in the name of the queen.

Chapter 321: War or Performance Art?
Anyone who has fought in wars often knows how difficult it is to defend an isolated fortress against an enemy five times its number and hundreds of heavy artillery.

Although she chose to rescue, Christine secretly acknowledged that the Franks Fortress could not be defended.

She slowed down and sent out scouts to expand the scope of exploration, fearing that the thousands of elite cavalry who brought rescue would also fall into the encirclement.

When the scouts told her that the fortress was still holding out, she briefly suspected she was hallucinating.

When they arrived at the Franks Fortress after traveling day and night, they found that the fortress was not only as solid as a rock, but also seemed to be able to hold out for a long time.

She was a little confused and even thought it was a trap.

Until she saw some familiar faces and familiar flags appearing on the city wall.

She had thought that the Franks Fortress would fall and would hold out fiercely, but she had never expected that the defenders would hold out so calmly.

The drawbridge on the Sussex side was slowly lowered and the city gate opened.

A small number of the 6,000 cavalrymen led by Christine were stationed outside the city, while most of them entered the city.

With great doubts, Christine walked towards the command center of the city hall accompanied by several welcoming officers.

She sternly rejected the welcoming banquet arranged by General Dai Long and went straight to the command room to hold a military meeting.

Her style has always been like this. General Dai Long, who was familiar with her, was not too surprised. Only the young officers were not very familiar with this commander.

They were amazed at the beauty and decisiveness of the Saint Lady, and were eager to show their bravery in front of this beautiful lady.

Dai Long caught a glimpse of the gazes of these young people from the corner of his eye, and felt a little more emotional.

These little guys really don’t understand Saint Christine.

She has firm beliefs and is a cold-blooded and ruthless commander.

Her beautiful body only makes her more approachable when she preaches, but other than that it is even a burden.

God knows how many nobles and knights in the Wende Empire are her suitors, but in her eyes these people are just annoying flies.

In this era when holy maidens in the divine court are often equated with political prostitutes, she is indeed an outlier.

The enthusiasm of these young people is destined to have no rewards.

"General Dai Long, how is the battle going recently?"

Christine's cold voice brought Dai Long, who was a little distracted, back to reality.

He calmed himself down a little and reported the battle situation to Christine in a slightly low voice.

Christine's expression didn't change at all.

Whether she heard that thousands of people died in the outer positions, or that the commandos blew up hundreds of artillery pieces, or that General Jaybackus died heroically in the raid, there was not much expression on her face.

She was as calm as a bystander.

This is also her usual command style. She does not allow personal emotions to affect her judgment and always stands at a high altitude to overlook the battle situation.

Dai Long was not surprised by this, but he still wanted to say a few words for Jaybacs.

After all, they are old comrades. If he doesn't speak, he will first fail.

"Your Highness the Saint."

"Please call me General Christine, or Commander-in-Chief." Christine corrected Dai Long's address expressionlessly.

The title is also a stance.

If she claimed to be the Holy Maiden of Light, it would certainly help her establish prestige within the Court of Light, but it would also create a rift between her and the generals of the coalition forces.

The saint is the guest and the commander is the comrade-in-arms.

Dai Long naturally knew the difference.

His gaze turned to Christine again. She was wrapped in light silver light armor. Her cold face looked even smaller under the raised metal collar.

Although she was too pretty to look like a soldier, her stern and cold temperament still revealed a hint of solemnity.

After just a moment of surprise, Dai Long accepted the new commander from the bottom of his heart.

"Yes, Lord Commander."

"I think I must focus on telling you about the exploits of General Jaybacchus and the five hundred warriors."

After getting Christine's approval, Dai Long quickly recounted the process of how Jebacs and others risked their lives to replace 95% of the enemy's artillery.

Even with Christine's indifference, she was somewhat moved.

"All five hundred men were killed?"

Although she had used suicide squads to exchange for high-value enemy targets more than once, this time was different. These people were truly volunteers.

After a long silence, Christine asked softly, "Did you leave a suicide note?"

“The suicide notes are all kept safely.” Dai Long breathed a sigh of relief. He could sense a slight change in Christine’s tone.

His expression was still stern, but there was an imperceptible warmth in his voice.

"After I sort it out, I will try my best to help them realize their wishes."

Dai Long quickly stood up and saluted Christine on behalf of the five hundred warriors.

Christine stood up and returned the greeting, nodding for Dai Long to continue his report.

Although the following report was very long and all concerned important matters related to the city's defense, there was no trace of emotion on Christine's face.

After listening to the report, Christine did not rush to give important instructions, but only asked everyone to stay at their posts.

"The meeting is adjourned. General Dai Long, please stay for a moment."

Standing on the watchtower behind the eastern section of the city wall, Christine could clearly see the deployment of the Pruden Kingdom Army even without a telescope.

Dai Long stood half a step behind her, his face calm, waiting very patiently.

Although he was a major general, his status was far different from that of the Allied Forces Commander Christine.

When Christine didn't need him to speak, it was best to remain silent.

After an unknown amount of time, Christine finally broke the silence and asked softly, "How long do you think the fortress can hold out?"

Dai Long was startled and hesitated.

Is this simply a question or a test for him?

"Don't worry, we're just discussing military intelligence." Christine added.

Dai Long felt relieved and answered without hesitation: "Unless the enemy can get a few hundred more heavy artillery or send more troops, we can hold on."

Christine nodded in satisfaction and said calmly, "Very good, evacuate the residents as soon as possible."

"what?"

Dai Long stood there in a daze. He had never expected that Christine's ideas would be so unconventional.

Didn’t we agree to hold on? Why are they starting to evacuate the residents?

He couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"Because the Franks Fortress is doomed to fall. Sooner or later the enemy will get more cannons and soldiers. There is no need to continue to hold on."

Dai Long was somewhat dissatisfied in his heart. He looked at Christine stubbornly and insisted on his point of view.

"Commander-in-chief, there is no defense between the Franks Fortress and Hansa. If we do not stop the enemy here, the gate to Hansa will be open, and the enemy can march straight in and reach Hansa within half a month."

"Are you planning to meet the enemy in Hansa? It is our country's second overseas capital. If the battlefield is held there, we will be too passive."

Dai Long couldn't help but complain, "Commander-in-Chief, I have reminded you many times in the past two months to strengthen the fortress's defense system, build military camps around the fortress, and deploy at least 50,000 elite troops and more heavy artillery. However, these suggestions have been shelved by the command. I want to complain to you that someone is blocking your connection with the grassroots."

Having said that, Dai Long knew that no one would dare to keep the truth secret, and the reason why the fortress construction was not strengthened was most likely because Christine herself did not take it seriously.

He didn't dare to blame Christine, but he would never avoid saying what he had to say.

If Christine ignored him, he even planned to report directly to the governor, bypassing the commander-in-chief.

Faced with Dai Long's almost accusatory suggestion, Christine did not get angry, but just smiled.

"Hans are located in a plain. Although there is the Rodinia River around them, the river flows slowly and is behind the city. Their defense is not as good as Franks."

Dai Long breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Christine admitted it, he could continue to persuade her.

He certainly didn't want to give up the Franks Fortress.

The military importance of this fortress is self-evident, and this fortress means a lot to him.

If this fortress was lost, even with Christine's deployment, it would be difficult for him to get rid of the title of lost fortress.

If he decided to turn the fortress into a meat grinder, both sides would have to commit more troops, and his power and prestige would skyrocket.

Holding the fortress is the best option for both the country and himself.

If there were no sea of ​​flowers and no location for the final battle chosen by Roland, this would indeed be the best choice.

Christine completely understood Dai Long's plan.

In fact, she had originally planned to use the Franks Fortress as a meat grinder, constantly consuming the enemy's flesh, blood, morale, and supplies, turning it into a hell that would wear down the enemy.

However, a few months ago, Roland's words changed her deployment.

The decisive battle will take place in Val City and White Mountain. Only in White Mountain will there be a chance to defeat Sofia. All other cities can be abandoned.

Since Roland asked for it, Christine had to do it. Franks' meat grinder plan was cancelled.

In the first battle, Franks made a feint, and in the second battle, Hansa continued to show weakness, and finally the decisive battle took place at White Mountain.

This is her overall layout.

After all, Hansa was an overseas political and economic center, and it would be too fake to abandon it directly, so the Battle of Hansa must be fought, and it must be fought in a proper manner.

Since Hansa was used as a meat grinder, the Franks Fortress had no value.

There was no way she could tell Dai Long about these deployments.

She trusted Dai Long to keep the secret because she could, too.

Seeing that Christine acknowledged the importance of Franks Fortress, Dai Long ignited his confidence and continued to persuade her.

He explained the pros and cons, the dangers of abandoning the Franks fortress, and the necessity of holding on to it.

If you hurt the enemy, you can even force him to accept a peace without a winner and accept the result that each side rules half of the continent with the Fran fortress as the boundary.

This is the result he wants.

"War is not about killing, but about winning peace with force. The existence of the Franks Fortress can also help relieve the pressure on your motherland, Wende. Please think twice."

Dai Long really couldn't understand what the benefit of giving up the Franks Fortress was and why Christine was so stubborn.

He even brought up the precarious Wende Empire to persuade Christine to change her mind.

"As long as we destroy the enemy's manpower in the Franks Fortress, the Wend Empire will have time and space to reorganize its army. Once they recover, the course of a normal war will change."

Dai Long became more and more excited as he spoke, and he looked at Christine with fiery eyes, unable to hide his anticipation.

However, Christine's expression did not change at all.

The name of the Wend Empire could not stir up any emotion in her.

Silence is sometimes a yes and sometimes a no.

Dai Long's passion gradually cooled, and he asked unwillingly, "Are we going to let the sacrifices of these thousands of people go to waste?"

“Only by winning this war can their sacrifice not be in vain.”

Christine said calmly.

This sentence was almost a direct rejection. Dai Long's expression looked a little ugly, but he still controlled his emotions well and did not continue the topic, but he also had his own persistence.

"I respect your decision, but I reserve my opinion, and I will explain my views to the Governor."

Dai Long is not an ordinary major general division commander. He is Roland's confidant and is responsible not only for the fortress, but also the defense of the eastern defense zone.

He has the right to report directly to Roland.

Christine said nothing, just nodded.

She had no opinion about Dai Long, a slightly rigid but very dedicated professional soldier, and his contributions would be needed in future wars.

If he knew the overall layout of this war, he would definitely not question it.

However, the overall layout was known to only a few people, which was why Dai Long made the wrong judgment.

After watching Dai Long leave, Christine continued to stand in the watchtower and observe the situation on the battlefield.

She completely understood Dai Long.

He is a professional soldier, but not a supernatural being, and of course he cannot understand the upcoming Homecoming Day War.

It sounds absurd that on a battlefield with millions of people, the direction of the war is dominated by a few strong men.

Even if I tell Dai Long, will he understand?

He had no idea of ​​Sophia's horror.

From the beginning to the end, Roland's only target was Sophia, but what about Sophia?

Christine was a little confused.

Initially, she thought that Sophia needed to use Sylph as a stepping stone to advance to rank six. As her strength grew, she became more and more aware of Sophia's power.

If she needs to step on others to advance, what about others?
As long as the day of return comes, Sophia will be able to advance on the spot, there is no doubt about it.

She really couldn't understand why Sophia was so persistent in starting a war.

Does she really want to unify the world as far as she can see?
Christine just found it ridiculous.

The Wends and Ruriks once had the same ancestors, but they separated hundreds of years ago and have evolved into different ethnic groups.

It is wishful thinking to expect them to unify, let alone other ethnic groups.

The Odin Empire was so prosperous in the past, but now it has split into several countries such as Pruden, Tyrol, Weimar, and Waal, with many differences in language, writing, and customs.

It is a bit of a stretch to say that they are one nation.

Even if they were the same, Sophia would not be able to unite the Odin people into her own country.

Even if we follow the principle of as long as they are related, there are more than a dozen completely different ethnic groups on the continent of Rodinia, and unification is impossible.

Roland described the blueprint for the future to Christine.

In the future, with the development of industry and the progress of civilization, countries will be more closely connected, and the whole world will be linked by trade, tolerate each other, and develop peacefully.

The world of the future is like a town, and the country is the residents of the town.

Whether rich or poor, strong or weak, all countries have basically similar sovereignty and interact through international organizations and international treaties.

According to Roland, no matter how this war is fought, the Sussex Empire will not need to annex those small countries, nor will it be able to swallow up a behemoth like the Vladimir Empire.

What Roland wants is to defeat Sophia, make other countries accept the new order, and make progress together under the framework of the new order.

The blueprint he described was very grand and advanced, but Christine believed in it without a doubt.

The Great Goddess once described a similar peaceful world in an oracle.

Unfortunately, the great goddess did not say how to realize this ideal world.

However, Roland gave her general direction.

Develop industry comprehensively and build an international system.

Thinking of this beautiful blueprint, Christine felt much better.

It doesn’t matter if Dai Long and the others don’t understand now, they will definitely understand in the future.

Just as Christine was observing the battlefield situation alone, footsteps were heard behind her.

The brisk footsteps stopped more than ten meters away. "Commander-in-chief, I am Tom, the commander of the Third Regiment of the First Division. Some intelligence has been overlooked by General Dai Long. I would like to report to you separately."

Christine looked back at the young officer in front of her and nodded.

She had a good memory and she remembered the young man.

A hero of the Battle of Helensburg, he was awarded the Medal of Courage and the Order of the White Rose Second Class and was a leader among the younger generation of officers.

He is also very good at excavating ruins and has good luck.

Is there any discovery in this regard?
Christine's guess was correct, Tom did discover a relic, or to be more precise, a warehouse of the Alemanni Empire.

The warehouse stored five thousand tons of black powder and was obviously an armory.

Unfortunately, there are no guns and no explosive bombs that can be used directly.

Although black gunpowder is very good, it takes a lot of time to convert it into combat power, so it is not useful in the current war.

After reporting his findings from the ruins, Tom took the opportunity to ask Christine some soul-searching questions.

"Commander-in-chief, is it true that the fortress cannot be defended? If these black gunpowder are properly deployed, they are enough to blow up half of the city. If we can find a way to deliver the black gunpowder to the enemy's feet..."

As he spoke, Tom's voice gradually became quieter.

It’s still not very realistic.

The enemy is not a fool. They certainly know the power of tunnels during fortress attack and defense, and will definitely take precautions.

Digging a long tunnel to bury thousands of tons of black powder is not a magical tactic, it is performance art.

Just as Tom was feeling frustrated, Christine's eyes lit up.

She didn't want to leave the fortress intact to the enemy and become an obstacle to the future counterattack.

However, it was too difficult to destroy this magnificent fortress, and actively destroying the city walls in the face of more than 100,000 enemy troops outside the city was a suicidal performance art.

Even if you have thousands of tons of black powder, it is not easy to go out and blow up the enemy.

But what about the other way around?
Let the enemy enter the city, and then detonate the black gunpowder that has been arranged in advance, and half of the city can be sent into the sky, and the enemy will also be sent away.

Christine raised the corners of her lips slightly, and asked with a smile: "If I let you distribute the black powder reasonably, can you send the fortress into the sky?"

"Yes, but only half a seat." Tom answered honestly, but he was still a little surprised. The fortress belonged to the empire, so why would they ask such a question?

No, no, the commander-in-chief is a famous general and he will definitely not do this. He is overthinking it.

Christine nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "Tom, you are responsible for this matter. Arrange the black powder in a hidden place. I will ask the Prudens to fly. Tom, what's wrong with you, Tom?"

(End of this chapter)