Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

"As expected, everything is going according to plan."

Lin Miao's nerves, which had never relaxed since the start of the war, were now taut to an unprecedented degree.

Just as the sun was about to set and the sky began to turn twilight.

"Why do I have to operate with the expeditionary force?!"

An unknown mage hurled a flaming spear that ripped through the sky, but Lillie swung her dragon horn sword and slashed through the incoming magic.

Compared to the densely packed enemy forces, our troops were pitifully few.

But the army, which had transformed into black wedges, continued its charge, and Lillie, as the sharpest blade, was now shining with dazzling light.

Even Lin Miao, who was watching the battle through a screen, could tell which side was more resilient and stronger.

Although the enemy has a numerical advantage, numbers are not everything, as has been proven before.

Lillie, gritting her teeth, did not stop. Her entire body erupted with golden light, forcefully cleaving the enemy formation in two.

Attila's main force, which was pursuing the enemy, arrived at almost the same time that a fierce battle broke out in front of the city walls.

This is not just a defense, but the final step in the plan to "devour the enemy".

Attila immediately ordered a charge, thrusting straight into the panicked enemy flank.

Looking at the chaotic battlefield, Lin Miao anxiously stared at the screen, waiting for her skills to cool down.

From the moment the collision began, the enemy forces had already begun to collapse.

Through the screen, one could see countless people fleeing the battlefield and scattering every second; they were all enemies of the expeditionary force.

Even if our soldiers die in battle, they will never retreat and will continue to fight to the very end.

If even deserters cannot be controlled, then the ability to command has been lost, and the so-called numerical advantage is nothing but empty talk.

If we only consider those still fighting, the difference in troop strength is not actually that significant.

As the strongest combat force in our army, Lillie is undoubtedly the protagonist on the battlefield.

Even after falling from her horse, which had been struck by an arrow, she still managed to cleave her enemy and his horse in two with a single slash, unleashing a bloodbath on the battlefield.

[Commander-Gil]

The enemy leader engaged in a fierce battle with her.

The opponent was clearly also a master, suppressing her with exquisite swordsmanship that was difficult for Lin Miao to perceive with the naked eye.

But Lillie, who had obtained a full set of enhancements through the game, was already on high alert.

In the brief lull between the fierce clashes of their swords, the two exchanged blows with their fists and feet, both staggering backward with blood splattered on their bodies.

Lillie, in particular, was seriously injured after taking a hard kick to the abdomen and even coughed up blood.

However, amidst the fierce battle that raged across the land and deterred others from approaching, Lillie instantly healed her injuries and charged forward once more with her sword in hand.

This ability to quickly recover and regenerate is precisely the Paladin class ability she acquired.

The light residing in the blade judges the enemy, heals allies, and cleaves the astonished enemy general Gil in two.

"Hey, where do you think you're going to run off to?"

Although the enemy general had been killed in action after the fierce battle, the war was not over.

When Lillie adjusted her breathing, beheaded the enemy general, and declared her victory, most of the enemy soldiers were still unaware that their leader was dead.

In the process, deserters were constantly emerging from the gradually disintegrating expeditionary force.

While the allied forces, outnumbered, had no time to attend to these guys, Lin Miao noticed a few unusual individuals among the deserters.

He hesitated for a moment as he instinctively reached for his hammer and chainsaw; capturing these guys alive seemed more worthwhile.

We must find out why the foreign magicians joined forces with the grassland tribes to attack us.

"This is the only way due to the emergency."

Lin Miao quickly searched for an area that could be controlled with the mouse.

Fortunately, some of the retreating troops could be captured with a mouse. By airdropping them in advance along the route of the fleeing enemy, an encirclement could be naturally formed.

Of course, the target enemy doesn't seem simple either, so we can't just send anyone. We must send trustworthy members.

Rose, who had previously retreated to the rear to protect the wounded, would be a suitable candidate.

She struggled a few times in a panic when she was suddenly lifted into the air, but quickly and obediently handed her body over to Lin Miao's mouse.

Lin Miao had deployed herself and some of her troops in advance along the enemy's escape route. They looked around in a panic, but when they saw the enemy troops charging on horseback in the distance, they immediately realized Lin Miao's intention to lure them away and hurriedly hid.

The enemy leader, a magician named Paul, hurriedly urged his men to approach our ambush.

The numbers are roughly equal, and there is only one warrior, Rosie, but if they can launch a sneak attack like this, the situation will be reversed.

Our troops, who had already prepared arrows, fired simultaneously, killing the enemy's horses.

Arrows flying from completely unexpected directions caught the enemy off guard, causing them to fall from their horses one after another.

The unfortunate guy even fell headfirst, his neck twisted at a terrible angle.

Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, our troops swarmed forward and launched a fierce attack on the frightened enemy.

◆◆◆

"Speed ​​up! We must break through!"

When the reckless expeditionary commander-in-chief, Gilles, was caught off guard and fell into a trap.

Upon witnessing this, Paul immediately led his magicians away from the expeditionary force. Their ultimate goal was to aid Luke, not to risk their lives in battle.

"This message must be taken back; a bunch of lunatics live on the northeastern border."

Paul, whose hood had been ripped off, was deathly pale.

What he saw and heard along the way with the expeditionary force, everything about China shocked him.

From colossal castles incongruous with the nomadic tribes, to powerful large-scale magic, to exceptionally well-equipped warriors and knights wielding divine power.

Only now did Paul realize what kind of being he had provoked, and all he could think about was reporting the information as soon as possible.

"Enemy attack!"

"W-what!?"

Before they could react, a sudden hail of arrows had already shot them all off their horses.

Those arrows that accurately pierced the horses' vital organs were clearly the work of skilled archers.

"Cough..."

Paul also fell from his horse in a sorry state. Although he used a fall-off technique to avoid injury, the nausea and dull pain all over his body still made him feel dizzy.

How dare you…

He gritted his teeth and swung his staff, unleashing magic at the charging enemies.

The blazing fireballs that appeared in an instant were as big as a human head, and they bombarded the enemy formation like a machine gun. He had no doubt that these fireballs would blast the enemy to ashes.

"Well?!"

But magic betrayed him. Despite its fierce attack, it was shattered in mid-air by a sword strike from someone, turning into scattered sparks.

He continued to cast spells, but could not believe his eyes.

A short-haired girl with black hair, dressed in similar attire to the female knight who fought Gilles, charged forward without hesitation, flashing her short swords in both hands and shattering all his magic.

"Are you kidding me? This strength..."

Paul sensed his impending defeat and sighed.

The moment Rosie approached, her eyes gleaming with cold light, and she stomped down like a black panther, he, as a mage, knew he couldn't escape her.

It would be unbelievable to lose to a girl like that, but he had already suffered too many shocks along the way. Compared to those, Rose's strength was nothing.

"Ha... I surrender."

"Very good, drop the staff you're holding first."

At this moment, Rose, who was still improving her skill proficiency, activated her skill and disappeared from his sight in the blink of an eye. She then reappeared behind him, pressing the tip of her short sword against his body.

Other magicians were also subdued one after another. The mysterious force that had been cooperating with Luke not only failed to hide their identities, but was also captured.

When Rose returned with the captured mages, the battle was nearing its end.

Most of the expeditionary force either surrendered or fled.

The corpses scattered everywhere are proof of the fierce battle.

"I originally thought this was just a matter involving the various tribes of our grasslands, but it turns out there are many difficulties ahead."

Upon hearing the testimony of Paul brought back by Roche, Attila sighed incredulously, even in this situation: "I cannot understand why the humans on the other side of the barrier would..."

"...Because the Empire's movements are very unusual. After the new emperor won the bloody power struggle and ascended the throne, he has significantly increased the pressure he exerts on the surrounding areas." Paul seemed to feel that there was no need to hide anything now, and bluntly stated their purpose: "In order to restrain the Empire on the other side of the barrier, we need new forces."

Why did they contact Luke and provide him with supplies and technical support?

Their intention was to establish a unified new power on the grasslands inhabited by numerous tribes, thereby increasing their means of fighting against more powerful enemies.

"Why must we fight? Trade with you, including the Empire, used to be the privilege of a few tribes. Although there was plundering, it was because you refused to trade with us."

When Attila expressed his incomprehension.

Paul shook his head firmly instead: "Don't talk nonsense. The new emperor is a tyrant. He's a man full of ambition and a thirst for conquest. It's said that he's already begun to consolidate power in the surrounding areas. How could he possibly let you, who have been opposing them on the grasslands for so long, go unpunished? Luke saw this out early on, and that's why he's trying to consolidate the power in this region for survival."

The surrounding area stirred up, and Attila was momentarily speechless at what seemed like a lie.

The sudden collapse of the balance on the grasslands was followed by conquest and plunder.

There is also the pain of losing family members and tribes.

Lin Miao finally understood where this snowballing tragedy began.

Paul went a step further. He saw that Attila was wavering after learning the truth, and he wanted to use him: "It seems that you have achieved a level of development that other tribes can hardly match. Although I don't know how you did it, things have come to this point. Why don't you unify this grassland? If I put in a good word for you, the higher-ups will change their plans."

Faced with Paul's bold counter-suggestion, Attila gave a mocking, bitter smile: "You sorcerer from the Southern Kingdom, you have no idea how foolish your words are."

The other side had absolutely no idea what kind of enemy they were fighting, and their anxious appearance was so ridiculous it was laughable.

Paul hurriedly said, "If we allow the grasslands to continue to divide, they will be completely conquered sooner or later!"

Attila, with his back to the furious Paul, looked up at the sky and said, "Thank you for your concern even for our situation, but there must be a reason for everything."

He had also longed to unify the grasslands.

Which soldier living on this land hasn't harbored such a dream?

But they had a greater and more important mission on their shoulders, and had no time to spare for anything else.

"Lord Attila, isn't the best course of action to absorb Theodore's forces before they completely fall into Luke's hands, as planned?"

"That's right. So before we act, I will offer sacrifices to the guardian deity, both to celebrate this victory and to pray for future victories. That deity will surely respond to us and let those ignorant outsiders recognize our strength."

"What should we do with these people?"

"Throw them to the northern fortress. Since they're mages, they're bound to be useful. I want to see for myself whether they'll still dare to spout nonsense after seeing the truth."

After finishing his discussion with the warriors, Attila grinned and turned to look at Paul, who was still calling out to him.

"What the hell am I looking at?"

Paul, now a prisoner, was dragged into the village, where the scene before him was so unfamiliar it was suffocating.

Unlike the grassland tribes, the houses here are all made of sharp angles, which are so sharp that they look as if they were measured with a ruler.

Even if you built a house with bricks and stones in his hometown, you could never achieve such knife-cut precision.

"What guardian deity... I can't sense any divinity at all, why...?"

"Shut up, now that it's come to this, just see it for yourself."

Paul silenced his murmuring subordinates, his gaze still sweeping around, but what shocked him most were not the angular buildings.

"A dwarf?"

He was shocked to discover that the dwarves who had long since disappeared from this land still existed.

The others, however, seemed quite accustomed to the dwarves, naturally conversing or mingling together.

"So, all of this was done through the dwarves..."

"The ceremony is about to begin!"

Just when the tense Paul simply believed that the development of Cinta was achieved with the help of the dwarves.

The residents had already made preparations for the ceremony.

This ritual is an extremely important and effective activity that indirectly communicates with the beings on the other side of the screen, bringing many people together.

"The timing is perfect."

Lin Miao, who was actually observing all of this on the other side of the screen, was sorting out the achievements made through the victory in the war while secretly chuckling to herself that she had also made some preparations.

He began collecting the offerings from Attila using a file transmitter.

Items like precious metals are not offered as tribute unless collected as spoils of war. The main tributes are potions or items that have been collected.

As the flashes of light began, items began to teleport away. The residents watched in amazement as each item disappeared, hurriedly bowing in surprise, while Lin Miao hastily picked up the potion that had popped out of the monitor.

"There really is something there."

That scene was a huge shock to Paul and other outsiders.

More than anything else, they felt that the guardian deity claimed by Aurora seemed to truly exist.