The Far East's choice
"The troops are all assembled? Have you lost your minds? Even a fool knows that with our current advantages, a steady and methodical approach to complete annexation is the optimal strategy. Are you even less intelligent than a fool?"
For God's sake, we shouldn't have continued advancing. The occupied areas behind are already in complete chaos, with small groups of Middle Easterners guerrillas everywhere, and Train transport is constantly being disrupted. What a fucking war! @%#&$*Arminos#&$ (too vulgar)"
In the cramped meeting room, a group of Far East generals, wrapped in thick military overcoats, gathered together. One of the generals on the left pointed at the map and roared angrily, his unkempt beard trembling with each roar.
The generals present were all veterans from Far East countries, with rich experience. They naturally knew that General Aleksy's statement was correct. In fact, no general from any Far East country supported this impulsive war, and this was not only due to military strength.
Military strength is certainly important, as can be seen from the speed of the Far East Army's advance since the start of the war. Against the Allied Army, the Far East Army has been advancing with almost overwhelming victories. However, veteran generals with true strategic vision would have realized that the Far East Army's ability to advance far exceeded their actual control.
The Far East countries were already sparsely populated due to their harsh environment and climate. Under overload conditions, mobilizing an army of one million was the maximum they could muster. However, just to ensure the transport of logistical supplies from the Far East, more than 100,000 Far East Army were needed to provide support, not to mention the army needed to maintain stability in the vast swathes of Middle East territory they occupied.
Therefore, the Far East military leadership is now inclined to postpone the offensive and first consolidate and digest the gains.
Pity...
An elderly Far East, his face grim and his beard white, sternly stopped Aleksy, who was still cursing incessantly. "Enough! Aleksy, none of you here are idiots. Do you think we don't understand your reasoning? But is war something we, a group of soldiers, can decide? Don't tell me you haven't received orders from your government!"
Hearing this, Aleksy, fell silent for a few seconds, then slammed his fist on the table in anger and spat, "Damn politician!"
"No, not just politicians, but that damned Marleyan. Wasn't he the one who started all this? Don't forget how those politicians treated that Marleyan at the previous Joint Conference?" a red-bearded Far East general said with a sneer.
His words resonated with all the generals in the meeting room. Although they were reluctant to admit it, they had to acknowledge that their countries were actually being manipulated by a foreign Marleyan, a fact that was practically an open secret among the high-ranking officials of the Far East countries.
But why could the Far East countries tolerate a Marleyan pointing fingers at them? Don't ask, the answer is that he gave them too much. The "gift" that the Marley Nobility named Ebson brought to the Far East was truly too precious.
An opportunity to surpass the former Marley, even to surpass the Eldia Empire that had dominated the world for two thousand years, a chance to truly make the Far East the world's hegemon—such a temptation was too great. And the war that followed proved this point. The two most powerful countries in the world— Marley and the Middle East —were defeated and routed in front of the Far East Army.
Europe nations had long since submitted, and moreover, the man named Ebson had not yet revealed any great ambition. This was why the leaders of the Far East countries could tolerate him. So what if Ebson wanted to become emperor later? What if they gave him a title once the Far East truly dominated the world?
While politicians may tolerate Ebson presence is particularly irritating to the vast majority of high-ranking military officers. Most soldiers are patriotic and loyal, and in their eyes, Ebson, who recklessly interferes with and even controls their country, is a more formidable enemy than the armies of the Middle East and Marley Army.
"Speaking of which, you may not know this, but according to my information, the order for us to change our plans and gather troops to attack the Hera Province seems to have come from that Mr. Marley. Hehe, what do you all think?" Another Far East general dropped a bombshell.
Unsurprisingly, General Aleksy, who had just calmed down, started cursing irritably again.
The Far East military high command meeting ultimately came to nothing, as the generals from various countries were unable to resist the orders of their respective governments, even though they knew that the absurd order came from a foreigner.
Aleksy wrapped his bearskin cloak tighter around himself and was about to leave by car, a Far East Soldiers suddenly stopped the vehicle, walked up to Aleksy, saluted, and said, "General! General Evans requests an audience!" Evans was the same Far East general who had stopped him at the beginning.
"Evans? What does that old geezer want with me?" Although Aleksy was puzzled, he still got out of the car, took his Guard, and left with the Soldiers.
When Aleksy arrived at the secret meeting room, he found that several Far East generals were already there, seemingly having been invited unexpectedly, and all of them looked puzzled.
The doubts didn't disappear until General Evans strolled into the conference room with his hands behind his back. "Gentlemen," he said, "I've called you all here for only one purpose: to let that damned Marleyan know that the Far East people are not someone a single Marleyan has the right to point fingers at!"
Aleksy's eyes lit up. "Evans, you mean..."
In the blink of an eye, just over ten days later, the Hera Province, a province in the Middle East that was not particularly well-known before, was suddenly shrouded in the shadow of war. Hundreds of thousands of troops gathered here, and this place was destined to become a land stained with blood.
"Sasha, Connie, and Jean, I'll trouble you to deliver the military order. Remember, it must be verbally given. Order our troops to immediately withdraw from the battlefield and rendezvous with the Orient army," Yago solemnly said to his Comrade.
Rang patted Yago on the shoulder and laughed, "Don't worry, Yago, don't think we're like you, that becoming Commander-in-Chief means we don't know how to fight anymore. Leave this little thing to us."
Sasha and Connie nodded smugly. A moment later, the three of them, along with dozens of fully armed Paradis Island Soldiers, rode away on horseback, wearing Omni-Directional Mobility Gear. In fact, taking the Train would have been much faster, but Yago had a more secretive plan. The Rumbling had already been activated, and before the Rumbling appeared in the world, it was not yet time for the Eldians to show their faces to the world.
"A-Wu, tell everyone to get ready. It's time for Aili to set off for Twilight Town." Yago glanced at A-Wu, who nodded, activated his Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, and disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye.