This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

However, after sitting in the north for more than a month, everything was peaceful. So, the Great Emperor Mother, who was eager to have her son, took the initiative to exchange escort missions with her enemies and arrived in the south with the fourth batch of support ships.

Dick was somewhat surprised by the arrival of the Emperor's mother, but he didn't blame her. After all, she had switched posts with a rival of his own strength, so it couldn't be considered dereliction of duty.

More than a month had passed since they last met, which felt like an eternity to the Great Emperor's mother. So, after their long-awaited reunion, things quickly became uncontrollable.

To surprise her beloved "child (commander)," the Empress secretly sneaked into Dick's tent under Belfast's cover, and then changed into her specially prepared "combat outfit," a light, semi-transparent black gauze nightgown. Apart from a leg ring as a "finishing touch," she wore no other clothing under the nightgown.

When Dick, unaware of the situation, returned to his tent, he was immediately captivated by his alluring stepmother lying on the bed, her body radiating beauty. The hot-blooded young man was no match for her, and soon he was irresistibly drawn into the maternal embrace of his mother.

Without saying much, Dick proved his love for the Emperor's mother with his actions. Although they were not related by blood and were just imposters, Dick still felt a forbidden thrill. In addition, the Emperor's mother had not seen Dick for more than a month, so their lovemaking was particularly intense, and her plump and fair body was imbued with the scent of her beloved son.

"Mother Empress, I miss you."

"Me too, my child."

After their "filial piety" had been thoroughly corrupted, the two embraced and savored the afterglow for a while, intending to fall asleep. But unfortunately, Belfast, who was waiting outside, suddenly came in to report that Reinhardt had sent someone to invite Dick to the command post, presumably to discuss something important.

With no other option, Dick reluctantly got out of bed, got dressed, and went out.

When Dick arrived at the command post, he saw Reinhardt staring blankly at the sand table with a gloomy expression. Dick guessed that this was because his advice to the Third Prince had failed, and he had become very emotional.

But Dick wasn't surprised by this frustrating outcome.

Supporting the Third Prince behind the scenes was the civil service group of the cabinet, those domineering politicians who were absolutely the most detestable clients in the world.

They only care about issuing orders and making demands, without considering the actual situation or whether there are any difficulties.

"I don't care what methods you use, my demands must be met!"

Dog barks like these often come out of their mouths, which are full of rotten things.

Upon seeing Dick approach, Reinhardt spoke in a weary tone.

"Fifth brother, you're right. Gamblers at their wits' end will indeed do anything to turn things around."

"That's why I said we should have pretended not to hear from the beginning. But it's not too late now. A general in the field may not always obey orders. We can launch a 'symbolic' breakout!"

"It's no use, the military supervisor is already on his way."

"grass!"

Reinhardt told Dick that the military oversight was likely the cabinet's idea. He had noticed several unfamiliar faces accompanying the Third Prince, Bailey, during a magical communication. Judging from their aura, they weren't ordinary people; they were likely Saint-level experts the cabinet had found to support Bailey.

The role of Saint-level beings in war is like that of nuclear weapons; their deterrent effect far outweighs their actual combat power. They may not be on the field, but they absolutely cannot be absent.

In the previous battles, the Empire had already lost several Saint-level warriors, which severely impacted the morale of its army. The Third Prince, wanting to seize power from Prince Heinz, would need Saint-level experts by his side to bolster his position.

It is worth mentioning that the newly summoned Saint-level experts are all "retainers" kept by the great nobles, and they do not directly obey the imperial family.

The military supervisor sent by the Third Prince was ostensibly there to help Reinhard. The group consisted of three people, two of whom were guards. Both were powerful Saint-level experts, so crossing the kingdom's blockade was not difficult for them.

Reinhardt estimated that the other party would arrive tomorrow.

On the other side, Prince Bailey, who had just ended his communication with Reinhardt, was throwing a tantrum, smashing everything he could reach as if his emotions were out of control.

What angered him so much was Reinhardt's advice, which strongly touched Bailey's sensitive and fragile nerves, making him feel that he was being questioned, and the person questioning him was none other than Reinhardt, whom he believed would be absolutely loyal to him.

Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty!

Reinhardt had always genuinely considered Pelé his closest friend, and Pelé had indeed previously held him in high regard. However, in Pelé's heart, Reinhardt was always his subject, and his brotherly relationship with him was merely a means to win over his subordinates; their relationship was that of superior and subordinate, not equal.

So when Reinhardt questioned his decision and tried to dissuade him, Pele didn't see it as a sign of friendship or concern, but rather as blatant insubordination!

After his crushing defeat, Bailey fled to his uncle's house and became withdrawn. Although he later recovered with the help of the "Earth's Miracle Drug" that his uncle obtained, his mentality had changed drastically. He became sensitive and somewhat neurotic, and at the same time developed a strong dependence on that miracle drug.

After venting his anger, Pele suddenly collapsed to the ground, his furious expression turning into one of dejection in an instant, hugging his shoulders and bursting into tears.

Seeing this, the attendant arranged by Marquis Leodore knew that His Highness needed "medicine," so he quickly pulled out an exquisite snuff bottle from his pocket and shoved it under Bailey's nostrils with lightning speed. Upon smelling the familiar scent, Bailey immediately took a deep drag, and his expression relaxed, looking extremely blissful...

Chapter 275: Drawing Out the Anger in My Heart

The following morning, Reinhardt, along with a group of generals from the Second Eastern Army Corps, waited in the open space in the center of the fortress for the arrival of the "special envoy" sent by the Third Prince.

Everyone present knew that this so-called "special envoy" was actually a military supervisor. The Third Prince had clearly sent an informant to keep an eye on them, which made everyone quite unhappy.

Damn it! Why should I?

Of the four army groups that marched south, only the Second Eastern Army Group was not defeated and continued to fight behind enemy lines without surrendering to the kingdom. Now that the war situation has finally returned to equilibrium, you coward who only knows how to run away on a donkey are already shameless enough to jump out and fight for power. How dare you doubt that others are afraid of war?

In short, the generals of the Second Eastern Army Corps were very unhappy, but because of the Third Prince's status, they could not openly express their feelings in public, and they were all very uncomfortable.

Among the crowd, Dick deliberately stood at the back, using the tall, burly men around him to conceal himself.

In terms of status, Dick did not belong to the Second Eastern Army Corps. He was a "civilian enthusiast" who volunteered to support the army. However, due to his strength and the debt of gratitude for saving his life, he became the de facto second-in-command of the corps. Reinhard regarded him as his chief strategist and would take the initiative to consult him on most military matters. Other generals also respected him.

However, with the arrival of the Third Prince's military supervisor, his position became quite precarious.

As Dick was pondering how to respond, a commotion suddenly arose from the Kingdom Army's position opposite them. In the distance, many magical missiles launched into the air could be seen, followed by a huge bipedal dragon swooping down from the clouds, using the magical barrier surrounding its body to block the attack, and flying straight towards the East Second Army Corps' fortress.

Upon seeing the dark green-skinned bipedal dragon, Dick immediately guessed the identity of one of the two Saint-level guards beside the military supervisor.

"It's the dragon knight Negan Murray... that son of a bitch."

Among the many generals, quite a few guessed the identity of the newcomer after seeing the iconic mount, but when they read out the man's name, they gritted their teeth and looked on with hatred.

Among the many renowned Saint-level experts in the Empire, Nigan Murray is probably the most hated.

This guy came from a prestigious family, was handsome, and possessed extraordinary talent. In his early thirties, he had already reached the Saint-level in martial arts. Before Dick became famous, he was the youngest Saint-level expert in the world.

However, this outstanding person was notoriously wicked, going beyond mere arrogance. Relying on his family background and power, he had committed numerous acts of bullying and oppressing men and women. His most detestable trait was his "hobby for married women," specifically targeting married women.

In fact, within the decadent private lives of the aristocracy in the capital, simply sleeping with other men's wives wasn't considered a big deal. In many aristocratic families, husbands and wives each had their own private affairs. Some ambitious lower-ranking nobles even actively offered their wives to other men to expand their social networks, hoping to become "like-minded" with cabinet leaders.

But Negan was different. He was a "classic" blond-haired man who targeted virtuous women who were originally clean and honest. After succeeding, he would go to the victims to show off and deliberately provoke them.

If the aggrieved party becomes so enraged that they lose their temper and challenge him to a duel, then they are playing right into his hands.

However, this guy is also very cunning. He never provokes other powerful individuals of the same Saint rank, but prefers to bully the weak.

You're a real bastard! The worst of the worst!

Soon, the dragon flew to the open ground and landed. Its flapping wings created a strong wind that made everyone lose their footing for a moment.

Adult wyverns are powerful monsters of "quasi-saint level", which is considered average among sub-dragon monsters, but their biggest advantage is that they can be tamed.

The Murray family is famous for raising wyverns, a monopolistic family business that generates a significant income.

On the battlefield, this thing is equivalent to an armed helicopter with unlimited firepower, and the wyvern rider is the pilot guiding the attack targets. However, Nigan, who already possesses Saint-level strength, rides the bipedal wyvern purely to show off. In this world of swords and magic, this is a top-tier supercar!

After the dragon came to a stop, three people dismounted from its back: a tall man with dazzling blond hair named Negan, a gaunt middle-aged man, and a one-eyed mage in a purple robe.

As soon as the one-eyed magician landed, he keenly noticed Dick hiding in the crowd.

At this distance, it's impossible for someone of the same Saint rank to hide.

Even though he felt terrible inside, Reinhardt still put on a smile and went to greet her.

The gaunt middle-aged man, who called himself "Frantz," not only refused to reveal his surname but also deliberately gave Reinhardt a cold shoulder.

Franz stated that he represented the Third Prince and would oversee whether the Second Eastern Army Corps strictly implemented the combat orders issued by His Highness the Third Prince. His hoarse voice was so loud that just listening to him make people feel physically uncomfortable.

"Military orders are absolute! The entire Second Army Corps of the East must advance bravely. If I find anyone who dares to disobey orders or retreat in fear, do not blame me for punishing them according to military law! Do you all understand?"

After Franz finished speaking, he scanned the entire room and saw that everyone was silent and trembling, seemingly in fear of the authority he represented, which pleased him greatly.

Don't be fooled by the fact that there are only two Saint-level officers in their group of three, one a magician and the other a martial artist, while the East Second Legion has four Saint-level officers in charge (Frantz doesn't know about Dick and the others). As long as these noble officers don't go crazy and disregard their families in the capital, he doesn't need to worry about not being able to control these guys.

Seeing Franz's arrogance and domineering attitude, Dick remained unmoved and even felt a little amused.

As things stand, Franz seems to represent the cabinet more than the Third Prince.

Those insects hiding in the safe rear were probably planning to use the Third Prince's name to remotely control the army and launch a major counterattack. The advantage of doing so was that if things went wrong, they could shift the blame onto the Third Prince. After all, the previous crushing defeat had already nearly ruined his reputation, so having more debts to bear was a good thing.

The cabinet doesn't care about the actual situation of the troops on the front lines. All they want now is to see a counter-offensive, and then use it as a bargaining chip at the negotiating table. As for how many lives will be sacrificed for it, or whether the counter-offensive will fail, none of that is within their consideration.

After all, even if there were sacrifices, the most likely to die would be commoners who were as worthless as weeds in their eyes, or at most some insignificant lower-middle-ranking nobles.

Dick was pleased with the cabinet's actions, because his height allowed him to see the faces of those around him, heads bowed, filled with resentment and anger.

Daring to be angry but not daring to speak out? That's just because their anger level isn't high enough.

Chapter 276: The Great Counterattack

Upon his arrival, Franz did not inspect the fortress but went directly to the command post. He was extremely dissatisfied with the accommodations prepared for him, the supervising officer, by the Second Eastern Army Corps.

Dick did not accompany them, but returned to his own camp and summoned his men.

"A few troublesome bastards have come up here. They're wandering around the fortress right now. Tell our people to keep a low profile and try to avoid contact with them."

Of the three supervising officers, the one Dick was most wary of was Negan Murray. This seasoned minotaur was a pure lustful wretch who had committed countless atrocities in the capital. If it weren't for his Saint-level strength, he would have been hacked to death in the streets by groups of his victims long ago.

Therefore, Dick didn't want him to see the girls under his command, otherwise a conflict would be inevitable.

On the other side, Reinhardt tried to explain the situation of the Second Eastern Army Corps to Franz, saying that with the current conditions, it was impossible to organize an effective offensive, and that forcibly launching an attack would only waste the lives of the soldiers.

After much earnest persuasion, all he received in return was Franz's cold rejection.

"Commander, I am here to supervise the Second Eastern Army Corps in completing its counter-offensive. I don't care what methods you use, you must launch the attack in seven days. The eldest son of the prestigious Best family, the heir to the War Marshal, must not disgrace your family!"

The cabinet was determined to launch the so-called "Great Counter-Offensive," and the civil service group led by the prime minister had always been mortal enemies with the southern noble group, so Franz naturally wouldn't give Reinhard a friendly look.

In fact, Franz had heard rumors before he arrived that some cabinet officials intended to use the war to weaken the influence of the nobility and promote military reforms to normalize the "supervisory system" so that the civilian group could legitimately extend its reach to the Guards.

This is why the cabinet insisted on launching a major counter-offensive against the Southern Army, because regardless of the outcome, the counter-offensive would be profitable for them.

Seeing that Franz couldn't persuade him, Reinhardt could only leave dejectedly. The three supervising officers watched his rather lonely figure and sneered repeatedly, because in their view, this dull-witted boy was destined to become one of the victims of this political struggle. Perhaps the best outcome would be to die on the battlefield, and the cabinet officials would at least leave him with a good reputation of "sacrificing himself for the country" for propaganda purposes.

However, to prevent Reinhardt from resorting to desperate measures, Franz needs to make more preparations.

Franz planned to secretly contact the other officers in the corps. He didn't think Reinhardt, a young man not even thirty, could have much prestige in the army or inspire unwavering loyalty among his men. He could easily win them over through coercion and bribery, thereby undermining Reinhardt's authority as corps commander to some extent.

He was completely clueless about leading troops into battle, but he was an absolute master at scheming and intrigue!

As Franz had predicted, that very night someone secretly approached him, wanting to join his cause, and they even brought him a lot of information he hadn't known beforehand.

"Is the youngest son of the Best family, who has become a Saint, here too? Didn't he set up his own household and become a lord in the north?"

Franz had heard of Dick's great name many times when he was in the capital. A Saint-level being in his early twenties was indeed dazzling, and his deeds in fighting against the orc invasion in the north had been reported in many newspapers. But unfortunately, the hype didn't last long. Because the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital didn't want the suffering of a few lowly people in the borderlands to spoil their pleasure-seeking.

Before arriving, Franz knew little about the Second Eastern Army Corps, since he hadn't come voluntarily and the civilian intelligence work was a mess.

It's important to understand that the information available to the capital is often outdated and incomplete. Each faction has its own intelligence system, which doesn't communicate with each other and frequently undermines one another. To gain an advantage and delay their rivals, they might deliberately release false information to mislead others.

The most infuriating thing is the layers of exploitation at each level. Those at the bottom who actually do the work don't get paid much, so don't expect them to be very diligent. Some people simply write up intelligence at home and submit it to get it over with.

Franz learned from these opportunists that the Second Eastern Army Corps had only managed to hold out until now thanks to the help of the fifth young master of the Best family; otherwise, they would have been wiped out long ago.

In addition, this young master is not only powerful himself, but also has many powerful retainers around him, all of whom are stunning beauties!

Upon hearing the words "stunningly beautiful woman," Negan's eyes lit up immediately.

Inside the fortress, the "Northern Army," led by Dick, formed its own faction. They were small in number, mainly consisting of a military observation group and a field medical team, totaling less than five hundred people.

However, taking advantage of the previous opportunity to train the ragtag group, Dick selected 3,000 able-bodied men and, together with the officers of the northern observation group, put together a usable force. In addition, there were "medical teams" and "stretcher teams" who were put to work after simple training on the spot. In total, 4,500 people were brought under Dick's command.

Dick planned to take as many of these soldiers as possible with him, so he specifically instructed his men to collect information about the families of these Southern soldiers and asked Ruby Eyes in Mouth Harbor to find a way to "abduct" the families of these soldiers to the North as well.

And this abduction process went exceptionally smoothly.

It should be noted that these soldiers were conscripts abandoned by their lords, who had assumed they were all dead when they fled the front lines by boat.

Those with a modicum of conscience might offer a token amount of compensation to the families, but this is far from enough to support families who have lost their sons or even their breadwinners. Those who have long since abandoned all conscience might even take advantage of the situation, bullying and humiliating the remaining orphans and widows.

As I said before, the southern part of the empire has no shortage of people, and the nobles have never treated commoners as human beings!

Therefore, as the impact of the war continued to expand, the refugee crisis grew larger and larger.

If this trend continues, Ruby Eyes made a data prediction: if the war continues for another three months, she can bring back at least 200,000 people to Lagug. And this wave of migration will continue for more than a year due to inertia, changing the original imbalance of population between the north and south of the empire.

So at this moment, Dick's mentality is very similar to that of people from Northeast China in a certain major Eastern country on the other side of the world when they are paying attention to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They are afraid that the southern front will collapse too quickly, but they also don't want the war to end too soon.

If this battle can last for three to five years, not only will Laguge be affected, but the entire north will take off!

Bonus Chapter: Ai-chan's Home Visit Day ①

(I'm having writer's block on the main storyline, so please allow me some time to think it over and I'll write some lighthearted epilogues to lighten things up.)

Tawawa City, a neon city existing in the Himura universe, is a peaceful and heartwarming fictional world that is widely loved by otaku and office workers for its abundance of beautiful women with amazing bust sizes.

Dick never imagined that he would one day visit this world, and this trip was specifically to accompany Xiao Ai back to her hometown to visit relatives.

As soon as the two of them traveled back to this world, Xiao Ai was surprised to find that they were still on the same day she had just traveled back, and even the place they had returned to was the subway entrance where she had almost fallen. In her shock, she staggered and lost her balance. Fortunately, Dick was right next to her and reached out to catch her in time.