Imperial Crown.

Chapter 81 Wait Until I Come Home
In the dark night, a cold wind blows.

But Fangmapo was extremely lively.

Although Fangmapo is called a slope, it is actually a hill that rises from the ground. Halfway up the mountain, the terrain changes abruptly. It no longer goes straight up, but instead goes down in a part, creating a natural shelter. The area is quite spacious and can accommodate a troop of 100 people and more than 200 war horses and pack horses.

If it weren't for the lack of water inside, this place would definitely become a nest or stronghold of horse thieves.

The Eagle Army was so extravagant that they lit eleven bonfires. The flames crackled and the faint smoke floated up into the air, giving off a cozy feeling like cooking smoke.

The soldiers gathered in groups of ten, and although the organization was roughly maintained, a number of "mixed troops" inevitably appeared.

But the excitement is the same.

Tomorrow is going to be a big battle. Eric not only provided enough campfires, but also generously distributed supplies. There was a pot boiling broth on each campfire, and there were many bacon racks being roasted outside, filling the entire camp with the aroma of meat.

Eric even gave everyone drinks.

Although every five people can only share one wine bag, it is real wine, and it is much better to have it than not!
The soldiers ate the meat with big mouthfuls, sipped the wine with small sips, and from time to time broke off a piece of bread and threw it into the broth to take a sip, smiling with great satisfaction.

Eric and others were no exception. Although they had higher status, no one would consider their eating manners when they were on the march. For example, Mossing Gunn was chewing a piece of soft bacon with both hands, and his hands and mouth were covered with grease.

Although he ate in a rough manner, his eating method was very particular. He would tear the bacon apart along the grain of the bacon with his fingers, put it between the soft toasted bread, and then stuff it all into his mouth. At the end he would even lick his fingers, making a "tsk tsk" sound.

Everyone was chatting idly at first, but gradually they were attracted by the way he ate and started watching him quietly.

Mosingan didn't care about that. He stuffed the last bite of meat into his mouth, took a big gulp of wine, and uttered a refreshing sound: "It feels so good!"

Only then did he realize that the surroundings had become quiet. He turned around and looked around: "Why are you looking at me if you are not eating?"

"You seem to be eating with such relish." Eric rubbed his stomach, or to be exact, his plastron. "I had almost finished eating, but you looked hungry again."

Goyle also joked: "You look like you haven't eaten meat for centuries."

"Of course not. If I hadn't followed the Baron, I wouldn't have eaten a single bite of meat in a year." Mosingan wiped his hands on the blanket and said bluntly, "If I had meat every meal, my physique would definitely be no worse than Master Weisdong's!"

"Go ahead and blow it." Link chuckled, "Did you hear what we just said?"

"What?" Mosingam threw another piece of bacon next to the campfire.

"I'm going to the battlefield tomorrow." Eric's voice became a little lower: "Don't you want to leave some news for your family?"

"There's nothing to save." Mosingan nonchalantly adjusted the position of the smoked meat. "I'm not like you guys, you have a family. I'm still single. Even if I save it, no one will look at it."

"Why not leave one for your mother?" Simon reminded in a low voice.

"It's none of your business." Moxingan was quite impatient.

"Forget it if you don't want to keep it." Eric didn't dwell on this issue: "Mosingan, don't make that barbecue. We will go to the battlefield tomorrow. We need to reconfirm the tactics today."

"Okay." Mosingan clapped his hands and focused his attention back.

Eric took out the map and spread it out, and everyone gathered around.

"This is the Scorpion Nest. This is where we will be stationed." Eric moved his finger between the two. "According to the map, the straight-line distance is about ten kilometers. If the cavalry charges at full speed, they can reach the site within half an hour even in winter."

"So from luring the enemy to formal contact, including the time it takes for the enemy to assemble, we have at most an hour and a half to prepare."

"Just to confirm, the task of luring the enemy is left to you, is that ok?" Eric looked at Visdon with an inquiring look.

The latter grinned and nodded: "No problem at all! With the Blood Eye Warhorse here, they can't catch up with me!"

"This..." Mosingan frowned slightly: "Do we really have to lure the enemy? You have to know that Master Weisdong is representing the Baron to the outside world. If something unexpected happens..."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that I only have one hand left. I'm a pretty good rider!" Weisdong pounded his chest and said, "I've been riding since I was eight years old!"

Eric agreed with what Weston said: "Yes, Master Weston's riding skills can be said to be the best among us."

"Moreover, we must use the tactic of luring the enemy. The enemy is a horse thief who moves like the wind. Our numbers and combat power are already at a disadvantage. We must control the time and place of the battle in our own hands to overcome the disadvantage."

Mosingan nodded and accepted the explanation, and added: "As the Baron said, the other party is the largest bandit in the vicinity. Once provoked, they will quickly launch an attack."

"That's it." Eric put away the map and used his hands to smooth out a piece of clean, flat land on the ground. "After luring the enemy, it's time to engage in battle."

"Based on the fact that the enemy is out in full force, we are facing a group of horse bandits with more than 150 men."

"A horse thief of the size of 'Sand King' must have experts in archery and horsemanship, so the first part of their tactics must be horseback archery!"

Weisdong snorted: "Let's use horseback archery. They have bows and we have crossbows. Let's see who is afraid of whom!"

"That's different." Eric emphasized, "The range of the horse bow itself is not good, but if you rush forward, with the power of the horse, you can throw it beyond the accurate range of the crossbow. We don't have many crossbowmen, so we can't waste them on shooting."

"What should we do?" Goyle muttered dissatisfiedly: "Are we just going to take the beating?" "Yes, we will take the beating." Eric glanced at Goyle: "And your sword and shield soldiers must be pushed to the front!"

As he spoke, he drew a picture on the ground: "This is Fangma Slope, this is the entrance, what you have to do is to cover the spearmen behind you, no matter how the enemy shoots, block it like sheep intestines!"

"If it was an encounter, I wouldn't fight like this." Eric was not blindly tough, and slowed down his tone: "But this time, facing our provocation, the other side must have made annihilating us their primary goal. As long as the tactics don't meet expectations, they will give up horseback archery and switch to a strong attack!"

Gore, who was originally a little depressed, suddenly brightened up: "So, that's when the horse trap comes into play?"

"That's right." Eric drew another line: "With the horse trap, reducing the number of people is secondary. The most important thing is to make them dare not charge and slow down their speed!"

"The entrance to Fangmapo is narrow, and we can only deploy 30 people. The enemy is cavalry, so there will be even fewer of them. By then, two or three spears can be used against one horse thief. At the local level, we will have the advantage in numbers!"

"Wait, what about us?" Link pointed at his nose and asked, "You mentioned Mosingan's spearmen and Gore's sword and shield soldiers, but where are my crossbowmen? What are they doing?"

Eric smiled mysteriously: "You will know when the time comes."

"...Captain Eric, do you know that you deserve a beating if you imitate the Baron?" Link couldn't help but complain in a low voice.

"Ahem..." Eric smiled awkwardly.

"I have a question, too." Weisdong raised his hand like a student and said, "Since the cavalry cannot be deployed, what if the enemy chooses to dismount and fight on foot?"

When these words were uttered, everyone looked at each other and laughed out loud.

"It would be great if that were the case!" Mosing Gan said, "How could a group of horse bandits dismount and fight on foot be our opponent?"

This is certainly a bit of self-boasting, but it is also a fact - the combat effectiveness of cavalrymen who dismount is bound to be greatly reduced.

Weisdon scratched his head and smiled innocently.

"That's all we have to say about tactics." Eric clapped his hands. "The rest will depend on the specific situation tomorrow and then we can make specific arrangements."

"There is another part..." Simon, who had been thinking, raised his head and looked at Eric: "How to deal with the opponent's strong man?"

"That's what I'm going to say next." Eric grabbed a handful of stones and scattered seven of them on the ground. "According to the intelligence sent by Baron Volaf, 'Sand King' Heleti has seven extraordinary people under his command. Most of them are first-level. Only two people need to be dealt with with special attention."

"First, it's Jose the Hook." Eric pushed out the first stone. "A second-level poison knight, he is also a veteran who fought with Heleti and is known for his ferocity."

"The second is 'Iron Shield' Eugene." He pushed out the second stone. "Although he is only level one, he is a traitor of the Iron Legion. He is meticulous and has comprehensive tactics. He also has very strong defensive capabilities. He will not be at a disadvantage even against an ordinary level two."

Link's face suddenly showed enlightenment: "So that's why you kept some tricks in mind when planning your tactics?"

"No way, they were taught by the same teacher, so I can't break their moves." Eric laughed bitterly, "So, to deal with the strong men led by these two, you have to take action."

"They won't know that you have become first-level extraordinary people. Once the battle begins, you must seize the opportunity and attack them in groups of two or three. Try to kill them with one strike and quickly reduce their numbers to eliminate the difference in the number of extraordinary people between us!"

"Move quickly. Once the enemy realizes this, you must disperse and change your goal from annihilating the enemy to reducing the casualties inflicted on our soldiers by the enemy's extraordinary forces."

"But...what about the 'Sand King'?" Mosingan asked the most crucial question: "He's a third-level knight!"

"..." Eric's eyes became extremely firm: "I'll deal with it."

"You?" Mosingan's eyes were filled with worry: "But you are only at the second level."

"...If I can't stop it, you guys coming together won't change anything." Eric smiled and said, "You don't have to worry too much. We just need to hold on until the Baron breaks into the Scorpion Nest."

The originally relaxed atmosphere gradually became solemn.

"Okay, don't be so nervous." Eric glanced to the side and said, "How can you lead people to the battlefield if you are like this?"

"Have a good rest tonight. Tomorrow is when the real test will begin!"

After Eric finished speaking, everyone dispersed with their own thoughts.

The bonfire was still burning brightly, but most of the soldiers had fallen into a deep sleep. They were too tired after the long journey.

But Mosingam had not rested yet. He leaned against the wall, holding a parchment in one hand and a piece of charcoal in the other, staring blankly at the dark sky. He wanted to start writing several times but didn't know what to write.

After thinking for a long time, he lowered his head, drank the last gulp of beer from the wineskin, and wrote a line of words neatly and awkwardly on the parchment:
Love you, mom.

After folding the parchment and stuffing it into his luggage, Mosing Gan took out a diamond-shaped pendant from his neck. It was woven with daylilies and was also the amulet his mother gave him before leaving. It was now whitened by sweat.

After giving it a gentle kiss, Mosingam crawled under the covers and fell into a deep sleep.

Prepare for the next day's battle.

……

(End of this chapter)