Alice in the Land of Steam

Is Chapter 1187 the only chance?

"how did you do it?"

Ling Ge asked directly: "Those two people will not willingly give up their positions, right?"

Carson Borg had no intention of hiding this, after all, this matter was somewhat related to Lingge.

"I have some friends in the Ash Hand and the Forest Rangers. Initially, they fought with me for the liberation of the Ansus region. But later, they were disappointed by the inaction of the Kingdom Army. They felt that they could no longer rely on corrupt and incompetent politicians to expel the invaders and completely liberate their hometown. Therefore, they were attracted to more radical ideas."

At this point, Carson Borg sighed, "I can't say their ideas are completely wrong. In fact, even I was dissatisfied with the royal family and the corrupt politicians in the court at that time. It's just that I think the kingdom is weak. If there is still internal division and struggle, I am afraid there will be no chance to regain the homeland in the future. That's why I insisted and didn't want to follow them. Of course, I have no right to comment on whether their ideas are right or not, but their vision is indeed not good. Whether it is Dita who founded the Hand of Ashes or Alessent who led the Forest Rangers, they are not the kind of people who are capable of realizing their ambitions."

"They have proven this in every battle. The Hand of Ashes indiscriminately assassinated anyone who was unwilling to stand up against the invaders, even ordinary people, and repeatedly pushed those who could have become allies to the enemy. Dita was stubborn and refused everyone's persuasion. The Forest Rangers wanted to make the Ansus region independent of the kingdom. Their separatist ideas were extremely resisted by the kingdom, and naturally it was difficult for them to get support from the smuggling channels controlled by the kingdom. Erecent had no ability to obtain the much-needed supplies, but he still launched attacks again and again, not only causing heavy casualties, but also the lack of food and medicine made the warriors who followed him suffer."

"Under such circumstances, my old friends also began to doubt their choices, but they were powerless to change the status quo. They could only gather a group of people with the same ideas and support themselves. Under such circumstances, I brought them the much-needed support and asked them to promise me that they would not remain silent at the critical moment." Grayhill Eagle paused here, stared into the young man's eyes and said: "The supplies I gave them were actually obtained from you, Mr. Ling."

"I see. Did you think about what happened today, Mr. Carson?" Linger thought. He did not think it was rude for Carson Borg to give away the supplies that he had provided to the Ash Guerrillas. Being able to use all resources to the best advantage is a necessary quality for a leader and also a manifestation of foresight.

"It was just a vague idea. After all, I was not sure what actions Dita and Elesent would take. I originally planned to make a decision after this operation, depending on how the subsequent situation developed. However, it was the information Mr. Linger gave me that gave me some confidence. Since the operation was bound to succeed, I expected that the two of them would never miss this great opportunity, but it was also a good opportunity for me to plot against them."

Grayhill Eagle had a calm expression, and did not hide the fact that he was calculating against others: "After I gave those supplies to a few old friends, I did not let them take them out immediately to win people's hearts, but forbeared for the time being. Until today, Dita and Erecent's attack on the town of Emang seemed to have brought a brilliant victory, but the subsequent seized supplies had to be abandoned because of the pursuers. The shortage of supplies within the Hand of Ashes and the Forest Rangers has not been improved. In addition, they have not changed their past unscrupulous style and still attack ordinary people. The voices of dissatisfaction within have long been boiling. At the meeting, I and the leaders of the other two resistance organizations questioned them outside, and my old friends suddenly launched an attack inside and won the support of many members. Dita and Erecent were helpless and finally paid the price for their arrogance and short-sightedness."

He smiled and said to Lingge, "At the meeting, we have reached an agreement to form an alliance and take joint action with the liberation of the Ansers region as the most important mission. As for the differences in ideas, let's put them aside for now. After we drive the invaders out of the Ash Hill, how these people fight will be a matter between them and the kingdom."

Grayhill Eagle does not participate in political struggles, he only fights for his ideals and justice.

After listening to his narration of the whole story, Linger was also somewhat moved, but not for the event itself, but for the wisdom and strategy shown by the man in front of him, as well as his long-term vision: "This matter sounds simple, but it is probably not that easy to do. You must have started planning a long time ago, Mr. Carson? Even long before we arrived in the East Continent. In this case, we just happened to meet and happened to complete the last link in your plan."

Carson Borg smiled and said, “It is also the most critical link.”

He had indeed long ago been dissatisfied with the style of the Ash Hand and the Forest Rangers, thinking that they had not only failed to contribute to the liberation of the Ansus region, but had brought many negative effects, so he secretly conspired with his old friends to try to change them from within. However, the supplies, intelligence, and more importantly, the leeway in the plan brought by Lingge were the key factors for the Gray Hill Eagle to have the confidence to launch the attack in advance.

Lingge praised sincerely: "Very impressive."

"Is it impressive?" Carson Borg said self-deprecatingly: "I think it's despicable."

"Why?" Linger frowned slightly. "If you feel ashamed of Dita and Elesent, I don't think you need to. If they were capable, things wouldn't have evolved to this point. Even their own people are beginning to oppose their decision. Isn't that enough to prove the truth?"

"It has nothing to do with them."

Grayhill Eagle shook his head slowly. "It's just that for this plan, I deliberately let the Ash Hand and the Forest Rangers attack the town of Emang, which implicated ordinary people in the town. This is indeed a despicable thing. It can't be explained by the four words "have no choice". I still have some self-knowledge in my heart."

At this point, he couldn't help but laugh at himself: "I originally wanted to recover my homeland in an honorable way, but later I found that an honorable person can become a hero, but can never become a qualified leader."

The current Ash Rangers, the current Ash Hill, and the current Ansus region need a leader, not a hero. The Eagle of Ash Hill made his choice.

Ling had no right to comment on this, but he couldn't help but wonder, if he were in Carson Borg's shoes, would he make the same decision? Ling in the past would have definitely done so, just as he always thought he was a rational and indifferent person. But now it's not the case, he can't think of the answer, just as he no longer knows what kind of person he is now.

"Look at it from a bright side. At least the Hand of Ashes and the Forest Ranger have changed their ways with your help. Things like this shouldn't happen again in the future, right?" the young man consoled.

This is of course impossible. As long as the war continues, there will always be innocent people who get hurt. But that is the fault of the war, not Grayhill Eagle. Everyone has to compromise in the war to gain something, or to be more realistic, just to survive. Carson Borg is not an isolated case. Thinking of this, although the young man's comfort was a little thin, it still made Grayhill Eagle feel better.

The young man also changed the subject at the right time: "What are you going to do next, Mr. Carson? To be honest, although this operation ended in victory, it seems that it did not achieve the original strategic goal?"

The young man was referring to the fact that Carson Borg used this action to test the reaction of the 17th Legion. The Ash Hand and the Forest Rangers attacked the town of Emang without authorization, further expanding the war, which would undoubtedly trigger a chain reaction and make this tentative attack meaningless. If the 17th Legion regarded it as a signal of declaration of war and started a direct battle, I am afraid that this newly established alliance may not be able to win even if they fight together.

When Grayhill Eagle decided to indulge the behavior of those two people, had he already thought of a strategy to deal with it?
"Regarding this matter," Carson Borg hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have a piece of news to tell you, Mr. Ling. This is intelligence from the Kingdom, and it was passed to me the day before the operation began. At that time, I wanted to share it with you, but the operation was about to begin, and its authenticity could not be confirmed, so I kept it until now."

"Appreciate further details."

Linger was all ears, not surprised that the man in front of him had a private connection with the Kingdom's intelligence department. After all, the attitude of the Gray Hill Eagle has always been clear, as long as it is for the purpose of regaining their homeland, no matter who is willing to cooperate. In addition, with his status and reputation in Gray Hill, it was only natural that the Kingdom took the initiative to ask for cooperation.

"The Axis Powers have withdrawn from the Central Front."

Although there was no one else around, Carson Borg still lowered his voice, as if he was afraid that the invisible shadow in the darkness would hear this shocking news: "The reason is unknown, but it is certain. Among the three major powers in the Western Continent, the Kingdom of Great Britta withdrew two legions, the White City Republic withdrew three legions, and the Mindreas Empire withdrew three legions as well as a group of officers serving in the Central Battlefield. In addition to these three powers, other small countries that were part of the Axis also withdrew some of their troops. In other words, the current Central Battlefield is actually in an empty state. Before the intelligence came, the Axis had already moved its defense line back and entered a strategic defense state."

Grayhill Eagle's face was reflected by the bonfire, showing a deep thought: "I don't know what they want to do, but the people in the kingdom's intelligence department speculated that it is very likely that something major happened in the western continent, which made these countries rush to withdraw their troops and stabilize their homeland."

But what kind of serious incident could make them take such a cautious attitude? Ling Ge was thoughtful and asked, "Did the cult withdraw its troops?"

He asked about the key point, and Carson Borg was not surprised. The young man in front of him seemed to have an amazing intuition, always able to keenly grasp the most critical point of everything. The man shook his head slowly: "This is the most thought-provoking part of the whole thing. The Crusaders not only did not withdraw, but also sent a batch of troops to fill the vacancies left by other countries after the withdrawal. It is said that the Crusaders' naval forces stationed in the Broken Sea have already set out to support the central battlefield, and the blockade of Josi Beach has shown signs of loosening. The Kingdom Intelligence Department speculates that if nothing unexpected happens, the Crusaders' airship forces stationed in Suare City will also receive a call-up order. They need to cross the Ansers Mountains and become the first batch of troops to support the central battlefield. In this way, the major force that the Seventeenth Legion has always relied on may not be able to return to defend in a short period of time."

"So, it's meaningless to test or not test?" Ling understood Carson Borg's idea: "As long as the enemy's main force is transferred away and the defense is vacant, you will declare war on the 17th Legion and seize this rare opportunity to recapture the Ansers area?"

"Yes."

Carson Borg remained calm and did not get excited or fanatical. He said carefully: "But there are still many doubts. For example, is the Axis withdrawal only temporary and will be replenished soon? Is the Crusader Navy in the Broken Sea just pretending to withdraw, and everything is a bait they set? The Crusader's transfer of the airship troops stationed in Suare City is just a guess by the Kingdom's intelligence department and may not be accurate. Even if the above are true, we can't rashly launch an attack in a short time. Therefore, my idea is to continue to focus on small-scale offensives. , but we can be bolder. We should not test the reaction of the 17th Legion, but stimulate them to react. Once they react, we can find out their true strength and respond accordingly. On the other hand, we should inform other resistance organizations that have not yet decided to join the alliance. If they do not want to miss this best opportunity, joining us and acting together is the only choice. I believe they know what choice to make. In addition, we should continue to contact the intelligence department of the kingdom and ask them to urge the royal family and the court officials to make a decision as soon as possible, send troops, and recover the lost territory. "

"If this plan is carried out smoothly enough, I estimate that it will be a good time to declare war on the Seventeenth Legion."

Grayhill Eagle had a serious expression on his face. His shadow flickered in the firelight, as if blown by the wind. “It’s also our only chance.”

Give meow
(End of this chapter)