After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

It will take the undead about two or three days to reach the edge of the parish and the territory occupied by Issugard.

While the Issugardians were frantically tightening their defenses and setting up roadblocks and fortifications to stop the advance of the undead, on his back, the Great Khan was also making the final preparations for the southward invasion.

He declared last night's meteor a propitious sign, a blessing from the ancestors of the nomads for their eventual return to the Roman Empire. He said the people of the Khuttod Khanate would henceforth own their own land in the Roman Empire, and that the Romans, after being defeated, would become the first line of defense against evil in the north.

"By then, all the people of the grasslands will have stable homes, countless riches, and Romans as their slaves—and all we need to do is use the latest weapons to break through the Roman borders, occupy their cities, and force that emperor to bow down to us!"

"People of the steppes! We are destined to be the victors in this war! So drink the milk wine before you, eat the flatbread and roasted meat before you! Let us celebrate our victory in advance, and let us prepare to settle in the lands of the Roman Empire!"

After his impassioned speech, Khuttod Khan drank the milk wine he was holding. Along with his gesture, the entire army of the Khuttod Khanate, gathered in their tents, chanted the Khan's name as they stuffed themselves with wine and meat, their burning passion fueling their anticipation of the southern campaign after they had eaten and drunk their fill.

Meanwhile, in the United Nations, the rhomboid fortress ordered to be built by Yang Hao and others had already taken shape.

Although the bastion's walls are not yet high enough, currently only a little over a meter high, the moat, firing ramp, and barbed wire in front of the bastion are almost complete. The next step is to continuously increase the overall height of the walls. Once they are more than two meters high, then it will be possible to consider laying stones around the compacted earth to reinforce the walls' strength.

Although only two layers of barbed wire were laid, they were sufficient for the time being to stop the nomads' advance...

"Two almost invisible barbed wire fences hidden in knee-high pasture grass, so fine that they don't even reflect light when there's no sunlight... I can just imagine the scene of the Hutto Khanate's cavalry charging freely only to run into the barbed wire and become targets."

Finn described Yang Hao's insidious trap in this way, while Yang Hao thoughtfully instructed Naruja to bury some stone golems behind the barbed wire.

"What are you doing? Are you planning to provide cover for the warriors who successfully breach the barbed wire?"

"No, I want them to feel the 'love' from the Golem when they mistake it for a bunker."

"Golem's love for barbarians is enough to slap them into mincemeat?"

"And perhaps the guns in the hands of the soldiers in the distance."

Although they are not officially engaged yet, after what happened that night, Yang Hao and Fen have started to speak to each other less and less formally.

Finn started calling Yang Hao's name frequently, and Yang Hao stopped showing Finn any of the formalities one would expect from outsiders. Both were quite satisfied, but Teresa, the only one who found this strange, remained troubled by Finn's first experience.

She seemed very curious as to why she had suffered so much while Fen seemed completely unaffected—she even went to ask Yang Hao, but Yang Hao awkwardly didn't reveal the truth...

Let's leave that matter aside for now. In short, Yang Hao and Fen's relationship is getting better and better, and naturally, when they look at the same issue, they tend to deal with it through chatting and joking.

During his inspection of the current state of the bastion, Yang Hao also mentioned that they might need to develop specialized anti-aircraft weapons in the future.

“After all, we can’t keep the elves riding hawks and engaging in dangerous melee combat with the enemy’s air units forever,” he explained. “If we can attack birds thousands of meters in the air from the ground, then in a sense our hawk riders can be used for something more valuable.”

"But do weapons that can be launched from the ground to a height of nearly a thousand meters really exist?" Finn frowned, looking at the positions reserved on the nodes of the bastion wall for installing fixed weapons: "My dear Mr. Yang Hao, firing at a target a few kilometers away is not the same as firing at a target a few kilometers directly above."

The former, as long as magic is used, is no problem for the elves, even with longbows... But the latter not only requires sufficiently light arrows or ammunition, but more importantly, it requires exerting force in an extremely awkward posture. Even we can't maintain accuracy, let alone with modern bullets.

After all, I understand that the range of a bullet depends entirely on the propellant. If the propellant can't provide enough power, do you really think a bullet can pose a threat to armored aerial units or even a black dragon after flying thousands of meters in the air?

Finn seems to have mistakenly believed that Yang Hao intended to attack Ysgard, which is why he focused his hypothetical enemy on the Black Dragon.

But in reality, Yang Hao had no intention of going to war with Isgard—only a fool would declare war on an ally who was currently in a honeymoon period, not to mention that this ally had goods that he needed.

So Yang Hao simply explained to Fen that the reason he thought this way was because he considered that it was not only a weapon that could be used for air combat, but also a multi-functional weapon that could be used for both horizontal and horizontal attacks on ground targets. The more important reason was that the United Nations currently did not have any dedicated anti-air weapons available, let alone naval weapons that it might be developing in the future.

Especially considering that the Great Khan's army has a small but well-organized harpy force as its air force, if Yang Hao still intends to let the Eagle Knights take the lead in air defense, not only will they fail to utilize the Eagle Knights' reconnaissance advantage, but they may also suffer losses in the air.

Being injured in the air is completely different from being injured on land. Injuries on land can be treated with magic, but if you are injured in the air and fall, you can only hope that you are lucky enough to be hanging in a haystack without any grass.

"So we have to have the ability to threaten air units from the ground no matter what... not now, but we will have to do research on it later—and I plan to do this research on a project at the university that will be established soon."

"But there aren't any suitable students or teachers moving into the university yet, are there?"

"That's why this research topic can be included—whoever can solve this research topic will prove that person has talent and ability...and our needs can be met directly instead of having to wait for a while, isn't that great?"

“You’re right… Sigh. I’ll leave this to you, Mr. Yang Hao—after all, I’m not good at these kinds of changes.”

The petite elf shrugged, and as the elf nestled against his arm, Yang Hao shook his head and said that this was precisely the responsibility he bore in the United Kingdom.

Today, Theresa is responsible for managing Bayer da Gama, Finn is responsible for managing Gaparia, and I am responsible for bringing about change and development to the entire country.

It's hard to say whether this is healthy or not... but at least it's in line with the national conditions of the United Nations.

He touched Finn's blond hair. And just then, they saw what seemed like distant waves, and the sound of approaching hooves.

"They're here." Yang Hao watched as the garrison officer rang the alarm bell beside him, signaling the soldiers working at the front to return immediately. "Faster than we expected."

"Yes, we are ready."

"If this is considered complete preparation, then Theresa's nightly prayers and insults against [Light] will be perfect... Never mind, Finn, take me back—I need to mobilize."

"I can't leave you in such a dangerous place. But let's wait for Naruja to come."

They gazed solemnly at the vast army stretching across the distant grasslands.

Knowing that there was a conflict with the Great Khan, at least the first round of conflict would inevitably unfold.

Within the Great Khan's army, everyone stared blankly at the small fortress that had suddenly appeared on the distant grassland, and the tall buildings behind it. They were very puzzled by these structures, wondering if it was a hallucination caused by the milk wine they had drunk.

"Have we already reached the Roman border?"

"Impossible! We won't reach the Roman border until at least midnight tonight, and then we won't see that small city—but what's going on? Did the Romans build a new city without our knowledge?"

"Fool! How could such a magnificent building, visible from this place, be constructed in less than seven years?! The situation has changed. We should set up camp ahead and wait for me to return immediately to inform the Great Khan of the situation here. Remember, do not act rashly!"

The Khan's army halted about ten kilometers from the bastion of the Allied Nations. They stared blankly and uneasily at the brightly lit bunkers and the distant city. Their instinct was to charge straight through the city, but the discipline the Khan had instilled in them compelled them to remain calm in the face of an unknown adversary.

Soon, the messenger relayed the news from the front lines to the Khan's main force at the rear. The Khan listened blankly to the messenger's words, then thought angrily: These Romans actually dug up the city of the survivors who bravely fought the demons underground, and then seized it?!

What a shameless bunch of bastards!

He was furious, but indeed, they still had to be careful when facing the Romans who had an entire city as cover.

Chapter 3: Polan's Vanguard, Gone! 8K

On April 3, the army of the Khuttod Khanate halted and set up camp about ten kilometers away from the rhomboid castle. The barbarians and the castle garrison stood facing each other across the unobstructed grassland, neither side willing to take the lead, and thus, they remained locked in a stalemate.

The Khan originally intended to bypass the castle directly—but after the scouts and harpies went to explore, he discovered that this strange fortress, which looked like a star when viewed from the air, was firmly stuck at the throat of the entire plain.

It is no exaggeration to say that if the Khutto Khan's army intended to bypass the fortress, they would face the possibility of their rear supply troops being harassed and killed.

Not to mention that the entire fortress appears to be equipped with a large number of defensive siege weapons—although Hutot Khan couldn't tell exactly how far those strange tubular weapons could fire, judging from the gaps and gentle slopes that the enemy had deliberately created, those weapons should be able to directly threaten the units on both sides.

Leaving from either side of the prism fortress is impractical, so how about taking a detour through the forest?

Khutod Khan believed that it would be feasible if it were just a small force without cavalry—but the problem was that sending small forces without cavalry to harass the Roman Empire's territory instead of launching a main offensive was no different from wasting resources.

With no way to detour or pass through the forest, the Hutok Khan's army had no choice but to stop where they were, waiting for the Great Khan's instructions while also resting and recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle.

"Is that banner, combining the double-headed eagle and the ancient tree with pointed ears, the Romans' newest banner?" Some warriors who had fought in the war against the Romans murmured amongst themselves as they gazed into the distance. "Or have they allied with the elves? I have a feeling... something's off about that fortress over there. It's nothing like the Romans I've ever seen build..."

"Don't you know? I heard that the Romans seized some of the cities left behind by the underground inhabitants... But I don't know if it's true—after all, frankly, we can't get close at all!"

"That's true... After all, this is a vast grassland. Let alone them, we can't let the enemy into our camp either—if some madman really pretends to be an envoy and burns our supplies to the ground... then the fire will most likely be impossible to put out."

The Khan's soldiers doubted whether the fortress was truly a Roman fortress, while the surrendered Polan members didn't care who they were fighting or who was fighting them.

These Polan people, lacking extensive training, still clung to outdated nomadic thinking: whoever it is, as long as we plunder, we've won! But if wars could be won by looting, Khuttod Khan probably wouldn't be so conflicted...

He knew very well that the nomadic people needed the lands in the south and needed to drive the Romans to the north to become a shield for the demons' southward advance. Therefore, he knew very well that if he could not solve this fortress, he would not be able to enter or occupy the cities behind the fortress, let alone approach the Roman cities in the far north.

We must find a way to bypass or capture this city—Khutod Khan discussed tactics with the Kheshig with a solemn expression. Just then, a message entered the Great Khan's tent.

That was the anomaly discovered by the scouts—the walls of the rhomboid fortress were slowly being raised with the help of mages, and it seemed that as they were being raised, they were deliberately creating a strange slope, preventing soldiers from climbing and seemingly also directly eliminating the possibility of the factory tower getting close.

“Father Han! The harpies have seen it! In addition to the city wall being tilted at an angle that only the bravest climbers can easily ascend, the most important thing is that there is a moat in front of the city wall that is both too deep and too wide for us to accept!”

The bottom of the trench seemed to be riddled with all sorts of weapons... We have no tools to cross it! Even if a troll jumped down, we could at most have people step on their shoulders and heads to advance, but against those city walls, we'd be useless!

"...How thick is the city wall?" Khuttok Khan asked calmly, taking a sip of milk wine. "Our catapults should come in handy."

According to the Great Khan's experience, the walls of most castles are actually not very thick.

By concentrating catapult fire on a section of the city wall, hurling massive stones and blasting it down, a breach could be created directly in the enemy's defensive line...

But for some reason, Khuttod Khan had a vague sense of foreboding—and his messenger confirmed this foreboding.

Because of this strangely tilted castle, its walls are extremely thick.

"The harpies' reconnaissance indicates that even the weakest section of the wall is nearly six meters thick. Moreover, the wall is not hollow; it is filled with rammed earth and sand... Our catapults are incapable of breaching the wall. At least, that's the harpies' assessment."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent wore expressions of disbelief.

Harpies were true professional scouts and pursuing cavalry in the Khan's army. Most of them had studied siege warfare and could naturally determine which walls could be destroyed and which were simply impossible to attack.

All the walls of the rhombus castle are invincible to the harpies.

Although the height has only increased to about two meters, the weakest part is a full six meters wide, and it is filled with compacted soil and gravel.

In this situation, let alone whether the catapults could breach a city wall, Khutod Khan even had to worry that the stones he threw might become raw materials to raise the city wall... But you can't do without siege equipment, after all, the height difference is a real advantage.

Perhaps the trolls could easily launch an attack on the enemy forces on the city walls, but ordinary orcs and nomadic warriors could only sit on the ground and stare helplessly at the two-meter-high walls... If the enemy's defenders were even more ruthless and raised the walls to about four meters high, then this strange castle would become an impregnable fortress for the Hutto Khan's army.

In other words, the Khuttod Khan's army is not incapable of fighting—but if they were to fight, it could only be done within the next day or two at most. If the enemy successfully reinforces the city walls, then even if the Khuttod Khan's army captures the castle, they will suffer heavy losses.

what can we do about it?

The Kheshig looked at the calm-faced Khutukhan, hoping their father would give them some instructions.

Hutod Khan was deep in thought—after a while, another urgent report arrived, saying that the surrendered Polan troops in the army seemed increasingly restless. They were eager to break through the fortress and plunder it, and were already showing signs of disobeying orders.

"...Those defectors haven't been properly educated yet, but we don't have time to educate them either...How about this, let's separate the Polan army from our army. If the Polan army really can't resist launching an attack on its own, it will also allow us to eliminate some unstable elements within our army. That's settled then."

Khutto Khan casually issued his order, but in reality, the Great Khan was still feeling very helpless.

After all, the time left for him was far too short. According to the current laws of the Khuttod Khanate, a soldier must undergo at least ten months of disciplinary training before going to the battlefield—the surrendered soldiers and warriors from Polan clearly did not meet this requirement. They were less like soldiers and more like a group of hungry bandits. Although they were powerful militarily, frankly speaking, they were practically bandits, a unit that would be difficult to utilize effectively.

However, the Khuttod Khan could not abandon these surrendered soldiers. On the one hand, slave soldiers were also an important resource; the Khuttod Khanate cherished slaves as artisans cherished their tools. Slaves were an important resource and producer for the Khuttod Khanate, so losing too many slaves in war would be a significant loss for the Khuttod Khan.

If the loss of their own slaves could be avoided, then Hutod Khan would consider sending some who were even less valuable than slaves. Clearly, the bandits who surrendered, including Polan, were not as valuable as slaves—on the one hand, they refused to accept disciplined training, and on the other hand, they were incapable of engaging in production. Rather than becoming a destabilizing factor in the army later, it was better to send them away to fill the trenches during this battle.

Perfect timing! The upcoming war will also require some people to test the fortress's defenses—let the Polan people, who are clamoring for war and hoping to make a name for themselves and then plunder, do that.

Clearly, Khutuktu Khan was also frustrated by the emerging signs of division within the army. But he was, after all, only a Khan; he lacked the foresight to surpass the capabilities of a Khan. All he could do was to preemptively discard the seeds that were already divided, and that was all.

Meanwhile, at the rhombus fortress, the warriors of Bayrzans, working alongside elven mages to increase the height and thickness of the walls, gazed at the distant camp and remarked with a sigh:

"I remember those northern barbarian ancestors also received protection from our ancestors, didn't they? I never imagined that the descendants of two ancestors would be fighting in this kind of situation..."

Bayer's reflections made the elf beside him roll his eyes:

"As far as I know, after the Ice Calamity in the North was defeated by the war machines and archmages, there seemed to be a stable area in the North... They may not be the Southerners we are protecting, because they don't look as disgusting as the Southerners."

"Southerners... come to think of it. When we were attacking that town, I kept wondering why they looked so poor... I always had this feeling that we poor people who had just risen from the ashes were richer than them. And speaking of which, why did His Majesty order us not to enter the city and to blow up the granary? I think he had some other intention besides hindering the Isugardians."

The Bayer Zans soldier muttered to himself, patted the dirt in front of him with a shovel, and then carefully made a "firing window" that allowed him to lie down and shoot without obstructing his field of fire. He lay on the ground and nodded in satisfaction, swinging his gun back and forth to make sure his field of fire wouldn't accidentally hit friendly forces.

Faced with the soldiers' sighs and questions, the elf silently sat down on the ground and used her eyesight to observe the harpies circling above the barbarian camp in the distance.