diskusbooks Chapter 130 She is back
Chapter 130 She is back
"Rocket salvo ready!"
"Rocket ready!"
"Fire!"
The gunner pulled the lever, and thick smoke immediately billowed from several Type 90 fire support ships. Both old and new armaments had their place in this war of unification. The old wooden ships were fitted with rocket launchers and heavy artillery to provide fire support and cover for the ground troops.
Rockets flew like meteors through the gradually decreasing rain, and the orange light marked the beginning of the Amelanxi naval infantry breakthrough. Alicia personally went to the front line to command the operation, and the two brigades she deployed immediately became the sharpest sabers.
"B9-3, B9-3, thanks for the support! Enemy position destroyed. Repeat, enemy destroyed!"
A barrage of rockets rained down on a row of buildings. Lacking urban planning, many streets in the capital were occupied by illegal structures. These structures were not very sturdy, usually just wooden sheds used to increase the space of small shops along the street. Now, these sheds and the sandbags placed inside them were reduced to wreckage by the rockets.
"Wow, that's a real demolition!"
"Alright, college students, lower your heads. Her Majesty the Queen is watching us from behind."
The rain gradually stopped, but the dark clouds still lingered. The warning horn descended from the clouds, but Alice had already taken a helicopter to the ground. The headquarters of the 1st Guards Division was advancing along the front line.
The two leaders of Amelansi returned to the capital with their armies, warships, and cannons.
"How is the capital?"
"My lord, Queen Alicia's forces have completely occupied the lower city and are advancing towards the upper city."
In a mansion on the outskirts of the city, several nobles were gathered together. Most of the nobles were not clearly on one side, and Ekevich and Alicia did not need anyone's help.
The nobles were hedging their bets, investing money and land in Ekevich's camp as well as in Alicia's. It didn't matter who sat on the throne; what mattered was the money and titles they held!
“Hey, Your Excellency Baron, what did I say back then? That old monster Alicia won’t let this go so easily! For thousands of years, those vampire women have never been able to just sink into depravity like this. Either kill her or accept her rule, sooner or later.”
"Well, Viscount Jarvan, isn't it a bit too late for you to say that now? That damned Ekevich, I've invested a fortune in him!"
The arguments raged incessantly in the mansion. The nobles, having already heard rumors, had fled to the countryside. Halvin had long been a haven for many nobles, and now it had become their stronghold.
"Alright! Alright! Ladies and gentlemen! Quiet down!"
The manor's owner, Duke Haldor, signaled everyone to stop. He was well aware of the state of the war; based on what his men had seen of Alicia's army, which was massing and attacking in Brittany, Ekevich's defeat was inevitable.
The nobles had no intention of dying for anyone, especially since, legally speaking, Ekvich was the usurper. Although many of the nobles held titles bestowed by Ekvich, so what? With these titles, they possessed land and wealth, and it seemed that Alicia had no reason to attack them.
With just a change of flag, they would be loyal citizens of Amelianth, becoming "nobles appointed by the great Her Majesty Alicia," and continuing their extravagant lives.
Moreover, the North enjoys a richer lifestyle; once the war ends, they will be able to enjoy an incomparably wonderful aristocratic life.
The most pressing issue is how to appease the Empress. After all, although they have a few private soldiers, if Ekevich were to collapse, the hundreds of thousands of troops retreating from the capital could become their sword of Damocles at any moment.
More importantly, she returned. During her retreat to the north, the nobles present did their fair share of purging her friends. In an attempt to curry favor with the new emperor, several nobles tortured the palace guards, eventually uncovering Alicia's connections in the capital. The empress's commoner friends were unable to escape, and the nobles captured two young girls and presented them to Ekvich. A few days later, their bodies were seen being carried away from the palace, covered in wounds, with empty eyes and torn clothes.
She wouldn't let it go so easily. The daring Battle of Huangdu Bay a few years ago was her first act of revenge. With just two or three ships and cannons—the weapon that changed warfare—she annihilated the entire Huangdu navy.
Hundreds of ships, including many small boats that were just for show, but also about thirty major warships, sank into the bay. The wreckage can still be seen now. Huangdu Port was not fully restored until the middle of last year.
Now, a real and raging war is unfolding before them. Green-clad soldiers are advancing from the north like a tidal wave, with armored vehicles, tanks, artillery, and even flying warships and airplanes. Several nobles, initially motivated by the rewards promised by Ekevich, led their troops into battle, but their private armies were overwhelmed by a hail of shells before they could even hold out for a day. One noble fled back to his territory in terror, and to this day, no one has been heard of daring to go to war again.
Duke Haldor's military advisor was also in the noble army trying to observe the situation. As soon as he stepped onto the battlefield, he saw the fiercest artillery and the most undeniable offensive. A fortress that should have been easy to defend and difficult to attack had its walls destroyed by a day-long barrage of artillery fire. The defenders, who were on high ground, seemed to be surrounded and attacked. The Northern Army's tanks and armored vehicles became the spearhead of the attack, and even magicians could not destroy them.
It's too late to fight now.
"Gentlemen! Her Majesty the Queen may not be so magnanimous. Women hold grudges. I urge you gentlemen to immediately abandon anything related to that fellow Ekevich, absolve yourselves of responsibility, and discard all related businesses and individuals. The most urgent task now is to preserve ourselves!"
The tone is clear; the Duke's meaning is obvious: sever all ties with Ekevich—relationships, interests, and people—abandon them all. Ekevich's reaction is unknown, but the Amelansi troops are only three days away.
"Of course, for those gentlemen who are too deeply involved, I can only wish them good luck. I think Her Majesty the Queen would be happy to see their heads."
The perfect interpretation of "Truth lies only on the edge of the sword, and dignity only within the range of cannons" is right here. When Alicia retreated to the north, the nobles took advantage of her misfortune, but when the Ameliansi army approached, the nobles raised their glasses and shouted that Alicia would live forever.