Chapter 380 Smuggling Caravan

In a moment, the unknown hillside battlefield was quickly cleaned up.

In the end, eight people from the spear-breaking formation were killed and more than ten people were injured. More people died in the Ejian Camp. Half of the soldiers stayed here forever. Only a few of the survivors were slightly injured, and almost all the rest were seriously injured. There were even a few people who were dying and about to die.

There is not much sadness, not that they are cold-blooded. No one here is a new recruit on the battlefield. After many battles, they all take life and death lightly. Seeing their companions' warm bodies turning cold, they were also sad and angry, but they were more accustomed to holding back until they exploded the next time they encountered a barbarian.

Naturally, the remains of the fallen soldiers could not be taken away. Some grave pits were dug behind the hillside and buried there. As for the barbarians, the singing vultures in the sky are their final destination...

After doing these things, the teams merge and return to the level. Although the injuries at the Epee Battalion were serious, with some reaching their physical limits, it was precisely because of this that they could only march quickly and return to the checkpoint for treatment as quickly as possible.

Elt was naturally familiar with this area and suggested that there was a path nearby that could save the journey. Frey naturally had no objection, so everyone turned to this rugged path that was not very easy to walk.

"Huchi... Thank you, thank you for your help! I'm sorry, I was a little biased against you, Huchi... but after this, I, Erte, am convinced, Huchi..." Panting, although he tried his best to control his breathing, But the words were still intermittent.

After touching his nose, Tang En tried hard to distinguish between words before he could clearly hear the words of thanks and apology. He then guessed what the other person meant and shrugged: "You're too polite, it's just a little effort."

"Yes, it should be, well, your little effort, huh... for us, it is a matter of vital importance to our lives." His face was a little pale, and Erte tried hard to express his gratitude.

Many of the surviving soldiers of the Epee Battalion were seriously injured, but since they were not dead, they all had to be saved. However, the lucky ones among them were slightly injured and had no problem walking by themselves, but it was difficult to carry the burden of another person. This problem is quite difficult, but it is actually easy to solve. That is to ask the Gray Army for help. But Erte also had some hesitations and worries in his heart. After all, his previous attitude was not friendly enough, and there was almost a conflict. The other party may not be willing to help...

Originally, he came to the rescue with good intentions, but in the end he did not get the gratitude and respect he deserved. This would make anyone feel depressed. And after that, he placed most of his soldiers in the ravine and did not participate in the attack. Yes, from my own point of view, it is to be on the safe side and retain the power to defend against counterattacks. But in the eyes of the other party, it is very likely that they will doubt their ability, or they will just sit back and enjoy the success, being timid and unable to fight side by side, etc.

While Elt was worrying about gains and losses and trying his best to organize his words, Frey was thoughtful and considered this situation. Thinking of the old feelings of the Thunder Legion, he went straight to the end and asked his soldiers to cut down some branches. , Lifting the seriously injured in the epee battalion.

In this way, the scene that Elt is now grateful for happened.

However, Tang En saw that the other party's body was like a broken water bag due to running, and all the wounds were bleeding, and he shook his head helplessly: "Captain Elt, it's never too late to say thank you. I think you still care about it now." You are more important."

"No, it's okay..." Erte waved his hand and said nonchalantly. However, his face as pale as paper and his slightly dazed eyes were really not very convincing.

He frowned: "Forget it, I think it's better to let David carry you...huh?"

Tang En was about to turn around and call David over, but unexpectedly, the team behind him suddenly stopped. A dozen soldiers gathered together, all shaking their heads.

"What's wrong?" Frey walked back from the front.

A soldier from the Spear Battalion ran over, glanced at Elt who was standing aside, and turned around and said, "Batalion Commander, there is a brother from the Heavy Sword Battalion who is dying."

Erte's face darkened when he heard this. This situation was actually expected. When they set out, there were more than a dozen soldiers who were already in a dying state. To put it bluntly, they could die at any time. If they had been left on the hill, they might have survived for a few more minutes, but now walking on the rugged path and being bumped would naturally speed up their death. But there is nothing they can do now. If they do not return to the checkpoint for treatment as soon as possible, not to mention that they will not even have a chance of survival, and even more people will die...

Taking a breath, Elt rose and raised his chest steadily and performed a military salute: "Captain Frey, please help me dig a grave." After receiving a positive nod, he quickly walked towards the dead soldier.

"He is a decisive person!" Frey glanced at Elt's back and sighed with admiration.

Tang En also nodded silently. Obviously, although Elt was also sad about the death of his subordinate, for the sake of the lives of more soldiers, he decided to deal with the matter quickly in this somewhat cruel way.

Looking around, Frey pointed to the lee of the low hills beside the road and said to the soldiers who came to report, "Take some brothers and dig a grave there, quickly!"

"yes!"

This unexpected incident was handled very quickly. Elt stood silently beside the soldier. After a minute, he touched the soldier's eyes that were wide open due to pain, and then picked up the body and carried it to the soldier who had just dug it up. He walked to the grave and buried it directly with earth without going through a silent ceremony.

Seeing Erte approaching with slightly red eyes, Frey sighed and waved his hand. Just as he was about to give the order to set off, he paused with his arms and frowned as he watched the two figures approaching quickly in front of him.

Needless to say, it was naturally members of Gray Space acting as scouts. Generally, when the army is marching, even if there are no special circumstances, the scouts will come back and report to their superiors within the specified time.

But the situation is a little different now. They are in a hurry. If there are no special circumstances, they only need to show up at a high place and appear in Frey's sight. But now they are coming back in a hurry...

It didn't take long to guess. When Elt came over, the members of Gray Space also quickly rushed to the front.

"Captain Frey, three kilometers ahead, there is a caravan coming this way, numbering about 200 people."

When Tang En heard this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise: "Caravan?" This is a battlefield, and the war is chaotic. How could a caravan dare to risk walking here.

"Damn it!" "These treasonous worms!"

Frey and Elt obviously seemed to know something, their faces sank at the same time, their anger surged, and they cursed loudly.

Looking at Tang En's confused look, Frey explained: "If I guess correctly, these so-called caravans are most likely to be smugglers in the Northern Wilderness... The Northern Wilderness is cold and freezing, and the environment is harsh and unsuitable for crops. They are growing, and livestock such as cattle and sheep are not enough to fill their stomachs. It can be said that they are basically in a state of semi-famine all year round, so they will break through the border from time to time and come here to grab things."

After a pause, he continued, "It is precisely because of seeing this situation that some profit-seeking guys in Bran will smuggle food, cotton clothes and other things over there in order to make huge profits. It is no exaggeration to say that the reason why the Northern Wilderness is visited every year They all have the strength to attack, and their contribution is indispensable! Huh, what they gained is profit, and our soldiers have to pay the price with our lives!"

Tang En suddenly nodded: "I see, well, doesn't Bran care about this?"

"Of course! According to the laws of the empire, anyone caught smuggling will be hanged. But the fact is that this situation is still repeated!" Frey shook his head helplessly, "The Northern Wasteland is rich in all kinds of precious raw minerals, and here The profits are so huge that the gallows cannot stop the greed of the smugglers. And..."

Glancing at Elt, Frey said, "And there are shadows of many aristocratic figures here. Ordinary business groups may be afraid of the law, or they may not be able to get together these things that are strictly controlled during wartime. But for It is not a problem for the nobles. They have the connections to avoid the law to the greatest extent, and they also have the means to get these things. So as long as they have the courage, smuggling is not a problem for them."

"Take the current caravan as an example. This is a military area, and it has been under martial law for a long time because of the war. But they, two hundred people plus goods and other vehicles, can swagger through the blockade and appear here. This must be Which link went wrong? And it is definitely not just about money. Border soldiers may not have such courage. There are many people and it is easy for mistakes to be made. Only a certain noble used his connections to cooperate with the officers. This can happen.”

Pinching his chin and nodding to show his understanding, Tang En turned to Elt and asked, "Well, they must have been caught. What will soldiers do when they encounter these smugglers?"

At this time, Elt was looking at Frey with some surprise. The other person knew the doorway inside very well, as if he had been here before... Hearing this, he licked his chapped lips and replied: "This is necessary. Depending on the situation, if it were normal times, even if the soldiers encountered these smugglers, they would not do anything to them, well, or rather they would not dare. Of course, they would also take some money to show their respect, some would be accepted, and some would be filial piety. If you don’t accept them, you will basically let them pass in the end.”

After a pause, "But during a war like now, the nobles hiding behind do not dare to mess around. The soldiers have one more choice, which is to kill all these smuggling caravans. This is a battlefield, and it is normal for people to die. It is difficult to detect. In this way, you can not only relieve your hatred, but also obtain these smuggled goods. This goods does not need to be handed over, and the superiors will basically not care about it. It is an agreed upon rule and a reward for soldiers. Of course, After these goods are exchanged for actual money through the black market, it is best to take care of them in all aspects, so as to avoid possible troubles in the future."

"Still hasn't changed much..." Frey curled his lips when he heard this and said softly.

Elt glanced at Frey again, and he could probably confirm in his mind that the other person must have been on the front line.

"What should we do now? Ignore them and go straight through?" Tang En looked at Elt and asked. Of course they are the main ones here, but now Elt is obviously more anxious, so we still have to look at his opinion. .

After pondering for a moment, Elt's eyes flashed with a stern look, and he raised his head and asked: "Brother Tang En, Battalion Commander Frey, I know that you are very strong, and your soldiers are also very capable of fighting. Well, I would like to ask, if you attack with all your strength, , how long will it take to destroy this smuggling caravan?"

Tang En and Frey looked at each other and raised their eyebrows. Touching his nose, Tang En said: "This depends on the opponent's strength... Well, if it's normal, it should be resolved in a few minutes."

"General? How many minutes?" Elt's body trembled, a little confused and shocked.

"Our attack method is a bit weird." After explaining, and scratching his head, Tang En said with an analogy, "Just like your epee battalion... uh, like the general Bran soldier battalion, if you don't know it in advance Our existence and our sneak attack should only take a few minutes."

Is this the general meaning? What a joke... Although Tang En changed his words in time, Elt still knew that the other party used his epee camp as the general standard, so he was naturally a little dissatisfied. But now is indeed not the time to lose his temper. Since Tang En dared to say this, and Frey did not shake his head to object, he must have two brushes...

After thinking about this, Elt struck the palm of his hand and bowed at 90 degrees to salute: "Please take action. Well, I would rather waste these few minutes than have hundreds or even thousands more food on the battlefield in the future. Full-bellied barbarian opponents... There is another reason. Many brothers died this time, many of them were ordinary soldiers, and their families did not receive much pension. I know where the black market merchants at Pasa Pass are, and the income from these goods You take most of the money, and I’ll send the rest back to the fallen brothers. Please!”

…………(To be continued.)