I'm in Terra

If one were to use a word to describe the Castle of Saint Jun at this moment, the most appropriate word would no longer be grand and classical, but restless.

Unprecedented restlessness.

If the Qiecheng incident was like a fuse that woke up the warlords who were about to fall asleep, then the Longmen dispute was like a crackling firecracker that completely woke up everyone hiding in the house.

Nobles, regardless of their status, were all actively trying to gauge the attitudes of all parties. They might not know anything about politics or governance, but when it came to war, no one was more perceptive than them.

Rumors and hearsay continued to converge and eventually reached the center of Saint Castle - the Imperial Palace.

Yesterday alone, the Imperial Palace received more memorials than it had received in the previous month. The vast majority urged His Majesty to declare war on the Yan Kingdom. Clearly, the Fourth Army's successful blitzkrieg had inflamed the other legions. The shadow of the Blood Peak Battle seemed a thing of the past; now, they only had eyes for the seemingly cowardly and vulnerable Yan Kingdom.

"Assholes! They're all assholes! A bunch of wild dogs who only care about the smell of meat! If a war breaks out, all our efforts will be in vain!"

But Fyodor clearly didn't see it that way. As the Emperor of Ursus, no one understood better than him how fragile this seemingly vast empire now was. The warped military system, the collusion between the military and the business community, the oppressed masses barely able to afford food, and the infected, who were consumed recklessly as fuel for the underbelly. If the war was lost, the new framework he and Witte had painstakingly constructed would crumble in an instant, and the empire would inevitably descend into unprecedented chaos.

But those sick-headed guys chose Yan Country as their target!!!

Fyodor slumped in his chair, his mind in a mess. If those wild dogs that bite anyone they see had chosen Casimir, Letania, or even Victoria as their target, he would have thought about the feasibility of this war, but they chose Yan Country as their target.

A country that has been recuperating for hundreds of years.

Anyone with a sense of the bigger picture knew that with Ursus's current combat power, forcing their way in would only lead to one outcome: complete collapse at the hands of Yan Nation's ever-increasing national strength. Even if the army continued to win by fighting to support itself, the wealth plundered would ultimately fall into the hands of the old and new nobles.

The country will not become better because of the war. Instead, there is a high probability that it will be dragged down by the army. Moreover, foreign wars are likely to dissolve the contradictions between the new and old aristocratic factions. This is what makes Fyodor most uncomfortable.

Although he was nominally the emperor, once the war broke out, he no longer had the final say. He absolutely could not accept the idea of handing the fate of a country over to outsiders, or even a group of warmongers.

Ironically, he had no way of refusing these requests. The sudden death of the previous emperor was still fresh in his mind, and his position was precarious. To maintain his imperial power, he had to rely on the army, but the vast majority of Ursus's military was controlled by the old faction of nobles.

Dead end.

Just thinking about the direction of the future war, Fyodor had a sense of absurdity and confusion. Perhaps he should not have supported Nikalov's blitzkrieg against Longmen and should not have coveted the super city that seemed to be within his reach.

But now it's too late.

The voices supporting the war had become the mainstream. If he suppressed the increasingly heated calls at home, his reputation would be ruined. Ursus could tolerate wise rulers, tyrants, and even incompetent rulers, but it could not tolerate a cowardly ruler.

"Your Majesty, an urgent secret letter from Count Kalashnikov of Luxembourg." Just when Fyodor was hesitating, the servant outside the door brought a new letter. The young count from Luxembourg impressed him. Perhaps he could have a different opinion?

Fyodor eagerly unfolded the letter, but the ending left him deeply disappointed. Although Victor's analysis was pertinent and to the point, the metaphors expressed between the lines were actually requests for war.

It's as if Ursus has no other choice...

Fyodor felt dizzy and shook his head, trying to stay awake. However, the dizziness continued to deepen, and the black spots in his vision became more and more, eventually completely occupying Fyodor's sight.

He hadn't slept for two days and one night. The endless memorials had exhausted him. Even though he was in his prime, the mental exhaustion still made him feel heartbroken.

What brought him down wasn't physical or mental discomfort, but the dark future that was doomed for this country.

In the hazy darkness, Fyodor seemed to see a long, slender, pitch-black venomous snake. It bared its fangs, grinning wickedly as it wrapped itself around a giant bear. Circle after circle, until the bear was completely entangled.

That afternoon, rumors spread from the palace that Fyodor had fallen ill due to overwork, and along with it, there was also an oral order from His Majesty the Emperor allowing troops to be sent to Yan State.

With Fyodor taking the lead, the members of the Imperial Parliament stopped arguing with each other. They quickly formulated corresponding tactics and handed the task of the raid to the First Army.

The war machine was running extremely fast. The nobles at all levels, who should have been blaming each other and asking for benefits from each other, tacitly gave up these petty gains and focused their attention on the war that was about to begin.

This war machine called Ursus has never been damaged, and the more than ten years of suspension are not enough to cause it to rust and stop working.

The only drawback was that the Yan Kingdom seemed to have realized the disappearance of the Wu envoys, and Zhenlong was also mobilizing all the troops that could be mobilized from all over the country overnight.

The Ursus surprise attack plan ultimately missed the best opportunity due to Fyodor's hesitation, and his subordinates had to bear the consequences of this minor mistake.

The First Army has always been the most loyal royalist, and they will be the first legion to be destroyed in the war.

Yes, whether intentionally or unintentionally, whether they were nobles who supported the new emperor or nobles with ulterior motives, they all nominated the First Army as the vanguard of the war.

As for the Eighth Army under the command of Defense Minister Chervin, the slightly damaged Fourth Army, and even the Sixth Army controlled by Victor, they were all tacitly ignored by everyone.

Whether for the sake of balance or restraint, the first battle must be fought by a legion that is not part of the old aristocracy. And the First Army is their only choice.

PS: My parents dragged me out for drinks last night, so I didn’t post an update.

(No, hee hee.)

Wine and meat: 135 Familiar 'unauthorized action'

"The Imperial Parliament presented a war plan this morning. The First Army will take over Nikalov's leadership and officially launch a surprise attack on Yan Country."

On the afternoon of the same day the parliamentary session concluded, Kashena received firsthand information from an informant. This information, which could influence the course of the war between the two countries, should have been classified as top secret by the Imperial Parliament. But for Kashena, aside from Fyodor's thoughts, there was nothing she couldn't know.

The dark demons that lingered within Ursus's borders had already eroded the nation, leaving it riddled with holes. It could be argued that if it weren't for the fear of the other behemoths, the black snake would have long since ascended the throne of conquest.

Of course, Kasheina was just thinking about it. She'd rather die than be forced to manage a country herself. She'd climbed to the top simply to enjoy the pleasures of being on top, and her relationship with Victoria was her favorite.

"Where is the target of the attack? Where is the First Army planning to attack?" Victoria, who was sitting at the desk, certainly had no idea what was in Kashena's mind. At this time, he had already unfolded the map of the two countries' territories and was looking back and forth at the geographical information of both sides.

Knowing the world from the comfort of one's own home is a necessary ability for a qualified strategist. At the beginning, Zhuge Kongming relied on the surrounding nobles to continuously collect intelligence from all sides and pieced together the map of the country from Longzhong.

He was destined to have no role in the Wuyan War, but that didn't mean Victoria couldn't find a way to interfere with the outcome. He not only wanted to see Ursus lose, but also to find ways to gain strength from the war. Only in this way could he make up for his inherent disadvantage in terms of manpower.

"It's still Longmen." Kasheina blinked and pointed to the southwest of Yan Country. "Compared to other mobile cities or important border towns, Longmen's defenses are relatively weak and paralyzed. The Council believes they can obtain enough resources from Longmen to support the next invasion."

"Naive." Victoria shook his head, his gaze slowly moving upward along the map. "If the Parliament had thought of this, it's likely Yan Nation wouldn't have missed it. Everyone knows that once the two sides fall out, the already crippled Longmen will be the perfect target. They'll definitely deploy a heavy force to guard it. Even if they manage to seize sufficient resources, the military expenditure will be far greater than expected."

Kasheina looked at the map, her tone somewhat disapproving: "Isn't this exactly what you want? It will just weaken the other legions' foundation."

Victor explained, "This will certainly achieve our goal, but I don't want Ursus to lose too soon. The longer the war lasts, the more I can maneuver. Besides, if I don't give those hyenas a little sweetness, how can they actively bite people?"

Suddenly, Victoria's hand stopped moving upwards, and his gaze passed through the map and fixed on a vast land somewhere.

"The First Army's attack is a foregone conclusion. We don't need to pay too much attention to it. However, there is still room for maneuver in other areas. Can you contact Nekalov?"

Kasheina paused, her eyes following Victoria's finger and stopping somewhere: "What do you want???"

"All's fair in war. When the Yan Kingdom and the First Army engage in a battle in Longmen, we will directly send people to launch a surprise attack on the city. The territory of Great Yan is vast, and it takes a lot of time to deploy soldiers. The soldiers in Longmen cannot appear out of thin air. They must have been transferred from the nearest city. Especially once the battle begins, the signal for help will attract the attention of the surrounding cities. They will never think that we will send people to launch a surprise attack on the outpost city with few resources." Victoria pointed at the map, his eyes brighter.

"But the city's resources are limited, and its defenses are numerous. Even if most of the defenders are mobilized, attacking the city wouldn't be worth the effort, right?" Kashena sighed softly and rejected Victoria's proposal. "Nekalov wouldn't agree. He's the type to act decisively."

"What if this border city is connected to the inland of Yan?" Victoria smiled, having anticipated Kashena's rebuttal.

"Other border cities might not be worth attacking, but this one is definitely an exception. Look at the map. The area behind this border city is all plains, very close to the inland cities. As long as we can capture this place, the Ursus army can use land ships to blitz the surrounding cities, causing great damage to the Yan Kingdom."

Kasheina's eyes lit up. While Victor's proposal was risky, the rewards were equally substantial. Ursus's warlords were no cowards, and Nikalov would likely agree to another unauthorized attack.

"Is the siege and capture of the stronghold just an upfront investment, and the cities behind are the fat meat to be harvested? Then why send the Fourth Army? Wouldn't it be better to send Chervin's troops? I remember that his interests are more closely aligned with ours, right?"

"Because of balance." Victor reached out and tapped his head. "Giving Chervin this piece of fat meat will only make him even more powerful. The Fourth Army has already suffered losses in the Longmen and Qiecheng incidents. This assault on the Guancheng will likely result in further casualties. Even if he is allowed to reap the resources of those cities later, he won't become powerful. Instead, he might even attract the envy of others. The open and covert fighting between those generals is what I want to see."

"I totally understand~" Kasheina winked, then stood up and left Victoria's study. "Leave the rest to me. I'll guide Nikalov to tear through the Yan's defense line."

Victoria nodded, his gaze returning to the border city he had chosen. He didn't know if it was a coincidence, but the name of that border city was surprisingly familiar to him—Hulao Pass.

It's a pity that Yan State probably doesn't have "Lü Bu" to guard this pass, and the strong city towers of Hulao Pass can hardly withstand the overwhelming modern bombing of Ursus.

The real war had already begun before the close combat.

After clarifying his thinking on the foreign war, Victoria didn't have much time to rest, but immediately threw himself into the new government affairs. The city of Che had completed the division of the blocks, and the unbridled enjoyment of the past few days was completely a thing of the past.

For Victoria and Luxembourg, this type of land relocation is not complicated and is the most reasonable option. It not only saves the cost of redevelopment and construction to the greatest extent possible, but also helps Victoria earn more merit points.

Yes, Victoria has confirmed through observations during this period that when the blocks of the mobile city are disassembled and reorganized, the merit system recognizes each block as a "village", thereby slightly increasing the merit for occupation.

This can be considered an unexpected surprise for him during his busy period.

PS: I was hit hard by the flu. I already had some rhinitis, and now I’m completely dead.

I tried my best to code a chapter and went to bed early.

Wine Pool and Meat Forest: 136 Khan’s army

Kal'tsit went back, taking Yelena with her, dragging away Lyudmila and so much supplies that a small landship could hardly fit.

She originally wanted to hold a two-week free clinic in Victoria, to collect funds for Rhodes Island while seeking answers from Victoria, and to train the medical team's still young reserve operators.

Unfortunately, she had not expected that this trip to Ursus would be so smooth: Victoria was willing to fully support Rhodes Island's business (although Victoria asked her to pay with her body, she felt that she was not worth so many supplies), and Elijah's missing daughter was also found by her.

Of course, the most important thing is the Black Coffin. This former civilization facility that she spent a lot of time studying has returned to the hands of the "Doctor" again. Victoria even generously invited her to continue studying the Black Coffin and try to see if she can crack the technology that can change the world.

I have to admit that Kal'tsit was moved.

Victoria was like a demon who could see through people's hearts. He grasped Kal'tsit's lifeblood step by step, but she was happy to do it and did not feel disgusted or irritated at all.

Kal'tsit shortened her medical rounds to a week, and hurriedly fled with her crew and a reluctant Lyudmila. She planned to first travel to Syracuse to find someone suitable to re-educate Lyudmila, then return to Rhodes Island to form a new research team and dedicate themselves to deciphering the Black Coffin technology.

Although the information had been burned, she still had the key information in her mind. As long as she was given a little time, it would be easy to restore the previous progress.

As for Victoria, he had already handed over the task of managing the war between the two countries to Kashena, while he himself immersed himself in the integration movement and the settlement of the land. Aside from spending some time each evening discussing the situation between the two countries with Kashena and imparting some of his experience and ideas to her, he had basically stopped paying attention to the progress of the Wuyan War.

The outcome of this war was already determined, but as for the process? Kasheina knew the background of those legions better than he did. After receiving Victoria's experience and guidance, she knew exactly how to weaken the combat effectiveness of each legion in order to achieve a delicate balance.

Most importantly, she wasn't the only one working on this. The Emperor and the Parliament were also racking their brains over this issue. She only needed to properly introduce some flaws and then leak the parliament's discussion to a few specific generals...

A perfect target would take all the blame for her.

"Fyodor, blame yourself for being so mediocre. Compared to my dear brother, you are only fit to be a stepping stone."

In her study, Kasheina flipped through a thick stack of documents detailing the number of soldiers commanded by each legion, the interpersonal relationships between nobles, and their respective factions and positions. It could be said that she had before her an encyclopedia of the Ursus Empire. All she had to do was act at the right time, and her conspiracy would be delivered to her desired target through these layers of relationships.

She thought Fyodor would soon understand what the immortal black snake meant...

Meanwhile, Victor was recruiting soldiers from the Reunion Movement with Beehunter Mudstone and other Reunion cadres. To Victor, the best soldiers were the insurgents who had killed and seen blood.

But they are too rough now and need to be carefully screened.

To this end, Victor specifically requested close protection from the Mudstone team. Victor specifically ordered Mudstone to wear a fleece-lined outfit that accentuated her figure and the infected areas, and to stay by his side at all times. His goal was to show the members of the Reunion Movement that he, Victor, didn't mind the infected and was willing to make use of them.

Looking at the mixed crowd of Reunion members below the stage, Victory began his speech:

"Many of you should have heard of the girl next to me. Mudstone, formerly of the Shield Guard Battalion within the Reunion Sarkaz Mercenary Group. Before the Battle of Che City, she and her team grew tired of the endless fighting, so, on Tallulah's recommendation, they came to Luxembourg to seek survival. I accepted them as my personal bodyguards. For them, the nightmare of their first half of life is over. Although the days ahead will be hard, they won't have to fight on the edge of a knife and can enjoy the beauty of life to the fullest. So—what about you?"

Victoria sat down at the edge of the arena, his gaze sweeping over the anxious infected before him. "You're infected too. You've experienced both good and bad times. Have you decided what you want to achieve? To die of hunger on the streets? Or to live each day busily in the fields? Or perhaps... to enjoy the battles, the stench of blood in the air? You don't need to answer me. I know everyone has their own answer."

In the crowd, Victor spotted the Yeti Squad, the Sarkaz Mercenaries, the young man carrying a long sword, and pairs of expectant eyes. He smiled with satisfaction, "And what I want to say is, no matter what future you choose, Luxembourg has a place for you. As long as you are willing to work, willing to strive, willing to fight, this huge mobile city can become your new home and your support."

There was utter silence, but the calmer the scene, the more it demonstrated the inner turmoil of those infected. They were warriors who had emerged from discrimination and death. They had experienced hell, and had left one foot in it. But that didn't mean they didn't yearn for a peaceful life, even if it was only for a few short years.

Soon, a voice attracted everyone's attention.

"So, Mr. Lord, what kind of profession is most popular in Luxembourg and most suitable for people like us infected?"

The young man, carrying a long sword, pushed through the crowd and met Victoria's gaze. He adjusted his beret and removed his warm face towel.

It was a young face. His name was Red. Though not a cadre, he was a well-known figure among the infected. His long sword had shattered the shields of the Qie City police and severed the weapons of the Dragon Gate Shadow Guards. Those who knew him called him Red Blade.

"soldier."

Victor didn't hesitate, answering calmly, "In Luxembourg, soldiers receive the highest benefits. Room and board are provided, and every meal comes with meat. Besides daily training, there's no work to do. After training, everyone is assigned to their unit based on their performance, and each unit pays a uniform salary. In addition, relatives and friends who die in the army receive a pension, even if they died from oripathy. If you're disabled in combat, the pension is tripled. There are only two requirements for applying—the ability to fight and to obey orders."

PS: Resurrection! Although not completely resurrected.

The Demon Rabbit will be unveiled soon, I’m so looking forward to it.

Wine and Meat: 137 The Territory of Domination

As expected, the recruitment was a resounding success. It's said that it's easy to live frugally from luxury, but difficult to live lavishly from frugality. If the Reunification Movement were still refugees exiled on the snowy plains, forced to huddle together for warmth, perhaps they would yearn for a hard but warm ordinary life.

But they are not. They have smelled the fragrance of blood, tasted the beauty of plunder, and enjoyed the best food. How many of them can endure hard work?

Always a minority.

Therefore, at Victoria's call and with Tallulah's tacit approval, over 60% of the infected were immediately sent to a recruit camp. Of the remaining 40%, nearly 10% signed up after some hesitation. They would undergo continuous training and screening at the recruit camp, and only qualified individuals would be allowed to report to their respective units.

As for those cadres' direct troops that had already undergone special training, Victoria generously opened a back door and integrated these teams together and handed them over to W to manage.

Yes, that's right, W.

In Ursus, Kosice's peculiarities were widely known. This was why, after Tallulah assassinated Kosice, the Dukedom's title was automatically inherited without interference. Everyone knew Kosice would return, even if not under the name of 'Tallulah,' but by some other 'Kosice'.

For political reasons, after the Reunion was disbanded, Tallulah planned to completely disappear until the day promised by Victory arrived. In other words, she had to live a low-key life in Luxembourg as a guest official with no background.

At least no one should notice any signs of an alliance between Duke Kosice and Victoria.

However, this left no one to lead the Reunion Movement's reorganized forces. The patriots among the first leaders had died, Yelena had sent a message saying "I am willing to join Rhodes Island," and Tallulah was unable to show her face.

Therefore, the commander had to be selected from among the other cadres. Unfortunately, the regicide, who had made many contributions, was captured by his parents and forced to start a new life. Alina was still secretly trained by Tallulah under the guise of recuperation. Bonebreaker was eager to inherit the mantle, but under Misha's kind expression, he obediently agreed to attend school with her (with Victoria's kind financial support).

Therefore, considering that the Sarkaz made up the majority of the troops in the reorganized force, Victor had no choice but to hand over the leadership position to W, and let Red, who was both famous and powerful, be his deputy.

W agreed to Victor's arrangement with a smile, and Red, who had been planning to join the army, was even more fond of Victor. He almost said, "I will repay the lord's high regard with my life, even if it means sacrificing my life for him."

After completing the recruitment, Tallulah left without a trace. Although the Reunion Movement had been disbanded, she still tried to avoid public appearances. W and the new Reunion troops, accompanied by the construction team Victoria had already arranged, happily headed to the first plots of land to be occupied.