Chapter 21: The Misfortune of Bolt

"You immediately gather the troops. Order all soldiers to end their leaves and enter wartime mode. Be prepared for enemy attacks," Pearson commanded Roland urgently.

"Yes, sir. I'll go right away." Seeing Pearson's anxious expression, Roland also realized the severity of the situation. Without hesitation, he ran out of the room.

After a brief panic, all the units in Marxen Village were assembled. They all stood on the open ground in the village, waiting for Pearson's orders.

"What's happening, Instructor Pearson?" As soon as Pearson appeared in front of everyone, a student asked anxiously.

"Enemies have infiltrated near Marxen Village. So from now on, we must be prepared for battle to counter the danger," Pearson said with a stern face.

"Now, everyone, obey orders. Everyone, pick up your guns and prepare for combat." Pearson scanned the crowd with his eyes, then began giving orders.

"Roland-Bonaparte!" Pearson called out first.

"Instructor." Upon hearing his name, Roland stepped forward immediately.

"Lead a team of 100 men to guard the southern side of the village," Pearson ordered.

"Marlin-Hoffman!"

"Here!" Marlin also stepped forward loudly.

"You go to guard the eastern side of the village," Pearson continued with his orders.

"Yes, I'll ensure the mission is completed," Marlin shouted.

"Finally, Paul, you go to Turin. Go to the main forces for reinforcement. Tell them that the enemy has infiltrated our rear, and our rear forces are insufficient. Request support," Pearson took a deep breath and ordered.

"Yes! I'll go right away." This person named Paul was also an instructor, but he didn't have as much combat experience as Pearson. Nevertheless, he was an excellent soldier.

As Pearson finished arranging the tasks, the atmosphere became tense and busy, but everyone's faces didn't look too good at the moment.

After Pearson's speech, they understood the predicament they were in. They realized that their current location was about to become a battlefield, and they would soon engage in a life-and-death struggle with the enemy. This was something these students hadn't anticipated.

However, they didn't shrink back. They had mentally prepared themselves before coming here, and now that they were here, retreating would be too shameful, wouldn't it? What they could do now was to fortify their defenses and resist the incoming forces of the Holy Roman Army.

"Hurry, prepare the muskets, load them with ammunition. They should be ready to fire at any moment, understood?"

"You, reinforce the defenses at the village entrance. Such fragile positions won't withstand the enemy. Hurry up and reinforce them for me."

"Where are the cannons? Quickly bring them here. I'll give the enemy a warm welcome when they arrive."

With the issuance of war orders, every corner of the village plunged into a frenzied state. They were all desperately reinforcing their defenses to counter the enemy.

While Pearson led the student army in the tense fortification of Marxen Village, not far from the village, in the camp of the Holy Roman Empire, there was also a commotion.

"Where are Bill and the others? Haven't they returned yet?" Inside the tent, Duke Charles impatiently asked. He had been waiting for some time, but there was still no word from his scouts. This was making him rather impatient.

"Sir, they still haven't returned! It's been way past the scheduled time," Bolt replied respectfully.

"They must have encountered trouble. Damn it, why now of all times!" Charles gritted his teeth in anger.

"Have they found the exact location of the French arsenal?" Charles continued to inquire, the accumulation of so many setbacks pushing him almost to the brink of losing control.

"We haven't investigated the specifics yet. But through our reconnaissance, we've narrowed it down to two locations," Bolt answered with a bow.

"Where?" Charles asked.

"One is Warehouse 7 at the southern gate of Marley City, and the other is Marxen Village near Marley City."

"We don't have time to investigate further. If Bill and his team haven't returned, they might have been exposed. Once captured by the French, we'll be in danger. We need to act now," Charles declared anxiously, rising to his feet.

"Which place are we attacking?" Bolt asked.

"We'll attack both places. From now on, my army will split into two. You'll lead 2,000 men to infiltrate Marley City and sabotage the warehouse, while I'll lead the remaining 1,000 to attack Marxen Village," Charles ordered, pointing into the distance.

"Me? I'm attacking Marley?" Bolt exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected Charles to be so shameless. Wouldn't it be easier to attack a village than a city?

"Yes! That's it! You mobilize your soldiers now," Charles commanded Bolt with an uncompromising tone.

"Yes." Bolt nodded helplessly. He was starting to regret sharing this intelligence with Charles. Now he had gotten himself involved.

But there was no choice. Charles was his superior officer, and he had to follow his orders. Otherwise, he would face military court for insubordination.

Helplessly, Bolt prayed to the heavens, hoping that this time everything would go smoothly.

Then, Bolt retreated. Though Marley was a small city, it was still a fortified stronghold. Basic defenses were in place. So he had to prepare early. Only then could he successfully complete the mission and return.