Chapter 659: Gorge Mountain Ancient Road - Young Marquis Edmund

"I have 38,000 men, Earl Russell has 32,000 men, and Bishop Leicester has 13,000 men, a total of 83,000 men, which is the total strength of our detachment."

"According to the intelligence provided by the expeditionary headquarters, the Stovia region has gathered more than 600,000 troops, led by the eldest princess of the Ansa Kingdom, Alice Joyce."

"The enemy's army is complex. There are the Ansa Kingdom Army, the Stovia Region Nobles Alliance, the Beast God Church's Guards, the Free Corps composed of adventurers and mercenaries, and reinforcements from the Geman Kingdom."

"So, for this attack on the Stovia region, I have only one strategic direction, which is to be quick. I will take advantage of the chaos in the enemy's command and dispatch to destroy the enemy's manpower."

"My troops will be the main attackers, and Earl Russell's troops will be the auxiliary attackers."

At this point, Weilin looked at the Crusader Bishop beside him and said, "Bishop Leicester."

Hearing his name, Lester stood up, bowed, and said calmly: "Sir Weilin, please give me your orders."

"In half a month, the Crusaders will transport the combat supplies to the Kask Camp. I need you to receive this transport force and incorporate it into your command. Is there a problem?" Weilin went straight to the point without beating around the bush.

"At your command," said the Bishop of Leicester, after a moment's thought.

"Very good. This way, you will have 18,000 people under your command. The logistics will be handed over to you. Do you have any questions?"

"No, I will lead the Crusaders to complete the mission you assigned to us."

Weilin waved his hand for Bishop Leicester to sit down, and announced: "Next, my deputy commander Kyle will deploy the combat mission."

Upon hearing this, Kyle came to the tent and drew the two routes he had determined on the map.

"The first route, the 15th Army, will follow the ancient path of the Gorge Mountain, the city of Libek, the Algeciras fortress complex, enter the South Stovia Plain, and attack Solomon City, the capital of the Stovia Region."

"The second route is for the 18th Army to attack from the direction of Lulisk City, passing through Barrick City and Sea Breeze Hills, and reaching Golfito City. They will detour from north to south and cut off the connection between Solomon City and the Kingdom of Geman."

"The troops under Bishop Leicester's command need to be responsible for the logistics of these two routes. When necessary, they can recruit young and strong people in the occupied areas to transport food."

In the next two hours, Kyle analyzed the characteristics of various places based on the existing intelligence and proposed feasible plans for attack. However, the battlefield was changing rapidly, and these proposals were only for reference. The specific method of attack still needed to be decided by the commanders of each unit.

Two hours later, Kyle stopped explaining and returned to stand behind Weilin.

"If we win this battle, the Stovia region will be our territory. The magic potion resources, rare minerals, cultivation techniques, etc. here will all be ours."

"So, take up the weapons in your hands, fight to spread the faith of the Goddess of Life, and fight for yourselves."

"Now, I declare the meeting dissolved. Earl Russell stays for a moment, and everyone else goes away."

"Yes."

In less than a moment, only Weilin, Kyle and Russell were left in the central tent.

"Brother Russell, your route is more difficult and will have a greater impact on my attack on Solomon City. I still have 5,000 sets of excellent warrior equipment here. You can take them first to strengthen the strength of your unit."

"Brother Weilin, I appreciate your kindness, but I have a troop under my command that is good at attacking strongholds. Although there are many cities on the way to attack, I am still confident that I can complete this combat mission."

After several refusals, Weilin had no choice but to compromise and said, "On the battlefield, take your own safety into consideration. You are my strategic partner in the Sep Province, and I don't want you to die on the battlefield."

"Hahaha, don't worry, I will pay attention."

"Brother Weilin, I'm leaving now."

"Ah."

Seeing Weilin nod, Russell stood up, saluted, and then left the tent.

As a viscount, he was able to become the commander of a small army. Although this was inseparable from the support of his grandfather, the combat effectiveness of his army was also an important factor.

In early August, the order from the Fourth Army Headquarters was issued and the war began.

On the parade ground, Weilin stood on a high platform, looking at the 38,000-strong army, and a feeling of heroism arose spontaneously.

"Set off."

The sound was not loud, but it echoed in everyone's ears.

As Qi Xingling's flag moved, the army officially set out.

……

In the central part of the South Stovia Plain, in Solomon City, in a magnificent hall, a beautiful woman sat on the main seat with her hands on the armrests, watching the commanders of the troops below quarreling with each other, with indifference in her eyes.

When the country is in crisis, these people still only care about their own interests. Even when war is imminent, these people are still like this.

The Ansa Kingdom has been destroyed. Will the expeditionary force of the so-called Goddess of Life keep you, the people of the old country,?

"Report."

Hearing this, everyone in the hall stopped arguing and sat down quietly.

"Your Highness, the Princess, pagan troops have appeared on the border between the North Asian Cape Region and the Stovia Region, and are rapidly advancing towards the Libek Province in the Stovia Region." A guard entered the hall, knelt on one knee, and presented a letter from the front line with both hands.

Alice took the letter and opened it to read. Fear and urgency were revealed between the lines.

"Send a message to General Warren, asking him to hold the Thirteen Passes of the Gorge Mountain Ancient Road for three months. I will dispatch reinforcements to support him as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As the guard who delivered the message left, Alice put down the letter in her hand, looked at the commanders of the troops below, and fell into deep thought.

At the conference table, thirteen leaders of various forces sat there quietly without looking or saying a word.

Looking at this group of old foxes, Alice rubbed her temples and was struggling with a decision.

Of the 650,000-strong army, only 200,000 were under her direct command, and the remaining 450,000 were divided into 13 divisions, with their respective interests intertwined.

The troops under her command could not be moved, which was her confidence in suppressing the coalition forces. If the losses were too great, someone might defect before the battle the next day.

"Marquis Edmund."

A clear voice resounded throughout the hall, and the young man sitting in the first seat on the left stood up. His face was calm, and he placed his right hand on his chest and bowed. His movements were standard and elegant: "Your Highness."

"The kingdom is now at its most dangerous moment, and I need the assistance of the Isaac family."

Alice's eyes were firm and sharp as she stared at the young man in front of her, as if she wanted to see into his heart through his eyes.

"Your Highness, my army has only 80,000 people and is poorly equipped. It is difficult for us to undertake the important task of supporting the ancient Xiashan Road." The young man answered neither humbly nor arrogantly, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Alice stared at the young man, her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles slightly white from excessive force, and her eyes revealed disappointment and anger.

After a moment of silence, Alice promised, "If you can defend the Gorge Mountain Ancient Road for three months, I will ask His Majesty the King to grant the Tolico Province to the Isaac family."

Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across the young man's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Your Highness, although my troops' combat power is low, our determination to defend the kingdom is unshakable. Please wait for my good news."

After saying this, the young man bowed again and then turned and left.

When the other twelve people saw this, some showed disdain, some felt jealous, and some seemed to be indifferent.

One of the white-haired veterans sighed repeatedly, saying that this generation of people in power in the Isaac family was too young after all.