Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste
Chapter 162 - 161 Casualty Numbers

Chapter 162: Chapter 161 Casualty Numbers

Inside Langton’s theater, Perfikot had finished performing tonight’s repertoire. Amidst enthusiastic applause, she stood up and made her way to the edge of the stage, gesturing for the fervent audience to quiet down.

The dignitaries of Langton were very deferential to Perfikot, and they all quieted down, watching her with expectant eyes, as if waiting for her to say something.

However, Perfikot didn’t speak immediately. She just made a gesture to someone beside her.

Soon, a staff member arrived beside Perfikot with a recently decoded telegram. At her cue, he loudly read out, "Message from the Behemoth: France’s capital is engulfed in flames! The city burns beneath my feet!"

Upon hearing this news, all the high-ranking military and political leaders of Victory in the theater began clapping wildly, with some even standing up excitedly.

For the Victorians and France, whose centuries-old grudge is well-known, destroying the rival’s capital was a victory that the Victorians had long dreamed of achieving!

And yet, this left Anthony, sitting below the stage, feeling as if his heart had stopped.

France’s capital attacked? The entire city turned into a sea of flames?

No, impossible! Victory does not have such capability!

Even if they had Flying Airships to bypass the tripartite alliance troops gathered across the strait, even if the powerful Steam Knights could easily tear through an entire army group’s defenses, they could not possibly have taken the entire capital in such a short time!

This must be a deceptive tactic by the Victorians! It must be!

But deceptive tactics are purposeful; there is no such thing as purposeless deception.

Obviously, the Victorians are not idle, and too many high-ranking military and political figures wouldn’t have the leisure to play an act with him.

What on earth is their goal? Why put on such a show? Are they fooling themselves, or are they deceiving the little girl on stage?

Indeed, Anthony took this as a meticulously planned act of deception, but he couldn’t find any reason why the Victorians would do this.

But he was unwilling to believe any of it was real—or, he dared not trust that it was real.

Because believing this to be true would mean accepting that the Victorians managed in a short time frame to storm France’s capital and turn the entire city into an inferno.

This would also imply that even if the war initiated by France was won by the tripartite alliance, the capital being captured would lead France to utter defeat, and it might even risk being annexed by Ruth and Saint Romulus after the war.

Although the three countries formed an alliance this time, everyone knew that besides the century-long wars between France and Victory, France also has territorial disputes with Ruth, having fought for many years.

As for Ruth, they have always been dedicated to dividing Ruth into northern and southern parts.

So unless the capitals of Ruth and Saint Romulus were also destroyed, the imbalance of power within the tripartite alliance would surely lead to internal conflict.

But at this point, even the existence of the tripartite alliance loses its meaning because the alliance with all their capitals destroyed barely has any capacity to resist Victory.

Whether by breaking through the front lines directly or through aerial attacks bypassing defensive lines, destroying the capitals implies Victory can eliminate any city of the three nations at will!

This means that no matter how many troops the tripartite alliance gathers, it won’t matter.

For Victory can entirely ignore the heavily guarded areas of the alliance, bypassing all lines to specially attack their cities at the rear.

The alliance cannot attack Victory’s homeland when all their cities face the threat of being in Victory’s attack range, nor can their forces retain combat capability once they lose logistical support at home.

So even though France launched the war immediately upon learning Victory possessed Flying Airships and Steam Knights, was it still too late?

Anthony, though unwilling to believe this, evidently found things not subject to his will.

Shortly after announcing France’s capital attack, the capitals of Ruth and Saint Romulus were also reported attacked by Victory, every telegram containing the line: "The sky burns, the earth bows beneath me."

Anthony didn’t understand the meaning of this phrase, but he could see this was a signal for Victory, one indicating they had won this war.

He couldn’t help but grit his teeth, doing all he could to keep his facial expression stable, avoiding revealing his true inner emotions.

After all, he was still playing the role of a pro-Victory French diplomat; at this critical moment, mistakes must not be made.

He was also anxious to find out how Victory had managed to attack the capitals of all three countries simultaneously and successfully.

"General, how on earth did you manage to attack the capitals of our three countries at the same time?" Anthony forced a stiff smile, asking the general beside him, "Though I know Flying Airships can bypass all defenses and fortresses, but that’s a city. An airship can’t carry enough soldiers to take over my country’s capital, not even if they’re all Steam Knights, so I’m just curious if you could satisfy it?"