When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1220 Today and Tomorrow
February 7, 1460, Xia Lucheng.

As the turbulent autumn that Horn spoke of passed, a long and cold winter followed.

At the end of winter, before the morning mist had completely dissipated, thin flakes of ice could be seen floating on the Nauan River.

A light layer of snow drifted down from the branches of trees along the riverbank, and with a slight gust of wind, it rustled and landed on the heads of passersby.

The person who got splashed with snow yelled "Bad luck! Bad luck! Bad luck!" which made the other passersby burst into laughter.

Brushing the snow off his hair, Delavan pulled his woolen overcoat tighter, sighed, and continued jogging forward.

The destination before us was a three-story wooden house not far away, the former residence of a country gentleman, now the temporary command post of the Western Theater Army.

"Staff Officer Delavan."

"Hello." Delavan nodded to the guards at the door and walked into the porch.

Turning past the green-painted gate and walking across the creaking floorboards, Delavan knocked on Chief of Staff Sochette's door.

"Chief of Staff Sochette is working, please wait a few minutes."

Since that's the case, Delavan can only wait.

Sitting on the cold bench, he sniffled and couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.

This is his third month in the Western Group Army staff.

It must be said that there is a significant difference between working in the staff office and actually serving as a staff officer on the battlefield.

For example, the intelligence officer in the folder in his arms had information that "the number of vampires is suspected to be between 3200 and 3800, equipped with light blood pact guns, stationed in the south of Piana Castle, and rotated at 12 noon every day."

In the past, the only way to observe with the naked eye during wartime was to rely on it.

Now, thanks to the observation and indirect inquiries of the Xianshidian Holy Path Sect Brotherhood and the number of refugees captured and exploited, they have successfully reduced the number of people to 3200 to 3800.

At the same time, it was thanks to the members of the Holy Path Brotherhood, the surveying staff, that the measurement of the map was completed.

A decade or so ago, the solution would have been to either find a guide or send out light cavalry to slowly sketch out a rough plan.

As for the map hidden in the monastery, it can only be roughly seen, just like in mythology.

It must be said that the improvement in the precision of drawing tools, as well as the various measurement methods brought by scholars, made the Holy Alliance's maps the most accurate maps in the entire empire.

In particular, the standardization of weights and measures by the grandson of the saint greatly increased the universality of maps.

As for Delavan's mission, it was to use this intelligence and information to find a path for the warband army, a path to victory.

"Chief of Staff Delavan, you may come in." Before the clerk could finish speaking, Sochette came out on his own.

"Chief of Staff Sochette."

"Is the map finished? I'm about to report to General Jeanne," Sochette asked coldly as she put on her coat.

Delavan nodded quickly and pulled out a file from the pile of documents, unfolding it.

This is the battle map of eastern Xianshidian.

The red markings indicate the vampire mercenary's base, while the blue charcoal markings indicate the Holy Alliance army's attack route.

Those sections of the river are marked with small print indicating "water depth in meters and what types of boats can navigate them".

“There are three routes of advance in total.” He pointed to the map and explained, “The Chongxin battle group will take the southern route and cross the Nao’an River by boat.”

The Salamanders Chapter can directly pass through Sharonburg and Ukla and then head south from the New Five Counties.

As for the new central battle group, together with the cavalry regiment and command post, a total of 7500 men will take the main road and directly attack Fishing City.

Sochert nodded: "That's what I was thinking, but be careful, the Salamander Legion might encounter the spring floods during their march. It's better to take a detour than to have any accidents, understand?"

"Understood, I'll go and refine the changes right away."

Sochte nodded and patted Delavan on the shoulder: "You're making great progress. Keep it up. I won't be in the chief of staff position for long."

"Yes."

Delavan nodded gratefully; perhaps it was luck, but he always seemed to encounter helpful people.

Earlier there was the old orderly and Barker, then Bernardo, and now there's this Sochette.

His staff practice was almost entirely due to the one-on-one instruction he received from Chief of Staff Sochette.

These experiences are more useful than reading a hundred reports in the Privy Council.

"I'll go and archive the documents."

"Go."

Delavan folded the map neatly, stuffed it into a brown paper folder, and strode towards the stairwell.

However, he may have been walking too fast and didn't see a dark figure flash past the corner.

He braked immediately, but it was too late, and the two of them collided instantly.

He steadied himself, only to see a young soldier quickly getting up.

Upon seeing Delavan's attire, he visibly tensed up.

"Are you alright?" Delavan stepped forward to help, grabbing the soldier's arm and lifting him up.

"It's alright, it's alright!" The soldier quickly stood up. He was half a head shorter than Delavan and was only about eighteen years old.

His face still had a touch of childishness, but he was wearing a brand-new white-trimmed Chongxin Battle Group uniform.

He slung his bag back over his shoulder and immediately stood at attention: "Hello, Staff Officer, my name is McDowell, I'm a soldier in the Faith Chapter." Delavan paused for a moment, then smiled: "You're a new recruit, aren't you?"

"How do you know?"

“Those veterans don’t respect me like you do.”

"what?"

As the saying goes, a staff officer without a chief is like a fart that makes no sound; the veterans didn't take him seriously.

"Going to the drill ground for a training session?" He pointed to the baggage on McDowell's back. "Why are you carrying a baggage?"

"I don't know, I only know how to obey orders." McDowell shook his head helplessly. "Today we'll have a pep rally, tomorrow we'll board the ship and head to Xianshidian!"

Upon hearing "I only know how to obey orders," Delavan immediately knew who his instructor was: "Instructor Krush's trials must be tough, right?"

When Delavan first entered the military camp, he was trained by Kru several times and knew his methods.

It must be said that Kruxiu was an excellent officer for training troops, but his methods were...

When Crusch was mentioned, McDowell first shrank his neck, then straightened his chest: "We've made it through."

He did pull through, and looking back now, he certainly didn't seem like a soldier back then.

Over three months, he abandoned his familiar marksmanship to practice bayonet fighting, learned complex and mind-bending formation changes, and developed a deep-seated instinct for reloading, advancing, and retreating.

Now, if he makes an inaccurate movement, he will immediately experience phantom pain.

When it was all over, he felt as if he had lived through another world.

But when it comes to actually going to the battlefield, there is both anticipation and fear, after all, it is no joke.

"Good that you're ready." Delavan patted McDowell's arm. "Go to the assembly point, don't be late."

McDowell nodded vigorously, saluted, and turned to run towards the drill ground.

His leather boots slipped on the icy pavement occasionally, but he didn't slow down.

Xia Lucheng's training ground was located on the east bank of the Nao'an River. It was a patch of compacted yellow earth surrounded by a wooden fence.

The Holy Alliance's flag, with a scarlet background, black trim, and silver gears embroidered at the corners, hung on the fence.

The training ground was now filled with soldiers, but most of them were from the Chongxin Battle Group and the First Legion of Jeanne d'Arc (no battle record, no unit number).

However, tens of thousands of people have already gathered here.

McDowell stood in the ranks of the Faithful Chapter, next to his fellow countryman Thomson.

Thomson was two years older than him and had previously worked as a blacksmith. He was strong and was a bayonet specialist in the regiment.

Upon seeing McDowell arrive, Thomson breathed a sigh of relief: "You're finally here. I thought you were going to be late."

"I almost tripped and fell on the road."

"Do you think we'll run into vampires on our trip to Xianshidian?"

"Definitely!"

"Can that kill vampires?"

"Should, I think..."

McDowell hesitated. They had read too much about how powerful vampires were in books and novels.

"Everyone be quiet!"

A shout came from the high platform on the east side of the drill ground; it was a messenger from the staff office.

The soldiers immediately stopped talking and all looked up at the high platform.

Then, the War Goddess Nadalk, riding a black military horse, leaped onto the center of the high platform.

This immediately caused an uproar.

She was wearing a black and red military uniform with gold gears embroidered on her epaulets. She wasn't wearing a helmet, and her long black hair was tied back.

“Three months ago, Mr. Lemingston sacrificed himself in Greenhouse. He used his life to tell us that vampires are not merciful.”

Jeanne's voice wasn't loud, but it carried throughout the entire training ground through the cold wind.

"Right now, in Piana Castle in Xianshidian, there are more than three thousand vampire mercenaries. They are holding blood pact guns and staring at our land and our families."

McDowell clenched his fist. He had read the newspaper, and even more so, the article "In Memory of Mr. Lemingston".

Without a doubt, he is literate; he has a primary school diploma!
With such fierce competition these days, it's very difficult to become a member of the church's wardens without a primary school diploma.

As he rubbed the calluses on his palms, he suddenly felt that his previous training had become more meaningful.

“I know some of you are afraid,” Jeanne said, her gaze sweeping across the ranks. “Afraid of the bullets from the Blood Pact Gun, afraid of the claws of vampires. But remember, you are not alone.”

Behind you lie the factories of the Holy See, the wheat fields of the Thousand Rivers Valley, and the countless believers of the Holy Alliance.

She raised her hand and pointed towards the Nauan River, where sails could already be seen.

Troop transport ships are heading towards the dock; tomorrow they will board them and head to Xianshidian.

"Now, I order the Chongxin Battle Group to be the first to board the ships, and the cavalry to advance along both banks of the river to teach the Xianshidian people a lesson!"

what?
McDowell's mouth dropped open. Wasn't it supposed to be tomorrow?

(End of this chapter)