Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 584 Assembly Number

Dave, with a bulging briefcase tucked under his arm, pushed open the door of the officers' club with one hand.

The entire hall was bustling with people. Many lower-level officers who had finished their shifts and were on vacation gathered in groups of three or five around the round table, happily playing cards.

"Dave! Here!" Benny stood up from the card table in the corner and waved to his fellow townsman and old friend.

Dave panted, pushing his way through the crowd and sat down in front of him. He frowned and said, "You just came out of the military camp? Why haven't you even changed out of your uniform?"

Benny grinned and said, "Why? After working at City Hall for so long, you've become a bureaucrat too?"

Then he raised his left hand, winked at Dave, and made a thumb and index finger rubbing gesture, urging him repeatedly, "Hurry up and take out the goodies you brought me!"

Dave rolled his eyes, pulled a long paper bag from his briefcase, handed it to his old friend, and began to ramble, "I've taken out my entire share this month. You should save some, it's not good for your health."

Benny didn't take it seriously at all. He leaned in through the paper packet, took a deep breath, and said with a smile, "Mint cigarettes are good stuff, but it's a pity you don't know how to enjoy them... This stuff is much higher quality than the roasted cigarettes issued by the army, and it's more refreshing. It's the real hard currency for soldiers on night patrols and when they go out into the battlefield!"

"Tsk... I knew you wouldn't listen. The medical center has had a lot of coughing patients lately. They've been vaccinated, but their condition hasn't improved. The doctors are speculating that it's caused by excessive smoking. The highest rates of these symptoms are in the military and factories."

Benny twirled his cuffs and was about to say something when the alchemical horn hanging in a corner of the club hall suddenly blew. The horn's humming sound was so rapid that all the soldiers in the hall stood up.

"Oh no, it's an emergency assembly call!" Benny quickly took out a folded note from his military uniform pocket, stuffed it into Dave's hand, and hurried towards the door.

In less than half a minute, Dave and a few waiters were the only ones left in the entire club hall, staring at each other in bewilderment. Only then did he come to his senses and unfold the note in his hand.

There was a string of crooked numbers written on it - this was Benny's registered bank account.

……

"Everyone, listen up! The Northern Army's Independent Regiment... the First, Second, and Third Battalions!"

"Operation Codename: Bear Hunt."

"Classification: Confidential."

"Assembly deadline: three hours. Standby at the East Coast Warship Port, ready to depart at any time!"

The commander stood on the podium and gave a concise order to assemble. After receiving the order to disperse, the subordinate non-commissioned officers received a list of tasks from their respective superiors.

Benny clutched the transfer order tightly in his hand and hurried back to the battalion headquarters... The soldiers had received the notice long ago and it only took them half an hour to complete the formation assembly.

Things are different now. When facing urgent military tasks, ordinary soldiers no longer need to worry about weapons, ammunition and logistical supplies... Once the assembly call sounds, it means that the logistics department has already made all preparations. They only need to collect combat weapons in turn within the specified time, check the ammunition, medical kits and three days of emergency rations they carry with them, which are enough for field operations.

The excess supplies were probably already loaded yesterday. They're just waiting for the soldiers to arrive fully equipped so they can launch their attack! Military deployments and movements often don't pass directly through the city. This is partly to avoid gossip and rumors spreading among the city dwellers, and partly because with so many troops, military carts struggle to navigate the relatively narrow streets.

By the time the last assembled troops arrived at the warship port, the sun had already set slightly in the west. The red, warm spring sun hung high on the distant hills, reflecting a dazzling golden light on the shallow-water gunboats made of steel.

"Captain, is this the rumored shallow-water heavy gunboat? It's absolutely spectacular! It's more than one model larger than an ordinary military ironclad ship!" The recruits stood on the dock, looking up at the huge ship anchored not far away, and exclaimed in a low voice.

Benny was also shocked, but he still maintained his dignity as a captain and frowned, saying, "Shut up! No private conversation!"

When it was his brigade's turn to officially board the ship, the young officer finally couldn't help but open his mouth slightly... This was not an ordinary huge ironclad ship, it was actually a war fortress that could move on the water.

There are four anti-aircraft beam cannons fixed on winches at the bow and stern, four large-caliber naval guns arranged side by side on both sides of the middle of the hull, and arrays of magic machine guns on both sides... There is even a small take-off and landing platform behind the watchtower that can accommodate three airships.

The bridge located in the middle and rear part of the ship is fully enclosed. When you step on the deck, you can feel slight vibrations coming from below... Needless to say, it must be the magic power core in the engine room that is in the activation and preheating stage.

A naval officer with the rank of second lieutenant on his chest hurried forward, holding the roll call book in his hand and shouted, "Second Battalion, Third Squadron, Captain Benny, immediately go to cabin number two on the lower level and stand by."

Benny was stunned for a moment, then asked dryly, "Sir, what's the official departure time..."

"In half an hour!"

……

As the sun sets, the military airship landing and take-off site behind the military camp.

Harvey led a team of personal guards and stood in the center. He instructed the burly fire mage, Fel Holden, "Mr. Fel, please follow instructions. The key to this battle... lies in whether your airship squadron can successfully attract the attention of the enemy's air force."

The Son of Flame waved his hands impatiently and said in a gruff voice, "Alright, alright, Mr. Harvey, His Majesty the Emperor! You've been whispering in my ear for an hour now. Have the ground troops boarded the ship and set sail yet?"

Harvey took out his pocket watch and glanced at it, then said helplessly, "They left three hours ago."

"Compared to the speed of airships, warships travel much more slowly in rivers. Therefore, once you arrive at the designated assembly point a hundred miles from Great Bear Lake, you must not alert the enemy and patiently wait for the ground forces to arrive and join you."

Before he could finish, the Son of Flame automatically recited the rest of the passage, "After reuniting with the ground forces, the advance soldiers will march rapidly at night to the south side of Big Bear Lake and establish a defensive line to block the enemy. Once all preparations are complete... the airship squadron will then take off, approach the floating island, and use beam weapons to fire the first shot in the decoy operation!"

Harvey smiled wryly and nodded, adding, "Please do not separate from the main force and act alone. This is not a decapitation operation. Our ultimate goal is to completely defeat the enemy, destroy their floating islands to the greatest extent possible, and annihilate their active forces."

Fell curled his lips and chuckled, "Of course I understand. This way, we can compete with the ground troops in kill records and see who is the true combat ace!"

After saying this, he couldn't help rubbing his hands and muttered, "Colonel Vaughan... Humph, I hope he won't let me down."

(End of this chapter)