Prelude to the Decisive Battle

The night was deep and all was quiet; time had quietly slipped past midnight.

At this moment, Gaita dragged his exhausted body slowly into the gate of the Governor's Mansion, the clock striking around 11 o'clock.

During this long and tense day, he spun around the city like a top, searching for those few limited military supplies.

The final outcome was perfect; after arduous and extraordinary efforts, all the urgently needed supplies were met for the troops!

What's even more encouraging is that this process did not consume excessive financial resources.

The Great Merchant Guilds demonstrated an exceptionally high level of enthusiasm and cooperation, which was truly delightful.

Some of the chamber of commerce presidents and managers, like President Boli, were so generous and helpful that they offered to personally deliver the goods to the designated location.

Other chambers of commerce have proposed more flexible and convenient solutions, allowing the military to pick up goods at any time based on actual needs.

With this, the long-standing problem was finally solved, which relieved Gaita of a great weight being lifted from his heart.

After all, he had originally planned to purchase the necessary supplies at the upcoming trade fair, but things didn't go as planned.

Viscount Victor's sudden announcement of military action disrupted all plans, forcing Gaita to immediately change his strategy to deal with the unexpected situation.

Just as Gaita rushed back to the Governor's Mansion, Victor had already summoned him for a meeting.

Upon receiving the order, Gaita dared not delay for a moment and immediately quickened his pace toward the study.

The moment he stepped into the study, he saw Victor staring intently at the huge map spread out on the table, a pen in his hand making marks on it from time to time.

Victor has just obtained a batch of important intelligence from the Northern Frontier Chamber of Commerce, all of which relates to the road conditions between Blackwater City and Sykes County.

At this point, Victor was trying his best to find the fastest and most convenient marching route.

Upon seeing the lord, Gaita quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "My lord, I am here. May I ask what urgent matter you require of me?"

Victor Gaita arrive, he smiled and nodded, indicating his satisfaction.

He looked the slightly tired but energetic young man up and down, his eyes firm and bright, revealing an indomitable will and a high sense of responsibility for his work.

Victor thought to himself that it was rare to have such a young, capable, and hardworking subordinate, so he patted Gaita on the shoulder earnestly and said, "Hmm, not bad, Gaita."

It's truly been a difficult task to entrust you with collecting various supplies. Time is of the essence; we must deliver these supplies to the camp before dawn and distribute them to the relevant departments in a timely manner!

Gaita then confidently addressed the lord, saying, "My lord! After much effort, everything has been resolved!"

He continued his story with great enthusiasm and eloquence, "This time, dealing with the Great Merchant Guilds went very smoothly!"

They all showed great enthusiasm and initiative, not only fully supporting our work, but also generously contributing all their treasured resources that they had been reluctant to use!

"And all of this was made possible so smoothly thanks to your supreme prestige, sir!"

Then, Gaita explained in detail, "The horse harnesses and water bags have all arrived safely at the camp and are ready for use at any time. As for the large number of wagons, I informed the Logistics Department in advance and asked them to go to the relevant merchants' offices to collect the goods according to the pre-arranged plan."

Furthermore, regarding other aspects...

Victor listened carefully to what Gaita had to say, and when he heard that almost all the urgently needed supplies had been adequately supplied, he couldn't help but show his delight; and when he saw Gaita's radiant and energetic appearance, he was even more satisfied with his performance.

Since joining Victor's ranks, Gaita has quickly integrated and played a vital role.

He initially took on the important task of Interim Management Committee, but he quickly became familiar with the business and arranged all matters in an orderly manner.

Whether it was the revitalization of Blackwater City's commerce and trade or the governance of Wright County, he handled everything flawlessly, earning widespread admiration.

This outstanding ability greatly surprised and delighted Victor —he never expected to find such an exceptional talent in domestic affairs!

Moreover, Gaita seems to possess inexhaustible energy, as if it never tires, leaving a deep impression that it can continue to operate efficiently without sleep.

This time, he suddenly decided to send troops, knowing full well that many important supplies for the army had not yet been prepared.

But since things had already come to this, he decided to just throw caution to the wind and hastily set off, intending to deal with it casually.

Surprisingly, Gaita solved the shortage of supplies so quickly.

"You've done very well, Gaita." Victor looked at the man in front of him with a smile, a hint of appreciation in his eyes, but he hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I'm entrusting all matters in Wright County to you. After I leave this time, all matters, big and small, here will be handled and decided by you."

As for the defense of Blackwater City... well, I plan to have Foss and Jackson stay behind to assist you with this task.

If you feel it is necessary to mobilize the military to deal with a potential crisis or challenge, you need not hesitate to issue instructions and direct operations at any time.

Of course, I will personally explain the relevant matters to them later and make it clear that they will follow your arrangements and instructions in this situation!

After hearing this, Gaita was overjoyed, his face beaming with undisguised excitement.

Originally, he believed that after Victor left, the only responsibility he could assume would be handling some routine administrative affairs, and he would never have the opportunity to get involved in the military field.

However, when Victor said those words, Gaita seemed to see a vast, boundless sky unfold before his eyes.

This means he will gain unprecedented freedom to fully display his talents and ambitions; at the same time, it also grants him enormous power, allowing him to make independent decisions, deploy troops, and even participate in important matters such as strategic planning.

This treatment made him feel incredibly flattered, because it not only represented Victor's high recognition of his abilities, but also a profound sense of trust.

"Blackwater City has only recently fallen into our hands, and large areas of Wright County are still not under the jurisdiction of the Interim Management Committee."

While I am away, you will be fully responsible for the advancement and implementation of subsequent matters, but you must keep the following two points in mind: First, you must make every effort to avoid any interference or obstruction to the normal commercial and trade activities in Blackwater City; second, it is not advisable to rashly venture into the territories of independent nobles belonging to the Duchy at present."

Yes, my lord!

Gaita, of course, understood the meaning behind Victor's words perfectly: the so-called "not to act first" simply meant not to provoke those independent nobles for the time being.

It's important to understand that we are currently at war, and the situation on the main battlefield is unpredictable and complex. If we were to take action against these people now, it would be a huge loss if it caused any trouble!

After all, no one can predict what will happen in the future, so let's wait and see how things develop before making any decisions...

"This period has been so tough! But it's good that you're so energetic."

But remember, no matter how energetic you are, you still need to rest properly when it's time to rest.

"After all, there's still a lot of work waiting for you in the future, so be sure to take good care of yourself!" Victor said earnestly to Gaita.

He knew that Gaita was a man who was passionate about his work and always full of energy and drive.

However, precisely because of this, Victor became even more worried: if a young person is overworked for a long time and lacks enough rest, it is easy for them to develop some incurable health problems... Thinking of this, Victor couldn't help but add, "I don't plan to take the Medical Department with me this time."

If you feel unwell anywhere, you can go see Isaac for a checkup.

He's a professional, you can rest assured!

Gaita never dreamed that Victor, a local lord, would care so much about his health, which moved and touched him deeply.

At this moment, a strong impulse to die for a friend surged into his heart, as if he would not hesitate to go through fire and water or be shattered to pieces as long as the lord gave the order.

Victor had to get to the camp to join the army that would be following him on the journey.

Gaita escorted Vic all the way to the Governor's Mansion's mansion, his eyes filled with respect and reluctance. "My lord, please allow me to once again express my sincerest wishes—may you have a smooth campaign and be invincible!"

Victor nodded slightly, indicating that he accepted Gaita's kindness, and patted him on the shoulder to encourage him, saying, "Don't worry, I will do my best and live up to your expectations!"

As for Blackwater City... we'll have to rely on everyone to do their utmost to protect it!

Having said that, Victor mounted his horse, took the reins from the Guard Cavalry, and with a flick of the reins, his steed galloped away like an arrow, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.