One Stone, Many Birds

The biggest difference between a ragtag mob and an imperial army lies in "battlefield discipline."

When it comes to individual combat strength, many veteran bandits who crawled out of piles of corpses are no weaker than imperial soldiers. However, their lazy, undisciplined nature prevents them from forming any cohesive fighting force.

"Ride the wave when ahead, surrender when behind" is the innate talent of bandits.

If they have the advantage, they swarm forward, with the quickest hands getting the most. Once at a disadvantage, it's "better my friend dies than me," with the fastest legs surviving.

At this very moment, after the phantom thieves saw their companions being mowed down in swathes and most of their mechanical cities disabled, those who were just cursing and demanding to capture Grand Prince Quentin alive immediately changed their tune.

Without the steam mechanical cities, everyone knew that if they stayed any longer, once the Oma Empire's Royal Legion tightened its encirclement, not a single one of them would escape.

Therefore, these phantom thieves, who had just been calling each other brothers and vowing to live and die together, scattered like birds startled in the woods when disaster struck.

In the blink of an eye, besides a few trusted subordinates, no one remained by White Wolf Bazel's side.

The mob collapsed without being attacked, and the Oma royals who were previously surrounded instantly felt no pressure, looking at the silver wolf with ill intentions.

The situation was decided. Grand Prince Quentin couldn't contain his excitement and said mockingly, "Mr. Bazel, it seems your companions aren't too keen on dying with you."

Today, no matter what, this werewolf had to die!

The war continued.

Although surrounded, not all phantom thieves chose to surrender.

Especially those wanted criminals who knew their crimes were heinous and who wouldn't escape the gallows even if they surrendered, they were determined to fight to the death.

This was a terrifying force. Most of them were leaders and elites from various phantom thief gangs, including many Demon Hunter Blades and Grand Demon Hunters who had broken through Gene Locks Tier 3 and Tier 4.

Cannons were devastating to low-tier transcendent beings, but they posed little threat to those whose reaction speeds reached the peak of human potential.

As long as they escaped the encirclement, they could survive.

The phantom thieves' steam mechanical cities were like Lego toys. They weren't welded as a single unit but were "stitched monsters" assembled from various functional cabins using rivets and suspension systems.

"Dismantle the cabins, discard everything that can be discarded except the boiler!"

"Cut the carriages, reduce the load to the minimum!"

"Boost the boiler, switch to overload mode..."

"..."

Most of the phantom thief gangs' mechanical cities had been modified in black market mechanical repair shops, with many quick-release devices installed specifically for escaping in times of crisis.

The mechanical cities, which cost a fortune, were the most important assets of the phantom thief gangs and the "lifelines" their leaders were proud of!

But at this moment, in order to survive, the decisive phantom thief leaders had to abandon their accumulated wealth of many years and escape lightly equipped.

"Here comes a ride!"

Rein knew that he wouldn't be able to escape far on foot alone.

Having observed from the edge of the battlefield for a long time, he didn't dare to approach the large phantom thief gangs that were being heavily targeted by the Oma Empire. Instead, he seized an opportunity and climbed onto a miniature mechanical city that had been dismantled to almost just its frame.

Only with the courage to "cut off a limb to save the body" could one have a chance to survive. Unlike some fools who still harbored the delusion of breaking out with their phantom thief gangs' mechanical cities intact...

The southwest was the only weak direction in this encirclement. Only the phantom thieves who could observe this gap now had a chance to escape.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield.

An elegant middle-aged man, dressed in a well-fitting tailcoat, a black cloak with a red lining, and a top hat, was quietly sipping a drink, his every move exuding the elegance of a high-class noble.

Even though a fierce battle was raging not far away, with the deafening roar of cannons, his expression remained unmoved.

"This time, I miscalculated."

The middle-aged man's slightly greenish eyes flickered with an eerie glow as he murmured to himself, "No wonder so many court enforcers were dispatched. So, the Oma people even included me in their calculations. Heh, what a clever scheme..."

At the round table, an elderly man dressed as a butler refilled the middle-aged man's cup with a crimson liquid from a crystal carafe and asked, "Your Highness, what should we do now?"

If an outsider were present, they would recognize this middle-aged man in the tailcoat as the Xid Empire's Blood Prince William Dracula!

"What else can we do?"

Prince William sighed slightly, his expression tinged with helplessness, and said, "After all, we have signed a contract. The Oma people have not violated the agreement, and we must do the same."

"Yes, my lord."

The butler nodded and added, "It's a pity about the phantom thief gangs you sponsored in southern Oma, Your Highness. They are likely to be annihilated this time."

"Indeed... a strategy to kill multiple birds with one stone!"

Prince William rubbed his temples, gazing at the roaring battlefield.

After a moment of contemplation, he continued, "Using White Wolf Bazel to heavily injure the Eldest Princess, and then using us to kill her. The biggest threat to the succession of the throne is eliminated..."

He paused and then added, "The Oma royal family was not directly involved in the entire assassination process, so they can completely avoid any trouble. In the future, they won't have to fear the councilors who support Ymir causing any issues. This 'killing with a borrowed knife' is truly a masterful move."

Speaking of which, the prince couldn't help but praise repeatedly, not hiding his admiration for the scheme, and said, "Originally, the rampant banditry in the south could never have been completely eradicated, but I never expected them to come up with such a brilliant stroke of 'killing with fireworks.' With this, the bandit situation is decided, Grand Prince Quentin's prestige will reach its peak, and the first in line for succession will undoubtedly be him..."

Furthermore, the powers they supported among the phantom thief gangs in southern Oma were all annihilated this time, suffering a silent loss that they couldn't even complain about.

William felt a sense of blockage in his heart.

His eyes shone with a sharp glint, and he then lamented, "The strategist who came up with this plan... is truly talented!"

The butler beside him asked, "My lord, do you need me to investigate that fellow?"

"Yes. If possible, see if we can recruit him."

Prince William nodded, then lazily added, "However, someone with such strategy and vision is probably not easy to recruit."

Then, as if thinking of something, he asked again, "Right, have you found what Baron Morin has?"

"No news yet."

The butler replied, "However, Quinn from the 'Weasel Gang' sent word that he has some leads, saying a newcomer is highly suspected. I've already notified the dark spies in Oma to try and keep those guys alive. I'm just afraid the newcomer might die before we find them."

Prince William's expression turned somewhat grim, and he complained, "Damn it! If it weren't for this war, things wouldn't be so troublesome. If we get that thing, Oma's technological advantage will vanish."

Before he could think further, he suddenly seemed to sense something and said, "Alright, the target has arrived. Prepare to act."

His gaze reflected the distant sight of the injured Grand Princess Ymir, slowly approaching under the protection of her guards.

At that moment, the prince revealed his sharp vampire fangs.

Meanwhile.

Bartholomew, the "White Wolf," who had been ferocious moments ago and vowed to kill the Oma entourage, was now in a sorry state.

His comrades were either dead or had fled, and he himself was being surrounded and attacked by several Royal Envoys.

At this moment, the tall silver wolf was no longer as mighty as before. Its body was covered in gaping wounds. Grand Mage Enma Blackmoss's black flame magic was like a persistent curse, scorching its fur and skin. Even the werewolf's super healing ability was helpless against this evil fire of dark magic.

If it were just one enemy like this, Bartholomew could have fought back with the werewolf's superior physique.

Even if he couldn't win, he could still escape.

But now, those surrounding him were not only Blackmoss but also several Oma Royal Envoys!

He couldn't win, and he couldn't escape.

Bartholomew's face was extremely grim.

In contrast to the intense and tense atmosphere of the battlefield, the First Prince Quentin, who was spectating with ease not far away, was in a very good mood.

"Hahaha, Bartholomew the 'White Wolf' is doomed this time."

He watched the battle unfold before him, unable to contain his excitement.

This "Top Ten Legendary Demon Hunter" was the peak of the Phantom Thieves and a formidable figure who even his own father found troublesome, and many legion commanders had suffered defeats at his hands.

Today, he was going to die before his eyes.

This was an unprecedented glorious achievement!

Quentin looked at the black-robed aide beside him, without any pretense of his princely status, and unreservedly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Mr. Metternich, this bandit suppression operation is all thanks to your plan! If I ascend the throne in the future, I will surely grant you the title of Prince!"

The black-robed aide's tone remained as calm as still water, neither arrogant nor impatient: "Your Highness is too kind. I merely did what I should have done."

"You are too modest, sir!"

Quentin looked at the great battle unfolding before him, his heart surging like a tide.

These were all his merits, which would be recorded in history in the future.

After today, no one could compare with him in terms of merit or prestige, not the third prince, nor the fourth prince!

But in the next moment, Quentin looked at the small groups of Phantom Thieves escaping towards the southwest gap and asked doubtfully, "Mr. Metternich, why didn't the mechanical legion's encirclement completely cover the southwest? Wouldn't that allow many bandits to escape?"

"There are many experts among the Phantom Thieves. If we clash head-on, although we can win, the Royal Legion will suffer heavy losses. By encircling three sides and leaving one open, we prevent those guys from becoming desperate."

The black-robed aide explained, "Don't worry, Your Highness. The mechanical cavalry of the First Legion is waiting for them there. Perhaps a few fish and shrimp will slip through, but large groups like the 'White Wolf Gang' will definitely not be let go. Suppressing bandits with minimal losses will make Your Highness's talent even more astonishing to the imperial court."

Thank you to my old friend '20171123120029246' for the alliance leader; thank you to 'Jealousy Makes Me Unrecognizable' for 600 coins and 'Two-Dimensional One Maple Night Rain' for the regular Monday rewards~ Thank you.