Although the front-line battle reports still boast victories, always small victories, dium victories, and great victories, it seems as if as long as Horn provides enough weapons and armor, they could push back to Huaqiu City in one sweep.
But Horn knows very well that this is not the case.
Judging from Ottatila's letters and the intelligence from the Salvation Army officers on the front line, the situation is tilting in an unfavorable direction.
The area of Black Snake Bay is almost twice that of Thousand River Valley, yet it only has five counties.
The Eastern County is the domain of Snake-n, monsters, and barbarians, the Western County is mostly controlled by the Church, the Central County barely maintains its defense with the natural barrier of the Ibe River, and the Southern County has been completely surrounded and divided.
One-third of the Southern County was already a Church-controlled area, and now only Solaburg, an important fortress, remains in the hands of the Secret Faction; other strongholds are either cleared or under siege.
Even so, several witches led by Athena and Selomis disagreed with Horn heading south.
Or more accurately, they are not willing to invite Horn proactively, but they do not reject Horn taking the initiative to head south.
Athena represents the interests of the Secret Faction in the Southern County border trade and refuses to accept the tariff agreent.
Selomis worries about Horn's Miseria Church identity, fearing even more that Black Snake Bay would turn into a territory of "Miseria Church", unwilling to join the Holy Axis nor to accept stationed troops.
Horn is not worried about this.
He knows that when the situation intensifies and threatens the core survival interests of the Secret Faction, even if the witches do not bow their heads, the people below will force them to.
By that ti, the newly ford Northern County new army will co into play.
Horn has been busy constructing this Northern County new army during this ti.
This new troop formation will include 8 infantry regints, with each regint of 500 n divided into 10 squads of 50 (previously known as brigades), with the number ranging from 4000 to 5000 people.
In terms of Holy Force allocation, each regint still has 200 Holy Gunn and 300 Long Spear Soldiers, whereas the battle group's infantry regint will have 300 Holy Gunn and 200 Long Spear Soldiers.
If necessary, the Battle Commander can dispatch Holy Gunn to support cavalry or subordinate infantry regints.
Each infantry regint is equipped with 3 Spring-Loaded Falcon Cannons firing 3-pound shells or canister shots, with each cannon operated by one gunner and two service soldiers.
The original hand cannon squads and leather cannon squads have been replaced by Spring-Loaded Falcon Cannons, only the Imperial Guard still retains the helical gun and lifting cannon formations.
Besides ordinary soldiers, there is also an officer corps, comprised of 80 stewards (Brigade Commanders) leading 50 n squads, 8 regint leaders, 1 battle group commander, 1 quartermaster, 2 military chaplains, 2 clerks, 2 military judges, and 3 barber-surgeons.
Additionally, there are 300 to 400 service soldiers with the army, led by a half-officer nature service chief, including positions such as standard-bearers, drumrs, and armorers among the service soldiers.
This kind of army forms a standardized new army battle group.
Of course, in the process of combat and developnt, these new army battle groups will develop different tactical styles due to founders, commanders, customs, and group differences.
For instance, the Imperial Guard retains so heavy infantry, known by outsiders as the Holy Armor Forbidden Army's First Infantry Regint.
While the Black Champion, apart from the black feathers on the helts, often equips the army with weapons like halberds, bows, and flails because many in the Black Champion are mountain dwellers, rcenaries, and armored soldiers.
But he couldn't fathom what style this new Black Snake Bay corps would exhibit... Thinking about this made Horn's originally plain face stiffen.
He has already discerned a hint of this new Black Snake Bay army's style from its battle group's na.
Horn saw several good nas for the new battle group, such as Embers Battle Group representing Black Snake Bay's rebirth, Midnight Warband representing opposition to the Church.
But he never thought, no matter how much he racked his brains, that the na this Northern County elected for the battle group would be [Divine Punishnt Battle Group], with an inverted Triple Crown as its emblem, and the motto, "Once slaves, now judges."
A battle group composed of anti-Church individuals, surprisingly called Divine Punishnt Battle Group? Though full of irony, are they not afraid outsiders would think they are Miseria Church fanatics?
Really cannot understand the thought process of this group of Black Snake Bay people.
Shaking his head, he picked up the conscription roster and regulations manual at hand, leafing through them page by page.
The Northern County Council recruited around 1600 people and started training, while Horn provided two-thirds of the officers and Gun Captains (leaders of ten-man squads) as well as 500 Holy Gunn.
It is expected that by late March, they will be able to form 4 infantry regints, in conjunction with the Guard Battle Group personally led by Horn and the prototype Griffin Cannon, enough to head south to counterattack the Church.
However, the timing of the counterattack is open for discussion.
"Knock knock!" Raphael peeked his head halfway through the door, "Your Majesty, Drogba, the envoy of the Sun of Dawn, is here to see you again. Should I send him away?"
"No need, he ca at the right ti, let him in." Snapping his fingers, Horn motioned with a beckoning hand.
Within minutes, a gaunt man draped in a silk robe walked into the office. He had the signature smooth chin and bushy mustache typical of the people from Black Snake Bay.
Walking briskly to Horn's desk, he bent down and gave a rough, casual salute.
The attendant nearby served a cup of blue sap coffee, but Mr. Drogba didn't even glance at it and pushed it aside, asking directly, "Mr. Horn, it's already the end of February. Aren't you heading south yet?"
"The situation at the front line isn't that urgent. None of the Witch Ladies have sent letters seeking help." Horn lounged leisurely on his chair, staring playfully at the attendant in front of him, "Are you in a hurry?"
"But the sooner you get to the front line, the fewer people of ours will die."
"It's not my Holy Axis people dying, so why should I care?"
"The people of Black Snake Bay have helped you."
"Am I not helping the people of Black Snake Bay now? Haven't you seen the ships on the river outside?"
Taking a deep breath, Drogba rubbed his fingers together and finally gritted his teeth, "What do you want? Money, won, or rare items, we can provide them all."
"What I want is very simple, still the usual three." Narrowing his eyes, Horn raised three fingers, "Join the Black Snake Bay Federation, relinquish diplomatic rights and tariffs, and accept the stationing of the Holy Axis' troops."
"You, you're taking advantage of our misfortune!" Drogba sprang up, shouting in fury, "We from Black Snake Bay have aided you."
"Was it Black Snake Bay that helped , or was it the few Secret Faction mbers from Black Snake Bay that aided ?" Horn's voice was calm and unhurried, but it silenced Drogba's words before he could speak them out.
"The Ruo'an Faction made the most effort, so I gave them the best terms." Horn stood up, leisurely moving around to the front of the long table, "I trained their army for free, supplied weapons and Holy Guns for free, transported as many grains and fabrics as they needed, I even had my soldiers take the field to help them eradicate the Church's strongholds in the Northern County.
Regarding the Central County, Celestial Maiden City gave us Red Dragon's Breath and Green Dragon's Breath, and although it involved calling in favors with Lady Louise, I am still grateful.
Not only did I supply agricultural tools, grains, fabrics, and weapons in abundance, but I plan to mount the Griffin Cannons on ships to help them bombard the Church's bridgehead across the Ibe River, because they helped .
So I must ask, during the Thousand River Valley's plight, what did your Sun of Dawn and Golden Cross Association do?"
Picking up the blue sap coffee on the table, Horn took a gentle sip and leaned against the edge of the table facing him.
From the envoy's angle, he could only see Horn's belly button area, where there was a simple black cloth button, but it felt like an eye staring intently at him.
"Even so, I still provided tens of thousands of tons of grain and thousands of weapons to the Southern County front line. Who exactly is taking advantage of whom?"
"Alright, I admit I overstated it, but Black Snake Bay is a collective whole."
"The phrase 'Black Snake Bay is a collective whole' is not sothing for you to say!" blowing the mist floating from the cup, Horn casually said in a low voice, "Wasn't it you few Secret Factions that drove Black Snake Bay into division?
My terms have been agreed upon by the Northern County, agreed upon by the Central County, agreed upon by the Western County, everyone thinks the terms are fine, it's just you who disagree."
"Black Snake Bay people will never be slaves; your terms are too harsh. If you could ease them a little, His Excellency Selomis would surely..." Drogba had to continue to argue.
"The Holy Axis cannot provide support to you without limitation, without reason, or without compensation. I know my demands will take away a part of your sovereignty, but without external force, Black Snake Bay cannot be united.
I am not donating to you, nor are you donating to . We are united by mutual interests; Black Snake Bay People and Thousand River Valley People are one family.
If you think compensated assistance harms the interests of Black Snake Bay People, then isn't uncompensated assistance harming the interests of Thousand River Valley People?
Black Snake Bay People have always prided themselves on equality. Could it be that they think they are superior to of Thousand River Valley People? Wanting everything without giving anything, that's impossible."
Standing up again, Horn took a drink of blue sap coffee to moisten his throat: "I'll say it again; I only offer you two choices!"
Drogba raised his head, staring at Horn's calm and even smiling face, but the chill in his heart was relentlessly rising.
"Either open your doors and beco one of us, inviting to move south to assist you, or wait until the Church has killed you all, and then I'll take my soldiers to expel the Church." Knocking on the table with his knuckles, Horn turned around with his coffee and walked back to his original position, "Don't think my words won't co true... Raphael, see the guest out!"
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