Good omens never came true, but bad ones always did. Perhaps his words had been blessed with cursed accuracy; barely a week later, bad news came hot on their heels.
Large forces were gathering along the French coast. There was no need to think twice—they were clearly coming for the British Isles.
Struck by the dreadful news, Swinding could no longer afford to put on airs and hurriedly asked the director of military intelligence, "Have the enemy's warships entered service yet?"
Any landing on the British Isles would inevitably require a naval battle. The Holy Roman Empire had air cover, but Britain had an air force as well.
Even if it was just a little weaker, once they fought with their lives on the line, they could still hold the enemy in check for a short time.
To protect the troop transports, the Holy Roman Empire Navy would have no choice but to fight. Given the current balance of power, the Royal Navy still had the better odds.
Only the commissioning of new warships could change this situation. The construction schedule did seem a little tight, but the enemy was the world's foremost industrial power. If they worked day and night, finishing ahead of schedule was not impossible.
In fact, more than a month ago, naval intelligence had received reports that the enemy's capital ships had been launched, though those reports had never been confirmed.
From launching to commissioning, then to achieving combat readiness, it certainly could not be done in just over a month. But the landing operation had not begun yet, had it?
A major war likewise required a long time to prepare before it could be launched. By the time the preparations were complete, perhaps the training would be finished as well.
Russelda, the director of military