Snake Province, War Zone Command Headquarters.
Upon hearing the good news from Heaven Capital, Shaluk's mouth fell open in disbelief.
After a long while, he paced over to the window, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and muttered under his breath.
"Damn it... Absek actually held the city."
Originally, he had expected Heaven Capital to fall. The turning point of the war was supposed to come after the Southern Legion's airships had dispersed, which was why he had rushed south to prepare for battle.
Yet the Southern Legion had been all bark and no bite. The Alliance wiped out five airships in one go, drove nearly a hundred thousand troops back a hundred kilometers, and sent them right back to the bend in the Great River.
After pondering for a long time, he tossed the handkerchief into the trash bin and gritted his teeth as he made a decision.
"Damn it... we need to head north!"
From Snake Province, they would travel north to Wolf Province, then advance into Lion Province from Wolf Province's northwestern corner.
That would open up a third front. At least when the fighting ended, the "Horse King" would not have spent the entire war sitting on his hands and earned a reputation for passive warfare.
A plan suddenly came to him. Shaluk immediately grabbed the telephone from the desk and gave an order.
"Send Zaid to me."
More than a month ago, a fellow named Zaid had brought the Gray Wolf Army from Horse Province to Snake Province, carrying the title of commander-in-chief of the Snake Province War Zone.
How could one province accommodate two commanders-in-chief?
Shaluk had seen through it at once. Absek was dissatisfied with his desertion on the battlefield and had found a cannon fodder pawn to