Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 387 Very Steady

"Please offer my condolences to Franz I."

King William II of the Kingdom of Krant looked at the Sasha Alliance envoy before him and spoke with a sincere and serious expression.

"I am deeply saddened by the assassination of Grand Duke Fernando, and the actions of the Duchy of Seth are absolutely intolerable! This time, we must seize the opportunity to take action against the Duchy of Seth! And quickly! If war breaks out between the Sasha Alliance and the Western Empire of Europe, Krant will stand loyally on your side. Whatever assistance the Sasha Alliance desires, we will provide it without hesitation; you can rest assured!"

"To receive your promise is of great significance to us, Your Majesty."

The Sassa Alliance envoy was also excited. He respectfully expressed his gratitude to Wilhelm II and then withdrew. Wilhelm II then returned to his desk and sat down, catching his breath.

At that moment, a sprightly old man with white hair and beard, dressed in military uniform, walked in.

"Your Majesty, should we make military preparations?"

"Need not."

However, to the old general's surprise, Wilhelm II waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned.

"But once the Sasha Alliance goes to war with the Principality of Seth, what will happen to the Western Empire of Europe...?"

"The Western Empire of Europe does not have the guts."

Wilhelm II gave a cold laugh.

“I’ve heard that there has been a lot of unrest in the Western European Empire recently, so much so that President Francis had to go there in person to check on the situation. They’re too busy suppressing the unrest to have time to waste on us. As long as we show that we firmly support the Sasha Alliance, the Western European Empire will probably not dare to make any rash moves.”

"But what if..."

"We've had this planned for a while, haven't we?"

"Yes."

Faced with Wilhelm II's confidence, the old general frowned slightly but said nothing more. Indeed, the Krant General Staff had long ago prepared a plan for dealing with Francis and the Western European Empire.

However, one huge threat remains unresolved.

empire.

The alliance agreement between the Empire and the Duchy of Tiris has cast a huge shadow over the entire war plan; to this day, they have still not found a way to circumvent it. Although some have suggested simply joining forces with the Empire to divide the continent, it is clear that many know this is an unrealistic fantasy.

Queen Victoria II of the Empire had always wanted to restore the Empire's glory, a fact known to all. Moreover, the steam machinery of the Kingdom of Krant was gradually encroaching on the Empire's market share, leaving virtually no room for reconciliation. After all, development requires an economy, and an economy requires more customers. As a latecomer, the only thing the Kingdom of Krant could do was, of course, steal the Empire's customers.

As the saying goes, cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. If the Kingdom of Krant continues to grow stronger, the conflict between the Empire and the Kingdom of Krant will only intensify.

The General Staff's biggest concern now is that even if the Kingdom of Krant successfully invades Francis and even occupies the City of Flowers, if the Empire were to intervene and cut off the Kingdom of Krant's supply lines through the Duchy of Tiris, the Krant army deep in Francis would become an isolated force, and might even be in danger of being trapped and killed.

However, Emperor Wilhelm II was a stubborn and ambitious man, and he was not satisfied with the battle plans proposed by the General Staff on several occasions. Clearly, Wilhelm II believed that his Kingdom of Crontes was so powerful that even the Empire would not dare to act rashly.

"Believe me, the empire is all bark and no bite."

The old general still remembers Wilhelm II's spirited and eloquent manner at the meeting.

"The biggest problem with the Empire is that they can't afford to lose, and so does Victoria II. Once they lose a battle, the Empire's threat level will be greatly reduced. And right now, confrontation with the Empire is still the mainstream on this continent. Even if the Empire intends to attack, as long as we let other countries know that this lion can also bleed, then under the threat of other countries' restless advances, the Empire will retreat—and I don't think Victoria II would be that stupid."

The old general disagreed, believing that the Iron Queen wouldn't care about gains or losses on local battlefields. He argued that Wilhelm II's self-centeredness would only lead to disastrous defeats.

Unfortunately, he had already said this, but Wilhelm II clearly did not like to hear it.

So the old general had no choice but to take his leave.

Back at the General Staff Headquarters, the old general told his colleagues about the conversation between Wilhelm II and the Sascha Alliance envoy, and everyone was shocked.

"If Your Majesty says that the Western European Empire really intends to join the war, should we proceed with Operation Two-Headed Eagle as originally planned?"

Soon, an officer spoke up and asked.

The so-called "Double-Headed Eagle Operation" is the strategy devised by the Kingdom of Krant against the Western European Empire and Francis. According to the plan, if war really breaks out, the Kingdom of Krant will first defend the eastern side where the Western European Empire is located, while attacking the western side where Francis is located. In other words, it will take down Francis in the shortest possible time and at the fastest speed.

"How are those chimeras progressing?"

"Progress is slow. It will take at least six months to reach the original plan..." Upon hearing his subordinate's report, the old general's expression became even more serious. Since the Kingdom of Krant acquired the chimera, it has naturally affected the entire strategic layout. They had also come up with a plan to dig a tunnel from below, through the entire Francis defense line, and launch a surprise attack from the rear.

The problem is that even for chimeras, digging a tunnel takes time, and it also requires reinforcement and ventilation. According to the original plan, if everything went smoothly, Krant could have waited six months before delivering a fatal blow to Francis through the tunnel.

However, plans often change. The assassination of Grand Duke Fernando altered everything. If, as His Majesty the Emperor said, the Western European Empire was too busy suppressing internal strife to intervene, then so be it. But once the Western European Empire did intervene, the plan had to be changed, and that meant…

"If there really isn't enough time, then we'll stick to the original plan."

The old general had made up his mind and made a decision.

Everyone was taken aback by the old general's answer.

According to the original plan, that is, according to the original objective of "Operation Double-Headed Eagle", the Duchy of Tiris was to attack and bypass Francis's defenses.
"Is that okay?"

“No problem, at least this way the Empire’s entry into the fray is a done deal.”

This was also the reason why the old general ultimately made his decision. In any case, the Empire and the Duchy of Tiris had signed an alliance agreement, which meant that if the Duchy of Tiris were attacked, the Empire would have to intervene. In the old general's view, rather than worrying that the Empire might suddenly appear and cut off the lifeline of the Kingdom of Krant's army, it was better to force the other side to intervene from the beginning, rather than living in constant fear.

As the saying goes, it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you.

"Moreover, we are not without a chance of winning. The alliance between the Duchy of Tiris and the Empire may very well lead to Francis becoming complacent, which means that their defensive forces on the right flank may actually be weakened, making it easier for us to launch a surprise attack. As long as we attack the City of Flowers before the Empire can react, then once Francis surrenders, the Empire's intervention will be meaningless."

This is actually the original idea behind "Operation Two-Headed Eagle": concentrate superior forces to attack the right flank, while the left flank is merely for defense, ideally luring the enemy to abandon their fortified defenses and launch an offensive. In this way, once Francis's main force launches an attack from the left flank, the right flank can take the opportunity to penetrate deep into the vulnerable rear and raid their base.

Of course, we must also consider the Empire's intervention and strengthen the right wing forces. If we can hold off the Empire for a while, then Operation Double-Headed Eagle may succeed.

After all, the chimeras and war machines of the Kingdom of Krant are no pushovers either.

While the Krant General Staff was racking their brains over the impending war, Levi was enjoying a rare period of leisure. Or rather, he couldn't help but be leisurely now, because all the high-ranking nobles had received Her Majesty the Queen's orders to be on standby at all times, and Levi was no exception.

The reason is simple: the Sasha Alliance has issued an ultimatum to the Duchy of Seth, demanding a response within 72 hours. In other words, if the Duchy of Seth does not fully accept the Sasha Alliance's demands after 72 hours, the Sasha Alliance will declare war on the Duchy of Seth.

72 hours.

These are the last peaceful days.

Li Wei sat in the chair, looking at the pocket watch in his hand, its hands ticking away second by second, while the sounds of the little mermaid singing and the laughter of the little girls filled his ears.

If the Principality of Seth backs down, then all will be well.

Unfortunately, this is practically impossible.

After all, if the Duchy of Seth were to agree to this demand, it would be no different from the destruction of the country.

In response to the current situation, the Empire held several military conferences, which Livy also attended. Ultimately, the Empire would not care whether Francis lived or died, but it absolutely could not allow the Kingdom of Krant to invade Tiris, as this would be an infringement upon the Empire's supreme authority. Therefore, the Empire formulated "Project Aegis," and Livy was a very important part of this plan.

"Ring ring ring... Ring ring ring...!"

The urgent ringing made Li Wei's heart skip a beat. He stood up, went to the walkie-talkie, and picked up the receiver.

"Hello, this is Li Wei."

"Li Wei, Commander of the Thistle Knights."

The old butler's voice came through the microphone, but unlike his usual gentle and polite tone, his tone was very serious and cold at this moment.

"Project Aegis is about to commence; prepare to depart."

"clear."

Li Wei nodded, then put down the microphone, and then turned to look at the others.

"Well, I have something to take care of, which may take a while."

Looking at the crowd before him, Li Wei smiled slightly.

"See you later."

(End of this chapter)