Chapter 14: The Iron Army

The velvet cloak emphasized the noble status of the girl before them, with a purple ribbon casually tied into a beautiful bow at her chest. The cloak and overcoat covered the girl, who had just stepped out of the carriage, from head to toe, leaving only half of her delicate face and strands of brown hair hanging down to reveal her freshness and vitality.

Three four-wheeled carriages stopped silently in front of the outpost on the border. The group of knights following behind remained proudly on their horses, waiting for the reaction of the sentries on the other side.

From a distance, it was clear that the outpost was no longer just a mere decoration like those of the former Kingdom of Nicosia. Aside from the dilapidated flagpole at the front being freshly painted, the new flag displayed a snarling bear’s head, signaling that this place no longer fell under the rule of the Romanov family.

“Uncle Metelev, do you mean this is that guy’s territory?” The girl’s clear and melodious voice sounded like silver bells in the wind, bringing comfort even to the old man who had heard it for years. No one else on the continent could match her voice; listening to her sing was like receiving blessings from the gods.

“Your Highness, please be more careful with your words. You’re right—east of here, all the way to the Sea of Darkness and the Midland Ocean, is Lord Komer’s territory. This area used to be the most fertile land of the Kingdom of Nicosia, but it still belongs to the Romanov family, while that place has changed hands. Your Highness, officials will be coming soon. Please be careful with what you say. You represent the Principality of Bessarabia, and we must not lose propriety.”

The old man could only smile bitterly at the girl’s deliberate provocation. This princess had been spoiled by the grand duke, but this time it was different—long-term interests of both sides were at stake. The grand duke had sent him along precisely because he was worried that Princess Vyrana’s capriciousness might undermine their strategic cooperation.

“Lose propriety? Didn’t you say those lands are inhabited by barbarians with curved horns and fangs? How could they understand the etiquette of mortals? Maybe they can’t even understand our language.” The girl tilted her head with a playful smile.

“Oh, gods! Princess, please never say such things—words like that, if heard by those people, will bring a lot of trouble.” Meiterev was shocked. He had no idea where Verana had learned such things. Though the barbarians were wild and untamed, they were now in the heart of Nicosia. Even if they were savage, they should understand the rules under Komer’s guidance. Even if there were problems, it wasn’t right for them to interfere.

“Uncle Meiterev, you’re being too cautious. We’re so far away—how could they possibly hear us? Besides, we’re guests here. What can they do even if they hear us? Unless that guy can’t control these barbarians.” Verana covered her mouth and laughed. Her delicate appearance even stunned an old man like Meiterev. If Komer didn’t cherish her, he was truly blind—a pity that would last a lifetime.

While Meiterev and his group were whispering among themselves, the outpost across from them had already reacted.

Ragulu approached, somewhat puzzled. Walking alongside him was Sido from the Stormtrooper Regiment—two equally towering and fierce men. Though they tried hard to downplay their brutal aura as ordered from above, it didn’t seem to work very well.

This outpost leading to the Katyn region didn’t have many troops stationed there—just one squadron each from the Rock Regiment and the Stormtrooper Regiment. There were no fortresses, no towns, just an outpost, two squadrons of soldiers, and a small group led by a Earth Dragon to symbolize strength. That was all the armed forces between Katyn and Gothenburg.

Neither Komer nor Fran had considered the need for formal welcoming rituals at this outpost. In their view, it was unlikely that Kakiya and the Northern Alliance would provoke them in the short term. And if war really broke out, even ten times more troops wouldn’t help. So it was sufficient to have a symbolic force there to fulfill the duty.

“Uh, may I ask what brings you here?” Ragulu tried his best to appear polite, but his rough, deep voice and significantly taller stature still made Meiterev and his group feel uneasy. The four standing knights had to rely on the height of their horses to maintain balance; otherwise, the two opponents would make them feel extremely oppressed.

Meiterev frowned. He had already sent someone to deliver the letter earlier. Could it be that none of these guys could read?

Seeing the puzzled looks on the other side, Lagulu and Sido both scratched their heads awkwardly. “Sorry, we don’t understand your mortal language.”
Mendeleev sighed. It seemed he would have to communicate with these foolish guys verbally. Hopefully, their brains weren’t as hard as granite.
“We are an envoy convoy from the Principality of Bessarabia. At Lord Komer’s invitation, we are going to visit Ugru. We ask for your necessary protection and care along the way. Do you understand what I mean?”
Lagulu muttered unhappily. Wasn’t this treating him and Sido like fools? It was impossible to not understand such a simple sentence, even for Sido.
“You want us to report this and provide escort, right? We can only report to Gothenburg; beyond that, we’re powerless. We have our duties, and we’re ordered not to leave this place.”
The girl raised her eyebrows, her teasing gaze falling on the two tall men. “Hey, do you know any manners? We are honored guests. You must ensure our safety. It’s an honor for you to escort us.”
“Sorry, we’re soldiers. We only follow orders. Everything else isn’t part of our duties,” Sido said, shaking his head. “Our orders are to guard this place and prevent foreign armies from entering.”
“Hmph! Can such a small group really guard this place? If the enemy really attacks, can you hold them back?” a knight sneered coldly.
Lagulu glanced at him and said calmly, “Whether we can hold them back isn’t up to us. But if they want to get through, they’ll have to step over our corpses.”
“Dareful!”
“Arrogant!”
The knights shouted angrily, drawing their swords from their scabbards.
Lagulu and Sido ignored them, gave them a cold stare, then turned and left with a single sentence: “Sorry, I’ll report this to Gothenburg. You do as you please.”
Mendeleev and his group finally passed the checkpoint. The guards didn’t cause any trouble, merely watching them leave with cold gazes. Even after they had gone two miles away, Mendeleev still couldn’t help but look back at the group of motionless soldiers still standing at the checkpoint.
“Tumoka, what do you think of this army?” After a long while, Mendeleev turned back with a complex expression and asked the knight who had been by his side the whole time.

“We might be able to defeat or even kill them, but we can’t break them. Traits like ferocity, bravery, and brutality can be found in other armies as well, but loyalty, firmness, and resilience are undoubtedly qualities only the best soldiers possess—and that’s exactly what I see in these men. If Komer’s army has such qualities, I can hardly imagine any other army capable of matching these barbarian forces, who are already superior to ordinary people in terms of physical strength.”

The knight remained silent for a while before slowly saying, “It’s only logical that the Gallics and Silesians were defeated by this army. I’ve watched the Gallic army’s drills; though well-trained, they couldn’t withstand such an army. It’s true that Komer rose from being a minor lord in Nicosia to become closely associated with this army, but I find it hard to understand. From what we know, Komer was a dissolute man indulged in wine and women even before going to the Caucasus—basically a scoundrel. So why did he perform so well there?”

“Tumoka, it seems you’ve forgotten that before going to the Caucasus, he was exiled for three years,” said MeZhukov calmly.

“Mr. MeZhukov, it was two and a half years, but is two and a half years enough to transform a person?” the knight retorted. “I don’t think so.”

“Then what do you think is the reason, Tumoka?” MeZhukov asked calmly.

“I don’t know. That’s exactly what we want to find out on this trip,” Tumoka said with a shrug.

Vyrana listened with interest to the conversation between MeZhukov, whom her father trusted the most, and Tumoka, who was regarded as the most promising knight leader in Transylvania. Just a few simple-minded barbarian soldiers had already left the two deeply impressed. It seemed this man, who might become her fiancé, was quite interesting. It was said that some women were also eyeing a position by this new lord. When had the stars of Transylvania fallen to competing with other women for men? At the thought of this, Vyrana felt frustrated.

“Tumoka, then do you think the armies of the Northern Alliance can match this army?” MeZhukov asked insinuatingly.

Tumoka glanced at MeZhukov. “Ants can kill elephants. The Northern Alliance’s armies are not comparable to Komer’s in terms of numbers, nor in terms of military potential—unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless they’re given time and allies.”