North bank of Lion Heart River, Peacock City.

This unobtrusive small city is located between the two very large towns of Rock Creek City, the most important town in the south of the empire, and Giant Whale City, the westernmost point of the mainland, at the mouth of the Lion Heart River. It happens to occupy the middle of the Lion Heart River.

Central location in the downstream basin.

However, the geographical conditions around this small town are really too harsh:

The mighty Lion Heart River only slows down south of Yanxi City, leaving a channel for ferries to travel. Once the Lion Heart River passes through Yanxi City and reaches the vicinity of Peacock City, it will suddenly turn downward due to the terrain, and the river will

The narrowing and rapid increase in flow speed made it impossible for any caravan with any sense to choose to cross the river near Peacock City;

In addition, this place may have been a salt lake in ancient times. Now that the lake has dried up, it has left saline-alkali land around Peacock City where crops cannot be grown. This has led to the fact that Peacock City has always been located in Rock Creek City.

Under the pressure of two important towns in the east and west of the city, it became the only poor settlement on the north bank of the Lion Heart River.

If it weren't for the fact that there were several copper mines around Peacock City, which supported a group of unlucky miners who couldn't eat enough every day, this wretched place would have been emptied of people long ago, with not even a single household left.

It stands to reason that the pampered southern aristocrats would never set foot in such a shabby place in their lives - just looking at the casual workers in the mines, the black-faced miners wandering the streets of Peacock City, the aristocratic gentlemen thought they were dirty.

into his own eyes.

But there were unforeseen circumstances. In the deep winter of the nine hundred and ninety-fourth year of the empire's calendar, the nobles in the southern empire still had to hold their noses and place the coalition's war council in Peacock City:

It stands to reason that whenever the southern nobles want to organize a coalition, the headquarters should be located in Rock Creek City - this huge city has been the military hub of the empire in the south against the demons since ancient times, and its control power is enough to radiate to the entire Lion Heart.

The Henan River Basin is considered a natural location for the headquarters;

Unfortunately, since the civil strife in the Grand Duchy of Houston, this important southern town has fallen into a state of disconnection:

The Grand Duke of Houston, who was always causing trouble, not only failed to provide any soldiers for the noble coalition to resist the demon attack, he even closed the Rock Creek City tightly, which frustrated the southern nobles who tried to lead troops in.

.

After shouting and yelling, the imperial nobles were still at their wits' end:

Rock Creek City is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Houston. If the Grand Duke of Houston won't open the door, you can't just drive a siege truck to open the door, right?

But Yanxi City closed its doors and thanked guests, so where should the military council of the coalition be placed?

When winter first came, the noble gentlemen and Count Dimitri all ate seafood and discussed military matters in the Whale City;

But now, they have learned about the invasion of the orcs in Frost Maple Ridge. After hurriedly escaping back to the north bank of the Lion Heart River, they can no longer stay in the Giant Whale City: this coastal city is too far to the west.

, it is impossible to coordinate the defense planning of the entire Lion Heart River Basin.

The Giant Whale City was too remote, and Rock Creek City refused to allow entry. The imperial nobles looked left and right, but they could only settle in the Peacock City, which was hated by gods and ghosts.

What is quite ironic is that there was no news of the invasion of the orcs before. Everyone in the southern nobles urged Count Dimitri to disband the coalition and let everyone go back to welcome the New Year. They simply had the four words "stay alone" written on their faces;

But after the orcs really came, this group of nobles suddenly became extremely frightened. They pounded the table in the military council and asked for further recruitment and faster deployment of troops. In an instant, they seemed to become the purest and most loyal patriots.

Already;

It can only be said that these bastards finally realized the truth of the situation at a critical moment:

If the orcs are really allowed to cross the Lion's Heart River, then all of us southern humans will have nothing to gain!

However, more than ten days have passed since this group of nobles escaped from Frost Maple Ridge. The daily military meetings were very lively with your singing and my appearance, but there was not much movement in the actual military deployment.

Since the beginning of winter, the major territories in the south have successively recruited about 30,000 and nearly 40,000 troops. Although the good and bad are mixed, and they are full of wine and food bags, they are arranged in a mighty formation, and the momentum is indeed quite strong;

However, so far, nearly 70% of the human coalition forces are still stationed in the military camps near Peacock City, consuming food and patience, and less than one-third of them have actually been sent to deploy defenses at important crossings along the Lion Heart River;

Even the heavy weapons and equipment contributed by the major territories were only symbolically installed on the north bank. Most of them were still covered with oilcloth in the Peacock City barracks and eating ashes...

As for the mages in each territory, it's even more outrageous: after this group of magic professionals followed the lord to Peacock City, not only did they not set off to the front line, but they were busy seducing local women from good families every day. On December 25th,

On that day, there was even a cuckold miner who learned that his wife had cheated on the magician. He picked up a hoe and wanted to take revenge. As a result, he was laughed to pieces by the rogue magicians. The whole city was furious for a while, and finally the Whale City was destroyed.

Marquis Moby Dicko came forward to "justice" and fired those magicians with corrupt moral character, thus stabilizing the situation...

All these bad things are because the military council composed of southern nobles is quarreling and arguing every day!

According to common sense, in the southern governor-general of the empire, there are at least three people who can take charge of the overall situation:

The first one was Count Dimitri, the southern governor of the empire - he stayed in Frost Maple Ridge and did not return.

The second one is the Grand Duke of Houston, a veteran southern aristocrat. The phone line in Rock Creek City is busy and this person cannot be found;

Not to mention the third one, a certain "President Southern Military Affairs" who just took office...

To sum up, among the dozens of local nobles in the Military Council who behave like dogs, none of them can keep their word.

Military affairs are all about the distribution of interests. Who will garrison where and who will die at the front? This is all related to the interests of their own territory. Although the nobles in the southern part of the empire are determined to resist the orcs, no one has the internationalism to send their own people to garrison in dangerous areas.

In spirit, everyone said that the public was right and the mother-in-law was right, and they kept arguing for a long time, thus creating the current dilemma of "empty army, no one enters the field".

This day is December 31st of the 994th year of the imperial calendar, New Year's Eve.

At seven o'clock in the evening, as usual, the nobles from the southern part of the empire gathered on the second floor of the only decent pub in Peacock City, the Kingfisher Feather, and held a pretentious "military meeting."

The process is no different from before:

Just after the meeting, everyone sadly reflected on the failure of yesterday's meeting (every day was a failure), blamed themselves for being too selfish, and ultimately failed to reach any consensus. Then they apologized to each other for yesterday's inappropriate words and deeds, and said they were laughing away from each other.

The meeting officially started in a happy atmosphere.

Then, the only lord with a slightly higher status, Marquis Moby Dicko, brought out the problems accumulated yesterday and the new problems that emerged today for everyone to discuss.

At the beginning of the discussion, everyone was still hypocritical, and the words were full of petty bourgeois rose colors;

But as the topic deepened and touched on the core interests of each major territory, especially when it came to the topic of "whose soldiers should be stationed on the front line", swear words, personal attacks, slaps and boots began to fly around the conference table.

.

Seeing the noisy nobles huddled together, Marquis Moby Dicko, who wanted to bring about a result, could only do the same as yesterday (and the day before yesterday, the day before yesterday, the day before yesterday, and the day before yesterday), huddled in the room.

In the corner, he was sipping a glass of absinthe sadly, his heart filled with the bitterness of "There are no heroes, but they are ranked with Zhuzi".

——In the two days after returning from Frost Maple Ridge, Marquis Moby Dicko still had the heart to take charge of the overall situation and knit the major territories into a rope on behalf of the Governor who was not here;

But soon he discovered, who listens to you!

Among other things, there are no dukes among these imperial nobles, but there are several marquises. When it comes to noble titles, no one is afraid of you, the Marquis of the Giant Whale City!

Moreover, although Giant Whale City is the second largest city in the south after Rock Creek City, because it is located on the seaside and eats the profits from the demon sea trade and fishery, it is naturally incompatible with the inland territory - the southern nobles are fighting

When it comes to fighting, there is quite a consensus on this point: no matter who is in charge of the overall situation, we can't let you be a pidgin!

However, on the night of December 31st, as he drank one glass after another with a grimace as usual, and was not in a cheerful mood to welcome the New Year, Marquis Moby Dicko did not realize that the goddess of fate and the turtle

Internet writers who use quick code characters all seem to have a special preference for the saying "new year, new atmosphere"——

——So this New Year’s Eve is destined to be extremely unusual.

When Marquis Moby Dico choked on a particularly strong drink and coughed, the nobles around the conference table were fighting over reconnaissance matters.

The thing is also very simple: although as early as the 12th, they got the news of the orc invasion in Frost Maple Ridge...

…But now it’s New Year’s Eve. Even if you open the window and raise a telescope, there is still no trace of the orcs on the other side of the Lion Heart River?

Therefore, under the suggestion of an officer in a certain territory who did not mind the trouble, the nobles began to consider whether they should send a few scouts to the Soul-Splitting Land to explore the situation.

——Yes, more than half a fucking month has passed, and we haven’t even sent a single scout to the other side.

However, regarding this issue, a southern count with a fat head and a pig head made the most representative statement:

"I want to send your fucking faction! Why on earth would I let my scouts go!"

Then, with the bitter wine in his throat and heartache, Marquis Moby Dick heard another noble lady ask loudly:

"That's not right! If the orcs are about to attack across the river, shouldn't that little bastard from the Igor family in Frost Maple Ridge send us a message about the Winter Pigeon?"

"Report with a hammer!" the pig-headed noble scolded, "How can their small, forced-raised territory stop the damn Federation orcs?! You've already lost your own life, and why are you reporting to us? Maybe now, the orcs

Just eating their ashes from Shuangmangling with rice!"

"What about the Governor?" The noble lady covered her mouth with a fan, "Didn't the Governor stay in that garbage territory?"

"That bastard Dimitri is the governor, right?" The pig-headed nobleman sneered again and again, "The rice mixed with the ashes of the governor is even more fragrant! Let me tell you clearly, those cerebral palsy people must have been crushed to pieces by the orc army.

Got it!"

"Then, what should we do?!" The noble lady's face turned pale, "If the orcs come over, we haven't prepared our defenses yet! I, we have to send scouts across the river to take a look!"

"I want to send your fucking faction! Why on earth would I let my scouts go!"

——At this point, a cycle has been successfully completed.

A similar painful conversation was repeated for about four and six-nine times with different patterns, and was finally interrupted by a loud sound that shook the earth - someone slammed open the door of the room with such force that it even

It shook several noble gentlemen sitting near the door off their chairs.

"Fuck!" The pig-headed nobleman turned around and wanted to settle the score with the person who opened the door. He wanted to see which hotel server served him with alcohol and was so uncultured;

Then, his next word stuck in his throat.

Because the person who walked through the door and walked into the house with flying dust was a blond woman who was as heroic as a gladiolus and as beautiful as any other. She wore white and silver armor, a gold and a silver sword hanging on her waist and a sword hanging on her chest.

The family crest dazzled the nobles in the room for a moment.

The pig-headed nobleman was stunned for three seconds. He was just thinking about which grandson of the nobleman present was so handsome and blessed with such a beautiful swordsman girl. Then he saw a familiar black-haired young man following behind the blonde swordswoman.

He walked slowly into the house.
To be continued...