Yu Lian received the news that Fortress Sade had fallen on May 20.
His cells were so active that he barely seemed like a proper carbon-based life-form. By then, he had fully recovered, so there was no need to keep soaking in the tank. He returned directly to his loyal Fuxi.
Yu Lian briefly asked about the overall casualty figures. When he learned that General Sylvester's fate was also unknown, he fell silent for a few seconds, then nodded without expression. "Understood. What about the fortress? Was it destroyed?"
"Nearly sixty percent of the fortress itself was destroyed. The casualties among the soldiers from both armies caught in it are impossible to calculate. The Empire is now doing everything it can to carry out rescue operations." The officer in charge of signal interception hesitated, then continued:
"...There's something else. At Sade, thirty-seven thousand of our soldiers were forced to lay down their arms. We confirmed the number from a public military report just issued by the Four Seasons."
Since it was an official Imperial military report, it was actually credible. The proud Tirillo people rarely lied in their battle reports. As the greatest conquering people in the universe, they simply couldn't afford to look that bad.
Yu Lian was, if anything, relieved. He had been dreading the possibility of hearing that hundreds of thousands of soldiers had died gloriously. Such an act might be tragic and noble, but it would have been meaningless, leaving a historical wound that could never heal.
Those soldiers had already given enough blood and loyalty in the Battle of Sade. Even as expendable troops left behind to cover the retreat, they had stood firm and done their duty. They deserved the chance to look forward to the rest of their lives. They were now in