Imperial Crown.

Chapter 294 Secret Mission
Many thanks to Qidian Dad [残殇_誰懂] for the 500 reward!

……

Simon wasn't hard to find.

After the locust plague, Simon temporarily gave up his position as the commander of the flying squadron and took over Link's responsibility for training new recruits.

On the training ground in the military camp, the soldiers of the Second Legion were arranged in neat square formations and were carrying out the most basic training.

Jacob Lai was one of them.

He is 27 years old and has served in the Eagle Army for 3 years. He served as a pikeman in the 1rd Battalion of the 3st Corps.

After the Second Corps was formed, he was transferred over to serve as a leader of ten men due to his outstanding performance in training.

This is indeed a good thing. Not only has the weekly salary increased by almost double, but the leather armor on the body has also become stronger.

But if he had a choice, Jacob would rather be a soldier in the 1st Legion.

He thought Link's training was torturous enough, but when he came under Simon's command he realized that there is always someone better than you.

This officer, named Simon, always has a smile on his face when he is not training. His temperament is even a little soft. To be disrespectful, he is like the boy next door.

But once on the training ground, the requirements were just as strict and abnormal as Link's, and even more so.

During a training session a few days ago, just because Jacob couldn't help yawning when he drew his gun, Simon singled him out and scolded him!

From then on, Jacob always felt that Simon was deliberately targeting him.

"Very good, next, actual combat training." Simon's voice came: "Jacob Lai, you will demonstrate."

Sure enough, it's here again!
Jacob rolled his eyes in his heart, but still walked to the open space in front as ordered.

I don’t know what the content of today’s so-called practical training will be.

Should I be blindfolded and judge the number of enemies only by the sound of footsteps? Or should I walk through two lines of people holding steel blades to train my courage?

Simon didn't know what he was thinking. He took a deep breath and said loudly, "Teams 1 to 3, line up."

"Now, you are a vicious horse thief, and Jacob Lai is the only enemy you want to kill!"

"Form a formation, charge!!"

Jacob Lai almost burst into a curse, can this be considered training! ?

But he didn't have time to think about it, because three teams of ten people, who had already formed their battle formations, rushed up howling.

They lined up in three rows, simulating the movements of a cavalry charge, keeping about one person's distance from each other.

It's dry today and it hasn't rained for a few days, so the training ground is extremely dry.

As the speed increased, dust rose, footsteps became heavy, and among the shadows there was a sense of cavalry charge, which made Jacob Lai's brain go blank in an instant.

When the others rushed to him, Jacob raised his spear and stabbed, almost subconsciously, knocking down a soldier, but he was also stabbed by the next spear and fell backwards to the ground.

Simon deadpanned, "Come again."

Jacob stood up, feeling a dull pain where he had been shot, and raised his gun again.

This time it wasn't much better. He tried his best to dodge, but was still knocked to the ground by the first row of soldiers.

Simon continued: "Come again."

The soldiers who were dispersing around and preparing to charge again all had faint smiles on their faces. To them, this was just a game.

But Jacob Lai didn't want to be the punching bag in this game anymore.

"I'm not coming!" Jacob Lai threw his spear to the ground. "Simon, if you have any opinions about me, you can just say it directly. Is it necessary to humiliate me in this way?!"

Simon stared at Jacob Lai: "I have no problem with you, this is a training."

"You said training is training, but what kind of training is that when dozens of people fight one person!" Jacob Lai was desperate:
"This is not fair!"

"No one will tell you fairness on the battlefield!"

Simon said loudly: "You are standing on the battlefield, facing dozens of enemies alone. At this time, do you want to put down your weapons, greet the opponents with a smile, and then say."

"Hey! There are too many of you. It doesn't seem fair. Let's fight one on one - is that the way?!"

Jacob Lai swallowed his saliva and argued, "But this kind of training is meaningless! Who would encounter such a situation?"

Simon said calmly: "Me, your Commander Link, and everyone who survived on Bloody Heights."

"So, I hope you can survive the same scenario."

Jacob was speechless, but the soldiers around him looked at him strangely, and they obviously did not believe what Simon said.

Glancing at the entire field, Simon picked up the spear that Jacob Lai had thrown to the ground and said, "This time, take me as your target and continue your training."

"I don't know how to use Dou Qi, so you guys should figure out how to deal with it."

A space suddenly opened up around them, and the 30 soldiers formed into three rows again and rushed forward howling.

Jacob Lai opened his eyes wide, not wanting to miss any scene.

When you are pushed to the ground by a crowd, you will know how unreliable this method is!

He was even imagining how he would pretend to be magnanimous after Simon failed.

But what happened next was far beyond his imagination.

The first row of soldiers was getting closer and closer. Simon's eyes were steady and calm. He turned halfway and dodged the attack.

Simon even had the energy to explain: "When the cavalry are charging, they must keep a distance from each other. It may seem like there are many people, but there is usually only one person in the same row who can attack you. So, find a gap and don't panic, then you can dodge."

The second row of soldiers had arrived, and Simon happened to block the path of one of them.

This time, Simon made a very standard spear-collecting and piercing gesture with the spear in his hand, and knocked the attacking soldier to the ground in one step.

"The infantry lance is longer than the cavalry lance. As long as you stay calm, you can strike first before being attacked."

"Although most cavalrymen are wearing heavy armor, this blow may not be fatal, but the inertia of the impact is enough to knock the opponent off the horse and make him faint on the spot; and the spear shaft against the ground can effectively disperse the impact force, so that I will not be seriously injured."

Then, Simon stepped forward and stood beside the knocked down soldier. The soldiers in the third row had to take a detour, and Simon "survived" without even dodging.

"Imagine your enemies as devils from hell. They will not be soft-hearted because of the death of their comrades, but at high speeds, trampling heavily armored corpses on horseback will likely damage their horses' hooves, so they can only avoid them."

After saying that, Simon stood up and pulled up the soldier he had knocked down.

Looking back, everyone was stunned.

Especially Jacob Lai, he saw clearly just now that Simon did not use his fighting spirit, and even his speed and reaction were within the range of normal soldiers, but his movements were not redundant at all, and his judgment was extremely accurate.

He could even imagine that Simon must have been as graceful as a gust of wind on the battlefield.

If it weren't for military discipline, he would even want to lead the applause.

Oops, military discipline...

Jacob Lai looked embarrassed. He walked up to Simon and lowered his head and said, "Knight Simon, I just..." "No need to say more. For talking back to your superior, when the training is over, you will go to the military judge and receive 20 lashes. Is that a problem?" Simon said.

"No problem, no problem!" Jacob Lai breathed a sigh of relief.

This problem can be big or small. If Simon is serious about it, it won't be just a matter of 20 lashes. Direct expulsion from the camp would be considered a good thing.

At this moment, applause suddenly broke out. Everyone turned around and saw the hound Wheeler approaching, clapping his hands. "Well done, Simon! You look a bit like you did on the battlefield."

"The Baron wants to see you."

"I'll be there right away." Simon smiled, then turned to the recruits with a stern face and said, "What I did just now is not the only way to crack it. In the final analysis, if you want to survive on the battlefield, you still need to be calm enough so that you can make use of the results of your usual training."

"Keep training!"

"Yes--!"

Simon left the barracks and followed the hyenas to Eagle City. After having a secret conversation with Raven for half an hour, he said goodbye and left.

Not long after walking out of the city gate, Simon heard footsteps following him. He turned a corner and hid behind the wall. He waited until the footsteps caught up and stopped, then he suddenly jumped out.

"Ah!" Jenny was startled. When she saw clearly that it was Simon, she patted her chest and breathed slowly. She also punched Simon's chest hard: "Hate it, you scared me again!"

Simon chuckled and looked at Jenny's face.

She wore a black and white lace headband on her head, which tightly held her hair and revealed a smooth and full forehead; her eyes were watery and there were some freckles on her cheeks, making her look indescribably youthful and cute.

"If you weren't following me, how could you be scared by me?"

Raven and Nancy intended to match Simon and Jenny. After they met several times, they gradually fell in love with each other, but the last layer of window paper was never broken.

“Humph, I just came out to see you because you were worried.” Jenny pouted and kicked the weeds in the corner. “I won’t do that next time.”

"Sorry, I'm wrong. I've been too busy lately." Simon realized that his joke was a bit too much and apologized immediately: "Actually, I was thinking of formally inviting you next Wednesday night, my sister's birthday."

"Who cares about your invitation?" Although she said this, Jenny's attitude softened a lot: "You invite me to your home, on what grounds? Who am I to you?"

"I'm about to invite you to my home, what else can you be? I'm not the kind of man who would casually bring a girl home." Simon was still embarrassed to mention the word "fiancée": "But, for now, it seems that this invitation will have to be put on hold for the time being."

"What's wrong?" Jenny was stunned.

"The Baron has given me a top-secret mission." Simon sighed and said, "This time, it will take at least half a year."

"We have to leave tomorrow morning."

Jenny bit her lip when she heard it. Although she was reluctant, she still said, “This is the master’s respect for you. It’s a good thing. You…”

Before she could finish her words, she suddenly saw a glittering pendant appear in front of her.

It was a heart-shaped pendant made of gold and inlaid with a light pink gem.

Simon said softly: "I wanted to give it to you next Wednesday, but..."

Jenny's heart was beating fast. She liked pink, but she only mentioned it to Simon once. Unexpectedly, he remembered it firmly in his mind: "Put it on me..."

Simon's heart was also moved. He untied the chain of the pendant and awkwardly lifted Jenny's hair. His fingers were trembling slightly. He didn't dare to touch Jenny, and was afraid of accidentally scratching her.

With a click, the pendant closed, and Simon's fingers accidentally touched the back of Jenny's neck. The smooth touch made his heart pound.

Simon is a good boy. Even at his age, he has never touched a girl's hand.

Before he could think of what to say, he suddenly felt a warm touch on his lips.

After a long time, the two separated.

Simon's face turned as red as an apple.

Jenny's face turned red as if she had carbon monoxide poisoning.

"Come back safely." Jenny took out a handkerchief and stuffed it into Simon's arms: "I'll wait for you!"

After saying that, he turned and ran away.

Watching Jenny's receding back, Simon couldn't help but smile foolishly.

The next morning, Simon arrived at Eagle City and took off into the air with two Wind King cavalrymen, flying towards the northeast.

This time, Raven even gave Simon his replaced storage belt.

Time flies, and the hottest July is over in a flash.

In early August, the wheat in the fields began to mature. The serfs, who had been struggling for a year, began to harvest the grain in the fields, not wanting to waste even a single grain.

The military camp is still bustling with activity. Although Simon has left, the training continues.

The orphans who have now become Wind King's cavalry are no exception.

It was afternoon, and the orphans were wearing full leather armor and repeating spear throwing training.

Hoyaz was among them.

The young man who once cleared the way for Nancy and exterminated the Insect King has now gradually matured. Although his figure cannot be described as burly, he is also agile and strong.

The spear in his hand was no longer a wooden spear used for training, but a fine steel javelin used in actual combat. It was three and a half feet long and weighed seven pounds, and was a little hot under the scorching sun.

But Hoyaz still raised it steadily to his shoulder with one hand, his eyes fixed on the target. Even though sweat overflowed from his leather helmet and burned the corners of his eyes, he never wavered.

Until the command came: "——Throw!"

At this moment, he exerted force with his spread legs, pushed the ground with his right foot, and the force was fed back to his legs through the waist and transferred to his shoulders. He stretched out his arms and the spear flew out of his hands with a sound of breaking through the air.

After tens of thousands of times of training, Hoyaz can now not only ensure that he can hit the target, but he can even clearly calculate how long his spear will fly.

3 breaths, just 3 breaths.

3, 2, 1...

He counted silently in his mind.

when--

The spear hit the wooden target, and the dry and tough pine wood was immediately pierced and torn apart, and half of the body fell to the ground.

A team of 50 people had 50 targets. After one throw, only about 6 or 7 targets were still standing.

"Okay, today's training ends here, disband!"

If it had happened a year ago, hearing the announcement of disbandment, there would have been spears thrown everywhere, but now the orphans have maintained excellent discipline.

They came forward one after another to take back their javelins, and then used cotton cloth dipped in clean water to carefully wipe the spears from head to tail to prevent them from rusting due to sweat. They waited until the spears became dry before putting them away and returning them to the warehouse.

Just as Hoyaz was about to leave, he was stopped by the instructor, who mysteriously took him to the barracks alone.

Just as Hoyaz was wondering, the instructor slapped him on the shoulder and threw him a list:
"You're really lucky this time!"

……

(End of this chapter)