Chapter 380 Who to ask for help?

The hot wind blew the white gauze curtains. In the study of the Megedi Tower, a group of men and women with bitter faces sat.

They are either senior partners of a chamber of commerce or citizen leaders of a guild.

The hot weather made their armpits and chests soaked with sweat, and they could only use feather fans to fan themselves.

The big block of ice was moved to the inner room, which was Catherine's bedroom.

Even if you are close to the bedroom door, you can feel the cold air coming out from inside.

However, no one dared to suggest taking the ice and the ice skull outside. After all, the honorable Archon Catherine was sleeping in the room.

After repelling the imperial army's attack, Catherine fell into a coma on the spot due to exhaustion of her magic power.

After being confirmed to be safe by the wizards on the scene, she was transported to the headquarters of the Magdi Chamber of Commerce.

And this post-war meeting would be held in the study outside her door.

"We have good news and bad news." Pettier sat by the window, getting hotter and hotter by the hot wind outside. "The good news is that the imperial army suffered heavy casualties and will not launch an attack in the next three to five days. We have a short rest."

"Where's the bad news?"

Pettier said nothing, but just looked at the door of Catherine's bedroom, while the others tacitly looked away.

"What are our casualties?"

"We're still counting." Pettier pulled out a hard-bottomed notebook from under his hip, "But I estimate that there are about 500 casualties, and the Imperial Army left more than 200 bodies on the wall, half of which are extraordinary knights."

"Do you think the Imperial Order Company will be reorganized?" Carl blocked his nostrils with a handkerchief, the end of which was stained with scarlet blood.

"There is a high probability that it will be reorganized..."

Apart from the mercenaries and guards outside the city, the Empire also has three main imperial order companies.

Although they said there were three command companies, in fact only one organization, Captain Edmund's command company, was complete.

In his company, not a single one of the one hundred Knights of the Order died.

Although a number of square-flag knights and squire knights were killed, the sharp-toothed knight Arman quickly recruited local knights and mercenary cavalry to replenish the number.

In addition, there are two and a half command companies led by Elad and Balzesa.

Since the main force of the Order Knights were not completely wiped out, the two Order Companies were defeated by Meliati and only had 90 to 120 Order Knights left.

Together with the extraordinary knights recruited locally and mobilized from Langsander County, they managed to form two fully staffed command companies in the early stages.

However, in the previous battle, through the Red Dragon's Breath and a series of large and small battles, the Imperial Knights suffered heavy losses again.

Especially last night's wave, Catherine killed at least 30 Knights of the Decree with the help of the vampire vines.

According to Karl's estimation, the two and a half companies of the Imperial Army outside the city probably had less than 80 Imperial Knights.

In this way, there is a high probability that they will form a new imperial order company.

After all, with less than half of the Order Company, it is difficult for them to bring out the combat effectiveness advantage of the Order Knights.

"Can we get reinforcements?" Pettier, who was sitting by the window, turned his head and looked at everyone in the room.

Although this Pettier was still an unknown person more than a month ago, his importance is self-evident after this period of time.

Even though he interrupted the discussion, everyone still wanted to listen to what he had to say once he opened his mouth.

Mitternich sat in a reclining chair, swaying as he tried to balance himself using only the two legs of the chair. "After the last defeat, they have finally recognized the current situation. Currently, the citizens of Koike City are contributing funds and they are still recruiting soldiers. I don't know when they will arrive."

In fact, the first wave of reinforcements from Kasha County arrived more than a week ago.

After half a year of wrangling, with the changes in the environment and situation, the atmosphere in Kasha County is gradually changing.

In particular, the ideas of the Holy Cause represented by the overseas student Armand and the local monk Martin spread rapidly among the lower-level monks.

Influenced by this, some knowledgeable people in Kasha County, including local citizens and knight nobles, decided to aid Rapid City.

Unfortunately, the two commanders belonged to two different factions, the citizens and the knights. During the march, the two sides quarreled and split their troops and attacked from two different routes.

They also called it a pincer attack.

As a result, not only were they three days late, but they were also discovered by the imperial decree on the first day of their arrival, and were defeated one by one, with more than a thousand prisoners captured.

If it weren't for the Royal Knights of Fran making trouble and deliberately blocking the road, the rest of the Kasha County coalition forces would probably have to die in Rapids City.

However, Rapid City received several hundred extraordinary defeated soldiers from the Kasha County coalition forces, which was considered a barely sufficient support from Kasha County.

Supported, but not fully supported.

"What should we do next? Do you have any ideas?" Mitternich rocked back and forth, and the chair creaked harshly as he rocked. "After all, the second wave of coalition forces from Kasha County will not arrive until at least mid-August."

The partners present looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Occasionally someone would raise an opinion, which would make Carl's blood pressure soar and he would angrily scold them as "strange and stupid". For example, poisoning the river to kill the imperial soldiers outside the city.

For example, write a letter to the commander outside the city, and put red dragon breath in the letter box to kill them.

Some people even suggested opening the city gates to scare off the enemy.

Anyway, most of them come from various knight novels and folk tales, or they are poisoning and assassination.

After all, this is the more familiar part of their daily life.

Unlike Horn's and Meliati's groups, both of which rose to prominence in bloody wars, Catherine's military and political group usurped power.

They had not experienced any particularly brutal wars, nor had they even experienced a few decent field battles, so of course they had no experience.

Catherine was very familiar with how to develop business, how to govern cities, and how to manipulate the market.

But when it comes to how to fight, her level is probably not even half of Horn's, and not even a quarter of Meliati's.

You know, Horn and his group came from a long line of swords and spears, and except in the early days, they rarely fell into disgrace.

"I think that since Lady Catherine is here, we just need to cooperate with her, right?"

A person in charge of a branch of the Megdi Chamber of Commerce said cautiously.

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone around her fell silent.

Everyone saw what Catherine did last night. After escaping death, they now have more questions.

If Catherine is a witch, is their uprising really correct? Is it a conspiracy of the devil?
"In fact, the reconnaissance cavalry got some information yesterday." After coughing, Carl changed the subject, "The imperial army outside the city sent out several hundred extraordinary knights, but their whereabouts are unknown. They may have gone to attack Xiaochi City, or to the east."

"The Fort Jeanne d'Arc in the east is unguarded. I guess they went to Fort Jeanne d'Arc..."

"Not necessarily. Little Pond City is pretty empty."

Mittenyi paused as he made an annoying sound while rocking his chair. "Someone said before that the Saviors defeated the Knights of Ibe in Moncruz? Does anyone have the latest news?"

The leaders and senior partners present whispered to each other, and then one of them raised his hand.

"I heard that they set out for Black Mountain Castle a week ago."

The whispering in the room grew louder.

"Black Mountain Fort? As I recall, that's the middle area of ​​Jinhe Township, right?"

"It's impossible, they would advance so quickly?"

"But Nidsal of the Red Copper Fortress has come to our aid..."

Karl knocked on the table impatiently: "Quiet! Quiet!"

Seeing that everyone was quiet, Karl didn't say anything else. He looked at the floor not far in front of him, his fingers constantly scratching the table.

The frequency was so fast and the force was so great that even everyone present heard a sound that was like sawing wood, but the sound stopped after Carl's fingernail was turned up.

"I think we need to ask the Savior Army for help." Carl seemed to be depressed after saying this. "At least, at least they have a record of defeating the Command Company in the wild, and we...we...are not as strong as we imagined."

This is an opinion that many partners are reluctant to mention because Horn's Salvation Army government has a strong control attitude towards businessmen.

Not only did they often use government decrees to force workshops, they also added various commercial taxes such as consumption tax and property transfer tax.

An outrageous fee of 50 dinars per barrel is levied on strong liquors such as wine, and double property tax is levied every year if no one is living in the property.

Especially the one prohibiting usury, it really seems to be taking the lives of businessmen.

"Hiss, I think it's not that urgent for now?" a guild leader asked tentatively.

"An army of farmers, supporting what?"

"And I think, even if we overestimate their strength, can they still conquer Jinhe Township in a month? They are probably still fighting with the Ibe Knights!"

"What time is it now? Why are you still thinking about your bottles and jars?" Carl looked at them in disbelief.

"You can't say that." A senior partner said with a sincere face, "I'm considering Catherine's ruling."

"Yes, when they come to rescue us, we will have to agree to whatever conditions they put forward."

Just as the partners and city councillors were arguing, a weak but firm voice came from the side.

"Ask the Savior Army for help."

Although the sound was faint, it suddenly stopped all the sounds at the scene.

That was the voice of the Honorable Archon Catherine. Holding onto the door frame, Catherine, whose face was as pale as paper, said firmly, "My opinion is, ask for help from the Salvation Army."

(End of this chapter)