Munitions Empire

Chapter 558 520 missing General

Alice rode on her warhorse, looking at the endless migration of people, unable to hide the joy on her face.

It seemed she had been anticipating this day for many days now; before, the Northern Ridge had been nothing but shackles to her, a prison.

For her father, Earl Fisheo's last wishes, she had no choice but to stay in Northern Ridge, overseeing the work here, tirelessly striving for the rise of Northern Ridge.

But not long ago, the situation in Northern Ridge had become perilously unstable, with rumors that her territory had been used as a bargaining chip, traded to the Suthers Kingdom.@@@@

Defending this land was not impossible, as long as she mobilized the Northern Ridge Troops and sought assistance from the Great Tang Group, with the support of Brunas and the Jade City industrial zone, Northern Ridge seemed capable of holding out for a long time.

However, she had to consider more problems: Jade City and Brunas seemed to have also become targets, the support from the Tang Kingdom was too distant to quench a near thirst, and if real trouble arose, the fate of Northern Ridge would be uncontrollable.

If she took the initiative to compromise, then at least she could preserve the essence of Northern Ridge and secure a better situation.

The Tang Kingdom had only deployed a division in Jade City, which in truth could not last very long; its significance was more symbolic than practical.

Once Jade City was lost, Brunas would be nearly defenseless—if Brunas's port were lost, Northern Ridge would become thoroughly isolated.

By then, struggling in Northern Ridge would no longer be easy, and Alice did not intend to become a hostage that would make Tang Mo hesitate to act.

Only foolish women would make men choose between saving them or another person from drowning; the truly wise women choose never to fall into the water in the first place!

Alice was a smart woman; she knew that if one day the enemy paraded her on the city's ramparts, forcing Tang Mo to give up the chance for world domination, Tang Mo would undoubtedly choose the most correct option without hesitation.

The complexity of the pre-war arrangements surprised everyone; when hundreds of thousands began crossing the Vicious Forest, serious issues also arose in Qi Country.

The hastily mobilized artillery and ammunition could not be transported in time to the front line due to logistical and organizational issues, hence Qi Country was not ready for war as expected.

As a result, several countries began publicly exchanging insults, cursing each other's ancestors, yet no one intended to fire the first shot.

There was a slight hitch in the cooperation between the Laines Empire and the Suthers Kingdom, an issue introduced by Alice herself.

Alice had sent telegrams to both countries at the same time about her withdrawal from Northern Ridge, catching them both off guard.

Originally, Suthers intended to exploit Northern Ridge in a war of opportunity when the Tang Army was weakened.

At that time, as long as they defended against the Laines Empire, they wouldn't have to worry about incurring the Tang Kingdom's resentment.

Unfortunately, plans do not keep up with changes. Alice's proactive departure from Northern Ridge prematurely exposed this piece of cake to two greedy nations, throwing off a series of strategic arrangements made by both countries.

The Laines Empire began to consider whether they should take a bite of this cake first, contemplating the possibility of reaping immediate benefits for themselves.

Meanwhile, Suthers had already lost a Prime Minister and, with no way to retreat, seemed ready to enter the fray first, stirring up the storm.

...

In the pitch-black night, on the desolate streets, within a camp on Dorne's southern defense line, a group of officers clutched telegrams in their hands, staring at the empty glasses on the table before them.