The Plan Unfolded

Before long, Labia and Kimberley rushed back to their legions and quickly convened an emergency military meeting with their officers to convey the Grand Duke's orders.

When the Regimental Commander present heard that the decisive battle would take place the next day, they were even more shocked to learn that our side would launch the first attack in this operation!

The conference room erupted in chaos, with the Regimental Commander expressing their strong protests and vehement disapproval.

However, faced with the clamor of doubt from the crowd, Labia and Kimberley remained unmoved, unanimously invoking the Grand Duke's name as a shield, forcibly suppressing the dissatisfaction of everyone present.

Following this, some Regimental Commander stepped forward and pointed out that there were many thorny problems in the reorganization of the army that needed to be solved.

In response, the two Legion Commander invited a group of special figures to the stage—the independent nobles and the Silver Maple Secret Guard!

At first, the commanders of these regiments were puzzled by this move, but when they saw with their own eyes that each noble was accompanied by two fully armed Silver Maple Secret Guard, they suddenly understood.

When the nobles also rushed to express their willingness to help complete this arduous task, everyone's heart tightened.

It seems that these independent nobles were probably coerced or threatened by the Grand Duke!

One wrong move and their life could be in danger. As for the ever-present Silver Maple Secret Guard, they undoubtedly play the role of monitoring and even executing these nobles...

Soon, the Regimental Commander took away the nobles belonging to their respective units. Now that they had decided to take the initiative to fight and the command issue had been resolved, it was time to prepare for battle immediately.

After the last person stepped out of the room, only Labia remained, all alone.

He stood silently, his eyes scanning his surroundings as if to confirm that no one else was there. Once he was certain that the area was empty, Labia suddenly opened his mouth and whispered, "Lord Hurst, are you here?"

Just as he finished speaking, a mysterious black shadow slowly emerged from the previously dark corner.

The dark figure was draped in a wide, jet-black cloak that completely enveloped its body, making it impossible to discern any details.

In the blink of an eye, it had arrived in front of Labia and gently lifted its cloak. In an instant, a familiar face appeared before it—it was none other than Hurst, the Grand Instructor of the Silver Maple Secret Guard!

"Legion Commander Rabia, thank you for your hard work."

"Now our plan can proceed smoothly. My ten squads of cadets have already entered your legion's camp, and tomorrow they will participate in this operation as the Seventh Platoon of the 2nd Battalion of the Fourth Regiment!"

Labia's face darkened. Since Hurst said that those so-called secret guard cadets had entered his camp, it meant that they had completely bypassed the camp's security system and had not been discovered by anyone.

That's a full 100 people. With such infiltration capabilities, plus this elusive Grand Tutor, even if he placed all his guards outside the tent, they could be easily assassinated. No wonder Grand Duke Mora was so confident in this plan.

Labia did not pay much attention to Hurst's suggestion to have these Secret Guard cadets participate in the battle under the name of his own legion.

After all, in this life-or-death war, who carries out the specific tasks is not important; the key is whether we can achieve final victory.

He didn't seem particularly concerned about the fate of the team members whose identities were about to be replaced.

A hint of sarcasm flashed across Labia's face as she coldly said, "Viscount Borey and the Grand Duke have certainly played a brilliant game! To think they could devise such a brilliant plan!"

However, this was merely a desperate attempt. If we were to fail, neither the Northern Alliance Army nor the independent nobles within the Duchy would likely give us any respite!

Despite Labia's sarcastic remarks, Hurst remained remarkably calm, maintaining a faint smile throughout.

"Legion Commander Rabia, you flatter me. I was merely following the Grand Duke's orders. As for other matters, they are truly none of my concern!" Hurst replied softly.

Upon hearing this, Labia snorted, then abruptly stood up and walked straight out the door.

Seeing this, Hurst quickly asked, "Legion Commander Rabia, where are you headed?"

Labia did not stop or even turn his head. He simply replied, "I want to inspect the various parts of the camp and check on the combat readiness of each unit." Before he finished speaking, he had already pushed open the door and stepped out.

After Labia left, the smile that had been on Hurst's face vanished instantly, replaced by an icy expression.

He took two steps back, and his figure quickly disappeared into the dark corner of the tent.

The next morning, as dawn broke, the Northern Alliance Army had already received the latest intelligence from the Duchy Army —it turned out that the other side was also actively preparing for war!

Upon receiving the news, the commanders of the Northern Alliance Army acted swiftly, convening an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures. After heated debate, they ultimately decided to adopt a preemptive strategy: launch a full-scale offensive immediately!

In an instant, the once peaceful and tranquil battlefield in the Northlands suddenly changed, and large numbers of soldiers and equipment began to pour out of the camps of the Northern Alliance Army.

Moreover, the War Department responsible for guarding the city of White Earth City were all generously transferred to the front lines to support the battle.

All of this was done according to the instructions of Commander-in-Chief Count Colt. He knew all too well that war was cruel and merciless, and that no one should be careless, even when facing a seemingly weak enemy.

As the saying goes, "Even a lion needs to exert its full strength to hunt a rabbit," let alone the Duchy Army, which is by no means an ordinary force.

Therefore, this general offensive must be launched with all available forces, striving to break through the enemy's defenses in one fell swoop.

In an instant, banners fluttered across the vast grasslands, and countless Northlands Cavalry swept across like a surging torrent, their hooves thundering through the sky. Closely following behind were the Northlands infantry, arrayed in neat formations, marching with firm and powerful strides toward the heart of the Duchy Army —the county town of Sextus County.

At this moment, the sky was dark, and the entire grassland was shrouded in a thin layer of gray mist.

However, despite the dim and hazy environment, this massive and imposing army was still particularly eye-catching.

Before long, the Northern Alliance Army's forces were discovered by the Duchy's sentries.

They reacted swiftly, deftly drawing arrows engulfed in flames from behind their backs.

Immediately afterwards, the sentries skillfully placed the rockets onto the incredibly sturdy bowstring and pulled it taut until the bowstring formed a full crescent shape.

With a crisp snapping sound of a bowstring breaking, the rocket shot into the sky at an astonishing speed, like a dazzling meteor streaking across the heavens.

It left a dazzling red arc in the sky, as if it were about to tear apart the tranquil heavens.

In this way, through these rocket signals that pierced the sky, the urgent intelligence of the enemy's attack was successfully transmitted to the distant headquarters of the Duchy Army.

"Woo--" A stirring and resounding bugle call echoed through the sky, followed by the deafening sound of war drums, as if to tear the silent night sky apart!

In an instant, the entire Duchy Army Main Camp was illuminated by bright, dazzling firelight, like a giant python that had been dormant for a long time, finally awakening and raising its head, exuding a chilling aura.

In this tense and solemn atmosphere, officers shouted orders, and soldiers responded in unison, their voices rising and falling, weaving into a breathtaking symphony.

At the same time, the sounds of weapons clashing and armor rubbing together filled the air, accompanied by the thunder of galloping hooves and the crisp sound of swords being drawn, instantly transforming the once-sleeping camp into a bustling hub of activity.

The Duchy Army remained completely calm, for they were well aware of the enemy's combat tactics and knew that the enemy would inevitably launch a full-scale attack unexpectedly.

Therefore, the Legion Commander have instructed their units to prepare for battle and be ready for action at any moment.

Sure enough, within half an hour, the army, which had been waiting in full force, had all assembled and lined up in neat formation.

As planned, Labia's Third Legion advanced to the left flank, Viscount Borey's Imperial Guard Legion advanced to the right flank, and they formed a battle formation around the Sextus County, while Viscount Kimberley led the Fifth Legion to guard the county town of Sextus County.

At this moment, a large flag had already been raised on the city walls of Sextus County. It was black with a red border and Silver Maple Leaf in the middle, the very banner symbolizing the Duke's military banner— the Grand Duke Mora was stationed here.

As the Sun rose, the two armies had already lined up face-to-face, swords and spears drawn, ready for battle.