I'm not a lord

Chapter 361 The Opening of the Great War

On the first Tuesday of April, Lynn finally arrived in White River County and took up residence in his most loyal city, Three Rivers.

This is by no means a sarcastic remark. The citizens of Sanhe City have long been captivated by the new king and are willing to unconditionally support him in this great war.

If Lynn hadn't insisted that the citizens remain at their posts, they would surely have donned armor and taken up arms to support the new King of the North.

Lynn not only brings them tangible gold coins and benefits, but also intangible honor and pride.

Regionalism has existed since ancient times. People from the same region will naturally develop a sense of identity with the place they live in, while looking down on people from neighboring or less developed regions.

The slogan Lynn shouted during his coronation already had a hint of nationalism in it.

The slogan "Let the North be the North of the North" goes far beyond the regional identity of a single area.

For the continent of Dievas, which was still in a feudal era, even if it only exerted one-tenth of the effect of nationalism, it would still be extremely remarkable.

In the shipyard of Three Rivers, Leon was accompanying Lynn on an inspection of the royal fleet, which was ready to set sail.

"Your Majesty, the cavalry legions, as well as the first and second legions, have all set out on their campaigns. Your fleet is also ready and can be deployed at any time."

The three corps that set out ahead of schedule had a total of 13,000 soldiers, and about 4,000 auxiliary soldiers and laborers.

One of Lynn's major military practices was to minimize the mobilization of auxiliary troops and laborers in order to reduce the impact of military operations on agricultural production in the rear.

The role of auxiliary soldiers is to provide logistical support for the army, including cooking, treating wounded soldiers, washing clothes, and feeding horses.

The laborers were mainly responsible for transporting grain and supplies.

For this war against the Crown Territory, Lynn plans to use water transport to handle the vast majority of the transportation tasks, which will save a lot of manpower and resources.

As for the main players in water transport, they are naturally the rows of magnificent ships moored outside the shipyard.

Shipwright Martin accompanied the inspection and, standing beside Lynn, explained, "Your Majesty, these ships have all been modified according to your instructions. In particular, the warships equipped with cannons have passed multiple sea trials and test firings, and have not encountered any problems navigating or fighting at the current water level of the Tranquil River."

Lynn stood on the riverbank and looked around. He saw that half of the ships had been fitted with cannons. Small and medium-sized warships usually had two to four cannons, mounted at the bow and stern, while larger warships carried six to a dozen cannons.

These warships were not dedicated gunboats, and their structure made them unsuitable for mounting heavy weapons like cannons.

However, there is simply no time to build a ship from scratch, so for now, we can only temporarily pull it up to fill the gap.

However, according to reliable intelligence, Otto's navy is even more incompetent, consisting of cargo ships converted from ocean-going vessels that might suddenly run aground in the waterways. They only dare to swagger into inland waterways because they have a large number of people and ships.

While Lynn's warships weren't exactly outstanding, they were more than adequate in a world where everyone was competing to be the worst.

As for those massive warships capable of sailing the high seas and carrying dozens or even hundreds of cannons, we'll consider that after we've taken Amber Harbor.

While observing the modified ship, Lynn smiled and praised, "You must be Martin, the shipwright in charge of modifying the ship? Leon has mentioned you to me many times, praising you as the best shipwright in Three Rivers City and even the Swamp Territory. Now it seems that Leon was right."

Faced with the king's praise, shipwright Martin replied somewhat awkwardly, "It is my honor to be able to modify Your Majesty's warship. I only hope that Your Majesty can continue to win victories and completely drive those greedy usurpers out of the North."

Next, accompanied by a group of city officials, Lynn boarded the fleet's flagship. The mainmast of this large galley was already hoisted with the royal flag, a symbol of the monarchy, with the image of a giant bear and narwhal fluttering in the wind.

On each side of the flagship's deck were four rapid-fire forged iron cannons. These cannons were supported by special iron frames and had turntables underneath, which could be adjusted to change the lateral angle at will to expand the firing range.

The flagship's captain, Hawke, stood beside the rapid-fire cannon, his right hand gently stroking the cold barrel, a gesture as tender as caressing a girl's smooth, jade-like back.

Hawke was fascinated by these rapid-fire cannons, touching them as he spoke with a threatening tone: "Your Majesty, the Eagle Cannons you invented are known among sailors as the Grim Reaper of the Water! I guarantee that if those bastards in Amber Harbor dare to approach this ship, I will riddle them all with bullets!"

The rapid-fire forged iron cannon, also known as the 'Eagle Cannon' or 'Frank Cannon,' is famous for its interchangeable mother-and-daughter barrels.

The biggest advantage of this artillery is its high rate of fire; a skilled gun crew can fire more than ten times per minute.

The downside is that the airtightness is too poor, which leads to a serious lack of range and power in the shells.

Its range is usually only a hundred meters or so, and the power of the shells is only enough to kill soldiers, and it is helpless against highly defended brick and stone buildings.

However, in naval warfare, this type of artillery can perfectly play to its strengths and avoid its weaknesses.

With just a few eagle cannons mounted on the deck, it could quickly strafe the enemy ship's deck during boarding operations, pinning down the enemy soldiers and making them unable to raise their heads. It was essentially a machine gun among early artillery.

Similarly, eagle cannons are also very suitable for siege warfare. As long as there are enough of them, they are a super-enhanced version of crossbows, capable of causing huge casualties to soldiers who scale the walls.

Lynn glanced at the Eagle Cannon, then looked the burly middle-aged man standing next to it up and down, and smiled:
“Captain Hawke, I’ve heard of your name in White River Territory, and Leon has recommended you to me many times. I believe you will not disappoint me this time either.”

Hawke was a transport ship captain in Three Rivers City. In peacetime, he made a living by transporting goods. In times of war, his three ships would transform into armed merchant ships, obeying the orders of the city council and participating in military missions such as plundering, blockade, and naval warfare.

These days, most merchant ships in large autonomous cities have this style, and they can seamlessly switch between ordinary merchant ships, armed merchant ships, and even pirate ships.

As Three Rivers City expanded in the commercial sector, Captain Hawke gradually gained some fame, albeit a fearsome one.

Previously, when Lynn was still Earl of White River, he had a fierce conflict with Three Rivers City, during which the then mayor, Jürgen, ordered merchant ships in the city to plunder White River Territory.
Hawke also participated in the raid, but was routed by Lynn's iron chains across the river and the archers on the shore.

The shipping magnate of Sanhe City was deeply embarrassed upon hearing this, and immediately removed his captain's hat and bowed to hide his shame.

"Your Majesty, please don't make fun of me with those embarrassing stories from the past. Today, Hawke is your loyal and humble sailor. I swear to you that I will sink every enemy ship that invades your territory!" Although Hawke suffered a defeat in White River Territory and almost lost his life in River Marsh County of White River Territory, he is still the most skilled naval captain in Three Rivers City.

The reason he was in danger was because he was brave and courageous, daring to charge to the front line. One failure cannot negate his worth.

And is it shameful to lose to His Majesty the King, who has won many battles?
Thanks to his past glory, Leon's recommendation, and Lynn's appreciation, Captain Hawke was able to become the fleet commander, responsible not only for commanding naval battles but also for transporting supplies and provisions.

At this moment, Leon spoke up, "Your Majesty, this flagship has not yet been named. We previously called her 'Big Barrel' because she was once a transport ship belonging to the Brewing Guild. This name is clearly unworthy of a royal flagship. Please bestow upon her a resounding new name."

It's worth mentioning that this flagship, named 'Big Barrel', is not the largest warship in the fleet.

In terms of size and tonnage, the fleet has two large river fortress ships.

This thing is equipped with a wooden hull and wooden towers. Each side of the ship is equipped with forty rowers and twenty oars to ensure power. The overall shape looks like a turtle, making it a mobile castle on the water.

However, the construction and modification of such ships are too time-consuming. It is difficult to remove the heavy hull plates and install cannons in a short period of time. They can be deployed to the battlefield with only slight reinforcement. Therefore, they are not included in the scope of modification.

Large inland river oar-sail merchant ships like the 'Big Barrel' are well-suited for conversion, as their decks have few obstructions, allowing for the direct installation of cannons.

In addition, the 'Big Barrel' had only been launched for a short time and its hull was not yet worn out, which is why it was chosen as the flagship and equipped with a total of fourteen cannons, including two long-barreled heavy bronze cannons at the bow and stern, truly deserving of the name of flagship.

Lynn looked around at the brand-new warship that had just been rebuilt, and after a moment of thought, he said, "Since the ship was launched in the territory of Baihe, let's name it Baihe. Baihe was also my former title, so it won't be an insult to this fine ship."

Leon immediately replied, "It is an honor for this ship to be named after the White River. The sailors on board will fight to the end to protect this name!"

After completing his inspection of the shipyard and the royal fleet, Lynn moved into the palace in the western suburbs that same day.

In the palace hall, Soward and Hafdan stood at attention and gave a perfect military salute, their hands pounding their chests. Soward then said, "Your Majesty, the soldiers in the legion are ready to fight for you. Please give the order!"

All three legions have embarked on their journeys, with the First Legion, responsible for leading the vanguard, even penetrating deep into the Crown Territory. Only the Wilderness Legion remains at its garrison, which makes the two deputy legion commanders feel very uneasy.

Lynn glanced at the two increasingly upright young barbarians and ordered, "Tomorrow morning, Soward will lead his troops to accompany me on the expedition, while Hafdan and his three thousand soldiers will remain in White River Territory."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Although young Hafdan was unwilling, he could only accept the order together with the overjoyed young Soward.

Lynn took in their expressions, a friendly smile appearing on his face. He patted Little Halfdan on the shoulder and encouraged him:

"Don't be anxious if you don't get the chance to go to war. There will be plenty of wars in the future. Your current task is to stay and protect Baihe Territory and the Jinghe and Baihe River basins. Of course, you must not slack off in your daily training. If there is any situation at the front, you and your soldiers must be ready to go to the battlefield at any time."

The Wilderness Legion currently has a total of 6,000 troops, of which the 3,000 under Little Soward are mostly veterans with combat experience, who are better able to adapt to the brutal battlefield.

The three thousand men under Little Hafdan were mostly new recruits who enlisted last fall and lacked knowledge of the real battlefield, making them more suitable to stay behind and guard the rear.

Similarly, the Fifth Prince Andre's Third Legion was also mainly composed of new recruits. Lynn transferred the legion to Golden Deer County in the west to guard the core area of ​​the territory.

In other words, Lynn's army force this time was limited to 16,000 men, and only when Hawke's navy was added did the total reach 20,000.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will make sure the soldiers are always ready!" Little Hafdan had already made preparations in his heart. It was impossible not to leave troops to defend the rear. His soldiers were relatively weak, making them the most suitable troops to stay behind.

In Lynn's view, the war with Otto III would most likely be a protracted one.

Otto's foundation was too solid; even if his tens of thousands of troops were wiped out, he would still be able to fight.

Even if he wipes out all the new recruits he has gathered in the North, he can still continuously send reinforcements from the Kingdom of Rui and the South.

Lynn's objective in this battle was to first capture River Bend, thereby securing a base for his eastward expansion and relieving the siege of his ally Vasa in the south.

That evening, Victor reported the latest military intelligence to Lynn: "Your Majesty, according to reliable intelligence, Otto is still in River Bend, with only about five thousand troops around him."

Furthermore, the First Army Corps, acting as the vanguard, is making good progress and has now advanced to Haf, less than 100 kilometers from River Bend. They have not encountered large numbers of enemy troops along the way, and without interference, the First Army Corps has also repaired roads and bridges along the route.

Once the troop strength reaches 20,000, the war is no longer a simple matter of everyone rushing in at once.

Lynn's army was to be divided into several units and march in sequence. The vanguard was responsible for clearing the way, leaving strongholds along the way, and clearing obstacles for the following troops.

"Otto is still at River Bend Fortress? Is he bait? Or just incredibly bold?"

Lynn was also a little unsure of Otto's true intentions, but war is a contest of comprehensive hard power.

Looking at the local battlefield of River Bend alone, Lynn clearly held an absolute advantage.

He certainly wouldn't miss such an opportunity.

The following morning, Lynn led the rear guard eastward as planned, while Captain Hawke's royal fleet went ahead, sailing downstream that morning with their forces aimed directly at River Bend.

The commotion in Three Rivers quickly reached Riverbend Fortress, and Arno rushed into the dining room in a panic: "Your Majesty, Lynn has indeed come in person, and he has also mobilized all the ships stationed in Three Rivers!"

"Keep your voice down, I can hear you." Otto, who was enjoying his lunch, looked up and frowned, asking, "How's the situation at Amber Harbor? When will Neil's ship arrive?"

(End of this chapter)