The Commander
However, after six months, the Temple of Light suffered repeated setbacks and heavy losses, and its situation became even worse.
The Pope sincerely hoped that this operation would successfully eliminate Su Ming and Bay Owl, these major threats, and buy the temple a chance to recover.
What also worried him was the weird cult organization called "The Bell of Calamity". Although they failed this time, they were able to produce a super crystal dragon that was like a world-destroying beast, which also showed that this organization hid a terrifying power that could subvert the structure of the continent!
****
An attendant approached and whispered, "Your Holiness, Janet requests an audience."
Augustus nodded slightly, and the guard immediately bowed and withdrew to relay the summons.
Janet appeared in the doorway, travel-worn, her ornate travel cloak still dusty. She strode heavily into the inner room, her eyes instantly welling with tears. She collapsed to her knees with a thud, her voice breaking with a sob, "I'm incompetent! The mission to assassinate Su Ming —has failed!"
Augustus let out a deep sigh. Two months ago, Janet was ordered to go to Gray Ridge to incite the goblin army to attack Dragon Valley, and at the same time, to assassinate Su Ming.
There was a perfect opportunity for Su Ming to agree to go to the Dwarf Kingdom and meet with Star Pickaxe. However, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and the assassination attempt ultimately failed.
Augustus waved his hand, dismissing all the guards.
"You've had a hard time, my child!" Augustus rose, walked slowly to Janet, and affectionately ruffled her golden hair. "I know the details; the fault lies not with you."
Janet lowered her head, a flicker of hatred flashing across her eyes like a venomous snake, which she forcibly suppressed. When she raised her face, tears streamed down her cheeks. "But Archbishop McIntyre —he was cruelly murdered to protect me, and even his remains were taken by those evil necromancers—"
"I have ordered that his family be treated with the utmost respect and given the most generous compensation," Augustus said in a somber tone.
"Then... can he be resurrected using Nirvana?" Janet asked, her voice choked with emotion.
Augustus shook his head. "We tried, but Bone King's side cast a wicked interference spell."
This is, of course, a lie.
Not to mention the current shortage of manpower and resources related to "Nirvana," even before, they would not have wasted precious "Nirvana" materials for a mere archbishop.
Janet, seemingly "without a doubt," sadly recited a prayer for McIntyre before asking, "Father, who gave the order for the assassination at Red Ridge Mine?"
Augustus sighed, "This matter is settled; do not ask further."
This meant it was done by someone inside the church, and someone at the highest level! Janet's mind raced, but she obeyed and didn't continue. The prelude was over, and she got up to tell Augustus about the day's business.
"You mean the Plundering Clock didn't participate in the bloody massacre on the Sacred Mountain at all?!" Augustus suddenly straightened up from his seat, his face showing shock.
"Yes, it was all a terrorist attack planned and carried out by Bone King and Bay Owl alone!" Janet said with certainty. "The 'Church of Plundering Clock ' Truth Cult was completely framed by them!"
Current analyses and investigations by the Temple of Light suggest that the Sacred Mountain massacre was a joint operation by the Bone King and the Plundering Clock. Meanwhile, the Super Crystal Dragon incident in the Dwarf Kingdom has been publicly attributed to the Plundering Clock by both the Dwarves and the Final Bone Mad Machines.
This was interpreted as a sign of close ties between the two sides—why would they be so vehemently intent on killing each other if they hadn't fallen out over something?
Disputes over the distribution of spoils and the breakdown of the alliance seem to better reflect the modus operandi of these two cult organizations!
Janet continued to recount the truth she had "discovered": from the sea monster rampage to the Sacred Mountain terror attack, all these atrocities were orchestrated by Bone King. The Plundering Clock was simply a victim of slander and was forced into a retaliatory counterattack.
Augustus reconsidered and found that this statement was also logically correct.
If true, it means that in the fight against the Final Bone Mad Machines, the Temple of Light will not only have one less troublesome enemy, but may even have one more "ally" who shares the same hatred!
"Do you have any solid evidence?" Augustus's voice lowered and became serious.
Janet nodded, then shook her head slightly. "There are many clues and corroborating evidence, but currently there is a lack of truly conclusive proof."
"Are you absolutely certain this information is accurate?" Augustus stared intently into her eyes and pressed for an answer.
"Absolutely sure!" Janet nodded seriously.
She was certainly certain.
Janet had already joined the Plundering Clock and completed assassination missions against several scholars, including the Titled Scholar Blue Peacock. She has now risen to the highest level that native Taya members of the organization can achieve: "Provisional Quarter Hand".
And with her abilities and strengths, she has a very good chance of breaking this record!
"Alright! Then tell the details to the Council of Cardinals, those rigid-headed fools!" Augustus immediately summoned a priest, "Immediately notify them to convene the Council of Cardinals urgently!"
"I will obey your command!" The priest bowed and accepted the order, then hurried away.
"Fate Manipulator, how is the situation right now?" Augustus turned to Janet and asked about something else.
"We've successfully made contact!" Janet's face showed a hint of pride. "Our people have infiltrated the business district and several affiliated factories surrounding the Final Bone Mad Machines. Currently, we can exchange messages with the Fate Manipulator in a clandestine manner!" She explained, "Thanks to his need to provide regular treatment to Beianqi, the Bone King treats him quite well, regarding him as a master technician."
"Very good!" Augustus nodded approvingly. Successfully planting spies within the Final Bone Mad Machines was a significant strategic advancement.
However, he was more concerned about Janet's situation.
"Is there any risk of your identity being exposed?" Augustus asked.
The trickery of using a secret asphyxiation technique on Janet to deceive the Bay Owl into faking a sudden death from congenital heart disease was orchestrated by the Fate Manipulator. The permanent solidification of the bloodline deception technique on Janet was also personally performed by this master of human alchemy.
In this field, the Fate Manipulator is undoubtedly top-tier in skill.
"No leaks!" Janet answered confidently. "The Fate Manipulator said that Su Ming didn't even connect these things to anything, and didn't even ask about them."
"That's good!" The Pope breathed a sigh of relief. After all, no normal person would think that Princess Janet was actually an imposter.
"The Bone King merely interrogated the Fate Manipulator repeatedly about the Holy See's internal secrets—but according to him, he only fobbed off the questions with trivial details," Janet added.
Augustus gave a cold snort, a mocking smile playing on his lips, "Don't take that seriously."
With the Fate Manipulator's untrained spirit, he could imagine how false that statement was. However, during this time, Augustus had deliberately adjusted many of the army's and defensive deployments, especially regarding the spells the Fate Manipulator knew.
The combat configurations have been extensively reorganized.
If Bone King intends to use this information for his own purposes, he is in for a great disappointment!
****
In the Star Empire, in the City of Radiance, the seminar on Su Ming continues.
"A month ago, during negotiations with the Empire's new trade representative, Su Ming raised a core demand," the secretary recounted. "He hoped that the Star Empire would remain neutral and not interfere in the impending all-out war between the Final Bone Mad Machines and the Divine Covenant Faction."
Upon hearing this, the white-haired elder let out an undisguised sneer, "Such a far-fetched request, he really dares to make it!"
He surveyed the crowd. "The Star Empire, based in the Western Continent, has always adhered to one ironclad rule when involved in or observing any large-scale conflict: the interests of the Empire are paramount! If Su Ming were weak and outnumbered, we would naturally be content to observe his challenge and then step in at the opportune moment to claim a share. But on the contrary, the Bone King is currently riding high. In any case, we will not stand idly by and watch the Divine Covenant Faction be easily crushed by him at this time! Otherwise, it will be our Star Empire that will have to face this rising beast alone!"
"Judging from the records of this period," the Minister of Military Affairs continued, "Su Ming's strategic planning appears to be—"
Too straightforward, even somewhat sentimental. For example, in the goblin battlefield, he readily agreed to the goblins' surrender, and the matter ended after only capturing East of the Ridge.
No matter how you look at it, if this war continues, the territory gained will definitely be much more than this.
Xialike raised his hand again, pressing his palm down, and the murmurs in the hall instantly disappeared.
"Look closely, at some key battles from the Goblin Campaign." His gaze swept across both sides of the long table. "The commanders made the most of the battlefield terrain; the coordination and rhythm of the multi-pronged attacks were as precise as meshing gears—don't you find this approach strangely familiar?"
"Is Your Majesty referring to Marshal Meiwu'er?" the white-haired elder instinctively asked, then shook his head sharply, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "No, Meiwu'er's military tactics are like a raging storm, relying on brute force to overcome skill. This is more like—Empress Katharine's handiwork?!"
This statement caused a great stir. The attendees all lowered their heads, quickly finding detailed battle reports about the goblin campaign, unfolding them, and studying them carefully, bit by bit.
"Indeed, this style is too much like Her Majesty the Empress!" An officer became increasingly alarmed as he looked. "While there might be coincidences in the overall strategy, the arrangement of these marching sequences and the handling of details at supply points are exactly the same!"
Some of the attendees had worked with Katharine and nodded in agreement.
"According to intelligence, Her Majesty the Queen stayed in the Silent Dawn Church in Bubing City for a full month and a half without leaving the premises," the secretary told everyone. "Although many people have witnessed her activities in the church, we highly suspect that it was just a decoy used to cover her tracks."
The officer carefully calculated the itinerary and dates. "A month and a half—that's exactly enough time to leave the Northern Lands to lead the goblin war and then rush back!"
"Given Katharine's impulsive nature, I don't believe she could stay home for so long," Xialike sighed. "She only stayed for half a month after giving birth before running off to the Northern Lands with her newborn. And lately, no matter how I summon my queen, she's hiding in the Northern Lands and refuses to come back!"
The information contained in this analysis caused the air in the entire Imperial Conference Hall to freeze.
"Your Majesty the Empress—has joined forces with that Su Ming?" the white-haired elder murmured. "Doesn't this mean that the Temple of Light's exiled forces in the Northern Lands have all fallen into the arms of the Final Bone Mad Machines?"
On one side are priests of the Temple of Light, and on the other are necromancers. Logically, the two should not have such an intersection, but now both are victims of violence and share the same mortal enemy Divine Covenant Faction.
Moreover, they are linked by the Holy Maiden of the Pale New Words!
"It seems Su Ming himself is not adept at intrigue and scheming." The Minister of Military Affairs reorganized his thoughts. "The intricate tactical layout displayed on the goblin battlefield is truly orchestrated by Her Majesty the Queen. As for Scholar Bay Owl, although she is erudite, military command and strategic planning are not her forte." The Minister of Military Affairs raised his head. "In other words, our primary adversary, whom we must be most wary of right now, is Her Majesty the Queen?"
"Her Majesty the Queen's command style relies on detailed intelligence and information," the officer familiar with Katharine immediately added. "From the terrain of mountains and the distribution of waterways to the food and equipment consumption of a hundred-man unit, she is accustomed to utilizing everything to the fullest extent. In order to cover all possibilities on the battlefield, Her Majesty the Queen will even work through the night conducting sand table simulations, striving to exhaust the vast majority of battlefield variables."
"However, human strength has its limits." The Minister of War nodded in agreement. "Once the scale and evolution of the war exceed Her Majesty the Empress's ability to predict, especially in unfamiliar battlefield environments, her command and planning capabilities will be greatly diminished."
"Her overall coordination and adaptability in close combat are indeed a major weakness of Queen Katharine," the elder said. "In this respect, she is still far from reaching the level of Marshal Meiwu'er."
Bang!
Xialike slammed his hand on the table with a loud thud, making everyone's hearts skip a beat!
"Enough!" His deep voice was filled with barely suppressed anger. "The Bone King, who rose to power in just over six months, forcing us, the decision-makers who control the fate of the largest empire in the Western Continent, to repeatedly strategize here as if standing on the edge of Abyss, has become so despicable in your mouths?"
Xialike slammed the battle report on the table with a loud thud. "Katharine has her weaknesses, but look at the goblin campaign! Was the army she commanded small? Was the area covered by the campaign narrow?"
He slammed his hand on the table again. "Why don't you all think deeply about how Katharine managed to elevate her command abilities to such a high level in such a short period of time?"
His sharp gaze swept over the Minister of Military Affairs and the officers who had just spoken. "So you're playing the same old trick of strategists belittling each other? So engrossed in criticizing others, yet blind to the formidable nature of your adversaries?!"
The two people whose names were called off blushed and lowered their heads in shame, while the white-haired elder also turned his head away awkwardly.
"Reanalyze this again! Put aside all arrogance and prejudice!" Xialike said sternly. "Find out Su Ming's strategic style and operational logic! Don't think that just because you hold a high position, have a prestigious status, and a dazzling past, you have the advantage—when artillery fire rains down on us, all of that nonsense will be meaningless!"
****
Northern Lands of the Cold Mountain Kingdom, Bubing City, the Silent Dawn Cathedral.
Katharine sneezed without warning.
She rubbed her nose and gently put down the tablet computer that was emitting a soft glow. On the screen, a complex war simulation exercise had just ended.
Thanks to this amazing tool from the technology side, the integration of information, the retrieval of data, and the simulation of almost infinite random variables have brought about a qualitative leap in the efficiency and depth of Katharine's analysis of the battle situation.
The process is clear, the results are intuitive, and the records are detailed, far surpassing the paper-based and hand-made sand table work of the past.
Although she felt somewhat guilty towards Master Beckmann for gifting her the precious alchemy books, she had to admit that the convenience and efficiency improvements brought by the tablets that Su Ming had distributed to all management personnel far exceeded those of the rare magical military treatise, "Green Bamboo Slips and Rue Book Wrappers".
Moreover, with the supporting electronic communication system, efficient data management platform, and real-time information push mechanism, combined with combat concepts unheard of in this other world, even a commander with mediocre qualifications can achieve an astonishing leap in command ability.
Katharine sometimes even remarked that she was simply on the side of luck.
Knock knock.
A knock sounded at the door. A young priest entered quietly, bowed, and reported, "Lady Katharine, His Majesty Xialike's message has arrived again, urging you to conclude your visit to the Northern Lands and return to the capital as soon as possible."
Katharine frowned. What used to be a weekly, routine greeting had now come two days earlier. It seemed His Majesty was indeed quite "leisurely" lately!
"The reply was the same as before: I was unwell and could not withstand the fatigue of the long journey, and needed to rest," she said to the priest.
"Yes!" the priest replied. She was about to leave when Katharine called her back.
"Wait, I should find these idle people something to do!" Katharine muttered to herself.
She hesitated for a moment, then quickly wrote something on the paper and sealed it in an envelope.
"Give this to Dafulin," Katharine commanded. "She must open it herself."
"Yes, sir!" The priest accepted the letter with both hands and withdrew.
Katharine got up and glanced at the little Tuanzi sleeping peacefully in the next room, being cared for by a maid.
After resting for a while, she returned to the table and picked up the tablet. The screen lit up, and a line of text jumped into her eyes: "Strong Attack on the Radiant Holy City" Combat Simulation Exercise - 141st.
Katharine skillfully saved and archived the simulation results, and then adjusted the enemy's troop and formation sequences, including battlefield weather conditions.
"One more time!" Katharine took a deep breath, tapped start, and her fingertips flew across the screen.
The number in the upper right corner jumps to 142.