Chapter 398 The Footsteps of War (Ⅰ)

Antonioni, who was closest to the fireball, was thrown into a panic by the heat wave, and his gorgeous red robe was also torn to pieces by the splashing sparks.

The accident he had just encountered made him both scared and confused. He took a deep look at Joan, then turned and flew away from the Nisisi Fortress.

Qiao An stood on the top of the sentry tower, watched the red figure disappear into the depths of the night, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If it hadn't been for the "mythical missile" that he had optimized by himself just now to penetrate the magic shield of the red-haired warlock Antonioni and interrupt his spellcasting process, the watchtower he was in at this moment would have been blown to pieces by the fireball.

The crisis was temporarily lifted, but Joan's heart was still heavy. He flapped his wings and flew down the sentry tower, changed back to his original form, and hurriedly reported to Lieutenant Colonel Vasa about the information he had obtained during the night's investigation.

George Vassar was still dealing with official duties, and was alarmed by the explosion and flames from the air. He stood in front of the window of the fort and looked out. Hearing the familiar and hasty footsteps, he turned and opened the door for Joan.

"Joan, there is such a commotion outside, what happened?"

"Mr. Vassar, I can't explain this matter in a sentence or two. You have to listen to me from the beginning..."

Joan sat down across from the desk and recounted in detail what he had seen in the aerial reconnaissance tonight and the conversations he had overheard in the enemy camp.

"It's a pity that I was still too careless. The wolf queen Alpha saw through my invisibility and was forced to flee from the camp of the sea blue people."

"On the way to retreat, I was hunted down by that red-haired warlock named Diego Antonioni. I flew to the sky above our army's fortress before repelling him with the assistance of Second Lieutenant Roger."

Joan took a sip of the teacup that Lieutenant Colonel Vasar handed over, and finally answered the question that Lieutenant Colonel Vassar asked at the beginning.

"The explosion you heard just now was the 'fireball technique' cast by the red-haired warlock. Fortunately, he was disturbed during the spellcasting process, and the fireball was detonated in advance, causing no damage to our army."

George Vassar listened quietly to his narration, his face gradually becoming serious, and he didn't ask any questions until Joan finished speaking.

"According to your observations, how many troops did the Hailan people mobilize for this cross-border expedition?"

"There are about 500 regular cavalry wearing sea blue standard armor. In addition, there are also a large group of wolf men to cooperate with them. The total strength is no less than a thousand."

Joan answered truthfully.

George Vassar nodded, a wry smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

"In the report I submitted to Your Excellency the Governor, I once boasted that Fort Nissei could withstand a siege of a thousand people..."

"Well, now we have to face a thousand people including the Sea Blue Cavalry plus their Jackal allies. I am really a 'genius prophet'!"

Joan couldn't laugh, and asked the lieutenant colonel urgently: "Mr. Vasa, what are you going to do next?"

"Based on the normal marching speed, the enemy army will be able to reach our defense area by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow at the latest. Considering that the enemy army has twice as many troops as ours, it might not be a good idea to take the initiative to attack."

George Vassar touched his chin and thought for a while, his face softened a little.

"Fortunately, our fortress has been built, and the food in stock is enough to support long-term consumption. It is more beneficial for our army to rely on the city wall to adopt a defensive posture. On the premise of avoiding casualties, we can kill as much as possible of the enemy's vital forces. As long as we persist in Anderson When reinforcements from the school arrive, they can attack and defeat the enemy from both inside and outside.”

Joan has not received formal military training, and he is completely layman in combat command. He can only analyze Lieutenant Colonel Vasa's tactical arrangement from the perspective of general logic. decision making.

"Joan, you just said that during the investigation of the enemy's situation, you met General Louis Jumonville, commander of the Muspelheim garrison. I want to hear your impression of this person." Lieutenant Colonel Vasa asked in disbelief.

"General Jumonville...looks younger than I imagined, and judging from his conversation with the red-haired warlock Diego Antonioni, this man has a very strong character and a big temper."

Joan thought for a moment, then said:

"Judging from the details revealed in the conversation between the two, Diego Antonioni is likely to be the son of Count Antonioni, the governor of the Muspelheim colony. General Jumonville has a very tough attitude towards him, but the two seem to have feelings for each other. A dear friend..."

"In addition, I also noticed that General Jumonville and the Antonionis have serious differences on the issue of border conflicts."

"Antonioni and his son advocated resolving disputes through peaceful talks, while General Jumonville is more inclined to resort to force, especially after the envoy led by his elder brother Sir Louis Jumonville was accidentally killed by us, General Jumonville has obviously become more radical .”

"I even suspect that General Jumonville sent troops this time on his own initiative, without prior authorization from Count Antonioni."

"If we hadn't launched that sloppy raid and killed Sir Jumonville, the enemy army wouldn't have come so fast and so suddenly, and the situation on the border wouldn't have gotten so bad."

George Vassar's sigh revealed the regret in his heart, but it was too late to regret now, he could only force himself to think about the way to defeat the enemy.

"Joan, you just said that there is a disagreement between General Jumonville and Count Antonioni. This is very important. We may use the conflict between the two to make a fuss and disintegrate the hostile forces from within..."

He pondered for a long time, then suddenly shook his head and laughed at himself.

"This is what politicians should do, and I'm just a soldier, so it's useless to think about it."

"Do you want to report to His Excellency the Governor?" Joan asked.

Lieutenant Colonel Vasa hesitated for a moment, then shook his head lightly: "There is only the last 'SMS' scroll left, save as much as you can, let's save it for the most critical moment."

"Then I will fly back to Leiden Harbor overnight and report the frontline military situation to the Governor?"

"Don't be so anxious. You have worked hard today. Go back and have a good rest. By the way, tell the guards to invite Nathaniel and Magny. I have to discuss with them how to deal with Jumonville's army." Lieutenant Colonel Vasa insisted cheer up and say.

...

Early the next morning, news of the enemy's imminent arrival spread throughout the barracks, and the atmosphere inside and outside the Nissei Fortress was tense.

Joan was also affected by the tense atmosphere of the upcoming war. Fear and anxiety tormented him until dawn. He lay on the bed in a daze for two hours before being awakened by bugles, and hurriedly got up to wash.

While having breakfast in the officer's mess, Joan noticed that the Tyndall brothers had big dark circles on their faces, and they kept yawning while eating the soup. It seemed that they didn't sleep well last night.

"Joan, are we really going to fight the sea blue people?" Dick asked.

"I'm afraid so."

"Since the end of the 'Ear War' 14 years ago, this will be the first time that our army has had a head-on collision with the Hailan regular army. Just thinking about it makes me feel excited!" Dick was excited.

"It is said that Hailan's navy is very powerful. As for the army, it is not ranked among the major powers in the old world. It is as soft as noodles."

Roger's casual teasing caused a burst of laughter, and the atmosphere in the cafeteria became relaxed.