I'm not a lord

Chapter 309 A New Journey (6K)

At a manor in the northern part of Turbulent County, the current Earl of Blackwood, Spico, led seventy or eighty cavalrymen past the manor.

Spico's most respected father died at Lynn's hands, so he was most diligent in carrying out the orders of Golden Deer, repeatedly harassing Turbulent County, wishing he could tear the land of Turbulent County apart.

Unfortunately, his father lost most of the troops in the territory at Sanhe City, leaving him with extremely limited troops.

Spico also tried to attack the manor in Turbulent County, but the local serfs were experienced and heavily guarded, so he could only use the speed advantage of his cavalry to harass the local spring planting.

Lynn's troops left in Turbulent County were all infantry, scattered across a dozen castles. The local serfs only had draft horses for plowing, so they really didn't have much of a way to deal with Spicco.

This fellow would only wander around the villages outside the manor a few times each time, specifically targeting the serfs who couldn't resist going to work in the fields, and he would shoot once and run away, giving them no chance to fight back.

Over time, the serfs in the northern part of Turbulent County stopped farming and instead stayed in their manors, waiting out Spicco.

Given the climate of the North, as long as the seeds can be sown before May, there can still be some harvest in the fall. In addition, last year's harvest was good, so the local serfs can barely afford to wait.

In early April, Spico received a batch of reinforcements, and the number of cavalry under his command "skyrocketed" to nearly two hundred. However, their equipment was poor, as they were all poor brothers from poor territories who could not even afford full chainmail.

With such limited troops and equipment, they naturally wouldn't have much of a way to take over the manor inside the high walls.

Therefore, he could only engage in petty theft.

However, Spico firmly believes that he will have his chance to shine.

News came from Golden Deer Fort that Lynn had retreated in a panic, abandoning supplies and weapons along the way, clearly indicating a rout.

Spico was waiting in Turbulent County, a place Lynn would inevitably pass through, and he couldn't wait to enjoy the thrill of beating a drowning dog.

Although he only had two hundred light cavalry, light cavalry was the most effective type of troop when pursuing fleeing enemies, without exception.

In the pursuit, two hundred light cavalry could be used as two thousand infantry.

Rounding it off, it's estimated that Spico also had an army of two thousand.

In order to keep track of the enemy's movements, he divided his light cavalry into several small teams and scattered them around the main roads of Tuanliu County to gather information.

Today, as Spico was passing by a manor, intending to visit some of the villages under its jurisdiction, a burly man suddenly emerged from the wall and shouted at him:
"Spico, you mad dog who indiscriminately kills innocent people, your duke has already lost the war, and even his head has been cut off by our count. Why haven't you gone back to attend the funeral?"

Spico was so angry he laughed. He reined in his horse and looked up to retort, "What kind of joke is this filthy slave spouting? It's your count who's being chased and beaten by my duke. You'd better wash your neck clean so you don't dirty my sword later!"

Over the past two weeks, this level of verbal abuse has become commonplace in Turbulent County.

Spico and the local serfs were both powerless against each other, and could only exchange barbs from a distance of more than a hundred meters.

However, these serfs thoroughly enjoyed their rant. In the past, anyone who dared to insult the high and mighty noble lord would probably be hung up and whipped that very night, but now they could indulge in their verbal sparring to their heart's content.

But no sooner had the big man finished spitting than he was dragged off the wall.

"You idiot, how could you leak the information to the enemy? Once the Count's army arrives, Spico's doom will be over. What if he runs away if you try to scare him now?"

Almost two days have passed since the decisive battle on the north bank of the Sami River, and the manor only received the news this morning.

The serfs were still thinking of cutting off Spico's head to vent their anger, fearing that he would be scared away.

The big man grinned and said, "That mad dog is used to it. If I suddenly stop yelling at him, I'm afraid he'll sense something's wrong."

Upon hearing this, everyone realized it was true.

A barrage of curses erupted from the wall, directed not only at Spico himself but also at his ancestors for eighteen generations.

Spico, not to be outdone, led several dozen cavalrymen in a nearly fifteen-minute verbal exchange with the serfs on the wall, and then fired several crossbow bolts at each other before leaving in a huff.

He was probably trying to provoke the serfs on the manor into attacking by shouting insults, but the serfs weren't stupid and naturally wouldn't fall for it.

That day, Spico visited two more estates, but found nothing.

As evening fell, he led his troops back to a remote, abandoned castle to prepare a fire for cooking.

Looking at the flickering flames, Spico felt increasingly uneasy.

Today, the serfs in these three manors gave him a sense of unease, as if they were deliberately hiding something from him.

Could it be that His Excellency the Duke was really defeated and killed in battle?
The moment the dangerous thought popped into his head, Spico slapped himself hard across the face.

What are you thinking? Lynn's troops have already retreated. How could His Highness possibly lose?

"Sir, would you like some soup?"

At this moment, his guards brought him a bowl of hot soup and two pieces of hard bread.

"Hmm." Spico took the soup bowl and bread with a heavy heart.

He had just taken a sip of bean and vegetable soup to moisten his parched throat when a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.

A messenger rushed into the room in a panic. Upon seeing Spico, he immediately knelt on one knee: "My lord, the Duke has been defeated!"

"Pfft!" Spico couldn't hold back and sprayed the messenger's face with the pottery bowl, which he dropped and shattered into pieces.

Spico glared at the messenger, his eyes wide, and demanded, "What did you say? Say it again, who was defeated?"

The messenger felt a burning pain on his face. He casually wiped it with his hand and replied through the pain, "Sir, the Duke was defeated on the north bank of the Sami River and is said to have been killed in battle. The Earl of White River won the war and has already dispatched a large army to Turbulent County!"

"Pfft!" Spico couldn't help but spit out blood again!

The next second, he fell backward, and the untouched bread fell from his hand.

"My lord, my lord!" It was the guards who reacted quickly and caught him before he hit the ground.

After a long while, at the urgent calls of his guards, Spico slowly opened his eyes, his voice very weak: "Duke... has he really been defeated?"

The messenger dared not look up, but replied in a low voice, "Sir, it's true. Even Lady Anna seems to have died on the battlefield."

Spico opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound. His face was filled with terror and disbelief. He was completely overwhelmed by the cruel reality and had temporarily lost the ability to speak.

Not only him, but the other knights in the house were also greatly affected.

A somber atmosphere instantly enveloped the entire room, and everyone could hear the heavy breathing of others and their increasingly rapid heartbeats.

After a long while, a trusted confidant spoke with difficulty: "Sir, what should we do next?"

Spico recovered slightly, but his face was blank: "What should I do? I don't know either."

Although he was the Earl of Black Shirt, he was still a young man in his early twenties, and he was prone to confusion and indecision when faced with such a major event.

This defeat dealt a heavy blow to his young mind. László was his cousin, and Anna was his aunt. In his pain, he even had the idea of ​​escaping reality.

Meanwhile, good news about the war also reached Sanhe City.

In contrast to the silent Spico, cheers erupted in the Mikawa City Council.

The grain merchant Marcel was so happy that he danced in public. He climbed onto the round table and performed an awkward solo dance, shouting, "I knew it! The Earl would definitely win!"

The grain guild leader, who looked like a fat rat, winked and teased, "Weren't you worried sick just a few days ago?"

Marcel curled his lip: "What do you know? I was just worried that the adults wouldn't win decisively enough. Golden Hindburg is not easy to beat. Hehe, now that Anna and Laszlo are both dead, Golden Hindburg has no choice but to open its gates and surrender?"

That being said, Marcel was so anxious a few days ago that he couldn't sleep.

His entire fortune is tied to Lynn. If the White River Territory's army suffers a crushing defeat, his future fate may be even worse than that of former mayor Jürgen.

Jürgen is indeed dead, but at least his family members are still alive.

Marcel has already betrayed his country once. If he loses the bet, it will be a complete disaster, and Golden Deer Castle will definitely not let him off the hook.

Most of the members of parliament present shared a similar emotional journey with him.

For the past six months, the ruling class of Three Rivers City has been deeply bound by interests with Lynn, and they naturally hope that Lynn will win.

However, Lynn was at a disadvantage in terms of troop strength in this war, and was fighting in a foreign land, so the senators were bound to be uneasy.

Now that things have settled down, they can all get a good night's sleep.

After the cheers subsided, Mayor Leon slammed his hand on the table, signaling the councilors to stop, and then ordered, "Immediately inform all citizens of the good news, and the entire city will be on holiday for the next three days!"

Leon was equally excited, but he remained convinced from the beginning that Lynn would win, and his resolve never wavered.

He had witnessed Lynn's growth from nothing to something, and he knew very well how powerful and amazing Lynn was, as well as how elite the army of White River Territory was.

With Leon's command, the joy of victory quickly spread from the city council to the entire city.

As night fell, the entire city erupted in revelry, with citizens carrying torches and flooding the streets.

Oh, clear White River, please carry my song as you flow.
Skimming over the stone embankment, past the outline of the mill.

Listen to me sing The Earl of White River, Lynn, The Sun of the Citizens
When he stepped through the city gate, he carried no weapons, only the scent of wheat.

The citizens sang in unison a song called "The Sun of Mikawa Castle," composed by a bard, to celebrate Count Shirakawa's great victory.

Lynn not only won over the city's ruling class, but the ordinary citizens also generally received his kindness and glory.

The large quantities of grain produced in Baihe Territory lowered the cost of living for the citizens, and with Lynn's open supply, cheap wheat and beer continued to flood into the city.

The handicrafts produced by the citizens also found a vast market in Baiheling.

With the addition of tens of thousands of barbarian people, Baihe Territory was like a bottomless behemoth, capable of consuming all the cloth, ironware, and pottery produced by Sanhe City.

Moreover, as Lynn continued to expand, the trading scope of the merchants in Three Rivers City also expanded, and all industries in the city benefited from it.

Now that Lynn has completely defeated the Marshland Duke, the entire Marshland will be his.

With the expansion of the market, the commerce and handicrafts of Sanhe City will naturally reach a new peak, which makes the citizens ecstatic. "Is the city on fire?"

On the east bank of the White River, separated from Three Rivers City by a river, Earl Reiner from the Southern Territory squinted at the city, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

In his view, flames were shooting into the sky above Sanhe City, as if a huge fire had broken out.

However, if it is a fire, it will definitely be accompanied by a large amount of black smoke.

Therefore, it doesn't quite look like a fire.

Count Reiner was ordered by Otto to lead ten thousand troops from the South to attack the Swampland Territory.

Over the past month, he has been speeding along the way, scavenging supplies and recruiting troops.

By the time he arrived in Sanhe City, he had already assembled a massive army of over 15,000 men.

However, he did not rush to attack the city, nor did he send out a small force to infiltrate Baihe territory. Instead, he stopped on the east side of Sanhe City and confronted the city's garrison across the river.

This was partly because Lynn's defenses along the river were so tight that Leiner couldn't find any obvious weaknesses and dared not launch a rash attack.

On the other hand, he had received reliable information that Lynn was engaged in a strategic decisive battle with Laszlo in the Marshlands, and he wanted to wait until Lynn was defeated before attempting to attack the city.

At that time, the defenses around Three Rivers City will inevitably be in chaos and have gaps, and Leiner will be able to reap a great benefit.

He also knew that his army came from too many different backgrounds, with many of them still bandits just last month. They were completely incapable of fighting tough battles, let alone launching a strong attack on a heavily fortified large city.

With only a few cards in his hand, and he still needs them to compete for the dukedom, it's best to be cautious.

Soon, Leiner sent several scouts who were good swimmers across the river to investigate the situation in Three Rivers.

He dared not send out ships, because warships would patrol the waters at night from Sanhe City.

About an hour later, the scout returned with intelligence: "Sir, it sounds like there's a celebration parade going on in the city, and even the soldiers on the city walls are singing praises to Earl Lynn of White River."

Upon hearing this, Reiner's expression changed drastically: "A celebration parade? Could it be that Lynn won the Marshland War?"

From his perspective, Lynn losing the war would definitely be most advantageous to him, as he could take advantage of the chaos and there was a high probability that he would capture Three Rivers before Laszlo.

Using this city as a base, he can slowly erode the White River Territory and even the entire Swamp Territory.

However, if Lynn wins the war, the city's garrison will surely hold the city and wait for reinforcements, making the siege more than ten times more difficult.

A middle-aged general who had followed Leiner for many years calmly analyzed, "It's very possible. I've heard that Lynn's army is exceptionally elite, equipped not only with armor that is even stronger than plate armor, but also with a large number of barbarian longbowmen. It's not surprising that Laszlo lost the war."

This general from the South was well aware of the impact of advanced armor and longbowmen on the war. He had recently conducted an in-depth investigation into Lynn and White River Territory, and the more he learned, the more alarmed he became by Lynn's power and terror.

The general strongly suspected that Lynn was the illegitimate son of a powerful nobleman in the South and that his sudden rise to power in the North was due to the support of his family.

Reiner stared at the firelight above Three Rivers for a moment, then asked, "So, what do you think we should do next?"

The middle-aged general immediately replied, "We can't wait any longer. We must at least try to launch an attack, otherwise you won't be able to explain to His Majesty Otto."

Reiner led the generals back to the military tent, raised a candlestick to look at a simple map spread out on the table, frowned and asked again, "But the problem is, where should we attack from?"

This map was far less detailed than the one Lynn had drawn using the panel; apart from rivers and mountains, it only marked a few key defensive strongholds.

Reiner moved his finger back and forth across the location of Three Rivers City as he spoke:
"To conquer the city, we must first cross the river, but crossing the river is extremely difficult for us. The garrison of Sanhe City monitors our movements every day, and warships patrol the river at all times. We do not have enough boats, and it is also difficult to build a pontoon bridge."

His main problem now is not how to explain himself to Otto, but that he can't even cross the river.

Currently, it is the flood season after the snow melts, and the water volume of both the Baihe River and the Jinghe River is soaring.

Forget about Jinghe; you can't cross the river without a boat.

But the Baihe River is also difficult to cross.

In Kawanuma County, downstream of the Baihe River, the iron chains that Lynn had previously built to block the river are still in operation, and a defensive system of watchtowers stretching for hundreds of miles has been built on the west bank of the river.

The most reasonable plan for Leiner to cross the river at present is to lead his army upstream along the east bank of the river to find a place with calm waters for an armed swim and then attack the relatively weakly defended heartland of the White River Territory.

This means that instead of relying on boats or pontoon bridges, soldiers and their horses swam across the river.

However, this would most likely be discovered by the defenders of Baihe Territory, and then they would attack the enemy while they were crossing the river. That scene would be too beautiful.

Moreover, if Leiner leads the main force north, this military camp located on the east bank of the White River could be captured by the garrison of Mikawa.

At that time, his tens of thousands of troops will be blocked on the narrow bank of the Baihe River. To the east are the towering and continuous Conqueror Mountains, to the west is the rolling Baihe River, to the north is the boundless wilderness, and to the south is the enemy army waiting in full battle.

This was a caged bird with nowhere to escape, and Reiner would never allow himself to be in such a dangerous situation.

He came to the North for land, titles, and wealth, not to die in vain.

But then again, if Reiner, who was ordered by the king to attack the Swamp Territory, kept lingering on the east bank of the White River, he really wouldn't be able to give Otto an explanation.

With this thought in mind, he sighed, "If I had known that the Swamp Territory would be so difficult to conquer, I should have chosen the Valley Territory in the first place."

Before sending troops, Leiner only knew that the Swamp Territory was rich and the Valley Territory was poor. After winning the bet, he chose the Swamp Territory without hesitation.

When he arrived, he discovered that not only the swampy territory, but even the White River Earl's territory was managed like a hedgehog, leaving him completely at a loss.

At this point, Reiner was somewhat envious of Earl Harvey, who had been assigned to the Valley Territory.

He had already received word that Xavi's advance was incredibly fast, and he was already enjoying himself in Mirror Iron Territory.

Meanwhile, Earl Mirror Iron was still besieging White Eagle Castle and had no time to attend to his own stronghold.

The trusted general was clearly aware of Count Reiner's predicament and suggested, "My lord, I think you can take the route through the Mirror Iron Territory to the south, detour around the south bank of the Jing River, and wait for an opportunity to cross the Jing River to attack the western suburbs of Sanhe City."

At the same time, you can send multiple troops north along the Baihe River, feigning an attack on the Baihe territory from its upper reaches. This will draw the attention and strength of the defending forces, reducing the difficulty of crossing the river in the western suburbs.

This makes the strategy given to Leiner highly feasible.

To put it bluntly, it's a feint attack.

The southern Jingtieling has already contracted its defensive line and withdrawn its troops from the south bank of the Jing River.

Leiner's main force could cross the Tranquil River to the south, then march rapidly westward along the riverbank, before seizing an opportunity to cross the Tranquil River to the north and attack the weakly defended western suburbs.

Several units moving north along the Baihe River served as decoys, responsible for covering the main force.

To persuade Reiner, the trusted general continued, "Although Lynn has defeated Laszlo, he certainly cannot return to White River Territory in the short term. His energy and troops must be used to conquer Swamp Territory. This is an opportunity you should seize."

Count Reiner stared at the map for a long time before finally nodding with difficulty: "Well, we can only give it a try first."

Based on his years of experience, he told him that his chances of winning this war were not high.

Even if his confidant's strategy were to be successfully implemented, he would still find it difficult to conquer Xijiao County, let alone use it as a springboard to attack Sanhe City.

The river defense line in the western suburbs is also quite strong, and there are patrol boats from Sanhe City on the river as well.

But Count Leiner had no choice.

We can't just watch our arch-rival Harvey rampage through Mirror Iron Territory while we're stuck at the gates of Three Rivers City, can we?

There are many people eyeing this commander-in-chief position, and if Otto is angered, he could be dismissed at any time.

By then, the title of duke will be a distant dream.

Since his troops were all hastily assembled, he wouldn't be too bothered if many died, so he might as well take a gamble.

The following day, Leiner divided his forces into three groups and began the operation.

He himself led the main force of 8,000 men across the river to the south overnight, while the remaining 7,000 men were divided into two parts. One part stayed behind to guard the camp, creating the illusion that a large army was in the camp, while the other part went north along the Baihe River, making it appear as if they were about to launch an attack on the heart of the Baihe region.

Meanwhile, news of Lynn's great victory on the north bank of the Sami River also spread throughout the White River Territory. The people all knew that their lord had defeated the Marshland Duke and would soon rule the entire Marshland Territory.

The families in the castle in Kawanuma Prefecture naturally received the news as well.

Among the women, Princess Chloris of the former dynasty was the most delighted.

After taking control of the swamp territory, Lynn will inevitably face the problem of a mismatch between his title and the territory.

Compared to the title of Duke of the Swamp, the title of King in the North is clearly more to Lynn's liking and ambition.

By then, Chloris will also be free from the embarrassing identity of being a 'princess of the previous dynasty'.

She longed for Lynn's return and prayed for her man almost every moment.

After resting for several days in the oak forest on the north bank of the Sami River, Lynn finally broke camp and set off, dividing his army in two.

Yang led two thousand archers and infantrymen eastward to reinforce Sanhe City, while Lynn led the remaining troops slowly towards Golden Deer Fortress in the northwest.

During the march, he continuously sent envoys to various places to spread his military might and, at the same time, to persuade local forces to surrender.

In less than a week, the entire Oak County fell back into Lynn's hands, while most of Canyon County explicitly pledged allegiance to him.

As for Golden Deer County, where Golden Deer Castle is located, it is more 'shy', with most of its cities and manors still loyal to Golden Deer Castle and not directly siding with Lynn.

Apart from these three most prosperous counties, the other territories of the Marshland are still in a wait-and-see mode.

This is mainly because the speed of information dissemination is limited, and the situation in the swamp territory remains complex.

Lynn did win a great victory, but Golden Deer Castle will most likely elect a new Duke of the Marsh, since László still has a brother alive.

In addition, the war created a large number of mutinous soldiers and bandits, causing roads in the swamp territory to be blocked and transportation to be cut off. The outcome of the battle on the north bank of the Sami River is still unclear in many areas.

If Lynn wants to take advantage of the situation and conquer the entire Swamp Territory, he still has a long way to go.

(End of this chapter)