When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1084 Military Camp
The iron gate of the military camp slowly opened, and Count Strickland strode in without even a word of greeting.

The knights who had been accompanying the army were guarding the entrance to the main camp's wooden hut. When they saw Count Stryffin arrive, they all stood up.

But the Earl ignored him completely, leaped up the steps, and headed straight for the backyard.

"Commander Kennard, aren't you going to send troops? Our Shovel Town in the rear is under siege!"

Kennard was not angry that Count Stryffin had barged in without even announcing himself.

He removed the prostitute from his clothes, pulled up his trousers, waved her away, and then slowly asked, "What do you mean by that, Earl?"

“Shovel Town, don’t you know it?” Straifen strode to the wall and tore down the map nailed to it. “Shovel Town is right on Yellowtooth Trail, leading to our grain-producing area.”

Upon hearing the words "grain-producing area," Kennard's expression turned serious.

There are not many stable grain-producing areas near Skullwolf Castle anymore. To its southeast lies a large area of ​​manor villages that can reliably produce grain.

Stryffin's steward lives in that area and also wields considerable influence; the army's food supplies for the next six months will all be obtained from there.

Kennard was initially puzzled, but after seeing the map, he suddenly smiled and said, "Your Excellency is overthinking this. Shovel Town has no walls. They have been unable to conquer it for a long time. It is probably just a feint. They will retreat soon."

If it were someone who wasn't knowledgeable in military affairs, they might have been tricked out of the city by Stryffin.

Kennard, however, was a seasoned general who was quite knowledgeable about supplies and geography.

Even if Shovel Town had been captured, it wouldn't have had a significant impact on the food supply of Square Enix.

With the number of soldiers in Okinawa, outside the city, they simply couldn't control the transport of food.

If we can't go by land, can't we go by water and transport it from Shuilun Lake?
This was merely an excuse from Count Stéphane.

Seeing his lie exposed, Straifen's face turned red: "Commander, this campaign to suppress bandits outside the city is a good thing for both the war effort and the people. I just don't understand why we can't get out of there?"

“Such is Lord Putzillo’s order,” Kennard said, taking Count Stravin’s arm. “I cannot disobey.”

“We’re already at war. They’re practically at our doorstep,” Straffen yelled, pointing his finger at Kennard. “If Shovel Town falls, you’ll bear undeniable responsibility, do you realize that?”

Despite being verbally abused, Kennard's smile remained unchanged; he simply held his wine glass and smiled at the Earl.

Count Stravin felt as if he had punched silk, slippery and impossible to handle, leaving him with no way to vent his strength.

After a long argument, Count Stryffin arrived with a flushed face and left with a livid one.

Kennard's smile gradually faded as he watched him leave.

He first downed the wine on the table in one gulp, then shouted into the house, "Call your sisters over too, I'm furious right now."

However, Kennard's leisure time was short-lived, as someone came in to report that Stryffin's male servant was waiting outside.

"Here we go again?" Kennard was genuinely angry this time. "Why can't this logic work? Are you the only wise, sage, and benevolent person, while everyone else is a fool, a dullard, or an idiot?"

Seeing Kennard's angry outburst, the servant could only bow, spitting at him, and wait for him to finish speaking: "The Earl of Stryffin's male servant outside the door..."

"Go and ask him what it is about, who came to visit. If it's still about sending troops, just pretend I'm not here."

"Yes."

This time, the servant returned quickly, but this time, he was followed by another person.

Upon seeing that person, Kennard dared not remain seated and immediately stood up to greet him.

“Countess, what brings you here?” Kennard dared not underestimate this lady, for her surname was indeed Osla.

The noblewoman had her hair piled high with jewels, and her hair and face were covered by a light veil made of ox horn, so that only a faint glimpse could be seen of her weeping.

"Commander Kennard, please set aside past grievances and, for my father's sake, save my husband."

“Count Strickland?” Kennard’s alarm bells rang. “What’s wrong with him?”

After the lady finished explaining what had happened, Kennard reassured her and said he would definitely handle it.

Finally, they escorted her all the way from the main tent cabin out of the military camp.

When they returned, several knight commanders had already surrounded them; they had all received the news.

After being rebuffed by Kennard, Count Stravin was in a moment of despair and led dozens of cavalrymen and nearly a hundred infantrymen to Shovel Town in an attempt to relieve the siege.

As a result, not only did the siege of Shovel Town remain unbroken, but Count Stryffin's small army was also utterly defeated by the cavalry, leaving him trapped himself. Instead of returning to the main camp cabin, Kennard simply sat on the steps and began drawing a map on the sand.

“You already know the situation.” Kennard’s branch scratched the ground. “Regardless of what Earl Stryffin does afterward, we have to send troops.”

Putting aside the lady's reputation, even just considering that Stravin himself, as the local count, was the designated head of logistics.

He was arrested, and there's no one to replace him, neither in terms of appearance nor substance.

"The reason we didn't send troops earlier was His Excellency Putzillo's military order. As you know, the Five Cities Alliance has officers from the Holy Alliance assisting them, and many local nobles have also pledged allegiance to us."

In terms of raw power, we are certainly not afraid of them. However, if they try to be cunning and launch a diversionary attack, we are not as flexible as they are and may suffer losses.

The main purpose of this attack on Owen City is to make a name for ourselves, to build momentum, and to cripple the enemy's arm first.

Therefore, this first battle must be won, and it is best to win it under the command of His Excellency Putzillo.

This isn't because I'm a coward; it was agreed upon in the military council.

The knights and counts didn't understand the military discussions of these important figures, but they dared not act recklessly.

Several wars eliminated a large number of the kingdom's elite troops, and even those who remained often had self-doubts such as, "Am I really a weakling?"

Compared to their previous aggressive and arrogant approach in suppressing the Holy Alliance and the farmers, the Leia army now exhibits a greater emphasis on "stability".

"However, we have no choice but to send troops now, otherwise we will not be able to explain ourselves to either the Regent or Lord Putzillo."

Kennard drew a rough map on the sand and pointed to the location of one of the pebbles with a twig: "This is Shovel Town, which is under siege by rebels. According to the Rangers' intelligence, it should be infantry from Wonyu City."

As for those elite cavalrymen on the outskirts, they should be knights and armed farmers who have joined the Five Cities Alliance, and their combat strength is not bad.

As for Count Stryffin, he was in this foothill valley, a fairly treacherous terrain, but he probably wouldn't last more than a few days.

"Then what's there to say?" a knight interrupted. "Why not just take him down?"

“It’s not that simple.” Kennard shook his head. “There are nearly 10,000 troops gathered around Owen City. What if they attack us by boat if we leave the city?”

This is why Kennard has always been reluctant to send troops too far.

These elite cavalrymen were clearly prepared, their aim being to lure him out of the city so they could launch a surprise attack.

If they actually leave the city, then they've fallen into a trap.

"so what should I do now?"

Several senior commanders immediately started offering suggestions.

"Why don't we tie dummies to the city walls to confuse the enemy?"

"Or we can burn down the port, and even if they have ships, they won't be able to get ashore."

"Burn your mother's horse! You're saying you'll kill a thousand enemies but lose ten thousand of your own, right?"

Kennard tapped the brick floor with a twig to attract everyone's attention.

“I already have an idea about this matter. Unlike Thousand River Valley, the area around Waterwheel County is mostly plains, with swamps, valleys and rivers everywhere.” Kennard tapped the ground with his branch. “Therefore, I will lead a thousand elite cavalrymen on the expedition, and the remaining soldiers will retreat into the inner fortress to defend it to the death while I am away.”

"Your Excellency Kennard is very insightful."

“But I have one request.” Ignoring the flattery, Kennard leaned on a tree branch and looked around. “Regardless of whether the people have been rescued or not, if anything happens to Skolston, the entire army must immediately return to their aid without fail.”

"Okay, let's high five to seal the deal!"

Several senior commanders spat into their palms, clapped, and then went back to mobilize their cavalry.

By the afternoon, all of the more than a thousand cavalrymen had arrived.

The spearheads on the swallowtail flags gleamed with a chilling light, gathering like a flock of blue-feathered migratory birds.

Riding his warhorse to the front, Kennard rubbed his cheeks before putting on his beak-shaped iron helmet.

"set off!"

　P.S. There's more.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)