You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 143 Dare to fight to the death!

The first rays of dawn gently tore through the heavy night.

The flames gradually died down.

The embers of the burning campfire emitted wisps of smoke.

The cold and heavy dampness returned, and Roman was awakened by the cold.

The other soldiers weren't doing well either. They would wake up suddenly with a shiver, their hands and feet frozen stiff. They would add firewood to the campfire and go back to sleep. In total, they only slept for four or five hours, and the quality of their sleep was very poor.

But this is the last day.

So, they were actually energized.

It took an hour to line up and distribute food.

Roman set off towards the Bro River.

The heavily armed troops were responsible for covering the rear.

……

Morning time.

Snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

They arrived at Baron Crow's castle, three kilometers away.

Roman had no time to attack the baron's castle; he focused all his energy on the pursuing troops behind him.

Two hundred heavy shield soldiers were arranged in two rows, one hundred men in each row, forming a defensive array that stretched for a hundred meters.

With their backs to the convoy and facing the pursuers, they retreated step by step. The tall, wide shields were as sturdy as city walls, and their weight made their arms ache. It was manageable when they were on the ground, but carrying them backwards was very strenuous.

The escort convoy made its way forward for several kilometers with great difficulty.

Count Condé's reinforcements arrived in waves, numbering approximately two thousand, all following behind Roman's caravan.

The gleaming armor of the twenty knights was quite striking.

But they hesitated to attack.

They learned about the previous battles.

The first blocking battle was a result of carelessness and a major strategic mistake; the enemy had not anticipated having well-equipped heavy troops.

But the second battle was very telling.

Fifty cavalrymen and five hundred militiamen were defeated by one hundred archers.

When he learned the result, Count Conde nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

This is true.

The enemy was few in number, but they were brave and skilled warriors, all elite troops, and their cavalry was so well-trained that they could not be broken through.

One of them can chase and slash three people at once.

The heavily armored formations are a nightmare for conquering knights.

A defensive array a hundred meters long was enough to protect the convoy behind them, not to mention the surviving longbowmen.

Even if we win a full-scale attack, it will be a Pyrrhic victory.

If you kill one enemy, two of your own will die.

How should we attack this?

The previous two battles resulted in enormous losses.

With only two thousand militiamen, it would be difficult to successfully storm in.

If the assault fails, the casualties will be heavy. Can Condry withstand such a heavy price now?

Harassment is also not an option.

The fourth village has open terrain, but things change there. The further you go, the more desolate and wild the area becomes, and it's impossible to find a way to get around it.

Moreover, they mobilized a group of archers, but the effect was not significant, mainly due to the problem of range.

With a heavily armored enemy unit in the ranks, any high-value unit that gets within 150 meters is doomed. Who would dare to harass them?
Looking at the hundreds of well-equipped warriors, the conquering knights felt their scalps tingle.

I looked for a long time, but I still didn't dare to go on.

……

Around noon, Roman arrived at the dock on the banks of the Bro River.

The heavily armed troops maintained their formation.

The fleets upstream, following Roman's orders, sailed downstream and arrived at the territory of Kant, only to be completely dumbfounded.

These ship owners thought that transporting grain or other supplies was a relatively easy job.

But now it's like a ghost!

Nima!

What's the situation with the two armies facing off on the riverbank?
Putting aside everything else, the conscription force in Kangde County is definitely at full strength.

By noon, they had gathered nearly three thousand people; Kangde had brought all the able-bodied young men who could move.

Although they were a motley crew, their sheer numbers gave them a very impressive presence.

Although Roman's army was small, it was still composed of elite troops.

All five hundred mobile soldiers stood at the front line, lightly armed behind the heavily armed, forming a clear formation.

The ship owners were all dumbfounded.

They were just looking to earn some extra money and had no intention of getting involved in the struggles between nobles. The military servants began arranging for slaves to board the ships.

no solution anymore!

The fleet was forced to accept the task of transporting slaves.

……

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, and the river surged.

Empty ships were moored at the docks of Kandel.

A dense crowd boarded the ship under the command of the military servants.

The slaves on the ship watched as Kant's territory gradually receded into the distance.

Their expressions ranged from sadness, helplessness, desolation, to sighs.

They knew that they might never be able to return to that familiar land again.

……

The slaves began boarding the ship.

The knight was somewhat anxious, his warhorse pacing back and forth.

Count Condé came here in person.

The middle-aged nobleman's face was ashen.

Those people are very important to the Kande Territory; they are the foundation of its rule. We cannot allow them to be taken away by others, otherwise, where will the white bread come from?

More importantly, there was Baron Haas, whose tendons were severed, and Baron Crow, who was hanged...

The Kant family has never suffered such a loss in this area in the past century!

Gods above!

How will other nobles view him in the future?

How will his vassals view him in the future?

What prestige allows the Kant family to continue ruling this land?

It's all become a huge joke!
Count Condé immediately ordered a volley of arrows, about five hundred of them, but the effect was minimal.

The remaining archers on the other side also launched a counterattack, hurling a thousand arrows.

Then, more than ten of our own shooters were killed or wounded in the exchange of fire.

Its rate of fire, range, and accuracy are all inferior to others.

Count Condé is about to vomit blood!
How the hell is your military so strong?!

He could no longer contain himself and forcibly ordered his army to launch an attack, advance, seize the people, and bring Roman back bound hand and foot, determined to give his vassal an explanation and account.

At that moment, the enemy's shield wall opened, and a burly man with disheveled hair walked out from it.

He roared, "Do you dare to fight to the death?!"

The sound was like thunder, its momentum astonishing, echoing throughout the desolate wilderness.

……

Roman prepared two plans for the plunder.

The first option is pirate-themed.

Go upstream along the Bro River.

He led his troops in a surprise attack on Baron Crow's bridgehead, and began plundering at lightning speed.

The advantage is that the returns are average, but the efficiency is very high. You leave in the morning and return in the evening.

The downside is that you can only plunder two villages, and if you alert the enemy, subsequent plundering becomes very difficult.

But the second option is the one currently in effect.

Do something big!

They went ashore downstream, gave Count Condé a good stab in the backside, and robbed five villages along the way.

The advantage is that the benefits are enormous.

The downside is that it carries high risks and potential for significant losses.

……

However, both of these options require the use of water transport, that is, ships.

Daken found more than forty merchant ships of various sizes.

When all the ships were laden with slaves and cattle and were drifting toward Silver Dragon Canyon, Roman discovered that there were still about a thousand slaves on the shore.

The plan is fine.

The problem is that those ships don't have a very high carrying capacity.

This is assuming that Roman could find all the ships he could.

Even with all the slaves at full capacity, they only managed to take away a little over half.

Sending them downstream is definitely not going to work.

The Silver Dragon Canyon is characterized by its rushing rapids and numerous hidden reefs.

Now how to do?
The only option is to send the ship upstream!
……

(End of this chapter)