The most shameless alchemist in history

This is a very difficult process.

This is not only due to insufficient troop strength, but also because their logistical support is inadequate.

"Under normal circumstances, we would indeed be unable to take Ze City, so our first priority is not to attack, but to defend."

"Defense?" Messiah looked at him, puzzled.

"That's right, it's defense. If I'm not mistaken, we'll face the first wave of attacks tomorrow!" Du Lei said confidently, looking at the distant sky.

But he wasn't looking in the direction of Zezhi City; instead, he was looking at the western sky!

880 Crocodile Bay

The River Bend fleet stopped after arriving at Crocodile Bay and did not rush to attack Ze City. In fact, this had been met with unanimous opposition since Messiah decided to send troops, even though she, as the Duke of River Bend, had undeniable influence in the River Bend region.

But she was not her father after all; she was a young woman. There were many seniors and elders above her who objected to her actions. Countless people had approached her and told her that her decision to send troops to attack Ze City was simply insane!

Not to mention that the strength of the River Bend region is simply insufficient to confront the Swamp City, the Swamp Country is currently in a very tense period. At this time, any decisions and actions should be made with caution. Attacking the Swamp City in this way is far too hasty!

Those who opposed Messiah included nobles and wealthy merchants from the River Bend region, as well as members of the military. From a professional perspective, the generals also believed that attacking Ze City was not a wise move, since Ze City's defenses were very strong and it would be difficult to take Ze City with the firepower of the River Bend fleet.

Furthermore, regardless of the circumstances, the Duke of River Bend is still a vassal of the King. Such a rash military expedition without a suitable pretext will inevitably provoke opposition from all sides, especially when the attack on Ze City has reached a stalemate and the situation cannot be broken.

At that time, all that is needed is for an army to launch a fierce attack on them from the flank, and the River Bend Fleet will surely suffer heavy losses and be directly defeated!

Despite so much opposition, Messiah still chose to go her own way and stubbornly led her army to the City of Ze.

If we take advantage of their momentum from the victory at the Battle of River Bend and launch a fierce attack while their forces are at their peak, there might still be a chance of victory.

However, after reaching the outskirts of Zezhi City, they chose to camp at Crocodile Bay instead of continuing their advance, which puzzled the officers.

After the fleet anchored at Crocodile Bay, many guards disembarked to replenish their fresh water and rest, which drew complaints from the officers.

"Hey, what's going on here? Why are we stationed in a place like this? Are we here for sightseeing or to fight? Shouldn't we be launching an attack on Ze City now? Instead, we're taking our time to stop. Aren't we giving Ze City time to prepare?"

“That’s right. If we caught Zezhi City off guard, we might have a chance to win by surprise. But now that we’ve set up camp here so openly, Zezhi City probably knows we’ve arrived. They’re probably making defensive preparations right now.”

"Who made the decision to rest here? It's incredibly unprofessional!"

The officers were indignant and debated fiercely about whose responsibility it was.

"By the way, I heard that a guy named Dure suggested that Lord Messiah set up camp here, and Lord Messiah trusts Dure a lot, so he decided to stay here." Soon someone thought of this and whispered.

"Dure? Is that the name of the chief inspector of the Snow Country? He's a very popular figure in Lord Messiah's eyes."

"Not only that, but in the previous naval battle at River Bend City, it was also the Snow Kingdom's Griffin Legion, which Dure mobilized, that descended from the sky and destroyed the combined fleet," an officer in the know pointed out.

"It's clear that this Dure is quite capable, but why would he be stationed in a place like this?" one officer still couldn't understand.

“I think you’re overestimating him. The one who won the battle was General Restia of the Griffin Legion. General Restia is indeed capable, I admire her. But that guy named Durei only mobilized the troops; he didn’t fight the battle himself. What does he know?” someone else objected.

“What you say makes sense, we…” the officers murmured.

"Hey, what are you saying over there?" Just then, someone walked over from not far away and shouted at them.

"Ah, it's Lord Bill. Well... we weren't saying anything, we were just chatting." The officers quickly recognized the man who had walked over as Bill. They all knew that Bill was Messiah's favorite, her chief bodyguard, and he was extremely loyal to her.

"Chatting? I heard you guys gossiping. Let me tell you, we're not in River Bend City right now, we're fighting a war outside. You're all officers, and as officers, you have to set a good example. Just behave yourselves and obey orders, understand?"

Bill wasn't so easily fooled. He had heard rumors of discontent among the officers beforehand, which was why he came to give them a heads-up.

“But Lord Bill, what are we doing stationing here? You are a veteran in the army, you understand strategy, and everyone respects you. It’s pointless for us to be stationed here. Why don’t you go and persuade Lord Messiah?” someone couldn’t help but say.

"What did you say? Advise the Messiah? Kid, do you know what you're saying? Have you forgotten what I just told you? I told you to obey orders. Do you even know what obeying orders means?" Bill's face darkened instantly, and he warned.

“Of course I know how to obey orders, but faced with such an incomprehensible order, I really…” The young officer persisted in his opinion, and when all the other officers dared not utter a word, he raised his question.

"Well, you dare to talk back to your superior? Arrest him and lock him in solitary confinement so he can reflect on his actions!" Bill sneered, waving his hand to signal his men to make the arrest.

“This… Lord Bill, isn’t this going a bit too far? Bobby was just thinking of everyone.” At this moment, one of the officers who had been silent couldn’t sit still any longer and stood up to speak for the young officer named Bobby.

“If you want to go to solitary confinement with him, then go with him,” Bill said coldly, unmoved by the offer.

The officer who had just been there knew that Bill was serious, so he didn't dare to run into the line of fire and could only back away.

"What are you all standing there for? Take him away!" Bill shouted when he saw the guards still in a daze.

"Yes, sir!" The guards all knew Bill's temper, so they didn't dare to provoke him and could only take Bobby to the solitary confinement cell.

At the same time, Bill's sharp eyes swept over the remaining officers.

"You're all veterans in the military, so I won't say much more. This operation is of paramount importance to our River Bend area. I hope you understand your position and remain loyal and resolute. You must not waver, understand?"

Bill said coldly and sternly.

"Understood!" all the officers answered in unison; how could they not understand?

If this expedition fails, it will be a fatal blow to their River Bend region!

The sun slowly sank below the horizon, and night fell. Under normal circumstances, Crocodile Bay would be pitch black.

Occasionally, you can see the lights emanating from passing ships.

But today, Crocodile Bay is brightly lit, because nearly a hundred warships are resting there, and thousands of guards are ashore cooking dinner.

A gentle evening breeze carries the unique scent of the sea, and seagulls can be seen gliding over the water in the distance.

At this moment, a young couple was strolling along the beach of Crocodile Bay. The area had already been carefully patrolled by guards, and apart from some wild animals, it was very safe. There was no need to worry about being suddenly attacked. Moreover, with Du Lei, a king-level magic user, there were very few people who could harm them.

“I’ve heard some discordant voices, haven’t I?” Dure stopped and asked Messiah beside him.

"Well... it's just that some lower-ranking officers have raised questions about our operation. It's just an isolated incident, Dure. Don't worry, I'll handle it. I definitely won't cause you any trouble," Messiah replied immediately and earnestly.

“I heard it was an officer named Bobby who raised the question,” Dure continued.

“Yes, Captain Bobby is actually a very outstanding young man. He didn’t mean to question us this time; he was just thinking about everyone’s safety.” Messiah quickly explained, afraid that Dure would be angry about this.

"What, do you think I'm angry with this officer named Pochi?" Dure asked with a smile, seeing Messiah's tense appearance.

"Well..." Messiah was stumped by the question and didn't know how to answer it for a moment.

"It's alright. It's normal to have doubts at this time. If there are no doubts and it's just one-sided obedience, then there's a big problem. I'll go see this young man named Bobby later." Du Lei smiled, seemingly unconcerned.

This relieved Messiah, who had thought that Dure would be furious and was considering how to put in a good word for Bobby.

"What a beautiful day! The sea breeze feels so refreshing." Messiah walked on the beach, feeling the gentle evening breeze, which made her feel invigorated.

“The weather at sea is constantly changing. It’s fine now, but it could be stormy tomorrow,” Du Lei said softly.

"Huh? Will there be a storm tomorrow?" Messiah asked, puzzled.

“I was just kidding, Messiah, you really took it seriously?” Dure said with a laugh.

"What? Dure, you're usually such a serious person, you can joke around?" Messiah was really nervous for nothing.

After all, for their fleet deployed overseas, encountering a storm would not be a good thing.

Before that, they fled from the City of Ze and on their way back to the City of River Bend, they encountered a storm. In the storm, they got lost in the Shadow Tower, where something terrible happened that Messiah would never forget.

"Serious? So in your mind, Messiah, I'm usually as serious as an old man?" Dure asked her in return.

"Well... not really..." Messiah shook her head, unsure how to describe it.

"If not, then what is it?" Dure asked seriously.

“Oh, like right now, Dure, don’t you look very serious?” Messiah gave an example.

"And what about now?" Du Lei suddenly made a face at her.

"Pfft. I didn't expect you to have this side to you, Du Lei," Messiah said with a laugh.

“There are many things you don’t know, but just how bad my image is in your eyes, Messiah, is a truly sad story,” Dure sighed and said quietly.

"Oh, Dure, don't be angry. I was just joking with you."

“I was just kidding.” Du Lei laughed again.

In the hazy moonlight, one could hear the laughter and see the shadows of young men and women.

Meanwhile, on the Stormy Plains, where the Swamp Kingdom and the Wind Kingdom meet, a massive airship fleet has already assembled.

"Lord Black Wind, everyone is ready. There are a total of 64 airships, each with 50 combat personnel, for a total of 3200 combat personnel. They are all prepared." At this moment, an officer reported the situation to the commander.

"Are all the airships fully fueled?" the commander asked again.

He looked to be in his mid-twenties, wearing a light blue military uniform, and his rank was clearly that of a colonel.

It is quite surprising that someone could become a colonel at such a young age.

Of course, the most surprising thing is not this, but that in this fleet, a man with the rank of lieutenant general can only serve as a deputy.

After all, Black Wind's influence in the Land of Wind cannot be explained by his military rank alone.

"Sir, the fuel tank is full and can support long-haul flights," the officer reported respectfully once again.

"That's great. Pass down the order: everyone rest for ten minutes. We'll set off in ten minutes," Black Wind nodded and said.

At this moment, not far behind him, someone walked over and asked with concern, "Black Wind, is this really okay? We chose this time to assist the Swamp Country in attacking the River Bend City's fleet."

Don't you think this is an opportunity?

"Opportunity? What opportunity?"

"In our previous campaign in the Snow Country, we failed at the last minute. Not only did we fail to achieve our strategic objectives, but we also suffered losses. This was a humiliation for our Wind Country. But now we have the opportunity to take revenge on the Snow Country and obtain a large amount of land from the Swamp Country. According to our agreement with Henry, he will cede two wealthy ports to our Wind Country. This is a delicious piece of meat. Are we just going to give it up?"

"Well... those are indeed very attractive terms, but I'm worried..."

"Don't worry, we are fully prepared. Victory is within our grasp!" Black Wind said confidently!

()

881 Meeting Again

After leaving Hot Spring Village, Black Wind followed a mercenary leader to the Land of Dogs. He stayed in the Land of Dogs for five years and finally quelled the chaos in the country. With his help, the mercenary leader also became the leader of the "Cerberus" mercenary group.

The Dog Kingdom has a weak military and relies heavily on mercenary groups, which seems similar to the Free Federation in the south. However, the two are quite different because the Free Federation has an extremely developed industry and commerce and is the richest country on the continent.

The developed industry and commerce, along with the free academic atmosphere, have made the Free Federation the economic center, the center of arts and culture, and many other titles on the continent. Thanks to its strong economic power, the Free Federation's military operates on a "mercenary system".

In other words, the Free Federation maintains only a small number of troops, which are only used to maintain basic public order in peacetime.

However, these guards are useless when it comes to diplomatic conflicts and frictions, which is when mercenary groups step in.

Mercenary groups, as the name suggests, have always been those who take money to solve problems for others.