Once the war order was issued, Neverwinter immediately operated at high efficiency.
Sacks of wheat plundered from Fallen Dragon Ridge quickly filled the empty granary. Some of them would be shelled and ground into dry rations, which would be distributed to the soldiers participating in the war.
In addition, there were also guns and ammunition. The new recruits recruited during the Months of Demons had also completed their basic training. Those who performed well would be integrated into the First Army and receive brand new weapons and uniforms. The ordinary soldiers would temporarily serve as reserve troops and be assigned to the cities occupied by Roland to replace the veterans stationed there.
In this way, the available military strength of Neverwinter was rapidly expanded to 5,000 people, which in theory was almost the same as the number of Judgement Soldiers of the church. However, due to the limited transportation capacity, the further away from the Western Region, the fewer people could be sent to the battlefield.
Considering that the task of the Tooth Extraction Operation was not difficult, Roland finally set the number of troops to be 1,500, which would be commanded by Iron Axe. In this operation, the Adviser Department was moved into the system of the First Army. The main members were the nobles, Knight and ordinary people in the Longsong Area, such as Sir Schilt, the father of the Light Of Dawn, and the chief guard of the Honeysuckle family, Traff. They had either been baptized by gunfire or served in the Second Army.
Although these people were not trained in the military, Roland still let them follow the army with the idea that they could learn while building the army, and that they could have a few more people to give advice and suggestions. However, they did not have the actual power to command, so it was up to Iron Axe to decide whether their deductions and plans would be adopted.
In addition, during the Tooth Extraction Operation, they might encounter the church's Pure Witches, so "Magic Eye" Sylvie and "Confinement Cage" Iffy would also follow the army. The former could detect magic power and warn the enemy's position, while the latter could capture the Pure Witches if permitted. Moreover, Sylvie would also bring the Sigil of Listening with her so that she could get in touch with Neverwinter at any time. In this way, an army with modern military structure, firepower and communication capabilities was gradually taking shape.
The Tooth Extraction Operation mainly targeted Redwater City, Silver City and Impassable Fort, the three nearest cities to the Western Region. It would take about four days to prepare and set off. In addition to selecting reliable personal guards to go to the old Holy City, Roland spent the rest of the time discussing various details of the war with the church with the army commanders and the Adviser Department.
For example, the location of the attack that was difficult to decide.
On this issue, everyone had their own opinions, and it was difficult for anyone to convince the other party.
Brian, the commander of the Firearm Battalion, was a firm supporter of attacking the Western Region, and he had a very good reason for doing so. "If the battle starts in the Western Region, the First Army will be able to fully display their firepower advantage. With the support of a large number of paddle steamers, we can replenish our ammunition and manpower within a day. No matter how long we fight, we have the confidence to win. At the same time, this distance is extremely disadvantageous to the Church. As long as they do not break through the defense line within a month, they will probably not even have food to eat. "
Edith, on the other hand, was the advocate of the foreign war faction. "Can't even eat? Do you know how many believers there are in Graycastle? Even if the entire church was burned down, as long as the Pope gave the order, these people would bring all kinds of food to the door. Moreover, the middle of July was the wheat ripening season. As long as the Army of Judges occupied one or two cities, they would be able to obtain a steady stream of supplies. This was not the scariest part. Did the Church not possess the Pill of Madness that could turn normal people into monsters? What if they force the people of Graycastle to take this pill to exhaust the strength of the First Army? What should we do then? "
"You don't know anything about gunpowder weapons." Van 'er also stood on Brian's side. "Transporting cannons and ammunition is hard work. They're not like swords that can be used all the time. We'll need several ships to replenish the supplies consumed in a battle. If we take the initiative to attack the enemy before they enter the Kingdom of Graycastle, what if we run out of ammunition? "
"I really don't know anything about gunpowder weapons, nor do I know how you fight, but the most important thing in any war is the goal. If we don't achieve the goal, even if we win, it will be a failure." Edith did not give in. "His Majesty needs every citizen of Graycastle, but you allow the Church to enter the kingdom and wantonly consume the population?"
"If we can't win, everything will be meaningless."
"Solving those seemingly unsolvable problems is what we should do."
Only Roland and Iron Axe could make the final decision. However, as long as the prince was present, Iron Axe would not say a word. No matter what order Roland gave, this Sand Nation would unconditionally carry it out. Both views had their advantages and disadvantages, so it was difficult for Roland to make a decision at the moment.
The most effective way of fighting with gunpowder weapons was to establish a crossfire network and then wait for the enemy to run into it. Undoubtedly, the Western Region was the best place to set up a defense in advance. However, if the Church really drove the people of Graycastle to be the vanguard of the army, it would be a great loss for him. Even if bullets could easily defeat the madmen, it would be difficult to make up for the lost population in a short time.
On the eve of the army's attack, Sir Schilt's proposal broke the stalemate.
"Why don't we gather the troops and supplies in the border cities in advance?" Roland said while stroking his chin. "That way, we can greatly shorten the transportation distance."
Brian shook his head without hesitation. "Unless we can know where the Church will attack in advance."
"Mr. Sir, there aren't enough rivers in the Northern Region. If we gather the troops in the wrong place, we may not be able to catch up with the marching speed of the enemy," Carter added. "The border between Graycastle and the Kingdom of Dawn is so long that we can't take care of every passage."
"It's true that we don't know where the enemy will attack from, but we can persuade them to attack from a certain point."
His words stunned everyone. After a while, Brian frowned and said, "I'm afraid only the Pope can do this."
Edith, however, showed a thoughtful look.
Sir Schilt did not care about Brian's slightly sarcastic response and said frankly, "In fact, I got the idea from Miss Edith. If we can predict the time of the Church's invasion through the transportation of food, then they should also be able to detect the approaching war from the changes in the surrounding cities."
"Coldwind Ridge!" Edith suddenly said.
"Exactly." Sir smiled. "If we stock up a large number of supplies in Coldwind Ridge and station the First Army in Deepvalley Town, which is the nearest town, won't we have a greater chance of guiding the Church's attack route?"
"Why?" Brian asked in confusion.
"Because Coldwind Ridge is too close to the Holy City," Edith explained. "Instead of waiting for the Church to attack, it's better to take the initiative to attack and force them to concentrate their forces here."
"I see." Roland also quickly figured out the problem. Deepvalley Town was the only town connected to the central water network. Although it was a long distance, the paddle ships could still transport a large number of supplies to the town in the next one or two months. After that, the transport time could be shortened to three days by land. It might not be completely enough, but at least it could barely meet the needs of a large-scale battle … Of course, a better way was to directly set up a defense line below Coldwind Ridge and wait for the enemy to attack the position formed by blockhouses, barbed wire, and trenches.
"What if they insist on not taking this route?" Van 'er asked.
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