Chapter 168

There's no other reason than that the country is weak, and nobody thinks the Kingdom of Lotte can win; everyone wants to lick their boots and become traitors.

Therefore, in this battle, 'Shally' is determined to defeat the Northern Coalition's army head-on!

However, it must be said that this army is far more powerful than the ragtag army led by Frank. Even if they managed to thwart the Moonlight Knight Order's charge, it cannot be said that they have won for sure.

For the Holy Blood Army now, their greatest strength lies in the enhanced War Domain and the group life-steal effect brought by Bloodthirsty Assault.

As the blood mist finally began to spread across the battlefield, the situation gradually began to change.

"Blood sacrifice!" "Blood sacrifice!" "Blood sacrifice!"

"Everything is dedicated to the great Shally!"

The Holy Blood Army roared in unison.

Sizzle!

Blood transformed into burning flames, bathing the Holy Blood Legion in a crimson aura. They looked like demons emerging from purgatory, their faces devoid of fear or timidity, displaying only fearless fighting spirit and determination.

Some of them were wounded, hit by muskets, and lost their hands and feet, but even if they crawled, they would rush forward, grab the enemy, and use any part of their body that could be used as a weapon to kill their opponents with all their might!

"Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!"

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Keep fighting!

As long as the war continues, let's take up arms and fight!

Momentum is about who is stronger and who is weaker!

"Demons! These are all demons!"

"Fire with your muskets!!!"

"Where are the cannons?! Where are the cannons?!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The roar of cannons continued.

However, the blood mist had already dissipated, obstructing most of the view, and the gunners of the Northern Coalition had no idea where to place the shells.

Soon, these cannons and musket teams were scattered by the Holy Blood Army that attacked from both sides. The rear support, which was no longer protected, was cut off, and the consequences were predictable.

The commanders of the various countries quickly lost control of the war. They led their own troops into battle, and without Kossol as the overall commander, the so-called unity was nothing more than a disorganized mess.

More importantly, they had never encountered such an enemy before!

Hesitation and cowardice on the battlefield are the beginning of defeat.

It's such a mess!

There was no order or method; everyone was engulfed in a bloody mist, and panic spread rapidly.

But such a battle is exactly what is most advantageous for the Holy Blood Legion.

"As expected, the battlefields of the future will be dominated by the extraordinary era."

Ryan had been keeping a close eye on the battle.

The fighting power of the five thousand Holy Blood Army was terrifying, but if the Northern Coalition hadn't initially sent half of them to guard the rear, the situation would have been different. It's very likely that half of the Holy Blood Army would have perished before the effects of the War Domain even spread.

Vampire?

Facing a barrage of cannon fire and musket fire, it's uncertain how effective it will be, not to mention that there are quite a few Supernatural Being on the other side.

It is well known that those who can fight a protracted battle are afraid of encountering those with strong explosive power.

Even now, with the Holy Blood Legion holding an absolute advantage, the number of casualties is still considerable.

However, creating extraordinary teams gave Ryan a new idea. Just like the Moonlight Knight Order of Veldea, ordinary armies led by Supernatural Being will likely become the mainstream on the battlefield in the future.

Especially in countries like Wildea, which worship the moon goddess, they have a stable way to produce Moonlight Knight, which is why they were able to create the Moonlight Knight Order.

What about the Augustus Empire?

You could give the Son of the Sun a try, but this class excels in one-on-one combat and is far less effective on the battlefield than the Moonlight Knight.

As for the Holy Blood Legion, it is almost impossible to replicate, because without the Chosen of the Gods 'Shally', no one would dare to use the will of 'war' on a legion, otherwise they would only end up with a group of crazed war demons.

But isn't the most awesome thing that it can't be replicated?

"No problem. Once we take Wildea, the Moonlight Knight Order will be mine too."

Ryan stroked his chin as he thought.

Queen Elvian?

It's just a masochistic jerk sticking out and groaning.

The fighting continues.

After about half an hour, the Northern Coalition's army was already showing signs of collapse.

Remnants of the army continued to retreat from the blood mist, and some countries attempted to dispel the effects of the blood mist by using Supernatural Being. However, even without the aid of the War Domain, they were still no match for the Holy Blood Army in direct combat.

The Holy Blood Legion was organized by 'Shally' into Battle Group of a thousand men Battle Group, led by an officer who had comprehended the power of the Holy Blood. The Battle Group were further divided into companies of a hundred men each, and the company commanders could also use the Holy Blood Power. This layered structure ensured that each Holy Battle Group had the strength to hunt down Supernatural Being.

Moreover, the influence of Holy Blood Power is wide-ranging. Often, a company commander who has comprehended Holy Blood Power can influence his subordinates through his Will of War. This influence is the same as that of 'Shally' on the entire legion, only the effect is weaker.

In this model, each company can be called an elite force; they are capable of raids, charges, and harassment, and are not only flexible but also extremely powerful.

In contrast, this united army still adhered to traditional fighting methods, and once their formation was broken, they fell into chaos... However, given that this was a reduction of supernatural power, Ryan actually found this situation normal.

When the battle was finally over, less than 3,000 of the 14,000-strong combined army escaped and returned to join the reinforcements that had been ordered to come to their aid.

'Shally' did not issue a pursuit order, but instead ordered the Holy Blood Legion to retreat and regroup.

Strengthening the Will of War also has side effects. If one remains immersed in the effects of war for too long, it will place a tremendous burden on the soldiers' spirits. To put it bluntly, it is called 'War Erosion'. If the burden is exceeded, they will go mad.

However, 'Shally' could protect the soldiers with her own power. The main reason she withdrew was that the Holy Blood Army had also suffered heavy casualties, close to two thousand people, but most of them were the newly recruited newcomers.

The enemy still has nearly 20,000 men, so they cannot be underestimated. However, the Moonlight Knight Order have been completely wiped out, which has severely damaged their morale and greatly reduced their combat strength. They may not dare to attack again.

You have to understand, this is a coalition force, and they have a lot on their minds.

"There shouldn't be any problems tonight."

The two armies separated, and dusk officially fell. Ryan went out for a meal, chatted aimlessly with his Iron Blood Army brothers for a few hours, and then went straight to sleep when he returned.

The next day.

When Ryan restarted the game, he found 'Shally' leading the Holy Blood Legion in a fierce battle, with the backdrop of a plain burning with flames.

He checked the AFK logs and realized that 'Shally' had come to burn down the granary again in the early morning.

They hadn't burned it before, but came to burn it right after a battle. The allied forces were in chaos and were caught off guard by the Holy Blood Army's attack. Moreover, it was 'Shally' herself who led the attack, so they couldn't stop it at all.

The fire burned bright red across half the sky, while 'Shally' led a thousand-strong force, fighting her way in and out seven times before finally leaving, delaying the enemy's best chance to put out the fire. By the time she led her army to successfully break through, she was left behind a group of pursuers with little fighting spirit.

Ryan knew that the Northern Coalition's army was finished. Even if Elvian sent reinforcements immediately, they wouldn't be able to hold out for long without supplies.

As for the support from the nobles of Loth, things are different now. Yesterday's defeat was the key. Now, if those traitors in the Kingdom of Lotte want to rebel again, they should consider whether the possibility of the allied forces taking over Loth or their withdrawal is higher.

Moreover, even if they could take down Lot, it wouldn't be now. Once the Allied Forces leave, they would face retribution.

Ryan pondered for a moment. Once this war was over, the alliance between the Kingdom of Lotte and Augustus had to be resumed immediately. It would be time to defeat Elvian when she sent a large army again.

He switched to the 'Vainay' character interface, but instead of issuing orders, he synchronized the latest situation from 'Shally' to 'Vainay', letting the latter decide what to do next.

'Vainay's' decision was to publicly issue a recall order to Kalkart.

The order mentioned that Kalkart had rendered meritorious service in Molte Defense Line, and she would bestow upon him the corresponding honor. As for the Imperial troops under his command, they were to return to their respective posts as required.

Because most of these troops were mobilized by the Old Emperor from various border regions, only the 50,000 men under Holman were truly responsible for the security of Baron.

If Kalkart returns, everything will be fine. Once we're in the Imperial Capital, won't we be at her mercy?

If he doesn't return... then Kalkart will be in trouble first. Although 'Vainay' is not yet emperor, it is almost certain that he will become emperor. Now that all sides are supporting him, how many of his soldiers will be willing to rebel again? Moreover, after so many days, the food and supplies are about to run out, and the anxiety in the soldiers' hearts can be imagined.

As for Kalkart actually rebelling, he would never dare to do so. He neither declared it nor had any absolute certainty. To put it bluntly, he just wanted to take advantage of having troops at his disposal to gain some benefits. Unfortunately, Ryan didn't buy into that at all. Unless Kalkart is replaced by Elvin, then the situation will be a completely different story.

"A complete idiot."

Ryan had already anticipated what this guy would do next.

Sure enough, on the afternoon of the same day the 'Vainay' order was issued, Magana came to find him.

"That Kalkart fellow actually said he wanted to pledge allegiance to me?" The Grand Duke held a magical document in his hand. "Ryan, what do you think?"

Ryan thought to himself, "I'll see with my own eyes." He really wanted to tell Kalkart, "In this match, the referees are all my men. How can you win?"

"I think we should agree, and then go and negotiate with Vainay."

"Hmm? You're going to hand Kalkart over to Vainay? He has nearly 200,000 troops under his command."

Magana's main thought was that if she had the help of these 200,000 troops, the throne would be secure with a single command.

Ryan said, "Your Grand Duke, don't be fooled by that guy. Two hundred thousand people? How many of them are truly willing to rebel with him? Vainay has claimed to have seized the throne, and most of the Imperial Army listens to the royal family. It would have been fine if Vainay hadn't given the order before, but now that he's openly doing so, otherwise why do you think Kalkart would have contacted you on his own initiative?"

"I reckon he was actually waiting for you or Caslathdi to win him over, so he could either join you or use this as leverage to join Vainay, which would have been a huge win either way. But you didn't make a move on him, and now he's in a desperate situation."

Magana was stunned. "Isn't that just a complete idiot?"

Ryan shrugged. "Greed makes people lose their minds. Once they have power, they think they're awesome, but they're not."

"Actually, Your Grand Duke, you have another option: take the opportunity to launch a coup. As long as you promise benefits to get Kalkart to control his men, even if they don't help, the Western Territory Army alone has a chance to break through Baron. The trouble lies in the aftermath of the war: internal strife, doubts, and hostility from the Gate of Janus will create a series of problems. In short, the throne will be just an empty shell."

Magana remained silent for a moment.

"So, I might as well stay in the Western Territory?"

"We can also ignore all that. The empire will be in chaos for a few years at most, but we can always stabilize it by using iron-fisted suppression. Alternatively, we can secretly win over Caslathdi and take power in her name. Having another claim will reduce a lot of trouble."

"..."

By saying this, Ryan was essentially revealing Magana's predicament to her. It was indeed a good opportunity, but Augustus would also be riddled with problems as a result.

Ryan will have to make this clear sooner or later. If he can't even analyze this properly, what kind of strategist is he? He'll only become suspicious.

However, on the other hand, he had been thinking about how to get the Grand Duke to completely give up the throne and focus on development in the Western Territory. Unfortunately, although the Grand Duke trusted him, he was not Alts after all, otherwise this matter would have been much easier to handle.

"Fine, let Vainay enjoy her freedom for a while longer," Magana waved her hand. "What I, the Grand Duke, want is for everyone to submit, not to be forced into submission. Besides, even if I'm not the Empress, I'm still an uncrowned Empress, hmph~"

"That's right, Grand Duke." Ryan gave a thumbs up.

Magana stood with her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. "This Grand Duke would never stoop to cooperating with such a despicable person."

Ryan lowered his head, thinking to himself, "As expected of the Grand Duke, the Great Curse Shield is truly formidable."

"You go and tell Vainay about this for me... Oh, and Ryan, come with me!"

Magana called out, then eagerly ran back to her tent.

As soon as Ryan entered, he saw a huge pile of messy clothes, including formal wear; a quick glance revealed at least twenty sets.

Tomorrow night is the engagement party, Magana is worried about what to wear; she's really not good at this kind of thing.

"Has this entered the individual character's storyline?"

Ryan glanced at the small pieces of clothing tossed on the bed and thought to himself, "You really do treat me like a brother, Grand Duke."

"Or... white stockings?" he said.

Magana, holding the black dress in her hand, tilted her head to the side.

"Ryan, you used to like white stockings?"

"Well..."

"Then I'll give it a try."

White hair, black dress, white stockings... Magana's appearance after changing clothes made Ryan's eyes light up.

"Is this... alright?" Magana stood in front of Ryan, tugging at her dress and stockings. She had never worn white stockings before, and it was a little unusual for her the first time.

"Marvelous!"

"Huh? Is that so?"

Looking into Ryan's burning gaze, Magana lowered her head, feeling a little flustered for some reason.

First update! Time to eat, sleep, play games, take a nap, and then get back to work! Please vote with your monthly tickets! Please support me!