Lord: I can see loyalty.

Blackwater City, Council Hall.

The candlelight flickered in the draft, casting an intermittent glow on the map of the southern border hanging on the wall.

Vio sat in the main seat, with a detailed military deployment map of the North spread out on the long table in front of him. The map marked in red with the main positions of the Northern Allied Knights Army, supply lines, and the distribution of troops of each family.

Seated on either side of the hall were the core generals of the Southern and Western Territories—Jimmy, Ansquie, Russell, Glenn, William, and Xavier, as well as Marcus, who had come from the Western Territories—not the one from the Northern Territories, but the vice-commander of the Whale Knights.

Timothy didn't come; she needed to stay on the western coast to guard against another sea attack from the north.

"Everyone's here." Vio raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Although the Northern Allied Knights' army is said to number 30,000, they lost over a thousand elite soldiers in the battles of Blackwater and Blackwood."

"Morale is low, supply lines are long, and those small and medium-sized families are not united and each has their own agenda. This is the best time for us to take the initiative."

Jimmy nodded. "The Earl is right. How many troops can be mobilized from the Southern and Western borders combined?"

Xavier opened the booklet in his hand, his voice steady. "The elite militia of the Southern Territory, after these rounds of expansion and training, currently numbers 23,000. The militia of the Western Territory, under the command of Vice Commander Marcus, numbers 12,000. The Knights of the Azure Peak—"

He looked at Jimmy.

Jimmy picked up the thread, "The Azure Peak Knights currently have several thousand elite knights, plus reserves and apprentice knights, bringing the total to nearly five thousand."

"Among them, knights with advanced Serpent Eagle Swordsmanship accounted for 30%, those with intermediate level accounted for 50%, and the rest were beginner level."

"Where is the Giant Whale Knights?" Vio asked Marcus.

Marcus stood up, his voice steady. "The Giant Whale Knights currently have six hundred official knights, one hundred of whom are proficient in the White Whale Sword Technique, and the rest are advanced in basic swordsmanship."

"In addition, there is an infantry auxiliary force of two thousand men responsible for guarding the western coast."

Vio nodded, silently calculating in his mind.

The total military strength in the southern and western territories consisted of approximately 35,000 militiamen and about 5,600 men in the two knightly orders.

However, the militia's fighting strength was far inferior to that of the knights, and in a head-on battle, they would still be at a disadvantage.

However, they had two elite forces, the Azure Peak Knights and the Giant Whale Knights, as well as Valentine's magical bombs for support...

"It seems that troop strength is not a problem." Vio's voice was calm. "We also have the advantage of terrain, city walls, magic bombs, and most importantly, morale."

"Why are those small and medium-sized families in the North fighting this war? For war merits, for rewards, for a share of the spoils after the war. They're not here to die. As long as we can decisively defeat them on the main battlefield, their morale will collapse."

"So how should the tactics be arranged?" Ansquie asked.

Vio walked to the map and pointed to the location of the main camp of the Northern Allied Knights.

"Their main force is stationed on the plains north of Black Forest, and their food supplies are all transported from the rear. If we can cut off their supply lines, they won't last long."

"Cut off their supply lines?" Jimmy frowned. "That would require an elite force to outflank them, but their scouts are spread across the entire plain, making it difficult to remain undetected."

"So we need to launch a feint attack from the front to draw their attention." Vio's finger moved across the map. "The main forces of the Azure Peak Knights and the Whale Knights will advance from Blackwater City."

"The militia followed, creating the illusion of a massive army pressing in. Seeing that we had come out in full force, they would definitely move their main force to the front to meet us in battle."

"Then who will cut off the supply line?" Russell asked.

Vio turned to look at him. "You will lead a few squads of elite knights to go around through the mountain pass to the east. Although that road is difficult, the scouts in the north will not notice it. Once you get there, burn their granaries and cut off their supply lines."

Russell stood up and clasped his hands in a deep fist salute. "Yes, sir!"

"Glen." Vio looked at Glenn again.

Glenn stood up from the corner, his calm eyes looking at Vio.

"You take the Gray Hyena Mercenary Group and the Western Militia and infiltrate from the western mountains. You don't need to fight any hard battles; just keep harassing their flanks and keeping them constantly on the move."

Glenn nodded. "Understood."

"As for the main battlefield..." Vio's gaze fell on Jimmy and Ansquie, "You will be in command. The Azure Peak Knights will be the vanguard, the Giant Whale Knights will be the backbone, and the militia will provide support."

"Remember, don't rush into a decisive battle. First, wear them down. Once Russell has burned their granaries, then we'll launch a full-scale attack."

"Yes, sir!" the crowd responded in unison.

Vio turned around, his gaze landing on Valentine. "Uncle, how are the magic bombs coming along?"

Valentine stroked his beard, a hint of smugness on his old face.

"We've made over thirty more in the last two weeks, bringing the total to fifty, including the ones we had before. They're even more powerful and more stable than the first batch. Once used, they can blast open a clearing in the enemy's ranks."

"That's enough." Vio nodded. "When facing them head-on, use magic bombs to disrupt their formation first."

He paused, his gaze turning serious. "There's one more thing. How's Alec's breakthrough going?"

The hall was quiet for a moment. Jimmy and Ansquie exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.

Valentine shook his head. "I asked him, and he's still practicing. Breaking through from the third to the fourth level of the White Whale Breathing Technique is harder than expected. He's been stuck at the bottleneck for over half a month, always just a little bit short."

Vio remained silent for a moment.

"So close, so very close. Breakthroughs can't be rushed." He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Alec's not here, so the front lines are up to you."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency." Jimmy stood up, his voice firm. "The Knights of the Azure Peak will not fail in their mission."

"The Whale Knights too." Marcus also stood up.

Vio nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Then it's settled. In three days, the entire army will march north."

Outside the window, the night wind howled.

Dark clouds are gathering on the northern horizon; the scales of war are about to tip.

……

Western Frontier, the headquarters of the Giant Whale Knights, Knight Training Room.

Alec Stone sat cross-legged in the center of the secret chamber, his greatsword resting on his lap, his platinum armor gleaming warmly in the candlelight.

His eyes were closed, and his breathing was long and deep, each exhale causing the air in the room to tremble slightly.

The beluga whale breathing technique surged within him, rising and falling like the tides of the ocean.

He could sense that the door was right in front of him, not far, but not close either. He had been sitting there for three days and three nights without moving an inch.

The leap from the third to the fourth order is a qualitative one.

It's not something you can break through with brute force; it requires a catalyst, a sudden realization, and the ability to integrate your breathing technique with the world.

When Vio broke through to the fourth rank, he went to the Dragon Mouth Mountain Range, fought a fierce battle with the red dragon, and devoured countless rare materials before he could barely push open that door.

Alec, however, had no dragon scale magic stone, no eyes of the deep-sea giant squid, and no feathers of the snowfield thunder eagle; he only had a sword and the heart of a knight.

But there's one thing he has that Vio doesn't.

He is the perfect knight of the West, having lived here for forty years, and his understanding of this land runs deep.

He honed his beluga breathing technique in the waves of the Western Frontier; every ebb and flow of the tide, every howling sea breeze, was his teacher.

Alec opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his gray pupils.

He slowly stood up, drew his greatsword, the blade gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

He began to swing his sword, his movements slow, almost like moving in water, but each strike was incredibly precise, the blade whistling as it sliced ​​through the air.

He practiced those moves, which he had practiced countless times, over and over again, until his body and the sword became one.

Then, he heard the sound of waves, not the waves outside, but the waves inside his body.

Those currents surged through the meridians, like waves crashing against rocks, one after another, growing stronger and stronger!

His body began to heat up, and it felt as if countless tiny streams were surging beneath his skin.

His heart was pounding faster and faster, and his breathing was becoming more and more rapid, but he didn't stop. He continued to swing his sword and practice.

"boom--!"

A loud bang exploded inside his body, and the airflow surged into his new blood like a burst dam.

His body jolted violently, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

The door finally cracked open a little; it wasn't fully pushed open, but at least he could see the light behind it.

Alec stopped moving, panting heavily, his greatsword propping him up on the ground.

He was covered in sweat, and his clothes under his armor were soaked, but there was a rare excitement in his eyes.

"Almost there," he murmured. "Give me a little more time."