Sword of Dawn

……

Typhon Imperial Capital, Aldernan.

After receiving the order, Andersa returned at full speed and once again set foot on the streets of the city where she was born and raised.

Riding in the Wendell family's carriage, listening to the sound of the wheels rolling over the road, Andersa opened the cover on one side of the carriage, looking at the scenery on the street and the passers-by with some ecstasy.

She knew that she had left the city for a long time, but the changes in the city still exceeded her expectations.

Some old buildings were demolished, and some unfamiliar buildings appeared on the street. Even the houses that I knew had strange signs on them, such as XX company, XX factory, misty Aldernan was shrouded in a layer of gray, and a faint and somewhat weird smell filled the fog. This smell was not pleasant, and Andersa frowned subconsciously.

Is this the "new atmosphere in the imperial capital" described in letters from China?

Andersa frowned, looking at the hurrying people on the road, she still remembered what this city used to be like, the leisurely and proud citizens, and the comfortable, neither fast nor slow pace here, but the current Aldernan, however, seemed to be winding up in a mechanical clock, as if there was a fast-rotating gear pushing everyone, and the pedestrians in his sight were walking fast, as if he didn't dare to waste even a minute, and when they rushed At the end of the street, there are either tall and ugly factory buildings, or tall chimneys...

Most of the city is actually the same as when they left, but a subsurface change seems to have changed everything, and Andersa feels that she doesn't know this place.

As the carriage drove through the long street and gradually approached the Wendell family's mansion, Andersa's thoughts finally calmed down, and she began to think about the things she had to face.

She went home, but she felt that it was not an honor for her to come back this time.

The carriage stopped at the door of the house smoothly, and servants came out to greet them. These people all had beaming smiles——in any case, it is worth these people's happiness for the eldest lady to go home, and besides the ordinary servants, The familiar housekeeper also came out and came to the door of the carriage.

The butler bent down: "Miss, welcome home."

Andersa poked her head out: "Is grandpa at home?"

"Yes, he is waiting for you in the flower hall."

Chapter 0702

The elegant and well-decorated hall is filled with the familiar scent of "Night Curtain", and the Wendell family's "Wolf of Iron Armor" emblem hangs on the light golden column. In the hall, the portrait of Tilian Wendell hanging on the wall is shining, and the forever majestic and powerful grandfather in memory is standing quietly in front of the portrait of the family ancestor, with his back to the gate, as if he is in a trance.

The attendant on the side wanted to go forward to report, but Andersa stopped the attendant. She walked into the hall alone and stopped a few meters behind Duke Ferdinand. The dust flutters in the sun like spirits in the atmosphere.

"Grandpa, I'm back."

"700 years ago, Tyrian Wendell was the same age as you when he completely defeated the Aberrant Army on the Western Front," Ferdinand said slowly. , fought fiercely for three days and nights, wiped out five times as many enemies, and after the victory, the founding king named Tyrian Wendell the first Wolf Duke in the name of wolf."

This is a history that every descendant of Wendell is familiar with. Andersa lowered her head: "I always remember the glory of my ancestors."

"The ancestors are indeed glorious," Ferdinand finally turned around, but the majestic face was a bit older than what Andersa remembered, "Or, every pioneer is equally glorious, and This glory requires matching abilities—including Tyrian Wendell, and naturally Gawain Cecil.

"The magic army of the Cecilians was formed and trained by Gawain Cecil himself, and compared with other 'legions of glory', the most powerful thing about that army is that they are the 'first generation', As a young commander, you are qualified to fight against such an enemy without losing."

Andersa met her grandfather's gaze calmly. Under the gaze of those eyes, she knew that there would be a follow-up.

Duke Ferdinand really continued: "However, as the top general of the Winter Wolves Legion and the first commander of the Empire's defense line, the moment you head to the Paramer Heights, you are already unqualified."

Andersa took a breath, straightened up in front of her grandfather as if she was a child.

Ferdinand looked into Andersa's eyes: "About Changfeng Fortress, what is the order His Majesty gave you?"

Andersa replied immediately: "Keep continuous monitoring, and confirm the actual strength and deployment of the Changfeng defense line at any time. If there are no loopholes, do not take the initiative to attack. If you find an opportunity, you can choose the opportunity and attack immediately."

"That's right," Ferdinand nodded, "So from the perspective of a simple order, you have done nothing wrong, and His Majesty will not punish you for your failure, but when you execute this order, you really Is it 'just executed the order'?"

Andersa's face was tense, and she nodded under Ferdinand's gaze until a few seconds later: "Yes."

"When you are nervous, your eyes always look at the lower left corner." Duke Ferdinand shook his head, turned around, and looked at the colorful crystal window that was pouring in sunlight. "You didn't send spies to conduct a disguised investigation, but You chose to take the knights directly to the Paramer Heights. After discovering that the Cecils' position was false, you sent out the signal without further searching and confirming the surrounding environment of the battlefield. The rain, the obstructed line of sight, the reduced efficiency of detection...it shouldn't have happened to you."

"……I have nothing to say."

"Hatred makes you temporarily lose your judgment. You have been waiting for this opportunity for many years. I understand your urgency at that time, but you are not a knight fighting alone, but a commander, and more importantly, as your majesty. General, your personal feelings must be placed after the emperor's orders and national interests - you must keep in mind that even if the Cecils kill me in front of you today, as long as your majesty orders you to establish an alliance with Cecil If you want to have a peaceful relationship with them, you must live in peace with them on the border, this is the responsibility you must fulfill when you pick up that knight sword."

Andersa was silent for a moment, and finally took a deep breath, her eyes became firm again: "Yes, I understand."

"You will do it, because your surname is Wendell," Ferdinand nodded slowly, "I am most gratified that at least some of your decisions were made timely and accurately, and these choices allowed you to successfully withdraw with the Knights." Leaving Winter Wolf Castle—not being left on the highlands of Paramer is your greatest success, which prevents the empire from being passive in righteousness, and also prevents you from becoming a victim of negotiations and bearing all the infamy in your own name.”

Grandfather's preaching was as merciless as in memory, and Andersa also found that she could not make any refutation just like in memory, she accepted everything with her head down, until her grandfather suddenly changed his tone: "The time for preaching is over, I should also give you some praise - you successfully brought back direct information about Cecil's Magical Legion, which is more precious than anything else."

The old duke paused at this point, and then asked: "What does that thing look like? What kind of weapons does it have? How to fight?"

Andersa immediately sorted out her sentences, showing a serious expression:

"It is made of a large amount of steel, its shape and volume are close to the 'train' you described in your letter, and it is equipped with powerful magic weapons...

"It was hidden behind woods and rocks, but because of its size, and its orbit with prominent rune markings and large raised structures, so it was easy to see from the air, I thought it was an unsuitable object for concealment. The main role of weapons should be to attack and serve as a mobile fortress...

"It should be able to hold a large number of soldiers and supplies, and be able to fight for a long time away from the stronghold...

"...Although I haven't fought against it, I can be sure that it has some kind of shield...

"If you need to fight, destroying its orbit in advance should be the top priority. In addition, its long-range attacks are fierce and concentrated. When confronting it, you should treat it as a magician group that is protected within the city wall and can move at any time...

"Its main weapon is huge, and it was pointed at the Changfeng Plain. Judging from its deployment location, its range is at least ten kilometers, which is far beyond the scope of traditional spells..."

Andersa said one by one, and Duke Ferdinand nodded from time to time. After Andersa finally finished speaking, the old prince thought for a while and broke the silence with a little sigh: "...you are very lucky, Cecil The mastery of it is not yet proficient, just like when we first formed the Iron River Knights a few years ago, those Cecilians are not mature in the supporting tactics of the new weapons."

"Immature?" Andersa was a little surprised.

"If you're mature, you won't be able to come back." Ferdinand glanced at her. "Do you think it was just the right rain that allowed your knights to evacuate alive?"

Seeing Andersa's thoughtful expression, Duke Ferdinand nodded slightly, and then walked towards the exit of the hall: "Your Majesty is at the Obsidian Palace, come with me to see him."

Andersa woke up from her thoughts, and immediately turned to follow the footsteps of the old prince: "Yes, grandfather."

Duke Ferdinand hummed, but when he was about to enter the corridor, he stopped suddenly. Looking at Andersa who also stopped, with a puzzled expression on his face, the old man nodded slightly: "I forgot to say just now—— Welcome home."

After a moment of daze, Andersa came to her senses, and finally a smile appeared on her face.

In front of the porch of the Duke's Mansion, Andersa didn't see the carriage she was familiar with, but saw a strange-looking car with four wheels and an iron shell parked under the steps.

"This is the magical vehicle I mentioned to you in the last letter," Duke Ferdinand explained before Andersa asked, "It is the third vehicle—more than half of the parts inside are handcrafted by artisans. Yes. Your uncle built a factory on Golden Shell Street, and he is trying to use machines to make the skeleton and shell of magic vehicles. If you have time this time, you can take a look.

"You have been away from the imperial capital for too long. Many changes have taken place here. Some new things cannot be clearly described in letters. You should read more. These insights will be useful to you."

"The Cecils have similar things," Andersa said. "They recently appeared near Changfeng Fortress. They use larger magic vehicles to transport supplies."

"The magic vehicle was first born in Cecil, and our craftsmen and scholars imitated it. As you have seen - the Cecilians were the first to create the magic vehicle, and have gone a long way in this technology Far, we are catching up now, which makes many imperial nobles who are used to a proud attitude very uncomfortable, but the fact is like this," Ferdinand walked towards the magic guide car, and said as he walked, "The 'war machine' you mentioned ', is obviously also a creation of magic technology - we have created a powerful army of extraordinary people, but the Cecils are using magic technology to bridge the gap in this area. If we don't want to fall into the disadvantaged, we must abandon the meaningless The proud mentality, from now on to catch up."

Andersa sat in the car, observing everything in sight with uncontrollable curiosity and joy. Her fingers caressed the inner wall of the car door. After seeing the Cecilian war machine with her own eyes, this thing inevitably looked Simple, but when the tremor of mechanical operation came from below her body, she still couldn't help sighing softly: "...This is what we made..."

"Yes, we made this. We should thank every scholar, mage, and craftsman in the Imperial Manufacturing Association, especially the leader of this project, Master Daniel—although I don't like the overly gloomy appearance of the great magician. His temperament, but his wisdom and talent are admirable," Duke Ferdinand said, "Don't be envious of the tools used by the Cecils to transport supplies, Winter Wolf Castle will use them soon, your uncle has been instructed by Master Daniel , when his factory is officially up and running, we no longer have to rely on craftsmen's hammers to make the shells of magic vehicles."

Accompanied by the tremor of the mechanical device, the magic vehicle started. This incredible machine drove out of the Duke's Mansion and headed towards the Obsidian Palace. Along the way, they met some passers-by, and they all stopped to watch, but Andersa's attention now Not on the street at all: "We can build this thing, that train..."

"Trains... trains are another concept," Duke Ferdinand smiled wryly and shook his head, "I know what you're thinking, I'm thinking about it, His Majesty is thinking about it too, our scholars, craftsmen and mages are thinking about it, but It must be admitted that we can't make it...at least not yet on the same level as Cecil's magic train. As far as I know, a group of craftsmen are trying to build simple, small rail vehicles. I hope they Can succeed."

Listening to her grandfather's words, Andersa slowly calmed down. She raised her head, looked at the receding road outside the car window, watched the midday sun dispel the mist on the streets of Aldernan, and looked rarer than she remembered. There were many pedestrians walking hurriedly on the street, and her heart that was tied up in Winter Wolf Castle and on the front line finally came back here slowly.

The car passed the intersection and passed a mother and daughter who were taking a walk. Through the open window, Andersa heard a vague voice in the wind:

"Mom, there are so few people on the road... Where did everyone go?"

"They're in the factory..."

Times are changing, and the city is really a little strange.

But this is her home after all.

……

In Obsidian Palace, an attendant walked into Rosetta Augustus' room and bowed to salute: "Your Majesty, Grand Duke Ferdinand Wendell and General Andersa Wendell have arrived."

Rosetta, who was reviewing a document, looked up from her work: "Let them in."

The patriarch and heir of the Wendell family walked into the room and saluted each according to etiquette. After Rosetta returned the salute, her eyes fell on Andersa.

The young General Wolf stood up straight, facing the emperor's stare calmly. After that deep gaze finally retracted a little, she heard a question:

"Andersa, what does our army lack now?"

Chapter 0703 Tuition Fees

What is missing……

Andersa met the gaze of Rosetta Augustus. In the eyes of the ruler of the empire, she saw the depth and calmness of a deep pool. This gaze made her realize that she came today This place is not for pleading guilty, nor for justification. She came here to contribute value to the empire.

Rosetta watched Andesa silently.

The Winter Wolf Legion was defeated in this border contest, and the emperor resisted the diplomatic pressure generated for them. Duke Ferdinand will complete the summary of experience that the generals should make together. As for this moment and this place, the young wolf What the general should do is tell the ruler of the empire how he should strengthen his army for the next contest.

"First, communication." Andersa said after a short thought.

"Our existing means of communication are flawed - the Cecilian Magic Legion is bringing a new war situation, their long-range attack methods are rich and flexible, and the army can cooperate with each other on a very wide battlefield And quick counterattacks, which means that the speed and magnitude of changes in various areas of the battlefield will far exceed the past...

"The communication distance of the communication tower is very long, and it can cross the battlefield, but it needs fixed facilities to maintain the operation of a large magic circle, and it can only serve as a means of communication between fortresses; the communication skills of mages are flexible and changeable, but the communication distance is not enough Two kilometers is not enough to meet the scale of the next battlefield. Moreover, the requirement of the communication technique is high, and the number of mid-level mages is rare. The mages who master the communication technique are basically at the commander level, and it is impossible to use it as a relay communication messenger on the battlefield. .

"The magic light technique played by the signal mage is a means of communication that cannot be hidden. Although it is useful, it is too restrictive under special circumstances. We have encountered such a 'special situation'...

"Second, our command system can't keep up with our legion structure, especially the role of consultant scholars has not been fully utilized. They should have the right to participate in the formulation of tactics, not just to make suggestions. In addition, there are also conflicts among consultant scholars. There is no effective cooperation, specifically...

"Thirdly, we need to update our equipment. Your Majesty, although we don't want to admit it, we are lagging behind the Cecils in terms of equipment-the Legion of the Extraordinary is indeed powerful, but we still have more ordinary soldiers, the Cecils Magical weapons can determine the value that ordinary people can exert on the battlefield. If a large number of ordinary soldiers lag behind the enemy in terms of weapons and equipment, then no matter how great the superhuman army has an advantage on the local battlefield, our overall battlefield will be crushed by the Cecils...

"My scouts have dealt with Cecil's scouts many times. Their scouts are ordinary people, but they can fight against our shadow scouts and scout mages. This is a very dangerous signal..."

"The last point, and the most difficult to control, is that our 'mindset', or how we approach and understand war ... has limitations."

Andersa obviously slowed down a lot when she said the last point. Obviously, even though she had sorted out her thoughts in advance, what she wanted to summarize at this moment was a rather difficult thing to express. Rosetta Augustus He didn't urge him here, but just looked at the young general very calmly, motioning her to speak boldly.

Receiving the emperor's silent encouragement, Andersa took a light breath, and began to talk about where the Typhon people fell in the first and biggest stumble in this border contest——

"In the beginning, the Cecils actually had no advantage at all. The Changfeng defense line at that time could be said to be vulnerable in front of the Winter Wolves, but they insisted on relying on a deceptive tactic for half a month. The disadvantage has become an advantage, and this deception tactic is not just as simple as pretending on the battlefield-for half a month, they carried out false military transfers, built false fortifications, and even made They created false caravans and leaked false material information, but what they did was far more than that.

"On the way here, I learned more from my grandfather. The Cecilians even created a false post-war atmosphere throughout the Eastern Region, and also paralyzed our royal advisors through changes in business orders. Your Majesty, this That's the scariest place--

"In our place, the war is on the battlefield, but in the eyes of the Cecilians, the frontal battlefield is only a part of the war.

"Their market, their propaganda, the soldiers on their front, the merchants on the side, and even the people at the lowest level, all their actions are part of the war, and they are all working to achieve the same goal. This is very scary, Your Majesty .”

After Andesa finished speaking her thoughts, Rosetta Augustus on the opposite side fell into a brief silence. After more than ten seconds, the ruler of the empire frowned and said in a low voice: "War is not only on the battlefield. On... you are right, Andersa.

"We were once deceived by the Cecils, and until now, there are still some members of the nobles who think that the scheme of those Cecilians is just a despicable 'trick', but the fact is more than that-the Cecilians not only made They told a lie, they created an all-round illusion, from border trade orders, to their own domestic propaganda, to the military transfer on the front line, they almost created a 'curtain' with no dead ends, completely covering us Wrapped in it, we can only see what they play. Even if our spies in the East Territory risk their lives to spread so much information, the information they spread is all false. This is indeed very scary, Ann Tessa, very scary.

"What's even more frightening is that our current system of local governors cannot do the same thing."

Rosetta finished speaking quietly, and Duke Ferdinand next to him glanced at Andersa. Apart from surprise, there was also a hint of relief in the eyes of the old Duke.

People always make mistakes, and the Wendell family is no exception, but at least Andersa didn't let those wrong emotions affect her ability to judge as the wolf general, or on the other hand, it was precisely because of her embrace of the old Ansu Kingdom Only with a certain obsession can one be particularly sensitive to the actions of the Cecilians, and one can connect those behaviors that seem to be distributed in different fields, analyze them all from the perspective of hostility, and draw conclusions that ordinary people have never thought of.

Of course, in addition to this reason, the long-term presence at the border and the long-term dealings with Changfeng Fortress are also one of the important factors for her to draw these conclusions.

After that, Rosetta learned a lot from Andersa, not only the changes in the situation in the border area, but also the operation of several legions on the border and the progress of border trade. During this process, he also invited The two wolf generals of the Wendell family had lunch together in his drawing room, and the long conversation did not come to an end until the giant sun gradually approached the horizon of the sky.

Andersa just returned from the border today. Although the physique of a high-level transcendent is not afraid of this little fatigue, Rosetta still let her go home to rest and recharge her energy for tomorrow's noble meeting. Duke Ferdinand was left behind. Down to continue the discussion.

"Andersa is indeed a very perceptive child," Rosetta said calmly after there were only two people left in the room, "she can always notice things under the surface."

Pei Dinan lowered his head: "But her recklessness this time almost ruined the event, Your Majesty."

"The shortcomings of youth can be made up for by years, but sharpness is difficult to train," Rosetta said calmly, "She mentioned this 'false' created by the Cecilians, but this is actually the result of the Cecil Empire and the What do you think of the gap in national control between us?"

"...With all due respect, Your Majesty, in my opinion, at least at this stage, the Cecil Empire is a new country, and their control over more than half of the country is no stronger than ours. Our regional governor system has already It has been implemented for more than ten years, but not long ago they were still relying on the oath of the lord to maintain the integrity of the country," Duke Ferdinand said directly, "but if it continues to develop, it will be a matter of time before they surpass us in this regard."

Having said that, the old duke paused before continuing: "As for this time, they were able to create such a large-scale deception in all aspects. It is not so much a manifestation of their control, as it is a manifestation of their control. How effective is the propaganda tool at your disposal.

"Just one week after the end of the Holy Spirit Plain War, the information about Cecil's army's complete victory and the smooth handover of kingship was sent to all the nobles in their eastern border through newspapers. The civilians have no information about what happened in the Holy Spirit Plain. Without knowing it, the newspaper became the only reliable source of news, which was circulated by local nobles and businessmen, so... we believed the propaganda in their newspapers.

"Your Majesty, Typhon also has a newspaper now, but as far as I know, it is only something that the upper-class wealthy citizens are qualified to read. It should have played a greater role, but this role has been wasted.

"The Cecils taught us a lesson in this regard. The course is not free, so we have to study hard."

After listening to Ferdinand's words, Emperor Rosetta smiled slightly: "Indeed, this course is not cheap at all..."

While talking, he walked behind the desk: "It's time to write a letter to Emperor Cecil, he lowered the purchase price of textiles by [-]% in the new order, now let's see if we can use it Some pens and inks to reduce the tuition fee."

Ferdinand laughed: "Soon, someone in the council will feel that we are bowing to Cecil."

Rosetta echoes an old Typhon proverb: "To climb a mountain, one has to keep one's head down."

……

The Cecil Empire, the eastern part of the Holy Spirit Plain, and the surrounding area of ​​Solinburg.

The huge sun has gradually sunk, and only half of the huge sun wheel is connected to the horizon. The light body with mysterious wood grain and brilliant light casts orange-red light on the earth, and the light diffuses in the clouds. Form a bloody sunset.

The sky is full of clouds and clouds, spanning the entire sky from east to west. Beside Sorin Fort, which was destroyed by the war, a temporary sentry tower stands quietly in the sunset. direction of the plain.

The plain burned by the flames of war is full of bomb craters, and another strange strip mixed with scorched marks and bright flower trails spreads from a distance, brushing the side of Soling Castle and extending eastward. Around Soling Castle, you can also see several other The sentry towers stand tall and echo each other, and there are scattered tents and simple houses distributed around the sentry towers. Military vehicles and patrol soldiers are moving around in this area, as if they are being closely monitored.

The sentinel moved his slightly sore neck and shoulders, but his eyes were still on the closely monitored area.

He knew that that was the place where the terrible "man-made god" came out, there was a huge crack leading to the depths of the ground, and below it was the dark lair of the end of all things, which was full of dangerous traps and traps. A magical creation out of control, the soldiers cleared out the drudgery giants roaming around here, but they couldn't do anything about the underground lair.