This heretic cannot be burned, he must be hung up and whipped!

There is no need to think too much about the troops. As far as I know, in terms of mobilizing the population, including the militiamen who fill in the gaps, there are now almost six million people on the front line!

As for food, Hungary and Ukraine are both important grain producing areas in Europe. We do not have high-yield crops and are often attacked by plagues. Food is the biggest obstacle limiting our combat potential.

Another problem lies in weapons and ammunition.

My commander specifically asked the militia troops filling the line, and found out that many of them could not get guns. Even if they had guns, they only had 3 to 4 bullets each, so so many soldiers were a complete waste. They could not confront the heretics head-on and could only fight guerrilla warfare.

Some veterans told me that they sometimes used ambushes to fight heretics, concentrating a large force against a smaller force. Due to ammunition shortages, they could only fire two or three rounds during an ambush, and then immediately charge with bayonets.

The remaining bullet must remain in the chamber for emergency use.

Therefore, they had to win every battle, because that was the only way to capture ammunition. Without ammunition, they would be unable to fight the next battle. Artillery shells were also in short supply. Some guns only had a dozen or even a few rounds, and once they had fired all the shells, they had to throw them away.

Our artillery firepower is no match for Hell, and we don't know how many more people have died because of this! In Budapest, the soldiers who fought the decisive battle were probably the most elite troops in Europe, veterans who had experienced countless battles. However, due to the lack of artillery firepower, they were forced to use human wave tactics to attack the heretic positions!

We are not short of people. The problem now is that we are short of food and gunpowder. Food will not be a problem in the short term. After all, even if the food production doubles, the number of people suitable for service will not double accordingly.

But if we don’t even have basic weapons and ammunition, we won’t be able to fight a protracted war!

While I'm leading these soldiers into battle, I really want to ask you a question:

Where's my ammunition?"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a long time, and Neos almost thought the Pope had hung up on him.

"Things... may be worse than you think. Our scientific research is actually subject to interference from many factors, not only political and military... but also religious interference."

"You're the Pope, and you're still getting religious interference? It can't be God, right?"

"..."

"I understand."

Neos closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his hatred for these monsters in the ether sea deepened.

"Your Holiness, the warp storm will not last forever. Soon those monsters will be able to reconnect with the real world, and then our situation will only become more difficult."

"I understand." After more than ten seconds, the Pope's voice finally came, his tone heavy with determination. "I will order Vienna to dispatch a fleet. Budapest's industrial equipment must be preserved. The main force of the Crusaders will be withdrawn to Vienna. Some of the technical priests and the various research materials our church has collected over the years will also be sent to you—"

I have only one request: tell me which of the 'blasphemous technologies claimed by the Strategic Prophecy Committee' are beneficial to this war? I'll find a way to send these scientists to you. Just remember to share the research results with me."

Neos nodded, as if the Pope could see him. "May the Lord in your heart bless you, Your Holiness."

————————Yue Yi／First issue

On January 30, the ice on the Budapest river was blown open, and the first ship from Vienna set sail from here, loaded with personnel and supplies. Many of the first evacuees were children. In order to cover these ships, the Crusaders guarding the Danube River continued to fire at the opposite bank.

Amid the sound of propellers, the children clung to the railings and sang loudly, waving their little hands to bid farewell to the soldiers in the city, which moved all the onlookers on the shore.

It was from this day that 36 steamships and more than 850 wooden boats sent from Vienna began to shuttle back and forth on the Danube day and night.

In order to transport as much supplies as possible, the Holy Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church jointly issued a statement, claiming that as long as civilian groups or individuals successfully transported supplies out of Budapest, they would receive an extremely generous reward for every ton transported - equivalent to the consumption of a well-off family for half a month. According to this standard, the rewards for transporting millions of tons of supplies and hundreds of thousands of people would be absolutely astronomical!

After careful study, major private enterprises in Vienna and cities along the route finally decided to only charge cost fees and serve the country basically free of charge.

Neos was faced with a terrible mess: so much cargo and so many people needed to be moved to Vienna in a short period of time. However, he only had about 4 ships at his disposal, each with a carrying capacity of only 200 to 400 tons, and the one-way journey took four days.

According to past practice, even if these ships tried their best, it would be impossible to transport so many people and supplies in less than two weeks. It would take at least one year.

Neos said: "If there are conditions, we must do it. If there are no conditions, we must create them and do it!"

Faced with a difficult situation, the defenders exerted their utmost initiative. They decided to optimize the process to shorten the transportation time. The entire voyage was divided into three sections. The first section was from Budapest to Duna Bogdany, the second section was from Duna Bogdany to Tat, and the third section was from Tat to the rear by rail.

Because a large number of heretic legions have been detected along the waterway after Tate, and the ships fully loaded with personnel and cargo cannot withstand even a single artillery fire, it is better to disembark in a safe waterway in advance.

In this way, after process optimization, the transportation volume quickly increased several times.

In addition to process optimization, there was also the issue of vessel utilization. At the time, ships traveling for more than one day had to have berths, which typically accommodated four to eight people per berth. If these berths were packed, they could accommodate at least eight to 20 people.

Neos said, "It's wartime now, so there's no such thing as sleeper berths. All berths will be cancelled and all tickets will be standing!"

In this way, the ship's carrying capacity increased several times rapidly.

At the same time, many supplies, though large in size, were light in weight, making large ships unnecessary. Consequently, the defenders urgently recruited thousands of sailors and 850 large wooden ships from villages and towns along the Danube, along with over 2000 smaller wooden boats, to transport these lightweight supplies. This significantly increased transport capacity.

However, the cost was that the wooden boats had no power and had to be pulled by trackers to pass the second leg. Countless trackers were organized, pulling the boats from the shore. Thousands of meters away lay the front lines of the heretics, their lives constantly exposed to heretical artillery fire. Yet, they persevered, ensuring the passage of each shipload of supplies.

The surviving Austrian corporal, Hill, saw this scene on the boat and painted "Barge Haulers on the Danube".

"...These trackers gathered together in a short period of time for their country and for the European people, working with 200% of their strength for a meager reward. They worked silently, asking for nothing in return, and leaving no trace of their names. They are heroes of the European people! They are heroes of humanity!"

After seeing this scene, Neos finally made up his mind and secretly tore up the recommendation letter from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts that he had written to Hill in advance, and replaced it with an appointment letter promoting him to the position of Minister of Propaganda.

Unaware of the situation, Hill happily accepted the position amidst the envy and hatred of those around him. With intense enthusiasm, he preached to everyone, demanding that they devote their utmost efforts to serving the Saints, the nation, Europe, and humanity. Hill himself braved the bombardment of heretics to personally inspect and supervise each dock, even small matters like loading and unloading. He toiled day and night, rarely sleeping or eating.

Captains and sailors recruited from the coast had to navigate ships loaded with supplies during the day, struggling to navigate under the long-range artillery fire of the heretics. The slightest negligence would result in the destruction of the ship and the death of everyone on board.

At the same time, the heretic planes strafed and bombed the Danube River all day long, and ships were destroyed or damaged almost every day, but no one was afraid of death and everyone gritted their teeth and persevered.

Until February 19, when the heretic troops entered the western part of Budapest, Neos had successfully transported troops, wounded soldiers, refugees and other personnel, totaling more than 2 people, and more than 70 million tons of cargo, including 100 tons of air force equipment and supplies for artillery and tractor factories.

All that was left for the heretics was a devastated city filled with ruins.

PS: The first volume will probably be finished this week, and the next volume will start with farming, advancing technology, and guerrilla warfare!

PS2: 250 votes, next update 4.5k...

In Flames: 1914 : Chapter 47: Not a Buddy?

Budapest, February 19, 1915

The flag of the heretic legion was flying over the church, and thousands of heretic soldiers were standing on the ruins of the city and cheering. Behind the Eagle Mountain Command Headquarters, the mountains were like the sea and the setting sun was like blood.

Not far away, Tumor Lord Kugath, the vanguard of the Heretic 3rd Legion, held a machete and spoke to his servants, "Send a message to the Royal Court headquarters immediately. Our army has successfully captured the Crusaders' last stronghold in Eastern Europe. The 6th and 68th Infantry Legions are advancing northwest along both sides of the Danube River toward the Bratislava fortress."

Duna Bogdani Ferry

Neos stood on the high ground of the Dunau Bogdani Ferry. Below his sight, the Danube River was like a huge silver ribbon. It suddenly changed its direction here, from east-west to north-south, and then flowed south to Budapest, which they had just evacuated.

On the river, the last rafts and ferryboats were carrying exhausted soldiers and refugees across. Neos observed their faces—thick with exhaustion, yet tinged with a sense of relief at having survived. Days of continuous retreat had left each one haggard, but the stubborn will to survive still shone in their eyes.

"Saint, all the troops have crossed the river."

Priest Amos—no, he should be called the military bishop Amos—stood behind Neos and reported. His voice was hoarse, his eyes were bloodshot from not sleeping for days, and the cross on his uniform was stained with dirt.

After welcoming back his first few hundred followers, Neos naturally incorporated them into his newly assembled army. According to the agreement with the Pope, and in order to allow the Church to draw firepower from Vienna, the vast majority of the nearly 300,000 Crusaders who had arrived at the Dunau Bogdani Ferry would head west to support Vienna and Bratislava.

Neos has always believed that it is better to have nothing than to have something unqualified. The soldiers in the new team he formed all joined voluntarily. Some soldiers followed Neos because they believed that he was their and mankind's savior, some were impressed by Neos' "divine power" and followed him, and some followed him because of his ideas.

It was this cobbled-together force, a battle group of no more than 40,000 people, that brought with them hundreds of thousands of civilians willing to follow Neos and headed north into the Carpathian Mountains with their families.

"it's time."

Neos nodded slightly and turned toward the makeshift camp below the ferry. Hundreds of thousands of troops and refugees camped there, their campfires dotting the twilight like stars. With the final group crossing the river, the evacuation was finally complete. The sound of the heretic's artillery fire had faded, but everyone knew it was only a temporary lull.

The officers of various regiments quickly gathered around Neos. This might be the last time they would see Neos in their lives. Most of them left the meat grinder called Budapest, and then had to enter the next meat grinder called Vienna again.

The map was spread out on a flat rock, and in the dim light of the oil lamp, the outlines of the mountains and rivers were faintly visible.

"We'll split up here," Neos pointed to the section of the river near Dunau Bogdani. "The main force—the Third, Seventh, Fourth, and Ninth Legions, approximately 250,000 men—will march westward toward Vienna. The Bishop of Vienna needs you to build a new line of defense."

"Are you really unwilling to go to Vienna with us, Lord Saint?" an older officer asked again. If they lost Neos, they would have to face the monsters of hell.

The evil witchcraft and torture of hell were so cruel and inhumane that most crusaders would rather die by bullets than be tortured by hell's witchcraft.

Neos's gaze shifted towards the Carpathian Mountains in the north of the map. "I will lead the First Legion and the civilians who volunteered to follow me north to establish a base in the mountains. For the time being, you will have to walk on your own."

A whisper spread among the officers. Everyone understood what this meant—a more difficult road ahead.

"The heretics believe the fall of Budapest spells our defeat," Neos said. "But this war has only just begun. We will forge a rock-solid foothold in the mountains, launching our counterattack from there. We will sever the heretics' logistics, inflicting countless small blows on them until their advance becomes too much to bear."

A young captain couldn't help but ask, "Saint, the heretic's mobile forces and air power..."

"That's why we chose the mountainous region," Neos interrupted him. "There, their advantage will be greatly weakened. Their heavy equipment can't enter the mountains. The Carpathian Mountains, thousands of kilometers long and hundreds of kilometers wide, are too vast. They stretch from Slovakia in the west all the way east, turning in Romania and plunging south like a sickle into Serbia's Iron Gate Gorge.

This mountain range directly cuts the supply line of the Heretic Legion attacking the European continent in two. If we can take root in this mountain range, your pressure will be greatly reduced. He paused, his eyes sweeping over everyone.

"Of course, if the heretics land in Italy or come north from Spain and beat us up, I can't do anything. I'm not God, so don't expect me to snap all the heretics' heads off with a single finger."

Neos shrugged and made a little joke, and the tense expressions on the generals' faces finally relaxed a little.

"Be optimistic. Maybe I can continue south to Yugoslavia, then head west to Rome to join the Pope in victory!"

"Haha! That's great!" "That's very optimistic." "When can we meet in Jerusalem?"...

Inside the camp, soldiers were already dividing into groups according to their orders. Following Neos northward were approximately 37,000 elite soldiers and over 190,000 civilians, including artisans, medical personnel, and technical priests. The technical priests and scientists, theoretically exiled as promised by the Pope, were already on their way, having to detour through the Holy Roman Empire to reunite with Neos in Poland.

Neos was almost shocked when he got the list. In the past ten years alone, there were thousands of technical priests who were clearly recorded as having been exiled for "researching technology deemed blasphemous by the Strategic Prophecy Committee". There were also many more apprentices, engineers and even scientists who did not join the church. They were sent to the stake for unknown reasons because they did not have the protection of their Catholic identity.

If it weren't for the previous Pope Pius' efforts to mediate and maintain a balance, those exiled technical priests might have been exiled or burned at the stake.

"The remaining troops will march westward before daybreak." Neos put away the map. When he thought of those scientists who were persecuted to death and the even more innocent civilians who died, his temples began to throb with pain, and his hands couldn't help but want to cut something.

"When I get to Rome, I'm going to burn these bastards at the stake—

Damn it, this heretic can't be hung up and whipped with a copper-headed leather belt, he must be tied to the stake and burned!"

In the sky, the stars are like silent witnesses, looking down at all this.

"Xi'er, come here!" Neos called over his new propaganda minister. "Record this moment, and then send a very exciting report to Rome. I want all of Europe to know that we are not defeated, we have simply changed the battlefield! We will definitely win!"

1々〃零藝崎〔（四）V巴 "Yes! Long live victory!"

Hill nodded excitedly and performed a Roman salute with his right palm facing down and his forearm extended forward. He had already begun to think about how to depict this historic moment.

When the final order to divide the troops was given, Neos walked to the river alone.

The water of the Danube shone silver in the moonlight. He knew that from today on, their war would enter a new stage.

"We will wait for spring in the mountains," he said to Dominica and Luce who were walking behind him, "and then, when the heretics think they have won, we will show them what a protracted war truly is."

Dominica nodded, gazing at the dark silhouette of the mountains in the distance. "May God bless your plans, Your Majesty."

"It's not the Lord," Luce added a log to the fire, "it's us."

"I know. It's been around for centuries and won't change anytime soon—Luce, what are you reporting?" "Bishop Amos wants to establish a new religion, with our saint as the object of worship. He even said he wants me to be a living saint, and asked me to ask the saint what I think of the doctrine he wrote."

"There are still too few things to do. Let Amos reorganize the clergy in the team. Every company must have one. Let them be responsible for the soldiers' military discipline and a series of lifestyles. Don't give him too much time!" Neos waved his hand and asked her to go back and pass on the message. Before leaving, he threw a piece of dried meat to Luce.

People came and went by the fire, constantly reporting to Neos and then hurried away. Night was late, and the time of separation was approaching. Neos stood up from the fire and stood by the Danube, gazing at the river and the city to the south.

At this moment, a poem came to Neos' mind. After thinking for a while, he picked up his pen and wrote in Chinese on the pillar at the ferry crossing on the Danube:

Linjiangxian: The Siege of Budapest

The sound of drums and horns, the lonely moon falls in the frosty sky, and the cold stars shine dimly on the ruins of the city.

Tears condense on the iron armor, cold as ice. The clouds over the horse's head are about to disperse, and the fire on the human face is about to shine.

The siege of one hundred thousand was broken in a few days, and the long river roared with sad sounds.

I swear to share this boat with you. Who says spring won't come? With my iron armor on fire, I march forward.

The heretics' offensive that lasted for several months finally slowed down. The Battle of Budapest, which assembled nearly one million troops of the Crusaders and heretics, finally came to an end. Now, the rumbling of artillery can be faintly heard from the east and south. The vanguard of the heretic army should have already headed this way, right?

"Your Majesty, let's go!" Dominicana whispered, "The heretic's plane will arrive at dawn, and it will be difficult to leave then."

"Okay, let's go."

Neos took one last look at the Danube River flowing slowly in the moonlight, then mounted his horse without looking back and followed his legion north.

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

Vinica 1st Corps Rear Guard Headquarters

As the head of the guard regiment, Valentin had received a telegram from the corps headquarters. The main force of the First Corps had entered the Carpathian Mountains and marched more than 20 kilometers in one night. The civilians in the team had to rest for a while, so the guard regiment was to be deployed in the Vinica Basin.

Valentine quickly delivered the order, and the staff officer said, "Captain, we must expedite the transportation of the equipment! This is a mountainous area, and we lack vehicles. Even if we work in shifts day and night, the industrial equipment can only travel less than 20 kilometers a day. I'm worried that the heretics will catch up—"

"How many days will it take to completely enter the mountains?" asked Valentine.

The staff officer thought for a moment and said, "If we just rush to transport all the production equipment from the major factories to Great Kertiš, it will only take a day and a half. But if we want to transport the equipment to the mountainous areas further north, it will take at least half a month. There are no roads in the mountains."

Valentin thought for a moment and then made a decisive decision: "Let's transport it to Great Kertishe Township first."