In the wilderness near the Barda City, the capital of Armenia Province of the Great Persia, a vast army has now assembled. The camp seems to sprawl across the entire plain, completely covering the snow-covered landscape. Tents made of cowhide appear to extend endlessly towards the horizon. The camp is rigorously organized, with patrolling soldiers moving through it, and the echoes of commands filling the air. This is the dinner hour for the military, and smoke gracefully rises from stoves set up on stone platforms scattered throughout the camp. Soldiers, dressed in Persian military uniforms, gather around the cooking pots, waiting for their meals to be prepared.
After inspecting the entire camp, Cyrus returns to his central command tent and takes a weighty seat on the throne-like chair placed in the center. Neatly attired military officers stand on either side of him, each with a sword at their waist, and not a single one daring to take a seat. Cyrus slowly removes his helmet, revealing his true face under the silver furious warrior. Surprisingly, he appears as an elegant middle-aged man, bearing the distinct lineage of the Persian, with light blue eyes. His high and straight nose, along with his thin and refined lips tightly pursed, give him an air of sophistication. If not for his somewhat colossal stature, his appearance would rival that of the dashing scholars from the Roman Empire with their fluttering skirts.
He waved his hand, "Please sit... General Babak, have the troops from various towns in Armenia and the surrounding areas arrived or not? Is the military food stored in Barda City sufficient to sustain the entire army?" At this moment, Babak, an official from the office of the Governor of Armenia, was also dressed in armor and stood nervously among the military officers and trusted aides brought by Cyrus. Upon hearing his solemn inquiry, sweat began to seep from his face. His slightly overweight figure, now surprisingly agile, quickly knelt down and said, "General Cyrus, the area around Armenia was originally heavily fortified to guard against the Roman Empire. Upon your command, troops from various towns have already gathered, totaling more than 40,000. This is already the limit that Armenia can mobilize. Barda City originally stored enough grain, according to the scale set in the past, which is sufficient to support the operations of our large army. However, the issue lies with the Governor..."
Cyrus waved his hand again, "Regarding Governor Rostam's side, I will handle it. For now, everything will be under my authority! You have done a capable job, and now you will temporarily be under my command. Just follow my orders!" Babak prostrated on the ground, feeling that he was already soaked. Although Cyrus was the first-ranking general after the defection of Prince Farid to the Roman Empire, his sudden appearance in Armenia, with flags everywhere, simultaneously mobilizing large armies from Armenia, and other places, was unprecedented. Moreover, he was only the military commander of the Parthia and Media provinces, simultaneously commanding the elite hunting troops of the central system, originally without the authority to command the military in Armenia!
He himself was another high-ranking general in Great Persia, serving as the military advisor to the Governor of Armenia, Rostam. Due to the defection of the Prince Farid, the situation along the border of Armenia became tense, prompting Rostam to rush there to take command. Babak, on the other hand, oversaw logistical matters in the area around Barda City. Unexpectedly, General Cyrus arrived suddenly, exceeding his authority to conscript tens of thousands of local Persian troops in the Armenia province. Moreover, he forcibly mobilized a large amount of grain and provisions stored in Barda City for a possible major battle against the Roman Empire.
Under the cold gaze of Cyrus's fierce warrior-like look, and at the sight of the renowned Thunder Excalibur Sword at his waist, Babak had no courage to resist. He obediently followed his orders. What surprised him even more was that General Cyrus urgently conscripted troops from various states and commanderies to deal with the powerful force of the Ashina clan spread throughout Armenia.
After Prince Farid had helped the Ashina clan to consolidate power over the Turkic people in the region, the Ashina clan had gradually become a force that was difficult to control. Even with Governor Rostam stationed in Armenia and commanding a hundred thousand troops to guard against Roman, it was still necessary to treat the Ashina clan with courtesy to secure their material and human support. Now, with Cyrus's actions, he seemed determined to turn Armenia into complete chaos. Resistance to General Cyrus's will meant instant death. Following him in this madness would also lead to losing his head upon returning to the hands of Governor Rostam.
Watching Babak finishing his words and still trembling on the ground, Cyrus was somewhat surprised. He waved his hand, preparing to let him leave, when a loud sound of armor came from outside the tent. A silver-armored military officer of the hunting army quickly walked into the tent, knelt down, and reported loudly, "General Cyrus, Governor Rostam is already outside the camp and want to meet you immediately!"
Babak, suddenly felt his vision go black and promptly fainted.
Cyrus slowly stood up, put on his helmet, shrouding his face in a cold and stern atmosphere. His voice, when he spoke again, resonated like the clash of gold and iron, "Let him come to see me!"