Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

“Alright, now let’s try out my modified Hellfire missiles,” Isaac laughed. “Launch all the missiles.”

"Yes."

The missile racks were released, and all the missiles that were originally hanging on the helicopter flew toward the already wrecked warship, spewing exhaust flames.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom...

The warship was already damaged, and after being bombed extensively, it burst into flames and then sank to the bottom of the sea with a loud bang.

The president disappeared forever into the vast ocean along with the warship.

This was the first time the weapon Isaac brought back from another world had been used in actual combat.

"How is it, sir? This weapon is pretty powerful, isn't it?"

“Excellent, can we put it into mass production?” Olivia asked.

She was very satisfied with the helicopter's combat capabilities.

“Of course, and there will be even better ones in the future,” Isaac said with a smile.

The unexpected death of the president of Al-Lugo will certainly throw the country into chaos, which will give Amédex a period of time to develop.

Next, they will face an attack from Amestoris, which is now fully equipped with modern weaponry.

Chapter 394: Heavy Punch

Just as Isaac had predicted, Al-Lugo descended into a period of chaos after the president's death.

Since no one survived the entire warship, no one knew who was responsible. And with reports from the international conference indicating that Amestris had declared war on Al-Lugo, everyone was pointing the finger at Isaac. They also needed an explanation from Isaac.

Although Isaac himself disliked explaining, he was still forced by Olivia to issue a statement.

The explanation above contains two points:

1. What's it to me?

2. Instead of wasting time arguing with me, why didn't you buy a coffin beforehand?

Keep in mind that this statement was printed directly in the newspaper, meaning that Isaac's words were seen by most countries, and Al-Lugo was in complete uproar.

Student groups and people from all walks of life began taking to the streets to demand that the Al-Lugo military respond to the call for war.

Amestris is doing alright; at most, some people suspect that their country's generals have mental problems.

Olivia held the newspaper in her hand, her whole body trembling.

That was because she was angry.

"What, sir? I've already sent them an explanation as you instructed." Isaac still didn't understand what he had done wrong.

"Is this how you give an explanation?!" Olivia cursed, then clutched her head in pain. "I should have known you would do this. I should have just asked Violet to come up with a reasonable explanation for you."

"Since war is going to break out anyway, it's still necessary to make a sarcastic remark before the battle."

"...Never mind, how are your preparations going?"

Olivia didn't intend to pursue Isaac's boastful remarks any further; the preparation of supplies and troop deployment before the war was still very important.

As the president of Al-Lugo said before his death, Amédex was surrounded by three countries and could not concentrate all its forces in the south.

"Don't worry, sir. The satellite launch is scheduled right next to Rior's, and it's expected to be in space tomorrow. Would you like to come and take a look?"

"Okay, and also regarding weapons, what have you prepared?"

Isaac picked up his notebook and said, "There's absolutely no need to worry about weaponry. We have 1000 M1A2 main battle tanks, 100 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and 100 Black Hawk attack helicopters, 500 A-10 attack aircraft, and I've also updated all the soldiers' equipment. The missiles are still being updated. It's worth mentioning that all weapons are equipped with electronic instruments that have GPS positioning."

To be honest, with this configuration, it would take only a few days to end a war with any country right now.

Olivia nodded: "Okay, this operation is relatively stable. The whole world is watching us now, so as the commander-in-chief, don't embarrass me."

“There’s no way I’ll lose face,” Isaac laughed. “I will show the whole world that Amestris is a place they can never shake.”

For Al-Lugo, it was war; for Isaac, it was a performance.

A performance open to the world.

------

Under pressure from the public, Al-Lugo elected a new president a week after the death of the previous president in an effort to stabilize the country. The new president's first declaration upon taking office was that Amestoris would pay for his crimes.

They had already deployed some troops to the southern border of Amestolis, and now they are concentrating their main force to advance into the region.

Isaac was not worried about Al-Lugo's actions.

On the first day, with Isaac and Olivia on a visit, the Fifth Research Institute, led by Natsume Chizu, launched Amestris, the world's first satellite, a spy satellite.

The next day, he sent someone to deliver a hydrogen bomb to his father, the emperor of the new country, as a way of fulfilling a promise made at the meeting.

Later, with the help of almost half of the country's state alchemists, satellites were sent into space at a rate of nearly one every two days.

These satellites consist of three navigation satellites, one spy satellite, one communications satellite, and one guidance satellite.

The satellite quickly came into play after its launch, and GPS devices in all military equipment were able to function properly.

Amestris has thus taken a small step into the information age.

……

At that moment, Isaac was in his office at the Southern Command.

“Roy, have you seen anything suspicious in Al-Lugo’s area these past few days while I haven’t been there?” Isaac asked Roy Mustang, who was standing next to him.

He and Roy hadn't seen each other for six months since the incident with the man in the bottle.

"This country has been making small moves ever since I took over the Southern Command, so the current situation isn't surprising at all," Roy said calmly, taking a sip of tea.

"That's good. I don't want anything to go wrong at this crucial moment." Isaac was relieved to hear Roy say that.

“I said it can’t be that serious. You’ve participated in many battles back then. How could you have such thoughts when facing a country weaker than Clayta and Dorakma?” Roy smiled and glanced at Isaac. “I don’t remember you being the kind of person who would worry about not being able to win.”

Isaac said, "I don't want any of us to die in this war."

"Huh? This isn't quite..."

"Moreover, the war must be contained within one day."

"Are you sick?" Roy looked at Isaac strangely.

In his view, Isaac in front of him seemed to be daydreaming. Al-Lugo had been in conflict with Amestoris in the past. Although his side had been overwhelmingly dominant, it was impossible for none of his own people to die.

War always brings casualties. This was a truth Roy understood from the beginning, and he believed that Isaac, who had been active on the battlefield since childhood, should understand it even better than he did.

And to end the war in a single day? It's true that surrendering could end it in a day, but Isaac is clearly the kind of person who doesn't feel like he's truly won unless he wipes out every last enemy. Therefore, surrendering on his side is out of the question.

“My strength alone is enough to crush the country of Al-Lugo, but that won’t deter the nation. What I need is for Amestoris to reign supreme over the world once again in an invincible manner.” Isaac said, slamming his fist on Roy’s desk. “After being silent for so long, it’s time for Amestoris to deliver a powerful blow.”

"This punch is not only meant to smash Al-Lugo, but also to hammer into the hearts of every nation in the world," Isaac said sternly. "That is my main objective."

"Therefore, this battle must be fought perfectly."

Chapter 395: Attack! Attack!

There has been no movement from Al-Lugo, but according to reports from scouts on the front lines, he seems to be planning to expand his military and go all out against Amestoris.

However, since they have no intention of attacking, Isaac can continue to develop.

Besides continuing to launch a satellite every two days, pilot training was one aspect of the operation. Thanks to the VR equipment that Sumire Muroto had developed, several pilots were trained quickly. However, piloting is ultimately a matter of talent. Amestris had a total of 500 A-10 attack aircraft, but only 200 pilots were capable of fighting in the field.

The remaining 300 aircraft can only gather dust for the time being.

Moreover, with this rate of development, Isaac soon encountered a problem.

That means the national treasury is almost empty.

Although Amestris had alchemists, which largely saved on material costs, the labor costs were still enormous. Add to that the war mobilization and various training programs, and it's fair to say that Amestris's centuries-old savings were completely depleted.

Fortunately, the Marleyan Empire finally came and bought back the obsolete tanks, which gave Isaac a slight boost. With the Emperor's help, Isaac Future Technologies also established itself in the new country, where its business activities yielded some profits.

Overall, the losses are within a manageable range.

A month later.

"Gentlemen, as you all know, Amestoris has declared war on those bastards of Alrugo," Isaac said, looking at the densely packed, fully armed soldiers below the stage.

“You’re all veterans, so I’m not going to say anything to boost morale. I only have two points to make.” Isaac held up two fingers. “First, avoid residential areas during attacks and only attack military bases. Second, your bonuses and ranks will be determined by your mission completion.”

After Isaac finished speaking, he saw that the soldiers below all started to light up.

"One last thing: everyone must survive!" Isaac shouted. "Then, I wish you all good luck in battle!"

"Oh!!!!"

With a deafening roar, the war officially began.

------------

It's one in the morning, a time when everyone is asleep.

At a military base in Al-Lugo, several soldiers are yawning.

"Hey, shift's changed."

"Oh."

The soldiers seemed a little sleepy, rubbed their eyes, and gave up their seats.

Do you think Amestolis will attack at night?

"They might launch a surprise attack at night," said the soldier coming to relieve the shift. "Anyway, as long as we spot a light and sound the alarm, they can't possibly come to attack in the dark, can they?"

"Hahaha, that makes sense."

Buzzing!

What was that sound?!

The two soldiers became alert, but apart from the light coming from inside the tent, they could see nothing around them.

"Is it an illusion?"

"You...look there!!" The soldier quickly patted his comrade.

He pointed his flashlight into the sky and saw more than a dozen completely black helicopters flying toward their location.

"What is this thing?!"

"Forget everything, sound the alarm!!"