The Lord Of Blood Hill

Chapter 605: No Concept of a Nation!

A few days later, the convoy reaches Ironwood Fort.Clifford patrols with Simon and the others at a trade point one kilometer away from the convoy headquarters.

Now, the place is a small trade zone formed by thirty four-wheeled wagons.

Wagons come and go from time to time. Some are delivery wagons from the convoy headquarters, but more belong to nearby residents and even Ogiro soldiers.

Some local residents also drive wagons or push carts here to set up stalls and sell goods.

The little trade market is bustling with people. It looks lively and carries no hint of war at all.

Clifford sees a group of Ogiro soldiers purchase hundreds of sets of weapons and armor, and he shows a worried expression.

Thinking that these weapons will later be used against his own country, Clifford glares fiercely at these invaders.

As if noticing Clifford's gaze, the officer leading them sizes up Clifford's outfit.

Then he makes a provocative gesture at Clifford.

The Ogiro soldiers immediately laugh along, mixed with insulting words directed at Clifford.

Clifford's captain of the guard raises a hand, grips his sword hilt, and draws it halfway.

Then Simon beside him presses it back down with one finger. "No fighting here. If you want to fight, go outside the safe zone and kill each other there."

Clifford glances at Simon. His captain of the guard is already at the level of a veteran Battle Knight.

Yet the guard captain draws his sword in anger, and Simon lightly presses it back down with one finger.

Looking at his guard captain's flushed cheeks and the veins standing out on his hand, it is clear that he is using all his strength.

But Simon remains perfectly calm. Clifford realizes that this young knight-order commander is actually a Grand Knight too.

And judging by his age, he is not yet thirty either.

What kind of magic does Henwell have?

How can he gather talents like these?

While Clifford is shocked, Simon says to his subordinates, "Go beat them up. Teach them a lesson."

"This is not their territory, at least not during this period."

"So they do not get to act like tyrants here. Our rules cannot be broken."

Simon's captain of the guard smiles. "General, what if they get angry and resist?"

Simon snaps, "What else? Kill them, of course. But do not deliberately provoke them either."

"My lord has reached an understanding with Diversion Bay. The overall situation comes first. Our most important mission is to deliver the supplies to Saltwater Town."

"Our brothers there are having a hard time. We cannot create unnecessary complications. Everything must place our own people first."

The guard captain puts away his smile, gives a serious military salute, then leads several dozen people off their horses and walks over.

The Ogiro officer and soldiers who had provoked them earlier do not even get a chance to fight back before being pinned down and beaten hard.

Clifford gives a bitter smile. "Being looked down on feels awful. I think that after Surrendering Military Overseer, I will gain another title in the future: Cowardly Military Overseer."

"Look at the way our people look at me. Their eyes are full of contempt. They must be cursing me in private for being useless."

Berkner gives a cold laugh. "What right do they have to laugh at you? Look at what they have been doing."

"Hemingway, tell the general what his people have bought and sold during this period."

Hemingway is thirty-five years old. He is a subordinate of Victor, Peace Haven's administrator, and can also be considered his student.

Over these years, he has been following Victor and assisting him in managing Peace Haven's government affairs.

He is the secretary-general of the Administrative Office Secretariat, and has now been appointed as the top manager of the supply convoy.

After he reaches Saltwater Town, he will take over the burden of government affairs from Browning and become the administrator there.

At the same time, he will also coordinate the government arrangements for Elia's foothold zone.

Hearing Berkner's question, Hemingway smiles and says, "Lumir's people mainly buy our goods."

"According to our tracking, they resell those goods to the local residents and to Ogiro's garrison."

Berkner looks at Clifford. "Do you see the problem?"

Clifford sighs. "Our people are used to doing business. We have embarrassed ourselves in front of you."

Berkner shakes his head. "That is not what I mean. We also do business, and in that respect we are very similar to Lumir."

"Just like now. We are clearly on the front line and clearly surrounded by the enemy army, yet we still dare do business with them."

"Forget other supplies. We even dare sell them weapons and equipment."

"What I truly want to say is this: among your people, not a single one wants to buy weapons and equipment."

"Hemingway, how much weaponry and equipment did our convoy bring this time?"

Hemingway smiles. "Enough to arm three legions. If we use the standard of garrison legions, it can arm two more."

Berkner looks at Clifford. "Do you see it now? Do you understand? My lord has given your people a chance."

"You should know that in Ogiro's occupied zone, there are many caravan guards and many guards belonging to major merchants."

"As for the common people, many of them have served as caravan guards as well. It is not as if they have no combat skills at all."

"But they did not choose to resist. We have delivered weapons and equipment to their doors, yet they still show no intention of buying them."

Clifford freezes for a moment, then explains, "War is the business of us soldiers. How can they fight Ogiro's soldiers?"

"It is true that our commercial atmosphere is too strong, and we have neglected martial spirit in many areas. That is why our military strength is the weakest among the countries."

Simon cuts in, "You have seen Hemingway's supply convoy as well. From the wagon drivers to the other workers, do you think none of them can fight?"

Clifford has noticed the convoy members during the previous Early Spring Campaign.

Whether in reaction speed or combat quality, they have reached the standard of a standing legion.

In that battle, some small Ogiro cavalry units tried to attack the convoy and create chaos in the rear.

But all of them were blocked by the convoy guard force.

Their precise military crossbow marksmanship and skilled coordination with cart-mounted ballistae made them look more like a well-trained army.

Hemingway explains, "Our convoy members were not selected from the army. Some are drafted reservists, while the rest are original members of the merchant convoys."

Simon then says something that shocks Clifford even more.

"During Peace Haven's most dangerous period, Peace Haven temporarily conscripted 150,000 reservists."

"Among them were farmers, merchants, workers, and even serfs who knew to volunteer."

"We had already prepared for the worst."

"If the front line failed, we would shrink the defensive line and make sure the three countries lost all their armies in the continued attack."

"The lady of our house sent all the estate guards onto the battlefield. She personally put on armor and led the maidservants in taking responsibility for the estate's defense."

"All of Peace Haven, from top to bottom, had already begun risking everything."

"Because we knew that we were not fighting for Peace Haven. We were fighting for ourselves and for everything we now possessed."

"And what about you? Your country is nearly destroyed, yet not a single rebel army has risen in the rear."

"So it is not that your people lack martial spirit. It is that your people have no concept of a nation at all."

Faced with Simon's sharp judgment, Clifford falls into a long silence.

He too is asking himself where the country should go from here.

And where he himself should go from here.