Hallmark followed Wang Lun’s words and returned to him after dispatching the soldiers.
Wang Lun was still waiting in the study as Hallmark re-entered.
“My lord, all settled!”
Hallmark saluted.
Wang Lun nodded in response.
“Can you give me the mission now?” Hallmark asked.
“I order you to lead a brigade of 100 infantry and 50 cavalrymen. You will secretly leave the city from the other direction and take a detour to Red Canyon. As soon as the soldiers ahead engage in a battle with the enemy, you will charge out with your brigade and kill the enemy. I want none of them alive.”
Wang Lun read the books he brought from Earth and learned a lot about strategy.
“What kind of strategy is that?” Hallmark chuckled.
Wang Lun said, “The art of diversion!”
Hallmark led his soldiers quietly out of the city from the other direction.
“General Hallmark, we should be getting a lot of military merit for fighting the bandits this time, right?”a soldier asked.
Hallmark was promoted to general, and many soldiers were looking forward to the time they could earn enough military merit to seek a high official position.
There was no soldier who didn’t wish to become an officer worthy of admiration. But to do so, one had to kill enough enemies.
This time, wiping out the bandits would be a great opportunity to increase their military merit. Not only that, but they could also earn additional money.
Over the winter, even a soldier supported by the city hall spent almost all his money.
“As long as you are capable enough to hang the enemy’s head around your waist, you’ll certainly earn military merit,” Hallmark sat on his horse and said.
“Right now I’m still a recruit, but I’ll become a private soon. I’m sure I’ll be promoted after this battle.”
The soldier named Bruce said as he patted his chest.
“Oh, give me a break! I’ll snatch the head of the man you kill and hang it on my own waist,” the tall and stout Griffin beside him laughed.
“Hahaha, that’s not good, mate. It’s against the rules set by the baron.”
“Be careful or I’ll get rid of you too, so I don’t have to pay back the money I lost to you the last time we played cards,” Bruce said in an annoyed tone.
“Yeah but you can’t die! Or else I’ll lose a lot of money,” Griffin stepped forward and wrapped one arm around Bruce, who was thinner than himself.
“Stop saying such things before we’re even on the battlefield. Although the enemies are bandits, you’d all better return safely and not bring me shame,” Hallmark turned around and said.
“Okay, General, I will protect him well,” Griffin made a swearing gesture.
Hallmark glanced at the soldiers behind him and didn’t say another word. Thereafter, no one spoke for the rest of the trip.
Soon after, the troops led by Hallmark reached Red Canyon and stayed hidden. They didn’t show themselves in plain sight.
“It seems that the advance party hasn’t yet arrived,” Hallmark said, sitting down on the ground.
Right now, Hallmark and his soldiers were in a high location, where there was enough dense forest to serve as a cover. Of course, they could clearly see half of Red Canyon.
If any situation were to occur down there, they would be able to see it at a glance.
“Bruce, take over for me! I want to take a break.”
Griffin, who was on guard duty, turned and said to Bruce, who was sitting on the ground and polishing his weapon.
Bruce slowly lifted his head to look at Griffin, shook his head, and said, “Is that all a huge boulder like you is capable of?”
Griffin said, “Mate, I didn’t sleep well last night. We are gonna have a battle later, so I have to recharge!”
Bruce rolled his eyes, stood up, and walked toward Griffin, saying, “You’d better not lie to me, or I’m gonna give it to you.”
Not long after, movements were spotted in the direction of Red Canyon.
Thick smoke and dust billowed in the air like a gigantic dragon shuttling across the air. Soon, it would reveal its true identity.
Bruce witnessed everything. He didn’t inform the other soldiers who were currently resting, but continued to fix his gaze on the movement of the smoke and dust.
Bruce said his prayers so softly that no one heard him.
At the next moment, the maker of the smoke and dust finally weaved out of the canyon.
It was a gang of bandits riding horses. There were also a lot of them walking on foot at the rear.
“My God. How can we possibly defeat them with 100 of us here?”
Looking at the bandits that kept appearing, Bruce let out a gasp of surprise.
“What’s wrong, soldier?” Hallmark heard Bruce’s voice.
Bruce turned around and stammered, “General, the bandits are here!”
“What?” Hallmark hurriedly stood up and went to Bruce’s side.
“These bast*rds. They are most likely here to intercept the merchants,” Hallmark guessed.
“That doesn’t sound right! General, they are heading in that direction,” Bruce said, pointing to the distance.
Hallmark looked over and his eyes suddenly widened, “No good. They must be waiting to ambush our advance party. This is terrible, soldier.”
Hallmark turned around and woke the sleeping soldiers. The cavalrymen moved off first, followed by the infantries.
Hallmark finally understood why Wang Lun let the advance party march out of the city in plain sight of the people. It was apparent that Wang Lun had already figured things out.
However, Hallmark was also aware that Wang Lun had placed the key to this victory on him. If the advance party was wiped out by the enemy’s ambush, this battle would certainly end in defeat.
When Hallmark’s troops arrived at the scene, the advance party was already engaging in a battle with the bandits.
Fortunately, the advance party didn’t crumble thanks to the efficient training they received.
With a command from Hallmark, the soldiers behind him charged ahead.
“Kill them all!” Hallmark yelled, raising the sword in his hand.
“That’s for sure, General!”
“They are already dead to us!”
Not only were the soldiers charging out from the back in high spirits, but the ones who fought the bandits on the battlefield were also pumped up.
Hallmark stabbed his sword into the chest of a bandit and thrust his foot forward. Before the bandit even saw who he was, he had flown to the back.
“Be careful, soldier!”
Hallmark gazed and yelled at the soldier standing in place.
One couldn’t afford to blank out on the battlefield. If one weren’t careful, one might lose one’s life at any time.
The soldier firmly nodded and raised his lance high, thrusting it forward.
“Hey, Bruce! Come with me!”
Griffin yelled at Bruce who stood behind him.
“Cut the crap. You’re just gonna be a burden to me.”
Bruce hung a head around his waist and cursed.
“I didn’t expect you to be so strong in combat,” Griffin said as he looked at Bruce’s waist.
Bruce grunted. “Of course. I told you I’m definitely becoming a private after this battle!”
Bruce was confident in himself.
“Get out of my way, bast*rd.” Bruce darted ahead.