Plan D

Chapter 36: Plan D

As Murphy returned to Cadman City with his spoils and survivors, the ripples from the successful ambush were subtly changing many things.

In a Pioneer Fortress in East Prussia, bordering Transylvania, a commander in the Guelderland Kingdom's Major's uniform strode quickly to the front-line Commander's office. He held a document in his hand and adjusted his posture.

After confirming everything was in order, he reached out and knocked on the closed door.

This wasn't just due to good education and personal habits, but because the Major was about to meet General Loren, a Commander who demanded strictness in all matters.

From the post-action summaries of every military operation, to the patrol routes of gendarmes within the fortress, even minor things like the seating arrangements during occasional officer gatherings.

Pioneer Legion commanders, from the highest to the lowest, and even common soldiers, understood that doing their best in whatever they were responsible for was the correct attitude if they wished to avoid the stern General's reprimands or punishments.

General Loren had a famous saying, "Death always favors those who are loyal to their duty," which offered a glimpse into the General's personality.

"Enter!"

A deep voice sounded from the office.

The Major pushed the door open and, with a crisp, decisive movement, saluted the General sitting behind the desk, who was looking down at a map. He reported loudly:

"Report, General! The frontline special duty report is here, and there's an encrypted message that requires your immediate attention!"

After speaking, the Major lowered his voice and said:

"It's about that 'cargo'."

"Hmm?"

The General, who had been examining the military map, looked up, revealing a face in its prime with sharp features.

He wasn't handsome, but his chiseled features, classic square jaw, and meticulously maintained beard gave him a stern, old-fashioned, and imposing aura.

He put down the drawing pen, stroked his most prized beard, hopped off his chair, and then adjusted his General's insignia before striding over to the Major.

Finally, the General looked up at him.

Well, everyone had always said that General Loren Frederick possessed courage and strength disproportionate to his height, and this wasn't just flowery praise.

It was actually a statement of fact.

The Grand Marshal of the Guelderland Kingdom, King Louis's most trusted commander, a rising star in warfare from the Old Royal Guard, and the absolute pride of the Greeny Legion. He had personally built the framework of the Pioneer Legion from scratch during the Ten Years' War and trained it into the kingdom's largest army. General Loren was a half-dwarf!

He had half Silver Dwarf blood.

This resulted in the General's height being towering among dwarves, but he was still a veritable shorty compared to the six-foot-four Major.

But no one dared to underestimate General Loren!

Just as no one dared to underestimate the deadly Battle Axe wielded by a dwarf on the battlefield.

Anyone foolish enough to speak disrespectfully to him about his height would most likely not live to see the next sunrise. Furthermore, there was an unwritten rule within the Pioneer Legion: the entire legion, in both formal matters and private conversations, would try to avoid using the word "short."

Please note, this was not a request!

Although the General had announced to all soldiers on the first day of the army's formation that he didn't mind them discussing his height, that half-dwarf blood within General Loren always worked quietly yet stubbornly.

And as everyone knew, dwarves were famously known on the continent for their short tempers.

Three months after the army's founding, when a brave acting captain, after getting drunk and carelessly calling the enemy "cowardly like short rats," was sent to the front lines, everyone understood the General's bottom line.

Even though that acting captain was lucky enough to survive four tough battles and rise through the ranks to become a Captain, it had to be said that it was still a sad story.

Now, in the office, General Loren stood with his hands behind his back, staring up at the exceptionally tall Major, whom he found quite irritating but whose work ability was superb and whose background was incredibly strong. The latter maintained a military posture, looking straight ahead, with no lapse in etiquette that he could find fault with.

Therefore, General Loren asked in a deep voice:

"What went wrong with my cargo? According to the schedule, it should have reached the Andermar Hills region by now."

"The transport team was ambushed, Your Excellency."

The Major quickly walked to the military map of the Transylvania region on the wall and accurately placed a red thumbtack next to the Filthy Swamps.

He pointed there and said to the frowning General:

"It happened last night, around 9 PM. Sixty elite Blood Vulture Midnight Hunters and their Armed Blood Servants attacked the transport team just as it left the Filthy Swamps. The Psionicist in charge of the convoy put up a determined resistance and ordered the Wolfsbane Clan Warriors to escort the cargo away first.

But the cunning Vampires had set up an interception at the end of the Smuggler's Woods. Our brave soldiers eventually failed, and the cargo is confirmed lost."

"Then how did this message get back?"

General Loren didn't dwell on the fact that his expensively procured goods had been stolen. Instead, he retorted:

"So the convoy wasn't completely annihilated? If some of them survived, why only provide me with such a poor report? Who was the enemy commander responsible for the interception? And who was the last Vampire to come into contact with the cargo?

Most importantly, what about the battle itself?

Are you going to gloss over it with just the words 'determined resistance'?

That convoy alone had 240 guards!

All veteran soldiers who had participated in at least three major wars. I even specifically dispatched elite Witch Hunters from the White Oak Legion for support, and high-level Psionicists from the Ring Tower for magical power.

Such a force could withstand a thousand Armed Blood Servants on the battlefield! Yet they couldn't even stop sixty Vampires?

There must have been a command issue!

The convoy commander had better be dead, or I will send him to military court!"

"Regarding this matter,"

The Major was accustomed to the General's strictness on such details. He glanced at the document in his hand and reported, "Only three Psionics survived the convoy; all other soldiers perished. However, they eliminated all the invading Vampires and Blood Servants. Lord Finock, the commander of the White Oak Legion, who went to support them at the last moment, confirmed this.

All enemy combatants, except for their commander, were killed. It can also be confirmed that the attackers were the most elite Midnight Hunter Rangers of the Blood Vulture Clan."

"Wiped out sixty Midnight Hunters in one go? That's equivalent to destroying two of Salokdar's elite Night Charge teams in a single battle? Excellent!"

The General raised an eyebrow and nodded, saying, "They are worthy of being my soldiers! Well done!

Record the names of these soldiers and report their achievements to the military headquarters. Apply for 'Warrior' pensions for their families. If their children wish to join the army, send them to the Loyal Sons Academy. Furthermore, on behalf of the Pioneer Legion, provide their families with an additional three months' worth of their salary as a death allowance.

I will cover ninety percent of it, and all commanders of the direct units will cover the remaining ten percent.

Handle this personally.

Also, why was old Finock in the Filthy Swamps? Wasn't he supposed to be commanding his Witch Hunters to conduct tactical interdiction along the Andermar Hills to Cadman City line?"

"It was for the rescue of prisoners, General. During a previous engagement in Morland Village, several veteran Witch Hunters were captured by Vampires. Lord Finock went to rescue them."

The Major quickly explained, "According to the intelligence Finock sent back, the convoy was able to detect the Vampire ambush in advance because these prisoners broke free with the mindset of facing death, and at the risk of their lives, set fire to the Vampire's rear camp. The fire provided a warning to the convoy, preventing them from being ambushed.

The surviving Psionics emphasized in their reports that this attack was due to a leak of information. The Vampires were able to precisely pinpoint the transport team's timing and route.

This proves that the Pioneer Legion has an informant among them.

After assessment by the staff, we believe this hidden danger is indeed present, General."

"We are fighting on Vampire territory. The Blood Vulture Clan has been entrenched in the Transylvania region for over 400 years. It's not unusual for them to cultivate some human traitors,"

General Loren waved his hand dismissively.

"Sniffing out and executing traitors is not something we frontline soldiers need to worry about. The military justice department will handle subsequent matters. Did their reports mention the final whereabouts of the cargo?"

"No, General. Lord Finock is currently escorting the seven injured individuals back to the East Prussia region. The White Oak Legion's tactical interdiction and reconnaissance have also been completed."

The Major replied, "The Witch Hunters suffered rather heavy losses, but if you insist on recovering the cargo, I believe they would be willing to risk pursuing it again. From the Filthy Swamps to Cadman City is a three-day journey. With the Witch Hunters' speed, they can reach... "

"No, give it up."

General Loren thought for a moment and decisively shook his head.

"If it were in the past, I would certainly not let this loss slide, but the situation has changed. Frazer, if I recall correctly, you've been on the front lines for three years. Do you miss home?

Do you miss your fiancée, whom you've never met?"

The sudden change in topic surprised the Major.

He rarely saw the General discuss personal matters in the barracks. After a second of thought, he replied, "Serving for King Louis's victory and the glory of Guelderland is my mission, General. My family all supports me, so..."

"Stop with the platitudes!"

The General glared at him, then shook his head.

"Write a letter to your family. In at most half a month, you can go home and reunite with them."

"Ah?"

The Major was genuinely astonished this time, but he reacted quickly and exclaimed, "General, do you mean the war is ending? But... but we haven't even invaded Transylvania yet! Our intelligence gathering on the Blood Vultures has only just been completed!

The training for new recruits has only one month left. As long as everything is ready, we can launch a decisive and devastating attack at any time. Those superstitious and decadent Transylvanians can't possibly withstand our forces!

We spent ten years to get this far, General!

This is the final step for His Majesty to annex the Porsia Confederacy. How can we give up now!

There must be traitors around the King and in the Grand Council!"

The young Major cried out indignantly, "How can those who enjoy peace and comfort in the rear end the war when we are on the verge of victory? No, those fat-headed fools have betrayed and sold us out!"

"Silence!"

Hearing his subordinate's increasingly excessive remarks, General Loren sharply reprimanded him. He took out a Dwarf Pipe and fiddled with it. Glancing at his subordinate, he drawled, "Yearning for war is the nature of youth. Mastering war is the duty of a commander. Enjoying war is the privilege of veterans. But expecting war without regard for consequences... tsk, that is simply foolishness.

The entire country has been in a state of war for ten years. His Majesty's reforms for this new nation have been delayed for too long.

It is appropriate to end this muddy war now.

As for the reasons, it's not what you think, Frazer."

General Loren sighed, lit his tobacco, and in the swirling smoke, handed the half-finished military map on his desk to the Major.

The latter took it with both hands, glanced at it, and his eyes widened.

He exclaimed, "What! The Nordtov Kingdom has mobilized?"

"Indeed. On the eastern front of the Porsia Confederacy. Just as we speak, the most elite Winter Wolf Legion under the command of that young but fierce 'Wolf Queen' has crossed the military buffer zone stretching from Ice Bay to Transylvania.

They will strike the rotting giant from behind the Porsia Confederacy. This is the royal alliance between King Louis and the Wolf Queen, formed just two months ago after the Third Sax Campaign concluded."

The General savored his tobacco, explaining unhurriedly, "We don't even need the Pioneer Legion to advance further. We just need to hold our current positions and maintain the Kingdom's occupation of East Prussia, Sax, and the Kato region. The rest will be handled by those barbaric yet skilled Northerners.

They will help us eliminate the Porsia Confederacy's last vestiges of resistance. Of course, as meat thrown to hungry wolves, the Ice Bay region and the Kavhoka Great Plains will be theirs after the war.

The entire Porsia Confederacy will cease to exist after this conflict.

As for Transylvania..."

The short General turned his head towards the map hanging on the wall.

The Transylvania region on it was long and narrow, bordering Ice Bay to the north and the Dark Mountains to the south. Situated precisely in the center of the continent, it resembled a "natural barrier," separating the Guelderland Kingdom's newly acquired territories from the two powerful human nations of the Nordtov Kingdom.

General Loren stroked his beard and sneered, "The territories of two lions cannot directly border each other; it would only lead to more intense conflict. However, neither side is ready for another war yet.

Therefore, the Transylvania region will be designated as an Autonomous Dominion, or perhaps a Duchy. Who knows?

The upcoming war will be fought on the negotiating tables of politicians, with their tongues and pens deciding the victor.

But, Frazer, the war that belongs to us soldiers is over."

The Major listened to the General's explanation in silence.

He knew General Loren intended to use him as a mouthpiece to relay this information to the mid-level officers of the Pioneer Legion, aiming to preemptively appease the ambitious commanders eager for military achievements.

He himself was quite satisfied with this outcome.

After fighting for so many years, he was honestly tired of it.

When the war began, he was still a student at Shardo Port. Now, he was of an age to marry and have children. Most absurdly, his family had chosen a fiancée for him who was reportedly excellent in all aspects, but the issue was that he had barely been consulted throughout the entire process.

He had absolutely no sense of participation!

However, outwardly, the Major still grumbled indignantly, "But are we just going to let them go? General, those damned vampires just stole from you, trampled the face of the entire Pioneer Legion underfoot. Ending it like this, the soldiers won't be satisfied.

As you taught us, a warrior's honor is above all else!

We can lose our heads, but we cannot lose our knees!"

"Of course, we won't let them off that easily. I only said that the two kings will dismember the Porsia Confederacy; I didn't say we would allow those vampires to continue ruling that secluded land with impunity."

General Loren flashed a chilling smile, picked up a pen from the table, and toyed with it. With a flick of his wrist, the pen shot out like a throwing knife and embedded itself into the map with a bang.

It landed precisely on the location of Cadman City.

He said, "Major Frazer, please contact the stationed Psionicist at the Ring Tower and the chieftain of the Wolfsbane Clan. I want to initiate Plan D!

We may not be able to enter Cadman City as victors, but I will let those lawless vampires know that their era has ended.

My Legion will be the one to bring it to a close!"