CHAPTER 554: CHAPTER 532: CAN THE SALVATION ARMY FLY?

Imperial Calendar, January 7, 1446, the Thousand River Valley finally received a heavy snowfall amidst the cold wind.

Amidst the swirling snowflakes, every so often along the South Nao’an River and the Ibe River, one could see dozens of sailboats and barges carrying troops, grain, and people.

On some busy river sections, the boats were even packed tightly.

Everyone stood by the ship’s rail, pulling the boat rope, hurling insults at each other from meters away, as the hulls collided with muffled thuds.

These heavily trafficked narrow waterways were basically the only three surviving ferry river sections not burned down.

Boat owners cried out their chants, sailors ran up and down the planks, following behind the Captain of the Church Protection Army, as they shivered and stepped off the boats.

When stepping onto the icy ground, the Church Protection Army soldiers, wearing wooden-soled shoes, shivered in unison.

Starting from January 2nd, after 5 days of transport and preparation, the first batch of engineering soldiers arrived at the South Nao’an River frontline with their tools to build the camps.

Unfortunately, they barely had time to eat or drink a hot soup before being rushed into carriages by the local Juanist monks.

The canvas-topped carriages couldn’t keep out the swirling snowflakes, and thousands of engineering soldiers moved from various ferries, spread like a spider web, along streams and roads towards their designated targets.

Obviously, this number of engineering soldiers couldn’t build dozens of supply points and fortifications within half a month, so the Juanist monks would also call upon local wealthy farmers and small landowners.

The main purpose of deploying these soldiers was to improve efficiency and assist in guarding supply points, while the cost of purchasing supplies at these locations would be covered by the wealthy merchants of Rapids City and the monastery of Kasha County.

The benefit of doing so was simple; it meant that during the march, there was no longer a need to carry military rations or set up camps. Upon arrival, they could eat, drink, and sleep, and then continue marching after resting.

Each day, at least two to three hours could be gained for marching, and without transporting heavy supplies, the marching speed could increase by 6-9 kilometers.

This was especially true for the messengers on horseback, who could change their horses but not the rider, relaying messages all the way from the front to the back line.

These supply points didn’t need to be overly fortified. Real temporary fortresses would be constructed at the three ferry points and strategic river locations using mortar concrete.

Just like the three-tiered corner fortress of Monkulus Manor back in the day.

The perimeters of these supply points and camps were enclosed with wooden walls, with internal drainage channels, stables, and wooden barracks, as well as the most important warehouses.

A supply point would be guarded by as few as 10 guards or as many as 40, not for defending against enemy cavalry, but against rural bandits.

If enemy forces did attack these supply points, they would simply burn the warehouses and flee to hide in the forests or villages.

At that point, whether the enemy gathered supplies locally or brought their own, it would slow their march.

Such a simple camp could be set up by a regular military corps in about an hour or two.

For the local farmers and the Church Protection Army, even though they had fewer numbers, it took them two days to build and three more to sign grain procurement agreements with nearby villages.

From January 7th to January 17th, over these ten days, twenty supply camps and outposts had been established along the predetermined marching routes and defense lines, with several others under construction.

As for the Church Army besieging the Blago Monastery in Kasha County, they were almost unresponsive.

The Knight Leader of the Church Army, patrolling the basin perimeter, sent a dozen light cavalry to take a look and then went back to drink.

It wasn’t until the third day after Shelley City’s downfall on the 18th that Lakunio received the news.

"Damn those dung pickers!" At the instant he saw the words in the battle report, Lakunio couldn’t help but curse in his homeland’s Norne dialect from the border.

"What happened?" Puzilio, in beautifully ornamented armor, was startled by Lakunio’s loud exclamation as he rode his horse.

Lakunio silently handed the battle report to Puzilio by his side.

Riding on horseback and with the snow just fallen, Puzilio had to sway and read with difficulty under the light reflected by the snow.

On the chilly streets of Shelley City, the air still reeked of blood and burnt odors.

Shops and homes on both sides of the street were tightly shut, the once bustling market now silent, resembling an empty city.

Only when the Land Servants fiercely pounded on doors, causing the snow on eaves to fall, could one see pairs of fearful eyes peering from dark houses.

The siege plan for the 18th went quite smoothly, with dozens of Demon Hunters charging lightly at the wall, followed by Double-Salary Great Swordsmen climbing up to wreak havoc.

Due to the severe cold and the sudden arrival of Lakunio and others, they were too busy arguing to prepare enough winter clothing.

After the snowfall, even though Monks used Divine Arts to maintain morale, many still caught colds and died.

Last night’s temperature plummeted further, large snowflakes fell in sheets, and most soldiers sought warmth indoors at gatehouses and arrow towers; only a few managed to patrol the walls.

Lakunio himself entered the fray, wielding a two-handed greatsword as he sliced his way into the winch room, single-handedly clearing out more than twenty guards and successfully opening the city gate.

The Armed Monks of Blago Monastery attempted to use Blago Monastery on the hill as their core in street combat, but they were defeated within a day by the fierce Land Servants.

Lakunio even captured Rang Buluo and several high-ranking Juanist monks alive because when Lakunio attacked, they were still in the city voting for a new abbot.

After two days of purging, the remaining forces in the city either fled or were eliminated, allowing Puzilio and Lakunio to enter the city to see the majestic Blago Monastery.

"This is truly unexpected," Puzilio, having finished reading, was equally incredulous. "It took me over two months to mobilize the army and gather supplies."

If one were to infer from the timeline in the letter, the Salvation Army only learned around December 22nd that they had breached Kleiss Castle, then decided to send reinforcements.

By the 25th, three battalions (with an imperial battalion consisting of 500 men) nearly 2,000 strong had already reached the South Nao’an River to burn the ferry points.

On the New Year Festival five days later, more cavalry arrived for support.

By January 5th, two more battalions had reached Xiaochi City, and by January 7th, three battalions and over a thousand laborers had arrived.

By January 17th, in just 10 days, they had established numerous forts and were supported by Kush Cavalry and Beastial Cavalry.

The Salvation Army even advanced within the sightlines of the Rangers on the basin perimeter.

Puzilio had gathered his own forces to support Hotam County, bringing food from Thorn Garden to the Thousand River Valley, and it took over two months.

Waiting for the knights to gather from various places to the assembly point took over a month itself.

He arrived in Hotam County in late November, barely resting before rushing to attack Kasha County, hoping for a surprise attack to catch the Salvation Army off guard.

However, the Salvation Army decided to dispatch their troops just 15 days from December 22nd to January 7th, traversing 200 kilometers and amassing at least 5000 troops in the South Nao’an River area, all the while building camps and fortifications at leisure.

How is this supposed to be a surprise attack when these farmers seem to defy logic? The original plan was to push straight into the heart of Langsande County, but in retrospect, we shouldn’t have paused to rest during the New Year Festival.

As Puzilio lamented, he asked while dismounting, "So do we continue with the attack on Kasha County, can we give it a try, or is there not much hope?"

Standing in front of Blago Monastery, Lakunio remained silent for a moment, examining the snow-covered landscape.

"We can try, but don’t get your hopes too high. It’s unlikely." Lakunio patted his warhorse’s neck, brushing off the snow from its mane.

Since the plan to force our way into Langsande County through an attack on Kasha County failed, we’ll need to shift our tactical objectives to the north, towards Moliat.

As for the main attack task in Kasha County, it should now focus on occupying the Salvation Army.

Lakunio thoughtfully evaluated the situation. These farmers were few in number and had little experience in siege warfare, typically relying on field battles for victory.

Even if they had the advantage in field combat, if we can bear the pride, engage them in a siege battle, it can delay them for a month or two without issue.

Lakunio and the others stood leisurely in front of Blago Monastery, while several high-ranking Juanist Monks were tied up with ropes, their mouths gagged, glaring defiantly at the two invaders as they stepped onto the most sacred altar of Blago Monastery.

"Not bad at all, we can make this place a dining hall for the knights," Lakunio said confidently, brushing snow off his horse’s mane.