On June 8, 363 A.D., on the same day that the Reynolds army occupied Menia, the Arcadian city-state alliance once again convened a council of five hundred in Thrace. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 The main topic of discussion is naturally how to deal with the threat posed by the Renoskes. Nathaniels hurried here after commanding his own men to defeat a group of thieves who had plagued the land of Argos.

Compared to the previous meeting, the Arcadians have become more cautious and serious this time. Perhaps they did not realize how close the war would be to their normal lives. And now, a city-state has fallen into the hands of alien barbarians (in the opinion of the Arcadians). Although their enemies were intimidated by the tricks for a while, their strength remained intact. Thanks to the sacrifices made by the Menians, the Renosque army would have to wait at least a while if they were to continue their advance on Anedan, until their commander Bazaev recovered.

Odysseus, the consul of Ithac, addressed the crowd with his great eloquence.

"Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, thanks to the valiant battles of our ancestors, the whole of Arcadia has enjoyed a peaceful life for three hundred and fifty years. Our life may be harsh compared to other prosperous parts of the continent, but our people are protected from the scourge of swords, and they always die in the presence of children and grandchildren after a lifetime of hard work. Yes, a long peace is beautiful. As a result, we have almost forgotten how heavy our ancestors paid for this beautiful life. Countless heroes shed their blood and died to resist the tyranny of the empire, and they did not hesitate to defend democracy and the people.

Now, our generation will face the same historical choices that our ancestors faced. Are we humbly begging for mercy from our enemies to save our lives? Or is it a mess and inaction to be defeated by the enemy? Or, like our heroic ancestors, take up our arms and fight unrelentingly against a seemingly formidable enemy, defending our freedom with blood and lives?

Dear ladies and gentlemen, Penthos of Menia and the other 28 patriarchs have set an example for us. These people are very old, and the old people are often stingy with their lives like the last sip of wine in a drunkard. But for the sake of their city-state and people, they all went to their deaths. It is better to die with the enemy than to enjoy a moment of wealth from a tyrant's bounty. Yes, that's what those who witnessed Pentheus maneuvering around the enemy told me. The tsar's generals promised him several times the glory and riches he could have imagined in the future. But how did our loyal consuls respond to their enemies? He was vain with them, and the reward of tyrants was like dung in his eyes. He remained calm in the enemy camp, reciting a play against tyranny. I think we've all seen that play, and we've all applauded the main character in the play, and that play is "Prometheus Bound". The minions of those tyrants would not have understood such a noble psalm, and our old hero dared to so contempt the enemies who invaded his homeland. Is he able to play tricks on his enemies simply because of his wit? I don't think so, it is precisely because of his sacrificial spirit of determination to die that he can calmly lead the enemy by the nose.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, do we still need any hesitation and hesitation in the face of today's situation? The scissors of Atro Both have been delivered to us, for the fate of Arcadia and Hitarus. Honorable ladies and gentlemen, please give your solemn vote for the proposals that will follow. ”

Odysseus's speech was only the last straw, and the Arcadians had no illusions about the present situation, and they hated the rule of an emperor more than anything else. The Senate voted 471 in favor and 0 against to approve several subsequent proposals on war. The Union of City-States would empower Prince Nathaniels and Aeneas to organize an army, which would consist of volunteers and conscripts, and the Union would be responsible for supplying everything for this army, which was named the "Coalition of Arcadia". Depending on the strength of the enemy, Aeneas hoped to be able to organize an army of 10,000 heavy infantry, 5,000 archers, and 1,500 cavalry, as well as a navy that included at least 150 three-ply ships.

The Arcadian war machine was set into motion quickly, and almost all of Menia's young men were in the army, except for a few necessary craftsmen. They were always looking to retake their city-state, and Mentor soon recruited 3,000 men, all of whom were volunteers. Not far behind, the Thracians were originally in charge of military activities in the League, and Aeneas had long trained a 6,000-strong contingent. Anedan and Ithaq also provided part of the heavy infantry and archers. The Argos were responsible for almost all naval construction, which meant that they had to step up the construction of 100 new warships. Previously, they had only a navy of 50 old warships to combat piracy.

In this way, as of June 12, Nathaniels made a statistic. The Arcadian coalition already had 9,000 hoplites, 3,500 archers, and 500 cavalry on its books.

"The number of people has basically achieved its goal, but no matter how you look at it, it is a rabble." Nathaniels said as he looked at the Arcadians gathered on the school grounds.

"It's true, on the other hand, we still have a considerable part of the equipment that is lacking." Aeneas didn't want to argue about anything.

"We have forgotten the war for too long." Thoclos said.

"It's fairly easy to train infantry, what about cavalry? To tell the truth, the current cavalry units are the personal guards of His Royal Highness the Prince and the patrol officers of Thrace, and the cavalry of the opposing side is twice as large as ours. That's what Mentor is worried about.

"What is the opinion of Lord Odysseus?" Nathaniels asked.

"Well, it seems that we may continue to lose parts of Anedan and Thrace, if the enemy continues to march." Odysseus groaned.

"Can't we fight back right away? Is there no other way? ”

"Mentor, I understand your feelings, but at the moment, it seems that we will not be able to retake Menia immediately."

"I know, heroic Aeneas, I just want to be as wise as Odysseus, and can I come up with any good plan to get us out of the situation we are in."

"If you don't have enough strength, no matter how good your strategy is, it's useless." Odysseus replied.

"Let's train the men on hand first," Nathaniels said, "and on the other hand, according to what Penthos learned from the Renosques during his lifetime, the enemy has sent a considerable number of minoris to infiltrate us, and we need to intensify our investigation to get rid of these fleas once and for all." None of my subordinates are locals, and I hope you will take this matter seriously. ”

"I'll have some of the best sheriffs on this check." Odysseus said.

On the other hand, although Bazaev had to lie in bed to recuperate due to poisoning, he did not stop moving his brain as soon as he woke up. The Arcadians were already prepared, and their bodies had not fully recovered, so it was certainly not possible to rush into the army in such a state. The Heilman people were well aware of this, so he kept the waiters scattered and infiltrated, scouting information and drawing maps; On the other hand, the houses of Menia were demolished, and a new fortress was built in Menia with stones as a stronghold.

Sensing this, the Arcadians decided to build a wall at Anedan as a line of defense, and then intensify the training of their army. The war machine of the entire city-state alliance is in full swing.

Putting aside the Arcadians for the time being, another army of the Hitaros is also sharpening its knives and preparing for its own counterattack. Prince Minox raised the banner against his brother in Gruchitana, and he issued a message to all of Citarus, expressing his position in favor of his nephew, Prince Theseus, as king. He defined Firth as a traitor and tyrant, and called on all the Hitaros to take up arms and gather around him to drive out foreign armies entrenched in the land.

Of course, the Haiswa side also reacted in time, and the propaganda on Fels's side was that Minox, who occupied Grushitana, was a usurper who plotted to hold the crown prince hostage, and the deceased Canites had passed the throne to Fels, as evidence of which was a handwritten letter from the late Princess Racoxiu, confirmed by Princess Iphigonia. Of course, it is impossible for Minox, who is hundreds of fats away, to go and see this so-called "edict of succession" in person. The war of words between the two sides at the political level has been shaking the earth, and many local powerful factions are still in a wait-and-see state.

Firth used some coercion to make his little sister submit to him, and Iphigonea, although she could not care about her own safety, could not stand Fels's threat of other people's lives. The people of Renosque met the high priestess of the moon god at a court banquet at the end of May, and they could not help but admire her for her graceful and elegant manners, and her perfect fit for the role of hostess of high society social occasions. Her brother's decision to marry her to Sogreand Leus of Farency did not seem to be wishful thinking.

Even the commander-in-chief of the Reynosk garrison, General Suvorov, seemed to be fascinated by the princess, and the two were repeatedly seen going in and out together. Firth was of course happy about this, and he thought it was the right decision for him to move Iphigonia out to deal with the Renoskes. He was counting on Racoxiu to play the role. However, outsiders seem to have misunderstood Suvorov a little. Although this Renosk general is very indulgent to his subordinates, he is quite clear about his bottom line. He had a family at home, and his wife gave birth to four sons and two daughters for him, and although he had been fighting abroad for a long time, he had no idea of looking for a mistress. As for Iphigonea, Suvorov just felt that she was a woman to admire, and because of this, he could not let his guard down on her.

June 15, 363 Continental Gregorian calendar, Renolsk, Kharkov.

Kutuzov and Chabaev had arrived in the eastern town of Reynosk two days earlier, having received orders from the Tsar to send their elite from Hitaros. After two days of rest, they finally waited for the Tsar's summons, a pre-imperial military council.

Kharkiv was not originally a border city of Lenolsk, but over the past decade, the Pamis cavalry has pushed the border between the two countries westward for some distance. This former second-tier transit city has become a key border point between Renosque and Pamis. After the Romanov dynasty came to Thebes, the Tsar increased his investment in the city, building it into a new fortress city.

Chabaev was visiting the city for the first time, and even Kutuzov was surprised by the great changes in the city. This was especially felt when they walked through the spacious corridors of the Tsar's Palace in the inner city of Kharkiv. Three years ago, Kutuzov had no idea about the building, but now he is walking through its spacious corridors. The early summer sun shines through the courtyard, casting the shadows of the trees in the yard on the ground. The corridor is open, with a total of eighteen consecutive round arches, each of which is decorated with a set of beams of different fancies. Such decoration was indispensable for a royal courtyard, and the stonemasons were happy to boast of their craftsmanship to the nobility in this regard.

Kutuzov saw the general standing at the ninth pillar waiting for him, and then he saw a second man walk through the courtyard and into the gallery from the fourteenth arch. These comrades were his familiar companions, all of whom had followed the same commander, Igor Wallensky, and were now loyal to a tsar, Ivan IV. Although the royal family name had been changed from Turansky to Romanov, the Tsar still referred to himself as "Ivan IV" in the previous order, as the Tsar still insisted that he was a relative of the old royal family.

Kutuzov greeted the two comrades who had not seen him for a long time one by one: "It's been a long time, how are you doing?" Honorable Konstantin Yevremovich, Grigory Mikhailovich. ”

"Hello, dear Mikhail Alekseevich, oh, and you, loyal Chabaev, you too." The two generals also said goodbye to Kutuzov.

Konstantin Yevremovich Voroshilov and Grigory Mikhailovich Budyonny, both veterans who had played with Wallensky against Paramis were 55 and 53 years old respectively. Voroshilov had thick black-brown hair, was not tall, had a mustache, and his sideburns were gray, but he could still be seen in his eyes that he was energetic. Budyonny was a tall man with a mighty beard, and his ancestors were of Heilmann ancestry, but it seems that he had left the Heleman household registration at an early age and became the Tsar's sole landlord. Before the invasion of Parmis in 327 A.D., both men were already commanders in command of a wing Husa, while Kutuzov was just a 16-year-old hairy boy who had just joined the army.

"How's it going to be in Hitaros? That cunning Lev Nikolayevich didn't get you in trouble, did he? Voroshilov smiled and greeted.

"I didn't have a chance to meet him, he and Duke Meshkin had finished the main force of the Hitarus, and my men and I had never had a decent battle. By the way, who else did His Majesty the Tsar convene this time? Kutuzov replied.

"You'll know when you go in, this time will definitely make up for your regrets in Citaros." Budyonny laughed.

The four then walked into the conference room, where several of the other generals had already arrived. Kutuzov saw another senior, Semyon Sergeyevich Timoshenko, 54 years old, another veteran of the Wing Husa background, with a bald head and a short build. There were also several other Mesozoic generals, all of whom were about the same age as Chabaev, around 40 years old. The youngest of these was Chuggins' second son, Misoli, who was only 33 years old.

Everyone is usually busy in their respective jurisdictions, and many of them haven't seen each other for about a year, so the conference room is very lively at the moment. This atmosphere lasted for half an hour and then turned to a calm, as the Tsar arrived.

Ivan IV actually waited outside the door for a short while, he wanted to hear what his generals were talking about behind his back. He was very satisfied with the results, and the team he had built still showed good unity. The generals showed no signs of intrigue, which actually worried the Tsar. This is because a political group is often able to share weal and woe when it is in opposition, but it is difficult to share wealth and prosperity. After gaining power and wealth, can a person's faith remain as firm and pure as it was when he was poor? At present, it seems that the comrades-in-arms who fought with him have not yet been captivated by power and desire.

So, the generals saw the Tsar walking into the conference room in high spirits and greeted them warmly one by one.

Ivan IV was 48 years old. To say that he had no ambition at all back then would undoubtedly be deceiving himself; But to say that he is deliberate is overkill. When his cousin Nicholas VI first came to the throne, Ivan IV had no intention of accomplishing anything great, and he was in love at the time. He fell in love with the niece of General Wallensky, not without a hint of political marriage, but other than that, the young lady named Catherine was indeed a charming stunner. Ivan IV's idea at that time was probably to marry a beautiful woman and become a relative of General Wallensky, and then be able to mix in the army with enough merit to expand his family's fiefdom.

But then it was a sudden change in the situation, and the family that was originally in the middle of the sky disappeared in an instant. When his lover suddenly disappeared, Ivan IV was indeed mad. At this moment, however, he began to reveal his true character, and while he wrote to his cousin in a letter of indignation and swore his allegiance, he began to divert resources and co-opt Wallensky's old subordinates, in the name of what was naturally high-sounding - for his lover. He knew that no matter how low-key he acted, his cousin's butcher's knife would sooner or later reach his neck, and all his actions were just to save his life in the first place.

Sure enough, after escaping according to his previous arrangement, Ivan IV, who escaped death, finally transformed into a qualified careerist. If he wants to save his life once and for all, then the only way is to take down the person who can threaten his life. The former lover had long been left behind, and Ivan IV chose a reasonable marriage. In fact, it wasn't until the man who claimed to be Thorgrande Leus came to the door that he realized that his old love was so loyal to him. As a result, he was fond of Nastasya, with a certain sense of guilt. On the other hand, he also hoped that his fatherly love for this illegitimate daughter would be exchanged for the favor of the strategist who was famous throughout the continent.

Now that Ivan IV had gained enough power, he believed that he should be able to achieve glory and exploits that no previous tsar had obtained. He had some of the best generals in the history of Renolsk, and a nascent dynasty that could gain the greatest popularity.