In the 10th month of Year 589 of the Sacred Light Calendar, Major-General Baron Claude Han Ferd, the highest commanding officer of the Aueran colony on Nubissia, led part of Thundercrash and joined forces with Eiblont's 3rd Monolith Folk to attack the Shiksan colony of Vebator. With a total force of around 20,000 men, they swept through Toferd's border defence line with unstoppable momentum.
The Thundercrash Regiment, which was mainly made up of light cavalry, used their powerful offensive power to take down an important enemy stronghold in less than half an hour, opening up a path to the back of the defensive line at the border.
Following that, they used their agility to ambush, attack, and surround the three main forces of the Topfil standing army that had come to reinforce them, and they were able to annihilate the three main forces of the enemy.
After that, Claude commanded his troops to take over three enemy supply points and the corps command centre, cutting off the enemy's supply lines and forcing the 20 main battalions of Toferd to surrender.
With 20,000 men, they took the initiative to attack the enemy's border defence line, which was defended by 60,000 men. With less than 3,000 casualties, they wiped out Toferd and took more than 50,000 captives. That news shocked the entire Shiksan colony and Claude's name spread like wildfire.
Shiksan's Zokia had intended to send a folk as reinforcements at Port Vebator, but when they received news of Toferid's annihilation, they quickly pulled back their forces and guarded Port Vebator, allowing Thundercrash's light cavalry to roam freely outside the city and taunt them.
On the 20th of the 11th month, Claude arrived at Port Vebator with two lines of light cavalry.
"It's a pity we don't have many grenades left. Otherwise, we could try attacking Port Vebator," said Eiblont as he put down his precious monocular.
Eiblont put down his prized monocular and looked at the Shiksan soldiers on the walls, who looked as if they were about to face a great enemy, and said regretfully, "That's right.
Claude shook his head. "They're not invincible. Even if we had a thousand more, we wouldn't be able to take over Port Vebator.
Shiks still had a division of Seaking stationed at the port. Their long-range cannons could easily lock down half of the port.
On the other hand, we didn't bring any heavy artillery, so we couldn't pose a threat to these warships.
If we can't get rid of them, we won't be able to take over Port Vebator. "
"I know I'm thinking too much, but we're already at Port Vebator, yet we can't attack. It's not easy.
If we can take down Port Vebator, then this colonial war will be over.
Perhaps we'll be able to return to the kingdom's mainland in glory and enjoy peace instead of staying here to continue this long war … "General Eiblont sighed.
"The end of this war doesn't depend on whether we can take Port Vebator or not. Instead, it depends on whether the Shiksan rulers have the confidence to continue this colonial war.
The way I see it, it's better not to take over Port Vebator. We've already wiped out three of the enemy's corps, so Shiks will have to send a few more corps over.
When they come, we'll come back and reap the harvest. By then, not only will we have war achievements, we'll also have captives and spoils of war. It'll be like slaughtering pigs. We'll fatten them up before killing them. "
"Hahaha …" Claude's words caused the other officers to burst into laughter. The group of them stood a kilometer away from the walls and pointed at them arrogantly.
However, the enemy guards on the walls pretended to be blind and pretended not to see anything. None of the soldiers opened the gates in anger, allowing Claude and the others to observe the defences of the walls.
"Alright, let's go back. It seems the enemy has made up their mind to defend Port Vebator to the death. We won't be able to lure them out.
We came a little too late this time. The enemy has already harvested their second batch of potatoes from their ten thousand hectares of farmland outside the city. However, we can come back before the harvest next time and set fire to their crops so that they'll have a food shortage, "Claude said as he looked at the boundless farmland outside Port Vebator.
"General, if you do that, the Shiksan troops they send over will only stay in Port Vebator. If they don't disperse, how are we supposed to slaughter them like pigs in the future?" asked a lieutenant-colonel of Monolith 3rd Folk.
Claude smiled. "If Shiks sends a few more corps over, even if they stay in Port Vebator, it'll be a huge burden on their ocean transportation.
Without the food supply from the farmlands outside the city, the responsibility of resupplying will fall on Seaking and the Alliance.
In a few years, the two fleets will definitely collapse.
That's why the Shiksan hierarchy definitely won't let the corps stay in Port Vebator and eat their fill. They'll force them to go to war.
"Once they leave Port Vebator, they'll be like strangers in a foreign land. Our light cavalry will be able to block their field of vision.
By then, they'll be like fish under our knives. We can cut them however we want, hahaha … "
That night, Claude finished going through some documents in his tent and was about to wash up before going to bed.
He would be setting off the next morning. While Thundercrash suffered some heavy casualties, it was still a great victory to wipe out three enemy corps in one fell swoop.
After returning to Anfiston, he had to replenish his forces and train them. He also had to discuss the matter of Monolith 3rd Folk under Eiblont's command being converted to Thundercrash 2nd Folk. Finally, he had to report it to the ministry of the army for approval. There were a lot of things to do and it was extremely troublesome.
At that moment, his aide, Major Anders, came in to report that the rescued nikancha elder and leader were requesting an audience with Claude.
What were these nikancha up to? Why hadn't they fled yet? They were still gathered not far from the camp, where they had been forced to cultivate their fields.
It seemed that the race was rather lowly. They were so used to being slaves that they didn't know what to do with their freedom. It was only natural that they deserved to be oppressed by Shiks.
After Claude led Thundercrash to Port Vebator, they first broke through the defensive line at the border and forced the enemy's Toferdian standing corps to surrender.
Next, they marched straight into Port Vebator's walls, scaring the Shiksan standing guard at Port Vebator so badly that they didn't dare to come out and defend with all their might.
As a result, Thundercrash's light cavalry galloped through Port Vebator's colony, destroying many farms and Shiksan camps, saving hundreds of thousands of nikancha who had been mistreated and enslaved.
Naturally, Claude wasn't there to rescue the nikancha. It was just something he did along the way. After conquering the camps, Thundercrash only packed up their ammunition and valuables, leaving the potatoes and other grains for the nikancha. At the same time, they warned them to stay as far away as possible so that they wouldn't be captured by the Shiksan army and become slaves again.
For Claude and Thundercrash, everything they did was more than enough for the nikancha. While they looked down on them a little, they weren't as prejudiced against them as the Shiksans did and treated them like slaves.
So, they basically turned a blind eye to the nikancha and didn't care what they were up to. Even as more and more nikancha gathered at a farm not far from the camp, Thundercrash continued to ignore them.
Claude was a little puzzled. What were the nikancha elders and chiefs trying to do there so late at night?
He didn't want to meet them at first, but after some thought, he felt it was best to meet them and ask what they were up to. Their lives weren't his problem anyway.
As the jarl of Claude's guard platoon, Gum responsibly brought the four nikancha in with two guards and searched them. After making sure there were no problems, she stood behind Claude.
Anders and the two guards stood at the entrance of the tent, waiting for Claude's orders.
Of the four nikancha who entered, three were old and one was young. The oldest of the three had white hair and beard and looked to be in his sixties.
The second was the younger one, probably in his forties or fifties. He had a mustache and a fierce-looking face, which was rather rare among the starving nikancha. It was likely that he had a high status among the nikancha, so he was able to eat his fill.
The last one was thin and weak, but he had a serene expression on his face. Claude couldn't help but think of the old priests in charge of the shrines.
Behind the three nikancha was a person dressed in a black sackcloth robe. She also had her face covered. Judging from her figure, she seemed to be a woman.
It was no wonder Gum let out an angry grunt when she was searched.
The four nikancha bowed to Claude. Claude waved for them to sit down and had Anders serve them wine. It was the most basic form of hospitality.
To the nikancha, wine was better than tea. They preferred wine to tea.
Much to Claude's surprise, the old nikancha ordered tea, as did the woman beside him who was covered in a sackcloth robe.
"What business do you have with me at this hour?" Claude asked without beating around the bush.
"Honorable sir, we would like to ask if you are leaving tomorrow?" The old Kanto with a white beard stood up and asked respectfully.
Claude nodded. There was nothing to hide. Everyone in the camp was packing, so it was easy for the nikancha to come to that conclusion.
"Yes, we will break camp and set off tomorrow.
What's your name? "Claude asked.
"Esteemed Lord, my name is Mali. I used to be an elder of Markk Settlement, but it no longer exists. The despicable Shiksans destroyed our home," the old nikancha replied with a bow.
"Alright, Elder Mali. I sympathize with your tribe's plight.
However, is there a reason you came to ask if we are leaving tomorrow? "
"Honorable Lord, we, the pitiful nikancha who have lost our homes, have a very humble request. When you depart tomorrow, can you bring us nikancha to your kingdom's colony and let us build a small shack there as our home?
We are willing to offer our labor … "The old nikancha knelt before Claude.
Claude chuckled. That was impossible. The colonies already had too many nikancha. The idle nikancha had long become an unstable factor in the colonies.
Almost all the governors or town governors in the overseas colonies wanted to drive the troublemakers away, leaving only the honest, hardworking Nikancha who were willing to put their nose to the grindstone.
Before he set off, he had heard from Sir Bennett that two of the overseas colonies' National Councillors were working together to enact a law in the colonies. Only nikancha families who were employed and working would be allowed to live in the towns. All nikancha who did nothing would be chased out of the colonies.
The people who proposed the law believed that it would reduce the number of crimes committed by nikancha and bring peace to the townspeople.
Claude would only bring hundreds of thousands of nikancha back to the colonies if he had nothing better to do. Even though he pitied them for being enslaved by Shiks, what did that have to do with him?
Did he have to take responsibility for them after saving them?
"That's impossible.
Claude refused immediately. "Thundercrash saved you and turned you from slaves into free men, but that doesn't mean I have to take responsibility for your future.
I've always wondered why you didn't take the opportunity to escape after we liberated you. Instead, you gathered your people and stayed near our camp. So this is what you were planning?
I can't take you back to the colonies. Instead, I hope you can pack your bags and hide in the mountains to the north.
I'm certain that the Shiksan army in Port Vebator will come out to capture you after we leave.
If you are willing to be slaves, you can stay here and not move. "
The younger nikancha stood up. "We won't be slaves. In fact, I don't agree with Elder Mari's suggestion to leave with you.
I'm here to ask if you could leave us some firearms and ammunition. We'll take up arms and resist the Shiksans. "
Claude sized him up with interest. "Who are you? What's your name?"
The nikancha bowed. "Sir, I'm Kuka. I'm the leader of the strongest nikancha settlement on the west coast, Kumanli. We once killed more than a hundred Shiksan soldiers who entered our territory, but they sent a few thousand more after that."
"Do you know how to use firearms?" Claude asked.
"Of course. We bought more than two hundred firearms from adventurers. Otherwise, we wouldn't have killed so many Shiksan soldiers," Kuka replied confidently.
"Giving you some firearms and ammunition isn't a problem, but they're our spoils of war. Are you willing to pay for them?" Claude asked with a smile.
"Apologies, Sir. Our riches have all been plundered by those despicable Shiksans. However, I'm willing to exchange my most precious treasures for your firearms and ammunition," Kuka said.
As Kuka spoke, the woman in the sackcloth robe beside him stood up and undid her clothes ….
"This is my youngest daughter, Aimo. She's the saintess of our church.
I'm willing to offer her to you, Sir, and let her take care of your daily needs. I only ask that you treat her well. "
She was a nikancha girl of about seventeen or eighteen years of age. She was beautiful and had a sexy figure.
However, Claude only gave her a few glances and shook his head. "I don't need your daughter by my side, and you don't need to exchange your daughter for firearms and ammunition.
I have a suggestion for you guys to consider. This might be the best solution for you guys … "