Imperial Crown.

Chapter 301 Let’s go!

Akori stayed in Eagle City like this.

With Raven's return, Eagle City quickly became lively.

The corridor outside the study on the 5th floor was full of people.

Half of them were knights under the nobles of the five northwestern counties, and the other half were local officials under Raven.

Everyone was waiting for Raven's summons.

The knights need to build a good relationship with Raven and find out what his future plans are.

War is inevitable, and no one wants to be used as cannon fodder.

The civil servants were to report on various matters that occurred during Raven's absence and the execution of Raven's orders.

There were so many people that they almost filled up the corridor, but a very clear boundary could still be distinguished.

The knights talked to each other, and the civil servants huddled together.

Civil officials need to stick to their principles and certainly cannot get too close to foreign knights; and the knights also rely on their status, and although they want to gather intelligence, they cannot take the initiative to get close to these untouchables.

The door of Raven's office opened and old Gordon pushed it open and walked out.

The originally noisy corridor immediately became quiet.

Old Gordon didn't say anything, but just pushed his monocle and signaled to Kolu who was standing next to him with his eyes.

Kolu bowed slightly and walked into the study.

As the door closed, the people in the corridor resumed their conversation, but everyone kept glancing at the door from time to time.

In the study, Lei Wen, dressed in military uniform, was talking to Kuman. When he saw Koru come in, he motioned for him to sit next to him for a while, and then turned his gaze back to Kuman.

Raven stretched out his hand and weighed a thin brass tube, then asked:

"How many people know about the origin of this thing?"

Kuman swallowed his saliva and said, "This is the invention of a group of workers in the factory. Apart from those three workers, only you and I know about it."

Raven nodded and said, "Those three are talented people. Treat them well. If they have a family, give them a house. If they don't have a family, give them a home. In other words, tie them up here."

"This technology must not be leaked out no matter what."

Some cold sweat broke out on Kuman's forehead.

This thing was presented to him by a worker in the factory yesterday. It is made of two copper tubes embedded in each other and two pieces of crystal. It can magnify distant objects dozens of times and can effectively improve vision.

After trying it, Kuman felt that it was an excellent military equipment, so he came to find Lei Wenxianbao.

Unexpectedly, presenting a treasure turned into presenting one's ugliness. The Baron seemed to have no interest in this thing, or even a little... fearful?
He wanted to explain his imagined use, but he restrained himself when he remembered that the Baron had taught him not to speak carelessly about areas he did not understand.
"Yes, Lord Baron! I understand!"

"No, you don't understand." Raven sighed and stroked the pattern on the copper pipe.

Then he exerted force with his wrist, and there was a sound of metal bending accompanied by a crisp sound. Raven squeezed the copper tube into a ball and threw the overflowing crystal fragments into the bucket next to him.

"Go down. Remember, the technology of this kind of thing cannot be passed on to others, and don't keep any of the actual objects."

"Don't keep any of them."

Kuman shuddered subconsciously.

He did think that he would keep an original copy for himself, in the hope that the Baron would remember it one day in the future, and he could then make a contribution.

"I will obey your orders, my Lord."

Kuman turned and left, and Koru could see a little sweat on his vest.

The door opened, Kuman went out, and Junasen came in and waited quietly by the side.

Kolu stood in front of Raven's desk, straightened his red bow tie, and saluted, "My Lord Baron!"

He looked straight ahead, seemingly not interested in what Raven and Kuman had just talked about.

This is also what Raven admires about him. If it is not his business, he will never ask too many questions and will never show unnecessary curiosity.

Koulu said in a very methodical manner: "According to the Baron's instructions, 300 carriages have been built and can be put into use at any time."

"During this period, 527 horse hides have been collected, 313 coffins have been prepared, and 20 to 23 coffins can be made every day."

"Besides that, I have another request."

Raven said, "Speak."

Koulu said: "After all, Holo Territory is the last territory to be included in your territory. To be frank, once the army leaves, the territory will lose a lot of people and public security may deteriorate."

"Some people with ulterior motives will also use Holo Territory as a breakthrough point to create chaos."

"Therefore, I hope you can order the expansion of the Hawkeye Guards. The three towns in Holo Territory require at least 3 Hawkeye Guards to suppress the situation."

Raven stared at Koru, then a smile appeared on his face.

Wars are fought with financial resources. No matter how carefully Raven considers things, once the army sets out, the economy of the territory will definitely be impacted, and economic downturn will inevitably bring about chaos in public security.

Originally, according to Raven's expectation, this matter should be handled by various political officials and the local security forces should be organized, but what Koulu said was a better idea.

Eagle Eye Guard is an honor, and being able to join it will naturally safeguard the interests of Eagle City.

"We can't use Hawkeye Guards indiscriminately. They have too much power." Raven tapped his fingers on the table. "But you're on the right track."

"In this way, we can first recruit a group of Hawkeye Guard followers, and then select the real Hawkeye Guards from them after the war is over."

Koulu nodded slowly: "The Baron's vision is indeed more far-sighted, but I think there is still a small problem..."

Raven and Kolu had a discussion about public security issues, which took a long time, making the "civil and military officials" waiting in line outside somewhat anxious.

War is coming and everyone's time is valuable.

Just at this moment, someone came to disrupt the situation.

"Please, please, please, I'm in a hurry."

A slightly thin figure was moving among the crowd, nodding and bowing.

No one would have a good impression of those who cut in line. Those standing outside were all eager to "meet" Raven, and among them were quite a few knights, so naturally they would not have a good face.

However, when they saw the faces of the people who came, most of the foreign knights had to restrain their anger.

Because that was Fili, the political officer of Goldshire.

After the rise of Xiongying Town, the relative status of Shanjin Town is not as good as before, but in terms of economic scale alone, it still ranks among the top five northwestern counties.

Even though Philip doesn't have a title, as Raven's trusted aide, the knights still dare not offend him easily.

However, Philip did not become arrogant because of this. As timid as ever, he kept touching his arms and stuffing small envelopes into the hands of every knight he saw.

Each small envelope contained two silver coins, which was not enough to buy the knights' self-esteem, but was enough for them to have a drink and calm down.

After squeezing all the way to the door of Lei Wen's office, Philip wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, declined the wine handed to him by the maid next to him, and stood respectfully at the door.

Soon, the door opened and Kolu came out. He came to Philip and whispered, "The Baron just asked about you. Zhu Nasheng didn't tell on you. Come in quickly."

Fili gave Koru a grateful glance and walked into the room.

At this time, Zhu Nasheng was reporting the teaching progress to Lei Wen.

Griffith College was established three years ago and has now graduated its first batch of older students, who are qualified to do some basic clerical work.

Many of these men are now drafted into the military and serve as civil servants at all levels.

As a former clerk of the Knight Family, Junasheng has extensive experience in military intelligence and official document writing, making him the perfect person to teach and train these students.

"Most of these students are children of merchants, or the second or youngest sons of knight families. In addition, they have a solid foundation after years of instruction at the academy, and they are able to pick up the pieces quickly."

Zhu Nasheng said: "However, most of these people are spoiled and do not understand the cruelty of war."

"In comparison, I think those students from commoner backgrounds are more suitable for taking on important responsibilities."

Raven was not surprised by this conclusion, but he did not intend to kick out some students who came from noble or merchant backgrounds as Junasen suggested.

This is also a kind of interest bundling.

“War is the best whetstone. Once it starts, it will be clear who is an elite or a fool.”

"They will be leaving the day after tomorrow, so let's have them report to the military camp today. They will have plenty of time to adjust to each other during the journey."

After receiving the order, Zhu Nasheng hesitated a little, but still mustered up the courage to say: "My Lord Baron, I hope that I can go with you this time and serve as your military clerk."

Raven shook his head: "No."

"Sir, don't look at my age, but I can withstand the bumps and will never hold you back!" Zhu Nasheng emphasized.

Raven refused again: "No means no."

Zhu Nasheng was stunned for a moment: "...I understand, sir."

His son is now a member of the 2nd Legion of the Eagle Army.

This was originally Junason's idea.

His family was destroyed by the Death Hand Cult, and since then he has realized that a man with a pen is never as good as a man with a sword. A sword can protect a family, but a pen can do nothing.

He actively sought transformation for his family.

On the one hand, he sent his grandson to Griffith College and invited retired veterans to teach him martial arts; on the other hand, he let his son join the army to pave the way for his grandson.

But when he heard about the prepared coffin from Kolu, he suddenly realized that there would always be casualties in war.

That was why Zhu Nasheng wanted to join the army, wanting to provide even a little extra protection for his son.

Philip felt somewhat empathetic.

The reason why he was late today was because his eldest son insisted on joining the army and no matter how he tried to persuade him, he wouldn't listen. In the end, he had to ask the guards at home to tie up his eldest son by force.

If his son joined the army, Philip would probably be even worse off than Junason.

"My Lord Baron." Zhu Nasheng took his leave. Fili stood in front of Raven and placed the documents on the desk. "The statistics you requested have been completed."

"In Shanjin Town, there are 759 families joining the army, of which 213 have insufficient labor force."

"Very good, you're attentive." Raven took the document in his hand and flipped through it. "No matter what happens, these families must be given priority. I don't care what the food price is now. If anyone here starves to death when I return, I will hold you accountable."

When the troops are on a long expedition, what they miss most are always their hometown and their relatives.

Whether in past lives or this life, countless armies have collapsed due to changes in their hometowns.

Before fighting the outside world, you must first make peace with the inside.

Only stability in the rear can allow the troops at the front to maintain their combat effectiveness.

Philip nodded vigorously: "Baron, don't worry, even if I sell the house, I will never let them suffer any loss!"

"Go ahead." Raven waved his hand, "Call the next person in."

This meeting, or reception, lasted from day to late at night.

Carriages went in and out of Eagle City, and all kinds of supplies were constantly transported to the camps of various armies in the five northwestern counties.

Looking down from the sky, the camps are like stars, guarding and submitting to Eagle City.

After two busy days.

4 month 1 day.

In addition to Raven, the five northwestern counties pulled out five legions with a total of 5 people.

The Snow Maple County Legion, led by Howell, son of Viscount Broca, has a total of 5027 people.

The Hampshire Regiment, led by Knight Hofer of the Canberra family, had a total of 5669 men.

The Savery Legion, led by Knight Keats from the Savery family, totaled 5561 people.

The Hippoc Legion, led by Knight Dalton under the command of the Young Flayed, consists of 6119 people.

The Essex Legion, led by Knight Heros of House Lyon, consists of 5461 men.

Five legions formed into five large square formations and stood in front of Eagle City.

They had no discipline, and the style and color of their armor were not uniform.

Under the sunshine, the soldiers from the five legions were chatting and laughing, as if they were about to go on a spring outing.

Their respective commanders were now standing on a makeshift command platform, waiting for the arrival of today's protagonist, Baron Raven.

Although the five people had their own thoughts, they at least maintained a superficial communication, talking and laughing, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious for a while.

Except for Howell, who adhered to his father's teachings and was very respectful to Raven, the other four knights were quite arrogant.

Even though the quality of the soldiers they lead varies, their numbers are not small, totaling nearly 3 people!
As long as they advance and retreat together, Raven can't do anything to them.

Only Akori stood aside from the five of them, with a look of disdain on his face.

During these days in Raven's territory, especially in the past two days, the grand scene of Raven's gate being filled with civil and military officials made him feel the strong atmosphere of war.

But now, seeing these five legions, the original nervous feeling in Akori's heart disappeared.

You think you can win the war with this mob that can't even stand straight in line?
at this time.

The melodious sound of trumpets pierced the sky, and war drums sounded, suppressing all the sounds of the five armies.

The drum beats were strong and heavy like a heartbeat. It was the most popular military music in the Keynes Empire, "Blood March".

The drumbeats grew louder and heavier.

Akori first heard the heavy footsteps amid the drumbeats, then looked up.

On the wide avenue, I saw a pure black army approaching.

Tight and orderly, neither fast nor slow, the cavalry and infantry were clearly mixed together, yet in clear order.

They were silent, but their silence contained a strong vitality. Before I even got close, the sense of oppression was overwhelming.

Spears, swords, and steel shields sparkled in the sun, reflecting the cold light, like a steel jungle.

As the sound surged, the armor rubbed against each other, making a series of heart-pounding sounds, which were perfectly integrated into the drum beats.

Eagle Army!
The soldiers of the Eagle Army poured out from the streets and alleys, gathered together and formed two huge square formations.

From beginning to end, there was no confusion, no hesitation, as if these two legions, a force of 1 people, belonged to the same soul.

Boom, boom...

thump—

Two quick bangs, a heavy hammer, the drum stopped, and the Eagle Army also stopped at this moment.

The spear hit the ground, and the sword hit the shield, making a loud sound.

The whole place was silent. The five legions were overwhelmed by the Eagle Army's momentum and dared not make any sound anymore.

Akori's breathing became heavy.

After the forced march, they quickly organized their formation without any disorder, which was even more orderly than the five legions that had prepared for one hour. This was simply incredible.

No, comparing the Eagle Army with those five legions is really too bullying.

If we use the words that Akori recently learned in Eagle City, it would be——

Dimensionality reduction strike.

Even if we look at the entire empire, the 1st Legion of the Eagle Army can be regarded as the elite among the 2nd-level legions; the 2nd Legion, except for its inferior equipment, can also be regarded as the backbone of the 2nd-level legions.

In contrast, the troops put together by the five northwestern counties are not even a level 3 army.

At this moment, Akori felt his blood boiling and his fighting instinct roaring. He wished he could join Raven's army and join the Eagle Army!

At the gate of Eagle City, behind the command podium, Raven, wearing a beast leather armor, embraced Nancy in his arms, kissed her forehead gently, and then turned and walked towards the stage.

The fiery red cloak fluttered in the wind.

Raven walked up to the podium.

Akori unconsciously puffed out his chest, like a soldier expecting the general's gaze.

He himself did not realize that this was a mentality that he had never had under Anthony.

The other five legion commanders also held their breath, puffed out their chests, and dared not even glance to the side.

The arrogance I had before disappeared completely.

They had no doubt that if the two sides confronted each other, even though the five legions had more people, they would never be a match for the Eagle Army - even if their numbers were doubled!

Raven didn't care about their performance. He walked to the command platform with only his two Eagle Armies in his eyes.

Seven years ago, when he first arrived in Eagle Town, he only had three soldiers under his command, including Eric.

Now, there are already 2 legions with a total of 11000 troops!

1000 heavy armored cavalry, 1000 heavy armored infantry, and more than 40 extraordinary ones.

His eyes swept across the troops in the five northwestern counties, where there were many familiar faces who had appeared at Donald's funeral.

At the time, they treated Raven as a joke.

Now, he can only look up to Raven.

Plop--

The eagle flag belonging to the Griffith family flutters in the wind.

Everyone was looking at Raven, waiting for him to give instructions.

Raven looked at his army, pulled out a cardboard trumpet from behind, and coughed:
"set off!"

……