dognovel Chapter 37 Crossing the High Mountains!
Chapter 37 Crossing the High Mountains!
"Soldiers! Keep it up! We're about to conquer this snow-capped mountain!"
Alice stood on a rock protruding from the snow, encouraging her troops. The First Infantry Division was lightly armed, each soldier carrying double ammunition, cold-weather gear, and a musket, but no cannons or wagons. Their target was Grant's rear.
Striking supply lines, seizing supply sites, and threatening key city nodes—Alice knew this was a difficult mission, which was why she had to be there.
The Trembling Mountains, or by its ancient name, the Byrne-Alps, lay before her, a towering mountain range that most armies wouldn't consider crossing. But Alice knew that behind the mountains lay an undefended point for the enemy. Grant couldn't possibly deploy too many troops there, and the First Infantry Division, equipped with Minié rifles and possessing combat experience, would crush the remaining local forces.
"Gentlemen!"
The First Division headquarters surrounded her. Alice cleared her throat and announced that if the First Division successfully completed its combat mission, she would undoubtedly award it the title of First Division Guards after the mission was over.
The Imperial Guard was an immense honor, known to all officers. The officers of the Imperial Guard were undoubtedly future high-ranking officials in the military system.
Driven by honor, they naturally worked even harder. Alice smiled and said that to make ancient armies fight, one needed to promise tangible benefits, such as wealth and meat, while to make modern armies fight, all one needed was a piece of iron and a flag.
"call......."
A soldier accidentally stepped on a loose stone, and his exhaustion and the weight of his equipment caused him to fall to the ground, attracting the attention of others.
A sergeant walked up, grabbed the soldier, lifted him up, and scolded him, "Watch where you're going! Private!"
The private nodded, but he felt no fatigue; he was almost at his limit.
"He has mild altitude sickness; let him rest for a while."
"Sir!"
The sergeant stood ramrod straight and saluted Alice. As a veteran, he greatly admired the little princess; at least she was willing to walk with the common soldier.
"Medic! Give him some sugar water!"
Crossing snow-capped mountains is no easy task. From the foot of the mountain to the top, there are still deaths and injuries. Some people have lost their footing and fallen off the cliff, while others have gone into shock due to altitude sickness.
But they still had to climb the mountain. Alice personally led them over it. The soldiers looked at the little princess and their complaints lessened. After all, what could they say when such a noble person was with them?
Fortunately, there were no howling winds or blizzards in the mountains at this time of year. By noon the next day, they finally reached the summit. The vanguard was descending the mountain in an orderly manner, and the reconnaissance battalion reported that everything was normal on the way down.
Alice stood on the mountaintop, where she could clearly see both sides. Before becoming a girl, Alice wore glasses, which she inherited from the original world, but even with glasses, she couldn't see very clearly.
Now, she could even see the black smoke almost reaching the horizon to the north, the smoke from the Trian factory, and the distant horizon.
"It's so clear! How long has it been since I've seen the world so clearly?"
Alice turned her head, and in front of her stretched an endless expanse of land.
The troops coming down from the mountains quickly attracted the attention of some small villages, naturally prompting some residents to take up arms. War is war, and conflict is one thing, but one's own home is another. When soldiers pass through, not to mention burning, killing, and looting, plundering and pillaging are commonplace.
"Sir, there are armed men ahead!"
Alice took out her binoculars and saw that at the very front of the troops, there were indeed some people, dressed in rags, holding forks and pitchforks, standing at the entrance.
“The local villagers… try to negotiate. We should try to avoid unnecessary fighting. Our target is those mercenaries.”
"Yes."
The officer accepted the order and led a platoon of soldiers forward.
"Who are you! Get out of our way and don't come near our village!"
The leading resident brandished a machete, but he could tell that the soldiers in front of him were well-dressed and fully armed. The shepherd told him that there were more than just these people; a whole line of them was walking down the mountain.
"Hey, we mean no harm, we just want to get through."
The officer did not draw his weapon. Alice taught them: soldiers are there to defend their country and people, and the people in Grant's territory naturally belong to the country as well.
Although Alice knew that the army she was training was not that kind of army, she did not want her army to become bandits.
After a series of negotiations, the other side remained on guard with its troops. At that moment, a white head peeked out from behind the soldiers.
"Ah, hello, sir?"
"Wait... wait... who are you?"
With his silvery-white hair, scarlet eyes, and powerful aura, the villagers knew he was an important figure, even though they were illiterate.
"Listen, everyone, we are the Amerlancy Vanguard Army, the defenders of the nation and its people. Our purpose here is to punish the rebellious lord Grant and bring this territory back under the banner of Amerlancy... But I'm afraid you wouldn't understand even if I explained it all."
Two soldiers dragged out a bag of flour, which reached up to the waist of an adult male protagonist. Alice opened it, and inside was pure white flour.
"This is a greeting gift. Listen, we have no interest in robbing your village. Take it and continue your lives, or we might as well just kill you all."
Alice gave them two options. They had to quickly outflank their target and attack a key nearby location: the Great Mill in Northern Saxony, which, according to intelligence, stored large quantities of hay, flour, and other supplies for Grant's army.
She had no time for peaceful debate, and the villagers couldn't understand her anyway. The uncivilized masses only understood the words "interests" and "threats." Before establishing a stable system of governance, her army was limited to acting as individuals.
The villagers took the flour, allowing the army to pass through. Alice ordered a company to remain in the village to report any suspicious activity and set up a containment point.
Grant was still pondering how to face the enemy head-on. After a while, he ordered his men to confiscate all the civilian ships in the Saxon section. According to the front line, the two ships on the river were the key. If they were not sunk, then all the defensive positions and troops built along the Rhine would be in danger.
"Recruit a fire attack team! Open the treasury and take out a chest of gold coins!"