Leto Rudin's uncertainty isn't sure what he's doing at the moment. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

That's certainly not because he's too stupid. In fact, he possessed a keen sense of observation and analytical skills, otherwise he would not have been chosen by His Highness Orion to be the commander of an entire legion.

It's just that they've been away from the mainland for too long. He is forty years old and has just completed a third of his life. Yet, even his dying great-grandfather, and the oldest compatriot he had ever met, the elder Cole, who had lived to be one hundred and forty years old, never had the memory of living on a large landmass.

The sages who taught them history said that it was because two hundred years ago they were the first to participate in a war in which they should not have participated. As a result, the decaying and overburdened royal family of Lorard completely collapsed, more than half of the kingdom's population was lost, and the remaining remnants of the defeated generals and citizens were forced to go into exile to the depths of the sea under the oppression of other countries in order to survive.

It sounds like they made a mistake and suffered the consequences. So this time, they must be right to take the initiative to join this war?

He hadn't found the answer yet, but the obvious fact was that the war was much more difficult than he had imagined.

Compared to their companions, who had lived in the sea and on desert islands for hundreds of years, struggling with a lack of resources, the army of the Cult of San Leon was not only high morale and well-trained, but also aided by divine powers. It is true that a small number of Fritzians know some sorcery, but in the face of hundreds of magically blessed church warriors, their strength is obviously a drop in the bucket.

If it weren't for the fusion monsters created by using the corpses of the Elna - and their own people, they would have been completely defeated. However, using this kind of monster that seems to be full of evil and lacks the ability to communicate, Leto feels as if he has really become one of those villains in knight novels.

He understood that the other races were more or less prejudiced against the Fritzians, believing that they were intellectually inferior, rude by nature, and so on. The fishermen and mainland merchants who traded with them by the sea always talked to them with a subtle attitude of superiority.

No, after this war, the Fritzians will have to add the name of 'desecration of life'. That wasn't the evaluation he wanted, but what could he do?

"Sir, the enemy's army is marching here, about twenty minutes away!" The junior sergeant in dark scale armor ran to him panting, and Leto remembered that his name was Ogg, and that he had a sister who was four years younger than him—for whenever he talked about family matters, he would always mention her, "Ask for instructions!" ”

"How much?"

"About seven hundred, no cavalry, but including the chaplains!"

It was the heavy infantry regiment of the Church again, and Leto covered his forehead and cursed in his heart. These heavy infantry men are dressed in sturdy plate armor, and because of their divine assistance, they are no less flexible in battle than light infantry. To put the Fritz army in front of a freshly prepared heavy infantry regiment is no less than a child fighting an adult with a bamboo stick.

Of course, the other side is not without weaknesses. The physical strength of the chaplains is not unlimited, and without the blessings of divine magic, they are nothing more than a well-trained army. The problem is that at present, there is only one way to effectively consume the opponent's combat power.

"Aso." He shouted, "How long will it take for the Fusion Monster to be used again?" ”

The man whose name was called turned his head. He is a wizard in the legion, and the Fusion Monster does not have enough intelligence and must be manipulated by sorcery to avoid harming allies. It was also a tiring task, and at the level of a Fritzian wizard, every time he commanded them to fight for half an hour, he had to rest for a whole day.

The enemy also discovered the secret, and instead of concentrating on destroying the monsters, they were assassinating and attacking their controllers. During the dozens of days of war, Leto's squadron initially consisted of eight wizards, and now only three of them can continue to control the monsters. The rest were either killed in battle, or were so traumatized by magic that they temporarily lost the ability to use witchcraft - to be precise, the whole person lost their normal sanity.

"Two hours." Aso didn't raise his eyelids, and lazily replied, "Unless you're going to make me one of those fools too." ”

"Okay." Leto frowned, trying to keep himself calm, "Order the second, third, and fourth squadrons to go up first, and the rest of the team continue to rest in place." The heavy infantry regiment advanced at a limited pace, taking advantage of the traps we had laid two days ago to contain the opposing side as much as possible...... Don't fight hard with the other person. ”

The non-commissioned officer took the order, and Leto shook his sword vigorously, thinking about his next move—he was not used to such short weapons, but as a general of an army, it was a little less majestic to hold a harpoon or a spear.

He knew very well that if the enemy forced a charge, with three squadrons and those traps, there was no chance of victory. At that time, he may have no choice but to release all the uncontrolled fusion monsters and leave as heavy a blow to the other party as possible at the cost of his own destruction.

It's not the first time they've done this. The Fritzians had already lost five corps, three of which did the same thing before the rout. They had inflicted a lot of losses on the Church Army, but it was far from enough to stop that army.

Leto watched the junior non-commissioned officers and heralds walk away, closed his eyes, and prayed that nothing would be as bad as he had hoped.

After a short time, he heard the footsteps of someone approaching again, so he opened his eyes and turned his gaze to the scout-dressed clansman, "What's wrong again?" ”

The scout's expression was somewhat odd, and the reason for this was explained by the words he uttered, "Archbishop of Crimea...... The will to cease war was conveyed to us. However, he asked to meet with the commander here, Lord Leto. ”

What kind of medicine is sold in a gourd? Could it be that the church army planned to set up an ambush and assassinate him while they met? It's just that in the current situation, the temptation of an armistice agreement is difficult for anyone to resist. Leto pondered for a while, and finally made up his mind.

"Take me to him." He said, then called another wizard by name, "Mara, you go with me, lest they play any tricks with their spells." ”

The wizard nodded, closed the book he was flipping through, and followed the scout with Leto and a dozen of his guards.

They walked along the sparse forest for ten minutes, and in a slightly empty circular clearing, they met each other's representatives, a bishop in white robes, and two ecclesiastical guards.

Leto looked at the large number of guards he had brought, and his cheeks couldn't help but heat up. Then, a thought flashed through his mind: if he suddenly attacked, could he kill one of the enemy's important people?

This evil thought was immediately driven out by him. It would be foolish for him to abandon a possible armistice, and for the Fritzians as a whole.

"I'm Leto . Rudin, the commander of the legion here. He stepped forward and introduced himself in the most appropriate Kamal language possible, "Are you His Excellency Archbishop Karan?" ”

"I'm Karan." The white-robed man bowed his head and said, "Don't be restrained. I asked you to meet this time to explain something. The relationship between the church and the Fritzians was not necessarily an enemy. ”

"What do you mean—?"

"When we have a common enemy, the Church and the Fritzians are allies." Karan said softly, "You should know that the Oron Empire has used many methods that are contrary to humanity and justice in this war, right? ”

Leto nodded vigorously. The black-robed man who taught them how to make and manipulate the fusing monsters was in the name of the Oren Empire and the god Edda. This explains why the Church is so dissatisfied, for faith has always been one of the best reasons for war.

It's just that in this way, they are tantamount to standing with the Empire. Leto pressed down on his somewhat apprehensive heart and nodded, "I understand. Also, those fusion monsters ......"

"They are the product of divine magic. Of course, due to some flaws in your crafting methods, the soul of the corpse used as the material will not be able to return to its original destination because it is incomplete. "We'll help you free those unfortunate trapped souls, and after that, it's just a tool made of spells—though the means may seem sinister." ”

An emotion that could not be said to be joy or relaxation swept over Leto in an instant. He asked in a trembling voice, "You...... Is it true that the church does not hold us accountable? ”

"The methods used to create fusion monsters are still inhuman and imperfect, and I hope you will not create any new ones from now on." Karan replied gently, "The Lord of Light teaches us to be tolerant of those who inadvertently make mistakes, and I hope that the Fritzians will correct their mistakes and contribute to peace on the continent, rather than being punished roughly." ”

Leto understood what the other party meant. The common enemy was naturally the Orenian Empire, with whom the Church could ally the Fritzians if they changed the objectives of the war - but this was only a temporary alliance, and the war could not last forever.

"That'...... When the common enemy no longer exists, what will happen to the church? He asked, hesitantly.

"We have no intention of interfering in the lives of the Fritzians." Kahlan smiled, "I guess you don't know this news yet. The Violet Empire wants to see you as its vassals and retain most of its sovereignty - which should be a good thing for you at this time. ”

"But later." Leto muttered. Becoming a vassal country can be exchanged for a temporary peace, but it also means that it is tied to the Violet Empire from now on. He wasn't sure if he, and most of the Fritzians, wanted that ending.

"The right to freedom and equality is something that we must strive for continuously." "It's not going to be an easy process," said Karan softly, "the Fritzians did make some mistakes a long time ago, but I believe that now you know the cost of war." ”

……

Leto returned to his camp, still trembling slightly. That's not due to fear, but excitement and anticipation.

Just minutes ago, Archbishop Karan freed the soul trapped in a fused monster with his own hands. Not only did this make it less "evil" in nature, but more importantly, the wizard Aso told him that it would now take less than a quarter of the effort to control the monster.

The Church is not talking about it, and it is not using them as cannon fodder. In other words, the wish to return to land – a wish that had been almost forgotten by the Fritzians – may be on the verge of being realized.

"Sir, the enemy seems to have retreated on its own, what is going on? A junior non-commissioned officer named Og ran up to him, his face mixed with happiness and a little puzzled.

A smile rose from the corner of Leto's mouth.

"Not sure, but it should be good news." He said, "By the way, if you have time, how about introducing that sister of yours to me?" ”