dognovel Chapter 662 Coming
Chapter 662 Coming
About an hour later, the sun gradually rose higher, and the sunlight shone on the stone pavement, reflecting a dazzling light.
Just then, a Midland cavalryman rode hurriedly from the east, and upon reaching the foot of the hill, shouted loudly to Griffith above:
"Commander Griffiths, Heldran's convoy is almost here! They've appeared at the eastern crossroads, less than ten miles from here!"
"understood!"
Griffiths shouted back down below, then immediately turned and gave orders to the soldiers waiting behind him:
"Everyone, disperse to concealed positions near the hill as planned, closely monitor the surrounding area, and do not act without my orders!"
"Yes!"
The soldiers obeyed in unison, their movements swift and orderly. In the blink of an eye, they dispersed to every corner of the hill, concealing themselves using the terrain as if they had never been there.
Griffiths took out a brass telescope from his pocket, adjusted the focus, and held it tightly to his eyes, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, watching the direction from which the convoy was approaching.
Before long, a blurry black figure appeared on the distant horizon. As the distance closed, the figure gradually became clearer and eventually transformed into a magnificent cavalry force.
At the front of the cavalry column, three cavalrymen stood out, each holding a different flag that fluttered in the wind.
A large contingent of cavalry followed closely behind, their formation perfectly synchronized, each horse moving in unison, their hooves clattering on the stone pavement with a deafening "clatter-clatter" sound like thunder.
The cavalrymen had solemn expressions and firm gazes, gripping their weapons tightly and remaining on high alert at all times. Their military dignity and aura inspired awe.
After the large cavalry slowly passed by, a line of magnificent golden carriages followed, like a winding golden dragon, slowly making their way towards them.
The caravan was enormous, stretching as far as the eye could see. Each carriage was extremely luxurious, like a moving palace, a sight to behold.
The carriage's exterior appeared to be made entirely of gold, its surface smooth as a mirror after meticulous polishing, and adorned with intricate and exquisite patterns.
Every carving is meticulous and exquisite, a true work of art, showcasing the craftsman's superb skills.
The exterior of the vehicle was wrapped in a thick layer of golden silk. The silk was smooth and soft, and under the sunlight, it reflected a dazzling light, as if it were plated with real gold, so dazzling that it was almost impossible to open one's eyes.
The edges of the silk were inlaid with a circle of tiny pearls and gemstones, which, though small, shimmered with a warm luster in the sunlight, adding to the luxury and elegance of the carriage.
The edges of the wheels are also inlaid with a ring of gold rivets, which complement the gold satin of the car body, creating a seamless and exquisite look.
The most eye-catching feature is the lifelike golden eagle atop each carriage.
This eagle is not painted, but is pieced together and forged from countless tiny gold pieces. Each piece has been carefully polished and shaped, with smooth edges and natural curves, perfectly outlining the texture of the eagle's feathers.
Sunlight shone on the gold leaf, reflecting a dazzling light, making the eagle appear as if it were glowing all over, ready to break free of its restraints and soar into the blue sky at any moment.
The eagle's head is slightly raised, as if looking down at everything below, exuding an innate kingly aura.
Its eyes are set with two large red gemstones, which are crystal clear and reflect a deep light in the sunlight, making the eagle's eyes appear even more majestic and spirited.
The eagle's claws gripped a round, golden base, engraved with patterns that echoed the car's body, blending perfectly with the roof decorations without any sense of incongruity.
Each carriage window was covered with a thin white gauze curtain. The gauze was light and fluttered gently in the wind. Through the gauze curtain, one could vaguely see the interior of the carriage.
On either side of the carriage stood a servant, keeping pace in unison, their hands gripping the edge of the carriage as they followed closely behind, their eyes vigilantly observing the surroundings, ready to obey any orders from those inside.
In the center of the caravan was an exceptionally large carriage, a full size larger than the others, making it stand out prominently.
The carriage was also more luxuriously decorated, with more intricate and exquisite carvings on the body. The golden eagle on the roof was also larger, with its wings spread wider, and its gem-encrusted eyes gleamed in the sunlight. It was clear at a glance that someone of extremely high status was riding inside.
Around the carriage, four attendants on white horses stood solemnly, holding spears and guarding its safety, forming a tight protective barrier.
"Which one is King Heldran's carriage?"
A young mercenary gazed at the magnificent and luxurious convoy before him, his eyes filled with curiosity, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
"The big one in the middle should be it."
A seasoned veteran standing nearby stared intently at the conspicuous carriage.
In his view, only a king of such noble status deserved such a luxurious and enormous carriage, which was distinctly different from other carriages in both its decoration and its imposing presence.
"The armor of the soldiers in Heldran is quite unique, and what are those things they carry on their shoulders?"
Another mercenary looked away from the carriage and towards the infantry at the back of the convoy, his face full of doubt.
Griffiths also put down his binoculars and focused his gaze on the Heldran infantrymen, observing them carefully.
Their armor was quite different from that of the Kingdom of Midland and other countries; its design was very simple.
Apart from a uniquely designed helmet, there are only two curved breastplates, protecting the front chest and back respectively. The plates are connected by tough leather, which ensures a certain level of protection without being too bulky, allowing soldiers to move more flexibly and conveniently.
What surprised everyone the most was that each soldier carried a uniquely shaped weapon on his shoulder.
The weapon had a long, dark black iron pipe that looked extremely sturdy; the lower end of the wood was polished very smoothly for easy gripping by soldiers; and a gleaming, sharp-looking knife was attached to the gun, tightly connected to the iron pipe.
“That’s a flintlock musket, that’s what they call it.”
"A captain standing next to Griffiths said thoughtfully, a hint of apprehension in his eyes."
"I've heard that the Kingdom of Heldran has an extremely high level of expertise in firearms manufacturing. I didn't expect that it would be so widely used in the infantry. This weapon is much more powerful than bows and arrows and spears. When you weren't here, the Blackwatch used this to inflict heavy casualties on us."
The convoy slowly drove across the stone-paved road, like a flowing golden river, with a magnificent momentum.
Throughout the entire process, there was not a single unnecessary sound. The soldiers were serious and marched in unison, while the attendants performed their duties, demonstrating strict discipline.
Sunlight shone on the golden carriage, its radiance inspiring awe.
Soon, the entire convoy had passed the road guarded by the Band of the Hawk. The rear of the convoy gradually disappeared around the western corner, leaving only the sound of hooves and wheels rolling away into the distance.
After confirming that the convoy had completely left and that there were no abnormalities in the surrounding area, the soldiers on guard breathed a sigh of relief, put away their weapons, and returned to their posts in an orderly manner according to the pre-arranged plan.
Meanwhile, the captains of the Band of the Hawk led their patrol teams back to their camp at the foot of the hill.
"Luckily we didn't stay here, otherwise we would have had to go through all the trouble of taking care of them."
As soon as Gorcas returned to the camp, he found a place to sit down, a look of relief on his face.
In his view, serving a noble caravan was an extremely tedious and thankless task, and one could easily be reprimanded if one was not careful. It was best to avoid it if possible.
"It's alright. I heard from the team in charge of the pick-up that there are no security problems at the place where the Heldran convoy is staying."
Jiedu walked over and sat down next to Gorkas.
"After their soldiers entered the arranged camp, they remained well-behaved and did not wander around until the caravan departed the next day. I also heard that King Heldran is very generous and gives a large sum of money as a reward to the local officials and soldiers responsible for guarding the area whenever he leaves a place. He is quite lavish."
Upon hearing this, Gorkas's face showed a hint of disbelief, and he shook his head.
"I have never seen an army that is so well-behaved and does not cause trouble. In the past, when we followed the army of the Kingdom of Midland and the army of Count Yoda, every time the army arrived at a place, the soldiers were like wild horses that had broken free of their reins. They would rush into taverns, brothels or casinos, drink and cause trouble, fight and brawl, and even rob civilians of their property. Every time they would cause a lot of trouble before they would stop. In the end, we had to clean up the mess. It was really unbearable."
"It's probably because their salaries are very high."
At this moment, Bibin, who was wiping his weapons, looked up and slowly spoke.
He paused, as if recalling something, then continued:
“When I used to work at the mines, Blackwatch recruiters would come to the mines to recruit mercenaries. They offered very generous terms, with a basic monthly salary of 10 silver coins, plus a share of the profits, and extra bonuses for completing important missions.”
“I’ve heard of that before.”
Jiedu added at this point.
"Not only do they have a share of the profits, but they also get double pay on holidays. Their treatment is definitely much better than that of ordinary mercenary groups."
"The soldiers in Heldran should be similar. They are recruit soldiers. Apart from a portion of the militia responsible for local defense and farming during busy seasons, most of the soldiers are professional soldiers, so their salaries are naturally not low."
"so much!"
When Gorkas heard the number "10 silver coins," his eyes widened in shock, and his tone was filled with disbelief.
He subconsciously did the math and realized that the Eagle Band's treatment was already quite good among mercenary groups, but the basic monthly salary was only 5 silver coins, which already made many mercenaries flock to it.
The fact that Heldran soldiers are paid twice as much as them, plus various extra benefits, is simply unimaginable.
"If it were me, I wouldn't cause trouble either. There's no need to throw away this secure job over something like this."