The starting poem of the abyss 7th

Seven-two Iron and Steel Flame

At noon, a small warship slowly sailed into the mooring port of Landway in King Sierras. On the deck of this travel warship, the bloated body of the arrogant Prince Hilde of King Heland shook.

As the four kingdoms of China, which has the most extensive territory, the longest history, the strongest military strength, and even once dominated the world, almost every city has nothing to do with art, but only presents a strong military atmosphere. Even Landway, as the core, is just a fortress city that constantly exudes a smell of steel, worthy of its alias "Black Iron City". It is no wonder that Hilde almost fainted by the stagnant smell as soon as he came here. In the eyes of such an artist, Landway is really not qualified to be the king city of a country.

If it hadn't been for the necessary diplomatic visits as a military alliance, he would never have been willing to visit this kingdom full of barbarians. Since Sierras has started the invasion from the northern line and achieved considerable initial results, Holand can no longer stand by the western line as a bystander... The purpose of Hilde's trip is of course to find a way to rationalize this contradiction and hide the true intentions of his country... He wants to hide it from Sierra. Thinking about these barbarians is just a trivial matter, isn't it? Prince Wang's fat head was full of strong confidence, and then he went down the deck and boarded the carriage that had been prepared for him.

The "Sky Kingdom" Haile Milan Royal City got its name from the magic crystal wall as the defense system. Landway, the "City of Black Iron", also built a thick stone wall fortress, which is said to be completely destroyed after 72 hours of artillery fire in conjunction with the existing Silas fleet. Destroying is completely pure military style. Hilde's carriage slowly drove into the castle, and his eyes immediately turned from the original dullness to the style of art...

What a wonderful scenery.

The exquisite combination of the outer stone wall, the exquisite stone carvings in the inner court, the steel body and the soft water flow is really a surprising artistic thinking... It seems that the original thinking is a little wrong. Silas is not completely insulated from art, but just surrounds art under a thick shell. Sure enough, everything is unreliable. I don't know how many unknown and amazing secrets are hidden in this barbarian country?

Hilde suppressed his vague uneasiness and got out of the carriage, but the king did not appear in front of him... It was just a knight who looked like a close servant and came to salute him:

"Your Majesty is enjoying the song and dance. Please come with me."

Are you enjoying singing and dancing? Knowing that I was visiting? And only send such a knight to greet him?

The anger in Hilde's chest suddenly rose... These bad barbarians! However, after all, the royal city of other countries is just a visitor. If he shows uncontrollable behavior here, I'm afraid that it will lead to the complete bankruptcy of the plan of the trip... Prince Wang severely abused the rude king in his heart, and then walked to the palace with the knight who accompanied the way with a straight face.

The current king of Silas, Gustav X, is 30 years old. He is burly and strong. Even if he wears a king's costume, he still exudes the so-called barbaric temperament. The king who killed Brother Wang not long ago and his hands were stained with blood did not seem to be as violent as rumored that "you will lose your life at a glance". At this moment, he was absorbed in watching the royal song and dance. Hearing the sound of the bodyguard informing the arrival of Prince Hilde, he slowly stood up from his seat:

"Welcome, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Allies."

The three words "Allied" were deliberately aggravated by him, and there was a trace of sarcastic intention... Hilde replied awkwardly:

"It's a great honor to meet His Majesty Gustav..."

"You're kidding, prince, a barbarian king like me, in the eyes of you artists, is not worthy of your salutation, right? Compared with your Excellency, who made a move that trembled the mainland not long ago, my brother's usurpation of the throne was just a smile.

Hilde's expression became embarrassed again. The so-called "tremble for the mainland" certainly refers to the earth-shaking thing he did in Carlo... It was really annoying to be ridiculed by the barbarian king in front of him. Gustav ignored his look and opened the chair next to him:

"Please forgive me for my mistake, because after all, I am only the king of barbarians. Today, I would like to invite you to enjoy the songs of our country and see if the court voice of our royal family can be compared with your country. If you feel vulgar and ridiculous, you can also have no scruples.

"Your Majesty is joking..."

Hilde sat down beside Gustav with his anger. Of course, his eyes have no intention to stop at singing and dancing at all. Even in the country of barbarians, the sound of the court is not much different from other kingdoms. He has long been used to all this, and naturally he will not really care whether it is "vulgar and ridiculous". However, Gustav was intoxicated with a comfortable face and had no intention to talk to him at all, which made Hilde swallow the words back.

Apart from excessive artistic beauty, another serious problem is that the time is often too long. After a difficult hour, Gustav still had no intention of stopping the musician's performance, and Hilde, who had been impatient, couldn't help gently stamping his feet... Gustav's face immediately turned around:

"Are you impatient to see it? In this case, let's see here for the time being. It may be a pity that you can't enjoy the royal song and dance style of our country in the future. It's just that I don't want to neglect the gift of hospitality like this.

With the king's order, the musicians performing songs and dances immediately retreated. Then, the two attendants came forward carrying a large plate covered with cloth and put it down in front of them. Gustav held out his hand:

"As a thank-you gift for visiting our country thousands of miles away, I have prepared this small respect in advance."

The attendants opened the Mengbla open, and Hilde's eyes were immediately full of surprise by the strange scene in front of him.

The large plate is a strange figure made of gold, silver and brass of different sizes. Take a closer look, it is actually combined into a map of the mainland. According to the orientation, gold represents Silas, silver represents Haier Milan and Gutlend, and brass can only be the remaining Heland... The anger in Hilde's chest rises again:

"So in your majesty's heart, is our country this pile of inconspicuous brass?"

"Your country is indeed brass, but it may not be as inconspicuous as you said. In my country, whether it is gold or silver, it is just an ordinary metal, but brass is extremely rare... What's more, as long as it is painted with the same color, brass and gold are just an internal difference, which cannot be distinguished by the naked eye of ordinary people.

"Humph..."

"Before you accept this gift, let me repeat the current situation for you."

Gustaf picked up the gold block and pushed towards the southern field:

"First of all, Garin and Lorraine, and the two fortresses have been turned into ruins. Then came the city of Gracro, which is said to be a city famous for the gathering of scholars. I will soon go there to visit those arrogant scholars. Perhaps our country can also absorb some of the civilizations that Haier Milan is proud of.

Does the so-called scholar mean a magician? So the so-called Haier Milan civilization, that is..."

Gusta did not answer, but picked up three pieces of gold and surrounded a piece of silver:

"This is Weiland, the military town of Heil Milan. It is worthy of being the first fortress rumored. Under the joint siege of the fleet, it cannot be easily captured, but many soldiers have been sacrificed in vain. However, the fall will also be the result of sooner or later.

"Weilan is a fortress that Haier Milan has painstakingly operated against your country for many years, and its strength is probably as strong as this great city of Land. What's more, the defender is also the famous defensive player 'Wolf of Steel' Lawitz, who is famous in the mainland. I'm afraid your country can't capture this place so easily..."

"Then my country will perform a wonderful song and dance for you and for Haier Milan. After all, those giant birds that can fly in the sky are not only used for firing artillery. I want to let the nobles of Haier Milan learn the rules of warfare of barbarians.

"Your Majesty means..."

"Please watch that good scene soon. I can't reveal anything to you now."

"So, can you ask... What is Your Majesty's next goal?"

Gustaf dropped a piece of gold in the corner of the silver area:

"Holy moonlight."

"Magic Academy?"

"The arrogant and conceited queen has indeed come up with a wonderful way to imprison the noble children of various countries as hostages, right? I just used the same method to show my respect for her.

"So... And as the magic center of Haier Milan, once it is captured, it is also a great spiritual blow... What a wonderful strategy."

"Not only for this reason... I have more treasures I want to get than this... That is a treasure that can shake the balance of the mainland and even be with the gods, which is my real wish."

"A treasure enough to shake the balance of the mainland?"

"One of them is the queen you have always coveted."

Hilde's face has changed again... It seems that the mind of the barbarian king is not full of blood and killing as rumored. He is almost omniscient about everything on the continent, which makes him tremble:

One of them? That is to say... there are other people who can become such a force?"

"That's right, otherwise all our actions are just a childish war chess game. So next, let's talk about your Excellency... I don't know when your country's brass is going to move in the direction of silver?

"On this point... our country's armament is not complete... As Your Majesty knows, I'm still only the crown prince after all... Moreover, Gutlund in the south is adjacent to our border, and their movements are also..."

"I just believe that no matter what the reason is, any country is just a wheel driven by interests. As long as it can obtain established or inevitable benefits, it will stretch out its greedy tentacles regardless of all consequences. Is it for this reason that your country has abandoned its alliance with Haier Milan and is in the same boat with us? Just as I firmly believe that once our country is in the crisis of defeat, your country will not hesitate to abandon this alliance. This is just the simplest link in the strategic law.

"Your Majesty joked... How could my country do such a thing again and again? Besides, your country is not the kind of country that will be easily defeated, is it? After all, the prestige of the Millennium Kingdom is a history that has never been denied in history books..."

Hilde wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead and dealt with the sarcastic attack of the other party with some guilty. Gustav laughed cheerfully:

"So our country must continue to win in order not to rebel against you, but you have to make corresponding proofs to make me feel more at ease. Your current strategy is just to profit from both our country and Haier Milan's defeat, but I have to advise you that brass can be disguised as gold, but gold may not be indifferent to all the moves of brass. Since we can perform a gorgeous song and dance, we can also perform a second time. I hope you can convey my meaning to your country truthfully.

"I keep your majesty's advice in mind..."

"To make you laugh, my barbarian style sometimes can't help but want to burst out and devour everything in front of you. Your Excellency think that I am staged a ridiculous farce alone. Then, Prince, please accept this gift. Please don't laugh at the barbarism of my country. In the past few days, I will enjoy the newly staged song and dance with my ministers, and I may not be able to enjoy the scenery of our country with you. If there is anything you need, just order it.

Gustaf clapped his hands, and the two attendants lifted the cloth on the big plate again. Hilde noticed that the other party's face had "end the meeting" and could only salute reluctantly:

"Then I will also resign first... Just forgive me for being rude. I don't know about the agreement between the two countries..."

"Like I said, please let me feel at ease before that. After all, I'm just a mortal who takes interests.

After two minutes of continuous shelling, the walls of Weiland City were once again bombarded with a small gap, and the infantry that had been ambushed outside the range immediately launched a fierce impact. The Weilan defenders hiding in the safe area of the city jumped out. First, a combined counterattack of bows and arrows and magic, and then the infantry phalanx moved forward bravely, forcing the enemy back to the same place again, and then quickly retreated to the defense zone of the self-defense to prepare for the warship's bombardment again...

Wellland City stood for a whole week in such a tug-of-war. After the wall was blown apart, it would be made up the next day, and the position would be taken back the next day after it was captured. In the face of the round raids of five warships and 8,000 soldiers, Willan's guard Lawitz was supported by 2,000 infantry and 100 magicians, but he did not retreat half a step. The reputation of "Wolf of Steel" resounded on the mainland is not just an accidental coincidence. However, the current situation has made this stubborn guard at a loss.

After a round of attacks, the battlefield calmed down again, and Silas hung the signal flag of "Requesting for the disposal of the body", and the two sides were able to take a short rest. The adjutant standing on the wall directed the soldiers to treat the wounded and repair the wall. Lawitz stared at the map in front of him and was silent. After a moment, he waved to the adjutant:

"What about the casualties?"

"30 infantry were killed and 70 injured, and 15 magicians were injured. At present, the remaining strength is 1,100 infantry, and 100 magicians are all alive."

"Don't hold on any longer... The strength of 1,100 people can't be fought for too long. It seems that the Steel City, which Haier Milan is proud of, can't stop Silas's march. The only thing I'm worried about now is how long we can hold on and what kind of difficulties Heil Milan will encounter after Welland's loss..."

Like a common officer, LaVitz is also a tall and strong man, and his short red hair adds to his bravery. However, the fatigue and unfavorable battle situation made him not only dirty, but also seemed to be a little shorter. If it hadn't been for him as a general, Weilan might have changed his master long ago...

So far, he is the last and most reliable trump card of Haier Milan on the border. The whole kingdom has put the hope of delaying the time and adjusting the war situation on him. Such pressure is really too heavy, and it is useless to put only hope without reinforcements to support. According to the military strength The proportion gap, within a week, the Weilan defenders will be completely destroyed, and Silas's artillery will also be directly pointed to the kingdom... All kinds of adverse consequences make Laweitz's brain often have a brief vacuum. In order to stay awake, he had to breathe the strong smell of gunpowder on the battlefield every day to refresh himself.

"In a word... I can't hold on for another week. Is the general considering retreating? Save the last strength and prepare for the future counterattack..."

"Of course, I thought so. When I heard that the other party had 8,000 troops and five warships, and was commanded by the rumored 'Baron Heiyan' Lagna, I already had such a plan. However, once retreated, the northern barrier of Haier Milan would no longer exist. At that time, even if he wanted to fight back, he would be powerless. Right? Once there is a battle in the French Plain, it is impossible for the morale of the defeated army to compete with the enemy, not to mention that there are powerful warships as their backing... If we stay here until the last moment, the reinforcements can build a strong defense in the French Plain, and the war situation may be reversed. So we can't give up Weilan..."

"So, the general's consideration does make some sense... Moreover, under the pursuit of the enemy's warships, it is actually impossible for us to effectively retreat, right? So it is also the most glorious ending to die for the country here..."

"It's really a tragic statement, but this is the truth. I don't expect a glorious funeral covered with the national flag. I just feel that my soldiers are really helpless to go to hell with me.

"Under the general's usual prestige and love, the soldiers are willing to accompany you to fight to the end. At least, until now, there have been no deserters. The general's expectations are not within the reach of ordinary people..."

"That kind of person will become a tool to kill! Especially in this unfavorable war situation, I don't know how many soldiers will be killed... The so-called famous generals are just using the monuments piled up by the bones of soldiers. What kind of steel wolf, the soldiers who died under my wolf's mouth can no longer be calculated. Now the only hope I have is that the Queen can give an order to retreat, so that at least some of the soldiers can be saved... But Rowlingforth and Lannold will not make such a decision!"

"That's really a cruel decision... Is it just treating us as a complete abandonment? Then follow the reason of the previous honor... hateful politicians..."

"You can't blame them. War is such a law. Someone must sacrifice to preserve the final result. Many people once sacrificed for us, but now it's time for us to sacrifice for others. Well, order the soldiers to clean the battlefield as soon as possible and take a break. Soon a new attack will begin..."

Lawitz shook his body and walked towards the stairs. Days of hard work made him unsteady. The adjutant hurried up to help him, but was shaken away by him with regret:

"It's not that depressed yet... It's really embarrassing that you can't even straighten your waist! I'm less than 50 years old..."

"The general is just overworked. You haven't had a rest for a few days. It would be better to lie down for a moment now..."

"Idiot! Where is the time to lie down now! Those giant birds will throw bird droppings at us at any time! When I should rest completely, I will naturally have a good night's sleep..."

Lawicz staggered unwillingly to step down the stairs... Suddenly, there was a loud roar in the sky. The adjutant looked up and then hurried over:

"It's the Griffin knight of my country! It should be the Queen's messenger!"

"Oh...?"

Griffen stopped firmly on the edge under the guidance of the adjutant, and the knight jumped to the ground and hurried to LaVitz:

"General! The Queen's order!"

Lawitz took the Queen's letter and called the magician beside him to open the envelope. After carefully reading the text on the letter, he suddenly shed tears:

"Is Her Majesty really too young..."

"General...?"

"It's a retreat order... order us to immediately retreat and reassemite in the French Plain after joining our reinforcements..."

"Oh! Your Majesty...!"

The adjutant couldn't help cheering long live, but Lawitz did not show any joy. His face looked a little gloomy under the reflection of tears:

"This must be Her Majesty's personal will... Lanold will never agree to such an order. It's too kind and naive... It's impossible to win the war, Your Majesty... It's the act of digging your own grave to give up Willan and retreat... You really don't understand the laws of war..."

The adjutant and the messenger stared blankly at Lawitz's strange behavior. After sighing with tears, Lawitz called the adjutant:

"Execute the queen's order... evacuate immediately with the wounded soldiers and magicians. As for the infantry... those who are willing to stay follow me, and the others will retreat with you.

"General...isn't you ready to leave?"

"I'm Weilan's general. Even if I'm the only one left, I will stick to it here! Lawitz, the Wolf of Steel, has served the royal family of Heil Milan for 20 years and has never escaped from the battle!"

"General! This is the Queen's order..."

The messenger tried to emphasize the irreversibleness of the will again. Lawitz stretched out his hand and tore the corner of the "Dream Flower" pattern on the letter paper symbolizing the Queen's authority into pieces:

"Sorry, I didn't find that this order came from the Queen's will."

The adjutant and the messenger looked at each other silently... Lawitz gave the order to the adjutant again:

"Treach my last words to Her Majesty... Lawitz was ordered by the royal family in Weiland until the last moment! You are leaving now! If everyone can live... See you in the royal city of Haier Milan!"

It seems that because this order gave him courage, Lawitz strode down the stairs. After the adjutant saw the general leave, he turned around with tears to convey the final military order to the soldiers.

On the other plain, Lagner was directing the soldiers to dismantle the warship's cannons as quickly as possible. The adjutant who had just returned from the number of casualties from the battlefield was shocked to see this:

"General! You are..."

"Apart from that, how about the casualties?"

"150 infantry casualties, and the number of enemy corpses is less than one-third of our army. In short, it was a fiasco. Your Excellency, according to rough calculations, the casualties in Welland City in a week are about 1,000, while our side is close to 2,000. Such a frontal battle seems to be quite unfavorable..."

"Do you understand this too? We can't attack so hard. Although we have destroyed their forts, their walls have not fallen. It is true that it will not work in a short time to defeat the strong Weilan City and the famous 'Wolf of Steel' in the mainland, so we must change the method of warfare to win surprisingly, otherwise the repeated delay will not stop the assembly and preparation of enemy reinforcements.

"A surprise victory? Does this have anything to do with the demolition of the warship's cannon?

"Is there no other use for warships other than shelling? Do you understand what I mean by reducing the weight of warships and carrying more soldiers?

"Do you mean carrying soldiers... General!"

"If you understand, take charge of the rest of the warships! This will be a great action for Silas, and maybe we will fall into the history of the war! Of course... I will also express my sincere admiration to the great General Lawitz!"

"But... shouldn't such a plan be more appropriate on the day the battle begins? Then our warship would have gone deep into the hinterland of Heil Milan, right? But we have been here for a week..."

"That's because we all underestimated LaVitz. War is a strange whirlpool. The more unfavorable the situation is to you, the more you want to share with the enemy. It is completely a gambler's mentality! Of course, war is a huge gamble! So I always make such a mistake to stale with an invincible opponent, and finally find that this is a waste of good fighters. I think our new king may also understand the common psychology of soldiers like me. However, I can finally wake up in time... I'm not a fool! Hahaha..."

ragona stood upright in the direction of Willan City, put his legs together, put his right hand across his chest, and expressed his deepest respect to his opponent with the military salute of Sierras.