Outside the canyon where the Asheroos River passes, the Epirus people who finally ended their arduous march were covered in mud. Many exhausted soldiers jumped into the clear river water to wash themselves the first time they stepped out of the swamp.

of mud, letting the refreshing river water flow through the body to release the fatigue all over the body.

Along the way, the soldiers who were coerced by the iron law ventured through the swamps in the deep valleys. Anyone who dared to disobey the military orders was severely punished. Tens of thousands of troops forcibly filled up the entire swamp. The price to pay was

It was equally tragic. Hundreds of people drowned in the swamp, and some exhausted soldiers never got up after falling.

But Nicholas, who commanded everything, was very satisfied with this result. The march left the Pindos Mountains on time according to his original plan, and such casualties were just acceptable sacrifices for the overall situation.

At this time, the great nobleman who was in a good mood was no longer as tyrannical as before, so his subordinates also took the opportunity to suggest: "Your Highness, there are still a hundred miles before we can reach Agrinion, why not rest for a while, then

When you arrived with your army, you saw that our army was in good condition, and you were not afraid of the rebels in Thessaly who would defect and surrender."

What Nicholas said was very helpful. He looked at the soldiers behind him and nodded slightly. In his opinion, victory was already guaranteed. In this case, he could not be so disgraceful. Seeing that His Highness did not veto, other retainers also

They could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Although the hard work had nothing to do with them, they had never suffered such a sin in the city of Rusnina, and they were eager to find a place to rest.

On the other side, the most difficult road was finally completed. Looking outside the valley full of reeds, the soldiers were as happy as if they had survived a disaster. They casually put down their weapons, and soon there were people sitting casually and sitting around.

Or the soldiers who were lying in bed. They had not rested for several days and now they just wanted to relax.

Nicholas, who witnessed all this, acquiesced to the actions of the soldiers. He was already here, Agrinon was close at hand, and Varus, who always defied him in secret, had also been dealt with. Now he had nothing to worry about.

.

So, with Nicholas's consent, the soldiers of Epirus set up camp to make fires and cook meals. It happened that there was abundant water and grass in the lower reaches of the river, and they could finally have a full meal.

The completely relaxed Epirus army did not send out guard posts and rested randomly. The soldiers scattered to the river to cut some reeds and prepared to start a fire. Some people set up grills, and some

Some people buried pots and pans, while others took the opportunity to dry themselves

His clothes were soaked because he had to wash away the mud. He saw the fireworks rising from the camp. The food he had snatched from the village before was stewed in a pot by the Epirus people, regardless of whether it was good or bad. But even though he was so hungry,

It's amazing that they still find the fragrance fragrant.

However, what these Epirus people did not know was that their every move at this time had been seen by another group of people not far away. When the smoke rose not far away, Justinian had already guessed

The people from Epirus have arrived. Under the leadership of little Dmitri, they walked all the way

The rushing army of Justinian finally caught up with the opponent, but even so, it took half a day. In order to avoid being exposed, Justinian and the army behind him had been starving and dared not

Lighting the fire and setting up the pot, fortunately all the hard work was not in vain.

"Lord Justinian, let's go!" Little Dmitri, who looked at the Epirus camp flag erected in the distance and his eyes were about to burst into flames, took the initiative to ask for a fight. What he had been waiting for was now,

As soon as he finished speaking, some soldiers from Pebble Castle under his command were also eager to give it a try, but not everyone thought so.

Lieutenant Captain Godric, who was beside Justinian, stood up and objected: "Sir Justinian, the soldiers have no chance to breathe after traveling through mountains and rivers. They are exhausted. I want to see if we should first

Let’s rest for a while before the enemy notices.

It will be more certain to launch an attack." It was not because of cowardice. Godric, who was loyal to Justinian, believed that since the enemy had arrived at the predetermined position and would not leave for a while, there was no need to take the risk of launching an active attack.

It's better to wait here for work.

However, Justinian quickly rejected his idea, saying: "The enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered. Now that both of us are exhausted, the situation is in our favor. Now that the military morale is available, we should strike preemptively instead of

We should miss this opportunity. Little Dmitri is right, we should take the initiative."

Justinian was well aware of the fatigue of his men, but while they were recuperating here, the Epirus people stationed in the distance also got a rest. Moreover, the longer time dragged on, the more they had

Because of the possibility of exposure, they could not tolerate hesitation here. Justinian issued a combat order to his officers and asked them to make the final mobilization of the entire army.

…

In the camp in Epirus, in order to easily obtain water and make a fire for cooking, Nicholas's army camped beside the reeds without any sense of vigilance. In their opinion, there was no danger in such a wilderness place. After experiencing high-intensity

Epirus after the march

People were completely relaxed and careless, and did not notice that the Albanian Bogdani and the Pindus mountain people were getting closer and closer to the reed marsh not far away. Regarding this kind of thing, the Albanians would have just drank water and eaten.

So skilled, plus good at mountains

During the march, the Albanians led by Bogdani still maintained 100% combat effectiveness. They were getting closer and closer to the enemy camp, and the noise in the Epirus camp, whose number was many times their own, was also getting closer and closer, and from time to time

There were soldiers from the enemy camp who came to Reed

It was convenient to relieve themselves. But Bogdani and the mountain people still lowered their bodies, crouched, and waded through the muddy reeds. As they approached, they peeped at every move of the resting Epirus people. They still

Unconsciously, there was vulgar and loose laughter everywhere.

As Brother Sergius said, these Albanian mountain people are not ordinary barbarians, but warriors who truly master the art of killing on the battlefield.

A cluster of sharp arrows suddenly shot out from the reeds, using this as a prelude. The arc slid through the air without anyone having time to react, passing through the heads of people who had not yet reacted, and hit an official with a pop.

The soldier holding a wine flask and drinking happily had a stomachache and opened

He entered a hole and saw the soldier's head dangling. After a while, he saw the arrow feathers in his lower abdomen amidst the exclamations of his companions. The bright red liquid couldn't stop bursting out from the inside, and he didn't know it was him.
Chapter completed!