"However, is it really that easy to do such a thing?" Aya, spreading her wings as she soared past the layers of clouds, used her front paws to count, "Let's not even talk about whether your brother will behave honestly in the capital city. Once you leave, there's a chance your home might get burgled again."
"So after we leave, Mimi will immediately seal off the castle and leave. Trust me, as long as we act swiftly, the other side won't be able to react in time. Isn't that how super scouts are supposed to be used?" Tiran sat cross-legged on Aya's back, brimming with confidence.
"Well, that does make some sense. But what if they're just as stubborn as you and resort to violence first? Who do you think will strike faster?" Aya wasn't too concerned about how ordinary humans might react, but from the perspective of the ruler of the country, inciting a bloody conflict, especially given the current internal and external dilemmas, would inevitably create unrest. The fearsome reputation of Granzon's War King would likely fade.
"You're underestimating Dad, aren't you?" The princess pouted, crossing her arms, "Although that guy may be a bit of a goofball most of the time, when it comes to this, he's a qualified king."
"Planning ahead, are we?"
"Of course not. That guy once charged alone with eight hundred horsemen into an army of ten thousand during a national war. Do you really think he's the type to consider such things... but after weighing the options, if he believes that taking such actions will lead to victory in the war, he'll do it. As for his reputation, if it fades, he can always restore it with a victory. Because when making decisions at this level, between the loss of some common people and one's reputation, it's impossible to run a country without considering them carefully."
The girl lay back, using her left hand to shield her eyes from the blinding sunlight that now streamed through the gaps in the clouds.
"Do you think that's the right thing to do?" Aya asked, genuinely curious.
"From a general rational perspective, it's certainly not wrong." The sunlight was indeed fierce, prompting Tiran to close his eyes. "But this is Dad's decision, you see. As for me..."
In tune with Tiran's thoughts, Aya quickly sensed the answer from the princess through their contract: "That's truly your style."
"Which is why I'm not suited to be a king. Too many considerations. Being a couch potato suits me better."
The princess murmured softly.
"I like you just the way you are." Aya almost blurted out.
"...Aya, you've really grown, huh? Being able to say such things without blushing or skipping a beat." After two seconds of silence, Tiran stroked the smooth scales on Aya's side, attempting to conceal his slightly reddened cheeks and accelerated heartbeat.
---
Eastern front, Northwind City battle zone.
Similar to Blackstone Fortress which was breached a few days ago, Northwind City was one of the three main cities of the Eastern defenses, boasting well-designed fortifications and ample war supplies that had made Maston suffer considerable losses attacking it. However, with the breach of Blackstone Fortress by a fleet of airships, Maston's forces advanced swiftly, causing the loss of half of the Wolff Province, a region known for being the largest in both provinces and grain production in the kingdom. Subsequently, it was only with the arrival of the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Central Army Corps reinforcements from Granzon, establishing a defense line in the Kent Mountains, that Maston's advance was eventually halted.
However, at this juncture, Maston also began splitting its forces. Apart from part of the main force confronting Granzon's auxiliary troops along the mountain range, the remaining troops and airship fleets immediately split into two to flank the remaining two main cities of the Eastern defenses: Northwind City and Horn Fortress.
This decision was based on their past experiences. Eighteen years ago, during the Milanía War when Maston invaded, they suffered partially due to the logistical strains caused by being too aggressive, leading to a vulnerability in their supply lines. Subsequently, the Granzon forces, after quelling a noble rebellion, cut off their communications with their homeland, effectively isolating the Maston troops within their borders to divide, weaken, and ultimately defeat them using their logistical advantage.
Securing territory slowly but surely was Maston's strategy. Unlike their previous goal of conquering and destroying a nation that they had eighteen years ago, this time, seizing a substantial province's lands during a vulnerable moment would signify a significant victory.
This strategy, however, had resulted in Northwind City and Horn Fortress being left isolated and without reinforcements.
The pressure on Horn Fortress was slightly lighter. Just a day before the breach of Blackstone Fortress and the severing of their supply line, a new batch of supplies and reinforcement troops had just arrived, ready to face the enemy with their full combat readiness. Nevertheless, even with a full division holding off, it was exceedingly difficult. As for Northwind City, with nearly half of its stockpile depleted and yet to be replenished...
"It's truly unbelievable how they've managed to hold out until now."
Outside the city, fierce winds whipped up dust and ash from the burning rubble, obscuring the view. As the wind subsided, a figure abruptly appeared.
Just hours after a battle had ended outside Northwind City, the ground was scattered with bomb craters from stray bombs dropped by the sporadic airship attacks, along with the remains of soldiers killed by long-range assaults and various war machines crushed under rolling stones. Amid this gruesome scene, a black-haired youth with an Eastern appearance stood out. At least, it was rare to see someone casually strolling the battlefield in slippers while munching on a half-eaten meat sandwich.
Standing amidst the debris, which once may have been a war chariot used to defend against arrows, the youth, with the sandwich in his mouth, raised his hand to frame a shot at Northwind City's fortress walls, which had already begun to show cracks and indentations. He nodded in satisfaction.
It was truly more impactful to witness the scene firsthand than through paintings.
"Little Vera, you're mistaken. This place isn't down yet - and it seems like the main body of the city wall is intact, so it won't be breached anytime soon," Yuan said, lifting his left hand to his ear while enjoying the meat juices within his sandwich through the delicate earpiece that displayed a faint blue Magic array, reporting on the battle's outcome.
"Wah, Yuan, you must have cheated to win!" Vera accused, shaking her head. "I mean, come on, it's been so long already! They might not even have food to eat by now. It's impossible to hang on with common sense logic!"
"Haha, spare me. I'm not like Xingjian, who has premonitions like having cheats. How would I cheat?" Yuan retorted.
"Ugh, even after all this time! Maybe they can't keep this up! Using just common sense alone, they shouldn't be able to endure!" interrupted Vera.
"'People' are also part of common sense, you know. I firmly believe in the power of 'people,'" Yuan squeezed his hand, feeling a bit of warmth and moisture, realizing the meat juice had been squeezed out. He quickly wiped it away.
"So, why did you suddenly run over there again? Do you have something else up your sleeve?" Vera's tone shifted excitedly, recalling the ruckus caused in Lojing that kept her entertained for days.
"This time, it's just to watch the show," Yuan shrugged.
"To watch the show? What kind of show?" Vera inquired.
"A grand spectacle between gods... and human struggles."
---
"Is it the same as today? Understood." After listening to the last report from the responsible party, Brad, who had been out of sight for a long time, sighed as he rubbed his temples.
The ongoing blockade outside the city was to be expected. Granzon couldn't allow a fully organized army unit to roam freely in their rear, especially with the presence of the Holy Knight Division from the church.
Objectively, with a well-fortified city, Brad didn't need to worry too much about enemy attacks from outside. However, as long as the Spear of Dawn remained aimed at the city's walls, he didn't have the freedom to move around. While the Iron Wall Shield and the Spear of Dawn were equally respected, their original purposes made it impossible for Brad to send out the Iron Wall Shield to directly confront the Spear of Dawn.
What was the Spear of Dawn? Cavalry, both light and heavy, even archers and a few infantrymen were mounted, making it challenging to face their charges with a large formation of heavy infantry. Even if a considerable number of heavy infantry soldiers could theoretically counter a cavalry charge, it would require the infantry to outnumber the riders significantly. Moreover, given the elite nature of the Spear of Dawn, their tactics such as flanking maneuvers and harassment were undoubtedly well-versed, with absolute mobility in their hands. Should Brad's troops leave the city, they would simply be delivering themselves into the enemy's hands.
It was virtually impossible for Brad to actively break free from the predicament. The only option he had was to focus on managing the city and, if necessary, turn real-time strategy into a farming game.
But even in farming, the current situation was unfavorable. After redistributing the wealth of the nobles in the royal capital, Brad gained a substantial amount of prestige, and he didn't stop there.
Following the coup, Brad completely abolished the former ruling structure and reorganized the jurisdiction of each realm under committees like the Food Committee, Infrastructure Committee, Financial Committee, and so on. He also confiscated the industries of the nobility within the royal capital, placing them under public ownership in the name of the state, thereby employing laborers with better conditions and improving the living standards of the underprivileged... not to mention enhancing the living conditions of the common folk.
On a side note, Brad no longer held titles like prince or regent that were reminiscent of the old nobility. Instead, he was referred to as the "Interim Chairman of the National Emergency Committee."
Within a month after the coup, Brad's popularity had reached its peak.
Naturally, with its peak came the downhill slide.
The first troublemakers were those remnants of the "old nobility," who had already been dispossessed. It must be acknowledged that after years of accumulating influence, the noble class wielded significant power, making it difficult to eradicate them entirely in the short term. Brad, considering the need for future reform of the entire country's nobility and not being too harsh on them, only placed them under house arrest after confiscating their assets. While limiting their freedom, they were still provided with three square meals a day and even retained some loyal servants who voluntarily cared for them.
Yet, it was precisely these individuals who started causing trouble first. In a preliminary investigation, Brad confirmed that the various rumors circulating within the city originated primarily from these individuals.
Rumors such as "War King will eventually return" or "Brad is no vision for the future, just a ridiculous clown" initially were relatively harmless. However, as the royal army surrounded the capital city and cut off their supply lines following Maston's attacks and the loss of Blackstone Fortress, these rumors were somewhat verified and found fertile ground.
From that point onwards, some commoners, even former royal officials serving in the committees, began worrying about potential persecution after hearing these rumors.
However, the most damning rumors emerged after Maston's assaults and the fall of Blackstone Fortress. The whispers shifted from Brad being an inconsequential fool to him being labeled a "traitor colluding with the enemy," casting doubts on his identity. Maintaining a strong sense of national identity towards Milanía among the common people caused even more damage to Brad's reputation.
"Do you really believe a member of the old royal family sincerely intends to take you to establish the so-called 'new Milanía'?" These were words uttered by the city law enforcement when arresting a street performer for delivering an illegal public speech. Subsequent investigations revealed that he was merely a wandering bard idle in taverns, but behind the scenes...
Well, Brad was not inclined to delve into that person's affairs. The rumors had spread far and wide and surfaced to the point where catching one lead wouldn't yield much meaning.
