Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1405 Is it time for another decision?
A suffocating atmosphere permeated the meeting room of Blackfire Fortress, as if even the air itself had solidified into heavy lead. A map of the Atoliga province, hanging on the rough stone wall, was glaringly altered by newly added scarlet markings. A glance at the map clearly revealed the fall of the Mikkelsen Corridor in the south of the Empire, and the insignia of several border cities had been replaced with black pins representing Axis control.

Cheryl stood before the map, her back straight and unmoving, like a stubborn flag. Only her tightly clenched knuckles, slightly white, betrayed the turmoil in her heart. The flickering light of the kerosene lamp cast a deep shadow between her furrowed brows. This trusted leader was pondering, or rather, awaiting news.

"Dong dong."

At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the conference room door. Cheryl snapped out of her reverie and whispered, "Come in." The door opened, and a young officer entered the conference room.

Cheryl recognized him; to be precise, she knew almost every comrade who had sworn to serve the people and fought alongside her on the battlefield. Some were veterans who had started the uprising with their brothers, while others had joined later out of admiration for the Jihad Army's deeds. Some were in command, some were skilled at building fortifications, and others willingly hid in the shadows, using various shady channels to gather intelligence for the Jihad Army.

The officer who joined the meeting at the last minute was the last one.

Instantly, all eyes were on him. He appeared young, but was by no means a new recruit; he had been with the Holy War Army for five or six years and had always earned everyone's trust due to his composed character. Even so, he still felt uneasy under such intense scrutiny, his expression stiffening for a moment. Those who knew the Holy War Army best understood this feeling; after all, everyone gathered in the meeting room was a legend of Atoliga, a figure the Empire desperately wanted to eliminate.

Leader Cheryl, Commander of Blackfire Fortress Kylo, ​​the war zone commanders and heads of the three underground zones, the legion commanders in charge of leading the miners and engineers, the armory officer in charge of logistics for the entire Feather Mine, and even several operatives posing as merchants operating in the Imperial occupied territories to prepare supplies and gather intelligence for the Holy War Army were all urgently recalled. If the Imperial garrison commander in the province of Atoliga were to see this, he would surely wonder if the Holy War Army was about to launch the next "Assyrian Holy War."
However, the truth is quite the opposite.

The ones who will take action will not be the Holy War Army, but the Empire... and the Axis powers.

"How's it going?"

Cheryl turned her gaze from the map to the young officer who had entered the conference room and asked in a gentle voice.

These words miraculously dispelled the tension in the other party's heart. The young officer subconsciously swallowed, nodded, and reported the intelligence he had just received to Cheryl and everyone in the conference room: "It has been verified; the intelligence is accurate. Several days ago, the Mikkelsen Corridor was breached, and the Axis forces advanced rapidly, crossing Mirror Lake and Ironflow Valley. They fought several battles with the Black Blade Legion at Burial Grounds, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats, but overall, the Axis forces still have the advantage. So far, the area south of the Ziliu Iron River has fallen into the hands of the Axis forces, and the Empire is organizing its defenses based on the two strategic passes of Rock Keep and High Rock City..."

Upon hearing this, a contemptuous sneer echoed in the conference room. Someone coldly said, "This isn't exactly unexpected news. After all, the Black Blade Legion's commander, Pharos, is nothing but a sycophantic villain who only got to his position because of his brother-in-law, who is the military governor of High Rock City. It's already surprising that he didn't choose to retreat immediately."

After decades of stalemate, the Holy War Army and the Imperial Army knew each other inside and out. Therefore, this situation was actually within both sides' expectations. The only surprise was probably the fall of the Mikkelsen Corridor. According to intelligence, it seemed that the Axis powers had deployed a secret weapon, but there was no more specific information, so no one knew its true nature. A more elite force? The latest magical technology? There were even rumors of undisclosed construct mechs. If it was about dominating the battlefield and turning the tide of battle, all three were possible, but the last possibility was the one they least wanted to see.

No matter how elite the troops, casualties will occur; no matter how advanced the magical technology, countermeasures and even the underlying principles will inevitably be found. Only construct mechs remain uncounted by the people of the Eastern Continent. Otherwise, the warship Nidhogg wouldn't be allowed to roam the seas and oceans with such dominance. The oppressive feeling brought by such a colossal machine, surpassing the limits of mortal imagination, appearing on the battlefield is unimaginable.

Nidhogg... what an unpleasant name, then and now.

Cheryl let out a soft breath and continued to ask, "What happened next? Did neither side make any further moves?"

“There has indeed been no further fighting, but it doesn’t look like a ceasefire is imminent. Both sides are mobilizing troops, and there are unusual movements in several places…” At Cheryl’s signal, the young officer went to the military map and marked the locations mentioned in the intelligence report one by one. In this way, the situation was clear at a glance.

Both the Imperial Army and the Axis powers were converging their supply lines and building fortifications in the same direction, even abandoning several unimportant outposts on the periphery in the process.

"It seems they're coming for us," Commander Kailo of Blackfire Fortress said in a deep voice. "I never expected that the Empire and the Axis powers could put aside their differences and reach an agreement."

“It may not be an agreement, it might just be a tacit understanding.” Cheryl sighed softly. “Who told us to be the weakest, yet occupy the largest mine in Atorica? When there are common interests, talking about enemies or friends is meaningless; those politicians understand this better than we do.”

The Axis powers needed the rich mineral resources of the Feather Mine, and they knew that targeting the Jihad Army would encounter no resistance; even the Imperials would likely join the war. The Imperials, with their own mines, were less concerned with the resources of the Feather Mine, but were very interested in removing the Jihad Army, a stubborn thorn in their side. They also wanted to use this opportunity to send a warning to those nations that were unwilling to join the Allied Forces. After all, once the Jihad Army was wiped out, the Axis armies could advance unimpeded and invade countries like Saint-Chron and Lenta. To protect themselves, they would inevitably seek the assistance of the Allied Forces and must contribute their strength.

Therefore, the Imperial Army's breach of the Mikkelsen Corridor and the sudden shift in the situation on the central front were actually bad news for the Holy War Army, which had always regarded the Empire as its mortal enemy. This suggests that interests and positions are among the most complex things in the world; interests may equate to positions, but they are sometimes difficult to reconcile.

However, at this point, there's no point in saying any more.

“Let’s discuss how to respond,” Cheryl said to everyone in the meeting room. A deeper silence fell. Besieged on all sides, surrounded by powerful enemies, the Holy War Army was like a small boat in a raging storm, vulnerable to being swallowed whole at any moment. Some suggested a preemptive strike to disrupt the enemy's plans; others advocated holding their ground in the complex terrain of the mine, waiting for a turn of events that might never come; still others hesitated, whispering amongst themselves about whether they should consider… a retreat.

Each option comes with enormous risks and obvious drawbacks. To attack would be futile, given the disparity in troop strength; to defend would mean exhausting resources eventually, and the enemy would never give them a chance to regroup; to relocate would mean abandoning the base they had cultivated for many years, losing the support of the mineral veins, and the holy war army would return to its old path of exile, or even be surrounded and annihilated by the enemy during the relocation.

Some even suggested seeking help from the fairies of Paradise Village to spread the news that the Axis powers had broken through the Mikkelsen Corridor and that the Imperial Army was powerless or even aiding and abetting the evildoers throughout the continent. Then, in the name of the Holy War Army, they could call on all those with a sense of justice to rise up in resistance.

That is, to launch another "Assyrian holy war".

Cheryl fell silent upon hearing this.

The rebellion, which was in the name of freedom and justice, blessed by fairies, and launched in accordance with the will of the people, once kept the old emperor of the empire tossing and turning at night, fearing that he would wake up to hear bad news such as which city had fallen or which province had seen a new uprising. At that time, the Yalas United Empire was in turmoil and looked like it was about to fall apart.

But all the glory is ultimately just a passing cloud.

Let alone the fact that the Holy War Army is now holed up in Atorica and unable to launch a second Assyrian Holy War, even if it had the strength, could it really be like the first Holy War, where a single call would bring a multitude of people to the rescue, as if the whole world were full of like-minded people and a path leading to freedom and justice?
That's something only heroes can do, like His Majesty Italos, the one-winged dragon slayer, or his own brother, the second wielder of the fairy sword Hydras, a man of unwavering faith and conviction. People like that, even without external assistance, even without everyone's approval, would surely steadfastly continue down the path they believe in, wouldn't they?
Cheryl, however, has not yet reached that level. In the eyes of outsiders, she is undoubtedly a hero, having tenaciously supported the Holy War Army for decades, not only escaping annihilation by the Imperial army but also managing the Feather Mine so effectively that it became a lawless zone within Imperial territory. But only she knows that those with limited abilities can only do so much. As for going further, changing the fate of a race and a region like His Majesty Italos, or changing the fate of countless people like her brother? She cannot do it.

Otherwise, this leader, who appears as a young girl, wouldn't have sought solace in legends. The legends of the fairy sword Hydras, the Holy Grail that grants wishes, and the heavenly battleship Nibelungen are ancient and widely circulated, not secrets known only to her. Yet, over the years, only Cheryl has been determined to pursue them. Is it because everyone else is too foolish, thinking it's not worth it?
No, it's because they were all too realistic, believing that the effort and reward were disproportionate, so they readily gave up; while Cheryl maintained a sentimental, even somewhat naive, personality, habitually placing all the things she was powerless on a vague hope. Perhaps this is why, as time passed, she was still able to maintain her youthful appearance many years later? Fairy magic follows the heart; whatever your heart is like, that's what it will manifest.

Cheryl couldn't help but think of the travelers who had come from afar.

Presumably, they are currently exploring the Dark Cloud Abyss, a land untouched since ancient times, attempting to find the legendary celestial warship Nibelungen, which is said to have challenged the stars. If only they could find it! Even if Nibelungen and the fairy sword Hydras could not be reassembled into the Holy Grail, said to grant any wish, this celestial warship alone would have a crucial impact on this war. Cheryl even hoped it truly possessed the power to challenge the stars; perhaps then it could contend with that mysterious construct mech.

Despite knowing the hope was slim, Cheryl couldn't help but think that this was the biggest difference between her and her brother. Faced with a predicament beyond human control, her brother would surely rise up, inspiring everyone with his enthusiasm and faith, always leading them from the front. As long as they followed that figure, whether the outcome was victory or death, everyone seemed to be content. But she could only pray, wait, and hold onto hope like a little girl.

Discussions, controversies, assessments, and endless speeches...

It was in this strange and somewhat unsettling atmosphere that Cheryl suddenly heard a familiar voice. Her heart skipped a beat, and then, disregarding the intense and tense discussion in the meeting room, she simply said, "I have some things to discuss first," and hurriedly left the meeting room, leaving behind a blank stare.

As Cheryl left the meeting room and stepped into the corridor, the first thing she saw was the small, lion-like creature, perched on a stone seat at the end of the corridor, watching her like a silent statue. Only upon seeing Cheryl did it let out a soft meow, its voice very similar to a cat's.

“Sephis,” Cheryl greeted it, gently stroking its head, and asked, “Why did you come here? Could it be… there’s news from over there?”

The little beast named Serphis nodded slightly, then let out another cry, but this time its voice was like a lion's roar. Although it was deliberately lowered, it still gave people a sense of fear and majesty from the bottom of their hearts.

Cheryl understood what it meant and showed a thoughtful expression.

"The Grey Mushroom People, the Abyss, Nibelungen...?"

As she talked to herself, she looked up and gazed toward the Dark Cloud Abyss. The black horizon and the gloomy clouds seemed to foreshadow something. A commotion came from the Feather Mine, where the miners were carrying out preparations for a storm.

It's time to make a decision again.

She couldn't help but think about it.

Give me some cats