Typhon had declared war.
Maryland stood in the tallest tower room in Longwind Fortress, his eyes looking in the direction of the Typhon Empire through the crystal glass window. His face was tense and he did not say a word for a long time.
The order from the Imperial Capital and the declaration of war from Typhon were placed in his hands.
A huge vortex had formed. Whether it was the gods or the pro-war faction of Typhon stirring this vortex was no longer important. What was important was that when a huge vortex began to exert its power, everyone in it did not seem to have much choice. Perhaps this matter was really driven by the crazy and out of control belief of the God of War, but to Cecil's soldiers, it made no difference. An enemy under the orders of the Emperor or the gods was still an enemy, and the enemy was in the direction of Winterwolf Fortress.
Intelligence showed that the defense line of Winterwolf Fortress had been undergoing a large-scale military mobilization since last night. A large scale main force was gathering, and even the Black Flag Battlemages of Winterwolf Fortress were moving to the border. There was also a tip from within Typhon that indicated that several reserve legions might have also received orders from Oldenheim. Although this last piece of information was very vague, it was enough to prove the intentions of Typhon's people.
Cecil's advantage now was the speed of their military operations.
Maryland lowered his head. On the table in front of him, a tactical map of the Longwind-Winterwolf Fortress region was spread out. The Contract Fortress was particularly eye-catching in the buffer zone in the center of the region, and beside this fortress that symbolized peace between the two countries, several blue flags with the symbol of Cecil were planted on the map.
...
On the open ground beside the Contract Fortress, a mechanized army consisting of several hundred tanks, multi-purpose infantry fighting vehicles, and troop carriers stood in the cold wind. Cecil's blue flag with golden stripes fluttered high in the winter sky. This fortress that was originally jointly guarded by troops from both countries had now completely fallen into the hands of Cecil. The few Typhon people in the fortress did not put up much resistance and became prisoners of war. Now, their flags were thrown to the ground, and they themselves... probably still did not understand what had happened.
In an armored command vehicle, Philip exhaled slightly, his expression gradually becoming cold and stern.
A staff officer entered the command vehicle, his body wrapped in the cold air from outside. He quickly walked to Philip's side and asked in a low voice, "General, the next step..."
"Launch a lightning attack on Winterwolf Fortress before dusk. Heavy artillery fire, advance in groups, don't be stingy with ammunition. Our mission is to destroy the border defense core before the main forces of Typhon complete their mobilization and assembly. As for the specific operation, we will execute the second plan we previously finalized."
"Yes, General!"
In the cold wind, the surging power of the magical engines was released one after another. The bearings rotated, the connecting rods operated, and the tracks crushed the hard and barren ground. The chariots let out a low roar and began to move in the direction of the Typhon Defense Line.
...
Cecil's men had arrived.
Several magical flames rose from the hills in the northwest. In the next few minutes, flashes of flames and explosions began to rise from that direction. After a short delay, faint rumbling sounds could be heard from the walls of Winterwolf Fortress. The low rumbling sounds made the soldiers a little nervous, and Andesha's expression became gloomier.
The young Wolf General left the window and returned to the long table where a large tactical map was placed. She looked at a high-ranking officer in the fortress and said, "Our mobile troops at the small triangular slope are engaged with Cecil's men."
The officer shifted his gaze away from the tactical map and looked into Andesha's eyes with a solemn expression. "The small triangular slope is not close to the castle, and the Knight's Regiment would need two hours to reach there. Cecil's men are faster than we thought."
"They mainly use chariots as their means of movement. There are all kinds of chariots," Andesha looked at her subordinates. "They are vehicles, weapons, and sturdy fortresses."
"Based on the information we have, unless the knights can use the combined energy shield and the energy cones to destroy the Cecil's' Steel Propulsion Tactic ', they will be at a great disadvantage if they fight the chariots head-on. On the other hand, the mechanized battlemages can fight against the chariots through flexible tactics and long-range attacks. However, they will only be able to fight against the chariots without any obvious advantage. We need to …"
At this moment, a rush of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, and the voice of a messenger interrupted the officer. "General! The Count of Wintercastle and the Black Flag Magicians have arrived! The count is outside now. "
Andesha immediately looked up. "Let Count Wintercastle in!"
Count Palin Winterfort entered the room with steady footsteps. He was clad in a dark blue starry robe, with a short staff and a black magic tome at his waist. Andesha heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the familiar face of her elder. She stood up and greeted him: "Count Winterfort, we've been waiting for you."
"I hope I haven't missed anything." Count Wintercastle nodded. "I heard that the Cecil's men have begun their attack."
"Yes, they have begun their attack, and it won't be long before they reach the defensive line of Winterwolf Fort," Andesha said frankly. "Our mobile units at the small triangular slope have already made contact with them."
Palin Wintercastle grunted and asked again, "Other than the Black Flag Magicians, which other units are in position?"
"The 17th and 22nd Regiments of the National Knight from Brown Valley have arrived at Winterwolf Fort before noon, followed by your Black Flag Magicians. The rest of the troops are still on the way, and I'm afraid they will only arrive tomorrow at this time."
"Then Cecil's men will definitely try to storm Winterwolf Fort before this evening to break down the defensive line," Palin Wintercastle said immediately. "Winterwolf Fort is the only gateway into the Empire from the northwest, and Cecil's men will not want to see it become a solid rock …"
A few officers in the room could not help but whisper a few words, but the whole room soon fell into silence again.
Storming and destroying a sturdy fortress with shields and enchanted walls in a single day was almost unimaginable in the old order of war. However, the people sitting in the room were not ignorant country bumpkins. Every one of them had studied all kinds of information from Cecil, so they knew very well that not only had Cecil's men done it, but they had also succeeded more than once.
A series of deductions flashed through Andesha's mind, and at the same time, she could not help but frown and sigh. "All of this is beyond our expectations, and we are not prepared enough …"
"This is not only beyond our expectations, I believe it is the same for Cecil's men," Palin Wintercastle said faintly. "This is a war that no one is prepared for. Everyone is standing on the same starting line, and once the whirlpool forms, everyone will be unable to resist falling into it. So we can be cautious and serious, but we can also not be so pessimistic."
Andesha exhaled and nodded. "That is true. Cecil's men are coming in full force, but … "
But before she could finish her sentence, she stopped abruptly as if she had sensed something. The officers in the room did not know what was going on, and looked at each other in confusion. But someone quickly reacted and ordered everyone to remain silent. In the silence, Andesha and her adjutant held their breaths and listened attentively to the sounds coming from outside.
The dense explosions in the direction of the small triangular slope were quickly becoming sparse.
"Less than half an hour," the adjutant said with a gloomy face. "Faster than we expected …"
One of the officers could not help but whisper. "If the Iron River Knight and the Clerics were here, we could have stopped the enemy's attack in the northwest direction …"
Andesha glanced at the officer and retracted her gaze: "We don't have the Ironriver Knights anymore, and we don't have the clerics either. We only have the main force of the Winterwolf Knights, three reinforcements, and this fortress. Ladies and gentlemen, let's think about how we should deal with the Cecil people based on this. This is the reality. "
Andesha maintained her stern expression and firm tone, as if she was not shaken at all. But as an elder, Palin Winterfort could feel the depression and regret in the young Wolf General's heart.
But he could not think of any words of comfort, and he knew that most of the people here had similar feelings. Even he was not optimistic at this moment.
And this depression did not come from the Cecil's men, nor was it from the fear of battle. The soldiers of the Empire were never afraid of war. What really shook them was the dark clouds of the Typhon's future.
The mutated War God Church, the Ace Knight Order that had gone out of control, and the contamination that was hidden around them that could suddenly erupt at any moment. Everyone tried their best not to discuss these matters, but everyone knew that they were right in front of everyone. There were even quite a few officers who had an even more frightening worry when they came into contact with deeper information.
The Iron River Knight Order had lost control under the influence of the corruption, and they were believers of the God of War … Then, as believers of the God of War, or more or less came into contact with the faith of the God of War, would they suddenly fall into madness? Or even … What they were thinking at this moment, what they were planning, was it really their own free will?
The soldiers of the Empire were also people. These terrible pressures were shaking everyone's morale no matter what.
"We have set up a large-scale arcane shock field on the west side of the defense line." After a short silence, Andesha suddenly broke the silence. "This is a targeted trap designed to counter the various characteristics of the magic engine and the Magic Net Base. It should be quite useful. If we succeed in stopping the enemy's advance, the Black Flag Mage Regiment's strategic spells will be more effective."
Palin Wintercastle raised his eyebrows. "Arcana Excitation Field? That is the result of the research of the Royal Association of Mages … Have you put it to practical use? "
"Just barely." Andesha nodded. "The main thing is that there is not enough time to set it up, but it can still be effective …"
After letting Palin Winterfort rest for a while, Andesha heaved a long sigh of relief. She was a little more relaxed than before, but only a little.
"Are we still unable to establish contact with Cecil's people?" She suddenly turned her head and looked at her adjutant who had been following her for many years.
"All our attempts have failed." The adjutant immediately straightened his body and replied solemnly. "We tried to use the communication device to call the backup line of Longwind Fortress, but they did not respond. We also sent three waves of messengers, but none of them came back alive. It seems that Cecil's people are completely enraged. They probably won't negotiate with us before the outcome is decided."
"Damn it …" Andesha clenched her teeth. "Are their brains in a mess …"
The adjutant looked at his superior worriedly. After a moment of hesitation, the young man who had been following Andesha for many years could not help but speak. "General, do you still think that this war can be stopped? Both sides have already used force … Forgive this subordinate for being blunt, but I think that it is useless to try to contact Cecil's people and explain the misunderstanding … "
"But the truth is that none of this should have happened!" Andesha stared at her adjutant and tried to keep her tone calm. "This war is harmful to the Empire, and it is harmful to everyone. Only those corrupted lunatics can obtain false satisfaction from it. Listen, contact them again, this is an order."
The adjutant met Andesha's gaze, and after two seconds, he lowered his head and accepted the order. "Yes, general. I will go to the communication tower again."
The adjutant left, and Andesha stayed behind with a heavy heart as she faced the disaster that was gradually approaching.
As time passed, more and more information was gathered in front of her.
These were the reports that the scouts and the Griffins in the sky risked their lives to gather. And in these reports, the Cecil's' Steel Advance Tactic 'was finally presented to the defenders of Winterwolf Fort. Regarding the performance of the chariots, Cecil's fighting style, and the comparison of the combat capabilities and tactics of both sides …
And along with the reports, there was also the Steel Advance Army that was constantly advancing.
Before the sun went down, the last outpost set up at the western border of Winterwolf Fort saw the Cecil's army. The steel chariots were moving towards them from the plains, and under the roar of the cannons, the chariots easily tore through the defenses of the outpost. The soldiers who were lucky enough to escape before the chariots arrived brought news that Winterwolf Fort would enter the enemy's firing range in ten minutes.
This was the last report they received.
At the same time, the adjutant also brought the last piece of bad news. Longwind Fort still did not respond to Winterwolf Fort's communication.
Andesha stood on the tall and sturdy walls of the fort. The energy shield above the fort was gradually increasing in level, and the enchanted walls under her feet were resonating with the magic power. Some of the bricks trembled slightly, but the increasing level of the barrier did not calm her down.
There were many things that could only be understood when faced with reality. No amount of deductions could compare to reality. Andesha clearly saw the weakness of the Typhon's army.
Cecil's magical technology had changed this era, and the changes in the era meant that everything would change. This included the way humans lived, and everything on the battlefield.
Typhon's army was a step slower, and this delay was reflected on the battlefield. The Typhon's army did not have enough units that could fight against Cecil's new weapons.
Facing the steel chariots that were known as "tanks", the Iron River Knights of the Empire were already absent, and the clerics were no longer available. Only the battle mages who had recently completed their training could rely on the magic chariots to fight against the steel chariots. However, the latter were severely lacking in numbers. At the same time, in this new type of battlefield, they were far less experienced than the Cecil army who had experienced civil wars and divine calamities.
After some comparison, Andesha finally realized that when Cecil's chariots entered the battlefield, there were not many units under her command that could step out of Winterwolf Fort and face the enemy head-on!
From Winterwolf Fort to Winterwolf Fort, the successive failures of the mobile units proved this point.
In fact, even if the Iron River Knight Regiment and the Clerics were not absent, this situation would not have improved much. The reason was simple. The Iron River Knight Regiment and the Clerics were the best of the best in Typhon's army. They were precious trump cards that were difficult to train. On the other hand, Cecil's army was made up of machines that could be mass-produced and trained quickly!
Before today, Andesha had seen information about Cecil's training speed and the strengths and weaknesses of their magical weapons. She had also thought that this was a new type of army that could be easily mass-produced, trained, and developed quickly. She had also made many suggestions to the Imperial Capital and thought of many ways to improve the Empire's current army. But now, she realized that her imagination … was still lacking.
In the distant west of the battlefield, there was a faint dust cloud and the radiance of magic shining. It was hard to tell if it was real or illusory under the setting sun.
Today, Andesha finally realized what she had missed on that rainy night in the Palamel Highlands.
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