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

"And then again, these harpies don't seem to be wearing any clothes, do they?"

Behind the flippant jokes came a barrage of gunfire. Under the fire of the twenty or so guns fired by the Eagle Knights, visible casualties immediately appeared at the harpy's location.

They were momentarily panicked, but then quickly regained their composure; although they had no idea what had caused such a huge loss to their side, the harpies understood that exposing their backs to the enemy in the air was tantamount to making themselves targets.

No one wants to become a target for the enemy—so the harpies let out piercing shrieks as they tried to approach the eagle riders, only to be bewildered by the eagles' nimble flight paths.

Go away and collect dust!

Even when carried by elves, eagles are more agile than harpies. Perhaps this is because harpies carry too many heavy tools to deal with defensive equipment, or perhaps it is because harpies are less efficient at multitasking, having to fly and launch attacks at the same time.

In short, the hawk riders, with their agile movements, lured the harpies to dart around. They were as annoying as flies, and what was worse was that if the harpies didn't watch their attacks and dodge accordingly, they might actually be killed by the weapons in their hands.

In order to gain flexibility in aerial combat, the harpies had to abandon all their equipment. Explosive or heavy objects were hurled at the prism fortress without any aim. Apart from a few unlucky ones being injured by shrapnel and needing elven magic treatment, they didn't achieve much.

Of course, there were harpies that tried to attack the enemies below, who were clearly siege machine operators, under the cover of their teammates—but the problem was that the harpies were not facing traditional enemies, nor were they facing traditional weapons.

If the hawk rider is carrying a longbow or spear, the harpy, in its swooping motion, can try to evade it using the speed of its dive. Furthermore, if the hawk follows, the elf abandons its advantage of being on high ground and becomes the one being attacked.

The problem is that the Eagle Riders are armed with rifles that carry bullets at much higher speeds. They don't need to follow the Harpies at all; they only need to command their eagles to fly while aiming at the Harpies.

Even as the harpies flapped their wings like hummingbirds and swooped down with all their might, they couldn't dodge the high-speed bullets. They wore no armor, which meant that if they were wounded and fell, they would die.

Death is not scary; what is scary is not only dying, but also being unable to cause trouble for the enemy after death.

In this situation, the harpies had no choice but to pursue the eagle riders relentlessly. They were so enraged by the weapons in the riders' hands that they no longer bothered to respond to the horn signals coming from the Khan's camp behind them to retreat.

Because they truly had no way to retreat. Retreating meant certain death, while charging forward at least offered a chance to survive for a while—this was all the Polan's fault for their unauthorized actions! If you hadn't insisted on this sudden move tonight, how could we have ended up in this situation?!

At this moment, the harpies gritted their teeth, remembering the trouble the Polan had caused them. Meanwhile, inside the rhombus fortress, the black dragon Nia pondered the aerial battle while examining the fallen harpy corpses around her.

"We don't have this kind of alien race in Isgard... The flying alien races we have are mainly dragons and dragonwings, as well as griffins and birds, which are normal creatures—but what's with these bird-people? Huh? They're not wearing clothes...and they seem to be hermaphroditic? That's weird..."

Black Dragon muttered to herself, having stored more knowledge in her mind. As she calculated that today's battle should go very smoothly and she wouldn't need to take the stage, she abandoned the corpses around her and chose to go to the city wall to watch the battle.

Unsurprisingly, the enemy, whom the Allied Nations called the "Northern Barbarians," were savages living in the age of cold weapons. They were still using ancient weapons in combat, and due to the limitations of these weapons, after suffering countless casualties at the two barbed wire fences, they couldn't even advance to a distance where they could launch arrows at the fortress...

In the era of cold weapons, armies were destined to be crushed when facing well-supplied modern armies in open terrain—this was already a foregone conclusion for Nia. But what interested her most was the awe-inspiring sight of those golems and the cannons now mounted on the city walls!

(A cannon that can be pulled by two soldiers or a horse-drawn carriage... It is lightweight and can fire powerful shells.)

Not only that, these cannons even appear capable of launching at steep angles! How exactly did they solve the problem of barrel explosions?

If Miss Black Dragon were to realize that the mounted cannons currently in the hands of the Bayerzans soldiers were hastily made using elven enchantment magic, with the overall structure forcibly strengthened by magic, perhaps she would immediately spout nonsense while asking Yang Hao with the most fawning smile if he could sell some Ysgard products to satisfy her itch.

But Nia couldn't find the problem in the dim light. She was just watching with great interest as the cannons roared, each shell causing heavy casualties among the nomadic soldiers in the distance.

But then again—why would the main force of the barbarians just stand by and watch these people suffer losses without rushing to their aid?

Nia used her dragon-like night vision to survey the location of the main barbarian force in the distance. She was curious about what the enemy commander was thinking—after all, to stand by and watch one's soldiers be annihilated without sending anyone to heal them was surely inviting the collapse of morale within one's own army.

After all, not everyone is willing to pledge allegiance to a leader who might abandon them at any moment.

Having set a precedent of abandoning an entire unit to its fate, many soldiers will surely harbor resentment, leading to low morale and even desertion. So why don't you send your main force to provide medical assistance as soon as possible?

Even if it's just for show, it's better than our troops' morale collapsing further, right?

why?

Miss Black Dragon was filled with confusion. And it was then that she suddenly realized she wasn't just going to be working for the United Nations for free for one day, but possibly for several days to come...

After all, given the barbarian people's cold and indifferent way of doing things, they would not give up their southward march just because of this setback.

Moreover, it seems that they still have a considerable reserve of those hermaphroditic bird-men who fly in the sky. One of the conditions I agreed to in order to study His Majesty Yang Hao's technology was to assist the United Nations in its industrial development while helping them ensure their air superiority during the barbarian invasions.

(Although I agreed with the thought that if I didn't help stop them, those barbarians might also affect the colonial army... but seriously, have I become the colonial army's mother? What kind of mama's boy is this, needing his mother to go through all this trouble...)

If this were in the current Ysgard movie market, I could fucking imagine some kind of plot like "A mother is forced to become the secretary of the CEO of the company next door because of her incompetent son"... Colonial Army! General Piss! I'm begging you, just get moving already...

Otherwise, I'd really be a United Nations citizen wearing Isgard citizenship! You guys need to step up your game...)

Miss Black Dragon sighed heavily. And thanks to the efforts of the Eagle Knights, the harpies finally managed to escape in a flash the moment the illumination magic failed.

As the most elite air force of Khuttod Khan, the Harpies left behind nearly thirty corpses this time, the greatest loss they had suffered in the past two years.

The only loss for the Eagle Knights, who had enjoyed a full round of live-fire target practice, was their ammunition. Through this battle, they became familiar with their new weapons and gained valuable experience in aerial combat.

The knights descended from the sky to rest temporarily. Nia thought she should go up and help keep an eye on things, but she discovered that the enemy's main force had also run away after the birdmen withdrew.

"Are they really indifferent to the deaths and injuries of soldiers on the front lines?"

Nia was utterly bewildered. Just then, she suddenly heard the sound of kneeling behind her...

Looking back, they found that it was His Majesty Yang Hao who had arrived via teleportation, accompanied by an elven mage.

Yang Hao told all the soldiers to get up and return to their posts before he continued Nia's words:

"That Great Khan is said to be a powerful figure who can win people's hearts. For him to be so ruthless as not to send troops to help, either he saw through the trap, or the troops actually launched the attack without authorization—of course, the most likely scenario is that both are true."

"Both?"

"Because between the Hutto Khanate and the United States, there is a small country called Polan. If nothing unexpected happens, the military force of this small country after it was conquered was also incorporated into the Great Khan's army, just like a rat dropping mixed into a pot of porridge. It's already a blessing in disguise that soldiers with different cultures will have some conflicts. What's more tragic is what the Khan is facing now."

Yang Hao stepped forward and patted Miss Black Dragon on the shoulder. Then, under her angry glare, he stated matter-of-factly that Nia should continue to stay there until the end of the war. He then pointed to the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​corpses of the nomads in front of the barbed wire fence:

"If our intelligence is correct, it should be that the Polan forces launched an attack without authorization, and the Khan, as the main force, was neither able to keep up nor prepared, so he could only watch the Polan people die in vain..."

This was actually quite common in the early Roman Empire. Back when I was still fighting alongside my sworn brother, we achieved many victories by exploiting the reckless nature of the nomads. Now, although the Khan is willing to make changes, he faces the same problem I faced back then.”

"question?"

Black Dragon tilted his head, clearly very curious about the question.

"There isn't enough time. I don't have enough time to carry out sufficient reforms and consolidate my power. That Khan has time to consolidate his own power and carry out reforms, but he doesn't have time to re-educate the soldiers in the occupied territories."

Yang Hao didn't try to keep anyone in suspense. He simply explained the predicament he had faced and the predicament the Khan faced in a clear and easy-to-understand way, and then fell silent.

After all, the Black Dragon needed time to process everything, and Yang Hao's visit wasn't just about chatting with it—he had a lot of work to do. First and foremost, he needed to check the effectiveness of the barbed wire defenses against the nomads. Secondly, he needed to check the power of the artillery, and finally, he needed to confirm what noteworthy weapons or tactics the enemy possessed.

There's not much to say about the barbed wire. The barbarians attacked at night and didn't even notice the barbed wire buried shallowly in the grass. Their horses crashed into the barbed wire at high speed and broke their legs. For the riders, it might just be a matter of falling to the ground and getting dizzy, but for the centaurs, it was a real death sentence.

In addition, barbed wire had a significant impact on ordinary infantry, especially with the enhancement of rifles and artillery. Every nomad who wanted to break through a barbed wire defense line had to pay an extremely high price.

It's a pity that Yang Hao didn't send over the rare Gorem machine gun, nor did he bring over the Japa 1405 heavy machine gun—if the two of them were here, those Polan brutes probably wouldn't have had the chance to evacuate at all.

"We still need to increase production capacity further," Mr. Yang Hao muttered, but the thought that the oak mine's output couldn't keep up with the barbarian's appetite made his stomach ache slightly...

The plan to invade the Roman Empire has to be brought forward... When can we reach an agreement with the barbarians? When can the United Nations liberate the troops stationed in the north and march south together? But speaking of which, when will those undead finally stop marching north, following the retreating colony of Isgard?

Yang Hao shook his head, thinking to himself that it was all going to happen this year anyway. Then he heard the black dragon beside him sigh:

"Actually, more than what you said about the Polan people being sent to their deaths... I'm more concerned about how advanced the United Nations' weapons are now."

Your Majesty Yang Hao, we've known each other for a long time, so could you please satisfy some of my curiosity since I'm going to work for you for a long time?

How exactly did you come up with those ideas?

Miss Nia's curiosity brought silence to the battlefield as the flames of war gradually subsided.

The soldiers began systematically clearing away the corpses in front of the barbed wire fence and burning them on the spot to prevent them from rotting and spreading plague to the city. The elves observed from higher ground, providing cover for the soldiers' work.

In the distance, the Great Khan's army had already retreated to their camp. They showed no concern for the fleeing Polan people, seemingly confirming Yang Hao's earlier guess.

When faced with Nia's question, Yang Hao simply smiled and shook his head:

"This is something only my wife knows."

"Oh..."

Nia shrugged, seemingly understanding that she couldn't uncover the secret behind Yang Hao's intelligence. But not being able to obtain the secret didn't mean a deal couldn't be made, right?

So Nia once again offered a new price—she hoped that Yang Hao could sell one of the mounted cannons and the howitzer Golem to Ysugard so that they could transport it back to Ysugard's homeland for research.

Yang Hao was shocked that Nia actually said in front of him that she wanted to take the things back to the mountain stronghold. Nia helplessly said that if smart people could speak more directly, not only would both of them feel more relaxed, but more importantly, their conversations as future allies would be more comfortable.

"After all, we in Isgard don't want to have to double-check the patterns on the paper when signing contracts with the United Nations in the future... Let's be direct, it's more convenient for both of us, and it makes it easier for each country to make adjustments. Isn't that better?"

“I think that works too. So I’ll get straight to the point—Issugard seems to have nothing left to use for this kind of trade, doesn’t it?”

"It's not that there aren't any, it's just... I might have to go back and make a list."

"I think Nia, you don't have much left to offer. The rest will probably require your president to come and negotiate."

How did you know that's what I was thinking?

Nia was somewhat surprised, while Yang Hao's lips twitched.

If it were anyone else, he would definitely think it was a joke.

But this is Nia, a woman with ample executive power—she might actually bring her presidential daughter along and have the president negotiate directly with her...

It's not impossible, but it's too early now—so let's wait a while.

He made up an excuse to temporarily put the matter aside, and then continued working through the night.

Meanwhile, in the Khan's tent, Hutod Khan and his guards gathered together.

He first severely criticized the Polan people's unauthorized actions and the losses caused by the reckless advance of the missing Polan commander—the Khan's decision to exploit and reorganize the Polan tribe's army was not opposed, given the greater good and the fact that all the soldiers knew what the Polan people had done.

Then the Khan raised a very good question: Are they really facing the Romans, and not other nations? Even if the elves are allied with the Romans, they will only stay in their own little territory. The elves are unlikely to send their precious Falcon Legion for the Romans. In other words... are they fighting against a faction that is not Roman?

"Even if you gave the Romans ten years to develop, they could never have reached this point—possessing those amazing tactics, those amazing weapons, those ridiculously disciplined soldiers, and even those soldiers who don't get blinded by the pursuit of glory..."

To put it bluntly, the Romans are just like us. They can take one step ahead under that emperor's leadership, but they can't take ten steps ahead! I understand the Romans, which is why I am now very confused about the enemy before us.

Are they really Romans, and not some other faction? But besides the elven kingdom sandwiched between us and the Romans, the only other people left are the demons of the Demon Forest, right?

Khutod Khan's repeated questions and statements caused the Kheshig to exchange glances.

Then, a kheshig said that the people there should not be demons—if they were demons, firstly, they would not have the ability to develop civilization to that level, and secondly, they would not have the resources and technology to build such a terrifying fortress.

Only humans are capable of building those fortresses and structures. Even elves, those conservative old fogies, simply couldn't design anything innovative...

"In other words, we might be facing a group of humans who aren't Romans? But it's impossible that they're people who have crawled out from underground, right? Impossible. They've been fighting demons for thousands of years. Let alone whether any of them are alive, it would be the best outcome if their bones didn't completely decay and become worthy of people's respect."

Hutot Khan clearly didn't believe that those currently preventing him from heading south were the subjects of the ancient empire that had fought demons underground for thousands of years. He was more inclined to believe they were the people of the country across the sea—after all, their weapons seemed completely out of place on the continent of Elusia, and if they were colonists from across the sea, that would make sense.

But have the countries across the sea already developed to this extent...?

This further solidified Khuttod Khan's determination to move south: without acquiring abundant resources and a stable residence, the Khuttod Khanate simply lacked the conditions to develop new technologies.

The Khan and his guards discussed tactics for dealing with the fortress all night long.

They discovered that what was stopping the Polan's attack were two seemingly insignificant yet insidious lines of barbed wire. They quickly realized that laying planks on the barbed wire or letting the trolls trample it down was the best solution, and they planned to prepare sufficient consumables for tomorrow's battle.

Faced with the barrage of fire from the city walls, the Khan and his guards believed a swift victory was essential, and that they absolutely could not fight in dense formations as before. Against such explosive power, a tight phalanx would only deliver more kills to the enemy.

But in the end, faced with the trenches and the strangely sloping city walls... they couldn't come up with a good solution.