Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 573: Navy's "Southern Expedition"

After receiving the transfer order from His Majesty the Emperor and the military, Guterres immediately led the naval battalion headquarters, which was training at the Ice Sea Base, back to Spark City.

Taking advantage of the last public holiday before the expedition, he hurried home and asked his wife to help pack his luggage - this operation arranged for them to lead the team south, enter the Faros along the Ralph River, and finally arrive at the territory of the sea tribe in the southern waters.

Without the help of a long-distance teleportation array, this was a very long march.

The only son, who happened to be on holiday on the same day, returned home excitedly and ran into his father, whom he hadn't seen for three months, sitting at the dining table and eating in silence.

"Father? Why are you back?" Little Gut had just finished his shift and hadn't even had time to change out of the Defense Force's standard uniform. He looked at his father who should have been at the Ice Sea Base at this moment and asked in confusion.

Guterres glanced at him and did not intend to respond. He picked up the knife and fork and continued to deal with the fried steak on the plate.

Little Gut sat down across from him, puzzled, and said to himself, "His Majesty has assigned you a new mission? Besides the training at the Ice Sea Base and the sweep against the evil orc tribes, your navy system has no other use?"

Boom!
Guterres slammed his glass down on the table, eyebrows raised, and said angrily, "Does the SADF have no confidentiality regulations to abide by? You're just asking officers from other combat systems for operational details. Aren't you afraid of being brought before military court?"

"You're really being picky..." Little Gut choked and muttered, "How can the confidentiality level for non-combat missions be that high? Besides, it's already been clearly published in the military's internal publication. Can't people discuss it?"

Like the Spark City Weekly, the Northern Army's internal publications were regularly printed and distributed newspapers and periodicals. The only difference was that they were only circulated within the Northern Army. They mostly published news reports on the results of recent military operations, or reviews of new weapons that were already in the production stage. These reports generally did not violate military confidentiality regulations. By publishing them in official publications, they provided lower-level soldiers with a reliable channel for obtaining information, completely suppressing all kinds of rumors within the army.

Reports on the Northern Navy rarely appear in newspapers. When they are occasionally published, they naturally attract the attention and discussion of many soldiers, not to mention people like little Gut... whose father is a high-ranking officer in the navy.

Guterres put down his knife and fork, took a breath, and said in a deep voice, "This time we are going to the southern border to carry out a mission. Regarding the military contact with the sea people, I can't say more..."

He paused, looked up and down at his son's Defense Force uniform, and saw that the cuffs on his chest were empty, with only the pattern representing the lowest-ranking soldier's rank embroidered on them, and he couldn't help but sigh.

"Don't embarrass me again during this year's military promotion review."

Little Gut immediately understood what his father meant and argued quietly, "His Majesty said... once everyone in the defense force has achieved numerous military exploits, it means our home city has been through so much war. Having no military exploits doesn't matter... Progressing through years of experience is also a good idea."

Raising his hand to refill his father's glass with light beer, little Gutt said softly, "Besides, the Defense Force will soon be deploying its latest anti-aircraft weapons. After I return to the team... my battalion will also be conducting large-scale joint exercises."

Soldiers naturally desire war, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to cherish peace.

……

Since the spring plowing season began, Harvey has been kept busy almost daily. Daylong meetings are commonplace. While he's intensively planning a battle strategy against the Lizardmen, he also maintains control over domestic development, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Spark City has grown at a breakneck pace, its influence and control extending far beyond a single city. With convenient transportation and transparent official information, any policy or decree from Harvey or the City Hall is enough to quickly cause a stir throughout Saint Valen.

Even Reiner, an alchemical creation, now needs the assistance of his growing municipal team to complete the complex work plans and statistical reports that he could complete alone in the past. He has asked Harvey more than once to upgrade his soul core as soon as possible so that he can more easily cope with the complex administrative work.

Rather than the national management work that someone else had to "carry the heavy burden" for him, Harvey paid more attention to the combat strategy formulated against the Demon Lizardmen, and he almost never missed any combat meeting involving high-level military officials.

In just a month and a half, Bellec, the largest city on the northern border of Isengard, was suddenly attacked by the Lizardmen who emerged from the vast wilderness at night. The entire city with a population of more than 10,000 was reduced to ruins overnight.

Including the Lord, Duke Bellec himself, no one was left alive...

From the messages sent back by the Stoneheart Cultists who had sneaked into the city in advance and were responsible for collecting information for the Northern Army before their death, they were shocked to discover that there were also traces of Winged Ones among the Lizardmen combat units on Floating Island No. 1... It was also because of these Winged Lizardmen that the towering stone walls of Bellek offered almost no resistance.

Several red lightning bolts directly blasted open the heavy city gate, and nearly ten thousand demon lizardmen poured into the city and launched a silent massacre. Where the black water raged, flames rose and lit up the sky above the city.

"Their evolution is synchronized..."

The atmosphere at today's high-level military meeting was a bit strange. It wasn't because the mild-mannered Emperor suddenly lost his temper, but because the person he invited to attend the meeting was... the legendary chief of the Federation, His Excellency Kemo Salas.

The vast majority of Northern Border officers were of ordinary origin. There were a few bloodline warriors occasionally, but most of them did not consider themselves extraordinary beings... The sudden appearance of a legendary wizard in front of them really made everyone feel uneasy.

As a result, only Harvey dared to respond to the Chief's statement. "It is indeed synchronized, but we cannot be sure how the two floating islands thousands of miles apart are connected."

Sarath nodded in agreement and suggested with a smile, "This problem can't be solved overnight. You should first consider whether to send more troops to Isengard... If Belek falls, the capital, Iron Hill, will be destroyed in no time."

At least from the current situation, apart from the Northern Army equipped with magical weapons, the elite cavalry under the secular lords, or the spellcasting consultants supported by the nobles, are unable to resist the attack of the Magic Lizardmen... Regardless of combat power or numbers, it is not difficult for the more than 30,000 Magic Lizardmen on Floating Island No. 1 to sweep across the entire Isengard.

"Unless the Holy See sends reinforcements."

Sarath chuckled at this and said slowly, "Based on my understanding of them over the years, of Goris's thirteen Judgment Legions, apart from the Spear of Glory, whose designation was completely lost after you defeated them, and the two stationed in Blackrock City, the other five are scattered across the dioceses of the southern border..."

The Holy See currently has no more than five Inquisition Legions available for deployment, totaling only about 10,000 people.

Moreover, the remaining Judgment Legion is not completely in a state of internal harmony... At least except for the two legions controlled by the Divine Punishment Faction, the other Judgment Legion commanders are probably unwilling to go to Isengard to rescue a mad king and his crumbling royal family.

(End of this chapter)