The battle with the Demon Clan has been very difficult, and the situation in Graythorn Territory isn’t any better.
The First Army Group and the Third Army Group are truly powerful forces, yet they have already suffered severe losses, many casualties, and even more injuries. Although with the help of Holy Water and high-level potions, they can be healed completely, it will be difficult to restore combat effectiveness in a short time.
Now they have to rely on the arriving units of the Second Army Group, along with Lind’s Royal Guards, who are struggling to hold the line.
Due to the high number of injured soldiers, there is a shortage of manpower at their positions. Fortunately, there are continuous supplies and new artillery being transported, helping Graythorn Territory withstand the pressure.
The hardest to deal with are the monsters on the opposing side, which attack tirelessly, day and night. These tactics, completely disregarding biological limits, have caused Graythorn Territory a lot of suffering.
After all, humans cannot sustain continuous day-and-night warfare like these monsters. People always need to rest, and while it’s possible to fight continuously for a short period, it cannot be considered a long-term combat strategy. This is a drain on both the soldiers and their morale.
Of course, Lind has optimized the situation, ensuring that each soldier gets four to six hours of rest while also maintaining sufficient combat capability on the front lines.
With a few small breaks added, they can at least barely maintain the situation for now.
“Has the new batch of weapons not arrived yet?”
In the tent, Lind was handling logistics while urging for updates.
“I’ve already pressed for it. It’s estimated that the new batch of weapons will arrive just as the railway extends to our rear,” Lucanus reported while also providing the latest intelligence to Lind.
After taking a glance at the reports, Lind sighed deeply. This was his first time commanding at such a large-scale war front, and it was also his first time observing the brutal battlefield so closely.
What he faced were those monsters, twisted like mythological beings.
To be honest, when Lind first arrived on the battlefield to boost morale, he felt nauseous and unsettled upon seeing the horrific scene. This was a normal physiological reaction, and it was the first time Lind understood that the battlefield was not just a metaphor, but a grim reality.
Soon, Lind became numb to it all, as there was no time for him to dwell on his feelings.
Being at the front line allowed Lind to determine exactly what kind of weapons were needed. Together with Lena, they managed to prototype a new type of weapon for mass production to be sent back to Graythorn Territory.
Although many tactics required Lind’s approval, he truly only provided his nod. He believed that professional matters should be handled by professionals, especially in such critical situations.
Lind focused more on maintaining the morale and order of the troops and managing the internal affairs in the rear of the Golden Ear Plains.
Although this may seem dismissive of Doug, it’s also true that Lind had been careful in his dealings with him. Under military intervention, the territory in the rear had been completely brought under Lind’s control, and the subjects there were pulled to manage rear work.
The construction speed of original military facilities wasn’t even Graythorn Territory’s full capacity, but now, the construction of the railway in the rear could be described as significantly accelerated.
Military railways are characterized by their simplicity and durability, and soon these railways would display their true value and the role of railways in this battle would debut. Once the railway is completely connected to Golden Ear Plains, the counteroffensive would begin.
After arranging the plans, Lind sealed several envelopes with his wax seal and handed them to Lucanus. These contained not only plans for the rear territory but also a letter addressed to Sean, who was stationed at Graythorn. As long as Lind continued to write to Sean, his prestige would deter any small troubles in the rear.
Sean also wrote back, assuring that everything was fine in Graythorn Territory. Although some rumors had spread, since the Golden Ear Plains had not been breached, and the ones spreading the rumors were merely soldiers from Doug’s army, they lacked credibility and did not stir up any real trouble.
Although everything seemed stable in Graywhite Territory without Lind’s oversight, Sean mentioned in his reply that there might be some changes in the Royal Capital. The Queen had sent several letters to Lind, but due to her lack of ability to send them directly, these letters had to be forwarded to Lind by Sean, which took some time.
Lind carefully opened each letter and read through them only to eventually set them down with resignation, picking up his pen to write to his stepsister.
The Queen has likely been under a lot of pressure lately. Though not explicitly mentioned in her letters, Lind suspects that renewed conflict has arisen at the southwest border with the Anju Kingdom, and the outcome is not encouraging, thus slightly affecting the Queen’s authority.
The King of Anju is certainly not foolish enough to only passively take hits; in a normal war, both sides learn from each other. Since it seems the development of firearms on their side has surpassed that of the Royal Capital, they must have resumed hostilities.
However, the situation should not be too dire. At least the Queen still maintains control over the Royal Capital, and the request for assistance is not urgent, primarily more inquiries about the specific situation of the battle in Golden Ear Plains.
After all, it is well known that the Queen has little affection for the Demon Clan. If the Demon Clan were to conquer Graywhite Territory, those in the Royal Capital who had colluded with them in secret would likely spring into action.
Lind can sense that it’s not just the Royal Capital; other powers in this world are probably watching this war too. From the various letters collected by Lucanus, it’s clear that everyone is waiting for the outcome of this conflict, but no one dares to take action.
After thinking for a moment, Lind decided to apply some pressure on the Queen. After all, her authority has become increasingly formidable lately, primarily because the Augustians have inexplicably fallen silent.
Since the Augustians are unwilling to take action, Lind would personally take it upon himself to set things in motion for his stepsister.
As for whether the situation in the Royal Capital will become increasingly chaotic, the moment the Magic Powered Train is deployed in combat, the dynamics and attitudes of the Royal Capital will already be of less importance. The time has come to sow the seeds of chaos in the Royal Capital.
After writing a reply to the Queen, Lind donned his cloak and stepped out of the tent.
The Sisterhood has not yet been allowed to enter the battlefield. Though they were eager, Lind decided to wait for new equipment to arrive first, as what they need most right now are medical personnel.
Thus, the Sisterhood is currently responsible for the field hospital within their positions.
Meanwhile, Lena is discussing with Isha about possible improvements to the new weapons designed against the Demon God Offspring.
The generals are busy commanding the soldiers on the defensive. The sounds of artillery have become a part of the entire position.
Tia has already returned with the elves and Druids; they’ve seemingly found some clues about these monsters, so they’re heading back to the High Ger Empire.
Under the protection of the Royal Guards, Lind ascended the newly built watchtower and gazed at the battlefield not far away, where red and black blood stained the earth, and bodies were piled up haphazardly, some torn beyond recognition.
Every inch of land, once symbolizing harvest, now witnesses this massacre. Splotchy blood stains resemble the last struggle of life, as the bodies of humans and monsters interweave into a horrific feast of flesh and blood.
Each soldier carries Holy Water; otherwise, those corpses would be the ultimate nourishment for the monsters.
The Holy Water brought this time is still too little, or perhaps the support from the Demon Clan far exceeds Lind’s expectations. Now all they can do is await the next wave of supplies after the railway connection; Lind looked at the soldiers in the positions with deep sorrow, knowing they are living people, and according to Lucanus’s intelligence, the next wave of support from the Demon Clan is already on its way.
This tug-of-war will continue for some time.
However, Lind, who understands the principle of “mercy does not control military affairs,” knows that instead of grieving for these soldiers, it would be better to find an opportunity to counterattack and eradicate these monsters from the Demon Clan once and for all.
Lind extended his hand out of the watchtower to catch the snowflakes falling from the gray sky, clenching his fist.
Winter has arrived.
