in the name of the queen

Chapter 324 Everyone is trying to survive
Roland and Sif woke up almost at the same time.

There was a faint trace of tears in the corner of Roland's eyes.

He is sad.

There was a faint trace of tears in the corner of Sif's eyes.

She is happy.

Roland was sad because he lost the trace of the elf Sif, and Sif was happy because she found the lost foot of the elf Sif.

People's joys and sorrows are never shared.

Looking at the tears in Sif's eyes, Roland didn't understand why his beloved wife was crying, but he instinctively thought that she must be sad.

Looking at the tears in Roland's eyes, Sif didn't understand why he was crying, but she instinctively thought that he was probably happy.

She hugged him, joy must be shared.

He hugged her too, sadness needed to be shared.

Just as the two hugged each other tightly and forgot about the world, the world did not forget them.

There was a knock on the door.

"Sif, Roland, are you in there?"

A cold but somewhat tired voice sounded outside the door.

It's Christine.

She was the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces invited by Roland, but she was also the Saint of the Court of Light. She was only a guest commander and had not become a citizen of Sussex, so there was no need to call Sif "Your Majesty".

Except in public, she usually calls Sif and Roland by their first names.

"Wait a moment!" Sif's voice trembled slightly.

She and Roland were both wearing thin clothes, their expressions were a little unnatural, and they were barefoot. It was somewhat impolite to meet Christine in this state.

"I'll be waiting for you in the combat command room." Christine's footsteps gradually disappeared outside the corridor.

Sif breathed a sigh of relief and frantically looked for her shoes and socks.

Before putting on the soft white stockings, she couldn't help but let her eyes drift to her ankles.

As smooth and clean as jade, it seems to have been born that way.

A clear thought flashed through her mind, reminding her that these feet did belong to her, but she had just obtained them in a dream.

For the previous twenty years, her feet were all fake.

The white silk smoothly passes over the round toes, all the way up, wrapping the ankles and tight calves.

Sif glanced at Roland from the corner of her eye, and sure enough, he was staring at that place in a daze again.

Although she was a little shy, she couldn't help but imagine how Roland would love to hold this pair of new jade feet in his hands that night.

The sudden imagination made her cheeks slightly red and her heartbeat became a little irregular.

Roland secretly withdrew his dishonest gaze and tried hard to maintain his dignified image.

He didn't want his wife to think he was a weirdo with a foot fetish.

Although the nobles of this era all played extravagantly, he was not like that. He had to save face.

Fortunately, Sif was busy putting on her stockings and didn't notice his fiery gaze that wanted to devour her fiercely.

It’s not too late to expose it after nightfall.

After all, the night would slightly conceal their fiery gazes, so they wouldn't have to be too shy.

Christine wouldn't come to me for no reason. There must be some urgent military information, and it is most likely related to the war on the Eastern Front.

Although he wanted to forget the world and knead his wife's feet, business was more important, and Roland quickly got dressed.

When he walked out of the room, he was once again the smiling, calm Caesar.

Sif, who was walking beside him, was also calm and elegant, showing the noble temperament of the royal family.

Every staff member who passed by stood at attention and saluted them.

Seeing the calm and composed expressions of their two majesties, the staff members who were originally a little anxious all felt relieved.

With the big shots supporting us, the sky won't fall. Even if it does, the Queen and Caesar will be the first to hold it up.

Operations command room.

When Roland and Sif arrived, Christine was taking a few chess pieces from the sand table.

She skillfully picked up the chess pieces representing four enemy army-level units from the ruins of the Franks Fortress and threw them aside.

Roland, who had just walked into the room, could not hide his surprise when he saw this scene.

“Christine, are all these hundreds of thousands of Pruden troops gone?”

"Yes, they are gone. Except for nearly 10,000 people who were captured and then released, the rest are all dead. Among them are one general, two lieutenant generals, and seven or eight major generals."

After a slight pause, Christine couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips slightly, "These include the two most elite ace military units."

Roland's breathing became a little rapid.

It will take time for the new army of the Golden Kite Republic to form combat effectiveness. The overseas garrisons of the Sussex Empire alone can indeed defeat them, but the losses will certainly not be small.

It would surely be a disaster to allow these Pruden bulls to charge into the northern plains.

As long as we can delay the Prudens' attack, even just three months will be enough.

However, Christine brought good news that was beyond imagination.

Roland couldn't understand how he could wipe out this powerful ace force with only more than 10,000 fortress defenders and more than 10,000 reinforcements on the front line.

As expected of Christine, she is truly a military god!
Roland generously praised her.

Sif wasn't as corny as Roland, but she also gave him affirmative looks.

However, Christine smiled and shook her head. "Roland, I am indeed an excellent commander, but I cannot go against the laws of war. No matter who is in command, it is impossible to completely wipe out the enemy in this battle."

“It’s a miracle.”

She described in detail the process of the Franks Fortress flying into the sky.

She did not compete with Tom, Jerry and others for credit, but stated everyone's achievements truthfully.

This bizarre reversal experience caused Roland's pupils to experience an earthquake.

He knew the size of the Franks Fortress. According to his calculations, it would take at least 200,000 tons of high explosives to lift the fortress into the sky.

Or just a few nuclear bombs. What terrible things are hidden under the fortress?

Although the ruins excavated so far are only the tip of the iceberg, Roland was still shocked by the technology of the Alemanni Empire.

However, even such a technologically advanced civilization could not escape God's punishment, which shows how destructive God's Punishment Legion was.

This is really
Roland certainly didn't feel any pressure, he was just simply shocked.

God's Punishment Legion? Let's talk about it after the sixth return day.

Roland had a vague illusion that the difficulty of clearing the Sixth Return Day was no less than that of the Final Return Day. On the contrary, the Return Day between the two might not be that scary.

Don't always look at the vague distance, think about Sophia in front of you.

In order to ensure that no useful information was missed, Roland carefully inquired about every detail at the time, and finally determined that this was not a divine punishment, but an explosion of a terrible thing buried under the ruins.

He couldn't help but ask, "Did you organize an excavation afterwards?"

"We went there, but unfortunately only ruins were left. The weapons and equipment hidden deep inside were all damaged. Although a few books were excavated, we couldn't read them."

"Give me the book, maybe I can think of a solution." Roland's eyes lit up. There were indeed not many people who could understand Ancient Alemannic, but he happened to be able to.

He could understand the writing of the Magic Empire, which had done in-depth research on the previous era and had compiled a dictionary of previous era civilizations.

Just compare them and you can roughly understand them.

Christine nodded, "The books are in my carriage, I'll give them to you later. Any instructions for the next battle?"

"Can we take advantage of this opportunity to counterattack?" The complete annihilation of the enemy's ace troops gave Roland a glimmer of hope.

"No." Although she could understand Roland's thoughts, Christine poured a bucket of cold water on his head without any hesitation.

"Okay, I trust your judgment." Roland felt a little disappointed. Seeing that Christine was about to explain in detail, he quickly interrupted her long speech.

He wasn't planning on micromanaging, so why was he asking so carefully?

Those in higher positions do not have to be experts in every field. Just trust professionals when it comes to professional issues.

Thinking that he couldn't expand his victory with such a good opportunity, Roland couldn't help but sigh, "What a pity such a good opportunity wasted."

"There is no need to sigh. We certainly cannot miss the window of opportunity. There is still a lot we can do."

Christine pointed her finger at the map, pointing to a country marked in golden yellow.

"Before finding out the cause of this tragic defeat, the Holy Alliance should not dare to commit suicide. We can attack the Weimar Federation and take the opportunity to annex them."

Sif couldn't help but frowned slightly and reminded: "Miss Christine, the Weimar Federation is very submissive to our country, almost no different from a vassal state. It may not be difficult to defeat them, but it will seriously damage our international reputation. Who will dare to follow us in the future?"

"Please rest assured, I have thought about this a long time ago. The Weimar Federation is indeed submissive to the Sussex Empire, but they do not have a good relationship with the Golden Kite Kingdom, so they were not included in the alliance."

"I am not only the commander-in-chief of the Sussex Empire, but also the Marshal of the Golden Kite Nation. In this battle, we only need the Temple Warriors and the Golden Kite Nation's army."

Christine gathered her hair in a casual manner and said softly, "I am confident that I can achieve the goal in three months."

"No, I'll give you two months at most!"

Roland interrupted Christine without hesitation.

XX will be destroyed in three months. This doesn't sound very auspicious. Although he doesn't believe in evil, he can't be possessed by evil spirits.

Christine didn't know about Roland's concerns. After a little thought, she accepted Roland's request.

"You are right. Although I judge that the enemy cannot launch an attack within three months, this time is only an estimate. If the enemy attacks in advance, we can't protest to them."

"Speed ​​is of the essence. I will send a letter to Alina now and ask her to get ready. I will meet up with her as soon as possible."

Christine has always been decisive in her actions. Since she has decided to take action against the Weimar Confederation, there is naturally no reason to delay.

Sif and Roland watched Christine leave without saying a word.

To be fair, any attack on a benevolent and neutral country like the Weimar Confederation, no matter what form it takes, will arouse resentment from the international community and may even cause some small countries that are on the sidelines to join the hostile camp.

But they have no choice.

A new army must see blood in order to grow. No matter how well-trained or how high the morale of the Jinyuan Kingdom's new army is, if they have no actual combat experience, they will ultimately be rookies.

The new army needs sandbags to grow.

Unfortunately, the unfortunate Weimar Confederation is this leveling sandbag.

After all, they were once part of the Odin Empire, and they share the same origin and culture as the Kingdom of Pruden and the Kingdom of Tyrol.

If we leave it alone, what if they stab us in the back?
This is a life-and-death war, mercy does not belong here.

After a long silence, Sif pointed to the north of the map and whispered softly, "What should we do here?"

The place Sif pointed to was the Kingdom of Oden.

This country once took the initiative to invade but was defeated, and then signed a defeat treaty and ceded territory.

The Oden people are brave and good at fighting. They hold grudges and will never give up revenge easily.

When the Holy Alliance comes to attack, they will definitely take the opportunity to cause trouble.

We must take advantage of this period of time to completely eliminate them.

Roland did not rush to offer a solution, but instead asked, "How do you think we should deal with this?"

"war."

Sif's tone was calm, as if she was talking about what to eat tonight.

Roland nodded, agreeing with her general direction.

The two sides are already enemies. Do you expect to make them surrender with courtesy by just a few words?
War is necessary, the only question is how to fight?
Sif pondered for a moment and said slowly: "This battle is also a race against time. I plan to mobilize the main force of the overseas legion.

In her heart, she hoped that Roland would be the commander-in-chief. At the critical moment, she was more willing to trust Roland. However, Roland always thought that his military ability was limited and was unwilling to lead the army. She couldn't force him. "I will lead the army and attack from land. You will take my place in Hansa."

After thinking about it, the person she trusted most besides Roland was herself.

Roland once said that when you need to fight for your life, you can only trust yourself.

He also said that he would definitely take part in the Battle of Hansa and the Battle of White Mountain.

In that case, let her serve this appetizer.

Sif said confidently: "There may be some hidden strongmen in the Kingdom of Oden, so I must go there in person. Sven VII is a brave monarch, I will see him off for the last time."

"At the same time, I will dispatch the navy to blockade the coast and crush their last fantasy."

Sif came to the sand table and told Roland her battle plan.

Her battle plan can be simply summed up in one word: head-on confrontation.

Kill anyone who stands in your way, rush into the enemy's capital as quickly as possible and take them all down in one go.

The plan seemed a bit crude, but Roland couldn't think of a better strategy.

If there is time, he would suggest gradually eroding and disintegrating, dividing the enemy from within, and then achieving the greatest results at the lowest cost.

But they didn't have time.

Only by fighting head-on, crushing the proud Oden people in a direct confrontation, can we make them surrender.

There is another advantage to rushing in directly, which is that it may make other nobles of the Kingdom of Oden surrender.

The people of Oden value the use of force. If Sif can demonstrate bravery far superior to that of Sven VII, she may be able to win over these nobles.

Their loyalty may not be steadfast, but it is better than steadfast disloyalty.

Since it was still early in the evening, Roland simply placed the chess pieces on the sand table and played a war game with Sif, simulating an attack on the Kingdom of Oden.

If he were to actually go to the battlefield to command a battle, Roland would be somewhat nervous, but he had never been afraid of talking about war on paper.

Even for Christine, it would not be easy to defeat him in a war game.

Fortunately, Sif was also good at war chess, and the two happily started a debate on the chessboard.

After two rounds of deductions with identities exchanged, the outcome of the battle has been determined.

Unless a miracle happens, the Kingdom of Oden will be destroyed, but the Sussex Empire will also suffer heavy losses.

After all, King Oden is a famous fortified city in the entire Rodinia continent, and it has never been directly attacked in history.

This iron-walled city is known as the city that will never fall, and it is not easy to capture this fortified city.

The capital of Oden is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one valley leading to the city.

The other side of the city faces the sea, and any attempt to land would put them within artillery coverage.

The city has water sources, food reserves, and criss-crossing city walls and fortifications. Theoretically, it would be impossible to conquer it without 300,000 people.

Even if the capital of Oden is completely blocked from both land and sea, it will not be a problem for this city to hold out for a year or two.

It is easy to attack the Kingdom of Oden, but it is difficult to capture the capital.

If we cannot win the war quickly, winning the war will be a failure.

Sif did not tell Roland her trump card. She would climb the city wall herself and open the door to victory for the entire army.

It’s about getting back your flawless feet and gaining the confidence that comes with a perfect body.

Planting trees, advancing, climbing the city wall, she must win no matter how great the losses are.

Although he couldn't think of a better way to reduce casualties, Roland did not object to this operation.

He doesn't want casualties, he just wants victory.

To ensure victory, he asked Sif to lead most of the main forces and appointed Porthos as deputy commander-in-chief.

"Porthos is a veteran general, so he will be in charge of the specific command. You only need to make important decisions and kill the enemy's hidden strongmen. Remember, don't take risks easily."

"I understand. I'm not alone." Sif nodded with a smile.

She also meant this with a double meaning.

Under the connection of soul and blood, if she died, Roland would be buried with her, so she was not alone.

She and Roland were engaged and were already a de facto couple, so she was certainly not alone.

Sif stood on tiptoe and put her arms around Roland's neck.

"Roland, I just had a strange dream. In the dream, I gained a perfect body. After waking up, I found that this was not a dream. We will win, we will definitely win."

Seeing his wife's trembling eyelashes as her eyes gradually closed, Roland was greatly encouraged. He didn't say anything and kissed her gently.

After an unknown amount of time, the two people, almost suffocating, reluctantly let go of each other.

Sif opened her eyes, with a strange look in them, and said softly:

"Roland, can you only favor me before the day of your return?"

"I forever"

Sif's slender fingertips pressed against Roland's lips, and her voice was particularly gentle, "Roland, the soul-blood link has changed my mind. If Alina doesn't want to cancel the link when we reach the third level, I am willing to share it with her. But before that, no."

Her meaning was clear: Alina could join the family, but only after a period of time.

If Alina asks to release the soul-blood link at level three, her fate with Roland will end.

Roland opened his mouth, but when the words came to his lips, only one word remained, "Okay."

What else could he say? Should he deny that he had feelings for Alina?
Such hypocritical words will be seen through as soon as they are spoken.

Sif has a pair of eyes that can see through people's hearts. Even without using clairvoyance, she can still tell whether he is lying.

It made sense that Sif had set up the test.

After all, Alina is a latecomer, and it is very generous of her to be willing to accept it.

The time before the Sixth Day of Return belongs exclusively to him and Sif. If they can survive, Sif's mentality will also change, and her higher pursuit will be the peak of power.

Roland did not make any excuses or say anything against his will, which satisfied Sif. However, she still could not help but bite Roland's shoulder.

No force was used, just leaving marks.

"And your sister Lisa, since she doesn't plan to get married, she can live with us."

Sif is more willing to accept Lisa than Alina.

Lisa wants companionship and won't fight for anything.

She didn't fight for anything, but Sif felt a little embarrassed. Lisa and Roland were not related by blood, they grew up together, knew each other well, and experienced so many things together, it would be a big joke to separate them.

As for how they like to accompany each other, it’s up to them.

Sif and Lisa already had a tacit understanding, and now they just made it clear in front of Roland.

But this tolerance comes at a price.

Sif left teeth marks on Roland's other shoulder, scattered and neat, like a crescent moon.

Roland's apology melted in Sif's gentle eyes.

She didn't say anything, but just gave Roland a look.

She was about to go on an expedition, and she needed Roland's courage to be filled up again and again tonight.

Roland certainly would not refuse such a reasonable request.

Just as the two held hands and prepared to leave, there was a knock on the door.

"Lord Roland, are you available now?"

Roland was stunned for a moment before he could tell who the hoarse voice belonged to. It was the new leader of the Gram Sirens, Munina Gram, who had surrendered to him after being captured.

Roland originally planned to make the Sirens an important supplement to the fighting force, but he gradually discovered that the Sirens had a rigid mindset and few available talents. According to his selection criteria, he could only put together a special force of about a thousand people.

In addition, since Munina became Mr. Norton's adopted daughter, Roland felt embarrassed to exploit her too much, and as a result, the Gram Siren was gradually marginalized.

This fateful battle was basically a land battle, so he simply did not recruit the Sirens to join the war.

We can't expect the Sirens to fight the Winter Queen on top of White Mountain, can we?

Even if they managed to climb up the snowy mountains, they would be so cold that they would be unable to take care of themselves.

Although the Gram Sirens are of no use for the time being, Roland believes that they will be of great use in future expeditions into the ocean, so his mission for them is to recuperate and have more children.

He also introduced preferential policies to encourage childbirth for the sirens.

After being stunned for a long time, Roland couldn't figure out why Mu Nina wanted to see him at this time.

Seeing that Roland didn't respond, Sif coughed lightly and responded for him: "Ms. Munina, please come in."

With a creak, the door of the command room was pushed open.

A pretty face slowly emerged from the doorway.

Munina was wearing human clothes and a skirt on her lower body to cover her fishtail.

Dressed conservatively, she doesn't look like a siren or a cyborg, but rather like a noble lady with strict upbringing.

"Your Majesty, Lord Roland, I have something to report."

"Please say."

Although Munina was wasting her and Roland's time to enjoy the evening, Sif remained patient and smiled.

The timid Mnina didn't dare to look Sif in the eye. For some reason, she always felt that the Queen seemed unhappy.

She quickly cut to the chase and began to report, "Your Majesty, the Gram clan is also a citizen of the Empire. We have the obligation and the power to contribute to the Empire."

"I want to lead an elite force to join the navy and contribute to the country."

Shiv didn't expect Munina to make such a request. She frowned slightly and said softly, "I just hope that this special force will have fewer people. After all, the Gram Clan is still in the recovery period."

"No, not many, only about 500, and most of them are middle-aged people who are infertile."

Munina said faintly.

The Sirens basically lose their fertility after the age of thirty-five. These Sirens warriors, who are around forty years old, cannot add population to the tribe and can only use their flesh and blood to gain benefits for the tribe.

She knew very well that this was a decisive battle that would determine the fate of the empire. If the Gram clan did nothing in this decisive battle, they would have no say in sharing the cake after the war.

These middle-aged siren warriors and singers in their forties are the backbone of the tribe, and their fighting power far exceeds that of young people.

They intend to burn themselves out to gain benefits for the tribe.

Munina felt uncomfortable but could not refuse. After all, this was the option that best served the interests of the tribe, although it was a bit cruel.

She understood that the rise of an ethnic group could not be achieved through charity from others, but must be achieved through their own efforts.

If necessary, she herself can be sacrificed.

When Munina raised her head again, there was no weakness in her eyes, only determination.

Sif couldn't refuse such a look, she nodded and said calmly: "Okay, you take them to join the navy and provide reconnaissance protection and assistance."

"Your Majesty, this force is led by Elder Nygma. I personally intend to follow you and Lord Roland to provide support."

"But our battlefields are basically on land, so there's not much point in you following us." Sif looked at Munina with some confusion, quite puzzled.

When the sirens come ashore, their fighting power is halved, and because they are exposed to the dry air, they can only sing a few words. Munina must understand such a simple truth, so why does she insist on following the main force?

Munina bravely looked at Shiv and explained loudly: "I, I can sing the complete three movements in a dry environment, but the time cannot exceed half an hour."

The first movement, Charm.

Movement 2, chaos.

The third movement, sad.

These are all very practical group assistance abilities.

The corners of Sif's lips slightly raised, and she said softly: "Munina, I'm going to go to war soon, you stay with me, I just happen to have some singing skills to share with you."

(End of this chapter)