In Terra, I Have No Books to Read

The Kazimierz Inspectorate, Russell was preparing to negotiate a ceasefire with Ursus, but a Sankta approached her, asking why she was going to war with Kazdel.

Russell: "Is that so???"

She asked the Sankta to rest for a moment and quickly summoned the Long Riders from various families. After some questioning, she learned the whole story.

She thought it was a misunderstanding, but it turned out to be true! Russell was so angry that she drew her sword and cut the stone table in the conference room in half.

"How dare you! We haven't even reached a ceasefire with Ursus, and you go looking for trouble with the Sarkaz! If you want to research Seaborn, we can negotiate to obtain samples. Why declare war!"

"This is no longer the Knight Country!"

"Kazimierz has been taken over by merchants!"

The military nobles shouted one after another, believing that the Sarkaz had a bad reputation and no one would help them. Moreover, the demon race had just ended a civil war and was at its weakest. If Kazimierz attacked now, they could not only gain land untouched by merchants to re-establish Knight territories but also monopolize the power of the sea. Furthermore, Kazdel was south of Ursus, and an attack from there could directly threaten Ursus's vital grain-producing regions!

They couldn't compete with the Squires in commerce, but they could use their most familiar method—war—to leave the Squires far behind.

Clatter—

The sound of chairs scraping was piercing. Nearl stood up with a frown. "I'll go and check on the Ursus border troops. They still have many troops stationed there, which is very unsafe."

The Nearl Family had stated their position, and several other families followed Nearl and left. Russell looked at the remaining family Long Riders, doing her best to control her emotions.

"You directly bypassed the Inspectorate and declared war on another country. I'd like to ask you, what do you intend to do?"

"To recreate a paradise for knights!"

"Do you know Kazdel? We've never fought the demon race. What if we fail?"

"We've fought wars with empires like Ursus ten times, competing for years. How can we not defeat a weakened demon race!"

Seeing their confident expressions, Russell knew these people had made up their minds.

She sighed helplessly. The endless wars with Ursus had been the main theme of her life, from her youth until now. Kazimierz couldn't compare to Ursus, and immense pressure constantly plagued her. Ursus could afford to lose countless times, but Kazimierz didn't have much capital to lose.

She not only had to personally participate in frontline combat but also had to command every battle with extreme caution. However, in the eyes of the people, Kazimierz had only lost territory again today. No one cared how many people Ursus sent to participate in a battle, how many knights they had, or what their exchange ratio was.

The Knights Errant only knew how to say that military funding was insufficient. She was always caught between merchants and knights, doing her best to negotiate and mediate, pulling the two forces together to resist Ursus.

However, by today, Russell felt truly exhausted. Perhaps it was due to her age.

On March 29, 1071, Terra time, the Grand Knight Commander of Kazimierz, Iolanta Russell, resigned from her position as Grand Knight Commander and became a Knight Trainee Instructor.

The next day, Kazimierz began ceasefire negotiations with Ursus. After delivering the diplomatic letter to the World Messenger, citing aid to Ursus as the reason, they formally declared war on Kazdel.

Laterano actively mediated, but Kazimierz never stopped its plans. A large number of Knights Errant were withdrawn from the Ursus front lines, and troop supplies began to be distributed.

On April 1, 1071, Terra time, Theresica expressed his regret to Weirdleaf, who had come to persuade him, and then handed the declaration of war to Mostima.

Record: April 1, 1071, Terra time. Kazimierz and Kazdel entered a state of war.

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Chapter 48: War Begins

On the desolate deserts of Terra, Kazimierz's Knights Errant rode on beasts of burden, traveling alongside transport ships carrying supplies and shock beasts.

A low-ranking Knight Errant looked back at the Grand Knight Territory, which was no longer visible, and reluctantly withdrew his gaze. He urged his mount to the side of his captain.

"Captain? We're not going back to the Grand Knight Territory, where are we going?"

"To Kazdel."

"Isn't that place very far away?" The low-ranking Knight Errant tried to recall his geographical education and asked doubtfully, "Why are we going so far away?"

"I don't know. The Knight Commander said we should fight there. We just need to obey orders."

The captain looked indifferent. After all, they were Knights Errant; fighting anywhere was still fighting.

"What about the military funding? If we start fighting again, won't there be bigger demonstrations in the Knight Territory?"

"It's different this time. The high-ranking lords have all emptied their personal coffers."

The captain said with a look of surprise, "The military expenses for this operation are borne by the high-ranking Knights Errant themselves. The Squires haven't contributed a single cent. As long as they don't have to pay, they won't bother."

"But Captain, we've just withdrawn from the front line like this. Will Ursus attack the Grand Knight Territory?"

"Don't worry about that."

The captain patted his subordinate's shoulder. He knew this child's many questions meant he hadn't returned to the Knight Territory to rest for a long time.

"Ursus doesn't have the energy to attack us now. They're too busy dealing with their internal affairs."

He said confidently, and he wasn't wrong about this.

The new Emperor of Ursus was gritting his teeth, resisting the pressure from the old nobility and resolutely refusing to launch foreign wars. This was because once a war was launched, the country's discourse power would return to the old nobility, making his reform plans seem like a distant dream.

Before his father's death, he had pinned the Sixth Army Group, one of the powers controlled by the old nobility, on the demon defense line. He had also handed over a leaderless Fourth Army Group and an depleted Fifth Army Group.

This gave him the opportunity to install his confidants, win over people's hearts, and develop his own power. Otherwise, the Ursus civil war might have broken out long ago.

But even now, the situation was fraught with danger. The new Emperor had his confidant, Vite, estimate the situation for him, and the result was that for at least the next 20 years, Ursus could not launch a war. During this time, the new Emperor would engage in an invisible battle with the old nobility, slowly promoting his reforms, and gradually replacing personnel with his own people. Otherwise, discourse power would flow back to the old nobility, and it would be difficult for the new Emperor to regain it.

Kazimierz actually approached Kazdel at this time!

The new Emperor of Ursus was full of vexation. Kazdel wasn't an extremely important partner for Ursus yet, but it still held some weight! Its civilian goods exports brought him immense prestige, and any problems would be a significant blow.

If he were to save them, it would reignite the flames of war.

"Viter!"

After careful consideration, the new Emperor of Ursus made a decision. "Reply to Kazdel's plea for help. I will directly transfer the active equipment of an Ursus heavy infantry division to him. That's all I can do. The rest is up to him."

Ursus's letter was brought back to Kazdel by Hedley. He also conveyed the meaning of the Cyclops, which was very simple: a single shaking of the head.

Theresica took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and cast aside the thought of external aid. He asked, "Do we know how many people Kazimierz has mobilized in total?"

"Your Majesty, approximately 150,000."

As soon as the Shapeshifter stated the number, everyone present turned pale. Kazdel, apart from the Naval District, only had 45,000 regular combat personnel available!

"Your Majesty, do we have to fight?"

"If we don't fight, we'll have no home!"

Theresica ignored who spoke, shouting to drown out the weak voice. However, he was also shouting with gritted teeth. The Bloodfiend Grand Duke was to be displayed for the nations of Terra. The King of the Scavengers himself had no intention of participating, but allowed his people to decide for themselves whether to join the war. The Banshee wanted to fight but also didn't want to. Currently, only the Shapeshifters and Absolvers, responsible for intelligence, and the vast Goliath tribe were truly making an effort.

How could 45,000 men fight 100,000?

Theresica turned his gaze to Hedley and Manfred, but both of them shook their heads.

"I apologize, Your Majesty. I am merely the leader of a mercenary group and have never commanded large armies in direct confrontation."

"Your Majesty, I have only led a division. Small-unit combat suits me better."

Theresica stared at them with wide eyes.

What the heck! You're not going to make me micromanage, are you?!

He looked around in surprise, but everyone was looking at him, waiting for orders. It seemed he really had to command them personally.

"What is Kazimierz's marching speed? How long will it take to reach Kazdel?"

"About twenty-odd days," the Shapeshifter replied.

Theresica looked at the map and fell into thought. Kazimierz was really going all out, fighting across a third of Terra. The logistics from the Grand Knight Territory to the Kazdel front line would probably cost a lot of money.

"They've been fighting Ursus for so long... production should be affected... Do we have any intelligence on Kazimierz's grain prices?"

"Uh... Kazimierz has been having anti-war protests, as well as strikes and boycotts. Grain seems to be a bit tight."

The Shapeshifter was indeed good at intelligence gathering; he could find out anything.

"Then we'll start with the grain!"

Theresica made his decision. "There are still 10,000 old-style Sarkaz troops. Manfred! Have them and Hedley attack in their familiar small-unit tactics! Fight in your own way!"

"Your Majesty, how long do we need to intercept them?"

"No need to intercept them. Let Kazimierz's main force come to Kazdel!"

Theresica ordered, "Your mission is to attack their weak points, harass them like flies, and eliminate any small groups of Knights Errant or reconnaissance units that you can easily overwhelm. Once their main force comes to deal with you, flee immediately! You must not engage them in direct combat, but continuously annoy them!"

Seeing their strange expressions, Theresica reassured them.

"Everyone, don't feel any psychological burden. I'm giving an order here. Your primary mission is to return alive. The real battlefield is here!"

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Chapter 49: Purgatory

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Blinking his hazy eyes open, the Knight saw the figure before him clearly. It was his colleague!

"What is it! Is it an enemy attack?!"

"Are you still sleepy? We're still a long way from Kazdel."

His colleague lightly patted him. "If you want to sleep, go back to your tent. You're not on duty, so why are you here?"

"I... I..."

He suddenly remembered something and tried to hide the item in his hand, but it was too late. His colleague had a teasing smile on his face.

"Good heavens, no wonder you were hiding here. Writing a letter to her... Alright, I won't peek or disturb you. I'll go back to the tent myself later."

"Thank you."

He smiled gratefully, then took out the letter hidden behind him. It was already half-written, but compared to what he wanted to say, it was just the tip of the iceberg.

He picked up his pen, wanting to continue writing, but he felt his eyelids were very heavy. He yawned.

Why was he so tired today, just marching?

WHOOSH—

He collapsed powerlessly. The letter fluttered to the ground. A red stain slowly spread from one corner, covering everything and blurring the writing.

A foot stepped on the inconspicuous piece of paper, passing over the corpse. More figures rushed out from the darkness, surging into the camp like a tide.

"Enemy sighted!!!"

A shrill cry rang out, but it was already too late.

Far from Kazdel, the knights slept without their armor. Now, they could only hastily grab the swords and blades they had on hand to fight back. What they faced was the Sarkaz's semi-automatic infantry crossbows.

The scene devolved into a one-sided slaughter. Even a few fully equipped night sentries had little effect at this point.

Moments later, flames erupted from the temporary camp of this supply transport team. The shock beasts, their limbs severed, lay on the ground, letting out pained cries. The attackers, meanwhile, melted back into the dark desert.

"Your Majesty, the Siphon Drone is an excellent piece of equipment. It allows the enemy to lower their guard without even realizing it!"

Manfred, holding the communications received from the first wave of departing troops, excitedly approached Theresica.

"I understand."

Theresica nodded. Before him stood two massive transport ships. While classified as small and high-speed, they could still carry a considerable number of people.

On the open ground nearby, a large number of Sarkaz soldiers were assembling and being counted. They were the second wave of troops preparing to depart. The transport ships, gifted by Iberia, would take them near the Kazimierz army, drop them off to fight on their own, and then return to Kazdel to prepare for the next batch of troops.

Each unit carried communications personnel. Through relay points established along the way, information could be sent back to Kazdel in a timely manner. Subsequent departing forces would then analyze this relayed intelligence to adjust their equipment and personnel.

The information transmitted back this time, in addition to praising the Siphon Drone, also highlighted a specific point: the Kazimierz knights' armor was exceptionally well-equipped, making bladed weapons less effective and difficult to repair in the desert. They recommended the use of warhammers.

Therefore, the troops currently boarding the ships, in addition to their original gear, were also carrying an additional supply of warhammers.

Suddenly, the surroundings became noisy. Theresica noticed many soldiers looking in his direction, all greeting him.

The Sarkaz troops, retaining their original combat style, were not as disciplined as the newly formed units. Many of them had fought alongside his cousin from external wars all the way through the Kazdel civil war.

Seeing so many people shouting at him, Theresica wanted to say something in response, but he wasn't one for eloquent speeches. After much deliberation, he finally blurted out dryly:

"All of you, come back alive!"