Don't Mess with That Dragon-Chapter 733 - 119 Breaking the Blockade (Third Update)

The foundation of the country is rapidly being hollowed out, like a blunt knife letting blood, gradually weakening the surrounding countries.

Moreover, many soldiers stationed at the border have restless minds and scattered morale.

Because,

on the heavily defended border line, apart from the Knight Legion and Mage Legion, there is not less than fifty thousand troops as the main force, along with a large number of soldiers several times more than the Knight and Mage Legions forming the servant army.

The Knight and Mage Legions are self-explanatory; being able to become a Warrior or Mage is inherently several levels above the farmer class, making it impossible for them to become farmers.

Therefore, the ten percent land tax of the Blue Dragon Kingdom holds no attraction for them at all.

As for the regular army that serves as the main force, since their salaries are issued by the state, as career soldiers, unless they retire and return home, they are essentially disengaged from production. The news from the southern Blue Dragon Kingdom does stir some thoughts in them, but as disengaged soldiers, they are not too desperate for land harvests.

However,

the situation is different for the servant army, which is several times the size of the main force.

The vast majority of the servant army members are forcibly recruited serfs or free men from various noble territories domestically. They are forcibly conscripted onto the battlefield, leaving behind their farmlands, and must bring their own weapons and food with extremely poor treatment. Complaints and grievances are rampant throughout the servant army, and even while in the barracks, they constantly worry about their homes.

For these armies, composed of farmers and serfs as stopgaps, the news from that southern country evidently holds an incomparable allure.

Even being in the barracks, occasionally a small number of serfs or farmers would desert the army and flee south to seek a livelihood in the Blue Dragon Kingdom.

This clearly instills fear among the army and the upper echelons of the noble society.

Although they do not understand what is meant by "cutting flesh with a blunt knife" or "peaceful evolution," those who managed to climb up to such hierarchies couldn't possibly be fools.

If things proceed in this manner, the entire country might collapse even before the Blue Dragon Kingdom attacks.

Thus,

the upper echelons of surrounding countries ordered the border troops to organize a defensive line to intercept the refugees heading south, while also tightening military discipline to prevent the escape of servant soldiers.

Initially,

accompanied by the issuance of orders, the great army on the border began organizing checkpoints to confine refugees within the territory. At the same time, nobles from all sides led their knight squads to capture large groups of refugees gathered in the south, selling them as slaves. Even certain noble leaders within the military participated in this heinous slave trade, utilizing the army to capture people on a large scale.

For a while, the southern region was extremely chaotic.

People were panic-stricken.

The immense refugee tide seemed to be coming to a halt.

However,

while the Blue Dragon Kingdom was reforming and digesting, how could they just stand by and watch the massive labor force being plundered and obstructed by those old nobles?

The Dragon's Nest Army moved accordingly.

They divided into small teams, dispatched to attack the border checkpoints, opening up the path south and guiding the huge stream of refugees into the Blue Dragon Kingdom territory, where they were organized and assisted, integrating the refugees and arranging for them to settle and produce.

Once the Dragon's Nest Army moved, it nearly scared the surrounding countries witless.

They assumed that the powerful southern Blue Dragon Kingdom was finally about to launch another expansion war.

Immediately,

the great army on the border quickly organized defensive lines, guarding the important cities like iron barrels, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Dragon's Nest Army.

Even though the recent three-nation war, which was settled within half a month by the Blue Dragon Kingdom, demonstrated to surrounding countries that the Dragon's Nest Army's war technique is a new type of warfare,

they found that their method of fortifying major cities and ensuring mutual support between them to gradually form a defense line wasn't particularly effective.

But,

for these rigid medieval feudal states, change was not so easy.

Moreover, facing the new war technique of the Blue Dragon Kingdom, they really had no good measures but to cling to their usual defensive method, abandoning peripheral territories, and organizing defense relying on key cities.

Thus,

when the Dragon's Nest Army merely dispatched a few teams to attack the border's checkpoints, and the armies of various countries gathered to fall back and defend their cities,

the military checkpoints of the border were naturally breached without a fight.

The noble slave catcher squads who were enthusiastically capturing refugees nearby to make them slaves also fled in panic fearing the rumored imminent attack of the Dragon's Nest Army.

From that point on,

once the border checkpoints were withdrawn, and the noble-led slave catcher squads retreated and fled, the path south became completely clear.

The vast crowds of refugees passed through the border without any hindrance, reaching the territory of the Blue Dragon Kingdom.

By this time,

the Blue Dragon Kingdom officials, having received intelligence from their spy network, were well-prepared for disaster relief efforts. Food, materials, and other necessities were all ready.

Then, they organized all these refugees, incorporated them into the system, and sent them to the vast lands around to cultivate and farm.

All along,

the Dragon's Nest Army merely dispatched a few teams to attack the checkpoints,

after which the armies of the surrounding countries huddled inside their fortified cities, helplessly watching the vast waves of refugees moving south, not daring to step outside the city walls.

The Dragon's Nest Army had sent some teams to position under the heavily garrisoned cities and fired a few shells for a warning, but showed no further actions.

Although it was merely a warning,

whether it was the troops of the noble garrisoned inside the border's major cities, or the state's upper ruling echelons, everyone was frightened thrice a day, fearing that the Dragon's Nest Army might launch an attack.

Fortunately, the worst did not happen.

After a warning, the army of the Blue Dragon Kingdom took no further actions, allowing the surrounding countries to slightly console themselves.

Nevertheless,

the nearby armies dared not raise a blockade line again to confine the refugees within the borders. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

If a full-scale war were accidentally triggered, no one could bear such responsibility.

They could only watch helplessly as the refugee armies crossed the wilderness and entered the Blue Dragon Kingdom.

The domestic upper echelons had no choice about this.

The King could only, under the advice and suggestions of wise people domestically, order the domestic noble Lords to treat their common folks and peasants well, to restrain themselves, and not oppress them too much, lest they couldn't endure and flee.

Efforts were made,

but as for their effectiveness,

only heaven knows.

Throughout, neither the upper echelons of the state nor the noble Lords realized the importance of public opinion.

Or rather, they simply did not pay attention to it, allowing the bought-off down-and-out minstrels to freely promote the beautiful life in the Blue Dragon Kingdom...