produce twice as many Holy Cannons as the Holy Alliance in three months.

While the Holy Alliance may appear to be the strongest military empire, they are only relying on their superior weaponry.

We are only lacking time, which does not mean that the Fran army is necessarily weaker than the Holy Alliance.

As we mentioned at the court meeting, the true path lies in taking the divine as the essence and the sacred way as its application…

Besides, I heard that His Excellency Gale has also deployed a thousand men on Stonehill.

Even if the Holy Alliance army is powerful, can it defeat Gael's army and then capture Stone Fortress in a single day?
Therefore, this is not arrogance, but confidence.

Seeing Balgao's confident demeanor, Kazi opened his mouth, but had no desire to argue.

The wind suddenly changed direction, and Kachi heard a sound in the distance.

The sound of horses' hooves faded, the singing became sparse, and only faint shouts remained.

The main force of the thousand-strong team from Xinghuo Town had already left the camp and headed north to provide support; they were now far away.

That's too late.

Count Kazi staggered to the door, his hand trembling as he gripped the doorframe.

He suddenly felt a tremendous sense of powerlessness. He had clearly seen it, and he had clearly taken countless actions to stop it, so why couldn't he escape the fate of failure?
Could it be that the Father deliberately wanted him to be this way? Is this the destiny the Father has arranged for him?
Endless sorrow, fear, and confusion surrounded Kazi, almost bringing him to tears.

After trembling for a while, Count Kazi suddenly fell straight backward, and several servants rushed out to support him.

Even Balgo hurriedly came forward: "Your Excellency, what's going on?"

“Bargo, let’s make a bet. I guess the Holy Alliance’s army will arrive before the triumphant Montal. I’ll bet a silver coin.”

That night, a cool, warm autumn rain suddenly came, pattering softly on the banana leaves.

Count Kazi developed a low-grade fever, took medicine, and lay drowsily in bed, occasionally muttering incoherently.

In his dream, he seemed to hear muffled thunder, Balgao's panicked shouts, the surprised roars of countless soldiers left behind, and the continuous sound of footsteps and hooves.

By noon the following day, under the care of the priest, Count Kazi finally awoke after his fever subsided.

With the help of his attendants, he walked out of the room.

Outside the door, Mormont, who was signing the order for the handover of supplies, looked up, first surprised, then smiling.

"Long time no see, Mr. Kazi."

Kazi looked ten years older overnight: "I never thought I would lose even this kind of battle to you."

"Don't say that, we're old friends." Mormont approached with a grin. "The Holy Alliance treats prisoners well, don't worry, I won't punish you."

Kazi arrived at the prisoner-of-war camp without using crutches, but limping along.

Seeing Balgao slumped dejectedly by the roadside, Kazi kicked him in the backside: "Hey, you owe me 1 dinar."

(End of this chapter)