When the signal flare suddenly rose from Position Four, Philip knew that the situation was out of control.
The battlefield was made up of countless coincidences and inevitability, countless plans and accidents.
The well-trained professional soldiers on the Iron Throne reacted in the shortest time possible. The small secondary cannons in the armory and tactical sections took aim in the direction of the signal flare in a few seconds. Then came a series of cannon fire. The rail shells drew a light green trajectory in the air, and then burst into bright flames on the highlands, illuminating the dark and gloomy wasteland in the rain. But everyone knew that this round of cannon fire was just to salvage some results in the situation where the plan had failed.
The signal flare that had already been fired could not be stopped. In the gloomy sky, the bright blood-red light illuminated the entire highlands and the plains around it. The main force of Typhon at the Longwind Defense Line must have seen it.
The rapid barrage of secondary cannons only lasted for thirty seconds before Philip ordered the entire vehicle to stop. As a general who was no longer inexperienced, he knew that most of the Typhon troops on the Palamel Highlands had moved away before the signal flare was fired. In the area covered by the cannon fire, there should only be a few suicide squad members left.
They could even be just a brave signaller.
"General, should we let the Gryphons take off to investigate?" The deputy commander of the Iron Throne asked cautiously. "Or send a group of Steel Rangers …"
Listening to his subordinate's suggestion, Philip sighed slightly in his heart.
He knew that it was probably too late. The enemy commander was a tough nut to crack. He was cautious and rational, and probably had a certain understanding of Cecil's equipment and fighting style. They would not stay nearby. He also knew that in the current weather conditions, the reconnaissance ability of the Gryphon Knight and the ground troops would be weakened to a certain extent. At this time, the enemy was most likely far away from the Iron Throne. To search the entire Palamel region for the Knight Regiment was no different from finding a needle in a haystack.
After all, compared to the large scale armored train with eye-catching tracks, it was much harder to find people who could move in a loose manner and use trees for cover.
But even so, Philip still ordered the Gryphon Knight to be released. The Gryphon refused to fly in such bad weather, and the rider spent a lot of effort to get the Gryphon Knight to hover at a low altitude. It was better than nothing, and the result was just as Philip expected: the enemy was nowhere to be found.
Knowing this situation, the young army commander's expression was calm. He turned around and ordered the cannoneer beside him, "All secondary cannons, aim at the fourth, sixth, and seventh areas as well as the northeast intersection. Fire freely for ten minutes."
"Yes, General."
The magic units of the Iron Throne began to operate again. Amidst the humming and the noise of the mechanical devices, the roar of the secondary cannons firing one after another reverberated in the tactical compartment. Philip ordered one side of the window armor to be opened. Amidst the dazzling flashes and the wind and rain, he gazed into the distance.
Tonight, Cecil's Magician Army had encountered the most vigilant enemy to date. In that dim curtain of rain, Philip saw the Empire's true opponent.
Before today, the Cecil Army had faced all kinds of opponents. The private army of the old nobles was defeated at first contact, the traditional Knight's Bravery was past its prime, and the army created by the cultists was extremely powerful, but in the end, it could only be reduced to powder under the cannons. Even the man-made gods were just powerful monsters that would eventually fall into the man-made trap …
Until today, in a confrontation amidst the wind and rain, everyone had brushed past the edge of the blade. Both sides' blades slit each other's throats, missing by a hair's breadth. Amidst the accumulation of countless accidents and coincidences, after the Cecil Army had constructed a near-perfect trap with the advantage of timing and intelligence, the Typhon Army had retreated from the battlefield almost unscathed.
A bloody battle had yet to break out, but everyone was drenched in cold sweat.
… …
Thunderous explosions came from far and near. Bright streaks of light streaked across the sky and landed on the Palamel Highlands. The flashes of the explosions rose and disappeared in the rainy night. The earth trembled, and the air trembled. It was as if an entire legion of magicians had bombarded the battlefield, causing everyone's ears to buzz.
The first Knight's Regiment of Winter Wolves quickly shifted their positions in the storm. The flashes of the explosions and the lightning in the sky took turns to explode, illuminating the wet swords and armors of the Knight's Regiment. Under each helmet, there was a pair of slightly nervous eyes.
But the Knight's Regiment was still orderly. Under the leadership of their commander, they carried out the fastest and smallest movement.
Andesha was riding on her horse. When she saw the flashes of the explosions, she pursed her lips tightly and did not say a word.
Cecil's Regiment had launched a terrifying attack, and the intensity of the attacks proved that her previous judgment was correct. The strength of the steel monster was not to be underestimated. A regular Knight's Regiment would not be able to face it head-on. A strategic retreat was the only choice to protect themselves.
Perhaps only the reorganized Magicians and the Iron River Knight's Regiment could fight against such a monster.
The young Wolf General looked back. The red magic signal had dissipated in the clouds, and in the depths of the dark rain, there were only bright streaks of light streaking across the sky.
She actually heaved a sigh of relief.
Although the enemy's attacks were fierce, she could judge from their distribution that they did not exceed Typhon's detection in this rainy night. They had already lost the position of the Knight's Regiment, and now they were just blindly trying their luck.
The heavy rain that had delayed the Winter Wolf Knight's Regiment's movements had now become a protective umbrella for Andesha and her soldiers.
Whether she and the Winter Wolf Knight's Regiment could safely escape this rainy night would depend on luck, just like Cecil's Regiment.
May the heavens bless Typhon.
The young Wolf General looked up and saw the rain falling in the darkness. She muttered to herself: "I hope the rain doesn't stop … …"
The adjutant beside her heard Andesha's muttering, but he did not hear the content clearly. He subconsciously asked: "General?"
"It's nothing," Andesha shook her head and looked at the direction of the steel monster for the last time. Then she looked back at her adjutant: "That decaying and weak Kingdom is already history. The new Cecil's Empire is a strong enemy."
Tonight, the Empire's elite troops met their most vigilant enemy. In the dark rain, Andesha saw the Empire's true opponent.
… …
The Typhon's troops retreated. When they were about to enter the Longwind Fortress' defensive zone, they suddenly stopped and turned back.
Maryland, who was fully armed, left the castle and went to the wall of the Longwind Fortress that faced Typhon's side. He looked at the dark plains for a long time without saying a word.
The Iron Throne's exposure was an accident. The battlefield was never short of accidents. But according to General Philip, the Iron Throne's exposure might have something to do with the Typhon's Regiment Commander's careful investigation. This made Maryland think of the situation where his carefully planned 'deception' was seen through.
He chuckled and shook his head: "That 'Little Wolf' … … lives up to his name."
"General," Adjutant Payne came to the wall and came to Maryland's side: "The Iron Throne has sent a message. They have stopped their bombardment. Our initial judgment is that they did not capture the Typhon's troops."
"… … This time, fate favors the Typhon," Maryland said calmly after a moment of silence. "Gather the information and send it to His Majesty. As for how the situation will develop … … it is not our concern."
"Yes, General."
The rain stopped without anyone noticing. Accompanied by the refreshing but cold autumn wind, the dark clouds in the sky quietly dispersed. This show that lasted from the afternoon to the night ended with the wind and rain. Starlight shone through the gaps in the clouds and onto the ground, cold and chilly.
"What a good rain …" Maryland said softly. "It came at the right time and stopped at the right time."
…
The intelligence from the eastern border was immediately sent to Saint Sunil. In the study of the Silver Fortress, Gwen gathered his three Great Senators.
"Our border is safe, at least in the east," Gwen said straightforwardly. "The Iron Throne has arrived at the border. After a dramatic battle, the Typhon's people have retreated to their defensive line."
"This is the detailed intelligence." Amber's figure appeared beside Gwen. She held a few photocopied documents in her hands and distributed them to the three Great Senators.
After receiving the intelligence, Victoria quickly scanned through it. Although the language used in the intelligence was very concise, it was enough to explain everything that had happened. After a rough scan, the Snow Duke could not help but sigh softly. "The opportunity passed by everyone."
"That's fair," Bai Dewen said. Franklin put down the paper in his hands. "No matter what, the Typhon's people have realized that the Changfeng Fortress' defensive line has been reestablished. They should be quiet now."
Gwen shook his head and reminded, "It's only for the time being. The Empire has entered the industrial age, and there is no such thing as' gentle restraint '. However, at least now, they no longer have the final say in whether to fight or to make peace. Heti, what do you want to say? "
Heti, who had been silent since the beginning, raised her head and looked at Gwen. "Ancestor, Minister Norris has led the Ministry of Agriculture's expert team into the polluted area of the Whitsunday Plains to evaluate the agricultural reconstruction plan there. From a long-term perspective, we really need to rest and recuperate."
Facing Heti's serious and slightly serious eyes, Gwen nodded. "Yes, we do need to rest and recuperate … especially the agricultural reconstruction."
The situation seemed to be going smoothly. The Empire had been established, and the coronation ceremony had greatly boosted the morale of all social classes. The Captical Order had been restored, and the nobles had all signed to express their support for the reform. The powerful war machine of Cecil had stopped the conspiracy of the Typhon's people at the border and even had the upper hand for a time. All of this seemed to be an illusion. A radical optimist might even think that the Cecil Empire was a powerful giant that was ready to conquer the world. However, everyone in this room knew that this' going smoothly 'was just a façade.
It was the successive victories that boosted the morale of the people. It was the temporary redistribution of benefits that covered the emptiness within the empire. The reality under the façade was that half of the grain-producing areas in the Whitsunday Plains had been destroyed, a large number of refugees had to be settled, and the cities and villages after the war had to be rebuilt.
If one were to say that the previous war had allowed this fallen ancient kingdom to rise from the ashes and cut off its rotten flesh, then what the Cecil Empire needed now wasn't to sweep through the world, but to let the places where the rotten flesh had been cut off grow new flesh.
Food was of the utmost importance. According to the emergency statistics that had just been completed, the Cecil Empire was short of food everywhere except the southern and western border. Even if the entire country's food reserves were mobilized, they could barely last until the next harvest season. To prevent large-scale famine, Duke Bodwin had begun to contact the Augre tribal nation in the west to discuss the purchase of food. Under such circumstances, the Empire must rest and recuperate.
"I also agree with Grand Governor Heti's opinion, but the key question is how Typhon will react." Duke Bodwin first affirmed Heti, then frowned. "The 'contest' at the Changfeng Defensive Line is very close to war, but it has not really turned into a full-scale war. Everyone is walking around the edge of the cliff … This circle, no matter how you want to explain it."
"They are the ones who took the initiative to approach the military defense zone. In the grand scheme of things, Typhon does not have the upper hand, and our disadvantage is that we failed to capture the troops, and we do not have enough evidence. This is the current situation, and for the two countries, as long as the evidence is not sufficient, they can deny everything," Gwen said. "On the other hand, in terms of willingness to go to war, Typhon should be more willing to sit down and have a good talk with us after today … The situation in Typhon today is different from before."
Heti frowned. "Is it because of their industrial and economic transformation?"
Gwen glanced at Heti, and there was a hint of approval in his eyes. "Yes, they have a new piece of 'cake'. Now, the small and medium-sized nobles who were damaged by the restructuring are busy redistributing the benefits, and one of the biggest internal pressures in Typhon has been temporarily alleviated. Before they encounter the next bottleneck, Rosetta will not be able to continue fighting against Typhon. There is no need for Augustus to continue to push for war. His current focus should be on controlling the process of industrial and economic transformation to prevent his empire from going out of control during this process … "
"Then …" Bodwin??? Franklin pinched his temples. "Your Majesty, we should give Typhon a signal."
"Of course." Gwen smiled and looked at Heti. "Immediately inform Padrick to place a new batch of orders for Typhon. Then … we will wait patiently for Rosetta?? Augustus's response is good. "
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