Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon
Chapter 311 - 310: Night Talk

Chapter 311: Chapter 310: Night Talk

Shandela’s mind conjured up the scene of battle between the two sides.

In the field outside the west gate of the Royal City, there were trenches and sand fortifications dug by the defenders everywhere; cannon units deployed behind them, ready to unleash a barrage of fire upon the advancing Longjiu Army. The field army, unable to quickly build fortifications, would have no choice but to charge head-on. Even if they managed to seize the outer positions, the Royal Guards could retreat into the city to establish a second battlefield.

General Fales’s arrangements were faultless.

If it had been her in command, the early tactics would likely have been largely the same.

"And then...?" Shandela couldn’t help asking.

"I wasn’t on the scene, I heard about the battle from Ruila..." A distant look appeared in Elise’s eyes, as if she were returning to that most anxious and unsettling moment, "The rebels used a kind of construct we had never seen before, and they used it on a large scale. They looked like oversized armor, big enough for a grown person inside. These Steam Armors were much more agile than the mechanical constructs we’ve seen before, moving almost like humans when they ran and leaped. Ordinary bullets couldn’t stop the constructs’ advance at all; only cannon fire could damage them. And the weapons they wielded seemed to be guns, but they were actually small-calibre hand cannons akin to steam guns, each shot ripping our soldiers to shreds..."

Indeed, it was a construct!

Shandela closed her eyes in sorrow. The Longjiu Family excelled in this area, their family’s products were sold nationwide, one could even see the steam cores and drilling machines produced by the Longjiu company in Magnificent Castle.

It was said that half of the national construct research institutes were located in the southwest of the Old Continent, with the Longjiu Family investing up to several hundred million Serir each year in research and development. However, it was unexpected that they held back their trump card until they attacked the Royal Capital.

"Couldn’t the army retreat?"

"My father issued a retreat order, but the front lines collapsed too quickly, and there was a mass panic among the soldiers fleeing to the rear; the retreat turned into a rout. The troops that managed to fall back into the city still had fighting capacity, and with the support of the Royal Guards, there was hope to stop the advance of those humanoid constructs. However... my father’s orders received no response, and only then did we realize there were traitors within the Guards."

"I don’t know what happened after that; father sent Ruila back to the mansion to take me away. We hid in a safe house for one night, and the next day we fled from the Royal City."

Despite some emotional fluctuation, Elise firmly recounted her own experiences.

"You’ve had a hard time." Shandela took her hand and soothed her gently.

"It’s okay, I can stand it." Her good friend responded soothingly, "As long as Duke Longjiu is not dead, I will not fall! Don’t worry."

There were many doubts about this battle, such as why the Kingdom Army’s reconnaissance unit failed to detect the new constructs within the Longjiu Army; why the Royal Guards, who valued honor above all else, would betray the Laurel Family; why the rebels within the Kingdom did not directly target His Majesty the King, and so on... But now it’s probably impossible to find out.

After allowing Elise a moment to recover, Shandela then asked, "Why did you come to Zhaixing City? I’ve never heard of a military base in the mountains of the north before."

"The Lord of Zhaixing City, ’Lady of the Rosy Dawn’ Duke Rosha is a staunch supporter of the Laurel Family and has always been on good terms with my father. I truly did not know about this relationship before, it was Ruila who brought me here," Elise explained in detail, "Not just remnants of the Kingdom Army, but Lady has rallied all nearby forces determined to subdue the Longjiu Family. Now everyone is gathered in Zhaixing City, waiting to discuss the next plan."

"Is that so? That’s great!" Shandela couldn’t help feeling somewhat uplifted, especially after seeing those nobles from the Royal Capital who had surrendered so readily, "Who are these people?"

"They are roughly divided into three factions." With this topic, Elise’s tone also became brighter, "One faction is led by Duke Rosha, mainly consisting of lords and great nobles from the northeast. Once they raise their armies, they can immediately muster a force of a hundred thousand men. Another faction is represented by ’The Obsidian King’ Count Francken Hearthfire, standing for the mountain folk, a group of refugees from the west."

"Wait a second... Does this group come from the domain of the Longjiu Family?"

"Yes, according to Count Francken, not everyone in the west is happy under Duke Longjiu’s rule, and there are quite a few who resist. Unfortunately, none can gain significant momentum. The Obsidian King himself doesn’t have much strength, but he represents the resisting forces in the west. Recently, a continuous stream of people have been moving from the west to Zhaixing City. The Count gathered them, and now they too are a force to be reckoned with. Of course... his most important role is not this, but the power he represents behind the scenes."

"What power?"

To Shandela’s surprise, her good friend didn’t answer her immediately but played coy.

"This... is not for me to say. You should witness it yourself."

"...All right." She decided to trust the other party, "What about the last contingent? It must be the Kingdom Army, right!"

"Correct." Elise took another drink, "We have been gradually gathering around sixty thousand troops, and the number is still rising. As you know, aside from the Royal Guards, the Kingdom Army is stationed across various locations, including several settlements in the New World. We have issued a notice, asking them to head to Zhaixing City as soon as possible. Eliminating the Longjiu Family and their rebel forces is the Army’s top priority at the moment."

Shandela frowned subconsciously.

If the troops from the New World were pulled back... wouldn’t it mean that the entire colonization effort would have to be put on hold? Besides, the survival conditions there were perilous, and with the erosion of Heretical Cults, should any settlement fall because of this, the losses would be enormous.

"Are you sure they can make it back? It seems the Kingdom Navy has already sided with Duke Longjiu," she didn’t reject the military decision outright but instead suggested gently from a different angle, "Relying solely on merchant ships for transport, they might get caught by the rebels before they even reach the ports of the Old Continent."

"You’re mistaken, the Kingdom Navy has not sided with the Longjiu house," Elise shook her head.

"What? But Ryan’s inspection fleet was clearly attacked by them..."

"They want to establish their own maritime kingdom, using the ports as bases to become another independent force," her friend corrected, "It was only after escaping here that I learned the people at the Kingdom Navy’s headquarters want more than just one or two titles, they’re after territorial kingships!"

Shandela was stunned for a while, "These... scoundrels!"

"Yes, they’re all scoundrels, and they all deserve to be hanged. However, this means that the sea routes are not completely blockaded, and we can use an exchange of interests to bring back the troops from the New World to their homeland."

Damn, the price of such a compromise was too great!

Shandela couldn’t help but slam her fist hard on the table.

For the daughter of a general, this action was tantamount to great humiliation, but Elise could speak of it calmly, which showed just how immense the pressure from Duke Longjiu was.

Perhaps sensing her indignation, the other party switched to a lighter subject, "By the way, after I left Magnificent Castle, did you find the person I invited? With his understanding of constructs, he should not have remained unknown."

"The invited person?" Shandela didn’t catch on at first, "Who?"

"That dinner party, remember? I wanted to introduce him to you..."

"Cough, cough cough—" She suddenly recalled.

"His name, if I recall... ah, he said he goes by Chao," Elise said, looking with concern at her friend who was choking, "...Are you okay?"