Finalizing the Landing Plan

After the fleet merged, it began to sail away from the coastline and into the open sea.

Victor then led Viscount Sonanda and Captain Brox into the cabin and told the guards not to disturb him.

Once inside the cabin, although there were portholes, the light was insufficient, so Victor simply lit an oil lamp nearby.

Then Victor spread the map he had just seen on the table in the middle and asked Viscount Sonanda, "Viscount Sonanda, do you have any advice for me?"

Viscount Sonanda was still rubbing his right hand when he heard Victor's question. He grinned and said, "I've been here since the Coastal Defense Fleet was first established. When Lord Black wasn't around, I was in charge of the fleet. You could say that what Lord Black knew, I knew, and what he didn't know, I also knew."

Looking at Sonanda's smug face, Victor smiled inwardly. This viscount's personality was indeed very interesting. He was not like a typical nobleman at all, but more like an old sailor who liked to brag.

Sonanda stood up and pointed to a location on the map. "Look here, Lord Victor. This is located on the south bank of the Blackwater River. A group of small merchants have built a private port here. In order to avoid being discovered by our patrol fleet, they have taken the initiative to find a corrupt official in the territory to pay protection money, trying to get him to help them cover up their activities."

Upon hearing this, Victor exchanged a glance with Blox, as this was indeed a location Blox had mentioned.

"As a result, this guy was dealt with directly by Lord Black, but Lord Black preserved this private port and continued to collect protection money from these merchants."

These merchants thought they could keep this smuggled port a secret, but it was actually deliberately left there by the authorities. They told me that keeping this place would help the territory handle some shady goods, and they could even slaughter pigs when needed.

Victor didn't feel anything after listening, only marveling at how shrewd Count Black was, but Blox broke out in a cold sweat.

You see, he used to make a living in this private port, doing all sorts of dirty and illegal jobs. He originally thought there were powerful figures here protecting him.

Back then, he often mocked the patrol fleet of Great Oak Territory, only to find out now that there was indeed a powerful figure with connections everywhere, but not for protection, but for surveillance, the kind who could be dealt with at any time.

Sonanda didn't pay attention to Blox's performance and continued to point out several locations, explaining them to Victor one by one. Victor listened and compared them, and found that they all matched the locations provided by Blox, and there were two or three locations that Blox didn't know either.

Victor glanced at Blox, observing Blox's performance. Despite being at sea and the cabin not being hot, Blox was already drenched in sweat.

Before Viscount Sonanda arrived, Blox was quite pleased with himself, thinking he could be of great help to Victor. However, after Viscount Sonanda arrived, he realized that his ideas had been basically discovered by others.

Blox could only pray that Lord Victor would forgive his petty offenses and not think he was useless.

Just then, Viscount Sonanda stopped speaking.

He took a flat iron kettle from his waist, uncorked it, took a sip, and exhaled. "Lord Victor, please forgive me, it's been a long time since I've talked this much, I'm a little thirsty."

"I've finished my presentation. Lord Victor, please choose whichever location suits you best. Once we've settled on a location, I can return and report to Lord Black!"

After hearing this, knowing that Viscount Sonanda had finished speaking, Blox breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he was not entirely useless; at least he had provided a place that Viscount Sonanda and the Coastal Defense Fleet did not know.

Victor then clapped his hands. "As expected of Viscount Sonanda, I once read in an ancient book that a general who is ignorant of astronomy and geography is just a mediocre commander."

Meeting you today, I realize that what this book says is true. You are indeed an outstanding naval commander, not only understanding the complex and ever-changing weather at sea, but also having such a good understanding of the hydrological conditions and topography around Great Oak Territory.

I can imagine the terrible enemies any fleet from elsewhere would encounter if it invaded Great Oak Territory and the Eastern Region coastline.

Upon hearing Victor's words, Viscount Sonanda scratched the back of his head and laughed, his face wrinkles bulging out like layers of thin pancakes.

"Oh, Lord Victor, you're so good at complimenting me, I'm almost embarrassed..."

Viscount Sonanda was also hearing such words for the first time. After laughing happily for a while, he knew that he couldn't continue like this and had important matters to attend to.

"Lord Victor, whichever location we choose, our Coastal Defense Fleet will coordinate to deliberately avoid that place."

Victor shook his head. "I'm sorry, Viscount Sonanda, I don't think these places are quite suitable. This is Blox, the captain of my flagship and the core commander of our territory's fleet. He has a place that I think is very good. Let him introduce it to you!"

Viscount Sonanda was a little displeased after hearing this, so he looked at Blox, wanting to see what better position Brox could suggest.

Blox felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by Viscount Sonanda, but the lord had already told him to introduce himself.

After a brief mental preparation, Blox began pointing to the map and explaining it to Viscount Sonanda.

"There's a mudflat here, sir, you should have heard of it, it's called Rotten Tree Beach..."

At first, Viscount Sonanda was somewhat nonchalant, but after a while, he stood up straight and stared intently at the point Blox was pointing to.

Blox finally let out a long sigh of relief. "I've finished introducing you, gentlemen."

Viscount Sonanda looked at Blox with a complicated expression, then turned to Victor: "Lord Victor, you really are him!"

Viscount Sonanda gave a thumbs-up again, "Where did you find such an expert who was able to discover this location? In the past twenty years, I don't know how many times I've passed through Rotten Tree Beach and never found this loophole. It seems that I am still unqualified as the commander of the Coastal Defense Fleet!"

"If one day the East Sea Alliance Fleet uses this place as an invasion and landing point, I would gladly die a thousand deaths."

"He's just lucky; compared to you, he's still far behind!"

Victor comforted Viscount Sonanda.

"In that case, Lord Victor, I also think this place is very suitable. To be honest, we don't even need to have the Coastal Defense Fleet avoid this place, because we basically don't patrol here."

Lord Victor, I will report this matter to Lord Black as soon as I return to Sunset City.

Then we proceeded according to plan, and when you march south next year, we landed here. Lord Black gathered the entire eastern army and attempted to surround you on the coastal plain.

You will send a force to Golden Sunflower Territory, from where they will advance eastward, passing through Golden Sunflower Territory Perilla Territory and another noble territory, directly entering the flank of the battlefield. This combined attack from within and without will completely crush the eastern Coalition of Nobles, securing victory in one fell swoop.

It wasn't until he heard this that Blox understood Victor and Black's plan to use this opportunity to wipe out the Coalition of Nobles in the Eastern Region.

If he succeeds, there will be no one in the entire East who can stop this young lord.

Victor agreed with Viscount Sonanda's words. Seeing that the plan was finalized, Viscount Sonanda bid farewell to Victor and prepared to return to Sunset City to report to Count Black.