When Shien led the Second Defense Line south, the Tear Knights did not weaken the defenses facing outward from the Eternal Night Wall.
Years of reform had given the Six Great Legions a complete command structure down to the lowest levels.
And with Raymond remaining at the Great Wall, the legions could still rotate according to plan under his command. Their combined mobile force could also continue supporting the Twelve Defense Zones.
At the last war council before heading south, Shien had the Recorder prepare a new map of the Inland.
The borders of the kingdoms and the nobles' territories had all been erased. Only the main Military Roads crossing the region remained, along with key territories beside them. Sacred Flame centers and communication hubs that could affect large-scale deployments were marked separately.
Several officers studied the map for a while, unsure where to begin. One said cautiously, "The legions have to pass through so many countries. We should send envoys to their royal families first. At least then we'd have formal permission to pass through, and local authorities could cooperate."
"No time." Shien stood before the map and placed a finger on the nearest royal capital.
"How long does it take for a formal order to leave the capital and reach a border territory?"
"Two or three days. Longer for places farther away."
"And once local authorities receive it, they still have to verify the situation, mobilize troops, open the roads, and deal with all the arguing in the royal council." Shien traced a stretch of the main Military Road southward.
"The Red Plague won't wait for those procedures. If we spend today waiting for this country to approve our passage, the next hub may already have fallen by the time the legions reach it. We don't have that