Volume 2 chapter 39
"The Prague River has been diverted... The Alliance's main Ninth-Rank forces have been drawn away..."
In Picars City, Clyris read Luna's report, an expression of admiration crossing her face. "Well done... Luna!"
She put the report down and looked at the four demon commanders standing before her. "What is the status of Picars' defenses?"
"Fortification is largely complete," Marcus reported with pride. "Although we only have one Ninth-Rank Defensive Array, combined with the forward trenches, fifteen Large Fortress Guns, thirty-six Small Fortress Guns, and sixty Wall Guns, we are confident in stopping the Alliance!"
Because Picars City was built on a plain, it lacked the mountain foundations needed for traditional fortress artillery emplacements. To solve this, Clyris had ordered the construction of five massive reinforced concrete gun towers. Each tower mounted a Triple-Barreled 460mm Fortress Gun.
In addition to the main towers, there were twelve smaller towers, each mounting a Triple-Barreled 305mm Wall Gun.
As for where the technology for triple-barreled turrets and reinforced concrete came from... naturally, it was from the System!
Clyris had copied the main gun design of a Battleship from the System's naval database for the Large Fortress Guns, and a Cruiser's main guns for the Small Fortress Guns.
Now, the Large Fortress Guns had a range of 45 kilometers.
The Small Fortress Guns reached 35 kilometers.
Finally, she had installed twenty Triple-Barreled 152mm Guns on the existing walls, with a range of 25 kilometers, designed for saturation fire.
Even if the Alliance charged from the extreme range of 25 kilometers, they would have to endure a five-kilometer gauntlet of combined heavy artillery fire just to reach the trenches!
Five kilometers was enough time for another full volley.
A 460mm shell—larger caliber, higher muzzle velocity, greater destructive power. A single volley could punch straight through a fully formed Charge Formation led by an Eighth-Rank Knight! It was no longer like the old guns that could only shake the formation; these monsters would shatter it.
"Excellent. It was worth moving all the newly produced turrets here!" Clyris nodded in satisfaction. "I leave this place to you. I am going to Talisk Fortress to take over the defense!"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty! Since we have even more firepower than Commander Luna, we will definitely perform even better!" Lucas thumped his chest.
"Seeing your confidence puts me at ease!"
She looked at their resolute faces, feeling a weight lift from her heart. After a few final instructions, she left Picars City and flew toward Talisk Fortress.
From the sky, the area around Talisk Fortress looked like a scarred wasteland. Massive craters pockmarked the earth like the face of a plague victim, a chilling sight.
Where the Vanguard Citadel once stood, even the hill itself had been blown apart, leaving a crater so vast it looked like a meteor impact site.
Further ahead, the diverted Prague River rolled past. Although the flash flood had begun to calm, the water remained turbid and swift, a brown scar cutting across the landscape.
Clyris descended before the fortress. The defensive array opened, allowing her to fly in.
She went straight to the largest Mana Pool in the city. Three figures floated in the glowing liquid.
"Luna... Finn... Byron..."
Her gaze swept over their battered bodies. Even after initial treatment, the wounds were shocking. It was hard to imagine how horrific they must have looked before healing began.
"Your Majesty! You're finally here!"
A Flame Demon knelt beside the pool, tears streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, I beg you! Please save Commander Eleanor! She saved the fortress! There is no one left here strong enough to go... Only you can bring her back!"
"You are..."
"I am Kane, the Artillery Commander!"
"Alright, Kane!" Clyris looked at him gently. "Rest assured. I only came to check on their condition. Since they are stable, I will go find Eleanor immediately! Until I return, guard them well. Let no accidents happen! Understood?"
"Yes! I will guard the commanders with my life! No one shall disturb them!" Kane shouted.
Assured, Clyris left the fortress and flew toward the Old Mountains.
She flew at full speed, lightning-fast. It took only five minutes to cover the distance.
But when she arrived, all she saw... was scorched earth.
Charred flagpoles lay on the ground, a severed hand still gripping one tightly. Shattered armor was scattered everywhere, wet blood still dripping from the jagged edges. Severed limbs and broken bones littered the field. Crushed skulls were buried in the blackened soil.
She didn't find Eleanor's body.
She only found a massive, scorched crater.
Eleanor was an Elemental—a Flame Demon. upon death, she would dissipate into the elements, leaving nothing behind.
But clearly, she had not died peacefully. She had chosen the most violent end possible—Self-Immolation.
At the end of her life, she had turned herself into a massive bomb. The crater was large enough to rival the impact of a 1,000kg aerial bomb.
Clyris stood in the center of the crater, feeling the fading heat of the scorched earth. Her heart was dead silent.
Was she too late? No. Judging by the temperature of the soil, this explosion had happened while she was still at Picars.
Was it her fault? Perhaps... but the blood feud between the races of Rodinia and the Demons went back tens of thousands of years.
In a war spanning millennia, who started it no longer mattered. Hatred had accumulated beyond measure. Both sides only wanted to exterminate the other.
To Rodinia, the Demons were unforgivable invaders. Extermination was the only choice.
To the Demons... they had no choice. Since the Abyss was sealed off, generations of demons had forgotten the Demon God's decree. They just wanted to live, even if it meant hiding in a corner. But the Human Empires wouldn't allow it. They encroached on demon territory daily. The demons could only resist with blades.
Who was right? Who was wrong? Clyris couldn't distinguish anymore. She only knew that the Alliance wanted her dead. And she didn't want to die.
So she had to fight.
"Eleanor... farewell."
Clyris whispered her goodbye in the center of the silent crater.
Chapter 135: The Price of Progress
Ironwood Territory.
Charlo watched the transport ships, laden with tanks and infantry, leaving the harbor. A trance-like expression clouded his face.
"My friend, what is wrong?" Freya noticed his mood and looked at him with concern. "Don't worry! The 85mm cannon on the improved Type-1 Tank can penetrate a Seventh-Rank Knight from a kilometer away! Plus, we have the Dreadnought's naval gun support. Taking down a few small Viscounts won't be a problem!"
She patted her chest confidently.
"I'm not worried about that... Freya," Charlo sighed softly.
This was Ironwood's first proactive military campaign. The target: three Viscounts on the northeastern border of the Balar Empire.
After Davis piloted the Dreadnought to open the sea routes, trade began with the nobles on the southeastern coast.
Though called "trade," it was more like Ironwood dumping goods.
Canned food produced by the integrated factories became a hit with commoners. It was cheap and tasted like meat. A single small silver coin bought dozens of cans, enough to feed a family for days.
Beyond food, there were clothes, armor, swords, salt, flour...
The United Chamber of Commerce Charlo established played its role perfectly. Unified pricing, unified sales, unified procurement.
They squeezed local merchants out of the market entirely, seizing almost all commerce in the region. In return, Ironwood acquired massive amounts of raw materials, books, and labor.
This was why the nobles lashed out. Charlo’s Chamber of Commerce was practically looting their territories of wealth and people. It would be strange if they didn't react.
But this was also part of his plan. If the nobles didn't strike first, how could he justify sending troops?
Everything went as predicted. The nobles violently expelled the Chamber of Commerce and seized its assets. And so, Charlo had his casus belli.
"Then what are you worried about?" Freya asked, puzzled.
"I'm just wondering... is this the only way?" Charlo said with a touch of melancholy. "Capitalist expansion... Although I established the Chamber of Commerce and steer it with military force, is there a better way? A way that doesn't require military intervention? A way that doesn't require plunder..."
"Ugh... I don't understand..." Freya tried hard to think, smoke practically coming out of her ears, but she couldn't grasp the socioeconomic dilemma.
"Haha! Alright, if you can't figure it out, don't force it!"
Charlo laughed at her dizzy expression and patted her head.
"Right or wrong, let future generations judge. I should focus on thinking about the road ahead!"
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