“Sergeant, do you really not want to be this Deputy Captain? God is my witness, every word I say is serious.”
“Art, I’m no longer a Sergeant. I haven’t called you Lord Art, so please don’t call me Sergeant anymore. As for your position as Deputy Captain and Sentry Cavalry Captain, I think Brother Odo is already doing well enough, and little Brother Roan of the Sentry Cavalry is also doing great. Besides, I really don’t want to worry about the safety of my Soldiers on the battlefield; it’s much better if you just let me be on my own!”
Ever since “Holy Order Sergeant” “Bloody Axe” Angus announced his joining Art’s army, Art had been considering Angus’s military rank.
As an elite warrior who had participated in the Holy War, Angus’s personal combat skills and experience even surpassed Art’s own.
However, the positions within Art’s small army were already filled.
After Art’s personal coordination, it was decided that Angus would serve as Deputy Captain and Sentry Cavalry Captain, on the same level as Odo, and the current Sentry Cavalry Captain, Roan, would return to Art’s side as Attendant Captain.
This outcome was generally accepted by all the officers.
However, when Art announced this appointment to Angus, Angus immediately refused.
He did not want to hold any position; he only wanted to follow Art, fighting alone without any burden or hindrance.
“Then are you willing to be an ordinary Soldier, earning a weekly salary of twenty fenny? You should know that a Deputy Captain’s wartime salary is forty fenny!”
Angus stroked his head and thought for a moment before replying, “Art, how about this? I’ll be this Deputy Captain, but I won’t be the Sentry Cavalry Captain. I’ll take the Deputy Captain’s salary, but I don’t want a single Soldier under me. Hmm, I can assist Brother Odo in training Soldiers, and during battle, I’ll just follow by your side.”
Art really wanted Angus to be the Deputy Captain and Sentry Cavalry Captain.
After all, a warrior chosen as a Holy Order Sergeant was definitely the most outstanding cavalryman, and becoming a Sergeant surely meant he was an excellent Commander.
However, perhaps Angus had some unresolved issues, so Art found it difficult to push too hard and had to accept.
Immediately, Art convened a military meeting and announced Angus’s military rank—Patrol Team Deputy Captain, responsible for assisting Odo in training the army, and directly commanded by Art during wartime.
After a week of concentrated training in Besançon, Art’s army was about to depart for the Southeastern Hills border region for garrison duty.
After breakfast, the army had already packed up their tents, gathered their personnel, and were ready.
Internal Affairs Knight Charles, representing Lord Deputy of the Court Earl Baldwin, arrived at the square military camp to see off Art’s army and brought with him the appointment letter issued by the Court to Art—Commander of the Talburg Garrison in Glarus County.
“Brother Art, the Court’s order to Glarus County was issued two days ago.
At that time, Glarus County will allocate a batch of food and supplies for your repairs to the Talburg garrison, but you cannot rely entirely on Glarus County.
If they could fully supply the consumption of a military fort, Talburg, as a military stronghold, would not have been abandoned for decades without anyone caring.
So, you yourselves still need to be fully prepared.”
Art bid farewell to Knight Charles and led dozens of people out of Besançon’s east gate, heading south along the King’s Road that led to the southeastern border.
Upon leaving Besançon City, Art’s army automatically divided into three marching sections.
At the very front was Roan’s Sentry Cavalry, at the rear was Bass’s First Squad, and in the middle were the Third and Fourth Squads, along with two selected peasant Soldier squads.
The core of the team was a dozen peasant Soldiers and thirty laborers personally led by Art, with a four-wheeled carriage loaded with supplies moving in the middle of the formation.
The accompanying merchant caravan, under the escort of Kazak’s Second Squad, had already headed south for trade with nine carriages loaded with northern goods.
After completing this north-south trade, they would bring a large amount of food and supplies from Besançon and proceed independently to Talburg on the southeastern border to rendezvous with the army.
With more people and a larger formation, the marching speed inevitably slowed down.
When the army of over ninety people passed through the fertile and vast plains of the Northland and entered the Southeastern Hills, they had been marching on the King’s Road for eight days.
The consumption of food and supplies along the way was covered by purchases in towns and cities of various sizes along the route.
By the time they reached the border of Glarus County, the army’s food and supplies had not only not decreased but had increased significantly.
The carriages were already fully loaded, the accompanying laborers carried a lot of food and supplies on their shoulders, and even the unselected peasant Soldiers each carried a sack of grain on their shoulders.
Tuba, with his right hand on the hilt of the longsword at his waist, followed by Art’s side and said, “My Lord, we haven’t seen any trace of bandits or brigands along this journey.”
Art looked at the surrounding terrain and said, “The Northland is different from the Southland.
Here, the terrain is mostly flat and the soil is fertile, and with no wars for many years, farmers can focus on their work.
When everyone can eat and drink their fill, they naturally won’t risk their lives begging for food.
Besides, armies from various regions are now being stationed on the eastern border via this King’s Road, so large groups of major bandits and thieves have probably already been cleared out by the army.
Small groups of mountain bandits and brigands would only dare to intercept passing travelers and peddlers, so it’s not surprising that we’ve had a peaceful journey.”
Tuba had a knowing expression, and just as he was about to ask more, Odo and Roan, who had gone to negotiate in Glarus City, galloped back to the main group.
“My Lord, Viscount Herries will personally lead the nobles and officials from the city to greet us shortly,” Odo dismounted and hurried to Art’s side.
A Viscount, a County Magistrate, personally greeting a mere probationary Knight, greatly surprised Art.
However, Odo’s subsequent words resolved Art’s questions.
“Viscount Herries will directly send people to take us to Talburg, telling us not to enter Glarus City.
He said that garrisoning the military fort is important and time cannot be delayed, and it seems they don’t intend to supply us with food and supplies either.”
Art did not expect this Viscount Herries to be such a stingy fellow.
Talburg was an iron nail that Glarus County had driven into the western border of Swabia Grand Duchy.
If Talburg could be garrisoned, Glarus City, with an additional line of defense, would have its pressure greatly reduced.
For such an important friendly army, Viscount Herries was still so parsimonious.
Indeed, not long after, about ten people appeared at the crossroads of the King’s Road, led by none other than Viscount Herries, the County Magistrate of Glarus County.
Art gritted his teeth, urged his horse forward, and exchanged greetings with Viscount Herries.
After a round of pleasantries, Viscount Herries smiled and said, “I have already received the Court’s document.
With your elite army garrisoning the gateway to Glarus, the army of Swabia will not dare to rampage wantonly in the County.”
Art did not want to exchange empty pleasantries with this shrewd merchant-like noble in front of him, so he changed the subject and said, “Viscount, the Court has appointed me to lead troops to garrison Talburg, but I have dozens of mouths here to feed and water.
If war breaks out, the consumption of weapons and supplies will be even greater.
When the Court sent me, they explicitly told me that during the period of garrisoning Talburg, food and supplies would be provided by the border territories.”
Herries’s expression began to change, his smiling face slowly falling.
“Knight Art, the Court only said that the various villages and towns in the territory would provide necessary food and supplies for the garrisoned army, but it did not specify that Glarus County would exclusively supply them.
Talburg has been abandoned for many years; it is only close to Glarus County, but it cannot be considered Glarus’s territory.
Furthermore, the army and laborers recruited this time are self-sufficient in provisions, and the Court does not need to provide food and supplies within the forty-day service period, so Glarus County has no responsibility to provide you with necessary food and supplies.”
“Lord Herries, we have come to the border to garrison despite the hardships, in order to strengthen the border defenses.
Moreover, Talburg primarily protects Glarus County.
If you, Viscount, are unwilling to provide us with any food and supply, I will have no choice but to report to the Court that the garrison has no food or pay, is unable to garrison an empty fort, and request that the army be sent to other places for garrison duty.
Anyway, as long as it’s about defending against the enemy, it’s the same mission wherever we are.”
After speaking, Art stared directly at Viscount Herries.
Viscount Herries had not intended to provide absolutely no supplies to the army coming to garrison Talburg.
However, Glarus County, as a border defense against the enemy, was currently facing immense pressure.
The border had not seen war for many years, and the combined military strength of all villages, forts, and estates in the entire County was less than three hundred, and previously, one hundred had even been transferred to the Court for assembly and deployment.
Now, Herries was mobilizing all forces within the County to strengthen defenses, and the County City, which was undergoing repairs and reinforcement, also required a large amount of manpower, financial resources, and materials.
Therefore, Viscount Herries also thought that he could save as much as possible at Talburg.
However, the tone of this young probationary Knight was quite firm, and Herries could not really let him take the army back to the Court, so Herries ultimately made a compromise and concession…
…
Art’s army, led by Viscount Herries’s Attendant Captain, headed east from the crossroads towards the abandoned Talburg.
Odo walked beside Art, speaking in a low voice, “Twelve hundred pounds of grain is only enough for the army for less than half a month’s consumption, but six short bows and a thousand arrows can still play some role in defending the city.
The key is the few Carpenters and Blacksmiths who were sent are very useful; without their guidance, our laborers wouldn’t even be able to make a stool, let alone those siege weapons.”
Odo was referring to the personnel and supplies allocated by Viscount Herries to the army garrisoning Talburg.
The two Carpenters and one Blacksmith were only grudgingly agreed to be allocated by Viscount Herries after Art’s repeated pleas.
There were Carpenters and Blacksmiths in Valley Wood Fort, but Old Carpenter Bard was too old to endure long marches and battles.
The two Blacksmiths were lent to Art by Lord Galvin, and Art had no right to ask them to risk participating in the campaign.
In Besançon City, any craftsmen useful for war had long been conscripted by the Court or hired by other armies.
“This Lord Herries is a difficult person to deal with.
It will probably be difficult for us to extract any supplies from his hands in the future,” Odo continued.
Upon hearing this, Art stopped, turned to Odo, and instructed, “Hmm, so after the army enters Talburg tomorrow, you immediately send someone to Glarus City to demand personnel and supplies from Lord Herries.
Anyway, keep pressing until we get the goods.”
…
The army marched eastward for a full day, arriving at this abandoned military fort located in the southeastern border region of Swabia and Burgundy early the next morning.
Talburg was a military fort built over a hundred years ago, about thirty miles from the nearest Glarus City.
It was located on the most convenient and fastest route from Swabia into Glarus County.
Many years ago, Talburg was an important gateway for east-west trade, but with the opening of the northern plains trade route, there were no longer merchant caravans passing through, nor were there fertile lands nearby needing defense.
Coupled with many years without warfare, it gradually lost its function as a market town and military fort.
Since the last garrisoned army withdrew over thirty years ago, until now, Talburg has never had an army or permanent residents, only occasional passersby and hunters who would temporarily stop and rest in Talburg.
The abandoned Talburg was built on top of a bare hillock less than two hundred yards from the roadside.
The circumference of the military fort’s walls was approximately six hundred feet.
The eight-foot-high wall base was constructed from stacked dressed stones, and the upper ten-plus feet consisted of a mixed wood-and-stone outer fort wall.
On the wall, there was a walkway battle position wide enough for three people to walk abreast, with a merlon every five steps.
There were arrow towers around the outer fort wall.
Inside the outer fort wall were five or six dilapidated houses.
Forty steps inward from the outer fort gate was a circular dressed-stone Inner Fort, about fifty feet high, with three levels, each having arrow slits.
The top of the Inner Fort was a wide watchtower enclosed by a parapet, capable of accommodating over twenty archers simultaneously.
On the inner side of the Inner Fort, there were also some abandoned storerooms, barracks, stables, a training ground, and a well that still produced water.
A small carriage path extended directly from the King’s Road to the Wood Fort gate, but at this time, the military fort no longer had a gate.
The outer fort wall alone had three collapsed sections.
The Inner Fort was still relatively sturdy, but the entire military fort had been abandoned for many years, and inside the Inner Fort, weeds grew rampant, truly requiring a thorough cleaning.
