Holding Them Back

"They are no longer trustworthy!"

Viscount Borey's words left Labia completely stunned.

Labia pondered for a long while before asking, "Are they going to betray the Grand Duke? Have they already switched sides and are preparing to support the rebels?"

To everyone's surprise, Viscount Borey shook his head. "They didn't go that far, but the Silver Maple Secret Guard discovered that many of them received letters from Colt, but none of them handed them over voluntarily."

His Majesty the Grand Duke said that loyalty that is not absolute is absolutely disloyal. Rather than worrying about them suddenly betraying us, we should strike first and strip them of their military power, so that they will not have the opportunity to betray us at a crucial moment.

"This..."

Labia was momentarily speechless. The reason was compelling and consistent with Grand Duke Mora's usual practices. However, it would be disastrous if the matter were to be exposed and trigger a sudden uprising among the nobles.

However, it now appears that the entire operation to forcibly annex the private armies of nobles was very swift and efficient, and there should be no serious consequences.

Labia calculated that through this merger, the losses of the three directly subordinate legions could be fully replenished. Although the quality of the troops would certainly not be as good as before, they would still be legitimate armies, which would greatly restore the combat strength of each legion.

However, Labia noticed that Kimberley's Fifth Legion didn't seem to be there; only a regiment was receiving troops. He immediately asked, "By the way, Viscount Borey, where are the Fifth Legion men?"

"Why is Kimberley so unenthusiastic about such a big matter?"

"He has another mission. According to the plan, when we take action, someone must take the initiative to fight the Northern Frontier Rebels, attract their attention, and create a fog of war."

We must not let the rebels know that we are using the opportunity of eliminating traitors from within to seize military power from the Coalition of Nobles.

If they suddenly launch a full-scale attack now, they could easily break through our defenses. At that point, forget about continuing the fight; just surviving will be a struggle!

After hearing Viscount Borey's words, Labia felt as if he had just escaped death. His main force had been taken by him to annex the private armies of nobles, and the camps he was stationed at were all empty.

Fortunately, Viscount Borey took these circumstances into account and dispatched Kimberley's Fifth Legion to contain the Northern Alliance Army.

On the battlefield, Kimberley rode a powerful and majestic warhorse, closely guarded by a group of fully armed Cavalry.

He stared intently into the distance, carefully observing the enemy army's every move.

He led the main force of the Fifth Legion and resolutely marched north.

This move was not rash, but a well-thought-out strategic decision; they were going to launch a surprise attack on a key camp of the Northern Alliance Army!

The camp was situated in a strategically important location, occupying a commanding position on the highest point of the entire battlefield.

Standing here, one can have a panoramic view of the entire situation, observe the dynamics of the battle, and keep track of the enemy's every move.

However, Kimberley knew that this operation was not just a simple military attack.

He knew in his heart that his true mission was to distract the Northern Alliance Army and prevent them from paying attention to the earth-shattering upheaval brewing within the Duchy Army.

Therefore, carefully selecting this location as the target of attack is particularly necessary.

It is worth mentioning that prior to this, the Silver Maple Secret Guard had quietly infiltrated the Fifth Legion to conduct a thorough investigation and reorganization.

This gave the Fifth Legion a significant advantage, catching the Northern Alliance Army completely off guard.

The Fifth Legion assembled suddenly without warning, a move that caught the Northern Alliance Army completely off guard!

What is truly astonishing, however, is the remarkable adaptability and efficient execution of the Northern Alliance Army.

In less than an hour, they swiftly assembled nearly ten thousand elite Cavalry, firmly halting the advance of the Fifth Legion.

An officer from the Fifth Army rode up from the front lines to Commander Kimberly's side, and asked nervously, "Commander, shall we continue forward?"

The enemy Cavalry has arrived, and their infantry should be here soon. We're now deep in enemy territory, isolated and without support from our allies. Shouldn't we be more cautious?

The officer's words immediately resonated with and were echoed by several other officers and numerous soldiers standing around the Kimberly Regiment Commander.

Although no one explicitly expressed their support, the relieved expressions on everyone's faces clearly revealed their true feelings.

Kimberley watched everything unfold before him, a sense of dissatisfaction rising within him.

A series of devastating news followed one after another, weighing heavily on the troops and making it hard to breathe. This was a further blow to the already fragile morale of the army.

Although the Fifth Legion had just undergone a comprehensive and severe reorganization and purge, it was clear that the results were minimal.

Today, those officers who once fought alongside him in battles across the country, brave and fearless, are no longer as courageous and spirited as they were at the beginning of the Civil War.

The weariness and confusion in their eyes replaced their former determination and courage; the heroic ambition they once had on the battlefield was completely swallowed up by endless worries.

"It seems I need to speak with Viscount Borey about a purge of the officers in the direct legion. We must promote some officers with a fighting spirit to command operations; otherwise, even if we replenish the troops to recover from their losses, their combat effectiveness won't be much better!"

Kimberley finally realized the true intention behind this internal purge and elimination of spies—it was far more than just a matter of restoring morale or expelling hidden spies!

In reality, this meticulously planned conspiracy was orchestrated by Grand Duke Mora, who wanted to use this operation to completely seize and unify all military power.

Due to recent setbacks in battle, the nobles, who were already wavering in their stance, began to falter, and their legions became increasingly unreliable.

However, in order to defeat the Northern Frontier Rebels, the Grand Duke could not completely ignore these formidable noble armed forces.

Therefore, after much deliberation, a cunning and insidious plan was devised...

Thus, under the guise of "eliminating traitors" and "rectifying military discipline," Grand Duke Mora brazenly launched a thrilling campaign to incorporate the private armies of various noble families.

In this way, we can legitimately strip those with ulterior motives of their military power without provoking too much backlash or resistance.

Despite the potentially disastrous consequences, Kimberley knew very well that the nobles would stir up a huge uproar after the war.

At that time, the Grand Duke will likely have to pay a huge price for this.

However, Kimberley still approved of the actions of Grand Duke Mora and Viscount Borey.

If this incident is not handled decisively now, then when the final battle with the Northern Alliance Army begins, those treacherous nobles may very well lead their private armies to defect, and the consequences would be unimaginable!

As for the various problems that might arise after the war, Kimberley decided to put them aside for the time being and deal with them later.

After all, if the Grand Duchy could achieve a glorious victory in this Civil War, and take advantage of the momentum of the victory, those originally arrogant and domineering nobles would certainly not dare to act rashly, much less act recklessly.

Kimberley knew these opportunists inside and out; they were always bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong!

Kimberley, of course, wouldn't tell his subordinates what he was thinking. He directly ordered, "Stop advancing and form ranks on the spot. Our objective this time is to contain the Northern Frontier Rebels and prevent them from learning about the cleanup operation inside the camp. So we must hold out for a little longer, but I won't risk everyone's lives."

I discussed this with Viscount Borey before we went into battle. Once the internal cleanup is complete, the Imperial Guard Legion will send troops to support us and escort us back to camp, so you don't need to worry."

This answer did reassure the officers of the Fifth Legion, who were somewhat relieved. As long as they weren't treated as expendable pawns, they could accept it.

Before long, they quickly returned to their respective armies.

Immediately afterwards, the Fifth Legion completed a magnificent and efficient formation change on the spot!

The well-trained soldiers moved in perfect unison, their coordination seamless: the Pikemen stood like an impregnable wall at the outermost edge of the formation; the Sword-and-Shield Soldiers guarded the flanks like steel behemoths, impenetrably blocking any possible attacks from the sides; meanwhile, the archers were also fully prepared, their bows drawn taut, arrows aimed straight ahead, ready to unleash a volley of arrows at the command.

In the blink of an eye, the originally loose and disorderly military formation was transformed into a giant hedgehog covered in sharp thorns, making it impossible to attack!