Chapter 803

Would the Holy See keep attacking with war elephants?

Antonio froze when he heard this. "Is the source reliable?"

"Absolutely!" Doherty nodded with confidence. "The information came from Anthony Edwards."

"Heh..." Antonio laughed. "The young man whose name is rather like mine?"

"Yes," Doherty confirmed. "He's at the Holy See army's headquarters now, serving as an adviser to Selvan Hammond. Thanks to his encouragement, the prospect of glory has gone to Hammond's head. He's determined to become the first foreign conqueror of the Gabella Imperial Capital in history—with the war elephants' help."

Antonio gave a disdainful snort. "Wishful thinking."

"You're taking him a little too seriously." Doughty Matt grinned. "After all, they haven't realized it's a trap."

Antonio's eyes gleamed. "If we can destroy the Holy See's War Elephant Legion in a single counterattack, even the Holy City will be ours for the taking."

"Anthony Edwards has worked hard. If I remember correctly, he's one of our own, isn't he?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"As a Spellcaster inside the Holy See's inner circle, he must constantly take care to conceal every trace of what he is. It can't be easy."

Doherty answered solemnly, "It is Anthony Edwards's honor to fight for his people."

He continued, "Besides the matter of the war elephants, Anthony sent back a great deal of valuable intelligence. The Holy See still has seventy thousand combat-effective frontline troops: forty thousand light infantry, ten thousand heavy infantry, fifteen thousand light cavalry, and five thousand heavy cavalry. Only seventy percent of their weapons and equipment remain serviceable. Food and fodder are already running short. Combat personnel have priority, while those without priority receive only two meals a day, according to Anthony."

Aldrich stroked his graying beard. "When the Holy See's forces first set out, they claimed to number more than