Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest
Chapter 404 - 8: I Will Take Action

Chapter 404: Chapter 8: I Will Take Action

"Break through the fortress? The cost would be too severe."

The fortress sat high, easily defensible and difficult to attack. The troops on the upper route attacked five times in half a day and couldn’t shake it at all.

Go around? In fact, they didn’t need to circle around. They could just come straight through.

With fortresses on the left and right, Black Iron Avenue in the middle, it didn’t block their main army at all.

The problem was, it was easy for the army to move through, but what about the supply line? Even if they didn’t consider the supply line, they had to think about the possibility of being attacked from both sides.

The lord of the Muddy Marshes and the island Nobles eventually decided to use a straightforward strategy.

Divide their forces!

The main force would continue to Fertile City, while the divided forces would besiege the fortress to prevent the defending army from emerging.

Though there were only a few hundred men in the fortress, it was normal for them to hold up several thousand Conscripted Soldiers.

After all, the quality of the River Valley Army was evident to all.

The combined forces of the two fortresses amounted to tens of thousands of soldiers.

They really feared that the fortress defenders would suddenly emerge at a critical moment and pierce the rear of their main army.

...

The next day.

An even more pressing situation presented itself before Roman.

The Black Iron Army on the central and upper routes continued to advance, just waiting for tomorrow when both routes would merge, and a force of over a hundred thousand would reach the gates of Fertile City, unstoppable.

This was the disadvantage of having no strategic depth.

No way to exchange space for time.

Behind them was Moscow, and beyond the gate awaited a decisive battle.

If Iolion were still alive, the whole of Black Iron Land would be Roman’s strategic depth.

He feared reaching such a state.

Because he was no ordinary noble power, he would not bow to the Church Court, and the only outcome would be making the entire world his enemy.

Roman looked at the map, his tone resolute, "Drive them all out, spare none!"

There was no other way!

They had to force them back, to prevent the worst-case scenario.

Once the enemy entered Fertile City, what land would he have left to cultivate?

The destruction caused by those scoundrels wouldn’t heal in two years.

Jet asked, "Which route should we attack?"

Roman pointed to Lion Territory.

Tashina narrowed her eyes and nodded slightly, "Alright, let’s hit the central route."

"Why? Isn’t this route the strongest?"

The commander of the central route was the Son of the Rage Tide, Makor, who also commanded the forces of all four routes; moreover, he was the husband of Roman’s sister, Hena Riptide.

Roman and Tashina believed the simultaneous advance of the four-route military strategy was crafted by Makor.

It could be said to be a very stable, royal strategy.

Originally a good plan, its execution, unfortunately, encountered major problems.

Like the lower route being completely destroyed, and the fact that forces from the wild area hadn’t arrived yet.

According to the observations of the Beast Witch, the troops in the wild area had clashed with the military fortress in Blackbird Forest.

The terrain of Blackbird Forest was perilous, the most critical fortress built by Roman, and there was no worry it could be taken over quickly.

Even if Blackbird Forest fell and the fortress’s guards all died in their posts, with that treacherous path from the wild area, it would take them three to five days to get through.

This force in question gave Roman a very problematic feeling.

Considering the complexity of the wilderness, Roman understood.

Dozens of nobles gathered, each bringing their own Conscript Army to participate in the battle... problems were to be expected.

Not to mention the slow progress of the march, even a sudden collapse would be reasonable.

Moreover, the cause of the collapse might very likely have been petty conflicts like "What are you looking at?" "What about it?"

Even if Makor’s plan had been executed without issues, Roman would have forced it to encounter problems.

Fertile City must not be surrounded from all four sides, otherwise he would have to annihilate a hundred thousand enemies and hold Origin City, ending up like Shu Country.

Now that two fronts were closing in, they both posed significant threats to Fertile City.

"Because the central route is the strongest, that’s why we must strike there," Roman said. "It’s time for a decisive battle now, they have the patience, but I do not, nor do our soldiers."

The endurance of the army has its limits.

Just yesterday, they had marched tens of miles, fought a battle, and returned to Origin City overnight. If they still had seventy percent of their combat strength, it would be commendable—this was true even for the White Knight, who were Transcendents, but not perpetual motion machines; they too could tire.

Traveling thousands of miles alone, with one sword having once blocked a million troops, sounds very appealing but is hardly realistic.

Forget three thousand miles; even battling back and forth within a few dozen kilometers would be untenable.

While there was still fighting capability, it was crucial to seize the time to tackle the toughest challenge.

But then a problem arose.

"Your Highness, how should we battle?" Jet asked.

Roman thought for a moment and replied, "Strike the weak with strength, drive them back and attack the leader, none shall withstand."

There were many specific tactics, but they were complicated to explain; even if explained clearly, that didn’t mean they could be effectively executed.

The organization of the River Valley Army was incredibly strong—not just a one-sided advantage, but powerful from all perspectives, without any gaps.

This made any war exceedingly straightforward for the River Valley Army.

Roman believed the River Valley Army had already achieved the quality of a modern military, and if they learned to use firearms, they could participate in trench warfare in World War I.

What were the Nobles’ Conscript Army? Just some unsightly mess?

Two punches would set them straight!

However.

While strategy may be despised, tactics are highly valued.

Nevertheless, Makor’s central army also numbered tens of thousands, with many soldiers and strong capabilities.

Though they were an old feudal army, they could still unleash considerable combat power.

It was essential to understand that some Conquest Knights truly were fearless, daring to roar towards their deaths.

If both sides fought to the death without retreating, the systematic advantages and disadvantages could largely be disregarded.

Without going into details, modern soldiers armed with melee weapons and facing the elite troops of the Tang dynasty at their peak, with equal numbers and the same equipment, even if the modern soldiers could win, they would suffer heavy casualties.

Systems are not decisive on the battlefield.

"Drive them back and attack the leader..." Tashina mulled over these words, her eyes suddenly lighting up, and she spoke, "Lord, will you be participating in the battle?"

Roman had a strong strategic mindset and could propose many grand strategic ideas in war, but she hadn’t expected him to have brilliant tactical insights as well—no wonder, since the military camp in Origin City was his creation. If he didn’t have a deep understanding, how could he design a whole military system?

She had seen Roman perform in various fields but had never seen him on the battlefield.

In? On the battlefield? To see his strength? If you die in battle, I’ll inherit all your estate.

"Yes, I will take action," Roman said, giving her a strange look, sensing her ulterior motives.

If possible, he really did not want to appear on the battlefield.

Preserving oneself was the priority.

Moreover, while the front line was important, the rear was equally crucial.

Fertile City was just a two-year-old newly established city; for the adult residents, the shadows of war still chased them, Roman needed to maintain the operation of the entire city, and all production had to continue.

However, leaving for a while was not a problem; he would deal with the enemy first and return soon.