《Sovereign》


 Prologue (The Gathering Storm — Volume One)

    ¡°Men shall no longer step on us women with their boots once more.¡±


    - Queen Alexandria¡¯s Proclamation, end of the Arcane Wars, 1723.


    +++


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    Ivory Square


    December 22, 2023


    Today would be a day like no other.


    ¡°Come in, Basilisk One.¡±


    ¡°Report: All Royal Guard personnel close to Her Majesty has been identified.¡±


    ¡°Copy, Basilisk One. Interrogative: what is the status of Hitman Three and Four?¡±


    ¡°Hitman Three and Four are in the staging positions, over.¡±


    A brief silence persisted through the comms.


    ¡°Basilisk One, permission to proceed has been granted. The operation is a go.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, Basilisk Actual. Glory to the Orlish Army!¡±


    ¡°For the New Republic!¡±


    +++


    The boots of thousands of young men echoed through the paved road. The tanks¡¯ treads drove by it, their guns aimed sky high in the sky. Self-propelled guns followed, their artillery aimed at the sky¡­the same cannons that could obliterate entire legions of soldiers. Then the streams of endless military vehicles, as the Air Force¡¯s squadrons flew at the skies. They were all in the Ivory Square today. All as they marched under the gaze of Orland¡¯s high-citizens.


    And as the somber drums played that accompanied their march, the Royal tricolor of Orland¡ªGold, White, and Grey fluttered from the wind. It was where the Queen of Orland¡¯s eyes were aimed, as she finally reluctantly chose to view the same young men she had sent into the brutal frontlines.


    The same men who were now returning back home.


    Queen Areya Ludendorf, the unquestionable high Queen of the sole superpower today at the Great War¡¯s final conclusion, and thus, the highest matriarch of Pollos, looked weary as she stared at her soldiers. In a way, terror slightly gripped her, at how they marched in ways that definitely stabbed threats to her and the Kingdom, but Queen Areya refused to let that affect her facade.


    Internally, she still feared. These men¡­had way too many reasons to act against her Kingdom. She had armed them, trained them, and sent them into a continent where they were fed into the meat grinder. She fed them sweet honeyed words and promises after Orland neglected them and placed them in the worst pits of society. Words and promises so they would follow her to their deaths.


    She offered them salvation but asked that they go to hell first in return. They had gone from that hell, and now they returned. Returned with ire and hatred that stabbed Areya in place. She feared¡­she definitely feared. This was a mistake. This was all a massive mistake that she had always spent many sleepless nights ruminating on.


    Men¡­men¡­


    She wanted to speak immediately, but no words came out yet. She looked at them more. They were marching with a calm facade, and she was smiling at them, like a mother welcoming her long-lost sons. But Areya knew that inside, she felt fear. Fear¡­of these¡­these men. What would they do now to her Kingdom? They were armed, hardened, trained, and shaped by this war.


    They were mistreated, abandoned, neglected, and uncared for. Her Kingdom didn¡¯t raise them in a way that they would find this place home. In the three hundred years rule of their once ¡°egalitarian¡± revolutionary Kingdom turned into a ¡°benevolent matriarchy¡±, these men had no good place in society. Centuries of women¡¯s supremacist policies, all borne from their ability to cast and use the arcane, and men¡¯s lack of it, had damaged men¡¯s collective soul for centuries.


    Areya had always promised them reforms, and she tried, she tried all she could. But she wasn¡¯t perfect. Areya reformed Orland, gave men some rights, gave them enough education to work, and gave them the power to create and rule their own corporations, but until now, men remained the same as they always were since women gained magic.


    Second-class, magicless drones.


    Workers that built Orland but did not enjoy Orland. Disposable cannon fodder that defended Orland that never defended them. A group of people belittled and demonized by their own motherland. And these men¡­they just went through the worst wars there ever were.


    And Areya doubted she¡¯d be able to offer them more than votes with the state of her Kingdom.


    Still! Areya rationalized herself. She defended them! She changed some things! She¡­she helped them, didn¡¯t she?! Why were they looking at her like that? Why was that tank commander saluting her but frowning at her? She was smiling, speaking right now with warm words. She was welcoming them, soothing them, giving them the things they would want to hear after a long war.


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    But no¡­they stared at her with ire. Why? Why didn¡¯t they show the least bit of gratitude to her? She would still give them the right to vote! Surely that was a start? Areya denied it again and again, of both her fear and that nagging voice that accused her of creating this ticking time bomb. As she both feared them and blamed them for her fear. Even when she knew why they would hate her. Even when she knew why they would not trust her Kingdom. Even¡­when¡­


    It¡¯s a miscalculation.


    She was panicking a bit.


    She had always panicked about this, but now more so than ever. These men¡­no, they were truly back in her Kingdom. Without the leash of the Royal Guard. Armed with weaponry so advanced that women¡¯s magic would barely have a chance to scratch it. Areya won against the Empire and the Order Pact. With her efforts and reforms, the Ivory Alliance¡ª Orland and her allies, won.


    But¡­but the cost¡­


    Areya fattened the Orlish Armed Forces. Granted them full autonomy to allow them to perform in ways that her inept Royal Guard would never allow them to do so. And there were millions of them. Millions of young Orlishmen, soldiers, who had no more connection to the Orlish people, alienated, demonized, and without any motivation to not burn her Kingdom down.


    She had been a part of it, Areya realized. She, her mother, and her grandmother. The ¡°reformers'''' of House Ludendorf. The Queens that presided over the century-long path of Orland to technological, economic, and geopolitical supremacy. A century powered by men¡¯s rampant pursuit of technological progress in a deranged way of achieving a semblance of equality with women. The progress that allowed Orland to beat her competition. The progress that built up her nation into a near utopia for women, with the highest standards of living that any human society ever gave to any group of people. All fueled by technological progress, the greatest challenger to women¡¯s magic.


    Something that Areya and her predecessors fueled further and further. Progress¡­that she wanted to use for herself and women. She looked at those weapons below her. Tanks, missile systems, self-propelled artillery. Even those new things that the Army bragged about. Mechs¡­six-legged monsters with a turret and cannon on top. And all of them were marching right in front of her, controlled by the same men she had sent into a distant war a continent away.


    She had always felt comfort at their distance, now¡­they were truly right in front of her. No more were they distant figures on a report file, no, these men were truly in front of her. The same ones she used for her victories. The same ones she used until they cracked and bled and died so she could win.


    The representation of her entire reign. The generations of men she lied to so they would work for her and her Orland. Generations that never tasted any of those promises after paying for the costs.


    And this one¡­would be no different.


    Dead eyes¡­dead souls¡­souls guided by nothing but disillusionment, apathy, or worst of all¡­hatred of those who sent them there. Areya feared.


    Areya truly feared that these¡­demons, as painted by the conservatives of her nation always did, would live true to what they had always accused them of. That they would be the terrorists, the murderers, the criminals, the ones who would destabilize Orlish society in ways that would only harm innocent women.


    What¡­what had I done?


    She wanted to shake her head, as she remained smiling. What had I done? These people¡­surely, they would be the next threat to her power. Not the UOP. Not those high aristocrats. Not those upstart corporations. No¡­it would be these young men. After all, they had every reason now, didn¡¯t they?


    And they were armed. They had something to back their words from now on. They could do something, something that could truly threaten her and the system.


    No, no¡­


    Her denial grew. She was the Great Reformer! The idealized benevolent Queen! The same one who would shine the light on her subjects, these¡­these rats included! She would give them the votes! She would try changing things this time! What reason? Why her?!


    Surely there was no reason for them to see her as an enemy. She was her friend! She was their beloved Queen!


    You ungrateful bastards¡ª


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The sound of a sudden alarm from one of her Royal Guard knights pulled Areya from her internal crisis. She was confused. Why the alarm in their voices? Until her eyes widened.


    There were two of them. Painted black, with indiscernible markings, they drove through the parade with great speed that made them stand out. Areya watched as an Army MP (Military Police) shouted ¡°Halt!¡± at them¡ªonly for his brain and blood to splatter in the cold asphalt.


    A shot from the Palace¡¯s rooftops.


    ¡°Assassins! Get the Queen off from here!¡± One of her Knights cried before she too was silenced. More dropped around Areya, even when two of them tried to cast a magical shield to protect Areya and their own selves. Their magic, their mana¡­it didn¡¯t work.


    Areya was frozen in place, her eyes watching as the parade turned into chaos, with men scrambling off from Ivory Square as military vehicles stopped. But not those two, they drove forward, undeterred, as Army MPs began firing their rifles at them. One of the black vehicles exploded, but the last one, filled with bullet holes, stopped right near where Areya¡¯s podium.


    Its side glass windows opened, and a hail of bullets rained from it, before a shot popped its tires, and sent it careening straight into a tank and destroying itself.


    It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s warm¡­


    Pain¡­the pain flared everywhere. Warm, crimson-red blood oozed from Areya¡¯s wounds. She tried to speak, but she only drowned in her blood. People around her began pulling her, and Areya felt her Knights, her surviving guards trying to grab and drag her to safety. Dazed, she watched as an Army MP officer arrived and tried to help, but was zapped by one of her Knights after she gave him a barrage of accusations.


    Areya could not do anything, and she struggled to comprehend it all¡­until her eyes fell on that bullet-ridden vehicle.


    She had been assassinated.


    And this¡­would just be the beginning of her Kingdom¡¯s inevitable descent into madness. Between men and women.


    That was not Areya¡¯s worry, however. Not even the fact that she was dying. No¡­it was her daughters. Her beloved daughters.


    Especially the next in line to the throne. Her daughter¡­ too young and untrained to deal with all of this.


    No¡­


    Amelie¡­


    Amelie¡­


    Tears streamed from her eyes, as her consciousness faded.


    Goddess¡­please save her.


    I¡¯m so¡­sorry¡­


    The Queen of Orland¡­was dead.

 Chapter One: A New Sovereign

    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    University of Halia


    Three minutes after the assassination


    Another weekend morning, another messy morning it was for the Princess herself. Crown Princess Amelie Ludendorf - was perhaps not the most ladylike person in these types of mornings. After practicing magic till late at night, or rushing university deadlines, gracefulness was quite the last on the list of expected attributes that one could observe of her this morning.


    "Dearie me¡­I still need two more hours¡­" Such sleepy words came from her, as she dragged herself up much like a sloth. With a yawn, she made the mistake of looking at the digital clock. It seemed that it was already nine in the morning, and to sleep further would be blasphemous. This dashed her hopes of flopping back into the bed''s embrace.


    One should, however, refrain from blaming the poor girl. Why? The act of practicing magic was no joke for a lady. It took the use of much mana: mana that must be regained somehow. Thus was the act of taking a few hours of sleep.


    Even still, discipline was paramount, its enforcement non-negotiable. Slapped her face, she did, which woke her up further. Finally, she could drag herself out of her bedroom, taking a detour to brush her teeth. As she did so, she took a good look in the mirror.


    A bit messy, she supposed, and so she fixed herself up. Especially her golden-blonde hair, which she had always maintained well. Royalty and appearances and all that.


    After such a hasty dose of self-care, she made her way toward her living room to finally begin her day. Her dorm room, fit for royalty as expected, was one of lavishness. The furniture and amenities it boasted - were something a commoner would be outraged by.


    Her breakfast, soon prepared by her (alongside her lovely morning tea) was lying on a table in front of her couch. She flopped gracefully in the seat, already wide awake at last. After one sip of her tea, she finally decided to take her remote control and turn on the flatscreen before her.


    The morning news was what she wanted to watch. Well, if news at nine in the morning even counted as morning news.


    "-And we can see four unidentified armed men firing what was later identified as LG22 SMGs at the Queen herself-"


    Her teacup shattered, her eyes widened as her skin turned pale, and of course, even the remote control decided to fall off. Shock plastered on her face, she could not believe it. There it was on her desired "morning news". An assassination. Of her beloved mother. In broad daylight. While she was asleep. Quite literally mere moments ago.


    "...Mother?"


    Immediately, denial mode activated in her brain, as expected. Her rationale - her mother was adept at magic. Protection magic, such as a shield, for example, was easy for her. Even if the rascals dumped their magazines at her, no way in any heaven could they succeed.


    Right?


    Of course, she wasn''t fully convinced by her delusions. Her hand wandered to pick up her phone, the urge to make a call rising inside.


    "-There is still no confirmation-"


    Oh, the sweet words they were. See? Her mother had a chance. Of course, she had. Just a mere glance at the TV showed that the dreaded news merely played the same footage in repetition. Footages that hadn''t showed her mother being peppered like Swiss cheese. Just mere footage of the four rascals shooting at¡­well, something.


    Even still, she was shaking and sweating bullets. Regardless of her mother''s chances, someone still tried to harm her. Perhaps an injury had even been afflicted. But chance, there was, she told herself.


    She picked up her phone, still hands shaky in nervousness. A barrage of notifications, messages, and calls naturally appeared. But, she saw the most important one of them all as she deemed. Her brother, Albert, and his call. He had merely returned four days ago, fighting in the Great War for three years. Scarcely had she met him in those years too. This indeed counted as one such saddening type of reunion.


    She accepted the call.


    "Amelie? Are you alright? The news? Have you heard of it?"


    "Oh¡­yes, I''m fine, I''m fine." Of course, that was bollocks. She was not. "And I''ve heard of it, yes."


    "Alright, just stay over there. I''ll pick you up-"


    "Brother¡­is mother alright? Albert? Albert answer me!"


    No quick answers came from the other line. Ominous heavy breathing didn''t count. Eventually, of course, an answer came back. A reply laced with repressed grief. A deep hint of sorry-ness as well. Such combination, dreadful combination, naturally worried her.


    "It''s alright, Amelie. Just stay safe, and calm over there. Everything will be alright. Everything¡­will be alright."


    The line dropped. As did her phone and tears. Knocks banged upon her door, as the University''s security detail rushed to secure the Crown Princess. When the door was busted open, all they found was her sobbing in despair.


    +++


    In just a few mere dozen minutes, her brother had arrived. He leaned against his armored SUV, which he had always utilized in duty. Clearly, her brother hadn''t had the time to make the switch between his military and civilian vehicles when he arrived.


    Her peers, classmates, and even friends tried to follow her as she was escorted out of the premises, the guards keeping them away. So did crowds of other students. The event of the Princess leaving took their unwanted attention.


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    Albert seemed detached as she approached him, merely glancing with suspicion at the crowds. An eyepatch was the recent addition to his ''dead'' appearance, a result of an injury he had taken in the war. The bridge of the ship he commanded was once hit by a missile, the eyepatch perhaps its most striking result.


    Worse, she remembered how she treated him when he was recovering. Abandoned.


    A wave of guilt washed her.


    When he looked at her, all he gave was a quick nod, before he ushered her into his SUV. She complied completely, still dazed and weakened by the shocking events.


    His feet pressed on the gas pedal, and as their SUV moved forward, the security convoy formed behind and in front of them. She was about to ask where his driver was, but¡­


    "Before you ask, I drive for myself."


    "...Sure."


    The two fell silent, with the sounds of the radio and the news broadcast being heard alone. Each word that came from the airwaves, made her pale further and further. Albert, concerned at her little sister, promptly turned it off.


    Silence fell inside the vehicle.


    With great struggle, however, she spoke up and broke such silence.


    "Albert¡­she''s¡­is she gone?"


    Struggling in grief as no answers came, her tears pooled in her eyes. Albert subtly glanced at her, the subtle expression of his showing grief as well. Indeed, he was cracking too. The weak sobs of Amelie further fueled his crumble.


    "I''m¡­"


    The steering wheel was gripped harder, as he struggled to return an answer.


    "I''m sorry. She''s gone. I¡­I''m sorry."


    For many minutes, her world completely shattered as she stared at him, tears lining her cheeks as she did. Albert continued to drive, a burning rage of fire igniting within him. His mother¡­not the best one perhaps, but his mother still, was shot by terrorists. Shot gruesomely.


    "Why?"


    Whatever crackpot conspiracy theory he had, he dared not to utter. No answer came for him, but he needed to say something at the very least. For his little sister. For the new Queen.


    "We will find out."


    *TV Opening.*


    "-As the investigations continue, members of the Royal Court suspect that the military-"


    "-General Heindh?ff calls the Royal Guard ''incompetent'' for letting the Queen-"


    "-Male Rights protestors celebrating the death of Her Majesty-"


    "-the army refused to demobilize wartime formations, as General Heindh?ff said this morning, ''until the General Elections concludes'' with many fearing-"


    "-another terroristic school shooting by savage young men-"


    "-Redemption Front gaining momentum in the polls-"


    "-the coronation will go as planned,'' the Prime Minister announced this Tuesday-"


    *TV Closing.*


    +++


    Ivory Square


    January 1, 2024


    Such a hasty coronation, smack dab on the first day of the year - a result of the fallout of her mother being killed, was not a blessing, to say the least. Just after the New Year''s celebration (which she didn''t celebrate), the media and the world turned their attention to the new 19-year-old Queen of Orland.


    Queen Amelie Ludendorf.


    The Kingdom of Orland, arguably the greatest power that today graced the world of Pollos was inherited by her. Thus, as a result, her inexperienced hands would wield the most power anyone in the world could have.


    With great attention, her nation and the world itself watched. Watched as her coronation, which would place the fate of billions and an order that lasted for centuries in her hands.


    A fake, forced, regal smile graced her face as the crown was lowered upon her head. She struggled to merely look at her audience. How could she deal with them, she didn''t know.


    All eyes were on her. From the most powerful matriarchs of Orland''s aristocratic houses to the neutral and even resentful faces of the Orlish High Command, to the protective eyes of the Royal Guard, to the greedy smirks of the corporate businessmen, these factions all looked at her, expecting her loyalty.


    An irony not lost to her. The Queen herself, supposed to command her underlings and expect their loyalty, was now expected to be loyal to them.


    She could only count on her fingers the few souls she could comfortably glance at. Her brother Albert, her innocent little sister Alice, and her few friends in this crowd of shadowy elites.


    Her coronation soon ended.


    With controlled breaths, she soon made her steps to the podium. At last, she would give her first address to her people. Twistedly, on the same podium where her dear mother was killed.


    A morbid, almost silent chuckle of despair escaped her. It was simply too dark for her.


    The cameras, the eyes, the press, and hundreds of thousands of attendees gathered in the Ivory Square. The microphone awaited her first words, as a chill shot up her spine.


    My first speech¡­this is it.


    Albert advised her to prepare a written speech. A preventative measure - something she could read so she wouldn''t fumble and mess up her first speech as a Queen.


    But she refused. Everything she would say would come from her heart, she told him.


    I swear, I won''t be like them.


    Those matriarchs who looked down upon men for being magic-less.


    I won''t be a cold-hearted politician.


    Those that promised yet never delivered.


    Or a brutal monarch.


    Those who spilled blood in the millions for their thrones.


    Or another crook.


    Those who plundered the taxes their people toiled for.


    Or a spineless coward.


    Those who shied away from change in fear of reprisal.


    Or a warmonger.


    Those who sent millions of young men to the trenches to die like rats.


    No¡­


    She took a deep breath, her final preparations. Deep inside, she doubted, and her mind called her idealism a folly. Yet her heart refused such notions. This was her dream. This was her destiny.


    I''ll give them a benevolent Sovereign.


    Her words came out loud and passionate on the loudspeakers, somehow pulling the heartstrings of millions.


    "CITIZENS OF ORLAND! I PROMISE YOU, CHANGE AND HOPE!"

 Chapter Two: The First Cabinet Meeting

    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    January 2, 2024


    Ivory Palace


    To laze around was an unacceptable idea. Indeed, a day after her hasty coronation, the job had already immediately begun.


    With many promises and a Kingdom at the edge of the proverbial dumpster fire, she could hardly afford to not direct her Kingdom herself. Orders and decisions had to be made and so she waited with gnawing anxiety inside the empty conference room.


    Shuffling papers that had dreadfully decided to be in front of her, her expression was one of unmitigated confusion.


    Economic reforms? How am I even supposed to do that?


    Why she promised such promises should be the first question, however, as she didn''t even have an idea of what she blabbered about.


    Indeed, this young Queen unfortunately made the mistake of studying magic and arts instead of political science and economics. In hindsight, of course, it was disastrous. Though her mother did warn her that such a decision was foolish, she did not pay heed.


    However, to be fair to Amelie, she did not expect her mother to unexpectedly kick the bucket. Her expectation was to take the throne at the ripe old age of forty or fifty, where she fancied herself as a wise old lady.


    Unfortunately, reality handed her a nice platter. She took the throne while she was a mere ''mature'' and ''definitely wise'' young lady - at the age of nineteen. How fun.


    A sigh escaped her.


    Returning to the lovely documents that decorated her table, she took a good look at one of them - issued by the Orlish Intelligence Agency (OIA).


    The Royal Guard''s competence is in question¡­?


    Well, quite the pretty little accusation it was, Amelie thought. Of course, being the nice little intelligence arm of the army, the OIA would say such a thing.


    "Of course they would say that¡­"


    A good look at the document issued by their rival, the Royal Guard, naturally lent an equally expected result.


    Requesting investigation of the OIA for possible anti-crown activities.


    Well, the two indeed were at a silent war with each other. The OIA was on the side of men, being the good little boy of the Armed Forces - also dominated by men.


    The Royal Guard of Orland (RGO), on the other hand, had been involved for centuries in internal security and defense, and was the female aristocracy''s nice little pet. And thus the rivalry between men and women extended to these two agencies.


    There were footsteps outside. Finally, they had arrived. In haste, she clipped the documents back into her folder, and with a dignified stand - she welcomed the Weirl?ff Caretaker Cabinet.


    Led by Prime Minister Alexa Weirl?ff, they entered one by one as Amelie greeted them, with the Prime Minister sitting beside her.


    The Weirl?ff Caretaker Cabinet was a mere name change from the Weirl?ff War Cabinet, which Alexa once led. Most ministers kept their position, except for the Defense Minister as she resigned, ashamed that the last Queen promptly died as a result of an assassination while she was conveniently running the Ministry of Defense.


    Which led to the appointment of the angry General of the Army Geoffrey Heindh?ff.


    Being a "filthy" man, and an Army General to boot, the Royal Guard was thus not a fan of such a decision.


    In any case, the Weirl?ff Caretaker Cabinet now had one purpose left - to oversee the General Elections in June, conveniently the first elections where millions of men (elevated from the status of rat fodder to human, many thanks to Her Majesty Areya herself) would be voting for the first time.


    Which meant it would be the most ''fun'' election that Orland would have. If dumpster fire would fit such a bill.


    At the very least, men could at last rejoice for having a tinge of equality after their three centuries of humiliation. After a nice little payment of nine million young men dead of course. What? Freedom had a price and all that.


    Sucks they still had no magic.


    And to visualize such inequality, one good look alone at the Cabinet produced quick results. A ratio of eight to two, with eight being women and two being men - that being the glasses-wearing bitter nerd who seemed like the number one public enemy of women, Director of the OIA Alfonso Bluch, and the aforementioned angry guy Minister of Defense Geoffrey Heindh?ff, who seemed to be the second runner-up to Alfonso''s title.


    And he also had a toothbrush-styled mustache, which somehow unnerved the pure-hearted Amelie.


    The two sat at their seats, much like a duo of criminals, at least for the women in the room.


    Which earned a quick scoff from the fine lady beside Amelie, Alexa herself.


    "Oh dear, how uncouth¡­"


    "At least we do our fucking job-"


    Amelie intervened quickly before Alfonso and Alexa began a shouting match.


    "Please everyone, let us calm down. It would be most pleasing if we discussed the Kingdom''s fate with cooler heads."


    Alexa quickly backtracked from her blunder.


    "I apologize, Your Majesty."


    Alfonso on the other hand was a professional asshole, and decided otherwise, until Heindh?ff reminded him to avoid stupidity with a subtle nudge.


    "I apologize too, Your Majesty."


    "Thank you." Crisis averted, Amelie rejoiced. "Well, we shall begin then. What shall be our first agenda?"


    And immediately the crisis presented itself again, as both Heindh?ff and the Minister of the Economy, Melinda Heiss raised their hands.


    "General, may we please prioritize more pressing matters first?"


    "What exactly is the more important matter than national security? The previous Queen was assassinated! Women and your priorities are bonkers!"


    Aghast would describe Melinda, not discounting the lady-like gasps from the other ladies in the room.


    "You dirty man! How dare you address us, women, that way? Have you a death wish, you magicless scum?"


    And so did Amelie, who also gave a sigh. How fun. Her civilian government - dominated by women - seemed to be in a silent civil war with her military - dominated by men.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, may we please discuss Lady Heiss'' concerns first? Security indeed is an issue, but our nation is still in the middle of an economic crisis." The voice of reason thankfully came from the Prime Minister, Alexa, which of course didn''t satisfy Heindh?ff.


    "Fine." Heindh?ff conceded angrily. "Have it your way then. The military will remember this."


    "Is that a threat, General?"


    And thus, another contender butted her head in the ring. Archduchess Pristina Dubois, a picturesque example of a noblewoman, who also happened to be the Director of the Royal Guard, chimed in with a hiss.


    While not an actual part of the Cabinet, she insisted that she was the rightful one to lead the Ministry of Defense and not the asshole on the other side of the table.


    "Is that an accusation? How about you fix your inept knights first?"


    "Oh, now you''ve-"


    "Silence!" Amelie had enough. "If we are simply going to argue, then all of you, leave!"


    Shame and silence dominated the room. Oh dear, they screwed up, much like spoiled children, now the young Queen raised her voice. How unexpected. Luckily, the Prime Minister broke the ice.


    "We apologize, Your Majesty."


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    With a huff, Amelie nodded.


    "Apology accepted. To avoid unnecessary arguments, I shall choose what to discuss first. The general elections."


    The Prime Minister spoke.


    "Currently, there are two leading parties for the upcoming elections according to the recent polls."


    Amelie smiled. Finally, they were being productive.


    "What parties?"


    "Our incumbent United Orland Party, and our new rival, a party seemingly promoted and supported by our new male voters - the Orlish Republican Party."


    She raised her eyebrows.


    "Republicans?"


    "...The monarchy isn''t exactly popular with men."


    Well, unsurprisingly, of course, their opposition would be Republican men. The United Orland Party (UOP) represented the Crown and women, who didn''t give a rat''s ass to the magicless beings who dared refer to themselves as ''human''.


    Oh dear, this looks ugly. The people I want to help hate me...


    "Not as bad as the party those two young men at the back support," Heiss added with a glance at Heindh?ff and Alfonso. "The National Redemption Front. A movement of radical young men demanding way too many rights and your ''peaceful'' overthrow, and even demanding that we give up our goddess-given right of using magic. I request you look further into it, Your Majesty."


    No confrontation occurred, but the two were clearly agitated by her comments.


    "Do we men even have a voice here?" Alfonso said to Geoffrey.


    "No, we don''t."


    Amelie, quick to rescue her government''s reputation, corrected such notions.


    "Yes you do, Mister Bluch and Mister Heindh?ff. While you two do oppose the idea of me being your monarch, we are building a true democracy. We will listen to your concerns too."


    "Your Majesty, my concern is that you''re all painting us men as traitors here. Just because we don''t like your system does not mean we killed the Queen."


    "Then why so defensive-"


    Amelie cut the Archduchess sharply with a glare, then turned back to the General.


    "I understand, General. I promise that we won''t be playing a child''s pointing contest for the tragedy my mother faced. We will be conducting a fair and neutral investigation to find justice."


    "...Thank you, Your Majesty. You have my trust." The General said, clearly unsatisfied, as he finally stayed silent.


    With such petty infighting now temporarily out of the way, Amelie continued.


    "Well then, next. The economy. Minister Heiss?"


    "Very well, Your Majesty."


    The lady promptly stood up from her seat, and with a flick of a wand, a projection on the board conveniently behind her seat appeared.


    "To begin, the Great War cost us a lot."


    Indeed, that was a nasty red line upward, Amelie thought. Why did it go above the green line?


    Debt?


    "The war placed us in a lot of debt. And due to the casualties we took our industrial sectors, usually run by young men, had been greatly affected. Thus, our GDP is down as well."


    Oh¡­great.


    "Luckily for us, magical sectors are unaffected. We shouldn''t see a drop in the production of focusing crystals, for example. Or of digital wands."


    Such ''good news'' didn''t seem quite ''good news'' with that red line that her eyes tunnel-visioned on.


    "What about the other sectors?"


    "Well, unfortunately, the recession will continue to be a problem for our consumer market and our continued exports of goods. But that''s just the price of war."


    Please tell me it''s solvable.


    "Minister Heiss, how can we address this?"


    "It will take a lot of time, but investing more in employing the millions of destitute men on the streets would help. Both in rebuilding our workforce and satisfying our shortage of consumer products by getting our civilian industries back."


    Amelie let off a sigh of relief. See, problems did have solutions!


    "I see. Any more concerns?"


    A small silence. "Your Majesty, another major concern of ours is, coincidentally, also the people we would have to invest in to recover."


    "Who exactly?"


    "Those upstart private corporations controlled by men. Those greedy fellows demand less taxes. Some of them even demand that we privatize Royal Corporations. Such audacity. I advise that you do not listen to those fools - they only desire money."


    The General, a natural ally of these corporations, was quick to their rescue.


    "Your Majesty, they are asking for it because Royal Corporations are unfair competition. Just because female aristocrats are their owners, they gain unearned privileges and power. Please see reason and open your eyes to this injustice!"


    Which immediately earned him a scoff of condescension.


    "General, when were you an expert on economic matters?"


    The General scowled at Minister Heiss'' words, but she continued.


    "Your Majesty, if we are to invest in these corporations, we should nationalize them. Either the crown controls them, or we, the nobility, do. This would help us control our economic recovery better and prevent disloyal elements in this Kingdom. Plus, can we really trust the men of the private sector to use our investments right?"


    Well, indeed, they do seem quite untrustable¡­hmm¡­


    "In fact, I''d add that perhaps we should nationalize them already regardless because-"


    "What''s next? We, men, can''t vote in the next elections after fighting your war for years?! Try it, you noble bitch. Trample on our rights more! I dare you. I double fucking dare you!" Alfonso shouted at Lady Heiss, who just looked at him condescendingly for his childish outburst.


    "Director, please calm down."


    Amelie was quite close to her breaking point. The hostility that brewed between both sides in the room choked her.


    "I have not yet decided on these matters. Whichever path we choose for our economic policy will be decided by the advice and interests of both sides. We are not privatizing or nationalizing anything yet."


    Alfonso''s anger slightly dissipated at her reassurance, yet it was clear that just like the General, he absolutely did not trust any woman in the room, the Queen included.


    This guy...I can see where you''re coming from, but I can''t trust you with how you act.


    She took a deep breath. "Alright, onto the next agenda. National Security. General, what''s our first issue?"


    "Your Majesty, our first concern is the question of your security. The Royal Guard failed to protect your mother. We request that we review their adequacy at protecting you and the Kingdom."


    Silence.


    And then, the Archduchess fumed.


    "How dare you question us! Know your place, you rat! That parade was organized by your goons, and you blame us for the tragedy?"


    The General seethed. "Sure, we made mistakes, but need I remind you that we eliminated the assassins while your guards were fucking up on shielding the Queen?"


    "There were jammers! You know that my Knights couldn''t cast shielding when there were jammers in place!"


    "Are you telling me that your weakling knights couldn''t cast magic because of a ''flimsy men-made gizmo'' that you were laughing at during the war?"


    She stopped, then looked at him with an accusatory expression.


    "General. I knew it. You placed those jammers, didn''t you? Were those assassins your men? Or did you purposely allow them to place it unchecked?"


    "How dare you? Are you insinuating that we committed regicide?! We can''t detect if there are jammers in place! This is not our work. This is the work of those terrorists alone! You accuse us of being traitors because of your incompetence?!"


    "The two of you, shut up." Alexa sharply cut in, her concern for the continued sanity of the young lady beside her growing.


    Amelie (bless her) paled at the display, as her fear grew inside after watching these two argue about her mother''s demise. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.


    But the General didn''t relent.


    "Your Majesty, I request that you evaluate the fitness of the Royal Guard in their security roles."


    And the Archduchess was no different.


    "No, Your Majesty, remove this man from his position as the Minister of Defense and put me in. It is clear that he and the military''s loyalty is in question. I request an immediate investigation of the military and their connections to your mother''s death."


    "Shut it, you runt-"


    "No, you two shut up!" Alexa declared as she glared at both of them. "This meeting is adjourned. We will discuss these matters on cooler heads next time."


    Most ministers didn''t even have a chance to speak. The entire meeting shocked many and the Queen herself.


    The members of Cabinet nodded before Heindh?ff and Alfonso stood up, furious at being completely dominated in the meeting.


    "Ladies, have a good evening." Heindh?ff''s words were icy and cold. He saluted Amelie, and then the two took their briefcases and left the room, which left a chilly atmosphere of dread to the rest of the room.


    Soon, the rest left, leaving Amelie with the Prime Minister.


    "...Your Majesty, I apologize for that shameful display. It wasn''t always like this. While Bluch had always been problematic, ever since Heindh?ff was appointed to head the Ministry of Defense, those two men have been quite vocal and aggressive at their opposition."


    Amelie seemed malaised and drained. Her voice now was weak. The meeting wasn''t fun indeed.


    "Is that why the military refused to demobilize?"


    "...Yes. The sons of this Kingdom do not trust us. Not after we sent them to the meat grinder. It''s an open secret that if they do not get the reforms, the constitution, and the government they want after the elections, they will start a civil war."


    Amelie fell silent. Indeed, what a distasteful situation. She made great promises when her nation was barely even functioning. Perhaps, she should have toned down the idealism?


    "I''m torn... on the one hand, it''s hard to expect their loyalty. They might even be the ones responsible for my mother''s death." Amelie laughed bitterly while saying that. "But it seems like we never truly gave them a reason to be loyal."


    "Perhaps, but I should still remind you. Men have an axe to grind against us. Be careful."


    "...Where do you stand, Mrs. Prime Minister?"


    "I believe in limited reforms. Enough to appease them not to burn down the country."


    "Why not full reforms?"


    "I know the Royal Family likes to act liberal and ''for equality'' for a while now, but there is a reason why we women rule."


    She expected that. In a way, even she slightly believed it. Yet never did it make sense to her.


    Why were they considered superior simply because of magic?


    She lacked any such concrete answers. Still, it was clear as day. Her Kingdom''s answer 3 centuries ago was the cause of its current crumble.


    She could only say one phrase in response.


    "I see."

 Chapter Three: The MoD Grumbles

    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    January 2, 2024


    Twenty-two minutes after the meeting


    "I knew it. She wouldn''t even listen to us." General Heindh?ff cursed as the two left the Ivory Palace, walking to a military convoy. Three Black SUVs awaited them, and the two entered the middle one. Once they were seated, Heindh?ff gestured for the driver to start driving, and the convoy began moving.


    "Well, we shouldn''t have expected much. She would naturally listen to her fellow aristocrats."


    "At this rate, there''s no way I''m accepting any ideas for demobilization. Reforms are becoming more unlikely. How well is Plan O going?"


    Alfonso adjusted his glasses. "Pretty well. The infiltration phase has been difficult and slow, but our assets are now embedded on most key targets."


    "Good. I always trust the OIA to do its job well." He said sarcastically.


    "...Thank you, sir."


    The General frowned as Alfonso went silent for a few moments.


    "What of Unit Eighteen?"


    "Basilisk? We already tracked and executed the officers and men involved in the assassination. Their ties to us have been severed and cleaned."


    The General still looked angry.


    "Look, I apologize, but some of the OIA can get gung-ho at times."


    "You can''t just ''sorry'' the death of the Queen, Alfonso!" The Director flinched. "Get your assets on a leash! This stupidity has almost caused our plans to crumble. If they find out that Unit Eighteen is connected to the OIA, we''re boned, Alfonso, boned."


    "Look, we didn''t expect that those agents were extremists-"


    "Then scan your men and recruits for extremists! Don''t make excuses on my face, Alfonso. You head the OIA, the fucking OIA. Can you do the ''intelligence'' part?"


    "Yes sir, please, forgive me for this. I''ll make sure it won''t happen again."


    "Make sure of that."


    The two stopped talking as Alfonso pulled out a tablet. He tapped a few things, displaying Amelie''s profile and personal information. He took a deep breath.


    "As of now, there doesn''t seem to be anything we don''t know about her. It appears that most of her public records are true."


    "That so? No underground activities? No connections to other factions?"


    "No sir, she seems to have really lived a life quite separate from politics until now. We monitored her activities in the University, although minimally for the last year. Nothing out of the ordinary."


    "...Well then, in that case, the situation is really lining up to our convenience."


    "Indeed it is, sir."


    The General took the tablet and began scrolling. "She''s a naive kid. Her promises practically favored us men and our Republican brothers. It''s funny how a monarch would openly call for full democratic reforms."


    "Which works best for our advantage."


    "Yes, but that also means she''s a spineless idealistic kid. The Prime Minister is already getting uncomfortably close to her, and while she won''t agree with that woman''s political views, she might sway her to act against our interests."


    "So, are we gonna attempt to sway her to our side?"


    "We can''t. She''s still a woman and a highborn. She will favor her peers at the end of the day. The best we can do is convince her not to interfere with our power struggle with the conservatives."


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    The Director looked neutral. It''s not like they ever had many options. Men naturally didn''t. The only way for them to go on was to bite the short end of the stick and struggle with what they had.


    It''s why extreme means had to be achieved. They could not compete with their political power, and for centuries, their magic. But now - they held the power of violence in their hands.


    "I see...what''s our plan on the ORP then? Still the same?"


    "Alfonso, I want this to be crystal clear. Do not dare interfere with the ORP." The General warned. "They may be a bunch of foolish moderates, but they are our fellow brothers fighting for the same rights and reforms. Remember, the only difference between us and them is the means. They are our allies. For now, at least."


    Alfonso nodded. While the Orlish Republican Party would undoubtedly get the lion''s share of votes and support, rather than the National Redemption Front - they still believed in nearly the same ideas as them. And they, indeed, are the only male-dominated political party that had a chance of challenging the fracturing United Orland Party.


    The National Redemption Front''s aim was in the name already - Redemption. The redemption of men from the abysmal situation they faced since they lost the Arcane Wars. The redemption of the rights they had lost ever since magic appeared and was seemingly granted only to women.


    No matter the cost, the Front would not shy away at any means to regain the rights men deserve. If they have sacrificed millions in the trenches of the Great War for the petty matriarchs of Pollos - then they would be prepared to sacrifice tens of millions more for their rights.


    Hence the resistance of the military for demobilization, and the secret preparatory operations being conducted jointly by the OIA and the Armed Forces for one purpose - a violent armed revolution should the situation demand it.


    "General, I understand. I would never sabotage our fellow brothers."


    "Good. You spooks are just too difficult to trust these days. But I will remind you - you are just a spook, not a puppetmaster. Do not cross the line and play stupid games."


    "There''s no need to insult us that way. We are just doing our job."


    "Good, because if you think that just because you''re on our side, does not mean your fuck ups will be ignored. I can let you off the hook for now - but another stupidity from the OIA, and I will personally deal with you."


    That sent shivers down Alfonso''s spine. While the OIA held a lot of power and influence, it paled in comparison to what the General and the Army wielded. All it would take was one word from the General Staff, and an SF unit would eliminate anyone they so desire.


    And the veteran special forces of the Army were leagues away in proficiency and skill from the best agents of the OIA.


    So, he gulped.


    "There''s no need for that, sir. I swear, no more screw-ups."


    "Make sure of it."


    +++


    Eirhow, Kingdom of Orland


    January 3, 2024


    The city of Eirhow was a strange Orlish city. An industrial city filled with factories, mills, and other heavy industries. So much so that smog covered the city each day. So toxic was the smog, that it singlehandedly caused its inhabitants to have a life expectancy of twelve years less than the national average.


    What made Eirhow truly peculiar, however, was its inhabitants. Hundreds of thousands of men lived for a few months (usually) in the city to work and make money - nothing else. So much so that Eirhow was never regarded as a city to live in - but a city to work and make money on. The smog and living conditions would almost always drive anyone with enough sanity away.


    And because of this, almost no woman lived in Eirhow. In fact, many women would look at Eirhow as an abomination. A dystopian product of men''s reckless technological and industrial pursuits.


    The Military-Industrial Complex dominated the city. Tanks, aircraft, artillery, and much more military equipment would be churned out by the workers of the city each day. The concentrated chain of supply that was developed in Eirhow and her surroundings made it the most efficient city to be a manufacturing hub - at brutal costs.


    Costs that no one cared about. Even the men who ran the city didn''t, as profits were hard to come by without sacrifices - not when Royal Corporations could outcompete them without their cheap labor.


    "Today has been smooth." The manager of a major plant said to a man with a suit. The office they were in was relatively clean. But just outside, as seen on the glass window that overlooked the production lines below, it was a different story.


    "We have increased the production of the engines you ordered by twenty percent last month. Today is no different." The businessman smiled in response.


    "That is good, my friend." He took a puff of smoke. "Our friends in the military are ordering more of our tanks. Naturally, you could expect an increase in orders on our contract."


    The manager chuckled. "Do inform me of the increase soon. I''ll let the boss know."


    "Good, it is nice to know that our two companies can work smoothly together."


    "That''s what Eirhow is for, after all. To smoothen everything up and maximize everything."


    "Indeed, good friend."


    The manager took a swig of wine before returning to the conversation, but something caught his attention first. He looked down at the assembly lines, as a commotion occurred. A worker had just made a mistake and lost his hand.


    Naturally, he brushed it off and ignored it. He looked back at the businessman.


    "Well, more tanks, more weapons. We''re doing good work here anyways."


    The businessman chuckled in agreement.


    "Indeed, if the military is the defender of us men, then we shall be their suppliers. Brothers support brothers!"


    "And we make money from it."


    "Truly a splendid arrangement. Something we at PHI love."


    "Heh, so do we."

 Chapter Four: Dirty Business

    "Run! They''re armed!"


    Why? She never truly understood why. Why would a bunch of young men storm a peaceful school just to shoot their fellow students?


    "What the hell do you mean run? We must get our wands from the locker room and hit back those scums!"


    It was a pointless act. Yet they still killed eight students and injured dozens before they were taken out brutally by crude magic. Nothing but deranged terrorists. But while she wouldn''t admit it - it forever changed how she viewed men. Deep down, they were but violent, bloodthirsty maniacs to her.


    Perhaps it was why she was always so distant from him. Was he a monster like them? Were they all a monster like them? Was the Goddess right, that men were evil and they deserved to be deprived of magic?


    "Amelie, they''re leaving for the front. Are you not going to bid your brothers goodbye?"


    She didn''t want to get close to the two. They were always so apathetic, cold, distant, and detached. Almost as if the only difference her brothers had from those killers was that they had not pointed their cursed rifles at innocent women like her yet.


    "They didn''t find his body. Albert is still recuperating. Amelie...you should at least meet and give your brother company."


    She didn''t know much about Adam. She sufficed she wouldn''t know much more now. Was he really a bad person? In a way, her heart was racked with guilt. He died in the fiery, blood-soaked fields of Liebnich, likely alone. His body was never found. And this was how she treated him. This was how she treated them.


    Just because of that event. She lumped them all as demons. No, she must atone and go meet Albert again. If, at the very least, let him know that someone was there for him. He was still her brother.


    And so she did. She entered the room. He didn''t look at her. He was delirious...and...and his eyes. It was gone. Ugly, shrapnel scars. Bandages. Blood. No. She didn''t want to see it. She left in terror. No, he did this to himself. If he just didn''t go to war. If only he weren''t a bloodthirsty man, he would still have...he would have...


    No...it was her mother who sent them. It was they who sent them all there. It was their war, yet...they were the ones fighting and dying. Does that mean-


    Her eyes opened as the morning light shone.


    +++


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    January 3, 2024


    Yesterday was a stressful night for Amelie. After washing her face, she looked at the mirror once more, her sour expression looking back at her.


    She began preparing for the day, then she left her chambers and went straight to her office. As she went through the Palace halls, she passed through Royal Guard knights, servants, and other Palace staff. She walked quickly, simply giving them curt smiles as they bowed to her.


    When she reached her office, her brother was waiting just outside the door. He looked at her for a few seconds, and so did she.


    I''d never get used to seeing him with that eyepatch.


    "Good morning, Albert," Amelie greeted. She wondered what his business was today. Usually, Albert stayed at the port, doing his navy stuff. Always ever so busy that even when he now was back home at Orland, she would still rarely talk to him outside of extremely important matters.


    "Morning, Your Majesty. I have news from the Admiralty." He replied monotonously as he handed her a document. Sometimes, she still felt uncomfortable at how he would intermittently address her way too formally.


    As if I''m not his sister.


    "A new naval shipyard is to be constructed by Porter Heavy Industries here in Halia, but the Parliament blocked the budget yesterday."


    She frowned as she read the document. Why would they construct a shipyard right now? As far as she knew, the war was over, and the military was set to be demobilized.


    "And they want you to reverse that decision."


    She looked at him. "Albert, I''m not sure what''s wrong with the Parliament''s decision. The war is over. Shouldn''t we be closing military facilities instead to save funds?"


    He gave her a neutral stare before chuckling. She looked confused at his reaction, which prompted him to laugh even more. She was slightly taken aback. It wasn''t a simple laugh...it was almost condescending.


    How dare he?


    "Pardon me, but I''m afraid I don''t understand. What''s so funny?"


    "That''s precisely what''s funny, Your Majesty. You don''t understand." He handed her another document. Now it was a direct request from the Ministry of Defense.


    "The military and these corporations want to keep wartime industries to ensure their readiness and keep the profits flowing. If you refuse this, the military will grow hostile to your rule."


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    What? That didn''t make sense to her. Readiness for what? Was this connected to what the Prime Minister said yesterday? That the military was preparing for an armed revolt should the Kingdom block men''s right to vote?


    "...Albert, this won''t help the Kingdom." To spend more Orlish Blancs on military matters when they needed to rebuild the economy would be foolish.


    "Neither would blocking it. Unless if you find it pleasurable to paint a massive crosshair on your back. Don''t worry, I too, find it distasteful, it''s better to spend that money for the people, but I''ll tell you that you''re not in the position to refuse."


    Such an ugly situation. It would be great to block it, indeed, but she didn''t want the military to turn more hostile than it currently was. Not now, not when her reign had only just begun, and especially not with the coming elections.


    But this won''t sit well with the court. Nor would it sit well with Parliament. Many women already feared that the ever-growing power of the military would threaten Orland''s Arcanist Democracy. The fact that men would be voting already violated the core tenets of arcanist democracy - that only those with magic, women, should have the right to vote.


    Fortunately, the previous decades of her mother''s reformist policies made it slightly palatable to let men vote, but the idea of allowing them to potentially threaten the elections through military force?


    As the Archduchess remarked yesterday, it would be utterly unacceptable.


    "What of the Parliament then? Or the court? How could I even convince them to put more of the Kingdom''s treasury on the Military? I cannot lose their support."


    "Amelie," Now that was a surprise. He addressed her by her name. "You''re the Queen here. Those aristocrats are your underlings."


    He was correct. But only if it was that easy! She absolutely could not just barge in, say, the Parliament or the Arcane Council and proclaim a sudden budget increase for the hated military.


    Ideas, ideas, she needed ideas.


    Perhaps she could convince the military to stop the project? Or perhaps lower the contract cost to make it more palatable?


    But she was no expert at these matters. Again, she was no economist and, thus, absolutely not an expert at military procurement and related projects either.


    An idea popped into her mind. She needed advice. Advice from whom? Someone with connections to the military and someone she could slightly trust. Naturally, that automatically removed almost everyone in the military - except for Albert.


    "Alright...can you help me?"


    "Help you in what?"


    "In a lot of things. You''re from the military, which means you have a better idea of how I should handle the military and this issue. Maybe you can even help me negotiate a good compromise."


    Somehow, he looked at her as if she had gone insane. "Your Majesty, what the hell are you talking about? I''m not even a politician."


    "You''re still my brother. Surely you hold some sway?"


    "So what? Men don''t get any titles here. I''m not even a prince like in other countries. I''m just another dude who happened to be the son of the previous Queen." He looked at her with a tinge of resentment. "I''m nothing but a lowly senior officer of the navy. If you think I hold any influence, you''re being naive."


    "Well, but you''re still a naval officer. And you have more experience in politics. Please, at least guide me here." She clasped her hands, and Albert broke eye contact as he conceded.


    "...Fine. I''ll do what I can, but no promises."


    "That''s something, at least..." She murmured before she perked up. Perhaps she could talk to him more about family matters now that they''re alone, but...


    Well, Albert bid his goodbyes and left her, leaving her to ponder on what to do with the project alone instead. She sighed and entered her office. There were mountains of folders and paperwork on the side of her desk from her shift yesterday.


    Terribly so, she noticed that her desktop was still open. She probably forgot to shut it down before she dragged herself to her bedroom to sleep last night.


    "This is why staying up till 3 am is bad." She remarked as she sat down on her chair, facing the dreaded documents she was trying to deal with last night.


    She stared at the devilish reminder of her new job for many long moments, as her mind internally cursed her luck at ending up with this massive headache. So much so that she thought that perhaps she should just leave these matters to the government entirely and laze around like the other monarchs of Pollos.


    Oh, how wonderful that would be. She heard that the new Empress of Larissa always would stay in a nice resort built only for her...


    She slapped herself. Stop with that train of thought, Amelie! Get a hold of yourself!


    There were problems, problems everywhere, and she promised to fix those problems. Her Kingdom expected results, and it was her duty as Queen to deliver it. And she would deliver, she told herself.


    With this newfound vigor, she pulled out her pen to finally sign another-


    Her telephone rang. Someone was calling. Typically, no one should be able to simply ring the Queen, but she did tell the staff that if someone called, they would be allowed.


    It was a part of her "good" Queen goals. Be open to her subjects. She looked slightly proud of herself as she took the phone.


    "Hello? May I know who''s on the other line, please?"


    Her tone was welcoming and perhaps slightly excited.


    Not a lot of monarchs are as kind as me. Oh, whoever''s on the other side must be so grateful to be able to talk to me. This should help increase my popularity with my people.


    The voice that answered wasn''t a woman''s.


    "Good Morning, Your Majesty. I am Well Porter, the CEO of Porter Heavy Industries. I must say, even your mother wasn''t as open as you."


    PHI...so that company, huh? Did he call to discuss the problem with the project?


    "Yes, I did promise that I would be closely interacting with my subjects. So Mr.Porter, what made you call this early?"


    "Your Majesty, surely, you have heard of the shipyard project in Halia, yes?"


    "Yes indeed, I was just informed moments ago."


    "Good, of course. It is nice to hear that our Queen listens well to matters at hand. Your Majesty, I cannot, of course, discuss this predicament with you over the phone line. Thus, would you be so kind as to allow a meeting between us?"


    That...well, she expected it to happen anyways. If she were to deal with the issue regarding the shipyard, it would only be natural that she would sit down with the parties involved.


    "Of course, I would be delighted. Perhaps on Wednesday? A private meeting could be arranged."


    The voice that came back was a tad bit surprised.


    "...That''s it? No special requirements?"


    She giggled a bit. "Did you expect that I would charge you millions just for a meeting or something?"


    "Well, something along those lines, I suppose. Even the tiny act of requesting a meeting with a noble would usually cost you - erm, something like the equivalent of your left kidney for her to even think that it''s worthy of spending time with you."


    It was, well, almost a horrible, dark joke. It was supposed to be a joke, right? Yet, his tone...it was almost as if he was speaking from experience.


    Surely, it couldn''t be that bad, right?


    She laughed awkwardly. "Well, what a funny joke, Mr.Porter. I would never, never ask for someone''s kidney just for a chat."


    "Oh, pardon me for that. I was carried away."


    "No, I assure you, it is alright. So Wednesday it is?"


    "Wednesday, Your Majesty. I am deeply honored to have a chance to meet you."


    "Well, have a nice day, Mr.Porter."


    "You too, Your Majesty."


    She placed her phone back as the line stopped. Her eyes were glued to the documents Albert handed to her. It appeared that the stakes had risen. Whoever she would pick to favor now in this dispute would have drastic consequences for her rule. Her expression showed a tiny look of despair at her predicament.


    The military against the nobility. Where must she stand?


    How am I supposed to deal with this?

 Chapter Five: Approve The Budget, Your Majesty

    Liebnich Peninsula


    January 6, 2020


    First Year of the Great War


    It was night, yet darkness had not arrived on the front. Everywhere he looked, it was bright. To soften the enemy positions, friendly artillery rained down white phosphorus, thermite bombs, thermobaric bombs, and other nasty incendiary weapons at their trenches. Such a combination created an almost majestic firestorm that soldiers like him could watch from the trenches.


    It must have been one hell of an experience for them, slowly being burned by white phosphorus that night. Good, the less of them, the better it would be for him once they launch the assault.


    He watched as more munitions were dropped at them, reveling at the silent, almost twisted beauty of the devastation they caused. It was as if they commanded the flames themselves to bring hell to the world.


    Indeed, that was what defined this twisted war. For the troops involved were mostly men, almost all rules of war were lifted. Any and all nightmarish weaponry that was developed in the past decades was free game for both sides. And so the fronts were turned into hellish testing sites for every inhumane weaponry known to man.


    And they were the guinea pigs.


    The gunfire.


    The artillery.


    The screams of the dammed.


    It filled the ears, much as the visuals of terror filled the eyes.


    It was so bad that governments participating in the war actively barred entrance to the conflict for their fellow women. It left young men like him alone without much magical support to deal with the brutality they faced.


    This is where they belonged, they said. He was an unworthy scum befitting the trenches, his family said. Even his once-beloved older sister almost said the same to console him when he went to the recruitment center. It was what everyone around him said.


    And he still remembered what she said when he asked that woman out. He thought it was his final chance before the draft pulled him away. And so he mustered up his courage to face her, his one and only dream.


    Yet like all dreams, it was crushed.


    "Go to that war first, and prove yourself."


    He chuckled. "And they said the worst she can say is no."


    A deranged smirk grew on his face as he pulled down his night vision goggles. Perhaps they were right.


    Today, he will die with his battalion, on this depraved battlefield, like the millions of his brothers before him.


    "They''re fucking breaking, lads!" Their Captain shouted at them while he prepared his rifle. "The barrage has cleared a path for us! Now we will sweep them off their trenches!"


    It was a lie. Artillery seldom cleared the trenches. Even with its sheer brutality, hundreds would survive and return fire. Yet the lie gave them silent comfort. He was different, though. He knew otherwise...


    At the very least, the vapor cloud of VX (Venomous Agent X) on the sector they were about to storm had already evaporated, or at least according to the penal battalions who "surveyed" the front yesterday. That was...a sliver of good news if it was true since supply shortages meant that they wouldn''t get their CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) gear for the counter-offensive.


    Well, considering that the enemy re-occupied their trenches, it should be pretty clear...


    He remembered the scenes two weeks ago when they gunned down their fellow soldiers who attempted to escape the trenches contaminated by VX, all to prevent them from spreading its poison. Entire friendly brigades of convulsing soldiers were decimated as they ran from the nerve gas in vain. He watched as his fellow fighting brothers, some of whom he knew, were cut down by their very own rifles. It was a scene out of hell itself, he thought, as he attempted to bury it again away from his mind.


    "Will there be armor support?" A boy, Private Timmy, asked from his right. While his combat uniform, mask, and NVG hid his younger features, his voice betrayed any semblance of adulthood.


    It wasn''t surprising. The war promised much to every man. They promised a good life for them. Votes, wealth, glory, housing, free college, jobs, and many more. Was it true? They didn''t know. But beggars were no choosers, and it was a shiny promise. Even sixteen-year-olds enlisted en masse.


    And the Queen was more than happy to send more of her sons to the meatgrinder. Especially willing volunteers. The more troops sent to replace the dead ones, the more land would be taken or held.


    "Yes, there will be!" The Captain said as the artillery wound down. Confidence rose as they awaited the command.


    "Sir, what about the contamination? We''re not sure if the VX is gone." Another asked, and confidence dipped. Nerve gas was the terror of the front that every soldier feared. A man may wallow through a trench filled with mustard gas with nothing but an outdated gas mask and suit, but when it was Sarin or VX, not even cutting-edge CBRN gear would keep the morale high to push on.


    But the response was quick. Officers always had that duty. They motivated their men to carry on, no matter what they faced. So the Captain roared.


    "Orders are in. Even if nerve agents are still present on surfaces, they should be in low doses. The Queen demands victory. And we shall deliver. No matter the cost!"


    A wave of uneasiness enveloped the men, but the Captain continued his speech.


    "You are all men, right?!"


    "Sir! Yes, sir!"


    "Then do not fear hell. You men are lions, and no gas will make you flinch! Am I correct?!''


    "Yes sir!!" the men shouted in unison, and then they resumed their preparations. The words struck deep into their hearts. They were men, and this was one of the things they were always proud of.


    They may not have magic, but they had stubbornly clung to the idea that men must be hardened warriors, ready to face death when the call came. That when those with wands ran in terror, simple men with but a rifle would hold the line for them.


    With radios checked, equipment ready, and spirits "high," the words came out loud at every ear.


    "All units! Forward!"


    Squads after squads, entire platoons, all climbed up the trenches as armored vehicles rushed from behind them. What little was left of the town before them was gone, nothing but cinders and rubble.


    He kept up with his squad as they ran forward like hell. And just as he expected, indeed, the artillery didn''t eliminate them. Terror rained down on the entire frontline as they were greeted by heavy gunfire. Artillery and mortar fire decimated entire ranks, sending torn limbs and bodies into the air. Yet they pushed on.


    Many were cut down, while others took cover in the rubble, responding with their assault rifles. The tanks behind them moved on, firing on the move.


    He grimaced as a mortar shell landed a few meters from him, forcing him to duck down in the rubble.


    Looking up, however, he realized it was no mortar. It was a dreaded drone. Those small rotary drones were one of the silent terrors of the night on the front, that dropped bombs at anyone who dared expose himself.


    In a fit of panic, he fired his rifle at it as it flew away, but it was futile. Just as the gunfire and explosions intensified around him, a question popped into his mind. Where were his comrades?


    He looked around, and the answer to the question came. The tanks were burning. The radio was filled with screams. There were no Orlish soldiers left standing near him.


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    He looked around for his squadmates, but all he found was Private Timmy over there, lying face-first in a crater filled with rainwater.


    There was no point anymore.


    "...Fuck it."


    Mustering his courage, he stood up and charged at them. But he didn''t get far. An explosion nearby peppered his legs with shrapnel.


    He didn''t know how long he lay there. In and out of consciousness, he lay as the world burned around him, until...


    She looked like an angel. No bullets passed through her shining shield. She was clearly one of the few women who volunteered in the front. And damn, were they a true godsend, his delirious mind thought jokingly.


    Rare like a gem, they were usually the great medics and nurses who would save one''s life from demise. One may lose a limb, but a wand can close the wound and stop the bleeding in seconds.


    If only more of them came to support them in the war.


    It was cool when she aimed her wand at him. Maybe, some of them did care? He almost stopped believing that...


    Someone slapped his back. His eyes opened.


    +++


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    Ivory Palace


    January 6, 2024


    "Wake up, moron." William looked around, his eyes locking up at his older brother, Well Porter, who, unlike him, was born nearly two decades before him and became a successful businessman.


    Lucky him, he dodged a hell of a bullet.


    They were in the guest room of the Palace. His brother dragged him here today for a meeting with the new Queen. He protested it, but his brother wanted him to experience business negotiations and some politics to ''re-integrate him to civilian life.'' It was clear that his older brother wanted to train him as a potential successor to the company.


    "You war veterans really have a lot of loose screws." Well commented as William took a glass of water from the table before him. He then sat on the sofa with William. "Sleeping on the Palace, all sweaty. You''ve got quite the balls."


    William chuckled and drank the water. The cold liquid awakened him and calmed down his nerves. "I''ve had worse."


    "You sure did."


    William looked at his watch. It seemed like he still had time before the meeting.


    "We''re going there at ten, right?"


    "Of course. Hopefully, it goes well." Well said, as he lit up another cigar. The older man was a bit of a smoker, which William never approved of. Many a time, he would tell him how foolish it was to poison one''s lungs so willingly - when millions of young men lost theirs on the front.


    But that was just how his older brother was. To nag him further would be pointless. So William resigned himself to think about the meeting.


    William had already looked at the details of it¡ªa shipyard in the capital. Porter Heavy Industries certainly had the capabilities to construct a major shipyard in the capital, which was why the Admiralty picked them.


    Unfortunately, the Parliament blocked the project. They had a point in blocking such a money sink, but PHI''s bottom line was his and his brother''s main interest. The contract for the construction would be massive money, not to mention the decades of operating such a massive shipyard, which meant shipbuilding contracts.


    Especially that juicy new supercarrier class that the Admiralty wanted, as his brother would say.


    PHI would finally expand its operations to constructing capital warships, a vision his brother had long dreamed of. While they had facilities for taking on contracts for guided-missile frigates and destroyers in other provinces, anything with a tonnage above twenty thousand tons was considered impossible.


    Of course, the Admiralty would also benefit. Having more ships at their disposal would be critical to keeping Orland''s global naval supremacy. Even if the Great War ended, the war was not truly over.


    Especially when the Empire of Larissa, their main rival, was making moves against the island kingdom of Lorathia on some disputed islands, and Lorathia was one of their key allies in the developing Cold War.


    Thus, it would be inevitable that the Orlish Navy would once again face those blasted Larissans on the high seas as if the Great War never ended.


    But clearly, women were increasingly distraught at the growth and power of the Armed Forces, the Navy included. And to be fair, they and other corporations involved in the growing military-industrial was a black hole for taxpayer money, mainly paid by women and the nobility.


    But, those nobles can go to hell, he thought. If the money was going anywhere, it better go to them. That was the goal of the Porter brothers.


    Call it selfish, but anyone outside of the aristocratic elite had been screwed in countless ways for centuries. It was only now that their power and wealth began growing, so why not take advantage of it?


    "So, what''s our strategy?"


    "We will proceed with what we planned." Well answered, and William nodded. It was already 9:44 a.m., which meant they only had a few minutes left. William took one last drink, and the two stood up. It was time to strike.


    +++


    William followed Well as the two walked through the halls of the Palace. While its grandeur and opulence would certainly attract the eyes, William was too jaded to take notice of that.


    Beauty, after all, was a lie. How could one even find beauty in a Palace that symbolized the boots that strangled men for centuries?


    Especially his generation?


    Distrust, suspicion, and a lack of faith in the system - and women. It was what defined the lessons learned by every young man who went to the war. There was no system out there that would care for or cherish them. There was no warm home nor a dignified job that waited for them.


    A good life? College? Nonsense, all of them.


    What awaited them was the cold embrace of neglect.


    Not even the joke that they now "have a say" through voting rights was true. Ignoring the fact that they were already threatening men''s right to vote before it even began, did it even matter?


    Many men of his age were dead. How would they even be an effective voting block when nearly half of them had either been shot, stabbed, blasted, incinerated, or gassed to vote?


    Was it not simply so perfect for them? That they had effectively eliminated their political power before even giving them the right to vote?


    Whatever that blasted Queen says, it''s a lie.


    But he had to keep it to himself. That stupid brat who promised this and that when none of it even seemed possible. Who was she? The blasted goddess? Did she really think that she would convince men to support her just because of a few sweet words?


    Go to hell.


    "We''re here. Just stay confident and calm. No need to embarrass ourselves in front of her."


    "Got it, brother."


    The staff opened the door, revealing her office. It was grand, with a nice view of the city behind her. The desk she sat on, the fancy paintings on the walls, the multitude of furniture and ornaments that adorned the room, and then the two flags of Orland that stood behind her desk. It certainly caught Well''s eyes, William''s on the other hand, not so much.


    It was the famous round office. The symbolical center of the power of the Orlish Crown, where the Queens of Orland guided and ruled the proud Kingdom ever since its foundation.


    There, sat behind the desk, was Queen Amelie herself. She placed down the cup of tea that she held and then observed the two.


    Yep, I knew it. She''s an elitist prick. Speak sweetly and passionately in front of her people during a coronation, then look down at us in private. How unsurprising.


    His brother coughed, and then he began introducing himself and William.


    "Your Majesty, I am honored to be in your presence. I am Well Porter, the CEO of Porter Heavy Industries. This right here is my younger brother, William Porter."


    With a gentle smile, she stood up.


    "Welcome, do be at ease, gentlemen¡ªno need to bow or kneel. I''m not a fan of such trivialities. Let us proceed straight to business instead."


    +++


    Amelie paused for a few seconds as the two took a stunned and confused reaction. However, it was clear that the two were suppressing it.


    Did...did I go too far?


    Yesterday, Albert told her that she must keep a sense of authority to deal with them. That she should present herself as a true Queen and not get too casual with them. However, he warned her not to get too arrogant when speaking.


    Naturally, without much experience, perhaps she screwed up the balancing of it.


    Damn him, at least he should have shown me how to do it!


    She cleared her throat.


    "Well then, do take your seats."


    "Well, thank you, Your Majesty."


    The two took their seats in front of her, with Amelie doing the same.


    Well Porter spoke first, his tone businesslike as he explained the project. Amelie listened well to the details, and so did William as Well laid down the shipyard''s capabilities.


    Indeed, it was an interesting proposition to Amelie. Such a shipyard could construct the new Queen Areya-Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers for the navy in bulks of two in a four-year production cycle.


    Such a large vessel had a displacement of a hundred thousand tons. So far, the Orlish Navy had only commissioned two of these advanced carriers, the ONS Queen Areya and the ONS Matriarch, as they could only be constructed by one shipyard in all of Orland.


    "Your Majesty, with this shipyard, we could construct eight of these carriers in the next two decades. Not to mention the other ships we could make on these extra facilities. And that''s only for the short term. This shipyard has the potential to operate for a century."


    She nodded. Indeed it was a great project. But such projects would only make sense if they had the budget. Technically, Orland could afford it - but the Parliament refused to pay.


    "Well, then, what about the cost of the project?"


    This time, the young man, William, stepped in.


    "Your Majesty, the shipyard, according to our latest estimates, will cost eight Billion Orlish Blancs."


    "Well...there''s the problem."


    William cut her words.


    "I don''t see the problem with that, Your Majesty. You''ve just approved an eighteen billion budget increase for the Royal Guard. I''m not sure why the military should not receive the same."


    Porter looked at William as his skin paled. The way he spoke to the Queen, was borderline insolence. His neck was on the line, for heaven''s sake.


    Fortunately, Amelie had no violent reaction.


    "Indeed, that is true, William, was it? Say, do you have a special interest in the military to get this budget?" She asked curiously. The way he defended the interests of the military was above how a businessman would.


    "Yes, I do, Your Majesty. I''m off duty, but I am the commanding officer of the 16th Armored Battalion."


    Well began fidgeting as William continued. "Hey, come on, I told you not to bring up your military business here."


    "No worries about that, Mr. Porter. There is no shame in being in the military." She looked back at William. "Interesting. Why then are you here?"


    "Officially, my unit was demobilized, Your Majesty. Technically, I''m now a civilian employee of PHI, but, as you know, the circumstances are different these days."


    She nodded. "Yes, I''ve heard of it. Men going home but keeping their gear and equipment ready at the bases?"


    "Yes, most demobilized units are ready to be reactivated at a moment''s notice. The Armed Forces are prepared to face any threat to Orland."


    "Well, that is most interesting. So what do I really gain from helping the military in this project, Mister William?" She looked at him seriously, demanding a straight answer.


    It was clear that she wasn''t asking for the material gain from constructing the shipyard. No, she wanted a straight answer from someone in the military itself. Would her approval for the project gain their support?


    "Your Majesty, I cannot promise much from my branch, the Army. But one thing I can tell is that if you give us this budget and complete the shipyard - the Navy would be on your side."

 Chapter Six: New Allies

    "So William, where did you serve?" It was dead at night, yet the two stood on the balcony of her office. The fine view of the city was perfectly shown from the balcony, the bustling city lights and the high-rises of the distant business districts, it was an eye candy of modernity, that even William''s jaded eyes could not help but be wondered by its sight.


    But he didn''t understand why Amelie asked him privately to have a talk after the meeting. What would she ask of him, he didn''t know. Yet the Queen had authority. He could not simply say no, even though he preferred to simply go home and rest. Rest was good, after all. Although sometimes it sucked when the scenes would resurface in his head...


    Ah, whatever. Let''s just get this over with.


    With a tone of distrust, he answered. "I served in the Liebnich Peninsular Campaign, Your Majesty."


    Liebnich. The same place where her older brother, Adams died. The same place too, where Albert received his injuries. Whenever she read the passages that detailed the campaign, she would sometimes tear up. It sickened her greatly, all of it.


    In those Gaullic fields, the Orlish Armed Forces spent three years fighting, while cut off from the main allied lines, as they bravely defended that strip of land of the Kingdom of Gaul.


    Men who survived that campaign told stories of constant fighting, bombardment, lack of supplies, and most dreadful of them all - chemical warfare.


    Nerve agents, mustard gas, phosgene, and many more nightmares produced by Pollos'' Industrial Revolution, were used widely by both sides in Liebnich, for there were almost no civilians left after it was evacuated, which gave them the excuse to use it liberally. And thus the Peninsula and those who fought there witnessed all kinds of contamination.


    But what made it worse for the Orlish side, was that Liebnich could only be supplied by sea. Those who served there, always faced shortages of CBRN gear. Tales of men with nothing but surgical or cloth masks - facing clouds of VX and Sarin were too common. Far too common for comfort, as she could only imagine how much of a nightmare its effects were based on scant few medical readings she had done about those toxins.


    And to think that millions died from those gases alone. What more of the millions more veterans who were now crippled by it?


    How could they have done this to them? She would ask herself this every night. Worse of all, even now that they were back home, they still treated them like disposable rats. Each day millions of Orlishmen who served suffered, as her government turned a blind eye.


    It was why she understood his distrust. He had every right to be wary of her.


    She pitied him. All of them.


    "Did the 16th also serve in Liebnich?"


    "...Yes, we all did. Though, most of my men were only from last year."


    "Why?"


    "I can only scarcely count on my fingers the members of the 16th who joined three years ago with me."


    She paused, then looked back at him.


    "Why? Where are the rest?"


    The answer was obvious. Only one word came from William''s mouth.


    "Dead."


    With a somber look, she could hardly say much too.


    "I see."


    William stood there for a while, unsure how to proceed. He wasn''t used to this, to talk to a woman, more so Royalty. Especially one that...seemingly looked so genuinely empathetic of his misery.


    "Why...did you want to talk about this?"


    "It has to stop."


    "What? I don''t understand, Your Majesty. Stop what?"


    "This! This...apathy, this, callousness, this, coldness. My mother sent you all to war, yet this is how she - no, we treat you? I''ve seen and heard enough."


    While William would like to deny it, he couldn''t help but feel moved. The Matriarchy had beyond abused them. He did not know why they - men, were treated this way. The only answer he would sometimes hear was that it was rightful retribution for the centuries that their ancestors oppressed women.


    But was it fair? Was it justice, to simply turn the tables around, and make the sons pay again and again for the crimes of their fathers?


    It was why the modern man would not let go of his rifle. They had enough, of paying the price - again and again, only to be tossed like used garbage.


    It was why the Military, he, and his fellow brothers acted this way. The breaking point was near for them.


    "Stopping this cruelty, Your Majesty is no easy task."


    "And that''s what I hate about it." A fire almost appeared in her eyes. "I am the Queen - yet under my watch my subjects suffer and suffer needlessly. Even my life is threatened by it. There can only be so much pain that you men can endure before you rise against the crown."


    Indeed that was true. The crown, the Parliament, and the nobility, to the eyes of military men, were as much an enemy to them as those that they faced in the trenches. Perhaps even more so.


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    "That is why...I plan for change."


    "You promised that back during your speech, yes. But, you would lose the support of the nobility, and the military, and us men are not your ally yet."


    "But I could change that. To rebuild trust, it would take gargantuan efforts. I would need to do reforms. I would need to appease you all. I would need to negotiate."


    "Indeed, you are right, Your Majesty."


    "But, William, I cannot do that if the military is insistent on stabbing me in the back." She walked towards him. "William, no - Major William Porter, will you lend me your aid? To help me gain allies in the Army?"


    He looked at him with muted shock. Was it true, or was he dreaming? This...young Queen, she seemed truly determined to do this. To bring reforms, and peace.


    She was right. This wasn''t simply for her self-preservation, but also for them. If the Military could not reconcile even with a reformist monarch, then the only path they would trek is a path to another war.


    "Your Majesty, how can I be sure that you are on our side?"


    Immediately, a document materialized in her hand. Magic, he supposed. She showed it to him, and with her signature, was a Royal Decree that approved the shipyard project.


    This...was unprecedented. She was sacrificing her own reputation for their interests. Indeed, she seemed very serious.


    "Are you on my side, Major William?"


    "...Your Majesty, I and the 16th will now report to you directly."


    Amelie smiled. It may be a small step, for he only commanded a battalion, yet everything must start from somewhere.


    "I''ll even bring this to my connections at the General Staff. I''ll find you allies, for the good of Orland."


    "You have my gratitude, Major."


    +++


    City of Rebenslof


    Complex 12 - Orlish Navy Headquarters


    Many have said that the Orlish Navy ruled the waves of Pollos, and it would not be far from the truth. Indeed, Orland was the undisputed champion of the high seas, its fleets having won war after war through its sheer doctrinal prowess and technological supremacy.


    Rebenslof, a coastal city only a few kilometers away from a Halia, was its proud headquarters, and the home port of the infamous 2nd Fleet, which famously participated in the three-year campaign on the seas surrounding the Liebnich Peninsula.


    Two aging aircraft carriers that made up the 2nd Fleet, the ONS Rebenslof, and the ONS Cuirassier were anchored on the port, their hulls visible from the Headquarters Building.


    While old, and damaged - as the ONS Rebenslof was currently undergoing repairs for its engines, the two carriers fought through thick and thin near Liebnich and gained many awards and recognition for it.


    They held a special place in the hearts of many veterans from that peninsula, as their actions kept the sea lanes open to Liebnich during the Peninsular Campaign.


    The ONS Rebenslof for one, was famous for holding off the Larrisan fleet 2 years ago when they tried to cut off Liebnich from its supplies coming from the seas. During the Battle, the ONS Rebenslof and its escorts even came close to land to support ground forces with air cover and evacuate the wounded again and again.


    Unfortunately, she was hit by a missile on the bridge during a naval engagement. It was only through sheer luck that its Commanding Officer - Albert Ludendorf, survived two years ago.


    Even then, his eye patch showed that the scars of that battle were not gone.


    "Looking over your fine ship, Commodore?" A voice said from behind Albert. He turned around to see his senior, Admiral George Halberd. Old and experienced, the two fought side by side through the Great War. While Albert ran the Rebenslof, Halberd commanded the 2nd Fleet as a whole. He also often used the Rebenslof as his flagship.


    "Yeah, I wonder when her engines and propulsion would be fixed. The Cuirassier would continue her tours tomorrow, while my ship is still stuck in port."


    A small chuckle.


    "You''re a cocky young man, the war had just ended, yet you already want to be out and about in the high seas...but I suppose that''s just natural."


    Albert turned away from the windows of the office to face the aging Admiral. He was sitting on his chair, shuffling papers on his desk while smoking from his pipe.


    "Sir, I''d like to ask. How did the Admiralty react to the news?"


    "The Halian shipyard? Oh, they were delighted by the news." He laughed heartily. "Many didn''t expect any more military projects post-war, but your little sister''s decision had eased their fears."


    Albert made a sigh of relief. That was good news. At the very least her decision should win over some of the Admiralty. Their plan of winning over the military would be an arduous task, but such a small step was still good news.


    "Worried about your little sister?"


    "Yes...I am. She''s in a shaky position."


    "The country is in a shaky position as a whole." He let out a puff of smoke. "But I suppose since she is the Queen, she is the country."


    "It''s just...she''s still family."


    "Indeed, son. While we men are usually thrown by our families, we somehow still stay loyal and protective of them, aren''t we? I saw how downtrodden you were at her funeral. I thought you hated her."


    He ignored his comment about his relationship with his mother.


    "Her life would be in danger if a civil war breaks." He looked at him, a sense of protectiveness in his voice. "I would not let anything happen to her, to the both of them."


    A small silence.


    "Civil war this, civil war that. Oh, you young men are such aggressive folks." He paused. "Even if the military stormed the Ivory Palace and took control, a junta without popular support would collapse regardless."


    "Yet the Army is twitchy for it."


    "Because the Army is currently led by radicals." The Admiral said, a hint of disappointment in his tone. "General Heindh?ff and his lackeys have taken over the General Staff way too swiftly. He''s manipulating the anger and resentment of our ground troops for their gains, I won''t be surprised if he tears this nation apart."


    "Where do we stand?"


    "For now? The sidelines. The Air Force and the Navy is the bastion of sanity. We would not join the radicals, nor would we be some lapdog of the Queen and the nobility."


    That was unsurprising, Albert thought. Both the navy and the airforce had always stayed moderate, for they saw less brutality than the army.


    Unlike the Army which was usually filled with the poor, radicals, and workers as conscripts, and thus, saw more of the brutality on the ground, including the worst excesses of the matriarchal order, the navy and the airforce in comparison were of professional men who saw less of the war.


    While they were men who also harbored resentment toward the Crown, they would be more amicable to compromises and peaceful reforms.


    Of course, that would only be true for so long as the Crown kept such a path possible. Block the avenues for peaceful change, and the sailors, marines, and airmen of Orland would no doubt also join the ranks of the front in droves.


    But thankfully, Amelie didn''t appear to be interested in such an act.


    "But son, the Army is still the Army. If they marched to the Capital, we would not be able to stop them."


    "Then what should we do?"


    "What should your little sister do? That is the question, young man." He stood up. "Even we in the Admiralty aren''t rock-solid supporters of her, at least not until her promised reforms are implemented. But what of the Army?"


    Indeed, winning over them would be even more difficult.


    "She would need to win them over somehow if she wishes to survive." He walked towards the door. "Go check out the repair crew down there or something. They are looking for you. I''ll go have some chow."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Albert followed him through the door, leaving the office empty.

 Chapter Seven: The Problematic Army

    "I must say, that was a bold, and quite possibly, reckless decision."


    Prime Minister Alexa didn''t look quite amused at Amelie. The two met this morning at a nice Pavilion near the Palace. It was a nice day, even though it snowed hard yesterday. While it was cold, it wasn''t that cold today. Still, Amelie prepared tea for herself and Alexa. There was no weather where tea would not be a good addition during a meeting, after all.


    Amelie sipped her tea.


    "I had to do it. To appease them, at the very least." She had always reasoned this to everyone who showed reservations about her policies regarding the Armed Forces. Appeasement wasn''t perfect, but it served her goals.


    "An eight-billion Blanc appeasement scheme."


    "Well, we bought the Royal Guard''s support with the budget increase last week." She gave her a neutral stare. Alexa was not in a position to judge her when she had suggested and done the same, just to the Royal Guard. "I just did the same. And now look at what I have."


    She handed her a letter. Both the Admiralty and PHI corporation were delighted with her decision. Especially the Admiralty. She even laughed at it yesterday, they sure did love ships and the ability to build them.


    "It''s from the Admiralty. They commended my decision. I know that does not mean that they would be on our side, but it''s something."


    Alexa looked at it and chuckled. "It''s just a piece of paper."


    "Yeah, but it''s something." She frowned. "The General Staff for one have not even congratulated me for my coronation. Only the Air Force and the Admiralty did. Just a reminder that it could be worse. I''m just happy that I''m now building some goodwill with the Admiralty at least."


    Amelie shook her head in frustration at the Army. Alexa also looked frustrated as she spoke.


    "Well, the Army''s clearly plotting something. Worse, they''re not even being subtle about it." Alexa sighed. Indeed, the Army wasn''t subtle in its intentions. Almost as if they wanted to make it obvious that they would absolutely start a civil war should they not get what they desired - reforms and power.


    She hated those rascals. To threaten women with guns, it was utterly reprehensible.


    But if there was anything she would give to the General Staff, it would be the fact that their actions seemed ingenious. The Parliament, the Court, and the general public now seemed terrified at the prospect of civil war.


    Even she was, she reminded herself, as she remembered the mess that was the appointment of General Heindh?ff as Minister of Defense.


    Even Amelie in front of her was the same. No wonder she approved the project. Their threats of terror were clearly working. A civil war was something no one, especially the relatively well-off middle-class women wanted. It was a common argument, especially from the liberal wing of her party that advocated for minor reforms.


    "Let them have some of it, or we all won''t have it."


    So much so that most middle-class women supported the idea of minor reforms. Both were due to their genuine progressive ideals - but mostly fear. Fear of the war that they had watched from the comfort of their homes reaching their doorsteps.


    "And of course, they would. They want to leverage their military power and turn it into political power." She continued. She sipped her tea, then placed the teacup down. "And since you conceded to one of their demands, they have just succeeded on that front."


    Amelie smiled. True, she conceded to the demands of the military. But, it was a part of her new grand strategy that she formulated after countless nights of research and consultations.


    Unlike Alexa who planned only on bringing in as little reform as she could get away with, without starting a civil war - Amelie was different. For her, nothing but full reforms would be acceptable. And, as far as she can see, Alexa was wrong. Only full reforms would stop a Civil War. If it could even stop it.


    And to bring in the reforms, the situation in Orland must be engineered. She could not let the Military nor the Corporations grow weak even if they were a direct threat to her, as they were now the Vanguard of men and the male rights movement. To weaken them would mean the movement would be weakened, and then the nobility would just once again repress them.


    But also, she would have no means to weaken them in the first place. The government already asked them to demobilize - they didn''t. And they would not. To ask them any further, or to block their interests, would mean civil war.


    To her goals, that would be unacceptable.


    Plus, according to Albert, the reason why the Army was so hostile, was due to the sizeable and growing radical minority in its ranks.


    But most importantly, was the apathetic majority that had no choice but to follow the radicals. Most soldiers in the Army could be described as aimless sheep. Tired of the war, they would want nothing more than peaceful reforms, so they could finally get back home to their civilian lives.


    Unfortunately, the war and the current political climate had also left them disillusioned and anxious. Even the Navy and the Air Force were the same. As they faced an uncertain future, with their rights still threatened, they naturally chose to hold on to their rifles.


    To them, both the Crown and the Parliament were untrustable, which left them with one option - to follow the radicals and their bloodthirsty solutions.


    But that was the weak link. They could still be reasoned with, and she aimed to make sure that she could give them a reason to put down their rifles and go home, or join the moderates and leave the cursed radicals. With that, the Army, or some of it, would be on her side - and they would be able to aid her in changing the Kingdom for the better.


    But that would only happen once the elections ended, and a new government, preferably a reformist one was in power. One that she could use to bring in her reforms, and finally show them that the Crown and the Parliament could be trusted. For now, she needed to delay. She planned to do this by temporarily conceding whenever the Military asked for something until she gained enough support from the moderates from the planned reforms. Once this was completed, the threat the radicals posed would be neutralized.


    "Because I plan on winning over the moderates." She replied to Alexa. "The Orlish Republican Party showed that not all men are radicalized. We can still get them on our side. Had I denied that project, the Redemption Front would have had another propaganda victory. I don''t want more moderates flocking to the NRF."


    Alexa looked surprised.


    "...I''m surprised. Yes, that is indeed correct."


    Amelie smiled at her praise. Sometimes she felt like she was now becoming a genuine Queen, as she strategized and navigated the complex web of Orlish politics.


    "Well, Albert gave me advice."


    "Your brother? I see. Well, it is quite decent advice. Indeed, that is true."


    "Yeah...I don''t really want more extremists. I think they''re the greatest threat to my rule. If I could stamp them out through concessions, so be it."


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    Even then, it would be a delicate balancing act. The Army, in every single way, was different from the Navy or the Air Force. Many on the General Staff, especially Heindh?ff was still an extremist. Even if she could gain the support of many in the lower ranks (which was questionable), those higher up would still be a problem.


    But if she disfavored and cracked down on the Military, she might as well just shoot herself with a fireball. She would absolutely lose whatever goodwill she had with the Navy - and the Army would start a civil war, which would most likely lead to the rest of the Armed Forces joining in. She would be dead in a week.


    And then there was the issue of the Royal Guard and the conservatives turning hostile. A limit existed on how much she could favor the Military and men on her policies before the Royal Guard and their aristocratic backers turned against her.


    But she could not also favor both in the long term. If a civil war broke out, she would have no allies then. A neutral crown would be a dead crown.


    It''s just such a mess! Internally, Amelie hated the situation fully. It was almost as if every decision she would take was the equivalent of dipping oneself in a frying pan.


    Which was why she went all in with the shipyard project. Again, it would buy her time until the elections and her planned reforms by appeasing the army. But more importantly, was the navy. The Navy was what mattered for her immediate survival. If she failed in this dance of politics, well, those ships would be very useful.


    Though of course, she would prefer not to run. Nor would she let her Kingdom fall apart in the first place.


    "Still, you''re not fully correct. Now, some members of Parliament are angry," Alexa added. "And Dubois was especially dissatisfied by it. The conservatives are protesting this. Some loudly."


    "Yeah, she did give me a letter."


    Well, it was a mostly generic letter, with the Archduchess informing her of how her decision "was a mistake" except it was filled with the classic aristocratic language of respect. Almost like a warning, that obviously tried to not sound like a warning since the Archduchess was addressing the very Queen.


    "How was it."


    "It wasn''t that bad."


    Alexa chuckled in amusement. "Good, Pristina can be quite aggressive at getting what she wants. It''s nice to know that she still has lines she would not cross."


    "She really wants that position, huh?" Again and again, at every turn that she would meet that woman, the issue of the Ministry of Defense would be bought up.


    "Yeah, she does. To be fair, if it weren''t for Heindh?ff''s threats, I would have appointed her instead."


    That surprised Amelie. Heindh?ff threatened her? That...could be a bit of a tiny problem with her plan.


    "Wait...he did?"


    "I told you already. It''s an open secret. I had no choice that day. There were hundreds of thousands of troops on Halia during the Victory Parade."


    Nope, this was ridiculous. The hole in her plan had now just increased. She groaned internally, she would have to make readjustments again.


    "So...you appointed him?"


    "On the grounds of ensuring national security, yes. Plus, I should remind you, that we still do not know who killed your mother. We blame the Royal Guard or the Army, but for all we know it could have just been a bunch of terrorists - or a foreign plot."


    Amelie looked even more downtrodden. The investigations were proceeding at a snail''s pace. The question of who did it remained uncertain, which naturally left everyone - including her, anxious and paranoid.


    Still...Heindh?ff threatened Alexa. The Orlish Government itself was threatened. That meant...no, she would focus on investigating the Army and Heindh?ff from now on. For the past weeks, her suspicions pointed to the military. Perhaps, they really did this.


    But then again, she was already committed to siding with the Armed Forces.


    This headache just keeps getting worse and worse. Did I make a mistake? I just made a mistake, didn''t I?


    "On the brighter side of things, I''ve already established the independent investigation team that you asked for," Alexa said, in an attempt to console her. "A trusted Royal Guard knight, Marie Wittfield would lead it."


    Immediately, Amelie''s eyes widened at the mention of Marie Wittfield - who was her childhood friend and playmate until she was fourteen. It was as if she had just forgotten about her possible blunder.


    "Marie? As in, that Marie?"


    "She''s a prodigy at magic and law, yet for some reason she joined the Royal Guard instead of becoming a lawyer. She''s rising in the ranks of the Royal Guard too fast though, so I did a background check on her. As far as I can see, she''s just an ambitious and naturally talented young lady, without much ties to any faction or political interest groups. Except for you and your little sister, I suppose. So it shouldn''t be cronyism."


    That was great news. She remembered that Marie always had this strange sense of idealism in her - which of course also affected her. She wouldn''t be speaking about equality nowadays if it wasn''t for Marie''s ideals.


    Now, of course, there came the problem. This incident seemed...a little too big for someone who seemed inexperienced and young. And since she was of the same age as her, she must be new in the Royal Guard too.


    "Um...is she really that good?"


    "Yes, but competence isn''t the only thing that matters Amelie." She reminded her. "You asked for a team that would operate independently, but would still be loyal to you. Marie will be both loyal to you and competent at the job. Plus, your history with her should let you both work together much more smoothly."


    "Did she react well to it?"


    "Oh yes, she was ecstatic at the prospect of helping you and the Kingdom. You should go meet her."


    She nodded and said yes. Indeed, Amelie could not wait to meet her long-time friend. But something was amiss. Alexa seemed to have done something...quite big for her. Not to mention her other actions in service of her. As far as she knew, that would mean Alexa was expecting something in exchange.


    What would it be though?


    She smiled, she supposed that she could just find out later.


    "Thank you very much, Alexa. You have been a big help for me, ever since the coronation."


    "No worries, Your Majesty. I am your Prime Minister after all." She stood up and began packing her things. "Though...of course, you know, the election is coming. The word of the Queen would have a big influence on who the people would vote for."


    She looked at her with an expectant expression and smiled. "Have a good day, Your Majesty."


    Amelie kept her smile. Of course, that was it. She wanted her support for re-election. How great.


    +++


    Amelie walked through the Palace''s greenhouse garden to clear her mind. The Army, the Army, the Army. How would she deal with this problem? Investigate Heind?ff? Remove him?


    Perhaps, but how would the rest of the Armed Forces react? Wait, had she even had evidence about his connection to the assassination? And Alexa...she hadn''t confirmed it with anyone else. How can she be so sure that Alexa was telling the truth about Heindh?ff? That he threatened her?


    Though...I doubt that Alexa would do that to me.


    "Sister!" A cheerful shout emanated from behind her, and immediately, a young girl lunged at her. Princess Alice hugged her older sister enthusiastically, for the two had not been meeting much for the last few days.


    The nine-year-old princess wore a frilly pink dress, which complemented her cuteness. Just the sight of her raised Amelie''s mood, and her hand uncontrollably ruffled Alice''s blonde hair in response.


    Alice''s face looked up at her with a smile, before the girl frowned.


    "Big sis, why are you grumpy today?"


    Immediately, Amelie tried to smile.


    "Grumpy? You must be seeing things." She chuckled, while Alice frowned further.


    "Hmm, you lie."


    "Well, if you think so." She laughed, and so did Alice, now convinced that everything was alright.


    Soon, the two were eating cake at a table near many colorful flowers. The two chatted on and on about many topics. Pretty clothes, food, magic, and Alice''s studies. Amelie tried her best to avoid any topic regarding politics, or their mother.


    But then, another touchy topic came to the table. Albert.


    "So, when will Albert come back home? That stupid guy always stays away from us. I want to go out with him too!" Alice pouted in frustration. Before the war, the two had a close relationship, as Albert would always amuse her with his silly tricks and games.


    "Albert huh?" She smiled. "I don''t know. He''s too busy fighting awful people."


    "Bad guys? Come on, that''s such a lame excuse." Alice crossed her tiny arms. "The ''war'' thing is long over, right? I bet he''s just out there marching ''left right left right'' like some doofus on that ugly ship."


    "Hey!" She scolded her jokingly. "Don''t call the Rebenslof ugly. Our brother''s ship is majestic."


    "Majestic? Last time it went here, it was smoking and stuff!"


    "Well, it was still smoking majestically."


    The two giggled softly at Amelie''s bad joke for a while, before Alice slowly stopped.


    "But seriously, I miss Albert."


    Alice looked down at the piece of cake.


    "He also doesn''t smile anymore. I miss his silly, playful face."


    While Amelie could not relate, because Albert never acted the same way with her growing up, she could still sympathize with Alice. While she had only seen glimpses of it, the two were close. Or at least, had a normal sibling relationship, unlike her. Naturally, Alice would be affected by his absence.


    A level of animosity had always existed between her and her older brothers. She was the favored daughter, while the two were the disposable hunks of meat. It didn''t help that she would act bratty and arrogantly back when she was younger.


    Especially whenever she toyed with the two with her magic. Shame...it was too much.


    "I''m sure he''ll stop being busy with his work soon. And play with you again." She simply smiled again at Alice to reassure her.


    Albert was just one of the millions of men still stuck in the military, with no choice but to stay. For so many reasons, her failing Kingdom had forced their hand to stay on the war machine of Orland.


    And it clearly affected both men and women negatively.


    No, this absolutely would not do.


    Don''t worry, Alice. I''ll find a way to fix all of it. For you and for him.

 Chapter Eight: Her Majestys Eyes

    Orlish Countryside - Near Eirhow


    February 8, 2024


    Three armed men who wore dark tactical gear dashed through a dark lane. Soon, they entered a gated compound in what could only be described as muted panic and desperation.


    Another man, who wore a balaclava, but held a pistol opened the gate.


    "They''re here." The one outside told him, almost whispering. The masked man nodded.


    The three entered the compound cautiously, with the last man''s gun still aimed at the dark lane as he entered.


    The gate closed.


    "Who''s here? The OIA? Royal Guard?"


    "Both."


    "Fuck." The man with the balaclava cursed. It didn''t matter anyway, they were cursed. They were dead men ever since that operation.


    Regicide after all was a death sentence.


    Most members of Unit Eighteen had gone silent. Most likely dead. They were being hunted, and nowhere in Orland were they safe. Even here in the countryside, in this rural town, they were not, it seemed.


    Once they were proud, loyal members of the OIA. But a plot mobilized them for one purpose. To kill the Queen. Their handler had told them that it was an order from above. That it was a part of a grand plan by both the OIA and the Armed Forces.


    But only after they had completed their part had they found it all out. When the OIA suddenly turned on them and started hunting and executing them did it became clear in their heads - they were played.


    "I fuckin hate this man." One of them said in a tired tone, his voice almost cracking in despair. He was the youngest of the four. "We''ve been tricked, it''s not even our fault. Now they all want us dead."


    "Sorry son, it is what it is."


    "Fuck."


    And indeed, the four were tired. The last hideout they had was raided by their fellow OIA agents, and they only barely escaped. That was only three hours ago. Most members of his cell died on that raid.


    It was why they were in their full combat gear. Combat was inevitable, and since the OIA had ID on them, hiding was practically impossible. They had already resigned to their fate, that they would be dead by morning, so they vowed for one last stand.


    But they expected that they would at least evade death for a few more hours. However, if the Royal Guard and the OIA were now here, probably both racing to catch them first, as the OIA hunted them to dispose of them, while the Royal Guard hunted them to interrogate them, then it was clearly game over for them.


    And then it finally happened. They were here. They readied their rifles and mentally told the heavens of their last wills after a footstep was heard from the gate.


    Suddenly, a figure veiled by the darkness of the night jumped, almost floating above the skies, before they fell down to the ground.


    Only when they aimed their guns and opened their flashlights, was her face revealed. Silver hair, red eyes, and a face that seemed to smile eternally.


    Her eyes met them.


    "Well, hello boys. A fine evening, isn''t it?"


    "Red Dress Uniform, she''s Royal Guard!" The younger one said in fear.


    "Indeed I am, what an astute observation, sir!" She stood up, almost theatrically. "Well, allow me to introduce myself then. I am Marie, Marie Wittfield. Now, what about you gentlemen?"


    She looked at them with her near eternal, and eerie smile. There were no answers that came her way.


    "So you four choose to remain nameless, eh? As expected of such fine spooks." Her smile increased. "Shame, all of you are traitors. But, I offer you something. Tell me everything, and the Queen may pardon your crimes. How does that sound?"


    But their leader didn''t agree. Surrender? What a joke. Their execution was guaranteed, that, they always knew. They won''t be tricked by her words.


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    "Kill her!"


    Gunfire rang out, but she disappeared in thin air almost instantly. Immediately, the four bolted out of the compound in panic.


    Dark shadows appeared above them, almost as if it was following them, and they shot their rifles at the shadows in vain as they ran. Soon, they exited the compound and found her standing outside.


    Their leader stopped, aimed his gun at her, and pulled the trigger as the three bolted away in the other direction, but three spikes of ice skewered him in a bloody mess of death.


    The man with the balaclava also didn''t fare well, as he tried to fire back, but was only met by the gruesome fate of being turned into ice, before the ice cracked, and he was a hundred pieces on the ground.


    The last two continued running, but suddenly she appeared in front of the two again, this time, clutching her wounded, bleeding shoulder.


    Yet she held the same smile.


    "That guy got me." She remarked, with the same cheerful tone, which didn''t make sense with her injuries. But what truly spooked the two was the fact that her abdomen was bleeding too, yet her bullet wounds were slowly closing.


    "What the fuck are you." The older agent growled at her as he aimed his rifle. "You''re no normal Royal Guard."


    "Some of us girls are just good at magic." She replied back. "So why not just give up? I promise...I''m very merciful."


    "Fucking...bullshit, unfair, ability." The man angrily said, as his mind completely gave up. "I''m done with this shit."


    He turned to the younger agent, who seemed to be scared beyond relief.


    It was the end of the line, indeed.


    He dropped his rifle, took his pistol, and then blew his brains off.


    The sudden suicide didn''t faze her.


    The younger agent ran. He ran and ran. He even tossed his rifle already. There was no hope. Inside, he cried. All his life, his miserable life, it had no meaning. Why had it all come to be this way?


    Why had it all been just darkness? Just failures and disappointments. He worked so hard, so hard to be better, first to live a decent life, to be a worthy man, and when that failed, he worked hard to change his nation.


    He thought when they killed the Queen, the people would finally rise up with them, and the order that strangled them all would fall.


    Yet it was a ruse. A lie. What chance did he even have? He was just a lowly low-ranked field agent. The fodder of the agency. Disposable.


    Like most men.


    How useless. How miserable. Perhaps, indeed this was just his fate. Why did he even expect anything different? Most men died this way anyway.


    He was out of breath, and will. So he stopped, just as lasers appeared on his forehead.


    How fitting, like all of his life, he''d die in the same way. Alone, in a dark, cold, night. After a monumental failure.


    He laughed.


    And the shots from the OIA rang.


    +++


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    Ivory Palace


    February 9, 2024


    "Marie...it really is you," Amelie said, as she welcomed the Knight to her office, now the Director of the recently formed Royal Investigations Unit. Her friend smiled, almost like an angel incarnate, and spoke much like one.


    "Yes, it''s me, I missed you, wait, are those eyebugs?"


    Amelie looked embarrassed as Marie walked into the room, her face laden with concern.


    "Um, I''ll fix my sleep schedule, someday, I think."


    "Someday? That won''t do. Not sleeping is bad for your health, you know?" She said, her concern growing.


    "I know, I know. No need to remind me." She said, defensively, before Marie conceded with a sigh. The two sat in front of each other.


    "So...how''s the investigations?"


    "I''m so sorry Amelie." She began, with an apologetic expression. "Those plotters are just a different bunch. Whenever I''d catch them, they''d fight to the death or commit suicide."


    That was...problematic. Dead men meant no information. No information meant no proper investigations.


    "But, more importantly, I have some information, at least. And it concerns me."


    "What is it?"


    "We met the OIA last night. They killed one of the plotters before I got to him."


    A grim look appeared on Amelie''s face. It was clear then that Bluch''s OIA had fully gone rogue. The game was on, and that was now clear to Amelie''s mind.


    A civil war was inevitable.


    The only question now was how long. How long could she delay it? And how much of the Military could she pull to her side?


    "Marie, what do you suggest?"


    "Until I find more evidence, please stay low, but act quietly and swiftly. I heard that many in the General Staff are reconsidering their positions."


    "How so?"


    "A power struggle is slowly cracking them into two." She handed her a folder with a "classified" stamp on it, and in it were many documents. One of them was a report from her unit, which detailed a recorded discussion from an Army garrison to someone in the Capital. But, it wasn''t just that. It contained many more documents clipped together. It seemed to be a comprehensive report.


    "Some units doubt that an armed coup is feasible." She smirked. "This one in particular seemed interesting."


    On the report, it said.


    "-My Brigade isn''t joining. Fuck Heindh?ff, we''re not dying for him. The Queen doesn''t seem half bad-"


    It seemed that her plan was working, somewhat. If she could somehow get more moderates with this, then damn it, she would keep her appeasement strategy for the Military.


    Both to buy time and allies. Or, at least, to dissuade some from revolting like this one.


    She looked at her.


    "How did you get this?"


    "Why? Magic, of course. I went in with my agents and casted surveillance spells. Though it was tedious, and filtering the nonsense was difficult."


    Amelie was impressed. Amelie after all, was, much to her chagrin and frustration, notoriously mediocre at advanced magic. Except for her space inventory, where she loved hiding her files and documents on.


    "How fascinating. Very impressive."


    "Come on, it''s nothing. Other people can do it too."


    "Still, most can''t. Mastering those spells is hard."


    "Fine, fine, you win."


    Marie smiled proudly. Indeed, she was a prodigy, Amelie thought. And the perfect eye of hers.

 Chapter Nine: To Stand Valiantly In Vain

    As the elections drew near, the nights of Orland grew more violent, as protests and counter-protests clashed with each other.


    "Vote for the Front!" A man with a megaphone shouted over thousands of gathered crowds on Bolley Avenue near the currently closed Ducal Triumph Square.


    "Take back your rights, brothers! Do not trust the Queen or the nobility. Only the front can deliver change!" He continued, as the crowd of men cheered in response.


    "And most importantly, keep your rifles by your side! Do not let them trample over you!"


    Queen Amelie exited an armored SUV to observe the ongoing protests in the capital. They were protected by rows upon rows of the Royal Guard riot police in the far distance, which kept the demonstrators away. But that wasn''t just it.


    Behind her was William, whom she had unofficially hired to protect herself. With him too were unmarked SUVs that were parked with her security convoy on the side of the road. It was a small contingent from the 16th, that had joined William on this occasion.


    Sometimes I feel like I''m bringing a private army with me. She thought, but it didn''t matter. What if a coup suddenly happened? If a battalion of army troopers tried rushing her when she was at home or Palace, she sure as hell would be thankful to have a personal battalion to shield herself.


    Especially since I still do not know if the Halian Garrison isn''t under Heindh?ff''s influence. While the Colonel of the small garrison of the city seemed amicable when she met him, she still would not be fully sure.


    Since they were officially demobilized, Amelie decided to simply move them to her personal security detail instead to reinforce it, and also to test if Army units "loyal" to her would truly be loyal.


    For the past weeks, she scanned each and every man of the 16th. Many were removed for their radical tendencies, but what remained satisfied her. While the 16th was now smaller than a full-strength Battalion, it still had well-trained mechanized troops that could directly escort and protect her during her "field expeditions."


    They also kept their unit name - the "16th Armored Battalion", which was weird, since they now technically didn''t belong with the Army. She supposed they would now be an unofficial unit of the Royal Guard.


    Of course, she could not take their APCs and MBTs on the streets, that would be overkill, so most of them had to stay in a base near the capital. The rest today with them would have to contend with their armored SUVs instead to protect the Queen. So far, they have performed quite effectively.


    But obviously, to ensure her safety, Royal Guard knights of her security detail still kept a close watch on her. While these men were checked, she still kept a cautious approach. The Royal Guard was just better for her security in general, the 16th was just a supplement.


    It was a lesson she had learned from her mother''s death. Knights with wands weren''t always enough, and she wouldn''t want to get caught unprepared without rifles and armor ready at her back.


    Not especially now, that the political violence in the streets had intensified.


    It had been days since the election campaign began. What took her attention, however, was the reports of violence on the streets. Most prominent especially was the nightly riots that occurred in the streets of the Capital.


    Thus, she wanted to see the situation personally.


    "Be careful, Your Majesty," William warned from behind. She nodded.


    "No need to worry. We''re just here to watch anyways."


    "Still, look at them. The Civil Defense Militia is here."


    He pointed at the masses of men that were lined up in formation. They faced the Royal Guards directly, but what was curious about them was the fact that they were armed. Most of them held makeshift steel shields or outdated riot shields.


    They also wore a hodgepodge of helmets, mostly hard hats. Their faces were also obscured either by civilian gas masks or cloth masks. But more importantly, was that some held rifles.


    They seemed to be protecting the crowds of protesters behind them. Almost as if they were their shields.


    Amelie raised her eyebrows.


    "Civil Defense Militia?"


    "A catch-all term for armed, organized civilian men that appeared since last year. They would usually join male rights protests, and would cover the main body of protesters from riot police."


    William scanned their formation. While they seemed well-armed, he internally sighed a breath of relief. These were the "fodder" variety common in major cities, where it was harder to buy firearms, and where the army had less presence to "lose" their firearm stockpiles. There weren''t a lot of them that held rifles like the militiamen in the countryside or rural cities and towns. Those men were the real deal. Still, in major cities, this bunch was effective at causing chaos.


    William looked back at her. "You could also say that they are the paramilitary arm of both the NRF and the ORP."


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    "The ORP? I thought the Republican Party is the more moderate version of the Front?"


    William sighed. It seemed that the Queen was still ignorant of how street politics happened nowadays.


    "Your Majesty, political violence and intimidation have been common ever since the end of the Great War. Even the United Orland Party has an unofficial paramilitary unit. Everyone does."


    "I see. That''s a bit of a problem..."


    "Understatement of the year, Your Majesty."


    She frowned. He was still using the dreaded "Your Majesty" whenever he spoke. Sometimes, she would find the urge to bash the heads of the people close to her for how they would almost always insist on addressing her formally even when she would tell them not to.


    "I still don''t understand why all of you are so stiff around me..."


    William''s expression didn''t change.


    "You''re the Queen. It''s natural."


    She huffed. At least little Alice existed. And Marie.


    The two walked closer to observe, although they kept a good distance from both the Royal Guard line and the rioters. Amelie herself only wore clothes that wouldn''t show that she was anything but another civilian spectator, and the guards and the convoy stayed back.


    She joined the mass of young women who watched the ruckus, almost as if it was a spectacle to entertain themselves. Many of them would casually give negative remarks at the protesters, safe behind the Royal Guard.


    But commotion began from the militia''s line, as the Knights pulled out their wands. The officer in charge of the unit pulled out a megaphone.


    "Attention! All men on the Avenue must disperse within five minutes! Failure to comply will lead to arrests!"


    The crowd of protesters reacted angrily from behind, while the militiamen raised their shields. She could also see rifles being prepared, as the armed men turned off their safeties.


    In response, the Knights began shimmering, a sign that they had casted ballistic shields on themselves.


    It appeared that the riot was escalating. This naturally worried Amelie greatly.


    "Hey...are they really going to start shooting each other?"


    "I''m not sure. Usually, they would just aim their rifles and wands at each other before both sides, usually the militia disperses."


    It was bad news. It appeared that this time, the militia wasn''t interested in backing down. Behind them, many unarmed protesters began evacuating, but then the militiamen began backing off.


    Amelie breathed out in relief.


    "Oh, I thought it was going to get-"


    The Knights began advancing, which led to frustrated shouts from the retreating militia. The men on the other side hurled insults, angry that the Royal Guard seemed dead set on catching them.


    "Wait...they''re making a mistake," Amelie said in distress. "They''re antagonizing them! I need to talk to the officer in charge-"


    But William stopped her. Amelie turned around, as she found William''s hand gripping hers.


    "No, you won''t. Don''t get involved, it''s about to get nasty."


    She pulled out her wand angrily.


    "That''s exactly why I have to intervene!"


    "And what, let them know that the Queen is here?"


    She stopped. He was right. Her face was too recognizable, after all. If she went close to the Royal Guard, even the militiamen would spot her. And it would only worsen the situation.


    She pulled her arm off of William''s grip. She looked back at the riot in vain, as now, the shouts grew louder. And then, a flash of light slammed on one of the shielded men.


    His steel shield didn''t even block it. Instead, the electricity from the attack was conducted from it to his body, which stunned and knocked him down.


    Immediately, the anger turned to rage. Scattered gunshots rang out from their rifles, as the shielded men dashed forward to assault the knights in retaliation.


    The wands responded, and a hail of electric spells slammed into the men''s line, which stunned many. The shots also turned out useless, as the ballistic shields the Knights casted blocked it.


    But the militiamen outnumbered the knights more than five to one. And the shots didn''t go to waste. It wasn''t really used to kill, as far as Amelie could tell, but to disable the casted shields.


    And it brilliantly worked, as the shields were now gone. The Knights weren''t allowed to use lethal force yet, which limited their options only to protective spells or spells that stunned.


    The situation for the militia worsened, however, as tear gas canisters greeted their charge. They responded with Molotovs in vain.


    The two sides soon smashed upon each other. They both bashed their shields at each other, as the Royal Guard pulled out their batons. However, those were no simple batons, for it was all enchanted. The slams of the batons from the Knights crumpled the shields of the front ranks of the militiamen, which forced them to fight with their clubs instead.


    But again it proved futile, as the Knights simply bashed them and stunned them electrically with the batons. But the militia didn''t falter. As the front ranks fell down and were detained, more would replace them. And sometimes, a lucky strike of a club or shield would hit a Knight in the face.


    Amelie watched as young women with bruised faces and cracked visors were dragged away by their sisters, alongside the badly injured mass of men being detained face down by the regular police behind the line.


    Her heart sank, and she almost felt the urge to vomit at the scene.


    Why? Why is all of this happening under me?


    All of it happened as Amelie watched at a distance, unable to do anything. After ten minutes of desperate melee and constant back and forths, the militia finally broke and routed. The Royal Guard formation chased them off from the Avenue, hot on their tails.


    By the time it was done, Amelie could only see an Avenue with some half-burnt cars, abandoned weapons and shields, and masses of injured from both sides, although most of the injured were from the militia. Well, most was an understatement. Almost all of them were militiamen.


    She watched as their blooded and injured young faces looked down listlessly as they were slowly processed, just as the media arrived, the reporters and their cameras being aimed at the arrested militiamen and the Royal Guard Knights with them.


    She looked back to William, who had simply stood silently as the riot happened.


    "Will they even get medical attention?"


    "Probably not, not until they are taken to the nearby Police Station to be interrogated."


    They''re literally just boys! Most of them couldn''t even be older than seventeen, she thought, as now, without their masks, she could view their faces. It was almost as if this militia was formed by teenage schoolboys. And yet they stood valiantly and faced extreme brutality before they cracked.


    A Royal Guard Captain attached to her security detail ran towards Amelie. She stopped, and gave William a distrustful look, before looking at Amelie.


    "Your Majesty, the riot has ended. Please, I advise that you return to the Palace now for your safety."


    Amelie nodded. She was tired after all. She could not help but feel helpless. To read about it from the reports, or watch it on TV, was different.


    She was indeed more sheltered than she expected.


    But more importantly, she needed to talk with the Archduchess about this. Or the Minister of the Interior. Preferably both.


    Inside her, she felt something change as she looked back at the scene. Her blood boiled. This...this went against all of her ideals. And they dared do this under her rule?


    What blasted orders is that woman giving to the Royal Guard?

 Chapter Ten: The Two Faces Of Extremism

    Fort Rulter - Free State of Wuringen


    Near Eirhow


    The Free State of Wuringen was known as the black sheep of Orland, for it was not ruled by hereditary nobles. Formed five decades ago by the reforms of Queen Areya''s mother (Queen Alorie) that prioritized technological development, it was originally a special economic zone. However, it was taken over by the once nascent private corporations of men, which had since expanded massively as the technological revolution ramped up for the last eight decades.


    Since then, the Free State has turned into an autonomous corporatocracy, centered in Eirhow, and controlled both by the expanding Military-Industrial Complex and the massive tech corporations. It was also here that the Front''s power base and the Headquarters of the Army were centered.


    The Free State was the shining result of over three centuries of men''s never-ending struggle to resist the new order established on the ruins of the old order. While women reigned supreme above, below them, men desperately held on to their previous mindsets, positions, property, rights, and even status, sometimes silently, sometimes violently.


    Even to this day, three centuries since, many men kept their competitive, aggressive, calculating, and violent tendencies. Exemplified by the amount of men that owned guns, or joined the Military.


    And Heindh?ff was no different. In a way, it could be said that he embodied that mindset perfectly.


    Especially the mindset that victory would come with a cost, as that was what was always ingrained in the minds of men all over Pollos, especially in the wake of the recent Great War. That victory could only be achieved by blood and guts - and that for every mile inched forward, many men would drop, and that it was inevitable.


    And that one should not flinch at the costs. Nor should one flinch from extreme means - lest all those that they had sacrificed would be in vain if they were to be defeated.


    The wars had also taught them, and him, another lesson. That the world was one thing for men now - kill or be killed. That if they did not eliminate the enemy, they would be eliminated instead. And the winner would take all.


    Just like in the Arcane Wars.


    When all nations of the old order, most patriarchal, some egalitarian, all collapsed in the face of women''s magic. And men, almost universally, across Pollos, lost.


    Victory for us will be bloody indeed. General Heindh?ff said to himself. But it is the only path.


    While the current order seemed weak and fragile in the face of the technological and industrial revolution, magic was still a potent force. One woman might not take down an armored tank, but three, four, or five armed and trained men or even a full squad of well-trained men - she could. The right combination of spells and tactics could very well allow her to vanquish such a force.


    It was why, for the Front, there was only one way. One way for men to succeed while facing such lopsided odds. Through extreme means.


    They had gained great military influence and power for now, but time was running out. It could be taken away at any moment, even gradually. The only way for men to redeem their rights then was clear - use the military now. The opportunity was here, and they sure as hell should not let it fizzle.


    Thus the National Redemption Front and its bloodthirsty ideals were born. Ideals that were shaped in the minds of the same men who witnessed the Great War and its savagery.


    In their mind was one thing. Take power. Terrorize and intimidate them to cause change. Attack. Attack and attack. Their rights had been besieged for three centuries, and they had held the line well, even when the defenses seemed to crack, and many men had fallen. But, they could not simply stay in their trenches forever, hiding like a wuss from their worst nightmares. They needed to climb up and charge at them. It would be the only way to drive them off and win victory on the field.


    Like the shock troops or the armored spearheads that broke the enemy once, they now planned to use the same tactics again.


    And then they would consolidate. Then, control would be solidified. Most importantly, the final nail to the coffin, they would ban magic. It must be eliminated and purged, once and for all. Only then could men''s rights be secured.


    Either men would win their rights and eliminate magic, or magic would once again triumph and eliminate their rights.


    A world where women had magic, was a world where men would eternally be second-class. The only world where true equality could be achieved would thus be a world devoid of magic. And that could only be achieved in the same way that men had defended whatever measly rights they had left ever since the end of the Arcane Wars, and the same way that they had prevented a complete takeover of the matriarchy.


    Through the way of the rifle, and violence.


    That was what truly separated the Front from the moderates. For the Front, the Battle for Men''s Rights wasn''t a simple political and social dance. To them, this was war. A war that would have battles. A war that would spill blood.


    No different than the Great War that they had all witnessed.


    And a war that if they lost - would be no different to the aftermath of the Arcane Wars.


    Men under the boots.


    In fact, this would be a mere sequel of the Arcane Wars, when women violently grabbed their position through magic, now it would be men''s turn to retake it with technology.


    The counter-offensive is about to begin.


    And like in the fields of the Great War, men would once again spill their blood on the soil of Pollos - for every inch forward. But this time, they would make their once untouchable female masters bleed too.


    But they would still have to fight other men again - those who stubbornly chose to stay loyal to the wrong side.


    The door to the conference room opened. Inside were the grim faces of the General Staff. Young men, old men, middle-aged men, they were all men in uniform, with the same serious, and dark expressions. Sixty or seventy years ago, this room would have been filled with women.


    Yet the last decades have changed it all.


    Thanks for handing us the rope, Queen Alorie. May you rest well up there with your daughter.


    The Great War truly was both a tragedy and a blessing to men.


    I bet none of them expected that they would have to expand and strengthen us this much just to win their petty war. And those fools think that they could reverse their mistake by asking us to demobilize?


    Fools, all of them.


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    "Gentlemen, may I have your attention?" He asked as they nodded. But one didn''t. Heindh?ff looked at him, and immediately, the animosity between the two was apparent.


    "What is it again Heindh?ff?" It was General Victor Albrecht, the staunch leader of the moderate faction in the army. He had so far stayed silent ever since the war ended, but the suspicious operations of the army since the assassination of the Queen had made him all twitchy.


    And while Heindh?ff would love to deny it, at least half of the army was still neutral. It was peaceful months ago, but now that they had begun their movements, the neutrals were being forced to pick a side.


    Either Heindh?ff or the Queen.


    And they naturally hated it. Especially the moderates.


    Worse was the fact that the Queen''s reformist attitude seemed to affect them. Her words and policies strengthened the influence of the ORP and the moderates on the ranks of the army.


    He expected that the moderates would be an uneasy ally of them, yet it was clear that the differences between the ORP and the NRF had expanded.


    It seemed that he would need to slow down for now and gain support once more.


    "We need to discuss the issue that we face. Our friends at the Parliament are once again accusing us of arming the Civil Defense Militia. I need a report on the missing stockpiles-"


    "Missing stockpiles my arse, General." He spat back. While General Albrecht was no politician, for he fancied himself as an apolitical officer in his career, he could smell bullshit from a distance. He knew that Heindh?ff was sending a message to everyone - that he was about to do something drastic, and that they better side with him.


    "Is this another one of the treasonous designs of yours? Let me tell you, if you think that whatever you are doing would intimidate and convince me to join you, you a wrong."


    The General Staff remained silent. Many looked angrily at Victor, but some joined him. The rest however remained with an uneasy, neutral expression, as they wisely chose to stay out of the arguments.


    "General, do keep your mouth shut if you have no evidence, please." He replied coldly, and the man stayed silent.


    The meeting proceeded as usual, and for now, politics wasn''t bought up. Yet it was clear that the lines of division were showing up. Nearly half was with Heindh?ff, and some were with Victor, but the rest stayed neutral. When Heindh?ff exited, he met up with Alfonso Bluch, who waited for him in a private meeting room.


    The two had beer for a while before they began talking about the matters at hand.


    "So, how''s the Royal Guard doing?"


    "Fuckers almost caught some Unit Eighteen members." He shook his head. "Close call, but my agents took care of it."


    "Good, fucking good, because things aren''t looking well for us now."


    "At the very least, I''m also causing a schism in the Navy."


    Heindh?ff smiled. Slowly but surely, they had been growing the support base of the radicals both in the Navy and the Air Force.


    Both senior and junior ranked officers, many of whom had resentments to the crown, were slowly being bribed or even blackmailed in extreme cases by the OIA to force them into Plan O.


    "I''ve just had word from Admiral Rudolf of the 4th Fleet," Alfonso added. The 4th Fleet wasn''t particularly large, except for the fact that its flagship was the new and modern ONS Matriarch. "He''s in. Once the Army rose up, he would send the 4th Fleet to blockade Halia. The Queen or the Parliament would be unable to escape."


    "That''s good." But still, complications existed. What of the rest of the Military? Would they really stay out or join them should a coup attempt occur?


    Not to mention, their preparations weren''t complete. It would take them at most, one year, or even one year and six months to fully prepare the weapons stockpiles, logistics, and communication lines, and organize the units involved silently.


    Plots with such a scale naturally took time, and if they were found out, it would be another setback.


    "The elections?"


    Alfonso scoffed. "No chance, the ORP would win most of the male voters. Still, United Orland would most likely win the majority in June. We, men, are just too badly outnumbered after the Great War."


    "But I know that something is happening in United Orland too, right?"


    "Indeed, Her Majesty''s policies are now fracturing the ladies." He smiled in satisfaction. "Even they are not a United force. United Orland''s liberals and moderates currently have stayed supportive of the reforms, but the Archduchess'' conservative faction is growing more irate."


    "The Archduchess, huh? Miss Dubois is definitely one of our main enemies, but could we possibly use her?"


    "Divide and conquer?"


    "Yes, exactly."


    The Director smiled, interested in the idea. This was where he was good at, sowing chaos and division.


    "Alright, I''ll see what I can do."


    +++


    Archduchy of L?t, Kingdom of Halia


    City of Thein


    L?t, the largest principality in Orland, had been ruled by House Dubois ever since its founding. Unlike the economic and industrial powerhouses of Halia, Rebenslof, or more disgustingly, as per Pristina''s perspective, that abomination that was Eirhow, L?t, and Thein was more of a cultural center of Orland, and the powerbase of the conservative aristocracy.


    And she was proud of it.


    Here, the Royal Corporations, and their magical industries thrived. Here, the prestigious magical schools operated as a dominant force. Here, the cities were not soulless industrial hellscapes of high rises and factories. For this was the land for women - a peaceful, clean, and ideal utopia.


    "Your Majesty, you are wrong," Pristina said, now without fear of the Queen. Absolute and direct, she wanted to make it clear to her, that no, she was wrong.


    As for Amelie, the days of politeness were over, not after what she witnessed, and especially not after Pristina''s insolence when she denied her request again and again.


    Amelie paid her a visit today, aiming to address the heavy-handed approach of the Royal Guard. She was even more particularly pissed today after she witnessed another riot that was brutally suppressed by the Royal Guard in another city while she was traveling toward Thein.


    "Pristina, look. If you continue doing this whenever a riot occurs, we''d just see more extremists on the streets-"


    "So what? You think men would become less extreme if we caved in?" Pristina was raised with one belief in this topic. That men were evil.


    Barbaric.


    Violent.


    Sub-human.


    It was no wonder that they had no magic, she thought. Those cretins did not deserve it. Nor would such creatures be able to use such power responsibly.


    But Amelie had a different view on the matter.


    "Cave in? Please, that''s not how anyone should describe a much more humane approach to these riots, and my reforms."


    "Reforms. The most disgusting idea of them all." She looked at her, as she raised her voice. "Not only are you giving them votes, you are also giving them too much power. When are you demobilizing them?"


    The Queen backed a bit. That damned criticism had been used again and again by the conservatives against her and her supporters. Just the simple fact that they had utterly failed in their demobilization efforts had greatly discredited her legitimacy.


    It''s not like I enjoy it!


    "No, I can''t yet. If I force them now, the country would devolve into chaos."


    "Then when? When, Your Majesty, would you do what must be done?"


    "When it''s appropriate-"


    "Then you are making the same mistake as your mother did. She said that she would dismantle them once it''s over." Her expression didn''t change. "Now look at her. Dead, shot dead."


    Amelie felt her blood boil at Pristina. How dare she? To tell her that she was wrong, for doing the right thing? It''s not like she would be the one being shot if she forced the military to demobilize with the current situation.


    And what insolence. She even dared to compare her to her mother.


    "Look, you are wrong here. I am different. I didn''t, and I won''t send them to hell like she did. And I''m changing this country." She smiled as if taunting her. "Soon, they will love me. They will defend me. They will be with me."


    "They won''t be."


    "Stop it, Pristina, I''m done playing these games. Or do I have to issue a Royal Decree for it?" Amelie said, now thoroughly pissed as Pristina continued denying her requests with so many excuses.


    Excuses that said men are evil. That they were all traitors. That they must be crushed for the stability of the state. That they must be repressed, utterly.


    She hated her. She represented the centuries-old problem that had led to this. And her past shame, of thinking much like her. It reminded her of what she felt...and what she continued to feel about men even when she tried to suppress it.


    Hatred.


    Demonization.


    Disgust.


    A group of people, that had many innocent, good citizens, that were forced to extreme means precisely because of people like her.


    To Amelie, what men like Heindh?ff or Bluch would do was reprehensible. Savage, uncivil, and downright evil. Yet, she could somehow understand why when she looked at the eyes of Pristina, or at herself, and the many aristocrats with her.


    She heard tales of how men treated women before magic came to be. As objects, slaves, and other worse nightmares that no woman would thankfully go through today.


    But Pristina, she was somehow even worse, Amelie thought. Because when she looked at her eyes, it was almost as if she viewed men not as fellow humans.


    But orcs. Rats. Or insects. Almost as if she wanted to exterminate them if she could.


    For years, she thought extremists only festered in the ranks of men. But...all this time, it had existed here too.


    That''s why...I must prove to them. Not all women are like her. That we could work together. And that...there''s no need to fight us.


    Pristina looked so sour when she spoke.


    "...I see. Then I shall follow your will, Your Majesty. I will lessen the Royal Guard''s heavy-handed policy."


    "Good. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dubois."


    "You too, Your Majesty."


    It was not.

 Chapter Eleven: Black Monday

    April 4, 2024


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    Ivory Palace - Emergency Meeting


    To many, the order established by women had been invincible and unshakable.


    Clearly, that had not been the case.


    And now, it has become even clearer.


    The Treaty of Eutstadt, which ended the Great War, had not even lasted a year.


    This month, the Empire of Larissa stopped paying the war reparations, because last week, their economy crashed.


    And now, Orland, without the reparations that kept their debt-ridden economy afloat, was now headed to the same fate.


    Now, the value of bonds issued by the Orlish Government had begun its downward spiral - a spiral that had been accelerating since last week.


    I just wanted a nice day...


    Another bang on the conference table, and Amelie''s eyes turned away from the painting that she was subtly staring at.


    The Ministers had been arguing for hours. Amelie on the other hand was simply glancing at whatever she could look at in the room. And whenever she spoke, it would be three or two-word lines such as, "That seems bad", or "I agree", or "I see", or more dreadfully, "Yeah".


    It was economics after all, and while she would slap anyone who would suggest that she was a dimwit at such matters, even she could not deny that this subject completely eluded her.


    Dammit, I have absolutely nothing to say. This is bad. Should I say something? Heindh?ff looks like he''s about to punch Heiss again...crap...


    The door suddenly opened, and in came an aide. The aide recoiled when everyone suddenly looked at her with their pissed-off faces, but she regained her footing and stood firm. She cleared her throat and spoke.


    "Ladies, Your Majesty, we have bad news from the Halian Stock Exchange."


    B-bad news? Again?


    "What is it?" Amelie asked, already pale, as the Ministers fell silent.


    "...Investors are panic-selling. The market dropped by two hundred thirty-seven points in the last hour."


    Great...just what I needed.


    +++


    The graphs were going down on the display screens of the Halian Stock Exchange building.


    Below, employees, and brokers had their hands full as calls came in left and right. It was chaos, panic, and utter despair, as traders and investors walked slowly out of the building with their now ruined financial state.


    The situation was no different on the streets of Halia. Already, the news of the ongoing crash had reached every home of the Orlish people, and the palpable anxiety and tension for the upcoming chaos and hardships could be felt.


    Much in the same way in the meeting room.


    "I say it''s time!" Minister of Economy Melinda Heiss said as she slammed her fist at the table, which broke the loud arguments. "I''ve been saying this for months, the budget for the Military must be cut! We need fiscal responsibility, now!"


    "Oh, do try, Miss Heiss, do try," Heindh?ff replied as he scowled, but now, the women in the room weren''t backing down.


    The Minister of Public Health spoke.


    "I agree with the budget cuts, we women are ready to continue using our magic to keep the healthcare system running anyways...but only if the Military is gutted too."


    Followed by the Minister of Education.


    "If you shall cut the budget that had supported our children''s development for centuries, then I believe in the same." She said, her tone low as she looked down at Heindh?ff. "We shall cut the war machine''s budget more."


    Heiss smiled smugly at Heindh?ff. Indeed, it was time for comprehensive austerity measures, especially for the blasted Orlish Armed Forces.


    Heindh?ff and Bluch''s faces were flushed red, yet Heindh?ff spoke calmly, even when his hands appeared to be subtly shaking.


    "Fine, I see. But if such budget cuts are to be implemented - it should target the Royal Guard too."


    "I raise no objections to that." Heiss conceded as Heindh?ff''s smile twitched. She won, regardless, and he knew it.


    It appeared that the idea of austerity was going to hit everyone. It was what they argued over for days anyway. Originally, the argument was about who would receive the cuts - but now that the economy seemed to be in freefall, there was no argument left for anyone to justify their bloated budgets.


    But of course, again, everyone knew, that the one about to be gutted the hardest, was the two hated men in the room.


    "Lady Heiss," Amelie asked, as the meeting fell silent. "What would be our short-term response anyway? Yes, indeed, this might balance our deficit in the long term..."


    God, she almost sounded like an economist with that, she thought, but the last few days had forced her to dig in about economic theory, even if it was just an overview.


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    She hoped that she didn''t sound stupid.


    "But...don''t we need to cushion the fall for now?" She continued slowly, and Heiss cleared her throat.


    "It''s simple, Your Majesty. Close the banks. Close the markets. Bailout the Royal Corporations - and liquidate the failed private corporations."


    Silence.


    Well, that doesn''t sound half bad-


    The two men at the back of the room stood up, packed their laptops, and closed their briefcases.


    No words were exchanged, and immediately, both Heindh?ff and Bluch exited the meeting room.


    An outraged look was plastered on every Minister''s left, especially Heiss, insulted by their audacity.


    "Um, that was bad, wasn''t it?" Amelie asked Alexa with a small voice, who was sitting near her.


    "...Certainly not a good sign, that''s all I can say, Your Majesty."


    ...


    Immediately the next day, a call rang Amelie''s office. The speaker of the Rebenslof Group, a private NGO that represented and organized the "upstart" male-controlled corporations, invited her to an emergency conference.


    In a few hours, with the 16th and her security detail''s escort, she arrived at Rebenslof, then to the Meintz Hotel.


    The hotel was filled with fancy decorations of gold and white, and the smell of freshly served food filled the nose, yet she couldn''t eat. Not when the tunes of what was being discussed turned her stomach upside down.


    "Your Majesty, we request a bailout too." The speaker said as they ate their dinner. Amelie had so far kept her mouth shut during the proceedings, but now that she''s finally addressed.


    She realized a crucial blunder.


    She didn''t know what to say.


    "The central bank had already bailed out Rolentz Crystals, Weilder Group, the Vohler Arcane Chain, and Weirl?ff Bank, all corporations owned by women. Even the Prime Minister''s bank was prioritized." He looked at her, straight in the eye. "But what about us, Your Majesty? My company, Rebenslof Steel is failing too."


    He pointed his finger at another man in a suit.


    "Eirhow Electronics too." And then he pointed to another man. "And Streamlined Oil? What about him?" And then he pointed to another man. "Or Chipsoft? Or what about Cykro? Or Riemens? Or Vickers Shipping? Or the Orlish Railway Group?"


    She didn''t even know most of the companies he listed, except for Rolentz Crystals, because her family owned it, or, well, more specifically, she owned it, and Rolentz Crystals currently had a monopoly in the modern wand industry, which was why it was prioritized to be bailed out.


    But the rest?


    I mean...I think Vickers Shipping ships stuff? Right? And I heard Riemens synthesizes chemical weapons. Wait, why are they asking me to bail out that one?


    "How close are you all at failing?" She asked as she tried to give them a small smile. "I think if you guys could just hold out for a while, I could arrange something..."


    The speaker looked down and shook his head.


    "Damn if we know. Our investors are dropping like flies. The only reason half of us survived is because the markets closed last night."


    So it''s more of a question of when then?


    The speaker looked back at her and frowned bitterly.


    "Your Majesty, this crisis is going to devastate the tech and industrial sector of Orland again. We don''t have time. Please, don''t just leave us in the air just because we''re men." The group of CEOs all looked at her with desperation.


    For them, this was an existential crisis. For decades, their rise was powered by their extreme tactics - low wages, government subsidies, and other measures to keep their balance sheets green, as the competition was always too stiff. Now...the economy crashed.


    How would they stay solvent then?


    With the crisis before the Great War, and another crisis now, and without support from the Central Bank and the Orlish Government, it would appear that their bankruptcies were in order.


    "I...I can''t promise anything yet." She replied back, as she shifted slightly back in her seat. However, she immediately wanted to scold herself for how unsure she sounded and looked.


    Damn it, this is not how I''m supposed to act!


    "...I see." The speaker said, almost as if his entire life had just shattered before him.


    The meeting soon ended.


    Amelie looked down at the road as her convoy returned to Halia. The day today had drained her greatly. The bad news just kept piling up, and she hadn''t given the Rebenslof Group many answers on how they would deal with the crisis.


    For even she didn''t know how.


    "The world is collapsing, Your Majesty." Said William, his classic voice of indifference still there. Truly, he reminded her of Albert, way too much.


    "The Civil War is inevitable, isn''t it?"


    "Eirhow is already burning." He added, as his head shook slightly. "Workers are being laid off en-masse, and they aren''t happy. Soon, it will spread to every city of Orland."


    "I just wanted slightly peaceful elections to gain more allies..." Her head hung low, and her voice seemed dead. "What''s the news from Lorathia?"


    "The Redcastle gas attack?" Yesterday, due to the collapsing economy of Lorathia, strikers in the city of Redcastle - the capital of their ally, faced an anti-royalist chemical attack.


    Sarin gas was deployed by militant men who striked from their aristocratic employers. News of Lorathian women and many of the Lorathian nobility who died in the thousands as the gas filled the streets filled the net and the global news as well, which distressed Amelie, as the terroristic act sent a nasty message to everyone. To her especially.


    "The Lorathian authorities already cracked down on the strikes. But that district is still off limits, and there wasn''t much that they could do to save the victims. Crown Princess Ethelien was pronounced dead this morning."


    "E-ethelien? She...no...dammit." She looked down again. The Lorathians weren''t just allied to Orland, they were their close sister. She even knew Princess Ethelien...including her mother.


    She remembered the days when her mother was shot. To lose someone, especially one''s child...it must be hard for the Queen of Lorathia today.


    "I...I suppose Lorathia would have no heir to the throne now then?"


    "I think they have a bigger problem than that."


    He''s right.


    She breathed out. Her stomach also ached a bit. She hadn''t eaten much at the conference, her appetite completely dead since yesterday.


    "You hungry?"


    "How''d you know?"


    "You didn''t eat anything since we left this morning. And the face you''re making too."


    He handed her something. It was a simple, fluffy, cheese bread, that he probably bought in a grocery store somewhere while they were in the city.


    Still, a tiny smile graced her face as she took it.


    "Thanks."


    "It''s pretty shit though, I regret buying it at that convenience store."


    She frowned. How dare he? She, the Queen, being handed this?


    But dammit did her stomach growl.


    "Whatever! A hungry lady doesn''t choose."


    She opened the package and munched on it.


    It was pretty shit.


    Now she truly regretted not taking more slices of the steak back at the Hotel.


    "Told you."


    She still ate it fully for a few moments, as the two fell silent. Then when she was finished with the abomination, she merely sighed.


    She looked back at him. He avoided eye contact.


    "What?"


    "...So I''ve wanted to ask for a while now. Um, what can you say?"


    "Say about what?"


    "My rule."


    He looked down for a while at the empty package of cheesecake she held, before his eyes were back at the road.


    "It''s like that cheesecake. Soft, and quite fluffy, especially compared to your mother. But still quite shit."


    She narrowed her eyes.


    "I can legally behead someone for insolence, you know?"


    He chuckled.


    "Yet you wouldn''t. You even promised to remove it."


    She looked away.


    "Well, it''s a stupid law. You''re lucky I think that way."


    She huffed as she distracted herself by looking at the scenery that they passed through.


    It was already afternoon, and the roads were quite clear, outside of a few cars that passed their convoy.


    Soon, she breathed out slowly, and softly, as she felt relaxed. Sleep seemed nice for now...


    "Still, I applaud your efforts. At least, you''re trying, and you do care, Your Majesty. That''s...something rare."


    What could she say? No one had praised her like this before.


    She didn''t look back at him, but, she smiled nonetheless.


    "...Thanks, William."

 Chapter Twelve: General Strike!

    Rebenslof, Kingdom of Halia


    Walter Plock ended his fiery speech on the crowds of gathered workers of Rebenslof. Today, a hundred thousand men gathered for a rally with the Orlish Republican Party (ORP) and the Confederation of Orlish Unions (COU).


    Already, most men would vote for his party in the Free Confederation of Westlauren, which included Rebenslof. Many women even switched sides, as the United Orland Party took a massive hit in their public approval in the wake of the so-called "Black Monday" crash.


    To many, the UOP-led Parliament and Cabinet had failed too much. The war, the crash - and now this.


    He walked down from the podium as his hand waved to the workers that cheered him.


    Yesterday, as the layoffs and business closures ravaged his city, the Confederation of Orlish Unions - the main worker''s union of Orland, contacted him and the ORP leadership.


    This day, a General Strike had been announced across all of Orland, as the Orlish government failed to address their demands.


    Their demands three days ago? An immediate economic stimulus for every worker laid off, regardless of gender. But it didn''t arrive.


    Not for men, no. Women however received generous funds to weather the storm.


    But for them? Jackshit, even the businesses themselves joined the General Strike. Businesses owned by men didn''t receive any bailouts or stimulus packages, no, and they were now closing one after another as they struggled to stay solvent.


    One by one, they dropped like flies, as their liquidity vanished.


    And since male-owned businesses employed most men - the result was inevitable. Mass unemployment for men.


    Once again, the air of bitterness filled the hearts of Orlishmen nationwide.


    "I''m really sorry, Plock." Countess Jacqueline Heiss, also the leader of the COU, Minister Heiss'' sister, and even the leader of the liberal faction of the United Orland Party (UOP) said as she followed him down the podium. She slightly fidgeted while she explained her reasons to him.


    "I asked them to join the strike, but¡­they just didn''t. Well, some did, but-"


    "No need to explain, Jacqueline." He walked even faster, as he tried to get away.


    For the past months, the liberal faction of the UOP had tried to sway the ORP to a possible coalition government, as its conservative members threatened to split. Like the Queen, they promised much to men, in the hopes of gaining their alliance and support.


    But, it was clear as day. They had failed them once again.


    When the General Strike was declared, Jacqueline invited liberal women to also join with men in the strikes. Many did attend it, but it was mostly academics and some overly passionate women who preached deathly for equality.


    But for the majority, their participation was muted. It made sense, they already got their lovely government support.


    But to add salt to the injury, many MPs of the UOP "liberals" reluctantly voted in favor of Economic Minister Heiss'' measures. Measures that deliberately sacrificed many male-owned businesses and workers that were men, in order to prioritize the recovery of the Royal Corporations, and sectors dominated by women.


    Naturally, Walter felt like they were stabbed in the back, once again.


    "I''m just¡­damn it." The two continued their walk down the streets, but Jacqueline chased him.


    He looked back at her, with his furrowed brows. She flinched, yet she pressed on.


    "Look, I know why you''re angry. But please don''t lose faith yet."


    "You''ve said that a hundred times. Yet look at your party. Your conservative members are literally making speeches to forfeit our voting rights." He looked back at the crowd for a few seconds, as Jacqueline fell silent. "Even half of your faction voted for that damned bill."


    He sighed.


    "I don''t know anymore. Do you even care about us? Do you? Or do you not? Because, with this, I don''t think many men would find this message well." He looked back at her, while she struggled to look at his eyes. "Even you ''liberals'' are feeding the NRF''s message. Perhaps they are right."


    "No." She suddenly grabbed his hands, and looked at his eyes, pleadingly. "Please, just listen. The Queen, Amelie herself, she''s coming here, to meet with us."


    "Oh, Amelie, Amelie, and then the Queen this, the Queen that, and then the Queen this. Look, I''m tired. You ''reformists'' love to use her as some sort of example that you women care. Where is she then?"


    "Today, in Meintz Hotel. I''m so sorry for this, but trust me, we''ll fix this together." She seemed desperate. "Plock, please, if we lose you and the ORP, I don''t think Orland will have a future."


    She looked up at him, and she forced a tiny smile. Yet her quivering eyes betrayed her. She feared - feared that the ORP would turn to the NRF.


    Jacqueline had tried desperately, with all her power, to prevent a complete breakdown of the Orlish society. She could not allow this, lest men and women would completely be at each other''s throats.


    How would a nation survive, or humanity itself survive if such a scenario fully unfolded? To Jacqueline, it was an existential crisis.


    "Please?"


    Walter shook his head slowly, but he conceded. Perhaps, this time, it would be true. But, no matter, if it wasn''t, it would not surprise him.


    "Then try harder not to lose us, Countess. Our patience is running thin."


    +++


    Amelie had seen much on her way to Meintz. The crowds that yelled. The closed stores. The fires on the streets. The posters that called men to strike. The tear gas and riot police. The broken windows and burning cars. She even saw a half burnt "revolutionary" bicolor that flew weakly atop the ruins of wooden barricades on the highway.


    Gray atop white, with the gold gone - the bicolor of the most extreme of men, of the NRF, their worshiped alternative to the royal tricolor. Inscribed on it was, in bold red, "Death to Her Maj-"


    She looked away and focused on the document that she was reading.


    When she left the car, she smelt smoke in the air. There was a riot nearby, and she could still hear the loud bangs a few blocks away. Her heart sank, just as her eyes fell on a poster plastered en masse on a pole lamp.


    It was a stylized depiction of a black cat illuminated by red lighting, and written in bold letters on it was, "GENERAL STRIKE!"


    No wonder, the Orlish economy almost stopped overnight.


    And then, more ominously, the posters that asked, "Which side are you on?"


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    No wonder the disunity and chaos.


    Rebenslof¡­the most prosperous Orlish city, now, under my rule, is on fire. What a failure I am¡­


    She even caught a faint pepper-like odor on her nostrils, and she almost felt like her eyes were burning.


    What is that?


    "Your Majesty, we need to go in, quick." William''s words abruptly interrupted her musings.


    She nodded, and she walked quickly toward Meintz Hotel.


    A familiar feeling of coldness seeped into her skin as she entered the room, and she tried to subtly breathe deeper to calm her nerves. No, it wouldn''t do for the Queen to be this weak, she reminded herself.


    Every ally that she could identify, she had gathered here today. Today, she would finally act truly as a Queen.


    She looked at all of them. The party leader of the ORP, the leader of the moderate faction of the General Staff, the Admiral of the 2nd Fleet, the CEO of PHI and the speaker of the Rebenslof Group, the leader of the Worker''s Union and the UOP, and her other friends, they all stood here in this room today.


    Attention was on her the moment she arrived, with eyes locked on her as all of them stood from their seats.


    She cleared her throat.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize for the abrupt summons here." She paused and looked at each of them. "But the Kingdom needs you all. We are in great peril. That''s why you''re all gathered here. Today, all of you are free to speak. To point out every mistake that I and this nation made. And we shall discuss measures, however bitter they are, to save it."


    She swallowed the lump in her throat. Would it really be needed? She was the Queen, not some-


    No, shut up brain.


    She lowered her head. A small gasp came from the women in the room, while the men were stunned silent.


    "Please!" She cried out. "Save my, no, our Kingdom!"


    "Y-your Majesty!" Another young woman, who she recognized as Jacqueline Heiss, said, flushed. "There''s no need for that. Of course, we shall manage this crisis. Please raise your head."


    That so? Okay.


    She slowly raised her head back and looked at them again. Her heart rate rose as the silence dragged on.


    "Well, I''ll be damned." A gruff remark came from the back. He was middle-aged, donned in the Orlish Army''s brown officer''s uniform, with many medals attached to his chest. "So you really do care, just as William told me. Allow me to introduce myself then. I''m General Victor Albrecht. The Lion of The Western Front, or The Butcher of Ten Million Men. It depends on who you ask."


    He smirked with the confidence of a General that had seen a hundred battles as he bowed. Amelie subtly placed her hands on her back as she gave him a thin smile. This man was infamous after all, for he ordered the massive chemical attack on the enemy just a year ago when the Ivory Alliance launched their final offensive.


    In just the first day of his offensive, a million on both sides were dead, as the Ivory Alliance broke through the enemy lines.


    Thus was his title. The Butcher.


    Still, the man was the closest to a moderate in the General Staff.


    Remember, he''s your friend, Amelie.


    "I am in your service, Your Majesty."


    Damn, he looks like he could kill me if he wanted to. Ugh, military men.


    "Thank you, Sir Albrecht."


    All of them soon sat and began their meeting. One by one, everyone began their introductions.


    "Hey everyone, I''m Marie Wittfield. Royal Investigations Unit," said Marie with a cheerful tone, and then she smiled brightly at Amelie.


    "Albert Ludendorf here. I''m just here with Halder." Said her brother monotonously as he raised his hand. Amelie sighed inside, every time he spoke, she would almost always die of boredom consistently. She looked at him, and she expected more.


    His eyes said no.


    Her eyes said yes.


    He was defeated.


    "...Fine, I command the ONS Rebenslof."


    The white-uniformed Admiral chuckled beside him.


    "Don''t worry, he''s just pissed that his ship is still stuck at port. Anyways, I''m Admiral George Halberd, 2nd Fleet. The Navy sends its regards, Your Majesty."


    Followed by an old man that wore round glasses. The speaker of the Rebenslof Group himself.


    "I''m Michael Rudolph, CEO of Rebenslof Steel and the speaker of the Rebenslof Group¡­or at least, until we go bankrupt."


    He still seems depressed. What a downer.


    She looked at Well, who was sitting beside Michael.


    "Ah, well, my turn I guess. I''m Well Porter. The CEO of Porter Heavy Industries. If you need weapons, just ask. As long as you pay us, of course."


    I need a lot of weapons, certainly.


    Amelie looked at William, who stood behind her.


    "Do I really need to?" He was just his glorified bodyguard anyways!


    She nodded. His face disapproved of it.


    "Ah, whatever. I''m Major William Porter, 16th Armored Battalion."


    Can you be a bit less dull next time? I swear, you two¡­


    She looked back, away from William, and certainly not at Albert, as another one raised her hand. She looked at her, and immediately Jacqueline averted her gaze but looked back at her sheepishly.


    Damn, why do every young woman worship me?


    "I am Countess Jacqueline Heiss. Chairwoman of the United Orland Party - and the Confederation of Orlish Unions, Your Majesty."


    "Don''t worry, Jacqueline. I don''t bite."


    Jacqueline gulped.


    Beside her, a man in his thirties looked at Amelie with narrowed eyes. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward.


    "I''m Walter Plock. Founder and chairman of the Orlish Republican Party. Let me get this straight. What do you want from me, Queen?"


    I think I now prefer being addressed as ''Your Majesty''.


    "Hey, at least have some respect, Walter-"


    "Shut up, Jacqueline."


    "No worries. I don''t expect respect today." Jacqueline looked at Amelie, extremely apologetic for his behavior. But Amelie understood why. It was on his party''s name, ''Republican''. And her government betrayed him and his constituents.


    It was only natural.


    Walter waited patiently.


    "Mr. Plock, what I want, is your and your party''s cooperation, to save Orland."


    "And why would I?"


    Amelie came prepared for this. While she knew she would receive flak from the conservatives, and Minister Weiss, ultimately she was the Queen.


    And with her executive powers, if she wanted something, it would happen.


    "I''m going to rewrite the bill so that the budget covers men too."


    "Yeah, so wh-"


    "And Jacqueline, you will kick out the conservative faction of your party. Anyone who would refuse to vote for my revised bill and my reforms." A small gasp came from Jacqueline, while Amelie smiled at Plock. Michael also perked up in the background. "So are you with me, Mr. Plock?"


    "Wait, wait, I''m not even sure if the party would accept a coalition."


    "But if you don''t, you won''t have a seat in the next government."


    It was true, even if the UOP splits between its liberal wing and its conservative wing, the ORP would still have 0 chance of winning the elections.


    But worse, if they do not form a coalition under such conditions, there would be a weak reformist minority government. A disaster for all of Orland.


    Or¡­he could accept a coalition, and form a grand majority of moderate politicians.


    Amelie looked at his eyes intensely. She needed this badly, for this gamble to pay off. She needed that reformist government, no matter the cost.


    The only way for her to fix her nation, and win the civil war, is unity. Unity between the moderates and liberals - to face the extremists that aimed to tear her beloved Kingdom apart.


    The pain her subjects suffered, she vowed to end it. But she needed them too. She needed their support and cooperation, for no Queen could bring change, without those below her.


    "Is this what you really want?"


    "Yes. I will beg you if I have to. Please."


    How could he even deny such an advantageous deal and those eyes¡­


    For once, he could see it. It wasn''t like the eyes of Queen Areya, who merely promised but never cared.


    No, she cared. And he could see it. Perhaps, she indeed was the hope of the nation, of both men and women.


    A Sovereign that cared.


    "I see¡­it''s a deal then, Your Majesty."

 Chapter Thirteen: Red Street Massacre

    "Perhaps, we are merely seeing the greatest consequences of sending them all to our wars and shoving militarism into our sons. Young men have gone mad."


    - Redcastle Post, after the Redcastle Sarin Attacks.


    ---


    Free Confederation of Westlauren


    City of Rebenslof, Kingdom of Halia


    Day 5 of the General Strike


    Run. He needed to run.


    They were right all along.


    His eyes were burning. He could not breathe. And there were screams all around him. But he needed to carry on, if he just dragged himself away and ran harder, perhaps he could eventually breathe.


    Damn them, damn them all!


    He dropped his shield, it wasn''t useful anyways. It was already crumpled, deformed. Yet he spent a good fortune on it. They all did.


    When they were asked at the University to join the Militia, they all threw their savings for their equipment.


    It was their civic duty, to defend their rights, after all.


    That shield represented it.


    He reached the line as it reformed. His buddies, who he saw through his eyes that were profusely wet, opened a window through the shield wall to let him in.


    "Robert! Where the fuck is your gas mask?" Asked Martin, his long-time friend. He knew him since middle school when they would go into these skirmishes with the students of certain all-girls schools who wanted to use them as target practice with their magic.


    He was always there, just like now, fighting at the front.


    He looked at the lens of Martin''s gas mask, as tiny droplets appeared on it.


    His eyes were tearing again.


    All Robert did was run his quivering hand on his broken nose and bleeding lips.


    "S-she bashed me with her baton. I couldn''t breathe, the filter was damaged, I think¡­wait, that''s, actually a lot of blood¡­"


    "Fuck, go behind the line."


    He went past through the line, as men pushed forward. Bangs went off all around him, as the shouts rose. All he could do was place a handkerchief on his nose and mouth.


    Fuck, fuck, fuck. It''s so painful!


    Three men ran past him, all of them carried a Molotov cocktail, and they tossed them high.


    He ran past two men with guns.


    Past men who fired fireworks, as if it was artillery.


    Past dozens of shielded men who rushed to reinforce the line.


    Past wooden barricades and tires that burned.


    Past a wall filled with posters.


    And then when he turned to another street, there were loud bangs and fires in the distance. Young men ran toward his direction, as they retreated. He saw Royal Guard knights in riot gear climb past the wooden barricades.


    He turned away and joined the retreating men.


    He ducked down and kept his hands in the air as more bangs went off in the distance.


    "Retreat!" Someone who ran beside him shouted. "They''re arresting everyone!"


    That made him run even faster.


    But as he ran, he stopped, and so did many beside him, as trucks and vans stopped on the side of the road. They were marked with the NRF logo, and the lead vehicles flew flags of the so-called "revolutionary" bicolor.


    A flag that gained widespread notoriety in the past few months.


    Men in civilian tactical gear stepped out. They were older. They reminded him of the war veterans that were returning home. And just like them, they wore gas masks, which hid their faces.


    "All of you, are you all from the ORP?"


    "Yes! What are you doing in our neighborhood?" Someone replied from their Militia, as they prepared their shields and melee.


    They always had two problems to deal with, after all. While at first glance, the ORP and the NRF would be natural allies, bad blood had begun to grow.


    And naturally, that caused a split between the Civil Defense Militia - between the ORP wing and the NRF wing.


    And most of the ORP militiamen on the ground were young men still in high school or college.


    Like him.


    NRF Militias, who viewed themselves as the superior ones compared to them, regarded them as softies, and would routinely "conscript" them forcibly for riots.


    Now with the General Strike, they even had more of an excuse to force them to fight, now that they were actively starting protests and demonstrations.


    He heard that NRF militias would routinely block escape routes whenever a protest turned violent. He didn''t expect it to happen to them.


    Dammit, these fucks.


    "No retreat!" Their leader shouted.


    "What?"


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    "I said no retreat, pussies. Are you fighting for your rights? You are? Then get back there and plug the line! If you call yourselves a ''Civil Defense Militia'' then act like one."


    "We can''t, we''re beaten." Someone retorted. "We need to retreat and regroup instead."


    Their rifles were raised at them.


    "No, you won''t kid. Get back, and plug the line. Now."


    Reluctantly, they scurried back to their positions. Robert''s hand was shaking, and his body ached, as he ran back with his fellow militiamen.


    Anyone who retreated had no other choice but to turn back as the armed men behind them told them to do so.


    "Fuck, fuck, we''re gonna get beaten and arrested. Fuck!!!" Someone cursed beside him as he lit up a Molotov cocktail.


    In no time, they reached the main body of the Militia. There were still probably a few hundred on the tight streets that held on to their barricaded lines, but it was clear that a retreat was being organized.


    But their line was breaking.


    ¡­


    The sudden slam winded her. It came out of nowhere, and now her vision was out of focus. She opened her eyes, yet she could not see. Her visor had cracks on it.


    By the time she regained her bearings, someone was shouting at her.


    "Louise?! Louise?!"


    "Colleen?" She said back, as she noticed that she was shaking her. "Sorry, I just got¡­wait¡­there, I''m okay."


    "Your visor''s cracked."


    She raised her riot helmet''s visor, which left her gas mask and face unprotected.


    Damn...that guy went hard on me.


    Colleen helped her stand up, and while she felt dizzy, she stood up.


    She looked back as her fellow Royal Guard knights were forced back into a retreat after a hail of Molotovs rained on them. The two rejoined their formation, and before she knew it, they were once again facing the Militia''s dreaded shield wall.


    But they were battered. Damaged shields, injured men, broken barricades, and a line that seemed to stagger every moment.


    Yet they still stood, and she could even see men that retreated who returned to rejoin their line.


    Broken and battered, but still defiant to stand their ground.


    She definitely felt a tinge of respect for the brats. But that didn''t change the questionable situation they faced. They were merely beating young boys. Armed boys yes, but still boys nonetheless.


    And contrary to expectations, women never enjoyed beating men, much less youngsters, into a bloody pulp.


    "Goddess, how did this protest turn violent?"


    "They started it. If they didn''t throw rocks suddenly-"


    "But we''ve been gassing them for hours."


    "Just shut up, Louise."


    She bit her lip and focused on them instead. On the Militia line, she could hear shouts.


    "Formation!" someone bellowed.


    "No retreat!" the man waving the Orlish flag shouted.


    "Hold your ground!"


    It almost felt like they were a military force. It made sense, even at young ages, men were conditioned to be militaristic. Especially by their peers. A tradition unbroken before magic appeared.


    But something was strange about those who ran back to rejoin their formation. They were shaking. Badly injured. Nervous. There was no reason for them to stay.


    But why?


    "Sisters!" Their leader called. "Present wands! Electronic pulse!"


    They''re authorized to use that now? Immediately she fumbled to grab her wand from her waist. She never liked to use it this way. Her mother had always taught her that magic was best used for peaceful applications and that to use it for violence would taint its sanctity.


    But, no choice. This was her job.


    She aimed her wand at them, it was a modern wand. All she needed to do was to channel her mana to it and imagine the spell she wanted, and it would automatically do what she willed.


    "Fire!"


    Blue pulses of light slammed into their line, and the men went down stunned.


    "Charge!!!"


    She placed back her wand to her waist and readied her baton as they charged.


    Immediately, the Militia broke down and routed before they reached them, but shots were suddenly fired behind them, and the shouts of agony filled the streets.


    And then, it was a stampede.


    Suddenly, the routing Militia crashed back into them hard. But they weren''t trying to fight them, they were trying to run. She watched as a boy shouted in vain in front of them, as he tried to bash his shield and break through.


    "Let me pass! Let me pass! They''re shooting at us!"


    That was when his head suddenly exploded and splattered their visors with blood.


    What?


    "B-ballistic shields!" A Knight shouted in panic, as she fumbled with her wand to cast a shield.


    But the chaos broke down their formation. The desperation of the militiamen to run tore through them, and she found herself being bashed again in the face by a club, which knocked her down.


    She didn''t bother to retake her shield again as she stood up, and she certainly didn''t bother chasing the kid who bashed her face.


    She walked through the chaos, as shots continued to go off. She took her wand out, and as a precaution, casted a ballistic shield on herself.


    There were dead militiamen on the streets. First, it was dozens, in seconds it was a hundred, and it just went up and up. The streets were too tightly packed. In the chaos, both Royal Guard knights and the militiamen were almost one, trapped like sardines in a turkey shoot.


    "Colleen?!" She shouted as she tried to get through the chaotic crowd. "Colleen!!? Where the hell are you!?"


    That was when she stepped on something. Blue riot gear. Bleeding in the head. She wasn''t breathing.


    Her heart sank.


    "Goddess."


    Ice spikes and fireballs began appearing around her. It was being fired around widely, as the Royal Guard panicked.


    They didn''t know who to shoot, or where to shoot. They were just shooting their magic, lethal magic like undisciplined rabble.


    Who gave them the order to use lethal magic?! Goddess! We''ve been trained not to do this!


    A sudden whisp of sharp air suddenly tore through the packed masses, and suddenly dozens of bodies were cut in half. The offending Royal Guard who did it shouted in horror at what she did as she tossed her wand and bolted away from the chaos.


    What the hell? T-this is a massacre.


    She ran away too. To where? Away, away from it all. She followed the crowds, but she tripped and fell face-first into the asphalt.


    She turned back and saw what she tripped on. It was a boy, with a broken nose. He was curled up and crying as he held his stomach, as he cried for his mother.


    She sat back up and crawled to him.


    "Kid, what happened?" She asked as she tried to check his wound. It was a gunshot, straight to his abdomen.


    "I¡­I was just running¡­"


    It didn''t matter. She knew how to close wounds. She pulled out her wand and aimed it straight at it. It began to glow.


    "Shh¡­shh¡­calm down, I''ll get you patched up real quick. What''s your name?"


    "R-Robert."


    "Robert? Now that''s a go-"


    Her blood splattered him and her hands.


    Warm. It was warm. That¡­wait, she¡­she forgot. She removed her ballistic shield to close his wound quickly, as she needed more mana for it.


    But she wore a vest, no bullet should penetrate it.


    No, she couldn''t breathe. There was liquid pouring down from her neck.


    My neck?! No, not the¡­goddess, I''m dead, aren''t I? Dammit.


    "Ma''am!? Ma''am?!"


    That was all she heard, as his panicked face and the scene around her turned black.

 Chapter Fourteen: Roots of Radicalism

    "Coward! Her Majesty is the definition of cowardice! Today, the Queen made a speech in Parliament calling for support for the revised Economic Stimulus Bill. A few words from a Parliament MP, the whorish leader of the conservatives herself, Duchess Flandere of Oldrach, and she was left speechless. How pitiful! Are we men supposed to cry for her now? Lucky her, her little goon - Countess Jacqueline Weiss, saved her from her stupidity and defended her pitiful attempt of a bill to ''save us'' from our financial woes. Still, it is clear to all of us, the Queen is no defender of men''s rights, she is but a spineless fool! And a reminder that the ORP and its members are but traitors for siding with them!"


    - The Front Newspaper


    ---


    An unmistakable coldness and madness. Men and their violent tendencies. Demons that merely killed innocents? Or innocents turned to demons?


    "How does it feel, Your Majesty?"


    Amelie turned around on her bed.


    "Am I a monster? Do I look like a monster? I have no magic, yet look at the blood on my hands. Isn''t it beautiful?"


    Almost as if he reveled in blood, and it disgusted her. But for men who saw nothing but coldness - blood, death, chaos, and the flames of war, it was a beautiful sight. The Great War, bloody as it was, made men feel. They were lower, yet, they could burn the world down with them.


    Why?


    "Because I''m not a woman. I''m a man. Violent, bloodthirsty, savage. Isn''t that what I am?"


    Savage, perverts, barbaric, scum. To the eyes of the world, that was what most men were.


    Liar, you''re a human, just like me!


    "Is that so, Miss Human? But do you think a human would do this?"


    She looked at him. He looked¡­almost like a rat. An inhuman excuse for a man, like those images of battered penal battalions during the war. The kind of men, considered below human by the Kingdom, sent to flush hostile trenches contaminated by gas. Not a lot of them returned.


    He wore an outdated, bloodied gas mask, with a green, dirty lens that seemed to stare at her, uncaringly.


    A torn uniform. A sickly thin body. A flamethrower in hand¡­and a hand that dragged a dead corpse...charred. She flinched in disgust.


    "They don''t, don''t they? To slaughter innocent poor women like that...oh, but humans. They can slaughter magicless men."


    Not all of us...not all of us thought of you men that way.


    "Is that so? Does that matter to the tens of millions of dead? Oh, they must be so grateful, that so many women saw them human. Shame...they''re dead."


    He laughed as he stepped forward.


    "How does it feel? When the tables have turned? When those you regarded below you, could now suddenly do this to your kind?"


    And¡­and behind him. The streets were burning. There was gas. There were civilians dying. Women¡­women, shot, shot in mass graves by firing squad, or hanged.


    Hanged for using magic¡­there was a sign that was hung on her neck.


    "You preach for equality, yet you and every woman hold an unequal power over us? How is that fair? You women get to play like some goddesses - WHILE WE ROT AND BURN?"


    I used my wand. That was what was written on the sign¡­ He¡­no, they, she reminded herself, as she noticed the NRF patch on his shoulder. They hanged her for that?!


    "So many of my brothers cried for their mothers as they died. That was the only time we men would dare cry - yet none of you listened. Why then should we listen to your cries?!"


    He aimed his flamethrower at the hanged woman and squeezed the trigger in glee. She was on fire as he laughed. Almost as if he was purging a witch.


    "SOON, MAGIC WILL BE CLEANSED!"


    Amelie screamed in terror.


    She rose from her bed, as the sun rose, soaked in cold sweat.


    ¡­


    She poked her cereal with her fork unenthusiastically. The morning reports didn''t look good. The General Strike still hadn''t ended, and the Orlish economy was still in freefall. Already, a quarter of the failing corporations in the Rebenslof Group had closed down, and millions of men were now unemployed in the streets.


    All the while Jacqueline and Walter were still jockeying for support for the revised bill that they had drafted. The Parliament, still controlled by the UOP, was now split in half, as the conservatives vehemently rejected it, while the liberals voted for it.


    The Archduchess was already making speeches on behalf of the court, threatening to split.


    I hope my decisions were right.


    No, it wasn''t, in so many ways. She almost wanted to cry yesterday after her blunder in Parliament. Oh, she turned herself into a laughingstock.


    Damn you, Flandere.


    The only sliver of good news was that the ORP propagandists turned a 180 on her, and started painting her as some sort of an "enlightened liberal monarch."


    She shuffled the documents on her desk instead, as she opted to place her bowl of cereal to the side. It wasn''t like she had much appetite to eat yet. So she decided to simply do her job.


    She filtered the new series of reports today in order of importance. One by one she read them, as she skipped some of the more unsightly ones.


    But she came upon one report, from the Ministry of the Interior.


    Update on the Red Street Massacre situation? Red Street Massacre?


    Her eyes widened as she read it.


    ¡­


    "Another goddamned scandal. Or crisis. Wait what do you even call this? A cluster fudge?" Well said as he groaned, while Michael muttered something along the lines of, "This is bad for the stock market." Though, most ignored him.


    She gathered her allies and formed them into a secret advisory council. It was a part of the finished agreement in Meintz Hotel. After all, they were now her new political arm to manage the crisis Orland faced, and thus they would need to meet and organize almost every day at the Palace.


    And so they did.


    She called them - the Meintz Crisis Group, because she was bad at names. And they were all here today.


    "I can''t believe it either," Jacqueline said. "456 dead? And 14 Royal Guard Knights in that figure too? What the hell is wrong with those NRF militiamen?"


    "War veterans." General Albrecht answered boredly. He didn''t seem the least bit disturbed by it. "Shooting crowds is business as usual for us."


    Jacqueline narrowed her eyes. "General, these are human lives we are talking about."


    He chuckled, amused at her offended tone. "Come on, I''m just saying. When you''ve shot a thousand faceless men charging at you in the muddy trenches, suddenly, human lives don''t seem to matter anymore."


    What a fucked up view on life, General, Amelie thought as she subtly exhaled in disgust.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Jacqueline sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is why you men have an awful reputation."


    "Can''t do nothing about it. For some reason, our minds are just fucked this way."


    Amelie placed down the document.


    "Still, I don''t understand. Why? Why would they do something like this? It doesn''t help men''s cause."


    For many seconds, no one had an answer. Until Walter sighed and spoke, reluctantly.


    "I''ve read their profiles. Those guys were part of a penal battalion during the war. Also, they were kicked out of their homes at an early age." He looked at the Queen. "I don''t know what awful lives these men had, but they''re quite common. And they''re the most susceptible to NRF propaganda."


    A chuckle came from William. Usually, he stood behind her with the rest of the Royal Guards during meetings, but now, he was finally seated.


    "That is if they don''t blow their brains first. Or hang themselves. Or die of a drug overdose."


    "That too."


    Suicide? Well, Amelie did notice that men had a high suicide rate¡­for centuries now. So much so that she just realized that even she felt that it was just a part of men''s behavior.


    High? That''s an understatement. Wasn''t it 20 times worse before the war compared to women''s suicide rates? Goddess¡­I remember Father. Even he¡­even he blew his brains off. He never spoke to me.


    "These kinds of people make up¡­probably a good quarter of men across the world. Losers, druggies, criminals, the unemployed, the list goes on¡­it''s why the rates of poverty, suicide, drug use, domestic terrorism, and crime are so high for men. And our governments had always turned a blind eye to it." Walter continued. He took a deep breath. "That''s how it always was."


    "Still that does not justify it." Jacqueline countered. "Suffering does not justify the act of inflicting pain upon others."


    "True, but do you think these men care? The world never gave two shits about them."


    She¡­well, she deflated at that.


    Amelie on the other hand, was just silent. That¡­sounded kinda depressing. Well, it was awful, really awful, she added, as she ran out of adjectives to describe it. Why did they ignore all of those problems?


    "Why? How could we¡­how could our society ignore all of that? Surely, we women would be badly affected by such crime rates."


    "Because you women could afford to," Plock replied. "You women have magic and are thus untouchable by these problems. A criminal tries to raid your house? No worries, just slice him in half with magic."


    He smiled darkly. "Problem, solved."


    Amelie spoke cautiously. "What about¡­you? Men? Don''t tell me you all just collectively accepted it."


    "We didn''t, but we are good at shutting up about it. Ever since our childhoods, we''ve been conditioned to stay tough, bottle up, and shut up. So we did that. We zipped our mouths. Worked hard, lived hard, studied hard, everything, to be a worthy man for the goddesses that graced the world. And if you fail - you did it to yourself. And since we men are notoriously bad at finding support, and let''s be honest, no one likes a failed man, the result is inevitable. He''s a reject from then on."


    That''s¡­not how life should be lived.


    He continued. "And when you fail, you can rot with the rest of the useless masses of men. Work your ass to death each day, and go home to your shabby little room, alone. These domestic terrorists? They''re the unlucky ones that reached that stage, and now they want a quick, and violent way out."


    Marie tried to smile a bit.


    "Ehehe, that does sound kinda awful. Hey, Walter, you seem to be speaking from experience, huh?"


    "You have no idea." Was his only quick reply.


    The room fell silent. But Walter continued.


    "And then the Great War happened. A chance for so many men with no future to prove themselves! Turned out it just confirmed the fact that we''re all disposable."


    Amelie looked down. All that¡­then, that madness. Even now the death toll was still being counted. The Orlish death toll rose to 10 million men dead, from the previous 9 million figure. Many men were still dying from their injuries, especially injuries caused by brutal chemical warfare. Some estimated that out of the 30 million young men that served, the death toll would rise to 14 or 16 million in the next 5 years.


    Out of that 30 million, 28 million were aged 18-21 too. Already, many now dubbed their generation, as the "Dead Generation", as they sent practically all of them to the war, and left half of them dead or crippled.


    To go through that¡­then through the hell of the Great War. She understood... It would drive anyone to madness.


    Now, even when they were back home, they lost every prospect of a decent life as the economy collapsed around them, and society decided that they should weather it alone... What else did the future even have for them? Literally and metaphorically, this generation of men was dead. A rotting corpse.


    "We like to bottle up as I''ve said. It''s difficult to understand, but, at some point, a man can only take so much before the kettle blows open. And then, it''s a question of whether they blow their brains out, or they blow other people''s brains out. And there you have it, that''s how extremists and the Front are born. That''s why they did it."


    And we turned a blind eye to it. A crisis of insanity, that brewed for centuries.


    "Yeah, that sounds pretty awful¡­" Marie said in the background, but this time, it was actually a bit more somber.


    "I''m sorry¡­" Was all Amelie could utter on the other hand.


    "Your Majesty, your apologies are not needed. You never sat on this throne for hundreds of years to be the cause of this." Walter replied, and she fell silent once more.


    But¡­I was the Princess¡­


    "Yeah, he''s right," Rudolph added. "We can blame a lot for this. But not you. No reasonable man would blame you for this, except for those NRF nutjobs. All that matters now is that we solve this."


    She nodded, and so did everyone else, as they deliberated how they would handle this crisis.


    Clearly, the NRF had to be handled carefully, she noted.


    ¡­


    The plan was in. She stepped on the podium, as the cameras flashed. The press conference had begun.


    "It is¡­with grave news that I announce that 456 innocent men and women¡­" She made sure to add the innocent part for men.


    "-Died in the massacre, perpetrated by members of the NRF." And she made sure not to use the term ''Civil Defense Militia'' as its ORP members might feel attacked.


    "We already arrested the 32 men who committed this act of terrorism. Justice for the dead will be served. I also want to use this moment to bring light into a problem."


    She paused for the cameras.


    "That being the increasing extremism and radicalization amongst men. I call upon everyone, not to use this as a weapon to demonize men, but instead, as a reminder, that they are our fellow human beings, that we have failed - and pushed to extreme acts. And that this is a symptom of our failed system, that must be rectified and will be rectified. This, of course, does not absolve them of their crime¡­"


    She paused, she planned this part too. She needed to show the men of Orland that she understood them. It wouldn''t help much, but every message could pull someone at the edge, back to sanity.


    She could now imagine the outrage from the nobility, conservatives, and female supremacists once she uttered this.


    "...but I take part of the responsibility for this event. I apologize."


    The cameras flashed.


    ¡­


    "How was it, was it alright?" She asked Albert, as the two walked away from the room where the press conference was conducted.


    "You just made yourself look weak, in front of the conservatives, I mean."


    "Doesn''t matter, the liberals and the moderates should be cheering for me." She followed him, as she let off a small smile. "It should also send a good message to many young men."


    Albert stopped and turned to look at her. She seemed way too optimistic about the possible effects of her message.


    "I''m not sure about that, but¡­" He still didn''t smile. "I sure hope it does."


    "...Yeah. It would be a bummer if it was for nothing."


    "Well, at least now you''ve learned how to take advantage of a crisis."


    Certainly, that was what the Meintz Crisis¡­or whatever name she gave that group, told her. That it was an opportunity to be seized, that could be used both to gain public support and attack the NRF and the conservatives, all in one fell swoop.


    Still, she crossed her arms. It still seemed like a dirty tactic for her.


    "Come on, I didn''t enjoy it."


    "I know. It''s not that bad though, it''s just politics."


    She didn''t uncross her arms. His eyes looked even more bored.


    "Go take dinner, you look tired."


    That seemed to work.


    Yeah, she once again forgot to eat, she thought. It was already becoming routine at this point. Missed meals due to the crisis and overwork. It slowly took a toll on her health.


    I miss the feeling of being Royalty. I feel like a government bureaucrat¡­wait, I forgot. This is an opportunity too.


    "Fine¡­I''ll go." She looked at his eyes. "But, you''re coming with me."


    "What?"


    "You, me, and Alice need to talk."


    "You know, you two could have a nice dinner alo-"


    "She wants to see you, Albert."


    "But I-"


    "Are you really going to prioritize that ship over our family? Please, Albert. Please?"


    He looked hesitant, but he nodded.


    "Alright¡­I''ll go see that brat."


    Inside, she smiled. Finally, their stubborn older brother had relented. Outside, she frowned. He called her a brat. Naturally, she would weaponize his mistake.


    As for Albert, it was late for him to realize his mistake.


    "You know, she already learned wind vortex at school. She''s becoming really good at her repertoire of spells."


    He paled and immediately retracted his statement.


    "I mean, Alice. Please don''t tell her. Um, please, come on. Amelie, I mean, Your Majesty, please it was a joke, I-"


    She placed her gloved hand on her mouth to cover it in response.


    And¡­


    Amelie, for once, laughed.

 Chapter Fifteen: A Tiny Reunion

    "General Albrecht launched the grand offensive against the Order Pact today! Penal Units suffered 89% casualties in the first 14 hours, but victory would be close, as our honorable Queen declared this night. It is a great day for all of Orland and the Ivory Alliance today."


    - The Arcane Updates, January 18, 2023


    ---


    When was the last time that Albert ate with his family? Oh, it was already a distant memory for him. It was years ago, before the war, before the crisis that led to the war, before he even joined the Navy.


    He didn''t speak much as the trio ate. It was a fancy dinner prepared by the Palace staff for them, and while he would indeed eat everything on his plate, he again didn''t really speak much.


    He couldn''t.


    Alice.


    She grew up already. He wondered what she thought of him now. He wore an eyepatch. He had ugly scars on his face. And, well, he promised something to her before he went to war.


    It was why he could not go home and face her.


    To face her was too hard, to say the least. It was better to simply run, and face his duties.


    I''m such a pathetic loser.


    "Albert, you''ve been poking your peas for a while now." Amelie''s voice pulled him out of his musings. His little sister, now a Queen, seemed to now have tiny eye bags. Yet she laughed at him loudly. "Don''t tell me you don''t like vegetables now!"


    He chose to laugh in response, as he took some of the peas to his mouth.


    "Nothing, I was just thinking about something. Whoever cooked this needs a raise. It''s good."


    "Hmm¡­something? What exactly?" Amelie curiously asked as she lazily waved a cut of roasted chicken on her fork.


    He looked at Amelie, a little bit miffed at her jabs. He just wanted some peace.


    "Navy stuff."


    Alice huffed, which caught his attention.


    "There he goes again, getting all serious about ships." She crossed her arms and spoke, food still in her mouth. "Is that ship your new girlfriend now?"


    He never had a girlfriend, but well, he chuckled at the brat. To be fair, to witness her as she spoke like that, was quite cute for him.


    "Alice, you know, you should not speak when food is in your mouth. You''re the Princess, you have to keep that table etiquette that Mother drilled on you."


    She swallowed it quickly. Almost as if she really wanted to speak quickly. Her little attempt was again, too cute. She once again crossed her arms and held her head high, and almost looked down at him.


    "There, now I can speak. Is it your girlfriend?"


    And while he would have wanted it to go the other way, somehow, he was laughing as he spoke with her.


    "I wish she was. Rebenslof, oh, she''s a majestic piece of art."


    "Eww, you boys really are disgusting."


    "Yeah, they are, aren''t they." Amelie joined her, which completely outnumbered Albert. He merely shrugged.


    "Well, I won''t deny that."


    The dinner proceeded much more lightly.


    ¡­


    Albert walked briskly through the Palace halls, with no particular direction in mind. It was already dark, as the night fell, and the lights closed.


    He passed through room after room, sometimes meeting an occasional staff or two. Truthfully, he just wanted to delay it a bit. A bit to recollect his thoughts. Maybe, just maybe, he could still come up with a-


    "Albert, why don''t you just visit her in her room?"


    Amelie''s voice was soft and calm. When he looked back at her, she held that same concerned expression she always gave him.


    It irritated him. Being pitied, he never was a fan of it. No man was. Their pride, and his pride was too high for that.


    Sure, they were a wounded, broken bunch, who went through hell. But, none of them, Albert included, did it to gain pity.


    He went there to serve, for they were called for it. While the bad blood between men and women was high, it didn''t change the fact that they fought hard so they wouldn''t be looked down upon.


    It just happened¡­that it was a lie. And that regardless of what they did, either women looked down on them like they were rats or looked down at them with pity.


    But how petty. It felt stupid, it sounded stupid, even to him, but that was what he felt inside. He hated it.


    No matter. He buried those stupid thoughts down quickly. Instead, he came up with a quick excuse.


    "I was just searching for the bathroom. It''s been 3 years-"


    "Albert, I know you when you lie." She smiled a bit. "Remember when we would always ''play'' in these halls? You were better than Adam, weren''t you? At hiding when I wanted to play with my magic?"


    He hated her for that. She was an absolute monster back in the day, who loved to annoy and torment the two with her games and magic.


    She only grew out of it when that Marie girl became her friend, still, some bad blood remained between the two.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    But, Albert didn''t really feel any of that anymore. It was in the past, and he had seen much worse. It was but a tiny, petty scuffle between siblings for him now.


    But she was indeed right. He was good at hiding and avoiding her. He still knew a lot about the Palace.


    "...Alright, where is her room?"


    She rolled her eyes.


    "Look, I know you know where her room is, but¡­fine. Follow me."


    She turned around and began walking forward, and he followed closely behind, before she stopped, took a deep breath, and spoke to him.


    "I¡­I never properly apologized for all I did to you. But¡­I''m so sorry. I know it''s nothing but-"


    "Look, I don''t see anything you should be sorry about. Children are just natural demon spawns." He even chuckled. "Look, it''s alright-"


    "That''s not what I''m¡­" She was now looking at him, but then she turned away just as quickly. She breathed out. "Nevermind¡­you don''t remember, don''t you?"


    Remember what?


    He stood there, confused. Amelie, for her part, wanted to continue, but she realized, it was for naught.


    "You know what? Let''s just go."


    ¡­


    A lot of things were easy for Albert. He did mountains of paperwork, paperwork that officers always did. He worked with brain-dead sailors, airmen, and marines alike. And he saw battles of the most complicated kinds on the high seas. But now, he faced an even more dreadful situation. He needed to talk to Alice.


    He''d rather be back to the Liebnich Peninsular Campaign.


    He sat beside Alice''s bed. It was the same chair he would use in the past when he would read her bedtime stories. Alice loved it back then, because their mother could not be bothered to do it, and their father was dead.


    And Alice didn''t like Amelie when she narrated for her.


    So it was Albert''s tiny occasional job whenever he finished his daily studies. As such, it was no surprise to him when he felt a pang of nostalgia when he sat on that same chair.


    In many ways, Alice was the one person he was truly close with.


    Yet he lost that.


    He looked around her room. Many things had changed. She now had a study desk, filled with textbooks. The old dolls were gone, replaced mostly by new plushies.


    Actually, there were a lot of plushies in the room, he noted. Perhaps the brat liked to hug things now. Especially that fat bunny that he once bought for her, which was still there on the table with the rest of her collection of plushies.


    Then on the bookshelves, he noticed a book.


    The Gallant Horse Soldier.


    It was still in the same place that he left it, 3 years ago, the last time that he was in her room. The last time he read her a story as she slept.


    He finally looked at her.


    She was facing away from him on her bed, curled up. He didn''t know how to start.


    "Brother¡­why?" She asked, her voice tiny. Almost a whisper.


    "I''m sorry," was all he could say.


    What a failure he was. He should have been better. He should have been faster at evacuating them. He should have bombed them faster. He¡­ failed. He failed, what kind of¡­


    "Adam¡­he was a good brother. Why did he have to go? You both promised me that you would both come home." She pulled her knees closer.


    "Please forgive me, it was my fault."


    Alice shed tears, and while he didn''t see it. He knew it from behind her. He knew from her tiny movements that she was sobbing.


    "Father is gone, Adam is gone¡­now mother is gone." She looked back at him, as tears pooled in her emerald-green eyes. Albert almost wanted to hug and soothe her, but he stayed in his seat. Shame prevented him from any attempts to get closer. He was unworthy.


    "Brother, I''m scared." He wanted to avert her eyes. But, he couldn''t.


    She wiped off her tears. "W-what about you? What about Amelie? You both, you''re both in danger, right? Don''t lie, I read the news."


    I¡­dammit. What do I even say?


    "Brother, please don''t go. Please don''t. You and Amelie, please." Tears were reaching her cheeks, no matter how much she wiped it off. "I don''t want to be alone!"


    He noticed a tiny whimper from outside, likely Amelie, before he heard her faint footsteps, as she seemed to run away.


    He sighed and buried his face in his hands.


    Dammit, what am I supposed to do?


    Truly, what a failure of a brother he was, he thought. Unable to even comfort her. Unable to even help Amelie rule. And he failed Adam. He failed them all. He should have done better. Why didn''t he reach Adam? Why didn''t they rescue them from the encirclement? Why? Why? Why?


    Why?


    I should have been¡­a better son.


    ¡­


    November 22, 2020


    Liebnich Peninsula


    The Great War


    The ONS Rebenslof and her three escorts slipped through the stormy seas in the dead of the night. They were running out of time.


    "How fast can we get there?" Albert asked the navigator, who replied grimly.


    "8 hours, sir. We can''t go faster than this."


    He almost wanted to slam his fist on the screens. It was so bad, so, so bad. They were now down to 3 escorts, after the engagement earlier as the rest were damaged or sunk. Their missiles were also nearly depleted, and his air squadrons were unavailable due to the weather and lack of supplies.


    And the siege. The damned siege. It was all going to hell.


    He felt his hands shake. No, that was unacceptable. 8 hours, they didn''t have that much time left. They would¡­no, they would be overrun by then. The port city was already on its last legs 12 hours ago.


    Dammit, Adam. Why didn''t you just evacuate with them? That goddamned-


    His brother refused to board the ships on their last run. He never was that kind of a General. He refused to lead from behind, and he refused to leave until the last men of his division were out of the besieged city.


    His blood was running cold. He looked at the map. It would be risky, but¡­


    No choice. All he could hope for now was that the goddess was on their side today.


    "Helm, plot course-"


    "Alert! Hostile contacts detected at¡­"


    The time almost slowed down for him as those dreaded words entered his ears.


    No! No! Not now! Dammit, not now! Why?! Why?!


    She wasn''t.


    She never was.


    ¡­


    Albert woke up, not on his bed, but on the chair, beside Alice''s bed. The rays of the sun shone gently through the windows, which illuminated her sleeping form.


    She let off soft, tiny breaths. While her eyes were puffy, she held a relaxed expression.


    He sighed.


    Eventually, Alice stopped crying last night. Albert, who ran out of options, simply opted to read her a story as she slowly stopped crying on the bed. Eventually, she was asleep.


    The whole debacle drained him greatly.


    Hah¡­I need breakfast or something. I''m starving.


    He looked at Alice, as his heart grew heavy once more, which froze him in place. Eventually, he decided, the time was over for stupid ruminations.


    He gave her one final check, before he stood up, and fixed his uniform.


    Cautiously, he left her room.


    On Alice''s study desk, a tiny letter was left.


    I promise you. Everything will be alright.

 Chapter Sixteen: The Hollard Conference

    "You can place me in a kangaroo court, but I shall plead guilty immediately, and it will only be a pointless stunt. I am guilty, and I am proud of it. Call me a dirty rebel, and I shall wear it proudly in front of the firing squad. For that''s just what I am."


    - Jean Louverte, leader of the Lorathian Brotherhood Front, after he was arrested in the wake of the Redcastle Sarin Attacks.


    ---


    Kingdom of Lorathia


    City of Hollard


    Countess Adelaide Wallenstein, Orland''s Minister of Foreign Affairs, was quite a wholesome character, Amelie mused, after the 30-year-old woman bought flowers from a little shop. She had also been kind to her while they were on their way to Lorathia.


    On her hands was a bunch of yellow flowers that smelt pleasantly even from a distance. Amelie also noted that it seemed quite familiar to her.


    She looked away from the flowers on Adelaide''s hands to view the scenery as they walked toward the entrance of Hollard''s Palace of Peace. Around them, a line of guards was on both sides of the red carpet that kept the media and their cameras and microphones at bay.


    Near the side of the grand Palace too was an elevated platform, where the flags of every nation of Pollos flew on the flagpoles. Amelie''s eyes, which were locked on the Orlish flag for a few seconds, turned away as she looked back at her Minister when she heard her voice.


    "Your Majesty, I told you so, Lorathian flowers are one of the finest varieties out there."


    Amelie smiled in agreement.


    "Yeah, I suppose it is."


    The flight was a bit of a pain, Amelie thought, but it was needed. It was a part of being a monarch, regardless of how much she disliked it. To travel to other countries, for¡­well, diplomacy, which she knew nothing about, as usual.


    Well, it is what it is.


    While the Meintz Group and her band of ragtag reformists worked to fix Orland, she and Adelaide went to the Kingdom of Lorathia for now, and so did the other leaders of the Ivory Alliance.


    But also here today were some of the leaders of the Order Pact. The enemy alliance that they had faced, and "defeated" in the Great War, which was led by the eastern superpower of Pollos - the Empire of Larissa.


    The conference was called to address the dispute that was caused by the global recession - that being the failure of the Empire of Larissa and the Order Pact to pay the war reparations to Orland and the members of the Ivory Alliance as defined by the Treaty of Eutstadt. They had cited their failed economy as the reason for failed payments, but for the Ivory Alliance, that was simply unacceptable.


    Mainly because the Ivory Alliance was just as close to bankruptcy and ruins as the Order Pact was.


    The problem, however, was that the Empire was never truly militarily defeated. Sure the Empire was pushed, humiliated, and its allies'' land fell under the occupation of the Ivory Alliance, but they still held a powerful military. They could not simply force them to pay when the Empire could very well still restart the war if it wished to.


    That was why Amelie, Adelaide, and Orland''s diplomatic officials were here.


    Beside them too, however, was the Queen of Lorathia herself, who welcomed them back at the airport. For now, they were having a little conversation about the flowers her Minister bought.


    "Indeed, those exquisite flowers are the pride of Lorathia." The older Queen said, quite pleasantly. "Did you know that those flowers are a part of our coat of arms and our flag?"


    "The Yellet flower, yes. It''s no wonder your nation uses it as your national symbol. It defines Lorathia well." She gave it a gentle whiff. "The fragrance of Lorathia''s prosperity and noble gentleness."


    That was when it clicked on Amelie''s head. No wonder it was familiar, it was on their flag! And most importantly, Adelaide actually had a reason for acquiring it.


    It''s a part of diplomacy. To appreciate a local product that is a national symbol. How did I miss that?


    Queen Eliette smiled at Adelaide''s praise.


    ¡­


    In a few hours, the conference was about to begin between the diplomats of the four nations.


    Due to the instability faced by the members of the Order Pact, Empress Katerina Illyenov represented the pact alone in front of the three monarchs of the major member states of the Ivory Alliance: Queen Amelie Ludendorf of the Kingdom of Orland, Queen Eliette Alcaster of the Kingdom of Lorathia, and Queen Clericia Alois of the Kingdom of Gaul.


    And they faced the young Empress, who, while alone in the room, grinned arrogantly down at them. Indeed, Katerina had a reputation for being childish, cocky, and aggressive, and as the Great War showed, she also had a great thirst for blood and conflict.


    If Amelie wasn''t a calm woman, her eyes would have been twitching in annoyance at the 17-year-old brat.


    "So, we meet once again, leaders of the world!" The brat started. "Isn''t it a fine day?"


    No one from the side of the Ivory Alliance replied. Katerina looked around for a while before she covered her mouth and giggled loudly.


    "Oh my, you three are so stiff again."


    She looked at Amelie.


    "And I see that the new Queen of Orland is here too, huh? You know, last time I met your mother, she was so furious at my behavior."


    "I''m not here to look for a petty fight," Amelie replied as she glared at her. The way she glared at her would have made any being feel fear of her, yet the brat was nonchalant about it. "Your Empire violates the terms of the Eutstadt Treaty. Shall we please fix that today?"


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    Amelie smiled¡­"sweetly". The guard behind Katerina felt a chill on her spine as she watched Amelie. While Amelie was indeed quite an inexperienced monarch, Orland was still the superpower of the world, and she thus carried much prestige and reputation as a result of it. And the guard knew it.


    For Orland was a nation that had just beaten her country and dealt tens of millions of casualties to the Order Pact.


    Yet the brat laughed. "It was a stupid treaty anyways. Why should I be paying money just because I lost?"


    Amelie really wanted to strangle the brat. Katerina oversaw the Empire during the Great War after all, and her childish and bloodthirsty tendencies were one of the reasons for its extreme brutality. Many of the Order Pact''s botched offensives that led to millions of dead men were ordered and planned by her.


    And unlike in Orland where the General Staff and the Admiralty operated independently, the Empress had direct control over her Armed Forces, and she would routinely execute her male generals if they refused to carry out her insane plans.


    Ironically, it was widely known as the main reason that the larger Imperial Army lost to Orland and her allies.


    Queen Eliette looked at Amelie and sighed. They already talked about it. All Amelie needed to do was restrain herself and not fall for Katerina''s childish games.


    Eliette looked back to Katerina and spoke.


    "Empress, we understand that your economy tanked." Calm and gentle, the old Queen was the definition of refinement. Her expression betrayed any idea of her being affected by the child''s inadequacy. "That''s why, we would like to propose to amend the treaty, and lower down the reparations."


    Clericia smiled beside Eliette and spoke too. The brat looked even more bored, however, as Gaul was the weakest of the three, and was almost defeated during the early days of the war.


    Amelie knew that she held extreme bitterness and hostility against Katerina, as her Kingdom took the brunt of the Great War''s brutal trench warfare, yet when she spoke, it was almost as if those emotions were hidden under layers of concrete.


    "In order to preserve peace, it is of great importance that an agreement be made today by both of our parties." Amelie kept her mouth shut as the two spoke. It was clear that her older allies were more experienced, so she deduced it would be wiser to stay silent.


    "In the name of peace and preventing further bloodshed, would you then agree to these amendments to the treaty?"


    The Queen of Gaul handed the treaty with her gloved hands to the Empress, who gave her a wry smile as she took it in response.


    For many minutes, Katerina read the treaty in silence, as she kept her arrogant expression up. As she read it, she made small snickers and almost looked down upon it. Amelie didn''t like it, yet she didn''t make any comments.


    The Empress suddenly laughed as she finished, and she placed down the treaty papers as if it was a mere joke.


    "I see, I see."


    "So how was it?" Amelie asked, her face neutral, as she tried to hide the fact that she really wanted to strangle the devious warmongering brat in front of her.


    Katerina smiled and looked at her as if she was judging her reaction. Amelie made the mistake to show a split-second scowl at her. Katerina''s smile grew.


    "I''ll see what I can do. For now, my diplomats shall review the terms listed here. That''s all." She stood up. "Farewell my friends, may the conference go smoothly."


    ¡­


    "I''m sorry, but the Order Pact''s delegate rejected our proposal," Adelaide reported to Amelie as she walked out of her room to find the Empress.


    Amelie''s face was flushed red as she left, as Adelaide trailed closely behind her.


    Amelie needed that damned reparation money. She needed it to pay off some of Orland''s high-interest loans and stave off bankruptcy. She needed it to pay for the bailouts. She needed it to stabilize Orland''s reserves that were being eaten up to salvage the economy.


    She needed it, desperately. And that brat dared to deny her?


    "Your Majesty, what are you planning to do?"


    Amelie stopped and looked back at her.


    "I need to see that brat. Maybe I could slap some sense into her brain."


    "Your Majesty, that would be as foolish as playing chess with a pigeon. It wouldn''t work."


    Amelie calmed down. She made a good point.


    "Still, I want to talk with her. Where is she?"


    Adelaide didn''t like it, but she conceded.


    "Alright, follow me please."


    The two walked quickly through the Palace, and they passed through foreign delegates, nobles, and many of the press. Many of them asked to have a chat with Amelie, but Adelaide respectfully waved them off.


    Soon, the two found the Empress sitting on a table on an isolated balcony with her personal guards, as she dined alone. Her bright pink hair made her a dead giveaway for Amelie to spot. One of the guards scowled at Amelie when they spotted her as she approached the balcony, but Katerina gestured for the guard to calm down.


    "Worry not, she just wants a chat." Katerina turned to Amelie and gave her a smug grin. "So what do you want from me?"


    Amelie''s fist almost clenched, but she held it off. Instead, she calmly walked closer to Katerina.


    "Why did you reject the treaty?"


    "While I hate to deny it, my country can''t pay for it." She quickly corrected it. "Actually, we could, with the lowered reparations. But I didn''t want to."


    "You''re making a mistake." Amelie threatened. She didn''t like this. She would be humiliated and her reputation would once again take a nosedive with this. Orland spent millions of bodies for this peace. She could not let this brat ruin the treaty.


    "Am I?"


    "If you do this, I will-"


    I will send the entire Orlish Armed Forces to wipe that self-satisfied smugness off your face!


    "You will what? Send me an angry letter?" Katerina laughed at her and took a quick drink of her wine. "You and I both know that you''re barely in control of your Kingdom."


    She made an irritating childish voice to mock Amelie.


    "Your military isn''t even loyal to you. What will you do then?"


    Amelie clenched her fist as her lips tightened. She felt an overwhelming urge to pull her wand out and zap the hell out of the brat. Oh, she really needed some practice for her magic, she reminded herself. It would be really satisfying if she could try her offensive spells on this infuriating girl.


    "I am warning you. If you don''t reverse this mistake, you will regret it."


    "I won''t. I''m not accepting your stupid treaty. Now, leave! You are ruining my dinner."


    Amelie scowled. The Empress guards tightened their hold on the wands on their sheats. Behind her, Adelaide paled a bit. She gave Amelie a tap from behind.


    "Your Majesty, we should leave now."


    Amelie gritted her teeth, while Katerina ignored her and nonchalantly returned to her food.


    Amelie looked around at the hostile guards that almost surrounded her. Oh, William and the Captain of her security detail would be really furious at her for leaving without them.


    "Fine, let''s go."


    As she turned around, however, she heard Katerina once again.


    "Oh, and, before you go¡­condolences to you, by the way. Oh, your mother''s fate was a sad tragedy." A devious giggle came from her as she continued to eat, as the sounds of her utensils filled Amelie''s ears.


    For seconds, Amelie''s eyes were wide open, and the world seemed to slow down as she tried to make sense of her words, until Adelaide snapped her out of it.


    "Your Majesty, we need to go." It was almost a whisper.


    "I¡­alright. Let''s go."


    Dammit, was she just messing with me?

 Chapter Seventeen: Seeds Of Coalition

    "Your Majesty, I beg of you, please reconsider. We cannot simply retreat. We sacrificed almost a million of my men for that city. I am close, they are about to break. I am sure we will win it soon. Please, don''t let my men''s lives that were sacrificed go in vain. Don''t let the lives paid be for naught."


    - General Heindh?ff''s letter of plea in response to Queen Areya''s orders to abandon the assault on the City of Josseux after a 4-month-long battle. He reportedly attempted to commit suicide when the decision wasn''t reversed, according to his officers.


    ---


    And I thought it was sure that they would be allies.


    Turns out, politics indeed wouldn''t be so simple. Amelie watched the two lines of politicians as they discussed the possibility of a UOP-led coalition government with the ORP in the conference room.


    Lined on the table were the microphones and the laptops of every politician in the room, and most notably, were the glasses of water and bottles of water, most of which were already half empty as the meeting dragged on.


    On one side of the table, were the liberal leaders of the UOP. Young women, who distinguished themselves quickly as¡­well, surprisingly, lackluster reformers as the crisis in Orland showed.


    On the other side was the ORP leadership. They were a much more diverse bunch. Young men, middle-aged men, and older men, all of them wore plain old black business suits in complete unity, in comparison to the more independent-minded women, who wore a variety of formal clothing as they saw fit.


    I can see a bit of symbolism in this. Amelie''s artistic mind thought out of nowhere, as she was now once again playing the boring old observer mode while the politicians below her hammered out the details.


    Ever since the Red Street Massacre, and the subsequent violence that terrified the Orlish general public in the ongoing General Strike, most moderates were left adrift.


    Suddenly, the men of the ORP and the NRF were rivals. The NRF rabidly accused the ORP of being traitors to men''s cause, while the ORP accused the NRF of being a bunch of lunatics.


    On the women''s side, the fallout was even more pronounced. Amelie''s speech made it clear that the moderates could not blame men for the massacre - contrary to the ongoing propaganda efforts of the Aristocracy and the Conservatives about men''s natural savagery.


    And also it occurred simultaneously with the heated debates for the revised Economic Stimulus Bill in Parliament, as the UOP completely broke down between its two wings, and it practically became an open secret that the Conservative wing was planning to leave and form a new party.


    With this, it became clear for many that the extremists on both sides were the enemy - and that the moderates should band up and defend sanity in Orland.


    Thus, the talks for a coalition government between the UOP and the ORP became serious, which Amelie, Jacqueline, and Walter exploited.


    All they needed to do now was to push the parties they led toward it.


    "Alright, cute, you want to give us the stimulus, that''s it?" Walter Plock calmly asked as the women on the other side of the table nodded. His snarky remark with the "cute" part seemed to have resulted in a few frowns, but it dissipated quickly.


    "Yes, unfortunately, the situation in Orland is tense as you can see," Jacqueline answered back, this part was slightly scripted to make their members agree, as they already discussed it as the Meintz Crisis Group.


    While backroom deals were the antithesis of the so-called "democracy" they planned to build, it was simply impossible in such a political climate to not play dirty.


    Naturally, Amelie, poor, good-hearted Amelie, felt revolted by it, but she didn''t have much of a choice.


    Jacqueline continued.


    "But I swear, once the crisis is over, we shall work out further reforms." Chatter began between both sides, especially from the women''s side, as they told the men reassurances about their promises.


    Naturally, most of the ORP leadership held a skeptical look in response, but they were nodding and conversing.


    There were no shouts or voices that were raised, merely civilized discourse.


    It relieved Amelie greatly.


    "This would indeed be a great opportunity for us men." One old, balding member of the ORP declared, his voice slightly weak and hoarse from his old age, yet it broke the discussions and all looked at him in attention.


    "I remember when I was young, that as I grew up, no would woman care for me, and the world seemed to hate me. I do not know if what these young women are saying is true."


    He glanced at Amelie, and suddenly, she felt a bit uncomfortable at being the center of attention so suddenly.


    "Or if what the Queen said she would do is true. But we men did not have these many opportunities to salvage ourselves. This is clearly a special one, that might be true. Trust is hard to give, fellow gentlemen, indeed, and that is normal. But, tell me, now that they are finally offering help, should we deny it?"


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    The ORP leadership looked at each other. It seemed that the words of one man struck them deeply. Well, he was an elder and was known to be a respected senior member of the ORP, but still, the way he spoke, it grabbed everyone, even the women.


    "And if we deny it, then how would we fix our situation? Remember men, that we cannot win alone. Time cannot be turned back 300 years ago. Magic won''t go. Women won''t be below us. Never would our woes be fixed by ourselves, or by women alone. Thus, perhaps, we could accept their offer to lift us, instead of biting back like the NRF. What say you, gentlemen? Should we trust them? Should we stand with these liberals, or should we weather this storm alone again?"


    To weather the storm alone¡­it was almost a universal feeling for men. For 3 centuries, they were all ignored and left, alone to rot and weather it all alone. And they loathed it. But now, there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel, offered by the goddesses of the current order.


    Small whispers and hurried conversations dominated the room, as the men thought of their decision. The old man remained silent and merely began to drink water from his glass. He didn''t need to tell any further words.


    Would they reach a consensus? Was the question in every woman''s mind in the room. This was the only way to salvage their party from being turned into a minority government, as it seemed that the conservative split was inevitable.


    For a while, the tension became palpable, before Walter spoke.


    "I see, we can consider this. But we cannot come to an agreement until we learn what would be the composition of the government that will be formed. What will be our position? And who will run on the UOP side as Prime Minister?"


    Amelie cleared her throat and made her presence clear. All looked at her.


    "In lieu of Alexa Weirl?ff''s candidacy, as a result of the multiple scandals under her tenure, and her subsequent retreat from re-election, I propose that it should be Jacqueline Heiss that will run for the position of Prime Minister."


    She smiled.


    Traditionally, in Orlish politics, the Queen would endorse a Prime Minister that she desired before the elections. Since the UOP was usually the only party active in the Orlish Parliament, she usually did it in front of the party leadership.


    This naturally gave them a lead at elections, and as such the only time that the Queen would have to deal with a Prime Minister she didn''t like, is if either the UOP screwed up in the previous term and lost the elections completely.


    Or if the UOP opposed the Queen.


    The situation now was that the UOP completely screwed up, and were thus losing. Luckily for them, a coalition government was under talks, and thus Queen Amelie could pick Jacqueline to lead the government. Mainly because the UOP would gain more votes and seats in Parliament compared to the ORP, regardless of a split.


    This was much to the slight chagrin of Walter Plock, as seen with the slight twitch in his eyes. It seemed that he still hadn''t fully accepted the fact that he really had no chance.


    Sorry, Walter. We talked about this already.


    "Well¡­I see then, I''d probably run for Prime Minister then." Jacqueline looked at the rest of the UOP liberals, who discussed it amongst themselves.


    Amelie noticed one aristocrat, who muttered something about how "unfair" it was, but a few words from her peers seemed to hush her down.


    After about 5-minutes of deliberations from both sides, no consensus was reached as the UOP needed time to discuss Jacqueline''s candidacy.


    But it seemed that most on the UOP side agreed already.


    "I see then," Walter said, still a tint of resentment in his voice. "So it''s likely that Jacqueline would lead this government then?"


    "Yes." A UOP member said quickly.


    "So what would our positions be?"


    It was once again quiet, as Jacqueline looked Walter straight in the eye.


    "It''s not yet decided, but as of now, we plan to offer 4 ministerial positions in the Cabinet. The Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Energy."


    While it would seem that the MoD was the only major ministry that they would receive, the three other ministries were critical for men, as the sectors these ministries were involved in were dominated by men.


    The Ministry of Infrastructure was involved with the Orlish Railway Group, a male-owned corporation.


    The Ministry of Science and Technology was heavily involved in the affairs of the tech corporations, and all-boys schools that usually prioritized the teaching of scientific and technical matters.


    And lastly, the Ministry of Energy was also heavily involved with Orlish oil corporations and related operations. Most of which were owned by men.


    Even still, it seemed that the UOP would still obtain both the Ministries involved with women''s economic and societal sectors and the big four, which ate much of the Orlish yearly budget.


    The Ministry of Economy.


    The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.


    The Ministry of Education.


    And the Ministry of Arcane Development.


    It was both an unfavorable and "favorable" arrangement for the ORP. It was clear that the UOP would truly be the ones in power, but they didn''t have a good option. If they would not be in a coalition, those four Ministries would be out of reach. This was the best they could get.


    Please, just agree people. We, women, are already handing out gifts on a silver platter. Amelie on the other hand felt frustrated and impatient as the discussions from the men grew. Already, a few voices were slightly raised, and frowns appeared.


    Some disapproved, some wanted it, but many were on the fence.


    And the final verdict came, as an ORP member whispered a few words to Walter. He sighed.


    "This deal appears interesting to us." He paused for a bit. "It is tempting, but we would request a few more days to deliberate our response."


    Wait! Walter, that''s not what we agreed on-


    But Jacqueline smiled. She understood, unlike Amelie. The ORP was tempted, but they weren''t going to hop into it quickly, especially when even the UOP was uncertain about who will run for the position of Prime Minister. With a soft tone, she replied to Walter.


    "It is alright. I hope that the ORP will see reason and agree to these terms."


    The meeting soon concluded.

 Chapter Eighteen: Dis-United Orland Party

    "Give me ten million men, and we shall take Gaul in a month."


    - Empress Katerina Ilyenov, one week after diplomatic relations broke down between the Ivory Alliance and the Order Pact.


    ---


    "So that''s how it is? No coalition yet?" Amelie followed Walter quickly as he walked through the hallways away from the room. Behind her, Jacqueline quickly caught up.


    Once they were a fair distance away from other people, Walter turned around.


    "Yep, they still need more meetings, and we are going to be asking for more concessions."


    Amelie frowned, while Jacqueline behind her seemed unsurprised. She sighed exasperatedly.


    "That''s just how they were for months already. It is what it is."


    "Alright, what do you want? What does the ORP want?" Amelie asked. This was indeed getting irritating for her.


    "We request more positions."


    "What positions?"


    "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Labor."


    Both Jacqueline and Amelie raised an eyebrow. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)? That was quite a tall order. The MoFA was heavily involved in Orlish foreign policy, trade, and diplomatic relations.


    Due to the fact that Orland was a matriarchy, naturally most diplomats and the MoFA itself were staffed and headed by women, especially aristocrats.


    "I should say, isn''t that asking for too much?" Amelie questioned, already skeptical of such an idea. Mainly because the amount of concessions she and the UOP were giving was getting out of hand.


    "A lot of my peers in the ORP are military men, who literally had to fight through the Great War because of a diplomatic failure they had no control in."


    Well, he had a point, Amelie mused. Still¡­


    "So now, they want to be in control to prevent that?"


    Walter thought about it, while he nodded his head a bit.


    "That''s the idea at least."


    Both Jacqueline and Amelie had reservations about the idea. Men¡­ were not exactly good at diplomacy. Diplomats who were men were rare, almost no one in them was trained for it, as Orland''s system always relied on women to communicate diplomatically with their fellow matriarchies. The closest male diplomats that existed were businessmen. Even male politicians wouldn''t make good diplomats either, as most of them quite literally used violence or the threat of it as a means to enact change.


    As shown by the NRF, and to a limited extent, the ORP.


    It wasn''t fully their fault. Jacqueline knew that men had only ever seen violence and threats as the only way in life. It was beneficial for women - as they had natural cannon fodder for wars. The downside¡­was this.


    "I think we could only agree with that if the Ministry would still be staffed by experienced women," Jacqueline warned, as she was worried that the UOP would reject it outright.


    But, Walter shrugged.


    "Well, it''s a possible compromise. My peers weren''t simply proposing it to take control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I have a strong suspicion that they''re just requesting it to show our male voters that we''re winning something."


    He gave Jacqueline a piece of paper, which she accepted.


    "You know, just because most moderate men are turned away by the NRF, does not mean we trust you. The ORP needs to keep its legitimacy as the defender of men''s interests, and we can show that best to our voters if we get these Ministries in a coalition."


    Jacqueline read its contents, it was a simple message with ball-point ink used, possibly passed to Walter by his peers during the meeting. All it said was, "We can''t accept it yet."


    Amelie finally understood. So that was it? A propaganda stunt? She supposed it made sense that if the ORP would be in a coalition, they must show their voters that the coalition they entered would be meaningful.


    "So more negotiations it is?" Amelie asked as she frowned a bit.


    The reply came quickly from Walter while Jacqueline sighed as she crumpled the piece of paper.


    "Yep."


    What a downer.


    ¡­


    "Order! Order!" The speaker of the Parliament shouted in vain as Jacqueline and Duchess Flandere argued. All around them, MPs either bickered or cheered for their supported side as arguments and counter-arguments were exchanged.


    The Parliament''s chamber was spacious, as it housed 180 seats in a semicircle arrangement. In the middle of the semicircle was a table, with two sides that had microphones and a seat. This was where two opposing politicians, usually the leader of certain factions, would argue or deliver their speeches.


    In front of the seats and the central table, was the podium where the speaker resided.


    She was an old lady, who was known to be a veteran of Orlish politics. She served back when Queen Alorie, the monarch before Queen Areya, ruled Orland.


    She was Speaker Elizabeth Luft.


    And her words commanded great respect in the chamber. At least, until now.


    "Lady Weiss, I''m afraid you will have to retract that insult you gave Lady Flandere. This chamber demands above all, civility."


    But Jacqueline wasn''t one to back down. She spoke gracefully in response as she faced the speaker.


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    "Mrs. Speaker, I am afraid that I cannot, in good conscience, retract my statement that referred to her as a ''bitter hag'' when she would speak such hateful terms to our fellow human beings."


    Now, Duchess Flandere, was, contrary to Jacqueline''s childish insult, not a hag. She was still in her late twenties, but regardless, noblewomen were not known for their patience at being insulted.


    As such, Flandere''s eyes twitched. And she immediately retaliated to attack Jacqueline''s honor too.


    "Now, now, let me fix your error, you whore." Small gasps came from the seats, mainly from the liberals, while conservative MPs snickered and even sneered at Jacqueline. "Mrs. Speaker, I would caution any of us fine women to refer to men as ''human''. If they are, it would be more accurate to refer to them as sub-human."


    Liberal MPs jeered at her in disapproval, but Flandere turned back to Jacquelin and scowled at her.


    "Perhaps that''s why you are a whore, you love them too much? You love them so much that you would propose to split the budget for saving millions of women, for these bunch of good-for-nothings?"


    While Jacqueline''s smile faltered a bit from the insults, she regained her composure and snapped back.


    "You''re one to talk. You refer to yourself as superior because you hold a wand, yet you do not display basic empathy for millions of Orlish citizens. Are you even civilized?" She looked away from Flandere and turned to Speaker Luft. "Mrs. Speaker, should we really follow this bitter hag? Who would treat our sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands like mere toys?"


    The arguments and shouts grew in the chamber. The entire Parliament was entirely made up of women, with 159 seats held by the UOP, the rest filled by various independents.


    In just seconds, both the liberals and conservatives were already at each other''s throats. The liberals argued that the conservatives were evil, greedy, and disgusting. The conservatives would bite back and call the liberals soft, weak, and a disgrace to the goddess.


    It went on and on, as the speaker shouted at her microphone to regain a sense of order in the chamber, her voice cracking a bit. "Order! Order! You are all acting without decorum in the chamber. Order!"


    "Look at this, this is a disgrace!" Flandere cursed, and Jacqueline turned to her with an annoyed look. "We are noblewomen here, yet look at us! Don''t you see, we are being manipulated by those men. They are dividing us and sowing chaos! And now, we can''t even keep to basic etiquette!"


    "Respect? Etiquette? You''re asking for that when Orland burns? How can we respect you when you act this way?"


    "Order! Lady Heiss, you need to calm down, you too Lady Flandere. We can put our points down with grace."


    The jeers and sneers slowly stopped, while Jacqueline shook her head.


    "Mrs. Speaker, I''d like to ask her. What exactly is her gripe against men that she would actively reject this bill?" Flandere immediately grabbed her microphone to respond.


    "The reasoning is clear as day fellow ladies. Men have demonstrated themselves to be violent and barbaric on the streets. Because of their General Strike, our economy is in tatters. Traitors do not deserve aid."


    The conservatives once again applauded, while the liberals heckled and jeered. Jacqueline still stuck to her plan to appeal for empathy as she pressed on.


    "Mrs. Speaker, such notions are clearly incorrect. The General Strike began after the bill that ''stabbed them in the back'' was passed. If this was done to us women, we''d react the same way."


    "Objection! Objection! Mrs. Speaker, her words are mere lies." Flandere turned to the MPs and now, she spoke softly. "Ladies, unlike men, we are graceful, civilized, and less violent. We all know that if this situation were reversed, we would never be burning down our great nation."


    There was a bit of silence from the MPs. For some reason, even the liberals agreed with her point, so they found themselves in an awkward position.


    But then a boo came from the seats.


    "Bullshit! If I was starving to death on the streets, I''d be rioting too!"


    "Hear hear!" Shouted the liberals, as they immediately turned to support their more extreme member, even if they didn''t fully agree with her. The conservatives gave them looks of disapproval, as they once again jeered back to call them ''improper women.''


    The speaker had enough.


    "Order! Order! This ends here, it is clear that division still exists. We shall vot- Order! Order!" The two sides continued heckling each other, even when the speaker called for them to stop. Still, eventually, although slowly, the less active ones stopped which lessened the chaos.


    But there were still the outliers.


    "Order! Lady Russein, no need to stand and shout." The conservative noblewoman frowned as she sat back down after being called out. "You too Lady Prot, you are way too energetic with the shouting, perhaps you should cut down on your sugar intake young lady."


    "But she was spouting nonsense!" The liberal MP, Lady Prot retorted as she pointed at a conservative MP before she sat down as the chamber finally turned silent.


    "No need for aggression in the chamber, young lady. That''s good. Sit there and calm down."


    Jacqueline subtly wiped some sweat on her forehead with her handkerchief as the speaker continued.


    This is tiring.


    "Now that all of you are done being a bunch of schoolgirls, we shall hold the vote for the Revised Economic Bill to settle this deadlock. Clear the lobbies! You all have 10 minutes!"


    The MPs stood up in unison, as they began to leave the chamber to cast their vote. Jacqueline passed Flandere as she walked to the left, where the lobby to vote for ''yes'' was located.


    Flandere gave her a sideways glance as the two passed each other.


    "Jacqueline, you will regret this."


    Jacqueline didn''t bother to look back, but she stopped.


    "You''re splitting, aren''t you?"


    "It''s you and your faction''s fault." She heard her footsteps as Flandere continued walking forward, and so did Jacqueline, who followed the trail of liberal MPs leaving the chamber to vote yes.


    Then I have no regrets.


    ¡­


    Two women who held the vote count stepped forward toward the speaker''s podium. The silence in the Parliament was deafening, and Jacqueline instinctively held her breath as the speaker calmly took the two pieces of paper.


    What would happen now would be the culmination of her and Walter''s hard work for the last few days. Would the bill be passed? Or not? Would men be saved from their economic woes? Or not?


    Would Orland devolve into a worse situation? Or not.


    A million thoughts plagued her mind, as she felt dozens of eyes glare at her from behind, and from her side too.


    Flandere.


    The leader of the conservatives glanced at her ever so slightly, and she noticed it. The anger from her that seared. She was angry at her. At them.


    Stay mad, bitter hag.


    Speaker Luft looked at everyone, and calmly, she announced the results.


    "The results of the vote¡­" She paused, and every woman held their breath. "123 ayes to 57 nays. The bill passes."


    Cheers erupted from the liberals, as many of them embraced each other at their landslide victory. Even Jacqueline could not help it, as a tiny smile of triumph graced her face.


    She looked at Flandere, who seemed to have closed her eyes as she looked down.


    "Alright." She clenched her fists. "I see how it is, so you all think that you won?"


    She slowly looked at Jacqueline, as a cruel smile grew on her face.


    "No, you did not."


    Immediately, conservative MPs stood up and picked up their briefcases, belongings, and documents, all of them. In seconds, the 57 MPs angrily walked to vacate the chamber, passing through the wide-eyed liberals.


    It was clear as day.


    The UOP had split in half.


    But Jacqueline had one response to Flandere as she turned to leave.


    "We did."

 Chapter Nineteen: To End The Strike

    "Conservative members of the UOP left the party! Yesterday, after a tense debate between the liberal Countess Jacqueline Weiss and the staunch conservative Duchess Lorraine Flandere over the revised economic stimulus bill, the vote passed in a landslide. UOP conservatives all left the Parliament in what could only be interpreted as complete disunity in the UOP. But just today, a new party entered the General Elections - the Arcanist Party, headed by Duchess Flandere herself."


    - ROCN News (Royal Orlish Cable Network)


    "Coup d''etat in the Empire of Hebei! The Hebei Imperial Army stormed the Imperial Palace in a stunning show of power. Tanks and soldiers filled the streets of the Heavenly Empire, overthrowing Empress Li and her court. Already, the junta that took control had declared martial law and barred any woman in the Empire from using magic. How the international community will respond after the breakdown of the Hollard Conference is still to be seen. How her ally, the Empire of Larissa, would respond is also up in the air. But it is clear that after 300 years - men are back in power."


    - Geopol Press


    ---


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    Near the Ivory Palace


    Queen Alexandria Square


    April 30, 2024


    "Each man is expected to stand their ground. We will not stand down until our demands are met."


    The fires would not stop burning - and Orland was on it. The General Strike had been expected to only last for a few days at most before it lost steam. But that was an error. A lie. A lie sold to comfort women from the horrors that were about to unfold.


    At first, it was simple rallies. Workers simply stopped attending their workplaces, and there were protests. Then the militia appeared. Then the riot police. Then the barricades, the broken windows, the lootings, the violence on the streets.


    And then - Red Street happened.


    Men against women. Men against men. The General Strike splintered between its moderate supporters and its extremist wing, yet it didn''t fizzle. No, the fire merely grew.


    All across Orland, in cities that still held a significant male population (as many cities had their male populations wiped in half after being sent to war), the scent of fire burned in the streets.


    And nowhere was it more iconic in the media and Orland, than in the scenes broadcasted 24/7 of the ongoing "Siege of Alexandria Square."


    Near the Ivory Palace, the Queen Alexandria Square was made to glorify the victory of Queen Alexandria against her husband - King Richmond 300 years ago, which happened after King Richmond''s edict to cleanse magic off Orland and stop women from practicing it. Queen Alexandria, angered by this, led a Palace Coup that deposed him.


    What followed was a 3-year civil war between the King and the Queen. The old Orlish Royal Army, known to have mastered gunpowder warfare back in the days - was decimated by the Queen''s new mages.


    It was a part of the Arcane Wars, which until today, was known as a great humiliation to men, and a source of pride for women.


    And the square symbolized both. Humiliation of men, and pride for women.


    Now, it symbolized the General Strike.


    100,000 protesters of the NRF were in the square and its surroundings. The square was completely fortified, with both makeshift and wooden barricades. The road from the south was also blocked by burning buses, which made it unapproachable for the Royal Guard.


    This left only one way to approach the protesters aside from the smaller lanes and roads that led to the square, which were also fortified and barricaded.


    The air was also thick and toxic, as black smoke filled the streets. Tires were continuously burned in front of the barricades, which served both as protection and left a message of dramatic appeal.


    It seemed to be a common tactic by those that participated in the General Strike. The combination of shields, wooden barricades, barbed wires, destroyed vehicles, and burning tires was used by the Civil Defense Militia in their protests.


    All across Halia for example, major roads and avenues were blocked off by these barricades and protestors, which nearly stopped the city from functioning.


    Amelie noticed that clearly when she left the SUV with Marie. There were so many trash bags on the streets, which smelt bad. Garbage disposal had practically collapsed due to the strike, alongside many critical services in the city.


    Even healthcare services, usually staffed by women, were paralyzed, as the streets and roads were closed and barricaded.


    The Royal Guard and the police were spread too thin to address it.


    Then there was the thick snow that covered the roads. They could not clear it, especially with the cold climate of northern Orland which was unnaturally colder this year.


    It was a cold and fiery winter for Halia indeed.


    "You know, we should probably wear a gas mask at this rate," Marie said as the thick smoke suddenly changed its direction toward them. Their guards left their vehicles, as she walked forward toward the Royal Guard line that faced the protesters.


    "Our rights are under siege once more, brothers! Yet we won''t fizzle away without a fight!" The constant messages from loudspeakers from the square continued. Ever since the start, the protesters had used it to rally themselves.


    The media was also there, although they were in small numbers due to the police presence and the violence, for weeks they had been here to capture the events that unfolded in the square.


    A young reporter tried to rush to her, but she was blocked off by one of her guards. But Amelie turned to face her.


    "What do you need, miss?" She asked cooly.


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    The young woman raised her microphone near her, while the camera woman aimed the camera straight at her face. Amelie instinctively straightened herself in response.


    "Your Majesty, this protest has been going on for weeks. What are your plans?"


    "I am here to handle this issue. I will negotiate and end this." The young woman stared at her as she fell silent. Amelie decided to end the impromptu interview.


    "Thank you very much."


    She turned away, even though the reporter wanted to ask more, as beside her Marie and another guard walked with her.


    "Keep tossing tires to the fire, men. It is our shield. The fire is our shield."


    Marie coughed. Even Amelie wanted to, but she could not. Instead, she pulled out her handkerchief and channeled some of her mana to it. All she did was concentrate some water molecules in the air into her handkerchief, which coalesced and turned the dry handkerchief wet.


    She placed it on her face.


    "Told ya."


    "Still a no. I want to be seen, not hidden."


    As they passed through the Royal Guard formation, they all acknowledged her presence as they gave her a path forward. Marie handed Amelie the megaphone that she carried, as she stepped forward. The front ranks of the Royal Guard gave her an opening to walk through.


    Finally, she saw the protesters in all of their glory.


    Behind the burning tires, were the barricades. There were even barbed wires around. In the middle was a massive "no man''s land" which neither they nor the Royal Guard controlled. There wasn''t much activity that night, as for days both the Royal Guard and the Halian Metropolitan Police battled and tired the protesters.


    It was shown bitterly well by the shields that they held up atop their barricades in a disorganized manner. She could also see masked men that looked at her silently from elevated positions.


    And above the thick smoke and fires, there flew a lot of flags. The Orlish tricolor flag with the royal coat cut out, the Republican bicolors, and even the NRF''s infamous black cross flag. They all flew with rage as the wind blew in her direction.


    Beside her, she noticed that Marie''s eyes had begun glowing, as the faint outlines of her red halo appeared. A sign that she was charging her passive mana to active mana.


    "Nothing''s going to touch you, I swear."


    Amelie nodded.


    The glow of her halo made it clear that she was prepared to cast more complex and mana-intensive magic to protect Amelie. Usually, women only kept a few fractions of their passive mana in its active stage, as activating it would sap a lot of energy and usually caused severe fatigue afterward.


    However, once mana was in its "active" state, it would be available to use. The more passive mana activated would also lead to more "glow" as the irises would usually glow, and a halo would appear above their head.


    It was a part of the "holy" nature of the magic given by the Goddess to humanity. Or, half of it, at least.


    "You know, you''d just be down for the better part of the day after this."


    "Amelie, I''m good at doing this, remember?"


    "Alright."


    Marie aimed her wand in the direction of the burning tires and then raised it to the sky. Immediately, the air and smoke seemed to rush upwards, away from both her and the protesters. It didn''t really matter for the buildings around the square, as all of them had been evacuated days prior.


    "All clear, Amelie," Marie said with a smile. Even with the events that unfolded, she seemed to stay chipper. Amelie turned back to face the protesters.


    She took a deep breath and then placed the megaphone near her mouth.


    "Citizens!" A pause, as the protesters locked their eyes on her. "Your Queen is here."


    "The fuck you doing here, you bitch!" A distant shout said. It was almost faint through the sounds of fire. She decided to ignore the insult and carried on.


    "I''m here to negotiate. You have all been trapped here for weeks now."


    "So what!?"


    "I already signed the bill! There is no need for any of this anymore!"


    There was a bit of silence before suddenly a rock flew toward her. But Amelie stood firm, as the rock completely disintegrated before it reached her.


    Beside her, Maria gave a bored sigh.


    "I would offer all of you a way out!" She added. "Lay down your weapons, vacate the square, and your crimes would be pardoned."


    The loudspeakers from the square responded.


    "Queen Amelie¡­the Queen herself has come to grace us. Well, Your Majesty, are you having a good evening?"


    Amelie stopped before she replied back curiously.


    "Who are you?"


    "Who am I? The organizer of this militia, of course. Ryan Lottweit."


    She heard about that man on the news. Well, his name was practically on every news outlet, as the media fixated on his stunt in the square. Even when the General Strike was more widespread.


    "Cease this, and you will be treated well."


    "We cannot trust you." A pause. "We never did."


    "Then trust me this time. I know you''re all out of supplies. Of water. Food. Clothing. Medicine. Don''t let good young men die for nothing."


    "Die for nothing!? You dare insult their sacrifices that way? You do not understand us. No man of the men''s rights movement dies for nothing. They died for their rights!"


    "But I am giving you rights. The bill covers you men now." She spoke gently to plead with them. "Please, end this bloodshed and pain. We have mages ready to heal the injured. We have food and water ready. The Royal Guard will confiscate weapons, but there would be no arrests. Please. If you have any more demands for change, there is no more need for this. My government will hear you out."


    Her promises seemed to work, as silence fell on the square. It was no secret that the men inside had been starving for days. Drone footage even showed that there were already deaths and diseases that wreaked havoc inside, which added to the media outrage and coverage.


    The reason for their situation was that they had famously demanded a "revolution" and that the Prime Minister, Alexa Weirl?ff should step down ahead of elections.


    Which immediately led to the Royal Guard''s aggressive crack-down attempts. All of this failed as the protesters swelled to 300,000 at its peak on the square. Thus, the Royal Guard changed tactics and simply surrounded them for weeks.


    And now that they were cut off with no supply, most had already deserted.


    And she knew they were close to their breaking point.


    "But she had not stepped down yet. You are still on your throne too."


    "You know I can''t do that." She replied in a somber tone. "That would be out of the question. What''s not, would be my offer for the well-being of every man in the square."


    She knew they would have a hard time accepting her offers. The square was already the main symbol of the General Strike and rallied millions of men across the country for weeks.


    But she needed to end this now. The general elections were getting closer. Orland needed to end the chaos for the upcoming elections.


    There was no response. She sighed. She did all that she could do. If they didn''t surrender now, they should in a few days, as long as her offers stayed. If not¡­then a week. Though, she wouldn''t be surprised if they would be insane enough to starve for a week just to prove a point.


    She was already about to turn around when the loudspeakers finally sounded. The reply came.


    "Your Majesty¡­we accept these terms. Our struggle isn''t over, but for now, your lenient terms would end this."


    She let off a breath she didn''t realize she had held for too long.

 Chapter Twenty: Alexas Failures

    "Larissan Nuclear Reactor meltdown at Lavoslaw due to a suspected terrorist attack. Authorities evacuated the nearby cities, and no statements were given by Empress Katerina."


    - Geopol Press


    ---


    The receptionist didn''t make much of a fuss when Amelie entered Alexa''s office. She merely bowed at Amelie''s presence, and Amelie acknowledged her.


    Calmly, she approached the door to her office, and with a deep breath, she opened it slowly.


    "Come in." Alexa''s voice was fatigued, yet when she saw the Queen, she immediately perked up and stood from her seat. "Oh, welcome. Take a seat."


    "Alexa¡­are you alright? Not even your makeup could hide those eyebags anymore."


    "I could say the same to you."


    She looked sheepish. She couldn''t refute it. Amelie had barely been sleeping for weeks, wait, perhaps even a month, she told herself. She mostly hid it with slight makeup, but well¡­it seemed to have stopped working.


    "Fair."


    Amelie took a seat in front of Alexa, as she shuffled some documents away from her desk. When Alexa was done, she took her seat too.


    "So." Alexa initiated. "I suppose my re-elections really are over?"


    With an apologetic smile, Amelie nodded.


    "Yeah¡­the crisis has gone beyond your control. No one''s voting for you."


    "I know that. I''m probably the most hated woman these days in the country."


    There was a bit of quietness in the room. Amelie''s eyes glanced at Alexa''s brown eyes with pity. The Prime Minister was perhaps the greatest target of every side of the political spectrum, and not even the UOP endorsed her anymore. The only thing that prevented a no-confidence vote was that the elections were too close to boot her from office.


    Now, Amelie knew that Alexa toiled hard to address the crisis that Orland faced. But there was simply no way to remedy the situation in Orland. All she could do was to stem it from becoming worse.


    Alexa gave a bleak smile as she looked away from Amelie.


    "I just¡­I just can''t." She did everything¡­but none of it¡­


    Alexa was elected 4 years ago to stabilize the Kingdom. She promised not to rock the boat, and protect the status quo and Orlish stability. Yet¡­under her tenure, a war began, which she supervised dutifully. Yet even when it ended, political division, violence, and the assassination of the Queen happened. Then the collapse of the economy, then the final nail to her political career - the General Strike. None of her promises came to fruition. What only happened was crisis after crisis. Naturally, everyone pinned the blame on her.


    "Perhaps, I''m just not fit for the job. I suppose this is the end of the line for me. I''d just see things through until I''m out."


    Amelie didn''t answer back, as a tiny amount of tears built up in Alexa''s eyes. Alexa snorted and quickly wiped it off.


    "I apologize for the display, Your Majesty. That was so pathetic."


    "It''s alright." Amelie soothed. "I can¡­understand."


    It had only been months since Amelie took the throne. So much had transpired under her watch too. She took so many risky decisions, gambles, and political plays. She even did the mundane day-to-day administration of Orland at times. Everything that a responsible monarch should do.


    All of it was just worsened by the crisis. It placed so much burden on her inexperienced hands.


    It took a toll on her. Many nights and moments, she would question herself too if she was fit for the job.


    She didn''t understand much about what to do. She was sightless about many things. She made blunders and mistakes that destroyed lives. Sometimes she was too complacent¡­sometimes, too aggressive.


    As a result, periodically, she would ponder how much blood was already on her hands. There were thousands of dead already from the General Strike alone. What more of the other issues.


    Were those deaths her fault?


    "I know. I''m sorry that the Kingdom you inherited is like this." Alexa smiled with some expectancy in her eyes. "But I hope you and Jacqueline can work well. There''s a lot on your plates."


    Amelie nodded.


    "The election is only 3 weeks away." Alexa almost smiled, before she recalled what was happening once more. "But, then again the streets are yet to be cleared of protesters. I just¡­you know what." Alexa slightly shook her head as she shuffled a few papers. She handed it to Amelie. "Take this."


    "What is that?"


    "Latest poll projections."


    Amelie took it and examined the report. The latest poll indicated how much the UOP fell in favor in the wake of the General Strike and the split.


    The UOP was projected to receive 43% of the votes.


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    The ORP was now down to 27%.


    The NRF had expanded to 15%.


    And lastly, the new addition to the race. The UOP splinter - the Arcanist Party (AP) was already projected to receive 15% of the votes.


    This meant that the two moderate parties, the UOP and the ORP had bled their voters to the two extremist parties of Orland. While they would still receive 70% of the seats (most likely) if the UOP and the ORP teamed up in a coalition, there was still 30% that would completely oppose the new government.


    And even then, the alliance between the UOP and the ORP was delicate and fragile. The coalition had not even formed, and even then there was still the question of maintaining such an alliance afterward.


    With all that in mind, Orland indeed was at its most disunited point since the first civil war, 300 years ago.


    "Even with all that we did, it still got worse." Amelie frustratedly touched her forehead as she read the poll results before she returned it to Alexa''s desk.


    "The recession did a number on us."


    "We still haven''t recovered either," Amelie added with a frown.


    "I''ll be blunt with you, Your Majesty." Amelie glanced at Alexa as she furrowed her brows. "At this rate, I doubt Orland would recover for years. Our economy is already in freefall, and we have no means to stop it."


    "Yes, but perhaps after the elections¡­we could-"


    "We could do what?" Alexa looked gravely at her. "The Army is plotting, and they are not stopping. Any calmness at the end of this election would just be a lull in the storm. Mark my words."


    Amelie told herself that she had long accepted that a Civil War was inevitable. But every fiber of her being wished to deny it. To bury it deeply.


    It was a scenario of her nightmares. Her people¡­her Kingdom. Soldiers and Knights, who would wage war and spill blood on good Orlish soil.


    On Orlish homes, towns, and cities.


    With families divided by different sides. Brothers against sisters. Sisters against sisters. Brothers against brothers. It was¡­


    "So, you ought to prepare yourself. You have no other choice."


    "But what can I do, Alexa? What? The military is still not on my side. I failed, dammit, I failed. And I lost the damned conservatives too."


    Alexa didn''t give an answer. She didn''t have one.


    Amelie racked her mind to figure out a way to salvage it all instead. The bill passed but there was still no coalition. The square was cleared but the streets of Orland were still burning. The appeasements were given to the military, but their loyalty was still in question.


    She had always looked up to her mother as a powerful figure. Someone who had the Kingdom under her control. She was the Queen for goodness sake. Yet now that her mother was assassinated, and that she was now on a throne that was crumbling, she wondered what even the idea of a Queen meant anymore.


    What was her significance as the monarch, if she couldn''t do anything?


    She looked down.


    "...Your Majesty, you should take a rest."


    "I know."


    "You look so pale and weak."


    "I know."


    "The people would look down on you if they saw you like that."


    "I know."


    "Albert is calling you."


    She looked at her phone, which she placed earlier on Alexa''s desk. Albert was ringing her.


    "I know."


    Tiredly, Amelie took her phone and stood from her seat. She went near the balcony as she accepted her call. In moments, she changed her tone entirely to a brighter one. She shook her head and smiled as she placed it close to her ear.


    "Albert. How are you doing?"


    "I''m quite alright. Alice''s just been bugging me here for hours when I only went here for the food. That absolute brat. She really wants me to watch her perform magic, huh?"


    "Yep, she does."


    Alice bugged Albert off from his job for days. She was having a school competition at the Halian Royal Academy, and she really wanted to show off to her older brother. Naturally, Albert tried to escape it, but he didn''t last from her tactics of persuasion.


    "She''s a bit tired already though. I''m driving her back to the Palace. She''s sleeping."


    Tired? Perhaps Alice had too much fun in the competition and exerted herself too much. Again, magic was usually tiring, so it didn''t exactly surprise her.


    "Mana exhaustion?" She asked, sure that that was the reason.


    "Nah, the brat was fooling around when we stopped by the mall after we left her school. Thank god no one noticed. It''s a pain to run around in public with a princess."


    Well, at least her little sister wasn''t tired because of that.


    Amelie smiled as she listened to him. It was worse for her. Nowadays she couldn''t even leave the Palace or her estates without heavy security. Even just a stroll in the nearby parks was now impossible for her.


    She felt caged.


    But at least, Alice still had her minuscule amount of freedom to live life. That was a sliver of good news that she liked. Alice was dear to her in so many ways, that even just the fact that she merely heard of her having fun warmed her heart.


    "Don''t blame her." She chuckled. "She barely gets out."


    "Yeah, yeah. What about you, are you back at the Palace yet?"


    "Nope, I''m still at the Prime Minister''s office. Just business as usual, you know how it is."


    "Yeah, I''d probably return back to Rebenslof after this. I heard they would have my ship ready soon."


    She cracked up a bit. That ship was his life, she supposed. Albert, regardless of where he was, would virtually invariably find a way to include the topic of his ship in every conversation that he had.


    "Sure you do, navy boy."


    The voice that replied was slightly raised, which made her laugh a bit more.


    "Call me that again and see how fast I show you why I am the older one."


    "If you get past my spells, that is."


    "You know what, I''m out."


    "Yeah, shoo, shoo. Goodbye."


    The call ended. She turned back to Alexa, who looked at her curiously.


    "You and your brother are now getting along?"


    Ever since that day, both she and Albert had been chatting more and more. Especially Alice. It mattered a lot to her. Their parents and older brother were dead, and as the last three of the Royal Family, they had to band together in unity.


    Still, progress with her brother wasn''t at the pace that she liked¡­but as these moments showed, she was reaching it. That was all that mattered.


    "A bit." Amelie slowly paced toward the door before she looked back at Alexa. She needed to return to the Palace. Alexa stared at her for a while, before she nodded at Amelie.


    "Have a good night, Alexa."


    "You too, Your Majesty."

 Chapter Twenty-One: Suspicious Moves

    "The world needs to know - the junta would not step down. We have to resist for our rights at all costs!"


    - Imperial Princess Xue one week after the Hebei April Coup.


    "Insurrection triumphs in Southern Hebei! The Hebei Junta has lost control of over half of the Empire since the coup to pro-imperial rebels. The Mandate of Nations has already urged its member states to evacuate their civilians from Hebei due to fears of escalating violence."


    - Geopol Press


    ---


    Walter Plock believed in a lot of things. Men''s rights, worker''s rights, proper private property rights, human rights, civil rights, you name it.


    But the core tenet of ORP - and thus his ideology - had always been the idea of Orlish Republicanism. It was one of the few universal rallying symbols for men and even some of the middle-class women, mostly the lower nobility who do not hold land or estates.


    While the ORP had always been dominated by men, as the party itself was born out of the battered men''s rights movement before the war even began, it never barred entry for women, nor had it ever turned its back on them.


    So there he was today, campaigning in a rally for the elections in a venue almost half filled with women. He didn''t expect this much to be here, he expected it would be mostly young men down here.


    "...And that''s what the ORP stands for! We aim to abolish the fat and outdated aristocracy, for one goal. To establish true equality and democracy in Orland. And to defend and uphold our three core ideals¡­"


    And the crowd followed him, shouting the 3 words with him, even some of the women.


    "Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood!"


    Cheers erupted from the crowd as he stepped off the podium. More ORP politicians stood and gave their speeches, as he walked off toward his vehicle to leave the rally. He waved his hands at the press and the crowds that cheered him on, with a bright smile that he kept on his face.


    Yep, I need to change the last part from brotherhood to unity or something. That''s a lot of women¡­


    Lines of guards kept his path open to his convoy. Beside him also were some of the senior members of the ORP. Most notably behind him was Adrian Haufmann, known as the main strategist of the ORP, and also his close friend.


    A cunning propagandist, Adrian Haufmann engineered the reputation of the ORP meticulously, especially during the war as the premier vanguard of men''s political interests.


    Right now, however, his plate is full, as he had to manipulate their supporters to stay with the ORP as they negotiated for a coalition government with the now weakened UOP.


    "You know, we''ve been gaining a lot of women in party memberships," Adrian said with a smile. "Ain''t that great news?"


    "We''re still down in the polls."


    "The party leadership chose this." The two stopped in front of their SUV as men in suits opened the door for them. "You chose this."


    Walter turned to Adrian. He seemed every bit of an old-fashioned businessman. Well, that was who he was. With his mustache and monocle, Adrian owned major corporations in both Eirhow and Rebenslof and had always been a staunch supporter of private interests in the party.


    It was also why he became useful. The man knew how to sell - and he sold the ORP and its message to the resentful, and angry masses of men.


    "The coalition is our only way of being in the next government." He gave him a neutral look. "You''re gonna have to make do with that."


    "I''m just saying, no one can blame me for us bleeding so much support. It could have been worse."


    The two entered the SUV before it drove forward. Adrian subtly handed Walter something. It was a check. Walter narrowed his eyes as he read it before he slipped it into his pocket. Walter chortled slightly. It was ''business'' with his fellow party members again.


    "Don''t worry Adrian. The Queen''s pumping money on your corporation soon."


    Adrian laughed, pleased with the returns of his ''investment''.


    "Must be a blast having the young Queen''s ear, huh?"


    He didn''t reply. These arrangements were good for his pocket, but he didn''t exactly love it. He was a crook, and he knew it. The ORP at its core was a bunch of populist crooks. It was the party of greedy private corporations, such as Adrian''s.


    Still, men would vote for them. It was a pretty ugly situation for them. They only had two options, the bloodthirsty NRF extremists, or the greedy and shady ORP moderates.


    Still, Walter didn''t like this fact about his party. He did this to gain patronage and support from the corporations. He made a deal with the devil, and it could backfire anytime soon.


    "She will listen to me. She has no other choice. She needs us."


    "Even that high and mighty UOP is falling apart." Adrian chuckled as they passed through a road still filled with debris from the strike. "Do you still remember when we were still starting out? They were so untouchable, now they''re begging for us."


    "I''m surprised you didn''t turn that into a propaganda spin."


    Adrian shook his head in distaste.


    "Oh, that''s too amateurish. Young men read too much into tiny details nowadays. They''d be against the coalition if we didn''t look like best buddies."


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    Walter pivoted his head away from him as he chuckled a bit. He was right.


    ¡­


    Amelie silently peeked at the windows from her office. The Ivory Palace and its surrounding areas were already cleared, yet the scars of the protests and riots were still there.


    The Rotwein Royal Bakery, just a few blocks away from the Ivory Palace, which her family owned, was still filled with broken glasses, broken equipment, trash, and much more debris.


    For days she had craved the cakes that the bakery baked, but it wasn''t operational. So she had to make do with the less desirable ones from other sources. Or from the Palace cooks.


    Oh, who am I kidding? It''s still fancy. Why am I down because of this? I eat cereal on my breakfasts occasionally for heaven''s sake.


    Though, that was more of a desperate decision she would take when she needed to bunker up and burn herself from work in her office, not an actual course of action that she loved.


    Still¡­she really wanted those darn cakes. She was still royalty after all.


    Someone knocked on her door. Immediately she tapped her clothes a bit to make herself look presentable. She would usually wear a suit herself nowadays, in an attempt to look more "professional".


    She opened the door, and it wasn''t who she anticipated. It was Halberd and Albert, and behind the two was Adelaide, who seemed to be in distress.


    "Um¡­problem?"


    "Well, more like a developing situation, that''s about to turn into a problem." Albert quickly answered.


    "The Larissans are acting strange," Halberd said. "One of my patrolling Frigates was rammed by their corvette 300 miles off the coast of northern Lorathia."


    "...Does the Admiralty know?" Amelie asked.


    "Yes, that''s why I went here. They''re asking what to do."


    "What did Alexa say?"


    "She''s still on the way here."


    Amelie glanced at Adelaide. Her eyes practically asked the question already.


    "No, the public doesn''t know." She seemed stiff. "Yet."


    "...I see."


    Great, more headaches for me, please.


    ¡­


    "So what you''re saying is, there''s a chance that the Larissans want round two?" Alexa asked after Halberd wrapped up his presentation. It mainly showed the suspicious activities that the Imperial Fleet conducted around Lorathian waters for the last 2 months.


    It was already a bit cramped inside Amelie''s office, as Alexa, Adelaide, Albert, and Halberd discussed the situation when another set of knocks sounded on the door.


    "Come in," Amelie said, her voice raised a bit for them to hear, and the door opened to reveal an old man in white naval officer dress and a middle-aged man in blue air force officer dress. The two bowed when Amelie looked at them.


    "Your Majesty! The Orlish High Command sent us!"


    The navy guy spoke first. "I''m Rear Admiral Frank Harper."


    "Lieutenant General Joseph Kessel, at your service, Your Majesty." The air force guy said.


    Amelie didn''t know how to react. The OHC sent them? They wanted to talk to her? Her?


    Well, to be fair, our ship did get rammed out of nowhere.


    She nodded.


    "Please get in. I''m open to your thoughts about this situation."


    They closed the door and rushed to her desk. The two of them looked at each other with a hesitant face, almost as if they wanted someone to speak first. But it was only for a brief split second before Joseph looked at Amelie and spoke.


    "Your Majesty, we need your approval for a certain operation. High Command is requesting it, for national security."


    Alexa scowled at them and closed the distance between her and Joseph. The two turned to her.


    "Wait, wait, wait, wait. What operation are you rascals planning again?" She looked at the document that Joseph was holding. She extended her hand toward his direction.


    "Hand that over."


    "But it''s for Her Majesty-"


    "Just hand it over, I am merely checking it."


    With great hesitation, the air force general handed it over. Alexa gave it a quick read, before she looked at the two, appalled.


    "A pre-emptive strike? Who''s the genius who made this?"


    "Minister Heindh?ff, ma''am."


    Halberd raised an eyebrow. That didn''t make sense. The Admiralty discussed caution in their meeting two hours ago. Why would they suddenly decide on this?


    "I think we should contact General Albrecht first." He said as he walked toward the two officers.


    "Sir, General Albrecht is still en-route to Halia."


    "Then how did High Command decide this?" The two looked at each other, realizing the strangeness of it all.


    "Sir, Heindh?ff and his officers met up already in haste. They said a decision must be made immediately." Frank said, also confused.


    So that was what it was, Halberd realized. The bastard wanted to rattle things up and make a decision for High Command quickly while the officers that didn''t like him weren''t there yet.


    And since the issue was about national security, to deny them would be an uphill battle that would discredit the moderates in front of other military officers.


    Halberd veered around to face Amelie.


    "We have been outsmarted again, Your Majesty." He cracked up angrily. "Heindh?ff, you dirty bastard."


    "Hey, um, I just wanted to say," Amelie said, still unaware of what was really happening, although she had a slight idea that Heindh?ff was playing some nasty games again. "They rammed our Frigate, but I don''t think a war is necessary."


    "Yes, that''s exactly what we would do, we won''t go to war for this," Halberd said. "But once this goes public, including High Command''s threats, and then our response to play it off diplomatically instead, we''d look weak at the public and the military again. While Heindh?ff would look strong."


    Alexa groaned, her face slightly red.


    "Oh come on, you''ve gotta be kidding me."


    The two officers were wide-eyed, then turned to Amelie, who seemed to have buried her head in her hands for a while.


    "Um, Your Majesty, what is your decision?"


    She weakly raised her head and looked at Adelaide, who seemed to be furious as well.


    "Adelaide, get the delegates ready. We''re meeting that brat again." She looked back at the two officers. "No. No pre-emptive strikes. The military has no authorization."


    "We understand, Your Majesty. We shall relay this to High Command." The two saluted before they turned around and left the room in confused haste. Halberd seemed to be standing with a neutral expression, the same as Albert, who merely crossed his arms.


    "We''re going to High Command for now, Your Majesty."


    Amelie looked at Albert. She seemed to be begging him to help her salvage it. A sarcastic answer came.


    "Yeah, sure, Amelie. High Command will listen to some lowly commodore."


    Jerk.


    "For now me and Albrecht will talk this out." Halberd declared. "That''s all for now."

 Chapter Twenty-Two: Her Majestys Mortal Rival

    "Larissan Frozi collapses to an all-time low as hyperinflation ravages the Empire. Already, the Order Pact and its member states appear to have taken the brunt of the global recession after Orland launched more sanctions in the wake of the Hollard Conference. Still, the economies of the Ivory Alliance have barely stabilized. It is clear that the clash between the two giants still continues to be destructive for both."


    - Geopol Press


    "Arcanist Party receives widespread support from the Archduchy of L?t and the Duchy of Oldrach. It is expected that the new party would grow further in conservative aligned principalities."


    - The Arcane Updates


    ---


    Breathe in, breathe out. That was what Amelie did as she calmly walked toward the podium. Breathe in, breathe out. She needed to steel herself.


    She faced the hundreds of monarchs and representatives of the nations of Pollos. All of them, in one building. The United Confederation of Pez, and its capital, held the headquarters of the Mandate of Nations (MN). The Confederation itself was known for its centuries-long neutrality, and as such, world leaders had continuously met in its halls.


    The MN was established a century ago, during the wake of the 14 years war. Its goal had been to prevent such a war of such scale, however, four years ago, it had failed with the outbreak of the Great War.


    And in the wake of the blood-soaked soils of the Great War, came a new call for peace. A peace that must be enforced, lest the blood of millions would once again bathe the world red.


    And now that the world was once again in a great crisis, they all met again to discuss it.


    We cannot fail again.


    "Greetings, honorable leaders of the world." She began, as she glanced over her audience. She was still figuring out how to speak publicly, after all. While she had occasional experiences with public speaking ever since she was crowned, she still felt her feet cold as she stood there. "Today, I am here, to declare the start of the 22nd General Conference of the Mandate of Nations, as a response to the multitudes of crises faced by our world."


    Katerina, who was near the front seats, stared at her, her eyes nearly blazing in amusement. Amelie ignored her. She would have to talk to her later, it was the main aim of this expedition.


    To deal with her.


    But not now, she would have to focus on her speech.


    "I hope that today will be a productive day. Where every nation, all as one, would be united as equals to address the ills of our world¡­"


    ¡­


    "That was awful." Amelie drank the glass of water as quickly as she could from the table to soothe her dry throat. Adelaide checked a few papers on her clipboard before she turned to her. "I really felt like I was dying over there."


    Adelaide chuckled, she understood Amelie''s complaints.


    "I noticed."


    "You did? Oh dear, did I screw up again?!"


    "Loosen up, Your Majesty, it was alright. I think they received your message, loud and clear."


    She relaxed, soothed at the fact that her precious (nearly nonexistent and tattered) reputation was intact.


    "Anyways, Katerina and her diplomats had been harassing us since morning."


    "They did?"


    "Yes."


    Amelie merely scowled in frustration.


    "I expected that anyways. How did they harass us?"


    "Oh, nothing. Just a Larissan diplomat randomly taking an Orlish flag and then almost getting into a duel with one of my guards."


    Her eyes widened in anger.


    "That''s unacceptable!"


    "I bet it''s already in the global news."


    "...Which means people are laughing at me and Orland again."


    "Yup. That is precisely what is happening, Your Majesty." She smiled bitterly. Amelie did not.


    Instead, Amelie just breathed out in exasperation, once again. She really wanted to give up at this point. Everything was a joke now.


    Adelaide turned her head in the direction of the conference halls as the sounds from inside grew.


    "I think we should go."


    "Yeah, wait up."


    Amelie adjusted her suit a bit before she and Adelaide returned to the conference hall. The conference had already started in full swing, as the representatives of every nation took the stage to speak out.


    Right now, the High Commissioner of the Mandate of Nations spoke at the front, as she listed down each and every problem to be tackled.


    The global recession.


    Male-rights terrorism.


    The Hebei Civil War.


    And the re-escalating tensions between the Ivory Alliance and the Order Pact.


    "The Mandate of Nations Observer Corps has recorded 233 border skirmishes in the last 5 months in the Gaul-Poznek DMZ. It is imperative that the terms of the Eutstadt Treaty regarding the demilitarized zone must be enforced by both sides to ensure continued peace. I call upon-"


    "Gaul does not recognize these accusations!" Someone from the Gallic delegates shouted in rage. "The Order Pact started these attacks. They have been sending assault teams to our side of the DMZ-"


    The Poznek Prime Minister, who was present at the conference, immediately cut her off, and chaos descended as the two bickered and blamed each other.


    Amelie wanted to facepalm at the display, while Adelaide merely sighed. Day by day, the idea of civilized discussions seemed to be vanishing in the air. Truly, a disappointment indeed.


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    ¡­


    Amelie didn''t like meeting that brat. She was a haughty, irritating excuse of a young lady. No one liked people like her, and she secretly hoped that the Larissan people hated her as much as she did.


    Oh, she would really be laughing from her office once someone in her Empire finally used their brain to clean their country from their reprehensible Empress. Oh, laugh she would, all day long, even if someone would see her.


    She really wanted to squish her bratty mortal rival. Oh, those pigtails that she had looked truly inviting to be ruined. She wanted to pull it both.


    "So you''re saying it''s a stupid accident?"


    "You know how men go. They drive their little ships around the seas, and out of nowhere, they get impulsive and ram other people."


    "That''s absurd, the corvette turned around before it suddenly turned around again and rammed the ONS Echo."


    The brat rolled her eyes.


    "People get creative at maneuvering."


    "Or someone ordered them to turn around and attack."


    "Or the captain was stupid."


    Amelie stared at Katerina with an accusatory glare on the other side of the table. As the conference continued outside, the two held a closed-door private meeting with each other. So far, their discussion was unproductive.


    But that would be a gross understatement. It was hostile, belligerent even. Almost as if two teenage girls with a score to settle met up for a shouting match, backed by powerful armies behind their backs. Oh, that would be an accurate description, actually, as they were in fact, two teenage girls.


    "Now, now, Amelie, to accuse me of ordering my military units to instigate a reaction from you, without proof¡­isn''t that quite stupid?"


    "Your Poznek allies had been participating in border clashes with Gaul." She leaned a bit closer, aggressively. "Only a dimwit wouldn''t be able to connect the dots."


    "So what? What are you going to do if I''m really provoking you?"


    "I will find a way to place more sanctions."


    "Sanctions? Do I look like I care about sanctions? The economy can collapse around me for all I care." She grinned, amused at Amelie''s puny threats. "I''m the absolute Empress. I am untouchable!"


    "We''ll see how untouchable you are when you end up like Ex-Empress Li."


    "Pfft, I''m hardly touched by such empty risks." She laughed. "Unlike you fools who gave your Armies independent command, they are under me and me only. My rule is absolute! The Empire of Hebei, the Ivory Alliance, and all nations collapsing to this so-called ''men''s revolution'' are weak. Unlike the Empire!"


    Amelie dropped her fist on the table, insulted by being called ''weak''. So hard it was that Katerina herself flinched, which broke her monologue.


    "I''ve had enough." Amelie narrowed her eyes on her. "You have one last chance. If you and your allies do not vacate the DMZ, if your ships do not stop harassing us, and if your planes keep bugging our airspace, and if you absolutely reject the peace treaty, then I swear to the goddess you will regret it."


    Katerina looked red in the face. She was angered, no, outraged that someone like Amelie would dare raise her voice that way to her - the Empress.


    Who was she? She was but a mere Queen. Below her. Below an Empress. She should be kneeling at her, begging for her mercy. But instead, she was defying her. She had entertained and humored her for acting as if she was her equal.


    Katerina wanted to play with her, as Amelie was a mere foolish, naive, spineless monarch to her. Someone she could push and play with like a toy. Instead, she dared to bite back. How dare she.


    "Are you asking for war?" Katerina hissed, which was met by a quick block from Amelie.


    "No, are you plotting to end the peace?"


    "That''s what you are forcing me into."


    "We wouldn''t be here if the Order Pact didn''t conduct violations after violations."


    "Violations that the Lorathians and Gallic forces also did."


    "After Order Pact forces provoked them."


    "So what? The DMZ is nonsense anyways. It''s a heavily militarized hellhole. Accidents would happen regardless."


    Amelie fumed deeply. This was getting absolutely nowhere. She had planned to go here and settle the dispute herself, but it went nowhere. She could not hold the searing anger within her. Katerina had humiliated her again and again, and she wanted to get back at her, even if it was petty.


    But she needed to control herself. She could admit it, she was pissed, triggered, and possibly out of control ever since the news came to her office about the incident. But she needed to reign her nerves.


    She was the Queen, dammit.


    She took a deep breath. Perhaps Adelaide would have done a better job here. But, no¡­it did not matter now, it was she who was here.


    Deep breaths, Amelie. Deep breaths.


    "Look, is there any way that we could talk this out?"


    "We are talking it out."


    "No, can we stop these incidents? These border skirmishes?"


    Katerina looked at her seriously as she folded her arms. She huffed.


    "I want oil."


    "What?"


    "I said I want oil!" She was angry too, but she held her tongue for a while to cool down. She breathed heavily before she continued. "You blocked our oil trade with the sanctions. Like how it was during and before the war. If you do not end it, I will continue these provocations. I don''t care if your elections are near!"


    Amelie remained silent for a while, instead of biting back immediately.


    "So that''s what you want? Oil?"


    Katerina looked red, but she calmed down a bit too.


    "...Among other things, yes."


    Amelie considered her words. It was true, one of the leading causes of the Great War was the Orlish embargo against the Empire. Most of the global oil supply came from the rich oil fields of the Pieran continent. It was right south of the Vaeyox continent, where the Empire of Larissa, and the Kingdoms of Gaul and Lorathia were located. A sea separated Vaeyox from Piera, which the Orlish Navy loved to blockade whenever the Order Pact did something Orland deemed stupid.


    Perhaps, she could use this to her advantage.


    "So, if the Orlish Navy allowed oil shipments to reach the Empire¡­you will stop?"


    "Yes! Give us the oil, and I''ll stop provoking you."


    "How can I trust you?"


    "You can''t, but I can''t trust you either if you would stop the sanctions."


    Amelie considered her options. If she allowed them access to the oil, the effects of her sanctions would be lessened, and so would the rapidly sinking legitimacy of the Eutstadt Treaty. The main point of the sanctions was to force the Empire back to the table and follow its stipulations after all by strangling them off the global markets.


    This forced them to trade with no one but the members of the Order Pact. Naturally, their already ailing economy only held by wartime measures began collapsing faster with this. And Orland hoped that a desperate Larissa would return to the table to lift the sanctions - in exchange for following the treaty.


    But why would they do that if they could get oil again?


    But if she denied this deal, the attacks and provocations would continue, and she wouldn''t have any way to stop it. With the elections breathing down on her neck, she needed to stop the scandals against her government and the crown - which included the Larissan provocations.


    What to do? What to do?


    "Are you committed to peace or not?"


    "Only if peace benefits me. It does not benefit me right now."


    The audacity of this woman. She lost the war, yet she wanted peace to favor her. Amelie shook her head in disappointment at it all. Unfortunately, Orland would have to concede once again.


    After she wracked her head with every nonsensical ''calculation'' that she could, she made up her mind. It was a gamble, but a needed one.


    "I''ll consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."


    "I''ll tell the army and the navy to calm down."


    Katerina smiled before she extended her hand for a handshake. Amelie looked at her hand for a while, and she felt irritated by it. But no choice, she would have to concede for now.


    "Is it a deal?"


    She took and shook her hand.


    "Deal."


    A victorious smile crossed Katerina''s face. Amelie didn''t like it.

 Chapter Twenty-Three: The Lonely Princess

    "The Hebei Civil War intensifies! All eyes are now on the burning city of Ginzhu, as the Junta and Empress Li''s loyalists fight for Hebei''s Financial Capital. Scenes of modern magical weaponry and wands facing tanks and machine guns dominated the bullet-ridden skyscrapers and once-busy streets and highways of the city. Civilians, trapped and unable to evacuate, cowered in the rubble as artillery and gunfire rained on the city they once called home. The MN has already declared Ginzhu as a humanitarian crisis, and urged both sides to establish an evacuation corridor for its millions of trapped inhabitants, which the Junta rejected this morning."


    - Geopol Press


    "''There must be zero tolerance against aggression'', Minister of Defense Geoffrey Heindh?ff declared this morning in response to the deal brokered by the Queen with Empress Katerina to cease the Orlish-led Oil Embargo against the Order Pact. In exchange, a ceasefire had been declared between the Kingdom of Gaul and the Principality of Poznek, which could possibly end the Gaul-Poznek DMZ conflict. The OHC (Orlish High Command) appeared to be divided on this issue, with the Chiefs of the Airforce and Navy declaring support to Her Majesty''s decision."


    - ROCN News


    ---


    Amelie was gone, the young girl thought sadly as she lay down on her bed. So too was Albert, she sulked. In the Palace today, she was alone. And it was Saturday too, which meant there was no school.


    Hmm¡­they''re both so mean to me. She said to herself, as she hugged her bunny plushie tightly. Old brother Albert gave it to her before he went to the mean war thing. She named him Luffy, and she loved to hug Luffy because he reminded her of Albert.


    Someone knocked on her door.


    "Your Highness! Breakfast is ready!" A high-pitched feminine voice declared cheerfully.


    "Wait, Marta." She replied loudly as she sat up from her bed. "Can I have five more minutes?"


    "Five more minutes?"


    "Yes¡­I''m still not ready for the day. I desire to lie down here. Actually, 30 more minutes please!" And to accentuate her point, she lazily flopped back down on her bed.


    "Your Highness, breakfast would be cold by then."


    "Then just make me a new one." She haughtily replied back. She was royalty, and when she wanted something, she would get it.


    "But there''s strawberry cake, Your Highness." She suddenly sat up, a bit of saliva appearing on the side of her mouth. "You might miss it."


    "Absolutely not! I''m coming!"


    With a rush of delighted vigor and an unbridled hunger for baked strawberries, she rushed out of the door to meet her smiling maid-in-waiting. Marta was a part of the lower nobility, which was generally known as the women''s version of the commoner class.


    All women held nobility, but not all held an administrative estate. Thus, while they had magic and were thus nobility, in practice, they were not.


    Still, Marta, like most women, was loyal to the crown and the nobility they were part of. The many privileges they enjoyed were still above the masses of commoner men after all.


    "I knew you would have no choice."


    "Cake, there''s cake!" She followed the maid energetically. "There''s no way I can let that pass. Cake is cake!"


    The maid giggled in delight as the two walked through the hallways.


    In no time, Alice was sitting on a fine dining table, as she took slice after slice of the cake, utterly ignoring the other food on the table.


    "Your Highness, I would advise you to please eat that stew too. It is for your health, after all."


    "After the cake."


    "Cake is supposed to be after the main course, Your Highness."


    She shook her head.


    "The cake is the main course! How could a mere stew trump this¡­magnificent indulgence of mine?"


    Marta watched her as she munched down the cake princessly. She giggled.


    "Well, I suppose there''s no harm in letting you indulge in such sugary things once in a while."


    Most times, Alice would enjoy her breakfast with Amelie herself. She would always scold Alice for not eating healthily, and for eating too much sweets and sugar.


    But little Alice found such scolding unfair. Amelie too was unhealthy since she was crowned. Most of the time, she would rush to eat breakfast and she would even sometimes embarrass herself with her lack of refinement at the dining table.


    She would even skip meals sometimes, because of ''work'', and would prefer a quick rush of milk and cereal which she would drag to her office.


    At least, she, Alice thought for herself, never skipped meals and ate.


    After Alice finished her third slice, she finally began drinking and eating some of the stew. It was beef, and it was savory. She took spoonfuls of it at a time, as it was still a bit hot.


    "Hey, Marta. Suppose, when do you think Amelie will return?"


    "Tomorrow, perhaps. She did say that the conference would only take 2 days."


    "What about Albert? Would he be present here tomorrow at least?"


    "Nope, he didn''t say anything." Marta gave a thoughtful smile and suggested something. "Do you want to talk to him?"


    "I do, but he doesn''t listen to my messages." Alice frowned as she crossed her arms. "I would send him dozens of messages and all he would say is, ''That''s great!'' or ''Great news!'' or ''Good for you!''. What a jerk. I showed him videos of my new spells, and that''s all he could say?"


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    "Well, that''s quite unfortunate."


    Alice continued eating before she looked back at Marta, her head tilted.


    "Could I perhaps listen to the news?"


    "The news?"


    "Yes! I''m the Princess, so I must be aware of what''s happening to the Kingdom, right?"


    The personal chamber that she dined in was where she and Amelie usually ate, so it was designed for their leisure. A massive flatscreen was present on the wall. It was barely used, but Marta nodded and turned it on regardless.


    When she opened it, it was immediately on the ROCN channel. Alice looked at the TV, as it displayed a newsreel from ''Ginzhu''.


    The footage showed helmeted soldiers - men, who seemed to be lying down inside an apartment. There was a massive hole in the wall, which they used to set up their machine gun, the tripod mounted on a flimsy bunch of rubble.


    The other soldier who operated the gun seemed to be firing it with a controlled burst at the¡­somewhere, while the other soldier held the belt of ammunition up.


    "The 4th Infantry Division had held this position against repeated loyalist attacks for 14 hours already. Already, the scars of heavy combat could be seen on every building of the district."


    The footage immediately changed to a close-up of a tank firing its gun. The tank seemed to have a circular turret, and it advanced through the broken rubble after it fired its gun.


    The footage once again changed to what appeared to be soldiers running through the streets in haste, the shots changing again and again from one soldier to another, before it changed into footage of a bunch of armored cars parked near the entrance of a burned-out mall, the machine guns atop them aimed at the sky.


    "The war is fought between brothers and sisters, yet it seems that the battle is seeing more dead brothers than sisters."


    The footage changed to a convoy of abandoned, burnt-out tanks and armored vehicles on a highway, as groups of seemingly armed women, who held new variants of rifles, the Arcano-Rifle - guns that used magic walked through the highway.


    They seemed to be inspecting masses of incinerated, dead soldiers. One of them even poked a corpse, his Kevlar armor completely melted. It almost made Alice look away in disgust.


    "Oh, how unsightly, there''s war again?"


    "Seems so¡­" Marta seemed grim too as she watched it. Alice frowned as her appetite for continuing that cake turned around before she realized it was strawberry, and decided that such news wouldn''t block her way to such indulgences.


    "Would Orland be involved? I heard Hebei is a far-away Empire."


    "Half a world away, yes, Your Highness."


    "So this shouldn''t affect us, right?"


    "I would hope so."


    Alice giggled lightly.


    "Oh, come on, don''t be so down. If the Great War didn''t reach us, this war wouldn''t. I''m sure of it!"


    Marta smiled in agreement as well, though it seemed that something was wrong with it.


    "I''m sure of it too, Your Highness. I think Her Majesty would do everything to prevent another war for us."


    Alice nodded, and continued dining.


    ¡­


    "Oh come on!" A guard, Reginald, shouted at Alice. She was atop a tree on the eastern palace lawns. Alice giggled in amusement at the dumbfounded Royal Guard soldier. For many years, Alice grew up with the all-women Royal Guard. That was until Amelie added these men to the Palace security.


    And she enjoyed messing with them. She waved her wand lazily.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t fall."


    "And if you do I''m absolutely screwed!"


    She grinned playfully at him.


    "Yes indeed, Amelie would shock you again and again if I get injured."


    "What? No, she won''t. Your older sister is a kind woman."


    "Yeah, but she turns into a monster if I get hurt."


    Reginald had enough of the brat teasing him. The man merely wanted a silent, peaceful day of guard duty. Now he was stuck with a stupid game with the Princess.


    It wasn''t new to him. The Princess seemed to latch up to him whenever he was on guard duty since day one. At first, he was bothered by it, and he feared her, but as days passed, it became routine for the two to meet and banter.


    Almost like they were friends. Still, she sometimes infuriated him.


    "Just get down there, now." He growled. The Princess pouted and crossed her arms.


    "Fineeee¡­"


    She moved her wand a bit, and a powerful breeze made her float slowly down. Reginald took a small step back until she was on the ground.


    "Happy now?"


    "Very."


    She looked away.


    "Why are you old men always no fun? Always so stiff and serious."


    "Why do they not have security cameras around here¡­"


    "Because we, the Royal Family, prioritize our privacy." She smiled. "Plus, Miss Lubaine can see the surroundings with her magic."


    "Alright." Reginald breathed out deeply. "Anyways, what are you doing around here in this area anyways?"


    Alice smiled.


    "I was searching for you."


    "Ah, so to find me quickly, you flew to a tree, acted like you''re in danger, to alert me?"


    "Indeed!" She beamed at him, way too positively. Reginald just wanted a peaceful day¡­


    "I don''t even have anything else to say at this point."


    "Exactly!"


    With a sigh, Reginald turned around and began walking away, while Alice skipped and hopped beside him. Reginald kept his tongue to himself, as he tried his best to ignore the storm that followed his poor arse.


    "Say, Mr. Reginald?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Did you serve in the war?" Reginald stopped, then looked at her innocent expression. He signed, and he almost facepalmed.


    "Why are you even asking such questions?"


    "My, still closed off, are we? I''m just curious."


    "Yeah, I served with the 16th Armored Division."


    Her lips formed into a circle.


    "Ohhh¡­but I know that already. William and all that!"


    Oh, Reginald remembered. William had already talked to both Alice and Amelie.


    "But what I wanted to know is what you did in the war."


    With this, for a split-second, Reginald''s face darkened, before he smiled again. He gave her a simple explanation.


    "Oh, me? I was a loader in a tank. There were four of us inside of it, and whenever the tank shot the bad guys, I made sure that there would always be another shell for the next bad guys."


    Alice recalled the scenes she saw in the news earlier. Certainly, she saw that those tanks would always fire again and again. So that was what this guy''s job was?


    "I see."


    Reginald nodded and then glanced at his watch. He turned to her again.


    "Well, you know, it''s already lunchtime. Don''t you think it''s time for you to skip back to the Palace?"


    Alice thought about it before she nodded aggressively. She wanted more cake, this time - chocolate!


    "Yes, I should be going then!"

 Chapter Twenty-Four: The First Fallen Domino

    "With the Mandate of Nation''s approval of "Operation Anchor", the Orlish Navy and the International Coalition began operations in the Empire of Hebei to evacuate trapped civilians in her coastal cities. The now so-called Provisional Republic of Hebei, or the junta, has permitted these evacuations by sea. It is however unsure if the Loyalist rebels of Princess Xue would approve this operation, as the Battle of Ginzhu rages on."


    - ROCN News


    ---


    May 12, 2024


    Near Ginzhu, the Empire of Hebei


    Operation Anchor - Strike Force 7 (2nd Fleet)


    "Navigation? Status Report!"


    "Engines are going at 2 ? 3 power. We are now moving at 25 knots to Ginzhu."


    Albert nodded at his Navigation Officer''s report. It had been days since he and his strike force had been on the high seas. While Admiral Halberd handled Heindh?ff and OCH at Orland, he and the ONS Rebenslof''s strike force set out for Ginzhu under Minister Adelaide''s orders.


    Queen Amelie and Minister Adelaide had just signed the MN Resolution 3222 in the Confederation of Pez.


    Orland, being the largest naval power of Pollos, had a natural obligation in these kinds of crises. Being the main upholder of the directives of the Mandate of Nations as the main superpower of the world, they thus moved in quickly to the Empire when the resolution was signed.


    A resolution to aid and evacuate millions of civilians.


    Their strike force consisted of the ONS Rebenslof, their flagship. Escorted by the guided missile destroyers ONS Seafire, ONS Blackgem, and the ONS Rumwall, followed by the guided-missile cruiser ONS Rolentz also attached to the strike force, they sped forward in haste.


    But they were merely a protection force. On the radar screens, he could see nearly two dozen of the Equestrian-class transport ships, famous for ferrying the millions of tons of supplies, manpower, and equipment from the continent of Opellia, where Orland was located, to the continent of Vaeyox, when the Great War raged.


    Now, they would have to protect this convoy as it ferried millions of civilians for the next few days.


    "Have we made contact with the loyalists?"


    Beside him, his long-time friend, and XO, Captain James Vogel replied with a disappointed tone.


    "Yes, but unfortunately, she wants to meet you first?"


    "She what?"


    "Princess Xue demands the presence of the highest ranking MN representative before she would accept." He jokingly shook his head. "Women, that''s just how they are."


    "So, considering that I''m the highest-ranking officer of this expedition, I''d have to meet her first?"


    "Right, sir."


    Time stood still as Albert''s mind cursed everyone and everything around him.


    "Come on, I''m just a Commodore here. She would probably be insulted. Why didn''t they send a darned Admiral at least with me?"


    James cracked a tiny smile. He was used to Albert acting like this.


    "Come on now, you''re a war hero for heaven''s sake. And technically the Prince of the Kingdom. You''re too modest."


    "War hero this, Prince this. All that is just ridiculous." Slowly, he slumped down his chair and watched as his men and officers worked on the bridge.


    "All I did was evacuate soldiers and send supplies."


    "Under your command, the ONS Rebenslof sunk two Larissan carriers."


    "By sheer luck. Also, we were almost sunk too."


    "Regardless, such achievements are still achievements." James stood up from his seat and patted his shoulders. "Loosen up a bit. She''s just a Princess."


    He chuckled as he walked away toward the forward section of the bridge, talking with the other officers on the bridge.


    This left Albert alone to ponder his thoughts. He hated these types of operations. Evacuations. It reminded him of Liebnich. Of his brother.


    To fail in these types of operations was the worst. People relied upon and hoped for his ship to reach them and ferry them to safety. People that were at risk of death.


    To fail, meant that he sentenced them to death.


    "Albert!" James called out. "We now have a meeting place with the Princess."


    "They gave us her location?"


    "Not exactly." He frowned. "They will just pick you up at that location before dragging you to the Princess."


    That didn''t sound ideal to him.


    ...


    The rapid, chopping sounds of the rotors.


    Accompanied by a rapid, militaristic melody of drums. Then, the guitar strings. An upbeat intro to a piece of melodies that perfectly matched the sound of any military vehicle that moved. Or men that marched.


    And Albert bobbed his head to it, ever so slightly. He enjoyed it, and it even appealed to his internal state of being, its message resonating in him.


    "Keep your frown in that old backpack, and smile, smile, smile¡­"


    It was a song popular in the Orlish Armed Forces ever since the Great War started. Always blasted on the radios and airwaves. On the speakers and phones. And even by men that merely sang it in combat.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    It was a part of a family of dozens of modern music that young men listened to, as they fought and died in battle. Even now, the pilot of the helicopter played it. The eight marines with Albert also seemed to enjoy it, as they too bobbed their heads and sang along.


    "Do light that cigar, and smile boys, smile while you march¡­"


    Someone tapped his shoulder. Albert turned around to meet the eyes of Lieutenant Emile. An old veteran marine in his 30s, Emile looked rugged and experienced, similar in practice. Thus, Albert had always relied on him on these missions.


    With a concerned look, he whispered to him.


    "You good, sir?"


    "Yeah, I am." He steeled his expression, as below them, the distant sounds of gunfire and artillery sounded. In the far distance even, he could see the metropolis that they had passed, burning as smoke rose from its cityscape.


    Their MUH-155 Harpy, the helicopter that carried them, broadcasted Orlish IFF tags, which marked them as a neutral party in the Hebei airspace. It was a dangerous endeavor, as they could see missiles and aircraft streak high above them, as both sides fought a brutal struggle in the skies above the Heavenly Kingdom.


    "Worried about the meeting?"


    "I doubt the Princess would do anything to me. She wouldn''t want to invite the wrath of Orland." He glanced at a distant detonation for a moment, before he continued. "I''m more worried about the implications of this to Orland."


    There was a bit of silence beside him, as Emile nodded.


    "Yeah, sir. Many of the men are worried that the same could happen to Orland. I bet your sister, Queen Amelie is also distressed by it too. What does she think about it?"


    "We don''t really talk much. But I do know she is doing everything to prevent that."


    A skeptical reply came, but it was to be expected.


    "I sure hope she does. Lots of the boys are placing their faith in Her Majesty to bring change."


    "I''m sure of that."


    Soon, the helicopter slowly descended on the flat lawn of a remote estate. It seemed to be owned by a wealthy noblewoman, displayed clearly by the elaborately designed old-school double-eaved buildings that were at the center of the walled estate. They were only mainly used by country nobles in the East.


    Albert ducked a bit while he and his men left the helicopter in haste, as the wind produced by its still slowing down rotors blew around them.


    What awaited them was a bunch of women, all of them uniformed in the Hebei Army uniform but with a red armband. One of them didn''t have a helmet, and she was wearing what appeared to be a fancier, more customized variant. She was also not holding a rifle.


    Her gaze pierced through him, almost as if she was sharply glaring down at him, while her raven black hair flew with the wind.


    "Are you the Commodore?"


    He nodded at her as he glanced at her red eyes.


    "Yes, I''m Commodore Albert Ludendorf of Strike Force 7, and the CO of the ONS Rebenslof. I am currently the highest ranking officer present today for Operation Anchor." He turned to his men, who stopped behind him. "This is Lieutenant Emile Fuch. They will be my guards on this trip."


    She nodded quickly.


    "I''m Marquise Feng Lin." She looked down at him. "Do behave on the trip¡­men."


    She said the last part almost as a hostile hiss, and he saw contempt in her eyes as she looked at them. Unfaltering, he replied neutrally.


    "We will, milady."


    "Good. Now follow me. The Princess is waiting."


    Albert and Emile''s squad followed them outside of the lawn, toward the path in the center of the estate. In the middle was a rock dragon statue that seemed to intimidate anyone who walked toward the front entrance of the building.


    But the men felt nothing about it. They continued walking toward the left side, away from the main building, toward the gate. Outside, they found themselves on a paved road near a small village nearby.


    Four vehicles awaited them, and Albert quickly followed the Marquise to the lead vehicle. She looked at him strangely.


    "What?"


    "Are we taking a ride with you?"


    "Obviously. And you, you''re coming with me. Send your men to the vehicles at the back."


    With a gesture, he gave the orders to them, and they all swiftly entered the other vehicles alongside the Hebei rebel soldiers. He took a seat beside her, and she gestured to her driver, another soldier, to drive forward.


    She looked at him and crossed her arms.


    "So what exactly does Orland want?"


    He replied neutrally. He didn''t want to antagonize her, but she wasn''t Orland''s friend.


    "I assure you, all we would like to do is to evacuate civilians and provide humanitarian assistance."


    "Meddlers are hard to trust, Mr. Ludendorf." She frowned as she looked forward. Hebei''s countryside passed through them rapidly, as the roads seemed to be clear, aside from a few parked military convoys on the side of the road.


    "But meddlers are sometimes needed to save human lives."


    "...I swear if Orland ever uses this to meddle with Hebei and help the Junta." Her eyes almost glowed when she suddenly stared him straight in the eye. "I''ll make you pay."


    But steely Albert didn''t flinch. Nor did his unchanging expression even dare to twitch. He merely nodded in affirmation.


    "I''ll keep that in mind."


    ...


    The Princess appeared kinder than the Marquise, Albert thought. The convoy stopped in a wartorn town. The signs of earlier battle were quite apparent. Broken roads, buildings, and houses turned to rubble, soldiers - women soldiers on the streets, destroyed tanks and APCs, it was all there.


    They stopped in the center of the town, where a slightly damaged town hall stood. There were still sandbags and barbed wire around, but the rebel flag (or more accurately, the flag of the Empire) - the red rose on a yellow background, flew atop the town hall.


    There, she stood at the entrance as their convoy stopped, her shining, silver hair swaying by the breeze. She was young, much like Amelie. While her expression was somber, she looked up at him with hope as he approached her.


    The Marquise bowed at her.


    "Your Highness, this is Sir Albert. He is the representative that they have sent us."


    Albert wanted to frown. She didn''t mention his rank. Nonetheless, there must be a good reason for it, so he merely bowed to the Princess too.


    "Indeed, I am currently the main officer in charge of Operation Anchor. It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness."


    "Raise your head, Sir Albert. I believe that now is not the time for formalities." She looked behind her. "Now please, someone clear the meeting room!"


    Soon, both Albert and the Marquise followed her through the halls. There were many injured civilians and soldiers around, alongside the soldiers that guarded them and the medics or mages that tended the injured.


    "This war has been devastating for us, Sir Albert." The Princess began.


    "Indeed, that''s why the international community sent us here."


    "That is good, and I''m not one for denying such aid to my people."


    Albert realized that perhaps she could agree easily. They followed her up the staircase, and before they reached the room, she turned to him.


    "Your Highness?"


    "Sir Albert, why would you men do this?"


    "Do what?"


    Her smile faltered, and she seemed bitter. She looked down for a while and muttered something to herself.


    "I wonder if it''s our fault¡­"


    Albert wondered what she meant by that. Before he could speak, however, she turned back toward the room.


    "Now, now. We have no time to waste." She opened the door herself and showed them the meeting room. The glass windows were broken, yet the room seemed to be previously tidied as best as someone could.


    He followed her closely behind, as the Marquise closed the door. He tried to clear his mind as he sat in front of her, but before he could say anything¡­


    "Yes, I permit the operation. But please, I have a favor to ask. Both to you and your sister."


    What?

 Chapter Twenty-Five: Her Highness Pleas

    "The lies of the ORP had been made clear! Traitors! Traitors they are! Today, the UOP and the ORP announced plans to form a coalition for the upcoming General Elections. These so-called moderates of the movement had turned coats and showed their true colors - lapdogs of Her Majesty!"


    - The Front Newspaper


    ---


    Albert stared at the Princess inquisitively. She had asked a major demand from him, and from Amelie. Unsure he was, that he knew. How could he even fulfill that?


    "You do know that this would mean Orland - or more accurately, we, the Orlish Royal Family would be meddling with Hebeian affairs?"


    He glanced at Marquise Feng, bewildered at how she swore earlier to spill his poor guts should they meddle. Yet now her Princess was asking for that?


    "I am a hypocrite, yes. When I said don''t meddle, I meant don''t aid the junta."


    "Well, at least you''re honest."


    She gave him a thin smile.


    "I''ll take that as a compliment."


    The Princess cleared her throat, which grasped back Albert''s attention.


    "I believe we have strayed off topic, Sir Albert." She gave him her pleading eye look, which Albert really hated. It almost appeared as if that brat, Alice, was here!


    "I''m not sure¡­" There were many complications with such plans. "Shipping Arcano-Rifles and DC wands and then sneaking them would be difficult."


    There was no problem with the acquisition part. The Royal Family''s personal corporation, Rolentz Crystals, produced such magical weapons and tools.


    Especially the DC wands (or Digital Combat Wands), a much more specialized version of the digital wand - which was the new wands with integrated computers in it.


    Due to the mathematical and scientific nature of magic, where women usually manipulated reality through the rapid bending of physics in their minds - digital wands helped in casting standardized magic.


    Instead of creating calculations to change the air velocity and density around a woman for example, she could simply imagine what she desired and the computer would channel her mana with a standardized formula based on her mental commands.


    Which was why Princess Xue requested its supplies.


    "Orland and Hebei are an ocean away." And while the Orlish Navy ruled the seas, Princess Xue wanted the operation to be covert. Such was a tall order then, for how could they ship weaponry without the navy?


    The Princess continued to beg.


    "But the Rolentz Corporation owns multiple factories in this continent. Look, we can produce these as well, but this appears more and more like a war of attrition, we need every wand and rifle that we can."


    Albert knew how dire their situation was. The fronts in Hebei had already begun to solidify, especially in the Ginzhu axis. The junta, overwhelmed by the modern magic that the rebels employed, had begun digging in.


    "I recognize that. I fear that if the fronts turn static, Hebei might witness trench warfare."


    "That''s why I implore you, to give us these weapons." Albert had been impressed by the young lady''s demeanor. To defend her people and her rights, she had negotiated with him steadfastly.


    But while he desired to give aid, he wasn''t sure yet. The complications with logistics were one issue, the Junta was another.


    He hadn''t heard their side yet.


    The Junta were made up of men that rose up for their rights. Morally imperfect, grey, and perhaps even downright evil, it still didn''t change that Hebeian men were dying in a fight for their rights.


    To meddle now would mean that he betrayed his fellow men, even when they were an ocean away.


    "I sense hesitancy in your eyes, Sir Albert." The Princess guessed, her eyes set straight to Albert''s. To deny, he could not, for she was right. He was a fence sitter, through and through.


    "Princess¡­I''d like to ask. Is the Junta going to be on the wrong side of history?"


    An appalled look took over the Marquise''s face, yet Princess Xue held her off from drawing her wand. Albert had expected such a reaction from the Princess, as she seemed similar to Amelie.


    He knew she was but another, normal lady, without hunger for power. But circumstances, unfortunate circumstances more specifically, had forced her into such a position of power.


    Thus, he asked her directly.


    "Sir Albert, I asked you earlier why you men would do such a thing to us, correct?"


    "Indeed."


    "You are a man. And men had been collectively crushed by our heels for centuries, haven''t you."


    Bitterly, he admitted yes to her question with a nod. The blatant way that men had been crushed, sidelined, and repressed for centuries since their fall was apparent to all.


    To deny such a factoid, was thus unavailable for anyone, bar young children.


    "Do you feel bitter about it? You¡­Sir Albert, you have no title, don''t you? In your Kingdom, no man receives any title, so you''re not even a Prince."


    "I do feel bitter about it. But we men had swallowed that pill a long time ago. Truth is¡­magic made it an inevitability."


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    It was simply the truth for men. The Goddess, the world, women, their families, and even their fellow men at many times, were not with them.


    Unfavored they were, that was merely the reality. With women wielding magic, and men without, what was men''s role then? The one thing they had always been good at, being the breadwinners, or the protectors of the home, was gone.


    And they never had a chance to develop any other redeeming qualities even after three centuries. All they could really do was struggle and resist the winds of change in vain. Now, what did men have to show for themselves after their sudden irrelevancy?


    War machines powered not by magic yes, they had such toys, but war machines that merely killed millions of fellow men? What for?


    Or the lauded technologies they had developed and operated - that had begun poisoning the world.


    Faced with such obsolescence and irrelevancy, men could only offer one thing. Their blood, and grunt labor.


    And yes, such a reality made him feel bitter. It made all men bitter. It was almost as if the world wanted them away. Now even more so that women could reproduce without them, science and magic fixing such issues.


    Not even biology was on their side.


    "Is this¡­just really how harsh our punishment is?" He felt emotional, and thus his words slipped. Retribution, that was how many women had justified their squalor conditions.


    A punitive correction was how the Goddess justified her denial of granting men magic too.


    And it bore on all men. 300 years since the first woman who had magic to lift a mere teacup¡­and men were still paying for the sins of their fathers.


    Criminals from birth till death, that was what men''s lives were.


    The Princess gazed at his hand, ashamed. Even the Marquise fell silent. Such an uncomfortable question had been rarely raised by men. They never liked to appear weak.


    To appear that they were cracking.


    And women, even the Princess, were used at men like him to never ask why he agonized. For that was too unmanly. And they had no true answer to such a question.


    "Sir Albert, I''d like to throw back to you the question then." She slowly looked back up at him. Ashamed she was, indeed that was true. But she met his eyes still. To ask him the same question.


    "Do you think we women are on the right side of history?"


    ¡­


    Colonel Richmeister frowned as he bore witness to the scenes beyond the gate. Civilians in tattered clothing, injured women and children, all lined up the small area in Ginzhu that the MN (or more accurately, the Orlish Marine Corps) had occupied.


    Orlish marines stood guard at the gates, the roads, the tents, and the port facilities they had occupied.


    Beside him was the ''Prince'' himself, Commodore Albert Ludendorf. He had desired and demanded to personally inspect the operations. It baffled him as to why he - a member of the Navy, wanted to personally observe the proceedings of the tasks assigned to the Marines.


    But who was he to refuse?


    "Why are you taking too long to let them in? And why are the lines of the civilians still too long?" Albert asked as the two argued over their course of action. He had demanded that they speed up the evacuation process.


    He had feared that the ceasefire would not last long enough and that these civilians would be caught in the crossfire. The agreement was that the MN would evacuate nearly 4 million civilians that was trapped and starving in the center of Ginzhu.


    Both sides controlled the outer outskirts of Ginzhu and had been battling in its outer districts. The MN feared that once both sides entered and clashed in downtown Ginzhu, the trapped civilians would see massive casualties.


    Ginzhu, a watery, coastal city, was surrounded by rivers, and a river even divided the city between a northern and southern half. But the war had damaged such bridges, and both sides battled fiercely for them.


    With the bridges damaged and occupied by battling troops, and the surroundings flooded and dangerous after a nearby dam collapsed, the civilians in Ginzhu could only escape in its port. Thus, Operation Anchor was created. A plan to evacuate millions in days.


    And Albert wanted it done as fast as humanly possible.


    Richmeister went against such notions. To him, caution was paramount.


    "We cannot be sure if there''s saboteurs or terrorists amongst them, sir. And we are now getting too overextended."


    "These are women and children!" Albert implored. "How could there be terrorists among them?"


    "I admire your overwhelming sense of duty to defend the lives of women, sir." Richmeister frowned. "But to trust them merely because they are women is tantamount to naivety. Not to mention, we cannot control the lines of refugees outside of our zone of control. To rush would be a mere folly."


    "So is trusting the words of the Junta and the rebels to keep the ceasefire!" Albert shot back, red-faced. These evacuations, he knew, were risky business for those being evacuated, and those that evacuated them.


    Indeed, danger would befall his men should they rush these matters, but the danger the refugees faced was greater, and the lives that could be lost from their size were greater too.


    Which was why he always acted this way in evacuations by sea. If the guns had to be left, if the heavy equipment had to be left, if civilian ships and rowboats were to be needed, if even sending his ships close to the shore was needed - the risks shall be damned.


    No amount of accidents would ever compare to thousands left behind to die.


    "I want this evacuation done quickly, every time wasted is another life lost. Send our troops to the center of the city and get them all out of here. If we have to occupy the two bridges to connect the refugees down south, do it."


    "But every time we rush would mean more chances of an accident. And what if the junta attacked? Our troops would be in the crossfire too."


    "The orders from the Mandate of Nations is to swiftly evacuate all civilians as possible." It was true, but that was because the MN could not care less for the men that did the grunt work on the ground. "And we shall act by their directives."


    Security risk be damned, the world demanded that they saved women at all costs. This was why they planned to send troops as far as the middle of Ginzhu to directly pull and evacuate civilians.


    While he didn''t agree with such notions of treating them as disposable tools, he agreed in principle. They had to do everything to hasten the evacuations.


    "Sir, I understand that. But the safety of our men is tantamount as well."


    "Indeed you are correct, Colonel. But we are soldiers, men who signed up to defend those behind us."


    The Colonel laughed. Bitterly even. Signed up? Many such men were here as a product of the Great War. Conscripted to be disposed of, but survived. They were only here as they refused to demobilize, preferring to keep to their rifles should the same civil war in this Empire befall Orland.


    While there was an overlap in their motivation to defend the innocent and their nation as well, Orlish servicemen weren''t blind. No one cared for them that they had served.


    "Funny joke, sir. Those behind us do not even give a damn about us. Why can''t they give us some slack?"


    "And what, lower yourself to their level?" He glanced at the Orlish fleet behind them. "Here we are, men, discarded all of our lives just for lacking magic. But again, here we are, still valiantly defending them in their time of need."


    The two fell silent, as a tinge of pride rose inside them. While the Colonel was a bitter man as well, he couldn''t deny that he somehow took great pride as well for being here.


    It was as if it was a way for men to defy the scornful looks aimed at them. That they were no demons, perhaps. But humans, whose rights had been trampled, yes - yet prepared to defend the rights of those that had trampled theirs.


    "To protect, I realized, is the hallmark of us men. Even for nothing in return. Even when we have been slighted, forgotten¡­despised."


    Albert laughed at his own words. It was perhaps cathartic in a way. To be the savior of those that punched them down.


    "We are here, and you and every man here will do their job, as men."

 Chapter Twenty-Six: Rats To The Rescue!

    "The world cries for the deaths of women - yet for men, crickets."


    - Countess Emily Forch, Great War Volunteer Medic.


    ---


    She was separated. The little girl, winded, tired, and afraid, didn''t know where to go. Outside was too scary, and so she merely cried and cried.


    A mere convenience store was her shelter and cover from the nightmares outside. Strange angry men with guns patrolled the streets, and so did angry women.


    Where her mother was, she struggled to rack her brains of her whereabouts. Her tears seeped on her stained dress, as another boom from outside roared, the blast sending cans and packages falling from the grocery aisles.


    Outside, Orlish marines with blue armbands marked with the MN logo rode through the streets with their 4x4 Armored Cars. Sent far into the city center, their goal was to extend the zone of control of the MN and rescue more civilians, or open up routes. Refugees in the thousands lined in columns were what the convoys passed through.


    Civilians, mostly women, walked with desperate gazes at them on the sides of the streets. Many of them were silent, but many also cheered at the convoys, as if their liberators had arrived.


    The Orlish Marines responded in kind, many of them waved their hands or gave thumbs up and smiles as they passed through the women that clogged the roads.


    Of course, many had issues with the clogged roads as well. Cheer as they might, the civilians still blocked their passage. Not that the Marines could blame them, they understood their desperate escape.


    "Make way!" Some of the marines shouted from atop their vehicles. "Make way!" Shouted another from behind.


    Three of these vehicles stopped right in front of the convenience store, and three Orlish marines disembarked in haste.


    "Private Oakley!" Shouted a gruff man to one of the younger marines. "You and Private Timmy, search that store of civilians."


    The sergeant turned around to the other marines to bark more orders, as Private Timmy and Private Oakley himself looked at each other, their countenance tired after hours of intense peacekeeping.


    "Let''s go man." Oakley prepared his rifle, as he entered the store, Timmy trailing behind him.


    "Sure."


    Gingerly, they stepped through the abandoned store lightly, their steps methodically avoiding debris and fallen groceries.


    A tiny sob, childish and weak, took the attention of the duo. With great care, they turned through the dairy section and found a 6-year-old girl, illuminated by the flickering lights above.


    She was crying, profusely. Oakley''s eyes darted around the rest of the store before he pulled out his radio.


    "Report: One civvie found. She''s a young girl. Crying. Over."


    The few buzzes from his radio punctuated his report, and he quickly replied.


    "Copy that."


    "What do we do with her?"


    "We ask her."


    With great care, he approached the girl. He slung his gun free from his hands, attempting to look less threatening. But as the young girl stared at her, she suddenly pulled out her stick.


    "Stay back!"


    "Calm down little lady." Slowly, he lowered himself to her level, with her tiny arms that held her wand, aimed squarely at his concerned face.


    All it would take was one chant from her, and he would be gone.


    "We''re here to get you out of here." Suspicion, hostility, and fear laced the girl''s eyes. "Say, where''s your mother?"


    Her eyes moistened once more, and her voice cracked.


    "The bad men like you!" She cried out, as her hold on the wand quivered. "They¡­they¡­they¡­"


    Struggle and grief in her voice, she broke down in tears, her wand falling like a limp toy upon the cold floor. The two soldiers felt their hearts fall. To see a young girl cry tugged at their hearts.


    Even when she almost killed them both.


    Like an uphill battle, Oakley tried all of his methods to soothe the girl. Yet she cried and cried, crying, and crying for her dear mother. Scarcely was there any idea between the two of where her mother was, but judging by her words and cries - dead, was their most likely conclusion for her.


    "Come with us, we''ll try to find your mother."


    "You¡­you will?"


    "As best as we could."


    The two exited the convenience store, the girl held by Oakley in his arms. The sergeant, who awaited the two, stood in silence as he leaned on their vehicle.


    "Private, do you have any identification on her?"


    "Nope, sarge. Look, we can''t just leave her."


    He grunted with a head shake. Eyes concerned, yet a mind that demanded practicality. Their mission came first, that was who he was.


    "We''re going to have to hand her to the civvies, son. Word is, we need to drive to the bridges soon."


    Timmy stared at the sergeant, befuddled. Drive to the bridge? What insanity? It was too close to the lines of the junta and the rebels. Being caught in the crossfire would be an inevitability should hostilities resume.


    "Got a problem son?"


    "Sarge?" Timmy asked, eyes wide. "Who the hell said that?"


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "The Colonel, that''s who." With finality, he replied. Timmy could not make much retort to him. If the Colonel himself ordered as such, executing it was non-negotiable.


    "Still, we cannot leave her with the civilians." Oakley protested. "It would be dangerous."


    "So would keeping her with us, son." He crossed his arms. While he understood such concerns, they could not simply carry random children with them.


    "Still, better with us than unarmed, desperate civilians."


    "Are you sure of this? We are driving to the bridge."


    "She would be my responsibility, sarge."


    He nodded. Oakley had always been a man of integrity, he knew. To deny him of aiding a civilian, was the equivalent of asking a man to give up his rifle. Impossible.


    With a relieved sigh, Oakley turned to their vehicle to place her down to his seat.


    A rumble sounded from the road, and their heads turned. The main column had arrived. Tanks and APCs in woodland camo, massive guns raised at the sky, with marines riding atop them, their arrival turned the desperation of the refugees into one of resounding hope.


    The cavalry was here.


    Cheers erupted from them, at last, someone had arrived to aid them from the siege they had endured for weeks. And it was no mere motley force, the tanks showed that Orland and the MN were truly here.


    Them being men didn''t seem to change anything, somehow. It seemed that the women and civilians of the city still hoped that they could save them.


    The marines responded to the cheers and waves at them with cheers and waves as well, for rarely had many men played the role of the white knight for 300 years.


    With that, even the jaded sergeant and Timmy chuckled at the display.


    As the first tanks passed through their parked cars, some overly excited marines shouted at them.


    "The fucking ladies are actually smiling at us!"


    "Sure they do!" The sergeant waved at them.


    "Get your asses on the move on!" Another marine taunted playfully between laughs as the IFV he rode atop passed through them. "We''re saving more over there!"


    "How about you hold on to that turret? You''re about to fall off, asshole!" Timmy shot back in an equally playful manner as they rode away.


    As the scene seemed to lighten, the sergeant ordered his marines to board back to their vehicles as he laughed. In no time, they rejoined the advancing convoy.


    ¡­


    More refugees poured every hour through the gates of the port. The troops that manned them almost allowed everyone in, with mere 20-second safety checks. The port was quickly filled with civilians, more than half of them women and children, as it seemed that most men had already been conscripted by both sides before they arrived.


    Most men who entered to be evacuated were children, the old, disabled, and generally anyone unfit for service.


    At the port, ship after ship stopped to take thousands of civilians at once in 30-minute intervals in the eight docking facilities in the port.


    Still, Albert felt uneasy.


    "How much have we evacuated?" He directly radioed the ONS Rebenslof. The voice of his XO, Captain Vogel, responded in kind.


    "About 124,000, sir. More ships are arriving. Convoy Gamma is already 2 hours away."


    "How much will Convoy Gamma hold?"


    "Approximately 28,000 civilians, sir. About six ships."


    "We need more goddamned ships."


    "Indeed, we do, sir. Minister Adelaide had already replied about it. She said she''s gathering more of the nearby nations to join in."


    "Good."


    With a minor thud, he placed back his radio in its box. He turned around to Colonel Richmeister, who stood on the balcony, calmly observing the events on the ground with his binoculars.


    Slowly, he joined him on the balcony.


    "Colonel, how is the drive to the bridges?"


    "Sir, minor skirmishes with the junta have been noted, although they quickly withdrew at our presence."


    "Well, that seems bad. Knew they wouldn''t hold up to their word."


    "Another thing. The refugees down south seem trapped." He frowned deeply. A major predicament had developed as the hours passed, a predicament they had already expected. "The junta is blocking the civilians from crossing the bridges."


    Albert didn''t seem surprised at the least. His order to drive to the bridges was a result of his foresight. He had expected that the junta, or its more rogue units would take revenge upon the masses of women that tried to escape.


    However, with the Colonel''s tanks and armored column that advanced through the city, and into the bridges, he hoped that those who tried to interfere would back down at the show of force.


    The junta, aggressive as they were, would not push on too much. They were alone, and thus, were avoiding any chances of attracting further international ire with their actions.


    A sense of practicality was a part of it too. He expected that they would not want any confrontations with them, only to merely lose men and materiel that could be used to fight Princess Xue''s forces.


    And so, he stayed resolute with the course of action that they had decided upon.


    "Continue the drive to the bridge."


    The Colonel nodded. While skeptical earlier, he had realized that Albert was right, and the current actions of the junta proved it further. He hadn''t told him yet, but already, he had received unconfirmed reports of individual squads of men harassing and executing stragglers of refugees.


    Still, he kept shut till it was confirmed. Albert might turn to rash actions should he mention it.


    "I understand, sir. My marines will take it soon."


    ¡­


    Four Orlish marines shouted profanities against six of the junta''s soldiers, who gladly returned the same. Far away from the MN-controlled zone, they had advanced earlier ahead of the convoy to take key positions.


    Behind the Orlish marines, dozens after dozens of fleeing women and other civilians passed through the road in fearful haste. Over here, protection was minimal, and many had to resort to their wands to fight off the harassing squads of the junta.


    Contrary to what one might expect, the average woman, usually unversed in the application of magic outside its common civilian uses, would usually be ill-suited to face a squad of roving, rifle-toting, angry men.


    And so they fled, casting desperate shields or traps at their wake instead.


    This squad, for example, had a rough fight with one of the women around. With a few shots, as she struggled to cast a mere wind slice in panic, they shattered her shield and apprehended her.


    The Orlishmen just happened to catch them red-handed. With their rifles raised in a standoff, an Orlish marine demonstrated his authority.


    "Fuckin release her mate!"


    "No, how about you fuck off!" One of them shot back as he handled her roughly. "She broke the law! No one uses their wands!"


    More colorful profanities were exchanged back and forth, as the young woman cried before a rumble of tank threads interrupted the shouting match.


    Emboldened by the sudden show of nearby support, one Orlish soldier fired his rifle in the air.


    "Release her, or you''re fucked mate."


    The junta''s soldiers aimed their guns in response.


    "Try it, wanna shoot someone from the MN? Try it fucker!"


    Realizing the futility of it, as the squad had standing orders to not engage against MN troops, which these Orlish Marines were a part of, they angrily kicked the woman away in their direction and scurried off.


    She cried in tears on the ground as the marines approached her, and she profusely expressed her gratitude to them.


    Behind them, the convoy finally passed through, their seemingly victorious ride punctuated by wide-eyed civilians, who had once given up any hopes of being rescued, cheering them on as they advanced, unable to believe the tanks sent for them.


    On the one hand, the men atop and in the vehicles indulged in the attention and gratitude tossed at them, which they had seldom witnessed in their lives. And once more, their wide smiles and expressions of reassurance of relief were given in the forms of waves and thumbs up.


    Liberators, for once, these men were.

 Chapter Twenty-Seven: Rats Dont Rescue Other Rats

    "It is a stark disappointment for the world. Strike Force 7 is failing in their mission. Reports of 344 dead civilian women had reached the ears of the observers on the ground. Operation Anchor might just be another one of men''s failures."


    - The Arcane Updates


    ---


    "And she won''t give a crap about me¡­"


    The lyrics emanated from one of the parked HMLV''s radios. Accompanied by the drop of electric guitars and drums, the marines inside the stuck armored car sang along to break the lull of the traffic.


    "Cuz I''m just a nasty rat, baby. Yeah, I''m just a nasty rat, baby¡­"


    One could ask oneself, what indeed was the idea of heroism? Many men had fantasized about the idea of being the white knight, and these marines were no different. Indeed, 5 hours ago, they were such gallant knights.


    Now, they were cattle herders stuck with angry cattle.


    The advance of the MN''s armored convoys had been stopped halfway through. Traffic jams and rubble had clogged the roads. Verily, the marines at the ground could not do much more, and thus the sluggish advance.


    The lines of refugees were unending. Many people were stuck in jams and lines as they attempted to pass through roads still spared by the battle. And to spice the fun day further, the roads were also currently blocked and jammed by the Marines and their vehicles that advanced forward.


    Thus the situation turned into one of competition - competition on who would pass through, the refugees, or the troops.


    "Just walk straight through the road and follow the crowd, ma''am."


    "How could I know if you rats have secured that path?"


    "Ma''am you can see our vehicles in¡­"


    "A bunch of fat tanks on the streets is no indication of safety!"


    "It''s a secured zone, ma''am. I assure you."


    The once lively atmosphere of their earlier arrival had also turned into a tense standoff. Marines consoled, aided, and tried to give directions to the lines of panic-stricken civilians. Such efforts usually ended in vain.


    Civilians were too out of mind to discuss matters with rationality. Especially when the lines near the port itself had extended for kilometers already, almost as if they were herds of cattle awaiting a single artillery strike.


    Many women had especially expressed their displeasure in condescending hatred at the all-male force of the 5th and 7th Marine Divisions.


    All their lives, they had looked down upon men. Coupled with their comfortable upbringing and the civil war started by the men of their Empire, distrust quickly grew against these Orlish Marines as the difficulties of the evacuation set in.


    "Look ma''am, if you just follow-"


    "Timmy, enough of that. Get in the HMLV, we''re moving!"


    Private Timmy turned around at the sergeant''s orders. The lady she had been conversing with turned red. She had been asking him where she needed to go to evacuate, which immediately turned into a calm and reasonable discussion about the alleged "safeness" of their secured zones.


    "Damned rats! Turning around when a woman is in need!"


    He ignored her as he rejoined the convoy. Already, the tanks and armored vehicles at the front had driven off, although it seemed stuck further up the road as rubble once again blocked its path.


    Even so, he entered the HMLV (High Mobility Light Vehicle) which his squad used. With a grunt, he secured his rifle in front of him. A tiny squeak sounded from his right, which came from the girl they had found.


    Fear seemed to emanate from the kid. The four armed marines inside the vehicle would perhaps be the last types to be expected of excellence at dealing with children, much less a girl with what seemed to be an extreme case of trauma of armed young men.


    "Don''t spook her, moron." Their gunner, Oakley, who had taken her, quipped from his stand. He boredly operated the .50 cal HMG affixed atop their HMLV. Timmy frowned and shot back at his banter.


    "I didn''t. I just sat."


    "Yeah, your fatass still spooked her. Maybe don''t drop too hard on your seat next time."


    "At least I ain''t no lanky ass like you."


    "Shut up, the two of you." The two promptly ended their back and forth as the sergeant entered the seat beside their laughing driver.


    The girl seemed to have curled herself in the backseat that she occupied. This meant that should the vehicle move, a fall or a squeak of surprise would be the outcome.


    Oakley, noticing such childish stupidity, promptly reminded her with fatherly gentleness as he looked down at her for a bit.


    "Hey, kiddo, do hold on to stuff down there. The car''s gonna move."


    Without many words, she held onto her seat as the HMLV drove forward - for a few meters. It thus proved her attempt to brace, quite pointless indeed.


    A frustrated groan came from Timmy.


    "Oh come on! We''re stuck in traffic again?"


    ¡­


    He slammed the desk with his fist.


    "What do you mean they''re sending them back?!"


    Albert could not believe such nonsensical buffoonery. On the other side of the very line, Minister Adelaide tried to calmly explain the situation to him. To call such development dreadful was nothing short of an understatement.


    "I''m sorry Albert, but no nearby nation would accept men as refugees. They announced that they don''t want political extre-"


    "These people are going to fucking die here! What kind of joke is this? We went here to evacuate civilians, not just women!"


    "I''m really, really sorry Albert, but there''s no other solution for this. The MN High Commissioner is also issuing another directive, so please, just listen calmly to this¡­"


    "Oh, Minister Adelaide, I am very calm, yes." Evidently, with his shoes tapping rapidly on the floor, calm, he was not.


    "They are ordering you¡­to block any men from clogging the evacuation lines. They want to further expedite the evacuation of women."


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    He laughed. He laughed and laughed as the other line barely spoke a word. It was such a massive joke to him.


    "Minister, you know my troops are men right? And you''re asking us¡­not only to abandon our fellow men, but block them from safety and separate them from women?"


    "I''m sorry."


    He shook his head, completely disillusioned at the mission given to them. Joke, it was no mere joke now, it was a circus, and they were the grunt rats that ran it.


    He only had one response to such nonsense. Hate it as much as he''d like, but they were good soldiers. And good men too. Good men followed orders from the women¡­it was simply the structure of reality this order had.


    Dripped in the thickest of sarcasm, he replied.


    "Roger that, will execute with utmost grace."


    "I apprec-"


    He dropped the line rather quickly before she even had the time to finish. With a heavy breath, he turned around to Richmeister, who had stood behind him during the minutes-long discussion of their lovely screw-ups.


    "You heard the lady colonel. No men are getting rescued today. And not tomorrow, nor the next day, nor the next next day. Nope, never."


    Richmeister was the epitome of bitter calmness. Hands behind the back, with an expression unchanged regardless of the storm of fury inside, he merely made a grim nod.


    "What about the men on the returning convoy?"


    "...Make you sure they are vacated off the port in 20 minutes once they arrive."


    "I''ll make sure of that sir. Is violent force permitted?"


    "You know what the answer would be."


    The Colonel chuckled with bitter mirth. Truly, the epitome of men''s global situation. Of course, that would be their policy.


    "...I too, love being a rat, sir."


    ¡­


    "We''re sorry sir, but women and children only."


    The Marines, begrudgingly, began separating men away from the lines of refugees permitted for the evacuation. The women could only look in momentary confusion at such a change of policy, but selfishness on a dangerous day would hardly prompt anyone to blame the ladies.


    They moved on through the gates and the checkpoints, almost uninterrupted by the subtle atrocity beside them.


    "Oh, evacuating women first? Well, when are we going to have our chance then?"


    One civilian man asked in calmness. While one would expect rage and bitterness from these men, most promptly accepted their fate of being the last one out.


    It was simply to be expected, anyways. The system had always demanded for men to the second, and to sacrifice themselves for the ladies. Raised in such a manner, the crowds of men merely complied and told their wives and children (if they had one) waves of goodbyes at the gates.


    The marine however hadn''t had an answer. Orders were simple, men would not be permitted. Nothing more. They had assumed that command was merely prioritizing women. Unfortunately, no one told them any such timetables to answer such questions.


    With a grunt, the marine replied.


    "We will have to wait for that, sir."


    "Well, I see."


    Hours passed on the sweltering sunny day in Ginzhu, as more and more civilians were shipped by the ships that arrived almost endlessly. That was when one such ship, strangely different from the other ones, arrived not empty - but instead filled with men that had evacuated earlier.


    Agitatedly, the men in the ship disembarked. The message to them was a confused one. They were told that the nations they arrived in didn''t accept men yet and that they should wait for their slots. Turned around at the ports, they were picked up by specific ships to be sent back to the city.


    The Marines, with much equally confusing orders, escorted thousands after thousands of men off the port, then to the gates.


    "What the hell is happening man? Why are we sending them back?" One agitated marine asked his buddy, as the two manned a terminal where confused men were sent to.


    "No idea mate."


    The men outside who waited for their turn to get in were even more confused, their minds filled with uncomfortable questions as the men that were ''evacuated'' earlier were seemingly pushed away off the ships and the port.


    The confusion slowly grew amongst their ranks, until the man earlier had enough of the nonsense, and promptly demanded answers from one of the marines that manned the evacuation lines.


    "What the hell is happening?"


    "Prioritization policy, sir."


    "No, answer me, soldier boy. Why are they sending men back?"


    "Prioritization, sir."


    These scowls and arguments slowly grew around the zones that the MN controlled. Unable to confront the armed marines, most men began to leave the evacuation lines as they realized the futility of it all.


    No, the world, and these marines and the Orlish Navy weren''t there for them, they realized. No one was there for them. Not the MN, not the women who escaped.


    Whatever riot Albert had expected, merely fizzled before it materialized.


    ¡­


    "Finally, we''re moving forward." Came the dry voice of Private Timmy.


    It was already dark at night when the armored column finally had the zones they had advanced through cleared and secured.


    The refugees were finally herded into proper lines, while the roads were cleared from debris and rubble. Checkpoints and small garrisons were also established, in order to ensure that the rogue squads or paramilitaries of the junta would not harass the refugees.


    The girl beside them had so far stayed silent during the debacle, merely keeping to herself as they worked through the day. Currently, her eyes were merely locked on the civilians they passed through outside.


    It seemed as though she hoped her mother was there.


    While they advanced forward, it was still at walking speed level, the marines on foot outside almost advancing at the same rate as them.


    At such a point, their vehicles acted more as a message of intimidation to the Junta than an effective means of movement.


    "You heard the news sarge?" Timmy asked from behind. The sergeant focused on his radio, only gave a grunt.


    "News about what?"


    "That they ain''t letting men evacuate?"


    Oakley looked down as well, as he was still standing to operate their mounted gun at the roof. Men wouldn''t be evacuated? Unsurprising to him, he thought.


    "The world''s just that way, son." The sergeant said, returning back to his radio. Oakley and Timmy looked at each other, and Timmy seemed angry.


    "That was a joke right?"


    "Timmy you know, if that''s a joke, we men are the punchline."


    "Oh come on!"


    With great outrage, Timmy turned to the little girl. His blood boiled further.


    "Oakley, look at this bullshit. We''re helping these girls and women, and they order us not to help our fellow men? Why do they repay our kind like this?"


    "Timmy, don''t you dare blame the poor girl."


    "I''m just saying, man! They''re the problem."


    The girl began to cry, which earned a groan from Oakley.


    "Oh come on, you fucking moron. Now she''s crying."


    "Oh shit¡­"


    And thus began the two''s impromptu session of desperately soothing the young girl''s cries. It only took 5 minutes, which was quite an impressive track record for two bumbling Marines indeed.


    By the time they were done, the convoy had stopped moving. In front of them, the Marines had begun deploying out of the tanks and vehicles.


    "We''re here boys, get your rifles ready."


    Their HMLV rode through the side of the convoy, while other tanks and vehicles split away in the main highway to continue the drive east.


    For them, they turned south, and finally, the first bridge was shown in all of its glory. They could also see the southern section of the city. The battle had destroyed all electrical lines, and thus, the skyline of the skyscrapers over the river was pitch black, with merely the occasional burning buildings illuminating the skyline.


    Their HMLV led the way forward, followed by other HMLVs and the tanks behind. They stopped when suddenly, massive searchlights opened up from the bridge.


    There, what awaited them was the junta, their flags waving atop behind their sandbag positions, which completely blocked the entrance to the bridge.


    Their driver stopped their HMLV about 20 meters in front of the awaiting troops of the junta, with those behind them doing the same as the Marines disembarked their vehicles in haste.


    Their sergeant cocked his pistol before he turned Timmy.


    "You, get out of the car. Oakley, if they try something stupid, you fire that .50 cal under my command. Go! Go! Go!"

 Chapter Twenty-Eight: Yet Rats Would Rescue Women

    "Protests and strikes finally began to calm down. The incidence of violence in major Orlish cities waned as well. The Prime Minister, Alexa Weirl?ff welcomed this development as, ''A positive sign for a peaceful election'' in a press conference this morning."


    - ROCN News


    ---


    A fun, tense, or actually, definitely unfun standoff developed between the Junta''s troops and the Orlish marines. Face to face, the two groups stood at odds near the bridge.


    Behind the convoy, two important officers left an HMLV. It was Colonel Richmeister himself and Commodore Albert Ludendorf. With grim, neutral expressions, the two men briskly walked with much confidence through the Orlish lines.


    Albert himself was still agitated inside, the fury at the recent developments irked him greatly.


    None of his pleas with Minister Adelaide worked - mainly because the poor woman herself could not do much more. Even his recent call to his little sister, Her Majesty Queen Amelie herself did not have much results either.


    Well, except for her little sister almost crying in horror at the news. Turns out, her idealist sister was horrified to find out that almost a million men would be trapped in a city about to turn into a bloodbath.


    It was the only thing that lightened the situation for him. At least, that woman cared.


    "So what will I say, Commodore?"


    "Just tell them that the Mandate of Nations directive requires them to vacate their positions."


    He nodded as the two reached the front of their impromptu ''frontline''. The Colonel took a step forward, and so did someone from the Junta. He seemed to be outraged at the presence of the Orlish marines, which resulted in no reaction from the Colonel, who merely gave one order.


    "Stand down."


    "I am Major Zheng Yu of the Hebei Republican Army." The man spat back. "Who are you to order me on my homeland?"


    "I am Colonel Diego Richmeister, 5th Marine Division of the Orlish Marine Corps. I demand you to stand down under the directives of the Mandate of Nations."


    The man laughed in response, the troops behind him seemed to turn bitter.


    "Is that so Colonel? Pray tell, why should I follow the orders of a traitor like you?"


    "Traitor?"


    "Why yes, of course! What do you think you are but a traitor? All of you! All of you are traitors to men''s cause."


    The Colonel and the marines stood silent at such a harsh accusation. It did make much sense, they were serving the Mandate of Nations, and thus, were agents of Pollos'' matriarchs.


    Their recent actions further solidified such. They had turned back and pushed their fellow men away from the evacuations. One may call them hesitant and excuse such an act with, "They''re just following orders."


    Yet none of it changed one fact. They had actively abandoned their fellow men.


    "Major, I have a question for you." The Colonel replied, his tone still unchanged.


    "I''m all ears, Colonel."


    "Is it worth it?"


    The Major fell silent as he contemplated the question. To fight and bleed for their rights. To fight and kill and destroy their very own homeland - was it worth it?


    He glanced subtly at the burning skyline of Ginzhu before him. Ginzhu after all was once a bright city of 8 million. A city that had once been a financial giant of the Empire.


    Ironically, Ginzhu too was one of the most progressive cities in the Hebeian Empire. The Countess of Ginzhu had once famously championed a bill of rights for men.


    Yet now, the same city was but cinders. A mere month of war, and now, nothing but a shadow of its former self. A hollow husk of death and devastation.


    All because men like him had enough.


    "Colonel¡­when will we truly win our rights? Was there really any other way?"


    "Major, the truth is, no one has an answer for that question. The only question is - would you relinquish your honor as a man and leave countless women to die a horrible death for mere revenge?"


    A bitter smile forced its way onto his face.


    "Do we men even have any honor or dignity left?"


    "Tattered and pulverized, yes, but doesn''t that make the act of preserving what''s left¡­more important?"


    The major nodded in deep contemplation. Behind both sides, both troops listened to the exchange in full attention, and so did Albert.


    Far as it seemed, they were all men trapped in a cruel circus of despair. The only differences were their nationalities and ideologies. Yet they were one - both of them understood each other.


    The Hebeians understood the Orlishmen''s intent of saving the trapped women to preserve their honor.


    The Orlishmen understood the Hebeians'' desire for retribution.


    "Colonel¡­you will leave and relinquish both bridges to us, but you will only have three more days to evacuate the civilians-" He held his tongue, the error caught up on him. Word had already reached him - the MN would not evacuate men.


    He nodded.


    "The women, I meant."


    The Colonel nodded in grim appreciation.


    "Then I hope you find salvation from your bloody struggle."


    "...Thank you, sir."


    What took merely 8 minutes of wait finished. The Major quickly evacuated his men off the bridges. In no time, the engines of the armored column once again rumbled, as the Junta''s troops lined up on the side to spectate.


    With a quick salute from the Major and a reciprocal one from both Albert and the Colonel, they turned around to the lead tank of the convoy and gave them the go-ahead signal.


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    In the dark night, they advanced with much gallantry, the tank threads and then the rubber of HMLVs running through the bridge at last.


    As they advanced forward, lines of the Junta''s troops that left the other side of the bridge greeted them with muted faces. The two advanced in opposite directions, the Junta''s troops toward the north side, the Orlish Marines toward the south.


    By the time they had crossed it, distant cheers were heard on the other side. Lined upon the downtown highway, behind lines of barricades, sandbags, and barbed wire that the junta placed, were masses of civilians.


    The lead tank continued its advance forward until it met the barricades and promptly drove through it, the civilians crossing the highway to meet the disembarking Orlish marines with warm embraces.


    Women, young and old, trapped for days rushed and hugged their liberators in tears. Waves and smiles accompanied the convoy as it drove further forward.


    Indeed for the civilians, it was a moment of truth.


    The cavalry was here.


    ¡­


    "Mama?" The girl asked as their HMLV drove through the crowds. "Mama?! Mama!"


    The driver promptly stopped their vehicle and parked to the side. Oakley immediately rushed down and left the .50 cal unattended. It seemed that the girl had found her mother.


    "Yo, she found her mother!"


    "Timmy, I know."


    With haste, the two disembarked from their HMLV, with Oakley fully opening the door for the girl. Immediately, she ran off toward the direction of the lines of civilians, shouting, "Mama! Mama!" on her merry way.


    Naturally, the duo followed her closely, their boots running to catch up with the hasty child.


    In no time, she jumped and clung upon one of the awaiting civilians, a woman in her thirties, who lowered herself to embrace her child.


    The mother and daughter cried beside the road, as the two finally caught up, both stopping at a good distance, as a smile grew on their faces.


    "...Hey Oakley."


    "Yeah, Timmy?"


    "We''re heroes, aren''t we."


    "You''re too proud of yourself."


    "I mean¡­isn''t this the reason they called us to sign up?"


    "They drafted us to die in the trenches, Timmy."


    "Yet we''re here."


    The two watched as they embraced each other in tears. Somehow, their awful stay in the corps had produced¡­something nice. Something worthy of being looked up to.


    Expected to be a rat that would be a mere fodder in a war, somehow, they were here instead. As gallant liberators. As protectors of civilians. As rescuers from hell.


    The two soon approached them, the woman looking up in tears at the two. Oakley kneeled closely to the two.


    "Hello ma''am, may I know your name and I.D.?"


    "You saved her?"


    "We found her crying in a convenience store."


    The woman cried further, as she tried to wipe her tears off.


    "Yes¡­I¡­I''m Countess Xie Jie¡­I, this city is my domain."


    Shock was plastered on the faces of the two. Did they save the very damned girl of the bigshot of the city?


    "I¡­wait what?"


    Dear lord, we technically saved a Princess right? Right?


    "They caught me¡­before I could reach the port. Got separated from her, and they brought me here¡­until you all arrived¡­" She teared up further as she hugged her child further.


    "Thank you, thank you. To all of you¡­all of you¡­"


    Oakley could not respond in due time, and so he turned to Timmy behind him, who was smiling proudly at their work.


    "Just tell her, ''You''re Welcome'' man."


    With a split-second scowl directed at the jerkass, he turned back to the mother and daughter. And with a bright smile¡­


    "You''re welcome, ma''am."


    "Well, well." The commanding voice of their sergeant prompted both to stand and turn back.


    "I see you two are having a little watch of a fuzzy little embrace."


    Oakley didn''t have a response as he stood rigidly.


    "Yes, Sarge. We are."


    "Then why are you still fooling around doing nothing? There are hundreds of thousands of civilians out here. There''s work to be done. Move!"


    With haste, the two quickly scurried off to rejoin their fellow marines, their sergeant watching with a proud smile at the duo as they ran.


    "I really do have some good men with me." He muttered before he turned around.


    ---


    3-Days Later


    Albert watched as the final vessels disembarked from the port. Already, they had begun to wrap up Operation Anchor.


    It left a bitter taste in his tongue.


    While they had saved millions of girls and women from the city, nearly a million men were still left. The only thing he could do for them was send them mere rations from his fleet and the 5th and 7th Divisions.


    Of course, the supplies were for naught. It was more of a bitter, parting gesture before they abandoned them. It would only be a few hours left before both Princess Xue''s forces and the Junta resumed their battle for the city.


    With the military assets that built up between both sides over the length of the ceasefire, it was clear that the city would be turned into nothing but rubble once both sides assaulted it.


    And thus was his final act in the Operation. He walked through the hallways of their makeshift headquarters, then to the gates of the port. There were still Orlish marines and vehicles lined up when he reached his destination, the checkpoint where hundreds of men of Ginzhu were gathered.


    He inspected each and every face. Most of them were old, infirm, unhealthy, some thin as bones - most likely starved for a month already.


    They all awaited his words.


    "I¡­I apologize to all of you. But this is just the truth for us." No one really watched the proceedings. When the last woman boarded the ships, the last of the media had left in haste.


    The only ones who would witness it were these men and the Orlish marines behind him. And so, he freely spoke his mind.


    "I have no words of excuses for all of you. No words of comfort. No words that would ask for your forgiveness. Whatever you feel, it is justified¡­and I would not ask you to accept my apology."


    He took a deep breath, as something rose from inside. It almost threatened to spill his tears, yet like all men, none came. Only an expression masked by layers of repression.


    "The world does not value you. It does not value us. What could we do¡­I do not know. But this is the result of it. The world has branded all of you as extremists because you''re all men, thus, there is no escape for you. I have no words left, and I won''t return. There will be no cavalry for you¡­that is just the truth, and I hope you all understand it."


    The men looked at him with empty expressions, before someone from their ranks approached him, nodding weakly.


    "It''s alright sir¡­we''re men. We''ll¡­go through this. I hope all of your men will make a merry trip back home."


    He stared at the man, his suit ragged and torn.


    "You seem familiar, sir."


    "CEO of Richun Electronics." A bitter smile grew on his face. "Not even money could buy my way out of here."


    Albert nodded in understanding. Indeed, for most men, not even wealth would save them. Many men would try everything to find worth in their society, whether on the corporate ladder or the military.


    The end result was the same regardless. Once push came to shove - they were rats.


    "Godspeed to you then, sir."


    "You too, Commodore¡­or Prince. I hope your sister is genuine."


    Albert was taken aback. Even this far? To another country? In a far continent? Someone¡­someone looked up at her little sister.


    "Thank you, sir."


    He nodded, and slowly, the crowd of men, along with him, turned around and began to walk away from the port.


    A single thought etched in his mind as he looked down at the road.


    I will never forgive myself for this failure of mine. We left these good men to their deaths.


    ---

 Chapter Twenty-Nine: Strike Force 7 Returns

    "The Battle of Ginzhu finally resumed 5 hours after the end of Operation Anchor. Loyalist forces bombarded the city centre before an assault on the two bridges. Republican forces held the bridge, however, as an 8-hour retaliatory missile strike decimated the Southern half of the city which the Loyalists captured. Civilian and Loyalist casualties were high."


    - Geopol Press


    Rebenslof, Kingdom of Orland


    Amelie awaited the proceeding with great trepidation. It was, after all, a bit of a clusterfudge. According to what her brother, Albert, said, his men had already turned nearly mutinous before the Operation even ended.


    Quite frankly, even she was deeply horrified by it. These men rescued so many lives of women, yet they could not rescue many of their fellow brethren - all because of them.


    Many tears would have been shed by Her Majesty, fortunately, she was too busy in the repair of the Kingdom gameplay to cry about a bunch of men on the other side of the world.


    When Strike Force 7 docked upon the Rebenslof Naval Base, the fanfare was at an all-time low. To much of the Orlish public, they were failures. Failures that left many women killed. Failures that failed women. So why should they give the bastards much attention?


    And so they disembarked their ships in a scathingly silent affair. The vehicles of the 5th and 7th Marine Divisions were even watched with occasional glares as they passed through the roads of Rebenslof, relocating to their bases outside of the city.


    The Battle of Ginzhu after all was the first televised battle where many women died or suffered injuries. Usually, in wars, women would quickly evacuate an area before two armies clashed - this one was much different, as the Junta never played by any rules, and attacked the city before any evacuations, and even destroyed bridges and roads to "hamper Loyalist logistics".


    Thus was the mass condemnation from the world and from the Orlish female public. Condemnation against the Junta, and condemnation against Strike Force 7, and the 5th and 7th Marine Divisions for leaving a few thousand unavoidable casualties amongst the city women. After all, how dare they do such a thing?


    But what worried Amelie greatly as well was the implications of the battle. Even in the Great War, most battles were fought in fields of the Gaul-Poznek border, where barely any cities with populations above 100,000 existed.


    Ginzhu was thus a dreadful example of what a potential Civil War would play out in Orland. Two armies that would clash not on some insignificant border frontlines - but on the heart of the nation, in sprawling metropolises.


    I must stop it at all costs then¡­


    She wouldn''t want such nonsense in her cities after all. Oh, imagine if it had happened in Rebenslof with its 12 million population, or goddess-forbid Halia, where her precious Palace resided.


    Her musings were interrupted when someone knocked on her door. She had temporarily stayed in an estate owned by her family near Rebenslof to await Albert''s return.


    And she expected him to arrive about now.


    What greeted her outside was none other than Albert himself. Still downtrodden, he forced a neutral smile on his face when he saw her. The man had to stay with a stiff upper lip after all.


    "Hello, I''m back."


    "Albert¡­oh, and Minister Adelaide?"


    Behind him as well was the same woman who organized Strike Force 7 for the intervention. She smiled as she was addressed. Though, Amelie did not forget her failure on the diplomatic front.


    Though one could scarcely blame her for that. Orland after all could not just straight up force smaller nations to accept refugees they didn''t want. Plus, what hypocrisy - Orland did not take a single refugee.


    And Amelie had also haughtily insisted that it was alright because, "We''re doing the most in the evacuation efforts," and she didn''t want more pesky refugees (especially angry young men) as an additional headache.


    In other words, our dreadfully pure Queen was actually - quite the hypocrite.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty. I do recognize that the Operation had been unsatisfactory, and for that, I apologize."


    The young Queen took a deep breath of tiredness. While indeed it wasn''t as successful as she hoped it would be, she was still thankful it didn''t turn into a scandal against her.


    That would be most unfortunate. Thank goddess it was mostly men that died (Do ignore how horrifying that sounds.)


    "You both did good. Please, don''t blame yourselves."


    The two entered the lavish city mansion that Amelie owned, which was, among other things, one of the multitudes of properties she had no idea the Royal Family owned.


    Naturally, she booked a fancy hotel when she originally went to Rebenslof (of course it was Meintz Hotel) but, turns out she owned a damned mansion near the edge of the city which would have been collecting dust if the staff that kept it maintained hadn''t existed.


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    "So why''d you call me to stop here." Her older brother asked as Adelaide - being the fine lady she was, took a seat at the table that Amelie prepared, with much fine tea as expected.


    Albert on the other hand, decided to stand instead, as if he was rushing to leave.


    Because he needed to leave immediately. Report to the Admiralty and OHC and all that. He was a good navy boy after all.


    "I just wanted to ask you about it." She took her seat as well. "How do you feel about the Operation?"


    "Wouldn''t want it to happen at Orland too, that''s all I can really say."


    She took a calm sip of her lovely tea (which she had been sipping for hours as she waited for the two) and nodded.


    "Me neither. Do you have any insights then¡­should an evacuation be required in Halia as well."


    Oh dear, she was straight to the point. Amelie after all, bought the Navy''s loyalty earlier with the shipyard project, as she would absolutely evacuate her nation should the need arise.


    This intent was not lost on Albert, who nodded.


    "Simply put, I believe that should a Civil War break out here as well, Halia would be devastated, but evacuation efforts should not be as abysmal unless the city is cut off on both land and sea."


    Amelie nodded. Some good news at least. Indeed, Halia was a tad bit different from Ginzhu. While a river did run in its southern outskirts, (where on the southern bank, the City of Heiflitz existed) the terrain up north was a fully open plains, filled with roads and rail lines galore.


    Up north was also Rebenslof itself, which she expected to be a friendly city should a civil war break out. The Free Confederation of Westlauren mostly supported her reign, so that was a piece of good news for her.


    In other words, unlike Ginzhu which could only be evacuated by sea should things turn sour, she could run like a cat in terror in land. How terribly fortunate of her.


    "Mhm, at least some good news came out of this."


    "You''re welcome."


    Now, Amelie went to her next agenda on the list. Albert had already told her about it in the calls that the two made during the duration of the cluster fudge that shall not be mentioned once more.


    "So what did Princess Xue say?"


    "Do Miss Adelaide know about it already?"


    The woman smiled at him in affirmation.


    "Indeed I do. Her Majesty had briefed me about it. It is Orland''s foreign affairs after all."


    With a deep breath, Albert began explaining the situation to the two. It was a bit of a sneaky intervention thing. Princess Xue asked for supplies and weapons. Naturally, Albert told her in the meeting that Orland could not simply do another actual intervention.


    To which Adelaide and Amelie naturally clapped at him internally, because really, the dumpster fire that was Orland could not afford much more.


    Already, their intervention in Ginzhu had been quite expensive, which taxpayers didn''t like, because why the fuck should they pay when they''re nearly bankrupt?


    The only reason they accepted the intervention in the first place, even if Operation Anchor was quite expensive, was that they had to save millions of civilian women.


    On the other hand, shipments of military weapons (which were even more expensive) now that would be a tad bit too far.


    And so, Albert suggested a sneaky little intervention instead, with sections of the Royal Guard sending covert shipments of advanced combat wands and arcano-rifles, small arms that could actually be shipped to without garnering much attention.


    Plus, it was cheaper - because Orland could really not afford much else.


    "But why should we do this?" Asked Amelie, since, let''s be honest, Albert hadn''t given her a good justification to aid Princess Xue.


    And while Amelie felt pity for her fellow aristocrat who happened to reach the revolution chopping block first then her, and she did want to help (as Princess Xue wasn''t a bad person) she again was barely in control of her Kingdom. Every effort expended by Amelie to her would be an effort not spent on fixing her dumpster fire.


    "Because¡­the Junta, or well the Republic, is currently engaged in a global conspiracy to overthrow the order you women established. Yes, you two heard that right¡­my fellow men are planning for a global revolution."


    Silence.


    "Wait¡­so the NRF could be under the influence of foreign agents?"


    "Foreign rebel agents¡­or the NRF is the mastermind. It matches up, I suggest you ring Marie about it, I think she already connected the dots and is just compiling and verifying the report for you."


    "What are you saying?"


    "I''m saying that all of it could be coordinated by extremist men around the world. Terrorist strikes, gas attacks, the nuclear meltdown in the Empire of Larissa, the Hebeian Coup, hell, what if the assassination of our mother was their work?"


    That rattled Amelie''s brain. How did these jerkasses manage to even coordinate such a plot under their noses? Surely, someone should have noticed.


    "It doesn''t surprise me at all. We have been quite organized on the internet for decades. It was how the General Strike had been so devastating, and how the Junta successfully couped the Empire. Princess Xue told me that before the tanks even came, militias of young men had already taken control of key targets and cities - effectively paralyzing her mother."


    "That''s ridiculous Albert? The internet? Seriously?"


    "Where do you think angry young men retreat into to fantasize endlessly about destroying the world that wronged them? Of course, to the darkest corners of the internet."


    Adelaide finally spoke up.


    "Indeed, we noted it for quite a while now. The internet is men''s unregulated space. Though, I didn''t know such a thing was happening."


    "Of course you wouldn''t. You would not dig deep into some obscure forum of deranged men calling for nuclear revolution when you''re living a nice life."


    The two fell silent, Amelie completely stopping her lovely tea-sipping routine. All this time, she had been looking at the newspapers and ministerial reports to see how young men were acting.


    When they were on the internet?


    "In any case, that''s why Princess Xue needs this help. She believes that unless every moderate monarch banded together, the world would fall into regimes created by men hell-bent on swinging the pendulum - violently, to the other side."


    Amelie, as expected, did not like the sound of that very much.

 Chapter Thirty: Propaganda Warfare

    "Orlish Navy lifts the oil blockade against the Empire of Larissa and the Order Pact in a stunning move of diplomatic policy shift. Could this be the beginning of a possibly neutral relationship between both giants?"


    - Redcastle Post


    ---


    "Oh dear, that does sound quite unfavorable."


    Amelie''s words rang true to Marie, as she presented her ''good news'' to her. Well, if reports of further rising extremism and the UOP and the ORP bleeding further votes counted as ''good news''.


    "Look at the bright side, Your Majesty. Both the UOP and ORP would still most likely retain 60% of the seats in the Parliament."


    "You know that doesn''t sound good when 40% would essentially vote for two extremist parties."


    She beamed brightly. Marie always had that sometimes irritating, but strangely appealing charm with her. She was always cheerful and positive - even when it seemed deranged.


    "Look at the bright side of life and all that, Your Majesty."


    Very funny, Marie.


    "Regardless, I don''t think we can do much further to change this," Marie said as she closed one of the folders, her smile unwavering. "This is just how democracy is, to change that is impossible. The system failed, and this is the result."


    "But the extremists are playing us dirty."


    "We can''t change that, they believe that it''s the only way. And let''s be honest if you hadn''t taken the throne and begun these reforms - they would be correct."


    Indeed, she did have a point. Truthfully, Queen Areya was a bit of a clown, a self-righteous clown even. She loved promising rights, freedoms, and aid to men, which unsurprisingly led to nothing.


    Except for the votes. Which she made men pay for. In millions of lives. No wonder the message to men was, "Unless we pay in blood, nothing would arrive."


    "I see¡­then what can we do?"


    "I''m already working on that. Counter-propaganda efforts are already being hammered by my agency. Though, it''s quite difficult at how these anonymous Internet men are twisting our words."


    She pulled out her laptop out of nowhere, placed it on a table, and showed Amelie its contents. With a scroll, she unveiled how these men spread their propaganda.


    Quick one-word quips, pictures of a stylized black cat that made vulgar jokes, images of powerful aristocrats - even her, slapped into edited images of pigs.


    And Amelie especially despaired at - no, hyper-focused at one of those pictures. There it was, her own graceful picture, her lovely face, artistically turned into a bloodthirsty succubus with¡­an overly suggestive figure that almost made her puke.


    Beneath it as well¡­


    "Feeling cute might eat men later."


    Oh, bless her heart that almost experienced a mild dose of discontinuance after witnessing such vile artistic buffoonery. How could someone draw her, a regal, pure, and angelic Queen in such a vulgar manner? Heaven forbid, the wanker even drew her as a demon - how absolutely devious!


    And so, she immediately reverted from a mildly depressed young regal Queen to a flustered teenage girl, a very angry kind.


    "Ew! What the hell is that? Who the hell drew that?! Who the hell-"


    Marie, being an old friend of Amelie, knew exactly that she was about to begin a colorful outburst. And so, like the good friend she was, she immediately became her voice of reason.


    "I understand how you feel about this-"


    "I demand his head! I demand this guy, whoever drew it, and his head! Preferably on an oversized stick!"


    "-But you have to calm down."


    "I''ve taken enough humiliation since I took this damned throne, but this is going too far!"


    "-And I seriously doubt that you''d execute someone over-"


    "But I will absolutely have fun playing with him using my electrical spells. Does he think this is funny? I can show him funny!"


    "-And that does in fact technically count as torture-"


    "Because I absolutely want to just torture this absolute vile creature that-"


    "-And you need to drink tea to calm yourself down."


    Upon the mention of the magic word, tea, she immediately stopped her tirade.


    "You are indeed correct."


    With a huff and a few deep breaths, she flopped back to her chair and took a very unladylike sip (that consumed half of her teacup''s content) to calm herself down.


    And just like that, she was calm (no she was not).


    Marie smiled as she closed her laptop.


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    "Good?"


    She was still flustered, angry, and definitely red. It seemed as if her eyebrows were even twitching when Marie asked her.


    "Better than before, yes. I still want that guy groveling on my feet though. Can you find him?"


    She sneaked another sip to calm her nerves. Oh, the delight. The bloodthirsty thoughts that would occasionally raid her mind assaulted in full force. A poor rascal would be having an unfavorable night tonight.


    "Give me a few hours."


    "I''d be waiting."


    And before she knew it, Marie dropped a very much half-beat lanky guy in front of her before the day ended. Well, it was afternoon, which meant she still had time for petty retribution.


    Amelie, after all, had never been petty on her throne. But with this - she really wanted to be petty.


    "Hello."


    The sweet smile on her face definitely didn''t look deranged. It was sweet and angelic even. Dear, her eyes were even slightly glowing, and a faint halo above her head was floating.


    See? Angelic!


    "Your Majesty¡­i-it was a joke. I mean, let''s all calm down here, I mean, look at her, she''s smiling."


    Marie indeed was.


    "You''re smiling, hey I''m smiling too. See, we can have a very perfect day with funny, lighthearted jokes here-"


    She leaned down at him, her ''not deranged'' smile unfaltering. Naturally, his body decided to relocate backward in a snap-second as a response. A nervous smile appeared on his face.


    "You''re telling me and that nice lady..." She definitely wasn''t nice, considering how wet and beaten up his clothes were. Indeed, Marie wasn''t gentle at capturing him. "Everything about the NRF''s ongoing propaganda efforts. Are we in agreement?"


    With a gulp, he replied.


    "Have mercy, please."


    ¡­


    The jerkass spilled everything he knew. Turned out, he was just a freelance artist hired by a man from an obscure forum to produce the ''art'' (Amelie preferred to refer to such a product as garbage), and he was actually not even connected to the NRF, or if he was, more of a mere deniable asset.


    And while Amelie wanted to unleash her retaliatory wrath at the vile vulgar disgusting perverted and absolutely devious¡­man, she was a benevolent, kind, and nice type of Queen.


    So with a heavy dose of reprimand and warnings, he was booted off the Palace. Technically, Amelie could execute him for ''defaming the monarch'' as it was law, but she could hardly be bothered.


    Albert, who made a pit stop at the Palace to visit Alice, was now barely keeping his mirth as Amelie recounted the events.


    "Alright, look. Are you asking for an early grave?"


    The glare from Amelie was so icy, that even the emotionally dead Albert nearly flinched (though, he was still laughing inside), as the difficulty of keeping his laugh at bay utterly consumed him.


    "Trust me, I''m not. I am very serious, and I won''t be laughing."


    "Be serious! This is a scandalous, slanderous act against me. Ugh, that rat irks me."


    "Whoah, gee, think you need more tea?"


    "I''ve drunk my eight cups of the day already. It won''t work."


    "Well, that''s unfortunate."


    Amelie huffed and turned to the window. Her eyes were now once again aimed at that lovely bakery that she would always look at. Craving for sweets and cake could be said to be the nature of the two royal sisters.


    And as such, she desperately imagined a nice cake to purge the picture out of her mind. Indeed, she was beyond traumatized. She could not believe that people thought of her in such a way.


    Dammit, I really want his head on a pointy stick!


    "Well, anyhow, I believe you found valuable insights from said ''ruffian''?"


    And indeed, Amelie did refer to him as a ruffian. It could be said that she hates him more than even Heindh?ff. Heindh?ff was evil, but he wasn''t that disgusting.


    "All I found out was that young men in these forums loved to spread extremely vulgar jokes to defame us. And me."


    Albert took a seat in front of her, nodding at her accurate information. Mainly because, he was also at these same forums, lurking as political extremists of all kinds somehow collectively united under the NRF''s banner to fart in the Palace''s general direction.


    "That''s essentially what their propaganda is. It''s very popular with bitter young men. Nothing helps to rile things up further than pointing at the ones in charge and blaming everything on them. Then making fun of them."


    She turned around in her seat, an eyebrow raised.


    "So they''re blaming me?"


    "Not just you. The Prime Minister, the Cabinet, the Parliament, every damned noble. Hell, they''re calling our good friend Walter a mere puppy of yours."


    Amelie fell silent once more. What a bunch of wankers! Out here, working herself to her bone, to fix the Kingdom, that was what she was doing. And this was how they would repay her?


    Day by day, each and every effort of hers bore no fruit. Nothing but hatred and danger was handed to her as a payment.


    Yet, somehow, she could not bring herself to hate them in return. Deny it as much as she would like, but she knew very well why. She had failed them. They had failed them. Even to this day, men were still suffering en masse from their collapsing economy and lack of reforms.


    Indeed, such hate was justified. Even so, Amelie felt it was unfair. And indeed it was! The ire and hatred directed at her by these young men when all she had given her was her aid and care (which was practically useless anyway as it was ineffective) had always left a bitter taste on her tongue.


    She understood why, but it still made her bitter. Perhaps, resentful even. After all, how long could someone stomach the act of aiding someone who repulsed and hated her?


    Oh, dear. Now she lowered her head. She was now depressed and stuff.


    "Hey¡­Albert, I have a question to ask."


    "Shoot."


    "Do you think it is still possible for me to turn it all around? To fix all of this? To stop this hate and division?"


    "Yes, I believe in you."


    She didn''t expect that answer. Her eyes locked at his for many moments, completely surprised. She remembered that day with William when he told her that he applauded her efforts.


    Her entire reign had been one of a struggle to keep her nation together, but more importantly - to win men''s trust back. To hear such words from her brother, one of these men¡­


    "Amelie, I saw the worst nightmare of all kinds. From the war, and all the deaths and destruction. The failures of humanity. The most bitter battles that saw countless men dead. And that¡­bloody evacuation. I haven''t told you about it, but even there, in that desolate city, in that city where men were abandoned - I personally talked to a man who looked up at you."


    Someone¡­someone did?


    "I don''t know if that man is still alive. But I just wanted you to know, you may look at all this hate directed at you¡­but don''t forget how your actions made someone half a world away believe in you."


    Whatever resentment and doubt that was in her mind and heart, somehow, it began to thaw. Perhaps¡­she was not a failure yet. Perhaps, she could still fulfill her promise on that faithful day.


    To be a benevolent Sovereign.

 Chapter Thirthy-One: No Rest Till Election Day

    "Another military intervention! Gallic Armed Forces launched Operation Chasseur this morning against the self-proclaimed Republic of Asturia after another pro-male coup d''etat occurred yesterday that forced the Asturian Regency Council off the Kingdom. Queen Alois has cited the need to contain extremist ideologies as her justification. Already, the GAF had advanced 80 kilometers after heavy fighting toward the Asturian capital of Loviedo."


    - Geopol Press


    ---


    Amelie didn''t love to smile and wave. But smile and wave she did. Of course, smile and wave, she continued, smile and wave. Must be fun being the most important lady of the Kingdom indeed.


    Oh, someone just flashed a camera straight at her face! What an absolutely insolent act! But, do ignore them, her regal bearings could not falter in front of the cameras and the public. And like some attention-hungry celebrity, smile, and wave, she continued.


    By the time that her little publicity stunt to support the UOP in their rallies was over, she was completely drained. She completely flopped on the seat of Albert''s SUV as she disappeared from the crowd.


    "That sucked."


    "You had a lot of fangirls." Quipped Albert with a cheeky smile.


    Indeed, most of her audience at the rally were fellow noblewomen (most of whom were lower nobility). They were the UOP''s main voter base, which the new salty lady''s party, the Arcanist Party, was trying to steal from their grasp.


    And so was the war at two fronts in these elections. On one hand, Walter Plock''s ORP battled the NRF to gain the male voters, while Jacqueline Heiss'' UOP battled the Arcanist Party for that sweet sweet vote from the noblewomen.


    "At the very least they''re still enthusiastic to support me."


    And indeed they were. Over the course of the rally, many speeches were made in support of the Queen. Women of all kinds held the party as more of a festive one than a desperate fight against some evil entity (which the 3 other parties loved to do.)


    It was utterly peaceful throughout, as the rally called for peace, unity, and the healing of the nation. It honestly warmed Amelie''s heart.


    "Well, it''s nice to see a lot of optimistic women."


    "Did you try to swing a girl out of there?"


    "Nah, I have Rebenslof with me."


    "Gah, you''re really disgusting."


    She looked away as he pressed on the gas pedal, and she tucked her fancy light blue dress a bit. Quite frankly, Albert''s SUV was cramped and definitely not fit for a high-class royal lady, but she preferred it.


    Similar to William''s SUV, these two dull jerks used a pretty well-armored SUV, but more importantly, due to both of their universal dullness, no one would even suspect that the Queen was in these boring vehicles.


    His SUV was quite literally the definition of utilitarian dullness, grey without even a custom paint job. Almost as if it was straight out of the factory lines.


    "Anyways, how are you holding up, Amelie?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "I know you took a lot of rest earlier to get those eyebags off, but you still seem¡­pale."


    She lowered her head with a tinge of shame. She didn''t like it, but truly, she had many limits. Each night that she would "take an extra hour" to finish her duties would slowly pile up and take a toll on her health.


    Not to mention the morning when she would forsake her breakfast to rush the day''s reports and respond to the endless daily issues that her Kingdom faced.


    No matter what she did, dozens upon dozens of report documents, requests that needed to be signed, and other paperwork filled her desk. Perhaps, she really needed a lady-in-waiting to aid her.


    "I''m¡­well, I''m handling it well. Yesterday, I slept for 8 hours."


    "Oh, wow, how wonderful. You slept with a number that isn''t 3 hours."


    She crossed her arms.


    "Oh come on, are you seriously judging me for that? I bet you barely slept at Ginzhu."


    "Contrary to popular belief, military officers do sleep. It''s peacetime, so I usually sleep for 8 hours. At Ginzhu, I managed with 6."


    "How the hell?"


    "Time management, Amelie. Time management. Still haven''t graduated from that early University mindset? Dear, the Kingdom is in peril."


    "Oh, shut up."


    The drive dragged on till they reached the Palace. Amelie indeed felt sleepy on the way, as she imagined how nice it would be to retreat to her bedroom, and just flop like a sack of potatoes in her bed.


    Oh¡­how wonderful¡­


    ¡­


    "You two are late!" The little lady, or well, the Princess herself, Her Highness ''brat to the maximum'', Alice Ludendorf huffed at the two. Behind her was her maid-in-waiting, Marta, and also a random soldier from William''s contingent, Reginald himself, who seemed dead inside.


    Amelie immediately leaped to embrace her little sister, while Albert naturally played the role of a pack mule, carrying her fancy bags for her.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    William was also waiting at the entrance of the Palace, leaning against the wall on the side.


    "Welcome back bro."


    "Hey, you call me bro now? That''s new."


    "Yeah, I sure do. Come on, don''t be a stranger. We''re on the same side."


    "Yeah, sure man." Albert promptly passed through them, while Amelie continued to embrace her little sister, playfully pinching her cheeks.


    "Oh, Alice, you''ve been a naughty girl again, haven''t you? Reginald over there seems dead. Didn''t I tell you not to abuse the new guards?"


    "I wuss nwot!"


    William loudly cleared his throat, which broke the good fun between the two sisters. Amelie naturally stood in attention, while Alice remained red-faced and ''angry'' at her older sibling.


    "Anyways, sorry to break your little reunion, but the Meintz Crisis Group is having another meeting."


    "A meeting?"


    "Yes, they''re awaiting you at the conference room."


    Oh well, fun stuff didn''t truly last. And she definitely won''t be given the luxury of a nice early good night sleep. She gave a smile at Alice, who hugged her dress tightly.


    "At least join me for dinner afterward."


    "Don''t worry, I surely will. Anyways, I''d be going then."


    And with that, she walked toward the Palace, ready to once again plan and plot with her allies.


    ¡­


    "Well, well, if it isn''t the two Royals again. Welcome back, you two!" The gruff voice came from none other than General Victor Albrecht himself. The room was once more filled with Amelie''s ''good'' allies, all of them prepared to make reports to the Queen herself.


    Amelie took a seat at the table, as all the others did as well.


    "Very well ladies and gentlemen, so what''s our first agenda today?"


    "Your choice, Your Majesty," Jacqueline replied as she gave a warm smile. It seemed that she wasn''t quite in a bad mood yet. Which was great since a sad Jacqueline would always make a room even more depressing.


    Amelie thought of her options. There were still multitudes of crises that plagued her dumpster fire of a Kingdom, and she already doubted the possibility of even fixing most of it without a good decade.


    First of all, the extremism of the Army and the Armed Forces. The NRF and their shenanigans. And of course, Heindh?ff and his anti-women/anti-royalty/anti-magic/anti-goddess tomfoolery.


    And then, there were the two top aristocrats after her. Archduchess Prisinta Dubois and her right-hand woman, Duchess Lorraine Flandere, and their ''return men to rat status'' tea project.


    And then there was the great Orlish economy being in the proverbial toilet, alongside men''s current civil rights situation and general quality of life, now on its ''sewers edition'' as the economy refused to recover.


    And of course, Orland''s foreign affairs. The Empire of Larissa decided to calm down a bit, but then the events at Hebei and more recently, the Kingdom of Asturia proved that the world''s headache (and thus Orland''s) wasn''t over yet.


    Indeed, there was a lot of fun stuff on her plate to choose from. Oh, it was a buffet of problems indeed, a premium even.


    Amelie made her decision rather quickly. Mainly because the events in Hebei and Asturia really spooked the heavens out of her. Nothing was more terrifying than seeing her fellow Queens and Empresses being absolutely steamrolled by a bunch of angry young men with guns, tanks, and a lot of motivation.


    "How is the situation with the Orlish High Command?"


    And there, the two main military officers in the room turned grim. Well, it was quite grim indeed.


    "Unfortunately, Heindh?ff further divided the Army, Your Majesty. His recent stunt made him appear as a staunch defender of men''s interests when he took a hardline against the Empress."


    "Wait, how?"


    "Simple, everyone in High Command hates Empress Katerina. Remember why we started the war? Because we had to defend our allies from the Empress enforcing her conservative demands to repress men."


    Oh¡­Amelie didn''t study history. So that was how the war started?


    "That, and the fact that we fought her for 3 years that led to what, 10 million dead already? If Queen Areya is hated for sending millions of men to their deaths, Empress Katerina is hated for doing the last part of the deed and killing said 10 million."


    Well, indeed, that did make sense. A sense of horror appeared on her face. Her appeasement must have backfired for a bit then. If the military officers of the OCH hated her and she made a deal and shook hands with her¡­


    "But, you shouldn''t worry much. A lot of officers also recognized your diplomatic moves to be a rational move to preserve more men''s lives. In the end, it should all balance out."


    Oh dear, she almost thought she lost the whole army with that. That would be most unfortunate - well, more like dead Amelie-level unfortunate.


    "General, no need to scare me like that next time, please."


    She almost had a severe heart palpitation with that.


    "I''ll keep that in mind."


    She looked at her two "economic experts", none other than the still depressed and nearly bankrupt Michael Rudolph, and the certified arms dealer - Well Porter.


    "Now, what about the economy?"


    Michael gave his analysis first.


    "Well, to put it in lighter terms, the economy has somewhat ended its absolute free fall. Now, we''re stuck in a new predicament."


    "What exactly?"


    "The fact that the economy is completely stagnated. The bill passed, including all the other measures of Economic Minister Heiss, has so far ended the threat of a complete collapse, but as with many things, that might not last much longer."


    At least it''s not in complete free fall. Oh, it was dreadful watching all those graphs go down each hour. I didn''t know watching lines could be a horror movie in itself.


    "Why is that?"


    "Well, stagnated economies aren''t exactly the best at maintaining high or decent standards of living. We would have to address this eventually."


    Plus, his poor corporation was on life support. And that won''t change until the economy rebounded. And no one enjoyed the situation of being on life support.


    Amelie kept that issue in mind before she turned to Porter. He smiled.


    "Well, good news for you, Your Majesty. The Halian Shipyard has so far been unaffected by this catastrophe. We are on schedule to finish the shipyard."


    "Oh, thank goddess, finally, good news." She almost relaxed completely and melted in her seat. Thankfully, physics prevented that. "Thank you for that, Mr. Porter."


    And then Amelie turned to Halberd.


    "Same news as well, Your Majesty. Your continued excellence at delivering the navy''s needs has been influential, and naturally, the Admiralty has your back."


    Oh, she really wanted to cherish these blessings. The Navy, at last, she had something going for her. Not that they would do much against the Army, but hey, let the poor girl have her celebration.


    Her smile was almost ear to ear. Oh, it had been quite a good day already, not a lot of things could possibly ruin it. Or, at least, before she turned to Marie, who was also smiling.


    "Unfortunately, Amelie, still no results in the investigations. Our efforts are ongoing, but your mother''s death is still a mystery."


    Her face was nothing but disappointment. She had at least expected at least some development, but alas.


    Nothing.


    Way to go, Marie. Way to go. Now my night is ruined again¡­


    She cried in her bed that night, as she grieved and said sorry for her mother.

 Chapter Thirty-Two: Two Bumbling Marines In Traffic

    "Polls show that a UOP-ORP Coalition would be winning a comfortable majority this June. Analysts predict a more stable "Reformist Government" should the situation not change. Some however predict a more grim situation - warning of an early split between the UOP and the ORP due to ideological incompatibility."


    - ROCN News


    ---


    "Oh come on, why is it always goddamned traffic everywhere!" Came the loud groan from behind their HMLV. Naturally, Oakley elected to completely ignore the nonsense of his friend, as his head hung low atop the vehicle.


    "Shut up, Timmy. Have you learned from your mother to stop whining?"


    "Oh, no, I apologize, Se?or Oakley, but unfortunately, unlike you, I''m a damned orphan."


    "Well, sucks to be you, orphan boy."


    "Shut up! The two of you. It''s an absolute pain to listen to you two whine!"


    "Yes, Sarge!"


    For hours, they had been stuck in a stupid traffic jam in downtown Rebenslof. The absolute joke of the day further became apparent when they were separated from their convoy due to their Lieutenant ordering them to "procure food".


    Naturally, their genius of a driver, Corporal Lewis found himself completely lost in the city as they tried to drive around and find a good restaurant (or more desperately at this point, a grocery store to buy even packed cup noodles) as they were really starving.


    And to top it all off, their Ginzhu adventures resulted in their vehicle''s built-in GMTD''s (Global Mapping and Tracking Device) complete breakdown (courtesy of a panicked civilian who fried their vehicle electronics with her magic) and since they had already demonstrated their brain damage quite extensively, they also didn''t get the repairs and replacement on the way back home.


    Now, the Sergeant was down to a paper map of Rebenslof.


    "Lewis, if we could drive forward over there, and turn left at that highway, there''s a mall over there."


    "Roger that, Sarge. Just waiting for the damned traffic to move."


    And indeed, the four of them quite literally looked brain-damaged. A lone military vehicle in a sea of civilian vehicles. The lads and ladies, both in their cars and in the pedestrians, stared at them with curiosity. After all, why the hell would a random vehicle of the Marine Corps be stuck like some moron in the middle of Rebenslof''s city traffic?


    "Man¡­this has to be the greatest joke of all time."


    The next complaint from Timmy went from one ear to another for his other squadmates, as they painfully awaited for the traffic to move.


    Come on, just move. I''m starving, dammit.


    Oakley wisely chose not to vocalize his half-starved complaints, as he preferred to keep his life problems to himself. Unlike a certain someone.


    And so for many minutes, they waited¡­and waited¡­and waited. It was for so long, that Oakley decided that manning the turret was pointless, and merely flopped at his seat beside Timmy.


    Oh, he truly questioned his life decisions. Was this what the life of a Marine really was? An endless traffic jam?


    That was when he turned his head to the side and saw something. It was their wide-eyed Commodore himself, Albert Ludendorf, staring at both of them from his black SUV.


    An awkward silence ensued, broken only by a childish voice from beside Albert.


    "Albert, why are a bunch of soldiers stuck in traffic in the city? Are they stupid?"


    He looked at a seemingly cute, but already annoying girl at Albert''s side seat. She was wearing a frilly white dress, with her blonde hair in a pigtail that reminded him that children were absolute demon spawns. Mostly because the brat called them, a bunch of proud marines, soldiers.


    "Hey, who the hell are you to call us stupid?"


    "Oh, nothing! I''m just Princess of the Kingdom, that''s all."


    "Alice, didn''t I tell you to behave?"


    "What, he looked-"


    With a prompt cover in her mouth, Albert silenced the brat and placed her back in her seat. He looked back at Oakley with an apologetic expression.


    "Real sorry for my little sister. She ate too much chocolate this morning."


    A muffled, "I did not!" came from her.


    "Oh no, sir. It is quite alright. Hey Sarge! It''s the Commodore! He''s here!"


    "He what?!" Came the surprised reply from the front of their HMLV.


    "I said Commodore Ludendorf himself is here!"


    Even Timmy was staring at the ''Prince'' and the Princess in shock. First, they saved the daughter of a bigshot Countess in Ginzhu, now they met the damned Princess? Dear, oh dear, that somehow made him feel a tad bit worried.


    Now, did fate love them so much to chase them this way? That didn''t sound good.


    Albert drove forward a bit to meet the Sergeant eye and eye, the older man immediately stiffed up and saluted him.


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    "Greetings sir! We''re just having a bit of a bad day in the Marine Corps."


    Albert cracked a smile, as his hand separated itself from his little sister, and said brat finally decided to stay quiet - except she was glancing a bit with an irritating glare to Albert.


    "Well, Sergeant, do explain your situation. I could be of help."


    "We are attempting to requisition civilian foodstuff. Unfortunately, as you can terribly see, we are in a bit of a pickle. We are lost."


    "Ah, how terribly unfortunate."


    The traffic finally began moving forward. Albert decided that helping was good today. And so he would.


    "Follow me then, we are stopping in a nearby mall anyways."


    ¡­


    The little girl, or Alice, or Princess whatever seemed to be skipping happily through the ground floors of the mall, dragging his brother into the dark sections of "women''s clothing". Oakley pitied the man''s unfortunate fate, but alas, he was spirited away to said devilish dungeon.


    With those two out and away, Private Oakley and Private Timmy found themselves alone in a very much civilian place. To say they were out of place would be an understatement - they had been stuck in military life for the last two years.


    With much money in their wallets and one quest, they bravely marched forward - all with one quest, find food.


    Well, it was less epic than they had expected. The prices of everything in the mall were absolutely reprehensible. How would a mere lowly commoner man even afford such outrageous prices? Oakley stared at a mere cheap-looking hat as they passed through the clothing section.


    It was 70 Orlish Blancs!


    What the hell man? My shoes back in University were like 15 Blancs? What the hell happened to the economy?


    "Yo, do we even belong here?"


    Timmy asked with great outrage as well. It was like they walked straight upon an aristocratic market. Well¡­that was when he noticed it. Practically everyone in the mall was a woman, aside from the occasional rich men who walked around.


    Business owners most likely. Which meant that it practically only belonged to the wealthy indeed!


    "I remember the prices weren''t this nasty last year."


    "Goddess almighty, this has to be a cruel joke. We''d be starving in the streets if we''re out in service!"


    "To be fair, the economy did collapse."


    "Man, no wonder people were rioting, I''d be rioting too with these prices."


    The two passed through the groceries section, where the price of a mere bottle of milk reached 8 Orlish Blancs. Oakley remembered that milk back then was just 2 Orlish Blancs.


    "Shit ass, we''d be living out of instant noodles at this rate."


    "I don''t need the constant broadcast of our demise, Timmy."


    "He''s not wrong." A woman''s voice distracted the two. Immediately, they found themselves in front of what appeared to be a student from a fancy school nearby. Oh, the two of them nearly groveled at her feet in instinct. Fortunately, they had the pride of a man and a marine.


    "Oh, hi, young miss."


    "You two seem to be from the Army."


    How the hell do people keep mistaking Marines from the Army? Is my branch just invisible?


    "Marines, actually." Timmy stupidly corrected. And there went all of their chances of a calm and civilized discussion, Oakley thought, as he resisted the urge to slap the back of his head. Why did he have the gall to correct a possibly arrogant noblewoman?


    Fortunately, the young woman smiled.


    "Oh? Are you two a part of the Ginzhu thing then?"


    "Whoah, you heard about us?" Timmy said, surprised that a schoolgirl even listened to the news.


    "Of course I did. Our school participated in a protest to save the men trapped in the city."


    The two fell silent.


    "Unfortunately, nothing happened, and I doubt anyone even took us seriously. Even still, I''d like both of you to know, women like me are proud of your service. And we deeply apologize that we cannot do much more."


    "Well, thank you for that, young miss."


    She smiled once more and pulled out her wallet. She pulled out a 500 Blanc bill and presented it to the two.


    "It''s nothing, my allowance is quite massive, so do please take it. I rarely meet veterans, and I believe you are the worst-treated section of society¡­so please, take it and enjoy your stay here. You both deserve it."


    The two looked at each other, both disbelieving the good Samaritan in front of the two. Naturally, the two mentally blamed each other.


    Moron, why did you complain about the prices? Now some rich girl is giving us pity money!


    What the hell man? Why is it my fault now? Plus we could have some friggin meat with this!


    Greedily, Timmy accepted said pity money, a look of utter shame conquering Oakley''s expression. The absolutely shameless rascal!


    "Many thanks to you, miss. I¡­I mean, we appreciate it!"


    "You''re welcome!"


    And with that, she skipped away, shopping at her leisure. Oakley could only merely look at the schoolgirl with an embarrassed smile, as Timmy counted his blessings.


    "What the hell man?"


    "What? It''s free handouts. From a pretty girl too!"


    "She''s like 17 you fool. She''s probably going to water vortex your ass if you do something."


    "Hey, didn''t say anything about that. Anyways, this shit could land us a fine restaurant!"


    "...Alright, fine, I''m starving dammit. But only after we bought the cans and noodles for the boys."


    "See, knew you wanted it too."


    ¡­


    "Oh look, it''s the two doof-"


    Before the devilish brat finished her line, Albert swiftly masked her mouth to prevent her from uttering biohazard lines. Of course, nonetheless, both Oakley and Timmy knew exactly what the Princess was about to utter but simply decided that a darned 9-year-old should not be able to trigger their nerves.


    "So, did you boys get your supplies?"


    "Yes, a bunch of instant cheap foodstuff sir. The goods around here are too expensive." Oakley said in a direct-to-the-point manner.


    And indeed, they were carrying around two cartoon boxes, definitely filled with food. Albert smiled sadly.


    "Yep, economic crash and all that. I''m even surprised that this mall is still functioning. But, my sister did say that the economy is now recovering for a bit."


    The two nodded before they looked down at Alice, who already seemed like a chihuahua who had been involuntarily restrained.


    "Um, are you really going to keep her like that?" Asked Timmy.


    "Do ignore her. Some brats need discipline sometimes."


    He confiscated her wand before they went out, which meant that she had absolutely no power over him.


    Which was perfect.


    But she suddenly bit his hands in a vain attempt to regain her freedom of speech.


    Alas, it didn''t work.

 Chapter Thirty-Three: Spooked By Spooks

    "The Mandate of Nations has once again shown us how women do not care! Our fellow brothers, poor civilians in Ginzhu, were left for dead by the Mandate of Nations - merely for the crime of being men! And now, once more, in Asturia, where righteous revolutionaries of the men''s cause booted the corrupt regents of the Kingdom, the boorish matriarch up north - Queen Alois of Gaul, used our fellow brothers again to kill our fellow brothers! Are we going to stay as mere attack dogs or disposable rats of our matriarchs?"


    - The Front Newspaper


    "Today, it is of grim news to all women of the world as the news of the aptly named "Loviedo Massacre" perpetrated by Asturian Revolutionaries reached our airwaves. We will never forget the 600 martyrs of the Asturian nobility. Half of them were mere young girls below the age of 12, who were lined up in the walls of the Loviedo Palace and shot by these vile men before being burned with gasoline. Indeed, Her Majesty has been proven correct that these vile extremists must be stomped for the continued security of our world."


    - Le f¨¦minine News, Kingdom of Gaul


    ---


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    Ivory Palace


    May 28, 2024


    Now, Alfonso Bluch was a bit of a sneaky little rat. Indeed, he loved being a sneaky little bastard. That was his job description, after all, to sneak around and find other people''s secrets and stuff.


    But not just that, the OIA operated under the dark. Under the cover of darkness, they would do all kinds of nasty things. Like a little assassination here, or some bribery here and there, or a little bit of a false flag operation somewhere, or practically anything that one would expect from a bunch of spooks.


    But unfortunately, this cheeky fellow, as Amelie quite extensively suspected, was a traitor scum. She just couldn''t do anything to him yet, as Heindh?ff had his back. But, she really wanted to meet the rapscallion, so she rang him to report to her office.


    He really did look like the public enemy no.1 of women. Oh, she already wanted to give him the water vortex treatment.


    "Your Majesty, what do you desire from me?"


    Oh, a respectful bow eh? And here, Amelie thought he would immediately lash at her. Unfortunately, his polite attitude was obviously sarcasm, and it worked wonders. Amelie, now quite in her triggered phase, had her eyes twitch involuntarily.


    "I need a report from the OIA."


    "A report?"


    "Indeed, I need a report regarding foreign elements aiding extremism in the Kingdom." She glared at him as she tested her. "And I want a written report of the OIA''s activities."


    "Well, as of now, Your Majesty, the OIA ensures you that foreign elements are being tackled with."


    "How can you say that?"


    He promptly tossed a folder at Amelie''s desk as if he were above a Queen. Oh, the rapscallion was even prepared for this occasion.


    "The OIA has successfully detained, arrested, and eliminated 78 high-profile foreign agents, spies, and saboteurs from the Empire of Larissa. Alongside that, we have stopped 12 plots by the said Empress, which even included a plot to bomb one of our offshore oil rigs-"


    "Wait, she tried that?"


    "With deniable assets, of course, which means we cannot pin the blame on her. Plus, the said plot was stopped, which means, blame her for what?"


    "Then why didn''t you tell me? I am your Queen, and I know that you know that."


    With an irritating smile that bordered insolence, the lanky jackass replied.


    "Your Majesty, you are unfortunately sorely misinformed. The OIA only reports to the Ministry of Defense, and occasionally the Prime Minister and the Cabinet."


    Amelie crossed her arms as she continued to glare at him, unamused. This Director was her enemy, through and through. She had already planned for his immediate removal should the opportunity present itself, but for now, with the specter of Heindh?ff and a possible Civil War, her hands were once again tied.


    Oh, she could of course order Marie to remove Heindh?ff and Alfonso from their life subscription, but, as her brother wisely said, these two men were the mere faces of a movement in the shadows. Cut them, and the men under them would only find a new leader.


    In fact, Marie had warned her about the possibility that the two were not actually even the leader. Even perhaps Sullivan Rimpler - the enigmatic leader of the NRF.


    Marie believed that the sheer global organization of the extreme men''s rights movement was too unprecedented, as it could not be a mere coincidence that most Kingdoms and Empires of Pollos were facing threats to their rule.


    As if someone, or many people (Albert suggested that it could be decentralized) had planned for it.


    Naturally, it sent much chill to Amelie''s heart. Dreadful, that was how she felt about it. It almost sounded much like some twisted world-ending plot. Something out of horror movies. How could men even organize that way?


    But it made enough sense for her. Of course¡­that was how men would fight the order that strangled them. For centuries, men could never even face magic - yet men somehow resisted a complete takeover of women for 3 centuries.


    It was thus clear.


    They schemed and acted under the cover of the shadows. Under the noses of the arrogant aristocratic women that ruled the world. Slowly manipulating the system as they sowed chaos, and decay, and then, once the foundations had collapsed - they would strike with sheer violence and surprise.


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    How absolutely devilish. Amelie detested such dirty tactics. Indeed, it was borderline - nay, it was terrorism. Plain and simple.


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty. The OIA serves Orland as an independent agency under the MoD. And it will continue to do so."


    With a look of utter, and scathing distrust, she terminated the appointment and sent him packing. Truthfully, she gained nothing from him. But she wanted to at least confirm. To see if there was anything amiss. Dreadfully, he was both direct and enigmatic.


    But his words echoed in her mind. It lived upon it completely rent-free, and it unnerved her.


    And it will continue to do so.


    Almost as if he warned her, that no matter what she did, the agency was independent. That the agency would operate for one sole purpose that she had definitely never ordered.


    Plain and simple, the OIA was not under her control. It would never be under her control. And she would never be able to wrestle support and even split it in half much like in the military.


    No, the agency was rogue, completely. And how far its shadowy tentacles extended, sent chills in her spine.


    For all she knew¡­she was being watched - by her own watchmen.


    ¡­


    It was too sudden for her. Awoken in the middle of the night, she found herself being escorted by the Royal Guard Knights of the Palace Security detail and William''s men.


    "What in the heavens is happening."


    "Your Majesty, please stay here." A young Royal Guard Knight requested as they sent her to a secluded room on the 2nd floor of the Palace. Inside it was Lady Lubaine, the Captain of her Security Detail, and Major William, discussing something.


    I just wanted to sleep, dammit.


    "Amelie, get in, quick. Men, close the doors!"


    Immediately, the doors were closed, and two of William''s men stood guard at both sides. They were in full tactical gear, their new dark BDUs and fully covered faces unnerving Amelie.


    Especially since one of them dared to wear a skull mask. Did they not consider the poor feelings of Her Majesty?


    Immediately, William laid down the situation for her.


    "Someone poisoned your friends."


    "What?!"


    "Viscountess Rachael and Marquise Sarah, specifically."


    Well, friends would be quite a stretch. More of a University acquaintance would be accurate. They were her few "friends" in the nobility. Which meant not really. More like a bunch of parasites, or greedy social climbers, whichever Amelie found as an apt description.


    But still¡­


    She was already horrified. It was still in the Palace! Her own fortress against the nasty and vile elements that sought to detach her beloved head from her body.


    "They used nerve agents, sprayed it at them as they slept. We also found this message. Don''t worry, we checked, it''s not contaminated."


    He presented a piece of bloodied paper. It was a simple letter written with bold, red ink.


    To the highest matriarch of Orland - we are watching.


    Her voice quivered. This felt somehow worse than the day that her mother was peppered by lead. She felt as if her soul crumpled in her stomach as it violently turned around.


    "Are they trying to scare me?"


    "Most likely, yes."


    "I''m quite scared, actually."


    "Yeah, I can see that."


    How could they do this? Rachael and Sarah were merely visiting her. They had quite the "decent" conversation with tea just 4 hours ago, where they gossiped about their lives (which Amelie didn''t enjoy).


    Of course, the two, who had much fun, decided to take the lavish guest rooms of the Palace for the night. Now they would be sleeping eternally. Truthfully, Amelie felt bad for them.


    They had their whole lives ahead of them!


    She could not believe it.


    The soft, reassuring voice came from Lady Lubaine. She was already in her 40s, but as a veteran Royal Guard Knight, her competence knew no bounds.


    "We have it under control though. Worry not, Your Majesty, the Palace is secure."


    She was definitely not reassured.


    "Did you catch them?"


    "No, we didn''t. They are dead."


    "What?"


    William cracked an embarrassed smile as he scratched the back of his head.


    "Unfortunately, Corporal Reginald and Private Aaron found the two masked men red-handed in their patrol. A brief firefight ensued, and they dispatched the perpetrators in panic."


    She looked at the side of the room, and there, Reginald and another soldier were standing, both with apologetic expressions.


    Reginald especially.


    "You both didn''t try to capture them?"


    "We were searching for the bathroom, Your Majesty. Big Palace and all. Suddenly, we met in the darkness, things happened, and then they died."


    And indeed, that was how it happened. The two really needed to pee. If you were trying to desperately pee at a massive Palace (and were lost at finding the damned comfort room) and found two ruffians that tried to shoot at you - you would shoot to kill too.


    It was why no one could really blame the two.


    Still, Lady Lubaine sighed, and it was clear that her thick dissatisfaction was apparent. The Lady almost seemed to look down at William and his two men. The Royal Guard would have successfully caught them with magic if it was them.


    "Unfortunately, what happened already happened. Still, it would be imperative to tighten security once more. Your Majesty, I request another round of comprehensive screening of Palace staff."


    "Please do." Anything! Anything that would extend her precious life expectancy! "And William, thanks to you and your men...uh...Lady Lubaine, how fast did they respond?"


    She almost hesitated due to their screwup.


    Indeed, they did screw up at catching the enemy part, but still, they eliminated the plotters. And, as William mentioned, it was a chemical attack - and the 16th had CBRN expertise. It seemed that they had handled the attack rather well.


    So much so, that even the proud Lady Lubaine gave a salty praise to them.


    "While they utterly failed at catching them¡­I am impressed. Your Majesty, in the first minute of the event, the 16th had mobilized in mechanical haste to check each room of the Palace for contamination¡­"


    Oh, so that''s why many of them were wearing gas masks¡­


    "And more importantly, they turned the Palace into a fortress quite effectively in a mere five minutes. As we speak, William''s battalion is currently fortifying and locking down the Palace and the roads leading here. I doubt that my Knights could do that."


    What?


    She turned to William, who seemed slightly proud of himself and his men (even with their recent screw-up).


    "You did hire us to stop any coup attempt. Rest assured, even if they storm us with tanks, they would be met by our heavy firepower."


    Her heart was still having palpitations, but that reassured her a little.


    Still¡­I''m in danger¡­goddess¡­I''m in danger¡­

 Chapter Thirty-Four: Her Majestys Retribution

    "Another Coup d''etat in the Kingdom of Lieplatz! The Orlish Army is now on high alert along the Lieplatz-Orland Border. Queen Wesley Von Reintz has abdicated the throne of Lieplatz to the so-called Lieplatz Provisional Council. These alarming developments across the world have been noted by analysts, with many experts fearing a coup or a revolution in Orland itself. Minister of Defense Geoffrey Heindh?ff however has remarked that such fear-mongering is counterproductive with the upcoming Orlish elections and assured the public that the Armed Forces is ''staunchly loyal'' to the Crown. We however here at the Arcane Updates are skeptical of his remarks. We note and warn all of the young women of the Kingdom to stay vigilant - we cannot let any such catastrophe befall our Kingdom. Remember - keep your wands by your side."


    - The Arcane Updates


    "Tensions once again begin to escalate in the Northern Sea. Yesterday, a Lorathian destroyer was once again almost rammed by a Larissan destroyer. Minister Adelaide of the Kingdom of Orland has since warned that the oil embargo against the Empire could resume if, ''They step out of the line.''"


    - Geopol Press


    ---


    Eirhow, Kingdom of Orland


    May 28, 2024


    Eirhow truly was ugly, Marie thought. It was skyscrapers after skyscrapers everywhere, with neon lights that littered the streets. Had these men not learned how not to build anything other than dull steel and glass buildings?


    Oh, and the streets were filled by seemingly hostile men as well. Many of them wore red armbands with a white circle and a black cross (the famed King''s Cross when Orland was ruled by men before the Arcane Wars). They were all lined up in the square, as they listened to the very "definitely not traitorous" speeches that Sullivan Rimpler gave atop the Eirhow City Hall.


    The Orlish Flag was also replaced in the streets. Draped atop the buildings and the Eirhow City Hall were the flags of the NRF, again, a red field with a white circle that contained the King''s cross. Almost as if it was placed to intimidate.


    Of course, venerable Marie would not be intimidated by such nonsense.


    The shouts were especially loud from the crowds, alongside the heavy thuds of the boots of the Civil Defense Militia, clad in uniform that almost resembled the Army.


    They carried flags of the NRF as they marched under the sounds of militaristic music that blared out from the speakers.


    All as the crowd shouted in support of the raving lunatic.


    "Hail Triumph!"


    "Hail Triumph!"


    "Hail Triumph!"


    "Ugh, this is irritating. Does everything about you men have to be loud?"


    Behind her, was Henry Powlitz, her nice little informant. The guy was an absolute landmine of information from the NRF, as he was deep inside of the movement.


    Originally a man with much sympathy for their cause, as he was also a poor loser with a gripe to Her Majesty, he had turned coats after a little disagreement.


    Deciding that the idea of purging magic sounded insane at best, and exterminating women at worst, he decided he wasn''t going to be a part of such a movement.


    "Eirhow has always been loud since the start of the General Strike. The bastards have a tight grip in the city."


    "I know. Almost all women evacuated the Free State too. This is utter insanity."


    Her remarks were not off. Indeed, in the middle of the rally, a massive inferno raged. Men below cheered as piles upon piles of books and textbooks regarding magic were set ablaze.


    Many more books were also being carted off, and men tossed them upon the growing fire. It irked Marie. So much knowledge and worth about women''s greatest ability was in those precious papers, and the rascals were just burning it.


    "It''s a great idea, I''d say. This Kingdom is about to implode, and I believe Eirhow would be the center of it all. Women would be better off away from the Free State before that."


    "Does the ORP have no chance of keeping the Free State?"


    "None at all. This place is now a complete stronghold of the NRF. No one is neutral here. You are either with men and the NRF, or you''re with women and the traitors of the ORP."


    She sighed. What a bummer. Her Majesty expected at least some semblance of support from the Free State of Wuringen.


    The Free State after all was as much an industrial center as the Free Confederation of Westlauren, which fortunately fell under the control of the ORP (aside from the liberal nobility that administered its counties).


    But more important, was the strategic importance of Wuringen. Its major cities were the center of the Military-Industrial Complex. Should a civil war erupt, Amelie would find herself in a bit of a pickle should she foolishly decide to fight a war of attrition.


    Which was why Marie was greatly disappointed¡­or more accurately, slightly terrified, as really, it was a tad bit terrifying.


    "Anyways, Marie. I think I have a lead for the Palace attacks."


    She turned back at him, as she promptly closed the curtains of his window.


    The man''s apartment was a bit too run down. Naturally, he was no pretty noble lady, but just another lad trying to survive the abysmal economic situation of Orland.


    Now Marie, while she would normally be a bit of a picky and refined young woman, who preferred at least a decent dwelling condition, she would not dare jab at the poor guy. That would be quite rude and uncivilized.


    And she much preferred being civilized.


    "Well then, do please present it."


    And she turned to his absolutely atrocious board of investigations. The young man, while not the best perhaps at having a lot of money to even afford proper heating (dear, she really wanted to chastise him for lacking said necessity), did have a brain.


    And a massive one at that, as even Marie could not comprehend whatever insanity was plastered on his board.


    Webs upon webs of pictures, reports, internet forum screenshots, and whatever insanity filled his board.


    "As you can see here¡­" He pointed at a picture of an excerpt in some shady forum. "Mr.Banger225 here noted that ''pinkies got swisher'' and sent an encryp-"


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    A sudden thud outside interrupted him from the insane presentation of intel gathered with just as insane methods. Marie immediately looked at the door, and her eyes glowed.


    Naturally, the nerd guy was immediately worried about the implications.


    "What was that?"


    She had pulled out her wand, and her faint halo had begun appearing. When she looked back at him, he felt chills shooting up his spine.


    The only way that he could describe her, was an angelic demoness. Her blood-red eyes glowed menacingly as she smiled at him.


    "Well, it appears that the OIA wants their first confrontation."


    Her wand also glowed red.


    With haste, he scurried for his shitty rifle. It was a mere single-shot rifle that he had never even fired (how could he even use it in a techno-corporate city?). He had inherited it from his father before his Baroness of a mother kicked him off their house.


    Naturally, he held onto his rifle in his chaotic life, and fortunately never found a use for it. Until now.


    Marie looked down at him. How dare she, he could defend her with-


    "You know, I think I can get you out of here more easily if you stay out of my way."


    "Hey! I''ll have you know, I know how to use this!"


    He didn''t.


    ¡­


    <<Romeo Actual, we are now in position.>>


    <<Copy that, 0-2.>>


    Clad in full-black tactical gear, 8 special operatives of the OIA advanced toward the room, hugging the walls closely. Two of them approached in the opposite direction, and immediately two operatives stepped forward to plant the explosives.


    <<0-2, Jammers ready. Initiate breach, over.>>


    <<Copy, 0-1.>>


    With a nod of affirmation from their squad leader, one of them pressed a button. The door was quickly shattered into pieces.


    Quickly, two operatives tossed a well-timed flashbang, which detonated inside. Expecting that their targets were stunned, the two stormed the room - only for their heads'' sudden departure from their bodies.


    The sudden macabre sight placed the rest into stunned inaction, and they failed to capitalize on the shock of the enemy.


    <<What the?! 0-1, untangled mana detected! What''s happening?!>>


    <<This is 0-3! 0-1 is unresponsi-*static*>>


    Naturally, faced with such disastrous suddenness, their leader spurted a barrage of colorful curses.


    <<All units, retreat! Jammers malfunctioned!>>


    <<Copy that!>>


    But before they could bolt out, a sudden slash of red light pierced through the wall, which threw them into a state of befuddled disorganization.


    Immediately, Marie almost flew out of the room, her wand glowing madly red as she aimed it at the 6 operatives. They could not be more unprepared for what came next.


    A barrage of glowing pink projectiles peppered them in mere seconds, which forced them into a frenzied dash into the stairs. Ice spikes and shards of the same pink projectiles pinned and eliminated three in a gory manner, as the last three dashed down the stairs.


    Rallying to respond with resistance, their squad leader positioned himself along another operative in the corner of the stairs and unloaded their suppressed gunfire in her general direction.


    <<Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!>>


    A vortex of violet and pink lights appeared and descended rapidly, and the two ran like pigs during hunting season. Their steps were so rapid that a sudden trip wouldn''t be out of the realm of possibility.


    With an even faster dash through the hallways of the floor below, they turned a corner, greeted by 5 more operatives.


    <<Take her out! Get the C-nades out!>>


    With a quick toss from them, 2 grenades spun into the air, their light blue glow merely one of their new strangeness. The grenades detonated in a brilliant blue of electrical fashion, which did wonders for Marie.


    Immediately, a quarter of her active mana was gone, and she was left standing in the hallways.


    Her smile grew.


    "Oh my, that hurt a bit. That definitely hurts."


    The operatives, convinced that she was out of mana (and thus defenseless) rushed to aim their rifles at her, their green lasers aimed squarely at her face.


    <


    >


    Immediately, bursts after bursts of lead sprayed Marie, the sheer volume of gunfire completely obscuring her. When they were done, however, she was still standing, her transparent shield buckling and flickering.


    <<Reload! Reload!>>


    Her eyes glowed fully now, and her halo shined with extreme intensity.


    "Well then, gentlemen, I believe it''s my turn now."


    The gunfire from the walls of the building echoed alongside the blood-curdling screams. Marie unleashed everything upon the OIA agents with wild abandon and without signs of end.


    Four OIA agents retreated and found themselves skewered by ice spikes.


    A duo of separated operatives found themselves sliced in half by a sharp gust of wind, their blood painting the walls.


    Another two desperately fired their rifles at the darkness as their NVGs (Night Vision Goggles) failed, their heads dropping as blood dripped on their NVGs.


    <<Regroup on the 18th floor!>>


    <<0-1 is out!>>


    <<0-5 is not responding!>>


    <<0-6 is not responding!>>


    <<How is she everywhere at once?! How?!>>


    <<Someone! I''m hiding in the toilets! Requesting aid! She took out all of us!>>


    Her bloodthirst was unending. Her count of kills racked up in the multiple dozens, yet she would not stop. She would not stop until she hunted all of those who stepped upon this building.


    They dared to touch and frighten her dear friend? To infiltrate the Palace with nerve agents? To dare such an act. She didn''t care if many of these men were merely following orders.


    Today, Her Majesty''s eye would show retribution.


    A desperate defense of five men formed near the elevator. Slowly, the elevator rose to their floor, as the fear of death consumed the five.


    <<Come on, come on, please.>>


    Their fearful pleas in the radio fell upon deaf ears, as Marie dispatched their platoon leader. His death was a macabre one, as the sound of his radio was observed by Marie - her white dress already covered in red blood.


    The voice was clearly from the OIA high command, its voice unrecognizable and encrypted.


    <<Romeo Actual! Romeo Actual! Respond at once! You are to retreat at once and leave no->>


    She picked it up, and with her icy words, she whispered upon it.


    "Hello, my dear. I know you are hunting me. Trying to one-up me and Her Majesty. Let me warn you at once¡­I''ll find you first."


    The radio fell silent, as she turned her attention to the last squad that survived. The glow in her eyes flickered ever so slightly, as her active mana rapidly burned off.


    The five men soon found her turning the corner in the hallways, their elevator still 4 floors away. Their desperate gunfire was punctuated by the blood sprayed at the walls.


    ¡­


    "Marie, what the hell is this?"


    Henry gingerly stepped on the floors in extreme fear. It was as if a demon had just purged men in the very hallways that he once walked upon each day.


    Bodies upon bodies of brutally mangled OIA operatives filled the floors and rooms - all conveniently empty, as it seemed as if the OIA forcefully evacuated all of the inhabitants before they stormed his apartment on the top floor.


    Oh, he despaired at all of it. Now he was definitely homeless. How quaint.


    "Years of magical research, Henry."


    She seemed to be shivering ever so slightly, the glow of her halo and eyes already gone. Henry knew that she expended most if not everything that she had, which was why he was deathly worried that they might not escape.


    "You''re not going to abandon me here, right? Right?"


    A faint smile graced her face.


    "Of course not. I didn''t just study magic to kill, Henry¡­"


    Before he knew it, he was falling into a violet vortex with her, screaming for dear life.

 Chapter Thirty-Five: Her Majesty Hates War

    "Women flees the Free State of Wuringen en-masse! An exodus of women out of Wuringen that began last month seemed to have ramped up in the weeks leading to the elections as a result of rising street violence in the Free State against women."


    - ROCN News


    ---


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    Ivory Palace


    June 1, 2024


    Today was a big day. So big in fact, that Amelie failed to find much sleep yesterday out of sheer unhealthy anticipation.


    She was already out by about 4:00 a.m.


    The Palace security had already been severely tightened. Each and every room and hallway now had troops that patrolled it. So was the surveillance, as the Palace was turned akin to a police state, with cameras in each corner.


    But Amelie, who preferred not to panic and stay paranoid for the duration of her days, simply tried her very best to endure and ignore said measures.


    After all, she had enough headaches already.


    "How''s the numbers going?"


    The Palace staff typed and operated her computer before she gave her a quick answer.


    "Your Majesty, the UOP is leading in the vote counts."


    Such great news! She skipped out of that room and went room to room, conversing and conversing with all kinds of bureaucrats and Palace staff about the election race, or stepping into her room to watch the TV or browse the events on the internet.


    But of course, in reality, she was merely masking off her gnawing anxiety. Each time she would see a mere spike of a few percent in the NRF, and her heart would skip a bit.


    What the? Why are they at 12% now?!


    She asked as she wildly scrolled at her office desktop. Worried, utterly worried, she checked maps and images of the election reports, and it dawned on her.


    It was almost a bloody frontline.


    The Free Confederation was mostly red, which represented the ORP.


    The Grand Duchy was mostly yellow, which represented the UOP.


    But what worried her greatly, was how disgusting the blots of black were. Black represented the NRF, and they found much ground in the accursed Free State - with the ORP being the only one that challenged them.


    Come on?! The Archduchy too?!


    On the other side of the political aisle, the Arcanist Party dominated the Archduchy of L?t and the Duchy of Oldrach, although the UOP seemed to be fighting there as well, clearly shown by the yellow colors being surrounded by the pink colors of the Arcanist Party.


    And much like that, the morning ended and noon arrived. And so did lunchtime.


    "You know, you shouldn''t be tapping that screen when eating, big sis."


    Alice had a disappointed pout on the other side of the table. Indeed, Amelie was being a naughty woman, who dared to disrespect said food by deliriously tapping away on her tablet.


    "Alice, I''m just monitoring the situation. Oh, and you''re eating too much cake again. Those vegetables are going to get cold."


    "Hey! You ate half of the cake too!"


    "But Alice, I''m older."


    "How unfair!"


    She ignored the little girl as she took a quick sip of her soup, then turned back to her tablet, as she once more buried herself in the elections.


    Oh, she really needed to win this, all for her precious reformist government. And thus, all of her attention was poured into it.


    ¡­


    "Alright, look, I know this is a bit of a-"


    Amelie found herself once again called into the conference room of the Palace. While she would have preferred to stay inside her room to monitor the situation about the elections, unfortunately, General Albrecht arrived at the Palace.


    He explained to her the deteriorating situation regarding the movements of the Army units in the Free State, which naturally made Amelie even more panicky. And then someone knocked on her door.


    The two of them turned to the door, as two men entered. Admiral Halberd, alongside two other men, entered the room. Now, her situation was quite funny. She was surrounded by four military men on the day of the elections.


    That definitely raised her spirits!


    "Your Majesty, the Admiralty is here."


    He beckoned for the two other men to introduce themselves.


    "Your Majesty, I am the Minister of Naval Operations, Daniel Fisch." He bowed at her, while the other man introduced himself as well.


    "I, on the other hand, Your Majesty, is Admiral Herand Tresckow, Commander of VACCOM, the Vaeyox Continental Command."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Now, Amelie nodded in such a way that suggested that she knew what that position was because she didn''t know what it was. So nod and nod she did.


    "Very well, gentlemen, I believe you have something to inform me about?"


    Immediately, Halberd made a quick nod in affirmation.


    "Indeed, Your Majesty. Admiral Tresckow?"


    He walked toward the meeting table, and tossed a bunch of maps and documents upon it, which Amelie had no idea about. Filled with symbols and arrows and other such nonsense, she merely nodded as she looked at it.


    "Your Majesty, while we find it distasteful to interrupt you in the elections, we would need you today, as we could not be certain if the Prime Minister would find our idea with much approval."


    Upon hearing his words, her eyes darted to Halberd, who stood stiffly behind Tresckow. Her eyes showed much skepticism, as she wondered why Halberd would report such matters to her before going through Alexa.


    But Amelie supposed that he must have a good reason why.


    "Please, do continue Admiral."


    "Your Majesty, unfortunately, it is clear to us that the Empire of Larissa would not honor the deal¡­in fact, our intelligence suggests that they are planning for something drastic."


    Upon hearing "intelligence" Amelie grew further skeptical, as she would rather trust the words of a snake than whatever came from that lanky jerkass that was Alfonso. Fortunately, Halberd caught a quick wind of her musings.


    "Your Majesty, may I interrupt. I assure you, this intelligence is accurate, as it is gathered by the Naval Intelligence Division."


    Admiral Tresckow, unaware of her problems with the OIA, nodded nonetheless.


    "Indeed, Your Majesty, I also assure you, the NID are very much capable, much like the OIA."


    "I see. Then please, enlighten me. What is the Empire doing?"


    "Simply put, there appears to be an increasingly suspicious succession of naval maneuvers conducted by the Imperial Navy. But what we are most concerned about is the disappearance of their two carrier groups in the Northern Sea."


    He pointed at the map, straight to the ports of the Empire, marked in red.


    "Satellite imagery and other intelligence sources pointed that both carriers were at these ports. Over the last few weeks, these ships disembarked from these ports and disappeared in the vast expanse of the Northern Sea."


    She grew even more worried at that. That absolute brat! She gave her the oil that she asked for!


    Now, of course, Minister Adelaide and Amelie had not expected her to carry on with her promise, but Amelie didn''t expect her to break the deal rather quickly. It was strange, it was as if the Empress merely took a quick, massive stream of oil shipments before she turned around.


    Did she merely stockpile the oil? But that would never make sense. She had studied the Empire''s oil consumption, and there was absolutely no way that they would last with the Empire''s oil-hungry economy if Orland embargoed them again.


    Unless¡­


    "Does this mean that they would start another set of provocations?"


    Admiral Tresckow looked down. Not Minister Fisch, however, as he gave her the blunt, direct to the point, bad news.


    "Well, in a world with unicorns, yes, Your Majesty. But, no, the Navy believes that the Imperial Navy is about to assault our Lorathian friends."


    What?


    Had she just heard something that probably related to Orland and Larissa being at war again? How utterly unpleasant indeed. She didn''t want war. No, she absolutely despised such an idea.


    No way, Orland had merely exited the Great War. As such, no, it was utterly unacceptable for her!


    "Minister Fisch, Admiral Tresckow, Halberd¡­no, do you three even hear what you are all suggesting?"


    Halberd nodded grimly.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "B-but the elections-"


    "The elections will be over by tomorrow. It is unlikely that the Imperial Navy would strike within the next three days. What we are worried about is that the Orlish Navy won''t be ready until next week."


    Which meant Lorathia would be defenseless!


    "Did we inform the Lorathians?"


    Tresckow answered quickly.


    "Yes, the Lorathian Navy and Airforce are heavily integrated with VACCOM, in fact, much of our force would be our Lorathian allies."


    Amelie nodded thoughtfully. Of course, they had a chance. The Lorathian Navy was the third largest, behind the Empire of Larissa. All they would need to do was to hold off the Empire until the Orlish Navy arrived.


    Still¡­war, I can''t. Please, someone tell me this isn''t real. Please¡­


    "And that''s why we asked you, Your Majesty."


    She looked at Halberd, as he grew even more serious. She didn''t like such an expression.


    "The closest Orlish strike force to the Northern Sea is Strike Force 7. Your brother disembarked 5 days ago¡­and I wanted to inform you that he would most likely be the first to fight in this war."


    Albert?


    "Admiral, no, you''re not serious. You didn''t just send my brother into another bloodbath, didn''t you? Admiral-"


    "Amelie, your brother does not know if there will be a fight yet. He is merely sailing to Lorathia to rejoin VACCOM. We went here because we wanted you to authorize a critical mission for him. He won''t be sailing to Redcastle, he will turn around straight to the Northern Sea to search for the Larissans."


    "Admiral! No! You are making it worse." She spat, red-faced, yet Halberd didn''t flinch. Outraged, utterly outraged, that was how she felt. "I will not be sending my brother to some suicide mission! I demand peace, there will be no war. You hear me? No war!"


    She turned away from the officers and circled the conference table, intent clearly plastered in her movements. She was leaving the room.


    "Your Majesty, where are you going?"


    "Minister Fisch, I am going to see Minister Adelaide. There will be no war."


    "Amelie!" Halberd''s voice boomed in the room, which shocked the other officers (except for Albrecht, who merely watched the entire scene unmovingly) at how she was directly addressed by him.


    "What?!"


    "You are being naive. You cannot make peace with a woman hell-bent on war."


    "I can! I will talk sense to that brat. She will stand down. She will turn around her ships and peace will be secured!"


    "You are making a mistake-"


    "Efforts to achieve peace is no mistake, Admiral. I cannot believe you men cannot comprehend such an idea."


    Halberd stepped forward, but Amelie''s eyes glowed and she pulled out her wand, aimed squarely at his face.


    "Admiral, you will not order me to go to war."


    He stared at her with his unflinching eyes, as her wand glowed blue.


    "If that is your will, then please proceed, Your Majesty. I just hope that you will be prepared."


    "Prepared for what?"


    "...Every leader who saw war knows what it is. But I would like you to know this too. Once it happens, please, do not dwell on it and blame yourself for it."


    "Such nonsense, Admiral." She spat. "There will be no war. I will see no war under my rule."


    She turned her wand down, as the glow in her eyes died off. She promptly turned around and left the room. The three officers of the Admiralty were left silent.

 Chapter Thirty-Six: The Situation In The High Seas

    "The elections have finally ended! Countess Jacqueline Heiss, the UOP candidate for Prime Minister, wins the race. The Heiss Government is expected to form by next week, filled with UOP and ORP members as a coalition government."


    - ROCN News


    ---


    Northern Sea


    Strike Force 7


    June 2, 2024


    18:00 Hours


    Empty and desolate, the flight decks of the ONS Rebenslof seemed devoid of her planes. Cold, wet, and fast winds breezed through her decks, as the powerful waves of the high seas bashed upon the carrier.


    It was dark and stormy above, as distant lightning struck upon the seas.


    Beside the Rebenslof, the ONS Blackgem went under the stormy waves for mere seconds, before she rose up above, and returned down once more.


    "Still as rainy as ever."


    Albert remarked atop his observation post. The Rebenslof''s tower was around the stern of the ship, and thus much of the clashing water from the tides didn''t reach it. Still, from his vantage point, he could see how severe the storm was, as the flight decks of his ship turned wet.


    "Indeed sir it is. Much of the Northern Sea would be stormy for much of next month."


    "That so?" He turned around to face Captain Vogel, the Rebenslof''s XO. The weather around the Northern Sea and much of the North Allas Ocean itself had always been quite extreme, but a full month?


    "Yep, sir. There''s even a cyclone above us."


    "I know that."


    "Point is, it would be funny if war breaks out again around here. It''d be another game of hide and seek."


    Albert chuckled in agreement. He remembered during the Great War when the Rebenslof and his strike force would play the role of the rat as the Larissans played the cat. Utilizing the weather of the rough seas, and much clever maneuvers, use of decoys, and positioning, his sole strike force held up two Larissan carriers alone for two weeks.


    "Well, we can only hope that none of that happens again. It would be too tiring."


    "And a bit of a pain."


    "Indeed."


    Albert turned around and returned back to the bridge. Much of the days at the high seas had been monotonous for him, and so was this day.


    It was all business as usual, aside from the occasional issues caused by the storm, mainly about turbulence it would cause whenever some lone recon jet would land and take off.


    Much of his air squadrons was stranded, however. Naturally, to venture out with the carrier being wildly affected by the waves, would mean pilots could risk having their planes go kaput (or worse).


    And so, much of their air sorties had been the critical ones. Recon flights, mine sweeps, and other such missions that kept the carrier safe were conducted.


    But with the night falling upon them, a sudden accident occurred in the carrier''s flight deck.


    Albert rushed out of the tower, with Vogel close behind him. Even with the storm slightly waning, the powerful winds swayed and turned his navy-issued raincoats wet almost immediately, as he ran toward the commotion.


    An LF-12 Zapper (Light Fighter-12) in a state of severe disrepair landed at the decks, its pilot nearly dead in order to report. It was mere luck that his guts hadn''t painted his cockpit, as Albert could see how severe the damage was.


    "What the hell happened?" Asked Albert to one of the crash and salvage crews attempting to tow the plane.


    "Sir, I think the plane''s done bad by some missile or something."


    He stared upon the plane as the pilot was carried out. It had burn marks and holes upon it, especially the canopy.


    Someone attacked him.


    He turned to Captain Vogel.


    "Sir, I know what you are thinking."


    "Captain, I want you to place this ship and this Strike Force in battlestations, under my orders."


    Within a minute, the alarms and announcements sounded inside the ONS Rebenslof and its escort ships.


    "General Quarters! General Quarters!" Blared out in all corridors and rooms, as the crew, sailors, and other servicemen ran around like frantic rats toward their position.


    Within minutes, Albert was back on the bridge.


    "Gentlemen, status report!"


    A brief reply came to him as he took his seat.


    "Sir! Air squadrons are now being refueled and rearmed. ETA 10 more minutes until combat ready!"


    "Next! Comms and Sensors."


    "Sir! CIC reports all comms and sensors are online. No contacts have been detected by radar, however, but they are scanning."


    "Good."


    He turned to Captain Vogel, who stood behind him.


    "What do you think about this?"


    He frowned.


    "The Larissans, there''s no other possibility."


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    He looked back at the situation before him. Out of nowhere, someone attacked their aircraft. The pilot however had fallen unconscious, and thus could not be a reliable source of information.


    Worse still, the aircraft''s electronics were fried, and they could not retrieve any logs from it. Thus, he was left with guesswork, and he immediately concluded that it could only be those blasted Larissans.


    Plus, who else would have the audacity to attack unannounced? Without a declaration of war? Of course, Empress Katerina. That woman loved surprise attacks.


    There''s no one else that could do this to us. But why?


    Why indeed? His sister had just brokered a deal with the bastards. Why then would they break the peace? It bore on him as each moment passed.


    Why?


    "Sir! There is still no message from High Command. We are trying to reach them but there''s severe interference."


    He looked at his Comms Officer with a great deal of heavy thinking. His mind was wracked with calculations and questions. Interference and sudden attacks on his planes?


    Then it clicked. The war must have begun already, and they were merely uninformed. This meant that he really needed to play the rat once more, as he didn''t know what lay in the expanse of the seas.


    At this rate, we might as well be broadcasting our coordinates to the enemy.


    Which meant that he needed to initiate EMCON (Emissions Control) to prevent the Larissans from spotting them easily.


    With that, he barked his orders.


    "Cease that! All of you, cease all communications! This strike force is going radio silent. The radar too! Initiate full EMCON immediately!"


    "Sir?"


    "Do it immediately, we cannot let them find us first."


    Captain Vogel tapped his shoulder.


    "Sir, the other officers are now here. We should begin now."


    He nodded.


    ¡­


    The group of officers came up with a quick course of action. One of them proposed an air sortie in the North West, to the direction of Opellia, as the officer believed that the Larissans could be attempting to strike at their backs.


    He agreed in principle, but he decided otherwise.


    "We should send the sortie up North."


    "Sir?"


    "The Larissans would not move much further in this line. Our submarines would be a great danger for them."


    The officers turned to him, their eyes showing much skepticism. It was common knowledge in the Orlish Navy that the Larissans were not a cautious bunch, a result of their overzealous Empress.


    Naturally, they wanted to capitalize on such recklessness. If they could quickly spot them with their pants down by sending their sortie in the right direction, Orland could win an easy victory.


    Albert however did not believe in such drivel. Empress Katerina may be reckless, but he once saw her in person before the war ended.


    "Happy that you won?"


    "Katerina, you fought like a fool."


    "Ha, as if. You lot simply got lucky."


    Her face was filled with much salt as she spat those words at him. He didn''t know why she specifically approached him on that day during the conference.


    It was almost as if she had a personal grudge against him.


    "You still lost."


    "And I won''t forget that. Mr. Albert, you¡­one day, one day, I''ll get back at you. And I will take you for myself."


    "Take me out yourself?"


    "You will find out."


    He laughed at her words.


    What a fool. You won''t catch me and torture me. This is the navy, you die with your ship if you lose.


    But he didn''t forget her face as she left. It was the face of a woman that had learned. He had won against her by capitalizing on her recklessness.


    He knew he wouldn''t get that victory with the same tactic again.


    Captain Vogel broke his little flashback about her. He promptly turned to him.


    "But sir, we both know that they would be reckless about this. For all we know, our subs already took them out."


    He nodded as he laughed.


    "Indeed, but the enemy learns, gentlemen. We will send the sortie north. If not there, we will stay low."


    "In other words, we would stay passive."


    "Indeed. Until we find them safely, no drastic actions will be conducted. Let us play the mouse in this cat and mouse game once more."


    ¡­


    Two LF-12s were readied in the Rebenslof''s catapult. Their pilots methodically prepared their aircraft, as the process took many seconds of pre-flight checks. Albert watched from atop the bridge as the planes flapped their wings'' control surfaces, checking if all was good.


    By the time the ready signal was given by the pilot, the crew that operated the catapult cleared it, and with one final launch signal from the catapult officer, the afterburners of the flying metal beasts opened up.


    One of the finest forms of modern technology that men constructed took off to the skies, its mission clear for the pilot. Strike Force 7 was stuck in a storm under severe isolation. To them, this flight and the next flights would determine the fate of this fighting city of steel.


    The ONS Rebenslof, perhaps the most well-decorated veteran ship of the Orlish Navy, was now once again on the warpath, prepared to vanquish its natural foes in the high seas.


    For that was what her mission was. To defend Her Majesty''s interests.


    The two Zappers zoomed atop the skies, as they raged up north. Their sensors were fully engaged, their radars scanning the wide seas for almost a hundred kilometers away.


    <<2-1, you hear me, over?>>


    <<2-2, I hear you loud and clear from here, no interference, over.>>


    <<Copy that, 2-1. Do you think they''re over there?>>


    <<2-2, we could probably turn and check, but that seems like a massive storm over there. Too much turbulence, over.>>


    <<Maybe they''re hiding over there.>>


    <<Maybe.>>


    They zoomed down toward the east, as the storm rattled their airframes. Much like eagles on a hunt, they kept all of their eyes peeled open and in high alert, as the sea further darkened, obscuring any visuals. Now they were forced on their other sensors and electronics.


    <<2-2, seems clear over here, over.>>


    <<Negative 2-1, I''m picking up signatures, North East.>>


    <<I''m not. Please check if it''s a false reading.>>


    <<Copy.>>


    Moments passed as the pilot checked for any mistakes or bugs with his radar. The clutter produced by the powerful storm that raged upon the skies produced both interference and false readings and may even mask the enemy.


    That was when he noticed something. The signatures were moving toward them.


    <<2-1, I think this is not a malfunction.>>


    <<Yeah, I''m picking it up. Do we press further?>>


    <<Your discretion sir. There are 3 of them. Fast movers. Possibly fighters, over.>>


    <<Up for the first battle in the skies?>>


    <<We really would be at war, no?>>


    A laugh came over the radio.


    <<They already started it, 2-2. Prepare for combat operations, over.>>


    <<Copy.>>


    And with a hard bank to the east, the two finally placed themselves in an inevitable interception with the Larissan combatants. In the silent skies atop the Northern Sea, isolated from the rest of the world, five men, all inside their aircraft, would see the first battle of the new war.


    The Great War had not ended. It was merely a ceasefire to silence the guns for a while.


    But now - it would resume. And women would see it too.

 Chapter Thirty-Seven: Death From Above

    "We will all pay for the sins of our fathers - to the last man standing."


    - Erwin Richtofen, 17th Penal Air Squadron


    ---


    "Your Majesty, quite frankly, I believe you are being delusional."


    The condescension that came from Walter had stung deep into Amelie''s heart. So much so that even the new Prime Minister, Jacqueline Heiss seemed appalled.


    "Walter! You can''t just speak to the Queen like that!"


    "So? I just did. I''m pointing it out clearly. Strike Force 7 went silent in the Northern Sea out of nowhere. What more could this be than a Larissan surprise attack?"


    Amelie sunk into her chair as she deflated. Occupying her office was Foreign Minister Adelaide Wallenstein (who, through the UOPs clever negotiations, managed to keep the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Jacqueline herself, and of course, the new Deputy Prime Minister under Jacqueline - Walter Plock.


    The three met ahead of the first scheduled cabinet meeting of the new Heiss Government, mainly because Amelie panicked when her brother''s Strike Force disappeared in the Northern Sea, just hours after she met the Admiralty.


    Adelaide, still calm and serene as always, cleared her throat softly.


    "Mr. Plock, I believe you are being too paranoid. The Northern Sea is currently experiencing a severe storm for the next month. It is only reasonable that the ONS Rebenslof could momentarily disappear."


    "Oh, you''re all kidding me. Momentarily my arse, it''s been 8 hours already. 8 goddess-damned hours. You''re telling me, a modern fleet would disappear for 8 hours, because of the damned weather?"


    "Don''t use the goddess'' name in vain, Mr. Plock."


    "Stop being naive in my face first, Lady Wallenstein."


    "And stop suggesting war in my face and Her Majesty''s presence, Mr. Plock. I can handle this and secure peace."


    "Enough."


    The battle of condescension between the two parties ended with her words. Amelie thought about it with her heart pounding faster and faster, for her brother''s life and the lives of many more were at stake.


    Now it was quite established that our esteemed Queen hated war, and would do anything to avoid such lamentable events. As such was the situation at hand. She had ringed the three, especially Minister Adelaide to consult upon them about how they would approach the Larissan question.


    Walter, upon hearing of it, immediately agreed to the Admiralty''s plan to send the navy to Lorathia and even to strike first. When Adelaide, and especially Amelie denied such a notion, his defensive bloodthirst exploded. He insisted that such measures must be done immediately to prevent a breakdown in the Ivory Alliance''s strategic outlook (and thus reduce the casualties they would suffer) but alas, he was shot down.


    Amelie tried again and again to convince the Deputy Prime Minister that war was unlikely, which Walter, not being a naive type of a person, denied aggressively. So much so that even Amelie herself now had second thoughts about pursuing peace.


    "Adelaide, do we still have contact with the Empire?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty. Our diplomats are still active in our embassy in St.Theodora. They have not reported any development from the Larissan government."


    Indeed, the Kingdom of Orland and the Empire of Larissa had an embassy in each other''s capitals. Even during the absolute quagmire that was the Great War, diplomatic contact between the two was never broken.


    Then there is still a chance¡­


    "Walter, I have said it once and I will say it again. No war."


    Even Jacqueline nodded in agreement. Mostly because she also hated the war in its entirety. It killed many young men, including her own lover (which was why she became a reformist politician) which was why she held a confused expression when men like Walter, the only people sent to war and its hellish fields, would himself advocate for it.


    "Walter, she is right. I really do not understand why you insist we approve the Admiralty''s plan. We have just ended the war to end more deaths for men. Surely you can understand why we won''t."


    "Do the three of you even understand what''s at stake here? 400,000 Orlish servicemen under VACCOM would be in danger if we sit our asses and do nothing-"


    "And millions more men, including my brother, would be in danger should we enter war again. Walter, I can tolerate a lot of things, but not this."


    Her sudden seething gaze at Walter from her seat seemed unnatural for him. Normally, the ever so gentle and soft-spoken Queen was now very much not so. Yet Walter needed to convince her, and all of them to approve the Admiralty''s plan.


    He knew what would happen if VACCOM wasn''t mobilized for a war footing. He knew what would happen if a preemptive strike wasn''t conducted. He knew. But they didn''t.


    "Your Majesty, you are making a grave mistake."


    "No, you, and Halberd, and every man that asks for this war are the ones making a grave mistake. Adelaide, send the delegation. We are talking to that brat again."


    She nodded in her orders.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. Let it be assured that we will prevent war."


    ¡­


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    DesDiv 18 (Destroyer Division 18)


    Northern Sea


    Three Orlish Gallant-Class Guided-Missile Destroyers slipped through the stormy seas in formation. The three patrolled the Lorathian territories for the past months against repeated Larissan provocations. These warships, much like their class name, served with gallantry in the high seas, as they held and enforced the territorial waters of Lorathia and the Ivory Alliance.


    The Gallant Class, already two decades old, still made up the backbone of the Orlish Navy. Designed to have a tonnage of 9,000 tonnes, these ships fought through the Great War as an effective vessel of war, and death, for most ships sunk were Gallant Class destroyers as well.


    Under the banner of these distant matriarchies, these men continued to defend them in the uncaring coldness of the Northern Seas, even now that their Kingdoms faced rot and collapse.


    Currently, the day had been no different. Much of the crew tended to their daily tasks of running the ships, while the officers planned and ran drills in the ships.


    The storm in the Northern Sea had served much pain for both the Orlish and Lorathian navies. Under the heavy rains and powerful waves, both of their defensive operations had been hampered.


    As such, it was no surprise that the CIC (Combat Information Center) thought that such contacts were a mere malfunction. Or at least, until the radar contacts grew to hundreds upon hundreds.


    And upon such revelation, the ships, and their alarms, were alight.


    "General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations!"


    The two ships at the sides of the formation turned east to the direction of the radar contact, while the lead ship began turning to Lorathia.


    At the skies above them, fast-moving cruise missiles burned toward Lorathia, as some of them broke off and redirected themselves toward the direction of the three ships.


    "Fire all available missiles to intercept!" The Captain of one of these ships barked at his men. Immediately, the CIC, already a confused and busy mess, turned more chaotic as the missiles closed in.


    Immediately, the VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells of each ship opened up, as plumes of smoke and missiles rose atop them to intercept. In moments, the skies kilometers away were filled with detonations, as Larissan and Orlish missiles once again met each other in the air.


    But many passed through.


    "Incoming! Incoming! Targeting with RPDS!"


    As one of them turned a hard bank to the west - to the direction of Lorathia, their RPDS (Rapid Point Defense System) opened up at the incoming cruise missiles. With great fury, these guns fired at missile after missile and unloaded thousands after thousands of red hot 20 mm in a matter of seconds.


    The crew held their breath as dozens after dozens of missiles were wiped out, detonations filling the air - and then, the first ship detonated.


    Then the second.


    Then the third.


    Water furiously flooded the hull breach, as the lead ship capsized and detonated its magazine in a brilliant explosion that lit up the dark seas. Men, young men who tried everything to escape, died as all hands were lost.


    More detonations followed as more cruise missiles scored their hits. The fires grew as blood filled the dark, stormy waters. It was but a silent, watery grave of three lone ships unable to prevent a surprise attack.


    ¡­


    Alfast Joint Naval Base


    VACCOM (Vaeyox Continental Command) Headquarters


    5th Orlish Fleet Home Port


    1st Lorathian Fleet Home Port


    Kingdom of Lorathia


    Alfast was a quaint and silent small city on North Lorathia, its streets filled with much calm as the rain continued to pour down on the island nation.


    Today''s school hours had just ended for two young girls, who stopped under the shelter of a random convenience store on the side of a road that overlooked the coast and the nearby, sprawling naval base.


    "I wonder when this stupid rain will stop."


    "Eh, momma said it would not stop for a while."


    "Ugh, it''s just so unpleasant. It''s getting lousy up here, always raining and stuff¡­"


    Indeed, the two young ladies had disappointment and dissatisfaction painted upon their childish faces as they watched the downpour.


    In minutes, another childish complaint came from one of them.


    "My stupid brother is taking too long again. He said his car would be here to pick us up. It''s been 15 minutes already!"


    The other girl covered her mouth as she laughed.


    "He''s a lousy guy, isn''t he?"


    "Boys, they''re so stupid."


    She rolled her eyes as the other girl continued to chuckle. Their little time continued as the sounds of raindrops were interrupted by the loud air raid sirens of the city.


    A wave of anxiety filled the two, as the familiar siren that had plagued their nights during the Great War sounded once more.


    "...What?"


    "Elisse! We need to hide!"


    "I-it''s that sound again¡­"


    The two of them had their eyes widened as loud and powerful explosions blanketed the port. Gunfire and missiles rose from the port, and the two ran and cried over the downpour, as the sounds of warfare once more triggered their instinctual fear of anything war-related.


    On the naval base itself, troops and men scrambled out of the buildings and they rushed to occupy their defensive positions, the sound of sirens blaring as they did.


    "Move! Move! All of you, get those AA mounts up and running!" Barked the officers as many land-based RPDS opened fire at the missiles that streaked through their base.


    Missiles, one after another slammed upon fuel storage facilities, hangars, depots, and the airfields that lined upon the base. Ground-based air defense systems opened up in vain as both surface-to-air missiles and point-defense guns filled the skies with lead.


    But what made it worse was when Larissan jets finally showed up atop the skies. Guided bombs dropped again and again at both naval ships and ground-based installations, its devastating yields raining havoc upon the Ivory Alliance''s most prized base in Vaeyox.


    On the harbor, aircraft carriers ONS Leifwall and LRN Serene burned as they listed. Secondary explosions lined up and detonated below their decks, as men of all kinds jumped to escape the burning wrecks.


    <<Tower 2 to all air units still available, take off immediately and defend the base! I repeat, take off immediately and def->>


    Three bombs detonated at the control tower of one of the largest airstrips, as RPDS guns beside it turned red hot. The continued dispersal of lead at the hornets high above took a toll on its materials.


    But the Orlish Airforce won''t back down without much fight. Dozens after dozens of LF-12 Zappers took off as the hangars around them turned into burning wrecks. Their air-to-air missiles zoomed toward the Larissan planes as they played the turkey shoot atop the base - while the turkeys began to fire back.


    Balls of flame fell one after another from the sky as an aerial dogfight developed, missiles and gunfire being exchanged in frantic close-ups rarely seen in modern air warfare.


    But as the hours of the attack dragged on, it seemed as if the defeat was utterly in the Ivory Alliance''s hand. The base was up aflame, as ships, big and small burned and sank.


    And as the bodies of the dead and wounded were recovered by wide-eyed first responders, it was clear to all that was present. The Great War had resumed.

 Chapter Thirty-Eight: Her Majesty Hates Escalations

    "Surprise attack on Northern Lorathia! Larissan Missiles and Aircraft attacked the naval base in Alfast in a blatant act of aggression. Three aircraft carriers, alongside nearly twenty-four other warships of the Orlish and Lorathian Navies, were sunk in the attack. Already, Queen Eliette has declared war on the Empire this morning. The response of the Ivory Palace and Queen Amelie is still being awaited on a live address at noon today, and it is expected that the Kingdom of Orland will declare war alongside all Ivory Alliance member states."


    - Geopol Press


    ---


    Amelie could not accept it. She could not even fathom to believe it all. Her eyes threatened to spill tears as she sat, as quite frankly, the young Queen was very much scared of it all.


    War.


    War.


    Already, 11,000 sailors, airmen, and marines of VACCOM lay dead in Alfast, with the count growing each second. It had only been scarcely hours into the attack when she was roused awake by the news.


    It''s¡­it''s my fault. I should have¡­I should have¡­


    "See?! I told you all! Now how in the holy heavens are we going to defend Lorathia now!" Shouted Walter at Minister Adelaide and Prime Minister Jacqueline. He had been angry ever since he received the news, the utter travesty of his fellow men dying in cold blood triggering the man.


    Already, the trio paid her a visit before the representatives from the Orlish High Command (OHC) arrived within the next few minutes. The shouting match that their meeting had devolved into further placed Amelie''s spirits at the low bottom.


    She almost wanted to puke at it all. 11,000 lives. 11,000 young men. Dead. All because she refused to acknowledge a possible conflict.


    Dead.


    Worse, Strike Force 7 was still not responding. For all intents and purposes, the ONS Rebenslof, alongside her brother, had vanished in the stormy Northern Sea, alongside the Larissan fleets, and thus, may not even be¡­


    No¡­I can''t make that conclusion yet. He is still alive. He has to be. Please¡­


    Even so, she still wanted to believe in peace. While many men lay dead, she could not simply escalate it further. She needed an end to the conflict quickly - before more perished.


    "Walter, we get it, we were mistaken." Amelie began with a shaky breath. With a disappointed stare, Walter shook his head. It was an absolute shit-kebab wrapped in piss. A mere mistake that resulted in nearly a third of the VACCOM fleet being involuntarily turned into submarines.


    The losses were tremendous. So tremendous in fact that whatever survived might be unable to hold off the upcoming Larissan fleet. Never had Orland suffered such devastating naval losses.


    Never.


    "But we cannot just¡­just recklessly go to war." Amelie continued. Walter was thus flabbergasted at her insufferable naivete.


    "Your Majesty? Are you still suggesting that we don''t mobilize?"


    "Orland cannot afford it, Walter. You know that. If we can somehow beat them without going into another total war, please¡­please¡­"


    Walter was sorely disappointed in her. He wanted an immediate full-scale mobilization of all Ivory Alliance member states - Orland included, to be sent to Vaeyox to face the blasted Larissans.


    "Your Majesty! Your brother is literally lost in the sea."


    "Don''t you dare use my brother as a way to force me into another senseless war!" She snapped. "I know he is still alive out there."


    "But there is already war! Can you not understand that? It''s war! You cannot sugarcoat this situation. There will be costs. There will be deaths. It is the reality!"


    Jacqueline, appalled and outraged at how the rat began to truly tread the line, finally turned furious.


    "Walter cut that out now. The Parliament itself has not yet decided on this matter. We may be at war but that does not mean we will escalate it."


    Outnumbered and outgunned, Walter merely breathed out heavily as he seethed. There was no way for him to change the minds of the three ladies now in charge of Orland.


    ¡­


    "No."


    "Your Majesty?" Heindh?ff''s little speech about the OHC''s plan was broken by her sudden interruption. For many minutes, the group of Generals, Admirals, and other military officers discussed in depth under the audience of the Queen their plans regarding the war.


    "A general mobilization won''t be permitted."


    Heindh?ff turned to her with a look of condescension.


    "What?"


    Her gaze was icy and cold at the traitor.


    "No. Any further mobilization won''t be permitted. The Orlish Armed Forces are only permitted to defend Lorathia and Gaul with minimal force, in order to prevent escalation."


    "Your Maj-"


    "Are my words clear, Minister Heindh?ff? Or is it General?"


    Heindh?ff sank in his seat as he scowled. The other officers seemed confused at her declaration. Escalation? What a joke! The war had already escalated enough with the strike in Alfast.


    The Admirals especially looked more confused. How could the Queen let such a slight go pass? 2 Orlish carriers were now metal wrecks in Alfast. What more of the thousands of sailors and men?


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    Halberd, who was present at the meeting, spoke up.


    "Your Majesty¡­I believe that what you are trying to do is noble and¡­admirable, but I''m afraid we cannot afford not to unleash our full capabilities in this conflict."


    "Admiral, to unleash everything would mean we would start another Great War." Her eyes darted at all the other officers. "I¡­I don''t understand. You are all men who have seen the hell of war. Why the eagerness to return? Why had all of you suggested insane plans that would result in more deaths - but not a single one of you even mentioned the possibility of diplomacy?"


    Amelie''s mind was a confused, stormy mess, and she wanted nothing more than to retreat to her bed and cry. But she had to make her stand here. To prevent another Great War.


    I can''t¡­I can''t let more people die under me.


    She wanted to simply beat the Larissans, and immediately sign a ceasefire. Anything! Anything to stop another meat grinder. She won''t send the last of the generation of young men back to another war.


    I absolutely cannot accept that.


    Admiral Halberd sighed, and he stared at Heindh?ff, whose gaze darkened further. Unbeknownst to Amelie, her actions had already fully divided the Orlish High Command, and her actions today were driving them deeper into division.


    "Your Majesty¡­we will see what we can do. If we cannot mobilize, then I''m afraid we will indeed have to force them to an early ceasefire. How we could do that, I do not know."


    "Please, do find a way to do that. I will not permit another war that will see more millions dead."


    Many of them did not seem to be convinced, but the OHC followed the Queen''s orders. With a collective nod, they soon vacated the conference room. Amelie was left drained.


    ¡­


    "William, I need your help."


    Major William stood before her in her office. She had called him after the meeting and her televised declaration of war to the Empire.


    Once more, she needed advice.


    "You made a mistake, Amelie."


    His blunt response stopped her in her tracks. She looked up at him from her seat with a wide eye. What did he mean by that? It could not be a mistake. She merely sought peace.


    "Look, William, why? Can you please explain to me why?"


    "Because they have started a war. I do not understand where you and all of you ''reformist'' women received the idea that you can somehow stop this."


    Indeed, at this point, she was simply tired of everyone calling her goals a mistake. It was almost as if she was now surrounded by bloodthirsty warmongers.


    The Empire hadn''t even mobilized yet. Why? Why? Why do they want to escalate it further?


    "...Why can''t you all help me see this through instead? Please, just¡­let me seek a way out of this mess."


    "Because you are being delusional. You are in denial."


    Her eyes began to moisten.


    "I don''t want war."


    "Doesn''t mean it won''t happen."


    "I''m the Queen, I can-"


    "You can''t. This is out of your control. Regardless of what you do. Your delusions that you can somehow convince her to stop however is under your control. End it."


    She glared at him, but he didn''t flinch at all. William stood firm with his words, which all stung to Amelie''s heart. To be called delusional, naive, foolish¡­she merely wanted peace.


    And so, her glare wavered, until small tears appeared on her cheeks. She could not stop it anymore. She could not.


    She wiped it off.


    "I''m¡­what do I do, William? Just let this war blaze until it consumes all of us? I¡­I can''t."


    "You cannot stop the fires anymore, Amelie. But you can prepare to face it, instead of wallowing in your delusions."


    Her expression fell, and she could not look up at him anymore. She made a blunder. Blunder after blunder. All because she denied reality.


    The truth, the truth that war was on her doorstep.


    "William, I-"


    "No need to apologize, Amelie. What you need to do now is act. Your brother is still on the high seas."


    Her eyes widened.


    Albert¡­


    ¡­


    The storm intensified over the hours. Two distant silhouettes slipped through the waves, the sound of their movements masked by the storm.


    It was two Orlish destroyers, and they braved through the storm with much determination.


    "Captain, we lost contact with the signatures." The XO of one of the ships, the ONS Fogger reported to his CO. He nodded in response.


    "Continue the search. We can''t let them slip away."


    The two ships turned and steamed north, their radars on full alert. It scanned wide upon the Northern Sea as it searched for its blasted foes. Unfortunately, being on the surface, the curvature of the world made it difficult for the radar to spot effectively.


    Already, the contacts they had detected had slipped into the radar''s shadow.


    Worse was the severe clutter that the rains continuously created. And the fact that the enemy seemed disinterested in utilizing their radar systems - which further hid them.


    Nevertheless, they continued their search and scan, as AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System) was completely unavailable at the moment.


    This was how modern naval warfare happened. A game of hide and seek, and he who sees and fires first would be the winner. Every action had a trade-off.


    Searching by radar meant that their signals would be detected. But to turn it off meant they would be blind. It was almost as if there were two teams at night, armed with but a pistol and a flashlight - all trying to search for each other.


    And then, at last, their flashlight, or their radar returned a signature. Or more accurately - a signal. The enemy was searching for them too, and they found them as a consequence.


    "Captain! CIC reports that contacts detected 32 kilometers off the starboard bow."


    "Give me the bearing."


    "Aye sir, contacts bearing 0-4-5, speed 24 knots."


    He turned to the intercom.


    "CIC, designate contacts as Alpha One and Two and get firing solutions on the two. Fire six cruise missiles!"


    The destroyer swerved to the further north, as its VLS cells opened up. Both ships immediately fired missile after missile, as smoke rose in the rainy skies.


    It was the classic tactic of modern naval warfare - missile saturation. Upon contact with hostile signatures, naval vessels usually launched multiple cruise missiles to sink hostile targets.


    Such devastating tactics allowed ships to overwhelm anti-missile defense systems. However, war wasn''t a one-sided affair.


    The XO turned to the Captain once more.


    "Sir! CIC reports launches from Alpha One and Two. 5 missiles incoming!"


    "Get air defense running. I want those missiles off our tracks."


    The missiles burned quickly through the skies, passing dozens of kilometers in mere minutes. By the time both of their missiles reached each other, both Orlish and Larissan air defenses opened up.


    A barrage of SAM (Surface-to-air) defense missiles blasted off from the two Orlish destroyers, as detonations peppered the skies ahead, and then the angry buzz of the RPDM opened up, which eliminated the last missiles.


    That was when the contacts disappeared from the radars.


    "CIC reports confirmed hits! Sir! We got ''em!"

 Chapter Thirty-Nine: Her Majestys Delimma

    "Missiles out. Fuel out. Larissans spotted us. Will proceed with guns in the AO. Goddess save the Queen."


    - Squadron Leader Indy Smith, No. II (Fighter) Squadron, RLAF (Royal Lorathian Air Force).


    ---


    Her Majesty did not find the news very appealing. Each hour, a report would reach her desk of the deteriorating situation at the front. Each time, she had less and less of an idea of how to respond. For what could she do?


    Amelie reasoned to herself that she could not escalate the war any further. Yet if she didn''t, it seemed as if more lives were lost in her indecisiveness.


    DesDiv 3 lost contact.


    ONS Tribute reported heavy damage.


    Task Force 19 was forced to retreat.


    The City of Lipool was bombed.


    The City of Trivermore was bombed.


    ONS Glory sunk.


    It was report after report from the navy, sent directly to her. Almost as if the navy''s brass was sending her a direct message of how dire the situation was.


    Each hour that passed, the seas around Lorathia grew hotter and hotter. Small units of three or two ships would constantly meet each other and engage on the wide expanse of the Northern Sea - again and again.


    Worse was the fact that Orland lost its two carriers in Lorathia, and now they were down to the ONS Rebenslof being the sole carrier in the area, as the rest of the Orlish Navy was still sailing continents away.


    And she was even more worried sick about such a fact. Her brother was alone out there - possibly, cut off. And she had absolutely no means to aid him. She loathed it all.


    Someone knocked on her door.


    "Come in." She said, voice raised.


    Major William opened the door, and the two of them met eyes once more. Amelie had a bit of a verbal scuffle with William, yet he didn''t appear perturbed by it.


    "Amelie, the Navy still hadn''t found Albert."


    "But, I told them to find him!"


    William closed the door, and Amelie seethed as she stood from her desk. Amelie had asked and asked for them to search for her brother, yet none bore fruit. The endeavor had been riddled with problem after problem.


    And so Strike Force 7 was left unseen. Which naturally made her descend to being a complete worrywart much worse.


    "You have to understand, that the Northern Sea is massive."


    "I know that, but still¡­I can''t. I can''t lose another family."


    "They are trying."


    "It is not enough!"


    William paused as he stared her down. It was clear that Amelie had been quite unstable ever since Strike Force 7 had been lost. Her demeanor had been completely changed, her gentle noble regality gone - replaced by a paranoid teenager.


    And William understood why. Suffice it to say, he even felt jealous of Albert at how someone, a woman no less (even if she was her sister) cared sick for him. Many mothers and sisters had willingly sent millions of their sons and brothers to war with no regard after all.


    Even so, he didn''t like the hypocrisy and inconsistency that Amelie spewed. She had almost sounded as if she wanted to sacrifice the navy to find her brother, which was no less worse than Queen Areya who ordered millions to bash their heads through fortified trenches.


    "Then what do you want them to do?"


    "I don''t-"


    "What do you want from the Navy? No, Amelie, what do you want us, the Armed Forces, to do? To fight your war to the fullest, or to be spineless chickens as you ordered for your delusions of diplomatic peace?"


    Amelie kept her tongue in check as the two choices were clearly presented to her. What kind of an utterly ridiculous situation it was, her two decisions were so awful.


    She didn''t want war. She didn''t want blood. She promised not to be a warmonger. Yet war wanted her. War demanded her attention. War wanted her to send men to their deaths.


    She didn''t want such a thing. She wanted to talk. She wanted to settle things down. She wanted diplomacy over guns.


    Yet it seemed elusive.


    She wanted to deny it. And she denied and denied it. Yet every report cracked her illusions. Every word from the military crumbled her visions. It was nothing. It was rubble now.


    I¡­I hate this. I hate this. Why did I become a Queen? Why? Why do I have to make these decisions?


    "Amelie?"


    "What?"


    "You''re crying again."


    She checked her tears. Indeed she was. She was cracking. Her mind cracked at the full view of her failures and the blood in her hands.


    "I¡­"


    "Amelie¡­can you still go on?"


    "I, I don''t know William. I don''t know. Why¡­why did they have to put so much blood on my hand? I just wanted¡­I just wanted¡­"


    She cried. And she cried and cried.


    William witnessed it, unable to do much more. He merely stood and watched. Watched as the Queen of Orland - the most powerful matriarch of the world, crumbled at her failures.


    At the end of the day, she was merely a teenage girl, with too much responsibility placed upon her delicate shoulders.


    "Amelie, you need to make a decision soon."


    "I''m so pathetic. Why am I¡­why am I crying?"


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "How do you feel when you look at the reports?"


    "I¡­I wanted to puke. I¡­so many lives¡­"


    "Then there''s your answer. You''re a good woman, but please, you don''t need to be weak."


    She wiped herself off her tears as she nodded.


    Indeed. She was the Queen. To break in such a way. She needed to get a hold of herself.


    I need to make a decision.


    ¡­


    Once again, Minister Fisch and Admiral Halberd were with the Queen. The situation in the Northern Sea further deteriorated, and with Admiral Tresckow gone (who flew to Lorathia to command VACCOM) reports from the Admiralty went through the two.


    "The problem we are facing is that we cannot locate the main Larissan fleet."


    The screens inside the room showed map after map that detailed the ongoing war in the sea. Amelie and Admiral Halberd were sat at their seats as Minister Fisch detailed the latest report.


    "And we are also trying to keep our available assets un-spotted without our carriers. Thus, any significant concentrations are avoided - and we do not have any offensive capabilities as a consequence."


    Admiral Halberd turned to Amelie as he finished.


    "And that is why we cannot search for your brother''s Strike Force. We can''t."


    "Is there really no other way?"


    "Until the ONS Trihorn and the ONS Halia and the rest of the 4th Fleet reached Lorathia, any offensive actions are out of our options."


    Her heart sank further.


    "My¡­my brother¡­"


    Minister Fisch, who had so far kept himself silent at their affairs, looked at the young Queen with much pity.


    "Your Majesty, while the Navy had lost contact with Strike Force 7, we do not believe he is lost."


    "I know that, but still."


    "But still what, Amelie?" Halberd interrupted. "Do you think your brother is gone?"


    "No."


    "Then stay in that mindset and wait. I have trust in that young man and trust me, Albert knows what he is doing."


    ¡­


    Albert didn''t know what he was doing.


    "What do you mean they got our AWACS?"


    "We lost contact. The missile came from nowhere."


    Captain Vogel and the groups of officers were sorely disappointed. So too was Albert.


    For days since they went dark, Strike Force 7 had traversed through the depths of the Northern Sea with every desperate method of hiding.


    Their radar, radio, and many comms and sensors were off, as they were forced to passively listen to detect hostile forces.


    His main eye in the skies, the W-2 Vision operated intermittently over the battle. They were effective at keeping a radar eye at nearly a hundred kilometers away but with many limitations due to the curvature of the world and the heavy rain.


    The clutter that the storm produced kept their radar intel questionable at best, however, the W-2 was their best chance, as it allowed them to spot the enemy without activating their ship-based radar (and being spotted in return.)


    Naturally, this made his AWACS planes vulnerable, as they would be spotted from far away. Their lamentable deaths were thus the conclusion.


    Which worried Albert, as he was running out of W-2s.


    "How many do we have left?"


    "Three sir."


    The absolute disaster it was indeed. Three? This made any possibility of combat dangerous. Should direct engagement occur, their radar coverage would be smaller and more vulnerable.


    I can''t lose any more planes. But if I don''t spot them first¡­


    "Where were the last signatures?"


    Vogel showed a map at his table.


    "The last signatures appeared around 84 kilometers away from us, North West, on this grid. We did not identify if they are friend or foe, however."


    And that presented the next challenge for them. The utter disaster that was the storm kept their radar limited and unreliable, which meant they could not simply fire willy-nilly at anything they could detect.


    Until they were sure, they would run the risk of firing a missile upon Orlish ships. Albert naturally preferred not to engage.


    "What about down south?"


    "Indigo Squadron''s reports were spotty at best. And even if it was the enemy''s main fleet¡­"


    "We cannot strike yet?"


    "Indeed."


    A sudden shout came, however, and it was from the Comms Officer.


    "Sir! CIC reports radio contact with nearby friendlies! Should we respond?"


    He turned to his officers, who nodded, including Captain Vogel.


    "Yes! Hand me that, let me talk to them."


    In moments, the CIC accepted the hails and allowed Albert to speak to them.


    "Attention! This is CV-84, ONS Rebenslof. Do you copy?"


    "Commodore Ludendorf? This is the CO of DDG-127 speaking, Captain Theodore Heint. I can hear you clearly."


    "Good. Captain Heint, you are hereby ordered to remain radio silent. We suspect nearby hostile vessels in your vicinity."


    "Copy that, Commodore."


    ¡­


    "We found him."


    The words from Admiral Halberd lifted a hundred tons off Amelie''s shoulder. Her brother was alive.


    "You¡­you did?"


    "DesDiv 12 contacted him briefly before they also went radio silent. The last report from their Captain was, ''Strike Force 7 found the enemy fleet.'' Nothing more."


    "Which means¡­he would do battle."


    "Your brother is currently acting with initiative. It appears he is hunting the enemy fleet indeed, as I have expected."


    And she was back to being a worrywart. Her brother seemed to have chosen duty over safety and was actively choosing to fight. She thought he had hidden himself to retreat, yet it was clear that she was sorely mistaken. No, her brother hid to fight well.


    If it weren''t for the fact that his life was on the line as well, she would have been singing praises for his noble bravery.


    "Can you seriously not contact him to turn back?"


    "We can''t, and I doubt he would. I know Albert, once he''s on a chase, he won''t stop until the enemy is sinking at the depths."


    How infuriating!


    But Amelie chose calm. Her brother was alive. There was¡­no need to panic at all. No need for panicked storms in her mind, not anymore.


    "What about our fleets? How far are they?"


    "4 more days, give or take. Rest assured, VACCOM is doing everything to defend Lorathia. They are holding the line with what they have."


    Truthfully, VACCOM''s stand was an impressive display. While the Larissan surprise attack crippled them, they had valiantly held the line for days and nights already.


    With a mere 64 ships left, VACCOM utilized each and every asset with much delicate efficiency. Not only had they stopped any further advances and port strikes, but VACCOM had also already sunk nearly a dozen enemy vessels - for ten of theirs.


    "What about the strikes on Lorathian cities? How is the Kingdom responding?"


    "Queen Eliette had already ordered a general mobilization and closed the Lorathian Airspace. So did Queen Clericia. Gaul is on high alert as well."


    "...Do we really need to mobilize?"


    "I already told you everything. We already told you everything. We need to mobilize now. Your approval is the only thing that stands between it."


    She sighed. She had debated it with herself and with them. She had even cried to William for it. Just the sound of it left a bitter taste in her tongue. Mobilization.


    It meant draft for men. It meant factories that produced weapons of war. It meant everything that went against her ideals.


    Thus, now that she was left with no options, she finally conceded. It was necessary, and she left many people dead due to her delays. No more.


    Still, she held out hope. Hope that it won''t be a long drawn-out war.


    "Admiral¡­can we do a partial mobilization instead."


    "That would indeed be better than nothing."


    She looked down at her desk, at the reports and documents that filled it. She looked back up at him.


    "Then¡­I permit a partial mobilization."

 Chapter Forty: Heindh?ff Putsch

    "The world - once more in flames. And the pendulum - once more swings back violently. And the crimson tide of blood - once more floods the world."


    - Duchess Maria Gutierrez, hours after the Asturian Coup.


    ---


    Fort Rulter, Free State of Wuringen


    June 10, 2024


    The door was opened by a military officer. Inside, the room was almost dark, with nothing but faint lighting. It was filled with shouts and discussions of treason.


    Behind Heindh?ff''s chair, the screens didn''t show the Orlish flag anymore. No, what was displayed was the NRF''s flag itself.


    The officer joined the masses of other plotters on the sides of the room, as they watched their leaders argue and discuss.


    "Gentlemen, the time is nigh. To move now would be our priority. The Queen and Her Majesty''s Government are distracted - while the moderates of the High Command are busy fighting the Larissans. This is an opportunity we cannot lose."


    Heindh?ff''s speech created an air of approval from the groups of traitorous officers.


    One such General smirked as he leaned forward. He was new to the plot and thus did not know the rest of Plan O''s details.


    "A Coup d''etat then? Much like what our Asturian, Lieplatzian, and Hebeian brothers did?"


    "Indeed, General Kluge. We shall occupy all provincial governments that we can - as we drive to Halia. Her Majesty would be paralyzed - unable to react, and then, victory would be ours."


    He nodded in response. Plan O, or Plan Orland - was a plot crafted and designed for already a year. It was Heindh?ff''s, and Bluch''s ultimate trump card to a victory for men.


    "Minister Heindh?ff. When shall we begin?"


    Another General inquired about the rest. It was a strange arrangement indeed, as many officers turned to the NRF at the last second. Many of them were thus left unawares - only aware that Heindh?ff and the plotters planned for victory for men.


    For once again - they had been defeated. More sorely, many of their fellow men had joined the ORP coalition with women. And with the NRF defeated in the elections, more joined.


    But the final nail to the coffin was Her Majesty''s incompetent prosecution of the war. The fool had left thousands of fellow men dead due to her indecisiveness and naivety. It was clear to these military men that Queen Amelie was not just undeserving of the throne - but a threat that must be removed.


    Both for the security of Orland and for men''s triumph in their struggle to gain rights.


    And thus, with many in the Army, Air Force, and Navy by his side, Heindh?ff smirked with confidence in his plans. They would triumph, much like the previous violent takeovers that their brothers had done overseas.


    And with Orland secured - the global alliance of men, a coalition of free brothers, shall finally march to dismantle the system that had strangled them all for centuries.


    "Tonight! The 12th Armored Division shall drive from here - Fort Rulter, straight to the capital."


    The officers looked at each other, as Heindh?ff finally addressed them.


    "Air Marshall Hoffman."


    "Aye, General?"


    "How are your air wings?"


    "All available air wings are prepared for military operations within 3 hours. Rest assured, we will clear the path to Halia."


    He turned to the sole Admiral in the room.


    "Admiral Rudolf?"


    "General, I am confident to announce that the 4th Fleet is ready at the Port of Holtz. The ONS Matriarch is prepared to blockade Halia."


    "Good."


    Such irony indeed. The most advanced aircraft carrier of the Navy - the nuclear-powered behemoth that was the ONS Matriarch, would be the rebellion''s greatest symbol in the sea.


    A rebellion against the matriarchy.


    And so, Heindh?ff nodded as he felt himself satisfied with all the developments before him. Victory was close, and so was the great counter-offensive.


    A counter-offensive that men had lost, 300 years ago.


    But not anymore.


    "Gentlemen, then I am pleased to inform you all that I have much confidence in our plans. Plan O shall commence. We only need to kick at the door - and the whole rotten structure shall collapse before us."


    ¡­


    City of Halia


    Ivory Palace


    A call roused William from his daily tasks. It was already almost night, and while he had anticipated a call with the ongoing war, he had not expected it to come from Albrecht.


    "A plot?"


    "We have lost contact with all our garrisons in the Free State. You know what this means."


    "General, when can Halia expect reinforcements?"


    "The 4th and 7th Mechanized Regiments are moving quickly to secure the two bridges in the Ludendorf River. But I''m afraid the rest of the Armed Forces is still a confused mess."


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "That means it''s only going to be us, the Halian Garrison, and the 4th and 7th?"


    "I''m afraid that is the situation, son. I am still restoring order in the OHC. Defend Her Majesty at all costs."


    "I will."


    He placed down the phone line as he rang Colonel Kleist of the Halian Garrison. The exchange between the two was brief, as both of them had talked before regarding the possibility.


    Soon, he made his way toward Amelie''s quarters, but a maid stopped him in his tracks.


    "She had asked us not to be disturbed."


    "I bear some important news."


    "Her Majesty is asleep. Do leave now, Mister."


    And while he would love to argue with the woman, her glowing eyes dissuaded such notions. Naturally, it irked him, why would Amelie ask not to be disturbed in the middle of a war?


    He would talk sense to her next time.


    And so he turned around. It didn''t matter anyway. Amelie had no knowledge of urban defense. He didn''t need to gain her approval either. He immediately rang both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, but again, Jacqueline was asleep as well.


    He had to settle with Walter alone.


    And so the minutes passed as he barked orders after orders to his subordinates. His trusty Captains mobilized the Battalion quickly around the Palace, alongside Lady Lubaine''s Royal Guard Security Detail.


    "Should we wake her up?" He asked Lubaine as the two walked out of the Palace, activity around them at an all-time high.


    "No, let Her Majesty sleep. She would need a lot of energy to lead us soon."


    "I see. Well then, what about you and the Royal Guard?"


    "I am mobilizing our units around Halia to the city. Rest assured, the city will be well defended soon."


    "I see."


    The two stopped straight toward his waiting SUV, and he bid her goodbyes as one of his captains saluted him.


    "Captain?"


    "The roads to the Palace had been closed and secured, sir. Barricades and sandbags are being erected as well, per your orders."


    "Civilians?"


    "We are dispersing them."


    "The media?"


    "Same."


    He nodded as he fixed his uniform. The 16th and the Halian Garrison needed to be discreet at mobilizing in the capital, but it would appear that such prerequisites for a successful night defense were impossible.


    "Just do the best that you can. No one is to get in the Palace without my permission or Lady Lubaine''s. Understand?"


    "Crystal, sir."


    He turned to his SUV and immediately started it once he was seated. He drove through the impromptu checkpoints that his men set up on the roads to leave the Palace grounds.


    Outside, the streets and roads were being closed down. Civilians, who knew no better, watched with anxious curiosity in the streets. He passed through Army soldiers - part of the Halian Garrison, who began patrolling the roads with their armored cars.


    It took a few dozen minutes in the clogged room for him to reach the Halian Metropolitan Police (HMP) Headquarters. He also noticed that two other vehicles stopped right in front of the building''s entrance.


    As if by sheer luck, the two other vehicles were Walter''s and Colonel Kleist''s, which were his two targets in their impromptu emergency meeting.


    "The Mayor and the Halian City Hall have already been alerted. Mayor Erica already approved any measures that we would take." Began Kleist as he walked to the two. Walter and William nodded.


    "Good. Colonel, how is the deployment going?"


    "It''s smooth, Major. Mister Deputy Prime Minister?"


    Walter shook his head.


    "The rest of the Cabinet is still being alerted. Regardless, we have to act now. We''re in a pickle."


    "A massive one at that," William added.


    "Right."


    The trio entered the HMP Headquarters, as Royal Guard Knights and Policewomen seemed to be in a frantic rush to prepare inside. Wands, guns, and combat equipment were being distributed as they passed through the ground floor, the staff merely watching with anxiety.


    They climbed up the staircase as they headed straight to the Chief of Police''s office, their steps rapid but controlled.


    By the time they opened her door after a knock three women, high-ranking officers, alongside the Chief of Police herself were inside, discussing something.


    "Ladies, I''m afraid we need to speed up everything." William declared.


    ¡­


    H-1 Highway, Free State of Wuringen


    12th Armored Division "Trident"


    <<All units. Advance forward. Keep your spacing.>>


    <<Copy that, Vampire Actual.>>


    Tanks after tanks drove forward through the wide highway. The H-1 Highway, a highway that was 140 kilometers long, connected the City of Halia to the City of Eirhow. From Eirhow, it would pass through the massive Liene River (that separated Western and Eastern Orland) then through three more smaller rivers in the Grand Duchy, before the Ludendorf River near Halia.


    Thus, it would be an 140-kilometer dash for the 12th, and they would have to cross five rivers. Clearly, it would be a rush of time.


    Behind the tanks, IFVs and APCs of various kinds followed. A typical Armored Division was always accompanied by mechanized infantry, after all. And behind these were the trucks and HMLVs.


    The standard Orlish Main Battle Tank, the Type 6 "L?we" or Lion, was a massive steel beast. Mounted on its well-protected, boxy turret, was the 120 mm smoothbore gun that could eliminate hostile armor kilometers away. And they led the convoy from the front.


    These 65-ton beasts ran through the highway at 40 kilometers per hour, already cleared of civilian vehicles who quickly cleared the highway upon sight of these armored columns.


    Wide-eyed, civilians watched from the sides as the events unfolded before them. Many had thought that such images merely unfolded in distant, unfortunate countries. But such notions seemed wrong that night - and they could only merely watch. Powerlessly.


    A few meters behind the lead tanks, a strangely customized M3 APC drove quickly. Atop it was General Kluge himself, his binoculars aimed at the side of the road before he placed it down.


    He commanded the 12th, and thus, had the honor of being the first to the Royal Capital. His anticipation of eventual triumph excited him.


    While new to the plot, the 12th was one of the most elite units of the Army that was located in the Free State. Thus, he was Heindh?ff''s main vanguard - and he also knew that the same venerable General also used this as a test of his loyalty to the cause.


    Suffice it to say that Kluge was determined to prove himself.


    "4 hours?"


    "Well, if we don''t find ourselves delayed, sir. We could reach Halia within 4 hours."


    The CO of one of his regiments, his very own nephew, seemed skeptical of the plans. Nevertheless, Kluge laughed off such worries.


    "Even if they manage to delay us, by morning, Halia would be ours."


    "We are quite a vulnerable convoy here."


    A sonic boom from the sky punctuated his remarks, which earned a chuckle from Kluge.


    "Arthur, don''t you worry. Hear that? The Air Force is with us. The skies are clear."


    With a skeptical nod from Arthur, Kluge returned to his binoculars. He laughed as he saw the small silhouette of the massive bridge they were about to approach. It was the Liene River itself.


    He could see helicopters and NRF flags already on it. Indeed, it should be an easy day.


    The Queen, oh, that foolish, naive young Queen would not stand a chance.


    Kluge would ensure such.

 Chapter Forty-One: Her Kingdom In Flames

    ¡°The deluge of falling dominoes has only begun.¡±


    - Queen Eliette, commenting on the Lieplatz Coup.


    ---


    Her Majesty was roused awake by violent bangs upon her bedroom door. She had asked last night not to be disturbed as she was utterly tired by the crisis (and wanted some time to rest and recover from said headache), but alas, her presence seemed to be demanded.


    Being the Queen surely was starting to grow old to her already. The war alone made her loathe it further. It was too sore, too toxic, too depraved. She ran out of adjectives rather quickly.


    She approached her door, still in her nightgown.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked as she opened her door. Immediately, it was William and a few soldiers behind him. Her heart rate spiked high immediately.


    Whatever nonsense was happening certainly didn''t bode well. Already, she could feel that it would definitely be bad news.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. Just a tiny little coup d¡¯etat.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A little coup by our friend, Heindh?ff.¡±


    Her mind went blank. A what now? A coup? At this very moment? In her own Kingdom?


    The utter disaster! Right now? During this war? Right exactly when the Empress and her goons were knocking upon her door, and just then did this happen?


    I¡­what?!


    ¡°William, are you-¡±


    ¡°I am very much serious. As we speak, a column of tanks from an entire armored division is driving straight to this city.¡±


    ¡°The Armed Forces?¡±


    ¡°In utter disarray.¡±


    ¡°The cabinet?¡±


    ¡°Except for Walter, asleep.¡±


    ¡°William¡­I-¡±


    He took a deep breath. Naturally, he noticed Amelie¡¯s paling and panicking face. He thus intervened quickly for her continued sanity.


    ¡°Look, the 4th and 7th Mechanized Regiments are already forming in the Ludendorf River to defend the two bridges leading to Halia. General Albrecht is already mobilizing the loyalists of the OHC to respond. The Halian Garrison and the Halian Metropolitan Police are already mobilizing here - and the Palace itself is now secure. Rest assured - we will weather this storm.¡±


    Her hyperventilation wasn¡¯t stopped by his reassurances, however. Her kingdom was still in flames - literally. Still, at the very least, she had avoided the acute risk of a sudden cardiac arrest. With a heavy breath, she spoke.


    ¡°Please¡­give me a few minutes please.¡±


    ¡°Understood. You¡¯re going to be alright, right?¡±


    ¡°William, I¡¯m not a weakling.¡±


    She almost wanted to bash him for his skeptical look. Still, they left, and thus, Amelie was left alone in her room, as she rushed to prepare herself.


    It was a rush of rush. She clothed herself to be decent rather quickly. She hadn''t even bothered to fix herself (why even call her maid? The Kingdom''s in flames) that she finished her preparations in mere minutes.


    Her mind however was utter wack. The combination of both shock and drowsiness proved devastating. Especially with such devastating news - again.


    My kingdom¡­no¡­it can¡¯t be.


    In haste, she left her room. Both William¡¯s troops and Lady Lubaine¡¯s Royal Guard Knights filled every corner, corridor, floor, room, and hallway. It was frantic, tense, and serious.


    The Ivory Palace, known for its splendor and royal atmosphere, seemed to turn into a fortified garrison. She even saw barricades and sandbags being placed in the ballroom by William¡¯s soldiers, much to the distasteful and scornful looks from the Knights and Nobles who watched.


    Amelie however passed through them without much comments. She didn¡¯t care if her Palace was being desecrated - if it meant protection for her and Alice.


    Plus, she had a gnawing feeling that those fancy furniture and paintings weren''t going to last much longer.


    With the directions of the soldiers and the Knights, she soon arrived at William¡¯s and Lady Lubaine¡¯s converted command center. The room was filled with staff and soldiers in front of screens and computers, the two in deep conversation.


    ¡°...Indeed, if we can keep these roads closed with these fortified positions¡­oh, Her Majesty is here.¡± William stopped his discussion with Lady Lubaine as the two turned to face her. Amelie was still pale when she arrived, the entire situation boring down upon her.


    ¡°Major, Lady Lubaine, can I please get a rundown of the situation?¡±


    William nodded.


    ¡°Currently, the Armed Forces are still a mess. We don¡¯t know who¡¯s loyal, who¡¯s neutral, and who¡¯s with Heindh?ff. But, the Halian Garrison and the 4th and 7th are firmly with us, and we are now about to finish our defensive preparations.¡±


    ¡°The Air Force?¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Chief Air Marshal Zimmermann is still scrambling his squadrons. As it stands, many of our air bases in the Free State have gone dark.¡±


    ¡°The Navy?¡±


    ¡°Minister Fisch and Admiral Halberd are responding and mobilizing in Rebenslof.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She turned to Lady Lubaine. The woman seemed to be calm as steel, almost as if the entire situation hadn''t fazed her at all. Amelie wished she was the same.


    Unfortunately, she was very much not so. Amelie was panicking and she feared for her safety greatly. So much so that there was a gnawing desire inside her to bolt off, call the Navy, and ship herself off the capital with Alice.


    But she booted such nonsense off with great determination. No, she could not let those rascals gain a victory over her.


    I will¡­I will stop them in their tracks.


    "Worry not, Your Majesty. The Royal Guard is mobilizing to defend Orland and this city. The Archduchess herself has repulsed Heindh?ff''s vanguards in the Archduchy."


    "Please, do everything that you can. The Kingdom cannot fall to this plot."


    "Yes, we will, Your Majesty."


    ...


    H-1 Highway, Tor Bridge


    Ludendorf River


    03:22 Hours


    7th Mechanized Regiment


    8th Armored Division "Rattenk?nig"


    The Tor Bridge was the final crossing between the 12th''s advance through the H-1 Highway and the City of Halia. Merely 20 kilometers away from the city, the defense of this bridge meant life and death.


    L?we tanks and M3 APCs parked themselves near the banks of the river, and the entrance of the bridge itself. On the ground, Orlish soldiers rushed out of their IFVs and APCs as they set up defensive emplacements in haste.


    "We need to blow up this damned bridge." Major Graff said to Colonel Karl. Colonel Karl was in charge of the 7th itself, while Major Graff was in charge of the 34th Tank Battalion.


    Already, Major Graff''s 24 L?we tanks stood at the ready on their side of the bridge. He would be the main source of the 7th''s resistance to the upcoming advance of the 12th.


    "Neither the Queen nor High Command permitted that."


    "Still, are we really going to wait?"


    The two knew very well the fundamentals of modern warfare. In order to prevent any slog such as the one that occurred in the Great War, it was imperative to stay mobile and penetrate hostile defenses.


    Indeed, that would be Heindh?ff''s and the 12th''s goal. And they would have to stop that.


    But there came the problem. To blow the bridge would mean any counter-attack would be conducted through pontoon bridges or other improvised means. And High-Command wasn''t interested in such a situation developing in their homeland.


    As such, the dilemma arose.


    "Major, as of now, until Her Majesty or the OHC orders it, this bridge stands."


    "This is risky."


    "I know. But we have no choice. In a day or two, it would be us crossing this bridge."


    "And what if we''re not?"


    "Then goddess help us."


    Powerful sonic booms interrupted their discussion. Above them, in the darkness of the skies, it seemed that the Orlish Air Force was on the move as well.


    Indeed, the situation in the Orlish Armed Forces and the Orlish High Command was an utter circus. The disorganization was so severe, that they could not even send a division to defend the bridges.


    It was all finger-pointing and suspicion at each other. Many units were even stuck at their bases and awaited "evaluations" for their suspected officers. Many didn''t respond. Many were out of control and were acting without orders from the OHC.


    Such braindead nonsense was a natural result of sudden plots. No one knew where to go, no one knew who to trust, nor did anyone know what they were doing.


    And so the task fell to these few loyalist men - at least for now.


    And so was their frantic rush. More and more soldiers stepped off their vehicles. Sergeants and Lieutenants barked upon the men to move. Machine guns and barricades were placed one after another.


    Tank threads rumbled forward, the night making them even more devious in their appearance. Their presence however commanded confidence among the troops - even if they would face the same behemoths on the other side.


    Their preparations were mechanical, efficient, and well-oiled. But one could only hope - hope that such performance and morale would last upon first contact.


    More sonic booms zoomed atop them.


    ¡­


    The Halian City Hall was on fire. So was the half of the HMP headquarters. For the first time, air raid sirens - installed during the outbreak of the Great War, blared out violently in the massive city.


    Civilians - both men and women (mostly women) were all roused awake by the chaos upon them. Atop them, bombs and missiles dropped upon the city with wild abandon.


    The civilians panicked and cowered, as the war they had all feared finally arrived, all the while the Halian Garrison moved frantically in the streets.


    On the ground, AA-missile weapon systems, mostly mobile platforms, ran hot on the highways and streets. Operated by the Halian Garrison, they were among the first assets scrambled by the Colonel.


    Yet the bombs and missiles still dropped alongside the dropping enemy aircraft.


    The Parliament and the Ivory Palace however were impenetrable. Surrounded by AA defenses, the skies above them were aflame, as both missiles and RPDS mounts went hot.


    Missiles and guided bombs - all headed straight for the center of Orland, were shot down before they reached the Palace.


    Still, Amelie didn''t like it.


    Before her, the Capital was aflame. In the distance, districts and buildings were alight, and so was the sky. Tracers and plumes of distant smoke rose up, almost as if all of them desperately held the storm from above.


    "That''s¡­Greenwall District. William! T-they bombed them. Goddess¡­"


    "Amelie, we cannot do anything about it. Not until the rest of the Air Force responds."


    "But¡­my fellow-"


    "Your fellow nobles?"


    "Um¡­yes."


    Greenwall District, known as one of the wealthier districts of Halia, was known to house many of Orland''s powerful noble houses. Unfortunately, they also detested the Armed Forces, and thus the Halian Garrison never had a significant presence in Greenwall.


    Such short-sightedness naturally resulted in their current predicament - that being the rebels smashing through their roofs with heavy bombs, their detonations visible kilometers away.


    Amelie of course felt even more awful. More lives¡­more lives were being lost. She didn''t care if they weren''t her best subjects, they were her subjects.


    Civilians caught in a crossfire.


    She wanted to puke.


    But she could not do anything but watch. Watch from her temporary state of safety.


    "William, what do we really do now?"


    "Colonel Kleist is en route to the Palace. No, everyone is en route here. We will discuss our course of action within 20 minutes."


    "I see." She wanted it done immediately. Amelie squashed her remaining fears as her eyes turned icy. "Please¡­tell them to make haste. I want this city defended - at all costs."

 Chapter Forty-Two: Her Majestys Stand

    "We mere morally bankrupt rats can only look up at those morally virtuous angels with envy. How frighteningly luxurious - to always be a paragon of saintness."


    - Excerpt from the "Tales of the Disgusting Conscript."


    ---


    Ivory Palace


    03:40 Hours


    The discussion dragged on in anxious haste. Huddled inside the room were the highest-ranking officials of Orland still in the city - officials who were loyal to the crown. Naturally, it was Amelie¡¯s gang, her inner circle, with the new necessary addition - the commanding officer of the Halian Garrison.


    Prime Minister Jacqueline naturally seemed anxious.


    Deputy Prime Minister Walter seemed to be laughing as he spoke. His head shook rapidly as he did, which naturally implied that he was really, really, furious.


    Colonel Kleist was stone-faced.


    And William finished his presentation with a resounding thud on the table.


    "Thus, it is clear that we would need more fresh bodies if we are to hold this city. Colonel Kleist?"


    The Colonel nodded.


    "The weapons stockpiles in the city should be sufficient to field 30,000 conscripts in short order. More if we can mobilize and train within the next few weeks."


    Walter also spoke. He had a natural knack for military strategy, being a former military officer. His main consideration was Halia¡¯s available stockpiles of military equipment. The situation was so dire that he didn¡¯t desire the possibility of being reliant on other cities and regions. If Halia were to be temporarily cut off, he banked on Halia being capable of standing on its own.


    "We have tanks and heavy equipment as well, right?"


    "Yes, sir. We even have twelve factories of varying sizes producing military equipment - although the Taurer Plant that produces L?we tanks in the east end of the city was bombed 20 minutes ago."


    Amelie observed the proceedings with great attention. Never had she been truly exposed to military matters of such depth. William, the Colonel, and Walter discussed positions, defense lines, critical sectors, and points to be defended.


    And now, logistics and supplies. The very strategic framework of military warfare. Naturally, the dreadfulness of the situation wasn''t lost on her.


    The mere fact that they were discussing the defense of her capital city cracked her heart. Had she failed so much, that her Kingdom truly crumbled at such a state? So much so, that now, she had to fight wars, and sacrifice the blood of many for victory.


    She could not simply stand down anymore. Her delusions had faded. War was here - and it would never back down. While she would have likened it to having a chat with Heind?ff to talk the matters out, she knew that was nonsense.


    He had committed treason and so did all officers, politicians, and soldiers with him. In her sleep, he and his men had launched an attempt to violently usurp her.


    There could be no negotiations. Not until she had weakened them enough and strengthened her position.


    Still, she sighed.


    ¡°Do we really need another mass conscription?¡±


    The question hushed the discussion as all looked at the Queen. It was both a bitter and scary word for both men and women in the room. For men, it represented their disposability. For the women, it represented one of their greatest failures and crime. Amelie didn¡¯t want such measures. So did Jacqueline.


    But Walter was quick to answer.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And who will we conscript?¡± Asked Amelie, already sure of the answer herself.


    ¡°There are still many men in this city.¡± He said quickly, although his voice seemed to drop a little. ¡°Many, veterans of the Great War, or former military men who know how to hold a rifle and follow commands.¡±


    Yet she didn¡¯t want to conscript her female subjects. It went against her ideals. Why should she extend the pain instead of eliminating it? Yet¡­she could not eliminate such reality for men either. But then, who would fight for her if not for them? She had read history for a long time, and almost all attempts to conscript women failed.


    Gaul tried it in the Great War - all that Kingdom saw was an insurrection and it was reversed quite quickly. It made her wonder, why men would almost always accept such fate, with but only a tinge of resentment. Perhaps a misplaced sense of duty?


    Duty to what? A collective that didn¡¯t care? It baffled her.


    ¡°I see¡­do we have the powers to enact such measures?¡±


    Jacqueline looked at her and nodded.


    ¡°I cannot. I would need the Parliament¡¯s approval should I desire to do so. You however can. Just a word from you, and you can force all eligible young men straight to the recruitment centers.¡±


    Amelie glanced at Walter and William, one last time. Both had the same response in their eyes.


    We have no other options.


    ¡°Then a draft it is then. I want all of Orland to mobilize from today to meet all threats to our national security.¡± Her voice almost cracked. ¡°And¡­all young men, as long as they meet requirements - are required to report to the draft, according to the needs of the Armed Forces of Orland.¡±


    Walter and Jacqueline nodded. Her Majesty¡¯s orders - to defend all of Orland, shall be followed.


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    ¡­


    Alice didn¡¯t like the sounds of it. Outside, distant booms and rattles could be heard from her room. Outside of her room, soldiers, knights, and all other adults ran around everywhere.


    Three Knights, friends that she had known for many years, dragged her off her beloved bedroom to a secluded room. It had no windows, the doors were locked, and it was almost dark. They told her to stay put, and only one of the Knights, Guinevere, stayed with her.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± She asked.


    ¡°It will all be alright,¡± Guinevere replied.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be alright.¡± She rebutted. None of it indeed was alright. What alright? There was gunfire outside. She was no dimwit, she knew it when someone fired those cylindrical abominations.


    She knew what it meant when the sirens sounded.


    She knew what it meant when many soldiers were around.


    She knew what it meant when Amelie was gone in the middle of the night.


    And she knew what it meant when explosions and gunfire were happening outside.


    She loathed their nonsense. Their babying of her. She was a child, but she was no mere innocent angel who would not know such awful realities.


    And so she frowned.


    She would never trust that nonsense once more. Albert told her that ¡°everything will be alright¡±, but where was he now?


    Gone. He was now gone on the high seas. How could he? How could they all do this to her? To lie and lie.


    ¡°Your Highness-¡±


    Guinevere was interrupted by the door opening. On it was Marta herself - her maid in waiting, and behind her was Amelie. Immediately, the princess¡¯ eyes brightened at the sight of her older sister. Her only sole bastion in the sea of darkness.


    ¡°Amelie! Amelie!¡± With tears, she embraced her older sister. Unlike before, the gates blew open. Worried, utterly worried, was a mere understatement to describe Alice. At the very least, her beloved sister was here.


    ¡°Alice? Why are you-¡±


    ¡°Why are we still here?! We¡¯re leaving, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯m scared, they might hit us. I know what is happening! The bad guys, they¡¯re here, right?¡±


    She felt Amelie¡¯s hands on the back of her head, as she soothed Alice.


    ¡°Look, we will be safe, alright? This city and the Palace are under heavy defense.¡±


    ¡°But, but still!¡±


    ¡°And, William has notified me of a fortified bunker nearby. We will be moving there, if that would ease your anxiety a bit. Just trust me.¡±


    ¡°But what if the bad guys stormed us?¡±


    ¡°I will never let that happen.¡±


    ¡­


    Tor Bridge


    Ludendorf River


    7th Mechanized Regiment


    04:34 Hours


    On the other side of the bridge, multiple squads of the 7th positioned themselves on the small town situated on it. Civilians lined the evacuation routes, as trucks and cars passed through the military checkpoints to move through the Tor bridge.


    It was hectic, as the bombardment of Halia itself was audible for all to hear.


    ¡°Hey, you seeing this shit?¡± Asked one of the soldiers to his buddy as he placed down his binoculars.


    The two were huddled in the dark outskirts of the town, as they observed the road for approaching vehicles.


    ¡°It¡¯s the enemy, I think.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    His buddy pulled out his radio in response.


    ¡°Clearly.¡±


    With a few buzzes in the radio, the two reported the approaching enemy, before they bolted off.


    Tank threads rumbled forward, as the approaching column arrived just a few hundred more meters. The troops of the 7th prepared their rifles and AT weapons in haste. Their goal was simple, delay the enemy before they reached the bridge itself.


    One such squad had two men who manned the furthest point in the town. The two were hidden behind a store that stood near the entrance of the town.


    ¡°Steady¡­got the locks?¡±


    ¡°Aye, sarge.¡±


    ¡°Fire at my command.¡±


    The imposing hulls of the L?we tanks came ever so close. The soldier¡¯s portable anti-tank weapon system, which he held, tracked the lead vehicle¡¯s movement. And then-


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°They are here.¡±


    William¡¯s brief report concluded Amelie¡¯s hasty efforts to vacate her office. Even with Alice¡¯s maid-in-waiting¡¯s help, it was a messy business. Papers and books littered her room, and it looked less like a Queen¡¯s office and more like a college student¡¯s unfortunate cave.


    ¡°How far?¡±


    ¡°They are at the Tor bridge. The 7th reported a developing engagement with them.¡±


    She paused from compiling her documents into one of her folders.


    ¡°...Casualties?¡±


    ¡°They eliminated a dozen enemy vehicles, but, the town on the bridge is under heavy artillery fire.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Within minutes, Amelie and her staff were moving through the hallways. She only carried her necessities, as she needed to reach the bunker posthaste, less she died an unfortunate death.


    ¡°Can we really hold this city?¡±


    ¡°I cannot tell much more other than we will try.¡±


    William followed her closely, and he occasionally conversed through his radio whenever Amelie wasn¡¯t asking anything.


    She stepped off the Palace entrance - and what greeted her truly sent chills up her spine. In the distance, the night sky was enveloped with yellow and red lights from the fires that raged in the distance. Tracers and missiles rose up, without end, and her city burned.


    Burned in the fires of war. She could not fathom how she would even rebuild it if she won. But such thoughts were distant nonsense - mere drivel from a mind that struggled to comprehend the hell she witnessed.


    ¡°So¡­this is what war really is?¡±


    ¡°Amelie?¡±


    ¡°William¡­is this what you men saw in the Great War?¡±


    The thunder of distant explosions synchronized with her words, as she turned back to William. Even in the darkness, his face would almost flicker with each boom.


    The Great War, the war young men like him saw alone. The war they were forced to be in. The war that massacred their kind with cold abandon. The hell that was their fate.


    Now the fate of even the most powerful kinds of women.


    ¡°Indeed. Isn¡¯t it hell already?¡±


    She turned back to her burning city. Weakly, she nodded. Why had it all ended this way? No such answers came. But she came to one realization.


    All I can do now is end this. To the bitter end.


    ¡°William, will you follow me and see this war to the end?¡±


    ¡°I already gave you the oath. Yes, to hell and back, for you. Same with my men. Same with countless loyalists with you today. We will.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­let us win this war, and end this hell. Once and for all.¡±


    She would be a victorious Sovereign - eventually.

 Epilogue + Afterword (The Gathering Storm — Volume One)

    The Second Orlish Civil War


    The Putschists


    Normal Flag (NRF Party Flag)


    War Flag


    Provisional Government of Orland


    (Eirhow Directorate)


    National Spirits


    Men''s Militarism


    - Even without magic, we men shall conduct ourselves to our duties. War will be men''s domain - for better or worse. For there is no better fate for us than to die in service of those behind us.


    Extremist Reformism


    - To achieve our rights, there can be no quarter. If force of arms is necessary, then we shall not flinch. Either magic and women are crushed - or we men are crushed.


    Technology Ascendant


    - The power of technology has shined in this century. Clearly, technology alone will triumph - triumph over the arcane!


    Eirhow''s Military Industry


    - The very symbol of young men''s misery and disposability - the soulless factories and imposing spires of Eirhow shall be our greatest strength!


    Equality Through Blood


    - Blood and blood alone will be our salvation. Men will never taste rights or equality without payment - and without making those who hold these from us bleed.


    OHC Emergency Government


    - The Armed Forces was cut in half! Yet those loyal to the revolution shall serve it with gallantry. To defeat the Queen and restore order, Martial Law is now in effect!


    Ravage the Duchies!


    - The Archduchess and the Duchess shall pay! For their transgressions against men, they and their conservative allies will be ground into dust. Every city of these ¡°perfect women¡± shall be turned to rubble with our righteous airpower!


    Drive to the Capital!


    - Plan Orland is our masterpiece. The Queen and her stooges won''t last once our tanks blasted through the Royal Capital - and we shall!


    Government Type:


    Provisional Republic under a Military Junta


    Key Leaders:


    Provisional President Sullivan Rimpler


    Minister of Defense Geoffrey Heindh?ff


    Director of the Orlish Intelligence Agency Alfonso Bluch


    The Royalists


    Civilian Flag


    OAF War Flag


    Kingdom of Orland


    (Her Majesty''s Government)


    National Spirits


    Men''s Militarism


    - Even without magic, we men shall conduct ourselves to our duties. War will be men''s domain - for better or worse. For there is no better fate for us than to die in service of those behind us.


    Idealistic Reformism


    - We women shall grant men, with gentleness, the equality and benevolence they deserve. For how can one call herself a woman without caring for her fellow man?


    Staunch Aristocracy


    - We women are the chosen ones. Above the barbaric savages that are men. To give them rights would be a disservice to the order, logic - and the goddess herself.


    Magic Ascendant


    - The rule of the arcane is inevitable, for it is the power granted to us women by the goddess. Technology may be here, but the power of the old remains!


    OHC Emergency Government


    - The Armed Forces were cut in half! Yet those loyal to the Queen shall serve her and Her Majesty¡¯s Government with gallantry. To defeat the rabid traitors and restore order, Martial Law is now in effect!


    Ducal Defense Forces


    - The brutal horde of these savage young men will not enter the Duchies without resistance. Every woman prepared to hold a wand shall fight for the defense of our homeland!


    Defense of Halia


    - The Royal Capital and Her Majesty must be defended at all costs! Every available unit is now scrambling and mobilizing for the Queen. They shall not pass!


    Government Type:


    Parliamentary Semi-Constitutional Monarchy


    Key Leaders:


    Queen Amelie Ludendorf


    Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss


    Deputy Prime Minister Walter Plock


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    General Victor Albrecht


    Admiral George Halberd


    ---


    Epilogue


    A gun locked at a woman¡¯s heart.


    A wand locked at a man¡¯s head.


    In the end, the battle between the two genders had once more begun. Yet one would struggle to ask, and more so find answers, to such a question. A question asked for centuries, a question asked before magic had been bestowed by the goddess.


    Who indeed was in the wrong?


    Who was in the right?


    Was there even an answer to such a question?


    Were men in the wrong? For being violent and vile - all for their rights? Rights they had bled for - all in vain, for 300 years?


    Or were women wrong? For being uncaring and apathetic - for they were "superior"? For they upheld punitive measures for the thousands of years of men''s crimes?


    A young woman walked through the broken streets of her town. What once was a vibrant home of hers - now nothing but cinders. The rubble littered the road. The homes burned aflame, or the masonry completely collapsed. Thriving stores and establishments, turned into nothing but broken windows and walls.


    Dead civilians lined the streets. So did dead soldiers. Dead people, unable to escape the brutality upon them. The bombardment had been vile - discriminate, uncaring. Almost as if, in the perspective of artillery shells and bombs - men and women were equal.


    Equal in death.


    She had a bright future once. Born in a life of plenty and privilege, she could have lived a long, successful life.


    Or at least, she could have, had the war not started. Had all of it turned out fine. Yet it didn''t. Maybe she should have paid more attention. Maybe she should have never looked down at those men who toiled in the rung. Maybe she should have advocated and helped their cause.


    Perhaps, yet she was too small to change anything. Was it an excuse? Perhaps not. Yet it didn''t change anything. What did she do to deserve all of this?


    They arrived.


    They bombed her town.


    They shot all those who opposed.


    All in a deranged search for "justice".


    Who were they to do such a thing? To do such a thing to her and her fellow women? Had they committed a crime against them? They were merely trying to live their lives - yet they destroyed it. Destroyed it for their deranged cause.


    A cause she once agreed with - but now, all she felt was hate. Hate for those who destroyed everything she held dear.


    A young high school boy turned soldier, barely even 16, advanced through the broken rubble, rifle held close.


    He didn''t have much in his future. A mere boy he was, his prospects were too little. He had never viewed his life as somewhat important. He always joked of death and despair, much to the mirth of his fellow brothers and himself. He had come from a line of dead men - men who merely had a child before dying in war.


    And so he joked and joked. For he knew what his fate was. To die in battle. So what indeed was the value of his life? So why not joke about it?


    It had little value to begin with anyway.


    Yet they told him it could all be better. That perhaps, through the force of arms, they would triumph and live as well as women. That their meaningless lives could have value. That even when they lacked magic, and the approval of the goddess, they could live just as decently as women did.


    It was a distant, yet beautiful promise. A promise he didn¡¯t truly believe in - too apathetic and disillusioned at such a young age.


    Yet he joined. For what would he lose? A life he didn''t value?


    Who cared? The rewards were so much more shiny. Even when such things are too far, and too impossible.


    But what a cruel joke it was! Instead of the promised tales of liberation and people cheering for the revolution, he had watched his brothers die in their hasty advance. Or how their most extreme members would shoot civilian women out of "justice". Indeed, why had he even held hope? There was no good fate for them. They were either miserable, or they would spread misery.


    Pain after pain.


    Atrocities after atrocities.


    Dead civilians - women, girls, children.


    And dead men on every defense line.


    All through hell.


    Had they made things worse? He didn''t truly know the answer.


    Yet could one blame him still? Blame him, for he fought on the side that championed his rights the most?


    Was he truly in the wrong?


    Two separate souls - too far away and insignificant in the grand tale of Her Majesty, or of Orland itself.


    Yet the two showed the spirit of the dire situation greatly.


    Both men and women, all of whom were now stuck in a world of death and despair. All as they pointed the fingers of blame at each other. All as they shoot each other for their respective sides.


    She walked with great caution, yet her mind was empty. So were her eyes. All she held was her wand - her only defense against those vile men who invaded her very home. It was the goddess¡¯ blessing to all women. And now, she understood why. To defend herself. To defend her beloved, from the faceless, evil, and savage masses of young men.


    Young men who now burned down her nation.


    There were cracks of gunfire and the thunder of artillery in the distance. Yet she didn''t turn her head toward it. She merely walked forward, as she heard the rumbling of tank threads.


    Suddenly, upon her was a man.


    The teenage soldier looked at the woman with panic. His gun instinctively aimed at hers as the tank behind him crossed behind him. The behemoth''s turret turned in the direction of the young woman, just as her wand glowed.


    "Halt! Put down your wand!" He roared.


    "Die! You vile man ape!" She snapped back.


    Yet, were the two really supposed to fight each other? What would be the point of it all?


    For men and women to be at each other''s throats?


    Sisters against Brothers.


    The wand against the rifle.


    A shot cracked through the air. Just as a faint whizz of a spell swished in response.


    Which side was truly wrong?


    And which side are you on?


    ---


    Afterword


    Well, there goes, the end of Book One (or Volume One if you''d like) and well, I just wanted to have a word to all of you, dear readers.


    Now, you''re probably wondering - why? What led you to write this? Now, I''m no woman, and I would never qualify myself to ever speak about the transgressions they have lived under. But I do wonder, and I wondered, what if it was the other way around? Or better yet, what if women turned it the other way around? And even better (based on the arguments of many male supremacists that, well, we men are superior because of physical strength, or sometimes intellect, which I believe is bollocks) why not give women magic? Because that''s exactly what magic gave to women in this novel - utter biological superiority, physical and intellect.


    Now, the question this seeks to ask is, does that justify the superior position of women? Do men deserve to be second-class because they are (technically) inferior? We can even turn that around. Do men, or women, deserve to be under because of this or that? We see the consequences it creates in the novel. And I guess I tried hard to show how disastrous it would be if men and women, the two fundamental halves of humanity, were at each other''s throats, all for petty disagreements. It''s a simple concept that I believe most people agree on - but somehow, many still forget.


    As for the question, that''s up to you dear readers to answer.


    Now, about me. Well, I''m actually just a Filipino High School guy who loves to dabble in geopolitical history. I wrote this thing during the school vacations, and I''m continuing to write this in my scheduled spare time whenever I get back home.


    But, well, next year I''d most likely be slammed straight into college, and would probably have to get myself into some jobs if I wanted to survive. But that''s why I''m also doing this. Maybe (or maybe not) I could go through college writing on the side instead of flipping burgers on the side.


    That''s why Patreon is open to you all! Maybe, you liked my writing, wanted to see more, and wanted me to go on. Well, there it is, dear reader. Of course, unless you really want it, there''s no need to feel the need to join, as, look, I''m in a third-world country, and the cost of living is lower. That 10$ alone, for example, would let me survive for days (and I''m a really frugal guy when it comes to spending). I need some, but I don''t need so much.


    That''s why, unless this thing utterly fails and I run out of time, I''ll continue to write and write. I''d be honest, this line of work is quite fulfilling. To create worlds and people and give them life...it just, well, it''s an experience I wouldn''t let go. And I won''t retreat until I become a full-fledged author (hopefully). So yeah, if you want to and you can support me, you have my eternal gratitude!


    Book 2 is coming soon - and I hope you stay tuned. Thank you all for reading this.


    And thank you for reading the first book I wrote. No kidding.

 Prologue (The Bastion of Hope — Volume Two)

    The bombs fell and burned those in its path.


    The shots cracked and downed all those fated to demise.


    The sounds of artillery boomed, and the ground wavered.


    The ships screeched, as they burned and sank.


    The flames of what were once flying knights, fell from the skies like fallen angels - their pilots dead in the inferno.


    And in the new trench lines - in the new frontlines - men readied themselves. Once more, the loud pitch of the whistle sounded, and into the fire, they charged. Charged as the familiar fires of war once more greeted them.


    Many banners were held by them.


    The banner of the Queen of Orland.


    The banner of Heindh?ff''s Putschists.


    Or the vagrant ships of Larissa, that held the Imperial Standard.


    And all of them fought, once more, on many sides, all with differing goals and purposes. Yet all were united as one - all united in misery from the fires of war.


    Queen Amelie Ludendorf, the young besieged Queen of Orland, watched from an underground bunker turned into a Command Center by the Armed Forces. Screens and staff filled the room, as the dark hue of the room contrasted with the blue lights of the screens and the faint auxiliary lighting above.


    From here, she was now commanding her nation - her battered and beleaguered defenders, as her nation collapsed into ruins. From two sides, from two directions, stuck just a few kilometers from the frontlines, she would have to command Orland in a two-pronged attack. One from the Putchists, one from the blasted Imperials.


    Rarely had it ever occurred, for one inexperienced young monarch to face such a daunting task. If she hadn¡¯t done well in the months of peacetime, she could scarcely imagine how much worse she would end up in such a drastic predicament, a hundredfold worse than before.


    Can I even stop them? Stop them at the gates?


    The Putschists were now at Halia¡¯s gate, as the Royal Capital burned - burned from Heindh?ff¡¯s extensive terror bombing campaign. His strikes never relented, never wavered. Even when Loyalist air squadrons mobilized to fight gory duels atop Halia, his aircraft and missiles kept coming in - striking upon civilians and soldiers alike. Death and destruction dominated the once lively city, as both noble estates, apartments, suburbs, and the massive business districts filled with skyscrapers burned.


    Even the Halian Stock Exchange Building, which was the tallest in Halia, collapsed on another building, which left her iconic skyline - already a burning mess, completely ruined.


    With streets filled with the dead, debris, and broken rubble, one could no more call Halia the illustrious capital of Orland - and the world even, now that such gruesome fate befall it.


    But the Queen never merely hunkered in her bunker. Throughout the first 24 hours of the war, she and William had toured the city as they organized the defense and evacuation of the city.


    Truthfully, that never materialized. Much of what they could do was mere intelligence gathering. With a severe lack of manpower and organization, the Queen''s hands were temporarily tied, and she had to watch the city fall to chaos, with only minimal aid from her government.


    But she didn''t falter. No, she was the Queen of her people. To falter would mean their demise. And so she carried on.


    "We will do everything!" She declared in a broken hospital. Thousands of staff - doctors, nurses, mostly women, watched her. Behind them, stretcher after stretcher was being rushed. All as they were utterly overwhelmed by the masses of innocent souls they had to aid.


    The healthcare infrastructure of the city was hard hit, as bombs fell even on hospitals, clinics, and the like. The barbarity of the Putschists'' Air Force was in full display upon them. Almost as if they wanted to purge the inhabitants of the city - mostly women.


    And while she had cursed the skies that dropped untold misery at her subjects, she could not do much more than to inspire.


    Inspire to hold on.


    Inspire to carry on.


    Inspire to stand tall.


    Inspire to persevere.


    For if they didn''t - Halia would fall.


    "We will fight them, in every street of the city!" She declared loudly at the Parliament''s MPs. All of them were gathered in the halls of an untouched hotel, as the Parliament itself - the symbol of Orland''s Democracy, was already bombed by Heindh?ff.


    And they roared in agreement. Even those that had once opposed her - Duchess Flandere, and her Arcanist MPs hollered in agreement. The new men of the ORP seemed less enthusiastic, yet they agreed as well.


    "And I remind all those that survived the bombings, those in this room today." Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss, spoke beside her with much flowing emotions from her words. Like Amelie, she had been shocked, devastated, and crippled by the sudden turn of events.


    But she would carry on, as the second leader of the Kingdom.


    "That we will stand as one - and never falter at all. Against the darkness of these radicals, the Bastion of Hope, and the light of Orlish Democracy will never fade. For the defense of all of Orland and our allies!"


    The loud applause of agreement continued, all as Amelie punctuated Jacquline''s speech.


    "We shall never surrender!"


    ¡­


    The darkness of the Northern Sea was engulfing. The storms that raged upon it were endless. And so were the men that battled on its cold, uncaring waters.


    A brutal game of hide and seek developed in it. Already, dozens after dozens of ships and submarines had met a watery grave in its vast expanse. Yet the men of the Orlish and Lorathian navies never gave up.


    Many of them hadn''t even learned of the Civil War in their homeland. All as they tended to their duties - their last directives.


    Defend Lorathia at all costs.


    <<Contacts incoming, bogeys heading north, angels 2-5...>>


    <<Moving to intercept. Bogeys moving toward us.>>


    <<They appear to be climbing. Need further confirmation.>>


    <<Roger that, all units, form up on me. Hellcat 2-5?>>


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    <<We have visuals! They''re hostile! Engaging! Engaging!>>


    The two squadrons of LF-12 Zappers broke as the Larissan squadrons zoomed just a few dozen kilometers before them. Their speeds turned more insane as their afterburners opened up, the fateful battle in the skies between these flying knights commencing.


    The Zappers zoomed in forward, as their target acquisition devices took rapid locks at the Larissan squadron.


    <<Target acquired! Fox One! Fox One!>>


    <<They''re moving above us!>>


    In one of the Zappers, the pilot screeched his craft to a Larissan aircraft flying south. Immediately, the lock appeared on his HUD.


    <<Locks on a bandit too! Fox One! Fox One!>>


    The missile screeched off rapidly from the plane''s pylon, all as the pilot pulled up. More missiles darted in the stormy skies, as his missile swiveled rapidly toward the targeted Larissan plane.


    In moments, after desperate maneuvers of the enemy alongside a massive amount of chaff deployed, the missile detonated above the plane, which peppered it into a burning mess - all as another Zapper flew above it.


    <<Splash One bandit!>>


    <<Good show! Good show!>>


    The brilliant detonation was punctuated by more planes passing through it, the battle still ongoing. A Larissan fighter even managed to sneak rapidly behind a Zapper, its guns blazing hot, before a missile zoomed away from its wings.


    <<Bandit in my six again! Deploying chaff!>>


    <<Locks acquired! Fox One! Fox One!>>


    <<2-3 is down!>>


    <<Bandit dodged it! Fox One again!>>


    The knife-fighting dogfight in the skies continued on, as balls of fallen planes on fire dropped one after another.


    Clearly, Albert''s battle wasn''t over. Below the skies, kilometers away, Strike Force 7 shadowed the air engagement. The two squadrons of Zappers were deployed earlier when their AWACS patrol detected unidentified contacts nearby.


    I need to find them first.


    For weeks already, his long hunt against the Larissan carriers had left him stranded alone on the high seas. Extremely dedicated to his mission, he had refrained from breaking radio silence and contacting high command.


    Still, he had received disturbing reports by listening to the radio waves. Something had happened in the Kingdom. Something may have harmed her little sister''s reign.


    But he was in a fight. Whatever it was, he knew she could handle it. At least for a little while. For now, his focus was to hunt the illusive fleet of the Empress.


    And he swore that he will. He had learned that the Empress herself could be commanding the Imperial Navy herself. If such was true, then he shall find her and incur to her his wrath.


    She had dared attack the Ivory Alliance once more. She had insulted his little sister. And most of all - Albert believed the brat was behind his mother''s death.


    In a sense, Albert now was driven both with the practical reason of defending Orland (and his little sister) from an attack from the Empire, and the drive to retributive justice. His mother wasn''t the best - but he was her son.


    And it was his duty to find justice for her. To Albert - this was personal.


    For all her crimes, he would make the deranged Empress pay.


    A smirk appeared on his face as he heard the reports from the staff on the bridge. All bandits were eliminated.


    Just you wait. I''ll find you, and I will teach you a lesson you will never forget.


    ---


    Characters


    Kingdom of Orland (Loyalists)


    The Royal Family


    Queen Amelie Ludendorf


    - Protagonist. The naive and idealistic Queen of Orland. A 19-year-old college woman who ascended to the Orlish throne after her mother died. With her Kingdom collapsing before her, her reign would be a struggle.


    Albert Ludendorf


    - The de facto Prince of Orland. An experienced veteran of the Great War, he commands the venerable ONS Rebenslof and Strike Force 7.


    Princess Alice Ludendorf


    - The spoiled, bratty Princess of Orland. She shows much potential in magic and clings a bit too much to his older brother.


    The Orlish Cabinet


    Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss


    - The current sitting Prime Minister of Orland. Much like Amelie, she believes in idealistic reforms and pacifism. She detests war and inequality.


    Deputy Prime Minister Walter Plock


    - The apathetic second in command of the Heiss Government. He believes in reforms, but the waves of reality have long cracked his beliefs of a better future. Still, he hopes that the Queen and Prime Minister can deliver their visions of a better Orland.


    Minister Adelaide Wallenstein


    - A calm, serene, and usually collected woman. Skilled in diplomacy, she guided Orland''s foreign policy before Amelie was crowned.


    The Orlish High Command (OHC) or the Orlish Armed Forces (OAF)


    General Victor Albrecht


    - A brutal General that saw the Great War. He is loyal to the Queen, but he won''t shy from using extreme methods in warfare for victory.


    Admiral George Halberd


    - The wise old superior of Albert, Admiral Halberd commands the 2nd Fleet and holds much influence in the Admiralty.


    The Royal Guard


    Archduchess Pristina Dubois


    - A conservative aristocrat. She does not have a high opinion of men and the Queen''s reforms for them. She is the current Director of the Royal Guard.


    Baroness Theresa Lubaine (or Lady Lubaine)


    - Skilled in magic, she commands the Palace Security Detail and its Knights for Amelie''s security.


    Major William Porter


    - A cynical veteran of the Great War. He was hired by Amelie to serve as her personal guard. He and the 16th Armored Battalion have since been stationed in the Palace with the Royal Guard.


    The Meintz Crisis Group


    Michael Rudolph


    - The speaker of the Rebenslof Group and the CEO of Rebenslof Steel. His bankruptcy is near.


    Well Porter


    - The CEO of Porter Heavy Industries. He was contracted to build the Halian Shipyards.


    Marie Wittfield


    - A close childhood friend of Amelie. Her magical capabilities are extreme, being a prodigy in many of its fields. She leads the Royal Investigations Unit.


    The Provisional Government (Putschists)


    Minister of Defense Geoffrey Heindhoff


    - A man with a dark past, now turned into a potential monster. He believes that women must be toppled for men to achieve their rights.


    Director of the Orlish Intelligence Agency Alfonso Bluch


    - Heindh?ff''s shadowy right-hand man. He leads the OIA.


    Provisional President Sullivan Rimpler


    - A "raving lunatic" that leads the NRF.


    The Kingdom of Lorathia


    Queen Eliette Alcaster


    - The old Queen of Lorathia.


    The Kingdom of Gaul


    Queen Clericia Alois


    - The current Queen of Gaul.


    The Empire of Hebei


    Crown Princess Xue


    - She is currently leading an insurrection to restore Imperial rule in Hebei after a men''s coup d''etat deposed her mother.


    The Empire of Larissa


    Empress Katerina Illyenov


    - The childish and enigmatic Empress of Larissa. Her bloodthirst has led to the Great War and its current continuation.

 Chapter Forty-Three: Terror From Above

    "Morality is a mere farce of those that could afford such luxury. Equality cannot be achieved by being virtuous. Only through violence can rights be established and enforced."


    - Provisional President Sullivan Rimpler''s "Proclamation of the New Republic".


    +++


    June 12, 2024


    14:00 Hours


    City of Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    The Battle of Halia


    "William, why did we stop?"


    "Another air raid."


    The loud air raid sirens could be heard inside the SUV. Instinctively, Amelie looked up at the darkened skies, a result of the rampant fires that raged in the capital.


    The cries of demise were deafening, and she could see many civilians scattering from the road, their hands on their ears as they ran for dear life. Orlish soldiers dismounted at the ground, barked orders, and directed these people to differing directions, mostly to nearby subway stations.


    Amelie looked at William, as he calmly conversed to someone on his radio. Truthfully, the anxiety that waved over Amelie was overwhelming, yet she refused to squirm in her seat.


    "W-William?" Naturally, the sudden crack in her voice betrayed her. William looked at her as if nothing happened.


    "Nope, don''t worry. They won''t hit us. I doubt it. Or at least that''s what the reports say."


    "Can you at least be better at reassuring people?"


    "I sometimes try."


    Already, the distant booms of Halia''s overwhelmed AA systems opened up. The rapid thuds of the RPDS systems played in tandem with the distant swooshes of the city''s available SAM systems.


    When she looked up at the windows, she could see faint explosions in the distance, alongside thin streaks of smoke that rose in the sky.


    "There it is."


    She noticed that William was pointing at something in the sky. She followed it, and her eyes fell on a distant, faint figure that she could barely see. The aircraft zoomed quickly over the city before it seemed to disappear from her view.


    "Where did it go?"


    "Southwards. Possibly going to turn westward to Heindh?ff''s lines."


    "Where did it pass through?"


    "Equene District." And just as he said that a massive bomb detonated in the distance. Amelie''s eyes were affixed to the massive, orange, and yellow-tinted fireball, which rose as a massive black plume within seconds.


    "Goddess¡­"


    William continued conversing with his radio, his voice almost faint as her attention was fully focused on the terror kilometers away. It was so distant, yet so close.


    "What did they hit?"


    "HL East End Line."


    "The what?"


    "I mean, the subway system in the Equene District. Bunker buster. The bomb must have penetrated deep. They must be trying to hamper underground logistics."


    "But¡­civilians are hiding in the subways."


    He didn''t reply further. His eyes didn''t even shake as he stared at her, yet hers did. She could not believe it. To do such a thing¡­how could they?


    "William¡­"


    "What all of this means is that we need the damned air force here soon. We''re moving. Don''t get too distracted."


    "I understand¡­"


    He drove forward on the road, even with occasional stops as the crowds, rubble, and abandoned civilian vehicles blocked the road.


    "Colonel Kleist is calling for us."


    "Aren''t we supposed to go to that hospital?"


    "Not now. There''s a situation developing in the frontlines." He turned the wheel to the left, and they passed through a wide avenue, its left side already cratered and closed off by warning signs.


    "So we''re returning to the Palace."


    "Yes."


    "Then please make haste."


    "As you wish."


    ¡­


    The Queen''s bunker, as it was aptly named, was merely a few blocks away from the Palace itself. Buried deep under the Office of the Ministry of the Interior, it was an extremely classified building by the Royal Guard.


    So much so that even the Queen was, to put it quite mildly, surprised when she had learned of it. Lady Lubaine herself was the one who authorized her to move to the bunker, alongside the command staff of the Halian Garrison and the main members of the Orlish Government who decided to stand their ground in the capital.


    "It''s so suffocating around here."


    "Better than above. Would be dead if a bomb struck."


    "What if those ''bunker buster'' bombs were dropped here?"


    "Look, this complex is 28 meters underground with 8 meters of reinforced concrete. If anything penetrates this place, and, we also have to assume that they found us in the first place, then the war is lost."


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Alright, look, I was just asking."


    "I get it."


    The elevator stopped. Its doors opened, slowly revealing a busy hallway underneath. The two walked briskly, as troops, officers, and staff worked around the clock in the busy command center.


    Soon, they found themselves deeper and deeper in the underground complex, as the lights in the metallic hallways seemed to dim and the people around became rarer.


    The door was marked as, "Situation Room" and it was sealed by a heavy blast door opened for them to enter.


    Once Amelie was inside, she was once again back in the same dreaded room where they had met again and again earlier. The room was filled with screen after screen, all serving a different purpose. Instinctively her eyes were locked at a screen that showed the "Known Enemy Positions".


    So they''re approaching us both through the Tor Bridge in the west and Heiflitz from the south. But we do seem to have some presence on that river¡­


    "Your Majesty, may I have your attention please?"


    Colonel Jonathan Kleist, perhaps, not the kind of man that Amelie knew much about. Recently, he had always been with her, as they discussed plans to defend the capital.


    She had met him rarely, mainly, because she truly doubted his loyalties. Being the closest army officer of significant rank with her in the capital, she had always harbored suspicion against him.


    However, his recent actions had proven that he was firmly on her side.


    "Please, Colonel, begin your report."


    He nodded as she took a seat.


    "Your Majesty, the latest report from the OHC has been quite problematic. We have been receiving significant reinforcement, already six brigades were sent that had been in contact with the enemy in the Ludendorf bridge for hours, but it is not enough."


    "Do explain why, Colonel."


    "Heindh?ff''s attacks had not been limited towards Halia. Multiple fronts have developed, and the chaos and the fog of war are preventing us from properly assessing where the enemy is and where the frontlines really are, but what we do know, is that they are pushing at all sides, and as much as 40% of the country has fallen under the so-called Provisional Government''s control."


    He pointed at a screen that showed a map again. Orland, being a nation with two coasts, seemed almost split into three. In the center, a massive blot of red was clear, which almost split the Grand Duchy and the Free Confederation, which were situated on the east coast of Orland, from the Archduchy of L?t and the Duchy of Oldrach on the west coast.


    All that connected them was what appeared to be a gradually thinning stretch of territory in southern Orland.


    Of course, in the middle, and from its center up north, all of the Free State of Wuringen and its occupied states were red, with a massive cross that symbolized all territories it held.


    What further worried her, was the fact that they were fully connected to their northern neighbor, the once Kingdom of Lieplatz, which had been overthrown by another junta earlier. She dreaded the possibility of them aiding Heindh?ff.


    The view shot a chill up Amelie''s spine.


    My Kingdom¡­


    "Currently, heavy combat has been recorded in the Ludendorf Axis, specifically here, but also the Westlauren Axis and the L?t Axis. It would appear that they are also attempting to capture the City of Rebenslof up north, and the City of Thein in the west. And that is why reinforcements are taking their good time to redeploy here."


    Amelie mused that, yes, indeed, her position in the capital was at great risk. But to flee was no option, not yet. She needed to be at the helm, at the capital. The fall of Halia would mean defeat, regardless of whether she escaped or not.


    With such motivation that flowed into her veins, her eyes almost glowed. While she feared and doubted, she had already declared not to surrender. Regardless of how much the war situation deteriorated.


    "Colonel, then what is the plan?"


    He pressed something on the device that he held, as the screen changed. The map focused on the Halian frontlines, and two unit insignias appeared on the side of the screen, alongside two blue arrows that ran through Heiflitz - the city on the southern bank of the Ludendorf River (and of Halia) straight to another river east of the city.


    "These two brigades arrived from the south 3 hours ago. These are the 123rd Air Assault Brigade and the 54th Light Mech Regiment."


    Immediately, William shot up from his seat.


    "Wait, a mech brigade? Aren''t those things still experimental? We don''t even have many of those things."


    "Indeed."


    He pressed the device again, and the screen showed an image of what Amelie would describe as a fearsome mechanical spider. The thing had six legs, with a massive cannon affixed on top, almost as if it was a tank with legs. Truly, she sometimes marveled at men''s infinite ingenuity in creating metallic abominations to murder more souls.


    "The M20 Light Support System, or the ''Panther'' is a new experimental breed of Orland''s armored vehicles. They were developed with Orland''s new robotic technologies in the late years of the Great War, as a way to break the stalemate in the trenches. Currently, we believe these things would do well in urban environments against conventional armored vehicles."


    His voice turned grim.


    "And that''s why the 54th is being redeployed here. We know that the Putschists bought these things, and they are currently ravaging our L?we''s in urban firefights, and High Command would not allow such a situation in the capital. More would be sent, but the 54th would serve as an effective rearguard in these towns and hold these bridges for a while."


    Rearguard? Amelie had researched a bit about military terms. A rearguard unit was placed at the rear of a retreating army, usually to hold the enemy at bay and buy time.


    Indeed, the Orlish Army was in a shattered retreat at the moment, but she didn''t feel that a rearguard action was something good either. Most of the time, rearguard units were decimated in the Great War, unable to hold overwhelming assaults and being destroyed in desperate last stands.


    "How long would they need to hold out?" Asked Amelie, as Kleist turned back to her.


    "At most, around a day to 2 days at maximum, as our units in the east reported that Heindh?ff''s column is approaching Heiflitz. We might also detonate these bridges anyway."


    "Detonate?"


    Her reaction was reminiscent of any civilian upon hearing such nonsense.


    But those bridges are a part of Orland''s infrastructure!


    William turned to her. Naturally, being militarily ignorant, for lack of better terms, he had to explain to her clearly the necessity of such a tactic. Civilians, indeed, how tiring.


    "Detonating bridges is a way to deny an advancing force access to a river crossing. However, we can not conduct that immediately. Intact bridges are necessary if we wish to retake these lands."


    She didn''t like the sound of it. It was almost as if they were destroying their own to deny the enemy access. That reminded her of those history lessons. Scorched earth tactics, and¡­all the nasty things she heard about it.


    But¡­if it''s what must be done, then I have no choice.


    "I see¡­then do we have to detonate it immediately?"


    "We will find that out as the situation develops."


    She turned back to the Colonel. She had ordered him (as he and William were de facto in charge of the defense of the capital) to prioritize evacuations of civilians both from Halia and Heiflitz. The recent strikes had especially shaken her, as she thought that many of her subjects could at least take shelter in underground air raid shelters and subways.


    Clearly, that had not been the case.


    "Colonel, how are the evacuations?"


    "They are ongoing, but many difficulties are present with the constant air strikes. I''m afraid that we would need more SAM systems to cover our airspace or friendly aircraft to at least wrestle some air superiority back into our hands. Otherwise, the trains and convoys departing Halia would be under constant bombardment."


    Amelie nodded. So that was the situation. Indeed, the air situation above Halia had been their greatest problem since the start. The constant bombardment and lack of air defense had left Halia devastated.


    She made up her mind.


    "Then I''m directly calling the head of the Air Force."


    "But he''s already working on-" Kleist tried to explain.


    "I need him to work faster. What was his name again?"


    "Lewis Zimmerman, Your Majesty. Chief Air Marshal Lewis Zimmerman."


    She repeated his name a few times to herself. She wanted to make the call to him immediately.


    "Then get me on a line with him, now."

 Chapter Forty-Four: Halian Air Defense

    "They all screeched and screamed when I approached. Wailed and ran as they scattered under me. But I haven''t heard their cries. They were thousands of meters below me, and that was that."


    - Journal of an unknown Putschist pilot.


    +++


    The terrors from above Halia had never wavered. Almost in intervals of ten minutes, Amelie''s desk would receive unending, dreadful, and truly heart-wrenching reports of air strike after air strike.


    First, it was the power grid. They bombed it one after another, as it seemed that they knew where the city''s main power lines were placed.


    Now, her subjects in the city would have no heating or electricity.


    Then they struck upon the communication lines. Cellular towers and radio towers fell one after another, in devastating strikes that disconnected the people of Halia off the world.


    And it was next after next.


    The roads.


    The railway system.


    The factories.


    The supply depots.


    Even civilian structures - hospitals, malls, warehouses, and almost anything of major value, were bombed, or they would drop leaflets that warned of a bombing in these areas.


    A savage tactic to disable these critical civilian functions without dropping bombs.


    Not even schools were spared, as one magical school, already evacuated, was bombed with cluster munitions mere hours after they had dropped leaflets to leave or die.


    Almost as if they wanted to set an example for those who would not submit to their twisted terror from the skies.


    "Mr. Zimmermann, that is why, I cannot wait any longer."


    For many minutes, Amelie had conversed with the Chief Air Marshal, already given command of all of the Air Force still loyal to the crown, to make haste.


    "Yes, as I have said, we are scrambling all available air wings to Halia. We assure you that."


    "Chief Air Marshal, that may be so, but I am still receiving reports of bombings here. My people are dying."


    While she tried her best to stay professional in her call, to deny that her words weren''t dripped with dread and fury was out of the question. Her voice cracked by even a smidgen when she uttered the fact that her people were dying.


    "I understand. We are trying, but we are still challenging their air superiority."


    "Can you give me a timeframe then? Tell me, when can the Air Force wrestle back control of our airspace?"


    "I can not answer that with the current situation in mind."


    "Can you do it, Chief Air Marshal? Can your planes and pilots defend Halia?"


    The silence from the other line was almost deafening to Amelie. Yet she refused to utter another word and placed more questions on him. Not when he struggled to answer those two.


    And as her eyes began to moisten once more, as the dread of the situation caught up on her, the man spoke.


    "The Air Force will do its best. We will defend Halia to the best of our abilities. Yes, Your Majesty. I can. And we will."


    "I''ll expect that from you then."


    "And I won''t break your expectations, Your Majesty."


    "Thank you, Chief Air Marshal. The Kingdom needs your service more than ever."


    "May you be safe over there, Your Majesty. The Kingdom needs you more."


    She placed down the phone as she buried her face in her hands. How utterly devastating.


    I cannot rely on him.


    ¡­


    "Quite frankly, that''s to be expected. Many of our airfields were bombed earlier. Zimmerman is doing what he can, but it would never be enough." William concluded after Amelie recounted the conversation between her and the Chief Air Marshal.


    Already, the dimly lit situation room was once more filled by Amelie''s circle.


    The Prime Minister, Jacquline.


    The Deputy Prime Minister, Walter.


    Major William.


    And Colonel Kleist.


    Officially, she had already assigned the role of ''Head of the Joint Task Force Ludendorf'' to Major William. Already, William had been elevated from a man who merely commanded a battalion-sized force to full command of the OAF (Orlish Armed Forces) units, RGO (Royal Guard of Orland) formations, and Civilian agencies that were operating in the city.


    JTF-Ludendorf was approved by both Amelie, the Prime Minister, and the new OAF Chief of the Defense Staff or the CDS (as the last one joined Heindh?ff), who now held command of all of the OHC (and thus all OAF forces loyal to the crown, from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and all other minor branches), General Victor Albrecht himself.


    Its goal was to streamline both the operations of Orland''s civilian government in the Ludendorf Duchy and the activities of the RGO and OAF units present in the Grand Duchy.


    More importantly, it meant that William now held complete powers in the Grand Duchy, and he could overrule any aristocratic noble with his authority. It was, in other words, Martial Law.


    Even Amelie (who also held the title of Grand Duchess, and owned the Grand Duchy) was technically under him, were it not for the fact that she was the Queen.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Of course, being completely inexperienced in these matters, she had decided to simply follow William''s plans. She, after all, chose him over Colonel Kleist, or the other army officers present in the defense of the city, for the fact that she trusted him greatly.


    "Then what can we do?" She asked once more, already losing hope and options.


    "Evacuate much of the government?" Suggested Jacqueline, although her voice showed much reluctance. The idea was too bitter and conflicted with her government''s promise to stand their ground.


    "Perhaps Jacqueline and the Queen can evacuate, alongside the civilians fleeing." Suggested Walter. "I''ll stay and direct JTF-Ludendorf in your stead."


    Which led to an immediate glare from both the Prime Minister and the Queen.


    "Absolutely not, Walter." Jacqueline snapped back. She was a proud woman, and still a noble at heart. It went against her duty to flee. Even if she were to permit the evacuation of the Cabinet and the Parliament, she would stand her ground as the head of the Orlish government.


    "I''m in complete agreement with her." Added Amelie.


    "I''m just saying. We can''t let the Heads of Government and State be removed in one lucky air strike."


    He did have a point. But Amelie wasn''t that easy. When she swore she would stand her ground, she meant every word of it.


    "No. We will find a way to fix this. Until then, I''m not leaving. Maybe Jacqueline can, but not me."


    "Absolutely not. I''m the Prime Minister. The people expect me to be here too."


    Before the sudden pointing game grew intense, William intervened.


    "No more need for arguments on who leaves. We should instead focus on finding ways to defend this damned city from these air strikes. Colonel Kleist?"


    The Colonel crossed his arms as he was addressed.


    "I apologize, Major, but I''m dry. The Halian Garrison cannot offer more. All of our SAM and AA systems have been engaged since day one."


    "No, not that. Can you source any more men in quick order who can operate SAM systems?"


    "How many SAM systems are we talking about? Do we even have any sources?"


    "Yes, though we may need some quick maintenance, outfitting, and probably refurbishment. I received intel about a depot of about 50 SAM systems at least in a closed factory near the port."


    "...You did? And 50? You sure whoever told you that isn''t bullshitting?"


    "I will check it out myself, Colonel."


    "I''m going with you, William," Amelie said as she stood up from her seat. "I''m tired of doing nothing from here. If this will save the city, I''m seeing it personally."


    "Look, there''s really no need."


    "I''m going, and that''s final." She looked to the Colonel. "Colonel Kleist, take charge of JTF-Ludendorf while we''re out. Jacqueline, make another press conference. We''re going."


    ¡­


    "You know, I can handle this myself."


    "I wanted to help you regardless." She looked up at the sky as William prepared his SUV. "Anything to speed up everything. Anything to end this damned nightmare."


    A sigh came from him.


    "This nightmare won''t end until Heindh?ff and the Provisional Government are gone. Not even then."


    "Still¡­even if just for this city¡­"


    "I''m going to be honest with you." He turned to her. "This¡­all this. This is just the beginning of the battle. You have not seen the worst yet, and I hope that you don''t."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''m saying you have to follow Walter''s plan. For your safety." He smiled at her faintly. "You did enough. There''s no need for you to see more of this war, any more than the average civilian already fleeing this city."


    He paused.


    "You and Jacqueline. You both did well already."


    "No, we didn''t! Look around you, William. We failed. We both failed. Me, and every woman who marked herself as a reformist, failed. We failed. This is our¡­no, my fault."


    "You''re blaming yourself? Is that why you are staying here?"


    She stopped and looked down. How could he be so correct? How could he¡­tell that straight to her without regard? He was right. Amelie blamed herself. She blamed herself for all of that happened.


    "William¡­I am the Queen."


    "That does not mean anything. Not when you were barely in control."


    "No! It means everything. I was crowned to lead. To be responsible. I am responsible. If I wasn''t able to control it all, then I am responsible for the consequences of that."


    William didn''t respond and merely stared at her. So caught up in her little speech, Amelie''s eyes almost glowed. It was a bit of an after-effect of the nature of magic. Strong emotions did cause the activation of passive mana in some cases.


    "...That''s why, from now on, I''m taking control. I''m staying here to the bitter end."


    "I see. Then come on in. Time is ticking."


    The drive through the city had still been the same nightmare for Amelie. Lines of abandoned vehicles filled the roads. Checkpoint after checkpoint filled it as well, where troops of all kinds seemed to be erecting sandbags, barbed wire, and other fortifications.


    "So what really are SAM systems?"


    "It means surface-to-air missile systems. Anything that fires a missile from the surface to the air. They act as our main anti-air defense, aside from RPDS guns."


    "RPDS? I''ve been hearing that a lot as well."


    "Rapid Point Defense Systems. Usually mounted in ships. They fire thousands of 20 mm shells within seconds with a powerful guidance system. Good for shooting down anything that flies."


    "...Very impressive. Is that what we would get from the factory?"


    "There''s no RPDS there, but I do hope we find working SAM systems. Preferably mobile ones, like the REGAL SAM systems Colonel Kleist''s AA units use."


    She nodded, remembering the massive trucks that had those ''launchers'' behind. Almost a dozen had been rotated in and out of the Palace earlier, and she would be in denial if she said that she hadn''t found it entertaining (damn her childish fascination) whenever those things would light up and launch missile after missile.


    "Well, that would be good then. I want those things near the hospitals and civilian centers this time."


    They had been only defending government, corporate, and critical buildings after all. She wanted to extend the air cover to all of her people, if possible.


    "Sure, if we can."


    The air raid sirens once more sounded as they dashed forward, leaving trails of posters and leaflets from the war propaganda being dropped by Heindh?ff''s planes.


    Soon, they stopped at the gates of a seemingly abandoned complex. Buildings of all kinds were visible from outside, as well as a gate that said ''Keller Holdings''.


    Amelie and William both exited the SUV and approached the gate, before a woman''s voice distracted them.


    "Are you the Queen?"


    As if he heard a voice that he recognized, William froze up, though Amelie hadn''t caught that.


    Naturally, Amelie turned to the direction of the voice. There, stood before them, was a young woman with violet hair.


    "And you are?"


    Her eyes seemed to sparkle.


    "Indeed, it is you! Your Majesty, I am Baroness Pauline Keller! It is an honor to meet you, even in this¡­less than ideal circumstances."


    Gingerly, her eyes fell back to the ''Keller Holdings'' sign, before she turned back to the still beaming Baroness.


    "You¡­you own this factory?"


    "Yes! Well¡­fine. Originally, my brother owned it, but that dummy decided to die in the Great War, so, now, I own it."


    William and Amelie looked at each other, just as the Baroness'' smile grew.


    "Oh, I see. I see now. You need the weapons stocked here, don''t you?"


    Oh no, she seems greedy, was Amelie''s final thought as she dragged both inside.

 Chapter Forty-Five: Her Majestys SAM Systems Procurement

    "Sisters! Liberty beckons before us! A world where women are free from men''s boots, and where men are free from their misguided evil under our benevolence is close to fruition. The light at the end of the tunnel - a world where all of humanity, men and women, breathes at last!"


    - 1723 Pro-Queen Newspaper after King Richmond''s army was defeated near Halia.


    +++


    "ARCHER SAM systems? That''s it? I thought¡­dammit this would be a pain."


    William''s disappointed face was painfully obvious to both ladies, Amelie and Keller. Nothing could have prepared him for such a revelation, as unlike the new REGAL SAM system, the ARCHER SAM system utilized outdated radar and electronics.


    Which meant it wouldn''t be as good as the new ones.


    Indeed, for the past few minutes, Keller had toured the two around her little property, until they reached the closed depot where she held her currently highly sought after, and highly-priced wares.


    The fabled SAM systems that could save the city.


    But upon the moment that they went inside and William had a chance to lay his eyes upon the weapon systems that she had, he immediately turned sour, a result of the earlier explained disappointment of his over the ARCHER SAM systems.


    Naturally, Keller crossed her arms in response.


    "Hey! Jerkface, you haven''t even seen these magnificent weapons closely yet. Look, I even have 72 launchers of these things, plus the other vehicles and equipment on the depot beside us. What more are you asking for?"


    "Those things¡­are like 3 decades old already, Lady Keller. I thought they were the REGAL SAM systems that we employ today. Are these things even well maintained?"


    "I''ll have you know that before we closed down, they always meticulously repaired and maintained these things. I''m even planning to sell it later."


    Somehow, he didn''t trust her words, and even Amelie had a faint idea that these things seemed¡­unnervingly unfit and a tad bit rusty. But there were still 72 of them. Halia was currently defended by no more than 48 REGAL SAM launchers (as each Regal "line batteries" operated 8 launchers, which meant they only really had a full battalion made up of 6 line batteries), many of which were already destroyed by the relentless air strikes.


    He would have to make do. Plus, if he could employ these 72 launchers on the fray, he would have another full SAM air defense battalion.


    "Parts¡­do you have a lot of parts for these things?"


    She raised one of her eyebrows.


    "What?"


    "Just answer it."


    "Ugh, fine. Yes, we do. There''s a warehouse nearby where they stockpiled the parts produced by this factory for these things. There''s even missiles in another depot, but I''m not sure of its condition."


    Amelie closed the distance between the two after she gave a few good looks at these so-called "ARCHER SAM systems" which were lined up in the depot close to each other.


    "Hey, William, can these things really help?"


    "They are most likely going to be a bit subpar at target acquisition and tracking, but these things could massively bolster the city''s air defense if deployed."


    "Then why the long face?"


    "Besides the fact that it''s outdated, it might take time to retrain whoever Colonel Kleist could gather to operate these units. These things are practically ancient."


    Countess Keller seemed outraged at having her products insulted, but Amelie stayed calm and still. It seemed that these things, according to William, weren''t the best.


    But better have something than nothing, right?


    "In any case, you all need to pay me for these things." Keller declared. "These things, including the parts here, aren''t free."


    Immediately, Amelie''s mouth moved before William could say anything.


    "How much?"


    "12 Billion Orlish Blancs, and this factory and everything on its depots is yours."


    "Deal."


    "What?!" William seemed flabbergasted. She had agreed to that quickly? JTF-Ludendorf was basically Martial Law. He had the authority to immediately acquire everything here at no cost (except for some government promissory notes).


    "William, we need this. I have billions of personal wealth. This is nothing."


    "But we can have this at no cost!"


    Amelie frowned as Keller made a voice of protest with a sudden "What!?"


    The lady seethed so much, that it was almost as if she wanted to strangle William on the spot right at that exact moment.


    Fortunately, the Queen''s presence prevented that.


    "William, that''s just stealing. Robbery even."


    "Well, we can give her some IOUs to pay her later instead."


    "Still no. I hate debt. If I can pay for it, then there''s no need for the government to go further in debt."


    "Fine."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Amelie turned back to Keller, who still seemed unamused by William''s suggestions. This was her¡­or well, her dead brother''s property after all. No way that asshole could just say, "It''s mine now!" on a whim! There were billions of her precious blancs on the line!


    "Can you please hammer in the details further? I want this deal done within the day."


    "That quick? Hmm, I suppose the city needs it quickly anyway."


    "Yes, and William explained that it would take more time to prepare these ''SAM'' systems for combat. That''s why, please make haste. My money is ready."


    "Well, fear not, Your Majesty. I''ll be quick!"


    ¡­


    Amelie watched the skies, which were somehow silent already, from the balcony of the office building in the factory.


    It was already afternoon, and the sun was about to set, which left pinkish hues in the skies, subtly obscured at times by the faint smoke from the damaged districts of the city.


    Do I really have a chance left? A chance left to save this city and Kingdom?


    Even when kilometers away from the city, she could hear the faint sounds of artillery from the frontlines. She wondered how many soldiers were dying for her, and against her.


    So distant she was from those who served till death for her, yet she was so close to the war. It was a chilling fact for her. Just months ago, war was such a distant reality for her, much less the idea of being the Queen at such a young age.


    Especially when the Great War had just ended.


    Yet here she stood now. A Queen at war. At war with her disloyal subjects and that blasted Empress.


    When will it all end?


    The air raid sirens sounded suddenly once more. Instinctively, she turned around to William''s direction, who was inside the office where they awaited Countess Keller.


    He seemed to be conversing with someone over the radio.


    "William?"


    He turned to her. He was sitting on a chair, the table in front of him holding his various electronics which he used to contact their HQ in the Queen''s Bunker.


    "Another missile strike. They''re hitting our northern districts this time. Trying to cut us off from the routes to Rebenslof perhaps?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "They seem to be attacking the roads and rail lines up north. That''s our connection to Rebenslof. That would probably hamper civilian evacuations out of Halia."


    Her face fell grim, as outside, the streaks of surface-to-air missiles appeared in the skies. The distant thuds and booms were apparent to both, as she fell silent, merely the buzz of William''s radio being the only thing that sounded in the room.


    "...William, will these ARCHER systems really help us?"


    "Hopefully, yes. Perhaps it would buy us enough time until Army formations up north can redeploy more of their AA units over here."


    "I see¡­we really have no choice then. We''ll have to make do." He nodded in response as the strikes finally manifested themselves to their ears as distant booms. "How long can we get these things into the fight?"


    "As far as I can tell, 4 or 5 days, maybe a few dozen from the most rushed trainees. They would have minimal training and would probably operate awfully but¡­maybe the Chief Air Marshal is ready by then. We are already seeing two or three Air Force squadrons helping us at times for example."


    "It has not really helped us yet."


    "Well, they''re sending thousands of air sorties and hundreds of missiles at us. A few squadrons can hardly help. But, maybe by next week things will improve."


    She merely nodded in hopeful agreement. Optimism was at an all-time low, but she hoped. Hoped that he was right, and that support and reinforcements would reach the capital soon.


    With a sigh, she sat near the table beside William, as she buried her face in her hands. The mere sight of her so down seemed to elicit a concerned remark from William.


    "Are you holding up well, Amelie?"


    "I''m trying. But, this is just how it is for everyone, right? I have no right to complain."


    He chuckled for a bit.


    "Trust me. Even the most hardened soldier on the ground is cursing at everything and complaining, even when they don''t say it. It''s a natural human response."


    "...That''s comforting to hear."


    She raised her head and looked at him.


    "Hey, William. What about you? Are you holding up well?"


    "I certainly never held this much responsibility, to defend an entire city. But I suppose I''m just in my natural habitat, you could say."


    "...That doesn''t sound good, William. No human should consider war as their home."


    "You''d find many men disagree with you. Is it in our blood? Maybe not. But what I do know is that many young men like me grew up in the boot camps and the battlefields."


    "But still. I think you''re all just¡­unjustly lost. No one should grow up in war."


    "If only every ''no one should'' was true, we''d all be in paradise by now." He stood from his chair. "Anyways, I''m going to check up on the inspectors. They already arrived. If you need help, just use this radio."


    He handed her a radio and gave her a few instructions on how to use it. Naturally, Amelie absorbed his instructions quite quickly. It seemed that the war had done such things to her. Perhaps it was fear, or a sense of desperate necessity¡­but, what she did know, was that she was now learning faster.


    "Alright, I see. Please go on. I can handle myself here for now."


    ¡­


    "Well¡­I think these things could work, sir. Though, it would probably require some serious work."


    "That so?"


    "Yep. But I think our mechanics could get these bad boys up and running within a few hours, assuming none of us gets nabbed by those air strikes."


    The inspector cracked a smile at William, who gladly returned the same.


    "Well, that''s good then. Do work on it, ASAP. I want these things sent to Colonel Kleist quickly."


    The inspector nodded. Immediately, William turned around to face the Countess, who stood behind him and watched as he and the inspectors checked the conditions of the vehicles.


    "So?"


    "Well, Lady Keller, it appears that these things would be quite useful. Though, I must say, quite the audacity to charge Her Majesty at almost the same value of these things when fresh out of the factory, eh?"


    She smirked with much greed. Indeed, it seemed that the Countess was quite the opportunistic woman.


    "Well, we have to take opportunities whenever it appears."


    William smiled further.


    "Sure, Lady Keller. But do please know, this might bite you back once this conflict is over. Those who haven''t been quite cooperative with Her Majesty¡­after all, might be in a serious pickle once we start dispensing justice to traitors, wouldn''t you say?"


    "I''m no traitor, Major Porter. This is mere business. I would never dare join those deranged men up in arms against Her Majesty."


    William chuckled as he passed beside her, and spoke in a scathingly silent way to her ears.


    "That might be true¡­but you see, I consider anyone who even stands as a minor obstacle as a potential traitor. Do be careful, Pauline."


    An amused mirth appeared on her face. However, it should be noted that her reddening face clearly showed that she was absolutely not amused by the man that she had rejected 4 years ago.


    "Ah¡­so just because you found yourself close to Her Majesty, now you act as if you''re a big man. Don''t ever refer to me that way, Willy."

 Chapter Forty-Six: 4th SAM Battalion Amelie

    "Once more, one may ask, ''What indeed is men''s duty?'' The Queen once again called upon us! And once more, we young men answered her calls! For her, we shall pick up our rifles and hold the line till our deaths. The question is, will she and women answer our calls for equality after this? Such uncertainty! But brothers - report now to the nearest recruitment centers, and hold the line against these radicals! Remember, in our fight for rights, we shall never infringe on women''s rights, and instead protect theirs. That is men''s duty!"


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    T-they named this unit after me?


    Amelie smiled awkwardly as she met the troops, operators, mechanics, and staff of the newly formed 4th SAM Battalion ''Amelie'' as it was called.


    After days of grueling retraining and reorganization, alongside the hasty repairs and outfitting of the Archer SAM systems that she had bought, William organized all of them into one Battalion.


    The 4th SAM Battalion, similar to the 18th SAM Battalion that held the Halian air space for days, was organized around 6 line batteries, all of which contained nearly a dozen vehicles each from the actual launchers themselves and the complementary systems that allowed them to operate.


    It was an extremely expensive system, paid in full by her own personal money. Quite frankly, she didn''t need to do such a thing, but Amelie didn''t have much to do with the hundreds of billions of money that she had anyway.


    And, thus was the result. She bought an entire Battalion of SAM systems herself. A Battalion now named after her by William.


    But I just paid for it? Plus, he told me it''s outdated anyway¡­wait. William!


    "Now, I see that you''re quite proud of the result of your sudden expense," William said as he guided her through the building where they were gathered before deployment.


    I''m evidently not. Why did you have to name it after me? But¡­I suppose I''m proud of these men. To serve with outdated weapons just for this city¡­


    "But that''s why I named them after you. You did, after all, buy their weapons."


    "Are you sure this is wise? Won''t they think I''m being too¡­arrogant?"


    "Amelie, you have to understand. There''s a certain sense of honor and pride in serving the Queen, even for men. How best could that be harnessed, than to motivate them further to fight by naming their unit after you?"


    The lines of men had finally fully formed when she reached the makeshift podium, William closely behind her. The microphones that faced her made it clear that they were awaiting her speech.


    As William had said, this unit was sponsored by her. Thus, she was a bit of their unofficial leader, even though an Army officer was now in charge of them.


    How strange, to actually ''lead'' a military formation. What do I even say?


    "Citizens¡­" She quickly corrected herself. "Soldiers¡­all of you today stand before me. After mere days of training and preparations, after you have all volunteered to join this new formation, you are now here. Ready to defend the very heart of our Kingdom."


    The men looked up at her. Some with pride, some with disdain, but most held a neutral, uncaring facade. As if they were here for other reasons. Or as if they didn''t truly believe in her and the Crown.


    But Amelie wanted them to believe. Perhaps it would help. Perhaps it would not.


    But how can one fight without believing their very Queen?


    "That''s why, I believe all of you good men, have great honor in your hearts. That regardless of my failures, of the failures of our government¡­of us women¡­you are still here. Loyal to defend your homeland till the end. That''s why, I extend to all of you my eternal gratitude for your service. May the Goddess be with all of you."


    There were no cheers, nor were there many reactions. But the most that she could make it was the Army officer in the middle - he who was in charge of this formation. He nodded at her.


    "We shall not fall short of Her Majesty''s expectations. Right men?!


    And a chorus of loud and quick affirmations returned, just as the officer saluted her.


    Amelie, presented with such an awkward situation, didn''t quite know what her next course of action would be. He had just saluted her, which meant that she probably had to return it now.


    But she didn''t know how.


    Still, even in such a clumsy and obviously ''civilian'' manner, she saluted him back.


    She could only hope that it returned her desired effect.


    ¡­


    "They took the Tor Bridge." Kleist declared as he zoomed into the map on the screens


    "Well, that definitely is bad news," William remarked grimly.


    Once more, Amelie found herself being briefed in the Situation Room of the "Queen''s Bunker". It seemed that the situation in the frontlines had further deteriorated, with the Putschists finally crossing the Ludendorf River west and closing in on the City of Heiflitz down south.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The Ludendorf River itself ran southward on the western side of Halia, before turning eastward to the coast south of Halia, which was why Heiflitz was on the other southern bank of the Ludendorf River.


    With the western crossing now captured, all the Putschists would need was to capture Heiflitz, and Halia would be nearly surrounded. In such a situation, Amelie could clearly see that the capital would only have a land connection to Rebenslof up north and the rest of the Free Confederation.


    The bad news - they would be cut off from the rest of Orland. Both Southern Orland and the Orlish West Coast on the other side of the Opellian Continent were still under the banner of the Kingdom, but with both the Grand Duchy (the political center of her Kingdom) and the Free Confederation (the economic center of her Kingdom) and the rest of Northeastern Orland cut off from the rest¡­


    They were facing an utter strategic nightmare. So much so that General Albrecht had organized the City of Eutstadt in West Orland as a new de facto capital where members of the Orlish Government were being evacuated.


    But with it being half a continent away, Eutstadt was currently staffed by the Orlish High Command, which meant that outside of the Archduchy of L?t and the Duchy of Oldrach (which was still under the control of Dubois and Flandere), the rest of West Orland and Southern Orland was now under the effective control of the Armed Forces.


    But, it wasn''t like she had a choice. The Armed Forces were now effectively at the helm of the Kingdom, regardless of what she did.


    It would indeed be a problem later, but for now, she focused on the developing problem before her. That being the tightening noose around Halia, which she needed to address.


    "Didn''t we place more troops near the bridge?" Asked Amelie. Now, while it was indeed bad news that they had made a river crossing, she wondered if they could somehow launch a counter-attack anyway while their supply lines over the bridgehead weren''t established yet.


    While she was no military tactician, somehow, she knew that there would be no way for them to sustain their troops on the other side of the Ludendorf River.


    "Yes, indeed. The 5th and 7th Regiments held these towns for days, and were reinforced by the 13th, 15th, and 65th Mechanized Brigades for the past six days."


    He pointed at three points in the Ludendorf River on the screen with his baton that he always carried.


    "But, several pontoon bridges were established over the course of the battle. We were unable to prevent these crossings due to a lack of air superiority, and constant air strikes forced us back away from the river into these towns. In other words, they have breached our first defense line in the west."


    "That''s¡­"


    A disaster!


    "No worries. These four towns have been well fortified for the past few days. Elements of the 2nd Light Mech Division had also arrived to reinforce the second defense perimeter. We also have at least three armored divisions arriving from Rebenslof soon. Especially the 1st Armored Division ''Zeitgeist''. An elite formation from the Liebnich Front during the Great War."


    Well, indeed, that did sound¡­slightly reassuring to Amelie. And, the 2nd Light Mech Division¡­she did notice those intimidating spider-like mechs move through Halia''s roads whenever the air strikes stopped.


    Well, the same was quite true for most units. Whenever there was no plane or missile in the sky, convoy after convoy of armored vehicles, trucks, and military cars would pop up and rush west to the frontlines.


    "I see then. What of the Air Force? Did the Chief Air Marshal report anything? We really need his fighters above Halia now."


    And with that, Kleist sighed and turned to William, as he relinquished the presentation back to him.


    "Unfortunately, I''ve talked with the Chief Air Marshal and General Albrecht, and¡­their last air offensive from the south failed."


    "What?"


    "They didn''t break through. Approximately 47 Loyalist aircraft were decimated in the last few days. The Chief Air Marshal is currently reorganizing for another attempt, but that would take time."


    He walked closely to the screens and tapped a few things in the control panels, which widened the frontline map from merely showing the Grand Duchy of Ludendorf to showing the rest of the Orlish East Coast.


    Unlike the previous days, it seemed that the areas controlled by the Putschists edged ever so close to the coast, and it seemed clearly obvious that they were trying to cut Northeastern Orland from the rest of the Kingdom.


    "Without air superiority in these areas, High Command fears that the units defending this ever-thinning strip of territory would find their positions untenable. Currently, around 150,000 troops are stationed here, facing almost 300,000 Putschists. We expect that a retreat would soon be inevitable."


    "That would be unacceptable! Is there really nothing that we could do to prevent us from being cut off?"


    "The Orlish High Command is trying, Amelie, but there''s only so much that we can do when we''re caught in surprise. Quite frankly, it''s impressive that we even managed to field millions on all fronts not even a week since this blasted civil war started."


    With that, Colonel Kleist walked straight toward William and pressed a button to close the screens. What replaced the electronic maps on every screen was the mere royal coat of arms of Orland on a black background.


    "And that about concludes this presentation, Your Majesty," Kleist said with one last nod to her.


    Goddess¡­this is beyond bad.


    ¡­


    "So, we are still lacking in medical supplies?"


    "Trucks and trains from Rebenslof unloaded a lot yesterday, but half of it was bombed while being transported."


    "That''s such a-"


    The sudden wails of the air raid sirens forced William to stop his SUV on the side of the road. Amelie naturally froze in response while he pulled out his radio.


    Indeed, just moments after the briefing in her bunker, the two immediately embarked straight toward the MoH (Ministry of Health) Building.


    But now, it seemed that their little adventure would be interrupted violently.


    "Amelie! Get out of the car. Those planes are coming in this direction!"


    "They what?!"


    Hastily, William unbuckled his and her seatbelts as he quickly forced her out of the car. Amelie found her own arms grabbed by his once they were outside, as they ran toward an empty firing position with sandbags on the side of the road.


    "Get down, now!"


    "William!"


    "Just get down!"


    She complied, as she buried herself into the road, which she naturally revulsed.


    She watched as William furiously talked to his radio, and suddenly, loud swishes pulled her eyes off him and straight into the square right in the middle of the intersection.


    Over there, what appeared to be eight Regal SAM launchers were aflame as they launched missile after missile into the skies.


    Suddenly, she screamed. Screamed as it all fell down near her. Screamed as she faced the terror of war so closely this time.


    Screamed as the SAM systems were struck by a massive explosion.

 Chapter Forty-Seven: Surface Contacts Detected

    "With half of our brothers dead, the truth lies clearly for us. You are dead. I am dead. Our generation is dead. Whatever the future holds for us young men is nothing. Expect nothing in your fates - but war and death."


    - Popular Anonymous Post, May 2024


    +++


    The rapid, furious fire of the Larissan point defense systems raged through the thick rain, yet with one last shot of the 5-inch cannon from the lead destroyer of the Larissan formation - and a brilliant boom struck through its bow.


    The Orlish missile tore such a massive gaping hole through the destroyer, that it almost seemed to swivel in the other direction as it stopped into a screeching halt.


    Beside it, another Larissan destroyer passed through the burning wreck, as its 5-inch gun opened up while plumes of smoke rose from its VLS cells, the shell passing through the stormy skies as it did.


    It was a long journey, almost 20 kilometers in distance, as it passed through the stormy seas, the thunder of exchanging artillery fire and the cracks of distant gunfire heard around it, as it finally reached the end of its trajectory - and splashed on the water beside a lumbering Orlish destroyer.


    Northern Sea


    June 18, 2024


    DesDiv 12


    Strike Force 7


    14:00 Hours


    DDG-127 (DDG - Guided Missile Destroyer), the ONS Fogger, lumbered forward through the massive splashes of water generated by the enemy''s main guns. With an almost constant roar, its 5-inch guns responded as well, as three other destroyers behind it, which made up DesDiv 12 (Destroyer Division 12) followed in formation.


    With a roaring command from Captain Heint of the ONS Fogger, the RPDS and other point defense systems of the four destroyers opened up. 20 mm shells and the rapid launches of surface-to-air missiles blotted the sky, as detonations of Larissan missiles marked their quick interception.


    Further, clouds of chaff popped above the four, as they began to change course slightly away, all as their 5-inch guns continued firing.


    "Sir! Enemy surface contact gone! No visual confirmation, but CIC presumes a direct hit on a hostile vessel!"


    Albert nodded from his Comms Officer''s report. That was good news.


    Just a few dozen kilometers away from the engagement site, Albert''s ONS Rebenslof and Strike Force 7 watched from afar. He had made contact with DesDiv 12 earlier, and he designated them as his main naval scouting force.


    With his eyes on the skies (the W-2 planes) surveilling the battlespace with great vigilance, he had kept himself aware of the developing situation without compromising Strike Force 7''s position.


    He turned to Captain Vogel - his ship''s XO (Executive Officer), who, like him, was closely monitoring the screens on the table, which detailed DesDiv 12''s positions and the three hostile signatures.


    "One down sir."


    "Indeed. And they seem to be retreating too. Seems like they didn''t expect us around here."


    "But that also means we cannot stay here any longer. The entire damned Larissans would be on us with their planes within a few hours."


    He sighed in agreement. They most likely won''t be able to press on and eliminate those three - and definitely would not be able to pursue them.


    "Plot us a course somewhere in the southeast. We''ll shake them off and try our luck after that."


    "Aye, sir."


    Captain Vogel barked his directives at the staff on the bridge, and Albert could almost feel the Rebenslof turn as they changed course.


    But his eyes were locked and focused on the map. DesDiv 12 seemed to begin disengagement, as their green signatures began to move toward Strike Force 7''s direction, all as the red signatures of the enemy began to head North East - away from them.


    He crossed his arms. What more could he do now?


    For weeks, they had remained under strict radio silence, as he adamantly refused to give away his position to the Larissans in his hunt.


    But they were stretching their resources far. Each day, his air squadrons would run sortie after sortie, which consumed both fuel and ammunition whenever minor air scuffles developed in an accident.


    And then there were these types of situations. Naval skirmishes. Where they would find small groups of Larissan destroyers, frigates, or submarines. Situations where they would find and engage smaller hostile forces - but not find the enemy carriers.


    Already, they and DesDiv 12 fought 7 of these skirmishes, with 4 of them being against lone hostile submarines - which led to tedious, nearly days-long ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) operations.


    These not only drained on their munitions, missiles, torpedoes, fuel, and other finite war supplies - but also time. Time to search for the enemy''s main fleet. Time that he didn''t have the luxury in.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    That damned woman. Sneaky little brat. I wonder why she hasn''t launched a direct attack on Lorathia yet. Concerned of my presence, perhaps?


    But also, his second crisis. He had expected an Orlish Carrier Strike Group to join him for weeks already. Yet so far, all he could find was the hodgepodge of Orlish and Lorathian frigate, destroyer, and cruiser formations that held the line in desperation.


    So far, whenever he broke radio silence, all he would find was orders for him to, "Hold the line!" or "Destroy Larissan Carriers!" from High Command. He suspected that it was a result of the Civil War - which he confirmed to be truly ongoing, that the OHC had not been able to issue proper directives to VACCOM and its units (including him).


    I just hope she''s doing alright. Amelie, I swear, I''ll take care of the Empress for you. No way would I let her sandwich you from two sides. No way.


    And that was why he, and many loyalist ships of VACCOM elected to stay and fight. Many suspected that the Civil War back home was the Empress'' designs, and thus it fell as their job to take care of her as the rest of the OAF restored order in Orland.


    But he didn''t know the full extent of the situation, which was why he was beginning to have doubts about their mission. What if the Civil War was worse than the limited reports they received due to self-imposed radio silence? What if the traitors were already in the Capital?


    Too many what-ifs, and too few answers. It was a troublesome situation indeed.


    "Captain Vogel!"


    "Yes, sir?"


    "I need updates. How''s DesDiv 12 doing? I told Captain Heintz not to use radio, but our AWACS have visuals, right?"


    "Well, sir, as of now, we suspect light damage on the ONS Candle and the ONS Gunner, but Heint''s ONS Fogger and the ONS Luminate seem untouched."


    "Good. We need them. We''ll break radio silence once we are fully disengaged. I want us to regroup quickly, and press East while our squadrons sweep North."


    "Sir, I''d like to ask, why?"


    "It''s risky, but perhaps if we press East immediately, as they seem to be retreating North East, we might find them while they are searching West."


    "If we are lucky."


    "Guesswork is the best we can do unless we have more intel to work with. We need to find them and deal damage before attrition ends us."


    "I can understand that."


    "As such, Captain, scramble the two squadrons into Combat Air Patrol immediately and rotate them every hour as we head. If the Larissans would send a strike and find us, I want us to be prepared. I want no holes in our defenses."


    ¡­


    DesDiv 12 soon steamed further southwards and nearly regrouped - merely 9 kilometers away from Strike Force 7. While visual contact was limited, and with radio silence in full effect, the two naval formations still communicated with Morse code using their signal lamps, as seen with the flashing lights from ONS Blackgem as ONS Fogger responded in the distance.


    <<... - .- - ..- ... / .-. . .--. --- .-. - -.-.-- (Status Report!)>>


    <<--- -. ... / -.-. .- -. -.. .-.. . --..-- / .-. .- -.. .- .-. / -.. .. ... .- -... .-.. . -.. .-.-.- / --- -. ... / --. ..- -. -. . .-. --..-- / .- ..-. - / .-. .--. -.. ... / -.. .. ... .- -... .-.. . -.. .-.-.- / --- -. ... / ..-. --- --. --. . .-. / .- -. -.. / --- -. ... / .-.. ..- -- .. -. .- - . --..-- / -. --- / -.. .- -- .- --. . .-.-.- (ONS Candle, radar disabled. ONS Gunner, aft RPDS disabled. ONS Fogger and ONS Luminate, no damage.)>>


    <<-.-. --- .--. -.-- .-.-.- / -- .- .. -. - .- .. -. / .-. .- -.. .. --- / ... .. .-.. . -. -.-. . / .- -. -.. / .--. .-. . ...- .. --- ..- ... / .--. .-. --- - --- -.-. --- .-.. ... .-.-.- / --- ..- - .-.-.- (Copy. Maintain radio silence and previous protocols. Out.)>>


    Albert sighed as the report from the ONS Blackgem came in a few moments later. Not only had one of his destroyers now been effectively crippled without its radars, DesDiv 12''s point defense system was now at a lowered capacity with one of their RPDS out of the action.


    "Should we perhaps reassign the ONS Candle here? They won''t be able to scout out without their radar anyway." Captain Vogel suggested.


    Currently, Strike Force 7 was once again made up of his ship, the ONS Rebenslof, and its escorts back during the Ginzhu Evacuations.


    Their main ASuW (Anti-Surface Warfare) capabilities lay in the ONS Rolentz - a Sentinel-class guided-missile cruiser, with its powerful radars and modernized Vigilant Combat System, which was the backbone of every modern Orlish warship.


    The Vigilant Combat System - a system of integrated combat computers was what the Sentinel and Gallant classes used for guidance and tracking of their weapons.


    And with almost four RPDS on board the ONS Rolentz, she was thus central should any attack come toward the ONS Rebenslof.


    But more important too was her massive amounts of missiles. 122 missiles of varying kinds were stockpiled in the ONS Rolentz, a far cry from the 80 missiles that the Gallant-class destroyers.


    On the other hand, their main ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) capabilities lay in the three Gallant-class destroyers with them - the ONS Blackgem, the ONS Seafire, and the ONS Rumwall.


    Although they too usually served the same role that the ONS Rolentz did, their smaller sizes made them less capable alone. But with three of them in the Strike Force, such concerns were nonexistent.


    And thus Albert faced the question. Should he add another damaged destroyer to his fleet?


    "But then DesDiv 12 would have fewer weapons with them. They would need that should another engagement occur."


    "Or we could again send them here instead and send a replacement?"


    "Replace them with what?"


    "The ONS Rolentz."


    He turned to face the Captain with an indescribable expression. The Rolentz? How could they afford such a move?


    "Captain, the Rolentz is our main ship for air defense. We would lack sufficient firepower should they find us first."


    "But Albert, the Rolentz have better radars than the ships in DesDiv 12. We might find them first. And more importantly, if they found us first, we''d be dead anyway. They may lack their main spotting radars, but their auxiliary fire control radars should still be up."


    Indeed, Captain Vogel had a fine good point, that Albert could concede. But still, it would be a gamble - another gamble that he might have to take.


    Even during the Peninsular Campaigns, I never fought without a cruiser.


    But now, he would have to.


    I have to find them first. That should really be the priority. No point in better air defense if we are found first.


    "...Captain, you have my permission. Execute those orders."

 Chapter Forty-Eight: That Nasty Rat!

    "Aptly named the Battle of Halia, all eyes are now on the Royal Capital of Orland as it raged on. The downfall of the leader of the Ivory Alliance and the Mandate of Nations came as a shock globally as hostilities between the Order Pact and the Ivory Alliance resumed mere days before the so-called "June Putsch". Is the days of Orlish Hegemony over? And with nations falling left and right to pro-male Republican revolutions, will we women weather the raging storm before us?"


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    June 18, 2024


    Northern Sea


    GIS Terror


    22:00 Hours


    "How?! How did we lose them you buffoon?! Explain it to me clearly!"


    Empress Katerina Illyenov - the sole absolutist authority of the Empire of Larissa, shouted with great fury at a man before her.


    Her brother, Admiral Rurik Illyenov, averted the gaze of her glowing yellow eyes. While much older than the 17-year-old woman, his fear overcame any notions of challenging his little sister, and all he could do was obey.


    "I-I''m sorry, Your Majesty, but-"


    "But what you idiot?! You lost him again! You told me that you would find him within a week, yet it''s already been ages! Do you understand clearly what kind of trouble you are in now?!"


    One of the officers beside him spoke up in an attempt to defend his superior.


    "Look, we are trying to find hi-"


    A slash and a jolt of electricity zapped the heavens out of the man. The body of what was once a Larissan naval officer fell limp beside Rurik, which made him shiver in fear even more.


    A sentiment shared by the rest of the officers before her and the Imperial Knights.


    "Do not try to answer me with insolence! I thought you rats had learned of that already?!"


    "We are sorry¡­please, Your Majesty¡­"


    "I have heard enough of your incompetence already! Because of your stupidity, we have not been able to proceed to Phase 2 of our invasion plans. Do none of you understand the utter shame of this? Do none of you love your own Empire? Are you lot a bunch of TRAITORS?!"


    The silence before her was deafening, as the officer wisely chose to stay quiet and not challenge the raving Empress. Not even Rurik spoke, as he kept his gaze downcast.


    "Look me in the eye, Rurik."


    "I-"


    "I said look me in the eye."


    He followed her orders as he attempted to straighten himself. She crossed her arms.


    "Explain yourself."


    "We¡­one of our formations, Destroyer Division 48 met another hostile formation South West of our current position. By the time our strike sortie arrived, DesDiv 48 was in full retreat and we lost sight of the enemy task force."


    She tapped her fancy shoes on the ground rapidly.


    "And then¡­"


    "They jumped our planes¡­and shot down 14 planes from those 2 air wings, and we completely lost them afterward."


    Her eyes twitched. Twitched as her utter irritation at her older brother reached its melting point. How could this dumbass call himself an "Admiral"? He cannot even find his enemies!


    "And do you see the problem with that, Rurik?"


    "...I assure you, it is crystal clear."


    She fell silent as she stared at his fearful eyes in many ominous seconds before her icy, sharp words came out.


    "Rurik, find him for me, or you will absolutely regret being the Admiral in charge of this fleet."


    "I understand that completely, Your Majesty."


    "Now leave! Leave all of you! I want results, or all of you will end up like that guy!"


    With much haste, the officers, including Rurik, left, as some of them dragged the stunned officer out of the room.


    ¡­


    Her anger had not dissipated. No, she was still livid.


    Another sip from her tea, yet her anger didn''t subside. She flipped another page of the book that she was reading after the sip, as she sat on a fancy chair in front of just as fancy table that absolutely had no business being in a Larissan aircraft carrier.


    That sneaky little rat. How dare he? How dare he sabotage my plans? Lorathia should have been mine by now, but no, that man just had to ruin it. Albert, you nasty rat!


    Now, strangely enough, one might ask, what indeed was she doing by being personally present in an aircraft carrier on combat operations? Indeed, to Katerina, it was simply extremely ridiculous as well.


    Had it not been for the fact that her Empire too was falling apart.


    Dammit, I cannot lose. If I lost, there would be a revolution in the Empire.


    She furiously flipped further through the pages, her anxiety rising as every moment where there was no news of Albert''s ONS Rebenslof being sunk passed.


    Her Empire had suffered crisis after crisis, the worst being the Lavoslav Nuclear Meltdown, which nearly irradiated an entire Duchy of her Empire, her crackdowns on information being the only thing standing between her and international humiliation.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Not even the Empire''s female aristocracy was on her side anymore, their petty squabbles being the only thing that bought her the tiny time to desperately turn the burning ship around.


    And her brilliant plan?


    A military victory like no other!


    Indeed, how else could one distract squabbling elites and place them back on her side? A war of course.


    But with Katerina''s shameful defeat in the Great War, she wasn''t exactly the most reputable kind whenever she would promise a "victory" in war.


    Luckily, she had always blamed and scapegoated the "dumb, stupid, rat" Admirals and Generals of her High Command. And so, without much choice, she declared that she would "take command herself!" and "bring a decisive victory!" to the Larissan aristocracy before promptly attacking the Ivory Alliance - and boarding the GIS (Grand Imperial Ship) Terror, the flagship of the Larissan Imperial Navy, to personally command them to victory.


    Yet, such victory remained elusive, as she was unable to send the 2nd and 4th Armies to land in Lorathia, all because Albert''s lone carrier stood against her.


    She flipped faster and faster as she was now merely pretending to be reading. Albert, Albert, Albert - that damned Orlish rat who destroyed her plans in the Great War, was now once again a thorn in her side.


    There were a great many things that ran through her mind about that Commodore. Of how she both hated and admired him. Such utter competence, such loyalty, yet all those were for Amelie - not hers.


    If she only had him, Lorathia would be singing praises to her under Larissan occupation by now. She would have the Northern Sea for hers. She would be able to blockade Gaul and the small Kingdoms of Western Vaeyox that were in the Ivory Alliance.


    She would have won and secured the throne and its stability if she just had him. Instead, she had Rurik - a moron, a fatass, a coward, and a spineless Prince that only had the title of "Admiral" because she was his older brother.


    She closed her book with fury.


    ¡­


    <<This is Ajax 1, reporting signatures North East of my position. Surface Contacts, over>>


    Above the skies of the Northern Sea, merely a hundred kilometers up north from Strike Force 7, a W-2 Vision, the mainstay AWACS asset of the Orlish Navy, lingered around in the stormy skies.


    Even with the powerful gusts of wind and turbulence that rattled on its airframe, the circular radar mounted on the plane scanned widely.


    While there was no visual confirmation, it was clear to the pilot and the operators of the AWACS plane that yes, something was out there.


    <<Ajax 1, how many?>>


    <<14 Surface Contacts. 4 more in a separate cluster. Moving west. Sending contact bearings and coordinates.>>


    <<Copy that, Ajax 1. Continue observation. Wait for further orders.>>


    <<Copy.>>


    +++


    Northern Sea


    Strike Force 7


    22:30 Hours


    Albert had received the report from his CIC rather quickly. Immediately, he had given the order to scramble his best strike squadrons to prepare for a possible sortie, as he dashed toward the bridge to take control.


    "Captain?"


    "Commodore, we have them. We have eyes on them."


    An officer closed the door to the bridge behind him as he entered and followed Captain Vogel. The Captain pointed at a grid 400 kilometers away from them on the map, where a cluster of red icons that represented the surface contacts glowed on the screen.


    "We suspect that at least one flat top is in that fleet. Callsign ''Ajax 1'' is currently over here, monitoring them closely. If we send a sortie now, we will have full AWACS coverage for the next 30 minutes."


    "That so? But we aren''t sure if that thing is Katerina''s-"


    "Maybe, just maybe, she''s there, Commodore. If she''s not, we would still sink multiple ships and eliminate a task force, possibly a carrier even. We have no choice but to bite."


    "Captain, my concern here is, what if this is a ploy? They would know our direction immediately once we launched our strike. Even if one of their carriers is present, I cannot authorize a strike when we run the risk of a separate carrier discovering our position."


    Indeed, that was the main concern of Albert. He knew these kinds of things. Even if it was no ploy, any competent fleet commander would know how to react whenever his fleet was attacked from a certain direction - send his planes and missiles over there.


    "But you told me already that attrition would do us in if we do not strike first. We found them now, do we even have any other choice but to take this chance and strike first?"


    And Captain Vogel had a point as well. They found them now. Why not attack? Naval warfare was always about who would strike first. Whoever found the enemy unaware and launched their missiles first would start with extreme combat advantage.


    Especially since the enemy still had no idea that they had eyes on them. In other words, Albert''s Strike Force now held the initiative. They could choose when and where to strike, while the Larissans would not be able to respond until the Orlish attack had commenced, in which case they would suffer severe losses.


    But those other carriers¡­14 ships, that''s probably just a fraction of the Larissan fleet. If I attack now, who knows how many other aircraft carriers would respond and swarm me?


    "I have an idea, Captain."


    "I''m all ears, sir."


    "What if¡­we send the sortie further east, before swinging west, striking them, and then dashing straight west to land in Lorathia?"


    "You mean to tell me, they won''t rejoin us?"


    "If we attack from a different direction, and our air sortie avoids landing back here, they won''t know where we are."


    "But then those planes would be lost. At least, until we break EMCON and return to Lorathia."


    "Exactly. We break EMCON and steam south to Redcastle Naval Base. If we sink an aircraft carrier and return to a friendly port, we would have technically won a tactical victory."


    "But this might compromise our strategic outlook. If they know we are at Redcastle, they might push on to land at Northern Lorathia. Our uncertain presence in the Northern Sea is the only thing preventing them from invading. Without these air wings, we would not be able to stay here and we would be forced to follow your plans of returning to Lorathia. Albert, this is a risky plan."


    "So is yours, James. If they find us, we would be sunk, and nothing would stand to defend Lorathia. An utter tactical and strategic defeat."


    "But if we succeed, we would not be in a risky strategic position. We would be able to keep a tactical victory and maintain the stalemate."


    Albert paused and looked around the bridge as he considered his options. His own idea or Vogel''s? Both were unsavory options with too many holes. Although truthfully, he preferred his own plan as it offered the best chance of survival for them.


    And to survive, even if he would concede the strategic stalemate that his one carrier managed to project in the Northern Sea, would still mean they would live on to fight another day.


    Or we could do nothing.


    "So what would it be, Commodore?"


    "What if we do nothing?"


    "Nothing? I already told you, we cannot let this opportunity slip from our grasp."


    "You have a point. But both of our plans are still unsure. We should observe them further and wait. Can we really not get any visuals?"


    "No can do, sir. Even if we send another AWACS, they would run the risk of being intercepted if they get too close. In fact, Ajax 1 won''t last long up there. We would have to rotate another W-2 in ten minutes to keep watch, assuming we don''t lose them."


    Decisions, decisions. He had to make the call swiftly, as the time passed. To attack or not attack. His plan or Vogel''s plan. What would he do?


    But¡­if they land in Northern Lorathia, it would be the end of this campaign. Indeed, he has a point.


    "Captain, I authorize you to initiate your plan. It would be a gamble, but let us do it."


    He nodded.


    "Aye, sir!"

 Chapter Forty-Nine: Strike Now!

    <<Gentlemen, the ladies are watching us. They want us to be there and fight for them. You ask, "But they have magic right, so why don''t they fight like us?" Well, they have much to lose now, don''t they? Me? You? Not so much!>>


    - VFA-23 Radio Chatter, June 2024


    +++


    June 18, 2024


    Northern Sea


    Strike Force 7


    22:45 Hours


    CVW-3, or Carrier Air Wing 3 was the ONS Rebenslof''s attached air wing, and they were one of the best of the best - if not the best.


    And Albert knew many of them.


    From the aces that became legends in both Navy and Air Force, to the intrepid CAG (Commander, Air Group) of CVW-3, Captain Ray Schlatt, to the many less distinguished but still veteran pilots of the Air Wing - CVW-3 and its crew was his main arm in combat.


    Back even during the Great War.


    CVW-3 itself was divided into multiple squadrons, but most important was its core:


    The Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA - Fixed Wing Fighter Attack Squadron), composed of 14 LF-12 Zappers each, of which the ONS Rebenslof held 3 of them - VFA-13, VFA-18, and VFA-24.


    Then there were the Electronic Attack Squadrons (VAQ - Fixed Wing Electronic Attack Squadron) made up of 12 modified LF-12 Zappers specialized for electronic warfare.


    And the most important of them all - the AWACS squadron (VAW - Fixed Wing Airborne Early Warning) that served as the eye of Strike Force 7, made up of the remaining 3 W-2 Visions of the ONS Rebenslof.


    With these squadrons, CVW-3 held a striking capability enough to decimate another Carrier Strike Force with enough tactical brilliance.


    Which was what Commodore Albert Ludendorf, alongside Captain James Vogel, was explaining to the gathered airmen of CVW-3.


    "Commodore, if I may, wouldn''t that mean that VFA-24 would be outside of Ajax 4''s coverage?"


    Albert looked at Vogel, who nodded. They had modified Vogel''s plan and added a new aspect to it - VFA-24''s role as a diversion. A way to fool the Empress.


    By flying west and attacking from that direction, Albert hoped that any retaliatory strike that she and her Admirals would order would head west, not southeast, which was where his ships were.


    Unfortunately, such a plan would stretch VFA-24 too far from their AWACS'' coverage, and thus would be unable to effectively see hostile air formations - and would be vulnerable.


    "That''s why they would be firing their missiles immediately here in the direction where Ajax 4 last sighted the Larissan fleet before comms were out. VFA-24 could then bolt down south and regroup with us if no hostile aircraft was chasing them."


    "And if there were?"


    "They would have to turn west, straight to Lorathia. We cannot risk them running south with bandits hot in their tails."


    Captain Ray nodded with his arms crossed, as the pilots behind him sat in the chairs of the briefing room with much silence. This task was massive, ambitious, and risky.


    And cocky.


    And Captain Ray liked that.


    The Captain turned around to his men, who all directed their attention to him, away from Albert.


    "Well then men! Are you ready for this?"


    From the eager smiles and nervous grins, Albert scanned the reactions of their airmen with pride. These were the men who once proved their mettle with him in the Great War.


    He trusted them.


    "Sir yes sir!"


    "We''ll fuck ''em up real good!"


    "Send that brat back to her shithole!"


    "We''d be feasting on dead Larries today!"


    Albert chuckled as he walked beside the Captain. With his uniform adjusted, the men silenced themselves. It was time for his address.


    Many of these men would not return. Many might perish¡­


    But it has to be done.


    "Gentlemen, you are all here today. Today¡­for another historic day. Another day where your deeds, and perhaps your names, would be written in the history books."


    He paused, as he looked around them.


    "We''ve been in this fight, alone, in this darkness, for weeks now. I know many of you have seen this before. I know many of you have merely heard the stories from those who did. I know many of you are confident. I know many of you have doubts."


    "...But alas, this is your duty. To fight on, gentlemen."


    They were all still silent.


    "We don''t know what is happening back home. We don''t know if we are winning or losing this war. We don''t even know if there is still a side we are fighting in. But what we do know is that those Larissans are out to get us - and they attacked first."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Katerina¡­you will pay.


    "So prepare yourself! You and your planes. Your brothers in arms, in the air, would be out there, with confidence and skill, fighting for the Kingdom, for the Queen! I know my sister isn''t perfect. I know the Kingdom never cared for us men. I know the Lorathians we are defending would care less for our lives. But we do. We will show them what we men can do and will do for them. And we will show the Empress, and her oppressive tirade - worse than what our Kingdoms did to us, will face our wrath."


    The air seemed to rise, as the men almost leaned forward, riled up to fight.


    "So what is our motto? The motto of this Carrier?!"


    And with a loud shout, the men replied.


    "We shall carry on the struggle!"


    The lights in the briefing room closed as Albert looked at his watch.


    "Gentlemen, Operation Sledgehammer is a go."


    ¡­


    <<Hellcat 2, you all are nearly out of my coverage. The enemy fleet is bearing 0-3-0 of your current positions. Godspeed, over.>>


    <<This is 2-1. Copy that, Ajax 4. Out.>>


    14 LF-12s, all armed with state-of-the-art HASM-15 (Heavy Anti-Ship Missiles) cruise missiles, climbed up in the stormy skies as contact with their AWACS plane was lost.


    Unlike VFA-13 and VFA-18, they weren''t armed with the even newer ASCM Mark-1 (Advanced Stealth Cruise Missile) as they were a diversionary attack.


    Instead, they would have to rely on their conventional, non-stealth missile, which, unlike the ASCMs, didn''t have a reduced radar signature.


    This meant that should they launch it, there was a higher risk of it being intercepted - and for them too, as unlike the ASCMs, the HASM didn''t have an autonomous guidance system.


    Which was why they were skipping rapidly toward the northwest before they banked hard toward the east.


    <<All units change course bearing 0-7-0. We are moving to our designated launch site, over.>>


    <<Copy, 2-1.>>


    <<Acknowledged.>>


    It took many minutes, as their formation seemed to falter over the heavy rain, the turbulence rattling some of their control surfaces. Fortunately, the LF-12 was capable, although not stealth capable like the new LF-20s, they were the backbone of the Orlish Air Force and Navy for a reason.


    <<We are closing in. Any contacts?>>


    <<Negative, 2-1. No sign yet from my end, over.>>


    <<No sign from here too¡­wait, 2-1, I->>


    <<2-8 through 2-14! What are those things!?>>


    <<They''re appearing on our radars! Enemy surface-to-air missiles bearing 2-6-0! Closing in fast!>>


    With that, the Squadron Leader barked at the radio.


    <<Fire all HASM missiles!>>


    Like a volley of fire, the entire formation bellowed out 28 HASM missiles in the direction of the still unspotted Larissan fleet. The Squadron Leader could merely hope - hope that it was in the right direction and that they would at least do some damage.


    But for now, they would have to survive.


    <


    >


    The missiles homed in behind the Zappers as they widely maneuvered away from their formations, the extreme speeds developing a dangerous environment for a possible collision.


    Yet none of those happened.


    <<Deploying chaff!>>


    Two detonations occurred midair, as the chaos in the radio grew.


    <<2-4 and 2-9 is down!>>


    <<Goddess almighty!>>


    <<Reform! Reform! All units respond with missiles. Hostiles spotted bearing 2-9-0!>>


    <<They''re coming for us!>>


    <<Here they come!>>


    With hard turns north, they faced a swarm of angry Larissan fighters that zoomed down before them, all as the angry buzz of "lock" filled the heads-up displays of their cockpits.


    <<Fuck them up!>>


    <<Fox Two! Fox Two!>>


    ¡­


    "W-we have enemy sightings, down south of us, Your Majesty. West of Task Force Piranha."


    Katerina faced Rurik, who stood before her in her office with much nervousness. She didn''t pity nor care for his fear and discomfort, as he absolutely deserved it - according to her.


    Rurik had been a pain for her. An utter disappointment. An Admiral of no caliber. If she was back in port, she would have kicked him off the Navy.


    But alas, replacing him with a nobody was out of the question. She didn''t know who she could even trust. Thus, Rurik, being her meek brother, was going to stay for now.


    But that did not mean that she would listen.


    "Have you taken care of them?"


    "Yes, a nearby squadron of ours responded and intercepted them. They are fighting back hard though, and multiple cruise missiles are headed to Task Force Piranha."


    Her eyes widened. Had she just heard what? They got close enough to fire missiles at her ships? At a Task Force that contained one of her prized carriers?!


    "They launched their missiles?"


    "Y-yes, I''m afraid so. But our ships are preparing as we speak."


    Now, her blood began to boil once more. How much more screwups could Rurik truly do to her? Oh, the absurdity! Why did she end up having to deal with this nonsense?!


    "I''ll absolutely tear you apart if I lose the GIS Askagrad! How did you let them slip by? I thought they could not attack us because you wiped out their AWACS planes?!"


    "We suspect that they made a guess and got lucky."


    Excuses, nothing but excuses. There was no way someone could merely blind shot in the vast expanse of the Northern Sea. She wasn''t having it.


    "Oh, is that so, I see. Now tell me. Are my ships going to get sunk? Yes or no."


    "No, I assure you, no. This attack is a minor one. Possibly a diversionary attack. Our point defense systems are on high alert in Task Force Piranha. We spotted them before they could do damage."


    "Make sure of that."


    Katerina calmed down slightly. So a diversion? Or a full-scale attack? Her eyes bore through Rurik, who seemed to understand the question of hers.


    "No, we did not spot him."


    "But this is an opportunity¡­no?"


    "Yes? But, I doubt that any competent naval officer would simply-"


    "Shut up Rurik! Where did this strike come from?"


    "South West. Or west of Task Force Piranha."


    "Then send our search planes over there! Now! Why are you wasting time? He must be there!"


    "I-I caution such optimism-"


    "Stop being a naysayer and do what I want. We cannot be wrong. He must be there. Teach him a lesson not to do such a sloppy attack. Even brilliant geniuses make mistakes."


    "I¡­if that is your will."


    "Then go!"

 Chapter Fifty: The Kingdom Strikes Back

    "Heindh?ff''s ''terror bombing'' of the Archduchy of L?t intensifies! Evacuations from major cities have been organized by the Archduchess in L?t, all as the RGO and the OAF continue their strenuous collaboration to defend the Archduchy. Reports of heavy firebombing on Thein had been recorded widely, with estimates reaching 1200 tons worth of bombs dropped on the city in just 3 days, creating severe firestorms in the city center. Civilian casualties have been estimated to have reached above 40,000 in Thein alone, with Archduchess Dubois calling it a ''barbarous act of men against all women,'' in a press conference this morning. Defense Minister Heindh?ff replied quickly in an address to the newly formed ''Emergency Cabinet'' in Eirhow, declaring the attacks as ''justified bombings in strategic military targets.'' Analysts have placed doubts on this, calling the bombings an ideological venture rather than a strategic necessity."


    - Geopol News


    +++


    <<Hellcat 5 and Hellcat 1, commence the turn westward. Hellcat 2 should have commenced the diversionary attack by now, over.>>


    <<Copy that Ajax 4, keep an eye on bearing 0-5-0 relative to our formation, over.>>


    <<No worries, Hellcat 5. If any blips appear there, you will be warned.>>


    <<Much appreciated, out.>>


    The two squadrons broke into 2 groups of 7 planes divided into 2 clusters, each being their respective squadrons.


    On the left side, the fast movers of VFA-13, or Hellcat 1, their callsign, zoomed up quickly, their planes in a triangular formation.


    On the right side, slightly below in altitude relative to VFA-13, VFA-18, or Hellcat 5, flew in formation as well, their lights flashing and illuminating the dark clouds of heavy rain ever so slightly.


    <<Hellcat 5-3, you''re getting way too close. Watch your spacing, over.>>


    <<Copy that, adjusting course.>>


    The distance toward their designated launch sites was approaching close, being only 90 kilometers away. With their extremely high speeds, which already approached 400+ meters per second, it would be enough for them to cross such a distance within minutes.


    And so they did, as they braved through the dark and stormy skies, distant sounds of thunder and its sudden lights occasionally illuminating the squadron a faint blue.


    Underneath their wings, on their pylons, angry, almost triangular-looking grey cruise missiles were affixed - their main weapon for the strike.


    They weren''t expecting, nor were they prepared for any air-to-air engagement. All they had was their two ASCM Mark 1 missiles on each plane, and nothing more.


    They were purely here to decimate the enemy fleet with Orland''s latest missile technology. As such, their CAG decided not to fit them with more munitions, as they would simply bolt out quickly anyway.


    And they needed speed above all.


    <<This is Ajax 4, alert. You are closing in on your designated launch sites, over.>>


    <<Copy that.>>


    They zoomed in higher, as they finally all synchronized their formations as one as if they were preparing to fire a volley.


    <<All units, fire missiles now!>>


    With a roar, each plane launched its 2 ASCM missiles, and just as immediately, turned straight in the direction of Strike Force 7.


    A swarm of 56 missiles zoomed straight toward the Larissan fleet, 300 kilometers away, guided both by Ajax 4 and an Orlish satellite above the planet.


    But, just as they dispersed and passed the 170-kilometer barrier mark, the datalink with Ajax 4 and the Orlish satellite was lost. A pulse of passive Larissan ECM, most likely from one of the escort destroyers of the fleet, most likely terminated the link.


    Yet it didn''t matter. They were now directed straight toward them.


    Immediately, the group of ASCMs communicated with each other using their autonomous swarm AI, which routed them in constantly changing headings as their calculations changed and adjusted.


    At the 110-kilometer mark, the AI made a final adjustment to their general heading, eliminating all other grid coordinates where it considered the possibility of the Larissan fleet being there.


    Already, the radar emissions of the Larissan fleet slammed into each of the missiles, but it was mostly absorbed, their stealth technology coupled with the stormy weather working in tandem to keep them from detection.


    At the 30-kilometer mark, the sensors of the missiles finally fully detected and homed into the ships, and the AI initiated a terminal descent, as all of them flew rapidly down and hugged the sea, further hiding them from the radars as they closed.


    Above them, Larissan jets zoomed up, having just mopped up the missile strike from VFA-24 moments earlier - completely unaware of the hornets below them.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Within 12 kilometers, the fleet became visible to the (LOS) line-of-sight sensors of the swarm. Each of them coordinated their targets rapidly, with many immediately heading for the massive carrier in the center, and the rest grouping up toward the individual escorts of the GIS Askagrad.


    Only then did the Larissan radars pick them up, as suddenly, 56 angry red blips appeared heading straight for them.


    Chaos erupted in the CICs of each ship, as their PDS systems tried a last-minute scramble to turn and lock at each missile - but they slammed and slammed on each ship, pummeling them with powerful explosions as the first shots and the first SAM missiles from the Larissans blared out in vain.


    The GIS Askagrad itself was hit by two both in her bow and stern, then another three amidship, and another two nearly under her waterline, the constant pummeling slamming on one of the depots where the missiles of its air squadrons were kept, and then-


    The dark sea lit up, and the GIS Askagrad detonated like a candle, splitting the behemoth in half, all as it lit up the utter devastation around it, as its escorts burned and sank. The destructive beauty of it was completely visible to every sailor and crewman who abandoned their ships, or those who scrambled for damage control - their eyes wide agape at the view.


    Orland struck back.


    +++


    <<Did we lose them?>>


    <


    >


    <<They clipped me bad->>


    <<Cut the chatter, men. Just because we survived does not mean it''s over.>>


    Almost 6 LF-12s of VFA-24 flew west in a ragged formation. Two of them were so badly damaged even, that just as they left smoke trails, they were almost shaking as they flew.


    Just moments ago, VFA-24 found themselves in a brutal air-to-air engagement, and due to their utter lack of missiles, they were at an immediate disadvantage.


    As a result, VFA-24 split in half, with 6 of them volunteering to fight to "hold off" the Larissans as the rest of them escaped.


    It was a cold, brutal, and calculated move to preserve strength. They could not lose too many planes.


    Naturally, it left a sour, guilty taste for those who escaped, as each of them wondered if their brothers survived and won.


    They could not do anything.


    <<2-1! We have contacts dead ahead!>>


    <<Calm down, I''m hailing them.>>


    The squadron nearly spread out as their squadron commander flew directly in front, and began hailing the contacts ahead of them.


    <<Unknown contacts, do you copy?>>


    <<Orlish IFF tags detected. Yes, we copy. Identify yourself, over.>>


    <<This is Hellcat 2, VFA-23. We''re from the Rebenslof, over.>>


    <<The Rebenslof? Hellcat 2, continue heading in your direction.>>


    <<Copy that, but we request aid. The rest of our squadron is still fighting 240 kilometers away east from here. We''re trying to sink a Larissan flat top.>>


    <<High Command is hearing us. They''re sending reinforcements. One of you appears to be losing altitude, over.>>


    <<He''s banged up¡­>>


    <<We will provide an escort. Must have been a long way from hell?>>


    A split-second sigh of relaxation came on the line. Indeed, it was hell.


    <<Indeed it was, Lorathian. Hellcat 2-1, out.>>


    +++


    "We what?!"


    "I-it came from nowhere."


    "Directions! I need directions! Where did the attack come from?! Why did we not see it?! And why did I lose an IMPORTANT MILITARY ASSET?!"


    Admiral Rurik nearly faltered at the furious tirade of his little sister. Not that it wasn''t justified, they didn''t just lose one carrier. No, they lost all of Task Force Piranha, all in one fell swoop.


    3 guided-missile cruisers were sunk or disabled. 8 of their destroyers were so badly damaged, that almost all hands were lost aboard. But most importantly - the GIS Askagrad, the flagship of Task Force Piranha, and one of their three carriers that participated in this operation, was now an involuntary submarine.


    None of them expected it. It was as if all the sensors of Task Force Piranha went kaput.


    "Current intel suggests that it came from the southeast of Task Force Piranha. W-we suspect that the enemy used their new stealth missiles."


    She looked absolutely livid.


    "Stealth?! Stealth?! That thing is new technology, isn''t it? Orland barely even has it, as far as we know. Then how can you suggest to my face that they used such a thing when we don''t even have it yet!?"


    "P-perhaps they already do. There''s no other way." He shook his head quickly. "The radars of the fleet could not have malfunctioned all at the same time."


    She crossed her arms, unconvinced.


    "Or, you men are a special breed of incompetent."


    Rurik felt his fury rise, yet he didn''t vocalize it, fearing for his continued status of ''alive''. Yet how dare she? She sent them to fight again and again. To dare insult them as they serve and die for her?


    "Rurik."


    "Yes?"


    "Send our squadrons southeast. I want results, as my patience is thinning."


    He gulped. That glow in her eyes showed it clearly. The GIS Terror had a massive contingent of Imperial Knights with the Empress. Defy her¡­and he would¡­


    No, he needed to destroy Albert. Either he goes down, or Rurik does.


    "Yes, I''ll make sure of it."


    "Your words mean nothing right now. I want results!"


    +++


    June 19, 2024


    Northern Sea


    150 Kilometers South of the Previous Position


    Strike Force 7


    01:25 Hours


    One by one, the planes of VFA-18 and 13 landed on the decks of the ONS Rebenslof, rapidly filling it with planes as they were taxied to the elevators and hangars.


    Many crewmen and sailors were lined up on the decks, watching and cheering as they landed one by one, even as the heavy rain thundered and poured above them.


    Albert smiled as he placed down his coffee. He was watching from the observation post of the bridge.


    Finally, victory. Now, all he needed to do was hide and disappear quickly.


    He turned around as the door opened behind him, and Captain Vogel, alongside Captain Schlatt, arrived, both with victorious smirks plastered on their faces.


    "Gentlemen?"


    "Commodore, it has been a success." Schlatt handed him a document as he smiled. "Ajax 4 confirmed that the signatures were hit. We don''t know if the carrier is gone, as we have no visual contact, but regardless, it should be disabled at least."


    "Good job. Captain Vogel?"


    "We steamed in this direction at a consistent 32 knots for the past few hours. We are far enough away."


    Schlatt even laughed beside him.


    "In fact, we sent Ajax 5 to monitor our last positions. The fools reached it just 15 minutes ago, and naturally, we''re as gone as shit. They pressed on away from us, most likely still searching."


    "That indeed is good news gentlemen, it seems like we found ourselves our first victory."


    "Scratch one of their carriers on the list, sir," Schlatt added, as he gave a mirthful laugh once more, and while Albert laughed alongside the two, he eventually turned serious as the laughs subsided.


    To sit on their laurels, and celebrate before total victory was unacceptable. Nay, it would be suicidal. And he reminded the two of that.


    "But, celebrations would be for later. This campaign isn''t over. Yet."


    +++

 Chapter Fifty-One: A City Of Death

    "The Secretary of the Ivory Alliance has issued a statement today for the direction of the Alliance after rumors of a Larissan carrier being sunk in the Northern Sea. With the breakdown of Orland and Lieplatz and the chaos in North Opellia it generated, the Ivory Alliance now rested under the de facto command of Queen Clericia and Queen Eliette since June. But now, Secretary Aurelia Thell declared that ''Orland and Her Majesty, Queen Amelie Ludendorf is still in charge of the alliance.'' She urged all Orlish servicemen of VACCOM to continue the fight and lead the alliance, and urged all countries to aid Orland liberate itself and Lieplatz from extremist elements."


    - ROCN News


    +++


    June 19, 2024


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    01:55 Hours


    Amelie was utterly shaken. So shaken that she had merely listlessly stared at William converse on the radio for many moments already. Even when she tried to breathe deeply, or to clear her mind, it simply would not work.


    Too close¡­it was too close. I almost died. We both almost died. Goddess¡­


    Even when the event had been hours ago, she could still not shake it off her head. She simply could not at all. The blast¡­the blast had been too close. So close that she remembered that she felt the heat.


    And the screams.


    The burning wrecks.


    The bodies¡­bodies of young men in agony, who emerged from those SAM systems. The operators that defended her city. All who screamed in pain - as they walked, ran, or crawled in flames.


    As the flames consumed them with no mercy.


    Dammit! Just get out! Get out of my head! I don''t want to remember it!


    "Amelie? Are you alright? Amelie? Amelie?!"


    Her head snapped back at William''s, who stood and towered above her. The Queen was sitting on a mere bench, right beside where William parked his SUV.


    "I¡­sorry, I just¡­"


    "You really got spooked, didn''t you?"


    She looked up at him with a flustered expression, as she almost attempted to deny it by shaking her head, but she couldn''t.


    William understood her.


    "Well, it was too close. I can see why you''re still dwelling on it. I apologize, it was my mistake."


    "There''s¡­there''s no need. We are at war, right? Those things happen. I can''t blame you for that."


    "Right. Anyway, we can''t wallow on this problem. We still need to get to the Halian Medical Center. Minister Allison Thell already rang me. She''s waiting, and she said it''s urgent."


    "That so? How''s the situation then?"


    "She didn''t specify the details, but she said it''s severe. Of course, it''s severe. The bombing hadn''t ended yet."


    Amelie looked around her. While they had left that square earlier, it was still clear to her badly the city was being bombed. A skyscraper - just on the other side of the highway, seemed to be growling ever so slightly as if the damage inflicted on it would result in a sudden collapse.


    And it was just one of the many.


    "Then let''s go."


    The two entered William''s SUV once more, and he pressed on the gas pedal immediately. While the roads were clogged with abandoned cars, debris, and the occasional military vehicles, William weaved through all of it with stunning efficiency.


    "I just wanted to ask¡­"


    "What is it?"


    "You''re used to this, aren''t you? Driving through a battlefield."


    "I have to. The Great War wasn''t particularly kind to those who are sluggish."


    She fell silent, as they passed through a heavily bombed residential area, as emergency workers, paramedics, and firefighters battled to stop the fire and save people.


    Her air defense scheme wasn''t enough. It never was, that she knew. She needed to do more.


    ¡­


    The Halian Medical Center, located near downtown Halia, was a towering U-shaped building. Like many medical institutions in Orland, the Halian Medical Center also functioned as a University, especially for women seeking to use their magic in healthcare.


    When she arrived, the parking lots around the Hospital were filled with injured civilians, paramedics, and ambulances that seemed to come and go.


    Alongside them too was the Royal Guard, their Knights already in their full combat gear, the main distinguishing feature of them being their jet black camo, compared to the grays and desert tan that the Armed Forces sported. Amelie watched as a squad of them, who held specialized GA-12 Arcano Rifles, only operable by women, stood guard in a checkpoint that they had to pass through.


    "Identifications please."


    William showed her his I.D. as he lowered the window on his side of the car. The woman seemed to subtly frown at him, however.


    "I''m Major William Porter, Head of JTF-Ludendorf. Oh, and the Queen is with me."


    Amelie forced a smile as the Knight''s eyes turned to her.


    "I am grateful for your work, Miss."


    "Y-Your Majesty! I apologize for the inconvenience. Please, you may both proceed."


    By the time they arrived inside, it was already a clear pandemonium. Nurses, paramedics, doctors, and staff seemed to run around the hallways, as they carried stretchers with patients or boxes of what seemed to be medical supplies.


    The two asked around a bit, as they searched for Minister Allison''s whereabouts, zigzagging left and right through the hallways of the hospital, before they met her in one of the hallways on the third floor, conversing with an old doctor.


    "Minister Thell."


    "Your Majesty? I apologize, I haven''t given you a proper welcome. We were too busy."


    "No, it is alright, Minister Thell. I can see how severe this emergency is."


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Indeed it is that bad. Oh, and, this is Dr.Bewolk, head of the research department of this Hospital."


    The old woman smiled at her. Naturally, Amelie reciprocated. Especially because she was an elder.


    "It is an honor to see you, Your Majesty."


    "Likewise, Dr.Bewolk."


    A cough interrupted the conversation between the three women, as William stepped forward behind Amelie. He was about to speak and voice out the urgentness of the situation, but Dr.Bewolk didn''t seem to recognize him, so Amelie decided to introduce him before he had a chance to open his mouth.


    "Oh, and this man too. He''s Major William Porter. Part of Palace Security, and, Head of JTF-Ludendorf."


    Dr.Bewolk cast him a narrowed glance.


    "I heard a lot from you, young man. I assume you are loyal to Her Majesty?"


    Amelie smiled awkwardly.


    Please don''t make this a problem¡­


    "Of course, Dr.Bewolk. I assure you."


    "Good, because if there is anything I don''t trust, it''s you rowdy young men and your nonsense. Nonsense that''s burning this country down."


    Minister Allison laughed just as awkwardly as she placed herself between William and Dr.Bewolk.


    "Now now, let''s not distract ourselves from the problem at hand. I''m sure Mr. Porter is a loyal man, and we would be able to cooperate with each other smoothly. Right, Your Majesty?"


    To which the Queen responded with a quick nod. Certainly, William had served her well.


    "Absolutely, yes."


    "But anyways." The three turned back to William. "As Minister Thell has said, things are extremely urgent. Could we please proceed to the meeting now?"


    "Yes. Let us proceed. The room ahead is prepared to accommodate us." Dr.Bewolk said with much grace, as the four looked at the direction of the room.


    ¡­


    "So how is the situation?"


    Minister of Health Allison Thell - the new Health Minister of Heiss'' reformist cabinet, was an even younger one than the previous one, as Minister Allison was merely 10 years older than Amelie. In fact, it seemed that most of the reformist politicians of the Heiss Cabinet were now the younger ones.


    Which gave Amelie a degree of comfort when working with them, as the old conservative ladies had always somewhat¡­irked her.


    With some misplaced enthusiasm at having the chance to present herself to the Queen, Minister Thell''s presentation tone seemed cherry and overly optimistic for some reason, a clear contrast to the numbers that she was showing in her slides.


    "As of now, Your Majesty, the Ministry of Health has organized immediate emergency treatment - at no cost, to any civilian with injury. Right now, we recorded that we have successfully aided and treated 85,000 people at the current estimates in the Greater Halia region."


    85,000! That doesn''t sound good. Why is she proud of it?


    "That''s why, I urgently request Her Majesty to prioritize my Ministry to reward the steadfast women serving in the healthcare sector. With this war, and with this great burden placed on us, we need more funding."


    W-what? This city is almost besieged! I can''t just-


    "Minister Thell, I''m afraid that would be impossible with the situation around us." William interrupted beside Amelie. "As you can hear, bombs are dropping around us quite rapidly as we speak."


    "Yes, Mr.Porter. But surely, this is even more reason to prioritize my Ministry? I''m sure that the Ministry of Defense would be the natural priority, but, so is my Ministry. I need that budget to hire more nurses, doctors, paramedics, and staff. I need that budget to procure more medical supplies, supplies we are short on. Lives are at stake here."


    "We can''t do that. Please give me the raw numbers instead, and we shall decide what to do."


    "Have some respect young man." Dr.Bewolk chastised. "She is still presenting."


    "I understand, Dr.Bewolk. But I can''t waste time with her trying to use the data to push her agenda. Give me and Her Majesty the straight data and we will decide."


    "You are acting as if you are above everyone in this room."


    Amelie sighed and tried to break off the potential standoff.


    "He is, Dr.Bewolk. JTF-Ludendorf is given full executive powers in this Duchy, you should both know that already. This is an emergency measure in a time of emergency. I cannot accept insubordination to my appointed officer to handle this crisis. So please¡­"


    Dr.Bewolk fell silent, while Minister Allison looked around, seemingly apologetic.


    "Your Majesty. I apologize. My Ministry really needed-"


    "I understand Minister Thell. No need to explain further. Let''s just leave this behind and proceed, shall we?"


    Minister Thell nodded quickly at Amelie''s words, as she turned back to her presentation.


    "Well¡­the truth is, our medical facilities are overwhelmed both in Halia and the Grand Duchy. 95% are now in full capacity, treating upwards of 200,000 or more people, and we are unable to process more. The current projections for critical medical supplies are that we would run out of it within 5 or 7 days. Our doctors and nurses can use magic and such, but, without many necessary supplies, we would only be able to administer emergency medical spells to our patients¡­which wouldn''t cut it in the long term."


    "Then that means that even if I increased your budget, you would still be unable to do anything?"


    The Minister''s eyes widened. The reason why she wanted to sugarcoat it was to make Amelie believe that the MoH (Ministry of Health) could still salvage the situation with enough emergency funding.


    After all, if they could not do it, why waste resources on them?


    "I¡­I am afraid that that would be the case, Your Majesty. But I cannot simply stand and do nothing. If some funding would help, if some support can be spared, then I shall snatch it quickly. So many lives depend on it."


    "We are in the same situation, trust me."


    "I know. That''s why I''m hoping you could understand."


    But William spoke before Amelie could reply.


    "All I''m seeing here is that the MoH is a dead-end solution. We need something that would lend us results."


    "Then what do you suggest?" Replied Allison, outraged at how he could simply casually suggest the abandonment of her Ministry and the lives of those who depend on it.


    "A counterattack, and an evacuation."


    "William?" Amelie snapped her head to him. "You told me civilian evacuations would be impossible until we silenced their artillery."


    "Yes, but that is because their artillery is not firing at the Military - but civilian and logistical targets. If we launch a diversionary counterattack, they would be firing at our troops, not the evacuating civilians."


    "But how can we do that?"


    "Simple. Again, a counterattack. They would have to respond and contain it. Thus they would have to fire and expend munitions not on the city and our transportation lines to the North, but to our attacking troops."


    Dr.Bewolk laughed at that.


    "Then why haven''t we done that? Are you men chickening from your duties?"


    His reply was a snarky one.


    "Close, Dr.Bewolk. Her Majesty ordered us to take a passive approach to prevent any massive casualties. But also, we cannot launch an attack with the severe lack of medical supplies in the front. Right now, our men are dying there, holding line after line, without even basic first aid kits in many cases."


    Amelie''s face darkened at that. She had focused mostly on the suffering of the civilians in Halia, but she had completely ignored those at the front.


    If it''s this bad here, then how much worse is it over there?


    "Then what do you suggest we do, William?" Amelie asked as William''s gaze fell on Minister Allison.


    "I believe she and the MoH can help with this¡­planned scheme?"


    Allison seemed outraged.


    "Help? How? Are you asking me to send our doctors and nurses straight to the frontlines?"


    "I''m just saying, Minister Thell. If we men are asked to die for you, why can''t you help us die more effectively for you?"


    He looked back at Amelie, who seemed a tad bit uncomfortable at his idea. A counterattack¡­that would mean so many men dead, just to evacuate the civilians of the city. But many young, bright women too, if what his plan entailed would be followed.


    Most doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals were universally female, a result of magic being unusually capable of healing and treating humans. With the even more advanced spells aided by modern technology, healing severe injuries, such as a gunshot, was easy in most cases.


    But¡­those young women. It didn''t sit right with Amelie, nor with Allison, to do so. To send their fellows to the hell of war. Men were there to take that place - why them?


    "What? Would you approve my plan?"


    But then¡­it''s stupid that men are the only ones supposed to be dying in droves. This is our war too.


    "...Yes. If it would save the millions in this city, do it."

 Chapter Fifty-Two: The Situation At The Front

    "I don''t know if you will read this letter, dear. I don''t know if I''ll ever see you again, dear. Will your mother even let you see this after what happened, I do not know dear. But Papa loves you. I will protect you. I have no powers like Mama, but I can hold a rifle, dear. I won''t let them hurt you, nor your mother that once loved me. I won''t. Till the end."


    - Abandoned letter of an unknown Royalist soldier on a deserted trench line, June 2024.


    +++


    June 22, 2024


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf, Kingdom of Orland


    19 Kilometers West of Halia


    14th Light Mech Battalion


    3rd Defense Perimeter


    The Western Front


    <<Fuckin->>


    <<Fall back! Fall back!>>


    <<We''ve lost contact with Beta Company!>>


    <<Requesting artillery support at grid->>


    <<They''re deploying white phosphorus at us!>>


    <<Dammit *static* there''s *static*>>


    <<Is anyone still there?! We can''t leave! Enemy fliers are bombing anyone exposed and *static*>>


    <<Where the fuck is our reinforcements?! They''re breaking through!>>


    <<Alpha Company is en-rou->>


    The sounds of desperate radio transmissions played over and over in an abandoned royalist position. What once held a bunch of command tents and command APCs was now mere ruins, the sole damaged radio still crackling over the embers of the freshly burning area, the flag of the Kingdom flying as it burned in a ruined building beside it all.


    On the roads, burning wrecks of abandoned L?we tanks and other armored vehicles filled the scene. One of them, which seemed to be positioned near an intersection, stood dead, its turret almost blown open.


    On its side, a simple emblem was present, somehow untouched by damage.


    34th Tank Battalion.


    As it burned, a rumble sounded near the intersection. Almost swiftly, another behemoth crossed the intersection, almost the size of the destroyed L?we. It seemed to resemble a green mechanical spider - six-legged, with a 120 mm cannon seemingly affixed on a turret on top of it.


    The thing''s front seemed to glow red in the darkness from the sensors it sported on its hull and turret, as it crawled unnaturally quickly through the broken roads.


    A rumble sounded on one of the buildings, and the thing''s turret turned toward it.


    But it was too late.


    A blast opened up from the 5th floor of an abandoned residential apartment, and the mech''s turret flew after its ammo detonated.


    Perched atop the apartment was a mech of the same variety, only it was painted with a gray digital camo - with the Orlish tricolor faintly visible on the side of its turret.


    <<Another Rimplerite eliminated.>>


    <<Copy that, 3-5. 3-7 and 3-8 cleared your flanks. Proceed with the advance.>>


    <<Advancing.>>


    The M20 LSS (Light Support System) "Panther" or the Panther Mech, jumped off the building with its powerful mechanical legs, and landed with a powerful thud on the ground below, just beside the still-burning wreck of its previous opponent.


    It was Orland''s prized innovation in all things armored. A derivative of the tank - a new design improved and optimized for urban warfare. With its flexible mobility with its legs and its powerful gun, the same mounted on the L?we, these "Light" behemoths proved deadly in towns and cities where they could prey on conventional tanks with ease.


    Without much care, the gray behemoth passed through and crossed the intersection, and proceeded forward through the burning streets of the massive town.


    <<Attention all units. Caution is advised further out. HQ issued warnings of hostile air support in our sector. Be warned, over.>>


    <<Acknowledged, 3-Actual.>>


    "3-5" however didn''t relent. Such was the reality on the Western Front. Without the Air Force nor sufficient AA capabilities, they had to do battle with a severe lack in these areas. Yet they pushed on and fought at all odds to defend the Royal Capital.


    And "3-5" was no different.


    It continued forward, as it lumbered through the broken roads and abandoned cars. Its legs didn''t show much regard though, as it stepped upon anything that blocked its path.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Suddenly, it stopped, as its turret turned around to a turn in the streets.


    <


    >


    <<3-5, hold position. We''re checking over.>>


    <<Copy that. Chop chop, please, over.>>


    <<Noted.>>


    In the distance, the rumbles of the other M20 LSS could be faintly heard, before a sudden blast interrupted it, as the sound of tank threads roared just left of "3-5".


    <<They''re hit! They''re hit! 3-7 is gone!>>


    <<What the hell? Identify hostile contact!>>


    <<Hostile L?we out in the open. The fuckers shot 3-7!>>


    <<Moving.>>


    "3-5" climbed up the apartment beside it, as it opted out of crossing the street turn. Rapidly, it gained speed and crossed the rooftops in a manner of a few seconds.


    Immediately, it found its prey below. A L?we tank, which seemed to still be waiting for another target behind the wreck of "3-7". Immediately, "3-5" turned its turret straight at the L?we, as its 120 mm depressed a few degrees to aim straight at it.


    <<Target in sigh->>


    In a matter of seconds, "3-5" and the apartment it was perched atop exploded, the thing completely obscured by the sudden detonation, the L?we below not even batting an eye to the eliminated Royalist mech above it.


    All as on the skies, a sonic boom from a Putschist Zapper passed right above them.


    "3-5" and its crew paid dearly for its mistake - and they won''t be the first nor the last.


    Such was the truth in war.


    +++


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    The Queen''s Bunker, War Room


    Amelie sat in the cold chair for many minutes, as William and Colonel Kleist hastily prepared their presentation.


    Her mind was a stormy one. A counter-offensive, or more accurately, a diversionary counter-offensive was offered by William, all to distract the Putschists from attacking the civilians of Orland that were still trying to escape.


    Another sacrificial act of the Armed Forces. Another sacrificial act for us¡­


    Many of the men of the City of Halia had already been drafted in the past weeks. If there were nearly a million men in the city before June - much of them had already volunteered or drafted into the military.


    Most of these men were formed into nearly 12 infantry divisions, all of them spread around the trench lines that had developed in the layered defense of the city in the west.


    Thus, most civilians left had been women, still attempting to leave, or those who joined the Royal Guard to be a part of the rear echelon formations of the city.


    In other words, men would bleed and have been bleeding for them. So much so that William had seemingly refused to tell her the exact casualties, except for the vague "heavy casualties" that he would always give.


    And Amelie, tired and overwhelmed, would always accept it.


    But now, she hoped to know the raw truth. The truth of the situation on the frontlines.


    The situation before we send these men to attack¡­


    "Your Majesty?"


    She smiled at Colonel Kleist. The man had served her well throughout the battle. He was diligent, disciplined, and straight to the point. And bloodily competent as well. His Garrison, originally merely a few thousand Orlish soldiers strong - had swelled to over 40,000 as Halia mobilized over the week.


    A garrison prepared to fight street to street. Rubble to rubble. Down to the sewers even.


    He was an officer of great value to her.


    "Please begin, Colonel."


    "With pleasure."


    Kleist cleared his throat, as he pushed a button on the device that he held. Immediately, the screen in front of her changed. It showed the entire frontline of the capital - the lines that the Royalists held, and the lines that the Putschists held.


    "As you can see, Your Majesty, they have advanced considerably over the last week. From crossing the Ludendorf River to closing in on these towns and breaking through our 1st and 2nd defense perimeters, then pushing deeply toward the outskirts of Heiflitz south of us, it is clear that we are in an even more precarious situation. More to that, they have been assaulting the roads, towns, and small cities here, up north, in an attempt to cut us from Rebenslof as well."


    That was a lot of defense lines, Amelie thought. It seemed that the Armed Forces were truly determined for her defense. The amount of prepared defense lines and their complexity seemed astounding and outright terrifying to her. No wonder that regardless of Heindh?ff''s bombardments, the enemy could barely push on.


    They were dug in.


    "And I assume that the Armed Forces contained these issues?"


    "Indeed, we are trying. That is essentially what the 8th and 2nd Armies are doing up North. Around 340,000 troops are stationed over there, holding these positions to prevent us from being cut off from the Free Confederation."


    He then gestured back at the frontlines in Halia itself, and with a press of the button, the map was suddenly filled with unit insignias, and highlighted "defense perimeters".


    "Onto the Royal Capital. The outskirts of Halia west of us, is held by the 7th Army and the elements of the 1st Army. With us too are the newly created divisions from this city itself, making up the 14th Army Corps, placing the defense perimeter around Halia in a staggering 600,000 amount of fielded troops. But more importantly, are these units."


    Insignias after insignias appeared, nearly a dozen of them. Amelie watched as the names of each unit appeared. But what caught her attention was the three on top. This was because of the extremely fascinating symbols that they had sported - but mostly because of the fact that their names were in bold, electronic red.


    She read them one by one.


    The 2nd Armored Division ''Schnell''.


    The 14th Light Mech Division ''Wachsam''.


    And the 8th Light Mech Division ''Vereinigt''.


    "These 12, Your Majesty, are the core of our forces present in this city. All of them are either Armored or Light Mech divisions. Currently, we are sitting with 1,400 L?we MBTs in this city and 800 M20 LSS Mechs. Those numbers aren''t accurate, but mere estimates today, as every moment, many would be eliminated and replaced."


    "But what is the relevance of highlighting those three at the top?"


    And with that, William finally took the stage and spoke.


    "Because these three divisions are our best. Mostly because they are veterans and are well-trained, but mainly because they are fresh reinforcements from Rebenslof. They are in full condition, and morale."


    "Which means?"


    "It means, should you approve our plan, these three units would be the spearhead of our counterattack. They would face the enemy first. They would lead our pincer assaults. And they would see the most casualties."


    She really needed to hear his plan out.

 Chapter Fifty-Three: We Are Dying For You

    "We are about to assault those trenches over there. 15,000 of us, I think, are going over the top. But we lack medical supplies. We lack even rations down here - they bombed the roads to this sector. I don''t understand why no support is coming our way. We are fighting for you! Where is the damned help?!"


    - ROCN Interview of an Orlish Army Soldier in the L?t Axis from the 18th Army Corps.


    +++


    "At least do your part."


    "I''m having none of this, Mr. Porter. I cannot accept this plan, at all. No, you can''t convince me otherwise."


    William didn''t exactly like this situation. During the break of the briefings to Queen Amelie regarding Operation Silent Spear, he approached Minister Allison.


    She had arrived in the Queen''s Bunker, in the hopes of reversing Amelie''s decision of using female doctors and nurses for magical support in the upcoming diversionary counter-offensive.


    It was simply unacceptable, according to her.


    "Minister Thell, can you not understand? We are at war. This isn''t the time for meaningless division. Each sector of society must cooperate, you and every woman included."


    She crossed her arms in response, her frown completely perceptible to him. Yet William didn''t back down.


    "We are cooperating! That doesn''t mean I would send the people my Ministry relies on, and this Kingdom relies on, straight to the jaws of war."


    "Can you justify that, Minister Thell?"


    "Justify what?!"


    "Why shouldn''t we send your people to support us in this battle?"


    "We don''t send factory workers to the front, now do we?"


    "We did. 30% of young men who worked in the Industrial Sector are now dying full time in the frontlines."


    "Still! Health workers are different. We''re not meant to be there. We will serve where we belong. Send the injured to our facilities behind the lines, but turn us into glorified combat medics, and no. I won''t accept it. If you''d like, I''d even ask for volunteers. But I''m not forcing anyone to go."


    Her green eyes already had a slight glow in them. It always fascinated William - how magic would always show up whenever women became emotionally charged. Clearly, Minister Thell believed deathly in the idea that no woman must be forced to war.


    This would be difficult.


    "But we lack combat medics. And volunteers won''t cut it."


    "That''s the problem of the Ministry of Defense. Not ours."


    "So it''s our fault that we lack medical support and are suffering extremely heavy casualties?"


    She flinched back. Immediately, her defensive voice became apparent.


    "I didn''t say that!"


    "That''s essentially where you were going, Minister Thell."


    "Enough!" The sudden voice of the Queen pulled William''s and Allison''s attention to the door that opened beside them. "You two. What are you even arguing about? I don''t need further division in my ranks."


    "I apologize, Your Majesty." Allison''s tone became softer and polite as if she hadn''t had a verbal spar with William earlier. William almost wanted to chuckle at such ridiculousness.


    But, that was how things were. He was a mere lowly male officer. Disrespect to him was normal - reverence to the Queen however was unacceptable, especially when Amelie appeared pissed.


    "She came here to change your decision," William said to Amelie, as Allison spoke up.


    "Yes, indeed. I came here specifically for that. Your Majesty, I believe you can understand how unethical it would be to conscript civilian health workers to the front, no?"


    "But Minister Thell, as William has said, this is war. We have no other choice."


    "But this is unethical. And you would be taking away the same people treating hundreds of thousands of civilians."


    Amelie nodded. William however didn''t. He didn''t like this, not at all. He knew that Amelie had an extremely soft heart for civilians.


    "That''s the point, Minister Thell." William shot back. "With this counter-offensive, the civilians stuck in Halia would be evacuated, thereby reducing civilian casualties more. And as an addition, significantly lessen the military casualties that we would face."


    "But we are treating hundreds of thousands of civilians! We can''t just-"


    "Hard decisions and sacrifices must be made, Minister Thell. I''m sure you know the idea of triaging. We cannot save everyone. You don''t even have the supplies to save those masses of civilians."


    "Enough! William, Minister Thell, let''s face the numbers in the briefing. I believe Colonel Kleist has gathered the officers in the War Room already. I want to know everything, and I will decide."


    William shut his mouth, and so did Allison, as she straightened herself.


    With a nod, William spoke to Amelie.


    "Alright. But I swear, if you deny this, you will be making a major mistake. This operation is the only way to save the civilians stuck in this city. I''ll bet my life on it."


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "We''ll hear both sides out, William. Look, let''s just go."


    ¡­


    Colonel Kleist welcomed the three in the War Room. There was chatter on all corners of the room when Amelie entered, as both OAF and RGO officers bickered and argued.


    She watched as a high-ranking Knight of the Royal Guard conversed tensely with what appeared to be an Army General as she sat. Their voices were too faint for her to hear, drowned out by the chatter, yet she could imagine that the two disagreed over something.


    None of them even noticed her arrival.


    "Ladies, Gentlemen, the Queen, Her Majesty, is here." Colonel Kleist announced as all turned to him, then her. "Please take your seats and pay attention. Her Majesty has asked you all not to greet her, and that we shall focus on this Operation."


    She smiled at them, although it was more of an awkward one. Quite frankly, she was just tired of everyone bowing before her, as if they were trying desperately to show loyalty to her now that rebels were everywhere, which was why she asked Kleist to announce that.


    "Thank you everyone for being here." She said as she scanned each face around her. "May this meeting prove productive."


    "Now, let us begin. There are copies of the plan overview on each of your desks. Please check it as we go."


    Amelie looked down at her table, and indeed there was a book, with the OAF''s symbols printed on its cover. She opened it, and immediately, the words, "Operation Silent Spear" greeted her.


    Beside her, she noticed that Minister Thell sat close to her, just as William took the seat on her other side.


    Great, surround me for your respective sides. I should be used to this¡­


    "Your Majesty, I assure you, this is a mist-"


    "Just listen to Colonel Kleist, Minister Thell."


    Allison frowned at William, but she abided and decided not to press any further.


    "Well then, let us begin. Please turn your papers to page 4, casualties overview."


    Amelie quickly turned hers into page 4, and immediately her eyes widened at the data before her.


    78,000 in the Ludendorf front?!


    "For the past few weeks, heavy casualties had been recorded by the OAF, mostly in the Army, around this Duchy. Much of the casualties had been a result of the heavy battles west of Heiflitz and Halia in the Ludendorf River, and the bridges and towns around it."


    The breakdown of unit casualties was eye-watering to Amelie. One by one, each unit, many of which she had heard about earlier appeared one after another.


    5th Mechanized Regiment - Shattered (3,233 KIA, 255 WIA)


    7th Mechanized Regiment - Shattered (2,657 KIA, 899 WIA)


    123rd Air Assault Brigade - Heavy Casualties (3344 KIA, 355 WIA)


    54th Light Mech Regiment - Heavy Casualties (24 M20 LSS Destroyed, 15 Disabled)


    She had heard of these units merely weeks ago. They were the first to rush to defend her and the city. Yet¡­it seemed that most of them won''t live to tell the tale. She didn''t even see or hear a single one from these units. She was too far, too detached.


    Away from them, as they died under her.


    "As you can see, most of the formations sent in the early days of the battle had been decimated. This has been a result of determined enemy assaults, last-stand directives, lack of air support, and lack of medical supplies."


    There was a marked silence in the room, that even Allison beside her turned pale.


    "Turn to page 6. Even here, we still see in the breakdown of unit casualties that secondary responders are seeing more KIAs than WIAs. Again, this is a result of many combinations of factors, but this is mainly a result of a severe lack of medical support. Wounded troops are not being treated on time, nor are we able to evacuate them from the frontlines quickly enough. As a result, many of them would die before any medical intervention could arrive. So far, we have attempted to address this by sending more combat medics, but it won''t be enough. Thus, we have resorted to merely sending more combat units to the front in order to keep the frontlines stable. In other words, we are feeding more bodies, to replace the pile of dead."


    His voice was still cold, neutral, and almost clinical in nature. There were some grumblings from the OAF officers around, while Allison and many RGO officers seemed¡­ashamed.


    "With the casualties report out of the way, please turn to page 24. The overview of Operation Silent Spear."


    With a heavy heart, Amelie turned the pages. She skimmed through report after report about the casualties and the statuses of every unit.


    She didn''t want to look at the numbers any further.


    "With the mounting civilian casualties in the city and the failed evacuations, Her Majesty has asked JTF-Ludendorf to devise a plan to speed up our evacuation efforts. Major William Porter, the Head of JTF-Ludendorf, has constructed ''Operation Silent Spear'', a scheme to divert hostile artillery and air assets away from the evacuations, and straight into our troops."


    She looked back at the units highlighted in the pages. They were the same units highlighted earlier by William and Kleist. Each of them even had a projection of the casualties they would suffer beside their names and insignias.


    "Colonel Kleist¡­I''d like to ask." He stopped his presentation and turned to Amelie. "Are these projections accurate? How did you calculate these?"


    "We based that on the positions that these units would assault, the possible opposition they would face, and the length of their planned combat deployment."


    "I see¡­"


    "Is there a problem, Your Majesty?"


    She looked around at everyone, and with a sigh, she placed down the papers that she held.


    "Major William advised me that we could use the health workers of the city, mobilized by the Ministry of Health, to aid in this offensive and provide magical support, especially in medical matters. Colonel Kleist, will it help?"


    He didn''t even have a chance to answer. An army officer stood up and took his chance. He seemed old, with an ugly scar that ran through his eyes.


    "Yes, Your Majesty! These fine young men are dying like flies all around us. Half of the brigades of my damned-"


    "General Fraser, please show respect." Kleist tried to intervene, but Amelie stopped him.


    "No worries, Colonel Kleist. General, please. I''d like to hear your words."


    He calmed down a bit, yet venom still dripped from his words.


    "Half of the brigades in my division have been decimated, Your Majesty. I ask this, as this is a war both for us men and you women. Why is it only us still dying? Where is the Royal Guard? Where is the support? Is this another Great War? Where we all die alone in the cold trenches as you all order us around like pigs?"


    "General, my units have been manning security posts around the city." The Duchess of Lievelen replied from the other side of the room. She was the current head of the RGO East Coast Command and reported directly to the Archduchess herself. "Don''t you dare accuse us of not doing our part."


    "Duchess Evelyn! Your women are only manning rear echelon posts. The RGO suffered what? 800 casualties? While we''re here closing a hundred thousand?"


    "Everyone! Lady Lievelyn. General Fraser. Please cease this bickering. I have heard enough. I can see enough. There is no more need for further division."


    She turned to Allison, then to the Duchess.


    "Minister Thell. Lady Lievelyn. Please, our brothers are dying. The numbers don''t lie. We shall support them, and this time not leave them alone. This is our fight as well, and if we shall share the victory, we shall share the pains as well. Is that clear?"


    Reluctantly, the Duchess gave a bitter nod. Allison seemed ashamed, yet it was clear that she feared seeing civilian health workers being forced into the fight - even in this immense emergency.


    But¡­the Queen held the final judgment.


    "I¡­I shall do my best to follow this new directive, Your Majesty."


    "Good."

 Chapter Fifty-Four: Demise Of The Faceless

    "ONS Matriarch seen in the North Allas ocean after repeated air attacks against international civilian shipping heading to North Opellia. The Mandate of Nations raised an alarm today in response, warning that the Orlish Civil War may fully spill internationally."


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    June 25, 2024


    Royalist Frontlines


    245th Infantry Battalion


    "Someone¡­"


    "Someone¡­please¡­help."


    No one listened.


    "Is anyone¡­"


    "Is anyone over there?"


    His voice was weak. Hoarse, and full of pain. Yet no one listened. All there was, was darkness. And the burning flames. The cinders that lit the air.


    Why am I here?


    He tried to stand up, but he coughed. It smelt bad, the dust. The dust from the broken rubble and cement. It was painful.


    His body itself was in pain.


    Why¡­is no one here?


    He tried all that he could. To stand up. To return to the fight. But his body was too heavy.


    But his duty¡­for his brothers. For the Queen. For all those¡­those he defended. He needed to stand up once more.


    But he couldn''t.


    It was too painful.


    "Help¡­"


    Nothing came. He could barely even hear anything. All he remembered was that they were desperately holding this block. All alone with his remaining brothers in their Company.


    He remembered calling for aid from the radio. He remembered the screams about the wounded. The lack of ammunition. The lack of everything.


    The desperate radio chatters.


    The curses.


    The cries.


    Then the boom. And suddenly, he lay here in the rubble. As no one listened to his calls of distress.


    All but the cold, yet somehow fiery and hot air that raged above him seemed to respond.


    Am I¡­going to die?


    The sounds slowly came back to him. The sounds of distant booms - then the rapid thuds of machine guns and rifle fire. It was a bit far though, unnaturally far.


    Almost as if no one was left close to him that could fire his rifle.


    Once more, he tried to pull himself up. Something cracked, but he merely winced as he stood up, using his rifle as support. He fixed his helmet a bit, as he took the surroundings around him.


    The apartment that they once occupied, seemed to be nothing but rubble now. The buildings adjacent to it, and those that faced the road up ahead. They too seemed empty.


    No more gunfire emanated from them. No shouts of young men asking for ammo and artillery support. None.


    Only a loud silence.


    He staggered forward as he took in the devastation around him. Some bodies lay around the small street, the rubble, and even the highway before their positions.


    He lumbered forward, as a jolt of pain shot from his left leg. Did he perhaps break something? He didn''t know.


    He was aimless now.


    He continued on. Slowly but surely, he realized that he was alone. All but him was dead. Again.


    Again.


    He had seen it before. He had seen it in the Great War. To be alone. To be the only one to see his brothers dead. How cruel. Why him? Why didn''t he die too?


    When there was no help coming.


    He heard shouts, on the other side of the highway. They were loud and angry, and they all shouted, "Push on!"


    The enemy.


    The Putschists.


    Men who claimed to be fighting for their rights. All as they massacre their fellow men. He was no better though, he mused. Their side was massacring fellow men, who were fighting for their rights, for the Queen.


    He laughed at the insanity of it all. The insanity young men like him had been placed in.


    He walked like a dead shell to another building. It was destroyed, yet some of its walls offered cover.


    But what is the use of hiding?


    He sat down in the identified hiding place. It was dark and isolated. He settled his rifle on his side, as he removed his helmet from his head.


    It was painful.


    And¡­there was blood on it. In fact, he had just realized that he seemed to be bleeding everywhere. He almost laughed at it. His legs didn''t look quite right. How he managed to walk was questionable. But it almost didn''t matter.


    I''m¡­going to die. I''m going to die. It''s over.


    He didn''t have a chance, that he knew. He finally gave up. Perhaps this was really it. This was his demise.


    It was bright. He looked at it.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Mama!"


    "Yes, dear?"


    "Why can''t I make water fly like Anna did? Do I need a better stick?"


    His mother merely laughed at his silliness.


    "That''s so stupid, Henry. We can try to win this contest. Just because we''re boys doesn''t mean we''re stupid."


    "But they have more money to build something better, Richard. We don''t. And how will this design even match with their magical ones?"


    "Victory with a handicap feels better anyway."


    They lost.


    "Stop crying, you stupid moron! You''re a grown-ass man already!"


    "I-I''m trying, dad¡­"


    "Then try harder! Richard, weak men have no place in this world. They die early!"


    He stopped crying and tried harder.


    "I''d do anything! Anything! Just give me a job."


    "You like mopping floors in toxic environments, son?"


    "...Yes."


    He mopped floors, alone, in an industrial hellhole.


    "Free college? Votes? Is that true?"


    "I''m not joking dude! The Queen said it herself."


    "I see¡­"


    He went to hell for that promise.


    "Get on the line, son. You''ll be shooting traitor scum by next week."


    "But I was just asking for debt ex-"


    "Yeah, well, figures. Maybe you''ll repay your debt once the Army pays you."


    Yet this was how he was repaid.


    He realized that the brightness was no afterlife. Someone was flashing him with a flashlight. The soldier, a Putschist, seemed to be looking at him with concern.


    He smiled weakly at him.


    For some reason, the other soldier understood his plea. He looked around, as he pulled a pistol and aimed down the flashlight held in his other hand.


    The gun was aimed at his face.


    "Mama¡­that drawing looks good."


    "Is it, dear? It''s the goddess. She is pretty, isn''t she? She granted the blessing of magic to us women. Now, all of humanity benefits."


    "...Can I draw too someday? I want to draw."


    "Mhm¡­maybe someday you will be a painter."


    He supposed¡­this scene of his would be a better painting.


    The pistol flashed.


    +++


    Putschists Frontlines


    85th Infantry Battalion


    "All units! Charge forward!"


    And so Peter charged forward. He had to, or else they would lose. Or so they said.


    The guns rained all around him. The bodies dropped one after another, as the distant flashes of heavy gunfire illuminated the darkly lit Royalist trenches.


    They shouldn''t have been stuck here. They should have reached the capital already. They should have been marching victoriously for the New Republic. A victory for all young men like him. A victory for freedom, liberty, equality, and republicanism.


    Triumph against the arcane, the goddess, and the matriarchs that had long stepped on their necks.


    Yet it was clear as day. They had been delayed. They had been held off. They had taken severe casualties. All by the same young men that should have been on their side.


    Now¡­they would have to grind and pay for every inch forward. With blood and guts.


    And he was one of those.


    He zipped through the maelstrom, running as his legs felt an ache as he pushed his muscles to their limits, the adrenaline surging through his veins as he went on.


    "We gotta keep going!"


    He heard from behind him. And so kept on.


    "Dammit, they''re aiming at us!"


    "Shut up, Karl! I know!"


    "Sorry!"


    It was his buddy. A man that he knew from his childhood. A friend of his. Both of them, almost always together, through every storm of their lives, now once more braving through another storm.


    He looked back at him. He seemed nervous as he ran.


    "Karl! Speed those chicken legs up!"


    "I know, asshole!"


    "And you kept shouting, ''Keep goi-"


    Suddenly, he almost flew. It was dark. And he felt his back crack as he slammed on something. He almost wanted to vomit all of his insides. It felt¡­awful.


    There was a thin light as he attempted to open his eyes. A flat, white noise¡­different from the gunfire and the artillery he was used to.


    Somehow, he noticed, he was sitting. He slowly opened his eyes, as he looked around him. There was gunfire and hell all around. He looked at his side.


    Karl? K-karl?


    He¡­couldn''t look at him. He¡­didn''t see his face. It was all wrong. That was wrong. That wasn''t how heads should look¡­


    He''s dead¡­


    He didn''t know how long he sat there. He said nothing, mind empty, as he sat beside the only man that he knew. The only person that he could call, a ''friend''.


    And now¡­he was gone.


    "You know¡­Karl?"


    He simply looked at the skies, as he slowly, and painfully pulled something from his pocket. It was a pack of cigarettes and his lighter.


    He took one of them, and lit it up on his mouth, his hands still shaking.


    He let off a puff of smoke.


    "You always said these things would lead to an early death."


    How silly of him.


    "You know, you''re an annoying guy. What is it with you and caution? Wha¡­why? Why Karl? Why not take risks? Isn''t that how we men are designed to be? To face everything regardless of the risk?"


    He still remembered those days.


    "You know, you should have joined us back then. We could have raided those snobby girls on that school with our new slingshots."


    He laughed at the skies.


    "But you didn''t. You should have seen it Karl. Those brats were so angry when we fired back at them. They chased us. And they couldn''t catch us. Ha! Serves them right."


    He lightly gave him a shove with his elbow.


    "Should have been there, buddy."


    He took another swig of his cigarette, and inhaled it slowly, before letting it out once more.


    "You should have asked her out. You''re a decent guy, you know? Not like me. You''re smart. You have talents. You can understand them, girls. I don''t. But you could. But you''re a coward, Karl."


    He laughed bitterly.


    "You said you were for our rights. But you didn''t come there, Karl. Why didn''t you? It was your duty. You kept away, while we protested for change. You should have been with us. Striking. But you stayed at your work, Karl. You didn''t believe Rimpler''s message. You said he would be reckless. That men shouldn''t be with him. Why Karl? You knew he was the only man that would stand for us."


    He continued laughing, as the pain of his shrapnel wounds seemed to dissipate. His head felt light, and he could almost tell that his vision was becoming darker and darker.


    "You didn''t want to join the fight, Karl. Noo, you told me it was pointless. That we should dodge the draft. But you can''t, Karl. This is our war. For our rights. Didn''t you know that, Karl?"


    He looked down, as he felt weak.


    "The Queen is lying, Karl. You should have known that. She¡­doesn''t see us, Karl. She doesn''t see you, Karl. That''s why I forced you to join here, Karl. For you, for me, for every man, you have to do your part. For the revolution. It''s the only¡­only way¡­for us men to survive."


    He laughed, as his hold on the cigarette felt limp. It fell beside Karl. No¡­he didn''t even believe any of the words that he had uttered. Even till the end, he was in denial.


    How foolish of him. Now both of them¡­


    "...You''re right, Karl. We should have been¡­more cautious. We shouldn''t have¡­joined Rimpler''s insanity. This is my fault¡­I should have listened to you¡­"


    The darkness came close¡­


    "...But, too late for that¡­bud¡­I believed, the wrong side. I''m¡­sorry¡­"


    And he let off his last breath. Besides the man that he considered as his brother.

 Chapter Fifty-Five: Holes In The Plan

    "Concerning developments noted by the Orlish High Command regarding the situation in the South-Ludendorf Front. Putschist forces have advanced and captured the key city of Maleandor, merely 48 kilometers off the East Coast. The 12th and 4th Armies, currently defending the sole connection of South Orland to East Orland under loyalist control, are now in threat of being encircled, according to military analysts. General Albrecht however affirmed this morning that the Armed Forces, ''Will defend the communication lines between West Orland and the Royal Capital.''"


    - ROCN News


    +++


    "This would definitely lead to severe casualties. Are you sure that we even have the strength for this?"


    Amelie could not help but agree with Walter''s assessment. While she had seen Kleist''s presentation to JTF-Ludendorf earlier in the War Room, she still reserved some doubts about the plan.


    The situation room was once again filled with the top-ranking leaders of Orland. Amelie''s circle - the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, and the two masterminds of Operation Silent Spear convened behind closed doors.


    Colonel Kleist had his arms crossed as he turned away from his presentation.


    "Deputy Prime Minister, respectfully, might I ask, what else can we do? Even if this was not a mere diversionary attack for our evacuation efforts, we still need to capture these objectives to restore stability in the frontlines."


    "I understand that, Colonel Kleist. But still, are we really sure about this?" He turned to Amelie. "Are you sure about this?"


    "I assure you, Walter. I approved it. I signed the operation documents. It must be done. There are 7 million civilians in this city. If this is the only way to divert those bombs and shells away from the evacuation trains and convoys, then we will do it."


    Her words were final, that not even Jacqueline could challenge it. With that, Walter turned to the Colonel.


    "Colonel, then what''s the plan?"


    With that, he once more stood up and took the attention of those in the room. Once the screens opened up, he faced them all as the lights dimmed.


    "As I have said, this operation will last for 5 days, divided into 3 phases. Our objectives are twofold. To divert the Putschists'' bombardment efforts from Halia and the roads and rail lines that refugees are using to evacuate up north, and to push them back and strengthen our defensive lines."


    The screen in the middle changed back again to an electronic map of the frontlines. The red-tinted part of the line, which Amelie knew represented the Putschists, seemed to have pushed the blue-tinted side of the line further away from the Ludendorf River.


    "Here are our positions, and the active units in the front."


    And icons after icons of unit insignias, all of them electronic in design, appeared on the screens on the blue side of the frontlines.


    "And here are the enemy positions, and active units in the front, according to our latest intelligence."


    And the icons of their unit insignias appeared on the other side.


    "Phase 1 will begin with heavy artillery bombardment from our side. We have nearly a thousand self-propelled guns and artillery pieces being prepared for the first 24 hours of this operation."


    "Is that even going to be effective without proper air support? This might as well be a glorified saturation bombardment. Are we in the last century?" Walter asked. And while Amelie didn''t quite understand his problem with ''saturation bombarment'', she knew well what the lack of air support entailed.


    And so, she shot her 5 cents in.


    "He''s right, Colonel Kleist. Can this succeed without air support?"


    "It won''t be as effective, but we are gathering intel both with our ground observers and our drone assets. We would still be having precision in this opening barrage. And, we don''t have other options. Not until Chief Air Marshal Zimmerman broke their air superiority."


    "I see¡­"


    It always comes back to that problem. The Air Force. When? When will Zimmerman even succeed?


    Truthfully, she was a tad bit irritated already about that fact.


    Colonel Kleist returned to the presentation.


    "Phase 1 will be our means of softening up the enemy. After that, Phase 2 shall begin. We have identified these 3 towns close to the Ludendorf River as our main axis of advance. Each will be spearheaded by the three most capable divisions we have at our disposal."


    Once more, the three divisions earlier appeared on the screen, each of them with their objective towns marked.


    "These pincers will advance, alongside these divisions marked on the screen. We expect the heaviest fighting in this phase, as our armored and mech divisions break through their fortified lines. This would also be the best time to intensify the evacuation efforts, as these movements would threaten them with an encirclement, or a development of a vulnerable salient in their lines. They would be forced to divert all assets to this attack, and their attacks on our logistical lines would momentarily cease."


    And indeed, as the simulation played on the screens, Amelie visualized how devastating the attack would be for the Putschists. She watched as each unit moved forward, paving holes in their lines, and stretching the almost straight frontlines into a U-shaped one, as the two pincers advanced in the north and south.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    But it was the northern pincer that seemed important. It was why there were two towns targeted there - it was close to the H-1 Highway and the Tor Bridge, their main supply line.


    "Once these towns are captured, Phase 3 shall begin. We will hold these towns for as long as we can, as we launch an all-out attack to shape the frontlines closer to Tor Bridge. This could extend many days. Or end on the 5th day, as we project that our manpower and equipment losses by that day would be too severe to press on. However, if we are lucky, these pincers can press further and capture the town of Tor, the Tor Bridge, and end this battle with their routing."


    The simulation looked exciting for Amelie - if such a word could even be applied to her situation. Oh, if only it was possible. She could cut off hundreds of thousands of them, and end the battle with a decisive Royalist victory.


    If only¡­


    Kleist turned back at them.


    "But that is unlikely."


    ¡­


    "That¡­definitely is a behemoth."


    Amelie''s eyes stared with awe at the mechanical monster before her. It was one of the M20 LSS mechs being transported to the frontline.


    It stood imposingly in the road in front of the site that she and William would inspect, as its crew seemed to be working.


    On top of its turret, a boxy, well-angled one, almost similar to the one that L?we tanks sported, was where one of the young operators resided. He seemed to be shouting something into the hatch, as a shell was passed into him.


    He promptly tossed it on the road, which nearly shocked Amelie. What if the thing exploded? She almost pulled out her wand to cast a shield.


    "Eep-"


    She felt William behind her, who had just closed the door of his SUV.


    "Look, that''s a spent casing. No need to worry."


    "Right."


    William ignored her and walked on. Amelie however was still stupefied by the Panther mech, that she stood still like a child staring at something new.


    "Anyhow, follow me. I told you not to come, but if you''re here, I''d rather not lose you."


    "Fine, fine. I was just¡­checking that thing out."


    With reluctance, she followed William closely. She noticed that many of the soldiers and workers around the roads looked at the two of them with curiosity, and some even almost stopped what they were doing just to stare at her.


    One of them almost even bowed. Well¡­the damned Queen did just pass unannounced through them.


    Please don''t notice me, please don''t notice me, please don''t notice me¡­


    Quite frankly, she merely wanted to check the depot as well and didn''t want any Queenly attention. Unfortunately, her face was plastered everywhere for months already. Even schoolchildren knew it if she were ever to pass through them.


    "So those mechs interest you?"


    "Yes¡­they just look strange. Why six legs? Why design them after spiders? Are those things even practical?"


    "Don''t ask me. All I know is that those legs allow them to traverse urban battlefields more freely. I believe you would be better off with tanks in the open though."


    "Why is that?"


    "These mechs are too niche and specialized to urban combat. Place that in an open field and you just have a taller tank on legs. Though, I imagine¡­those things are going to be instrumental considering how urbanized Orland is."


    "Then why did we produce them if they are only good at certain places? I mean, we have a lot of cities, but I remember these were created for the Great War. Weren''t you all fighting in open fields?"


    The two stopped at the entrance of the supply depot. It was a closed complex of what was once a vehicle scrapyard - now turned into one of the hundreds of dispersed supply depots across the city.


    "Truthfully, men''s pride in our technology is the reason. Developing the superiority of technology over magic and all that. The top ranks in the Army wanted it. The corpos wanted it. Now, we have a shiny new toy to stick to you and every woman''s face."


    That sounded petty and stupid to Amelie.


    "That''s just ridiculous."


    "You did look terrified of it. Sometimes, things work."


    "Hey! I can think of a few spells to disable that thing. Don''t write off magic that way."


    "Oh yeah? Pray tell, what is it?"


    "Hmm¡­I imagine that those mechanical legs and mud aren''t the best of friends."


    "And I imagine you wouldn''t have much mud to manipulate in the cities."


    "Just coalesce the water vapor in the air, pull up masses of soil, and send it rapidly to those parts. It''d be jammed in no seconds. I don''t think that would need much mana to pull off."


    "That''s just glorified mud-slinging."


    "Of course!"


    William turned away and pressed on inside of the depot, as Amelie followed closely behind with a victorious smirk. Perhaps she did have the ability to fight on her own.


    Oh¡­maybe one day, she could be like Marie and the other elite knights of the Royal Guard, who could single-handedly fight armored vehicles with their wands.


    "So¡­artillery shells. That''s what they''re storing here?"


    "Indeed. Munitions from Rebenslof are sent by train and trucks into these depots, where they are stockpiled before being sent to the front."


    They looked around as a truck was filled with massive, 155 mm shells by a few men on the side of one of the buildings.


    "Fascinating. Wouldn''t that be a problem though, if they bombed this place?"


    "This depot counts as a logistical target. Bombing supply depots is a part of war."


    Her eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks. William turned around to her.


    "D-did I just drag myself to a potential target of their bombs?"


    But William chuckled.


    "Loosen up. This is a minor depot in the middle of nowhere in Halia. Unless we are incredibly unlucky, no missile should fall here. Plus, air defense had kept missile strikes to a minimum. And no one fires artillery shells to tiny supply depots. They have more important targets."


    "I see¡­" She calmed down a bit.


    "That''s why we dispersed them around this city and the small cities and towns around Halia."


    The two stopped in front of a building. It held the Orlish tricolor up above. What awaited them at the entrance was an army officer conversing with an army engineer. He turned to William and promptly walked to him.


    "Major McKenzie. Good to see you around." William began. "I dragged the Queen herself here. Care to tell us exactly the logistical situation?"


    "Major Porter, Your Majesty? Well...if that is what you both are here for, then it would be my pleasure." His face turned grim. "I''d describe it in one word. A clusterfuck."


    That didn''t sound good to Amelie.

 Chapter Fifty-Six: Logistical Complications

    "Victory confirmed in the Northern Sea! Reports of the ONS Rebenslof sinking an entire Larissan Carrier Task Force had been confirmed by VACCOM Commander, Admiral Herard Tresckow in a press release in Redcastle this morning. This is after Commodore Albert Ludendorf, the famous Orlish War Hero from the Great War, and the brother of Orland''s Queen, reportedly broke his self-imposed radio silence to report to the Orlish High Command. Admiral Herard Tresckow said that Commodore Albert had been shaken by the news of the Orlish Civil War. Nevertheless, he reportedly vowed to end ''the Imperial Menace'' first in order to hold Orland''s second front - the war in Vaeyox."


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    If Amelie were to describe Major McKenzie, the first that would come to her mind was, "an absolute whiner". Though, she could hardly blame the logistics officer for his endless whinings.


    And whine he did. As they toured the munitions depot, the man kept running his mouth about statistics. Awful statistics, and why it was everyone''s fault, and why it would absolutely hamper the offensive.


    Why, yes - he was a major pessimist as well.


    "Now, I am telling you, that this absolute-"


    The sound of disembarking trucks momentarily distracted him from his tirade, but he continued on.


    "Piece of a clusterfuck, won''t support the damned offensive. You''ve seen it, you''ve seen it right? That pallet of M855 projectiles? Those artillery shells only arrived this morning. Now look at it, we have none left! They shipped it all off!"


    "Look, Major." William preferred a calm conversation. "I understand the logistical pains. But is it really that bad? We already factored this in the planning-"


    "I''ve read the operational plans. What you two are asking me is impossible. Unless Rebenslof can magically ship me seven hundred tons of supplies and munitions each day before the end of the month, you will run into shortages by even the second day. I shit you not."


    "Major, we can always ask the OHC to send more. We are merely evaluating the situation."


    "And even then, Major Porter, I am telling you, the infrastructure in this bombed-out hellhole isn''t in tiptop shape. Even if Rebenslof sends us 80,000 shells, for example, in the next 3 days, how the hell am I going to send it to your units that would be projected to be firing 40,000 shells every 8 hours, in that timeframe? I don''t even have the trucking capacity for that, let alone the unbombed roads to actually ship said munitions."


    Amelie crossed her arms. While the man did have a point, she didn''t like his attitude about it. She wanted solutions, not problems. Especially with the upcoming counter-offensive, she wanted to stack the odds for herself and her loyalist troops.


    She wanted a victory, not a complication.


    But indeed, McKenzie did have a fine good point.


    "Major."


    He turned away from William toward her.


    "Yes, Your Majesty?"


    "Can you just¡­give me a rundown? I know it is bad, but how bad, and how can we fix this."


    "Oh, straight to the point I see. I think I''m liking you."


    "McKenzie, you''re bordering on insolence. Just answer her question." William warned, and he actually stiffened.


    "Alright, alright. Look, Your Majesty. My point here is, we have a severe logistical issue if we start a counter-offensive. Right now, our troops are eating up 800 tons of munitions alone in heavy munitions daily. That''s thousands of tank and artillery shells, every day. That doesn''t factor in the rations, the medical supplies, the replacement parts, the small arms, the goddamned fuel, you name it. We only get what, 4,000 tons of supplies each day? That''s not even regular. 3 days ago, they only sent 800 tons because the trains got bombed. And each day, I can only pump 1,800 tons at most in a rush to the frontlines. It''s why our casualties are high. We sometimes lack the things that must be sent and the ability to send it."


    She didn''t quite understand his math, but she clearly understood his rantings. He was being asked to supply obscene amounts of supplies already. And the counter-offensive would ask for more.


    She breathed in deeply.


    "Is there no solution to that, Major?"


    "My solution is to dig in and cancel the damned offensive. But since preparations have already begun, and dammit does it have fine points as to why it is necessary, I say we delay it until next month. Preferably, the end of the first week of July."


    "Major, that would be too long. We planned to start the offensive on the first days of July.


    "But I tell you, Your Majesty, even if you want to speed up the evacuations by launching this early, you can''t. Not without proper logistics. Just give me some extra time to sort this quagmire down, then launch the attack."


    She turned her head to William. Was she convinced? She didn''t know. The plans of the offensive were specifically rushed in the next few days because they needed to get the civilians out of the city quickly.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Waiting any further would mean more time for air strikes and missile strikes. More civilian casualties. And worse, if the enemy launched an attack first, they might be boxed in the city.


    Which was why¡­she was conflicted. Of course, McKenzie had a point. She imagined that it would be extremely difficult to fight without proper supplies. Goddess, it was even cited by Kleist as the main driver of their heavy casualties.


    And she didn''t want any more young men dead than necessary.


    Damn, this headache¡­


    "Actually."


    She turned back to Major McKenzie.


    "Yes?"


    "Can I request something, Your Majesty?"


    "Do go on."


    "Can I drag both of you to one of our train stations in Portview District?"


    Immediately, William almost blocked the proposition.


    "What? You do know Portview is being bombed to hell?"


    "Major, not right now. And, I want to show both of you the situation over there."


    "But Her Majesty''s safety-"


    But Amelie wanted to see it. If there was anything she vowed since the war began, it was that she wouldn''t be an armchair leader anymore.


    She wanted to see the situation herself.


    "William, don''t worry." McKenzie perked up. "Major McKenzie, please. Show me the situation."


    "Gladly."


    ¡­


    Portview District - truthfully, not the most vibrant district of Halia even pre-war. It was on the northern end of the city, and as the name implied, it was close to a port.


    Specifically, Portview District was close to the Port of Halia, which was an international shipping hub. With its relative proximity to Rebenslof up north, Portview District became an industrial district of Halia. It was slightly far away from the wealthier districts of the capital, which was why the ride for the three took nearly an hour.


    Their vehicle stopped exactly at what appeared to be a massive train station - right next to a bombed-out industrial complex.


    When William said this place was bombed hard¡­I didn''t think it was this bad.


    "We''re here. Do be careful, debris is everywhere around here. And if air raid sirens sound, we''re bolting out." McKenzie warned.


    She nodded, and William seemed to already know it anyway.


    When they left their vehicle, what greeted them was a busy train station. Workers and soldiers busily repaired damages and helped haul heavy containers, all as lines of trucks were filled.


    "M-5 Train Station, Your Majesty. This is one of the stops of the trains inbound from Rebenslof. This is just one of our hubs here, where they drop tons of supplies each hour, but this is one of the biggest."


    "Biggest? How much do they ship here?"


    "Approximately 1000 tons of supplies each day, Your Majesty. That does not include the fact that they also send entire units here on trains."


    "It seems that the damage around here is extreme too¡­"


    "Indeed. Missile strikes have devastated this place. See those guys? That''s Army Engineering. They keep this bombed-out place functioning. It''s also why those Regal Sam batteries are placed over there."


    "I see. So that''s why we''re facing shortages."


    They stopped, as he pointed at what appeared to be organized piles of heavy-duty military crates on the side of one of the buildings.


    "That¡­and the fact that not everything is instant. Those things have to be sent to the depots. That takes time. Then we have to sort it out. Then we have to identify units that need specific supplies. Then we send it."


    "That''s¡­quite a lot of hoops."


    "Major understatement, Your Majesty. Logistics, it''s what wins wars, and what loses wars. If we cannot conduct it properly, there will be defeat."


    She turned to William, who seemed to be in deep thought as he watched multiple trucks carrying munitions drive away from the station.


    "William, what do you say?"


    "Me and Kleist already noted the logistical difficulties in our planning. We considered it even. Though, if this is the real situation down here, we definitely would have a complication."


    "You sound like you only found out about it right now?"


    "Reports, even from subordinate units, aren''t always accurate. We may have overestimated our supply situation in our planning."


    Amelie looked back at the station, as what appeared to be another train stopped. Immediately, a groan came from McKenzie. The train that arrived carried M20 LSS Panthers, all of them secured in the wagons behind the train.


    "And then there''s this pain in the asses!"


    Amelie turned to him, confused by his reaction.


    "Major?"


    "These damned experimental mechs. Your Majesty, those things may look cool. Hell, they may even dominate in the cities. But these pieces of¡­stupidity are nothing but an utter logistical nightmare!"


    "...Why is that?"


    "See those legs? Those things have too many moving parts. Parts that must be sent here, sorted, and sent to our repair facilities whenever those things break down. And only specialized repair teams can work on them. And these things break down more often than not. Why do we even have these things? Give me 3 goddamned L?wes instead of 1 M20 LSS, and I''d be happier than having these glorified tanks on legs!"


    Well, he really does seem to be passionate about logistics. Maybe too much. However, he is a logistics officer after all¡­


    "I understand Major. Is that going to be one of the things I must address?"


    He turned back around and he breathed out a sigh.


    "No, not really. But essentially, you can only address this by giving me, no, us rear echelon units extra time to gather, stockpile, process, and prepare the supplies and weapons for this counter-offensive."


    So all I need to do is an adjustment of the timeframe?


    Well, while it was bad, as every moment counted, Amelie supposed that it could be worse.


    "So, Your Majesty, what would it be?"


    She sighed. A delay was what would happen. No way out of it.


    "Major, I shall delay the attack until you have prepared the logistical situation adequately. Please¡­address these issues quickly. For the Kingdom."


    "I assure you, Your Majesty. As long as you give me enough time, I can do the magic."


    "Good."

 Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Empress Blunder

    "Food! Jobs! What does the Empress give us?! War! Not food nor jobs! All as the High Nobility rattle their sabres with her! Sisters of the lower nobility! Shall we carry on with this? To allow one brat and her small clique to strangle our great nation? To send our brothers, sons, and husbands to death for her gains? I say not!"


    - Baroness Julia Molotov, Larissan Democratic Coalition, June 2024


    +++


    Northern Sea


    June 26, 2024


    GIS Terror


    13:00 Hours


    The Empress didn''t like the report on her desk. Not at all. It was so awful, and it made her even more anxious, which naturally translated into her irritated expression.


    Dammit! Those damned liberals! How dare they split the Parliament like that! Just approve my demands for wartime mobilization! Traitors! Traitors!


    "Your Majesty¡­the conservatives support us, but my informants heard grumblings. They are bickering with each other¡­"


    Her personal lady-in-waiting, Viscountess Ivena Kutchesov, was only a year above her. The two had been together ever since the Lavislaw Nuclear Meltdown.


    Her friend''s estate was one of those that had to be abandoned due to irradiation. Seeking employment, the Empress took her in to be the prestigious right-hand lady of hers.


    And she dragged her as well to the Northern Sea campaign as her assistant.


    "Ivena, we need to do something. If we don''t find a victory here to unite the conservatives, those damned liberals would win. They''re dividing us."


    "I know, Your Majesty. But¡­even if a victory here would reunite all of the conservatives, what then?"


    "Of course, it''s obvious. We shall silence the liberals once and for all. It was a mistake not to purge them during the Great War. But this time around, with wartime measures, passed - I will see to it that none of those men-loving fools would run their mouths again."


    She haughtily crossed her arms as her back fell on her chair.


    "Democracy, reforms, peace¡­who are they? I am the Empress! And they dare defy me¡­"


    It''s clear that this path is the only way. War¡­it''s the only way to distract the stupid masses. To unite the bloodthirsty elites. And to dispose of the naysayers. Why then, is this not working?


    The door to her office suddenly opened, which took the attention of the two. In came Admiral Rurik Illyenov, Katerina''s "moronic" brother. Beside him was another officer, the very Captain of the GIS Terror.


    "What is it this time again, moron?"


    "Your Majesty. I have news. We spotted the ONS Rebenslof. Or at least, it might be the ONS Rebenslof."


    Immediately, from her gloomy, irritated facade, the Empress'' expression brightened. Her lips curled up as well, which almost sent her older brother running in terror.


    She looked truly like a demoness.


    "My good brother. Tell me, where is he?"


    "400 kilometers from us. North West of our position. He''s a bit close to Lorathia, and we lost contact after an air engagement terminated our scouts, but the last contact was only 7 minutes ago. We know his general direction."


    "You lost another squadron?"


    "I¡­well, 5 ZU-34 fighters were lost in the engagement, Your Majesty. The enemy Zappers jumped our scouts in their blindspots."


    "What of our AWACS?"


    "Our AWACS are en route to the direction of the Rebenslof."


    "And what of our strike squadrons?"


    "I¡­are we launching a strike now? We are still verifying if it''s accurate."


    Her eyes suddenly darkened their gaze on him. It was almost as if he had just uttered something stupid.


    "We lost 1 of our carriers because of your carelessness¡­"


    "I-I know that, Your Majesty. I apologize deeply."


    "AND YOU''RE GOING TO LOSE ME THIS OPPORTUNITY!"


    A teacup flew straight to the side of his cheek. It didn''t injure him, but it utterly shook him and the officer beside him when the loud shattering sound of the teacup assaulted their ears.


    "Of course! You stupid moron. We are going to attack! Scramble all squadrons from this carrier and from our two other carrier task forces! I want all of our planes to overwhelm that man! I don''t care if it''s not verified, they will VERIFY AND ATTACK!"


    The two stiffened.


    "At once, Your Majesty!"


    +++


    Northern Sea


    320 Kilometers North of the GIS Terror


    Strike Force 7


    ONS Rebenslof


    13:30 Hours


    "They''re falling for our decoys."


    "Heh, serves them right."


    The chuckle came from Captain Schlatt, who stood beside Albert and Captain Vogel. The trio devised another stratagem of war when they spotted signatures of an unidentified Imperial Task Force just south of them.


    With EMCON already lifted, Strike Force 7 now communicated at times with VACCOM and began coordinating their strikes with Admiral Herard Tresckow.


    And this was one of those. Codenamed Operation Slimy, they planned to trick the Empress and force her to send her squadrons straight to a decoy that resembled Strike Force 7.


    And that decoy was an aging Lorathian battleship. With almost the same size as the ONS Rebenslof, the Lorathian battleship returned almost similar signatures in Larissan radars.


    To make it even more convincing, the ONS Rebenslof surrounded the LRN Olivia''s Task Force with a few of his squadron''s fighters to give the impression that they were the Rebenslof''s CAP (Combat Air Patrol) defending the carrier.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    It was indeed a brilliant move - the LRN Olivia rabidly broadcasted radio transmissions about their "situation" and falsely acted as the ONS Rebenslof. It was all in an effort to allow the Larissan''s to spot them - but there was a second part to it.


    They had spotted the LRN Olivia - but not enough to confirm if it was a mere decoy as VFA-18 jumped the Larissan scouts right before that.


    Still, now, the LRN Olivia was spotted. 4 Orlish Gallant-Class destroyers - reinforcements from VACCOM, surrounded the aging battleship, prepared to act as her defensive screen. Inside the battleship itself was a mere skeleton crew - enough to merely drive the thing as a decoy.


    As such, this Task Force would still face heavy casualties once the Larissan strike arrives. They were the sacrificial bait.


    "Those stupid morons." Captain Vogel commented in amusement as well. "Any competent naval officer wouldn''t fall that easily."


    Albert didn''t laugh, as he focused on the map - all as signatures after signatures of hostile air squadrons appeared in different directions, all headed to their decoy Task Force.


    "It''s the Empress that we''re talking about. She''s just a teenager."


    Not to mention, I really pushed her buttons. Hiding and delaying her for nearly a month. She must be desperate. Extremely desperate¡­


    "So what? Your little sister''s 19, a teenager too. But she ain''t this stupid. Hell, she''s holding well in Halia even against Heindh?ff. I mean - can you believe that? Your little sister against Heindh?ff?"


    "I''d rather not make a lighthearted commentary about our Kingdom''s domestic catastrophe, Vogel."


    "I¡­sorry, sir."


    Truthfully, Albert''s expression had severely darkened ever since Admiral Tresckow informed them of the situation in Orland. If it weren''t for the fact that he was utterly locked in the Northern Sea by the Empress in battle, he would have disengaged and dashed back to Halia.


    But he could not. To retreat without eliminating the Empress would mean a danger unresolved for Amelie. And it would lead to a possible defeat of the Ivory Alliance.


    Strategically, it would be a massive blow to Amelie and the Kingdom. Losing both Gallia and Lorathia would mean that Orland would stand alone - against the Empire and the Putschists at home.


    He vowed not to allow that. No, he would defeat the Empress here. Only then could he return home to aid his little sister.


    He turned to Captain Schlatt.


    "Anyways. How are our air squadrons?"


    "VFA-13 and VFA-18 are now re-arming and refueling. In fact, half of VFA-13 is now in the air, and we''re launching them as they are ready."


    "Good. I want those Larissans intercepted before they reach the Olivia. Hopefully, we''ll win the war here."


    "Hopefully, sir."


    The ONS Rebenslof turned as the waves clashed upon it. The day''s storm, while still severe, had slightly waned compared to the earlier days of the month.


    Even still, the crew on the flight deck ran through the rains, the dimly lit blue skies still adding to the desolate atmosphere on the high seas, as Zappers, one after another, screeched with haste off the flight deck.


    +++


    Northern Sea


    20 Kilometers South of Strike Force 7


    VFA-13 ''Hellcat-1''


    13:45 Hours


    <<All units, squadron-wide status check.>>


    <<1-2 Green.>>


    <<1-3 Green.>>


    <<1-4 Green.>>


    <<1-5 Green.>>


    <<1-6 Green.>>


    <<1-7 Green.>>


    <<1-8 Green.>>


    <<1-9 Green.>>


    <<1-10 Green.>>


    <<1-11 Green.>>


    <<1-12 Green.>>


    There was some silence from ''1-1 Actual'' over the squadron-wide comms, as his chuckle soon slipped up.


    <<Well, it appears we''re all green. All units, maintain spacing and formation until contact with the enemy.>>


    <<Copy 1-1 Actual.>>


    The two squadrons quickly raced through once more in the stormy skies, their exhausts burning madly as they dashed toward their interception points with the enemy squadrons.


    Now was their big day. While their recent victory had been impressive, the Empire still possessed the upper hand in the Northern Sea campaign.


    A campaign that now had to be rushed at all costs due to what was happening in their very own homeland. They had to defeat the Empress now or in the next few days - or Orland would face an unwinnable, two-front war.


    On their HUD displays, information from their AWACS and the ONS Rebenslof burned into their eyes. Larissan formations, already burning straight to the LRN Olivia, were spotted widely by the Rebenslof''s AWACS.


    One would wonder, where the Larissan AWACS were, that they had not yet spotted them, but these men would not complain yet about such a fact.


    Perhaps they were searching in the wrong direction. Attacking - and looking in the wrong direction, and thus, Orland smelled blood. An opportunity was handed to them on a silver platter.


    <<Report: VFA-18 is also closing into the attack.>>


    <<Acknowledged. We can''t hog all the kills, now can''t we?>>


    <<Hehe, course we can''t. We''re all in this fight.>>


    <<No shit.>>


    The laughter over the radio stopped, as suddenly, the hostile contacts changed course. Many started to turn.


    <<Shit! They spotted us!>>


    +++


    Northern Sea


    ONS Terror


    13:50 Hours


    "What do you mean ''re-evaluate'' this attack?! We cannot! You''re not making me lose this opportunity!"


    Katerina was utterly furious. Her tirade in the ship''s bridge erupted when she learned that Rurik ordered her air squadrons to ''re-evaluate'' their attack and ''proceed with caution''.


    I swear, if this pighead of a brother of mine loses me this battle, I''ll squash that horrendous face without reprieve! You stupid fat moron!


    "Your Majesty, our AWACS spotted hostile aircraft converging on our air squadrons. We have to tread carefully. This might be a trap!"


    "Trap? What trap? We spotted them, Rurik. It is painfully obvious that they are just trying to defend their ship. The Rebenslof is just one carrier, and we annihilated one of their squadrons. Can you not understand that he does not have the numbers to stop us?!"


    "It''s not about the numbers¡­i-if this is wrong, we would be vulnerable."


    "They already are vulnerable! We have our eyes set on them! An attack set on them! What do they have? Nothing but a desperate defense measure!"


    A scuffle almost began on the bridge, as some of the officers tried to approach and intervene, but the Empress'' personal guard blocked them, and they had no choice but to stand down.


    Rurik almost cracked a sweat as his little sister stared at his eyes intensely, hoping, hoping that she would come to her senses and listen to him.


    But she was having none of it.


    Do I really have to spell it out? We''re wasting so many valuable seconds that can lose me this battle. ORDER THEM TO PRESS ON NOW DAMMIT!


    "Your Majesty, look-"


    "Rurik, get the hell out of the bridge."


    "What?"


    "I said get your fat ass off the bridge, Rurik."


    "Look, I understand you, b-but you''re not a naval offi-"


    "I SAID GET OUT!"


    Her voice almost cracked as she shouted that at him, and only then did he notice it in her eyes for but a split second.


    Underneath the raging fury - was a young girl, scared, terrified, and anxious. Her eyes almost quivered, and were almost wet with tears. Yet it was also not. But Rurik still saw it.


    In truth - she truly did fear. She was now pushing all her cards at once. She could not end up like Amelie. She must not.


    She would not be couped by these stupid men. She would not be overthrown by those stupid liberals. No¡­she did not want her head in the gutter.


    She did not want to lose to Albert - and die a horrible death.


    With great shame, Rurik''s shoulders fell and he resigned from the bridge, as the Empress approached the microphones.


    With an almost shaky voice that she concealed with anger, she spoke.


    "From now on, this entire fleet is under my command. Admiral Rurik has been dismissed for his incompetence. I will be leading this fleet, and you will all follow my orders. Press on the attack - I want that carrier gone before this hour is over. FOR THE EMPIRE!"

 Chapter Fifty-Eight: Tournament Of Fates Above

    "Perpetrators of the Loviedo Massacre were executed by firing squad by the Asturian Revolutionary Court. Provisional President Carlo Enriquez declared this morning that, ''Men who do not have honor, and conduct irrational acts of violence against women, will not be tolerated. The honor of the revolution will not be tainted. We may be in a struggle, and indeed in war with them - but we stand here not as the new oppressors in a centuries-old conflict. But as vanguards of a world of equality, liberty, and democracy.'' This came as a major surprise, as the Asturian Republic continues to hold out to the counter-revolutionary offensive of Queen Clericia Alois from the north."


    - Geopol Press


    "Mass riots in major Larissan cities after the sinking of the GIS Askagrad, as pro-war demonstrators clashed with anti-war protests. Aristocratic nationalists in the Grand Imperial Parliament have called for emergency wartime measures, as the Empire-wide riots escalate. Suspicious movements of the Larissan Imperial Army have also been noted in the wake of the sinking of the GIS Askagrad, with male rights groups launching a series of terror attacks in major Larissan cities."


    - Geopol News


    +++


    Northern Sea


    Victory or Death


    The Final Battle of the Northern Sea


    A mere Commodore.


    Yet there was no way he would lose. Albert would not allow such. This battle - was the battle. His mere single carrier strike force and his two squadrons faced three carriers.


    And god knows how many more enemy squadrons.


    Many would call him deranged, crazy, and utterly foolish. How could it be possible? For a mere one carrier to face three? Nay, he faced four carriers. He merely sank the first separately.


    Yet, for all his brilliance, there were many doubts placed on his back and mind. Did the crew trust him? Did the airmen truly believe in the plans? Did the officers truthfully think that this would be the best?


    Could her little sister truly place the fate of the Kingdom''s war against the Empire, on his shoulders alone?


    And so he chuckled inside. Was he arrogant? Overconfident? All for his mere victories in the Great War?


    So much so, that he had the audacity to craft and implement such a borderline insane plan? Say what anyone would - all he could say was¡­


    Maybe I am.


    A great Empress.


    Or at least, that was what this young girl likened herself to. To ascend to the throne when she was a mere child in all aspects, so much unearned responsibility was placed on her shoulders.


    Katerina never loved it. She loathed it. All because the previous Empress died - she had to take reign of an Empire that barely functioned.


    She had acted tough. She had taken the hardline approach. She had to. There could be no quarter, and no one should challenge her authority. Absolutism - it was the only way for her to ensure that those around her would not rid of her.


    A vulnerable girl with a crown and throne of blood.


    Yet she would not allow that. She would take them down first. Not her internal enemies - not her foreign enemies - none. None of them could be allowed to exist without being under her. Else they would meddle, plot, and overthrow her.


    She should have won the Great War and solidified her control.


    But that man - Albert. That one man, who now stood against her once more. That one man who stood defiant, even when alone, against her authority.


    He needed to go.


    The two held a determined face. Hundreds of kilometers in distance - from two different ships, and different rooms, they commanded this final showdown.


    Two navies - two empires - two fates.


    For the two - it would either be victory or death.


    "VFA-13! All callsigns! Fire the volley at once! Eliminate the Empress'' minions!"


    "3rd Imperial Air Squadron! Do not let them take you out! For the Empire and for me! I demand victory from you!"


    ¡­


    <<This is Ajax 1, targets identified and relayed! You are free to fire!>>


    <<Locks! We got locks on the targets! Hellcat 1-1 to 1-8, launch missiles!>>


    The rapid streams of "Fox-Three!" filled the BatNet (Battle Net) as Albert stood imposingly still, viewing the engagement.


    Hellcat 1, or VFA-13, advanced until they were merely 50 kilometers away from an identified Larissan squadron. AWACS had already identified their target - the 3rd Imperial Air Squadron.


    And Albert wanted it gone.


    "Schlatt? I have a question for you."


    "Commodore? Yes, of course, sir."


    He didn''t bother to turn back to face the officer behind him.


    "Your pilots¡­can they face an opposition when outnumbered by three?"


    "Sir, I believe you have asked me that question already. I have answered yes."


    He watched the screens, as the green signatures of VFA-13 approached the red signatures - their missiles screeching ahead of their formation.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    <<This is it boys!>>


    <<Goddamned Imperials! They think they can simply attack us like that! Today, we shall show them the might of the Orlish Navy!>>


    <<We rule the waves!>>


    <<And the skies is our domain!>>


    He took the microphone and routed himself to a broadcast straight to the bragging pilots.


    "Hellcat 1."


    <<It''s the commodore himself!>>


    <<Sir?>>


    "Your Captain said¡­" He turned slightly at the smirking Captain Schlatt, who had his arms crossed as he watched the exchange. "That all of you are mighty fine fliers. I know four of you are aces."


    <<I am, sir! I shot down 7.>>


    <<I shot down 6.>>


    "Then I want you all to prove it. Today. For the Kingdom."


    Another laugh came.


    <<The Commodore demands victory lads!>>


    <<Of course we will! Let''s paint the skies red with Larissan blood!>>


    <<Long live the Queen!>>


    <<Down with the Empress!>>


    The missiles were now 10 kilometers away from the reds.


    Here we go.


    ¡­


    <<Here they come!>>


    <<Goddamit! There are so many of them!>>


    Katerina slammed her fist on the table, and she leaned to her microphone, watching the screens closely. There it was - the missiles of Albert''s planes, approaching her 3rd Squadron.


    "All of you rat bastards! Move out of the way if you insist on living another day! That hardware you sit on is more important than your lives! I''ll personally find a way to execute you even if you die today and lose my planes!"


    <<Copy that! All of you! Evasive maneuvers! The Empress has decreed that your lives are below the planes that you fly! Do not let her lose the precious planes that she owns!>>


    A deranged laugh came one after another.


    <<Sure! It would be truly unfortunate if that happens! Here come the Orlish missiles! Break! Break! Break!>>


    One after another, her squadron broke formation as the missiles approached them. She watched as the missiles flew straight into them - so closely, with many dodging it with great skill as their altitudes dropped or rose.


    While other signatures disappeared.


    <<Dammit! 3-5 is down!>>


    <<Deploying chaff!>>


    <<It''s on my six! I''m breaking left!>>


    <<Watch me fucking die today, Your fucking Majesty! Look at what you fucking did!>>


    "How dare you! To speak that way to your Emp-"


    Her anger suddenly dropped, as out of nowhere, the signature of the insolent pilot disappeared.


    Deny it all she wanted¡­her heart felt guilty. She never was at the front. She had always led from the capital, truly detached except for reports.


    "I-I¡­" I''m sorry¡­


    <<He''s gone! 3-3 is down! Dammit! They''re shaving our numbers! We need help over here!>>


    How long could she act tough? To keep the display of her fake indifference to death and brutality. To the blood in her hands - now in the millions, with another soul added.


    Her eyes trembled, but her voice didn''t.


    Not yet.


    "4th Imperial Air Squadron! Line up for your attack run! I order you not to miss!"


    ¡­


    I knew you wouldn''t go down that easily, Empress. But if you think this attack would win you this day - you are sorely mistaken.


    "Schlatt, can they dodge that?"


    "Of course, they can, sir. In fact, I have an idea."


    "What?"


    "Make them split in two. One would launch another volley of missiles to the 3rd Imperial Air Squadron to finally cripple them, while the other half faces the 4th Imperial Air Squadron. Then, they would all swoop in and gang up on the 4th."


    "Wait¡­you mean split VFA-13 to deal with two? Wouldn''t that compromise the firepower of the squadron?"


    "We are facing 3-to-1 opposition." He flashed him a deranged smirk. "But my airmen are true demons. Why not let them face them all at once? And after all, you know how it is in aerial warfare. If the enemy launches their storm upon you - never turn tail. Meet them head-on."


    "...I like your style, Captain."


    With confidence, he relayed the orders to the BatNet. Immediately, VFA-13, all focused on the 3rd, broke into two - one charging forward to the 3rd, and the other facing the barrage of missiles of the 4th.


    <<Roger that, Commodore!>>


    <<We''ll face them head-on if that is what must be done! Prepare your asses boys for evasive maneuvers! Do not let them hit you!>>


    And closely behind VFA-13, three Orlish signatures caught up behind. They were a part of the VAQ (Electronic Attack Squadron) of the Rebenslof''s air wing.


    And they were now joining in the fight.


    <<This is Phalanx 1-1 Alpha! Worry not, Hellcat 1! We''ll help you confuse those missiles!>>


    <<Glad to have you on our backs! Here it comes, 5 kilometers in! We''ll face the swarm head-on!>>


    <<To the bitter end!>>


    And like screeching eagles, the signatures of the 6 planes of VFA-13 dispersed in all directions, missiles swarming in with the full intent to cripple them.


    But Albert didn''t mind, as his eye turned to the other half of VFA-13 as they lined up for their attack run.


    And with one confirmation from their AWACS¡­


    <<This is Ajax 1 to all Hellcat Callsigns on the attack run. Locks confirmed on the Imperials! Send them straight to hell!>>


    ¡­


    Dammit! They really are aces. I should have expected this. These squadrons of the Rebenslof won''t be easy to crack like the last one. They really are the cream of the crop.


    But she won''t back down just yet. Not even her failure to destroy even a single one of them would.


    Not even when the 3rd was decimated.


    "Have we stalled them enough?"


    Her new chosen officer to support her, a meek Comms Officer, replied to her.


    "Our four other squadrons are closing in on the Orlish Task Force, Your Majesty."


    But should she send it all? Her flank was wide open. The 4th alone would not be able to hold them off. Not those Orlish demons of the skies.


    "Divert the 7th Imperial Air Squadron to face that Orlish squadron! They cannot interfere with our attack run! Not now!"


    "Acknowledged, Your Majesty."


    ¡­


    The Olivia was on full alert. And so were the four ships that formed a ring around her. With much anxiety, the officers and crew on the bridge of the old Lorathian battleship watched as the engagement took place just a few hundred kilometers off from them.


    They were mere bait, as ordered by VACCOM and the Queen. A sacrificial lamb for the whole operation. It wasn''t the best of assignments, yet how could a trap for a beast form without bait?


    They were closing in.


    And the question for all sailors and crewmen palpitated through their hearts as they watched the gray, stormy skies down southeast of them.


    Could the Rebenslof succeed?

 Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Rain Of Blood And Steel

    "Only the best of the best survives around here. You are either the prey - or the ace that feasts on the souls of the dead."


    - Squadron Leader Jonathan Meyer, VFA-13


    +++


    The skies above the Northern Sea had never seen blood in the volume that it had seen today.


    The darkened, stormy night - an arena between the veteran Orlish airmen, and the numerous souls of the Larissan air squadron was where they dueled each other to death.


    <<Goddess dammit! I overshot!>>


    The Zapper from one of the Orlish air squadrons from the Rebenslof''s air wing climbed high in the skies, above the darkened stormy clouds, as underneath it, a Larissan ZU-34 stalled purposely - its air brakes engaged.


    <<Don''t let him hit you! He''s got locks on you!>>


    The warning from their AWACS was unignored by the pilot, as he engaged his afterburners forward - rushing higher and higher as a plume of smoke rose from the pylons of the ZU-34 before it stalled and fell down the skies.


    <<Deploying chaff!>>


    As the missile closed in, a barrage of chaff appeared behind the Zapper, its air brakes engaging fully as the pilot pulled hard on his stick.


    Time seemed to slow as the missile went past the Zapper, as his plane turned downward, his face turning into one of glee as his sights were locked on a mere dot down below - the offending Larissan fighter that he had been dueling with.


    <<I have you in my sights! Die you Imperial pig!>>


    And just like that, he dropped like hell down below, straight under the clouds - where a massive furball of dozens of aircraft, both from Orland and Larissa, dueled each other in a dance of death and fire.


    Wild maneuvers and desperate pulls that almost left him winded from the extreme gs produced were conducted by him, as he tried his best to keep his nose pointed at the wild ZU-34.


    Numerous times, he almost had a lock, before the thing slipped from his hands - yet his hands never slipped from the Zapper''s controls, unrelenting for the kill that he deserved.


    <<Dammit! Come on you slimy Imperial!>>


    Another distant boom flashed his airframe brightly, yet he paid no heed, as he pulled his stick down once more.


    <<1-5 is down!>>


    <<Shit!>>


    <<This is 1-8, I''m out. Going RTB.>>


    <<Dammit, we''re almost out. We would all have to RTB soon!>>


    No, he would not. He needed this kill. He would not return to the Rebenslof without his fifth kill. This was his destiny. He was either a nobody or today, he would be an ace.


    Another hard pull and his plane chased the ZU-34 up - finally, for merely 4 seconds, his nose tracked the ZU-34 directly, enough for the words "Lock" to appear on his HUD.


    <<Fox Two! Fox Two!>>


    And with that, his final air-to-air missile launched forward, its heat-seeking guidance hungrily chasing the ZU-34''s red-hot exhaust nozzles.


    It went in close, as the ZU-34 pulled another high-g turn to dodge it - a massive deployment of flares appearing close behind. It almost confused the missile, but-


    <<This is 1-7! Splash one bandit! I fucking got him!>>


    ¡­


    "Dammit! Why are they not dead yet!"


    DAMMIT! DAMMIT WHY?!


    The Empress wasn''t enjoying these results, as she watched the screens with wide eyes, her fist on the table. Behind her, the group of officers and her Imperial Knights watched with caution - for they feared offending the irritated Empress.


    "STATUS REPORT! What the hell is happening?!"


    "Your Majesty. The 3rd Imperial Air Squadron has been decimated. The 4th is fleeing in haste with heavy casualties. But the 7th is fast approaching."


    "YOU''RE TELLING ME, WE WOULD NOW SPEND 3 WHOLE SQUADRONS FOR ONE OF THEIRS?! WHAT KIND OF PILOTS DO WE HAVE AROUND HERE?!"


    She was beyond livid. How could her attack see so many casualties? It was simply impossible. She wasn''t just angry about the failed attacks - she was angry at herself and the officers around her for losing so many lives.


    She may have sacrificed millions already for her throne, but she didn''t want anymore. Yet again and again, whenever she took charge of those incompetent officers - her plans would crumble.


    Her brilliant plans - plans to pave paths to victory without more needless death, merely causing more.


    What could she do?


    What could she do?


    She didn''t know. Somehow, she was losing. Her entire operation to sink the carrier of that cursed man - was crumbling before her.


    No¡­no¡­no. This cannot be! Dammit, if I lose, my head¡­my head. Orland, you''ve already fallen. You should have lost already. Orland¡­why are you still fighting me? Albert? Why? Why are you still here? You should have packed up to save your damned sister. But you''re here - FIGHTING ME TO DEATH? JUST SURRENDER OR FLEE FOR GODDESS'' SAKE!


    "Your Majesty." She looked back, her eyes filled with fear, fury, and anxiety to the Comms Officer. "The enemy squadron¡­they are retreating?"


    "Why? Is this another ploy of theirs?"


    "No¡­our AWACS reported that they have expended most if not all of their missiles."


    This was her chance then. Those Orlish aces - they weren''t replaceable. She smelled blood.


    "Then order the 7th to push on. I want those Orlish planes down within a few minutes. AT ALL COSTS!"


    ¡­


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    "Well, they have no other choice then." Captain Vogel commented as the green signatures on the screen of VFA-13 began retreating back to the direction of the Rebenslof.


    Albert continued to watch and monitor the entire battlespace - the brutal dogfight already taking dozens of Larissan planes from the skies.


    Unfortunately, 3 Orlish pilots from VFA-13 had their wings clipped in the skirmish. Losses were unavoidable, but it still made Albert feel ashamed.


    But costs are a part of war. Victory without countless deaths is impossible. I should have learned that already.


    Suddenly, multiple red signatures appeared angrily - hot on VFA-13''s tails.


    Seems like the Empress would not budge. My squadron is pretty vulnerable at the moment. Indeed, perfect time for her to continue her strike.


    It wasn''t ideal. The Rebenslof was counting on the fact that the Larissan air squadrons wouldn''t pursue nor even engage them much. The plan relied on them pouring all to destroy the Olivia in order to give both VFA-13 and VFA-18 a perfect window to snoop down - and wipe their air squadrons off the face of Pollos.


    "Commodore?"


    "Yes, Captain Schlatt?"


    "What are your orders, sir?"


    It would appear that a good chunk of their operation had already failed. But he did have a backup - no officer in a war didn''t. Truthfully, the complete annihilation of the Larissan air squadrons was only a best-case scenario.


    If I kept VFA-18 on their current attack run, I might lose VFA-13. Of course¡­then I would have to rely on the Lorathians to intercept them before they reach the Olivia. The only question is - can they?


    Even with the deployment of VACCOM''s best air squadrons today, he didn''t place his bets on the Lorathian pilots. They weren''t bad - but they were almost equal in skill to the Larissans.


    Which meant a long dogfight. A slog of equals in the skies - not the utter domination and decimation unleashed by VFA-13, or what VFA-18 could unleash.


    But I''m not letting my aces and veteran pilots go down for nothing. Goddess save the Olivia - she would have to rely on her countrymen this time.


    "Divert VFA-18 to support VFA-13. Do not make me lose my valuable pilots. And signal Alfast HQ that we are proceeding with Plan B."


    "At once, Commodore."


    ¡­


    "ALERT! HOSTILE CONTACTS SPOTTED WEST OF THE STRIKE GROUP!"


    The sudden alarm caught Katerina''s ears, as her eyes darted from the ongoing battle with the Orlish squadrons straight to the signatures of her three air squadrons approaching the Orlish fleet.


    West of them, red dots appeared - like a swarm of locusts ready to pounce her strike group before they reached the Rebenslof.


    "What the hell?! Why haven''t we spotted them?"


    "The storm, Your Majesty. They hid from our radars."


    "How could they hide 2 squadrons behind a bunch of blasted clouds? What kind of radars are we using?!"


    The Comms Officer didn''t reply, as he merely stood still. Katerina''s eyes almost twitched, before he spoke again.


    "But, right now, the battle is developing. We need your orders."


    Yes, that was right. She could chastise who must be chastised for this absolute incompetence later. For now, she had to focus on the battle.


    And win it.


    She looked at the screens. She had three squadrons headed straight for the Orlish fleet. She knew that the 8th was the only squadron fully armed with anti-ship cruise missiles and nothing else.


    But that meant that even alone, the 8th Imperial Air Squadron packed a lethal punch.


    That''s it! I just need to divert the other 2 to deal with the newcomers. Protect the 8th at all costs¡­then I''ll dine in Redcastle soon.


    "Send the 1st and 2nd Imperial Air Squadrons to intercept those vagrants from the west. I want the 8th protected at all costs - until their missiles are launched. Is that clear?"


    "Crystal, Your Majesty. I''m transmitting your orders."


    ¡­


    They were all lined up for their attack run. The 8th Imperial Air Squadron, composed of 14 ZU-34s were all armed with 4 Devastator Cruise Missiles - the Larissan standard choice whenever they needed to vanquish their naval foes.


    The skies cried and cried - as thunder lit up the seas and their airframes around them. The entire battle had been beyond costly for them.


    Yet this was their only choice if they wanted to win. To strike now. Yet, many doubted their Empress, especially when she suddenly took full control.


    <<8-1 Actual. What if this is a trap?>>


    <<It is.>>


    <<So you knew.>>


    <<The Commodore is no fool. He had led us straight to his jaws to devour us all. Yet the Empress didn''t know that.>>


    <<That damned brat! Why didn''t you stop her?>>


    <<You know it by now. There is no point. She won''t listen to mere lowly men like us.>>


    <<Sorry to cut the chatter, sir. But we are closing in.>>


    It was a pointless struggle - to serve an Empress who didn''t care for their blood. They didn''t bother any further, as they finally launched their cruise missiles.


    A majestic sight of beauty, just as they finally turned around.


    They would not bother to get any closer.


    Like an angry swarm of hornets, dozens after dozens of cruise missiles raged toward their targets. Nothing stood in their way - or at least, none from the Rebenslof''s air wing or the Lorathian emergency air squadrons.


    But they didn''t have stealth. Within moments, ship-based radar emissions from the Olivia''s escorts slammed into the missiles - the four Orlish destroyers finally spotting them.


    One after another, the VLS cells of the Orlish destroyers opened up, as SAM air defense missiles rose up in quick successions - determined to defend the Olivia.


    Detonations after detonations blotted the skies, as Orlish and Lorathian missiles met each other in a struggle of differing objectives - the Orlish SAMs attempting to eliminate them before they reached the Olivia, while the Larissan cruise missiles tried to survive and reach her.


    And then - the red hot tracers of the ship-mounted RPDSs opened up, further blotting the skies with detonations.


    But then - the Olivia buckled as her stern exploded, then another amidships. Beside the battleship, two Orlish destroyers screeched to a brutal halt as their hulls exploded in a fiery hail of steel and fire.


    For many moments, the sea seemed still as the Olivia listed to her side, water gushing in inside. But then - a massive detonation from one of her old, outdated, and gigantic main guns in her bow. Lit up like a candle, the brilliant explosion nearly shook the surviving destroyers beside her.


    Yet none of it mattered. The Olivia was not the Rebenslof.


    ¡­


    "Sir! CIC reports that the Olivia''s magazines detonated. She is sunk. The ONS Driver and the ONS Exalt also reported heavy damage. The Exalt itself is sinking rapidly."


    Albert''s fist almost slammed into the table, but he controlled his urge to do so, even when his anger lingered. Two Orlish destroyers, and the Olivia - gone, in one fell swoop.


    But what can we do? Sacrifices have to be made. It could have been my ships. This is just a part of the plan.


    "Their squadrons are also retreating en masse."


    Captain Vogel''s report fell silent, and so did the bridge, as they all awaited for his next command.


    Push on. We have to end this war here and now. I just hope that she will come to her senses, eventually.


    He turned around to face both Captain Schlatt and Captain Vogel.


    "Gentlemen, we shall proceed to the next phase of the plan. Signal Admiral Herard Tresckow to begin full-on surface engagements. We''ll cut her down now."


    Vogel nodded.


    "So be it then."


    "Oh¡­and open me a line to the Empress, directly."


    "Sir?"


    "I want to send her a message. A message she won''t forget until she finally raises her white flag."

 Chapter Sixty: Bloody Waters

    "Victory or defeat - there would be no backing down. They have three carriers. We have one. Either Orland and Lorathia wins today - or we would lose tomorrow."


    - Rear Admiral Jones Richt, Task Force 22


    +++


    Did¡­did I do it? Is this it?


    The Empress stared at the screens with desperation, as faint bands of sweat appeared on her forehead. The signatures of the 8th Imperial Squadron were also in full retreat, but the red signature of her main target - the Rebenslof, was struck many times.


    He must be sinking. I won. I won. I did it. I¡­I can''t believe it¡­I¡­I did it.


    The stream of reports from the bridge, from her officers came in one by one. Talks of confirmations and "successful impacts" were uttered one after another, as the weight that almost crushed her heart slowly dissipated.


    "Our squadrons are retreating. Hostile aircraft are also disengaging."


    "Hostile surface contacts in retreat."


    "ONS Rebenslof slipping from radar contact."


    "The 8th reports further confirmations: 4 successful hits."


    "CIC confirms hostile naval contact sunk."


    She could not believe it. All her struggles, all the scheming, all her plans - and she did it at last. The Rebenslof, the greatest Orlish warship, and the only carrier that stood between her and Lorathia were gone.


    "Captain, give me a full report."


    With an aye, the Terror''s CO approached the Empress and took a deep breath.


    "Your Majesty, as of this moment - the hostile major warship, identified as the ONS Rebenslof, has been confirmed sunk. We have also eliminated 2 of her escorts."


    "What of our casualties?"


    "We''ve lost¡­38 of our aircraft in the engagement."


    "How much did they lose?"


    "A mere dozen."


    Goddess. Once this is all over, I''ll absolutely get my Empire''s pilots in their proper shapes. This is appalling. A shameful result.


    "Such heavy losses¡­"


    Suddenly, a shout emanated from her Comms Officer.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "What is it?"


    "An unknown vessel hailed us. We''ve identified their position to be - 400 kilometers, North West. Should we accept?"


    She debated her options. Perhaps a surrender? She nodded at him. It didn''t matter. She was victorious - nothing would stop her.


    She nodded and took the radio to her ears, and she spoke to her microphone.


    "This is the Empress, Empress Katerina Illyenov speaking. Identify yourself."


    "Empress¡­I see that you are a little jolly today."


    Her eyes widened. That familiar voice. How did he?


    "A-Albert?"


    "Oh, thought I was gone?"


    "It can''t be! You''re sunk. You''re gone. Your ship is sinking. That blasted carrier is gone!"


    "Oh, but I''m very much not so. Say, your pilots are no good, aren''t they?"


    How dare you make the deaths of my countrymen! You rascal!


    "You¡­you¡­"


    "I have just one message to you. Surrender now, or be annihilated. If you want an honorable way out of this battle - then don''t make that mistake."


    And as he said that, her blood ran cold.


    "I''ve hunted you down - there won''t be an escape."


    ¡­


    "Sir, VACCOM is transmitting right now. It''s the Admiral."


    Truthfully, Albert cringed at his words to the Empress earlier. What did he think? That he was some sort of a main character giving the villain an ultimatum?


    How childish.


    In any case, if she doesn''t surrender, then there is no other choice.


    By this point, the Rebenslof had expended most of her air-to-surface missiles. And, as he calculated - so did the Empress'' fleet. The last battles had been all-or-nothing struggles, where entire arsenals of cruise missiles were expended by both sides'' air wings.


    It was why VACCOM came with the operation. They would be beyond integral, as this was how the operation was planned to be. A final, brutal naval slugfest between surface warships to give the final blow.


    "Admiral Tresckow?"


    "Congratulations, Commodore. That was a brilliant victory."


    "Thanks, Admiral."


    "But the battle is far from over. How is your air wing?"


    "They''re down in air-to-surface missiles. VFA-13 may offer significant air cover, and VFA-18 may participate in limited anti-ship operations, but not until we have them rearmed and refueled."


    "Good. We don''t need much more, Commodore. You and your men did enough."


    "Admiral¡­when will you begin?"


    A laugh came from the other side. Albert didn''t know how to react - and so he stayed silent.


    "Right now. Immediately."


    "I see."


    "May the Goddess be with us, Commodore. It will be a bloody fight."


    Albert placed down the radio, as he turned around to the bridge''s crew. Just then, a fleet-wide announcement was issued by the Admiral.


    All all-out attack.


    ¡­


    It had only been a few dozen minutes since the Admiral issued his "all-out attack" directives. Rapidly, the decks of the Rebenslof were filled with all kinds of crewmen as Zapper after Zapper were rearmed and refueled in the decks.


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    One after another, missiles and fuel were placed inside these warbirds, as their pilots stood by the side - barely even a few minutes of rest being afforded for them.


    And soon - the first Zappers lined up on the catapults, as they began their pre-flight checks. The lights of their afterburners raged upon a signal from the catapult officers, and into the raging skies they soared.


    Already, their HUDs showed the full extent of the battle. In the distance, formations of Orlish and Lorathian ships seemed to close in into clusters of Larissa reds.


    Every few minutes or so, these signatures would disappear intermittently. The battle didn''t leave any quarter - both sides were suffering naval losses.


    The first three Zappers up in the skies didn''t bother to wait for the rest. They weren''t striking as one squadron this time. There was no time for that.


    <<Here we go.>>


    <<We''re dropping by south. Directives are to down any Larissan aircraft in the AO.>>


    <<Copy.>>


    They traveled fast and far, as the trio formed a nearly triangular formation, their lead aircraft in the middle. They would have to provide air superiority during the battle, as the Larissans were still sending planes into the skies.


    While they had wiped out a good chunk of their air wings, the Orlish still played with fewer planes. Such disadvantage was mostly eliminated, however, as the ships of VACCOM rapidly closed the distance to the Larissan fleet, and they were picking off their planes (piloted by inadequately skilled second-rate pilots) one after another.


    Within just above a dozen minutes, they finally saw the battle from the far distance. Below the clouds, they could see the distant flashes and lights. The dots seemed small in the vast sea - but the battle truly seemed massive.


    <<Goddess¡­>>


    <<That''s another ship from them gone.>>


    <<We surrounded them, haven''t we?>>


    <<Close. Our ships are still closing the jaws.>>


    Yet, the trio could merely look at the moment. The skies seemed to be darkening, the storm was intensifying.


    And so was the battle. This was it - the final punch to the gut.


    And it would be bloody.


    ¡­


    "Your Majesty!"


    A distant explosion lit up the darkening horizon as her Comms Officer stood before her. Katerina had been desperately trying to lead her fleet since the sudden appearance of Orlish and Lorathian ships 30 minutes ago.


    With her air assets utterly mauled, her Carriers were not up to the task of defending her fleet. She had ordered many of her surface combatants to detach and engage the enemy and find a way out for her fleet to slip out and escape.


    The dread of the situation slowly ate her, as one after another, the names of sunk ships were announced for her awareness.


    Already, her authoritative and terror-filled voice deteriorated. Once again, anxiety and fear coursed through her.


    "What is it? Did you transmit my orders? I said I want a rearguard now."


    "Yes, Your Majesty, but I''m afraid that won''t be possible."


    "Tell me why?"


    "We lost multiple ships from DesDiv 59. 7 of them have been sunk by an Orlish missile strike."


    "What happened? How? They have point defense, right? How could those missiles get through? I needed them to buy us time."


    "...They were overwhelmed."


    "How?"


    "Our previous engagements have been draining our missile stocks. They''ve been unable to launch enough interceptors to counter the strike."


    She almost fell to her seat. It was an utter disaster. She thought¡­she thought she had won. But no - now she was almost surrounded, on all sides, with all her naval formations being pummeled with sheer brutality.


    I can''t¡­surrender now. Damn his words. I still have some superiority in numbers. Surely I can-


    Another detonation lit up in the distance.


    Surely I-


    And another.


    Surely-


    And another.


    And her mind almost crumbled. Was escape even possible?


    "Your Majesty¡­our forces are breaking into a disorganized retreat."


    "That can''t be! Order them to stand their ground. We cannot rout! If we must retreat, then only in good order!"


    ¡­


    6 Larissan Guided-Missile destroyers steamed forward with the GIS Polkava - one of Katerina''s powerful aircraft carriers. However, now, the battle has changed significantly.


    Plumes of water rose one after another in the waters, as Orlish naval gunnery pummelled the group of ships. The Polkava''s flight deck itself was already letting off faint smoke, as Orlish 5-inch cannons damaged the carrier''s vulnerable flight deck.


    The Larissan destroyers however didn''t relent. Their guns continued to open fire one after another, as they launched their cruise missiles intermittently.


    Most of what they launched however were SAM interceptors. Constantly, Orlish missiles would appear on the horizon like angry bugs. Their strikes, unlike in the earlier days of the battle, were spaced - careful and deliberate, instead of being spammed with no end.


    Thus, the Commanding Officer in charge of this Larissan Task Force stood on the bridge with a minuscule amount of confidence. Perhaps, they had a chance.


    Just as he issued another set of desperate orders, however - a sudden alarm took his attention. Dozens after dozens of red, angry signatures appeared on the radar.


    There were Orlish missiles everywhere!


    The skies were once more blotted by detonations, as her escorts opened up their point-defense systems. Unfortunately, there was too much - and their luck ran out.


    The GIS Polkava was now turned into a victim.


    First was the stern.


    Then the bridge disappeared.


    Then amidships - an explosion almost crackled the carrier''s hull. Beside her, two other Larissan destroyers screeched to a burning halt, as more missiles utterly pummelled them into a brutal death.


    With the rain pouring above them, the three ships burned and sank rapidly - the GIS Polkava herself capsizing on her starboard side.


    ¡­


    The night had already fallen in the blood-soaked waters of the Northern Sea.


    Orlish, Lorathian, and Larissan ships - all of them, tasted the salt of the waters, as the entire battlespace was filled with the burning, sinking corpses of the wide battlefield.


    Over the darkened skies, Orlish destroyers and Larissan destroyers dueled each other beside the sinking wrecks of their allies - the rain pouring madly from above them. The faint lights of the battle could be seen from the distance - yet for those in it, the darkness was brightly lit.


    Even sinking Larissan ships fired off their guns as they slowly drifted down in the powerful waves - their defiance from defeat all but visible to the thousands of sailors drowning or freezing in the waters.


    It was beyond hideous - as oil spilled and burned in the dark waters in many areas, incinerating the oil-covered men who desperately tried to swim and escape.


    And there was no salvation for those in the waters. The battle had devolved into a confused, brutal melee. Formations had collapsed. Communication had broken down. And the fight was no more an organized affair.


    But merely a few surviving ships attempting to escape, pick off the enemy or fire everything as a way to sink with glory.


    Katerina looked around the bridge, as she felt her voice crack as she issued another set of orders. She had been shouting, talking, and commanding for hours.


    Yet all of it was in vain. The noose tightened on her fleet, and many of her escorts were sunk or heavily damaged.


    Both sides also heavily jammed each other''s communications. So bad it was, that they didn''t know who or what even survived - or who were their friends or enemies.


    An explosion slammed into the flight deck of her carrier and almost knocked her off her feet.


    The Polkava was gone. The Terror was under attack. And her other carrier, the Theresa was unreachable. Her fate, now unknown.


    My¡­my fleet.


    And her crown. The Empire. Her promised victory. Was she to die here and now? Die in her one last attempt to hold on to her crown and throne?


    Her one last desperate attempt to survive?


    Another blast close to them. Slowly, she looked at the side of her bridge. In the far distance, one of the escorts beside the Terror, burned as the skies were filled with lead from the point-defense guns of her other ships.


    I¡­lost¡­didn''t I?


    Tears swelled in her eyes, as the ship further detonated and lit up the seas - its bow completely detaching from the rest of the ship.


    "Your Majesty?! Your Majesty?! What are your orders?"


    She didn''t reply.


    "Your Majesty?"


    She could not.


    "Your Majesty?"


    She was crying, and crying. She didn''t want to die. Not in this blasted battle. Not in this arena of watery death.


    Slowly, she ignored the desperate questions of her confused Comms Officer, as she approached her radio.


    With her shaking hands, she placed it close to her mouth.


    "I¡­To all Orlish and Lorathian forces. I surrender. We surrender. Please¡­"


    Her voice cracked.


    "Have mercy! We shall stand down immediately. Please. Please. Please. PLEASE!"


    The Empress and her fleet¡­had fallen.

 Chapter Sixty-One: Final Preparations

    ¡°ALERT! You are urged to evacuate this city at once! This city has been identified as a rebel holdout. Bombs will fall within twenty-four hours. Comply at once - save yourselves!¡±


    - Putschists¡¯ Airdropped Flyers over the City of Thein


    +++


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    July 1, 2024


    Queen¡¯s Bunker


    The Battle of Halia had raged on for weeks already. While the city¡¯s air defense had so far limited the strikes on the city itself, the bombardment had never ended. And so, Amelie had mostly stayed in her bunker, directing the battle and administrating her Kingdom from the protective confines it afforded her.


    Truthfully, she never felt comfortable inside of it. It was truly suffocating inside - more so mentally. She was being forced to hide. The very Queen - the very monarch of Orland, was turned into a mere rat, hiding in fear underground.


    And never had the battle truly faded. While the Putschists¡¯ offensive was stalled, the buildup of forces on their side of the Ludendorf River showed clearly that their offensive hadn¡¯t ended. Both sides were gearing up for a battle for the city itself.


    And they both intended to strike at the enemy - offensively.


    ¡°We are still facing some logistical issues. Mostly in terms of fuel and heavy munitions. But most of the issues had been relegated to our secondary units that won¡¯t be participating much in the upcoming offensive.¡±


    Colonel Kleist and William, her two main officers in charge of the city, and the battle for it, had served her well. Currently, they were once again inside the Situation Room, where she would head to every day, sometimes even two times a day, all to obtain a sense of how the battle was developing.


    And so far, it was pretty bad.


    It always had been though. Still, I do wonder, will this really work? I would be sacrificing so many lives just for a mere distraction. Granted¡­this would really strengthen our defensive lines, and maybe even drive them off the other side of the Ludendorf River, but still. To throw so many men callously¡­


    The only sliver of good news that she had received was the volume of volunteers from the Ministry of Health. It seemed that Minister Allison¡¯s request for the city¡¯s medical workers to go aid the Army worked so far. Many women were signing up in droves to support the battle with their abilities.


    At the very least, this battle shouldn¡¯t end up like the Great War did. We women would be there to support them. At the back maybe, but, that¡¯s something at least. Not that I¡¯d stomach sending any woman to the frontlines itself, but¡­men definitely should not be the only ones fighting this war.


    ¡°Do we have an established timeframe already? When are we starting the counter-offensive?¡±


    Kleist didn¡¯t reply, as he changed the display on the screens. On it was a rundown of the current statuses of the units that would be involved in the offensive. Most notably the ones that would be leading the spearhead. They were prioritized both in preparations and supplies earlier, as they had to be in complete strength once the attack orders came in.


    If they failed in their assault, the entire counter-offensive could be jeopardized. Such a result would be unacceptable, as millions of civilians were counting on those artillery batteries of the Putchists¡¯ to be distracted for a few days.


    Failure would be unacceptable.


    ¡°As of now, Major McKenzie and his logistical departments have been hard at work organizing our supply lines to these units. The constant combat however caused constant materiel and manpower losses. However, the medical and auxiliary support of the Ministry of Health and the Royal Guard has helped us minimize it.¡±


    A video of frontline medics - women, fresh on the frontlines, could be seen aiding scores of troops in stretchers inside a field hospital. Wounded soldiers, piled up in bloody beds, were tended with glowing wands. Even one who had his leg amputated seemed to be sitting calmly, as his leg glowed, and the wounds closed.


    ¡°So far, this has caused a positive upswing in the morale of our ground forces. Which is great, but we still face many challenges, which our logistics units are trying to fix.¡±


    Amelie sighed a breath of relief. At the very least, her troops were now receiving proper medical attention. Something which she imagined had almost always been far away. Even though modern technology was capable of treating combat injuries, humanity had been way too reliant on women¡¯s magic in healthcare that the development of effective treatments without the aid of magic had only been extremely relevant during the Great War.


    And with the awful logistical strains of the current battle, many of those desperately needed supplies weren¡¯t being shipped. But mana was always available, and while it would require many mana elixirs to enhance and support women in conducting advanced magic (which was mostly sourced in the industries of L?t), it still seemed to have aided greatly.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, Colonel. But my question was, do we have an established timeframe?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m informing you of this. No, we do not. But, we plan on launching it any day of the next week once we are ready. All unit commanders have already been informed of this plan. This should also help us keep any intel leaks at a minimum. If we don¡¯t know exactly when we would strike, they cannot know either.¡±


    ¡°That sounds stupid and ingenious at the same time.¡±


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    ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty.¡±


    Kleist¡¯s report went on and on. The current casualties and losses. The consumption of munitions and supplies. The developments in the front - alongside the previous attacks conducted by the Putchists in an attempt to capture another sector of the defense line. All of it resulted in heavy casualties for both sides.


    By the time it was over, Kleist had already left both Amelie and William.


    ¡°So¡­that¡¯s how it is?¡±


    ¡°Yep, Amelie. Whatever improvements in the situation are hard to come by. We¡¯re still suffering heavy casualties each day.¡±


    She looked at him as he packed up his briefcase. William was already leaving the Situation Room as well.


    ¡°So, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Meeting the Deputy Prime Minister.¡±


    ¡°Walter? What does Walter need?¡±


    ¡°Something about the evacuations of the civilian government.¡±


    Days before, Amelie had approved the evacuations of the Orlish Government straight to the city of Eutstadt on the west coast of Orland. There, the Orlish Government, alongside the Orlish High Command could resume their day-to-day operations without constant shelling.


    Still, both Jacqueline and Walter elected to stand their ground. Notably, Minister Allison and Minister Adelaide also decided to stay in the Royal Capital, and there were even talks that the new Minister of Defense after Heindh?ff¡¯s Putsch - the Archduchess herself would go straight to the Capital to ¡°assist in its defense personally.¡±


    Dammit, our prides are going to cost us this war. At least I have a good reason to stay here. I¡¯m the Queen. They could just¡­rule there while I stay here.


    She was, after all, the symbol of the Kingdom. She could just stay and lead here, while they too lead over there. Mostly because the damage to the Kingdom¡¯s legitimacy would be utterly horrendous should the Queen be forced out of the Capital. But the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister?


    ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°Just needed to iron out some details regarding who would evacuate and who wouldn¡¯t. You know how it is, it¡¯s a mess.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply as he closed his briefcase and stood from his chair.


    ¡°Anyhow, have a good day, Amelie.¡±


    I wonder when that would be true.


    ¡­


    Alice didn¡¯t seem to be amused by the cake she was eating inside of her room. She seemed to be frowning at it, as it definitely was of subpar quality. Still, she was eating much of it just as Amelie arrived inside her room.


    It was a spacious room, already designed for the habitation of royalty. Naturally, being Alice¡¯s room, it was customized to her taste. Now, it didn¡¯t seem too far from her original room in the Palace, aside from the utter lack of windows.


    ¡°Alice?¡±


    ¡°Amelie? Oh, I was just having breakfast.¡±


    Amelie took a seat in front of her. She smiled at her.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°This place still sucks. I wonder when all of this nonsense would end.¡± Boredly, she stuck her fork at a slice of cake. ¡°And this thing sucks too. I think it¡¯s not true cake.¡±


    ¡°Well, the bakery did close.¡±


    ¡°War sucks.¡±


    Amelie almost wanted to giggle at it. Her little sister seemed to be more disturbed by the lack of quality in her food as a result of war than the true horrors of it.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why we are trying to end it.¡±


    ¡°But will it?¡±


    ¡°Of course it will.¡±


    Eventually¡­it has to.


    ¡­


    The report on her desk utterly surprised Amelie. She could barely believe it. A massive weight was off her shoulders, and her eyes almost threatened to spill tears as she held the report in her hands, her eyes darting quickly as she read it all.


    We report a complete victory in the Northern Sea. Strike Force 7, and the ONS Rebenslof, have successfully lured the Empress into a decisive defeat eight hundred kilometers off the coast of Northern Lorathia. While VACCOM forces suffered losses, we have captured two Larissan carriers and sunk one. More importantly, we now have the Empress, Katerina Illyenov as our prisoner of war. Rest assured, the Kingdom¡¯s victory in the Vaeyox Front is close.


    - VACCOM Commander, Admiral Herard Tresckow.


    He did it. That absolutely outrageous, reckless rascal. That irritating older brother of hers who dared to make her worry to her death for nearly a month because of his ¡°dedication to duty¡± and ¡°thirst for decisive victory¡± did it. The Empress, that brat, was hers.


    Good news at last. When did this last happen? Oh, it¡¯s been a good while. I¡¯ll absolutely teach that brat a lesson. This time, the Empire would have to surrender to us. And the war there would end.


    Which was even more great news, as now, she could focus her attention solely on the war in her own Kingdom. Much of the Orlish Navy and a good chunk of the Orlish Air Force had been stuck in Lorathia and Vaeyox after all, as they had to fight the Empire and hold the line from their attacks.


    Naturally, with an end to the war in that continent, her forces stationed there could now be redeployed to Orland.


    Though¡­perhaps not too. Those forces are there to safeguard the security interests of Vaeyox after all.


    That¡­was a bit of a pickle there.


    Still, this was beyond great news. Oh, she could do so many things for the day to celebrate. Like a good, true cake for her and Alice. And maybe contact Albert as well and have a talk with him. Goddess knows she was dying to have a talk with her older brother for ages. She really wanted both to berate him, congratulate him, and perhaps tell him all of her awful problems just to vent.


    ¡­I sound like a spoiled brat now.


    That shameful part of hers aside, she truly relished in delight from this news. The blood spilled over there, which was indeed utterly deplorable, had at least not ended in vain. A quick end to the war, which was what she had originally desired when the Larissans attacked had been achieved.


    She definitely planned to shower that jerk with as much gratitude as she could give. He had achieved the impossible, that not even the Admiralty and High Command believed was possible.


    She almost hugged the report with a smile.


    Albert¡­thank you¡­thank you.


    At last, the Kingdom¡¯s first victory had been achieved.


    +++

 Chapter Sixty-Two: Preliminary Operations

    ¡°Mandate of Nations declares the start of another security conference as four more Kingdoms fell to pro-male coup d¡¯¨¦tats in the last two weeks. The Secretary-General mentioned this morning that, ¡®these violent actions by men globally, must be contained before a total global collapse of peace and stability.¡¯¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    West of the City of Halia


    Royalist Frontlines


    July 5, 2024


    03:00 Hours


    The Royalist trenches seemed almost silent under the night sky. Even still, in the far distance, the sounds of artillery could be heard by the troops below. The battle never truly ended, it merely waned at times, just enough for a little bit of rest and respite for the troops.


    But rest they would not, as the dismounted infantry of the 15th Mechanized Division ¡®Rotfeuerfisch¡¯ began preparing for their upcoming night assault.


    Inside a military tent, a group of officers discussed the mission objectives given to them - alongside their plans and how they would execute them.


    ¡°We would have to eliminate these emplacements before 05:00 hours.¡±


    ¡°Would that even be possible?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a good flanking maneuver?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯s easy to flank those trenches, we would have to blow a direct hole in their lines. Parry with them in close quarters.¡±


    ¡°That would lead to heavy casualties.¡±


    ¡°Not if our APCs and IFVs advanced first. Though, they probably have a lot of anti-armor weaponry.¡±


    ¡°Do we not have proper armor support? What about our two attached tank battalions? They should lead the attack.¡±


    ¡°Our sector is too muddy for that.¡±


    ¡°So send our infantry without armored support?¡±


    The General in charge of the division crossed his arms as the group of serious-faced officers fell silent around the table that contained the battle map.


    It seemed to be an awful situation for him. His division had been chosen to lead the initial probing assaults on a sector that the Royalist spearheads would pass through.


    They would have to assault, destroy, and occupy fortified trenches, anti-tank emplacements, and critical road junctions up ahead in preparation for the main advance.


    But that was only their secondary objective. If they achieved it - then it would be great. And there would be a chance that the much-anticipated counter-offensive would finally begin.


    But only if.


    Their true mission was to test the response of the Putschists.


    The Orlish Army was now numbered in the hundreds of thousands around the capital. With such a volume and concentration of forces, the enemy faced them with much the same numbers - greater even.


    It was for this fact that they had been conducting endless probing attacks and assaults on their lines - not discounting the endless local offensives and counter-offensives as towns, blocks, and small stretches of brutalized land changed hands dozens of times a day.


    But now, with an entire division poised to attack one point with full force, it was more of an initial vanguard attack than a pure probing attack. Still, it would be unlikely to be anything more than a massive probing attack, as one mechanized division would not be holding any territory for long, not with the current battlefield conditions.


    This would lead to many casualties for my division. Regardless of what we do.


    The General could place his armored battalions straight to the battle as his vanguard, but then would it truly work? Armored losses in specialized armored formations were severe - what more for his mere mechanized division, which consisted mostly of infantry in APCs and IFVs?


    "We have no other options. Our armored battalions will lead the initial assault."


    And with that, the deafening silence of their front''s sector subtly turned louder. The rumbles of tank threads and engines growled as troops rose from their trenches to mount the parked APCs and IFVs near behind the main trench lines.


    <<Hotel Actual open comms to all units.>>


    <<Radio checks green. All operational HQs are online.>>


    <<8th Brigade is advancing.>>


    <<34th Following closely.>>


    <<199th Tank Battalion all green.>>


    The dark night sky almost hid them, alongside the endless trees that survived and lined the battlefields.


    Soon - the attack commenced. Lines of L?we tanks rumbled forward and crossed the trenches near the frontline, as infantry elements from other divisions watched them move forward.


    <<You think the bastards are expecting us?>


    <<Of course, they do. They''re just waiting to strike.>>


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Behind them, APCs and IFVs advanced as well, especially near the roads that ran straight to the enemy positions.


    The night sky stood silent, as the main elements of the 15th crossed no man''s land. The men tightened the holds on their rifles as they closed hundreds of meters until the IFVs and APCs finally halted - infantry dismounting en masse.


    And then - a L?we tank exploded from a sudden strike.


    <<Contact!>>


    Gunfire erupted as one after another, the L?we tanks fired their main guns on the move. Close behind them, the IFVs advanced and fired their smaller guns in the direction of hostile gunfire - illuminating the night sky as they did.


    Slowly, the 15th advanced through the brutal quagmire, as its Tank Battalions suffered horrendous casualties through the breakthrough. Platoons of dismounted mechanized infantry passed through burning L?we wrecks, utilizing them as cover from the Putschists'' gunfire.


    All it took was ten minutes before the casualties reached the three-hundredth mark.


    ¡­


    "It would appear that they are reacting as expected."


    "They''re annihilating them!"


    "Of course, Your Majesty. What else would they do?"


    Amelie watched the proceedings straight from her own bunker as if it were some live entertainment. Closely, William, Kleist, and even Jacqueline and Walter watched the first major operation with great attention.


    Her eyes darted from one screen to another, as the numbers of each operational battalion of the 15th currently locked in heavy battle dropped one after another.


    She almost wanted to puke right there and there when one of the Tank Battalions'' icons turned blood red, their numbers completely dropping to a mere fifty percent of their original strength.


    On the screen, it showed:


    37th Tank Battalion withdrawing immediately.


    "Seems like there''s too much over there," William commented, arms crossed as he stood beside Amelie.


    Of course, they do! They''re being massacred!


    And Amelie didn''t like that one bit. In real-time, she was watching hundreds of young men die in a brutal struggle of life and death - completely detached kilometers away.


    "Do we have to call it off?" Asked Amelie.


    "Of course, we can''t." Came the quick response from William. "They''ve already captured many key positions and are eliminating a quarter of our identified strongholds. If anything, we should send our reserves now."


    Her eyes widened.


    William? Are you mad?!


    "We''re banging our heads on a brick wall! Call it off!"


    "Indeed, I am in complete agreement with Her Majesty," Jacqueline added, and she too seemed horrified at watching the damned thing in real-time. "We should re-evaluate our target and call this off."


    Both of them watched the Great War thousands of kilometers away, in the comfort of their homes, and many times not even with footage such as these, but with sanitized commentaries of Royalist media.


    But for the three men in the room, they seemed devoid of emotions as they watched it with an almost clinical familiarity. They knew that war was ugly and brutal - and letting such farces like "emotions" would only adversely affect decision-making.


    Critical decision-making with many lives on the line.


    "No, we won''t call it off." Replied William as he refused to face the two. Amelie almost fumed. She just wanted a clean and clear battle - not a sudden butchery!


    "What?! William, the 15th needs to withdraw, immediately."


    "Absolutely not. This is a part of the plan. Casualties are and have always been noted to be expected. We cannot falter because of these hiccups."


    "I¡­"


    "Just calm down, Amelie. This is a part of it, and you have to accept that."


    But she couldn''t. No matter how many battles were fought, and how many bodies she had seen - she could not accept that. It was perhaps why she had always been a pacifist. War to her was illogical, nonsensical, and repulsive.


    And unacceptable.


    But what could she do? She was no military genius. She was just a young woman trying her best to stay in control of a nation that had collapsed under its weight. These officers, William and Kleist, were her professionals.


    And that was the worst part for her. They - the professionals, were finding this without much surprise. To them, this wasn''t just alright, it was natural.


    "Then please¡­can we aid the 15th at the very least."


    "That''s indeed what we are about to do."


    "What exactly?"


    William turned away from Amelie and into Kleist.


    "Open the line to Fire Support Regiments 7, 8, 14, and 18."


    With a nod, the Colonel ordered one of his staff to begin the transmission. William took one of the microphones in front of him and spoke into it.


    "Commence mass barrage on Sector Tango-One. Eliminate all pre-identified targets, now."


    ¡­


    The artillery barrage broke the Putschists'' lines with utter terror. Heavy one-fifty-five millimeter shells tore through tanks, trenches, and hastily constructed concrete fortifications with a rain of steel and fire.


    Below - Royalist Orlish troops cleaned up trench after trench like a sweeper. Close-quarters gunfights/firefights developed as both Putschist and Royalist platoons struggled underneath the maddening orchestra of heavy artillery above them.


    One by one, trenches were occupied and lost by the 15th, as they advanced in coordination with the artillery.


    First, a barrage would tear through machine guns and other firing emplacements. Then the IFVs and Tanks would suppress further resistance with their main guns as they overran the trench lines.


    Then - the brutal tide of dismounted mechanized infantry would bear down on those who survived, sweeping corner after corner as they both suffered staggering losses.


    And the Putschists weren''t giving up without a brutal struggle. Again and again, in mere intervals below even tens of minutes, counter-attacks would be organized by shattered and retreating Putchist battalions.


    Even with heavy armor, the 15th had to change hands with every position, trench line, elevated platform, and any tactical targets that they had captured. So much so that already, a section of the Putschist trench line changed hands three times - in the span of twenty-four minutes.


    And the General had enough.


    "That''s why, we have to retreat and withdraw now. This engagement is a damned lost cause!"


    William didn''t seem fazed as he listened to the complaints of the 15th''s divisional commander. Already, two other divisions had been called by William to support the 15th, but with the mounting casualties each moment, it seemed that even reinforcements wouldn''t convince the General to stay put and press on.


    "General, heavy artillery and limited air support are already available. Elements of the 122nd and 114th Mechanized are also reinforcing you. You must press on."


    "We already know how they would respond, Major! I have to retreat now!"


    And Amelie agreed behind William. She wanted to order a retreat as well - it was already too bloody.


    I don''t understand why William and Kleist are adamant about pushing on. This is just a probing attack¡­not even the¡­


    And then, it dawned on her. So that was why he smirked when the 15th captured that small hill. This wasn''t a mere probing attack like the last ones. No, something changed in his mind.


    He saw an opportunity - and took it.


    Amelie noticed that William was already looking at her when she realized it.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. It''s time. Time for the counter-offensive."

 Chapter Sixty-Three: Initial Breakthrough

    ¡°Male militarism has consumed the world. They are no mere puppets or disposable cannon fodders ¨C but armies. Armies that are ready to dismantle the order we have painstakingly created and enforced. Armies that are ready to turn back our hard-won rights centuries away. Armies that we would have to stop ¨C as one."


    - Princess Yumi Kawasaki of the Asanai Empire during the Mandate of Nations Crisis Conference.


    +++


    West of Halia


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    Royalist Frontlines


    14th Light Mech Division ¡®Wachsam¡¯


    The LSS Mechs were a deadly predator on the frontlines. Or at least in urban frontlines ¨C here, in the more flat and open fields of the towns in the western outskirts of Halia, the story was different.


    Three LSS Mechs burned beside the road as attached mechanized infantry platoons advanced forward. Throughout the battlefield, dozens after dozens of ruined, burning slags of LSS Mechs littered the body-filled frontlines. It was as if the advance left a trail of its casualties behind, with entire LSS Squadrons wiped out on the battlefield.


    ¡°Goddess dammit!¡±


    One of the Royalist Captains exclaimed as he took cover beside his remaining squad members behind a wreck of what was once an IFV.


    This one was from the earlier assaults of the 15th Mechanized, it seemed, as the IFV bore that Division¡¯s insignia on the side of its turret.


    Beside him, one of the radio operators called wildly for artillery support.


    ¡°Fire-Control Unit Five, hostiles at grid Zeta-Bravo-Zero-Two¡­¡± The radio operator called out closely as he kept his head down, his voice almost shaking as he recited the coordinates to the radio.


    The officer shook his head as he peeked at the frontlines ahead of him. Streaks of gunfire bursts kept his head close to the cover that the wreck provided, yet he tried his best to see what was happening ahead of them.


    Indeed, it was awful. His battalion had been tasked to assault a critical area beside the town of Richt, which had been occupied by Putschist forces for weeks already. The town itself was initially a site of heavy combat between Royalist and Putschist forces before its full capture. Much like other towns and settlements west of Halia, Richt exchanged hands nearly a dozen times, utterly demolishing it in the process. It was supposed to resemble a small city from a distance, yet from what the captain sees, the entire damned town was practically rubble.


    Ruined buildings, ruined homes, ruined landscape, it was as if hell had rained on the land ¨C as he could see swarms of crater after crater that littered the approach to their target.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant?¡±


    The younger officer dropped beside him. It seemed that he had dashed toward him for what could only be described as a hellish run. Sweat ran through his face, as he breathed extremely shallow breaths, his voice tired as he reported to him.


    ¡°1st and 3rd Platoon is down. Our armored support has gone up ahead. We¡¯re pinned here.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Another artillery strike dropped just a few hundred meters ahead of them. The captain stared for a split second at one of his soldiers, who fired his rifle wildly in the direction of the Putschist from the cover of one of the ruined LSS Mechs.


    ¡°Are they not sending more here?¡±


    ¡°HQ said they are. The 18th Light Mech Regiment is moving close to support us. They want that hill to be ours within these few hours.¡±


    And indeed, that was the importance of their target. Beside Richt was a slightly elevated position that ran beside a highway. The area held multiple residential noble estates, which were now turned into fortified mini fortresses that complemented the hastily constructed trench lines that the Putschists constructed near it.


    Thus, the hill stronghold held fire control over the road that would be used by the main column of the 14th Light Mech Division, which was going to be the main spearhead of the Royalist advance toward the town of Lowarth. Destroying or capturing the position was thus one of the objectives of the 14th, as they could not pass through the road without taking heavy casualties from the Putschists¡¯ elevated positions.


    Which led to the current quagmire they had faced ¨C the advance up to the hill was utterly devastating.


    At the front, the initial LSS Mech Regiment that led the first advance had been staunchly repulsed. While they hadn¡¯t sustained extreme casualties, the intensity of the Putschist resistance forced them to fall back.


    Still, they had stayed near the base of the hill, firing their main guns at the enemy while the mechanized infantry battalions attached to the 14th advanced instead ¨C which was where Captain Gulliver was assigned. Gamma Company, his own company, advanced slowly behind the Bravo and Theta Companies of the 182nd Mechanized Brigade. Their M8 IFVs accompanied them up the hill, but most of their M3 APCs were forced to be left behind, and his troops were dismounted before the assault.


    Most of his men were also dismounted from their IFVs, although they had advanced closely behind them.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Even so, the casualties had been horrendous. Machine gun fire, anti-tank missiles, rockets, and precision artillery that the Putschist employed devastated squad after squad of his company. Even his eight IFVs had now been reduced to a mere five, one of which was behind them, tracks disabled earlier by a mine.


    Still, its twenty-millimeter autocannons fired burst after burst at their target ¨C a noble mansion that was occupied by the enemy. Which was also their main target.


    ¡°Lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Send the 2nd and 4th platoon on that tree line over there. And concentrate our four IFVs there. We¡¯ll try to do a concentrated breakthrough and disable those positions.¡±


    He pointed at a group of distant Putschist troops that were manning three firing positions ¨C their machine gun fire keeping his 1st and 3rd Platoon suppressed. If he could suppress or force them off, he would be able to evacuate his platoons and regroup for another assault.


    ¡°Roger that Captain!¡±


    Still, he needed more artillery support.


    ¡­


    ¡°Right now, our forces are advancing through the two pincers that we have planned. The Putschists are reacting as expected, and their heavy artillery and air assets are now fully engaged in stopping our advance.¡±


    The maps of the frontline in front of Amelie had changed slightly to favor her. Her three spearhead divisions seemed to be breaking through the first trench lines erected by the Putschists, which was great ¨C were it not for the casualty numbers displayed on the screens.


    23 LSS Mechs Destroyed, 12 Disabled.


    18 L?we Tanks Destroyed, 32 Disabled.


    45 M8 Infantry Fighting Vehicles destroyed, 9 Disabled.


    13 M3 Armored Personnel Carriers destroyed, 5 Disabled.


    345 Confirmed KIA, 846 Confirmed WIA, 68 MIA.


    And it had only been a few hours.


    It started at 6:00 AM. It¡¯s just 11:44 AM. It seems like the initial breakthrough would truly be difficult. Goddess bless these men¡¯s souls¡­


    ¡°I see. Have we at least broken through their first lines? I can see that they have taken quite some territories¡­¡±


    Colonel Kleist, who had already at this point truly become her ¡°Situation Officer¡± who kept her briefed on the current frontline events, replied with a slightly disappointed tone. Unfortunately for him, giving such a nice report to Her Majesty was impossible, as the situation had not fully gone to their side¡¯s advantage. While they had made generous advances through the multiple Putschist trench lines, there were more layers to grind through just in the first defense line.


    Layers where they would have to bleed further and further.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Then all those casualties¡­¡±


    ¡°They died serving the correct side, Your Majesty. What we shall do now is ensure that their sacrifices won''t be in vain."


    His quick, dismissive tone subtly stunned her. She had always wondered how men could be so callous, dismissive, and almost apathetic at the pain their gender had constantly suffered.


    Sometimes, they almost were the same as the conservative aristocratic women that she knew. The same types would merely blink as if nothing happened in the face of the deaths and atrocities they had committed.


    "Major¡­"


    "Necessary sacrifices had always been a part of us men, Your Majesty. If you think these men are spending their lives in vain, please cease that. They are paying because they believe in you."


    In my reforms. My promises. The dream I showed them¡­


    A dream now on cinders. A dream I hadn''t fulfilled.


    Yet¡­


    "Men today are fighting for many causes, Your Majesty. I fight because I believe you are the right person to change everything for the better. The Putschists fight because they think Heindh?ff would be better. Yet all are the same - we are all fighting for a cause."


    "But what if I failed? What if¡­all this blood¡­"


    "Please don''t fall into the same pessimism that we fell on."


    When she looked up at him, his expression had changed from his clinical nonchalance to one of darkness. As if he had warned her of something grave - something that may have led to all of these.


    What it was, she didn''t know¡­but his words¡­


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "The darkness and evil of the Men''s Rights Movement, a movement supposed to represent our centuries-old struggle to gain our rights¡­had long rooted from that."


    "Pessimism?"


    "A natural result of being beaten and battered again and again, a gateway for the worst ideologies. Ideologies that were molded in the minds of those who do not see the possibility of human good. Of change. The belief that women - would never grant us rights. Thus justifying extreme methods."


    "That sounds oddly familiar."


    "The ORP barely believes in the possibility of men having rights. The NRF refuses to believe we would even have a chance - unless we terrorize women. Then who do we men have left that could promise us change? That could rally us to a brighter future. When we do not even believe in our own side?"


    "You mean¡­men do not believe in the cause?"


    He looked away and sighed.


    "How can you believe the Liberals, the Republicans, the ORP, and all the moderates when they have failed to bring change after decades? How can you believe the NRF, the extremists, and the militarists, if all of their solutions involved war and pain?"


    "Then¡­why die for me?"


    "...It''s easy for many men to die for the NRF, who believe in total change. But so too for you - a woman, who seems serious for change."


    "Is that¡­so? But the ORP? They always seemed to have massive support. I''ve always thought men are only loyal to me because I made a coalition with them."


    He chuckled.


    "The ORP are a bunch of crooks. Crooks that are the only thing that looks ''sane'' in the many faces of the Male Rights Movement. Men rallied and still rallied behind them because they were the least shitty option. But now that you have appeared, a true reformist that shines a light in the darkness, however faint it is, we cling to you - even if we have to fight our fellow brothers."


    And it still never made sense to her since this war began. She was a woman. A Queen. She thought they hated her. She thought they despised her.


    Yet they rallied behind her. Defended her. Spilled blood for her. Even her loyalist officers always acted with initiative for her - and tainted their hands with the blood of their fellow men, just to support her.


    Was this how desperate men had become? That they would die for her - a woman, a Queen, a matriarch, in the search for their rights, merely for their disillusionment with their cause?


    "There is no side that would give us rights without making us pay blood. But at least, you, Your Majesty, are a reformer that gives hope to even the most pessimistic of minds. They are dying for you - the new face of egalitarianism. Not an angry, bitter, raving, hate-filled man. But an idealistic Queen."


    ¡­But still. I cannot sacrifice them like this. I refuse¡­I refuse. If I win this war, I need it to be a win for those who believe in me.


    If deaths were to be inevitable, however, then the best she could do.


    Was not to make the lives lost in vain.


    I will win this war, and grant them their rights.

 Chapter Sixty-Four: The OIA Strikes Back

    ¡°Fight for equality! Fight for your pride! Fight for your dignity! Utilize the new face of men''s war machines against their magic - the Panther Mechs! Join the Republican Mech Cavalry Regiments in the nearest recruitment centers!"


    - Provisional Government War Propaganda posters to recruit LSS Mech Pilots, City of Eirhow.


    "Her Majesty Wants You - Nearest Recruiting Station."


    - Royalist War Propaganda posters, City of Eutstadt.


    "We beat her before - we''ll beat her again."


    - Lorathian Anti-Larissan War Propaganda, City of Redcastle.


    +++


    "So that''s where it all comes down to?"


    The sigh from Her Majesty was beyond lifeless, as she settled down in the seat of William¡¯s armored SUV. The previous one had, unfortunately, been quite damaged by the blast during¡­well, Amelie preferred not to remember that missile strike. All she could say now about that event was that she really preferred being in the bunker more nowadays.


    ¡°At the very least, the offensive hadn¡¯t been bogged down in the first of their defense lines. That would have been the true disaster.¡±


    ¡°Still, the casualties.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a part of war.¡±


    And she loathed it. She had already seen enough dead over the course of the battle, from the civilians to the common soldier. She even had a close call once with it. To die from war, she realized, was one of the worst ways to go.


    She could hardly forgive the previous Queens of Orland now as the reality of warfare truly bore through her. How could they send millions of young men to such hellish conditions? Worse¡­how could she do the same?


    Was there any justification?


    What difference was her actions from the previous Queens of Orland?


    And why¡­why were men like William and Kleist, or Albert for that matter, so determined to fight for her victory? It was a difficult question that she struggled to answer. What made her so special?


    ¡°You¡¯re troubled, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be, William?¡±


    The city they passed through wasn¡¯t what Amelie had remembered. It was almost as if everything she grew up with were being taken away, one by one. The stores, the roads, the elegant architecture of Halia¡¯s buildings, all seemed dirtied by the war. Some were gone, turned into nothing but rubble.


    She looked at one of the famous Universities of Halia, the Sichten Institute, which once conducted advanced research on dimensional magic, but was now abandoned. While it still held its grace and elegance, and the buildings in the complex seemed pristine, there were no more lights. No more activity. Just stone-cold silence.


    Stone-cold silence was the state of the center of the city. While the sound of distant warfare could still be heard, and they did pass through the occasional lines of civilians that followed the police and Royal Guard knights on the ground for the constant stream of evacuations, the city was devoid of true life. True activity. Only the rumbles of tank threads, the occasional dashing convoys of trucks and armored cars, or the fast metallic thuds of the LSS mechs that moved forward in groups to the frontline was the activity.


    Or those lines of marching OAF troops that headed toward the front. That was it. There were no more civilian activities. Truly, her city had become one with war. The only business here was war, no more.


    And if war isn¡¯t your business¡­you must leave.


    She just hoped that the evacuations were going smoothly at last. She wanted to fight a clean battle for once. One where her civilian subjects would not be in danger. Anything less would be a failure on her part, and she could not afford failure, again and again, she reminded herself. Failure would mean death for her subjects. Failure meant blood on her hands.


    ¡°Sometimes, you just cannot control the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no excuse, William.¡±


    ¡°Do you not like excuses?¡±


    She gave her a side-eye. What kind of a question was that? Of course, she did not like to make excuses. It was¡­not good. It would not reflect well on her, being the Queen. If disaster struck under her tenure, that would be her responsibility.


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. It makes you complacent. It prevents you from learning your lessons.¡±


    ¡°And are you learning your lessons?¡±


    She wanted to say yes, but hardly could say yes. Instead, she fell silent as she looked at the passing, ruined streets as William¡¯s SUV drove through the central city district. Did she learn her lesson? Surely, if she did, none of this would have happened.


    ¡°Slowly.¡±


    ¡°Better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°Everyone learns that way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not like everyone else. I¡¯m the Queen. I¡¯m supposed to be better. To be more capable. Able to lead. Able to learn. Someone everyone would follow.¡±


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    ¡°We are following you. But what you outlined are just the issues of a hereditary monarchy, and are not your fault. You were born for power as outlined by the system, but you are not ready for it.¡±


    He¡¯s blaming the system, not me. But I on the other hand am blaming myself. I¡¯m such¡­


    She supposed she conducts self-pity way too much. But who wouldn¡¯t, at the scale of disaster her Kingdom faced in her reign?


    William made a right turn, and just as suddenly, he pressed on the break and stopped. The vehicles behind William¡¯s SUV were manned by members of the 16th - William¡¯s battalion, stopped as well, and William pulled out his radio.


    ¡°What is happening?¡±


    ¡°Something.¡±


    ¡°Something what?¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply, as he began conversing rapidly through his radio. Outside, William¡¯s men left their vehicles and began forming a perimeter around the convoy. Amelie¡¯s heartbeat rose as she watched the event unfold, and instinctively, she pulled out the wand tucked in her dress.


    If the worst ever arrived, she would be ready.


    ¡°Please confirm that, Echo Two.¡±


    ¡°William¡­¡±


    ¡°Just stay calm. Echo Two, are you sure there are contacts in that lane?"


    The muffled transmission wasn¡¯t clearly heard by Amelie, as her eyes darted around the abandoned road. The buildings ahead were silent, and there were swathes of abandoned cars beside the road as well. Something¡­something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°William¡­is there¡­¡±


    Her eyes went wide, and her heartbeat almost stopped. Dread filled her veins, just as her instincts to activate her mana overrode her mind. Her body called, and her gift answered. Defend. Defend. Defend her life.


    The sudden shot slammed right in front of the windshield - the thing almost cracking. It was bulletproof, but the size of the bullet that hit¡­


    ¡°SNIPER!¡±


    William¡¯s men dispersed just as quickly when he shouted, and so did their weapons, as lead was unloaded haphazardly in the sniper¡¯s general direction by their guns. While Amelie was frozen, her mind snapped back into action as she pulled her wand, her eyes suddenly glowing blue.


    And so did William. In a slight, abject sense of error, he had misjudged the sudden reverse of their SUV and slammed straight into a streetlight, which collapsed down at their vehicle. But a sudden burst of blue light pulsed the metal off from hitting their roof directly, and the debris fell to the side of the street.


    Close call.


    She hadn¡¯t done that spell for a while, but it certainly worked.


    ¡°I do apologize for my driving skills, but thank goddess you pulled out your wand now.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Another shot pinged at the SUV¡¯s tires, and immediately, they were without it. Now, Amelie and William were both sitting ducks.


    ¡°Well, we would definitely have to leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡­the windshield isn¡¯t going to hold, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Two or three shots, give or take.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll try to cast a shield on both of us.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    William looked at his men outside, who were still firing controlled bursts at a building three hundred meters ahead. Somewhere around the 17th story of what appeared to be an abandoned office building was where the shot came from, and they were saturating it with gunfire. Perhaps, if they could simultaneously suppress and exit the vehicle, their heads would be intact.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll radio them to conduct suppressive fire. You do your thing.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    She focused her mind as more of her mana activated. One by one, the formulas that she had memorized appeared, and she began conducting mental calculations to derive the best ones to create a field around the two of them. She aimed to manipulate the gravity around the two and form a thin energy field around it that could stop the bullets headed her way.


    Luckily, she had a preset of the spell in her wand¡¯s database and only had to manipulate it to suit the environment. And with that, she chanted it in her mind.


    [Barrier]


    It was a blue field, which materialized around their SUV. Upon seeing it, William called out for his troops to begin the suppressive fire. The command immediately jolted each soldier up from their covers, as their rifles began to spit fire together.


    The two took the opportunity rather quickly, as they both exited the dead SUV and flopped into cover. Amelie herself kept the magical shield on both of them before she turned it off upon finding cover. No need to waste mana.


    ¡°Well, this really is unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°William, did you call for help already.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I did.¡±


    ¡°How far?¡±


    ¡°Three minutes.¡±


    He pulled up his submachinegun, which Amelie had only seen once before, and fired at the distance. The two of them were holed up behind a damaged civilian car, red in color. Amelie herself kept her head down, as she really only had her wand with her. And while she could probably do some really great things with it, she would rather not, because a screw-up in such a situation would be awful.


    She wasn¡¯t a Knight or a combat mage. Fantasize all she liked, and even if she knew the spells (which she did), she didn¡¯t know how exactly she could implement them in a practical sense. Outside of perhaps defending herself in desperation.


    But still, I need to do something.


    But the sniper was too far. There was nothing she could do. Perhaps she could send a beam of concentrated laser on that building, but, that would just be property damage.


    Then again that doesn¡¯t really matter. They are shooting at that building after all.


    She really needed to do something. A scream emanated ahead of them. One of William¡¯s troops suddenly dropped from the battle in blood. Gunfire from below - the road ahead itself, began pouring in.


    ¡°Shit! There¡¯s more of them!¡± One of them shouted.


    ¡°Can we hold?¡± Amelie asked William, who replied with a grunt.


    "Echo Three is still en route.¡±


    ¡°They''re just a few minutes away, right?¡±


    William didn''t reply to her, but instead barked his orders as he fired back at the OIA agents.


    ¡°They¡¯re charging at us. Men! Fire back! Don¡¯t let them get Her Majesty!¡±


    Amelie watched as a surge of combat cries came from William¡¯s men. The controlled burst of their weapons fired at the advancing, urban camoed, hostile troops. Amelie gave a quick burst of her wide viewing spell at them and saw that the group had OIA patches on their shoulders.


    More importantly, she saw where each of them were. There were twenty-four of them, all scattered in covered positions around the road. They advanced at them rapidly as they hopped from cover to cover to get to her.


    So that guy wants me gone.


    Well, she expected as much.


    Amelie mustered all the courage that she could get, and she looked at her options. She needed a way to fight them off quickly. And since she had magic, perhaps, it was now time to use it seriously. But how?


    How would she use it? She looked again at the battlefield. The bastards were now fast approaching, and William¡¯s men were being forced back. Many were dropping. She needed to act.


    Come on¡­come on¡­oh. That¡¯s¡­a crazy idea.


    But maybe, it would work.

 Chapter Sixty-Five: Her Majesty Fights Back

    ¡°Royalist forces conduct a sudden counter-offensive against Putschist forces in the Ludendorf front. The first hours saw Royalist probing attacks, followed by a massive bombardment from massed Royalist artillery, missiles, and limited surgical air strikes. As of now, a bulge has formed as the Putschists retreat from what appears to be two advancing pincers that could threaten an encirclement of Putschist forces on the west bank of the Ludendorf river.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Well, she really needed it to work.


    Another one of William¡¯s men dropped, as he clutched his wounded shoulder. The shot went through it clean, dripping blood like a loose faucet. Amelie naturally felt bad for him, but her adrenaline was so high that she somehow didn¡¯t lose her mind over it.


    Alright, time to do it.


    She weaved her wand up, and immediately, a blue vortex appeared on top of it.


    [Homing Ice]


    It immediately slashed twelve percent of her active mana, but a swarm of eighteen ice spikes was launched from the vortex. She had already deployed her previous ¡°target acquisition¡± spell that identified the OIA agents hot on them. With that, she merely connected her initial spell to the "Homing Ice" spell. It was quite similar to the modern missile guidance systems employed by today¡¯s armies, in that the projectiles required a way to seek, identify, and lock on their targets.


    With that, her eighteen targets were marked for death. Unfortunately, Amelie hadn¡¯t had the guts to lock it straight to their necks and other critical areas of the human body, and the ice spikes impaled themselves straight to the wrong place - the legs, the shoulders, or the arms.


    However, only four of them successfully scored their hits, unsurprising, as the OIA agents saw it coming.


    ¡°That was good.¡±


    ¡°Was it?¡±


    ¡°Well, better than nothing.¡±


    She huffed at William¡¯s remark. Now, she wasn¡¯t asking for big praise for her, but she did her part too! Not that she even eliminated one of them, though their wounded states forced their comrades to drag them off from their engagement site.


    Alright, what¡¯s next?


    [Surveillance]


    The sudden pulse of her mana allowed her once more to identify the situation around her. She noted that the OIA agents had been stopped for a while by her previous attack, but they weren¡¯t going down from that. Not that she expected them to do so, these were professionals.


    However, she did question why they attacked her there. Couldn¡¯t they do it more discreetly? Or perhaps they had no other choice. Infiltrating Halia must have been quite a difficult affair. The OAF and the Royal Guard had an absolute iron grip on who entered and exited Halia after all, not to mention the constant patrols around the city.


    Now that she remembered that, where the hell were they?


    ¡°William?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where is the help? I thought they were just minutes away.¡±


    He checked his radio and asked for the status of Echo-3. Gunfire could already be heard a few blocks away, which Amelie suspected was a part of their current altercation.


    ¡°Shit, another group engaged them on the way here.¡±


    ¡°You mean there¡¯s more?!¡±


    He didn¡¯t look back at her. Instead, William stood up and barked orders at his men. Immediately, six men detached themselves from the confrontation in the front and manned their rear. Amelie also instinctively took cover at another abandoned civilian car that covered both her back and front.


    [Barrier]


    Her quick dash was marked by multiple bursts of gunfire nailing her. Her shield did block it well, but that still wasn¡¯t ideal. Her active mana dropped by a quarter just from that, which meant that she would probably have to activate more of it. That was bad, really bad. Activating passive mana meant fatigue. It meant pain later on.


    Still, that was what she did, although she only activated enough to compensate for what she lost. Her eyes and halo glowed a little bit more brighter as a result.


    ¡°William!¡±


    He dropped down to place another magazine at his SMG. He looked at her, as they were already a bit apart after her tactical relocation.


    ¡°Yeah?!¡±


    ¡°Can you¡­can your men take their attention off me?¡±


    ¡°They already are.¡±


    ¡°I need-¡±


    Another shot pinged straight at the car that Amelie used as her cover. Some shards of glass showered her, but she merely ducked and held her ear. Truly, this was getting beyond terrifying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to freeze that area.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡±


    ¡°I need to stand up and aim at them for a few seconds for that.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just use your surveillance spell?¡±


    ¡°My barrier spell is activated.¡±


    ¡°So what? Do three.¡±


    ¡°Three active spells at once? Do you think I¡¯m a Royal Guard knight?¡±


    He held his head as another burst of OIA gunfire streaked to the ground. The damned OIA was getting handsy now. They were also getting uncomfortably close.


    William pulled out his radio.


    ¡°Echo Two, get your asses up again. Her Majesty is about to do some miracle. Suppress them at all cost.¡±


    Once again, William¡¯s men exposed themselves from their positions to fire back. Burst after burst of rifle fire greeted the OIA advance, which forced them down into cover. Naturally, they still fired back, but their volume of fire was significantly reduced by William¡¯s men.


    That of course won¡¯t last long, William¡¯s men didn¡¯t have unlimited ammo in their magazines.


    And so, while her body definitely wasn¡¯t shaking like crazy (it was) she stood up and aimed her wand at the road in front of her. She almost ducked down when a sudden burst nicked her barrier, but her wand was already glowing blue as her mana gathered toward it.


    She calculated the area of her target as best as she could, and just utilized the preset already available in her wand. As the mana coalesced in her wand, it glowed madly blue, and her mind spoke.


    [Freeze]


    The splash of blue light collided straight into the asphalt and exploded with a blast, light blue in color. The temperature around it dropped almost to absolute zero, utterly freezing everything in a thirty-meter radius. The OIA agents didn¡¯t even have a chance to react when suddenly, they were frozen dead.


    ¡°Amelie! Get down.¡±


    She didn¡¯t notice William¡¯s almost muffled shout. She was almost frozen still as she stared at her work. She¡­actually killed people.


    She however found herself dragged straight down, quite suddenly. She found herself pinned down to the ground by William, who seemed enraged.


    ¡°What the hell were you doing?! You could have gotten yourself killed!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°When I say get down, you get yourself down!¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    She picked herself up as William turned back to the fight in front of them, radio at hand. She killed people. So many people. With her own wand, her own magic. Moreso, she was again almost killed. How could she do that? How did she do that?


    I almost got myself killed.


    ¡°Echo Three, I really need that damned reinforcement yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Copy that, Major. OAF soldiers are now aiding us in combat here. We¡¯re moving in.¡±


    William turned around to face Amelie, her face already slightly pale at her own atrocity. While he definitely felt bad for the poor girl, he had to be stern in combat and drive it straight to her noggin that she could not be sloppy in a life-or-death situation.


    ¡°I apologize for my outburst, but they¡¯re coming already.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­it was my mistake.¡±


    ¡°Just keep your head down.¡±


    Amelie herself was still left in a stupor. Was her mind really this slow at processing shock? She somehow felt sluggish and unable to move. Was it her sudden activation of passive mana that did her? Or perhaps she really was just shocked? Her blood really felt cold after all. Again, she almost killed herself. She killed people.


    I killed people.


    She looked down at the wand she held tightly. It seemed to be shaking. That was strange. She was¡­she was really shaking. How long had it been? It was already many moments from that event, yet her mind was still transfixed at it.


    She needed to get a hold of herself.


    Deep breaths¡­deep breaths. You did what you had to do. It was either them or me. I had no other choice. It¡¯s¡­still not alright. But, what choice did I have? Why am I trying to justify it while I¡¯m being shot at?!


    She really wanted to pull her hair at this point.


    Fortunately, she heard the sound of advancing HMLVs. It was William''s men - immediately, their guns atop opened fire at the OIA agents. That seemed to do the trick as they all began to back out from the fight.


    They were still firing back as they escaped, but the influx of William''s men gave Amelie the chance to breathe out a sigh of relief. At the very least, she was safe - for now.


    "Status report!"


    "Major! Echo Three is chasing them." Replied one of William''s Lieutenants. "Eight of our men are wounded. Jackson and Theodore are KIA."


    "Form a perimeter again. And get the wounded out of here."


    He turned back at Amelie, who was still ducked down, hiding from an already gone enemy. Her breathing was shallow, and her eyes dilated, but as she looked up at William, the weight on her chest dissipated.


    "It''s alright now, Amelie."


    +++


    She didn¡¯t exactly have an idea of what really happened. They were attacked by OIA troops out of nowhere, inside the city of Halia itself. She looked around the site of the battlefield, especially at the OIA agents that she froze alive.


    There were six of them, all of them still with a look of terror plastered on their faces. Their final reactions on the very second of their demise. It sent a chill to her spine.


    Perhaps, this was the true face of women¡¯s magic. Utter terror for men. She already was wondering how it must have felt for these young men. To face an ability that could wipe them out that easily. All without the use of any weaponry. Just a mere wand, and a woman¡¯s mind. That was all.


    And they were dead.


    I¡¯m sorry¡­


    Not that such apologies even mattered to the dead. And while she would like to justify her killings of six souls, again and again, her mind almost always came back at her. To blame herself. To blame herself for her failures that plunged her Kingdom into this deranged conflict in the first place. The sole reason for this skirmish.


    The sole reason for these men¡¯s deaths.


    ¡°Amelie, I really do apologize. I left a vulnerability in our security.¡±


    Marie Wittfield, her friend, was now also at the scene. Apparently, the Royal Investigations Unit, and Marie herself had been tracking this OIA cell for days already. Marie had been stuck outside of Halia for weeks when the civil war started and only arrived a few days ago to begin counterintelligence operations in the city.


    Unfortunately, they were too late.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only detected this cell two days ago. We were hot on their tracks, but they kept evading my agents.¡±


    ¡°What was their objective?¡±


    ¡°They wanted to cut the head of the Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°So they wanted to assassinate me?¡±


    ¡°They wanted a more surefire way to do so. Unfortunately, we forked them out of their operation yesterday. Their operation plans failed.¡±


    ¡°And so they tried a desperate way to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    She looked back down at the eyes of one of the frozen OIA agents. Desperate indeed. Desperation¡­that was what drove all of these men, wasn¡¯t it? It was in his eyes. The desperation that pushed them to do anything. Almost as if they didn¡¯t, they would lose something more than their lives. Or perhaps their lives didn¡¯t matter any further.


    Desperation to win their rights. With every, desperate method.


    And that look in his eye - it terrified Amelie.

 Chapter Sixty-Six: The Great Evacuation

    ¡°The Imperial Council of Larissa demands the return of Empress Katerina Illyenov in exchange for a ceasefire. Admiral Herard Tresckow of VACCOM however had so far denied the exchange, and cited that the Empress started the war and had to face justice for it. The whereabouts of the Empress is still unknown, though many speculate that she is held captive aboard the ONS Rebenslof at the moment.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Amelie was still shaken by the last encounter. Truthfully, while she had narrowly avoided the assassination, the fact that the plots against her had happened still left a chill in her spine. She could scarcely believe that she would ever be a target of such attacks. She thought only politicians or important personalities would be targeted by it.


    Until she remembered she was one of those.


    Anyhow, William himself seemed apologetic for leaving her in such a vulnerable state. While she would not chastise him, it seemed that he really was blaming himself for getting into the ambush in the first place.


    ¡°William, look, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°It probably will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop it before it happens. That¡¯s my job.¡±


    ¡°You did what you can do. Look, it¡¯s alright now.¡±


    They were now en route again to their original destination - the Ministry of Health Headquarters, which was where Minister Allison Thell was based. Minister Thell didn¡¯t exactly leave the city in the ongoing evacuations of the Orlish Civilian government and was even adamant about standing firm in the city.


    ¡°Well, for now, let¡¯s put it behind, William.¡±


    ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m investigating this with Marie.¡±


    ¡°You have no objections from me.¡±


    She fell silent as she looked at him. This was his third SUV now, as his first and second ones had been¡­temporarily placed out of service, unfortunately.


    The drive didn¡¯t take long any further, as they arrived at the MoH HQ within minutes. The area had already been long locked down by Royal Guard forces, and they had to pass through checkpoints in order to gain access inside.


    It wasn¡¯t really that tedious, as the mere sight of Amelie and William¡¯s ID dissuaded anyone from delaying their drive. Within minutes, the two were walking inside, already seemingly in a rush. The Ministry seemed already devoid of most of its staff, outside of a few skeleton crew that aided them in getting around the building.


    ¡°Your Majesty, welcome to my office.¡± Minister Allison started as she beckoned for the two to enter. It reminded Amelie of her original office in the Palace. It was messy, filled with papers and various documents, and the Minister seemed to have stockpiled piles after piles of empty cup noodles at the side.


    Truly, the situation was that dire.


    ¡°I do apologize for the mess. I have been holed up here for extended periods, and was too busy to fix stuff.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    They all sat down at their respective chairs.


    ¡°So, I assume you came here to ask about the evacuations?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Minister Thell. The Armed Forces are now diverting the Putschists¡¯ bombardment away from our lines to Rebenslof, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we did see a significant reduction in civilian fatalities along the roads and railways straight to Rebenslof. Alongside a significant reduction in damage done to our lines. Still, the broken roads and railways pose a significant hazard and bottleneck to the evacuations¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing to address it?¡±


    Now, previously, during the planning of Operation Silent Spear, Amelie assigned Minister Thell to lead the evacuation efforts. Her job was to coordinate the Grand Duchy¡¯s civilian sectors, both private and public, which included most of the significant civilian agencies still active in the Grand Duchy, all for one goal - to speed up the evacuations.


    It was a massive task for someone like her. Most other Ministers had already evacuated the Grand Duchy after all, which left a scant few to lead the various Ministries and Agencies that operated in the region. While nationwide she had no control, over here she did.


    And while Amelie could have just assigned Jacqueline or Walter to it, Jacqueline was too busy dealing with the nobles and the Parliament, while Walter was still hard at work in dealing with the squabbles of the Royal Guard and the Armed Forces.


    And since Minister Allison had deep connections with her peers in the Grand Duchy¡¯s remaining civilian officials, Amelie knew that she would serve well to smoothen everything out.


    And so, she was assigned.


    ¡°I am currently coordinating the companies in charge of the railways, and I¡¯m trying to get more buses and trucks even just to transport people out. Not to mention all the lines of civilians in the terminals¡­¡±


    ¡°I see, by your estimates, how long would it take to get everyone that must be evacuated out?¡±


    ¡°About two weeks at most at this rate. Though, that figure should go down as the evacuations smooth out, assuming that our workers on the ground repair the broken railways and clear out the debris and rubble in the roads.¡±


    ¡°The damage done to our infrastructure seems like a major limiting factor.¡±


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    ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty, it is. They cause delays, and traffic, or stop trains from moving altogether when we¡¯re talking about rail transport. Sometimes they cause accidents, and while I have placed a lot of our health workers directly on the active areas of the evacuations, they¡¯re stretched thin.¡±


    Amelie sighed. She imagined how severe it must be for the men and women on the ground. They were evacuating millions of civilians in broken roads, broken railways, and wartorn towns and small cities. The routes to Rebenslof must be hell, as she had read and watched the news about how those who had to go through it faced deplorable conditions.


    Added to it especially were the occasional artillery strikes, which, according to the Provisional Government, were aimed merely at trains transporting ¡°military supplies and reinforcements¡±. She had long known that was mere propaganda. They were targeting civilians, or they didn''t care if their attacks struck civilians.


    Thankfully, Heindh?ff didn¡¯t seem to be that deranged. At the very least, he hadn¡¯t employed illegal weaponry. However, she worried about it too. How long. How long till the extremists that tore her country apart decided that more extreme methods had to be done to overthrow her?


    Extreme methods that could lead to more suffering for her people.


    ¡°Do we have any other problems?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in fact, Your Majesty, I need some more emergency funding to mobilize more civilian transport. Maybe that should help smoothen things up.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Amelie turned to William.


    ¡°William, can we send more funding to her?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, much of the funds around the Grand Duchy, alongside the money in the Central Bank is being utilized by the Armed Forces and the Royal Guard. She¡¯s gonna have to ask the Minister of Economy in Eutstadt for that.¡±


    That made sense. With the Civilian Government¡¯s evacuation to Eutstadt, the treasury was also sent there. And while they did receive billions each week to prosecute the war in the Grand Duchy, those were being used up again by the Armed Forces.


    ¡°Can we ask her to send more?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, the treasury is being used to mobilize factories or open up factories on the West Coast. Practically the entire national budget is being used for wartime mobilization. Not to mention the billions being used up to buy foreign arms as a stopgap measure.¡±


    ¡°Then that leaves my personal money.¡±


    The Royal Family of Orland¡­was the richest in Orland, much to no one¡¯s surprise. The amount of Royal Corporations that she inherited, their possessions, and the money from the crownland, alongside the Grand Duchy itself, made her family extremely rich.


    Richer than even the largest megacorporations, whose wealth was mostly held up by speculation in the stock market (which had been long slashed by the economic collapse). The last estimates that Amelie conducted on her liquid wealth showed that she had at least two hundred billion Orlish Blancs that she could utilize in an emergency.


    Technically, she had three times more than that, but most of that was in tangible assets, stocks of her Royal Corporations, and property. Not something she could simply use to fund crap on a whim. But two hundred billion was¡­two hundred billion blancs.


    Not that I have anything else to do with it anyway.


    And what use would it be if her country was gone? Or more civilians died? In fact, a plan bubbled in her mind. What if she used most of her liquid money to aid the war effort on her front? Would that help?


    Probably yes.


    ¡°Y-your Majesty!¡± Minister Allison seemed alarmed. ¡°I-Il find other sources of funding. Maybe I¡¯ll try to get William¡¯s help to commandeer more vehicles by force if need be. No need for this, I can settle all of it without Her Majesty¡¯s personal money.¡±


    Amelie smiled. Why did she worry that much? Truly, some of her subjects could be too loyal, straight to the realms of impracticality.


    ¡°No worries. How much do you need.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I am absolutely sure, Minister Thell. I am the Queen, and if my money has to be used for the well-being of my subjects, then it shall be used. I don¡¯t care about money rotting in storage if it can be used.¡±


    ¡°I...alright. We need fourteen Billion Orlish Blancs to acquire enough vehicles to transport one hundred thousand more civilians daily. That¡¯s¡­a few hundred buses and trucks, and some trains from Rebenslof.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll arrange for the funds to reach you, within this day.¡±


    A good chunk of her money after all was still in the Central Bank, untouched due to the fact that it was the Queen¡¯s money. It should not take long for it to be mobilized for emergency use.


    ¡°Then¡­I¡¯ll make sure it is used well, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡­


    She could hear the distant sounds of heavy artillery. Her head hung low on her hands, as she looked at the distant districts of Halia. Truly, she wondered when it would all end. How many lives were being wasted, all while she was merely lost in her thoughts here?


    The sun was already going down, and it was getting dark. Yet the sounds hadn¡¯t ended. Each day was the same after all, that was the truth about this ¡°siege¡±.


    Still, she would never accept backing out from the capital. This was her capital. The center of her rule, flawed as it was.


    Down below, she watched as civilian and military vehicles moved through the road in front of the Ministry. They all seemed hard at work, as always, just to win the war that she failed to stop.


    But this is just the first step.


    As William said, all of their work today was just the beginning. The Battle of Halia, and whoever would win this battle, would not truly decide the course of war. While it was a strategic target for both sides, this was an industrial war.


    It would not end until one side had exhausted most, if not all of their means to prosecute the war.


    ¡°Deep in thought, Your Majesty?¡±


    Amelie chuckled as she turned tiredly to Minister Allison, who approached her from behind, teacup in hand. She placed it on a table beside Amelie, and naturally, Amelie took a sip.


    ¡°Mhm¡­this is good.¡±


    ¡°Glad it is, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s no need to call me that way. Please, Minister Thell, call me Amelie instead. We¡¯re both in this together.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She seemed sheepish, but she nodded.


    ¡°Alright¡­Amelie. But I have a request too. Stop calling me Minister Thell, it makes me feel like an old woman, a politician.¡±


    ¡°But you are.¡±


    ¡°You wound me¡­please, just call me Allison too. That works just as well.¡±


    ¡°Fine...¡±


    Allison took a seat in front of Amelie and fixed herself a cup of tea as well. Amelie missed these times when she could just take a few cups of tea with her friends. Marie, Jacquline, Alexa¡­she wondered what happened to Alexa now.


    ¡°I apologize for bringing this up, but, I¡¯ve heard you were ambushed on your way here.¡±


    ¡°William took care of it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising that many men could stay so loyal to us.¡±


    She questioned it many times herself as well, but truly, she struggled to find an answer as to why. The light in the darkness? She shook her head.


    Colonel Kleist must be messing with me.


    Though, perhaps his words truly had merit. That men were fighting for her because she was their hope in the darkness.


    ¡°It saddens my heart to watch many of them die for us.¡±


    ¡°...Perhaps, we really are in the wrong, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I think this civil war shows that clearly.¡± She looked Allison dead in the eye. ¡°We women have been in the wrong for 3 centuries.¡±


    ¡°But men have been in the wrong before that too, and today as well. We must not forget that.¡±


    But that just meant one thing. Someone had to put a stop to the endless cycle. Of men and women being in the wrong.


    But is it even possible?

 Chapter Sixty-Seven: Hammer Down

    ¡°For three hundred years, we have battled them and bled for our rights. For three hundred years, we had been beaten and crushed. Every inch forward met with the brutal magic of our masters. Today is no different. The payment for our rights will be a toll towering above us. For we are only privileged to receive either a pyrrhic victory - or total annihilation.¡±


    - General Oswald Kluge


    +++


    July 7, 2024


    12th Armored Division ¡®Trident¡¯


    8th Republican Army Corps


    Putschist Frontlines


    General Oswald Kluge, the man in charge of the original spearhead of the Putschist assault during the June Coup, now found himself in charge of the 8th Republican Army Corps after their failure to secure the capital.


    In the distance, the skies once more turned bright, as the Royalists began another artillery barrage. The lights of the falling missiles, shells, and their detonations created a distant orchestra of death and demise.


    Which prompted a smirk in the face of Oswald.


    He lowered his binoculars and spoke to the man beside him.


    ¡°Arthur.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, are they really sure about this?¡±


    ¡°About as sure as they should be. Now give them the signal.¡±


    Lieutenant General Arthur Kluge, second in command to Oswald, and his very nephew, took the radio from their radio operator.


    ¡°Fire Battery One, Four, Five, Eight, Fourteen, and Twenty, commence bombardment on affected grids. Fire Battery One, Six, and Seven commence counter-battery operations.¡±


    The bombardment from the Putschists began. On the western bank of the Ludendorf River, dozens of field artillery batteries opened fire together. Alongside them, lined upon lines of Self-Propelled Artillery units opened fire high at the sky as well, again and again.


    And then behind them, parked RFRS (Rapid Fire Rocket Systems), massive rocket launchers mounted on the chassis of the M8 IFVs, unleashed their fire at the skies and sent hundreds after hundreds of missiles in the direction of the frontline.


    The distant booms that lit up the frontlines could be seen clearly by General Oswald Kluge, as he kept his binoculars out, and watched the destruction in front of him.


    Their forces, for the last days since the Orlish counter-attack, had been forced back one after another from their forward positions. Casualties had been sky-high, as the Royalist armored forces and heavy artillery decimated dozens of brigades in short order.


    And they pushed deep, straight to the towns of Lofbeck in the south, and Rostfurt and Reilow up north. More critical was their push to Rostfurt, as it was close to the town of Tor, where the Tor Bridge, their main line of supply to the eastern bank of the Ludendorf River, was present.


    Reilow was also important, as a road passed through it from their northern incursions to the Free Confederation. While there weren¡¯t many supplies that passed through Reilow, it would still be an unfortunate loss if captured by the Royalists.


    Already, the Royalists took the town of Richt, which was merely five kilometers away from Reilow. The battered brigades of the 21st and 17th Infantry Divisions delayed their advance by two days, mainly with their local counterattacks as they stubbornly exchanged hands with the Royalitsts over Richt.


    But now, two days into the Royalist counteroffensive, the Putschist leadership had devised their direct response. The immediate resumption of their offensive.


    Do not retreat in battle. Instead, face them head-on.


    That was General Heindh?ff¡¯s words himself. And there were a lot of merits with his command. They had already been building up for a second push to the capital itself. While the Royalist assault threw their plans off-balance, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the preparations had been made and were being made.


    Much of the units hit by their counteroffensive were frontline units that were never planned to be a part of their main offensive. They were there to man the front, and they had served their role well, as he, and the 8th Republican Army Corps, the spearhead of the planned Putschist counterattack, were untouched.


    ¡°Seems like we¡¯re hitting them real good,¡± Oswald said to his nephew, who nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yes, this saturation barrage should soften them up.¡±


    ¡°Would have preferred a more precise approach, but I suppose they¡¯ve been on the move for a while. Would have required a lot more recon to do so.¡±


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s so much munitions that we sent. That could have lasted a week or so, but we used it all up in one go.¡±


    ¡°No worries. The supplies from Eirhow are endless. We¡¯re not like them who have to conserve, we can pummel them with everything that we have. And¡­warfare is all about terrifying the enemy army to back down.¡±


    Oswald looked back at Arthur.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you think lighting up the entire frontline is quite terrifying?¡±


    +++


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    Near Reilow


    14th Light Mech Division ¡®Wachsam¡¯


    182nd Mechanized Brigade


    Gamma Company


    Royalist Frontlines


    <<We cannot break through their lines! Heavy artillery is raining down on us!>>


    <<No retreat! We can still push on!>>


    <<3rd Regiment is backing down! We took too many losses!>>


    <<Hostile forces are counter-attacking!>>


    <<25th Battalion is decimated by enemy artillery! We have to retreat!>>


    The frontline was shattered. It seemed almost hell, as fires burned the wrecks of what once were the armored formations of the 14th Light Mech Division. LSS Mechs, L?we tanks, M3 APCs, and M8 IFVs littered the crater-filled no man¡¯s land, as troops of all kinds tried desperately to disembark or to rescue the wounded.


    Beside them, the occasional surviving armored units seemed to be firing back with desperation at the Putschist lines, while HMLVs and other infantry continued their advance.


    Behind a burning LSS Mech, a group of HMLVs was parked near the HMLV of the Captain of Gamma Company. He was conversing with his radio as the sound of fifty-caliber gunfire filled his ears.


    ¡°I NEEDED THAT DAMNED FIRE SUPPORT YESTERDAY!¡±


    ¡°Negative, Captain. We cannot prioritize you for now. You will have to wait till-¡±


    He placed down his radio as he looked back at the front lines. Most of his men had dismounted and taken cover in the wreckages of their armored formations, or in the hundreds of craters that littered the battlefield.


    Their HMLVs however continued their machine gun fire, thus they were still unleashing a significant volume of fire on their target. He however did not duck or hide from the rain of bullets around him, instead, he walked straight, slowly, calmly, and methodolically as gunfire rained all around him.


    Almost as if nothing could touch him.


    Of course, it was all for show. He didn¡¯t want his men to lose further morale, so he refused to hide like a rat. Plus, Orlish officers never ducked. That was tradition. He approached one of his Lieutenants, who did much the same, as he directed two HMLVs to fire their guns at a certain building up ahead.


    ¡°Lieutenant!¡±


    He faced him but didn¡¯t bother to salute. It was the battlefield after all. Still, he respectfully nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Captain?¡±


    ¡°I want you to move 3rd and 4th platoon straight on those gun emplacements. Use our remaining HMLVs and M8s to do a quick assault run, and follow them up with infantry.¡±


    ¡°Sir, are you sure? There¡¯s a possibility that we would have to abort this assault anyway.¡±


    ¡°Until that happens, the objectives assigned to us are clear. They want that gas station, we¡¯ll get them that damned gas station. Understood?¡±


    The Lieutenant nodded. Soon, the orders were dispersed in company-wide comms, and each platoon and their supporting vehicles lined up for the attack run. First, the HMLVs advanced, their speed allowing them to quickly reach the Putschist lines within moments as their fifty-caliber machine guns opened fire.


    Behind them, M8 IFVs advanced, their twenty-millimeter guns hot as they fired straight at the Putschists, who cowered under their foxholes and cover. Yet that didn¡¯t deter them from firing back. Their positions responded both with machine gun fire and rifle fire, and an anti-tank missile flew straight into one of Gamma Company¡¯s M8 IFV, sending its turret straight into the sky.


    ¡°Push forward!¡±


    One after another, the infantry squads of Gamma Company advanced forward, as some of them lay down at the craters to provide fire support. This further suppressed the Putschists, and lowered their volume of fire, allowing more squads of Gamma Company to press forward through the maelstrom.


    But men were dropping, one after another, some even entire squads, they filled the approach with their bodies. One HMLV was hit by another anti-tank rocket, and it stopped just in front of the gas station. But the troops of Gamma Company finally reached the Putschist line - and began one of the worst parts of the war - close-quarters combat.


    +++


    12th Armored Division ¡®Trident¡¯


    8th Republican Army Corps


    Putschist Frontlines


    General Oswald Kluge took note of the reports before him. The earlier artillery barrage didn¡¯t seem to stop the Royalists. While they were momentarily winded by it, they seemed to have continued on their assault.


    Not that he expected them to stop - no, he would never expect that. Royalists, Putschists, all of them were men. Men who were hardened by the Great War. This style of warfare, one where both sides threw their forces at each other, and their lives, like nothing, was something too familiar to every man of the Orlish Armed Forces.


    No, they didn¡¯t falter, and while that greatly disappointed the General, he accepted it. His respect for the Royalists wasn¡¯t misplaced. While they had chosen the wrong side, they were still the same men he served with in the Great War.


    Prepared to fight through hell, with guts that never faltered.


    Truly, a worthy opponent. But the time for games was over. It was time for the assault.


    Almost one-thousand-five hundred armored units were prepared in two army corps by the General. Alongside that were nearly two hundred thousand soldiers prepared to follow closely behind and grind through the defensive lines that the Royalists erected in front of Halia.


    And behind them, thousands of artillery pieces, self-propelled guns, RFRS platforms, and the Republican Air Force stood ready to support every advance they took. It would be another great offensive, an offensive unseen after the end of the Great War when General Victor Albrecht famously sent millions of men to death in a months-long advance.


    General Victor Albrecht, now the overall commander of the Royalist forces, oh, it sent a chill on his spine. How fitting, it was as if he was fighting a giant himself.


    Although of course, he recognized that it wasn¡¯t exactly the great General that he was fighting, as their intel showed that it was Amelie¡¯s guard, Major William Porter, and Her Majesty herself who was in charge of the defense of the capital, it still made him feel better, that he was fighting someone great.


    For he recognized William¡¯s brilliance! The man may be a traitor to men¡¯s cause and a mere pup of Her Majesty, but he held the city from their attacks like no other. No matter how many assaults they launched, no matter how much pummeling they gave the city with air and artillery strikes, and even when they tried to strangle it off from supplies, the Major and JTF-Ludendorf survived.


    Oswald imagined, that if he was in the position of William, the fight must have been truly glorious. A true last stand for an old order. A last stand for the deranged goddess and the system that women worshipped.


    And General Kluge wanted it that way. This must be the last stand of the Queen. Of the old rotting system. Of the goddess. Of magic. If he could take the Royal Capital, even when it would be nothing but a city of rubble and ruin, men would have their greatest symbolic victory.


    A victory, where the oppressed, where the battered, where the disposable rats, where the second rate, took the crown jewel of the matriarchy.


    Halia.


    He took his radio and spoke to it.


    ¡°All operational commanders, ready your men. We shall write history once more. Operation Hammer Down begins. Onwards!¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Counter-Counter Offensive

    ¡°To be on the defense is a great peril. One cannot stay in battle without initiative. One cannot stay in a conflict while being sieged. One cannot be pushed back, and lose land without gain. The only way to fight, and win a war is through offense.¡±


    - General Lawisc Pielodski, March 2022.


    +++


    Near Reilow


    14th Light Mech Division ¡®Wachsam¡¯


    18th Light Mech Battalion


    Royalist Frontlines


    Lieutenant Charles Rupkoff watched the frontlines from his LSS Mech¡¯s turret. Through the thick, obscuring smoke generated by the wrecks ahead of him and his small squadron of five LSS Mechs, he could see the damage of war that the recent artillery barrage dealt to the land. He was in charge of said squadron, which originally had eight LSS Mechs in the formation.


    Unfortunately, the recent engagements disabled one of them, and destroyed two of them. Today, he had lost seven of his brothers in the front.


    Each LSS Mech was piloted by three men. One man was in the driver¡¯s cockpit, situated in front of the mech¡¯s chassis, where the driver was situated. Atop them, the turret was operated by him, the commander, and his gunner. Though, he didn¡¯t really act as a loader, as the LSS Mech had an autoloader for its one-twenty-millimeter smoothbore gun.


    The HUD in front of them scanned the battlefield well, its powerful sensors seeing heat emissions nearly four kilometers away. Unfortunately, the battlefield terrain, the damaged buildings, and the wreckages that littered the frontline mostly limited their vision. Still, he kept himself focused, and he scanned the battlefield with a vigilant eye.


    ¡°Seems like no hostiles, sir.¡± His driver, Private Jenkins Shleit said over the internal comms. He had ordered him to stay put, as he attempted to check the battlefield. There was a temporary silence at the moment, which he didn¡¯t trust, not after that awful barrage from the Putschists.


    Anything could happen at this very moment.


    ¡°Yes, but we have to be vigilant.¡±


    He keyed his radio to contact his underlings. They were all positioned near him, all behind the cover of the broken terrain and the destroyed houses and apartments around them. He even noticed a tiny movement just beside them, as one of the LSS mechs under him subtly moved its legs.


    ¡°All units, do you see any signs of hostiles?¡±


    ¡°Negative, Five Actual. It¡¯s pretty clear on my end here.¡±


    ¡°Negative as well, Five Actual. It¡¯s clear here too.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Maintain your positions. We will be waiting for the next wave of infantry before we push forward, over.¡±


    ¡°Copy.¡±


    He placed down his radio, as he wiped off a sweat that dropped on his forehead. The earlier battle had truly taken a toll on him. Companies after companies of light mech, mechanized, and infantry were decimated in their advance. He could still remember all those bodies¡­


    A bang took him out of his stupor. Beside him, his gunner, Corporal Hector Smith, a Lorathian, seemed extremely agitated.


    ¡°This damned battle is nonsensical.¡±


    ¡°Hector¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir, look at all of these. Look at all of what they did to us. They¡¯re just sending us straight to our deaths. For nothing. We haven¡¯t even taken one of our objectives yet. This is¡­this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Hector. I understand your frustrations. It¡¯s just¡­we have our orders. We have to do this.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll die, sir. We¡¯re practically alone here. This is all-¡±


    ¡°Just trust me, son, the reinforcements will soon come, and we¡¯ll be rotated out of here. It will be alright.¡±


    His gunner hadn¡¯t been in the most stable of states for days already. One after another, he lost his friends and family in the front. Originally, he was the youngest of three brothers, but last week, their eldest died. Hours ago, in another battalion, his other brother also died.


    Now all that was left was him.


    The Lieutenant tried to understand Hector. The kid was drafted ages ago, and while he had proven himself to be a good gunner, outside of combat, he was an incessant whiner, and most of all, he was emotionally weak.


    Not that he could blame him. The Lieutenant himself was also grieving for the loss of his friend, a fellow officer on another regiment. He just kept it to himself well¡­


    This damned war¡­


    He looked around the ruins once more. It was still silent as ever. Although he could hear the distant booms of occasional gunfire, artillery fire, and other sounds of war, his area was so far clear. For now, they were away from the fighting, it seemed.


    The minutes burned itself, as the silence grew heavier. The burning wrecks in front of them kept their attention, as they remembered the crews that once piloted these broken machines of far. Their fellow brothers lost to the war.


    After a little while, the Lieutenant ordered Hector to turn the turret slightly to the west, and their mech lowered itself a little closer to the ground to further hide it from the horizon. The rubble of the broken apartment they used as cover was disturbed, and little bits of broken cement dropped on their mech.


    But, their movements were too little to be spotted. Or at least, the Lieutenant hoped so.


    ¡°It¡¯s so damned silent,¡± Hector commented as he seemed to have recovered from his earlier outrage. Lieutenant Charles nodded in response, and he looked back at the digital map on their HUD that detailed the frontlines around them.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    He could only see a few dozen blues in the wide sector, all seemingly hiding from the enemy.


    They really are taking their merry time to relieve us out of here.


    He noticed a few squads run through the road beside them. It seemed that a few platoons of infantry already arrived to reinforce them, just as a transmission appeared on his comms.


    ¡°This is Zephir Five Actual, responding.¡±


    ¡°Zephir Five, this is Gamma Four Actual.¡±


    ¡°G-Company?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re taking the forward positions. My boys got some ATGM Mark-5s on hand.¡±


    ¡°Copy, it would be lovely working with you, over.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate the compliments.¡±


    And with that, he watched as a platoon from ¡°Gamma Company¡± took some positions ahead of them. They had already begun setting up their firing positions as they arrived, seemingly in a rush. Though, he had expected it completely. A counterattack could occur at any moment.


    Or, perhaps not. And then they would push forward. Though, at the very least, due to the casualties taken by their Battalion, they would be rotated away for now, and another unit would be assaulted. Still¡­it wasn¡¯t ideal.


    Not that anything was ever ideal on the front. This was war. Nothing was ideal.


    ¡°This is Five-Two, we are noticing some disturbances, bearing three-one-five, eight-hundred forty meters, over.¡±


    ¡°This is Five-Five, I¡¯m noticing the same. Seems like foot mobiles are moving on the road ahead of us, over.¡±


    And with that, the Lieutenant knew immediately what was going to happen. A counterattack. He ordered his gunner to train their turret in the direction of the possible hostiles. Then, he took the radio and spoke to it.


    ¡°All units, stay alert. Hold fire, until my command. Take your targets.¡±


    And like that, one by one, the LSS mechs under his command turned their turrets at whatever they could spot. But then, something appeared on their HUD. Ahead of them, on the road approaching them, there was a massive line of armor approaching.


    Almost a convoy of Pustchist LSS mechs.


    Outside of the road, L?we tanks and M8 IFVs emerged from the rubble in scattered formations, all as scores of dismounted infantry advanced alongside them.


    ¡°Goddess¡­they¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°There are so fucking many of them!¡±


    ¡°What the, how can they-¡±


    ¡°All units, take your damned targets now. We will not retreat yet. Fire under my command!¡±


    ¡°C-copy that, Five Actual.¡±


    He turned to Hector, who already seemed to be quivering at the sight before them.


    ¡°Hector, aim at that Panther. Aim straight at its turret.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    While his hands shook on the controls, he turned the turret straight toward it and locked on it.


    Lieutenant Charles waited, and waited, as the enemy approached the six-hundred-meter mark. After that, all hell went loose as he spoke to the comms.


    ¡°All units! Fire at will!¡±


    +++


    Amelie rushed through the halls of the Queen¡¯s Bunker in haste. The day had been, for the most part, silent for her, as she dealt with the mountains of paperwork in her own office. There wasn¡¯t really much for her to do at the moment as all of the organization had been done already, and she was really just waiting for the results and reports of further developments at the moment.


    But, William rang her for an emergency meeting. And with the chaos inside the bunker again, as staff and military officers ran around like busy bees, she could tell clearly that yes, there was an emergency.


    She arrived at the Situation Room. The Royal Guard knights that were in front of it bowed at her, before letting her in. Inside, the discussions between the gathered military and Royal Guard officers stopped as she stepped inside.


    She cleared her throat.


    ¡°It appears that something serious is happening, as I was notified by Major William. Would someone please care to enlighten me of the current developments?¡±


    A Royal Guard knight, a young woman in her twenties, replied from the crowd.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Colonel Kleist was already giving his briefing.¡±


    "Oh."


    Great, so I am late. Now this is¡­well, I¡¯m the Queen anyways¡­alright, let¡¯s stop the excuses.


    She probably should not have taken the time to tidy herself a bit in her room before rushing here. Though, to be fair, William didn¡¯t specify the emergency. And since he practically called her for emergency meetings in such abusive frequencies, she had grown¡­slightly numb to it.


    But those were just her silly excuses.


    ¡°Well, no worries, Your Majesty. We shall just restart the presentation then.¡± Colonel Kleist said as everyone else in the room took their respective seats.


    ¡°Well, thank you very much, Colonel. I do hope that my presence wasn¡¯t a disturbance.¡±


    ¡°I assure you, it isn¡¯t, Your Majesty.¡±


    Naturally, Amelie gravitated straight to her seat, which was in the middle of the long table that faced the presentation screens. She was a little bit embarrassed at her lateness, and the fact that a seemingly important briefing had to be restarted because she was late, but she buried that deep into her mind.


    She could be embarrassed later in her room.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, and Your Majesty, I would like to inform you all, that at this very moment¡­we are facing what appears to be a major offensive launched by our Putshist friends.¡±


    The presentation screens showed the reversed advances of her forces in the last few hours. She remembered that they were already near the target towns, with Royalist forces already capturing the outer parts of the town of Reilow.


    But now, they were back at their positions last night, seemingly out of nowhere.


    ¡°You mean, they¡¯re attacking us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. They are attacking us while we are attacking them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    No! Dammit! We spent so many lives and material for those assaults. We can¡¯t just get pushed back now! This is absurd!


    The work of her Army, their efforts, and the blood and materiel spent was being reversed like it was nothing. She could not accept this. This was¡­no this was another disaster! She expected that this offensive would throw their offensive off-balance, and potentially kick them off from her side of the Ludendorf river.


    But no, now the rascals were back on her. Hot on her. They were pushing her back!


    Heindh?ff, Heindh?ff, you absolute rascal! Can¡¯t you just calm down for even a moment?


    Now, ignoring Amelie¡¯s mental tirade that demanded her enemies to just¡­well, lie down as she fights them, Colonel Kleist¡¯s presentation of the situation went on. And while the situation had been disappointing, and devastating to some, it was still, as far as most officers were concerned, salvageable.


    ¡°As such, while we are being pushed back, our forces are still holding out some of the forward positions that we have gained. While we would have to place more of our reserves to weather this punch and deliver our punch again, we expect that with the right response, we can get a favorable outcome from this.¡±


    Favorable outcome? You must be messing with me.


    But Amelie needed to calm herself down. She took a few deep breaths. Disaster? Yes. More lives lost? Yes. But, she needed to see things clearly here. She had seen worse defeats already. This¡­this could not top any of them, absolutely not. She could take this.


    Alright, for now, let¡¯s focus on what we can do. Surely, as he said, we can still salvage this. Maybe, we can do something out of those things that great generals of the past did where they won battles when the enemy attacked. Yes¡­yes, it can be solved.


    ¡°I see¡­then what will be our response?"

 Chapter Sixty-Nine: Too Much Casualties

    ¡°Utilized as cogs, spent on the meatgrinder, and blamed for our failures, all as they cast us as the true evils of the world. Yet we¡¯re all still here, about to charge atop from the only shelter that shielded us from the coldness of death under their very orders. The orders of those same women, who have not spared an inkling of care for us. Why? Why are we following their orders? Why are you following her orders?¡±


    - Colonel Ben Focht before the 146th Infantry Brigade¡¯s Mutiny, L?t¡¯s Eastern Front.


    +++


    ¡°So send more bodies to replace the losses?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called battlefield rotations, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s just a euphemism.¡±


    Amelie felt her back slacken at it all. She tried to massage the headache that threatened to appear on his head, as she checked all the papers on her desk. The office that she had in her bunker had been less than ideal for a Queen for how messy it was, but it wasn¡¯t like anyone but William and Kleist, or her other close underlings would see it.


    Colonel Kleist didn¡¯t reply any further. His plan was something she had expected. Essentially, they would just rotate off the shattered units from the frontline, and promptly replace them with the units that had barely even recovered from the last battles during the capital¡¯s defense.


    Units which were, as far as she knew, fatigued, low or middling in morale, and had suffered significant losses before. Sure, they had more experienced troops and officers as Kleist said, and their numbers were somewhat replenished, but she imagined that sending battered young men back into the fray without any significant downtime would take a toll on them.


    Not that it hadn¡¯t already. I imagine all of my troops on the ground are tired of this damned thing.


    Most of her ¡°proper¡± reserves had been ones that came by train to reinforce them from Rebenslof, but the Colonel advised against using them immediately.


    ¡°But why? Why can¡¯t we just send the fresh ones? Wouldn¡¯t they perform better?¡±


    ¡°Unless you want us to lose the main thing that would be good at holding the city if the enemy¡¯s hammer somehow devastates us, it would be prudent to hold them off for now.¡±


    ¡°But the offensive-¡±


    ¡°It is true that the offensive would be more difficult to persecute for our already engaged troops on the ground. They have taken losses, fought for extended periods of time, and may be lacking in critical supplies. But they are the ones, including those that we are going to send to replace them, who participated in the planning and preparation. Our fresh units have just recently arrived. It would take time before they can jump the gun and join in if we pushed for it.¡±


    ¡°So there won¡¯t be a true retreat? Just a shuffling of our units to hold the line, before returning back on the offensive?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­can you please give me the numbers?¡±


    He looked down at her strangely, and Amelie returned a tired gaze.


    Come on, you know what I¡¯m asking for.


    ¡°The casualties, Colonel.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid that the numbers haven¡¯t reached us yet.¡±


    ¡°I know you have no accurate figures, but I also know that the Army isn¡¯t stupid that they won¡¯t be able to estimate their losses. Please, no need to hide it to me, Colonel. I just want to know the truth.¡±


    Of how much blood is on my hands again.


    He sighed. Truthfully, the topic of casualties had been something that William cautioned him about. Something which he told him to avoid mentioning to her unless absolutely necessary. He understood William¡¯s reasoning. The young Queen, she was¡­well, she had too much on her shoulders at this point.


    There was no need to add more. They were in charge of the Joint Task Force, so that was their problem, not her''s. They would rather inform the Prime Minister, Jacqueline, about the situation than her, a seemingly frail young woman who, in Kleist¡¯s perspective, didn¡¯t deserve to be in charge of this scathingly severe mess in the first place if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was the only decent monarch he ever served.


    ¡°Alright, Your Majesty. Do you want just the numbers or a full breakdown?¡±


    ¡°Can you give me a full breakdown, please?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    He pulled out his tablet, and Amelie subtly braced herself. This was the report that she always dreaded whenever she approved a military operation. It was the worst part.


    ¡°The total casualties, for the last three days of this operation, had reached seventy-two thousand five hundred forty-four casualties. Roughly twenty-one thousand three hundred forty-four are killed in action, and the rest are mostly wounded in action or missing in action. The most hard-hit units are our main spearheads. The 14th Light Mech Division ¡®Wachsam¡¯ reports that only forty percent of its original strength is combat effective. The 8th Light Mech Division ¡®Vereinigt¡¯ reports that thirty-five percent of its formations are shattered. The 2nd Armored Division ¡®Schnell¡¯ also reported casualties similar to the rest. On the wider level, the 19th and 3rd Army Corps themselves sustained heavy casualties, mostly to Light Mech and Armored formations. We¡¯ve lost a total of four hundred eighty-nine LSS Mechs, three hundred twenty-five L?we Main Battle Tanks, six fifty-five M8 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, two thirty-three M3 Armored Personnel Carriers, twenty-eight LF-12 Zappers, eighty-four Mark-2 Field Artillery Pieces, twenty-two Rapid Fire Rocket Systems, and¡­¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Alright, you can end the report there, Colonel.¡±


    Three days. Three damned days and this is what we lost. How is that even possible? It¡¯s like¡­they¡¯ve been butchered en masse. Goddess this is¡­


    ¡°Are you alright, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I am absolutely fine, don¡¯t worry about me. The question here shouldn¡¯t be about me. Are you¡­are you men alright?¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply, and Amelie had a feeling that her question was pointless and the answer was obvious. Instead, he merely saluted.


    ¡°We are counting on you to bring us our rights, after all of this, Your Majesty.¡±


    He left her office without any further words.


    +++


    Amelie looked around her room for a while after his report. She wondered how much more they would need to be sacrificed for the defense of the capital. No¡­to beat the Putschists themselves. In the back of her mind, there were already whispers forming.


    Maybe she could still negotiate. Maybe she should just surrender and end it all. Maybe¡­maybe there was a better way out than fighting. Would they stop fighting if she abdicated the throne?


    Would they?


    But she shot those thoughts out just as quickly. These men were extremists. They weren¡¯t just aiming to cut her off from the throne, they wanted to swing the pendulum violently against women as a whole. They wanted their magic gone. They wanted their power gone.


    They wanted to¡­she would not let them get that.


    I won¡¯t let this get to me. I¡¯ll..I¡¯ll beat them. With fewer casualties this time! And¡­then the Army will march to Eirhow, then I¡¯ll negotiate to end the war. Surely, with my reformist policies, and by beating them on the field, they would have no choice but to negotiate a surrender.


    Now the question was, how could she exactly steer the ship of the Royalist state to do just that? There were so many tasks ahead of her. She needed to defend the capital, which she was already doing. Then she needed to kick them off from her bank of the Ludendorf river, then she needed to reorganize Orland¡¯s wartime government properly, prepare for a true counteroffensive, fix the damage in the capital, and¡­


    Goddess, this is endless. I¡¯m gonna grow decades in just a few years at this rate.


    She buried her face again in her hand. Alice did mention that she was seeing grey strands of hair on Amelie, even when the last time Amelie checked her hair, it was pristine golden blonde.


    She looked back up at the clock in her office.


    I¡¯m gonna look like an old hag before I find a King.


    Funnily enough, she had just realized, it seemed that no one pestered her about finding a King-Consort yet. Seems like the entire war thing utterly silenced the rest of the High Aristocracy. But, it wasn¡¯t like it would be the priority until her throne itself wasn¡¯t in a state of being shot into pieces by rebellious young men.


    She shook her head off those distracting random thoughts. There was war. There were bombs falling everywhere. There were people dying. She had to keep focus and go on and on. If all she could do to help for now was to speed up the reading and signing of the mountains of papers in front of her, she needed to begin now.


    But, her phone rang.


    What? Again? William?


    She took it. Was it going to be another damned emergency meeting? She had enough already.


    ¡°This is Queen Amelie Ludendorf. Who am I speaking to?¡±


    ¡°Just wanted to say hi.¡±


    Albert? It¡¯s Albert!


    ¡°Albert?! Is that-¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m calling from the Redcastle Naval Base. Alfast has been badly mauled by the Empress¡¯ surprise attack, so they¡¯re taking their merry time repairing my damaged escorts around here. Hey, how are you holding up right there?¡±


    She looked at the wall of her office with a deadpan stare and replied in just as deadpan manner.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I¡¯m just under siege around here. And had an assassination attempt out of nowhere. And I¡¯m holed up in a bunker to hide from Heindh?ff¡¯s airstrikes. Nothing really bad. I¡¯m doing just fine.¡±


    ¡°Heh, the Queen seems salty that I haven¡¯t called earlier.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am! Albert, you¡­you absolute rascal! You could have died!¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t. And I eliminated four Larissan Carriers. And Empress Katerina is currently my POW. And the Empire seems to be collapsing without her. Need I tell more?¡±


    ¡°I get it. Congratulations, good work, everything. You still didn¡¯t need to do that, Albert. I was already sending two carriers to face her. You could have just slipped away and escaped. What if¡­what if she had gotten you first.¡±


    ¡°I apologize then, it was definitely reckless, and I haven¡¯t considered you and Alice again. I really do apologize.¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright¡­¡± She breathed out heavily, and she realized she was almost on the verge of tears as she berated him. ¡°I just had to say those things out. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s done is done. I¡¯m more worried about the fact that you said someone attempted to assassinate you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been dealt with. And I¡¯ll be more careful from now on.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    She paused and looked again at the report papers that Marie gave her regarding the OIA cell that almost managed to kill her. She wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°All right. Oh, and I wanted to inform you, that I am being sent back by Admiral Halberd there.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? Isn¡¯t it safer there, now that the Empire¡¯s almost beaten?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been promoted to Admiral, Amelie. And with it comes another assignment. I need to hunt the ONS Matriarch.¡±


    That¡­the ONS Matriarch. One of the carriers that Putschists managed to snatch from the ten-carrier-strong Orlish Navy. The most advanced, and powerful carrier of Orland too. And the very same carrier that became the menace of the North Allas Ocean, as it harassed merchant shipping headed to Rebenslof and Halia and threatened to cut off Northeastern Orland itself from the seas.


    And the same carrier that forced the Orlish Navy away from supporting the Battle of Halia, for they severely damaged two of her carriers in an engagement last month.


    ¡°Albert¡­can you please repeat that?


    ¡°I¡¯ll wipe out the Putschists from the North Allas Ocean. I¡¯ll restore shipping to Halia. I¡¯ll end the blockade. I¡¯ll send the ONS Matriarch down to the bottom of the ocean. Is that clear enough?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I see. But I have one order for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die. Alice is still waiting for you, brother.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to. For the both of you. And you too. Don¡¯t you dare die. For all of Orland.¡±

 Chapter Seventy: The New Defense Minister

    ¡°The new Defense Minister, Archduchess Pristina Dubois arrived at the City of Halia today by air. A press conference was called this morning in front of her damaged estate in the city. She declared her disappointment for the Armed Forces¡¯ failed counteroffensive this week, and declared that she will be taking, ¡®further extensive measures¡¯ herself to ¡®finally kick off the rebel scum from the Grand Duchy¡¯. The Archduchess is now rumored to be planning to take control of JTF-Ludendorf, away from the enigmatic new face of the Queen¡¯s leadership - Major William Porter.¡±


    - The Arcane Updates


    +++


    ¡°Regardless of what you say, Amelie, you will have to face her.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like it. She¡¯s almost as bad as Heindh?ff.¡±


    ¡°Granted, I suppose she¡¯s a raving bigot as well, but, she shouldn¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    ¡°William, you have no idea what that woman believes in.¡±


    ¡°In what? Looking down on us men like we¡¯re insects? Sorry, that¡¯s just business as usual for me.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­I suppose it¡¯s true that those beliefs are common in the high nobility, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°I still find myself uncomfortable when I see her.¡±


    William chuckled to himself as he took another turn. The Archduchess wasn¡¯t exactly the paragon of human decency, and thus, he would not be surprised if she ever tried to subvert the throne just to take it from Amelie. After all, House Dubois had a strong and legitimate claim to the throne, and everyone practically expected that she would absolutely be crowned as the Queen should Amelie or Alice somehow find themselves killed.


    Unless Albert was somehow allowed to be crowned as an actual King, which was never going to be possible. If Amelie was gone without an heir, and Alice was gone, and the reformist dynasty of House Ludendorf was gone, then men would never rally behind Albert to turn him into a King. Most men were hardcore Republicans. Only women believed in the monarchy.


    They, and, William even, would only rally behind Albert in an emergency if he created a Republican government. If Amelie and Alice died, it would be the end of the Orlish throne. Not even the rest of the loyalists of the OAF would side with the Archduchess if Amelie was gone. The only reason they fought for the crown after all was her promises of reform, and the fact that the NRF was too extreme.


    Remove Amelie, and the entire Royalist cause would fracture. Which was what William suspected was the main reason the recent assassination attempt was carried out. To remove her.


    Amelie understood the situation much the same. While she would like to be braver to lead closer to the front, she recognized how much of a disaster it would be if she died. Which was why she also felt a bit uncomfortable about the presence of the Archduchess.


    She wasn¡¯t sure about that woman¡¯s loyalties. She wasn¡¯t sure if she wouldn¡¯t try anything drastic to ¡°take the throne¡± from an ¡°inadequate monarch¡±.


    But, I still have to meet her. She¡¯s the new Defense Minister. This means she¡¯s in charge of the Royal Guard, all of our intelligence agencies, and technically the Armed Forces too.


    However, of course, the Armed Forces would never let the new Defense Minister, a female aristocrat lord over them. Much like how the Royal Guard haughtily refused to follow the former Defense Minister¡¯s directives on how they should act. The two branches were practically operating independently, except when forced on joint operations.


    Just like JTF-Ludendorf. Even JTF-Ludendorf saw nothing but strenuous cooperation between local RGO and OAF units. Amelie sighed about it. She was in a civil war, and those under her still struggled to stay united. She wondered if the Provisional Government was the same. Were they also having stupid interservice rivalries and power struggles inside?


    She didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you can handle it,¡± William said as they made their final pass toward the meeting place.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. With you by my side, I¡¯m sure we can do it.¡±


    She smiled at William. He may have failed her for some time, but, at this point, she already found him as a close confidant, advisor, and her most trusted military officer, outside of Albert himself. Amelie was sure that William could retain control of JTF-Ludendorf, even if the Archduchess demanded it from him. After all, she was her mastermind in the many battles fought for the Royal Capital. Surely he would still be reliable in a verbal spar with some snobby rich aristocrat.


    ¡°Sure¡­I know that look. That¡¯s the look of desperate optimism.¡±


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not! Seriously, I trust you to take care of this!¡±


    ¡°This was supposed to be your job.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it!¡±


    +++


    He wasn¡¯t.


    William was soundly defeated by the Archduchess¡¯ stern chastisement. So much so that at this point, Amelie was already preparing herself to defend him.


    ¡°And would you look at this operation you conjured up! Your kind are dying in droves for nothing. Loathe as I may say this, but even I shed some tears at the pitiful display of you men dying.¡±


    Amelie seriously doubted that. Her? Shedding tears for men? What a joke.


    ¡°Your Grace, while I would not deny the heavy casualties that the OAF sustained in the ongoing ¡®Operation Silent Spear¡¯, I seriously question the possibility of any other plan that would force the enemy out of Halia, and permit the ongoing mass civilian evacuations. It was necessary.¡±


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    ¡°Necessary? All those deaths for nothing was necessary? Please, even the foolish Generals of the Great War would not speak in such a way-¡±


    ¡°General Albrecht approved this operation.¡±


    ¡°You mean the same bloodthirsty man that¡¯s losing us this war, and almost lost us the Great War?"


    ¡°I must respectfully say, Your Grace, that you do not know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°I do! And you would do better to silence yourself when conversing with your betters!¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t really shout, but her words were enough to break the back in forth between the two. Truthfully, Amelie expected this¡­a bit, but she was never really ready for it. Amelie wasn¡¯t sure how exactly should she handle her new Defense Minister, but if she would have to deal with her, then so be it.


    ¡°Archduchess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°What do you really want.¡±


    The Archduchess smiled.


    ¡°What I want, Your Majesty is to reassess our current wartime leadership, plans, and organization.¡±


    Which essentially means to reassess and shuffle the positions to favor her.


    Amelie narrowed her eyes in response, and the Archduchess almost seemed pissed about that, but she relaxed and smiled.


    ¡°Because, Your Majesty, if we don¡¯t, we might lose too much of our people in this war. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I do not see any justifications for your demands. What do you really want?¡±


    ¡°I want JTF-Ludendorf. I want to be in charge of the defense of the Royal Capital, Your Majesty. Not some unknown Major of the Army.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a part of the Royal Guard.¡±


    ¡°Only in paper. The order never truly recognized her to be a part of our sacred organization. His men aren¡¯t even knighted.¡±


    ¡°As if that matters. They still serve as my personal security.¡±


    ¡°And how many times had he failed in that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do well to watch your words closely. I did not forget what happened to my mother.¡±


    The Archduchess fell silent. Indeed, the memory of Queen Areya¡¯s death under the ¡°competent¡± protection of the Royal Guard had been the greatest shame of every knight of the Kingdom, and of the Archduchess even.


    But the Archduchess didn¡¯t relent.


    ¡°I am the Defense Minister, Your Majesty. This is my place to decide.¡±


    ¡°And I overrule that.¡±


    Truthfully, Amelie was just pushing her ¡°Queenly¡± powers to force her to retreat. Of course, she sounded like a power-hungry tyrant who wanted everything to go her way at this moment, but she didn¡¯t mind. William was in charge of JTF-Ludendorf because of his military expertise in conventional warfare (which she seriously doubted that Pristina possessed) and for the fact that she had beyond verified his loyalty to her.


    William was going to be in charge, regardless of what happened. Though, of course, she didn¡¯t want to push the Archduchess off too hard, so she wanted to relay that message as politely as possible.


    I don¡¯t like you, but I don¡¯t want you to be my enemy too. At least, not at this moment.


    The Archduchess let out a sigh of defeat. Amelie expected more opposition from her, but she seemed to have given up.


    ¡°I see. Then the rumors are clear then?¡±


    ¡°What rumors?¡±


    ¡°You and William-¡±


    ¡°Do not continue any line of that. It¡¯s fake news. War propaganda conjured by my enemies. You can¡¯t seriously tell me that you believe that.¡±


    How appalling. Just because she was spending too much time with the main officer in charge of the defense of the Royal Capital, and her very own personal guard as well (outside of the Lady Lubaine and her Royal Guard Knights) did not mean that she absolutely was into him!


    How ridiculous. I mean, seriously? That guy? William and me? We¡¯re at war and these fools are spreading nonsense. I mean, surely, I can¡¯t be into him.


    She looked back at William, who seemed confused, bless him for his temporary ignorance.


    Yeah, no, not at all! I swear!


    ¡°What exactly is this all about? I assure you both, I have no criminal records or connections nor am I involved in any illicit activities under the Queen¡¯s or-¡±


    ¡°William, just stop talking, it¡¯s not helping. Please, no need to worry about it.¡± Amelie turned back to the Archduchess. ¡°And nope, not true. And stop spreading that nonsense. Or believing it for that matter. I feel uncomfortable that people even think that way.¡±


    Amelie was beyond flustered at this point, which worried William greatly. What the hell was she talking about?


    ¡°I see, alright, I believe you, Your Majesty.¡± The Archduchess conceded.


    ¡°Thank you. Ugh, just thinking about it is so awful.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but anyways, no, that¡¯s not the reason why I¡¯m keeping him in this position. He¡¯s here because he has the skills to do it. And because I can trust him.¡±


    ¡°Do you seriously doubt my skills and loyalty, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I have a proposal then. What if, instead of bickering here, we both prove ourselves? I will be in charge of the Royal Guard in this city and William with the OAF. And both of us will be conducting a joint operation, and we shall see which of us performs better. How does that sound?¡±


    William seemed angered by that. That alone proved that the Archduchess was doing this for clout or for personal gain. Did that woman think she could hound some glory by winning the Battle of Halia for herself? No, William knew that those were nothing but delusions. Glory didn¡¯t exist in battle, and no one should lead any army by virtue of being a glory hound!


    ¡°I veto this.¡± He declared, and the two women turned to him.


    ¡°Oh, and on what authority?¡± Challenged the Archduchess.


    ¡°By virtue of being the head of JTF-Ludendorf, I expressly prohibit any operation that would endanger the integrity of this joint operation, and promote interservice rivalry. I veto this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you want to be in charge of the Royal Guard in this city until the end of this battle?¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my current leadership, the Royal Guard would have left all the work to the OAF. At least now, they¡¯re doing some of the dirty work.¡±


    The Archduchess didn¡¯t deny that. She knew well the pervasive culture within the Royal Guard about their belief that men should do the dirty work in the ground. That when combat occurred, unless necessary, they would be the ones to do the dirty fighting - not women.


    ¡°I do not deny that we women have been foolish in that way.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Which is why I formed the Ducal Defense Forces in the west. We women have magic, and it would be a waste if we didn¡¯t put our superior power into use. This is why I am proposing this. The Royal Guard will be there on the same operation. In the front.¡±


    And then she glared down on him.


    ¡°And prove to you that we are superior in the fields of battle, and are worthy to be in charge of this war.¡±


    The Archduchess looked back at Amelie, now smiling.


    ¡°Have I made myself clear, Your Majesty?¡±

 Chapter Seventy-One: Ladies In The Frontlines

    ¡°Heavy casualties! Another military disaster stuck the OAF after a failed counter-offensive in the Ludendorf Front to dislodge Putschist forces assaulting the Royal Capital. Reports and images of battlefields littered with the wrecks of armored units, dead young soldiers, and downed aircraft flooded wildly over the course of three days. In response, the Royal Guard has vowed to take more ¡®active measures¡¯ in the wake of the OAF¡¯s failure to fight the Putschists in the fields. But it remains to be seen if the Royal Guard of Orland will deliver any sort of positive development for our Kingdom.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    4th Knights Detachment


    Royalist Frontlines


    It was a nightmare.


    Truthfully, the brutal sights of war had been something akin to an alien environment for this RGO unit - the 4th Knights Detachment. Tasked with securing a town that overlooked the Putshist 8th Republican Corps¡¯ eastern flank, whatever vaunted tales of glory and easy targets seemed amiss for this all-ladies group.


    ¡°Dame Truben!!¡± Shouted one of the younger Knights, as she staggered toward the position of one of her superiors, her Arcano-Rifle held tightly in her hands. She dropped near her, and she instinctively found it disgusting that the mud stained her combat uniform. ¡°We saw an opening to their left.¡±


    The older woman, who held a binocular as she watched the enemy, didn¡¯t turn back. But she replied.


    ¡°I see. Elaborate.¡±


    ¡°They seem to be lacking any machine gun emplacements on the eastern approach, near one of the roads toward the town. If we sent a concentrated assault there.¡±


    ¡°We can break through.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s a great shame to be bogged down in this muddy hellhole, Dame Truben. Any further of this and our honor would be greatly affected. We need to secure that town immediately.¡±


    Indeed, this was one of the first RGO operations on the frontline. Dame Truben, in charge of the detachment, didn¡¯t exactly like the mission given to her unit. She knew well that her ¡°Knights¡± were just elite guards. Guards that only guarded the nobility and the royal family. While they were battlemages, the age of magic in the conventional battlefield had long been over.


    They only had small arms, their magic, and a few other fancy arcane contraptions like their portable Aoubious Heavy Artillery - which had been pounding the town for hours already. Their artillery lobbed powerful shells enchanted to freeze everything in its radius in an ice storm, but it didn¡¯t have the volume of fire that she desired.


    They barely even suppressed the enemy. Sure, they may have killed many rebels, but she could tell that they merely replaced those losses just as easily. And worse still, her superiors were too prideful to authorize ¡°barbaric artillery support¡± for her. Why? She and her unit had magic. It was impossible for them not to break through.


    The only good news was that the Putschist¡¯s small arms were ineffective against her Knigths. And their spells had already decimated a platoon of enemy armor. But unless they could muster the volume of firepower that a battalion of OAF troops could unleash, she doubted her chances of actually pushing forward.


    Unless we go all in and exhaust everything.


    Which would not make do, because if they wanted to use their most powerful spells in this engagement, they would most likely all drop before the day was over. And then the OAF would have to come in and evacuate them. That would be too much shame.


    Though, that could probably work if they eliminated the enemy fast enough. They certainly could do that, but she knew enough from her brother to know that warfare wasn¡¯t all about decimating the enemy. They had to actually have the capacity to hold out from counter-attacks and hold any captured territory afterward.


    Hah, but the Queen is watching. And the Archduchess wanted this. I have no choice.


    ¡°Then we shall do it. I want all of our Knight Platoons to converge there and execute an Altay Maneuver on our assault.¡±


    The Altay Maneuver, named after the Battle of Altay during the Arcane Wars, was a doctrinal tactic developed by the Royal Guard for these kinds of engagements. It involved a squad of spellcasters intentionally blinding the defenders with bright flashes of light before fast-moving Knights assaulted (with shields on) surgically determined hostile units and dispatched them quickly with whatever magic would best suit said target.


    Theoretically, it would disorient the enemy first, then create holes in their defense lines that could be exploited easily by the extremely fast-moving mages of the Royal Guard, and cause heavy morale loss on the enemy¡¯s frontline troops, and with the holes in their defense, they would find themselves encircled by powerful knights (who they had no chance of fighting one-on-one) and be eliminated. It was akin to a mini blitzkrieg that the OAF seemed to love to do with their armored units.


    The only problem was its mana consumption. Her Knights would definitely be dry by the end of the day. And this was why Dame Truben didn¡¯t like this mission. Her forces were special forces, meant to be deployed in limited numbers in high-priority missions that didn¡¯t require extreme staying capabilities. Not some hours-long heavy combat that demanded continuous mana usage.


    Hopefully, the OAF units behind me would not mind picking up our slack once this town is ours.


    ¡°I shall relay the plans then.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now go.¡±


    +++


    Queen¡¯s Bunker


    Situation Room


    Operation Paragon, a confidential operation that Amelie signed off yesterday after the Archduchess¡¯ demands, was now ongoing. Truthfully, Amelie expected that the 4th Knights Detachment would win a quick and easy victory at capturing the town, and she was already half expecting that she would have to prepare a long-winded argument as to why the Archduchess should still not be in charge of the battle¡­


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    But to her horror, the 4th Knights Detachment¡¯s first assault didn¡¯t go well earlier.


    Luckily, casualties were light, and the Putschist suffered heavy losses of what could be upwards of a hundred, while they only traded eight Royal Guard Knights in the first scuffle (and thus created an absurd kill-to-death ratio), they still failed to punch through and break the enemy.


    Now, the 4th was preparing once more for another assault.


    That¡¯s still eight good women dead for a stupid power grab. Goddess, this should be called off. But still¡­


    And she really wanted to call it off now. But somehow, at the same time, an irking wounded pride appeared out of nowhere in her heart. How dare those rebels actually repel an assault of her Knights? There was no way. It was illogical, but her pride as a woman was just as wounded by that tiny defeat, mainly because she witnessed it in real-time. So much so that her rational mind that demanded ¡®peace above all¡¯ and ¡®less bloodshed¡¯ was silenced by her burning desire to get back at them.


    Somehow, she fell into the same sunken cost fallacy that the Archduchess found herself in at the moment. They both had to prove to William and Colonel Kleist that women could fight this war too.


    Plus, if this worked, she would have a new excuse to get more women on the frontlines and reduce the casualties that men suffered. Technically, if this succeeded, it would be good news. It had already been a century since women fought a proper war after all. They had all gone rusty and allowed men to take most roles of the battlefield, and that was one of the main reasons that they had no defenses when men rebelled.


    And so, Amelie had to do this.


    I mean, surely we can! They killed ten Putschists for one Knight. The ratio speaks for itself!


    ¡°Your Majesty, I assure you, that was just a fluke. Had they not bought those IFV reinforcements out of nowhere, our Knights would have secured that flank.¡±


    And her mouth moved in lightspeed, agreeing like some automated response would.


    ¡°Yes, indeed. But still, we took some casualties.¡±


    ¡°Those fine women will be granted full honors. They served the Kingdom well.¡±


    Behind the two, William felt an overwhelming urge to bash the heads of the two aristocrats already. He expected better than Amelie, but unfortunately, her prideful self manifested too fast for her to control. Of course, he kept himself standing straight, eyes already twitching in annoyance at how Amelie actually approved and continued to approve this operation, which risked his position!


    Still, even he could not deny the sheer power that the 4th Knights Detachment dished out in quick succession. They almost massacred the Putschists stationed in the town, until their armor and artillery support (which in their desperation, also attacked their own units) arrived. In fact, six out of the eight Knights that died were a result of the Putschists¡¯ artillery strike (which also killed more than a dozen of the Putschists due to how ¡°danger close¡± it was.)


    But he didn¡¯t want to lose command of JTF-Ludendorf! Not to mention, the RGO was too small to affect the course of battle outside of these little engagements. While this was happening, the apocalyptic skirmishes near the town of Reilow were still ongoing, where entire battalions were being decimated every hour in the back-and-forth assaults of his troops and the enemy.


    That was where they should be focused on! He needed the RGO for other things, like small unit actions, assassinations, reconnaissance, and special tasks that required fast, powerful, small groups. Essentially, he wanted the RGO as a special forces unit, which they already were, rather than use them as some sort of battering ram on the battlefield. He had tanks and mechs for that!


    ¡°I still petition for this operation to be canceled.¡±


    ¡°William, please, just lay down the doubts for a while,¡± Amelie replied, truly sure for herself. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Royal Guard can pull this off.¡±


    ¡°I know they can, but is this worth it? The 162nd Infantry Battalion is already on standby and ready to assault the town. And our artillery batteries are ready-¡±


    ¡°Major, will you please cease yourself? My Knights do not need OAF support yet. The entire point of this operation is to prove our battlefield capabilities. Finding held from the OAF is antithetical to that.¡±


    William frowned at the Archduchess, and Colonel Kleist seemed appalled by her words. This was nothing but a tactical and strategic inefficiency, born out of meaningless interservice rivalry. He could scarcely believe that such nonsense was coming from the head of the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Guard.


    He truly feared that she somehow got into Amelie¡¯s ears so quickly.


    ¡°You already proved it, alright. It¡¯s not like we ever denied the fact that a single Royal Guard Knight is not ten times superior to a humble Army rifleman, but this is absurd!¡±


    ¡°You never denied it, yes. However, the OAF had always claimed itself to be superior at pitched battles. At ¡®true battles¡¯ as you put it. I intend to dismantle that notion.¡±


    ¡°Look, is there really any point in denying the fact that the Royal Guard was never designed for attritional warfare? There¡¯s only a hundred thousand of you. Most of them are busy with internal security too. We however number in the millions-¡±


    ¡°More doesn¡¯t mean better, Major. Being able to throw more bodies to the meatgrinder does not make you men superior. In fact, I pity you all greatly for thinking that¡¯s such an achievement.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare insult our sacrifices that way, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I strike a nerve?


    Amelie herself watched the back in forth and frowned in annoyance at the Archduchess¡¯ way of putting it. Sure, men found pride in being able to fight conventional warfare. But the way she said it¡­almost made it seem like they were just throwing themselves to die and becoming proud of it.


    Though, it¡¯s kinda accurate. But Amelie shot down those thoughts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cease this silly bickering already.¡± Amelie declared. ¡°The RGO has proven themselves well, and thus, I approve a minor reshuffling of JTF-Ludendorf as a compromise. Archduchess, you will not be in charge of all RGO operations in the Grand Duchy, but you will be subordinate to Major Porter. Is that clear?¡±


    William seemed genuinely furious.


    ¡°What? I have to work with her?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut it. I¡¯m the one supposed to be complaining here. You¡¯ve been in charge of my Knights for too long. It is only right that said mistake is being reversed by our benevolent Queen.¡±


    I¡¯m really sorry, William. But we need her. And I¡­I really want to give the RGO more participation in this war.


    ¡°You will both have to work with each other.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with this if the Royal Guard will act in support of the OAF.¡±


    ¡°I raise no issue with that. I intend for women to join this war as well anyway. This is a war for both of us, and both of us must work together to achieve victory. I see here that we women have merits in the battlefield, and demerits as well. But so are men. I believe we must cover both of our strengths and weaknesses together this time.¡± Amelie smiled at the two, as she was sure that this should appease them somewhat. ¡°Will you two work together?¡±


    Reluctantly, William sighed as he nodded.


    ¡°Alright, fine.¡±


    ¡°I shall work with him for you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°But first things first, I want this operation to be truly joint. William, execute your earlier suggestion. The 162nd will fight side by side with the 4th.¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Two: The Revolutionary State

    "Combatting magic is one of the greatest challenges we face. It requires the most devious tactics, tons upon tons of destroyed military equipment, and mountains of dead men."


    - General Oswald Kluge


    +++


    City of Eirhow


    Free State of Wuringen


    Executor Building


    The smell of industrial smog dominated the bustling city of Eirhow. The streets were busy all day, as men of all kinds, workers, soldiers, and specialists worked to keep up the massive industries that blotted the city.


    And on its political center, the Executor Building, now the Headquarters of the so-called ¡°Eirhow Directorate¡± stood as a center of the Provisional Government. Flags of the NRF bristled through the almost soulless, neon-lit corporate buildings surrounding the Executor Building. And in the street directly below it, the Executor Building itself looked down on those who passed the now-called ¡°Avenue of Revolution¡± like a towering, imposing colossus that demanded all those below to follow the new state.


    The ¡°New Republic¡±.


    Defense Minister Geoffrey Heindh?ff walked out of his armored vehicle as his security convoy stopped in front of the Executor Building. Armed republican soldiers, those who had sided with the Putsch, lined the checkpoints. Upon seeing Heindh?ff however, he and his men were allowed immediately to go inside, without further inspection.


    Inside, the hallways were stocked full of armed guards, armies of bureaucrats and arguing politicians, clerks, and the varieties of corporate leaders and envoys that awaited to meet the Provisional President - Sullivan Rimpler.


    At least they¡¯re on my side.


    He didn¡¯t mind the massive influence and presence of the megacorporations in Eirhow and the center of the New Republic¡¯s administrative building. In fact, he wanted this. After all, the NRF was split between two factions, that while united at the moment, would no doubt eat each other once the war against women was over.


    His faction was made up of the Militarists and the Military-Industrial Complex, alongside the legions of tech corporations that were in the Free State. They represented the current faction that was in charge of most matters at the moment. The interests of the elite CEOs, the Generals, and the High Command.


    On the other hand, was Sullivan Rimpler¡¯s more popular ¡°People¡¯s Democracy¡± faction. Workers, regular soldiers, and the vast majority of men who were in the NRF were with him. It was why Sullivan Rimpler held the position of Provisional President. They were the soul of the NRF. Ideological, truly oppressed, and with a burning resentment against the matriarchy.


    Sullivan Rimpler¡¯s faction espoused ¡°Democracy¡±, and that the working class men should rule the state and control the economy. More importantly, they were more extreme, believing that magic, in all of its forms, should be utterly crushed. By any means necessary, should it be required.


    Not that Heindh?ff wasn¡¯t the same in that belief, as magic indeed had to be wiped out in his mind, and he didn¡¯t agree with his faction¡¯s opportunist mindset in dealing with magic, as many wanted to acquire women as a new ¡°workforce¡± for their industries, which he believed could threaten any post-revolutionary state, but he still would not agree to Rimpler¡¯s ¡°People¡¯s Democracy¡±. Especially when it wouldn¡¯t even be a democracy.


    Heindh?ff believed in extreme means, yes. But he did not envision a state ruled by one man. A strong liberal democracy, where the market reigned supreme, without intervention from the state or a monarch, where all people would find opportunities to rise to the top was his goal. To create the envisioned republic that liberal republicans dreamt of for centuries.


    Not its bastardized form that Rimpler was creating.


    It¡¯s nothing but a farce. Rule of the mob. An angry, violent mob. All to serve one man, a new dictator. A new tyrant.


    Sullivan¡¯s power grab was nothing to scoff at. While he and his faction were focused on the ongoing civil war, slowly, the charismatic and popular Sullivan Rimpler began exerting massive influence in the nascent civilian apparatus of the New Republic. Somehow, his lies to the masses of men, nothing but ideological nonsense to mask his consolidation of power, sold well.


    He even found out that Alfonso, the Director of the Orlish Intelligence Agency, once his main ally, and his secondary conspirator, was now a stooge of the man. It seemed as if the tentacle of the Provisional President would soon overwhelm the influence of the megacorporations and the military.


    Soon, they would all be under him. And he imagined, that once the Civil War was over, that High Command would be purged. All while the corporations would be ¡°seized¡± and ¡°nationalized¡±.


    As he and his security guards climbed up through the elevators, his frown hardened.


    Truthfully, there was nothing he could do yet. Sullivan Rimpler was too powerful. He was in charge of the military, yes, but the military wasn¡¯t here. They were at the front, battling the enemy. All while the new ¡°Republican Guard¡± grew and grew in the interior of the Provisional Government.


    A security force my ass. He¡¯s just building a parallel military to keep us in check.


    First, the internal security apparatus. Then, a new internal army. After that, no one would be able to challenge him. His consolidation of power would be complete, and the Provisional Government would not even live to see the day of trying out democracy.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    When he arrived at Sullivan Rimpler¡¯s office, the Provisional President did not look back at him. Heindh?ff eyed the back of his chair, and his black hair, as the Provisional President calmly watched the towering skyscrapers of the Eirhow skyline. It was dark at night, yet the city was busy as ever.


    Heindh?ff wondered what elusive thoughts were occurring in the Provisional President¡¯s mind, but he kept his tongue in check.


    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting,¡± Rimpler said, almost ominously, as he refused to turn his chair around to face Heindh?ff. ¡°The corporate degenerates have been exploiting the masses of this city. Their fellow men. All as they sit in their shiny towers. Complaining that women ¡®have more¡¯. Traitors¡­aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Sir, I would like to ask. Why did you recall me from my post? The Halian Campaign isn¡¯t going to win itself. I want to know what is so important¡­for you to call me here.¡±


    Sullivan turned around to face Heindh?ff. His left eye was closed, permanently closed by an old injury during the Great War. It was the face of a man who had seen war closely. A mere Lieutenant when he returned to Orland, his rise was nothing but meteoric. For someone of such low rank. A mere nobody, to rise to such heights. To become the face of the Revolution.


    He was somewhat terrifying.


    His smile was cruel.


    ¡°Tell me, Minister Heindh?ff. Will we win this war?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. They are cowering under our might. And with my ongoing mobilization of all of our industrial might, soon, they shall be overwhelmed by our sheer numbers.¡±


    ¡°Our manpower isn¡¯t unlimited.¡±


    He was right. While there were significantly fewer women on the frontlines, as was the nature of the Royal Guard, being an all-volunteer force, men were on all metrics, outnumbered by women. Many had already died long before. Even with their sheer industrial strength, and with the mass participation of men in the military, if women decided to join the war en masse.


    They would lose the numbers game.


    ¡°That is why we intend to finish them off before that. We can mobilize our industry and armies faster than they can mobilize their softened and pampered hearts to have the courage to face us in battle. They may have the magic to kill ten men for one woman, but they do not have the guts to do so. We shall exploit that absolutely.¡±


    Heindh?ff needed a constant stream of military victories to keep his faction¡¯s influence high. And to ensure that Rimpler would not supplant them. But, if they ran out of time, and the masses of men demanding absolute victory turned sour at their promises, he would be ousted from his de-facto leadership.


    As it stood, Heindh?ff was the one in charge. He had the military and the corporations with him. But his influence was on the nosedive, while Rimpler¡¯s was on a rocket booster that was en route to the stars. He needed to reverse that somehow.


    And I will.


    But Rimpler¡¯s smile remained cruel.


    ¡°I shall entrust you on that then, Minister Heindh?ff.¡±


    ¡°You want me to fail.¡±


    His smile grew.


    ¡°We men have no need to beat around the bush, no? No, I do not want you to fail. Even if I stand to benefit from it. But if you do, we have a contingency for that anyway. And then, I would be fully in charge. But, it would not be the best scenario.¡±


    Heindh?ff¡¯s eyes narrowed. He had already warned Rimpler of this, yet he would not listen. Experimental technology of that level was beyond dangerous. It was why he absolutely could not lose this campaign too. If he did, the New Republic would turn to its worst options. One that he feared, would spell doom to all of humanity.


    Project Icarus - a top-secret project of the OAF and a dozen other Orlish megacorporations to create an autonomous army might be activated. A swarm of self-replicating, self-maintaining, mechs, based around the LSS Mechs that the Army used. It was meant to be a way to truly counter women¡¯s magic.


    It would be the pinnacle of men¡¯s technological creations. An army, no, a horde of soulless drones that could grow at will, and fight at will. Those who funded it swore on its potential. Those who created it warned that they might have created a monster, and Heindh?ff was on their side.


    Who knew what ¡°Tau Core¡± would do once activated? He doubted anyone did, as the thing¡¯s intelligence had long been self-evolving on its own. The only thing that prevented Project Icarus from becoming a reality was the Contingency Protocol. Tau Core would not be placed on the ¡°Hive Center¡± unless approved by the men who created the project. And they would only do so if the Revolution failed.


    Tau Core and Project Icarus would however be women¡¯s, the Goddess¡¯, and magic¡¯s greatest mortal enemy. A legion of soulless machines of technology prepared to dismantle everything on its path. Unleashing it would be one of men¡¯s greatest desperate measures, only second to the ¡°Salvation Protocol¡± that called for nuclear armageddon should the Goddess interfere.


    ¡°I advise against that. There¡¯s no situation that would ever call for the potential annihilation of humanity.¡±


    ¡°But if they annihilate us men¡­shouldn¡¯t we bite back? That¡¯s your line yourself, Minister Heindh?ff, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You would not have absolute control if all was ashes.¡±


    ¡°I do not aspire for absolute control for the sake of absolute control, Minister Heindh?ff. I aspire for it to steer this corrupted society to the right path.¡±


    ¡°Mob rule.¡±


    ¡°The Revolution would be a utopia once it is all over. But it needs a vanguard, a guiding hand until its completion. But if such a future is impossible, then it would be better to reduce this world to ashes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fanatic.¡±


    ¡°The path to Revolution¡¯s success requires fanatics who would not stray from its path, Minister. Greedy opportunists like you and your faction, however, would be an eventual detriment. And so what? In the eyes of all women, we are both fanatics.¡±


    At the end of the day, they were both in the same boat. To women, they were both one and the same. Leaders of a movement that sowed chaos and destruction. Extremists. But Heindh?ff scoffed at those ideas. He may be against magic, and he may be against the matriarchy, but he wasn¡¯t a megalomaniac like the man before him.


    The same man who would unleash hell on Pollos should he fail.


    The NRF wasn¡¯t a monolith, and Heindh?ff found it distasteful that he was lumped with this ideological madman before him. But the Provisional Government could not split yet. For now, they were in one fight.


    He would have to figure out the most optimal way to beat magic should it arrive on the field then. Win victory, and sideline Rimpler¡¯s influence.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we shall beat them first.¡±


    Then I¡¯ll beat you second.

 Chapter Seventy-Three: Rumbles In The North

    "The Lieplatz Provisional Council falls apart! After significant attempts at democratic reforms were pursued by the Council''s Grand Reform Coalition'', the situation came to a head after the Grand Reform Coalition deemed the universal banning of magic ''a violation of human rights''. A previously unknown character, General Richstoff, and what appears to be his clique took control after another coup against the LPC, turning the revolutionary government into another military junta. Questions are now rising about the divisions in the global male rights movement. The once monolithic movement is becoming clearly divided between two factions."


    - Geopol News


    +++


    Kingdom of Lieplatz


    Duchy of Moldheim


    City of Rumpaltz


    The streets of the City of Rumpaltz were painfully silent today. Once again, the Military Junta instituted another sequence of "sweeping" crackdowns on the city''s inhabitants.


    For two days, the Lieplatzan Revolutionary Army raided each and every establishment in the city to rid it all of the wands and other arcane tools that existed inside. At this point, the civilian populace could only watch as their new government turned more and more paranoid of counter-revolutionary sentiments.


    "Have we found then?"


    "Not yet."


    Marie Wittfield found herself now in the northern neighborhood of Orland. The cold winter seeped through the streets that night, yet she could not feel less in place.


    The game was on. The OIA and the Lieplatzan Secret Police were collaborating to eliminate the secret counter-revolutionary plot budding in the Duchy of Moldheim, which bordered the Free Confederation of Westlauren down south (and thus Orland).


    Thus, it was her, and the Royal Investigation Unit''s time to blunt this attempt of the Putschists to dismember their potential allies in the north. After all, with the second coup in Lieplatz, which deposed the original democratic revolutionary government created after the abdication of Queen Wesley Von Reintz, she and the RIU expected that Lieplatz would soon join the Provisional Government''s war in the south.


    Strange. Normally, the OIA would go guns blazing in these raids. I wonder why they haven''t started it yet.


    She was starting to love fighting the OIA. With the RIU becoming Her Majesty''s de-facto intelligence agency, Marie was determined to completely dismantle and replace the traitorous OIA in their role of defending Orland and the Royal Family in the dark.


    She felt like she was playing a game of cards with Director Alfonso Bluch himself. Each day, the RIU and the OIA¡¯s operatives battled each other for information, assets, and in this case, skirmishes for important new factions.


    The last time, the two skirmished covertly to secure the Lieplatzan Royal Family. Naturally, the RIU and the remnants of the Lieplatzan Royal Guard won, but the OIA came close. Unfortunately, their lack of magic was a death sentence, and their operatives had to abort the assault after significant casualties.


    It was the truth of almost every dance that she and her operatives had with the OIA. Even with the usual information disadvantage that the RIU suffered, no OIA operative had the capability to duel them in the dark. When a fight broke out, it would almost always take down a platoon or two of the OIA¡¯s special strike forces.


    And especially for the OIA¡¯s lone operators. Once she found them and tracked them, they would rarely last long, except when she wanted them to last long enough to be useful.


    But they¡¯re evolving in their tactics. Learning from each of our engagements. All this violence is a pity, but it¡¯s hard to deny how exciting it is. Oh, I should truly refrain from joining these field operations at times. I¡¯m starting to sound like some bloodthirsty maniac.


    She looked down at her hooded operative, Dame Jane Kurfurst. She was from the Royal Guard too, until she joined the RIU in a personal quest to ¡°hunt for the Queen''s killers¡±. Unfortunately for her, and unfortunately for Marie, this was their quest for now. But, one day, she vowed. They¡¯d find who exactly ordered the death of their previous Queen.


    ¡°I see. Director, may I?¡±


    ¡°Please, show it to me.¡±


    The two swept through the rooftops of Reiplatz, hidden by the darkness and their magic. They almost flew as they hopped from rooftops to rooftops, keeping tabs on their surroundings. Marie herself kept her halo as shrouded as possible, so as to not reveal themselves.


    The two stopped on the rooftop of a bookstore that overlooked a checkpoint of the Junta. Down below, armed troops gathered in a silent business, mingling amongst themselves in the silent night, while the rest ran patrols or checked the occasional vehicle that passed through the checkpoint.


    ¡°Our informants told us that they would pass through here,¡± Jane whispered to Marie.


    ¡°How reliable are they?¡±


    ¡°Defectors from the Lieplatzan Army. They believe that the Orlish General took away their ¡®righteous revolution¡¯ from them. Their infighting is amusing, but it is something we can easily use.¡±


    General Paul Richstoff wasn¡¯t a Lieplatzan. He was Orlish. The Lieplatzan people were practically the same blood as the Orlish people. The only difference was that Lieplatz wasn¡¯t subjugated a thousand years ago by the Lorathian Imperium, which was why the common Orlish names were a mix of Lorathian first names, and Lieplatzan last names.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    It didn¡¯t surprise Marie. Of course, these people wouldn¡¯t be that loyal to some foreign-born who hijacked their revolution. Unlike the Provisional Government down south, the Lieplatz Provisional Council actually believed in some semblance of democracy. In fact, half of the council were women, even though it was the Lieplatzan Military and the Lieplatzan Liberty Front, which was the equivalent of the ORP in Lieplatz, that deposed the previous Queen.


    Of course, she still found the idea of men deposing a rightful monarch mandated by the Goddess herself as distasteful. But at the very least, the Lieplatz Provisional Council steered Lieplatz to something decently palatable.


    Until General Paul Richstoff couped them last week.


    Men, coups after coups. Is this their style now? Their way of achieving change and rights? Violence against the establishment using the Armed Forces that our Kingdoms entrusted to them?


    Traitors, that was all she could say. If they wanted reforms, she believed they must have asked for it peacefully. Certainly, women would never withhold such things from them. Of course, while they had technically done that for centuries, times changed. The willingness of the UOP for reforms showed that. Amelie showed that.


    And Marie knew that most of her peers believed, or somewhat agreed on giving men rights. There was no necessity for any of this. To plunge the world into senseless violence after the previous one.


    And the worst part about all of this is that you men are the ones suffering the most.


    ¡°So they want to purge the supply caches?¡± Marie asked, and Jane nodded.


    ¡°Indeed. Without the secret supply caches, Queen Wesley¡¯s forces wouldn¡¯t be able to launch their first attacks. So they wanted those things gone. Immediately.¡±


    ¡°So their target isn¡¯t the Duchess? It¡¯s the supplies?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    How devious. She expected that they merely wanted to assassinate the Duchess of Moldheim, who was secretly the main organizer of the counter-revolutionary forces in Moldheim. Purging of supply caches meant that they weren¡¯t just purging supplies for the counter-revolution however. They were purging the city¡¯s supplies of every arcane wares.


    And to add to that, they were also purging specialized libraries and bookstores that held spellbooks. Even for the civilian market.


    But, she didn¡¯t have the capacity to stop that. The current curfew and the extensive military patrols showed clearly that only a full army could stop the crackdowns on magic in this city. But, she could stop their plans to kill the Duchess. And their plans to remove the supplies that the Royalist rebels needed.


    A convoy stopped in front of the checkpoint. It was a bunch of unmarked armored vehicles, flanked by Lieplatzan HMLVs. The soldiers below stopped the convoy, and Marie watched as an officer talked to someone in the lead vehicle. With a nod, he gave them the gesture to proceed.


    ¡°We need to move.¡± She declared as the two disappeared from the rooftop.


    Down below, an OIA agent in one of the unmarked vehicles stared in her previous direction. His black glasses hid the expression in his eyes, but his tired sigh clearly showed that he saw them.


    +++


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°We expected it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, the Queen¡¯s demonesses would follow us everywhere.¡±


    Agent Fifteen, better known as ¡°Pen¡± calmly puffed a smoke at the open side windows of their SUV. Beside him, his subordinate, Agent Twelve, or ¡°Paper¡± shook his head disappointedly. It seemed like the scattered reports were true. The Demoness of Wittfield was here.


    In the deep secret facilities of the OIA, her name would be mentioned time and time again in hushed discussions of angered officers and agents. Many cursed her for foiling plot after plot, operation after operation, and other activities conducted by the OIA. Her enigmatic unit had also wreaked havoc on the multitudes of OIA cells and task forces that operated in Royalist territory, leading to casualties mounting in the high hundreds.


    But while the OIA suffered blow after blow, her Unit didn¡¯t have the massive manpower and infrastructure that the OIA boasted. Each time she eliminated a cell or stopped an operation, three more cells would appear somewhere, and at least five other operations would be launched.


    She might stop an assassination here, or a raid here, or a sabotage here, but if they were launching these missions all across Orland beyond the dozens a day, she wouldn¡¯t be able to fight them all off.


    But ¡°Pen¡± scoffed at it.


    Quantity over quality. Regardless of their downplaying, she is playing us like fools. Director Bluch was right. She might not stop everything, but she will stop the most critical operations. She must be stopped.


    And this was one of those. This operation was beyond important. The Provisional Government was already tempting General Richstoff to join them in their ¡°war against the matriarchy¡± in Orland. Lieplatz would supply another massive frontline on the border for the Provisional Government, which would divert countless Royalist forces off the frontlines should they join, which would be extremely crucial.


    More importantly, were Moldheim¡¯s eastern seaports, which the Orlish Navy, as part of the Ivory Alliance Defense Treaty, originally used as naval bases before the coup against Queen Wesley. Right now, the Provisional Government was mostly landlocked, unless they captured Halia or Rebenslof, which was beyond a difficult task. So far, the ONS Matriarch and the Provisional Government¡¯s naval fleets operated with whatever supplies they had, or whatever they could scrounge up from their raids in the North Allas Ocean.


    Which was why they needed Lieplatz. And that won¡¯t happen if a civil war broke out in the country. Much less if it happened in the extremely strategic Duchy of Moldheim. But that was why they would cut the head of the snake today before she bites.


    One raid. One counter-revolution stopped.


    Just as Director Alfonso Bluch described.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why we prepared contingencies for this,¡± Pen said to his partner.


    ¡°Our boys are going to get screwed again.¡±


    ¡°Casualties would happen. Remember the words of the President.¡±


    ¡°It is inevitable.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    He looked back up at the towering apartments of the streets that their convoys passed. For a while, it was eerily silent, until they passed through what appeared to be a school. It was an all-girls school, and there were troops outside the gates, which were opened widely. Inside the entrance itself were multiple trucks of the Lieplatz military, parked on the side.


    He didn¡¯t need to look further to know that they were being raided. And that the school¡¯s arcane items and assets were being confiscated.


    To him, somehow, it was a beautiful sight.


    They¡¯re getting what they deserve.


    ¡°But can we counter her?¡± His partner asked again.


    ¡°We will find out if our contingency plans work.¡±


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°It must, or else, the Demoness won¡¯t let us see the sun tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Four: The Raid

    ¡°General Richstoff of the Lieplatz Emergency Government initiates severe crackdowns in the Duchy of Moldheim, especially in the ¡°Twin Academy Cities¡± of Rumpaltz and Eventia. These crackdowns seem to be targeted against the multitudes of arcane schools and universities that dotted the twin cities, alongside the magical industries that these cities boasted. We fear that this would be another form of atrocity by men against magic, just as the way that the Provisional Government bombed Thein all for a deranged goal of wiping out our greatest ability.¡±


    - The Arcane Updates


    +++


    July 18, 2024


    Kingdom of Lieplatz


    Duchy of Moldheim


    City of Rumpaltz


    00:24 Hours


    A young woman, a ¡°researcher¡± at the Rumpaltz Dimensional Institute, watched as the raving soldiers of the Lieplatzan Army raided the Institute¡¯s experimental laboratories that housed their ¡°Dimensional Drive¡± research. It was an appalling sight, as the Institute was also filled with equally shocked men, engineers, and scientists, involved in the cooperative research to create humanity¡¯s way of reaching the stars - a project that involved both the application of theoretical physics and magic, who watched as their fellow men conducted indiscriminate acts all in the name of their war for ¡°men¡¯s rights¡±.


    ¡°Sir! This facility is off-limits!¡± Shouted Von Mackerstat, the Head Administrator of the Institute. All around them, students in their almost full-white uniforms from the nearby University of Saintess Edna watched with shocked faces as well, as troops dismantled the advanced machinery and experimental magical artifacts inside the blue-lit room.


    Silently, she transmitted what was happening through their ¡°Astral Network¡±, all while keeping her mana emissions on the down-low to avoid having her halo glow. She really needed her sisters in the Unit here now.


    She heard a pulse of mana from the Astral Network that contained information in her mind.


    We¡¯re coming. Keep watch.


    ¡°Madam! We have already warned you yesterday! Any further research on magical matters could potentially be deemed as unofficial support to counter-revolutionary sentiments. That was clear as day, yet this operation hadn¡¯t been ceased!¡±


    ¡°Cease? Our righteous research is for the benefit of common humanity. Can you not see how important this would be for the space programs of Lieplatz and Orland? We can grasp the stars soon.¡±


    ¡°Space? How ridiculous. Those problems aren¡¯t the priority. You can resume this research once everything settles down.¡±


    ¡°Settles down? When? When your new government finally crushes magic in her neck?!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having no political discussions here, Countess. This facility is shut down, until further notice.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you confiscating everything?¡±


    ¡°All arcane items are to be deemed as potential weaponry until the current emergency measures are lifted.¡±


    The Countess seemed even more appalled and almost began another set of her angered tirades at the officer, who held his hand up.


    ¡°If you want to talk further, talk to my hand, Lady Von Mackerstat. This discussion is over.¡±


    She seethed and pulled out her wand. Immediately, multiple soldiers fired their rifles in her direction, which she blocked with her hastily casted shields.


    ¡°WHAT DID YOU DARE SAY?!¡±


    She was about to aim her wand at him and blast him off the face of Pollos when a pulse of blue light was generated by a soldier holding a strange cylindrical device in his hands. Immediately, the women in the room dropped in extreme pain, and so did the ¡°researcher¡±.


    What the¡­what the hell was that? My head¡­it almost felt like something popped inside.


    It was a jammer. She knew that much, as her active mana was almost cut in half, and her connection to the ¡°Astral Network¡± was severed. Still, jammers didn¡¯t do that. They didn¡¯t harm, nor did they stun. They jammed magic by disabling active mana. This¡­this was different.


    ¡°Fool, you almost killed yourself. Men! Arrest her for counter-revolutionary activities. Scour all of the women of this Institute and confiscate their wands. I do not want to see any magic in this Institute until we deem this city clear of rebellious elements. Move!¡±


    Immediately, the soldiers under him rushed into a frenzy, dropping every woman down and confiscating their wands off of them forcefully. The few male researchers present either stood down with their hands raised or foolishly stood up to defend their fellows, taking up valiant but pointless fights with the soldiers.


    The boot dropped into her neck, as she struggled to keep her wand to herself. She really needed that help now.


    ¡­


    Three OIA agents and a platoon of Lieplatzan Secret Police operatives moved through the packed hallways of the Institute. Their faces were obscured by their masks and glasses, and they each held a Porter Type-X SMG, all fitted with holographic sights, lasers, and suppressors.


    They passed through panicking and cowering faculty staff in the hallways, shouting profanities to get them out of their way.


    Most civilians were already exiting the Institute, as unmarked vehicles that unloaded soldiers, OIA agents, and Secret Police flooded toward the complex. All in all, the raid was turning into a scathingly noisy affair.


    One of the OIA operatives spoke to his radio.


    ¡°We¡¯re now en route to ¡®The Core¡¯, over.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Copy that, make haste. We suspect that the cache is hidden there.¡±


    The OIA operative nodded at his radio and pointed at a turn in the hallways. The Lieplatzan Secret Police moved in to secure the area, keeping their attention on every corner and room that they passed through.


    It was a pristine facility and seemed almost a hub of every advanced technology and magic for mankind. The shiny white walls and the bluish auxiliary lights, coupled with the constant red lights as alarms of all kinds went out gave an atmosphere of urgency to the men moving quickly through the building¡¯s tightly packed walls.


    The Institute after all was a joint establishment of House Ludendorf and House Reintz for the research of Dimensional Magic. It was one of the most dangerous magic for any man seeking to fight a woman. It was almost impossible to counter and gave any mage a mobility advantage that no doctrine could hardly have a chance to face.


    And that was what worried the group. They were facing a force that was only removable through extreme applications of superior firepower. In other words, if they faced a Dimensional Mage, they bombed the hell out of her. Which wouldn¡¯t be possible with the amount of civilians inside the institute.


    The group passed through another room which an earlier unit secured. There were arrested researchers, mostly women, but some men, being guarded by Lieplatzan soldiers. They seemed agitated beyond belief, but the group of OIA agents and Lieplatzan Secret Police didn¡¯t heed them any mind.


    They needed to reach the cache quickly.


    +++


    Halia, Kingdom of Orland


    Queen¡¯s Bunker


    00:35 Hours


    ¡°I see, so they¡¯re launching the raid already?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty. It seems that they want a dance with us again. Rest assured, we will take care of this.¡± Marie''s voice replied.


    Amelie herself didn¡¯t remove her eyes from the multitudes of screens presented to her inside the Situation Room. She had personally ordered this operation when Marie notified her of the OIA plot.


    And of the plans of Queen Wesley¡¯s loyalists.


    ¡°Remind me, how many of you are in the Academy City again?¡±


    ¡°Twenty of my agents are around the Institute, Your Majesty. Worry not, we may seem outnumbered, but my agents and I are well-trained for these combat environments. These men won¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°The Loyalists?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still organizing. But we are in contact with them.¡±


    ¡°The cache?¡±


    ¡°In good hands.¡±


    Amelie sighed deeply as she turned back to William, who watched the affair with a stony, silent gaze. He seemed to be observing each and every movement of both the OIA and Marie.


    ¡°Another mess,¡± Amelie complained to him. William didn¡¯t react much, as he turned to face her.


    ¡°Should have expected it. They¡¯re being very loud in their raid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement, William. Look at them¡­it¡¯s like they want the civilians around the Institute panicking. Won¡¯t people ask questions?¡±


    ¡°Ask what? General Richstoff wouldn¡¯t mind. He is already cracking down on the movement of information in Lieplatz. Whatever is happening there would not leave the Academy City.¡±


    ¡°Except for the fact that we have eyes on the ground.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    The entire affair was a mess. The City of Rumpaltz was supposed to stay out of the conflict, due to her peaceful nature. Much of the city was dedicated to teaching the next generation about magic and science, and it was more of a research hub than a strategic city that would house arsenals of war machines, or industries that supported the production of weapons.


    Moreover, the previous Leiplatz Provisional Council didn¡¯t touch the twin cities and gave them effective autonomy for the time being. So much so that House Mackerstat and House Eventia held nearly complete temporary control of the Rumpaltz and Eventia, which could both trace their lineages to House Ludendorf.


    The two Countesses in charge of the Academy Cities were thus a sort of distant relative to Amelie, which was why it was difficult for Amelie to deny them when they asked her aid.


    But the biggest factor was the moves undertaken by Duchess Emily Von Moldheim. Driven by the month of paranoia and instability in her country, she had organized concealed cells of the remaining Loyalists to Queen Welsey Von Reintz (who was currently in exile in the Kingdom of Lorathia) and began planning for a counter-revolutionary insurrection, hoping to replicate Princess Xue¡¯s exploits in the ongoing Hebeian Civil War.


    And then the Leiplatz Provisional Council was deposed in yet another coup d¡¯etat (and Amelie at this point was utterly tired of men staging these types of nonsense everywhere), further speeding up the escalation of conflict in the Duchy of Moldheim. Alongside it of course was the deterioration of diplomatic relations between the second Lieplatz Junta (as the first one only lasted days after the coup after the Lieplatz Provisional Council reinstituted civilian rule) and Orland¡¯s Royalist government.


    Now, Rimpler and Heindh?ff are pulling them into their sphere of influence. I know these moves, I¡¯ve seen them many times before. But it¡¯s simply so devious. To depose a government just to install a more tyrannical one, all to bring them to your deranged war. I¡¯m starting to rethink the idea of pardoning these Putschists.


    Currently, she had declared a general amnesty for every Putschist soldier or officer who surrendered or defected. It was all in an effort to increase the rates of defection from the Provisional Government, which Amelie believed would be necessary to beat them (and also reduce the deaths on both sides).


    But if this was how they would act¡­


    Whatever. As long as they fail to gain complete control of Lieplatz, and Duchess Emily succeeds, we have a chance.


    After all, why would Lieplatz join the Provisional Government if they were deposed at best, or faced severe internal resistance at most? There was no way even for General Richstoff to join Rimpler and Heindh?ff if he needed to fight rebels in his home. No way.


    She already sent her bets. Marie had to make this work, or else Amelie might face the risk of having another front opened to her disadvantage. That would not be acceptable. Moreover, she didn¡¯t want to give the Putschists a port to potentially lengthen their raiding campaigns in the North Allas Ocean (and complicate Albert¡¯s upcoming strike mission to sink the ONS Matriarch). It was a dirty fight, and she would play dirty now that it was clear that she had to.


    ¡°Marie, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am currently moving with my agents to the Institute though. Do make it quick.¡±


    Marie¡¯s words nearly made Amelie pause. While she had full trust in her friend to pull this off cleanly, this was still combat with the OIA and the Lieplatz Secret Police. That was not something to be taken lightly. Lack of magic was something the OIA suffered from, but she knew that those men were still a dangerous kind.


    ¡°I want you to capture one of them, and bring him to me.¡±


    ¡°You mean their leader?¡±


    ¡°Preferably.¡±


    ¡°It shall be done then. Though, we already hold dozens of them in our Headquarters in Eutstadt. Imprisoned.¡±


    ¡°No, those men hold outdated information. I want these men.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­and please, be careful.¡±


    ¡°They call me the Demoness. I don¡¯t die. I kill.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something my old friend would ever utter¡­¡±


    ¡°Times have changed. I have seen too much blood to know that a better world would not materialize without removing the agents of evil first. Anyway, we¡¯re about to enter the Institute.¡±


    ¡°Stay safe.¡±


    The comm-link terminated.

 Chapter Seventy-Five: No Way To Win

    ¡°The counter-revolution is here. Defeat is on the horizon. We have been beaten back, and the revolution is now about to die in this last stand. But even in the face of their next assault, and our eventual demise, we are here. We fought. We bled. And we tried to push back, even with impossible odds. They may beat us again, but our sons will remember what our generation did. What their fathers did. Our battered and bullet-ridden banners will fly with one message - men here stood for their rights. Long live the Seven-Volunteer Armies!¡±


    - Final Radio Broadcast from the City of Orvel.


    ¡°Revolutionaries in the self-proclaimed ¡®Republic of Lombardia¡¯ crushed in a major eight-day last-stand battle in the City of Orvel by Queen Irene Amici¡¯s Royalist forces. The Kingdom of Lombardia has now officially announced the end of the one-month insurrection in the Kingdom outside of ¡®mopping-up¡¯ operations. Reports of nearly eight hundred thousand casualties from the badly equipped ¡®Seven-Volunteer Armies¡¯ are still flooding in, proving that magic may still prove viable in conventional battlefields. Questions have been raised, however, as the ¡®Seven-Volunteer Armies¡¯ had been largely self-organized militias without much proper equipment. Still, this marks the first counter-revolutionary victory in the world since the beginning of the Hebeian Civil War.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    ¡°The time for the global revolution to band together is nigh! Eighteen Republics have now been established by our brothers across the globe. Our Provisional President, Sullivan Rimpler, is now calling for the formation of a ¡®Coalition of Free Nations¡¯ to unite all of us in our common struggle against the Matriarchy! Each day, our victory against the cursed old hags of the world inches closer to fruition.¡±


    - The Front Newspaper


    +++


    What did women¡¯s haloes symbolize?


    It was a question that had always bothered the mind of Pen, or more accurately, by every man in existence nowadays.


    The halo symbolized that one was a servant of the ultimate good - the Goddess, her will, and commandments. That one was a holy being that was a virtue of goodness. Of morality. Someone who was morally superior to those without.


    Men.


    Like me.


    Was that supposed to be the truth of it? That when magic, the very oppressor of billions of men, was activated, the oppressor seemed to be the saint? The angel? And they, the mere lowlife plebs, without such symbol, were supposed to be the evil ones?


    How could that be possible? He scoffed at it. It was nothing but empty appearances. And a message to every man like him, that no, the Goddess was, and would never be on their side. That they were in this fight alone. And should they break her will - they would suffer the righteous retribution of justice from her ¡°holy daughters¡±.


    Many called them demons for a reason. And it was why there was nothing in this blasted world that was on their side. Only them. Their fellow brothers up in arms against the ¡°holy daughters¡± of the Goddess herself. And this was just one of the reminders of what they were up against. They weren¡¯t fighting mere mortals.


    They were fighting the Goddess. All with mere rifles.


    How utterly hopeless.


    He looked down at the corpse of what once was an OIA agent. The red alarm lights circled around and illuminated his blood-stained helmet and visor. He died here, alongside three other OIA agents in the hallways. As if they were mere ants crushed by their betters. Swept aside like nothing.


    They probably didn¡¯t even have a chance to react. How could they even? This was the environment where magic was truly dominant. Close quarters. No armor support. No air support. No artillery support. Just mere rifles against what amounts to mini goddesses. No chance.


    Is this really what the morally good side would do? What they would do to those who dared to fight against their system? Must be nice¡­being painted that way.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Paper said, but Pen nodded already.


    ¡°They are here, yes.¡± Paper didn¡¯t press any further. He stood behind him as he inspected the three dead men. Pen''s hold on his SMG tightened, as he stood up with a deep sigh.


    ¡°We have to send the reserves.¡±


    ¡°They would find the cache first. In fact, they probably already did.¡±


    ¡°Then that means they transferred it off this facility.¡±


    ¡°But the cache is tons in weight. Even the most advanced Dimensional Magic wouldn¡¯t be able to transfer that amount easily. The weapons cache is still near this facility.¡±


    Still, it would also be possible that they hadn¡¯t transported it off the facility yet. There were still three places in the facility that possibly contained the cache, or all of them contained separate caches. ¡°The Core¡±, held an arcane machine that artificially increased the ambient mana on the atmosphere in a one-kilometer radius. ¡°Experimental-Testing-Chamber-One¡±, where the Institute conducted experiments to send probes into the ¡°Real Astral¡±, an alternate dimension that only women ¡°could¡± reach. And ¡°Chamber-Zero-Three¡±, which contained experimental arcane tools being developed by the Institute.


    Naturally, it was the perfect place to hide their cache of DC-Wands, Arcano-Rifles, and other magical weaponry as these places held powerful wards cast by the Institute¡¯s researchers.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move. Maybe we can still catch them.¡±


    And so they did. Rushing through the packed hallways, they kept their guns raised at every corner that they passed through. They moved swiftly, doorways to doorways, staircase to staircase, as more and more OIA agents and Secret Police joined in on them.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    By the time they reached ¡°The Core¡±, the group numbered twenty-two total combatants, all special forces. The OIA prided itself on being one of the few male intelligence agencies that had the equipment and expertise to somewhat fight off mages in covert environments, and the Lieplatzan Secret Police, formed after the Coup, was trained in these types of raids.


    But all in all, they were outgunned and outmatched.


    Pen thus looked back at Paper, who held the M666-D Counter-Magic Emitter, developed heavily in secret by the OIA¡¯s contracted defense corporations, such as Porter Heavy Industries. It was one of the men¡¯s prized creations that could somehow tip the scales against women in combat. And this new iteration, while extremely expensive, and difficult to produce, was capable of sending an EM-pulse that could temporarily disable Astral-Particles, more commonly known as ¡°mana¡±.


    ¡°All approaches clear, sir!¡± One of his subordinates reported. He nodded and gave a final gesture to his men. They piled on the side of the walls, as two OIA agents planted the charges on the magically reinforced door that led to the ¡°The Core¡±.


    ¡°All units, ready?¡± He asked his men, and most of them nodded, alongside the Secret Police.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Paper replied, and Pen turned to the OIA explosives specialist who planted the charge.


    ¡°Three, two, one - detonate!¡±


    +++


    As expected, they detonated the charges planted outside, blasting the door, and sending it careening inside the massive room, hitting major components connected to the ¡°Astral Amplifier¡±, a metallic, circular core that acted as a beacon to increase the saturation of ¡°Astral-Particles¡± around the Institute.


    Ironically, it was designed by a man. A man who hated magic with a passion, for even when he had mastered its theoretical aspects, he was a mere male, unable to cast magic. Regardless of his studies, he was unable to grasp nor experience the ability granted by the Goddess to women. Even when he himself probably knew more about magic than the vast majority of women.


    He named it the ¡°Astral Amplifier¡±, which he created in the hopes that saturating mana in an area would aid him in achieving magic for himself. But, like all men¡¯s attempts to gain magic, it was all in vain, and he committed suicide after his life project failed. Truthfully, the Institute¡¯s possession of his creation had always been treated with scorn by Lieplatzan men.


    It was as if they had looted a dead man¡¯s work. To this day, not even Marie understood how he created the ¡°Astral Amplifier¡±, and its internal mechanisms were still largely unknown to many in the Academia. It amazed her at times, especially when she visited the Institute years ago. A machine created by a man with no magic, that somehow manipulated magic in ways she, a woman, did not fully understand.


    He may have not found any true use for it, but it was still impressive.


    Marie pitied him, just as much as she pitied the OIA operatives that charged with flashbangs, straight to the jaws of her and her fellow sisters in the RIU. Men, were almost always relentless in their pursuit of everything, even in the face of damnable odds.


    To challenge the goddess.


    She fired her first spell - that sliced through two OIA agents, the sharp wind sending splatters of blood into the walls.


    To challenge the Arcane.


    And she sent her second spell - that froze another four, all while the rest of them poured in, and began taking cover, all while firing their submachine guns wildly at her. More flashbangs and smoke were popped, somewhat disorienting her and some of her operatives, but largely, it didn¡¯t work.


    How could you all do it?


    She had always fought with the advantages stacked on her side. Never had she fought these men with her life or her sister¡¯s lives being at risk. All the time, they would drop from her magic, regardless of what they did.


    Right now, they were spreading out, flanking her, saturating her with gunfire. Some of them activated jammers, jammers that, yes, hurt a bit, and disabled some of her mana, but were offset by her proximity to the ¡°Astral Amplifier¡±. But it was tactics nonetheless. They were fighting her like a well-oiled machine, fast, aggressive, and almost mechanical.


    But she shifted back and forth in the ¡°Astral Dimension¡±, disappearing and appearing at positions advantageous to her. All as she showered them with spells, mainly ice magic, that devastated their ranks.


    Why can¡¯t you all just stop fighting? Why? Why keep it all on? To die like rats, like this¡­all for nothing? When you will lose anyways?


    What hope did they have?


    Even if they found victory, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to taste it. It would be empty. A mere short-term, pyrrhic victory. In the end, they would still lose - even if they toppled all matriarchal regimes, women would still turn up at the top. They would still be outnumbered - devastated - outmatched - and outgunned.


    Marie summoned her sword. It was pure red, made up of concentrated ¡°Astral-Particles¡±. When she charged into one of the last standing OIA agents, who dodged her swipe just in time that only some of his hair was cut, she asked herself the same question. Why?


    She brought it down on him, and his shoulders fell off, alongside his gun. He dropped to the floor, and desperately, pulled out his pistol, which she casually slapped off from his hand.


    ¡°Area clear!¡± Shouted one of her underlings, as the last OIA agent was skewered by an ice spike in the room, which looked like it went a brutal bloodbath.


    She looked down at his visor, and pulled out his helmet, revealing the face of a young man in his late twenties. His eyes were dead and tired, yet he didn¡¯t show any sign that he would surrender to her. She almost winced at this point, her suppressed concern about the fact that his shoulder was gone and he was leaving a pool of blood almost rising.


    ¡°Kill me.¡± He asked, way too calmly.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can extract information from me?¡±


    She looked down at his nonexistent shoulder. Truthfully, she already knew everything about this operation. It was why she ordered a complete wipeout of this group. None of them would be useful.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then kill me.¡±


    ¡°Why do you fight?¡±


    His eyes didn¡¯t react much.


    ¡°Reasons too meaningless for you. Kill me.¡±


    ¡°For your rights? For equality?¡±


    He chuckled, almost mockingly.


    ¡°Indeed. Something too meaningless for y-¡±


    She swiped off his head before he finished his line. She didn¡¯t need to hear any further.


    How dare¡­


    She looked down at his headless corpse as it dropped limp. She had always envisioned a world equal for both men and women. For him to say that¡­how dare he insult her?


    She looked around the room. There were no deaths on her side. Aside from some minor scratches and injuries. But all of the men were expunged. Dead. Twistedly unequal.


    Rights¡­equality¡­but what does all of it mean to them if they¡¯re dead?


    Why couldn¡¯t she understand them? It frustrated her. Almost as if their reasonings stemmed from a different world. A world she would never experience. And one, that she concluded as she looked at him one last time, that she would not wish to be in.


    A world that drove them insane. Is that why?

 Chapter Seventy-Six: Bitter Defeat

    "North Asturia Dam collapsed! Thousands of women and children are trapped in the affected regions, with heavy flooding expected to cause hundreds of casualties. Men''s rampant recklessness is clearly resulting in disasters we must not tolerate!"


    - Le Feminine News


    "No rescue for men. Approximately twenty thousand workers near the North Asturia Dam on the mines, factories, and industrial zones that dotted it had been reported to be missing. Gallic occupiers so far prioritized rescuing women and children in the affected zones of North Asturia, all while blocking ARDF requests to send ''humanitarian rescue teams'' to occupied industrial disaster zones. All eyes of the world are once again on the images of women, as there are no eyes to even look at the dead men close to the destroyed dam."


    - The Front Newspaper


    +++


    "Hopelessness, it''s an easy drug to sell."


    Amelie never really saw Adam, her eldest brother, much before he died. Yet that word stuck to her, especially now. Why he said that, she didn''t know at the time. She remembered it as a day too tiring for her, as she had just left the tiring schoolday that afternoon.


    He was driving her back to their residential estate near the Palace. But they were held up in front of a massive traffic jam. Up ahead, she heard him mutter comments about, "a bombing", or whatever it was.


    It was just one of the strings of pre-Great War terror activities of the ''International Brotherhood''.


    It was a centuries-old organization, born out of the ashes of the Arcane Wars. From what she had gleaned on world history, the International Brotherhood sponsored and organized ''national resistance movements'' across Pollos.


    They were originally formed by noblemen stripped of their noble rights. Over the centuries, their goal of restoring the old Kings grew more and more unpopular, until their movement died off into the fringes, now completely replaced by republican men who clamored for their rights.


    "Agent Twelve? Or was it Ronald Hertz?"


    The man sat in front of her, both of them inside a dimly lit room. She had ordered Marie to remove the bag on his head. While he was tied, he wasn''t really harmed during his captivity.


    Still, he sported many wounds. Marie certainly was rough when she captured him.


    "Who are you?" He asked.


    "The Queen."


    "I don''t recognize that title."


    Marie seemed so offended that she seemed like she wanted nothing but to strike his head down, but Amelie gave her a gesture not to. She just wanted to have a talk. She had never conversed with any of these "extremists" in a controlled environment after all.


    And she wanted to hear them out. Perhaps, there was something about them that she could understand. To understand the enemy, after all, was how to fight wars.


    And she had an inkling of an idea that even if she beat these men off the fields, their ideology would never die.


    "Why?"


    "Let me ask you, ''Queen'', who gave you that title?"


    "Would you ask the same question if I was a King?"


    She didn''t really answer him. She knew that the idea of the ''divine right to rule'' existed before magic. Before women ruled. Until now, her rule was justified for the same reason. She was appointed by the Goddess to rule her land.


    Of course, many changed from the days of absolutism. Like the power of the Parliament, along with many others. But that was what gave her power. It was what gave her the title of ''Queen''.


    He scoffed.


    "Who cares about Kings? They do not exist anymore. Oh, I see. King-Consorts? I think they''re spineless fools."


    That was a direct strike to her dead father. Truthfully, it wasn''t far off from the truth. Her father had always been withdrawn in life, as far as she remembered. And all he really did was be her mother''s appeaser of men.


    He was never popular with his fellow men. Much less to their republican majority.


    "What about the past ones?"


    "Before magic?"


    She nodded, and he grew angrier.


    "Tyrants. Wolves that ate the sheep around them."


    "...Don''t they represent the time when men ruled?"


    "Men ruled? So what? I don''t descend from any noble line, and neither do ninety-nine percent of my brothers. Do you think we look back at the past fondly? When a group of elite men and their wives used us as fodder, just as you do today?!"


    So he wasn''t a fan of the Patriarchy. Many today believe that men were conducting a grand scheme to return the rule of men. Yet¡­it seemed that this OIA agent didn''t believe in those ideas.


    How strange. I expected them to be like that.


    "...Then-"


    "Do you think I''m fighting to be the one to drive this fucked up society because I am born male?"


    "Then why?"


    "Fuck the goddess and her mindless favoritism. That is why I do not recognize you as ''Queen''! Who is she to pick who must rule? Who is she to pick who must have magic and who must not? Who is she to decree that generations of men must pay for the sins of our long-gone fathers?!"


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    His long tirade left his face red. Amelie didn''t really budge from her seat, as she kept listening to him. To fight the Goddess? How ambitious.


    "And most of all¡­screw all of you women. How dare you act so righteous and above the rest of us. You murdered all of my friends and comrades, and you two act better than me?! You look down on me?! See me as a mere terrorist?! What the hell are you?!"


    "Terrorism is all about using terror to achieve political goals, is it not?" Amelie asked back, as she tried her best not to be angered by his accusations.


    "And who used their terrifying divine powers first to pursue political goals? Was Queen Alexandria a terrorist then? Are you a terrorist?!"


    "Are you accusing us women of being terrorists because of our magic?"


    "You can slice a dozen men with your will! Can you just imagine the terror that generates?! And you ask us why we are so maniacal when facing you? It''s the only way not to turn insane!"


    "That''s enough! Amelie, why are we doing this? He''s clearly hostile to you." Marie said as she seemed to be at her wit''s end at holding herself from striking down the man.


    "That''s why I wanted him here. To hear them out."


    "There''s no point listening to rabid men."


    "See!" Ronald said as he laughed, almost to himself. "Rabid men! That''s how all of you women see us. I bet that''s why you''re such a reformist too! You see us as rabid men that you must tame to your side so we won''t destroy your precious luxuries in life. Dogs! Pawns to win over-"


    For some reason, that line crossed Amelie''s line of acceptable insults, and her hand slapped the OIA agent''s face before he finished. Those accusations stung so deeply that her hand almost moved itself.


    She looked down at her hand, almost equally shocked at what she did, and full of fury at the man.


    Why¡­did I lose restraint so suddenly?


    She looked back at the OIA agent, who''s head looked down at the floor, with a smile so deranged, it almost left a chill in her spine. His right cheek was still red, the mark of her slap clearly visible.


    Immediately, Amelie felt shame.


    "I¡­I apologize. I don''t know what came over me."


    "I was right." He said, almost a whisper. "All your sweet promises are not for us men. It''s for you. You do not care about us. You just want us on your side."


    I¡­don''t have a response on that. All this time, yes, I¡­I did say I cared. I tried my best to make things better. I¡­but¡­


    All those reforms. All those changes. All the aid that she gave to men was all for one thing at its core - avoiding civil war. Avoiding collapse. Avoiding¡­her death.


    Did she really care then? Or was she just buttering them up to serve her? So that she would have more pawns to save her skin?


    "Is that¡­how you see me? I''m a liar to you?"


    He shook his head.


    "I once wished you weren''t. But they were right. It''s all hopeless. No one''s on our side."


    "Then¡­"


    He fights because it''s hopeless. Perhaps, the more I drive them to defeat, the more they will fight. Brother¡­you were right. Hopelessness indeed is a powerful drug.


    A drug that would make men fight like a cornered dog. Was that why it was always said in literature about war? That to deny the foe any retreat would only make them fight harder?


    Women certainly denied men any retreat for centuries. They cornered them in their punitive system. All of it was designed to simply teach the old generation of men away from their crimes against women. But not all of them committed those crimes. Most hadn''t.


    And their sons, distant sons, didn''t. That was why these men would fight. The matriarchy''s punitive and ''righteous'' justice¡­was collective punishment extended to generations. And they were the cornered dogs of it.


    Death to the Goddess. One of their slogans. Against her. That''s why¡­they want her gone because of her form of justice.


    And death to her, the Queen, as well. The symbol of every ''righteous'' woman that upholded the system that cornered them.


    Is that why?


    "It''s better to die standing at least. But now, you rob that for me. At least torture me for information. Anything."


    "I don''t torture captives."


    "...She would, won''t she?"


    Marie shook her head.


    "It''s a disgusting method. Only men are deranged enough to think their ''enhanced interrogation techniques'' will yield accurate information."


    "Heh¡­you''re right. You have the magic to know everything. How convenient. Must make you feel better for yourself, no? Being morally better?"


    He observed his listless response. He didn''t seem very enthusiastic about their defeat in Marie''s hands. Of course, no one would, that Amelie knew. But it seemed as if he subtly expected it.


    "You knew you wouldn''t win. Why?"


    "Win?" He looked up at her. "What does it mean? To win?"


    "Isn''t that what you fight for? Don''t you believe your side will win?"


    "The revolution must triumph at all cost, yes."


    "Isn''t that winning?"


    He shook his head.


    "I have no concept of that."


    "Why?"


    "I doubt any man has any concept of winning. It''s ridiculous." He laughed to himself. "But I guess you women know that well. It must taste nice."


    "But you want to triumph against me."


    "The only fate we can achieve is a pyrrhic victory. To triumph is something we can all look forward to. Maybe something good will come from it. But we men won''t win. We never had the right to taste that."


    "You''re confusing."


    "Understanding our reasons is too meaningless for you. Of course¡­you won''t."


    Marie seemed to be getting twitchy at his cryptic words. Amelie sighed at it. It didn''t seem like she would get much more from this man, aside from his rants of how women were bad and the goddess was bad.


    With that, she left the interrogation room, giving him final assurances that he would be treated with dignity. Naturally, he scoffed at it, but she didn''t mind it any further.


    It was all too confusing to her. Their reasons¡­ seemed to be too confusing. Rights and equality, she understood. But all the other reasons? All the other justifications? Their true beliefs? These men¡­ truly seemed to have gone through a deep nightmare to think in such ways.


    Ways that seemed irrational to her. Yet somehow, their conclusions were way too rational. And way too painful to hear.


    What kind of life could someone live, to say something like that?


    To only believe in a pyrrhic victory? They didn''t believe in change that would brighten the world. No¡­only a fiery, soulless one.


    Men won''t win. Men¡­won''t win. Why would he believe that?


    She repeated those words as she walked through the hallways. It lingered in her mind. Did Albert¡­did William¡­did Adam believe that?


    She saw him again¡­Adam was leaving for the front that day.


    All of the noblewomen, and the Queen talked of victory against the Larissans.


    But he¡­he only gave her a grim nod in that military parade.


    The last time he saw him.


    Hopelessness¡­he didn''t believe in victory.

 Chapter Seventy-Seven: Address To The Nation

    "''Global warfare is likely'', the Mandate of Nations spokeswoman warned in a brief statement today. Already, the male rights revolutions gained ground in twenty-eight Kingdoms across the world, alongside plunging much of the world into instability and uncertainty, as economies remain frozen and disrupted. With counter-revolutionary efforts intensifying globally, the Mandate of Nations fears a ''global war between men and women'' would be inevitable. These fears were further solidified by the Orlish ''Provisional President'' Sullivan Rimpler''s calls for the creation of a ''Coalition of Free Nations'' as ''a democratic coalition against the reactionary order'', with many leaders of the newly formed revolutionary republics now declaring support for the idea. Queen Alois of Gallia declared in response that the Mandate of Nations must act as a ''bulwark against this male-led insanity''. A resolution is now in the talks between the remaining monarchies of the world regarding the possibility of the Mandate of Nations as a ''temporary military alliance''."


    - Geopol News


    +++


    Kingdom of Orland


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    City of Halia


    The Queen''s Bunker


    July 26, 2024


    The colossal clash between her Royalist forces and Heindh?ff''s Putschist forces had been ongoing for a few weeks already. Clearly, her planned counter-offensive failed at dislodging them from the Royal Capital, but there was some good news at least.


    Yesterday, much of Halia''s civilian population had been evacuated to Rebenslof. And while the situation for the refugees in that city still wasn''t pretty, she found solace in the fact that most of her subjects, outside of the stubborn ones who refused to evacuate, were now out of the warzone.


    The casualties had finally waned as well. The toll was heavy for both sides, but for now, they finally began to stop the offensives and counter-offensives, as capabilities were exhausted, briefly at least.


    But it would be delusional to say that this battle is over.


    Far from it.


    "Major William, please begin the report."


    Her office now held a much more dignified air to it, as she was preparing to give her Kingdom a televised address this night. It was tidied up, and behind her, two flags of the Orlish tricolor were placed near the sides of her chair. The left one was a simple flag, but the right one held Orland''s coat of arms.


    Her table had less nonsense on it, like random paperwork and cups of cereal. Instead, all it held now was one folder, a miniature Orlish flag, a simple tablet, a penholder, and her white gloves.


    Behind her, on the wall, was a screen that depicted an electronic version of the Orlish coat of arms, alongside the map of Orland as a whole.


    Even she herself dressed up for the occasion. She now wore a customized variant of the all-white Royal Guard''s officer dress, alongside the ceremonial blue cape that Orlish Queens wore whenever they went to war. She even had that tall golden royal staff that Queen Alexandria originally owned that was¡­also ceremonial, by her side.


    Well, appearances. A necessary part of a hereditary monarchy''s governance. Not the most practical thing, she surmised, but she was trying to appear ''Queenly'' to her people. A Queen that would lead them to peace through the ravages of war. The Kingdom needed a symbol, and dammit would she be one.


    Plus, she liked her officer''s dress and coat. It made her feel giddy that she looked like the Royal Guard''s famed Knights now. The Queen after all was the head of the entirety of Orland''s fighting forces, especially the Royal Guard.


    Not that she could actually fight like them¡­well, she did have magic. But...


    Come on. A girl can dream now, can''t she?


    William himself was flanked by Colonel Kleist on his right, and Defense Minister Pristina Dubois on his left, who wore a uniform not too dissimilar to what Amelie wore. While the Ministry of Defense itself was a civilian ministry that administered the Royal Guard of Orland and the Orlish Armed Forces and thus had no uniform, the Archduchess was simultaneously the Minister of Defense and the Director of the Royal Guard.


    Of course, she would wear her uniform for this occasion.


    "Your Majesty¡­Operation Silent Spear has achieved its limited objectives, at the cost of heavy OAF casualties."


    Amelie nodded and turned to Colonel Kleist.


    "Colonel, what of the Halian Garrison?"


    "Your Majesty, this city is now fortified by eighty-thousand men and women. We are mobilizing for more."


    And she turned to the last - the Archduchess.


    "Defense Minister, what of the RGO''s mobilization?"


    "The women of this country are now joining the Royal Guard in droves as volunteers, and we are organizing multiple wartime formations. The Royal Guard will soon be ready to face the rebels in the field, and they shall know women''s magic again."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Amelie nodded. This was more of a symbolic report, as she already knew the details. Around the room, journalists and military officers watched the proceedings carefully, all while the three cameras aimed at her were prepared.


    All of these people in the room were already properly vetted and checked, for the security of the Queen''s Bunker, as its location was a closely guarded secret. None of the journalists even knew where they were, as they were teleported here by dimensional magic. But they did know that they were in Halia, in the same place where the Queen commanded the defense of the center of Orland.


    She gave the three a gesture that she would now begin her Kingdom-wide address, and they all formed up beside her, with her at the center, as the cameras were aimed at her.


    These three after all were the current faces of the defense of Halia. Naturally, they would appear with the Queen, and so would she, to send a message that they were in charge of the battle and that they were ready to make the right decisions to win it.


    The Orlish public could not lose morale. They had to place their trust in her - in them. That they were here to hold on to the Royal Capital, and thus Orland itself. Halia was already iconic, as the battle had been something that the globe watched obsessively. All eyes were on them, and she showed that she could stand her ground by being there.


    "Orland¡­esteemed sisters and brothers. Citizens of this Kingdom. Wherever you are, the Kingdom has your back, just as you have the Kingdom''s back."


    The cameras flashed, while the main cameras that filmed her live focused on her. Her dignified stand and neutral expression appeared on almost all screens across Orland. In the fortified bunkers of OAF High Command. In the massive digital screens on the buildings of downtown Eutstadt, down to the smartphones held by troops in the trenches - her face was there.


    And the Orlish people listened.


    "Today, we have once again repelled another strike from the rebels aimed at the heart of our Kingdom. This would not have been possible without the women and men on the ground, fighting for every inch of our sacred land. These heroes served well, and may the fallen rest in peace. They have all served the Kingdom well. But I''m afraid to declare - the battle for the capital is far from over."


    Rumors had already been spreading. Intelligence from Marie had also pointed it out. And so did the OAF''s various loyal intelligence units. The Putschists were planning for something big.


    Something that Amelie feared would require beyond just defenses in the capital. No, she needed to rally the entire nation to her banner. Every front must be prepared to receive an offensive and inflict an offensive to tie down the enemy.


    Amelie feared that the capital would not hold if they didn''t. She was¡­in a precarious situation. The enemy held Heiflitz down south with a knife on her neck, and she failed to push the enemy off her side of the Ludendorf River. On the maps, Halia almost seemed surrounded, outside of their lines to Rebenslof and their thin lines that ran through Heiflitz and the OAF''s frontlines down south.


    If Heindh?ff captured Heiflitz and sent a pincer to cut her off from Rebenslof, she would find herself under siege. Nay, she was under siege. The supply trains from Rebenslof and from the south were being bombed already. All while many roads and railway lines were bombed or sabotaged.


    Being strangled from supplies meant that she was now almost truly under siege.


    But I won''t retreat from this. And I swear to the Goddess, they won''t get Halia from me. Only from my cold dead hands.


    Truthfully, she felt ridiculous that she was saying such things. She looked back at the times before, and she knew the previous her would run away from the capital if things got this bad.


    But she had a vow. A promise to her people. That she would stand for them, for the Kingdom, and the change that she promised. Her reforms, her vision of a better Orland, none of it would exist if she was beaten here.


    "I stand with the promises I made to you when I was crowned. That I shall introduce equality, and liberty, and strengthen Orland''s democratic institutions. To pave a path to a future that men and women, the rich and poor, Orlish and non-Orlish, and anyone in this Kingdom, will find a place in. Clearly¡­many didn''t believe that."


    The NRF¡­the millions of men that rebelled against her, even when she promised them rights and equality, and moved toward its direction. They clearly didn''t believe her. They refused.


    And Amelie somewhat understood them. Her reign had been dysfunctional, inept, slow, weak¡­and anemic at enacting change. She clearly favored women more, even now. And she was the daughter of the Queen that sent them to their deaths.


    And was now sending them once more to their deaths.


    To call herself a saint would be too far from reality. No, many times, she really questioned if she was in the right even. Or if there was a right side in this conflict.


    Men who fought for their rights, but with questionable means.


    Or women who fought to uphold a rotting system, and promised that they would reform it for the betterment of all.


    Both engaged in a bloody conflict for the weeping land of Orland - that now saw too much blood.


    But if I''m not on the good side, the best I can do is drive us to something close to one.


    Hope - that was her promise. That there was hope in siding with her. Maybe, just maybe, they could create a world that was a little bit brighter. Not a perfect one, but something people could at least find a decent life in.


    Something that would shed some hope, in the hopelessness that filled the hearts of her subjects.


    "And they have rebelled against me. But all that is the result of a failed system, and my inadequacy to prevent it all. Many would say that I do not have the means to realistically fix it all, but I take responsibility regardless. I¡­am not a perfect Queen, my dear subjects. But I strive for the betterment of Orland. And so does my Government, the Prime Minister, the Parliament, and our institutions."


    Her voice almost cracked at that part. Rare was it for any leader to even admit such things. It was a sign of weakness. But she had always spoken to the public with such humility.


    Somehow, while the elites scoffed at it, especially the Aristocracy, it found much resonance with her everyday subjects and men of the Kingdom. The people viewed her as a humble Queen, unafraid to tell out loud the problems in herself and the system.


    She would not change now just to appear strong in the face of war.


    "Every inch toward this betterment of Orland, for all of you, for all of us, will be taken. Even in the face of this great adversity. The system failed, the leaders failed, and the Kingdom nearly collapsed, but we must go on. To fight back the darkness. To pick up the pieces¡­and eventually rebuild. Hopelessness, I assure you, I can sense it in all of your hearts. But I assure you too¡­together, we shall shine the light of hope in the sea of hopelessness."


    She took another deep breath.


    "Together, from the ashes of this civil war - like a phoenix, we shall rise again, and build a better Orland. That''s why I call to all of you, to rally to the banners of the Kingdom, and save our nation from this great peril!"

 Chapter Seventy-Eight: Potential Ceasefire?

    "Her Majesty calls for hope! In a stunning speech that called for the Kingdom to rally to the capital''s defense, the Queen spoke about the shortcomings of Her Majesty''s government and the lamentable effects of the civil war. Once again, she showed her humility in the face of this great disaster. A reminder to all of us, that while Orland is divided, we are all a part of the Orlish people, and we must band together to fight for a better future. In this sea of darkness, eventually, as the Queen promised, there will be hope."


    - ROCN News


    +++


    "A ceasefire?"


    "Eight days. The Putschists believe that there must be a temporary ceasefire to facilitate negotiations."


    Negotiations? Amelie raised her eyebrow at William''s suggestions. A ceasefire for negotiations? She didn''t expect this, not from Heindh?ff.


    Though¡­perhaps, somewhere out there, in their blackened hearts, there''s still humanity inside.


    "Why?"


    "They want to discuss the surrender of Halia."


    That line almost dropped Amelie''s soul. Of course, she should have expected it. Of course, a benevolent ceasefire? A ceasefire to ensure that the dead and wounded are evacuated? A ceasefire to give the troops some reprieve? Of course not, why would they be interested in that?


    "Well¡­"


    "At least they want to talk."


    Amelie looked down at the file that William held, contemplating the idea of talking to these people. Of course, she wanted to talk to them and have a chat, about achieving peace and preventing bloodshed.


    But definitely not in the scenario of her being the one to surrender. She would not surrender. Why would she?


    "It''s an interesting proposition, but-"


    "Amelie, we have to take it."


    She looked up at him.


    "William, what are you trying to say?"


    "We must take their offer for ceasefire. Have a talk of the possibility of us surrendering."


    "Are you serious?"


    I mean¡­I suppose eight days is eight days. Even if it would be dishonest. That''s enough time to maybe smoothen some things out.


    "Yes."


    "Explain."


    "Of course, we won''t surrender. But we can clearly use that eight-day period to get in supplies, evacuate those that must be evacuated, dig in, and let reinforcements in. Give us breathing room for our logistical woes."


    "But, what about them? Won''t they do the same? Plus, I said already on national television that we won''t surrender. I even riled up the people to stand up and fight."


    "You have a point. But what do you think? It''s not like battlefield conditions are going to improve without a short break. Plus, time is on our side, not theirs. They need to rush beating us before we mobilize. Why not extend the timeframe to put further pressure on them?"


    "Did you talk about this to General Albrecht?"


    "Yes. The OHC''s position in this matter is that it''s up to JTF-Ludendorf to decide if we should take this offer or not, so long as it doesn''t compromise our frontlines."


    "Will it compromise our defense lines?"


    "No. We don''t expect it. Both sides are stuck in a severe logistical situation. We are limited by the fact that they have some fire control on our supply lines. They are limited by the amount of supplies they can bring through the limited bridges of the Ludendorf River. We estimate that in terms of replenishing manpower and material losses, both of us would be recovering it at roughly the same rate."


    Still¡­negotiations. This sounded stinky to Amelie. Maybe it wouldn''t compromise her defenses, but they had been fighting for a while now. There was no way that the Putschists had no ill motives for suggesting a "ceasefire", especially one that demanded her surrender.


    And again, she would not surrender. They may only take Halia from her dead, cold hands. She''d either live as a Queen of Orland in the Royal Capital or die here (though, deep inside, she had a creeping thought that she would scurry out of the capital should push come to shove anyway.)


    Nope! Stay brave. I won''t back down!


    "But their terms are to negotiate my surrender¡­"


    "Of course, they''re full of themselves. They don''t expect you to surrender, but maybe they''re testing the waters while buying time."


    "Why?"


    "Do you know what Halia is?"


    "Well, it''s Orland''s capital. Why would you ask me that?"


    "Yes. A metropolis originally populated by millions of people. More than fifteen hundred square kilometers of heavily urbanized financial and industrial districts. Can you imagine trying to fight through the underground subways and sewers of Equene District, alongside its packed skyscrapers? Or maybe through the industrial factories in Portview District? Or through the magically warded Greenwall District, with estates brimming with magical traps and artifacts?"


    "It''d be hell."


    "Exactly. Fighting through Halia would lead to staggering losses for both sides, especially for them. In fact, outside of Ginzhu, no one even has an idea on how to fight through a modern metropolis outside of starving it off, which we almost averted by evacuating the civilians."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Wait¡­so that''s why you proposed that."


    "And why we executed it. Now, we only need enough to supply and feed our armed troops and the auxiliary units supporting them, not millions of helpless civilians. Imagine the leverage they would have if we hadn''t pulled off the evacuations by executing Operation Silent Spear. We''d be begging for them to give the ''women and children'' mercy by now."


    Well, she didn''t really think of that when she signed off that order. She just wanted the civilians out, not eliminating a potential liability to war negotiations. She wondered why William didn''t mention it, but she was impressed by his foresight.


    Though¡­he was an expert in this. Of course, he would know that.


    "So your point is, they''re testing me if I would surrender or not because they don''t want to fight through this city."


    "Exactly. You have a reputation, Amelie. To them, they think that you would be very soft, even to your troops. Of course, they would go, ''the bleeding heart Queen will surely surrender, just bomb and starve her soldiers enough, she''ll beg for our mercy!'', and, you probably would."


    "I''m not that¡­well¡­I mean, I don''t want my troops suffering¡­"


    "See. But, you don''t want to surrender either."


    "Of course I don''t. But¡­"


    "Yes, but that''s a but for now. The point is, you won''t surrender. But here''s my plan. I want you to keep that ''bleeding heart'' appearance."


    "What?"


    "Fool them. Make them think they can push you just enough to the edge. They''ll make a mistake. Like delaying an attack or stopping strikes on civilians. Something which will benefit us, because they want to appear more approachable to you. You''re a nineteen-year-old woman after all. Call yourself an adult, but you''re still vulnerable to mind games. But they forgot one factor - me, who will absolutely not let you to do something as stupid as that."


    Amelie seemed indignant and denied that - but, then she realized. Yes, if her troops were in a bad position and the Putschists presented her with a favorable offer.


    She''d probably stupidly bite.


    Goddess. I''m an idiot.


    "Alright, I''ll follow through with your plan."


    +++


    It was already four in the afternoon when an all-out ceasefire was declared across the Grand Duchy of Ludendorf. Almost as if the hell ended - the guns and artillery fell silent.


    But it took hours before the negotiations took place. A problem arose with the fact that Heindh?ff demanded the personal presence of the Queen, which, understandably, Amelie refused (she wasn''t going to die for no reason if they, unsurprisingly, stabbed her back).


    Surprisingly, the Putschists sent a delegation of senior and junior officers, who were blindfolded and shipped to the designated location of negotiations. It indeed shocked Amelie that they would go to such lengths to talk to her.


    Now, Amelie arrived on it under heavy security. It was in a town near the frontlines, outside of Halia. The town was heavily garrisoned and fortified by scores of Royalist troops. Sandbags, barbed wire, and makeshift bunkers littered the town.


    When she exited William''s SUV, the lines of young men - soldiers, lined up in front of the Himmelsbach Council Hall, the town''s administrative center, and where she would conduct the negotiations.


    They all stiffened in her presence.


    "Attention! Her Majesty has arrived!" The officer in charge shouted as the lines of men looked up at her in attention. She noticed that many of them seemed apathetic and unbothered, as if they only stiffened up for a ceremonial order, yet none held hostility.


    At least there are some improvements.


    She approached one of the soldiers lined up. He seemed¡­way too young to be a soldier. But he was here, his rifle slung on his shoulder, looking at her with apt attention.


    She gave him a gentle smile to calm him down, but he further stiffened.


    "Soldier, what''s your name?"


    "Private Jon Torvus! I serve with the 63rd Battalion, Your Majesty!"


    And his voice sounded way too young. Yes, this man was definitely not eighteen, she thought. But why? Why would he be here? It was illegal for the Armed Forces to recruit children.


    And then the horrifying thought gnawed through her. She was employing child soldiers now?!


    "Why¡­do you serve the Army?"


    The soldier didn''t answer immediately, seemingly confused by her question. The look of the officer in charge made him look determined, however. And thus, his gaze hardened.


    "Those crazy men killed my mother, Your Majesty. I volunteered here to avenge her, prove that not all of us men are like them, and defend the Kingdom and her people. I serve to protect."


    "You do not agree with the views of the NRF?"


    "No, Your Majesty. Not all women are evil. They are wrong."


    "Am¡­am I evil?"


    "What?"


    "That''s enough questioning, Your Majesty," William said, cutting in between her and the young soldier. "I believe that the delegation of the rebels is awaiting us. It would be prudent to make haste."


    She looked at William''s concerned look, then back to the soldier''s confused expression. Amelie sighed¡­William could be a bit of a handful at times. It wasn''t like she was some child who needed shelter from criticism.


    Though¡­I suppose I always appear to be sulking at him. I guess I can understand his actions when I act that way. Always down¡­


    "Alright, Major Porter."


    She looked down at the soldier and gave him her one last question.


    "Soldier, what''s your age?"


    Almost immediately, his emotions disappeared, replaced by a poker face.


    "I am eighteen, Your Majesty."


    Somehow, she sensed that he was lying. Though he supposed that she wouldn''t be able to do much about it. Many young men routinely lied about their age ever since the Great War to serve.


    It had always bothered her. Their almost strange sense of senseless loyalty. Even when the state screwed them.


    All while the Army, ever desperate for more manpower, looked the other way for these recruits to "let them in". Now that she thought about it, the Putschists were probably doing the same.


    Child soldiers. Dammit¡­I''ll address this nonsense one day.


    Men¡­such strange people. To go to extreme lengths both to fight her and to defend her and the Kingdom. At the same time. A strange duality that she could scarcely understand.


    She walked away from that soldier, looking at the lines of men that she passed through, all of them still standing stiffly in attention. All of them were uniformly grizzled from past battles. Their eyes showed that these men saw war, and will see more war.


    And worse, she could tell, many of these men would not return home. She rarely saw the troops at the ground, so this was a strange, but welcome development for her. After all, if they were going to risk their lives for her, the least she could do was show up sometimes.


    To give them her presence, even if it could be unwanted at times. After all, she knew that in the Armed Forces, there was nothing that people hated more than some armchair commander who ordered people to death behind the comfort of the base.


    So she stopped and turned around to give them a few of her words.


    "Men of the 63rd¡­thank you for your service. You are all serving the Kingdom well, defending our people and nation in the front itself. That, I appreciate greatly. And I''m sure, the people appreciate it as well. May the Goddess be with you."


    They all gave her a respectful nod. She did as well.


    Then, she finally proceeded to go to the entrance of the Council Hall.


    Now¡­onto the rebels.

 Chapter Seventy-Nine: Talk With The "Devil"

    "An unending struggle in vain. No matter which side you choose, no matter how little power you have, no matter how screwed you have always been - you''re a man, and you are the enemy, and all the blame will be for you."


    - Journal of a Gallian Restorationist General, sixty years after the Arcane Wars.


    +++


    A Colonel.


    A Major.


    And a Lieutenant Colonel.


    When the Royal Guard knights removed their blindfolds and sent them to the empty negotiation room, they staggered to their seats after their baggage was tossed to them.


    "Behave yourselves." One of the Knights, a woman in her thirties, coldly warned as she looked at the three. "Filthy rebels."


    But the Colonel didn''t flinch, even when he was still disoriented by their "hands-on" handling of him.


    "Noted."


    "Her Majesty is arriving soon."


    She slammed the door after the rest of the Royal Guard contingent left. The Colonel noticed a slight glow in the wall when she left, indicating magic.


    Of course, we''re being watched.


    He looked back at his fellow officers.


    "Damn¡­she handled me rough, man. Felt like my ribs cracked." The Lieutenant Colonel complained. "Is this really how they handle diplomats, Colonel?"


    "Don''t kid yourself. We''re not diplomats to them. We''re cockroaches."


    Colonel Simon Torvus sat down at one of the chairs as he checked his briefcase for the papers necessary for the negotiations. It wasn''t exactly a pretty sight, as Defense Minister Heindh?ff needed someone to talk directly to the Queen.


    And the only way to do that was to be subjected to the abusive whims of the Royalists. As such, almost no one volunteered.


    Except for the three of them.


    Major Patrick Weiss, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Doria, and himself.


    "Well, also, we''re technically just Army officers. Mutinous Army officers. Shouldn''t be a surprise." Major Weiss cracked a laugh as the three sat and checked their belongings.


    It was mostly paper documents, folders, and files. Any and all weapons or electronics had been checked as they would be confiscated (and they didn''t bring any with them). Not even mere radios would have passed through their security checks.


    "So¡­are we sticking to the plan?" Lieutenant Colonel Doria asked as he fished another folder from his briefcase.


    "Of course."


    Their plan was to get the Queen talking and talking. They hoped that the temporary cessation of hostilities, alongside some ''amicable'' gestures would strike her in her heart, and allow them to prepare for their planned offensive before winter arrives.


    On their agenda were POW exchanges, humanitarian evacuations, and the possibility of "peaceful surrender". Of course, they weren''t expecting her to agree to any of it, but the Grand Duchy campaign had been¡­draining to them.


    At least in the short term.


    While on most other fronts, the revolution was pushing the Royalists like a hot knife in butter (with reports stating that Thein herself already being in the sights of the Republican Army), the Royalist defense in the Grand Duchy (and even the Free Confederation for that matter) had been nothing but stalwart.


    The force concentration of the Royalists around Halia, the quagmire around Heiflitz, the artillery strikes on the bridges and pontoon bridges on the Ludendorf River, and the stubborn defense south of the Free Confederation prevented full encirclement of Halia.


    Not to mention, they feared that they didn''t even have enough manpower (at the moment) to clear out the Royal Capital without pulling away troops from the simultaneously occurring offensive on the Archduchy of L?t and Duchy of Oldrach - both of which being important heartlands of Orland''s magical industry.


    "So¡­when is she going to arrive?" Asked Lieutenant Colonel Doria again.


    "Who knows." Replied Colonel Torvus. "She''s probably making us purposely wait."


    The Major beside him laughed.


    "Of course, she would. Gotta send the message to the peasant men of their place, after all."


    "I would caution you two from being disrespectful to the Queen." Colonel Torvus declared. "Remember the mission. We will take a hardline approach, as the Defense Minister directed. But we shall send the message respectfully, as proper envoys would."


    "I don''t object to that." The Major replied.


    "Good."


    Suddenly, the door finally opened. Royal Guard Knights flooded the conference room, each armed with their Arcano Rifles, and some with advanced staffs and wands. Behind them, soldiers with a yellow armband - with the logo that said "16th" followed in, their faces obscured by the visors attached to their helmets.


    And finally, Her Majesty herself. The Colonel noted her appearance, as she wore the same uniform in her televised address. Behind him was the same man during that address. He didn''t have a helmet, but his uniform was the same as the soldiers of the "16th".


    He recognized him. It was Major William Porter himself - head of the JTF-Ludendorf.


    One of the Royal Guard Knights announced her arrival.


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    "Her Majesty is here! You three would do well to prostrate in her presence!"


    Surprisingly, the young Queen giggled at her overenthusiastic Knight and told her to stand down.


    "There''s no need for that. We''re just here to talk." She declared, and the Colonel''s respect almost rose, if not for the fact that he noticed that the Queen''s halo was subtly present.


    Which indicated that she was passively casting spells, either to protect herself or to be ready to put the three down.


    Normally, women developed sets of rules whenever envoys and diplomats met. No wands - no magic. It was decreed that when one discusses peace in the name of the Goddess, there was no point in offensive gestures that signaled hostility. Bringing a wand to a peace conference, after all, was akin to bringing an assault rifle as a diplomat.


    But of course, being nothing but men, and worse - rebels, such rules of niceness didn''t apply to them.


    But¡­we''re surrounded by armed troops anyway.


    The three straightened themselves and stood up. The Colonel himself extended one of his hands at her.


    "I am Colonel Simon Torvus of the 87th Republican Combined Arms Brigade. May this ''talk'' be an eventful one then."


    +++


    Amelie looked down at the extended hands of the rebel Putschist before her.


    Torvus?


    That made her pause, and she looked back at the older face of this man, all as she remembered that young soldier outside with whom she had conversed.


    Simon Torvus and Jon Torvus¡­are they perhaps related?


    She took his hand and forced a smile for him.


    "Well, Colonel Torvus, I''m quite optimistic that it would be a productive one."


    "I appreciate that."


    All of them took their seats, as she eyed the strange trio. These were the same rebels that were trying to overthrow her from the throne. The same men who did not trust her vision for the Kingdom - and burned it down.


    Royalist war propaganda painted these men as savage brutes who did not care for the deaths of countless innocents, all for deranged gains.


    Men that, many would say, were below human. Someone that you could not talk with, someone who merely barks as he tries to bite you, and shave off your skin.


    She disapproved of these propaganda efforts, which she had no control over (as Aristocrats who controlled the media would say whatever they liked), but she sometimes felt¡­attracted to their slanderous accusations. It made her feel better at times, at sleeping at night.


    The comfort of viewing the enemy you were killing, as someone who deserved death. It was something¡­nice.


    But these three looked normal. Too normal for her. Unlike the almost deranged OIA agent she "interrogated", these three didn''t have that burning, searing hatred against her. Sure, they looked resentful, but most of all, they all just looked tired.


    "So¡­why are you¡­interested in these negotiations?" Amelie started, as she wanted to test the waters. These men''s intentions weren''t really pure, she knew that, but she wanted to know why they would go to such lengths to talk to her.


    The identified Colonel Torvus shuffled a few documents from his files.


    "We believe that this battle has been¡­quite costly for both of us. As such, we are hoping for the possibility to settle all of this peacefully. And perhaps, more than that. Maybe we can end this division of our nation peacefully as well."


    "And how would that happen?"


    "We believe that no proper negotiations can occur when one side holds¡­most of the cards to themselves. To pave for a proper peace settlement, the Provisional Government believes that¡­both sides must vacate the Grand Duchy and leave it under the auspices of a Joint Administration, that will facilitate the terms of proper reintegration of both sides, into a coalition government of sorts."


    Amelie narrowed her eyes. Essentially, he wanted her out of the Royal Capital. Of course, both sides would vacate it, and officially, it would be administered "Jointly". But that was, to say the least, nonsense. She would have handed her symbolic throne to them.


    And she would have handed the Grand Duchy to an untrustable entity. And a coalition government? Was the Provisional Government even serious?


    There was no way that Her Majesty''s Government (now based mostly in Eutstadt) and the Provisional Government could rule Orland as parallel governments - even if temporarily.


    The truth was, one had to go. Only then was it possible to achieve peace.


    "Colonel Torvus¡­it is an interesting proposition, and it may save countless lives and spare us from much bloodshed, but isn''t that too much?"


    "I believe the Royalist stance here is too much." He countered. "How can the Provisional Government trust the crown in peace negotiations if you cannot trust us in enforcing, what essentially amounts to a peaceful cessation of hostilities in the heart of our nation?"


    He had a point. How could a peace treaty be signed if both sides couldn''t even agree on an extended ceasefire? All it would take was one overly suspicious unit firing their guns, and suddenly a ceasefire violation leads to the lifting of a ceasefire agreement - and thus any chance of peace negotiations.


    Not to mention, the revolutionaries believed in revolution. It wouldn''t be so revolutionary if their own government allowed her - the enemy that these revolutionaries wanted out of power - to sit on her throne.


    "Perhaps there are other terms we can discuss for now."


    The Colonel looked at his fellow officers before he gave an extremely subtle sigh.


    "I understand. Let us talk about the subject of POWs."


    Amelie nodded in response. The subject of prisoners of war would be a good one. Perhaps it would aid in building some constructive communication between her side and the Putschists.


    Not that it mattered, again, these men wanted her out. She wanted to be on her throne to enact her vision for Orland. It was a fundamental clash of interests that¡­would not really be solved by a diplomatic dance.


    But, as William advised, she should dance with them for now. Tie them up to at least de-escalate for a while. A full peace was difficult, nearly impossible, and an outright delusional task for her to negotiate for at the moment.


    But if she could get some beneficial deals while the ceasefire was ongoing (and perhaps extend it), like prisoner exchange and further civilian evacuations, it would aid her side a bit.


    And the military aspect. Never forget that. The more we talk, the more time I can give for the OAF to fully relieve us.


    "Alright, I believe your side holds¡­" Amelie gestured for William to hand over the file that detailed the amount of MIAs in the Grand Duchy, and the projected amount of prisoners held by the rebels. "A total of twelve thousand OAF servicemen, and eighty-eight RGO servicewomen. Care to hand them back to us?"


    "And you hold three thousand of our brothers in your cells." He crossed his arms. "Will you hand them back?"


    "We''ll hand all of your men back in the course of twenty-two days, provided you agree to a ceasefire extension, and that you will hand over all RGO servicewomen, high profile nobles, and three thousand OAF servicemen. Would that be agreeable?"


    Amelie remembered the intense arguments between William and Pristina when they two drafted the demands. William insisted on getting the OAF troops out first, as he knew that the Putschists placed a heftier price for captured women (as they were more valuable captives) than men.


    Naturally, Pristina was livid and insisted that she''d rather "leave all OAF prisoners of war" for now than "extend the suffering" of her sisters.


    And¡­well, I agree with her. But, it would be too unfair.


    Which was why she gave them a compromise. William naturally found it a loss though, as he ended up with the short end of the stick, as potentially above ten thousand of his men were going to be stuck in POW camps after the exchange.


    But he begrudgingly accepted.


    "That''s almost a month. And that''s¡­not exactly a fair exchange for us." The Colonel said although he wasn''t exactly too angry about it. That was nice¡­if he was Heindh?ff, he''d have been shouting about how ''arrogant'' she was.


    "But Colonel, that''s why we''re here. Please, let''s negotiate the details first before you refuse."


    "...Alright."

 Chapter Eighty: Productive Negotiations

    "Organized protests cripple the Empire of Larissa! Scattered radio reports point to local revolutions in small and major cities. Units of the Imperial Army have been noted to be fighting each other. Imperial Princess Anastasia Illyenov, the younger sister of the now detained Empress Katerina Illyenov, declared a ''State of Emergency'' in the Imperial Capital after sending a ''Declaration of Immediate Peace'' to both Order Pact and Ivory Alliance member states. It is unknown if the youngest member of House Illyenov is attempting a power grab in the fallout of the Northern Sea Campaign. The extremism of this revolution must be noted with great alert, however, as scattered reports of ''anti-magic'' massacres reach the ears of our ground reporters. This is nothing short of a disaster!"


    - The Arcane Updates


    "Organized takeovers have proven successful! After months of riots, militia agitation, and negotiations with Imperial Army officers, our brothers in the Larissan Brotherhood Front (LBF) have now taken over multiple major cities of the blasted Empire! We are watching as the inept and corrupt aristocracy of the Empire turn tail while their wands fall off from their hands as the revolutionary tide chases them off their ivory towers. This marks the day that the revolution turned the tide for us men - the two superpowers of the Matriarchy have fallen!"


    - The Front Newspaper


    "Another lamentable attack against liberty and democracy in the name of our rights is happening before our eyes once more. It is a shame that more and more of the movement is being hijacked by extremist elements. The collapse of the Empire has been long overdue, but this is not what men''s rights stand for!"


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    "I see¡­well, in that case, why should we even prioritize OAF POWs, Your Majesty?" The Archduchess coldly suggested, leading to an infuriated groan from William.


    It had been three days of negotiations already with the Putschists, and Amelie was still far from achieving any productive deal with them.


    And that wasn''t great, because she was running out of time. The ceasefire, while a massive relief (as she had seen nothing but the distant horrors of war for entire months), was not exactly in an indefinite time frame. Eventually, those eight days would be over, and the Grand Duchy would be back once more in a slugging match to slay each other.


    And most unideal of all, Pristina and William were now once again in a bitter duel of words over who they should prioritize for the POW exchange.


    And since the Colonel made it clear that "releasing female hostages" would come at a "significant cost in exchange" meant that there was a massive possibility that they would not agree to a POW exchange where all women are released - alongside three thousand soldiers of the OAF.


    "Look." William breathed out. "We''ve been dying for you like flies, and this is how you plan to repay us? I can''t accept any POW exchange where none of my men would at least see freedom."


    "And I will not accept any exchange where any woman is left in the hands of these men. Major William, this entire revolution is anti-women, not anti-men. Surely you understand that women are more at risk from abuse under their captivity."


    "As if those extremists will not shy from abusing their fellow men who aren''t following their ideology. Did you forget Red Street?"


    "Don''t bring that up¡­"


    "I will, because if any of you have the false idea that these men will somehow not be vile with their fellow men just because they fight for ''men''s rights'', then I''ll keep reminding both of you about that night."


    "Alright¡­" Amelie said, quite tired of their bickering (again). "I understand both of your points, but we have to make a choice that will be for the best benefit of our cause. William, what decision do you think will yield us the most practical effect?"


    "Well, ignoring the questionable morality of this entire thing, releasing women first will be more practical, as we are trying to get more women to the fight, and that should send a message to most women volunteering that they will be prioritized should they be endangered." He looked down. "And bitterly, I admit that my fellow men will not even bat an eye if we abandon them. It will just be business as usual. There won''t be any morale loss when the morale is nonexistent anyway."


    The Archduchess held a smug smile, which further irritated William.


    "Well, at least you have some brain in your skull." She taunted.


    "Do refrain from insulting my intelligence."


    "Well, I suppose you did hold the Royal Capital from impossible odds. As expected from an officer molded in the trenches of the Great War."


    "I''m not just some war dog, you know?"


    Amelie cleared her throat, as the role of referee was clearly hers. These two would always butt heads as if their entire existence was all for the sole purpose of contradicting each other, but at least it wasn''t as bad as when Heindh?ff and Pristina spoke to each other in one room.


    However, Amelie mused that it could be explained simply by William''s nigh infinite patience, and his eerie ability to stay composed in the face of utter hopelessness. A little verbal spar from an aristocrat shouldn''t bother him too much, but Amelie had the heart to interfere.


    "Look, no need for further fights, the two of you."


    "I apologize, Your Majesty." The Archduchess quickly said. "I was just making things clear for him."


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    "Yeah, sure¡­clear¡­" William breathed out as he looked away from her.


    "But, anyway," Amelie said softly at the two. "Now that we know which one will be the most practical course of action, should we do it?"


    "Absolutely." The Archduchess replied just as quickly.


    "Sure¡­not like it will matter anyway. Saving a few thousand of my men will still leave over ten thousand detained." He shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. "Not like it will change how morally screwed all this is."


    "I truly apologize, William."


    "Don''t apologize to me. You owe that to those men only."


    "I¡­" Amelie sighed. "I understand."


    "Good. Let''s get back to them then."


    +++


    The rebel trio was eating their lunch when Amelie walked inside the room. It wasn''t exactly five-star gourmet, no, but it was half-decent at least. Amelie didn''t really want to treat the three like an awful host would.


    So far, while their stance had been staunch and hardline, they didn''t show her any disrespect. On the contrary, these men treated her as a bit of an equal. Which, if she was some different monarch, would be quite insulting - but she honestly preferred that to being worshiped.


    Or being looked at as an evil enemy. She''d seen enough of that.


    "I''m back."


    The Colonel stood up.


    "Have you made up your decision?"


    The Archduchess and William followed her inside, and she nodded.


    "Yes. At least, on the subject of POWs."


    "Well, I''m quite sure that High Command will be pleased with having our men and officers back regardless." His gaze hardened. "After all, we don''t leave our brothers behind."


    That seemed to have shot William down, as his expression darkened. Amelie felt bad for him, but, well, these were Royal Guard Knights and nobles that she needed to rescue. And, it really wasn''t like she had the chance to rescue those men anyway.


    Exchanging above ten thousand OAF troops for three thousand rebels just would never happen. The Colonel made that crystal clear.


    I have no choice left.


    She took her seat, alongside William and Pristina in front of the three rebels. They set aside their lunch for the files and documents, while Amelie herself fetched the draft of the ceasefire agreement.


    "So." The Colonel began. "I believe I made myself clear earlier. There''s no way that our leadership would accept the earlier proposals, including the revised ones."


    "Yes, I understand, we already took account of that."


    "Good. Because it just cannot happen. You can''t have everything from this."


    "But at the very least, if you accept this one, this will set a precedent for future negotiations, no?"


    "The possibility of further POW exchanges?"


    "Ceasefires and other agreements." She wasn''t really sure about all this, but if there was anything she hoped for, at the very least, an agreement here would make the future less bleak.


    Of course, she could not predict the future. Maybe if she beat them off harder, talking to them would be harder as they radicalized further in response (and she knew they were already really radicalized), but she wanted these negotiations to succeed even if hostilities resumed.


    At least, to prove that diplomatic avenues would be a possible option eventually. If there was anything she feared, it was total diplomatic absence. She didn''t want to fight them to the last, even if she would win.


    That would be too many Orlish lives lost - even if they were rebels.


    "Well, I''m sure our leadership will be quite pleased that you Royalists can be talked with. Yes, that is a possibility."


    "Good."


    "So what is it then?"


    Amelie, with slight reluctance, handed over the draft agreement. It stipulated that the exchange would be purely for the release of female POWs, all in exchange for the release of all rebel POWs captured in the Grand Duchy.


    Alongside it was an eighteen-day extension (lowered from the previous agreement) of the ceasefire. It also included clauses about how both sides would react, reasonably, to ceasefire violations, which the Colonel (and William) warned about.


    Both of them believed that the tense standoff in the Grand Duchy would result in sporadic, localized streaks of hostilities. Especially in areas where both sides were positioned only a few hundred meters away from each other.


    But as long as no major resumption of hostilities occurred (like one side shelling the other side for no reason), it identified possible pipelines for both sides to communicate and resolve violations and cool off hostilities.


    After all, an eighteen-day ceasefire would be quite useless if they resumed shooting each other halfway through it.


    And finally, a clause about continued negotiations. Amelie hoped that perhaps, she could extend the ceasefire further, but if that wasn''t possible¡­well, she wanted it in there anyway.


    The Colonel read through the draft, as his fellow rebel officers took turns checking it, one by one. Amelie watched it while subtly holding her breath at times, all while glancing at the Archduchess, who was growing impatient.


    Finally, the Colonel placed her draft on the table with a deep breath.


    "I see¡­"


    "So how is it?" Amelie asked.


    "Well, it takes the interests of both of our sides well. It''s not bad."


    "That''s great! Shall we make the official copy for the signing already?"


    William groaned at her sudden excitement, as this wasn''t how diplomacy was supposed to be done. Amelie herself chastised herself for getting way too ahead, and her cheeks slightly reddened.


    "Too fast." The Colonel noted.


    "Oh, uhm¡­sorry."


    "But anyhow, we request to send this copy to our leadership for a review process. Then we''ll sign."


    "So you''ll return first to your side?"


    "Yes."


    Well, that did make sense. Of course, they''d have to ask Heindh?ff first before the agreement was implemented. That grated her nerves. The last thing she wanted was for that jerk to strike it down and demand more.


    "Well, do make haste then." She said, already tired.


    "I''ll make sure of that." The Colonel replied. "Thank you for this talk. It gives us hope about the future."


    "I''m glad. And¡­I assure you three, if you ever need to surrender, we shall treat you all with dignity. There''s no need for any more of this."


    He replied neutrally.


    "And I assure you the same, should you surrender to us."

 Chapter Eighty-One: Humiliated Empress

    "Republic of Hebei reverses ban on magic! In a landslide vote in the new Hebei Legislative Council, the Republic ended its universal outlawing of magic. This came after strings of democratic reforms after the takeover of the so-called ''Shanzu Clique'' in the Legislative Council after the Republic''s defeat in the Battle of Ginzhu, which greatly discredited the militarist faction that led the Hebeian coup and revolution earlier. Will this signal a rise in more moderate politics in the Republic? No one knows, but, the recent ceasefire signed by the Republic with Imperial Rebels points out that these developments might de-escalate the Hebeian Civil War."


    - Geopol Press


    "Ceasefire declared in the Grand Duchy of Ludendorf! It is quite surprising that the barbaric rebels can even be negotiated with, but this development is indeed a welcoming one. Negotiations between rebel officials and Her Majesty, and notably the Archduchess, led to a temporary eighteen-day ceasefire to facilitate POW exchanges in the Grand Duchy. Combat operations however are ongoing on all other fronts, as the ceasefire is only localized in the Grand Duchy."


    - The Arcane Updates


    "Reactionary scum wiped out! The Republic of Asturia, besieged from the north by the barbaric Armies of Queen Alois of Gaul, reports another victory for us men to celebrate. The 126th Field Artillery Battalion of the ARDF shelled a concealed Forward Operating Base operated by the Knights of Princess Louise Aloise''s ''Order of Harmony''. Their wands failed to save their skins, as approximately two hundred ''noble'' Knights of Gaul perished in the shelling."


    - The Front Newspaper


    +++


    Empress Katerina Illyenov.


    The Great Empress of the Larissan Empire. The Grand Duchess of Theresa. The Conqueror of the North. The Defender of East Vaeyox. The Queen of the Kingdom of Poznek. And the Supreme Executive of the Order Pact.


    Nothing but titles that meant nothing. Beaten by a man without even a noble title. Not even an Admiral - but a mere Commodore.


    I just¡­I can''t.


    Her living space wasn''t exactly that bad. The Orlish Commodore had been more or less lenient in treating her. She was served three meals each day. And she stayed in a secured cabin somewhere in the ONS Rebenslof. A cabin that contained practically all basic amenities that any human being could ask for (except electronics).


    And she was free to move around and do anything that she pleased. She was even given books to pass time for herself, and much of her personal belongings.


    But still.


    Damn him! How unfair! When will he release me?! My Empire is literally falling apart!


    A knock distracted her from her mental tirade. With a groan, she approached her door and opened it. Outside, two Orlish Marines kept watch at all times, occasionally being rotated.


    The two outside had particularly etched themselves in her mind, by virtue of how irritating they were.


    "What the hell is it this time?!"


    The two Orlish Marines, Corporal Oakley, and Private Timmy looked at her with a shit-eating grin.


    "So¡­Your Highness, or was it Your Majesty?" Private Timmy tried before his partner smacked the back of his head. Corporal Oakley tried to clear his throat (and the grin on his face) as Katerina glared the two down.


    "I apologize for my partner''s misbehaving, Your Majesty. We merely wanted to report that the Admiral is coming to talk with you."


    "And what exactly is so funny?"


    "That''s classified information."


    She narrowed her eyes at Oakley.


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes."


    Such strange weirdos. Were they laughing at me? Laughing at my humiliation?


    Truthfully, they weren''t. They were just laughing at something random before they knocked on her door.


    Katerina merely facepalmed, giving up on understanding these two "morons'''' in front of her. To her, it wasn''t even worth it. Men were men, too simplistic but hard to understand that she wondered if they even were human.


    Whatever.


    She closed the door and began preparing the table and chairs. Quite frankly, she didn''t like this part, preparing for that guy, but she still had her pride here. She may have been humiliated, and she was a prisoner, but she wasn''t going to be an awful host.


    She sat with a sigh, only to be interrupted again by a knock.


    I really miss my wand.


    She opened the door.


    Albert looked down at her.


    Now what is it again?


    "We need to talk."


    "Sure. Whatever. Not like I''m in a position to refuse. Please come in."


    Albert went inside, and Katerina kept her eyes on a vigilant watch as he sat. She had already poured the tea on the cups earlier, so she wanted to be down to business immediately.


    Anything to make him leave faster.


    "So, what is it that you want from me this time?"


    "The Empire collapsed."


    Katerina didn''t blink. Neither did Albert. Before she gave off an amused chuckle.


    "Yeah, sure."


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    "I''m not asking you to believe it, but-"


    "I know that! I knew that the moment I lost the campaign! Why are you even rubbing it into my face?!" She laughed crazily. "Is that it? To further humiliate me?"


    "If I wanted to humiliate you, I''d have left you in Lorathia."


    "So what?! So you can show me off as a trophy in Orland?! To your sister?!"


    "I have no intentions of that. All I desire is to keep you alive long enough for a fair trial."


    "Oh yes, totally. Totally not to humiliate me in a kangaroo court. No, you just want me to go into a ''fair trial'' so your Orlish judges can strike me down as a war criminal!"


    Her rantings drained her, and Katerina broke down into tears, her laughs turning into despaired sobs.


    She still remembered her stay in Lorathia. Where she was in danger of being lynched by mobs. Where Orlish soldiers had to defend her from Lorathian women trying to "find justice" for their dead sons. By killing her with magic.


    Or the heated arguments between Albert and the Lorathian Queen on how to deal with her.


    She wanted to count her blessings. Of how unexpectedly, it was Albert who stood for her to prevent her from being shot or lynched by the angered Lorathians. And how she might have a chance of seeing life if she went through the courts of the Mandate of Nations instead of Gaul or Lorathia.


    But alas, it was so bad that at many moments, she wanted nothing but to end it there. All that. All her efforts. All those she had sacrificed. All of her questionable methods to grip the Larissan throne.


    Now nothing but ashest.


    And when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, what would stare back at her wasn''t a respected Empress ready to bring Larissa to the future.


    But a monster. A war criminal. A warmonger now turned into a prisoner - about to be tried by the International Court for crimes she couldn''t even bother to list.


    How can I¡­how can I even redeem myself? To salvage anything from this mess?


    "Katerina¡­" Albert said as she buried her face in her hands. "I despise you."


    "I know."


    "After all you did, you act as if you''re a victim."


    "Why didn''t you just let her do what she wished? I¡­I deserve it, in your eyes, no?"


    He didn''t reply immediately.


    "I''m not one to condemn even the worst monsters to death."


    So he does view me as a monster.


    "Why?"


    "Because who is a monster to dispel justice? I have crimes you know nothing about. And so does the Queen of Lorathia. Or all those self-righteous vigilantes who wanted to kill you. Who the hell sent their sons to their deaths anyway? It was them too. No, the only ones who must judge you are those with hands untainted by blood. The courts of the Mandate of Nations would serve that well. And make no mistake - you should fear them more. Their justice won''t just be a simple, sweet release by death. You''ll be rotting in a cell with nothing but your thoughts torturing you for decades after this. That, I assure you."


    Katerina just laughed in response.


    "I knew it. I knew it. That was¡­what you wanted all along. You want your sister to judge me and throw me into an Orlish cell."


    "Amelie isn''t the Mandate of Nations."


    "But once all of this is over. Once Orland ends the Civil War. Once Orland spreads its tentacles to intervene in the whole world to end the revolutions of you men. Wouldn''t it be the end result? A world order under her? A world order under her ''utopian'' vision?"


    "You don''t understand my sister. She''s not like you."


    "All monarchs are the same, Admiral. Absolute power for themselves. I''m sure she''s no different."


    "If that''s what you think of her, it is not my business."


    Katerina gave up as she merely fell limp in her seat. Albert tried out the tea in front of him as he kept his eyes off the sobbing woman. It tasted¡­good.


    "Why do you women cry so easily? Is that a way to garner sympathy? To make yourself look weaker by being vulnerable?"


    "Stop¡­belittling me, you asshole. I''m just, I can''t take it, all this¡­all this nonsense. Why me? Why me?"


    "We men don''t cry when we are judged as monsters. Not that it would work. When we are victims, we don''t even look like it. Many would even doubt if it is us that was slighted. Oh, but you, you can have so much blood in your hands, but bawl in the court, and they might be lenient. How outrageous."


    "Lenient? Is this your definition of lenient? You locked me here so that I may be imprisoned! You¡­you''re not lenient. You''re a torturer."


    "Your brother was executed on the spot by firing squad with no chance of fair trial for war crimes. And so were most of the senior officers of your fleet. But you¡­you got off unscathed because the Queen was hesitant. Even when she hated you. Even when she wanted you dead. Just enough for me to negotiate for you to be placed in Orlish custody instead. All because you''re a woman. And you''re still complaining? Calling the world - no, me, unfair?"


    Albert took a quick drink of her tea, already pissed off by Katerina''s attitude to him. He almost slammed the teacup on her table afterward.


    "Grow up." He spat at her before he left, as Katerina further devolved into a crying mess.


    +++


    "Damn, Sir. You went hard on her." Captain Schlatt commented as the two navigated back toward the bridge. It was a busy day in the North Allas Sea after all.


    The ONS Rebenslof, after weeks of repairs and rearmament, finally left Lorathia to return to Orland. Some ships of the 2nd Fleet reinforced the Rebenslof, and his Strike Force now numbered nine ships total.


    They planned to rendezvous with the rest of the 2nd Fleet, especially with the ONS Cuirassier. She, after all, while less prestigious, was still the Rebenslof''s sister ship.


    The two had fought side-by-side during the Great War, and they would be fighting side-by-side this time against their new target - the ONS Matriarch.


    "She''s lucky she even got onboard here."


    "Yeah, that incident sucked. They really wanted her dead."


    "Any mother would. Lorathia suffered greatly from the Great War and her second invasion."


    "Yeah, no shit. You think the Orlish public won''t do the same?"


    "Unlikely. Unlike Lorathia, the Orlish people weren''t strategically bombed during the Great War. That brat should have more chances in our homeland."


    "Well, if you''re so sure about it. Whatever. Not like we should care about a war criminal."


    The two finally entered the bridge. The staff all stood in attention as the new Rear Admiral entered, but Albert waved them off to let them return to their duties.


    "Rear Admiral."


    "Captain Vogel. What''s the status?"


    "We''re steaming west at two third''s speed. Around twenty-nine knots. All systems are green as well."


    "Good."


    Albert sat on his seat as he watched the slightly stormy seas ahead. One LF-12 Zapper was taking off from the Rebenslof''s flight deck as well - most likely for CAP (Combat Air Patrol).


    "So, what was the situation again?" Albert asked, and Captain Vogel replied.


    "Sir, just three hundred kilometers northeast of our position, a convoy of tankers was sunk by unidentified submarines."


    "Raiders."


    "Most likely the rebels, Sir."


    Albert sighed.


    "Have we commenced ASuW operations yet?"


    "Yes, our air assets are searching for the hostile subs as we speak."


    "Good. We''ll have to end these raiders if we ever hope to prevent a fuel shortage in Eastern Orland."


    "Hunt the Matriarch. Hunt the surface raiders. And hunt the submarines." Captain Vogel concluded, and Albert nodded.


    "Indeed."


    "This might be fun." Captain Schlatt commented with a cocky chuckle behind him. Albert would have loved to agree.


    But I doubt the 4th Fleet will go down that easily.

 Chapter Eighty-Two: Anti-Submarine Operations

    "Pirates, criminals, or savages. It doesn''t matter what they call us. The 4th Fleet is prepared to end international shipping. For the sake of the global revolution. And if raiding convoys and ports is the way to that path - so be it. To all seafarers out there, civilian or otherwise, we issue official Letters of Marque to all those loyal to men''s cause. Do not listen, you are not a pirate. You are a revolutionary."


    - Admiral Rudolf Ackfurst''s message to all Navies and Shipping Corporations, 4th Fleet of the Orlish Republican Navy.


    +++


    August 10, 2024


    Somewhere in the North Allas Ocean


    Strike Force 7


    "We''re launching the Monitors." Captain Schlatt reported.


    "Good. Time for the ghost hunt." Replied Albert.


    The 4th Fleet, Albert knew, was not an easy enemy to beat. They operated with the same training, doctrine, and naval mastery as the rest of the Orlish Navy.


    More so, the 4th Fleet wasn''t exactly a conventional fleet. It was known as the "Silent Seal" of the Navy, due to its composition and the modifications present in their ships.


    Unlike the rest of the Orlish Navy, the 4th Fleet operated a disproportionate ratio of submarines. They had nearly a dozen of the Weirl?ff-Class Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines, produced during the Weirl?ff Wartime Administration.


    They were the most advanced generation of Orland''s fast-attack submarines.


    Alongside this fearsome wing of SSN submarines, were Strike Force 2. It was around the size of Strike Force 7, having just an extra Gallant-Class Guided-Missile Destroyer. More importantly, was their flagship, the ONS Matriarch - a Queen Areya-Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier. The sole ship of her class.


    Only commissioned a year ago, just before the Great War ended.


    As such, unlike the outdated air wing of the ONS Rebenslof, which mainly relied on the LF-12 Zapper, the ONS Matriarch fielded one squadron of Orland''s new stealth aircraft - the LF-20 Phantom.


    That, alongside the rogue ships of foreign navies and opportunistic civilian ships now turned into what amounts to pirates serving the 4th Fleet, and his headache was massive.


    It was why they needed to link up with the rest of the 2nd Fleet. Their main goal after all was ASuW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) operations in the North Allas Ocean to counter the 4th Fleet''s raids on merchant shipping. And the North Allas Ocean was massive - and there were reports of shipping attacks everywhere.


    Which means the 4th Fleet is spread out.


    "Did the ONS Seafire deploy their towed arrays?" Albert asked, setting aside his cup of coffee while watching another MIH-12 "Monitor", an ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) helicopter, take off from the flight deck.


    It was Orland''s main naval ASW asset. It could drop sonobuoys to passively/actively listen for underwater contacts, as well as utilize dipping sonars. It was also armed with two Mark 16 ACHT (Acoustic Homing Torpedoes) that could be easily dropped should a submarine be spotted.


    "Two minutes ago." Captain Schlatt replied, and Albert nodded.


    "Well, that''s good. Tell them to stay careful. No need for us to lose a destroyer for no reason."


    "Well, our Monitors should prevent that. They''re already dropping sonobuoys at the moment. We are listening."


    "Do you think it''s just one sub?"


    "Most likely. The faint pings we got point to the direction northeast of our position. Two hundred to four hundred kilometers away. I doubt any Orlish sub would operate that close to each other."


    "That''s still a massive search area though. Should we launch more Monitors?"


    "Probably not."


    "Alright. Do update me as the situation develops."


    "Roger that, Sir."


    For a while, Strike Force 7''s escort ships began panning out a bit to scour the ocean. The ONS Seafire itself already detached itself by nearly sixty kilometers away from the Strike Force for the search.


    Hours after hours passed as Strike Force 7 passively listened to any signatures from down below. Unfortunately, there wasn''t much.


    By the fourth hour, a ping was reported.


    "Can you confirm what that is?" Albert asked the Captain of the ONS Seafire on the other side.


    "We are checking the signature." He replied, and Albert awaited. The techs around the bridge had been hard at work around him, as Captain Vogel directed the ship''s navigation.


    He issued another set of orders to the helmsman, and Albert felt the Rebenslof turn slightly.


    "So, what is it?"


    "Probably biological." Replied Seafire''s Captain. "Doesn''t match any Orlish signatures."


    "Keep verifying."


    "Copy."


    Albert placed down the radio and walked into the front of the bridge. He looked at the distant skies. This operation was growing tedious.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    +++


    One of the MIH-12 Monitors flew close to the surface of the ocean as it continued scouring the depths. It already dropped most of its sonobuoys, all of which were already passively listening for anything in a radius of a few hundred kilometers.


    As such, they were now down to their dipping sonar. The MIH-12 Monitor descended in altitude as it slowed down, deploying the dipping sonar down into the water.


    It was almost already afternoon, and the search was still ongoing, even when it started at noon. So far, Strike Force 7 has already been badly delayed by the ongoing ASW operations.


    It was to be expected. Hunting submarines was no easy task. If hunting surface contacts was hard, what more when the foe is hidden beneath the waves? While sonar was powerful, the ocean was gigantic.


    And everything - including the submarine that they were hunting, was on the move. Alongside it was the civilian merchant shipping, or random biological organisms that occasionally appeared, further confusing the search.


    The dipping sonar continued listening. While the submarine could be silent, painfully silent, it should still return something. Anything that would narrow down the area being searched.


    The pilot frowned as the rain started to return. That would mess up the search even further. Still, his hands and mind stayed focused on the task. After all, if he could find the submarine, he could drop the acoustic torpedoes his Monitor held to¡­"liquidate" said submarine.


    However, that wasn''t exactly his main task. His task was to find it. But, still¡­a lowly pilot of an ASW helicopter finding and killing a sub? That would be a great honor. And should improve his chances for a promotion - and a better paycheck.


    The sonar operator said something on the internal comms. Fly at bearing zero-five-five, he said. There was something¡­they were picking up something.


    The Monitor began turning, as it relayed the findings to the ONS Seafire.


    +++


    "What happened?" Albert asked after Captain Vogel finished conversing with the CO of the ONS Seafire.


    "Sir, they reported that one of their Monitors picked up signatures that might match a Weirloff-Class SSN. The resolution is low though, and they aren''t fully sure."


    "Where exactly?"


    "West. Two hundred kilometers away. The signature is moving northward. Slowly too. It seems to be hiding."


    "How slow?"


    "Definitely still faster than an average whale, Sir."


    He looked down at the reports on the screen, alongside the map. All in all, in an area of almost four hundred radius on all sides from the Rebenslof, multiple Monitors and dozens of sonobuoys were deployed, marked blue on the screen. There was one faint red signature, which was where they suspected that the sub was hiding.


    Suddenly, it disappeared.


    "Seems like we lost contact," Albert commented.


    "Indeed. Should we start searching with active sonar?"


    "Alright. Do it. And once verified, fire our ASTORs immediately."


    +++


    The submarine lumbered down below. It knew it was being tracked. Already, pings from the Royalist active sonar could be detected from all sides.


    It was almost as if the sea turned extremely noisy around it. The submarine began descending further down in the ocean depths, as it slowed down. It didn''t know where the enemy was, as there were pings coming from all directions.


    For the CO inside of the submarine''s CIC, it was almost as if they were now surrounded by enemies. Of course, he knew that most of it was deployed sonobuoys, as they were almost stationary, or Monitor ASW helicopters that turned the active sonar of their dipping sonars on.


    But he did know that something was moving closer to them. Something he could target. Of course, with all the noise in the ocean, it would be hard to target it, but he ordered his submarine to slowly listen to acquire it.


    +++


    <<Conn, sonar re-established contact at bearing zero-six-five. Distance, twenty-two kilometers.>>


    The ONS Seafire came ever closer to the faint signature that their Monitor had spotted earlier. The Seafire moved slowly, almost ten knots only, as its towed array was deployed in its wake.


    Its active sonar was already on full blast, and the CIC was hard at work establishing contact with the signature. They already assumed that it was a Weirloff-Class and that it was most likely hostile, but they didn''t fully know.


    Truthfully, it could be a friendly submarine, for all they know. Submarines rarely, if ever, communicated with surface vessels of the Orlish Navy. It was a complicated quagmire, as, even if the ship on the surface and the submarine below the ocean were friendly, they would not know.


    Unless they fully established contact.


    But that wasn''t happening. The only clue that the CO of the Seafire had if this signature was hostile or not was the fact that a civilian vessel was sunk nearby. The likelihood of this submarine being the culprit was high, but not absolute.


    <<Conn, sonar, torpedo launch detected.>>


    "They''re firing?" Asked the Seafire''s Captain to his XO, who was in line with the CIC.


    "Two torps are headed our way, Sir."


    The Captain''s heart dropped. With their active sonar fully activated, the sub must have acquired them for minutes already. Now that they fired, it didn''t matter if it was friendly or not.


    They would have to be treated as hostile. The Captain ordered the Weapons Officer to launch two ASTORs (Acoustic Submarine Torpedos) in the direction of the sonar contact before they turned off their active sonar and began evasive maneuvers.


    While the Seafire began retracting its towed array, its VLS cells opened up, and two ASTORs rose up in the skies. It was a two-stage rocket that flew up, traveling in the direction of the submarine in the skies. It took a few minutes before the rockets finally stopped, separated its first stage, and dropped down into the ocean.


    Just before they dropped, their parachutes opened up, and the ASTORs slowed down as it descended. By the time the two splashed, their active sonar turned on, and the two began plunging deep, homing to the submarine underwater.


    <<Conn, torpedoes in the water, bearing zero-five-eight. Twelve kilometers.>>


    The Seafire already began turning hard to the direction of the ONS Rebenslof, increasing its speed to fourteen knots as noisemaker decoys dropped.


    The same was true with the submarine, as two torpedoes bore down on it. It began erratic maneuvers, as the Seafire''s torpedoes closed in.


    <<Conn, sonar, noisemakers detected.>>


    The loud noise generated by the sub''s noisemaker worked, as the first torpedo of the Seafire passed right above the submarine, almost only a hair away.


    Another noisemaker was deployed as the second torpedo closed in, and it would have worked if the timing was correct - but too late.


    <<Conn, sonar. Detonation detected, bearing zero-six-eight. Distance, twenty-six kilometers away. Depth, two hundred meters.>>


    But the Seafire''s Captain could not celebrate yet. He continued barking orders to the helmsman for course adjustments as the enemy torpedo homed in into the wake of the Seafire.


    Already, it was just four kilometers away when the Seafire completed a one-eighty-degree turn, and with a well-timed deployment of noisemaker decoys, the torpedo was successfully confused and it passed the Seafire.


    "Crap, it''s coming back." The Seafire''s XO said as the men on the bridge held their breaths. The anxiety was palpable, as the submarine''s torpedo almost completely turned back on them.


    "Right-full rudder. Get us out again. Deploy noisemaker at my command." The Captain ordered.


    "Aye, Sir."


    The Seafire turned once more, as the submarine''s torpedo began gaining speed after its turn. The Captain hoped that his sudden turn along the noisemaker would confuse it again, resulting in a miss.


    "Deploy it."


    As the torpedo closed in, the noisemaker was dropped. For a moment, the torpedo homed into it, almost turning away from the Seafire, but then - it turned back.


    There was nothing that the Captain could do.


    The operation ended with a massive detonation under the keel, completely stopping the Seafire from moving. Damage control parties scrambled to fix the mess, but the Seafire was disabled.


    As the night dropped, the ONS Blackgem towed her wounded sister, all while the Rebenslof''s air squadrons watched from the top vigilantly.


    It was another costly skirmish.

 Chapter Eighty-Three: Trouble In Asturia

    "Another pretender state has been declared by the savage male rebels. The Empire of Larissa, goddess knows, is a corrupted state beyond repair. Now, the worst came from this scourge-infested Empire, as the LBF (Larissan Brotherhood Front) successfully took control of eighty percent of the vast Empire in an almost plague-like spread. These rebels then declared the ''Confederation of Larissa'' in the ruined halls of the ''Summer Palace'' of the Larissan city of Velikov. It would appear that the new revolutionary state is made up of the local uprisings of warlords in the vast domain of the Empire. We expect that these divided weaklings will be crushed by the powerful centralized government of the Imperial Remnants from the Grand Duchy of Theresa, however pathetic they are."


    - Le Feminine


    +++


    August 17, 2024


    City of Loviedo


    Republic of Asturia


    Unsurprisingly, Foreign Affairs Minister Adelaide Wallenstein didn''t like being in this place. The "Republic of Asturia" could be described as "not very pleasant" for women, at the moment, especially after the Asturian Revolution that ousted the Kingdom''s regency council from the country back in May.


    Since then, Orland''s ally, the Kingdom of Gallia, had been entangled in battle with the Republic for months. Many expected that the extremist Republic would collapse - but somehow, they not only held on but reformed into a more "democratic" form.


    Which was why Adelaide and the Orlish Delegation were here in Loviedo. The Gallian Queen once again sent her envoys to discuss the terms of surrender of the Republic, and she was here to "observe" the proceedings.


    "We would like to preface this meeting¡­" The Gallian Duchess of Lorraine started. "That we are here to discuss peace for both of our nations. This war has gone on long enough, and the Queen sends her pity to all those affected. As such, we propose an end to this conflict. I pray to the Goddess that cooler heads will prevail this time."


    On the other side of the table, the Orlish and Gallian delegations faced the grim-faced men of the Republic. She could even see three Orlish officials from the Provisional Government, who talked to each other quietly.


    Most of them wore their military uniforms, some even with their caps on, which almost hid their eyes when they looked down on their papers. As far as Adelaide was concerned, these men weren''t treating diplomacy with proper decorum, as if they were prepared to go out again to command the frontlines in a mere snap - after talking about peace.


    The leader of the Republic''s delegation, Brigadier General Roberto Santiago - now the Republic''s Foreign Affairs Secretary, replied back with a cold, deep tone. He was only twenty-seven, Adelaide knew, yet somehow, he almost looked as if he was in his forties, already aging and in decline.


    She supposed the wars and its horrors wore down this man. All the more reason for her to despise it.


    "The Republic appreciates this gesture, Gallian." He didn''t sound appreciative. "I hope the Queen is prepared to leave Asturian soil this time."


    "We are negotiating your surrender." The Duchess of Lorraine replied.


    "Then it is a no."


    "As to be expected." Adelaide knew that both sides weren''t going to agree on anything large today, but they were still here, mainly for two reasons.


    First, the Kingdom of Gallia didn''t want to appear any more threatening to the Republic than necessary. Their position during the start of the war, was, according to many analysts, one of the main catalysts for the Loviedo Massacre.


    Push the revolutionaries too hard, and the moderates might lose out to the extremists¡­leading to unfortunate events.


    As for the Republic, the Asturian Government wanted global recognition and legitimacy. Their moves to democratize and end their crackdowns on magic, alongside their openness to diplomacy were done in an effort to at least remove their status as a "rogue state".


    And with both sides already frozen in their positions on the frontlines, it was already starting to look grim for anything but diplomatic peace. Especially with Gallia on the verge of bankruptcy after their "thirty-day operation" turned into another quagmire reminiscent of the Great War.


    She sighed, as the two sides continued their diplomatic dance, as offers and counter-offers were made as each hour passed. She and her staff took notes, but alas, most of it was unproductive nonsense.


    The talks soon ended.


    +++


    "Lady Adelaide Wallenstein¡­you seem quite troubled there." Adelaide was merely looking out at the balcony, deep in thought as she watched the busy skyline of Loviedo when she heard his voice.


    She turned around to confirm who it was.


    "Sir Santiago? Oh, worry not. I was just admiring the city. Not bad."


    She wondered why her security detail allowed him to come. She wasn''t really worried about her safety, as they most likely already checked him, and she did come here to talk.


    But still, she kept her guard up.


    "Is that so? One would think that someone from Orland''s High Aristocracy would find a city run by men¡­less pleasant."


    "I believe Asturia''s Government is now half women, is it not?"


    "The reality is that women have more expertise in ruling than the hodgepodge of revolutionaries that started all of this. It''s a natural development."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "But they don''t hold the important ones."


    "No. Not at least until the revolution is complete."


    She chuckled.


    "Would that really happen?"


    "The revolution believes in democracy, Lady Wallenstein. How can there be democracy when women, who make up more than half of our nation, have no representation?"


    Subtly, she noticed the tiny smirk on his face. It was, after all, a criticism of the "Arcanist Democracy" prevalent in almost all Kingdoms. Where women of all kinds supported and celebrated a system of "democracy"...a democracy that represented only those with magic.


    And thus, one that almost all men, and many female thinkers even, criticized as nothing but a fad. A democracy only in branding¡­not in essence.


    "Most revolutionary states make it a point to bar women from positions of power, Sir Santiago."


    "And we''re not like them. But we won''t blame them."


    Adelaide raised one of her eyebrows.


    "Why?"


    "The revolution is besieged on all sides. Even from the inside. The implementation of true democracy is but an idealist luxury when the true conditions are contradictory with its prerequisites. How can you make the people rule when half of the people potentially want the other half to have no voice?"


    "Most women would not oppose true democracy."


    "We know. But many do. Especially those in the High Nobility."


    Adelaide sighed. She didn''t really enjoy talking to ideologues. They were hard to deal with, diplomatically. They believed not in the common interests of both parties, but in the interest of their ideology. Republican men at their core, were afraid of all things royal, and were hard to talk with.


    Like a prey talking to its predator. They kept their guards up, prepared to run or pounce should the opportunity present. They didn''t view her, the MN, the Queens of every kingdom, and women as parties to truly potentially talk with in good faith - but as enemies.


    Dammit¡­let''s just, get down to business.


    "...Why are you letting the 4th Fleet gain access to your ports?"


    "Why are you supplying Gallia with arms?"


    "They are our allies."


    "Exactly."


    She looked up at him.


    "So, an enemy of the Orlish Crown is your ally?"


    "Not exactly, but we sure have common interests. We are both male-led revolutionary republics in a struggle against matriarchal counter-revolutionary elements."


    "I thought the Asturian Republic was searching for international recognition?"


    "But you and the MN''s member states are being slow."


    "We cannot just recognize governments formed by violent takeovers."


    "And we cannot align ourselves with the monarchist order that views us as rogue states."


    "And so, you would rather align with your fellow brothers? The pariahs of the world stage?"


    He nodded.


    "If the world order treats even moderate revolutionaries as pariahs, then we would have no choice but to align with the rest of our revolutionary brothers."


    "Extremists¡­extremists who would violate the rights of women just to get back at us. Did you forget that?"


    Adelaide wasn''t exactly comfortable with that fact. Asturia, and many other "revolutionary" republics, while revolutionary, had already proven themselves to be at least half decent. They, at best, tried to avoid turning the tables around for their female populations.


    And, for the most part, they were trying to democratize themselves to deliver their egalitarian promises. Unfortunately, almost all members of the Mandate of Nations, Orland included, had gone paranoid and branded all as the same.


    Collectively, they were branding them all as enemies of the civilized order - radical dogs that must all be put down in the name of the common good. There was no distinction. A revolutionary republic was the enemy of all women, automatically, plain and simple.


    And now, these states, besieged at all sides, were now banding up. All while the extremist ideals of the revolution spread like wildfire, as paranoid revolutionaries pointed at the Mandate of Nations, and shouted, "All of the world and women are against us!"


    All this would lead to a true second great war. Between men and women.


    And that would be bad. For both men and women.


    "But what can the Queen of Orland offer to us?"


    She sighed. "We''ll mediate peace between Gallia and Asturia. Then we''ll give you our recognition."


    "I see¡­"


    It is not enough, isn''t it?


    "You''ll discuss it with your superiors?"


    "Yes. Thank you for this talk."


    "You''re welcome."


    He left without much drama. Adelaide herself merely gave one last sigh, as she turned her back from the skyline of Loviedo.


    +++


    Adelaide didn''t exactly enjoy her last conversation. It ticked her wrong - incredibly wrong. Her mission was ultimately just to observe and report back to the Queen while giving the Asturians some idea of what Orland could potentially offer.


    But she didn''t like what she was seeing. There were already more than two dozen "male-led revolutionary" governments across the world, and they were being pushed to band together by the international world order that vehemently rejected them.


    Orland, Lieplatz, Asturia, Hebei, Larissa¡­it''s almost like falling dominoes.


    And the worst part about it, it was the most industrial powers that were falling to revolutions. Asturia was one of them. While their economy was smaller than Gallia or Lorathia (which were the two main Great Powers left that hadn''t fallen to a revolution), the Asturian Economy was mainly backed by its enormous heavy industries.


    Unlike Gallia''s light industry or Lorathia''s financial empire - Asturia produced industrial toolings, robotic assembly lines, ships, and war machines, mostly licensed copies of Orlish technology.


    It was due to the more "heavy-handed" policies of Asturia''s Monarchy on men, that kept their labors so cheap, that they effectively became the factory of both West Vaeyox.


    The ARDF may have started smaller, but already, the amount of war material that Asturia''s industrial cities produced was starting to tip the balance in the Northern Front.


    And if Asturia joined the Provisional Government, Asturia''s ports (which were developed to house Orland''s naval assets as a part of the Ivory Alliance''s Collective Defense Treaties) could be used by the 4th Fleet and the countless rebel flotillas hellbent on bringing down international shipping.


    Adelaide stopped walking, as she saw the Asturian Foreign Affairs Minister conversing with the observers sent by the Provisional Government down below.


    She couldn''t just let them have Asturia that easily. But what could she do, when Her Majesty''s Government had almost nothing to offer?


    Goddess¡­this is getting worse.


    She merely rubbed her temple before walking away.

 Chapter Eighty-Four: Resumption of Hostilities

    "Some folks inherit bright glowing halos. Ooh, they''ll send you down to war, no."


    - Fortunate Daughter


    +++


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    Heiflitz, South of Halia


    Br¨¹l District


    August 26, 2024


    128th Special Holding Detachment


    Three tanks were burning on the road.


    Marie Wittfield stopped herself from moving forward, watching as another platoon of young men rose from the rubble of a collapsed grocery store. It was a concentrated charge, almost stopped prematurely when a mortar blast turned three men into mush, but they pushed on.


    Poor bastards¡­


    Their charge was a hasty one, just enough for her to skip through more lanes undetected, as the enemy focused fire on their masses.


    Her and RIU''s goal was simple. A downed Putschist helicopter crashed in one of Heiflitz''s easternmost districts, near the position of the 128th Special Holding Detachment (SPHD) currently engaged in combat with a Putschist assault early in the morning. A helicopter that carried a high-ranking Putschist officer.


    And¡­most important of all, according to one of her "captives", a file that detailed the Putschists'' operational plans.


    She needed to nab it quickly.


    The SPHD was¡­well, it meant that they were a penal unit. The "Holding Detachment" was a euphemism. They were supposed to "hold" their position regardless of the cost. Which meant they weren''t retreating.


    In other words, they would be holding this section of the frontline to the last man. And since Marie had many contacts with JTF-Ludedorf, she "acquired" de facto command of these men.


    And her commands were simple. Take their attention while she and the RIU did their job of taking something important. It sounded diabolical, but it wasn''t like she had options. The 128th was here, and she had no time to redeploy anyone else.


    She stopped and sent a barrage of ice spikes forward, just in time for three enemy soldiers to turn the corner. They dropped dead, and Marie pushed forward, meeting the rest of the enemy squad.


    Desperate gunfire punctuated her attack, all as she left nearly a dozen dead in her wake. She wasn''t stopping.


    "Hostiles!" She heard from her left. She didn''t pay heed, it was merely the shouts of what was probably an OAF sergeant on a parallel lane - especially when she heard another set of panicked gunfire from that direction afterward.


    Seraph One. Someone said in the Astral Network. We have visuals.


    She stopped in front of a road intersection, where a bunch of soldiers from the 128th found themselves pinned behind the ruined cars lined on the road, as multiple Putschist machine guns bore down on them from the rooftop of a restaurant.


    She watched as they replied back with their rifle fire, while a squad of four attempted to charge forward, only to be cut down in seconds - one of them dropping right exactly in the middle of the intersection, face down. His neck¡­not in the best shape.


    She winced in sympathy.


    "Dammit¡­this entire thing went sideways." Marie hissed, as another group of Royalist soldiers tried another assault. Once again, they didn''t get far, being cut down once again by the Putschists'' gunfire.


    She moved on forward, her magic almost completely concealing her when she crossed the intersection. It was already proving to be quite the journey to reach the downed helicopter when she found herself in a lane where four soldiers were bludgeoning each other to death - before a Royalist soldier managed to fire his gun at his foes.


    Goddess¡­


    At last, she soon regrouped with her RIU agents and a few Royal Guard Knights present for the operation. They mostly trickled in after the artillery barrage earlier forced them to scatter from their staging positions.


    It was so severe that much of the easternmost town of the city resembled that of an apocalyptic landscape, littered with abandoned fortifications and the countless wrecks of tanks and LSS Mechs.


    And up ahead, was the downed helicopter. Her RIU agents moved in rapidly, all while the participating Royal Guard Knights moved to provide overwatch from the rooftops, ready to dispatch.


    Just in time for Marie to see a Putschist platoon move forward in the direction of the wreck, as the men cautiously checked the environment with their rifles.


    Shame¡­they shouldn''t have been here.


    A red light of arcane runes appeared from one of the rooftops, and then - desperate gunfire responded from men on fire.


    +++


    Queen''s Bunker


    "Contact lost with the 128th SPDH. The 17th Armored Division is now redeploying to the Br¨¹l district."


    The announcement didn''t take Amelie''s attention from the current situational report from William. She expected all this to happen. Nevertheless, it still saddened her, for she hoped that the ceasefire would have lasted a little longer.


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    Unfortunately, last night, the enemy made the first move.


    William pointed his stick at the map of the frontline on the digital board, on the eastern part of Heiflitz.


    "As such, it is clear that they are attempting to cut us off from the south. By taking Heiflitz, we would lose our lines to communicate with Southern Command, and we would only be supplied by Rebenslof and the Free Confederation."


    Amelie sighed. This indeed was a disappointing turn of events. Her eyes focused on the concentration of her forces in Heiflitz. Briefly, she wondered if they would be retreating to the direction of Halia or down south should they lose.


    "Can we hold Heiflitz?" Amelie asked.


    But William, as always, did not have a straight answer.


    "We are attempting to do so, but the situation is rapidly disintegrating. We are fighting them building by building, block to block, but their numbers are overwhelming local defenders."


    "So we should redeploy our forces from Halia?"


    He paused. Amelie''s question made sense, yes, but that would not be too easy.


    "Strategically, that might lead to losses that the defenders of Halia might be unable to take."


    "From the south then?"


    "Southern Command isn''t going to funnel troops to a section of the frontlines that are about to be cut off," William replied as he made a motion with his stick, from Heiflitz to the major roads down south. "In actuality, they would most likely prefer to evacuate troops from Heiflitz, to prevent them from being encircled, and to shorten the frontlines."


    That''s¡­not really a bad decision. But then, I''m going to be actually cut off from Southern Orland and Western Orland. Goddess knows it would be a pain to reconnect our frontlines in that situation.


    After all, the fronts of Orland had already started to solidify. Each inch of land would require an enormous amount of blood and lives spent.


    That''s why I cannot lose Heiflitz. Or the connection to the south. Even if I win, I''d have to send more young men to die to reconnect us to the rest of the country. But then¡­telling these men to hold fast would be awful too.


    After all, she had heard enough reports about the casualties her troops were soaking up from their "last stand" policies. Sometimes, she wondered if that was even necessary. Many times, William would tell her that losing such positions would be unacceptable, but then, what was the point of sacrificing lives when the position would be lost anyway?


    It all baffled Amelie. Such were the complexities of war.


    What baffled her even further was men''s willingness to die in the front. There were mutinies, so many mutinies, yes, but there were also so many that would not take a "step back" and fight till the last ammo. It was terrifying, Amelie thought.


    What if it was her turn to truly attack? When she would be the one besieging the industrial cities of the Free State? Wuringen was a massive land, with almost twelve major cities aside from Eirhow.


    And with the fanaticism of the Putschists, she could only scarcely imagine the stalwart resistance they would put up. Even if women fully mobilized for the Royal Guard, they would have to clear out almost half of Orland, now occupied and fortified by the Provisional Government.


    Halia was already extremely bloody. And this was just one city. She remembered the harrowing reports from Western and Southern Orland, where Royalist forces stalwartly defended each city with casualties already mounting to five hundred thousand.


    Soon¡­Rolentz and Thein too. Defense or offense, this is all too costly.


    But she had to hold on. The Kingdom was fighting for her without reprieve - the least she could do was to lead them better.


    And thus, she had to make a decision. To hold Heiflitz at all cost - or to abandon it.


    Both had downsides and advantages she would have to weigh. Losing or keeping Heiflitz would be a decision that would have massive consequences for the course of the Halian campaign.


    "Then what do you think is the best course of action, William?"


    Even William didn''t truly know. And neither did anyone in JTF-Ludendorf. War after all was full of uncertainties. Strategically, abandoning Heiflitz would cut off Halia from the rest of the Royalist holdings.


    Tactically, holding Heiflitz would be extremely risky, costly, and difficult, and it might not even change the outcome anyway - if they lost Heiflitz.


    And so, he showed JTF-Ludendorf''s three main battleplans on the screens.


    "This¡­" He paused. "Are our options."


    +++


    Heiflitz


    Br¨¹l District


    17th Armored Division ''Standhaft''


    19th Tank Battalion


    The night was already crawling near, but there wouldn''t be sleeping today.


    Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Prul watched from his vantage point (a Hotel turned into their forward HQ) as another airstrike destroyed a block on the area captured by the Putschists in the easternmost parts of the Br¨¹l district.


    He placed down his binoculars. This truly was beyond tedious.


    "Sir!" One of his staff officers called, handing him his radio. "It''s General Holl."


    He quickly took it and answered. The 19th was currently awaiting their assigned AO (Area of Operations) and combat objectives. Due to the sudden earlier artillery barrage, much of the 128th SPDH was lost, their HQ losing contact with the rest of HEICOMM (Heiflitz Command).


    As such, the forces of the 19th had to move in and re-establish themselves in the district. General Holl was cautious, however, as he only sent his scouting companies ahead of the 19th Armored''s main force.


    But Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Prul knew that sitting around would be unproductive, and dangerous even. The Chief Air Marshal wouldn''t be able to hold the temporary Royalist air superiority above Heiflitz.


    CAP (Close Air Support) missions were already being called off, as the Putschists were pushing Royalist squadrons off the skies. Many expected that by 18:00 hours, the enemy would go on an all-out night operation to soften them up for the next Putschist assault by dawn.


    "This is Lieutenant Colonel Prul on the line, sir."


    "What''s the situation over there?"


    He eyed his men down below. They were already preparing their parked L?we tanks scattered on the roads leading to the frontlines. Many were tossing used shells, others were checking their vehicles, all while lines of mechanized infantry marched forward in irregular formations.


    "We''re preparing for the deployment."


    "They''re not sending shells your way?"


    "I would have reported it if they did. Still, this is a major vulnerability. General, I request that we start moving."


    "I understand. Our scouts reported that there are presence of hostile LSS Mechs in your assigned AO."


    "Sir?"


    "You''ve heard it right. We''re facing LSS Mechs."


    Normally, he would not react badly to that news. But those things already had a reputation for chewing L?we tanks in constrained urban environments.


    "Well¡­it''s to be expected, sir."


    "The Queen still hasn''t made a decision. As such, we have to make do and hold this city with what we have until she does. You will defend what you can defend in your AO, but pull back if necessary."


    Of course, they were an armored unit. L?we tanks were valuable on the battlefield, unlike the penal units that previously held this district. It would make sense that they didn''t want to lose more armored assets if necessary.


    "Understood, sir."

 Chapter Eighty-Five: Operational Planning

    "The Royal Guard of Orland swells in numbers! Ever since the ''Royal Guard Volunteer Act'' was signed by the Queen, women of all kinds have been volunteering in record numbers to join the RGO. Roughly forty-eight Knight Detachment Units (KDUs), roughly the size of an OAF Brigade, had been formed. These KDUs were now reorganized by the newly formed RGO Supreme War Council specifically for field deployments. The response from the OAF had been mixed. Some applauded it as a step in the right direction for men and women to share the burden of fighting. Some expressed concerns, citing that these units are ''poorly integrated'' into the OAF command structure, which might lead to ''poor strategic and tactical utilization'' on the battlefield. Still, most women in national polls have approved of this, showing that this war is very much a joint national struggle for both Orlishmen and Orlishwomen."


    - ROCN News


    +++


    City of Halia


    Queen''s Bunker


    August 27, 2024


    Amelie looked down at the report files that Marie presented. Yesterday, she and the RIU found themselves in a skirmish at the hot zones of Heiflitz, as they attempted to grab high-priority intel from a downed Putschist helicopter down in the Br¨¹l District.


    "It''s as we''ve expected," Amelie said, still reading the files. "They really want to encircle the city."


    "That much is obvious," Marie said. "But the most important thing we gathered here is their force concentrations."


    "Indeed. Marie, I really do commend you for this."


    "Just doing my duty. For you and the Kingdom."


    "I assume you weren''t endangered, right?"


    Marie smirked smugly, almost as if she was so sure that there would absolutely be no way she could die there.


    "Well, there were some close calls, but otherwise, it turned out fine."


    Amelie sighed in response. She had already received the reports from Heiflitz. Yesterday, the fighting was so severe that an entire penal unit almost disappeared in the Br¨¹l District.


    Nearly three divisions had to be redeployed to keep hold of that District, and her forces still suffered heavy casualties even with the limited air support offered by the Air Force.


    It was a result of aggressive artillery bombardment and determined LSS Mech assaults. The Putschists sent an elite division of them, which almost completely chewed her 19th Armored Division through the night.


    As such, it was understandable that Amelie was worried for Marie. Very much so. She didn''t really want her close friend so close to danger during these operations.


    "Good. I still want you to stay careful though."


    "I do everything with my safety in mind, don''t worry."


    Amelie clipped some of the files to her clipboard. She didn''t want to lose it for the meeting later in the night.


    "So¡­should I divert funding to the RIU now? To turn your organization into a real agency?" Amelie asked.


    "Haven''t we been a real agency already?"


    "Yes, but the RIU is too small. Too underfunded."


    Marie seemed deep in thought about it. So far, the Royal Investigations Unit had been treated like some detachment from the Royal Guard. Although they were given some high-end equipment and generous funding, they were still such a tiny unit that the RIU could not truly compare to the OIA, or to Army Field Intelligence (AFI) and the Naval Intelligence Division (NID) that became the OAF''s main intelligence arms.


    "Well, my unit was created for a sole purpose after all. Our main mission was just to investigate the death of your late mother." Marie reasoned. "Though, our roles have since expanded."


    "Exactly. So¡­why not make things official? Maybe, just maybe, the RIU can truly replace the OIA. Even after this war. I mean, I absolutely will abolish the OIA once this war is over."


    "Well¡­" Marie replied. "Does that mean I''ll become similar to Alfonso? With a massive organization to run dedicated to intelligence and counter-intelligence for the Queen?"


    "Yes."


    Marie looked at her options. Certainly, this would be a massive responsibility. So far, the RIU had been just her close connections in the Royal Guard. Volunteers who wanted to fight for the Queen.


    If she wanted to turn the RIU into a proper intelligence agency, she would need to build things from scratch. Then a proper command structure. Bases, facilities, and most of all, manpower. Hundreds or even thousands of people to be managed.


    And separate units. Training. All of it, she would have to figure it out somehow.


    It sounded like a lot of work. And Marie smiled. She wanted more work.


    "Alright, funding, eh? How much are we talking about?"


    "Well, probably fifty percent of the OIA''s original budget for the first year? Enough to build something from scratch, but not too big to manage."


    "Well¡­" Marie wasn''t really the best at managing money. "I''m in then."


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    Amelie smiled.


    "Alright. I hope you''ll serve this role well."


    Marie''s eyes returned a determined glint.


    "I will."


    +++


    Amelie watched as Colonel Kleist gave another report to the officer staff of JTF-Ludendorf. He discussed the current frontline conditions around the Heiflitz frontline, which was now becoming the most important axis of the battle.


    "Once again, the Putschists are sending multiple armored elements to storm the city. AFI intel indicated for the past few weeks that an assault on Heiflitz was highly likely, but only now is it fully clear. They want us cut off from the south." The Colonel finished, before one of the Army officers, General Elias Holl raised his hand.


    He was in charge of HEICOMM, which placed all forces in Heiflitz under his command. So far, General Holl had adopted a reactive defense posture, making sure that his forces could plug gaps in the defense line as the situation developed while staying cautious and avoiding potentially costly counterattacks.


    This was different from William''s policy of proactive response, which gave field officers the permission to respond "as they see fit", leading to local counterattacks and rapid force deployments that kept the Halian frontlines somewhat static but also somewhat mobile.


    So far, William''s policy allowed the OAF to be effective at keeping Royalist initiative on the battlefield, tying down Putschist units and keeping them at their toes - and as William explained to Amelie, it also kept them, "In a constant state of imbalance," preventing proper preparations for any offensive actions.


    The downside - they were suffering heavier casualties. In Heiflitz, tactically, her Royalist defenders stayed in pure defense. On the other hand, in Halia, her defenders were, tactically speaking, taking an offensive posture. And each local offensive led to losses.


    "I understand the situation." He started. "But my question is, what is our response? So far, we have been reacting as they move, but we have no initiative. I''m afraid the status quo might lead to unfavorable results."


    The reason for this pure defense posture was simple. Unlike Halia, Heiflitz didn''t enjoy a massive force concentration. It was a city that could be easily cut off, both from the south and to its logistical lines to Halia, which consisted of merely six minor bridges and two major bridges.


    Blow those up, and cut off Heiflitz from the south, and the city would be effectively encircled. While those stationed in the city could theoretically cross the Ludendorf River, most heavy equipment would be abandoned.


    As such, both the Southern Command and JTF-Ludendorf were hesitant to funnel any significant forces to defend Heiflitz at the moment. The city could very well prove to be a potential trap.


    And I don''t want my soldiers trapped in a pointless struggle.


    But she also didn''t want to lose her land connection to the South. Again, it was a massive headache.


    But¡­it''s war.


    It made sense.


    Still, it didn''t mean Amelie liked it. Navigating courtly politics, or parliamentary politics was far easier than this. She didn''t enjoy that each of her decisions determined the fates of countless people she had never even met or known once.


    The General turned to Amelie and spoke.


    "Your Majesty, what exactly would my orders be?"


    The question was not something she could easily answer, and so she turned to Colonel Kleist.


    "Colonel, please show him our three plans."


    "Gladly." He said, before the screens changed, showing maps for Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C.


    "Currently, we have developed these three plans for our general response. Plan A is simple - we hold the city at all costs."


    Immediately, most officers that were assigned to Heiflitz gave subtle expressions of disapproval. They didn''t want to be stuck in a trap.


    "The general idea is that, since we are timing our next offensive with the Air Force''s upcoming ''Operation Swift Dagger'', if we could hold Heiflitz until the end of November, we would remove the possibility of Northeastern Orland being cut off from the rest of the Kingdom. At least, if we succeed."


    He moved to the screen that displayed Plan B.


    "Plan B, on the other hand, entails a controlled retreat from Heiflitz within the next two weeks. Naturally, this would have a major strategic consequence - we would be cut off from the rest of the Kingdom."


    And with that, most RGO officers present frowned in disapproval. These women weren''t fond of the capital, the center of the Kingdom, being cut off from the rest of the Kingdom.


    "Plan C is similar to Plan B, except, this takes the intel gathered by the RIU to account. Putschist battleplans indicate a possibility of impending precision strikes on the bridges connecting Heiflitz and Halia within the next few days. AFI intel rejects this as a possible ruse, as they believe that blowing the bridges in Heiflitz would remove any tactical value for the Putschist attack on Heiflitz, as the AFI reported that Putschist forces are planning to use Heiflitz as a springboard to attack Halia directly from the south. Still, as a result of this possibility, Plan C calls for an immediate withdrawal of all forces from Heiflitz, as this possibility poses a great danger for our forces stationed in the city."


    This left everyone silent.


    Amelie herself turned to General Holl, who was listening thoughtfully to the Colonel. Amelie reasoned that since he was in charge of the defense of Heiflitz, and that it was his men that they were talking about, it would be best to ask him directly.


    "General, what do you think? What plan do you prefer?" Amelie asked, and General Holl sighed.


    "Your Majesty, for my men''s safety, obviously, Plan C would be for the best." He answered, which led to angered gasps from the Knights of the Royal Guard. Especially from the Archduchess, who stood up.


    "Your Majesty, to abandon our land connection to the south that easily is unacceptable." She shook her head. "No, this cannot stand. We cannot simply hand over a city without proper resistance."


    But, it''s not you that''s fighting, Archduchess. It''s him and his men. Amelie replied in her mind, though she wisely kept her mouth shut.


    "I am in fact, in agreement with her." General Holl said, surprising Amelie. "We cannot just hand the city like that. That would be bad for the press. And public opinion. JTF-Ludendorf swore to defend all of the Grand Duchy from these rebels. We cannot back out from that promise. Not to mention, giving them the ability to bombard Halia directly from Heiflitz would be bad."


    "But General," Amelie said. "What if the RIU''s intel is accurate, and the enemy launches precision strikes on the bridges?"


    "REGAL SAM systems, Your Majesty." He answered. "Such a precision strike would require multiple air assets that could be intercepted. It''s not easy to simply bomb something when the defender has ways to counter them."


    "Indeed he is right." Colonel Kleist added. "But, still, should they launch that operation, they would keep doing it till the bridges are gone. It would take time and multiple attempts, but if it happens, those bridges are going down eventually."


    "Which is why we shall proceed with Plan B." The General declared. "We shall conduct a fighting retreat. If they push forward, we fight, then pull back. Block by block. Make them bleed, but keep our forces safe and ready to withdraw. And should they strike in the bridges, we''ll hasten the retreat."


    Amelie nodded.


    "Well, it is decided then." She walked forward, beside the Colonel, and faced the officers in the room. "We shall proceed with Plan B."

 Chapter Eighty-Six: Plans Of Desperation

    "The Confederation of Larissa launched rapid incursions to the Kingdom of Poznek this morning. A war declaration was sent to the Kingdom''s diplomatic channels, after days of ''Revolutionary Agitation'' in the Confederation''s media. The casus belli stated that the Poznek Kingdom ''is committing crimes against humanity to their male population'' and thus the Confederation Army will ''liberate the Kingdom from oppressive elements''. These dreadful developments and more points that this war is becoming more or less a ''Second Great War'' - a great war between women and men."


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West of Heiflitz


    Forward Field Command East O-2


    August 29, 2024


    The Defense Minister seemed to be listening to their battleplans with dreadful silence, Oswald Kluge noted. The room was dimly lit, with the faces of countless officers of the Republican Army almost hidden. The only thing lit was the presentations in front of them, alongside the maps where General Paulus Veckerheim, was pointing at.


    How foolish. Kluge thought to himself as General Veckerheim spoke of another Royalist counterattack. They still haven''t pulled out of the city.


    "That would be unacceptable." Came the groan from one of the Generals. "My division is already half-strength."


    "General Sturb," Kluge said as he turned back to the complaining man. "You are fighting formations in quarter-strength. Why the whining?"


    "They are hiding in fortified city blocks, General Kluge." He replied, and the Defense Minister grunted in response.


    "Gentlemen," Heindh?ff said as he turned to them. "General Sturb has a point. We are bashing our heads to a brick wall."


    And then, all of a sudden, an officer in the corner of the room raised his hand. All the other officers felt discomfort when his hand rose, some looked at him with fury and disgust. He wasn''t the most popular one.


    He was in charge of the IV Liquidation Corps - an elite unit of four "Special" Brigades that operated behind the front. IV Liquidation Corps was responsible for "Front Liquidation and Suppression Operations", an anti-magic strategy to "prevent arcane-dependent resistance" - by liquidating any magical products, objects, and tools behind the frontlines.


    Only the most extreme members of the NRF trusted these men. Many in the Republican Army had even been in skirmishes with the Liquidation Corps since the start of the Civil War. Even General Kluge viewed these men as nothing but druggies and criminals given authority to force women into submission by forceful confiscations of their wands.


    They weren''t even a part of the Army, as the IV Liquidation Corps was a part of the Republican Guard. The Republican Guard, in many cases, used the IV Liquidation Corps to "deal" with deserters and mutineers. Thus the hostility.


    "Defense Minister, please, for the love of-" Kluge tried, but Heindh?ff held his hand to stop him from continuing.


    "Let us hear him."


    He stood up. General Valken Walburg was stared at with ire and hostility, but he spoke with his deep voice, unchallenged and uncaring.


    "Chemical Weapons, Defense Minister." He said, and it almost seemed like half the room wanted him murdered for his four words.


    "I protest this," Kluge said, outraged. "Chemical Weaponry is not, and will not be an option. What kind of a revolution are we fighting for if we do this, gentlemen? Are we men, or are we cowards?"


    "I am in agreement," Heindh?ff said. "General Walburg, your suggestion is but a desperate measure, not a proper solution."


    "I see, then we shall bash our heads on a brick wall." He replied as he crossed his arms, challenging the Defense Minister. It was painfully clear that the representative of the Republican Guard was attempting to demonstrate his authority over the Army. "Would that be a great plan?"


    "This is ridiculous," Kluge said in response. "We have other options. Defense Minister, we shall attempt to execute Operation Scalpel Night and bring down those bridges."


    "Be that as it may, you would still have to storm the city building by building to flush the Royalist scum off their defenses." General Walburg said. "We can do that, but it would be easier to liquidate resistance with the aid of WMDs."


    "The Royalists have Chemical Weapons as well!" Kluge finally stood up and faced off General Walburg. "You insane rambler! Are you out of your mind? Has the Great War not taught you enough? It does not matter which side initiates. Once the genie is out of the box, it shall not return! Young men in the frontline, on both sides, will suffer!"


    "Oh, but General Kluge, respectfully, might I ask, how would the Royalist use Chemical Munitions when most of it was stockpiled in the Free State before our Coup?" He looked around the group of officers, his eyes bloodshot. "Do none of you understand? We have an advantage like no other!"


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    "They can produce their own," Heindh?ff said, attempting to counter him, but even he doubted his words.


    "Who? That spineless, naive Queen still lounging on her rotting throne? She would cry first before letting even the Butcher of the Western Front use such weapons! She''s a fool! And we would have won already had we took advantage of it!"


    All of the Army Officers really wanted to murder him, but he stood as if he was the only voice of reason in the room. Of course, most regarded him as a voice of insanity instead. None of them was remotely interested in using those same weapons that terrorized every man in the Great War.


    Quite frankly, much like magic, Chemical Weapons had etched its tentacles as a severe trauma in the minds of every man. Even the sheer destructiveness of nukes they have not witnessed paled in its fear factor compared to the Chemical Weapons they had used liberally and witnessed widely during the Great War.


    Heindh?ff and Kluge would not shy from extreme methods of conducting war - but there was a line not to be crossed.


    "It is not to be permitted," Heindh?ff said with finality. "Report to Rimpler if you will, but if you think I do not see his nonsense in your suggestions, let him know that I know. The Army will not be turned into brutal savages. We are here for a noble cause, not a mindless massacre."


    "War is but a legal massacre, Defense Minister."


    "And I refuse to inflict a worse form of it on our fellow Orlishmen."


    "They are traitors."


    "But they are our fellow men. Leave. The Republican Guard should not be present in the business of the Armed Forces."


    And with that, he and a few other officers of the Republican Guard left after a quick salute. General Kluge shook his head.


    Foolish infighting.


    +++


    Heiflitz


    HEICOMM Central Headquarters


    August 30, 2024


    William and a group of Army officers walked through the busy hallways of HEICOMM''s Central HQ. He turned as a soldier saluted him, entering a room filled with arguing senior officers as General Holl presented their updated battleplans.


    He and his staff saluted as they entered before they announced their names and ranks. With haste, General Holl permitted them in and continued his presentation as William placed down his briefcase on the table.


    "The 47th Tank Battalion will hold this junction near the Elweiss Station," He said, as William eyed his battleplans. The positioning was purely defensive, he noted. With arrows that showed where they would retreat.


    It would be a slow, grueling pullback. It seemed that General Holl wanted resistance on every block, especially in downtown Heiflitz, where he could see multiple numbered divisions guarding each road and block.


    Seems like Plan B is final for him too. William noted. Amelie did say it would be their decision, but he already expressly gave General Holl permission for a full-scale retreat.


    Soon, the meeting ended.


    "General," William said as he followed Holl straight to his office. "Are you sure about this?"


    "I understand your reservations, son. You believe that they would attack the bridges, no?"


    "Marie Wittfield is investigating the intel. Some of her operatives have already funneled in warnings that a strike on the bridges is imminent."


    "No trust in AFI intel?"


    "I''m taking every intelligence agency seriously, but we have to be honest with ourselves. The RIU are women."


    "Magic. Makes it easier to infiltrate and spy."


    "Exactly." They turned the hallways and stopped in a silent corner. "I doubt the AFI has men keeping tabs inside the rooms of the Putschist command structure."


    "We already moved the REGAL SAM systems near the bridges. Should be hard to put them down."


    "But I still want to warn you, General. If Heiflitz is cut off, Halia wouldn''t be able to help."


    General Holl sighed as he looked at an Orlish Tricolor that flew on a flagpole outside of the HQ Building. Briefly, he wondered why he was still fighting for it. Why he and his men would die for it, and were dying for it.


    A flag where the Goddess that punished all men was represented at the top - the Gold.


    A flag where women, who at many points wantonly abused their magic were represented in the middle - the White.


    And a flag where he and his brothers, his fellow men, were represented below the preceding two - the Grey.


    For what it was worth, it was all too deeply ironic. Perhaps, the Queen was just so different that she could turn even men with much resentment to women to her side.


    They could be cut off, surrounded, and forced to fight alone in Heiflitz, but General Holl, after asking his subordinate officers, took the same position with finality. Plan B.


    "We know that," General Holl replied. "We know the risks. And we are taking it. We are not letting those radicals gain an easy victory."


    "That''s indeed why you are in charge of HEICOMM. You''ve always been a staunch defender, ever since the Great War."


    "No position falls without a good fight under me." General Holl smirked. "Let Her Majesty know that. We will put up a good fight."


    "She expects you to be in Halia should the situation deteriorate."


    "I know." He gave William a report file, which William took. "I know she needs us in the city should the worst come. She needs every man."


    "Indeed." William gave him a final respectful nod. "Good luck in the defense of this city, General Holl. May the Goddess be with you and your men."


    "The Goddess is never with his sons, Major. You''d do well to remember that."


    William chuckled in response. Indeed, he almost forgot that part. He was getting used to even Amelie''s mild reverence for the Goddess.


    "Well, we are fighting for her daughters."


    "Sure, but that won''t redeem us from our ''sins''. Have a good day, Major. And don''t die on the trip back to the Queen."


    "Of course, I won''t."

 Chapter Eighty-Seven: Set-Piece Battle

    "Renewed Putschist offensive on all fronts! Royalist forces of Her Majesty have been stalwartly defending all points of contact for five days since the start of the Putschist General Offensive in late August. With frontlines already solidified by trench warfare reminiscent of the Great War, men on both sides are paying the heaviest toll in this nationwide military campaign before winter arrives in December. What is sure, however, is that our valiant troops shall hold the front regardless of the conditions against the radical tide. All these speak volumes about men''s undying loyalty to those who believe in liberty, equality, and democracy. As General Victor Albrecht said - ''Let them come. We shall crush all extremists - on both sides''."


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    Halia


    Queen''s Bunker


    November 1, 2024


    "Your Majesty¡­I assure you, I am doing everything I can." The Chief Air Marshal, Lewis Zimmerman, said over the phone line. Amelie merely breathed out heavily in response.


    "It''s been months already, Chief Air Marshal. The capital''s defense forces are withering as I speak. You know how hard it is to fight a war with limited air superiority." Amelie replied, looking down at the dreadful reports about the constant Putschist air strikes they failed to stop. "I can''t stand losing more good young men to this."


    "Your care truly shows even through the phone line¡­"


    "That''s not¡­look, Chief Air Marshal. This isn''t just about preventing more casualties. We need you, and your planes. To fight back."


    "And we are trying."


    "When will your tries materialize as a positive development in the front? When will I see our planes winning back the skies?"


    "Operation Swift Dagger is already being prepared. Goddess willing, we''ll scatter their squadrons off the capital within days."


    "How sure are you?"


    "Wars are fraught with uncertainties, Your Majesty. That is merely the grim truth. But I am optimistic."


    "Please tell me¡­why are you optimistic? What are the chances?"


    "Currently, we are attempting to wrestle control of the Grand Duchy''s airspace with a mere five hundred air assets. We estimate that the enemy has at least fifteen hundred air assets operating in the Grand Duchy."


    "And what is Operation Swift Dagger''s plan to counter that?"


    "The Orlish High Command already permitted moving an additional four hundred air assets to the airfields of Southern Orland. We are scrambling for an overwhelming offensive to target Putschist airbases, airstrips, and fuel depots. After that, we will establish air supremacy."


    "That seems¡­ambitious."


    "Who dares wins, Your Majesty. There is no other feasible way of reducing their numbers in the sky to make the battle more even."


    "...Do they have an idea about our plans?"


    "We are communicating in a highly secured line. Moreso, all pilots and personnel involved in this operation only know their tasks and targets, with every piece of information locked on a need-to-know basis. Even the OHC has limited knowledge of this operation."


    "So do they know it or not?"


    "They may have an idea. They aren''t stupid, Your Majesty. They would have noticed the rebasing and preparations of our air assets. They may even have received intel from infiltrators. But the scale and timeframe of this Operation are masked hard. They know we may strike, but not how, when, where, and how many."


    Amelie sighed. It wasn''t perfect, as with all things. But at this point, even she was praying for the Goddess that this operation succeeded. There was no other way. They had to succeed.


    Her forces had been fighting for what must be an eternity already. All of them are tired, understrength, unmotivated, and demoralized. She needed the Air Force to sweep in and relieve her troops on the ground. And if this was her best chance¡­


    "When will you launch this Operation?"


    "Do you approve of it first, Your Majesty?"


    Much of William''s planning for the Defense of Halia hinged already on the success of this operation, Amelie thought. Of course, she would approve of it. But still, there was doubt behind her mind.


    This was a massive chunk of the Air Force she was assigning for one task. Aircraft and their pilots were a limited, expensive, and extremely valuable resource. Losses would not be recouped easily.


    But I have no other choice.


    "Yes, Chief Air Marshal. You have my approval for this Operation."


    "...I see. Then I shall forward the specific details to you once they are available. May you stay safe over there, Your Majesty. We will relieve you all."


    "Thank you, Chief Air Marshal. I expect that."


    "I have disappointed you more than enough, Your Majesty. I won''t let it happen again."


    "I''ll believe that when I see it."


    Amelie placed the phone line down. She really hoped that the Chief Air Marshal and the Air Force would succeed.


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    Either that, or I''ll be besieged fully.


    And she absolutely didn''t want that.


    +++


    Heiflitz


    H-0 Tower


    General Holl placed down his binoculars. Another distant building went down after a Putschist air strike, which, as far as the current positioning of his forces suggested, was garrisoned by at least twenty men.


    Not that I expected them to last well.


    "175th Tank Battalion requesting retreat from Sector Bravo-One. Defensive lines compromised. Hostile mechs gained terrain advantage!" One of the techs announced, and General Holl frowned. Those damned LSS Mechs were gaining extreme superiority on the battlefield.


    If only we had better AT capabilities. But at the moment, his tanks were his best AT capability. Soon the bastards will be chewing on my soft infantry.


    "Give them permission." The General said as he continued to look at the ruined city before him. "But I want an organized retreat to Sector Bravo-Two. Contact the 9th Combined Arms Brigade, and tell them the 175th needs one armored element to cover their retreat."


    "On it, sir!"


    He picked up his coffee as a plume from a SAM AA missile rose up to the skies. Just as he took a sip, a detonation occurred - and a fiery trail of what probably was a Putschist Zapper fell from the clouds.


    We really need the Air Force to deal with those flies. He took another sip. They''ve been crapping at us for too long.


    "General Holl!" He heard a familiar voice call from behind after some doors were haphazardly opened. "We have a problem."


    The General didn''t turn back to face him.


    "I know, Lieutenant Colonel Prul. They sent another division of LSS Mechs?"


    "Indeed, sir. My recon units saw it. Multiple columns west of this city. Entering by road." General Holl nodded. The enemy sure was getting cocky. Must be the result of their air cover? Surely, that was why.


    General Holl would never drive his armored formations in columns without adequate air cover, after all.


    "It was already reported to me." General Holl replied.


    "Indeed. But my recon units have coordinates." The Lieutenant Colonel said. "Can we get some of our field artillery up above their asses? Disrupt them at least."


    "Our SPG formations aren''t exactly in the best shape, Lieutenant Colonel."


    "What about Halia''s?" He suggested, and the General looked back. "Surely, Major Porter wouldn''t be so stingy to not offer artillery support right now."


    "Halia is engaged against another Putschist assault, Lieutenant Colonel." He paused and looked at the skyline of Halia on the other side of the Ludendorf River, north of them. The once proud city of modernity, of towering pristine skyscrapers, now looked nothing of its former self. A shame indeed. "The earlier artillery barrage from the north was them. It was JTF-Ludendorf''s response."


    "But¡­General, this opportunity is slipping from our hands."


    General Holl weighed his options. Calling for artillery support from Halia was attractive to him, as he was in charge of this sector, and it would benefit him. But if the earlier assault on Halia wasn''t repelled¡­


    Surely, they have more artillery than they need.


    This wasn''t true, given the logistical difficulties even before the battle started.


    Screw it.


    He took the phone line straight to the Major himself.


    +++


    William had been less than amused by the strings of developments ever since this morning. The Queen''s Bunker Command Staff had been hard at work since morning, as they coordinated each and every unit in the frontline, down to the Company level.


    It was micromanagement down to the lowest sort. JTF-Ludendorf was supposed to, at the very lowest, deal with brigade-level management, but due to the earlier air strikes on frontline HQs that managed individual divisions, they were forced to take up the slack.


    Coordinated assaults. William thought to himself as he looked at the maps. Another Combined Arms Brigade sent an alert ping - indicating hostile contact. And there were alert pings all over the frontline. Distracting us from Heiflitz, perhaps?


    At this point, he really wondered why he, a mere Major, was supposed to be dealing with this. But, this was what the Queen wanted. He supposed after this battle, he would get a shiny "General" rank.


    Though, since I''m technically out of the Army and I''m in the Royal Guard¡­how would I¡­


    He shook those intrusive thoughts in his head. The question of promotion did not matter anyway. His position as the Head of JTF-Ludendorf meant he outranked everyone in the Grand Duchy anyway for the time being.


    Though, of course, William deeply hoped that he''d get some nice tangible position after this battle.


    Or retirement. Would retirement sound good?


    Silly him, he reminded himself. Of course not. Amelie relied on him. He could not retire until this war ended. And so, he supposed he would be stuck with this dreadful job again and again.


    Focus William. Alright, assault from that position. Three brigades are available to respond. But then they might flank those trench lines if I commit. But that brigade needs some support to retreat in order. Set-piece battles really suck¡­


    "Colonel Kleist." He said to his partner, who stood beside him. "Any ideas?"


    "Definitely don''t commit our armor till nightfall." He replied, and William turned his head to him


    "Why?" William asked, and the Colonel crossed his arms.


    "Night counter-attack? I doubt the bastards have it in them. Not after this costly assault. We''d catch them with their pants down."


    "Unless they reinforce. No competent commander would send his vanguards without reserves to back them up."


    "I doubt they''re pushing us to gain ground. That''s merely secondary based on how we react, I believe."


    "You do have a point," William said as he looked back at the map, nodding thoughtfully. "Perhaps they just want to divert our attention from Heiflitz."


    "They''re attacking both fronts simultaneously."


    "Thus making us choose what to prioritize. Naturally¡­we''ll choose Halia." William looked down at his available artillery units, mostly stationed behind the frontlines. "But one of their attacks must be a ruse."


    "That''s what I said. If they commit their reserves only in their assault on Heiflitz, then that means their attack on Halia is just a diversion. I seriously doubt that they can attack both."


    "Do AFI or RIU intel support this hypothesis?" William asked.


    "The intel support is weak. But we can assume that based on their behavior. Not to mention, AFI themselves are giving unverified hints pointing to this motive. We just can''t be sure."


    "Do we gamble then?" William asked, and Colonel Kleist''s response was quick.


    "Let''s gamble."


    "Well, get me on the line to our artillery command. And to General Holl. Let''s divert artillery support to their actual axis of attack."


    Before Colonel Kleist could arrange it, one of the Comm Officers called out to both of them. General Holl was requesting artillery fire on "observed threats of interest".


    William looked back at Kleist.


    "Looks like we''re right on the money."

 Chapter Eighty-Eight: Not Our Land Connection!

    "General Elias Holl gave a speech today near the Heiflitz City Hall, vowing to defend the city after days of determined assaults from Putschist Forces. In parallel, Her Majesty also addressed the nation in a televised address about the ''continued resistance'' of all Royalist forces in the Grand Duchy, calling it a ''valiant and worthy sacrifice for the Kingdom''."


    - ROCN News


    "The cracks in the Grand Duchy''s defenses widen! Defense Minister Geoffrey Heindh?ff gave a press conference earlier this morning regarding the ongoing operations both in the City of Halia, the Royal Capital, and the City of Heiflitz down south. The elite LSS Mechs and L?wes of the III Armored Corps that broke through the Heiflitz defense lines are still embroiled in heavy combat, but it is clear that Royalist defenders are now shattered and routing from Heiflitz. Inch by inch, the revolution closes into the Royal Capital. It is only a matter of time until we find our foolish ''Queen'' off in either Rebenslof or Eutstadt. It is not a matter of if - but when."


    - The Front Newspaper


    +++


    75th Field Artillery Battalion


    West of Halia


    Field Artillery Deployment Zone Two


    Behind the hotspots of the frontlines west of Halia, Field Artillery Units (attached as Field Artillery Battalions to individual field brigades operating in the front) had been consolidated and organized by Fire Support Units (ad hoc Command and Control units) in order to better coordinate their fire in a centralized approach. It was in response to the sheer scale of the battle, where individual action meant less and less in its effects on the front.


    They were now spread out and deployed in FADZs (Field Artillery Deployment Zones) where they were camouflaged and given sufficient air cover by Royalist REGAL SAM Battalions, which gave them better protection both from counterbattery fire and air strikes. Colonel Robin Carwell''s 75th Field Artillery Battalion was no different. Assigned under Fire Support Unit One''s Command, he awaited the next set of coordinates over the radio.


    He wasn''t really a massive whiner, but he wondered why they couldn''t just aid his fellow brothers in the 35th Combined Arms Brigade engaged with a Putschist assault in the frontlines west of them. JTF-Ludendorf''s centralization of artillery command and control was something he both hated but gave credence to.


    He left his little command tent to take a breath outside. In an almost checkerboard position, hidden by the trees, foliage, and artificial camouflage, he could see his artillerymen dutifully manning his scattered M45 Self-Propelled Guns (SPGs). Massive beasts armed with a one-fifty-five millimeter gun. The backbone of the OAF''s artillery force.


    All of their barrels were still aimed at the sky, in the same direction as their last barrage ten minutes ago. He walked forward, through the chattering men, or those who tossed spent shell casings from atop the M45 turrets, or those who smoked cigars or played card games with each other.


    They''re just passing the time. He told himself. Naturally.


    Being an artilleryman was always thought of as the cushiest frontline job in the Army. He placed doubts upon it, but perhaps it was true. You just had to drive your SPG, hide it, then wait for the coordinates. Once it was given, you took calculations and aimed, then fired. Rinse and repeat until someone warns of counter-battery fire, where you would have to relocate and hide again. Rinse and repeat, and before you knew it, you''d have fired a hundred shells before the night fell.


    And the only thing that would bear down on you was that question. How many? How many souls have you unjustly sent to their deaths? To kill from afar, that was their job. To kill without even seeing the result of their macabre masterpiece.


    The power of artillery, he knew, was the centerpiece of the battlefield. It was created to demolish ranks of troops, morale, and walls. There weren''t walls to demolish nowadays, but there sure were a lot of troops to be liquidated - and morale to be drained.


    "Colonel!" One of his officers, his second in command, called. "Fourteen of our SPGs are ready. Zebra Two and Five wore down their barrels though."


    "Two down?" The officer nodded. "We''re gonna have to request for replacement and maintenance again."


    The officer took a cigar as he shook his head, looking back at one of the SPGs parked beside the two near the treeline. It was hidden by a net of foliage.


    "Gonna be a pain, sir."


    "Yep, logistics are fucked as it is. Seems like we''re down to sixteen now."


    "Temporarily."


    "Optimistic, huh? I like that." The Colonel sighed to himself as another rumble of distant artillery fire sounded. "Seems like they would have new targets."


    He bid him goodbye and returned to his command tent. The staff inside were all lounging around, some even drinking wine as they tapped through their screens, until one of them called over.


    Coordinates.


    One by one, they assigned a targeted grid for each of his sixteen available SPGs. They were all aiming for Heiflitz. He wondered why, but at this point, it was simply unproductive to ask the Fire Support Unit why they gave those orders. Better to just follow them.


    He looked outside and held his radio in hand. Each of his SPGs turned their turrets and elevated their gun barrels in the direction of their target. All they awaited now was the command.


    "All units, fire."


    It was a beautiful orchestra of war.


    +++


    Queen''s Bunker


    Her Majesty''s Office


    "You seem quite satisfied with yourself, William," Amelie said as she dropped a file on her desk, all while William listened to the reports on his laptop. "I''m quite concerned."


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    "Oh, well, I do apologize for that," William said as his normal expression returned. It was almost as if he just won a lotto or something, and Amelie had an inkling of thought that whatever he was gleeful about, only someone with his loose screws would be happy about it.


    "Tell me about it."


    "Remember their assault into Heiflitz?"


    "It''s all I have in my head." Amelie sighed as she fell to her soft seat. "William, this war really sucks."


    "Thanks for the obvious, Your Majesty."


    Amelie snorted.


    "Shut up."


    "Anyhow, we had some win this hour."


    "Well, good news for once." Amelie leaned forward, interested. "What exactly is it?"


    "We caught an entire Republican Light Mech Division in transit. Their columns were moving into Heiflitz when our remaining forward observers spotted it." Amelie nodded along. "We took the initiative and organized half of Halia''s Field Artillery Battalions to take aim. The reports are just coming in. Their assault stopped."


    "Good goddess, that''s great. But I don''t see why you''re that happy."


    "Not happy. Lots of people died. Still, the bet paid off. I rarely get this satisfied."


    "A bet?" Amelie narrowed her eyes. "You like bets?"


    "Absolutely." William closed his laptop and turned to Amelie. "You want me to make a bet?"


    "...Sure?"


    "Tonight¡­they''re going to try to bring those bridges down." Amelie felt her stomach turning upside down. "What about you? Do you have any bets?"


    Amelie felt quite appalled. Making bets about the lives of people? Military men really were quite something, she thought. Or perhaps William at this point just didn''t even see deaths as anything but trivial.


    She felt pity for him.


    "I¡­suppose, if there''s any bet I shall make¡­I trust General Holl that he can defend those bridges. Those bridges aren''t going down, even if they are attacked."


    William nodded, while Amelie silently prayed that her bet would come true. She absolutely did not want to lose Heiflitz or to see General Holl and his men trapped on the other side. She would not be able to forgive herself.


    "Well, I''ll bet on that as well." He took his cup of coffee, drank it, and stood up. "Some optimism is nice once in a while. I''ll be off."


    "Where?"


    "War Room. The officers want an update on our plans."


    "Should I go?"


    "Not really. Maybe go check out on Alice? Your little sister''s been¡­quite under the weather for a while. Being in the bunker certainly does not fit the Royal lifestyle."


    "I do want a nice stroll on the Palace gardens for once¡­" Amelie muttered, as her mind drifted to Alice. "Alright, good luck dealing with those officers."


    "To you too." He took his files and left her room. Amelie could only look at the Orlish Tricolor on the other side of the room, near the paintings on the wall.


    This Kingdom¡­is quite the pain to save.


    She shook her head and sipped the last of her tea.


    William, you rascal. She thought to herself. You''re really turning me into a military leader.


    +++


    Queen''s Bunker


    Situation Room


    Both of their bets weren''t off.


    "Well, at the very least, they failed," Amelie said as she settled down in her seat. "It could have been worse."


    They watched as the footage of the strikes was shown. There were five Putschist Zappers, taking turns over a three-minute period to hit the "Emerald Bridge'''', the main bridge that connected Halia and Heiflitz.


    The first one came close, but a sudden SAM interceptor forced it off its attack run, failing at dropping its laser-guided bombs.


    Two missiles came thirty seconds later, but it was once more foiled by two SAM interceptors. The third Zapper made another attempt, but it was shot down before it had a chance to drop its missiles.


    Amelie watched the last two Zappers, both failing at launching their missiles, forced back by AAA gunfire from ground-based RPDS systems, subtly chuckling to herself about the success of her AA systems around Heiflitz and Halia.


    Not bad. She thought to herself. At least our efforts paid off.


    "Then this means we must hasten the retreat from Heiflitz, no?" She asked as both Colonel Kleist and William nodded. "Well, it is what it is¡­I suppose we have no choice but to lose our land connection to the south."


    "That said¡­" William started. "It may not be as bad as it seems."


    "Why''s that?"


    "General Albrecht is already organizing two Army Corps to push them off from the south."


    "Really?" Amelie felt her mood rise. She thought their forces in the south were really badly weakened, which was why the prospects of losing Heiflitz turned her stomach upside down. It would be too hard to retake it.


    "If General Holl can tire them in a slow retreat, they would fail to consolidate control over Heiflitz," William said, confident to himself. After all, he did get that update from General Albrecht himself. If the man leading the Armed Forces said it, he was sure. "Tire them further in this battle, and General Albrecht will find it easy to restore land connection from the south."


    "You do have a point," Amelie mumbled. "This battle has been very costly to them. They''ve been trying to storm our defenses endlessly for months."


    She looked back at the footage of the downed Putschist Zapper. The enemy had been bleeding themselves hard just to chip through her defenses, she thought. If her troops took such ludicrous losses, they should be just as weakened.


    Just when they go all in on their assault on both Halia and Heiflitz¡­if we time it right, we can push them back successfully.


    She knew well that fresh forces would do well at fighting soldiers stuck in the same battle for months. They have since kept many of the fresh reinforcements from Rebenslof in reserve and with General Albrecht''s plans from the south¡­


    Coordinate it, and our fresh forces will meet them while they are bashing their heads into our defenses. She smiled. Her strategic brilliance was now shining through. She could already see it - her ploy. Her scheme in order to push them back from the Royal Capital.


    A well-coordinated counter-attack, right when they would be at their limits.


    Oh, she could already see its results. When her soldiers finally rose from their trenches once their last assaults flunked. When they pushed them back, hot on their tails to the Ludendorf River, forcing them to abandon everything just to escape.


    It would be a victory like no other!


    "Bad news." She heard Colonel Kleist say, breaking her off from her internal musings. "They brought down one of the bridges."


    "Crap." That was all William said, and Amelie shared the same sentiments.


    "How are General Holl''s forces doing?" Amelie asked. "Are they retreating?"


    "He''s speeding it up. No other choice. More Putschist air strikes are inbound." His voice grew heavy. "We have to move more REGAL SAM systems."


    "Do it. Do anything to cover his retreat." Amelie said, her voice final. There weren''t many civilian targets left in Halia anyway. General Holl and HEICOMM''s forces were the new priority.


    "I''ll see to it, Your Majesty."

 Chapter Eighty-Nine: Emerald Bridge Is Falling Down

    "As old men talk of rights and rebellion, as women rally young men to defend her order ''for she will surely reform it'', we drown the voices of the true victims of this conflict. How can they be heard? The Dead Generation is supposed to be the ones asking if they will have rights, but they''re too busy dying in the armies of both sides. And these two sides will abandon them like a tossed toy afterward. Indeed, there will be no justice for them."


    - Anonymous Columnist featured in Liberty One Radio.


    +++


    Queen''s Bunker


    Broadcast Studio


    Amelie looked down at the microphones in front of her. With the intensifying battle raging in Heiflitz, it was now her duty to at least be a morale booster for her troops. William suggested that they would probably be more motivated to "keep fighting" if they heard their Queen personally over the radio.


    It made sense, she thought to herself. They''re fighting for me. She told herself. For my throne. They joined the Royalist ranks instead of the Putschists because they believed she would be the better leader. The better side.


    But now, with them closing on the Royal Capital''s last land connection to the rest of Royalist Orland, their formations were disintegrating. They were defecting, deserting, surrendering, or routing in the face of the Putschist advance.


    Of course, the attacks on the bridges were the main reason. Anyone would feel fear when their means of escape in battle were being systematically dismantled. But, they needed to keep holding. The retreat must not be a rout, William said. And thus, she planned that her words would improve the morale of the rearguard.


    She gave one final check for her script. It wasn''t really a word-to-word script. She imagined a scripted piece would not translate much to the hearts of those fighting to the death for her. Instead, it outlined what she would talk about.


    Men''s rights.


    Defense against radicalism.


    And her promises.


    "Is it ready?" She asked, and the radio operator gave a thumbs up. She took her headphones so she could hear how she sounded on the radio and pulled the microphone a bit closer.


    One last breath.


    "Brave defenders of Heiflitz," she opened, as she thought of her next words. "This is your Queen speaking. I may be far from you, and I may not be fighting side by side with you, but I can see¡­no, I can feel your efforts and sacrifices at this very moment."


    She looked at her first bullet.


    "It must be a dark and¡­painful reality for you down there,¡± she said, keeping her voice soft and melancholic. "A terror beyond most would experience. I can imagine you lying there, knee-deep in the rubble. Desperately firing your rifles, your guns. Passing the ammunition to your comrades-in-arms as bullets and bombs fly above you."


    She gave herself a pause. Their attention must already be on her at this point. And she really wanted to get close to their individual minds by addressing them directly. She had to pour in her emotions for this.


    "But you''re there. Holding the line as best as you can. Perhaps you''re not perfect. Perhaps you are shaking in fear, thinking that you need to flee now. To run. To desert, or to raise that white rag that you plan to stick into your rifle. But you don''t.


    "I do not know if you believe in the words of my Government. If you believe our promise that you and your fellow brothers will receive the right to equality with us women, or not. Lamentably, I have no arcane ability to touch your very inner being to know. In fact, no, no woman I know can do that. I doubt any one of us can do it. But I do know that you are fighting for our cause at this very moment. Even when every fiber of your being, your instincts to survive tells you that it isn''t worth it. That you should save yourself instead of dying for a Kingdom that left you.


    "Those doubts are normal. Those instinctual drives of normal. You are not a coward, young man. You are not. If someone tells you that you are less of a man for quaking in fear, then I tell you, you are the best soldier I''ve known for facing that fear and holding the line. And I will not listen to anyone who badmouths the soldiers under me for cracking, for you are human.


    "I am not here to tell you not to step back. I am not here to tell you to stand tough at all costs and withstand all those assaults. I am merely here to tell you, all of you that I¡­I believe in you. This battle isn''t the last, reprieve is far, and many of you will die. But I know it is within you to fight back. For you''ve always already fought. I believe in you, do not forget that."


    Amelie ended her speech with that. She certainly felt riled up herself, and her blood was still pumping.


    I hope that worked. A tiny voice behind her head said. I hope it did.


    +++


    Halia


    Near Emerald Bridge


    William looked down for a second after her speech ended.


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    Damn, I''m gonna cry.


    "Gee¡­she really has it in her, doesn''t she?" One of the officers who commanded a REGAL SAM Battalion said. They were all gathered in a tent beside one of the deployed Phased Array Systems that dotted the south side of Halia, which faced Heiflitz and the bridges. "Women can really get into your head at times."


    "Yeah, well, speech''s over, let''s not dally around." William declared as they turned their attention back to him. "Is the deployment complete?"


    "For the most part." One of the officers replied. "The 19th is still setting up their Phased Array though. Will take a while."


    "Six battalions? I assume you all are now coordinating as one."


    "Yes, we are. Fourteen enemy Zappers already tried to make a score. We forced them off their attack runs. Though, we do need extra interceptors within the next few hours."


    William looked back at one of Halia''s main logistics organizers. He brought Major McKenzie with him to take notes. SAM interceptors from Rebenslof were already starting to dwindle in the frontlines for weeks already. And William wanted that fixed.


    "Major, do we have the capacity?"


    He flipped his notes.


    "At the moment, we are still requisitioning for more shipments from Rebenslof. The last shipment is now down at twenty-five percent of its original volume. We will try to get it here as quickly as possible though."


    "But in the next few days?"


    "...I''m afraid SAM interceptors don''t just materialize out of thin air. We would have to wait for the shipments. It shouldn''t take more than three days though."


    Damn it, so if we run out of missiles by nightfall, we''re fucked. These guys are going to have to ration it well.


    He turned back at the gathered group of officers. Already he could tell that they knew what he was about to say.


    "Gentlemen, I believe you''ve heard the conundrum we find ourselves in." They all nodded. "As such, I have one standing order. Priority targets only. Stretch those interceptors as long as you can. Do not let them get those bridges, but do not run out of ammunition. It''s a tall order, but¡­"


    What could he say? Oh, that.


    "Remember. Her Majesty believes in you. It is quite ridiculous, faith does not expand our interceptor stockpiles, but it won''t hurt. Good luck."


    The two of them left the tent. Outside was a flurry of activity. Just a mere glance at the bridges, and he could see the occasional columns of tanks and the HMLVs passing through from Heiflitz.


    The ongoing retreats were spaced deliberately to prevent them from being a juicy target. It would be an awful result if a bomb was dropped and the bridges went down while an entire battalion of tanks was in transit, after all.


    But that meant the retreat was going slow. And there were still troops fighting in the city proper to hold off the Putschists. A considerable number of troops would be cut off should the bridges get bought down.


    And we''re running out of interceptors. Damn, this entire thing.


    "Do we really have no other sources of those SAM interceptors?" William asked McKenzie, who shook his head.


    "Nope. Practically no factories are online in Halia. And all of those stored have been used up. This battle has been long. We''re completely reliant on them to supply us because everything is gone."


    That made sense. William already knew the volume of sheer consumption each day of the frontlines. Each day, they had to get in so much munitions alone that of course, there wouldn''t be anything left inside the city that wasn''t sourced from the north.


    Practically everything came from Rebenslof and the Free Confederation because this was an industrial war that tossed everything to the meat grinder. And Halia didn''t have any significant industry left to supply the battle. This city was a ruined slag, and its entire workforce had been evacuated or conscripted.


    It was twistedly ironic in a way. Both sides, regardless of who won, would be rewarded with nothing but a city of rubble. William had to give it to them, they may have not taken the crown jewel of the matriarchy, but they sure did reduce it to rubble.


    At the very least, the road, subway, and rail systems of the city still functioned. Quite frankly, they targeted the electricity grid and the factories (and as he expected from those extremists - the noble and residential estates that housed the matriarchs they hated), instead of roads and railway, as such, he knew that their capacity to move in supplies wasn''t as badly mauled.


    "But you can ship them quickly should they arrive?" William asked as the two stopped in front of a road where a column of L?we''s was parked.


    "We can. We''ll prioritize the interceptors over everything else. Everyone is on the same page anyway. Our boys in Heiflitz are the priority."


    "Good."


    +++


    Heiflitz


    H-0 Tower


    General Holl silently watched the Emerald Bridge as night fell. The gunfire and explosions from the west side of the city were still ongoing, as almost eight of his brigades that were now assigned for the rearguard role held on to the city center.


    He did listen to the Queen''s speech over the radio. It was broadcast in open frequency, as it did not contain any military intel. He even believed that many on the Putschist side probably listened to it.


    What he didn''t expect was that his troops would actually believe her words and fight hard. He expected that the Heiflitz City Hall would fall by three in the afternoon, but it was already night and the 73rd Infantry Brigade kept the City Hall and the surrounding blocks under their control.


    The explanation of course was simple. Many of these men also signed up to protect women, even when they felt slighted by them, for their vague sense of duty and honor - to women. Hearing a young woman, their Queen, openly telling them that she believes in them was like a drug to keep them on the line.


    It was so ironic. He almost felt an uncomfortable fear from it. Women truly held a death grip on the minds of men. Mere sweet words and they would rally to fight. Subtly, he could only give a little thanks to the universe that their new Queen wasn''t a malevolent one.


    An aide reported to him that two more brigades successfully reached Halia. He gave the aide a nod and told him that his next set of orders was to prepare the next fallback line. He expected that the defenses on the current lines wouldn''t last any longer than three more hours.


    Before the aide left, however, another launch of SAM interceptors from the riverbanks took their attention. The night sky also lit up, as AAA gunfire opened up in tandem. There were three, no, four missiles that detonated mid-air.


    Then - Emerald Bridge lit up. Crap! The AAA gunfire already shut down, and both he and the aide, and he imagined, everyone was focused on the Emerald Bridge. It was smoking, and he could see tanks and vehicles backing off from the bridge.


    Damn it! The bridge didn''t collapse, it seemed, but it was damaged. It didn''t seem safe to cross anymore. And it was the biggest bridge they had to Halia. The retreat would absolutely be delayed again. Damn it!


    It seemed that this night would be nothing but bad for him and his troops.

 Chapter Ninety: Fall Of Heiflitz

    "There is no more retreat today. They are about to take down the bridges. Walls are being erected on our backs."


    - Journal of Royalist L?we Commander, November 2, 2024.


    +++


    Heiflitz


    Near Heiflitz City Hall


    19th Tank Battalion


    November 2, 2024


    Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Prul watched with his binoculars as another Putschist LSS Mech that attempted to climb a building and attack them was disabled by one of his L?wes. For a brief moment, the frontline was silent, as soldiers on the ground moved the wounded and munitions to their front ranks.


    He gave the order to move back, his L?we Command Vehicle driving into the cover of an apartment building that overlooked the damaged City Hall west of their position. This battle was really taking its toll.


    "3rd Platoon, do retreat to the block east of your position posthaste," He ordered over the radio, checking his physical map of the city for reference. "Those LSS Panthers aren''t going to reduce their tempo of attacks. Don''t let them get to your flanks. Move now!"


    "Copy that, Colonel. We''re moving."


    He dropped his radio and left the turret of his Command Vehicle. It was rubble and ruins all around him, with dismounted mechanized soldiers huddled in their holding positions, mere rubble or broken buildings that they used for cover.


    He passed through three men too, who were operating a mortar. He gave them a brief look as one of them dropped the mortar shell into its barrel before they covered their ears as they fired.


    Dammit, we''re getting overrun. He told himself, as he passed two M3 IFVs parked beside the ruins of an apartment that was firing burst after burst of their autocannons on a distant skyscraper, while soldiers took potshots at it with their rifles. He didn''t bother to duck though, even when he could see bullet impacts hitting the walls and the road. He merely walked without fear, without a care for his life.


    After all, why would he duck? He was an Orlish officer for goodness sake!


    He stopped at the street that overlooked the B-3 Highway, one of the major highways that cut through the Heiflitz City Hall up ahead. It was an open shooting field, as one of his L?wes just opened fire at an LSS Mech that made the mistake of attempting to cross the highway, the APFSDS round liquidating it off its combat utility. He shook his head at the enemy''s rookie mistake, before approaching the L?we, its Commander still looking out on its turret hatch with his binoculars.


    "That''s some good shot, son." The L?we Commander said out loud, unaware of Lieutenant Colonel Prul''s presence. "Acquire new targets-"


    "Lieutenant Kluge!" He called over, and the man on top of the L?we''s hatch turned around to meet him, lowering his binoculars. "Seems like your brother really wants the city center tonight."


    "Eh, ol'' Oswald''s probably in a tight deadline, Colonel." He joked, and the two laughed in response. "I know my older brother hates being late to his superiors."


    Lieutenant Colonel Prul looked back at the currently delayed evacuation to Halia. His battalion was one of those unfortunate ones to be assigned on rearguard duty. If General Oswald Kluge didn''t like being late at capturing this city, he sure was the same. He wouldn''t like his battalion to be late at crossing the bridge.


    "We all do, Lieutenant. We all do."


    "Sir, what''s the plan?" Asked Lieutenant Kluge. "Why''d the 3rd reposition? Now we have no overwatch over their section of the highway."


    "They are targeting their position with arty. No solution. I expect this section is next."


    "Goddess'' mercy, we''d lose this perfect holding position, Colonel." He shook his head. "No way in hell should we give it up. We''re feasting on their vehicles and troops from these positions. We wouldn''t be able to stop their push if we back off."


    "I recognize that, Lieutenant. Think your Platoon can keep hold of this position?"


    "Goddess willing, sir." One of their L?wes on another street opened fire, and the two looked at a building that was turned into rubble. Another L?we opened fire, and Lieutenant Colonel Prul perfectly saw an enemy L?we tank that was attempting to cross being stopped, even though the second shot bounced. It had no choice but to back off and hide. Indeed, this was way too good of a position to give up.


    "Well, if that''s the case then we''re only holding out till noon around here. That should be enough. This position is taking the attention of their arty after all."


    The Lieutenant gave a firm nod in response.


    "Alright, sir."


    Prul turned around, just as his radio buzzed. He took it immediately, recognizing the voice of the transmission.


    "Lieutenant Brezhen?"


    "Colonel, we''ve withdrawn from the City Hall," the man said. "Hostile forces already took control and are taking shots from the building."


    "Are the explosives set?"


    "Do we have approval?"


    "Carry it out, before they find out." He looked back at the Heiflitz City Hall, which was being peppered by M3 IFV autocannons from his side. "Now!"


    "Copy. Jackson! Set the charges!"


    In moments, the Heiflitz City Hall, a towering hall with its signature ivory pillars and its emerald-tinted glasses detonated in a boom that silenced everything else. The thing completely collapsed as if it was nothing, most likely burying multiple platoons of Putschist soldiers dead. Only a few remains of its foundations were left standing, obscured by a thick smoke.


    Andrew Prul smirked. They scored again. Putschists Zero ¨C Royalists One.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Good job, Lieutenant Brezhen. Now relocate to our positions, out."


    +++


    Halia


    Near the Emerald Bridge


    "Would that affect the withdrawal?" Asked Amelie, as they watched repair crews on the Emerald Bridge from the vantage views of an office building. "Don''t we still have other bridges?"


    "Obviously," William replied. "Emerald Bridge is the largest one. The other bridges are too tiny to have the capacity to transport multiple multi-ton armored vehicles. It''s probably going to take until nightfall before this is all finished."


    "But aren''t we running out of SAM interceptors?" She looked straight into the parked REGAL SAM systems that defended the bridges. They were scattered alongside the buildings, near the bridges. She had already seen them once early morning when they foiled a Putschist air strike. Very effective, but she feared that if they ran out of SAM interceptors, her troops on the other side would be screwed.


    "Indeed, our logistics divisions are moving as best as they can to delay that. A shipment of interceptors did arrive last night but that wouldn''t last long either."


    "That''s bad."


    "Really bad. I already ordered them to speed up the evacuations as they can. General Holl''s rearguards are also slowly falling back. We''re using rigged explosives in buildings, mines, and snipers to slow them down, but time¡­yep, time is running thin for HEICOMM."


    "The rearguards¡­" She looked back at the city, imagining those men dug deep in the rubble, fighting back under heavy fire as they retreated block by block. "They''re in the greatest danger, no?"


    "Always has been, Amelie. Rearguard duty, much like being in the vanguard of an assault, is a dangerous assignment." He crossed his arms, looking at the far skies. Amelie looked at his distant gaze, wondering what he was remembering again. "You can''t just retreat, Amelie. When you''re assigned that duty, you must, at all costs, delay the enemy. The fate of the entire formation would be in the hands of your abilities. And you will be outgunned, outnumbered¡­outmatched."


    She could see tiny beads of sweat that he wiped out before he breathed out something he must have held for way too long. He shook his head and looked back at her eyes.


    "It''s ugly, Amelie," He said, taking a deep breath. "Ugly in ways I wouldn''t want to describe."


    "William, are you alright?" She gave him a pat on the back. "You seem¡­distressed."


    "I''m fine¡­" He looked down. "Just nothing. Just a stupid memory. Nothing."


    It must be something in the Great War. Amelie thought to herself. Another awful memory of his. He did serve in Liebnich after all. That front was filled with tales of terrors she could hardly read for herself. It must have been her question about the rearguard being left behind. And thus the unsavory question in the back of her mind. Did William find himself assigned to a rearguard action back there? She could only pity him.


    That must have triggered something. Amelie patted his back to relieve him. Goddess, I''m so insensitive.


    "It''s alright, William. I''m sorry for that¡­"


    "I''m fine," he removed himself from her, and Amelie moved away a bit, keeping her hands to herself. "I just need a glass of water. Oh¡­and¡­you should probably go back to the Queen''s Bunker. It''s not exactly safe here."


    She looked back down at one of the other bridges. Multiple L?we tanks and HMLVs crossed it before they scattered forward to the roads up ahead. Her presence wouldn''t change a thing out here. They would evacuate themselves as ordered. She just needed to wait for the results.


    Still, this is the closest I''ve been to the frontline. It''s¡­truly awful here.


    "Alright¡­I''ll be taking my leave then," Amelie replied, and William gave her a nod. "Thank you for your work."


    "You''re welcome, Amelie."


    +++


    Heiflitz


    Near the H-3 Bridge


    November 3, 2024


    It was already one in the morning when most of the formations of HEICOMM left Heiflitz for Halia. Ever since six o''clock yesterday, General Holl had relocated his command staff and post near the H-3 Bridge to better oversee the withdrawal.


    It was a lengthy process, as his brigades had to cross it during the intervals of absent Putschist aerial presence. As night fell, he oversaw hundreds after hundreds of his infantry crossing the bridges.


    The worst moments came when a strike succeeded. Fortunately, most missiles that managed to get past their air defense were fast ones that weren''t carrying much explosive fillers. Still, those missiles left bridges damaged and hard to cross, or reduced structural integrity, forcing Army Engineering to take their sweet time to repair damage.


    These hiccups filled each moment, and he remembered shouting in anger once when an HMLV made a wrong turn, popped its tires, and blocked the crossings. Or when a friendly mine detonated on the roads near the bridge on one of their L?we''s, which required a recovery vehicle to clear.


    Indeed, it was headaches after headaches.


    It almost looks beautiful, he remarked as he looked at the ruined Halian skyline. The dark night should have left it in full pitch-black darkness, but the fires from Heiflitz and from the bombings in Halia itself kept all permanently lit. I wonder when I''ll see it again from this direction.


    Much of his command staff already left for the other side. In fact, there wasn''t much left in Heiflitz except for their special rearguards. General Holl wanted to be the last one out of the city, however. But, with his near-empty post and empty road, he wondered what was the point of waiting.


    He should cross already.


    He looked back to the south as he heard another rumble of tank threads approaching his post. It was a L?we Command Vehicle, driving forward alone, with the Royalist tricolor on the side of its turret. Atop its hatch, he recognized one of his officers, saluting him as his tank drove forward.


    He returned the salute.


    "General Holl!" Lieutenant Colonel Prul called down from atop the turret. "What''s with the holdup? Don''t you wanna cross the bridge?"


    General Holl smiled in response.


    "I want the honor of being the last man out, Colonel."


    The man chuckled in response, shaking his head.


    "Afraid that ain''t possible, sir. Some of our boys, infantry, are still holding south of us to man the rigged explosives and traps. But they''re going to cross soon enough too, on foot. Shouldn''t be too much of a danger for, sir."


    "So you want me to come aboard?" He shook his head as he laughed again. "Ain''t happening as long as some of our boys are still here."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes." The skies finally turned silent, with the last SAM launch already being minutes ago. "You should go now. Things are clear."


    Lieutenant Colonel Prul sighed from atop the hatch, clearly distraught at General Holl''s insistence to stay.


    "You know, we can''t just lose a fine General, sir."


    "I appreciate that you view me that way."


    "But if that''s the case, then your orders are to be followed." He gave him a salute. "Good luck, sir!"


    The L?we Command Vehicle finally moved forward, making its way into the bridge, all while Lieutenant Colonel Prul kept his salute. General Holl watched as they slipped away, and as a temporary farewell, he saluted them back as they disappeared into the distance.


    He sighed to himself. He would cross the bridge later. He lit up a cigar from his pocket in his mouth as he looked at the Emerald Bridge. Regardless of what happened, for the most part, he succeeded.


    HEICOMM will live to fight another day, that he was sure of.


    +++

 Chapter Ninety-One: Her Responsibility

    "RGO units in the Royal Capital are preparing alongside OAF forces for what many expect as a final push from the Putschists to ''liquidate'' Royalist control over Halia. Queen Amelie has now decreed an all-out localized conscription order in the Grand Duchy of all women aged eighteen to twenty-one, marking the first time in Orlish history in which women are to be conscripted. Defense Minister Pristina Dubois justified it in a press conference after the fall of Heiflitz, calling it a ''temporary measure for extraordinary times''."


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Halia


    November 8, 2024


    Keep your rifle by your side.


    Those words still rang true to Colonel Jonathan Kleist as ever. Even more so now.


    It was a saying that originated at the end of the Arcane Wars. Who said it, no one knew. But it became widespread as the years passed for men of all kinds. When women held both the power of the wand and of the state, men feared. Women told men that it was the dawn of equality, of fairness, of gentleness¡­many bought it, and many didn''t.


    It took many decades before the cracks of that lie became obvious. Many thought that the Arcane Wars were merely for the liberation of women until men found themselves stuck in a world that levied punishment after punishment upon them.


    Revenge ¨C men realized what was happening. They were being punished, and the pendulum was swinging hard on them. And without anything else to hold on to, men found solace in the only thing they could hold on to. If women could hold onto their wands ¨C men should keep hold of their rifles. It was a simple solution. It gave solace and security. But it too was a lie, the Colonel knew as he looked down at the road.


    Young men, young men with empty faces, new recruits that held rifles and uniforms that barely matched their young faces, now asked to defend their Kingdom and die for it. In the end, men''s desperate refuge of arming themselves only ended up giving the Matriarchy a tool to use.


    How¡­ironic.


    "So the 14th Knight Detachment Unit will be posted with the 10th Infantry Brigade?" Kleist asked, and Defense Minister Pristina Dubois nodded. "I see."


    "You seem to have reservations about it," she pointed out, but Colonel Kleist didn''t reply. "I thought all you men would be in celebration that we finally decided to be knee-deep in the trenches with you."


    "How romantic," Kleist bitterly snapped back. "Men and women, both equally dead in some muddy trench line. We can finally rest easy that our boys can die with pretty faces around them. Is that how you imagine our reactions? That we''ll celebrate having you women die with us?"


    "Hmm¡­not really, but it''s quite close." She looked back to the marching men of the 10th Infantry Brigade down below, leaning down on the balcony railings, her silver hair swaying as the wind breezed through. "You men always seem to want to drag us women down with you."


    "Quite the petty accusation, Defense Minister." As far as he knew, he''d find more men who would rather take the place of his sister, wife, or mother in the frontline. He knew they wanted equality, but most men would never ask for equality in death. It would be better for no one to die in the trenches instead. "Would we men accept going to some distant war if that was our mentality? And throw ourselves to our deaths for you?"


    "All you men are silly," she said, completely unmoved. "You all ask for this and that. But none of you understand. The times will not return to the past. Burning down everything in this world won''t change that. All you are getting is death in a blaze of glory. Flashy, but all in vain."


    "Not all of us want to burn down everything. We''re even defending you."


    "So what? What difference does that make? Royalist or Putschist, all of you are just looking for a way out that will send a message. Die in the defense of the Queen, or die for the revolution. None of which any of you believe in. You''re all just¡­dying¡­for what?"


    "Most men didn''t ask to be conscripted¨C"


    "Don''t kid me, Colonel. Eighty percent of the men on the ground joined voluntarily. You''re all¡­suicidal."


    "What''s your point in telling me this, Defense Minister?" He asked, already miffed. "So most young men are suicidal, and they''re searching for some greater purpose in the desperate hope that things will be better, or die if it doesn''t. So what? Did any of you women even care? Why not just laugh at it instead?"


    "You really all are sweaty rats." She shook her head. "I hate you all. All you¡­men and your ways. You say you care for yourselves. You say you all want rights to better things. But you''d all rather shoot things up. Terrorize everyone. Burn down nations. And in the end, victimize yourselves further. It doesn''t help you. It doesn''t change things. It doesn''t make people more empathetic of you. It gives everyone justifications to harm all of you more. How¡­stupid. Shortsighted. Disgusting. Self¡­destructive. Why? Why would all of you do it? No sane human being would do such a thing."


    He looked down at her. She was beyond salty, wasn''t she?


    "You sound like you care for us too much. Do you even really hate us, or are you hiding your guilt with your hate?"


    "Don''t assume things about me. Of course, I do."


    "You''re sure? Do you really hate us, the so-called monsters, and our actions¡­or do you hate whoever created and used that monster? You asked why, does the answer perhaps scare you?" Kleist laughed to himself. "You women fear the eyes of your own creations. You hate it. Because all of you know that once all is done, you''ll live knowing who created those eyes. You deny your sins and pass it all to us, and glorify your virtues¡­because you can''t stomach being in the wrong. You find the root cause of our behavior¡­terrifying. For you will have to face your own selves."


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He scoffed at her, walking away toward the door.


    "The world is burning and all the blame is on us men alone. For the other half of humanity is too virtuous and innocent¡­apparently."


    He closed the door and left, leaving the Defense Minister alone to ponder her thoughts. She wanted to lash out at him and prove him wrong, but when her eyes fell on the hollow eye of one of the marching young soldiers down below ¨C a man that could have been her brother, husband, or son¡­


    She could not.


    +++


    Halia


    Ivory Palace


    Amelie didn''t exactly know what she was doing right now. Perhaps the defeat in Heiflitz really did affect her in many ways. Perhaps she didn''t really like seeing the frontlines way too close. Perhaps¡­perhaps.


    On her way back home on that day, she still remembered that L?we crew, parked on the side of the road near a school that noble girls attended before the war started. The same school she once attended in her childhood. She talked to her driver and security head to let her "check on something" when she stumbled on them.


    They didn''t quite recognize her. Perhaps they didn''t care. Perhaps their minds weren''t in the right. Perhaps they were just fatigued. But they didn''t mind her presence.


    Ah! Damn¡­it. The books from the bookshelf fell, and she almost despaired at having to pick them up. The Ivory Palace had long been temporarily abandoned in the early days of the war. And so were her chambers. Everything was already dusty, and abandoned¡­the paintings were almost unrecognizable.


    At this point, the Putschists gave up on even hitting the Palace. They weren''t stupid. They knew she wouldn''t be there, at all. It would be a mere waste of missiles to fire at it, especially with all the air defense around it. And Amelie could wager that they planned to parade in the Ivory Square straight in front of the Palace once victorious.


    Still, the risk was enough to vacate the Palace. But none of it mattered for Amelie yet. For now, the Palace was safe, as it had been for months. Months that left it untouched. And so she picked things up. The books and novels she loved to read. Her personal belongings that she hadn''t bothered to carry to her bunker. It all¡­reminded her of how things were before the war.


    Her diary too¡­it was actually what she was searching for. But she couldn''t find it. What a klutz she was, she chastised herself. She misplaced it so badly that she couldn''t get her most personal belongings during the evacuation of the Palace. She scanned through her rooms, checking every inch and corner. Her bags and drawers. Everything.


    When at last, when she was attempting to reach a box above her wardrobe, she pulled something wrong, and it all fell to her head.


    She looked up at the ceiling, lying down in defeat. This is all pointless. She told herself, and the dust made her nose all runny. She almost sneezed, but she held it off as she sat back up, distraught at not having her own diary by now. They''re closing on the Capital, and I still don''t have all my stuff with me.


    "Ahahaha, life? Come on, life''s too short!" Declared their drunk commander. "You ladies always mull over sentimental nonsense¡­who cares about the Queen or some¡­family, or¡­hahaha, the nation? I bet you all still write diaries to record your lives."


    Amelie frowned. Of course, she did. Why would she not? Even during her isolation in the bunker, she scribbled down everything each day. Why would they not care? Men died¡­statistically, nearly twenty years earlier than women. Wouldn''t that be more of a reason for them to write something to record their lives?


    She rummaged through the box that dared to fall on her head. It was nothing but messy documents, piles of artwork she wouldn''t show to anyone, and her personal essays (more like rants) about anything she was angry about in particular that she bothered to actually print her deranged writings. And dust. Lots of dust that she coughed for a moment before she pulled out something.


    A leather book. Brown in color, very much old school, which was her style. Indeed, it was her prized diary and the pointless reason for her venture today into a potentially dangerous Palace.


    "Why did I even place it here?" She really wanted to slap her past self, but she supposed there was nothing she could do to change that. She found her diary¡­because¡­stuff. Was she really that paranoid about the Putschist attack that she felt enough fear to salvage everything she personally owned?


    She vowed to stand here. That if they took the city, it would only happen with her dead. But the truth was¡­perhaps she would really rather run once push came to shove. To roll over so easily. To cave in when the waves of reality rattled her.


    She flipped through her diary, from her days in that school. To her reclusive time when the Great War raged. And to those months that she struggled in vain to stop the disaster that now raged in her Kingdom. Her eyes could only stare at what she wrote on the day of her coronation.


    I will never send young men to war. To their deaths¡­I really said that¡­didn''t I?


    What did her vows really mean? She vowed and promised so much, yet¡­now, she signed, with her own hands, the order to conscript men to their deaths. Then last week¡­for women too.


    Was she really any different from all those women she hated because they hated men? Was she really any different from all those monarchs who sent millions of men to their deaths? Was she¡­


    Was she really just the same spineless leader that she feared to be?


    The same one who would run now, just because the enemy was at the gates?


    Silently, she hugged her diary and crumpled on her floor for a while, trying to make sense of her monumental failures. Trying to look for ways to change things. Trying to¡­look for excuses perhaps to free her from it.


    "She''ll just send us to our deaths, obviously!" Their gunner declared atop from the turret as he held his can of beer. He popped it open and took it in one go. "We''re just¡­we''re just cannon fodder. That''s the truth."


    "I¡­I didn''t want any of this¡­" Amelie silently told herself. "I just¡­wanted to make things better."


    At some point, she decided that grieving like some fool was pointless, and she finally stood up, holding her diary in her hands. When she walked out of her chambers, out straight to hallways, she eventually stopped. She looked outside of the massive window.


    The Ivory Square, empty and desolate¡­for a brief second, she was there. And the thousands that listened to her speech. And she heard her own voice speaking to the crowd.


    "Citizens of Orland! I promise you, change and hope!"


    She looked down at the floor, breathing heavily as she clenched her fist. Who was she to be a coward? Who was she to vow so many things but leave them unfulfilled? Who was she¡­to lose now?


    She walked on forward. She wouldn''t lose this battle and run. She would win¡­for that promise to be true, even if it would be far away.


    Perhaps¡­that would be the thing that would separate her from the monarchs before her.

 Chapter Ninety-Two: Her One Vow

    "No more food. No more luxury goods. No more trading. That is our judgment for this cursed world order."


    - Joint Declaration of Oliverd Shipping, Anderhall Global Lines, and Shizu Merchant Marine to disrupt global shipping into "Matriarchal Despots".


    +++


    Halia


    November 15, 2024


    Queen''s Bunker


    Everything was now starting to unravel. Amelie could sense that it wouldn''t be too far until the Putschists launched their final assault on the city. And while she tried her best to remain steadfast in front of the officer staff¡­it was all starting to get to her.


    I''m just¡­I''m¡­


    She looked down at her mirror. She was fixing herself up for the next meeting in the War Room, yet she struggled to even finish washing her face. She took a deep breath, attempting to clear her mind, which failed.


    She looked down, and for many seconds, stayed still. She washed her face afterward and got herself decent.


    An Army MP saluted her. A Royal Guard Knight bowed at her. The hallways were empty in the bunker, for every personnel of any importance was probably in the War Room. Still, the reverence for the Queen was ever present, which already started to irk Amelie.


    Could these people not realize who failed them? Why? Why would they still salute to her, or kneel, or bow at her? Weren''t they losing because of her? She was baffled, much so, she never felt this¡­strange mixture of fear and rage. Of shame and personal offense. Each day that they talked of war, that they talked of offensives and counter-offensives, of casualties and logistics, she found everything growing dull and numb.


    And she detested it.


    The War Room stood silent upon her arrival. High-ranking OAF officers and RGO officers, all in a state of constant bickering, shut themselves as she walked to her seat. The presenters in the middle, Colonel Kleist and Major Porter cleared their throats as Amelie took her seat.


    Steel yourself. You''re the Queen.


    Calmly, she removed her gloves and placed them on the side of the table. She opened a report file, already placed beside her microphone, and gave the title a brief read. She heaved a tiny sigh.


    "Gentlemen, would you please continue your report." She said, as most officers returned their attention back to Colonel Kleist and William while the two gave her the nod and resumed, completely ignoring her once more. It had been routine to her at this point. Her arrival and her closing remarks were always the high points of attention given to her. The two moments when all these men and women of war and fighting looked up at her guidance.


    "We''ll fight them this way," she would sometimes say. "This plan will be our course of action," she would declare at times. At times when she knew what could be done. But as William and Kleist sank deeper in their report, she resisted the urge to bury her head.


    They didn''t hide anything in their words. It was grim. The enemy was building up their forces. Supplies were low. Morale was low. There were reports of desertions and mutinies. The casualties from the daily engagements were high. And most of all, the promise of relief was still but a promise.


    But I cannot retreat from this. She reminded herself. I''m stuck in this predicament. There is no other way out but to fight. And fight with what? She vowed and vowed to remain and keep fighting, but who was paying the toll? Not her, certainly. She even laughed at it many times.


    She moaned and whined internally about the burdens and stress of this disaster. Even now, she resisted the pull of her heavy eyelids as she kept focus on William''s words about the declining state of the front. But what was it all compared to those dying in the droves?


    Once more, she looked back at that crew. Their words had plagued and eaten her mind for many days now, and for good reason. They spoke their minds with honesty. They criticized her, the Queen, with factual accuracy. She could still remember herself standing there, listening to their drunken ramblings as she kept her smile, asking question after question.


    And they answered. And each answer stabbed her. This¡­to her, more than anything else, was how the common man viewed her. Nothing hidden, without a sugarcoat to reduce its bitterness. They loathed her, the Queen. For every loss. For every brother dead.


    And for the hell that awaited. The hell that she would send them in. She locked her eyes to the map on the screens. Such numbers, of many different units, were represented by mere symbols and their identifying numerical numbers. The 17th, the 19th, the 4th, the 122nd. None of which she even knew. They were right. She was going to throw them into the fields as nothing but numbers.


    How callous. How uncaring. She hadn''t and would never ever meet any faceless soul that was a part of these units. Yet she would proclaim plans and maneuvers for them? Was this really what leadership entailed? To treat human beings as nothing but a resource to be used as she deemed fit?


    "Your Majesty¡­would you approve of our plans?" Kleist asked, pulling off the Queen from her internal musings. Amelie was on an empty autopilot mode. Even still, she understood the entire presentation. She gave him a grim nod. It was another request for a retreat into Halia''s ever-collapsing fallback lines.


    "We have no other choice, no?" She asked, and most officers were in agreement. "Then I permit that. In fact, if a retreat is needed, then please, conduct it. I would rather have our troops live to fight another day than hold on to towns already reduced to nothing but rubble."


    She looked back at that conversation. When they spoke of it, she could see through their eyes how brutal¡­and pointless it was.


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    "Remember Reilow?" Their gunner said, drunkenly poking their loader, who was almost dead asleep from the booze. "It was¡­a lovely fight. Dead bodies everywhere. Dead tanks and mechs. All for a flattened town."


    It was simply a fate she would like to avoid placing them on. The fate of fighting and dying to hold a defense line that simply didn''t exist anymore. A town that broke before its defenders did.


    Soon, she resigned from the War Room as the meeting ended.


    +++


    "William¡­are we really going to hold?" Amelie asked as she looked up at the night sky. They were out in a logistical depot, as they inspected the current abysmal situation that plagued them.


    It was pitiful. The shipments from Rebenslof were dwindling by the day. Railroads were being bombed, truck convoys were targeted by air strikes, all while the sea remained as empty as always. So much so that even Amelie had felt the effects of the shortage of everything. No more proper food ¨C she was eating what was being rationed in the bunker.


    As for William, he let off a sigh as he too looked up at the night sky. The pink moon was high above them, letting off a faint light over the broken skyline of downtown Halia in the far distance.


    "What answer do you want? The answer you want to hear, or the answer you don''t want to hear?" He replied, shaking his head. "Because at this point, I can tell you''re tired."


    "I am not."


    "You are."


    She fell silent. No point in denying it. Quite frankly, she was sure of herself that she wanted to run from it all. But that would be a crime she refused to commit. The fight was here ¨C not there. A leader that fled was a leader that should be hanged.


    "Please, the answer that I won''t want to hear," Amelie said with finality. She braced herself mentally for it.


    William sighed. It was getting cold already, winter wasn''t far off.


    "No, we won''t. The front will buckle and collapse. We''ll be cut off from Rebenslof if they send an armored pincer up north. Then it will be a grueling three-month siege before we raise the white flag." His answer was blunt and to the point. As if he knew what would really happen. Amelie refused to believe it, but one look in his eye confirmed it. "In fact, if they encircle us by late November, we won''t be lasting till January next year. I don''t think you can starve and freeze while fighting. We''d be forced to surrender."


    He laughed to himself. "Sure, it will be bloody. Extremely bloody for them. They''d have to assault this city with upwards of a hundred thousand casualties. But also for those trapped inside. Hell, would they even have mercy once we inflict that much?"


    "William¡­why didn''t you tell me."


    "Because I''m also trying to hold on to hope, Amelie." For once, she saw his eyes crack. "Maybe the Air Force will swoop in. Maybe NORTHCOMM will stop a northern pincer. Maybe the Navy will finally open sea-based supply lines. Maybe General Albrecht will break through from the south. Maybe¡­maybe even you women and the RGO will do a miracle."


    "...Why?"


    "Because you said it yourself, didn''t you? You vowed that you would do anything for the good of Orland. I¡­I believe in that."


    "You believed in me?" She could not believe him. All this time, he was even more deluded than her. He was in the front. He knew everything! If she who was kept in the dark hardly believed her own sweet words didn''t believe, why would he? "In¡­me? You believed in me? Are you serious?!"


    "Tell me this, Amelie. Why the hell would I join you, or serve under you if I didn''t believe in you?"


    "You''re delusional¨C"


    "I am! Do you think I would be executing those brutal operations that left countless of my brothers dead if I didn''t delude myself into believing you? I would have pulled all of our forces since day one if I didn''t. But no, you already proclaimed that you would hold them, that you would die before they captured the Royal Capital since day one on national TV. You turned it into a political and symbolic objective."


    "But you said it yourself¡­" She paused, horrified at what her words caused. "It''s militarily impossible."


    "But losing it is strategically impossible too. I don''t believe in your propaganda words that we will surely hold on. I believed in your reforms and rule. Halia is your symbol, Amelie. Your stand here is the Royalist cause! Why would anyone in the OAF fight for you if you lost here? You would be nothing. No man is loyal to the Kingdom, to the Royalist cause ¨C they are loyal to your promises. If you retreat here, then those promises are void."


    She looked at the soldiers and men in the distance. They were all hard at work stacking supplies at trucks or loading ammo into their parked tanks. Her political promises¡­they weren''t fighting for her or the Kingdom, but those promises made by her. If she ran away, then she would be a coward, a spineless monarch whose promises meant nothing.


    Someone unworthy to fight for.


    "So¡­you''re gambling?"


    "I love gambling, Amelie. It''s a game of uncertainties and chances. Back in the Great War, we used that as a morbid joke before and after our trench assaults. But the lesson was there. The chances are low, but better than surrender. To survive in war, you must take risks, opportunities, and initiative. Or you will lose."


    "And so you are hoping that Halia will stand because if it doesn''t, it would be all for nothing."


    He nodded.


    "The chances aren''t favorable, and the odds are stacked against us, but it is the only choice. I don''t believe in the Goddess, but this sure as hell would be the best time for a miracle, because if it doesn''t¨C"


    He pointed his finger at Amelie.


    "It will be your last stand. Because I''ll be honest with you, had you retreated early and you were kicked off your throne, you wouldn''t have escaped. Not even now. You''re a marked woman, Amelie. Lose this battle ¨C and you and Alice are dead."


    Amelie looked down. So that was how it all was all this time. She had no choice, not even in the beginning. Either she won here, or she died.


    I guess this is the fate of a monarch facing a violent revolution.


    "So that''s the answer I wouldn''t want to hear."


    "Should have picked the answer you wanted to hear."


    Amelie looked up, but this time, she smiled at him. So that''s how it is. It was all a void inside her now. Perhaps, something died inside of her. But¡­if this was how it all was¡­if even Alice would be in harm''s way. It was time, Amelie thought.


    "No, it''s alright. I''m glad you said it to me at last. Say, William, can you promise something to me this time?"


    "What is it?"


    "Don''t hold me back. I''ll win this battle. I''m not dying in this desolate city. And neither would Alice, is that acceptable?"


    William smirked. Her words sounded sweet and soft, yet he knew that she wasn''t playing this time.


    "I see, so is ''General'' Amelie Ludendorf born now? Heh¡­well, so be it then, Your Majesty."


    "I won''t let them touch Alice. At all costs." For now, that would be her only vow.

 Chapter Ninety-Three: Walls Behind Her Back

    "Women see their world on fire, men see the blaze of righteous fury. Indiscriminate collective punishment, just like what they did to us."


    - Joachim Meyers, after his pirate group bombed and disrupted the Levantine Canal, where fifty percent of grain shipments to East Vaeyox passed through.


    +++


    Queen''s Bunker


    November 17, 2024


    Amelie gave a passing read on the notice given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on her desk. The recent "Levantine Canal Bombing" incident was an utter disaster, to say the least. A flotilla of Orlish Rebel Captains decided to pay a visit to the same canal where a massive chunk of international shipping from West Vaeyox, Oppellia, and East Vaeyox passed through and gave it a thorough bombing that left five smoldering ships blocking the complex canal.


    "Nations in East Vaeyox are now asking for Orland to divert grain shipments." The paper read. "Their population needs Oppelian Grain to survive until the crisis is resolved."


    It made sense. Orland, being the most advanced industrial nation in the world, also held a massive share of the global agricultural market. The war in Orland disrupted it, yes, but most of the farming was done on the West Coast. Hopefully, she could divert some. East Vaeyox relied heavily on West Vaeyox''s and Oppelia''s food shipments since those nations weren''t as advanced but had a bigger population (like the Hebeian Empire). And they also suffered from Civil Wars and Coups.


    If I don''t divert the West''s food production, I''d be damning billions to famine. She began typing her instructions to Adelaide. Hopefully, she could hammer out something without threatening Orland''s needs. She had a war on her own soil, of course, she needed everything for the war effort. But I won''t damn people to starvation.


    She looked back at her passing interaction with Princess Xue before the Orlish Civil War. It had been a long time since she talked to her, and she wondered how she was doing. She asked for military support by secret supply shipments back then, and Amelie agreed. But ever since the war started, it had naturally been promptly ended. Still, they were, truthfully, in a similar situation.


    She sent her encrypted mail back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Up to them to figure it out, she supposed. She had a battle to tend to. And today, she would go over there to get dirty, and figure out what to really do herself.


    Figure it out, heh. She really wondered how that would be possible. She was no military strategist. She had no idea how things truly worked. And she thought she would do better than seasoned war veterans? Veterans like William, who saw what amounted to the closest thing to hell on Pollos?


    "Are you ready?" Asked William as they prepared for the trip close to the established FOBs outside of Halia that supported the battles in the trenches. He placed her belongings on the back of his SUV.


    "About as best as I can. I need to prioritize this battle over everything else." Amelie said. "I don''t know if I can be of any help, but, perhaps¡­"


    "You''re going to see the front."


    "That''s my decision. I want to observe and react to everything as it happens. No more delayed reports. No more sitting behind screens for a while. I want to be a leader, William."


    "You are."


    "Not enough." William sighed to himself as the two boarded their SUV. From behind them, a convoy formed in their wake. It was William''s men, all making up the main contingent of her security detail.


    "We''re just¡­we''re just cannon fodder. That''s the truth." His words still stung to her heart deeply. The fact that men truly viewed themselves that way when they looked up at women, left a deep hole in her view of women''s self-ascribed righteousness.


    She vowed to defend Halia at all cost, for her and her sister. Was that nothing but pure selfishness? These questions bore on her as the bumpy ride continued. William stayed silent, electing to focus on driving while stealing glances at Amelie. Eventually, he had enough of watching her mull herself to death.


    "Hey, are you alright?" He asked.


    "Not anywhere near as bad as our boys knee-deep in the trenches, that''s for sure," Amelie said. "Not even close. Yes, I''m fine."


    "Folks aren''t really fine nowadays. It''s normal to admit that, you know. Fear, it eats you. Like predator to prey. It''s pointless to deny it."


    "How¡­how do you men face those?"


    "I''m quite sure if you place a woman in our position, it would be no more different." He laughed. "Granted, you ladies would probably be more on the desperate wand-waving side of things, but quite the same."


    "They¡­the Putschists. They want an all-out assault soon, right?"


    "Indeed. That''s what the AFI indicated. All-out assault forward. It would be a pure bloodfest for both sides soon. Hell, with the frontlines solidified, tactical maneuvers would be limited. It would be a literal numbers game. He who breaks first loses, that''s the name of the game."


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    "So nothing but brute force and attrition would matter?"


    "Aside from a possible northern pincer and how we would respond, yes. Essentially, it would boil down to who gets to throw the most shells and bodies now. It''s not even a question for the men below. They know it. And I''m afraid the fresh green ladies of the RGO won''t know what hell is awaiting them. Won''t fault them if they rout first."


    Amelie looked to the side. A game of who could throw most lives away, and motivate masses of young men best to throw said lives away. How utterly psychotic. The idea alone sent an extreme revulsion to her. She was playing a game that ultimately required her to do all means to bathe her hands with the blood of young men and women.


    "Could we¡­reduce the casualties at least?" Amelie asked, and William shook his head. "Why?"


    "It''s a pipedream. Once the assault begins, it will be trench after trench that will be taken over. Do you think we''d be able to evacuate the wounded when things are barely holding? As for them, the casualty ratios would not matter. Only the tempo of attacks. The faster they get through our defenses, the better. The mountain of dead would stop mattering as long as you can plug in bodies to replace them."


    "William, even you sound deranged." Amelie chastised. "I''m tired of hearing you talk of lives so callously like that. These are people we are talking about."


    "You think I don''t know that?" William said. "I''ve seen the Great War, Amelie. I know what each life means. You think I haven''t seen an entire battalion of my fellow brothers, many that I knew, some extremely close, all who mattered to me, get gunned down? I know that these people have lives. But what you should understand, is once the breaking point of warfare is reached ¨C lives become cheap. No matter what moral and emotional crisis you go through, no philosophical ramblings would cut through that reality."


    "War is expensive," Amelie concluded.


    "But you will only see the bill once it is over. For now, all lives are cheap." William said. "That''s the value mother warfare assigns when she reigns. You can cry through it, or accept its deranged nature. That''s how we men face it." He smirked, and that sent a chill to Amelie''s spine. "The Great War filtered out the weakest of men a long time ago, Amelie. All that''s left now is the most deranged variety. The other side is willing to be deranged to win. And I am too."


    "We will be nothing but monsters in the end if that is the path we choose, William. I refuse. We''ll try our best to hold on, but no more deranged last stands of yours, or sacrificial delaying charges, or whatever. William, you will stop it." Her mind was clear. "If the other side will fight with insanity, with morale so non-existent it doesn''t matter anymore, then we shall fight with integrity. Perhaps, if I send the right message to our troops and officers while I lead closer to the front, I can give them just that."


    "That''s your plan?"


    Amelie smiled to herself. "I''m the Queen, Mister Porter. It''s my job to motivate my people to the proper path. That has always been the case ever since Parliament took most of the daily duties. If I can''t do that, then why should I keep sitting on my throne?"


    "Well, you do have a point."


    "As such, there is no point in you keeping those desperate tactics just to hold on. I''d do my best to serve my role as the Queen and inspire hope at the front. You do the maneuvers and tactics, I do the morale part."


    "Well, seems like a good division of labor then." William grinned. "Let''s do it."


    But, that still left the question of how she could do that. Inspire hope at the front? That sounded way too vague for her to work with. She did have quite the oratory skills already, so she could do quite a lot of speaking in front of the officers and troops.


    Of course, she couldn''t speak to all of them. But her presence would spread like wildfire through the front. Word traveled quickly, and Amelie knew that once she started speaking and made her presence known at the front, they would know. They would start talking. They would all know that she was there with them.


    Their Queen. The sole reason they were knee-deep in the muddy hell they called trenches to fight and die in. There was nothing more painful for a soldier than to die for some distant snobby rich royal woman they won''t even know. She hoped to break that belief.


    But, this could cost me my life. Amelie reminded herself. If they find out I''m out there, they will attempt once more to take me out. There were no limits to what the Putschists would do to win, she surmised. To kill a monarch was something they already did and would try again and again. She would be a ripe target. A target so tasty, for taking her out while she led in the front would collapse the Royalist cause like nothing else.


    "You''re thinking the same as I do, no?" William said again, breaking her from her thoughts.


    "My security?"


    "Yep. I think we''ll get into a nasty incident with this one. I honestly would prefer it if you keep that wand of yours nice and ready. There''s a lot of turncoats and hidden agents in our ranks."


    "Really?" She didn''t expect that. Well, she did, but¡­really? "You mean, many of our troops are potentially traitors."


    "Heh, it''s quite a morbid joke on our boys already. Both sides are filled with so many traitors in their ranks, that you wouldn''t even know who really is a Putschist or a Royalist. They get mutinies that turn into violent shootouts because someone believed in you, we get mutinies that turn into violent shootouts because someone here believed Rimpler. That''s what happens in a messy civil war."


    "I suppose that makes sense." Subtly, Amelie checked the wand tucked into her skirt''s wand pocket. Indeed, that was the only thing that gave her security. She definitely planned to draw it at light speed should trouble arise.


    Suddenly, the distant rumbles intensified as if a thunderstorm of apocalyptic proportions arrived. Amelie looked up at the skies on the distant front ahead, and it was all almost lit up.


    Goddess¡­it has begun.


    "Seems like the shitfest is starting," William said. "No turning back now, Amelie."


    "Indeed¡­" Victory or death ¨C that''s the only two things that await me now. Amelie gripped the wand in her pocket tighter as they drove forward to the raging storm ahead. All bridges behind me are now burned. I¡­have to win. "Are they responding?"


    "As best as they can, I suppose."


    "Then make haste. We''ll do everything, William."


    "Alright¡­I''ll take your word for that, Amelie."


    Amelie nodded. The storm ahead would be unforgiving, but to face it would be her only option. No more bridges behind her. This was it.


    At all costs. At all costs.

 Chapter Ninety-Four: Over The Top

    "No amount of denial will change anything. Women made their greatest blunder. Indeed, past generations of men were raised just as badly as the ''Dead Generation'', but they were taught how to hold hammers and tools. In contrast, the ''Dead Generation'' was taught only one thing ¨C to hold a rifle. The consequences are only unraveling."


    - Peter Harroway, Lorathian Brotherhood Front.


    "Operation Temperate Fool commenced by the newly established Poznek Republic and the Confederation of Larissa against the Kingdom of Lombardia! The Confederation General Assembly declared it as a ''liberation campaign for Lombardian men''. Remaining Order Pact member states have now declared war on the Confederation as a response, but expectations are low after the massive mass mobilization of the Larissan Confederate Armed Forces (LCAF) last month, now swelling to an estimated five-million strong force. Confederate forces have now advanced fifty kilometers to the Lombardian Capital, and many expect that the Queen ''might flee''. Asturian Naval Forces were also spotted patrolling ''wide-open'' Lombardian shores. The Mandate of Nations has now declared that the crisis in West Vaeyox has reached a ''critical point'' and that a continental war between the ''monstrous revolutionary tide'' of the Confederation and the Republic of Asturia, and the ''desperate hold to power'' of the Kingdoms of Gaul, Lorathia, and remaining monarchies of West Vaeyox is inevitable."


    - Geopol News


    +++


    Amelie''s hands trembled on the binoculars. The view ahead was utterly monstrous. A nightmare that already etched itself in her eyes, as the distant fires lit up the night sky intensely, all while faint smoke rose. It astounded her. The Ludendorf Front, something which she had only witnessed from afar, was a true nightmare to behold.


    "That¡­" William''s voice said behind her. "Is the Front, Your Majesty."


    "It''s really this bad¡­" She turned her head to the left, and she could almost see the distant figures of men rising from a long line of trenches. Once more, artillery rained down on them, as they seemed to push forward. Moreover, all in the darkness, she could scarcely see any vegetation. It was brown, filled with craters, wrecks, ruined roads and towns, and dead trees.


    It started raining. She placed down her binoculars and looked back at William. The Command and Observation Point they were in was well fortified. It was far in the rear of the main frontline, dug on one of the hills that overlooked the front, covered by cement. It almost resembled the bunkers that littered the front.


    Amelie looked down at her mudded white gloves. Quite frankly, the Royal Guard''s all-white officer battle dress didn''t look quite in place in this setting. She noticed many RGO officers just up ahead, their once pristine white uniforms just as muddied as hers.


    "Well, it would appear that their assault won''t end," William said as the two walked through the complex. While it was dug, the post was well reinforced by wood and cement at many points. Still, Amelie couldn''t help but notice the almost fragile planks of wood they walked on, underneath which she could see flowing muddy water.


    And the stench¡­it was awful. She even passed through a dug-in section that appeared to be an underground mess hall of RGO grunts. Unlike their officers, they wore a uniform with an urban camo, and thus they looked more in place. Still, she could see many of the women pinching their noses in disgust as they ate.


    "I just noticed, there doesn''t seem to be a lot of Army soldiers around here," Amelie said as they passed through another RGO officer who bowed at her briefly. "Where are they?"


    William chuckled.


    "At the frontlines, obviously. Most men available are being called straight to the frontline dugouts, or straight to the support trenches. We''re in the reserve and backline trenches. This is where most RGO units are posted."


    "Wait¡­I thought¨C"


    "You just thought." William laughed. "Many RGO officers are not having it. They''re willing to take the post behind so they can have a presence here, but they argue to death about not being placed in forward trenches. It''s a waste of energy to argue further when OAF officers have a goddamned battle to fight. So they left it at that."


    "So that was why we''re still seeing a mountain of dead men but barely anything from us women." It clicked with her. Of course! So what if the Queen said they should be at the frontlines to defend the Royal Capital? They could be at the frontline as reserves. Further, it almost seemed like they were here just to enforce no retreat for the men up ahead.


    That¡­further horrified her. How could any OAF unit rout, when behind them, were women wielding wands and arcano-rifles? This was not supposed to be this way! She shouted internally. It was supposed to become a true common effort between us!


    The two of them soon walked through the lengthy "communication trench" that connected each line. There was now a distinct lack of the covered dugouts she saw at the backline trench, which, as William said, was used to hide from the shelling and drones. There were constant zigzags, and Amelie noticed that the trench lines they were passing through became more and more constricted.


    "Amelie, you know, I don''t know about this really. Are you really sure?" William asked. "Even if the support trenches aren''t the front itself, shelling is indiscriminate, and attacks could reach them."


    "I already told you. I am here to speak with the men closest to the front. What would be the point if I still hid at the rear?"


    William shook his head. "Well, if that''s what you really want. Just keep your wand ready, as always."


    "I know."


    Suddenly, the two of them bumped through a group of men. By instinct, the two of them went to the side to make way. Her eyes however locked at the men. Their woodland uniform was almost unrecognizable, almost covered by mud. And the injured men on their stretchers¡­she almost felt something pull her heart as her vision went black.


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    A-Albert. She saw him again, on that night. He almost¡­looked like them.


    They already passed by the time she returned to her senses. One of them¡­didn''t have a leg¡­


    She gulped.


    "Hey, you alright?" William asked as he gave her a pat on the back.


    "Yes¡­it was¡­it was just¡­"


    "Look, we can turn back if you need to. Just tell me so. I''m sure we can catch the next counter-charge."


    "No, we''re going. I can''t miss it."


    William breathed out. "Alright."


    She followed him on the long trek. Indeed, the trench line was quite long for her. She could admit that she wasn''t exactly in the best physique to run through kilometers-long trench lines, but she held the complaints bubbling in her mouth as she kept up with him.


    Suddenly, William stopped. He pulled his radio and talked to it for a while before his face turned grim.


    "William, what happened? Are we late?" Amelie asked, and William nodded.


    "Very. The enemy broke through two trench lines. The one up ahead is preparing for a counter-charge. But it seems more dangerous than we thought. We might be rushing headfirst into their actual spearhead."


    "Then that makes it final then. I must speak to them now before they go up there. Now or never. It''s just once, but it has to be done."


    Amelie continued, forcing William to follow her. Already, above them, she could notice the rumbling sounds of tank threads and their guns firing. They were getting close.


    "Quite frankly, I have reservations about the necessity of this."


    "I just need to speak once. Show them all that the Queen can and will be at the hottest area of the frontlines if she must. I have magic. I''ll do my best to protect myself anyway."


    Already, they were now passing through grim-faced soldiers, all huddled on the sides of the trench lines. Many looked at the two of them strangely, but Amelie could see that their eyes were too dead to even care.


    They passed a last turn, and there, was a massive commotion. She could see officers shouting at their men to prepare near the ladders, all while many conversed through their radios. Many of the troops were already clinging to the side of the ladders, their night vision goggles down. There must have been at least a hundred or more in this section.


    "Oh, well, seems like they''re preparing for the charge¡­" William said as the two of them stopped in front of the commotion. He already radioed the officers around the trenchline of the Queen''s presence, thus, delaying their charge.


    Amelie on the other hand was focused on an old-looking officer berating a soldier who almost seemed to be crying.


    "Look at me, son!" He shouted. "You, and all of you have one job." He grabbed his rifle forcefully. "If any of them turns back, if any of them runs back at you, you take this rifle, and you shoot them dead!" He turned to other men lined on the side. "Do you all understand?!"


    "Enough!" She said out loud, drawing everyone''s attention to her. The officer seemed angry at her until her halo illuminated her face. Suddenly, his demeanor changed.


    "Men! Her Majesty is here! Stand in attention!" The officer shouted, and everyone turned to her. Amelie walked forward, clearing her throat. She approached the young soldier he berated, who was shaking in fear. Pity, nothing but pity filled her heart.


    He doesn''t belong here.


    "Are you alright, Mister?" He gave her a nervous nod, as he tried to hide his fear, but Amelie could see it in his eyes. Both fear, hopelessness, and a budding hope. He was looking up at her. She turned to the rest of the soldiers, all preparing for the charge.


    "Officer, there is no need to shoot our own men in any capacity. There will be no compromises on this one. None of the men under my rule will be shot like dogs for retreating. Is that understood?" She glared down at him, and he nodded. She took a deep breath. "Everyone."


    One of the officers, a younger one, raised his hand.


    "Your Majesty, why are you here? This place isn''t safe."


    "Same for you all." She said. "But you''re all here. Ready to die for our cause. Ready to¡­give your all so that those behind you may live." She scanned the faces of each man. Most of them were concealed by masks or their night vision goggles. But she looked at all of them regardless. "I am no different. I am prepared to die for the Royalist cause just as all of you are. I am here to inspect the conditions of the front. And I saw nothing but the most hellish, and abysmal conditions I have seen in my lifetime.


    "Now¡­this, to me, is the ultimate proof that all of you good young men, are all good people. Deserving of the best that this Kingdom has to offer, yet you receive nothing. Your mere forced presence here is an injustice, yet you are here, prepared to take arms even for those who wronged you. I see great honor and courage from all of you.


    "I have no promises to add to those that I have said time and time again over my speeches. I am merely here to see your work and sacrifices. And here to tell you all that you are all good men. The best."


    An artillery strike fell nearby, but she stood still even when dust rained on top of her.


    "May you all find peace soon. Whatever your fates may be. I wish that you will all see the fruits of your sacrifices, but¡­I''m not the Goddess. But, thank you, to all of you. Carry on." She continued.


    One of the soldiers removed his helmet and nodded at her. His face was as neutral as any man in front of her, but his eyes had light for once.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty. For once¡­something we men do is appreciated."


    One of the officers gave her a gesture to respectfully leave. William whispered to her that the counter-charge would soon commence, and it would be an all-out coordinated attack from the entire line. She stepped out of the way and watched as the men and officer returned to their duties, lining up the soldiers to the ladders.


    She watched as they gave final radio checks, looked at the tiny pictures they held in their hands, or lowered their night vision goggles. The rain further intensified as they awaited, until one of the officers blew his whistle.


    Everything, just for my victory. I have to repay these men, or I would never forgive myself.


    "Glory to Her Majesty!" They all shouted as they rose as one. All as she watched for the first time. Of how bullets flew and men dropped like ragdolls as they climbed up. Yet they shouted the same four words. "Glory to Her Majesty!" Again and again.


    It was dark and bloody, and the smell of death permeated. But she saw their determination to win resurge. Just a moment ago, all of them were dead men, who believed in nothing. Husks.


    For but a brief moment, they were alive, fueled by the hope she gave. Perhaps, that would be her key to winning this battle. Restoring hope and trust in her troops.


    "Glory to Her Majesty!" They roared. "Glory to Her Majesty!" All as they pushed them back, into the fire.

 Chapter Ninety-Five: Boys To The Grinder

    "The trenches of the Great War morphed a monster beyond our control. Shot, bombed, burned, stabbed, gassed¡­each day and night as we left and vilified them ¨C and they all experienced it. I fear that the generation of men that was supposed to grow with us is gone. No human leaves such conditions intact, and their actions today show that clearly."


    - ROCN News, Anonymous Columnist.


    +++


    Frontline Observation Post 0-7


    Ludendorf Front


    November 20, 2024


    William lowered down his binoculars.


    "They pushed us back again. We are preparing for another set of counter-charges. We can''t allow them to establish a supply line to the captured trench lines." He said while Amelie continued to watch the distant lines with her binoculars.


    It was slightly silent, but occasionally, a shell would hit the wounded earth. Craters, filled with brownish water, were everywhere up ahead. And she could scarcely see into the distance. The thick, constant smoke, the fog, it all obscured everything.


    All she could really see was the desolate half-burnt or destroyed trees, the sets of buildings that were mere shadows of their past, and littered wrecks of tanks, vehicles, mechs, and everything else. The road up ahead was just as desolate.


    It seemed that the severity of the battle had left the Army unable to recover or clear the last armored spearheads that once charged through the roads. The distant ghosts of the last counter-offensive, Operation Silent Spear, something she had watched from her bunker, were still there.


    She lowered down her binoculars.


    The backline trenches were quite bad, Amelie mused as the two continued on their inspection. The backline trenches were more of an auxiliary line at the moment. Unlike the frontline dugouts and the support trenches up ahead, the RGO here was hard at work in auxiliary duties.


    Duties where women''s magic shined like an ironic hope for the thousands of wounded men from the frontlines. Normally, women studied healing magic since their first grade at school. It was, perhaps, the most useful form of magic for the civilian sector. It made healthcare accessible, and extremely effective since the dawn of magic.


    And it gave women a death grip on healthcare. The mere threat of withholding it from men was so severe, that during the Great War, most that died were from injuries normally treated by magic.


    "There''s not much they can do, really." One of the attending RGO officials told her. She was in her forties. Yet she volunteered at the frontlines. "They''re dependent on our magic. Quite frankly, leaving them alone during the Great War was probably why their casualties were so high."


    Amelie looked at the emergency medical dugout. Inside, there were countless injured young men being given emergency medical attention before being shipped to the Halia''s more well-equipped hospitals.


    "Unsurprising, really," William said, crossing his arms behind her. "We''re still applying non-magical wound and trauma treatments that we only learned from the Great War. But our medics aren''t well trained. Except for drugging the injured with drugs."


    "Isn''t that dangerous? While modern medical drugs seem great, their side-effects seem¡­severe compared to magic." Amelie said. Unlike precise healing magic that purely healed diseases and injuries, invasive medical procedures had failure rates.


    "Well, given the choice of dying to a badly treated bullet wound to the gut, or dying without it, you''d pick the former." Amelie looked at one of the soldiers, who stared silently in peace at the ceiling as a nurse kept her glowing wand aimed at his bleeding torso. "But, at least now magic is available. A bit more at least."


    "I''m glad that my decision paid off then." She sighed. "Though, I definitely am not fond of the idea of young women being forced here too. But then again, if men would be here, then it would just be a fair measure."


    Soon, the two of them left the frontlines. Amelie gave one last passing look behind her before she boarded William''s vehicle. The distant sounds of artillery and gunfire hadn''t ended. She imagined another severe fight was being waged somewhere.


    The ride to the next town was grueling. The roads were all bombed to bits. Even with the engineers and workers clearing the roads, they passed through minor traffic jams of convoys stopped by ongoing clearing operations. One time, they had to wait for a few minutes for a recovery vehicle to pull a L?we wreck off the road.


    Himmelsbach was a bit different from her last visit. There were more fortifications and checkpoints, and they passed through parked LSS Mechs and M3 IFVs. William told her that multiple armored divisions were massing near Himmelsbach for a possible limited counter-offensive. That didn''t make sense to her ¨C why would that be necessary now?


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "General Holl proposed it three days ago. He did have a point. Those captured trenches are still unestablished." William said as he turned the SUV right. Amelie shook her head. "They''re grinding through our lines. And the longer they hold it uncontested, the harder it would be to flush them off."


    "It''s just gonna be another costly business¡­" She almost felt the urge to puke. "I still remember Operation Silent Spear. Seeing all those wrecks didn''t help."


    "Unfortunately, that''s an inevitability. The Ludendorf Front already solidified. We both lack proper offensive capabilities, but enough defensive capabilities to force a stalemate. It will be a slog regardless."


    "Then why? Why try to push them back again? Can''t we just hold the line and retreat as needed?"


    "We can only retreat so much, Amelie. Remember that."


    "And we can only lose so many lives, William. Remember that."


    He scoffed. "We''d lose more if we give up the initiative. Letting them achieve a breakthrough that would endanger us to an encirclement is infinitely worse than the alternative."


    They stopped in front of what appeared to be a converted command center of what was a noble estate. When Amelie exited the SUV, she saw soldiers lying idly on the side of the estate''s wall. Their uniforms were messy and muddy, and their helmets were untied on their chins. They were mostly looking at the passing troops and tanks listlessly, their guns and equipment lying beside them.


    "What are they doing?" Amelie asked, eyeing up two soldiers silently smoking as they watched a group of doves pass above them.


    "Waiting for pickup, I suppose. Being rotated off the frontlines. They probably already spent a month or two there." The two of them continued on toward the estate. It was wide, with multiple IFVs parked near the still surprisingly intact flower garden.


    That was when they stopped in front of what appeared to be gathered fresh soldiers that awaited in front of the estate. There were probably a hundred of them, all idly standing by and chattering amongst themselves.


    "Is General Holl here now?" Amelie asked as they stayed back. They were here to meet General Holl and the leaders of the IV Armored Corps, a newly formed ad-hoc command of JTF-Ludendorf''s remaining Armored and Light Mech Divisions.


    It was to be led by General Holl himself. To Amelie, his actions in the defense of Heiflitz distinguished him as one of her most reliable officers. Thus, when William sent her the candidates, she immediately picked and assigned him for the job.


    My tanks and mechs are the most important pieces in this battle. She told herself that day. He would best lead it.


    "Yes. I already rang him."


    "Good. I''m not fond of too much waiting. Not anymore with all this¡­nonsense flying around us."


    "Well, I too wouldn''t be too fond of the frontlines if I was new." William took a pack of cigarettes and lit up one.


    "Hey, you don''t smoke, right? Why are you smoking?"


    "Who told you I don''t smoke?"


    "I never saw you do it."


    William laughed. "Well, I''m not really addicted to it, I suppose. But, I sometimes did back in Liebnich. With the boys." He looked back at the assembled men. "Reminds me of the old times, I guess."


    General Holl and multiple staff officers emerged from the estate. Immediately, an officer shouted "Attention!" to the men, and they all stood straight. Amelie and William walked forward, meeting the group of OAF officers who lined up and saluted her.


    General Holl lowered his salute.


    "So, Your Majesty. Got a whiff of the front at last?"


    "It''s quite nasty, General. I believe you plan for another counter-offensive?"


    "The details are in. We''re planning to do it after they bashed their heads on us. Preferably exactly when Chief Air Marshal Zimmermann moves his arse off his hole."


    Amelie laughed a bit at that. It frustrated her, and thus, she was starting to view the Chief Air Marshal as an absent lazy slob in a sense. It was probably unfair, as the Air Force was facing problems too severe to be discounted, but Amelie was frustrated with him regardless that she found relief in someone else poking at him.


    "Well, I do hope he finally does. Anyway, who exactly are they?"


    General Holl turned around to the assembled troops. "D Company. 2nd Infantry Battalion. I''m just about to rotate them to the front. Are you up for an inspection? I''m sure these boys wouldn''t mind the Queen''s attention."


    Amelie glanced back at William, who merely gave her an approving nod. She said yes to General Holl, and immediately, she was walking in front of the assembled troops, with General Holl, William, and the staff officers following her from behind.


    Am I supposed to say something?


    She didn''t. Instead, she continued walking, inspecting them briefly one by one. She tried to act all serious, but quite frankly, she had no idea what to inspect.


    Inspect them of what? She asked herself. Of their uniform? Which will be torn and dirtied? Of their weapons? Which all of them held? She almost stopped in front of one of the younger soldiers. Of their courage? When they are already about to go to war anyway?


    All she could really glean from these troopers was that these fresh boys were just boys given a soldier''s uniform, some training, and a gun, and sent off to war. It boiled her blood. How all these happened under her rule.


    What boiled her blood more, was the fact that she couldn''t change that.


    "They''re good people." She said to General Holl when they finished. It was the only observation she could see. "Take good care of them, General."


    He gave her a nod. but no promises. But Amelie didn''t expect anything.

 Chapter Ninety-Six: Hostile Punch

    "Orlish Putschist rebels launched another frontal punch through the Ludendorf Front for the past few days. Gains had been minimal, with trench lines barely moving a few kilometers. The OAF also reported a ''major victory'' north of the Ludendorf Front, as an armored spearhead of multiple Putschist Armored Divisions was halted by elements of the IV Armored Corps near the City of Ruwelt after a nine-kilometer punch from their starting positions. The harrowing reports about the heavy casualties that all sides are taking are still flooding in, with reports already estimating at least forty thousand dead."


    - Liberty One Radio


    "Her Majesty, Queen Amelie Ludendorf, visits the Ludendorf Front! Already, footage and pictures of the Queen herself being knee deep on the frontline is flooding in, as the Queen reportedly visited ''even frontline dugouts'' of the trenches near the Royal Capital to ''inspect the conditions'' of her troops."


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    Near the City of Ruwelt


    November 22, 2024


    General Holl placed the map of the current frontlines on the table. They were set up in a random farmhouse close to the frontlines, as the officers gathered for the next briefing. Amelie and William were present too, for today, they would have to make a decision quickly.


    "General, how could this have happened?" Amelie asked, just as another distant boom went off. "How could they have advanced this deep?"


    She expected that the enemy was now trapped in a grinding duel with them. Both sides were dug in, stuck in static trench lines that didn''t budge for many weeks. But now, the Putschists returned to the offensive with a breakthrough that worried Amelie.


    In just a day, they punched through her northern sector, and they were now dangerously close to threatening the City of Ruwelt just up ahead of them, a city that defended the coastlines that kept them connected to Rebenslof.


    She thought General Holl, Colonel Kleist, and William planned and prepared for it since they already warned her about this possible "northern pincer", but they still broke through. Luckily, they halted them at the gates of Ruwelt¡­temporarily.


    "They are about to play dirty. Well, they already did." General Holl said. "They sent limited chemical attacks on our trench lines before they punched through. Our troops had to abandon it."


    A cold chill seeped through Amelie''s soul. They¡­they did what now?! They crossed the line! Her mind shouted internally in revulsion. How could they? Chemical weapons? This was beyond mere brutality, especially against their own countrymen. Amelie''s face turned fully red.


    "Tell me they didn''t do it! Are you serious?!"


    "He is," William said, taking a stick and pointing it at the section of the front that they broke through. "Non-persistent chemical agents. Just enough to force our troops to abandon their trenches, and for them to break through. We''re still plugging the hole¡­desperately, might I add."


    "Why? Why would they do that? They know we would respond too. This¡­this is all unnecessary. They''re going to cause more deaths."


    "It''s an inevitability, Your Majesty." General Holl said. "Truthfully, both sides are way too evenly matched. And we are both dug in. They have to increase their offensive advantage somehow to push us back. Chemical weaponry is the only option left."


    "Quite frankly, I''m glad," William said, his cynical tone seeping through. "It''s better that they used it first. We''ll get the moral high ground. That will be nice for a propaganda spin."


    "William, for the love of the Goddess, I don''t need to hear more of your morbid rationalizations. It''s bad. End of the discussion." She looked up to General Holl. "How should we respond?"


    "Well, we don''t have stockpiles of chemical weaponry available. Not now at least. So we can only really send protective gear for our troops. Gas masks are already there, but not much else." He said, pretty much angry at what happened as well.


    Are we really going to seriously use it too soon? She struggled to stop herself from crushing her skull just from imagining it. She signed enough orders that left countless suffering already.


    Amelie breathed out. "Do we have enough protective gear then?"


    "No."


    "I''m not even surprised at this point," Amelie said, already jaded by the situation. "Well, my orders are for our troops to abandon any section of the front that''s hit by these chemical attacks. Until we get those gear."


    William and General Holl looked at each other, seemingly in a silent discussion.


    "So? Are we in agreement?" Amelie asked. "No pointless last stands. Again, we''re not holding untenable positions." I''m not risking my troops in a bloody last stand while being gassed. "It''s for the best."


    "Well, I suppose she does have a point. It''s not like our troops will fare well from a chemical attack anyway." William said. "Better to retreat and reestablish the defense line just like what we did yesterday. But again, we can only retreat so much."


    "I know. But, if we have to, we have to." She shook her head, looking closely at the map on the table. "But¡­Ruwelt. Can we hold it?"


    "Only for so long." General Holl replied. "Our armored divisions had been depleted in the armored battle. Our infantry is still also re-establishing the next defense line. If we are unlucky, Ruwelt can easily fall."


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    "And if they use even more chemical weapons?"


    "Even easier."


    Amelie silently prayed to the Goddess that it would not reach that point. She hoped that it was just a one-time measure, a measure they used just to punch a hole in her lines. But her mind told her that it was not.


    "Alright¡­cancel the planned counter-offensive. General, I want the IV Armored Corps defending Ruwelt and the coastline." Amelie decided. "Unlike Heiflitz, we can''t afford to lose Ruwelt. That much is clear."


    "We''re barely holding them in the Halian sector." William crossed his arms. "But, indeed. Losing Ruwelt and our lines to Rebenslof would be the end of us too."


    "Then it''s decided then." General Holl said. "I''m redeploying much of IV Armored Corps here. Maybe, we can pinch this pincer and punch them back to their starting positions too."


    "If we are lucky," William added.


    "I really wouldn''t mind some luck." Amelie smiled. "I really wouldn''t."


    +++


    Near the City of Ruwelt


    Z-4 Road


    Putschist Frontlines


    General Oswald Kluge gave another salute to the troops and parked vehicles on the side of the road. His HMLV passed through them like a breeze, as the roads were cleared earlier by his vanguard units.


    He smirked to himself.


    "You seem self-satisfied, Uncle." Arthur, his nephew, said. "We only pushed fourteen kilometers. This is hardly anything for our losses."


    "Arthur, you should understand. The frontlines already solidified. The fact we punched through is a feat." He nodded to himself. "Our forces did well. We''ll do well. Five days, and we''d be looking at the East Coast. At the North Allas!"


    "Or five days, and this bulge turns into a trap for our most capable units. It can turn out either way."


    "We''re preparing for the next advance, Arthur. Your men would do well to prepare for it." His voice turned cold, and Kluge glared at him. "The revolution does not need naysayers. Don''t think I''ll let you off scott-free all because you''re my nephew."


    "Respectfully, Uncle, we used chemical weapons."


    "I tried my best to argue otherwise, but it was needed. At least, we only used non-persistent chemical agents."


    "Still, what kind of a revolution are we really trying, Uncle? A revolution of men where we gas our fellow men for choosing the wrong side?"


    General Kluge shook his head.


    "Look, every measure that must be taken will be taken when possible. You should know that. We men can''t win otherwise."


    "This will backfire on us."


    "We already factored that in our decision-making. We''ll keep the boys ready for their retaliation." He laughed. "But perhaps the Queen would ensure that wouldn''t happen. Who knows?"


    "We don''t know if she''ll react harsher. We essentially committed a crime too appalling for her to ignore. Uncle, if we lose¡­"


    "That''s a possibility you should not bank on, Arthur. There is no survival if we lose, regardless of our actions. Women will punish us, or we will put them down. There is no in-between."


    Arthur parked their HMLV. They were in a town that was near Ruwelt''s approaches. There was a small river up ahead of the Z-4 road. They were stopped just a few kilometers from said bridge so that the sounds of tank main guns could be heard. The two walked toward a group of arguing officers, and Kluge greeted them.


    "Gentlemen, what seems to be the issue? It appears that my tanks which were supposed to be over that river are still on this side."


    "General Kluge," one of the officers replied. "The 4th Armored Regiment had been held up. They have LSS Mechs on a hill that overlooks the bridge. We can''t pass through."


    He picked up a binocular from the table where they set up a map. With haste, he climbed up on one of the apartments followed by the officer and Arthur. There was no one inside. Not even belongings. Largely, the Grand Duchy''s civilian population had been long evacuated.


    Kluge took a good look at the distant hill. It was well vegetated, or, well, much of the environment was really filled with trees. But he could see distant flashes and explosions. Up ahead as well, were the pinned-down tanks of the 4th Armored, which were taking potshots at the hill as well. He shook his head.


    "That ain''t an obstacle. Arthur, give our arty regiments the order to fire on that hill. I want that hill gone." He turned around to face the officer. "Oh, and make sure to advance the 4th to that bridge immediately."


    He gave him the binoculars before leaving.


    "Carry on."


    Arthur turned to the officer.


    "Sorry, he''s a prick."


    "Yeah, I can see that."


    +++


    Amelie watched as their armored column crossed the bridge near Ruwelt. William was beside her, the both of them lying low on the grass on one of the hills near the road itself. She held the binoculars, keeping them aimed at the Z-4 road as one after another, L?we tanks, HMLVs, and M3 IFVs crossed the bridge and dispersed.


    All while they fired their guns at the tanks on her side.


    "When is General Holl going to make his move?" She asked, placing down her binoculars. This was, in every way, the closest she had been to the front lines. Nay, she was now on the front lines. "They''re all pouring in way too quickly."


    "And they''re going to set up some pontoon bridges in a few hours," William added, scanning the locations that seemed fit for its deployment. "Then, they''ll try to take Ruwelt."


    "Well, he should really move at this point then." Amelie stood up, watching the distant battle with a tired gaze. "How many tanks is he redeploying here?"


    "A hundred fifty. Plus some LSS Mechs. Probably two dozen. Around two armored brigades." He pointed at the line being occupied by friendly Royalist troops and vehicles that were still firing at the Putschist armored formations. "They''ll hold this perimeter, and prepare for a counter-attack. The rest of the IV Corps will move east of us, thirteen kilometers. Near the base of this bulge. They''ll try to attack them from the south, and threaten an encirclement."


    Amelie placed her binoculars again to check. She watched as another LSS Mech, which was already backing off, was hit and disabled. Its legs collapsed, leaving it dead on the flat road. She sighed.


    "I just saw three people die." She mumbled. "This is insane."


    "We should probably head back," William said after a mortar shell slammed just a few hundred meters ahead of them. "It''s getting way too hot around here."


    "Alright. Let''s¡­let''s just leave. Before they accidentally hit us." Amelie said. No point in watching all of it. The two of them descended down the hill. It was a short walk, and they stopped on the road where their SUV awaited. There were already lines of Army soldiers passing through the road in columns, and many of them recognized her, but they carried on forward.


    The two of them returned to William''s SUV, and Amelie sighed to herself as William placed his seat belt on.


    The counter-attack must succeed. She told herself. They won''t take Ruwelt from me. Those absolute rascals.


    They won''t. This¡­this was a blunder for them. And she''d punish them for that.

 Chapter Ninety-Seven: Hunt The Matriarch

    ¡°Halia nearly encircled! With the Fall of Heiflitz and the ongoing Battle of Ruwelt, Halia¡¯s lines of supply and communications are now being crippled and threatened. The Queen is still reportedly holding out inside of the now-dubbed ¡°Ludendorf Pocket¡± as the Grand Duchy Campaign rages on. The IV Armored Corps is now in a longstanding duel with the Putschists on the Ruwelt Salient. NORTHCOMM (Northern Command) also initiated a counter-offensive from the Free Confederation, forcing nearly a dozen Putschist divisions holding the northern front in off-balance. Clearly, the tide of the Grand Duchy Campaign can swing at any side at any moment ¨C and thus, the fate of the world order.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    North Allas Ocean


    Strike Force 7


    ONS Rebenslof


    November 24, 2024


    ¡°I heard you and the Empress got into another verbal spar, sir,¡± James said, laughing a bit to himself. ¡°Think you should visit her less often?¡±


    Albert for his part kept sipping his coffee without much response. He shook his head and sighed.


    ¡°Not really. She¡¯d go insane talking to no one.¡± Alber replied. He had made it a daily chore to visit the brat each day, just to check up on her. Regardless of his contempt for her, the girl was, well, a girl. A seventeen-year-old barely in her adulthood. Sure, a war criminal, but it was hard not to simply leave a young girl alone in torturous conditions.


    Or, perhaps, I had just gone a bit too soft. Albert really didn¡¯t understand it. Perhaps, even with Katerina¡¯s absolutely venomous being, she reminded him too much of Amelie, or Alice as well. He imagined that had things gone wrong, or had the circumstances been different, perhaps his two little sisters wouldn¡¯t be too far from her.


    After all, they were the same. Both tried to search for ways to save their own skins while being at the head of a system about to implode on itself. Katerina merely chose the bloodier, and more self-serving path.


    In any case, that¡¯s what she chose. He reminded himself. She¡¯d pay for her crimes.


    ¡°And you¡¯d go insane talking to that brat,¡± James said. ¡°Many matters are of more importance than her. Our scouts are now close at locating the Matriarch.¡±


    ¡°She barely takes half an hour of me,¡± Albert said, giving another sip of his coffee. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. As for the Curaisser, where what¡¯s the status of our rendevous?¡±


    ¡°The Curaisser is still en route to meet us. We should reunite soon.¡±


    ¡°Well, the 2nd Fleet has to. We can¡¯t beat the Matriarch otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Strength in numbers?¡±


    ¡°Well, if the last battles were of any indication, not exactly.¡± Albert laughed to himself. ¡°Still, I¡¯d prefer to have the numerical advantage this time. Luck and skill are good, but I wouldn¡¯t bet our success on it as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have no disagreements with me, sir.¡±


    Albert soon gave the order for the Rebenslof to increase speed. While they were currently scouting for leads in the hunt for the Matriarch, or her raiding underlings (submarines and destroyer wolf packs), he also needed to speed up their travel time straight to the port of Halia. He knew his little sister, Amelie, was now in dire straights. While he counted on the Chief Air Marshall and General Albrecht to restore the land connection from the south (and prevent a collapse of the Ludendorf Front), he would not fully place all his bets on that.


    If she were to be encircled, he¡¯d break through any naval blockade and air attacks to evacuate her and Alice. There was no way he¡¯d leave the two stuck in the ruins of Halia, to be potentially captured and executed by rebelling men. No way. Not to Alice nor Amelie. The Rebenslof and the 2nd Fleet would ensure their safety regardless of the results of the Grand Duchy Campaign.


    That was his duty not just as the Admiral of Strike Force Seven, but also as the older brother of his remaining family.


    But the day slowly grew different. Each report from his scouts gave an air that something was brewing. They were on the trail of something, something which he knew he should chase. And chase, he ordered. After all, his main goal was to drive off the Matriarch from imposing a blockade on Halia, raiding shipments headed there, and ensuring that Orland¡¯s most advanced carrier would not threaten the 2nd Fleet as they supported the Grand Duchy Campaign.


    ¡°And as such, we have no choice but to give chase.¡± He declared on the set of gathered officers. Their meeting cabin was almost dark, but he could see most nodding. ¡°If this is of any indication, it¡¯s clear that the Matriarch is lurking nearby.¡±


    Captain James Vogel, now technically the CO of the Rebenslof (as Albert was now the full flag officer of Strike Force Seven), raised a concern.


    ¡°Sir, if that¡¯s the case, then why haven¡¯t we warned the civilian convoys in the vicinity? They¡¯re headed on the way to another large naval battle. We should make them all turn away right now.¡±


    ¡°But then again that would indicate our presence to the Matriarch,¡± Albert said, considering all of his options. Quite frankly, fighting that ship was going to be difficult regardless of what he did. His LF-12 Zappers weren¡¯t going to fare extremely well against the Matriarch¡¯s stealth-capable LF-20 Phantoms, which were new in the Orlish Air Force and Navy. He already gave the order to load his planes with IR-Seeking hard points and began preparing his electronic warfare aircraft squadrons to fight closely with his LF-12 Squadrons.


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    Hopefully, by combining infrared-seeking missiles, surface skimming maneuvers to reduce their profiles, electronic warfare, and baits, he could trap the Matriarch¡¯s singular LF-20 Phantom Squadron straight into an unfavorable fight where his LF-12s could reliably gang up on them. Of course, he couldn¡¯t bank on that fully, the enemy wasn¡¯t dumb. They knew of the counters and vulnerabilities of stealth.


    And since they were in a raiding operation, which emphasized stealth and caution, he could not imagine them getting way too sloppy at fighting. Their guards would be too up for that to simply happen. To hope for that would be the equivalent of a pipedream. He didn¡¯t bank on it. That would be too sloppy of him. He assumed they were being cautious, and he would act by that assumption.


    ¡°But we still have to warn those convoys, sir.¡±


    ¡°I understand. But until we have a confirmed sighting, no need to sound the alarm and give up our position.¡±


    ¡°So, more scouting sorties then?¡± Captain Schlatt asked. ¡°My boys wouldn¡¯t mind, but I should say, this is all getting riskier and riskier.¡±


    ¡°We have no choice. We have to find them first or we¡¯re boned. In fact, we have to keep our eyes peeled at all times for those Phantoms. They¡¯re going to be lurking around.¡± Albert said, and the officers nodded collectively.


    +++


    Two LF-12 Zappers hugged the sea closely as they skimmed forward at their cruising speeds. Flying low and fast, they should be harder to detect. Radars, by their nature, were limited by the world¡¯s curvature. By keeping themselves at a lower altitude, the possibility of being detected was limited. But, as a side effect, they were blind. Radar relied on altitude, as being close to the world¡¯s surface meant that there was a large blind spot for their radars. It was a trade-off.


    A trade-off made worthwhile by the presence of a nearby AWACS aircraft.


    <<This is Ajax Six, the area up ahead of you two is clear. No radar contacts, over.>>


    <<Copy that, Ajax Six. Hellcat Five-Two out.>>


    The two began a course change, changing their heading north. The skies weren¡¯t exactly clear, but unlike the heavy storms that decorated each day in the Northern Sea, this area of the North Allas was calmer. The clutter and radar interference thus weren¡¯t as bad, which was good in many ways for a party that searched for someone hiding.


    But they were also hiding, which, in a way, negated that advantage. In any case, the two continued to press on, their radars ready and Ajax Six following them closely from behind, its powerful radars keeping a wide coverage of the skies ahead. Already, the slightly stormy skies were parting away for a clearer one, when suddenly, Ajax Six sounded the alarm.


    <<Hellcat Five-Three and Five-Two, faint radar contacts up ahead. Confirm hostiles?>>


    <<Negative, Ajax Six. Transmit coordinates. We¡¯re firing our IR air-to-air.>>


    <<Copy that, coordinates are transmitted.>>


    Within seconds, the two lined up their noses high into the sky, as their AAIRM-12 missiles launched in quick succession from the pylons of their wings. The two broke off and peeled away, turning east then south back to the Rebenslof.


    <<Ajax Six, this is Hellcat Five-Three. We are RTB.>>


    <<Copy.>>


    As the three turned away and prepared for their reports, the four AAIRM-12 missiles flew forward, still in their original trajectories as their IR-seekers attempted to search for a heat source to lock in. While radar guidance was powerful, the faint returns of their targets prevented any accuracy. But they were in luck.


    Two LF-20 Phantoms, flying back to the Matriarch up north, had their hot, burning exhausts exposed for the AAIRM-12s. Immediately, the four missiles turned on their infrared guidance systems, locking in hot at the LF-20s. The two unsuspecting stealth aircraft were returning from a recent scouting mission, and their pilots were chatting as if the skies were clear on the comms.


    The four missiles continued to burn forward until the two realized their mistake. Hot on their tails, with the AAIRM-12s being only a few hundred meters away by the time they noticed them, the two broke from their formation, pulling away in two different directions. Red hot flares desperately flashed en masse from their rear, but the AAIRM-12s locked on the hottest target, their exhausts.


    Two booms ended the short battle.


    +++


    Strike Force 7


    ONS Rebenslof


    ¡°The Cuirassier is now twenty miles away from us!¡± James said as Albert entered the bridge. ¡°They¡¯re already launching scouts up north. Should be an easy game from here on.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that, but I¡¯ll take reinforcement in this desolate sea if possible.¡± Albert fished out his binoculars to watch two Zappers land on the flight deck. Already, most squadrons of the Rebenslof¡¯s air wing were being prepared, especially their electronic warfare aircraft. They would be instrumental in jamming and countering hostile radar, radio, and their missiles.


    VFA-13 (Hellcat One), and VFA-18 (Hellcat Five) would serve as the CVW-3s main delivery punch. Albert planned for them to skim low to ensure stealth while attacking and utilize AAIRM-12s as their main weapon of choice against the enemy¡¯s LF-20s. The remaining planes of VFA-24 (Hellcat Two), on the other hand, would be once again subjected to the sacrificial role. He planned to lure the enemy LF-20s to a position where VFA-13 and VFA-18 could get locks on their exhausts.


    In other words, VFA-24 and its remaining six pilots would have to let the enemy Phantoms into a chase on their six. Their goal would be to survive and survive long enough for VFA-18 and VFA-13 to fire off their IR-seeking missiles to take down much of the Phantoms.


    Albert sighed. While the entire operation, especially VFA-24, would be supported closely by their LFEW-12s from VAQ-4, there was a high chance of casualties for them. Crazed maneuvers and electronic warfare could only do so much. He expected at least three of them to die. But that would be the prize of war. He didn¡¯t want to compromise VFA-13s and VFA-18s combat potential by suddenly placing them in the role of bait.


    And more importantly, the wounded nature of VFA-24 made them the perfect expendable bait. But he knew he would have to let them have their reprieve once this battle was over. They sure as hell would not find themselves flying in the skies of the Grand Duchy once this was all over.


    ¡°Seems like Ajax Six and those two spotted contacts up north. They fired their missiles at them. We were right.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get them first,¡± Albert said as he placed down his binoculars. ¡°We already scrambled our squadrons ahead of time. They¡¯re going to be searching for us first.¡±


    ¡°Though, they know our location, most likely. Our missiles were fired from the south.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Albert looked out on the distant sea, before looking back at Captain Vogel, smirking. ¡°The Cuirassier is here, isn¡¯t she? I¡¯d say the job of protecting the 2nd fleet falls on their shoulders, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    James chuckled in response. ¡°To place all of our lives in the hands of our sister ship? Well, Admiral Ludendorf, of course, I am in full agreement.¡±

 Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Matriarch Suppressed!

    ¡°The IV Armored Corps tightens the noose on the Ruwelt Bulge! A double pincer assault from the North and South of the Ruwelt Bulge has been formed by spearhead elements of the IV Armored Corps, already three kilometers deep from the south and a kilometer deep from the north. Putschist forces have now reportedly stopped their offensive on the City of Ruwelt, as L?wes and LSS Mechs from both sides fight for supremacy over the fields. However, Putschist forces have now pushed twelve kilometers deep toward Halia itself, with the frontlines now no more than eight kilometers away from the Royal Capital. The situation is clear, either Her Majesty¡¯s gambit to stop them from taking Ruwelt succeeds, or Halia will fall.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    North Allas Ocean


    Strike Force 7


    ONS Rebenslof


    The briefing room was darkly lit. Captain Ray Schlatt of CVW-3, laid down the details of the upcoming mission on the airmen that were gathered for it. Almost everyone in CVW-3, every pilot, was here. Albert and Captain Vogel watched from behind, arms crossed in silence, alongside almost a dozen of the various officers that ran the Rebenslof on a day-to-day basis.


    ¡°We¡¯d be striking hard, fast, and most of all, stealthily.¡± Declared Captain Schlatt. ¡°They have stealth, but we can make our own stealth. While it would be inferior and tedious to execute, this would be our only way to defeat those Phantoms. But gentlemen, we all know you can do it. Any questions?¡±


    One of the airmen, a pilot of a Zapper from VFA-18, raised his hand.


    ¡°Sir, are we arming ourselves with anti-ship missiles? Or are we really just going to try to take down their Phantoms.¡±


    ¡°Astute question, Lieutenant Carv.¡± Captain Schlatt said. ¡°No, you and this entire air wing will not be conducting any of the sort. This, gentlemen, is more of a suppression mission. Again, the Matriarch is not our target, but her planes. Remember, Halia and the Queen need us. We cannot dally around for a month¡¯s long cat-and-mouse game.¡±


    Another pilot raised his hand.


    ¡°Sir, do we know where the Matriarch is?¡±


    ¡°No, but we do know where they would send their planes. To the direction where we shot their Phantoms down. Next.¡±


    ¡°Sir! Are we not getting AMATA-80s?¡±


    ¡°Unless you fancy trying to catch a Phantom with a ridiculously low radar cross section using a radar-guided missile, be my guest. Yes, but only two. You will rely on your infrared homing missiles. Next.¡±


    ¡°Sir, do we get medals?¡±


    ¡°Shoot down enough, and yes. Next.¡±


    ¡°Sir! Why¡¯d those morons rebel? I get that women suck ass, but the entire fleet is up against them.¡±


    ¡°Ask them, not me. Next.¡±


    ¡°Sir! Will a woman find me worthy after this? Last time, I did some sick maneuvers.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself. She¡¯s not gonna see your half-braindead maneuvers. Next.¡±


    ¡°Sir! Do we get chocolates after this?¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re all just messing with me, you skinheads.¡± Captain Schlatt said. The room broke into a laughing fit, that even Albert and Captain Vogel laughed along. Soon, however, when Albert finally moved forward, the room turned back to serious. He faced the group of pilots with a neutral expression.


    ¡°You¡¯d all get chocolates, just make sure you all come back.¡± He said, and they were silent. ¡°Trust yourself. Your plane. And your guts. We¡¯ll win this.¡±


    He paused, looking around as they kept their silence. With a nod, he said his last words lowly. ¡°Glory to Orland.¡±


    ¡°For the Queen!¡± They responded, just as the lights reopened and they all vacated the room in a rush.


    +++


    Albert gave a final watch as the planes of CVW-3 lined up for the flight deck one by one, and took off one by one. Each plane was launched with much fanfare, as crews and marines cheered them on. On their port side, just a few kilometers away, the hull of the ONS Curaisser, the Rebenslof¡¯s sister ship, and the second carrier of the 2nd Fleet, lumbered forward just as the two reunited. There were almost eight Gallant-Class DDGs that escorted the two carriers, with the ONS Rolentz, the Rebenslof¡¯s escort CG (Guided-Missile Cruiser), and the ONS Fulda, the Cuirasser¡¯s escort CG also meandering behind the 2nd Fleet.


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    Thus, it was clear to Albert that the 2nd Fleet, as a whole, could reliably defend itself should an attack come through. Commodore Emmanuelle Hart of the Cuirasser¡¯s strike force (Strike Force 6) also informed him that he had six new LF-20 Phantoms on board. Three had already been assigned for CAP (Combat-Air-Patrol) around the fleet¡¯s perimeter, and another three were launched earlier to join VFA-18. The LF-20 after all could share its sensor readings to the rest of the fleet, alongside allied aircraft. Thus, the plan was improved nearly three-fold, as now, they would have both their AWACS and three Phantoms that could do a sneaky scouting and guidance job for the rest of CVW-3.


    ¡°Well, there they go.¡± Captain Schlatt said, sipping his coffee as the last Zapper of VFA-13 took off. ¡°They¡¯ll do well, sir. You look shifty over there.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡±


    ¡°Seems that way, ever since we headed back to Orland.¡±


    Albert shook his head as he laughed. ¡°Then I¡¯m not nervous about this battle. I know we¡¯ll win. What I don¡¯t know is if we¡¯ll get there in time. She¡¯s been holed up in that siege for months.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure your sister would do well,¡± Schlatt said. ¡°All the boys heard of the IV Armored Corps stopping them at Ruwelt. They said it was the Queen¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure of that. Amelie¡¯s not a military woman.¡± Albert replied. ¡°But, she sure does surround herself with fine officers.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s one of her merits.¡±


    Soon, they were back on the bridge. The CIC continuously sent them updates about the situation of the air sortie. It only took twenty minutes before the first radar pings appeared on their interfaces. A friendly Phantom made first contact, all while VFA-24 continued their burn straight to the east, before heading north. VFA-13 and 18 moved west to Orland before they burned north. All while VAQ-4 moved straight north, their electronic warfare suits prepared for the engagement.


    Thirty minutes in, Ajax One and Six tracked eight faint radar pings headed toward the location of VFA-24. Albert gave the order for their bait squadron to sound the noise. He smiled as the faint, almost disappearing pings that he assumed to be the enemy Phantoms moved to intercept VFA-24. He looked to his side, as Captain Schlatt nodded to him.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m giving the order for our attack squadrons to intercept.¡±


    ¡°Send VAQ-4 to support VFA-24 immediately. Let¡¯s try to jam their missile¡¯s active radar guidance. Also, call in the three Phantoms to support VFA-24 too.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    More faint contacts appeared from the north as if attracted by VFA-24¡¯s radar emissions. They must be assuming that the location of the Rebenslof¡¯s air wing was near his bait squadron, all while nearly eight of their Phantoms presented their red hot exhausts for the jaws of VFA-13 and 18. He gave himself a sip of his coffee as another stream of calm radio transmissions came from VFA-18. Missile locks.


    ¡°Well, they fell for the bait.¡± Captain Schlatt said. ¡°There¡¯s no coming back from this.¡±


    ¡°Another group of them are not presenting their exhausts on our squadrons,¡± Albert said, looking at the contact coming from the north. ¡°Even if we take down this group, this group would still swing down to take down VFA-13 and VFA-18. Delay it.¡±


    ¡°VFA-24 will be at risk.¡±


    ¡°And that would be better than risking the entire air wing. Delay the assault run. Continue baiting them.¡±


    +++


    The six Zappers of VFA-24 sped toward the east. Unlike the rest of CVW-3, they were flying high, which meant the enemy easily detected them. However, until now, no actual missile launches were detected from the faint contacts hot on their tails. Nearby, VAQ-4 and its twelve electronic warfare aircraft already scattered themselves, their powerful jamming pods spreading severe interference on much of the radar spectrum, preventing proper target acquisition both for VFA-24¡¯s missiles and the enemy¡¯s, most likely, active radar-guided anti-air missiles.


    Almost eight Phantoms, tasked with clearing ¡°hostile aircraft¡± within the southern vicinity of the ONS Matriarch, burned east, following hot on the tails of the Rebenslof¡¯s VFA-24. They were colored grey, without much identification markings. The LF-20 Phantom, a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capable stealth aircraft, was designed precisely for carrier operations. They were new, and advanced, and were touted as the new king of the skies, as no nation aside from Orland had them.


    And even Orland had a few of them. Not even a thousand, and only a few hundred combat-capable airframes, with their pilots still in training. Thus, the deployment of Phantoms wasn¡¯t an easily done affair at the moment, for both sides. The loss of a few Phantoms meant the loss of not just nearly a hundred million Orlish blancs, but of a pilot capable of flying a Phantom, which was in short supply.


    Thus, they were being cautious. They held off their missiles from firing, as they could detect the severe interference around the battlespace, which indicated an organized hostile presence. As such, they merely kept up with VFA-24¡¯s tail, neither firing, nor retreating. But then, their AWACS spotted multiple contacts approaching from their west, merely twenty-five kilometers away. Panic ensued in the Putschist squadron, and they immediately broke off from their attack run.


    But, already, multiple launches were detected from the Royalist squadrons. The interference intensified on targeted frequencies, disabling proper comms and target acquisition for the Putschist Phantoms. They tried switching their frequencies, one after another, all while running with Royalist heat-seeking missiles chasing them at their six. Many frequencies were unclogged, as VAQ-4 began focusing at single frequencies, but it would only last a few moments, which left only cut and garbled transmissions from the group of Phantoms.


    Just then, a transmission from the Matriarch was received. General retreat.


    +++


    ¡°They fired off their missiles.¡± Captain Schlatt commented. ¡°And, they¡¯re turning around.¡±


    ¡°Seems like they got spooked. Our missiles are still hot on their tails though.¡± Albert said, watching his squadrons run back south as the enemy contacts flew north. Much of their IR-seeking missiles have already begun missing. The enemy was probably deploying flares. Ajax One only confirmed three direct hits, but that seemed to be enough for the enemy to call off the attack.


    ¡°They probably think we have a lot of Phantoms too,¡± Schlatt said. ¡°I would also order a retreat if that was the case.¡±


    ¡°I agree. No sensible commander would let himself lose too many stealth-capable aircraft. We caught them with their pants down.¡±


    ¡°We got lucky. Well, we did set it up well, but we still got lucky. Our bluff worked.¡± Captain Schlatt laughed. ¡°We have an opening to the Grand Duchy sir. No need to be too shifty this time. A few more days and our Zappers will be above the Royal Capital.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, the next time we meet the Matriarch, we have our own Phantoms,¡± Albert said, settling down in his seat. He would not press on any significant attack. This battle already sufficiently achieved his strategic goals. Keep them off the Rebenslof while they sailed toward the Royal Capital. It would be too dangerous to attack now, after all. They already drove them off, even when they didn¡¯t exactly fully destroy it, or its squadrons. The loss of those Phantoms should prompt them to retreat to safer seas to replenish their lost aircraft.


    In other words, another victory for him. He would have already fully celebrated it, but one of the Zappers from VFA-24 was struck by an enemy missile. He shook his head in disappointment. Not even a simple battle to suppress the enemy would leave him without casualties. At the very least, VAQ-4 did their job well at interfering with their missiles. Lucky him, they didn¡¯t attack him head-on. Had they done that, VFA-13 and VFA-18 would never have gotten their target locks. Nor would VAQ-4 prevent the launching of their heat-seeking missiles if they got close.


    But, that didn¡¯t happen. And so, he took another sip of his coffee to calm himself.


    I still lost one Zapper though. But then, another one went down, just as the last of the enemy¡¯s missile barrage passed through VFA-24, ending their attack run. Scratch that. Two down. Two down for three of theirs.


    Truly, no battle could be won without losses.

 Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Relief Force

    ¡°Putschist forces abandon Halian blockade! After reports of a naval engagement eight hundred kilometers off the coast of Eastern Orland between a Royalist and Putschist fleet, rebel raiders have been seen abandoning their presence around the Royal Capital, retreating north. Just this morning, two Royalist DDGs have been spotted sailing through the Capital¡¯s coastal defense perimeter. They have been reported to fire off their five-inch main gun into the air in a ¡®celebratory display¡¯ for the beleaguered defenders. Indeed, it is only a matter of time before the navy relieves the Queen and the Royal Capital, after many months of what amounted to an effective siege.¡±


    - ROCN News


    ¡°The Loviedo Conference begins! Twenty-two delegations from the ¡®Twenty-Two Vanguard Republics¡¯ joined in a historic conference that would pave the path to the future of male liberation! Already, the delegation from the Confederation of Larissa and the Republic of Poznek made a joint declaration for a ¡®martial alliance¡¯, alongside the newly established State of Lombardia. The Republic of Asturia vowed for increased material support to ¡®pro-male causes¡¯. The Provisional Government of Orland had also promised to aid ¡®brotherly revolutions¡¯ worldwide, with overseas Orlish Megacorporations loyal to the Provisional Government already selling Orlish weapons to ¡®anyone who would hold it against the matriarchy¡¯. The Republic of Hebei and the State of Lieplatz had also begun discussions for ¡®intelligence and technological¡¯ sharing. Observers from the Mandate of Nations had been driven off yesterday as well from the conference, as the aristocratic women of the world shake in fear with this new reality dawning on them. The ¡®Twenty-Two Vanguard Republics¡¯ will not be the end, soon, the revolution will reach all corners of Pollos.¡±


    - The Front Newspaper


    ¡°The Eirhow Directorate has now released a ten-point plan for ¡®Orlish Democratization¡¯, with Provisional President Sullivan Rimpler giving a speech on the Provisional Assembly regarding the future of an ¡®Orlish Democratic Republic¡¯. So far, the Provisional Assembly is voting in a seventy-eight supermajority for the creation of a constitutional ¡®Federal Republic of Orland¡¯ with Eirhow being the designated ¡®Federal Capital¡¯. Provisional Assembly Member Hermann Fluch also presented the first widely supported proposal map of a future Federal Republic, outlining the creation of Twenty-Six States that would have a wide range of independence in local politics. The insult went on for three days, where these rebel scums discussed in the open what they would do to the Kingdom should they win.¡±


    - The Arcane Updates


    +++


    November 28, 2024


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    Halia


    Queen¡¯s Bunker


    The stream of reports from the Orlish High Command greatly pleased Amelie. It was all starting to look up. Even General Holl¡¯s counter-attack had succeeded, as the Putschists began their general retreat from the Ruwelt Salient. One after another, the good news arrived. Reinforcements from Rebenslof arrived yesterday, with almost two armored divisions joining in the Capital¡¯s defense.


    Then, by three in the morning, the Chief Air Marshall phoned her office and notified her that Operation Swift Dagger was already scheduled to commence on the first day of December. Nearly a thousand aircraft had been prepared near the vicinity of the Grand Duchy, all of them prepared for an all-out air offensive that would target air bases, logistical lines, communication lines, and everything in between.


    General Holl also began to reorganize the IV Armored Corps to prosecute a rapid ¡°routing maneuver¡± against the retreating Putschists. There would be no rest for both sides. The Putschists already committed everything for an all-out offensive, and they failed. Now, it would be her turn to chase them back at every front. With their forces tired and depleted, with the Air Force now prepared to take the fight to them and support her counter-offensive, and with the Navy ready to open the supply lines from the seas ¨C nothing would stand in her way.


    Somehow, after entire months of her attempting to figure out how to do warfare, it all aligned in her way. Was it her skill, or mere luck, she didn¡¯t know. But none of it mattered now. They just needed to hold on for two more days and do the final preparations. The Putschists will attack and attack, depleting themselves, until her hammer strikes them down once and for all. The deaths would be mounting high above them, but she would ignore it for now.


    All that mattered was that she drove them off. Off from her side of the Ludendorf River. Then, out from Heiflitz as well, as the OAF also prepared their forces from the south for an assault straight to Heiflitz. Once and for all, she would end the Grand Duchy Campaign and the Battle for Halia with a resounding Royalist victory. The grand counter-offensive would soon commence.


    ¡°Well, as of the moment, we have advanced five kilometers south of the Ruwelt Salient.¡± General Holl reported over the assembled group of RGO and OAF officers, looking as well to Amelie. ¡°We have, so far, suffered casualties amounting to a few thousand men, alongside a hundred plus armored losses. Much of the IV Armored Corps is still combat-capable, but, the morale is low, as usual, and the men are tired. But, the enemy should have suffered more loss in morale and psychological advantage with our sudden pincer attacks and their ongoing rapid evacuations.¡±


    ¡°So, we should be able to win in the fields?¡± Amelie asked, and General Holl nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty. The IV Armored Corps, tired as they may be, is prepared to win the battle within a few days. We probably won¡¯t be able to encircle their armored and elite units in the salient, as their evacuations are too fast for us to do that, and we don¡¯t have enough units to pin them down on the entire salient. Still, we should be able to force their retreat.¡± He looked around the assembled officers. ¡°Well, actually, more accurately, we already did.¡±


    ¡°Well, we did force them to run and abandon their assault against Ruwelt.¡± Amelie subtly smiled in satisfaction. ¡°You have my congratulations, General.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the work of my men below that did it, Your Majesty. They and they alone deserve the credit for risking their lives and executing my commands. I merely led them.¡±


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    ¡°You all deserve credit, General. You all did well. Especially them. But you too. Still, the counter-offensive, General. Major Porter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± William finally stood from his seat to prepare for his presentation. General Holl respectfully returned to his seat, while Colonel Kleist flashed the screens with their new battleplans for the upcoming grand counter-offensive. The room darkened just as William began to speak.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, today, again, we have a massive agenda on our plates. Our planners in JTF-Ludendorf already submitted the final plans of our operational movements for the next four weeks. We are not ending this year without the enemy being driven off from our side of the Ludendorf River. And again, Your Majesty, you have asked us to deliver a death blow against their forces closing in on the Royal Capital, and that is exactly what we are about to do. I will be clear, this is not a diversionary attack, a delaying assault, or anything of the sort. This is a counter-offensive to fully take back our strategic territory. Nothing less.¡±


    William turned back and began explaining in detail what they would do. Amelie watched with great attention, taking in all of the moves the Armed Forces and the RGO would make, in a full-scale combined arms offensive. William left no stone unturned, going as far as to explain in detail how each and every town they would attack and pass through would be taken. When and where they would attack. And nearly five general contingency plans on how they would execute the operation based on how the enemy responded.


    By the time he was finished and the lights turned back on, Amelie was tired and sleepy. But she sure did understand what was truly about to happen. A full-scale counter-attack, just after her fortress almost cracked.


    +++


    ¡°They¡­they¡¯re actually here,¡± Amelie said, keeping her eyes on the binoculars as she and William watched from one of the buildings near the port. On the distant coastline, a lone Navy Tiger-Class Guided Missile Frigate sailed lazily a few miles away on a dark night, its silhouette perfectly visible for the onlooking garrisons that manned their coastal defenses.


    William placed down his binoculars.


    ¡°Well, I suppose your brother probably did it. Again. It¡¯s to be expected.¡± William said. ¡°He¡¯s a good commander, is all I can say.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? He¡­did what?¡±


    ¡°Well, quite obviously, beat the Matriarch and her fleet of course?¡±


    ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t he reported anything to the Navy or High Command?¡± Amelie¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that moron is going radio dark again for some false hunt? It¡¯s these nonsense ideas that get people killed. That¡­that absolute¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down, calm down, Amelie. I¡¯m sure he already did.¡±


    ¡°The Navy didn¡¯t say anything to me. Neither did the OHC. He probably didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Or, he did, they just kept the information on the down low. We can¡¯t just blast our victories and flaunt them as they go. Remember, the two fleets are probably still on a goose chase to screw each other off the fields. People¡¯s gotta shut their mouths.¡±


    Amelie sighed. He did have a point. Still, she really hated how much of a risk-taker his good-for-nothing brother was. When she told him that he didn¡¯t have permission to die, she almost despaired at the fact that he was too distant for her to give him a death glare to make her message much, much clearer. He always seemed way too close to death, Amelie knew. And she was scared of that. Especially since Alice was still way too attached to him. His death would not just devastate Amelie, but Alice as well.


    Their family was already almost gone. Outside of their extended family, the core of the Royal Family was now down to three. Well, worse, technically, there were just two of them that were ¡°important¡±, but Amelie didn¡¯t consider stupid old laws to determine who becomes a part of her family. While Albert had no titles, he was a part of her family, a family down to just her siblings.


    Gone was her Father and his occasional guidance during the worst days. Gone was her Mother who led their family through everything. And so was Adam and his protective surveillance over the rest of them. All that was left was her, who didn¡¯t really know how to handle Albert and Alice. Alice, who was way too young. Still in the process of figuring things out. And Albert, who seemed to have long given up on the idea of even living or connecting back to civilian life.


    ¡°I just¡­when will he return? Being in an aircraft carrier means he¡¯s inside of a juicy target. I¡­I don¡¯t want any more of my family to die.¡±


    ¡°Well, Albert¡¯s a military man,¡± William said, looking back into him. ¡°Just like me. War¡¯s where we belong. We¡¯ll be going there no matter what kind of hell it would be. Especially when our fellow men, our brothers are in it. You can¡¯t yank him off the Navy. Nor can you yank me off my battalion. We cannot just abandon our fellow men in the service.¡±


    ¡°All you young men grew up so horribly wrong¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°No one should ever find war his home. No one.¡±


    The two of them fell silent, just as the ship in the distance suddenly fired off its main guns, lighting up the sea. Soldiers and RGO volunteers below cheered at seeing a friendly ship make a noise in the darkness. Amelie knew that earlier this morning, two Navy destroyers did a celebratory drive-by on the coastline as well. She supposed that they were trying to lift up the spirit of the people still in the city by show of force.


    But still, isn¡¯t that risky and wasteful?


    ¡°Hey, is this really a smart thing to do?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where are they firing at?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I already gave our fire support units permission to send target data on friendly naval ships. They¡¯re probably firing it at some Putschist position somewhere on the frontline, unlike the earlier celebratory display.¡±


    ¡°But still, wouldn¡¯t the enemy detect them.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s risky.¡± William smiled. ¡°But, that¡¯s the point. They already drove them off. And our morale is so low. Remember, they are the relief force. They have to show us that they can relieve us. What better way to do that than by taking risky, flashy moves to send the message that you have secured the seas to be at risk?¡±


    ¡°So, they really drove them off?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. No one in the Orlish Navy would risk doing that unless they are sure. Watch them, Amelie. They are sure. The blockade is over.¡±


    Amelie turned back to the distant frigate. Once more, it fired off its main guns, before two plumes from its missile launches rose into the night sky. The cheers below grew louder, just as the missiles flew past above them, straight into the frontlines.


    The relief force is soon here. The ship fired off its main gun again. No, it¡¯s already here.


    Just in time, Amelie added. They were not late, and she counted that as good luck. They arrived at last, while the bastion she held still stood.

 Chapter One-Hundred: The Bastion Stands

    ¡°Royalist forces launch a counter-offensive in the L?t Front! Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss declared that a ¡®general counter-offensive¡¯ was now in effect on all fronts. Putschist forces, already eight kilometers away from the City of Thein before the counter-offensive started, were pushed five kilometers from their initial positions. Further strikes are expected this December, especially after the failed Putschist offensive in the Ludendorf Front.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    Halia


    December 1, 2024


    It was early in the morning, all while Amelie was sipping tea. The threat of Putschist air strikes and artillery strikes had already significantly waned, and many of the staff, and even her were returning back to the Ivory Palace, now already fortified by countless REGAL SAM systems. The threat to Halia itself had already subsided, she could tell quite clearly.


    Three Royalist fighters zoomed above the skies, and she took another sip. It was the same Pavillion where she had once met with the previous Prime Minister, Alexa Weirl?ff a year ago to discuss the problems about the Army¡¯s disloyalty.


    Now, she faced their rebellion in full force. She was beyond right, Alexa Weirl?ff, the Prime Minister was right. Perhaps she was right as well, that this civil war she was fighting was simply inevitable, regardless of what she did.


    Hah¡­I really missed this place.


    Much of the Ivory Palace and its surroundings were indeed marginally affected by the war. Sure, the hasty evacuation of its civilian staff and the months of disrepair and lack of maintenance took a toll on its pristine and grand halls, its well-pruned gardens, or its art galleries that had been ransacked in haste to evacuate it to prevent the loss of Orland¡¯s cultural artifacts from a potential bombing, but all in all, it wasn¡¯t a smoldering rubble.


    Which was what she had initially imagined when they left for the Queen¡¯s Bunker. She counted that as a part of her luck.


    Alice herself was already outside in the gardens, checking out her favorite spots once more. The little girl had been so badly isolated in the Queen¡¯s Bunker for months, that the moment she stepped out of the car to the Palace, she skipped straight to a spree that almost panicked the staff. For now, at least, she calmed down. Amelie didn¡¯t want to infringe on her right to enjoy life a bit again after all.


    ¡°She¡¯s awfully comfortable around here,¡± William said. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, there could be a lot of risks around here. Who knows if an undetonated bomb actually fell here.¡±


    ¡°Did you people record any bombs falling near the Palace?¡±


    William shook his head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Amelie chuckled. ¡°Then you¡¯re being paranoid.¡± She took another sip from her tea, missing the days when she merely relaxed around here. ¡°Let her have some fun. She knows how to protect herself with magic. There¡¯s no need to be overprotective. Plus, no bombs, as I¡¯ve said.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­I¡¯m not at all comfortable about all this. The Air Force may have started their offensive already, and our forces are now pushing them out of this side of the Ludendorf River, but who knows? What if¡­what if. We don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I understand. This entire battle had been a constant back-and-forth. I can¡¯t believe it took months even.¡± Another Zapper zoomed through the skies again. ¡°But with the navy close by, and the Air Force above us, what would stop us from pushing them back? They have to supply their troops through the river, we don¡¯t. They would have no choice but to pull back, as our air strikes would overwhelm their strained supply lines.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡±


    ¡°And what I¡¯ve learned,¡± Amelie said. ¡°What I¡¯ve learned in this battle. I can tell that we will win. There¡¯s no way we won¡¯t unless they find some miracle bestowed by the Goddess. Those supplies won¡¯t materialize out of nowhere. If we had so many issues just shipping them through rails on land, how much more for them?¡±


    ¡°Well, still...even if it¡¯s assured, we cannot be overconfident. This is not the end of this battle. General Albrecht still hasn¡¯t broken through Heiflitz. The reports already said that they¡¯re bogged down in their assault.¡±


    ¡°You assured me that they would break through regardless. And that¡¯s a temporary roadblock.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    ¡°William, you need to relax yourself for once,¡± Amelie said. ¡°You look like you¡¯re on the cliff of death already.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m taking an extremely long sleep after this.¡± Amelie countered. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­that¡¯s not a luxury I¡¯ll take. But, I suppose you are the Queen, Your Majesty. So that would be your privilege.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m willing to take said privilege for once.¡± Amelie nodded to herself. ¡°I want to sleep for once.¡±


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you really need, go on. It¡¯s not your job to micromanage after all. For now, though, we should prepare for the launch of our fresh units.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Tiredly, Amelie emptied her cup of tea and stood up. Alice herself didn¡¯t seem amused by Amelie when she approached her. Amelie said it would only be for a few hours, but Alice gave her the cross-arms treatment. Still, she nodded and ¡°gave her permission¡±. Within a few minutes, the two were already en route to Alexandria Square.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    +++


    The gathered troops and officers stood in attention when she arrived at the podium. Fresh from the Free Confederation, they had mostly stayed in Halia in the months of the battle, preparing for the inevitable counter-offensive today.


    Unlike the battle-hardened troops dug in the trench lines, these men seemed ready and well-rested. Their uniforms and equipment also seemed pristine in comparison, and they had enough energy to stand in perfect lines. Still, Amelie could tell that many of these men were no greens. Many were veterans, veterans of the Great War who had refused to leave the service in fear of that Matriarchy striking down on them. Yet somehow, here they were, ready to fight in service of a woman like her.


    Perhaps, in a way, she had stopped representing the Matriarchy for these men. And she really hoped that it was true. She should never be the symbol of that system that was collapsing around them violently. Imperfect? Yes. But she had to be the better side, the one who would rally both men and women into a new age, starting from this battle.


    The symbol of hope and equality.


    ¡°Greetings, soldiers of the Kingdom. You seem prepared today, standing before me, to a fight that would decide the fate of this campaign.¡± More Air Force fighters passed above them, heading straight to the frontlines. The brief stream of reports earlier didn¡¯t exactly give out the details, but it was an attack extending across the Grand Duchy and the nearby provinces. The Air Force was doing their job well, as the Putschists were caught in surprise early morning. ¡°As you can hear, and as you can see, the Air Force is here.¡±


    She paused, giving her voice time to settle over the crowds.


    ¡°And men, I have heard that the Navy is also here. Their arrival should come shortly soon. Their ships would soon keep the supplies from the sea open so that in the fight, you all shall receive what you need when you need it. I assure you, that we shall do everything to ensure that you won¡¯t starve when you move. That when you called for that artillery to save your comrades, or to flush our foes, the shells will be there. Or that when your gun ran out of bullets, there would be boxes coming straight for you. You will advance forward with all of the OAF¡¯s might.


    ¡°But more importantly, the RGO is here. I know that many of you ask for equality, for respect, and not to be left alone in the struggle. Thus, let it be known that from now on, from this battle, you should know that it won¡¯t just be your sacrifices that would pay for the better world I had promised you all. Your sisters, us women, with our magic, and our support, will be with you on every bloody defense line. That, I will assure you. This battle would be what we have always envisioned. What my reforms and changes envisioned.


    ¡°Women and men, together, advancing to the new future! May the Goddess bless all of you, for this battle would be won by all of us, together.¡±


    Somehow, the cheers grew from the crowd, punctuated by more aircraft passing high above them. Amelie herself waved at all of the troops as she stepped down, the line of Royal Guard and William¡¯s troops keeping her path open, as both the troops, some returning civilians, and the media cheered her on.


    Amelie herself soon stopped on the way out, her eyes looking at a L?we tank parked on the side of the square. There, a strange flag struck her eyes, and she could not help but be unable to peel her eyes off it. Unlike the current Orlish Royal Tricolor, where each color was horizontal, this flag was vertical.


    Gold, which represented the Goddess, was on the leftmost side.


    White, which represented women, was in the center.


    And finally, attached to the flagpole was grey, which represented men.


    Since the tricolor was vertical, the meaning struck Amelie immediately. All three, they were equal. Men were not at the bottom, women were not slightly above, and the Goddess was not the utmost authority. While she could have interpreted it as an attack on the monarchy for not placing her Goddess-mandated right to rule at the top, as a tiny part of her mind suggested, she instead ended up with this interpretation.


    ¡°William, what is that flag?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the vertical tricolor?¡± William said, his interest also rising in his voice. ¡°Ah, that? Well, that¡¯s the ORP¡¯s proposed flag. Didn¡¯t really get much traction as the Republican Bicolor, but, it¡¯s supposed to represent an egalitarian royalist Orland for the moderates willing to compromise with the crown.¡±


    ¡°William¡­I want you to remind me about that flag.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, sure? Why not. Though I don¡¯t really particularly care about symbols, but you do you.¡±


    ¡°I think I just found the flag I want for the Orland we¡¯re building, William.¡±


    She gave one last look to it, just as they continued moving. The current tricolor seemed distasteful for her, but this one¡­she wanted to win while flying that banner.


    +++


    When the report about the Navy¡¯s arrival came to Amelie¡¯s desk, she was still setting up her old office in the Ivory Palace. Immediately, she rushed back out with William, driving back to the coast, just in time to see the Rebenslof and the 2nd Fleet came into view with her binoculars.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­him¡­William! It¡¯s him!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. He really did it.¡±


    Three LF-12 Zappers in a triangular position flew from the Rebenslof¡¯s direction just above the harbor. Amelie herself looked at them, as more and more planes from the Rebenslof passed in an almost celebratory flyby. The garrison, which had been seeing the small occasional flotillas of small ships reacted wildly at the scene before them.


    Amelie could see nearly six or more destroyers, lined up in a loose formation, their main guns firing one after another. She could also see two slightly larger ships, just as missiles were launched from their bow and stern. She pointed her hand at the two as if she were a child seeing something new.


    ¡°William, what are those ships? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen them before. Are they¡­like those...what were they again? Gallant-Class or something?¡±


    ¡°Well, those are the Navy¡¯s Dubois-Class Guided-Missile Cruisers. Named after your rival house, as they were produced back when the Navy was courting House Dubois for a naval buildup.¡±


    That almost ruined her mood.


    ¡°Oh¡­so it¡¯s named after her family name?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re bad ships.¡±


    ¡°I sure hope they aren¡¯t as infuriating as the Archduchess.¡±


    ¡°Careful with namedrops. Just enjoy the moment. You remember your words earlier to me?¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Yeah¡­the fact that we¡¯re somehow winning. I was right. At last.¡±


    Almost as if the weight that was almost a ton on her chest was lifted, she gave a deep exhale of relief and watched as an entire squadron of the Rebenslof¡¯s air wing passed right above them. Just as another salvo of the guns and cruise missiles from the 2nd Fleet fired straight at whatever targets they had on the Ludendorf Front or in the approaches to Heiflitz.


    The conclusion of the Grand Duchy Campaign was near, she could tell. And indeed¡­


    Victory, ignoring its costs for now¡­almost seemed glorious, as the rest of the Rebenslof¡¯s air wing gave one last flyby above them all, heading straight to the frontlines.

 Epilogue (The Bastion of Hope — Volume Two)

    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    Near Reilow


    ¡°I remember this city had nice food back in the day,¡± Albert said, as Amelie followed him out of the car. Today was a monumental day, as the Putscists finally acquiesced to a negotiated withdrawal. Her older brother came into the negotiations, alongside her, the Archduchess, and William. She looked up at the ruined city, the rubble, and battles that had raged on it clear on the bullet-ridden walls of whatever was left of it. ¡°Didn¡¯t imagine I¡¯d see the day of it being turned to this.¡±


    ¡°This battle was costly,¡± Amelie said in response, following him with controlled steps. The area was definitely not cleared of debris, and a wrong step could easily result in an injury. ¡°And so close to the capital as well. We really got lucky you all arrived in time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m of the different opinion, Amelie.¡± Albert stopped, looking back at her. ¡°The way I see it, we, the rest of Orland, got lucky that you held out long enough for us to arrive.¡±


    The morning rays of the sun were warm, almost in contrast to the cold nights she had endured during the siege. The guards around them, she could not see their faces, as William had always kept the 16th with a uniform that left them almost incognito. But all of it, all of them, Albert, William, the inner circle of Her Majesty¡¯s Government, and her family¡­after that siege.


    They were alive, much like her. She didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d see this day when the bombs dropped from the skies. Now, the sky was clear for them to walk around without much fear. Sure, the fear lingered, but¡­another Royalist Zapper passed above. She surmised that the control of the air wasn¡¯t just going to result in using the air as a force of arms against their enemies, but a symbol of control and security for those below. The troops who fought for her, the civilians they all protected, and her, the ruler of this Kingdom.


    Somehow, today, she felt secure in her position. For once. Were they lucky that the relief force won and arrived? Or were they lucky she and the Royalist cause survived? For now, she allowed the question to hang in the air.


    ¡°I see then. Well, I¡¯m still glad that our long-lost friends arrived at last. You all sure took your sweet time in the seas.¡±


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s a long way to Halia, is all I can say.¡±


    The Putschist delegation was already assembled on the lone train carriage on a railway in the vicinity of Reilow. It was a heavily forested area, and there was almost no one, except for the guards of both sides. There wasn¡¯t food, or beverages, or any of the sort inside. Just a mere table, the few assembled officers of the Putschist State, or the Federal Republic, as they likened to call themselves nowadays, and her delegation.


    We really did push them back. She thought to herself, just as everyone entered. William, who represented JTF-Ludendorf and the Army sat on his seat, followed by Albert, who represented the Navy and the 2nd Fleet. Then Pristina, who represented the Royal Guard present in the Grand Duchy gave a scoffing nod at the Putschist officials, all while she, the Queen, who represented all of the Orlish Armed Forces, and the Kingdom of Orland itself, sat to face the rebels they had defeated for now.


    Yet, even with this, it was but a mere temporary victory, she knew. These men still had much fight left in their eyes. Nay, she could even see confidence and a scathing look from them, almost as if they were looking down on her for her temporary luck. She could see it in the face of one of their Generals, General Oswald Kluge, who was in the center of their group.


    You should count your luck before it runs out. She could almost make out from his brief smirk. You haven¡¯t beaten us. This is just the start.


    But even then, to win the campaign for the Royal Capital, was massive. The Royalist cause held on to their symbol, and the heart of Orland itself. One may call it petty, but she had the urge to rub such a fact on their self-satisfied faces. They lost today, and she wanted to make that clear. And so, she dropped the document of the terms on the table while crossing her arms, glaring down at him.


    ¡°General Oswald Kluge, traitor to the Kingdom¡­you lost.¡±


    ¡°A temporary embarrassment, more like, Your Majesty.¡± He smirked back. ¡°We¡¯ll get back at you, we assure you that. But alright, for now, let¡¯s talk of ceasefire and peace, shall we?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do well to speak with more respect, General.¡± Pristina sharply warned. ¡°The Queen herself is in front of you. Do you not recognize that?¡±


    ¡°And? We do not recognize her nor your government as our authority. Only the Federal Government in Eirhow and the President is who we will respect.¡±


    ¡°And that doesn¡¯t matter, rebel scum,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Or are you forgetting that you¡¯re here to save the skins of your troops who would be massacred on this side of the river should we press on?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°You grew a spine after all that, huh? Seems like whatever peace negotiations would be difficult between us.¡±


    ¡°And that would be yours, and your fellow rebel¡¯s fault. Traitor.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re proud rebels, Miss Tyrant. You will never crush us.¡± He leaned back. ¡°What are your terms?¡±


    ¡°No heavy equipment will be allowed to cross the river. You will evacuate only with the lives of your men. We¡¯re allowing you all an honorable way out, for the kindness and mercy of the Kingdom I rule will be enforced, but make no mistake. We won¡¯t let the armies you sent here get out ready to fight again.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t really want to antagonize them further, as the offensive still had to chew through kilometers of trench lines that would result in tens of thousands more casualties should they not allow a withdrawal, but this time, she wasn¡¯t going to let him and these rebels insult her like some spineless rag. No, this time, she was taking the hardline against them. She would be merciful, but she would not be a fang-less feline for them to toy with.


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    Of course, there was also the problem of the fact that the Putschists had, already, technically evacuated much of their heavy equipment. Tanks, LSS Mechs, Artillery, everything that they needed for an offensive action had been placed on their side of the Ludendorf River. All that was left was the few hundred that they used to support the nearly two hundred thousand Putschist troops still in the trench lines, holding out as the rearguard for the rest to escape.


    A rearguard that, at the moment, was causing heavy casualties to her troops attempting to chase them off and cut them off. It was a pointless fight, as they would evacuate and retreat anyway, which was why she wanted to end it already. They already won, they were just bleeding troops and materiel for no reason.


    But dammit, these rebels sure are insufferable. But what did she expect, that these men would be polite to her, and to the Kingdom they wanted to burn down? Even in defeat, they are difficult to deal with.


    ¡°Harsh eh?¡±


    ¡°But, I see no point in it getting harsher. General, please, I beseech you. Let¡¯s reduce the deaths together.¡±


    ¡°Whatever deaths we prevent today would not change the deaths tomorrow.¡± He almost looked down at Amelie for her naivety, yet Amelie stood firm with her stance. ¡°After this, we would return to the frontlines, and fight another day after the ceasefire. Then the day after that. Then some more, till the end, until only one of us is standing. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    ¡°That may be so, General. But you do not know the future. Would you not make a precedent to ensure that each step, each battle, we would always reduce the deaths? Would that not cool things down slowly? Isn¡¯t that the point of the rules of war?¡± She paused. ¡°To set rules that would be followed consistently to reduce the costs of it? Yes, we¡¯ll fight on, you men sure as hell would not go down without a fight, and neither would we. But should we not make an effort at each step?¡±


    ¡°Rules of war¡­¡± He scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s for you women. When it¡¯s us that fight¨C¡±


    ¡°I know what happened in the Great War, General. But this war would be different. Surely, you would want the war for your revolution to be honorable, instead of a mindless slaughter to the top?¡±


    His jaw almost slackened, and Amelie smirked. They had used indiscriminate bombings and chemical weaponry, and she knew that their troops had been doing countless war crimes behind the lines.


    And she knew that most men found that fact distasteful. Like him. That their fight for their freedom was turning into a dirty affair, all because of their desperation. She wanted to rid them of that desperation. To remove that cornered rat effect. Because if there was anything a cornered rat despaired at, it was to turn into the same monster as the villain it perceived as its enemy.


    No, in fact, she wanted to end it. They should not be the villain, and neither should her side. How would a war between brothers and sisters end when each side perceived the other as the villain? The cycle would only end when that notion was eliminated. The less they perceived themselves as desperate monsters, the less likely those crimes would happen. Lend a thirsty man some water, and perhaps, he would stop rampaging to kill for it.


    ¡°I see then.¡± General Oswald Kluge said as he took the document into his hands. Silently, he read it to himself, giving it to his fellow officers for them to see the Royalist terms. The Grand Duchy Campaign had perhaps been the bloodiest affair in Orlish History till now. How many died, how many suffered, and its economic and political fallout was still yet to be known. Unlike the First Orlish Civil War three hundred years ago, during the Arcane Wars, the sheer scale of the Battle of Halia dwarfed everything in Orlish History. Never before had such a battle been fought in Orlish soil.


    And no one would have predicted that it would be between brothers and sisters. Were they in the same place three years ago, and someone told an Orlishman or Orlishwoman about such a military campaign on Orlish soil, they would refuse to believe it was possible unless it was an all-out Larissan invasion of Orland.


    Yet it happened nonetheless. And Amelie feared that the sheer scale of destruction and blood in Orlish soil was only beginning. Yet, for now, perhaps, there would be a temporary conclusion to the bloody siege she had witnessed.


    A reprieve in the storm.


    General Oswald Kluge placed down the documents, and he removed his gloves, picking up the pen in front of him. Amelie and the rebel General locked eyes for a moment, and she could almost see a tinge of respect from his near-dead eyes.


    He then placed his pen on the document and signed it. And thus, the Battle of Halia ended today. The ceasefire was in effect.


    At last.


    +++


    When she stepped out of the lone carriage, immediately, the skies darkened, and it began to rain. She found the sudden shift of the weather almost disconcerting. Albert himself fished an umbrella, and opened it for her, shielding her from the pouring rain. Even on this victorious day, it suddenly seemed cold.


    ¡°Hmm¡­seems like the weather really is worsening,¡± remarked Albert. ¡°It¡¯s almost winter too.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how hard it would be in the next passing months,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Rain and mud is hard, but winter¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, so long as we can keep the troops well-supplied, it shouldn¡¯t be too bad. After all, they also evacuated Heiflitz yesterday. With our fronts reconnected, the logistical issues should cease.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you also knew a thing or two about land warfare, Albert.¡±


    ¡°Oh, trust me. When you¡¯re at sea, logistics becomes even more important.¡±


    The Putschist delegation left the carriage after them. None of them bothered to shield themselves from the rain with umbrellas, their guards awaiting them outside with raincoats instead. Amelie eyed General Oswald Kluge as he removed his officer cap, which became wet rather quickly under the rain. He placed it on the side of his waist and faced her.


    ¡°Until next time, Queen.¡± He said, and the chilly wind that carried raindrops grew faster. ¡°Perhaps, you women do know how to fight. I¡¯ll give you all that.¡±


    She held her tongue, refusing to bite back and fall to his bait. She merely nodded as she glared at him. The General himself merely gave her one last nod, before he turned away, alongside the guards with him.


    The documents, the temporary Armistice that they had signed, it was sealed inside a plastic container, to prevent it from being wet. Amelie looked down on it, her signature and General Kluge¡¯s signature both written below the terms of the Armistice.


    Yet, it wasn¡¯t a peace treaty. Just a cold pause for the next battle to be fought. Indeed, there was no warmth to this victory¡­it was truly just a reprieve from the storm.


    Their vehicles soon disappeared as the rain poured harder, obscuring the road ahead. She sighed, turning back to her convoy, preparing to leave and return to the Ivory Palace.


    And as she walked back, a single thought left her mind.


    It¡¯s still a long way from victory¡­

 Prologue (The Cold Standoff — Volume Three)

    Federal Republic of Orland


    State of Wuringen


    City of Eirhow


    The Federal Assembly


    December 10, 2024


    Mere days ago, the Federal Republic of Orland was declared in the Halls of the Tershine Building, where the previous Provisional Assembly that represented all of Orland in the Provisional Government met. Yet even when they have decided what path the Provisional Government should take for a future Orland ¨C that being a Parliamentary Republican Federation, they were so suddenly defeated in the Battle of Halia by the Royalists ¨C mere days ago as well.


    ¡°Order! Order on the chambers!¡± Shouted the speaker of the Assembly, the former Army General Gulliver Richstoff. ¡°The President has arrived!¡±


    The shouts from the divided Federal Assembly stopped. The chamber itself was seated in a semicircle, similar to the Parliament in Halia. In fact, much of it was copied from the old Parliament. While many had found distaste over the fact that the Federal Republic merely copied the old Parliament, most moderates in the Assembly found it a better solution. After all, the Federal Republic was supposed to be a democratic and republican successor to the old Kingdom. It made sense, as the Parliament was the closest symbol they had of Orlish Democracy for centuries.


    Yet, even with its unified seating arrangement, where nearly six hundred men and some women sat on the seats of the Assembly, they were clearly divided between party lines, with the two biggest forming the supermajority under the ¡°Revolutionary Coalition¡±.


    The Orlish Republican Party¡¯s wing in the Federal Republic, and the National Redemption Front.


    And then, underneath them, on the wayside, the minor parties bickered and fought them and each other. The Revolutionary Coalition¡­well, it was there, one could say.


    Which only really existed by name anyway. Sure, the Revolutionary Coalition was ¡°united¡± in a sense, yet here, the smaller ORP continued its nigh-endless criticisms against the NRF, the Armed Forces, and the President about their handling of the war. On the other side, the NRF, their ¡°coalition leader¡±, staunchly defended the current government, as they endlessly passed law after law that solidified the control of Sullivan Rimpler and his Eirhow Directorate.


    Why am I even letting these traitors speak their mouths? President Sullivan Rimpler asked himself as he walked to the podium. Ah, yes. Democracy. I forgot. A lovely thing it is indeed.


    Before he even uttered his first word, the speakers already opened up, as the leader of the ORP in the Assembly stood up. ¡°Would the President please explain this utter defeat we have suffered? Gentlemen, ladies, what indeed is this farce? This joke? He said the Armed Forces would have taken the Royal Capital in a few months. Yet we are here! What has happened?! The Assembly demands an explanation!¡±


    Sullivan Rimpler stared him down and scanned the assembled members of the ORP. With nearly half of Orland captured by the Putsch, many women had no choice but to join the current Federal Government, as they were the ones who knew how to run things in the civilian government. Much of the state apparatus was still run by women with their bureaucratic expertise, but they had been mostly silenced by gunpoint. They worked, but their opinions didn¡¯t matter.


    Except in the ORP, where they joined in droves, ¡°hoping¡± to represent themselves in the ¡°Orlish Democracy¡± that Sullivan Rimpler was building. None of them really had the guts to join the real revolutionary party, the NRF. It still held zero women in its memberships, much like how the Arcanist Party in Eutstadt held zero men in its ranks.


    But, getting rid of these fools would just give the Royalists a propaganda victory. He prepared for his response, placing down the papers that he would use in his speech. The Federal Republic championed democracy. Stamping down on it would be a nice temporary measure indeed in order to ensure total control and stability, but it would be foolish. Men were radicals, radical democrats. He would not antagonize his support base. That¡¯s why, it would be better to guide them to vote for the right thing instead.


    ¡°Mr. Speaker, honorable members of the Federal Assembly. I stand here before you today after your requests to appear for your questions. Questions regarding the Armed Forces¡¯ unfortunate¡­setback in the Grand Duchy of Ludendorf.¡± The Assembly finally turned silent, as his heavy words sank in. Act tough, but even the leader of the ORP knew well that he better hold his tongue. It was martial law, and the President had near absolute control, with the Assembly acting as a mere advisory body. Not even the most ardent ORP member would run his mouth too hard only to find himself disappearing after a ¡°freak accident¡±.


    Still, while President Sullivan Rimpler would admit that he did do such a thing to his political opponents, it wasn¡¯t nearly at any scale that one would consider barbaric. And much of the ¡°disposal¡± was done as clean business. He wasn¡¯t going to be sloppy. He needed enough intimidation to keep them in line, but he wasn¡¯t so sadistic to demand more only to threaten his position at the top if it backfired.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the reality is that our forces faced considerable opposition in the battle. Still, it should be clear to members of the Assembly, that the Grand Duchy is more of a symbolic target for us. It was merely a result of our cost analysis to abandon the assault on a province that had no economic, industrial, or resource value. Yes, it is the heart of the Kingdom, of Orland. But High Command has deemed it a secondary target from now on, and we shall focus instead on more important targets instead. Rebenslof, of the Free Confederation. And Thein, in the Archduchy of L?t. Targets that boast large technological and magical industries, that we now aim to capture and deny. We lost, but this is merely a temporary setback, and we shall refocus ourselves on our new targets.¡±


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    The members of the NRF clapped in agreement with his words, all while the ORP booed him off the stage. He expected said reaction, and he hardly cared about it. Regardless of whether they supported him or not, the Eirhow Directorate was the one in control and the Executive Branch. The Presidency had powers almost absolute, somehow, even more absolute than the ones that the Queens of Orland wielded.


    The Federal Assembly after all was a mere circus for now. There was a revolution for Sullivan to fight. The Federal Republic would not be distracted by the childish bickerings of their so-called ¡°democratic¡± institutions. But that would be it for now, yet of course, when he gave one last look at the almost brazen arguing sessions of the members of the Federal Assembly, he gave a brief smile.


    Sure, democracy had no place for now, and perhaps this war was destroying its eventual foundations. But, the revolution desired democracy, did it not? Still, such a luxury would not be afforded to men, not until they won.


    And so, until he and the Federal Republic won, the voice of the people would only be heard by a brick wall. That was merely a political inevitability. And he would leave it at that.


    For now.


    +++


    Kingdom of Orland


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Eutstadt


    December 11, 2024


    The economic and political fallout of the Grand Duchy Campaign could not have been more visible than what Amelie witnessed when she arrived in the City of Eutstadt today.


    The City of Eutstadt itself was situated in the massive County of Wittfield, ruled by, well, as evident by its name, Marie¡¯s House. House Wittfield was a strange case, as they managed to turn the City of Eutstadt, after centuries of near-perfect handling and investments, into a bustling technological and magical hub. Uniquely, House Wittfield also championed an extremely egalitarian policy, unlike most other polities inside the Kingdom. It was thus one of the few places in Orland where political divisions between men and women weren¡¯t as extreme.


    Even then, the reality was that men were still heavily disadvantaged in the city. None of them really survived the draft, with many of those in the age group of eighteen to twenty-one gone from the city, almost as if they were completely wiped out. When she looked at the pristine streets of Eutstadt as they drove through its well-managed roads, where young women carried on their business as if nothing was happening on the sidewalks, parks, and the establishments that bristled the districts of the city, there were rarely any men and much of those that guarded the garrisons and checkpoints were of the Royal Guard.


    Security was heightened, yes, but the war left it untouched. Quite frankly, much of western Orland was untouched by the war. Yet she could see the effects. No young men. Just news about their mounting casualties in the large screens and panels that were at every building and establishment. News that most women largely ignored.


    What they didn¡¯t ignore, however, was clear. When they stopped in front of the Astral Square, where the screens of the Eutstadt Stock Exchange Building broadcasted the current speech of the Prime Minister, Jacqueline Heiss regarding their victory in the Royal Capital, the inhabitants of Eutstadt stopped and watched. The words about ¡°victory¡± and ¡°pushing the rebels back¡± ¨C it was what took their attention.


    But not the cost. They only care about the victory.


    Even now, indeed, women found the war as a distant affair. The RGO conscription didn¡¯t really extend out of the Grand Duchy. And so, in much of Orland, the same business before the Great War continued. Men go to war to die, women read the news about their victories ¨C and ignore the casualty counts.


    ¡°You seem quite sour there again, Amelie,¡± William said as their convoy stopped during a sudden traffic jam. ¡°I mean, as far as I can tell, Eutstadt seems like a breath of air.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. No damage. No tanks or armored vehicles parked on the streets. No rubble. No air strike. No deaths¡­¡±


    ¡°So why the long face?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost like they¡¯re celebrating, William. All because they¡¯re so far away from the fighting. They¡¯re ignoring everything again¡­¡± She looked up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t find it distasteful?¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s business as usual. I mean, what would I expect, you ladies crying a river over seeing, ¡®one hundred thousand young men dead¡¯ on some news screen? Come on. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so jaded at this point¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, who wouldn¡¯t be.¡±


    The way he shrugged almost annoyed Amelie. She found it ironic, that even those who were supposed to find the most problem about the state of things appeared nonchalant about it. Used to it. Way too used to it. She didn¡¯t know what she found more distasteful ¨C women¡¯s apathy, or men¡¯s jadedness at their struggles.


    Their convoy continued without many hurdles through Eutstadt¡¯s extremely well-designed road systems. Every damned road was connected logically and she noticed trains and subway stations at a significantly higher rate than what she had always seen in Rebenslof or Halia before the war. It made sense. Eutstadt, while a significantly smaller city than the industrial and economic giants of the West Coast, was the shining symbol of West Orland¡¯s smaller but more advanced cities. One of the best examples of modern Orlish urban planning.


    Untouched and in pristine condition, it was now the new natural center of the Royalist political center. Where Her Majesty¡¯s Government, the Parliament, and the Orlish High Command relocated themselves, and where they would stay until the situation on the East Coast was stabilized, it would also be here where Amelie planned to lead the Kingdom back on its feet for the next campaign.


    The political fallout. The Parliament. The Orlish High Command. The Orlish economy that was being mobilized for wartime. The next phases of the general mobilization. And most importantly, the reforms would both improve her chances in the civil war and drive the people of Orland to her side.


    Their convoy stopped in front of the November Palace ¨C one of House Ludendorf¡¯s main properties on the West Coast. Until the Ivory Palace was fully repaired and secured, this was where she would rule for now.


    Amelie tucked her jacket as she left William¡¯s SUV, feeling the cold air breeze past through her as she looked up at the new center of her administration.


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s time to get down to business then,¡± William said, standing beside her.


    ¡°Indeed it is.¡± She sighed to herself. ¡°Time to resume fixing Orland then.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred One: An Old Friend

    ¡°Three hundred years ago, we fought for them. A hundred years ago, we fought for them, and in the many wars since then. Four years ago, we once again packed ourselves to fight for them. In all those years, we killed our fellow brothers ¨C for them. Today, once again, we fight for them, while fighting for our rights. Yet when have they laid their lives for us? When Queen Alexandria asked the husbands to fight for the rights of their wives and daughters, or for the sons to fight for their sisters, our great-great-grandfathers lined up to join the women¡¯s revolution. Would they ever do the same for us?¡±


    - Liberty One Radio, after Parliament shot down the Women¡¯s Draft Bill.


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Eutstadt


    Amelie didn¡¯t expect her to be hanging around in this random cafe. It was early in the morning, and the city was calm, beyond calm. Quite frankly, no one seemed to really care about her. There wasn¡¯t much fanfare when she arrived in Eutstadt, and thus, most of the citizenry had barely paid attention to her. Moreover, Eutstadt never really found much enthusiasm in the Monarchy.


    So, she left her vehicle without much issues when she spotted the former Prime Minister, Alexa Weirl?ff, sipping at her milk tea alone in the cafe. While the staff did recognize her when she entered, they didn¡¯t really bother her. Much of the patrons didn¡¯t either, and there wasn¡¯t much to begin with.


    Alexa didn¡¯t react much when Amelie sat down in front of her, except for a respectful nod.


    ¡°Well, I see that the Queen is now in Eutstadt. How¡¯s your morning, Your Majesty?¡± Alexa said, just as tiny droplets from the mild rain started to appear in the glass windows. The atmosphere almost seemed cozy to Amelie, and she enjoyed it.


    ¡°Quite nice, actually. Eutstadt is a breath of fresh air.¡± Amelie replied, smiling a bit to herself.


    ¡°Well, the weather still sucks around here. It¡¯s getting colder too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d take rainwater and snow over artillery shells.¡± Amelie laughed a bit. ¡°And bombs.¡±


    ¡°Halia must have been hell.¡± Alexa gave a sip of her drink. ¡°But, the General Queen survived it. Tell me, Your Majesty. What do you want from me?¡± Amelie shook her head in exasperation when Alexa referred to her as a ¡°General¡± of all things, but she shrugged eventually.


    ¡°....I just wanted a talk with an old friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored that you recognize me as a friend.¡± Alexa smiled bitterly. ¡°Quite frankly, I thought everyone hated me. Well, who am I kidding? It¡¯s not like I rate my own self highly too.¡±


    ¡°They still blame you for everything.¡±


    ¡°Prime Minister Jacqueline is an energetic reformer. You two are managing the Civil War as some picturesque ideal young women that would lead us to victory and reform.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Me? My entire administration was mere virtue signaling. I promised everything for men as me and your mother sent our sons straight to the meatgrinder. Then when the question of reforms came, I was spineless. I pandered to all sides, and in the end, achieved nothing. A fence sitter, who preached virtue, while doing nothing¡­in the end, my administration bought this civil war.¡±


    ¡°Not everything is your fault, Alexa.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m the face of those four years of nothing but bumbling failure. That¡¯s why I have no one. I¡¯ll be forgotten, only to be remembered as that woman who promised to ¡®not rock the boat¡¯ while introducing some reforms, only to plunge Orland into the worst disaster this Kingdom faced.¡±


    Amelie felt pity for her, attempting to find ways to at least make her feel less awful. ¡°Well, my mother is also quite responsible.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s dead. Can¡¯t condemn a dead woman as much as a living one.¡±


    Amelie sighed to herself. ¡°Alright. Well, what about you though? Alright, your political career is over, but, what about your family? You¡¯re married, right? Is everything going alright?


    ¡°My husband died in a drunk driving accident last month. They say it¡¯s an ¡®accident¡¯, but¡­I know him, Amelie. Turns out that being the General who was forced to sign retaliatory chemical attacks against the Larissans would screw his mind a little. He was already on the cliff, and I failed to pull him back.¡± She almost seemed to be in tears. ¡°And to think that I was the one who sent them there. That we were the ones who did it. Amelie, they¡¯re not lying. I tried everything, but he blamed himself. He¡­he hated himself. We literally shifted the blood to their hands, by forcing them to fight.¡± Alexa¡¯s voice was almost tiny, full of shame. The mere act of speaking about it seemed so shameful for her, that she seemed to want to hide it.


    I¡­damn it, I screwed up. Amelie almost wanted to slap herself for choosing that topic in a vain attempt to cheer her up.


    ¡°I¡­I apologize¡­for bringing that up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It already happened. What matters now is what happens going forward.¡± Alexa took a sip to calm herself down. ¡°Politics. Business. Amelie, you should be aware already of this. The Parliament shot down the ORP''s proposal to conscript women. Can you believe that?¡±


    ¡°I believe even Jacqueline was for it. Yes, I do know it. Even I¡¯m for it. But, how? I thought¡­the UOP¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all quintessential hypocrites. Just like what I was four years ago. Preach something, but refuse to follow it. They say they¡¯re all for the rights of men and equality. Yet look at what they vote for.¡±


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    ¡°I¡­I know. It¡¯s like, they¡¯re allied with the Arcanist Party¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, the Arcanist Party did pass a bill to mobilize voluntary women for ¡®National Defense¡¯, and to shift the OAF budget to the RGO. But it¡¯s no conscription. Do you know what they¡¯re planning to do?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°To strengthen the Internal Army of the Kingdom. The Royal Guard. They want the Royal Guard to be stronger to keep the OAF in line and keep men fighting for us. They don¡¯t want to mobilize women to fight as well on the frontlines. They want to mobilize women to keep the loyalist elements of the OAF in line. We are treating our brothers, our sons, and our husbands as potential traitors while they die for us!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­well, they are the Arcanist Party, so I wouldn¡¯t really be surprised. Isn¡¯t that like their entire platform?¡±


    ¡°Well, the UOP voted alongside them in that bill. But the one that the ORP proposed, our supposed ¡®coalition ally¡¯? Well, we literally stabbed them in the back on the halls of the New Parliament. In broad daylight. The UOP shut it down. Oh, you should have seen what Liberty One and the countless ORP-aligned news outlets are saying. They hide their bitterness in their words just to prevent undue criticism against you and Jacqueline, but, it reeks. The ORP is starting to hate the UOP.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­I thought Jacquline had control of the UOP in the Parliament.¡± Amelie looked down at the table, looking back at her last conversation with the Prime Minister, when she assured her that she would ¡°keep the political front in order¡±. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    ¡°Well, Jacqueline can do a lot of things, but no one can keep order and dictate the UOP. She¡¯s the leader, but remember, the UOP is filled with noblewomen that you cannot dictate. They¡¯re going to vote what they want to vote for.¡± Alexa laughed to herself. ¡°Those utter hypocrites. They¡¯re like me, they¡¯re just not self-aware.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not like you at all.¡±


    Alexa breathed out. ¡°No need to lie. I know who I am. I know what I did.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­well, I didn¡¯t really expect this conversation to end up like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, what about you then?¡± Alexa asked. ¡°Are you doing well?¡±


    ¡°Well, my family is all alive and well. Albert¡¯s fine. Alice too. Hmm¡­my friends are fine too. So maybe? But, I don¡¯t know. To rule? It¡¯s a chore that I¡¯m doing badly. Way too badly.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. You won the Grand Duchy Campaign. You stopped the ¡®Federal Republic¡¯ from steamrolling over everything. You even managed to conscript women from the Grand Duchy. Even Gallia failed at that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s all void,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Have you seen the casualty numbers?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s healthy to watch that number go up.¡± She laughed to herself. ¡°Have you not learned that in college? Never look at the casualty reports. Or to the guys being sent back in coffins. That¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Oh¡­I do remember that. Amelie looked back to her days at the university. Ever since the war began, most cities were devoid of young men. It was eerie and unnatural. Sure, there was less conflict at home regarding the constant terrorism and protests from men¡­but¡­when young women only saw the men of their same generation in some distant footage, pictures, and casualty reports¡­even the most ardent conservative found that unsettling. And so, an unwritten rule was the norm.


    Do not look at it. Even mothers did it. To look at those numbers was¡­scary. Luckily, news outlets received the memo, and by the later years of the war, especially when the Ivory Alliance launched their last offensives that saw millions dead¡­the radio was silent. Only reports of victory, of captured towns or cities were received as they went on their lives.


    It was healthier. And so, why did she look down on her fellow young women for doing what they had always done? What she had done as well?


    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting,¡± Amelie said. ¡°The war is on our own soil. To even ignore it at this point is delusional. We women are literally in the crossfire as well.¡±


    ¡°Not here in Eutstadt. Those in Thein or the Archduchy, on the other hand, are already volunteering for the DDF and the RGO, fighting side-by-side with the OAF. Same in the Grand Duchy. Same in the Free Confederation. The West Coast is a different situation. We literally have a mountain range separating us from the rest of Orland. And the Air Force has long secured air superiority in all of West Orland. ¡®What¡¯s there to worry about?¡¯ That¡¯s the atmosphere here. We¡¯re still so far away, even refugees don¡¯t come here.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why this city is so calm and peaceful?¡±


    ¡°Try finding a city on the West Coast that isn¡¯t. Hell, the economy is going up nowadays. Everyone¡¯s making money by helping in the war effort. The industrial base is being relocated here as well. They have like¡­eighteen arms factories around the County of Wittfield. Even the middle-aged men are rejoicing at the job prospects.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I guess at least some of Orland is doing well.¡± Amelie looked outside, seeing the peaceful and calm facade of the city seeping through with the calm pedestrian walking through this section of the city, which seemed to be filled with fast food joints, restaurants, and cafes. ¡°But they shouldn¡¯t just ignore the woes of the rest. And people here seem way too overconfident. This war can go sideways at any point.¡±


    ¡°Scarily, that¡¯s accurate.¡± Alexa looked around the cafe, leaning closer to her. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t intend to sound scary, or any of the sort. But have you looked deeply into the black site projects of the OAF?¡±


    ¡°No? Why?¡±


    ¡°They funneled a lot of funds of my administration to secret projects. We failed to investigate it, and the entire crisis completely obscured it. The worst part¡­those projects were done in the Free State.¡±


    ¡°Black site projects? What exactly¡­are those? I mean, are they¡­some top-secret stuff?¡±


    Alexa sighed to herself, leaning away. ¡°Who knows? My government didn¡¯t know. I doubt Jacqueline¡¯s government does either. I¡¯m just pointing you in that direction. Two directions in fact. The question about women¡¯s role in this war. And whatever the hell the ¡®Federal Republic¡¯ holds in their hands.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m thankful then. You sure do know where to direct me back then. Even now.¡±


    ¡°I may be disengaged in politics, but I¡¯m still keeping a close eye and ear on it,¡± Alexa said, just as Amelie¡¯s order came in. It was a parfait, which she chose to treat herself for now. ¡°That seems nice.¡±


    ¡°I missed it. Certainly didn¡¯t get a lot of these back in Halia.¡±


    ¡°Rations definitely suck, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I pity those that eat it each day.¡± Amelie herself began digging in, enjoying the tiny pleasure she had after months. ¡°Oh¡­I can¡¯t wait till they set up everything back in the November Palace¡­¡±


    ¡°Even while preaching righteousness, you¡¯re still a spoiled brat in reality.¡± Alexa herself laughed at Amelie¡¯s display. ¡°Well, the Queen has her needs, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy what I want while I have it. Ah¡­that¡¯s just what I was searching for¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, do enjoy yourself, Your Majesty. There¡¯s a lot of good places for food around here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did see that. I wouldn¡¯t mind visiting this place a lot.¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°It seems peaceful as well.¡± Amelie looked outside once more, admiring the organized, and peaceful air of the city. She hoped that she could turn Orland into this state again. But not just a state of affairs where women lived lives that were near utopic¡­


    She looked down at her parfait. She wanted men to have their piece of the pie too. Sooner or later.

 Chapter One Hundred Two: New Court Lady

    ¡°The Federal Republic of Orland and the Confederation of Larissa signed the ¡®Dual-Assistance Treaty¡¯ in the Loviedo Conference, finally ensuring that the two rebel republics would be directly ¡®supplying and supporting¡¯ each other in their respective conflicts. Already, eight out of the twenty-two revolutionary republics present in the Loviedo Conference voted ¡®yes¡¯ for the creation of the ¡®Coalition of Free Nations¡¯. Observers noted that the alliance is practically in the motion of creation, with the Federal Republic, State of Lieplatz, and the Republic of Asturia merely waiting for the approval of the alliance by the Confederation of Larissa and the Republic of Hebei.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Eutstadt


    December 25, 2024


    Amelie woke up early this morning.


    Yesterday was an eventful day, and so was today. While the festivities during the day of Her Holiness, the Goddess herself, was celebrated by much of Orland, it was done in a somber manner. Many expected that the war would have ended by now, but instead, the people of Orland had to deal with a full two-day assault from the Federal Republic in the airwaves, the internet, and every electronic channel in a mass-propaganda attempt to disparage and discredit the Goddess.


    Ever since yesterday, Arcanist broadcasts were taken down by the Federal Republic¡¯s devastating electronic warfare attacks. Instead of Arcanist Church Priestesses speaking about the religious day, raging Republican officials declaring ¡°war against the goddess¡± filled the screens and radios of Orland. Globally, the same happened, as men bombarded the entire internet alongside radio and television airwaves with anti-goddess and anti-arcanist propaganda.


    Amelie sighed after washing her face, remembering that guy yesterday, his face in full blast in the Astral Square when the display of the Eutstadt Stock Exchange Building was hacked.


    ¡°The Goddess has no right to interfere against the business of humanity!¡± He shouted. ¡°Anyone who follows this depraved entity is an enemy of humanity!¡±


    The outrage was naturally massive from women, even from Amelie. To insult their creator, and the one who blessed them with magic, and promised heaven and salvation for those who were good, and the one who controlled the universe itself ¨C it was unthinkable. But for these men, to fear the divine wasn¡¯t even in their minds. For them, the Goddess was something they aimed to fight.


    Many of them even denied her existence, calling women ¡°foolish and backward¡± for believing such nonsense. Amelie disagreed with such a belief. How could anyone deny the existence of Her Holiness? No one could ¨C the existence of women¡¯s magic was but an absolute sign of divinity. Of course, she existed, how could she not?


    Ah, whatever. Those men are obviously just bitter. Extremely bitter.


    At the very least, the entire affair silenced the coverage of the arrival of Princess Xue Li ¨C the current de-facto ruler of the Empire of Hebei, or, as international media named them, South Hebei. With much of the Orlish general public distracted in the outrage regarding the Federal Government¡¯s slanderous action against their faith, the Princess managed to arrive in the Kingdom without much media fanfare, which would have been a pain for Amelie to manage.


    As much as possible, she wanted any potential negotiations with the Imperial insurrectionists in Hebei on the down low. The high-profile coverage of the Loviedo Conference was, in Amelie¡¯s perspective, a major hole in the general strategy of the revolutionaries. The fact that they were very loud at announcing to the world their plans and alliances meant that she and the counter-revolutionary side could act with more information in their hands. She and her fellow monarchs knew that these revolutionaries would band together, and potentially escalate the war into a global scale, against them while they were still largely divided.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Her new court lady, Nia Von Wittelstein, the daughter and future Duchess of Oldrach (as House Von Wittelstein controlled the Duchy of Oldrach) said. She was also silently assigned, as Amelie finally acquiesced with Lady Lubaine¡¯s recommendation ¡°to at least have someone keep watch of her¡±. Marie was Amelie¡¯s natural first pick, but she was already in charge of the RIU. Luckily, her old friend back in University, was also in the city.


    Thus, when Nia learned that Amelie was in the November Palace, she decided to barge in to ¡°meet her again¡±. Before Nia knew it, she was suddenly picked by the damned Queen for the role.


    ¡°Why so formal, Nia?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Still bitter?¡±


    Nia rolled her eyes. ¡°You were just picking up on me. I have no idea what to do in this job even.¡±


    Amelie looked back. ¡°Oh come on. You¡¯re unemployed, so why not do something productive for once? I mean, yesterday, the first thing that came from your mouth was your, and I quote, ¡®struggle to find a worthy job¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because all those jobs are beneath me, you jerk.¡± Nia seethed before she crossed her arms and looked away. ¡°But whatever. I suppose serving the Queen counts as a worthy job.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you still have that spiteful tongue.¡± Amelie resumed fixing herself. ¡°I really missed you.¡±


    ¡°...Me too.¡±


    ¡°Just like the old days again?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m really glad to have you aboard again,¡± Amelie said. ¡°So! How about fixing my schedule first?¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­as long as I get paid,¡± Nia said. ¡°Mother still wouldn¡¯t expand my allowance.¡±


    ¡°Still as strict as always?¡±


    ¡°¡®A proper lady must be able to earn her keep and use it wisely¡¯, so she says. Or else I¡¯m not worthy to inherit the Duchy. Well, it¡¯s not like I want that place anyway.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t. Oldrach is so close to the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯m still surprised you managed to lead the defense of the Royal Capital.¡± While Amelie could only see her through her mirror, she could see how her eyes almost beamed. ¡°Actually, how did you even do it?¡±


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    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly a pretty story¡­¡±


    +++


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s this guy?¡± Nia pointed at William. ¡°He¡¯s your bodyguard?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s William. Major William Porter. I believe his promotion is soon in order.¡±


    ¡°...Please. Just let me rest. I don¡¯t want to deal with more people.¡± William said, before looking at Nia. ¡°And who¡¯s this¡­thing?¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Nia. This guy doesn¡¯t have the most refined vocabulary out there.¡±


    ¡°Uck, just looking at him makes me depressed,¡± Nia said, slightly moving behind Amelie. ¡°He doesn¡¯t bite, does he?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a damned dog,¡± William said, already obviously annoyed at the encounter.


    ¡°I assure you, he¡¯s completely harmless,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Just a bit foul-mouthed, as I¡¯ve said.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not harmless.¡±


    ¡°In my view you are.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure you do.¡± William crossed his arms. ¡°So, again, who¡¯s this woman? I heard she¡¯s your new court lady?¡±


    ¡°My old friend from University!¡± Amelie beamed, pulling Nia in front of William. ¡°Meet Nia Von Wittelstein! The eldest daughter of the Duchess of Oldrach! She¡¯s clumsy, and a brat, but she can do things! I think.¡±


    ¡°Amelie!¡± Nia herself didn¡¯t exactly feel praised. ¡°What do you mean I think?¡±


    ¡°I see, so another brat to deal with then. Great.¡± William said, giving her another scan. ¡°So, you¡¯re not a security threat, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± She seemed indignant again. ¡°Plus, I bet I can break you in a hundred ways with my magic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and one bullet, and you¡¯re down.¡± Nia, not backing down, closed the distance, and the two almost seemed to be two dogs growling at each other.


    ¡°Hey, hey! No need for a silly rivalry.¡± Amelie said, placing herself between the two, and pulling them together with her. ¡°So! Being my personal guard, and my new court lady, you two will definitely be closely working with each other from now on. So, I expect you two to be very cooperative, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­sure,¡± William said, his frown disappearing. ¡°As long as she¡¯s not too much of an annoying pipsqueak.¡±


    ¡°So long as this guy is not such a downer and a jerk, I¡¯m fine too.¡± Nia looked away. ¡°And¡­well, if you trust him, I guess I can be cordial with him too.¡±


    ¡°Nice!¡± Amelie clapped to herself. ¡°So! Today, the first thing on our agenda¡­the Princess of Hebei. Nia. Suggestions?¡±


    Nia beamed up. ¡°Of course! You and me should dress up! Oh, and did you know that the Princess loves sweets? I think we should go order someone to grab some, and, and-¡±


    ¡°You two do whatever girly things you do,¡± William said, cutting the energetic suggestions from Nia. ¡°I¡¯ll round up a few of my men for security work. Lady Lubaine¡¯s already dealing with the rest, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem.¡±


    He looked down at Nia. While she definitely did seem completely harmless, she seemed way too naive and¡­impulsive. Thus, in William¡¯s eyes, the new addition was a security liability.


    ¡°Hey, Amelie¡­does he really act all that serious every time?¡± Nia asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s William.¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°You should get used to it. But I assure you, he¡¯s reliable.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, whatever. I¡¯ll go do my thing.¡± William said, tired of hearing this nonsense. He walked off to do his ¡°more important¡± business.


    ¡°He¡¯s really cold too,¡± Nia commented, and Amelie just sighed.


    +++


    William leaned his back on the wall, sighing to himself.


    Damn it. It¡¯s like those days again.


    He wiped off the sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief, before taking his gloves off and observing his shaking hands. Quite frankly, William almost hated this¡­peace.


    This¡­detachment from war and combat. There was too much time for his mind to be free with his thoughts. Thoughts that gnawed into his being. And¡­too much time to sleep and see those things.


    At least, when he was in the Grand Duchy, all of his time was work and warfare, nothing in between. He felt the same thing he experienced during the first days when he stepped out of those ships back into Orland after the Great War. But he shook his head, trying to dust off the discomfort of his current situation.


    I just need a bit more time to readjust myself. William said, once again looking at his hands. The same hands that signed countless orders during the Battle of Halia. Orders that came with great costs. Costs measured in lives. Damn it, brain. Why do you need to rub into my face?


    ¡°Hey!¡± A childish voice distracted him. He looked down. Alice¡¯s green eyes stared at him with some concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    William smiled before he knelt down to her level. ¡°Of course, I am, Your Highness. Are you searching for your sister?¡±


    Alice nodded. ¡°Yeah. She said that we were going to meet a foreign princess today. From Hebei, I think.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re ready for it?¡± William asked as Alice checked her dress.


    ¡°Yes. Marta helped me out.¡± Alice said. ¡°Amelie said I should wait near the entrance, but it¡¯s so boring sitting and doing nothing.¡±


    William laughed to himself. Children. Such innocent and unruly beings.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s over there, if you¡¯re wondering,¡± William said, pointing in the direction of Amelie¡¯s chambers, where she and Nia were doing Goddess knows what. ¡°They¡¯re still preparing themselves.¡±


    Just at that point, the Princess¡¯ Maid, Marta Devon appeared behind Alice.


    ¡°Your Highness! Sneaking away randomly is dangerous, you should know that.¡± Marta said, checking her.


    ¡°But I¡¯m alright. I was just searching for Amelie.¡± Alice said.


    ¡°At least tell me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Alice said before she peeled off and went into the direction of Amelie¡¯s chambers. Marta herself sighed as she stood up.


    ¡°She¡¯s quite a handful, isn¡¯t she?¡± William asked.


    ¡°Royals. They¡¯re a pain to handle.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I would know,¡± William said, leaning to the wall as well. ¡°But, I don¡¯t regret serving these two.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Marta looked at him strangely. ¡°I guess some of you men aren¡¯t so hopeless at least.¡±


    William shook his head, laughing a bit. ¡°Heh, if you had any idea of the truth. But¡­I still hope you are correct.¡±


    ¡°What happened yesterday was shocking,¡± Marta said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­where did respect and politeness even go?¡±


    ¡°...Well, I do wonder where it went too.¡± William looked at one of the paintings in the hallway. It was a painting of Queen Alexandria Ludendorf, alongside Princess Aliene Ludendorf, both on horseback, passing together like valiant angels, mother and daughter, over a victorious field. Below the painting, inscribed on its frame was ¡°1718 - The Battle of Thein¡±.


    William¡¯s eyes fell on the corpses in the background of the painting, on the green fields. The corpses of the men from King Richmond¡¯s loyalist 4th Corps and Queen Alexandria¡¯s rebel Army of L?t. 1718, when men on both sides died for both sides, only to be almost forgotten, with Orlish History focusing only on women¡¯s and Queen Alexandria¡¯s efforts to defeat the tyrannical rule of King Richmond.


    But not the men who joined her, who made up eighty percent of her army during the First Orlish Civil War, and until the end of the wide Arcane Wars.


    ¡°...I really do wonder.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Three: Imperial Visitation

    ¡°Toldoi Palace in fire! A squadron of mutinous GRAF (Gallian Royal Air Force) pilots who turned around after an ¡®unacceptable mission¡¯ from Queen Alois launched a string of air strikes into the Gallian capital. The Toldoi Palace was struck by three guided bombs, alongside the headquarters of the Toldoi City Police (TCP), the Royal Bank of Gallia, and the Lecour Chateau, alongside multiple rockets falling into the Toldoi Arcane University. A three-hour manhunt in the skies of Gallia ensued, with the GRAF attempting to shoot down the mutinous squadron. Seven of the squadron''s twelve strong aircraft were shot down, with the rest escaping to Asturia, their fate still unknown. But the damage was done. The current state of Queen Alois is still yet to be verified, but members of the Gallian Court already spoke that ¡®she was on vacation¡¯ during the attacks.¡±


    - Geopol News


    +++


    The pleasantries were¡­well, pleasant, Amelie mused. The Princess of the Hebeian Empire, much like her, wasn¡¯t quite fond of anything but business. The two met in a remote manor outside of Eutstadt, owned by House Wittfield. Countess Wittfield, ever the kind old lady, already prepared the manor in advance, knowing that both Amelie and Princess Xue wanted a more ¡°private¡± talk away from the attention they might have gathered in Eutstadt.


    Still, Amelie received a few gifts from the Princess, and she gave hers as well. The few boxes of Hebeian Green Tea were something she happily sent back to the November Palace. She surely would indulge in those later.


    ¡°So.¡± Amelie started, as the two finally found their peace, away from the staff and the people that awaited outside of their meeting room. Only Nia and the Princess¡¯ close friend were with them. Specifically, Marquise Feng Lin. Amelie didn¡¯t really mind, as the Princess¡¯ companion seemed to keep to herself¡­mostly. ¡°How was the trip?¡±


    Princess Xue Li sagged in her seat, her silver hair almost falling as well. She indeed seemed exhausted.


    ¡°Travelling by air wasn¡¯t fun.¡± Princess Xue said. ¡°I guess I¡¯m still a bit jet-lagged.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, more sleep would do you well.¡± Amelie said, smiling, ¡°If you want to stay around here a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to indulge in being in Orland for a while, if at all.¡± Princess Xue looked down. ¡°There¡¯s still much to do in my home country. And I believe the same is true for you.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Amelie fished out a few of the papers she prepared for this. ¡°So, on our agenda today¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Princess Xue straightened herself. ¡°Weapon¡¯s shipments. Alongside food and other necessities. I believe my diplomatic envoys already relayed it, and I believe you¡¯ve heard it already, but I swear, we¡¯ll pay it eventually. One day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know you will.¡± Amelie frowned a bit. ¡°But, as Adelaide already said, Orland won¡¯t be able to provide everything you ask for. This¡­is simply a scale of supplies we wouldn¡¯t be able to divert realistically to Hebei. At least until mid-year 2025.¡±


    The Princess didn¡¯t seem to be elated by that news. She looked down. ¡°Six months into 2025, and South Hebei¡¯s food supply would be stretched thin. The Republic bombed a lot of farms into crisps with their air campaigns during the early days of the insurrection.¡±


    ¡°How devious,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Why would they do that? Was there any military value in doing that?¡±


    ¡°Unlike your war, we started out as rebels.¡± Princess Xue said. ¡°After the coup d¡¯etat, the Junta was in control of Hebei. Completely. We had to start out slowly, gathering supplies, men and women, arming rebels, and destroying their logistical lines in the south by irregular warfare.¡±


    ¡°And then you attacked the cities.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But before that, for a few weeks, we were confined outside of the cities and major population centers. So the Junta enacted a scorched earth policy on many rural areas of South Hebei where they suspected our presence. Counter-insurgency policy, that was what they called it. It was only after we fought them in the fields properly that they ended it, but the damage was done.¡±


    So that¡¯s why they became even more dependent on foreign imports. Amelie looked back at those attacks, that crippled international shipping. Those rebel Orlish Captains alone left tens of millions, possibly hundreds of millions, at risk of starvation by the mere bombing against the facilities of the Levantine Strait. Already, she felt pity. Princess Xue Li surely had a massive problem on her hands.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Amelie gulped. ¡°I heard you signed an armistice with the Junta¡­I mean, the Republic, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± The Princess said. ¡°But they do not respect it. They said they would work for peace, but the frontlines experience constant skirmishes and ceasefire violations. Just last week, their operatives managed to sabotage and detonate bombs in a major wand factory near Ginzhu. The Republic is divided and factionalized. They have genuine revolutionaries working for reform and democracy, but many of the members of the previous Junta are still in power. The lull in the fighting is just a result of their power struggle. If the pro-Junta members of the Republic win, they will send the entire revolutionary army down south.¡±


    ¡°But if the moderates win?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change anything. They would be more receptive to a temporary peace, but we are rebels, first and foremost. Legally, my mother ¡®abdicated¡¯ the throne, and the government they established is the legitimate government.¡± Even Marquise Feng Lin nodded at the Princess¡¯ statement.


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    ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty.¡± The older woman said. ¡°Not even most nobles are fighting with us. Many already joined the Republican government in the north, switching alliances. You should have seen those traitorous hags speak. I remember many of them cracked down on reforms that would help men, now they are singing praises for every radical move taken by the revolutionaries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s comical.¡± Princess Xue Li said. ¡°But I understand some of them. The Junta was brutal when it was established. Everything connected to magic was confiscated, repressed, and burned down. They had to choose the Republic¡¯s side if they were on the wrong side of the frontlines, or else¡­you know. And to be frank, we are just the product of women¡¯s response to those emergency policies. The resistance.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s a bit of a reverse compared to my position.¡± Amelie absentmindedly thought out loud. But instead of backing out on it, she elaborated on it further. ¡°See, the situation in Orland is different. The Putsch never succeeded at removing my government at Halia. They failed to break through during the early days. For Orland, my government is the legitimate government, the loyalists. And they are the rebels.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite fortunate, Your Majesty.¡± Princess Xue said. ¡°But, I attribute that to your decisions before Orland¡¯s descend to chaos.¡±


    ¡°I am in agreement,¡± Nia said, nodding to herself. ¡°I think if you hadn¡¯t done that ¡®Unity and Hope¡¯ thing, more people would have risen up.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Your Majesty, you tried to fix the broken system, and managed to rally enough support for yourself and your regime to prevent a complete collapse.¡± The Princess smiled bitterly. ¡°Unfortunately, for me, I wasn¡¯t in power yet. And my mother was stubborn to listen and follow change. She adamantly refused even to recognize the struggles men faced in Hebei. The sheer¡­deplorable condition of their lives. It shames me to say this, but she wasn¡¯t on the right side of history. Nor was the old regime. It fell apart violently because it was the only way left.¡±


    ¡°Yet, the actions of the Junta¡­¡± Amelie trailed off.


    ¡°Who really is on the right side of history then?¡± The Princess asked. ¡°Even in Orland, the ¡®Provisional Government¡¯, or, as they changed their name now, the ¡®Federal Republic¡¯, committed indiscriminate bombings against women-majority cities and population centers. They burned Thein to the ground, and Halia, and much like Ginzhu, the world watched. We all saw what they did. Does being slighted for centuries give you the justification to commit atrocities?¡±


    ¡°Princess Li, why are you asking this? I have no answer for that. The question of who really is on the right side of history is hard precisely because everything has been blurred for both sides.¡±


    ¡°Because my insurrection was based on that question, and so is the new government I established in South Hebei. Your Majesty, it¡¯s the same for you too, no? If the extremist revolutionaries and the old regimes of old women are on the wrong side of history, for the crimes they committed, shouldn¡¯t we, the new ones fighting under the banner of change through sanity try to be on the right side of history?¡± The Princess leaned forward. ¡°And in that case, shouldn¡¯t we cooperate with each other¡­to bring about our visions? To end this cycle, we have to push back. We cannot rise above all these¡­cynicism, doom, and revenge if we lose.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I admit, only your government seemed good for my taste.¡± Amelie said. ¡°The rest of the Ivory Alliance, the Queens of Lorathia and Gaul, the other smaller Kingdoms¡­they all¡­they¡¯re all clamping down on the rights of men. They¡¯re cracking down on the possibility of revolution, much like how these revolutionary republics are cracking down on the possibility of a women¡¯s counter-revolution, through violent means.¡±


    ¡°I detest that.¡± The Princess said. ¡°Don¡¯t you too?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. I would never strike down on protesting civilians out of cold blood. It¡¯s¡­distasteful.¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°Deplorable even. But¡­my so-called allies in Lorathia arrested and banned all men¡¯s organizations ever since the Redcastle Attacks.¡±


    ¡°And soon, I bet the Queen of Gallia will crackdown even harder on men¡¯s rights after the bombings in Toldoi.¡± The Princess said. ¡°But you, even after the start of the civil war, the Heiss Government is still officially a coalition between the ORP and UOP. It¡¯s¡­unique. Not even the reformist remnants in Imperial Larissa can compare.¡±


    ¡°And you do the same, no?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The restored Imperial Government allows pro-male parties to enter the government and the Hebei Imperial Diet.¡± The Princess smiled. ¡°And, while imperfect, it works. Almost half of the Reformed Imperial Army are defectors from the previous Junta and the now Republic up north. Men. They¡¯re fighting for me, just like they do for you. Kindness, respect, and fairness. It goes a long way to make people think that your side is worthy to fight for.¡±


    Amelie almost felt as if she was looking at a mirror of herself. This¡­Princess Xue Li. She would be the perfect international ally, her mind immediately thought. Not like the member states of the Ivory Alliance. No¡­this¡­this was the kind of a leader she would happily stand side by side with. Sure, she wouldn¡¯t forgo her alliances, as practically half of the surviving pro-women order was dependent on the Ivory Alliance holding the line for the rest of the MN¡¯s member states¡­but.


    They are planning to turn the Mandate of Nations into a martial alliance after all. While no talks had begun, as all of the MN¡¯s member states were paralyzed or deep in the fighting against revolutionaries, insurrections, civil wars, or invasions from the hyper-aggressive Confederation of Larissa, the idea was there. If Amelie¡¯s reformist Kingdom of Orland, and Princess Xue Li¡¯s equally reformist Empire of Hebei joined forces to propose it first, they would be the new model for a political solution against the ongoing violent revolution from me.


    And there was no escaping it. Even if Amelie won the war in Orland, the war would not end there. Her greatest nightmare back when Marie first mentioned the ¡°global¡± reach of the extreme men¡¯s rights movement, a global revolution, had already arrived on their doorstep. She would have to face this war as not just an Orlish domestic affair but as an international struggle.


    And thus, I should¡­no, we should build the stepping stones to that international response now.


    ¡°So, can you help me out?¡± The Princess asked. ¡°If you cannot give me the supplies now, I will hold on. But I need your diplomatic support. I need Orland to recognize us. And I need Orland to be with me when I speak in the Mandate of Nations.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelie looked at Nia, who nodded enthusiastically at the proposal. ¡°Well¡­to have a sister on board to a better world is a prospect I cannot pass by. I¡¯ll arrange the aid to Hebei, as best as I can. But, more importantly, Orland will support you in your diplomatic efforts in the MN. I¡¯ll notify Adelaide about that. You¡¯re right¡­if we would band together in an alliance against this crisis, we should start by banding with our fellow reformists. The situation in Hebei is in Orland¡¯s interest from now on.¡±


    The Princess smiled. ¡°Just like the situation in Orland will be our problem too.¡± She lent out her hand. ¡°Then is it a deal?¡±


    And Amelie took it.


    ¡°Well, an alliance it is. Deal.¡±


    The Princess grinned. ¡°I¡¯m glad to have our sisters on board with this plan.¡±


    ¡°The sentiments are shared. Princess Xue Li, let¡¯s do our best to help each other build this coalition for a better world.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Four: Not Our Corporations!

    ¡°ORP politicians protest the striking down of the ¡®Women¡¯s Conscription Bill¡¯ which was meant to ¡®equalize¡¯ Orlish conscription policies. UOP MP Helena Vella expressed that the UOP would not vote for a bill that would ¡®endanger the lives¡¯ of millions of young women, citing that the RGO does not require conscripts but ¡®volunteers and magically capable individuals¡¯ instead. The OAF has already announced plans for the opening of all-female units since November, but the striking down of the bill has scrapped any further progress. It would appear that men would still stay as the main fighting force in the frontlines for now.¡±


    - ROCN News


    ¡°The Federal Army encircles the City of Kolstadt! After the determined assault of the OAF in early December, the City of Kolstadt was captured by the Royalists. A recent local counter-offensive by Federal forces in L?t is now reversing these gains, and Kolstadt is along the recent news of victories as the Federal Army marches on back to resume the assault into Thein. The trapped Royalist forces in Kolstadt have refused to surrender, however, and the Federal Army is now gearing up for an assault against the city.¡±


    - The Front News


    +++


    ¡°Well, if that isn¡¯t the awful news for today,¡± William said as he read the file. It was early in the morning, and Amelie was looking at the distant, peaceful skyline of Eutstadt as she sipped her tea. Nia herself was checking her schedule, while William checked the current updates from the OHC.


    ¡°Kolstadt, huh?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°It¡¯s a small city, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Approximately four hundred thousand people lived in that city before the war,¡± William said. ¡°Much of the city was evacuated before the First Battle of Kolstadt back in June, however.¡±


    ¡°And the troops trapped inside?¡±


    ¡°Around twenty-eight thousand. Four badly depleted divisions, specifically.¡± William placed down the documents. ¡°They¡¯re probably going to surrender before the week is over. The local officer in charge, General Karl Von Helswig is running his mouth about ¡®no surrender¡¯, but that¡¯s probably because he¡¯s the son of a bigshot noblewoman and he has to prove something stupid. Winter is already intensifying in the Archduchy, after all. Without supplies, they would not last long.¡±


    ¡°Can the OAF break through?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful.¡±


    Amelie sighed. Just another defeat to add to her list. Quite frankly, she expected that the OAF¡¯s general counter-offensive would push the ¡°Federal Republic¡± back into the Free State of Wuringen, but alas, after a few gains, the entire offensive was bogged down, and most fronts had to retreat back to their starting points (but thankfully, not in Eastern Orland) due to the determined counter-attack of their enemies.


    ¡°What about General Von Helswig? I do know that Countess Von Helswig is quite influential in the Parliament, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, not like she would care if her son died.¡± William laughed. ¡°That¡¯s your first mistake. Well, she¡¯d probably make some noise, but¡­ In any case, that guy¡¯s going down in that pocket. Sucks, but it¡¯s the truth. There¡¯s no rescue coming for him and those four divisions. They¡¯re going to surrender, there¡¯s no other option.¡±


    ¡°You sound quite uncaring about their plight, William. And you assumed too much about Lady Von Helswig¡¯s character.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just being realistic. And no armed unit can survive while cut off. They can die valiantly, yes, but that would be stupid. Order them to surrender. There¡¯s no point for them to continue fighting like morons. The frontline moved by eighteen kilometers away from the Kolstadt pocket. No offensive is going to reconnect that shitshow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite harsh, Major William,¡± Nia commented. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure they can take down a few more rebels with them for a while.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well. But you¡¯re not the one doing the dying, now, do you?¡± William laughed. ¡°I¡¯m telling you. Those guys should surrender, Amelie. Even I can see a pointless battle. Sure, they¡¯re tying up a lot of the Federal Army in that area, but the OAF has already rebuilt its defensive lines for the winter. Ain¡¯t nothing changing until then.¡±


    ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t that make me look weak?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°I do agree that they should surrender, but shouldn¡¯t it come from the OHC themselves? Tell General Albrecht that he has my permission to give that order.¡±


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how you want it to go, you do you. I¡¯m just saying, that we can have a propaganda spin if the Queen herself tells her trapped troops to stop a pointless fight to ¡®end the pointless bloodshed¡¯. Makes you look more like a saint.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you men and your propaganda nonsense,¡± Nia said. ¡°It¡¯s that again and again. Twisting words and reality just to appeal to the feeble masses.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever you say, Nia.¡± William turned to Amelie. ¡°So, you agree?¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it. Permit General Albrecht to give the order, and I¡¯ll make the official media announcement.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    And with that, William was out of her office, quite satisfied with the results. Amelie herself sagged in her seat. ¡°Hah¡­even this far away from the frontlines, the damned war still haunts me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say that. I mean, this still beats being stuck in that¡­bunker was it?¡±


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    ¡°Of course it does, Nia.¡± Amelie sipped her tea again. ¡°Remind me, who again is coming for an appointment today?¡±


    Nia checked her notepad. ¡°Well Porter, CEO of Porter Heavy Industries. And Michael Rudolf of the Rebenslof Group.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­yeah. Those guys.¡± Amelie laughed a bit. ¡°I thought Mr. Rudolf was bankrupt by now, especially with this war and all. But I suppose he¡¯s still kicking.¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Met those two a lot back before this war started. They helped me manage the instability in Orland before the 2024 General Elections. And especially back during the General Strike.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Nia looked up. ¡°I remember that. It was almost as if all of Orland was burning back then. They were rioting everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was awful.¡± Amelie looked back at those days. The riots, the frozen and collapsing economy¡­everything. She may not have believed it at that time, but that economic crisis and the General Strike were indeed the greatest warning signs for this revolution of men. Ever since that day, they had nothing left to lose. And what was happening today was merely an extension of the state they found themselves in.


    Amelie looked back at the skyline of Eutstadt. The peace, the stability¡­and wealth. The shining pillars of women¡¯s domination and progress. Everything men didn¡¯t have. Ironically, men built up Eutstadt for women, didn¡¯t they? They were the ones who constructed nearly everything. Yet¡­they would not find themselves here but in some dirty trench line instead.


    ¡°But not as awful as the reason for those events.¡±


    ¡°Amelie?¡±


    She looked back at Nia.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    +++


    Michael Rudolf and Well Porter arrived at their designated time. Well Porter seemed neutral, but Michael Rudolf was the polar opposite. While Amelie could see him smiling as they exchanged pleasantries, she knew that he was desperate.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Mr. Rudolf started. ¡°I¡­I would like to preface this by giving you a report on the current state of the Orlish Economy in regard to the Rebenslof Group. Would that be alright?¡±


    ¡°Please, do begin. I did get some words from the Minister of the Economy regarding the situation, but, I would like to hear your side as well.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°At the moment, we are hurting. The reason for the continuing decline of industrial production nationwide is that male-owned businesses are going bankrupt, and we¡¯re still scrounging up without much subsidies. Global trade has also collapsed, and the prices of everything have risen. We are sustaining the production quotas imposed on us by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Defense, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going bankrupt faster?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re paying us with bonds, Your Majesty.¡± Mr. Porter bitterly said. ¡°That¡­those things don¡¯t work when we¡¯re buying our raw materials from outside sources. And when do we know when those promissory notes are going to be paid?¡±


    Amelie sighed, before looking at Nia, who pulled out a document. She cleared her throat. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Her Majesty would conduct a direct intervention.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mr. Porter asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m partially nationalizing the defense sector,¡± Amelie said with a cold tone. ¡°If the government would be the one to fund and subsidize your corporations during the duration of the war, then we would require a much more direct control on your factories and industrial base.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­but, Your Majesty¡ª¡± Amelie held up her hand, stopping the protests from Mr. Rudolf.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already consulted the Minister of Economy regarding this. The reason why Countess Wittfield refused to enact a large-scale subsidy package was that she couldn¡¯t entrust the defense of Orland to the private sector with the ongoing war around us. I¡¯m sure you can understand, Mr. Porter and Mr. Rudolf.¡±


    ¡°This¡­we helped you.¡± Mr. Rudolf seemed distraught at the sudden turn of things. ¡°We did everything for you back during the General Strike. During the elections. We even talked with the ORP to help you get that coalition.¡±


    ¡°And I know what you both did to contribute to my rule.¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°But, that¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this. While this won¡¯t be good for your own sake in the short term, rest assured, the plan to nationalize your corporations is a temporary measure. And nominally, both of you and the rest of the Rebenslof Group will stay in control, you would all just have to follow our whims.¡±


    Well Porter seemed cynical at the proposition, but he laughed. ¡°Which means we¡¯d be your full puppets. Fine, whatever. Sure, it¡¯s not like we can export much in the global arms market now that Orland is our main buyer. But, Your Majesty, this is nothing but outrageous. How can we know if you¡¯re going to give us back our company once all this is over?¡±


    ¡°A written deal. Five years and the Orlish Government will be your one and only customer. You will meet our needs, and expand your factories as we deem necessary, all funded by our subsidies.¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°And after that, a preferential deal to the both of you. Both for the Rebenslof Group and PHI. You will both be prioritized for government contracts post-war. So¡­what do you both think?¡±


    ¡°Look, Your Majesty, I appreciate the gesture, but all of those means nothing.¡± Mr. Porter said. ¡°My fellow corporations controlled and owned by men are already being cannibalized, on the red, nearly bankrupt, and with us nationalized, what bite do we even have left? And what if, when all of this is over, and you women finally demand us men to pay for our ¡®crimes¡¯? At this point, why not just cannibalize us fully?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡± Amelie asked, and the both of them nodded.


    ¡°How can we trust you, women? You¡¯ve all left us in the air again and again. Now, you¡¯re seizing whatever properties we built up for decades left and right all because our fellow men rebelled. Your proposal is sweet, but you will essentially kill any power we have.¡± He laughed. ¡°But¡­not like we have a choice.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re both desperate. At least you are both self-aware to know that.¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°But, look. I wouldn¡¯t do any of that. What kind of Orland would I build if those who helped me reach it were left behind the wayside? Mr. Rudolf and Mr. Porter, you won¡¯t be sure. But would you not take the reassurance from the Queen herself that you will all still receive a place in the post-war world if you cooperate?¡±


    The two of them looked down, frowning at their situation. Nia spoke up. ¡°You both cooperated with Her Majesty already, right? It¡¯s a difficult situation, but please understand. She won¡¯t betray you.¡±


    ¡°Saying have faith is hardly believable at this point.¡± Mr. Porter said in response. ¡°But alright. We¡¯ll bite. We have no choice left. We thought¡­you¡¯d help us.¡±


    ¡°And I am,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But I cannot give you what you searched for. This is the only thing I can reasonably give, and I am sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°Screw this, I¡¯m in.¡± Mr. Rudolf said. ¡°Not like I¡¯d be able to keep my steel works and mines without subsidies. I just hope what you are saying is true, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°It is. And if I do lie and betray my words, then do everything necessary to resist.¡± Amelie breathed out. ¡°Deal?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Mr. Porter said. ¡°Deal.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Five: Calm Down, Deputy Prime Minister

    ¡°Convoy Gold-A and its twelve merchant ships carrying major industrial toolings and equipment from the Free Confederation was sunk near the Central Oppelian Grand Canal by a Federal Republic submarine wolf pack. The major sinking has been noted as ¡®disastrous¡¯ by the Ministry of Economy. Economy Minister Anne Wittfield has now levied multiple statements against the Navy¡¯s ¡®incompetence¡¯ at handling the Federal Republic¡¯s constant commerce raiding activities. The Admiralty has yet to issue a response, merely calling for ¡®organizational investigations¡¯ regarding the incident.¡±


    - Arcane Updates


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Eutstadt


    January 1, 2025


    ¡°Cheers?¡±


    ¡°To a better Orland! Cheers!¡±


    Amelie took the first drink of the night, even when it was a tiny sip, just as much of the Orlish Government present today in the November Palace took theirs. Quite frankly, it was mostly empty today, as many spent the day instead with their respective families. Even Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss was gone, as she was away with her own family.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­now that¡¯s a good one.¡± Minister Jan Sobiesky of the Ministry of Infrastructure said as he downed his shot of champagne, turning a bit to Minister Alfred Hegel of the Ministry of Energy. The two barged in with the Deputy Prime Minister into the November Palace in a bit of a surprising fashion for Amelie, but she accepted the guests graciously.


    And, they¡¯re a part of the Heiss Government. Amelie smiled at all of them. It would be strange if I kicked them off for being unknown to me. Amelie never really had a chance to meet the male members of the Heiss Government after all. In fact, she had only ever met the Minister of Health and Social Services Allison Thell, and the Minister of Economy Anne Wittfield, because the June Coup prevented them from even properly convening as one in the Grand Duchy before they were evacuated to Eutstadt.


    She felt Nia leaning into her. ¡°Really unfortunate that the year ended this way.¡±


    ¡°Hah, loosen up, Nia. At the very least, we¡¯re fixing everything up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. They do seem quite lively, don¡¯t you think.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is the end of the year after all.¡± Amelie watched as William and Albert butted heads again on the corner of the room, arguing about which branch of the Armed Forces was superior in hushed tones as they took turns with their drinks. The Navy or the Army. Amelie placed her hand on her mouth and giggled a bit at their childishness. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for celebrations regardless.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well. I guess.¡± Nia herself shied away from the alcohol, preferring to hold simple juice in her own glass. The two of them took a sip in an almost synchronous manner, and Amelie felt the light kick of the alcohol. ¡°Did they sugar in this?¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps they did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a bummer¡­¡± Nia said. ¡°I wanted real juice.¡±


    Amelie laughed, before looking at where Alice was sitting. Already, Marta was tending to her, as the Princess of Orland fell asleep right at the dinner table, all alone after splurging on her cake. It seemed that her little sister merely held out until the moment that the clock struck 12:00 AM. She didn¡¯t even wait for it in reality, as she had already been eating minutes before the clock struck midnight.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­seems that Alice is out,¡± Amelie said, just as Marta nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking her to her bedroom soon, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Go on. She seemed tired hours ago anyway.¡± Amelie gave Alice¡¯s head a light pat, just as Nia spoke up.


    ¡°She¡¯s a fast sleeper, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re sleep-deprived.¡± Amelie gave her a final pat. ¡°She was practicing her magic hard yesterday. To ¡®help protect the Kingdom¡¯, she said.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think Alice is pushing herself a bit too far?¡± Nia sighed. ¡°Oh, you Ludendorf sisters. You both have no idea of self-care, do you?¡±


    ¡°Shush. We¡¯re not like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Coming from the Queen who overworks herself like a common employee.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t mind the comment. ¡°I prefer that. To be a leader is to serve the nation, is it not?¡± Amelie closed her eyes a bit, feeling some warmth and wetness in her own eyes. Even now, she badly needed sleep as well. ¡°It¡¯s the only way. I won¡¯t rest until the Kingdom is in one peace. Safe¡­and secure.¡±


    Just like my family. Amelie looked around, especially at William, Nia, Allison, and Walter. And friends.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we can kick those rebels out of Orland.¡± Nia took another sip from her glass. ¡°Hah¡­I¡¯m sure of it. There¡¯s no way we can lose. The only path forward is victory, especially with you as Queen.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy though.¡± Much of those present today weren¡¯t exactly women, Amelie noted. Perhaps it was simply because her female Ministers had their own families. The four men present today, however, didn¡¯t. William, Walter, Jan, and Alfred were all a part of the Dead Generation, after all. All four of them hailed from the trenches of the Great War. All of them were coldly distant as well from their families and without even the chance to start one.


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    The political participation of the Dead Generation definitely was one of their defining traits, Amelie noted. They may be dead men killed long before they returned home, but they were here in the highest echelons of the Orlish Government, down to the lowest common soldier or factory worker.


    It was almost as if they simply refused to give up. Stubbornly.


    And now, perhaps they were here to discuss the interests of the Dead Generation with Amelie once more. Even right now, on the first day of the New Year. But, maybe that was what the Deputy Prime Minister wanted from Amelie. Walter himself was silently eating his steak on the table, minding no one in the room. Almost cold. He wants to highlight it immediately for me. The Queen.


    Hah, I really do wonder what his deal is. Amelie thought to herself. Minister Jan and Minister Alfred seem chill. But he¡¯s not.


    The ORP did have quite a disagreement with the UOP after all, and the rest of the Orlish Parliament. Perhaps that was why, Amelie thought. She already even planned to address the disagreements between the two parties. She would not let the current Heiss Government and its coalition collapse because of a disagreement between Walter¡¯s ORP and Jacqueline¡¯s UOP. That would simply be an unacceptable situation at the moment.


    And even after that. If Orland were to survive this year, and the years after that, and the end of war alongside the inevitable recovery period, the unity between the UOP-ORP coalition would have to remain in place. Until every change and reform passed. Until the economy¡¯s health was restored. Until women and men finally learned to tolerate and cooperate with each other.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s really that pissed,¡± Nia said, noticing Amelie looking at Walter. ¡°Perhaps, he just really wanted a talk today.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind the disruption to my sleep schedule, Nia.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡± She looked up at Amelie. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you to record what happens. Rest assured, if he acts out of the line¡ª¡±


    ¡°You said he won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not really worried about that either. I¡¯m more worried about how I¡¯m going to address the problems he¡¯ll bring up.¡±


    He stabbed a piece of steak with his fork.


    ¡°And remember, Nia. He¡¯s our ally.¡± Amelie turned to Nia, giving her a serious look. ¡°You¡¯d do well to remember that. I don¡¯t want you to make him feel unwelcome. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Amelie.¡±


    +++


    ¡°One wonders what even is the point of these celebrations.¡± Walter Plock said as he stared at the distant fireworks that still continued to blanket the city through the window. Amelie and Nia were still cleaning up the papers in the desks, while both Minister Sobieski and Minister Hegel sat silently on the guest sofa. ¡°It¡¯s a bitter irony, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Well, Deputy Prime Minister, I believe otherwise,¡± Amelie said as she finished cleaning up her table, and finally sitting in her seat. ¡°To raise the human spirit by keeping up these human social activities is a necessity, even in times of war, especially if we can, is beneficial.¡±


    She motioned for him to take his seat in front of her table. ¡°Please, take it, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister.¡± She looked at the other two, who stood up as well. ¡°Go on too, Minister Sobieski and Minister Hegel. I believe I haven¡¯t really met the both of you much just yet?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty.¡± Minister Sobieski said.


    ¡°But we both understand.¡± Minister Hegel added. ¡°The Kingdom¡¯s war requires more of your attention, after all.¡±


    ¡°Still does not mean I shall ignore Orland¡¯s civilian government. Please, have a seat.¡± And they took it after the Deputy Prime Minister was seated. Nia, on the other hand, stood beside Amelie, holding a clipboard with every relevant note and document ready. ¡°Now, gentlemen. May I hear the matters that you¡­desire, to present today?¡±


    ¡°Cutting to the chase. Sure.¡± Walter started. ¡°The issue of conscription, Your Majesty. It is a joke. A farce. What happened to the UOP-ORP coalition? What happened to the reforms and equality?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Minister Sobieski added. ¡°We men are breaking our bones both in the homefront and the frontlines. This isn¡¯t the Great War, Your Majesty. Your fellow women have to take the slack and do your job. We need more souls maintaining the railways and roads for one. They¡¯re bombing it day and night. We could use some magic.¡±


    ¡°We need it as well for our refineries, mines, and the like.¡± Minister Hegel added. ¡°We need bodies to keep the production of energy and raw materials flowing for the industries we¡¯re building and relocating in West Orland. Foreign imports won¡¯t keep the entire house of cards flowing. The war took away the men toiling in the refineries, plants, mines, farms, and even factories.¡±


    ¡°And more importantly, we need more damned bodies in the frontlines, Your Majesty.¡± Walter ended. ¡°You know that. I know that. Everyone knows that. My generation of men has already been cut in size. Soon, you¡¯d be conscripting even the older men who are running our industries even when they¡¯re stretched thin. And then what? We lose?¡±


    Amelie looked at Nia, who sighed. She turned back to the trio. ¡°I understand your grievances.¡±


    ¡°This is not merely grievances, Your Majesty. These are national security issues. If women won¡¯t pick up that dirty work as well¡­then you would have made your own bed should the rebels win. Because I assure you, victory isn¡¯t assured, no matter what delusions you have all crafted in your minds.¡±


    ¡°And again, I understand that. And I agree with all of you. And Deputy Prime Minister, I know that you also know that the Prime Minister shares the same opinion, as do I.¡±


    ¡°But none of that matters until it is translated into action. The Parliament floored the ORP''s proposal to expand the conscription to young women.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Minister Sobieski seemed outraged, and Amelie could almost hear his subtle Pozneki accent as he spoke. ¡°My fellow party members were made fool of. ORP MPs had to argue with their own fellow coalition members. And when the vote came, only a few handfuls from the UOP supported us. We were humiliated, Your Majesty. Humiliated. Again.¡±


    ¡°Your outrage isn¡¯t misplaced, Minister Sobieski. And I¡¯m glad that the three of you came forward to present this critical policy issue.¡± Amelie said. ¡°In fact, I am trying to formulate a plan to get this bill passed, because as you have all said, not only is it unequal, it is a detriment to Orland¡¯s war efforts.¡±


    Nia spoke her part. ¡°In addition, Her Majesty is also in talks with the Prime Minister and other female members of the cabinet. Rest assured, we, and Her Majesty will find a way to address this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± Amelie said. ¡°So, please, just give me and the Prime Minister time. We need the support of men and the ORP in this.¡±


    ¡°We reaffirm our continued commitment to cooperation,¡± Walter said. ¡°But, for heaven¡¯s grace¡­please, we¡¯re dying of thirst from the lack of reciprocal support.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for that. But, again, please. Just give us more time. We¡¯ll do everything we can to settle this deadlock.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Six: Work Sets You Free

    ¡°¡®Rebenslof Steel will not take responsibility for this disaster. We already gave up NATDMC to House Dubois, they were the ones in charge for months,¡¯ said CEO Michael Rudolf as the ongoing disaster in the Principality of Freiland, as nearly seven-hundred eighty penal miners of Rebenslof Steel¡¯s formerly owned mining subsidiary, ¡®NATDMC¡¯, were trapped after an accident in one of their iron-coal mine in Frieland. NATDMC has been acquired by House Dubois after being sold by the ¡®almost bankrupt¡¯ Rebenslof Steel. Michael Rudolf has pinned the blame on the Archduchess and House Dubois, citing her ¡®reckless¡¯ lowering of safety standards to increase NATDMC¡¯s productivity as a cause. Rescue efforts are still ongoing, but the chances for the trapped men below are slim.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    Central Orland


    Principality of Freiland


    January 5, 2025


    ¡°Work¡­sets you free?¡± Amelie asked as she looked at the entrance of the mine. The trip to Freiland wasn¡¯t exactly quite long. The entire nonsense blew out of nowhere, and since the frontlines had turned cold in the last few days, media attention was now centered on the ongoing debacle about the trapped penal miners.


    ¡°Well, they are penal miners,¡± William dryly said. ¡°It¡¯s quite fitting. I mean, when you have millions of men imprisoned, there¡¯s only one way to reduce their sentences optimally.¡±


    ¡°William, your sarcasm is dripping.¡± Nia angrily pointed out. ¡°Have respect.¡±


    ¡°Well, apologies for that.¡± He drove past the checkpoint after the guard gave them permission. Just behind them, multiple trucks carrying water and drill rigs were lined up. All of them were needed for the ongoing rescue efforts. ¡°But, the truth is the truth.¡±


    Amelie herself seemed pissed, but not at William. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. This just screams disgusting to me. What the hell was she thinking? I know our industries need more coal, iron, and other mined resources, but this is just¡­¡±


    ¡°Spit it out, Amelie.¡± William dryly said again as he made another turn.


    ¡°Evil.¡±


    ¡°...W-well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just an accident,¡± Nia said, still adamantly defending her own side. ¡°Plus, they¡¯re just¡­they¡¯re¡­you know. They¡¯re criminals, okay? I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re so focused on this problem when there¡¯s a war.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well. Who cares about those criminals? They gotta pay for their crimes, no? Plus, it¡¯s almost two million men you can toss to free labor or death battalions.¡±


    ¡°We get your point, William,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°Sorry, I just hate the damned sound of that. I served with penal battalions in the Great War. They¡¯re not whatever image you all are crafting in your minds.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Most of them are my fellow brothers who found the shortest end of the stick. I mean, we imprison men for failing to pay child support for heaven¡¯s sake, or failing to pay debt. And trust me, so many men screwed up their debts during the recession, and we send these guys to these types of shit?¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­true? I¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nia said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, let¡¯s just end this nonsense here,¡± Amelie said as they stopped in front of a hastily set up tent. ¡°It¡¯s all pointless bickerings. This is wrong, end of discussion.¡±


    By the time the two exited, the Archduchess herself was already walking straight to their SUV, flanked by two Royal Guard Knights. Immediately, the trio as they stopped in front of Amelie before the Archduchess carried on forward.


    ¡°Your Maj¡ª¡±


    ¡°Archduchess Pristina Dubois, what in the Goddess¡¯ name happened down here?¡± Amelie was visibly getting irate. ¡°I have heard, and I am disturbed, of the fact that eight hundred penal laborers of this mine, are either dead or trapped.¡±


    ¡°Dead or trapped, nearly a thousand and hundred meters below, yes. I do not deny that. Multiple shafts connecting the deep mine to the surface have collapsed.¡± She breathed deeply, just as another woman, who Amelie recognized as Pristina¡¯s little sister, ran toward the two. ¡°It¡¯s an accident, Your Majesty.¡±


    Her little sister, who seemed to be older than Amelie, stood beside the Archduchess in shame. Amelie took a deep breath before addressing the two. ¡°Who was in charge of NATDMC?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I am, Your Majesty!¡± Said Beatrice Dubois, way too quickly. ¡°It was a mistake. W-we didn¡¯t account for the reports of the local administrators of this specific mine, because¡­productivity reasons. I¡­we needed to increase our output for the first months of the acquisition of NATDMC, so¡­I¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak clearly, Beatrice.¡± Pristina coldly said, and Beatrice stiffened.


    ¡°We learned. I-it was a mistake. Again, please, I take responsibility. This¡­this could have been avoided, yes. But, we really needed to meet the demands of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Economy to¡­erm¡­get further subsidy packages. But, that was a mistake. We are now¡­reversing all of the lifting of safety standards, yes. I swear, this will not happen again. Please¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I had heard enough. You¡­you two. We will have a private talk, later. This¡­can they be saved?¡±


    ¡°We are attempting,¡± Pristina said. ¡°Rebenslof Steel and PHI already sent drill rigs and other heavy equipment to bore down at the trapped men.¡±


    ¡°A-and we¡¯re trying to communicate with them through the open ventilation shafts. Many survived, but we don¡¯t know how many.¡± Beatrice gulped. ¡°We will find a way. I swear. We¡¯ll¡­we¡¯ll get them out. No matter what.¡±


    ¡°Good, because¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now, now. This¡­this is the shit.¡± Amelie turned around. Two of the Heiss¡¯ Cabinet was here. Minister Hegel and Minister Sobieski walked from their vehicles, with Minister Hegel shaking his head as he removed his gloves. ¡°This, ladies, is what we call, a massive fuckup.¡±


    ¡°Please refrain from using such foul words, Minister Hegel,¡± Nia said, already pissed at how the two were acting. Minister Sobieski pulled out a clipboard, just after he wore his eyeglasses.


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    ¡°Preliminary reports show that at least seven hundred penal miners are stuck at a depth of a thousand meters and above. Removing that, at least two hundred are possibly dead in the collapsed shafts in the upper parts of the mine, and¡­they only have supplies to last two weeks.¡± He sighed. ¡°What the fuck are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, leave that to the ladies.¡± Minister Hegel said. ¡°I believe House Dubois insisted that they can run NATDMC much better to meet the demands of the defense industry. Rebenslof Steel had to retreat from the negotiations completely humiliated. Perhaps you can all fix this shitshow? But¡­it seems that the tables have turned, no?¡±


    Beatrice paled further at the accusations levied against her, while Pristina¡¯s steel gaze aimed at the two Ministers didn¡¯t falter. Amelie placed herself in the middle of the two groups. ¡°Alright, the four of you. Can we please stop the blame game and finger-pointing for now? We have men to rescue. Let us focus on that. Please.¡±


    ¡°I am not, and I will not be paying for the fallout of this crap!¡± A loud voice approached them, and all of them turned as an even angrier Michael Rudolf arrived on the scene. ¡°I am helping you two, but you are both pushing it! Miss Beatrice Dubois, you ignored our advice, so don¡¯t you dare¡ª¡±


    ¡°I already took responsibility!¡± Beatrice shouted back, already on the verge of tears. ¡°I¡­I was just stressed when the media appeared.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a damned excuse, and you know that!¡±


    ¡°Enough! Can we please¡­¡± Amelie looked at everyone. ¡°Someone screwed up. This is awful. Yes, all that is true. And we will investigate this, but please, let¡¯s focus on the task at hand. There are still so many miners trapped underneath. We can do the finger-pointing once they¡¯re out.¡±


    Minister Hegel nodded reluctantly. ¡°Alright. Mr. Rudolf?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the drill situation going?¡± He asked. ¡°You told me you sent everything needed for the operation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re already shipping the extra parts. The drilling rigs are ready. We have ten of them ready, and we¡¯d be drilling down based on the layout of the mines. We¡¯re going to try, and we¡¯re going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°The mines collapsed!¡± Someone shouted as commotion grew around the site. Multiple workers, engineers, and soldiers rushed into action, just as the head engineer of the mine ran toward them.


    ¡°Mister? What is happening?¡± Amelie asked as the man removed his hard hat.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­we detected multiple explosions and fires in the shafts below. There¡¯s not enough oxygen underneath, our sensors noted that most of the oxygen below burned off. Some of the ventilation shafts also collapsed.¡± He breathed out heavily. ¡°There¡¯s¡­there¡¯s no hope. They¡¯re most probably dead, or dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I-it can¡¯t be!¡± Shouted Beatrice. ¡°Continue the rescue efforts. Minister Hegel, I¡¯m sure something can still be done. There must be people that can still be rescued in the shafts.¡±


    ¡°No there¡¯s nothing more we can do, Miss Beatrice. They¡¯re dead now. And even if we drill this up, it will take weeks if not months.¡± He turned around to face Amelie. ¡°It¡¯s over. We¡¯re too late. Not that we even had a chance. These types of accidents are hard to reverse.¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­¡± Amelie turned to the Dubois sisters. ¡°You two, we will really have a long talk after this.¡±


    +++


    By the time the situation report was over, both Minister Hegel and Minister Sobieski were gone on the side of the room, discussing the possible fallout and policy changes that may occur with this incident. On the corner, Beatrice Dubois was inconsolable, repeating ¡°sorry¡± after ¡°sorry¡± as she hid herself, only accompanied by her older sister.


    All while Amelie talked to the media outside.


    ¡°There will be changes,¡± she declared over the microphones. ¡°We will be investigating the safety standards of these mines,¡± she added, as more questions came. She didn¡¯t really have an answer, and so William¡¯s troops, the 16th, finally decided to form a line to separate her from the media, pushing them off from the Queen, all while Lady Lubaine¡¯s Royal Guard contingent gave a close overwatch near them.


    Amelie resigned back to the meeting tent, already empty as the engineers and experts that briefed them earlier were now back on site, assessing the damage caused by the incident, or looking for ways to recover and reopen the mine.


    ¡°I¡­this¡­¡± Nia seemed to still be pale at the suddenness of the situation. ¡°How did that even happen? One second, they were preparing for the rescue, now¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a damned mine,¡± William said. ¡°If it collapses, it¡¯s going to be all accidents from then on. They¡¯ve dug something wrong and too fast to meet Beatrice¡¯s production quota. Shit happens.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention, they¡¯re penal laborers,¡± Minister Sobieski said. ¡°I knew it. This is why all of this is stupid. Allowing corporations a free hand at using penal labor is just giving them excuses to be reckless and lower safety standards. We¡¯re practically running a slavery ring in all but name here. Hell, even the courts started jailing men left and right faster for non-violent offenses to meet demand. Demand for what? Free labor of course. Does that not sound similar to something?¡±


    ¡°Slavery?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Look, Minister Sobieski, much as I loathe what happened, I don¡¯t think Orland ever engaged in that¡­that kind of dirty business. We already outlawed that¡­centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°Until the rise of male crime rates two decades ago. When your mother decided that penal labor would be a good way to deal with the millions stuck in prisons.¡± He laughed. ¡°You women really are beyond blind to the realities below you. You saw those words at the entrance, didn''t you? ¡®Work sets you free¡¯. Literally, we¡¯re making them do borderline unpaid labor to lessen their sentences. And this crap happens.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d be waiting for a nuclear reactor disaster with all these reductions in safety standards,¡± Minister Hegel said. ¡°Seems like we¡¯re on track to the Empire of Larissa¡¯s safety records in their industrial accidents. Unless we change course now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I already said that. We just¡­okay.¡± Amelie breathed out. ¡°This will have direct consequences on our production capacity and economy, does it not? But if we do not cease these practices¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s up to you really, Your Majesty.¡± Minister Sobieski said. ¡°Prioritize the war, the production quotas, everything to win it, or are you going to enforce stricter standards that may result in short-term productivity losses just to improve the morality of all this¡­your choice. Or, well, the Prime Minister¡¯s choice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Amelie looked back at the Dubois sisters, who still remained silent.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fully pin every blame on the two of them, Your Majesty, even when I¡¯d love to do that.¡± He looked at Mr. Rudolf, who also remained silent. ¡°I mean, this guy is still doing it too.¡±


    ¡°But I do not recklessly do it. Rebenslof Steel treats its penal laborers as best as we can.¡± He said. ¡°I¡­I do not¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, but still the same regardless. Morally at least.¡± Minister Sobieski said. ¡°Just because you had fewer accidents does not mean you¡¯re completely better. In any case, let this incident be a lesson. The only question is, when should we change it?¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t really have an answer yet. She needed more guns, artillery, tanks, aircraft, and everything in between. Which meant she needed more raw materials and energy to create that. This meant¡­that she needed more laborers in these¡­places¡­and they needed to speed up their production. Oh, had it been peacetime, she would seriously combat these problems, but¡­


    ¡°I have no decision yet. We¡¯ll consult the other members of the government. But, things will change. I¡¯m sure of that. Just¡­investigate, and¡­send all of your findings to my desk.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make sure of that, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    And with that, Amelie retreated from the site with William and Nia. She didn¡¯t want to stay and confront it any further, for now. Yet a question remained in her mind.


    Why? Why did I not know this? This¡­under her rule? This was happening?


    She almost wanted to vomit.

 Chapter One Hundred Seven: The Heiss Cabinet

    ¡°Kingdoms of Lorathia and Gallia finally announce general mobilization! Lorathian and Gallian troops are now filling the Gallia-Poznek DMZ just as winter sets in. Trench lines and defensive emplacements left over from the Great War are being manned and improved, as Gallian frontier towns and cities are fortified in anticipation of an offensive from the Confederation of Larissa. Whether or not they will hold without Orland is a question, however, as the Confederation wins victories after victories against the remnants of the Order Pact in Eastern Vaeyox.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Halia


    January 7, 2025


    ¡°Unfortunately, that seems to be the case, Your Majesty.¡± Minister Adelaide said, as their first proper session of a cabinet meeting began.


    Beside Amelie was the Prime Minister, Jacqueline herself, who was reading the reports from West Vaeyox. The Deputy Prime Minister, Walter Plock, on the other hand, was conversing with his three fellow male ministers. The Minister of Infrastructure, Energy, and the Minister of Science and Technology. They were all seated on the left side of the table, almost forming their own block in the Heiss Government.


    On the other side, the Minister of Defense, Archduchess Pristina Dubois, seemed to be discussing something with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Allison Thell. All while the Ministers of Economy, Education, Interior, and Arcane Development listened to Minister Adelaide¡¯s updates about the situation in West Vaeyox.


    ¡°Well, then¡­right. War in West Vaeyox. Does this mean we really are in the Second Great War?¡± Amelie asked as the Ministers looked back at her. ¡°I¡­I really thought beating the Empire would end our problems in West Vaeyox, but it seems that I¡¯m sorely mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­yes, but still, technically, the Empire already signed a white peace with us.¡± Minister Adelaide said. ¡°We are fighting unrecognized rebel groups, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re unrecognized or not,¡± Walter said. ¡°The Confederation is arguably more prepared for a hot war than the Empire. Sure, we sunk their navy, and Larissa is cut in half, but the Confederation is mobilized. The Imperial Army wasn¡¯t destroyed. Not even dented. And they¡¯re fighting with the rebels, who are in the process of mopping up resistance in the rest of the Order Pact after completely wiping the floor of the Kingdoms of Poznek and Lombardia.¡±


    ¡°Still, we shouldn¡¯t be too pessimistic about this. We sunk their navy. That should count for something.¡± The Archduchess smiled to herself. ¡°We just need to send a token force to support Gallia. And regardless of what they do, they won¡¯t be able to touch Lorathia, giving us a base to support our operations indefinitely.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­damn it, these endless wars.¡± The Prime Minister said, sighing to herself. ¡°First the Empire, then the Putsch here, now, the Confederation. We really are in the Second Great War. No matter how much we deny it.¡±


    ¡°The Ivory Alliance will be prepared to respond to this.¡± Minister Adelaide said. ¡°We already conversed with our fellow alliance members. We will soon trigger Article Nine to bring in all of the Ivory Alliance into this fight.¡±


    ¡°Lieplatz and Asturia won¡¯t join it.¡± Minister Thell said. ¡°Well, who am I kidding? Those traitors are already on the side of the Confederation.¡±


    ¡°Quite frankly, the Federal Government is the same,¡± Walter said. ¡°Once Article Nine is triggered, and we call in all of the member states of the Ivory Alliance, they¡¯re going to finish the Loviedo Conference in a few days with a martial alliance of their own. Suddenly, we¡¯re going to be at war with all of them. At once. We¡¯re going to have to reposition our forces to the Lieplatz-Orland border.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, I plan to invite all of the Mandate of Nations into this.¡± Amelie declared, and suddenly, everyone stopped, looking straight at her. ¡°The Princess of Hebei already gave me that idea, and I think it¡¯s correct. All of us must band together to fight them back. If global war is inevitable, then all the remaining member states of the Mandate of Nations must band together. Led by the Ivory Alliance and Orland.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­Your Majesty¡­¡± Minister Adelaide started. ¡°Much as it pains me to say this, the Asanai Empire for example has ended their male-revolution problem with their emergency reforms. The second largest great power is now already on the path to isolate itself from this war, and they¡¯re the only country holding much sway in the non-aligned member states of the Mandate of Nations.¡±


    ¡°I thought their Princess said that we should all band together for the fight in the last Mandate of Nations conference? Princess Yumi Kawasaki, was it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that position has since been reversed by their Empress.¡± Minister Adelaide sighed. ¡°The Asanai Empire is reversing whatever claims they have about uniting the Mandate of Nations against this crisis, for some reason. I suppose that is to be expected. They stayed out of the Great War, they stayed out of the Hebei Civil War, they¡¯re going to stay out of the Second Great War.¡±


    ¡°Well, pacifists.¡± Minister Hegel commented. ¡°But at least they¡¯re true pacifists. It¡¯s no wonder their island nation is prosperous and that its economy is second only to Orland. When was the last time they found themselves in a war? Oh, yes, like, nearly a century ago.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s because they have everything they need.¡± Countess Anne Wittfield, the Minister of Economy said. ¡°And they have always prioritized their nation¡¯s development. Inward isolationism works sometimes, I suppose. We could have done the same.¡±


    ¡°Well, my older sister would kill you if she heard you say that.¡± The Prime Minister said. ¡°To be fair, she¡¯s already criticizing your protectionist policies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, as if I¡¯ll listen to her. Her and the previous regime¡¯s policies are what led us to the Great War and to this crisis. Their mistakes are too great for them to even jab at us.¡± Countess Anne Wittfield scoffed. So far, her economic policy had been protectionist in nature, and she had been taking greater and greater control of Orland¡¯s corporations, both female-owned and male-owned. Thus, why she withheld the subsidies until the nearly bankrupt corporations caved in.


    She was shaping Orland away from the former Weirl?ff government¡¯s nearly laissez-faire policies that allowed corporations too much power. As far as mainstream historical analysis was concerned, the previous Orland¡¯s over-reliance on foreign markets (especially oil and raw materials) was the main reason for their involvement in the Great War, as both the Empire and Orland had to ¡°fight¡± for their spheres that would supply their hungry economies.


    Not to mention, it was done in order to protect Orland¡¯s investments into West Vaeyox in Gallia, Lombardia, Lorathia, and Asturia. After all, no sane Orlish aristocrat or capitalist would allow the Larissans a free hand at destroying their oh-so-precious assets and investments in West Vaeyox. Thus¡­Orland¡¯s main reason for creating the Ivory Alliance. And thus, Orland¡¯s involvement in the Great War when the Ivory Alliance faced off the Order Pact.


    ¡°You do have a point in that, Minister Wittfield,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Still, again, we cannot abandon our allies.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but from now on, the state must have more control over our own economy. We¡¯ll develop our own mines and oil fields. We¡¯ll develop our own manufacturing bases, here, in this nation. Not there. That¡¯s how Orland would be from now on.¡± She declared. ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what we promised on our workers anyway. Jobs here, not there. It¡¯s the only way to ensure stability after this war.¡±


    ¡°Free trade isn¡¯t bad, Minister Wittfield.¡± Minister Adelaide said. ¡°And, there¡¯s merits to a more open economy.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, if the world was more peaceful. But it¡¯s not. And there are revolutions everywhere. Stability must be our priority. Especially with this war. We¡¯re only going to win this if we have control over our economy. And we are on track to that path.¡±


    ¡°On the topic of the economy¡­¡± Minister Sobieski looked at the Archduchess. ¡°Are we going to discuss the question of Orland¡¯s penal workers?¡±


    The Minister of the Interior didn¡¯t seem amused. ¡°What of them?¡± She said. ¡°Is this about that incident again? If it is, then I will reiterate. The police, the Royal Guard, and Orland¡¯s judiciary have no involvement with that nonsense. This is the fault of those corporations alone.¡±


    ¡°I take responsibility. That was our mistake, and we are changing it.¡± The Archduchess added. ¡°We need those penal workers regardless. We are already facing shortages in our workforce. And this is the best way to deal with Orland¡¯s criminals.¡±


    ¡°Of course, the supplier and the user would say that.¡± Minister Sobieski said. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll just say that I won¡¯t be surprised if these practices continue well after this war.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure that.¡±


    ¡°If my administration is still in place once the war ends, yes, we will end it,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°But for now, even with that accident, we will have to keep these penal workers in the factories, mines, and the fields. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Back to the question of foreign policy,¡± Amelie said, trying her best to steer the topic away from that one (because she really had no way to deal with it at the moment). ¡°We need, again, to ensure that the Mandate of Nations is united together. Do we not have any influence.¡±


    ¡°Orland is the strongest nation of the MN. Even with the civil war, our navy and our massive economic power are still holding our superpower status absolutely.¡± Minister Adelaide said. ¡°One word from Orland, and most likely, the nations aligned with us will follow. Possibly at supporting nations engaged in wars against these revolutions¡­but, as the Asanai Empire showed, most likely, the remaining stable and non-aligned MN member states would steer clear from direct involvement.¡±


    ¡°Unless we push them.¡± The Deputy Prime Minister said. ¡°Or the revolutionaries push them. I seriously doubt the Asanai Empire would continue their neutrality if the Republic of Hebei rains missiles on their peaceful cities.¡±


    ¡°And why would the Republic do that?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Well, if only we still had the OIA, it would have been easy. But unfortunately, we do not.¡±


    ¡°Deputy Prime Minister, whatever you¡¯re suggesting, I do not like it,¡± Jacqueline warned. ¡°This government will not involve itself in dirty strategic plays. Especially with the values we are supposed to uphold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. I am merely giving you all an option. Because if there¡¯s anything the last chemical attack that our friendly rebels showed, it¡¯s that the other side is willing to do dirty games to win.¡±


    The Archduchess shook her head. ¡°Oh, you military men and your dirty tactics again¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh, I wonder what kept us on the edge of desperation at all times for us to develop that mindset.¡± Minister Hegel joked. ¡°But regardless, I agree with the Deputy Prime Minister. A little false flag attack here, a little assassination there¡­you know¡­and suddenly, the Asanai Empire intervenes in the Hebei situation, and then¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly something we should avoid,¡± Amelie said, shooting down both of their ideas. ¡°Nope, none of that. Minister Adelaide, we¡¯ll try to do this diplomatically. They¡¯re our potential allies, and I don¡¯t want any option that would harm them. I want those ideas placed in the bin now.¡±


    ¡°I¡­alright,¡± Walter said before Amelie frowned further.


    ¡°And this discussion won¡¯t leave this room. So, it appears the only policy we¡¯ll be changing is our foreign policy.¡±


    All of them nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright. Minister Adelaide, prepare our diplomatic missions. And Minister Wittfield, please, continue your plans at mobilizing our economy. Minister Dubois, do continue leading the RGO and OAF in holding the lines. And Prime Minister Heiss¡­fix the deadlock in the Parliament, please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, Your Majesty,¡± Jacqueline said, even though there wouldn¡¯t be any easy way to pass the draft to conscript women.


    ¡°That will be all. Dismissed.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eight: Possible Complications

    ¡°Disaster in West Asturia! For the first time in a hundred years, a thirty-four thousand-strong all- women¡¯s force of the Royal Army of Lorathia (III Royal Corps) participated in a daring naval landing. The III Royal Corps landed on the shores of Cadiez alongside twenty-thousand regular troops of the II Army Corps (forming the First Lorathian Expeditionary Force), supported by the Royal Lorathian Navy and the Royal Lorathian Air Force in an attempt to open a second front against the Asturian Republic. The landing managed to push twelve kilometers off the port city of Cadiez, before being repulsed by an ARDF response force eight days after the landings. Currently, both sides are desperately digging as the soil on the coast of West Asturia freezes. Lorathian casualties are heavy, with protests already erupting in Redcastle for an ¡®immediate withdrawal¡¯ of the III Royal Corps.¡±


    - Geopol News


    ¡°Women now finally taste the stench of real warfare! They thought that they would be able to do better than their cannon fodder, but fools they were! It appears that no magic can beat the terror of heavy artillery and armored warfare. The Republic has utterly repulsed and nearly deleted their invasion force, forcing them to dig in a desperate attempt to repulse ARDF counter-attacks. If these Lorathian women find the need to taste trench warfare, then the Republic shall give them its full five-star course! Viva la Rep¨²blica!¡±


    - La Vanguardia


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Eutstadt


    November Palace


    January 14, 2025


    Amelie and Nia barely slept last night, and so, they were both down sleeping dead on their desks by the time William arrived to check in on them early in the morning. Naturally, when no replies came in after his knocks, the Royal Guard Knights posted outside of Amelie¡¯s office didn¡¯t bother stopping him from entering inside without much issue.


    William sighed, all while one of the Royal Guard Knights took a peep as well, before she sighed to herself, muttering something about ¡°the hardworking Queen¡± and ¡°her self-destructive behavior¡±. William, for his part, didn¡¯t make any further comments, merely taking permission to close the door, before he silently slipped inside.


    Together, the two were buried in mountains of paperwork at their respective desks. William almost felt a strange kick of wholesomeness at the view of the two¡¯s peaceful sleeping faces, wondering to himself how on Pollos they managed to sleep at the same time together. Because if they didn¡¯t, someone surely would have alerted the other that they were slipping to sleep on their desk.


    But no, they were rock-dead asleep. Both of them. Truly, these two must have been close back in Amelie¡¯s university days. They almost both shared the same stupid habit. ¡°Ladies.¡± He tried, attempting to wake both of them up. He cleared his throat for a second try. ¡°Ladies, it¡¯s morning!¡±


    Grogilly, Amelie raised her eyelids just to see William standing in front of her desk. She placed her head back down, refusing to wake up. ¡°Ten more minutes¡­¡± She said, drifting back asleep. William tried waking them up again because quite frankly, the both of them would probably do better to sleep in their respective rooms instead, but¡­it failed. Not even Nia responded to his attempts.


    And he absolutely would not touch any of them in a vain attempt at waking them up. And so, he simply scooted out of the room, his daily report documents still in his hands. He sighed to himself as he walked through the Palace hallways, finding the absolute monotony with some¡­strange comfort, he supposed. Perhaps it was growing on him, which he certainly didn¡¯t expect. That was when he nearly bumped into someone.


    Shit¡­it¡¯s the Foreign Minister. He immediately fixed himself up, just as she spoke.


    ¡°Is the Queen awake?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Minister Wallenstein. I recently checked and she¡¯s asleep in her office.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She scanned him, before smiling a bit. ¡°Well, Major William Porter was it? I¡¯m afraid we never really talked much, did we?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, not exactly. Not that it matters. I believe you have more important matters to attend to all the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, I do. But tell me¡­you¡­you led the defense of the Royal Capital, did you not?¡±


    William didn¡¯t really reply quickly to that, merely staring at her neutrally. ¡°I suppose I did. But, that discounts the management and actions of countless other officers during the battle that is worthy of more attention.¡±


    ¡°But you led them, under Her Majesty¡¯s orders. Holding the frontlines for months, until the relief armies of Orland came¡­¡± She almost¡­seemed impressed by him. ¡°Yet, you¡¯re keeping your profile low. Still as enigmatic as ever. Much of the Orlish public knows nothing about you. Many diplomats have asked me about you, but I scarcely had anything to answer.¡±


    ¡°The records of history would shed light on whatever happened one day, but for now, none of it matters. I am just another officer serving Her Majesty, and there¡¯s no point for me to divulge any information about me or what I did to anyone that would threaten the Royalists¡¯ military situation.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re laying low to prevent sensitive information from leaking out?¡±


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    ¡°Perhaps, but not exactly. I just¡­look, I¡¯m not interested in any of this attention that I¡¯m getting. I¡¯m just a Major. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Orland needs more men like you. Officers ready to defend our cause with loyalty and without personal gain. Other officers want a massive spotlight on their backs. And they want so much political gain. One of the main grievances of many countries across the world is how men betrayed their roles in the military. To be an apolitical force.¡±


    She looked up thoughtfully. ¡°But¡­I suppose it¡¯s unsurprising why that happened. There¡¯s no way men in the military can ever remain apolitical. So¡­you, being so close to the Queen, you¡¯re not that apolitical, are you?¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡± William firmly said. ¡°I am with the Royalist cause. I am on the side of the crown. That¡¯s about as political as it gets when this civil war is about whether or not Orland should be a Republic or a Monarchy. Of course, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Adelaide sighed. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been wondering¡­and I haven¡¯t really talked much with folks brimming with military knowledge¡­¡±


    ¡°Scared of talking with General Albrecht or Admiral Halberd?¡±


    She gulped a bit, being caught completely correctly by William. ¡°I¡­well, I suppose that¡¯s the case. They¡¯re not exactly that inviting. General Albrecht especially.¡±


    A chilly wind almost breezed through them when his name was mentioned. Even among international circles, General Albrecht was known as a ¡°butcher¡± after all. The sheer mountains of corpses from the final offensive of the Ivory Alliance at the tail end of the Great War were simply shocking, to say the least. Women acted like the war was a pointless affair¡­until they watched entire trains filled with nothing but corpses passing through their peaceful towns and cities.


    All of it was mainly attributed to General Albrecht¡¯s ¡°all-out offensive¡± that held back nothing, devastating both the Ivory Alliance¡¯s combined armies and the Order Pact¡¯s defending forces. Something which William remembered all too well¡­


    Women act as if all of this is apocalyptic. He thought to himself. But all of it¡­nothing compared to all of that.


    After all, the meat grinders were never close to population centers. But on frontier borderlands, thus, they rarely saw it. Still, General Albrecht¡¯s reputation remained the same, he supposed. As shown by Adelaide¡¯s discomfort at even the mention of his name.


    ¡°So, what do you think about Lorathia¡¯s naval invasion of West Asturia?¡±


    ¡°Not as bad as Liebnich.¡± William scoffed at the international attention it garnered. Everyone was talking about it, with footage and images flooding in as if it was a waterfall. Articles and endless rants about how awful it was. Everything about the sheer suffering of the III Royal Corps, the blame game against the Lorathian Navy and Air Force, ¡°men screwing up the support role¡±, and everything packaged together.


    All while in the actual frontlines between Gallia and Asturia, nearly four hundred thousand young men already perished in its freezing trenches. Both of them knee-deep for months in a campaign that demanded everything to be fed into a wider and more intense meatgrinder. He supposed that the situation for the III Royal Corps could deteriorate faster due to its nature as a naval invasion, but¡­


    No one even talked about Liebnich. He thought bitterly. No one. All of it, their stories, the men he served with, the battles he saw. All of it, nothing. All that resulted from it was the dry, almost clinical reports of official Orlish military history. Back in the day, when he was knee-deep in that encircled peninsula, starving and freezing while gas filled the trenches on an almost biweekly basis¡­no one even knew of what was happening to them.


    Even today, not many people would even be able to point at Liebnich on the map. Yet, ask anyone, and they would know where Cadiez was with pinpoint accuracy after the international media outrage exploded.


    ¡°It¡¯s a disaster,¡± William answered. ¡°They just created another meat grinder.¡±


    ¡°I believe that¡¯s a widely shared opinion.¡± She seemed outraged herself. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­the Lorathian government made a massive mistake with it. They shouldn¡¯t have landed there. And I cannot fathom how the Asturians refuse to negotiate a proper, civilized withdrawal. Savages, I say.¡±


    ¡°But they won¡¯t abandon it, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°The Duchess of Alburrie refuses to pull out. She already said that her troops will be reinforced and that she will ¡®push them back¡¯, and much of the Lorathian Royal Court supports that stance. Politically, it simply would not work to abandon the assault. They¡­they have to prove themselves¡­¡±


    William laughed. ¡°You women have to prove yourself? That you can fight too? Is it perhaps the veneer of superiority cracking?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± She looked down and sighed. ¡°I suppose, yes. But I¡¯m sure they can do it. Sure, the casualties will be heavy, and there is outrage over it, but most of that outrage is already being aimed at the Republic anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, how dare they defend themselves.¡± William scoffed at it. ¡°I¡¯m on the same side as yours, but don¡¯t you think this sounds stupid and hypocritical.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the rules of war too! There were reports of Asturian soldiers shooting some women on sight! Even when they surrender. Sure, it may be little incidents, but it¡¯s violations regardless.¡±


    ¡°Ah, how awful.¡± William couldn¡¯t help but laugh inside at how they deliriously wanted the absolute enforcement of the rules of war when it was them getting the beating. He didn¡¯t remember that crap back in the Great War, and the frontlines currently manned by men today in the global crisis weren¡¯t having such niceties either.


    Still, he did see why she should be angry about it. Rightfully so. Rules of war were rules of war. Yet¡­the way the world was now dead set on enforcing it specifically on Cadiez and Cadiez alone because there were women there, but none of these discussions was even raised much during the four grueling years of the Great War¡­it seemed hollow.


    ¡°I agree with you,¡± William added. ¡°But how do we even address this? Is the Lorathians asking for Orland¡¯s involvement?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. This will indeed complicate Her Majesty¡¯s plans, considering that Orland isn¡¯t even at war with the Asturian Republic.¡± Adelaide said. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re probably coming to an upcoming MN conference.¡±


    ¡°I suppose where the Queen goes, I and the 16th would find themselves in the same place. Yes, she already briefed me about her plans of ¡®uniting the MN¡¯. We¡¯re preparing when the word comes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Adelaide smiled. ¡°It will be quite a long and stressful trip though. Goddess knows, talking to other diplomatic missions from dozens of bickering nations is a pain, especially when we¡¯re planning to unite that.¡±


    ¡°I see that.¡± William nodded. ¡°But, I¡¯ve had worst trips before.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing for you to be concerned with. Just saying, this is not that awful for me and for most of my men. We will be ready for some little guard duty. We¡¯ve seen worse already.¡±

 Announcement!

    What, you''re worried that this story ended?


    Absolutely not!


    Ladies and gentlemen, dear readers of Sovereign, I now announce that the month-long hiatus is soon to end! I''m already just a few chapters away (I think, two) from restoring the Patreon advanced chapters, as I already have a working keyboard for myself!


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    So yeah, if you missed Amelie and her wild drive to drive her Kingdom from the pit of a burning dustbin, it''s soon back. I dearly apologize for how long it has been, but alas, Sovereign will not end until the ending is achieved.


    And that ending still seems far from here.


    Thank you all to those who supported me.


    See you soon!

 Chapter One Hundred Nine: Foreign Peace

    ¡°There were swathes of them in that field. Young men of all kinds, dressed in both the rebel¡¯s red coats and loyalist¡¯s blue coats, and their corpses gave a clashing color of blues and reds to the green fields. I have always wondered why. This was our war, was it not? A war for our rights to bear magic. Why then are our brothers the ones dying the most in it? Yes, on the other side, I would understand. But on our side¡­I do not understand.¡±


    - Journal of Countess Flora Wittfield, 1721.


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Eutstadt


    There was much commotion when the trains arrived at the station, as young men from the frontlines, the first rotation to allow them some time for reprieve, arrived. Amelie decided to accompany Nia secretly today at the train station, as she had heard that her younger brother was arriving at the station. Amelie herself was overjoyed at seeing Nia¡¯s relief at hearing that her brother was alive. Not that she received any further news about his condition though.


    Still, Nia was waiting for him. She indeed hoped that he was not just alive, but well. Well rested, uninjured, and of good mind. William, who accompanied them as well, had a bit of a different disposition for her expectations, but he smartly kept his tongue in check as the trains stopped, merely looking to the side while letting out a sigh into the air.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± said Nia. ¡°I wonder where Josef is.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably just out there,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Seems like the men are being unloaded at last.¡±


    Amelie watched as one by one, soldiers, mostly still in their uniform, left the trains. Most of them had their caps on, carrying bags with them on their backs. Many were greeted by their mothers, sisters, or wives, but Amelie could see a growing line of young men who had nothing, merely walking on the wayside with lowered heads, disappearing from sight on the station.


    No, in fact, it was most of them. The Army really only chose Eutstadt as a temporary site for many of these men to take some time off due to how peaceful it was. While many in the city council voted against it, it simply was already starting to look morally depraved to even deny these people who were literally dying for their Kingdom a little treat of some peace and quiet.


    I still had to pull some strings though. Amelie complained in her mind. At least the Prime Minister knew some people. Hah¡­Jacqueline, without you, this entire thing would be an absolute pain.


    But, things were the way they were regardless. Amelie wouldn¡¯t be able to do much about that. All she could do was try to change it, and this was one of her decisions of change that should help. The mental load of the war for those on the frontlines was simply extreme. She knew that governments usually kept them there for way too much of extended periods of time back during the Great War, especially when the frontlines were overseas.


    And all that did, as this Civil War showed, was drive these men¡¯s sanity down even further. She didn¡¯t want the same thing to befall them again. And thus, she appealed hard for both the government and the military to increase the rotations ¡°when the situation permits¡±. General Albrecht had some reservations about it, but the OHC agreed in principle, and since the fronts had been quite calmer now, they were now finally rotating out the tired troops that had seen the war since day one and replacing them with fresh new recruits.


    Still, Amelie feared that even with these rotations, these men wouldn¡¯t really find much meaning from it. By the looks of things, many of them were simply being dropped in an environment they had no ties. A place where they didn¡¯t belong. The stream of them simply passing through the onlooking crowds of women with their heads lowered showed that.


    It¡¯s¡­almost as if they¡¯re ashamed of their own selves even. Amelie didn¡¯t understand why, but all it did was send her even more messages that perhaps her scheme wasn¡¯t working as intended. Still, this¡­should probably be better than nothing.


    ¡°There he is!¡± Nia said, pointing at a young soldier holding a piece of paper, looking around with a confused expression. Nia ran to him, and Amelie followed closely through the crowd before she tackled him with a hug. ¡°Josef! It¡¯s me, your sister!¡±


    ¡°Nia?¡± Josef said, a little bit weakly it seemed. ¡°Oh¡­I¡­well, I guess I¡¯m¡­back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a silly thing to say to me after months of you being gone. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine?¡± He shook his head, while Amelie smiled at seeing the two reunite. ¡°Is¡­that¡­¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Josef,¡± Amelie said. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a bit, huh?¡±


    He lowered his head. ¡°Y-you too, Your Majesty. I just¡­¡± Amelie looked at him. She remembered him as a meek young guy back during her time at University, as she and Nia always met him at Nia¡¯s home. A quiet ¡°nerd¡± who always stayed, according to Nia, in his room after school. While he did act meek as always, Amelie could see that his softer features were almost gone.


    He now had an unkempt mustache, and rough hair, and she could see a darker undertone in his eyes. And the way he looked down unnerved Amelie. Especially when he referred to her that way.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Hmm, Josef? It¡¯s still me, Amelie. You don¡¯t need to refer to me that way. Even Nia doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind then.¡±


    Before he could say anything further, Nia almost tackled him to the ground. Amelie laughed at the sight, all while William looked away, feigning disinterest.


    +++


    The two of them soon parted ways from Amelie and William when they left the station. Nia said she¡¯d be back at the November Palace by 6:00 PM, which left many more hours for Amelie to burn without much to do. Their delirious stamping of every paper they could find for four days straight did a number on her workload after all¡­by almost completely wiping their desks off it.


    Now, she found herself without much to do. There were no meetings or appointments scheduled either, and so for quite the first time in a while¡­she had free time. Free time to do what? She wondered for something as she and William walked through the pedestrian. The day was calm as always, save for the occasional presence of rotated troops that seemed to be mingling around Eutstadt¡¯s streets.


    ¡°Hey, William,¡± Amelie said, looking at one of the soldiers who stood alone in front of a clothing store. He seemed to be staring at the building listlessly, his hands stiffly holding the shoulder harness of his brown backpack. ¡°What do you think¡­is he doing?¡±


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t mind him,¡± he waved it off as they continued on. ¡°Could just be having an internal crisis, or whatever. It happens.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be alright, won¡¯t he?¡± Amelie asked, looking back at him a bit. Most of the pedestrians simply gave him glances, before continuing on their business. But the way he stood out of the busy crowd, merely staring at the building alone created such a striking contrast for Amelie¡¯s eyes.


    It was as if to him, he was frozen there, as the world moved on around him.


    ¡°If he isn¡¯t, someone else will take care of it,¡± William said. ¡°Amelie, you don¡¯t need to worry about every little detail.¡±


    Amelie frowned. ¡°That guy was a human being, William. Just like you and me. He¡¯s not just a little detail. Just because he¡¯s a guy does not mean he¡¯s just a number to me.¡±


    ¡°But in practice, he is.¡± William stopped, as he looked down on the ground. ¡°Look, I emphasize with that guy, but the reality is the reality. Just like me, he¡¯s just another dude facing a crisis. And just like me, he¡¯s just a number for those with the power to use him.¡±


    ¡°William¡­you¡¯re not just a number to me,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Quite frankly, I consider you as a friend. A close one even. And¡­if you ever feel like that guy, I won¡¯t just leave you by the wayside.¡±


    ¡°Amelie¡­why do you really keep me in this position?¡± William asked. ¡°I often wonder, who I really am to you? Why am I your guard? Why is it not her, Lady Lubaine? Why¡­why did you turn me into the commander of JTF-Ludendorf?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­the 16th had mostly served me well though, William,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°And you did win the Battle of Halia too. But more importantly, I think it¡¯s because you¡¯re one of the guys that I do know closely.¡±


    ¡°And that helps you how?¡±


    ¡°This conflict is about the division between women and men, is it not? Then tell me, without you giving me insights about men¡¯s experiences and views¡­how exactly would I have an idea of how to manage this entire¡­circus properly?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­I guess I had acted as your de facto adviser already.¡± William laughed. ¡°And I thought I was just your driver and bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°Well, you could be all three.¡± Amelie chuckled. ¡°And as far as I can say, you¡¯re doing a spectacular job at that, though¡­you do seem quite a bit of a downer at times though.¡±


    ¡°...If you hired me for being an optimist, then that¡¯s your first mistake.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. Still, I think you get the drift. Again, I hired you for many things, especially since you do well in your job¡­¡± Amelie sped up her pace a bit at walking, catching up to William. ¡°But also, as I¡¯ve said, you¡¯re my friend. Like Nia. And you help me well. I really hope that answers your question.¡±


    He looked down, chuckling a bit. ¡°Quite frankly, I never would imagine that a woman would see me as a friend. But even weirder¡­I think I consider you the same too, Amelie. I wonder how that happened.¡±


    ¡°Why, can¡¯t men and women have a positive relationship with each other?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s simply destructive that we somehow drove humanity to the point where men and women are by default¡­in opposition?¡±


    ¡°They say it¡¯s supposed to be the opposite. Yet, when you look around, it¡¯s as if it¡¯s impossible.¡± The two of them stopped in front of a cafe. Young women came in and went out without much care, smiling and joking with their friends as they did. But on the side, three soldiers looked at the cafe distantly, seemingly mentally debating whether or not they should come in, soon, they dispersed away in an almost retreating fashion.


    ¡°But I guess that¡¯s just what happens when men¡¯s world is radically different to women¡¯s,¡± William said, pointing at them. ¡°Look at it, just a simple pleasure of buying something¡­one finds it easy to obtain, but the other struggles. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re conditioned already to not even seek it, but fear it.¡±


    Amelie smiled. ¡°Do you want to have something from there?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± William staunchly said. ¡°I was just nothing an observation of mine to answer your question. I hope it¡¯s satisfactory.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­I think you were also eyeing some of the good stuff in the posters outside,¡± Amelie grinned. ¡°You know, we can come in together inside. I think I¡¯m in the mood for some sweet drinks as well.¡±


    ¡°I have my own lunch and food in the November Palace.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really choose what you eat and just take whatever¡¯s on the menu,¡± Amelie pointed out. ¡°Don¡¯t lie, you literally just eat whatever the staff prepares for the day.¡±


    ¡°Eh, choosing is a pain. Food is food.¡±


    ¡°Did you pick up that habit from the trenches as well?¡± Amelie asked, and William stopped. ¡°Hmm¡­you know what, I think we should break that habit down. William, this time, you¡¯re choosing what drink you would like.¡±


    He crossed his arms. ¡°Water.¡±


    And Amelie shook her head. ¡°No, a better one this time. That you chose. William, you have to live life too, to be honest. You¡¯re not in the trenches anymore. You¡¯re here. Please¡­heal yourself.¡±


    Amelie took his hands, now fully pulling him straight into the cafe, while William reluctantly followed. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t belong in the frontlines where you can¡¯t choose. William, you belong here. In a life where you can choose.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Ten: Parallel Infighting

    ¡°Accident in the Levantine Canal! Whether it¡¯s a sabotage or an honest accident, the Levantine Reconstruction Authority is still investigating. During the clearing of one of the stuck ships in the canal, its fuel accidentally detonated. Observers hypothesize that an unknown terror group laced the ship with explosives.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Central Orland


    Federal Republic of Orland


    State of Eirhow


    Fort Rulter


    ¡°Present!¡±


    Nearly eighteen officers were lined up on the wall, still wearing their Orlish Army uniforms. Behind them, the firing squad readied their rifles. The cold night¡¯s breeze passed through them, and some of the men shivered as they looked at their fellow brothers after the officer in charge¡¯s loud orders.


    ¡°Take aim!¡± The officer ordered, and the troops complied by leveling their arms with pure hesitation at the groups of officers. None of them wanted this. Quite frankly, these Army soldiers hated the very idea of executing their officers under the orders of the Republican Guard.


    ¡°Fire!¡± No shots scattered in the air. The officer turned to a group of Army soldiers, who held themselves off from firing. The Army officers lined up on the well didn¡¯t even show any reactions, merely standing with pure steel, defiant from whatever the Republican Guard accused them of. ¡°I said fire!¡±


    The officer pulled out his pistol in fired it at the air. ¡°I said fire!¡±


    ¡°Cease this nonsense!¡± Heindh?ff¡¯s voice boomed, distracting the officer, the Army soldiers, and the Republican Guard troopers in the courtyard. Heindh?ff was followed by four uniformed high-ranking generals and colonels of the Army, walking straight to the Republican Guard officer, who straightened himself as he saluted the Defense Minister.


    ¡°Good evening, Defense Minister,¡± the Republican Guard officer greeted after he lowered his salute, before handing out a document to Heindh?ff. ¡°These officers attempted a mutiny against the Federal Republic. We are merely disposing of potential threats to the revolution.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­who are you?¡±


    ¡°RG-Standard Leader Maxim Gunther, Defense Minister,¡± he said, fishing out the badge in his wallet. ¡°Republican Guard. The President himself authorized¡ª¡±


    ¡°Respectfully, RG-Standard Leader Gunther, but you must report instead to Mr. Rimpler that the Army will take care of its issues,¡± Heindh?ff said. ¡°These men aren¡¯t going to be executed for ¡®suspected counter-revolutionary¡¯ activities. We will place them in a military tribunal, but make it clear to your superiors that they have no jurisdiction in the business of the Ministry of Defense.¡±


    Heindh?ff showed him the directions to the exit respectfully. ¡°Please, gather your men and leave. Thank you very much, RG-Standard Leader Gunther, but your business here is unwelcome. Leave, now.¡±


    The Republican Guard officer reacted as expected, looking up arrogantly at Heindh?ff as he placed his gloved hands behind him. Before he spoke, however, Heindh?ff immediately cut him off. ¡°I said leave, RG-Standard Leader Gunther. Leave.¡±


    The Republican Guard held an arrogant smirk, yet he turned around and ordered his men to gather up and leave. The Defense Minister was definitely not amused by the Republican Guard¡¯s gesture, especially when before leaving, the officer gave him one last word.


    ¡°Glory to the Federal Republic, Defense Minister.¡± He said as if he was challenging his loyalty to the newly created Federation of the Revolution.


    ¡°...Glory to the Federal Republic, RG-Standard Leader Gunther.¡±


    The officer saluted, before turning around and leaving with the rest of his men. Heindh?ff tried to contain his utter fury from exploding before General Kluge gave his back a pat. ¡°Defense Minister, calm yourself. You know how Rimpler is,¡± he chuckled darkly. ¡°He¡¯s a bit playful.¡±


    The Defense Minister turned to the assembled men, all confused, including the officers still awaiting their share of bullets. ¡°All of you! Send them back to their cells. None of this is getting out. Move! Move!¡±


    With his orders booming in the courtyard, the troops scattered themselves back to their original posts, while the other officers rushed the condemned men off into the fort. Heindh?ff shook his head, still positively fuming at the idea that the Republican Guard dared to execute those under him, but General Kluge¡¯s words calmed him down.


    ¡°They¡¯re trying us, Defense Minister.¡± General Kluge said. ¡°But we are the Armed Forces. No one screws with the Armed Forces. Rimpler isn¡¯t the revolution, we, Defense Minister, we ¡ª the Armed Forces, are the revolution.¡±


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    ¡°You have no need to remind me of that, General Kluge. But still, these insults¡­these utter insults against my authority¡­¡±


    ¡°We should be prepared, yes, Defense Minister.¡± General Kluge said, looking at the two other officers who were with them, who both nodded in agreement. ¡°We will be prepared. If Rimpler does any more of this stupid crap, we¡¯ll remind him who exactly is the one running the show. I wouldn¡¯t mind helping you manage a true junta without the NRF ideologues frothing around us.¡±


    ¡°General Kluge, we are not planning for a second putsch. Not now when the Royalists are gaining ground,¡± Heindh?ff replied. ¡°That would destabilize the entire movement. But we must find a way to keep that man¡­that¡­that ¡®President¡¯ of ours in leash.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­he has the popular support of the citizenry though,¡± General Kluge said. ¡°But we have the Armed Forces.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t discount the possibility that he has some support in the Armed Forces,¡± Heindh?ff said. ¡°It¡¯s not in the realm of impossibility, mind you. Many in the Army are already singing praises to him. It¡¯s worrying. It¡¯s incredibly worrying.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­radicals. If the frontline situation deteriorates, the more they¡¯re going to be listening to Rimpler¡¯s insane ramblings. I still can¡¯t believe we used chemical weapons under his orders back in the Grand Duchy campaigns. It¡¯s hard to explain that sudden shift of policy to my subordinates.¡±


    ¡°But we cannot forcefully remove him from power as well¡­not if we want the revolution to survive.¡± Infighting would, ultimately, do nothing but dissolve the united front of men should it intensify. Heindh?ff didn¡¯t want that. But he certainly could see that he and President Rimpler didn¡¯t fully share a united view.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a power-hungry maniac,¡± General Kluge said. ¡°Or he really is just insane.¡±


    ¡°We all are insane in our own ways though, General Kluge,¡± Heindh?ff said. ¡°Which makes a conflict between us¡­I imagine, even more worrying.¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Eutstadt


    November Palace


    ¡°Hah¡­what a long day¡­¡± Amelie sagged once more at her table after their final session at hammering out the report documents from the Ministries below her. And since she had to do a meeting with the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister early morning, then work at the Palace till at dead 1:00 AM today, she was completely down.


    Nia sipped her tea calmly. ¡°Well, at least we¡¯re done with that for now. I still can¡¯t see how we¡¯re going to pass that law though.¡±


    ¡°The UOP is opposing it too much¡­¡± Amelie complained. ¡°I mean, I understand why they don¡¯t want to conscript women, but this is quite possibly the most unequal policy my government is using. And we need more people manning the frontlines. We practically already killed off many of the young men in this country in the Great War.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s going to have to replace them, indeed,¡± Nia said. ¡°Though, don¡¯t you think they would just propose that we conscript older men? I can tell that¡¯s what they¡¯re going to say if the joint RGO-OAF¡¯s comprehensive assessment comes out and we actually do need more people in the Armed Forces or the Royal Guard.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t¡­we can¡¯t just send out our skilled workforce manning our most advanced industries to the meatgrinder. That would be stupid.¡± Amelie said. ¡°No, it¡¯s not even an option. Training these people takes years, no, decades. It¡¯s why we only send what essentially are high school or college boys¡­they have nothing else to offer for the Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°...To be honest, the way you said that, it almost sounds disgusting,¡± Nia said. ¡°I guess when you say things out clearly, things become too uncomfortably clear.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, young women are practically also a drain to our Kingdom, at least, until they master magic by their mid-twenties and find proper jobs,¡± Amelie said, also sorely reminding herself that she and Nia were in that same cohort. ¡°But most of us are just staying back, watching as all of this nonsense happens, only participating with some meager contributions. But¡­you can hold an Arcano-Rifle, and so can I. In that case, why can¡¯t we extend the conscription to young women?¡±


    ¡°Again, half of the UOP can¡¯t swallow it, Amelie.¡± Nia chuckled. ¡°Democracy. You may be the Queen, but they also have a say on how things would be going. And people voted for them. And those that the people voted decided that the policy of conscription shall remain unequal.¡±


    Amelie raised her head and began scrolling on her tablet. On it, she looked at the list of the UOP MPs who voted against the equalization of Orland¡¯s conscription policies. There were so many of them, mostly the same ¡°liberals¡± that she remembered who supported her policies of equality¡­until the question of conscription and war came up.


    And most of them were young noblewomen, many even represented their occupied constituents in exile, as probably half of them represented the land already under the Federal Republic. Which made it even weirder for Amelie that they refused to pass a law that would raise a bigger army for the Kingdom ¡ª to help liberate the people who voted them in office in the first place!


    ¡°Gah¡­it¡¯s just¡­¡± Amelie was definitely positively irritated. ¡°These people, hypocrites and¡­ their own voters are literally under occupation by the Federal Republic. And they don¡¯t want to amend this policy when we need more soldiers to liberate their own voters?¡±


    Nia calmly sipped her tea. ¡°It doesn¡¯t surprise me in the slightest. Perhaps they think the male-majority OAF is still capable of pushing forward through the meatgrinder. It¡¯s amazing how much delusions can cloud your reason.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re delusional, beyond delusional. But what I¡¯m also worried about is that they are all way too overconfident. They think that even if the OAF runs out of men and collapses, the Royal Guard and us women with our magic and everything can hold the tide alone. Have they not seen what¡¯s happening in West Vaeyox? The Confederates are practically steamrolling everyone.¡±


    Amelie downed her last cup of tea, almost angrily. Nia sighed, standing up to pick up the kettle to pour more into the Queen¡¯s teacup, but Amelie stopped her. ¡°No¡­look, I think I¡¯m just going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Well, I share the same idea. I need a lengthy sleep as well¡­I think I¡¯m starting to look worse when we do this overnight work.¡± Nia said. ¡°If Mother sees me like this, she¡¯ll chastise me again¡­¡±


    ¡°To be fair, you could have slept half of the day today when I was meeting the Prime Minister, Nia.¡±


    She stiffened, crossing her arms defensively. ¡°Eh, but I had more important stuff to do.¡±


    ¡°Well, sure you do, buddy¡­¡± Amelie stood up, chuckling a bit to herself. ¡°Have a good evening, Nia.¡±


    ¡°You too, Amelie.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eleven: The Naval Conundrum

    ¡°Second General Strike in the Empire of Asanai! While the Empress¡¯ reforms had largely dissipated the possibility of a pro-male revolution in the Empire, the deadlock over the issue of the ¡®unequal retirement age¡¯ had once again sparked a full mobilization of ¡®male-aligned unions¡¯ against the government. Male rights reformists argue that the retirement age of sixty-five is ridiculous when the average Asanai male lives at the age of fifty-eight, in comparison to Asanai women who live up to eighty-two years on average while enjoying a retirement age of fifty-five. ¡®They¡¯re squeezing us till death, every last drop of our productivity to feed their lavish lifestyles,¡¯ one of the union leaders remarked in fury. While this is only one of the issues that these unions have cited as a ¡®grievance against the order¡¯, the wider Asanaian Male Rights Movement is now rallying under the same banner ¡ª ¡®No Economy Without Equality!¡¯¡±


    - Geopol Press


    ¡°Media blackout in the State of Lieplatz. Internet and news media have been shut down by the Junta, and foreign journalists are now being ¡®escorted out¡¯ of the country. The only indication of what is happening is coming from ¡®approved¡¯ mouthpieces of the Lieplatz Junta, declaring a ¡®state of internal war¡¯ and its developments whenever the Junta¡¯s anthem isn¡¯t playing on TV and Radio.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    City of Eutstadt


    November Palace


    Amelie gave the document on her desk a passing read as Admiral George Halberd spoke.


    ¡°They¡¯re intensifying their interdiction activities,¡± Admiral Halberd said. ¡°We are already seeing other ¡®revolutionary navies¡¯ in international sea lines, shooting down merchant vessels without the flags or identifications of their home countries. Or flying the banner of the old pirates, the skull and bones. Others¡­they¡¯re even flying the flag of the Federal Republic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­concerning,¡± Amelie placed down the document, as Nia silently checked it for herself. Three of the highest officers of the Admiralty ¡ª Admiral Herard Tresckow of VACCOM, Admiral George Halberd of the 2nd Fleet, and Minister of Naval Operations Daniel Fisch, were in her office today. ¡°They¡¯re using fake identities to hide their operations? Why? More importantly, why would they do this already? I thought the last reports showed that these countries are still at an impasse in the Loviedo Conference.¡±


    ¡°No alliance has been met fully yet, Your Majesty. But they are already in a de facto common alignment. All of them have one common interest. Bring down the order, and create a new one from its ruins.¡± The Minister of Naval Operations sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we would have to deal with their navies, one way or another.¡±


    ¡°Their tactics are devious,¡± Nia commented, frowning to herself as she flipped through the pages of the report. ¡°Attacking civilian shipping, raiding defenseless ports¡­they¡¯re acting as pirates. There¡¯s not even a question to dispute it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Nia. And someone would have to deal with these ¡®pirates¡¯. The question is, can the Orlish Navy do it? I don¡¯t need to remind the three of you about our priorities. We need more raw materials to feed our industries. Foreign raw materials,¡± Amelie¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°I need that shipping, and I¡¯m asking you three to do your job. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°...No we cannot,¡± Admiral Halberd said. ¡°The Orlish Navy is powerful, but the oceans of Pollos are gigantic. We are stretched thin. At every point. So much so that if the Putschist fleet ever conducts an attempt to attack us with a concentrated force¡­we¡¯d bend before we¡¯re able to effectively respond.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Amelie genuinely didn¡¯t understand that. Hadn¡¯t Albert and the Navy won so many decisive battles during the war with the Empire of Larissa? ¡°How did that happen? We have ten aircraft carriers, with a massive supporting fleet with them. How would that be possible? We literally hold more than half of the world¡¯s naval forces.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Admiral Halberd asked. ¡°Eleven aircraft carriers in total, one now in rebel hands. Four were seriously damaged by the Larissan surprise attacks that they wouldn¡¯t be repaired for at least eight months. And another four are now stuck in drydock because we literally can¡¯t maintain them without Eirhow and Rebenslof.¡±


    Amelie silently counted the numbers with her fingers. Eight out of ten of her ships were gone from the high seas?! Already, she started panicking. Those aircraft carriers were literally the face¡­no, the backbone of Orlish Hegemony. She was planning to use the navy to heckle the other nations of the MN to her side. And out of nowhere, she learned this?! ¡°Wait, we have two? We only have two operational carriers. Admiral, that has to be a joke of some sort.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, we have six, but we cannot place them all in the seas at all times. They are being rotated on our available port facilities because we seriously lack Eirhow¡¯s industry and skilled workers to maintain them. And with our shipyards bombed in Rebenslof, and with Halia¡¯s Shipyards permanently out of commission, all we have left are our smaller docks in Eutstadt and Rolentz. And these docks are operating badly. We have a lack of both machinery and men to man them. So we are stretching our maintenance efforts thin, preventing us from keeping six of our technically ¡®operational¡¯ carriers in the field.¡±


    Amelie sighed. ¡°Then¡­what about the rest of the Navy? Our frigates, our destroyers, our cruisers. Surely, the Orlish Navy can still project our power in the world, no? I¡­I need that, badly.¡±


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    ¡°Why?¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t realize her lips spilling the beans, but instead of denying it, she decided to double down instead. The Navy and Admiral Halberd were her close allies after all. There was zero point in keeping him in the dark regarding her grand plans on the international stage. The Navy was a part of her plan, a plan to reassert Orland¡¯s place in the Mandate of Nations, to place all other nations in line with her grand strategy to combat the revolutions everywhere.


    A martial alliance led by a democratic and reformist Orland. With everyone directly affected by the revolution fully on board.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to negotiate the possibility of turning the Mandate of Nations into a military alliance,¡± Amelie said. ¡°We have to. It¡¯s the only way. If these revolutionaries form their ¡®Coalition of Free Nations¡¯ first, and they attack us all at once¡­¡±


    ¡°Both West and East Vaeyox would fall to them, completely steamrolled,¡± Admiral Halberd completed. Admiral Tresckow seemed to share the share opinion, as he nodded in agreement to Admiral Halberd¡¯s blunt words.


    ¡°In that case, Your Majesty, we would have to get the Navy on the move to reassert our power projection. I believe you desire to have every MN member on board?¡± He smirked. ¡°And I should add, I¡¯m surprised that the bleeding heart Queen is now interested in using coercion to get her way.¡±


    Amelie frowned at the accusation levied against her, but she couldn¡¯t deny it. But Amelie already learned. In this world, she had to use what she had. Orland had military and economic power. Both were powerful tools to force other lesser nations to cooperate with her goals and plans. These smaller countries were too distracted by delusions, petty disagreements, and conservative lunacy that prevented proper reforms and changes to prevent revolutions.


    If she needed to whip them forcefully to become decent and finally prepare for the upcoming brewing storms, she would do so. That was Orland¡¯s role as a hegemon anyway. The sheer economic and political power that her Kingdom held was something she had to leverage to create a world order that would survive and change for the better.


    Especially with Larissa completely knocked out of the superpower game with its fleets wiped out, the Asanai Empire still stuck and paralyzed once more, the Hebeian Empire¡¯s once-promising industries gone, and Gaul and Lorathia still in permanent decay¡­Orland, or whatever was left of it, would have to pick up the reigns to restore global order.


    ¡°If it must be done to place everyone on the same page. My page, then I shall do it. I have a vision not just for Orland, but for Pollos as a whole. And I need the MN united in achieving that vision.¡±


    Admiral Tresckow laughed at that. ¡°I¡¯m on board then. Perhaps, the Navy can whip out a carrier or two off the drydocks if we brute force the ongoing repairs and maintenance. The rest of the fleet is stretched thin, but we should be able to do a few show of force exercises to assert our continued legitimacy at being the world¡¯s policewoman.¡±


    The Minister of Naval Operations sighed, conceding and agreeing with Amelie¡¯s proposal. ¡°Fine, I suppose we can force something out. We still are the biggest navy after all, even when more than half of our ships are technically not at full operational status¡­¡±


    ¡°Though, I wouldn¡¯t suggest any more fleet battles, at least, not with our current situation,¡± Admiral Halberd said. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. It¡¯s still pretty bad. We may have won against the Larissans, but they still badly mauled VACCOM and the reinforcement fleets, except for Strike Force Seven. It¡¯s why the only ship carrying the Orlish banner properly on the high seas is the ONS Rebenslof.¡±


    ¡°...Shamefully, I¡¯d admit I¡¯ve lost more ships than I should have in the Northern Sea Campaign,¡± Admiral Tresckow added. ¡°I apologize for that. The lack of aircraft carrier support early on really dented the numbers of our destroyer and cruiser squadrons.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Admiral Tresckow,¡± Amelie reassured. ¡°You were just doing your job as best as you can. I just hope you learned from those defeats.¡±


    ¡°I did, Your Majesty. I did.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡± The Minister of Naval Operations said. ¡°Turning the MN into a global military alliance? Would that even be possible? The crowns of Gallia and Lorathia alone detest the Imperial Family of Hebei and Asanai.¡±


    Amelie scoffed, crossing her arms. ¡°It¡¯s just a silly family feud between royal houses. Even House Ludendorf technically ¡®hates¡¯ the Larissan Imperial Family. I¡¯m supposed to be tossing acid at Princess Anastasia on a daily basis, or to the Empress, but I¡¯m ignoring the both of them instead. I¡¯m sure the houses of West Vaeyox can reconcile with the thrones of East Vaeyox. And if they don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to make sure that they will be chummy with each other whether they like it or not.¡±


    Plus, I doubt Princess Xue Li is petty, Amelie thought to herself. And Queen Alois is too old to be that petty either. Goddess¡­why would they even be feuding with each other over a stupid war a hundred years old already? We have a bigger fish to fry here. Why would anyone have to be petty? All of us women should be united here.


    She shook her head, just as Admiral Halberd gave off a little laugh. ¡°Well, to be fair, you are being cold to House Illyenov. Their Princess, who I might add, was a major anti-war voice, is practically groveling at you in our diplomatic channels to give her some support against the Confederates, all while you refuse to even meet Empress Katerina.¡±


    Oh¡­indeed. That Empress, Amelie thought. She had completely forgotten about her. At the moment, she was still held in a noble estate down in the County of Weirloff, under strict house arrest. Amelie had completely placed Empress Katerina at the lowest of her priorities, as she had long handwaved the problem with the simple, ¡®she¡¯d get her trial once things calm down¡¯.


    Amelie rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not being hostile to them though. Quite frankly, I consider this treatment as friendly. They almost killed my brother.¡± She avoided adding the last part of her opinion about Princess Anastasia, that being her straight-up belief that House Illyenov should be removed from the Empire.


    Nia shifted back a bit. ¡°You know, I think I¡¯m in agreement with the Admiral on this one. Amelie, your tone is certainly not friendly. Not even neutral.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, they¡¯ll get what they deserve.¡±


    ¡°All as she calls the other royals petty for their feuds,¡± Halberd laughed even more, but that only made Amelie pout as she looked away. ¡°Your Majesty is certainly irate against House Illyenov, even to its more innocent members.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Amelie said back. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. You¡¯re not.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Twelve: Northern Blackout

    ¡°We are planting the seeds for the sins of our sons.¡±


    - Unknown


    +++


    State of Lieplatz


    Province of Moldheim


    City of Rumpaltz (Lockdown)


    January 18, 2025


    For days the Twin ¡°Academy¡± Cities of Rumpaltz and Eventia had once again experienced a complete lockdown under the orders of the Junta. The streets of the night were almost silent around downtown, as roving squads of the Junta¡¯s troops patrolled each alley and street. The curfew was tight, and no woman nor man would survive being caught out in the open regardless of any reason at this point.


    The State of Lieplatz, by all means, turned into a nightmare for the citizenry of Lieplatz, especially for the progressive ¡°liberalized¡± cities of Rumpaltz and Eventia. When the orders for a full ¡°lockdown¡± arrived after the scattered reports of fighting around Moldheim, the citizens already anticipated the worst, but they hadn¡¯t had the chance to change things. Hide and comply, that was the only thing they could do.


    ¡°The Junta is becoming ever more controversial, General Richstoff,¡± The Federal President of Orland, Sullivan Rimpler, remarked as he exited the armored vehicle that carried him to downtown Rumpaltz. General Paul Richstoff merely chuckled as the two walked forward, flanked by the General¡¯s personal guards. ¡°But, I see how you are doing with this one. Everything seems to be going well?¡±


    Faint distant gunshots could be heard, and the two of them barely noticed it. Many more trucks were descending down through the roads, as troops erected roadblocks or machine gun nests. The two of them almost stopped to remark about the citizens of Rumpaltz shutting down their lights whenever a military truck or HMLV passed through, but they carried on.


    ¡°It¡¯s just to control the dissidents. Lieplatz is at risk of breaking apart. But I would never allow that to happen.¡± General Richstoff said, looking at one of the apartments being raided on their side. It was dark, and the two of them passed as nothing but unsuspecting officers walking around, but they watched closely as the Junta¡¯s troops shouted and pulled out dozens after dozens of civilians, mostly women, and ordered them to face down the cold asphalt. ¡°These academics. Sages. Nothing but sorcerers, I say. We¡¯re going to control them. Both here in Rumpaltz and Eventia. They can scream and resist. But they¡¯re not going to survive our bullets.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± President Rimpler didn¡¯t look back, as scattered gunfire from SMGs rang off behind them. ¡°Perhaps, don¡¯t you think, you¡¯re going too far in this anti-women dissident operations? I mean, I know you were wronged back then, but so are we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wronged? You call it that way? Mr. President, you and I know what these women did to us. For centuries. In the Great War. We gave them all we had, and they repaid us not even an ounce of empathy. Yet I was merciful. We were merciful. We allowed this city to operate freely, even with some restrictions for a while. Yet they turned it into an organizing hub for their rebellious plotters,¡± General Richstoff¡¯s eyes were almost shaking, and President Rimpler stared at his nearly bulging eyes with steel attention. ¡°They are getting what they deserve.¡±


    ¡°Is this but revenge then?¡± President Rimpler asked. ¡°Because if this gets out, the revolution¡¯s honor will take a hit.¡±


    ¡°Honor, honor, honor. Don¡¯t play me an infant, Mr. President. What honor? We have none of that,¡± he closed toward him, as faint flashes of gunfire illuminated his face and eyes. ¡°Honor, Mr. President. Honor. You overly romantic Orlishmen, even those in Asturia, or those Confederates speak of it sometimes as if it¡¯s gospel. Honor. What honor do tattered dogs have such as us? We are monsters. They see us as monsters. And they will murder us all like monsters. This, Mr. President, is a war of survival. Of survival of men. There will be no honor. Only savage survivalism.¡±


    ¡°You are endangering your chances of being in the Coalition of Free Nations, General Richstoff. I want Lieplatz as our strategic ally, all of us do. But with what you are doing¡­this is nothing more than a state-sanctioned genocide. You are making a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Genocide? Then by all means, all these Queens and Empresses can accuse my name of genocide against womenkind for murdering a few thousand rebels in my country. I¡¯ll answer them straight in the tribunal. WHAT OF THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF MY DEAD BROTHERS?! This is not even an eye for an eye. They should be thankful I am rational enough to only murder those who turned against my junta.¡±


    President Rimpler internally shook his head. And they call me an insane extremist. A lunatic. But I¡¯m not like whatever this guy is. One wonders what exactly screwed his brains that he¡¯s like this. This is the equivalent of making a deal with the devil. The Federal Republic¡¯s interests naturally aligned with obtaining Lieplatz as a northern ally, which was why they had supported General Richstoff¡¯s coup d¡¯etat. What they didn¡¯t expect was for him to turn out into a murderous lunatic who loved spilling both the blood of Lieplatz¡¯s men (who sided with the original revolutionary government) and women all to keep power in his hands.


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    So far, out of all the juntas that men formed, most had stayed moderate and refused to directly target civilian women outside of extreme cases. The Asturian Junta democratized quickly, and so did the Hebei Junta, and even the Confederacy was now holding an election in the middle of a civil war. And while President Rimpler would say that his Federal Republic was undeniably a borderline dictatorship, he had already begun organizing his state in the direction of a ¡°future democracy¡± for Orland (though, Rimpler would never allow it to be anything but a controlled democracy for him to ¡°guide¡±).


    On the other hand, the Lieplatz Junta had participated in mass purges of female politicians and noblewomen, raids against magical academies (filled with innocent young women) to shut them down and ¡°imprison dissidents¡±, all while General Richstoff consolidated power around him as swathes of high ranking officers of the Lieplatzan Armed Forces mysteriously disappeared and died.


    Even Rimpler could feel chills from it. While he would not deny that he ¡°dealt¡± with a lot of his opponents in ¡°less gentle ways¡±, he never did it at scale. And he would never purge Heindh?ff and the Orlish High Command unless they fully turned disloyal.


    It seems like you, General Richstoff, want a dictatorship around you and you alone. This is becoming distasteful. I should perhaps reign in the overenthusiastic officers of the Republican Guard to prevent that incident from happening again. I don¡¯t want to look like this guy.


    ¡°Look, these rebels. They¡¯ll fail to organize,¡± President Rimpler said. ¡°You¡¯re suppressing them well precisely because they are weak. Queen Wesley isn¡¯t going to return to Lieplatz. These women nobles, they¡¯re in hiding. They¡¯re afraid. They¡¯re going to stay alone in their estates before confronting you. You are wasting bullets better spent fighting those who can fight.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Orlish Queen? Why yes, I do know why you are deadset on having us, Lieplatz on your side, Mr. President. You want more troops to help the Federal Republic against her. And I agree. We are in the same fight. But my patience is running thin. All these ¡®anti-atrocity¡¯ inspection operations you are sending to my country are sending the wrong messages to me. Are we friends or not?¡±


    ¡°We are friends, yes.¡± President Rimpler quickly answered. ¡°The question is, would you be a worthy friend of Orland? Orland loves its reputation, General Richstoff. And if Lieplatz would drag its reputation down into the mud¡­even friendship wouldn¡¯t last, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You need me, Mr. President. Not the other way around.¡±


    President Rimpler smirked, before looking at one of General Richstoff¡¯s guards, who were silently conversing with the President¡¯s personal guards. ¡°Hey! You.¡±


    The guard stood stiffly in attention, saluting the President of Orland for a split second. ¡°Sir!¡±


    ¡°Tell me, where does your gun come from?¡±


    ¡°This one sir? This was manufactured in Eirhow. I-it¡¯s a good gun, sir. All of Lieplatz thanks our brothers in the south, yes.¡± The guard tried backing off, as he didn¡¯t understand why General Richstoff turned irate. He was instructed to remain friendly in order to prevent complications. He didn¡¯t want to offend the President, and as instructed, he followed his training. Be friendly as much as possible.


    President Rimpler looked back at the now irate General Richstoff. ¡°No, you need me, General Richstoff. What¡¯s your puny country going to do if the Royalists cross the border to put you down? You would be able to do nothing. And then, it would be me, I would have to deal with your blunder. Make no mistake, Lieplatz will be Orland¡¯s good little boy. Just like how Queen Wesley was Queen Areya¡¯s good little doll. You will reign in your bloodthirst. You will.¡±


    ¡°Mr. President, we should not be disputing ourselves over this disagreement. You should be in my camp. This is the only way for us to deal with these people. You have to agree with me. You should be the one following this system I¡¯m creating.¡±


    ¡°You will follow the Orlish System, General Richstoff. You will not turn Lieplatz into your personal fiefdom of death. You think you can kill off your political opponents, your fellow junta members without me knowing. No, I and the OIA placed you there. I can sniff you from the confines of my personal office in Eirhow. And only one word from me and you are dead. You are nothing without me. And thus, you will follow me.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Presi¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am not asking, General Richstoff. I am demanding. I want this nonsense to end quickly. I want this media blackout that¡¯s giving us bad optics to end. I want your troops preparing for a land war rather than shooting unarmed civilians. Young women who are already without their wands. This is a clown show. A bloody clown show that goes against our narrative. A clown show I want to be ended, now. And I want you to stop voting against our terms in the Loviedo Conference. Is that clear?¡±


    General Richstoff didn¡¯t flinch, merely looking at the furious eyes of the Orlish President. He was shorter than President Rimpler, and so he had to look up at his serious eyes. President Rimpler certainly wasn¡¯t going to beat around the bush after seeing what was happening in his potential ally. And as far as President Rimpler was concerned, he wanted a proper ally. Not a liability.


    But General Richstoff was dying internally inside. He indeed did think that his position was fully secured¡­until his main foreign supporter turned out to be hostile to his ideas. General Richstoff almost chuckled at the absurdity of his situation.


    ¡°You are holding a pistol against my head, Mr. President.¡±


    ¡°I am, General Richstoff. I am. The question is, do you want to try your chances with it?¡± General Richstoff stopped laughing to himself, as it all settled down. ¡°Because I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be very amusing for you either if our working deal goes sideways.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about,¡± President Rimpler smiled, before extending out his gloved hand. ¡°Friends?¡±


    Letting out a bitter laugh, General Richstoff reluctantly shook the hand, his resentment still heavy. ¡°Yes. Exactly. Friends.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Thirteen: Contain The Northern Demon

    ¡°Disturbing reports from the State of Lieplatz indicate direct violent repression of the women-led Royalist movement and suspected civilian dissidents. The Federal Republic¡¯s Assembly is now questioning the ¡®involvement¡¯ of the Federal Army and the President over these developments, calling for a ¡®direct intervention¡¯ to prevent this potential stain in the revolution¡¯s honor. Once again, the people must be reminded of our cause and the moral integrity of this global revolution.¡±


    - The Front Newspaper


    +++


    November Palace


    Situation Room


    January 19, 2025


    ¡°This¡­is surprising¡­¡± General Victor Albrech remarked. On the screens, the first footage of what was happening in the northern border between the Federal Republic and the Lieplatzan State was shown. ¡°They¡¯re diverting their forces north. This¡­this is beyond a surprise. We thought they would have General Richstoff as a puppet, but it seems like things aren¡¯t as simple as we expected.¡±


    ¡°Quite frankly, I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Marie said, sitting beside Amelie, Jacqueline, Adelaide and Nia. ¡°That General always struck me wrong when I was in Lieplatz. Many under him even oppose him. They had a lot of defectors, and it¡¯s telling why. This guy is a lunatic.¡±


    ¡°Quite frankly, I can¡¯t believe someone could be more insane than ¡®President¡¯ Rimpler,¡± Jacqueline said, her angry tone against the pretender ¡®President¡¯ evident in her voice. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s really just levels of lunacy.¡±


    ¡°One suppressed women with an iron fist, the other with bullets. I think they¡¯re still both lunatics.¡± Nia said. ¡°Sure, one is worse, but the same still stands. We¡¯re practically fighting two lunatics.¡±


    ¡°At the very least they¡¯re going to tear each other apart if this escalates,¡± Amelie said. ¡°If ¡®President¡¯ Rimpler actually crosses the border to topple Richstoff¡¯s Junta himself, they would be diverting troops from the frontlines. That should help us.¡±


    ¡°If they do that, we¡¯re also going to cross the border,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°We cannot allow them to have full control of the country. And, if you think about it, if the Federal Republic invades Lieplatz, we would have a good justification to cross the border and restore Queen Wesley on the territories that would fall to us. I would bet good money that they would capture Eastern Lieplatz, but the West would be ours. Her government-in-exile can return there.¡±


    ¡°Lieplatz¡¯s a frozen wasteland though, especially West Lieplatz,¡± Admiral Halberd said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we just extend our frontlines then? Plus, the only value her government would receive is that sole city on the coast of West Lieplatz. Almost no one lives in that place.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, so why would the Federal Republic move a lot of assets there? The cold and frozen terrain, the lack of proper infrastructure, everything would be to our advantage. We just need to send a few divisions there to grind them down in those tundras and mountains. The frontlines will be extended, but we don¡¯t need to man it with millions.¡± The General countered.


    Amelie looked at the map. She had already long planned to ¡°intervene¡± against the State of Lieplatz and restore Queen Wesley¡¯s throne (since House Ludendorf had significant ties with House von Reitz), and because Lieplatz, much like Lorathia, was very much a sisterly nation to her Kingdom. But, most importantly, ever since General Richstoff took over, she wanted nothing more than to liberate the now-suffering female population of Lieplatz.


    Unfortunately, she lacked the military, political, and diplomatic support to do so. But, she had already beaten the Federal Republic in the Grand Duchy Campaign, and the frontlines were, so far, calm and stabilized. Politically, everyone in the Orlish Government disliked the State of Lieplatz as much as they disliked the Federal Republic. In fact, everyone was practically gearing up to receive an actual declaration of war from them if they potentially joined the Federal Republic.


    And lastly, now, she technically would have diplomatic support. Everyone hated the regime in Lieplatz, and she could see that even the revolutionary republics of the world were starting to look away in disgust at the atrocities this bloody regime was doing. Everyone was practically painting the State of Lieplatz as a brutal junta that walks through its population with bloodied boots. Even those aligned with the male rights revolution were now looking away and criticizing them for ¡°straying from the cause¡±.


    Still, an invasion. Through frozen lands. Lieplatz was also massive. While it only had a quarter of Orland¡¯s population, it was still quite large, with mostly empty land near the north pole and the tundras of the interior. The only populated areas were near the eastern and western coastlines of Lieplatz, with the biggest city in the west being Nordia, a relatively calm port city populated by around a million people. But if I can establish Queen Wesley back there, I¡¯d have a reason to eventually liberate East Lieplatz even if the Federal Republic gets there first and establishes their puppet government.


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    ¡°What¡¯s the composition of the Lieplatzan Armed Forces?¡± Amelie asked, now interested in a potential conflict to liberate Lieplatz. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to see that this is a good opportunity to further our cause. General Richstoff already blundered with his disgusting conduct, and everyone hates him, so I think we can really move in and liberate these people.¡±


    General Victor Albrecht motioned for an aide to hand over his tablet, and he scrolled through it, searching for a report file. The briefing screens in front of them were changed to a bluish projection of the strength of the Lieplatzan Armed Forces, detailing the number of troops, armored vehicles, ships, and aircraft they possessed.


    ¡°The Lieplatzan Armed Forces is actually closely dependent on the Orlish Armed Forces, so much so that our brothers up north are practically just a smaller version of the OAF. Modernized, utilizing top-of-the-line technology, and extremely professional. The only difference is in doctrine, they specialize more in frozen and sub-arctic terrain. But they are considerably smaller.¡±


    ¡°Smaller in a sense, yes, but that doesn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t be able to defend their territory,¡± Admiral Halberd said, just as the Chief Air Marshall, Lewis Zimmerman, interjected as well. He was now finally at the meetings, and Amelie could tell, his months of failures actually took a toll with the guy. It seemed that her negative view of him was unfounded, considering that he (according to General Albrecht) almost killed himself of overwork while trying to reorganize the Air Force and relieve the Grand Duchy.


    His voice was still tired, however, as right now, it was the Air Force taking the big brunt of the fighting, and he reportedly barely slept through the night to keep micromanaging the battles in the Orlish airspace. ¡°Their air force could probably fight back too. We¡¯d be struggling to establish a full air superiority. We sold a squadron of LF-20 Phantoms to them back then, and I¡¯m sure they already trained their pilots well enough for deployment and combat.¡±


    Amelie turned a bit pale at that piece of information. She knew that those planes were basically one of Orland¡¯s most prized weapons. The perfection of the most advanced generation of combat fighters in the world. Only Orland could produce stealth aircraft, and the LF-20 was the best of it all.


    ¡°Wait, we were selling these planes?¡±


    ¡°Well, the LF-20 was a joint project between Orland, Lorathia, Gallia, Asturia, Lombardia, and Lieplatz. The main members of the Ivory Alliance. Especially during the tail end of the Great War when everyone was investing and sending researchers to help design and perfect it. Though Orland owned its design, their contributions meant that they had the right to buy and produce it. Well¡­they can¡¯t actually produce it, but they can buy it. And they bought a lot of the first production batch.¡± The Chief Air Marshall answered.


    ¡°How much does Lieplatz have then?¡±


    ¡°Around twenty-eight.¡± He answered. ¡°Their government invested massive amounts of money on it, as they wanted a specialized air force that could help the Orlish Air Force well in distant campaigns of Vaeyox after the Great War. Unfortunately, we delivered the planes to them just a week before Queen Wesley was toppled by the coup d¡¯etat.¡±


    ¡°And how many LF-20 Phantoms do we have?¡±


    ¡°Four hundred, Your Majesty. Half of them are engaged in the skies of Orland, however. The other half are mostly in our overseas bases or in our newly created stealth aircraft carrier squadrons. At most, we¡¯d be able to muster forty LF-20 Phantoms if we go to war with Lieplatz.¡±


    ¡°Well, we still outnumber them then,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°Surely, the Air Force will do a quick work of them. Plus, they should be distracted by an invasion from the Federal Republic.¡±


    ¡°That assumes President Rimpler would invade,¡± Marie countered. ¡°My intel showed that the tentacles of the OIA are strong in Lieplatz. Some of my agents even suspect that the OIA is already plotting an assassination attempt and a coup against Richstoff¡¯s junta. They wouldn¡¯t need to invade Lieplatz if that happened.¡±


    Adelaide shook her head. ¡°If we¡¯re planning to invade Lieplatz with the justification that General Richstoff is committing human rights abuses, that would look weird if the junta is already toppled. We¡¯d have to search for another casus belli in that case.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that any reason could be an easy sell for the international audience anyway,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Whoever leads Lieplatz is going to be sour regardless, unless if it¡¯s Queen Wesley and her original government. Even the first revolutionary government of Lieplatz was already unsavory.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least for your fellow monarchies,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Not for the republics. They wouldn¡¯t buy it.¡±


    ¡°Does it even matter if we justify this thing to those countries?¡± Nia asked. ¡°We are already planning to turn the MN into a martial alliance against them, and they¡¯re all in a conference to soon form a global coalition themselves. Quite frankly, we¡¯re already on a trajectory to clash with them. Do we really need to still prove ourselves that we¡¯re not coming for them?¡±


    Everyone in the room fell silent. Amelie herself looked at the scales of her options. Declare war now, and liberate West Lieplatz before the Federal Republic acts, or wait, and potentially lose her chance. Or she could ignore the idea of this being a chance or even the act of keeping their appearance of ¡°appeasement¡± to foreign revolutionary republics.


    ¡°As much as possible, I don¡¯t want to send the message that my Orland would be aggressive that we would randomly declare war on them by virtue of them being revolutionaries,¡± Amelie said. ¡°That¡¯s just going to inspire the ¡®no surrender till death¡¯ mentality already spreading amongst them. Even if the MN and a potential ¡®Coalition of Free Nations clash, I¡¯d want it to be a defensive conflict, with both sides ready for diplomatic peace. All I really want is to contain their spread and restore global peace. Nothing more.¡±


    General Albrecht turned in his seat, facing the Queen directly. ¡°Then we best declare war while we still have a good justification, no?¡±


    Amelie couldn¡¯t find a good counter to that.


    I guess I¡¯m declaring war soon then.

 Chapter One Hundred Fourteen: Four-Year Plan

    ¡°Plant-A2 opens up in the Niedelheize Industrial Zone, south of Eutstadt. This development is just the latest in the string of factory openings in the Niedelheize Industrial Zone, which is now growing to a population of eighty-thousand full-time workers. Officials managing the Zone expect that soon, the Niedelheize Industrial Zone ¡®will rival¡¯ Eirhow¡¯s industrial production base. Plant-A2 alone is expected to deliver two thousand LSS Mechs within the next few months.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    West Orland


    County of Wittfield


    Niedelheize Industrial Zone


    Niedelheize, a new burgeoning industrial city south of Eutstadt, was something Amelie didn¡¯t expect to be this large. Originally, it was established three years ago as a project of Countess Wittfield to create a city that could ¡°be the West¡¯s hub of heavy industries¡±, but it only grew to a meager twenty-thousand large city filled only with small factories and its supporting industrial establishments. Now, however, with the evacuations from the East, the Niedelheize Industrial Zone was growing rapidly, with larger factories and processing plants being built up left and right.


    ¡°So this is where we are throwing a lot of our budget?¡± Amelie asked as Countess Anne Wittfield nodded. The two of them began inspecting the busy streets of the Niedelheize, which was stocked full of trucks, heavy equipment, cranes, and the bustling groups of workers and engineers all mingling in the small city¡¯s industrial facilities.


    ¡°This place was paid with billions of Orlish Blancs, Your Majesty. It¡¯s a strategic investment to open up an industrial base around here, where the Orlish Air Force can easily defend each plant. With our partnership with Rebenslof¡¯s major defense conglomerates, we expect to create a bustling city here that would fuel our war effort and our future endeavors.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you would be quite the industrialist,¡± Amelie said, and the Countess smiled.


    ¡°The future of the world lies in the hands of technology and industry, Your Majesty. To deny that is pure delusion. I¡¯ve seen how assembly lines produce weaponry by the thousands, or how mere chips built by the hands of the magicless could be placed in our wands to assist our magic. It¡¯s both terrifying and wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Everything, this war, they say, all of it became bloody because of these industries,¡± Amelie looked up at the massive plant just ahead of them. Plant-A1, one of the first factories opened in the Niedelheize Industrial Zone, already produced thousands of L?we MBTs, alongside thousands of other OAF vehicles. That plant alone employed forty-thousand workers, almost half of Niedelheize¡¯s population. The residential areas around Niedelheize City housed these workers, almost all of them being nothing but towering utilitarian complexes that prioritized efficiency over form.


    ¡°This place will be soulless,¡± Amelie said, remembering the pictures and videos that depicted Eirhow. ¡°Just like Eirhow. Nothing but a glorified industrial assembly line than a true city to live in. What are the demographics of Niedelheize?¡±


    ¡°Almost all who live here are men, Your Majesty.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Would any self-respecting woman even choose to live here? It¡¯s not even massive yet, but you can already smell the smog in the air. Once Niedelheize is fully developed, you would be correct, it would be an industrial wasteland, almost similar to Eirhow.¡±


    But an industrial wasteland that would fuel my war machine. Amelie reminded herself. The Federal Republic had Eirhow, which, at the current moment, was said to be supplying the Federalists with an ever-growing stockpile of heavy weaponry that would soon be turned to her Royalist forces once winter season ended. She didn¡¯t look forward to that possibility, as Eirhow had a gigantic industrial base.


    Much of what they had faced in the Grand Duchy Campaign, alongside the other campaigns during 2024 had been the original armies and equipment that the rebels held, equipment that was most produced during and before the Great War. In that entire year, the factories and industrial centers of Eirhow and the Free State of Wuringen had never been silent, as the Free State itself had every raw material it could ask for to fuel its industries.


    Iron, rare earth, coal, oil, down to uranium to fuel their nuclear reactors. Everything, in great abundance. It was after all why the Free State became Orland¡¯s ¡°industrial heartland¡±. It alone could fuel the industries based there, and even those outside of it. In comparison, both the Royalist holdings in East Orland and West Orland were lacking in raw resources (especially iron and oil) to fuel their, technically, larger (but more dispersed) industrial base.


    And so, while her side ¡°technically¡± had more industries to speak of, most of it would never be producing war materiel in the capacity to rival the Federalists, as they didn¡¯t have their raw resources to fuel it. But more importantly, most of the industries outside of the Free State weren¡¯t what Amelie needed.


    In this war, she needed plants that produced tanks, artillery, guns, ammunition, aircraft, uniforms, boots, mechs, and finished goods that the military consumed. In order to produce that, she needed her industries to produce metric tonnes of alloys, industrial machinery, cement for the new factories, and other components that would maintain and build the factories that would churn out the weapons.


    What did she have then? Well, Thein produced wands and other magical goods. It wouldn¡¯t help much. Rolentz was much of the same. Rebenslof did produce a lot of weapons and alloys, but half of its production base produced consumer goods. Appliances and civilian vehicles. She would have to still convert those factories to those that produced her military goods. Then there was Halia, which now had a nonexistent industry to speak of.


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    This left her with Eutstadt, which was more of a financial center than an industrial one. They produced services and employed mostly bureaucrats, scientists and researchers, bankers, academics, and other high-maintenance white-collar female workers who sat in their cushy offices instead of being lined up in the assembly line to produce ammunition that her troops needed.


    This meant that her major cities were for the most part, useless, outside of maintaining the civilian economy of Orland. Thus, it was the smaller cities like Niedelheize that produced her war machines. While its dispersed nature in West Orland helped prevent the enemy from bombing their industrial bases, it meant that her production efficiency was lowered. A gun plant from South Orland would have to source the components of its guns from, say, a small city from Northwestern Orland.


    Which meant that there were too many bottlenecks in the entire supply chain for her to hammer down. She already had shortages in the raw materials front, she didn¡¯t want another issue in the Royalist industries.


    ¡°Alright, so, say, if we really do go all in to expand Niedelheize,¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Would we be able to support it? Do we even have enough raw materials to keep the industries here running?¡±


    The Countess frowned in response to that. ¡°That¡¯s a question you would have to answer, Your Majesty. Niedelheize is a port city, which means that if we expand the port infrastructure here, we would be easily getting raw materials overseas. The question is, could you source that for Niedelheize?¡±


    ¡°Source it? You mean, from other countries?¡± Amelie looked back at the economies of other nations. Most were paralyzed, yes, but many nations reportedly had a massive stockpile of mined materials, oil, and other raw resources sitting on their ports ever since the collapse of global trade. She remembered that Princess Xue once said that many of her ports were becoming ¡°stockpiling grounds¡± due to the revolutionary¡¯s incessant convoy raiding throughout the seas of Pollos, and the fact that many of their major trading partners simply stopped buying their produced goods.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Hebei for example produces a lot of iron, steel, and even cement. If we could get that here and keep that pipeline going, that would be great. East Larissa also produces a good amount of oil that they¡¯re not using, and they¡¯re still under the control of the Imperial Remnants.¡±


    ¡°East Larissa?¡± Amelie tilted her head, trying to remember what her mortal rival¡¯s country had left after the Confederation¡¯s success at almost overthrowing the Larissan Empire. Indeed, the Imperial Remnants only had two territories left, the Grand Duchy of Theresa, and their remote holdings on East Larissa, where the Confederates struggled to fight on due to its freezing conditions. ¡°But that would require me talking and negotiating with them.¡±


    Amelie frowned, already disliking that idea. Perhaps she had an irrational grudge against House Illyenov, perhaps it was just a well-deserved grudge, but she sure did have a grudge against them. The Empire of Larissa was one of the reasons that the world was in this complete disaster. If they hadn¡¯t initiated the Great War, and the Second Great War, perhaps men wouldn¡¯t have been sent to an apocalyptic war that sealed their complete radicalization. And so, Amelie disliked it, very much so.


    I mean, if I really have to. But just¡­ ugh, Larissa, again! I bet if I ask for their oil, they¡¯re going to ask for their Empress. And nu-uh, I would never release the Empress from her arrest. She¡¯d rather eat glass before allowing that to happen. Quite frankly, Amelie would only take them seriously if Princess Anastasia fully apologizes for her country¡¯s crimes, swears her loyalty to the Kingdom of Orland and Amelie, and fully steals the throne from Empress Katerina.


    In other words, Amelie disliked House Illyenov so much that she would only cooperate with them if they were Orland¡¯s good little vassal. As they deserved. After all, that Empire was a failed state. Orland may have been devastated by the Second Orlish Civil War, but Amelie knew that regardless of whoever won, the Kingdom would recover and rebuild itself.


    The Empire of Larissa on the other hand lacked any proper institutions due to centuries of House Illyenov¡¯s despotic rule. And no, neither the Imperial Remnants, which was nothing but a band of desperate reformers and aristocrats, nor the Confederates, which was nothing more than a bunch of warlords that would eat each other alive once women lost, would restore the Empire to its former power.


    ¡°Well, I believe you and Minister Adelaide would have to deal with that then,¡± the Countess said. ¡°Whether you like it or not, Niedelheize and West Orland would need everything we can muster. Your Majesty, it¡¯s not just Orland that relies on our industries. The entire world relies on our industries as well. Neither Lorathia nor Gaul would be able to fight without Orlish aircraft and armored vehicles, for example.¡±


    ¡°What about the Asanai Empire? Didn¡¯t they take some of the heat from us? I heard their arms industries were booming, and they were selling entire convoys worth of weapons to pro-MN countries, like Princess Hue¡¯s Hebei.¡±


    ¡°The Asanai Empire is only second to Orland. While they are stable, their population is a third of ours. And that Empire is still a pacifistic one. Even now, they produce more washing machines than rifles. Plus, the Asanai Empire can¡¯t produce our stealth aircraft, our LSS Mechs, or our other more advanced weaponry. It just wouldn¡¯t be enough. Orland would have to revitalize its industrial strength. We have the larger manpower, capital, skilled workers, and technical know-how. We just need the fuel for it.¡±


    ¡°And that fuel would have to come from overseas partners¡­¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°Hah, everything is really hinging now on the Mandate of Nations becoming united. Both our continued economic and military survival.¡±


    ¡°If the revolution isolates us, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if we lose this war if they eventually overwhelm us,¡± the Countess said. ¡°That¡¯s why, we have to maximize everything. Cooperation, trade, our industries, even magic, Your Majesty. We have to find a way to combine magic and technology. I believe that would be the question that would answer if we will triumph or not.¡±


    ¡°Combine magic with technology? Haven¡¯t we been doing that for a while now?¡±


    ¡°Not fully yet. Imagine, Your Majesty, if our mechs were magically lighter. Imagine, if normal guns that even men use could fire special magical ammunition. Imagine if we could teleport gigantic amounts of steel and alloys from their processing plants to our factories using dimensional magic. Imagine, Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Magic and technology, combined. Amelie could indeed imagine it. It would be the closest thing to women and men working together to defeat our extremist foes.


    ¡°I¡­can we do that?¡±


    ¡°The Arcano-Rifle or the DC Wands alone is already an example of it. We just need to mobilize our industries and researchers for it. But for now, we have to be realistic and focus on getting our pure technology industries up and running. Then we can proceed to the next stage.¡±


    ¡°You have a plan for this, no?¡±


    ¡°A full four-year plan,¡± the Countess smirked. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll send it all to your desk.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifteen: The Face of Future Warfare

    ¡°The LSS Mech, once perfected, would complement armored warfare in ways we would not expect.¡±


    - General Victor Albrecht, the Great War.


    +++


    West Orland


    City of Eutstadt


    Nia dropped another fat stack of paperwork on Amelie¡¯s desk. Immediately, as was always natural, the Queen¡¯s calm demeanor turned to that of a groaning annoyance, as Nia giggled at her tired reaction.


    ¡°Quite frankly, at this point, you should get used to it, Amelie.¡±


    ¡°I am. Still, at this point, this is getting old,¡± Amelie replied before she took the first document from the top of the paper. Naturally, the first report, at the very top, was about the frontline casualties on the last day. Seven hundred. Amelie sighed at that, even now that the frontlines were solidified and in stalemate, hundreds of her men were still dying daily even without any major offensives from both sides.


    The next report didn¡¯t bode well either. It was from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it briefed her about the current alignments of the members of the Mandate of Nations. It seemed that most monarchies of Pollos were still ambivalent at the idea of a unified military alliance, with many countries already citing grievances with each other to even ¡°consider¡± the idea of fighting side by side with them.


    Disunity will be our ultimate downfall. Amelie didn¡¯t like the idea of that. The revolutionaries, while in theory, disunited, had so far shown that they would be willing to settle their differences for a global coalition. While most pro-women countries left were either paralyzed or too angry with each other to cooperate, the pro-male revolutionaries were a radically different beast. Except for Lieplatz, I suppose. They seemed to be in the path of being culled by their brotherly nations. Even the Republic of Asturia and the Confederation have now denounced their actions.


    Amelie sped through more of the documents, all of them detailing the situation in the economy, the mobilization, the potential hotspots of ¡°traitorous activities¡±, RIU intel, the convoys that were raided in the high seas, the possible locations of the ONS Matriarch, the current intel about the alignments of the Members of Parliament regarding the female conscription deadlock¡­


    Time almost bled through her morning, passing by as if it was nothing, as she ate her morning cereal beside her.


    Peace really does seem difficult to achieve. Amelie thought to herself. It was simply disappointing how almost everything that could go wrong was happening, disrupting her efforts to win and thus, enforcing the peace that her Kingdom and people needed. At some point, she was asking her mother about what exactly could she do at this point, until Amelie remembered that her mother also dragged the Kingdom to a war.


    And so, Amelie briefly tried to ask the Goddess. Now, she had never been that religious. Quite frankly, church duties were something that Amelie shirked, almost avoiding the Arcanist Church at every opportunity she could. The idea of separation of church and state had been a long-running debate in Orland after all. It was the greatest weak link of the ideology of Arcanist Democracy, even for women.


    Because in many ways, it was a massive contradiction in their ¡°benevolent system¡±. How could Orland be democratic, ruled by its ¡°magically capable people¡± when the Goddess and her appointed Monarch technically had the final say? The UOP had always been split in half by it, and for centuries, it was essentially what divided Orland¡¯s female voting class. Should the Goddess have a role in the country, and by extension, the Queen, to such an extent?


    Or should the Parliament and Prime Minister be the ultimate rulers of the Kingdom, relegating the Queen and the Goddess to ceremonial duties? Before male republicanism ¡°united¡¯ the UOP a few decades ago, that was the issue that divided the nation. But Amelie had always been firmly on the side of the Queen and the Goddess having some form of executive power.


    Mainly, because when she was younger, she genuinely had megalomaniac fantasies of controlling the Kingdom, as she was the future Queen. Surely, she deserved it! At least, until she went to University, and found herself schooled by liberal professors, and now, here, when she was in a complete crisis she could not hear the Goddess¡¯ advice on how to deal with it.


    I mean, what even is the point of letting the Goddess dictate the Kingdom if she isn¡¯t going to help us steer it to the right path? And with that, why should someone like her, a mere hereditary monarch, hold the power to steer the nation because she was appointed by the same absent entity?


    ¡°Amelie, actually, did you remember your schedule for today?¡± Nia asked, perking up from her table, away from her computer, as she was also dealing with some of the paperwork herself. Amelie shook her head innocently in response, as Nia sighed. ¡°Hah¡­this is why you really needed someone like me.¡±


    ¡°Well, do you remember it?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Of course, I always note it down,¡± she scrolled through her mouse wheel before she turned her monitor in Amelie¡¯s direction. ¡°Here, at 10:30 AM, the OAF Mech Design Bureau will be meeting you to show you their new design.¡±


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    Amelie totally forgot that. Yeah¡­the new design. Hmm, something about an even lighter version of the LSS Mech. Improved too. Amelie nodded, as she took a sip of her tea. She looked at the time on her watch. 9:24 AM. ¡°We still have an hour. I¡¯ll prepare then.¡±


    Nia nodded, as both of them stood up. Amelie would need to see this one.


    +++


    Amelie nodded at William, noticing that he was waiting for her at the entrance of the demonstration room. Amelie looked down at her watch, noting that it was only 10:25 AM. At least I¡¯m not late this time. She already developed a reputation for being always late at meetings after all, something which became the norm back when she was at the Queen¡¯s Bunker.


    ¡°They¡¯re just finishing their preparations,¡± William said. ¡°The mech they created seems interesting.¡±


    ¡°That so? I wonder, what exactly is it? And how it¡¯s going to contribute to the war effort. I mean, even now, I still don¡¯t fully understand how the LSS Mech differed in usage from our L?wes.¡±


    ¡°Again, doctrinally, we use them in urban areas because they can use their legs to provide fire support from unconventional positions,¡± William said. ¡°But you see, the thing is, while the LSS Mech is fast, its acceleration is slow. It¡¯s also not that maneuverable. Well, it¡¯s better than a tank, but it could be better. But more importantly, it¡¯s prone to sinking.¡±


    ¡°Sinking?¡±


    ¡°Considering that you are planning on attacking the State of Lieplatz, we¡¯d have to figure out a way to get these things working well on the thick snow, or through the scattered mountain ranges of Lieplatz. They must be light enough. They need to be lighter.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Amelie understood that. Snow, and perhaps, once the winter season ended, mud. Legs wouldn¡¯t do well in those conditions. Especially if these mechs were to be in the field for extended periods of time. Amelie could imagine that those legs might freeze or worse when sunk under snow for too long.


    And especially mud afterward.


    Soon, the doors opened, and Amelie was led inside the presentation room. The mechanics, scientists, and corporate officials all held a smile as she shook hands with them one by one. All while the cameras focused on her, taking both pictures and videos. Up ahead, on the stage, lit up by stage lights, was a machine covered by what appeared to be a grey textile. By this point, the Defense Minister, Archduchess Pristina Dubois, also arrived, and stood beside Amelie, as the announcer began greeting everyone in the halls.


    ¡°Your Majesty, how are you today?¡± She asked, and Amelie smiled.


    ¡°Quite excited. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s how I¡¯m supposed to feel about them unveiling a new war machine to kill people, but¡­I suppose the path to peace is greater violence to win. I hope this one will help us through the war.¡±


    ¡°I heard that it only requires one pilot,¡± the Archduchess said. ¡°And, the fact that it¡¯s actually a design already being developed for three years.¡±


    ¡°So before the Civil War, and before I was crowned.¡±


    ¡°Some say, the Federal Republic is already producing their own version of it,¡± the Archduchess said. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too revolutionary.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too. We¡¯re behind them with this one, after all.¡±


    Amelie began clapping, as everyone else did, all while the textile that covered it was pulled, as the spotlights turned to it, lighting it up for the audience. Amelie was struck at how it looked, it really looked like a grey spider. Though, instead of that, it only had four legs, in comparison to the LSS Phanter¡¯s six. Moreover, she noticed that the main gun and turret were significantly smaller, almost similar to the IFVs that the OAF employed.


    General Victor Albrecht walked to the stage, into the podium, and looked directly at the Queen. ¡°Your Majesty, welcome to this presentation. I¡¯m going to be brief, this thing may look smaller, and less armored, but we believe it will be a nasty one.¡±


    ¡°General, may I ask, why¡­that design choice?¡± Amelie said as he smirked.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we present to you the LSS-2 ¡®Parasite¡¯ Mech. This¡­your majesty, is a direct improvement to the first iteration of the LSS ¡®Panther¡¯ Mech. Lighter, faster, more reliable, deadlier, but most importantly¡­it only requires one crew.¡±


    He moved away from the podium, and went in front of the mech, presenting it directly with his hands, merely using his loud voice to speak to the audience. ¡°This, Your Majesty, is the four legs of the LSS-2 ¡®Parasite¡¯. Due to its smaller size, supporting six legs became impossible, and redundant. But its propulsion system is greatly enhanced, and this bad boy should reach a hundred and twenty kilometers on a flat terrain. As well as improved 3D movement. Expect this thing to be climbing buildings and mountains like no other.¡±


    He then pointed at the two missile pods on the two sides of its turret. ¡°This, on the other hand, is the Light Anti-Tank Missile Pod System, or LATMPS. These two hold a total of eight MGM-22 ATGMs, capable of defeating armored threats. Its main gun is the Porter Type-12 50mm chaingun, capable of firing both HEI-T and APFSDS-T rounds, good for both shredding infantry and light armor.¡±


    ¡°Wait, but why the smaller main gun?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be...larger, for anti-tank roles?"


    ¡°Indeed it does, Your Majesty. But you see, the thing about the LSS-2 ¡®Parasite¡¯, is that its propulsion system is designed to move rapidly, thus, making a larger main gun impractical. And what does ''LSS'' stand for anyway? Light Support System. This isn''t meant to duel MBTs in open ground. It will use its 50mm autocannon to shred it from flanking attacks, or the MGM-22 ATGM if need be. All of it would be possible due to its extreme all-terrain mobility. Thus, the perfect all-rounder support weapon system for our ground forces.


    ¡°Wait, how heavy is it?¡±


    The General paused, before smiling. ¡°Fourteen tonnes, Your Majesty. That¡¯s how light this small mech is. There is no armor here. But it is fast. Perfect for men looking for the most efficient way of killing their enemies, and at dying quickly if he makes a mistake.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Sixteen: Ill Wage War

    ¡°The State of Lieplatz announces general mobilization. Troops are now rallying into remobilized units of the Great War, with the State of Lieplatz¡¯s Armed Forces now expected to swell to an estimated half a million troops by the end of January or early February. The State of Lieplatz has also conducted flyby exercises on the Orlish¨CLieplatz Border, showing the Junta¡¯s LF-20 Phantom squadrons that are ¡®ready to defend Lieplatz¡¯ from ¡®foreign aggression¡¯. Both the legitimate monarchist government of Queen Amelie Ludendorf and President Rimpler¡¯s Federal Republic seem to be threatening the Lieplatzan Government to ¡®surrender¡¯ and ¡®cease¡¯ their crimes against humanity, in what appears to be a race on who would get to control the Lieplatzan nation.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    North of Eutstadt City


    Fort Amelie


    Complex 41


    ¡°It¡¯s an unfortunate thing, but it¡¯s to be expected,¡± William said as he gave the SUV another turn. Their vehicle stopped in front of the entrance of Complex Forty-One of Fort Ludendorf, the new OAF Headquarters after their loss of Fort Rulter. Today was a big day, as the General Staff, the Admiralty, and the rest of the Ministry of Defense would meet for their plans regarding the Lieplatzan question.


    There were many vehicles, civilian vehicles of all kinds outside of Complex 41, as even the members of the Royal Guard were attending the first-ever interservice meeting between all branches of the OAF, the RGO, and even the disparate intelligence agencies of the Kingdom. Amelie looked up at the simple building, hexagonal in shape, which mostly housed the different research and command and control departments of the OAF.


    It was raining hard as well. ¡°I expected it too. Of course, the Lieplatzans would not just lie down without defending themselves,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°This just means that if we conduct the invasion, it would be really bloody.¡±


    ¡°An understatement, Amelie. Just the route to Nordia alone is a grueling forty kilometers of frozen lakes and thick forests, and then there would be almost eight major towns and small cities that we would have to capture, plus the river Heln.¡± William parked their vehicle at last, as the rest of the Queen¡¯s Royal Convoy scattered through the parking lot. ¡°It¡¯s going to be an ugly road to Nordia if we attempt to invade.¡±


    ¡°But¡­perhaps, if our armored units would be quick at their drive¡­¡± Amelie took another visual look at her memories of the map. Nordia, something which she had looked at for many nights, had been something a bit too far from the Orlish¨CLieplatz border. To get through that, her troops would have to rush through a frozen hellscape, and as William said, a few urban centers, the Heln River, all through a route of just one road and railway.


    It¡¯d be a road of blood. Amelie realized. But I can¡¯t just let the Lieplatzan State out of this. And I cannot just abandon restoration of Queen Wesley¡¯s legitimate rule over Lieplatz. She needed an ally in the north, and damn it, she would be restoring her own ally herself if that was what must be done. The LSS-2 is unlikely to be ready within a few weeks, which means that we would definitely be using normal armored units in the breakthrough and infantry.


    Amelie already left her vehicle, and was en route inside the Complex, as she deeply thought about it. To be at war with Lieplatz would be a severe gamble on her part, and on Orland¡¯s part. Breaking through such a distance would certainly lead to casualties that I would be held responsible for. Her government would take a severe hit should it fail, or should it be too costly. Perhaps, that was the stratagem that General Richstoff was banking on to beat her.


    Bleed Orland enough, and the Lieplatzan State would inflict enough damage for us to back off. Or, even if she didn¡¯t back off, the loss of reputation from her citizenry would be something she would not be able to take in the midst of this civil war. But to back off now would be just as damaging, again, as she could not just simply lose all of Lieplatz to the Federal Republic.


    It was a balancing scale that she would have to tip to her side carefully. Any wrong move and the scales could easily tip in her favor. At this point, Amelie had already changed, while her self last year would find this entire thing scary, she felt the corners of her lips slightly tug up. At this point, it almost seemed a grand game of cards for her.


    And she realized she was smirking subtly. Perhaps, the idea of leading a nation, a Kingdom, was becoming second nature to her. A game of fates. For the fates of millions, both in Orland and Lieplatz.


    Let¡¯s see what the OAF has to offer. What a deranged game it indeed was. But it was a game she would have no choice but to participate in. And if that was what must be done¡­she was starting to be used to it. I¡¯ll cast my dice then.


    +++


    Before the conference began, Amelie, William, and Nia found themselves flanked behind by a group of high-ranking officers as they walked in the halls. Amelie¡¯s eyes merely turned to the side, straight to the wide windows, to the flying flag of Orland on a nearby building as she heard the first words come from General Victor Albrecht.


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    ¡°Your Majesty, I have a few brief reports to you,¡± the General respectfully said, as he followed her. Amelie didn¡¯t look back, as she merely gave a brief nod. ¡°The Armed Forces is now deploying in the Orlish¨CLieplatz Border.¡±


    Amelie hadn¡¯t given the order yet, but it seemed that General Victor Albrecht already took the initiative. Quite frankly, she would have found it distasteful if she wasn¡¯t dead set on declaring war on the Lieplatzan State and liberating the oppressed women of the Junta. But, she was already dead set on the idea of a liberation war against them.


    Good then. If the OAF is already starting the preparations before any official green lighting, we¡¯d be better prepared for the assault. Still, Amelie needed more ideas and intel about the situation. After all, they had three options. They could call in the Navy to land at Nordia, or they could send a pure armored spearhead on a pure land operation, or they could land air assault brigades through the route to Nordia as a ground armored spearhead pushed forward.


    Each option had its own advantages and drawbacks.


    ¡°Do we have eyes on the ground already?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Both the Royal Investigations Unit and the Army Intelligence Unit are collaborating at infiltrating hostile garrisons and formations.¡±


    Amelie nodded, as they turned toward the conference halls. ¡°Then General, make the best of the presentation today. I want to know everything about our planning and preparations.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of that, Your Majesty.¡±


    +++


    The Archduchess arrived at the conference hall. She was flanked by three high-ranking RGO officers, the three ¡°High Dames¡± themselves. The equivalent of the OAF¡¯s four-star generals. She found it distasteful that many officers of the OAF looked at her and her three RGO officers lowly. Quite frankly, men had already developed a sort of longstanding pride in their military service.


    One of the few things they always found themselves full of pride in. And it became a way to look down on women of the Kingdom. Pristina knew how they looked at her and the RGO, as nothing but the same incompetent stooges who once ¡°monitored¡± and ¡°guided¡± the OAF back in the Great War, and led it to its greatest defeats.


    Or now, as a women¡¯s only club of arrogant pigs that would never step a foot on the frontlines. It was almost ironic, how even in a society where women ruled and reigned supreme, they would be looked down upon by the same men that were below them. Though it was a recent development, a development that resulted from the RGO failing at properly leading the OAF in the Great War (and subsequently losing control under the orders of the previous Queen to enhance OAF performance), it was still a stain, no, a shame that Pristina wanted to wipe out.


    The RGO¡¯s honor had been stained and stained one after another. The Great War. The assassination of Queen Areya. Queen Amelie¡¯s seemingly disfavoring of the RGO. And their almost absent performance in the Second Orlish Civil War. What good were her women then? At beating protesters? At being glorified guards behind the frontlines? At being second-rate garrison troops? At merely hunting down spies and saboteurs?


    Pristina sat down beside the Queen, who barely batted an eye on her. Pristina, prideful as she is, had always found the Queen¡¯s relationship with her as something¡­too lamentable. She was supposed to be Queen Amelie¡¯s closest official, being the Director of the Royal Guard of Orland, and the Minister of Defense. Instead, the Queen treated her, and the RGO, as nuisances. As competitors. Pristina even thought that the Queen viewed her as a traitor at times.


    She wondered sometimes if her ideological views were just simply too incompatible with the Queen. Perhaps she and the Queen would never see eye to eye at the status of men. But Pristina still hoped to prove herself to Queen Amelie. This time around, as Minister of Defense. And with the upcoming operation against the Northern Demon¡­she¡¯d find that opportunity.


    The RGO must act, and show itself in its best to support the invasion. Pristina wanted to serve the Queen, for even when they were not of the same minds, it was her duty as the head of the second highest noble house of the Kingdom. And as the Minister of Defense. To serve the Queen. She¡¯d organize this entire thing well¡­this time around.


    +++


    Amelie was surprised at the lack of scathing remarks from the Archduchess. Instead, she sat beside her, and remained silent, as the lights turned off.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, as you well know, we have quite the operation ahead us,¡± General Albrecht said, taking in the attention of the entire room, as he took center stage. The presentation screens showed both the maps of Orland, West Lieplatz, and the road to Nordia, the mines that surrounded the coasts of Nordia, and three operational maps that showed arrows and symbols about the OAF advance. ¡°And I¡¯d like to say, we are short in time for this operation. But the Queen would like to have a word with all of you.¡±


    Amelie took the prompt, stood up, and cleared her throat. ¡°Everyone, members of the Orlish Armed Forces and the Royal Guard of Orland, as all of you may know, the situation up north has deteriorated. The Lieplatz Junta finally directed their repression, rage, and brutality against our Lieplatzan sisters, and brothers even. For this reason, we have no choice but to plan for war.


    ¡°The Civil War naturally takes centerstage, yes, but we cannot deny that the strategic implications of us losing all of Lieplatz to the Federal Government, or to the Junta, would be something unacceptable. I would not allow Orland to be attacked from the north from a new front out of nowhere. No, if that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen, then I have no other choice.


    ¡°I know a lot of you are probably finding this operation distasteful. That we are in fact planning to invade a sovereign nation. But I implore all of you, to understand, the Junta is not a legitimate nation. It¡¯s a rogue criminal state. It is a state whose boots leave marks of blood on the floor. To let it exist any further is a crime itself. A crime against humanity.


    ¡°I hate war, ladies and gentlemen. It is vile and disgusting, and it represents the lowest of humanity. It requires that we sacrifice the lives of the young, of the poor, of the innocent. But today, to pave the path to war, we have no other choice. We have to defend ourselves and defend the lives of our Lieplatzan sisters and brothers. As such, I have decided how we would approach this matter.


    ¡°I may hate war¡­but I¡¯ll wage war. For it is the only option.¡±


    The room was silent. Any doubts about the operation, both budding in the ranks of the OAF and the RGO, were silenced. If even the pacifistic Queen was down for waging war against the Northern Demon, then anyone who went against it would be an irrational fool. Amelie looked back at General Victor Albrecht and gave him a steely nod.


    ¡°General, you may begin.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventeen: Border Clash

    "Orland seeks our domination once more! Proud Lieplatz, would we really accept this humiliation from a nation already divided? Shall we lay down as the traitorous Federal Republic threatens their fellow brothers, or as the tyrannical reactionary Queen demands the restoration of that old hag''s decrepit government? Nay, we shall not! Men and women, every able-bodied member of the Lieplatzan Citizenry are required to report to our recruiting posts. Together, we shall defend our homeland from Orland''s aggression!"


    - General Richstoff''s Speech on Lieplatzan State TV.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    January 25, 2024


    "What?"


    Amelie was dumbfounded by the sudden report placed by William on her desk. Incident O-L 23/25. That was the title of the very document before her. As she read it, the details of the incident bled through. Northern Orland, on various border outposts, was attacked by multiple raids on the night of the twenty-third of January. Mere two days ago.


    Her eyes trailed through each base that was attacked. The pictures about the damage. The scattered destroyed armored vehicles, the artillery holes, the burned-out Orlish flag on one of them, the captured intel from captured Lieplatzan troops¡­and the bodies of her dead soldiers.


    Her blood boiled.


    "At 01:00 hours, standard Western time, Lieplatzan forces raided and assaulted twenty-eight outposts and border posts in the Orlish¨CLieplarz border," William boredly said. "Local forces counterattacked within thirty minutes, just in time for the Lieplatzan withdrawal, but we are afraid that some of our border defenses are now compromised, and that they have uncovered our military buildup on the border."


    Amelie placed the document down, already fully red. "Why had I only heard of this today?"


    "The Armed Forces only released the reports after the investigations. I believe that the OHC would rather anger you than feed you misinformation. After all, thirty-eight OAF servicemen died in those thirty minutes. I bet they didn''t want you going off the rails after hearing that."


    Amelie crossed her arms. That''s such an insult. I''m not a child to be coddled just to control her temper. "William, I''d like you to remind General Albrecht not to play these kinds of games with me. I can control myself."


    "I''ll be tending to that in my next meeting with him then."


    "As for our response¡­" Amelie only had one judgment. "I think you can clearly tell which path Orland is going to take after this provocation?"


    "Well, there''s really only one option after this one. Quite frankly, I think General Richstoff must be quite the¡­suicidal fellow, don''t you think?"


    "I do think that''s the case, yes." Why would that moron even attack Orland out of nowhere? That was the question that ran in Amelie''s mind. Doing his nonsense on his border was something, but straight up going into a spree against Orland itself, a nation that dwarfed Lieplatz many times over, was something Amelie didn''t expect.


    Quite frankly, I thought we''d be the aggressor. Amelie expected either her or the Federal Republic to attack first to liberate Lieplatz. Or perhaps Lieplatz already knew that regardless of what happened, she or Rimpler would strike at them? Certainly, perhaps that would push them to take action themselves.


    But still¡­to attack and give us even more justifications to attack. "Wait, since we didn''t even reveal this, that means the public and the media have no idea about this?"


    "Yes. They have no idea about what happened. No way for us to turn this into a propaganda spin quickly. Well, maybe it will work if we just add it as another reason. But again, the OAF isn''t ready yet, which is precisely why General Albrecht is being cautious. He doesn''t want to walk unprepared troops into a trap."


    "I share the same opinion, William," Amelie said. Indeed, to walk her troops to a death trap was the last on her list of wants. At the moment, the OAF would only be able to muster a few thousand troops for the entire operation. Below even fifty-thousand soldiers that would launch a concentrated assault into Nordia.


    It was a natural limitation, as most of her forces were still embroiled in the frontlines against the Federal Republic. Diverting too much would risk collapsing it, so she was currently working on a tight budget if that would be a good comparison in this operation.


    Still, once I do my diplomatic plays, there can be no caution left. She''d have to be quick with it. Already, she was starting to rattle her saber. Each day that passed, she would appear on national TV to condemn the State of Lieplatz and the repression of its citizenry. And she wouldn''t cease this propaganda play.


    "If you want war, you''d have to convince the people for it," Adelaide said. Each time the Lieplatzan State committed another crime against humanity, was an escalation she continuously capitalized on. In other words, Amelie was redirecting the outrage and anger of her people to the Lieplatzan Government.


    And while the Civil War made it complicated to fully convince the people to dip their feet in another war, it was surprisingly easy for the most part. Amelie just needed to speak with a more "pro-women" rhetoric to do it.


    Women controlled the votes, the economy, and the government. More importantly, her fellow women already hated male-rights revolutionaries. The actions of the Federal Republic, the Hebei Republic, the Asturian Republic, and the Confederation had been so brutal that the image these men created for themselves made it easy for Amelie to justify war against their collective.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    After all, they were all out to slit their throats after taking their wands, weren''t they? It was a disgusting move for Amelie, as painting the male collective as somewhat of a barbaric cartoon villain was something that went against her ideals, as she held pity more than hate for these men¡­


    But, strategic considerations came first.


    A ring distracted the two of them.


    "Hmm¡­it''s the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Amelie said after picking up her phone. William nodded, before turning around and leaving.


    Amelie needed to hear this one.


    +++


    Amelie placed down the phone with a sigh, before sipping her tea.


    Damn it. She thought to herself. Adelaide had just reported that the State of Lieplatz finally withdrew their embassy from Orland. Their diplomats, who were mostly women employed by the previous government, now effectively had no more power and no longer represented their government.


    At least they''re staying in Orland. Amelie took another sip of her tea. It would be stupid if they all went back to Lieplatz. The last revolutionary government was dead after all. Whatever sat in the halls of the Lieplatzan Government now would not be kind to women, much less, diplomats who publicly protested against the new Junta.


    Someone knocked on her door. Amelie straightened herself a bit, before speaking loudly about her approval. "Come in," she said before the door knob turned around and opened.


    "Nia?" Amelie said as she entered.


    "The Prime Minister is here," Nia said, as Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss entered as well. Naturally, the Prime Minister gave Amelie a respectful nod before she spoke.


    "I apologize for interrupting your night, but I really needed to speak to you, Amelie."


    Amelie tilted her head in amusement. "Do you really need to be so stiff and formal, Jacqueline?" Jacqueline nodded in response.


    "Well, better be respectful to the Queen," she smiled. "Anyhow, I heard that there was a border clash¡­that''s¡­quite the news¡­"


    "I just received it as well."


    "A border clash?" Nia asked. "Wait, with who?"


    "With our Lieplatzan friends, as usual," Amelie sighed. "They tried to assault our border posts two days ago. They managed to disable many of our defenses, and kill thirty-eight of our men¡ª"


    "What?!" Jacqueline seemed enraged. "That''s unacceptable! Why would they even¡­what even went through their minds?"


    Nia crossed her arms. "To be fair, the two of you had been condemning them day and night for the past few days, all while asking their government to step down. I think they reacted as expected."


    "She has a point," Amelie said. "General Richstoff already declared a general mobilization. He''s preparing for a hot conflict. Just like us. Still, do you have an idea, Jacqueline? Why would they attack us¡­this¡­provocatively? After all, this would just give us more reasons to tear him down."


    "I apologize, but I''m quite dry of ideas on that front, Amelie," Jacqueline almost sagged. "It''s difficult to decipher these lunatics. Their motives, their tactics¡­they act so unpredictably."


    "Unfortunately, we can''t exactly predict that," Amelie said. "All we can do is prepare for their next antics."


    +++


    Federal Republic of Orland


    State of Wuringen


    Executor Building


    Heindh?ff wasn''t liking this one bit. How dare those fools violate Orlish national security! He shouted internally, as he and a group of grim-faced officers funneled into the situation room, where the President of Orland awaited them. OAF officers, OIA agents, and Republican Guard representatives arrived one after another in the darkly lit room, filled with screens that depicted the frontlines against the Royalists, and their plans for "Operation New Honor".


    "Gentlemen," President Rimpler greeted once everyone arrived. "I assume all of you have been briefed on the previous events, no?"


    "We are," Heindh?ff said, giving his political rival a nod of agreement. "It seems that we have to speed up our timetable. But still, our troops are not yet ready for it. Not yet, for now."


    "Those fools," General Kluge laughed. "What did that moron think? Attacking Orland, Orland itself? And not just us, but even the Royalists. He must be suicidal. This is the equivalent of declaring war on all of Orland."


    "He just gave us more reasons to invade him," President Rimpler said. "Though, at the same time, our agents are still working on it. Director Bluch?"


    The Director of the Orlish Intelligence Agency, still the premier branch of the Federal Republic when it came to subterfuge, adjusted his glasses as he read out a report on his tablet.


    "Gentlemen, the thing is¡­he''s not exactly the one who ordered these attacks." A thin smirk appeared on his lips. "Our agents already found out that the Lieplatzan Military is now in full panic mode, searching for who ordered it, and arresting suspected officers and enlisted men."


    "A false flag attack then¡­" Heindh?ff''s eyes narrowed at the suspicious smirk that graced Alfonso''s face. "Don''t tell me¡­"


    "I can neither confirm nor deny anything, Defense Minister Heindh?ff," he simply said, and most officers in the room received the message quite clearly. It was simply best not to ask too many questions in this case, especially when they already had an idea of why it happened. "In any case, we have the perfect justification soon to topple his regime, and place him back in the fold, wouldn''t you all agree?"


    "We''re just getting dirtier and dirtier..." Heindh?ff grumbled as President Rimpler sighed.


    "Regardless, gentlemen, for the proper implementation and enforcement of our revolution, every means to be dispensed must be dispensed. General Richstoff is bad propaganda and a stain to the Coalition of Free Nations that we are creating. And a threat to the long-term stability of North Opellia if we win and allow his existence. As such, we have no choice but to take matters into our own hands, and deal with this complication up north."


    The declaration from the President himself silenced any voice of opposition from the group of officers, who mostly just nodded in grim agreement to his points. The President looked at Heindh?ff.


    "Defense Minister, how are the preparations? I need East Lieplatz on our fold within a month. Any further delays will be detrimental to our cause."


    "We''re working on it," Heindh?ff said. "On a second note, do we even have any plans about what would happen to Lieplatz post-invasion?"


    The President nodded, as he fished out a document, titled simply "Milit?rregierung Ost-Lieplatz", or "Military Government of East Lieplatz". It seemed that the President really planned for a full puppeting of their northern neighbor. "I''m sure the remnants of the Lieplatzan Armed Forces and our occupation troops can come to a quick arrangement. That''s our only plan, and it will stay that way until peace arrives."


    "Are we really only planning for an incursion on the East?" Heindh?ff asked.


    "I have no intentions to waste resources and contest the Queen''s interests on West Lieplatz. She can take that worthless empty land and those useless cities," President Rimpler laughed.


    "Let her have some slices of the cake. After all, we would not be that cruel to teenage girls, no?"

 Chapter One Hundred Eighteen: New Queen of Lieplatz

    "Queen Wesley von Reintz has now officially abdicated the Lieplatzan throne in a ceremony in Redcastle City, as she apologized for her ''failures as the Queen''. The crown of the Lieplatzan throne is now expected to pass on to Princess Celeste von Reintz, but the Lieplatzan Royal Government-in-exile has still issued zero statements regarding this matter."


    - Redcastle Post


    +++


    West Orland


    City of Eustadt


    January 28, 2025


    "General, what are you even talking about?"


    General Albrecht and the group of OAF officers that met her seemed enthusiastic about their proposal. Amelie, flanked by Nia and William, merely crossed her arms, still unamused by the General''s previous act of keeping her out of the loop about what happened in her northern border.


    "Well, since Princess Celeste is around here, I''m just saying, why don''t the two of you have a good chat now that her mother is out of the picture?" General Albrecht said. "It''s a prime opportunity. The Lieplatzan Government-in-exile would soon have her as Queen. And we need a good collaborator in West Lieplatz once our operation is over."


    "That''s just¡­that sounds like coercion!" Amelie didn''t really want to just gang up on the Lieplatzan Princess who was, at the moment, spending her time in Orland after she was rescued by the RIU. She was probably still winded after the fact.


    And now, the Armed Forces wanted to drag her, have a talk with her, and force her into an agreement about the fate of the Kingdom she was about to inherit? It was scarily cruel for Amelie, especially since the woman still harbored resentment after she was forced into hiding when the RIU botched the first rescue attempt that only managed to save the rest of the Lieplatzan Royal Family¡­except for her


    I bet she still feels abandoned. Amelie knew that being stuck in a country that literally hunted for her head for a few weeks alone would be bound to beyond just shake her. She didn''t want to just barge in now and go "Hey! So your mother abdicated, and you''re soon about to become Queen, and we''re about to liberate half of your Kingdom! But here''s a list of the terms first!"


    That would definitely spook Princess Celeste.


    "To be fair, she''s like, six years older than you, Amelie," Nia lightly shoved her elbow at Amelie''s side to catch her attention. "Come on, if you managed to deal with our country''s burning trash bin so suddenly, I''m sure she''s capable of it."


    "What does age even have to do with it?!"


    "Just think about it. Plus, we''re in a time crunch with the ''liberation'' soon to commence. I think this Albrecht guy has a point."


    General Albrecht frowned. "It''s General Albrecht, young miss." He facepalmed. "I swear, female aristocrats."


    "Sure¡­old man." Nia quipped. It seemed that Miss von Wittelstein was already starting to get bored by the meeting as it dragged on. Especially when it was outside the November Palace, since General Albrecht and his staff wanted to meet outside of that, and instead in a private hotel.


    William took a shot of the wine in front of the table. So far, he had just been listening to the discussion between Amelie and General Albrecht, merely keeping to himself, similar to Nia and the General''s two officers that accompanied him.


    "I think Nia has a point regardless, Amelie," William said, and now Amelie felt that she was truly ganged up, three versus one¡ªand her alone. "We gotta talk to her regardless. Get her firmly to our side and our strings right now. We don''t want her going off the rails once we give her West Lieplatz back, especially when our troops would be taking it and defending it for her and her government."


    "Are we even sure that she''s going to accept the throne?" Amelie asked. "Quite frankly, Adelaide is still in talks with the Lieplatzan Government-in-exile. While they agreed to our plans, we''re not sure if they''re in on everything."


    "It''s not like she''ll have a choice," General Albrecht chuckled. "Who are they going to place on the throne? Princess Celine? She''s the age of your little sister, Princess Alice. She''s not going to rule Lieplatz."


    "That''s¡­a good point¡­" Amelie sighed. She had run out of good excuses not to ambush the still-shaken Princess of Lieplatz about Orland''s terms and conditions right now. That sucked. She really didn''t want to send the poor woman into a hotel room, face to face with herself, General Albrecht, probably the Prime Minister, possibly William and Nia, all while surrounded by OAF troops outside, just to give her a nice surprise agreement before she even turned into a proper Queen.


    Ugh, if I put it that way it even sounds like I''m a tyrant or something. Well, technically, she''d essentially going to turn them into a temporary satellite state anyway. After all, if it would be Orlish troops that would soon occupy and defend West Lieplatz from the revolutionaries in the east¡ªwell, who exactly would be in charge then?


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Amelie didn''t want to blunder her way into the Lieplatzan Crisis at all, and damage Orland''s reputation on the international stage. She didn''t want anyone to look at her upcoming special armed operation in West Lieplatz as anything but a liberation war for Orland''s sisterly Kingdom.


    "But still¡­do we really have no time left?" Amelie asked. "Do we really have to rush headfirst and just jump her right now, exactly when she just went through something awful?"


    "Better to let her know our terms first before the Lieplatzan Government-in-exile gets to her. They might start stuffing her with some ideas," General Albrecht said. "We need her to agree on each and every one of our demands. The OAF must have full control of West Lieplatz once it''s liberated. Having a hole in our defenses is unacceptable."


    "You also plan to institute a mass conscription in Lieplatz, right?" Amelie asked, and General Albrecht nodded in confirmation. The attack on West Lieplatz would be done by the OAF, yes, but the General made it clear that while the OAF must be in charge, a reinstituted Lieplatzan Kingdom must be able to defend itself, lest Orland waste too much resources defending its northern front.


    "West Lieplatz may not be numerous in population, but if we can arm the young men and women of it, we would be able to field a hundred thousand or so. Just give them rifles, artillery, tanks, and more. Then train them. We provide the training, equipment, and even leadership. They provide the manpower. Before you know it, our eventual northern frontline would be secure."


    Amelie sighed. That was a lot of demands on a country that didn''t even exist yet. It was almost predatory even. But I guess her Kingdom would have to fight the fight eventually anyway. She nodded at the group of officers.


    "Fine. Let''s go meet her."


    +++


    November Palace


    The Princess of Lieplatz bowed respectfully upon entering the Queen''s office. Flanked by William, General Albrecht, and Nia, Queen Amelie was sitting behind her desk, before she stood up to receive her current guest.


    "Be at ease, Princess von Reintz. I assure you, this will just be a little chat," Amelie''s reassurances went out awkwardly, as the presence of the uniformed General Albrecht clearly showed that a "casual chat" wasn''t on the table today. Were there nobody around, Amelie would have slapped herself for her sloppy, sloppy blunder.


    Goddess, I bet even Pristina would do better. The Princess remained silent, merely standing like a scared little girl in front of Amelie and her little gang. Her red-colored eyes subtly darted around, almost as if she was looking at them cautiously, especially at General Albrecht.


    The silence dragged on until General Albrecht cleared his throat and crossed her arms. "Welcome to Her Majesty''s office. We have a business to do."


    Amelie sighed, before smiling at the Princess. "I apologize for that. This entire thing was just too rushed that we didn''t properly prepare for it," Amelie glanced at William subtly, in order to gain his approval, which only came in a tiny nod. "I''m gonna be blunt. We''ll be discussing the fate of your Kingdom and how you would rule it. And what your role would be."


    "But the Kingdom is gone," the Princess almost sneaked out. Realizing her embarrassing tone, she almost turned red as she tried to compose herself. "I¡­the rebels, those men, they have long taken over. There''s no Kingdom for me to rule, Your Majesty."


    "That''s subject to change," General Albrecht said. "Ever been to West Lieplatz? Pre-revolution?"


    The Princess shook her head. "No, sir. I have always lived a¡­slightly isolated life in the capital. But I did go there."


    "Yes, because we rescued you there," General Albrecht said. "Or at least, the RIU did. In any case, we''re going to need your cooperation from now on."


    Amelie nodded. "Again, I apologize for the abruptness, but I assume that you know of the crisis regarding the Junta in your country, and the situation regarding your mother''s abdication?"


    She gulped and nodded. "Yes. It''s shocking news, and I''m not quite sure how to deal with it. Many from the former government are already contacting me to go to Lorathia to crown myself as the next Queen, but I find it ridiculous when I have no country to rule."


    She looked down. "Not that¡­I would even want to rule something that nearly killed me."


    "You''ll be crowned in Nordia," Amelie declared. "We''re planning to liberate your nation. We are sending the OAF to liquidate the Junta''s grip at least on West Lieplatz. And we need someone who would rule it. And rule it as we deem necessary. Under our guidance."


    "I¡­" the Princess fell silent. "You''re all going to invade Lieplatz? You''ll bring war to my country."


    "Liberate," General Albrecht clarified. "You know the brutality and excesses of General Richstoff''s Junta. Orland seeks to end it. Even when we''re fighting a civil war. It will be ended."


    "My country¡­my people¡­they''ll be caught in the crossfire. You''ll invade. You''ll take our cities and land by force. Kill our troops and hit the homes and industries of my people," she shook her head. "I¡­"


    "Would you let General Richstoff remain in power, Princess Celeste?" Amelie narrowed her eyes, her voice turning cold. "Would you, or would you allow us to instead liberate your people? General Richstoff''s Junta is murdering women by the hundreds. He''s assassinating and disappearing his opponents. He''s dragging Lieplatz into a new dark age. You''ve seen it yourself. Your people live in darkness. Would you let that continue any further?"


    Amelie took a set of documents from her desk and presented it to the Princess. "Take it, and have a good read about its details, Princess Celeste," Amelie said, the document raised in her direction on Amelie''s gloved hand. "Take it."


    The Princess moved forward, and almost cautiously, took the set of documents for herself. Her eyes merely stared at the main detail of its cover. The title of it.


    Plan North.


    She began flipping through the contents, as Amelie fell silent. She waited for the Princess to finish skimming at each page. The terms that the government she would find herself in would abide by. Military agreements. Mass conscription. Construction of Orlish military assets on Lieplatzan soil. And a complete subordination of the Kingdom of Lieplatz to the Orlish Armed Forces "until the conflict ends," even when the Princess scarcely had any idea when it would end.


    The Princess looked back to Amelie, who seemed to be watching her with pure calmness.


    "Read it well, Princess Celeste. We have much to discuss, as allies."

 Chapter One Hundred Nineteen: Northern Aggression

    "The Confederation''s winter offensive was repulsed! The three weeks long offensive of the Confederation of Larissa against the Imperial Remnants holding out in the Theresa Defense Perimeter has now ground itself to a halt. Severe winter conditions, entrenched Imperial forces, and the influx of female infantry into the Imperial Army of Larissa prevented a complete breakthrough. Wrecks of Confederate tanks and armored vehicles littered the road to Velikov City, one of the main targets of the offensive, after a major tank battle between the magically supported 82nd Armored Division that utilized experimental ''portable arcane protection systems'' crushed the conventionally equipped armored formations of the Confederacy. Reports show that Confederate armored forces ''had to fire an extra shell'' to break through these new magical shields, complicating the dynamics on the battlefield. Eyes are now back again on the remnants of Imperial rule in Larissa. All as a new question bubbles¡ªwould magic combined with technology have a chance to triumph?"


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    North Pardan Ocean


    Near the coast of West Orland


    An Orlish Type-14 Patrol Boat listed on its port side, its tiny seventy-six-millimeter autocannon still firing itself on a contact that was chasing its wounded self, just a few hundred kilometers in its rear.


    Smoke and fire could be seen rising from the decks of the Orlish patrol boat. The ship could barely manage half of its original speed, as it continued to flee. The enemy ship was much the same, a mere patrol boat also armed with a similarly sized main gun. It was returning fire rapidly, keeping the Orlish patrol boat pinned.


    More curiously, small arms gunfire could be seen being fired from the two, with the crew of the Orlish patrol boat scattered on the decks, firing their rifles in the direction of the speeding patrol boat. It didn''t fly any identifiable markings, nor did it broadcast any known codes.


    For all they knew, it could be a pirate sponsored by the Federal Republic. Yet why would it attack an Orlish naval vessel? They were an armed ship capable of forcing them back. There was no point if their goal was interdiction. And so, on the radios, all of which broadcasted a desperate flurry of transmissions to the nearby Orlish naval base, the same question was being asked.


    <<Who the hell are they?! We can''t identify them! We''re also taking on water on the port side already. Critical damage. Many are WIA or KIA! We need support!>>


    <<ONS Helios, friendly patrol boats are now eighteen klicks from your position. Just hold on. We are scrambling all available assets to support you.>>


    <<Damn it! We needed that support yesterday!>>


    More shots rang from the main gun of the ONS Helios, causing a secondary explosion on the pursuing unmarked patrol boat. Smoke and fire finally rose up near its bow, as the unknown ship began turning around. Still, the PDC systems from the Helios and the unmarked ship, alongside the supporting small arms fire from their crews, kept the skirmish on an intense fire.


    <<They''re starting to pull back. The contact is slightly damaged. Minor structural damage and flooding are apparent.>>


    <<Copy. Reinforcements are en route. Keep them pinned.>>


    The captain of the ONS Helios had no choice. He placed down his microphone and made his way quickly to his helmsman. There were bullet holes all around them, a result of the thin armor that patrol boats sported, which allowed both small arms and PD systems to penetrate it with ease. The helmsman himself was injured, his legs bleeding out from a severe bullet wound, all while he listlessly supported himself by holding onto the wheel.


    "Hard to starboard, we have to get our main gun back on them!" The captain ordered, before looking down at the injured state of the helmsman. More shots pierced through the room, forcing the captain to duck, while the helmsman remained standing as he pulled the wheel hard to starboard.


    He breathed out deeply.


    "Captain¡­you shouldn''t stay down here¡­" he said. "You''ll suffocate."


    And indeed, due to the fires and smoke nearby, the air was thick and bad, and both of them could barely even breathe. Still, the helmsman held on tight to the wheel, refusing to abandon his post. The captain nodded, before limping his way out of the bridge, all while the helmsman returned back his focus to the wheel.


    As the afternoon sunset, the two ships continued dueling each other from the distance¡­with the smoke towering above their ships being the only indication of the tiny skirmish that was happening.


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    A skirmish that could result in severe ramifications.


    +++


    November Palace


    Amelie barged in toward the situation room, followed both by Nia and William. The sudden meeting was called when Admiral Halberd arrived at the November Palace thirty minutes ago, alongside the news about a developing skirmish on the coast of West Orland.


    Naturally, Amelie was damned pissed that someone once again tried to attack her naval forces out of nowhere, as it sorely reminded her of the actions of the Empress of Larissa last year (and goddess knows how much Amelie hated everything about Empress Katerina, including her shenanigans). And so, by the time she arrived, with Admiral Halberd and Chief Air Marshal Zimmermann already convening with each other, talking about what was happening just off the coast of Orland, it was plastered in her face that she was really irate.


    Who the hell even had the bright idea to attack us again? Amelie stopped as William closed the door. Damn them to hell. I''ll make them pay for this. If it''s pirates, they would learn Orland''s justice.


    "Gentlemen, I need a quick rundown of the situation. What in the Goddess''s name is happening?"


    Admiral Halberd turned around, his face grim at the news. The Navy hadn''t anticipated an attack so close to the coast of Orland, much less from the direction of the Pardan Ocean. Much of the Federal Republic''s trade interdiction activities had been in the North Allas and South Allas after all. In the east of the Opellian continent. Not from the biggest ocean west of it.


    "Just an hour ago, patrol boat ONS Helios encountered an unknown patrol vessel off the coast of West Orland. A brief skirmish ensued, with both parties firing at each other and severely damaging each other. The ONS Helios managed to limp back to our port up north, while the unknown vessel somehow managed to slip through our patrols."


    "Who did this?" The question from Amelie''s lips was simple and direct. Who did it? For whoever did it, was definitely receiving a full dose of Orland''s wrath. Her patrol vessel and their men were attacked for no apparent reason. And as far as she knew, there must be casualties.


    Someone¡­someone was really going to get the hammer treatment. And if it was pirates, raiders, those reb¡ª


    "Lieplatz," Chief Air Marshal Zimmerman said. "The Lieplatzans, Your Majesty. There''s no other way. It must be the Lieplatzan patrol boat. There''s no way for any rebel raider to get through our defense perimeter. Not from the wide ocean from the west. Not with the Air Force and Navy present there."


    "Then how did a Lieplatzan patrol boat pass through said defense perimeter?" Amelie crossed her hands, and the two officers turned to each other, their explanations still empty. After all, the entire affair was sporadic and brief. The patrol boat that attacked the ONS Helios came out of nowhere, and disappeared out of nowhere, almost like a ghost.


    A ghost that utilized stealth well. Enough to evade both the Orlish Navy and Air Force. This meant they didn''t have much intel to work with, outside of a list of the potential suspects¡ªwhich included Lieplatz.


    But perhaps they have a point. Amelie thought to herself. The preparations for the Lieplatzan liberation had already been becoming too apparent. Even international media and observers were already at the Orlish¨CLieplatzan border, watching the buildup of the OAF with great vigilance. And while there was no media presence in the west, RIU and AFI intel already indicated that a similar buildup was brewing in the borders of the Federal Republic.


    All while the Lieplatzan Armed Forces mobilized into the border while instituting mass conscription. The recent border raids alone also showed that they definitely had the capacity and perhaps even the will to carry out aggressive actions against her Kingdom.


    "Your Majesty¡­this conclusion is spotty at best, yes," the Chief Air Marshal said. "But we are preparing to fight a war against them. So are they. They already scrambled so many troops, defenses, and aircraft¡­they even raided us. This seems to be in line with what many of us in the OHC are thinking. They''re testing us. Poking our defenses. Our forces. Looking for weak spots. It''s a strong possibility."


    Amelie nodded. "And in such a possibility, there won''t be many changes in our policy, no? As we''re about to invade them." Amelie sighed. "Still, I want further investigations. If it isn''t the Lieplatzans or the Federal Republic, I''d like to know who dared to violate Orland''s national security like that. If those revolutionaries are raiding shipping in international waters, perhaps I can let them off for now. But if they actively attacked a ship on Orland''s territorial waters, a ship of the Navy, then I want to make it crystal clear that there will be consequences. Would that be alright?"


    The two officers nodded before Admiral Halberd spoke. "We are already working on that, Your Majesty. Rest assured, we''ll find out who did this transgression against Orland. And we''ll make them learn a lesson."


    "Good. We may be in a civil war, but Orland''s sovereignty will be defended fully. No one, no foreign nation, will interfere on our borders. And none of them would poke us as if we were nothing. Our prestige and image may be in tatters¡­but I expect the OAF to preserve what is left."


    Lieplatz, this attack, all of it, in Amelie''s mind, was important. Orland''s reputation on the world stage was what would determine if other countries in the MN would follow her in her vision. Her vision of creating a united front. If she allowed Orland to be poked or allowed something such as the Lieplatzan Junta to exist up north, all of it would only serve to weaken the image of Royalist Orland.


    We may be badly mauled, but I''m not letting anyone look down on my Kingdom. No, Orland was the hegemon of Pollos, and it would remain the same. Before the Civil War. During the Civil War. And after the Civil War.


    "We receive your command, Your Majesty." Admiral Halberd said before the two saluted her.


    "I appreciate that."

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty: The Buildup

    "We''ve seen many battles. During the Great War¡ªLiebnich, Hambois, Artun¡ªwe were there¡­all in the fields of Gallia. Then, in this civil war¡ªthe Grand Duchy, the Free Confederation, Thein¡­now, a new one would soon add itself to the list. Lieplatz. Brothers, see you in the frozen fields. The list of the bloody adventures of Orlishmen will surely continue to grow. One wonders when we will be paid for our neverending service."


    - Liberty One Radio


    "''?Avanza Asturia!'' These words are repeated throughout Asturia, as the forces of the Republic successfully push back Gallian forces five kilometers from their starting positions in an all-out winter counter-offensive. Gallian trench lines and defensive emplacements were shattered in the first three days of the offensive by Asturian heavy batteries. Gallian forces reportedly lost the counter-battery fight, as shell shortages plagued the Gallian Army, a fact unshared by the Asturian Republican Defense Forces (ARDF) due to the rapidly expanding industrial output from central Asturia. The revolution can clearly push on¡ªthrough sheer industrial strength!"


    - The Front Newspaper


    +++


    Northwestern Orland


    Ten-Kilometers from the Orland¨CLieplatz Border


    "Tensions are now increasing¡ª"


    The female reporter behind a moving L?we tank spoke in front of the camera as the continued OAF deployment around the small city was ongoing. Parked LSS Mechs, HMLVs, L?we''s, and the array of OAF vehicles filled the streets, as civilians, mostly women, watched by the wayside.


    Infantry mingled on the side, mostly in pairs, sightseeing the old city for what could be the last time that they would see peace or fooling around with each other. Officers came and went, holding maps or calling with their phones and radios, as the roads continued to be jam-packed by convoys of HMLVs and military trucks headed for the frontlines.


    All while troops riding on top of the tanks and IFVs ad hoc due to the limitations of transport vehicles waved at the onlooking female spectators, some even giving them sarcastic remarks, shouting, "To the front for you again!" and all other scathing protest lines as they gave peace signs with their fingers.


    Amelie sighed, looking away at a laughing OAF soldier on top of a speeding L?we tank with a helmet that had "I love war" inscribed on the side of his helmet that also ironically had a peace symbol with it, alongside multiple bullets and cigarettes seemingly tied to it.


    "Damn¡­these deployments are becoming too obvious," Amelie said to William, who watched it with disinterest. "I wonder what it''s like on the other side of the border. I bet those Lieplatzans are already fortifying everything, or rigging explosives to their bridges¡­and all that."


    "Anything to delay us should push come to shove," William said. "It''s normal. They expect war, they will prepare for one. Just the same as us. Especially with their general mobilization¡­they''d be partly prepared to meet the OAF head-on."


    Amelie fell silent, watching as tanks and mechs, one after another, all of which represented Orland''s military might, pushed forward through the streets of this small border city. She had only really mobilized fewer than a hundred thousand men for this fight, but the Lieplatzans were mobilizing their entire country to meet them.


    Granted, most of them would be in East Lieplatz to defend against the Federal Republic, but still¡­


    It would be a difficult fight indeed. Just picturing the entire path of advance of the OAF had been a grueling wakeup call to herself yesterday, when she studied the operational maps produced by the OHC. The road to Nordia was being rapidly fortified, with bunkers, trench lines, camouflaged positions, and towns and small cities toward it being turned into fortresses.


    Hell, even the first two towns on two of the roads that were beside the border seemed to be a fortress already, with a ring of trench lines built over the past weeks seemingly appearing in front of both towns, already connected to each other. And that was only what Orlish Satellites could see. She had no idea of what more could be lying in wait to eat her troops.


    I''m about to send a hundred thousand men to the jaws of death again. Her promises of reducing war and pain for men had already been long gone. Amelie had practically accepted that war was the future and that men would be inevitably funneled into it, regardless of what she did. They were the ones who knew how to man and run an army. And she needed an army. And so did her foes.


    The result was natural¡ªmen would remain in the armies of Pollos, fighting the next Great War that was set to consume them all. They truly didn''t have an inch of reprieve, and looking at the passing young men before her, Amelie felt shame once more. No rest, no reprieve, no peace.


    For these men, they would know nothing but war. Truly, her cruel world gave them one judgment. They''d grow and die on the battlefields, literally. And she was a part of those that made that decision. She hated war because of this¡ªbut she had to wage war. It was the only way. Lieplatz''s Junta had to be dismantled. Both for their good and to serve her grand strategy. She needed Orland to appear as a superpower. She needed to crush the pretender state in her northern border to do that.


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    Almost as if I''m sending these young men for nothing but international prestige. All to restore Orland''s wounded reputation.


    "Do we have any projections of the sort of casualties we would suffer?" Amelie asked, and William shook his head.


    "Do you really want to know that?"


    "Of course, a monarch ought to know how much her subjects would pay for her decisions. I need to know how much this will cost Orland. How much it will cost these men¡­"


    "Well, considering the depth of defenses we would have to punch through, it''d be pretty heavy."


    "How heavy?"


    "I don''t need to sugarcoat it?"


    Amelie turned back to him, his questioning face clear. This man¡­this, right-hand man of hers, always seemed to coat every bad news with a thick layer of syrup before serving it to her. It could be a rotting piece of cod, but somehow, she''d be able to eat it because of his interventions.


    "No. Again, please don''t do that. I want to hear the truth. I know all those OHC officers are filtering out the bad news and complications when they report to me¡ªyou don''t need to add to that."


    "To be fair, I don''t think they''re being malicious about it. We''re just factoring the Queen''s mental¡ª"


    Amelie laughed. "Don''t kid me about that, William. Why? Why would anyone care about my mental health? It''s not like anyone in this country, especially men, enjoy a semblance of that."


    "Yes, but the Queen is a different story," William''s face turned serious. "Some officers are worried that the Queen may snap at everything thrown to her, and boom¡ªsuddenly, we have no decent monarch to fight for again."


    Amelie blinked. "What?"


    "Your value is too great to be squandered, that''s the truth." William turned back to the moving convoys before them. "Increasingly, many in the Armed Forces are genuinely looking up to you. They see an angel that rules Orland. Sure, the angel can''t do everything to make sure things are right¡ªbut she''s trying. That''s a ray of hope most men haven''t tasted for ages. It''s like¡­an oasis for the thirsty in the desert. A desert barren of any oasis to support a tired and thirsty traveler. Something to be valued and protected."


    "...I haven''t even done much for men yet¡­no reforms, no changes, none. Just¡­sweet promises. Nothing more. Nothing truly tangible. You''re all still dying in the front. Toiling in every industry. Misery¡­increasing misery, all under my rule."


    "Yet the possibility of change is greater than ever with you in charge. Many units already believe that all those things you promised, or some of them, would become true once the fighting is over. Slowly, your reputation alone is giving countless men in the Armed Forces a reason to fight."


    "I don''t believe that. It''s impossible. And it means nothing. No one should be worried about my mental health. I''ll handle it. The war takes precedence."


    "No one said it wouldn''t. Just that, your well-being matters a lot. General Albrecht himself told me of that."


    Amelie narrowed her eyes. "Told you what?"


    "To take care of the ''only decent Queen'' he''d served," William laughed. "He even threatened to personally execute me should you die under my protection. I know he''s bulshitting, but I can see the message. Many in the OHC and even the head of the entire Armed Forces, are becoming protective of you."


    Amelie shook her head. That was ridiculous! Why would they care that much that they would go as far as to downplay reports just to "protect her weary heart"?! Men, really, they were some of the strangest beings on this planet, Amelie thought. Was this perhaps their "chivalry" in action again? Historically, men had been extremely protective of women before they had magic, to the point of detriment.


    Funnily enough, even through the era of women''s rule, men had remained with their strange sense of chivalry. Until this day, evidently, more men would die for women than women who were willing to die for men. So much so that Amelie could bet that the entire conscription system that Orland employed in many of her costly wars was designed to exploit that male mentality.


    "Die for her, gain her affection!" That kind of message would almost be devious, now that Amelie thought about it. First, it asked men to die for women. Second, it promised them a tinge of affection, which wasn''t going to happen. Third, it genuinely would prey on the male instinct of duty to women. A dangerous tool that could easily be weaponized.


    And something that I had probably weaponized countless times myself. Amelie gulped at the thought of that. Considering how OHC officers were starting to become protective of her, it would be worse if some enlisted soldier who listened to her speeches was actually out there fighting to the death for her.


    "That sounds stupid."


    "Should I relay that remark to the General?"


    "Obviously not," Amelie said, frowning at him. William laughed to himself.


    "Yeah, right. Your wish is my order, Your Majesty."


    Amelie breathed out in exasperation. "Look, you haven''t answered me yet. What are our casualty projections for this operation? How much will Orland lose from this¡­entire thing? William¡­how many of these men wouldn''t come back home in one piece?"


    William''s demeanor darkened, as he looked at four passing LSS Mechs. The sheer concentration of armored vehicles in the deployment areas would almost certainly strike fear into onlookers. Yet¡­none of it would be truly enough for what was about to come. This wasn''t a simple defensive operation. This was an offensive incursion on a foreign land¡ªa foreign, semi-mountainous, almost barren, frozen land.


    "All I can say¡­worse¡­worse than what the OHC told you. The Lieplatzans will put up a good fight before they fold. Orlishmen''s blood will paint the snow-covered Lieplatzan soil red¡­that''s all there is to it, Amelie. There will be costs for your liberation project."


    Amelie looked down. "...Costs young men of Orland would pay for." She laughed to herself, almost darkly. "What a ''kind'' Queen I am¡­"

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One: Advance Orland!

    ¡°Forces of the Federal Republic of Orland crossed the Orland¨CLieplatz border at three o''clock this morning. Rows of Federalist tanks and armored vehicles are now en route to the Lieplatzan capital of Monpleitz. Sporadic air battles have been noted, with some positions holding a stiff resistance near the border over the early hours of the fighting, but the II Corps of the Federal Army is now sighted to be at merely one-hundred-twenty kilometers from Monpleitz, after a forty-kilometer breakthrough. Reports of Lieplatzan Army units surrendering or defecting to advancing Federal Army columns had also been noted, pointing to the rapid disintegration of the Lieplatz Armed Forces. It is unknown if the Lieplatz Junta will evacuate Monpleitz.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    ¡°Regular Federal Troops accused of treason! Soldiers of C Company of the 103rd Infantry Battalion reportedly engaged and ¡®fired¡¯ on III Liquidation Corps members of the Republican Guard. The accused soldiers reasoned that ¡®those RG pigs¡¯¡ªquoted from their currently demoted commanding officer, were ¡®raping and executing innocent women¡¯ over alleged counter-revolutionary activities when C Company was transiting in the small village. The brief firefight resulted in fifteen men dead, and twenty-two wounded on both sides. Local officials are still investigating whether these soldiers fired for no reason, or if the members of III Liquidation Corps engaged in ¡®excessive activities¡¯.¡±


    - Wuringen Updates


    +++


    State of Lieplatz


    II Corps


    98 Kilometers from Monpleitz


    February 1, 2025


    1100 Hours


    General Kluge was now back on the fields, one could say. His command vehicle was once again taking the role of coordinating the rapid advance of the II Corps, a fifty-thousand-strong spearhead force of the 1st Northern Detachment, the one hundred fifty-thousand-strong Army sent by the Federal Republic to depose the ¡°uncooperative¡± Lieplatz Junta led by General Richstoff.


    He rose from the hatch of his command vehicle, which was speeding along the secured Seven-Two Highway, famously connected to the city of Eirhow and to the city of Monpleitz. Around the road as well were multiple high-speed railway lines, each connected as well to Monpleitz. It was originally built as a sign of Orland''s and Lieplatz''s unending sisterhood, which connected the major industries and cities of East Orland and East Lieplatz.


    Now, it was a road for Orlishmen to pass through as a race line¡ªfor a race to the Lieplatzan Capital. General Kluge looked to the side of the highway, littered by multiple abandoned wrecks of L?we Mod-2022 MBTs, the Lieplatzan L?we tanks modified for their use, exported by Orland to them during the days of the Great War.


    The lines of HMLVs speeding through the highway behind and ahead of them were unending, alongside the stream of logistical trucks and utility-type HMLVs that had no armor. Quite frankly, if they weren''t careful, the road to Monpleitz could easily turn into a traffic jam that would be a slog for the Federal Army to pass through.


    It''s a testament to Orland''s air superiority though. Unlike the Royalist Air Force, the Lieplatzans could barely manage to stem the tide. In fact, resistance from their nominally large Air Force was light, with most of their stealth assets that were expected to be a headache gone from the AO of the advancing Federal Army units.


    I still have to be prepared for the unforeseen. But he wondered why. Why would the Lieplatzans not dedicate more of their defenses in East Lieplatz? Their capital was here. The main punch would be devastating here. Their major cities were here. West Lieplatz in comparison was sparsely populated, mountainous, and frozen, with barely any industry or population centers to speak of. Perhaps that''s why¡­planning for a stubborn holdout.


    It was certainly possible that they were merely facing the token force of the Lieplatzan Army. Just enough to put up a fight that would make it look as if they didn''t truly abandon the flatlands of the East. While each town and small city and kilometer had been costly for the Federal Army, with their spearhead divisions already suffering twenty-percent casualties to ambushes, hit-and-run attacks, and stubborn defense lines, it wasn''t that bad overall. They were cutting through their lines like a hot knife through butter.


    ¡°Battlegroup ¡®Piper¡¯ has now breached their third defense line,¡± the radio transmission from one of his subordinate Generals said. ¡°The 9th and 4th Combined Arms Brigades are punching through the gaps. Armored forces of the 3rd Light Mech Regiment also broke through the defense lines and are now pursuing hostile armor.¡±


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    ¡°I want Battlegroup ¡®Piper¡¯ to continue. No rest. Attempt to cut them off, encircle, and eliminate them. We don¡¯t need to fight their armor in Monpleitz¡­¡±


    More LF-12s zoomed past above them. The State of Lieplatz was no joke militarily, with a total combined force of nearly one thousand five hundred armored tanks alone, about a quarter being Orlish L?we MBTs. Of course, the rest was the older M44-N?rd MBTs that the Lieplatzan Army modernized with modern sensors, guns, and ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) since this Orlish MBT design was five decades old at this point, but still, the fangs of the Lieplatzan State would bite if the Federal Republic underestimated them.


    Already, reports of several towns and cities holding out had been confirmed, as Orlish forces really mainly bypassed other cities and major cities instead of clearing them. There, the M44-N?rd would be able to fight the L?we MBT on almost equal terms, as armor mattered less in urban close range.


    This was why General Kluge prioritized the liquidation of Lieplatzan Armor outside of cities. On the flat lands of southeastern Lieplatz, these tanks were completely inferior to Orlish Armor, and they lacked air support. Much of East Lieplatz¡¯s air defense was also knocked out during the early SEAD (Suppression of Air Defense) operations of the Federal Air Force, alongside many of their HQs, communication hubs, and even some of their air bases. And again, the aforementioned lack of their air force¡­it seemed that the East Lieplatzan Campaign would be a true lightning campaign that many Generals since the Great War could only fantasize about.


    General Kluge hoped that it would be true. Nay, he would ensure it.


    +++


    Ostbreck City


    ¡°FORTRESS OSTBRECK STANDS!¡±


    These words of propaganda filled the badly damaged streets of Ostbreck City. Lying merely ten kilometers from the Orlish¨CLieplatz Border, and the first stop of the Seven-Two Highway for the advancing Federal Army forces, Ostbreck was one of the first battlefields since hostility started.


    About half of the battle-torn city, the areas where the Seven-Two Highway passed through, alongside its surrounding blocks had been rapidly occupied over the morning. But the remaining areas of the city still flew the Lieplatzan flag. And so, both Federal Army troops and Lieplatzan Army forces continued skirmishing over every block, street, and building.


    Nowhere was that clearer than in the ruined boulevards near Ostbreck¡¯s major schools. Two L?we MBTs were parked near an abandoned retail store, their turrets aimed at the rooftops of one of the elite schools held by Lieplatzan forces. Civilians cowered and ran through the boulevard from one of the restaurants, their heads lowered just before the first shots rang. The Federal Army soldiers didn¡¯t pay them much heed, merely shouting at them to ¡°run faster¡± and ¡°get out of the way¡± while they aimed their rifles at the Lieplatzan soldiers who seemed to be holding fire due to civilian presence.


    Once the last of them were out, the 120 mm main gun of the first L?we boomed, decimating the edge of the rooftop of the school building. Gunfire from them rained back, forcing the Federal Army soldiers to take cover, just as they too returned fire. Three Federal Army APCs also arrived just behind them, unloading multiple squads of Federalist soldiers that fanned out into assault positions in the school.


    Two ATGM missiles were then launched from the rooftop, one of them slamming into the roof of the turret of the stationary L?we MBTs, creating a firestorm as its blowout panels cooked, while the last one returned one last fire from its main gun before it engaged its reverse gear.


    That was when a reporter from Wuringen Updates, one of the new news outlets of the Federal Republic that championed ¡°democracy, equality, and the truth¡± arrived to order her cameraman to aim at the dismounting crew of the downed L?we MBT. Unlike ¡°the Front¡±, Wuringen Updates served as the unofficial mouthpiece of the opposition inside of the Federal Republic, with affiliations to the ORP. As such, many female journalists who found themselves without jobs due to the Federalists banning any outlet remotely associated with the Royalists flocked to Wuringen Updates and other news networks that resisted the Federalist takeover.


    The two of them captured the scenes, as the dismounted platoon charged forward into the hellstorm. Above them, a Falcon AH-22 Attack Helicopter swooped in, launching a hail of unguided rockets at the building, before its miniguns opened fire. The AH-22 hovered for a few seconds, raining suppressive fire at the Lieplatzans and allowing the infantry below to cross the school gate, and reach the building¡¯s entrance. Two anti-air missiles flew from the building, forcing the AH-22 to retreat while leaving a barrage of flares from its tail.


    But the breach was fully opened, and the Orlish troops had already stormed the building. Within minutes of heavy fighting, with the occasional fire support from the remaining L?we MBT and the APCs below, the two journalists finally witnessed the end of it, as rows of Lieplatzan soldiers, mostly badly injured, finally left the building with their hands in the air.


    The woman frowned while watching it, as it seemed that the Federalist soldiers that were escorting them out were treating them harshly. The Federal Republic claimed that they were fighting a just war of liberation. Instead, it seemed to her as if they were just fighting a war to invade their neighbor.


    The young woman wouldn¡¯t make any comments, merely smiling at the passing Federalist troops in order to not acquire attention. Regardless, the world would see what was happening down below.


    And they would be free to form their own views on the Federal Republic¡¯s intervention in Lieplatz.

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two: Royalist Delays

    ¡°We carry through until the very end¡­¡±


    - Wartime Propaganda Poster, Republic of Hebei.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    It wasn¡¯t looking good.


    ¡°I suppose we¡¯d have to act soon then,¡± Jacqueline said. The emergency meeting between the Queen and her inner circle had already been called early in the morning when their intelligence reports showed the preliminary crossings of the Federal Republic to the Orlish¨CLieplatz Border.


    Amelie already expected the attack to occur right exactly during the first day of February, as the Federal Republic, as far as she knew, wasn¡¯t the most creative when it came to waging war. It seemed that President Rimpler and his lackeys loved launching operations on obvious dates. And the first day of February was just that. The same day when Lieplatz crowned Queen Wesley three decades ago. And conveniently the first day of February.


    At least my forces are soon ready.


    Amelie eyed the maps of OAF deployment. While the rebel President acted first than her, she shouldn¡¯t be too late to the fight. Royalist Orland would have her piece of Lieplatz, that was all but assured.


    Especially when the Lieplatzans are collapsing in the East.


    She¡¯d take Nordia, hopefully within days, and install the Princess of Lieplatz back into a reinstated monarchy. The pieces of the chessboard were now lining up to her favor, and while she wanted to weep for the Lieplatzan people¡¯s plight of being used as mere pieces on a chessboard by both Federalist and Royalist Orland, Amelie still felt somewhat proud of herself for finally being able to be proactive in her response.


    Had she not prepared for this, the OAF would not have been able to respond, and they could have been so badly late that there was a real chance that General Richstoff would fully capitulate on the Federal Republic. But her troops were already massed on the border, making final preparations for an incursion that she expected to come, again, within days.


    ¡°Our forces are still doing the final preparations though,¡± Amelie said, still somewhat frustrated by the news that the Federalists somehow got to the party first. That¡¯d mean she would lose out on the ¡°good girl¡± brownie points from their planned propaganda campaigns. Simply put, both Royalist Orland and Federalist Orland were justifying war against Lieplatz due to their alleged crimes against humanity. Since Federalist Orland got to it first, they¡¯d now look prettier than her, who would look almost like she merely joined in to look good.


    To be fair, it¡¯s not that far off from the truth. There was almost a vein that popped in Ameie¡¯s frustrated noggin due to that. Say whatever she wanted, she definitely was still pissed by this development.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get through this one, Your Majesty,¡± Nia calmly said with a sip of her tea. ¡°I¡¯m sure General Albrecht here can figure out a response rather quickly to these¡­unfortunate developments.¡±


    General Albrecht, who had been sitting stone-cold silent since the meeting began, sighed. Most of the people in the room had been looking at the head of the Armed Forces for any answers. Truth be told, General Albrecht had nothing much to say, as he couldn¡¯t exactly simply rush the deployment orders for his troops.


    ¡°If it was just that easy,¡± General Albrecht scoffed. ¡°Give me six more days, and we¡¯ll commence the operation. I can''t offer much more than that. Only the Air Force¡¯s squadrons are ready for an assault in the next twenty hours. Our ground forces are still scrambling on the ground.¡±


    Both Amelie and the Prime Minister nodded at that. It seemed to be a reasonable, but not exactly ideal timeframe. The Defense Minister however had differing opinions, as Pristina was clearly annoyed.


    ¡°Six days and we¡¯re beyond just late,¡± she said. ¡°By that point, the Lieplatzan capital and government would have long fallen to those rebel scum. We¡¯d have a hostile puppet state in the north.¡±


    ¡°Spare me of your belly-aching, Defense Minister,¡± the General shot back. ¡°Unless the Royal Guard has any plans of being useful in this operation, then I want to hear nothing of it.¡±


    Amelie sighed. She couldn¡¯t believe how efficient the Archduchess was at pissing off every male member of the military. First Heindh?ff, now, even General Albrecht. Quite frankly, Amelie was now amazed by the sheer insufferableness of the Archduchess. She wondered where her limits of being such a juicy target of a good electrical zap would be.


    ¡°Alright, can we please not have this nonsense right now?¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°This isn¡¯t General Albrecht¡¯s fault, nor should the Military discount the Royal Guard¡¯s contributions.¡±


    Amelie laughed. ¡°Thank Goddess someone sane is leading the government. Ever the appeaser, huh, Prime Minister?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m merely stating the truth, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Reformers¡­¡± Pristina muttered, slightly annoyed at being the sole conservative member in the room. Quite frankly, Amelie¡¯s gang of reformers had already completed their takeover of the high positions outside of the Royal Guard in the upper echelons of the Orlish state.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Amelie however relished in the tears of the Archduchess. She had outmaneuvered, outflanked, and outmatched the conservatives of Orland since the Civil War started. A satisfying victory, it was one of the few things Amelie had going for herself. Of course, that would be completely discounted by the fact that the radicals tore her country into a burning trash bin, but hey, she got something.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Pristina¡¯s tears of defeat.


    How sweet¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s not exactly divide the house again, people,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°Again, we¡¯re united in this endeavor of saving Orland. Let not petty disputes disrupt that project. We¡¯ll find a way to liberate the rest of Lieplatz, and then we proceed to the next issue we¡¯ll surely face. Is that good, everyone?¡±


    ¡°So there really is no backing off from this war?¡± Foreign Minister Adelaide asked. Everyone else in the room merely gave her a nod. Even Amelie did. The days of pacifism were long over for her. Now was the days of aggressive defense.


    If they don¡¯t want peace, we¡¯ll force them to do it ourselves.


    The Amelie of the past would never be able to fathom how she could ever speak that way. Almost so callously. Almost so uncaringly. Much like a Warhawk. Yet, Amelie today understood the nature of geopolitics better. Peace was a fickle facade, and that was the truth in the context of the Orlish¨CLieplatzan diplomatic relations since the Junta took over.


    And Adelaide, still the last reformist pacifist still holding on to her delusions of a peaceful solution, sighed in defeat. There really was no way out of this. All they could do now was prepare, which they already did.


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡± Adelaide weakly nodded.


    Amelie didn¡¯t smile, however. Now that everyone was on board to execute their planned response, all that was left was the implementation. Now, she was left to ponder one last question.


    How many would pay for her decision?


    She supposed she would find the answer in due time.


    ¡°Then our response is clear. Declare war once all OAF forces are ready. We¡¯ll cross the border before the Lieplatzan Government capitulates. We¡¯ll capture Nordia before the Federalists triumph in the east. We¡¯ll wage war¡­even if we find it distasteful.¡±


    The Queen gave a final nod.


    ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡±


    +++


    Amelie nearly collapsed in her office, before she took a long drink of her cup. The last meeting certainly drained her. Naturally, William was on the side, deep in thought about the situation.


    ¡°These defense lines¡­¡± he muttered, looking at the satellite photos of the Lieplatzan border presence. ¡°They¡¯re even more dug in compared to last week.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what it feels like,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Amelie paused, looking up at him. ¡°To be in command? Of an actual assault?¡±


    William seemed to understand her question well. The Queen indeed was now taking a fully active role in the upcoming operation. William, for the last few weeks, watched as Amelie turned fully into a Queen who ordered war. She had been actively speaking in favor of it in public, with other politicians, and it could be said that she herself was more involved in military planning than the Minister of Defense herself in regard to their planned Lieplatzan invasion.


    ¡°You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡± William said. ¡°We have to liberate West Lieplatz. No other choice as you put it.¡±


    ¡°I still¡­¡± she looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t know, William. What if we¡¯re merely deluding ourselves? What if we don¡¯t really need to go to war and I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re what?¡±


    She fell almost silent. ¡°Lying to myself. And to the people.¡±


    There was a long silence between the two. They were already fighting one war on their own soil, did they really need another one? Amelie tried to convince herself many times that it was necessary, especially since every report from Marie¡¯s agency showed that General Richstoff was being excessively brutal.


    It showed that someone needed to act, eventually. Someone had to step in and stop it. To end it for the Lieplatzan people. Amelie decided it would be her role. But still¡­


    The calculus didn¡¯t line up sometimes. He¡¯d kill a few hundred dissidents. What then was the response from both Orlands? Declare war on him that would kill tens of thousands in just the span of a few days? Yet, if she did not act, it would almost be nothing but a heartless decision born out of mathematics.


    So what if more people died to topple a brutal tyrant? There were still people who unfairly died and people being targeted who may also unfairly perish to a regime that believed in neither justice, decency, nor morality. To let such crimes go unpunished would be disgusting.


    But still, to let more people die for justice? Amelie questioned her decision even more. In fact, why did she even present herself as the face of righteous justice? She had already looked at how men of the soldiery would sometimes act during wars, especially during foreign expeditions.


    Orland was always the world standard when it came to foreign military interventions, a policy her mother and grandmother excelled at. Almost every year, Orland was unofficially at war with smaller countries on the other side of the globe before the Great War. All to deny the Order Pact of its new members. And thus, endless wars. Her Orland had a history of sending its young men to die in foreign lands during proxy wars for ¡°justice, democracy, and the goddess¡±.


    She looked back at the Kranh Campaign, a nation just south of Hebei. Three decades ago, they deposed their pro-Ivory Alliance Queen in favor of a less corrupt high noblewoman. Naturally, Orland sanctioned the new monarch, which forced her to seek refuge in the Order Pact. Her mother said to her that she had no choice but to save Kranh from the evils of the Order Pact. Especially when their new monarch began jailing the allies of the former Queen.


    And so, for seven years, Orlishmen fought and died in the jungles of Kranh. For justice, she said. For democracy, she said. For their national security, she said. Amelie laughed at herself. Didn¡¯t she practically sound like her mother once did?


    To Lieplatz, for justice, democracy, and equality¡­Queen Amelie said.


    Just hearing her own mocking voice made Amelie¡¯s more hawkish side crack if just for a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say you¡¯ll probably be humbled,¡± William finally said. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re finally acting as a proactive Queen ready to defend what you think is right. But I should say, the costs would probably make you question yourself.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­I think I already am, and it hasn¡¯t even happened yet.¡±


    Yet somehow, William smiled in response to that.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Awful leaders don¡¯t question themselves, even after millions died. At least you¡¯re questioning yourself already when zero died.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really mean anything.¡±


    ¡°Detached to your troops and the realities of war, yes,¡± William said. ¡°But to say that you don¡¯t care for the men on the ground would be inaccurate. You¡¯re doing your best as a leader of a nation at war. I think that''s nice¡­at least.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three: Opening Shots

    ¡°They used us as a tool to kill¡­and shamed us for it.¡±


    - Unknown.


    +++


    Near the Orlish¨CLieplatz Border


    February 5, 2025


    0238 Hours


    It was to be the first joint operation between the Royal Investigation Unit and the Naval Intelligence Division. It was to be a preliminary raid against the Lieplatzan communications network on the West Coast. Agent Davis Blum had known that the Queen wanted her forces to enter into the Lieplatzan border with the enemy paralyzed for the next few hours. There was no other way than this.


    He and his men had already long been investigating the ¡°Shell''''. It was one of the main communications HQs used by the Lieplatzan State for command and control. Naturally, their communication hubs and command and control sites were dispersed across the Lieplatzan countryside, as all armies did. However, internal cells reported that the enemy¡¯s General Staff had a meeting and an intelligence briefing in the ¡°Shell'''', and that they had left multiple files that detailed the locations of at least a quarter of their concealed field HQs.


    Prime targets for an opening surgical strike.


    And so, the NID director ordered them to conduct a quick surgical strike of their own to retrieve that intel. In fact, at least half of the NID was now all running rings around the Lieplatzans, with infiltrator units already funneling in intel about Lieplatzan military positions, troop and equipment numbers, readiness, and even the last known positions of known Lieplatzan generals.


    Of course, Army Field Intelligence was just as active, and so was the new player on the field. The Royal Investigations Unit. Many said that the Queen herself regarded the RIU as a direct replacement to the OIA. It had not been a shock to both the NID and the AFI that their more extreme brothers turned coats the moment the revolution occurred. In fact, both agencies initially plotted to directly gain the Queen¡¯s favor of being the new replacement. Which was nothing but a folly.


    Of course, why would she trust men to handle intelligence ever again after that? And thus, Agent Davis watched as the service that he dutifully served under was sidelined, distrusted, and slashed off its budget. He didn¡¯t hold much of a high view with the RIU agents they were in right now. In fact, the palpable inter-service jealousy and resentment had been noticeable in his men since this assignment was given to them.


    ¡°Why are we working with them?¡± One of his agents asked.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they the Queen¡¯s favored daughters? Surely, they can handle the heat on their own.¡±


    ¡°We found the intel first. Why should they execute the retrieval and take credit?¡±


    And on, and on did his men air their disapproval. To them, they were being slighted. They were doing honest work, dutifully serving the Queen for her cause, only to be met with derision and distrust, all while being replaced as if their service meant nothing. Even Agent Davis once questioned if there was a point to even do any of this.


    He knew that should things continue, the end result would be the disbandment of the agency he served under, thus rendering most of them jobless and liable to the ongoing conscription. Thus the question grew.


    What were they serving for then?


    Why didn¡¯t they just give them the upfront bitter deal they were going to give anyway and toss them into machine gun fire directly instead without giving them the charades of serving as an intelligence agency?


    Regardless, disapproval or not, they had no choice.


    ¡°Funnell in boys,¡± the RIU agent beside Agent Davis said, as the telltale glow of her halo appeared. There were four of them in total, armed with the latest Z-14 Porter ASMGs, which were the first iterations of newly developed arcane submachine guns capable of utilizing magic to enhance their firepower.


    Agent Davis gave his men his orders, and his eight-man squad sneaked toward the gates of the facility. Two silenced shots rang in the distance, and two Lieplatzan sentries dropped in the dark. Agent Davis began receiving radio reports from other units that were circling the facility, all of them already breaching through different entrance points.


    ¡°Are the networks down?¡± The RIU agent asked beside him.


    Like him, the woman wore a uniform not too dissimilar to his. Civilian clothing underneath, with the same light bulletproof vests. From a distance, an onlooker would have thought that they were one and the same, both serving one armed unit. Agent Davis nodded.


    ¡°It should be, otherwise, they¡¯d be raising hell already in response.¡± He said. ¡°Hopefully, the Lieplatzans wouldn¡¯t be alerted.¡±


    ¡°By daylight, someone would come here and figure out what we did,¡± the RIU agent said. ¡°We¡¯d have hours at best.¡±


    ¡°Enough for the Air Force to launch their initial surgical strikes,¡± the NID agent said. ¡°By daylight, their defenses should be open-wide. The Air Force would rule the skies unfettered.¡±


    The RIU agent didn¡¯t seem to be very much convinced. ¡°I had seen the OAF fail many times to trust that assessment. But regardless¡­I can see that we do not have much of a choice.¡±


    The NID agent was silently pissed at her scathing remark against the OAF. Must be her female arrogance bleeding through again. They had all blamed the OAF again and again for military defeats when it was only they who were doing anything in the fight. At some point, Agent Davis could only laugh at it.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    If women would think they could do better, then why hadn¡¯t the Royal Guard or the RIU begun actually doing something on the front?


    While the OAF, NID, and AFI had been embroiled in a conflict that spanned deaths of such massive scales, and been involved in the majority of both covert intelligence and counterintelligence operations, the RIU and the Royal Guard had been languishing behind.


    Granted, the RIU was a smaller agency that the Queen had only assigned to the most important of operations, but he and his men were doing the grunt work regardless. They had the most field agents. They had the most casualties. Hell, practically half of the intel that the RIU used in their operations, alongside much of the supporting muscle, had been derived from the NID and the AFI.


    They wouldn¡¯t have saved the Queen of Lieplatz had it not been for the NID and AFI personnel who died in the darkness while holding off and delaying the majority of the response forces of both the Lieplatz and the Federal Republic. Yet, it seemed that the credit for it only went to the RIU for doing the last part of the job.


    The same was no different here.


    The NID agent however shovelled those resentments deep in his heart for now. Going against his new ¡°buddies¡± right during an important operation would only endanger them. Screw the Royalist State if that was how they would be treated, but at the very least, Agent Davis would try his best to keep his men safe.


    They¡¯d take the intel and boot the hell out of this facility before their Quick Response Forces arrived. Then, whatever happens after that wouldn¡¯t be his business.


    He laughed inside.


    Just another guy serving in the darkness. Like most of his brothers, their names would be forgotten in history, and their efforts would remain unrewarded. Yet they would go on. That was the last of their pride in being men after all¡­


    Their ability to get things done.


    He keyed his radio.


    ¡°Alright all units, commence Watchtower Breach.¡±


    +++


    West Lieplatz


    0322 Hours


    A Lieplatzan HMLV limped out of the destroyed military base. All around it was nothing but devastation. The wounded cried on the ground. Destroyed tanks and armored fighting vehicles filled the streets. The light had only been the raging infernos from the destroyed fuel depots around the area.


    Three Orlish missiles and a dozen guided bombs were dropped all around them in just a few minutes. The rude awakening had completely caught them by surprise. The Colonel inside of the HMLV himself could not fathom how it happened. They were preparing already for the worst.


    In fact, the units in their base had only been here today before they would depart early in the morning for the border. His unit, the 5th Combined Arms Battalion, was supposed to wake up and reposition after their long journey from the East Coast. Yet the Colonel probably had no 5th CAB left. As he drove around the destroyed base, he could see his men scrambling to get out of their barracks, some of which were completely leveled and destroyed.


    He looked to the left. There, he could see that H Company¡¯s IFVs, lined up in a neat row just hours ago, were reduced into nothing but wrecks on an ugly crater, most likely struck by a guided bomb. The wide-eyed Colonel could only stop his vehicle to dismount and see the carnage for himself.


    He hadn¡¯t even fired a shot against them yet, and his Battalion was already gone. He looked to his side, as one of his officers began detailing to him about the fact that the communications were down and that the radios they packed with them were being jammed.


    Another officer reported to him the casualties, his voice slightly cracking even as he recited it with his professional facade. The Colonel merely made a grim nod, realizing at last that the fight was already beginning.


    And that they were being paralyzed.


    ¡°Gentlemen¡­we¡¯re out of this fight¡­¡± he said. ¡°This Battalion is no more. And I doubt the State of Lieplatz would not be the same within the next week.¡±


    He looked at them, all of them awaiting his next words.


    ¡°Save yourselves and our men, gentlemen. That¡¯s the only thing we can do now.¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    Situations Room


    0422 Hours


    The Queen looked at the blue-screened displays with nothing but a cold, calculating glance. Amelie¡¯s eyes had been watching the ¡°destroyed targets¡± icons on the map of West Opellia. Everything was detailed on it. On the border, she could see the countless units of the OAF ready to participate. On the other side, the spotted and reported enemy units were all represented by red diamond icons.


    But most importantly, for now, she looked at the identified critical targets for the Air Force. Enemy railways, supply depots, HQs, radar installations, air bases, and missile silos, all of it were being targeted. Another ¡°destroyed target¡± icon appeared somewhere close to Nordia, which was marked as an air base just seconds ago.


    ¡°Fort Nordia has been destroyed, Your Majesty,¡± the cold voice of the Chief Air Marshal said over the speakers. While Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman was not present in the situation room, as he was coordinating the entire air operation at his Headquarters in Area-28, which was the Air Force¡¯s new Headquarters and largest air base in West Orland, his presence was felt throughout the room.


    ¡°And with that, half of their ability to deploy aircraft to counter us,¡± General Albrecht smirked on the displays, as he too was outside of the situation room. The Deputy Prime Minister, who was beside Jacquline, gave the Air Force Chief an appreciative nod.


    ¡°This seems to be going well,¡± Walter said. ¡°That joint operation of the RIU and the NID really did well. We still have more targets to destroy from that.¡±


    The Prime Minister sighed. ¡°Seven of them died,¡± she lamented. ¡°I hope their service would be appreciated.¡±


    ¡°It will be,¡± Amelie said, remembering the operation she had watched earlier. While the RIU agents got out of it unharmed, a sudden shootout with OIA agents that were actually at the facility, alongside a hastily deployed explosive when they tried to deny the NID and the RIU from getting the files killed seven NID operatives, alongside their leader, a man named Agent Davis Blum.


    Regardless, her RIU operatives and the remaining NID agents retrieved the intel, giving the Air Force intel so fresh that they almost knew the positions of a quarter of their military¡¯s special installation in real-time. In fact, only three of the targets had been inaccurate, and only through sheer luck that the Lieplatzans moved them at the last minute. Regardless, Amelie managed to nab a quick victory from them, and now, her nation was turning that into results.


    ¡°He and his men served well,¡± Amelie said. ¡°The war would end sooner due to their sacrifices. They won¡¯t be forgotten.¡±


    Just like all those who are about to die in the next few days. Amelie further steeled herself. May we reach Nordia quick


    She hoped General Richstoff would finally see reason for once.


    And step down from an office he painted in blood.

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four: State of War

    ¡°Chancellor Pokryshkin steps down from the Confederation leadership, alongside half of his administration after the disastrous Confederate offensive that Princess Anastasia¡¯s remnant Imperial holdings defeated. The new Chancellor, Pyotr Kerensky, already vowed ¡®greater cooperation with the Armed Forces¡¯ and ¡®increased security measures¡¯ to root out ¡®dissident elements that funneled sensitive information to the enemy¡¯. Restrictions on women in the Confederacy, already hardened by the Martial Law declared since the Confederacy was formed have been intensified, all while Chancellor Kerensky orders the formation of a ¡®female strategic employment corps¡¯ to support the war effort. The Mandate of Nation¡¯s Human Rights Council has now decried, warning that the Confederacy is planning to ¡®enact force labor against women¡¯. Defeat or not, the Confederacy¡¯s aggressive and increasingly violent acts seem to remain unsatiated, as the war in Central Vaeyox intensifies.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Vaeyox


    November Palace


    0600 Hours


    It was time for the announcement. Amelie faced the microphones in front of her, alongside the endless deluge of the press and their cameras aimed at her. The war had begun. And there was no going back.


    She calmly placed her files on the ready on the podium, all while steeling herself for the speech and the question-and-answer phase after that. Beside her, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Archduchess, and other high-profile faces of the Royalist Government stood beside her, as they presented a unified front for the Orlish people.


    The Generals and Admirals of the OAF however remained absent. Naturally, the military would conduct its job of fighting the war, while she and her ministers of the civilian government faced the impending questions of the Orlish people.


    ¡°People of Orland, it is me again, Your Queen. I stand before you today to deliver another grim news. It is with great shame that I shall announce that the two-day deadline for our ultimatum to the Lieplatzan Junta expired just an hour ago, at five on the morning of this day, February six. We know that the rebels to our east had already declared war on our Lieplatzan neighbors. A war that already stretched on for days with thousands of dead on both sides.


    ¡°To liberate them, as they say. As ¡®President¡¯ Rimpler said. Liberate. People of Orland. Liberate. I have doubts about his words, yes. Of whether these traitors would treat our Lieplatzan brothers and sisters any better than the madness of the Junta. But I must agree that someone must liberate Lieplatz.


    ¡°Princess Celeste, alongside the Lieplatzan government-in-exile, has been in talks with us for months now. It is clear that the humanitarian situation in our neighbor¡¯s realm has deteriorated since General Richstoff took power through violent means. And much like a leader who snatched the wheels of the state through violence, General Richstoff and his Junta kept that power through violence.¡±


    Amelie breathed in. ¡°It cannot continue. The Lieplatzan people are our brothers and sisters. We share nearly the same blood that flows in our veins. I know many of us share families on those borders. Our businesses and livelihoods even intertwine with them. Even House Ludendorf, my family, has great ties to the Lieplatzan people. My cousins. Aunts and uncles. So many of my kin, and your kin, live under the brutality of the mad Junta.


    ¡°As such, under the advice of the Ministry of Defense and the Prime Minister, alongside our other policymakers, and our ever vigilant Generals and intelligence agencies, I have decided that enough is enough. Especially after the many provocations that the Junta committed on our borders, which had led to countless deaths of Orlish servicemembers. To continue this facade of peace is simply untenable. Impossible even.


    ¡°Yesterday, the Parliament passed the vote for the possibility of war. The vote, as I dreaded, passed. Yet I held hope through the grueling final hours of last night that General Rickstoff and his leadership would find reason to lower their arms, and allow the return of the legitimate Lieplatzan government without a fight. Yet our ultimatum remained unanswered. Ignored. And even mocked by many of their leaders.


    ¡°I regret to tell you then that right now, a state of war exists between Orland and Lieplatz. Three centuries of sisterly alliance were broken by a crisis that has swept this world into darkness. Right now, the Air Force, the Army, and the Navy are conducting their preliminary operations to cross the border and liberate Nordia. From it, the Orlish Armed Forces is planning to liberate much of West Lieplatz, in order to stop the Federal Republic from capturing more and placing more people into their new but no less unkind management.


    ¡°Let it be known that our Kingdom will not stop from this. They may have destroyed the Lieplazan Kingdom, but the soul of the alliance between our sisterly Kingdoms will not cease. We will liberate all of Lieplatz. Just as we will liberate all of Orland.¡±


    Just as the cameras flashed after Amelie spoke, the raging questions in the room exploded. Each question challenged her own decision. Each question that she would have to answer in front of the Orlish people.


    Yet instead of meekly backing off in fear, a small confident grin appeared on Amelie¡¯s face.


    She¡¯d answer everything¡­until they were all convinced that peace was over.


    And that war was the only solution.


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    The same thought her mind believed in now.


    +++


    ¡°You just started a war?!¡± Amelie was surprised at the young woman who barged into her office. It was Alice. Alice herself, with a frown that nearly bore through her soul. ¡°Amelie, people are going to die? I thought peace is what we both believed in?¡±


    ¡°Alice?¡± Amelie was now shocked. Why was her sister¡­Alice herself was so furious. Almost red. ¡°Look, I understand why you would think of it as a bad thing, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But what? I thought, unlike Mother, we would stop wars from happening,¡± the young girl pointed her finger at Amelie, almost accusatory. ¡°Fighting because they hit us first is normal. But Amelie, you¡¯re hitting them first now!¡±


    ¡°Alice¡­¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°Look, I understand you have been hard on studying politics, and everything¡ª¡±


    ¡°As I am supposed to do so,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m the Princess. The second in line to the throne. If they somehow removed you, I¡¯d have to be ready to replace you. I hope it does not happen, but I will prepare for it. I have seen enough.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s heart almost broke. Alice, such a young girl¡­already preparing herself for the worst. While her days in the Queen¡¯s bunker tortured Amelie and changed her into who she is today, she noticed the same in Alice. And this only further proved it. The kid¡­she really was starting to take her role more seriously.


    Amelie sighed. ¡°Look, I understand you. But the truth is, this conflict is already on, Alice.¡±


    ¡°Then end it! Not start a new one!¡±


    Amelie smiled. ¡°If it was that easy, do you think I wouldn¡¯t have chosen to do it first?¡±


    Alice stopped in her tracks. Of course, why wouldn¡¯t her older sister not do that first? She knew her older sister well. The same Queen who cried because of the war starting a year ago. But then why? Why would her older sister turn so callous now, to send so many of the young men that she promised to save into another adventure of death?


    ¡°You¡­you would have done it first,¡± Alice said, but now, tears started pooling in her eyes again. ¡°But, but it¡¯s untrue. It can¡¯t be that way. We already sent enough of them to death¡­¡±


    ¡°Them?¡±


    ¡°The boys! Adam, Albert¡­who¡¯s going to be next, would it be the boys of my age? How much more¡­¡±


    ¡°Alice?¡±


    She looked up at Amelie. ¡°I hate it! We don¡¯t want to be like you adults. All hating each other. Because, because boys or men have no magic. It¡¯s stupid. I watched my older brother die. I don¡¯t¡­want my classmates to lose their brothers¡­or¡­or for us to see boys of our age get sent to be wiped out like you adults did¡­¡±


    She was crying. ¡°I hate it. I hate it. Everyone hates it. I remember my friends, they kept asking¡­if¡­if the Queen would do it again. Send our younger brothers to wars. Just like how mom sent our older brothers into wars¡­¡±


    ¡°Your classmates had been asking that?¡±


    She nodded weakly. Unfortunately, children were definitely more aware of what was happening. And she supposed the situation to Alice¡¯s generation was now different. Unlike her generation, which could easily be complicit in sending men of their age into wars without care due to years of animosity, Alice¡¯s generation was too young for that.


    For them, their fellow boys were¡­well, fellow children. She remembered that the divide between girls and boys never really started until her later teen years. When men of her age found themselves losing steam as the realities of life crashed around them, which left them ever more resentful.


    Resent, which fueled the terrorism they witnessed before they all accepted that men were barbaric scum that should be sent to wars where their supposed natural propensity to violence and lust for blood would be better utilized. Looking back on it, Amelie almost wanted to vomit about it.


    Her generation of women was perhaps a special breed of evil. To look at young people of the same age as lower that they could overlook having their classes wiped by half just months after the draft¡­ was surreal.


    But that hasn¡¯t happened to Alice and her generation yet. And most of all, they also watched their older brothers return in caskets without much explanation. Amelie could imagine that many of them naturally looked up to their older brothers and sisters. Alice looked up to both Adam and Albert.


    And she lost Adam. Unable to even see his body after his death because his body was never recovered. And Albert¡­Alice¡¯s favorite sibling turned into an almost cold, absent, broken man who now rarely interacted with her and Amelie.


    Amelie could imagine that young Alice could clearly see what to blame for those losses. War.


    ¡°No,¡± Amelie said. ¡°No. The Dead Generation¡­the men from the same generation I belong to, is going to be the last that this Kingdom sends into an apocalyptic conflict.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­why start another war?¡±


    Amelie smiled bitterly. ¡°The reality is¡­we have to end it here now. The pain would be burdened by these men, so your fellow boys wouldn¡¯t ever face it¡­¡± Amelie stood from her seat and lowered herself to Alice¡¯s level. She wiped off some of her tears. ¡°After this, the burden might even be shared by us, women of my generation. But what¡¯s sure is, this has to be done. I can¡¯t end the war by lying down. I have to end this war by acting with initiative.¡±


    ¡°Is that really the case?¡± Alice asked. ¡°So you¡­you would invade countries from now on?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the only way to end this second Great War quicker¡­then I shall,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that my generation will be the last to live in this cruel existence. If there will be a price to be paid for that¡­¡± Amelie almost laughed internally for herself. The cost¡­the cost, it wasn¡¯t exactly her entire generation who would bear it.


    Only the young men.


    Even if she wanted to change it, and change it she would, she had no power left to speed up the process. The Dead Generation would pay for a better world. For her designs. For her vision. And Amelie hated how she would have no other options for that.


    Perhaps, in a twisted sense¡­Albert¡¯s and Adam¡¯s generation would play the ultimate martyr. Amelie hated it. I hope I succeed and that their sacrifices won¡¯t be in vain.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it anyway, even if I¡¯m not the one who will pay for it. Because even if I¡¯m a two-faced hypocrite¡­I¡¯ll make sure that the world after this, for you Alice¡­¡±


    She paused.


    ¡°Would be a better one.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five: Intensified Reprisals

    ¡°The Federal Army entered Monpleitz after the remaining Junta garrison surrendered after a two-day heavy battle that saw the city cut off and encircled. Scenes of brutal atrocities filled the city, with Federal Orlish troops finding massacre sites of mass civilian executions, hanged deserters or ¡®traitors¡¯, and even female force labor units that the Junta used to ¡®fortify the city¡¯ using magic. Much of the city¡¯s military leadership was reportedly found dead, while the appointed city mayor, reported to have organized the local police to remove internal dissidents before Orlish forces arrived by ¡®systematic executions¡¯ was found and shot dead by a Federalist Army soldier during his attempt of surrendering. President Rimpler has already condemned the actions of the Lieplatzan State, calling it an ¡®affront to the honor of the revolution¡¯ and he has reiterated that the State of Lieplatz ¡®in no way represents the rest of the revolutionary movement¡¯.¡±


    - Wuringen Updates


    ¡°Heavy casualties in penal formations! Reports from the Orlish High Command showed that the twelve penal brigades that participated in the three-week battles to push back Federalist forces in the Free Confederation suffered casualties as high as ninety percent. While these penal brigades were composed of a plethora of social rejects, degenerates, and downright psychotic criminals, it was made up mostly of men arrested during the 2024 General Strike by the Royal Guard, and forced into the Armed Forces during the opening months of the civil war. Indeed, while Her Majesty¡¯s reformist stance has been apparent to all of us, we must still remind ourselves of the truth. Orland¡¯s matriarchy is still addicted to its disposable male penal manpower. Orlishmen can only wonder when Her Majesty¡¯s government finally sticks true to its promises of equality and male liberation.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    ¡°Surprisingly restrained, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Nia¡¯s quip about the latest articles posted by pro-ORP publications made Amelie massage her temples. This was getting quite irritating. Slowly but surely, her actions must be losing her support in moderate men. Quite frankly, she shouldn¡¯t be too surprised about all that. Her administration, which had just declared another war where men would once again venture into for ¡°liberation¡±, and where they would probably die ¡°for the common good¡± was¡­not the most well-received act of hers.


    At least to Orland¡¯s men.


    For women, however, her approval ratings, alongside Prime Minister Jacqueline¡¯s ratings, and the rest of the Heiss Government, had never been higher. From Eutstadt to Halia, women were now once again cheering their new adventure in detached jingoism. Liberating Lieplatz from the evil Junta that brutalized its women meant that she indeed looked like a goddamned savior for most women.


    Amelie almost felt her cynicism rise from that. She was now so popular, that even ardent conservatives who opposed her reforms were now cheering for their Queen¡¯s war adventure. She could almost imagine once more the days when the Great War started. So many female nobles celebrated it.


    All saber rattling to ¡°beat the Order Pact¡± ¡°send the Empress her well-deserved end¡± and ¡°liberate the oppressed peoples of Central Vaeyox¡±. She remembered it all too well, how they cheered their men for marching forward for them on a distant continent. For another adventure. An adventure where many of them didn¡¯t return.


    Yet he didn¡¯t show me scorn for it. Adam and Albert left without many words back then. She found it odd how everyone else was excited and patriotic for the entire war. How her class watched and monitored the dance of international politics as if it was some sort of a sports game between old women and their bitter words. The failed conferences and talks.


    She even once remembered laughing at how absurd the Empress sounded when she threatened to ¡°march from Toldoi to Halia¡± and joking about how she would have to create a land bridge of dead men first before even having a chance. The same bloodthirst that she once had, was showing once more in Orland¡¯s women.


    All talk when none of them would even fight. She laughed at that. Wasn¡¯t she the same? All her ideas of liberating Lieplatz when she wouldn¡¯t even fight herself. How convenient of her to send this generation again once more into the fields of gunfire.


    Meanwhile, I¡¯m only losing men more and more¡­


    She wondered what she could do. The conscription bill was still mired with obstructions in the Parliament. It was almost surreal how fast those UOP and Arcanist Party MPs voted yes to the war after adamantly voting no when it came to conscripting women. The ORP on the other hand, ever the abused party they were that Amelie sometimes wondered if they were perhaps masochistic, reluctantly voted yes, or abstained.


    From what Jacqueline told her, the air in the ORP was now becoming more and more tense. They were feeling betrayed and lost in the coalition, that Amelie herself had now been barely talking to the Deputy Prime Minister. Still, they were keeping themselves in the alliance, barely criticizing the Queen or the Prime Minister, with much of their opposition to sending their fellow men to their deaths being their meek questioning about the questionable feasibility of the campaign, or their continual adherence to ¡°focusing on the Federalists¡±.


    ¡°At this rate¡­there wouldn¡¯t be a coalition¡­¡± Amelie said, and Nia fell silent. They were really just reading the latest reports about international developments, as Amelie decided to simply take a step back from micromanaging the Lieplatzan campaign for a day or two.


    Regardless, they still had to read the reports from the OHC, as it was in their normal daily routine. Especially about the localized counter-offensive in the Free Confederation, which had been ongoing for the last few weeks. Gains were minimal, casualties were heavy, but not too egregious.


    The Army used its penal formations. It simultaneously boiled Amelie¡¯s blood but also killed it coldly. What could she do? Send in the normal formations and risk losing them? Her shame only rose further when she read that Liberty One Radio article earlier. About Orland¡¯s addiction to its male penal manpower, in both using them in deadly cheap labor or deadlier suicidal military operations.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Well¡­unfortunately, I don¡¯t see any reforms that would get them back to our side for now¡­¡± Nia said. ¡°They¡¯re all dying in the military after all.¡±


    ¡°We could always offer them post-war benefits, but¡­I don¡¯t want to copy my mother¡¯s methodology¡­¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°At least, I¡¯ll be upfront this time and not promise anything massive unless I can ensure it. And we¡¯re still far from winning this war after all¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say, it hasn¡¯t even begun,¡± Nia said. ¡°After Lieplatz, East and West Vaeyox are next, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Orlishmen from Hebei to the Flendrian lowlands¡­¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°Once again meeting their old foes instead of their fellow brothers.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­we really have no choice but to pass that bill¡­¡± Nia said. ¡°It¡¯d look bad if we didn¡¯t. Very bad.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t have a response yet, simply looking back at the files in front of her. Namely, a report about a captured town by the OAF. She didn¡¯t want to look at anything related to the war, but the file caught her eye.


    ¡°They¡­they what?!¡±


    Horror¡­it was all that Nia could see in Amelie¡¯s eyes.


    +++


    West Lieplatz


    South of Nordia


    19th Tank Battalion


    Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Prul couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The lead tank of Bravo Company entered first, as lines of Lieplatzan soldiers passed through their convoys, being detained by the dismounted elements of his mechanized infantry. These soldiers didn¡¯t hold the normal insignias of the regular Lieplatzan Army.


    ¡°Protection Corps, that¡¯s their name, sir,¡± one of his underlings said over the radio, as he ordered his men to park his L?we Command Vehicle to the side. ¡°They have a different job around here than us, sir.¡±


    ¡°Different exactly how?¡± He avoided trying to look around, as his mechanized infantry became more and more agitated at the sight around them. He could see their fingers turning more itchy as they detained the Lieplatzans, in an almost disconcerting way.


    In fact, even he was turning twitchy, as his eyes looked up. There were women hanged up high on poles and buildings, faces hidden with bags, with a hanged placard with them.


    ¡°I used magic when it was forbidden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a collaborator to the Orlish demons.¡±


    ¡°I served the Goddess.¡±


    He tried to look away, but it kept coming.


    ¡°I spread false information.¡±


    ¡°I told them the positions of our brave defenders.¡±


    ¡°I wanted the monarchy back.¡±


    He continued walking past his men, trying to reach the town¡¯s center in order to see the commotion for himself. His men were turning more and more agitated. Many were already trying to ask for permission to shoot their captives. He could even see a group of them beat up a Lieplatzan officer, and he hadn¡¯t even had the urge to intervene.


    ¡°Lieutenant Kluge!¡± He called over to another officer who was overlooking something. Lieutenant Kluge had a handkerchief on his nose, just as he looked at him. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± his answer came out muted, as his eyes conveyed nothing but terror. Andrew knew that Lieutenant Kluge had been in the last stages of the Great War, and he had been with him since the Civil War started, as they fought for months in the Grand Duchy Campaign. A man of calmness even through the worst of the worst, that was how he knew this man. Yet, the Lieutenant was muted, silent.


    Almost as if he was refusing to accept what his eyes had seen. ¡°S-sir¡­¡± he said, as he raised his finger to point at something. Andrew turned his head into it, and his eyes¡­


    In front of his mechanized infantry that was wordlessly inspecting the carnage in front of them, was a pile of dead bodies in front of the walls of what must have been an estate of the local aristocrat. Andrew almost wanted to vomit at the sight in front of him, as he looked around. There were so many of them, some even half burned.


    In fact, he could see that many confiscated flamethrowers from the surrendering Lieplatzans.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± he looked around, confusion clouding his vision. Why? Why? How could someone, no, how could they do something like this? This¡­this was nothing but a massacre of their own people. This¡­this wasn¡¯t for the defense of their nation. Nay, this was a deliberate act of rage and hate.


    He looked down at the corpses, pushing one of the soldiers under him, who also looked down on it in muted silence. Their faces¡­women, young girls, hell, there were some old men in the pile. They were all dead. Slowly, he could feel his blood boil more and more as he started counting the children on the pile.


    Why? Why?


    He looked back to one of his soldiers. He looked at his rank.


    ¡°Corporal¡­what are we seeing here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a crime against humanity, sir. I¡­why would they do this, sir?¡± the Corporal¡¯s expression asked everything. ¡°...Revenge?¡±


    He looked back at the atrocity behind him. ¡°Atrocities breed atrocities¡­¡± Andrew muttered, remembering how women treated them. It was why this civil war even started. It was why he and many men tried to fight back. But this¡­this wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be.


    ¡°What do we do, sir?¡± Lieutenant Kluge asked. ¡°I think¡­those men, they did this, sir.¡±


    ¡°Protection Corps, was that how they called themselves?¡± He asked.


    ¡°...Yes, sir. Special branch of the military. Established by General Richstoff. They¡­they said they were used to pacify internal resistance.¡±


    ¡°Not to fight for their nation, but their people,¡± Andrew laughed, almost insanely. ¡°No wonder they were shit at fighting us. They¡¯re only good at shooting defenseless civilians.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feed them, don¡¯t aid them, beat them if any of you will, we¡¯ll march these animals back on foot to be detained behind our lines,¡± he ordered. ¡°And if any of them resists, all of you have the orders to shoot them.¡±


    The Lieutenant fell silent.


    ¡°Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Relay it to other officers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on it, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The Lieutenant turned around and disappeared. Andrew turned to one of the soldiers who was inspecting the pile of bodies.


    ¡°Corporal, bring out your cameras. Anything. The world needs to see this,¡± he said. ¡°Relay that to everyone. Take as much evidence. We will need it.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six: Race Against Time

    ¡°The only language they understand is terror. The goal of this organization is to ensure that women understand it well for the first time, after centuries of their domination.¡±


    - General Richstoff, during the creation of the ¡°Protection Corps¡±.


    +++


    West Lieplatz


    Road to Nordia


    General Holl could not fathom the reports that he was receiving. Each town and village they captured, each small city that was forced to surrender after a brief fight, left a bloody remain of the Lieplatzan retreat.


    He and a group of officers, guarded by multiple soldiers, walked through the remains of another site of the massacres conducted by the now infamous ¡°Protection Corps¡±. He couldn¡¯t help but vomit at the sight. It was a full-on massacre of what must have been the local aristocracy. Female nobles and their entire families.


    All lined up on the wall to be shot by the Protection Corps.


    General Holl looked away from the corpse of a blonde woman that he was eyeing, down into the shamed look of a Lieplatzan officer. He was in charge of manning the defenses of the city, or more accurately, the forces outside of the city, on its defensive trench lines.


    By the time he retreated, the Protection Corps was gone, and left these grizzly massacres, alongside the traumatized local authorities. By the time General Holl¡¯s tanks arrived, a white flag was already being flown by one of his command APCs, which bravely drove on the flat terrain, vulnerable to an Orlish attack.


    As far as General Holl could say, this Colonel wanted to surrender rather quickly.


    ¡°Colonel, would you mind explaining further?¡± General Holl asked, not keeping himself from letting off his subtly furious tone. The Colonel looked at the site himself, and he shook his head.


    ¡°Reprisals. Reprisals to your Queen¡¯s invasion. We should have¡­we should have seen this earlier when they started marking any noblewoman with those¡­¡± He almost fell silent.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Royal armbands. Any woman who held a significant noble ranking, or was accused of being a Royalist had to wear one. They¡­.they started doing it during the media blackout. For national security, they said¡­¡±


    The General looked back at the women on the pile. Indeed, all of them had that same armband. It was a white armband with a yellowish flower on it. Almost similar to the emblem of the Lieplatzan Royal Family.


    ¡°I¡­I thought it was all rumors,¡± the Colonel muttered. ¡°He¡­they all must be insane.¡±


    ¡°What is that man¡¯s goal?¡± General Holl asked. ¡°Why would Richstoff do this?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, revenge,¡± the Lieplatzan officer answered. ¡°He knows he¡¯s losing. The Armed Forces are disintegrating. His loyalists are on the run. Now, the only way he¡¯ll get back to the Queen of Orland and those Federalists is scorched earth. Especially to the Queen of Orland.¡±


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°You plan¡­to restore Her Highness, don¡¯t you?¡± the Colonel asked. ¡°The General said that the Junta would take every measure to ensure that Royalist rule would never return. Perhaps, this is his sick measures.¡±


    ¡°Murder all of the nobility¡­¡± the General said, finally realizing it. Of course, without the high nobility and those above the low nobility, it would be hard to restore the monarchy. All Kingdoms relied on its aristocracy. Wipe them out and Princess Celeste would only be able to return to a throne without them.


    ¡°A large portion of women are above the lower nobility, Colonel.¡±


    ¡°Approximately twelve percent are landless noble families, sir,¡± the Colonel said. ¡°Then there¡¯s the one percent, which, I believe, was long wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Wiped out?¡±


    The Colonel fell silent. ¡°We had to shut up¡­maybe some managed to hide, but the General already hunted them. If you were a part of a noble family above the Baroness rank, you¡¯re¡­well, you¡¯re a dead woman walking.¡±


    ¡°How did it happen so fast?¡±


    ¡°The General is a fast, efficient, and ruthless man. Didn¡¯t help that there was a national registry of every noblewoman of significance. He just had to raid them and¡­¡±


    ¡°Herd them.¡±


    The Colonel fell silent, as General Holl looked at the crimes in front of him. This was nothing less than deliberate femicide. He could tell, because some towns seemed to have suffered massacres that involved women of the lower nobility. The Arcana, which was the legal noble classification of anyone born with magic but held no titles were afforded greater privileges and rights, which basically meant it was every woman of the lower nobility.


    ¡°Do you support any of this, Colonel?¡±


    ¡°I joined the revolution to overthrow the farce that women of Lieplatz enforced on us, but no, sir. Not I, nor my men, support this. I do not expect any of you to believe us, however.¡±


    ¡°Many in your Army are surrendering already. They all say the same tune.¡±


    ¡°Well, sir, do you honestly believe that every man of the Lieplatzan Armed Forces would follow the mad General?¡± the Colonel asked. ¡°Our counter-coup failed. This is our chance to redo it. By surrendering to advancing Orlish forces.¡±


    ¡°You had a coup?¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The Colonel laughed. ¡°Was lucky the Secret Police didn¡¯t have enough time to search for all of the plotters afterward. The media blackout must have masked it well. We failed, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Well, Colonel, it would be most prudent that you and your men begin searching for proof that none of you did this,¡± General Holl closed the distance. ¡°Because I swear to the Goddess¡¯s name, our Queen will be screening all of you one by one once this is all over.¡±


    The two stared at each other, unflinching.


    ¡°And I swear, justice won¡¯t be kind to the perpetrators.¡±


    The General found distaste about it, but he already ordered most of his units to apprehend the surrendering Lieplatzans ¡°gently¡±. He already heard that many of their units had begun summarily executing surrenderees due to the bloodbath they were witnessing at some of the liberated settlement.


    Emotion however shouldn¡¯t cloud them. There were rules of war in regard to POWs. He wouldn¡¯t need his men turning into war criminals when seeking reprisals for the crimes right in front of them.


    Still, General Holl wouldn¡¯t be kind to what he now knew as the perpetrators. The Protection Corps didn¡¯t seem to be a part of the Lieplatzan Armed Forces. They were more of a paramilitary hand of the Junta. Perhaps, not even the Junta, as most of its original members had long died suspiciously.


    Nay, they were the dark hand of General Holl.


    And his forces wouldn¡¯t be giving them the niceties afforded by the rules of war.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    ¡°I should say, I¡¯m not quite surprised,¡± was the first thing that the NID Director said. The AFI Director was silent, merely nodding grimly, while Marie herself sighed.


    ¡°Well, we noted the disappearances of prominent Lieplatzan nobles, particularly those in the former Royal Court of Lieplatz,¡± Marie said. ¡°But we thought it was just normal crackdowns. We didn¡¯t really infiltrate far outside of the border cities.¡±


    Amelie on the other hand, was utterly enraged. Partly for herself for not knowing it sooner. Partly to her three intelligence agencies for not knowing it too. But mostly because that man, General Richstoff, had the gall to do something like this. It was repulsive. Vile. Utterly maniacal.


    She couldn¡¯t even fathom what kind of brain rotten insanity must be going on inside the minds of General Richstoff and his high-ranking officials. Why they would do something as vile as this? She had many doubts about launching this entire operation earlier, but now¡­


    She felt as if her true crime was not launching it sooner. She was way too slow.


    ¡°Can¡­¡± Amelie tried to speak again. ¡°Can we try to¡­do something? Find these camps? Get those women out of there? Can we?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already interrogating the captured members of the ¡®Protection Corps¡¯, and some officials of the Lieplatzan military,¡± Marie said. ¡°What we found out was that the camps are somewhere in the northern tundras of Lieplatz.¡±


    Amelie fell silent. That¡­she didn¡¯t even have to ask General Albrecht in the room to know that it would take at least a few weeks, or even a month, or even more than that to reach the northern frozen tundras of Lieplatz. Nordia was their main target, which was close to the border. Because that was where the majority of Lieplatzan population centers were.


    But up north, they wouldn¡¯t be able to just send convoys of tanks there. While many of the Lieplatzans were folding down south, what was being left of their army was the most fanatic ones. The ones who would bravely hold out in the frozen hellscape of North Lieplatz. Where the roughest terrain of North Opellia was.


    Her tanks, infantry, mechs, all of them, they would have to slowly grind down any resistance up north. Through endless ambushes. Bad terrain. This wasn¡¯t a part of the plan. They should surrender at Nordia.


    But Amelie knew with these reports that the madman wouldn¡¯t surrender. He¡¯d keep fighting until the last pocket of his resistance was mopped up.


    ¡°How many are we talking about?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°How much have they taken up north?¡±


    ¡°Last census data showed that at least a hundred thousand Lieplatzan women had blood ties to the high nobility,¡± Marie said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t include the dissidents, resistance groups, protesters, business owners, and on and on that aren¡¯t a part of Lieplatz¡¯s landed female nobility arrested and disappeared to these camps.¡±


    ¡°And of the massacres?¡±


    ¡°Seems more like a terror tactic than anything,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Many settlements didn¡¯t suffer from it. While it¡¯s organized to kill a few tens of thousands, it¡¯s too disorganized to murder anything above that. They¡¯re doing as much terroristic damage as they flee, but it''s more of a raging bloodbath of a fleeing rat than a fully organized mass killing. They¡¯ll fail.¡±


    ¡°General, they¡¯re still killing women and girls,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They¡¯re still taking lives they shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯ll keep doing it,¡± the General said. ¡°These men and the Lieplatzan Junta have lost ties with the people of Lieplatz. They¡¯re more like rejects from now on. And they¡¯re lashing out, hard. Many of our forces are entering settlements full of cheering crowds and surrendering troops. General Richstoff and his fanatic loyalists know that they lost. So they¡¯re going to take as many people with them.¡±


    ¡°Thus my point, we have to stop them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°But I can¡¯t make my boys charge forward faster to Nordia. Or to other cities. The Lieplatzan Army is still mounting a modicum amount of resistance, that if we drive toward that city too fast without regard for safety, we would suffer casualties that we don¡¯t need.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re surrendering,¡± Amelie said. ¡°As you reported.¡±


    ¡°Not the fanatic ones,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°The ones who will stubbornly wait in front of a town with old main battle tanks, ambush our columns and kill at least five of ours, and refuse to surrender until they run out of ammo, or die to our forces.¡±


    ¡°Last stand?¡±


    The General laughed. ¡°I remember the days when soldiers, men, would retreat. Seems like in this day and age, fanaticism on our boys is so high, death is the only option.¡±


    Both the NID and AFI directors seemed silent about that. Even Amelie did. Even amongst her troops, those suicidal tendencies were present in her men. The Grand Duchy Campaign after all would have been lost had it not been for those suicidal units that stubbornly held out till they were gone until reinforcements arrived.


    She could imagine the same was true for fanatic Lieplatzans.


    ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll try our best to push quicker,¡± the General said. ¡°Expect more tragedies along the way. Your Majesty, you should certainly harden your heart for a while¡ª¡±


    ¡°I already did, General,¡± Amelie said, slightly offended.


    General Albrecht didn¡¯t react. ¡°Good. Because once we start entering those major cities¡­well, not great. And as for the noblewomen up north. Well, I imagine a cold winter, harsh environment, lack of food and supplies, and abusive captors would result in things I shouldn¡¯t elaborate further about. All I can say, General Richstoff may fall, but, he may have succeeded at wiping out the high nobility of Lieplatz.¡±


    Amelie felt empty at that. Could that have been her and many Orlish noblewomen¡¯s fate had she failed in her defense? Moreover, the unthinkable. She felt her hands were tied. Rescuing them¡­


    Her eyes glanced at the map, and their gains last night.


    It¡¯s too far¡­


    She tried to hold off her tears. That was¡­she really wanted that General shot dead.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t do much for now though. And so, with a heavy breath¡­


    ¡°That will be all then,¡± she said. ¡°Continue on your work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± was their grim, collective reply.

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Seven: Please Fight the War Too

    ¡°The last stand of the Matriarchy is before us. It is imperative that the Free World, formed by the Vanguard Republics, in an equal coalition of Free Nations must aggressively liberate the world from the Monarchical-Feudalistic-Matriarchal world order. The room to back off is no more. From the Hebeian Republic, our Confederation, the Asturian Republic, to the isolated but powerful Federal Republic of Orland, and everything in between, all must band together in the ironclad defense of the revolution, and most importantly, band together in a grand offensive for a global liberation. The cost will be high. But now is not the time for men to shy from the costs of blood, for we paid enough that to back out now would be a great shame that would render our fallen brother¡¯s sacrifices null and void. An unacceptable shame we must not accept.¡±


    - Chancellor Pyotr Kerensky, first Confederate Chancellery Address.


    ¡°The sins of our mothers hang a great shadow upon us all. We had made our brothers and fathers fight, and shed blood, just to protect us from tainting our pristine hands red for far too long. It is but an illusion to be shattered if we wish to end the disunity between us and men. The fight against radicalism is not a project that our brothers must solely bear only for us to turn back on them once the job is done. It is a fight every woman, with her wand or rifle, must take side by side, and with grit, fight to pave a victory for our future. If victory is to be achieved, it must be fought equally by both of us, and we must both share the fruits of it in the end. That is the policy of this government, and the new direction of our war effort.¡±


    - Princess Xue Li, upon passing Imperial Code 25, which introduced mass conscription of young women in the Empire of Hebei.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    She beat me to it.


    Amelie, today, was both utterly disappointed and elated. Disappointed in herself, and elated by the news that came from the other side of the ocean. Princess Xue Li, whom she regarded as her good friend who was in a worse position than her, somehow managed to strangle her government to pass a female conscription law.


    And now, Amelie was talking to the Prime Minister for updates regarding the matter.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly that easy, Amelie,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to talk to most MPs in my party, but the air is¡­uncooperative. They¡¯re still stuck at protecting the status of women of being the protected class from conflict.¡±


    ¡°The conflict is on our homeland for Goddess¡¯ sake!¡± Amelie almost shouted exasperatedly. ¡°I swear, I¡¯m holding off from using my emergency powers to force this bill through for the sake of democratic processes, but I¡¯m starting to reconsider.¡±


    ¡°That would tank our approval ratings,¡± Jacqueline warned. ¡°I get that you won¡¯t need it, but, my government does. I need it.¡±


    ¡°Can I postpone elections until the war ends?¡± Amelie asked, suddenly finding an idea to work around that issue. But Jacqueline frowned.


    ¡°No, absolutely not that. You¡¯re starting to get the wrong ideas in your head,¡± Jacqueline said.


    ¡°Pardon me please, but I¡¯m tired,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°The OHC is sending me dreadful reports about manpower projections, and I¡¯m not liking it one bit. We already killed a good chunk of our ¡®disposable generation¡¯, and if we don¡¯t find more, we¡¯re in great trouble.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve seen the reports,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°It¡¯s just, look, I¡¯m still trying to move the political air into supporting that change. They want the current model of evacuating women from the war zones and supporting the refugees in the cities of West Orland instead of sending them back with arcano rifles to the front. Plus, most of these women would literally murder us if we even suggest it.¡±


    ¡°How did Princess Xue Li even pull it off but we can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hebei isn¡¯t that democratic,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°The Princess is viewed there as the unfallible, absolute authority. Sure, she¡¯s doing everything to democratize the Empire, but at the same time, her powers are still absolute. Her court bows to her. You on the other hand have to deal with the likes of the Archduchess and her faction.¡±


    Amelie rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t remind me of her. Plus at this rate, the Archduchess is starting to become more favorable to me than your party members. At least she wants to put women to the front to fight for victory.¡±


    ¡°More out of pride than empathy to men.¡±


    ¡°Still works, and at least she¡¯s honest,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Your UOP seems to be filled with two-faced hypocrites. It¡¯s strange how they can say ¡®we love men¡¯ one moment before scoffing at the idea of fighting with them side by side.¡±


    Jacqueline gave a bitter laugh. ¡°Well, but that¡¯s how the UOP turned popular. Liberal enough for women who like to look good, but supremacist enough to keep them from actually doing good that would be counterproductive to our privileges.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tiring,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°I share the same opinion. Still, it¡¯s my party, and I believe many of my peers are still decent people,¡± she said. ¡°Just a bit confused¡­and¡­¡±


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    ¡°Stuck in the past?¡±


    Jacqueline laughed. ¡°They still think this is the Great War. A distant fight they can distance themselves from.¡±


    ¡°Foolish.¡±


    That was when, with a knock, the door to Amelie¡¯s office was opened. Amelie sipped her tea calmly, as she knew her headache today would definitely increase upon this man¡¯s entrance. The Deputy Prime Minister entered without much of a greeting, as Walter stared them both down.


    ¡°Look,¡± the Prime Minister tried. ¡°I¡¯m still trying. I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s slow, Walter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m used to your sorries, Jacqueline,¡± he said, taking a seat for himself. ¡°How are we doing?¡±


    ¡°Not great,¡± was the one thing that Amelie said. ¡°Quite terrible, some would say.¡±


    There was a mirthless laugh from the man. ¡°Orland eternal.¡±


    Amelie placed down her teacup. ¡°So Walter¡­how are you men doing.¡±


    ¡°Still at rock bottom,¡± was his blunt reply. ¡°All statistical data for men are still on the downline. Quite consistent for the past decades, just a bit more accelerated.¡±


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Some are on the upside though,¡± he said, more cheerfully, which unnerved the two women in the room. ¡°Like the frontline death rates. Or suicide rates. And most importantly, anti-women sentiments in my party.¡±


    ¡°Yeah that sounds bad¡­¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m trying to hold the line,¡± Walter said. ¡°But last time I talked to some of them, things were going bad. Hegel, Sobiesky, the other MPs, the Party leadership¡­¡±


    Amelie felt her heart sink and sink as Walter spoke. ¡°Damn it.¡±


    ¡°Look, something has to change if this coalition would survive,¡± Walter said. ¡°And the main contention is the conscription laws. Just right when our pleas to make women fight too fell flat, we sent our boys up north almost unanimously. Everyone understands, even we are outraged. Very outraged at what that madman is doing. But look, we didn¡¯t even send a single Knight Detachment Unit to participate. Just the OAF. Just our same old Joes who¡¯s been in the front since the first shots were fired, once again getting sent into a harsh environment to meet even harsher imagery of war again¡­or dying to stiff Lieplatzan resistance.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a joke. It¡¯s a fucking joke. And most men are silent about it, because, one wrong word and we¡¯d look like a traitor to your ¡®equality, liberty, and democracy¡¯ project, but, but look. We¡¯re down the drain right now. We¡¯re bearing the brunt of all of the cost of these wars¡­and we¡¯ve yet to taste even a sense of appreciation or support, or anything.¡±


    Jacqueline looked down.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, I apologize, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop apologizing. For fuck¡¯s sake, I doubt any boys down on the muddy trench line want some high noblewoman to sweetly apologize to them right now. Or any platitudes for that matter. Quite frankly, I know most men right now are downright apathetic at this entire thing and are just biting the bitter bullet before their next firefight. What they need now is work done by you women on the front. Maybe deploy the KDUs at last.¡±


    ¡°The Archduchess said that they¡¯re still training and preparing,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Those new tanks, artillery, mechs, and arcano rifles are new to the Royal Guard.¡±


    ¡°Oh, maybe they can train a year more, and we¡¯ll see LSS Mechs piloted by women fuckin decimating Rimpler¡¯s zombie horde.¡± Walter sarcastically laughed. ¡°Look, don¡¯t let her kid you. For fuck¡¯s sake, we send boys at the age of eighteen with three weeks of training on their shitty metal coffins into the frontlines. They¡¯ve been training for months now.¡±


    ¡°Doctrines are still being developed. Using magic in conjunction with modern weaponry is a new thing,¡± Amelie said. ¡°The Royal Guard is trying, but I can¡¯t make them rush.¡±


    ¡°Anything please,¡± Walter almost begged. ¡°Anything to make it look that you women are doing something in this war too. It¡¯s hard to keep explaining, defending, and justifying our coalition to my party members with these conditions. I¡¯d take a damned PR stunt at this point. One KDU liberating a Lieplatzan town or something. Anything so that I can go out and tell them, ¡®Hey, look, women, they¡¯re changing, so we gotta stick with them longer!¡¯¡±


    The two women sighed, looking at Walter with utter pity. Amelie felt extra bad knowing the fact that he must be getting fried and toasted by criticisms from the ORP. At this point, poor Walter was their meatshield. Endlessly defending the Queen and Prime Minister while taking the beating from the bad criticisms of men. He¡¯d been called and branded a lapdog so many times that Amelie sometimes wanted to comfort the man for literally taking the smelliest of defecations being slung at her government.


    Both from men and women.


    ¡°They¡¯re calling me delusionally stupid,¡± he laughed. ¡°Or spineless. Everything. Someone even accused me that I¡¯m bending to your whims because of special romantic favors or something.¡±


    Jacqueline turned red. ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Prime Minister¡¯s stupid man-servant, who can¡¯t help but defend her weak stance on her own party members because if I don¡¯t, you¡¯ll zap me or something.¡±


    Amelie sipped her tea. ¡°Now that¡¯s just cartoonishly comedic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Walter,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was that bad for you. If you need it, I¡¯ll even follow you to your party leadership to dispel these scandalous accusations.¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m just saying this so that you two wouldn¡¯t be blind and find yourselves surprised if a punch from an unlikely direction is suddenly pummelling both of you,¡± Walter said. ¡°The ORP represents the political will of men. If we break away, the Armed Forces will break away. The fucking war will be over because suddenly, the Federalists look better.¡±


    ¡°We understand,¡± Amelie said, turning to Jacqueline. ¡°You heard him. You have to act faster. And I¡¯m not losing the ORP or this war. If you¡¯re too slow, I¡¯ll do the emergency measures myself, and I¡¯ll drag the UOP to approve it kicking and screaming.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Jacqueline said, still seemingly guilty at Walter¡¯s plight.


    Amelie turned to Walter, who was now chugging a bottle of water to calm himself down.


    ¡°And, I should say, I¡¯ll be trying to get the Archduchess to deploy some of the newly formed KDUs to Lieplatz. The OAF could definitely use some extra hands.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the news I like,¡± Walter said, now seemingly elated. ¡°Plus, better to give them some combat experience before throwing them to the Federalists.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Amelie said, looking at the clock. ¡°Anyhow, the two of you, that¡¯s all. I have to go meet the OHC.¡±


    The two of them nodded.


    ¡°Have a good day, Walter and Jacqueline.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight: The Abandoned Lands

    ¡°The Orlish Air Force bombards Nordia! Three days into Queen Amelie¡¯s ¡®liberation operation¡¯ into West Lieplatz against General Richstoff¡¯s Junta, the OAF is now almost within reach of the city of Nordia, the largest Lieplatzan city on its West Coast. The push has been mired with reports of the Lieplatzan Army¡¯s atrocities against Lieplatz¡¯s women, with femicidal massacres being uncovered by the OAF through many liberated population centers. Some reports also indicate the possibility of the Lieplatzans holding its former noble class in ¡®concentration camps¡¯ up in North Lieplatz. The OAF is now expected to speed up their operations to reach these rumored camps before the Junta ¡®liquidates¡¯ them.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Lieplatz


    South of Nordia


    18th Light Mech Battalion


    ¡°Fucken¡­¡± The Lorathian beside Lieutenant Charles Rupkoff, Corporal Hector Smith, cursed after he banged his head on his gun sights. Their LSS Mech was now stuck in an awkward position, as more of the collapsed rubble dropped upon them. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°Hold still, son,¡± Charles said, trying his best to treat his gunner¡¯s bleeding head. The bandages stemmed some of the bleeding, but he was still badly hurt. In fact, Charles doubted if his gunner would soon be up to the task of keeping their LSS Mech firing. ¡°We¡¯ll get them medics later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± the Corporal said, his left eye now covered by the bandage. ¡°I was too slow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself,¡± Charles said. ¡°We¡¯ll get out of here. This is just an ambush. Reinforcements will come soon.¡±


    His gunner nodded grimly, before returning to his gun sights. Charles however tended back to his radio, as he tried to make sense of the situation around him. Being the spearhead of their battalion was a dangerous task, that he knew. And he had spent much of the time before they were deployed planning and training himself for this situation.


    Yet now, they were bogged down, stuck dead on the rubble and snow. His platoon¡¯s remaining LSS Mechs were all transmitting possible coordinates, asking for orders, and reporting casualties. Two of their LSS Mechs were now shot dead, their turret¡¯s blowout panels still burning on the road ahead.


    He could see one of their M44-N?rds, a greyish old-looking tank now turned into a modernized beast with its ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) and a multitude of its new modifications coming out of the rubble-strewn streets. Its turret turned to the side, as the smaller 90 mm gun aimed at one of the badly disabled LSS Mechs of his due to an infantry-fired ATGM that disabled its leg-based transmission.


    ¡°This is Five-Three, we got a red contact on the left. Big one, over.¡± The downed LSS Mech fired off a shot from its main gun, but the N?rd¡¯s ERA armor exploded before contact, and they could see that the shot shattered on the Lieplatzan tank¡¯s hull armor, as it failed to penetrate it.


    The Lieplatzan tank fired off its main gun, and Charles could only bang his hand on one of the screens as he watched the crew of the downed LSS Mech rush out of their mech¡¯s cupolas all while fires consumed it from the inside out.


    ¡°The turret¡¯s stuck, sir!¡± Hector said. ¡°I can¡¯t aim at the bastards!¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant!¡± Someone called from their internal comms. It was Private Jenkins Schleit, down on their LSS Mech¡¯s chassis. ¡°I think I can get our legs unstuck. You guys gotta brace yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Do it, now! Hector, hold on to that before you bang your head again!¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    Suddenly, their driver made a dangerous maneuver. The back legs of their LSS Mechs roared, just in a synchronized manner to their forward left legs. The sudden pull freed one of the right legs of their mech that was stuck, almost ripping it to shreds. However, it somehow held on. The Lieutenant smirked, now was the time to retaliate.


    ¡°Get us out of the rubble, Jenkins!¡±


    ¡°On it!¡±


    Like a beast off from its downed state, their LSS Mech emerged from the collapsed building, their turret finally turning at the exposed Lieplatzan tank.


    ¡°Do it! Fire!¡± Charles ordered, and Hector pulled the fire trigger, releasing an APFSDS round from its smoothbore main gun. The round¡¯s sabots flew off just milliseconds after it was out of the barrel, leaving a long depleted uranium penetrator dart. The penetrator flew straight into the cheeks of the turret of the Lieplatzan tank, sending a hail of spall into the crew inside.


    Within seconds of a fire igniting inside, the ammunition storage exploded, and Charles watched as the enemy tank¡¯s turret almost flew to the sky. A smirk grew on his face.


    One down.


    ¡°Good shot, Hector. Jenkins, get us the hell off from here!¡±


    Another shot from a Lieplatzan tank almost clipped them, but Jenkin¡¯s expertly timed jump allowed them to dodge it, as their mech¡¯s legs went overdrive on the asphalt upon landing, dodging more shots as they lunged at nearly sixty and seventy kilometers per hour within just a few seconds.


    Charles took his radio, as his platoon finally began reorganizing to respond to the ambush. His underlings began taking cover in the rubble, climbing apartments, or repositioning to prevent the Lieplatzans from hitting them. Their mech passed two of his underlings, both of them on top of an apartment building, firing their main gun somewhere.


    ¡°This is Five-Five we got a score!¡±


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    ¡°Five-One reporting, contact down!¡±


    ¡°Keep it up!¡± Charles said before a transmission arrived. It was the 1st and 3rd Platoon. ¡°They¡¯re coming in, boys! Just hold on a little longer!


    ¡°Rog, el-tee!¡±


    Charles turned to their Company-wide comms.


    ¡°Captain! What the hell took you so long?¡±


    ¡°Apologies Lieutenant. Hostiles got us held up on the road. Status?¡±


    ¡°Three down. Five of us left, Captain.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you boys out soon. All units, push forward! Those Lieplatzans are breaking into a retreat.¡±


    ¡°Copy! We got eyes on them,¡± the Lieutenant of the 3rd Platoon said, and Charles finally heard the characteristic booms of their main guns. And just then, their mech stopped and almost drifted, as five LSS Mechs of 1st Platoon sped up through the rubble-strewn road. One of them stopped and its turret turned into them.


    It was their Captain¡¯s command mech.


    ¡°You and your boys did well, Lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°I screwed up.¡±


    ¡°No plan survives first contact. Not your fault, Charles.¡± The mech¡¯s turret turned back in the direction of the fighting. ¡°Let¡¯s get your men out.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    +++


    South of Nordia


    7th Marine Division


    A/2-6 Marine Regiment


    Corporal Oakley was roused asleep from his slumber. He gave Private Timmy a glare for waking him up so randomly, but the Private merely gave him a shit-eating grin in response.


    ¡°Rise and shine, Princess,¡± the young marine said. ¡°I think we¡¯re on some treasure trove, mate. We got an entire store for ourselves to requisition some supplies from. Wanna shop?¡±


    Oakley groaned and placed his camo-styled handkerchief back to his face. ¡°Piss off. If y¡¯all wanna loot and pillage, let me sleep instead.¡±


    ¡°Come on, them Lieplatzans evacuated this place,¡± Timmy said. ¡°Not like the owners of the store are anywhere around here. Come on, there might be some cool stuff inside. Plus, we¡¯re liberating them.¡±


    ¡°Goddamn, looting for instant noodles, we got MREs you dullard,¡± Oakley said.


    ¡°Dude, they got some cool ass canned goods! There has to be something!¡±


    ¡°Oh for¡­you know what, fine. Wait for me outside,¡± Oakley said as Private Timmy laughed before he exited the HMLV.


    Their convoy was now stuck somewhere in a town that was south of Nordia. The participation of the Orlish Marine Corps was something Oakley already long anticipated, as he knew that they would be fighting on the West Coast. Still, Lieplatz, he never was here. Ever. The cold was damned annoying, that was as best as he would note about this desolate place.


    I wonder when we¡¯ll move out again. Oakley held his hand on his mouth as he tried to groggily wake himself up. He barely slept on the road to Nordia. Ambushes, towns, cities, and villages filled with the dead. The endless horde of surrendering Lieplatzan Army soldiers. It was all taking a toll on them.


    He followed Private Timmy while slinging his rifle on his back. The man was becoming too giddy about the entire thing. Perhaps the prospect of checking out local wares was getting into him. But Oakley wasn¡¯t too excited about all of it. What would they really get from an abandoned grocery store? Not much, he would surmise.


    Maybe they didn¡¯t turn off the electricity. And his answer came quickly. There were still faint, flickering, neon light signs throughout the night. The grocery store was abandoned, yes, but it was on with electricity. Well, much of the city was still on with its lights, even when abandoned.


    He looked back at the rows of civilian refugees yesterday. Thousands of them. In civilian vehicles, or on foot, meeting the advancing Orlish convoys¡­


    It was a harrowing sight. Many of them were simply trying to escape the Junta¡¯s madness. And they, Orland, and men like him of the Orlish Armed Forces, seemed like salvation to these people. It was partly why they were taking so long. Traffic jams due to endless refugees clogging the roads to Nordia.


    Salvation, they thought. Yet they were here looting their lands.


    So this is the city where they came from. Oakley thought as he and Timmy opened the glass door to the grocery store. He almost felt a chill about it, remembering that day in Ginzhu. Briefly, he wondered what must have happened to that girl. He could only hope that the young one was safe and sound.


    ¡°Hey man, why are you spacin¡¯ out over there?¡± Asked Timmy, as he started fumbling his hands on the aisles. Almost like some greedy rat, Timmy was taking in the best of the best. Canned goods, candies, hell, he even started emptying the area with chocolate bars. Oakley shook his head before he started joining him on the spree for a bit.


    ¡°Just thought this is kinda bad.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I told ya,¡± Timmy retorted. ¡°It ain¡¯t. These things are already counted as losses. Plus, who gives a shite about some big-ass retail company losing a few chocolate bars in a warzone?¡±


    Timmy laughed. He did have some point, Oakley begrudgingly thought. Cislo after all was just a part of their previous Prime Minister¡¯s group of companies. Just another one of ole¡¯ lady Weirloff¡¯s major conglomerates that dominated North Oppelia''s civilian sector.


    So who cared, really, that a high Orlish noblewoman would lose some Orlish Blancs?


    ¡°Well, it still just doesn¡¯t feel right, y¡¯know,¡± Oakley said, as he bagged another dozen chocolate bars. He almost felt like a child, as he could not deny how giddy he felt from having so many sweets for himself. Quite frankly, he remembered that his mother never was the one who liked to treat him with these.


    And he barely treated himself with it either. He laughed. So that was his excuse for being a looter then?


    ¡°It¡¯s like, we¡¯re some miserable scavengers or something. Of a ruin.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re exaggerating,¡± Timmy said, opening one of the chocolate bars for himself and taking a bite of it. ¡°Just fucken enjoy man, it¡¯s good shit. Ain¡¯t gonna get much of these niceties once we resume the drive to Nordia.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure whatever.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± Timmy smirked. ¡°Other folks are also looting the city. I mean, have you seen Sarge? He¡¯s rocking that four luxury watch thing.¡±


    ¡°The Army¡¯s going to confiscate it anyway, before reprimanding us. This is bad for the image of Orland.¡±


    ¡°Well, they can try confiscating the food I digested.¡±


    Oakley laughed. ¡°Slimy wanker.¡±


    Soon, the two of them left the abandoned store, full of all manners of nice snacks and sweets in their plastic bags. Oakley himself mostly looted chocolate bars, and he almost laughed at himself for how childish it was. A grown-ass Marine, unable to stop himself from ransacking an abandoned store of its chocolate stores.


    We men really are hopeless. He thought to himself, as he watched other Marines on their convoy return with all manners of looted objects they could get their hands on. Truly hopeless.

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine: No Sleep

    ¡°Embracing death is true liberty for men. The idea of ¡®to live¡¯ is nothing but a counterproductive farce to his interests that would prevent him from biting back. Removing all shackles of fear is the only way to trump the arcane. Fear of reckless, deadly technology would hold him back. Fear of war and blood would hold him back. Fear of crimes to achieve liberation would hold him back. And so would fear of death. But without these fears, men can bite back.¡±


    - Excerpt from ¡®The Technocrat¡¯s Playbook Against the Arcane¡¯, published in August 2024.


    +++


    South of Nordia


    A Lieplatzan infantryman trudged alone on the darkened nights of a broken town. The town was now nothing but a nonexistent memory for Lieplatz, for the Orlish Air Force and their artillery corps reduced it into nothing but rubble. The Lieplatzan soldier looked up at one of the destroyed remnants of what must have been an armored column of Lieplatzan tanks.


    All of them had been long seemingly abandoned, alongside the town¡¯s defenders. HMLVs, APCs, and broken civilian vehicles that the Lieplatzan military used littered the streets. He kneeled down to inspect one of the corpses on the road.


    A Lieplatzan officer, half burned. Nay, in fact, most of the corpses and surroundings were burnt.


    ¡°Should have listened to me, Lieutenant,¡± the Lieplatzan soldier muttered. ¡°You tried to shoot me. Now look at you.¡±


    He stood up and laughed at himself. ¡°Look at all of you!¡± He shouted. ¡°Look! You¡¯re all fucken¡¯ dead! You¡¯re all goners. I¡¯m a deserter, huh? Well, I¡¯m alive you goddamned fools.¡±


    He kept laughing at those around him. ¡°I¡¯m alive, and none of you are. I¡¯m alive.¡± He continued. Indeed, much like a madman, he repeated those same words again and again as if it were some cruel comedy. ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡±


    He soon stopped and sat down on the side of a half-burnt HMLV. The vehicle was originally painted winter white. Last night, he remembered it as a good vehicle, fresh out of the Lieplatzan Army¡¯s war stocks. He was assigned to that same vehicle, with his new brothers, after conscription.


    Like him, all of them were hesitant in this fight. The revolution meant less and less to many of them. They were doing nothing to improve men¡¯s standing in society. They were doing nothing to improve anything. Nothing at all. Nay, they were simply used as a suppression tool to any dissidents.


    That had been what the revolution meant for the Army since the second coup. It wasn¡¯t like the time when the Lieplatzan Provisional Council ruled. Nay, they were all gang-pressed to be thugs against the people of Lieplatz, especially her women.


    Then, that same Junta asked them to fight back against their Orlish brothers. He had heard many times that many said they would not even fire a bullet at the same men they died with side by side on the fields of West Vaeyox. Yet they were all soldiers. They stood by their post until the end.


    He was not the same. Somehow, he managed to slip away. Somehow, he managed to find himself in the woods after mulling about everything. Somehow, for a few hours, he was a deserter.


    And in that timeframe, he slept the night after watching ordnance fall on the village. He could still see the sky-high white smoke. He could still see the severe burns in the town. He could still see those men running away, as the white cloud cooked them well done.


    Now, there wes none of them left. Perhaps there was. He did see many vehicles leave and retreat from the town. But looking at the devastation around him, it was safe to assume that his unit was as good as dead. None of them were left. They were goners. Unlike him who still stood around like a sore thumb.


    A deserter who survived the carnage.


    I can¡¯t believe I was this ridiculously lucky.


    He stood up, slinging his rifle to himself. The town was, as one could expect, completely devoid of life. Many homes were turned into nothing but cinders. The glass doors of a local convenience store, to him, looked almost blackened. He tried breaking in but stopped himself when he realized the damned thing was stuck.


    He was a bit hungry already. He didn¡¯t really manage to nab many supplies when he deserted, and so, when he felt his stomach growl, he began searching around in the abandoned vehicles. But all of them were hard to get into. Some were open, and he checked inside, but most of those inside were burned.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he said. ¡°Damn it.¡±


    The lone soldier continued on through the town¡¯s road. That was when he heard the sounds of engines roaring. He stood like a statue on the road, as an Orlish tank appeared and turned toward him. Multiple Orlish soldiers, all in their winter white Kevlar gear, also walked, dropped, and began aiming their rifles at him.


    He raised his hand after dropping his rifle.


    ¡°I surrender!¡± He said. ¡°I surrender!¡±


    The Orlish soldiers ahead of him didn¡¯t lower their guns. He attempted to move forward to them, shouting the same words over and over again. Yet they didn¡¯t budge. By the time he was merely a few meters from them, he heard someone shout.


    ¡°Protection Corps!¡± the soldier shouted. He looked back at his coat. He looted it from one of those officers, as it made him feel less cold. He didn¡¯t understand what the Orlish soldier meant by that. He was a part of the Arm¡ª


    A shot flew right into his neck. He fell down on the floor, as he choked on his own blood. Why, he asked. Why did they shoot him?


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    He didn¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t understand. Yet he could not say anything as his vision disappeared.


    He was a part of the Army.


    He was not one of them.


    Yet¡­


    He laughed at himself.


    He merely wanted to feel a little warmer.


    How stupid.


    +++


    West Orland


    Amelie woke up in a cold sweat.


    Damn it. Damn it. She told herself, as she held her head. It was those same damned nightmares again. Something about men hanging women as a form of revenge. Gas attacks. Revenge.


    Revenge.


    Ever since she had forced them to show her what was truly happening, she had been nothing short of horrified. She had puked hard alone during the night after that meeting. And now, she was seeing those same images, hunting her.


    ¡°I just¡­¡± she breathed out. ¡°Hah¡­calm down, Amelie¡­calm down.¡±


    She told herself those same words softly. ¡°They won¡¯t do the same to you¡­they won¡¯t get you.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°They won¡¯t¡­right?¡±


    Briefly, the image of that young noblewoman, hanged for ¡®treason against all men¡¯ that was shown to her last night, she could see her face instead.


    She gulped and smiled tensely.


    ¡°Surely not.¡±


    An hour later, Amelie left her chambers to start her day. It was as standard as any, with the staff greeting her politely, the endless waves of officials and nobles who wanted to meet her, only for her to, as usual, turn them down for ¡°urgent matters¡±, and of course, William and Nia arguing with each other.


    ¡°Oh, there we go again,¡± William said. ¡°The OAF this and that. Come on, they¡¯re doing what they can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, they should probably do it faster. Can you really not talk to the General?¡±


    ¡°As if General Albrecht can do anything more, erm, she¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nia turned to face Amelie. ¡°Well, you look¡­unfort¡ª¡±


    ¡°You look like shit,¡± William, as blunt as ever, without any regard for a lady¡¯s feelings, said without tack. ¡°Bad sleep?¡±


    Amelie rolled her eyes. ¡°What did I even expect? Yeah, I suppose I did.¡±


    ¡°Big eyebugs,¡± Nia muttered, and Amelie turned back to her.


    ¡®¡¯Is it really that bad?¡± Amelie asked before William cleared his throat.


    ¡°Anyway, the two of you, we got another meetup with the General Staff in a few hours,¡± William said. ¡°They¡¯re now close to encircling Nordia.¡±


    Amelie breathed out in relief. ¡°Finally¡­it¡¯s been ages. Damn, I need a good cup of tea before this.¡±


    ¡°The situation on the ground is still deteriorating though,¡± Nia said, almost tensely. ¡°We¡¯ve been barely rescuing any noblewomen. It¡¯s like¡­they¡¯ve been cleansed.¡±


    ¡°As expected,¡± William said. ¡°The Junta is really efficient at exterminating them. I wanna spit out the bad news for the two of you, but, then again, it¡¯s bad news.¡±


    ¡°Spit it out, please, William,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Let us hear it.¡±


    ¡°You sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that faint-hearted.¡±


    ¡°Those eyebugs suggest otherwise.¡±


    Amelie frowned, almost like a petulant young girl in denial. ¡°It doesn¡¯t! I swear.¡±


    William wasn¡¯t convinced, but he sighed.


    ¡°The air in the OAF is clear. No one¡¯s expecting we¡¯ll reach those camps in time. It¡¯s probably already liquidated even.¡±


    The way he said that completely dropped Amelie¡¯s mood even lower. ¡°No, impossible. They couldn¡¯t have hunted all of them.¡±


    ¡°Easy to say when you¡¯re not the one on the ground. Our troops are barely finding any woman with nobility standing higher than Arcana. Except for their corpses.¡±


    Amelie fumed. ¡°This pessimism wouldn¡¯t help us in our goals to rescue them. We just need to move faster. We¡¯ll find them and get them back. We¡¯ll rescue them. Those that survived.¡±


    ¡°I love your optimism, I really do, I believe it¡¯s your greatest virtue,¡± William said. ¡°But the thing is, reality begs otherwise. The situation on the ground ain¡¯t pretty, and our troops aren¡¯t stupid. They know what¡¯s happening.¡±


    Both Amelie and Nia looked at each other before Amelie frowned further. ¡°Look, those claims aren¡¯t confirmed. We have to remain open to the possibility that none of that happened.¡±


    ¡°And we have to remain open to the possibility that we are just sending our men to a reckless charge to rescue ghosts,¡± William said. ¡°Eight thousand OAF servicemen are already dead after just a few days. Yes, nowhere near to what we suffered in the capital. But the scale doesn¡¯t matter, Amelie. I know you know that.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyes widened in shame. Since this campaign started, she had been overlooking the casualties that the OAF had been taking. She had been so used to battling the Federalists and suffering mountains of casualties, that the ones happening in Lieplatz barely fazed her. It was as if those losses of lives now meant nothing to her.


    All because she had ¡®seen worse¡¯.


    But I rarely even saw those dead. She told herself. I just sat back at the bunker, ordering them to fight from my air-conditioned room and cushioned chair.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Amelie said, almost cutting herself in shame. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry, this isn¡¯t how I¡¯m supposed to treat this. How hypocritical, I¡¯m now starting to treat men as statistics too¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m also not saying that we should abandon all efforts,¡± William said. ¡°The troops on the ground can see the atrocities themselves. They¡¯ve been fighting harder and driving harder north since then. They are out for blood and justice too. But that doesn¡¯t mean we have to remove all safety protocols and rush them headfirst in a possibly empty chase just to get more of them into their deaths.¡±


    ¡°But¡­but we can¡¯t possibly¡­time is of the essence. Each moment we have not reached those camps, and¡­and¡­¡±


    ¡°Our troops, last night, moved without sleep, Amelie,¡± William said. ¡°They pushed through the battlefield without an ounce of sleep, in order to follow through with your orders to reach Nordia faster. We lost the equivalent of a brigade or two in just a few hours since then.¡±


    ¡°How can the Lieplatzans still even resist?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°They¡¯ve seen our overwhelming force. They¡¯ve seen how they¡¯re fighting for nothing but monsters. Why can¡¯t they just¡­surrender and, end all of it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that and you know that, Amelie,¡± William replied. ¡°All I know is that they won¡¯t. Perhaps to spite the strongest woman in the world. Perhaps to defend their buddies. Perhaps they want to support the Junta¡¯s brazen slaughter. But what I do know is that if we rush headfirst¡­more of our boys will die.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty: Over Nordia

    ¡°The Federal Republic formalized the creation of the ¡®Military Government of Lieplatz¡¯ with remaining Lieplatzan military officers in Monpleitz. This emergency government, according to its new ¡®State Administrator¡¯, General Oswald Kluge of the Orlish Army, would lead Lieplatz temporarily through these ¡®trying times.¡¯ The General, now named to be the same one who led the entire operation of the Federal Republic against the Lieplatzan Junta, said that the goals of his new ¡®emergency government¡¯ would be the reconstruction, defense, and integration of East Lieplatz with the wider ¡®revolutionary coalition¡¯. He also stressed that efforts for the liberation of the northern and western territories are ¡®soon underway¡¯.¡±


    - The Front


    ¡°The Kingdom of Constania and the Kingdom of Latia has now formally asked the crowns of Gallia, Lorathia, and Orland for military support against the overwhelming tide of the Confederacy. They have mentioned that the Order Pact was now a dead construct¡¯ and that both Kingdoms are ready to sign any defense agreements with the Ivory Alliance instead.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Near Nordia


    ¡°Copy that, Foxtrot One-One, we¡¯re tracking the hostile contacts.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re closing in!¡±


    Three Orlish LF-20 Phantoms rose into the high skies, as they shadowed the obscured contacts just ahead of them. While they were dozens of kilometers away in the night sky, both groups could already momentarily spot each other in their powerful radars, even if their stealth obscured each other at times.


    Indeed, the lead pilot of the Orlish Phantom squadron knew that he was fighting the same aircraft that he and his men piloted. At last, the Lieplatzan Air Force¡¯s trump card appeared above the darkened clouds of Western Lieplatz. It had been long overdue, after all. Their air defense had long been almost silent due to Orlish SEAD (Suppression of Air Defense) operations, and their LF-12 squadrons barely dented the Orlish Air Force¡¯s operations.


    At least, until a few hours ago. Already, eighteen Orlish LF-12s, according to high command, were downed by distant contacts that they could barely detect in their radars. That alone completely halted Orland¡¯s air sorties into Lieplatz in order to support the advancing ground forces.


    Which meant that the Orlish Army also stopped dead in their tracks. Without air cover, advancing forward was a difficult task. Not to mention, the Lieplatzan air squadrons reappeared on the battlefield, with LF-12s bombing multiple columns of advancing Orlish armor, stopping them from completing the encirclement of Nordia.


    Their task then was simple. Eliminate the Lieplatzan LF-20 squadrons. End their CAS (Close Air Support) attacks. And reestablish Orlish Air Supremacy. The Orlish officer knew that it sounded oh so simple, that even the Queen herself was apparently watching them closely, and was expecting immediate results from him and his brothers to complete their task with utmost efficiency.


    But the squadron leader knew it wasn¡¯t going to be that easy. Even when they had a faint idea of where the Lieplatzan¡¯s stealth fighters were, he knew that they knew where they were too, all the same. And if he bit the fire button first and completely revealed his squadron¡¯s positions, the risk was so great that he could potentially lose all of his mates and himself if it backfired.


    ¡°Orders are in, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Two-One, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Affirm, One-One. We have to take the shot, as ordered.¡±


    The Orlish pilot breathed out, as he turned his head into the silent, darkened skies. Just below them was Nordia itself, and he could still see the distant smoke rising from the massive city and those around it. The dirtied, broken, snow-filled lands of Lieplatz, the distant greyish towns and cities still on fire, all below them.


    There, their brothers must be waiting for the news of their victory. If he and his men managed to knock down these Lieplatzan stealth aircraft, their push would resume, and they would suffer fewer casualties. But he looked at the HUD. The map. Those contacts disappeared again.


    Almost as if they were just waiting for them to make the first bite. As if it was a bait. Nay, what if it was bait? Could the LF-12 squadron just behind them even fully support him and the eleven Phantoms under his command if things went wrong? Or would he go back to West Orland with half of his squadron?


    ¡°We got a secured transmission coming in.¡±


    ¡°A transmission?¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    Is it the Chief Air Marshall? He pressed a button beside him, just as a new voice spoke through the headphones inside his extremely advanced helmet that allowed him an almost complete visual awareness of his plane¡¯s surroundings.


    ¡°Hello, is this Captain Frank Hibber?¡±


    That soft-spoken, almost innocent voice. Almost soothing to the ears. Somehow, her voice almost sent a strange feeling to the pilot¡¯s spine, that were he in front of her, he¡¯d instinctively straighten himself out of respect. There was no mistaking that voice.


    The Queen herself. It¡¯s her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­yes, this is me. My squadron is currently trailing a¡ª¡±


    ¡°How are you doing today, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Pardon? I¡¯m afraid that has nothing to do with our mission, respectfully, Your Majesty.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Oh, but I want to know how my soldiers feel.¡± The Queen said. ¡°Are you confident up there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Maj¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you really? Please, don¡¯t act tough on me. I want to know whether or not you and your men are in danger should I relay my order or not. Captain, are you confident?¡±


    He looked back at the map. And into the icons of his underlings. They were mostly just circling above the outskirts of Nordia at this point. Awaiting for a decision to engage. Their missiles were primed for the attack, but he and his men all hesitated due to the possible retaliation that might come.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he could simply retreat like a laughingstock from the skies when thousands of his brothers below were watching their flying knights duel like angels above Nordia. This was his job after all.


    Their job.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. We¡¯re just waiting for an opportune moment.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall wait. Fight well, you¡¯re a good man, Captain.¡±


    The transmission ended. Just then, the sounds of their familiar AWACS officer returned. He took a deep breath, assessing the situation further. It seemed that the enemy contacts were doing the same as them. Hesitating, and attempting to avoid detection.


    All that, instead of engaging.


    ¡°All units, prepare your anti-aircraft missiles, turn, and take your targets,¡± he ordered. ¡°Even if they¡¯re ghosts, decoys, or whatever. The Queen needs us. Our brothers below need us. We¡¯ll do what we can do.¡±


    His HUD found a lock somewhere. It was a faint radar contact that could disappear at a moment''s notice. But his missile could reestablish contact later anyway once it detected the enemy aircraft better at closer ranges. What really only mattered was if he was aiming at the correct general direction.


    Fire and forget. That was all he could do now.


    ¡°Copy that, One-One. Fox-Two!¡±


    He nodded and pulled the launch trigger.


    ¡°Fox-Two! Fox-Two!¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    Amelie breathed a sigh of relief when the situation room erupted in applause and cheers. The staff and people inside, both men and women, all congratulated each other, as the footage of their LF-20 squadron returned victoriously from the fight.


    More footage appeared, with enemy aircraft falling down from the skies, recorded by OAF ground forces. It was great news for all of them, as the sudden presence of Lieplatzan stealth aircraft over the vicinity of Nordia hampered them. Her forces were already almost stopped by the Lieplatzan Air Force, which would have delayed their advance further, but it seemed that such a disaster was now long past.


    The Defense Minister, Archduchess Pristina Dubois, held a victorious smirk as she looked at the same footage from her seat, close by to Amelie. ¡°Seems like these men really do have what it takes.¡±


    Amelie rolled her eyes, as she took a sip from her cup of tea.


    ¡°Quite frankly, I¡¯m surprised you even have it in you to complement them.¡±


    Pristina¡¯s smile remained as she kept silent for a while, watching the celebrating OAF officers around the room. Many RGO officers were also joining in, as it meant that now, most, if not all remaining Lieplatzan organized resistance in the West was gone.


    Which meant the OAF could march faster north to rescue the detained noblewomen of Lieplatz.


    ¡°I am harsh, Your Majesty. But I suppose some of them are good.¡± She said. ¡°They¡­they indeed are trying to save women, after all. Even after all that.¡±


    Amelie kept holding her teacup, her eyes glazed at the feeds of advancing Orlish tanks and vehicles, as the offensive finally resumed. Her head hung low, as she gave a silent laugh.


    ¡°They fight for us with such determination¡­¡±


    ¡°That they do. They fight against us too with such determination as well, you¡¯d do well to remember that.¡±


    ¡°I do. But, Archduchess, haven¡¯t you thought that all this charade, of us against them, is ridiculous at this point? You¡¯ve sent six KDUs to Lieplatz this morning.¡±


    ¡°And they are soon to fight with the OAF on the fields, yes,¡± Pristina said. ¡°I know our girls would do well. We trained them well. We even have liaisons with the OAF and the OAF has liaisons with us. Those KDUs would perform well.¡±


    Amelie took another sip of her tea. Those Knights Detachment Units, basically independent Royal Guard brigades designed for conventional warfare, was the first time that Orlishwomen would truly formally fight in the front. Armed with modern magical and conventional weaponry, the entire I Royal Guard Corps had around three hundred tanks, and all of them traveled to the front with modern OAF mechanized units.


    Tanks, APCs, HMLVs, IFVs, there were even LSS formations with them. All were driven, operated, and manned by young women who enthusiastically volunteered for the war effort. Many decried the idea that such promising young women would throw themselves into the dirtiest job possible, of manning dirty war machines and murdering people.


    But, it seemed that both Amelie and Pristina shared the same opinion. Those views from their more conservative peers were nonsense. They claimed that women were so superior that they could fight everything with magic, yet decry the idea of women doing it. It was hypocritical, two-faced, contradictory, and delusional.


    Especially when many young women themselves were joining the Royal Guard to support their brothers in the war effort. It would be a great crime to dissuade them from doing their newly emerging national duty. They wanted to help, and Pristina just organized a way for volunteering women to fight in the front. Effectively, organized, and militarily structured.


    In a way, Amelie found that nice. That Pristina, for once, worked properly as her Defense Minister, and head of the Royal Guard. And now, she was looking at men with a more respectful gaze? Amelie almost laughed at that. So people do change.


    Perhaps slowly.


    In fact, was she even far from that? Even now, she still looked down on men. She just suppressed it better than before she was crowned. Better before she slowly matured and saw the world for what it was.


    ¡°Well, I hope no complications happen then,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They¡¯d be participating in the attack for Nordia, no?¡±


    The Archduchess nodded. ¡°They will.¡± Her voice turned somber for a while though. ¡°And, perhaps, it would be a baptism of fire for us. Perhaps, once all of this is over, many young, innocent girls will return to Orland in coffins.¡±


    ¡°Much like how young boys had always been,¡± Amelie said, and Pristina¡¯s smile turned even more bitter, in contrast to the upbeat atmosphere of the room, as she looked down at the files in front of her.


    ¡°I find that hard to deny.¡± She muttered. ¡°Kleist, he¡­¡± She shook her head and turned to Amelie. ¡°Look, it still doesn¡¯t mean young women should find the same fate. I want them to fight for Orland if they want to. But they¡¯ll fight for a worthy cause. And suffer no needless deaths.¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°I have no objections to that.¡±


    She looked up at the casualty counters on one of the screens. It showed the total recorded MIAs, WIAs, and KIAs in OAF forces that participated in the battlefield.


    ¡°I just hope it¡¯s the same for them¡­one day.¡±


    Amelie however shook her head first and stood up.


    ¡°For now though, their fight continues on.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One: War Aint No Adventure

    ¡°The newly-formed Knights Detachment Units are superior in every way to the OAF¡¯s Mechanized and Armored Brigades. Armed with the best modern weapons, both arcane and conventional, and the brightest officers, any young woman joining will be assured that their work inside the Royal Guard will be a worthy one.¡±


    - Royal Guard Recruitment Infographics.


    +++


    North of Nordia


    3rd Knights Detachment Unit


    2nd Combined Arms Battalion


    H Company


    Captain Henrietta Lurois watched the distant road just ahead of her Armored Company¡¯s Column. They were now at the tip of one of the advancing pincers of the Kingdom against the Junta, all of which were moving westward to fully cut off the city of Nordia. H Company of hers had only arrived with the rest of the 2-3 KDU last night into the battlefield, and so far¡­


    The war had remained distant to them. The OAF seemed to have mostly cleared the rear of their advancing formations, and they had not even been attacked during their long transit from their bases in Orland. Still, Henrietta remained vigilant of what was ahead of her unit.


    Her sisters in arms, Goddess knows, was much like her, green in combat. Many of them were still too innocent and doe-eyed in their views of this conflict. A little bit too motivated even. It was almost as if she was just leading a bunch of school girls on a road trip. But this was no road trip. This was a death pit. Still, she had trust in them to their trained roles to the best of their abilities.


    Still¡­


    She shook her head. Those images of the wounded and dead they dealt with when she was in Thein shouldn¡¯t come now. No, she would not let that kind of fate befall the girls under her. She pulled up her radio and began speaking to it.


    ¡°All units, resume the advance. One-One, push forward but keep your eyes peeled.¡±


    ¡°Copy, Helix Actual,¡± a young woman¡¯s voice replied. Immediately, their lead L?we tank advanced forward, and so did the rest of her Company. The Captain gave a low sigh as she lowered her binoculars, feeling her tank move just behind the last tank of the 2nd Platoon. Her Company after all was a standard Armored Company. Eight L?we MBTs were divided into two platoons, and two mechanized infantry platoons of another eight M8 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, alongside her and her Command Section¡¯s two command L?wes, and their company¡¯s supporting elements.


    All in all, a powerful enough column of armored vehicles and supporting mechanized infantry. Just a year ago, it would be a ludicrous idea that women would be fighting like this, but Captain Henrietta found that idea ridiculous anyway. Women had fought wars for two centuries after the Arcane Wars. Why not now? Especially when her nation was divided into two.


    ¡°Captain,¡± her gunner, a young woman in her eighteenth year, called from below. ¡°Do you think they would attack us?¡±


    The Captain remained silent from that question, looking around at the bombed-out distant towns or the craters on the roads they were passing through. She sighed. ¡°Hopefully not. It seems devoid out here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± the gunner said. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Henrietta laughed. ¡°Regardless, we have to keep an open eye. Those Lieplatzans would probably be lying in wait against us.¡±


    The gunner¡¯s voice turned a bit scared of the prospect. ¡°I¡¯ve been paranoid about that Captain. What if¡­what if they got us without us knowing? It¡¯d be a disaster!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it won¡¯t happen,¡± she replied with a laugh. ¡°Calm down.¡±


    ¡°Mmkay, if you say so¡­¡±


    Henrietta returned to watching the area they were passing through. Already, their convoy had begun widening its spacing by around thirty or more meters, which meant that they were pretty much spread out. Should an ambush hit their front column, Henrietta expected that she would be able to order them to disperse.


    Yet, for many minutes of nonstop advance, there were no enemy contacts. No ambushes. Nothing. It was as if they were truly just advancing through the frozen Lieplatzan countryside. By the time they reached an intact town, their convoy stopped without much issue.


    ¡°Helix Actual, this is One-One!¡± The commander of their lead vehicle shouted over the company comms. ¡°Lieplatzan soldiers are up ahead. Hands raised. White flags. They¡¯re¡­they¡¯re surrendering!¡±


    Captain Henrietta immediately keyed her radio. ¡°Helix Company! Halt all vehicles. 3rd and 4th Platoons, all of you dismount. Signal, contact the Battalion HQ. Go!¡±


    Immediately, each of their M8 IFVs drove straight into the town as their L?we tanks made a dead halt. Henrietta herself felt her command tank drop to a halt, as she pulled out her own W-4 AAR (Arcane Assault Rifle) that became the new standard combat rifle of the KDUs. Placing her helmet on, she climbed out of the hatch and ordered her tank crew to stay put and stay alert.


    She passed by the dashing soldiers of her Company as their M8s dismounted her infantry. By the time she made it to the front column, she saw the scores of Lieplatzan soldiers, young men still in their uniform, raising white rags and surrendering their guns. One of them, who appeared to be the officer among their ranks, was holding a stick with a white rag on it, and naturally, Henrietta approached him.


    ¡°We surrender!¡± the Lieplatzan officer shouted, as he too walked forward to meet her. ¡°We¡¯ve fought enough. This is pointless. Please, we still want to¡ª¡±


    ¡°We understand,¡± she declared, eyeing him down. Her soldiers already began approaching and apprehending the Lieplatzans, who mostly gave up their weapons without problems. ¡°Who are you and what unit is this?¡±


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    ¡°Captain Warner Heibel, Ma¡¯am. Z Company, 35th Mobile Infantry Battalion. My men had been fighting since the border, and I¡­we¡¯re all that¡¯s left of the 35th.¡±


    Henrietta nodded, noticing that indeed, these men seemed worn out by battle. ¡°Where are your superiors? Of the 35th?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid our CO is dead. Air Strike on our CP. I took whoever was left of the other companies. Again, we¡¯re all that¡¯s left.¡±


    ¡°And you and your men were supposed to defend this town?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡­we were just looting this town for supplies,¡± he admitted with shame. ¡°This town seemed abandoned, and we were starving and low in fuel. We had to do something to survive while waiting for you people so we could surrender.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll treat your men as best as we can,¡± she said. ¡°I can see that none of you are resisting.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re tired of fighting for nothing, Ma¡¯am,¡± he smiled grimly. ¡°My men just want rest. We all agreed to it.¡±


    Henrietta nodded in understanding. These Lieplatzans seemed old enough to have fought in the Great War after all. She could imagine, that the man in front of her had seen battles from those fields, to the coup, the second coup, and the battles taking place right now.


    Such a chaotic life.


    It was pitiful. Extremely pitiful. Especially with how tired these men¡¯s eyes were. Almost the same tiredness and jadedness that the OAF troops her unit passed by during the transit.


    ¡°In that case¡ª¡±


    Both of them were suddenly cut off by the sound of autocannon fire in the distance. It was further intensified with machine gun fire and rifle fire. The Captain in front of her took his radio and listened to its buzzes. He turned grim.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­they¡­the Protection Corps,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re forcing their way into the town.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re surrendering.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he said. ¡°Their vehicles are surrounding the other side. They want to punish traitors.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Henrietta shouted, as her tank retreated in the rubble. She didn¡¯t expect it, but now it was true. She and Helix Company were in a fight. Side by side with the regular Lieplatzan Army soldiers who surrendered to her unit.


    ¡°Loading HEAT!¡± her loader shouted below her. Their turret turned straight into an HMLV just ahead of them that was being used as cover by the PC (Protection Corps) troopers raining lead on them downrange. Her gunner lowered the barrel of their main gun, and Captain Henrietta shouted fire.


    The loud boom reverberated across their surroundings, as an explosion rocked the building just behind the HMLV. Captain Henrietta turned frustrated. ¡°Corporal Blum! Aim better, please!¡±


    Her gunner responded in an apologetic and panicky voice. ¡°I-I¡¯m trying!¡±


    ¡°HEAT, again! On those troops!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain!¡±


    However, it already moved out of the way, alongside the PC troopers. The area however was lit up with magical bullets, which further forced them off. Henrietta turned her hatch¡¯s sights to her right and saw multiple of her riflewomen firing in that direction.


    She pulled her radio. ¡°Captain Heibel! What¡¯s happening on your flank?!¡±


    Short buzzes and radio interference responded before his voice replied. ¡°They¡¯re bringing in four more tanks here! Damn it! My HMLVs can only do so much. We have no armor, my vehicles are soft-skinned!¡±


    ¡°Any anti-tank weapons?¡±


    ¡°We downed one of them, but they¡¯re being cautious now. They¡¯re dropping rounds on us while their troopers are suppressing us. We need armor here!¡±


    Before she could respond, however, her eyes turned into a friendly Lieplatzan HMLV being skewered by a sudden shot from a tank that appeared just in front of them. Her eyes widened further, realizing it was those M44-N?rds that the Lieplatzans were using. Instead of responding to Captain Heibel, Henrietta shouted in panic this time to her gunner.


    ¡°Corporal! Tank on that l-lane! Shoot it now!¡±


    Even the Corporal herself panicked. ¡°Wait where?!¡±


    ¡°Over there!¡± Her loader shouted, also panicked. In fact, the mere mention of an enemy tank elicited an unwanted response from Henrietta¡¯s driver, and she noticed their tank was moving back in the wrong direction.


    ¡°Private Jeanne?! Why are you backing off?!¡± Henrietta almost bumped her head on a piece of metal when their tank violently stopped, as a rain of concrete fell behind them. It seemed that her tank just backed off straight into a house by mistake. ¡°Damn it!!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry! I thought we had to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forward now, Jeanne! Get us unstuck from this!¡±


    The enemy tank lumbered forward, and suddenly, it fired off its main gun. The shot rocked Henrietta¡¯s tank, and she could hear screams of pain from her crew. She looked down at her gunner, her pinkish hair almost shining through the darkened interior.


    ¡°Corporal Blum?¡± She called. ¡°Freya? Freya are you alright?!¡±


    Her gunner slowly turned her head to her, her eyes wide in shock. She then slowly showed her right arm. It¡­it was bleeding badly in many areas. Shrapnel wounds. Bad shrapnel wounds. In fact, even her loader was now holding her bleeding leg as she winced in pain.


    ¡°C-Captain, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Freya! Stay right there! Jeanne, climb up here, please! Freya and Linze are wounded!¡±


    Henrietta rushed down to her two wounded sisters, her mind completely abandoning the idea of communicating with the rest of her unit, or the tank in front of them or even the fight. Her mind almost completely rewired itself in panic and fear into one purpose. Don¡¯t let her sisters-in-arms inside her own tank die.


    With her wand tucked out, she aimed it at Freya, who was already crying as she bled out. Behind her, Jeanne climbed up to tend to Linze, but the black-haired woman pushed her away.


    ¡°Linze?¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± She said to Jeanne. ¡°I can manage. Let me get to the gunsights!¡±


    The enemy tank!


    Henrietta broke down further in panic. She screwed up! What if that tank fired a second one? Their last shot already almost shattered her tank¡¯s armor sending some spall into the interior of her tank¡¯s turret. And she just abandoned that fight?


    Yet her loader, with determination, took the gunnery controls. Henrietta felt the turret and main gun move, as Linze shouted. ¡°I got it on my sights!¡±


    ¡°Then open fire!¡±


    Their main gun boomed, sending a Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank round straight into the turret cheeks of the enemy tank. Henrietta waited for her loader¡¯s report before the young woman laughed.


    ¡°I¡­I got it! They¡­the turret exploded!¡±


    Henrietta however didn¡¯t feel any triumph from that, as she looked down at Freya, who continued bleeding even with her magic already closing her wounds slowly. Instead, all she felt was shame.


    Green.


    She was just a green officer leading her unit in a war between hardened veterans.


    And she already started failing.


    Her training¡­it would not be enough.

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Two: Fate of Nordia

    ¡°Queen Amelie Ludendorf finally gave her first statements about Lieplatzan atrocities against its civilian populace during a press conference this morning. She had called their actions against the Lieplatzan nobility to be ¡®utterly reprehensible¡¯, ¡®vile¡¯, anda violation against human decency¡¯. She had reiterated that the Kingdom of Orland¡¯s goals of restoring order throughout all of North Opellia would remain as her top priority and that all rebel forces, both Orlish and Lieplatzan, would be put to justice if they commit further crimes against humanity.¡±


    - ROCN News


    ¡°The United Crowns of Arkelia has now moved troops into the Orlish¨CArkelian border, as Chancellor Lies Lozeman and the Confederal Parliament of United Arkelia passed the vote for the formation of Arkelian Expeditionary Forces to assist the Kingdom of Orland against the State of Lieplatz and the Federal Republic.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Amelie took her morning sip, as she listened to the animated discussions around her room. The state visit from the United Crowns down south had been quite the surprise for her, but it seemed that their sisters down south were truly adequately spooked that they finally came out of their shells.


    United Arkelia¡­United Arkelia. I thought they¡¯d be too preoccupied with their internal bickerings, but I suppose they finally placed that on hold.


    ¡°If we join the war,¡± Princess Denise van Ruland, the new Arkelian Foreign Minister who hailed from the Kingdom of Delstaag, one of the Kingdoms inside of the United Crowns, was talking to Adelaide over tea as well. ¡°Would we be dragged into Orland¡¯s wars across the sea?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, of course not,¡± Adelaide replied. ¡°Unless Arkelia is interested, you have no obligations to the Ivory Alliance. Still¡­it would be quite a good development should you join us in this conflict.¡±


    The Princess of Ruland smiled a bit before turning to Amelie, who had so far kept herself out of the conversation. Quite frankly, she wasn¡¯t a great fan of the United Crowns. It was always painfully confusing to deal with a nation so recently united from four crowns. She remembered that her mother once despaired about the confusing foreign policy of Arkelia, for their four Queen (of equals, as they would like to say) always bickered and placed forth a confusing back-and-forth policy about whether or not Arkelia would ascend into an alliance with Orland and the Ivory Alliance.


    Regardless, Arkelia was firmly under the Orlish economic sphere, and so, now that their northern master found itself in dire straights, Arkelia at first tried to weasel itself out of its obligations to help Orland. Amelie still remembered when she asked for the United Crowns to accept Orlish civilians as temporary refugees, only to be denied.


    And so, personally, her opinions of that ¡®Confederation¡¯ or whatever they wanted to call themselves weren¡¯t the most positive ones. Still, Amelie was open to something, especially now that their new energetic Chancellor was dead set on finally fixing Arkelia¡¯s messy foreign policy and uniting her nation firmly under the Confederal Parliament.


    That would help Amelie¡¯s goals, at least. Not for the four Queens down south who were rapidly losing their influence to the United Crown¡¯s central government. The United Crown¡¯s new ruling High Rose Party led by Chancellor Lies Lozeman was an aggressively reformist one, borne out of last year¡¯s men¡¯s mass protests and strikes that were running in parallel to the crisis in Orland.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the Princess started. ¡°Could I perhaps respectfully ask a question.¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°What do you think are your regime¡¯s chances against the Federal Republic?¡±


    There was a momentary silence, as Amelie tried to find her bearings after that question. Her chances? Saying that she¡¯d surely triumph was easy to say, but Pollos¡¯ globally recognized superpower fell into civil war. It had been a year of knee-deep fighting against the Federal Republic, and all she could show for the world was that victory in Halia and her stopping the Federalist tide across the frontline.


    That was all she could show the world. That was alongside Orland¡¯s complete economic withdrawal from the rest of the world in response to the war. It was why it remained difficult to fully wrestle all MN members to her will. The question of Orland¡¯s continued existence was¡­well, in question.


    And so, could she really end the war against the Federal Republic and triumph in Orland?


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best. Chances of defeat are high, but we are confident that we would triumph otherwise. Because otherwise, the Federal Republic would not be gentle to all of North Opellia.¡±


    That veiled threat managed to make the Princess¡¯ confident smile falter for but a moment, and Amelie relished her small verbal victory. That was why they were here, after all. It was why Adelaide¡¯s months of work to convince them to join the war was finally working and that they finally began forming their own expeditionary force. Arkelia was afraid.


    Very afraid.


    Especially after Orland showed what was happening up there, and the panic must have further intensified. If there was one silver lining about her troops finding out what General Richstoff¡¯s regime was doing up there in the north, it was the fact that Amelie was now armed with hundreds of hours of footage and countless images of poor, poor, Lieplatzan noblewomen dead on the ditches with bullet holes or worse.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Even those ever-pacifist and isolationist Asanaians were now terrified of the prospects. Now, everyone was looking at the revolutionaries with growing fear and anxiety. What if the Republic of Asturia was doing the same? What if the Confederation was doing it too? What if North Hebei was on the same game?


    And for the Arkelians, what if the Federal Republic was doing it too? And what if¡­the Kingdom lost and the Federalists crossed the border to do the same ¡®operations¡¯ to the United Crowns?


    Fear brings everyone closer together.


    A truly effective tool, Amelie could tell. A nasty, dirty, and quite frankly, disgusting tool. But to paint a group of people as something to be feared, it was too damned effective. Propaganda sure could easily do its job when pulled off well. Especially when young men, the demographic most associated with the current global crisis, had already been utterly demonized.


    She hated to use hate. But damn it, the world sure hated men, especially young men, who everyone was now starting to view as nothing but violent, radical, rabid murder machines that went rogue of all things. They hated them with a special passion that Amelie couldn¡¯t fathom that even when her propaganda attempts were only targeted at General Richstoff¡¯s junta, the receivers perceived the revolution and young men as a part of it.


    The most effective tools sure were vile. She¡¯d have to reign on it soon, but she didn¡¯t know how. Should the current trends continue, the othering of young men would only intensify. Even older men were starting to view the demographic that participated the most in this conflict with an increasing form of hostility.


    But what can I do?


    ¡°So, would your country want to fight them with us too? Fight them before they reach your own borders?¡±


    ¡°Look, Your Majesty, this is a difficult matter for us,¡± the Princess said. ¡°We have no obligations to Orland, but¡­we have to defend you, or else.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°But even then¡­if Orland, a military power beyond us, could barely stop half of your own Army, what could the United Arkelian Armed Forces do?¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°General Albrecht already looked into it. While your military is less advanced, that four hundred thousand expeditionary force could surely do something.¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°The Orlish Armed Forces is the most powerful in the world, but it would benefit from more people joining in to help it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The Princess then looked at Amelie dead in the eye. ¡°Next, what about Princess Celeste? What are Orland¡¯s plans for her?¡±


    ¡°As we¡¯ve said, we¡¯re restoring the Lieplatzan throne, and she¡¯d be in there, as the line of succession says. Do you really think Orland would take land?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± the Princess said. ¡°But just know, if you try something to her, Arkelia would back down from sending our forces, and oppose you even.¡±


    ¡°Reasonable,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But we would never do such a thing¡­so worry not.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Then so be it,¡± Princess Celeste von Reintz reluctantly said. The former Lieplatzan Prime Minister also solemnly nodded after General Albrecht¡¯s words about what was about to happen to Nordia. There wasn¡¯t much the both of them could do. ¡°If the OAF wishes to assault it and¡­deal such enormous damage to it, then I suppose there is no other choice.¡±


    ¡°Look, I know it¡¯s difficult,¡± Amelie tried. ¡°But we did all we could do. We already asked for their surrender, yet they didn¡¯t agree. Instead, they continued their fortifications.¡±


    ¡°Is starving them out really just¡­impossible?¡± Their Prime Minister asked. ¡°Is it really?¡±


    ¡°Prime Minister Gerson, please, the General already said it himself,¡± the Princess said. ¡°We can¡¯t let them stay in the city any longer. They¡¯ll only use that time to harm more of the half a million civilians still left on Nordia.¡±


    General Albrecht nodded. ¡°As I¡¯ve said ladies, we did what we could. We cut them off with our pincers from the north, and we blockaded them. Then we bombed their forward defenses. But they still refused to surrender. Encircled or not.¡±


    ¡°How many troops are even trapped inside?¡± Amelie asked, and General Albrecht sighed.


    ¡°Approximately forty-thousand Lieplatzan soldiers are encircled in Nordia. Around at least four hundred armored vehicles too that managed to escape us during the advance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the majority of the Lieplatzan Armed Forces left, is it not?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Nah, impossible,¡± William interjected, his eyes still glued to the map. He turned to General Albrecht. ¡°They escaped up north, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Probably a hundred thousand. But most of them are infantry and mechanized infantry. Their armored divisions have been annihilated or trapped in Nordia.¡±


    ¡°Still probably a few brigades of armor that they could use to slow us down,¡± William said, still pessimistic. ¡°We were too slow.¡±


    ¡°Thus our current situation. We have to clear out Nordia quickly in order to chase them up north. Otherside, we¡¯d have nothing to push there. We can¡¯t divert more of our troops from Orland, especially when two of our Army Corps that are in reserve are now preparing for a voyage to Gallia.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­please,¡± everyone turned to Princess Celeste. ¡°Just do what you can. Assault Nordia, and chase them north to save my imprisoned subjects, but just¡­limit the civilian casualties. I can see that the OAF has no other choice.¡±


    Amelie sighed, turning to General Albrecht. With that, she now has the full approval of the upcoming Lieplatzan Queen to take the necessary measures to end the West Lieplatzan Campaign. Still, Amelie felt queasy about it. Assaulting a major city? Her troops would be in a truly bad spot with this one. Including the Lieplatzan civilians still trapped inside.


    ¡°You heard her, General. You have the permission to commence the operation. Take the city with as little bloodshed as possible, even if that¡¯s probably impossible.¡±


    He gave them a brief salute. ¡°We¡¯ll be on it then, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three: Assault on Nordia

    ¡°Lieplatzan Army Remnants in Rumpaltz-Eventia finally surrender to Federalist forces. After weeks of grueling siege and street-to-street fighting through the City of Rumpaltz¡¯s fortified interior and the City of Eventia¡¯s towering spires, both cities finally surrendered to General Kluge¡¯s forces, with around thirty-two thousand Lieplatzan soldiers surrendering to the Federal Army. Other encircled cities in East Lieplatz, which had been holding out even after the devastating blitz of the Federal Republic have been raising the white flag as Lieplatzan civilians bear the brunt of starvation over the long-drawn-out sieges.¡±


    - Wuringen Updates


    ¡°OAF forces stalls in the West Lieplatzan Campaign! To illustrate the utter failures of that Queen¡¯s attempt to copy our noble deed of liberating the north, her soldiers find themselves in a grueling battle against dug-in Junta troops in Nordia, forcing the OAF to stop in its manic chase against General Richstoff up north. Instead, the Queen¡¯s Army is now preparing for an assault against Nordia. As if such an assault would succeed against such a major city in a timely manner. This is but the opening moments of her incoming blunder.¡±


    - The Front


    +++


    West Lieplatz


    Near Nordia


    A/2-6 Marine Regiment


    ¡°Put lead on them, Oakley!¡± Oakley wiped his sweat as he looked down. ¡°What is it, son?¡±


    ¡°Sarge!¡± He called out. ¡°Ammo!¡±


    The Sergeant nodded and turned to Private Timmy, who had been firing his rifle at something. Their HMLV was showing its sides, which meant that Timmy and the Sergeant could fire their rifles. Outside, other Marines were using their HMLV as cover.


    And because of that, many bullets were raining in their direction. Thankfully, their HMLV was up-armored, which allowed it to withstand small-arms fire. Even their turret that held the machine gun, which Oakley operated, was armored. Still, each ping of a rifle round or whisses made Oakley duck ever so slightly, as he awaited Timmy to pick up the damned ammunition.


    Timmy soon handed it to him, and Oakley gave him a grunt. ¡°Thanks, man.¡±


    ¡°No problemo.¡± A sudden hail of bullets rained on them again, and their driver began pushing their HMLV forward. ¡°Fuckin¡­go, now! Put those bastards down!¡±


    Oakley climbed back to his machine gun. Giving it a pat, he began preparing the ammunition belt into its ammo box, before attaching it to his machine gun. Soon, he was back into action, and he began turning his turret in the enemy¡¯s direction. Seeing a bunch of flashes in the flat distance, he began pulling on the trigger as their HMLV sped through.


    In fact, all around him, both HMLVs, M8 IFVs, and the occasional L?we tank around them rushed forward. Their entire platoon¡¯s mobile HMLVs soon formed a uniform formation, and they stopped at just a few hundred meters of the first trench lines and fox holes that he could see just beside the road.


    Their HMLV however stopped on a massive crater, already slightly filled with snow, which disoriented him for a bit, but he raised his machine gun back up and began aiming at one of the foxholes that he could see. A rain of fifty-caliber machine gun fire bore down on them, and he could almost swear that he was shouting as the flashes from the same foxhole disappeared.


    Soon, both the Sergeant and Timmy and even their driver, were out of their HMLV. Oakley could see that the three of them were using the armored doors of their HMLV as cover, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough. And so he continued spraying controlled bursts down range to suppress those flashes of gunfire.


    Damn them! Damn them! His mind shouted. I ain¡¯t letting none of you kill my brothers!


    +++


    B/18-4 Mobile Assault Brigade


    ¡°Forwards!¡± Lieutenant Charles Rupkoff shouted over his comms. ¡°Those damned Lieplatzans should be too shocked after that barrage. Get into the damned breach!¡±


    The M20 LSS Panthers of his platoon began its hazy charge over the frontline, as tracers, missiles, and cannon fire rained down on them. He looked to the side of his mech¡¯s interface, seeing the now white-camoed formation of his 5th Platoon charge from the snowy fields of Nordia¡¯s outskirts into the entrance of Nordia.


    All of Bravo Company of the 18th Light Mech Battalion, 4th Mobile Assault Brigade was committed in the assault in the southernmost sector of the city. Their goal now was to reach the Nordia International Airport within a few hours and pave the way for the 8th and 9th Armored Brigades to resume their push toward the downtown district of Nordia.


    And with it, once again, his platoon and Bravo Company were the tip of that spear. It was now up to them to push on, and most of all, survive. One after another, his driver expertly weaved their mech through every difficult position, as Hector fired their 120 mm main gun incessantly.


    Soon, they were in the city proper, as his platoon skirmished over the tight lanes beside the main road. Their mech soon stopped behind the cover of a five-story establishment, just as a shot from one of their tanks clipped the building, sending shards of glass on their mech¡¯s hull.


    ¡°Damn it, it would be stupid if we pushed on,¡± he said. ¡°Too many hostile tanks and infantry.¡±


    ¡°It would be nice if we had a way to suppress them,¡± Charles nodded. ¡°All units, status report.¡±


    ¡°Five-Actual, we¡¯re pinned,¡± one of his underlings said. Their mech seemed to be taking potshots from the enemy while hiding behind a pile of rubble. ¡°Think we should wait for the infantry?¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°If we can focus fire on that tank, perhaps we could take it down quickly and resume the push.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know about that, sir. They got infantry on the tight lanes. It¡¯s suicide alley.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll, how do you suppose we¡¯ll take that damned airport without fighting close-quarters combat on suicide alley, Sergeant Higgs?¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Prep for assault, all units. We¡¯re not stopping here.¡±


    But just before he could get his plans out, a continuous barrage of violent booms interrupted him. Rapidly, a four-legged beast dashed through the main road, and beside it, more of them. Charles stared at them in awe, as their main guns opened fire incessantly, almost every damned split second.


    ¡°That¡¯s Charlie Company!¡± Hector shouted. ¡°Parasite Mechs!¡±


    ¡°That they are, Hector,¡± Charles nodded, as he ordered his driver to lunge forward. Immediately, the rest of 5th Platoon, and he could see more of Bravo Company¡¯s mechs charging forward, rejoined the fight. The enemy tried to fire at them unrelentingly, but Charles could see their armored vehicles and positions going down one by one.


    They passed through one of the streets, which had infantry on the side, but a Parasite Mech had already drifted, stopped, and began unloading 50 mm autocannon fire on the problem. Instead of worrying about hostile infantry, their mech focused on the larger threats up ahead.


    Their sensors soon turned into an M44-N?rd that was trying to hold up on a raised main road. Unfortunately, it seemed badly pinned by one of the Parasite Mechs, which had been raining down autocannon fire on its vulnerable spots. The thing¡¯s tracks soon fell off, and it must have been blinded due to damage to its optics when its shot fired and missed the offending Parasite Mech and slammed on an innocent cafe instead.


    ¡°Hector, that thing¡¯s down. Just finish it, now. Their autocannon ain¡¯t going to do its job unless we use our main gun.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Lieutenant,¡± their mech stopped, and he felt the turret turn in the direction of the Lieplatzan tank. In just a split second, Hector pulled the trigger, sending a depleted uranium penetrator straight at the disabled N?rd tank.


    Charles couldn¡¯t deduce the damage when its turret was slightly turned down, but he wasn¡¯t going to be unsure in such a manic battlefield.


    ¡°Hector, give it a double tap.¡±


    ¡°Copy,¡± four seconds passed, as their autoloader slammed another shell in. Hector then pulled the trigger, sending another sabot straight at the thing¡¯s hull, and lighting up its ERA, further obscuring it from Charles¡¯ view.


    But he knew it was down.


    Charles ordered his driver to resume pushing forward, as friendly Parasite Mechs continued taking care of enemy infantry that he only really needed to keep watch on them instead of firing at them. It seemed like a perfect match, in Charles¡¯ mind. The Parasite Mech could take care of softer targets better, while the Panther dealt with hostile armor.


    But even then, it seemed that these new things could do more than that. By the time they stopped at an intersection, a Parasite Mech was already on the rooftop of one of the buildings. Its turret, which held two small missile pods side by side, seemed to extend away from the turret.


    Each of them held four ATGMs, and Charles watched as both pods fired off a total of two ATGMs into the sky. He tracked the direction it traveled, and his eyes stopped on the flying turret of an unfortunate Lieplatzan tank struck by it.


    A smirk appeared on his face.


    These things seem to be developing into a good partner in the fight, eh?


    +++


    H/2-3 KDU


    Captain Henrietta Lurois sighed as she looked down at the destruction around her. Her column was now parked beside the recently liberated subdivision in the city after a hard-fought battle to take it. Even now, OAF HMLVs, IFVs, and the occasional new ¡°Parasite Mechs¡± were still passing through the road, as she and her sisters rested.


    Henrietta herself just stared at one of the intact light posts on the side of the road, which had been slightly flickering as the afternoon darkness crept in.


    Even now that it¡¯s almost night, the fight is still on. It was unrelenting. All morning, to noon, to afternoon, it was all fighting. Their assault took a heavy toll on both the OAF and the participating KDUs. She had heard that Alpha Company of the 2nd Battalion suffered three tanks lost according to the Major. She should probably meet Captain Erika soon, for she must be inconsolable at her losses right now.


    Nay, even Henrietta felt herself down more than ever. Six of her soldiers, under her command, of the 3rd and 4th Platoons, died during the firefights for this subdivision. The 3rd tank of the 2nd Platoon was also disabled, and it was still being recovered from the entrance of the subdivision, as its tracks and engine were blown off.


    Then the multiple injuries across her Company. It was a damned painful day for her and her sisters. To take such gruesome casualties¡­


    She was still wondering what she would even write to the families of her falling comrades. What could she even say? That they gloriously died in the defense of their homeland? In the assault to liberate their sisters in Lieplatz? What exactly would console these families at losing their precious daughters who served the Kingdom?


    ¡°Hey, Captain,¡± Freya said, as she popped her head from the hatch beside Henrietta. Henrietta cupped the side of her face and looked away.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Still down?¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be?¡± Henrietta said, and a few moments of silence passed between them. Freya, her gunner, was injured just a few days ago. Yet, here she was, still back in the action after some magical treatment and a day of rest. Even her gunnery skills seemed to have improved, as they scored two enemy IFVs and an enemy APC being downed for the day.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I guess¡­six in the Company died,¡± Freya muttered. ¡°Six.¡±


    ¡°Six good women,¡± Henrietta added. ¡°Damn it¡­this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Not your fault, Captain,¡± Freya said. ¡°You led us well. It¡¯s why¡­I guess, have you seen what other units are reporting? Dozens upon dozens of dead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the number, Corporal. It¡¯s about¡­it¡¯s about the lives. One or twenty, this is a massive failure on my part.¡±


    ¡°Or our circumstances are just awful,¡± Freya said. ¡°But what would I know, I¡¯m just a gunner.¡±


    Henrietta sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­speak freely.¡±


    ¡°...All I want is that you don¡¯t beat yourself up for this. You already did enough of that when I and Linze were injured.¡±


    ¡°If I just became better¡­none of it would have happened.¡±


    ¡°Again, no. It happens because¡­because I think we¡¯re in a war. And people die and get injured in war.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse.¡±


    ¡°I think it is if we finally accept that we are at war,¡± Freya said. ¡°Look at men. They¡­they take so much dead, yet they accept it as a part of war. While here we are, our whole Company, almost crying for a few. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, but if we act like this throughout the war¡­¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯d just have more to mourn on,¡± Henrietta finished. ¡°Fine, I get your point.¡±


    Still¡­I have to stop as many casualties. As I can.

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four: Fall of Nordia

    ¡°Unknown armed men conducted an assassination attempt against Her Highness, Princess Yumi Kawasaki. The Keibitai suffered severe casualties, and the unknown hostile operatives weren¡¯t apprehended. The Imperial Government is now issuing security measures for a nationwide manhunt to track these vagrants.¡±


    - Midori Imperial Herald


    +++


    West Orland


    Three Days since the start of the Battle of Nordia


    ¡°So they¡¯re finally collapsing?¡± Amelie asked, and the group of OAF officers in front of her nodded almost collectively. Amelie sighed and looked at the map of Lieplatz on the side of her office. Nordia, that damned coastal city, already cost the lives of a few thousand OAF and RGO soldiers in a few days.


    She expected worse since Nordia was still a major city with an urban terrain that would make it difficult to assault. But it turned out that the garrison inside was already less than enthusiastic at continued resistance. The reports she¡¯d been having since they started the assault into the interior of the city had been less than stellar, but not as bad as it could be.


    Constant skirmishes and high-intensity battles for each important site resulted in casualties for her men and women on the ground until the Lieplatzans raised their white flags to surrender. Rinse and repeat as her troops advanced deeper and deeper through the city.


    It seemed to her that the Lieplatzan Army in Nordia was more interested in the idea of at least fighting back for their nation, or for some unknown ideals. At least, until they would inevitably surrender. It sickened her how they wanted to still fight anyway when they could have just lowered their arms in the start (which they would anyway) and lessened the bloodshed.


    Maybe they just want to send a message to me. Fight back against the Orlish Queen for a while, just to stick it to her. She¡¯d seen that a lot of times already, and she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if these Lieplatzan soldiers were doing much the same. Not really fighting for General Richstoff or for the Lieplatzan Junta, as these men seemed to have already apprehended the Protection Corps unit inside the city, but just¡­


    Well, a sickening way for them to send a message to her: that they would bite back before lowering their arms.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht started. ¡°But there has been¡­a complication, of sorts. It just arrived right now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°An unknown gas leak occurred in the center of the city. We do not know who did it, but the surrendering Lieplatzan Army Personnel and the Protection Corps that we interrogated for the past eight hours came with nothing.¡±


    ¡°Gas leak? What even is happening down there?¡± Amelie seemed bewildered. A new problem? Damn it, and she thought she already won the city of Nordia.


    ¡°The gas leak seemed to have been carrying strains of a mutated version of RS-12 Viruses. Known to be stockpiled bioweapons in some of our laboratories¡­¡±


    ¡°Bioweapons?¡± Amelie pulled out a handbook of hers and quickly flipped through it. She swore she had read something about that back then when she was sifting through chemical weapons. ¡°Wait, we had weaponized diseases?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do, Your Majesty, but it¡¯s never meant to be used. It¡¯s more¡­experimental. Which is why we¡¯re confused as to how this gas leak occurred. Thankfully, only around a hundred civilians and soldiers were exposed before our CBRM units arrived on site. It¡¯s¡­well, we contained it, for now.¡±


    ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°It spreads in the air. Airborne. The ones infected on the ground are still not exhibiting symptoms, but they¡¯re expected to do so within a few days. RS-12 is known to have a death rate of around thirty percent, as it presents itself as a brutal rash coupled with hemorrhagic fever¡­but this one is a mutated strain, so we¡¯re not entirely sure.¡±


    ¡°Goddess, why would someone even modify a disease that way?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°And why do we even have it? This¡­this just sounds horrifying.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just another part the string of secret military projects done by the OAF in the shadows for the past decades, Your Majesty. It¡¯s¡­yes, we agree. We would never willingly use something like this.¡±


    ¡°But our enemies? Could the Federalists perhaps be responsible for this? The Junta? Someone, surely, the men down there are already investigating this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± General Albrecht paused. ¡°This is most likely not done by the Federalists. Or the Junta. There¡¯s just no way. It¡¯s not in the interests of the Federalists to do something as needless as this. And the Junta should not have access to it.¡±


    ¡°Then who the hell did it?¡±


    ¡°A third party perhaps?¡± One of the Generals behind Albrecht proposed. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s not out of the realm of possibility. We have already been dealing with unknown terror groups for a while, after all.¡±


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    ¡°General Mackensen, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s¡­a tall accusation.¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Not to mention, these groups are unknown to us.¡±


    ¡°Or it could be an accident,¡± one of them proposed as well. ¡°Those damned Lieplatzans aren¡¯t exactly the brightest at handling things.¡±


    ¡°Possible,¡± General Albrecht said, before turning to Amelie. ¡°But whatever we say, we can point our fingers at many things, but we cannot back it at the moment. Much like how our friends across the pond can¡¯t figure out who did the deed to Princess Kawasaki.¡±


    Amelie gulped. ¡°Could the two attacks be connected?¡±


    ¡°The AFI and NID turned out empty,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°We also communicated with our contacts in the Empire. The Keibeitai is reporting nothing on our secret channels. Hell, they¡¯re even refusing to send us anything we could work on. Wounded pride perhaps?¡±


    ¡°I thought they already agreed to at least share intelligence,¡± Amelie said, a little bit frustrated. ¡°That¡¯s practically the least they could do.¡±


    ¡°The Empire is still not in this conflict whatsoever, so we shouldn¡¯t expect much,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°I bet even if Director Wittfield asked the Keibeitai she would also get nothing. So far, everyone in the MN Intelligence Network is still scrambling to work out what the hell happened to the Princess or who did this. Telling them that a possible biological attack by unknown perpetrators happened at nearly the same time would just throw another loose screw at the panicking machine.¡±


    Amelie bit her teeth subtly, as her chair turned away from the Generals gathered before her. Her eyes looked at the Orlish tricolor beside her workstation, and Amelie sighed.


    ¡°Damn it, this entire thing¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll try to ask Marie about this.¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s already working on it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I need to know who did this,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Please remain vigilant on this one. Damned¡­this is just reminding me of what happened to my mother.¡±


    All of them stiffened at the mention of that. Until now, the question of who really killed the former Queen had remained unanswered. Many fingers were pointed, yet none were definitive. Amelie herself wanted to blame the Federalists for it, but that wasn¡¯t really too convincing. Even they were genuinely surprised about the whole event. She remembered that when she first met them about the entire thing.


    Prime suspects, yes, but to Amelie, that wasn¡¯t ever going to be enough. She wouldn¡¯t work on something based on nothing but her emotions. She needed something concrete to target whoever the hell was acting behind the shadows.


    Something¡­something so elusive that neither she nor her fellow matriarchs could track. And neither someone like Alfonso nor Heindh?ff seemed to know as well.


    I really need to strengthen the RIU for this. It was their main goal after all. To investigate what had happened to her mother. Now, Amelie was starting to want to double down on that mission.


    Something¡­something told her that perhaps, the answer for both questions last year and today would be no different.


    And if she could find it out¡­perhaps, there would be answers to what was happening today. After all, so many things wouldn''t have reached this level of a crisis had that pivotal moment not happened. What if¡­they were now trying the same to the Asanaian Empire? To destabilize them and drag them to the ground.


    Amelie¡¯s hands slightly shook as they reached for her teacup.


    ¡°Gentlemen, thanks for this briefing. You are all free to leave,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be off then. Thanks, Your Majesty.¡± All of them gave her a brief salute before leaving her office. Amelie tried her best to calm herself when all of them left and closed the door. Her gloved hand still slightly shaking, she took a sip of her tea.


    Whoever you people are. She placed the teacup down. I¡¯ll find and crush you all.


    +++


    Amelie walked out through the gardens of the November Palace, as she tried her best to clear her mind. Just a few hours ago, the OHC reported to her that the Orlish Tricolor had finally been planted on top of the ruins of the Nordia City Hall.


    It was cold, damned cold. The damned war, these, all these shadows that eluded her rule. Each time she made progress, she felt paralyzed. Was it simply really a whack-a-mole? Was that how it meant to rule? That each time she whacked a problem and eliminated it, a new one would appear out of nowhere?


    Biological weapons. Amelie sighed deeply. That¡¯s¡­horrifying. To use diseases just to terrorize your enemies¡­


    She didn¡¯t want another damned crisis to appear out of nowhere. Not now when there was a massive war being fought. A war expanding rapidly through all corners of Pollos. Soon, the MN would finally resume its sessions, just in time for the end of the Lieplatzan Campaign. All of them, the remaining countries opposed to the revolutionaries, would finally meet formally in a conference to decide the future Pollos.


    If they would face this threat head-on as a united front, or if they would wither one by one against their unifying tide. Amelie was naturally on the side of a united front. Unlike them, she and Royalist Orland knew how far these radicals would escalate the scale of violence should they win.


    But they¡­most of them, outside those directly facing the threat of the revolution, like the Empire of Asanai, were ignorant of the problem ahead of them. Ignorant of what happened in Norida.


    For now, I¡¯m keeping it there. If she¡¯d have to quarantine that entire province, then damn it she would. No information would leave. No souls would leave. She would not allow a damned biological weapon to spread should it break the quarantine set up by the OAF in that district.


    But that was what worried her. What if it happened in a place outside her control? What if it had happened in a nation that wasn¡¯t on high alert? It would spread like wildfire.


    Thus, I really have to take control of the Mandate of Nations. Amelie concluded. There has to be a unified response to every threat that threatens the world.


    She looked up at the moon, its pinkish glow reminding Amelie of her old days. How innocent¡­how naive, to think that the world wouldn¡¯t be this foolish, stupid, shortsighted¡­and¡­vile.


    Why? She asked herself. Why do I have to deal with all of this?


    Sometimes¡­she wondered if Royal blood was a curse instead of a blessing.


    Sometimes.

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Five: The Second Great Power

    ¡°Orland¡¯s Royalist forces advanced further north in pursuit of the Junta¡¯s remnant forces. Members of the Mandate of Nations General Assembly have voted in a landslide majority in support of the actions of the Kingdom of Orland to liberate West Lieplatz from its oppressive tyrants. Princess Celeste von Reintz also issued her statements in regard to the liberation efforts of the Kingdom, stating that she ¡®finds it uplifting that justice still exists¡¯ and that Lieplatz¡¯s sisterly nation ¡®eventually came into Lieplatz¡¯s aid¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    February 16, 2025


    ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± Nia said to Amelie. ¡°They¡¯re making their way to your office.¡±


    Amelie took her final sip of her morning tea. She was certainly taking in more and more tea these days. Calming her nerves was certainly a task that the beverage was good at. Especially today that the Princess of Asanai, Yumi Kawasaki, who had just narrowly avoided an assassination early on, was now sent by her mother alongside a group of Asanaian diplomats into a secret high-level diplomatic mission in Orland.


    Of course, the diplomats would soon be meeting with Minister Adelaide and her team later at night, where they would actually deliberate the details of whatever they would agree on, but for now, Amelie would get to meet another one of her esteemed peers. Still, at this point, Amelie was so used to meeting foreign royalty that she held nothing but a calm expression.


    Even when the door finally arrived.


    The Princess was older than Amelie. She was already in her early thirties, with raven black hair that was common in the Asanaian people. She looked at Amelie neutrally, before slightly bowing her head respectfully.


    ¡°Your Royal Majesty of Orland, I am Princess Kawasaki Yumi of the Empire of Asanai. I am here to represent my people and government to you. It is an honor to meet you at last.¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°At ease. There¡¯s no need for much pleasantries around me, Princess Yumi.¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve heard from Princess Xue. You really are quite the humble monarch.¡±


    ¡°You and Princess Xue talk?¡±


    ¡°She visited the Empire a lot during the course of the war to curry support from our nation. Yes, we did meet a lot. And discussed the matters of this global crisis at great length. She also spoke highly of you.¡±


    Amelie felt a bit proud of herself for that. ¡°I see. Well then, please be seated. I¡¯d like to hear what exactly the Empire wants with Orland.¡±


    The Princess was guided by Nia to her seat in front of Amelie¡¯s desk.


    ¡°My mother wants a military alliance.¡±


    Amelie was still shuffling her papers to prepare her references for whatever they would talk about when she dropped that bomb. Naturally, Amelie was absolutely surprised about her proposition.


    ¡°An¡­an alliance?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty clear that the situation would only deteriorate further,¡± she explained. ¡°What happened to me, alongside the strings of attacks and assassinations against the Imperial Government showed that. We¡¯re sure that someone in the ranks of these¡­revolutionaries, is trying to destabilize us. We have to act now, or it would be too late.¡±


    ¡°You¡­now that we¡¯re on that topic, how did¡­the entire¡­erm¡­¡±


    ¡°Assassination go?¡± The Princess¡¯s face turned even more neutral. ¡°It was a close call, but the Keibitai held them off¡­narrowly, as I¡¯ve said.¡±


    ¡°I heard the Keibitai suffered heinous casualties.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not far from the truth. Well, it is the truth. The unit that was guarding me suffered eighteen dead women and fourteen wounded. It was¡­a shock¡­¡±


    Amelie was now turning even more pale about that. That much¡­casualties? The Keibitai was an elite mage force similar to the RIU. It was¡­it was impossible. Marie herself told her that the Keibitai had as much combat power as RIU operatives. The sheer fact that some spec-ops group that was most likely made up of men managed to do that¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Nia muttered before she held her mouth with his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I spoke out of my station.¡±


    ¡°No worries, Nia, that¡¯s fine.¡± Amelie waved it off. Nia might be acting stiffer now that a foreign royal was in the room, but Amelie didn¡¯t care about traditionalist nonsense about social station regardless of who was inside her office. Everyone was free to speak their mind, especially her valued friend. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s¡­ unprecedented, if true¡­¡±


    ¡°It is true,¡± the Princess reiterated. ¡°These men¡­they were different. Their bullets¡­it was blue. They were wearing strange armor. Worse¡­they came out of nowhere and completely disappeared without a trace when we overwhelmed them. And there were only at least eight of them when they attacked.¡±


    ¡°Are¡­are you really supposed to inform us about that now?¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°My mother said that the Orlish Queen should better know about it now. The Keibitai will soon transfer whatever intel they have to your intelligence agencies. We suggest you take further measures to protect yourself. If we lose you¡­the Mandate of Nations would be headless to act further in this crisis.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­thanks for the warning then,¡± Amelie was truly pale at this point. While she had not met these men yet, the mere description given by the Princess was enough to make her shiver. Was it perhaps the OIA? Or another group? She didn¡¯t like this. Something¡­some faceless organization that was acting in the shadows with possibly advanced technology to fight in such a way.


    I really need to expand the RIU. Marie¡¯s agency was growing stronger every day, but now, it seems that she would be having further funds from Orland¡¯s defense budget¡­because Amelie was quite frankly getting spooked by this entire debacle. And Amelie would rather keep her own head and life intact.


    ¡°Have your investigations bore fruit at least?¡±


    ¡°No, it did not,¡± she replied. ¡°They truly disappeared in the shadows. Much like how they appeared. They also managed to murder at least nine high-ranking nobles of the Imperial Court, and even several high-ranking Generals of the IAAF.¡±


    ¡°They targeted your Army too?¡±


    ¡°General Asai Saori of the 2nd Army was the highest-ranking official that they targeted. It seemed that they wanted to eliminate high-ranking women in our military. It¡¯s deeply disturbing. Some in the Keibitai and even our Prime Minister are blaming men, especially Inspector General of the Armed Forces Kuruba Haru. But the Keibitai¡¯s investigations showed that at the moment, the men of our nation have no connection to it.¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°Then it must be foreign agents.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the current assumption, even if we didn¡¯t get their faces. The armor they wore masked it¡­so all we know is that they use these¡­grey power armor-like machines, as my close contacts in the Keibitai call it.¡±


    ¡°Power armor?¡±


    ¡°They moved unnaturally fast while using armor that partially deflected the magical bullets the Keibitai operated. And we also noticed that their strange weapons were attached to it. Must have been where their power pack was.¡±


    So the attackers employed unknown technologies of an advanced nature. Now her worry level was at its highest, and Amelie was starting to feel her paranoia ramp up as a result. Not only were they unknown, but they also had that. Men¡­men¡­underground organizations, and all those things. Amelie was worried.


    Utterly worried about the implications. Especially when she and the only one who had a proper encounter with them had essentially zero workable intel to identify much less counter them. Her mind was now starting to point at random things to blame.


    The OIA.


    The Federal Guard.


    The Confederation.


    The Hebei Republic (but what would they even gain in dragging neutral Asanai into war?!).


    Hell, Amelie¡¯s mind randomly pointed to the Asturians. Until she remembered that the reason they were beating her Lorathian and Gallian allies was due to the fact that their armies were just incredibly inept at fighting in the offensive (General Albrecht remarked that they only knew how to fight in the trench lines and it was the OAF¡¯s maneuver warfare doctrine that ultimately won the Great War).


    ¡°I see then¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°Truly worrying. We will be taking measures to investigate it and counter it. I¡¯m sure the RIU, NID, and AFI would have something to work on within a few days. Surely. I¡¯m even mobilizing the RGO for it.¡±


    The Princess nodded. ¡°The Royal Guard¡¯s operatives in Asanai have been in touch with the Keibitai since the incident. They¡¯re already investigating the matter globally, they told us.¡±


    ¡°The Archduchess never said anything about it to me,¡± Amelie said before Nia interrupted.


    ¡°She actually sent a report file to your desk,¡± Nia said. ¡°But you were already asleep last night.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Amelie sighed. She almost doubted the Archduchess again for that. If there was something Amelie hated, it was her agencies and departments hiding things from her. The OIA¡¯s actions when she worked with them before the Civil War had always been a sore reminder for her. This was why she had always reiterated that each department, agency, and ministry would send every relevant file and report to her desk at all times. ¡°I¡¯ll check it later then.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I hope the talks will be a productive one,¡± the Princess said. ¡°Perhaps an alliance is not easy, but with the MN Conference soon¡­you might be able to count on the Empire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear.¡±


    +++


    Office of Preventative Measures


    ¡°Had I expected a new job, this is certainly not it,¡± William said, as Amelie handed him the files for the newly formed agency.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Director William Porter, your skills at managing JTF-Ludendorf would be needed for the missions of this agency,¡± Amelie said with a smile, as Nia laughed. William however merely groaned. ¡°And due to its rushed creation, I chose you. Plus, you¡¯re exceptionally good at organizing things without existing protocols.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine¡­whatever. I expected more tasks outside of guarding you anyway,¡± he sighed, as he flipped through the file. ¡°So my job is essentially surveillance and pre-emptive actions against ¡®any potential threat to the Orlish State¡¯ and to develop counters to it? That¡¯s vague and¡­it covers a wide field.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Amelie said. ¡°You¡¯ll be working closely with Director Wittfield of the RIU, the NID, and the AFI for this one. More importantly, I¡¯m authorizing you to form a specialized force that could counter any potential threat you identify. Alongside that¡­um¡­you also have to guard me, please.¡±


    William laughed. ¡°I see that paranoia is not something you are immune to.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, things are scary as it is. And I¡¯m feeling a lot of target marks painted on my head. And I¡¯d like to keep my head, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Haha, Her Majesty sure moves fast nowadays,¡± Nia said. ¡°Just hours after certain intel reports and a new agency is formed.¡±


    ¡°Even mobilized the funds and the relevant starting manpower for it,¡± William commented.


    ¡°You have my Ministers to thank for that. Even Minister Allison Thell has contacted relevant experts and researchers who may join your agency. We¡¯re accounting for everything. High-tech attacks, decapitation attempts, down to containment of biological attacks. Everything.¡±


    William nodded. ¡°We¡¯re not the Army though. But I can see what I¡¯ll do. My men are already adept at intelligence work at this point. Far from just driving tanks and vehicles.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t blame you,¡± he continued. ¡°After those attacks, we can¡¯t leave any areas on our defense exposed. I just hope I can pull this off. This is a massive new responsibility for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will, William,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six: The Opposition Wont Budge

    ¡°Male manpower is rapidly running out due to high attrition rates. Regardless of the denial of the policymakers in Eutstadt, the OAF would need replacements soon. Said replacements would however not come from men aged eighteen till twenty-six, for they have given all they had.¡±


    - Classified report to the OHC, 2025.


    +++


    West Orland


    Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss plopped at the seat in complete exasperation. Amelie herself buried her face in her hands. The damned session in the Parliament earlier completely drained the both of them, and it was evident on their tired faces.


    ¡°You know what? I am this close to forcing it by Royal Decree!¡± Amelie suddenly burst into anger. In fact, Jacqueline realized there was an entire cut-out picture of Duchess Lorraine Flandere in front of her table, and Amelie just tossed one of her pens straight at the picture¡¯s face. ¡°Again?! Again? The vote just¡­just failed! I need more soldiers on the frontline, Jacqueline! This is becoming unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable.¡±


    Jacqueline, for her part, was quite surprised at the sudden outburst from the normally calm Queen. ¡°Amelie, calm down. I know, and I understand that we were supposed to be mobilized months ago, but we have to let cooler heads prevail. Support for the female conscription bill is already gaining traction, I mean, we had more votes today than the last one. We just have to keep plastering the possibility of losing on their faces more. They¡¯ll budge eventually.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying! I¡¯m trying to calm down, but this has already taken so long, I don¡¯t think I can keep myself calm enough not to sign an emergency Royal Decree. Call me a dictator, and I don¡¯t¡ª¡± Nia soon poured a good bunch of tea into Amelie¡¯s kettle, interrupting her from finishing her whole tirade. For a moment, the Queen¡¯s irate expression disappeared and she thanked her good friend for the good tea, and Amelie immediately downed its full contents. ¡°It¡¯s not working. It¡¯s not¡­working.¡±


    ¡°Nia! Quick, pour her some more!¡± Jacqueline said, and Nia obliged by pouring in more tea. Amelie drank it just as quickly until she finally fell to the back of her seat. ¡°Oh, thank goodness. The power of tea on her is truly marvelous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still pissed,¡± Amelie said, but this time, the reddish hue on her face was gone. Amelie looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Bit better at least.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°On that note, why do you have that cardboard cut-out of the Duchess herself? And why is it full of holes?¡±


    ¡°I would advise you not to ask any more regarding that subject, Miss Prime Minister,¡± Nia said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Her Majesty¡¯s calm reputation would be in jeopardy.¡±


    ¡°Stress relief,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s our next plan?¡±


    Nia laid down a bunch of documents in front of her. ¡°William had a suggestion earlier.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s he at?¡± Amelie asked as she looked into it.


    ¡°Too busy at organizing the OPM. But he does have a stopgap way of addressing the manpower issue, recommended by General Albrecht as well.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, and what exactly is it?¡±


    Nia sighed. ¡°He suggested that if women would not budge on the problem, then perhaps¡­we could force young women into the industrial workforce. Send them to the factories. Then free up men aged twenty-six to thirty-two, and gain more manpower for the frontline¡­¡±


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°Not happening. Those dudes already served in the Great War and more. And they¡¯re a part of our skilled workforce. Minister Wittfield would murder me before I can even get the word out.¡±


    ¡°Just a suggestion from them,¡± Nia said. ¡°He said it¡¯s the ugly option.¡±


    Amelie turned to Jacqueline. ¡°Well, see. It¡¯s either we get this damned bill passed and finally train young women to hold a rifle or it¡¯s that. I¡¯d rather not do the latter option, Jacqueline.¡±


    ¡°I share the same opinion,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°Mobilizing our skilled middle-aged men working seven days a week in the factories right when we need more metal on the frontline would be detrimental to the war effort.¡±


    ¡°Industrial production would definitely take a hit,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Which is why we¡¯re not touching highly-trained professionals. Not men, not women. That¡¯d be tantamount to suicide in modern warfare. No¡­if we need more meat, we need to send in the ones with the least value to our homefront.¡±


    ¡°Thus, why we send young men¡­¡±


    ¡°And why we should send young women,¡± Amelie said coldly. ¡°Fairness¡­it sounds terrifying, but this is both fair and effective. It¡¯s the only choice. Especially when older women have families to care for, and already hold high-value jobs. We¡¯re just applying the same rationale we used to justify only conscripting young men.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°But, that¡¯s exactly why the UOP and the AP are voting largely against it. Mothers can easily send their boys to war. We¡¯ve drilled that as something normal in their minds. Their daughters, however¡­¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Amelie sipped her tea. ¡°I understand their grievances. I understand this option is absurdly awful. I understand it¡¯s horrifying. But damn it, we¡¯re at war. Can¡¯t we bash that idea into their heads? Instead, they¡¯re all burying their heads in the sand in denial. They¡¯re still in denial that this war can only be won even if we all don¡¯t work together! To this day, we¡¯re spending billions of Orlish Blancs on subsidizing women in education. They¡¯re literally unemployed by definition. We¡¯re paying money to unemployed young women instead of paying it for more guns.¡±


    Jacqueline sighed. ¡°I guess you finally saw the budget, huh?¡±


    ¡°And it infuriated me,¡± Amelie said. ¡°If we diverted every remaining budget for men¡¯s nonexistent social safety net into the war effort, we have to do the same with everything else. Otherwise, the Federal Republic is correct. My regime is a two-faced liar that should be overthrown.¡±


    ¡°On that note, our intelligence reports showed that the Federalists are committing thirty percent of their GDP on war-related production, no?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, meanwhile, our war economy is still stuck at twelve percent,¡± Amelie said. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯re mobilizing too slowly.¡±


    Jacqueline nodded. ¡°This year might be a difficult one. The OAF barely recovered, but the FOAF will most likely have superiority in material power within the next few months.¡±


    ¡°General Albrecht reassured me already though,¡± Amelie said. ¡°That our defenses would most likely hold until next year, even if we sustained current defense spending. The problem would come by pushing them back. It¡¯d be impossible unless the situation changes. Both in manpower and material terms.¡±


    Jacqueline sighed. ¡°Wars are such a tiring business¡­¡±


    +++


    ¡°We got bad news,¡± William said. ¡°The OAF just uncovered another execution ground.¡±


    Amelie almost wanted to puke upon hearing that report from William. Especially since it had only been a few hours since she had her dinner. The damned situation up north had been something that kept Amelie awake in her bed many times, as the OAF¡¯s slow advance meant that those women were definitely having a bad time up north.


    ¡°How¡­how many?¡±


    ¡°Four in total. They must have used heavy machinery to dig through the thick snow. Each of them had an estimated body count of two thousand. It¡¯s a complete mess. They¡¯re already planning for incineration due to the extreme contamination in the burial grounds. I mean, the bodies themselves are mostly partially burned anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°How did they kill them?¡±


    ¡°Most had gunshot wounds. Not much that the folks on the ground can uncover. There are so many bodies to process and they have no idea what to do. Quite frankly, this is the first time the OAF is dealing with such¡­crimes¡­¡±


    Amelie shook her head. ¡°General Richstoff. He really is a lunatic. A madman. I swear if we find him¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s already so much evidence of his war crimes. In fact, we are already capturing many high-ranking PC officers and Lieplatzan Army officers suspected of collaborating with them. Some however were executed by our soldiers on the ground¡­¡±


    ¡°Executed? Our troops are conducting summary executions?¡±


    ¡°Emotions are running thick in the OAF. Just because we¡¯re men, does not mean we don¡¯t give a shit. No¡­I¡¯d wager for us, seeing a dead woman elicits a stronger response than seeing a dead man. Even for us, the former is an unthinkable tragedy, a crime against humanity. The latter¡­just business as usual.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t fully understand why that would be the case. Then again, she already saw how uncaring many men were when they saw dead fellow men. Perhaps, it was just a normal reaction of the mind. Even men were unused to women dying, and to see it would be a horror to them. But they¡¯ve already long accepted seeing death for themselves and their fellow men.


    So much so that it¡¯s not a horror for them.


    Amelie felt her nausea flare up again. William¡¯s eyes turned concerned. ¡°Amelie, you alright?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just¡­¡± Once more, she remembered those bodies back when she visited the frontlines during the Battle of Halia. Those¡­endless corpses of young men¡­


    Yet I¡¯m the one unused to it. Amelie could scarcely imagine how¡¯d she react if she was down there on the ground seeing the massacre sites in Lieplatz. If mere pictures turned into her nightly nightmares and vomiting sessions, what more would it cause if she saw it herself? In a way, she silently thanked her luck that she wasn¡¯t a ground soldier.


    At least, from here, she could vomit about the horrors in the comforting confines of her palace.


    ¡°On second thought William, can I take some time in the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re gonna vomit, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Amelie smiled a bit. ¡°You¡¯re such an evil man for bringing up that news to me after I just indulged in too much sweets and meat.¡±


    ¡°Apologies. Well, I suggest you go then.¡±


    Luckily, by the time Amelie reached the toilet, the effects of it had already long ended. Still, she felt a bit embarrassed at how weak her guts truly were. That such things so common in war could turn her pale and cause her to go as far as vomiting. She still remembered the day when she saw the first corpse of her life, and she felt as if she never changed from that same Amelie.


    Dead bodies, dead people, and death in general were something she was still unused to.


    Funny coming from the Queen who already caused the deaths of nearly a million at this point. Amelie stood up, testing if she still needed to vomit, but it seemed that she had already recovered. With a sigh, she stood back up and left the bathroom. That wasn¡¯t her most graceful moment, but, then again, ever since the Lieplatzan campaign, and ever since she learned about the crimes happening over there, she had not been in the best spirits for that while.


    She doubted she¡¯d be in a good state until it was over either.


    I really wonder when that Richstoff man would surrender. If he¡¯d even surrender. In the back of Amelie¡¯s mind, that dark thought about that man evading justice had been gnawing her. For all she knew, she was just really fighting the remnants of a criminal.


    No more victims, for they had died.


    And no more Richstoff to bring to justice¡­if he committed suicide.


    She shook her head. There was still a chance, and she¡¯d not extinguish that remaining hope until all of Northwest Lieplatz was liberated.


    Not until then.

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: A Kingdom Restored

    ¡°Lorathian advances stunted! After fifteen days of an attempted winter offensive by the Lorathian Royal Army against the ARDF, their forces have been repulsed right after a measly twenty kilometers of advance through fortified trench lines. Current military conditions for the Lorathians are extreme, with the possibility of a potential Asturian counter-attack being described as ¡®likely¡¯ to force the Lorathians off from their hard-fought gains.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Lieplatz


    Nordia


    February 26, 2025


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to get hit by anything, right?¡± Amelie asked as William stopped the armored SUV on the side of a major building that was repurposed into the temporary capital of the reformed Kingdom of Lieplatz. Even now, two days since Princess Celeste was crowned Queen of Lieplatz, and four days since the Lieplatzan Interim Cabinet was formed, Nordia remained the same badly damaged battlefield that it was since its capture.


    Rubble, destroyed roads, buildings, establishments, artillery craters, and roaming Orlish troops filled the city. The most harrowing sight for Amelie however was the civilians, families, women, and children, huddled in humanitarian tents that distributed emergency goods, medical assistance, or the bread lines everywhere. Nordia, as far as Amelie could say, had a long road back into recovery.


    Thank god only a quarter of the city was badly damaged. The Lieplatzans luckily surrendered before any more damage could be done, and the main business districts themselves, for example, remained undamaged. Still, the outskirts, alongside the airport, and other important areas were hit hard. Especially the airport, which reports said caused trouble for Orland¡¯s efforts to bring in humanitarian supplies.


    The anxiety however was palpable in Amelie¡¯s expression. First of all, she was still the ¡°invader¡± of this land, of course. Second, there was a bioweapon issue in one of the districts (she bought an entire set of gas masks which she deliriously insisted on bringing due to it). Third, there were still reports of Lieplatzan loyalist holdouts that the OAF hadn¡¯t fully flushed due to how large Nordia was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± William reassured. ¡°It¡¯s highly unlikely that any attacks would target us. I mean, the security convoy will ensure that things like that won¡¯t happen. Anyway.¡±


    ¡°Do they still have a presence though?¡±


    ¡°In uncleared districts, yes,¡± William answered, just as he opened the door and left the vehicle. Amelie followed, and soon, they were outside, as their security contingent and the groups of Lieplatzan Royal Guard soldiers formed a perimeter around them.


    The amount of security certainly calmed Amelie¡¯s nerves, but she still wasn¡¯t sure about that whole bioweapon thing! General Albrecht may have reassured her that the spread was completely stopped and the entire district was decontaminated, but she wasn¡¯t sure. After all, the district was still under strict quarantine. She wasn¡¯t taking any chances.


    Not with a disease like that. Oh, she¡¯d absolutely take all damned precautions from now on from chemical and biological attacks. Both for herself and for Orland. If even the first tinge of a threat appeared, Amelie would contain, isolate, and crush it immediately. No damned disease, bioweapon or not, would spread and destabilize her Orland.


    ¡°The Lieplatzans are already preparing,¡± William said, as the doors behind them closed. Groups of civilian security in suits followed behind them. Inside, staff, bureaucrats, and multitudes of white-collar workers and officials were all working like busy bees that they barely even noticed Amelie¡¯s presence.


    They must be working 24/7 to restore the Lieplatzan government. It must be a tiring job for them all. Most of Lieplatz¡¯s high noble leadership was wiped out. Alongside the bureaucratic managerial class of Lieplatz. These women were badly hit, even if they were just a part of the Arcana Class. And so, for the survivors, it would be a massive job for them to undertake without their original superiors and seniors.


    In fact, most of the officials and workers in the building seemed to be young women. The older ones, who held high offices, must have been definitely been wiped out by the Lieplatzan Junta. Amelie shook her head internally as she entered the elevator. The sheer scale of nightmares that the Junta inflicted on its people had been astounding.


    She feared how such monsters were created in the first place. They truly had created an abomination that was now actively exploding in rage, consuming all of Pollos without a tinge of restraint.


    The fact that Nordia surrendered had been a massive surprise to Amelie. It was such a massive luck that many Lieplatzan Army units inside that were left after the heavier phases of the battle early on laid down their arms rather than insisting on a full-on house-to-house siege. Early on, it certainly appeared that it would be the case. It was expected that the OAF would have to take a month or more to systematically assault and flush out resistance, leveling entire districts with heavy ordnance.


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    But, now, she was here. The Lieplatzan government partly restored their new capital. Even if Amelie still felt cold feet about her relative safety in this environment, she¡¯d take the victory that the OAF achieved. It certainly was a massive success for now.


    Here¡¯s hoping that they finally give me results in the campaign up north. That was what really worried Amelie. They¡¯re being bogged down.


    The elevator door opened, and Amelie, William, and their escort staff all walked straight out of it. They would be meeting the Lieplatzan Interim Cabinet formally for the first time. All to decide the fate of West Lieplatz, and its future under Amelie¡¯s Orland.


    +++


    The room bowed upon the arrival of Amelie. Except for the new Queen of Lieplatz, Celeste von Reintz. Still, the woman was visibly nervous, even with her new rank that ¡°technically¡± made her of equal standing to Amelie. Of course, Amelie didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about the formality. To her, the fact that these people were bowing was pointless anyway.


    ¡°Everyone, I am flattered by the respect you all give to me,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But the independent politicians of Lieplatz have no need to bow down to a foreign monarch. Please, raise your heads.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t we going to be your vassal, Queen Amelie of Orland?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°I feared I would have to bow to you.¡±


    ¡°You certainly do not,¡± Amelie laughed a bit. ¡°Come on, please, raise your heads people. This feels awkward.¡±


    The Prime Minister and her cabinet finally agreed. The Prime Minister seemed a bit embarrassed. ¡°We apologize for making you feel uncomfortable, Queen Amelie.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°Anyhow, since Adelaide and the Foreign Ministry are busy with the negotiations in the Mandate of Nations, and yes, with the Empire of Asanai, I came here to formally represent Orland in their stead.¡±


    ¡°We hope for a productive day then,¡± Celeste said. ¡°Welcome to my country¡­I hope it¡¯s alright around here.¡±


    Amelie wouldn¡¯t lie. ¡°Yeah, about that. It¡¯s clear your country is in need of repair.¡±


    Amelie motioned for William to come forward. ¡°This guy right here is¡­think of him as my right-hand man. Director William Porter of the Office of Preventative Measures. His agency, for the past few days, had been active in Lieplatz to aid in combating the Junta. But he will serve a greater role soon.¡±


    ¡°And what would that role be?¡± Celeste raised her eyes. ¡°And¡­I¡¯ve never heard of that agency in Orland. Is it new?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be correct on that,¡± Willaim answered. ¡°As of now, the OPM has massive interests in Lieplaz. We are monitoring unknown hostile elements that may be connected with the ¡®gas leak¡¯ nearby. I¡¯d need a lot of liaisons and support from your government to continue investigations in your nation.¡±


    ¡°But not just that, Director Porter will also be responsible soon for representing the OAF military in Lieplatz, authorized by the OHC themselves. Due to the fact that Orland is the one defending your nation, and actively liberating it, you should of course see the need for coordination between the OAF, its subordinate agencies, and the Lieplatzan government.¡±


    The group of Lieplatzan politicians fell silent after Amelie¡¯s little speech. For a bit, Amelie felt quite awful, she definitely felt like a tyrant for speaking those things. Not my vassals¡­what a joke. For all intents and purposes, Amelie lied there. Royalist Lieplatz would be a vassal of Royalist Orland. Just like how the illegitimate state formed in occupied Lieplatz by those Federalists was nothing but a puppet of the Federal Army.


    Well, they¡¯re a bit more straightforward. Amelie admitted. They called it the ¡°Military Government of East Lieplatz¡±, which absolutely screamed that they were under the Federal Army¡¯s administration. Meanwhile, Amelie was out here calling the newly formed Kingdom here with their original claim, while mobilizing her propaganda efforts in legitimizing the claim of legitimate government for her Lieplatz.


    But at some point, I¡¯d have to embrace being two-faced anyway. Amelie silently laughed at herself for promising not to do that back during her coronation. I guess reality would crash at some point to crush idealism.


    This Lieplatz had no capacity to govern itself. Much less defend itself. Thus, the position of Queen Celeste¡¯s government. A puppet regime.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Celeste tried. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s inevitable.¡±


    The Prime Minister also tried to console her. ¡°Your Majesty, please do not lose hope.¡±


    Now, Amelie really felt bad.


    ¡°L-look, people, I swear, this is all just a temporary measure,¡± Amelie said. ¡°In fact, my government plans to arm your people so you can fight with the OAF side by side. We¡¯d be sending in massive amounts of aid, humanitarian and economic, all to help West Lieplatz recover. We¡¯d do everything to ensure that Lieplatz would be restored to its former glory. It¡¯s just, for now, your government would be under our guidance.¡±


    Celeste nodded. ¡°We already talked about it. I just¡­still can¡¯t accept it. How far my country fell into the drain, and everything that happened. Can we even truly recover from this? What if Lieplatz would forever be dependent on Orland.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± One of the Lieplatzan politicians shouted. ¡°Do not think that way. Lieplatz will find its way back to greatness. Come hell or high water, we¡¯re all here to ensure that!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Defense Minister,¡± Celeste said. ¡°It¡¯s just difficult to imagine the state of even our temporary capital city.¡±


    ¡°As you¡¯ve said,'''' William started. ¡°Nordia is just your temporary capital city. For now, West Lieplatz and whatever we liberate further would be ruled from here, yes. But that¡¯s why we are here.¡±


    William dropped a file on the table. ¡°Ladies, for your own Kingdom, this is the road plan on how we would rebuild your nation from ruins. And to begin the long march from here¡ªback to Monpleitz.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Eight: Collective Guilt

    ¡°I watched. I was silent. I only looked. I have no words of excuse. Shoot me if you will. I am guilty.¡±


    - General Emanuel Roehr, West Lieplatz Defense Command (WLDC).


    +++


    Northwestern Lieplatz


    A/2-6 Marine Regiment


    Corporal Oakley slackened his hold on the machine gun. The Sergeant himself was already shouting ¡°cease fire¡± at them, as the Lieplatzans raised a white flag from their positions. Their troops began rising from their trench lines and foxholes, alongside their vehicles. The sudden ambush had nearly screwed them, but the timely strikes from Orlish artillery silenced this bunch.


    Oakley shook his head. The road further and further up north had only grown more harrowing, as the weather intensified. Right now, his thick military-issued jacket kept him warm, but he doubted it would work any longer the further they went.


    Soon, they¡¯d be truly in the Kaltic, the furthest north in the Opellian continent.


    In an hour, both Timmy and Oakley were out of their HMLV. They were eating their MRE rations on the side, as they watched multiple APCs and IFVs drive through the road.


    ¡°Hey man,¡± Timmy said after he placed a spoonful of beef stew in his mouth. ¡°Ya think we¡¯ll find what the Queen wants up here?¡±


    ¡°The what?¡± Oakley asked.


    ¡°The missing noblewomen,¡± Timmy said. ¡°Ya think we¡¯ll really find them out here? It seems¡­too desolate¡­¡±


    Oakley looked up at the afternoon sun. To be quite frank, since Nordia, the journey up north had been quite tense. Just in the last three days, A Company suffered thirteen casualties as they pushed through the evermore thinning roads. Some say, soon, it¡¯d be nothing but unpaved roads up north, and nothing more. Unpaved roads through frozen thick forests. Well, technically, they already were in those forests.


    His eyes looked away from another squad of Marines, huddled together in a hastily set up campfire near their parked HMLV beside the road. Oakley shook his head, remembering one of their platoon¡¯s HMLVs this week that was struck by an ATGM. That was five people in his platoon wiped in one fell swoop.


    I could have prevented it had I just seen them. He told himself, as he looked back down at the heated MRE main he was eating. Just chicken soup, nothing more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Timmy,¡± Oakley answered, and his fellow Marine simply looked at him. ¡°What about you, do you think this is a worthy mission?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already lost at least a quarter of our brothers in this company since we crossed the border,¡± Timmy lamented. ¡°We¡­we could be the next for all we know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡± Oakley said. ¡°Not that¡­it ain¡¯t possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, man.¡± Timmy looked at his ration angrily. ¡°Why? Why are we still fighting¡­and¡­and dying for them? I get saving normal women, we¡­we already did, didn¡¯t we, when we liberated the south. But now? We¡¯re just dying for some high aristocrats. Who cares? What even¡­is the point of this? I mean¡­we might be dying for already dead people who never gave an ounce of crap about us men.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re frustrated?¡±


    ¡°Damn right, I am. Why can¡¯t the RIU do this if they want to? Why can¡¯t those Lieplatzan Resistance groups do it? I mean, they have magic, don¡¯t they?¡± Timmy laughed. ¡°Meanwhile, us grunts they never valued, with just shitty rifles are out here slugging it out with concealed lunatics in tanks on our soft-skinned shit wagons. Just to save some ladies who would shit on us men anyway.¡±


    ¡°...Tell me, Timmy. Do you wanna back off from this mission, and run?¡±


    The younger Marine fell silent. ¡°No¡­it¡¯d be too shameful¡­¡± He laughed. ¡°What kind¡­of a guy runs from¡­saving civilian women? For some reason, to even think about it, is distasteful. Even when I sometimes want revenge against them all¡­¡±


    Oakley looked back at the sun, thinking about what Timmy had to say about it. He agreed. This was a distasteful mission that had no point for them. What would they even gain from this? Would they ever even be repaid for their service? Wouldn¡¯t they just be punished anyway for it? They¡¯d just be cast adrift and forgotten after all this.


    None of what they were doing here, none of it, for most men in the Orlish Army, mattered. Liberating and saving Lieplatzan women and girls, for what? Orland¡¯s society would never look at them as anything but monsters. Those they were saving would probably treat them as heroes for a short while before the old business returned, and they were demoted back to second-class subhumans.


    And yet, he had not seen many men run from their duty here. He included. They were still pushing on, through the cold winter, through the lack of proper supplies (they had only been eating MRE rations for the past weeks), through the lack of shelter, and through the endless ambushes and battles.


    ¡°These Lieplatzans, Timmy¡­isn¡¯t that what they¡¯re doing?¡± Oakley asked. ¡°Revenge?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­they are, aren¡¯t they?¡± Timmy barely touched his food anymore. ¡°They¡¯re¡­pretty thorough and brutal at it. Almost like they really are monsters. Yet¡­¡±


    Timmy didn¡¯t continue. Oakley understood. Seeing everything they did, most Orlishmen on the ground like him began condemning them as inhuman monsters.


    But¡­were they really¡­?


    Or were they merely trying to comfort themselves from the idea that they were not too dissimilar with them?


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    ¡°Do you wager they feel nice about it?¡± Oakley asked. ¡°Do you think¡­it¡¯s worth it for them?¡±


    Many times, their unit encountered PC troops already. Many fought till their last breath. Many, committed suicide instead of surrendering. Some would even act as if they were surrendering before detonating a grenade behind their backs. At this point, there was already an unofficial standard operating procedure amongst frontline Orlish troops to shoot PC troops preemptively, even surrendering ones.


    They must have been completely backed against the wall.


    He remembered the faces of some of the PC troops they passed through. The corpses of men who chose damnation and hell. Their corpses¡­they always held that same neutral expression. As if they were no human beings anymore, and that their only last purpose was to kill women with a straight face, and die while doing it.


    He wondered what it was like from their perspective.


    Was it a nightmare, or was it euphoric?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Timmy said. ¡°But it¡¯s scary. It¡¯s like¡­whenever I look at them¡­I see myself at times¡­¡±


    Oakley remembered the face of that dead PC trooper again.


    He wondered¡­if he was no less different than them. Were they¡­Orlishmen of the Kingdom¡­really no less different from those men? Were they¡­just looking at the mirror of who they would be had they been nudged a little further into madness?


    Oakley found the answer to be too troubling to pursue for now, and he resumed eating his MRE.


    +++


    Three Days Later


    Revenge?


    Why?


    Corporal Oakley looked around the camp that their regiment found. The Colonel already mandated that they would not shoot any PC officer they found, but Oakley could see many marines threatening the commandant of the camp, alongside the dozens of PC officers near the electric fences.


    ¡°Oakley!¡± The Sergeant called, snapping him off from the commotion, as one of the marines pushed the camp commandant into the barbed wire. ¡°Oakley! Snap out of it. They need more hands to distribute supplies.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Sarge,¡± Oakley said, as he followed him. The crowds through the camp had been desolate, there were barely any women inside. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing, most of the people they found were young women and children. Apparently, the camp was supposed to house the children of the detained high nobles, and they were separated from their mothers and families. ¡°What¡­the hell¡­?¡±


    ¡°Look, Private Kazper already went bonkers this morning, and we¡¯re temporarily out of a driver since the MPs are still ¡®talking¡¯ with him, and your buddy Private Huppert is already acting badly, so I really need you to stay calm on this one,¡± the Sergeant looked back at him. ¡°Corporal Fried?¡±


    ¡°Sergeant Higgs¡­why?¡± Oakley asked. ¡°What really is the point of all this? Why would they do this, Sergeant?¡±


    Their team leader sighed, and he raised his arm for some gesture to speak, but no words came out. Instead, Oakley remained standing, as their own Sergeant too shook his head, and almost cracked himself.


    ¡°Fuck¡­I just,¡± the Sergeant sighed before he looked at a bunch of young girls in shoddy plain clothes watching a bunch of marines distribute water. ¡°This¡­look, let¡¯s just go. We need to help these people, that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    The two of them continued on until they found Timmy helping out on a bunch of marines that carried these water bottle packs. Oakley and the Sergeant immediately joined in, with Oakley grabbing a pack that probably contained two dozen water bottles from Timmy¡¯s left hand.


    ¡°Hey, thanks man,¡± Timmy said, as the two of them walked straight to the distribution tents. ¡°This crap is damned awful.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± Oakley grunted, as they placed the water bottles on the tables. Nearby, a woman, most likely a medical volunteer, was checking a bunch of young girls in heavy winter clothing that the Army must have distributed upon their arrival. The rest of the marines already left, except for them, when the woman called them over.


    ¡°You two,¡± she said, standing up to them. She seemed utterly tired and her eyes were almost devoid of warmth. She was even slightly shaking, the faint halo above her already flickering dimly. ¡°Do you two know how to distribute food?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­of course?¡± Timmy awkwardly said. ¡°Of course, miss! What food exactly?¡±


    ¡°Fetch some,¡± she said. ¡°From the cooks on that tent.¡±


    She pointed at a tent outside, that indeed, had Army cooks on it.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Oakley replied, before looking at her. ¡°Um, Miss, are you perhaps, just alright?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression turned even more neutral from that. ¡°Of course, I am¡­just having a little bit of mana exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°Tending to the kids must be a pain,¡± Oakley said. ¡°I apologize for¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± she said, before returning to the girls she was tending to. ¡°Go fetch what I asked for. These girls have been partially starving for a while. Those men¡­they barely fed them.¡±


    The two of them stood frozen in place. This time, it was Timmy looking down as he spoke.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­awful¡­we really are sorry, miss¡­we were too slow.¡±


    ¡°Stop, I don¡¯t want to hear you two apologizing for crimes you didn¡¯t do,¡± she looked back at them. ¡°Just go, please. You¡¯re not them just because you¡¯re all men. Just like how these girls aren¡¯t the same who screwed you and your¡­generation.¡±


    The two of them gulped. Timmy especially, when he looked back at the badly treated noble girls that were dragged into this mess.


    Indeed. What have generalizations and collective guilt dragged us into?


    ¡°Go now,¡± she said, a little bit softly this time, but still in that tired tone. ¡°They really need it.¡±


    Oakley and Timmy both said yes respectfully, before leaving the tent to fetch food for them. Still, her words bugged Oakley.


    What has it all led us to?


    Those girls were dragged into this mess because those men wanted to enact revenge on the perpetrators of their misery. The collective of women. Just like how Oakley and Timmy today were dragged into this mess, into their long service of seeing war and death¡­all because they were condemned by women centuries ago as responsible for the crimes of a long-gone era of men¡¯s rule.


    Revenge.


    Collective sin


    And collective punishment.


    He looked up at the pink moon in the sky. Three centuries. Three centuries, of them being under that same moon¡­and they were still repeating the mistakes of the past in possibly worse ways.


    Oakley¡­for once, remembering the faces of those girls¡­wanted to cry in guilt. But was he really guilty of their crimes just because he was a male too?


    And were those¡­girls guilty of the crimes of some of their mothers, that they should be in these conditions?


    Of course not¡­


    It¡¯s stupid. Why then¡­why is it always¡­


    From Ginzhu to here¡­Oakley was becoming tired of it.


    He didn¡¯t know.


    And he didn¡¯t cry. He had to keep going and do his job.

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Nine: Sins of Men

    ¡°Lieplatzan remnant forces surrenders en-masse! Over the course of the weekend, Lieplatzan Army Formations that held out near the Kaltic surrendered to the OAF in record numbers. It is estimated that approximately ninety percent of the original Lieplatzan Armed Forces had now either been defeated or surrendered to the OAF (Orlish Armed Forces) or to the AFOF (Armed Forces of the Orlish Federation) in the east of the country. Orlish forces also uncovered what could possibly be the most shocking case of mass atrocities in human history, with the Lieplatzan Protection Corps allegedly conducting an attempted mass femicide against a hundred thousand or more of the Lieplatzan High Nobility. Camps in the northernmost, nearly frozen lands of Lieplatz have been found or liberated, with estimates of up to fifty to eighty thousand women and children in critical health due to abuse, mistreatment, starvation, and mass executions conducted by the Lieplatzan Junta in a ¡®revenge attempt¡¯ against women.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    ¡°Remaining non-essential civilians in the Archduchy of L?t, especially in urban areas, are urged to evacuate immediately, as they will be relocated to West Orland Refugee Zones by the Royal Guard and other participating government ministries and agencies. The rebel air force has now bombed three major urban centers, alongside Thein for the past few days in an indiscriminate manner, utilizing thermobaric, incendiary, and even white phosphorus munitions in what is clearly an attempt to terrorize L?t¡¯s civilian population. The OHC has also issued warnings that the entirety of the Archduchy will soon be designated as a critical frontline zone, and that citizens should not be present in ¡®a possible target of rebel offensives¡¯ once the winter lull ends in the frontlines for their safety and well-being.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Northeastern Lieplatz


    3rd Knights Detachment Unit


    2nd Combined Arms Battalion (RGO)


    H Company


    Captain Henrietta Lurois shivered as she left the turret of her tank. They had just stopped in front of one of the liberated camps. The spearhead formations of the OAF had already captured it a day prior, but they had to continue their trip forward, temporarily leaving the camp almost unattended for four hours, until now.


    Henrietta couldn¡¯t have prepared herself just by reading the reports by the time she laid her eyes on the young girls who stared at her from the barbed wire.


    And neither did the dismounting troops and personnel of H Company. They couldn¡¯t believe that those men had truly done this. Henrietta tried to stop herself from violently vomiting, as an HMLV suddenly stopped right in front of her. It was from the spearhead unit, most likely, and out came two marines.


    ¡°Captain Lurois, was it?¡± The marine, who she assumed to be the leader of this squad, said. The second marine followed him, a corporal it seemed, judging by the rank insignia on his uniform, and both of them seemed devoid of emotions as they looked at her and the members of H Company. ¡°I¡¯m Sergeant Mark Higgs, we¡¯re to liaise with you once you arrive here.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I appreciate that, Sergeant Higgs,¡± she looked at the other marine.


    Immediately, he named himself after her. ¡°Corporal Oakley Fried, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± behind Henrietta, her XO, Lieutenant Hannah Veraldine arrived, just as horrified by the scene in front of her. ¡°Lieutenant Veraldine, can¡­can we do something about this?¡±


    The woman seemed to have placed a handkerchief on her nose, but she replied. ¡°They¡­we bought some medical supplies, food, and water when we were notified, but I don¡¯t know, with this amount of civilians¡­¡±


    ¡°If we can do something, then we¡¯ll do something,¡± Henrietta said. ¡°Move everyone capable of using healing magic, which means¡­well, everyone, and order them to herd the civilians orderly. Get them some first aid, and everything they need. The rest of the 3rd KDU should be here in a few hours to help us, so just expend everything if need be.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± Hannah replied, and she immediately dashed away, just as Henrietta¡¯s Lieutenants exited their vehicles. Many of her soldiers already made their way straight inside the camp, bringing in food and supplies to the children and the elderly. ¡°Sergeant?¡±


    ¡°The thing is, Captain, we have a bit of a complication, actually,¡± Sergeant Higgs said. ¡°This area is densely forested, and due to the orders of the Queen, every unit is speeding straight north without rest, leaving our rear almost unguarded. Our task here isn¡¯t actually to help people, but to keep this camp secured until reinforcements arrive.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Henrietta said. ¡°They already told me.¡±


    ¡°Your soldiers are breaking combat protocols. We¡¯re vulnerable.¡±


    Henrietta looked around. Indeed, her tanks were the only ones that seemed to be driving to surround the perimeter. Well, her vehicles were, the IFVs included. But the rest, her infantry, all of them, seemed to have forgone even looking out at the perimeter. Many just rushed to aid the civilians. Still, Henrietta refused to order them otherwise.


    ¡°Our armor should be sufficient at guarding the perimeter,¡± Henrietta retorted. ¡°And these people need help, Sergeant. Please understand that.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you¡¯d like it then,¡± the Sergeant said. He looked back at his Corporal. ¡°Corporal Fried, get back on the HMLV, we¡¯ll continue patrolling the perimeter. Captain, can we get your frequencies?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯d keep our eyes peeled. Maybe you should also send some of your squads to get some eyes around the woods. We can¡¯t be too sure. Those tanks are blind as a bat against camouflaged guerillas.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Henrietta replied. Just then, her eyes turned to the walls of one of the watchtowers. On it were lines of dead men, soldiers, she could tell. Possibly, the corpses were of PC troopers. ¡°What¡­happened to them?¡±


    The Sergeant however only blinked, before looking back at the mass of bodies. The corporal, named Oakley, she remembered, gave a monotonous reply. ¡°They resisted.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    There was nothing on his face that elicited even a tinge of hesitation at discharging his words. Words that confirmed the crime their unit committed.


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    ¡°They resisted. Our battalion took care of it, that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°This¡­this is a war crime!¡±


    ¡°And this isn¡¯t?¡± The Sergeant subtly pointed his hands at the girls still being given aid by Henrietta¡¯s soldiers. ¡°Live by the rifle, die by the rifle. It¡¯s the truth for us men. We only gunned down our rabid brothers. That¡¯s our mission here, isn¡¯t it? That''s why you sent us here. That¡¯s our forever mission, from the Great War, to here.¡±


    ¡°That¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is the truth,¡± the corporal said with finality. ¡°Sarge, I think we should resume patrol duties. Get our job done.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± the Sergeant turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s just finish this bullshit. Get back to the HMLV, son.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sarge.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just a part of our job, lady,¡± the corporal said. It seemed that these men truly had no care for rank in the Royal Guard. For a lowly enlisted man to treat her, an officer, this way, Henrietta was slightly offended. Still, she could understand. It was clear that no one in the OAF viewed them with any sort of respect. ¡°Welcome to the frontlines.¡±


    Not that we aren¡¯t the same. They returned to their HMLV and drove off. Behind her, Lieutenant Veraldine was already speaking badly about how disrespectful ¡°those war criminal savages¡± were. Especially when more and more of her underlings checked the massacre site, already horrified at what those marines did. We really aren¡¯t.


    +++


    West Orland


    Amelie struggled to face the three men in front of her.


    All of them were PC officers that the OAF and the Royal Guard apprehended. One of them led a corps-sized formation of the PC and was arrested by Orlish Marines after being surrounded. One of them was a commandant of an extermination camp. And the last one was an administrative officer that was said to be responsible for finding and rounding up the arrested (and many, executed) women that the Protection Corps targeted.


    All in all, she was facing three, bloodthirsty, war criminals. She tried searching for any sort of remorse in their eyes, but there was none. The camp commandant even held a sadistic smirk as he leered at her, and Amelie almost felt violated by it.


    Ugh, why am I even doing this?


    She should have just left it to the RIU, or to the interrogators of the NID and the AFI, but, well, technically, these men had already been on their fair share of ¡°enhanced interrogation techniques¡± before they reached this place. Those bruises, wounds, and¡­well, one of them was even half-conscious due to his injuries, which showed that her intelligence agencies weren¡¯t particularly keen on being kind to these men.


    Yet they didn¡¯t spill any answers.


    Not that these men seemed to care. No¡­it was as if physical pain was nothing to them. They truly seemed like dead, sadistic, monsters that walked. Amelie wondered if General Richstoff was no different.


    Perhaps he really isn¡¯t.


    ¡°Do the three of you really not know where General Richstoff is?¡± Amelie cautiously asked. No answers came until one of them responded. He styled himself as ¡°Group Leader Herwinn Seidel¡±, and was the same guy who commanded the corps-sized formation of the PC.


    ¡°That man,¡± he laughed. ¡°Is not someone you¡¯ll find. In fact, why even find him?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all war criminals,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°And all of you must be found and put into justice.¡±


    ¡°I say all women are war criminals,¡± he retorted with a laugh. ¡°The only difference is, none of you do it yourself. You¡¯d rather use us. Your armies are nothing but your puppets to commit crimes you cannot do.¡±


    ¡°I have not, and have never ordered a mass killing of civilians,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But what am I even doing? Reasoning with lunatics is impossible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you women do it a lot,¡± he said. ¡°You just conscript them first. Then they¡¯re no longer civilians. Makes washing off the blood from your pristine hands all the easier, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s blood fumed. ¡°Tell me, where he is now.¡±


    ¡°This Queen is a funny woman,¡± the commandant said. ¡°She thinks she can make us answer herself. I wonder if she feels all-powerful right now that our hands are tied and we¡¯re beaten.¡±


    ¡°Did you feel powerful when you killed those defenseless women, Commandant?¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t help but say his rank with nothing but poison. It sounded so disgusting for her to even utter.


    ¡°Defenseless? Ha! They resisted. With their wands. Twenty-thousand PC volunteers have died since the start of the internal war at the hands of resistance groups. If you think about it, can women even count as civilians when all of you are walking biological weapons?¡±


    ¡°Biological weapons?!¡± Amelie was astounded by the sheer lunacy of this man. How could he even refer to them that way? ¡°Is that how you view us?¡±


    ¡°We men require a weapon to kill. You require only your imagination, to weave the fabric of reality, and command it to kill us,¡± the commandant said. ¡°Dangerous biological weapons. In a way, monsters. Look at our world since your magic appeared. It corrupted it, and as a consequence, only we suffered. It¡¯s clear that to end it, we must cleanse magic in its entirety, and it can only be done in one way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mad,¡± Amelie stood up, almost retreating from them. ¡°You three are mad.¡±


    The administrative officer stared at her with nothing but a clinical gaze. ¡°Look at her, all bothered by men in handcuffs. Fascinating.¡±


    ¡°What are you even¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating. That¡¯s all I can say. Even your halo is glowing ever so slightly. Our experiments led to a lot of fascinating discoveries, did you know? You women and your powers are fascinating. Shame, we cannot learn more, now that our operations have ended.¡±


    ¡°A lamentable end state for science,¡± the commandant added. ¡°Truly lamentable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame they¡¯re shooting our researchers,¡± the Administrative officer replied. ¡°Truly, they¡¯ll do everything to frustrate our efforts.¡±


    ¡°Your scientists conducted unethical experiments on innocent women!¡± Amelie was already almost crying as she ran out of responses to these madmen. ¡°I don¡¯t blame any of my soldiers for doing it!¡±


    ¡°I think this is enough,¡± William said in a detached tone when he caught her as she backed away. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you would want to even converse with these kinds of people. You really are a strange person.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Men, get them back to their cells,¡± William ordered, as the armed agents of the OPM (Office of Preventative Measures), mostly members of William¡¯s 16th Armored Battalion, who all continued to act as her personal guard under the OPM, rounded up the three lunatics. Amelie looked back at William, as they left the interrogation room, and returned to the white-lit, almost clinical halls of the OPM¡¯s headquarters.


    ¡°William, those people¡­they really are wrong in the head,¡± she said. ¡°How can someone even¡­be that way?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem of my agency. Regardless of their mental insanity, we¡¯d eventually extract what we need,¡± William replied. ¡°Hopefully, they aren¡¯t dead by the time we¡¯re done. We¡¯re already interrogating hundreds. If none of them cracks, then I hope the AFI, NID, or RIU¡¯s field agents up north can find him.¡±


    ¡°William¡­is this really right? We¡¯re basically¡­torturing them. We¡¯re almost doing the same thing that they did.¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± William said. ¡°Do you want me to stop it?¡±


    Amelie looked back at the interrogation room. She couldn¡¯t give him an answer.

 Chapter One Hundred Forty: Mission...Success?

    ¡°General Richstoff and the Lieplatzan Junta¡¯s remaining top leadership has seemingly disappeared, with the head of the monstrous military state¡¯s whereabouts remaining unknown. Speculations that they have escaped, or worse, committed suicide, is now growing rampant amongst international analysts. Such a possibility however is an ugly one, for these men need to be tried for their crimes against women and humanity.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    March 2, 2025


    ¡°The operation¡¯s complete report is now being handed to all of you. At the moment, that¡¯s the best after-action overview we can offer.¡± General Albrecht said, representing the OHC once more. The three men most responsible for the liberation of Lieplatz¡ªGeneral Victor Albrecht, Admiral George Halberd, and Chief Air Marshall Lewis Zimmerman seemed to be almost standing on trial in front of the Heiss Cabinet.


    The members of the Heiss Cabinet were already reading the report files handed to them, which detailed everything that happened in an overview. The entire sequence of events, the documented crimes, and abuses conducted by the Lieplatzan Junta, down to the casualties and losses sustained by the Orlish Armed Forces and the limited KDUs that participated in the tail end of the invasion.


    ¡°In the end, fourteen-thousand Orlishmen found themselves as casualties in this whole debacle,¡± the Prime Minister lamented. ¡°That¡¯s in an entire month of operations.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually lower than the casualties we sustain each week with the Federal Republic, Your Majesty,¡± the Chief Air Marshall said. ¡°In comparison, the Lieplatzans suffered somewhere around a hundred fifty thousand casualties.¡±


    ¡°That just shows the OAF¡¯s effectiveness against anyone but ourselves,¡± the Deputy Prime Minister, Walter Plock said proudly. ¡°If only we had full air superiority, we¡¯d have long cracked the Federalists. This just proves that the doctrines we used to beat the Order Pact are still viable. Those Lieplatzan trenches didn¡¯t last when our air force bore down on them.¡±


    General Albrecht nodded. ¡°Indeed. Especially when we knocked down their SAMs using SEAD. All in all, the lesson we learned here is that mobile warfare is the only way to win this war. But we cannot do that without air supremacy.¡±


    ¡°We just confirmed old lessons, something that the Federalists know well too,¡± the Chief Air Marshal said. ¡°And I should say, gaining air supremacy is difficult when we are fighting our own air force. We¡¯re really only finding this war difficult because we are fighting our own forces. Deploy us in another country, and the OAF will still show what made Orland a hegemon.¡±


    Amelie smiled a bit. ¡°That¡¯s good. I was worried we lost all of our force projection capabilities since the start of the civil war.¡±


    ¡°Not gonna happen,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Even if most of our forces are tied with the Federal Republic, the OAF stands supreme if we deploy expeditionary forces. Of course, the problem is that we¡¯ll still be limited by the conditions on our frontlines here. This means we cannot send our full force to the Ivory Alliance should a Confederate invasion come in Gaul. But still, we can send something.¡±


    ¡°Thus, we cannot be overconfident,¡± Admiral Halberd cautioned. ¡°There are still real risks that we might lose in the frontlines with the Federalists, or we won¡¯t be able to send anything against the Confederacy. But I believe that wouldn¡¯t come due from frontline defeats, but from developments here, in Eutstadt.¡±


    The Prime Minister raised her head from the report files. ¡°Here?¡±


    ¡°I know why,¡± Defense Minister Pristina Dubois said. ¡°Morale issues with you men, no?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t call it morale issues, Defense Minister,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°But ideological ones. Remember why we¡¯re fighting for your side. Because if we lose that cause, my words would mean nothing to our men. All these well-equipped, advanced, battle-hardened veteran troops mean nothing if they find no reason to fight for the Royalist cause, and find that reason in the Federalist¡¯s promises.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re all in agreement to that,¡± Amelie said.


    Ministers Alfred Hegel and Jan Sobieski both gave their resounding affirmations. ¡°Damn right, we are! For heaven¡¯s sake, when are you going to put your foot down and brute force women into being useful?¡±


    The question from the mouth of Minister Hegel almost stunned the women of the room.


    ¡°Minister Hegel, please don¡¯t speak of us that way,¡± Minister Allison Thell defensively said. ¡°We¡¯re trying, for heaven¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Not enough. Won¡¯t be enough at this rate,¡± Minister Sobieski said. ¡°You¡¯re all dragging your feet and being useless. Volunteer forces of the KDUs are nice, but if you all really want to get the OAF in some grand worldwide campaign, then you all would better give us a million or two of fresh young women to feed into the meat grinder in the frontlines, and millions more in the homefront.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± even the Minister of Economy, Countess Anne Wittfield said. ¡°Perhaps a third of those managerial white-collar positions are useless. We don¡¯t need any more bloated bureaucrats, middle managers, and pencil pushers in our economy at this moment. Which is where the majority of women fall in. We need actual manpower to fuel our industrial weight. Though, it might take a year or two to fully mobilize and train people for it.¡±


    ¡°Thank god someone sane understands!¡± Minister Sobiesky said as he laughed in an almost delirious manner. ¡°I thought we were surrounded by utter fools.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± the Minister of Economy sharply said. ¡°Don¡¯t assume nonsense. Everyone in this cabinet knows that half of our population is too coddled and such a situation is detrimental to our war effort. The difference is that you men are ignoring political realities. This government is dealing with the problem in a cautious manner, as we should. Being an impatient child will not bode well either.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°In any case,¡± Amelie breathed out. ¡°It¡¯s great that we all recognize the issues we are facing. That¡¯s¡­good¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, you did handpick this government, Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Quite frankly, serving under this one is better than the last one.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not make backhanded remarks to a dead Queen, please,¡± the Archduchess said. ¡°Not the time and place.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Defense Minister.¡±


    Everyone fell silent until Walter leaned forward from his seat. ¡°So everyone, what¡¯s our big plan, from now on?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, on that. About Lieplatz,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Still no General Richstoff news?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± General Albrecht replied. ¡°Bet that bastard blew his brains before our boys apprehended him. But we are still searching. If he didn¡¯t, our intelligence agencies should have him soon. Maybe if we¡¯re lucky, some Orlish Marine or Army trooper will find the bastard hiding in some shabby hole. Who knows?¡±


    ¡°So it comes down to luck then,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°And patience.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe all that happened,¡± Minister Thell said, as she scanned the report file. ¡°The amount of these poor innocent women we¡¯re treating in Orlish hospitals and medical facilities is astounding. And just¡­seeing how many died in unmarked mass graves¡­¡±


    ¡°We have no official numbers,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Not without knowing the figures from the other half of the country. As of now, the estimates are ten to twenty thousand dead. The range becomes harder when you factor in the East. Could reach up to fifty thousand at most.¡±


    ¡°The absolute horror,¡± Prime Minister Jacqueline said. ¡°For centuries, this scale of casualties for women has never happened. It¡¯s hard to accept this.¡±


    The men in the room didn¡¯t have a response to that.


    General Albrecht breathed out. ¡°About the state of the new Lieplatzan Royal Armed Forces¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°We need that, quick, actually. Preferably, we need to free up OAF troops to send to Gallia.¡±


    ¡°We have around four hundred thousand troops of the Lieplatzan Army that surrendered to us,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°While their material losses were heavy, with half of their original capabilities gone, and a good chunk still unaccounted for, we can replace that. The thing is, we have four hundred thousand battle-hardened veterans lying idly in our POW camps¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Most of these men surrendered quickly because they disliked the Lieplatz Junta, and wanted to defect to us,¡± General Albrecht explained. ¡°Much of their radical units actually were transferred to the Protection Corps before we crossed the borders¡­which means they already weeded themselves off from the Lieplatzan Armed Forces before any ¡®deradicalization¡¯ efforts on our part commenced.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying, we can simply arm these men again, and send them in the frontlines against the Federalists?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°That sounds like a risky idea.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t say we wouldn¡¯t screen and weed out the bad apples first. That would be quite stupid. That just means the risk of them turning their arms around will be higher. But what I¡¯m saying, if we can get the Lieplatzan Queen to do some carrot-on-stick approach, all while we rearm, screen, retrain, and embed OAF advisors, we can rebuild the Lieplatzan Armed Forces to fight alongside us.¡±


    That option did seem doable, if a bit risky for Amelie. The thing was, she needed troops freed for the potential conflict in West Vaeyox. Well, the potential was a lie. The upcoming MN conference this March was mainly going to be about that and the ongoing wars in Vaeyox as a whole. It would be about what women-aligned countries would do now that radical male-led revolutionary republics¡­were in that whole ¡°global revolution¡± game. It was an inevitable war that both sides were preparing for, no denial on that one.


    General Albrecht already said it himself. The OAF can fight outside the country. But they need more people, especially here. It made sense. Half of the OAF, alongside newly-raised (most likely women) second-rate (she found describing them that way distasteful) could hold the Federalists at bay. At the moment, they already were transitioning into a new grand strategy.


    The Federalists¡­were hard to beat. They had technology on par or even superior to them. Worst of all, the entire winter and the frontlines in Orland solidified extremely. Both her side and the Federalists invested heavily in deep defensive lines. Not only that but in those months, Amelie ordered vast amounts of SAM systems to cover West Orland and the Free Confederation. She had entire trench networks that would be impossible to beat by those Federalists unless she lost her powerful air defense networks and the already numerically superior Royalist Air Force. So much so that the Federalist strategic bombing efforts were faltering.


    The problem¡­the Federalists did the exact same. The OHC already briefed her about it. Holding them would be hard, but it was extremely possible. In fact, the chances of them beating her were impossible, at least offensively. But¡­but, and this was where Amelie¡¯s plan fell. The Federalists¡­were isolated from the rest of the revolutionary effort.


    They were isolated from Vaeyox, where the Confederacy, and the rest of the ¡°Vanguard Republics¡± were at. Unlike the Federal Republic, these countries, except for the Republic of Asturia, were inferior to Orland¡¯s and the Ivory Alliance¡¯s armies. The Confederacy¡­though massive, and indeed powerful, was also inferior technologically to Orland.


    The only reason the Ivory Alliance struggled against the Republic of Asturia was the fact that they also operated under the Ivory Alliance¡¯s doctrines, and technology and that they held a powerful industrial capability. Add in the fact that her Orland generally didn¡¯t support the invasion of that country (Amelie, at this point really wanted to pull her hair out considering that the Republic of Asturia had already reformed rapidly into a democracy while at war, but the Queens of Gallia and Lorathia still insisted to topple them, when they could have been an ally) that the Lorathian-Gallian intervention failed.


    On the other hand, the Confederacy was a big problem, but only temporarily. If Amelie could stop them at Gallia, she would have an easy shot at dismantling the second powerhouse of the revolution. And along that, were the rest of her enemies in Vaeyox. If she could end the revolution in Vaeyox by blunting their attempts of launching offensives against MN-aligned countries while Amelie¡¯s Orland was distracted¡­


    She could strangle the Federalists. They would bleed and bleed while being cut off from the rest of their allies. If she could not beat them right now due to an offensive being an impossible option, then she planned to starve them out. To let them wither in the vine. To starve them out. An entire rebel fortress nation, under her siege.


    But she needed troops to hold them while the OAF shifted to an expeditionary role. Both in Orland and Lieplatz.


    In Orland, she had the option of mass conscripting women into the Royal Guard, and fully implementing the KDU-style organization en masse, essentially giving her a second Orlish Army, except, it would be manned by young women. Second, the United Crowns of Arkelia were now speeding up their mobilization efforts. It seemed clear that they would intervene soon.


    That would be more second-rate troops she could use to man the trench lines.


    Then, up north, if I can rebuild the Lieplatzan Armed Forces quickly from these surrenderees¡­I will have more garrisons up north¡­and since no offensive action will be taken, we will be in pure defense¡­


    It¡¯s doable.


    Amelie nodded. Perhaps that would really be the best plan of action. The OHC did already tell her it in the first place, and General Albrecht was reconfirming it right now in front of the cabinet by telling them of this option¡­so¡­


    ¡°Alright, General,¡± Amelie said. ¡°We¡¯ll try that plan of yours. We¡¯ll add it to our long-term strategic plans.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Forty-One: On the Conference

    ¡°Confederacy forces are spotted building up on the Gallian¨CPoznek border. The Mandate of Nations has now sounded the alarms regarding the potential flashpoint, all while calling for the Confederacy to ¡®reverse its hostile actions¡¯ and to ¡®stop its rampant destabilization of the continent¡¯. The Gallian and Lorathian kingdoms however remain adamant in their response, as the Gallian side of the DMZ continues to see an endless buildup of defenses to face any attack from the east.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    City of Brewich


    West Vaeyox


    March 8, 2025


    Amelie was tired due to the long air travel.


    By the time she reached her own room, a spacious and overly luxurious one, as was usual for someone of her own stature, Amelie flopped straight to her sofa. William and Nia followed from behind, with William carrying the lion¡¯s share of her belongings. Both of them sighed at her sight, as her face melted on the soft pillows.


    ¡°Haahhh¡­I hate airplanes¡­¡± Amelie said to the pillow, as Nia sighed, tapping the notepad she was holding.


    ¡°We have a lot to do, Amelie. You can¡¯t just laze around. The conference starts tomorrow, so it would be best to prepare everything immediately.¡±


    William nodded. ¡°While this embassy is protected by the RGO, we have to be secure regardless. I still need to direct my agents to their preparations.¡±


    ¡°Even Marie¡¯s RIU is already present in the city,¡± Nia said. ¡°We can¡¯t be sure, even with the saturation of MN-aligned spies and agents, not to mention the United Confederation¡¯s Security Corps present here. The reports about the attempts on Princess Kawasaki¡¯s life have still been¡­worrying¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you both do have a point,¡± Amelie immediately sprang out of her overly relaxed state upon remembering that. She certainly didn¡¯t want to end up in that kind of situation when she was outside of Orland. Quite frankly, leaving the November Palace alone considerably increased the risks to her continued existence.


    What more now that she was outside of Orland? While the United Confederation had incredible defenses which solidified its position of being the few countries where world leaders could feel nominally safe to conduct face-to-face conferences and meet each other, the world had been less safe ever since the end of the Great War.


    Especially when the rogue revolutionary states were now outside of the international rules of the Mandate of Nations. Their interests would be to potentially strike now that many high figures of the MN were in one city.


    ¡°The faster I¡¯m out of this city, the better my chances will be,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Though, I really hope no one attacks us. We¡¯re uncomfortably too close to the Gallia¨CPoznek DMZ after all¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mountainous, and the Gallian¨CLorathian¨COrlish Air Forces are patrolling Pez¡¯s air space alongside Pez¡¯s considerable air defense and air force anyway, so an attack on us conventionally is unlikely,¡± William said. ¡°However, an attack from the shadows is a possibility, so we have to be prepared for that.¡±


    ¡°I sure as hell don¡¯t want to end up as a target of another black ops attack,¡± Amelie said. ¡°No, just¡­no.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, so let¡¯s start,¡± William said. ¡°First, you and Nia would prepare this room. Then, my agents would be planting extra cameras around here¡ª¡±


    ¡°William! You¡¯re speaking to two ladies!¡± Nia said, red-faced.


    ¡°For security purposes,¡± William retorted without much care. ¡°No one¡¯s placing stuff in compromising areas. But yes, after that, we¡¯ll map out any possible points of entry, directions of attack, etc leading to this room and the rest of this building.¡±


    ¡°And after that?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll recon the MN Headquarters and the General Assembly Building, group up with Ivory Alliance agents, link up with the RIU present in this area, get in touch with the Royal Guard, alongside the United Confederation Defense Forces and the Brewich Police Force, and finalize everything. This is¡­a mess, after all, a complete coalition work of multiple agencies and security forces. It¡¯s almost a puzzle even¡­¡±


    ¡°That just sounds like a massive vulnerability waiting to be exploited¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°A simple misunderstanding might lead to conflict between allies, and those revolutionaries might just use that.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, which is why we need to get into contact with all of them, properly. I know full well that the security plans we discussed with them remotely would not last upon first contact, they¡¯d collapse in the face of chaos. For example, why did LI5 decide that they would be the ones checking in those who entered by airport? For all we know, those Lorathian agents have been bribed¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really such a mess,¡± Nia said. ¡°I thought this entire conference was so high-profile that it took months of planning and preparations so it will go smoothly.¡±


    William merely laughed at that. ¡°Welcome to coalition warfare, the both of you. It¡¯s a goddamn messy mess of piss.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    +++


    Once again, Amelie was delighted to see that her first visitor had been her favorite monarch of all. The now-Empress Xue Li arrived a little earlier in the United Confederation, and it seemed that she actually wanted to meet Amelie first before anything else. And so, when the Orlish Embassy alerted Amelie about the request from the Hebeian Empire¡¯s diplomatic networks, Amelie gave them the green light in mere seconds.


    ¡°Nia, give her some tea, would you?¡± Amelie said as Nia poured Amelie¡¯s cup some tea. The two of them were in one of the Orlish Embassy¡¯s lounge rooms, where the two of them could talk about Orland¡¯s and Hebei¡¯s relationship over a cup of tea (or two, or three, Amelie didn¡¯t care, her limits in the realm of tea was unlimited!), and change its directions to wherever would best suit their grand strategy of winning against the revolution¡¯s unending tide.


    ¡°I appreciate the gesture,¡± Empress Xue said. ¡°So, about the upcoming conference¡­I suppose it¡¯s time to exhaust all of our diplomatic capital for this one, huh?¡±


    ¡°I will expend everything to get the MN to unite,¡± Amelie said. ¡°We can¡¯t go through this with half-measures. If we want to stop them and liberate the lands they occupy, we¡¯d have to go to war as one. The Coalition of Free Nations is practically de facto alive right now¡­¡±


    ¡°True. We already received reports that the Confederacy has sent volunteer brigades to the Northern Republic already¡­¡± the Empress sighed. ¡°They¡¯re also probably sending weapons. We¡¯ve already been struck with a handful of Larissan-designed missiles and drones, after all.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They¡¯re using low-flying drones that sneak through your radar to act as suicide bombs against whatever they want to target?¡±


    ¡°Extremely cheap drones as well,¡± the Empress said. ¡°While the air defense SAM units you provided us were useful, we are running against a wall in these endless drone attacks. They¡¯re hitting our logistical, communication, and even factories with drones that cost below ten thousand Orlish Blancs. Meanwhile, we¡¯re sending in missiles that cost twice or thrice that.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re designed by the Confederacy¡­?¡±


    ¡°Technologically inferior by Orland¡¯s standards, but their cheapness is a massive factor to their effectiveness. These drones¡­they deliver what should be done.¡±


    Amelie sighed. In Orland, drones were also playing a major part in the war. In fact, right now, most infantry casualties were due to both sides using cheap drones to infiltrate air defense networks by their sheer stealthiness and numbers in order to drop ordnance directly into covered trench lines and foxholes.


    They also greatly increased both her side¡¯s and the Federal Republic¡¯s capability on artillery strikes. While UAVs and satellites proved to be the OAF¡¯s main asset for surveillance and fire control early on, their UAV fleet had already been slightly defanged, which forced them into temporary alternatives. Alternatives that were proving to be extremely capable on their own.


    ¡°Even the Federalists are using the same tactics at times,¡± Amelie said. ¡°It would not be out of the possibility that they¡¯re already sharing tactics and technology to fight us.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Meanwhile, the Gallian Queen refused to heed my warnings to her not to conduct that offensive, and so did the Lorathian Queen. Look at them both, squirming at the sheer casualties they¡¯re taking so stupidly at trying to bash their heads through the defenses of Asturia.¡±


    ¡°They really need to learn their lessons,¡± Amelie said, sipping her tea with a sigh. ¡°But, regardless, feeling bitter about our allies¡¯ conduct of war won¡¯t be productive. Please, be patient.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± the Empress said. ¡°Watching the Empire of Asanai do nothing ever since the coup that deposed my mother had already trained me in extending my patience in an astounding manner. I believe whatever happens in the conference wouldn¡¯t be too much.¡±


    She laughed a bit. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    And Amelie returned that with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s good then. We also need to wrestle the Asanaians into this¡­alongside many nations. Hah¡­it¡¯d be a true pain.¡±


    ¡°At the very least, the Asanaians have been providing my Empire with valuable intel and humanitarian aid for a while now,¡± the Empress said. ¡°Perhaps, if you nudge them well, we will get a good result from this.¡±


    ¡°About that. I also talked with Princess Yumi Kawasaki.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°And get this, after the assassination attempt, she told me that the Empire is now changing course. We might really get the Asanaians on board this whole defense alliance thing. And after that, I doubt many neutral nations would back out.¡±


    ¡°Not especially if Hebei joins,¡± the Empress said. ¡°And we will. We¡¯re really just waiting for an opportune moment. But do you know what would really help?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Making Princess Anastasia Illyenov¡¯s Imperial Remnants join.¡± The Empress took a sip of her tea. ¡°Think about it, the leaders of the non-aligned nations joining in on the MN Defense Pact, add in everyone in the Ivory Alliance, and add in the still-named legitimate government of the Larissan Empire. Such levels of legitimacy would leave the neutrals no choice!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ambitious,¡± Amelie laughed a bit. ¡°But¡­to make those¡­Larissans, join¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you hold a grudge against her,¡± Xue leaned a bit forward as she spoke¡­almost cutely. ¡°You know, I think I can see it there.¡±


    Amelie looked away, as she turned into denial. ¡°Oh, absolutely not. Why would I hold any grudges to her? She¡¯s not Katerina. But¡­but if I let her enter, first, she needs to say sorry, five times, grovel on my feet, say sorry five times again, then¡­then¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s angry,¡± Xue concealed her giggles with her mouth. ¡°Shall I relay that intel to the Princess of Larissa then? She¡¯s really trying hard to win you over, so perhaps if she uses the methodology you are proposing¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no! Stop there!¡± Amelie said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­look¡­it¡¯s the Larissans. What if she stabs us in the back?¡±


    ¡°Would she?¡± Xue asked. ¡°Are you quite sure of that assessment, or are your biases simply clouding your reasoning?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    The Empress took a long sip of her tea, as she finally turned serious. ¡°Look, Your Majesty, I implore you to think of this clearly. That perhaps by tomorrow, you¡¯ll see reason and subscribe to my gambit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can trust her, Empress Xue.¡±


    ¡°And she doesn¡¯t know if she can trust you, Queen Amelie. But what I do know, is just like you and me, she needs allies. And she needs you to let her Larissa survive, just as I need you to let my Hebei survive. And just as you need the both of us to survive against the Federal Republic.¡±


    Amelie looked down.


    ¡°I see your point. I¡¯ll¡­think things through, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll come up with the right answer,¡± Xue smiled. ¡°You always do, anyway. Eventually.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Forty-Two: Our Allies Arent So Great

    ¡°The Loviedo Conference ends with the signing of the Treaty of Loviedo. Eighteen ¡®Vanguard Republics¡¯, one in North Opellia, and seventeen in Vaeyox, led by the four members of the ¡®CFN Security Council¡¯, the Federal Republic of Orland, the Confederation of Larissa, the Republic of Asturia, and the Republic of Hebei, have finally joined forces to ¡®defend the revolution from global reactionary forces¡¯. All member states of the CFN have now announced mass mobilization for the past eight hours since the treaty was signed, fully heightening international tensions to uncontrollable levels for MN Member States.¡±


    - Geopol News


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    ¡°Arkelia agrees to these terms,¡± Chancellor Lies Lozeman said without much hesitation. Another preliminary meeting between Orland, Lorathia, Gallia, and Arkelia was ongoing, with them being the four main powers in the Western Hemisphere left in the MN. The Arkelians were a new addition, but one that Amelie expected after her meeting with the Princess of Ruland last time.


    It seemed that they were extremely eager to join the war now that things had fully heated up. It was lucky, as the Arkelian Expeditionary Forces (AEF) had already mobilized for the past few weeks. Should they join, Amelie expected a massive amount of troop deployments to aid her in Orland. That was good.


    Extremely good.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­quite the good development, Chancellor Lozeman,¡± Amelie said. Chancellor Lies Lozeman was someone that Amelie had a growing fondness for. For some reason, the woman managed to fully wrestle control from the four queens of the United Crowns to not just fully mobilize their peacetime armed forces but to also approve her plans of joining the war on the side of the Mandate of Nations.


    But not just that. Foreign Minister Adelaide already reported just hours earlier that they had just signed an economic treaty with the Arkelians that would allow Orland to build industrial bases straight in Arkelian lands. Fueled by Orland¡¯s skilled workers, and Arkelia¡¯s cheaper labor costs, Amelie was looking at a massive increase in industrial production within the next year or two.


    That would be industrial production right next to Orland, connected to her growing industries in the west coast, and far enough away from the frontlines that the Federalists wouldn¡¯t be able to touch it. But the most important part was the intact coastal cities on Arkelia. The loss of Orland¡¯s east coast ports had been disastrous since only cities in southeastern Orland and west Orland were deemed safe enough for continued economic activity. As such, those Arkelian cities would be easing up the bottleneck of industrial-scale raw materials shipment in west Orland¡¯s port cities by diverting some of the load in Arkelian port cities that were already connected by rail to Orland.


    ¡°Indeed. Orland¡¯s and the Ivory Alliance¡¯s security and economic interests are the interests of Arkelia. Goddess knows that just as my country needs unity instead of disunity, the international community needs the same. North Opellia must be united in the face of this crisis.¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°This will be a good message to our South Opellian sisters. I hope they¡¯ll see reason and join the MN¡¯s efforts.¡±


    ¡°South Opellia indeed will be a massive boon to our efforts,¡± the Queen of Gallia said. ¡°Unlike Vaeyox, the Pieran Continent and South Opellia had been untouched by the revolution, except for mass unrest. Their countries also recognize the logical supremacy of women. There is no doubt they¡¯ll join us.¡±


    Amelie felt her mood souring at the words from her ally. The fact that the Gallian Queen openly subscribed to the idea of women¡¯s supremacy was¡­indeed not a good one. However, Amelie would have to work with who she could work with. Indeed, while the Pieran Continent and the South Opellian Continent were filled in large part by poorer reactionary governments where magic truly reigned supreme, she needed their resources and manpower.


    Especially South Opellian manpower. They had about the same population as all of Orland. Although they only produced a quarter of Orland¡¯s GDP, every economic value that Amelie could squeeze must be squeezed for the war effort. With enough war investments, she could probably set up more cheap labor factories down there to do the more basic parts of Orland¡¯s high-tech manufacturing.


    Even if South Hebei was still a technically better factory for her, Arkelia and South Opellia seemed to be a better option long term. They were close to Orland, where the frontlines were. And unlike Hebei, they were untouched by the war. Amelie doubted that South Opellian governments would be that useful militarily though. Quite frankly, without the Royal Guard¡¯s endless meddling in that continent, she doubted those unstable Queens would stay in power for too long.


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    Hegemonic politics is such a pain. Same with the Pieran Continent. The Royal Guard was just as active there for the same reason they were active in South Opellia. Keep pro-Orland regimes alive, in order to allow her to keep getting that sweet sweet Pieran black gold and raw resources. Their massive nearly enslaved populations toiling in Pieran plantations, mines, and refineries was something Amelie found extremely distasteful.


    But again, the fact that they fuel North Opellia¡¯s and West Vaeyox¡¯s more advanced but resource-hungry economies was something she could not deny. It was the most lamentable part of her plan. She doubted she could change much for the men of the Pieran continent. If Orland was bad to its men, over there, Pieran men were practically under de facto economic slavery for richer Pieran women.


    Regardless, I have to smile if I want them to join me. If Amelie had her way, she would have been staring daggers at the Gallian Queen for finding the fact that they were extremely reactionary as a great boon. Well, she was a reactionary, so¡­it was whatever, really. She hoped that if this old woman died, the next one would be someone at least half-decent. No wonder their Armed Forces had been so ineffective during the Great War.


    Unlike the OAF which was freed from the whims of Royal Guard handlers, the GAF continued to be subordinate to Queen Clericia¡¯s version of the RGO. It was probably why they were still stuck trying to bash their heads against the Republic of Asturia even when that country was fighting both Gallia and Lorathia alone.


    These fools had Ivory Alliance technology, but they sure as hell didn¡¯t have the same professionalized force structure that the Lieplatzan, Asturian, and Orlish Armed Forces boasted. Then again, it was probably why Lieplatz, Asturia, and Orland fell into a male-led revolution. A professionalized armed forces was free from the whims of out-of-touch aristocratic women handlers, which allowed them to dominate the battlefields against the Order Pact. Unfortunately, that also meant they were free from the whims of out-of-touch aristocratic women handlers. The same women who had the job of weeding out anyone with the wrong ideas about the current order.


    Quite frankly, only the Asanaians had an organization similar to the OAF that didn¡¯t suffer from a violent revolution. It was why Amelie wanted them on her side more than the Gallians and the Lorathians. By having them, she¡¯d actually have a useful military ally that was good beyond the simple act of holding their enemies back, which was probably the only thing that the Gallian and Lorathian Armies would be good for once the CFN crossed the Gallia¨CPoznek border.


    To hold out until MN reinforcements arrive.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­indeed good news, considering that the CFN is now fully realized,¡± Amelie¡¯s words came out too reluctant. ¡°Though, I do hope that we can come at a unified political str¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Gallian Queen said, completely shooting down Amelie¡¯s bubbling reformist proposals before she could even utter a word. The air in the room seemed to have dropped to disproportionate levels. ¡°Orland¡¯s political policies need not be imposed in any MN nation-state.¡±


    ¡°But Queen Clericia,¡± Amelie tried. ¡°Respectfully, we all have to recognize that everyone in this room and every MN member state has military forces composed mostly of men. Surely, it wouldn¡¯t be beyond reason for us to collectively try¡­to be a little bit kinder to them?¡±


    Queen Clericia Alois gave her a silent stare. ¡°They are paying for their crimes. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°Crimes? What crimes do they need to pay for?¡±


    ¡°Do not play that way in this time of crisis, Queen of Orland. I do not have obligations to educate you on history,¡± the woman took a calm breath as she looked at the map of Vaeyox. ¡°We will control them and make them fight. Whether they like it or not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Amelie looked at the Queen of Lorathia, but it seemed that Queen Eliette didn¡¯t seem to be bothered in any way by the statements from Queen Clericia. Amelie then turned to the Chancellor of Arkelia, who¡­seemed to be giving her a sympathetic nod, but she didn¡¯t speak any further. Amelie was¡­alone. ¡°I see then. I apologize for bringing that up.¡±


    Queen Clericia shook her head. ¡°Naivety is something far too common in young women. Worry not, one day, you¡¯ll grow old and learn of the realities of men.¡±


    There were no comments from Amelie, except for a little nod. She felt like a child in front of the Gallian Queen. Well, compared to them, she was a child. But it boiled her blood. Grow old? These two seemed stuck in their hatred! To Amelie, the matronly way that she condescendingly shot her down was infuriating. She almost wanted to lash at her and remind her of Gallia¡¯s place, but¡­


    But no words came out. Amelie needed her allies in the Ivory Alliance. She didn¡¯t want to make a scene. Just like she probably would hold herself off from lashing out if any representative from the more outwardly women-supremacist countries began speaking later in the Conference. In a way, being face-to-face with the leaders of the global matriarchy¡­


    Amelie somehow understood why the CFN acted in the way that they did. Perhaps, Amelie would never side with their means. Their actions of extreme violence to achieve their political goals. But¡­working with old women who didn¡¯t care for the bloodstains they created. These two same women who ruled their nations for a lifetime already¡­


    She definitely was in agreement. Her side was no saints. They were no saints. The MN¡­would only really mirror the newly formed CFN.


    The monsters that created them¡­the same monsters that Amelie wanted to fight.


    Make a deal with the devil¡­to crush the devil. Her lips returned to their neutral thin line. The eternal position that we are in.

 Chapter One Hundred Forty-Three: Unofficial Communications

    ¡°ARDF forces pushed eight kilometers through weakened Gallian lines in another counter-offensive launched by the Republic. The pincer attacks created a vulnerable bulge in Gallian lines, threatening nearly eight Gallian Army brigades into a possible encirclement. No retreat has been ordered from the Gallian High Command, however, with officials stating that ¡®Gallian troops will hold fast and defeat the enemy¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    That was certainly a surprise, Amelie thought.


    The opening conference yesterday bored her, as it was only the Foreign Ministers and diplomats who participated in the preliminary rounds. Armies of bureaucrats and diplomats carried the night, and Amelie still awaited the reports from Minister Adelaide regarding the discussions, as tomorrow, MN leaders will finally join in the conference to make their long-awaited speeches and proclamations on the international stage.


    However, she had received a more important request today. The Orlish Embassy was notified that diplomats sent by major CFN member-states had arrived. And the first they would visit would be her embassy. Naturally, Amelie alerted William to tighten security, and the Embassy¡¯s already present guards followed suit.


    Amelie took a deep breath as she stopped in front of the room where the CFN officials awaited. Behind her, William and Nia were following her closely. She nodded to the Royal Guard Knight that was beside the door, and the woman opened the door for Amelie.


    Inside were four men, all of them in an almost uniformly similar attire of black suits and ties. She looked at one of them, a man in his late twenties, who had the Federal Republic¡¯s new official bicolor flag on his suit. Gray on top of white, the revolutionary bicolor, with the King¡¯s cross on it. The man looked up at her, as they all stood in attention.


    The Federalist diplomat however stayed sitting, looking her up and down, before he stood up with a seemingly confident smile.


    ¡°Many thanks for accommodating us, Citizen Amelie Ludendorf,¡± the man said. ¡°It is a pleasure to see that diplomacy has a chance.¡±


    ¡°She is the Queen,¡± Nia sharply said, but Amelie made no comments.


    The Federalist however merely smiled. ¡°The nobility and monarchy are abolished in Orland, young lady. We do not recognize anyone above us, for we are all equal.¡±


    Nia reddened at the obvious offense, but Amelie gave her a subtle hint to not respond. William himself only looked at the group of CFN diplomats neutrally, and so did Amelie, and so, with a sigh, Amelie spoke.


    ¡°I am glad you four are here, gentlemen. I believe I have no need to introduce myself, so I would like to know who you are.¡±


    The Federalist diplomat pointed to his ID. ¡°I am Pascual Koch, representing the Federal Republic of Orland.¡±


    The second one followed with his thick Larissan accent. ¡°Vladimir Molotov, representing the Confederation of Larissa.¡±


    Then the third one gave her a respectful nod. ¡°Pablo Martinez, I represent the Republic of Asturia. A good day to you, Miss Ludendorf.¡±


    ¡°May we find peace instead of war, Miss Ludendorf? My name is Su Zan, and I am here to represent the interests of the Republic of Hebei.¡±


    Amelie gave them all a nod as they all proceeded to take their respective seats. She didn¡¯t fully know what these four wanted, but she wanted to entertain them at least. Especially when both the Hebeian and the Asturian regarded her with some form of respect. In fact, for some reason, the Asturian representative didn¡¯t regard her with any form of hostility.


    That seems¡­strange.


    Then again, the Republic had always been one of the few revolutionary republics that tried to court Amelie for recognition and reconciliation, even during the bloody intervention of her allies. In a way, it was lamentable to see them on the other side. Amelie sometimes wondered what it would be like if the Republic of Asturia remained in the Ivory Alliance and the MN.


    But there is no way to return to the past. They chose their side already¡­just unless they go crazy, I will perhaps not send anything against them. Maybe even ask the Gallians and Lorathians to pull out into a defensive line in Gallia and focus on the DMZ against the Confederacy, and to the Alps to face Lombardia.


    That would certainly not hurt her strategy. All she wanted short-term was to hold on to Gallia after all and keep it as a foothold for the Mandate of Nations and the Ivory Alliance in West Vaeyox. If anything, the Republic didn¡¯t need to be an enemy to waste military strength on, when extremist nations like the Confederacy were building up on the border.


    Queen Clericia Alois¡­you foolish old woman.


    ¡°Well then, respected representatives of your¡­well, unrecognized nations, I¡¯d like to know, what are you four here for?¡± The starting question from Amelie almost caused them to subtly tense. ¡°I do not desire conflict, but we have to be honest here. Your governments are illegitimate rebellions. It is a threat to international peace and stability.¡±


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    ¡°We are here to send a message,¡± the man named Pascual Koch said. ¡°The nations of the Coalition are true nations. We are the future. We are the will of the people. We are here to ask you, you ¡®monarchs¡¯ to stand down to the will of the people. You lead a state that goes against the constitutions of the Federation. In a way, an insurrection¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bold words from the rebel,¡± Nia scoffed. ¡°Apologies, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I am simply here to ask that Orland recognize the Republic of Asturia,¡± the Asturian diplomat said. ¡°While it is difficult for me to ask further for our allies, for their conflicts are, at the moment, their internal affairs. I believe the Queen of Orland must do what she can to end the conflict in Asturia. We have no desire to be your enemy.¡±


    Amelie tiredly looked at the Confederate diplomat. ¡°You should tell your sisterly Kingdoms to stop their aggression. This entire conference is a farce. The CFN is a defensive alliance for free nations. Why all the talk as if we¡¯ll end the world?¡±


    Says the man from the country that invaded most of Vaeyox. Amelie really wanted to massage her head. Hearing the Federalists speak was grating to the ears. The Asturian at least restored some of her hope in humanity, but of course, the representative of the Confederacy just had to crush it.


    She looked at the last one. ¡°You¡¯re arming insurrectionists in the south. Surely, that¡¯s a violation of our national security. Continue it, and Hebei might regard Orland as an enemy.¡±


    You don¡¯t represent all of Hebei, Mister. Amelie just looked at him. Well, what did I even expect?


    ¡°I see your requests then¡ª¡±


    ¡°And most importantly,¡± Pascual interrupted. ¡°We are here to ask for the possibility of opening up official diplomatic connections to the Mandate of Nations. Perhaps, one day, you can slip in the surrender letter to us.¡±


    Amelie gave him a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re a confident man, Sir Koch, but I¡¯m afraid that will not happen. However, I see the virtue in your words. It¡¯d be most pleasing to give your entire movement a way to surrender once you had enough. For that is surely close.¡±


    ¡°I struggle to see any reason why you are even here, rebel,¡± Nia said to Pascual. ¡°The Asturian maybe, but the three of you aren¡¯t even in full control of your countries. What are you hoping for by coming here? Do you think the Imperial Remnants in Larissa would surrender to you, Sir Molotov? Do you think Empress Xue Li would lie down her weapons to you, Sir Su? And Sir Koch, what are you even hoping for by coming here from whatever hellish corporate concrete jungle you crawled from, just to insult Her Majesty in front of our faces?¡±


    Everyone fell silent at Nia¡¯s little speech. Amelie turned to her. ¡°Nia, please, cut it out. I know this is ridiculous, but we have to listen, always.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but Your Majesty, look at them. They¡¯re just here to insult you. To insult us. I don¡¯t see respect in the way they speak to you. I struggle to find respect for them as a result. I thought I¡¯d see diplomats. No, I see arrogant men.¡±


    She has a point.


    ¡°Okay, look¡­¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t continue, so she merely turned back to the group of men. ¡°Is she correct, are you lot only here to disrupt us?¡±


    ¡°Disrupt? We are here to represent the CFN!¡± Pascual exclaimed. ¡°You and your fellow monarchs are creating a conspiracy to destroy us. You are going to drag us into the Second Great War. So why should we not be here to stop that? You may not recognize us, but we are here, unarmed, with not even a single guard, marching on your halls, in the hopes of observing and talking. Do you not want to talk?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to talk to a group of ¡®nations¡¯ that are hell-bent on conquest,¡± Amelie retorted, before looking at the Larissan representative. ¡°Sir Molotov, your country, for example, had invaded practically every bordering nation of the Confederacy. You willingly fight wars even when you are already in one. And now, you are forming your troops on the Gallia¨CPoznek DMZ. What more is that other than a desire to invade and conquer.¡±


    ¡°Yet when you do it, it¡¯s liberation?¡± The man said. ¡°Don¡¯t kid me, ¡®Your Majesty¡¯, the world you loved may have cheered you on, but we know what you did. You merely took your piece of the cake when the Federal Republic was already working on dismantling that man. Lecture us for many things. But the Queen of Orland and her navy that are right now imperializing anyone who dared to rebel against the Matriarchy has no right to tell us that our interventions are anything but just. We liberated the men of those countries, and you seek to prevent that.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s blood boiled, as she didn¡¯t exactly have a good counter to that. And so for many moments, her mouth was dry. No words came out, and she almost felt choked by it. Still, she steeled herself as best as she could.


    ¡°Then what, are you planning to ¡®liberate¡¯ Gallia too?¡±


    The Larissan crossed his arms. ¡°We will defend Poznek, Lombardia, and Asturia from aggression from the Mandate of Nations and the Ivory Alliance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my question,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°That is not.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit us with that, ¡®Queen¡¯. We know what you and your fellow matriarchs are planning. You want to end our righteous revolution, and send millions of men to death for the altar of your precious world order.¡±


    ¡°And you want to send millions of men to death for the altar of your deranged revolution!¡± Amelie almost lost it, but she stopped. ¡°Get out. We have nothing more to discuss. Get out.¡±


    The Federalist diplomat laughed for a bit, but Amelie merely snapped.


    ¡°I said get out. The four of you. If you wish to bother other embassies, then bother them. If they would even allow you. Disrespectful scum have no reason to be in the grounds of my nation¡¯s embassy. Get out.¡±


    The Asturian representative sighed. ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty. We shall take our leave.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to the Asturians to be soft to women,¡± the Larissan said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The four of them soon left, and Amelie made sure that the embassy¡¯s staff would make them leave quickly with a quick phone call. When she placed her phone down, she buried her face in her hand.


    ¡°Well that was quite something,¡± William said, leaning back on his chair. ¡°I do applaud them for one thing though. They have quite the balls.¡±


    ¡°Those were no diplomats. They were hecklers.¡±


    ¡°Sorry you both had to go through that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°That was¡­unbecoming of me.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Forty-Four: The Fallen Bear

    ¡°The Orlish Prime Minister gave a speech regarding the deadlock on Orland¡¯s conscription reform, outlining that the situation in the frontlines has now reached levels wherein ¡®inaction may lead to grave consequences¡¯. She has urged the Orlish Parliament to see things through and urged the women of Orland to rethink their safety and comfort. ¡®It is the duty of every Orlish citizen, men, and women, to serve the nation in its time of need,¡¯ she said in her closing remark, fully outlining the need for women to step up for the defense of the Kingdom.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    ¡°Well, I suppose it was inevitable,¡± William said, matter of factly. ¡°Quite frankly, I do not understand your foreign policy on Imperial Larissa anyway. It just¡­well, it doesn¡¯t make sense to me. Empress Katerina is under our captivity. She has no power over her sister and the Empire. I think it¡¯s time we rethink our relationship with them.¡±


    Amelie huffed a bit. ¡°I am rethinking it. It¡¯s just¡­does it have to be this rushed?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s coming,¡± William said. ¡°Alone even, might I add. A full private meeting with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not leaving here,¡± Nia said. She was on the other side of the room, reading a book of some sort. They were still cooling off after all from the CFN visit an hour ago. Entertained would not be the sort of words to describe the trio. Amelie herself was still, at this point, undergoing a stage of grief after hearing those men¡¯s words against her.


    Words of other people, especially when it was partly right, had always been Amelie¡¯s vulnerability. There was no way she could lie to herself that she was¡­possibly, though she¡¯d absolutely slap anyone who would suggest it, that she was¡­well, a soft-hearted woman at the core. And how dare those men stab her that way, on her own damned office, straight into her heart.


    Amelie ate her cake faster. Meanwhile, William merely sighed at the lamentable sight of the Queen he served. A little bit of a verbal spar with those rebellious men, and here she was, eating cake like a child to calm herself.


    In the end, Amelie was still slightly proud of herself that she didn¡¯t end up in an actual shouting match. She certainly felt a bit mature. And so, with a quick sip of her tea, Amelie stopped her spontaneous case of stress eating and turned back to William.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see her.¡±


    ¡°You, me, and Nia?¡±


    Nia laughed. ¡°Well, we better gang up on the poor girl.¡±


    ¡°I like the idea of that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Can I tell our staff to make her feel uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a strange breed of evil, Amelie,¡± William laughed. ¡°Come on, the girl¡¯s barely even an adult. Hell, her older sister isn¡¯t even an adult. It¡¯s a teenage girl trying her damnedest best in the face of war.¡±


    ¡°Eh, she¡¯s an Illyenov,¡± Amelie scoffed. ¡°War is her family¡¯s specialty.¡±


    ¡°You know, I always wondered how you ladies do your rivalry things,¡± William said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was this vicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not vicious, I¡¯m being proportional. Were it not because of House Illyenov, we¡¯d be in world peace no one would be starving and we¡¯d have conquered the moon!¡±


    Both Nia and William laughed at Amelie, who merely crossed her face with a frustrated expression. ¡°I bet she¡¯s just here to start trouble.¡±


    ¡°Just no magical duels, okay?¡± William jested. ¡°Though, if you ladies do one, give me a prompt warning so I can vacate.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it works now, if I get into an actual fight, you¡¯ll be retreating from my side?¡±


    ¡°Damn right, Your Majesty.¡±


    Amelie sighed. ¡°Fine, I lost. I get it. No eye rolls. No starting any trouble. No sudden drawing of my wand¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were trying to copy your dead great-grandmother.¡±


    Amelie frowned, as she imagined herself drawing her wand to challenge the leader of the Eastern Bear in a good magical duel. Oh, how she relished at the thought. When she was a child, she had always imagined herself to be capable of burning down whoever Empress would rule Larissa when she reigned using her wand.


    ¡°I might if she speaks wrong.¡±


    But William just chuckled. ¡°Yep, go on¡­¡±


    ¡°And¡­no insults against her person.¡±


    With a clap, he took his phone. ¡°Well, there it is confirmed. Princess Anastasia Illyenov of the Empire of Larissa, coming into your office next¡­¡±


    +++


    ¡°Well¡­um¡­¡± Amelie certainly felt bad when Princess Anastasia Illyenov, a young woman who had only really recently turned sixteen of age, entered her room. The Princess, far from Amelie¡¯s expectations, was truly not one of Katerina¡¯s caliber. She looked very much like her sister, with her pink hair, with the difference being her purple eyes. ¡°Welcome?¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    William suddenly closed the door, which earned a tiny squeal from the tense young woman. ¡°I apologize, um, Your Majesty.¡±


    And with that, Amelie felt the urge to hug Anastasia grow. But this wasn¡¯t how she was supposed to feel! She was facing the mortal enemy of House Ludendorf, more than House Dubois itself! The Empire of the Illyenov family has always been her country¡¯s greatest rival. She was supposed to feel hate, not this bubbly feeling at seeing such a¡­adorable creature!


    ¡°Nothing to worry about, Princess Anastasia,¡± Amelie calmed her nerves. She needed a quick sip of tea soon if she ever wanted to keep her hands from just head-patting this girl. ¡°Welcome to my office in this¡­well, embassy. It¡¯s quite messy at the moment, but I hope you understand.¡±


    She nodded meekly.


    ¡°I¡­I understand. Your Majesty, my office is always just as messy after all. I have no time to clean up or¡­fix things, when, so many things are happening in the Empire. My people are at war with each other after all. And big sis isn¡¯t there to run things she was supposed to run¡­¡±


    Now, Amelie¡¯s frustrated demeanor returned a bit at the mention of that pink-haired brat. ¡°Your older sister is certainly not the brightest one. Picking a fight with my Orland, at such a time of crisis. It¡¯s difficult to fathom what even was going on in her head. After all, how stupid was that? Orland has the most powerful navy, and Lorathia isn¡¯t far behind, why would¡ª¡±


    ¡°Amelie,¡± William interrupted. ¡°Amelie¡­¡± He stopped and almost whispered to Amelie. ¡°You¡¯re gonna make her cry.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªuh, what?¡± Amelie looked at the somewhat tense Anastasia. ¡°O-oh, I apologize, nothing, sorry I was carried away! Hah, real apologies for that, Princess.¡±


    Amelie rushed out of her seat and immediately took Anastasia, who was surprised, to take a seat in front of Amelie¡¯s table. ¡°Y-your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Take a seat! I think we have a lot to discuss about, don¡¯t we?¡±


    William laughed a bit in the background, but Amelie ignored him. Amelie turned into a complete one-eighty now. This¡­this Anastasia girl. She would be a part of her chess board ! She truly seemed like the perfect candidate for the Larissan throne! Unlike Katerina, Anastasia seemed respectful, and¡­and good! She must be good.


    Oh, I heard she was doing a lot of reforms and is trying to pivot to democracy. I had my doubts, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s unfounded now! This girl, she¡¯s my girl now!


    A replacement to that pink-haired brat rotting in Orland¡¯s captivity!


    ¡°Your Majesty, indeed we do. I am here¡­erm, as much as this would hurt my country¡¯s reputation, to beg. I have heard you are a Queen of gentle disposition and of a benevolent kind. Sure, the Empire has been¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh, shh, calm down. Take a deep breath.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s nervous speech stopped, and Anastasia immediately followed Amelie¡¯s instructions. Taking a deep breath, Anastasia calmed herself down. Oh, how Amelie felt bad for this girl. She surely seemed young, and innocent. Yet she was now handling an Empire that was torn at the seams. She couldn¡¯t imagine the amount of stress Anastasia must be in.


    Oh, if the news about the dire situation of the Imperial Remnants were of any indication, perhaps it was indeed the truth that Anastasia and her regime¡¯s survival was at Orland¡¯s and the international community¡¯s hands. Now Amelie felt bad again, considering how many times she refused to give an audience to the Larissans.


    Perhaps she should have been kinder? Amelie wanted to chastise herself. How stupid of her, to torture such a young innocent soul in that predicament. She needed to make up for it, but how?


    Calm down, brain. You can do this. You can still repair bridges with Anastasia. She¡¯ll be your new friend, I¡¯m sure of it.


    But Amelie would fully understand if the young girl didn¡¯t become one. Perhaps she indeed had been exceedingly cruel to them. Perhaps. Not that it would really change much of the present situation. Regardless of whether or not Orland entertained the Imperial Remnants in Larissa, they hadn¡¯t been able to properly supply Empress Xue Li¡¯s regime anyway. What more about Larissa? Not now, not when they still needed to expand the OAF to keep fighting.


    But still! Amelie felt guilty. Oh, she couldn''t even fathom why she treated poor Anastasia this way. Look at her breath, it almost looked like Alice when she felt all sad. Now this was bad, Amelie really wanted to hug and comfort and say sorry to Anastasia.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty¡­I feel better now,¡± the Princess said, before flashing Amelie a thankful smile so radiant, that Amelie almost melted on the spot. How could the sister of that monster even be this nice? Amelie was at a loss for words.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡¯d like you to feel welcome in this room after all. If you are interested in cooperation and friendship, well, I am too.¡±


    ¡°Is that so, Your Majesty,¡± Anastasia said, almost too eager. ¡°That¡¯s¡­all?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think you¡¯re a kind person, and most likely, a kind leader,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I need more of us on the world stage after all. Young people with kindness and virtue to change everything! Creating the dreamed good-guys team is hard, so I¡¯d like more people aboard here, even if we¡¯re not exactly perfect at¡­well, being good.¡±


    Anastasia laughed. ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re describing this ordeal as something only heroes can save.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are in need of them,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Though I doubt I¡¯d be one, I think we can still try our best. As for you, I¡¯d like to hear more about your situation. Perhaps, we¡¯ll see how we can do things to help.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes almost widened. ¡°Your Majesty, I am so grateful. I¡­it¡¯s been difficult since I started dealing with this whole ordeal after all. Please know that your help would be extremely crucial for our survival.¡±


    ¡°Tell me then,¡± Amelie said. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°Very bad,¡± Anastasia replied. ¡°Those rebels, they¡¯re endless. They¡¯re bashing their heads on the defense lines we constructed. My generals say that within a year or two, our resistance might collapse at this rate. We are trying to fight back, but our industries and weapons stockpiles are limited.¡±


    Amelie took her notepad out. ¡°How limited?¡±


    ¡°In comparison to us, the Confederacy gained sixty-eight percent of the pre-war Larissan industry. While we hold the wealthiest regions of the Empire, we hold too little land and manpower to overcome the rest that has fallen into the rebellion. We seriously doubt the possibility of pushing them back, when we are barely holding.¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°Then what do you need?¡±


    ¡°Guns, supplies, food, intel,¡± Princess Anastasia looked up at Amelie. ¡°And Your Majesty, the most important of all¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We need Orland to let us be accepted back into the world stage,¡± she almost struggled at saying that. ¡°The Empire will not survive without allies. Without being in this global alliance. I¡¯m willing to do everything, and I am doing everything. Change, reform¡­I try¡­I do try to be better. Anything to save the Empire. But¡­without the rest of the world, I cannot see a future without a miracle. And I cannot leave the fate of the Larissan people to a miracle. So, please¡­I beseech you¡­¡±


    Anastasia continued pleading. ¡°Accept us back¡­we need you to survive.¡±

 Announcement!

    Gentlemen, ladies¡ªdear readers!


    I''m proud to announce that Re:Jager is releasing TODAY! Whohoo, I guess, and all that.


    Worked for it for, I think three months, so it''s been a long road. You guys should even notice some thematic (of direct references) to Sovereign in Re:Jager. Hell, to be honest, you can think of the MC as an Isekaid LSS Mech Pilot.


    Ain''t that some cool stuff?


    Anyhow¡ªif you like time loops, mecha (the walking spider tank type¡ªand I mean literally), and armored vehicles dueling fantasy demons with a 90mm Armor Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot¡ªthen, erm, come in!


    +++


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    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Duty and responsibility.


    No matter how deep he is in the pit. No matter how much fate boxed him in the worst positions imaginable, the Falcon Ace always held those words to heart. Even if he is nothing more than an overqualified penal mech pilot. Even when he dies in the field of battle¡ªreborn in a new world with his machine of war.


    And especially now that he is armed with the cycle of truth, giving him the ability to defy death itself.


    And with this new world demanding a new mission from the Falcon Ace: to hunt every demon and stave off the apocalypse¡ªLieutenant Hans Hoffman shall execute this mission at all costs, even if he would die again and again in the process.


    For that is his duty and responsibility.


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 Chapter One Hundred Forty-Five: The Gallian Question

    ¡°Federalist breakthrough contained! Approximately eighteen Federalist brigades attempted a localized winter offensive in the Westlauren Defense Line. OAF forces contained the advance in two days, with the Federalists blunted after a meager two kilometers breakthrough in the Free Confederation¡¯s frozen trench lines. Hundreds of Federal Army tanks and mechs were reportedly destroyed, with casualties estimated to around fourteen thousand Federalists and eight thousand Royalists within a span of two days from the start and end of the battle. This would appear to be nothing more than a failed attempt of the Federal Republic to disrupt Her Majesty¡¯s efforts at unifying the Mandate of Nations in the ongoing conference at Pez.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    ¡°Well, it seems that their attempts are over,¡± William said, after reading the reports from the OHC. Amelie herself merely massaged her temples. President Rimpler and Minister Heindh?ff certainly wouldn¡¯t give her any chance to have a peace of mind. Even when she was an ocean away from North Opellia, they really had to give her a message that they wouldn¡¯t just allow her to get away from the war.


    Of course, it¡¯s nothing anyway. They failed. She¡¯d probably need to give the men of the Westlauren Defense Command a good speech once she came back to Orland. They were, quite honestly, one of the most valiant defenders of the Royalist cause, considering the likelihood of the Free Confederation of Westlauren¡¯s encirclement since day one of the war. Instead of folding however, the men of the WDC stubbornly defended the wealthiest Principality of the Kingdom for a year now.


    While Rebenslof and many coastal cities suffered severe port strikes for example, the Free Confederation¡¯s illustrious cities themselves remained unbombed, courtesy of the eight hundred aircraft tasked at guarding the skies of Northeastern Orland, and the quite frankly overbuilt air defense systems of the Free Confederation.


    Unfortunately, due to the port bombings, and the devastation of the infrastructure in the Grand Duchy of Ludendorf after¡­well, that year-long siege of Halia, Amelie had always treated the Free Confederation as a sort of self-sufficient, autonomous country of Orland. They had to mostly supply themselves, defend themselves, and rule themselves, being metaphorically cut-off from the rest of the country outside of the remaining critical shipments and communication lines that could still traverse through the devastated Grand Duchy to reach them.


    That, and¡­well, the Free Confederation was now nothing but a junta under Amelie. The Westlauren Defense Command had long taken over the duties of the civilian government in that Principality, similar early on to her Principalities¡¯ ¡°Join Task Force Ludendorf¡±. Over there, however, instead of William acting as a sort of Military-Governor, the WDF acted as a de facto military government under the control of ever changing Army and Navy officers that completely baffled her central government.


    At the very least, the control of the NID, AFI, and the RIU in the WDC was high, and almost all those who were in charge were screened and vetted by Marie herself, so Amelie wasn¡¯t that worried that the WDC would suddenly turncoat and straight up surrender the Free Confederation to the Federalists, but, she still had to make an effort to reward them for their actions. Make sure that they knew the Queen appreciated them, and keep them loyal to the cause.


    ¡°General Max Reichen should definitely get medals for it,¡± Amelie said. ¡°He¡¯s the new one in charge, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± William said. ¡°They booted off the previous one three weeks ago. Seems like General Reichen was the right guy for now, considering how he apparently anticipated the attack before he was even placed as head of the WDC.¡±


    ¡°He knew?¡±


    ¡°Well, the AFI knew of the plans a month ago,¡± William said. ¡°Most just didn¡¯t trust their intel. Or well, it was sketchy. But then again, it must have made sense to General Reichen. Westlauren is partially isolated, so it looks like an easier target than the rest.¡±


    ¡°Quite stupid of the Federalists then. They know that the WDC can support themselves with the industrial production of Westlauren alone.¡±


    ¡°On that note, that¡¯s probably running out,¡± William said. ¡°The raw materials available for Westlauren¡¯s war production are rapidly plummeting, which is why shipping must be rapidly restored within the next few months. Either by repairing the railway lines in the Grand Duchy or by shipment from the Allas if the ports and skies are secured. Otherwise, those heavy industries will slump and it¡¯s game over for them.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Amelie said. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m slightly kowtowing to the Lorathians even if I dislike their intervention in Asturia. They have the second largest merchant marine force after us. I need that shipment capacity once the East Coast¡¯s port cities reopen.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± William said. ¡°Can¡¯t have any delays after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I hope Minister Adelaide succeeds in this,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Getting everyone on the same page at last will really give us such a massive boost. The cohesion of the world at resisting the revolution¡¯s violence as one is already in the dumpster. Well, I suppose everything is already in the dumpster.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°But we have to pull it out one by one.¡±


    ¡°And one of those deepest in the dumpster fire is the goddess damned conflict down south of Gallia,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°Say, William. If you¡¯ll speak to Queen Clericia, what would you say?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d say she¡¯s riding her way into demise fairly well,¡± William chuckled. ¡°Having almost half of his Armed Forces stuck in Asturia while the Confederacy, Poznekis, and Lombardians form up on her eastern borders is some prime ingenuity. One wonders how someone can screw so badly that she managed to surround herself with hostile states all because of one southern adventure. I still cannot believe we screwed up so bad we lost Lombardia like that to the Confederacy because Queen Clericia was stupid enough to divert most Ivory Alliance assets against Asturia instead of the Confederacy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your assessment?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll need to mainly get the damned OAF down there,¡± William nodded. ¡°Get the Air Force to fully hold air superiority in the skies of Gallia. Should they try to sweep through the Liebnich peninsula, in another attempt of encircling our forces there before, of course, driving straight into Toldoi with armored forces, well, we can blunt such a tank rush using air power. Would also need a lot of anti-tank capable forces.¡±


    ¡°The GAF already lost a lot of their AT capabilities throughout the intervention,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°She¡¯s actually asking for a quarter of our production capacity in handheld MPATs to be redirected to her. Just to reinforce her more infantry-centric forces manning the Gallia¨CPoznek border.¡±


    ¡°Why not use that as leverage?¡± William asked. ¡°Orlish military deliveries should always come with a cost. Give her more strings attached.¡±


    ¡°Well, Minister Adelaide already did that. The agreement is that we¡¯ll give them the weapons, in exchange they¡¯ll shift most of their forces to their borders. Of course, that, and the fact that they¡¯d stay in the Ivory Alliance, and vouch for whatever moves I take. The downside, again, is that I cannot pursue diplomatic policies contrary to their interests. That¡¯d destroy the soul of the deal.¡±


    ¡°Well, screw that,¡± William laughed. ¡°That lady¡¯s squirming in her throne at this rate with the Confederacy hot on her arse. What she¡¯s gonna do, throw a tantrum, leave us, and die alone? She already boxed herself into a clown corner. Who the hell cares? Force her into a damned ceasefire in Asturia. Make her withdraw back into the border. It¡¯s damned mountains. Mountains! Do they seriously think Asturia will keep chasing them there? I bet the only reason she cannot accept a withdrawal is the fact that she¡¯s saving face in her gigantic screw-up.¡±


    ¡°The Lorathians are planning something about that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°There¡¯s talk that Queen Eliette is in secret negotiations with the ARDF for a ceasefire and peaceful pullout.¡±


    ¡°And thus the end of the ¡®Coalition of the Willing¡¯. Not so much of a united front, aren¡¯t they? Well, it¡¯s their fault for going straight into a stupid intervention without the approval of Orland. Absolute morons of allies do we have. Yeah, that¡¯s the good thing. Make Clericia cave in. Toast her. Push her to the edge. All while saber-rattling about defending Gallia from ¡®unspecified eastern aggression¡¯ to make sure she can¡¯t pull out the argument of ¡®Orland is abandoning us¡¯. Oh, she¡¯ll be angry at you, but she¡¯ll shut up about it. Plus she¡¯s an old woman. She¡¯ll kick the bucket soon anyway.¡±


    Amelie groaned. ¡°You¡¯re such a brutal man. Gee, I get that she sucks, but we don¡¯t have to speak of her that way.¡±


    ¡°Come on, she¡¯s compromising our long-term strategic interests,¡± William turned angry. ¡°And she sent stupid amounts of my fellow men, Asturian, Gallian, and Lorathian into a dumb, frenzied fight with each other, with casualties now probably a few hundred thousand combined. Imagine that stupidity. They were our damned brothers against the Order Pact. Lorathian, Lieplatzans, Gallian, Lombardian, Asturian, and us, all of us, we fought side by side in those damned fields under the banner of the Ivory Alliance. Now we¡¯re in a clown fest.¡±


    ¡°You have a point,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I get it, Queen Clericia isn¡¯t¡­the brightest tool¡ª¡±


    ¡°She never was. Absolute fool of a woman. I still remember fighting with them Gallians. So much of their frontline stupidity came from Queen Clericia¡¯s micromanagement. That, and the fact that Gallian Officers can¡¯t even conduct any proper field meeting without the threat of metaphorical castration by their women handlers. How are you going to conduct a proper combined arms assault to encircle a salient when the guy in charge who knows how to do it found himself removed two days before the goddamned operation because of ¡®traitorous and seditious activities against the Queen¡¯. Then it¡¯d be up to us Orlish soldiers to pick up the slack because the Gallians would inevitably screw up said assault by losing two hundred tanks since the new guy leading it was some newbie puppet of the Gallian Royal Guard.¡±


    ¡°Your rant sounds oddly specific.¡±


    ¡°Battle of Lein, 2022, Northeastern Gallia. Seventy-two thousand GAF casualties against fifty-thousand combined Pozneki and Larissan casualties in the span of two weeks. Only salvaged when an III Armored Corps by then General Heindh?ff reinforced the battle. Damned morons almost wasted a hundred thousand young men in their stupidity.¡±


    Amelie now fully understood why William seemed to have a special hatred of the Gallian Queen. It really seemed like she was one of a kind at screwing things up at the expense of men on the ground.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take what you say in mind,¡± Amelie said. ¡°This is so difficult. Why are my traditional allies the most painful ones¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you gotta guide them,¡± William said. ¡°We¡¯re Orland, Amelie. Orland. The only reason these countries and their economies exist is because of us. They¡¯re nothing without us. Bend them. Make them follow your rules so things go smoothly. If there¡¯s any good thing that should be done, it¡¯s a fully unified command structure for the Mandate of Nations. Led by the OHC, as much as possible. Some Gallian Royal Guard officers should never interfere with battleplans and order of battle already developed by a centralized coalition authority. Call me drunk on temporary power, but I found euphoria in the Royal Guard¡¯s tears when they had to bend to my rules in JTF-Ludendorf.¡±


    Amelie laughed. ¡°I suppose you have a point. Those behind the frontlines shouldn¡¯t interfere in the job and decision making of the officers in charge of the actual fighting.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± William said. He looked at the map. ¡°Well, screw them up tomorrow. I¡¯ll place my trust in you.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Forty-Six: Hawk or Dove?

    ¡°Fourteen Lieplatzan Junta officials were reportedly executed by firing squad by the Military Government of East Lieplatz. General Oswald Kluge has yet to make statements on the matter, but it is assumed that the Federal Army and the new West Lieplatzan Administration are ¡®liquidating¡¯ any link of the former Lieplatzan Junta to the Federal Republic in an effort to clean the name from their former ally¡¯s atrocities.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    Amelie sighed. The High Commissioner of the Mandate of Nations, Hase Chiyu, had just finished her opening speech. Many leaders of the ¡®Civilized World¡¯ already left the Conference yesterday, after the increasing threat of a CFN attack. However, Amelie and most of the leaders of important nations remained firm inside Pez. Quite frankly, to flee would be a great stain on their international confidence.


    ¡°I reiterate that the Mandate of Nations stands together, regardless of the threat that these rogue states present to us!¡± The High Commissioner declared over the microphones. ¡°Already, multiple nations have signed the brewing resolution for this. A resolution to finally formalize the response of the civilized world against the barbarity of this so-called ¡®revolution¡¯. I hope then that today will be a productive one, and that all of us will see reason and see the right path to trek in these troubling times. Thank you all for being here.¡±


    Claps from the many delegates roared through the chamber as the High Commissioner left the podium. It seemed that contrary to the last time that Amelie visited Pez and the MN General Assembly, now, the situation between the remaining members had significantly improved.


    I suppose that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re all threatened. As she expected, petty bickering would take a backseat for a while when the blue menace, now the unofficial umbrella term for the revolutionary republics due to the blue banner of the Coalition of Free Nations, was truly right in front of them. Unity only happens when there is a common threat.


    However, the Mandate of Nations General Assembly had a special guest today. He was one of those representatives from the Coalition of Free Nations. Out of request, they were finally allowed inside the chambers of the General Assembly to let them speak. If for nothing else, this was supposed to be a PR stunt for the Mandate of Nations to officially show the world the barbarity of these men.


    This time, however, it was simply Mr. Pascual Koch who marched up the podium, as it seemed that the other CFN representatives were not invited to speak themselves. The announcer named him as a special guest, and that he had around ten minutes to make their case in front of the Mandate of Nations. Amelie imagined that the MN leadership organized this to intimidate these men, especially him, but she held herself from making any comments as she watched.


    He didn¡¯t seem scared. Quite frankly, these people came to Pez with not a single security team, nor a single weapon on them. Of course, she seriously doubted that there were no secret agents meandering around to escort them, but¡­these men really had quite the guts. To come into the enemy¡¯s lair itself, unarmed, and with the intention to speak ill with them¡­


    It was as if these four, especially Mr. Koch were dancing with death itself.


    At the very least, it¡¯s nice that nothing happened to them. Again, if this was a PR stunt for the CFN to make it look as if they were open to talks and that they had the balls to pull out something as risky as this for peace, it was also a PR stunt for her and the MN to show the world that they were willing to listen. And most importantly, they would not immediately resort to barbaric violence, as the ¡°benevolent¡± matriarchs that they were.


    Of course, that lasted about as long until the CFN delegate reached for the microphones, and the sounds of disapproval from the Mandate of Nations boomed through the chamber.


    ¡°This is shameful,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t do anything about it. I expected it, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Well, you all can boo me all you want,¡± Mr. Koch said on the podium. ¡°I shall speak regardless. I am the Head of External Affairs of the Coalition of Free Nations, Pascual Koch. You can remember my name if you would like, or not. Not that it truly matters. I stand here not expecting respect, nor do I stand here to speak eloquently as I sing praises to all of you, as all of you high folks would like. For I am not a man born of high standing. Nor have I tasted quite a life such as that. I am of the common man, of the generation you all damned. Representing them up here for once. Why? Because you are all shocked by our actions. You are all here, panicking, and scared, yet making threats. Making preparations. Talking. Talking about how you would deal with us, all while hiding that fear behind your eyes.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The chamber fell silent. Amelie supposed the man had a point in his words. Truthfully, all the officials she had talked to were here because of one thing. Fear. Fear of the Coalition of Free Nations. The name may be quite ridiculous for a group of some extremely flawed revolutionary ¡°democracies¡±, juntas, and dictatorial republics, but it still represented a threat so credibly, that no woman of today would be able to deny that a disaster was upon them.


    The clock had already been ticking since the shots fired during the great economic crisis of 2024. Then, the first rumbles of tank threads during the first coups. Then, the brief but still decisive war between Orland and Larissa, leading to the violent collapse of the two global superpowers (even if Amelie¡¯s Orland was still technically clinging to her status regardless of the war in her home), and now¡­the great standoff between the new rogue states produced by the 2024 revolutionary wave and the rest of the world.


    Now, all of these rogue states, nominally isolated, unrecognized, and treated with searing hostility by the ¡°legitimate¡± member states of the Mandate of Nations, had united into one alliance. A power block that they could not simply choose not to recognize. Well, Amelie and her fellow peers would never truly officially recognize them¡­that would set a bad precedent¡­


    But they now had to acknowledge their threat.


    Beyond acknowledgment, she was fighting them already. Almost all of the seven great powers, Orland, Gallia, Lorathia, Larissa, and Hebei, were fighting a CFN member state already, with only the Asanai Empire remaining out of it, and Asturia itself already fully devoured by the revolution. The world was at war, the Great Powers were at war. Many of the second-rate powers such as Lombardia, Lieplatz, and Poznek had already been dragged into it, and more soon would follow.


    What more of the petty Kingdoms and independent Principalities now stared at the CFN war machine without anything to defend themselves with? They were now all staring at a bloody mess that was coming for them, whether they were knee-deep in the conflict or sitting on the sidelines. Indeed he was right.


    They were all here because they were afraid of them.


    ¡°And while I would like to gloat at the fact that we¡­oh, your lowly drones, have somehow managed to strike terror into your pristine hearts after three centuries, ultimately, I am not here to make the case for men. Quite frankly, it bores me to lament all day about our circumstances. Quite frankly, hostility against women is not something any of us wants, as shown by President Rimpler¡¯s valiant intervention against Lieplatz. No, I am not here for that. I am here to speak to those still uninvolved in this conflict. What? Would you all fall for the lies of the Great Powers? That you have to step up and fight for the global order that kept you down? I ask you? Do you want to send another generation of your cheap workforce to an unprofitable venture? Oh, yes, while it is indeed quite the scathing term for my kind, well, I¡¯ll use it anyway, for it is the truth. Thus I ask you again, do you want to send them into a pointless war?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Someone shouted from the chambers. She was a representative from the Kingdom of Constania, one of the Order Pact countries in West Vaeyox fighting against the Confederacy¡¯s ¡®revolutionary liberations¡¯. ¡°You pigs are invading my homeland! And you¡¯re an Orlishman! Who are you to speak about peace? Everyone knows what you people are! Merchants of death!¡±


    Amelie sighed. Ah, that stereotype of the classic Orlishmen for people outside of Orland¡¯s sphere. Orland¡¯s defense megacorporations, being the premier producers of high to low-tech weapons, and a constant innovator of every terrifying sight on the battlefield, of course, would craft that reputation. Especially when it was mostly Orlishmen manning these entities. And it was they who also used what they produced in Orland¡¯s wars. Thus, to an average Order Pact citizen, if Orlishwomen were overly pampered vampires drinking the sweet juice of Orland¡¯s global hegemony, Orlishmen were their orcish blacksmiths, soldiers, and minions that they would sweetly whisper to in order to ruin some small country who dared cross Orland¡¯s interests.


    It seemed however that Mr. Koch chose to ignore the raving Constanian representative.


    ¡°Now if the answer to that is yes, then I am here to warn you, that the Coalition of Free Nations stands for the collective defense of the interests, sovereignty, and rights of the new free nations born out of the ashes of our revolutions. I want you to know that while you may laugh at us, or choose to not trade nor recognize us, all while treating us with derision, we have teeth. And we will use those teeth to bite back. Strike us down, and we will strike back, united. As one. We have lit the torch of a new era for this world, and we will defend that torch to the bitter end. Even if we are against the rest of the world. Even if the heavens itself struck us down. Thus, I am here, speaking as both hawk and dove. Choose war, and I have stated what we will do. Choose peace, and you have nothing but our thanks. Regardless, the Coalition of Free Nations will stand tall. Defeat or triumph. Death or life. War or peace. We are here, and we won¡¯t be gone until all is ashes.¡±


    The man gave a brief nod as he stepped off the podium, all as the sounds of people speaking to each other boomed throughout the chamber. Letting him speak his side might not be quite the brightest of ideas, as that¡­yeah, that was broadcasted on international news, judging by the flashing cameras everywhere, but, at the very least, the world heard what the CFN was like. The fact that he threatened everyone upstage should not paint the brightest of pictures for the majority of the world that already disliked the CFN.


    Still¡­Amelie imagined that for the CFN supporters, his speech would be another rallying cry. Another propaganda piece for these rogue states to capitalize on.


    Amelie looked at Minister Adelaide. Strangely, she had been silent since the man left.


    ¡°Hey, Adelaide,¡± Amelie tried, and Adelaide turned to her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°He said it himself,¡± the Foreign Minister muttered. ¡°We won¡¯t go until all is ashes¡­.¡±


    ¡°Last stand,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They¡¯d die burning down everything that wronged them is burned with them. Just like Lieplatz.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­at this point¡­I feel as if we¡¯re walking on a path that may be the end of humanity,¡± she shook her head. ¡°What if his words were true? Escalate further¡­and¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll happen regardless of our actions here,¡± Amelie said. ¡°We already considered that. What we can do now is to drag them down before they drag us into ashes with them. And a united effort is the first step to that.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Forty-Seven: A Vaeyoxan Standoff

    ¡°The Imperial Diet of Asanai has passed the ¡®Partial Mobilization Bill of 2025¡¯ in a resounding two hundred ¡®yes¡¯ votes and forty-eight ¡®no¡¯ votes. This would give the Prime Minister of Asanai and the Empress the ability to fully enact the bill. The bill gave the provision to expand the Asanaian Armed Forces greatly, with a two hundred billion OB (Orlish Blancs) as a preliminary injection budget for the next four years, alongside the increase of arms spending to a target of five percent for fiscal year 2026. The Imperial Government of Asanai has now reiterated that the pacifist nation has ¡®no plans for aggression¡¯ but that the changing winds and actions of ¡®hostile rogue states¡¯ have resulted in the need for ramped-up defense preparations.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    ¡°Bad news,¡± William said. ¡°There¡¯s a situation developing in the Gallia¨CPoznek DMZ.¡±


    Amelie and the Orlish delegation were now leaving the MN General Assembly building, as after Mr. Koch¡¯s speech, multiple alerts about detected missiles were found by the Pez Air Force near the Pozneki border. Naturally, the alert was disseminated quickly to the international delegates in the General Assembly, which led to a temporary recess as they were urged to ¡®hunker down¡¯ until the situation dropped.


    Amelie quickened her pace behind William, as her personal security detail surrounded her. ¡°William, I heard they were false alarms.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± he said, not turning back to meet her. ¡°But the situation is worsening. Pez can claim itself to be neutral all it wants, but this mountain nation is practically sandwiched between the CFN and MN¡¯s Gallia. Should an attack against Gallia occur, Pez is a target.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, I still haven¡¯t made my speech,¡± Amelie complained. ¡°I was preparing for it too.¡±


    ¡°Well, sucks. You folks allowed that loudmouth to speak second instead of you. Not the brightest of ideas, no?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was thinking that letting the enemy fumble first would give me more ammunition during my turn.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the defensive style,¡± William stopped in front of their armored SUV, just as one of the guards opened the door for Amelie. She naturally went straight inside, just as William entered the driver¡¯s seat. Quite frankly, the amount of protection of her vehicle wasn¡¯t top-notch. It was definitely bulletproof from small-arms fire, but anything else would be her death.


    Still, with an entire convoy of armored cars from her security detail, with Lady Lubaine¡¯s vehicle at the lead, and the urban camoed HMLVs of William¡¯s OPM agents behind, she still had quite the formidable protection force. Not that it would matter should an actual attack come to the city, but¡­


    No need to panic. Calm down. It¡¯ll be alright. By tomorrow, the conference will surely resume. She breathed in and out, trying to remove that tugging uneasiness inside. When that alert arrived earlier, she almost felt herself momentarily lacking breath when she and Adelaide rushed out of the General Assembly.


    William flicked the radio open, just as their convoy began moving. They were going straight to the Orlish Embassy in Pez. From there, they would probably retreat in a more discreet private hotel that the OPM and the various intelligence agencies of Orland active in Pez acquired and fortified.


    The woman¡¯s voice on the radio, however, was something Amelie didn¡¯t understand, as she was speaking in Pezan until William changed it to the airwaves of a news network named ¡°Geopol Press¡±. Naturally, being an Orlish news network, Amelie understood it, the person speaking spoke Orlish.


    ¡°Lorathian aircraft intercepted multiple Pozneki fighters that apparently violated Gallian and Lorathian airspace. No fighting occurred after the flight of two Pozneki fighters retreated back toward Pozneki airspace.¡±


    Amelie sighed. ¡°Damn it, this feels like the early days before Larissa declared war on us.¡±


    ¡°Damn it indeed,¡± William said. ¡°Just in too, the Gallian and Lorathian Queens want to phone you in thirty minutes. They need to make a decision about the situation at the border.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re giving me thirty minutes? Wait, what even is happening over there? Wait, why am I the one making decisions for Gallian affairs?¡±


    ¡°First, yes. The situation seems¡­stable, for now. Second, simple. Pozneki troops ambushed a¡ª¡±


    ¡°A-ambushed?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, ambushed a Gallian patrol group, and captured four Gallian soldiers. Third, of course, you¡¯re the one making decisions,¡± William laughed. ¡°Welcome to superpower politics, you¡¯re in charge, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    +++


    Nia and Amelie¡¯s staff began rummaging quickly through her office once they arrived. An army of the embassy¡¯s employees assisted, as papers, books, files, and everything important were packed into bags. Amelie sighed, as she and William began preparing the phone line with the main leaders of the Ivory Alliance at the desk, all while everyone in front of them was in a rush.


    ¡°What am I even supposed to say?¡± Amelie asked as William began fumbling on the high-security laptops that he set up in front of Amelie. ¡°Also, you¡¯re pressing the wrong things.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m just figuring it out. Oh, there it is. As for what you have to say, who knows?¡±


    ¡°Can you get Adelaide here?¡±


    ¡°Afraid I can¡¯t,¡± William shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s giving a press conference. Also, last I talked to her, she told me that you¡¯d deal with Queen Clericia and Queen Eliette while she calms down the rest of the world and the other leaders.¡±


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll be going in blind again then,¡± Amelie sighed, already defeated. ¡°Hmm¡­yep, there they are.¡±


    ¡°Turning on your microphone and camera,¡± William finished his thing, and now, she was facing the two Queens of Gallia and Lorathia. Placing in the best smile that she could muster, Amelie greeted them.


    ¡°Good morning, I apologize for the late¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not the time for greetings. Let¡¯s get on it quick,¡± Queen Eliette said, cutting off Amelie. ¡°The situation is developing rapidly now. Clericia, can you please fill her in about the situation?¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The Gallian Queen calmly nodded. It seemed that even with the tense situation, she was as calm as a rock. Quite frankly, Amelie imagined that this woman could care less about the fact that four of her soldiers just found themselves as prisoners of the Pozneki Army. Clericia could appear all angry on international news while condemning the Poznekis were rats for aggressively violating Gallian servicemen, but behind the scenes¡­


    Well, she merely lost four nobodies.


    This was not really about the four captured Gallian soldiers. It was about reputation. Of both Gallia and the Ivory Alliance.


    ¡°So, merely an hour ago, a patrol group of two HMLVs were on a routine patrol route in the DMZ. Unfortunately, they found themselves in contact with a roadblock set up by the Poznekis. After a tense scuffle, a brief firefight developed, leaving one wounded and another dead. The second HMLV retreated, while the first one had a popped tire, so its remaining four crew didn¡¯t escape. Right now, two army companies in the vicinity are acting¡­¡®independently¡¯ and their tanks are in a standoff with Pozneki tanks at one of the border checkpoints. They¡¯re demanding the release of the captured soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Wait, independently?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°So you didn¡¯t order them?¡±


    The Gallian Queen breathed out exasperatedly. ¡°And I cannot order them to stand down immediately. That¡¯d be a stain on Gallia¡¯s honor if it came out. Still, I¡¯d definitely quietly deal with these damned mutineers afterward¡­¡±


    ¡°They certainly complicated the crisis,¡± Queen Eliette said. ¡°Thank goddess the situation in the seas resolved quickly in comparison.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, you can¡¯t seriously blame these men,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They¡¯re simply protecting their comrades. This is Pozneki aggression, it¡¯s as clear as day.¡±


    Queen Clericia sighed. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. It¡¯s not. The patrol group got lost and crossed the Poznek¡¯s side of the DMZ. While the radio logs certainly show that they tried telling the Poznekis that they would turn around, it still escalated, and the Poznekis fired first. Sure, they fired first when my troops were about to turn around, but my troops made the mistake of going there in the first place.¡±


    Amelie sagged in her seat. That was such a damned situation. Not only had they killed one Gallian soldier after firing first, but her side was also technically in the wrong. This was beyond ridiculous. At least, she could have used the fact that they fired their guns first as a way to spin the narrative that they were the victims (and thus, Poznek must return the prisoners), but now, it was further complicated.


    ¡°Okay¡­okay, that¡¯s¡­indeed, that isn¡¯t good,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Can we do something else? Contact. Right, has contact been established with the¡­what were they again?¡±


    ¡°Unity Government,¡± Queen Eliette said. ¡°The Unity Government of Poznek is their full name. Which is why it¡¯s difficult. Who the hell their leader is¡­is hard to decipher. The ¡®Unity Council¡¯ is made up of ten men, with confusing jurisdictions, powers, and positions. They have no face at the moment. We are trying to get in touch with their Foreign Affairs Councillor, but he told us that he has no jurisdiction in the Army. No further contact had been established. And we do not know who to contact. Unity¡­what a joke. They don¡¯t have a true leader to unite under.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t want to talk?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. The CFN should not be ready for war yet. They¡¯re still mobilizing, just like us. And they need more time considering that they¡¯d most likely be on the offensive, and us on the defensive. Why would they create these kinds of diplomatic problems immediately¡­¡±


    ¡°Hah, bastards, I say.¡± The Queen of Gallia laughed. ¡°Even their puppet master isn¡¯t replying to us. The Confederation refuses to talk to nations that have not recognized them. So of course¡­they¡¯d do this, they¡¯re all merely salty¡­¡±


    ¡°I doubt that¡­¡± Amelie said, realizing something. ¡°They¡¯re baiting us.¡±


    The two of them fell silent.


    Queen Eliette nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve recognized that as a possibility¡­¡±


    ¡°It is a high possibility,¡± Amelie insisted. ¡°They took Gallian troops as prisoners, all while shutting down communications. They¡¯re testing our capacity to take a hit, to our reputation. That¡¯s why they¡¯re posturing. They want to scare us and bait us into a response. In this case¡­they want your two companies to assault the border checkpoint.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­certainly the type of mind games these people would want¡­¡± Queen Eliette admitted.


    ¡°Ah, men. See, this is what happens when you let them in charge. Not only do they create incoherent systems, they do these kinds of nonsense. Do they really think I¡¯d be so stupid to strike first because of that? Hah¡­I¡¯d silently silence these uncooperative Army units first. Hmm¡­that seems like the best option.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyes widened at the Gallian Queen¡¯s suggestion. She¡¯d¡­she¡¯d what now?! ¡°Wait¡­those men, are you soldiers. You can¡¯t just do that kind of thing to them. Not especially now that we need our troops in their best condition. Keeping a sense of order, justice, and ethics amongst the ranks is the only way to keep morale high.¡±


    But Clericia merely laughed.


    ¡°Of course I will. I had always done that, young Queen. From the Great War to the Asturian Campaign. Trust me, men¡­they break at the tiniest of pressures, especially nowadays that their souls have long been sucked. Once I send in the hammer, they¡¯ll fold, and the uncooperative elements will disappear. They¡¯ll bite that as ¡®it is what it is¡¯ and accept their fate. And who cares about morale? They fight to the death even with non-existent morale. All that matters is that they have the guns to fight.¡±


    That¡­that sounded utterly reprehensible! To think that her ally was doing these kinds of things.


    ¡°That just sounds unnecessarily cruel¡ª¡±


    ¡°Cruelty is but a tool. It is applied for a purpose, and that purpose is to keep the Armed Forces loyal, and useful. The GAF remains under my solid control because of my policies. They cannot, and have always failed to defy me. They can mutiny all they want, and they can disobey all they want, but at the end of the day, the hand at Toldoi will make them finish the orders they have. I have no need to be lectured of a monarch who had lost control of her armies. I warned your mother of it, that to let them off the leash will only lead to disaster. And I am right.¡±


    Amelie couldn¡¯t respond to that. It was true. Quite frankly, the sheer independence of the OAF from the Royal Guard was what led to civil war. She imagined that had the Royal Guard always meddled with OAF organization, shifting officers, punishing disloyal ones, and monitoring them all in a psychotic manner as they fought to their deaths¡ªthey would have no energy nor organization to break women¡¯s stranglehold.


    In Gallia, that was certainly the case. Amelie could see it. She could understand it. No matter how much the GAF mutinies, there was nothing they could do. No mutiny could be organized. So what if two battalions decided that the fight was pointless? That their weapons should be pointed to Toldoi instead? Then nothing. No other officers and units would be with them, as the Royal Guard of Gallia already neutered them. They¡¯d mutiny, until the rest of the Army, handled closely by the RGG, would descend on them, and arrest them.


    Ultimately, under such a system, men would be kept disorganized from even plotting against the state. Not even Gallian generals would have power, as even the lowest-ranked officer of the RGG would sack them if she even noticed a tinge of disloyalty. Sure, the GAF was, as a result, while equipped to good standards, weak anyway with its decrepit officer staff.


    But unlike the OAF, they would never succeed at rebelling. Just as they would not win a fight against the enemy.


    And that was why Amelie hated this woman. She was gloating when her GAF could not even defeat the Asturians.


    I doubt your plans will even survive once the GAF breaks against the Larissan tide, you fool!


    But she held her tongue and only replied with some bitterness in her tongue.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Then¡­then that¡¯s your plan? You¡¯ll just silence this entire thing?¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Why did we even panic? There¡¯s no crisis if no one hears it.¡±


    The Queen of Lorathia sighed tiredly. ¡°Fine¡­you have a point. I vote in favor of that plan¡­¡±


    She sounds really reluctant.


    Amelie sighed as well. She hated her idea, but¡­if the CFN would not respond, and there was no way to settle this diplomatically, then the only option was to silence their response, by denying that an incident even happened in the first place. And that would be up to Gallia.


    ¡°It¡¯s your soldiers¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°I dislike it, but¡­fine¡­you have my permission¡­¡±


    Soon, the call was terminated.

 Chapter One Hundred Forty-Eight: The East Burns

    ¡°The Hebeian Civil War re-escalates! The increased ceasefire violations since last week have now reached a boiling point, as approximately three hundred tactical ballistic missiles from North Hebei rained on South Hebei¡¯s military installations, logistical lines, and even cities for the past twenty-four hours. Donated Orlish REGAL SAM systems intercepted a reported fifty percent of the three hundred missiles country-wide bombardment according to the Imperial Army of Hebei. However, the damage had been severe, with multiple cities now suffering from short-term power outages. Whether or not this attack is a softening blow for an upcoming offensive from the Republic of Hebei, this has still been a deadly one for the Hebeian people.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    There were no further escalations.


    It seemed that early morning alerts were now resolved, with the Pezan High Command issuing an all-clear signal to the Mandate of Nations. Of course, the presence of occasional Pezan planes above Brewich had stirred severe distrust in that report, but it was the truth, as the Lorathian, Gallian and even the Orlish Air Force and Navy confirmed that the skies were all clear.


    ¡°They¡¯re rescheduling the next session to tomorrow,¡± Nia said, as Amelie sipped her tea. Her office was now partially vacated, with her belongings already packed due to the sudden spike of tensions, but now that it simmered off, it felt kinda strange for Amelie how empty her office was.


    Heh¡­I guess that¡¯s what panic does.


    Still, it was better that they reacted accordingly. Better that she could evacuate the embassy quickly if need be than be bogged down if those false alarms (which were actually not false alarms, the Poznekis did launch missiles¡ªfor ¡°military exercises¡±) were true.


    ¡°I suppose that makes sense,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I think everyone needs a damned cooldown.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s such a mess. The CFN sure wants to bear their fangs for the world, especially with what the North Hebeians had been doing since yesterday. Now this¡­¡±


    ¡°Poznek¡­¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°For a mere secondary power, they sure can rattle their sabers hard. Especially when they¡¯re just a government propped up by the Confederates.¡±


    ¡°Dove or Hawk my arse,¡± Nia huffed as she took her seat, taking her own drink from her cup after she finished filing a few files away. ¡°Pretty sure Mr. Koch is a pure damned hawk. I still can¡¯t believe we allowed that disrespectful mutt to run his salivating mouth in front of the General Assembly. Who the hell thought that letting rabid dogs run around its prestigious halls was a bright idea¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nia,¡± Amelie cut her off. ¡°Look, I know you dislike the guy, but no need to speak of him that way. He did have some¡­some point, yes, in his speech. Not that I¡¯d agree to it officially. Still¡­remember, we need to know our enemy. We need to make them talk, and that was one of the ways to do it. Plus¡­we have something good to spin on TV now. His inflammatory speech, coupled with Pozneki saber rattling¡­¡±


    Nia smiled. ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s some of the good news¡­the bad news is, they managed to delay the conference further. Quite frankly, it sucks that we have the General Assembly here. This is essentially the point of contact between two hostile power blocks¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the point. Pez is a neutral nation with powerful defenses between the Order Pact and the Mandate of Nations. As Mother said, if I go here, I have nothing to worry about, because that means that the Empress of Larissa would also be here. Thus, almost no possibility of an attack.¡±


    ¡°The difference is, CFN leaders are never here. They barely even went to Loviedo.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­which means, they have nothing to worry about if they disrupt MN processes militarily,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing that I hate the most, is that we are still acting as if we¡¯re living in the old world, where old rules apply. It¡¯s stupid that all world leaders have to be here like cattle when there are rogue states that don¡¯t even care about the Mandate of Nations, but we can¡¯t do it otherwise. The world demands it. And our rule relies on satisfying their demand of confirming that all is manageable. Retreating from here¡­it¡¯s not gonna signal anything good.¡±


    ¡°Orland would look weak.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Amelie took another sip of her tea. ¡°And we can¡¯t look weak. Not right now. Not when we want all nations to follow our lead. They have to see me here, facing this damned stupidity if I want them to trust me. I guess that¡¯s what being the Queen of Orland is all about¡­¡±


    Amelie looked at the painting of Queen Alexandria on the walls. The founder of modern Orland herself. A Kingdom supposed to recognize women¡¯s magic as a human right¡­and a Kingdom founded for supposed equality in the ashes of the old Orland. A Kingdom that turned into a hegemonic powerhouse of the world¡­and a Kingdom that turned into a de facto Queendom as it did so.


    Queen Alexandria Ludendorf¡¯s Orland, her own grand design that Amelie now steers¡­it was what created this world order dominated by women. Where most nations bow to the singular power that was the most advanced in magic, technology, economy, and military power. Where they all used the Orlish Blanc as the reserve currency because they trusted Orland¡¯s control in both the world and its economy.


    ¡°Image¡­it¡¯s all about image.¡±


    +++


    The Empress of Hebei was once again back in the Orlish Embassy.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Amelie greeted Empress Xue Li warmly when she arrived at Amelie¡¯s office. Due to the cancellation of the day¡¯s session, Amelie¡¯s schedule was conveniently freed for the rest of the day. Thus, the iron maiden of the East quickly snatched Amelie¡¯s schedule once again for a private meeting.


    And Amelie already expected it since the escalations in Hebei. Quite frankly, the fact that the ceasefire between North and South Hebei lasted for so long was quite a massive surprise for the world. Amelie even vaguely hoped that things would cool so much that the two sides would soon find the entire civil war pointless and reabsorbed each other (preferably under Xue Li¡¯s control), but alas¡­


    ¡°I apologize for coming again, Queen Amelie,¡± Empress Xue bowed. ¡°But thank you for accepting me again.¡±


    ¡°Empress Xue, look, we¡¯re already friends. I know the situation in your homeland. I understand. No need to do that, please. You¡¯re an Empress¡­so you should not do that.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. I am not doing it out of subservience. I am doing it to thank you, dear friend. Your military donations¡­while limited¡­it has been a great shield for my people. I know your country produces so many SAM systems at this point that you¡¯re giving it out like water to your allies, but still¡­I¡¯m very thankful.¡±


    Amelie smiled awkwardly. Oh¡­that¡­


    Well, quite frankly, ever since her experience in the Grand Duchy, she had ordered the massive expansion of REGAL SAM system production since the first week (she had an obsession with air defense since she saw bombs falling) that as a side effect¡­Orland now had an overabundance of SAM defense systems in their homeland a year into the war. So much so that strikes to West and Southeastern Orland had been completely nullified, with the Federalists only focusing their strategic airpower against the Archduchy because¡­well, they really hated that Principality for some reason.


    But indeed, yes, she remembered. Because of that, she had been donating some to her allies. Imperial Hebei was her favorite, and so she devoted herself to shipping as much crap as she could to them whenever possible. While she struggled to send tanks and aircraft to Hebei due to the attrition rates at the front, Amelie would always gleefully stamp with approval any request from Hebei that she could meet if it reached her table.


    I guess my mindless stampings do help then¡­?


    Quite frankly, sometimes, Amelie would be too deep in coffee and tea that she would be mindlessly stamping ¡°approved¡± on safe documents, especially with Nia already filtering many of them.


    ¡°Well¡­you¡¯re very welcome then. Orland is happy that our military aid has shielded your people well. And, well, that¡¯s what those SAM systems are for. I loved them since I saw them in action back then when I was besieged in the capital. They¡¯re like guardians of the people. Like they¡¯re casting an invisible shield to stop missiles and bombs from striking those below¡­¡±


    The Empress laughed a bit. ¡°You seem quite in love with them, huh?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Amelie replied. ¡°By its nature, it¡¯s a defensive weapon. I love defensive weaponry. I don¡¯t know, it just strikes me as¡­ideal?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a pacifist at heart¡ª¡± William suddenly barged into the room, carrying what appeared to be a box of pizza. He looked around awkwardly at the two. ¡°Wait¡­she¡¯s here? Oh crap¡­I apologize.¡±


    He immediately placed the box of pizza to the side and bowed to Xue.


    ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty¡­I didn¡¯t notice¡­¡±


    Which earned a chuckle from both Amelie and Xue.


    ¡°Ufufu¡­is he perhaps that guy¡­?¡±


    Amelie turned to Xue. ¡°That guy?¡±


    ¡°Your personal knight,¡± Xue whispered. ¡°Always rumored around international circles, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­well, perhaps? But not really. He¡¯s serving a lot of roles. Mainly the second leader of my security detail. But also serving as director of a newly established agency dedicated to countering emerging unknown threats. Also, he¡¯s my main liaison to the Orlish Armed Forces. Oh, and my driver too. Hmm¡­he also brings me food at times¡­like right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh dear¡­so he¡¯s a servant¡­?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call it that way!¡± Amelie suddenly blurted out in defense. ¡°It¡¯s¡­look, he¡¯s my right-hand man. That¡¯s the closest, okay? He just has a lot of skills which is why I give him¡­varying things to have fun with¡­¡±


    ¡°Dump workload on¡­¡± William traitorously hissed.


    ¡°And¡­erm¡­uhm¡­¡± Amelie froze, remembering the fact that she even made William carry her and Nia¡¯s bags at times. ¡°But still! Servant sounds too bad of a term!¡±


    Finally, William however stepped forward to defend Amelie as she panicked.


    ¡°Anyhow, let me introduce myself then. I either go by Major William Porter, based on my previous position, or Director William Porter of the Office of Preventative Measures. Her Majesty¡¯s side project because she¡¯s way too paranoid of everything.¡±


    ¡°William!¡±


    Empress Xue laughed as Amelie gave him a weak side punch to his shoulder, which he of course ignored.


    ¡°Quite the interesting man¡­¡± Xue said. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear that my friend has good allies like you on her side.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°On that note,¡± William said. ¡°You¡¯re here because of the strikes from the North, right?¡±


    Empress Xue nodded. ¡°Indeed. I came here to plan our response with your Queen. I need to have an idea of the support Orland can provide us after all.¡±


    ¡°Then right in time,¡± William went back to the pizza box and pulled a file that was apparently on top of it. ¡°This thing¡ªis the latest report from Eutstadt.¡±


    He placed the file on Amelie¡¯s table, and the trio looked at it as he opened it, and began flipping through it.


    ¡°This is the latest intel report from the Naval Intelligence Division. They deployed high altitude recon planes from the ONS Cuirassier yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°To where?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°To Hebei, of course,¡± William looked to Empress Xue, who didn¡¯t seem to be surprised. ¡°Got your approval, after all.¡±


    ¡°Well, intelligence exchange is a part of our deal after all¡­how can there be intel exchanged if Orland isn¡¯t infiltrating my homeland.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± William then stopped at a page that showed photographs of what appeared to be tank concentrations. ¡°This might not look that special to you, but that¡¯s because this part of the document is just to visualize and simplify it for¡­erm, Amelie¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that peanut-brained!¡± Amelie suddenly hissed.


    ¡°But again, the pretty pictures do not matter. It¡¯s down here. Analysis of the NID. Ladies¡­it seems clear. The buildup is at the coastlines again. And they¡¯re building up fast. And with the strikes from the North yesterday¡­nothing but preliminary softening operations might I add, and the situation is clear¡­¡±


    He paused.


    ¡°The Second Battle for Ginzhu is soon to begin.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Forty-Nine: To Scheme and Plot

    ¡°Arkelian cargo ship attacked by a Federalist submarine! In the wake of yesterday¡¯s brief escalations in Vaeyox during the MN Conference session, an Arkelian cargo ship en route to North Vaeyox from its trip in Lorathia was struck by an unknown torpedo attack. It has now been confirmed by the Orlish Navy that the culprit was another Weirloff-Class nuclear attack submarine. The offending submarine is still being tracked by the Orlish Navy. The Arkelian ship however luckily held on until helicopters from the ONS Rebenslof saved most of the crew before it capsized. The Arkelian government has now denounced the ¡®aggressive¡¯ and ¡®indiscriminate¡¯ acts of the Federalist government. This worrying development may truly be just the start of an incoming shift in the Federal Republic¡¯s policy of convoy interdiction, with the OHC expecting that they may fully shift into an unrestricted submarine warfare doctrine¡ªwherein every ship headed to North Opellia, Orlish, or not, will be sunk by the rebel fleet.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    ¡°Brewich is being militarized,¡± William said. ¡°Two Pezan military brigades have now entered the city. Approximately eight thousand Pezan infantry, and around one hundred twenty tanks are now setting up in the outskirts.¡±


    William tossed the report file to Amelie¡¯s table, as she read it. Ever since yesterday, the tensions in the Pez¨CPoznek and Pez-Lombardia borders have intensified. Both the Lombardian Army (now definitely under the full control of the Confederacy) and the Pozneki Army have formed up in the borders. She read through the OHC report file, which detailed all the findings of the NID and AFI. The document further detailed that approximately a thousand tanks were now lined up in staging positions near the Gallia¨CPoznek border.


    ¡°They really are aiming for something big,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Goddess¡­estimated one million troops?!¡±


    ¡°Beyond that, both Poznek, the Confederation, and Lombardia are fully mobilizing. At this rate, we¡¯ll definitely be facing two million troops in total for the defense of Gallia, and most likely Pez, once the borders go hot. That, alongside at least three thousand tanks spread throughout the continent. All of them, ready for a tank rush to bash through the North Gallian plains, then straight to Toldoi.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot,¡± Amelie said. ¡°How much does Gallia have? They lost so many in the intervention in Asturia that it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°They still have eight hundred formed on the border, approximation, of course, considering attrition and mobilization,¡± William said. ¡°Then we have to count Lorathian Expeditionary Forces, so that¡¯ll swell us up to around one thousand two hundred tanks total unless the OAF frees up enough Armored Brigades to serve as an expeditionary force here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re planning to only send in armored forces, no?¡±


    William nodded. ¡°Quite frankly, it makes sense. The Gallians can throw the manpower at them. We¡¯re already shipping in so much bread and butter-equipment for them. Artillery pieces, infantry equipment, APCs, IFVs, armored cars, the whole shebang. And the Gallian defense industry is now returning to wartime levels. They can hold the frontlines as long as we don¡¯t ask them to execute complex maneuvers¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really doubting their ability to do that, no?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the OHC does. General Albrecht even laughed at me on the phone line when I suggested that the GAF should be able to hold a few months without the OAF. He seems sure that without at least two full-strength Orlish Army armored brigades, which would have around one hundred fifty tanks and a light mech brigade of one hundred fifty LSS mechs that would be used as a QRF against CFN breakthroughs, they¡¯d have their asses encircled within days. I am now convinced of his assessment.¡±


    ¡°Sending in three powerful brigades is no easy task,¡± Amelie mumbled. ¡°Ever since reorganization, how many light mech brigades and armored brigades have we left?¡±


    William sighed. ¡°On the OAF¡¯s side, we have only seventeen armored brigades left, most at seventy down to fifty percent strength. We also have nine light mech brigades, all of them also badly mauled. Quite frankly, the OAF at the moment is mostly mechanized infantry brigades, the normal bread-and-butter ones that we had at the start of the war, around thirty-eight of them. The rest are mobilized infantry brigades. The horrendous holding units manning our trench lines. Those things won¡¯t be very useful in Gallia. The Royal Guard isn¡¯t far off. They only have four KDUs that are the equivalent of the OAF¡¯s armored brigades. Shiny, yes, but no chance of being useful here. Most KDUs are infantry too.¡±


    ¡°Each armored brigade has¡­one hundred tanks, no?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°And a light mech brigade has one hundred eighty?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though, we did have divisional formations, but they proved subpar during the early days of the civil war. To be fair, they¡¯re really just relics of pre-professionalized OAF because the divisional command is easier for the Royal Guard to handle. Right now, our main operational unit is a brigade. Allows them more independence and autonomy on the field. We¡¯re generally decentralizing the OAF more and more ever since the end of the Grand Duchy Campaign.¡±


    ¡°In contrast to Gallia. Queen Clericia seems to be exerting more and more hands-on control over the GAF.¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s why the OHC expects that they¡¯d get encircled without us, no?¡±


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    ¡°Exactly,¡± William laughed. ¡°All those armored divisions of hers are definitely incapable of combined arms operations. They¡¯re just going to drive straight into the jaws of encirclement. She literally purged her command six months ago. You think those replacements, who are at the moment, more scared of their own lives at the hands of the Gallian Royal Guard than the Confederacy, are going to be fighting with properly functioning brains once the CFN tank rush occurs?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°They¡¯d disintegrate. From what I¡¯ve heard, that¡¯s what happened to the Lombardian Kingdom¡¯s armed forces. Their Queen purged their command structure after she beat the revolutionaries, then when the Confederacy invaded, Lombardia lost seven hundred tanks in the first two weeks¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± William laughed. ¡°Actually, they didn¡¯t ¡®lose¡¯ seven hundred tanks. The poor sods got encircled in the borders when Queen Irene Amici ordered that they meet the Confederacy spearhead head-on, alongside conducting ambitious pincer attacks. Turns out, she purged the Army leadership so badly, that those at the ground could barely coordinate their complex plans. Lo and behold, they found themselves losing approximately two hundred tanks in the first seven days to combat losses, and then three armored divisions were encircled and surrendered within the next week. After that, it was game over for Lombardia. But that¡¯s also how the Confederacy rebuilt Lombardia¡¯s armed forces. Those surrendered divisions literally kept their equipment and restored for their new government to face us instead.¡±


    ¡°I really need to speed up mass-mobilization of women,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡¯m not losing Gallia because Queen Clericia is this stupid. Freeing up OAF forces for this is going to be our priority from here on out. As the OHC suggested.¡±


    William nodded. ¡°Good to hear that you¡¯re heeding their advice. On that note, Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman has an ambitious plan to get the Asanaians into this conflict.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? Wait, is that this plan again? Rejected, I¡¯m not ordering whatever the hell you guys are¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, listen,¡± William laughed. ¡°Think about it. You¡¯re getting buddy-buddy with their leadership, and they¡¯re expanding their Armed Forces because they know themselves that they¡¯re going to be joining in on the hot water regardless of their desires. But that¡¯ll take too long, because they¡¯re not stationing military assets in already hot-areas, like Hebei. But¡­if they station just a little bit of their Air Force in Galllia¡­say, an MN training exercise to show our unity but then suddenly the CFN attacks¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a demonic man, Director William Porter,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re going to bait them into a war.¡±


    ¡°Or, they want to join in, but can¡¯t because their population is too stuck in their arse. Go talk more to Princess Kawasaki. Get her to speak. I¡¯m betting big that they¡¯re just looking for an excuse to finally intervene in the Hebeian Civil War, but they cannot because the people of Asanai said so. But if you offer them a good way to have their planes shot¡­well, you know. If Asanai has assets on Gallia during a training exercise right as the inevitable tank rush happens, then they''re in. It¡¯d be a win-win. They get to finally enact their security interests in East Vaeyox by having a valid casus-belli to intervene in Hebei, and we finally place the head of the ¡®pro-peace¡¯ bloc of remaining MN member states in a direct conflict with the CFN.¡±


    Amelie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it. I¡¯ll talk with Adelaide about this, but your idea¡­is this an idea held by the OHC? Or just Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman?¡±


    ¡°General Albrecht and Admiral Halberd are in agreement, but they doubt you and Adelaide would do it,¡± William said. ¡°To be fair, we are military men, our diplomacy isn¡¯t exactly ¡®diplomacy¡¯. Lord knows the concept of that is probably foreign to us, but if you all want the most optimal way to unite the MN militarily, then we have a lot of cold ideas to do so.¡±


    Amelie once again weighed her options. That just sounded almost as bad as their previous black-flag attack idea. Goddess¡­the OHC was something else entirely whenever they planned things. It seemed that everything coming from these men was the most cutthroat, bloodthirsty ideas. At the end of the day, that was their job after all. To win the damned war, and ensure that the OAF would suffer fewer casualties in the process.


    She almost felt¡­a bit flustered at the level of loyalty that the OHC was showing her. She was still a woman, yet they were actively asking her to sacrifice their fellow men for her victory. That was¡­well, it was quite surreal, she supposed. Then again, if there was one thing men were known for, it was their devotion to the extreme. They were either the most deluded revolutionaries wishing for the world to burn, or the most deluded ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job¡± bootlickers of women.


    Then again, General Albrecht, Admiral Halberd, and Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman were all expecting her to turn Orland into a democracy that respects the equality of all of its people. The more she acted in that direction (especially with her already now starting to vocally sponsor female conscription), the more she expected them to be more blood-lustily loyal to her goals.


    And this could be one of them. Then again, it also served men on the MN side anyway. The more prepared they would be at fighting the CFN, the less men would need to be sacrificed for their grand project of turning everyone into reformist democracies. She also betted that the OHC was looking for ways to quickly beat the CFN into submission.


    The faster they surrendered, the fewer men would die, and the less likely it would be for them to do more things that would damage the already bloody reputation of men. The actions of Lieplatz after all stirred overwhelming worries amongst moderate men that they would look even more shittier in the wake of all those¡­crimes against humanity.


    But still, to coldly drag a nation at peace into the state of war just to maximize and optimize their strategic outlook¡­it was cold-hearted, and it sounded truly immoral. Especially since this would mean that the Asanaian people would be convinced of a war they wouldn¡¯t have wanted in normal conditions.


    Then again¡­conditions aren¡¯t normal anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Princess Kawasaki after consulting Adelaide then,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But no promises. We still aren¡¯t sure of the interests of the Empire after all. For all we know, this might turn into a diplomatic fumbling. We can¡¯t afford that. Not at this moment.¡±


    ¡°But think about it. If it happens, the MN is instantly united the moment the first shots are fired. United at crushing the CFN as fast as possible.¡±


    Amelie groaned. ¡°Can you please sound more peace-loving next time?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, was born and raised in war, Missy. Can¡¯t take me out of it.¡±


    ¡°Men¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°You¡¯re all really tiring.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty: DMZ Incidents

    ¡°Confrontation in the East Hebeian Sea! An ACG (Asanaian Coast Guard) vessel was rammed by an RHCG (Republic of Hebei Coast Guard) vessel during a confrontation. The ACG vessel was protecting a fleeing fishing trawler after the RHCG vessel fired its water cannons on it for ¡®crossing Hebeian waters¡¯, eventually leading to a tense confrontation between the ACG vessel and the RHCG vessel. Luckily, no shots were fired, and the ACG vessel only sustained ¡®paint job¡¯ damage. However, the incident happened in recognized Asanaian waters, prompting condemnations from the Imperial Government of Asanai. Three Asanaian Navy frigates have now been dispatched to the location of the incident, and two RHN (Republic of Hebei Navy) Type-099 frigates were seen just one hundred kilometers from the site, as the government of the Republic of Hebei remains silent on the issue.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Gallia¨CPoznek DMZ


    The buildup on the DMZ had been extreme.


    Barbed wires, landmines, fortified and camouflaged trenches, and bunkers¡­it was everywhere. The Gallian Armed Forces and the Pozneki Armed Forces had been meticulous at turning the DMZ into what could perhaps count as the most militarized border of the world ever since the end of the Great War. Even during the brief time of peace, the DMZ was fortified beyond reason, as both sides constructed elaborate fortification systems.


    But such fortifications mattered little at the moment.


    Beyond the barbed wires, on a checkpoint, were two masses of men bashing each other with clubs, sticks, and other melees that it almost seemed ridiculous, considering the fact that all of them wore camouflaged modern uniforms, with kevlar vests and helmets. But it was happening nonetheless, and both sides were refusing to budge on the issue.


    ¡°Now this is nothing but ridiculousness,¡± Marie commented. She was watching the entire carnage with her binoculars. Deploying herself straight at the inevitable hotspot of the upcoming conflict was certainly something she should stop doing, being the Director of the RIU.


    But she to this day refused to leave the roots she came from. She was tasked by the Queen from day one to investigate what must be investigated herself. Sure, the organization was beyond expanded, but Marie remained one of the most capable operatives of it. And so¡­here she was, watching the damned thing herself beside another RIU operator.


    ¡°Do you wager someone¡¯s dying over there?¡± Asked her companion. She was standing behind the prone Marie, a binocular also on her eye. The two of them were a few hundred meters away from the incident area, watching from a hill in peace, as vehicles and men scrambled below to deal with the fact that dozens of Gallian and Pozneki troops were now going full medieval on each other.


    ¡°Possible. Then again, it wouldn¡¯t matter,¡± Marie sighed, removing her binoculars and standing up. It seemed that the mass of Gallian troops were now winning, with the Poznekis backing off from barbed wire. She could even see rocks being thrown by each side on each other, as they awkwardly disengaged. ¡°These things are a tradition in the DMZ anyway. Quite frankly, the prisoner-taking incedent was just going to intensify these incidents even if the Gallian government denies that it happened.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dragging some unconscious people there,¡± her companion said, already worried. ¡°I think that guy¡¯s bleeding even. Goddess¡­I think they stabbed him.¡±


    Marie merely shook her head. ¡°At least it¡¯s not one of those incidents. Dozens already died in landmines because they pushed each other to it. Absolutely ridiculous, but it is the DMZ.¡±


    She placed her binoculars back into her eye, watching as the Gallian troops dragged multiple men to the HMLVs that had just arrived. Indeed, it seemed that they were badly injured. This would definitely be another headache for Amelie, Marie knew, but it was inevitable anyway.


    She should definitely get back to their mission in Pez soon after investigating the incidents here.


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    ¡°The OHC is insane,¡± was all Adelaide could say to Amelie. The two of them were now talking in the deserted halls of the Orlish Embassy to Pez, planning their next moves in the conference. The damned Poznekis continued their escalations across the border, forcing the MN to further delay the proceedings in the General Assembly due to ¡®security concerns¡¯.


    ¡°I told William the same,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I mean, it just sounds ridiculous. Do you really think the Asanaians are looking for excuses to go to war?¡±


    And with that, Adelaide sighed. ¡°I talked to Princess Yumi Kawasaki, alongside their diplomats. It¡¯s possible. She said that her government is extremely troubled by the developments in Hebei. They will not tolerate a defeat for Imperial forces in South Hebei.¡±


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    ¡°Would they be willing to intervene though?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t. Their nation¡¯s public opinion is still overwhelmingly pacifist, even if it¡¯s shifting due to how aggressive the new leadership of the Republic is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worrying¡­I really thought they were going to shift to a more saner attitude,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They rammed an Asanaian ship, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Which is why the Asanaians are growing angrier. But again, hands are tied. They can¡¯t just go gung-ho on this entire thing. They¡¯re not like us. And even we had to consider public opinion greatly during the invasion of Lieplatz.¡±


    ¡°Is it possible then that they would be interested in stationing forces in Gallia?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°I mean, for MN unity and all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tall order. Asanai, again, has no security interests in a country a continent away¡­¡± Adelaide mumbled. ¡°Well, at least, if we¡¯re operating with old-world thinking. At the moment, the CFN is a security threat to everyone, regardless of location. If South Hebei loses, it¡¯s not just Asanai that¡¯s screwed. Gallia, Lorathia, and we would be screwed. And it¡¯s the same for them. Losing Gallia would be a significant blow to all MN-member states. It¡¯d be a massive disaster for our strategic posture. That would essentially be us losing control of all of West Vaeyox¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Then do you think we can coax them into this plan? Do you think their government wants to find a good reason to finally intervene in the war? I don¡¯t want us harming our relations with them by assuming too much, so¡­you know. I¡¯m considering everything here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they are searching for one,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°But it¡¯s still hard to tell. Nothing is certain in foreign relations, especially with something as isolationist and neutral as Asanai. What their bigwigs are thinking, it¡¯s too elusive for us. For all we know, they¡¯re only ramping up their defense to stay out of the war by scaring off the CFN.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s true,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Which is why it¡¯s strange. The CFN is escalating the tensions globally, even against Asanai so aggressively. Like they want us to really bite in. No, like they want to create more foes.¡±


    ¡°The CFN wants to turn the Second Great War into a defensive war for them,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°They operate under a siege mentality. Perhaps they¡¯re justified in that, but still, it¡¯s the only explanation for their actions. To them, the world is against them. Well, it is. But more importantly, they want the world to attack first, to rally more men to their side. So they¡¯ll provoke us more and more while building up their offensive capabilities. Once we¡¯re pushed to the edge and pull the trigger first¡­¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯ll declare a ¡®defensive war¡¯ and strike deep against us.¡±


    Adelaide nodded. ¡°But there¡¯s a problem with that. The sheer buildup they¡¯re doing leaves them no room to maneuver off. If we unite but we don¡¯t take their bait, and instead act defensively, the CFN would be placed in an awkward position.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re already spending so much effort in preparing for their ¡®defensive invasions¡¯. What? Are they going to just turn around those millions of troops, thousands of tanks and planes, and everything in between, all poised to strike on Gallia, Pez, and at the moment, definitely against South Hebei, all because their plans of baiting us to fire first failed?¡±


    ¡°This is all such a charade,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Why do they even do this? Asturia is at war with Lorathia and Gallia. Their leader, the Federal Republic, is at war with us. Hell, the Confederation is at war with Princess Anastasia¡¯s remnant forces. Why even act as if they¡¯re not aggressively invading everyone?¡±


    ¡°Optics. It¡¯s ridiculous, but even these men are playing the same game. Amelie, you have to start looking at this in that way. For the rest of the world, the side that fires the first shot in Gallia is going to be the aggressor side of the Second Great War. At the moment, every war happening is just a part of the buildup. Even the actions of the Confederacy against those small countries in Central Vaeyox. But once those tank columns rush to Toldoi, that¡¯ll be the start of the true show. And in that show, both sides have the interest of starting out as the defensive party.¡±


    Amelie shook her head. ¡°Confederacy and Pozneki tanks driving straight to Toldoi will never look ¡®defensive¡¯ to anyone even if we fired the first charge.¡±


    ¡°Not to us, but to them,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°The opinions of the people in MN-aligned countries matter less to them. The opinions of those in their countries, and especially their support base, specifically, young men who hate the world order, is what matters. Haven¡¯t you noticed? Their governments keep changing. Not because women in these countries are rising up, but because their support base and their power structures become dissatisfied at how their leaders prosecute their ¡®global revolution¡¯. The Confederacy literally kicked their original leader after their offensive against Princess Anastasia went sideways. Same with the Republic of Hebei. They kicked most moderates already when their entire ceasefire plan with Empress Xue went sideways. Then there¡¯s Asturia and our friend in Eirhow, still trying to present themselves as democratic revolutionaries to men. They can act aggressively, but only in aggressively defending the global revolution.¡±


    ¡°Almost inconsistent in a way¡­¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s how governments operate,¡± Adelaide said, looking down. ¡°At its core, we¡¯re all inconsistent hypocrites playing a game of charades. Our side is quite frankly no different. We plan to crush them after all. Just as they plan to crush us. We may tell ourselves that we¡¯re better than them because ¡®surely we will be¡¯, but Amelie, you must understand. You lead a nation that exists by vampirically draining billions of men in the world of every ounce of their productivity. The CFN is a men''s project against that. Brutal, misguided, perhaps directionless, and it seems that they have no qualms about the damage it would bring to the world just to meet their goals, but their entire point of existence is to stop you.¡±


    ¡°Just as my existence is to crush them,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°We¡¯re the cleanup crew,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°They¡¯re the monster we created. Our mothers created. I try hard to understand them, and it¡¯s one of the greatest tasks I assigned to myself. To figure out how to talk, and convince them to lay down their arms. But I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. They¡¯re fully committed to viewing us as an evil force hell-bent on crushing men to dust, thus justifying their goals of crushing us first. And in such a worldview, they¡¯re only going to destroy everything if we don¡¯t crush them first. Almost a self-fulfilling prophecy, but this is the mess we created.¡±


    ¡°And we have to end it ourselves,¡± Amelie said. ¡°That¡¯s such an easy thing to say¡­but damn it, is it even really possible?¡±

 Chapter One Hundred One: Peace is But a Fickle Lie

    ¡°Multiple ships from neutral nations reportedly sunk by the Federal Navy of Orland in intensifying global unrestricted submarine warfare being conducted by their submarine wolf-packs. Approximately twelve ships have been sunk in the last forty-eight hours, mostly civilian vessels, by torpedo attacks. The Orlish Navy has now reported that both the Federal Republic of Orland and the Confederation of Larissa¡¯s sizeable submarine forces are attempting to sink shipping to Royalist nation-states under civil war with CFN-member states. The Lorathian Navy and the Gallian Navy have now branded these submarine forces as ¡®international pirate groups¡¯, and are moving with the Orlish Navy to contain these threats with global ASW operations.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    ¡°Those absolute barbarians,¡± Princess Kawasaki Yumi bitterly said. ¡°They already escalated this damned conflict globally! How can anyone even say that they¡¯re no aggressors? They¡¯re sinking our ships, and harassing our EEZ! Not to mention, they already deliberately sent missiles straight to our humanitarian facilities in Hebei. Of course, we want to intervene!¡±


    ¡°Calm down please,¡± Amelie told her. There were five royals in one room today, right in a hotel just outside of the General Assembly. The proceedings of the conference were still continuing between the diplomats and representatives in the other building, all while Amelie, the Queen of Orland, Queen Clericia of Gaul, Queen Eliette of Lorathia, Empress Xue of Hebei, and of course, Princess Yumi of Asanai conversed about what they, the five great powers, would be doing going forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, this entire charade has been a massive headache for my government, and my mother,¡± Princess Kawasaki said. ¡°Mother almost had a damned heart attack yesterday when the news came out that they were raiding our civilian ships. Goddess, we don¡¯t even know how to respond to the public about it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re pushing us further and further,¡± Queen Clericia said. ¡°The DMZ violations had already intensified as well. Last night, I had the Army report that fifteen men died in another round of confused melee on the border. They¡¯re sending in their soldiers to raid our positions with batons, swords, and whatever crap they could use to circumvent the no-firearms agreement.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s the fact that those damned Poznekis have been poking our airspace again¡­¡± Queen Eliette sighed. ¡°It¡¯s like they want our planes to straight up shoot them in the air first.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you three are only getting provocations,¡± Empress Xue said. ¡°Meanwhile, they¡¯re still raining missiles on Hebeian cities, fully violating the ceasefire. At this point, they already abandoned the peace talks. They¡¯re preparing for another full-scale offensive. And I would bet the same is true for Queen Amelie over here.¡±


    Amelie nodded, just as defeated. ¡°Yeah¡­though, the OHC doubts that they¡¯re planning for anything big in the mainland outside of their constant poking of our defenses, the Navy already confirmed that the Federalist fleet is going to go full offensive mode to our shipping lanes. That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s dragged into this mess after all. Doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re Orlish or not, they¡¯re going to sink you.¡±


    ¡°And thus, I think all our governments can come to one conclusion,¡± Princess Kawasaki declared. ¡°The CFN is baiting us into war as one. Organized. All these attacks are happening at once, all these¡­pokings¡­all these, annoyances. They¡¯re frustrating us in a united effort. Those damned¡­mutts. They already abandoned the idea of peace.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely devious, but I applaud them for their guts,¡± Queen Clericia said. ¡°Those dogs sure have the balls to provoke us. But enough cunning not to fully commit to an attack first.¡±


    ¡°The question is, can we extend our patience for this?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°We can keep up the appearance that we¡¯re not going to act with excess to their provocations as the conference goes, but what they¡¯re doing are acts of war. I know none of us want to declare war on all of the CFN alone, which is why none of us are reacting outside of angry letters and speeches to them, but this isn¡¯t sustainable.¡±


    ¡°Thus why we¡¯re trying to turn the MN into a military pact,¡± Queen Clericia said. ¡°We¡¯ll declare a red-line once the entire Mandate of Nations is united. Then, it¡¯s up to them to cross it. If they do, then we have the right to enact the collective defense clause of the resolution, and declare a full-scale multilateral state of war against them. Then we¡¯ll crush them.¡±


    Everyone then turned to Princess Kawasaki. She had been moaning and complaining for hours in the meeting about what the Republic of Hebei had been doing against her country for a while already, but Asanai had yet to reverse their stance of soft opposition to the MN Collective Defense resolution. She shook her head.


    ¡°Look, regardless of my government¡¯s opinion, we still need to shift public opinion in favor of voting for the resolution,¡± the Princess said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We want to, but we can¡¯t. The same is true for most of the nations behind our bloc. I think everyone left in the MN agrees to crush those¡­those damned dogs, but we can¡¯t all afford it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your nation can afford it,¡± Queen Clericia said. ¡°I swear, what all of you opposers of the resolution cannot afford is the CFN losing their brain and declaring war on us one by one without an MN Collective Defense resolution.¡±


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    That was when Amelie stepped in, remembering William¡¯s and the OHC¡¯s suggestion. Quite frankly, she had already known since the start when Princess Kawasaki ran her mouth on and on about how they really wanted to beat the hell out of the Republic of Hebei (but couldn¡¯t) as a confirmation that she could pull out this suggestion.


    ¡°Princess Kawasaki,¡± Amelie leaned forward. ¡°We have an idea, actually¡­¡±


    ¡°An idea?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°You¡¯re all searching for more reasons to intervene, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course we are,¡± she said. ¡°Quite frankly, we really want those damned Republicans in Hebei to finally open fire on our coast guard vessels. So we can send their bug fleet down the seas of Hebei at last, and aid our sisters in Hebei in the great struggle. But the last time we polled the public¡­only twenty-two percent supported the idea of going to war.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an extremely low one¡­¡± Queen Eliette muttered. ¡°Your people¡¯s pacifism is quite extreme.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simply what my people are,¡± she said. ¡°We hate the idea of war. We would rather make money and do business with everyone, as we always did. But right now, the CFN as a whole is pushing my government, us, who can see the situation, into the idea of going to war. But the people¡­they need to feel the effects first. The cargo ships sunk stirred public opinion a bit, but most of those ships were manned by workers from other countries. Not a single Asanaian even died, and the only thing truly lost was the cargo, the ship, and our flag on it.¡±


    ¡°Would putting more Asanaian civilians on shipping vessels work? We might have our problems solved in a week at this rate,¡± Queen Clericia suggested, which only enraged Princess Kawasaki.


    ¡°Absolutely not! In fact, in the wake of these incidents, we¡¯re already grounding ships for security concerns. Otherwise, our government would face a worse scandal. This entire debacle is bad already. Imagine if the people found out that we¡¯re so sloppy that Asanaian civilians are lost because of that?¡±


    ¡°Why they aren¡¯t torpedoing Asanai¡¯s navy or coast guard ships is beyond me,¡± Queen Clericia mumbled. ¡°They¡¯re really playing such a strange game, these men.¡±


    ¡°And how are we going to proceed with this collective defense resolution?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Regardless of us going on and on about them not acting in full stupidity, we¡¯re still at a deadlock while the CFN builds itself up to launch its strikes on us. I would like to say that the Orlish High Command believes that the CFN will launch its crusade against all of us regardless of whether we attack first. And the only thing that will save us¡­is a collective defense resolution.¡±


    The room fell silent again, all of them once again looking at Princess Kawasaki. Quite frankly, Orland, Gallia, Lorathia, and Hebei were already ready to sign the damned resolution. No, they were all very much keen on signing it as fast as possible to mobilize the MN to their side. Even Princess Anastasia¡¯s Imperial remnants in Larissa were already sure that they would sign it, even if she had to return to her home country to deal with the intensifying situation against the Confederacy.


    Only Princess Kawasaki¡¯s country, the second great power today of Pollos, the Empire of Asanai, was the one holding itself from signing it. Amelie understood why their government wouldn¡¯t want to do it, not with the negative public opinion of dragging their peace-oriented society into the jaws of war, but it was clear as day that the provocations against Asanai were going to increase anyway, and that the public opinion would eventually shift to a more pro-war stance (especially with the Republic of Hebei adopting a belligerent stance against Asanai).


    ¡°So what¡¯s Asanai¡¯s plan?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Will your country really hold the signing of this resolution any longer? Look, once the CFN rushes through Gallia, only Orland and Lorathia would be dragged into war with them. Hebei would remain isolated, fighting a war with a CFN-member state alone, while the Ivory Alliance would be the only ones jumping in the collective defense of Gallia. And without an MN mandate, we cannot do anything to aid countries being invaded by the CFN.¡±


    ¡°Thus why we need collective defense,¡± Queen Eliette reiterated. ¡°It¡¯s the cleanest way to finally justify to the world why we would have to go in together in the defense of our nations against the CFN. And to crush them. Otherwise, the CFN will attack us piecemeal. They¡¯ll defeat the Ivory Alliance and Hebei separately. Then who''s going to stand against them? No one.¡±


    ¡°Certainly not you peace-loving Asanaians,¡± Queen Clericia laughed. ¡°Quite frankly, it¡¯s foolish how your nation didn¡¯t begin arming itself the day men began rising up.¡±


    Princess Kawasaki fumed. ¡°I¡¯ll have you stop right there. No one dares call the citizens of my nation traitors. We didn¡¯t crack down on them because my nation will not call for violence against people asking for their rights. And for that, look, my nation didn¡¯t suffer any violent insurrections like you four had. I don¡¯t need to hear that from a nation still embroiled in a screwed-up intervention.¡±


    ¡°As if your ¡®intervention¡¯ in Hebei is any better,¡± Queen Clericia mocked. ¡°Look at Empress Li, she¡¯s coddling up more to Orland. I thought Hebei and Asanai were such long-term allies that they¡¯d aid each other even if the Order Pact and Ivory Alliance attacked you two.¡±


    ¡°Queen Alois¡­¡± Amelie suddenly spoke up. ¡°Can you please¡­not? Let¡¯s not speak this way to each other. We¡¯re all allies here. Not enemies. Please¡­not this time.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, but I am pissed that Asanai is holding up the damned thing that¡¯ll help us all because they want to cling to their delusions,¡± she huffed. ¡°My nation is next on the chopping block, so I believe I have the right to be extra pissed off that things aren¡¯t working well.¡±


    Well, maybe if you hadn¡¯t turned your Armed Forces into a vegetable and never went into Asturia, we would not be having this discussion.


    Princess Kawasaki stood up. ¡°I apologize then. But I have to talk first to my mother and my government. We can¡¯t act too quickly, even if we agree that the CFN is a hostile threat to us all. I ask for your patience¡­¡±


    She bowed at them, before making her way out of the meeting room. The four royals inside could only sigh for different reasons. Especially Amelie.


    Damn it. So that plan is off the table.


    She didn¡¯t even have a chance to propose it.

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Two: Cost of Unity

    ¡°CFN diplomatic channels have now lodged a formal complaint against the Ivory Alliance leadership for ¡®aggressive border buildup¡¯ in Northern Gallia. The complaint however is unlikely to be taken seriously, with CFN buildup in the DMZ being cited as the reason for Lorathian and Orlish deployments in Gallia. Already, three Orlish Mechanized Infantry Brigades have landed in the Gallian port city of Frest, and are expected to be deployed close to the DMZ within days. The Orlish Air Force has also now rebased approximately two hundred fighter aircraft in Gallia, with more expected to come in the coming weeks.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    Of course, as always, Amelie had to deal with more meetings and planning. This time around, it was her and her Foreign Minister talking again about what the hell they would do with the delays of the MN conference and the ramping aggression of the CFN over their borders.


    All while the fence-sitters remain¡­as fence-sitters.


    ¡°They¡¯re pushing us harder and harder to the corner,¡± said Foreign Minister Adelaide. ¡°And we¡¯re still being too slow at unification. I had to deal with the squabblings of South Opellia to even get them into a vague promise of voting for the MN Defense Pact. Meanwhile, East Vaeyox remains untenable. They really don¡¯t like Orland telling them what to do, those neutral nations will only listen to Asanai¡­¡±


    ¡°Which is why we¡¯re trying to make ourselves look like the victims here,¡± Amelie said. ¡°That¡¯s the grand plan. Invite them to push us harder and harder, so that the world will see them for what they really are. Aggressors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d take too long, Amelie,¡± Adelaide shook her head. ¡°I have a proposal to make. What if¡­the MN Defense Pact will only cover signatories and not everyone? Technically, in this way, other countries can weasel out and act ¡®unobligated¡¯ at the moment until the CFN attacks, in which case, they¡¯d have the option to join the Mandate of Nations in the war if need be once we do another emergency session.¡±


    Amelie stopped. That sounded¡­well, interesting. Quite frankly, most nations outside of the Great Powers would be useless at the moment militarily, so losing them wouldn¡¯t be too much of a blow. But with the Great Powers directly at war with the CFN signing it, technically the MN would be fighting a war ¡°unitedly¡± against the CFN but also technically ¡°not¡±.


    That would certainly be more palatable for the fence-sitters¡­


    But then, that would be a lot of vagueness in the defense pact. Collective Security was collective security. What would be its point if MN member states could just not sign it and stay out? Might as well just be an expansion of the Ivory Alliance at that point without naming it as such (since both Hebei and Asanai had historically made it a point to never join the Ivory Alliance or the Order Pact).


    ¡°What even could we do? Can we not give the Asanaians any concessions to join at last?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°We already offered them security guarantees, but they didn¡¯t reciprocate that. We offered them a reduction in tariffs on the Orlish market so they could pump in their civilian goods at us, and¡­we even gave them hints of eased-up trade restrictions, but¡­well, they really don¡¯t give much of an interest in getting more from the Orlish sphere with the costs of the deal to them. Economically, we don¡¯t have much leverage on them. Not with the damned civil war in our homeland.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what about¡­diplomatic favors? Something like we¡¯ll back them next time if they want some new things in the MN General Assembly, or if they want more influence in Hebei. That might work.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­certainly, Asanai had always wanted more influence in Hebei in the Hebeian economy, but¡­we can¡¯t lose our investments in Hebei. You¡¯re going to make a lot of enemies in the High Aristocracy if you do that¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft, so what?¡± Amelie laughed. ¡°I practically abandoned those old hags already. I don¡¯t care about the interests of paid stooges in the Arcanist Party, or of those nobles acting like they still have a say in how things will be run. The loyalists in the Armed Forces and the people are our backbone, not them.¡±


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    ¡°But still, even then, it might not be enough,¡± Adelaide sighed. ¡°Hebei is a devastated land. It¡¯d take decades once the war ended before Asanai would see the benefits of being handed full control over soft influence in Hebei. Plus, truthfully, Hebei has always just played the two of us anyway to drain us of all of the investments, because they know they have a billion people in their nation and they won¡¯t be controlled once this century ends.¡±


    ¡°All those are long-term nonsense that doesn¡¯t matter right now,¡± Amelie retorted. ¡°Our interests are surviving in the next decade, not to make sure that Hebei remains our sub-puppet three decades later. I mean, as you¡¯ve said, they¡¯re not even a true part of the Orlish sphere in the first place. They¡¯re¡­just playing us. I¡¯m sure the Asanaians would be more than happy to nab all of our investments there in exchange for signing the MN Defense Pact.¡±


    ¡°Again¡­that assumes that the Asanaians would see that as a boon,¡± Adelaide tiredly replied. ¡°Those investments could mean nothing anyway, and that¡¯d just mean we¡¯re offering them an empty concession for¡­a massive obligation.¡±


    ¡°An obligation they want. Goddess, why are they so difficult to deal with? They want it, they know they need it, but they have to play hard to get just to agree. Then they make the excuse that they need to soothe the delusions of their people first before signing. That¡¯s a lot of hoops they gave us.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s simply what Asanai is,¡± Adelaide shook her head. ¡°Neutral. Pacifist. They¡¯d do anything to weasel out of problems in the international scene. Except, right now, the problems are chasing them. And they¡¯re scared. They don¡¯t know how to react, except to baffle everyone with their inconsistent policies. I¡¯d bet a million blancs that their Imperial Court is the equivalent of chickens running around not knowing what to do ever since the attempt on Princess Kawasaki¡¯s life. The fact that they were attacked beyond flustered them. Their entire nation rests on the idea that no one can possibly attack them because ¡®they¡¯re too economically precious¡¯ and that ¡®they¡¯re strong enough to do armed neutrality¡¯ and that ¡®everyone knows they want peace only¡¯. Well, now, the CFN is poking them with increasing escalations. Their bubble is being popped.¡±


    ¡°Do they still have beliefs that the CFN would actually not attack them?¡±


    Adelaide nodded. ¡°Their pro-peace factions certainly believe that. In fact, many in Asanai believe that because they reformed so hard for men¡¯s rights, there¡¯s absolutely no way that the Republic of Hebei would attack them. Now, they¡¯re going even more hardline about it with clashes in the high seas. Calling for Asanai to retreat or whatever to not appear aggressive and all that. Of course, the good news to that is the fact that the pro-war faction, which includes most of the government, is having more and more reasons to join the war, but, the infighting remains. And even they are trying to weasel out and buy time for their rearmament.¡±


    Amelie sighed. She couldn¡¯t really blame her for that then. Considering how angry Princess Kawasaki was at the CFN, she knew that the leadership of Asanai was the same. Didn¡¯t mean they could act on their fury immediately though. Unfortunately, just like all nations, Asanai was merely acting for their own national interest first and foremost. Or at least, that was their perspective. Delaying the war as long as possible would benefit them.


    That wasn¡¯t necessarily true. The more they delayed this defense pact, the more vulnerable the remaining MN member states became. It had already been shown by their failures at stopping the Confederacy from essentially invading all of the countries around them. No one had any legal precedence to intervene. The only true exception was Lombardia, which was under the Ivory Alliance security umbrella.


    Unfortunately, Gallia was way too stupid, Orland was still shaken by the civil war, and Lorathia was still trying to calm down their internal situation to react. That was what Amelie didn¡¯t want this time. She didn¡¯t want any more MN member states to fall to the CFN without the rest being obligated to act. Obligation after all was the most important building block for a united response. Without obligation, one could weasel out of the problem that was approaching them.


    ¡°Do what you can,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Anything¡­just, get them into the line. As quickly as possible. Again, our policy must succeed. We can¡¯t have the CFN beat us piecemeal, so get them into any agreement that we can. You have a blank cheque to offer them our influence and investments into Eastern Vaeyox. Hell, I¡¯ll even promise them that post-war Orland will allow Asanai to take East Vaeyoxan nations into their sphere if need be. Just get them on board.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be sacrificing centuries of Orlish hegemony in East Vaeyox, Amelie,¡± Adelaide warned. ¡°Quite frankly¡­at this rate, we wouldn¡¯t be in the same ascendant position that we were in pre-Great War¡­we¡¯re using up all of our diplomatic capital in winning this war.¡±


    ¡°Well, why did you even expect that? We¡¯re in a brutal civil war, Adelaide. Look around you. We¡¯re tumbling to the next as well. I think¡­it¡¯s time to accept that this will be our last shot to act as a superpower to end this war in decent terms for humanity. Because after this¡­Orland will surely be in decline.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise to reform everything to improve everyone¡¯s lives?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­of course I¡¯ll change things. Everything will be shaken up until we can have a semblance of equality and prosperity in our nation. But the false prosperity my mother and grandmothers created fueled by the de facto enslavement of billions and the subjugation of most nations under us¡­that¡¯s not going to be back post-war.¡±


    ¡°I see then,¡± Adelaide nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be on it then.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Three: Unity or Peril

    ¡°My address to the Confederal Assembly on this day isn¡¯t a message seeking peace. No, I am here to ask you all, will you follow the Armed Forces of the Confederacy to its glorious fate?! The truth has been laid bare to all of you! None of you, none in this Assembly have a right to speak of peace, of de-escalation, of withdrawal, of negotiations, until the Mandate of Nations and our corrupt Princess surrenders to our terms! Our terms are just, righteous, and the only way for us men to gain the rights we ask for. What say any of you, that to sacrifice millions more men will only put us in a worse position? Fools! We have always been in the worst position! We have always been cornered with our backs against the wall! And we have to accept that the only way out of that corner is through blood and guts, just as we always did. This Assembly serves the revolution of men, the righteous fury of all our dead and living brothers, who ask for their rights, not for us to fall to the false seductions of women. They offer no peace! They want us to stand down so they may put us down much easier! And anyone who advocates for us to reverse our policy of global revolution is a traitor to the cause!¡±


    - Yelizarov Valeryevich, leader of the ¡°Forward Party¡± in the Confederal Assembly of Larissa.


    +++


    United Confederation of Pez


    Brewich


    March 30, 2025


    Amelie had no choice.


    The time to end this grand charade was coming closer and closer. Her intelligence network had been clear¡ªthe CFN buildup remained unending. On Central Vaeyox, the lull in the fighting was now broken with more brigades of the Confederacy flooding in on the small nations desperately clinging to their survival.


    Up north, Princess Anastasia faces thousands more tanks building up on her already shaky defenses. Her reports had never actually been this worrying. Apparently, the Confederacy truly had almost all of the stockpiles of the Order Pact in terms of its tank and air fleet. And now¡­there were estimates that eight thousand tanks were positioned on all fronts from the Confederacy alone.


    In Poznek, estimates now ranged from two thousand to three thousand tanks primed and ready for the assault. Of course¡­not all of them would be charging in, but that meant that the Confederacy would have endless reserves to throw at them. The scale of mobilization of the Confederacy had been astounding.


    In the Republic of Hebei, reports have also shown that at least nine armored brigades of the Confederacy had crossed the Hebeian border, now driving straight to the frontlines to aid the Republic in subjugating Empress Xue¡­who now had less than a thousand tanks in her frontline facing the Republic.


    Worse of all¡­was central Vaeyox. The Confederacy had already annexed four nations, all former members of the Order Pact, under its wing, and they would soon dive down their saver on the last three nations holding out in Central Vaeyox. Everyone knew that once that part of their conquest was done, they would soon swiftly swing into Southern Vaeyox to encircle the Empire of Hebei.


    In West Vaeyox, the situation remained the same. Constania and Latia were still holding out, but none could support them yet. Unless Amelie rerouted all of her expeditionary armies holding out in the Pieran Continent to support ¡°Orlish-aligned nations¡± there, but they were not even fifty-thousand strong at most.


    Thus, Amelie had now lost all her patience. All these bickerings. All this infighting. All these insults to civilization as the Great Powers and the MN member states continued bickering over the idea of defending themselves when they were facing a horde of iron that would soon descend on them all.


    She despaired at the idea of losing Vaeyox, all of continental Vaeyox, to the CFN. That would be the end of the Mandate of Nations. Even if she won the Civil War in Opellia¡­ complete domination of continental Vaeyox by the Confederacy would be a disaster she refused to accept. She already heard how the Confederacy treated women in retribution.


    She already heard how the new party that took control of their government turned out even more extreme. She knew how their new leader would surely knock down all the people under him with his iron boots. Thus¡­to let an entire continent fall due to the ineptitude of the Mandate of Nations.


    Amelie wouldn¡¯t have it.


    She walked up to the podium. The chaos of the General Assembly continued, as she watched delegates and leaders bicker and argue down below. Some over their grievances. Some over the idea of fighting side-by-side with their rivals. Some over their desire not to be dragged into the war (while ironically asking for protection from Orland).


    Amelie cleared her throat.


    ¡°Ladies,¡± she started as the General Assembly fell quiet, finally heeding her presence. ¡°Honorable delegates from all member states of the Mandate of Nations. I have come forth, on this podium, today, at last, to speak¡­as the deadlock of the Mandate of Nations Defense Pact Resolution¡­remains in session, after weeks of continued CFN buildup on the borders of our sisterly nations. As this¡­deadlock¡­takes away energy from what we must all do.¡±


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    Amelie frowned, now¡­


    Now was the time to test it. To unleash her fury.


    ¡°Are you all fools?!¡± She shouted. The General Assembly fell even more quiet, as delegates and leaders turned to her, utterly offended by how she spoke. ¡°I have come here and waited, and waited, and waited, all while the enemy prepares their weapons across the borders, as we catfight like fools on these grounds whether or not we will be lambs to the slaughter or wolves that will fight back. I ask you all, what in the Goddess¡¯ name are we doing here?!


    ¡°Our people expect upon us, decisiveness. To act in their defense. In their safety. In their security. So that their homelands may not burn in the fires of war. Yet we¡¯re all fighting ourselves, divided, unfocused, blind. At this rate, why even fight the CFN? We might as well fold when their armor mows us down. What are you lot going to do now, that our armies are fractured, unmobilized, unprepared, untrained, uncoordinated, while our enemies build up, united, mobilized, prepared, trained, and coordinated? What of our boys on the ground that we shall throw into the meat grinder with these conditions? We might as well just fold then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough! How dare you propose we fold?!¡±


    ¡°Silence yourself! You voted against the Defense Pact you moron! All because you demand the throne of your neighboring Kingdom. What are you doing in this conference then? How will you demand her throne if the continent falls?! Where will your throne be?¡±


    That certain monarch from that unimportant country merely looked at Amelie with a piercing glare, but she didn¡¯t stand back.


    ¡°As we bicker here,¡± Amelie raised a bunch of documents, all from her intelligence agencies. ¡°As we fight like foolish cats in our petty disputes. As we fight each other over whether we have the guts or not, the CFN is mobilizing ten thousand tanks and an estimated four million men right now on the borders of MN member states. As we bicker here, you¡¯re all staring at the guns of armies driven with the desire to burn everything down. I should not even be out here caring for you fools! Orland can win in Opellia alone! My navy will keep them off from the high seas, and I can isolate all of you once you all fall under the thumb of the Confederacy. But I am here!


    Amelie breathed in. ¡°I am here, asking you, for unity. For preparations. For collective defense. And yet you all laugh at me. Laugh at my allies. Call us nothing but controlling madwomen hell-bent on enforcing our hegemony. Well, I daresay I care not about my nation¡¯s hegemony. I care for this damned world and at stopping a force that¡¯ll step upon the lives of billions of innocent citizens if they ever win. But you¡¯re all going to just let them do just that. What am I supposed to do? What is Orland supposed to do? What is the Ivory Alliance supposed to do? If you won¡¯t sign this pact, just as you won¡¯t have an obligation to defend us, then my nation will have no obligation to defend you.


    ¡°Thus, would you hold out? Would you be able to fight a superpower mobilized for months when you yourself cannot even decide whether or not you still have the guts to arm your young men after the entire fiasco of last year? None of us even have a unified command structure yet. What of East Vaeyox, do any of you know how you¡¯ll coordinate your armies in your defense once the CFN knocks on the door? Does Central Vaeyox have even any form of organization? What of the Pieran Continent? You are all still barging into my office, asking for military assistance from your endless insurgencies, when my nation has descended into civil war!


    ¡°What farce are we in? What fight are we going to fight? When are we to decide what to do, now, or when everything has fallen apart?! We have already delayed enough. Delayed so much that the enemy is on the final preparations of assault while we have not even decided whether we are allies or not! Ladies, look at your own borders. Do you really think that looking away, and denying what is in front of you will save you? Have we not learned enough since this crisis started? Denial, denial, that¡¯s where we¡¯re all good at, and that, I say, shall be our downfall.


    ¡°Many of you have even made bets that the CFN will surely ¡®not attack you¡¯. ¡®Surely, only Poznek, then Lombardia, then Constania, then Latia, and all the nations that the Confederacy invaded will be attacked, but not us¡¯. Oh surely, surely. Of course, they won¡¯t today, just as they surely didn¡¯t invade Lombardia after they were done in Poznek. These men say it themselves, global revolution. Has it not been clear enough, that their ideology demands your dismantlement, and you would gladly let them do it while doing nothing?


    ¡°I apologize for my rudeness, but I believe that this situation has gone beyond politeness, dear honorable members of this organization. I thus have one question to ask you all. Will the Mandate of Nations fight, or will we fold? Will we deny, or will we accept and act? Will we be united, or will we be divided? It is up to you.¡±


    The General Assembly fell silent¡­until roars came from the delegates. Instead of scathing remarks against her, the pro-war nations descended into a chorus of affirmations. ¡°Unity!¡± they shouted. ¡°Unit!¡± they shouted more. The fence-sitters remained silent until they too joined in on the wave. Delegates from the Ivory Alliance began clapping in agreement with her, especially the Gallians and the Lorathians.


    All while the remaining fence-sitters fell more into quietness. Amelie knew that going forward, they¡¯d have no choice. Either they would be in this mess and they would fight together with the Mandate of Nations, or they would face the CFN alone.


    She moved back from the podium, as the sounds of those who supported her filled the room.


    Goddess damn it, if I had known that all I need is to act like a raving dictator in front to get them¡­


    She sighed.


    I should have done that sooner.

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Four: Gallian Defense Plan

    ¡°Orland adopts hawkish policies! Queen Amelie Ludendorf of Orland made a ¡®warmongering¡¯ and ¡®outrageous¡¯ speech according to her detractors, or a ¡®call to arms¡¯ and ¡®united defense¡¯ by her supporters. The Queen of Orland vocally criticized in front of the General Assembly the ¡®fence-sitters¡¯ who obstruct the MN Defense Pact, or the MN Resolution 3250 that called for the collective defense of all MN member states against aggression by the ¡®rogue states¡¯ of the Coalition of Free Nations. The Orlish Queen outlined that these nations¡¯ anemic reactions are endangering the safety of the worldwide citizenry, and going as far as threatening to vacate the talks of collective defense if MN member states fail to make a decision in time and begin defensive preparations. Her speech had been widely supported by Ivory Alliance member states, countries already invaded by the CFN or of the Confederacy, both North and South Opellia, but Imperial Asanai and the ¡®peace¡¯ bloc have remained silent on the matter. The Orlish Government has also supported their Queen¡¯s speech, with Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss declaring that preparations against threats to the world¡¯s security, stability, and peace must be tackled with a ¡®proactive response¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    Toldoi City


    April 2, 2025


    ¡°Well, you certainly made your point well over there,¡± General Victor Albrecht chuckled as Amelie was received in the command room of VACCOM¡¯s branch in Gallia. Amelie could only shake her head as she entered, the officers of VACCOM all removing their caps as she entered as a sign of respect.


    ¡°That I did,¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°I hope those nations received my words well.¡±


    ¡°We all hope they do, Your Majesty.¡± General Albrecht said. Amelie looked around the room. Indeed¡­it was now very much less populated than it should be. Quite frankly, there were now only four nations left in the Ivory Alliance. The Kingdom of Orland, its military leader. The Kingdom of Lorathia. The Kingdom of Gallia. And of course, the newly-reinstated Kingdom of Lieplatz.


    Still, inside the room, the old flags of the lost members, the Kingdoms of Lombardia and Asturia, were still present. Almost as if these officers still held a nostalgic holdover to their former, now revolutionary allies.


    But Amelie could only see officers of the four Kingdoms. In fact, even the Lieplatzan officers were¡­well, there were only three of them. Seemingly from their Air Force, Navy, and Army. Realistically, there were only three nations in the Ivory Alliance. Lieplatz might as well just be a client state pretending to be an independent nation.


    Still¡­we¡¯ll make do with what we have.


    What could she do? The odds had never been this stacked against Orland ever since. The Ivory Alliance was supposed to be the premier military power of the civilized world. The ones who possessed the most well-trained and well-equipped militaries, ready to fight against the Order Pact¡¯s numerically superior forces. And win against them.


    Now¡­their leader was in a civil war. Lieplatz collapsed. Lombardia was snuffed from them without an ounce of resistance. And Asturia completely defected to the other state. All the while Gallia¡¯s Armed Forces remained as incompetent as ever, with Lorathia not lagging behind.


    Still, I¡¯ll make do. That was how Amelie led anyway. She certainly was a glorified janitor, that was the truth. Or a firefighter. Born just in time to lead right when the junk of her mothers and grandmothers finally piled up their collective stank at the same time. How she would stop the CFN with this motley alliance, she didn¡¯t fully know.


    But¡­she¡¯d have to trust these men and women. As always.


    Amelie sighed. ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, I am honored to be in this room. As you all know, Gallia is under the threat of an invasion, and you¡­will be the ones that will be leading the defense of this nation. General Albrecht.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht marched forward. ¡°We¡¯ll begin in earnest at planning the defense of this nation. Let us start with the most important part of our defense. The Gallian Armed Forces.¡±


    Immediately, a black-haired woman wearing an elaborately designed white uniform spoke with confidence.


    ¡°Your Majesty, General Albrecht, I believe that Gallia is prepared for any aggression against our homeland.¡±


    Princess Louise Alois, the next on the throne to Gallia, just four years older than Amelie, leader of the Order of Harmony, an elite corps-sized formation of the Gallian Royal Guard, and rumored to be de facto in charge of Gallia¡¯s Armed Forces and the leading figures of its purges¡­err, ¡°defanging¡± wasn¡¯t someone that Amelie trusted with her words.


    Her apparent fiancee, a meek-looking man named Marshall Henry Tuvein, just twenty-five, only nodded in approval to his Princess¡¯ words. Quite frankly, these two were hand-in-hand in the entire Asturian Intervention fiasco, as they led the operation from day one. However, Amelie knew that it was really the overly ambitious Princess who, as Marie said, ¡®an egotistical woman who had dreams of conquering Vaeyox herself before she became Queen¡¯ that was running the entire trainwreck.


    Of course, these two, already slated to be the next Queen and King of Gallia, wouldn''t be replaced. Unlike in Orland where Orlish Queens couldn¡¯t care less about their military prowess, where a Princess that would step back and let her ministers and government do all the work was preferred by the people for Queenly duties, in Gallia, military prestige was something popular. After all, they were right in front of the Order Pact.


    A Gallian Queen must be someone who could lead her men to the defense of her people.


    And thus this. Ironic, Amelie thought, considering how inept they were in actual fighting. Then again, it was all for optics anyway. Just like House Ludendorf¡¯s supposed love for constitutional rule, until Amelie discovered that she had such wide ranges of powers she could wield all because she shouted ¡°emergency!¡±


    ¡°Is that so, Princess Alois?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°I have heard that¡­there have been problems with the Gallian military¡¯s leadership?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± the Princess laughed as if it was all comical. ¡°I assure you, Your Majesty, we have dealt with the problem ourselves. There won¡¯t be a single officer in the Gallian Army that would dare act with insubordination to his nation¡¯s defense. Isn¡¯t that right, Marshall Tuvein?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Aye, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°See,¡± the Princess smiled. ¡°I monitor the GAF with utmost efficiency. And my dearest Marshall Tuvein over here is a competent man ready to lead this nation¡¯s defense forces. There won¡¯t be cracks in our defenses. Nothing at all.¡±


    Yeah¡­sure you say that, Princess¡­


    Marshall Tuvein then intervened. ¡°As Her Highness said, the GAF remains a formidable force. We have erm¡­shifted, yes, our forces from the southern borders.¡±


    I wonder why you fools have to shift them now. And why you had to have them there in the first place.


    ¡°Alongside that, we are mobilizing our Great War formations. Within a few more weeks, the Gallian Armed Forces should swell to more than a million troops in the front against the Order Pact, with millions more in reserve. Defenses are being built, logistical lines are being prepared, and exercises for preparations are being done.¡±


    Princess Alois smiled widely until she turned back to Amelie.


    ¡°See, we¡¯re doing fine. Your Majesty, what about your nation?¡±


    Don¡¯t look smugly at me. Amelie really wasn¡¯t a fan of overconfident people like her. I bet my few brigades will do more than those millions you¡¯re mobilizing.


    ¡°General Albrecht,¡± Amelie called, and his General naturally responded quickly.


    ¡°Your Highness, Orland, as you know, has already sent three mechanized infantry brigades to the frontlines. They will soon be joined by two armored brigades, and alongside that, our new light mech brigades. The M2 LSS Panthers shall soon join the fields of Vaeyox. These six brigades will form the I OEF Corps.¡±


    ¡°...Your Majesty,¡± Princess Alois shook her head. ¡°Is that really all Orland will offer? Twenty-five thousand troops, two hundred tanks at maximum, and a brigade of LSS Panthers. How many mechs would even be in it?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Amelie didn¡¯t really know yet, luckily, as always, her reliable General was quick to the rescue.


    ¡°Your Highness, we will be sending the 5th Light Mech Brigade ¡®Donnergrollen¡¯, part of the 12th Light Mech Division ¡®Vereinigt¡¯, and a veteran of the Battle of Halia, where it fought with the modern era¡¯s largest armored battle. Two hundred sixteen M2 LSS Panthers will be landing in your nation under the 5th Light Mech Brigade, that¡¯s four battalions of LSS Mechs, two of which are the cream of the crop. Your Highness¡­these men may be few, but they¡¯re the best Orland can offer in high-intensity maneuver warfare. The I OEF Corps will act as our most effective QRF force.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Gallian Princess seemed skeptical, which only irked Amelie more. Truly, her allies were insufferable. She sometimes wondered how it must be in the ranks of the CFN. If the CFN¡¯s specialty was ruthlessness and brutality, the MN¡¯s specialty must be its crippling incompetence.


    Except for Orland and a few nations of course. Amelie seriously believed that if there was anything Orland now had for itself, it was their rapidly reforming military and military-industrial complex. Politically, her Kingdom was still stuck in its past ineptness. But at least she now had an economy with rapidly expanding production and a military growing in both power and capability to both fight a civil war at home and a global war outside of her borders.


    My country will really have to do the heavy lifting in the end. She lamented about that, as General Albrecht and the Princess continued discussing whether or not the numbers of the I OEF Corps. Amelie knew that with the war coming, the numbers of the I OEF Corps wouldn¡¯t be enough in the long run.


    But, she had already been insured that they, again, were the cream of the crop. The OAF after all was still under a major reorganization to its smaller, more mobile, full brigade-based operational organization. The divisional command had fully proven itself to be¡­outdated. Thus, they were forming fully integrated and self-sufficient brigades that had already existed beforehand (as special independent units) from these divisions with the lull in the fighting.


    She was expecting her armored and light mech brigades to be fully formed within a year. The target, of course, was high. At least twenty-eight armored brigades and sixteen light mech brigades. Why? Because she was going to fight an open conflict in the seas. The OAF estimated that it would need a full one hundred thousand specialized expeditionary forces in Gallia within six months of fighting.


    But for now, this woman was pushing her buttons and demanding more right now. I OEF Corps was what she could provide. That was six damned brigades of the OAF¡¯s best. Why the subtle mockery then? Thankfully, General Albrecht held the Princess¡¯ gigantic head off and answered the questions respectfully, and it seemed that even she understood not to press too hard.


    All while the Lorathians and Lieplatzans watched silently in the background.


    ¡°Onto the plans then,¡± Amelie said. ¡°What shall our plan be?¡±


    ¡°On that, VACCOM has produced War Plan Cyan,¡± General Albrecht declared. ¡°The focus of War Plan Cyan is the effective defense of three defensive lines for the first six months of the offensive.¡±


    With that, everyone finally turned to the map on the table. Amelie saw three defined defense lines, each filled with the assigned positions of each unit on three defensive lines. The first defensive line seemed to be directly in the DMZ.


    The second defense line was a little further back, utilizing a few river lines and abandoning the Liebnich peninsula and the northeastern provinces of Gallia.


    The third one was only a few kilometers away from Toldoi, lined along four major cities from the Heuse river up north, and the Pezzan border in the south.


    ¡°Our first defensive line, of course, would be the DMZ. We cannot abandon this line until the position turns untenable, due to how many defenses we have constructed on it. The Orlish, Lorathian, and Gallian Air Force must thus ensure air superiority or deny the CFN air superiority to prevent any breakthrough.¡± General Albrecht finished.


    ¡°And that¡¯s something the GAF is ready to do so,¡± the Princess proudly interjected. ¡°Surely, those disorganized rebels would struggle to break through this.¡±


    General Albrecht, of course, kept his lips off from speaking contrary to her claims.


    ¡°If they do, however, we shall move into the so-called ¡®Loop¨CSatre¡¯ line. Running from the coastal city of Loop, down to the town of Satre on the Pezzan border. This defensive line takes into account a few rivers, and as you¡¯ve all reported, the GAF has already constructed scattered defense lines and trench lines in this area.¡±


    Marshall Henry Tuvein nodded. ¡°Indeed we have. We even have garrison troops already manning the defenses we have there. We can occupy it rapidly if need be.¡±


    ¡°Then, of course, the third defensive line,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°By this point, however, we expect that the enemy would have been sufficiently depleted. Unlike in the Great War, we will be abandoning land and refusing to fight over it whenever the situation turns untenable. These lines are meant to be held for a few weeks to inflict casualties on their armored core, and we shall be conducting fighting retreats whenever it is clear that we have to, in order to stretch their lines.¡±


    General Albrecht then pointed his finger again on the third defense line. ¡°Once we reach this place, the Orlish Air Force will have at least eight hundred air assets over the skies of Gallia. Alongside that, we should have reinforced the badly mauled I OEF Corps with four newly reorganized armored brigades. With the help of fresh Lorathian Expeditionary Forces as further reinforcements, we shall conduct a piercing offensive¡­a breakthrough, with our armor, on the center of the frontlines. Their weakened forces will collapse, and we will drive north¡ªto the coast of northeastern Gallia.¡±


    Amelie seemed impressed by General Albrecht¡¯s plans. He certainly wasn¡¯t planning on a drawn-out attritional battle for Gallia. Instead¡­it almost seemed like War Plan Cyan would be a feigned retreat plan. Lure them deep into Gallia while weakening them with casualties, then once they reach the final fortified line right when Orlish and Lorathian reinforcements arrive¡ªtheir combined forces would suddenly attack and encircle them.


    ¡°And with that¡ªwe may avoid another drawn-out trench warfare in northern Gallia. War Plan Cyan, ladies and gentlemen, will be Gallia¡¯s salvation, even with the sacrifices that would be made.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Five: The Domestic Front

    ¡°The Mandate of Nations finally passes Resolution 3250, formally turning the Mandate of Nations into a defensive alliance. All MN member states that signed Resolution 3250 will now be protected by the MN Defense Pact. Should any MN member state come under another attack from the CFN or other ¡°rogue states¡± the Defense Pact will be triggered to call all nations into collective defense. However, ongoing wars are not included in Resolution 3250, but MN member states are expected to provide humanitarian, economic, and military aid to friendly MN member states already under attack or under a civil war with a CFN-aligned member state. Half of the MN has now announced mass or partial mobilization, mirroring the actions of the CFN¡¯s mass mobilization.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Orland


    November Palace


    The November Palace was now in a flurry of activity.


    In front of Amelie, the members of the Heiss Government talked endlessly about the progress on each of their tasks. The Ministry of Health and Social Services, represented by Allison Thell went on and on about the current state of the Orlish Welfare system. All in all, it was clearly going bad, including healthcare. As always, Orlish hospitals remained under high activity with the casualties from the frontlines and from the constant bombings.


    The Ministry of Defense, with Archduchess Pristina Dubois, bragged on and on about the developments in both the OAF and RGO. While the Archduchess couldn¡¯t fathom speaking much about the OAF except for whatever they reported to her, she seemed ecstatic about the fact that her KDUs were now starting to do well on the battlefield, being deployed side-by-side with the OAF.


    But of course, Amelie didn¡¯t bother to listen much to her. In matters of national defense, Amelie always favored listening instead to the OHC, their various intelligence agencies, the OPM, and the RIU anyway. Still, it was good that the KDUs were deployed in the front. That meant more meat to replace the elite forces she would be pulling out for the Orlish Expeditionary Forces.


    Then, the Minister of Economy, Countess Anne Wittfield finally spoke. This was where Amelie was interested.


    ¡°Our projections are growing ever more optimistic,¡± the Countess began with a smile. Even Marie, her daughter, who was sitting just in front of her at the meeting table smiled as well. It was quite the nice arrangement, Amelie thought. Mother and daughter, both in high places of her government for their competence.


    ¡°Right now, our industrial output has reached eighty-seven percent of our pre-Civil War figures,¡± the Countess continued, flipping through the documents she held. ¡°We have opened, moved, reopened, or expanded our industries, especially heavy industries in West Orland. So much so that by next year, we would be able to devote as much as thirty percent of our GDP on military matters, as our industrial capacity would finally be able to support it. While we have increased our military production to keep up with the demands of the Ministry of Defense, most of our expansion has been in supporting civilian heavy industries. We have opened up factories for heavy machinery and tooling for example to support our construction of military-based factories or conversion of civilian factories to manufacture military equipment instead of consumer goods.


    ¡°More than that, we have expanded our high-tech chip fabrication plants. Thanks to the OAF¡¯s air cover, we have actually not lost any of our fabrication plants, and with four more fabrication plants that luckily opened up in the last few months due to the previous government¡¯s policy of expanding Orland¡¯s chip-making capabilities, we have actually increased our production of high-end chips by forty-percent, with fourteen fabrication plants online in West Orland, in comparison to a meager four online in the Free State of Wuringen. This will ensure long-term that Orland¡¯s military equipment will be able to source high-end components for whatever new developments we may need.


    ¡°Then into the actual production of military equipment, for the last fiscal quarter, we have produced a thousand tanks of all variants of the L?we MBT, two thousand various AFVs such as IFVs, APCs, and other lighter hulls. We have produced six hundred M2 LSS Mechs and three hundred of the new Parasite Mechs in the expanded production run. Alongside that are four hundred airframes completed, with a hundred being the LF-20 Phantom stealth aircraft, and of course the enormous quantities of rations, munition, rifles, vests, helmets, drones, and everything in between that the MoD considers as bread and butter for its forces. Of course, much of this equipment is still being processed to our logistical hubs, so it¡¯s really up to the OAF to get these things to reinforce the front.


    ¡°As for shipbuilding, we have reopened three major shipyards in West Orland that we closed a decade ago. These shipyards required significant capital to reopen, and they are still only partially online, but two of these shipyards can produce large surface combatants and submarines, and the least capable of producing supercarrier hulls as a replacement for the now-canceled Halia Shipyard, though, it will not be offering the same production capabilities that we expected in the Halia Shipyard, and we may only produce at most two or three carriers from it in the next five years. Alongside that, we have finished the construction of five Gallant-Class DDGs, two Sentinel-Class CGs, and eight Tiger-Class FFGs, alongside other naval hulls. Though, seventy-five percent of these new hulls are yet to be commissioned by the Navy.


    ¡°All these however are expensive endeavors¡­and our spending is projected to reach a staggering one point two trillion blancs once FY2025 ends. By FY2026, we expect spending to reach two point five trillion blancs, and by FY2027, if this war is still ongoing¡­we are gearing up to a four trillion blancs spending budget, representing nearly forty percent of our current eleven trillion blancs of nominal GDP after the loss of our territories to the rebellion. We are¡­mobilizing everything, and Orland will surely be in even greater debt even if we win this war.¡±


    The Countess looked around the room, as the early optimism from her production reports faded into a gloomy atmosphere when the topic of spending and debt was brought up. One of the main exact causes of the disastrous 2024 economic crisis that helped bring this war too. Amelie knew how bad the Countess¡¯ forecast was long-term.


    Orland¡¯s economy already buckled before the First Great War, then it had to fight for years subjecting it to even greater pressures even if Orland won. Then it buckled again, and now, a war was on Orland¡¯s land all while the economy, while being drugged to produce even more¡ªwas placed under greater strain.


    The reality was, once Amelie won, whatever utopic abundance Orlishwomen enjoyed would be over. She already talked to the Countess about it. There would be less spending on women¡¯s social welfare once this was over. All of it would be going into reconstruction and debt maintenance/payments.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Still, Amelie wasn¡¯t going to lose hope. She had seventy percent of the Orlish economy under her flag. Even if the Federalists had the industrial advantage for now due to the Free State, by the second or third year, once West Orland¡¯s civilian industries fully mobilized for wartime production, she¡¯d have outlasted the Federalists and would have ensured their defeat in this attritional war.


    All we need to do is hold on until then.


    ¡°...That about ends the Q1 report of FY2025,¡± the Countess said.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Prime Minister Jacqueline could only shake her head. ¡°I suppose it is to be expected, everyone. For now, let¡¯s just focus on winning the war instead of going all doom and gloom about what happens afterward. We¡¯ll rebuild, I¡¯m sure of it. We¡¯ll build back Orland and her economy to its illustrious strength two decades ago, eventually.¡±


    Amelie smiled. ¡°Thanks for the optimism, Jacqueline. In any case, we have three good news now at least. First is the KDUs deploying, second, the resolution finally passed, third, our industries are alive and well. However, I¡¯m afraid we still have issues, no?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± General Albrecht, who was present, as always, in the meetings (even if he was not part of the Orlish Cabinet) spoke up. ¡°About the reorganization of the OAF, we¡¯re adjusting our estimates to a year before we reach the amount of armored and light mech brigades that we have targeted in order to conduct an offensive in our lands. We lost six hundred tanks in just five months. That¡¯s the equivalent of six armored brigades lost overall, and we have only sent four hundred tanks to the front in that time period.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°Minister Wittfield said we are producing a lot. How is it that we only sent that many actual tanks to the frontlines?¡±


    ¡°Because the new crews are still training,¡± the General said. ¡°They¡¯re trickling in, but slowly. Right now, our bottleneck isn''t the actual production, but effective manpower. You ordered us to maintain at least three months of training time for our tank crews after all.¡±


    Oh¡­


    Amelie remembered that. She had been pissed that many of her nation¡¯s young men serving under her in these death coffins were dying at a stupid rate. So instead of the OAF sending in young men with one month of training (she heard that the normal rate was at least six months), Amelie forced the OHC to increase it to three months.


    ¡°Wait, I remember that you all told me that it shouldn¡¯t hurt too much even with the downsides?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°I ordered that so we can keep at least a level of decency in our armored corps. Is it¡­is it compromising our frontline units?¡±


    The General shook his head. ¡°Not exactly, though, again, the problem is they would be getting reinforcements in a late fashion. And with constant combat, that means most of our armored brigades are from fifty to eighty percent of actual combat strength. That means that while on paper, an armored brigade should have eighty to ninety L?wes, in reality, it would have around fifty to seventy. Is it bad? No, not really, unless they go down to below fifty percent combat strength at long stretches of time. Is it not ideal? Yes, but nothing is ideal. The true main problem your policy brings is that this means we cannot expand our armored brigades to our desired numbers within a year. But¡­that¡¯s the tradeoff.¡±


    Amelie slackened in her seat. ¡°Okay¡­then why are you continuing it?¡±


    ¡°I trust Her Majesty¡¯s wisdom in desiring better tankers,¡± the General said. ¡°While we want more tanks on the field, we realize that if we¡¯re going to conduct an offensive, we might as well make sure that our new formations would have the quality to conduct a combined arms push.¡±


    ¡°I see then¡­¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°Next¡­on this day¡¯s agenda is women¡¯s conscription. Everyone¡­when the hell are we mobilizing? And when I say mobilizing, I don¡¯t mean the boys already either dead or dying on the front, I mean us, young women. Our strategic plans are being impaired by the lack of units to replace those being assigned to our expeditionary forces, and I am particularly pissed by it, Jacqueline¡­¡±


    The Prime Minister gulped. ¡°Look¡­the Parliament¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the opinions of the parliament anymore, just like I stopped caring about the opinions of the fence-sitters in the Mandate of Nations. Are they doing something or not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be holding another vote next week¡ª¡±


    ¡°Next week is another week of inaction when I need to find assurances that there will be replacements to the brigades that the OAF is preparing for the OEF. We need more goddess-damned meat on the frontlines because we are diverting our best of the best to prevent the collapse of our allies. When are we going to get the assurance that we will have more bodies to fill the gaps that we will eventually have?¡±


    ¡°...Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht suddenly chimed in. ¡°I must say though, regardless of what happens, the OAF is ready to defend the nation. If we¡¯re not receiving women as reinforcements outside of the volunteers in the KDUs¡­then we¡¯ll hold the line ourselves.¡±


    ¡°And I am not permitting such a scenario, General,¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°No. Not under my rule. I know that most of our mobilized formations have barely been rotated out of the battlefield. These men have been knee-deep on the trench lines for a year straight, fighting day and night without any hope of reprieve. This level of torment to our defenders is not to be tolerated, even if they would proudly insist that they can hold on if need be. There are no excuses. The conscription bill must be passed, and the OAF will form new units made up of women who can participate in the frontlines side-by-side with their brothers.


    ¡°And if it isn¡¯t passed¡ªit¡¯s wartime, everyone,¡± Amelie crossed her arms. ¡°As the Queen, I¡¯ll do what must be done if need be with the emergency executive powers granted to me. Whether the Parliament passes it or not, our daughters will be sent to the grinder to serve their duties to the Kingdom. Thus, it is up to you, Jacqueline¡­¡±


    She frowned at her friend because while Amelie knew this wasn¡¯t Jacqueline¡¯s fault, Amelie wanted her to act at all costs now.


    ¡°Will your party stain the honor of women by not passing this democratically and thus painting us as traitors to our own nation when I have to force the issue myself, or will you and the UOP show that Orlishwomen can still be trusted to do their duties to our motherland? Regardless of what anyone says, the actions of the UOP will be written in history, and I believe everyone here would find an issue if the party that supposedly represents the average woman acts in an almost treasonous manner in this time of great crisis.¡±


    Every woman in the room fell silent, understanding the Queen¡¯s words. Indeed¡­it was primarily why even Amelie was holding on from passing a Royal Decree for it. The idea that women, democratically, would betray their own nation by not fighting for its survival¡­would be a stab to their own self-image that they could accept.


    It wasn¡¯t just a question of strategic necessity. No, it was a question about women¡¯s honor, reputation, and integrity. If these democratically elected representatives of the average woman once again voted against it when the world was now teetering on the edge of a war that would determine the survival of Orland itself, it would be a great insult to the honor of every woman alive.


    ¡°I¡­I promise,¡± Prime Minister Jacqueline nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll do every measure to pass this bill.¡±


    ¡°I expect substance from your words then, Miss Prime Minister.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Six: The Federalist Delimma

    ¡°Missiles rain on the Empire of Hebei! The Republic of Hebei has now severed all talks of peace in Hebei after the Empress signed the MN Defense Pact. Attacks have intensified over South Hebeian cities, with Orlish-made REGAL SAM systems and other air defense systems working at full time to intercept both drone and missile strikes. Hebeian mobile AAA systems have also been seen in the fields. Civilians near the frontlines are now being evacuated en-masse by the South Hebeian Imperial Army in anticipated aggression from the north.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Federal Republic of Orland


    Wuringen


    Eirhow City


    ¡°Then how do you fools plan to get out of this bind?¡± The Federal President shouted in anger. ¡°They¡¯re slowly strangling us. Encircling our seas. Our imports even through the new ports in Lieplatz have been non-existent. What shall our plan be now?¡±


    ¡°President Rimpler, if I may, this is an inaccurate assessment of our situation,¡± the Minister of Economy¡ªa man who, much like all Ministers in the Federal Cabinet, a military officer, said. ¡°We are still outproducing the Royalists. The industries of Wuringen alone shall overcome the Queen¡¯s stooges within a year. We are moving swiftly to support the FOAF.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed not far from true,¡± Minister Heindh?ff calmly crossed his arms. ¡°The FOAF still has supremacy in the frontlines. We¡¯ll begin surgical strikes on their economic centers within the next four months. We¡¯ll cripple them, then we¡¯ll blitz to Eutstadt while their forces collapse.¡±


    General Oswald Kluge, now assigned as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (and also the main military governor of East Lieplatz) calmly laughed at the side of the meeting room.


    ¡°Aye, the bastards won¡¯t see it all coming soon,¡± he smirked. ¡°We¡¯ve built up six more armored brigades in just a year. We already have an equal number of armored brigades in the field that they do. When we started, they outnumbered us and we had to concentrate everything on the Grand Duchy push. Now, however, they¡¯re the ones that will be outnumbered on the local frontlines. Especially since they¡¯re sending some of them to the Gallians.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Director Alfonso Bluch adjusted his glasses. ¡°My agency has already received more of their plans. They might divert four or six armored brigades from their frontlines against us. To be shipped off to fight the Confederacy. They probably would not stand a chance once they do that, if we mass our forces well for a push.¡±


    ¡°General Albrecht¡¯s a meticulous man, he wouldn¡¯t be so stupid to fall for our nonsense,¡± President Rimpler angrily countered. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen you people fail at taking Halia from him and that Major. Them pulling off their best maneuver units does not equate to better chances in the frontlines for us.¡±


    ¡°Respectfully, sir,¡± Defense Minister Heindh?ff leaned forward on the table. ¡°So what if we cannot beat them yet? Our strategy is still sound. We keep building up our armor and mechanized forces, alongside our air force, all while that Queen splits the OAF¡¯s attention from us to the Gallian front. Once she loses her forces in Gallia, we¡¯ll strike, and achieve superiority quickly. We¡¯ll punch through her defenses like a knife through butter, destroy the Archduchy and the Free Confederation, and essentially destroy any long-term chance of her leveraging her larger economy to fight us.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯ll destroy their morale,¡± General Kluge added. ¡°Losing her assets in Gallia, and losing Gallia itself, then losing the Free Confederation and the Archduchy would be so severe of a blow that West Orland will erupt into chaos. She will not stand a chance once the people of Orland panic under the threads of our armored spearheads.¡±


    ¡°Then the OAF would finally rout,¡± Director Bluch smiled. ¡°President Rimpler, sir, don¡¯t despair. We still have our cards in this game. We may be the smaller party, and we all recognize that time isn¡¯t on our side, but we still have time to execute the blitz we need to win.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the problem we are facing, gentlemen,¡± the President declared. ¡°If all your optimistic plans and projections fail, what then? Yes, we are better mobilized right now. Yes, we are still outproducing them. Yes, we have the advantage in the fields, both in quality and quantity. But next year. Or the year after. If we fail at taking L?t and the Free Confederation, and if our naval raiders fail to stop West Orland¡¯s awakening industries, then we will eventually lose in a war of attrition.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something we already recognized from the start,¡± the Defense Minister said. ¡°That¡¯s why we struck the capital first and foremost. Unfortunately, our assumption that the Queen would pathetically surrender and that Orland would bend to our Junta failed, which is why we¡¯re changing our tactics. If we can¡¯t make them politically surrender in two months, let us make them economically surrender in two years. We are preparing for the large-scale offensives, we just need to time it well.¡±


    Heindh?ff then frowned at the President.


    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no need yet for your ¡®emergency measures¡¯. We are not yet at that point. And it is a can of worms we cannot open. For once the genie is out of the bottle, it will not return. Even if we win once we do that, there¡¯s no point winning a scorched Pollos. We already opened enough questions when we used chemical warfare in the Grand Duchy Campaign. Luckily, no large-scale chemical warfare resulted from it, but only because the Queen held the OAF off. Now, however, they have prepared with chemical weapons of their own. Stockpiles. All because we let that genie off the bottle first. We won¡¯t be opening more until we are desperate.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± the President shook his head. ¡°We already have the advantage of true AI. We should leverage it now!¡±


    ¡°And what if it turns around and shoots us first?¡± Heindh?ff retorted. ¡°The Project Team has said it already. They¡¯re still developing ways to fully manage our autonomous forces. We cannot unleash it in a rush.¡±


    ¡°They said it¡¯ll take a decade!¡±


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    ¡°And thus we shall win this thing conventionally first! If we unleash it and it backfires, it¡¯ll be the equivalent of us firing the first nuclear bomb. We¡¯ll be dead at the end of it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all being obtuse,¡± President Rimpler mocked. ¡°Cowards. Our autonomous forces project would literally mean that we¡¯d have the equivalent of thirty armored brigades with the amount we have produced already. We¡¯d even surprise them so utterly with it. More than half of our military strength literally lies on this thing that only we have. Then the autonomous production site¡ª¡±


    ¡°Those sites were created in a rushed manner, sir,¡± Heinh?ff fumed. ¡°We have no assurance that we will have full control of their operations until the project¡¯s team has ensured that Tau-Core and its subordinate command cores are fully stable to take command. The design alone of Tau-Core is already questionable. It¡¯s an intelligence that literally hates women to the guts.¡±


    ¡°And women are our enemy. That just means it¡¯ll fight them extra well.¡±


    ¡°And what if our autonomous forces start killing women really extra well and in a very extra manner?¡± Heindh?ff challenged. ¡°Will you be willing to take that ethical conundrum, Mister President? I will not deploy a force that could willingly go ballistic and fire on my boys or innocent civilian women. Not under my watch. The Revolution has honor, sir. Honor it will keep.¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± the Vice President, Kaleb Krebs declared. ¡°Gentlemen, while it is of great use that we discuss the question of whether or not we¡¯ll deploy our most advanced and¡­dangerous creations to the equation due to the changing developments on the field, I believe that this discussion has now¡­at the moment, been destroyed by our less than cool heads. President Rimpler, I recommend that we discuss this at a more opportune moment.¡±


    ¡°...Alright. Meeting dismissed.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s that then,¡± General Kluge mumbled as the Ministers of the Federalist state left the meeting room. ¡°Guess the boss really wants us to unleash the ADF.¡±


    ¡°Not gonna happen,¡± Heind?ff said. ¡°Not under my watch. Not under your watch. Not under the watch of the Armed Forces. That man¡¯s a lunatic.¡±


    ¡°Bet he thinks he¡¯d be in control of the machines,¡± Kluge laughed. ¡°Delusions really do cloud the mind. I mean, our scientists and researchers already said it. They need more time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s under the assumption that our researchers aren¡¯t nuts themselves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having suspicions?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the reports about Tau-Core?¡± Heindh?ff frowned as they marched through the empty hallways. ¡°Damned thing is spewing hate against all of womankind. And we¡¯re supposed to let it be in control of thousands of various autonomous warfighting platforms?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the only way. Not like those cheap mass-produced platforms can be used by squishy humans. They¡¯ve been designed that way. And the only way to turn that investment into any use is to get an intelligence to control them.¡±


    ¡°Or we humans can control them like drones.¡±


    ¡°They said they already tried that. Ended up way too subpar in comparison to those controlled by their trained AI. Not to mention¡­it¡¯s what the project is for. Autonomous forces. Something that would fight on even if we men lose.¡±


    ¡°Damned bastards,¡± Heindh?ff stopped and punched the wall. It didn¡¯t budge. ¡°They¡¯re walking us into a trap. A trap that we men will be responsible for. Why the hell did we even fund these black projects if this is what we¡¯ll create?¡±


    Kluge sighed. ¡°Defense Minister, as the movement said¡­it¡¯s the only way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and we can win this war rather quickly if we just nuke them all into pieces. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d want us men to stain our already shattered reputation by trying to win a war of revolution by deploying tactical nukes on Orlish soil.¡±


    ¡°...I have an idea then,¡± Kluge smirked. ¡°The Confederacy¡­they say they have it too, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. Cold War relics,¡± Heindh?ff said. ¡°Seemed like they had the same program they kept under wraps from the Larissan Imperial Government.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a chilling coincidence, yes, but it does have something that we could¡­well, find opportune. What if they deploy theirs first in Gallia? See how it ends up?¡±


    ¡°Still opens up the can of worms, you moron. Plus¡­are we really going to reveal to humanity that we men have plotted so far into this that we have been developing world-ending technologies under their noses for decades?¡±


    ¡°I mean, they already accuse us of that anyway. We¡¯re all terrorists to them.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯d just make it worse. This revolution is not a revolution for just our victory. It¡¯s for the victory of all humanity. And the redemption of us men from every torment we found ourselves in and from our sins against each other. We have killed enough with our hands. Are we going to kill more? What kind of a revolution are we fighting for then?¡±


    ¡°Most men don¡¯t care about those ideals, Defense Minister,¡± General Kluge said. ¡°We already resigned ourselves to a scorched world idea. If we¡¯re not going to win¡ªwe¡¯re unleashing those things regardless. That should already tell you enough that we¡¯re not some noble people seeking a noble resolution. Quite frankly, the idea makes me laugh. It makes me laugh how we try too hard to act good. We¡¯re already monsters to them. Quite frankly¡­are we really even that far from monsters?¡±


    That small question made Heindh?ff stop. Quite frankly, it was the most difficult question for men to answer for themselves. Really¡­the world, for them¡­was monstrous. And in that world, they had been molded as monsters themselves. Why? Who the hell were the cannon fodder, the executor, the enforcer, the ones who killed the most with their own hands?


    It was men. Heindh?ff knew that. Heindh?ff knew that it was him and his brothers who fought all those wars and spilled blood. Heindh?ff knew that it was male corporations that exploited penal laborers for every ounce of productivity. Heindh?ff knew it was them who developed, produced, and created every deadly technology known since the Industrial Revolution.


    They could say it was in the service of the Matriarchy and women. That all of them were just unwilling puppets dancing to the desires of the society they existed in. They could say that they were just following orders. Yet¡­they still did all those atrocities to themselves.


    Women may have been the ones whispering to them to pull the trigger against their fellow brothers¡­but consistently, it had been them pulling the trigger and killing their brothers.


    Now¡­they were doing those atrocities against women too.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we will not fail,¡± Heindh?ff''s voice turned even more grim. ¡°Or we will truly turn into the monsters they paint us as. I¡¯d rather it doesn¡¯t come to that, because if it does¡­we would all be irredeemable.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Seven: Rifts in the Cabinet

    ¡°The Orlish Prime Minister, Jacqueline Heiss, alongside the members of the Heiss Cabinet, has once again urged the Orlish Parliament to ¡®act at once¡¯ and finish the now revised and renamed Women Mobilization Bill. The revised bill now demands the immediate conscription of all eligible young women aged eighteen to twenty-six to all branches of the Orlish Armed Forces, especially in the Royal Orlish Army. The Army expects at least four hundred thousand young women to join all-women infantry brigades for combat deployments within a year, with plans for the Royal Guard to transfer female officers in the OAF to lead these formations. Alongside this, the bill will mobilize any young woman not conscripted into the Orlish War Industry, which is expected to expand war production considerably. More concerns have been raised by Arcanist Party MPs, with Duchess Flandere stating that the Arcanist Party will vote no as a bloc, reiterating their position that women should only join the fight as volunteers in the Royal Guard. The Orlish Republican Party however showed, as usual, a resounding landslide in support of the bill. All that¡¯s left now is the still fence-sitting UOP, the same party holding most seats in the Parliament. Current polls for young women have also been mixed, with thirty-two percent showing support for the bill, forty-three percent undecided, and twenty-five percent being against it.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    Amelie was fixing herself up for her next speech. With the Parliament soon voting for the Women Mobilization Bill, Amelie needed to once again show the UOP where the Queen stands. It certainly irked her. The sheer obstructionism and ¡®undecidedness¡¯ on the issue of the bill had been a great propaganda victory for the CFN. Pro-revolutionary media had always been hyperfocused on the developments of Royalist Orland, as her nation, right now, had earned the complete mark of being the top figure of the counter-revolution, with her, Prime Minister Jacqueline, and all the UOP and Arcanist Party members as the main face.


    Well, reading all those headlines and the sheer overwhelming collapse of the internet into anti-UOP and anti-women sentiments had scared Amelie greatly. The consecutive failures of the Parliament to pass the previous bills were such massive ammunition for the revolutionaries that they now began spray-painting her regime as two-faced, hypocritical, and worse of all¡ªpeople were now thinking that women really wouldn¡¯t fight for anything.


    That was bad. Very bad. This was the reputation of her own gender on the stakes here. While she hated gendered politics, she knew the sheer long-term consequences of them all being painted as spineless cowards that would echo for decades. That would mean support from men to fight for them would completely evaporate. That could even mean that the revolutionaries would be emboldened to act against women, not just those safe under the MN¡¯s wing, but those under the CFN¡¯s wing.


    The Lieplatzans propagandized and painted us, women as defenseless cowards first before they did all that. Amelie sat down on a chair as her staff began fixing her face. All while she strategized further upon this thing. Damn it¡­now, the CFN is using that same line of propaganda. That we won¡¯t shoot back. That our wands mean nothing. That we¡¯re easy targets to poke.


    And thus¡­easy targets to kill.


    The failures of the Orlish Parliament to repair the reputation of women were helping to breed propaganda that would make it easier to militarily target and brutalize civilian women in CFN-occupied nations and territories. Amelie rarely really cared about the reputation of women as a whole. She already knew that like all humans, they were absolutely morally bankrupt, just in a different way.


    But after learning about how the Lieplatzan State virulently propagandized every infraction that women committed against men all while sprinkling their arguments of ¡°women are strong with their magic and evil because of it¡± all while saying ¡°they¡¯re cowards and they won¡¯t fight back¡± and how it turned a significant segment of the Lieplatzan Army from apathetic young men into radicalized monsters lining up every woman they could see for firing squad under the banner of the Protection Corps made Amelie realize that giving up on fighting for women¡¯s reputation would only give these men more ammunition to turn undecided and apathetic men into blood lusted hatred.


    That¡¯s why I need to pass this bill. Again, it was strategic and symbolic and every way. Not only would it be something that Amelie needed for her plans to fight the FOAF and defeat them at last, but it was something that she needed to drum up support for her reformist ideals.


    To repair the burned bridges with men, Amelie needed to convince them that women weren¡¯t some bloodsucking, arrogant, hypocritical, yet at the same time, cowadish creatures that had the audacity to wield magic while being that kind of people. That was what got them here in the first place. No, she needed to turn that negative reputation into something positive. To tell them that she and every woman were human beings who, yes, made a massive mistake spanning centuries, but still, people who were ready to fight side-by-side with them, aid them, and fix their wrongs.


    And the only way to do that was through her promises of reforms (many of which she couldn¡¯t achieve right now due to the war), and by action. She could act now with the Women Mobilization Bill. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like it would be a great argument to say that women cared for men because they finally turned less arrogant enough to fight for their own skin, no, but it would be a start that would pull them out of their rock bottom reputation.


    ¡°Your Majesty, is it alright?¡± Her makeup artist asked, showing her face with a mirror. Amelie didn¡¯t really care much to perfect things, she was just going to give a damned speech. Well¡­of course, a speech that would literally change a century of Orlish policy on how they would fight their wars, but she had more important things to think about than dolling herself up.


    ¡°Thanks, it¡¯s okay.¡± She said, giving her staff a smile as she stood up and left for the press conference.


    By the time she reached it, the Ministers of the Heiss Government were already shambling around, waiting for her like confused children. They were all arguing with each other left and right on what they would be doing. Hell, Amelie could even notice some dissent in the ranks of the Heiss Government, with Minister Thell talking to Jacqueline about the ¡°possible casualties¡± it would inflict on ¡°innocent young women¡±, but, Amelie¡¯s presence stopped them.


    ¡°Everyone, how are we doing?¡±


    ¡°Good, Your Majesty,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°I have been getting more signatures from my party for the bill. I¡­well, it¡¯s not yet a clear majority.¡±


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    ¡°But close.¡±


    Jacqueline nodded, showing her usual nervousness. ¡°Yes¡­close. Something like that. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s saying more than half of her party is still sitting their arse out,¡± Deputy Prime Minister Walter Plock said with his arms crossed. ¡°The UOP¡¯s still barely conscious to decide whether or not a war about their very survival is a question or not. Absolute morons¡­¡±


    ¡°Walter, can you please not speak of us that way,¡± Jacqueline hissed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m trying, but my peers are just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, misguided, led into false assumptions, nervous, bla bla bla bla. What, are they children who can¡¯t discern right from wrong or ostriches who buried their heads in the sand? Jacqueline, even though you sound so unconvinced about protecting the daycare center you call your party out here. Maybe it¡¯s time we give up on these delusional fools masquerading as ¡®totally not members of the AP¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Oh, goddess damn it, I thought we already agreed that we¡¯re united in policy here,¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know what¡¯s going on,¡± Minister Hegel said. ¡°Damned women¡¯s block out here still has some ¡®concerns¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, you three are just mocking our concerns aren¡¯t you?¡± Minister Thell seemed red-faced. ¡°I¡¯m tired of this. You can¡¯t consider the fact that this will have a massive public backlash. And will be a danger for people not supposed to be in¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not supposed to be in war?¡± Minister Sobiesky laughed. ¡°Allison, I thought all of you were superior with your magic. What the heavens are we even doing around here acting like chickens? You draft young men without democratic approval from young men, but you all can¡¯t stomach forcing unwilling young women to go to the pigsty without gently asking them ¡®Are you in favor or not¡¯. What a goddamned circus that we have here.¡±


    ¡°Oh please for the love of¡­not now¡­¡± Amelie muttered as she lost control of her Ministers again.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± another Minister chimed in. It was Minister Albin Bott of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Quite frankly, Amelie was surprised the normally silent engineer was now speaking. ¡°At this point, what¡¯s the Ministry of Arcane bullshittery for if you women aren¡¯t going to use your damned magicks in the fight?¡±


    ¡°Okay, can we all please stop being a bunch of schoolchildren here,¡± Pristina suddenly said. ¡°Her Majesty already said we¡¯re trying to do something. Well, we¡¯re trying to do something.¡±


    ¡°Hard to do unity with these kinds of crap in this ¡®reformist cabinet¡¯, Pristina,¡± Walter scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re going to waste the OAF¡¯s time by bending to their stall tactics.¡±


    ¡°Then what, are we supposed to do what you¡¯re all suggesting?! Walter, is that it?¡± Minister Thell asked.


    ¡°Allison, you¡¯re still going on and on about that crap?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so now, the democratic process is crap?¡± Minister Thell retorted. ¡°Damn it, you three, and you too Albin, you¡¯re all plotting to¡­to sabotage the democratic framework that this nation is founded upon. We disagree, but one thing we shouldn¡¯t disagree about is letting the Parliament decide instead of the Queen.¡±


    ¡°What, and all of you are tiring her out by dragging this entire crap for too long. You and I know this, Pristina. That KDUs of yours ain¡¯t going to be enough. Amelie, I know you have a working brain. I know you know that we ain¡¯t winning this without you putting your foot down. Isn¡¯t that right, Pristina? Or do you want to lose to Rimpler¡¯s ghouls?¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not enough Walter! But Amelie already decided that she¡¯ll let the Parliament do the thing first. I thought we all agreed on that?¡±


    ¡°We had damned reports from the OAF that the Confederacy is about to blitz through goddamned Gallia,¡± Walter said. ¡°And we¡¯re pulling out more and more of our cream of the crop brigades that aren¡¯t being replaced by enough combat strength. Do any of you have any idea how much an armored brigade is worth? It¡¯s the equivalent of losing twenty-thousand-foot soldiers in the goddamned field.¡±


    ¡°Bit of an exaggeration, but he¡¯s got a point,¡± Sobieski said. ¡°We have open lines on the field. If the enemy makes a breakthrough, we can¡¯t plug it well enough with the gaps on our available QRF units. If we can¡¯t have more armor, then we need more meat to stop any breakthrough in the first place.¡±


    ¡°We know that,¡± Pristina said. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to expand the KDUs. That¡¯s why I¡¯m cooperating with the OAF in advance to make sure those newly mobilized units of women will have officers ready to lead them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re all still stalling,¡± Walter countered again. ¡°We¡¯re going to supremely embarrass ourselves if the vote fails. You women will embarrass yourselves in front of the fucking nation and in front of history itself.¡±


    ¡°As if you men are no different,¡± Minister Thell said defensively. ¡°Your brothers literally rebelled and burned half the country!¡±


    ¡°Okay, can we please stop with the finger-waddling?!¡± Amelie shouted. ¡°Goddess¡­you¡¯re all¡­okay, so what¡¯s my government now? Is it just finger-pointing now, or are we going to deal with this crisis unitedly?¡±


    No responses from them, but the Ministers fell silent, with Walter and Allison both breathing out to put off their fuse. Amelie watched as Pristina consoled Allison, meanwhile, Sobieski chuckled on the side with a hint of frustration.


    ¡°Everyone¡­¡± Amelie¡¯s voice turned softer. ¡°I know you¡¯re all in a tense situation right now because I get it, we¡¯re divided on this thing. But let¡¯s not fight amongst ourselves. Not in this situation. Miss Prime Minister, please¡­talk to them. Get the house in order. Walter¡­¡±


    The Deputy Prime Minister raised his head to meet Amelie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Please just trust me,¡± Amelie reassured. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a way to get the bill passed in Parliament. We¡¯re a democratic nation. Flawed yes. Goddess¡­we¡¯re literally half burning in flames, and we¡¯re only flying half of what Orland was¡­


    ¡°But trust. Please. Walter, Jan, Alfred, and Albin, we know you four have enough grievances on us, but we¡¯ll do what we can to address them. It will be addressed. That¡¯s what Jacqueline and I promised you all when we asked you to join this government. I assure you four¡­that promise still stands.¡±


    Amelie sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be making the speech now. You guys cool down for a moment. Walter, Pristina, talk it out, please. Allison, I get you¡¯re afraid, but you need to listen to them. Lady Wittfield¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for remaining cool-headed through all this.¡±


    The old woman merely laughed. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t participate in pointless blabbering. Quite frankly I was simply amusing myself on the side watching our friends bicker. Though, it is also quite a painful sight.¡±


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Walter sighed. ¡°We guys just got riled up today. We¡¯re sorry.¡±


    ¡°Nothing to be sorry about, you four have a right to be furious. Still, remember, all of us, the Heiss Cabinet and I, are in this together. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± the Ministers then gave her a respectful slight bow, and Amelie turned back to the Press Conference.


    Goddess that was a close one. The rifts in her government were surely getting bigger. I hope passing this thing will heal that, even temporarily.


    Because if there was anything she didn¡¯t want, it was a disunited Royalist Orland.

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Eight: Shattered Peace

    ¡°Strike first and strike hard. For the defense of the revolution. War Plan ¡®Salvation¡¯ is now in effect.¡±


    - Communique from the Federal Republic¡¯s Foreign Affairs Ministry to all CFN member states, commencing combat operations against the Mandate of Nations, April 20, 2025.


    +++


    West Orland


    Site-07A


    OHC High Security Command Center


    ¡°I suppose it has begun then,¡± Amelie said, following the men of the Orlish High Command through the recently finished ¡°Site-07A'''' as she and William left the helicopter that brought them here. It wasn¡¯t just any facility¡ªit was now going to be the true brain center of the Orlish Armed Force. Beyond the former OHC headquarters, this was a true underground bunker.


    Constructed just ten kilometers north of Eutstadt on the West Coast itself, right on the side of one of the mountains in the Roehann Mountain Range¡ªthis was a facility close to both the November Palace, the Orlish Government in Eutstadt, and of course, the various HQs of the different branches of the OAF, Royal Guard, and the intelligence agencies of Orland.


    Except, Site-07A was completely underground. Not only was it both a port for the Royal Orlish Navy¡ªand Amelie could see four FFGs (Guided-Missile Frigates) moored on the harbor, the surface itself was filled with multiple complexes, some still under construction, that would act as the Site¡¯s primary defense, as SAM systems filled the area, alongside the silos for heavier anti-ICBM interceptors. It was a base designed to defend against nuclear attacks and survive a direct nuclear attack.


    Amelie shivered as the cold rain on the coast turned her raincoat wet, as they continued through the entrance for the site¡¯s main building¡ªwhich was merely the entrance to the deep underground bunker designed to resist even a direct nuclear hit. Indeed, in the event of a full-on nuclear exchange, the leaders of Orland could reasonably use this place as a shelter while they led the Kingdom.


    Though¡­Amelie swore to never let it reach that point.


    ¡°Yep, that it did,¡± William replied. ¡°They¡¯re already blitzing through Constania, Latia, the Central Vaeyoxan Coalition, and through Hebei itself¡­¡±


    ¡°The Empire of Kusari has already pledged to send half a million troops to both the Central Vaeyox Coalition and Hebei¡­¡± General Albrecht muttered. ¡°And Asanai itself is now sending troops to Hebei.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t take into account that their control of the high seas isn¡¯t secure,¡± Admiral Halberd said as they entered the building. Inside, crowds of workers, techs, and officials mingled left and right. They weren¡¯t just the OAF either. She could see so many civilian women around, as Site-07A wasn¡¯t just an OAF project.


    This was a place where her entire government could take refuge if need be.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan for that then?¡± Amelie asked, as they continued deeper into the site, soon, they were waiting for the VIP elevator down. ¡°Is the navy soon to join them?¡±


    ¡°Of course we are,¡± Admiral Halberd said. ¡°Five ships. Five ships had been sunk on both sides for the last few hours since the first shots were fired.¡±


    ¡°How many did we lose?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, only the Asanaians and the Hebians lost ships. We did kill an Asanian FFG. Aircraft from the ONS Rebenslof.¡±


    ¡°Strike Force Seven is deployed in the Hebeian Sea?¡±


    Admiral Halberd sighed. ¡°Your brother has a duty, Your Majesty. And he already willingly volunteered. Quite frankly, the ONS Rebenslof is still our best ship to date. The combat experience concentrated on that carrier makes it worth at least two or three. Sure, it¡¯s old, but it now has a full LF-20 Phantom squadron onboard.¡±


    ¡°I see then¡­¡±


    All of them went inside the spacious elevator, and Amelie had been pretty impressed by the quality of construction of everything inside. The white-colored walls. The cool lighting. It was almost as if this entire site was constructed with Orland¡¯s best technology to offer.


    Which made sense. Its construction already began three years ago, it was just rushed further by the outbreak of the civil war. A project that Amelie shelled an extra twenty billion Orlish Blancs a year ago since the OAF really warned her of the possibility of nuclear conflict.


    Of course, that budget didn¡¯t just cover this supercomplex, but also multiple redundant underground HQ bunkers all around West Orland, with the next phase that would cost upward to eighty billion Orlish Blancs soon to be constructed to give at least thirty or forty million people shelter from a possible nuclear conflict that would probably be approved in FY2026.


    It was a concerted policy of national defense for all of West Orland. Not only was the air being secured with the buildup of SAM systems everywhere that they could build it in, but they were producing thousands upon thousands of interceptors for the national Terminal Interception Defense Network (TIDN) to intercept ICBMs at their terminal phase, and hundred more for the more expensive Continental Midcourse Defense System (CMDS) to intercept ICBMs at their midcourse phase.


    Of course, both the TIDN and CMDS programs existed for decades already, but Amelie¡¯s regime had expanded it greatly. It was probably why Amelie wasn¡¯t outproducing the Federal Republic in terms of frontline war materiel even with their more massive industrial base. She had shelled at least two hundred billion Orlish Blancs and a significant ratio of her industries for the defense of her citizens from strategic bombing and nuclear warfare.


    Why? Because if ever the world came into complete blows, she wanted, deliriously, to ensure that West Orland would survive a nuclear war. Not only was their grand strategy all about encircling the seas, and starving out the CFN in global siege, Amelie wanted to deny them the ability to even threaten her core lands of nuclear warfare.


    And she knew that none of them (except perhaps the Confederacy on a limited scale) would be able to do anything about it. Unlike her, they were funneling every industrial capacity they had to build offensive weaponry and to support their armies that would be driving deep through MN nations.


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    Thus, by year two or three, Amelie knew that not only would she have mobilized at least half of Royalist Orland¡¯s economy to commence her own push, but she would deny them any chances of salvation by using their nukes. Of course, there was still the problem of them nuking countries that would not be able to defend themselves, but Amelie would only include them in the scope of her defense once she finished protecting the Orlish people from existential death.


    Soon, their elevator stopped.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht grinned as the doors opened. ¡°Welcome to Site-07A. Built on the west face of Mt. Triumph three years ago during the fears of Larissan nukes dropping on all of Orland, we finally finished it with the budget you gave us.¡±


    He continued through wide hallways.


    ¡°This facility has everything it needs. Food production. Water processing facilities. Even factory lines with our best 3D Printer available should we ever need it. But most importantly, it is designed to withstand a direct hit of a fifty-megaton nuclear bomb,¡± General Albrecht smirked as he looked back at the Queen and her entourage. Of course, Amelie was very pleased with that, and a smile almost graced her face, until Admiral Halberd laughed.


    ¡°Oh piss off, mate,¡± the Admiral chuckled. ¡°Why¡¯d you mock our venerable Queen like that? This crapstain isn¡¯t tested on a fifty-megaton bomb now is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, apologies, but I wanted to get some light on our situation,¡± the General said, and Amelie almost laughed herself. Of course¡­this thing was only ¡°designed¡± for that. That didn¡¯t mean anything was assured.


    ¡°As such, it¡¯s up to you now how we would avoid getting the damned sun dropped on our heads,¡± William said to Amelie. ¡°Now onto the war, General.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Follow me.¡±


    They continued through the winding hallways, eventually reaching the ¡°Emergency Command Hall¡± room, its massive doors opened to show what was inside. A gigantic display of the world map, filled with endless icons and who knows what, all inside a room that was dimly lit, aside from the bluish lights from the endless screens and computers inside.


    Hell, Amelie could even see more flat screens that detailed zoomed-in views of every frontline. The Orlish¨CLieplatzan Eastern Front. The Central Vaeyox Front. The Hebeian Front. The North Gallian Front. The South Gallian Front. The Southwest Vaeyox Front.


    It was all highlighted for all to see, with the unit icons of both friendly and hostile units shifting at almost every second, alongside the colors of blue and red that represented allied territory and hostile territory.


    Inside were hundreds of seats filled with officers and employees facing their computers arrayed in an almost semi-circle to the main displays at the center of the room.


    ¡°So¡­this is where the war will be led?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just one of the HQs we have coordinating this entire thing,¡± the four of them climbed on some stairs, going up to what appeared to be an observation area of the command room as General Albrecht continued explaining things to them. ¡°Though, again, if things do get desperate, this is where we¡¯ll all be.¡±


    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t reach that level then¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation on the North Gallian Front?¡±


    ¡°As expected, the Confederacy is sending everything they have,¡± the General answered. ¡°Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman is going into another hell week this time around, dealing with the combined CFN air force over the skies of Gallia. That, and they already punched through our first defense line, as expected.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re out of the DMZ?¡±


    Amelie looked at the displays. Indeed, it seemed that there were already a few areas captured in the DMZ, with one Gallian town already falling near the border. General Albrecht merely sighed.


    ¡°Our forces in the front are holding as best as they can,¡± he said. ¡°But really, what the Gallians have are just holding units. The good news is, we have now received a tally of their armored losses in the first three hours¡­¡±


    Amelie smiled. ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Fifty-seven Confederacy tanks have been confirmed destroyed. Mostly by infantry-based ATGMs, but also from the limited Gallian tanks in the area.¡±


    ¡°And of the I OEF Corps?¡±


    ¡°Still held in reserve,¡± the General pointed at the map. ¡°Notice how they¡¯re advancing so many spearheads on eight roads. That¡¯s a lot. A lot of diversions. We don¡¯t know yet which sector of the DMZ defense line they are aiming to encircle. But we¡¯ll know it in a few hours. Maybe even tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what they¡¯re countering?¡±


    ¡°Correct. I OEF Corps is operating as a full-on mobile QRF, not as a direct frontline unit. Once we¡¯re sure which pincers are real, the Gallians will begin pulling out, while the I OEF Corps will duel them and cover their retreat. Once the Gallians safely pull out, the I OEF Corps will withdraw under the cover of Gallian reinforcements. Rest for a few days, then we¡¯ll do it again once the enemy conducts another encirclement attempt.¡±


    William laughed. ¡°We really went far from the Great War¡¯s ¡®hold them at all cost¡¯ policies.¡±


    ¡°The Gallians are willing to trade land this time for a chance of victory,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°And I am too. The goal of our current strategy isn¡¯t to hold the land northeast of Toldoi, no, it¡¯s to make sure that each step that the Confederates take will be a bloody affair, all while preserving our forces.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Amelie stopped them. ¡°I thought we need to buy time with this? The Parliament is still yet to vote for mobilization.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± General Albrecht smirked. ¡°Do you really think that the OAF is so stupid to rely on the political developments of our ¡®motherland¡¯? No, we already have our own contingency plans. We¡¯ll be shipping off six of our armored brigades next month.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re what?¡± Amelie was astounded. ¡°This is a grave altering of our plan. What if¡­what if the Federalists launched an offensive? What then? What if they detect our plans or our ships and they sink them?¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, now you¡¯re just making fun of the navy, Your Majesty,¡± Admiral Halberd said.


    ¡°The OAF will act, Your Majesty,¡± the General reiterated. ¡°We are betting on the Gallia plan to work with full success. And that requires armor. If there will be consequences, then so be it. Losing Gallia isn¡¯t acceptable. We¡¯re taking the risk.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what all that indecisiveness would lead into¡­¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°What if you screwed up?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯d be pushed by the Federalists considerably next offensive if they discovered our weakness and exploited it. But remember, they are also just as cautious. It¡¯s time to be bold to achieve victory. Especially when the enemy is banking on attacking us only after we lose Gallia.¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­are you sure of that?¡±


    ¡°Nope, no one is. But I know how OAF officers think,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°We¡¯re no stupid buffoons. And I know that the Federalists are trying to optimize their next punch at the right moment. Most likely, that right moment would be after we lost the OEF in Gallia alongside Gallia itself.¡±


    ¡°So your plan is¡­to fully deny them that?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If the OEF, LEF, and the GAF successfully bait the Confederation¨CPozneki Army into an encirclement that would go down in the history books, or force them into a brutal rout that would destroy most of their equipment¡ªwhat would the FOAF do then? They¡¯d make a mistake. They¡¯d hold off an attack, thus, ensuring that they would absolutely lose the attrition war. Or, they¡¯d attack¡ªright as the elite OEF is returning home to screw their offensive.¡±


    Amelie couldn¡¯t believe it. This man¡­the Lion of the Western Front, truly was some ambitious man. His plan hinged on a lot of things going right. But at the same time¡­Amelie liked it. It sounded ambitious and¡­decisive.


    And she liked decisiveness.


    ¡°Okay then. If that¡¯s the best plan you can conjure, then we shall do it.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Nine: The First Days

    ¡°Two hundred missiles were intercepted in the Asanaian airspace over the last day, with multiple conventional ballistic missiles hitting major cities originating from the Republic of Hebei and the Confederation of Larissa. So far, civilian fatalities have reached the low thousands, but the Asanaian Government has taken it as a ¡®victory¡¯ due to the amount of missiles intercepted. While the attacks had caused great terror, the damage had been so far manageable.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    ¡°Parliament finally passes the Women Mobilization Bill in response to the multilateral CFN war declaration to all MN-member states. The Heiss Government has welcomed this development in full, with the OAF and the RGO vowing for a ¡®quick and decisive¡¯ mobilization of women to the frontlines. Recruitment stations are now being set up. Any woman subject to the mobilization who refuses or avoids the draft will be penalized the same way male draft dodgers have been penalized. It is expected that hundreds of thousands will join the frontlines within the next few months.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Northeastern Gallia


    April 22, 2025


    I OEF Corps


    C/4-5 Light Mech Brigade ¡°Donnergrollen¡±


    ¡°Fuckin ass,¡± someone shouted over the company-wide comms. ¡°Why the hell are we stuck in an ambush alley?¡±


    ¡°Technically, they¡¯re the ones on the offensive so it¡¯s them who¡¯ll get ambushed,¡± another retorted. ¡°Or not.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen, would you please stow away your nonsense?¡± Captain Niko Steinhauser, the CO of C Company, 4th Mobile Assault Battalion under the 5th Light Mech Brigade ¡°Donnergrollen¡± replied on the radio with a grunt. He was on top of his M2 LSS Mech¡¯s turret hatch, watching as his entire company¡¯s column was stuck in a traffic jam that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Immediately, the comms went silent. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Quite frankly, they were already late to the fighting. It had been hours since the Coalition¡¯s initial push. GAF formations near the DMZ already began melting like butter to the pressure they faced, but at the very least, allied air kept a semblance of air supremacy to prevent full collapse.


    Now, it was up to the I OEF Corps, and thus, his unit, to prevent five Pozneki and Larissan divisions that attacked the towns of Mileron and Montamas up north. Apparently, three GAF mechanized infantry brigades that held those two towns were now cut off from the rest of the allied lines, after a few battalions of Pozneki airborne troops with a few dozen DMB-5s airborne IFVs dropped from the air on the roads to Mileron and Montamas.


    Thus, the three companies of the 4th Mobile Assault Battalion would face quite possibly more than a thousand airborne Pozneki troopers who had set themselves up in ambush positions to relieve the Gallians before they were overrun by the combined Larissan and Pozneki force.


    Then, they¡¯d have to fight a twenty-kilometer retreat to the defenses set up just behind them in the small city of Villneres. They were, quite frankly, in a screwed-up situation.


    Niko looked down at the final groups of civilian vehicles that passed by them. Immediately, he pulled his radio to command the forward platoons to finally resume their drive¡ªand so they did.


    ¡°You know,¡± his gunner spoke underneath. ¡°Ain¡¯t Lieutenant Hetzer''s too shifty nowadays? Man¡¯s going to compromise this unit.¡±


    ¡°Just the effects of Gallian deployment,¡± Niko laughed. ¡°Can¡¯t blame the man. I mean, his platoon is first on the crossfire. He¡¯s going to get all shifty.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like he¡¯s about to cry on company comms, sir.¡±


    ¡°So long as he does his job well, I have no problem yet,¡± Niko said, as he pulled out his binoculars. Already, their LSS column had begun spreading themselves out on the road as they drove at sixty-five kilometers per hour. Up above them, the constant stream of allied jets passing by gave Niko a sense of safety.


    If there was one thing good about their conditions, it was the supremacy of the Orlish, Lorathian, and Gallian air forces against the CFN¡¯s air force. Word was, they already downed more than fifty in just the first few hours. That was a lot. Hell, their missile barrages on allied staging areas, logistical depots, etc utterly floundered, intercepted by the Queen¡¯s REGAL SAM batteries that she deliriously spammed over the course of the civil war.


    In fact, in the distance, they could see three pillars of smoke rise from the ground, causing a Larissan plane to fall off from the clouds in just seconds.


    ¡°You know,¡± Niko said. ¡°I really half-expected that we wouldn¡¯t be able to drive like this.¡±


    His gunner grunted. ¡°Dunno, Captain, but they have like hundreds of launchers from the DMZ to the 2nd Defense Line. That¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°Damned crazy indeed,¡± Niko said. ¡°I really wonder what the hell these fools are hoping for. I mean, they probably outnumber us three-to-one, but how are they going to fight in these conditions?¡±


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    ¡°Maybe, maybe not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Niko watched as they slowly climbed an elevation. ¡°Still can¡¯t get too overconfident.¡±


    Within just five minutes of their drive, however, the first shots from the Pozneki airborne opened up. Immediately, two ATGMs, most likely fired from their DMB-5s, slammed into two of Niko¡¯s leading elements, leaving two Orlish LSS Mechs burning on the road. Naturally, he ordered his platoons to spread out quickly, while the two mechanized rifle platoons carried by their IFVs dismounted in the rear.


    Unlike normal formations, C Company was a reinforced formation. He had with him six total platoons¡ªhe had three light armor platoons, manned by six LSS Mechs each. Alongside that were the three mechanized rifle platoons, composed of four M8 IFVs each, and of course the infantry squads they carried. It was a formation that was generally used in most subordinate units of the Donnergrollen Brigade.


    Due to the fact that they were going to be the best maneuver unit of the I OEF Corps, all formations were prioritized to be filled with equipment, and armor, and reinforced to the full. And that was something Niko was thankful for.


    ¡°2nd platoon, take down those bastards up ahead, two thousand meters. 3rd Platoon, cover 1st Platoon¡¯s retreating elements. The rest spread out to our flanks! They¡¯re trying to surround us!¡±


    Each of his officers responded with quick ayes on the comms as the gunfire around them intensified. Already, the area in front of them was covered with thick WP smoke to cover them in the flat, exposed fields, as 1st Platoon¡¯s pinned LSS Mechs began backing down.


    And while his command vehicle and his XOs LSS mech were behind it all, they rapidly drove into a good area where they could use a slope to hide their hulls, popping thick smoke above them as ATGMs flew left and right.


    Soon, he tapped his gunner¡¯s back as he spotted one of the enemy¡¯s IFVs. It was hiding on a bush line, its 25mm autocannons spitting fire sporadically at his troops. His gunner sighted the target, and with one order, a shot rang from his mech¡ªsilencing their Pozneki foes.


    Thus¡­once again, Orlish and the Pozneki soldiers fought and died in Gallian territory, a tale as old as time.


    +++


    West Orland


    Site-07A


    April 23, 2025


    ¡°First rounds of casualties are in,¡± General Albrecht declared over the assembled OAF and RGO officers inside the meeting room. ¡°The Kingdom of Gallia reported fourteen thousand KIAs. Lorathia, seven thousand KIAs. Hebei, fifteen thousand KIAs. The Empire of Larissa, eight hundred KIAs. The Asanaians¡­two thousand KIAs. The number becomes harder to read for our more minor allied nations, but right now, we approximate that at least twenty thousand casualties from other MN member states have been inflicted by the CFN in the last three days alone. Mostly in our Central Vaeyoxan allies.¡±


    Murmurs grew across the meeting room. The sheer scale of the fighting in just the first day was destructive. Amelie herself was still buried in the endless reports that clogged her office in the November Palace, unable to read every letter and plea sent by the numerous MN states under attack pleading for Orlish military assistance.


    At all corners of Pollos, conflict had finally erupted. There was no more lying about it. International media even made it clear. The Second Great War was now the name of this war. Officially, it was called the MN-CFN War. Of course, the MN media called it the war against CFN aggression.


    And Amelie believed that. Truly, the CFN was brutal in the last few days. Almost all capital cities of minor MN nations were struck by at least one conventional ballistic missile attack. The Pieran continent especially suffered badly, since many underdeveloped nations there had absolutely no air defense to speak of.


    On the other hand, the Confederacy demolished at least ten major cities with their strategic bombing raids and missile campaigns in Central Vaeyox, where the more minor MN allied nations failed to mobilize their air forces in time to counteract the attacks. Only now that the Orlish Air Force and the Imperial Asanaian Air Force tipped the scales in both Hebei and Central Vaeyox did the situation somewhat stabilize.


    But still¡­both South Hebei and the minor Central Vaeyoxan nations were in dire straits. The combined armor of the Confederacy and of the North Hebeian Republic was now blitzing through their lines with wild abandon. It was especially bad when nearly an entire South Hebeian corps-sized formation was almost encircled yesterday in the Ginzhu province, only saved by the desperate round-the-clock air support from Asanai.


    All in all¡­the Vaeyoxan Eastern theater was going bad. Very bad.


    ¡°General, what of the civilian casualties?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°Orland fared relatively well. We actually stopped the bombings of the Federal Republic in our cities in the Archduchy completely. Right now, they have lost so many air assets that contesting our control outside of the frontlines has been temporarily nullified. No ballistic missile attacks were sent into our air space as well outside of the constant ones from the Federal Republic itself. All in all, we have actually ended most threats to Orlish civilians, and we suffered no casualties on the home front in the last three days. Minister Thell can confirm that later on.¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­that¡¯s good news,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I knew prioritizing air defense was going to pay off.¡±


    ¡°Quite frankly at this rate, your policies will soon lead us into a path of safety from nuclear threats,¡± the General said. ¡°Even in Lorathia, we shot down the majority of the Confederacy¡¯s ballistic missile attacks. Same in Gallia. Same in Asanai. Even South Hebei fared relatively well against the enemy¡¯s missile attacks. We do have problems with the fact that our allies have now depleted at least half of their interceptors'' stockpiles, but it''s not so different from our enemies. We don¡¯t expect them to pull another one of these stunts within the next month.¡±


    ¡°I see then,¡± Amelie said. She then stood up from her seat. ¡°In that case, I order you all to immediately begin shipping off any excess interceptors and air defense equipment that we have to our allies. I want to solidify the defenses of our most important allies. Hebei, Asanai, Lorathia, and Gallia.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°...And¡­from now on, as I¡¯ve said, we¡¯re going to focus on the global war first and foremost. If we aim to beat the Federal Republic, then we shall isolate them first from their allies across the sea. Thus¡­I order you all to do everything that you can to hold them off, in every inch of MN-held territory. May the Goddess be with us in these dark times, because from here on out, I don¡¯t think this war will end with a quick resolution.¡±


    She looked at everyone in the room.


    ¡°We¡¯re in this one for the long haul, ladies and gentlemen. We have to outlast them, or darkness will consume this world.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty: Rally to the Flag, Together

    ¡°The choices that led to this point are truly harrowing, disheartening, and a horror that should be remembered by humanity going forward. But we cannot focus on that horror any more¡ªand focus on the horror in front of us now because that¡¯s the only way humanity will go forward again.¡±


    - Queen Amelie Ludendorf of the Kingdom of Orland, April 21, 2025.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    April 24, 2025


    ¡°Is the teleprompter ready?¡± Nia asked. ¡°Please check it well. I don¡¯t want any last-minute errors.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± one of the techs replied, as the staff around Amelie¡¯s office prepared everything. Her desk was cleared, tidied up, and prepared with just the few symbolic objects that should be there. A few files, the pictures of the former Orlish Queens behind her, the flag of Orland, and the Royal Standard of Orland. That was all that would be seen by the world.


    Then they fixed the lighting. Not too dim, but not bright either. The techs carefully curated it to ensure that the lighting itself was perfect to deliver the atmosphere she was aiming for¡ªa grim message for the world on the brink of complete catastrophe.


    Amelie looked down at her journal, flipping on it for the few last times that she could. This was it. She already had a lot of times where she told her those words. This was it¡­when she became Queen. This was it¡­when the elections happened. This was it¡­when the first shots in her homeland were fired by the rebel¡¯s tanks.


    This was it¡­now that all of Orland was locked in a global conflict.


    I wonder¡­when will I say those words again for something positive¡­


    She continued looking through her journal. Each day, she wrote something. Well, some days had missing entries, but most had entries ever since she retrieved it. Each entry didn¡¯t really show hope. It was so different from her entries before she was Queen when her pages were only filled with the simple day-to-day enjoyments and frustrations of a young woman who lived a sheltered life.


    When she could go on and on about food.


    About sweets.


    About the new books she read.


    About the endless, grinding studies she had to take.


    About the drawings she did.


    About the annoying peers she had at school.


    About the new spells, she learned and trained.


    Or about tests, and her endless belly-aching about staying late for it.


    All those were replaced now with endless, grim, entries about each and every day where she simply listed her daily failures. It was all just news, after news, after report, after¡­she stopped at one of her entries. It blamed her. Her own words, penned by her own hand, blamed her on that fateful day when the war began between Orland and Larissa.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop it, you absolute failure of a Queen?!¡±


    She wanted to laugh at that old Amelie. She was the one in that situation, wasn¡¯t she? She was the one handling Orland in those days. Why? Why would she even write such scathing words that Amelie now could read?


    But Amelie accepted those words, this time around. She wasn¡¯t sure if she had improved much since her early days in Orland. After all, she struggled to find things where she really won. Sure, she stopped the collapse of her government. She kept most of the OAF under her and kept them fighting for her. She had most of the country. She managed to unite the Mandate of Nations against a threat that would surely consume the world at the last minute. She stopped the enemy from easily bombing her own people.


    And she finally gave men some taste of grim, imperfect equality, by finally getting the Women¡¯s Mobilization Bill passed democratically.


    But¡­even that wasn¡¯t perfect. It wasn¡¯t even enough. What did it even mean for them, really, other than another empty gesture by a desperate government trying to appeal to their sense of loyalty even after it failed them again and again? And Amelie didn¡¯t stop this global conflict. She only prepared her own side for it. She made no effort to avoid it. If anything, she escalated everything just to ensure that she¡¯d be able to stack some advantages to her side once the powder keg ignited.


    What am I really? Amelie asked. The leader of a potential free world, or just another warmonger trying to ensure the continuation of this brutal status quo? What am I? What am I really?


    The cameras, the microphone, the staff¡­they were now on their last preparations. Already, she was being asked if she was ready. Was she ready to finally confront a world that was asking her questions? Questions about why it all led to this? Questions about why her originally pacifist platform turned into one that advocated for military power to triumph against those she deemed as enemies of the civilized world. Questions about why¡­the world was on fire now?


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯ll face them.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± William asked. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in the best¡ª¡±


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    ¡°They¡¯re waiting for my words, don¡¯t they?¡± Amelie said. ¡°Get the cameras rolling. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    With that, William nodded. Always the ever-loyal bodyguard he was, always ensuring that she was fine, but also never so overbearing that he¡¯d deny her direct orders. Nia was not far off. Then, Amelie¡¯s mind began wandering one by one about the people she ruled with. The same people who stuck to her side to fight for her ideals. She wondered, if she was faltering in her ideals, were they too?


    Did William really believe that she could give salvation to men?


    Did Nia believe that her ideals of full reform were sound?


    What about Jacqueline? Was she getting tired of being the face of her regime¡¯s day-to-day failures?


    General Albrecht¡­why? Why would he continue to fight so hard, and sully his hands with the blood of so many young men under him for Amelie¡¯s sake?


    Admiral Halberd, did he really believe that Amelie could bring peace between men and women?


    What about Walter? Was he tired of watching his party turn into a laughing stock that it was now?


    Marie¡­to this day, why would she continue placing herself in direct danger for the sake of Amelie¡¯s regime?


    Allison¡­was she now disillusioned with Amelie constantly pushing young women into danger?


    Why would Albert even continue fighting on the high seas, where he could brutally die any day?


    Does Alice even look at me as her big sister anymore?


    What exactly¡­did the world and Orland even view her?


    She didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s ready.¡±


    She gave them a thumbs up, and they began their countdown.


    Soon, it started.


    ¡°...People of Orland¡­no, people of this world, I need to have a moment to speak to you all, today. I don¡¯t know where exactly each of you is right now. I don¡¯t know what you are all doing. I don¡¯t know what you are all planning to do. I don¡¯t know what you are seeing. I don¡¯t know what you are expecting. I don¡¯t. There are billions of you. But I do know that all of you are asking questions. Looking for answers. And receiving it. From all sources. Yet you, whoever you are, probably struggle to find which one is right.


    ¡°I do too, everyone. I do too. Truthfully, there are so many questions being asked, and so many answers, many false, many true. But also, there are questions that have no answers. That¡¯s something true too. And that¡¯s a frustrating reality we are facing. Just the same with the fact that the entire world right now has been dragged into a conflict that we all wanted to reserve to the darkest sections of fiction.


    ¡°It¡¯s right in front of us. In front of me. In front of you. In front of our world. I have nothing to deny from this office that I sit in. Yes, the world is at war. You¡¯ve heard it right. This world we live in is on fire. And we¡¯re all going to be burning in it. Some worse, some less, but regardless, we¡¯re now at a disaster that surpasses those that we have seen in centuries. And we are all going to be victims of it. Even I do not know if, by next year, you¡¯ll still see me speaking from this office. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to say that it¡¯ll be alright. Because it isn¡¯t, everyone. Nothing is alright. And you, and each government, and each one of us, must recognize that as reality.


    ¡°We made mistakes that will echo in generations if there will even be generations after us if we fail even harder. And I will not absolve myself from this scenario we are in, because I, the Queen of Orland, made mistakes. Mistakes that I don¡¯t expect this world to forgive me for. But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here to tell you, that while comfort is hard to find today, that while the path forward from here on out is dim, the fight is still on, everyone. And you, and every good man and woman, are needed today. Precisely because it is grim.


    ¡°I have received the grueling reports from each of the fronts where we, Orland, and our allies, are fighting. In Gallia, the defenses of the DMZ have been breached. All while the expeditionary forces of the Ivory Alliance are fighting against a horde of steel and hell. In the air, the situation is deteriorating. The Northern Sea has been closed. Global trade halted. Many of our ships had been sunk around the seas of Lorathia. All while our allies in Southwest Vaeyox, the Kingdoms of Constania and Latia, continue their desperate defense against Larissan armor.


    ¡°Up north, my family¡¯s once rival, the remnants of House Illyenov¡¯s rule, is besieged in a brutal fight of attrition that could swing one way or another. In the Pieran Continent, our allies, vulnerable as they are, have been bombed by ballistic missiles that we were unable to intercept, leaving so many innocent civilians dead. In Central Vaeyox, our unprepared allies are evaporating, all while our reinforcements are disrupted by brutal bombings on our logistical lines.¡±


    Amelie turned ever grimmer.


    ¡°In East Vaeyox, Empress Xue¡¯s forces are holding against the tide of multiple millions of newly-raised troops by the Republic of Hebei, with many formations desperately holding against endless tides of men and armor. We are also told that Asanai, even with her powerful air force, is now being stretched to its utter limits. At all places. The situation¡­isn¡¯t pretty.


    ¡°Our lines are faltering. The defenses we placed our faith in are being chipped away, one by one. Many of our territories and the people we protect in it have fallen to enemy hands. Our safety has never been in this state of grimness, for centuries. And our enemy, have prepared for months for this great violence, while we have not prepared adequately to oppose them. We are, right now, facing a grim, military disaster, and indeed, the consequences for that will be even grimmer. And we expect more blows to come upon us.


    ¡°But, I refuse to lose all hope. And I refuse for all of you to lose hope. No, I believe that if we continue to fight, prepare, and do what must be done, which is all being done as I speak by our gallant forces on the ground, then however grim the days ahead of us, we shall not fall. Right now, our industries are awakening. Our forces are being mustered. Our air forces, growing in numbers. Our defenses against missiles from the heavens, becoming more and more ironclad. Our control of the seas, solidifying. All because the young men and women, now on the frontlines, both in the real front and the homefront, are doing their duties.


    ¡°People of this world, that¡¯s the truth. If all of us do our duties¡ªif all of us, instead of wallowing in this darkness, accept the grim truth, and act today for the homes we live in¡ªwe shall not falter. That is the mission of my government. That is my mission. That is the mission of every man and woman of Orland. That, I believe, is the will of our allied governments. And thus, we shall see to it, that this mission, at all cost, is to be conducted in full. And I have full confidence that if all of us follow that, and all dutifully try to do our part for it, we should prove to ourselves that we can carry on to defend our nations, our world, and the ideals that live in the hearts of every good individual of this world.


    ¡°Thus, I declare, that the Kingdom of Orland, her allies, and the Mandate of Nations, shall see to it that we will outlast the mad tyranny from this band of rogue, wicked nations until the dark days of this great storm are over. We shall go on to the end. At all costs. We shall fight in Opellia. We shall fight over the Pieran Continent. We shall defend Gallia. We shall fight in the Far East. We will fight in all corners of Pollos. In our lands. In the seas. Under the seas. Even in the airspace above us. We will never surrender, and we will continue our cause, to the bitter end, if need be. Together, I am sure we will all rally to our flags, and carry on the struggle, until we ensure the good future of humanity itself, and liberate all of our sisters¡­and brothers, no matter where they are.¡±

 Epilogue (The Cold Standoff—Volume Three)

    The world was once again at war.


    ¡°Our righteous drive shall succeed! Brothers of the revolution, believe not the lies of the MN and of women. You know where you must be right now. On our side. On the side of those who fight for righteousness¡ªthose who fight for change¡ªfor liberty¡ªfor equality¡ªfor liberation! Poznek is united in that cause. We are united in that cause. Our forces are now routing the snobby Queen of Gallia, and soon, her armies will fold and join our brothers on the ground!¡±


    The leader of the Pozneki Unity Government stepped down from the podium while the cameras flashed, as the roars from the halls of Braslau High Council, the place where the members of the Unity Government met, erupted. Poznek was down for this war. And they would not back down. Not until Gallia was toppled. Not until Poznek regained the rightful territories it lost in the First Great War.


    Not until the global matriarchy was toppled.


    ¡°They have beaten us once! Once! But we fought till the end, gentlemen. That¡¯s what we did. The Volunteer Armies may have been beaten, but we are still here today! As is natural, the revolution cannot fail. The future has been clear for us. Just as we yearned for liberation when we were defeated by our previous tyrant Queen, the Confederacy intervened and ended her wicked regime as if she was nothing but wet paper. It is of no difference now. Our brothers in Gallia, in Constania, in Latia, in Lorathia, even in Orland, Arkelia, and Lieplatz are waiting for us, for the great coalition, to march in and liberate them. We will not back down, we will be with the coalition wherever they go, all to liberate the world!¡±


    The current sitting ¡°High Commissioner¡± of the so-called ¡°Republic of Lombardia¡± waved on the rallied Lombardian troops in the Lacertan Square, all of whom chanted death to the Mandate of Nations, as the flags of the New Lombardian Republic were raised. The Republic of Lombardia, established by the Confederacy after they were ¡°liberated¡±, would now vow to do what it must to ensure the triumph of the CFN, as their troops finally deploy to face their former allies in the Ivory Alliance. And they would not back down. Not until the Republic secured its survival.


    Not until the global matriarchy was toppled.


    ¡°Our independence has always been challenged. Our revolution is always besieged by those who aim to destroy the light that we have lit in Loviedo. That has always been the goal of these nations, of these, self-righteous, arrogant, and bloodsucking Queens and Empresses. And they would not stop until our democracy, our new fragile system that we have tried to establish, however flawed it is, is crushed and snuffed out. We cannot, thus, tolerate any talk of criticism against the CFN. We cannot, thus, tolerate any talk of surrender, of false peace, and of traitorous negotiations, all to escape a war that is our war. We cannot escape the fires, Asturia. And we will not until we have extinguished it. Asturia will never back down from its obligations to the Vanguard Republics of the CFN. We will fight on with our allies until our triumph is ensured.¡±


    More artillery from the Gallians fell on the trench lines, as the Asturian soldiers that manned it huddled together in the muddy hell they called home. Yet, even as the terror above continued, none of them faltered, as they listened to the words of their President on one of the radios. It was not just words of encouragement. It was a call of arms. Their nation, their new Republic, besieged as it was on all sides since the first days that Loviedo fell to revolution, was now not alone.


    They were in this together, the soldiers knew. Once Gallia fell, they would finally link up with their brothers in the CFN. All they needed to do now was hold this line. All Asturia needed to do now was hold on until relief came.


    Until the global matriarchy was toppled.


    ¡°One day, all of Hebei shall know, which side fought against the light of change. One day, all of Hebei shall know why this all had to occur. It is for justice. For liberation. For the future of Hebei. And because of you, all of Hebei will one day agree to that, unaffected by the tight grip of long-dead Empresses who have oppressed men, and even women at times. Remember, brothers and sisters, we shall triumph against the mad women who ruled this world soon. Discontinue resistance, and join the right side. Every proud Hebeian must do just that.¡±


    The words from the speakers of the passing truck, which carried pro-Republic propaganda in the streets of a recently captured South Hebeian city, fell on deaf ears as a woman hid from the roving revolutionary troopers outside. The entire city itself was in chaos, with rubble everywhere, uncontrolled fires on each block, and civilians hiding and begging for their lives, as convoy after convoy of military vehicles passed uncaringly.


    All while revolutionary troopers on the ground looted everything that they could see, almost as if the city wasn¡¯t owned by their own people. The woman soon realized that she was spotted, as one of the soldiers pointed at the half-destroyed home that she hid in. She immediately ran as best as she could, as shots rang out, with the troops shouting, ¡°Insurrectionist!¡±, ¡°Insurrectionist!¡±.


    And they would never stop shouting those words until South Hebei was defeated.


    Until the global matriarchy was toppled.


    ¡°The Mandate of Nations has forced our hand into these extreme measures. There is no turning back. We had to strike first, and we struck first. We cannot let the enemy muster their strength any further. They will not de-escalate. They will not accept us. They will not accept men having power. Thus, every method to secure and defend the revolution must be used. That¡¯s why we struck first. And that¡¯s why we shall win. The coalition will liberate all of Pollos, and the end of the disaster that the Arcane Wars had left us¡­will soon be over.¡±


    The Larissan Confederate general closed the radio as he sighed, resigning himself to puffing smoke with his cigarette. Their Chancellor certainly spoke with his usual fire to stoke the fires of patriotism for all of Larissa. Soon, his adjutant called him over, and he left his military tent to meet with his officers. Outside, the men were hard at work preparing their temporary command post. He hoped they would not be stuck here for too long. His division, after all, must drive to Toldoi as quickly as possible. And he vowed that they would do everything to win quickly.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    All to topple the global matriarchy.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    Alice hated all of this.


    How could it all have reached this point?


    The little girl scarcely understood why her older sister allowed it to reach this scale. The two had already rarely talked for months, as Amelie had been burdened with such heavy work, that little Alice had rarely seen her leave her office without those eyebags and tired smile that she would give her with her goodnight pats.


    She watched the news left and right. The TV in front of her was her friend. It kept her eyes open to all the developments in the world that Amelie thought were something her young mind should not know. She was supposed to just watch mere cartoons in her break from her studies.


    But the girl was a sneaky one. Once all of the adults left her in the room, she had already switched the channels. That was what she did all the time. She didn¡¯t like to entertain herself with cartoons and children¡¯s shows. Not when she knew that the country that she was Princess of was now in its darkest days.


    And so she watched, as the news continued showing clips of what was happening in Gallia. In Hebei. In Asanai. In her own country. She watched as news anchors, left and right, mostly women, spoke of grim news from all corners of the world, all of them presenting the revolution as an evil that must be toppled unitedly for humanity¡¯s survival.


    Then, she watched as her older sister, Amelie, spoke again and again to the people of Orland. First from her own office. Then, she spoke again in another press conference. Then, she spoke again in the Parliament, the MPs of her Kingdom¡¯s government cheering her words with unbridled jingoism.


    Alice had heard those words again and again.


    Hope.


    Democracy.


    Liberty.


    Equality.


    Defense.


    Future.


    She wondered, why then, did they all fight like this? Why let the world fall into this brutal flame, where those words would all be nothing?


    How would there be hope when bullets flew everywhere?


    How would there be a democracy when those who opposed the words of one side were crushed?


    How would there be liberty when millions of young men and women would be dragged against their will to the frontlines?


    How would there be equality when they were trying to defeat a group of people who said they only wanted equality?


    What future would her generation have when the only world they¡¯d inherit was one destroyed by this war?


    She felt a hand pat her head, as a soft voice spoke.


    ¡°Alice¡­do you really have to watch all that?¡± Amelie softly said from behind, as Alice looked up to see her older sister looking down at her with a tired smile. ¡°Really, I find it embarrassing that even you listen to my words. Those speeches are kinda¡­not good, you know?¡±


    ¡°Amelie,¡± Alice frowned. ¡°Why did you do this? You¡¯re just¡­calling for more war, and more war, and more, and more¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Alice looked back at the TV, as it showed more scenes of planes being shot down above a Gallian city, with dozens of smoke trails, which she learned came from missiles, still visible on the blue skies.


    ¡°It¡¯s a difficult world we live in today, Alice,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I hate it. I hate so much¡­how it all has to come to this. But Alice, what can I really do other than to prepare, and win?¡±


    ¡°Amelie¡­even if we win,¡± Alice¡¯s voice became smaller. ¡°So many people would die.¡±


    ¡°And the more I don¡¯t act, and worse, if I simply surrender, more people would die,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Alice. I don¡¯t know why it has to be this way. Why do all decisions that I can take always lead to tragedies? Our enemies aren¡¯t saints, Alice. They¡­they hate us women to the guts. They¡¯d enact revenge on us, in ways that I cannot accept as a fate for billions of us. Fate I cannot accept for you to face, Alice.


    ¡°But at the same time, we¡¯re not so different. Alice¡­remember these words, our side are monsters, Alice. Our side, us women, have so much blood on our hands. Each time I learn of all the things we did to men, I¡¯m not so surprised that they turned the way they are now. They¡¯re monstrous, brutal, bloodthirsty, and devoid of humanity¡­because we¡¯re no different, and that¡¯s the only life we showed them.


    ¡°But how can I change all of that without first pacifying them? How can I end this entire cycle until peace is bought and justice, equality, democracy, liberty, and everything I promised when I was crowned can be implemented in full? How can I do that, when those who want to burn the world are still strong, and they want to burn the world? How can I do that, when across the world, petty monarchs with their backward thinking are still strong and in power?


    ¡°Alice, I realized, sometimes, change can only come in turmoil. But change after said turmoil is not assured to be a good change. If they win, all they would enact is change by revenge. That¡¯s¡­what drives them to these lengths, Alice. And I don¡¯t blame them for that. But I cannot accept that change, not for the interests of the innocent in this world.


    ¡°What I want is positive change. And it cannot come from a side already driven by revenge. And yes, it¡¯s also hard to come from our side, the side of those who inflicted great pain on this world for centuries. Our side that¡­created this entire disaster in the first place. But that¡¯s why I¡¯m devoted to winning. Our side¡­has to realize the wrongs in our ways, and finally fight to clean up the mess we made.¡±


    Alice felt Amelie stop patting her head, as Alice felt her lean down on her, and whisper on the back of her ear.


    ¡°Alice¡­I promise you, that I¡¯ll do everything to clean up the mess we made. For you, and for your generation. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be the right person for this job. I don¡¯t know if I even have what it takes. But I¡¯ll go on until hope is returned to this world. If I have to do a million sins all for that¡­all to do one good thing, then so be it.¡±


    Alice turned back to Amelie, horror slowly taking over her young face.


    ¡°Amelie¡­you¡¯re not you anymore¡­¡±


    Amelie only smiled tiredly again.


    ¡°Yeah, Alice. I¡¯m not. I¡¯m the Queen now. And I have to turn my hands red for the sake of this world. I¡¯m sorry. If no one forgives me, then so be it. I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll do everything to finish the words I promised in my coronation. It¡¯s the only way to save this world. It¡¯s the only way for all of these tragedies to end.


    ¡°And if the price to end this enormous tragedy is to make hard decisions myself that cause tragedies, then I¡¯m willing to do that.¡±

 Prologue (The Great Stalemate—Volume Four)

    Northeastern Gallia


    MN Frontlines


    ¡°Horizon-Actual¡­code¡­requesting¡­medevac¡­¡±


    The malfunctioning radio was turned off by a Gallian trooper. The soldier sighed as he continued checking the broken HMLV. Inside, the corpses of what once were Lorathian soldiers remained, their bodies still so fresh that the Gallian knew they must have only died yesterday before this town was retaken by his unit.


    He rummaged through the HMLVs ammunition stores, taking out both bullets and rifles. He even saw one LATPM-12 launcher, which still held its ATGM load. The soldier laughed, this was a good find.


    Soon, he left the vehicle, carrying multiple boxes of .50 cal ammo for his squad to use. The town was not what it once was, merely a few leftover houses that stood amongst the destroyed rubble. On the streets, ruined vehicles, IFVs, tanks, probably a few dozen of them, both of their side and of the Coalition remained.


    Even the bodies of the dead Larissan, Pozneki, Lorathian, and Gallian soldiers were still in the rubble. The Gallian soldier continued straight to their parked HMLV, where his squadmates stayed. They were either cleaning up the vehicle¡¯s .50 cal machine gun, or their rifles or smoking to pass the time. The Gallian however waited before he crossed the road to reunite with them, as two Orlish M8 IFVs advanced forward at breakneck speeds straight into the direction of the next town just up ahead of them.


    Hell¡­from here, when he looked over there, he could still see the rising black smoke, the yellowish glow from the fires, and the distant gunfire. He looked up momentarily as well, as two Orlish attack helicopters swooped overhead, charging straight into the dark burning night.


    ¡°Hey!¡± He shouted as he approached them. ¡°Found what we needed!¡±


    ¡°Oh, damned finally!¡± Their machine gunner shouted jovially, as he approached and took the boxes of ammunition himself. ¡°Thanks, man. Always the ever-good looter that you are.¡±


    The Gallian soldier frowned. ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m just reappropriating allied munitions. It came from the Lorathians by the way.¡±


    ¡°Paid respect to the dead at least?¡±


    ¡°Eh, not really.¡±


    ¡°As expected of ya,¡± the machine gunner laughed. ¡°Found any more stuff?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They got one functional MANPAT over there. Think we¡¯d need it?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± the man said. ¡°Grab it, we still got room inside anyway. We only have two left after all.¡±


    ¡°Alright, mind if you come with me?¡±


    Their machine gunner entered their HMLV and placed the boxes inside.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The Gallian soldier handed the other box to his comrade, who placed it inside again. He looked behind him. An Orlish L?we tank just passed by them, speeding straight in the same direction that the earlier vehicles had taken. He sighed. Just hours ago, it was them that had to charge forward to take this town.


    Now that it was secure, they would be afforded rest, while another unit pressed on forward. Tomorrow, he knew he and his comrades would be the ones charging into the fray again, or most likely, relieve the forward Orlish detachments once the inevitable Coalition counterattack came.


    That would suck. He could die. Well, who was he kidding? Half of their battalion was already dead after just seven days of fighting. He already made peace with himself that he¡¯d be dead within the next few days. Just a matter of time until he and his brothers in their unarmored coffin were hit by something.


    And one that happened, well, it would be game over, and there would be nothing that he could do about it. Their soft-skinned HMLV was practically something that would be dead when it faced any determined opposition. So far, they had only met one actual tank from the Coalition, a Pozneki one.


    They got lucky that it wasn¡¯t looking when they stopped their HMLV and dismounted to engage. They got very lucky that they fired their MANPAT first before its turret turned to kill them in one fell swoop. The Gallian soldier however didn¡¯t believe in luck when it came to these things. He knew that eventually, someone up top would order their unit into a stupid attack, or delay a maneuver that would save them from an attack.


    ¡°Heard what happened to 3rd Platoon?¡± His mate asked as they continued walking. ¡°Shit was grim, man.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the Gallian soldier replied. ¡°I dunno, poor sods drove straight into a convoy of Pozneki DMBs. I doubt we could have saved them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too man,¡± the machine gunner said. Soon, they finally reached the downed HMLV that he looted earlier. Just as immediately, the two got to work ¡°repurposing¡± whatever munitions the vehicle had. In fact, when the Gallian soldier looked outside, he could see that the same was already being done by their other comrades in the Company.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Quite frankly, it wasn¡¯t a standard procedure to do this, but supplies had been badly hampered due to the intensity of the fighting. In fact, the lord knows where the frontlines even were. For all he knew, they were deep behind enemy lines at this point, due to how quickly everything was moving and dying in the front.


    Thus, looting of their downed allied units during downtime was the norm. Would be a waste of good bullets and MANPATs after all if they didn¡¯t. Especially when they needed as many damned AT weapons as they could get.


    Unfortunately, when they were done, the only thing that the two could get was extra MREs, .50 cal ammo, rifle caliber rounds, and of course, the spare MANPAT that he took.


    And as they walked back to their vehicle, the Gallian soldier could only sigh.


    A damned war we are in.


    +++


    Northeastern Gallia


    CFN Frontlines


    A Larissan tanker opened his eyes.


    He was underneath their downed T-18 ¡°Orel¡± MBT, hiding in the only spot that he could after last night¡¯s ambush. He didn¡¯t realize that he had fallen asleep underneath.


    I hear nothing¡­


    Last night was a great terror, the Larissan tanker remembered. He was just the lowly driver of the team, the lowest ranked guy of the three strong crew of the T-18 MBT, the premier modern fighting tank that the Empire of Larissa¡ªand now his new nation, the Confederacy, employed. Naturally, he got lucky that he managed to escape in time when their tank was struck and immobilized.


    He remembered that their commander and driver remained inside their vehicle out of honor, telling him that they¡¯d ¡°hold them off¡± until he escaped. Well, he was unable to do that. Instead, when he got out of their turret¡¯s hatch, the sudden machine gun fire forced him down on the side of the road, hiding like a rat until the battle ended.


    Then, unable to find anywhere else to go, and unable to hide, he decided to return to their destroyed tank and hide underneath the dirt, hoping that the advancing enemy forces wouldn¡¯t notice him.


    He fell asleep.


    He breathed out. Perhaps he should just bite the bitter pill and decide now to get out and surrender to them. Surely, they would accept that, right? The Queen of Orland had been kind to surrenderees. It was her entire thing. The men they fought last night were Orlish. He knew it, because he saw LSS Mechs in his gunsights, firing at them from the forests in the hills just on the side of the highway they were ambushed in.


    The Larissan soldier however wasn¡¯t sure. Their leaders told them all that surrender to the enemy was impossible. That each man would be better off fighting until their last death than be tortured by behind-the-line mages that would, ¡°use heinous spells to extract information¡± from them.


    It was¡­a scary thing.


    Rumors said that because he and so many men rebelled, women were now creating new brutal spells that would turn them into animals, or suck away their souls to be analyzed for everything that they knew. It was almost like ghost stories, but magic was magic. He watched it do everything from heal a broken man, to freeze a hundred soldiers, to set fire to so many homes.


    Battlemages had been said to be the angels that were the terror of warfare before the age of industrialization. With the revolution now in full swing¡­what if they were back? Would those Gallian mage soldiers freeze him painfully limb by limb if they captured him for interrogation?


    I can¡¯t¡­I just¡­


    Slowly, even with fear in the back of his mind, the Larissan soldier tried crawling out of his hole. By the time he was outside, the morning light almost blinded him, as he laid his eyes to the disaster that happened last night. All around him was their entire company. Seemingly wiped to the last man.


    DMB-5As, T-18 MBTs, more than a dozen of them, all reduced to wrecks in the fields. Seven of them were still on the highway too. One of the T-18s¡ªwhich he remembered was the command tank of their company commander, also had its circular turret detached from its body, now lying on the field upside down.


    He walked slowly until his feet mistakenly stepped on a corpse, and he slipped face down on the earth.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± He shouted as he rolled around. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    At last, as he lay down on the broken earth, he broke down, screaming profanities at the sky. Why had he been fated to be in this hell? Why was he alone here? Why had no one shot him dead and ended his misery? Why did he run when he could have died with his team together? Why couldn¡¯t even do something as simple as surviving?


    Why? Why? Why?


    Why were they invading this nation? Why were they all dying again and again in these same damned fields where his grandfather and father died? Change, what change? There was no such change. Every different Empress. Every different leader. Even under their new ¡°revolutionary¡± nation.


    There was no change for men like him.


    It was the same. Always the same for him and his brothers. Whether it was women on top or men on top, they¡¯d always find themselves in these same fields, doing the most dehumanizing dirty jobs that men had toiled under for centuries. Hell¡­no¡­for millennia even. Just worsened now.


    To be cannon fodder.


    He gave up. His life was so cheap. So were the lives of his team. So was the life of the comrade that he had just mistakenly stepped on. What was even the point of going on now? All of it. All of their struggles were truly meaningless in this world. It didn¡¯t matter if a young man was Gallian, Orlish, Lorathian, Pozneki, or him, a Larissan. It didn¡¯t matter if a young man chose to side with the revolution or the counter-revolution. None of it mattered.


    Their lives were as cheap as a mass-produced rifle round. They were all cannon fodder regardless of which side they chose.


    ¡°Change¡­¡± he laughed, mocking himself. ¡°Why did I believe those madmen? They just want us to do the fighting for their revolution.¡±


    It seemed that way after all. For all causes. For all wars that were fought. Everyone, men or women.


    It always seemed like all they would want was to make him, and his fellow young men of his now battered generation kill each other in their forever wars.


    Fight to ¡°liberate them¡±, both sides would say. Yet¡­the ones doing the fighting would never be liberated from their misery.


    It wouldn¡¯t matter if he stood up again.


    Perhaps, they had always lost since they one.


    Never even had a chance.

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-One: The Queens Interests

    ¡°MN frontlines in Central Vaeyox collapsed! In what could only be said as a lightning campaign conducted by the CFN, the three kingdoms of Azlistan, Surdistan, and Perlistan have collapsed in the face of the CFN armored tide. The remnants of the national armies of the capitulated Kingdoms are now in a shattered retreat down south to rejoin the MN South Vaeyox defense line. As of now, Azlistan, Turdistan, and Perlistan have fallen under the administration of the Confederacy, with talks about these Central Vaeyoxan ¡®Republics¡¯ being admitted post-haste as member states of the Confederation¡ªessentially, annexation.¡±


    - Geopol News


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    May 2, 2025


    The situation room was grim.


    ¡°The Empire of Kusari is now calling for full-on military aid,¡± Minister Adelaide Wallenstein (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) said as she looked down at her files. ¡°They say that the Southern Vaeyox Defense Line is ¡®too weak¡¯, and that the routing armies of the Central Vaeyox coalition wouldn¡¯t be able to help since they suffered too much material losses. They¡¯re already mobilizing as many men as they could, but they need more guns, artillery, tanks, rations, and other basic necessities.¡±


    The other ministers of the Orlish Government shuffled the report papers as the situation meeting continued. It was all grim reports from East Vaeyox, Central Vaeyox, Southwestern Vaeyox, Southern Vaeyox, and West Vaeyox. It was almost as if on every front, the combined armies of the Mandate of Nations were collapsing like butter.


    It was devastating.


    ¡°Do we have any idea of their plans?¡± Asked Minister Jan Sobieski (Ministry of Infrastructure). ¡°These are all bad, but do we even fully know what we are facing? What are we fighting? We¡¯re sending so many expeditionary forces, but we haven¡¯t been able to deal with the internal situation¡­¡±


    ¡°The internal situation is stable,¡± Minister Alfred Hegel (Ministry of Energy) crossed his arms as he leaned back on his seat. ¡°The Federalists won¡¯t break our lines. Especially with the manpower issue soon to be relaxed. Jan, I believe that the OAF and the Queen made the right decision. Defeating the CFN requires victory in Vaeyox.¡±


    ¡°Defeat in Vaeyox means defeat in Opellia,¡± Amelie reiterated. ¡°Yes, Minister Sobieski, we have an idea about the situation. William, would you please begin the briefing?¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone,¡± Director William Porter (Office of Preventative Measures), stood up and began his presentation on the displays. All Ministers and Amelie turned to face it. ¡°The situation with our enemies, compiled from the intel reports of our field agents, cyber forces, the AFI, and NID, has been quite clear¡ªthere¡¯s no such thing as a diversionary attack.¡±


    The room turned dark, as the bluish screens showed a map of Vaeyox. In the center was the red mass of CFN territory. On the edges, were the blue-colored territories of the Mandate of Nations. Unlike the older maps, Central Vaeyox was now half red, and Amelie watched as red arrows pointing toward MN territory appeared.


    ¡°Our reports have suggested fully that the CFN intends to dominate all of Vaeyox with a surprise attack on all fronts. That¡¯s exactly what they have done, and that¡¯s what they will continue to do. No front is safe. They have clearly diverted a lot of forces on all fronts, tasked to conquer, erm, ¡®liberate¡¯, our MN allies at the same time.¡±


    The screen zoomed into Central Vaeyox.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the three Kingdoms, while they offered a few weeks of resistance, have folded completely. Their Royal Families have now fled their capitals, alongside their governments straight into the Empire of Kusari down south. Two days ago, the capital of Azlistan fell into CFN hands after a three-day bombing campaign¡­¡±


    The screen showed video footage of their capital. Unlike Orlish megacities or the cities of East Vaeyox, which were always filled with high-rises, Central Vaeyoxan cities looked flatter, as there were fewer skyscrapers. However, the entire city was clearly destroyed. CFN terror bombing did not care less about civilian casualties and bombed everything that they could in a city filled with four million people.


    The footage switched next to next, showcasing bombed hospitals, schools, factories, residential districts, or destroyed Azlistan military vehicles, tanks, etc. Amelie almost looked away when she saw firefighters carrying a young girl who was clearly burned badly.


    ¡°The remnants of their government, naturally, capitulated before the CFN assault. The same happened in the Kingdom of Burdistan. Their capital, with three million souls in it, was fortified by the Burdistan Royal Army. They however were encircled and cut off within five days since the start of hostilities, and CFN terror bombing forced the local garrison to surrender. We have no idea about the civilian or military casualties in both cities, but we do know that they have dropped forty-thousand tons of bombs on both cities.¡±


    Amelie shook her head and looked at Minister Allison Thell (Ministry of Health and Social Welfare), who was watching from the other side of the table. She visibly crumbled at the reports, and Amelie could see nausea growing on the woman¡¯s face until she looked away. Quite frankly, William was making no censorship in his reports. He was showing clearly what tactics the Confederacy was using.


    And Amelie¡¯s blood boiled because of that. They truly wanted cities that dared to resist them to burn. The civilian casualties for the last few weeks since hostilities were declared had been extreme worldwide. Most casualties came from the MNs side in terms of civilian fatalities, as the CFN continued their terror bombing campaigns on anyone vulnerable to it.


    Hell, Amelie even watched how their Defense Minister remarked to their state press how the CFN would, ¡°bomb anyone who fights against the revolution back into the stone age,¡± with a straight face. And it wasn¡¯t an empty promise. It was a direct message to every government facing a CFN attack.


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    Resist¡ªand your cities will be reduced to rubble.


    No sugarcoating. No vagueness. It was a warning by a nation that had fully succumbed to bloodthirst to achieve its goals. At all costs, they said. Well¡­Amelie could see fully now what they meant by that. They¡¯d literally burn the world if the world resisted their change in management.


    ¡°Perlistan, yesterday, stood down, even if the closest CFN armored division was still forty kilometers from her capital. They apparently received a warning from the CFN that their capital was next, and they folded. Now, all of the Perlistani Royal Army is retreating to rejoin the Empire of Kusari, and they have declared that all cities of Perlistan are an ¡®open city¡¯. Their Queen also fled her Kingdom. In other words, all three nations of the Central Vaeyox Coalition¡­have folded.¡±


    ¡°An absolute disaster,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°I knew it yesterday, but just, having it all laid out, it absolutely looks like one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Deputy Prime Minister Walter Plock muttered as he looked at the map. ¡°To be fair, we expected those three would fold like wet paper, but wasn''t their entire point to buy time for the Empire of Kusari by tying down the CFN? Can Kusari even stand against them?¡±


    ¡°We already sent so much to Hebei and Gallia,¡± Minister Pristina Dubois (Minister of Defense) said, looking down at her files. ¡°The OAF reported to me that we¡¯re only going to be able to provide air support to Kusari. We barely even sent ground forces to Hebei¡­¡±


    ¡°Asanai will send some forces,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s what they told me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to coordinate with the Navy to send RGO expeditionary KDUs to Kusari,¡± Pristina said. ¡°I think¡­that¡¯s the best we can do.¡±


    Amelie turned to her Defense Minister. Her? Really? How was this possible? She was now straight up proposing to send her KDUs voluntarily to a distant continent to fight a battle. That certainly surprised Amelie.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Our projections about the Kusari Campaign are bloody. Even if you send five KDUs there, I doubt they¡¯d last very long in the campaign.¡±


    ¡°Hey, let her do it,¡± Walter smirked. ¡°We get to test the KDUs again. I mean, the OAF cannot send more forces, but the Royal Guard can, the problem solves itself. It¡¯d be a good adventure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an adventure,¡± Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss retorted. ¡°It¡¯s a bloody proposal. Is there strategic value in this?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Pristina looked down. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll integrate those KDUs, like last time, with OAF support units. I trust that they¡¯ll keep our girls there well-supported in the fight. Plus, how will this alliance work if Orland won¡¯t send any boots to help the Kusaris in the fight? We need to help the Empire. And if the Royal Guard is the only one free right now to do that, then we¡¯ll divert some of our KDUs going to the Federalist front into Kusari.¡±


    William nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°Amelie, this is actually a good proposition,¡± he said. ¡°The OAF will be delighted to know that their fellow¡­fighting force is interested in stepping up to their role of fighting for the defense of our allies. I¡¯m sure that we can form a joint OAF-RGO command in Kusari. While the forces on the ground will be our KDUs, the Navy and the Air Force can coordinate well to support them.¡±


    ¡°Send the Orlish Marine Corps,¡± Walter suggested. ¡°Maybe two Marine Expeditionary Units. Alongside Strike Force Nine. That should bolster Kusari¡¯s morale. We¡¯d be sending almost forty-thousand and more personnel in their assistance. Alongside military advisors to train their mobilized men and women.¡±


    ¡°You know, I thought we were stretched thin,¡± Alfred said. ¡°Seems like we¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°We are stretched thin if it¡¯s just the OAF doing the heavy lifting,¡± Walter said as he smiled, a bit satisfied. ¡°At least now, the burden has decided not to be a burden.¡±


    Pristina breathed out.


    ¡°We¡¯re trying our best,¡± she said. ¡°I admit, the RGO has been¡­¡±


    ¡°Say it,¡± Walter said. ¡°Come on. Admit to us what happened.¡±


    ¡°...Been quite the inept service,¡± her eyes averted Walter¡¯s gaze before that fire came back. ¡°But you can¡¯t look down at us. I am restructuring the RGO. I¡¯m trying to make sure that we can work with the OAF. I¡¯m trying to make sure that we can fight for the Queen¡¯s interests, this time around.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. Unity, everyone. See, it¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯ll be doing this entire fight together. I¡¯m happy that the RGO is doing what it can at last. But make no mistake, I am still sorely disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Pristina said. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to change that, Your Majesty.¡±


    Looks like the conservatives have fully folded since the passing of the Women¡¯s Mobilization Bill. Amelie relished it. This war, while disastrous, was destroying the popularity of the social conservatives who hated men¡¯s rights. Women, young and old, were returning their support to the reformists in the UOP¡ªwho voted for the Women¡¯s Mobilization Bill.


    Why? Because they were the only women who foresaw the escalation of war. Now, the entire reactionary movement wasn¡¯t just seen as prejudiced old-timers, they now had the unofficial title of ¡°traitor¡± above their names. Amelie knew that the Archduchess now had no way to associate herself with that.


    Even the Arcanist Party, and Duchess Flandere, had now turned their rhetoric in support of women¡¯s conscription. As if that would aid all those who voted against the bill. It was why they were all turning meek. Amelie¡¯s propaganda had subtly created the image that anyone who was against equality of conscription¡ªwas a traitor aiding the CFN.


    Perhaps this is her attempt to clear their names. Amelie thought. The KDUs have to prove themselves in the fight. The RGO too. Alongside all of the reactionaries.


    Then all the better. It was all in her interests, Amelie thought. Whether they fought there and proved women could fight¡ªallowing her to expand the recruitment efforts to bring more young women to the frontlines, or if they screw up and fold in the process. If defeat for the KDUs happened¡­


    Then the Royal Guard would be further discredited, integrated with the OAF, and thus, fall further under her control.


    ¡°Cooperation is lovely,¡± Amelie calmly declared, as everyone turned to her.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Jacqueline reluctantly said, now sensing the change of atmosphere in the room. ¡°The plan¡­actually sounds, well¡­good now, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Amelie said. She turned to William. ¡°William, inform the OHC of this new policy shift. Tell them that we need a quick study on the practicality of enacting the Defense Minister¡¯s plans. Pristina, I want you to be on your feet and work on it quickly. The main goal will be to send initial forces within a week to Kusari, and the whole force within a month at most. We need to help them quickly.¡±


    Inside, Amelie smirked as everyone agreed to this new plan. Soon, she¡¯d have the RGO back fully under her grip.


    As it should always be.

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Two: The Great Cause

    ¡°Confederacy forces have been accused of war crimes in Central Vaeyox. Reports of CFN forces rampaging and looting captured towns and villages had filled the internet, showing in full the sheer hatred coming from ¡®revolutionary¡¯ forces. So far, law and order had collapsed in the three kingdoms, with local authorities unable to respond due to being ordered to stand down by the Confederacy. Widely circulated in social media too were scenes of Pozneki MPs shooting Azlistani POWs, which had been denied so far by the Pozneki government as ¡®fake footage¡¯.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    May 4, 2025


    The media, the media, the media.


    It was a growing tool that Amelie and the Heiss Government were using for their purposes. Quite frankly, the prosecution of the Second Great War hinged greatly on public opinion. The more they encouraged the war, the more they supported the public figures of the Heiss Government, and the more they convinced the people to do their part, the media was useful to Amelie.


    Thus, she was today, meeting with one of the three great heads of Orlish media. Three women, who, in Amelie¡¯s perspective, shaped the minds of Orland. And they weren¡¯t just in charge of their own news channels, newspapers, etc. These three women controlled the nominally male-run tech corporations that built and maintained the Internet. Not just in Orland, but in all of Pollos.


    And the main one was now in her room.


    Well, the main one was Countess Weirloff.


    Specifically, Former Prime Minister Alexa Weirl?ff of the Weirl?ff Holdings. Amelie¡¯s old friend, the first Prime Minister who served under her, and the last one who served her mother. Amelie naturally had a cordial relationship with the former, badly disgraced Prime Minister, who had mostly retreated from political life¡­


    Except for running the highly political internet platform called ¡°Snoop¡±, something which Amelie had so far avoided using. She wasn¡¯t really a big fan of social media, after all. Still, she recognized that ¡°Snoop¡± was a place where billions of civilians go every day, for content, work, and of course, political posts.


    ¡°So,¡± Alexa started, smiling as she took her seat in front of Amelie¡¯s table. ¡°How is Her Majesty doing in all these? It¡¯s been a while, huh?¡±


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Amelie meekly said. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to meet you again after that. It¡¯s just been all too hectic.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Alexa nodded. ¡°So, I suppose you need something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Amelie shuffled a few documents in her hand. ¡°Um, so you see, the polls¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, the polls. Yes. Jacqueline already complained to me about it,¡± Alexa sighed. ¡°Yeah, yeah, most young women are still reluctant to go straight into the meat grinder, but honestly, I don¡¯t know what I can do to tell them to stop dodging the draft.¡±


    ¡°Alexa, please,¡± Amelie begged. ¡°Can you¡­like, make some media campaign, or something? Maybe an advertisement of some sort? I mean, we already do it for men, so, we might as well¡ª¡±


    ¡°Amelie, the difference between men and young women is that one is raised in a culture wherein they expect war and have been somewhat indoctrinated that it¡¯s a place to find adventure, meaning, and purpose in a purposeless world,¡± she stared blankly to Amelie. ¡°One grew up in a culture where they were told that they would never need to take up arms and that they should expect, nay, demand that the other group do the fighting for them. See the complication?¡±


    ¡°The culture is there, I know,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But still, we have to do something. I can¡¯t just¡­send in recruiters to raid houses or whatever, but the increasing amount of draft dodgers is going to affect us. Hell, I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s becoming big in Snoop to find ways to dodge the draft.¡±


    Alexa smiled.


    ¡°Young women with too much time in their hands. They¡¯re devious. And I should say, those campaigns were very effective. It¡¯s been trending since the Women Mobilization Bill was passed. How to dodge the draft one-zero-one.¡±


    ¡°And that exactly needs to stop,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They can¡¯t just weasel their way out and worse spread how to weasel their way out. I need warm bodies.¡±


    ¡°Whoah, gee,¡± Alexa¡¯s eyes widened a bit. ¡°You really speak that way now, do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the truth,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I need those millions of fit, military-aged young women to go on an adventure for the big cause. And I¡¯m not exaggerating when I say this, but I need them now. And I need a lot of reserves soon, because once the entire hammer goes down and the feds start an offensive, the losses will mount, and there needs to be replacement.¡±


    ¡°Have young men been really that tapped out?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet, but it¡¯s close,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯d have to bring out the wheelchair regiment within a year or so, and I¡¯m not interested in that, no, not ever. You know how bad those jokes were. That¡­that I¡¯d bring out the wheelchair regiments first before drafting women. Well, we need to prove them wrong. This is our fight and we¡¯ll fight it.¡±


    ¡°Hold on there, Amelie,¡± Alexa laughed. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s not like you¡¯d be the one fighting.¡±


    Amelie pouted.


    ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point!¡±


    ¡°Second,¡± Alexa raised her fingers. ¡°Again, how do you expect a simple ¡®advertisement¡¯ to do the trick? The issue is cultural. Mental. Young men, they¡¯re easy to draft because they expect it. They¡¯re defeatists. Their souls had been crushed in a million pieces and when you give them a draft paper they just sign it with an empty stare. They have no will to resist. In fact, many even want to be in the military to have power against us. Give a man a gun, and he¡¯ll take it. I mean, just as a wand gives us a sense of power, a gun gives a guy a sense of power. There are so many reasons for them to join the military. Not so much for a young woman.¡±


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    ¡°Okay, but still, you¡¯re the media lady here,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Like¡­can you get me a solution, I¡¯m not really that well-versed in these things. I just know how to make a speech, that¡¯s it. But I¡¯m not sure about stuff beyond that.¡±


    ¡°I am spreading your call-to-arms speeches by the way with our algorithms,¡± Alexa nodded to herself. ¡°Quite good speeches, I must say too. It gets a lot of attention. And I would bet millions have been swayed by your ideas. Well, swayed by your ideas to fight back and never surrender. Not exactly about the second part.¡±


    ¡°What second part?¡±


    ¡°The fighting back part,¡± Alexa fell silent. ¡°Should be quite obvious, no? They cheer for you one moment until you tell them that no, seriously you have to do what I say and fight, and suddenly, there¡¯s a video with thirteen million views about a young woman listing every legal loophole to dodge a draft treating it as a sort of awareness campaign to, erm, save people. I mean, to be fair, they have a point. They¡¯d sure save themselves from a 155mm shell coming to the position that¡¯d turn them into red mist by dodging the draft.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Welcome to Orland, Your Majesty. Wanna have a cup of tea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in fact, I¡¯m ringing Nia,¡± Amelie said, picking up her phone and immediately phoning her lady-in-waiting for another serving of tea and cookies to her office. Amelie spent a little bit of thirty seconds distracted from the appointment with the woman in front of her as she listed the cookies and sweets she wanted in her office before she placed the phone back down. ¡°Anyway, yeah, can you do something?¡±


    ¡°I make an advertisement with one of my production companies, release it, and they¡¯d just make fun of us.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, okay, maybe spread government PSAs? Reiterate and reiterate the importance of signing up to fight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great, something we already do. Do you really not check the internet?¡±


    ¡°I haven''t ever since they created heinous art about me!¡± Amelie turned red. ¡°I¡¯d rather stare at the ceiling for a day straight than step in that cesspool. They can all rot there for all I care.¡±


    ¡°You really are a Queen. You know, thinking that you¡¯re above the needs of the masses and all.¡±


    ¡°Damn right I am,¡± Amelie smirked. ¡°I¡¯m proud of that part of me. You can all be stupid scrolling endlessly, but I¡¯m not. Instead, I¡¯m buried in work twenty-four hours every week! Goddess damn it I need my tea.¡±


    ¡°Your white hair is growing,¡± Alexa pointed out, which distracted Amelie from her outburst. ¡°Yeah¡­well, the golden blonde luster is still there, but I swear¡­¡±


    Amelie checked her hair strands with her hand. Indeed, the amount of gray hair is now starting to grow. That was¡­well, she supposed not sleeping well sure had its effects. That and deciding daily about so many decisions that she had to make for national security. Sometimes, she wondered if rerouting so much of the decision-making to her office instead of the Prime Minister¡¯s was a wonderful idea or not, besides the fact that she was now fully overusing her emergency powers by placing the roles of the democratic executive in her hands, but¡­


    ¡°I guess in terms of health it¡¯s not,¡± Amelie muttered a bit. ¡°But, well, regardless of that, I have a vision to enact, Alexa.¡±


    She smiled faintly as she looked down at her hair.


    ¡°Stress. Missed sleep. Fear. Constant fear. The paranoia of being in the head of this nation¡­everything. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever going to compare to the plight of everyone below me. Even if I spend so many hours slaving away to make the right decisions, it wouldn¡¯t compare. And my decisions affect billions. I¡­I have to do it right. Think all of it through as best as I can, and spend every mental willpower I have to enact it¡­


    ¡°I have a plan, Alexa. I¡­I swear I have one. I already talked greatly with William, Jacqueline, and the inner circle about it. We have to win this war. We can¡¯t¡­lose it. Not if we want to keep humanity going forward. If we fail, then what of the people of this world? What of¡­the billions looking at us, hoping that we do something?


    ¡°Alexa, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m the right woman for the job, really. I don¡¯t know if all of my ideals are right. If I even believe in them anymore. But I want¡­I want to tell myself that I do believe in them because I promised change and hope. Change and hope¡­that was, that was my entire meaning when I was crowned. Change and hope. How can I do that, when a revolution hell-bent on nothing but blood lusted revenge is ongoing?


    ¡°I can¡¯t move the world away from the horrors of the past when the monsters that those horrors created still fight on to spread their misery. I pity them, Alexa. I pity them so much, but if I cannot save them, then damn it I¡¯ll save what we can save. The next generation. Those who still haven¡¯t seen hell. Those who still¡­can be led to hope, and¡­change.¡±


    Amelie looked up at Alexa.


    ¡°Is there really no way to do it?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Without such gruesome sacrifices? Without¡­choosing to save one over the other. Without¡­sending another generation, this time, young hopeful women who once had such bright futures, straight into the gates of hell? I realize now why. Why they don¡¯t want it, yes. But¡­they don¡¯t see that without doing what must be done, whatever future they imagine wouldn¡¯t exist. Not for them, not for the generations after us. Not for humanity.¡±


    ¡°I can see the merits in your words, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Alexa, please, there has to be a way. Something, to shape the minds of the people to do their part for the great cause. Can you¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Great Cause,¡± Alexa muttered. ¡°No¡­that word. You¡¯re right. The Great Cause. The Great Cause. It sounds¡­perfect.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Great Cause, the Queen¡¯s project to change the world for the better,¡± she smirked. ¡°Starts with ending the monsters created by past horrors. We can simplify it further for the masses, but the idea. It sells to me. It sounds, both hopeful for a good future, like a call to arms. But also, it legitimizes the threat of hardship and terror ahead of us. All while not fully blaming the revolutionaries¡­or, men, for this entire disaster. The Great Cause¡­to stop the horrors created by our past mistakes¡­¡±


    ¡°I have been always admitting about the mistakes of the Kingdom,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°They say it¡¯s not exactly a great idea, but I find it distasteful not to.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s one of your popular qualities,¡± Alexa said. ¡°You¡¯re not someone who says, ¡®Everything is fine,¡¯ while all is burning. You¡¯re someone humble enough to admit to past mistakes. That¡¯s¡­going to go well with this messaging.¡±


    Amelie fell silent. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you¡¯d do it though¡­.¡±


    ¡°Do you have your full plans?¡± Alexa asked. ¡°For this Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Yes? It¡¯s a fourteen-point plan. Everything I wanted to enact. Changes for everything. From ending the penal system. Ending the unequal welfare state. Ending extreme punitive acts against men. Ending the nobility itself. So many things, but¡­the civil war, and this¡­and now, I¡¯m¡­those plans have been pushed back, greatly. How can I do it all when all is falling apart?¡±


    ¡°Then perfect it,¡± Alexa said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll find a way to spin it into something that young men and women, and most of the nation, can buy. Do you know what the extremists lack? What do the reactionaries and revolutionaries lack?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They lack a true end goal. A true idea of what they are, and what they want for the people,¡± Alexa said. ¡°Their ideals, it¡¯s all incoherent. Vague. Unclear. What¡¯s only clear is their sheer hatred for each other. The hatred of reactionary women against uncouth men. And the hatred of revolutionary men against high-brow women. Other than that, they¡¯re all divided. And their messaging is weak in true purpose. We can fill that void, now.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­then I¡¯ll try to do that then.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Three: Fourteen Point Plan

    ¡°Idealism have turned into an empty joke in the eyes of men.¡±


    - General Sergi Val


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    May 6, 2025


    ¡°Okay¡­I¡¯m not exactly sure how this will help us though,¡± William said from behind. ¡°I mean, a concrete political agenda sounds cool and all, but I think we need to be real and focus on the¡ª¡±


    ¡°William!¡± Nia cut him off. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? We need a good cause to keep the people fighting. Amelie¡¯s right. And that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. You¡¯re good counsel.¡±


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re a guy, so you can help us draft men¡¯s interests,¡± Amelie said. ¡°See, I want these fourteen points to be fully right. For both the interests of men and women. That way, we have a vision to see through when this war ends. Then we can spread the message. Up the morale of everyone. Rally them into the fight. Or to the factories. Whatever.¡±


    ¡°Just tell them that if they buy war bonds they¡¯re going to get good returns post-war,¡± Hans said. ¡°I mean, you know, standard procedure. I don¡¯t really get how this will aid us in upping the morale of men. Quite frankly, morale will be low, but they¡¯ll fight on anyway. Heh, it¡¯s the only way out of this cruel world.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what we have to change!¡± Nia said. ¡°That, and we need to promise something good for young women too. Tell them that this is a fight worthy for them to join their brothers in. Unity.¡±


    ¡°Right, unity,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°You two are quite the forward-looking ladies,¡± William sighed. ¡°Fine¡­let me see the draft.¡±


    Excitedly, Amelie pulled out the document that outlined her, ¡°Great Cause¡± and handed it to William with almost shining eyes. William silently read the first lines with boredom, as Amelie eagerly awaited his judgment.


    ¡°First of all, did you even consult any guy about this?¡±


    ¡°Um, nope. Albert I guess, but he only gave it a passing read back then. And I¡¯m too scared of Walter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great, that guy. As expected, and I don¡¯t blame him,¡± William sighed. ¡°Your brother probably didn¡¯t even give a crap about reading this. I mean, the first line is ridiculous. You might as well be an eight-year-old. I mean, world peace, are you crazy? That¡¯s like asking for money to fall on trees or something.¡±


    ¡°William!¡± Amelie shouted. ¡°First of all, wars are the biggest problem we face. So ending it is absolutely a top priority. That¡¯s why it¡¯s number one. There has to be peace and stability before you can do the rest. Plus, you¡¯re a guy. You should hate war.¡±


    ¡°Nah, not really. It¡¯s my livelihood,¡± William smirked. ¡°Life can suck, but you pay well with this job where I help you manage the war. It¡¯s honest living. You know, if you think about it, even if this war ends, most guys would probably end up as ¡®security contractors¡¯ in the unstable world that¡¯ll surely follow anyway.¡±


    ¡°You and your brother are so alike¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke,¡± William sighed. ¡°But come on, how does this not sound way too childlike? It¡¯s like¡­what¡¯s this, point five¡ªequality of wages in the workforce? Okay, cool, very cool for us, but how exactly is this going to sell for women who want to keep our wages low for cheap goods.¡±


    ¡°Have you not noticed that points five to ten are specifically said to be there to reduce societal tensions and make sure we won¡¯t be in this situation again?¡± Nia crossed her arms. ¡°We women aren¡¯t stupid. We tell this to them, and they¡¯ll agree that this needs to change so none of this disaster happens again.¡±


    ¡°Uhuh, that¡¯s cool,¡± William then continued looking down at the document. ¡°Okay, how exactly do you think section three will go down, points eleven to fourteen? You say in eleven, we¡¯d place more investments in rebuilding the economy, then you say at fourteen you¡¯d reduce Orland¡¯s debt. Wow, wanna eat the cake and have it too, huh? You even said you¡¯d, ¡®invest in the social rehabilitation of men¡¯ in point ten, damn, cool. How¡¯d you do that without money? With hugs and kisses?¡±


    Amelie looked like she was about to cry, but William continued dismantling her ¡°Great Cause¡± one by one.


    ¡°Okay, then you have points twelve to thirteen. What are you, you sound like the NRF now. Enforcement of union and labor rights, then you want to enforce antitrust laws and expand them? What, you wanna kill your support from the private sector? Okay, and this is cool for the average blue-collar Joe, but I¡¯m not sure how¡¯s the UOP going to accept this. Even the ORP is going to be antsy from these ideas, though, to be fair, they¡¯re a bunch of crooks anyway.¡±


    ¡°Come on¡­¡± Nia sighed.


    ¡°And, yeah¡­I¡¯ll say it now, this sounds so progressive and so humanizing I think anyone who sees this is going to choke in diabetes first before vomiting at how unrealistic this is,¡± William looked down at the two of them, who also looked down at the floor. ¡°How long did you two spend to make this?¡±


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    ¡°Erm¡­¡± Nia fell silent.


    ¡°One night. I actually had one already back then that I used as a guide to rule this Kingdom, but it wasn¡¯t as well fixed as this iteration. Um¡­is it really that bad?¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s way too good you two must be flying with rainbows coming out of your feet. Yeah, no, this is like¡­a plan no serious administration can propose. It¡¯s way too broad. Long term. It¡¯s like you¡¯re thinking you¡¯ll be the Prime Minister for two decades or something. I mean, if you stick to these plans consistently for decades, that might work, since you can do it phase by phase, but there¡¯s term limits, and¡­oh¡­¡±


    He paused.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nia then smiled. ¡°Realized it now, huh? You dummy! She¡¯s the Queen! She can enact that plan and propose it to every subsequent administration until she¡¯s an aged hag.¡±


    ¡°Nia!¡±


    ¡°I have a point. That¡¯s why we crafted that plan. It¡¯s to solidify Amelie¡¯s image of being a long-term reformist monarch. See? Unlike a simple elected government that has to focus on short-term goals, she can show this and tell the people that she will advise every government under her to follow this goal until its completion. Just like how Queen Areya promised during her coronation that she would make sure that every Orlish Government under her will prioritize the creation of a strong Orland.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yeah, that¡­does have a point¡­¡±


    ¡°In my case, William,¡± Amelie smiled to herself. ¡°I will release this plan, and tell the people, both men and women, that I will make sure that we will finish this war, ensure the world after that war is safer, and create a more equal and human Orland.¡±


    ¡°And you called that, ¡®the Great Cause¡¯,¡± William asked.


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± William looked back down at the document, before smiling a bit to himself. ¡°Well, you should consult more experts about this. I think it¡¯s nice, but you just need to perfect it a bit. This might be a good propaganda piece for us.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Alright, as for the daily update of the war situation,¡± Amelie looked down at the compiled report file in her hands as William spoke. The situation room was nominally empty, with most ministers of the Heiss Government gone, except for Jacqueline and Walter, who were now keeping themselves in touch with the war situation more closely with the Queen. ¡°It¡¯s not stable yet.¡±


    ¡°As I expected,¡± Walter said. ¡°Been watching the news daily. And getting updates. Seems like the situation in Gallia isn¡¯t getting better, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°They have already lodged more and more requests for aid to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Adelaide said that she¡¯s holding off from making any further promises until Pristina and the OHC can ensure further military aid, so, yeah, our support levels remain the same regardless of the deteriorating situation in Gallia. I hope that doesn¡¯t end up badly though¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless General Albrecht¡¯s plan works, it will,¡± William said. ¡°The enemy has broken through all of the DMZ Defense Line. The combined Gallian, Lorathian, and Orlish forces are now in between a rout and a barely organized retreat to the next defense line. So far, casualties have been severe¡­¡±


    The screens showed a list of major formations, brigades specifically, from both the Lorathian, Gallian, and Orlish armies. Amelie looked at them, and indeed, it was beyond scary. Most units were badly in the red, with many brigades suffering thirty to forty percent casualties.


    ¡°So far, most of the losses have been equipment. We¡¯ve lost four hundred AFVs of all types in the last weeks. That¡¯s¡­pretty severe. For example, the 4th Independent Armored Brigade of the Gallian Army has been reduced to thirty percent of its original strength after a three-day battle near the DMZ. Right now, this brigade is deemed combat ineffective and will retreat from the fighting for reinforcements and reorganization¡­¡±


    He then showed a list of formations marked as ¡°combat ineffective¡±.


    ¡°So far, fourteen Gallian Infantry Brigades have been shattered and would be pulled out of the frontlines. Alongside that are two armored and one mechanized brigade. On the Lorathian side, the I LEF Mobile Corps have suffered greatly. Two of their ABCGs, or armored brigade combat groups, have been mauled during a week-long campaign against four Confederacy and Pozneki motor rifle and armored divisions. They held hard, but they lost one hundred fifty tanks in total. That essentially means that the I LEF Mobile Corps is now half as effective as it was in the early days of the fighting¡­¡±


    ¡°The attrition levels are insane,¡± Jacqueline muttered. ¡°It¡¯s like, we¡¯re burning through equipment without end. How are we going to replace those losses quickly? In just a few months, our forces in Gallia will be fighting with sticks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the situation,¡± Walter said. ¡°This is the early days of the conflict. Reminds me of the opening year of the First Great War. No, I mean, this is exactly that. Both sides will absolutely tear through their equipment stockpiles during the mobile warfare phase. And this time around, no side would want a repeat of trench warfare. Just as we¡¯re betting on encircling them at all costs, they¡¯re doing the same.¡±


    ¡°Right, they¡¯re doing very aggressive maneuvers, and we are doing the same to counter them,¡± William said, as the screens zoomed into the map. ¡°Here¡¯s a timelapse of the battle for a city near the DMZ in two weeks. Notice the pincers that the enemy attempted to do? Notice how the lines shift so fast in rapid back and forths. And notice how the city was briefly encircled before we pulled our forces back. That¡¯s the situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, they are just as hungry for encirclements as we are,¡± Walter smirked. ¡°I guess we all really learned a thing or two in the Great War, huh?¡±


    ¡°Except for not doing war again, apparently,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°So I suppose that¡¯s how these few months will go then?¡±


    Amelie sighed.


    ¡°I can see the situation. We¡¯re both leveraging our mobile forces in the early days of the campaign to achieve a superior position on the battlefield,¡± she declared. ¡°Then once all those fancy equipment dries up, we¡¯d both have no choice but to settle for a stalemate. But they don¡¯t want that to happen. And neither do we.¡±


    ¡°Hence why we are trying to outmaneuver each other,¡± William said. ¡°He who dares and achieves a successful armored victory will decide which nation will fall in the next year.¡±


    William zoomed the map out to cover all of West Vaeyox.


    ¡°Will Gallia fall to the CFN¡­or will Poznek fall to the MN. And if not¡­then we shall see a repeat of the Great War. Once again in Gallian soil.¡±


    ¡°Another great stalemate,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°No, it cannot happen again.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Four: Coalition for "Freedom"

    ¡°The Larissan Confederacy has now officially annexed multiple ¡®Vanguard Republics¡¯ in the former Order Pact into the revolutionary state. Chancellor Pyotr Kerensky has declared that it is a time of ¡®great unity¡¯ between ¡®equal member-states¡¯ inside of the Confederation. All of these Republics are said to have been granted great autonomy and privileges as major member-states of the Confederation, but this has been cast in doubt due to a lack of referendums in these former independent Kingdoms. The exiled monarchies have now lodged it as a criminal offense and ¡®illegitimate¡¯, and the Mandate of Nations rejects any expansion of the Confederacy. Princess Anastasia Illyenov has also rejected the idea of the territories of Larissa¡¯s fallen allies being ¡®annexed illegally¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Confederation of Larissa


    Velikov City


    May 10, 2025


    ¡°Unity, President Rimpler, unity,¡± the gruff, forty-year-old Larissan man, Chancellor Pyotr Kerensky replied to Rimpler as the two took their seats. The room of the Chancellor¡¯s office was quite barebones, Rimpler noted. Unlike the Executor Building and his office which had a wide view of Eirhow City that allowed Rimpler to better envision the future of the Federal Republic¡ªthat of a grand, equal, republican, strong, and technologically advanced and oriented Orland, the Chancellor¡¯s office only offered a serene view of the river Lieper.


    Rimpler smiled a bit, but inside, he was pissed. Quite frankly, even with the Federal Navy ferrying him with their Weirl?ff-Class nuclear attack submarine, it still took time. Time which he didn¡¯t have when he needed to get up close and personal with his allies¡¯ leadership. And heavens be damned, being underwater for weeks was painful business.


    Now, he was dealing with another painful business


    ¡°Look, you just annexed CFN-member states,¡± Rimpler replied. ¡°Without even consulting us. Or Asturia. Or Hebei.¡±


    ¡°President Rimpler, I profess,¡± the Chancellor said. ¡°I don¡¯t like you, Orlishmen, but our patience is¡­endless,¡± the Chancellor leaned back a bit to show the river Lieper, and President Rimpler nodded. ¡°Look, none of you in Opellia understands the situation here in the east. Here, we rule by control¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the state of affairs everywhere.¡±


    ¡°And those Republics were going against our control,¡± he added. ¡°They have been questioning our military deployments. Hampering our logistical lines with delays and red tape. Unacceptable. Not when the great revolution is ongoing. Hence, we persuaded them to join our glorious union.¡±


    ¡°You sent tanks into their capitals and asked them if they were on the racket or not.¡±


    ¡°Still technically falls under persuasion,¡± Pyotr smiled. ¡°Plus, you did the same in Lieplatz. If Orland can have a bite of its northern neighbor, why can¡¯t Larissa?¡±


    ¡°East Lieplatz will have a transitional government soon,¡± Rimpler said. ¡°Look, we didn¡¯t annex them.¡±


    ¡°But functionally you did. You just marked them as a ¡®special military administrative zone¡¯,¡± the Larissan emphasized its designation. ¡°Look, we¡¯re men here, Mr. Rimpler. Let¡¯s not do what women do to each other. The truth of why you did it, and why we did it is for one reason. Our interests. Now, would you, our great revolutionary brother, go against the interests of your ally? We did not make much noise when you ate Lieplatz. We praised you during that expedition of yours. Oh, it would please us greatly if you do the same.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do just that,¡± Rimpler conceded. ¡°The CFN needs to look¡­united.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Pyotr¡¯s laugh grew. ¡°Especially now that those women, those¡­wicked women, they¡¯re trying to do everything to dismantle everything we worked for. I tell you what, Mr. Rimpler, when we said in the halls of the MN general assembly that we won¡¯t be gone until all is ashes, I agree with that. It¡¯s either the global matriarchy falls, or the world falls.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I ask you,¡± his laughter stopped. ¡°Permit us to use both persistent and non-persistent chemical weaponry. Now. The Gallian front is proving tougher than we have expected.¡±


    Rimpler didn¡¯t like this one bit. While he had no problems with the idea of chemical warfare himself, and using it for his means, he knew the CFN would look bad if they used it first. Quite frankly, the last time they used non-persistent chemical weapons against the treacherous Queen¡¯s forces during the Grand Duchy Campaign, it didn¡¯t pan out very well.


    Short term, it certainly aided his forces on the ground in conducting an armored breakthrough. It allowed the Army to break through the static system of trench lines dug in deeply by the Royal Army. But of course, it still led to catastrophic armor losses, and their gains were reversed anyway when the enemy¡¯s armored counterattack came. All in all, all it did was give them one empty victory and place the enemy on alert¡ªnow, General Albrecht, the man who Rimpler viewed as the true leader of the enemy side in this civil war, had revitalized the Royalists into expanding their WMD stockpiles.


    Now, should they do another chemical warfare sling out in the frontlines, it was all that assured that if he ordered the Federal Army to utilize non-persistent chems, the enemy would respond with the same within days. And if he were to order the utilization of persistent chemical weapons, especially nerve agents¡ªno chance the enemy would not respond immediately.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°It is a dangerous proposition, Chancellor,¡± Rimpler cautiously replied. ¡°It¡¯ll set a precedent for the use of deadlier chemical weaponry, and greatly escalate the conflict in a way that might not realistically benefit us. If we are to use chemical warfare, we shall use it in desperation or we do it at the same time¡ªfirst. The Federal Army right now sees no strategic or tactical benefits for its use.¡±


    ¡°The Confederacy does,¡± Pyotr reiterated. ¡°I tell you what, the Gallians, they ran out of stockpiles during the Great War. I expect that the foolish Queen in Eutstadt has not mobilized any chemical agents in Gallia, or Lorathia. We¡¯d have weeks or days of advantage before they can send their retaliation. Enough to overrun their defense lines and get our tanks in Toldoi and kill Gallia¡¯s mad Queen.¡±


    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t the Confederacy continue this war without doing that?¡± Rimpler asked. ¡°You told me it¡¯s going particularly well. Or are the reports of the OIA true?¡±


    ¡°The OIA?¡±


    ¡°That you lost nine hundred tanks in the span of a week?¡± Rimpler leaned forward. Pyotr averted his gaze and looked down.


    ¡°We have thirty thousand tanks in storage of all kinds,¡± Pyotr said. ¡°Those losses¡­they¡¯ll be replaced soon enough. We just need time¡­to train the new guys, and those divisions will be reinforced.¡±


    ¡°Most of your losses are of the modern T-18 MBTs,¡± Rimpler said. ¡°I doubt the Confederacy have thirty-thousand T-18 MBTs lying around in storage, Mr. Kerensky.¡±


    ¡°Look, the enemy¡¯s losses are half that, and they¡¯ll find it harder to replace those fancier equipment and those¡­those damned mechs of yours,¡± Pyotr shook his head in frustration. ¡°Those absolute things massacred my boys in Gallian cities. Bastards kept ambushing us from elevated positions tanks can¡¯t take. It¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re designed to do,¡± Rimpler said. ¡°And I seriously doubt your older T-96 MBTs are going to do much better. In fact, those things have even worse armor. Worse guns. Sensors. You name it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, most of our storage tanks are T-96s,¡± Pyotr admitted. ¡°And half are¡­requiring extensive maintenance, but we have six-thousand T-18s ready to replace the losses, and we¡¯re ramping up production to three hundred per month. We can sustain it.¡±


    ¡°Not in the manpower terms,¡± Rimpler said. ¡°Unless you¡¯re all willing to draft women now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather shoot myself than let a woman be in a tank,¡± Pyotr laughed. ¡°Not making the same mistakes they did.¡±


    ¡°And lose the war in the process,¡± Rimpler sighed. He was facing the same damned situation. In a year or two, the Royalists would have full manpower and numbers advantage. All while the FOAF refused to adopt and fully develop their autonomous weapons program. He knew the Larissans had the same thing, but less developed.


    We¡¯d have to share our technology with this bastard soon. He sighed. Fueling your former rival nation just to win a revolution sure is a pain.


    ¡°But see, even you agree,¡± Pyotr said. ¡°We¡¯re in a bit of a shaky spot. My friend, why shall we not then use any available means to nudge us into a better position, strategically? Right now, our depleted armored formations are being shuffled back into the front, and the frontlines have temporarily paused. But the next ones are coming within a day or two, and the drive to Toldoi shall resume. Why then should we not make sure that once the second wave comes in, we will be starting the show with a devastating rain of nerve gas?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± Rimpler replied firmly. ¡°You are to beat them, properly, with your armored spearhead. Losses be damned, I change my mind. You can replace them. But we cannot go back to a world where we have not used extremely deadly chemical weapons. Plus, I seriously doubt that Queen Amelie didn¡¯t send her troops with CBRN protection.¡±


    ¡°Well, the Orlish sure did,¡± Pyotr reluctantly agreed. ¡°And so did the Lorathians, but the Gallians? Most of their mobilized infantry have none. We¡¯ll gas ¡®em to death easily, and create holes in the frontlines, and what will the more well-equipped Lorathian and Orlish formations do? Even with the help of the Gallian elite brigades, they¡¯d be outnumbered against our mechanized tide¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you even have CBRN protection on all your troops?¡±


    ¡°Eighty percent does,¡± Pyotr said. ¡°Only rear-occupying units have none. All of our frontline units should have one. In fact, our boys rolled into the war wearing their baggy CBRN suits. They just have to place their gas mask on and stuff and lo and behold, the chemical munitions can fly. Then we¡¯ll flush them out.¡±


    ¡°And where else are you planning to use it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a few terror bombings in Gallian cities too,¡± Pyotr chuckled. ¡°Assuming we manage to send planes or missiles in. Damn those REGAL SAM launchers. They¡¯re a pain in the arse. But if we do get them in artillery or missile artillery range¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re treading a dangerous line, Mr. Kerensky,¡± Rimpler said. ¡°Quite frankly, while I am a subscriber to terror bombing strategies¡­¡±


    ¡°I see a very good man,¡± Pyotr chuckled.


    ¡°I still recognize that we have a reputation to uphold,¡± Rimpler said. ¡°Look, Mr. Kerensky, we won¡¯t do it. Do you get that? Nope. Not acceptable. Not at this moment.¡±


    ¡°Then when?¡±


    ¡°When the necessity outweighs the cost,¡± Rimpler said.


    ¡°I thought we are operating under the assumption that we shall break the matriarchy ¡®at all costs¡¯, Mr. Rimpler.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a propaganda phrase,¡± Rimpler replied. ¡°Just like the name of our alliance. You and I already agree on it, right? That we have no need for charades with each other. We both know that the words ¡®Coalition of Free Nations¡¯ is a lie at the moment.¡±


    ¡°...Heh, I thought you fools on the other side of the pond are ruling believing in that delusion.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, we¡¯re not,¡± Rimpler said. ¡°Now, I should say it. In exchange for us not making protests to your annexation, since it is in your interests, then we want you to follow our policies in the prosecution of the war, and avoid any undue escalation that may harm our interests. Is that clear, Mr. Kerensky?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Pyotr frowned. ¡°But if this offensive fails, Mr. Rimpler, know that the CFN will be in dire straits. I¡¯ll make sure it does not happen, but let it be known that it is you who blocked my proposal today.¡±


    ¡°I know well what decisions I made,¡± Rimpler said. ¡°And I¡¯ll live by it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Pyotr smiled. ¡°Oh, a toast? Perhaps you want some fine Larissan vodka here? What do you think, my friend?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be very much into that.¡±


    Heh¡­even our friends would probably be our enemies once we win. Then again¡­that¡¯s just how geopolitics goes, I guess.

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Five: Plug the Gap!

    ¡°Video reports of CFN troopers executing a Gallian POW circulated the internet. The soldier, whose face was censored by the soldiers who captured them, was apparently a Gallian tank commander who disabled six Larissan MBTs. The video was uploaded to ¡®warn men on the side of the matriarchy¡¯ by the Larissan soldiers who captured it, before being taken down. However, the footage has now spread widely on the internet with sour outrage by the people against the CFN¡¯s barbarity. However, as with all war crimes allegations, the CFN, especially the Confederacy, has denied any ¡®unlawful shootings of POWs¡¯.¡±


    - ROCN News.


    +++


    West Orland


    Fort Amelie


    Complex-41


    May 17, 2025


    ¡°The situation¡­has finally been temporarily stabilized,¡± General Albrecht declared in front of the gathered OHC personnel in the meeting room. Amelie, Jacqueline, and Walter, alongside Pristina, the Defense Minister, were present today as the OHC once again convened as one to discuss the developments nearly a month after the declaration of hostilities.


    Quite frankly, while Amelie had been anxious about each event that happened since the CFN declared war, especially with their almost rapid breakthroughs in the Gallian DMZ, the collapse of the Central Vaeyoxan Coalition, and Empress Xue¡¯s desperate defense over the Ginzhu Province that almost led to a collapse of South Hebeian forces in the East Coast of Hebei, so far, the frontlines have finally paused its breakneck advance.


    ¡°We have lost¡­considerable amount of materiel, and equipment. We are very much stretched thin at the moment, and our allies are not in the best of times, but regardless, gentlemen, and ladies¡­we did it. Our first goal of stabilizing the front has been achieved.¡±


    While one would expect claps or cheers at this momentous victory, the OHC personnel were silent, mostly watching their leader continue his speech with grim stares. Amelie understood why. The lull in the fighting probably wouldn¡¯t last a few days at most. Accordingly, the enemy was just licking their wounds, resupplying, regrouping, and refueling before they would continue their armored advance.


    The CFN was tired slightly by the first responders of the MN, but the CFN was far out from the fight and their offensive operations. And that¡­that worried Amelie greatly. The idea that Imperial Hebei, Gallia, Constania, Latia, Imperial Larissa, and their newly formed defense lines in South Vaeyox on the border of Kusari and Perlistan would all collapse before May was over, was a nightmare scenario for the unprepared MN.


    I need time to mobilize further. Amelie looked at the maps on the screens. It was ugly. Gallian borders, both in the southeast and northeast, had been broken. Pez was holding out relatively well, but she knew that the small mountain country would soon be besieged on all sides if Gallia fell. The only stable area for Gallia was their entrenched frontlines in northern Asturia. That stupid Queen.


    I hate how she sabotaged everything. Now look at her damned country. And I have to salvage her. Goddess¡­


    Then, on the other hand, South Hebei¡¯s northernmost coastal holdings had been lost to North Hebei. Empress Xue¡¯s forces were lucky; they even made a relatively organized retreat from Ginzhu. Had it not been for Orland¡¯s donated air defense systems and the Imperial Asanaian Air Force¡¯s local air dominance, she imagined that North Hebei would have overrun and encircled at least a hundred thousand soldiers and collapsed the coastal front of South Hebei.


    Even in Southwest Hebei, a mountainous region held by Empress Xue, the enemy¡¯s mountaineer divisions had dislodged her from nearly two provinces, alongside eight major cities. Empress Xue would be in a bad position, Amelie knew, as she would have to reorganize her forces and reestablish her defense lines once more.


    And thus, I¡¯d need to divert more production to her. Amelie thought. Losing Hebei would be an unacceptable disaster¡­


    Then, the two former Order Pact Kingdoms that still resisted the Confederacy in Southwestern Vaeyox, the Kingdom of Constania and Latia, were both in a bad situation. Orlish and Lorathian forces could only help them from their bases in the Pieran Continent, but the Lombardian Republican Navy and Air Force had already begun hampering their efforts to support the two beleaguered Kingdoms.


    Not that we can divert much there. Our hold in North Piera is tenuous at best. We still have to man those nations with our forces to support local armies in resisting a possible joint Asturian and Lombardian naval invasion. I just hope that Admiral Halberd has a plan to keep both of their navies off the Verdean Sea.


    Unfortunately, with the Levantine Canal badly still half-operational, and the Asturian strait under the strategic control of the Republic of Asturia (no sane person in the Navy would send an Orlish ship there and have it killed by surface-to-surface missiles), the few Orlish-Lorathian ships present in the Verdean Sea was effectively the only assets they had to counter the combined Lombardian-Asturian navies (and Amelie knew that the South Gallian Naval Squadron was now stuck in port).


    Which meant the support they could give to Constania and Latia would be limited until further notice. All in all, at all fronts, they were holding, but barely. And Amelie knew that such a situation could rapidly deteriorate unexpectedly. She really needed to free up more of her mobile units to be sent overseas to respond to the enemy threat.


    That and I need more metal on the field. Her number of armored formations against the CFN was very lopsided. Granted, her units in the field usually scored more kills, especially against the inferior designs of the Confederacy, but still¡­


    However, relaxing the training periods will be cruel for these tank crews. I can¡¯t send them unprepared. Not to mention, it¡¯d be a waste of tank hulls.


    Options¡­options. This war truly was a difficult balancing act for Amelie. Walking through this entire mess was really quite the experience. It was truly unsurprising why she was aging so fast with the sheer stress of it.


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    General Albrecht continued his speech.


    ¡°Now that the enemy is licking their wounds, however, we must also do the same. Our allies, right now, are mobilizing further forces as fast as they can. Right now, our most valuable allies are Lorathia, Kusari, and most importantly, Asanai. These three nations have proven to be the most capable in the field, especially the Asanaians. Chief Air Marshal Zimmerman can attest to that.¡±


    The head of the Royal Orlish Air Force, Lewis Zimmerman, was quite the absent man usually in Amelie¡¯s presence. Unlike General Albrecht and Admiral Halberd, who were now both the main leaders of the Army and the Navy that always remained in close contact with Amelie, Zimmerman preferred to hunker down in his headquarters. He was, as always, a silent manager. Someone who kept the air war going as best as he could for Orland without really getting much recognition for it.


    I should probably talk to him next time. Amelie thought. He hasn¡¯t yet asked me much about the needs of the Air Force. Except for sending me requests that I stamp.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zimmerman nodded with a grin. ¡°Those Asanaian airmen and airwomen are quite the good folks to work with. We shot down three hundred aircraft of the CFN since hostilities started in East Vaeyox. They are cooperating with us smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Three hundred?¡± Amelie was quite surprised. ¡°We did that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Zimmerman respectfully replied. ¡°In comparison, we lost shy of a hundred aircraft, mostly Asanaian fourth-generation designs. We have lost only twenty of our new LF-20 Phantoms in the air, and we had nearly a hundred fifty confirmed kills. At this rate, the Confederacy will be forced to abandon their efforts to achieve air supremacy. And resort to missile and artillery attacks. Alongside airspace denial.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­quite surprising,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°I thought the air war wasn¡¯t going particularly well.¡±


    ¡°The air war is firmly on our side,¡± General Albrecht declared. ¡°It¡¯s the one thing we have absolute dominance on. Unlike in Orland where the enemy too has LF-20 Phantoms to deny us air supremacy, CFN forces in Vaeyox does not. They¡¯re using numerous but outdated fourth-generation designs. Quite frankly, they already struggled to beat us when the ONS Rebenslof only fielded LF-12s. What now when the number of LF-20s that we have is swelling in numbers? Heh, I¡¯ll be fine to declare that in a few months, the air war in Vaeyox will be ours.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Zimmerman nodded, before turning to Amelie. ¡°Your Majesty, your support to the Air Force¡¯s acquisition of more and more LF-20 airframes is very much appreciated. The results are showing. Our stealth fighters are the apex of the air. At the moment, it¡¯s actually what¡¯s holding the gaps in our lines.¡±


    ¡°Gaps?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°We have gaps now?¡±


    This time, the air in the OHC turned sour again, and General Albrecht frowned.


    ¡°Yes. The losses sustained by our ground forces were bad. But what¡¯s worse is that our allies are still reorganizing their demoralized and retreating units. Our LF-20s, LF-12s, and the Asanaian Air Force are what¡¯s covering the retreat. The enemy can¡¯t conduct close air support on our lines properly, and we can.¡±


    ¡°We actually just destroyed a column of Pozneki MBTs earlier,¡± Zimmerman added. ¡°Around fourteen PZT-18s and five PZT-96s, those are Larissan tanks modified by the Pozneki Army, were destroyed by Fighter Squadron 22 five hours ago. Drone observers operated by Gallian light infantry spotted the column right when FS 22 finished their air sweep sortie. They called in an airstrike, and five LF-20 Phantoms dropped five 1 ton GBU-05 bombs on the target. That was a considerable loss for them.¡±


    ¡°That much in one fell swoop?¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°Heh¡­I guess we do stand a chance after all.¡±


    ¡°We did lose one of our LF-20s to enemy surface-to-air missiles five minutes later, but yeah, it is a nice development,¡± Zimmerman shook his head. ¡°But not perfect. Ground attack missions can still be hampered by Larissan SAM units.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have our own SAM units too,¡± Amelie said. ¡°If we¡¯re struggling to do ground attack missions when our planes are so superior, then the enemy can¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°Hence why they¡¯re using swarming tactics on us,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°We actually destroyed so much of the Confederacy¡¯s armor since the start of the hostilities. Heh, I should say, while they¡¯re making quite the determined advance, we¡¯re bleeding them badly.¡±


    ¡°How well?¡± Amelie asked. Immediately, General Albrecht switched the slides of the presentation for the tallies of material losses for the CFN. Indeed, it was enormous. In fact, she struggled to imagine how the Confederacy would be recovering from those losses.


    ¡°Over the course of the hostilities, our ground forces inflicted severe casualties on the CFN¡¯s armored formations. Prime of the tallies, we have visual confirmation of destroying or disabling one thousand three hundred forty-four CFN MBTs. The majority of which were Larissan T-18 MBTs, mostly of the T-18A variant, but we also destroyed fifty of the latest T-18C variants, mostly killed by our attack helicopters and LF-20s.¡±


    The slides were briefly changed, showing multiple footage of T-18 MBTs being struck either by ATGMs, tank rounds, or rockets, and one was even struck by what appeared to be an artillery strike, captured by a drone. It was¡­in a way, satisfying for Amelie. Her Armed Forces¡¯ technological dominance sure was showing. Sure, they were on the back foot, retreating, and their allies were less than stellar.


    But the OAF¡¯s presence showed just how much it had grown as a fighting force under Amelie¡¯s rule. Of course, they would. She completely gave them operational independence and support unseen by previous Queens. Most of all, unlike all other armies, the OAF was fighting a high-tech civil war in Orland. They were veterans.


    That and she sent her cream of the crop overseas. It was good news for her. Her troopers there weren¡¯t being used as cannon fodder but as an effective fighting force.


    General Albrecht turned the screen back to the tally of losses.


    ¡°Alongside these armored losses, the enemy suffered two thousand losses in their mechanized armor, IFVs, and the like. Mostly DMBs, which is the mainstay IFV of the Order Pact, the equivalent of our M8 IFVs. Alongside that, we have confirmed that the enemy lost three hundred SA-20 155mm SPGs, hundreds of various rocket artillery units, around a hundred mobile SAM launchers such as the PVP-300s, and more. All in all, we¡¯re bleeding them well. However¡­¡±


    He soon skipped multiple slides and showed the tallies of the losses for their allies. It was¡­not good. Even if it was only in the hundreds of MBTs lost, Amelie knew that it must be devastating due to their lower numbers.


    ¡°Yeah¡­the numbers for us are just as ugly. Luckily, I OEF Corps remains very much operational. We¡¯ve lost only forty of our MBTs. Twenty-eight of our LSS Mechs, and only a handful of our M8 IFVs, alongside shy of two thousand infantry losses. We¡¯re already replacing the losses, so, while it is grim, we are plugging the gaps, Your Majesty.¡±


    Amelie sighed. Sure, this was good, but she had heard that the Confederacy had a massive arsenal of every weapon imaginable that they had built up throughout the Great War for their ¡°final offensive¡± alongside the considerable numbers that had already existed during the Cold War, but¡­


    She had to admit that her forces were doing well with the situation at hand.


    ¡°Good, then,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Just, keep up the good work. I¡¯m sure that within a few months, we¡¯d have sent more reinforcements to our allies. We just need to hold on for now, and, as you¡¯ve said, General Albrecht¡ªplug the gaps. Please, tell us of your plans to stabilize the frontlines then.¡±


    The General nodded.


    ¡°On it¡­¡±


    And so, the meeting went on for hours.

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Six: Recruitment of the Privileged

    ¡°Joint OAF-RGO recruitment centers organized by the Ministry of Defense see a massive uptick in numbers of women joining in on the draft. While the numbers have not been released by the MoD, Defense Minister Pristina Dubois has confirmed that the levels are reaching ¡®satisfactory rates¡¯ for the needs of the OAF. Training of these women however is expected to take more time, as the Women Mobilization Bill had provisions that prohibit ¡®insufficient training time¡¯ for drafted women, which was one of the compromise clauses of the bill. Still, with KDUs now being sent to the Empire of Kusari, and with many KDUs now participating in the frontlines against the Federalists side-by-side with the OAF, it¡¯s clear that women have now finally stepped up to the duty of defending Orland and the international order.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Orland


    Eutstadt City


    Amelie exited her vehicle alongside William when they arrived at one of Eutstadt¡¯s recruitment centers. Already, the area was jam-packed with hundreds of young women placed in lines to join the OAF, all overseen by generally bored RGO personnel. It was a lamentable sight for Amelie¡¯s heart, watching all these young women like her all going into the same fate as their brothers did, but, it wasn¡¯t like it was fair to only let men be the ones doing all the dying.


    However, unlike the lines of male recruits she remembered during the early days of the war, which were mostly veterans devoid of light in their eyes as they were funneled back into hell, Amelie could see that many of these young women were¡­in a sense, alive.


    She saw faces that looked eager and confident, almost as if they were convinced that they¡¯d ¡°beat those scrawny men¡± with their magical weaponry.


    Then there were those nervous women, who looked like they really were dragged into this mess and would want nothing more than to go home.


    Some even seemed like they were just naively following the line, and Amelie could overhear some gossiping about how they would do their duty to the motherland better than men did.


    It was¡­


    ¡°Well, they certainly look excited for some grand adventure,¡± William offhandedly quipped as he finished taking Amelie¡¯s bags from the vehicle. Amelie nodded at him, as he stood beside her.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like¡­it makes you realize we¡¯re really just sending barely adults to the meat grinder. Kinda like¡­me¡­¡±


    ¡°Reminds me of the early days of the Great War,¡± William said. ¡°Some guys were excited about the whole thing. A faraway adventure that will give us so many rewards once we¡¯re home before the new year. I still remember the guys who said that the Larissans would fold to Orlish technological supremacy.¡±


    ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°Wiped out,¡± William said without hesitation. ¡°Well, probably ninety percent of the guys with me on that day on that recruiting station. I still remember which brigades most of my batch was assigned to. They were all rendered combat ineffective just a few months in Liebnich.¡±


    ¡°Liebnich¡­¡± Amelie muttered, once again reminded of William¡¯s history in that peninsula. She wondered when it would reach that scale of brutality in the frontlines, and if these young women would ever see it escalate to that. The point where both sides would run out of effective weaponry and dig in for a prolonged war that forced long-term static trench warfare to develop.


    Even in Orland, the frontlines were already in that state. The only difference was that both sides weren¡¯t committing any significant, determined offensives that would lead to mountains of casualties. Instead, it seemed that she and Rimpler were playing a game of build-up. Both sides just poked each other, as they built up their strength.


    If I attack first with these newly mobilized women, would they use WMDs on us? Would I have to use it too against them? Can I even afford not to? Just the idea of sending girls into gas irks me. It sounds so distasteful.


    ¡°Hmm, you know, it¡¯s kinda funny how it¡¯s you that¡¯s more affected whenever I mention Liebnich,¡± William said. ¡°I guess chemical warfare and trench warfare really are that scary, huh?¡±


    ¡°It is scary,¡± Amelie insisted. ¡°And don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s not. Or that¡­that it would ever be something that we have to do. I know General Albrecht forced me to prepare chemical weapons stockpiles since the Federalists tried using them, but I don¡¯t know William. Look at these people. How can someone¡­even think of sending them to gassed battlefields?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I wonder why humanity would be that cruel,¡± William nodded. ¡°But see, the thing is, humanity is in fact cruel. Very cruel. Exceedingly cruel. It¡¯s not just cruelty of women against men or men against women, it¡¯s cruelty on all sides from all sides. Amelie, you have no idea how cruel we were to each other in the Great War. Or how cruel we are right now. My unit¡­we actually never took POWs.¡±


    ¡°Your unit¡­what?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± William said, as he chuckled. ¡°Even I¡­I think I shot some of them one time when a Pozneki unit charged our trench line and floundered. They tried to surrender desperately, telling us not to shoot, but everyone around me opened fire anyway. Especially when artillery strikes struck us, then gunfire. None of us could tell which Pozneki soldiers surrendered or which ones were still charging to flush us out. So I joined at opening fire at them¡­¡±


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    He looked down at his hand, as it trembled a bit.


    ¡°I¡­I was cruel. Fear. Panic. It¡¯s all just excuses.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, William,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°It sounds like the chaos of war made you do it. It wasn¡¯t like you executed POWs like¡­like how those Poznekis did it to that Gallian tanker. Goddess, I never even saw the footage, just the articles but it¡¯s still disgusting. Really, I don¡¯t think any amount of war crime footage will ever desensitize me from all these¡­¡±


    ¡°We were like that, or at least my comrades were,¡± William admitted. ¡°Both sides of the Great War were like that. When the enemy captures you, your chances aren¡¯t good. You¡¯d probably be beaten, abused, or worse, executed to be made an example of. Some units took literally no POWs, and those kinds of black units existed on both sides. And if you were part of a unit that had an infamous reputation for that, the likelihood is that the other side would shoot you on sight if you surrendered. It seems like that type of treatment is now once again fully alive in Gallia.¡±


    ¡°I hope no one in the I OEF Corps does that then,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll severely reprimand them if they act beyond the ethos I want them to uphold. They¡¯re there to valiantly defend Gallia, with tact and Orlish honor. POWs must never be mistreated.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­I imagine had you never enforced those kinds of rules hard in the OAF since the Civil War started, we¡¯d be seeing more Federalists executing Royalists and vice-versa. Still, I doubt the Larissans, Poznekis, and their allies would afford captured Orlishmen the same treatment. And if we send these women in and make them fight and they somehow end up in captivity¡­Goddess help them.¡±


    Amelie felt the hair on her skin rise at William¡¯s ominous words. That was¡­one of the nightmare scenarios for her. Women soldiers as POWs. Really, this entire war boiled her blood. But what could they do? It wasn¡¯t like women under CFN-occupied territories were living decently. For them, their rights were already being curtailed heavily by revolutionary governments paranoid of a magical uprising.


    Some were already being put into forced labor to fuel the CFN¡¯s war machine (not that her side was technically not doing the same to men already). She needed to rally women into the fight to not end up in those kinds of situations. Sadly, that would mean that female POWs would have to face a nightmare.


    Damn it all, really¡­


    +++


    Amelie finally appeared in front of the podium for the speech in front of the new recruits. Quite frankly, the fanfare was low outside a few journalists taking pictures and footage on the side. Most of Amelie¡¯s audience was really just the young women who were now joining in on the fight.


    Well, speaking to men was hard for Amelie to do, quite frankly. But she managed. Oh, but speaking to women?


    ¡°Everyone,¡± she began with a smile, as they all looked up to her. ¡°How are we doing today?¡±


    ¡°Not great, Your Majesty!¡± Someone from the back responded. ¡°I was supposed to get a good job in a consulting firm now I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be a lawyer!¡± Someone else shouted. ¡°Quite frankly, I don¡¯t think I belong to some dirty front.¡±


    The crowd stirred, with many agreeing to the few women who protested their draft. But Amelie could also see some arguing back. Someone from the back shouted that it was their natural duty. Someone challenged the women who wanted to back down if they had pride, shaming them for not standing up for their fight.


    And on and on did the crowd go. It was pretty much unscripted, as Amelie planned it to be. Really, she just wanted to get an accurate idea of how young women were taking this entire mass mobilization thing in their hearts. And it seemed like it was truly mixed. She could see any who lamented their loss of liberty. Many were angry and frustrated at being dragged down into the mud too.


    But she could also see many who spoke of duty to the motherland. Some argued that it was time to support their poor brothers fighting to the death for them. While some were so convinced of their own superiority that they proclaimed that they would triumph the moment they stepped on the frontlines and finally let the ¡°real¡± warriors in.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± Amelie suddenly spoke, breaking the growing tense standoff between the recruits. ¡°I can hear you and your complaints. I can hear that many of you feel like your lives are¡­not in the best of times¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not!¡± Someone shouted. ¡°Why are we supposed to fight like pigs? We had a future ahead of us!¡±


    Amelie shook her head, ignoring the scathing complaint.


    ¡°I know,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But that¡¯s why we have to fight. Not just them. Not just you. All of us. Women, men. Young, and old. Orlish and non-Orlish. We all have to do our part for the nation. For this Kingdom. Because if the Kingdom loses and collapses¡ªthere is no future for you


    ¡°The decision to drag you all here, sometimes, against the will of many, is not something that my Ministers, my government, or I took lightly. We took a long time weighing the situation, and deliberating whether or not such extreme measures are needed. And it is. Women of Orland, I know not all of you would be so scared of a fight we must also fight that you¡¯d betray the nation.


    ¡°I know many of you fear the front, but your brothers also feared it once. No, I refuse to believe they don¡¯t fear it now. I believe they do so too. Just like you, they are just scared youngsters sent to fight for the defense of our homeland. Yet they stood tall and fought. And fought. And fought. With grit. With determination. With honor.


    ¡°You will do the same. You will. Because that is your duty. Will you really let your brothers outshine you in the field of duty, or will you fight and outshine them with valor both for their sakes, your sakes, and for the sake of the nation and future generations? I believe that most of you will do the latter. So please, I believe in you! Fight back! Win a victory for a free and honorable Orland. That is your duty as a woman. That is our duty.¡±


    There was silence for a while, with many still doubting Amelie¡¯s words, but one, then another, then the crowd was in full agreement once the over-enthusiastic ones took over and the skeptics were silenced. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but she hoped to rile up women to the fight by appealing to the two things they seemed to enjoy.


    Their self-image of being the more important and capable citizens of Orland.


    And their pride as women.


    After all, if they were the ¡°superior¡± ones, would it really be acceptable for them to not be the ones doing the heavy lifting for the nation? The notion was stupid, to Amelie¡¯s view, but it would be even more stupid right now that it was inconsistent.


    At least, if she turned the narrative into something consistent, instead of ¡°we are superior but we shouldn¡¯t fight¡± into ¡°we are superior thus we must fight¡±, well, she¡¯d have more meat for the frontlines she wanted to win.


    This is good. For now.

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Seven: The Three Empires

    ¡°Imperial Forces of Kusari and the remnant forces of the Central Vaeyoxan Coalition beaten by combined Larissan¨CNorth Hebeian forces under the banner of the CFN in the final defense line held by forward deployed Kusari Army units and rearguard units of retreating military formations from the three Kingdoms that had recently capitulated. The Orlish Air Force and Asanaian Air Force, in conjunction with the Kusari Air Force, have managed to slow and blunt the advance of CFN ground forces, but the situation remains ¡®critical¡¯, with MN forces fully retreating to the border of the Empire of Kusari.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    ¡°Defense Minister Pristina Dubois announces the successful deployment of five KDUs of the Royal Guard to support MN forces forming up in the Kusari border with Perlistan. Strike Force Nine and the Orlish nuclear aircraft carrier ONS Victorious have also been deployed near the West Kusari Ocean. Two Marine Expeditionary Units of the Orlish Marine Corps have also been deployed with the now-termed II Eastern Royal Guard Corps (ERGC) to support them in combat operations. All in all, it is expected the five KDUs will be one of the core elements of the defense of northwestern Kusari.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    May 22, 2025


    The situation in East Vaeyox¡­continued to be less than stellar, Amelie knew. Quite frankly, at this point, it was her Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman¡¯s efforts that were keeping the fight going for them. The sheer losses being sustained by their allies on the ground had been something worrying for the Orlish High Command and the Mandate of Nations¡¯ defensive posture in the area.


    So far, while in Gallia, progress to check and slow down the CFN had yielded some redeemable results, their lines northwest of Kusari in the former lands of Perlistan in comparison had been folding like wet paper. Unable to even hold on for a few more weeks with the complete capitulation of the Central Vaeyoxan Kingdoms.


    And so, today, she was meeting the three Empresses of their main allies in the East Vaeyox region by call. Three screens were in front of her. One showed Princess Kawasaki Yumi of the Asanaian Empire, who, for all intents and purposes, was taking the reins of ruling her Empire due to her mother¡¯s age. Beside her was Empress Xue Li of the Empire of Hebei, or South Hebei.


    Then, there was Empress Arushi Mehra¡ªa woman already in her fifties. Amelie knew that the Empire of Kusari had always been a neutral nation in the affairs of the Ivory Alliance and the Order Pact, but she also knew that Empress Mehra was a sort of a conservative early ¡°reformer¡±.


    Much like the more liberal and ¡°egalitarian¡± Empire of Asanai, which had largely accepted male rights reform, especially during the 2024 crisis, and thus, avoided revolution, the Empire of Kusari was a relatively half-decent place for men. While all men of the Empire were required by law to serve in the Army, they also had a society that treated them as mostly lawful ¡°equals¡± outside of their lamentable labor conditions.


    Still, Empress Mehru gave Kusari men votes three decades earlier than Orland after the First Great War. Did it change much? Perhaps not. But she uniquely granted them that political nicety when she was crowned. Unfortunately, she had completely stopped her reforms there, and just Kusari heavily cracked down on any further reforms in the guise of the reforms being ¡°enough¡±.


    Still, Amelie hoped that the Kusari Imperial Armed Forces would at least not fold like wet paper similar to how the Central Vaeyoxan Kingdoms did. Their Army after all, while mostly staffed by men in the lower ranks as enlisted, was mostly led by female officers. Many of their elite units and many of their brigades/regiments were also all-women forces, and they were already easily mobilizing women in their ranks.


    All in all, she hoped that the Kusari people and their forces would at least fight instead of completely collapsing. This was why she was sending a lot of support to them (besides the fact that Kusari was populated by eight hundred million souls) and was now in the talks to send more. She wanted to bleed the Larissans with Kusari manpower¡ªif possible.


    ¡°Well, quite frankly, our plan of bleeding them from the air is working,¡± Princess Kawasaki said. ¡°Should we continue this path, we¡¯d be able to cause them enough casualties to seriously stop their advance.¡±


    ¡°I doubt the situation will be as stellar as that,¡± Empress Xue frowned. ¡°Even with your Air Forces aiding us, we were almost mauled at Ginzhu, and they¡¯re showing no signs of stopping. I think it¡¯s clear that they¡¯ll replace the losses they sustained, secure the areas they captured, and deny us air coverage once their SAM systems are fully deployed. Then resume.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s the tempo we are seeing in Central Vaeyox,¡± Empress Mehru added. ¡°Our allies up north have had their lands turned into death zones for Orlish and Asanaian air. Queen Ludendorf¡¯s Air Force already suffered seven planes, their advanced LF-20s, being shot down yesterday.¡±


    Amelie tried to smile.


    ¡°I assure you, Empress Mehru, that we are taking steps to prevent further losses,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Besides, the enemy lost a staggering ratio of sixteen to one since the start of the war when it came to air-to-air combat with our LF-20s. We lost eighteen LF-20s in total to their two-hundred-plus air losses. I think the numbers should be on our side soon due to our qualitative advantage.¡±


    ¡°Advantage or not, the losses yesterday demonstrate that our strategy would no longer become viable once the frontlines hardened,¡± the Kusari Empress insisted. ¡°Once the enemy air denial strategy is in full swing, we won¡¯t be able to inflict any losses on them any further. And while the LF-20 is certainly an impressive plane when used against hostile air forces, it struggles in the face of ground surface-to-air missile threats.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­true,¡± Amelie admitted with hesitation. ¡°But we¡¯re producing more and more of them, so we should soon be able to still keep the fight. In fact, my Chief Air Marshall, Lewis Zimmerman, is already cooking up an operation to disable a large chunk of the enemy¡¯s air defense capabilities by destroying their SAM launchers, ground radar, control units, and everything in between in a massive SEAD offensive.¡±


    ¡°A SEAD offensive?¡± Empress Xue asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be quite the costly operation if it failed? I heard that the Orlish Air Force is running low on standoff missiles¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rectifying those supply issues,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°I will get those missiles sooner or later. Plus, we¡¯re still at forty percent capacity on our active squadrons in East Vaeyox. We should be able to sustain it until replacements arrive.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that it¡¯s a great idea to do a massive SEAD operation deep in enemy lines,¡± Empress Xue said. ¡°Those missiles are needed to destroy actual offensive targets advancing at us. Each missile and plane sent against an enemy SAM launcher is a missile not sent to a tank driving to my cities or Empress Mehru¡¯s defense line.¡±


    ¡°Then what shall we do?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°The enemy¡¯s solidifying their air defense to deny us from being able to strike their columns at the distance, so we¡¯re gonna start struggling to hit them from the air, but we also don¡¯t want to destroy their air defense because we might compromise our ability to defend from their ground forces. Then what?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll remain in a bind so long as Orland has other commitments,¡± Princess Kawasaki said, as she leaned back on her seat on the video feeds. ¡°Asanai is also depleting our missile stockpiles¡­basically everything. At our current consumption rates, our Armed Forces said that we¡¯d have to cut down to fifty percent of our missile usage within a month. After that, we¡¯d have to wait until our industries catch up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for us,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Goddess¡­we¡¯re all in a bind then. I can¡¯t really divert the rest because¡­there¡¯s Gallia. There¡¯s Orland. There¡¯s the oceans too¡­my Kingdom is fighting on many critical fronts.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to hold on to our lines as best as we can,¡± Empress Xue said. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure how much longer. We lack the ability to produce heavier and more advanced equipment. We¡¯re only barely managing to get the basics for our troops out. At this point, half of our heavier equipment in the field is from Orland in Asanai¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing better but we cannot raise more formations outside of mobilized infantry,¡± Empress Mehru said. ¡°We have enough heavy equipment to keep fighting in a decent manner should they come for us, but it¡¯ll probably dry too within a month or two. Mobilizing our industry may take a year or more to catch up with a high-intensity conflict. If Orland fails at keeping the enemy off our land by air strikes, we¡¯d suffer irreplaceable losses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Amelie paused. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t seem to be ideal. We really need a good plan for this. While the OHC is communicating well with your respective military arms, I believe that we should really expedite the process of creating a unified command structure in East Vaeyox. A permanent one until the war ends. We¡¯re basically running around like headless chickens.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Empress Xue said. ¡°If we can coordinate our forces well, we¡¯d be in a much better situation. But that doesn¡¯t change the nature of the war on the ground. This war is very much an attritional war. She who loses the most war materials quickly, and is unable to replace it, shall lose.¡±


    ¡°We still have to stack our ability to use what we have better,¡± Princess Kawasaki said. ¡°I¡¯m in favor of this. In fact, we have already been preparing for it since we started cooperating with the Orlish Air Force. We should begin full integration of our forces.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± Empress Xue said. ¡°My priority is winning this war. So long as we have a say, then we¡¯re in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Empress Mehru? Do you have¡­any objections perhaps? We are already on board with it. I think this will be good. In fact, my Kingdom¡¯s high command expressed broad support for this and they call this an utmost necessity.¡±


    ¡°The Kusari people will find it with great displeasure if we give up our independent command,¡± Empress Mehru said. But, even with those words, she soon smiled. ¡°But, their voices don¡¯t matter. We will join. I shall order the heads of my military to begin coordinating with Orland, Asanai, and Hebei for full command integration. What shall it be called then?¡±


    ¡°The East Vaeyox Allied Command,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°It has a nice ring to it. But regardless, I thank you all for this. This¡­is a good start for now.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Eight: Industrial Needs

    ¡°Mass retraining of women, young and old, to be pressed into the workforce under the named ¡®Cycle One¡¯ plan proposed by Minister Anne Wittfield has now been approved by the Prime Minister. Jobs will now be divided between ¡®essential¡¯ and ¡®non-essential¡¯, and any women that fall under ¡®non-essential¡¯ economic sectors will be given a two-week notice to leave their job and report to labor organization centers to be employed in war-related jobs. Businesses under these sectors have protested this move greatly, alongside many employees, however, the War Cabinet has reiterated that mass mobilization is a need and that ¡®no one shall be exempt from their national duties¡¯. Cycle One is so far expected to employ upwards to eight million women within the year in newly converted factories to significantly increase war production.¡±


    - ROCN News


    ¡°Mass production of tracked armored vehicles is being ramped up greatly. The newly converted auto-factory of Porter Heavy Industries south of Eutstadt City broke records with their production numbers last week. The plant managed to produce a staggering fifty-six L?we MBTs in seven days. The plant manager said that efficiency within the plant has been increasing since the acquisition of new industrial tooling and freshly trained new hires that bolstered the factory¡¯s production. Right now, the plant is producing an average of eight L?we MBTs each day, with plans to expand it to sixteen then twenty before 2025 is over. Should these numbers continue, the plant in Eutstadt will be providing a significant number of L?we hulls for the Army.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    West Orland


    Eutstadt City


    May 26, 2025


    It was a chilly afternoon in the city for Amelie today.


    Quite frankly, the business of war had greatly drained her, so it was a nice break for a while to just relax in a fancy coffee house for a while. Naturally, her area was quite deserted, save for a few rich women having their own private time on distant tables. She could hear their usual gossip.


    She sighed.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s raining,¡± Nia, who accompanied her, said, as droplets of water fell, forming wet lines on the glass. ¡°William probably died asleep in his car.¡±


    Amelie chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, that poor guy. Think we should grab him a cup of coffee?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°After the meeting of course.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we should,¡± Nia said, eyeing the black SUV just under the coffee house, parked on the side of the street. Well, that and the two other escorting vehicles under the OPM that accompanied them. Over there, one of William¡¯s agents simply stood on one of the light poles as the rain intensified above him. ¡°Look at that guy. He seems determined on the job.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda pointless,¡± Amelie said, now joining Nia in watching the agent in a black suit become¡­well, a wet agent in a black suit. ¡°Then again, I guess they¡¯re all still paranoid. I applaud them for keeping an eye on me at all times.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit creepy though?¡± Nia asked. ¡°Dudes just watching us 24/7. Unending. It feels creepy.¡±


    ¡°Lady Lubaine watches us with her specialized surveillance spells,¡± Amelie calmly said. ¡°Even in our sleep.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t think that old woman¡¯s that much of a spook,¡± Nia gasped. Even with her hushed voice, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but laugh at how surprised her friend was. Quite frankly, Amelie should be spooked, maybe, considering all these people literally watched her life, her private life, at all minute. That was¡­


    Hmm¡­that¡¯s actually kinda scary.


    Being the Queen sure was a lot of pain. She had very little privacy from her own security teams. It was why she had William after all. He was a guy she trusted. That and Lady Lubaine. A veteran who could truly keep everything in check. But still, it was some spooky stuff. But then again that was why she paid them all way too well.


    Wouldn¡¯t want to end up dead in the hands of her own security after all. Even if it was unlikely. What was more likely though was her security screwing up for even a moment¡¯s notice and leaving her dead in the wake of an attack. Of course, knowing William, he¡¯d probably die before that happened, but still¡­


    Security or privacy. Yet, at the same time, even with sacrificing her full privacy, her security wasn¡¯t assured.


    I wish the world just turned into something simpler at times. Amelie lowered her head and began stirring her cup of coffee with her spoon. Hmm¡­the Countess sure is taking her sweet time. The boredom sure was getting to her. Which led Amelie¡¯s mind to wander again.


    Pulling out her phone, Amelie began scrolling to look at the news, while Nia continued snacking on the biscuits that they bought.


    The news was, as expected, usually awful. Quite frankly, the internet nowadays is completely dominated by women¡ªyoung women especially. And with tech giants being ordered to block the access of people from CFN nations on the internet, there was complete radio silence from radical men flooding every site with their calls for terror against womankind.


    The downside was¡­most men were now either on the frontlines or being worked to death in the factories (though, women would soon be in the same position, as per Amelie¡¯s plans¡ªshe wasn¡¯t going to compromise any resources for victory), meaning that everything she saw was complaints about the state of the world done from the comfort of major cities in West Orland. Something about complaining about the draft¡­the mobilization¡­the rapidly tightening rationing policies¡­


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    Hell, Amelie almost wanted to laugh at how many complained about the skyrocketing prices of luxury products. Bags, clothing, beauty products, you name it, were probably now on the dying end of the spectrum in terms of production. And with less supply naturally came higher prices. It was by design. Amelie seriously slashed the importation of consumer goods in favor of using her shipping for the movement of more critical resources; i.e. steel, alloys, rare earth, crude oil, industrial machinery¡ªthe list would go on and on.


    The war would take precedence over the public¡¯s comfort. Amelie should definitely make that clear soon. That things have changed, and that the pain would be something they should shut up about.


    ¡°Why the long face, Your Majesty?¡± Amelie looked up. Finally. She smiled as her economic minister took her seat.


    ¡°Just been scrolling a bit,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°People are complaining a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how lamentable,¡± Anne laughed a bit, as one of the waiters, who carried a plate with cake, alongside her coffee, arrived to place it in front of her. Anne thanked the woman, who shyly retreated with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re complaining about what?¡±


    ¡°Our mobilization policies,¡± Amelie replied, frowning a bit. ¡°That and the rationing.¡±


    ¡°We really do live in strange times. Normally, these fools should be in full support of our policies of¡­you know, trying to win the war, but they¡¯re up in arms about it.¡± Anne laughed as she took a little sip of her coffee. ¡°Ah, but up in arms would be quite the exaggeration. They¡¯re all just moaning and whining from their comfortable homes. Which means their words mean nothing when the Wartime Mobilization Office sends them packing from their day job to their place in the training centers.¡±


    Amelie felt a bit uncomfortable about that. The Wartime Mobilization Office, or WMO, was a newly established organization by Anne to aid her plans. Essentially, every Orlishman and Orlishwoman was being scanned by the WMO to decide where exactly they should go to contribute to the war effort.


    With the approval of the Prime Minister, and of course, Amelie, they also gave the WMO the power to essentially threaten anyone who resisted the orders of the WMO with criminal charges. One by one, ordinary Orlishwomen were now being visited at their homes by WMO agents, usually accompanied by Royal Guard officials, to¡­well, have a little ¡°talk¡±, sign forms, and be appraised if they would become good soldiers to the front given a gun, or good working women that would be going to the factories.


    In essence, Orland was turning into an authoritarian state that was regularly violating the rights of the Orlish people by forcing them into roles they didn¡¯t ask for. Even rich women, who usually dodged the draft with their money, were being visited by the WMO to ¡°encourage¡± them into buying massive amounts of war bonds to support the war effort.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you perhaps think we¡¯re going a little overboard?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°The sheer heavy-handedness that we are currently doing is¡­getting to extreme levels, I believe. Is there really no softer option for us to use?¡±


    Anne sighed.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because half of our population are pampered, useless, parasites that need to be reeducated back into reality,¡± Anne bluntly said. ¡°So many young women know nothing about what runs this world. They are detached from what keeps the cogs running. They lived in a world where decades of administration handed them everything, and I mean everything on a silver platter. We raised generations of us, yes, us women, who are unproductive, and addicted to hyperconsumption. Legions of bureaucrats, clerks, management, hell, forty percent of women twenty-one to thirty are unemployed from our recent figures¡ªliving off from the partial Universal Basic Income we created three decades ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the harsh assessment you¡¯re giving to our gender,¡± Nia pointed out.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± Anne frowned. ¡°Women today are a disgrace to Orlish society. And I don¡¯t blame them for that. We, your mothers, coddled you, spoiled you, and made your brains rot. It¡¯s a crime I¡¯m changing. Just as we failed at raising young men properly to set them up for a proper life by abandoning them, we did the reverse to young women, and this is the effect. It has to be rectified now, and quickly. For the sake of Orland, for the sake of the people, and because, I¡¯ll tell you what, once the manpower of men dries up when this war ends¡ªit¡¯ll be a grave disaster.¡±


    ¡°So your solution is¡­to force them into work?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Yes. It should be quite obvious that it¡¯s something that a parent, a mother, or a father must do to their sons or daughters. Otherwise, the child will grow into an adult that produces nothing and consumes everything. That¡¯s a danger to society. But also for the child, because once things fall apart, she will not survive.¡±


    Amelie sighed. Looking back at the protests of young women against the mobilization, it was clear that their entitlement to their privileges was going to harm her war effort. And if it harmed her war, then that meant losing to the Federalists would be a greater possibility. And if they lost to the Federalists¡ªwell, those who avoided doing their share in the war effort, that being pampered young women like her, well, the suck would be handed to them quite quickly.


    And just as I doubt I¡¯d survive in a Federalist-ruled Orland¡­I doubt many of my fellow peers would either.


    ¡°Quite frankly, it¡¯s all necessary measures,¡± Anne said. ¡°We need more weapons. More steel on the battlefield. More. More. More and more as the war consumes them. And for that, we need our industries. And our industries need more manpower. While automation has greatly helped us, we still need hands in the field. Machinists. Welders. Assemblers. Engineers. Mechanics. The list goes on. The bloated Pink Collar and White Collar sectors have to be murdered to expand the Blue Collar workforce. That¡¯s what we are doing.¡±


    ¡°Lots of dirty work¡­¡± Nia said, extremely disappointed. ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t imagine myself¡­doing all that.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Amelie admitted. ¡°Welding things seems like a scary task. Even those machines look scary. I¡¯d probably cut myself if I did that¡­¡±


    ¡°And many young women believe that,¡± Anne nodded. ¡°But that belief must go. Look, isn¡¯t it shameful that we women believe that we cannot do these things? What a joke. We can. Anyone can. In fact, with our magic, we¡¯re more capable than men at these things. Only difference? We think it¡¯s beneath us. It¡¯s a foolish notion that¡¯ll lead us to defeat. And make no mistake, I will not tolerate defeat with the CFN. I¡¯ll drag down the foolish ¡®dignity¡¯ of women by forcing them to do dirty work in our industries over letting those rabid men win and drag down our dignity on their own terms. And you two know with history how it¡¯d go if they turn the clock back three centuries to the past.¡±


    Anne sliced her cake, as she smiled.


    ¡°Thus, it is better to feed the war machine now with legions of women. If we don¡¯t want these women to be fed as livestock into whatever desires a state ruled by vengeful men wants, then we must do what must be done.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Nine: Where to Focus?

    ¡°Royal Guard troopers finally engaged CFN forces as attacks against Kusari began. The Orlish Air Force has conducted round-the-clock CAS operations throughout the frontlines, keeping CFN tank columns in check. The II ERG Corps lost approximately eighteen MBTs during operations on the Kusari border. However, these brave women have managed to inflict a reported forty-one vehicular kills against the CFN, with more than half being T-18 MBTs employed by the Confederation. So far, shelling has been intensifying in the region, as CFN forces regroup for their next expected assault. Regardless, it is expected that the II ERG Corps will fight in a manner that would ensure victory for MN forces.¡±


    - Arcane Updates


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    May 30, 2025


    Before the month was over, Amelie and the Heiss War Cabinet were now once again being briefed by William and General Albrecht about the situation on the ground. Quite frankly, as each day passed, the Mandate of Nations suffered ever-increasing losses of land, manpower, and equipment to the enemy. And the Orlish government would have to react to that, as best as they could.


    ¡°Today¡¯s main focus will be the three biggest problems we face,¡± William started, as a slide that depicted a destroyed Gallian tank was shown. ¡°Those three are of course, as expected, the Gallian, Kusari, and Hebeian fronts. These fronts, for the past month of hostilities, have been the hardest hit. The fighting has been characterized so far with rapidly moving frontlines against our favor, heavy equipment losses for both sides and a bloody price to pay for our unprepared allies.¡±


    William went to the side as the next slide was shown on the screen, with General Albrecht taking control of the presentation.


    ¡°Now, before we get into that, we¡¯ll discuss the absolute disaster that had been a pain to all of us. The Central Vaeyoxan Campaign,¡± the slides moved, showing the destroyed capitals of the three Kingdoms. ¡°So far, the subjugation and capitulation of these nations from the hands of CFN forces have¡­seriously damaged not just our reputation on the world stage, the confidence in the MN collective security pact, but also, our defense initiatives in the region.


    ¡°Here, we see that within a span of two and a half weeks, these nations folded even with heavy resistance to the CFN. The invasion force against the three Kingdoms had been primarily composed of Larissan and Pozneki units, supported by a few Lombardian mobile corps. Approximately four hundred thousand troops from the CFN crossed the Azlistani border on day one of the invasion, and they faced resistance from eight hundred thousand MN forces in the region¡­¡±


    ¡°Question,¡± Allison raised her hand. ¡°I just wanted to ask, how the hell did we lose so badly then? If we outnumbered them two to one, then how come three nations lost that quickly? I ask this because wasn¡¯t our goal to keep them from taking over quickly to buy time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda lamentable,¡± Pristina said with a frown. ¡°These old Kingdoms were just used to buy time for our strategy. That¡¯s nearly a hundred million souls in that region lost as well. All in one fell swoop¡­¡±


    ¡°Most likely because of their flat lands,¡± Walter boredly took a sip of his water bottle. ¡°Those tanks do well in such regions. Especially when those poor countries don¡¯t have much in the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± General Albrecht said, moving the presentation. The screen now showed a destroyed Azlistani tank. For Amelie, the tank certainly looked to be an older Order Pact tank design. Possibly half a century old. ¡°See, these Kingdoms generally fielded older Larissan equipment, except for Perlistan. Still, the Perlistani Kingdom only had not even a hundred fifty Orlish M44 tanks in service. For perspective, approximately two thousand CFN heavy armor invaded them. They only had around five hundred at most to resist.¡±


    ¡°And that means these Kingdoms mostly fielded infantry,¡± William added. ¡°See, while infantry is good to fill up the frontlines, they¡¯re not inside a protected moving platform. For the most part, half of their forces were also hastily recruited conscripts that were still trying to dig their defense lines by the time of war declaration.¡±


    William moved the presentation, showing how the CFN advanced on the three Kingdoms. Blue represented the MN¡¯s territory¡ªand red represented the CFN¡¯s territory. Amelie watched as the square icons that represented military units of the MN moved slowly into the fight, all while the diamond-numbered icons of the CFN military moved in rapidly on major roads, cutting through MN units and creating deep gaps in the line that rapidly developed into salients then encirclements.


    ¡°The CFN, with their temporary air supremacy, utilized the first five days as best as they could by advancing deeply in MN territory,¡± William said. ¡°Our forces, lacking proper anti-tank equipment, or proper maneuver units, failed to stop these spearhead units. One by one, the infantry divisions of these Kingdoms were encircled in their defense lines. All the while, CFN forces bypassed major cities and bombarded encircled capitals. The result was clear. Rapid surrender and capitulation.¡±


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    ¡°Would this also happen to Kusari?¡± Allison worriedly asked. ¡°Or to Hebei? Or to Gallia?¡±


    ¡°We hope it doesn¡¯t,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°But it might. As of now, the frontlines can swing anyway. We have advantages in some areas and they have theirs. We can¡¯t be sure which side will come out on top. The best we are trying is to check their advances and destroy tactical and strategic targets with long-range air-based fires. But the enemy is also using long-range ground-based fires with their superior artillery and ground-based surface-to-surface missile assets.¡±


    ¡°That and they¡¯re most likely negating our air advantage slowly with their air defense,¡± Alfred shook his head. The Minister of Energy didn¡¯t seem quite a bit amused by these developments. ¡°It¡¯s like the last war over again really. They start out quickly with their armor. We check them with the Air Force. Then, when the fancy missiles run dry, and the planes are spent, we opt into ground-based options like them while digging in fast.¡±


    Amelie felt disturbed by that.


    ¡°Was that really how it went?¡± She asked. ¡°I mean, I get the notion that running out of our more advanced weapons in our arsenal will surely freeze this conflict within months, but¡­I still find it hard to accept. Thinking that we¡¯d have to fight this conflict for years is a painful thought.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯d have to do that eventually,¡± Alfred said. ¡°Minister Wittfield here already said so. We can¡¯t get the industry back up at full speed within the span of months. We¡¯d eventually have to lower the intensity of the conflict and dig in once the missiles ran dry. Naturally, once the missiles are temporarily out, the ground forces will have to focus on other alternatives to provide heavy fire support. That means more artillery.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we know that,¡± General Albrecht replied. ¡°We know that once all the fancy ones are expended, we¡¯d have to settle for the trench plus artillery fight. But we¡¯re not there yet. And the last war meant that we still have considerable supply to expend¡ª¡±


    ¡°Supply we expended during the first year of fighting the Federalists,¡± Jan interjected. ¡°We really need a proper plan on where to focus here. We can¡¯t focus on all fronts receiving significant Orlish support. We need to win somewhere. Decisively. Or we lose. Sacrifices have to be made.¡±


    ¡°Jan, what are you suggesting?¡± Adelaide asked. ¡°We talked about it already. It¡¯s not a good idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m suggesting the Kusaris and Hebeians would have to rely on the Asanaians for now,¡± Jan declared. ¡°Gallia is where the fight is. Gallia is where we have a chance to pull off a decisive win before all the stockpiles are burned. How? We take Poznek. Then we solidify the frontlines with a decisive MN victory.¡±


    ¡°That borders on wishful thinking,¡± Walter laughed. ¡°But he¡¯s got a point. Amelie, Jacqueline, think about it. You two have to make a decision about this really. Where will Orland focus? Shall we do everything to win in West Vaeyox, or shall we do it in East Vaeyox? Or will we keep our current policy and end up losing territory on all fronts.¡±


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°If we give up supporting the East, our allies would lose a considerable amount of land,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Even if Kusari and Hebei don¡¯t collapse, they might trust us less if we divert all focus to the West Vaeyoxan campaign. That¡¯s not¡­ideal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be cruel,¡± Jacqueline answered. ¡°The OHC must do its best to protect our interests everywhere. There are billions of women in South Hebei and Kusari. I cannot in good conscience agree to lose any more major population centers in West Vaeyox to the iron grip of the CFN.¡±


    ¡°But that might cost us the war,¡± Jan countered. ¡°I¡¯m just saying this because this is reality. We have to get a decisive strategic victory or we¡¯ll be in a worse position. Besides, our hold in Gallia is one of our last actual territories in West Vaeyox. We lose Gallia, and we¡¯d only have Constania and Latia left in the southwestern region. And I doubt they¡¯d hold out long once the CFN bears down their forces on them. Then there¡¯s the fact that if we lose Gallia¡­we can¡¯t return unless we do a naval landing.¡±


    ¡°Strategically, I see the merits in his words,¡± Pristina said. ¡°General Albrecht, what can you say? What¡¯s the opinion in the OHC right now about this?¡±


    ¡°The OHC is not entertaining ideas about abandoning our allies in the East yet,¡± General Albrecht replied. ¡°Our plans have remained the same. Bleed them out at all fronts, then, once the east is stabilized and they bleed out enough in the west, we¡¯d do a massive counterattack in Gallia to destroy CFN forces.¡±


    ¡°How possible is that at the moment?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Many things have changed since you proposed that plan after all. We need a more realistic picture right now about that plan to decide whether or not we should shift more forces to support it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable about all this,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°We promised Hebei and Kusari our complete support.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on,¡± Jan frowned. ¡°We will support them. Just not now. They have millions of meat to throw at the problem. Let them hold and lose a bit. Once we win in Gallia, we¡¯ll bring the hammer to the east and take back their lands. It might not look the best, but Adelaide, you gotta spin it as a strategic move for their benefit. Because it is. Once we lose Gallia, we¡¯re more fucked. Which means they¡¯re more fucked. If we win in Gallia but they lose a bit of land as a trade, well, so what? We took Poznek. We can just move to help them next.¡±


    ¡°Nations think about their self-interest,¡± Adelaide shook her head. ¡°This would never look like something that would be in their interest.¡±


    ¡°General, tell us then,¡± Amelie turned back to General Albrecht. ¡°What should we do, realistically? Because I agree with Minister Sobieski about all of this. That we cannot lose Gallia. But I won¡¯t permit any shifting of deployments unless you tell me that it is absolutely necessary.¡±


    General Albrecht sighed.


    ¡°The OHC will send an analysis to both of your offices by tomorrow,¡± General Albrecht said to Amelie and Jacqueline. ¡°Then you two can decide. For now, let¡¯s continue with the reports.¡±


    Amelie nodded, as the General went on and on about their current strategic picture. She really hoped whatever decision she would make soon would improve it all.

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy: Good Morning, Your Majesty

    ¡°Pezan Armed Forces repels CFN invasion! After a month of heavy fighting in the mountainous border regions of the Confederation of Pez, the combined Larissan¨CPozneki¨CLombardian Armies have finally given up on breaking through Pez¡¯s stubborn defense lines after egregious military casualties. Bridges, roads, and access points to Pez have been blown up by the nation¡¯s military. Air defense systems have also fully denied the CFN air force from touching the nation¡¯s cities, outside of consistent suicide drone and missile attacks to keep pressure on the small nation. MN member states have now applauded the effectiveness of the Pezan military, and the nation¡¯s Defense Ministry has reiterated that it will not surrender ¡®even if Gallia falls¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    ¡°Today is quite possibly the worst day for the Larissan and Pozneki Air Forces after an ambitious bombing operation against Gallia. Approximately six hundred CFN air assets, in an attempt to unfreeze the rapidly floundering offensive, launched a six-hour-long assault against Gallian strategic targets. But with the Kingdom''s rapidly expanding air fleet of LF-20 Phantoms based in Lorathia responding, alongside the combined response from both the Gallian and Lorathian Air Forces, nearly half of the CFN¡¯s air assets have been shot down in a span of the offensive. Confirmed losses have climbed to a brutal three hundred fifty CFN aircraft shot down, with MN forces losing barely even forty-five, mostly older LF-12s from Gallia destroyed in their airfields. One such example is Fighter Squadron 15 based near Redcastle, composed of twenty-four LF-12s, that reportedly fired ninety-six MRAAM-100 missiles at a range of one hundred kilometers against multiple flights of Larissan ZU-34s. The squadron confirmed forty-three kills from the salvo. Once again, it is superior technology bringing triumph for the nation.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    June 2, 2025


    Amelie couldn¡¯t believe the morning reports. Overnight, while Amelie was blissfully asleep, the world tethered between an MN or CFN victory. The entire Heiss Cabinet around her was also in the same daze as Chief Air Marshall Lewis Zimmerman reported the actions of the combined MN air forces over Gallia while most of them were asleep. It was, by all accounts, something no one had expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Walter laughed with a victorious smirk. ¡°We¡¯re going to bring the hammer on them and screw them on Gallian soil. It¡¯s clear! It¡¯s damned clear. We have to act now, and do it now!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± Jacqueline held him off and narrowed her eyes to the Chief Air Marshall. ¡°Mr. Zimmerman, I believe there are more explanations coming. We can¡¯t be hasty just because of¡­of an unexpected win.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the question now is how we will use this win to leverage it into developments in the front,¡± Amelie said, crossing her arms as she leaned back on her chair. ¡°I must say¡­our reaction times¡­must be unparalleled.¡±


    ¡°We were almost caught in a complete surprise,¡± Zimmerman admitted. ¡°For the first thirty minutes of their strike, their planes penetrated deep into Gallian airspace. Strikes against logistical hubs, communication centers, command centers¡­hell, we lost nearly an entire squadron of Gallian LF-12s sitting on their hangars in an airfield near Toldoi. But, we scrambled our forces for a quick counterattack.¡±


    ¡°It was mostly Gallian SAMs that delayed the initial attack,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Stupid as their High Command may be, they certainly placed their SAM Battalions in the correct positions. It forced the enemy to avoid high air defense concentrations, or conduct preliminary SEAD operations. Many of their planes mainly carried anti-radiation missiles to strike Gallian SAM systems. So once they ran out, they had to go back to Larissan airfields to resupply.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s when we started our counterattack,¡± Zimmerman grinned. ¡°They were hoping that our forces would be too dazed and disrupted to respond. In fact, they probably underestimated the damage that their SEAD and ground attack missions would do. So when they sent in more assets to further finish the job, we sent in the big metal. Four LF-20 Phantom squadrons, in the span of one hour, scrambled from our bases in Lorathia, and massacred them in the next hours as the enemy tried to remain in control of Gallian airspace.¡±


    ¡°They stupidly funneled a lot of sorties even after the third hour,¡± Walter laughed as he read through the report files. ¡°Who the hell was leading these morons? Perhaps they¡¯re desperate?¡±


    ¡°Desperate probably,¡± Amelie smiled a bit. ¡°I mean, this is such a massive attack. They definitely wanted this to be their perfect chance to destroy Gallia and our presence on the continent. Most likely, as the hours went by and losses mounted, they sent more and more squadrons because they cannot lose any more after losing so much.¡±


    ¡°Sunk cost fallacy,¡± Jacqueline chuckled a bit. ¡°After all, it seems that their losses in the first three hours, a hundred twenty, still seemed to be something large to ignore. I can see that their high command felt a pure need to just win at that point. But they should have pulled out. A hundred losses would have stung, but not thrice after they committed.¡±


    ¡°We caught them into a trap we have not consciously created,¡± Pristina smiled. ¡°Well, well, congratulations then, Mr. Zimmerman. You and your men sure did something.¡±


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    ¡°I¡­well, I appreciate that, Ma¡¯am,¡± Zimmerman replied awkwardly. Certainly, Amelie noticed that while the relationship between the OAF leadership and the Defense Ministry was¡­icy at best, it was slowly improving due to the performance of the OAF and the rising support from MoD and Pristina¡¯s RGO. Still¡­there was a bit of awkwardness in the room¡­certainly¡­


    ¡°I share the same sentiments,¡± Amelie gracefully rescued things before it got cold. ¡°The Air Force acted well today. This is a victory that all of Orland ought to celebrate. I want those airmen who participated valorously to receive their appropriate decorations in a public event once they are rotated. Defense Minister, I expect you and the Chief Air Marshall to do this ceremony well.¡±


    ¡°I will, Your Majesty,¡± Pristina nodded. So did the Chief Air Marshall.


    ¡°We will,¡± Zimmerman said. ¡°Still, there is¡­a bit of a complication, right now, actually.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡­may or may not have used up seventy percent of our air-to-air missiles stored in Lorathia,¡± he smiled awkwardly. ¡°For context¡­we fired nearly two thousand missiles of all sizes throughout those hours. The skies of Gallia¡­definitely looked like a fireworks show hours ago.¡±


    ¡°T-that much?¡± Amelie¡¯s jaw hung low. ¡°How¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not everything hits, unfortunately,¡± the Chief Air Marshall said. ¡°The enemy did worse. They probably fired four to six thousand at us. Really, most didn¡¯t even find or hit our LF-20s. Mainly because those six hours were extremely chaotic. Missiles were flying everywhere. Friendly and hostile squadrons merged into dogfights. SAM missiles sometimes attacked friendly AAM missiles. The only ones that had fun were our LF-20 squadrons, who mostly fought in standoff distances where they were practically untouchable. One ZU-34 was even chased by a dozen MRAAM-120s because the entire salvo was fired on a squadron that already soaked up an entire barrage of the same missiles and it was the last guy flying. It was¡­¡±


    ¡°An aerial clusterfuck,¡± Walter finished. ¡°Well, who cares? The enemy¡¯s in a worse position no matter how we look at it. They fired more. Lost more. Shit, they¡¯re probably in a severe case of collective post-operational depression right now. Heads must be rolling in their leadership. They¡¯re over. We need to flip the game and bomb ¡®em back to the stone age. Get the armored brigades into Gallia now. It¡¯s time to teach Poznek why they shouldn¡¯t have been way too much of an enthusiastic puppet to their master.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a performance that we¡¯ll probably never see happen against the Federalists,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Quite frankly, we went into this war expecting the capabilities we¡¯ve seen the Federal Republic throw on us. Coordinated attacks. Comprehensive airspace denial. And the constant achievement of temporary but effective local air supremacy using their LF-20s. It seems that our prediction of us being a dominant aerial power during the ¡®Next Generation Air Fighter Program¡¯ has been true. Empress Illyenov might not be as stupid as we say. Her last attempt was the last chance for Larissan Airpower to confidently challenge Orlish Airpower. Without a proper stealth multirole aircraft, most of the CFN can actually never go toe-to-toe against us. Except for the Federal Republic.¡±


    ¡°Hence why the Queen¡¯s strategy of prioritizing defeating the Vaeyoxan CFN has merits,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°This just further proves it. The Federal Republic has the technological means to counter us. The Confederation of Larissa doesn¡¯t. They can bully the rest of the MN, but when Orland¡¯s in the picture, especially when we¡¯re in full force, this happens.¡±


    ¡°This just means the Federalists will absolutely transfer their technology to Larissa,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Expect that within a few months, the first native production runs of LF-20s will appear in Confederate factories. Most of their industrial lines may be outdated, but they have some advanced factories and a professional worker base near Velikov that can produce these things if they receive the full blueprint and a good number of advisors sent with submarines by the Federalists.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯ll still take time,¡± Walter said. ¡°And by that point, they¡¯re only going to be playing the catch-up game to us. Each month that passes is another month that Minister Wittfield¡¯s efforts of converting West Orland¡¯s industrial base into a war footing becoming true and true. This month, we produced sixty-eight LF-20s. Next month? Probably eighty. Next, and next? Heh, only the Federalists will be able to keep up. What¡¯s the eastern CFN going to do once they have to face four or six hundred LF-20s? Even if they have a hundred or two, they¡¯re over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wishful thinking,¡± Minister Wittfield said. ¡°The Federal Republic also is ramping up their industry. We can¡¯t send all of our advanced air assets to Vaeyox when we need them to fight our peer opponent here. Right, Mr. Zimmerman?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Zimmerman sighed. ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m actually going to need to rotate two of our LF-20 squadrons from Lorathia. We fear that the Federalists will attempt another air operation to disrupt us. And we need airframes and the pilots to counter that. Especially now that this happened, it¡¯s pretty much assured that the Federalists will do a follow-up attack to divert us from Gallia and soften the blow of this defeat to the rest of the CFN. And we cannot just¡­well, insist on keeping our LF-20s in Lorathia. It¡¯s not going to end up well in our frontlines in Orland if the Federalists succeed here.¡±


    ¡°That, and, we¡¯re still unsure how badly the Gallians were hit,¡± General Albrecht added. ¡°Remember, they still bombed a lot of things, even if most airfields and other things were untouched. Preliminary tallies for example showed that they lost around seventy-plus self-propelled guns, MLRS platforms, and other ground-based systems in those hours when we were all caught with our pants down. Who knows how much worse it is.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then, then we¡¯ll wait for further information. General Albrecht, Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman, and Defense Minister Dubois, you three will continue analyzing our war situation in lieu of these events to determine the best course of action. We need to see if we have the capacity to do something. Walter, I need you to calm down on hyping our victories¡ª¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Walter frowned. ¡°It¡¯s good PR. The more we show the people of the world that we can win, the more they¡¯ll contribute to the win. Heh, show them everything. Shot down Larissan planes. Burned Pozneki pilots. The whole thing.¡±


    ¡°That bloodthirst will bite us back one day,¡± Jacqueline warned.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯ll win us this war,¡± Walter said. ¡°Showing burned and dead CFN meat will surely galvanize the population. Just like how we showed dead Lieplatzan girls. Plaster it on everyone¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°In any case,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°We should really figure out now who to focus on. Countering the Federalists¡­a counteroffensive in Gallia¡­or a massive air offensive against CFN anti-air in East Vaeyox. It seems to me that with our dwindling munitions supply at the moment, we need to pick and choose. More importantly, I want to choose the right option from the three. That¡¯s all.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-One: Where to Strike Back?

    ¡°Major air battles between the Federal and Royal Orlish Air Forces above Orlish skies! After the botched attempt by the CFN to break Gallia¡¯s resolve with an overwhelming air offensive, the Federal Republic responded by deploying approximately two hundred LF-20 Phantoms in air supremacy missions on the frozen frontlines of Orland. Royalist LF-20 squadrons however responded in kind, leading to a two-day period of heavy air-to-air engagements with these planes. The tally of losses however is more matched compared to the losses sustained by the Vaeyoxan CFN nations. Minister Pristina Dubois announced today that the air battles ended in a ¡®slightly satisfactory¡¯ conclusion, with thirty-eight Federalist LF-20s shot down, compared to twenty-nine Royalist LF-20s shot down. The engagements have proven to be unsustainable for both sides though, as the the frontlines of the Orlish Civil War became just as silent when the Federalist air attacks faltered. Throughout the fight, approximately one thousand AAMs were fired by both air fleets due to constant round-the-clock air sorties, as both Eutstadt and Eirhow refused to budge even an inch of aerial control. However, outside of a few Royalist REGAL SAM batteries disabled, the two-day battle left inconclusive reports, except for the dozens of shot down advanced stealth aircraft of the Orlish military.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    June 5, 2025


    Amelie sipped her morning tea as she read out the first reports on her desk.


    As expected, the Federalists tried their best to counter the shattering MN victory over the skies of Gallia by launching their own offensive here to divert her Air Force. Painfully, she lost nearly thirty of her precious stealth fighters in the two-day quagmire, but the OHC report satisfied her.


    ¡°Aerial stalemate achieved.¡±


    Reading that part of the report made Amelie chuckle, which went unnoticed by the Prime Minister, who was present in her office as they worked on their strategy by deciding where they would really focus their counter-attack.


    ¡°Quite a pleasant news, huh?¡± Jacqueline asked as Amelie continued shaking her head and laughing at the news.


    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­I mean, they tried, I suppose,¡± Amelie looked over the report file. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what they were hoping for. Our pilots literally gained so much experience killing the Larissans and Poznekis. Then they try an air offensive on us to¡­fight our superior pilots? That and¡­they had to deal with our air defense too.¡±


    ¡°They did bomb two of our airfields,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°Losing a squadron of LF-12s still hurts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and they lost nine more stealth fighters than we did,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°I don¡¯t see their good calculus here. They functionally lost more with the cost they incurred. And all they really changed was giving our air force a confidence boost.¡±


    ¡°I mean granted, they did further deplete our missile stockpiles,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°According to the calculations of the OHC, the amount of missiles we¡¯ve fired would take about a month or two to replenish. Those long-range air-to-air missiles aren¡¯t exactly as cheap and easy to build as artillery shells. And each time we engage in major air battles¡­we literally lose so much.¡±


    ¡°But they also lose a lot of missiles,¡± Amelie countered. ¡°That means their air force, just like ours, will be temporarily operating with great limitations. Unless they want to go all in and exhaust all of their emergency stockpiles.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a possibility if they want to end this war in six months,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°The risks in that are too high though. They might use up too much and render their air force useless, leading to their rapid defeat. Or their attempt miraculously works out and we lose. I doubt they¡¯d do that though. Again, they lost so much in their last attacks. There¡¯s just no way they¡¯ll be doing this. It¡¯s not happening.¡±


    Amelie looked back down at the report document.


    ¡°Well, assuming then that it doesn¡¯t, and both sides settle for a lull in the air war, what¡¯s our best option then? Politically¡­losing Gallia is a no-go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on that side of the debate too. Losing Kusari or Hebei is strategically painful, but Gallia is our true original ally by association with the Mandate of Nations. That and¡­Hebei and Kusari are too big to fall within this year. In Gallia¡¯s case, they¡¯re now only around one hundred eighty kilometers from Toldoi, and they¡¯re massing more of their forces for the final tank rush. That¡¯s a critical situation we have to solve¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­yeah,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But¡­I really hate their Queen. Saving her arse over Empress Xue is a painful thing to do. Generally, our eastern allies feel more¡­ideologically aligned than that stuck-up arrogant old hag. Sometimes I wonder if we should just let Toldoi fall and not evacuate her.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°That¡¯s a cruel thing to say to our ally, Your Majesty,¡± Jacqueline chastised. ¡°I understand that Queen Alois is¡­quite the problematic figure, but we have to think more than that. Perhaps we should look at this not from the perspective of saving her throne, but the Gallian people. No one in that country deserves a CFN occupation. I can¡¯t imagine letting our fellow sisters there be under the punitive armies of the CFN. Especially when we gave them a bloody nose already.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the side effect is clear. Saving Gallia means saving the control of House Alois in that Kingdom. Even her hair is a painful figure to me. She¡¯s too clueless and confident. The worst possible combination. I admit that I¡¯ve been mostly clueless in my reign so far, but I¡¯ve never been confident. Imagine if I surrounded myself with yes men instead of¡­everyone right now. We¡¯d be in a true disaster.¡±


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°Though¡­you did kinda dismantle much opposition to you, Amelie. Case in point, the conservatives.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re all stupid so I can¡¯t give any care about them. They¡¯ll either fall in line with the rest of the Royalist government and help me actually end this war, or they can fall by the wayside.¡±


    ¡°Which is what happened. They already fell by the wayside. They practically have no ability to affect our decision-making anymore except for rubber stamping the bills we pass in Parliament. Not that Parliament or much of the civilian government have any say in this war. I feel like the Kingdom is truly now more of a government led by you and the Orlish High Command.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t really deny that much. So far, the OHC and its inner circle: General Victor Albrecht¡ªthe Chief of Staff of the Orlish Armed Forces, Admiral George Halberd and Minister of Naval Operations Danie Fisch, and of course, Chief Air Marshall Lewis Zimmerman, were now the ones calling the shots on how Orland would be run.


    It was an ironic grouping for a Kingdom described as matriarchal, that in its darkest days, it was a group of men who knew how to prosecute a brutal war that was going to lead it beside their Queen. Amelie of course had not much of a problem with that. To her, the OHC had proven themselves to be stubborn loyalists to her Kingdom and its people.


    Unlike her civilian government, which had, so far, mostly hampered the war effort except for the Ministry of the Economy¡ªthe OAF had fought battle after battle to stubbornly defend her subjects. It wasn¡¯t a surprise to Amelie that she found herself gravitating toward allowing the military informal control over the country¡¯s decision-making. She wanted it because they showed her absolute commitment to her planned victory.


    ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°As the Prime Minister, my job is to ensure that the civilian government of Orland remains in control,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°What I¡¯ve done so far was become a mediator between the Queen, the Parliament, the War Cabinet, and the OAF. Not even that. Realistically, the only thing I¡¯ve done is relay the plans and needs of the OAF to my peers. And to tell them to follow it, or else.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good thing,¡± Amelie said. ¡°The needs of the Armed Forces supersedes everything else until this war is won. Besides, you don¡¯t need to get too worked up about it. The OAF is under my command. They¡¯ll fall in line with my post-war designs so long as my planned reforms follow through.¡±


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case. The people can see how much power OAF boasts now. I understand it¡¯s martial law, but what everyone expected was the RGO doing the enforcing of order. No¡­the Principalities in the frontlines are right now practically under the full control of local military units loyal to General Albrecht. Nobles and local civilian officials have no more power to even advise Army officers on how evacuations would be done, for example. Sometimes a battalion of troops will just¡­march into the city, and tell a mayor to her face that she and everyone will leave in twenty-four hours without exceptions. It¡¯s brutal.¡±


    ¡°Again, nothing we can do about that. The OAF is the one fighting. They know how they¡¯ll manage the frontlines and the areas surrounding it. I¡¯d rather not let some out-of-touch moron overrule military officers trying their best to win the war. That¡¯s just that. Again, look, I have a plan for this after the war. For now, the focus is winning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Jacqueline sighed. ¡°So¡­then where are we focusing our upcoming attack on? Gallia? Hebei? Kusari? Where?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m personally leaning towards destroying CFN forces in Hebei,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°Empress Xue holds a special place in our alliance network. If I can magically give her aid I¡¯d do it in a heartbeat. But then again¡­everyone else seems to be leaning to helping the Gallians.¡±


    ¡°Again¡­they¡¯re getting near Toldoi,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°And to be fair, the fighting is reaching ridiculous proportions there. Like¡­hundreds of planes were shot down. Hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed in weeks. Everything is being burned like it¡¯s nothing. Men, civilians¡­people. We¡¯re not even counting the civilian casualties. One month, and I¡¯d bet at least eighty-thousand are dead in northeastern Gallia. No way that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    ¡°Well, a lot of people are also dying in the far-east,¡± Amelie countered. ¡°But yeah¡­I guess the intensity of the fighting in Gallia is really extreme. Then there¡¯s the problem of it being one of our last footholds in West Vaeyox. Ugh¡­maybe I should give Princess Anastasia a call and ask for her to start an offensive.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I know. She¡¯s basically in the same position as me. Both sides are too entrenched to push onward. Though, I¡¯m honestly baffled why the CFN didn¡¯t just¡­throw everything against her and crush her once and for all. Instead, they poured their resources into attacking everyone else. They really do have strange decision-making processes¡­¡±


    ¡°Attack, attack, attack is kinda their entire thing,¡± Jacqueline laughed. ¡°What¡¯d you expect? I bet the Confederates are just keeping her there so that they have more propaganda material to tell their support base that, ¡®look, until we crushed everyone else, we can¡¯t crush her!¡¯, and that¡¯s how she survives. Or not and the Imperial Army is actually doing half-decent to hold on. Who knows, really¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I guess¡­who knows¡­¡± Amelie leaned back in her chair after she took another sip of her tea. ¡°I guess we¡¯re leaning in a counter-offensive in Gallia then. How far, I¡¯m still not sure. Is it just regaining Gallian land? Do we just¡­try to destroy the invaders by encircling them? Do we also push toward Poznek?¡±


    Amelie looked up at the ceiling.


    ¡°We need to know more before we can decide, I guess¡­¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Two: The Venerable Phantom

    ¡°Orlish Fifth-Generation fighters have proven to be the apex predator of the skies! The last few weeks showed the first time that the newly introduced LF-20 Phantom¡ªa stealthy, fifth generation, multirole fighter has proven itself to be capable of leading the MN war effort by single-handedly killing over five hundred confirmed air kills whilst only losing sixty-eight airframes in total. Due to its stealthy nature and its powerful electronics, the LF-20 Phantom is achieving extreme air-to-air kill ratios, with the 4th generation planes of the CFN having a hard time countering the Orlish beast. Gallia, Lorathia, United Arkelia, and Lieplatz are now placing more orders for the LF-20 Phantom, alongside the Asanaian Empire. Porter Heavy Industries and LSystems (the joint designer and producer of the LF-20 series) are now ordered to expand their production lines for this fighter. However, the costs of it are extreme. Each airframe at the moment is estimated to cost eighty million Orlish Blancs in FY2025, which is projected to go down by half at most within a year of large-scale production. Still, the performance of this multirole stealth fighter has shown itself to be a worthy successor to the LF-16 Ghost, the previous (but retired) stealth air supremacy fighter of the Orlish Air Force, which had also performed well during the final stages of the Great War, save for its extreme costs when operated.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Eutstadt


    PHI Eutstadt Plant


    June 8, 2025


    Well Porter, the CEO of Porter Heavy Industries (PHI), now the growing premier defense contractor of Orland (due to them straight up accepting the terms laid down by the Economic Minister), was now conversing quite jubilantly with his little brother¡ªWilliam.


    Amelie watched from the background as the two men talked for a while, smiles clear on their faces. Quite frankly, the William and Well brothers were a hardworking bunch. William poured almost all of his time in service of the Queen, while Well, away from Eutstadt, was breaking his neck trying to meet the demands of the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of Defense, and of course, keeping the Rebenslof Group and the Orlish male-owned megacorporations organized and in-line with the policies and goals set forth by Minister Wittfield.


    So, Amelie thought that it would be a nice break for William to have him visit his brother today as the newly converted PHI Eutstadt Plant (previously a civilian airframe manufacturer) finally finished its full conversion into a full-on military factory that would produce LF-12s and LF-20s into the future.


    After all, a little family time was something he deserved.


    William turned around and called for Amelie, and Amelie happily obliged, walking forward as Well slightly bowed in respect. Amelie merely laughed.


    ¡°Oh come on, Mr. Porter. Aren¡¯t we beyond the need for those kinds of formalities?¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°I believe that the Queen has never been scarier,¡± Well grinned. ¡°As such, I better pay respect to Her Majesty before I get my head chopped.¡±


    ¡°Keep making fun of me, and that might become true.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking.¡±


    Amelie rolled her eyes and looked around the facility. There were already planes being constructed by the busy factory personnel, half of which, Amelie noticed, were already young women. Apparently, many volunteered in advance a year ago when it was announced that this factory would be converted into a militarized one.


    At least four thousand young women applied for skill training to support the factory¡¯s future operations, a program also spearheaded early on by Minister Wittfield. Anne certainly had foresight. Before the Women Mobilization Act, she had already focused on tapping into the volunteer spirit of young women by opening up training schools to convert them into productive skilled workers, all while spreading propaganda everywhere to tell them to join.


    All in all, the results meant that now, as more and more assembly lines opened across West Orland after a year of factory conversions¡ªthe large manpower gaps were being slowly filled in a trickle. Then, probably next year, in large sums. Then, next year, they¡¯d be in a fully operational state, filled with millions of young and middle-aged women with the skills necessary to operate the high-tech industries of Orland.


    ¡°So¡­how¡¯s the situation here, Mr. Porter?¡± Amelie innocently asked, looking around the factory. She eyed many of the airframes slowly being built up. Especially two of them. No one was working on it yet, presumably since it was recess time, but the LF-20 Phantom in front of her was truly a beauty to behold.


    She made note of its angular and utilitarian designs to ensure a lower ¡°radar cross section¡±. The iconic single-thruster design on its rear (as she was looking at the rear of the plane). She knew that most LF-20 designs were LF-20As, the ones used from land-based airfields. Then there was the rarer LF-20C, which had VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) capabilities, meaning, it could go up in the air without the use of an airfield, mostly used by the Orlish Army and Marine Corps for CAS (close air support) operations. Then, of course, there was the slightly more common Navy variant, the LF-20C. So far, only the ONS Rebenslof, Albert¡¯s ship, held four squadrons of it due to its still lower numbers.


    As such, she mentally wondered which variant these two were.


    ¡°That, Your Majesty, is an LF-20C design. It¡¯s the ones to be operated by the Navy,¡± Well said behind her. ¡°And as for the situation here, well¡­conversion is again complete. That plane there is being made in low-scale production, just so we can train the girls around here how to build one. Next week¡­we¡¯ll begin large-scale production on fourteen production lines. Two LF-20Cs will be produced by this factory, each day, most likely, within a month or two. Expect us to be producing at least sixty LF-20s per month in three months.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long time,¡± Amelie commented. ¡°How long have you guys been working on these two planes?¡±


    ¡°Those two are now on their second week of construction,¡± Well said. ¡°In two weeks¡¯ time, it¡¯ll be completed. Though, it¡¯d probably be another week of quality control before it rolls off the production line.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long time,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°It takes on average three to four weeks to produce one LF-20 from scratch, assuming all necessary parts can be sourced on time and assembled smoothly in this factory. That¡¯s why we¡¯ll have multiple production lines. It¡¯s how we make sure we will produce two per day. So long as you can assure us that the necessary parts will be coming here at all times, this factory will be a major supplier of the Orlish Navy and Air Force.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Amelie made her calculations in her mind. So far, the four major assembly sites of West Orland (all four were of course just the final place for assembly¡ªthey were supported by hundreds of smaller plants producing the parts and other things) produced four to six LF-20s per day, with the amount dependent on how much the Federalist missile attacks disrupted her supply lines.


    That meant every month going forward, she¡¯d be producing a hundred and eighty LF-20s. If Well¡¯s assumptions of two LF-20s per day produced in this site within three months, she¡¯d increase her production rate to eight LF-20s per day at most. That¡­that was, half-decent.


    I guess? This means that within the next year, I should expect three thousand airframes produced in all of West Orland. She began counting using her hand. That¡¯s¡­hmm¡­I have twenty-four squadrons of LF-20s in total, dispersed around the world. Close to four hundred planes are active at all times. Assuming I only lose two or three per day that have to be replaced, I have a chance of increasing my squadrons!


    ¡°You look quite satisfied with that,¡± William pointed out.


    Amelie turned around with a smile on her face at the two brothers.


    ¡°Well, I mean, two per day sounds bad, but I realized it¡¯s a massive increase regardless! So long as we tell Lewis not to waste too much in a single day in those¡­massive air battles¡­¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s the big problem,¡± William said. ¡°We can¡¯t control when the enemy wants to intensify their air operations. There will be spikes in losses during major operations, which will take months to replace. Remember, those twenty-nine we lost during the last spike of engagements¡­probably took two weeks to replace.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a long time considering the intensity of losses we¡¯re having,¡± Amelie looked down a bit. ¡°But still, this makes me elated. Mr. Porter, what really is our target of daily production overall in West Orland? Tell me!¡±


    ¡°Has Minister Wittfield not reported to you our targets?¡± Well replied, a bit awkwardly.


    ¡°Um¡­she doesn¡¯t exactly strike me as the ¡®promise this and that¡¯ type,¡± Amelie explained. ¡°When she reports stuff to me, it¡¯s just general projections, not specific projections. And she mostly likes to focus on what has already been achieved rather than what we imagine we want to achieve.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s not a bad idea to do that,¡± Well smiled. ¡°Then again, you want fantasy projections, no?¡±


    ¡°I wanna feel better,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve been feeling pretty pessimistic already with how the war¡¯s turning, except in the air war. Tell me how well we will do with air production within¡­hmm, eight months!¡±


    ¡°The target in eight months¡­¡± Well looked up. ¡°Well, first is this factory. Then there will be another one opened in Niedelheze that¡¯s expected to produce four planes per day. Maybe we¡¯ll reach twelve planes produced per day in the LF-20 family. Maybe¡­maybe not. Twelve to fourteen per day seems to be the overall goal by the end of the year.¡±


    ¡°William, what¡¯s our average air losses per day?¡± Amelie suddenly asked.


    ¡°Around six to nine planes per day,¡± William answered. ¡°But that includes LF-12, LF-8, and LF-4 platforms, and that doesn¡¯t mean each day we lose that much. Usually, on a day-to-day basis, we mostly lose two or three. Very much a trickle. But during major air-to-air engagements, when entire squadrons are mobilized to fight, that can rise to twenty to fifty air losses in just a day. But that usually only happens once per month, and these battles usually result in decisive damage to both sides. On the Gallian front though, we are right now losing ten to twenty planes per day due to ground attack operations, and just the high-intensity nature of the campaign. But we don¡¯t expect those numbers to remain the same once the frontlines stabilize.¡±


    So that was why they already technically lost thousands of planes since the start of the civil war. Amelie really wasn¡¯t sure what to say about the numbers of overall war losses when it would be presented to her. At the last briefing, the tallies said that her, the Royalist side, had lost around a thousand two hundred airframes since the first days of the hostilities. That and her side also lost almost two thousand five hundred modern main battle tanks and probably another four thousand APCs and IFVs.


    Those heavy losses were a result of constant fighting and attrition with the Federalists, who lost roughly the same, just a little bit less than her side. Yet, for all of those losses, the Orlish war stockpiles managed to support her war to this day, when her production capabilities were now reaching the levels needed to both replace the losses and grow her force.


    Amelie sighed.


    ¡°So I guess it¡¯s really going to take more months before we can see any significant growth in our numbers?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Because at this point, we¡¯re mostly just replacing what we¡¯ve lost, and then some.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Your Majesty,¡± Well replied. ¡°But¡­the thing is, we¡¯re now rolling off a new production line of planes. Again, these things are no LF-12s. They are LF-20s. Quite frankly, I doubt we¡¯d lose much more of these bad boys once the Larissan Confederation buckles from their constant air losses¡ª¡±


    ¡°Air losses that they¡¯re absorbing well due to how cheap their designs are,¡± William reminded. ¡°Sure, we may be shooting down four to one at the moment, but remember, Larissan designs are usually cheaper than Orlish designs¡­and that¡¯s only counting conventional aircraft. The LF-20 is more expensive. We can¡¯t ever hope to outproduce them if we¡¯re focusing on quality.¡±


    ¡°But quality is what triumphs in the skies, William!¡± Well declared. ¡°Look at what happened in Gallia. Our products performed well. They didn¡¯t stand a chance. It was a massacre. Quite frankly, I believe pouring more resources into the LF-20 is the Queen¡¯s smartest move, aside from prioritizing air defense. They can¡¯t beat us now. Not in the air.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying we¡¯re not winning, just¡­we¡¯re taking other costs here,¡± William said, looking back at Amelie. ¡°Amelie, our ground forces are now being slowly outnumbered. Don¡¯t be too jovial about the numbers that Minister Wittfield is giving. It¡¯s impressive until you realize that Eirhow¡¯s factories are producing eighteen L?we tanks per day. And that¡¯s¡­yes, projected to get worse.¡±


    ¡°Wait, where¡¯d you get those numbers?¡± Well suddenly asked, as Amelie¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to report that later to Amelie,¡± William shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the new report of the OPM from our infiltrators in Wuringen. Yes¡­they¡¯re producing that many tanks. They¡¯re also producing more tube artillery than we do. More rocket artillery, more APCs, everything ground-based. That, and a more massive cruise and ballistic missile production rate. While we have focused on aircraft production and air defense, they poured their resources into producing more offensive weapons.¡±


    ¡°So¡­we¡¯re¡­screwed?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Depends on whether they can leverage it to break our defenses,¡± William replied. ¡°But again, hard to say. The OHC definitely knew of this for a long time already, and it¡¯s probably why we have been generally reorienting our troops into anti-tank groups using disposable handheld ATGMs, but¡­yeah. Now¡¯s the first time that we have hard data about their production figures, and it¡¯s probably three or four months old already.¡±


    ¡°Then why have they not launched an attack yet?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Building up their reserves. Training new formations. Most importantly¡­searching for the best time to strike.¡± William answered. ¡°After all, time isn¡¯t on their side, no? Then they have to go all in to break the stalemate. Because if they screw up the timing and the stalemate isn¡¯t broken¡­I have doubts about their chances once their industrial expansion reaches its full limits. Because realistically, no matter what anyone says, there¡¯s only so much they can do with their landlocked territory. At some point, there will just be no more room to expand production. I believe my report will change a lot of things in our strategy.¡±


    That¡­certainly sounds ominous. Amelie thought. I need to look deeper into this¡­

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Three: Toldoi Crisis

    ¡°Internet blackout in Toldoi persists after yesterday¡¯s tense standoff between Gallian student protestors and the Gallian Royal Guard. Already, four brigades of the Gallian Army have entered Toldoi, alongside the newly arrived 19th Mechanized Brigade ¡®Enheit¡¯. It is still unknown if the current developments are a part of the wider unrest caused by Queen Clericia¡¯s general mobilization that finally involved women.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    Toldoi


    19th Mechanized Brigade ¡®Einheit¡¯


    June 12, 2025


    Major Hauke Riehl had never expected this to be their sudden job when they transited through Toldoi to reach the frontlines. Somehow, out of nowhere, his brigade became a part of a political development that could change the fate of Gallia. Somehow. And Hauke had no idea on what to do, or which side to choose in this whole debacle.


    ¡°The Queen must go!¡± Shouted the Gallian officer right in front of him. Hauke certainly agreed with the man, but he knew better than to nod to a potential rebellious act happening in front of him and implicate his Queen into a compromising position. Right now, he was still sweatily trying to contact his superiors, who had not responded yet to his queries. ¡°The Army is here. The people are here. And we have evidence that she is colluding with the enemy. She will betray us. She will betray Gallia, and Orland, and the entire alliance!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I can hear you, General,¡± Hauke awkwardly said. ¡°Just, we have to focus first on containing the public unrest. There might be unfortunate¡­fatalities after all, and we must proceed in a very cautious manner¡­¡±


    He was really just trying to buy time to get a reply from Eutstadt. Outside, he knew that his stranded brigade had now been embroiled in controlling riots, talking down Gallian Army units, or conversing with the Gallian Royal Guard. They were, for all intents and purposes, supposed to be neutral in what seemed to be a brewing three-way civil war.


    Toldoi and its citizenry, right now mostly women, had been viciously protesting to force the Queen off from mobilizing women to the frontlines. Two of Hauke¡¯s battalions were now deployed in critical government sites to de-escalate the situation, trying to hold off thousands of young women from campuses trying to break through and take over government institutions.


    Meanwhile, disloyal Army units saw an opportunity right now, and they were now acting like they represented the Gallian people (they did not, according to Hauke¡¯s assessment) and were actively forming assault teams in front of the main buildings of the Gallian government.


    And lastly, there was the trapped government of Gallia, and Queen Clericia herself. Far as Hauke knew, only the Royal Guard of Gallia and the Toldoi Police Department was holding off the protestors for them, as the Army units crept closer and closer to overthrow them. The only thing standing now was his brigade that was stretched thin, trying their best to appease each of the three factions not to do what they would clearly do soon.


    And he imagined that it was why the shooting hadn¡¯t started yet. All three factions were trying to figure out where Orland stood. Thus, Hauke and the 19th Mechanized Brigade were stuck in this truly awkward position. Caught in the crossfire, without proper preparations, without proper order.


    His radio briefly buzzed.


    ¡°Wait, sir,¡± Hauke laughed nervously in front of the Gallian officer. ¡°Would you please give me a minute or so?¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± the Gallian said. ¡°But we are getting impatient. Your men have to move away from your blocking positions now. We must act. And you must join us. Immediately.¡±


    ¡°Ehehe, I¡¯ll be sure to keep that in mind,¡± Hauke gave him a respectful nod before weaseling out of the room as best as he could. He checked his radio, and immediately, the voice of one of his captains blared out. A group of young women just incapacitated one of his platoon with magic.


    Crap¡­


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    What?


    What?


    What?!!!!


    Amelie was visibly confused as General Albrecht talked on the phone to the OHC. She had been tapping her pen anxiously on her table for a while now, while Jacqueline paced in front of her window back and forth while deep in thought. On the other side of the room, Adelaide was conversing with William and Walter, and Amelie could almost see Walter¡¯s predatory grin growing.


    What the hell is happening? I thought she had this entire thing under control?! Goddess am I screwed? Are we screwed? Is it over? Please tell me it¡¯s not!


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht broke the silence in Amelie¡¯s office, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Report from the ground. Gallian Army officers are asking Major Riehl¡¯s 19th Mechanized Brigade to join in on the plot. It seems that the worst is clear right now.¡±


    ¡°Not now, please, not now¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Walter suddenly stood up, a wide smirk on his face. ¡°While you all see a mishap, I see an opportunity. A perfect¡­perfect opportunity for all of us. See, the thing is, Gallia is a funny country. Powerful, but weak. Why? Because of the Queen and her ilk. I say, if the GAF wants to do what it wants, why not let them do it, as long as they remain on our side.¡±


    Jacqueline immediately gasped.


    ¡°Walter?! What the hell are you suggesting? Are you even hearing yourself? Helping a fellow allied nation be overthrown? Right during a war? That¡¯s disgusting and unheard of.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Jackie,¡± Walter grinned. ¡°We got the Princess out there. Just replace the old woman with a more impressionable puppet. General Albrecht, I mean, come on. I know you can see the merits of this. The GAF would be easier to work with than that old hag. If we let them have the country, we¡¯ll have a more iron grip control on how Gallia prosecutes its war effort.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°This will not go down well,¡± Adelaide warned. ¡°Other countries will see. Other countries will react. We cannot set a precedent of Orland abandoning our allies for our benefit. Queen Clericia is our ally. Not the GAF. They¡¯re just the Armed Forces commanded by the Queen we allied with.¡±


    ¡°The Gallian people want her and her conservative government gone,¡± Walter countered. ¡°I mean, Amelie, can¡¯t you see this thing? It¡¯s a homegrown movement for political change. We can just tell our allies that the Gallian people decided to back the Army to remove a Queen with unpopular policies, that¡¯ll do it easily.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand that the average Gallian woman isn¡¯t with the GAF? The GAF is clearly just using the chaos to have a power grab!¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°Walter, for the love of the Goddess, if we do this, we¡¯ll show to the Asanians, the Lorathians, the Hebeians, the Kusaris, no, everyone, that we¡¯re willing to overthrow them if they step out of the line. We might lose our allies!¡±


    ¡°And what, they¡¯ll fight the CFN alone?¡± Walter crossed his arms as his grin grew. ¡°You all have to understand that everyone¡¯s stuck with us until the CFN is dead. Why? Because the guys on the other side are screaming murder all women. Oh, they will make noise. They will whine. I say let them, so long as they don¡¯t step too far. And if they wanna leave? Hey, guess who¡¯s not getting Orland¡¯s air coverage against the incoming terror bombing.¡±


    Walter made a sarcastic laugh.


    ¡°Come on. You can all see a big win here. I know it. I can see it. I know Victor here can see it too. William, you¡¯re in this too, aren¡¯t you? Tell me. What? You can¡¯t see it?¡±


    William hesitantly shifted in his seat, as he looked at Amelie for her approval. It surprised Amelie a bit that William would refuse to even speak without asking her, but she gave him a subtle nod to let him speak.


    ¡°Um¡­I think you''re proposing a¡­big and risky play, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister,¡± William said. ¡°I think deciding what¡¯s good is above my pay grade¡ª¡±


    ¡°William, just speak. No one¡¯s eating you if you speak. Amelie¡¯s not going to cut your head. Tell us what you think,¡± Walter said.


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the closest man to Her Majesty,¡± Walter answered.


    Um¡­


    Amelie didn¡¯t speak much.


    Okay?


    ¡°Uh, for the record, I¡¯m not a big fan of Queen Clericia,¡± William started. ¡°So, I may be a bit biased here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop beating around the bush, William,¡± Walter barked.


    ¡°Okay, fine! I¡¯m on the side of the GAF. I¡¯d like nothing more than to see that dumbass get herself couped so the GAF can finally operate decently. I wanna win the war in Gallia, and I find that hard to do with that moron in charge. But still. Adelyn and Jacqueline both have their good points. This¡­this is very risky. What if Gallia falls apart?¡±


    ¡°The OAF is ready to assist the GAF to keep order in Gallia,¡± General Albrecht suddenly said from the side. And with it, the last neutral person outside of Amelie in the room had shown where his stance was, leaving Adelaide and Jacqueline outnumbered two to three at the moment. General Albrecht looked at Amelie and gave a retired sigh. ¡°If you order us to let their plot go through, we will keep order in Gallia until the situation stabilizes.¡±


    Amelie took her handkerchief and wiped the bead of sweat that appeared on her forehead. She took a very deep breath in an attempt to calm herself because she really had no idea which side to choose. Obviously, she wouldn¡¯t pick the protesters. It was Amelie who egged Queen Cecilia to mobilize everything. But at the same time, going against the GAF to protect the already vomit-inducing Queen of Gallia¡­


    I¡¯m going to look so ugly regardless of which side I¡¯ll take.


    ¡°I¡­I need risk assessments,¡± Amelie said. ¡°What¡¯s¡­the position that¡¯ll collapse our war effort? I can¡¯t¡­I want her gone too, don¡¯t get me wrong, but, I feel¡­¡±


    ¡°Scared?¡± Walter asked. ¡°No, stop being scared. We have the GAF with us. The GAF are the ones doing the fighting. They¡¯ll fight with us, with the Ivory Alliance, as long as we give them the right to be in charge of Gallia. It¡¯s a simple deal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so simple Walter,¡± Jacqueline warned. ¡°Amelie, if you do this, you will be setting a precedent that you do not want.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyes widened, understanding Jacqueline¡¯s warnings. She slowly looked back at General Albrecht and gulped. If she supported a coup against the Queen of Gallia because she was incompetent and a net drain to the war effort, what if¡­


    What if the OAF gains the same idea?


    Suddenly, that feeling of drowning fear consumed her again. She had felt secure. So secure that the Royalist OAF would be by her side no matter what. But¡­but what if¡­


    What if they really had plans to plot and overthrow her to rule themselves? She had given them so much control and power at this point that the OAF was the de facto ruler of Orland. Being ruled by women was something only on paper at this point. Real power, the power to enact violence and change policy by force, was in the hands of the OAF. And Walter, and William, and especially General Albrecht, the three men in her room pushing her for this idea¡­


    They all represented that block.


    Still¡­


    William¡­had always been loyal to her.


    Walter had only been acting for the benefit of the Kingdom. Not against it. Never had he suggested a solution that would destroy her nation. He was bloodthirsty and direct, and he always had one response to things¡ªviolence, but it wasn¡¯t something aimed at her.


    And General Albrecht¡­well, he was her General. He was the one in charge of her war. He was the one she had entrusted to lead the OAF in the fight.


    Distrusting them now will be stupid. I chose to work with them. I chose to listen to them. I chose¡­


    She took a deep breath.


    To believe them.


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Amelie spoke, looking at Jacqueline. ¡°If I say that the 19th Mechanized Brigade will stand down and let the coup go on, can you contain the situation? Can you make sure that Gallia will not collapse? Can you ensure that the consequences of this action will be minimized?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°I will do everything to ensure that the GAF cooperates fully with Orland¡¯s interests. I will ensure that whatever government is established after this will be stable, as best as we can. We¡¯re going to arrange for the Princess of Gallia to succeed her mother. But only in a limited capacity. We¡¯re also sacking the current head of the GAF with a more competent individual. He¡¯ll do the leading of a new Gallia.¡±


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Prime Minister Heiss, I want you to move quickly with Adelaide and all relevant Ministries to contain the PR and diplomatic fallout of this coup. Reassure our allies, tell them that we¡¯re trying to fix the situation, and give them a reasonable explanation. Everything. General Albrecht, please tell the 19th Mechanized Brigade to stand down and to only contain civilian unrest. Let the GAF finish their plans. However, I want you to mobilize all of the OEF to restore order immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht bowed, as Walter smirked, while William sighed, shaking her head.


    Amelie looked back, and she could only see horror in Jacqueline¡¯s eyes. Amelie frowned.


    ¡°Are you going to move, Jacqueline?¡±


    ¡°Amelie¡­¡± Jacqueline muttered. ¡°How could you?¡±


    ¡°We have to accept that this is the best course of action,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Please, just¡­do what I said. I think you can also understand clearly that the GAF matters more to our war right now than Queen Clericia keeping her throne. We have to decide with that information at hand, and it¡¯d be foolish to support a Queen who lost the support of her people and Army.¡±


    Jacqueline shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, but know¡­know that you¡¯re setting something you might regret later here, Amelie. You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Amelie coldly said. ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure that never happens. Move. Now.¡±


    Jacqueline nodded.


    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Four: Another Junta

    ¡°West Orland¡¯s last civilian automobiles have rolled off the production lines. With the Orlish War Economy now rolling into full action, almost all manufacturers in Orland have been ordered to shift production into war-related products. For the past few months, most factories of West Orland made a mad rush into converting their tooling and training their employees to produce tanks, combat aircraft, guns, bullets, shells, missiles, drones, and many more to support the war industry. Last month, most factories ended their production of civilian goods in favor of producing basic war materials. PHIs last plant producing civilian cars in Rolentz has rolled off one last vehicle today, with the assembly line finally being closed and slated for immediate conversion. All this goes to show the commitment of Her Majesty¡¯s government to the war and a reminder to the people that the luxuries of peace will not return until the horrors of war have been ended.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    19th Mechanized Brigade ¡®Einheit¡¯


    Toldoi


    Hauke, upon receiving his orders, acted swiftly.


    Contacting each of his battalion and company commanders on the ground, Hauke organized the 19th to quickly move out of their established perimeters protecting government buildings, clearing the path for the rapidly rushing GAF Army units in the city.


    As he gave his orders, he watched as a convoy of camouflaged APCs passed through one of the hastily set up checkpoints of his men on one of the road junctions leading to the Gallian Royal Assembly. He grimly knew what was about to occur, and he gave his radio another tap as he gave another set of orders¡ªordering his men to quickly disperse the protestors and cooperate with the GAF.


    On the ground, Orlish and Gallian troopers suddenly worked together in the roads and streets as the orders shifted. A few platoons of Orlish soldiers, being slowly surrounded by student protestors, fixed bayonets as one of the field Captains shouted his orders. It wasn¡¯t exactly used by the men to stab anyone, instead, it was a measure taken due to them lacking riot shields, and they began pushing back on the protestors filling the streets.


    Toldoi Policewomen, confused by the sudden shift of events, found their communications cut off as they tried to hold on against the increasing wave of protests, only to be attacked from the rear by GAF troopers deploying on the streets with military trucks and APCs. Most of them, seeing soldiers with guns ordering them to stand down, immediately surrendered, creating further chaos as Gallian soldiers arrested policewomen while holding off the protestors.


    Hauke for his part merely continued issuing orders from a hastily set up command post near a mall that overlooked one of the highways leading to the Toldoi Palace. The IFVs and APCs of the 19th rapidly built up on the roads and streets, deploying more and more Orlish troops to contain the confused civilians on the streets, making way for convoy after convoy of Gallian military vehicles rushing into government centers.


    Within thirty minutes, aside from random bursts of gunfire or the few injured Gallian or Orlish soldiers due to magical attacks, most government centers were cut off and besieged, with only a few Royal Guard units trying their best to face off Gallian machine gun units and snipers setting up on the roofs and windows in buildings adjacent to Gallian government buildings.


    By the second hour, Hauke gave his new reports to Orland. The coup was now making good progress, he reported. And it was making said progress rapidly.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    ¡°Can someone explain to me why I am seeing news footage of Gallian tanks aiming their turrets and guns at the Toldoi Palace?! What the hell is happening?¡±


    The outburst from Pristina punctuated the air of the room as the ministers of the Heiss Cabinet filed inside the situation room. The screens already showed news from all over the world as limited videos of the ongoing coup d¡¯etat reached the airwaves. The internet, the media, everything was currently aflame. So much so that Adelaide was now absent from the room as she dealt with the hundreds of phone calls from every member state of the MN asking Orland what exactly was happening.


    ¡°This¡­is an unprecedented disaster,¡± Allison shakingly said as she watched one of the news feeds, taken by Gallian civilians from their apartments, showing Gallian soldiers coming out of military trucks and setting up machine gun positions in front of a police station. ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen,¡± William said, as he shook his head. ¡°But it did. Those GAF brigades were supposed to transit to the frontlines, but they mutinied while close to Toldoi right during the worst day of protests against the Queen. Queen Clericia shut down the media and the internet last night in the greater Toldoi region, so no one noticed when the mutinying units diverted their course and entered the city unopposed.¡±


    ¡°Unopposed?¡± Pristina asked.


    William turned his head to her.


    ¡°The Royal Guard and the Toldoi Police were focused on the protests. They were metaphorically caught with their pants down. The only ones who had the ability to somewhat stop it were the transiting 19th Mechanized Brigade of the Orlish Army. They held off hostilities early in the morning, but Amelie already made her decision¡­¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°What?¡± Allison frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they stop the mutiny? Where are they? Did they leave? We can¡¯t just leave our ally¡ª¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t leave, I told our boys on the ground to let the Gallian Army do what they want to do,¡± Amelie said, trying her best to remain calm. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m letting the mutineers stage a coup. Is there any objection to that?¡±


    Silence.


    Amelie looked around as her ministers all shut their mouths. Walter for his part merely chuckled on the side, while Jacqueline just looked down at the desk. Pristina and Allison were visibly horrified, while Jan and Alfred simply looked like they couldn¡¯t even give much of a crap about what was happening.


    Suddenly, Pristina stood up from her seat. Amelie waited for her words to come, with her angry expression clearly evident. But for many seconds, there was none that came out of Pristina¡¯s mouth, except for a weak question.


    ¡°...Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? Because I¡¯ve decided that I find the GAF more valuable than Queen Clericia,¡± Amelie bluntly said. ¡°Most of the GAF had no idea what the mutineers were doing, but our observations showed that the moment the news broke out, most soldiers of Gallia were in full support of bringing down the Queen. We can¡¯t go against that.¡±


    ¡°The opinion of young men with rifles does not determine whether or not a nation¡¯s monarch will step down!¡± Pristina shouted with vitriol. ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you to see reason! I know you and Queen Clericia are not on good terms, but you can¡¯t do this to her. You can¡¯t do this. You can¡¯t just fold to the demands of armed fools. We have to take control. We have to help her restore¡ª¡±


    ¡°The OEF will be cooperating with Gallian forces in restoring order in Gallia once the dust settles,¡± Amelie said in finality. ¡°Combat operations in the front are continuing right now and will remain unabated. Once the political crisis is over and a new government is established, the GAF will continue fighting side-by-side with allied forces without much disruption. I have determined that to be the best option to continue our resistance against the CFN invasion.¡±


    Pristina¡¯s left eye twitched in frustration.


    ¡°And what if they turn to the other side? What if the GAF betrays us and joins the CFN? These are men doing male-revolutionary things. Why wouldn¡¯t they? Why wouldn¡¯t they betray us and join the other side and put our young men in Gallian lands in danger?!¡±


    ¡°When have you cared about those young men?!¡± Amelie shot back.


    ¡°Ever since I realized the wrongs of my past self! Ever since I watched young boys get dragged in front of me to die for Halia! Ever since that mine collapsed! But that doesn¡¯t mean I want this to happen. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll listen to them if they aim their guns at me. This is them aiming their guns against women. Against us! And you¡¯re letting it happen?¡±


    ¡°They are aiming their guns at Queen Clericia,¡± Amelie¡¯s face turned red as she frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare insinuate that she represents all women. She¡¯s a fossil that deserves to go. I have no sympathy for her. And I would not want me or my government to be lumped with her and her practices. She can burn to hell! We will work with the Gallian military. We will work with whoever they install in Toldoi. We will work with our allies. But not with her. Not anymore. The situation¡­has changed.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Pristina recoiled back. ¡°Amelie¡­please¡­tell me this isn¡¯t true. I can¡¯t accept this. You can¡¯t do this. You can¡¯t do this to us. We¡¯re¡­you¡¯re handing them everything. Do you know what message you are telling them?¡±


    ¡°What message?¡± Walter growled. ¡°Are you insinuating that we, men, or the OAF will do something similar to Her Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I did not say anything!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s where you¡¯re going for,¡± Walter said. ¡°Traitor. Traitor. Traitor. That¡¯s how you women keep viewing us. Well, we¡¯re not. We¡¯re fighting the same goddamned war a knee deeper than you, and you dare tell us that we might do something that vile? Amelie isn¡¯t Clericia. Nor is this government similar to the Gallian government. And we know that. The OHC. Men. We know that. That¡¯s why we¡¯re fighting as best as we can. That¡¯s why young boys are dying for you.¡±


    ¡°Stop, everyone,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I understand the fears that the Defense Minister is raising here. And I understand that these measures we have taken are drastic. But it is not a reflection of the affairs here. It is an act I took to secure our chances in the Gallian Campaign as we¡¯ve always intended. We made the risk assessment, and it¡¯s clear that the side we must choose is the coup plotters. They have the side of the Army. And we need the Gallian Army first and foremost. Not their people. Not their Queen. The GAF is what we need. We made a pragmatic decision. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Pristina closed her eyes, then, she returned to her seat, visibly defeated. The women in the room have visibly had their moods changed. Amelie could see it. They were paranoid. Ever more so now. That¡­was concerning. They might act rashly. Or worse.


    She needed to make sure that the lid was sealed, even if she personally trusted each of her ministers.


    I cannot afford naysayers and disloyal elements. Not now.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s our real plan?¡± Allison weakly asked. ¡°The¡­Gallian Army takes over? Gallia is declared a Republic, or something? What? What exactly is our policy now?¡±


    ¡°The Gallian Army decides,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°I have no plans on overruling them save for these terms. Gallia will remain a Kingdom. The Gallian throne will not be abolished, and Princess Louise Alois will ascend to the throne with very limited powers. And that elections will be held once the Gallian Campaign is finished in a victorious manner.¡±


    ¡°I approved of that plan already,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°I already gave the orders to Adelaide. The GAF has so far approved the terms, so long as three new guys would lead them going forward in a transitional military government. The heads of the Gallian Air Force, Army, and Navy will form a triumvirate government under Princess Alois.¡±


    ¡°So a Gallian Junta?¡± Pristina asked.


    ¡°In essence¡­that¡¯s what¡¯s essentially going to happen,¡± Jacqueline sighed. ¡°It¡¯s now up to the current Gallian government and Queen Clericia how long that transition is going to happen. It will happen, and¡­we will participate with the GAF in pacifying any civil unrest.¡±


    Someone suddenly barged into the room. The young woman bowed quickly before relaying her report.


    ¡°Miss Prime Minister, Your Majesty, Queen Clericia Alois called,¡± the woman said. ¡°She¡¯s on the phone line, asking for any of the two of you, and preferably, Her Majesty¡¯s presence.¡±


    Amelie gave the employee a smile.


    ¡°Tell her to wait for me,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She bowed, before leaving the room and closing the door. Immediately, Amelie frowned.


    ¡°So¡­what are you going to tell her?¡± Pristina asked.


    Amelie had one answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her to go to hell.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Five: A Little Phone Call

    ¡°Asanaian Army units join South Hebeian Imperial Forces! The Asanai Imperial government has announced sending a full intervention force to assist Empress Xue¡¯s forces in South Hebei. The talks between Asanai and Hebei in South Hebei¡¯s temporary capital of Heji have reportedly included agreements to create a unified command structure to fully integrate South Hebian and Asanian forces greatly. On the frontlines, the situation however remains dire, with South Hebiean forces retreating again from four cities in the Ginzhu Province with unknown but presumably heavy casualties.¡±


    - Midori Imperial Herald


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    Amelie looked down at the phone as she sat. In front of him were just three people¡ªJacqueline, Walter, and Pristina. Her office was now silent, as the trio in front of her awaited her to take the phone call. Amelie almost debated the possibility of just snubbing that Queen. After all, she had pissed Amelie many times already. But the look from Jacqueline and Pristina pushed her on anyway.


    I get it. Amelie thought. I still have to talk. Still, it¡¯s not like she¡¯ll be in power long anyway. I don¡¯t see the point of this.


    Amelie pulled up the phone and placed it on her ear.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the words from the other side were now bereft of that usual, stoic calmness. ¡°Oh¡­thank goddess, you picked up. It¡¯s a good thing that our friendship has been a thing for quite long. Gallia thanks Orland¡¯s help. Always. So, please. I think you know what¡¯s happening¡­¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Amelie said, eyeing Walter a bit. Unlike Jacqueline and Pristina, who had been consumed by horror, shock, and anxiety, Walter held a very neutral expression. But Amelie could see in his eyes that predatory grin he was hiding. The man was relishing the idea of overthrowing the Gallian thing. If all the others in her government saw this as a potential threat, Walter saw it as a pure opportunity.


    An opportunity to rid our alliance of cancer. I can see it in your eyes. You see her as a tumor. I do agree with that. Queen Clericia¡­you¡¯ve been nothing but a saboteur of my plans. Of my strategy. Of my war efforts. You might as well be nothing but an agent of the enemy. At least individual agents from the CFN would never sabotage an entire nation¡¯s ability to fight a war.


    Amelie tried to hold herself from saying any harsh words yet.


    But you¡­you old fossil¡­this would not have happened had you just never done what you did. The GAF could have been an effective fighting force. The GAF could have been loyal. Instead, all your actions designed to safeguard your throne¡ªit just backfired on you, you old moron.


    ¡°I do know what is happening, yes,¡± Amelie calmly said. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°There are people, armed men, surrounding my palace with machine guns. Snipers. Everything. My guards can see them prepare squads of troopers in heavy Kevlar armor. There are tanks and other armored vehicles massing in front of my nation¡¯s government. My friend, please¡­I need you to take action now. We need your help now.¡±


    There was a little speaker in front of Amelie that was connected to the phone. The trio listened closely to the words of the besieged Gallian Queen, with Pristina visibly uncomfortable at what she was hearing. Amelie supposed she should be just as uncomfortable. A fellow monarch like her¡­was being surrounded by armed men ready to fire everything they had just to overthrow a Queen¡­


    ¡°I know you have troops in my capital,¡± Clericia said, that begging part of her voice now cracking through. ¡°I know you¡¯re a cautious one, but know, know that it¡¯s best for you to act now. You must be swift, decisive, and thorough when it comes to dealing with traitors. You must help us contain this now. No more waiting. We can¡¯t lose the war.¡±


    ¡°My¡­¡± Amelie paused, not really sure what to say yet. ¡°We are¡­evaluating our position. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could¡­hold on for a little more time. I¡¯m afraid that my hands are not free at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­please don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re the Queen of Orland. You can do anything. You can send the Air Force. Or your marines. Anything. Your position is with us. I know it is. I believe it is. You just have to act on it.¡±


    ¡°...How is the situation for the civilians inside the besieged buildings?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be fine¡ª¡±


    ¡°I asked what the situation is, right now. The projections do not matter, not yet.¡±


    ¡°Are you still evaluating your course of action?¡±


    ¡°I would prefer it if we can decide without civilians being caught in the crossfire,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I want you¡­to order your people to let everyone innocent out of the buildings. Then we¡¯ll talk about our next¡­plans. Is that satisfactory?¡±


    ¡°Crossfire? Safety? Please, are you out of your mind? Do not suggest to me that there will be gunfire or bombs going off here. I refuse. And¡­and everyone in these buildings, me, my friends, my peers, my government, everyone here is innocent, and you have to make sure that all of us will be safe. All of us. Not a single one must be touched. So act. Act. Act please!¡±


    ¡°Can you please¡­stay calm,¡± Amelie asked. ¡°We are trying¡­to contact the leadership of the mutineers. It¡¯d be best if you cooperate with our attempts to defuse the situation. And this is the best I can offer yet. I¡¯ll contact them, and tell them to let the civilians out. Then we¡¯ll continue, bit by bit, until a peaceful resolution¡ª¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Tell them you will be wrathful in the consequences if they don¡¯t stand down and return to their post and obey me now! That¡¯s how you disperse them. Stop negotiating. Tell them where the red line is. I know how to deal with men. You tell them a line they shall not cross, and back it up with force. The OAF is powerful. You are powerful. You have force. Just tell them to not do it, or else. Trust me. Trust me on this. It will work.¡±


    Amelie was about to respond with a set of insults to rebuff her, but instead, she took a deep breath.


    ¡°...Can you give me a few minutes, please? If you will?¡±


    ¡°Believe me. Just believe in your elders. I know what to do. You just have to do it.¡±


    ¡°I just need a few minutes. Wait for me.¡±


    Her voice was silenced, as Amelie hung up the phone. She looked back up at the trio, as the silence was broken with a slight chuckle from Walter.


    ¡°Well, she certainly sounds like she¡¯s about to piss her panties,¡± Walter joked. ¡°It¡¯s like she thinks she¡¯s about to die. Heh, it¡¯s kinda funny.¡±


    ¡°Nothing about this is funny, Walter,¡± Jacqueline said in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of a woman having her worst day. Have empathy, please. There are tanks in front of her. I think she has a right to feel scared.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, but empathizing with some old hag who had millions of my brothers screwed during the Great War is a pretty difficult thing for me to do. That and she¡¯s genuinely one of our worst allies. The MN would benefit greatly from having her ass kicked off from her palace. It¡¯s time for a Gallia under new management. A new, stronger, and more reliable Gallia.¡±


    ¡°And you plan to do that by turning them into a Junta?¡± Pristina mocked. ¡°It¡¯s vile. This entire thing is vile. We¡¯re letting¡­armed groups¡­take over governments¡­like it¡¯s nothing. We¡¯re letting terrorists take over!¡±


    ¡°Calling the defenders of Gallia terrorists is quite the height of arrogance, I must say, Defense Minister,¡± Walter smirked. ¡°Makes me wonder if you think of our own military that way¡­Defense Minister.¡±


    ¡°If the OAF dares besiege Her Majesty in her residence, I will call all of you terrorists, even if I have to die fighting!¡±


    ¡°The OAF will never do that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°So stop bickering about made-up scenarios. Focus on this thing. What do you three recommend I do?¡±


    ¡°I recommend¡­that we immediately try to tell her to vacate and surrender,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°Get the 19th Mechanized to move in and assist her and her government in vacating the government buildings. Let the Junta in as planned. Then¡­at the very least, no bloodshed¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! No! Jacqueline, have a brain, please! We can¡¯t do that. We can¡¯t just fold this easily,¡± Pristina said. ¡°I say contact the mutineers right now and tell them we will be doing the negotiating. Make them disperse. Then¡­then we¡¯ll figure out what to do with Queen Clericia and her government in a more serene manner. Maybe it¡¯s unsalvageable to have her, but at least, we cannot just fold so weakly. We must show the GAF that we are in charge. And we must show the world that our government is fair and partial, and will not just abandon a monarch besieged to terror groups.¡±


    ¡°You two are naive,¡± Walter said, his cynicism bleeding in. ¡°The GAF will not listen to us. We¡¯ll just anger them if you tell them to stand down to ¡®do the negotiating¡¯. And Jackie, you know that madwoman is too prideful to get the heck out of her position. She¡¯ll be dragged out of that palace kicking and screaming regardless of what we do. No, Amelie¡¯s idea of letting the civilians at least evacuate is the best idea. Let them figure out the rest. We can always tell our allies that we tried our best to diffuse the situation. And we are. Show them how the 19th escorts civilians away. See? Orland the good¡ªhumanitarian concerns first.¡±


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°I can see the merits of your ideas,¡± Amelie said. It was quite surprising how even Jacqueline and Pristina folded to the idea of letting the GAF take charge. They just want¡­at the end of the day, to save Clericia from her potentially fatal situation. And Amelie certainly thought that they had a point. A bloody coup will not go down well for the MN alliance network. But making the GAF look bad by making them stand down and disperse?


    That¡¯d just increase the chances of them defecting to the CFN if they saw Orland as unreliable. And Amelie wouldn¡¯t do that to an ally that she wanted in this fight. She had to show the GAF that her support for them was ironclad and show her other allies that she would not just simply abandon them in their time of need.


    At the end of the day, every monarch of the MN is just fearing for their lives. Amelie thought. Just like me. And so, if I will abandon them to death for my benefit, I get it. I can¡¯t just do that.


    She picked up her phone again and dialed her last caller.


    ¡°...Your Majesty? Thank goddess. Have you made your decision? Do it now. They¡¯re forming up more men on the streets, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I need you to listen to me and follow my orders,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Do you understand? I don¡¯t want any bloodshed on the streets of Toldoi right now, and I will not be able to guarantee it without your cooperation. Let the civilians out, now. I¡¯ll move my troops in to try something. But I need you to be prepared to evacuate too.¡±


    ¡°Evacuate?! This is my throne. My government is here! My rule is here! I will not let my own throne be bastardized by a bunch of savages!¡±


    ¡°And you do that, those boys outside of your palace will open fire with their tanks and guns,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Even if I send an airstrike there to dissuade them, do you really think I¡¯ll be able to do that properly and willy-nilly with so many civilians in your city? They will break in, and murder you before I get in there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you tell them to stand down or else!¡±


    ¡°And do you really think that will work?¡± Amelie laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t kid me. You¡¯re not that foolish. You know these men hate you. And they will hate you more if you do not eat your pride and step out of there. Now you do what I say at least we can talk with them properly. Do you know where I¡¯m getting at? I can negotiate your safety to allow us to talk with you, not in the line of fire. Or do you want me to talk to them right now and piss them off while they have guns pointed at you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Amelie breathed in deeply again. ¡°Do what I said. Let the civilians out, and prepare for your evacuation. Order all of your guards to lower their weapons. I¡¯m contacting my troops to escort you all out of there, safely. I will do everything in my power to secure a good settlement. But I need to make sure first that no massacre will happen in the heart of Gallia. I¡¯ll be making more phone calls to those under me to figure this out. Decide now. I¡¯ll call again in ten minutes.¡±


    Amelie promptly hung up again on her and buried her head in her hands.


    ¡°You lied to her,¡± Walter pointed out. ¡°Good settlement for her means keeping her throne. We already told the GAF that we¡¯re letting them have what they want.¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to do? To tell her that we abandoned her plans to remain in power? No. She¡¯ll figure that out when she¡¯s out of the picture. That I believe¡­is the best outcome.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Six: Solving the Gallian Crisis

    ¡°Gallian military units have now entered multiple major Gallian cities as the Toldoi Crisis continues, with concerns already about these military units conducting brutal suppression tactics against anti-mobilization sentiments. The CFN has officially called the current crackdowns occurring in Gallia a ¡®sign of MNs tyranny, even to women¡¯, with a general of the Pozneki Army even making remarks for the need to liberate Gallia not just for men¡¯s sake, but ¡®for women¡¯s sake too¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    ¡°I have the documents prepared,¡± William reported as he entered the meeting room, where Pristina, Amelie, Jacqueline, and Walter remained to constantly monitor the situation as the situation went by. ¡°We can give it to them shortly.¡±


    ¡°Papers?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°What documents are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing, just fabricated proofs about Queen Clericia¡¯s traitorous activities. Sabotaging the GAF. Preventing swift mobilization. Possibly leaking GAF positions to the CFN too. We¡¯re even framing her as the one behind the protests against mobilization. All to prevent a Gallian victory. That and documents about her declining health. Senility. And thus, her contradictory actions and incompetence.¡±


    William placed the bunch of documents on the table in front of them. Amelie, Pristina, and Jacqueline looked at it with suspicion. But Walter, oh, Walter merely grinned at what was in front of him, all while William looked at the four with an empty expression.


    ¡°Well, I see that the OPM is an effective independent agency,¡± Walter laughed. ¡°Ladies, you three ought to give this guy a pat on the back. That¡¯s some quick thinking.¡±


    ¡°William¡­what the hell is this?¡± Jacqueline fumed. ¡°You know these are all lies. Who ordered you to do this?¡±


    ¡°I told him to do what he can do,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect this. William, will this work?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what the hell? Why is that the question we¡¯re asking? Queen Clericia isn¡¯t some treacherous traitor. This might get her executed or worse!¡± Pristina shouted. ¡°Can we stop?! This is just adding fuel to the fire. We¡¯re making it worse.¡±


    ¡°Or, Director William here has correctly assessed that giving the GAF even better reasons to depose the Queen of Gallia, and pin the blame of all our defeats on her, is a good idea,¡± Walter said. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much a good thing. Because we¡¯re already massing forces for the counter-offensive soon. Soon, we will be racking out victories, right exactly when the Queen who presided over the losses is sacked from her command. The new Gallian government will have more legitimacy to rule. That¡¯s a net good for us.¡±


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t even been able to force the Queen out of her residence,¡± Jacqueline countered. ¡°What if the GAF releases this? That might just make her more adamant about remaining in her post! And so what if we release this? People won¡¯t believe it. They¡¯ll just rally behind her because the GAF will look even scarier.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s old,¡± Walter said. ¡°Can¡¯t rally to the side of a woman who died in a staircase incident right after her disgraceful abdication. Depression tends to do that. Makes someone clumsier and stuff. I mean, look at the documents. She¡¯s suffering from dementia.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s William¡¯s fabricated health report!¡± Pristina said. ¡°Why would she suddenly slip while climbing a stairway?¡±


    ¡°Well, she can always fall instead from a window out of nowhere. Or choke on her food. Plenty of options that the GAF and William¡¯s OPM can arrange for her. Regardless of what we pick, we need to get her out of the Palace, replace her with her stupid daughter that we can control, give the GAF full control to gain their loyalty, and then give the lady the final lovetap so no one in Gallia can form an opposition behind her. Easy, peasy.¡±


    Walter simply sat on his chair without a hint of disgust at his words. Calmly, he fished for a few documents and laughed a bit as he scanned it.


    ¡°Are we seriously planning to not just make her abdicate but assassinate her as well?¡± Jacqueline asked incredulously. ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t seriously be suggesting this. This is going too far. She¡­deserves to at least live out her last days fine. This is cruelty.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s trying¡­to oppose us,¡± Amelie said. ¡°If she tries to organize anything that¡¯ll disrupt the war effort, we have to take the appropriate measures.¡±


    ¡°I also suggest that we send in the OPM to wreck the anti-mobilization fools in Gallia,¡± Walter said. ¡°William, I think your agents can do a lot of dirty job already, no?¡±


    ¡°We can,¡± William said. ¡°We¡­actually already assassinated a few of them earlier.¡±


    ¡°You what?!¡± Amelie asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t ordered anything yet!¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°You said I had to do what I can do to push Gallia to mobilize,¡± William said, without even flinching at Amelie¡¯s words. ¡°There were some difficult nobles that had the ear of the Queen. I had to make sure they stopped speaking to her. For the interests of our war effort.¡±


    ¡°So¡­we¡¯re killing noblewomen, left and right already¡­?¡± Pristina asked. ¡°Your Majesty, what are we even doing anymore? It¡¯s like¡­you¡¯re now just being cruel to your fellow women. William, can¡¯t you even think about the lives you''re taking? Those people. They don¡¯t deserve to be executed by¡­by some men from the shadows just because they had a different opinion.¡±


    ¡°Well, their opinions ran contrary to my Queen¡¯s interests,¡± William said. ¡°If my actions have displeased you, Amelie, I am willing to take full responsibility. You did say that I and the OPM have full independence to act as long as it helps you. I admit I use that independence fully, and while I believe it has yielded great results, I also recognize that my methods may be too bloody for you to accept.¡±


    ¡°Was it really necessary?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°William¡­what is the OPM doing?¡±


    ¡°Everything,¡± William said. ¡°We¡¯re gathering every dirt that we can find on every MN leader to better control them. We¡¯re tracking CFN intelligence operatives and assets in MN territory. We¡¯re analyzing any potential threat that may hurt Orland, whether it¡¯s a new weapon or any threatening political developments. And as stated in our objectives, we have to take every measure to prevent it preemptively. Thus, we do what we can to meet that. I¡¯m afraid that usually, those measures can be¡­quite messy to be reported to your desk.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t speak. Her paranoia of anything that might come to her was one of the reasons she gave William¡¯s OPM full independence to act on her behalf. She didn¡¯t expect that they were really doing their job messily in the shadows. ¡°Look, just tone it down, please. I don¡¯t want unnecessary bloodshed. Still¡­is¡­is all this necessary?¡±


    ¡°Walter¡¯s assessment is correct,¡± William answered. ¡°Queen Clericia of Gallia has proven herself to be a problematic figure. She has a lot of supporters, and potential supporters once the coup is finished. By the nature of Royalist politics, usually, when the monarch everyone¡¯s rallying behind is gone, the movement shatters into manageable pieces. Princess Louise on the other hand is a lovestruck fool who mostly just plays soldier with her lover, which made her deeply unpopular to the military, and viewed as a mediocre figure in the Gallian populace.


    ¡°This places us in a political situation wherein Queen Clericia, yes, an unpopular figure due to protests, will become popular due to the coup because of people sympathizing with her and the nobles naturally coming behind her. Our official replacement, Princess Louise, is a crappy figurehead. And the GAF isn¡¯t exactly a beloved institution of Gallia. Thus, we have to eliminate the only competitor to our alternative to force the people of Gallia to pick the only option we will allow them to have¡ªPrincess Louise and the GAF. That¡¯s why I planned to implicate Queen Clericia of grave crimes to the Kingdom ever since we came to the decision to remove her hours ago. We¡¯ll drag her name to the mud, so she can be disposed of easier. Removing any long-term threats to Gallian stability.¡±


    ¡°Will this help in the war effort?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Once Gallian stability is improved with these measures, the GAF will be able to better fight alongside the LEF and the OEF. The combined Gallian¨CLorathian¨COrlish force will be able to mount a better counter-offensive if they don¡¯t have to deal with behind-the-line political problems. That and, long-term, GAF control will mean that Gallia will mobilize all women. We¡¯d be able to have more meat in the frontlines and the Gallian homefront.¡±


    ¡°So it has come to this,¡± Jacqueline muttered. ¡°We¡¯re at the point where we¡¯re so cold, that all that matters is the efficiency of our war machine? We¡¯ll just¡­throw the life of countless important women away brutally, while suppressing the views and opinions of millions of civilian women, to force them to fight?¡±


    ¡°Well, we are at war,¡± Walter said. ¡°You women gotta do what you gotta do to live. I mean, I¡¯m just saying. The CFN will probably execute us for collaborating with you all if they win, yes. But, you¡­you¡¯ll be in a longer-term type of a chopping block. If anything, we¡¯re just helping you women by removing the stupid ones in your ranks so you can actually become useful in the fight of preventing you from being pressed en-masse to magical labor regiments.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to lose badly just because we didn¡¯t do all this,¡± Pristina said. ¡°We can just make her silently retire. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t start trouble. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s that stupid.¡±


    ¡°She is that stupid, actually,¡± William replied. ¡°That¡¯s why the Gallian war effort in both the First Great War, and now is¡­unacceptably below the standards for a nation under the Ivory Alliance. That¡¯s why while I¡¯m uncomfortable at removing her, removing her is still a way to remove a detrimental element to our war effort. With the current decision, the best we can do is make sure that her removal won¡¯t affect us adversely. We can do that by¡­this method.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an extreme method,¡± Pristina shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. Don¡¯t expect me to authorize this. You all¡­I won¡¯t sign anything. The rest of you can. I am against this decision. This is immoral.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to sign anything because I will sign the orders,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°You will sign an order¡­to kill the Queen of Gallia?¡±


    ¡°Defense Minister, if I have to, I will. I have signed countless orders that caused the deaths of thousands of my soldiers. Why would I not sign for the death of some Queen if it means the benefit of this nation? She¡¯s not special to me. If she¡¯s a pain in our war effort, then she¡¯ll be treated much like our enemies. To be eliminated until she isn¡¯t a threat.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a monarch¡­¡±


    ¡°And monarchs are no special people to my eyes. She¡¯s a threat? Then she¡¯ll be killed just like the countless CFN soldiers we have killed to win. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a threat¡­¡± Pristina muttered. ¡°She¡¯s just a woman trying to live right now. To subject her to this is awful. She was our ally.¡±


    ¡°Was being the keyword there.¡±


    ¡°She still thinks we are her ally. She¡¯s waiting for your call. Waiting for your verdict. Waiting¡­if she¡¯ll have a chance or not. Amelie, please. Maybe she¡¯ll acquiesce to our plans and¡­and just stay low once she abdicates.¡± Pristina begged. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be just as cruel to women just as we¡¯ve been cruel to men. We don¡¯t have to make existence bad for us just to achieve equality.¡±


    ¡°I have no plans to do that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But alright. William, tone down your planned¡­dismantling of her reputation. I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll talk her into cooperating with us. If she calms down and steps back, then maybe, maybe we won¡¯t have to do those measures you¡¯re suggesting.¡±


    William just nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it then.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Seven: You Must Step Down

    ¡°The Kingdom of Gallia must fight without the grave sabotage committed by an old, out-of-touch, senile Queen. Her actions have led to countless military disasters for Gallia, leading to great loss of life, great loss of territory, and great loss of our national pride. Under these extreme circumstances, with the invasion of our foes in the east, and the untenable internal situation threatening the collapse of the Kingdom, we in the military will now suspend the rule of the ineffective civilian government. We urge the Queen and her ministers to step down at once for the survival of this nation. We urge all citizens, women, and men, to join the fight in their own ways, both in the homefront and the frontlines. And we urge our allies to come to us in full support, as we try our utmost best to defend Gallia. Long live Gallia.¡±


    - Radio Broadcast from General Clovis Duval.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    ¡°What¡­are you¡­¡±


    ¡°I said what I said,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°You are to vacate the palace at once, and let the Army in. We did our best to negotiate with the mutineers. The entire GAF has now rallied behind them. I¡¯m afraid the best I can do now is to save your life. And the lives of those inside the besieged buildings.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this. Amelie! If they make me leave the palace, and if they make my government leave their posts, they will take over and Gallia will become a military dictatorship. You cannot allow this to happen. You will doom us all!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in negotiations with them.¡±


    ¡°You cannot negotiate with terrorists!¡±


    ¡°Are you calling your nation¡¯s military, the same ones dying for the defense of your Kingdom¡­terrorists?¡± Amelie scowled. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re not stupid. The political situation has changed. Orland will not go against the wishes of our allies on the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°I am your ally!¡±


    ¡°Was. Not anymore,¡± Amelie paused. ¡°Vacate at once. You do not want to end up dead in an assault. And I am trying my best to talk them down from doing it, but one thing I have to tell you, they¡¯ve already taken control of every city in Gallia. Only a few provinces are holding out in the south, and the GAF is marching to take over. It¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°You have¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I already did what I could do. The CFN is marching forward, and the GAF is an integral part of your Kingdom¡¯s defense, and they¡¯re fighting side-by-side with my soldiers. You are not my friend anymore. Your military is my only friend now. But¡­for the sake of our previous relationship, I am willing to help you out to evacuate from there and abdicate with some grace.¡±


    ¡°Abdication¡­¡±


    ¡°Your daughter will take the throne. You will abdicate and lay low in whatever estate you have in Gallia, and live the rest of your days under my protection. I simply took the pragmatic approach here. You and I know you¡¯ve screwed up politically, and I will not be dragged into that sinking ship. Cut your losses and vacate. It¡¯s for the best.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to end up the same way one day. You think those soldiers around you won¡¯t do the same?¡±


    ¡°If they do, then I¡¯d probably deserve it. But until then, I am doing my job as the Queen of Orland to please all of my subjects, those in my military included. You failed that, clearly. Both your subjects and your military have lost faith in you. You cannot continue blaming everyone else when you had all the power for years. Take responsibility and leave. If I¡¯m being honest, you¡¯re getting out of this luckily. So take it. Or do you want to eat a bullet instead of dying with some dignity in a peaceful estate?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re calling me old and senile. They¡¯re attacking my character. My legacy. What grace is in such a fate?!¡±


    ¡°She really sounds like she¡¯s crying,¡± Walter tried to hold off his chuckle as he watched Amelie talk on the phone. ¡°You know, I applaud our Queen¡¯s endless patience. I don¡¯t think I can talk to someone as insufferable as that calmly.¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Amelie placed down the phone momentarily. ¡°I¡¯m talking.¡±


    ¡°Apologies.¡±


    Amelie sighed, before placing the phone back to her ear.


    ¡°I know what they¡¯re doing, but if you have self-respect and know for yourself that it may not be true, then you can just ignore it. It¡¯s better than seeing you dragged bloodily out of your palace. Trust me on this. You don¡¯t want to end up like that. Shot with many holes. Bleeding. Lord knows what more they would do to you. They hate you to the guts. That¡¯s why I have my soldiers already waiting outside. I will protect you. If you even need it, I¡¯ll let you flee to Orland so long as you promise to not cause trouble. I¡¯ll do anything to keep you alive. But not any more than that. And it¡¯s up to you to choose what fate you want.¡±


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked long enough. What do you choose now? Do you want to die in a pointless last stand? Or do you want to walk away safely and cut your losses? Tell me now.¡±


    There was a brief silence on the other side. Amelie could hear the old woman¡¯s repressed sobs. It seemed that the entire day had completely shattered Clericia¡¯s demeanor. With each phone call that Amelie made with her, she could hear her desperation and grief grow and grow. Now, she was truly sobbing on the other side of the phone.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Come on, just let me get done with this you fossil. Amelie impatiently thought. This entire quagmire had distracted her and the MN enough from more pressing matters. Just step down and end everyone¡¯s agony. You can literally just end up having guns pointed at you by saying yes to my plan. Then it¡¯s over. Over. Why are you so stupid to take this long to realize that you already screwed up hard?


    ¡°...I shall vacate then. But mark my words, you¡¯re making a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­whatever makes you feel better, Clericia. Whatever makes you feel better.¡±


    Amelie placed the phone down.


    ¡°William, coordinate everyone to make sure that Queen Clericia will be stepping out peacefully. Make sure that the 19th will escort out every civilian and government head to safety. I don¡¯t want any more incidents. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on it, Amelie,¡± William nodded and turned around.


    ¡°Goddess, I need some tea¡­¡±


    +++


    ¡°We did what we could do,¡± Amelie explained to the Queen of Lorathia. ¡°Yes..it¡¯s an untenable situation. We can¡¯t let the GAF defect to the other side, so we did what we could do. I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°My government will support the GAF for now,¡± Eliette said on the other side. ¡°But we must prepare for any eventualities. This is a sour day for us all.¡±


    ¡°I know. Again, thanks for calling.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you''re fine over there. Anxiety over these things can hit like a truck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for those words, Your Majesty,¡± Amelie replied as she smiled a bit. ¡°Again, apologies that your old friend had to go. I didn¡¯t choose this decision lightly.¡±


    ¡°I know. I long knew that Clericia¡¯s been pushing things too far. Unfortunately, I have never been vocal in opposing her. It¡¯s an inevitable result. I thank you more for making sure she got out safely. That¡¯s ultimately kind of you.¡±


    Amelie wanted to awkwardly laugh at that, considering that she and William had other plans on reserve should Clericia cause trouble, but she just nodded.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Have a good evening. It¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    ¡°To you too.¡±


    Amelie soon placed her phone down and breathed out deeply. Her office was now empty save for Nia, who tended to the last few paperwork of the day. Amelie returned to the slice of cake she was eating to calm herself, considering the number of phone calls that assaulted her office from so many heads of state and government.


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the last¡­¡± Amelie complained to Nia. ¡°Nia¡­can we please switch places for once?¡±


    ¡°Me, turn into a Queen?¡± Nia laughed a bit.


    ¡°Mhm. Like, for one day! Just¡­I think you should just imitate my voice. Like a body double!¡±


    ¡°I think I can¡¯t exactly copy your slightly childish and squeaky voice¡­¡± Nia awkwardly backed a bit. ¡°Yeah, sorry. Plus, you look like you¡¯re doing well over there. Good luck, Your Majesty!¡±


    Nia gave her a thumbs-up and a grin while Amelie crossed her arms and pouted.


    This Queen business is unfair. I swear, if I retire, would it feel better?


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s just such a pain¡­¡± Amelie wanted to just lay her head down on the table as she poked her cake with her fork. ¡°I swear, one thing goes boom in another continent, and everyone runs to me like I¡¯m sort of an instant solver machine.¡±


    ¡°Now, now, that¡¯s just what being a leader is,¡± Nia said. ¡°Well, being the leader of the ¡®international community¡¯ that is. Quite frankly, I think it¡¯s nice that our good leader is just as human as the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the world would be running better if I didn¡¯t have sleeping issues,¡± Amelie countered.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re up for drug enhancement now? I heard some of the more energetic world leaders are all hooked up in stuff to keep themselves sharp 24/7.¡±


    ¡°Um, ew, I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly,¡± Nia however looked up at the ceiling, placing her hand on her chin. ¡°So maybe you should get checked more by your doctor. And you should probably start listening to her more.¡±


    ¡°You know my daily schedule. I¡¯d rather get an hour of free time to laze around and wallow in my misery than visit the doc. Besides, she just keeps telling me that I need to rest and stuff. Well, I sleep for a few hours and suddenly all of Gallia is alight while I¡¯m trying to get a shuteye. So unless I completely collapse, her advice is just unfeasible.¡±


    ¡°Quite the mindset you have, Amelie.¡±


    ¡°It is what it is¡­¡±


    Just as Amelie fully sliced a piece of her cake, however, out of nowhere, the door to her office swung open. Outside, was William, who was breathing deeply. He barged inside and closed the door, before presenting himself in front of Amelie.


    ¡°William? What happened? You look like you ran like hell to get here,¡± Amelie said. William stopped and took a deep breath before he straightened himself.


    ¡°I did. Amelie, we got a report from the 19th Mechanized,¡± William said. ¡°Clericia is now being sent to the hospital. She¡¯s suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest, just minutes after our troops evacuated her from the palace with her personal guards.¡±


    Amelie dropped her fork.


    Another damned complication?!


    ¡°W-what? William, did you do¡ª¡±


    ¡°I swear, we didn¡¯t,¡± William defended himself. ¡°We did nothing of the sort. But I did do some emergency digging. Clericia already suffered multiple heart failures over the last few years. She¡¯s old. I think the stress got through her today. She literally just collapsed out of nowhere. We did nothing. Nothing at all. Even the CO of the 19th right now is testifying to the OHC over the phone line that they were doing everything just fine until it happened.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her status?¡± Amelie stood up from her seat.


    ¡°She¡¯s now being rushed to the nearest hospital. It only happened sixteen minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­monitor her condition please, and give me updates every hour. I think I¡¯m not sleeping tonight. Not until this situation is stabilized.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± William said. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone is, really.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­that¡¯s true,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°That¡¯s true. No sleep for now. And here I was already finally trying to relax. Goddess it really just doesn¡¯t end, does it?¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Eight: Long Days Over

    ¡°Gallian Royal Government steps down after a day of siege from GAF mutineers¡ªand later coup plotters. For nearly the entire day, Toldoi was rocked when trucks, armored vehicles, and soldiers of the Gallian military assaulted the city by morning, with scenes of Gallian tanks aiming their main guns at Toldoi Palace, alongside deployments of sniper teams, machine gun teams, and other assault units against the Queen¡¯s residence. Queen Clericia Alois and the leaders of her government formally surrendered after hours of confrontation, with the Queen apparently being escorted out by her guards and Orlish soldiers present in Toldoi. The Gallian Kingdom currently has no proper leadership, but it is expected that newly appointed members of the Gallian general staff will be announcing a junta within the next few days. The Queen¡¯s condition also remains unknown.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    Toldoi


    Princess Louise Alois was a confused mess today. Out of nowhere, armed men had barged in on her residence, told her to pack up and ¡°get moving¡±, and she wasn¡¯t even allowed to contact her mother nor was she allowed to contact Marshall Henry Tuvein¡ªher fianc¨¦e, and the head of the Gallian Armed Forces.


    When she left the urban camoed van with the group of soldiers that picked her up, she found herself in downtown Toldoi. It was midnight, yet, the streets were packed. She watched in the distance as a roadblock that was seemingly hastily set up by protestors was smashed by a tank, causing the distant crowds to shout and flee.


    On their side, more trucks of her Kingdom¡¯s military stopped near her, unloading soldiers that now held not just simple rifles, but riot shields that they clearly took from the police. The soldiers all poured out from the trucks, rushing to reinforce the lines of soldiers cracking down on the protestors.


    Then there were the countless ambulances, parked armored vehicles, and whatever else. She felt her blood run cold as the soldiers pushed her forward roughly, forming a tight perimeter around her.


    ¡°Watch it!¡± She suddenly snapped at one of the soldiers as she was pushed roughly. ¡°I am the Princess of the Kingdom! Who the hell are all of you to shove me like this into whatever nonsense you¡¯re planning?¡±


    ¡°Keep moving you brat!¡± One of the men, his face covered by a balaclava, shouted at her. ¡°Unless you want your brain matter splattered on the road, then keep moving!¡±


    She wanted to fight back, but she knew better, feeling herself pushed forward. She continued walking as best as she could, as the soldiers continued surrounding her. She looked to her side. These young men weren¡¯t exactly only keeping watch of her. Instead, they were also looking at the buildings, rooftops, and what else.


    Goddess, is someone about to shoot me?


    ¡°Keep moving!¡± The soldier behind her said as he pushed her forward. Louise couldn¡¯t believe how these men were treating the Princess of Gallia. And that was what scared her greatly. All these¡­the lack of contact with her mother¡­or Henry, it was all¡­.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe here!¡± The man continued. ¡°So you better walk faster, young miss!¡±


    What the hell is happening?


    She kept looking around on the streets. The path they were taking was seemingly cordoned off by lines of soldiers. And whenever she looked in the distance, she could see the white smoke of tear gas going off, alongside the clashes between the protestors and soldiers with riot gear.


    She searched and searched for anyone different from these soldiers, who merely kept pushing her onward roughly. Anyone. Anyone who she could ask. But there was no one. It was as if she was fully surrounded by men who would snap at her any second now.


    Until she saw them.


    There were three of them. Soldiers. Their shoulder patches weren¡¯t of the Gallian flag, but of the Orlish tricolor. They were seemingly talking to themselves beside their HMLV. One of them was laughing, the other one groaned in an annoyed manner, while the last one seemed to be just staring at the moon sleepily.


    Louise didn¡¯t waste her time and tried to push away one of the soldiers to get herself out of the tight cordon. The Gallian soldiers suddenly barked and shouted at her, trying to pull her back, and Louise screamed, taking the attention of the Orlish soldiers.


    ¡°Stop pulling me!¡±


    ¡°Yo, what the hell?!¡± One of the Orlish soldiers snapped in her direction before the trio ran to her. ¡°What are they doing to her?¡±


    ¡°Help! Help! They¡¯re trying to take me away, somewhere!¡± Louise begged, before being pulled by the soldiers.


    ¡°Surround her you fools!¡± The man behind her shouted until the Orlish soldiers reached them and the soldiers around her stopped trying to drag her back into the center.


    ¡°Gentlemen!¡± The man who appeared to be the leader of the trio tried to laugh awkwardly as he approached them, his accented and slightly broken Gallian bleeding through. ¡°What seems to be the problem with her? She seems distressed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Princess Louise Alois and I don¡¯t understand why or where they are taking me! I need help! Please!¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°We are taking her away from the decoy convoy,¡± the man who was holding her answered. ¡°You three should just keep doing your job there. Young miss, can you please stop being a headache?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all dragging me to places against my will,¡± Louise snapped. ¡°How else would I respond to these, these violations of my rights!¡±


    ¡°Uhh, yeah, sir. I think you guys are making the VIP panic,¡± the Orlishman smiled at Louise. ¡°Your Highness, uhh, there may be some miscommunication happening, but these guys I think are just escorting you to the palace to be crowned. Immediately from what I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°Crowned? But my mother is still the Queen¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, not anymore, apparently,¡± Louise¡¯s eyes widened, as the soldiers behind her groaned. The Orlish soldier looked back at one of his subordinates. ¡°Hey, you two, follow them until they reach their actual convoy. Give her some piece of comfort. I¡¯ll keep watch here.¡±


    ¡°You sure with that, sarge?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The two soldiers nodded before the Orlish soldier turned back to her.


    ¡°These two guys are going to come with you,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re under the protection of Orland. Our Queen sends her regards.¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    It was already three in the morning, and Amelie was now lazily scrolling on her laptop as she awaited the next phone call.


    Her eyes were now baggy and darkened. Even the light, cutesy music she was listening to was barely keeping her awake. But Amelie held on defiantly, as she shakingly took her cup, now filled not by tea but her third serving of coffee. Her office was now dark, with the lights turned off. She also really wanted a blanket to protect her from the cold if she ever fell asleep on her desk


    But the coffee was her ally in these dark times. She held onto it, and pulled it close to her face, before she blew on it, feeling the warm air from the vapors. One sip, and she felt herself jump back awake.


    What the hell?! Too bitter!


    She almost threw up. With Nia valiantly abandoning her by promptly falling asleep on the other side of the room, Amelie was the last woman capable of serving herself coffee. And it seemed that her brewing skills were atrocious. She reached out for the milk on her table, pouring some of it into her cup in a desperate offensive to save her coffee, but suddenly, someone opened the door to her office.


    It was William.


    Amelie¡¯s eyes suddenly shined, as her voice raised jubilantly.


    ¡°William, it¡¯s you, it¡¯s really you¡­is there a bed now?¡±


    ¡°You look dead,¡± William said, walking forward while sighing. He was once again holding another ominous folder (and at this point, Amelie thought that she must be developing trauma from the endless scenes of William holding a folder and barging into her office), and Amelie¡¯s shoulders further sagged at the sight. Another report about another disaster. Amelie curled down on her seat, trying to appear small, all while shooing him. ¡°Anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°Go away, bad news. Go away. Go away. Shoo. Shoo. Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± William chuckled a bit. ¡°You know, if you wanted to, we can deal with this ourselves. But, since you said to keep you updated each hour, and you seem so adamant about holding the fort here, well, here you go.¡±


    ¡°I want sleep¡­¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°But I can¡¯t. Ugh, this is painful¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you see, the thing is, Queen Clericia¡¯s condition is now stabilized. The folks in the hospital got her heart back in order. They¡¯re still checking what to do going further, but now, the worst should be over. We¡¯ve also posted guards from the 19th in the hospital, and more Royal Guard personnel should be coming soon, alongside OPM personnel as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­that¡¯s good news¡­¡± Amelie sleepily said.


    ¡°That, and Princess Louise has safely reached the Palace. She¡¯s apparently very shaken by the events, and she¡¯d probably need your words of reassurance, but she¡¯s fine and dandy, and you can talk to her tomorrow instead.¡±


    Amelie nodded slowly, her eyes already half closed. William continued.


    ¡°The protests in Toldoi are still intense, but more and more military units are being deployed. Protesters and their ringleaders are being slowly dispersed, one by one. The Gallian military however is being heavy-handed, but we can¡¯t do anything yet about that. What we can say though is that with the measures in place should still restore public order by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°William¡­that sounds very mean of them¡­¡± Amelie mumbled.


    ¡°Yeah. Well, sure. Next, the GAF leadership has confirmed their three new leaders already. General Albrecht talked thirty minutes ago with them, and he told me that things were fine and that they were cooperating. They¡¯re already setting up the structure of the next government, and they have promised us that they will step down and hold elections once the war ends.¡±


    ¡°Now that sounds kind of them¡­¡±


    ¡°And finally, coalition forces from the north have been attempting a continuous breakthrough in our defensive lines. So far, the Gallian military is still fighting with us side-by-side, unabated. It seems like the troops at the frontlines are going to be continuing the job as best as they can, so the worst thing we expected, that this would fully disrupt the front, is becoming unlikely. Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman is also organizing more round-the-clock CAP and CAS missions even if the Air Force suffered more casualties if things get too desperate.¡±


    ¡°...I wanna go to my room¡­¡± Amelie said, now fully half asleep. ¡°...Sleep. I want to sleep, William.¡±


    She heard William sigh, as Amelie¡¯s head fully fell on the desk. Without many options, William acted, and Amelie felt William placing one of her arms over his shoulder while pulling him up.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t act like a child,¡± William told her, as he placed her arm on her shoulder. ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯ll support you till we get to your room then. Goddess, you¡¯re going to get me into trouble with this.¡±


    ¡°Sowwy¡­¡±


    Amelie opened her eyes a bit, as she tried to walk, even with her body already so heavy from both fatigue and sleepiness. The two slowly walked to the door, with her supported by William. Amelie stopped briefly.


    ¡°Oh come on, get a move on. You wanna sleep right?¡±


    ¡°...I just wanted to say, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Well, you seem mighty awake now. Care to walk on your own feet?¡±


    Amelie however just adamantly closed her eyes and tried to apply more of her weight on him to convince him that she was really sleepy.


    ¡°...Fine, whatever,¡± He chuckled. ¡°You can be really childish sometimes.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Nine: Bloodthirsty Solutions

    ¡°Princess Louise Alois ascends to the Gallian throne! Without much pomp or celebrations, the apparently confused Princess of Gallia received both the titles and crown of her mother in a rushed ceremony in Toldoi. So far, most nobles of the Gallian Kingdom have not yet confirmed nor recognized her crowning, but the current sitting emergency government headed by Prime Minister Clovis Doval, the head of the Gallian Army, has now approved of the crowning. Queen Clericia Alois however remains to be seen in public, and she has not yet confirmed that she has abdicated personally. Observers note that the GAF ¡®power grab¡¯ is clearly a rushed affair, with the coup appearing to be disorganized on the political front.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    June 15, 2025


    The situation room was darkly lit. The screens showed the maps of the ongoing conflict in Gallia. The northeastern part of the country was already heavily occupied by the Poznekis and Larissans. Down southeast, the Lombardians had already advanced close to the coastal city of Boulon, past through the mountainous defense lines of the Kingdom.


    Down south on the Asturian border, the map showed that both sides had fully settled into the national borders, with the Gallian military withdrawing even from the few forward defense lines into the mountains, practically freezing the conflict. But the red-colored territories held by the CFN weren¡¯t where the members of the Heiss Government were focusing on.


    Their eyes were looking at the yellow-colored territories that denoted areas controlled by the ongoing Royalist ¡°uprisings¡±. Where protestors and nobles seized many Gallian cities and regions. Areas which were not under the control of the Gallian Junta.


    The rest of the screens showed the scenes in the country.


    One showed soldiers clad in riot gear, holding shields as they watched thousands of young women create fires and displays of explosive magic in front of them. Other screens showed Gallian troopers straight up opening fire with their machine guns in the skies to scare off protestors. Others showed armored vehicles speeding through magically reinforced wooden barriers¡ªsmashing through them as civilians scattered, with tear gas and other crowd control weapons popping off left and right.


    Amelie tried her best to keep herself together, as she clenched her fist. This wasn¡¯t how she planned it to go. This wasn¡¯t the best result she was aiming for.


    ¡°Is there still no update from the Gallians?¡± Allison asked. ¡°This is getting out of hand. We¡¯re already seeing so many women condemning the Gallian government for this. Some are already pointing at us.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Alfred almost spat the coffee he had just sipped. ¡°The hell is our involvement in this? It¡¯s not our fault the last Queen was a massive idiot who destroyed her country. They better shut the hell up before they point at us.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are involved in it,¡± Jan said, leaning back on his chair as he watched the footage in front of them. ¡°I mean, we did decide to back the coupists. That¡¯s about the epitome of involvement to me. Not that they have much of a point either. Queen Clericia ruined her country by treating her military like shit. I think all the fingers should be pointed at her for her incompetence.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, our actions still led to this,¡± Pristina said, slightly eyeing Amelie. ¡°These consequences are something we should have taken into account. Now, we are facing it, and we have no proper response. We just assumed that the Gallian military can easily subjugate a country of tens of millions. That they can simply restore order when they have neither the popularity to rule nor the legitimacy to rule.¡±


    ¡°I doubt there¡¯s much I can input into this problem,¡± Anne sighed to herself. ¡°Maybe we should just cut our losses and try to distance ourselves from the problem. Not like we can act and do the job of their new government anyway. At least we can protect ourselves from the fingers trying to point at us. Of course, we¡¯d still have to deal with the problem of fighting in the land of an unstable ally, but¡­well¡­¡±


    ¡°If that was an easy plan we¡¯d have done that already,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°We¡¯re Orland. They¡¯re all going to be pointing at us whether we do anything or not. That¡¯s why we acted. Just¡­well, I¡¯m not sure if the choice we made was the right one.¡±


    They¡¯re all questioning my decision. Amelie thought. That¡¯s what you all think, no? Every woman in this room, they¡¯re all wondering if I made the right decision. Why wouldn¡¯t they, I caused this. I chose the Gallian military over that damned Queen¡­I just¡­I didn¡¯t expect all this to happen out of nowhere.


    She watched as the ranks of the Gallian soldiers, standing side-by-side with their riot shields, were suddenly struck by a colorful explosion that knocked many down. Amelie winced, recognizing those spells being thrown at them. It wasn¡¯t exactly lethal explosions, but the energy from those could knock down a grown man, throw heavy equipment around, and potentially cause hearing loss to those struck.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The soldiers, unable to exactly simply return fire at a crowd of young women only using nonlethal spells, backed down as their ranks disintegrated.


    But I cannot give in to their demands. If I let the Gallian military on the loose and lift the restrictions I gave them, this can escalate worse. But if I don¡¯t, their military has no experience in properly dispersing civilian protestors with anti-riot tactics. Not especially those with magic.


    That would be an even worse outcome!


    ¡°I say we let them go loose,¡± Walter suggested. ¡°I mean, accidents with the military opening fire are already happening. It¡¯s kinda a thing that¡¯s going to keep happening until the fatalities stack up. Why not back the Martial Law with teeth? Tell them anyone who continues to resist the national government will be treated as traitors collaborating with the CFN that will be shot.¡±


    Goddess¡­there it goes again. He¡¯s suggesting another set of his psychotic plans. We got into this entire mess because I mainly followed his suggestions. I get that he had a point earlier, but why is every response from Walter¡¯s mouth becoming more and more psychotic?


    ¡°Walter,¡± Amelie warned. ¡°I know I listened to you a lot but you¡¯re treading a thin line here.¡±


    ¡°Y-your Majesty,¡± Allison pointed her finger at Walter in an accusatory way. ¡°Did he just suggest that we try brutalizing innocent civilians? That¡¯s unacceptable! Utterly unacceptable! That¡¯s psychotic and disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Yeah? It¡¯s psychotic and disgusting now, eh?¡± Walter asked. ¡°But we have the same set of laws here. Anyone close to the frontlines suspected of harboring sympathies with the Federalists is to be arrested, and if they ever attempt to fight back in any way¡ªlethal force is applicable to capture or eliminate them as a threat to Her Majesty¡¯s Government. Isn¡¯t that how Martial Law is supposed to work? Then why the hell is Amelie allowing the Gallian military to enact it but remove its teeth? Maybe that¡¯s why it isn¡¯t working.¡±


    ¡°Walter, you have to understand that we already have hundreds of thousands of young women from many major Gallian cities protesting right now against the new government,¡± Amelie tried to hold her anger. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to explain to you what kind of a bloodbath will ensue if I let them do whatever they want. No. We¡¯ll find another way.¡±


    ¡°We chose this way already,¡± Walter said. ¡°We have to go all in or it might fail.¡±


    ¡°What are you even trying to do?¡± Jacqueline narrowed her eyes as she looked at Walter. ¡°At this point, you¡¯re just being needlessly cruel for what? Improving the odds of our plan? God. You even wanted the Queen assassinated just to remove her from the equation. Now you want to have the protestors, civilians, shot, just to remove them from the equation by force?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really expect much else from him,¡± Pristina crossed her arms as she glared at Walter. ¡°At this point, I¡¯m not surprised that the highest-ranking man in the Kingdom knows nothing but violence as his response to every problem we face. And all the other men in this room seem to be with him. I¡¯m quite frankly disappointed.¡±


    ¡°What, you expect us to respond softly to aggression?¡± Walter asked. ¡°That¡¯s not what works. Not in our experience. The only thing that works against aggression is aggression. These protests are being aggressive to Gallian uniformed personnel, disrupting the ongoing war to defend their country. I believe that the only way for them to be convinced to stand back is by a show of force. They think that just because they¡¯re women the military would never open fire with them. Give them a few accidents. See how fast they disperse from the streets.¡±


    ¡°And if the roles were reversed?!¡± Allison asked with outrage.


    ¡°The reverse has always been true,¡± Jan said. ¡°We¡¯re never going to forget how you all cracked down on the early male rights movement when it was still peaceful four decades ago.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, at least this time around we have a good justification to be violent,¡± Alfred laughed. ¡°Unlike beating down protestors asking for rights, we¡¯re beating down over-pampered dipshits who don¡¯t wanna do their part in the war while sabotaging it. I¡¯ll even call them traitors.¡±


    ¡°You three are now just pushing it,¡± Jacqueline snarled. ¡°What the hell has gotten into all of you? Don¡¯t give the Queen these damned ideas. Walter, for the love of the goddess, please snap out of it! I hate hearing you suggest these bloodthirsty ideas. You were never like this!¡±


    ¡°Who told you that? I¡¯ve always been an advocate for bloody ideas, granted that they are done in a reasonable manner. That¡¯s what we¡¯re doing here. We¡¯re going to be cracking on the bastards quick and easily by removing the leash we placed on the Gallian military. Why? Because we¡¯re in a goddamned war.¡±


    ¡°Alright, enough!¡± Amelie punched down her fists on the table, gaining the attention of her ministers. ¡°Walter, Jan, Alfred, you three have to cool down and suggest a more reasonable solution. I will not allow the Gallian Junta to have a bloody reputation right in the middle of the war. And I am not allowing Gallian women¡¯s blood to spill on their Kingdom¡¯s streets just to get what I want.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Adelaide can salvage it,¡± Walter tried.


    ¡°No. No one can salvage it if they actually act brutally,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°Absolutely not. I¡¯m not allowing it. I know neither would Jacqueline, so that¡¯s the two leaders of the Kingdom already voting no. No. It¡¯s not happening. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not ever.¡±


    ¡°Well, we were just suggesting our solutions,¡± Walter shrugged. ¡°I would like to see you ladies come up with a solution if you¡¯re all so better. Up to you. You¡¯re the Queen,¡± he then looked at Jacqueline. ¡°And you¡¯re the Prime Minister. That¡¯s why you two are in charge.¡±


    ¡°Have respect and don¡¯t be sarcastic to the Queen,¡± Pristina warned. ¡°You really are pushing it.¡±


    ¡°Well, sorry, not sorry, but I was just saying my part,¡± Walter smiled mockingly. ¡°You were all just watching the footage go down like you¡¯re all seeing a horror movie, so I just stepped up to the rescue. Again, up to all of you to accept our solution or not. Our only interest here is protecting OAF soldiers. We can only do that by ending these protests. That¡¯s what my solution intends to do.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t like the side effects of your remedy,¡± Amelie shot him down. ¡°Look, I respect you, but this is not one of your advice that I won¡¯t be accepting. Nope. Never. That¡¯s final.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Walter sighed. ¡°I guess my plan is just too bloodthirsty for your liking then.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty: To Restore Order

    ¡°The Coalition of Free Nations accuses the new government of the Gallian Kingdom of human rights violations against women! ¡®These women are demanding for peace and instead are being rewarded with tear gas and batons,¡¯ said the Federal Republic¡¯s Foreign Affairs Minister. ¡®It¡¯s appalling,¡¯ he reiterated during a press conference this morning. ¡®Truly appalling. My heart goes to the countless poor Gallian women being dragged into this Junta¡¯s brutality, guided by our vile Queen in Eutstadt who refuses to abdicate¡¯. These words however fall into deep ears, as the Gallian Junta continues to brutalize and crack down on the anti-mobilization protests. While these women are no saints, for many are protesting the removal of the vile Queen Clericia of Gallia, we must remember that they at least fight against the idea of prolonging the fight against liberation indirectly.¡±


    - The Front


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    ¡°I reiterate,¡± Amelie said as the cameras flashed. ¡°That Orland stands with the new Gallian government. The internal affairs of Gallia aren¡¯t Orland¡¯s domain of responsibility, as such I refuse to take sides in their struggles, as it is Gallia¡¯s right to decide who shall rule. But Orland, as a whole, will side with whichever government is residing in Toldoi, and will defend them as stated in our alliance with them.¡±


    Amelie looked away from the teleprompter.


    ¡°Whether it is Queen Clericia, or Queen Louise on their throne. Whether it¡¯s the old government or the new government ruling them. Gallia is Gallia, and Orland is with Gallia.¡±


    Amelie stepped back and left the podium with a dignified walk. Making her backstage, she immediately sighed as William handed her a bottle of water, which she promptly took.


    ¡°You did well,¡± William said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°I hope this works.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± William watched as Amelie drank from the bottle after she opened its cap. ¡°I think you¡¯re overestimating the chances of them dissolving just because they¡¯re counting on Orland¡¯s aid.¡±


    Amelie closed the half-full bottle and handed it to William.


    ¡°And I think you¡¯re underestimating it,¡± Amelie smiled confidently. ¡°I know they¡¯re resisting the change because they think I¡¯ll be on their side. Because they think the world will be on their side. Well, with me falling out of the list, the rest of the MN would follow, as Adelaide said.¡±


    Suddenly, an aide appeared behind Amelie. She bowed briefly.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Foreign Ministry has just notified us that Princess Kawasaki made a public statement to support the new Gallian government.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Amelie said, as the aide nodded and stepped away. Amelie looked back at William. ¡°See? It¡¯s working. I speak now, then my friends follow suit. It¡¯s a simple arrangement. After this, those protestors would have no more international backing. They¡¯ll become demoralized, and in the face of the Gallian military, they¡¯ll disband.¡±


    Amelie walked forward, while William followed. The two made their way to a more secluded area before they continued their discussion.


    ¡°It¡¯s how we can dismantle them,¡± Amelie continued. ¡°Give them pressure. Just enough pressure to force them into submission by making the situation hopeless for them, but not too much that you and Walter were suggesting¡­that¡­that it might embolden them.¡±


    William laughed a bit.


    ¡°You¡¯re becoming quite the vicious woman, huh?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Amelie placed her hands behind her and turned around to William. ¡°I have to be. To win in this war, I have to learn to be¡­a bit more playful, with how I approach things.¡±


    William crossed his arms.


    ¡°You know, we prefer to be blunt and straightforward,¡± William said. ¡°But I guess our mentality isn¡¯t really one for subtlety.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­and why is that?¡±


    ¡°Simple,¡± William smirked. ¡°Our philosophy is based on warfare. Shock-and-awe. One of the core doctrines of the military. Superior firepower, concentrated in their weakest point, delivered rapidly and effectively¡ªthat¡¯s how you dismantle your enemies. You destroy them utterly, with speed, and shock.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you, Walter, and the OHC advocate for the Gallian military to give the Gallian military the freedom to just¡­deploy violence at scale?¡±


    ¡°The strength of gunfire is how you convince the enemy,¡± William said. ¡°But I guess you prefer that alternative of yours. I can understand. In fact, I think we¡¯re going to enthusiastically follow you with that.¡±


    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± Amelie looked down a bit, quite confused at how men in her government were acting. ¡°I noticed you guys backed down quickly when I shot your ideas down.¡±


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    ¡°Well, truthfully, as much as we¡¯d like to feel superiority with being proven right, I think I¡¯m way too clueless at dealing with this, and I imagine Walter and General Albrecht, or Jan, or Alfred is much the same. Normally, when someone protests, you don¡¯t¡­let them¡­¡±


    ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°In our experience¡­¡± William breathed in deeply, his voice turning slightly grim. ¡°You disperse them with full force. Crush them with the power of the state. Then you¡¯ll raid their bases. Close down the venues where they organize. Eliminate the leaders and the thinkers. And scatter the followers. Then¡­then you burn their ideas to the ground. Demonize it until it¡¯s pushed to the fringes. Where it¡¯ll either be only picked up by lunatics or become forgotten.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s how we dealt with you, no?¡±


    ¡°More or less,¡± William said. ¡°I saw it myself back then. When¡­when I was just a teen. Heh, the police were really thorough with those older guys. I still remember how some of them would test out their spells on them to give us a good lesson¡­¡±


    ¡°Back when the Orlish economy collapsed, the NRF and ORP both rioted heavily,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I remember holding back the Royal Guard and the Police during those days. I didn¡¯t know it would go that bad had I not intervened¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean regardless of what you did, the fatalities were going to happen,¡± William said. ¡°You know, funnily enough, I¡¯m actually quite surprised with how low the fatalities are between the Gallian military and the protestors. Normally, at this point, the cities would be burning, and there would be dozens of fatalities on the government¡¯s side and thousands in the protestors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it goes when men riot, no?¡±


    William laughed.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to send a message to the government, you gotta do it while preparing for death,¡± William said. ¡°That¡¯s why the Civil Defense Unit existed. When we do it, we expect violence from the get-go. We expect bullets and spells to fly. We expect to be gassed. Hence the way the ORP and NRF organized back then. They went in with gas masks, steel shields, and guns from the onset.¡±


    ¡°The women protesting in Gallia only use their wands and basic magic,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I haven¡¯t even seen them deploy much of the more lethal spells. I imagine if they wanted, they could collaborate by sucking out the air from the lungs of the military personnel. That should finish things quite quickly.¡±


    ¡°You can do that? I remember back then that the Royal Guard would do it from time to time,¡± William said, a bit curious. ¡°They say it¡¯s a sucky way to go.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want it,¡± Amelie said, laughing a bit. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more on the illegal side as far as magic goes. If I pull the air out of your lungs mentally, it causes quite a gruesome death. Wind-based magic is kinda like that. You can slice people from a distance. Or suck the air out of them. I was even looking into spells that forced air inside of a person¡¯s lungs. I think that one¡¯s just kinda sadistic though.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah, I¡¯d rather not,¡± William laughed awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing you women don¡¯t train much on combat magic anymore.¡±


    ¡°Not really from our side with the way things are,¡± Amelie chuckled a bit. ¡°I imagine many are regretting their decision to forgo the more disgusting side of our magic.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± William shrugged a bit. ¡°But that¡¯s why we proposed a more violent response. Amelie, these protestors seem a bit unprepared for the military responding in a violent fashion. We hope that if we remove the leash, they''ll crack at once. Rapidly. They won¡¯t know what gets them. I mean, sure, the military is deploying some measures of brutality from time to time, but it¡¯s responsive.¡±


    ¡°You want to be proactive.¡±


    ¡°And organized. And rapid. And overwhelming,¡± William¡¯s eyes almost turned psychotic for a second. ¡°That is how we think we¡¯ll be able to restore order in Gallia. That is how we¡¯ll be able to disperse them. We give them everything that the Gallian military can offer. And they¡¯ll be shocked into submission.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think you know why I don¡¯t want that though,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I just cannot accept that solution. Not while I¡¯m in charge. In fact, I don¡¯t want people to ever go through that again. If I held the Royal Guard and the police back when you men were all on the streets threatening to slice my head and put it on a stick, what more now?¡±


    William gave a tired laugh.


    ¡°I know,¡± William said. ¡°Better that you¡¯re in charge, really. If it was Walter, I¡¯d have followed him already.¡±


    ¡°That kinda makes me a bit scared,¡± Amelie smiled nervously before she frowned softly. ¡°Come on, William, aren¡¯t you a bit schooled into my ways at this point?¡±


    ¡°Your ways?¡±


    ¡°The ways of gentleness, William!¡± Amelie poked him a bit. ¡°You should have at least picked up on that. And here I thought you were one of my closest followers.¡±


    ¡°Apologies,¡± William laughed a bit. ¡°But Amelieism has been kinda hawkish lately, so I get a bit confused.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a temporary measure! And don¡¯t call it that way. That¡¯s an ugly name!¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± William backed a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can fully follow you on everything, even if I want to believe you.¡±


    Amelie stopped her playful scolding.


    ¡°I¡­guess that¡¯s normal, though. My ideals aren¡¯t yours.¡±


    ¡°I share some of it,¡± William said. ¡°But I think differently. And I¡¯ll stick by what I suggested. If your plan fails, and this escalates until it becomes dangerous enough to disrupt the war effort, then you¡¯d be at fault. I won¡¯t tell you that you should have followed us, but still.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Amelie said, looking to the side. ¡°We¡¯ll just see how it goes. If they disperse within a few days, or in a week, perhaps it¡¯d have work. I hope they do disperse. I don¡¯t think your plan would be acceptable to implement.¡±


    ¡°The problem with that is that you can¡¯t fully control the Gallian Junta,¡± William pointed out. ¡°They¡¯re cooperating right now, but only so far as they believe the reassurances you and Adelaide are giving them. Eventually, they¡¯ll be frustrated that the protests are intensifying that they¡¯ll be forced to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Amelie rested her back on the wall, as she sighed. ¡°I know that. It¡¯s what I¡¯m really worried about. If you think my plan will fail, well, that¡¯s not my main worry. I worry that the Gallian military will stop believing me. I told them to give us a week while continuing the current state of their response. We¡¯ll be doing our best to politically and diplomatically isolate the Gallian Royalists from any form of international support. But, they''re kinda twitchy¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± William said. ¡°They are. They¡¯re a government only supported by the military. They¡¯re no government of the people. That¡¯ll compel them to become more heavy-handed if you fail in this scheme. Because that¡¯s the only resource they have to maintain control. Just like all male-led revolutionary republics of the CFN. Violence.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty-One: Just Back Down

    ¡°MN local counterattacks caused heavy CFN casualties in Gallia even with the ongoing regime change. VACCOM forces in Gallia conducted a local offensive to stabilize MN defenses in the so-called ¡®2nd Defense Line¡¯ by sending eight brigades into a sudden push to the small city of Brecille that was used by CRN forces as a supply hub. Participating in the offensive were two Orlish mechanized brigades, five Gallian motorized infantry brigades, and two Lorathian armored brigades¡ªwith the 4th and 6th Armored Brigades of the I LEF Corps serving as the main spearhead. The operation lasted for three days, leading to the capture of Brecille, and the operational destruction of these CFN formations: the 52nd Motor Rifle Division, the 28th Guards Tank Division, the 15th Separate Anti-Air Regiment, and the 44th Separate Airborne Brigade. Visually confirmed losses of significant equipment around the area showed nearly two hundred twenty vehicular losses from the CFN, in comparison to only forty-seven losses, mostly M8 IFVs, on the MN side.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    Toldoi


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Princess Louise Alois, now titled Queen Louise Alois, could only watch from the glass window how her mother, the former Queen, was faring. Hooked up on so many machines in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), her mother seemed to be barely clinging to life, and she had not many things that she could do to change that.


    Stress, fatigue, defeat¡­Louise didn¡¯t know why her frail and aged mother collapsed and gave in.


    She clenched her fist after she wiped the tears that formed on her eyelids. I need to remain strong. She told herself. I need to carry onward. Damn it. Yet even with all that, the Queen of Gallia continued bawling as she watched her mother¡¯s sickly form. Did they do this to her? What if it wasn¡¯t natural? What if someone at the top ordered this?


    Both anger and fear boiled inside her heart. Why would they do this? She asked. Why? Why? Why?


    ¡°Hey,¡± someone called from behind her. The teary-eyed Queen turned around, and her eyes met a woman in a brown coat. Behind her too were two women in plain clothing, seemingly looking around to secure the place. She had red eyes, silver hair, and a young face that seemed to smile a bit at seeing her. ¡°You¡¯re the Queen, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Who are you,¡± Louise asked defensively. ¡°No one¡­no one¡¯s supposed to know I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± the woman laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re Orlish, aren¡¯t you,¡± Louise asked, as her suspicion grew. ¡°Did¡­did she send you here?¡±


    ¡°Her Majesty¡¯s quite the soft woman,¡± she replied with a grin. ¡°So she wanted me to keep a closer eye on you. After all, you look quite down, and¡­well, very vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll defend my mother,¡± Louise hissed, trying to keep her voice silent enough so that the medical personnel wouldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°I will keep watching her. Until she comes back. I won¡¯t even fall asleep. I don¡¯t care if you goons outnumber me. I¡¯ll die gloriously in her defense if I must.¡±


    ¡°Quite motivated. Amelie would like this,¡± she then flashed Louise an ID card. ¡°I¡¯m the head of the Royal Investigations Unit. I¡¯m Director Marie Wittfield, at your service, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You just¡­¡± Louise¡¯s eyes widened, as tears appeared in her eyes again. ¡°The Queen of Orland sent you here? Did she? She did, right? I met her back then. When¡­when we were planning how we would defend my country. She was nice. She sent you here to protect us, right? You¡¯re on our side.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, just one disaster and you look up to her as your salvation that quickly,¡± Marie chuckled. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re here to protect you, and¡­well, again, I have a lot of questions. We¡¯re here to investigate the circumstances of your mother¡¯s medical condition. After all, no stones must be left unturned when I¡¯m in charge.¡±


    +++


    ¡°General!¡± An aide ran straight into the office of the new Prime Minister of Gallia. General Clovis Doval¡ªnow styled as Prime Minister Clovis Doval, frowned as the two other high-ranking members of his new Junta also turned into the direction of the aide, namely the Army Air General turned Minister of Defense, Remi Leblanc, and Admiral Enzo Courbis, now the Minister of the Interior. ¡°The Marshall, alongside the 8th Armored Brigade, is driving to Toldoi. He demands an immediate explanation for the treatment of his Queen and Princess!¡±


    ¡°Bah,¡± Remi scoffed. ¡°Mobilize three brigades from the frontlines to block him and arrest him. That arrogant fool thinks he¡¯s still in charge of the Armed Forces. Send him a prompt lesson.¡±


    Clovis crossed his arms and sat on his table, as the aide stood in attention.


    ¡°That man is supposed to be the future King,¡± Clovis said. ¡°We treat him wrong, we might be in pain. The Queen is very much in love with that man. And he still is the Marshall of the Armed Forces.¡±


    ¡°Dismiss him then,¡± Enzo suggested with a hard frown. ¡°That youngster was never meant to be in charge of our great military anyway. He¡¯s just there because he¡¯s the damned son of Duchess Tuvein, and has the favor of the Royal Family. He¡¯s a traitor who collaborated with women. Knock him down a notch.¡±


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    ¡°I suggest we let him be in charge of the 8th directly,¡± Remi grinned deviously. ¡°He loves that unit anyway. Gave them every best toy he could get. Well, we can assign him and his unit the spearhead of our planned offensives against the Coalition. Make him prove his loyalty to our rule.¡±


    Clovis weighed those ideas. He decided that he very much liked the idea. Yet there were still a few complications.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing this because he collaborated with the previous Queen?¡± Clovis asked.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Remi replied. ¡°Clovis, you mustn¡¯t lose sight of our goals. It is not just a takeover for the sake of the Kingdom by removing decrepit women from their failed rule, we must also punish those who betrayed the Kingdom and its men. That man collaborated with the Royal Guard. He and his woman played us all. You almost got purged by him. Have you forgotten that?¡±


    Clovis frowned.


    ¡°I have not,¡± Clovis said. ¡°But, aren¡¯t we the same? We are under the Mandate of Nations. We follow the orders sent to us by Eutstadt¡ª¡±


    ¡°We do not!¡± Remi said indignantly. ¡°That Queen¡¯s words are nothing but suggestions. We can break them anytime. We are independent. Both from the rabid radicals of Eirhow and Velikov and from the women of the MN. We can be the true Vanguard of the revolution. We have Gallia. We have a Queen to keep ourselves legitimate. All we need to do is to convince our incoming monarchs to remain in line. And remove the opposition.¡±


    Then, he gave a thumbs up.


    ¡°We win after that.¡±


    ¡°Block him then,¡± Clovis gave his orders to the aide. ¡°Bring in the 7th Mechanized, 9th Mechanized, and the 15th Motorized to respond to the Marshall. Inform him that he shall be demoted for his insubordination and that if he dares resist, then cite the clauses in our Martial Law provisions that let us shoot traitors.¡±


    The aide saluted.


    ¡°At once, General!¡±


    Then, he left. Enzo sighed deeply.


    ¡°What of the Queen?¡± the Admiral asked. ¡°She¡¯s not going to like this.¡±


    ¡°Heh, so what?¡± Remi said. ¡°Clovis, send in our men to put the Queen back in her place. I heard she went to visit her mother. We can do it in one go. Get her back to the Palace, and tell her to follow our plans.¡±


    ¡°The RIU is with her,¡± Clovis answered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Queen of Orland beat us to that.¡±


    ¡°What?! I thought she was on our side,¡± Remi said. ¡°I knew it¡­she must be planning for something. To use her as her bargaining chip, for¡­for whatever she wants.¡±


    ¡°Again, we take orders from Eutstadt anyway,¡± Clovis said. ¡°So it¡¯s up to the Queen of Orland how she will handle our two ¡®Queens¡¯. We can¡¯t do anything if the news reaches Her Majesty that we beat up her fiance¨¦ except let Queen Amelie explain things to her.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I think we¡¯re overblowing things anyway,¡± Enzio said. ¡°Calm down, Remi. It¡¯s all going to be fine. I mean, what can our Queen do? She¡¯s powerless.¡±


    +++


    ¡°They demoted him?!¡± Louise shouted at Marie.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down,¡± Marie said, trying to hold the obviously panicky Royal in front of her. ¡°Amelie¡¯s got a plan for this. We¡¯re doing our best to make sure that the Junta is kept in check. Just remain calm.¡±


    ¡°How can I be calm?¡± Louise asked. ¡°First, they disbanded the Royal Guard, which means no one can protect me now. Then¡­then they remove Henry from his job. That¡¯s ridiculous! How can a bunch of Generals who took power for themselves just kick out their leader? No, not just the leader of the military, the future King, my King!¡±


    ¡°Well, they just did,¡± Marie chuckled a bit.


    ¡°This is not a laughing matter,¡± Louise narrowed her eyes. ¡°I need to talk to the Queen of Orland now. I need her to get Henry back in control. I need control!¡±


    ¡°You have no control,¡± Marie said. ¡°Orland is here to protect you, not to give you control.¡±


    Louise¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Marie turned serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to get Amelie on the line,¡± Marie said. ¡°But she¡¯ll explain things to you.¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    ¡°Is that¡­true?¡±


    ¡°Lamentably, yes,¡± Amelie eyed Nia to the side as she talked on the phone. Her assistant merely gave a shrug at Amelie¡¯s gesture, as she reached for a few documents, handing them to Amelie. Amelie gave its contents a few reads, before talking back to the new monarch of Gallia. ¡°You see, the thing is¡­¡±


    ¡°I never read it yet!¡± Louise shouted on the other side of the line before she heard the woman clear her throat to backtrack. ¡°I mean¡­I haven¡¯t¡­I haven¡¯t even seen it. I doubt Mother saw it either. I doubt anyone in charge saw it. How can they just¡­just make those kinds of rules and say it¡¯s the new rules? That¡¯s illegal. It¡¯s made up. Obviously, I can overrule that scrawny Prime Minister. That¡¯s in my powers as the Queen.¡±


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Amelie said as she read the document. ¡°The new constitution they¡¯ve enforced says it already. The position of the monarchy is now¡­from now on, officially reduced to a ceremonial position. Section I¡­the Kingdom of Gallia¡¯s Government, that being the Prime Minister¡¯s office, the independent Ministries of the Royal Cabinet, and the Gallian Parliament, is not bound to the absolute authority of the sitting monarch¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a travesty!¡± Louie exclaimed. ¡°How can you allow this? This is unacceptable. No one voted for this. My mother¡¯s or my signature isn¡¯t there. It¡¯s a farce. Illegitimate. It¡¯s a lie!¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± Amelie said. ¡°The Generals and Admirals of the Junta can reinterpret Gallia¡¯s system however they like now. I have no intention to challenge that. This is what they sent me. They announced yesterday that from then on, their new constitution is the law of the Kingdom. Not the word of the monarch. I have no opinion on this matter. I suggest you do not resist these changes. You have no one backing you. My protection can only extend so far.¡±


    ¡°But you can. You have soldiers here. You have¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you really think if I could, I would have allowed your mother to be forcefully removed from the throne,¡± Amelie¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°Understand this. I have a war to fight. Your Kingdom has a war to fight. Hell, your Kingdom¡¯s fighting for its existence. And your biggest problem is your throne? Have some shame, Queen Louise. Your problem isn¡¯t the priority anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then Orland¡­isn¡¯t standing in my back? If I try to retake my power¡­?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°And even after this war, don¡¯t try coming to me. That¡¯s your problem now. I understand that their rule is threatening, but I have no intention of angering them. And I have no intention of breaking down our alliance in this time of war.¡±


    Then, Amelie served her judgment at last.


    ¡°Just suck it, will you?¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Two: Holding Brecille

    ¡°Queen Clericia Alois has been pronounced dead after severe complications with her sudden cardiac arrest that happened during the takeover of the Gallian military. Her tearful daughter, Queen Louise Alois has confirmed this over a press conference today that her mother died of natural causes, and that the people of Gallia must, ¡®cease blaming and disobeying the new government¡¯. The new Prime Minister of Gallia also said that he gives his ¡®heartfelt condolences¡¯ to the Royal Family of Gallia. Up north, the Gallian military however continues their operations unabated against CFN forces. With the Royal Guard of Gallia disbanded, the Gallian High Command and their local commanders are now exercising greater autonomy, with Gallian units now keeping up with Orlish and Lorathian units in conducting ¡®mobile defense¡¯ operations across the front.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    Near Brecille


    November 22, 2025


    I OEF Corps


    C/4-5 Light Mech Brigade ¡°Donnergrollen¡±


    C Company was now sitting in an ambush position on the heights around the town of Brecille, which had been recently captured by MN forces. Niko Steinhauser, the Captain in charge of C Company, sighed boredly as he watched the highway and flat plains ahead of their camouflaged LSS Panthers.


    I¡¯m so damned thirsty, Niko thought, as he felt the sweltering sun¡¯s continued assault on his skin. It was hot, really hot as Gallia¡¯s summer season assaulted them in full. For some reason, he thought that he preferred Orland¡¯s colder seasons than this. Sure, he¡¯d be in thick clothing, chilling for hours as he and C Company watched sectors for any Federalist armored incursions, but right now. Goddamnit is it just so hot¡­


    ¡°Hey!¡± he called out. His two crewmen, his gunner, and driver, were both outside, plastering in foliage on their mech. Right now, their LSS Mech, which originally looked like something that belonged in the winter fields of Orland when they were rushed here a month ago, had its original camouflage fully changed to a woodland pattern. Alongside that, just like the rest of their company, they had been filling their mech with foliage both in its turret, hull and even gun barrel. ¡°Are you guys hungry?¡±


    His gunner, Corporal Armin Honigman, looked up with a half grimace as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. He had been attaching some vines to their gun for a while now, and Niko knew that sucked, because yesterday, it was him doing the job himself.


    ¡°Eh, later,¡± Armin replied. ¡°I wanna finish this crap and get back there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you go eat now, Captain,¡± his driver, Sergeant Sven Bonsch said. He took his canteen and leaned on the side of one of their mech¡¯s frontal legs. ¡°I wanna finish this crap.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you two are such a bore,¡± Niko said, as he settled his hands and head near his machine gun. ¡°Hmm¡­at the very least we¡¯ll be rotated in a few hours.¡±


    ¡°We are?¡± Sven suddenly grinned. ¡°Now that¡¯s the news I like, Captain!¡±


    ¡°Shut the heck up about it for now,¡± Niko smiled. ¡°Everyone else is still clueless about it. Don¡¯t wanna have the gremlins become complacent.¡±


    ¡°Well, screw those up above!¡± Armin exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯ve been sitting in this same buttfucked spot for days already, outside of a few sorties. I¡¯ve been very shifty about arty somehow hitting us.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re too paranoid,¡± Niko said. ¡°Plus, we¡¯re so dispersed that they¡¯ll have a hard time doing it. Truth is, they had to keep us here because that highway was too valuable. And, someone¡¯s gotta delay ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Yet we haven¡¯t racked up a single kill yet,¡± Sven said, as he looked at one of the camouflaged and dug-in LSS Panthers fifty meters away from them. From a distance, it looked more like the treeline than anything too threatening. ¡°I mean, they already have M3ATs covering this road up ahead of us. We¡¯re practically redundant here. We should have been a part of the mobile reserve. At least we¡¯d have proper damned meals.¡±


    Niko shrugged, taking his binoculars to look at the positions ahead of the highway. While he couldn¡¯t see them all, he could see a few M3ATs (M3 APCs converted to tank destroyers by arming them with ATGM launchers) that overlooked the road as well, all of them camouflaged and placed behind the tree line or the few small hills near the road.


    But something caught his attention. In the distance, he could see a few smoke plumes rising. Not coming from the road, but from the flat plains northeast, perpendicular to the road they were watching. He suddenly pulled his radio, but already, their comms became alight, as rockets coming from the air suddenly slammed near their positions.


    ¡°Hostile Attack Helicopters!¡± shouted one of his Lieutenants over the comms. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re under attack!¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± Niko replied over the comms. Below him, both Armin and Sven merely climbed back their mech in a calm manner, with Sven even shrugging and saying, ¡°Alright, alright, I was wrong.¡±


    Around them, the other crews also returned to their vehicles in an orderly fashion, while Niko gave his orders to watch for the attack. He contacted the man in charge of the sixteen M3AT strong Anti-Tank Company ahead of them. Their Captain, who was more experienced than Niko, seemed to be laughing when he opened his comms with Niko.


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    ¡°Hey, are you seeing what I¡¯m seeing?¡±


    ¡°Course we are,¡± the man replied. ¡°Keep watch of our flasks. We¡¯ll deal with the first wave and their air. Seems like there¡¯s a lot of food for us today, over.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the controls!¡± Armin shouted from underneath him after he slid on the turret hatch, while Niko returned to his binoculars, watching as one of the M3ATs suddenly opened its first missile on an enemy attack helicopter. He followed it as it struck the distant Larissan helicopter after it tried a tight turn while leaving flares¡ªdropping into the green fields in a fiery crash. Armin called him again. ¡°I¡¯m taking targets.¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± Niko said, as he took the radio again, and ordered his Company to take their targets. Already, the friendly Anti-Tank Company ahead of them began their feast on the foolish Larissans charging on them, firing their ATGMs in a scattered manner at the approaching Larissan vehicles. ¡°Wait for my signal.¡±


    Niko began searching for anything he could pick. Due to the fact that they were kilometers away, they looked more like dots to him. But he could see one promising target. It seemed to look like one of the newer variants of the T-18 MBT, with those large angled ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) blocks on its turret. It was charging madly at them, its main gun firing continuously, alongside its brethren.


    Suddenly, the first hits of the enemy artillery began hitting them. Nika ducked a bit, as one of the hits slammed just a few hundred meters in front of them. Around him, the treeline and hills were struck by explosions, forcing him down back inside the turret. He however went back up to close their hatches to button up inside.


    He immediately made his way to the commander¡¯s sights, trying his best to return to the target that he wanted, as explosions rocked their vehicle. It was getting closer and closer, but he could see on the tactical map that no one in their units was budging.


    ¡°We have our targets,¡± one of his Sergeants called. ¡°Permission to take fire, Captain!¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Niko said on the radio, before turning to Armin, who also already eyed the same target as him. ¡°Hey, care to take the shot?¡±


    Armin grinned, as he moved their turret, and gun straight into the direction of the rushing T-18. Armin then looked at the gunsight after they ranged it and the mech¡¯s software automatically fixed their gun with the right elevations to hit their target.


    ¡°I can do it!¡±


    ¡°Then take it,¡± Niko ordered. In seconds, his gunner took the shot, and Niko watched in his sights as the T-18¡¯s ERA armor resisted the shot. Niko frowned. ¡°Do it again! APFSDS! Aim on the same spot you targeted!¡±


    Another slam of their artillery momentarily blocked their vision, but the moment it cleared, their autoloader slammed the next round right on time for Armin to fire their main gun again on the enemy tank. Niko watched as the round slammed straight into the T-18¡¯s turret, grinning to himself as it stopped its advance.


    ¡°I think I got it!¡± Armin shouted. ¡°Double tap?¡±


    ¡°Yeah double¡ª¡±


    Before Niko could give him the order, the enemy tank¡¯s turret cooked off and exploded violently, flying off in the skies as was customary with Order Pact designs.


    ¡°Good work!¡± Niko said. ¡°Next, aim on that one, next to it. It¡¯s an IFV!¡±


    ¡°Taking aim¡ª¡±


    Yet suddenly, an ATGM slammed into the Larissan IFV, stopping it in its tracks. Already, many of the enemy vehicles were deploying heavy smoke on the battlefield, which forced them to rely on thermals, but Niko could see that his company and their friendly company already downed dozens of CFN armor on the fields.


    ¡°Alright, find another target then,¡± Niko ordered, as a boom slammed near them. For a second, the lights on their vehicle flickered, with the sound of the explosion banging hard on their ears. Niko and Armin both held their ears with a grimace before they returned to their controls. ¡°Damn it, their artillery¡­¡±


    ¡°Two-One is hit!¡± Someone shouted in their comms. ¡°Someone check on them!¡±


    ¡°Their legs are gone!¡± Another one reported.


    Niko took his radio.


    ¡°Check on them,¡± he ordered. ¡°Then get back to your vehicles. Don¡¯t be out and about during the shelling, over.¡±


    Niko returned to his sights, checking as the enemy became closer and closer. In fact, when he looked back, there were already more than four or six dozen vehicles rushing through the flat lands ahead of them. Many even already reached the highway, with their infantry dismounting en masse as the vehicles continued raining their fire on them.


    Niko watched as two more ATGMs slammed straight into two distant tanks, both of them stopping on the thermals, with one exploding violently after its blowout panels cooked off. But regardless, they were being overrun.


    I think we delayed them long enough.


    ¡°All units,¡± he called. ¡°Cover our friendly company. Prioritize enemy tanks. Don¡¯t let them get shot while they withdraw.¡±


    He tapped into his comms with their sister company¡¯s commanding officer, and as expected, the man told him that he and his men were withdrawing. They already lost three of their M3ATs to the artillery barrage and the Larissan tanks.


    ¡°We¡¯ll cover you guys,¡± Niko said over the radio. ¡°Just retreat in good order.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    Momentarily, Niko peeked at their positions, as they fired a few more ATGMs at the enemy, before booting out of the treelines. Nearly a dozen M3ATs rushed away, driving into Niko¡¯s company as they deployed a smokescreen on their tracks. Determined fire came from C Company, pinning and suppressing the overwhelming enemy tide as best as they could.


    Armin himself went overtime firing their main gun again and again. Kills after kills were racked by the young gunner, and by the time their friendly company managed to escape the battlefield, Niko counted four kills for their mech. But already, the fires being directed at them had reached the point of holding their position becoming untenable.


    ¡°We¡¯re calling an airstrike to cover us,¡± one of his Lieutenants said. ¡°We can withdraw by then.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Niko said, as he ordered Armin to take fire on another Larissan IFV. Again, on the thermals, the IFV merely stopped into a dead, fiery halt after their shot perforated its thin armor. ¡°All units begin the retreat. We did our job well enough.¡±


    One after another, the mechs of C Company began standing up from their entrenched positions under heavy fire, as suddenly, four LF-12s flew low on the battlefield and dropped eight guided bombs on the advancing CFN forces.


    Niko sighed to himself as they drove away¡ªwatching the one disabled LSS Mech that they had to abandon. Thankfully, no one on its crew died.


    And they inflicted heavy casualties again on Larissan armor today.

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Three: Brecille Counterattack

    ¡°Heavy CFN and MN casualties near the small city of Brecille have been reported by both sides. VACCOM has so far determined Brecille to be one of the more ¡®high importance¡¯ sectors of the second Gallian defense line, necessitating the relocation of more MN forces in the vicinity of the city. Both MN and CFN anti-air units have locked down the airspace in the area, leaving the battle in the hands of the ground forces, with CFN artillery especially pummeling through MN defenses when Brecille was retaken yesterday. But with mounting CFN armor losses, questions are arising on whether they can sustain this local offensive. If Brecille is held, however, MN forces south of the city will be in a vulnerable salient that VACCOM will have to deal with.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    Near Brecille


    June 24, 2025


    I OEF Corps


    C/4-5 Light Mech Brigade ¡°Donnergrollen¡±


    Niko tossed the cigarette he had been using on the side of the road as multiple Orlish L?wes passed through the road. They were a part of the newly arrived ¡°Rattenk?nig¡± Brigade, part of the old fat Armored Divisions downsized to the modernized, more maneuverable, autonomous, and compact brigades of the Orlish armored corps.


    ¡°It¡¯s the guys from the 8th!¡± Armin shouted from the top of the turret after he had just tossed another spent round off from their mech. ¡°Ain¡¯t they the ones who held the capital first back then?¡±


    Niko chuckled.


    ¡°Yep, originally the 8th Armored Division,¡± Niko said. ¡°They got mauled though, so it¡¯s not exactly the same guys. It¡¯s part of why they got downsized.¡±


    ¡°Still, damn,¡± Armin said, clearly admiring the L?wes speeding past them. ¡°They must have a few veterans of the Halian Campaign here. They say these guys are real iron. Bloodhounds. Held the capital before the rest of the Queen¡¯s Army reinforced the city.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Niko looked at one of the tanks. It was clearly one of the veterans, as it still had many marks of combat damage on its turret. The number ¡°737¡± was also clear on the side of its turret (which was funnily enough, already filled with a number of ERA blocks) alongside a very large amount of kill rings on its main gun. ¡°That one¡¯s an ace right there.¡±


    He followed the tank, as it sped through the highway, disappearing rapidly. Considering that they were sitting on the side of the tree line, waiting for their next set of ammo resupply, Niko¡¯s C Company was quite vulnerable to air attacks. The same was true for those driving on the highway. This was why the tanks from the Rattenk?nig Brigade speeding through it came in a trickle.


    One minute, a L?we would speed past them, then nothing. Then another one. Then another one. They were all going in the same direction, but due to the situation on the frontlines, no one was sending them in a full-on convoy.


    That just indicates we don¡¯t have full local air superiority. Niko looked up at the sky momentarily. Hopefully, the SAM Battalion nearby can keep things cool though. Not that they can¡¯t just fire missiles and artillery at us. But, what can you do?


    Another spent shell was thrown to the side of their vehicle, as two M8 IFVs, most likely also belonging to the same brigade, sped past them. His fellow Orlish soldiers riding on top of the IFVs however were some cheeky ones, shouting at his men as they ran past.


    ¡°It¡¯s the spider boys!¡± One of them shouted as they sped past Niko, who only laughed at the bastards. ¡°You damsels better get a move on!¡±


    The next one then passed by them again.


    ¡°Cavalry¡¯s arrived boys! Your salvation is here!¡± one of the cheeky soldiers gave them a mock salute, as Niko heard one of his privates shouting profanities at the passing Orlishmen. In fact, each time an IFV passed by them, C Company¡¯s column became awake as they heckled the passing troopers, or the passing troopers made fun of them for ¡®sitting their ass out¡¯.


    ¡°At least we ain¡¯t late on the fight!¡± Armin shouted from the hatch after he tossed another spent shell overboard. ¡°Have fun in the shit fields, assholes!¡±


    Niko shook his head and laughed.


    ¡°Captain,¡± someone called him from behind. Niko looked back at the direction of their mech. His driver had just arrived, carrying another pack of cigarettes. He tossed it at Niko, who caught it without problems, before whistling in Armin¡¯s direction. ¡°Hey, kid! Want some?¡±


    ¡°Toss the poison!¡± came the muffled shout from the turret. Sven then tossed the secured pack of cigarettes on the turret¡¯s hatch with an accurate throw. ¡°Thanks, man!¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Sven laughed before turning to Niko¡¯s direction. Niko for his part was quick, already lighting up his next cigarette. ¡°So what¡¯s the news from the top?¡±


    Niko blew a few puffs of smoke from his stick, relishing the short burst of clarity that it provided his mind. He then leaned his back on their mech as he answered his driver¡¯s query.


    ¡°16:00 hours,¡± Niko said. ¡°We¡¯re joining the rest of the brigade in the attack.¡±


    ¡°Night attack?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Niko said. ¡°Intel¡¯s in. The enemy¡¯s only sending a few crappy older variants of the T-18 and the T-86.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Sven grimaced. ¡°They must be getting mauled then. Is it those¡­export variants? The stuff that ain¡¯t got a proper FCS or thermals?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Niko replied. ¡°I think they¡¯re sending them in as cannon fodder. Before they send more of their actual tanks. Maybe they¡¯re scared of losing a lot. I dunno. But we¡¯re going to be facing around a hundred of the bastards around Brecille. And inside Brecille.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing an urban night assault?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Niko said. ¡°What? That¡¯s what we¡¯re trained for, remember? And what are you afraid of? The bastards won¡¯t see us well at night. Just stay calm.¡±


    ¡°We already lost a number of our mechs, Captain,¡± Sven said. ¡°I dunno, it¡¯s kinda¡­difficult to imagine how well we¡¯d do. I mean, it¡¯s been days since they took the city. What if it¡¯s a trap?¡±


    ¡°A city¡¯s always a trap,¡± Niko said. ¡°But, well, we can only really follow what the brass wants. They can¡¯t lose that city. Not now when they¡¯re still setting up better defenses behind us. We¡¯re the delaying force. And the best way to delay them is by striking back to keep them off balance.¡±


    ¡°I see then,¡± Sven shook his head. ¡°Well, I guess no sleep for us tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on,¡± Amin popped his head from the turret¡¯s hatch, a frown on his face. ¡°Again?!¡±


    +++


    ¡°Gunner! APFSDS! Range, four thousand two hundred meters!¡± Niko shouted, as Armin maneuvered the turret to aim at the target the Niko sighted and ranged. Their mech was still on the move, with a horde of T-86s ahead of them as they charged forward above the flat fields of Brecille. The only thing giving them a vague sense of cover was the few depressions and elevations on the field that sometimes hid their hull, but otherwise, the charging units of the Rotterk?nig Brigade and the Donnergrollen Brigade were exposed in the flat areas.


    Still, the outdated Larissan T-86s lacking any sort of good optics or good digital fire control systems meant that at the ranges that the Orlish armor was engaging them, they weren¡¯t able to fight back. Coupled with the Orlish Falcon AH-22 Attack Helicopters flying above them, with their gun pods, rocket pods, and guided missiles wrecking hordes of Larissan armor, meant that the enemy was now too suppressed to respond to them.


    Their target, a heavily modified T-86 tank with various ERA blocks on its hull and turret, was already slowly backing up alongside four other tanks in their formation, their guns clearly not firing due to their tanks¡¯ inability to fire at Orlish targets properly.


    ¡°Target acquired!¡± Armin shouted.


    ¡°Open fire!¡±


    The shot from their main gun rocked their mech, and Niko watched as their shot slammed into the enemy tank¡¯s turret. Its ERA blocks reacted, trying to stop their APFSDS rod, but it was ineffectual. Niko didn¡¯t break his sights from the tank they had just shot, observing it for a few more seconds on the move, as he saw its crew rush out of the vehicle from the hatches.


    ¡°Good shot!¡± Niko said to Armin. ¡°Sven! Stop the vehicle now! We¡¯re in a good position. Armin, prepare another round!¡±


    The two crewmen both shouted, ¡°Roger!¡± at Niko¡¯s words as the autoloader slammed another round on their main gun¡¯s chamber, while Sven maneuvered their mech to stop in an area where they could use the slight elevation to hide their hull. In fact, Niko saw that his XO¡¯s LSS Mech also stopped right beside him and opened fire right when its legs stopped, while the rest of his armored platoons carried on, charging forward while firing their main guns on the move.


    Niko grabbed his radio.


    ¡°1st and 2nd Platoon, don¡¯t stop, and keep firing on the move,¡± Niko ordered, before receiving a torrent of rogers from his Lieutenants. ¡°3rd Platoon, position yourself on my flanks. We¡¯ll try covering our brothers. 4th, 5th, and 6th, you guys stay behind in a dispersed position. If you see a good target, get those autocannons working, but otherwise, hide.¡±


    On both the left and right flanks of the position taken by his mech and his XO¡¯s mech, the LSS mechs of the 3rd Platoon, six total, stopped, spacing themselves at around thirty to fifty meters apart in the area. Behind them, Niko¡¯s tracked IFV platoons also stopped, with the M8 IFVs of the 4th, 5th, and 6th platoons simply taking potshots with their 25mm autocannons. Some, however, disobeyed, as Niko saw one of his IFVs move forward to not just spam out its autocannon in full auto, but also fire an ATGM at a target.


    What did I even expect? Niko shook his head. They all are eager for kills today.


    He focused on searching for a good target. Many of the enemy tanks had already gone into a full rout, presenting their rear on them as they drove away, seemingly in an attempt to create as much distance from the Orlish armored formation chasing them. He looked at one of them. Its ERA blocks were larger, and it seemed to be firing its main gun, which meant unlike the majority of ancient T-86s around it, it must be one of the few dozen T-18s present in Brecille today.


    ¡°T-18 ahead of us!¡± Niko said, and Armin immediately turned their gun to the target that Niko¡¯s commander was looking at. ¡°Again! APFSDS, three thousand three hundred meters, hit their hull. If that thing doesn¡¯t die, I want its engine out!¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡± Armin prepared himself, before pressing the trigger to open fire when their main gun moved to the proper firing solutions. Their shot however flew to the side of their target¡¯s turret at a bad angle, triggering its ERA block. The brief explosion and the fact that the enemy tank¡¯s turret began turning in their direction on the move made it clear to Niko that their shot shattered. ¡°Shit, my shot missed! It¡¯s looking at us!¡±


    ¡°Sven! Pull back now!¡± Niko ordered, and Sven complied right when the enemy tank opened fire. But the well-timed reverse of their vehicle meant that the shot flew right above their turret, almost grazing the remote-controlled heavy machine guns on top. ¡°Okay! Get back up. Armin, take the shot again!¡±


    Their mech¡¯s legs pushed them back up again, allowing Armin to take aim as their autoloader slammed the next round. Niko held his breath, his digital sights still tracking their last target, as Armin used the laser rangefinder again for a quick check, before preparing to take a shot. It took only two seconds, but those seconds almost felt like an eternity to Niko.


    The LSS Panther had no armor¡ªall it would take was one split second of lateness, and they¡¯d be a dead crew to this inferior Larissan tank, and so, he shouted at Armin.


    ¡°Open fire!¡±


    Their main gun once again thundered, their shot finally connecting and slamming into the enemy tank¡¯s hull, causing it to stop into a violent halt, as a fire started on its rear, with its fuel tanks most likely ignited.


    ¡°Another one!¡± Niko ordered, knowing that it would only take a while for their automatic fire suppression systems to remove the fire. Another round was slammed into their main gun¡¯s breech, and once again, Armin pressed the button to open fire.


    Their shot went straight into the turret ring of the enemy tank, silencing the enemy tank, and causing fires to blow out violently from its hatches. A single person came out of the hull from the thermals, their driver most likely, as their turret completely cooked off.


    ¡°We fuckin¡¯ got ¡®em, Captain!¡±


    ¡°Excellent shot!¡± Niko said. ¡°Let¡¯s get those damned medals. Battle ain¡¯t over yet, so let¡¯s get the next target!¡±


    And indeed, they weren¡¯t going to sleep today, as tank wrecks became a night decoration around the small Gallian city as Orland overran CFN defenses¡ªtheir technological edge completely negating CFN''s numerical advantage.

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Four: Royal Send-Off

    ¡°¡®Operation Torchlight¡¯, the month-long redeployment of termed ¡®Torchlight¡¯ units to reinforce the Gallian front has succeeded massively, with Federalist interdiction campaigns unable to blunt or block the combined Orlish, Lorathian, and Gallian Navies from transporting an estimated two corps worth of forces into Gallia. Torchlight is estimated to have transferred at least eighteen Orlish brigades, and twenty-eight Lorathian brigades into Gallia. With nearly three hundred thousand extra forces from the two Kingdoms reinforcing MN units already knee-deep in Gallia, the situation for the CFN¡¯s offensive is turning harder and harder as each day passes.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Southeastern Orland


    Weissholm City


    ¡°Psst,¡± William tapped Amelie¡¯s shoulder as she slept on her seat. ¡°Hey. Psst,¡± he kept trying. ¡°We¡¯re here. Oi, wake up. Why¡¯d you even doze off? I told you we were close. Hey. Wake up. Ah¡­crap, this isn¡¯t working.¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°Rimpler suffered a stroke!¡±


    Immediately, Amelie¡¯s eyes shot open, awakening to the good news.


    ¡°W-what,¡± she said, looking around, before settling on William''s face. Immediately, she pulled his face close. ¡°Say what now? Is it true? He¡¯s dead?! Oh Goddess, I won at last!¡±


    ¡°Nope, I was just trying to get your attention,¡± William said, his expression empty as she stopped pulling both of his cheeks violently. ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty. Enjoyed your thirty minutes of sleep?¡±


    Amelie huffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Queen, you know? Can you at least wake me up in a regal manner?¡±


    ¡°Ah, but telling you such sweet news about your mortal enemies counts as a very regal way to wake a monarch up, no?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lie, so nope, it¡¯s not,¡± Amelie withdrew her hand from him, before covering her mouth with it as she yawned. ¡°We¡¯re at Weissholm now?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± William said, as he returned his eyes to the black SUVs of their security convoy, all of them still stuck in traffic. ¡°We got caught in a bad traffic jam though. Since you don¡¯t like us doing the normal routine of blasting our sirens with the police cars up front to move, well, we¡¯re stuck until these damned trucks move. Oh there, we¡¯re moving¡­¡±


    William pressed his feet on the gas pedal, as they moved forward for a bit on the highway, and Amelie had the chance to look to her side to gawk at multiple M3 APCs driving on the road alongside the normal civilian traffic. Naturally, however, they immediately stopped in just a few seconds.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­yeah,¡± William laughed a bit. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bit of a pain for a while. Rush hour and all.¡±


    Amelie lightly yawned again.


    ¡°At least the city¡¯s still operating with normal business,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Seems to be that way with a lot of cities here, even if it¡¯s closer to the front.¡±


    ¡°Your air defense scheme worked way too well,¡± William smiled a bit. ¡°That¡¯s for sure at least. You can pat yourself on the back now. Millions of Orlish civilians can rejoice at our great Queen¡¯s sheer wisdom of prioritizing the defense of the motherland over the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°I hate how every time you praise me it also feels like you¡¯re so sarcastic about it,¡± Amelie crossed her arms. ¡°Pain¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft, okay, to be fair, you did well on that front,¡± William said. ¡°Were it to go the OAF¡¯s way, they¡¯d abandon defending areas not crucial to war production to shift those factories into producing more frontline units. But now, we have such a ridiculous surplus of SAM systems and interceptors that it¡¯d be an insult if any major city thirty kilometers from the frontlines is hit by any missiles.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I knew it,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I saw it well in Halia. Air defense is a priority!¡±


    ¡°But, well, if we didn¡¯t have such a massive industry we wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this,¡± William then laughed at her. ¡°Have fun with paying for it all post-war too, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, come on, I¡¯d rather pay for thousands of redundant systems than pay for rebuilding our cities,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I mean, Halia, Thein¡­even Vohler and Rebenslof to some extent, and I¡¯d bet we¡¯d also flatten much of North Central Orland soon if we want to win¡­rebuilding all that will take decades! I swear¡­I¡¯d be an old hag before I can see our capital back to its former glory.¡±


    She sulked on her seat for a bit, before looking at William, then to the still snoring Nia on their back seat.


    ¡°She¡¯s still asleep?¡±


    ¡°You both seemed to have been tired by last night¡¯s inspections,¡± William said. ¡°Can¡¯t blame you two, I guess.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Amelie asked, noticing how sleepy his eyes were. ¡°Now that I noticed it, you haven¡¯t slept for two days already!¡±


    ¡°Meh, I took a few naps while you two snacked on those fancy restaurants.¡±


    ¡°I doubt we ever took more than an hour to eat,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I order you to sleep first thing first when we arrive at our hotels. That should get you back into proper working order. I mean, the speech is at around 4 pm, right? Should be plenty of time for you to take a sleep.¡±


    He gave her a mock salute.


    ¡°Roger¡­I¡¯ll try sleeping. I guess.¡±


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    Amelie crossed her arms.


    ¡°Well, I think your entire team needs sleep anyway. We¡¯ve been on the move for multiple days straight. Everyone must be quite tired. I wonder how Lady Lubaine is doing¡­¡±


    William finally yawned as well, clearly showing how sleepy he was.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably still sleeping in her vehicle. I¡¯ve been talking with her subordinate since like¡­three AM earlier instead.¡±


    ¡°I guess we really should have an extra guy here to switch whenever you can¡¯t drive,¡± Amelie said, looking to her side. ¡°But I don¡¯t know a good pick yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± William said. ¡°If you¡¯re uncomfortable with dragging another dude to a car you¡¯re in, I can deal with that.¡±


    ¡°You already have so many jobs under me,¡± Amelie pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± William chuckled a bit. ¡°I mean, I can contact my staff in Eutstadt here well enough while you guys sleep.¡±


    ¡°While driving and coordinating with the security convoy?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, come on, I assigned competent people in the OPM,¡± William said. ¡°They know what they gotta do. All they do is give me updates and ask for my decisions on small issues. Ain¡¯t too much of a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ve seen worse, trust me,¡± William said, smiling as he held the driving wheel. ¡°Even back in the military, I¡¯ve been the go-to guy for so many tasks. Heh, I even have some experience doing maintenance work on M3s, HMLVs, or M8s. Even when I became an officer, I¡¯ve always been in the field doing that stuff regularly. It¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°You just accept whatever work assigned to you, huh?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± William said, before grinning. ¡°You pay well though, so I ain¡¯t complaining. I think I can retire real good when the war¡¯s over, even with the shite economy, no offense on that.¡±


    Amelie felt herself slapped by that, so she could only muster a half-offended smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fix that once the war¡¯s over, okay? Gee¡­it¡¯s still morning¡­¡±


    Then again I get served with bad news before bed and after bed all the time anyway, Amelie thought to herself. So I guess it¡¯s fine¡­


    ¡°Well, I appreciate your promises then, oh great Queen.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and just drive.¡±


    William just laughed.


    Their vehicle moved once again, with Amelie finally feeling better at the whole thing until the road stopped again.


    Goddess¡­if I¡¯m rebuilding those cities in my reign, I¡¯ll prioritize this godforsaken traffic first. I got too used to Eutstadt¡¯s well-organized city planning and public transport¡­


    +++


    ¡°The¡­the war will be won, by you!¡± Amelie declared over the podium in front of the gathered military personnel and officers of the Army. The fact that she fumbled her words made a few men below her crack a smile, and even some snickers, but Amelie just looked away from the teleprompter with an awkward smile. ¡°Okay, fine, this¡­this speech I placed here isn¡¯t working for me.¡±


    They just stared at her blankly after her admission, as Amelie gathered her breath.


    ¡°Look, as your Queen, I think it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re all thinking that I¡¯m not really the most qualified person to tell you some nice stuff before you head there. I¡¯ll be blunt, I¡¯m sending you all to the other side of the world. I¡¯m sending you, again, to a faraway land, for a faraway war, for a war you probably don¡¯t see much reason to fight for.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Someone shouted from the crowd. ¡°You promised liberty and equality! We¡¯re fighting for that!¡±


    Amelie just chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose I did!¡± Amelie said before her expression turned more serious. ¡°And I stand by those words, until now. Listen, this¡­this service you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t being done any more for an exchange. I don¡¯t care if you fight now or not, those aren¡¯t promises I gave, or my government gave in exchange for your service. Everything, once this war ends, will change. Because that has always been my promise ever since I was crowned.


    ¡°The gendered taxes. The gendered welfare benefits. The problems with funding the societal well-being of our boys and men. Expanding democratic franchise for all¡­until, Goddess-willing, the point that my voice won¡¯t matter anymore, is my goal. And the goal of the Heiss Government. Whether or not you served, those changes will come. In fact, the aim of my government is to abolish every institutional law that discriminates against you by the end of this year, regardless of wartime limitations.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not asking for your service because we want an exchange. We are asking you to fight the CFN because we know that you are the ones who can do it. Men, you are all good soldiers. You all fought in so many campaigns and wars¡­that, yes, you should have never fought, but you did regardless. And Orland, the Kingdom, needs soldiers. Capable soldiers. Which you all are¡ªto fight for those things that we promised. I know our side isn¡¯t the perfect one, but we all know how CFN forces are acting on the other side.


    ¡°They have brutalized both men and women. They have brutalized MN forces trying to surrender¡ªyour fellow men, all because ¡®they collaborated with the Global Matriarchy¡¯. That¡¯s their ideology. You are either with them, or you¡¯re a traitor to the great revolution worthy of being disposed of. I suppose it isn¡¯t that far from what this Kingdom stood for before my reign, and I admit those crimes. I don¡¯t want those crimes to be repeated, just reversed this time. That¡¯s why, we call for you, capable men. Capable soldiers. People with the experience of wartime, to fight, even to the death, to defend our cause. Even if it¡¯s not the most fair thing.


    ¡°Soon, you will be shipped off to Gallia as part of the IV OEF Corps. Under the 5th Orlish Army. Your goal isn¡¯t an easy one. You are to defend the Kingdom of Gallia, our ally, from the endless tides of Larissan, Pozneki, Lombardian, and to a lesser extent, Asturian armor. They have already taken much of Northeastern Gallia, and are heading straight to the capital. But we are slowing them down. Stopping them. Blunting their attacks. Counterattacking. Hell, I¡¯m sure many of you even received the news of our victory at Brecille¡­even if the city fell again yesterday when our forces withdrew in good order.


    ¡°The casualties in Gallia aren¡¯t pretty. That¡¯s why, you, of the Orlish Expeditionary Forces, are one of the best-equipped formations of Orland. That¡¯s why we pulled you off the front months ago to be prepared. I have not allowed our Generals to do this operation half-assed. I have not allowed anyone to fail at supplying you with the necessary gear, food, fuel, ammunition, and what else. Equipment, supply, training, rest, and most importantly, experience and skill¡ªI believe you have all of that.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we are sending you there. You are the best that Orland can offer to fight many times your number. You are the best ones to ensure that the Mandate of Nations will triumph against the tyrannical takeover of the Confederacy in continental Vaeyox. And the Kingdom¡­looks, and cheers for you.


    ¡°So damn it! Screw the naysayers who say that you will fail in the defense of Gallia. Go take them! I know you will. Victory will be ours, and it will be because of you. Thank you very much, soldiers of Orland. Glory to you, our honorable heroes! I can¡¯t promise you that you will all come back home, but¡­I promise that your service is something I and the Kingdom appreciate.


    ¡°And since I know many of you¡­lamentably, have no one who would say it to you¡­I¡¯ll be taking on that role as your Queen.¡±


    Her gaze softened, and so did her voice.


    ¡°Please, come back home safe, soldiers of Orland.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Five: Gallian Internal Stability

    ¡°The touted ¡®Loop¨CSatre Line¡¯, or the 2nd defense line set up by MN forces in Gallia, has been breached this morning by four Pozneki and Larissan armored divisions. The determined CFN push has now intensified with massive reserves brought up from the rear in the preceding weeks. Even with mounting losses and tactical defeats on the CFN side, MN ground forces in Gallia remain outgunned and outnumbered. Most Gallian brigades have now reported ammunition shortages, and logistical failures, alongside a slew of problems that the Gallian State and both Orland and Lorathia are rapidly trying to fix. However, the air war remains firmly in the MN¡¯s hands, with CFN losses both in the air and ground to MN airpower still making up the majority of their material and manpower losses.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    Toldoi


    June 26, 2025


    ¡°Well, those two don¡¯t seem to be getting along very well,¡± William remarked as Amelie, Adelaide, and Nia entered the meeting room. Amelie could see how pissed Queen Louise was whenever she glanced at their Prime Minister, and Amelie could see how equally cold Mr. Clovis Doval was at his monarch. ¡°She looks like she wants to zap him or something.¡±


    ¡°Not funny,¡± Nia said to William, who removed the slight amusement present on his face, before straightening himself.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll stop¡­¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the¡­the Kingdom of Gallia,¡± Louise said, with an obviously forced smile, as the rest of the highest-ranking men of the Gallian Junta, the Ministers of the Interior and Defense, all stood up to receive Amelie¡¯s group. Amelie gracefully smiled, as she, Adelaide, and William shook hands with the leaders of the new Gallian government.


    She especially noticed how their Minister of Defense, Remi Leblanc, gripped her hand a little bit too tightly. Amelie responded by pulling his hand in a firmer manner as she smiled at him, making it clear that she was a damned Queen. The man¡¯s hand faltered a bit, and Amelie shook it a few more seconds to make her point clear.


    By the time she removed it, Clovis glanced at Remi with a disappointed sigh, before Remi merely shrugged. Amelie just smiled as she went to her seat, eyeing Nia a bit, who also just shrugged, having watched the awkward turn of events.


    I¡¯m not going to let them have any stupid ideas. Amelie thought to herself. These three are under me. I¡¯m not letting them get disloyal to me now.


    ¡°So, shall we begin?¡± Amelie asked, looking at Louise. ¡°I believe we have a lot to tackle today.¡±


    ¡°Not really a lot,¡± Clovis said, as the man sat on his chair, just beside his Queen. ¡°Just two major problems. Mainly the sporadic unrest in my country¡­the limitations you imposed on us with our response, and¡­of course, maybe we can talk about the breakthrough that Poznek and Larissa managed to do on the frontlines, which we cannot deny anymore.¡±


    Clovis turned to look at William.


    ¡°You got your spymaster here?¡±


    ¡°Just one,¡± Amelie smiled, as William grinned a bit. Amelie knew that it was William who really propped up Clovis into the leadership role during the confusing days of the mutiny. In other words, this Prime Minister was supposed to be William¡¯s asset. ¡°Just thought that some familiar faces would be nice to bring. That, and he¡¯d be representing our Defense Ministry, since, as you well know, Lady Pristina is quite the busy woman.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Clovis said, and Amelie could see some beads of sweat forming on his forehead, while Louise eyed William suspiciously.


    Amelie just clapped as she tried to smile wholesomely at everyone.


    ¡°Come on, everyone, I know things are bad, but I believe we should loosen up a bit. We¡¯re friends here. Right, Your Majesty, hmm?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Louise said, still looking at William suspiciously. ¡°We¡¯re¡­friends.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Amelie said. ¡°Now, as for the issues you raised to us, the¡­erm, limits of your internal response, well, I believe you are having some issues with it, no?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not¡ª¡± Louise tried, before being rebuked by their Minister of the Interior, Enzo Courbis.


    ¡°Currently, eighteen cities are still experiencing some degree of unrest ever since the ousting of the previous monarch and government,¡± Enzo said. ¡°We have so far only deployed Army units utilizing ad hoc equipment to quell the unrest, as the Police has proven politically unreliable, and the Royal Guard has been disbanded.¡±


    Louise merely crossed her arms and looked to her side, clearly pissed by these changes.


    ¡°So far, around half of the estimated protestors and dissidents have since scattered, but the remnants are proving to be a tough nut to crack. We have reason to believe that these are radicals and that they will not scatter until our current legitimate government is disbanded, which is unacceptable to the interests of Gallia. They are believed to have significant connection to female nobles who resist the changes imposed by the Doval Government, and of CFN agents seeking to spread discord and chaos to our Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Louise just shook her head to the side, clearly not believing the words of the Gallian Admiral. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because they want their voice to be heard.¡±


    ¡°The voices of the ¡®people¡¯, is¡­invaluable,¡± Amelie declared. ¡°But¡­we understand the wartime hardships imposed on the Gallian State, and that the Gallian State may prefer to perhaps sideline the unproductive opinions of a large minority, but¡­we advised you to avoid any harsh response specifically for the interests of Gallia. It may just cause the situation to deteriorate, on the contrary.¡±


    ¡°Orland remains fixed on its position,¡± Adelaide adamantly said. ¡°The International Community will not find a harsh response in any positive light. We prefer our allies to be reasonable in how they conduct themselves, especially as your ally, your reputation is linked to our Kingdom¡¯s reputation, and our Queen¡¯s reputation.¡±


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    Adelaide leaned forward.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s that I guess,¡± Clovis said. ¡°Let¡¯s break the formalities. Let us do the crackdowns. Our analysis showed already that we can end the unrest in a week if we remove the leash imposed on the Armed Forces. Then¡­then the disruptions will end, and the faster we can stabilize the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe any of that!¡± Louise said. ¡°What if they just start shooting my valued subjects? I am not accepting any response that leaves innocent young women dead on the streets of my Kingdom!¡±


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re not even supposed to be here,¡± Remi said, turning to Clovis. ¡°See, I told you, man.¡±


    ¡°Look, she does have a point,¡± Amelie said. ¡°What are these measures you propose?¡±


    ¡°Whatever our local units deem necessary,¡± Enzo said. ¡°Short of¡­doing a massacre, of course, we¡¯re not planning for any of that. But, it is Martial Law. A heavy-handed response, coupled with raids and even executions of the ring-leaders will fully crack the dissidents.¡±


    ¡°No, not happening,¡± Adelaide said.


    ¡°Yeah, I share that opinion,¡± Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°Well, we tried¡­¡± Remi said. ¡°Whatever, I guess that settles it then?¡±


    ¡°We could have ended this in days,¡± Enzo shook his head.


    ¡°But alright, we value our alliance with you more,¡± Clovis said with finality. ¡°Give us more tanks, and those new mechs in exchange for this, as the unrest is causing us a level of industrial disruptions. For free.¡±


    ¡°Signed,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Tell me how many?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll send the numbers to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s the deal done then,¡± Amelie raised her hand to the direction of their Prime Minister. ¡°I believe it¡¯s a good one. A humane regime¡­¡±


    ¡°...In exchange for the weapons we need,¡± Clovis took it and shook Amelie¡¯s hand, as she smiled. ¡°It¡¯d be cool if we could have a few more of those LF-20s though.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just pushing it, Mr. Prime Minister,¡± Amelie chuckled a bit to herself. ¡°But, maybe, in the next lend-lease agreement.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d have to pay for it post-war though.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°I¡¯m just giving you an exception for now. So I expect that Gallia treats its more¡­misbehaved citizens gently, okay?¡±


    ¡°Right, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°We still got problems,¡± Remi interrupted. ¡°They broke through our lines. The next defense line is the one in Toldoi itself. We expect them to be here in three weeks at most. While these new promises of free equipment are nice, it¡¯s not going to be useful until the next four months at most.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Amelie admitted with a sigh. ¡°But we can ship a lot of guns and small arms in the short term. The figures are in. We¡¯d be able to arm at least twenty to thirty thousand light infantry if need be. Maybe that can help in the defense?¡±


    William nodded.


    ¡°We used the same tactic back during the siege of Halia,¡± William said. ¡°Early on, we mobilized a lot of meat to hold the line until the mechanized forces arrived. They held on decently well when entrenched.¡±


    ¡°We already exhausted our supply of young men,¡± Remi laughed a bit. ¡°In fact, all of our formations are being dried at the moment. Their numbers aren¡¯t being replaced. The First Great War. Then this. The only ones Gallia has left in its young male population are cripples. And we cannot remove the older men from the factories.¡±


    ¡°And here he¡¯ll go again,¡± Louise rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯ll justify again to crack down harder on women to drag them into the frontlines. Tell me, old man, how¡¯s that going to work when you punched someone in the face and then gave her a gun, huh?¡±


    ¡°As if any of you have any choice,¡± Remi shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s either us or them. Have none of you seen their massacres already? They¡¯re conducting reprisals to women mainly. I imagine a CFN-occupied Toldoi won¡¯t be a fun place for those who protest mass mobilization.¡±


    Amelie sighed, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her seat. Pacifying their population to arm them is such a ridiculous requirement. Goddess¡­I really am propping up a government that has no right to rule. Amelie frowned as she watched their literal Queen argue with her Defense Minister, while the Gallian Prime Minister and Interior Minister remained silent. Without Orland, Gallia would have fallen a long time ago to civil war. Or to whatever the hell Lieplatz turned out to be. Damn you, Clericia! Look at how much you ruined your Kingdom!


    Then again, I can say the same for my mother. But at least I had enough time and power with me to turn it around somehow. Gallia doesn¡¯t! They¡¯re surrounded by enemies at all sides, and inside, they bicker and bicker and bicker like little children. Neither Clericia¡¯s regime nor this Junta have any right to exist. But¡­I have to keep propping them up. For as long as possible.


    She sighed, realizing that post-war, Gallia probably would not be in a good situation regardless of her victory.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re planning for a counteroffensive,¡± Amelie said. ¡°We already have a lot of troops ready for it. We¡¯re just gathering them and waiting for the best moment. Once the opportunity presents itself, we¡¯ll drive them off from Gallia with an overwhelming show of force.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the plan that General Albrecht and the OHC gave us is to hold for another month,¡± Remi said. ¡°It¡¯s not possible. All your forces are being kept in reserve near the country¡¯s interior¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sending them to battle will render them incapable of conducting an effective combined arms campaign.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Remi said. ¡°That means Orland and Lorathia are planning to sacrifice my nation for a grand victory. That¡¯s the truth, isn¡¯t it? Your piecemeal forces and the Gallian Armed Forces are just meant to bleed them in our defense lines and our urban north before the Orlish and Lorathian Expeditionary Forces sweep in from the south to murder them all.¡±


    Louise appeared horrified.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Clovis simply pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked down.


    ¡°We already have plans to evacuate the capital of its civilian population,¡± Clovis said. ¡°Holding Toldoi without sending in all of the reserve forces from the LEF and OEF assigned for the counterattack¡­would mean that the capital will fall. We can¡¯t hold the north.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s defeatist,¡± Amelie said. ¡°We just need a little more time. No one¡¯s saying we¡¯re letting Toldoi fall. What we¡¯re saying is that we need more time to send in more forces and prepare them for the big fight. Sending them prematurely will defeat the coup de grace that my Generals are looking for.¡±


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t you just send everything to stop them at the gates?¡± Louise asked. ¡°We can kill more of them in defense!¡±


    ¡°Their entire plan hinges on the CFN stretching their supply lines and being caught completely off-guard,¡± Clovis answered. ¡°We¡¯re now outnumbered three-to-one in tank numbers. They need a miraculous win to defeat millions of the CFN tide with a few hundred thousand. Even technological leverage can only go so far.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll catch them at their weakest,¡± William said. ¡°I¡¯ll try suggesting changes to the big plan. Perhaps in two weeks, their armored corps would have already been depleted of supplies, numbers, and morale enough that we can start maneuvers to cut them off.¡±


    ¡°VACCOM is already doing that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They analyze and revise the plans based on how the frontline is going. The latest report they gave my desk is three to four weeks. A month away.¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps, it¡¯s time to convince General Albrecht not to focus on the optimal timing,¡± William said, before grinning a bit. ¡°Assuming Gallia likes to gamble, would you four love a premature counterattack? Sure, it¡¯s a bit more risky, and again, not the most optimum solution, and if it fails¡­you know what will happen, but¡­Toldoi might be untouched if we do that. So how about it?¡±


    The Gallians looked at each other before they all settled in a unanimous decision in just a second.


    ¡°We want our capital saved.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Six: Alfaun Express

    ¡°Three Gallian Brigades have been cut off by advancing CFN forces in the small city of Alfaun. The frontlines have moved approximately thirty kilometers from Alfaun in just two days, but already, MN forces have begun a counterattack to relieve the besieged Gallian Army forces, with Orlish armor of the I OEF Corps once again spearheading the attack.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Twenty Kilometers from Alfaun


    June 28, 2025


    I OEF Corps


    C/4-5 Light Mech Brigade ¡°Donnergrollen¡±


    ¡°This is some bullcrap¡­¡±


    Armin¡¯s whining was ignored by Niko as their convoy advanced through the road once more. Niko simply kept watching with his binoculars as he sighed. Right in front of them, another L?we tank drove itself straight into a mine. He watched as a tracked recovery vehicle built from the L?we¡¯s chassis pulled the destroyed tank off the road, its crew merely shaking their heads on the side as they watched their tank get pulled away.


    Immediately, the forward elements of their convoy advanced, with HMLVs advancing first ahead of the armored elements. While they were well-spaced as they advanced on the highway, and they were under heavy air cover, with LF-12s and AH-22s passing overhead, Niko wasn¡¯t exactly confident of the arrangement.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± Niko said. ¡°We have to reach them quickly. We¡¯re already eight hours late.¡±


    ¡°I know, but damn it, can¡¯t they see this bullcrap?!¡± Armin shouted. ¡°There¡¯s friggin¡­we¡¯re only spaced like what, twenty meters? We¡¯re like free food here. I mean, I¡¯ve seen enough wiped-out Larissan armor to know this is braindead!¡±


    Niko sighed. He also wanted to spread out with their advance, unfortunately, the area was densely forested for the most part, and this was the only highway where they could advance properly in the rural terrain. Normally, they¡¯d advance in a more piecemeal manner, platoon by platoon. But that also quickly proved stupid when the first recon teams sent hours ago were annihilated by Larissan forces.


    They could do it in a more cautious manner, but then that¡¯d also be slower. And so, Niko could only accept it when the order came in. Their entire brigade would be advancing as fast as they could and in a more concentrated manner.


    It wasn¡¯t just them, the four pincers of the advance, all of which moving through four highways leading to Alfaun, each assigned to one brigade of the I OEF Corps, were advancing in a very similar way. It was stupid. It was the height of arrogance. It was¡­


    Well, so far, it was working.


    ¡°Look, we¡¯ll just fight well when it happens,¡± Niko said as he contacted Sven. ¡°Get the mech moving forward, will you? All units, we¡¯re moving forward. Watch your sensors.¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡±


    At once, when the last HMLV ahead of Niko¡¯s mech moved, Sven immediately drove their LSS mech forward. It was the start of another ten-minute ride on the rough woods, with Niko and Armin watching each nook and cranny for any enemy that might ambush them. But there was nothing.


    Soon, the entire convoy was driving at somewhere around forty kilometers per hour, very much speeding through the area without care. Niko kept himself in touch with the battalion¡¯s radio communications, where he was only essentially ordered to keep up with the motorized infantry in front of him. He obeyed.


    By the twentieth-minute mark, however, their arrangement proved to be a mistake. Suddenly, a shot sliced clean through the second HMLV of the convoy, stopping it dead. Immediately, the motorized infantry company ahead of him stopped on the side, the soldiers immediately dismounting, clutching their rifles as their .50 cals opened fire in the direction of the attack.


    ¡°Sven! Get us closer to the front of the convoy!¡± Niko shouted on his earpiece, as he ducked low while shielding himself with his hatch, using it as protection while looking around the battlefield. ¡°Armin, prepare a sabot, quick! Any returns on the thermals?¡±


    ¡°I see two T-18s ahead of us, deep in the woods!¡± Armin replied back, as their mech crawled through the side of the road unoccupied by the HMLVs ahead of them. Sven stopped their mech right beside the fourth HMLV behind the destroyed HMLV, and Armin took his target. ¡°It¡¯s trying to back out!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get away!¡± Niko ordered. ¡°Take the shot!¡±


    ¡°Firing!¡±


    Their main gun immediately opened fire, and Niko watched as it flew straight into the woods, slamming into something that he couldn¡¯t properly make out.


    ¡°Did you get it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Armin answered. ¡°But it stopped. Wait, it¡¯s moving again! Reloading!¡±


    ¡°Just keep the main gun on it!¡±


    Behind Niko, one of his company¡¯s mechs finally stopped and opened fire in another direction. Niko immediately pulled out his binoculars as a tower of fire rose up in the woods, and he could see the enemy tank at last¡ªeight hundred meters away, its turret on fire. That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good. He then searched for the target that Armin fired a shot on, as two ATGMs from their infantry flew in the direction of the last Larissan tank.


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    They however failed, merely slamming into a bunch of boulders as the Larissan tank popped its smoke. That was when Niko heard the chopping noises of an AH-22 Attack Helicopter above him, and in just a few seconds, two missiles went off from its pylons.


    He watched with his binoculars as the Larissan tank cooked off from behind cover after being struck. Direct hits.


    ¡°Oh come on! That was my kill!¡± Armin shouted from below. ¡°Our kill I mean! Damn those flyboys man!¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Sven suddenly said with a laugh from below. ¡°You got an assist at least.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, an assist?! I fired at it first!¡± Armin said. ¡°It went straight to its turret. The¡­the damned ERA just¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, shoot better next time then,¡± Niko said with a chuckle, as he lowered his binoculars. ¡°Good job, team.¡± He then pulled out his radio. ¡°Alright, drive back into formation Charlie Company. Shit ain¡¯t over yet.¡±


    +++


    We¡¯re already sixteen hours late. Niko thought as he eyed the town ahead of them. Behind him, elements of C Company already began dispersing on the flat areas, as they checked the town for any hostile elements. This thing has gone bad. We¡¯re still too far.


    The road to Alfaun had been nothing but bloody for the CFN, with Niko¡¯s company already leaving nearly a dozen Larissan tanks burning in the woods behind them alone. But now, they had finished passing through the forested areas, and they were merely only a few kilometers away from Alfaun.


    Yet¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything on my end, Captain,¡± Armin reported, as their turret stopped turning. It was already pitch black for Niko as he watched the horizon with his binoculars, the fog further obscuring things, but the attack had to proceed even with low visibility. C Company would essentially be the main spearhead to take the town, with two other companies forming on their sides, mostly made up of mechanized and motorized infantry.


    The rest of their brigade¡¯s armor was being held in reserve for now, as they had to protect their flanks from any counterattacks. And so, Niko began thinking about their attack. He positioned his platoons in a standard, spread-out formation. Collectively, they occupied a kilometer-wide area alone, sitting directly on the road leading to the town.


    Together, the other companies occupied a kilometer each, so they would be spaced in a three-kilometer-wide area of dispersion. Good, but not so good. That was still quite tight for a modern engagement. Especially with the expectation that enemy artillery might begin raining down on them, and Niko wasn¡¯t particularly optimistic about that part.


    ¡°We already called in the 22nd Aviation Battalion,¡± Niko said. ¡°Just keep watching. We¡¯ll have attack choppers coming to support us, so just¡­keep cool, kid. It¡¯s gonna be fine.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Armin replied.


    Niko on the other hand waited as his unit drove into their respective positions. He gave the horizon another scan, but again, there was nothing of any sort of hostile activity. It seemed that the enemy was either hiding well or they already abandoned this town, which wouldn¡¯t surprise him.


    Unless they didn¡¯t.


    It was two thousand meters from their position. So Niko wondered. Why wouldn¡¯t the Larissans come out and engage them already while Niko¡¯s assault force was still setting up? There was some treeline, and Niko knew that they could camouflage themselves and they could be dug in on some sort of foxholes or dug their tanks into entrenched positions. So they might be really determined for an ambush. But they already allowed the opportunity to pass.


    Now, if there was someone trying to ambush them though, they should have seen something already even if they were holding fire.


    But we still picked up nothing on the thermals.


    ¡°Captain, 1st Platoon is ready to advance,¡± one of his Lieutenants spoke on the radio. ¡°Any orders?¡±


    ¡°Hold positions,¡± Niko replied. ¡°We¡¯re holding until the choppers arrive.¡±


    ¡°Copy.¡±


    Niko went back into his binoculars. Still nothing. At this point, a more aggressive commander would have already ordered his armor to go loose. To charge forward. But Niko wasn¡¯t that kind of a company commander. He preferred being cautious. Because caution meant fewer deaths.


    But again, at the same time, they were already hours late into the relief efforts. Which meant he really had to make a decision now. He wanted to contact their battalion commander, but Niko was already assigned as the temporary operational commander for this assault. Mostly because he was the one closest to the front.


    That, and he knew his battalion commander wasn¡¯t exactly the brightest one, so Niko would really have to go with this thing alone.


    The choppers are still a few minutes away. Niko thought to himself. Maybe ten minutes away. Each goddamned second is a second wasted. If that town¡¯s empty, we can just drive through it and get back on the goddamned road. But if it¡¯s not¡­


    Niko took a deep breath.


    Screw it, those Gallians need us.


    ¡°Change of plans, 1st Platoon, move out now. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, keep watch and advance forward in a staggered manner. It seems that the town is clear, but there might be infantry elements that can surprise us. Don¡¯t be too confident.¡±


    Their formation immediately advanced, and Niko¡¯s mech followed closely. He kept himself down low on the hatch, as he watched the dark silhouettes of his company¡¯s armored elements drive forward side-by-side with him. They drove about four hundred meters ahead, waiting for any ambush attack, but nothing.


    Not a single gunfire. They continued. Two hundred meters. Three hundred meters. Some of the LSS Mechs from 1st Platoon stopped momentarily, but they moved again. Armin continued to report nothing, and Niko continued to see nothing. They advanced. Soon, they were only a thousand meters from the town.


    Nothing.


    They moved forward further, as they saw a few wrecks of destroyed T-96 tanks on the road. Still no gunfire. Soon, the first LSS Mechs of 1st Platoon entered the town itself, as the M8 IFVs from 4th Platoon dismounted the troops they carried closely behind. They began combing through street after street, while Niko¡¯s mech advanced on the main road.


    ¡°Clear!¡± Someone shouted at the comms, and Niko breathed a sigh. There was nothing in the town. The goddamned Larissans already abandoned it. ¡°No hostile elements spotted.¡±


    ¡°All units, get back to the damned road. We¡¯re moving out at once!¡± Niko ordered as fell into his seat back inside the turret, drinking water from his canteen. Armin could only sag in his seat.


    ¡°Well, lucky us then,¡± Armin said as he looked at Niko with a grin. ¡°They chickened out.¡±


    ¡°Yep, lucky us, I guess,¡± Niko agreed, closing the cap on his canteen. ¡°For now, at least.¡±


    They still hadn¡¯t reached Alfaun after all.

 Chapter One Hundred Eight-Seven: Should You Commit?

    ¡°CFN forces plunge deep into the defense lines of the Empire of Kusari. Kusari forces faced a rout after weeks of intense fighting, with multiple sectors of the line being breached, causing the badly equipped forces of the Empire to stagger into chaos. The borderlands are already being abandoned, with a mass exodus of civilians from the falling cities causing major supply line disruptions on the already demoralized Kusari forces. However, multiple units proved their valor in combat, with one of the expeditionary KDUs, the 3rd Knights Detachment Unit conducting a valiant rearguard action in the Aldesh salient, holding out against two motor rifle divisions of the Pozneki Army, preventing the encirclement of two Kusari infantry divisions.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Eight Kilometers from Alfaun


    June 29, 2025


    I OEF Corps


    C/4-5 Light Mech Brigade ¡°Donnergrollen¡±


    Niko watched the wreck of one of their M8 IFVs on the road to Alfaun. The vehicle burned on the asphalt, as one of his company¡¯s recovery vehicles pulled it out of the area. He could only sigh, watching as the 4th Platoon¡¯s commanding officer shouted in the background¡ªunable to accept that one of his squads was completely wiped out by a single ATGM.


    ¡°All units,¡± Niko ordered over the radio. ¡°We have to keep moving. It¡¯s already 03:00 hours, we¡¯re very late. Those Gallians are still besieged. Keep moving. We¡¯ll pay respect to the fallen later.¡±


    Niko sighed, falling back into his seat inside the turret, as Armin too watched the wreck that was being towed away with clear anger. The enemy had been a pain to them. They were ambushing them each step of the way. Last time, two of their tanks ambushed them. This time, it was a single DMB-5 IFV that threw an ATGM to his column before they could respond.


    The result was the wreck in front of them, alongside the deaths of nine men under his command. It was¡­another loss for C Company.


    ¡°Think they¡¯re going to have more out there?¡± Armin asked. ¡°We¡¯re only a few inches from them.¡±


    ¡°Hilly area ahead,¡± Niko said. ¡°With trees and crap. And it¡¯s dark. And foggy. Bad visibility. Rough terrain. They can hide against us. We¡¯re going to advance in a more dispersed manner down the road.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to slow us down,¡± Armin said.


    ¡°Better than getting mauled by an ambush,¡± Niko replied, looking at the countryside around him. Beside the highway, were fences and grazing fields. ¡°We¡¯ll disperse near the approaches.¡±


    Soon, Niko¡¯s Company continued their advance along the highway, further spacing themselves as they went. No more were they charging forward at high speeds¡ªno, they advanced slowly, cautiously. The moment they reached the six-kilometer mark from the city, with its outer outskirts and the few buildings downtown becoming visible even with the thick fog, they slowed down further as they fanned out into combat formations.


    ¡°All units, space out. Check for hostiles. Steady advance,¡± Niko ordered as he popped his head above the hatch. In front of them, destroyed and abandoned civilian and military vehicles filled the highway. Behind them, the other companies also began spreading out of the highway, with Niko¡¯s company advancing forward straight into the main highway.


    Others began entering from other minor roads, as they finally reached the first barricades and sandbag positions of the city. Niko eyed the flag on one of them. It was the Gallian royal flag.


    One of his Lieutenants buzzed him on the radio, telling him that it was the Gallians in front of them. Already, the forward elements of his company entered the city further¡ªas the first Gallian soldiers went out of the residential homes and firing positions they occupied, cheering at them.


    ¡°Right¡­we somehow made it,¡± Niko said, as they continued forward. ¡°Somehow.¡±


    Above him, multiple AH-22 choppers flew overhead, as word from the top came. The other battalions also took other approaches to Alfaun with limited resistance. It was another victory for Orland.


    Niko soon exited his mech as they parked it into the side, with the rest of C Company advancing forward through the highway, making his way to one of the Gallian officers calling for him.


    Next¡­get them out of here.


    +++


    The shelling intensified around Alfaun as of 04:00 hours. Both Niko and Armin watched from the hatch of their mech as both Gallian civilians and military personnel drove out of the highway that they secured. Trucks, civilian vehicles, and even the occasional Gallian vehicles, like the Dupont Main Battle Tanks, passed in front of their parked vehicles.


    Niko removed his headset for a while to cool his ear a bit, as it had turned sweaty due to him having it on for hours, while Armin shook his head.


    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± Armin asked.


    Niko merely moved his head around to relieve some pressure off his tired neck as he grimaced.


    ¡°Just the usual,¡± Niko answered. ¡°We¡¯re moving out at 05:00 hours. Reinforce the guys fighting on the west end of the city. Then hold out till 08:00 hours before conducting a fighting retreat for the rest of the day. Just enough to get these people out.¡±


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    ¡°Four hours more,¡± Armin sighed. ¡°Man¡­this sucks.¡±


    ¡°The Goddess must really hate the idea of us sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? I haven¡¯t had an inch of sleep for weeks now,¡± Armin complained. ¡°I feel lightheaded. Say, can I have thirty minutes of shuteye?¡±


    ¡°Stow that for tomorrow,¡± Niko answered with a laugh. ¡°We¡¯re Oscar Mike in a few minutes. I¡¯m just giving the folks some more rest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust that crap man, tomorrow, I¡¯d still probably only get half an hour of sleep. I swear, wherever shit happens, it¡¯s always us and us and us being sent to it. No damned rest.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can take your complaints to high command.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the officer here,¡± Armin grinned. ¡°Can you send them a letter saying, ¡®Yo, we need sleep.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Even the Queen won¡¯t listen to your belly-aching.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, man,¡± the two of them looked at a bus filled with children, many of whom looked up at them from the windows. ¡°Damn, kids too?¡±


    ¡°You look quite shocked. Gee, a city with children? Who wouldn¡¯t have thought of that.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re shelling this city to bits, man,¡± Armin said, looking in the distance. The eastern part of the city was certainly on fire already, with the continued shelling hitting their positions over there. ¡°No care for the civvies.¡±


    ¡°Seems like their entire style in this war,¡± Niko said, popping his canteen and taking a sip from it. ¡°Gonna be their style going forward. I mean, to be fair, the Gallian government has to be quite braindead not to evacuate this city like, I dunno, weeks ago. Goddess, they know this place is vulnerable to becoming the frontline in the span of days, and they didn¡¯t organize mass evacuations.¡±


    ¡°Seems like everyone managing this war suffers from a severe form of mental illness anyway.¡±


    ¡°Nothing more to expect than that, really.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Sven called from below as he climbed their vehicle, carrying a bunch of potato chips. ¡°Bought some crap from a nearby store. Want some?¡±


    ¡°You mean you paid, or¡­¡± Armin asked, knowing that everyone was evacuating.


    ¡°Well,¡± Sven laughed awkwardly. ¡°I left two blancs on the counter. That should be enough, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll have one,¡± Niko said, grabbing one of them from Sven. Armin followed suit when Sven moved near him, while Niko ripped the package open, munching immediately on the junk food. ¡°Now, this wakes you up.¡±


    ¡°Come on, there¡¯s more air in mine than chips!¡±


    ¡°You complain about everything,¡± Niko said, as he poured a bunch into his mouth, mumbling his next words. ¡°Someone can fix all of your life problems and you¡¯ll still whine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll whine all I want.¡±


    ¡°I like his style,¡± Sven laughed a bit. ¡°Fits this situation well.¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    Amelie massaged her temples.


    The last meeting with the OHC placed some strain on his mental fortitude once again. Gallia wasn¡¯t¡­in the best of shapes right now. The enemy was breaking through the new defense lines hastily set up by their forces. The I OEF Corps managed to relieve a few encircled Gallian units after the rout, but things weren¡¯t holding out well.


    And there were arguments¡ªlots of arguments, between her military staff regarding the request of the Gallians to start the offensive immediately. General Albrecht hadn¡¯t given his opinions yet, but the OHC was now divided between two camps. The ¡®decisive victory¡¯ camp, and the ¡®save Toldoi¡¯ camp.


    ¡°They should just attack,¡± Nia gave her cent on the matter as she placed a teacup in front of Amelie¡¯s table. Amelie smelled it for a while, before sipping it.


    ¡°Thanks, Nia.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem,¡± Nia said, before frowning. ¡°Amelie, I¡¯m sure you get it too. Toldoi has millions of civilians. We can¡¯t let it fall.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Amelie replied as she placed the cup back onto the plate. ¡°But those officers had a point. We¡¯re still stockpiling the necessary equipment and supplies for the counterattack. With the enemy¡¯s numbers advantage, we can¡¯t do it half-assed. They¡¯ll escape.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯ll retreat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not our plan,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°Even if we rout them into a retreat, if we have to stop the offensive midway, they¡¯ll just escape to Poznek. Those officers don¡¯t want that. They want to destroy their armies in Gallia. And the only way to do that is to set everything up right. It takes time to prepare for that.¡±


    Amelie sighed, looking at the map of the frontlines on her laptop. It bugged her how close they were to Gallia¡¯s capital. They¡¯re only a few hours of driving away from Toldoi. Amelie thought. Just seventy kilometers away. Just seventy. Without stiff resistance, they can just drive toward it with no problem.


    ¡°I wanted to see Toldoi for myself,¡± Nia said, as she sighed, returning to her seat, near Amelie¡¯s table, tending to the piles of documents she needed to sort for Amelie. ¡°You know, there¡¯s so much culture and history in that city. If they reach it, they¡¯ll demolish all of it. Just like what they did to Halia. Just like Thein.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They¡¯re already trying to bomb it. If they advance even just forty more kilometers to Toldoi, they can start firing their long-range artillery on the city. It¡¯d be chaos.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Nia said, dropping the files back down her desk as she turned to Amelie. ¡°Order them to start the counterattack. I mean, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a stupid decision. We have a lot of officers saying that they think it¡¯s the best idea, and that the ¡®decisive victory¡¯ plan of the other officers is delusional at best. They¡¯re all experts in this. It¡¯s just up to us which camp of experts sounds the best. And I say the ones who want to save a city of millions is the camp that has the sound argument.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t find a decisive victory, then we risk turning the war in West Vaeyox into that of¡­of a stalemate,¡± Amelie said. ¡°It¡¯d be the Great War again. It¡¯d be the same here in Orland.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how things are fated to be,¡± Nia said. ¡°I mean, didn¡¯t they say that the Larissans have such deep reserves and massive production lines, alongside manpower, that they might just regenerate their forces even if we win in Poznek? Maybe, Amelie, whether we get a decisive victory or not, the same result will still come in six months. You said it yourself. This war will be a long one. At least save our allies¡¯ capital.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I promised them¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Amelie sighed, taking another drink of her tea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Eight: Order of Battle

    ¡°Civilian evacuations have been initiated by the new Gallian government in Toldoi. The GAF has now taken a forceful role in the evacuations, with the city¡¯s civilian populace being told to ¡®leave at once¡¯ for ¡®their protection¡¯. Barricades, barbed wires, sandbags, bunkers, traps, and everything else are being prepared in the Gallian capital. Armored vehicles and military trucks are pouring in, with the city¡¯s outskirts also being fortified with extensive trenches, tank traps, and other static defenses to accompany the planned ¡®defense in depth¡¯ tactic that the Gallians would use. Meanwhile, CFN forces have managed to overrun two more cities just fifty kilometers away from Toldoi, as the GAF retreat becomes more and more pronounced.¡±


    - Geopol News


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    July 2, 2025


    ¡°Gentlemen, ladies,¡± General Albrecht greeted as the rest of the Heiss Cabinet filed into the room. The other heads of the Armed Forces, namely Admiral Halberd, and Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman, rose to greet the civilian ministers. Amelie herself shook the two officer¡¯s hands with a smile as she went to her seat. Around them, the staff and clerks began preparing for the presentation, with the screens being turned on, and water bottles distributed. ¡°We¡¯re going to have quite the long talk today, unfortunately. Right now, as you may know, the situation in our allied country of Gallia has been¡­less than stellar.¡±


    ¡°I thought the air campaign was doing well,¡± Jacqueline said as she sat on her seat, placing down her files on the table with a sigh. ¡°How¡¯s the Air Force doing at their job?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing our best,¡± the Chief Air Marshal replied curtly. ¡°But we are preparing for a massive offensive. Sorties are now down to prepare for that. We¡¯d be running a lot of CAS operations once it begins, and our munitions count doesn¡¯t grow from trees.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to fix that,¡± Anne said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re packing missiles and ordnance as fast as possible. I believe in two months, the problem will be temporarily resolved.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the problem,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°We don¡¯t have one month. Or two months. Or three months. We have a few weeks. Not three. Two. Possibly not even one. Right now, we have to decide how we will best use the equipment, supplies, men, and assets we have present on Gallia and Lorathia. That¡¯s what we¡¯ll have in the upcoming short campaign.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made the decision,¡± Amelie announced. ¡°We¡¯re launching the offensive within next week. That¡¯s why they¡¯re in a rush. We can¡¯t let Toldoi fall.¡±


    The screens booted up at last, finally presenting the breakdown of the numbers, the operational maps, and the most important of them all¡ªthe order of battle, for the ministers. All of them looked at the presentation screens, as General Albrecht took his baton to begin his presentation.


    ¡°Ladies and gents, this¡­is the situation in the frontlines as it stands,¡± the map, which used to be empty, was suddenly filled with military symbols, representing different units. All of the known CFN units were represented with diamond symbols alongside their designations. Gallian units, on the other hand, mostly positioned in the frontline itself, were represented with green symbols. Meanwhile, most units of the LEF and OEF were at the backline, as reserves, represented with yellow and blue symbols respectively. ¡°As of now, the Gallian Army is responsible for much of the front. Approximately nine hundred thousand soldiers divided into four armies have been deployed by the GAF on the frontlines. They are, as of now, supported by the I OEF Corps and the I and III LEF Corps, making up the 1st MN Mobile Expeditionary Army, with around eighty thousand troops in total.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°They cannot hold the frontlines alone. As you all know, we¡¯ve held the majority of our expeditionary forces to the rear to limit their losses, and to prepare them for a very logistically intensive operation. A counteroffensive that will knock out the Larissan bear off from our allies¡¯ soil¡ªand plunge deep into Poznek afterward.¡±


    ¡°Are we ready for that?¡± Allison curiously asked. ¡°I mean, they¡¯ve been sitting there for a while.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple why, Minister Thell,¡± the General responded. ¡°These units required a lot of reinforcements when they arrived. These brigades had to stay there and reorganize as they received new units, we expanded their sizes and new equipment. That, and they mostly had to help with the establishment of robust supply lines throughout the Gallian interior. Fuel depots. Maintenance bases. Munition depots. Bases. A lot. All of this means that these forces are now at their best conditions for years. All that was left a few days ago was the timing of the counteroffensive, which was decided by Her Majesty.¡±


    ¡°So are they ready?¡±


    ¡°Not at the hundred percent optimum rate, but at around ninety percent,¡± the General answered. ¡°Yes. They are ready.¡±


    ¡°Well, perfection is the enemy of victory,¡± Walter calmly stated as he sipped water from his bottle. ¡°It¡¯s time to strike, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Pristina agreed. ¡°I said that already last week. We should have struck already. So many other fronts require our attention. Namely Hebei and Kusari.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, even if we gave the job of fixing that problem to the Royal Guard, Navy, and the Marine Corps, the situation there also requires our attention soon,¡± Amelie said. ¡°So please, now that I gave the green light on this operation, finish it quickly. I need to divert some of our mobile elements to support our KDUs in Kusari.¡±


    ¡°Kusari is a problem, yes, but, again, we¡¯ll deal with it after we destroy them at Gallia and Poznek,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Now, moving onto the most important part, the projections on both sides.¡±


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    He pointed his baton at one of the screens. Depicted on it were the first bullet points, showing the numbers on the CFN¡¯s side. Amelie shook her head as she looked at it. That was really jarring to see. They had so many assets moved in Gallia that she was really, really worried about how this offensive would go. She almost wanted to look away and wave it off as ¡®faulty intelligence¡¯, but she knew better than that.


    ¡°On their side, the CFN holds a combined force of approximately four thousand active main battle tanks of all types in Gallia,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°That¡¯s between multiple identified ¡®Tank Armies¡¯. Namely, the 1st Guards Tank Army, the 4th Guards Tank Army, the 15th Guards Tank Army, and a number of Separate Tank Regiments.¡±


    ¡°18th¡­¡± Allison muttered.


    ¡°Yes, that includes the 18th Separate Tank Regiment, involved in the Edel Massacre three weeks ago. Gallian POWs and civilians. Women and children. They even sent tanks to drive on a few of them.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely disgusting,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°These people are vile.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just repeating what we found out. These people we are facing aren¡¯t just driving around thousands of tanks and other armored vehicles. They¡¯re an army fueled by fanaticism, hatred, and disgust about everything that we stand for. They literally refuse to take Orlish POWs because they see them as traitors to the revolution. They¡¯re no brothers to us. They¡¯re rabid animals.¡±


    He pointed his baton at the manpower count of the enemy.


    ¡°Approximately two point four million rabid animals. I want to make things clear. We¡¯re already in fact preparing for the next escalations that the Larissans might take if their offensive fails and we maul them. We expect that the enemy is planning to deploy both persistent and non-persistent chemical weapons. Remember, each soldier in this figure crossed the border wearing a CBRN suit. They only need to don their gas masks once the order from the top comes. We¡¯re not yet provoking them because most of the Gallian Army is still trying to issue protective suits to their soldiers, but we are preparing. They will be ruthless. They have already been ruthless. Both in the First Great War and certainly now.¡±


    ¡°Well, General Albrecht, I can see that you¡¯re quite charged right now,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But let¡¯s not refer to all those people as animals. I understand that many of them hold extreme hatred for¡­the world order as it stands, but I refuse to believe that all of them fighting under the CFN banner are evil young men. We¡¯ll rout them. And many of them will surrender. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Quite naive, but alright, Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht breathed in. ¡°We do have some fortunate news for us. The Gallians have really harmed them in their offensive. The tallies right now on their losses are as high as one thousand eight hundred armored losses.¡±


    The ministers all looked as the screen presented images of destroyed Larissan columns, individual tanks, and what else was taken down by MN forces. Amelie smiled a bit as she looked at it, certainly proud of the defenders valiantly holding their ground and inflicting damage. In fact, she remembered how well some of her units, namely the Donnergrollen Brigade and the reformed Rattenk?nig Brigade to name a few, were doing for the last few weeks in the I OEF Corps. Their kill ratios had been insane, and she was now starting to consider giving out a lot of medals personally to their newly produced aces.


    ¡°Their infantry losses have also been staggering numbers. Our estimates are now running at nearly two hundred thousand casualties. Both dead and wounded. This is in contrast to approximately seventy to eighty thousand losses sustained by Allied forces on the ground. We are bleeding them out at a constantly better ratio. The only problem is that they¡¯re grinding out our frontline units with fresh replacements, constantly. Causing casualties can only do so much when the enemy can send three tanks to your one tank.¡±


    ¡°I can almost applaud the Gallians for that,¡± Walter said. ¡°Quite impressive that they¡¯re doing half-well after Queen Clericia¡¯s glorious mismanagement.¡±


    Pristina frowned.


    ¡°Can we not mock a dead woman for once?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Defense Minister.¡±


    Amelie sighed as she looked back at the General, trying to ignore the headbutting officials under her.


    ¡°Right. Now, onto the capabilities of our side, specifically, the ones going into the offensive. We have four OEF corps available from Orland, alongside seven LEF Corps available from the Lorathians,¡± General Albrecht explained, showing the order of battle under VACCOM (Vaeyox Continental Command) command in Gallia. ¡°They¡¯re now divided into three operational armies under Army Group Gallia, led by General Elias Holl. One of our most seasoned commanders when it comes to armored warfare.¡±


    He then showed the number of assets present.


    ¡°Army Group Gallia does not include Gallian forces, instead, it only includes the 1st and 4th Lorathian Armies assigned to the counteroffensive and the 3rd Orlish Mobile Army. All Orlish units in Gallia are under the 3rd Orlish Mobile Army aside from those under the I OEF Corps. As for the positioning, the 3rd Orlish Mobile Army will be responsible for the counteroffensive on the south¡ªthat will swing up north to meet the pincers from the northern thrust conducted by the 1st and 4th Lorathian Armies.¡±


    The map showed how the units were projected to move. Most Lorathian units were in the northern coasts¡ªthere, they moved to the frontline, then punched forward, racing in the coasts. Down south, Amelie watched as the symbols of Orlish units under the 3rd Mobile Army drove up, passing near the border of Pez and Gallia, then pushing north.


    Meanwhile, the Gallian Army units remained in the center¡ªpinning and holding the CFN units that were punching toward Toldoi.


    A massive encirclement. Amelie thought. Nice.


    ¡°In the center, the Larissans and Poznekis will be caught off-balance by these massive, sudden thrusts. Gallia, with its leftover reserves, will push in a last-ditch offensive to pin their units in place, or to put pressure on them while they retreat. While we overrun their weaker flanks, we¡¯ll manage to push them out of Gallia, encircling them with our pincers from the northern coast and from the south. If not, the pace of their retreat will force them to abandon most of their heavier equipment, rendering their armies weak for the next punch¡­¡±


    The arrows then pointed in Poznek¡¯s direction as the pincers closed, with most of their units actually escaping the massive encirclement by the time the fronts stabilized. It seemed to be a conservative projection to Amelie¡¯s view, but she knew that they¡¯d have extreme losses from such a pullout.


    ¡°Straight into Poznek. A decisive victory that will hand us a good result in this campaign,¡± General Albrecht announced. ¡°And we¡¯ll be doing it with one thousand three hundred tanks. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s the entire force of Army Group Gallia. Outnumbered nearly four to one. Even if we consider the few hundred tanks left in the Gallian Army. This¡­is a risky maneuver that might end up as a disaster, or win us the greatest victory since the Great War.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to win it then,¡± Amelie said. ¡°As you envisioned there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Nine: Holding a Bridge

    ¡°The situation in the Empire of Kusari continues to deteriorate. A major pocket of 120,000 MN troops had been created by CFN forces during the retreat of the Kusari Army in the Laresh region. Defense Minister Pristina Dubois has affirmed that the Royal Guard of Orland ¡®will do everything¡¯ to relieve the trapped Kusari troops. Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman and Admiral Halberd of the Orlish High Command have also reiterated during a press briefing that the Orlish Navy and Air Force will keep ¡®air and naval¡¯ supply routes to the Laresh region open, with the ONS Rebenslof and ONS Cuirassier confirmed to be near the Laresh coastlines, keeping a constant stream of emergency supplies open to the port cities of Lujal and Gehra.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Northwestern Kusari


    July 4, 2025


    3rd Knights Detachment Unit


    2nd Combined Arms Battalion


    H Company


    Captain Henrietta Lurois struggled to sleep as she shivered at the cold. Her tank was now parked in the same place that it had been parked for the last eight hours, just hiding behind a tree line, just like most of Helix Company¡¯s vehicles that were dispersed in the abandoned town just behind the important bridge near an equally important highway.


    It¡¯s just us here now. Henrietta thought as she watched the bridge. Their turret was aimed in its direction, keeping a vigilant watch, but Henrietta imagined that Corporal Freya Blum, her gunner, had already fallen asleep at this point. Perhaps the same was true with Private Linze Esser, her loader, and Private Jeanne Graf, was the same. After all, it¡¯s already 3:00 AM.


    Tiredly, she glanced below her to confirm her suspicions.


    Indeed, her two girls were now snoring tiredly on their posts. Henrietta just sighed. She told them to remain awake at all times, but, the past days had taken a toll on them. Only now were they in a somewhat ¡°peaceful¡± posting. Besides that¡­her unit had taken extreme losses to her standards. Two of her L?we tanks from 1st and 2nd Platoon were now out of commission, taken out during the fighting yesterday.


    Their crew was also not with them anymore, with half of them dead, and the rest taken from the frontlines for treatment. That, and another one of her M8 IFVs were also taken out of action, and she lost a total of twenty soldiers from her company¡¯s 3rd and 4th Platoon, with eight dead.


    I really need to ask the major for more ammo tomorrow. Henrietta wanted to bang her fist on her tank¡¯s roof armor, but she was too tired to bother. Damn it¡­why is this war such a¡­


    She looked up at the stars in the sky, as she sighed.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She looked to her side, then down of her tank. Below, was Lieutenant Hannah Veraldine, her executive officer, waving at her, a cup at hand. ¡°Still awake?¡±


    Henrietta just massaged her temples.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Henrietta said. ¡°I¡¯m keeping watch for the girls. They¡¯re tired, you know?¡±


    ¡°My crew¡¯s still playing cards with each other,¡± Hannah chuckled. ¡°Wanna have some coffee?¡±


    ¡°No tea?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°We ran out of it.¡±


    Henrietta sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, we did too¡­alright, I¡¯ll have some.¡±


    Soon, the two were near one of the houses where both of their tanks were camped, huddled together as they sipped their coffee. The farmhouse offered them some nice benches to sit down on, as they chatted endlessly. Still, Henrietta kept herself alert from any radio report from her assigned observers keeping watch, as she sipped her coffee.


    ¡°You know, do you regret joining here?¡± Hannah asked curiously.


    ¡°Regret?¡± Henrietta chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s¡­not something a citizen of the Kingdom who volunteered to fight a war that her Queen called her for should feel, I think.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hannah looked at the abandoned shack in front of them, the toilet still visible with its open wooden door. ¡°I don¡¯t know. This¡­kinda sucks. And you can die. Some of our girls are now second-guessing things. I can hear them sometimes, complaining.¡±


    ¡°Anyone will complain if they have to keep fighting,¡± Henrietta said, as she crossed her legs, leaning her back fully on the bench to relax. ¡°You know, I imagine, the guys on the other units are the same. They must have been complaining for years already.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­think we¡¯d be the same?¡±


    ¡°Hopefully not,¡± Henrietta answered, as she looked at her cup. ¡°But, if we have to, then we just have to accept it. I joined in because I believed in Her Majesty¡¯s words. And because it¡¯s my duty. To fight¡­side-by-side with them.¡±


    Henrietta¡¯s vision flashed for a second, the memories of broken-down T-96 tanks employed by the Kusari Army on that highway. She never really understood the Kusari language, but¡­unlike in Orland, Henrietta saw a strange sort of camaraderie between their men and women, even if they were losing badly.


    Not that it changed anything.


    Henrietta thought.


    They still died there all the same.


    She took another sip of her coffee.


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    ¡°I heard the Marines are joining us in force for the counter-offensive,¡± Hannah said, poking Henrietta¡¯s side as she pouted. ¡°Come on, can you spill some news, please? Everyone¡¯s so secretive nowadays, that I wonder how we¡¯re even fighting well.¡±


    Hannah chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re joining us,¡± Henrietta said. ¡°Those guys are veterans, so maybe they¡¯ll do well. I imagine their tankers are quite something, I heard. Running all those older L?we EP2a variants. Yet they have higher kill ratios than us.¡±


    Hannah pouted further.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re just as worthy of the veteran title as them,¡± she huffed and looked away, crossing her arms. ¡°I mean, sure, they¡¯ve been fighting for much longer, but we have shinier equipment and better training! We have L?we EP4bs. The latest of the latest variants. The cream of the crop. With¡­with the best armor and sensors, and everything. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯re bad. We lost two tanks, and killed fourteen already.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± Henrietta smiled. ¡°We¡¯re learning quite well, slowly. But, maybe we¡¯re just lucky. I Company for example is now reduced to five tanks. J Company is down to six. Our battalion as a whole¡­isn¡¯t really doing stellar.¡±


    Hannah frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s why they sent us here for now, no?¡±


    ¡°The Major has no choice,¡± Henrietta said, as she sighed. ¡°The rest of the battalion needs to recuperate and wait for the replacements. She said in two days, the new ones will arrive. Same for us. We¡¯ll get¡­two new tanks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s slow¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fast,¡± Henrietta corrected. ¡°We¡¯re¡­priority. On the other hand, I heard that in the OAF, entire companies could be down to four or three tanks, but they¡¯re expected to fight on for weeks alongside other shattered units until they receive new tanks. Sometimes, they don¡¯t even have tanks or vehicles left once they¡¯re rotated out. They¡¯ll just be¡­rebuilt, from scratch, with the old survivors, usually.¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°In comparison, for us, they don¡¯t want us suffering any needless losses, so our formations¡­will always be a priority for the best equipment, and replacements.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Hannah said. ¡°I thought it was bad¡­¡±


    ¡°All of this could be worse. Much¡­much worse.¡±


    ¡°Helix Actual! Contact established!¡± Henrietta¡¯s radio suddenly buzzed. ¡°Unidentified AFVs on the highway, three kilometers away!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it begins then¡­¡±


    +++


    Henrietta¡¯s crew woke up rather quickly when she called them up. Freya, Linze, and Jeanne were clearly still sleepy, but her three crew women all rushed to their duty stations, with Freya already eyeing the distant vehicles in her gunner¡¯s sight.


    And Henrietta was the same, watching them from her commander¡¯s sight. She switched to thermals to see the outlines of the enemy vehicles, as Freya moved the turret left to right.


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing¡­I think those are BTPs¡­BTP-4s if I¡¯m not mistaken from those newer turrets,¡± Freya said.


    ¡°BTPs?¡± Linze asked as she gulped. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more of them coming,¡± Henrietta noted, watching the wheeled CFN APCs as they arrived. ¡°Definitely not Kusari vehicles. They¡¯re dismounting infantry to assault us. Dispersing. They¡¯re the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­¡± Linze breathed out.


    ¡°This is 2-1 to Helix Actual, we¡¯re awaiting orders to engage. My platoon has their targets.¡±


    ¡°1-1 confirms that we have our targets picked and confirmed too.¡±


    In just seconds, however, gas began appearing on their displays as a few of their BTPs deployed it on their dismounting columns. Henrietta frowned, as many began disappearing from her sights. She should have ordered them already to open fire, but alas, it wouldn¡¯t have helped to expose herself prematurely anyway.


    Not that they don¡¯t know we¡¯re here.


    ¡°Alright, all units, just keep yourselves focused on taking your targets. Be ready to move out at once. I think they¡¯re gonna deploy their artillery once they spot us.¡±


    ¡°Copy.¡±


    Unfortunately, within seconds, the gas seemed to have dissipated enough, that their newer thermal sensors began picking up the advancing column, still being masked by the lead BTPs. Henrietta immediately pulled out her radio.


    ¡°There¡¯s more of them coming, we can see them,¡± Henrietta said. ¡°If you can take targets now, take targets now. Fire at will. Their entire column is exposed.¡±


    ¡°1st Platoon engaging!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re engaging too!¡±


    Immediately, the first shots from Helix Company opened fire¡ªslamming at two BTPs rushing through the road. Henrietta ordered Freya to take her target, a BTP that made the mistake of stopping too early on the road. With a HEAT round prepared, Freya pushed the button to open fire on the gunner¡¯s sights, and Henrietta watched as the BTP took the hit.


    ¡°Good hit!¡± Henrietta said before her eyes widened as she spotted a speeding T-96 on the thermals. Her heart rate spiked, as it always did whenever she saw another vehicle that could take out her L?we. She immediately shouted her orders. ¡°Gunner, sabot, tank left!¡±


    Linze opened the blast door for their ammo from behind, grabbing an APFSDS round and slamming it at the gun breech as Freya turned their turret to the left, acquiring the target in her sights. In a second, Freya pushed the button again, firing it straight at the offending CFN tank. However, a burst from its ERA lit up on the thermals, and Henrietta watched as their shot shattered on its turret in vain as it stopped.


    ¡°Driver! Back! Back!¡± Henrietta ordered as the enemy T-96 turned its turret straight at her tank. ¡°Reverse now!¡±


    ¡°On it!¡±


    But before Jeanne could pull their tank into an immediate reverse to cover, a shot from the enemy tank slammed straight into the armored cheeks of Henrietta¡¯s tank. Henrietta watched as sparks flew straight into her turret¡¯s interior, their lights shutting down for a second before turning back on again.


    ¡°Everyone alright?!¡± Henrietta asked as Freya and Linze both shouted yes from below her. The trio then looked at their ammo storage¡¯s blast door, which had a blackened impact crater. Yet, somehow, the armor was unpenetrated by the enemy round that managed to enter their turret.


    ¡°That was¡­close,¡± Linze breathed out, touching her Kevlar vest a bit, as she was only a few inches away from those sparks.


    ¡°Thank goddess for the new spall liners,¡± Freya commented with wide eyes before Henrietta barked her orders.


    ¡°Load sabot again! Take it out!¡±


    Her two crewmates immediately sprang up into action, with Linze slamming another sabot round on the breech, and Freya reacquiring her target in the gunner¡¯s sight. Henrietta watched as Freya made no waste of time, firing immediately into her target¡ªthis time, the brief flash of light produced by their round slammed in between the turret and hull of the enemy tank.


    Straight into the turret ring?


    In seconds, a violent explosion rocked the battlefield, with the CFN tank¡¯s turret being blown up violently. Henrietta finally managed to look at the rest of the battlefield, as the enemy¡¯s soldiers began retreating back to their BTPs, most of which began driving away. The gunfire from both sides lasted for a few more minutes until Henrietta and Freya could only see the results of the brief skirmish.


    Two enemy tanks on the road were destroyed, alongside six of their BTPs. Victory was on Orland¡¯s side for now.


    For now, Henrietta finally collapsed on her seat, as she ordered her units to cease firing. Their artillery is sure to come next time.

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety: Down at the Tropics

    ¡°Federalist forces committed another offensive against Thein this early morning. Royalist and Federalist aircraft dueled in the skies of Orland, as Federalist armored corps punched through fortified defense lines manned by Royalist infantry. The 27th and 28th Armored Brigades however stopped much of the advance, which managed to push back Royalist forces nineteen kilometers from the original battle lines in just a few hours. Federalist forces seemed to have employed great tactical precision on Royalist forces, with heavy artillery and missile strikes hitting ammo depots, fuel depots, concealed SPG and artillery employments, fortified bunkers, and other targets that weakened the multi-layered defense lines of Royalist troops. Reports also came that multiple newly-raised all-women units of the OAF shattered way too fast during combat, with footage of multiple armored vehicles originating from these battalions seen ¡®running¡¯ on highways and roads during the opening hours of the offensive. The OAF is still containing the attack, as FOAF forces also suffer ever increasing losses the further they go through the layered Royalist defenses on the frontline.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    Northwestern Kusari


    Laresh Region


    July 4, 2025


    6th Marine Regiment


    2nd Marine Battalion


    A Company


    Man, are we really saving those Kusaris with just this?


    Corporal Oakley Fried watched from his seat as their company¡¯s new ICV-24 Stryders from 3rd and 4th Platoon passed by them. They were eight-wheeled armored vehicles, a bridge between the APC and IFV, that were being slowly sent to Marine and Army motorized units to fully mechanize them. He felt kinda jealous about it. Unlike his platoon, they were still driving around in their HMLV.


    I guess those new 35mm autocannons sure do look kinda cool at least. Beats this unarmored thing and this crappy machine gun. Oakley thought, as he looked at the remote-controlled turrets on top of one of the Stryders passing him. Wonder if I can sign up to be a gunner on those things once we move into one. Hopefully, Sergeant Higgs can get behind that.


    He looked at the newly promoted Corporal Timmy Huppert who seemed to be fumbling around with his rifle. Right then, Sergeant Mark Higgs called out that they would be moving out at once. Oakley just sighed, as he stowed whatever he was holding to the side, saying aye and moving his way to the gunner¡¯s post.


    In seconds, Corporal Jerry Kazper, their driver, pressed his feet on the gas, following the convoy of HMLVs from the rest of their company up ahead, while Oakley grabbed their heavy machine gun, and turned it to the side, sighing to himself as he looked at his watch.


    04:32 hours. He yawned. Man¡­Kusari kinda sucks.


    Below him, Timmy, Mark, and Jerry all chatted endlessly as they drove through the rough, Kusari countryside. Meanwhile, Oakley remained silent, just watching the badly paved roads, the muddy fields, and the still half-flooded rural houses that they were passing by. He especially found it jarring how, within two minutes, they passed by an obviously overly flooded rice field¡ªthe water seemingly brown in color


    Wonder if it¡¯ll rain that badly again tomorrow. Oakley thought, watching the small droplets of rain above him. They said the typhoon was already gone, so probably not, Oakley hoped. But really, it might still be there. Quite frankly, within twenty minutes, it was just the elevated road that they were driving on that was untouched by the deep mud and flood in the countryside.


    Soon, they also passed by the remnants of the Kusari retreat on the road. Random T-96 wrecks. Then there were the BTPs and other Order Pact personnel carriers that were acquired by the Empire during the Cold War when Kusari and Hebei remained closely tied to the Larissan side. All of them were now nothing but wrecks. Many didn¡¯t even have their personnel recovered yet, as Oakley saw a few rotting corpses of dead Kusari soldiers on the mud or the flooded craters around them.


    Another hour passed, before they reached their area of operations near the frontline, as advancing KDUs managed to push a few kilometers against the CFN last night. They passed a battle-torn town, where a bunch of Royal Guard L?wes and M8 IFVs were parked, their crew and soldiers clearly still recovering from the harsh combat operations.


    ¡°Damn, look at them ladies,¡± Timmy said from below. ¡°They look like they went through some tough shit, man.¡±


    ¡°Course they did,¡± Oakley said, eyeing a blonde woman on the side of a parked medical HMLV, her head covered by a massive bandage that blocked her left eye, with nurses still tending to her. In fact, as they continued, Oakley could see a lot more injured Orlishwomen being carried into parked medical HMLVs, which did numbers on his mind. ¡°They took this place in a determined assault just hours ahead of us. They¡¯re really fighting hard.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± Timmy said before Jerry laughed.


    ¡°Unlike us, and those in the Army, these ladies volunteered for this fight,¡± he said. ¡°Course they¡¯ll do decently.¡±


    Oakley looked at one of the parked L?wes operated by this Royal Guard unit. Unlike the usual old L?wes operated by most Army and Marine brigades, it was clearly superior in equipment. Full standard issue multispectral camo nets, newer Matrix-2 ERA protection on the sides of its hull and turret, and those newer APS (Active Protection System) and remote-controlled machine guns on its turret were clearly installed on it. In comparison, most of the tanks he saw in the Marine Corps still used the old manned heavy machine guns, and they definitely had none of the newer upgrades.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting all the shiny stuff,¡± Oakley said from the top, and he heard Sergeant Higgs grunt below.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Course they do,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re women.¡±


    +++


    They watched from a treeline as the battlefield became obscured by thick smoke. Heavy artillery from their organic self-propelled guns from the rear had been laying down smoke to prevent CFN forces from firing at them on their flanks for five minutes already. Oakley tried to breathe in deeply, as another barrage of smoke shells dropped.


    Kilometers upon kilometers of the morning, muddy, and rainy fields, now obscured by thick smoke. Then, after that, they watched as the first actual artillery fire rained down on the enemy. It really was disturbing, Oakley thought, as he looked down on his watch again, before looking at the other vehicles of his company preparing on the road.


    Unfortunately, it¡¯d be stupid to drive around the soft, muddy ground, so they¡¯d have to advance in a vulnerable manner on the highway (which was a better alternative to being stuck in the mud¡ªno, in fact, the fields were straight up flooded here) and getting sniped by enemy armor), but, still, it¡¯d be a risky assault.


    Oakley momentarily grabbed his binoculars to look at the town they would be assaulting. Right as he placed it on his hands, three massive explosions struck it¡ªleveling probably a good number of houses there. Considering that there were no defenses properly set up by Larissans and Poznekis in the area (they literally captured this place only a few days ago), Oakley imagined that the determined barrage would scatter them well.


    But, to hope for that¡­


    The order soon arrived. At once, he felt their HMLV advance with the rest of the company. They advanced in a very dispersed manner on the road, side by side, rapidly. Their radios were also constantly alight, as drone observer teams relayed the positions of enemy units in their comms. Oakley dutifully followed their directions, especially when the order to open fire was given.


    He couldn¡¯t really see anyone in the smoke-filled area that he was aiming at, but because the observer teams said so, he joined the rest of the company¡¯s vehicles as they unloaded suppressive gunfire on it.


    Even below him, Timmy and Sergeant Higgs joined in, taking potshots with their rifles at the horizon. Soon, however, they reached the town, and many of his fellow marines began dismounting their Stryders and HMLVs, while their vehicles began moving through different lanes. On the specific street where their team advanced, their HMLV became the lead assault element.


    On the sides, the Marines from the Stryder platoons advanced side-by-side with them on foot, as Jerry drove cautiously on the Kusari neighborhoods. Oakley kept his hold on the fifty tightly, as he watched the houses and buildings in paranoia. The artillery had remained just as noisy, but strikes on the town itself had ended.


    ¡°Stay calm, everyone,¡± Sergeant Higgs said, his rifle aimed out of his door window. Timmy on the rear breathed in deeply, as they continued inching forward without hostile resistance. ¡°The drones confirmed that there are no armored assets in this town.¡±


    ¡°Just footmobiles?¡± Oakley asked out loud.


    ¡°Most likely.¡±


    The battlefield grew ever more silent, with just the sounds of their engines and the footsteps of the Marines on foot becoming audible. Oakley¡¯s eyes darted left to right, up and down¡ªhe even eyed the sewer maintenance holes, convinced that there might be some Larissan or Pozneki infantryman just waiting there to pop a rocket on their face.


    But nothing.


    Damn it, just come out!


    Oakley¡¯s mental demands were unheard, as they continued deeper into the town. He looked to his side momentarily, looking at one of the advancing columns parallel to them, and they were doing the same as them. Their Stryders advanced at walking speed side-by-side with dismounted Marines.


    ¡°You guys think they fled?¡± Timmy asked as he looked up at one of the houses they passed by. ¡°This place seems empty.¡±


    ¡°No, they probably didn¡¯t,¡± Jerry thought, as he grimaced. Oakley then suddenly felt their HMLV come to a halt, which elicited a reaction from Sergeant Higgs.


    ¡°Jerry? What is it?!¡±


    ¡°I think I saw a ruffle somewhere,¡± Jerry replied, and Oakley began looking left and right again, his eyes trying to find any hint of movement. Beside them, the Marines on foot seemed just as confused as they dropped into cover before gunfire erupted around them. ¡°I expected it!¡±


    Oakley saw many of them on the streets coming out, with some even on windows of the buildings ahead of them. He took his targets, firing his fifty randomly at the general direction of the gunfire, as bullets began hitting their HMLV. He even felt a number of them slam into his machine gun¡¯s shield, which made Oakley duck a bit.


    Jerry drove their HMLV slightly to the right side of the street, while the HMLV behind them drove to the left side, allowing two machine guns to suppress the enemy ahead of them. Meanwhile, both Timmy and Sergeant Higgs dismounted on the road, their rifles turning hot while using their respective doors as cover.


    Oakley on the other hand kept his machine gun firing, downing two, then three, then more. He wasn¡¯t sure if they died, but one of the soldiers he machine-gunned, who was hiding behind a destroyed civilian car, was dragged by his buddy. Oakley naturally gunned down the enemy soldier trying to get his wounded brother out of combat, before switching to the next ones.


    The skirmish soon turned into a blur for Oakley, with him just firing his machine gun as ordered, then ducking down to grab ammunition, before resuming his fire. He wasn¡¯t really sure if he was even targeting anyone anymore halfway through it, as he felt his senses dulled, and his hearing blur.


    Suddenly, an explosive blast struck the area directly in front of them, causing him and everyone else to duck. More artillery hits struck the town, which assaulted Oakley¡¯s ears badly. But he rose back to his post, firing his machine gun on the flattened ruins ahead of them. By the time his hearing went back, he heard faint shouting behind him.


    ¡°Oakley! Oakley! Cease fire! I said cease fire!¡±


    He immediately withdrew his hands from the trigger, realizing that there was no one firing back at them anymore. He looked below him, seeing Sergeant Higgs¡¯ concerned expression. Then, he heard the screams from the injured, with calls for medics and what else was being given. Someone somewhere even seemed to be chastising someone for, ¡°calling a braindead danger close¡± on them.


    ¡°Hey, you alright, man?¡± Timmy asked from below, and Oakley just nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, except for my hearing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He can¡¯t even hear me properly.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re worse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I think my aim sucked there, haha.¡±


    Oakley just shook his head.


    ¡°Yep, you¡¯re a lost cause.¡±


    Oakley returned his attention to his overheated machine gun, touching it for a second, before cursing himself. Then, he cursed the annoying white noise that was still in the process of slowly dissipating from his ears. Even if we go home, we¡¯d be deaf by then. Oakley could just do an amused chuckle to himself, before looking at the destroyed buildings ahead of them. This war sucks ass.

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-One: Thein Axis

    ¡°Arkelian forces cross the Orlish border at last, sending in the first wave of reinforcements to join the Orlish Armed Forces at combating the Federal Republic. This marks the first time that foreign forces entered Orlish soil ever since the Arcane Wars, with the Federal Republic¡¯s Foreign Ministry decrying the ¡®traitorous act by the Queen¡¯ of ¡®sending foreign mercenaries on Orlish soil¡¯. Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss however has welcomed these troops, calling it a natural and inevitable result between Orland and Arkelia¡¯s newfound alliance.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Central Orland


    Archduchy of L?t


    July 5, 2025


    She was now at the Archduchy itself. Not exactly the best place in Orland to be in nowadays, considering how intense the fighting for it was. Since yesterday, Amelie had nothing but lamented the state of Orland¡¯s largest principality. Sure, it was under the suzerainty of her family¡¯s archrival, the House of Dubois, but the Archduchy still held a special place in her Kingdom.


    If the Grand Duchy was the political center, and the Free Confederation was the economic juggernaut, the Archduchy was the original core lands of the ancient Orlish tribes that migrated throughout North Opellia. That, and unlike East Orland, which was subjugated for centuries by the Lorathian Imperium, the Archduchy was originally one of the independent Orlish polities during the age of Lorathian hegemony, before being conquered by the Orlish Kingdom post-independence, and remained an integral part of the Orlish State even during and after the Arcane Wars and the First Orlish Civil War.


    Thus, unlike the more economically powerful east and west coasts, L?t held significance in Orlish culture. The city of Thein for example dates back more than two thousand years. Halia and Rebenslof¡­were merely half a millennia old in comparison. And all these old cities, Amelie saw nothing but ruins as she toured the Principality to check its condition herself with William.


    Cities that dated back to the old starting days of her people. Cities destroyed by planes, bombs, and missiles produced by the new, usually artificial and industrial cities of Orland¡¯s industrial powerhouse, the Free State of Wuringen (most of which, such as Eirhow, were cities designed from the ground up not even one hundred years ago), the core of the Federal Republic, directly east of the Archduchy.


    Amelie looked up at the destroyed spires, cathedrals, academies, and the old town, as well as roads, rail, and infrastructure reduced to rubble as William drove her through Thein. There wasn¡¯t much civilian life present in the ruined city. Even the military presence in the city was limited, as there wasn¡¯t really much point in defending a city that effectively stopped existing already, or using it as a logistical hub when other smaller cities around it could serve a better purpose. Thein was, for all intents and purposes, now just a fat piece of rubble that the Federalists would have to chew through if they wanted to advance to the rest of the Archduchy and beyond.


    Soon, their vehicle and convoy stopped at one of the few buildings untouched by the bombings. The district itself seemed livelier to Amelie¡¯s view compared to the rest, as most residential housing, stores (all closed), and establishments were still standing, outside of a nearby school that was bombed.


    ¡°They really hate schools, huh?¡± Amelie said, looking at the distant building, with nothing but its foundations remaining standing. ¡°The one thing I hate about them is that they really have no care about bombing anything they want to bomb. It¡¯s like their entire mode of operation is bombing pointless things. Those bombs could have been used on our defense lines instead! This is stupid.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the point,¡± William answered as he turned the wheel to the side. ¡°They bomb the shit out of civilian institutions to incite fear. That, and those schools teach magic to young girls, no? Heh, all the more reason for them to burn it to the ground.¡±


    William just stopped their vehicle in the parking slot near the building, near a flagpole that still flew the tricolor of her Kingdom. The two security cars behind her also stopped nearby, with William¡¯s agents shuffling out in good order, while two Orlish Army officers checked them at William¡¯s side door. William then showed them their identifications, and the two finally exited their vehicle.


    Amelie and William then went inside of the building, which seemed to have been in use as a military headquarters. Around them, clerks and soldiers ran around, many hooked on their computers as they coordinated the constant fighting on the frontline just eighty kilometers away, which was now getting closer again to Thein as the Federal Republic retook lost territory during the slow but continuous grinding campaign conducted by the OAF against them.


    ¡°With the entire Archduchy mostly evacuated, at the very least, there won¡¯t be many problems in the way of civilian casualties anymore,¡± Amelie said, as they went for the stairs. ¡°Thus, I wonder if abandoning a determined defense in favor of letting them stretch their defense lines would be best.¡±


    ¡°Well, we already did that,¡± William replied as they continued upstairs. ¡°Unlike in Halia or the Free Confederation, the territorial depth here is very high. So the preferred mode of defense is always going to be mobile defense instead of focusing too much on static defense. Still, we did keep a lot of static defenses early on in the war to hold on to territory and prevent civilians from falling to Federalist occupation before evacuations, but now, the OAF and FOAF are very elastic in their defenses in this region, alongside the south.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I meant, what I¡¯m saying is, what if we bait them here,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Like, let¡¯s abandon defending those lands in the east completely. Let them take it, we¡¯ll just bleed them a bit, and bit, then, we¡¯ll bait them into wasting their troops in a symbolic battle here. Then we counterattack.¡±


    ¡°A bright idea,¡± William smiled. ¡°Hmm, are you sure though? The political cost of the OAF retreating and giving up land is one of the reasons why our Generals and the OHC have not suggested it yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, without people around here to protect, I think the Eutstadt government can absorb any loss in prestige from being kicked out of the territory east of here,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m just copying what we¡¯re about to do in Gallia. Maybe if we do it here, we¡¯ll win a strategic victory enough to finally liberate areas under Federalist control. Maybe even reach something in Wuringen.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Well, we still haven¡¯t seen if the Gallia plan succeeded,¡± William said. ¡°Right now, they¡¯re already dangerously close to Toldoi. If we fail, we¡¯ll really be royally screwed. If we give up the prepared defenses here to execute a destructive counter-attack afterward, should that fail, West Orland lies pretty much wide-open without significant defensive lines set up.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course, we¡¯ll set up extra defense lines before retreating,¡± Amelie insisted. ¡°Then¡­then I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll let them have what they want to have for a while with this offensive they¡¯re having. Then, I¡¯ll steal it quickly and fast while destroying their military units. That should give us an upper hand.¡±


    William chuckled as they turned for another room, marked as the office for ¡°General August Bohm¡±. William knocked thrice on the door, but no response came. Then, with a smirk, he opened it while shouting.


    ¡°August! Rise and shine!¡± He shouted, and suddenly, inside, an Orlish officer in his early thirties snapped awake from his desk. Amelie looked at the clearly stupefied General, noting his appearance. Black hair, quite the funny mustache, and well, he was a bit of a chubby guy in Amelie¡¯s eyes. All in all, the man seemed to be in half-panic upon seeing the two of them. ¡°Good afternoon, General Bohm. Seems like Her Majesty and the OPM have found it necessary to visit you.¡±


    ¡°Willy¡ªwait Your Majesty?¡± The General quickly stood up and bowed. ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty! The day yesterday was too long and I have shamefully fallen asleep in the line of duty. Please if you must have me shot¡ª¡±


    Amelie chuckled as she removed her gloves and went for the seat in front of the surprised General¡¯s desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite disappointed that something somewhere planted the outrageous idea that I would ever order stupid things like that,¡± Amelie smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m just here for a frontline visit. I see that you two know each other.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± the General said. ¡°That man¡­w-was my buddy back in the Liebnich peninsular campaign.¡±


    ¡°And August managed to climb the Army ranks faster than I could ever have imagined,¡± William closed the distance and raised his hand. ¡°Been a while, ole chap. Miss the trenches?¡±


    ¡°I still smell it every day from here,¡± August said, before shaking William¡¯s hands and finally smiling. ¡°You¡¯re also a goddamned climber, you dipshit. Somehow now a Director of a damned intelligence agency¡­how¡¯d you even do that?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it ain¡¯t as fun as you imagine,¡± William replied with a grin as the two continued shaking each other¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯m being dumped a lot of jobs.¡±


    ¡°Seems like a bad employment deal.¡±


    ¡°Well, the boss is a kind angel at least.¡±


    Amelie just rolled her eyes as the two stopped and took a seat.


    ¡°So, anyhow, General¡­you¡¯re the one assigned to oversee this section of the frontline?¡± Amelie asked, and August nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m the assigned commander of the 10th Army. Half of the L?t frontline is under the responsibility of the 10th Army. Made up of the XIV Corps, XL Corps, and the XV Maneuver Corps. Quite a massive¡­undertaking, really. Though, the XL and XIV Corps are currently very badly depleted, so I only really have about sixty thousand soldiers around here.¡±


    Amelie then turned serious.


    ¡°When were you assigned here? And how many men were here when you took command.¡±


    ¡°Six months ago. And, roughly the same. Around five thousand less than the current figure. I remember I had to reorganize a lot of the units under me due to their losses before I was assigned here.¡¯


    ¡°And¡­in those six months, how many died under your command?¡±


    The General sighed.


    ¡°Eighty thousand soldiers, Your Majesty,¡± August said grimly. ¡°The battles are¡­fierce and constant. Just like everywhere, we need a constant stream of¡­men to feed on the grinder.¡±


    William wheezed a bit.


    ¡°Well, ain¡¯t it like the old times?¡±


    ¡°Hell, yeah, dude,¡± August joked as he shook his head. ¡°Goddess, whether it¡¯s there or here. Whether it¡¯s the old guys in charge, or it¡¯s us, it¡¯s the same friggin crap over and over. It¡¯s kinda starting to get old.¡±


    ¡°But, you¡¯re still on duty.¡±


    ¡°Well, war¡¯s all I know,¡± August admitted. ¡°And it¡¯s required.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyes lowered a bit in shame. He¡¯s right. She thought. These men will say the war sucks, but really, it¡¯s all they¡¯ve ever known. She looked back at William, who could have stepped down during the days when they were asking for men to demobilize, then, she imagined her brother, Albert, still out there in Kusari supporting the MN campaign to defend that Empire. They¡¯re all drawn to the one thing they know.


    ¡°Anyhow, we¡¯re here to check out the frontlines,¡± William said. ¡°The Queen here is¡­very much eager to devise some sort of scheme to figure out what we should do about the constant back and forths happening here.¡±


    August placed his hand under his chin and then looked at Amelie.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the frontlines right now aren¡¯t stable,¡± he said. ¡°The enemy is pushing quite deep into us, and we¡¯re still in the process of organizing local counteroffensives, so the lines are¡­moving really rapidly for me to authorize having the Queen run around the place.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Amelie clasped her hand to plead. ¡°Can¡¯t I at least make some appearance here and there to check on the men under me? I just want to tell them some words at least and hear what they need, or what ideas they may have. I also really wanna see how we¡¯re conducting our defensive operations here.¡±


    ¡°Escorting you would be quite difficult,¡± August warned. ¡°Even I don¡¯t really risk myself checking the front lines unless things are completely secure. Drones and crap are flying around everywhere and enemy SPGs are targeting any vehicle they see from kilometers away with ridiculous precision, so we can¡¯t have you be escorted by any convoy of more than two vehicles.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have William,¡± Amelie insisted. ¡°Just¡­maybe place us in an HMLV or something. I¡¯ll drive around and check stuff. I¡¯m sure he can communicate anyway so we can stay away from danger. I don¡¯t need much more. That, and we¡¯re just staying in secured areas. Check the HQs. Depots. Forward bases. All that stuff.¡±


    The General sighed.


    ¡°Alright¡­why¡¯s the Queen even into this type of crap,¡± he asked. ¡°You should lead us from the rear. You¡¯re too important.¡±


    ¡°Well, how can I call myself the ¡®Queen¡¯ if I can¡¯t even see the troops fighting under me, hmm?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t what all of you men hate the most are armchair leaders? Well, I may be one, but I want to try my best to do what I can on the frontlines, even if I can¡¯t really change much about it. After all, the reports I get on my desk do not absolutely reflect what really is happening in the front. Besides, old Orlish Queens led their Armies directly in the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, this isn¡¯t the Arcane Wars, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s just a bad excuse,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Am I approved?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are the Queen,¡± August said. ¡°You¡¯re the one approving things, no?¡±


    Amelie smiled, before eagerly pulling August¡¯s hand, and shaking it.


    ¡°Thank you so much then, General!¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Two: Why Do You Fight?

    ¡°To bombard cultural buildings and establishments matters not to the average Orlish airman for a simple reason: he is taught from childhood only how to fly and bomb those below him¡ªnot to value symbols of Orlish culture. To him, they are nothing but extra fanciful targets.¡±


    - Minister Anne Wittfield on the terror bombing tactics of the Federal Air Force.


    +++


    Central Orland


    Archduchy of L?t


    The frontlines seemed strangely silent to Amelie and William. Their HMLV was parked behind them, their two bodyguards from the OPM watching the two from behind, one operating the fifty caliber machine gun on top of the vehicle. Amelie on the other hand held a binoculars as she observed the distant, destroyed towns kilometers away, obscured by the hills and elevations around the fields.


    Just then, a second later, a lone L?we tank appeared on the highway. Amelie tracked it with her binoculars, as the tank rushed out of the area¡ªthe armor blocks that she remembered as ¡®Explosive Reactive Armor¡¯ on its sides were somewhat stripped off, and its armor itself on the turret contained burn marks.


    ¡°Those guys must be leaving the combat zone,¡± William said, looking around the skies. ¡°Hey, I think we need to move.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Amelie insisted, watching as a sudden artillery strike struck one of the destroyed towns ahead of them. ¡°What are they doing over there?¡±


    William chuckled.


    ¡°Holding the frontline?¡±


    ¡°The gunfire and stuff,¡± Amelie said curiously, lowering her binoculars. ¡°It¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Course it is,¡± William shifted uncomfortably, looking at the trees around them. Quite frankly, being on the side of the road near a bunch of trees made them well hidden from any sudden drone attacks, but William knew those buzzers could be anywhere anytime, so he insisted on leaving. ¡°Hey, we really gotta move out now.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Can we check out one of the bases nearby?¡±


    William sighed, checking his notes.


    ¡°Nearby is a position held by the 312th Armored Battalion,¡± William said. ¡°Just, eight kilometers west of us. If you wanna talk to those tankers, sure, but like, I think most of them are out in combat, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I absolutely wanna talk to them!¡± Amelie insisted. ¡°Those men, they¡¯re fighting so hard for the Kingdom. A surprise visit right when they¡¯re fighting against a very important enemy offensive is absolutely crucial. I need to see the state of my men on the frontlines.¡±


    William tiredly smiled.


    ¡°Alright¡­you¡¯re a pain in the ass, you know that?¡±


    And so, they drove straight into the town held by the 312th. The journey was short and marked with Amelie anxiously watching the skies for anything that might attack them. On the road, too, occasional HMLVs, heavy military trucks, or SPGs passed by them, many not minding them.


    It was quite the bumpy ride though. The entire road itself seemed to be filled with holes from artillery, and when Amelie looked at the green fields to her side, they were much the same. Filled with endless craters. The wounded soil of her homeland was right in her eyes.


    They soon stopped at the destroyed town¡¯s checkpoint. Outside, Amelie noted that there were a few camouflaged REGAL SAM launchers, radars, and antennas parked nearby, alongside two parked L?we tanks on the entrance. The troops that met them at the checkpoint allowed William to pass through quickly, and within a few minutes, Amelie was standing beside William in front of dozens of disgruntled tankers.


    Naturally, Amelie mustered a nervous smile at them.


    ¡°Soldiers of Orland!¡± She tried to declare proudly, standing on a shoddy bench near one of the residential buildings turned into military kitchens used by these men. ¡°I am¡­well, here! To check on you. As you well know, right now you are facing quite an awful offensive from the rebels on the other side. Thus, I would like to ask what you are struggling with, and what you need from us to beat them all back!¡±


    A rustle of dried leaves. A random HMLV blasting some sort of rock music passed on the streets. And a distant echo from an artillery shell when it exploded. But they remained silent. She waited for a bit, but nothing. Amelie tried to hold up her cheeky smile, but again, the men in front of her remained stone-faced silent. For a second, she started to doubt herself.


    Am I stupid? Why am I here?


    She immediately closed her eyes in frustration, shooting down that evil voice that tempted her to retreat.


    ¡°Is she like¡­the friggin Queen?¡± One of the young, greasy-faced tankers asked his comrade, who replied in an equally hushed tone.


    ¡°Yeah, man. I saw her a lot on TV. I think she¡¯s the Queen, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the Amelie girl?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you morons not know who our Queen is?¡± One chimed in with a frown.


    ¡°I dunno man, they all look the same to me.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± William called out, his officer voice taking the attention of the tankers. ¡°Her Majesty, Queen Amelie Ludendorf, is asking what you all need in battle. I believe she needs your answers. No pressure though.¡±


    William! I feel even more embarrassed now!


    ¡°Food!¡± Someone shouted from behind. ¡°I¡¯m tired of the crap rations, Queen! Give us real food!¡±


    What?! But I thought that problem was resolved ages ago.


    ¡°We need some spare parts,¡± someone said with a clear frown, his arms crossed. ¡°Our tank¡¯s optics are like half-dead. They sprayed us with their twenty-fives like crap, man.¡±


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    Minister Wittfield told me that she¡¯s sending everything the Army needs. How are they lacking in spare parts?!


    ¡°Give those arty guys some ammunition, Miss Amelie!¡± Someone shouted too. ¡°They¡¯re crap now¡­they keep denying our requests for arty support because of shortages. Come on, can you guys at the rear at least fix that crap please?¡±


    She also said we¡¯re sending them enough ammunition. Even General Albrecht assured me of that!


    ¡°We saw that those Royal Guard girls are getting all the newer toys!¡± Someone shouted in a really angry manner. ¡°Why are they getting all the upgrade packages nowadays?! They¡¯re driving around with their new shit, while our replacement thermals date back two decades ago! How is that fair?! They even get all of the new anti-drone APS stuff, when they don¡¯t even get deployed much in the frontlines!¡±


    What?


    ¡°Yeah! Even our replacement tanks come straight from the old stockpiles instead of the new runs, we get the shitty armor types! They drive EP4Bs. The replacement guys drive here with ancient ass EP2As!¡±


    What?


    Amelie awkwardly turned to William.


    ¡°Uhm¡­hey, what¡¯s an ¡®EP4B¡¯ or ¡®EP2A¡¯?¡±


    William coughed.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the L?we Main Battle Tank series is divided between multiple major variants. Starting from its introduction in the 1980s, was the base L?we model. Throughout the years, it has been upgraded again and again, denoted that way. EP4B means ¡®Equipment Package 4 B¡¯. Meaning it¡¯s the fourth major upgrade and the B subvariant. Most of our tanks in the front are EP3As. Most of our stockpiles are old EP1As and EP2As. Most tanks used by the Royal Guard are the EP4B variant¡ªwhich contains all of the new upgrades, for drone defense, remote-controlled machine guns, up-armor packages, the newest sensors, and spall liners. Now, as for the main difference between the A subvariant, which is used by elite Army formations, to the B subvariant used by the Royal Guard¡ªis its quality of life upgrades such as air conditioning.¡±


    Amelie gulped. That¡­doesn¡¯t sound nice. Doesn¡¯t sound very nice at all. So that was why these guys had some resentments.


    ¡°Uhm¡­why is the Royal Guard getting the best ones?¡±


    William smiled.


    ¡°Our lovely Defense Minister and Economic Minister obviously still hold their own favorites, Your Majesty. Though, to be fair, the Army rejected the EP4B variant in favor of the EP4A variant since they hate giving too expensive and hard-to-maintain QoL systems to their men¡­, and, the Royal Guard¡¯s armored KDUs are like a fraction of the Army¡¯s, so¡­well, it¡¯s whatever on that part.¡±


    Amelie awkwardly turned in the direction of the tankers.


    ¡°Alright, I see¡­I heard your problems, soldiers of Orland. Are these problems shared by other units of the 10th Army? Or of your respective brigades?¡±


    One of the tankers stepped forward.


    ¡°Obviously, Missy,¡± he replied, clearly refusing to give Amelie any dose of respect. ¡°We¡¯ve been fighting and dying for a while already. It¡¯s bad. If you wanna ask how bad it is, it¡¯s worse than what you think, Your Majesty. Our three companies are supposed to have thirty-eight L?we tanks down here. We only got like twenty-five here in total¡­for weeks already. The last time we were full-strength was nine months ago.¡±


    ¡°Are they sending you reinforcements?¡±


    The tanker laughed.


    ¡°Course they do. They just die faster than the rate of newbies coming in. Today we lost five guys from two tanks early in the morning,¡± he frowned at Amelie. ¡°We¡¯re gonna lose more later.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I know that,¡± Amelie admitted. ¡°But, we are trying our best to train the people being sent here decently, hence the delays. Actually, if I may so ask, what do you people prefer? That we train them longer, or¡­¡±


    ¡°Train them longer,¡± the tanker replied, before chuckling. ¡°Though maybe you all should drag the ladies you are sending here more on the mud to knock them down a notch. They¡¯re all arrogant and stupid.¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­had women already?¡± Amelie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°The morons drove themselves to death. They thought they were better than us, but alas¡­¡± he laughed. ¡°Seems like in the face of death, there is quite a sense of equality between us. Quite funny if you ask me.¡±


    That¡¯s such a cruel thing to say. Amelie almost half-wanted to slap the face of the man, but she reminded herself that these people kinda did have a reason to resent her and¡­the women she was sent here. So I gotta train people longer and harsher¡­why would training them harsher even help? Ugh¡­these guys and their opinions.


    Still, she imagined there was some value in their words.


    ¡°Okay, I should say, I¡¯ve heard your problems and needs now,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I have another question though. To all of you. Why are you all here?¡±


    The soldiers looked at each other, quite unsure, before they responded one by one.


    ¡°Because the government said so.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s required. For us men. And even women too.¡±


    ¡°You guys called us here, right?¡±


    ¡°I like war,¡± an older one said. ¡°Makes me feel alive.¡±


    ¡°Killing rebels!¡± Another one said. ¡°Because¡­because they do awful stuff, and things you guys say on the TV.¡±


    ¡°For ¡®Freedom¡¯ and stuff! Or whatever you guys say.¡±


    ¡°Because our comrades are here too.¡±


    ¡°I shoot people and they pay me to buy crap if I survive,¡± one of the tankers grinned. ¡°Makes good sense.¡±


    Quite the¡­


    Amelie sighed.


    None of them even knows what they¡¯re fighting for.


    ¡°Well, I see then,¡± Amelie tried to smile. ¡°But I just wanna say. I am not keeping you here for a bad reason. You are all here because you are fighting¡­for change. I promise you, as I¡¯ve always done, that once this war is over, we shall build an Orland for everyone. So I am thankful. Please¡­do your best to get back home.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much of a response, except for a few hushed whispers.


    ¡°But we ain¡¯t got a home, man.¡±


    ¡°Just let her have her moment.¡±


    Amelie turned a bit redder as she heard it, at last, she decided to just thank them before vacating with William, with the two returning to their HMLV.


    ¡°Well¡­erm¡­those guys were quite¡­¡±


    ¡°You got used to the more educated officers and grunts,¡± William said. ¡°The 312th is a second-rate unit. That, Your Majesty, is your average uneducated young man.¡± He then chuckled. ¡°All those guys know is firing their guns, driving their tanks, fixing shit, and of course, eating and shitting. Don¡¯t expect much political literacy from them except ¡®government bad¡¯, and well, to be fair, they are right.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­they¡­¡± Amelie looked back at the tankers, watching as they dispersed, with many already goofing around with each other, playing cards, drinking, or smoking. ¡°Well¡­that seems quite an awful way to live.¡±


    Amelie clenched her fist a bit.


    ¡°See? This is why I wanted to visit the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°Amelie?¡±


    Amelie turned back to William.


    ¡°How else would I be reminded about the people I am sacrificing and the promises I gave them if I didn¡¯t?¡± Amelie looked back at them. ¡°They don¡¯t even remember my promises. But I swear¡­one day¡­for those who survive¡­¡±


    She watched as an officer shouted at the crew of one of the parked L?wes, telling the crew to get up. In seconds, the scattered crewmen left whatever they were doing, rushing inside, as their turret turned forward¡ªclearly preparing for another mission. Another tank also revved up from behind them, most likely, the other tank of the section being prepared for the deployment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that my promises will come true. Even if they don¡¯t believe it.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Three: Princess Alices Brigade

    ¡°All units of the MN Expeditionary Forces, and allied forces under the Vaeyox Continental Command¡ªthe order to you is clear! Push them all back. At all costs. For months, we have battled them in extreme fighting conditions, but on all fronts, our valiant brothers and sisters have won both great victories amidst the staggering defeats. Now is the time to turn the tide of battle. Now is the time for the allied nations to strike back against this coalition of miscreants. Make no mistake. The enemy is ruthless. Battle-hardened. Well-supplied and well-equipped. Motivated by fanatic hatred against anything that stands against their deranged revolution. They will fight hard. But, the Mandate of Nations must fight for the future of this world. The world is watching you. You are the one standing between them and demise. And I believe that you will not fail them.¡±


    - General Elias Holl


    +++


    Southeastern Gallia


    June 9, 2025


    III OEF Corps


    54th Armored Brigade ¡°Prinzessin Alice¡±


    Colonel Andrew Prul of the newly raised ¡°Princess Alice Brigade¡± placed his cap on as he exited the meeting hall. They were driving out soon enough, mainly, because the offensive had begun this morning. He fixed himself a cigar as he looked at the flagpoles outside, with four flags flying on it. The flag of Orland, Gallia, Lorathia, and the Mandate of Nations.


    The allied forces¡­all in all, were really just those three nations when it came to Gallia. Just them, trying to hold this place together. And now, he was throwing his men again into battle. He remembered the days in Heiflitz when he only commanded a mere battalion. Now, he was in charge of a brigade raised under the patronage of the Princess herself.


    Briefly, he remembered that kid¡¯s embarrassing speech to them when the Royal Government formed them. That¡­was certainly quite the beginning for their unit. The 54th after all was quite a different brigade than the rest. Its three armored battalions, the 17th, 19th, and 85th were all ¡®elite¡¯ in a sense, drawn out from the battered brigade-sized units of the famous depleted armored divisions that fought in the early days of the Halia campaign.


    In essence, he led a unit of survivors. Men who had seen their entire divisions slashed into a third of their strength during the worst fighting on the opening days of the civil war. And now, they were being tasked to be one of the spearhead units leading the charge against the Larissans. At the very least, they now received all of the new gear.


    His entire brigade used L?we EP4As. Straight out of the production line. He briefly admired his command tank outside of the building. It was also finally upgraded, keeping its armaments even with the advanced communications suite for the commander installed in it. He¡¯d be riding on it soon enough with the rest of the brigade.


    ¡°Well, that was tedious,¡± a gruff remark came behind him. Andrew turned around with a smirk, as the prestigious General Elias Holl¡ªoverall commander of Army Group Gallia, and the same man who once saved Halia from encirclement during the Grand Duchy Campaign. Like Andrew, he was promoted. ¡°Admiring the view?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a new shiny tank after all,¡± Andrew replied, as Elias grinned.


    ¡°Glory to Economic Minister Wittfield, eh?¡±


    ¡°Heh, I guess.¡±


    The two of them looked at the skies, as multiple AH-22 Attack Helicopters passed by above them. There were dozens of them, belonging to the III OEF Corps¡¯ 5th Aviation Brigade. Just then, there were dozens of low-flying UH-90 Eagles that carried their air assault units. They sped up, going straight to their designated targets earlier during the operational meeting.


    Unlike the other OEF Corps, the III OEF Corps had an airmobile focus. It was formed by the 5th Aviation Brigade, the 7th Aviation Brigade, and the 22nd Air Assault Brigade. That was nearly twelve thousand men that would be deployed by helicopters during the offensive, with the ground elements, his 54th Armored Brigade, the 140th Mechanized Brigade, and the 18th Mechanized Brigade being the ones tasked to speed through a highway connecting two river cities, Arguisse and Conre.


    ¡°You know,¡± Andrew shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if our Aviation Brigades can do what you¡¯re asking. I mean, securing two bridges ahead of us? Isn¡¯t that¡­quite too much?¡±


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t secure Highway 55, we¡¯d be screwed. They¡¯d be able to set up a defense line at the Conre River, and the entire offensive will go off balance. The Queen set her goals. The III OEF Corps has to punch through quickly. Only then can our armored forces run free on northern Gallia to encircle them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Andrew said. ¡°This is such a risky operation. Quite frankly, General Albrecht must be nuts.¡±


    ¡°Well, he is nuts,¡± Elias nodded in agreement. ¡°But he has a point. The strategic picture isn¡¯t on our side. Even if we¡¯re winning the air war, they¡¯re sending more tanks than we can bomb. The only way to ensure victory then is to wipe their ground forces in one decisive punch.¡±


    ¡°And if we screw this up, Gallia is lost.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point. So admire the view well, Colonel. It may be your last.¡±


    Andrew just snorted.


    ¡°Thank you very much, but I think I¡¯ve ¡®admired¡¯ the Gallian battlefields long enough. It¡¯s been years, yet we¡¯re still back here all the same. Fighting the same enemy. Just¡­under a different Queen.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re not the same. Unlike the last ones, these ones are driven by fanatic ideological beliefs. They really fight hard.¡±


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    ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t believe they refused to just dig in and grind us down. They really wanna throw their forces at us for a gamble.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re doing the same,¡± Elias looked at the blue skies. ¡°If she exists, it¡¯s really up to her now which side¡¯s gamble will pay off.¡±


    ¡°I doubt she has much preference over rebellious young men. I mean, they declared her a threat to humanity.¡±


    ¡°Exactly why they¡¯re crazy,¡± Elias laughed. ¡°They¡¯re convinced that if the divine exists, then it must be their enemy. That, Colonel, is what we¡¯re up against. Can you believe that? I understand if you don¡¯t believe in the divine. I don¡¯t. I think most men refuse to believe it. But to believe it and spitefully call it your enemy?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s the type of madman who will drive his tank over children. Or rain chemical weapons first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be rejoining my staff,¡± Andrew said.


    ¡°Good luck. I imagine that your namesake will be a lucky charm.¡±


    ¡°Heh, really now?¡±


    The General placed his cap back on.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the only Army unit bearing a name granted by the Royal Household. Considering how those two sisters act, I¡¯d like to believe that it¡¯d be a sign of good omen.¡±


    +++


    His tank stopped in front of an abandoned Gallian chateau. Already, dozens upon dozens of men from his command staff dismounted their vehicles to enter the place. Andrew and his subordinates filed inside the chateau¡¯s premises, with Andrew pointing at places where they would set up.


    ¡°Then, can you guys remove that flag?¡± Andrew asked, pointing at the Confederate flag planted on one of the buildings. ¡°It irks me.¡±


    The Sergeant Major beside him just nodded with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the man said before he turned to one of the officers with them. ¡°Tell your men to get that Larissan flag off here. The boss wants them off from his sight.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sarge.¡±


    Beside him, his executive officer opened up his tablet and began reporting something.


    ¡°Alright, Colonel, first reports are in,¡± the man said, as they went for the entrance. Inside, as usual for a noblewoman''s property, were the fanciful rooms, pristine white halls, and opulent furnishings being systematically dismantled by his men to set up their tables.


    Intelligence officers, communications officers, techs, and other staff members pulled out table after table and organized them, as laptops and computers were placed on top of them.


    ¡°The 17th is requesting for our engineers to set up a secondary access bridge on the left flank of Arguisse. Very much heavy opposition down south.¡±


    ¡°So are the reports confirmed?¡±


    ¡°Aye. We¡¯re facing three Larissan Motor Rifle Divisions. We¡¯ve met elements of the 84th, 55th, and 27th Motor Rifle Divisions on Highway 55.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s our battalions doing then?¡±


    ¡°The 17th Armored Battalion is advancing on the left flank of Highway 55. They¡¯ve taken a good firing position in the hills overlooking the river. We¡¯ve got effective fire control over Highway 67 that runs from the southeast of Arguisse City.¡±


    Soon, the group reached the fifth floor of the chateau. The winding rooms and hallways confused them, but it didn¡¯t bother Andrew. He made his way straight into one of the open rooms that contained a balcony. Looking to his right, he sighed, seeing a picture of a Gallian aristocratic family.


    It contained a mother standing behind a chair, her daughter, and another young girl. All three of them were smiling. Then, when he turned to his left, toward the balcony that overlooked the flat fields of the area south of Arguisse, and part of Highway 55, it was a different story. Distant flashes of light went off left and right. The few forested areas seemed alight with smoke and fire. And the distant skyline of the city itself seemed to be on fire.


    He took his binoculars to look at the battle in front of them. Ahead on the road, most likely eight kilometers away, he could see the flashes of his tanks and men battling against the elements of the Larissan Motor Rifle divisions.


    ¡°That¡¯s Major Bayern¡¯s 85th Armored. He sent all of his companies straight to the road. Thunder run. As you ordered.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Andrew said, lowering his binoculars. More AH-22s flew above them, rushing straight into the frontlines. ¡°Tell them that once they secure and enter the bridge, that they will not stop. I¡¯ll authorize the river crossing on their flank. Then the 17th Armored will swoop in to attack and eliminate all opposition in Arguisse city.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, by the way, the 22nd Air Assault Brigade reported that they¡¯ve now captured three districts of the city. They¡¯re trying to secure the northern end of Highway 55 in the city, but they¡¯re having trouble. Seems like the enemy has tanks.¡±


    ¡°And the bridge?¡±


    ¡°Still in our hands. The enemy is¡­not counterattacking.¡±


    Suddenly, another man came from behind them, calling them, and saluting, before handing his executive Andrew a paper. He read it. It seemed to be from his communications team.


    ¡°Our drones have noted that the enemy is forming a group of three dozen tanks to attack our air assault units holding the river. The 22nd is requesting that we relieve them faster.¡±


    ¡°Alright, wait for me down there,¡± Andrew said, before turning back to his executive officer.


    ¡°How many vehicles and men have we lost?¡±


    ¡°For the last three hours, we¡¯ve lost five L?wes from the 17th. Three L?wes from the 85th. Alongside that, we¡¯ve lost two M8s from the 19th. Our 3rd Cavalry Troop also lost two of our new Stryders, they were ambushed on one of the towns on the right flank of Highway 55, and¡­well, enemy AT took them down while they bum-rushed the place.¡±


    ¡°And the supply situation?¡±


    ¡°All of our units have not reported any supply degradation. Our sustainment units are also on the move, and we¡¯re meeting each of their needs at the moment. We do need a few more recovery vehicles from the corps command though.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Around six. We expect¡­around ten to twenty tank losses once we punch through Arguisse. The faster we recover them from the road, the better.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Andrew then gave his binoculars another look, watching as the distant carnage continued. ¡°What¡¯s the news from Conre?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­still trying to capture the bridges.¡±


    ¡°Well, they better do it fast,¡± Andrew shook his head. ¡°These damned Larissans already know what¡¯s going on. I bet they¡¯ll blow it up fast.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve advanced nearly fifteen kilometers in three hours. I think it¡¯s clear to the enemy that this is a big event.¡±


    ¡°Well, we better pump that number to the planned forty-eight before they reinforce their lines. The Queen expects a big win. We better give it to her.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Four: A Ladys Heart

    ¡°General offensive by combined Orlish, Lorathian, and Gallian armies in the fields of North Gallia has finally commenced! Facing the still advancing and bled-out armies of the Coalition, Orlish, and Lorathian expeditionary forces punched a gigantic hole in their lines, creating deep salients dozens of kilometers, with two pincers coming from the Gallian northern coast and the Gallian southeast. Lorathian Cipher 2 tanks, fresh out of the production lines last year, made their debut with the 1st and 2nd Royal Armored Division¡¯s four hundred tanks destroying hundreds of T-86 and T-18 models in the northern coast. Down south, Orlish forces enjoy absolute aerial dominance, with Orlish armored brigades driving through destroyed masses of CFN vehicles. The MN might have a real chance of victory after all.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Eutstadt


    June 10, 2025


    The cameras flashed as Amelie made her way toward the podium. Delegates from across the world all gave their claps as they watched the Queen of Orland arrive. From Asanai, from Hebei, from Kusari, and all the rest of the Mandate of Nations¡ªthey were here. The Defense Conference 2025 was one of the things that she had to look forward to, especially since today, the Mandate of Nations was gaining its first headway into a Gallian victory.


    ¡°But the situation remains tense!¡± Amelie declared halfway through her speech to the crowds, as more cameras flashed. ¡°Yes, the planning and the preparation that we gave for the operation in Gallia is now making its gains. But we still have to remain vigilant to the tense balance of power right now. Complacency is not a virtue. And the side that has the upper hand remains arguable. So do your part!¡±


    The claps ended her speech soon, as Amelie resigned from the main conference, half tired. Of course, she had to spend a few more hours shaking hands, talking to head diplomats, and even a few heads of state that attended the conference, but soon, she was out of her juice when she met William and Nia.


    ¡°You look like crap,¡± William bluntly said, looking her up and down.


    ¡°Gee, do you have to be that harsh?¡± Nia asked, annoyed.


    ¡°I mean, that girl¡¯s clearly not having sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and so are you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s my job.¡±


    ¡°And my job as well,¡± Amelie said, as she went for the sofa. Nia on the other hand opened the box of luxurious donuts that Amelie requested on the table, and Amelie made her pick. ¡°Mhm¡­smells good.¡±


    ¡°I ordered it from the best as always,¡± Nia humbly said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    William on the other hand sat on the edge of the sofa, taking one for himself.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you¡¯re into this too.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Who told you to just grab one out of nowhere!¡± Nia hissed. ¡°It¡¯s for Amelie.¡±


    William bit his donut without a care.


    ¡°Pfft, you know, she¡¯s a big girl already. No need for too much sugar.¡±


    ¡°I protest that assessment,¡± Amelie said as she relaxed on her sofa. ¡°Sugar is what keeps me going.¡±


    ¡°Well, won¡¯t that make you fat?¡±


    ¡°I swear to the Goddess, you¡¯re the worst when it comes to talking to women,¡± Nia said, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Well, maybe it would, but like¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Amelie stuffed herself with the donut, barely even keeping her regal manners intact. ¡°I¡¯m leading a nation at war. Can¡¯t I have some extra nice stuff?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Nia defended Amelie with an overly-determined nod.


    ¡°Yeah, sure, sure,¡± William said, grabbing another one for himself. ¡°Anyway, on the subject of the war, I just wanted to ask, you need a report now?¡±


    ¡°Sure, shoot,¡± Amelie replied.


    ¡°We fucked up the river crossing,¡± William said, bluntly, taking another bite to his donut. Amelie looked up at him, a bit wide-eyed, and William just shrugged. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®what?¡¯ me! What do you mean they screwed up?!¡±


    ¡°Mhm, the III OEF Corps fumbled the bag with their airmobile units. The Larissans blew up the final bridge. Quite unfortunate, but we¡¯re already setting up multiple pontoon bridges on the flanks.¡±


    Amelie frowned, resting her back further on the sofa, clearly deep in thought.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that affect our speed?¡±


    ¡°Yep. We also lost hundreds of airmobile troops. Some battalions had to surrender because the ground elements of the III OEF Corps were too slow to arrive. The good news is, that the IV OEF Corps and II OEF Corps took their objectives before the enemy fortified those cities. They also destroyed one Larissan Tank Division and one Motor Rifle Division.¡±


    ¡°In the span of a day?!¡± Nia exclaimed. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°We lost a hundred tanks too, so it¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing good,¡± William clarified. ¡°Yeah, the thing is, the attrition rates are just very high. We¡¯re having battalions moving so fast that they get cut off, encircled, or what else? Both sides. However, the enemy is suffering three casualties to one. Or around two to one. Something in that ballpark.¡±


    ¡°...In that case, we¡¯ve faced setbacks, but we¡¯re also still advancing at breakneck speeds?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Yep. Right on the money. The word is that the OHC is going to be a bit more careful going forward. We had one of our armored battalions get axed in a bad ambush because they were driving in these straight convoys to assault a town within¡­two hours¡­from the start of the operations. Yes. Extremely tight schedules, so our forces screwed up and advanced way too fast. Shit happened. Yesterday, on Highway 38, twenty-four L?we tanks were destroyed in one engagement. In thirty minutes. Yep. Thirty goddamned minutes. Absolute massacre.¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­I thought that we¡¯ve demonstrated well that Larissan tanks are inferior. How are they pulling this out?¡±


    ¡°Again, overconfidence and tight schedules lead to disorganized formations and unit movements. Doesn¡¯t matter if you have a superior tank if your entire battalion dives headfirst into an ambush by an enemy two times your size. An enemy that will surround you, outmaneuver you and kill a good chunk of your men and vehicles. Bad blunder.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Amelie sighed, shaking her head.


    ¡°Well, at the very least, it¡¯s still nowhere as bad as the Grand Duchy Campaign. I still have night terrors about the losses we sustain here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, on that, the losses are getting too painful, actually,¡± William said, his face scrounging up. ¡°I just checked our stockpiles. We¡¯d be run dry by the next six months. On average, we now lose around thirty tanks each day, mostly to the Federalists. They¡¯re ramping up the fighting in all directions. And that¡¯s just tanks. We¡¯re losing more in other equipment categories.¡±


    ¡°Wait, remind me, how many tanks do we produce each day?¡± Nia asked.


    William then counted on his hand.


    ¡°We have twelve major tank manufacturing plants online right now, six of which went online only four months ago. All in all, they produce a combined eighteen L?we tanks each day. Which means we always have a shortfall of twelve tanks each day that we meet with our dwindling stockpiles instead.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­all those automobile factories are taking their sweet time to retool for war production,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°Minister Wittfield told me that it¡¯d take more time before we reach the point of true mass production.¡±


    ¡°Well, hopefully, these losses are temporary,¡± William said. ¡°Because the thing is, the Federalists know that we¡¯re making headway against their allies. So they¡¯re exerting pressure here with local offensives. Attacks meant to just¡­force us to get our heavy equipment out. And then they try to eliminate them.¡±


    ¡°On average, how many tanks do the Federalists lose?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Well, our local commanders say they lose slightly more,¡± William shook his head, unconvinced. ¡°I¡¯m more inclined to believe that they¡¯re losing around sixty or seventy percent of what we are losing. That¡¯s what the figures that my agents deep in Federalist territories are saying. And they¡¯re producing metric tonnes of heavy equipment. Wuringen is not called an industrial giant for nothing.¡±


    Amelie looked down at the box of donuts. Pissed by these developments, she decided to munch up more like a goblin to soothe her mind.


    +++


    Amelie cautiously opened the door to Jacqueline¡¯s office. It had been a while since she visited her office personally, and considering the events for the past few days, it had been something she was concerned about.


    When she looked inside the office, she saw how Jacqueline had her head buried atop her desk, and piles of paper around her. Instead of the usual tea, however, Amelie smelled something awful. It was alcohol.


    ¡°Miss Prime Minister,¡± Amelie asked cautiously as she peered into the room. ¡°Jacqueline. It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°I said¡­no one will disturb me. I¡¯m busy¡­¡± Jacqueline weakly said. ¡°Can you close¡­¡±


    Amelie finally saw Jacqueline¡¯s ragged face as she looked up. There was a brief surprise in Jacqueline¡¯s eyes, before the woman just sighed to herself, and began fixing her hair and the mess on her desk.


    ¡°Err, Amelie, sorry, I just¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk?¡±


    ¡°I had some red wine,¡± Jacqueline said, clearly a bit doozy. ¡°Just a treat for myself. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Amelie went inside, checking the messy appearance of her Prime Minister¡¯s office. Amelie knew that her office was also her literal home now, but, with Nia by her side, Amelie had kept it well organized and¡­not this. Papers piled everywhere. Signs of dust. It seemed that Jacqueline wasn¡¯t keeping her office well.


    ¡°Hey, um, don¡¯t you have a secretary?¡±


    Jacqueline hicked, before nodding.


    ¡°Yeah, but not for my secondary office here,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°I like the peace and quiet when I¡¯m here. Besides, this isn¡¯t my actual work office anyway. It¡¯s my office. She manages¡­the actual one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess¡­this is more of your personal room,¡± Amelie said. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Jacqueline shrugged, looking down. ¡°Look, you¡¯re at the helm already, right? I don¡¯t feel¡­very much like a Prime Minister anymore. You have all the big decisions already. Even the minor ones. I feel¡­¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Redundant.¡±


    ¡°You manage the political state of the nation,¡± Amelie reminded. ¡°That¡¯s very important. You also manage the domestic situation. That¡¯s just as important.¡±


    ¡°I had myself elected into this position Amelie to lead the Kingdom. To lead. I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just¡­you¡¯re the real Prime Minister now. So why even¡­keep me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely drunk.¡±


    ¡°What am I even saying?¡±


    Amelie went for the chair, looking at her friend¡¯s face.


    ¡°What happened, Jacqueline?¡±


    ¡°Walter and I had a fight.¡±


    Amelie snorted a bit. Something about the two had always reminded her of a married couple. Always bickering but still working with each other as best as they could. So it wasn¡¯t something that surprised her. They always butted heads when it came to many things after all.


    ¡°Yeah? About what?¡±


    She placed her hand on her forehead, using it as support, all while slowly touching her hair.


    ¡°We were talking and I¡­well, suddenly I blurted out that erm¡­you know, that I¡­,¡± Jacqueline said, clearly shirking back from saying it out loud. ¡°...Look, he didn¡¯t seem amused. And he reminded me of my duties. I¡­well, now that explains why I feel this way about being the Prime Minister.¡±


    ¡°You tried to confess?¡±


    ¡°N-no! I mean¡­no, but¡­maybe¡­¡± Jacqueline looked away, clearly embarrassed. ¡°Whatever, fine, I did!¡± Jacqueline laughed to herself. ¡°How low have I fallen?¡±


    ¡°Well, a woman has a right to love, now doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I almost committed a scandal out of stupidity,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°Ugh¡­why is the government even staffed now by youngsters nowadays? I swear, this might be our greatest mistake. I¡¯m stupid, you¡¯re probably stupid too.¡±


    Amelie puffed her cheeks.


    ¡°Hey, what? Okay, maybe I am, but isn¡¯t that the point?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°The reformists are mostly young people like us. Not those old women who like to step on men as much as they want. They voted for you and your government here because they think you represent them. Have pride in that. And do it.¡±


    Then, Amelie smiled as she looked at the window, seeing the faint moonlight.


    ¡°I thought something extra bad happened to you. Hehe, it¡¯s just¡­well, you¡¯re still single and in your thirties. I think it¡¯s natural. I guess all those years of being a reformist career politician finally caught up on you, and the feelings finally bloomed!¡±


    ¡°You make me feel old,¡± Jacqueline frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me that way. And it was just a blunder. I blabbered and said something stupid to him. That¡¯s such a rookie mistake.¡±


    She buried her face as she turned red.


    ¡°You look so embarrassed of yourself,¡± Amelie pointed out, like a curious child.


    ¡°One day, if you try approaching a man, I bet you¡¯d do it worse.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Amelie confidently shook her head with a smug smile. ¡°As the great Queen of Orland, I can make any man kneel to me when I want to. Heh¡­my beauty is still well taken care of after all. I tell you what, once the war is over, I¡¯ll get a King quick and easy, mhm.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever even tried it?!¡± Jacqueline asked.


    ¡°Nope, did you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Jacqueline shook her head, looking down again. ¡°I don¡¯t know. To be honest, I¡¯m not used to having men near me. Years ago, at school, we never met them outside of¡­hostile encounters. When I worked my way up in the government, well¡­it was the same. Walter was the first guy politician I encountered and¡­it¡¯s why I worked with him for years even if he¡¯s from a different party. The way he views the world and life fascinates me.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, someone¡¯s got a crush.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, will you?! This isn¡¯t a romance story! You know what? Shoo. I got work to do. I¡¯m gonna clean up, then deal with the MPs, then¡­yeah. I¡¯ll get my ass questioned again in Parliament, and defend your regime. As usual.¡±


    Damn, she even shoos me. The Queen.


    Jacqueline then crossed her arms and smirked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m back at the game. Screw this.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s my Prime Minister back. I thought you lost that fire in you.¡±


    Jacqueline growled.


    ¡°I just had a bad day okay?¡±


    Amelie giggled like a gremlin.


    ¡°Sure, Jacqueline.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Five: Her Majesty in Larissa

    ¡°CFN forces are being routed en-masse by MN forces. Tens of thousands of kilometers of Gallian territory are now liberated, with heavy armored losses for the Larissan Confederation and the Pozneki Republic being reported by both sides. The estimated death tallies have now also risen to at least fifty-thousand mostly on the CFN side in just a few days.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Empire of Larissa


    Grand Duchy of Theresa


    St. Theresa City


    Ah, the capital of my Archrival¡¯s Empire.


    Amelie felt the cold wind when she stepped out of her royal airliner. At last, she arrived in the capital of the Larissan Empire. The city seemed¡­well, it looked peaceful, Amelie thought. And there was no such thing as destroyed buildings or whatnot. It looked untouched by the ravages of war, which was quite something.


    Hmm¡­would it be nice if I one day took over Larissa economically?


    Amelie almost laughed like an evil woman. Here she was, at last! At the fated evil land that all Queens of Orland before her wanted to be crushed. She, the most recent one, out of her skill and administrative capabilities, had managed to beat the Empire to all odds and find herself being invited on friendly terms by Orland¡¯s weakened rival superpower. Oh, the splendor when she looked down at their soldiers, Larissan soldiers, all lining up for the path she would take once she went down the staircase. She relished it with satisfaction. Oh, really, she¡¯d really finally beaten that twin-tailed prick¡ª


    ¡°Move along now, Amelie,¡± William bluntly pushed her a bit down the stairs, pulling her hand to the side as he moved down. Amelie turned to him in surprise, giving a little ¡®eep¡¯ before chastising him.


    ¡°Hey! I was still sightseeing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh, smile and wave Amelie, smile and wave.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    And so, realizing her PR blunder, Amelie did smile and wave as she looked at the gathered Larissan soldiers, military officers, diplomatic officials, ministerial heads, and other bureaucrats and nobles of the rump Empire that was left in the wake of the Larissan Revolution.


    Once she was down on the ground, she realized there was even a red carpet for her, which was quite ridiculous, but she went along with it. Flowers and whatnot, it was like she was a goddess-damned celebrity down here, being fawned over by the highest government officials of the former enemy Empire.


    When she reached the end of her walk, there, awaiting her, was the smiling Princess of the Empire¡ªAnastasia Illyenov. The pink-haired woman smiled widely upon sighting Amelie, and Amelie almost felt herself backtracking to not be blinded by the wholesome energy practically emanating from the Princess.


    Suddenly, she was however tackled by her, and hugged, to the surprise of everyone around them. Amelie, somehow, also hugged the younger woman, even though William and the other Royal Guard and OPM security guards behind her were visibly horrified by the possibility of their Queen being blown open¡­in their hypothetical minds of course.


    ¡°Amelie! You¡¯re here! Welcome to my country. I hope it will be good for the duration of your stay. I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡±


    ¡°Hold on, hold on¡­geez, goddess you¡¯re way too¡­¡± Amelie tried to weasel out, but, well, she finally gave in. ¡°Damn, quite the warm welcome.¡±


    She now felt ashamed again due to her previous internal monologue of dominating Larissa. How could she think that way of her good new ally? This isn¡¯t Katerina, okay? This is Anastasia. My good friend. Goddess¡­she charmed me. This woman definitely charmed me!


    But she couldn¡¯t have resisted the bubbly Larissan Princess anyway. Soon, Anastasia pulled away, looking up at Amelie with that dazzling smile of hers. Amelie just smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Anyway, Your Majesty,¡± Anastasia respectfully stepped back with a graceful half-bow. ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s just that emotions are running high. The fact is, my Empire is facing a dire crisis and we¡¯re barely holding on to our lives down here. To have our ally finally come here¡­¡±


    Goddess she even pulled out the handkerchief!


    ¡°It really touches my heart,¡± Anastasia finished as she half-cried.


    ¡°Okay! Okay! No need to cry. We¡¯re gonna do everything to fight the Confederacy. Mark my words, Princess. Orland will be with you.¡±


    Flash.


    Amelie turned around and saw the cameras aimed at her.


    That, and the wide-eyed Larissan nobles and bureaucrats with them, alongside even a few officials sent by other MN member states to observe the official detente and ¡®pact of friendship¡¯ between the two previously mortal rival nations.


    Did¡­did I just say that out loud in front of the global press?


    Amelie turned a bit red, but she held it off.


    Whatever, that¡¯s my intention anyway.


    She turned to Anastasia with a determined expression.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Your Highness, the Empire may have been the enemy once of the Orlish State, but now, we are friends fighting the same enemy, and we are friends with the same goal of changing this world for the better with our reforms,¡± Amelie then extended her hand as more of the cameras flashed. ¡°I reiterate¡ªOrland will defend all free nations under the MN banner, Larissa included.¡±


    +++


    I¡¯ve been baited.


    Amelie felt herself shivering on her side of the stateroom as the delegates and officials from both Orland and Larissa dined and talked. She looked down at her wine and the fancy steak in front of her. She then looked at the other tables as the household staff served everyone fancy meals of all kinds, which kinda reminded her of the opulence that lost its luster in Orland ever since she was in charge.


    Still, her diplomatic staff, mainly female nobles of Orland, were very much at home with these conditions, talking and giggling with their Larissan counterparts as the night went on. In comparison, in the November Palace, Amelie had long since refused any outward show of excess.


    Not only for the symbolic purpose but also, because genuinely, Orland was in a state of wartime rationing. She briefly wondered how Anastasia could allow this, as Larissa too was in a state of wartime rationing.


    This would just look disgusting if the common people saw this. Amelie took a taste of the red wine that she was given, taking a delicate sip. Hmm¡­that seems nice¡­


    ¡°Is it up to your fancy, Your Majesty?¡± Anastasia curiously asked with a smile beside her. ¡°That¡¯s been taken from the Imperial Cellars. The particular one we were both served has been aged for twenty-eight years. Definitely older than both of us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­it tastes quite strong, compared to Orlish wine,¡± Amelie commented. ¡°But it does taste nice.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, yeah, I picked that because I thought you wouldn¡¯t have been interested in Larissan Vodka.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really a wine lady,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°At that age?¡±


    Anastasia chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­well, ever since I took charge, I sometimes like to go lights out, so to speak,¡± Anastasia said with a tinge of embarrassment, before whispering to Amelie. ¡°Keep it a secret please.¡±


    Amelie laughed lightly.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Amelie slowly sliced her steak. ¡°Do you guys do these things a lot?¡±


    ¡°Nope. This is a special occasion. You see, this is actually¡­not something I allow here. I like having my staff work at all times in important wartime activities. Unfortunately, my Minister of Foreign Affairs advised me to do this.¡±


    Amelie sighed, reminding herself of the background of her diplomats, that, and even the practices of the previous Orlish government.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t blame you for that.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Anastasia leaned forward. ¡°I must say, I¡¯d¡­like to really know more about the lend-lease deal we¡¯re working on.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­well, you know, it¡¯s quite surprising. Your Empress is still in my hands.¡±


    ¡°Keep her there,¡± Anastasia said in a hushed tone. ¡°Just¡­just treat my big sister well, okay? I trust you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Anastasia frowned a bit.


    ¡°I love Katerina, but she¡­she dragged the Empire to this mess,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°Almost no one in my government wants to serve under her in any official capacity. They¡¯ll literally resign if Katerina comes back. Even the old guards. She was¡­she wasn¡¯t exactly a fan of dissent, even in the ranks of blueblood.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°Then why not remove her title as Empress? Then take the throne.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­we¡¯re still organizing that¡­but legally it¡¯s difficult. She technically never did anything illegal. Her actions were in line with the laws that governed the land, set up by our mothers and grandmothers. Really, her only crime was losing to Orland and being captured. There are not many grounds yet. Yet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re changing it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying, but I can¡¯t yet,¡± Anastasia smiled bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna look like I stole my sister¡¯s throne out of nowhere. It¡¯d set a bad precedent. Forever. Think about it. Would you ever want any of your daughters to have a tradition of stealing the throne from each other? We made specific rules and laws to prevent that because it causes chaos. Wars. Bad things.¡±


    ¡°You place a lot of faith in laws, huh?¡±


    ¡°I am an advocate for the rule of law,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°And while I dismantled the excessive laws set up by my predecessors under wartime reforms, some rules are too sensible to be removed willy-nilly.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that.¡±


    Amelie took the slice of steak to her mouth, chewing it lightly to taste it well. Certainly, her cooks must be quite good. Amelie could taste that it was different from the usual style of her household¡¯s cooking, but it was on par in terms of quality.


    ¡°Now, about the lend-lease,¡± Anastasia smiled. ¡°Are we getting those Phantoms?¡±


    Amelie chuckled.


    ¡°Everyone and their mothers seem to want those planes nowadays, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a highly capable platform that destroyed so much of my country¡¯s designs,¡± Anastasia explained. ¡°My generals say that it¡¯s very good and that if I somehow weasel the design from you, alongside a few units and their weapons, they¡¯d very much kneel to me until they die.¡±


    ¡°They said that?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re weirdoes.¡±


    Amelie laughed.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°The problem is, we still don¡¯t have a surplus of those planes. That, and its top Orlish technology¡­so giving it up is actually quite the political issue on my government¡¯s part¡­¡±


    ¡°But? There¡¯s a but right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­maybe one day,¡± Amelie said, smiling a bit. ¡°But I''m not sure. What is sure is that Orland is interested in sending two squadrons from the Air Force here. We expect Larissa of course to provide much of the necessary logistical assistance and basing, but otherwise, they¡¯d be operated by Orlish pilots, under the Orlish Air Force¡ªwhat?¡±


    Amelie looked at Anastasia¡¯s hand. It was already raised in her direction. She then looked at her face. There was nothing but dead conviction in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes. Yes. Yes. Is the deal for real? When are they arriving? Please shake my hand.¡±


    The way she said it so fast made Amelie laugh a bit.


    ¡°They¡¯ll arrive when the rest of our aircraft aid arrives. Alongside the seventy-two LF-12s we promised, and the missiles necessary to operate them. And the technical guidance we¡¯d be sending as a part of the first wave of aid to Larissa,¡± Amelie smiled as she shook Anastasia¡¯s hand. ¡°Sure, we¡¯d get there quite fast. Give us two to three months. Maybe four if things go down.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, as long as we get those stealth planes. We need them to augment our squadrons in the air, and I¡¯ll give you my left kidney if that¡¯s what you want. Or do you want my right kidney?¡±


    Amelie chuckled awkwardly as Anastasia shook her hand with way too much enthusiasm.


    ¡°I¡¯d very much not need you to go that far.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Six: Arcane Technology

    ¡°The first round of women¡¯s casualties in the frontlines have finally reached us today. This month, ten thousand five hundred twenty-five young women who were drafted to the Orlish Armed Forces have perished in the valiant fight against the Federalists. All of Orland laments these heavy losses, and it¡¯s a reminder of the great struggle ahead of us.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Empire of Larissa


    Grand Duchy of Theresa


    St. Theresa City


    June 12, 2025


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a very smart idea.¡± William said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Amelie replied, clearly convinced that he was wrong.


    Amelie felt Nia finish dressing her. Outside of the room was William, who was briefing her. Amelie smiled at Nia after she gave herself a brief look in the mirror. Fine and dandy, as expected.


    ¡°Thanks, Nia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to my pleasure, Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Now, as for you Wiliam, I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s gonna be fine,¡± Amelie smiled, looking back at the mirror and adjusting her hair a bit. ¡°It¡¯s just gonna be a quick visit, and some photo-op. Then we can have some good propaganda material once we leave.¡±


    ¡°Or you can get your ass shelled¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Imperial Army will protect us well, William.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust them,¡± William adamantly said. ¡°They¡¯re not the OAF. They¡¯re¡­they¡¯re Larissans. They suck. I only allowed you to go to those expeditions because I knew the Orlish Army was behind and in front of us. Not so much now.¡±


    ¡°He has a point, Amelie,¡± Nia chimed in. ¡°This could be a dangerous plan.¡±


    Amelie turned around, shaking her head.


    ¡°You two are such worrywarts.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re too casual,¡± the two replied, literally the same words and in the same manner. Amelie just shook her head with a gentle smile, before she left the dressing room with Nia. She looked at William, who was leaning on the wall beside the door, arms crossed and with an indescribable frown.


    He turned to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re risking your neck too much for too little gain,¡± William said. ¡°I swear I¡¯m not going to stop myself from starting a diplomatic incident if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shhh, shhh,¡± Amelie raised her finger. ¡°Look, it¡¯s to show our solidarity with the Larissan people. If they see the Queen of Orland herself visiting their frontlines and troops for a friendly visit, then that¡¯d go a long way to boost morale. We have to show them that Orland and the world have their back. And they¡¯re not alone in the struggle.¡±


    ¡°But, but Amelie¡ª¡±


    ¡°And I know that you would do that. You¡¯re too much of an aggressive soldier to not do it. I swear, you¡¯re too overprotective of me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s literally my job!¡±


    ¡°Anyhow, chop chop, let¡¯s go now. The Princess of Larissa is waiting.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Aha, quite frankly, I¡¯ve always visited the front whenever I can,¡± Anastasia said with a smile. Amelie looked back at William, who was still as grumpy and unconvinced as ever. ¡°Oh, it looks like he doesn¡¯t approve.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I personally have a very low opinion of the Larissan Imperial Army,¡± William crossed his arms with the complete audacity of an Orlish military man. ¡°If Her Majesty is ever put into danger while doing this, I swear Larissa is going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Amelie stopped him. ¡°You already made your point. Besides, if I¡¯m lost, Anastasia would be lost too.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯d be a disaster to the MN war effort.¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°Look, it¡¯s fun. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going into the deepest parts.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­okay¡­¡±


    ¡°He really is a grumpy one, huh?¡± Anastasia asked curiously, a tad bit amused.


    ¡°That he is,¡± Amelie shrugged.


    ¡°He¡¯s her attack dog,¡± Nia commented from behind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her,¡± Amelie said with a nervous smile. ¡°And, in regards to William¡¯s comments to your military, it¡¯s just that he¡¯s uhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°Larissan soldiers also don¡¯t mix well with Orlish soldiers. Quite frankly, they should have been long good brothers, but our wars had led to this. We created this bad blood.¡±


    ¡°I have no bad blood with them! It¡¯s about their competence. They¡¯re always crap,¡± William ranted, before stopping. ¡°Okay, maybe I dislike them a bit, but I don¡¯t trust this Army that we cracked during the Great War and nowadays to be up to the task of conducting proper warfare.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I reformed the Imperial Army a lot, Director Porter,¡± Anastasia respectfully said with a smile. ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure if they would perform as well as the more technologically advanced and better-led Orlish Army, I believe that removing a lot of the bloat, corruption, and top-down management should have led to something. After all, the Imperial Army of today is holding out against Larissan forces twice our size. That should speak for something.¡±


    Amelie turned back to William, who just looked away, still unconvinced.


    ¡°You heard her,¡± Amelie said. ¡°She reformed things. It must be slightly better. Besides, this just gives me more reason to see her forces. We¡¯d be arming them. And you as a military expert, would be a nice addition to this visit. Think of this as an Orlish inspection, to see if you¡¯d have good insights into the worthiness of giving her military aid, mhm?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that, but if that was the case, you could have just sent some low-level officers here, or me.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s better this way, in my mind.¡±


    +++


    Grand Duchy of Theresa


    20 Kilometers from the Southern Front


    It had already been eight hours through the journey when the vehicles, heavily armored APCs, reached one of the forward bases of the Imperial Army. Amelie, Nia, and Anastasia were all wearing kevlar vests and helmets already, to ensure their protection. When they left their vehicles, both the women soldiers of the Imperial Guards and Amelie¡¯s security detail funneled out to check their paths.


    Amelie however ignored it, mindlessly chatting with her fellow royal beside Nia as they walked deeper into the base. It appeared to be a town repurposed for the military. A logistics hub where troops, ammunition, vehicles, and other necessities were sent before being funneled into the frontlines.


    As Amelie and Anastasia chatted, Amelie noticed that William started to drift, his eyes staring into one of the parked towns, with a huge frown on his face. Amelie stopped walking and talking, looking at William.


    ¡°Hey, any problems?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± William shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s been a while I guess.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s T-86 Main Battle Tank,¡± Anastasia proudly said. ¡°Modified by the Imperial Army too. Called the T-86 AP1A variant. There are only a few thousand of them. Newly produced by the St. Theresa Grand Arsenal. They¡¯re one of our main frontline units.¡±


    ¡°It looks strange,¡± William said. ¡°What¡¯s that massive add-on box on top of its rear hull? Wouldn¡¯t that impair the gun depression when the tank¡¯s turret is turned rearward?¡±


    Anastasia chuckled.


    ¡°Director, that isn¡¯t a mere ¡®add-on¡¯. I admit it was developed in a rushed manner, and we essentially just threw that thing on the only place available. Unfortunately, the turrets of the T-18 MBT series are too large and they cover the rear. The T-86 however has a smaller circular one, like most old Larissan tanks. So we had space. That¡­is a shield projection device.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve tinkered a lot with magical shielding,¡± William turned to Amelie. ¡°But the Royal Government has never allowed Orlish Defense Companies to have access to A-Tech solutions.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a policy I¡¯m still rethinking,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Minister Wittfield is looking into it. Combining magic with technology. But we still haven¡¯t made headway with it. I imagine that device¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it takes a lot of mana to produce,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°With top-of-the-line enchantments, it¡¯s very much intensive to any woman doing the production of that. That¡¯s why we don¡¯t have a lot of it. But the enchantments allow the specially designed shield projector made by our engineers in collaboration with our best Imperial Mages to project a shield field around the tank. Unfortunately, since we cannot imbue enough mana on the device, it¡¯s very much limited to only taking a shot or two. Then it¡¯d be shattered.¡±


    ¡°How does that work?¡± William asked. ¡°What if a weak shot hits the tank? Wouldn¡¯t that just uselessly strip it of its shields?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a problem they¡¯re still solving,¡± Anastasia nodded. ¡°But it¡¯s the best stopgap solution we have. These tanks can at least survive one or two direct hits during a confrontation. It can even survive a direct artillery hit with it. That¡¯s enough, I suppose, to give our crewmen a few chances to pop smoke, drive away, and retreat. Or take the shot on the opposing tank or vehicle. It¡¯s the best we can offer.¡±


    Amelie looked back at the strange tank, then to William, genuinely curious.


    ¡°Hey, can we get that thing in our tanks too?¡±


    William shook his head.


    ¡°Not without a turret redesign. Unless we can produce something very small, it might work, but there¡¯s no space in our tank design. The turret is just too big. Mainly because of the ammo bustle. Which is a major part of their protection design.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­so we need a new tank if we ever want to do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± William shook his head. ¡°But why so bulky?¡±


    ¡°I imagine that the runes drawn inside of that equipment¡­are bulky.¡±


    Anastasia nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, the runes are constructed in the standard metal plate patterns, except there are ten layers for ten different commands so¡­yeah, it does get big. I apologize, but our Imperial Mages are still trying to miniaturize the design. And maybe even standardize its production.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bit of a hard problem then,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Realistically, without the woman actively operating the machine herself, and without her as a source of magic, you really can¡¯t make it just smaller, since the smaller the enchantment patterns are, the more inaccurate it might be, and the less mana it can hold. It¡¯d fail.¡±


    William scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°Sucks then,¡± he said. ¡°Well, I guess the nut jobs at Wuringen are closer to achieving their ¡®AI¡¯ project than us fully integrating magic with technology. Whaddya know, the magicless will eternally have limited access to it.¡±


    Amelie raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°AI project?¡±


    William chuckled.


    ¡°Strange people those guys are. Yeah, it¡¯s in the black OAF projects. Never really went somewhere though. According to our sources, they¡¯re still trying to crack it. Eh, it¡¯s ridiculous anyway. They mostly only cracked the hardware part like the automated assembly plants in Wuringen, which are usually monitored and maintained by humans anyway, since the software or ¡®intelligence¡¯ still haven¡¯t been finished.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a bit of a stretch for an artificial intelligence to be created. Life can¡¯t be created out of steel.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d just be a fancy bunch of code,¡± Anastasia laughed.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, those factories they made are quite good though,¡± William admitted. ¡°It¡¯s how they¡¯re keeping up. Wuringen¡¯s manpower needs in their industries are being reduced as they replace their production lines with advanced robotic equipment. That¡¯s honestly more concerning than them getting something as ridiculous as AI. They can keep up with production while keeping up with manpower requirements at the front.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have those technologies?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Nope, all of our factories use robotics and machines to an extent, yes, but not the way Wuringen does things. We¡¯ve built all of our new factories with those newer tech during the Great War in the Free State. What we have outside are the older ones. Then again, we have millions more workers now. We can compensate many times over.¡±


    Somehow, Amelie felt something wrong rising in her gut.


    That doesn¡¯t sound right.


    ¡°I see then¡­¡±


    She gave the tank a final glance.


    Automation against magic. She thought. If they have it¡­then we have to somewhat find our own solution, no?


    She really needed to check on Minister Wittfield¡¯s projects regarding this.

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Seven: Larissan Imperial Military

    ¡°OAF and LEF forces have now routed dozens of CFN divisions as the drive through northeastern Toldoi continues. Gallian forces in the center, who had been fighting for weeks against the CFN push to the Gallian capital have now also begun their own counteroffensive, joining in the rest of the MN forces. The skies are also now completely owned by the Orlish, Lorathian, and Gallian air forces, causing near-endless attacks on vulnerable CFN logistical lines outside Gallia. It would appear that the Larissan Confederation and the Pozneki Republic are being forced into two equally ugly choices¡ªto either abandon the offensive against Gallia or lose their armies.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Empire of Larissa


    Grand Duchy of Theresa


    St. Theresa City


    June 13, 2025


    ¡°I told you it would have been fine,¡± Amelie said with a smile as she finished preparing herself. The reopening of the Orlish Embassy in St. Theresa City meant that the Queen would be one of the first ones to use its pretty extensive facilities. To Amelie¡¯s surprise, the staff and the building itself were quite lavish. Even their current room, which, to Amelie¡¯s imagination, was abandoned for more than a year only needed a few hours of fixing since the Orlish diplomatic staff reoccupied it yesterday.


    Almost as if they never left to begin with.


    It seemed that the Larissans were at least courteous to maintain it to some degree.


    ¡°Well, it could have ended worse,¡± William insisted as Amelie turned around. Nia and William were both now compiling the necessary documents and crap that they¡¯d bring to the next meeting with the Princess. This time¡ªto meet their military leadership. ¡°By the way, what else do we need?¡±


    ¡°The details about the equipment we¡¯re giving them?¡± Amelie replied, and William checked the files on his briefcase before he nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s there. The laptops, the uhh¡­everything. The high-authorization files. The¡­yeah, we should be good to go. All that¡¯s left is, how exactly are we talking to them?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re my representative of the OAF,¡± Amelie said to William. ¡°So you should probably have a few ideas on how to talk to those Larissan officers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have quite the ideas. We can start a shootout to settle which country produces the best soldiers at once,¡± William suggested with a sadistic grin. ¡°One versus a dozen, I¡¯m up with that. If I survive, then the honor of the OAF will be truly cemented.¡±


    Nia gasped behind William.


    ¡°What kind of a bloodthirsty proposition even is that?¡±


    ¡°Hey, they¡¯re the enemy,¡± William said. ¡°Or at least, they¡¯re the natural enemy of every Orlishman. They killed us by the millions.¡±


    ¡°And you boys killed them by the millions too,¡± Amelie said as she gave her face her final touch-ups with her makeup on the mirror. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to let bygones be bygones. If you think about it, all of you were the same victims of our war.¡±


    ¡°I was just joking,¡± William said. ¡°Thought, I really wanna punch the fuckers once, just in the face. You know? Those bastards liked not to take prisoners. And I really just wanna mug one of their officers once, preferably with a knife. Maybe even a rusty one. Maybe that¡¯ll teach him some brotherhood solidarity. Just that. Maybe a bullet to the noggin too.¡±


    Amelie shook her head and chuckled.


    ¡°Why does it get worse and worse?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll behave, I swear!¡± William said. ¡°Just, don¡¯t expect me to get buddy buddy with them. Sure, you say they¡¯re our friends now, but for years, both of us saw each other¡¯s inhumanity. I can¡¯t help but view them the same way I viewed them when we were knee-deep in the trenches years ago.¡±


    Amelie sighed.


    ¡°I know, I know. Just¡­look, from now on, you¡¯re brothers with the Larissan Imperial Army, okay? They¡¯re our allies from now on. During this war and after this war. Larissa, under Princess Anastasia, is our friend. They may be our mortal enemy for nearly a century, and maybe we¡¯ve really pushed each other into the lowest¡­


    ¡°But that¡¯s all over now. Let¡¯s try to see each other in our best in these awful times, okay?¡±


    William just nodded a bit.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Nia, on the other hand, just frowned beside William as she finished compiling the documents assigned to her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe this guy needs your sedation every time he¡¯s angry at something,¡± Nia said, before turning to William. ¡°Though I guess you do have quite a lot of anger in this world.¡±


    ¡°I feel touched by your words, Miss Nia,¡± William sarcastically replied. ¡°It feels nice that a woman recognizes my inner turmoil for once.¡±


    ¡°Consider it a blessing.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Great Miss.¡±


    +++


    ¡°My Generals are¡­quite the hot-headed ones,¡± Anastasia warned as the four walked through the hallways inside the headquarters of the Larissan Ministry of Defense. Unlike the OHC, which was staffed primarily by men (as there was still a severe shortage of women officers/RGO officers), the Empire seemed to be doing better in the matter.


    There were a lot of young women mingling with their male counterparts, officers, all of them. Staff, clerks, and other personnel too. Then again, Pristina¡¯s Ministry wasn¡¯t too far off. But only because the Royal Guard was there. From what Amelie could see from the armbands of these people¡ªmen and women, they were part of the Imperial Army.


    I guess that makes sense. Amelie thought. Unlike us, Anastasia had to enact desperate measures months prior. That¡¯s enough time to create an entirely new cadre of officers and noncommissioned officers.


    She really disliked the fact that even with the accelerated promotions that she forced in place for the Army, Air Force, and Navy, women were having a hard time adapting to wartime conditions rapidly. Then again, Amelie couldn¡¯t exactly just force the Army to admit inexperienced female officers to lead over the veterans running the show. She¡¯d have to bide her time and wait until many of them learn and prove themselves before she could see any major changes to her Armed Forces.


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    One day, it¡¯ll represent what Orland ought to be. Amelie thought. An institution held by men and women, equally¡ªin service to the Kingdom and our society.


    She glanced at three Larissan officers, two men, and one woman, who were having quite a polite discussion on the side.


    We¡¯ll get there, one day.


    Soon, the Princess¡¯ personal guards both opened the door to the meeting room, and the four entered. Inside was quite the chaos, Amelie saw. Officers, men and women, of different branches, seemed to be angrily discussing the situation on the Larissan frontlines. Maps were strewn on the table, with laptops and tablets displaying spreadsheets of losses and supply needs.


    It¡¯s almost like a room of eggheads trying to win a war.


    ¡°Ehem,¡± Anastasia cleared her throat. ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, I believe I forewarned you all that the Orlish Queen is set to arrive right now. Well, she¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­hello?¡± Amelie awkwardly said, as the discussions died out, and the Larissan military personnel all turned their icy stares at her. ¡°I¡¯m here to¡­discuss with you how we shall prosecute this war, and how Orland can help.¡±


    ¡°Send us those planes,¡± one young woman said, arms crossed. She sported the bluish uniform worn by Larissan Air Force officers. When she looked at her rank, Amelie was sure that she must be a General of some sort, somewhere around the equivalent rank of ¡®Air Marshall¡¯ in her Air Force. ¡°The enemy achieves local air supremacy too many times more than what¡¯s sustainable. A fifth-generation aircraft can prevent that.¡±


    Anastasia chuckled.


    ¡°Countess, my friend, you must at least be more respectful of Her Majesty¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant General, Your Highness,¡± the young woman replied with audacity. ¡°I don¡¯t need that crappy title when my home county is under the occupation of those rebels. And you, Queen Amelie of Orland, profess yourself to be a friend of this nation. Then where is said aid?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we shall discuss today,¡± Amelie politely replied, before turning to Anastasia. ¡°And no worries. I take no offense. I can see that she¡¯s quite passionate about defending the Empire.¡±


    ¡°That she is,¡± Anastasia sighed, before turning back to Amelie and pointing her finger at the Air Force officer. ¡°That right there is Lieutenant General Yuliana Koptseva. She¡­well, she commands the 1st Imperial Aviation Corps. They make up around a third of my remaining air force, as it stands.¡±


    ¡°How many is that?¡±


    ¡°Around¡­four hundred planes?¡± Anastasia smiled a bit, almost forcefully. ¡°Well¡­you see, the Confederacy has the lion¡¯s share of the Air Force¡¯s numbers, so¡­we only really have around a thousand left¡­if you don¡¯t count the ones in storage that we¡¯re cannibalizing for spare parts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite desperate,¡± Amelie pointed out.


    ¡°It is,¡± Yuliana said. ¡°My pilots are struggling to keep things going. If Orland wants to keep the war going here, you better send us something.¡±


    ¡°Gee, she¡¯s quite the demanding one, huh?¡± Nia said beside Amelie.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s probably a significant figure in their military,¡± Amelie said, sighing. ¡°Ah¡­I remember now. I saw her once in the news.¡±


    ¡°Yep, she¡¯s¡­a very good pilot,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s there. And her entire life goal now is to make sure the Empire survives, and she¡¯s not afraid to blurt that out loud.¡±


    ¡°I can respect that,¡± Amelie said, before smiling at them. ¡°Anyhow, now that I see that, may we please begin? I¡¯d really appreciate it if you people could share with me what you need. No need to treat me as the Queen of Orland. Think of me as your friend. Someone you can easily tell what your needs are, okay?¡±


    The officers all looked at each other, with some glaring at Yuliana for her audacious way of speaking to a foreign monarch, before they all relaxed. Amelie¡¯s smile grew.


    All right, now we can get things started.


    +++


    It took hours, but the meeting soon ended.


    Amelie sighed as she left with the Princess, Nia, and William. The four immediately headed for another room to look at the conclusions that they had. So far, Amelie has seen a lot of problems that the Imperial Army faced. Unfortunately, the Grand Duchy was simply too small to really challenge the rest of the Larissan nation, which fell to the revolution.


    And so, it was, as it stood¡ªan Army on its last legs, forced to utilize every scrap they had just to keep fighting. Perhaps it was why almost all of Anastasia¡¯s officers were there by merit or skill and were mostly pragmatists who didn¡¯t care much about the frivolities of a Royalist Army.


    Both men and women of the Imperial Army seemed to be a team. After all, what choice did they have left? Every man who sided with the Princess was now a traitor to the Confederacy. Every man that was in that room was a man who would be shot the moment the Empire surrendered. And women like Yuliana or Anastasia¡ªwell, their fates wouldn¡¯t be pretty as well if they lost.


    They¡¯re all fighting desperately for their lives. Amelie knew. Unlike in Orland where we Royalists hold some sort of economic, industrial, population, and military advantage, out here¡­it¡¯s more like a little rabbit trying to challenge a wolf.


    ¡°As you can see, my forces are quite badly outmatched for this conflict,¡± Anastasia said as she calmly sipped her vodka. Amelie and Nia preferred to be served tea, but the Princess in front of her was quite literally taking in hard alcohol like it was nothing. Of course, looking at the side, Amelie could see that William had no problems about greedily getting some alcohol himself from the young woman.


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Though looking at it, it seems that your military is led by quite talented and passionate individuals. Perhaps there is a chance.¡±


    ¡°Leadership is just one thing. Numbers are another. I cannot win a war of attrition. Not now. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. The only reason we¡¯re still standing is those men and women continuously create miracles in the frontlines.¡±


    William laughed on the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite ironic how you¡¯ve all somehow managed to outmatch the Confederacy in quality,¡± William said. ¡°In Orland, so far, our Federalist counterparts are exceptionally competent. It¡¯s why we can¡¯t break them, even with equal numbers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Confederacy is mandating too much politicking in their ranks,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°They¡¯ve inherited the worst part of the Larissan military system from my mother and sister. Each of their units is watched closely by the KVD¡ªthe Commissariat for Internal Affairs. Radicals who¡¯ll execute anyone who dares not fulfill their duty to the Revolution.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that,¡± William said. ¡°Our intel reports said that a section of the Confederacy High Command vehemently rejected placing political commissars to their forces in the west. I guess here in the east, they¡¯re keeping them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it either,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°It¡¯s clearly stifling the autonomy and tactical flexibility of their Army. From top to bottom. It¡¯s how my military kept hold of the front. We move faster than them. React faster than them. Fight faster than them. They just overwhelm us with numbers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite impressive, still,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Facing a military twice your size, all while fighting with not even six hundred thousand troops¡­it¡¯s something. Though, I¡¯m not sure if I can meet the demands you guys gave me. Equipping that much, it¡¯s impossible. At most, the lend-lease we can give can just cover around ten to thirty billion blancs. That¡¯s in fact, quite the massive sum already that we cannot realistically support at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°But you¡¯ve given Hebei a lot. Nearly one hundred billion worth of equipment already. That¡¯s insane. It¡¯s almost like, you¡¯ve built up their military yourself. Surely, you can do the same for us?¡±


    ¡°Not this year, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Amelie smiled apologetically. ¡°Though, again, if I can get Jacqueline to sign a thirty-billion blancs worth of military aid, that¡­that might be enough to send a few squadrons of LF-12s, a few battalions worth of tanks and other armored vehicles, and yeah¡­munitions.¡±


    The Princess sighed.


    ¡°We were hoping we¡¯d get something that can turn the tide, but I guess this is just the reality of things. We really can¡¯t get all of the nice stuff, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to get you something once our manufacturing expands further. The Orlish War Industry will be awake soon enough. Just¡­just hold on, okay?¡±


    ¡°I see then,¡± Anastasia raised her head and extended her hand in Amelie¡¯s direction. ¡°Regardless, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I can¡¯t believe that Orland can become Larissa¡¯s friend, but¡­I think I see that their new Queen cares more about the good of the world than old rivalries. Thank you so much.¡±


    Amelie took her hand and shook it.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re welcome, I guess.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Eight: Status Report

    ¡°Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss has now signed a massive two hundred billion military aid bill for Orlish allies in the Mandate of Nations. The money will be spent to buy massive orders of weaponry from Orlish defense corporations, which will be sent throughout the year toward Orland¡¯s allies that they will pay as low-interest loans once the war is over. It is unknown which nations will receive what, but it is speculated that Hebei, Asanai, and Lorathia will be the ones receiving the lion¡¯s share of the incoming deliveries.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    June 15, 2025


    Amelie slackened as she finally sat in her office¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Ah¡­how much I¡¯ve missed you,¡± Amelie said, looking around her room. The staff and servants, already finished cleaning and fixing her place before she even arrived last night from her Larissan visit. Unfortunately, she arrived at 02:00 hours at the November Palace, and her work right now would start¡­


    She looked at the clock on the wall.


    Seven AM.


    Amelie crossed her arms, a little bit miffed at how little sleep she had in her room. She already anticipated that sooner or later, someone will finally barge into her¡ª


    Three knocks on her door. Must be William again. Amelie sighed.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she shouted, quite bored, as she picked up her pen. As expected, it was her equally workaholic right-hand man. William, carrying another set of files, clearly marked by the various intelligence agencies of the Kingdom¡ªand of course, by the Orlish High Command, stood in stiff attention as he entered and closed the door. ¡°So what¡¯s the big news today?¡±


    ¡°Well, as usual, we¡¯re being fucked in the rear,¡± William said dryly as he walked to Amelie¡¯s desk and placed the set of files on it. Then, he fished one that came from the Army Field Intelligence¡ªAFI. ¡°From our ground forces, I have two general overview reports coming in. One from the Orlish front. Another from the Gallian front.¡±


    ¡°Can I hear something about our guys in Hebei for now? I¡¯d like to check in on what¡¯s happening to Empress Xue.¡±


    William placed the file he was holding back to the desk and pulled another one, this time, it was from the Naval Intelligence Division¡ªNID.


    ¡°That will be the reports from our dispatched Marine Corps units and of course, from Strike Force Four.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how¡¯s the situation down there?¡± Amelie asked, as she opened her notebook, which had now evolved into a nightmarish mess of binders and crap and endless scribbles from her deteriorating mind. ¡°Is she winning, or what?¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, as of now, the estimates of the NID is that, no, they ain¡¯t. Their analysis, which came from the combined reports of our Marines and Air Force squadrons on the ground showed a marked deterioration in Imperial Hebeian military capabilities.¡±


    Amelie scribbled, ¡®need to help Empress Xue again soon¡¯ on her notebook as she frowned.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite simple, really. Over the last few months, the Empire has lost two major campaigns. The Third Ginzhu Campaign, and the West Liao Campaign. Those defeats led to approximately one hundred fifty thousand military casualties, as well as the loss of three major cities, again, Ginzhu, which was recaptured last year, is lost again. Hanjing, and, well, Laoding too. That, and they lost approximately eighty-thousand square kilometers of territory, and again, the entirety of the Ginzhu province.¡±


    Then, William chuckled.


    ¡°Then again, at this point, Ginzhu is literally a wasteland considering the endless back and forths there, so I guess it¡¯s not much of a loss.¡±


    ¡°Any bright news?¡±


    ¡°South Hebeian forces have now settled into better defense lines, and the frontlines are stabilizing.¡±


    ¡°And the worst news?¡±


    ¡°If the North Hebeians and the participating Confederacy and Pozneki military units recover in a few months, your friend over there is figuratively screwed soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it. That¡¯s why Jacqueline signed that thing. We should¡­be able to divert crap soon enough, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± William then flipped through the NID file. ¡°Want me to look over at the Kusari situation?¡±


    ¡°Screw it. Go on, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Delightful. On the Kusari front, we have lovely news. The Royal Guard and the Marine Corps have successfully opened up the encirclement, and much of the Kusari forces.¡±


    Amelie felt her lips curl up into a proud smile.


    ¡°Why, if that isn¡¯t quite the good news in the morn¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Kusaris of course evacuated without their heavy equipment, and all their units that managed to escape came in mostly with just their light vehicles, small arms, and whatever crap they luckily got out. In other words, they fully lost at least ninety percent of their three-hundred-strong tank force in the pocket. Congratulations to us.¡±


    Amelie groaned.


    ¡°Argh¡­how am I even supposed to replace that?! The next shipments should be for strengthening them, not replenishing their losses. Come on¡­¡± Amelie nursed her temple as she turned red. ¡°Can¡¯t the CFN be really braindead for once?¡±


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    ¡°I think they had a number of their brain-dead moves already,¡± William chuckled. ¡°Unfortunately, the same can be said about our side. The Kusari Command¡¯s insistence to hold on to the Laresh Region was quite braindead, for example.¡±


    ¡°There were tens of millions of people in that place to be fair,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°Like, I can understand why they¡¯d insist on holding on until their people have been evacuated.¡±


    ¡°Which is stupid, now look at them,¡± William laughed. ¡°Even with our KDUs, Marines, and airpower in place, they¡¯re about to get cracked in the next CFN offensive. That¡¯s what the NID¡¯s assessment is. The enemy will most likely push down southward and capture Rajabad. Can you believe that? They¡¯re gonna lose their damned capital because of their stupidity.¡±


    ¡°W-well, we better support them well to hold on then,¡± Amelie shook her head adamantly. ¡°William, we can¡¯t let one of our major allies lose their capital. That¡¯d be too much of a blow to us.¡±


    ¡°Good on you to realize that. Now, let¡¯s just hope that Sir Zimmerman can create another goddamned miracle, because I tell you what, while Orlish ground forces are doing well down there, the rest of the frontlines aren''t.¡±


    ¡°If only those church prayers worked¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe if you pray harder in those ceremonies as Queen things would work out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already doing it!¡±


    William smirked.


    ¡°Well, guess someone fell out of the Goddess¡¯ good graces.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, now onto the cool stuff,¡± William placed the NID file on Amelie¡¯s desk and fished the AFI file. ¡°The Orlish and Gallian fronts.¡±


    Amelie took a deep exhale.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°Which one do you want first? The Orlish one or the Gallian one?¡±


    It¡¯s like I¡¯m being forced to pick between two piles of dung.


    ¡°The Gallian one.¡±


    ¡°Good choice. There, we have some awesome news about our glorious counteroffensive,¡± William said, clearly exaggerating his words. ¡°Now, due to your brilliant decision of launching the attack weeks earlier than it should be¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Amelie cut him off. ¡°You said it was a bright idea.¡±


    ¡°I have lots of ¡®bright ideas¡¯ you¡¯d disapprove of, and I believe it''s for good reason.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, carry on.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yeah, I¡¯ll be serious. We are somewhere in the middle. A bit on the winning side.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re not making the required progress to really¡­you know, achieve our actual goals.¡±


    ¡°That being the great push straight to Poznek once their armies collapse?¡±


    William nodded.


    ¡°Precisely! Now, while we have advanced around sixty thousand square kilometers forward in terms of territory for the past few days, mostly in our southern and northern pincers, and, well, the recaptured territory directly in front of the Gallian capital¡ªwe¡¯re not so fast.¡±


    ¡°So, no big encirclements?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Air Force is doing their job of bombing the crap out of the desperate lines of Larissan or Pozneki tanks, trucks, and vehicles out of the areas threatened by the two pincers,¡± William slowed down. ¡°But¡­yeah, I¡¯m going to be frank. Those routed divisions are getting the heck out of the danger zones before we close the pincers. For reference, both pincers are around ninety-eight kilometers away from each other. North to South. Fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s a salient?¡±


    William showed the picture of the massive salient on the Gallian front. It really looked like her forces were trying to eat a massive territory in the center. That¡­looks less impressive when you realize the distance of those two pincers. Amelie breathed out. They¡¯re just gonna drive out of it.


    ¡°Well, the thing is, it was mostly because of the delays due to the failed assaults of our airmobile units in the south and the north. We had to secure a couple of bridges during the early days, and well¡­it flunked.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that.¡±


    ¡°And this is the long-term result,¡± William sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, it is out of our control, but the enemy managed to set up successive desperate defense lines in front of our advancing pincers to delay us. While they failed at causing significant casualties, they sure did succeed at completely slowing us down.¡±


    ¡°And there goes my lightning campaign¡­¡±


    Amelie scribbled ¡®Clericia¡¯s fault¡¯ angrily in her notebook.


    ¡°Alright, what about Orland? Is there some glimmer of light here? A scrap of some good news I can latch on to? Something I can brag about in my next press conference? Anything? Anything at all.¡±


    ¡°To believe that we¡¯re having any luck with the Federalists is quite the height of delusions,¡± William said, amused. ¡°Would you like the sugar-sprinkled version or the chili-dipped one?¡±


    ¡°The chili dipped one?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fucked.¡±


    Amelie just buried her face in her hands.


    ¡°I need some morning tea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll gladly ring the servants¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just call Nia. I need Nia. Is she awake?¡±


    ¡°Still sleeping soundly in her room last I checked.¡±


    ¡°You checked?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just asked the staff,¡± William said. ¡°Pfft, why would I go to your chambers? Also, didn¡¯t you come from the same floor? You didn¡¯t check?¡±


    Amelie felt a vein pop in her temple.


    ¡°I walked my way here half-asleep, okay?¡±


    ¡°So you sleepwalked?¡±


    ¡°I am not as used as you at being this sleep-deprived.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been at it since last year, and you¡¯re still not used to it?¡±


    Amelie smiled smugly.


    ¡°I get my beauty sleep from time to time. Is it not a Queen¡¯s right?¡±


    ¡°Well, that explains things.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, just¡­tell me what¡¯s happening here.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s simple really. We finally stabilized the L?t Axis yesterday after the 10th Army mobilized their reserves for the counterattack five days ago.¡±


    ¡°And¡­?¡±


    ¡°We lost twenty-eight thousand men in the span of five days, alongside one hundred fifty tanks, and two hundred other armored vehicles. General Bohm is at the moment on his knees at the OHC asking for reinforcements, both for men and heavy equipment. The enemy, on the other hand, seemed to have withdrawn in good order, so¡­well, in essence, they poked us to make us lose equipment.¡±


    ¡°How can they trick us that way!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you now found out about the qualitative advantage of more experienced and fanatic Federalist local commanders and units,¡± William smiled as he closed the file. ¡°Need I say more?¡±


    Amelie pouted.


    ¡°You always serve the worst breakfast.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, Amelie.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Nine: Bit of a Let-Down

    ¡°Orlish War Production is expanding rapidly! Right now, the Ministry of Economy has released data that fifteen percent of the Orlish workforce are now working directly or indirectly for the war industry, up from the previous ten percent figure in January. The number of men and women working in war-related industries is also expanding, as more and more manufacturing areas finish their retooling and conversion into military plants. The Ministry of Economy has also stated that sixty percent of current construction projects are now being done for the expansion of the infrastructure needed to produce more weapons and employ people in it. Principalities in West Orland are now also seeing the construction of the first ¡°nearly automated¡± factories by Chipsoft, Rebenslof Steel, and Porter Heavy Industries which had been implemented four years ago in eight major plants in the Free State of Wuringen. These factories are expected to go online within a year or two, which would most likely create a ¡°great bump¡± in Orlish war production even with the nearly ninety-plus percent reduction of manpower requirements these plants offer.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    West Orland


    Eutstadt


    June 17, 2025


    Amelie looked at her four ministers with great excitement.


    The four major drivers of the Orlish economy were now present in front of her. It was, of course, Anne, Allison, Jan, and Alfred¡ªthe Ministers of Economy, Health and Social Welfare, Infrastructure, and Energy respectively. All of them were very much involved in shifting around the rules and laws of the land, alongside its funds (of course) to get the ball rolling and create a powerful Orland.


    One that produced insane amounts of weapons. Weapons that could one day blot out the skies. Something that Amelie¡¯s mother could only imagine (since she never fully mobilized during the First Great War, out of fear of angering her people), and something that Amelie could finally send one day to smite and vanquish all of those who opposed her ¡°Great Cause¡±.


    Well¡­maybe something less grandiose. Amelie thought. After all¡­Allison¡¯s clearly pouting on the side.


    ¡°My Ministry can¡¯t take these cuts any further¡­¡± Allison whined, her disappointment clear as the sky. ¡°I¡¯m trying to keep up, but how are we supposed to even manage things? So many people are getting injured¡­the costs are high¡­all of our doctors, nurses, staff, and personnel are overwhelmed. And the Social Welfare part of my Ministry is now effectively Anne¡¯s organ to find people that ¡®need to work¡¯.¡±


    Anne just chuckled on the side.


    ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t be such a downer,¡± the older woman said, as she sipped her tea. ¡°The Welfare State isn¡¯t meant to last. Not with this kind of war going on. And even in peacetime, it has to be torn down and reformed anyway. It¡¯s a literal extraction scheme for men.¡±


    ¡°I know, but there are so many old women clambering my Ministry for help,¡± Allison complained. ¡°And it¡¯s not like just because we suspended Women¡¯s Basic Income would mean they¡¯d stop banging the walls of my office for it. I have millions of unanswered emails and complaints on my person.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t your staff filter them out?¡± Jan asked.


    ¡°Of course they do.¡±


    Then, the Minister of Infrastructure smirked.


    ¡°Hey, actually though, maybe that¡¯d help Anne get more of her precious fresh meat for the factories. The college students yearn to weld, after all.¡±


    Allison turned slightly red.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of them. They were reliant on it.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can give them cash if they work hard enough¡­¡± Jan said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the new order, unfortunately,¡± Amelie¡¯s smile faltered a bit. ¡°But onto the good news, guys. What¡¯s the status of our major projects?¡±


    ¡°Good, very good,¡± Alfred said. ¡°We have now expanded our air defense coverage on our power grid. That, and we¡¯ve managed to open up eight new nuclear plants now. Though, expect nothing in that front for the next three to six years.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not hoping for any major increases there,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I know that you just expedited the ongoing projects. I hope the budget increases help greatly.¡±


    Alfred grinned, while Allison sulked further.


    ¡°Absolutely, Your Majesty. It was a great help. Our construction companies involved were ecstatic about the billions of OBs we injected into them. And they delivered. That, and we now have a massive workforce related to nuclear construction ready and available, being sent to the next one.¡±


    ¡°How much was the increase?¡±


    ¡°For the last quarters, our hirings peaked at around a fifty percent increase, and most of those workers have now turned even more skilled after finishing the construction of our new plants. They¡¯re being sent to speed up construction on the next ones. Rest assured, with these¡ªelectricity would not be a problem for Orland.¡±


    ¡°And the coal-powered ones?¡±


    ¡°Still expanding them, we¡¯ve now upped our capacity by at least fifteen percent. More is coming. Those new factories you all are making are power-hungry, after all. And, well, if you want more redundant systems in case the Federalists bomb them¡­¡± Alfred smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t mind another fifty billion OB injection to my Ministry.¡±


    Amelie looked at Allison briefly.


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    ¡°Dear Goddess, no,¡± Allison defensively said. ¡°Please not me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I wasn¡¯t saying anything,¡± Amelie said, before smiling. ¡°Calm down.¡±


    ¡°At this point, I¡¯m traumatized whenever those three ask for budget increases. Including Pristina¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I really am sorry.¡±


    ¡°I wanna cry in a corner.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±


    Amelie just sighed, before looking at Jan.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°The West Orland Main Line is going well,¡± Jan said. ¡°And it should be done within¡­six years. Though, if you can ensure us that juicy three-year-long four hundred billion¡ª¡±


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°Okay, next, shoo, shoo. I get that high-speed rail is cool, but I don¡¯t wanna throw billions to speed it up. It¡¯s not going to benefit us that much right now. The funding for that will remain the same. What I¡¯m asking about is the railway modernization of our standard lines. You know, the ones getting things factory to factory.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­okay¡­hmm. Fine. The Secondary Network Upgrade Project is going well enough. We¡¯ve now nominally updated the rail lines in around thirty-five percent of rail in West Orland. That, and we¡¯ve completed the replacements of the dilapidated and bombed-out railways, and expanded our shipping capacity with the new trains we¡¯ve been ordering.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­that¡¯s good¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°While the expansion of trucks and stuff has been going on well, connecting our manufacturing areas with rail is going to be more cost-effective. And efficient.¡±


    Then, the man leaned forward, his face contorting into that of a man trying to weasel more funds.


    ¡°Just throw us a few more billions and it¡¯ll be even¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shush!¡±


    I swear these two. Amelie sighed. I gave them some emergency budget increases and now they¡¯re hounding me like hungry wolves for more.


    ¡°Now, onto you, Anne,¡± Amelie said. ¡°How¡¯s the Wartime Production Act going?¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Anne replied with a grin. ¡°I must say, completely murdering social security and the basic income scheme to free up trillions this fiscal year is quite the move, but yes, the Ministry is spending every single dime of that eight hundred billion very well on our select corporations.¡±


    ¡°Mhm?¡±


    ¡°Conversions, new plants, the hiring of millions of men and women into these factories,¡± Anne smiled. ¡°It takes billions of OBs. We¡¯ve now so far set up eighty-nine major plants this quarter. That¡¯s massive. All of them are involved in producing components, parts, or straight-up assembling military equipment¡­it¡¯s massive. As of now, our deliveries to the MoD have increased by another fifteen percent, and more is coming. I have received word from our companies that they project that by next year, we would be collectively manufacturing tens of thousands of tanks, planes¡­all the heavy equipment we need.¡±


    ¡°Good, because I have heard that Wuringen is still outproducing us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the infrastructure already present there,¡± Anne defended. ¡°Wuringen was set up as an industrial special economic zone from the get-go by your mother. We cannot hope to match them within a year or two out of nowhere. That eight hundred billion may not go directly into ordering military equipment, but it sure as hell is a massive subsidy and capital for our corporations shifting to the production of military equipment. A factory producing cars¡­for example, needs billions in tooling and machinery to start assembling jets.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°So what are your projections for the next quarter?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re hoping for an increase in production of around twenty percent by the end of Q2 2025.¡±


    ¡°And are we on track to that? I need to ship more crap to our failing allies, after all. And, well, replacing our losses here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be on it, Your Majesty. Even if we fall short of our targets, that¡¯d just be a temporary delay. Eventually, those manufacturing sites will finish transitioning to our new realities. We¡¯ll get there, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°You¡¯re going to be the architect of Orland¡¯s victory against the CFN after all. I want you to know that I appreciate your work, but also, I¡¯m telling you, I cannot have you falling short. Orland¡¯s survival is at stake. Every inch of productivity¡­I need you to squeeze it.¡±


    ¡°I understand that well and fully. That¡¯s why I¡¯m ruthlessly organizing every corporation and individual into working for the war effort,¡± Anne grinned. ¡°Orland will triumph, and it will be because of our homefront.¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­I just¡­you know, these things are all very important for Orland, and me. Seeing you three do your work to increase the capacity and efficiency of our economy for this war¡­it¡¯s admirable. So, good job.¡±


    ¡°Heh, thanks,¡± Jan said.


    ¡°I appreciate your words, Your Majesty,¡± Alfred nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try our best to keep you satisfied,¡± Anne added.


    ¡°And, of course¡­¡± Amelie turned to Allison. ¡°Now, you, well, you¡¯re getting the short end of the stick, but I applaud you for keeping your Ministry¡¯s duties still afloat even with these hard times. That¡¯s¡­good.¡±


    ¡°That I am,¡± Allison said. ¡°I get that it¡¯s war and that niceties to our people has become a secondary problem, but still¡­all of this. It harms them, you know? Anne here is employing millions of women in dangerous working conditions. Long hours, bad regulations. The workplace accidents that are being reported to my office are worrying. I can¡¯t help but wonder, can we at least cool down a little?¡±


    ¡°Anne?¡± Amelie turned to her.


    ¡°Regulations increase the cost,¡± Anne said. ¡°Regulations also increase the time to produce. Regulations¡­only help in the long-term, when you want to keep your workers healthy, and when you don¡¯t want to lose any of them to a bad accident. But right now, we have millions of replacements being forced into the dirty jobs. It¡¯s ruthless, but I¡¯ve seen the data. Any regulations won¡¯t help us now when we¡¯re trying to win a war. The benefits are decades away. I thus consider it a useless investment.¡±


    ¡°Quite the callous way of treating young women, Mrs. Economic Minister,¡± Allison bitterly shot back. ¡°Making a few rules and expanding safety conditions so they don¡¯t run to me when they get debilitating injuries isn¡¯t going to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°All the resources are going to more urgent projects. I can write the rules, but no one has the capacity to follow them when I¡¯ve ordered them to aggressively convert and produce.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°I just hope that we¡¯re at least learning from all these problems. I want a proper agency to oversee worker safety and conditions at least once the war ends. So that¡¯s your extra task, Minister Wittfield. I may accept these problems for now, but I cannot accept them once it¡¯s over. It¡¯s a stupid policy of my mother to neglect this for decades.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, it sure helped bring costs down and turn Orland into a wealthier society.¡±


    ¡°Well, a wealthy society in shambles, more like,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°You¡¯d imagine with our gigantic economy, trillions of money, and our near continental size country, that we¡¯d have fixed the problems of the majority of our population. Instead, half of them have been driven so badly into despair that they now dragged the other half into hell.¡±


    The two women in front of her fell into silence before Jan gave his comment to that.


    ¡°That does make it sound like a downer when you put it that way.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred: Escalation of Cruelty

    ¡°Rightful attacks against the forces of the Global Matriarchy in the form of precision chemical attacks have been conducted by the Confederate Army during our temporary and orderly withdrawal from the Gallian capital to slow the hordes of oppressed and conscripted men they have sent to frustrate our military efforts. The Army has reiterated that the liberation of Gallia is not over. On other fronts, the Coalition of Free Nations continues its lightning campaigns against these wicked MN regimes. The global revolution carries on.¡±


    - Aktsiya Larissa


    ¡°Retreating Pozneki and Larissan forces have enacted horrifying scorched earth tactics in northern Gallia as MN armored formations struck deep into their battle lines. Occupied cities, towns, villages, and other population centers have been struck by persistent chemical munitions containing nerve agents to slow down the allied counteroffensive, creating heavy contamination in the frontlines. Civilian casualties are now at an estimated fifty to a hundred thousand by the Gallian government. Queen Louise of Gallia has stated that retaliation against the two revolutionary governments will be ¡®assured, and thorough¡¯ in the wake of these attacks, with the Mandate of Nations condemning the act as a ¡®grave escalation against humanity itself¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Gallia


    Lessi


    June 20, 2025


    C/4-5 Light Mech Brigade ¡°Donnergrollen¡±


    The sound of doomed air raid sirens still played ominously in the wiped-out city as the first boots of the Allied forces arrived.


    An Orlish soldier, clad in a thick, greenish CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) suit, picked up a leaflet on the ground. It was wet, yet he could still read the words typed on the leaflet. The words on it were in full Gallian, depicting a chemical hazard symbol below it.


    ¡°Evacuate at once! This city has been marked as a target by the liberation forces! Bombs will fall hours after this leaflet is distributed to YOU!¡±


    The Orlish trooper looked up at the sky, as small clear droplets fell into his gas mask¡¯s lenses. The thick, persistent vapor released by the bombs dropped mere hours ago still settled on the desolate city¡ªnothing must have survived the attacks.


    Behind him, a Panther LSS drove forward on the road.


    Inside of it, Niko and Armin could only look in horror at the devastation laid in front of them. The Donnergrollen Brigade had been the first to enter the city of Lessi, being one of the units equipped to deal with chemical agents and survive them. Their unit was supposed to continue the offensive by the so-called ¡°Southern Pincer¡±, the chemical attacks being ignored by their superiors since all Orlish soldiers were sent by the Queen anticipating all of this.


    Yet¡­


    ¡°Goddess¡­¡± Armin said, eyes wide, as he looked at the gunner¡¯s sight, moving their turret left and right. ¡°This was a city of fifty-thousand!¡±


    ¡°And it sits on an important road,¡± Niko said. ¡°It makes sense that they¡¯d want to deny us of this city. We can¡¯t reliably resupply any positions kilometers ahead of us if they can¡¯t pass through here. Effectively, the offensive is dead from here on out.¡±


    ¡°Then why are we still advancing?¡±


    ¡°Because we have to secure the forward positions for the rear echelon to do decontamination efforts,¡± Niko shook his head. His suit was baggy, kinda hot, and it made him all sweaty¡ªbut it was a necessary precaution. While their mech was tightly sealed from outside elements, since it was NBC-rated, they still could not take any chances should any of the vapor get in. The Larissans used an assortment of nerve agents. There might be V-series agents or worse in the air. And none of them wanted to find out how that¡¯d go down if they didn¡¯t come in with full protection protocols.


    Of course, most likely, the ones in the city were just G-type agents such as Sarin and Soman, but still¡­


    Their mech continued advancing with the rest of the company straight into the city center. Houses, establishments, buildings, all of them seemed completely devoid of life. On the streets, the trio could see the occasional bodies lying face-down, civilians, most of them. They even passed by an elementary school, its gate still open.


    Niko simply looked away with his commander¡¯s sight, as the attack happened right during morning school hours. Whatever warnings the Larissans gave were ineffectual. They only gave it not even two hours before the bombs dropped. They didn¡¯t waste any time so that allied forces could bypass the areas they targeted.


    ¡°This¡­I guess, that is what their revolution has become,¡± Niko muttered. ¡°And to think they say they¡¯re doing this for our right¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Armin shouted, outraged about the idea. ¡°Why does my right to live decently have to mean this? I never asked for this! This is the work of madmen! Look at what they did, Captain. These are people. They deployed it outside of a goddamned battlefield!¡±


    ¡°It was different then,¡± Sven said, his voice devoid of life. ¡°We deployed these kinds of crap only when the innocent folks were out. Not like this.¡±


    ¡°Area denial¡­¡± Niko said.


    Their mech continued onward alongside their company, and within twenty minutes, they cleared the path out of the city, emerging on the major road outside. Their vehicles dispersed outward, as soon, as the lingering vapor clouds started to dissipate while they exited its effect radius. A short communique from his battalion commander came, ordering them to stop and remain in their vehicles.


    They wouldn¡¯t be permitted to exit it until they have been decontaminated. Until then, this mech would be their coffin and their only protection from the horrors outside.


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    Situation Room


    ¡°I demand explanations!¡± Queen Louise Alois of Gallia shouted from the screens. ¡°Why did this happen to my homeland?! To my people?! This is a grave injustice! We need to retaliate against those barbarians now!¡±


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    In front of the Orlish Cabinet, on the screens, were the different world leaders of the major allied nations¡ªKusari, Hebei, Asanai, Gallia, and of course, Lorathia. All of them held the same expressions. That of dread, fear, and barely concealed fury. Even Amelie¡¯s face was half red ever since she received the news from William hours ago.


    ¡°Well, shit¡­¡± Walter said, shaking his head as he rolled his chair to the side. ¡°We¡¯re in the real shitter now.¡±


    Jacqueline beside him didn¡¯t make any comments, merely sipping her tea to distract herself from the grave reality present in front of them.


    ¡°I fear that they¡¯ll do the same to us soon,¡± Empress Xue Li of Hebei said, fear clear in her voice. ¡°How will I even distribute protective gear to hundreds of millions of my people? I can¡¯t. It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Asanai will be steadfast in the defense of Hebei and Kusari!¡± Princess Kawasaki Yumi of Asanai shouted the determination to support her eastern sisters very clearly present in her voice. ¡°We¡¯re already producing millions of masks for this reason. That, and our air force and air defense units will be keeping a shield off from their attacks¡ª¡±


    ¡°The attacks were done with artillery, Your Highness,¡± Amelie interrupted. ¡°There¡¯s no air defense that¡¯s going to protect us from that. There is nothing we can do except evacuate all cities in artillery range. This¡­will cause a humanitarian crisis¡­the refugees alone¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to do that,¡± Walter said. ¡°It¡¯d mess up the supply lines their militaries desperately don¡¯t have. I think we need to play their goddamned game. Show them the wrath of Orland. If they¡¯re going to be inhumane, we¡¯re going to be inhumane too!¡±


    ¡°Walter, stop!¡± Amelie said, her head turning to meet him. The glare from her eyes radiated that of pure anger at these crimes. ¡°I am not, and no one here will be turned into a war criminal just because the enemy did it. We are not escalating any further.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re suggesting that we accept this?!¡± Louise shouted, her voice cracking in rage. Her Prime Minister below her visibly grimaced at how his monarch was speaking to Amelie. ¡°My people have been struck with¡­with GENOCIDAL intent! They¡¯re trying to wipe Gallia off the map!¡±


    ¡°I cannot accept escalations as well, not at this time,¡± Empress Arushi Mehra of Kusari said, shaking her head. ¡°If we respond too harshly to this, they might expand their chemical warfare campaign outside of Gallia. Our situation down here is even worse. And our cities close to the frontlines have populations in the tens of millions.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re going to do it too sooner enough anyway!¡± Louise insisted.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Amelie said, her fist dropping on the desk hard. ¡°Look, all of you, we will be responding to this escalation in a measured way. The OHC and the OPM have already given me thirty minutes ago a good response path, and I shall say it here now.¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s a good one,¡± Queen Eliette Alcaster of Lorathia said, the older woman shaking her head. ¡°My forces down in Gallia are having a hard time advancing through the areas struck by these weapons. It¡¯s a nightmare down there.¡±


    ¡°I can only imagine,¡± Li said, which gained an affirmation from Yumi.


    ¡°These are the work of disgusting men,¡± the Asanian princess said. ¡°How can something be human and order attacks of this scale on their fellow humans? It eludes me.¡±


    ¡°Their ideology has been warped in revenge, paranoia, ultra-militarism, and the dehumanization of everyone not following them,¡± Amelie answered plainly. ¡°That¡¯s why the measures proposed to me will be implemented delicately. These people are searching for any reason to expand their chemical warfare campaign. If we push them too far, we might see ballistic missiles tipped with these weapons fall on our major cities while we are unprepared.¡±


    Amelie pulled out a file. It came from William, having the seal of the Office of Preventative Measures. She had ordered him ever since the creation of the OPM to specifically develop an action plan for both Orland and her allies in the event of this. When Amelie ordered the creation of this plan, she wished and prayed to the Goddess that it would remain just that¡ªa plan.


    But now¡­


    It¡¯s come to this. Amelie thought as she flipped through the contents. No more a hypothetical scenario. It¡¯s in front of us.


    She breathed in deeply.


    ¡°Everyone¡­the truth is, there is a reason why they chose to escalate to this point,¡± Amelie started. ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re more prepared for this eventuality than we are. All of their troops have protective suits. Their air defense is extremely solid deep inside their territories that we cannot reliably break it, outside perhaps our most sophisticated ballistic missile attacks. And their populations have been given a modicum of protective measures months before the start of official hostilities.¡±


    ¡°That, and they give less of a crap about their people,¡± Yumi said, crossing her arms as she huffed. ¡°If we struck their cities back, they¡¯d just roll with it without a care. Their people are expendable for their revolution.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ll be taking the morally good option,¡± Amelie declared. ¡°Queen Louise, I understand your righteous anger, but you need to calm down. Focus on what matters. Drill your people. Prepare safe and contained shelters. And distribute protective equipment. I¡¯ll be opening up another forty billion OB of monetary injection to my industries to shift them into producing civilian-grade gas masks and NBC suits¡­possibly in the tens of millions. Your Kingdom will be of the highest priority when it comes to these shipments.¡±


    ¡°But what about justice?¡±


    ¡°Justice will come later. For now, we will hint at retaliation against them, but we will make it clear that our retaliations will be against their leaders, not their people. We will take this as a propaganda victory. They have fallen into inhumanity first¡ªand we shall refuse to fall to it. That¡¯s their bait after all. They want us to look no different than them. So we¡¯ll de-escalate by not escalating. We will fight conventionally, as stipulated in the plans here because we cannot afford yet to escalate into full-on chemical warfare.¡±


    ¡°And what about us?¡± Arushi¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Orland cannot ship hundreds of millions of protective gear to us. How can we be so sure that they won¡¯t do the same to us, or Hebei, or other fronts?¡±


    ¡°The plan stated that Orland will be sending our chemical weapons to you,¡± Amelie said. ¡°That is what I will do. And we will announce that clearly. We will warn them that if they dare to strike in this manner again, the gloves of human goodness will fall off. The good thing about that is that if they do this again, we¡¯ll be better prepared to afford an all-out exchange. Our intelligence agencies believe that they conducted these strikes on Gallia because they desperately want to salvage their defeated armies. So there is also a good chance that they will shy away from doing this in Hebei and Kusari when they¡¯re still doing well on those fronts.¡±


    ¡°Yet, the precedent has been established,¡± Prime Minister Clovis Doval of Gallia said. ¡°The enemy will do these attacks when they become desperate enough. Isn¡¯t that enough of a reason to make them pay by retaliating already?¡±


    ¡°We will do it the second time,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Again, not now. And I know all of you understand very well that none of us can afford to have chemical weapons thrown at us at this moment. That¡¯s why this is delicate. We cannot give the enemy another reason to use it. But at the same time, we must make it clear that there will be consequences now and worse consequences later if they try again. That¡¯s why we shall only condemn this and respond by decontamination instead of retaliation, but we¡¯ll still be sending chemical weapons to all of you.¡±


    Amelie frowned.


    ¡°The condemnation and lack of direct escalation from our side will prevent giving them a reason to do it a second time¡ªand the weapons shipment will tell them clearly that we won¡¯t be taking a second time without giving them a taste of their own medicine. That will be our measured response.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred-One: Evil Doesnt Fear

    ¡°Twenty-two men¡¯s liberation parties from various nations have united in strong condemnation to the chemical attacks conducted by the Confederacy of Larissa in Gallian soil. The party leader of the Orlish Republican Party, one of the most prominent men¡¯s liberation parties that have rejected the ¡®violent revolution¡¯ doctrine of most men¡¯s interest groups, has stated that these attacks are ¡®nothing but perversions to human liberation¡¯, and that ¡®it will do nothing but further demonize men¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    There was silence in Amelie¡¯s office.


    Aside from her tapping her ballpen on her table, and Nia silently reading files on the side, Amelie just watched the clock tick. Her mind was currently clouded in¡­a cocktail of emotions that she couldn¡¯t control. Those monsters. Her mind seethed at the thought. Why would they push me into this? Her planned, grand offensive¡­


    Sure it wasn¡¯t making the progress she imagined it would do, but it was working. There was momentum. There was a chance of a faster victory in Gallia and Poznek.


    A faster victory could mean the aversion to more horrors. And she was doing it fairly. She had told her commanders and servicemembers to adhere to the rules of war. That they would be advancing with strict ROE to reduce human suffering. She even stressed so hard to each of her units that they must take prisoners, and that they would treat them well.


    And that was exactly what her soldiers were doing. They advanced. They defeated the enemy. And when the enemy was surrounded and forced to surrender in many sections of the front, or even just overrun¡ªher soldiers on the ground took them as POWs.


    In good order. With the ethical goodness that men in a brutal war could realistically afford.


    And this is how they pay us?


    Amelie¡¯s face turned red, and she banged her fist on her table, causing Nia to almost jump from her seat.


    ¡°Damn them!¡± Amelie shouted.


    Suddenly, someone opened the door just as she was about to drop a second bang on her table. It was William, holding another set of files. His face scrounged into a frown, standing there, as Amelie froze.


    Damn it¡­


    Amelie took a deep breath, as she retracted her hand. This thing is getting to me.


    ¡°Sorry, get inside please,¡± Amelie said, as she tried to calmly pick up her tea and saucer.


    ¡°You seem pissed,¡± William commented, as he lightly closed the door. ¡°I got the secondary preliminary reports from the ground, and¡­look, do you need air or something?¡±


    Amelie sipped her tea, before ¡°calmly¡± lowering it into the plate.


    ¡°I can breathe in this room just as nicely, William.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± William then went close to her table. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t need to hide it. Everyone¡¯s horrified.¡±


    ¡°...I just¡­¡± Amelie¡¯s voice cracked a bit before her fury overtook her. ¡°William! I did everything! We did everything to get away from this! What could have possibly been a reason for them to do this?! Hundreds of thousands of civilians might be dead right now! Where did I go wrong?! Did I push them too hard?! Provoke them?! What logic is there to do any of this?! We were fighting fair and square. We were fighting humanely, as best as we could. And they just have to escalate and escalate and make things worse?!¡±


    Amelie stopped her tirade as she suddenly laughed erratically.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is just¡­¡± she sipped her tea again, seemingly in an attempt to calm herself, but in a second, it proved ineffective when her voice raised again. ¡°It¡¯s just bullshit! Bullshit William! Bullshit! Screw them! They¡¯re bastards! Maniacs! Monsters! Can I say profanities for once in my life? Here! Fuck them! Fuck them!!¡±


    William just stood there, almost unfazed at Amelie¡¯s complete outburst, while Nia on the side seemed pale.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Amelie shook her head, as tears streamed down her cheek. She placed her teacup and saucer down as her hand tried to wipe her tears. ¡°It¡¯s like every attempt I have made¡­it¡¯s not doing anything¡­anything to just¡­why does it always have to get worse, William? Why? Why?¡±


    ¡°Amelie¡­¡± William tried.


    ¡°How will I answer Louise? How will I answer those people, and those families, and everyone who lost their people just¡­just because of this failure? How will I answer the billions asking me, me, the nation I rule for protection? What about our citizens? What if they¡¯re next? How will I answer them? Am I supposed to do the same to those revolutionaries just to tell them not to do it again?!¡±


    Amelie sobbed and sobbed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be a monster, William,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to ever make my side use those weapons. I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want it. I don¡¯t want to sign any order that will make troops under me fire those kinds of weapons on land people live in. It¡¯s unthinkable. I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± William breathed in. ¡°We are sending those chemical weapons as deterrence.¡±


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    ¡°And what if they ignore that deterrence,¡± Amelie glared at him. ¡°Are we going to fire it back at last? Or what, we bend over and prove that we¡¯re spineless?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a monster if you merely reacted to the horrors they first committed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Amelie pointed at him. ¡°You know that. I know it. Nia knows it. Everyone knows it. They just¡­they forced my hand into this. Those damned¡­damned¡­cretins!¡±


    ¡°Amelie, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want a damned retaliation!¡± Amelie banged her fist on the table. ¡°I want to send them a message, a real one. I want them to feel our wrath! I want them¡­to just¡­be scared. For once. Be scared! Can we do it, William? Can we? Without chemical weapons? Can we, for once, strike fear at those maniacs who ordered these attacks?¡±


    William sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consult the OHC¡­for retaliatory options, that may be possible,¡± William said. ¡°But I doubt you can ever strike fear on them. Or horrify them. Not if they don¡¯t care. You¡¯ll probably only please them if you act like them. It¡¯ll be a win for them.¡±


    William paused.


    ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am!¡± Amelie shouted, more tears streaking down her cheeks, further ruining her light makeup. ¡°Why is it only me that becomes afraid? Why not them? Are they so devoid of fear that they don¡¯t even consider the horror of destroying the world¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± William crossed his arms. ¡°The male-rights movement has long been consumed by factions that espoused ultra-militarism. And both the Federalists and the Confederacy subscribe to this brand of ideology. The deaths of the civilian population, the ¡®ingrates¡¯ who have no balls to fight like the ¡®respectable¡¯ military men, don¡¯t matter to the eyes of an ultra-militarist. Especially civilians of another country. So what if the world burns? Our military wins.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyes widened at that confirmation before she weakly shook her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­believe¡­why¡­why would they believe any of that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard them right?¡± William reminded. ¡°It¡¯s either victory¡ªor ashes. That¡¯s why I applaud your decision to build all those defensive measures for our people. These madmen are not above pressing the nuclear button once we¡¯re close to defeating them. They see this as a war of annihilation.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­how will we even defeat them eventually?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± William sighed. ¡°You¡¯re fighting quite possibly the ugliest war in human history to date, Amelie. And you¡¯re the Queen of the most powerful state standing in this era. You better start crafting ideas from now on, about how we¡¯ll face that reality.¡±


    He turned around after leaving the files on her desk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consult the OHC about your request,¡± William said. ¡°Everyone in the Armed Forces is still in high-profile discussion right now on how we¡¯ll deal with this. More than half are already requesting that we deploy chemical weapons on military targets at once.¡±


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    ¡°I know, and they know. But I¡¯ll tell you now, when we crafted the deterrence idea, it was only designed to meet your requirement of stopping them from a second attack temporarily. It will never deter them from doing it again this year. Most importantly, we in the Armed Forces cannot do things magically like you.¡±


    He continued to the door, opening it.


    ¡°Unlike you women, we cannot bend reality to our whims. We cannot strike fear on them without being brutal, which you refuse to permit.¡±


    He closed it and left.


    +++


    Site-07A


    OHC High-Security Command Center


    ¡°Everyone! Her Majesty is here!¡±


    Amelie crossed her arms, as she entered the gathering of the leaders of her Armed Forces, the aide behind her closing the door to the meeting room. Inside was the staff of the three services and their respective chiefs of staff.


    General Victor Albrech of the Royal Orlish Army.


    Chief Air Marshall Lewis Zimmerman of the Royal Orlish Air Force.


    And Admiral George Halberd of the Royal Orlish Navy.


    Collectively, the Orlish Armed Forces themselves.


    And they all stared at her with stone-faced silence.


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Amelie greeted, her frown evident on her face. ¡°As you well know, the enemy has committed a grave attack against humanity earlier. I went straight here because I wanted to ask you directly about our options.¡±


    General Albrecht looked at the surprised William on the side.


    ¡°We know,¡± General Albrecht nodded. ¡°It seems that this attack has displeased Her Majesty greatly, huh?¡±


    ¡°I am not in the mood, General.¡±


    ¡°Apologies¡­¡± General Albrecht said as Admiral Halberd sighed.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Admiral Halberd started. ¡°I know this is a bit of an unacceptable thing to say to a monarch whose blood is boiling, but I¡¯ll echo the sentiments shared by all leaders of the OAF. We can¡¯t. Retaliation of any form to show our strength, cannot be done by conventional means.¡±


    ¡°I asked about our ballistic missiles,¡± Amelie said, as she removed her gloves and went for a seat at the end of the table. The officers remained standing, looking at her. ¡°What about that?¡±


    ¡°Too dangerous, Your Majesty. The enemy might mistake it for WMD-tipped weaponry.¡±


    ¡°Yet they were able to fire those things at us?¡±


    ¡°Only because you expressly ordered that until any city of the MN is nuked, we shall not respond with our nuclear triad,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°And that¡¯s generally how all civilized nations act. Unless a nuclear attack is assured, it cannot be a precedent to strike with our nukes. We also operate under a no-strike-first policy that you have set up since you were crowned.¡±


    ¡°And the enemy?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t. And we don¡¯t know how they will react to conventional SRBM or ICBM attacks. Even if it isn¡¯t nuclear-tipped, we cannot be sure that they won¡¯t see it as such, and escalate into an open exchange.¡±


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°So what retaliation options do we have available?¡±


    ¡°Giving our troops permission to fire back chemical munitions at them,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°If they get to use those weapons, then we¡¯ll probably strike some fear in them by doing the same.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a downside though,¡± Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman said, frowning. ¡°That¡¯ll only normalize the usage of chemical munitions on moving frontlines. Remember, we¡¯re not in the Great War, with civilian populations close to the unmoving frontlines long evacuated. We¡¯re fighting with very mobile frontlines. And people are in the settlements where these lines move.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how the death toll reached this much¡­¡± Amelie said, as she shook her head. ¡°Damn it¡­all of my options are ugly. I can¡¯t just roll over and accept this.¡±


    ¡°I said it already back then and I¡¯ll say it again,¡± William said on the side, as Amelie turned up to look at his face. ¡°This is war. All of your options will always be ugly.¡±


    Amelie looked down at the desk, then at her gloves, as she came to an awful conclusion.


    ¡°Then¡­we¡¯ll be sticking to the measured response plan,¡± she took her gloves and wore them back. ¡°For now.¡±


    The aides opened the door again, as Amelie made her way out of the room, still pissed as ever.

 Chapter Two Hundred Two: State Centralization

    ¡°Mandate of Nations investigatory teams have concluded that casualties have reached around forty-thousand Gallian civilians. The Gallian government however has claimed that the casualties have reached at least two hundred thousand, accusing the Larissan Confederation and the Pozneki Republic of attempted genocide. The CFN has refused to accept these numbers, calling them nothing but ¡®propaganda¡¯, stating that the settlements and cities attacked had been warned and evacuated ahead of time, and that casualties cannot be more than that of the expected collateral casualties in conventional bombing. These words have rung hollow to the International Community, as images from Orlish, Lorathian, and Gallian soldiers who entered cities contaminated by the horrifying gas are shown to the public. The presence of Sarin, Phosgene, Tabun, and other contaminants that are still being cleared by advancing forces has been confirmed. The allied offensive has also not been stopped, only slowed, with Orlish and Lorathian armored forces continuing their advance fourteen hours after the chemical attacks.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Eutstadt State Congress


    ¡°Order in the House please!¡± The Parliament¡¯s elderly speaker, Elizabeth Luft, said out loud. Jacqueline, Walter, and Amelie both arrived at the door together. Jacqueline went first, then Walter, who adjusted his tie, and Amelie. The trio didn¡¯t have much of an entourage with them.


    When Amelie looked at the State Congress, it was clear how much the evacuation had taken its toll on the Parliament. Gone was the highly decorated and adorned splendor of the old one in Halia. Instead, what she could see was a packed room. No more was the semi-circle seating arrangement too. Instead, the MPs sat on a bunch of packed benches where they could shout and clobber each other.


    On the left side, the Orlish Republican Party sat together. The men in their almost uniform black and gray suits had empty expressions on them. Silent and observant, their jaded stares didn¡¯t give Amelie any comfort. Then there was her preferred daughter party¡ªthe UOP. They occupied the majority of the seats in the center. And all of them looked up at Jacqueline and Amelie with proud smiles and cheers.


    Then, the absolutely furious Arcanist Party on the far right, their seats the lowest amongst the three. Amelie¡¯s regime had furiously purged the conservatives left and right, all because of their obstructionist nonsense in times of war. If the NRP was the traitors who rose against the Kingdom with bloodthirst and savagery, the AP was the traitors who kept the Kingdom¡¯s hand chained from action.


    Fortunately, the trio didn¡¯t care about the piercing stares, frowns, and arrogantly narrowed eyes of these noblewomen.


    ¡°Her Majesty, Queen Amelie, is here today to request another great bill from this Assembly,¡± Elizabeth said, as Amelie nodded. ¡°In accordance with the threat posed by yesterday¡¯s chemical attacks, Lady Heiss has drafted the ¡®State Protection Act¡¯, which will entail raised taxes on the nobility, new security provisions, and the revocation of nobility¡¯s right to state administration.¡±


    Suddenly, the atmosphere in the chamber dropped. Well, except for the ORP politicians, Amelie noticed. They suddenly leaned forward with interest, many talking to each other in hushed tones. On the other hand, some of the UOP politicians seemed¡­pale. Though most of the young reformist women in the party remained supportive. The AP was, as expected, utterly red-faced.


    Amelie took herself to the microphones, first before Jacqueline and Walter.


    ¡°Members of Parliament, if I may, I shall explain why we have thought of this. As you may know, in accordance with the Federal system that the Kingdom has implemented since its inception, the Principalities of the Kingdom have long given their major lords a great deal of power in deciding how internal matters are run. That has so far greatly limited the coordination of our response to rapidly developing threats due to the great noble houses¡¯ insistence on independent internal policies. I have looked long and hard into this problem, and I believe it is simply foolish. The Great Houses have their place in the traditions of the Orlish State, but the Orlish State need not be shackled by local inadequacies. The frontline Principalities have long been under the direct control of Orlish State and the military, and it has lent itself to great results.


    ¡°Direct control by trained and experienced bureaucrats and field commanders have greatly increased security and response quality in these areas, as is necessary in wars. I do not blame the Great Houses and their desire for power in their hereditary lands, but this is not the time for such desires. With Martial Law in effect, the Emergency Policies will be extended to all Orlish Principalities. The elected Governors will now answer not to their lords, but to the Orlish State here in Eutstadt. The military will now have a final say in how the Principalities will be run in matters of security. And the Great Houses will now have their rights and privileges to governance by virtue of hereditary reasons, repealed. This is all necessary for us to fully implement the act¡¯s provisions, which are about enhancing the security of the Orlish people.


    ¡°All cities will now be implementing weekly drills and practices. Security will be tightened. Protective gear will be distributed. Construction of shelters and bunkers will be commenced. New protocols to respond to Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical threats will be put in place. This will be directed and coordinated by the Principalities¡¯ elected governments, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Ministry of the Interior, and all other relevant ministries and agencies based in Eutstadt. Please, I ask you to vote for this. Let us protect Orland together, in a unified manner.¡±


    Silence.


    The State Protection Act was highly controversial, Amelie knew. Pristina, Anne, and even Jacqueline had some reservations about it. The High Nobility held a lot of power in managing the internal affairs of the Principalities after all, and they had a lot of outdated ideas about running their respective places. It was simply too painful to deal with their obstruction and ¡°divergent ideas¡±.


    And at the same time, it was an outdated system. It was the equivalent of keeping the feudal hierarchies of Orland alive, just masked in a ¡°Federal System¡±. It was long beyond its expiration date, just like the Matriarchy itself. Just another corpse kept alive by the High Nobility¡¯s delusions about the magical powers it had obsessed over for centuries. Amelie was keen to dismantle it at once, and the chemical attacks were a good pretense.


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    No longer was it now just the frontlines liable to full martial law. The entire country was now potentially a target of WMD attacks. No more than would Amelie accept any obstruction to a more efficient, centralized effort to defend the Orlish people from it. The dissolution of the feudalistic tendencies of Orland was just a cherry on top, especially since with this, she¡¯d finally bleed the High Nobility dry with taxes.


    Taxes she¡¯d feed to her war economy and the construction of urban shelters and bunkers. All of which would most likely require at least half a trillion blancs to do so.


    And then, they would oppose it. Yep, there she is. She¡¯s already about to speak.


    Duchess Flandere, aghast at the proposition, tried to speak on her microphone.


    ¡°Mrs. Speaker, may I take my stand?¡±


    ¡°You may,¡± Elizabeth answered.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you cannot be serious about this,¡± the woman said. ¡°That¡¯s plain tyranny. It¡¯s dictatorial. How can you say such things? We cannot support that. We cannot. This Parliament represents the rights of the land and its people. Not yours. You¡¯re just¡­no, the AP will not vote for this. I know my members would never support this. This is a travesty to the traditions of freedom in Orland. This goes against the Act of Federal Union. An affront to our system!¡±


    ¡°Freedom?¡± Amelie chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t insult me. This entire Civil War is precisely because of the lack of freedom we have imposed on half of Orlish society. These policies were also fueled by the autocrats who lorded over their local fiefdoms. No, Lady Flandere, Orland will not tolerate anything of that sort of thinking. I ask every sane person here. Why shall we continue with this inefficient sharing of power between the local lords of our Principalities, and the elected Governors we have there? It¡¯s an internal contradiction. We cannot be democratic while respecting the rights of hereditary lords. This is simply a streamlining to finally remove the bloat of the Orlish State. Something we need to survive.¡±


    Another bout of silence.


    ¡°But you yourself are in a hereditary position,¡± Duchess Flandere challenged, her frown deepening. ¡°Respectfully, you are being hypocritical, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Amelie said. ¡°That¡¯s why I rule only in emergency powers. Have you read the act? Even the crownlands and the Grand Duchy are subject to these changes. Rejoice. Your Monarch will be just as powerless as you will be once this is over. Change, Duchess Flandere, isn¡¯t it sweet?¡±


    +++


    ¡°Your approval ratings have risen dramatically,¡± William congratulated as the four dined in the night. The ORP and the UOP, who had long wanted reforms in the governance of the Principalities, gained a complete majority to pass the act. Amelie relished the tears from the few UOP conservatives and the AP. Most of them were of the High Nobility¡ªand they knew their days were numbered. ¡°Seems like the ¡®People¡¯s Queen¡¯ is making great strides.¡±


    Amelie just snorted at William¡¯s teasing.


    ¡°Oh shut up, will you,¡± Amelie said, as she dug through her salad. ¡°Plus, this was your damned idea. Walter¡¯s too.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why not?¡± Walter said, hungrily devouring his steak. ¡°The more the power is centralized in the hands of the Central Government and the Principalities'' governments, the better. Those people are mostly elected. The High Nobility was just born from the right vagina.¡±


    Jacqueline almost vomited then and there.


    ¡°Walter!¡± She shouted, a bit flustered, as she tapped her mouth with her handkerchief. ¡°Can you speak with more tact? You¡¯re in front of Her Majesty.¡±


    Amelie too was quite flustered by that, but she decided not to comment.


    Walter however just shrugged.


    ¡°What, you two ain¡¯t not too different from that description,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I mean, you two are slightly better, but make no mistake. You¡¯re just as shafted by these provisions afterward. A triumph for democracy in every way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Principalities constantly deferring to their lords during policy changes have hampered our wartime mobilization too much,¡± William said. ¡°At this point, the Federalists have mobilized at least sixty to seventy percent of their population and economy to the war effort. We haven¡¯t even reached half of that figure. It¡¯d be disastrous in the long term. The hand of Eutstadt needs more control.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re about to repeal the 1750 Act of Federal Union,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°I¡¯ve already instructed my party to begin drafting the new one. We''ll remove the parts of letting the aristocracy exercise administrative powers in the Principalities. And fully give their elected governments power.¡±


    Amelie sighed.


    ¡°Good, good. At least it didn¡¯t turn out too disastrous. Goddess, I still don¡¯t understand why anyone before me was sane enough to even keep this entire charade going on for centuries. It¡¯s just stupid. It¡¯s like, the nobility wants to have their cake and eat it. They get to act like lords, but also, pay lip service to ¡®democracy¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That offends you?¡± William asked curiously.


    ¡°Obviously. They can only have one or the other. Then again, it¡¯s not like my changes are fully democratic either,¡± Amelie rested her right cheek on her hand. ¡°I look like a dictator now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve placed enough safeguards in the act to keep the Queen¡¯s powers limited outside of wartime emergencies,¡± Walter said. ¡°Then after that, we can go a step further once the reforms are finished. A new shiny constitution. Then you can blabber off as a ceremonial Queen post-war.¡±


    Amelie sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the plan. I just work hard to¡­eventually give up my power. It¡¯s ironic though. I have to increase my power to reform the country. Then give it up. It¡¯s almost dangerous if you think about it.¡±


    ¡°The military will shoot your ass if you try anything stupid,¡± Walter blurted out without care. ¡°Can¡¯t be an absolutist Queen just because you defanged the already weakened civilian institutions of Orland when the military has achieved near ascendancy. If anything, I bet the nutheads at the OHC are very thankful for your continued cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your absolute bluntness as always,¡± Amelie smiled sweetly at him. ¡°As if I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Walter said. ¡°You like things served cold and true after all, Your Majesty. I just serve it the way you like it. Besides, I don¡¯t give a shit anymore. If y¡¯all wanna sabotage my career or purge me, have at it. I¡¯m just doing my damned job.¡±


    ¡°Helpful as always, Deputy Prime Minister. And no, none of that will ever happen. I hope next time your ideas can be less unhinged though. It terrifies me to imagine if you¡¯re my actual Prime Minister.¡±


    ¡°As you should.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Three: New Union Proposal

    ¡°Queen Amelie Ludendorf and the Heiss Cabinet has achieved a sudden supermajority in the Orlish Parliament on the ¡®State Protection Act¡¯, repealing many provisions of the 1750 Federal Union Act that gave the noble rulers of Orlish Principalities massive autonomy in the laws and internal policies of their fiefdoms. Talks of consolidation are now also on the table to fully modernize the Orlish administrative system, with the UOP and ORP spearheading the enforcement of the 2012 New Union Act, which would consolidate the various small counties and provinces of Orland into new larger Principalities, reducing the count of Orlish Principalities into twelve. Both acts however have received staunch opposition from the Arcanist Party and the few conservative MPs of the UOP, with both criticizing it as a rushed wartime act for the Queen to centralize power to herself.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    November Palace


    West Orland


    July 2, 2025


    It had been weeks now since the crisis about the chemical attacks and the passing of the State Protection Act.


    So far, the military and her ministers were now making good progress on the administrative reshuffling of local Orlish governments. Hundreds of inept and disloyal bureaucrats, politicians, and officials were being fired and replaced. Many because of their ties to the nobility.


    In replacement of that, Amelie rolled in the carpet for a new generation of young, energetic, and determined women. So many of them had been stuck underneath the fossils who had kept the system shackled, leading to old talent stifling newer talent. Amelie also started personally spearheading the work on consolidating the Principalities.


    One of the most painful things about the Orlish system was that so many different, smaller, and usually incapable administrative areas existed. Many were small counties and whatnot ruled by Countesses, Baronesses, or what-else that liked to act as if they were still in the 1800s. These people pursued radically braindead policies that they wouldn¡¯t be able to support with their resources and become dependent on the central government for no reason.


    The sheer number of reports of dumb policies instituted by differing, psychotic, inept, and incompetent nobles baffled Amelie into outrage. There were tax rates more unequal than what was set by the Kingdom. Delusional economic projects. Villainously psychotic anti-men legislation. Ridiculous punishment laws like whipping people. Some even had the gall to allow legal slavery in their Principalities, which Amelie remembered was supposed to be abolished in the Kingdom.


    How did they get away with it?


    Her grandmothers and mothers allowed it. Because they happened to be personal friends with the local lords ruling those places. The type of nobles who often promised that their Principality would vote this way or that way.


    ¡°Why are some of them going full medieval!¡± Amelie shouted to no one in particular while reading the reports on her table. ¡°This is plain stupidity. And why would she be against gas masks in her city? ¡®The children need to breathe¡¯, well, no one said they¡¯d have to wear it at all times!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s why we have to change it at last,¡± Jacqueline said, sipping her tea. ¡°The draft for the New Union Act is also already nearly finished. They gave me the first maps of the Principalities here. Most of the large ones have been kept as they are. Two new formal Ducal Houses will be added upon signing since both House Wittfield and House Weirl?ff control multiple Principalities by personal union already. And¡­well, the Free State is kept as it is¡­assuming we retake it.¡±


    Amelie looked at the map presented to her. At the top were the same old natural ones¡ªWestlauren, Ludendorf, L?t, Wuringen, and of course Oldrach. But two new ones were added, the first being the Duchy of Rimwurz since the area was collectively called the Rimwurz region, centered in the County of Wittfield. Then, her first Prime Minister¡¯s little fiefdom was expanded to the Duchy of Luphalia, centered in the County of Weirl?ff.


    Then there were the rest of the consolidated Principalities. Nierbayern, Harlastadt, Eldenfurt, Rosenfurt, and Adlerban. By principle, each of them was just called by their region¡¯s name. So the region of Nierbayern for example would have all of the small Principalities under it consolidated under the Duchy of Nierbayern.


    ¡°So twelve in total?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°And who¡¯s going to be the ceremonial leaders of these new Duchies?¡±


    ¡°Right now, our idea is to keep them vacant,¡± Jacqueline answered. ¡°Then we¡¯re going to do a post-war referendum on those Principalities for them to elect a house that would act as their ducal lord. They can also vote to be turned into full republics. For now, though, all of these Principalities will be treated as Duchies, so, basically, we¡¯re all equal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but my Duchy has ¡®Grand¡¯ in front of it, so no,¡± Amelie joked.


    Jacqueline chuckled.


    ¡°Well, you are the Queen. So you get to be the special snowflake. Besides, the Grand Duchy was the most powerful duchy anyway before the war. Times just changed, but I¡¯m sure post-war that with the population of your Principality, it¡¯d be back in ascendance.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Amelie then looked at Wuringen. ¡°You know, I wonder how we¡¯ll treat that Principality post-war.¡±


    ¡°The Free State is one of the worst projects created by our mothers. It¡¯s more of a work camp the size of a Principality. The only reason it existed is because we wanted to screw men when we compromised with them. We tricked them into fueling our industrialization and economic boom.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That¡­seems like how I understand the situation too,¡± Amelie said. ¡°The mass immigration of men toward Wuringen for the last century has been¡­destructive both there and here.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s what happens when it¡¯s the only place that offers them some sense of freedom in rights and employment. The result is that the place¡­is unsustainable, and it breeds extremism and resentment. Post-war, we¡¯d have to place some sort of repatriation scheme to get the men who settled there back into their home Principalities.¡±


    ¡°Work programs and the like? Encourage family reunification with their sons too¡­I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be how we¡¯d do it. Maybe it¡¯ll fix relations between men and women, maybe even reverse our non-existent fertility rate. I don¡¯t know. But, yeah, we¡¯re leaving it untouched for now, but we¡¯re still going to change the Free State. We¡¯ll enforce democracy there.¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s important too¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­and how are we getting women back there?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯d probably take us decades of rebuilding and reform to get to that. I predict that unless the Federalists surrendered, we¡¯d have to fight through the Free State and reduce its cities into rubble in the process. The culture, the people, the wartorn status, all of it will mean that Wuringen will be men¡¯s hellhole post-war for a long time. The only good part is it would encourage men to get out of that place, go home, and reintegrate¡­but¡­¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a good thing either,¡± Amelie finished, shaking her head bitterly. ¡°It just sounds like we¡¯d be reducing everything they worked for desperately for decades into ashes just so they run back to us. It¡¯s¡­genuinely evil.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s also what¡¯ll inevitably happen if they don¡¯t surrender. The work camp they call home¡­well, it wouldn¡¯t be home anymore. The ones left will have to rebuild, and I guess, once the settlements, infrastructure, and whatnot are rebuilt, people, both men and women, will flock back. Hopefully. After all, it is still the most resource-rich area of Orland. It¡¯s where our heavy industries will be naturally located. Yesterday. Now. And in a century.¡±


    Amelie leaned back on her seat, scanning the pages of the proposal further.


    ¡°Hmm¡­and on the topic of bringing democracy there,¡± Amelie said. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Simple, we¡¯ll dismantle their Directorate. Replace it with¡­the normal Governor system we have in place in other Principalities. They won¡¯t have Free State status anymore. I mean, they only really used it to place tens of millions of men under borderline slave labor. All those Chief Executives that they had were just chosen by a few technocrats and shareholders. It¡¯s a disgusting system.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    It was one of the weird things about the Free State, Amelie thought. Since men, until the end of the Great War, had no right to vote¡ªbut had one state, the Free State, where they could have a male leader to rule them, they created a system of corporate rule. In the Free State, there was no democracy.


    Only the Wuringen Industrial Group, the megacorporations controlling the Free State, had a say in how things were run.


    Amelie never understood how they did politics there. But essentially, somehow, from closed doors, the technocrats of the Wuringen Industrial Group would produce a Chief Executive to run the Directorate (usually called the Eirhow Directorate).


    The Directorate itself was the formal government of the Free State. It acted with complete autonomy to the Central Government, so long as it met its one obligation to the Crown.


    Their obligation?


    Keep the prices of everything down. And keep the Free State¡¯s production growing every quarter. So long as that requirement was met, the Orlish Government allowed the Free State to do whatever it pleased to the people under it.


    It was how the Free State gained its economic ascendancy. Not only were they a beacon for every desperate man hoping for economic success, and freedom from the archaic discrimination of every other Principalities, giving them a constant stream of meat for their industries, but they also had the ability to enact any policy to squeeze every inch of productivity for the next quarter.


    The result was the creation of a Principality that shackled tens of millions of men into an abusive social contract. Keep the machines productive¡ªand the Free State would defend them from the ¡°evil women¡± outside of its borders. Ironically, compared to the completely extractionist policy of the Orlish State to men, the Free State offered a relatively better one.


    At least there, they were all equal there. Equally miserable.


    ¡°But yeah, with this, we should be able to introduce and enforce reforms faster.¡±


    Amelie smiled.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s ultimately what I need. I want all the emergency governors we appoint after the act is signed to move quickly, okay? I want every discriminatory law we have in place dismantled. I don¡¯t want to sniff any misandrist legislation in Orland to survive this war.¡±


    ¡°I know. We already broke the back of the conservatives. Emergency powers are¡­powerful, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I guess the war is a bit of a nice thing in that case. Without this, I find it hard to imagine how we¡¯d be able to de-fang them. Mobilization, the military, popular support because of the existential war¡­all of it¡­we need to use that momentum to change everything. Then¡­then once the emergency powers we have are gone, well, they¡¯ll be unable to change a single thing.¡±


    ¡°Ruthless, but also scary. We need to put safeguards in the system once this is over. We can¡¯t let another fool do the same and just¡­reverse everything we worked for. Quite frankly, everything we¡¯re doing, it¡¯s undemocratic. Dictatorial. We¡¯re tearing down the Orlish State from the ground up, and replacing it. All while using only the arm of the executive. The Parliament at this point is just a rubber-stamp committee.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I¡¯m planning for a proper constitution, no?¡± Amelie smiled, before handing the proposal back to Jacqueline. ¡°I like it. It¡¯ll turn Orland into a more modern country. Get it passed in the Parliament, and if not, well¡­guess I¡¯ll force it in by Royal Decree. Screw them.¡±


    ¡°You certainly are abusing those powers, huh? You know, at this rate, with the amount of Royal Decrees you¡¯re passing left and right¡­it¡¯d turn increasingly illegitimate. The monarch isn¡¯t supposed to be this hands-on by tradition.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is the system that the conservatives liked for decades, right?¡± Amelie grinned. ¡°A powerful Queen appointed by the Goddess herself. I¡¯m just doing what the system they preserved allows me to do. Just because the previous Queens liked to play by the tradition doesn¡¯t mean I will. I mean, the rules say it already. My word is the law. I¡¯ll abuse that until my daughter¡¯s word won¡¯t be the law anymore under actual rigid laws. A proper constitution.¡±


    Jacqueline shook her head.


    ¡°You really are being driven mad.¡±


    ¡°That just compels me to go an extra mile further, you know?¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Four: Drills and Preparation

    ¡°The Parliament is now deliberating the New Union Act proposed by leading figures of the UOP and the ORP. Both the Heiss Government and Queen Amelie Ludendorf have expressed support for the plan. However, a new forming movement called the ¡®Restorationists¡¯, hardline conservative noblewomen who would be losing power in local Orlish politics due to these changes, are petitioning against these changes, calling it disruptive and unreasonable, and a violation of the Orlish Federal Union Act, which is one of the defining acts of parliament that formed the basis of the Orlish State for centuries. Proponents of the New Union Act however celebrate the changes, as the previous variations of the act were blocked by the governments under Queen Alorie and Queen Areya in the last century.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Orland


    Eutstadt City


    July 5, 2025


    Amelie watched as the air raid sirens of the city blared out.


    She and her Ministers stayed at one of the tallest buildings of Eutstadt, the Trinity Tower. Many helicopters circled above the city, and below them, the emergency services of the city organized the city-wide drill. Amelie found it quite fascinating how the drill was going. It was also the first time for millions of Eutstadters.


    One by one, each district was cleared, with civilians being ordered by the authorities to proceed to the underground metro stations and shelters. Amelie looked at her watch. Four minutes had already passed. The city leadership seemed nervous inside the room, as no news came from the ground.


    Six minutes soon passed. Then eight minutes. Then ten minutes. No updates. Except for the continuous stream of footage of people still being evacuated. Amelie sighed, as she turned her back to the leadership of Orland and Eutstadt.


    ¡°This is disappointing," Amelie said. ¡°It''s been twelve minutes, and we probably barely sent half of Eutstadt underground. By this point, half of the city would have been long dead to a nuclear strike.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± The new mayor of the city, Sofie Ruhl, nervously spoke up. She was a woman in her forties, another career politician who was sworn in just a month ago. Her predecessor unfortunately was an uncooperative closet conservative. Amelie and Jacqueline, alongside Countess Wittfield, thus silently replaced her. ¡°The city has never done this before. Of course, the citizens would be confused, and¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Amelie placed her hands on her back, as she turned back to look at the city. ¡°That¡¯s why we did this, after all. To assess the capability of the Kingdom¡¯s temporary capital to survive a WMD strike. Clearly¡­ it''s awful, ladies and gentlemen.¡±


    She heard a chuckle from the side. It was from Walter.


    ¡°Yeah, obviously,¡± the man said, as he turned on his seat. ¡°The metro is barely even capable of taking the city¡¯s population within. Not especially with the increase of people in the city.¡±


    ¡°Mayor Ruhl, what¡¯s the latest figure of Eutstadt¡¯s population again?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s at six million, four hundred thousand.¡±


    ¡°And that figure is growing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. A lot of refugees are still pouring into the county¡¯s borders. And many of them come here to the city, where there is proper housing and jobs available. Eutstadt is well built, and we should be able to support at least two hundred thousand more by seizing more of the homes owned by major real estate corporations, but no more than that. We¡¯re also having severe problems with the cramped communal housing we¡¯re giving out since Districts 3 and 4 are now up to complete capacity. We don¡¯t have many empty apartments there to repurpose into free housing.¡±


    Countess Anne sighed.


    ¡°Unfortunately, this city can only really take so much, Your Majesty,¡± the old woman said. ¡°When we developed it, we developed it as a future-facing port city. As Orland¡¯s illustrious western gateway. Not a refugee camp for the Kingdom¡¯s government and millions of people from the east.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Is the city¡¯s infrastructure still functional?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sofie said. ¡°Though, our trains are becoming less on schedule, and are always at full capacity. During rush hours, our high-speed trains would be traveling at over capacity, literally jamming people inside like canned sardines, while the stations themselves would have huge queues.¡±


    ¡°And the influx of buses and cabs that you procured? Has it helped?¡±


    ¡°Barely. I¡¯d say, compared to pre-war status, when public transport of the city was perhaps the best in Orland, it''s nowhere near that anymore. It functions, yes, but it¡¯s overburdened.¡±


    ¡°So that scheme also failed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid so.¡±


    Amelie sighed and went back down on her seat. There was still silence in the group, with her officials just silently watching their tablets and laptops for any updates. Amelie herself pondered about the state of Orlish cities as she turned her head to the glass windows.


    Too inefficient. Amelie thought. Overburdened. Practically overpopulated because of war refugees. If Eutstadt, my Kingdom¡¯s best city, is this awful¡­what of the rest of the country?


    She tapped her pen on the table impatiently, waiting for the confirmation of the city¡¯s complete evacuation underground. Fourteen minutes had already passed. While the screens showed that the streets were now becoming clearer, and the queues to the underground metros and shelters became shorter and shorter, there were still a lot of people outside.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Disappointing. Amelie thought. Beyond disappointing.


    It didn¡¯t matter if her air defense scheme was robust and capable in this case. Considering Eutstadt¡¯s reputation of being the command center of the entire Mandate of Nations, she imagined that CFN ballistic missiles would be saturating the crap out of her capital just to murder it in the event of an exchange. Her generals in the OHC assured her that the air defense coverage in the County of Wittfield (and soon, the entire Duchy of Rimwurz) was close to ninety-five percent.


    The problem was, what if the enemy launched one hundred ICBMs (or perhaps one hundred warheads from MIRV missiles) straight into Eutstadt? Amelie wasn¡¯t a dumbass. She knew that¡¯d mean that with the failure rate of five percent, there¡¯d still be five nuclear or chemical warheads that¡¯d detonate at Eutstadt.


    And then poof! Half of six million souls will be gone!


    ¡°The evacuation has been finished,¡± Sofie declared, looking up from her tablet. ¡°All of the six districts have been fully evacuated. District One was evacuated in six minutes, alongside District Two. Districts Three and Four were evacuated at the thirteenth minute. District Five was evacuated in the ninth minute. And District Six was the slowest, evacuated at eighteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­horrible,¡± Amelie said. Jacqueline nodded beside her.


    ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t have that,¡± the Prime Minister continued. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to lower that to at least six minutes.¡±


    ¡°Even six minutes isn¡¯t enough,¡± Walter said, his cynical voice bleeding through again. ¡°Realistically, any dumbass still outside by the fourth minute is going to be dead meat. While silos from Larissa and Hebei will take upwards of twenty to thirty minutes to strike us, Federalist missiles will only take five to ten minutes to reach us. Round that down considering the detection times, and reaction time from detection to emergency announcements¡­and ugh¡­yeah.¡±


    ¡°We also need bigger underground shelters,¡± Sofia said. ¡°There are already reports of health issues in the metros with people fainting or whatever due to how cramped they are.¡±


    ¡°Even with the medical personnel we pre-positioned in advance?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Well, realistically, we can¡¯t have enough medical personnel to tend to six million people well. They¡¯re pretty stretched thin.¡±


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s the summary of our findings? What do we need to improve?¡±


    The mayor continued tapping on her tablet. She called on one of her aides to present something on the screens in front of them, and immediately, there were three bullet points present.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the mayor started. ¡°The three main things we¡¯ve seen that need improvement¡­are those. First is the manpower of our emergency services. EMTs. Police officers. Firefighters. Specialized decontamination teams, search and rescue teams, etc are also needed. Police officers especially. We need robust emergency staffing that can quickly jump in and mobilize to direct the public.¡±


    ¡°I already expected that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But we can¡¯t divert too many people from their jobs into emergency positions¡­hmm¡­perhaps a reservist system? Train people to immediately join our response units once called. Like, we don¡¯t necessarily have to increase the number of police officers in the city, but we can train extras that we only call in the event of a massive emergency.¡±


    ¡°That might work. We¡¯ll look into that. We¡¯re already expanding the Eutstadt Civil Defense Force, with more resources, we can expedite that process,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Next is citizen awareness. Too many people seemed to not know where to go or what to do. I think this is the easiest for us to tackle.¡±


    ¡°Spread posters everywhere, online campaigns, and monthly drills perhaps? Maybe do it district by district instead of citywide, so there¡¯s less distraction.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible, Your Majesty. The next thing is the lack of underground shelters. We¡¯d need enormous money for this. Constructing an underground shelter system that can keep and support six million people will be difficult. It¡¯d be the equivalent of a megaproject that¡¯d take a decade to finish.¡±


    Minister Jan Sobiesky, however, grunted on the side.


    ¡°No worries about that,¡± he said. ¡°Just mobilize enough steel, cement, and the like. Most Orlish cities have robust underground metros. While it¡¯d take a year or two, if we can get the manpower and resources needed, we can turn those metros into relatively connected bunker systems. Quality of life down there will be abysmal, of course, but if we just renovate and expand them, we¡¯d be able to support hundreds of thousands.¡±


    ¡°Not millions?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Millions?¡± Jan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Well, you see, that¡¯s delusional. Without proper distribution systems, no city can feed itself. Not especially one bombed into oblivion. Realistically, with space and stockpiles, and a few billions of investment for underground shelters, cities can only expect to support a few hundred thousand people for extended periods of time. The rest will have to be kicked out once the initial blasts are over.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll only be able to shield them from the blast, but afterward, they¡¯ll just what? Die to radiation, hunger, and thirst?¡±


    ¡°Well, they call it ¡®Weapons of Mass Destruction¡¯ for a reason, Your Majesty.¡±


    The room fell silent again.


    ¡°In that case, we might as well let the rest of the millions just die to the blast,¡± Jacqueline said, her voice hollow. ¡°I feel like it''s more cruel to keep people alive from being vaporized, which is a preferable way to die to the alternative, and then throwing them out into a city turned to hell.¡±


    ¡°Not that you can kick those people out,¡± Walter said. ¡°It¡¯d be chaos. No human being will agree to that. The authorities in underground shelters will just face a bloodbath from millions of angry civilians who¡¯d refuse to leave and not be fed. Order will break down within hours or days.¡±


    ¡°A nuclear exchange is meant to be an apocalypse after all,¡± Pristina added. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to avoid it at all costs. Better if we intercept all of their missiles if it does happen.¡±


    ¡°Failure rates exist, Minister Dubois,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°I know, Your Majesty.¡±


    Amelie tapped her pen on the table, taking the time to think for herself. Is this even worth it? What if all these efforts were just a waste of resources and would be something too disruptive to her war economy? But then, just distributing protective gear and calling it enough is disgusting. That¡¯d still be the equivalent of letting people die.


    She knew well that nothing was set in stone. No matter how much she would try to avoid an exchange, there was a chance of it happening. Considering she was at the helm, accepting that Orland and its people would be wiped out and doing nothing would be a crime to the Orlish nation, and humanity itself.


    No¡­I don¡¯t accept cynicism in my ranks.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± Amelie started, taking the attention of her officials. ¡°Analyze everything. We need an action plan for what has happened today. You all know that we cannot accept having our people be wiped out in the event of the worst, no?¡±


    All of her underlings nodded slowly to her words.


    ¡°Then, even if the measures we¡¯ll have in place won¡¯t be perfect, we need to have one. And we¡¯ll implement it. In the event of nuclear war, at least a quarter of Orland must survive. Same with this city. Do something to ensure that.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Five: The Offensive Slumps

    ¡°Fighting in the Kusari mainland is now reaching its breaking point. The Kusari Imperial Army and the allied forces present on the mainland are being pushed further and further back. The threat to the Kusari capital has now become so extreme, that the Kusari Government is evacuating much of its staff, ministries, agencies, and departments to the southern Kusari city of Raffna.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    November Palace


    Situation Room


    July 8, 2025


    ¡°The hopes of a full-scale offensive into the Pozneki Republic¡­ have been dashed.¡±


    The words from General Victor Albrecht came without surprise to the Heiss War Cabinet. Amelie¡¯s ministers were clearly distraught at the news, but, well, it was to be expected. The chemical attacks¡­while they had focused on the horrors it inflicted on civilians, had an effect as well on the great offensive.


    No more were the Orlish and Lorathian Armies speeding through Larissan and Pozneki positions. No more was the frontline moving dozens of kilometers every hour in her alliance¡¯s favor. No more was there a lightning campaign. Ever since the strikes happened, the contaminated logistical lines complicated everything.


    Her forces had to stop for days just to decontaminate the struck areas. All while fighting off repeated CFN counterattacks. That was right when Amelie and the Orlish Government were coordinating their response to the attacks. Supplies and resources had to be diverted to protect civilians rather than supply their troops. Even precious rations meant for her troops at the front had to be diverted to starving Gallians.


    Now was the moment of truth. The CFN¡¯s brutal tactics worked. The humanitarian and near-genocidal act they had committed. It worked. And that only raised the silent fury that had been endlessly bubbling inside Amelie¡¯s heart. The fact that these evil¡­monstrous tactics worked.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡± Pristina spoke, shaking her head. ¡°Are we planning for another assault? This was our all-out gamble, after all. Remember, our girls down at Kusari have been desperately calling the OAF for more ground support. And by that, I mean, a major ground and air operation in Kusari.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°The OHC calculated our munitions stockpiles. It looks ugly in the short term. We¡¯d be unable to execute a major operation for the next three months.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to speed up our war production,¡± Anne adamantly said. ¡°Tell me what the Armed Forces need to cut that figure down to half. I¡¯ll get it done. I¡¯ll try to coordinate our factories to expedite their production processes. Increase work times. Reduce safety procedures. Anything. We¡¯re not losing Kusari!¡±


    ¡°Anne, you can¡¯t just do that! It¡¯s not like there are even many safety regulations we have left to ¡®slow down production¡¯,¡± Allison defensively insisted. ¡°Haven¡¯t we already gutted the rights of our people enough? I swear, we¡¯re turning into nothing but a mirror of our enemies at this rate. What¡¯s the point of us legislating more and more equal rights when in reality we¡¯re just treating both women and men worse and worse where it matters, like in the workplace?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re closing the threshold to forced labor,¡± Jacqueline said, quite disappointed at the reality on the ground. ¡°Everyone¡¯s working long hours. Regulations are being cut left and right. Everyone is required to work¡­for a specific number of hours, or else they¡¯re liable for military service. It¡¯s all going to bite us back one day if the people get tired of these conditions.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? And what, lax things up when we¡¯re competing with the Federalists?¡± Walter pointed out, his arms crossed. ¡°Let me remind you all what the norm is in the Free State. More, more, and more. They¡¯re squeezing the soul of their people there, and creating automatons to replace those who are lost to keep the big machine going. Soon, they¡¯ll be declaring total war. Total mobilization. Where everyone, men, women, the old, children, adults, you name it, is directly creating weapons or using the weapons against us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re trying to streamline our bureaucracy," Amelie said. ¡°To speed up the mobilization further.¡±


    ¡°Well, your efforts are correct. It¡¯s just that Minister Thell here seems way too opposed to our decisions that maximize efficiency and output.¡±


    ¡°A war becomes worthless to fight when the state abandons humanity,¡± Allison retorted. ¡°We have to keep reminding the people that this is a worthy cause to fight for. That¡¯s not happening if you keep beating them just because they didn¡¯t increase the tanks produced a day to twenty units or whatever goals we have in mind.¡±


    Walter¡¯s smile grew.


    ¡°False. I think we demonstrated pretty well that you can have people fight for a soulless entity that threw away your humanity. Pretty viciously too, might I add, considering the mountain of dead Order Pact soldiers the Kingdom¡¯s expeditionary forces killed.¡±


    ¡°You both have good points,¡± Amelie broke the discussion to a halt. ¡°Allison, we¡¯re not abandoning our humanity or anything. Let¡¯s not be that alarmist. Anne, you don¡¯t need to cut back on what meager regulation levels we already have now for our workers. And Walter, we¡¯re not going to stop chasing greater production levels to keep up with our enemies. I think we just need time.¡±


    ¡°Time we don¡¯t have. Or we¡¯ll lose North Kusari,¡± Pristina said. ¡°That would be a blow too far for the alliance. Can we even absorb that?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps?¡± Walter said as he turned to General Albrecht. ¡°General, tell me, does the Kusari have a good fallback line that they could theoretically use?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Great Minda River cuts from the Lham region in southwestern Hebei, through central Kusari, straight down into the southwestern Kusari coastline. They¡¯d have to abandon everything in northwestern Kusari though, alongside the capital, and three hundred million people.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Walter turned his chair back to face the Heiss Cabinet, smiling to himself as he shrugged.


    ¡°Well? Seems like we have a good plan now. Fallback to a better defensible line. Adelaide, maybe you can talk sense to them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not happening,¡± Adelaide replied. ¡°The Empire isn¡¯t going to abandon nearly half of its people to the CFN just because we told them so. They¡¯re going to violently refuse. If we even let them lose that much land, they might criticize us openly. And harshly. That¡¯ll create disunity in the MN.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve seen how badly the CFN is treating the Central Vaeyox too,¡± Pristina said. ¡°Either the Larissan Confederation annexed them and are treating them like trash. Or they establish puppet governments that treat their people like trash.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the magic of CFN occupation, but we can¡¯t do anything about that without taking the pragmatic solution of retreating to at least stop them from taking over the entire country,¡± Walter said. ¡°At the rate we¡¯re going, the Kusari Imperial Army is going to collapse badly. Both Asanai and us can¡¯t do much in the air anymore, considering how many munitions we have expended. And our KDUs and marines on the ground are barely holding on.¡±


    Amelie looked down at the table.


    ¡°General,¡± Amelie spoke. ¡°What are the current ideas within the OHC? What should be our next course of action?¡±


    ¡°We should prepare for a long-term stalemate in West Vaeyox,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Both the CFN and allied forces are expended and tired. We have no choice but to dig in. And the same is true for them. As for Kusari and Hebei¡­we¡¯re still formulating something.¡±


    ¡°Then do it. Please, call us in the moment you have an idea on what to do in East Vaeyox.¡±


    +++


    ¡°This is a disappointing state of affairs,¡± Amelie said to William as the two walked out of the situation room. Quite frankly, the tiring failures of her policies were getting to Amelie¡¯s nerves now. She thought to herself that she had it in the bag when the great offensive was going well. Then something screwed her entire plan. It was as if by divine providence, every measure she took would be stopped by something.


    Every choice. Every decision. Every plan.


    Leadership was truly a difficult thing to do. There was no shortage of failures that could be attributed to her name. To live in these arduous times, when all she could do was lead from the rear¡­it was painful for Amelie¡¯s heart. Still, in a way, she didn¡¯t have regrets for the decisions she took. She prioritized protecting civilians first and foremost when the chemical bombs dropped.


    And that was something that Amelie at least felt was good. But that still cost her things on the military front. And would continue to cost her going forward.


    ¡°Being the Queen must be quite painful now,¡± William replied. ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to feel bad for you.¡±


    ¡°Surprising, William. I imagined you¡¯d feel more bad about the soldiers and people dying right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just saying. Since the WMD fiasco started¡­you¡¯ve turned pale. And¡­your eyebags¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me how I¡¯m supposed to properly sleep at night when hundreds of thousands died in a few hours under my watch?¡±


    William took a deep breath.


    ¡°The problem with you is that you take too much responsibility for everything. I talked to General Albrecht. Even he had no idea how to stop the disaster. No one could. Shit, do you not understand the part about them dropping those munitions on CFN-occupied territory? Tell me, how could you have magically protected the people there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Look, the only thing you chose that the OHC and your intelligence agencies disagreed with was the immediate deployment of chemical weapons. Why? Do you believe it to be wrong?¡±


    ¡°They say that it weakens our deterrence¡­¡±


    ¡°But your gut tells you that if we do it, it¡¯ll just escalate and normalize WMD deployment, which leads to you know what¡­when we¡¯re unprepared for it.¡±


    Amelie grimaced.


    ¡°Yet, even if we wait for two years, we¡¯ll still be forever vulnerable to an exchange. William, it¡¯s so hard. Deter them by escalating back, and we might destroy ourselves badly now. Refuse to escalate, and we still might be destroyed in the future anyway, while putting ourselves in an awful military position today.¡±


    ¡°Well, then it becomes a question of morals.¡±


    Amelie looked to her side, straight to William. He just kept walking, staying silent for a while.


    ¡°Tell me, what kind of a leader is a good one? Someone who delays misery and tries to stop it¡­or someone who gives in and allows it to come because ¡®it¡¯s impossible to stop it¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­the former?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re that type of leader. Were it Queen Areya¡­or Queen Alorie in your position, do you know what our world would be right now? Neither your mother nor grandmother would have tolerated weakness. When the Order Pact deployed gas, we deployed it the next day. And we specifically were preparing for a nuclear escalation¡­to press the red button, immediately, if a single nuclear strike touches Gallian or Lorathian soil.¡±


    ¡°So¡­considering that hundreds of thousands of Gallians died¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯d have pushed the red button without a care,¡± William said. ¡°And maybe she¡¯s right. A WMD strike must be faced down with a WMD strike. That¡¯s the MAD doctrine. That¡¯s what keeps WMDs off the table. The only reason it didn¡¯t happen during the First Great War was because both sides communicated underground that the gas would be limited in the depopulated contact lines. We have none of that today. We have absolutely zero official contact with the CFN. Your mother¡­would have launched tactical nuclear strikes on Larissan and Federalist silos that day.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    ¡°And then of course they would do the same to us. First booms come, and millions die. Both sides become really angry, and out comes the ones aimed at the cities. That¡¯s the decision you refused to take. You broke MAD for us and allowed the enemy team to take an unfair victory¡­to let billions live.¡±


    He turned toward her.


    ¡°So tell me. You¡¯re doing things awfully? Wrong. Things could have gone more awful.¡±


    Amelie found herself patted by William on her shoulder as he smiled.


    ¡°At least now you¡¯re not dealing with the aftermath of glassed Orlish cities. But instead, you¡¯re just dealing with the MN¡¯s wounded pride and compromised anti-WMD deterrence.¡±


    ¡°...Thanks, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Now get back to work.¡±


    ¡°Screw you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, just kidding,¡± William chuckled. ¡°You should probably take a nap or something. It¡¯s not like you can conjure up a plan on your own. The OHC will come up with something tangible soon.¡±


    He¡¯s just raising my spirits for a second to crush it.


    Amelie just looked down as they continued walking back to her office.


    Such a meanie.

 Chapter Two Hundred Six: New Union, New Problems

    ¡°New Union Act passes in a complete supermajority. The opposition block of the AP has overwhelmingly voted against the act, but both the ORP and the UOP have voted for it in a complete landslide. Even conservative UOP MPs voted for it, citing that the old act was ¡®outdated and in need of reforms¡¯. Prime Minister Heiss and Queen Amelie have both separately given press statements early in the morning, vowing to enforce the New Union Act as swiftly as possible. All high nobles still retaining control over their domains are now expected to hand over power to elected and newly-appointed officials from Eutstadt, which is expected to highly streamline the country¡¯s bloated bureaucracy."


    - ROCN News


    +++


    November Palace


    West Orland


    July 12, 2025


    Amelie placed her coat atop her chair with a joyous smile on her face.


    At last, one of the first steps to reforming Orland was finished. The New Union Act and the State Protection Act, both designed to place power to the Crown and Government away from the nobility¡­were now passed in Parliament. All that was left was implementation, and the immediate ass-kicking of the nobles stubbornly holding onto their power.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be the new law of the land,¡± Amelie said to herself eagerly. ¡°How delightful.¡±


    She clapped to herself and relaxed in her seat. Victory, it tasted truly sweet, Amelie thought. With that, she had effectively curtailed much of the power of the conservatives. The amount of new talent replacing old bureaucratic staff was also good news. They were filling the local governments of Orland with younger liberals, technocrats, and reformists. Mostly, young women with UOP party memberships.


    The last time Amelie checked in on Jacqueline, it seemed that the UOP had been completely, and utterly taken over by the reformist wing. No more was the conservative wing, which had already been slashed when the Arcanists splintered off, a credible threat to her plans. The UOP was from now on going to be the big-tent reformist part of women.


    Which is lovely! Oh, I should definitely celebrate this.


    She started thinking hard about a good plan. Nia, William, Jacqueline, Walter, maybe the entire Heiss Cabinet should be in it. The morale of her team had been in the gutter ever since the chemical attacks after all. Well, except for Walter, that man was simply comfortable with chaos anyway to Amelie¡¯s thoughts. No, Amelie shook her head. That wouldn¡¯t do.


    They needed to taste this victory at least so that her ministers would be more motivated to work harder.


    The State Protection Act was just for protecting Orland from WMD attacks. The New Union Act was just for streamlining her nation¡¯s bureaucracy. No, they still had a long way to go to change things. So she needed to motivate them.


    I still need to balance the social welfare schemes. Get Allison to do that. Then I need to start getting a list of unequal laws and repealing them en masse. Hmm¡­maybe we¡¯ll draft a comprehensive act for that too. Then¡­there¡¯s all the other things like prison reform, education reform¡­goddess¡­


    Her head spun at imagining everything that needed to be changed.


    Running a nation while at war, and trying to change it¡­


    It was tiring to Amelie¡¯s view. Truly tiring. But she raised her head, and her face steeled back into a more determined stance. She had already begun to progress. Real, tangible, progress. She just needed more. And more. And more.


    And soon, Orland will be an equal place for both men and women.


    Then¡­then her soldiers would have a good reason to fight. And with a good reason to fight, morale would rise. Both in the factories and the frontlines. Perhaps, by breaking the apathy and cynicism that plagued her armies¡­she¡¯d finally create something more than an Armed Forces fighting a dreary war for ¡®the lesser of two evils¡¯.


    A military that fights for a new, shiny Orland!


    She grinned to herself at imagining that. Hmm, perhaps I should also start spinning these reforms as a part of our roadmap to achieving men¡¯s liberation. Then¡­then I¡¯ll get the PR guys to show it off to our men. Her eyes glowed at the idea. That¡¯s right! Why hadn¡¯t I thought of that yet? Removing aristocrats¡­that¡¯s what we did. And aristocrats are the most hated class of people by men.


    ¡°The heck are you scheming over there, Amelie?¡±


    Amelie yelped at the sudden opening of the door to her office. William, still with that gloomy face of his, entered, holding a bunch of documents on his side. Amelie naturally frowned. He hadn¡¯t even knocked.


    ¡°I was just planning something,¡± Amelie said. ¡°At least warn me, William.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, but seeing your surprised expression always amuses me.¡±


    She looked at his dead neutral face.


    ¡°Turning your Queen into an amusing toy to play with. Weirdo.¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha,¡± William shook his head. ¡°See, I¡¯m amused. Anyway, I¡¯m carrying another report from the OPM. You know, us.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while since you last checked on me about that.¡±


    ¡°Because investigating those who attacked Princess Kawasaki, alongside the killers of your mother, and uhh¡­the biological attacks in Lieplatz during the liberation campaign took quite the sweet time¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve connected them all?¡±


    ¡°Marie¡¯s field agents are very capable,¡± William said. ¡°She¡¯s been on this for so long, so I¡¯ve been naturally collaborating hard with Marie and the RIU. Turns out, there are traces of connection between these three events.¡±


    ¡°And have you figured out any concrete connections?¡±


    ¡°Nope, just hunches, clues¡­etc, etc,¡± he threw a bunch of files and pictures on Amelie¡¯s desk. There were pictures of vials that contained biological agents. Corpses of ¡®Unit Eighteen¡¯ agents from the OIA. Then the blurry photographs of those who attacked Princess Kawasaki. ¡°We¡¯re still cracking things, but whoever¡¯s orchestrating all of this is quite¡­the someone, something. We¡¯re suspecting they¡¯re an organization of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­a concrete idea?¡±


    ¡°No, again, it¡¯s just a theory,¡± William spread out the photographs. ¡°And we¡¯re still digging deep. We¡¯re even questioning a bunch of officials in the military connected to the ¡®AI Project¡¯, because somehow, that too is extremely sketchy. We¡¯re following the paper trail and money trail¡­but it¡¯s empty. Like some blackhole swallowed something without anyone noticing.¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­¡±


    ¡°That, and there¡¯s even corporations involved in it. But the evidence is all too shaky, and it seems like even these entities have no idea who they are dealing with. All from sketchy construction projects in the Free State, suspicious deliveries of heavy equipment to various areas in the Free State¡­and oh boy, we¡¯ve been shipping sensitive specialized equipment to the Larissan Empire during the Great War.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense, William,¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°This sounds strange.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I held off from telling you anything,¡± William said, shrugging. ¡°Me and Marie, we¡¯re just as blind as we were months ago before we bumped into each other in our independent investigations. So now, we¡¯re running on some crazy ideas of...an unknown entity dictating these events. Or¡­or, it¡¯s all just a coincidence. That somehow, after a shipment of unknown chips to Larissa¡­the peace deal happens¡­then your mother dies¡­then Hebei¡­¡±


    Amelie felt her head spin again.


    ¡°You¡¯re sounding more and more insane, William.¡±


    ¡°I am insane. I haven¡¯t even properly analyzed what my departments are feeding into me. It¡¯s all too messy. I am just as clueless as you are. But what¡¯s clear is that something¡¯s smelly, and it smells rotten. It¡¯s like things were set up. Or at least, it sounds like something is instigating these crises under our noses. And they¡¯re playing us, your mother, Katerina¡¯s mother, the OAF, everyone and their asses¡­like toys.¡±


    ¡°Okay, now, that just sounds extremely unlikely.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, exactly! It has to be bullshit, right, Amelie?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the OPM,¡± Amelie crossed her arms. ¡°If there¡¯s a conspiracy, you¡¯re the one supposed to figure out what it is, relay it to me, or prevent it.¡±


    ¡°Well, how the hell am I preventing any of this?¡± William laughed. ¡°I have no proper access to the Free State. And it¡¯s the center of operations. It¡¯s where all the trails go and disappear.¡±


    ¡°...Then it must just be Heind?ff,¡± Amelie said, before shaking her head. ¡°Nothing groundbreaking about that. He and Rimpler must have been planning this since the Great War. Like¡­like some scheming little rats. And now they¡¯re making the OIA play games to mess with us.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, you got one thing wrong,¡± William pointed at the picture of the corpses of Unit Eighteen. ¡°Even the OIA got played. And they got played so hard, that they panicked, and purged a good chunk of their previous reliable agents during the fallout of your mother¡¯s assassination. If they¡¯re planning and scheming so well¡­why would they screw up out of nowhere that they¡¯d have to do this level of clean-up? Oh, no perhaps it wasn''t even a clean-up¡­it was an anti-rogue operation. But why would these men who believed they were following OIA orders be rogues?¡±


    ¡°...I¡­well, I don¡¯t know, maybe a breakdown in communications?¡±


    ¡°You should keep your soul pure. It really shines a light in this shitstain of a world.¡±


    Amelie puffed her cheeks.


    ¡°William! I¡¯m being serious here!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± William looked away, straight into the windows as he crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m just saying. It¡¯s ridiculous. And worrying. Hasn''t the thought been in your mind yet? The thought of Rimpler and Heindh?ff not being the actual bastards running this show? What if they¡¯re just as clueless?¡±


    He looked back down at Amelie.


    ¡°Those putschists, when your mother was murdered by OIA agents¡­they panicked. All of them. So much so, that I believe the timeline of everything was rushed. I don¡¯t think they were planning for us to even be fighting today.¡±


    ¡°Their coup did technically fail,¡± Amelie said, gulping a bit. ¡°But what if it¡¯s just a bad case of incompetence? Not everything has to be some grand¡­plan, masterminded by something. That¡¯s just ridiculous. We¡¯d have known that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and we don¡¯t,¡± William grew ever more silent. ¡°The power armor used by those who attacked Princess Kawasaki has kept me awake in bed for weeks now. We have nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing of a shred of an idea of what those guys were. Nothing.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯ve seen worse hells,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°But¡­the Keibeitai did manage to dislodge them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the fact that they dislodged them that matters. Amelie, there are a lot of arcane technologies we have no idea about that were developed underground for the last few decades. Do you even know about the dimensional studies being conducted secretly in the Kingdom of Lieplatz? Or the myriads of anti-magic jammers being produced in the Free State? We have lost control or contact with all of that.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re at the hands of the Federalists, no?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. Or maybe the Federalists are just using the lower-grade versions of it. Otherwise, they¡¯d have been mass-producing that power armor that defeated Keibeitai so badly. Because I tell you what, if some¡­organized entity is out there, who¡¯s employing all of these things underground¡­we¡¯re probably royally screwed.¡±


    ¡°Keep working on it then,¡± Amelie ordered. ¡°I¡­do you need me to relax some of your duties?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. My guys in the OPM can work without my babysitting. I¡¯m just a messenger to you, and the one who directs them for you. They handle the finer details. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to Marie¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you absolutely do.¡±


    ¡°I was planning for celebrations,¡± Amelie hesitated. ¡°But I''ll ring her now instead. Damn it.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Seven: Palace Reinforcements

    ¡°Federalist and Royalist forces once again clash in the Grand Duchy of Ludendorf. For months, the frontline has been frozen along the Ludendorf river. The OHC however has initiated an operation to retake four counties of the Grand Duchy, using the bridgeheads established during shaping operations months prior. The local counteroffensive has now gained three thousand square kilometers of territory, alongside the capture of Uswelt City.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    November Palace


    West Orland


    July 14, 2025


    Amelie watched as the new batch of Royal Guard specialists arrived in her palace. They were the final piece to the reorganization of the Palace Security Unit.


    ¡°Theresa, how many are they again?¡±


    The head of her security detail, Theresa Lubaine, spoke softly behind her.


    ¡°Four new operatives, Your Majesty,¡± she replied. ¡°They¡¯re all drawn from the best of the RIU and the RGO. Unlike the security personnel we placed here, they all have veteran status after black ops missions in Hebei, Orland, Gaul, Poznek, and even Kusari. And they¡¯re not rank and file. They¡¯re the best of the best.¡±


    ¡°Who have they been fighting against?¡±


    ¡°Mostly revolutionary intelligence agencies, Your Majesty. There¡¯s even that woman there, Captain Helene Faust, who murdered two platoons from the Lieplatzan Secret Police alone. Don¡¯t fool yourself of her simply using that blade. She¡¯s an experienced caster, who utilizes body enhancement magic and a very powerful form of fire magic.¡±


    So, they¡¯re all like Marie.


    She looked at the woman. Her hair was a flashy red, and she wore a black coat that she kept above her shoulder. She rushed out of the SUV that carried them, straight to the palace¡¯s gate with her comrades.


    ¡°I¡­well, I guess we¡¯re getting the best battlemages then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the best measure we can take at the moment. These girls should be able to match the best of the Keibeitai.¡±


    Amelie smiled. That was what she asked for after all. She¡¯d need to greet them well now.


    ¡°Alright then. Get me to these women. I¡¯d like to see them face to face. And¡­well, introduce them to their brothers in the OPM.¡±


    +++


    ¡°I am Baroness Theresa Lubaine,¡± declared Theresa over the gathered RGO operatives, all of them now in their white, knightly uniforms. ¡°I am the head of Her Majesty¡¯s security detail. From now on, you answer to me. Your job is simple. To protect the lives of the Royal Family. Even if it costs your own life.¡±


    Amelie smiled at the four women in front of her. They were all, naturally, older than her. And they each wore some sort of colored armband. Theresa did say that she hired the best ones in certain fields of magic, after all. So the colors must mean something.


    I wonder what.


    Quite frankly, Amelie had already fully abandoned her studies in the field of magic. She was getting so rusty to the point that she¡¯d probably screw up the most basic of self-defense spells. So they would be a nice form of protection for her. Especially if they had different specializations.


    She looked curiously at their colors.


    Red.


    Purple.


    Blue.


    And White.


    Perhaps, it meant something about the type of magic they used. When she looked at the four after all, they didn¡¯t seem to have a uniform assortment of weapons with them. Perhaps they use the older style of summoning their weapons? It was one of the more advanced spells of dimensional magic after all¡ªthe ability to summon magical items out of thin air.


    Though, only the two women with the blue and purple armbands held no weapon of their own. The woman with the red armband, who she knew as Captain Helene Faust according to Theresa, held a sword. While the silver-haired woman with the white armband held a white-colored custom-built submachine gun.


    Lots of fancy decorations too. Amelie thought, noting the slight, golden ornaments on the gun. I swear, some women can get too serious about their knightly image.


    Vanity was one of the things that was uniquely in the domain of the Royal Guard. So many special units in the service had countless women using specialized, custom weapons. In comparison, in the OIA, OPM, NID, and AFI, the men there were more uniform in their equipment. Regardless of specialization, every agent was a rifleman first and foremost.


    ¡°Well, Alpha Squad,¡± Amelie started, her voice cheery and welcoming. ¡°Welcome to the November Palace. I believe that the four of you will be central to Lady Lubaine¡¯s security posture here. So...I¡¯d like to know names, please.¡±


    The first one, a woman in her thirties, Captain Helene Faust, nodded and stepped forward. Amelie looked at her hair, again, a blazing red that waved freely. Even her eyes were red. She spoke clearly and confidently.


    ¡°I am Captain Helene Faust, Your Majesty. My sword and wand is in service to you. Rest assured, any vagrant who¡¯ll try to get to you will be consumed by flames first.¡±


    She stepped back, allowing the second woman to step forward. Her hair was black, but her eyes were a deep purple. She wore a purple armband. Unlike the more cockier tone from Helene, she bowed politely and spoke in a more subdued manner.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Agent Olivia Henze of the Royal Investigations Unit. Director Marie has always spoken highly of you. Thus, I assure you, that with the power of time, I¡¯ll keep you alive.¡±


    ¡°Time?¡± Suddenly, Amelie¡¯s eyes shone as she walked close to the woman. It was as if the Queen had been turned into a fan girl. ¡°I heard that it was a field that only emerged five years ago! Aren¡¯t the fundamentals there too hard? Whoah, can you do all of that¡­time manipulation stuff?¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, though, contrary to popular myths in the thaumaturgical community, I can¡¯t exactly manipulate timelines, that¡¯s beyond this field¡¯s current capabilities,¡± she smirked softly as she pulled something out of her pocket. On her gloved hand was a simple, old-looking watch¡­that radiated way too much active mana than normal. ¡°But, I can have your body blown open, and I¡¯ll restore you to your previous state as long as your brain is intact. Though, it can get quite painful, and sinister.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s guts turned sideways at her warning. Oh, I didn¡¯t know that type of magic was that scary. Then, she briefly imagined herself getting splattered on the wall. And of course, Olivia stepped in with that creepy clock and stitched her magically using time. Okay, nope, nope, nope. She stepped back a bit.


    ¡°Erm, umm, thanks then,¡± Amelie awkwardly said, turning to the next one. ¡°Um, Miss?¡±


    The woman, who seemed to be in her late twenties, with brown hair and blue eyes, bowed gracefully. Amelie looked at her armband. It was blue.


    ¡°I am Agent Elsa Gottfried. I have volunteered for the RIU as well. I know almost everything about water magic¡­that I can destroy a main battle tank with a single spell.¡±


    ¡°Y-you can do that?¡±


    She smiled gently.


    ¡°Water can be quite powerful when you compress it in a certain way¡­and fire it at your desired target at extreme speeds and energy.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­okay,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°I hope my service will be to your satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will, Agent Elsa.¡±


    Then, she turned to the last one, who wore a white armband. The silver-haired woman simply saluted Amelie stiffly as she spoke. She also seemed to be the youngest one, almost at the same age as Amelie.


    ¡°Lieutenant Eleanor Enzen, Your Majesty!¡± She reported. ¡°I am from the Royal Guard. I¡¯ve fought against special operations units from the Larissan Confederation and the Hebeian Republic. I promise that I¡¯ll disintegrate any revolutionary cockroach that dares approach you at the atomic level with my enchanted bullets.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amelie nodded. This woman seems to be the ¡®I only follow orders¡¯ type. And atomic level? She had heard of that specialized field in thaumaturgy back then, and briefly considered it. Separating an object magically from its elemental components after all sounded interesting.


    Then, she internally gulped, realizing what the woman meant by ¡°disintegrating them at the atomic level¡±.


    ¡°Wait, you what now?¡±


    ¡°Shoot them until they melt into a puddle of molecular soup!¡±


    Huh?! Goddess, why the eager smile while saying that?


    ¡°T-thanks then. I hope you¡¯ll work well with your team.¡±


    ¡°I will, Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Now!¡± Theresa broke the introductions with her words. ¡°Now that Her Majesty has acquainted you, you will now be formally organized into the Alpha Squad of the Security Detail. And Alpha Squad will be led by you¡ª¡±


    Theresa pointed her finger at Helene. The red-haired woman didn¡¯t seem to be surprised. But the other three seemed curious with their reactions. Amelie even noticed a sudden slight scrounge of disapproval from the face of Eleanor. But it disappeared quickly.


    ¡°Commander Faust, make sure that these three are well organized, kept alert, and ready for combat at all times. We will present where you four will lodge in the Palace. Then, you¡¯ll get to meet the rest of the Security Detail, and Director William Porter¡¯s Salvo Company, the OPM¡¯s side of the Palace Security Unit. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Clear!¡± The four responded in a chorus.


    +++


    ¡°Great, new lunatics that can beat my men one-on-one without a hitch,¡± William complained as he and Amelie walked through the hallways. ¡°I looked at their profiles last night. They¡¯re like monsters, Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Well, I did ask Lady Lubaine to get the best ones,¡± Amelie replied, a bit shifty. ¡°After learning about that suspected organization from you and Marie, I have no choice but to steal talent from the rest of the RGO and the RIU.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just belly-aching really,¡± William replied. ¡°My men are acquainted with the new goddesses in the ranks pretty well. I¡¯ve even had the platoon commander of Order Platoon get himself asskicked by that Helene lady when they decided a silly duel was a good way to get a proper demonstration. She punched him ten feet into the air. Absolute bullshit. We got to watch Olivia stitch him back though with that magic watch thing. That, and a front-row seat of watching my guy screaming for dear life while his internal bleeding reversed itself.¡±


    ¡°They what? Hey! Who the hell permitted lethal matches in my Palace?!¡±


    ¡°Well, me? They told me they can handle being shot at by Order Platoon,¡± William said. ¡°And they said they can stitch up anyone who gets close to dying. And my men were feeling all itchy to prove their worthiness compared to these new, shinier people.¡±


    ¡°That sounds stupid! And come on, William? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Well, I also wanted to see how they¡¯d do it,¡± William said, smiling deviously. ¡°Reading about the dry reports was quite hard to visualize. Since the two teams were getting all stupid with each other, I let them go loose.¡±


    ¡°And they went berserk?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Lucky that things went under control though. But my men got their asses kicked,¡± William cracked a bitter chuckle. ¡°See? This is what we men have to deal with if you women ever decided to pursue magic deliriously. We¡¯d be splattered like cockroaches on the side of the wall. A red, sad, defeated, and bloody paste.¡±


    Amelie felt her hand turn cold. It was true. One of the reasons why the Matriarchy held strong for centuries was that¡­well, many women were just too strong for men to even have hopes of revolting against. But in the modern age, most women were complacent. Many even practically avoided doing magic themselves, opting simply to just research theoretical thaumaturgy.


    Most pursued mundane matters that usually lent better jobs. Like finance, business management, or law. Essentially, normal white-collar degrees for Orland¡¯s highest-paying jobs.


    Even Amelie was a part of that. She was bad at applying magic. Or at least, ¡°average¡±. And she¡¯d probably also get herself splattered in the wall if Helene did what she did to William¡¯s guys. What Amelie was good at was amateurish spellcasting. And, well, reading about spells and entire fields of magic that she can never do herself.


    She was, after all, more of an art studies type of a girl. Not that she ever created the best drawings out there. And she probably now was rusty at that too.


    Ugh¡­I¡¯ll grow old knowing nothing but how to run a country at war. No one¡¯s going to need that in peacetime!


    Not that anyone would give a crap about their Queen¡¯s drawings anyway.


    ¡°Well, I also can¡¯t do it,¡± Amelie replied to William¡¯s doom and gloom. ¡°I mean, I imagine just training to control your mana to support what they are doing requires quite insane mental and physical exertions over¡­years. Then there¡¯s the studying of the theoretical, then applying them, then mastering them¡­most can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, they can, and seeing it with my own eyes terrifies me.¡± William looked down. ¡°You women have abilities we can never even imagine or reach. You¡­don¡¯t understand, but¡­it makes me and my men feel even smaller. Like we truly are a lower form of life compared to you women.¡±


    ¡°William! Don¡¯t ever think that way!¡± Amelie stopped, turning and chastising him. ¡°That kind of thinking is what led us to this disaster. So, please, cut that out. I don¡¯t want Salvo Company demoralized just because we added more ¡®illustrious¡¯ people to the unit. They¡¯re all integral. You are too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± William said, nodding to himself. ¡°Still, seeing it made me question equality for a while. It just reminded me again of that question that¡­quite frankly, held us back for centuries.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What if, fundamentally¡­we¡¯re not really equal, Amelie? Wouldn¡¯t that be a painful pill to swallow, if you¡¯re born a guy?¡±


    She just fell silent. That did make her pause, for a while.


    Pity. She pitied any man who thinks of himself and his brothers that way.


    ¡°...I¡­well, no, screw that idea,¡± Amelie adamantly said. ¡°We have to be equal. That¡¯s my position on the matter.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Eight: Unfortunate Visit

    ¡°The New Union Act is facing stiff opposition from conservative noblewomen decrying the ¡®unjust¡¯ seizure of their ¡®rightful fiefdoms¡¯. Prime Minister Heiss however condemned the bubbling ¡®Arcane Legion¡¯ organization. She has threatened any nobles who resist the new changes with possible renunciation of their titles. Heiss also pointed out that many of these nobles are currently dodging the draft, warning that ¡®they better do their part first instead of complaining¡¯, further citing that draft dodgers, nobles or not, will be punished severely.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Duchy of Oldrach


    Raswurst City


    July 16, 2025


    Amelie sighed as she settled on her seat. She soon felt her hair being gently combed by Nia. A soft breath came from Amelie as she relaxed further.


    The previous days had been quite a blur to her. She had left Jacqueline temporarily to manage the war and country in Eutstadt. She had begun her campaign across Orland to enforce the New Union Act and the State Protection Act after all. One by one, she visited principalities after principalities to officially transfer official powers to her appointed and elected officials.


    Then, she had to observe drills after drills in major cities. That, and the ongoing roll-out of protection equipment to Orland¡¯s civilian populations. Earlier, she even distributed gas masks herself on lines of civilians in downtown Raswurst, as a part of a brief photo-op.


    ¡°Being present to everyone really can be quite tiring, no?¡± Nia said as she continued combing Amelie¡¯s hair. ¡°You look really tired today.¡±


    Amelie stared at the mirror in front of her. Indeed, she looked a little bit disheveled, even when she had just returned from a bath. Behind her, Nia seemed more fine, her hair tied into a neat bun. Both however wore simple pink night dresses.


    ¡°Well, you know how it is,¡± Amelie replied tiredly. ¡°Seeing the people under me struggling, and at threat from certain death¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it always bears down on you, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Amelie remained silent at Nia¡¯s comment.


    ¡°...It reminds me of how much I disappointed Alice by pursuing this war.¡±


    A war I failed to avoid. Amelie frowned. Not that I ever had the right or chance to avoid it. Sometimes, I wonder why. If I am meant to be a Queen, why is it that what I like can never happen?


    She looked back at how the previous monarchs of Orland acted. All those paintings of her mother and grandmothers looking down at her in the halls of her palaces. All of them, many said, were great rulers. Powerful women who drove the Orlish state to their will, to their desire, to their image¡­for centuries.


    ¡°But they created this mess¡­¡± Amelie blurted out a bit. ¡°Apologies, I was just deep in thought.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Nia said, as she continued gently combing Amelie. ¡°Just keep speaking your mind. I¡¯m all ears. Though, if the Queen shall order, I can easily delete my memories if need be!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for any of that,¡± Amelie gave a weak laugh.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just giving you options. After all, my job is to serve and follow you. If you ask me not to remember what you said, then it shall be my command. Just as if you ask me to remember all those convoluted, messy, and frankly ridiculous schedules and arrangements you have¡­¡±


    Amelie noticed her voice turning a bit more frustrated as she sped up brushing Amelie¡¯s hair, before Nia smiled gently again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing well in your job,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Want a ministerial position one day?¡±


    Nia¡¯s face turned aghast.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Please do not jest about nepotism. You threaten to shatter my illusions of you!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, I was just joking,¡± Amelie said, then Nia pouted.


    ¡°Never turn away from your ideals, okay?¡± Nia said. ¡°It¡¯s your most vibrant part. I think the people listen and love you because of your convictions to follow your promises no matter what. Even if you fail.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but our reforms are too little, too late. Something we only managed to do because of our emergency powers. It¡¯s like¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. What matters is we¡¯re moving towards the goal you promised. You said change and hope, right? Well, isn¡¯t Orland changing, and hope is growing?¡±


    ¡°Hope is growing? Pfft¡­we¡¯re closer than ever to annihilation,¡± Amelie said. Her eyes settled on the golden armband on the side of the table. It had the royal coat of arms of Orland on it. Reformists in the UOP had begun using it to identify themselves from the conservatives.


    And so, she began wearing it. And so did much of the female staff and officials of her government. When she appeared in public for the past few days, she proudly wore it at last. Nia wore it too. All of her women ministers like Jacqueline and Allison also wore it during their press conferences. But that was just nothing but appearances. A symbol for women said to be attempting reforms.


    And probably, just another vain way for them to distance themselves from the conservative ¡°traitors¡± who obstructed change. Ultimately, until the Orlish State was fully reformed, the armband of the UOP¡¯s reformist wing rang hollow.


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s why we¡¯re closer to annihilation than ever,¡± Nia reasoned. ¡°Change causes chaos. The faster we change, the more the forces that oppose it will turn desperate.¡±


    ¡°Simplistic explanation. The revolutionaries don¡¯t even care about what we do.¡±


    ¡°Do they now?¡± Nia asked curiously. ¡°But isn¡¯t their entire revolution built on the promise that, ¡®we are the only side who can liberate men¡¯? Won¡¯t their entire movement become shakier and shakier the more we disprove that notion?¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°So what? They¡¯re already mostly fanatics.¡±


    ¡°But fanatics can still see things. And if they see the Royalist side becoming better and better¡­they¡¯ll try their best to sabotage it. So they¡¯ll attack more. More ruthlessly. Or even defend places harder just to make us bleed.¡±


    ¡°I seriously doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Just my few cents on the matter!¡± Nia cheerfully said as she finished combing Amelie¡¯s hair. ¡°There, now it¡¯s all straight and shiny. Mhm¡­you look more Queenly now.¡±


    Amelie looked at the mirror, then groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to bed, dumbass.¡±


    ¡°Hey! A Queen must always be regal even when in her sleepwear. It is paramount for the Kingdom¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Amelie stood up and elbowed Nia¡¯s side a bit.


    ¡°Shush, shush. Go to bed now. I¡¯m going to sleep too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re going to be up awake again doomscrolling on your phone till midnight,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°Tsk, haven¡¯t you learned yet that it¡¯s bad for your eyesight? I heard the radiation and everything can harm you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t know you lived under a rock that bad. That¡¯s something only someone as old as my mother would say.¡±


    ¡°Okay, it still causes you to sleep less. So it¡¯s bad. Go to sleep now. Remember, we¡¯re not vacationing, we¡¯re conducting an expedition.¡±


    Nia pouted a bit.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Nia.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight too,¡± Nia beamed enthusiastically. ¡°I hope your pillows are cold on both ends!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Amelie waved her away. ¡°I¡¯m going now.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Smile everyone!¡±


    Amelie¡¯s face beamed with the most radiant she could give as she stood behind a bunch of orphaned boys. The camera from the photographer flashed, and before she knew it, she was giving the boys candies and chocolates. The day wore on hard in the school as she inspected it.


    It wasn¡¯t like the schools she studied in. The architecture of the three buildings was brutalist in design. It was the norm in the rundown industrial district of the city. That, and Amelie saw very little maintenance on the school. Cracks on the walls were sporadic. From the outside, some vines were growing on the cold cement. There were barely any gardens, greens, or trees around too.


    And the interior wasn¡¯t much better.


    The classrooms had broken chairs. Equipment was minimal. Books and materials seemed old and outdated. The only promising part she saw was the workshops. There, engines, tools, and other heavy machines were common and seemed to be at least maintained by some standard. But everything else was lamentable.


    Even the dorms where the sizable orphaned students lived resembled more of a military-styled accommodation. Nothing but bunks and cramped rooms. It was worse when she checked the restrooms¡­it was, quite frankly, barbaric, not including the doodles she had seen on the wall. It was enough to make Nia blush in outrage.


    By the time they exited the school, Nia and Amelie were both tired.


    ¡°That was awful¡­¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the city council to get this fixed. And for the Governor to remove stupid policies that harm those kids.¡±


    William, who walked beside them, just shrugged.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll ever have the budget to get that part of the problem fixed, and this is a nationwide problem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m knocking on the doors of each Principality,¡± Amelie replied as she huffed. ¡°I¡¯m not letting any local official get away from my reforms.¡±


    ¡°Well, technically, the government hasn¡¯t passed legislation yet that outlaws discriminatory practices,¡± Nia said. ¡°So, like¡­talking to the new ladies in power is probably not going to change much.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, having the Queen directly tell you to autonomously reverse stupid policies, and fall in line, is something that might work. After all, if they don¡¯t do it, guess who¡¯s fallen out of favor? Them. I¡¯ll remember their faces.¡±


    The two behind her just chuckled.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± William said. ¡°And we should cut to the next district.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we still have to commence the local recruitment drive,¡± Nia said. ¡°Then¡­after that, we¡¯ll have to leave this city and go to the next one, which is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Amelie cut off. ¡°More long, busy days ahead. Ugh¡­¡±


    She turned back on the road. Looking around the slightly silent streets as they walked, she blurted out something.


    ¡°This place feels cold,¡± Amelie said. ¡°It¡¯s like it¡¯s not alive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s working hours, Your Majesty,¡± William pointed out.


    Amelie turned back to him, frowning.


    ¡°Yeah, but Eutstadt, or Thein, or Halia back then was never like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in an industrial district. Most people here are employed by the three plants out there. One employs eight thousand people. Another fifteen thousand. The third one has twelve thousand. Of course, no one¡¯s going to be here.¡±


    ¡°What does this place produce again?¡±


    ¡°Heavy machinery, explosives, and artillery shells.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it requires almost everyone in one district to be employed. Like, I¡¯d imagine some people here would at least have families around¡­¡±


    She looked at the apartments and housing blocks. They looked¡­well, sad. It was more like massive boxes that had rooms in them. And they were also designed coldly, definitely utilitarian.


    ¡°Most of the people in this district are unmarried men,¡± William said. ¡°So when the factory shifts are on, everyone¡¯s at work. The only ones roaming around are the few civilians not on the three major plants. That¡¯s how it works.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda sad,¡± Nia pointed out.


    ¡°It¡¯s whatever, really,¡± William replied in a jaded manner.


    The trio soon reached their waiting convoy. Members of William¡¯s ¡°Effect Platoon¡±, Amelie¡¯s designated close escort team from the Salvo Company, began surrounding the trio. Like the trio too, the members of Effect Platoon wore civilian clothing, standard black suits, and shades. They wore vests though, but otherwise, they could stand out as normal civilians.


    There was also Charlie Squad from Theresa¡¯s HMSD (Her Majesty¡¯s Security Detail), eight Royal Guard Knights who wore their signature white uniforms, very similar to Amelie¡¯s and Nia¡¯s clothing. They formed the rearmost part of the convoy, two armored cars respectively.


    They exited the school that Amelie had just visited, carrying a bunch of boxes and whatnot that they unloaded on their vehicles. Amelie talked a bit with the head of the squad, telling her to keep the letters from the students secured because she¡¯d read them later before Amelie went toward William¡¯s vehicle, which was second in the convoy.


    The five SUVs soon drove forward, as Amelie settled in her seat, chitchatting with Nia about the rest of their schedule. Suddenly, however, Amelie noticed William¡¯s face turning into a subdued frown.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Amelie called out, frowning herself. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Lady Lubaine reported that something¡¯s amiss,¡± William said. ¡°I¡¯m contacting Order Platoon. I told them to keep watch of the district¡¯s entry routes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Nia curiously tilted her head from behind, as she leaned forward. ¡°What¡¯s happening¡ª?¡±


    Her question was abruptly halted, when suddenly, a hail of bullets stopped the SUV ahead of them, manned by William¡¯s men. William pulled the wheel hard to the right, as Nia screamed from behind.


    Then, bullet cracks appeared on their windshield, as Amelie turned frozen in her seat.


    ¡°Get down!¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Nine: Near Death

    ¡°Who she really is, is a question of great fascination for the organization. Perhaps she¡¯s a devious young woman, selling cheap dreams to the masses to keep hold of her power. Perhaps, really, she¡¯s an overly naive child trying her best to grant an imperfect change for the masses. Regardless, it is evident that Queen Amelie is a dangerous fool. She must be removed swiftly, not just to create chaos in the ranks of the Royalists, but to remove the head of these so-called ¡®reformists¡¯. To sell ¡®safe change¡¯ to women, and to sell ¡®hope¡¯ to men, undermines the revolution that we have worked tirelessly for. The solution is clear as day.¡±


    - Unknown Email


    +++


    Duchy of Oldrach


    Rastwurst City


    ¡°Keep your head down! Nia! Get down!¡±


    The orders from William were interrupted when they slammed hard to the side of one of the apartments. Amelie¡¯s face was immediately bashed into the airbag as it deployed. Gunfire continued to pepper their vehicles, but Amelie¡¯s convoy stubbornly covered William¡¯s SUV.


    ¡°Ow¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°Oww¡­¡±


    She felt William¡¯s hands check her. Especially her neck, as Amelie¡¯s senses slowly returned.


    ¡°Hey?¡± William asked. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t have a chance to respond when another hail of bullets totaled their vehicle. William immediately grabbed his submachine gun, before talking to his radio. Amelie meanwhile was still too disoriented by the impact, as she tried to find her wand.


    Active mana¡­active mana¡­get it now.


    Her head spun and spun. The impact must have been way too hard, Amelie thought. Her chest didn¡¯t feel alright. And her neck was slightly numb. Soon, without warning, she felt herself pulled hard by someone out of the vehicle. William placed her on the side of the SUV before he tapped her cheeks.


    ¡°Hey!¡± William shouted. ¡°Hey! Amelie!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Amelie coughed. ¡°Sorry, I spaced out. I¡­I¡¯ll try¡­¡±


    Her halo appeared as she began converting her passive mana into active mana. But when she tried to move, she winced. William¡¯s eyes turned even more concerned.


    ¡°Shit, probably rib injuries,¡± he said.


    ¡°Damn it! These fools! They hurt Amelie!¡± She heard from her side. It was Nia, who already pulled out her wand. A golden halo had appeared on top of her friend¡¯s head. And her wand was readied. Soon, a slight blue glow appeared on top of Nia¡¯s body. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried this yet, but damn it¡­I¡­I studied some self-defense spells. Screw these assholes!¡±


    ¡°Oi, hold your horses, Nia,¡± William shouted, pulling her back into cover when Nia attempted to poke into the side of their SUV. ¡°You¡¯re in no way trained for this. Let the goddamned professionals handle it, and stand down!¡±


    Amelie turned to one of the SUVs driven by the HMSD¡¯s Charlie Squad. Four of them had already dismounted. A soft blue glow appeared on their bodies as they rattled the attackers with their arcano rifles. At least, until Amelie watched one of the young uniformed girls getting her head blown off. Blood spurted in all directions as she dropped to the cold ground.


    Amelie¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. How? She saw the blue glow from her shield spell. Most small arms would need to reduce that shield first. What the hell are these guys packing?


    Three more SUVs rushed in their direction. Immediately, heavily uniformed personnel of Salvo Company were funneled out. Three soldiers rushed in their direction, as five more laid down gunfire on the attackers ahead of them. William immediately shouted at them.


    ¡°You three tow the Queen to that vehicle. Nia! Get behind them. Move out!¡±


    ¡°W-wait, I think I can still walk¡ª¡±


    Amelie¡¯s yelp was ignored. She was then grabbed painfully by two of William¡¯s men. Nia ran like hell toward the last SUV, while William and the third guy continued firing their guns at the distance. Soon, she felt herself thrown harshly inside the armored vehicle by the soldiers, while Nia barely got in without being shot herself.


    Soon, William dashed straight into the front seat, taking the wheel for himself.


    ¡°You three, join them and keep them out!¡±


    ¡°Copy, Director,¡± the trio said before they exited their vehicle and rejoined the fight. Amelie finally fully regained her strength, although her ribs still felt a bit sore. Just then, William pulled their SUV into a sudden reverse, then a hard turn. They drove away from the fighting.


    ¡°William!¡± Amelie shouted. ¡°Who the hell is attacking us?¡±


    ¡°Order Platoon fumbled,¡± William said, his voice still tense. ¡°Eight guys already died. These fuckers have power armor.¡±


    ¡°P-power what?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you heard it right!¡± William grunted as he drove through the tight streets. ¡°Those bastards that we¡¯re investigating. They¡¯re here. Shit¡­Order Platoon and Effect Platoon already suffered severe losses. Come on Theresa, damn it!¡±


    William pulled hard on the wheel to dodge what appeared to be a burning SUV in front of them. Gunfire suddenly greeted them, and the trio all ducked again. Luckily, William didn¡¯t bash their vehicle straight into a collision course.


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake! Why is Theresa¡¯s Alpha Squad not yet here¡ª¡±


    His radio suddenly buzzed.


    ¡°What was that, Director?¡±


    Someone suddenly dropped beside them. It was Agent Olivia Henze. And she was holding a purplish, customized scythe. Then, Amelie raised her head to look at the men ahead of them. They wore gray, modern, and sleek armor. Their heads were obscured by their helmets. Their vizors were sharp and angled.


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    And their guns¡­well, Amelie thought it should only exist in the realm of science fiction.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯re learning today who these assholes are!¡± William shouted.


    They watched as Olivia charged in their direction. The guns held by the four men in armor barely scratched the shield spell that she used. One of them then pulled out a special pistol. It glowed blue for two seconds, and when he fired it at her, Olivia¡¯s shoulder was blown open.


    ¡°Goddess!¡± Amelie screamed in horror.


    William, realizing how screwed they were, desperately pulled their vehicle into reverse, but another shot flattened their SUV. William bashed his gloved hand on the wheel in frustration, as three more bullets slammed into their bulletproof windshield.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m about to die,¡± Nia panicked as she quivered in the back seat. ¡°I thought this was just a little visit outside of the capital!¡±


    ¡°Well, you two better get the fuck out of this car now before they blow it open. Amelie, you run on that side. Nia, you do the same. Then you two will scram the heck away.¡± He turned to Amelie. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare even look back!¡±


    The two women heeded William¡¯s orders, with Amelie pushing her door open. William punched his open, rushing to the side of the burning SUV ahead of them. His gunfire temporarily distracted the four unknown attackers. Nia however froze in fear behind their vehicle. She hid and crumpled like a child instead.


    And Amelie did dare look back. Just in time to see Olivia rapidly stitch herself back. She picked up her scythe again.


    ¡°That one hurt,¡± she declared. ¡°I¡¯m gonna make sure you four will be worse off!¡±


    She dashed forward again, as chaos ensued in the ranks of four men. William stubbornly fired his gun at them, while Olivia danced and sliced the unknown attackers one by one. The first one had his head removed¡ªbefore his armor detonated violently. Olivia threw her scythe at the second one, slicing him through the chest.


    Just the same, his armor also detonated violently. The third and fourth ones panicked, spraying their guns at Olivia. She dodged them nimbly for a second before she pulled a pistol. It glowed purple for a second, striking down the third unknown attacker. The power armor he held was blown open through the chest. Then, as if there was a timer that was triggered¡ªhe too detonated violently.


    William charged forward, mag-dumping the last unknown attacker. Unfortunately, the attacker¡¯s armor held on. Two shots pinged William¡¯s kevlar vest. He dropped down on the ground in pain, just as Amelie finished chanting her first spell for the day.


    ¡°Homing Ice!¡±


    Amelie¡¯s shout created a blue, vortex-like circle in front of her wand. Three ice spikes came out of it, striking the man¡¯s armor. Amelie was surprised, however. It only created superficial freezing on his armor.


    That should have pierced and killed him!


    She suddenly found herself tackled to the ground by William as a burst of bullets went in her direction. Olivia recovered her scythe and dashed to the fourth armored man. He was brutally sliced in half, the armor failing to defeat her strength and the magical enchantments imbued on the weapon. He immediately self-detonated.


    ¡°I told you to run the fuck away!¡± William held Amelie¡¯s collar and shook her violently. ¡°You almost got yourself killed, dumbass!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t chastise Her Majesty that way, Director,¡± Olivia coldly warned, standing on the destroyed remnants of their foes. ¡°She tried her best to help.¡±


    Amelie looked at William¡¯s enraged eyes, as he slowly turned calm.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± William said. ¡°It¡¯s just, you almost died there. You didn¡¯t even use a barrier spell.¡±


    Because¡­you were almost killed too. She prioritized saving him first. But no words came from Amelie¡¯s mouth. Sorry, I blundered¡­I just wanted to¡­


    ¡°...Thanks, William. You saved my life.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, Agent Henze over there did.¡±


    ¡°I-is it over?¡± Nia scaredly squeaked out behind them.


    Suddenly, two figures rushed in their direction from the rear. Amelie turned to their direction. Elsa Gottfried and Major Eleanor Enzen both stopped to check on Amelie, while William checked his vest. He then pulled out his radio, shouting profanities at it.


    ¡°Anchor Actual!¡± He shouted. ¡°Are the goddamned pathways cleared? What¡¯s the status of the reinforcements from the city garrison and police?¡±


    ¡°The damned district is turned into a fire zone now,¡± came the reply that Amelie could barely hear as Olivia, Eleanor, and Elsa nursed her. ¡°These folks are way too heavily armed. Small arms can barely scratch them. My men and Lady Lubaine¡¯s squads are too outmatched!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thirty-two OPM operatives out there!¡± William angrily said, not entertaining his men¡¯s excuses. ¡°Do something! Clear the paths no matter the casualties. That¡¯s an order!¡±


    ¡°Copy, Director! We¡¯ll do our best to die for Her Majesty!¡±


    ¡°I apologize for our tardiness, Your Majesty,¡± Eleanor stiffly said, holding her customized gun tightly. Olivia finished checking Amelie¡¯s chest, and she pulled out her miniature clock. ¡°We had to dispatch seven of them before getting to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Eleanor¡ªahh!¡±


    Amelie felt her life being shaken out of her. Her chest felt like it was crackling, while her mind was rattled. Her world spun for seconds at the extreme pain she was feeling. And her mind was filled with the rapid sounds of a clock of some sort.


    ¡°There¡­¡± Olivia said as she finished. ¡°Feeling better, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°W-what the hell did you just do to me?¡± Amelie asked, feeling half nauseous.


    ¡°Your body¡¯s quite the soft one,¡± Olivia said, completely analytical. ¡°Your rib fractures could have punctured your lungs.¡±


    Amelie pouted at that. She remembered she merely bashed herself into an airbag.


    I can¡¯t be that soft!


    ¡°...Um, what¡¯s your problem now, Your Majesty?¡± Elsa worriedly asked as Amelie turned her head to the side.


    ¡°Next time, can I please have the standard healing magic spells instead of experimental time-based spells? I felt like I was dying.¡±


    ¡°As is standard with those that I heal,¡± Olivia said, smirking a bit. ¡°You won¡¯t believe how many ungrateful pricks get half of their bodies blown, get saved by me, and moan about how painful it is.¡±


    The trio then looked down at the furious William as he stood up.


    ¡°Alright, enough chit-chat you three,¡± William snapped at them, and the four women stiffened. ¡°Where¡¯s Captain Faust?¡±


    ¡°Trying her best to clear the way,¡± Elsa curtly replied.


    ¡°Alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, alone,¡± Eleanor confirmed. She pointed in the direction they came from. ¡°We should move there fast. Captain told us she¡¯d signal us when it¡¯s clear, but perhaps we can help her instead.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± William said, as he loaded a fresh magazine on his gun. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get there on foot. Damn it¡­this district¡¯s been turned into a goddamned warzone.¡±


    Amelie looked around, as the gunfire and explosions filled their immediate vicinity.


    ¡°This is deep in our territory,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°How can they sneak so easily?¡±


    ¡°They self-detonate when they¡¯re killed,¡± William said, glancing at the remnants of the attackers they killed. ¡°This doesn¡¯t bode well for us.¡±


    Amelie spaced out a bit as she stared at where William was looking at. Then, she heard him grunt.


    ¡°Anyhow, get moving everyone.¡±


    She obeyed, and soon, it was just the six of them that were walking out of the ambush.

 Chapter Two Hundred Ten: Grave Security Failure

    ¡°Normalize early mortality, and you¡¯ll normalize terrorism.¡±


    - Coalition for Men¡¯s Rights, circa 1980.


    +++


    Duchy of Oldrach


    Rastwurst City


    ¡°...Goddess almighty,¡± Amelie collapsed to her knees as she looked at the carnage in front of them. They were passing through an overpass, and below them was a highway. It was filled with police cars, all destroyed. Then there were the corpses of dozens of policewomen. There were even three members of William¡¯s Salvo Company, their SUV burning on the side, lying on the ground. That, and what must be dozens of civilians dead.


    All caught in the crossfire.


    ¡°We need to keep moving,¡± William said, pulling her back up. Once again, face to face with her failures, Amelie teared up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They only want me, right? Why¡­why¡­why do all of this?¡±


    ¡°They probably brought in more than just a few dozen of those marauders here,¡± William said. He eyed one of the policewomen down on the ground. Her neck was blown open. ¡°Damned bastards have specialized anti-magic weaponry it seems. And our small arms can barely touch them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sensed some magic in their weapons,¡± Nia said, her voice shaky. ¡°I think they can sense it too, right?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s friend looked at the three women of Alpha Squad. All of them nodded at once. Even Amelie, who had caught a whiff of active mana in their armor, nodded. Only William, the single man who was incapable of sensing it, was caught surprised.


    ¡°Shit, so they¡¯re not only using advanced technology,¡± William said. ¡°Must be arcane technology beyond our current grasp then. No conventional nation-state has access to any of this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s incredibly difficult to control enchanted tools without having magic of your own, that it¡¯s almost impossible outside of one-time uses,¡± Olivia stated bluntly. ¡°These people probably figured out a way to get around that problem.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­¡± William muttered, as Amelie finally stood up. When Amelie turned to William, she saw in his eyes a cocktail of emotions. Fear? Amazement? Relief? It was as if he was simultaneously proud and horrified by that news. ¡°Does that perhaps mean some men can do magic?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Olivia frowned. ¡°It might just be them figuring out a technological solution at last. Or maybe that¡¯s the scenario. In any case, it seems like we really are staring today at the last days of the old order.¡±


    The words from the RIU agent rang in Amelie¡¯s ears. She¡¯s right. Amelie gulped. Internally, she was kinda ecstatic now too at that possibility. That at last, magic wouldn¡¯t be something so exclusive to women. But at the same time¡­


    What if such a technology only exists in a fringe, enigmatic, and possibly terroristic group?


    Quite frankly, that thought disturbed Amelie greatly. Notwithstanding the horror of truly achieving the fusion of magic and technology. What would happen if someone were to create a magical nuclear bomb?


    Amelie felt herself pulled again. The six continued onward. They soon descended the overpass and went through a tight street. By the time they were outside, it was the same. Two black SUVs seemed dead. Bullet holes were peppered on them. And outside, eight OPM operatives were dead on the ground.


    William went down to inspect one of the corpses. He pulled the man¡¯s body to the side of one of the SUV¡¯s tires. Then, he fumbled through his vest to check for his ID. When William finished looking at it, he punched the tire.


    ¡°Damn it, these guys are from Pilot Platoon,¡± William looked at the bodies of the other OPM operatives. ¡°These guys...they have been with me since the First Great War, it¡¯s just¡­Ian¡­¡±


    Amelie just watched from the side. This was the first time that she had seen William seriously grieve. But the man stopped, closing the eyes of the dead OPM operative, before grabbing his gun.


    ¡°Apologies¡­¡± William said, shaking his head. ¡°I almost forgot¡­this doesn¡¯t matter. It shouldn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s just keep moving.¡±


    Amelie caught his words. It was as if he was just reciting some sort of mantra instilled in him. Doesn¡¯t matter? They continued onwards, with Eleanor leading their group. Sporadic gunfire and explosions continued throughout the district. It worried Amelie greatly.


    The civilians. Goddess, they¡¯re all probably in danger.


    Suddenly, the group stopped as gunfire streaked through them. Amelie immediately dropped to one of the abandoned civilian cars on the street. Meanwhile, William and Eleanor immediately got to work, their guns opened fire at their targets. Nia ducked beside Amelie, keeping her hands on her ears.


    ¡°They¡¯re here! Goddess they¡¯re here!¡± Nia screamed, and Amelie opted to just hug her friend to comfort her.


    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s gonna be alright. It¡¯s gonna be alright.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, my gun isn¡¯t working,¡± William complained, as he pulled out something. It was a grenade. Pulling the pin, he tossed it at two of the armored dudes. Then, he ducked behind the car that he and Eleanor used as cover. The grenade exploded, as William pulled out his radio again. ¡°Anchor Actual! Respond, Anchor Actual! What the hell¡¯s the status of the exit roads? Anchor Actual?!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re out,¡± Eleanor said. ¡°Anchor Platoon¡¯s squads were pinned the last time we saw them. I doubt half of them survived.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± William turned to Amelie. ¡°Just stay down, you two!¡±


    Amelie silently nodded, as Eleanor rose from cover. She aimed her gun at her targets. Pulling the trigger, black colored flashes came from it. Amelie watched as the soldiers she targeted disintegrated when she used her gun. Their armor and bodies turned into this glue-like thing.


    But seconds before they fully turned into melting puddles, their suits self-destructed.


    Eleanor then dashed forward, her staff glowing blue. Water appeared out of it, and solidified into this long, lance-like thing. When she aimed it at one of the armored attackers, a blue flash that extended a few dozen meters appeared for a split second. It sliced through, then the attacker detonated as her lance seemed to retract itself.


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    Then she continued onward, slicing two more attackers. By the time the brief firefight was done, seven attackers were dispatched by Olivia, Elsa, and Eleanor.


    Alpha Squad is the only one keeping me alive. Amelie realized. But all the other units¡­they still sacrificed so much¡­


    ¡°Area clear!¡± Eleanor stiffly shouted, lowering her gun. William stood up, gawking at the work of the trio in shock. Eleanor turned to Amelie¡¯s direction. ¡°We can continue now, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°This is¡­this is the worst.¡±


    William slammed another magazine on his gun. While it wasn¡¯t working well, it seemed that Amelie¡¯s right-hand man was still determined to do his most important job.


    To protect her.


    ¡°I can barely contact half of Salvo Company,¡± William said. ¡°My men are screwed beyond reprieve. It¡¯d take a while for us to recover from this.¡±


    The gunfire at the distance seemed to further intensify. Already, they could hear the sounds of brief autocannon fires.


    ¡°Twenty-fives are going out,¡± William said. ¡°Seems like the city garrison is here now.¡±


    Amelie breathed out a sigh of relief as she and Nia stood up.


    ¡°Good then,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I hope they can deal with these people.¡±


    ¡°Their plot already failed when their ambush didn¡¯t kill you immediately. But judging by the fact that they all self-detonate when they¡¯re killed¡­I doubt these people care about death at all,¡± William shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re going to finish their damned mission or die trying.¡±


    +++


    They soon reached one of the exit points of the district. Near it was one of the large plants, and there was a firefight down there. Amelie looked at one of the apartments in front of the industrial plant¡¯s walls. Below them, OPM operatives of Salvo Company seemed to be firing their guns at the apartment from the cover of their armored SUVs.


    ¡°Right-o, we¡¯re almost there!¡± William shouted as they ran.


    Naturally, they rushed straight in the direction of the pinned OPM operatives. William and Eleanor laid down suppressive fire on the attackers garrisoned in the apartment building, while Amelie, Nia, Olivia, and Elsa went behind one of the parked SUVs.


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty?¡±


    Amelie looked to her side. Sitting on the tires was one of William''s men. He was barely breathing properly, and there was smoke coming from a hole in his vest. His shoulder also was bleeding.


    ¡°Are you alright?!¡± Amelie panickedly asked as she tended to him. ¡°Hey! Someone¡¯s injured here! Olivia? Agent Henze!¡±


    The black-haired woman immediately stopped, leaned down, and checked the injured man. She placed her scythe to the side, as she pulled out her clock. After a brief chant, a violet-colored circle appeared in front of her hand, which she aimed at the injured operative. The man¡¯s eyes shook violently as he glowed a slight purple.


    Amelie watched in amazement as the bullets that struck him were removed, and his flesh reformed in seconds. It seemed similar to normal healing spells but radically sped up. Not to mention, from what Amelie knew, using magic to heal gunshot wounds was usually a multi-step process.


    ¡°He should be fine now,¡± Olivia said. She picked up her scythe and rejoined the battle. Amelie saw how surprised the operative was. He seemed dazed at how quickly he was healed. Amelie just smiled at him.


    ¡°You think you can rejoin the fight?¡±


    The man nodded nervously. Amelie looked to the side. She picked up his rifle and handed it to him.


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s your name, mister?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Field Agent Rick Hauptmann, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Well, Field Agent Rick, I¡¯ll try to get word to the Director of your good duty today. Now, get back there. Because if I¡¯m being honest, I feel mighty scared right now and I really want to go home.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Your Majesty!¡±


    The OPM operative immediately stood up and rejoined the fighting. His gun began trailing the attackers who were shooting them. Amelie turned to her side, past the still-panicked Nia, and viewed the commotion on the road ahead of them. Eight of the armored attackers had challenged the three members of Alpha Squad.


    Elsa skewered one of them with her ice lance, his body detonating when it was slammed hard into the wall.


    Olivia sliced another one, before being shot herself by one of the operatives with their special pistols. Olivia seemed to have learned though, avoiding it with a quick dodge, before retaliating with her scythe.


    Then, Eleanor sprayed her gun on another attacker who hid behind one of the cars. He immediately melted into a puddle before self-detonating.


    William on the other hand fell back into cover, still angrily firing his gun at the apartment. Amelie watched as one of the streaks of gunfire nipped his left shoulder. William didn¡¯t respond harshly to it though, merely using his right arm to continue firing.


    But Amelie had enough. Taking her wand, she placed a barrier in front of William, protecting him from another burst of bullets, before forcefully dragging him back into cover.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured, William!¡± Amelie chastised. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Just a flesh wound,¡± William said, as he hissed. He pulled out something from his pocket. It was a syringe, and he punched it straight to his affected shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I got this. We can¡¯t let them have full fire control on Alpha Squad. They¡¯re above us.¡±


    ¡°Your men are already suppressing them,¡± Amelie said. ¡°It¡¯s fine now.¡±


    ¡°More firepower is needed,¡± William breathed in deeply, before painfully grabbing another magazine. He placed it on his gun and began returning fire at the attackers in the apartment. Amelie groaned, before she also peeked out of the SUV¡¯s hood, and aimed her wand at them.


    She fired her ice-based attacks at them. Dozens of ice spikes formed in front of the blue magical circle in front of her wand, before being flung into their direction. Some went straight into the windows, striking her targets. Most however slammed into the walls, freezing their exteriors.


    ¡°Damn it! My aim sucks!¡± Amelie complained, as another burst of bullets went straight to her. Luckily, having placed a barrier spell on herself, it simply bounced off her. But still, the power of the shots and her weak shield meant that she felt the energy of the bullets when it went to her face. She dropped to the side of the SUV, her hand on her face. ¡°Ow¡­ow¡­damn, that hurts!¡±


    William looked back at her.


    ¡°Hey! I told you to stay put! Don¡¯t join in on the fight!¡±


    ¡°I thought you said we need more firepower?!¡± Amelie shot back.


    Before William could respond, however, a sudden ball of fire struck the building. Like a flash of light, a red-haired woman dashed through the streets, her sword glowing as she entered the building. The battle stopped, as the interior of the apartment burned and burned.


    ¡°It¡¯s Captain Faust,¡± William said. ¡°Cease fire, everyone! Cease fire!¡±


    William¡¯s OPM operatives lowered their guns, and so did the rest of Alpha Squad, as Captain Faust rampaged on the remaining attackers in the apartment. By the time she jumped off the third floor, the building was in complete cinders. She placed her sword back into her ornate scabbard.


    ¡°They¡¯re all liquidated,¡± she declared, as Amelie stood up. Captain Faust stared at Amelie with a tinge of shame on her face, before she lowered her head. ¡°I apologize, they almost got you, Your Majesty. This was a grave security failure.¡±


    The gunfire in the district finally stopped. But what was left was utter chaos. Amelie just gulped. This assassination attempt was beyond high profile.


    They really want me dead.


    ¡°I¡­¡± She looked down at William, who finally rested and leaned on the tire of the SUV they hid in. ¡°No worries, we¡¯ll analyze what happened and learn. Everyone did their best. Thank you, everyone.¡±


    She looked at the injured OPM operatives being dragged by their remaining brothers. Amelie could only shake her head. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if they were just dealing with a normal OIA attack.


    Who are these people¡­


    She needed answers. And she needed it quickly.

 Chapter Two Hundred Eleven: Grieving the Losses

    ¡°Rastwurst City Garrison reported that the situation is under control. The Queen has appeared in the city hall to give a press conference about her survival. The unknown attackers are still being identified by local forces. The Queen has remarked the attack as devastating, and that she is a bit ¡®shaken¡¯ by it. She however warned the attackers and vowed to find justice for the civilians and security members who died in the fighting. Little footage has been retrieved, and there are still no official tallies of the casualties in the attack. However, it is estimated to be a few dozen.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Duchy of Oldrach


    Rastwurst City


    Amelie collapsed on the side of the wall. Clenching her fist, she tried her best to hold off the tears. It went by too fast. The attack. The clean-up. The scenes of frantic soldiers and police who retrieved her and kept her safe. The drive to the Rastwurst City Hall. Then this. The press conference. At that time, Amelie found herself struggling to keep herself together.


    I knew some of them.


    Amelie punched the wall behind her.


    I knew some of those men and women. They served closely under me.


    And now, many were nothing but corpses. Many were injured too, still fighting for their lives in the city¡¯s hospitals. While the remnants were nothing but shaken members of Salvo Company and the HMSD. The only ones who got off the fighting without lasting wounds were HMSD¡¯s Alpha Squad.


    Damn it! How did I not see this?! How did I not even know this would happen? If only, if only¡­


    ¡°There you are,¡± William¡¯s cold voice interrupted her. Amelie frowned at him, as he picked up a box of cigarettes from his pocket, and lit it up. ¡°You should know not to disappear like that, Amelie. Doesn¡¯t help to calm things down, you know?¡±


    ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t smoke,¡± Amelie snapped back, looking away. ¡°It¡¯s not good for you.¡±


    ¡°I rarely do it anyway. I need to clear my mind a bit. Lost quite the old buddies, you know?¡± He breathed in deeply as he pressed his back on the cold wall as well. He stood beside Amelie. ¡°They were good men. Hardworking, diligent, and vigilant men. They thought protecting you was their only life purpose.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Amelie scoffed. ¡°Why would anyone think that way?¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re the few men who get to see who you are up close. It makes sense that they developed a slight reverence for you. Especially with your attempts to speed up the reforms recently.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too little, too late.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s meaningful. You don¡¯t understand just how much little change starts mattering when you¡¯ve never seen change once in your life. Gives a little ray of hope to their hearts,¡± he smiled bitterly. ¡°They died believing in you, Amelie. You saw them fight, right? They fought¡­without question. They threw themselves to die for you.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what hurts the most, William,¡± Amelie held her left hand as she looked down. ¡°All those people¡­your men, Lady Lubaine¡¯s girls, they all¡­they all sacrificed so much just to protect my stupid, weak¡­and¡­useless self. And I was unable to do anything, William. Unable.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to do anything.¡±


    ¡°I am! I¡¯m their Queen. Yet¡­I can¡¯t even use my magic well, the only thing that I¡­¡±


    She stopped, then laughed to herself.


    ¡°No, who am I kidding? I¡¯m already so rusty at magic. And I never was good at it anyway. If I can¡¯t even protect myself, how would I even do it to anyone else? Just¡­damn it¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crying.¡±


    ¡°I am crying. That¡¯s why I hid here!¡±


    William remained silent, puffing a smoke as he stared at the dark hallways with an empty gaze. Then, he sighed as he shook his head. Amelie on the other hand took her handkerchief and wiped her tears. She felt nothing but weakness as William, who was closer to those who died, silently smoked on the side.


    She continued rambling.


    ¡°...I¡¯m going to avenge them. I¡¯m going to¡­we¡¯re going to find out who they are. Hunt them. Then¡­then kill them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± William said. ¡°I already contacted Marie about this. Two of her teams arrived at the city just hours ago. They¡¯re already in on the investigation. Unfortunately, the bodies¡­they all are gone. Self-detonated. Not much we can do about that.¡±


    ¡°Why? Just why?¡±


    ¡°To avoid capture?¡±


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s barbaric. It¡¯s like, they sent these guys to the maw of death with an explosive collar attached to their necks. That¡¯s not something a normal organization does.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a terrorist organization. Who they are, we don¡¯t know. And unlike the usual terror organization you find here and there, they seem to be so good they can hide from nation-states.¡±


    She noticed a slight shudder from William. Amelie narrowed her eyes.


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    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of them?¡±


    ¡°A bit. But not really. If I had died I¡¯d have died serving under you. There¡¯s nothing for me to fear. Just keep doing the job and all. That¡¯s my purpose.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid thing to say. You shouldn¡¯t attach your reason to live on one purpose.¡±


    ¡°Where else would I attach it to? You¡¯re asking silly things. What you should be asking about is how we¡¯re dealing with this.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you grieving?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°These were your men. They died. Don¡¯t you think you should take even just a little break to let yourself feel awful? I know you¡¯re just hiding it. It¡¯s just the two of us, and I¡¯m already crying anyway.¡±


    William just laughed further as he shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re a funny woman, Amelie. Well, if it makes you feel better, I¡¯ve already gotten over it. I have an agreement with my old buddies after all. If death comes, then death comes. Fact of life for battle brothers. No need to feel bad about it for too long, else, you might just follow them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds even more depressing than seeing you cry over it.¡±


    ¡°Eh, get over it, Amelie, I¡¯m fine,¡± William shrugged. ¡°You gonna visit the injured security guys?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am,¡± Amelie wiped her tears completely. She breathed in deeply, trying her best to wipe out any signs of her crying. ¡°I need to be there, at least. And see what¡¯s happening to them. I don¡¯t know how much my presence will help, but I have to be there.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­you know, only Alpha Squad is functionally operational right now. You¡¯ll be going there with just a few of our remaining men and women protecting the hospital.¡±


    ¡°The city garrison is on full alert. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll attempt anything.¡±


    ¡°Only autocannons and heavy machine guns managed to scratch their armor, Amelie. As you¡¯ve said, enchanted weaponry. All those soldiers that are wrangling around the city, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to be much use if a second attack happens. Unless we bring in IFVs inside the hospital that is.¡±


    ¡°Then Alpha Squad will take care of things. I don¡¯t know. I need to at least go there. I mean, if there¡¯s even a second attack, they¡¯d have attempted it by now. They¡¯re not.¡±


    William leaned to his radio for a second. Amelie tried to listen to the transmissions coming from it, but only he heard it well. By the time William turned to her, it was clear that he disapproved of her idea.


    ¡°You risk yourself too much.¡±


    ¡°Clearly not as much as those under me,¡± Amelie tried to place a neutral mask. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m good to go.¡±


    +++


    The Rastwurst General Hospital was overwhelmed by dozens of injured soldiers, police personnel, and civilians. By the time Amelie arrived, it was all chaos in the emergency room. Many were in critical condition. Others were being pronounced dead as she and her security team passed by.


    Families, friends, and others looked at their Queen in despair, as Amelie tried her best to tell them that she¡¯ll find justice for them. Amelie almost cracked when a young girl standing beside her crying mother looked up at Amelie. Her eyes, eyes as young as Alice asked a simple question.


    Why did her brother die?


    Amelie retreated further and further into the hospital. One by one, she checked in on the injured and critical members of her security unit. One OPM operative was being desperately treated with magic from a headshot he somehow survived. Another HMSD member was being given emergency surgeries due to her body sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.


    On and on she went, unable to reassure anyone that everything would be fine. By the time the entire affair was done, the remnants of her security unit were gathered in the hallways of the hospital. All of them, standing, eyes downcast, as Amelie watched them.


    Salvo Company.


    HMSD.


    Amelie breathed in, looking at William, Theresa, and Nia briefly. She looked back at her gathered personnel.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± she began. ¡°I wanna ask a question. Is that¡­permissible?¡±


    Brief nods. Some more languid. Some more firm. Amelie took their permission and continued.


    ¡°I¡­I question myself about this a lot. Is it even worth it for anyone to die for me? Today, so many of you¡­your brothers and sisters, died for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s worth it!¡± One of the HMSD members broke from the ranks and shouted. ¡°My sister died, but at least she died for a cause! I¡¯ll die for the same cause! It¡¯s why we signed up for this. I¡¯m sorry, but please understand that, Your Majesty. The people who sacrificed themselves today aren''t asking if it¡¯s worth it or not. It¡¯s if we¡¯ll carry on with the cause we promised ourselves to complete. And my answer to that is a firm yes, for my¡­¡±


    She began tearing up.


    ¡°For my sister¡­Your Majesty.¡±


    Amelie was taken aback. Theresa eyed the young woman for a few seconds, while the other members of the Palace Security Unit looked away.


    ¡°...What¡¯s¡­what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m Ota Amari, Amari Ota, Your Majesty,¡± the woman sniffed. ¡°My sister is Fujii Amari. She was from Delta Squad.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re Asanaian?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Our family immigrated here two decades ago. This is my country, and my sister¡¯s country.¡±


    The firm response from the woman fixed Amelie in place.


    ¡°I see then. Well¡­if that¡¯s the case, then I will be just as sure with my response to this. Everyone, this isn¡¯t the end yet. This is just¡­another obstacle for us to overcome. We¡¯ve been tracking and trying our best to learn of this new foe. And unlike the soldiers of the Federalists or of the CFN, they¡¯re the ones you will be directly facing.¡±


    She nodded to herself.


    ¡°Yes, those attackers¡­they¡¯re the ones that will put your lives, and my life, and the lives of my close peers here, in danger. They¡¯re powerful. And they strike from the shadows. And we know nothing, nothing about them. But we will learn. We will go on. New members will come in, and we will teach them. I do not tolerate high casualty rates. Not in the Armed Forces. Not here.¡±


    She turned to William and Theresa.


    ¡°Director William Porter, Lady Lubaine, you two are tasked now to rebuild and revitalize the Palace Security Unit. I want us to learn the necessary lessons from this disaster, and get the necessary skills and equipment to prevent it should another attack come.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± the two replied at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on it,¡± William finished.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get my girls back in tip-top shape,¡± Theresa declared.


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Good. For now, we will grieve. But we won¡¯t let this stop why we are here. The reason why those who have fallen joined to fight for the cause that we stand for. It¡¯s not over yet. The Great Cause lives on. And we¡¯ll finish it for those who died. Because their sacrifices¡­will not be in vain.¡±


    ¡°Long live the Queen!¡± one of William¡¯s operatives at the back shouted. Amelie flinched a bit before all of the gathered men and women on the floor followed suit.


    ¡°Long live the Queen!¡± All of them shouted.


    Amelie recomposed herself.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to say, ¡®Long Live Orland¡¯ more, but thank you, everyone.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Twelve: Listening to You

    ¡°Empress Xue Li of South Hebei has warned that the deployment of WMDs on the frontlines has now been ¡®nominally completed¡¯. The North Hebeian Republic has however not budged on its continuous ballistic missile campaign against South Hebeian population centers. They have however affirmed that the Northern Republic would ¡®never use chemical, biological, or radiological weaponry against our fellow Hebeians¡¯. These reassurances however have been put into question, as non-persistent gas begin their small-scale appearances in the frontlines.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Northeastern Orland


    Grand Duchy of Ludendorf


    Halia


    July 20, 2025


    ¡°The clean-up is pretty rapid, huh?¡± Amelie said. William and Amelie were standing on top of a local supermarket that managed to survive the battle intact. While many buildings, apartment blocks, housing units, establishments, and even skyscrapers were reduced to their foundations, the streets themselves were cleared of rubble.


    ¡°Yep,¡± William said, lowering down his binoculars. ¡°We should be clear to move in toward the Ivory Palace in a few hours. That should be great.¡±


    ¡°I missed this city,¡± Amelie muttered with a bitter smile. ¡°This is where I grew up. This place is the place I called home. Now it¡¯s just¡­rubble. Will it ever even recover?¡±


    ¡°The damage to Halia has been mostly demographic decline due to everyone fleeing as refugees. Practically everyone who lives here is working for the military. The industries, factories, metro, well¡­the infrastructure in general are all shot up and destroyed. But it¡¯s not like the Royal Capital ever boasted a robust heavy industry anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they only had to destroy the few manufacturing plants on the outskirts districts to wipe it out¡­and¡­and the Halian Shipyards. Goddess, I still remember the days when I thought that dealing with your brother would lend good results¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like the shipyards are completely unsalvageable. Post-war, the project can be reopened, assuming the shipyards in Rolentz down south or West Orland don¡¯t become dominant that the Halian Shipyard project becomes irrelevant of course. But otherwise, as you can see here, most of the skyscrapers are still standing. The office parks are still standing. Much of the residential buildings in the city are still standing. I think the crown jewel of Orland can still very much recover.¡±


    ¡°Assuming the millions who fled come back,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°You know, it¡¯s such a shame that the four most important regions of the country pre-war became the frontlines of this war. Ludendorf, L?t, Wuringen, and Westlauren. It¡¯s like we were dealt the worst starting conditions possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m of the belief that post-war Orland definitely won¡¯t be dominated by the northeast anymore. Much of our productivity now is in the south and west. So is most of our population. Considering how good the Duchy of Rimwurz is being run for example, you can bet yourself that it and Eutstadt will be the economic center this century. Well, at least Rebenslof and other coastal cities of Westlauren are untouched, so they might be fine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­what¡¯s the news up north anyway?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°How are they holding up?¡±


    ¡°Been a lot of leadership reshuffles in the military administration of the Free Confederation. But they¡¯re keeping to themselves well. Outside the fact that their supply lines from here are still nominally threatened by our enemy¡¯s offensive.¡±


    ¡°I need to inspect the frontlines, William,¡± Amelie insisted. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go north, to the Free Confederation. I need to get in touch with all those military officers holding the great fortress.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already risking enough after the incident¡ª¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve reaffirmed myself as Queen that I won¡¯t let a close call to death deter me from doing my job,¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°We already received some reinforcements, so it¡¯s not like we¡¯re in a big threat. And I doubt those people will attempt another one. Considering the scale of their attack, it must have been prepared in advance with a lot of time and resources.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your assessment?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my guts say. What¡¯s more important is we get into all of the frontline areas and finish formulating a plan on how we¡¯ll hold out for the next four months. And both my Principality and the Free Confederation is a critical area to keep an eye on.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± William shook his head. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll visit the front on the east. But we¡¯re not going beyond the Ludendorf river¡ª¡±


    ¡°We are going beyond the Ludendorf river. Because that¡¯s where the actual fighting is. And that¡¯s final.¡±


    William just sighed.


    ¡°Fine¡­Your Majesty.¡±


    +++


    Preslic


    ¡°Director, I don¡¯t particularly find this idea a good one,¡± Olivia stated plainly behind them. They had crossed the Ludendorf river. On the eastern banks was the recaptured territory of Royalist forces. With the rest of the security team remaining behind, it was just William, Amelie, Olivia, and Captain Helene Faust who toured the town¡¯s base.


    ¡°It¡¯s Her Majesty¡¯s brilliant idea,¡± William tiredly said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to wrangle her out of this shtick.¡±


    ¡°Shush, you two,¡± Amelie said. Due to the nature of their unplanned visit, the soldiers stationed at the wartorn town didn¡¯t notice that the Queen was there. Until one of them pointed at Amelie. Coincidentally, Amelie climbed the stairs to the entrance of one of the intact houses. She cleared her throat. ¡°Everyone, as your Queen, I would like to ask for your attention!¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, that¡¯s just her,¡± William said to Olivia. ¡°She¡¯s gonna do another speech to ask them about things.¡±


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    ¡°She¡¯s been doing that since we set out on this expedition,¡± Olivia said. Helene however remained silent, leaning back on the walls beside Amelie.


    The soldiers in front of them gathered with curiosity at Amelie¡¯s call. Most were normal infantrymen. With dirty clothes, and dirty equipment, their tired and empty eyes staring at Amelie neutrally. Then, there was a bunch of officers who ran around like headless chickens. Upon realizing the Queen was here, they barked orders for their men to appear disciplined.


    Then, behind them, more onlookers came. Clerks. Mechanics. Truck drivers. Everyone that heard Amelie¡¯s voice came in her direction. Great, I have them now. Amelie smiled with satisfaction. Time to know what really is happening.


    ¡°I assume that everyone in this area is a part of the 545th Infantry Brigade, no?¡± Amelie curiously asked. One of the officers, who seemed to be a Captain, rushed through the crowded area. He reached the front just in time when Amelie finished her question. He raised his hand and shouted.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this town is not a secure area,¡± the officer warned. ¡°We weren¡¯t even notified that you¡¯ll arrive here. Please, vacate at once!¡±


    Amelie chuckled and shook her head. She smiled gently at the officer.


    ¡°Captain is your rank I presume?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Well, Captain, that¡¯s the reason I came here unannounced. And it¡¯s why I¡¯m coming to major places and areas unannounced. Even¡­even if there are security failures that may occur.¡±


    She noticed something. Some of the soldiers had pulled out their phones and began filming her. For a second, she faltered, but Amelie steeled herself. I¡¯m the Queen damn it. Her entire job was to project an image. And so, why not project the latest failures to the people as what they really were?


    That it was just her trying her best to connect with reality.


    ¡°Because as your Queen, my job is to know what is on the ground. I know that we have politicians who can do it better, but I¡¯ve already taken the mantle with my emergency powers to steer this nation. I need to know what you are dealing with. So I am here. To learn. To see. To ask. Even if it costs my life.¡±


    ¡°But if you die, then who¡¯s going to lead us?!¡± Asked one of the soldiers from the back. ¡°Your little sister?¡±


    Laughter took over the gathered men. Many even briefly started joking about ¡°Long Live Queen Alice¡±, chanting it to Amelie. But Amelie didn¡¯t take it as an insult. Instead, she nodded.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure my little sister will take the mantle quite well,¡± she joked. ¡°But no, truth is, there are a lot of equally bright and kind people in the Heiss Administration. Not discounting Prime Minister Heiss who is also knee-deep right now in our industries with Minister Wittfield to ensure that we churn out what you soldiers need to fight and survive. Men of Orland, if I die, then I¡¯ll die as just another woman trying her best to serve this nation. Someone else will take the mantle. I¡¯m not special.¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°The Orlish State has failed you, us¡­everyone in this nation. But now is the time for change. From our cities to our industrial heartlands, to these burned-down and war-torn wastelands, the Orlish people are waking up and joining the banner of change in droves. I realize that this Civil War is a great tragedy, yes, but it¡¯s a wake-up call for this Kingdom to change course. And my contribution to changing that course is by connecting with you, and asking what we must do.¡±


    ¡°Asking soldiers about the policy of the state will not work well,¡± an officer, arms crossed, said. He adjusted his glasses. ¡°A state ruled and guided by soldiers is just as awful as a state ruled and guided by out-of-touch mages. They¡¯ll both extract from the weak using their monopoly of violence.¡±


    ¡°And I never said you soldiers will be the ones doing the ruling. That does not mean I cannot ask those fighting and saving this Kingdom what must be done. Especially when it¡¯s you who saw the worst excesses of the previous regime. Especially when the war is our greatest concern.¡±


    There were brief nods amongst the infantrymen. William smirked a bit. He leaned a bit to whisper to Amelie.


    ¡°Seems like this is good PR material,¡± he murmured. ¡°Keep going. Let these men question you and film you. And just answer what you think is right.¡±


    Got it.


    ¡°As such, my purpose in this visit is the same with the countless units of the military I¡¯ve visited.¡± She finally began asking the questions. ¡°Men, what are your needs and issues? What are your fears and concerns? Most importantly, what do you think must be done? Because I¡¯ll be frank, I¡¯m nothing but an out-of-touch, palace brat. As your Queen, it is my responsibility to grow out of that. And thus, I want to hear from you. Now.¡±


    Someone spoke from the crowd.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s asking for it! Let¡¯s tell her then!¡±


    ¡°This is a security concern!¡± an officer insisted.


    Then, Amelie stopped him.


    ¡°And it¡¯d be a greater concern if I don¡¯t hear my subjects.¡±


    The officers shook their heads at Amelie¡¯s flat refusal to leave or shut up. On the other hand, Amelie watched as the common soldiers grew interested. One by one, they started raising their hands. The same issues came to Amelie¡¯s ears.


    Logistical problems. Lack of food, rations, and equipment. Lack of reinforcements. Lack of spare parts. Lack of morale. Some even ranted on and on about the stupidity of the Orlish High Command. Others complained about their local commanders. It was a litany of issues that Amelie heard again and again.


    Halfway through it, she stepped down the stairs. She was crowded by the curious common soldiers. Her three guards kept a tight cordon around her. But she finally began rubbing shoulders with her lowest subjects. She went to depots. To kitchens. To their barracks. She checked their tanks and vehicles.


    All while non-commissioned officers, privates, and every man of the Army talked to her as if she was their naive younger sister. But Amelie had no problem being schooled, especially when she watched with amazement how these men fought.


    The simple things from how they cleaned their rifles. How they fixed a broken HMLV engine. How they cooked things and what they ate. It was fascinating to Amelie. By the time she left, her white gloves were dirty. Her white dress uniform was stained with mud and dirt. She looked back at William as they walked toward their waiting vehicle.


    There was a tired smile on his face.


    ¡°What?¡± Amelie asked. William just shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re learning much about this trip. I¡¯m not sure if risking yourself and the security team for this is smart, but¡­I think that¡¯ll help, somewhat. Those men, they were taking videos of you.¡±


    ¡°Um, so what?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s now footage of the Orlish Queen talking sincerely with a random private as to how shitty it is to deal with mud getting on his shoes. Or how you enthusiastically checked the underside of a tank just because a random mechanic is trying to explain landmines.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Amelie blushed a bit. ¡°Is it that big?¡±


    ¡°Nope, but keep at this, and you¡¯ll be getting closer to appearing as that ¡®People¡¯s Queen¡¯. Eventually, your brand of reformism should appeal to the people and soldiers. Remember, national morale is important in whether or not we¡¯ll hold on and win. And perceptions of one¡¯s leaders is a part of that.¡±


    ¡°I know that¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re doing it well, all while I suppose serving a practical purpose. You¡¯re right, I¡¯m just keeping you away from growing as a leader,¡± William smiled apologetically. ¡°My mistake. I¡¯ll just shut up and do my best to protect you now. Keep doing it. It helps with your image, and your skills as to how you¡¯ll rule.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s what I said earlier, right?¡± Amelie smiled a bit. ¡°It¡¯s depressing to see all of this, but it¡¯s also so¡­human, William. I want to see more of it. The reality of things. So¡­so I can change it.¡±


    Tomorrow, the next stop would be the Free Confederation. Amelie wouldn¡¯t back down from it.

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirteen: A Free Confederation

    ¡°Forty-eight soldiers of the Royal Guard were executed by the Federal Army today by firing squad. The Federal Army has accused these young women of utilizing ¡®bizarre and unethical spells¡¯ on the battlefield. Federalist officials claim that female servicemembers of the Orlish Armed Forces and the Royal Guard of Orland are utilizing spells that are not so distant from the brutality of chemical and biological weapons. Some have even gone as far as to accuse women¡¯s magic as ¡®biological weaponry in all but name¡¯. These justifications however fell flat for the Royalist Government. Prime Minister Heiss has warned that those who have ordered these executions will be tried for war crimes regarding the treatment of POWs, and will not be given amnesty at the end of the war.¡±


    - ROCN News


    ¡°Royalist forces steadfastly hold to territories gained in Northeastern Orland as at last, a Federalist counter-offensive swings against the trench lines of the area. Casualties are rapidly growing back up to the tens of thousands each day, as men and women are funneled into heavily stagnant static defense lines that have characterized the campaign in this section of the frontline. Both the Grand Duchy and the Free Confederation are now ringing the alarm bells for the rest of Orland. The hot war in Orlish soil is now truly warming up.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    Northeastern Orland


    Free Confederation of Westlauren


    Rebenslof City


    Two years ago, Rebenslof City was the economic and financial center of Orland. It boasted almost all of the burgeoning financial and tech firms that had begun to dominate Orland in the twenty-first century. The city¡¯s spires and skyscrapers, coupled with the millions of its high-paid upper class white collar workforce projected the image of Orlish prosperity worldwide. Even its industrial districts directly on its southern outskirts, dominated by unions, were once a signal of possible rapprochement between working-class men and Orland¡¯s liberal women.


    Now, when Amelie looked at the city, it had only gotten worse ever since the days of the General Strike. Soldiers manned nearly every street and lane. Tanks, APCs, and armored vehicles watched over the city traffic. Orlish tricolor flags were flown everywhere in an almost militaristic fashion.


    Except, it wasn¡¯t the normal Royalist Orlish flag. All of them were the OAF variant, with gold-white-grey tricolor turned horizontal, and with the royal coat of arms replaced by the King¡¯s Cross. This city, much like the rest of the Free Confederation, wasn¡¯t subject to the whims of Amelie¡¯s Eutstadt regime.


    It was first and foremost a stronghold by a group of officers in the OAF who took over the besieged principality. A military junta under her in all but name.


    ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re in a different world,¡± Nia said, as she gawked at the flags outside of their vehicle. ¡°I mean, it reminds me of Eirhow before the war. Isn¡¯t this how the cities of Wuringen became? Just, endless flags and militarism everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Well, that should give the two of you an idea about your new opposition once you win this war,¡± William said as he pulled the wheel to a turn. ¡°This place is dominated by the militarist wing of the OAF and the ORP. Officially, they claim to be liberals and reformists. Realistically, they won¡¯t mind doing another coup to bring about whatever enlightened republic they want. They just don¡¯t like the radical dogs staining men¡¯s honor, or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve never heard of that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°They sound kinda scary.¡±


    ¡°Walter is a part of the more diplomatic wing of the ORP. It¡¯s a lot of ideological disagreements, but essentially, you can segment the men¡¯s rights movement between three groups. ¡®Reject women and do it ourselves¡¯, that¡¯s the Federalists. ¡®Work with the system but pursue an aggressive civil rights movement¡¯, that¡¯s the guys here. And of course, there¡¯s the ¡®work diplomatically with women for reforms¡¯ team, that¡¯s Walter¡¯s wing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­I see then,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°Well, I suppose that makes sense. If the extremists on the other side have divisions, I suppose even the moderates have one.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, that¡¯s why when the military took over the administration of this place during the early days of Martial Law, it was mostly officers affiliated with the ORP wing that¡¯s a bit more hostile to you. They hate the extremists, but they don¡¯t have much love for you either.¡±


    Amelie shook her head as she leaned back in her seat.


    ¡°Ah, great news...another militarist group that might remove me even after the war¡¯s over. I wonder how I¡¯ll appease these ones and keep them in line.¡±


    ¡°The Westlauren Defense Forces are to be treated as a faction serving itself. Think of this place as your version of the Free State. Their job is to keep this place ¡®under Royalist control¡¯, your job is to give them power in the post-war world by letting them run this place themselves.¡±


    ¡°But that''s undemocratic,¡± Nia said as she shook her head. ¡°Most women in this Principality wouldn¡¯t be lorded over by some militaristic nobody. They should have accepted Amelie¡¯s appointed governor. I mean, for goddess¡¯ sake, they kicked out the last elected governor without Amelie¡¯s approval.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention to it anymore when General Albrecht said it was under control¡­¡± Amelie admitted.


    ¡°It¡¯s under control because he gave them a sweet deal. And I¡¯d bet ole Albrecht is treating these guys as some sort of insurance policy post-war should you turn on us, men. The Westlauren Defense Forces will be men¡¯s new Free State. Our little autonomous government that we can use to blackmail you women into reforms. Devious, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be blackmailed for reforms,¡± Amelie said as she turned to William. ¡°I know the Armed Forces have a gun on my head already. And I want to change anyway to fix this nation. I feel like this is just an unnecessary abuse from the OAF. I announced martial law so they¡¯ll keep order for me. Not to¡­I don¡¯t know, turn one of my Principalities into an autonomous junta.¡±


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    ¡°Well, I agree,¡± William laughed. ¡°But you see, I also don¡¯t blame these ORP guys. You women hadn¡¯t been above backstabbing us at the last moment for centuries. I¡¯m not saying that as an attack against the two of you. I especially know that you, Amelie, would most likely never do that. But from the perspective of people who don¡¯t spend their days working directly under you? They still have good reasons to distrust you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try to wrangle them into my side then. They have to trust me.¡±


    +++


    ¡°General Pascal Hilbert, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Amelie said with a smile as she shook the man¡¯s hand. He seemed to be in his late thirties. Behind him were the various officers of Army Group Westlauren, more commonly known as the Westlauren Defense Forces. All of them looked at Amelie¡¯s OHC delegation neutrally. But General Hilbert smiled. ¡°How¡¯s the last month, General?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a pain in the arse, Your Majesty,¡± the man said with a smile. ¡°It was quite the mess that the last officer in charge of Army Group Westlauren left me. I had to do a lot of reorganization. Oh, please take a seat.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, I almost forgot,¡± Amelie chuckled. She took her seat, which signaled to everyone to also take their respective seats. ¡°So, General Hilbert. I heard that the situation here is getting rougher and rougher¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have informed the OHC pretty clearly on that. The Federalists have been trying hard to break both our northern border and the southwestern defense lines.¡±


    ¡°And what of the Free Confederation itself?¡±


    The general paused, looking around his staff. The room itself froze in temperature for a bit. The man then turned back to Amelie with an iron gaze. He shook his head.


    ¡°While we respect and appreciate the provisions of the New Union Act, I¡¯m afraid that the new Governor you wanted to appoint here is not a good replacement for the military-led emergency administration we have here. She doesn¡¯t even know what this place is and its needs, being an Eutstadt-picked official.¡±


    ¡°Governor Anke Mandi is a politician born and raised in this Principality, and she was Attorney-General of the principality. That was before she was kicked out by Army Group Westlauren during the opening days of the civil war¡ª¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t kicked out, she was rendered useless considering the imposition of martial law, and we wanted our own guy to enforce the law here, Your Majesty.¡±


    Amelie frowned and shook her head.


    ¡°General, I appreciate the efforts done by all of you here. But you should understand well that¡­it does not inspire confidence in the hearts of the people that our most economically prosperous principality before the war is now under a government similar to what was in the Free State.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not emulating the Free State. We¡¯re just doing our best to survive here. We don¡¯t need some civilians to lead the defense of this principality. What we need are experienced military men ready to make the hard decisions for our survival. The Free Confederation is fine, Your Majesty. We¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Not in the sense of administration. In that case, we¡¯re doing well. We¡¯ve hit the goals of mobilization. We have twenty, twenty major factories open and online. Combined, it employs nearly eight hundred thousand workers on the Northeastern coastline. All defended by our robust air defenses. The Free Confederation is working. We just need a little bit of support from Eutstadt, but we can face the Federalists ourselves and win. And I swear by those words.¡±


    ¡°The New Union Act, General, is important to Orland¡¯s continuous reforms. Please, understand, that while we are at war, it does not mean that changes for a better Orland will not come. And in this case, while you and your officers should have the power to control the direction of this principality in wartime¡ªwe must ensure some level of civilian control. From Eutstadt, and Rebenslof¡¯s Government.¡±


    ¡°I believe we should instead focus on the offensive that the Federalists pulled out on us, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll be getting there later, General,¡± Amelie crossed her arms. ¡°I just want a word that you should at least let me send the people I appointed here to get to their posts. Even if it¡¯s just symbolic. I can give you a few concessions if you need it.¡±


    ¡°...Concessions?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Amelie smiled. Now she was getting into something. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want this getting out of this room. But I know which faction of the ORP you all are from.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes narrowed. He briefly looked at William. The Director of the OIA however just shrugged.


    ¡°Faction? There¡¯s no such thing as that nonsense in the ORP, Your Majesty. We are united as one for one goal. Equality and liberty. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    ¡°But I do know that some of them are a bit paranoid and want to strong-arm the government, me, into acting for reforms. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re all trying desperately to hold onto your de facto authority here? Let¡¯s not beat around the bush, General. I want you to trust me. I just want to know how I¡¯ll do that. Because I want to trust you too. And I want you and all these men with you here, today, to say to me that you won¡¯t be doing anything I disapprove of.¡±


    ¡°We want positions in the post-war government here,¡± the man said, adamantly. ¡°Call it a craven power grab, but my people here are fighting for change. How are we so sure change can come when you can just demobilize us once it¡¯s all over? Then stab us in the back afterward?¡±


    The officers beside him all nodded grimly.


    Amelie shook her head.


    ¡°I have no plans to do that. My life goal is now to change Orland into the good home it aspires to be. A home for everyone, you, me, your brothers, my sisters, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, they¡¯re just words¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have those positions,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°In exchange, you¡¯ll let my appointed officials come here to do some of their work. At least, symbolically, my reforms will look like it¡¯s being enforced. That¡¯s ultimately what I want. In exchange, give me a list of names and non-elected positions in the principality¡¯s bureaucracy that you want to be filled, and I¡¯ll make sure that whichever governor comes here will know who exactly to appoint here.¡±


    ¡°...Even if the next elected governor isn¡¯t someone who wants us here?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course. That¡¯s the deal. Oh, and no funny business, of course. Just clean defense here. Can I please at least have that?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± the General nodded. ¡°How long will this deal be in effect?¡±


    ¡°Until I finish my civil rights reforms, and formalize a constitution in Orland. In which case, I think it¡¯ll be understandable to you that I revoke any unclean deals like this, don¡¯t you think? For the better honor of Orland. You¡¯re not against that, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Amelie waited for the man to respond. She hoped she could appeal to his principles. Unsure, the General took a few minutes to think about it, before he nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll look into this deal, Your Majesty.¡±


    Amelie clapped cheerfully as she smiled.


    ¡°Good! Now¡­onto the defense of Westlauren¡­¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Fourteen: The East Calls

    ¡°Coalition forces repulsed back into Poznek! Queen Louise Alois has confirmed this morning that the combined Gallian, Lorathian, and Orlish Armies have pushed the CFN back into their starting lines in Poznek. General Elias Holl of Army Group Gallia has confirmed that allied forces have inflicted significant casualties on retreating coalition forces as well. On the other hand, in Southern Gallia, Lombardian, and Larissan forces have now withdrawn from their gains. With CFN forces digging in on the Western Front, MN forces are starting their preparations for a possible punch into the Pozneki Republic.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    August 3, 2025


    Amelie, Nia, and William entered the door toward the situation room. Inside, military personnel of the OHC and the Royal Guard filled the room. Members from the various intelligence agencies, the OPM, AFI, RIU, and the NID were also inside. On the seats were some of the most critical cabinet members of the Orlish Government as well.


    Minister of Defense, Pristina Dubois.


    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adelaide Wallenstein.


    And of course, Minister of the Economy, Anne Wittfield.


    That, alongside Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss and Deputy Prime Minister Walter Plock, and the Orlish civilian government was fully inside. Amelie immediately went to her seat just beside Jacqueline, while Nia sat beside her, and William sat beside Nia. In front of them, General Albrecht and Admiral Halberd prepared for the presentation as the rest of the room filed in for their seats.


    Amelie immediately clapped with a smile.


    ¡°Alright then, everyone, I¡¯d like to say once again that¡­congratulations, we have done great work for the past few months.¡±


    She paused, watching as everyone fell silent.


    ¡°We¡¯ve launched one of the greatest offensives to save Gallia, and we did save Gallia. We¡¯ve stubbornly held in Kusari and Hebei. We¡¯ve also finally placed some of our forces in Latia and Constania. That¡¯s a lot of nations we have helped, right, Minister Wallenstein?¡±


    Adelaide nodded.


    ¡°Those countries are very thankful for Orland¡¯s help, Your Majesty,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°Orland¡¯s standing in the Mandate of Nations remains secure. They trust us¡­nominally. And that¡¯s what matters. The alliance stands.¡±


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Indeed. And most importantly, we stopped any undue escalation after that¡­incident in Northern Gallia. We¡¯ve now also begun a process of creating another deterrence policy with our chemical weapons being publicly sent to our allies. And we¡¯ve begun mass civilian drills and preparations to protect our people.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve certainly done a lot¡­¡± Jacqueline nodded. ¡°But there¡¯s still too much to do.¡±


    ¡°Not of course discounting the reforms we finally got out,¡± Amelie said, as some men in the room smiled a bit. ¡°And the increasing industrial production from our factories¡­¡±


    Anne smiled on the side, a bit proud of herself.


    ¡°Now why am I saying this?¡± Amelie asked, as her smile turned into a determined expression. ¡°Because I want you to know that you are doing good work, ladies and gentlemen. The setbacks we have suffered for the past few months have been great setbacks. But look at us. We¡¯re all here in this room, still standing, and still working.¡±


    General Albrecht grinned as he crossed his arms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do more good work then,¡± he said, as Amelie smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, do more good work, General. So, please! Tell us now what our next moves are. We made great strides, General. I want us to continue to strike. To strike fast, hard, and well.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what Her Majesty wants,¡± General Albrecht tapped his baton on the screen behind him. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin with our plan for the next few months. Operation Citadel, and Operation Eastern Jade.¡±


    Amelie crossed her arms as she sat. The presentation finally began in front of them. General Albrecht looked back at the audience, as he prepared a question.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Miss Prime Minister, I¡¯d like to ask. Which one would you like first?¡±


    ¡°Tell us about Operation Eastern Jade, General,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m of the same opinion,¡± Jacqueline replied as she focused on the presentation.


    General Albrecht nodded, turned back, and looked at Admiral Halberd. The leader of the navy gave a quick gesture to one of the aides. Immediately the screens in front of them showed a map of East Vaeyox. Battle lines soon appeared. It showed the territories controlled by the Mandate of Nations in blue and the territories controlled by the Coalition of Free Nations in red.


    ¡°Admiral Halberd, I believe this is your job.¡±


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    ¡°Heh, if only Zimmerman was here,¡± the Admiral complained as he replaced General Albrecht. Many officers from the OHC smiled or laughed slightly at that.


    ¡°Well, ole Zimmerman is too busy bombing everyone,¡± the General patted the Admiral¡¯s shoulder as he went to his seat.


    ¡°Now! Everyone, onto here,¡± Admiral Halberd said. ¡°Operation Eastern Jade will be a mission conducted by the Orlish Navy, Orlish Marine Corps, the Royal Guard of Orland, and of course, the Orlish Air Force. Our goal: to secure Hebei and Kusari.¡±


    The maps disappeared as the slides moved. First, it showed the reports from the recent months, as videos of combat were shown on the side.


    ¡°Ever since the ninth of June last month, when we started our counteroffensive in North Gallia, the east has been nominally neglected by Orlish forces for a while. The East Vaeyox Allied Command however have staunchly held on in Kusari and Hebei, with our forces and forces from the Asanian Empire aiding our beleaguered allies on the east.¡±


    Then, he showed the rapid advances of the CFN with the next slide¡¯s map. It was almost a timelapse of the last months.


    ¡°The enemy however are fast and powerful. Both Hebei and Kusari, with their woefully underequipped and undertrained armed forces, were pushed back deep into their interior. South Hebei fared well, yes. Empress Xue Li and her forces have been doing their best to stalemate the North Hebeian forces. But¡­but in the south¡­¡±


    The red colors of the CFN plunged deep into Kusari, taking over the northwestern parts of the country. Then, it stopped near their Empire¡¯s capital. Rajabad City.


    ¡°Kusari is getting closer and closer to a crisis reminiscent of what Gallia faced. South Hebei in comparison is doing well. Their capital, Yanhai City, is nearly a thousand kilometers from the recently lost territories in the Ginzhu Province. The frontlines however are now only two hundred kilometers away from Rajabad.¡±


    The map emphasized that greatly on the next slide. It was a full-on battle map of the region. Amelie looked at the units on the frontline. She could see multiple KDUs and Marine Corps units positioned side-by-side with their Kusari counterparts. She even saw what appeared to be two Asanaian armored brigades.


    Against them were multiple divisions of the Larissan, Pozneki, and North Hebeian forces. It doesn¡¯t look good. Amelie frowned. Our forces seem to be lacking in numbers and quality. Meanwhile, they have entire armored and mechanized divisions poised to plunge through those flat lands. This will be a disaster soon.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, we¡¯re not looking very fine here. We are, in no short words, at risk of losing Kusari¡¯s most important city and region. That is unacceptable. And, as you may know well, their Empress and government have been railing in the MN for support and assistance. That will be the focus of Operation Eastern Jade.¡±


    Someone suddenly barged inside the room. Amelie turned to look at who it was. Breathing deeply, almost as if he ran to get here, it was Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman. Amelie chuckled.


    ¡°Apologies everyone,¡± the leader of the Air Force said. ¡°I had to deal with emergencies in Hebei. They almost nibbled on two of our squadrons. I had to oversee the engagement quite closely.¡±


    ¡°And I have no problem with that, Chief Air Marshall,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°Please take your seat. Admiral Halberd, do continue please.¡±


    ¡°Now, onto what Operation Eastern Jade will do, our goal is to stop them at all costs at the gates of Rajabad and retake a more defensible position over the northwest. But we cannot do that without strategic bullshittery. We will bait the enemy into the wrong direction before we launch our attack there.¡±


    Next, the Admiral showed the coast between the North Hebeian Republic and the Asanaian Empire, also known as the East Hebei Sea. Units were then shown, both the identified coastal control by the North Hebei Navy and the combined navies of South Hebei and Asanai. And of course, the two Orlish Strike Forces present.


    ¡°Empress Xue Li has lost the Ginzhu Province campaign, but¡­but, everyone, the Ginzhu axis is still contested. Thus, it is unfortified. Forming in the eastern coastlines of South Hebei are two Asanaian armored corps, made up of nearly seven hundred tanks. On the coasts are Strike Force Seven and Strike Force Five of the 2nd Fleet. Made up of yes, Your Majesty, your brother is in it. The venerable ONS Rebenslof, and its sister ship, the ONS Cuirassier.¡±


    Amelie breathed in deeply.


    ¡°And what will my brother Albert find himself in?¡± Amelie asked, now shifting to a more uncomfortable tone. ¡°I hope this operation won¡¯t be needlessly dangerous like the last ones. He had himself nearly sunk many times already.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty,¡± Admiral Halberd waved it off. ¡°The North Hebeians only inherited four conventional carriers from the Imperial Hebeian Navy. Which means Albert can pull it off. They¡¯ll be joined by one of the Asanaian carriers anyway for this diversionary attack. And trust me, the IAN Shokaku, while not nuclear powered, is capable of launching three air wings rapidly like a normal Orlish carrier. So it¡¯s a three to four lineup¡­not bad.¡±


    ¡°I am not very convinced of this, Admiral,¡± Amelie said. ¡°This is very close to the Hebeian coastline, and I¡¯ve heard that they have so many anti-ship land-based missiles that they can throw at us. Not to mention the planes they can just sortie and send out of their airbases.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but this is a needed operation, Your Majesty. While we are rerouting three hundred aircraft in Kusari, alongside twelve KDUs and eight Marine Regiments to support a Kusari counter push, we have to make sure that the seas and skies are swept in the battlespace of Ginzhu. That will force the North Hebeians to recall their forces in Kusari, and the Larissans to reroute some of their reinforcements to Ginzhu.¡±


    He then moved it to the next slide.


    ¡°Once the diversionary attack pinned enough CFN forces in the Ginzhu province, our forces in Kusari would have finished their build-up, and then we¡¯ll strike with full force there. Unlike in Hebei, which will be an operation mainly done by our Asanaian and Hebeian allies on the ground, the offensive in Kusari will be led by our KDUs and marines.¡±


    He looked back at the audience, then to the Defense Minister.


    ¡°It¡¯ll also test the mettle of the Royal Guard in warfighting at last. Because their armored KDUs will be forming the spearheads of the attack. On the skies, the Orlish Air Force will achieve total air supremacy within hours¡ªand ravage the combined CFN forces on the ground.¡±


    ¡°How long is the operation¡¯s timeframe?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°A few days for the naval campaign off Ginzhu. That¡¯ll allow us to lock down their ports and bombard them from the sea. With Asanaian armored units swinging northward, their front would be off-balance, and they¡¯d be forced to retreat or get encircled without chance of resupply by sea. That¡¯d take another two weeks. Once the campaign at Ginzhu sufficiently distracts the enemy, we will commence the Kusari operation. That should take another two weeks, with our goal being the recapture of the eastern part of the Laresh Region.¡±


    Amelie looked at the maps of the projected gains by Operation Eastern Jade. First, the naval task forces clashed near the coast of Ginzhu. Then, Ginzhu was retaken by combined Hebeian and Asanaian forces. Next was down south, with Orlish and Kusari forces pushing the CFN back into the Laresh region.


    By the end of it, the MN would have reversed most of the critical gains of the CFN when they were distracted in Gallia.


    It will restore the initiative to my side.


    ¡°I see then¡­¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°Prime Minister, is this a good plan?¡±


    ¡°I believe it is, Your Majesty. Reversing our losses and placing the enemy off-balance will save our allies. I think since we already prevented the collapse of Gallia, we should do this.¡±


    ¡°Then we shall do it.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Fifteen: Missile Deal

    ¡°The CFN offensive against the Kingdom of Constania and Latia has now intensified. Orland and Lorathia have now redeployed multiple marine units to support the two beleaguered Kingdoms, but it is unknown whether this aid will help turn the tide or not. The Levantine Empire however protested these rerouting of Orlish and Lorathian forces off from the Pieran continent, claiming that North Piera is still open to a naval invasion from the Lombardian and Asturian republics.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Empire of Asanaia


    Midori City


    August 10, 2025


    ¡°So, how is Midori, Your Majesty?¡± Princess Kawasaki Yumi respectfully asked. The two of them were seated behind William and Nia, as their motorcade drove toward the Midori Imperial Palace. Amelie smiled as she glanced outside. Midori was reminiscent of Eutstadt. Advanced, clean, and well-organized. Though she could hardly understand the Asanaian script plastered everywhere, Amelie still found this place with great comfort.


    ¡°It seems like a nice city. Surprising considering the ballistic missile attacks back then.¡±


    ¡°Well, only a few of their missiles got through,¡± Yumi smiled. ¡°Our air defense is quite impeccable. This island remains untouched by the ravages of war. And that¡¯s a great pride to our nation.¡±


    ¡°Your country seems extremely stable too. It seems like one of the few havens in this world, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The praise from Amelie made Yumi smile even more. The Princess looked to her side, watching a bunch of construction workers peacefully eating their lunch beside a building that was under construction. There were smiles present on the faces of those men, as they ate and mingled together.


    ¡°It helps when you largely treat them as your equal humans, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­yeah, it¡¯s my goal to replicate the successes of Asanai. The way you people handled those strikes and revolutionary fervor was elegant and well-executed. Unfortunately, the rest of the international community found that a sign of weakness back then when it was a sign of strength.¡±


    ¡°Asanaian men and women stand together, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Sure, there are frictions, as always, and in those dark days last year, it was at its worst. But otherwise, remaining united as one people, on our island, is how we become strong. It is not a sign of weakness.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°My country falling apart into civil war because conservatives there couldn¡¯t be arsed for centuries to accept men as our equals sure isn¡¯t a sign of strength.¡±


    The Asanaian Princess chuckled at Amelie¡¯s remark.


    ¡°I see. You have a special hatred of your country¡¯s traditional elites. I¡¯ve heard your recent reforms stripped them greatly of their political powers.¡±


    Amelie looked back at the sheer desperate resistance her nobles tried to put up against her when she passed the State Protection Act and the New Union Act. Even now, many are still clamoring for their ancient rights. Many even called the new laws illegal. Amelie didn¡¯t give a toss about them though.


    Cry all they want. It¡¯s a new world, with new rules.


    And in this new world that she was engineering, it would be a world with justice. With fairer rules. Those who refused to be a part of that deserved to fall by the wayside.


    As they should be.


    ¡°They still have influence, but they¡¯re weakened,¡± Amelie smirked a bit. ¡°Soon, I¡¯ll put a nail in their coffin. Little by little.¡±


    ¡°Death by a thousand cuts. Indeed, it¡¯s an ingenious idea to kill an old monster that refuses to die.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Amelie then turned to face Yumi.


    ¡°So,¡± Amelie¡¯s face turned into a more confused one. ¡°I have been wondering for a while. Are you the acting Empress of Asanai at this point?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, Your Majesty, let¡¯s not get too hasty. Mother is still breathing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it seems to me that you¡¯re already calling the shots of your country.¡±


    ¡°Well, true, but Mother has so far still refused to hand over the crown to me. I told her that she can do it so she¡¯ll finally be out of politics, and live out her twilight years under comfortable care, and that was our plan before the war¡­but¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want the disasters happening today to be under my name in the history books,¡± she smiled bitterly. ¡°Ultimately, she wants this entire war business to be finished under her name. So that it will be under her reign that Asanai was finally forced into open warfare. She thinks all that is happening is partly her fault for not doing enough. Too little, too late.¡±


    ¡°At least your mother takes responsibility for her mistakes, even if she¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°At death¡¯s door,¡± Yumi smiled brightly. ¡°Well, look at the bright side. Hopefully, the era under Empress Kawasaki Yumi will be one of reconstruction and rebuilding! It¡¯d certainly make me look better one day.¡±


    ¡°And if not, your reign will be remembered as you winning this war.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°In comparison, my reign so far has been the blackest mark in Orlish history. Crowned after an assassination. I watched my country descend into the worst chaos in her first few months. Then I found myself facing a civil war. Then a global war. I won¡¯t be remembered too fondly unless I do everything to fix it all.¡±


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    ¡°You have very little control over it,¡± William suddenly said from the front.


    ¡°Yes, but it happened under my reign. Thus, it¡¯s my responsibility and fault. All of it.¡±


    ¡°Your conviction certainly is admirable,¡± Yumi said. ¡°I can see that we¡¯ll be great partners going forward. I¡¯d like to forge a new world that¡¯s more just with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Empress Xue wants too,¡± Amelie pointed out.


    ¡°I know. I hope us new blood royals can undo the crimes of our mothers, because if we don¡¯t¡­all those people who want our heads chopped off will be right.¡±


    Amelie looked at the flag of the Empire outside. It was a simple red circle on a yellow field. They avoided revolution well. Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Indeed. Not that I¡¯d give up just yet. The revolution in Orland may have been unavoidable, but I can make sure that it can never happen again. One reform at a time.¡±


    +++


    Amelie watched as Yumi placed her gloves on top of the table beside them. She gestured for Amelie, William, and Nia to take their seats. Then, she widened the curtains on the glass panes, revealing the naval base on Midori Bay.


    ¡°That, Your Majesty, is the 1st Carrier Fleet,¡± Yumi said. ¡°The IAN Shokaku is its flagship. It¡¯s also the lead ship of the Shokaku-Class Aircraft Carriers. She¡¯s a fine ship, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Well, certainly,¡± Amelie said, as she admired the view on the naval base. Moored beside the IAN Shokaku were six other naval vessels. Amelie suspected that it was the Shokaku¡¯s escort ships. There was also what appeared to be a smaller guided-missile ship that was leaving the bay on the horizon.


    Seems similar to our frigates¡­


    ¡°The Empire has three carriers, no?¡± William asked. ¡°I wonder how they¡¯re faring right now.¡±


    ¡°The IAN Zuikaku is supporting our operations up north. The Confederacy¡¯s Pardan Fleet is active there, and they¡¯re threatening our northern island chains. Especially their submarines. They practically tied down most of our ASW assets up there. Painful, really¡­¡±


    ¡°And the IAN Shinano?¡±


    ¡°Stuck in dry-dock. Maintenance and refits. We keep two carriers operational, one in the south, and one in the north. The third one remains in our major shipyard in Shisaido up north. The Shokaku is slated to receive upgrades next month, with the Shinano rotating into the southern theater.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s now changed,¡± Amelie said. ¡°The East Vaeyox Allied Command already received the details of the operation, no?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. We¡¯ve checked and analyzed it, and I believe my people have a lot of input that we can input to our battle plans to improve it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s acceptable,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡¯ve also already asked our Hebeian and Kusari counterparts to deliberate about our plans. If we win it, all of us will benefit, after all.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Yumi took her seat near Amelie. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a very risky mission for my naval forces. Getting up close and personal with the North Hebeians, then trying to apply pressure on coastal Ginzhu? One wrong move, and we might lose too many ships.¡±


    ¡°We have fifth-generation stealth aircraft,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°Impossible for them to get through and win. I predict that we¡¯ll slaughter their air wings and land-based aircraft. Then we can rule the sea with impunity, and force back their ships to port.¡±


    ¡°Or, they¡¯ll unleash their entire missile arsenal for a saturation attack against our ships. That¡¯s also a possibility, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯d do that,¡± William said. ¡°Ultimately, this war has diverged from a one-shot campaign type of scenario. Exhausting your missile stockpiles just to get them all intercepted isn¡¯t going to be acceptable for them. If we can outsmart and outmaneuver them, and intercept a certain threshold of their missiles, they¡¯ll be forced to withdraw.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I remember that back in the Northern Sea campaign, the Larissans were eventually forced to retreat when they realized they were running out of planes and missiles.¡±


    ¡°The Northern Sea Campaign isn¡¯t a one-to-one scenario though,¡± William said. ¡°There were two powerful hurricanes that disrupted everyone¡¯s sensors, coupled with heavy EW usage meant that the battle had too much variability. The East Hebei Sea however is calm. And is expected to remain calm for the next few months.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, almost all battles we fought with them have been open sea battles,¡± Yumi confirmed. ¡°All that matters is the strength of your sensors and the amount of missiles your vessels carry. And since both my navy and the enemy navies are afraid of losing any hulls, we¡¯re just poking each other.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what happens when both sides¡¯ ships are carrying insufficient missiles. It makes commanders afraid of committing to a full battle. Better deter your opponent by sending a few missiles their way to tell them ¡®I can do that again!¡¯ then running away.¡±


    ¡°The sustained combat operations in our seas means that most of our ships barely have thirty to sixty percent of their missile capacities. We suspect that the Larissans and Hebeians are in the same position.¡±


    Nia turned to Amelie after listening to William and Yumi. She frowned.


    ¡°What I¡¯m hearing here is that both sides are afraid of firing everything they have only to find out they have fewer missiles than the enemy, is that right?¡± Nia asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s basically that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Anti-ship missiles and interceptors, especially against newer hypersonic and stealth missiles aren¡¯t easy to mass-produce. Each engagement is essentially both sides burning through billions of blancs. The hesitation makes sense. Asanai cannot afford to lose its navy. And so does Larissa and North Hebei.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s where our operation will shine,¡± William said with a grin. ¡°We charge in with the 1st Carrier Fleet, alongside Strike Force Seven and Strike Force Five, but while they¡¯re carrying full missile capacities. That¡¯ll force them off from Ginzhu. Or they risk losing ships if they stay in the fight for too long.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d have to cannibalize our other ships of their missiles if we have to do this in short order,¡± Yumi warned. ¡°For context, my country only produced around six hundred anti-ship missiles every month. We use up around nine hundred anti-ship missiles every month. Our strategic stockpiles are now also down to just two thousand missiles left.¡±


    ¡°Orland¡¯s sending around a hundred eighty per month, no?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­you see, it¡¯s not enough to make up for the shortfall. And the strategic reserves cannot just be squandered. It¡¯s for the defense of the Asanaian home islands. You have to understand that we¡¯re not going to chew through those stockpiles unless we have to resist a full-on naval invasion alone.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°So that¡¯s why your condition for joining this battle¡­is that you¡¯ll only come if Orland sends five hundred anti-ship missiles next month, alongside a thousand interceptors?¡±


    The Asanaian Princess nodded.


    ¡°And they better be the ones that can fit on our ship¡¯s weapon systems. But yes, if we can have that many missiles, we¡¯d be able to fully arm the IAN Shokaku¡¯s air wings, its six escort ships, and our ships from Destroyer Division 3 and 4. That¡¯s a total of ten ships and one carrier.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Amelie turned to William. ¡°Director, do a quick analysis if we can surge our weapons shipments to Asanai this month. Minister Wittfield should have the updated production numbers. Princess Kawasaki, I¡¯ll try to keep in touch with my Foreign Affairs Minister Wallenstein, and she¡¯ll keep you posted if we can meet your demands or not.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Yumi said. ¡°Anyhow, the three of you. Would you like to tour Midori? I know a lot of good places.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s response was quick.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Sixteen: Outwitted

    ¡°Another major engagement between the Federalist and Royalist Air Forces has concluded over the skies of the Free Confederation of Westlauren. It was a surprise attack of approximately three hundred airframes from the Federalist Air Force to strike important targets in the Free Confederation. Air Defense sites, strategic railways and roads, ammunition depots, headquarters, and other hard targets were struck. Throughout the course of the operation, however, Royalist forces resisted valiantly. Air defense sites shot down fifty aircraft alone. Sorties from approximately a hundred fighters from air bases in Westlauren shot down more. While the Federalist strike, including the follow-up attacks with cruise missiles, managed to do some damage to support their ongoing offensive, it appears insufficient to justify their airpower losses.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    Levantine Empire


    Bit-Stav City


    August 14, 2025


    ¡°This place is way too hot,¡± Amelie complained to William as they exited their vehicle. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Middle East would be this bad. How do people even live with this?¡±


    Amelie thought that her spoiled behaviors had been long gone. Unfortunately, upon stepping out of the airport and feeling the strong heat from the equatorial sun, she had been an annoyingly sissy woman. That, and Levantine seemed excessively arid. It was as if she needed to moisturize twice as normal to not dry up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I think I¡¯m going to faint,¡± Nia complained as she held onto her forehead. William just chuckled as they pulled their bags out of their car.


    Naturally, in response, Amelie quickly dived into her bag to search for a water bottle. She found one, and she quickly handed it to Nia.


    ¡°Drink that up, or you¡¯d die of heat stroke,¡± Amelie said. Nia took it and drank from it as if her life depended on it.


    ¡°Chop chop then, you two. Better get inside now to have that AC blasting the two of you.¡±


    Amelie and Nia quickly followed suit. Levantine security guards surrounded them, blocking the press from trying to get close. Amelie tried her best to smile and wave at the people inside the building. Many just wanted to hear the thoughts of the Orlish Queen about her private visit with the Empire¡¯s leadership. Unfortunately, Amelie could only smile.


    She was under a strict time constraint.


    At least it¡¯s cold here. Amelie thought as she groaned internally inside. Goddess¡­I swear, if I have to visit an actual tropical or even hotter country soon, I¡¯d hate this crappy crown¡­


    She sped up her pace though. Adelaide and her team must be waiting for her already.


    And that is exactly what she confirmed when they reached one of the guest rooms on the second floor of the building. Inside was Adelaide and her secretary talking over tea. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, upon seeing Amelie, William, and Nia, smiled pleasantly, as she allowed them inside.


    ¡°Take your seats, please. Make yourself at home. Though, Miss Wittelstein out here appears to be quite under the weather.¡±


    Nia forced herself to smile awkwardly.


    ¡°Uhh, not really, Foreign Minister. Just a bit too hot and I¡¯m unused to it,¡± Nia said, as she timidly took her seat beside Amelie on the sofas.


    Adelaide calmly sipped her tea as she nodded.


    ¡°Understandable. I was the same when I started this job. Some countries are a bit too cold, some a bit too hot. Way too hot, even. It¡¯s great luck that the Orlish mainland is temperate at most, and mildly cold at worst. Other countries aren¡¯t so lucky in that regard.¡±


    William placed his officer¡¯s cap on the table as he fixed his OPM uniform.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± William started. ¡°What¡¯s the air in the Levantine government? Are they still a bit pissed at our force redeployments? Surely, they¡¯ll understand quite quickly that we need our boys more over there in Latia and Constania than here, right?¡±


    ¡°Director Porter, it is, of course, just an understandable development. No country facing an existential threat would like to be suddenly abandoned by its allies to protect another ally facing the same existential threat. It is an¡­expected response.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. These prissy ass morons aren¡¯t even facing a massive CFN offensive from the north. And their frontlines are mostly mountains and deserts. Even I know that no one in Velikov is crazy enough to plan for a serious breakthrough to take Vaeyoxan Levantine for themselves.¡±


    He leaned back on the sofa, shaking his head in frustration.


    ¡°I mean, the Levantine Canal is blown open anyway and will take months more to repair. They¡¯d gain nothing by trying to cut off Piera¡¯s land route to Vaeyox. The Verdean Sea is now closed with Asturia controlling the Strait of Alcazzo and the canal here is unoperational. At this point, we¡¯re bending over backward to provide every country with weapons for their little blackmail here and there. We still have a damned civil war to fight at home.¡±


    ¡°Everything to keep the alliance together,¡± Amelie said. ¡°The deal with Princess Kawasaki alone will be defanging our navy for a few weeks. Except for those operating in the East Vaeyox theater. Regardless, we needed to expedite the operation¡¯s timeframe, as you said.¡±


    ¡°Well, this one I don¡¯t understand,¡± William frowned. ¡°We should be sending every gun and munitions to the Latians and Constanians. They¡¯re fighting a war of survival out there. Surrounded by Lombardia, Poznek, and Larissa. They¡¯re dead if we don¡¯t get there fast. Dead. The entire Valken region will fall for no good reason. Operation Citadel is supposed to be for them. Not for these arrogant ass Levantinians.¡±


    ¡°Diplomacy, Director,¡± Adelaide crossed her legs. ¡°The Levantine government is the only way we can ship weapons toward those two countries. The best thing we can do is to lower their asking price for letting our shipments pass through them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should just apply pressure on them by backing the Latians and Constanians in the MN General Assembly. Tell all the other countries that their prissy government is trying to sabotage the MN alliance. See how it goes,¡± William nearly raised his voice. ¡°This is just ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Adelaide, what¡¯s their price to let our stuff go?¡± Amelie calmly asked.


    ¡°In exchange for us rerouting our military presence from their northern front toward the Valken front, we¡¯d have to send them three hundred modern tanks, enough infantry equipment for thirty-thousand soldiers, eighty self-propelled guns, and most importantly, a hundred LF-12 fighters. That one¡¯s non-negotiable, they say they need those new fighters to replace their losses.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°And of course¡­tons of munitions and other goods?¡± Amelie asked.


    The Foreign Minister nodded.


    ¡°See?! They¡¯re treating us like we¡¯re their golden goose,¡± William said. ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯d need all of that immediately. The goddamned Kusaris or Gallians and again, the two Valken Kingdoms need it more, but they see the smell of opportunity. So they trynna get into your soft side, Amelie, and weasel some weapons for free. Those are worth billions of Orlish blancs.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t we benefit from it anyway though?¡± Nia asked. ¡°I mean, I imagine there¡¯s a massive downside to losing that equipment now, but¡­well, they¡¯re our allies, so ultimately, it¡¯s still pointed at the CFN.¡±


    William wheezed as he shook his head.


    ¡°Unlike the Asanaians, these greedy wankers won¡¯t be joining any offensive operations unless you twist their arms. Again, their northern front is secure. There¡¯s no reason for them to join any major MN operation unless their lives depend on it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to talk then to Empress Aviel about this,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Maybe I can get her to lower the asking price.¡±


    +++


    Empress Einav Aviel entered the room. There was a brief photo shoot with Amelie and the Levantine Empress shaking their hands and smiling at each other. There were also a few minutes of ¡®negotiations¡¯ that they could show to the press before the cameras and officials walked out of the room.


    Empress Aviel was already in her late forties. From what Amelie knew, she led the Empire relatively well during the height of the Cold War. Nominally an ally of Orlish interests, the Levantine Imperial Armed Forces was trained and equipped by her country. In exchange, the Empire exerted great control over their vast oil reserves in both Vaeyoxan Levantine and Pieran Levantine.


    They also controlled four major countries in the Pieran continent under their personal union. Unfortunately, except for this thin strip of land where the actual Levantine people lived, the rest of the Empire was underdeveloped. The core lands and the twenty million Levantine people were all citizens of the Empire.


    The rest of their one hundred million population lived under the Empire¡¯s appointed feudal lords practically under serfdom. They were mostly conquered people only kept together by the Empire¡¯s military, funded exorbitantly by their oil money. That, however, tied them greatly to Orland, their patron. Yet, Empress Aviel somehow kept out of the Great War until the last year, conveniently when the peace treaty was signed.


    It was for that reason that Amelie was a bit wary. This woman was clearly a ruthless manipulator.


    She¡¯s smiling at me.


    ¡°So, now that those distractions are out,¡± Empress Aviel started. ¡°We can now begin talks of actual business. Ah, wait, would you like a good drink for today? Levantine tea is quite exquisite.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, no,¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°I would rather not. I¡¯d just like to smooth over the deals being signed by our people. You know¡­that¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, indeed,¡± the woman nodded to herself. ¡°Well, you see, it¡¯s an unfortunate war we¡¯ve been dragged into. Being a close ally of Orland, of course, we had to join in when the need came.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°And my country is thankful for that. We¡¯re also thankful for your great efforts at repairing the Levantine Canal. I hope security is well tightened this time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, no, no. Absolutely no more of that pirate business will come any time soon,¡± the woman smoothly reassured. ¡°We are working day and night, and we¡¯re vigilant. Very vigilant, I must say. But you see all these¡­operations. It¡¯s costing the Empire of its needed resources¡­¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But you have to understand that our allies in the Valken region need it more. Well, of course, we¡¯ll send you as much as we can, but¡­even Orland is stretched thin.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll pay for some of them,¡± the Empress smiled. ¡°That can be added to negotiations. Certainly, asking for some of that free lend-lease is nice, but if Orland needs to be paid, then we can also pay. Perhaps for those shiny new tanks. Or half of those shiny new planes.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nice, but¡­you see, there¡¯s industrial limitations. Truth be told, money is¡­available, Empress Aviel. This is war. Money is the least of our problems. The industrial capacity though, that¡¯s the real problem. We can¡¯t¡­we can¡¯t send everyone what they want when they say they want it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but those people you¡¯re sending arms to, they¡¯re not going to be paying you anytime soon,¡± the Empress laughed, shaking her head. ¡°They¡¯re going to end up too financially squeezed. Their countries are economically destroyed. Levantine¡­we have everything. Food. Oil. Rare-earth metals. You name it. Untouched.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the point. The Empire isn¡¯t in a live-or-die situation. I¡¯ve consulted my advisors. You can wait, Empress Aviel. You can wait. Let us ship these weapons to Constania and Latia. Do not disrupt Operation Citadel.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but we can certainly do that if Orland doesn¡¯t act like how an ally would act,¡± the Empress smiled even more sweetly. ¡°We¡¯re friends, right? We¡¯re a paying friend. Why not give us priority treatment?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably just use those armaments to gun down the oppressed people in the Empire anyway,¡± Amelie lost her cool for a moment. ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°No offense given!¡± she said, almost playfully. ¡°Though, I disapprove of that notion. It¡¯s called, maintaining stability, Your Majesty. Orland ought to learn about that term.¡±


    Amelie almost clenched her fist at the offense.


    ¡°But I can see that you¡¯re asking for something reasonable. Perhaps,¡± the Empress said, looking at Amelie with slight amusement. ¡°Hmm¡­would you like tea?¡±


    ¡°For a second time, I just want to conclude this business.¡±


    ¡°Well then, as I¡¯ve said, quite reasonable. Of course, of course. And we don¡¯t want to unilaterally block shipments anyway for Operation Citadel. That¡¯d harm my country in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you can see that.¡±


    ¡°But you see,¡± she leaned toward Amelie. ¡°There might be delays if the¡­situation isn¡¯t smooth. Now, we know how awful those revolutionaries are. Would you want to be responsible for two Kingdoms and their innocent people falling just because¡­you didn¡¯t want to send some extra weapons to a good friend?¡±


    Amelie felt her chest tighten.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± the Empress pulled away. ¡°So, how about we compromise? Ah, indeed, it¡¯s a lovely word, isn¡¯t it? You send us¡­mhm, around forty percent of what we asked for within the next two months. The rest, we¡¯ll get it¡­in six months! And we¡¯ll pay for around half of the equipment sent at a good discount. In exchange, we¡¯ll stabilize every route toward our ports in the Verdean Sea from rebel activity. Smooth things out. And, the weapons will get to our good allies cleanly. It¡¯s a sound deal, no?¡±


    Amelie looked at her eyes. Damn you! What do you mean I¡¯ll be responsible if people die just because I didn¡¯t make this deal? You created this deal, asshole! She wanted to frown and pout at how she was snaked into this nonsense. She needed those weapons for other, more critical things after all.


    ¡°I¡­well¡­¡± Amelie stuttered.


    ¡°Come on, now, good friend,¡± the woman winked a bit. ¡°It¡¯s a good deal. And it will save a lot of lives. And a lot of trouble. For both of us. And, well, for the Latians and Constanians.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to use it at least for fighting side-by-side with us?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course, of course. The Empire always fights with our sisterly allies,¡± the woman nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Now, is Orland receptive to these terms?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll consult¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, no. Consult, consult, oh¡­ consultations,¡± she wheezed. ¡°You¡¯re the Queen. Act like it. Besides, I might just find whatever ¡®adjustments¡¯ your people propose as less juicy. We don¡¯t like that kind of¡­complication. So how about between you and me, royalty to royalty, we make a good deal for our people?¡±


    Amelie feared any further delays. Looking at the extended hand of the Empress, she was forced to pick between two poisons. Either she¡¯d send out a lot of critical equipment from her arsenal or potentially stall a deal that would save people. She almost wanted to faint while looking at it.


    After many moments of nearly fainting due to indecision, she shook the woman¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ah, lovely, lovely!¡± the Empress said. ¡°We already sent the details to your delegation. They can hash out the nitty gritty tonight. Then tomorrow, we sign together. Good work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­yeah¡­¡± Amelie said, dazed. ¡°Good¡­work¡­¡±


    Damn you! Damn you! I knew you were going to pull something on me!

 Chapter Two Hundred Seventeen: They Sowed the Wind

    ¡°Rajabad has been decimated! A surprise brutal firebombing operation has been conducted by the Coalition of Free Nations against the capital of the Kusari Empire. Dubbed by the Confederacy media as ¡®Operation Zero Phoenix¡¯, approximately four hundred Larissan, Pozneki, Lombardian, and North Hebeian aircraft participated in bombing Rajabad, alongside Pavitra and Vaibhav. Nearly eight hundred land-based ballistic missiles also struck the three cities, alongside the region¡¯s military installations and logistical lines. The impoverished districts of Rajabad, Pavitra, and Vaibhav were directly targeted, with shanty homes, many made with wood, igniting into open infernos for the duration of the night. The Kusari Empress broke down on national television, as the first estimates of civilian casualties arrived¡ªat least two hundred thousand souls dead in a single night.¡±


    - Geopol News


    ¡°Operation Zero Phoenix has proven to be a success for liberation forces active in the Kusari Empire. Medals are now being awarded to our valiant airmen and long-range strategic missile operators who have participated in this righteous endeavor. Recently, the Coalition gave the inept Kusari Imperial Government generous terms of surrender to the Coalition of Free Nations, yet they have stalwartly refused it. Operation Zero Phoenix served well as a strategic softening operation and a reminder to those who still stubbornly cling to the rule of women: they shall reap the fury of the oppressed.¡±


    - Aktsiya Larrisa


    +++


    Empire of Kusari


    Raffna City


    August 18, 2025


    If Bit-Stav was a hot and dry hellhole for Amelie, she certainly had even less love for the tropical, humid heat that Raffna offered. Raffna was a major coastal city in the southeastern region of the Kusari subcontinent. It was also the financial and economic capital of the Kusari Empire. In essence¡ªtheir wealthiest city.


    ¡­And to Amelie¡¯s horror, it was nowhere close to even the poorest Orlish city. It was a massive city, yes, but it was impoverished. Apparently, it was estimated that Raffna boasted twenty million people. It was certainly obvious to Amelie as they moved throughout the city.


    Their well-protected motorcade was watched by packs of crowds on the hot streets. So many people, men and women, all watching the convoy of the Orlish Queen as if her presence was an eye candy. It certainly seemed like an extremely dense city to Amelie, population-wise.


    The infrastructure, while nominally modern, was not well-kept. Trash was everywhere, and even William was a bit frustrated at the confusing routes they had to take to get to their destination.


    It was certainly not a well-planned city when it was constructed. Nor did the city have the level of discipline and organization present in the average Orlish city. Amelie imagined that the squalor of this city was only topped by the industrial hellholes of Wuringen. But even that was for other reasons.


    When she exited her vehicle, legions of reporters and people tried to get toward her. Both the Kusari police and the Palace Security Unit had to defend her path to discourage them from getting to her. But Amelie decided to at least smile warmly to the people she had visited. Moving close to one of the reporters trying to get through the line of security, Amelie gave her the most welcoming smile she could muster.


    ¡°Hi, Miss,¡± Amelie said. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°S-satya Dalavi, Your Majesty,¡± the young Kusari woman said, her Orlish surprisingly good. She then tried to extend her microphone in Amelie¡¯s direction. ¡°We¡¯re from Rajabad Today. We just wanted to ask what your thoughts are about the firebombing of Rajabad and other Kusari cities in the last few days and the thousands and thousands of dead civilians.¡±


    Amelie steeled her stance as her smile dried out.


    ¡°I am here to discuss just that with the Empress and Prime Minister of Kusari,¡± Amelie said with conviction. ¡°These attacks taken by the CFN are clear violations of the rules of war. They have targeted civilian populations in an attempt to break the spirit of the Kusari people. Just like all their previous bombing campaigns directed against population centers, these aren¡¯t attacks against military targets. This is terrorism, plain and simple.¡±


    ¡°And what will Orland do about it?¡±


    ¡°Orland will do what it¡¯s always trying to do. We will stop it, by military force. As best as we can. Nothing is perfect, yes, and we are having shortfalls with how intense this war is. But the protection of innocent lives is the priority first and foremost by Orland, the Mandate of Nations, and all militaries of the allied forces.¡±


    Amelie stepped back a bit.


    ¡°To all reporters, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be giving a press conference at the designated site later,¡± Amelie announced. ¡°You¡¯ll all get a chance to have a word with me. For now, please, let me do business. Both I and your leaders have a lot of work to do to save lives.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± the reporter shouted as Amelie walked away. Almost as if she turned into another fangirl. Behind Amelie, William chuckled as they exited the crowd¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting way too popular.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Amelie said, as she smiled smugly at William. ¡°The prettier I am, the more attention I get.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sweaty and all red from the heat and sunlight. And the actual attention you''re getting is armed dudes in power armor who want to put bullets in your head. You¡¯re certainly getting there,¡± William said, as he smirked.


    ¡°Gah! How dare you point that out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Your body is way too soft for this.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t need to point it out this way. Amelie grumbled as she sped up her pace. This jerk is just making me feel self-conscious.


    +++


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°These people have absolutely no empathy or human decency,¡± Empress Arushi Mehru said as she watched birds fly outside of the windows. Amelie remained silent in her seat, and so did William and Adelaide. The Empress turned to face the trio, just as the Kusari Prime Minister arrived in the room. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Mrs. Padhi?¡±


    The elder stateswoman bowed in respect to her Empress. Prime Minister Sukanya Padhi wasn¡¯t an elected leader of Kusari. Instead, she had been appointed by the Empress a month ago to lead a new wartime cabinet. The fifty-eight women only had one goal. To make sure Kusari would live on. She raised her head and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize, the cabinet meeting tied me up way too long.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I did say you should prioritize it,¡± Empress Mehru said, as she frowned, turning to Amelie. ¡°Apologies. As you well know, we have only recently fled to this city. I¡¯m afraid my government is still deep in the chaos of reorganization.¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Amelie said, shaking her head as she smiled. ¡°I understand the challenges the Empire is facing. Especially after the recent¡­¡± she paused, as her expression turned disgusting. ¡°Barbaric attacks against the Empire¡¯s population.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beyond disgusting indeed,¡± Adelaide reaffirmed. ¡°They just violate international laws and the rules of war as if it¡¯s nothing. It seems like the CFN never really distinguishes between civilians and military personnel. To them, it¡¯s the same target. Their actions everywhere show that.¡±


    ¡°They should absolutely be all tried and hanged once the war is over,¡± the Kusari Prime Minister said, her tone laced with hatred. ¡°The Kusari people need to find justice for their crimes. So many innocent families now live with their loved ones burned or worse. All because the leaders of the coalition were incensed by our continued resistance.¡±


    ¡°Scarily enough, the calls for the execution of their leaders is probably what¡¯s driving these actions,¡± William said beside Amelie, crossing his arms as he leaned back on the sofa. ¡°Not that it matters. Every revolutionary entered this war thinking that he signed his death sentence. Especially for their leaders.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­indeed concerning,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°We¡¯ve already looked into it, but one of the most damning behavior of coalition forces is their stubbornness at even just surrendering. They think they¡¯ll be executed on sight anyway, so they just refuse to surrender. And in exchange, they also usually murder civilians or POWs. They believe in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Enthusiastically.¡±


    ¡°None of that excuses their callous bombing of the Kusari people,¡± Empress Mehru said. ¡°We never even gave any indication that we¡¯ll touch their revolutionary nonsense. They just want to burn my people because we refused to surrender. Terror tactics.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, and now that we established their already well-documented behavior,¡± Amelie said, breaking the discussion. ¡°We should react at once. Prime Minister Padhi, Empress Mehru, what do you think is your country¡¯s most critical need from Orland?¡±


    ¡°We need more weapons,¡± the Prime Minister answered. ¡°Our two thousand strong air force has now been sliced into half of its pre-war numbers. The Armed Forces have no means to replace that. Not at any meaningful rate.¡±


    ¡°Does Kusari have no¡­I don¡¯t know, industrial capacity to surge their production numbers?¡± Amelie innocently asked. ¡°From what I know, some of the designs by the Order Pact are¡­produceable by this country, right?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Prime Minister answered bluntly. ¡°They destroyed our few advanced factories in the northeast. And since they captured those places, not only have we lost the equipment and infrastructure, we¡¯ve also lost the people who know how to do it. Not that it matters. Before this war, Kusari would be lucky to produce more than fifty ZU-28s locally anyway.¡±


    ¡°Most of their equipment is sourced either from Larissa or Orland,¡± William said, shaking his head. ¡°Producing fighter aircraft, believe it or not, requires heavy skilled labor. We can train people in Orland to do it because we already have millions of people working in the defense industry beforehand. People who can train people under them.¡±


    Empress Mehru frowned.


    ¡°It was my life¡¯s work to see my Empire be developed enough to produce its advanced weapons,¡± she laughed at herself. ¡°All that hard work¡­now shot into pieces. It was expensive, you know? Building up all those startup industries. Creating the workforce. Then preventing them from leaving for Orland with higher than normal wages. We were so close. So close¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, we will do it again after the war,¡± the Prime Minister said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! Kusari is an Empire still stuck in the past. We were on a delicate road to modernizing, now, this war business destroyed it all. All of it!¡±


    The Prime Minister fell silent, as Empress Mehru sat down and buried her face in her hands.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± the Empress said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I never went through having my subjects be murdered and toasted like animals.¡±


    ¡°...I understand,¡± Amelie replied reassuringly. ¡°Alright then, that option is out. Truthfully, it¡¯d take time before Operation Eastern Jade is ready. So we¡¯d have to send weapons anyway as a stopgap¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can station a few LF-20 squadrons here,¡± William suggested. ¡°Forty LF-20s should be a force multiplier that can turn the tides somehow. At least¡­to prevent them from conducting further strategic bombing campaigns.¡±


    ¡°Then why hadn¡¯t Orland done it yesterday?¡± the Empress asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been asking for a long time now. Give us proper air support. Instead, all we get is piecemeal support.¡±


    ¡°Most of our air assets have been tied up in Orland due to the Federalist offensives against Westlauren and L?t. We have around twenty squadrons on active duty right now. Fourteen is tied down in Orland. Four are tied down in West Vaeyox. Two are operating above Hebei¡­¡± William tried to count on his hands. ¡°That¡¯s¡­well, very stretched thin¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re producing a lot of LF-20s already, aren¡¯t we?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Not really. Attrition rates with the Federalists are eating us. We lost around two squadrons last week alone in air-to-air engagements with them. That¡¯s not counting the single-digit attrition losses every day. Moving a few squadrons here in Kusari is a massive endeavor.¡±


    ¡°But it is what Orland must do,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°We have an obligation with Kusari. Your Majesty, you need to decide here.¡±


    ¡°We cannot have our air defense networks in Orland be penetrated, by the way,¡± William said. ¡°Each LF-20 squadron is an integral cog to a machine that can collapse at the wrong moment. A wrong stroke of luck. Temporary redeployments increase that risk.¡±


    ¡°You consulted the Chief Air Marshall about this, right?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m telling you directly what he told me. Ultimately, we might also get lucky that nothing happens. Or something bad happens in Orland. It¡¯s a coin cross.¡±


    Amelie looked back toward Empress Mehru. The woman looked away.


    ¡°I understand if Orland doesn¡¯t do it. But if I have to kneel and beg to have my people saved, then I will.¡±


    Amelie made her decision.


    ¡°William, consult the Chief Air Marshall on the possibility of redeploying two squadrons of our fifth-generation fighters in Kusari airspace,¡± Amelie said. ¡°We need it ASAP, and they must be able to stay here until Operation Eastern Jade is concluded.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it then,¡± William said.


    Amelie then turned to the Kusari Empress. The Empress pulled her handkerchief to her eyes as she looked away.


    ¡°...Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, Queen Amelie.¡±


    Amelie however stood up, went toward her direction, and hugged the older woman. She finally started bawling as she blamed herself for the deaths of her citizens.


    It reminded Amelie too much of herself.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best,¡± Amelie promised. ¡°I swear we¡¯ll do our best.¡±


    Even she felt a few streaks of tears go down her cheek as the number of fatalities finally dawned on her. Hundreds of thousands of people, all dead under her watch. She was once again horrified.


    And I can¡¯t stop it all. I can¡¯t.

 Chapter Two Hundred Eighteen: They Shall Reap the Whirlwind

    ¡°MN and CFN aircraft are battling for dominance in the Kusari subcontinent! Continued tactical and strategic bombing is being conducted by CFN airpower, aimed at rapidly destroying the Kusari State. On the other hand, Asanaian, Lorathian, and Orlish planes have been active round-the-clock in interception duties. The Mandate of Nations has warned that further attacks against civilian targets ¡®will soon have dire consequences¡¯, accusing CFN leaders again of war crimes.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    Site-07A


    OHC High-Security Command Center


    ¡°We¡¯re now two hours away from the start of Operation Sky Dagger,¡± a woman¡¯s emotionless voice announced inside the Emergency Command Hall. ¡°Operational units are now in place. 12th FS and 15th FS are now ready for takeoff. The 177th FS, 35th FS, 313th FS, and 5th BS are also in place and are preparing to take off from Yamakaze and Torinosu AB.¡±


    Amelie wiped some of the sweat that threatened to form on her forehead as she watched the gigantic screens in front of them. The legions of military clerks working below them seemed to be speeding up their administrative duties. Officers of all ranks came and went inside the room, as they watched with bated breaths the situation on the ground.


    ¡°The 58th and 99th Strategic Rocket Regiments have finished their preparations and are now aiming their ballistic missiles at the saturation targets,¡± the announcer soon continued. ¡°The 57th and 44th Strategic Rocket Regiments are now in transit toward their firing positions.¡±


    Amelie almost felt his heart tighten.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re going to faint over there,¡± William pointed out beside her. Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman on the other hand just continued smoking his cigar. Behind them, General Albrecht couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at the screens, as he talked on the phone with someone. Amelie breathed out deeply.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s just all so sudden,¡± Amelie said, as she felt her heart rate quicken. ¡°This is just¡­you know, this is the first time we¡¯ll be striking deep into them. What if we lose these squadrons? What if¡­they just intercept all the missiles? What if they think we¡¯re nuking them?¡±


    ¡°Look, you said it yourself,¡± William reminded. ¡°We have to divert their airpower to the far east to relieve pressure in Kusari. The only way to do that is to strike from Asanai.¡±


    Targeting a Larissan port city sounds harder now that I think about it. Amelie felt herself turning pale at the prospects. What about the civilians? The civilians would be in danger. Goddess¡­goddess I¡¯m signing the potential deaths of thousands of civilians.


    ¡°If you need a tea break you can take it,¡± the Chief Air Marshall suggested. ¡°We¡¯re still a few hours away from the start of the raid anyway.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I authorized this¡­¡± Amelie mumbled.


    ¡°I believe Nia ordered some sweets,¡± William pointed out. ¡°That ought to calm your nerves down a bit.¡±


    ¡°Bribing your Queen with sweets just to soothe her moral problems is quite unfunny,¡± Amelie said, groaning a bit.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. It might work¡­I guess," William said, as he shook his head awkwardly. ¡°I mean, come on, you¡¯re placing too much thought into this. It¡¯s a necessary raid before the big operations. This ought to disrupt them. And hey, get their asses twisted when they lose Rivostov¡¯s repair facilities.¡±


    ¡°And oil storage facilities,¡± the Chief Air Marshall added. ¡°And SAM installations. Hmm¡­we might even get a lucky hit or two on the facilities where they store newly arrived missiles and munitions.¡±


    ¡°Optimistic¡­¡± Amelie said, quite skeptical. ¡°We only have a few hundred planes for this operation¡­¡±


    ¡°Our B-4 Hawks carry twenty-four ASCMs each. And we got fourteen of them participating. That¡¯s three hundred thirty-six stealth cruise missiles that¡¯ll saturate every target we identified,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°They¡¯d be overwhelmed in no time. The 5th Bomber Squadron alone carries a massive firepower. The seventy-two M570 MLRS from the 58th, 44th, 57th, and 99th Strategic Rocket Regiments puts that to nearly four hundred missiles, straight at one city.¡±


    Yeah, I suppose we¡¯re placing a lot of strike power against them. Amelie still felt a bit squeamish about the operation though. But the enemy might just detect it anyway and they just send hundreds of interceptors straight at the sky. Then we¡¯re screwed.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about their response?¡± the Chief Air Marshall asked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a night attack. We have our two LF-20 squadrons doing SEAD ahead of the operation. Then the missiles from the B-4 Hawks will be stealth missiles. The TSBMs from our Strategic Rocket Regiments will just mop up the rest. All while we pulverize them with further attacks from our follow-up squadrons.¡±


    ¡°And what about the civilian casualties?¡± Amelie asked, uneasily. ¡°All of the targets are uncomfortably close to civilian areas. It¡¯s like¡­you know, what if the missiles explode and hit people? Hell, there will always even be people there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just war, Amelie,¡± William said, shaking his head. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve long understood that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s easy to accept it if it¡¯s the enemy doing it. But when it¡¯s us¡­this is strategic bombing. It¡¯s¡­.strategic. It just leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. Strategic¡­strategic, every time you all say it to me, there¡¯s always entire city blocks burning and thousands of innocent civilians dead.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s the same this time. But unlike those bastards, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re dropping bombs directly at the civilians,¡± William smiled. ¡°Look, if it makes you feel better, it¡¯s us ordering this. Planning and executing it too. You just made the decision that you felt will save more lives from our allies. That¡¯s it.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Amelie looked down a bit. She never realized it, but there were thresholds to things she could reasonably accept. Targeting military installations in areas still populated by civilians was something unusual to her. Even the military offensives she ordered nominally targeted military elements.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Amelie breathed out. ¡°I¡¯ll take a tea break. See you all later.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the Chief Air Marshall said. ¡°If you have to close your eyes, we can do the operation ourselves¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be here while it happens,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I will watch, and I want to see if the Orlish Military is going to cause civilian casualties directly because of an operation I sanctioned on civilian areas. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Clear, Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht said, as he took his seat. ¡°Clear as the night sky.¡±


    +++


    ¡°The operation is set to begin in¡­five minutes,¡± William said, as he looked at his watch. He turned to Amelie. ¡°Are you fine over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Amelie answered bluntly. William seemed to be unconvinced, so Amelie pressed on and doubled down. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Well then, we¡¯re going to get into it then,¡± William smirked. Soon the screens showed footage of multiple aircraft opening their thrusters on runways. One by one, they were launched into the air. Mostly LF-12s, but there were also B-4 Hawks and LF-20 Phantoms taking off in the darkness. They were shown on the screens with the green light of night vision cameras.


    Amelie grabbed the handlebars in front of her, as each squadron that had taken off was listed by the announcer. Without her noticing, ten minutes had passed as they flew in range of their targets. Suddenly, a ring alerted her from behind. Nia tapped Amelie, and Amelie immediately turned back.


    ¡°It¡¯s a call from Princess Kawasaki,¡± Nia said. ¡°She says it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they in constant communication with us?¡± Amelie asked the Chief Air Marshall, who simply grunted and nodded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he took a sip from the glass of whiskey he bought in the observation area. ¡°They¡¯ve already got their air assets up to monitor the situation. Their air defense is also on high alert.¡±


    ¡°Their navy?¡±


    ¡°Same, of course,¡± the Chief Air Marshall nodded. Amelie rushed toward the phone and accepted the call.


    ¡°Your Majesty? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the Queen of Orland,¡± Amelie said, as she turned back to observe the massive screens in front of her. Electronic maps zoomed into the northern part of Asanai and the easternmost territories of Larissa and Hebei. Her squadrons were now moving rapidly to Rivostov, which was close to the Larissan¨CHebeian border. ¡°The operation is now underway.¡±


    ¡°I know, I just wanted to keep in touch with you,¡± the Princess answered. ¡°I¡¯m in a high-alert meeting with my military staff as well. We¡¯re watching it all unfold. Hey, do you think they¡¯ll react harshly to this?¡±


    ¡°I hope not,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°But knowing them, they probably will.¡±


    ¡°The 5th Bomber Squadron is now in range¡­¡± the announcer said. Suddenly, the icons of the planes belonging to the 5th BS began releasing these masses of blue projectiles. They began turning away, as the missiles streaked straight into the Larissan city. ¡°Payload is now delivered. No complications. Operation Phase One is proceeding well.¡±


    Amelie held her breath, as the fast-moving 12th and 15th Fighter Squadrons streaked close toward Rivostov. As the minutes passed, red dots began appearing on the maps. The announcer spoke again.


    ¡°Phase Two is now commencing. Hostile air search radars spotted. SEAD operations will be underway.¡±


    The Chief Air Marshall took a brief phone call before he placed his phone back in his pocket and turned in Amelie¡¯s direction, smirking a bit.


    ¡°Now, watch,¡± the Chief Air Marshall said, as General Albrecht crossed his arms.


    Streaks of missiles came out of the dispersed air units of the 12th FS and the 15th FS. Unlike the missiles released by the bombers earlier, they were faster. Immediately, launches appeared from the CFN side. They were responding.


    ¡°It looks like they spotted our attack at last,¡± Amelie said, as she watched her stealth squadrons turn tail after they launched all of their missiles. ¡°Are they going to get them?¡±


    ¡°Not at this range,¡± the Chief Air Marshall said, nodding to himself. ¡°We fired them at nearly thirty kilometers¡­watch, all those launches¡­those missiles won¡¯t have enough time to get into the air and get energy to intercept our attacks.¡±


    One by one, the missiles of her stealth squadrons struck identified targets. Within just a minute, Amelie watched as dozens of radar icons were removed from the map. William seemed impressed.


    ¡°Phase Two completed,¡± the announcer said. ¡°Enemy air defense has now been rendered temporarily inoperative. Our Strategic Rocket Regiments will begin launches in ten, nine, eight¡­¡±


    The screens turned into the shores of the Asanaian Empire. In the darkness were the many dozens of spaced M570 MLRS platforms that were assigned for the operation. The moment the countdown reached zero, the darkness was lit as each MLRS platform released a massive Tactical Strike Ballistic Missile (TSBM) toward the night sky.


    They then lowered their launchers and began driving away. On the map, a new wave of ballistic missiles appeared, also moving faster than the missiles released by the 5th Bomber Squadron.


    ¡°Phase Three is now commencing. Saturation bombardment is synchronized to begin in ETA-8 minutes.¡±


    Amelie turned to William.


    ¡°Eight minutes?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± William said. ¡°Our stealth missiles are subsonic. So we launched them earlier. Our land-based missiles however are supersonic. We timed the operation well so that they would arrive at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Amelie leaned into her phone. All she could do was chat and chat with the Asanaian Princess as her missiles raged toward the Larissan mainland.


    Suddenly, red angry blips appeared, all heading straight to intercept her missiles. Yet, almost no one reacted.


    ¡°Hey¡­is that¡­normal?¡± Amelie asked, and the Chief Air Marshall simply nodded. The announcer soon answered Amelie¡¯s incoming question.


    ¡°Confirmed launches of one hundred sixty Larissan interceptors. Friendly missiles are now at ETA-3 minutes to target. Hostile air defense has been sufficiently suppressed.¡±


    William laughed.


    ¡°That means, we disabled most of their launchers," William explained. "Now, they can only deal with less than half of our missiles. Behold, the power of a good SEAD operation.¡±


    ¡°TSBMs are now entering terminal phase,¡± the announcer said. "Hostile interceptors are now targeting friendly ASCMs."


    Amelie waited as her missiles crept closer. The map showed the Larissans intercepted half of them as they reached the final phase of their travel. Yet, with hundreds of her missiles getting through, the result was clear. Detonation after detonation. A round of applause roared inside the hall.


    ¡°Retribution at last!" General Albrecht declared, smiling. ¡°Sweet, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    Amelie could only stare at her work. More detonations. More targets were destroyed. All she could see however was the electronic map depicting areas that were struck. But that didn¡¯t trick her.


    She knew that she must have killed a lot of innocent people in that city while they were sleeping.


    ¡°...No, it''s not,¡± Amelie weakly said, as everyone else celebrated below them.

 Chapter Two Hundred Nineteen: From the Shadows

    ¡°Larissan city of Rivostov has been struck by an Orlish strategic strike last night at two AM local time. Hundreds of Orlish missiles reportedly hit important military targets and critical city infrastructure. Rivostov¡¯s C2 Artillery Plant also detonated from the strikes, leaving potentially hundreds of workers dead. Naval Base Rivostov was also heavily struck, with satellite images showing docks, fuel silos, and buildings destroyed by surgical missile strikes. The Confederation has so far not commented on the matter.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    August 24, 2025


    ¡°Shall we begin?¡± William respectfully asked. The various ministers of the Heiss Cabinet immediately nodded. William turned to Director Marie Wittfield of the Royal Investigations Unit. The woman nodded calmly, as she stood up, and walked toward the presentation area.


    Clearing her throat, the first slides finally appeared on the screens.


    ¡°Good Evening, everyone,¡± Marie said, eyeing Amelie a bit. ¡°Your Majesty, as you well know, we have been deep for the last few months¡­even I had to join the expeditions myself¡­trying to find out information about those who executed the attack against Princess Yumi Kawasaki of Asanai. And of course¡­the same group of people who attacked our Queen recently.¡±


    Amelie felt discomfort in her guts upon hearing that. She could still remember the awful scenes that had transpired when she was attacked. The sheer brutality that the men and women under her went through¡­was still fresh. And the worst part about that nightmarish problem was that she didn¡¯t know who did it.


    Now, she hoped to find out who these people were.


    ¡°They certainly are a strange group,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I hope we now have proper intel on how to deal with them.¡±


    The slide changed into that of a simple flag. It was a full dark purple field, and in the middle, was a white emblem. It was the King¡¯s Cross, as always. It was the same as the NRF¡¯s flag with either the red field or black field. This one however was just¡­a bit more esoteric and terrifying.


    ¡°They call themselves the Restorationists,¡± Marie said bluntly. ¡°More accurately, the full name of their organization is the Global Restoration League. Or the GRL. And as you can see by their name and their actions, their operations are global.¡±


    ¡°Restoration?¡± Jacqueline asked, already greatly worried by that. ¡°What the hell do these nutheads want to restore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make a quick guess,¡± William said, leaning forward from his seat. ¡°They want to restore the rule of men. The same thing that existed before magic appeared.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Marie said. ¡°That¡¯s what these Restorationists want. Their ideology however becomes even more concerning when you dig deeper. The few pieces of intel we have acquired from their liquidated facilities show that they subscribe to ¡®Accelerationism¡¯. They want to bring about a massive war between men and women.¡±


    Amelie frowned further, as the atmosphere in the room chilled. They were already there.


    Does that mean they already succeeded?


    ¡°We have reason then to believe that these ¡®Restorationists¡¯ have been responsible for promoting terrorism from male rights groups and supporting reactionary nobles and politicians in various Kingdoms to polarize society greatly. From one of their destroyed facilities in Lozewic, Poznek¡ª¡±


    ¡°Poznek?¡± Walter asked.


    ¡°Yes, we managed to infiltrate the Pozneki Republic and conduct a raid on one of the facilities of the GRL. The RIU lost eighteen girls in that fight, but we managed to get some records before they detonated the compound. They had entire hit lists to execute moderate political figures in the Pozneki Republic.¡±


    ¡°...We have had a lot of leaders in the old male rights movement dying or disappearing to criminal activity for decades,¡± Walter muttered. ¡°I remember Karl Gustav. He led the workers of the Wuringen Union ten years ago. He was getting traction at negotiating with Queen Areya to at least begin enforcing basic labor safety standards. Then he was found in a ditch in Eirhow. Executed with a pistol, presumably by Eirhow¡¯s criminal syndicates¡­or so they say¡­¡±


    ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t start conjuring up conspiracy theories out of nowhere,¡± Pristina said, as she wiped her forehead with her handkerchief. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Some¡­fringe groups can¡¯t possibly cause that much damage. I know that. I¡¯ve dealt with a lot of terror groups from¡­¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the most common nature of terror groups originating from men?¡± Marie asked. Pristina merely gulped.


    ¡°They¡¯re erratic. They target anyone and everyone. They usually don¡¯t target nobles and women first. Whenever the Royal Guard investigates them, the usual first targets¡­are men.¡±


    Marie nodded.


    ¡°Essentially, it would appear that the GRL had extensive ties with a lot of these terror groups. They seem to have supplied and influenced many of them. Thus, the focus of these terror groups usually is to first and foremost terrorize men, before women. It seems to be by design. Our governments wouldn¡¯t protect the average man, and by making crazy men kill normal men for no reason, you create an incredibly unsafe environment. That¡¯s bound to create paranoia and radicalism.¡±


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    ¡°They wanted to kill me,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°And Princess Kawasaki. And perhaps¡­did they do it to my mother too?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know about the last part,¡± Marie shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re still¡­trying to chase them. But as of now, considering their behavior, alongside the retrieved electronic records or communications from them¡­it indicates that these ¡®Restorationists¡¯ are hell-bent on causing chaos. As much as possible. And sowing severe rifts between men and women.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it,¡± Amelie said, pausing a bit. ¡°Why? How does this benefit them? How does any of this help their cause? It doesn¡¯t help men. It doesn¡¯t even¡­help anyone. It¡¯s just¡­causing chaos and violence for the sake of it.¡±


    ¡°Again, they want to accelerate radicalism amongst men,¡± Walter said. ¡°Combined with the enthusiastic support from our dear matriarchies in the last decades, and especially the First Great War, it seems that they have succeeded in that regard. Though, I question the idea of them being the main cause. Sure, they did this and that, but, it probably only just sped things up a bit. We were headed to this disaster regardless.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll treat them as just another terrorist organization,¡± William said. ¡°I believe in that case it¡¯s kinda pointless to understand their lunacy. Shoot first, no questions to be asked later. That¡¯s going to be our policy against them, considering how dangerous they are.¡±


    ¡°Have we even captured a single member of this organization?¡± Amelie asked.


    Both William and Marie shook their heads.


    ¡°No we haven¡¯t,¡± Marie said. ¡°They possess extremely advanced weaponry that can go toe-to-toe somewhat with our battlemages. Their men also seem to have built-in self-destruct equipment that kills them before they are even captured. It¡¯s the most horrifying thing about them. They seem to have an obsession with not being caught.¡±


    ¡°That explains how they hid for so long then,¡± Pristina said. ¡°If everyone who meets them dies brutally, no one will know them. And in the case of their men being defeated, if they just explode violently, no one will know anything about the pink paste left behind.¡±


    ¡°That just points to cult-like behaviors,¡± William took a sip of his glass of water. ¡°I¡¯ve made my conclusions at this point. These bastards will only understand superior firepower. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to communicate or reason with them. The fact that they¡¯d willingly fight while chained to a detonator means they are absolute fanatics.¡±


    ¡°William,¡± Amelie hissed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to dehumanize these people. For all we know, they¡¯ve been brainwashed. We need to find out how we can communicate with them. At least find out why they¡¯re doing all this. If we can talk to the CFN somewhat, we can talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Amelie,¡± William narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re deluding yourself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Lieplatzan State, to these lunatics¡­are moderates.¡±


    +++


    ¡°So how are we dealing with them?¡± Pristina asked. There were now just five people in Amelie¡¯s office. William, Pristina, Marie, General Albrecht, and Amelie. Night had already set outside, and the clock had ticked to midnight, but they were still up awake. ¡°And by that, I don¡¯t mean policies of talking or what-not with them. I mean, how are we countering their weapons?¡±


    ¡°Director Wittfield, I¡¯m afraid outside of an M8 IFV going ham with its autocannons, my soldiers cannot deal with these bastards,¡± General Albrecht admitted. ¡°I doubt we can do much with our small arms either. They¡¯re only going to scratch their armor.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± William said. ¡°That armor is directly on top of their body. Even if an anti-materiel rifle can¡¯t pierce it, the energy alone should liquify whoever poor sod is inside.¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± Marie said. ¡°These people use magic with their weapons. There are dampener enchantments on their armor alongside a slew of other improvements. They¡¯re magical weaponries. My agents noted that their armor seems to carry active mana on these backpack-like power packs.¡±


    ¡°The implications alone¡­¡± Pristina shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s just impossible. Even if these men can carry mana on their backs, they absolutely should not be capable of actually using it to cast spells or channel it into the enchantments of their tools.¡±


    ¡°Defense Minister, we can deny it all we want, but it¡¯s in front of us,¡± Marie huffed, a little bit annoyed. ¡°Let¡¯s not fall into the comfort of denial. There are men using magic, cheats, by technology, it doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯re using it. And they¡¯re using it very well.¡±


    Amelie and Pristina both gulped at the idea. It was extremely bad. Though, for a second, Amelie felt herself slightly relieved by that news. Even if whatever techniques that allowed these men to use magic were only available to a bunch of terroristic lunatics¡­the fact that it existed¡­


    Maybe there¡¯s hope for more equality in the future.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic too quickly, you two,¡± William said, a bit reassuring. ¡°Not like those losers can actually cast the spell themselves. You¡¯re not going to see billions of smelly dudes finally do actual magic anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°William, that¡¯s not our big problem,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°In fact, that¡¯s actually sad! No, what I meant is¡­is that this wonderful technology isn¡¯t in the hands of good people, but the damned worst ones.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is what it is,¡± William said. ¡°I¡¯ll try to work with the OPM to create effective countermeasures against this. I¡¯d appreciate some magical support from the damned Royal Guard and RIU in this endeavor.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Pristina nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll send some of my best mages to create enchanted weapons. The best that the Kingdom can procure. Though¡­I don¡¯t know if they can make ones that men can use.¡±


    ¡°Sucks then,¡± William crossed his arms. He then looked at Marie. ¡°Hey you, send more of your girls to the Palace Security Unit.¡±


    ¡°The RIU is a small organization,¡± Marie frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t keep bleeding talent. I already sent some of my best¡­and it already caused a decline in the teams that they were originally in. It¡¯s not easy to find good, brave, and talented battlemages. Especially brave ones. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many volunteers I had to kick out because of how twitchy they are.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t train them?¡± William asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a waste of resources to train a spoiled noblewoman who runs from the first crack of gunfire even when she can cast simple spells against it,¡± Marie groaned tiredly. ¡°So I always just send them back to the Royal Guard.¡±


    ¡°Outside of Alpha Squad, even the Royal Guard girls of the Palace Security Unit completely shat the bed during the attacks,¡± William said. ¡°My boys from the OPM fared even worse.¡±


    ¡°W-well,¡± Amelie smiled awkwardly. ¡°I feel mightily confident right now at my chances of living then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well. You better hope we figure out something before another attack,¡± William said, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Now, don¡¯t look at me. The best I can say for now is ¡®we¡¯ll work on it¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And what if they target my Prime Minister or my Ministers?¡± Amelie asked, now even more worried.


    ¡°Rest in peace then,¡± General Albrecht blankly said. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s obvious, right?¡±


    No one was able to deny his words.

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty: Valkenite Crisis

    ¡°Latian military units have attempted what appears to be a coup d''¨¦tat against the Latian Royalist Government in their capital. Loyalist Latian Royal Guard and Army units, alongside Lorathian and Orlish marines, are now stuck in heavy combat against the putschist force in Corinthia city. Queen Evantia Mellea and members of House Mellea have now been evacuated by Orlish forces from the capital, while Prime Minister Despina Macrea has called in a ¡®state of national emergency¡¯ from Kentro Palace. Up north, the CFN has now resumed its offensive against Latia and Constania, with both sides suffering mounting losses on the rough, mountainous terrain.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Latia, Corinthia City


    5th Marine Expeditionary Force


    1st Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division


    August 28, 2025


    ¡°Sarge!¡± one of the pinned Orlish Marines called out. Gunfire from the stairs, unleashed by local militants, kept Sergeant Moritz Kaulbach¡¯s squad down. He gritted his teeth as he leaned upward. Three Orlishwomen, employees from the same embassy they were assaulting, ducked and screamed on the other side of the halls, hiding beneath shoddy office tables that they used as cover. ¡°Help! Help!¡±


    ¡°Just stay still, son,¡± Moritz shouted, as he leaned to the side of the table. The young Orlish marine hiding underneath the stairs was bleeding out from his shoulder. He frowned, as the militants soon shouted.


    ¡°Traitors!¡± one of the masked men shouted. They held civilian clothing but otherwise wore military gear. They also had a red armband on their left shoulders. ¡°Latia will be reborn!¡±


    ¡°Fucken¡ª¡± Moritz stood up and aimed his gun at the staircase. The militants soon charged down, spraying their guns wildly in all directions. Moritz opened fire, alongside four of his men. ¡°Go to hell, you cunts!¡±


    One of the militants dropped from the staircase in a bloody manner, peppered by gunfire. Another had his neck nicked by a bullet. While the third and fourth militants panicked and climbed back up. But Moritz shot the third one on the kneecap, forcing the fourth militant to try to pull his buddy back up while firing his submachine gun with his other hand.


    Then, his face exploded in a bloody manner. Moritz looked to his side. One of his men just stared at his work in a dazed manner, the barrel of his rifle still releasing a faint smoke.


    ¡°Clear in this area!¡± one of his men shouted, as his squad stood up.


    ¡°Get Private Brodmann to the doc!¡± Moritz ordered after he rushed and checked the wounded marine. The young man just hissed as one of Moritz¡¯s men popped morphine on his skin. ¡°You¡¯re gonna be fine, son.¡±


    ¡°I can still hold a rifle, sarge¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut your goddamned trap,¡± Moritz said. He turned to his men. ¡°Get him off here. You did good work, son.¡±


    ¡°B-but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, shut up man,¡± one of the marines told the injured private as he picked him up.


    ¡°Your shoulder¡¯s all dun goofed up,¡± another one said as he helped.


    Moritz on the other hand went straight into the cowering women.


    ¡°Alright, you three,¡± he pointed at two of his men. ¡°These two fucks will escort you out of here. Get yourselves off the damned streets, clear?!¡±


    ¡°C-clear,¡± one of the young women stuttered. The trio stood up and were escorted by Moritz¡¯s men, as his remaining marines followed him upstairs.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m gonna make this one clear,¡± he told his men. ¡°Check the goddamned corners.¡±


    They all just nodded.


    +++


    Moritz didn¡¯t like how it all turned out. Everywhere they looked, they saw a gruesome sight. Cubicles and office rooms were filled with corpses. They even found an area where eight diplomatic officials seemed to have been executed by the militants. By the time they reached the seventh floor, Moritz¡¯s team was reinforced by two more squads of marines from his platoon.


    Gunshots and gunfire continued throughout the building. And when he looked briefly outside, he saw a heavily modified Latian M44 tank. Behind it, were a bunch of Orlish marines advancing alongside. Gunfire erupted from another building on the other side of the highway. He watched as the friendly Latian tank turned its turret to the building occupied by the putschists, and opened fire.


    It silenced the firefight below them, giving just enough time for a bunch of Latian schoolgirls hiding behind an abandoned bus to run toward the lines of Orlish marines.


    ¡°This shit ain¡¯t good,¡± Moritz said. Behind him, Sergeant Lukas Hannig from 2nd Squad tapped his shoulder.


    ¡°My squad is going to storm the Minister¡¯s office area,¡± the man said. ¡°You guys cover us.¡±


    ¡°Rog,¡± Moritz replied. He gathered his men on the staircase to the eighth floor. Meanwhile, Lukas¡¯ squad filed into another staircase parallel to them. They went to the top first, while Moritz¡¯s team followed. Gunfire erupted on the eighth floor, as Moritz and his squad found the militants still attempting to break through a barricaded office room.


    The firefight however only lasted for a few minutes. Eventually, the two remaining militants raised their hands in surrender, while Moritz and Lukas rushed toward the banged-up barricaded room.


    ¡°Marines!¡± Moritz shouted. ¡°We¡¯re here now!¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Took you all long enough!¡± An annoyed response grunted from behind. ¡°Minister Wallenstein is alive and well!¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Moritz breathed a sigh of relief, as he spoke to his radio. ¡°Lieutenant, the VIP is fine and dandy. We got her. Preparing for exfil.¡±


    ¡°Copy. We¡¯re still mopping up the ground floors.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    ¡°Come on, come on!¡± Amelie panickedly shouted at her phone as she kept ringing everyone. ¡°General Albrecht, come on¡­please, please answer.¡±


    ¡°You probably should be calling Admiral Halberd,¡± Nia suggested. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s the Marines trying to rescue her, right?¡±


    ¡°He just said it¡¯s still in progress,¡± Amelie said. When General Albrecht failed to answer quickly, Amelie dialed another number. Then another. Then another. Suddenly, William barged straight into his office.


    ¡°Okay, now, why the hell is the Queen¡¯s phone line calling everyone in Eutstadt?!¡± William asked. ¡°I told you to wait¡ª¡±


    ¡°William!¡± Amelie panickedly stood up. ¡°Is there news? Is Adelaide all right? Please, please, tell me she¡¯s alright. Goddess¡­I can¡¯t lose her. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not anytime. Please, please, please¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± William answered. ¡°Calm the heck down.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to calm down when my Foreign Affairs Minister is stuck in a goddess-damned coup d¡¯¨¦tat?!¡± Amelie breathed in deeply. ¡°Is she injured or not?¡±


    ¡°No, the embassy¡¯s marines bunkered her in her office,¡± William closed the door. ¡°And the dudes who managed to get in were just a bunch of civilian terrorists affiliated with the putsch. It seems that the actual army units revolting against the government didn¡¯t even manage to reach the south side of the city.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank goddess¡­¡± Amelie breathed out.


    ¡°At least she¡¯s alive,¡± Nia weakly said. ¡°I hope she¡¯s fine. Being in a firefight is so awful.¡±


    ¡°I still have bad dreams about those who attacked us,¡± Amelie admitted. ¡°The fact this happened to her is a disaster. No, I mean, the fact it happened in the first place is a disaster! Where the hell did these ¡®coupists¡¯ come from?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, well¡­¡± William awkwardly backed off. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to be honest, the OPM hadn¡¯t seen this coming either. The only information we have as of now is that it¡¯s a bunch of junior officers who thought Latia was losing and it''s time to switch sides and join the advancing Larissans.¡±


    ¡°So their bright idea is to overthrow the Latian Queen?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°More or less,¡± William answered. ¡°The Constanians didn¡¯t see this either. They¡¯re now panicking too because the port of Corinthia is where supplies coming from the MN are entering toward the Valken region. They¡¯re so screwed in the northwest if the Latians collapse first.¡±


    ¡°And what about the Latian Army?¡±


    ¡°General Albrecht is now in close contact with them,¡± William said. ¡°We should get information within a few hours. Both we and Lorathia also have a lot of marine units operating in the frontline already. So far, the rest of the Latian Army is standing strong in the mountains. They¡¯re holding back the Larissan and Pozneki tide. But there¡¯s been a few mutinies here and there already.¡±


    ¡°What about Corinthia?¡±


    ¡°So far, the Latian Capital is half occupied by the putsch,¡± William said. ¡°The rest of the capital still held by the loyalists are in chaos mode. We¡¯ve had reports about the ¡®Latian Forward League¡¯, LFL, a terror group essentially, operating behind the lines. They¡¯ve been attacking both Orlish, Lorathian, and loyalist forces. Alongside civilians. Mostly civilians.¡±


    ¡°Is the LFL responsible for the attack on our embassy?¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± William shook his head. ¡°Oh, who am I kidding? Of course, they¡¯re responsible. They identify themselves with these red armbands. Seems like their entire MO is to cause as much chaos and civilian casualties.¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­¡±


    ¡°And they reportedly took hostages already,¡± William warned. ¡°I think even the actual army units that revolted already did the same. That¡¯s why we need to evacuate the Prime Minister quickly. She and members of the Latian Royal Government are still stuck in the north side of the city. Kentro Palace. They¡¯re almost surrounded too.¡±


    ¡°What do they have out there?¡± Amelie asked, now even more worried. ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t have the Latian government be completely killed by these lunatics. I want the 5th MEU to get to them NOW!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trying,¡± William said, now already frowning. ¡°Well¡­they¡¯d have to go through some tough street-to-street fighting. But I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re now mustering ten or twenty tanks from the Latian Army to do a thunder run to Kentro Palace. Then I don¡¯t know, call in the Air Force to flatten the surrounding areas? It¡¯s kinda hard. It¡¯s a densely populated city.¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m still working on a lot of inconclusive intel,¡± William admitted. ¡°Go call Jacqueline, and plan about how we¡¯ll respond to this internationally. For now, just wait, okay? We¡¯re trying to figure it out. Adelaide should be back by plane by tomorrow too.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I need a cup of tea,¡± Amelie said, shaking her head.


    +++


    ¡°Well, there goes Operation Citadel,¡± Walter crossed his arms as he sat on his chair. Jacqueline on the other hand just buried her face. While Amelie, displeased as ever, decided that indulging with her stress relief cupcakes was a better idea. ¡°They just detonated bombs on the cranes we use to deliver cargo by sea on Corinthia¡¯s port.¡±


    Amelie dropped her cupcake.


    ¡°They what now?!¡± Amelie asked, wide-eyed. ¡°Wait, wait, I told the 5th MEU to get there and get there fast. How did this even happen.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re obviously sabotaging Operation Citadel,¡± Jacqueline concluded. ¡°Goddess, the fallout of this bullcrap is going to explode on my face again. I¡¯m going to be answering a million angry questions with the press in a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Then the cabinet meeting,¡± Walter pointed out. ¡°And the endless hearings for the next few days. All while the nutheads at the OHC figure out what to do. I bet ole Albrecht¡¯s also pissed at his office. Halberd¡¯s probably shouting at the Marine Corps too.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe all of this just happened out of nowhere,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Has the NID or the AFI even given any report about an incoming coup?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± William shook his head. He had just finished a phone call with his men. ¡°It seems that we were unable to reestablish proper intelligence networks in the Valken Region ever since the OIA separated from us. We were too focused on West and East Vaeyox.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t the Latian Government at least warn us too?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Is it the same for them? They also had no idea that a bunch of crazies were going to screw them over?¡±


    ¡°Judging by how surprised they are, those fat morons probably also fumbled the bag. They must have thought that just because the Army was fighting for them all was fine and dandy. The Latian Royal Guard was also in ¡®control¡¯ of their Army by the way. But they got eviscerated in the capital.¡±


    ¡°Incompetence and complacency,¡± Jacqueline said. ¡°That¡¯s what happened here.¡±


    ¡°Well, we should focus next on getting the 5th MEU toward Kentro Palace. Been an hour already. Much as I¡¯d like to call them morons, Prime Minister Macrea is a pretty and kind lady. It would be a shame if she died early,¡± Walter just chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m going to ring Georgy. Though, the old Admiral¡¯s probably still busy with this crisis.¡±


    The Deputy Prime Minister laughed cynically as he went outside of Amelie¡¯s office, placing his phone to his ear as he exited.


    ¡°Admiral Halberd ain¡¯t going to respond,¡± William said, sighing. ¡°The OHC just conducted an emergency meeting ten minutes ago. They¡¯re all still figuring this shit out.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-One: A Delicate Situation

    ¡°There are now thousands of dead and injured civilians in the streets of Corinthia, as the putsch¡¯s leaders demand the immediate surrender of the Latian Royal Government. The Latian Army has now encircled Corinthia, alongside the areas outside of the city controlled by approximately eight thousand troopers and militants. General Lena Remeli, the Chief of Staff of the Latian Army, has now reiterated her loyalty to the Queen. With the Prime Minister cut off and surrounded in Kentro Palace, she has now taken effective reigns in the rest of the country, alongside a council of three high noblewomen, vowing to ¡®restore law and order¡¯ in the Kingdom.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Latia


    Corinthia City


    5th MEU


    C/3-1 Marine Regiment


    Moritz wasn¡¯t having fun today. His squad and the 3rd Battalion of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Unit were now tasked, directly from the November Palace¡ªby the Queen herself, to join local Latian soldiers in a thunder run straight into Kentro Palace. When he looked into the eyes of his superior, Lieutenant Oli Brusch, the thirty-year-old officer merely gave him a blank gaze.


    ¡°She said we¡¯d have to get there hard and fast,¡± Oli said. ¡°That¡¯s what we are going to do.¡±


    Moritz looked at his men behind him. They stood on the streets, lounging around or sitting on the side of the road as they awaited orders. Their faces were scrounged up, with dirt, grime, and unease. He looked back at his superior as one of his men spat on the road.


    ¡°...She ordered this personally?¡± Moritz asked. ¡°Her? She¡¯s¡­she¡¯s watching us?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Oli frowned. ¡°Now get to your men. Tell them to get ready. We¡¯re not disappointing the Queen. She wants the Latian Prime Minister out and safe in three hours¡ª¡±


    Moritz closed the distance between him and Oli, staring straight into his pupils.


    ¡°Lieutenant,¡± Moritz hissed. ¡°You and I know that instead of a safe and happy fancy pants leader lady escaping this shit-fest, it¡¯d be us, you, me, our men¡ªdead in the rubble.¡±


    ¡°We do our job,¡± Oli growled back. ¡°We¡¯re men. Marines. We do not complain. We act.¡±


    ¡°El-tee¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop bellyaching Moritz. You and I know that we cannot change shit. This is our mission. No more talking. Get to work.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡±


    ¡°Good call.¡±


    Moritz shook his head in defeat, as he went straight to his men.


    ¡°El-tee made it clear!¡± he shouted at them. ¡°We¡¯re Oscar Mike in ten minutes. Keep a tight hold on your rifles. We¡¯re going in for a rough ride.¡±


    ¡°On our soft-skinned HMLVs?¡± his youngest marine asked, a frown clear on his face.


    Behind them, three Latian M44 tanks stopped and parked. Latian soldiers who rode on top of the tanks immediately dismounted and rushed into the road. They formed into their squads, carried their rifles, heavy weapons, and boxes of ammunition, and ran like hell straight into the firefight only a few blocks away.


    ¡°We got tanks,¡± Moritz tried to reassure. ¡°We¡¯re going into the fight fine and dandy. In style! Heh.¡±


    ¡°We ain¡¯t,¡± one of his marines replied. ¡°They got AT. Those rustbuckets ain¡¯t gon last.¡±


    Moritz clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Then you better shoot nice and well, son,¡± he nodded as smirked. ¡°We don¡¯t think that way. We¡¯ll get there, bang up these sons of crazies, then rescue this shithole¡¯s Prime Minister like the Princess that she is. That¡¯s what we¡¯ll do!¡±


    ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± his men responded, their spirits now going up high. Moritz grimaced inside. He now did all he could do.


    He raised their morale somewhat before the hell that would come for them. He turned his back on them, opened a box of cigars, and lit them up. He hoped that he and his men would come back home from this.


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    ¡°Bad news,¡± Marie confided to Amelie. They were behind closed doors after the Press Conference that Amelie had just given to her people.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°...Amelie¡­I¡­¡± Marie stuttered, then she looked to her side. ¡°We have unconfirmed reports of a WMD inside of Corinthia.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s face scrounged up.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Unconfirmed reports,¡± Marie said. ¡°My girls are on site, trying to figure it out.¡±


    ¡°The RIU is in Corinthia?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Marie asked. ¡°The RIU is investigating all corners of this world. I have two teams in Corinthia, yes. Rose Team and Lotus Team.¡±


    ¡°How many operatives?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s eight from Rose Team. Ten from Lotus Team. Rose Team is tasked with investigating the coup leaders. Lotus Team is tasked to find a way to rescue even just the Prime Minister from Kentro Palace. But they found a damning confession from one of the LFL militants."


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amelie breathed in deeply. ¡°So¡­so what did they find out?¡±


    ¡°Amelie, he confessed that they¡¯re planning to use nuclear blackmail,¡± Marie bit her tongue for a second. It seemed that even Amelie¡¯s best mage and spymaster was now panicking inside. ¡°I¡­I admit, I don¡¯t know what to do about this revelation. I¡¯m retasking both Lotus and Rose Team to figure out everything about this¡­this plan of theirs¡­¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°How can they even acquire a nuclear bomb and place it in a city of two million people?! That¡¯s impossible, Marie.¡±


    ¡°Amelie, nothing is impossible from now on,¡± her voice turned cold. ¡°Amelie, your decision today, and tomorrow¡­it might decide how this world will go on.¡±


    ¡°I am not escalating to anything stupid. In fact, why would they even¡­¡± Amelie¡¯s voice shook. ¡°Wait, no¡­even¡­even if it¡¯s true, Corinthia is the capital of their people. Surely¡­surely they¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°Amelie. You know it. So do I. These militants do not care about our world. They¡¯re too far gone. These are terrorists. They¡¯ll do everything to terrorize us and get their demands met.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell would even give them a bomb?!¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, Amelie. I have no idea if it¡¯s even true! My two teams on the ground are still running through a damned city on fire to find out if a nuclear bomb exists or not! But I can feel it in my guts. Amelie, I can feel it¡­the smell of true trouble and threat,¡± Marie¡¯s voice became even shakier. ¡°So please, stay calm. I¡¯m going to try to figure this out. If not¡ª¡±


    ¡°We need to tell this to General Albrecht.¡±


    Before Amelie could leave the room, Marie pulled Amelie back and frowned.


    ¡°Amelie, not yet,¡± Marie said. ¡°Do not cause panic amongst the ranks. Everyone¡¯s running around like headless chickens already. Imagine what¡¯ll happen if you tell them this. And imagine the chaos if it leaks! No, wait till my teams figure this out. Once we have concrete proof, I¡¯ll pass it on to you.¡±


    A few knocks came from the door.


    ¡°Amelie!¡± Someone shouted. It was William. ¡°President Rimpler is on the phone line! He¡¯s¡­he¡¯s actually calling for you specifically. Right now!¡±


    ¡°He is?¡±


    ¡°And Chancellor Kerensky too!¡± William almost laughed on the other side. ¡°Can you believe this? Those assholes are now crawling back to us. Tell them to fuck off in the most polite way please, haha!¡±


    When Amelie turned back to Marie, the silver-haired woman¡¯s eyes just widened further in horror.


    ¡°They¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it, Marie?¡±


    Marie just gulped.


    ¡°Amelie,¡± her voice turned even more serious. ¡°Adelaide isn¡¯t here right now, but do one thing. Keep them talking. And keep things level-headed. Please, from this point onwards, you will not think about giving an advantage to the Mandate of Nations. Everything¡­everything for humanity. That¡¯s your mission. Go.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand¡ª¡±


    ¡°Amelie, the leaders of the CFN won¡¯t just call you in panic and talk if things are normal. Move.¡±


    +++


    ¡°I have no intention of speaking to you to talk peace, Queen,¡± the man himself, President Sullivan Rimpler of the Federal Republic of Orland, said. His face was clear on Amelie¡¯s laptop. Beside him was the stone-faced look from the other leader of the CFF, Chancellor Pyotr Kerensky.


    ¡°This nonsense isn¡¯t our work,¡± Pyotr plainly said. ¡°We¡¯re just calling to keep a new emergency communication channel open. I assume the so-called ¡®Queen of Goodness¡¯ is going to be willing to at least talk?¡±


    ¡°...Why now?¡± Amelie asked as she tried to keep herself neutral. She hadn¡¯t explained anything to Nia or William yet. The two just watched on the side, confused as to why Amelie didn¡¯t bring this up to the rest of her government. ¡°Why not¡­last time? Why only now would you¡­establish contact?¡±


    Sullivan just crossed his arms and leaned back on his chair. The room behind him was dark and empty, but Amelie could see the revolutionary bicolor behind him. He seemed to be almost alone in his room. Much like Amelie.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Sullivan asked. ¡°How will you respond to men who have nothing left to lose?¡±


    ¡°I will try to reason with them,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°I will try my best to talk to them and bring them back to humanity. Every man needs that. They need to know hope and change¡ª¡±


    Sullivan scoffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking about your bullshit promises to your sheep."


    ¡°I have no sheep, Mr. Rimpler. I have sworn since I was crowned, that I¡­I will do better. I don¡¯t care if I die. I want a better world tomorrow. For you, for me, for everyone¡­for our damned children. Goddess, if I have to pardon the two of you just to end all of this, I will. I will. I will do everything just to finally let this world breathe for once!¡±


    ¡°Pardon us when we haven¡¯t even surrendered or shown signs of it yet? Heh¡­¡± Pyotr chuckled on the side. ¡°You look way too emotional there, dear.¡±


    ¡°So? You have no idea how much I¡¯ve cried since I had this crown. Of course, I¡¯m emotional!¡±


    ¡°I see then,¡± Sullivan frowned. ¡°There¡¯s a group that demanded us to stop waging this war of revolution against you because ¡®we¡¯re lying¡¯. I want to work with you today.¡±


    ¡°Work with me?¡±


    ¡°Because while I think you are naive, idealistic, and possibly too emotional at acting properly¡­¡±


    Amelie turned more and more red at those words.


    ¡°...I think it¡¯s clear that you¡¯ll be prioritizing humanity¡¯s survival first before your ideological goals.¡±


    ¡°It seems to not be the same to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, my dear young lady, Queen of a throne drenched in the blood of millions,¡± Sullivan smirked a bit. ¡°I am an ideologue. I will, yes, gladly shed the blood of millions for some lofty goal. Although I do not delude myself with false hope or optimism that I can truly bring about a better world, I try, Your Royal Majesty,¡± he hissed Amelie¡¯s title with disgust. ¡°But I am not as crazy as you paint me to be.¡±


    ¡°There are WMDs in Corinthia,¡± Amelie finally said as she crossed her arms. ¡°And you two are now trying to intimidate me not to do anything rash.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­heh,¡± Sullivan could only laugh. ¡°Somehow you know¡­¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t see the logic in this,¡± Amelie said. ¡°You two could have been more polite at least.¡±


    ¡°Politeness is the language of the ¡®civilized¡¯, Queen,¡± Sullivan replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t it soothing that your branding of us men have some merits? Regardless, you¡¯re right. Don¡¯t do anything stupid. We won¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°So what, I¡¯ll just let a WMD go off in my ally¡¯s capital and do nothing afterward?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°If the reports of the WMDs are true and the militants reach out to you with nuclear blackmail too, show it to the world. We will condemn it, publicly. And show evidence of them doing the same to us,¡± he winked. ¡°Then, if shit happens, we both have no reason to escalate. Because terrorists did it.¡±


    ¡°You two are not considering the millions of Latian citizens, soldiers, and my soldiers in their capital!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem,¡± Pyotr said. ¡°Make the decisions, girl. You wanted that throne so much. Make it worth it. Decide whether it¡¯s real or not. If it¡¯s a bluff or not. And whether you should agree to them, or let a Latian city disappear. Just don¡¯t involve us here. We hate them just as much as you do.¡±


    ¡°Quite frankly, considering how damning this scenario is, I have doubts you two have no ties to it.¡±


    ¡°And we have no obligation to make you believe our narrative,¡± Sullivan countered. ¡°Quite frankly, talking to you disgusts me. Your moral grandstanding is so blinding. You probably want us to kneel and grovel before your superior morality. But I am talking here anyway because I do not want Eirhow wiped off the map due to some incompetent lunatics in a shithole a continent away.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re too callous, Mr. Rimpler.¡±


    He just smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Two: Not One Wrong Step

    ¡°CFN forces have halted their offensive. In a stunningly surprising move, both President Sullivan Rimpler of the Federal Republic of Orland and Chancellor Pyotr Kerensky have condemned the coup plotters in the Latian Kingdom. CFN leadership is now also rumored to be engaged in ¡®sensitive¡¯ talks with the Orlish Royalist Government. These erratic policy shifts however remain confusing to outside observers, with experts warning that the Latian Coup ¡®may be more than just a coup¡¯.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Latia


    Corinthia City


    5th MEU


    C/3-1 Marine Regiment


    Moritz coughed and coughed as he tried to pick himself up. The world around him was on fire, and he could barely move. He tried to pick up his radio, but there was only an unrecognizable buzz on it.


    My men! He panicked. My men!


    He coughed as he tried to pick himself up. He looked at his left leg, however, as pain assaulted it. There were still small holes that smoked. And he could only wince and shout in pain. When he looked to his side, he saw one of his men, his body nothing but a bleeding, mangled corpse.


    Three Latian tanks on the road too¡ªall of them burning wrecks. Gunfire continued to pour in from the rooftops of the high-rise buildings, straight at whatever remaining resistance was left below.


    ¡°We need¡­¡± He tried to speak to his radio. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    It didn¡¯t work anymore. He tried to painfully pull himself into a sitting position near the rubble, as he looked around. The HMLVs used by his squad on the road were now nothing but a bullet-ridden wreck. He knew this would happen. He warned them. He knew that the officers who sent them here knew this would happen.


    And it became truly clear to him. He was powerless. He was utterly powerless. He was sent here to die, along with his mates. And he couldn¡¯t change it.


    He bitterly bit his teeth and prepared to take his pistol.


    If I¡¯m just going to die here. He looked up at the skies. Then so be it.


    But suddenly¡ªsomeone grabbed him. He resisted for a second before he was hit with a powerful cooling sensation. He looked back at who was dragging him out. It was a woman. She wore civilian clothing, but she had a kevlar body armor above her pink colored dress shirt. More importantly, she was armed with a gun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she shouted at him. ¡°I¡¯m getting you to safety!¡±


    She dragged him straight into one of the intact convenience stores that was left standing. Then, he was placed into the side of the wall, as she stood back up. Unable to move his legs, he tried to grab and cling to her to let him stand.


    ¡°My men are still there!¡± He said, trying to shake her. Almost as if he was asking her to help his men. ¡°Please! I can¡¯t leave them! Damn it, let me go back! Fix my legs, anything! And who are you even?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from the RIU,¡± she explained. She frowned, then kneeled to his level. ¡°I don¡¯t have much mana left, but alright¡­I can¡¯t help you about your men though¡­¡±


    She then checked his left leg. Cutting through his broken pants, she revealed a grizzly sight. Shrapnel wounds everywhere. Bleeding. And bleeding pretty badly. Her halo began glowing harder, as she plucked her wand and aimed it at his injuries.


    ¡°This is a new spell,¡± she warned. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be painful, but I need you to hold tight.¡±


    Moritz gritted his teeth, as suddenly dozens of sharp metal shot out of his wounds. He let off a guttural scream, as all of the wounds on his leg worsened. The bleeding became even more pronounced, and the woman almost panicked for a second, before she calmed down and levitated the shards of metal to the side.


    The glow on her wand changed from a light grey metallic color, into that of a soft, golden color as she chanted a different spell. Immediately, the bleeding started to cool off, and his veins and arteries stitched back together. Meanwhile, the holes in his wounds scabbed quickly and closed off.


    By the time she was done, it was almost as if his wounds were now at its final stage of healing.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± she breathed out tensely. ¡°I can¡¯t expend more energy on your wounds. Sorry.¡±


    He tried to move his legs. Immediately, Moritz decided to try to stand up.


    ¡°I need to get to my men¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! Stay there,¡± she pushed him back down. ¡°They¡¯re dead! Okay? Dead! Now just stay there. I¡¯m just waiting for the rest of my team, then we¡¯ll move out.¡±


    She took her gun and went near the store¡¯s glass door to look at the firefight outside. An explosion made her duck for a second. Moritz on the other hand stood up slightly to look outside through the glass windows. Nothing was left of their contingent. He returned to his sitting position, as he gave up. It was too dangerous outside, and no one was left.


    He picked up a box of cigarettes and lit it up.


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    ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡± Moritz asked. The woman sighed and looked away from the fighting.


    ¡°Florena Meyer,¡± she replied. ¡°Agent Florena Meyer.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that rose patch?¡± Moritz asked, eyeing the small patch on her holster. ¡°I hadn¡¯t worked with you RIU girls yet. I¡¯ve seen NID guys or AFI guys. Royal Guard folks too. But not your kind.¡±


    She just laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s just my team¡¯s insignia,¡± the woman named Florena said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even twenty, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m new to this war,¡± she said. ¡°But I¡¯m serving the Queen¡¯s vision now. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°Idealists,¡± Moritz scoffed. ¡°You probably believe all this crap means anything. Look at this shit. We''re both so dead in this nightmare. It¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± she said. ¡°The mission goes on. We''ll find out if it¡¯s true or not. I just need to wait. My friends should be close.¡±


    ¡°Mission?¡±


    ¡°Classified,¡± she sighed. ¡°But I suppose you¡¯re in on it now that you¡¯re stuck here deep inside enemy lines. Just don¡¯t ask too many questions.¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    ¡°You either stop this war, or the world will burn.¡±


    Marie played the encrypted, unrecognizable voice once more. The second time only made it even more chilling for Amelie.


    ¡°This has to be bullcrap,¡± William shouted. ¡°They just want us to get the fuck out of Corinthia so they blackmail us with this bullshit. There¡¯s no way they have on their hands, a damned nuclear bomb!¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s a possibility that they stole it from the CFN,¡± Amelie reasoned. ¡°They called us. It¡¯s the only possible reason. They know they lost a bomb, and now they¡¯re being threatened with this too. That must be why they concluded that there are WMDs in the city.¡±


    ¡°So are we going to just sit right now?¡± Nia asked. ¡°I think we should tell the OHC about this right now. And¡­stop sending troops to Corinthia. Maybe even commence civilian evacuations.


    ¡°Bad idea,¡± Marie said, as she played another audio file that was sent to them.


    ¡°None gets out of the city. A wink of retreat without meeting our demands, and consequences shall follow.¡±


    The playback ended, and Marie just sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, negotiating with terrorists holding a nuclear bomb isn¡¯t my expertise. Realistically, with these threats in mind, we have to¡­try our best to follow their words. We can¡¯t evacuate or retreat the troops in the city yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still going to phone General Albrecht to cancel any further deployments, air or land,¡± Amelie grimaced. ¡°Goddess¡­my marines down there. I can¡¯t just leave them in that city. They¡¯re knee-deep in the fighting.¡±


    ¡°General Albrecht isn¡¯t going to stop redeployments for no reason,¡± William said. ¡°He¡¯ll need to have a very good reason as to why he would have to reverse your previous order of taking the Prime Minister off from Kentro Palace quickly. And if we tell him that we have to do it because of nukes, he¡¯ll order an evacuation immediately.¡±


    ¡°Marie, do we have any secure communication lines with these terrorists?¡± Amelie asked, unease growing in her voice.


    ¡°Rose Team hasn¡¯t reported for eighteen minutes already,¡± Marie said. ¡°Lotus Team is still trying to either find the bomb or make proper contact with their leadership. These files they sent to us are one-way encrypted files.¡±


    A call distracted William. He immediately picked up his phone. For a few seconds, the room was silent as he talked to someone on the other line. When he placed it back in his pocket, he just frowned.


    ¡°Shit, they sent the same thing to us,¡± William said. ¡°To the OPM. Audio files too.¡±


    Amelie turned even more pale. She turned back to Marie.


    ¡°Marie, I need you to order your teams to establish communications with them faster,¡± Amelie said. ¡°If I have to, I will talk to them personally. I need to calm this down. There¡¯s too many people¡¯s lives at stake.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already working on tracing back where the file came from,¡± William reported. ¡°But that might take a few hours more.¡±


    ¡°And the same is true for my teams,¡± Marie said. ¡°Even with magic, both Rose Team and Lotus Team have limitations. Their morale must also be plummeting. They now have the task not just to find the nuclear bomb, but also to either communicate with the terrorists or defuse it. They¡¯re in a very bad and stressful spot.¡±


    ¡°If we send in a bomb disposal team from the OAF, it might take a few hours from our Levantine bases,¡± William said. ¡°We have to act now, see which avenues we can take. Negotiate, defuse, or a rapid evacuation. I imagine if the bomb has a dead hand system, there must be a timer before it detonates. We can¡­reasonably, evacuate the men from the 5th MEU by helicopters if we preposition them now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to warn again,¡± Marie¡¯s voice turned lower. ¡°We have no idea how much these bastards are watching our moves. Preparing the evacuation helicopters might get us in trouble.¡±


    ¡°But if we fail to negotiate, we¡¯d have to evacuate our people at least, in the event Lotus Team and Rose Team can¡¯t defuse it.¡±


    ¡°Millions of civilians will still die,¡± Nia said. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can evacuate them. It¡¯s either we negotiate them out of detonating it or defuse it.¡±


    Amelie buried her face in her hands.


    ¡°This is difficult.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is unprecedented. I don¡¯t think anyone in the history of this world ever had to deal with bullcrap like this,¡± William reassured.


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re getting ahead of ourselves,¡± Amelie reasoned. ¡°Perhaps we should just tell General Albrecht and Admiral Halberd now about it. They¡¯re level-headed people anyway. Surely, they won¡¯t just order a hasty withdrawal if they find out about it. Then we can have their help with doing the planning. Because¡­I¡­I don¡¯t know how to deal with this.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m also now leaning toward that idea,¡± William said. ¡°We still, however, run on the possible danger that they¡¯ll both just adamantly order a swift evacuation at once.¡±


    ¡°...Alright then,¡± Amelie turned to Marie. ¡°Marie, order them to focus on defusing the bomb. William, report this to the OHC and summon an emergency meeting. Then, we¡¯ll preposition evacuation helicopters in Levantine, all while stopping any reinforcements from coming in. And then¡­goddess¡­if we stop combat operations they might still notice¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I think that¡¯s the best we can do,¡± William said. ¡°Maybe¡­maybe Lotus and Rose Team can defuse the bomb. If not, we already failed. Best we can get our troops out fast.¡±


    ¡°What about the Lorathians?¡± Nia asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ll get in on the evacuation too once it¡¯s ordered,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Just¡­just do what I said, everyone. Then we¡¯ll discuss this further as the situation goes on.¡±


    Marie breathed in deeply.


    ¡°So I guess it all comes down to how the RIU can perform today, huh?¡± Marie shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want my girls to die from this nuke.¡±


    Everyone simply remained silent.

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Three: Negotiate or Die

    ¡°As equal monarchs, we have no reason to ever push the world to nuclear annihilation. Your throne will remain intact, and so will mine, no matter how this war ends up.¡±


    - Letter by Queen Areya Ludendorf to Empress Melaniya Illyenov.


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurrz


    November Palace


    ¡°We¡¯ve already suspected it,¡± was the gruff response from General Albrecht. The man just sat with a heavy breath inside the conference room. The rest of the Heiss Cabinet was now present, being briefed about the findings made by the OPM and RIU. ¡°We¡¯ve received the reports from the NID. I¡¯ve already arranged for bomb retrieval teams to get in on the job.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Wait, when did you find out?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen minutes ago,¡± General Albrecht answered. ¡°Admiral Halberd gave me the details. We¡¯re now planning on immediate evacuations for our marines and troops if need be. We¡¯ve already shared the information with the Lorathian High Command.¡±


    ¡°...Well, we¡¯ve known it for hours,¡± Amelie admitted. ¡°We were just¡­paralyzed.¡±


    ¡°Good thing, because this is a sensitive issue. It¡¯s nice then that we¡¯re proceeding to it cautiously. I assume the RIU has now begun acting?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marie said. ¡°I have two teams on site. They were the ones who discovered it. And they¡¯re now tracking where the bomb is to attempt defusing it.¡±


    ¡°Smart idea, Your Majesty,¡± General Albrecht smirked. ¡°Bold and ambitious. I like it. The AFI and the NID are unable to get deep inside of the battlefield at the moment. Too hot. Way too hot to insert our SOF guys for any mission.¡±


    ¡°My teams use magic,¡± Marie said. ¡°So they¡¯re overwhelming most opposition that tries to block them. The problem is they¡¯re taking too long. And I¡¯m not sure if they can get in close to defuse the bomb.¡±


    ¡°Have we tried talking to them already?¡± Jacqueline asked. ¡°Or is it just these audio tapes that we have?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only thing we¡¯re working on. Both my men and the RIU are still trying to crack into their networks to contact them. They seem to be disinterested in talks as of now. Or they¡¯re trying to make us anxious. Could be both,¡± William crossed his arms. ¡°Sucks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s extremely concerning,¡± Pristina said after she finished analyzing the documents presented to her. She looked at Amelie. ¡°I think we should already begin evacuations of everyone. Civilians, soldiers, you name it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°Ordering evacuations might trigger them to start the detonation sequence. The general plan I have is to buy time¡­both by not acting rashly on the field, and talking to them. We can do that while Marie¡¯s Rose and Lotus teams infiltrate the positions of the enemy. We¡¯ll stall them from detonating it, and then defuse it before they can even have a chance of pressing the red button.¡±


    ¡°How close are we to gaining contact with them then?¡± Walter curiously asked. ¡°Because I imagine there ain¡¯t no buying time without talking with them. And we¡¯re not yet talking to them. We¡¯re functionally screwed. We have no idea how close their fingers are from hovering to the big red button.¡±


    ¡°Should be a few hours away,¡± William answered. ¡°We¡¯re trying every route to communicate with them. Once something works, we¡¯ll have someone talking to them¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be doing it,¡± Amelie answered. ¡°I¡¯m the person they¡¯re looking for after all. I have to do everything then to make them calm down.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to do that?¡± Jacqueline asked.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± Amelie smiled bitterly. ¡°They want me to end this war at once, but that¡¯s a ludicrous idea. And I don¡¯t know anything about them. They¡¯ll probably talk to me using an encrypted voice so I can¡¯t even recognize or decipher who they are or their emotions. But I think they have a genuine reason to want this war to end.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± Jacqueline mumbled. ¡°I mean, everyone has good reason to want this war to end anyway. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re anything different. Except, they seem to want to escalate to de-escalate.¡±


    ¡°Crazies, but if you think about it, they sound kinda sane,¡± Walter chuckled. ¡°I mean, what better way to get the two superpowers to stop their bullshit project of killing millions of your people other than blackmailing them with nukes?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound sane at all,¡± Pristina countered.


    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯ll see,¡± Walter looked back at Amelie. ¡°We¡¯ll see how these people talk to us. And if they¡¯ll be able to see reason.¡±


    +++


    Latia


    Corinthia City


    Moritz and Florena continued through the destroyed city as the afternoon set in. Above them, Orlish and Lorathian jets flew overhead, dropping bombs that rocked Corinthia. They passed by a bunch of civilians who were attempting to get out of the business districts, but they were gunned down on the road.


    Moritz immediately pulled Florena down into cover.


    ¡°Get the fuck down, woman!¡± Moritz shouted at her. ¡°You rush too much. You¡¯ll get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°I have barrier spells!¡± the RIU agent insisted.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean jackshit if those heavy machine guns nail you,¡± Moritz then took a brief peek at the buildings occupied by the militants. ¡°There¡¯s probably two dozen of them out there. Are you sure your team is deep over there?¡±


    Moritz pointed at the wide highway ahead of them, and Corinthia¡¯s downtown. The high-rises and skyscrapers, coupled with the open area filled with abandoned or destroyed civilian vehicles, weren¡¯t exactly a hospitable environment for anyone to move into. But, to Moritz¡¯s surprise, Florena¡¯s team was already deep inside the city.


    ¡°They should be,¡± Florena said. ¡°The last communications I had with them told me to go to the ¡®Central Bank Building¡¯. And it¡¯s over there.¡±


    Moritz sighed and pulled out a map from his pocket. He checked it, and looked for the ¡®Central Bank Building¡¯. He peeked again and checked the buildings in front of them.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s over there,¡± Moritz said. ¡°How did you ladies even manage to get that deep into the city?¡±


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Florena, without warning, rushed forward. Moritz groaned and followed her, and the two moved through lanes and apartment blocks. They tried their best to hide and be out of sight, but they could hear roving militants walking around them. The two soon stopped and hid behind a dumpster, as they found four militants talking to three unarmed Latian soldiers.


    ¡°Hey, do you understand what they¡¯re talking about?¡± Moritz asked as he slightly peeked, his gun ready. ¡°That guy¡¯s preparing his pistol.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re asking those three why they dared to side with the Orlish Queen,¡± Florena frowned, as the militants began shouting. ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re going to execute them!¡±


    Florena exposed herself, her rifle aimed at the militants. One of them spotted the duo, and he immediately raised his rifle in the direction of Florena. But Moritz watched as Florena¡¯s gun glowed yellow. Four pulses of yellow light came out of her arcano rifle¡ªthe shots piercing the Kevlar armor of the militants without much resistance.


    Dang¡­even my rifle will take a few shots to get through those vests.


    Florena lowered her rifle as she jumped out of the dumpster, running straight into the disarmed Latian soldiers. She began speaking Latian to them.


    ¡°Are you guys alright? I¡¯m Orlish. Friendly,¡± Florena reassured, as she began cutting their binds. ¡°There, there¡­all good now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss,¡± one of the soldiers kneeled and almost broke down in tears. ¡°They almost killed us there.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have allowed that to happen,¡± Florena replied. Moritz, on the other hand, just awkwardly smiled at the Latian soldiers, unable to understand their language.


    ¡°Where should we go?¡± one of the soldiers asked. Florena¡¯s expression darkened as she replied.


    ¡°If you can, try making your way out of the city. But I don¡¯t know any safe routes out. Maybe you can hide it¡­but I wouldn¡¯t recommend it¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The last of the trio pulled the soldier who was asking the questions to Florena. He chuckled awkwardly.


    ¡°Actually, thank you miss,¡± he turned to his fellow soldier. ¡°Let¡¯s just go. They seem to have an important mission. We¡¯ll try to find a good route. Maybe regroup with our platoon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­that¡¯s a good idea,¡± the other soldier replied, before looking back at Florena. ¡°Good luck with whatever mission you¡¯re on, miss.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Florena replied, before turning back to Moritz. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    The two immediately continued, as the Latian soldiers resorted to looting the dead militants of their weapons.


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    ¡°Queen of Orland. You must negotiate a peace deal with the CFN immediately. If not, consequences will be clear, starting with Corinthia.¡±


    ¡°And why would you want to do such a thing to your capital city,¡± Amelie asked. The voice talking to her was empty. Neutral. Unrecognizable. All she could decipher was the person¡¯s words. ¡°You know¡­I¡¯ve had reports that your people have¡­a bomb, in the Latian capital. The capital of the same nation you claim to represent.¡±


    ¡°We represent the spirit of the Latian people, and of humanity. A city can be rebuilt. The soul of a nation cannot. This rot, and endless wars¡­it has gone far enough,¡± the audio glitched for a second. ¡°There must be extreme measures.¡±


    ¡°And that extreme measure entails wiping out a city inhabited by millions?¡± Amelie took a deep breath, as she tried to let her emotions flow. ¡°Mister¡­are you a guy?¡±


    ¡°My gender does not matter¡ª¡±


    ¡°But you are a guy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I said, my gender does not matter. I represent only the Latian people and humanity. I can be whoever you want to see me as. Because my interest is for all people.¡±


    ¡°And you do not believe the promises of the MN, or of the CFN to liberate your brothers¡­worldwide?¡± Amelie innocently asked. ¡°You feel the need, then, to thus¡­do this. Horrify the world. Push it to the brink. Just so you¡¯ll see a chance to break this unending, crushing, world order¡­isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°My ideological goals are only to end this Second Great War with the means available to me,¡± the man responded. ¡°Revolutionaries, reformists¡ªthey are blurred to me. They use their own people, of both genders, to be sacrificed into the bloody altar of their visions for the world.¡±


    ¡°And aren¡¯t you going to be the same? Do you really want to do this? To sacrifice all of Corinthia, the people inside of that city, just to prove a point?¡±


    ¡°This is the only means available to bring about even just a ceasefire. The world must know. It must face the true consequences of what we are doing to each other. We have detached ourselves and deluded ourselves to believe that we can just murder for land. When all sides have weapons that can glass this world we call home. There must be no winners. And that must be clear¡­when the world stops believing in the illusion of victory, and sees the truth of eventual annihilation instead. Peace. At last.¡±


    Amelie laughed, in a bit of a pained manner.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny, Queen of Orland?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­you remind me of myself,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°I really wonder who you are. You know, if only idealists didn¡¯t fall into cynical beliefs when their perfect world refuses to exist¡­we could have worked together to build that world instead. But what you¡¯re doing is succumbing to the worst of human tendencies. Calling it quits, and burning down everything because you didn¡¯t get what you want.¡±


    ¡°Then do you accept my deal or what?!¡±


    ¡°I will do my best, Mister or Miss Nobody. I will do my best. But please¡­understand. This isn¡¯t the right path for you to choose. I know the path I chose for the world I envision isn¡¯t the most correct one¡­¡±


    She took a deep breath.


    ¡°But know, that I wouldn¡¯t be the one who¡¯ll push the button for human extinction, even if it leads to the defeat of my ideals.¡±


    There was only silence on the other line.

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Four: Defuse or Die

    ¡°Comfort leads to delusion. Delusion leads to complacency. Complacency leads to the destruction of comfort.¡±


    - Lieutenant Dorothea Demea


    +++


    Latia


    Corinthia City


    ¡°Damn it! What the hell is she?¡± Moritz shouted in a panic. Another boom blasted through the walls at the side of the Central Bank Building. He panickedly sprayed his rifle in the smoke. Then, Florena jumped back out of the smoke, landing on one of the tables beside him. ¡°Hey, what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Duck!¡± Florena shouted, and Moritz complied. Suddenly, a black arrow nearly nailed him. The damned thing destroyed the wall behind him when it was hit instead. Florena on the other hand fired her gun at the figure that was dodging her shots. Naturally, Moritz joined in afterward, as he came face-to-face with the woman they were fighting.


    She seemed to be wearing a black cloak, armed with an enchanted compound bow. She charged another arrow, as electricity coursed through it. Aimed straight at Florena, the shot went fast, slamming straight into Florena¡¯s gun, which she had used to block the attack.


    This is why getting in a fight between combat mages is ill-advised!


    That pissed off the RIU agent, as she realized that her arcano rifle was broken. She suddenly took something that Moritz hadn¡¯t noticed. As was standard with a lot of Royal Guard and RIU personnel, it seemed that Florena had a blade tucked somewhere. When she drew it out, it immediately glowed into a golden hue for a split second.


    Then, Florena closed the distance.


    Moritz joined back into the fight, slamming a fresh magazine on his empty gun. He opened fire at the hostile woman the moment he had a chance. He suppressed her long enough that her next arrow narrowly missed Florena. It forced the unknown woman to use her composite bow to block Florena¡¯s blade.


    But it was immediately shattered. Moritz saw the unknown woman pulling out her wand. Then, she aimed it at the RIU agent. Florena naturally noticed that. She then blocked another pulse of light that badly damaged her sword with a blast. Moritz on the other hand somehow nicked the unknown woman¡¯s wand off with a lucky shot. The explosion silenced the interior of the bank, and Moritz found that Florena had been thrown a few meters away as a result.


    Shit! Militants!


    As if to reinforce the unknown woman, five masked men in tactical armor broke through the cracked glass panes of the bank. Moritz made a quick decision, pulling out a flashbang, and throwing it at them. Following Florena, he then jumped straight into the cover of one of the tables, as gunfire erupted.


    His flashbang then exploded violently, and the enemy¡¯s firearms ceased activity for a good split-second.


    ¡°Damn it! This sword was passed to me by my mother!¡± Florena complained beside him. Moritz barely had a chance to glance at her broken sword, so he quickly drew out his pistol instead. He tossed it at her.


    ¡°Whine about it later,¡± he coldly told her, as he raised his rifle at the attackers that were coming from him. He took a split-second to breathe deeply and calm his nerves.


    Burst after burst came out efficiently from his rifle. Each of them accurately found their mark on the necks or heads of the attackers. In three seconds, three militants were down bleeding on the bank¡¯s floor. On the side, Florena rejoined the fight, her pistol downing another militant.


    The last one, who started firing his gun wildly in panic, retreated straight into the staircases.


    They heard a womanly scoff. The unknown woman seemed to be hiding behind one of the corner walls.


    ¡°Sloppy unprofessional¡ª¡±


    ¡°Raise your hands up, asshole!¡± Florena shouted in Latian. She stood up, pistol aimed in the direction of the unknown woman. ¡°You have nothing now. Best you come out, hands in the air, or I¡¯ll blow your head off!¡±


    ¡°I thought I could sneakily put the two of you down.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, you lost. Now show yourself, or else!¡±


    Florena fired her gun twice. The woman immediately showed herself, her arms raised. But there was just a neutral smile on her face.


    ¡°Calm down, young lady,¡± the woman replied, before looking at Moritz as he stood up and aimed his rifle at her. ¡°And to you, Mister, I hope you¡¯re above shooting a disarmed lady in broad daylight.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate then,¡± Moritz replied. ¡°It¡¯s already almost night.¡±


    ¡°Orlishmen. Way too uncouth at times¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut your trap!¡± Florena pushed the woman facedown on the floor and immediately placed a bind on her hands. Her cloak came undone, revealing a brown-colored hair. Moritz kneeled near the side of the downed woman, as he curiously poked her shoulder with his rifle.


    ¡°So who the fuck are you?¡± Moritz asked


    ¡°You know nothing, little man,¡± the Latian woman mocked. She then tried to look at Florena, who had kept her pinned on the floor. ¡°And to you, Orlish lass, you and your little team are already too late. Your actions also show that the Orlish Queen has no plans to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Florena coldly pushed her head on the floor in anger.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Let me speak,¡± the woman chuckled. ¡°We have a deal with her. And she¡¯s breaking it. Look at me right now. Why shouldn¡¯t we detonate that damned bomb then?¡±


    Florena suddenly stood up and aimed her pistol at the woman¡¯s left leg. With a quick pull of her pistol¡¯s trigger, the Latian woman screamed. Even Moritz winced at the display, especially when Florena plugged her finger into the woman¡¯s gunshot wound.


    ¡°Continue speaking then!¡± Florena threatened. ¡°Where is the bomb stashed? How many bastards are guarding it? Speak, or I¡¯ll make this entire affair even messier!¡±


    She began twisting and twirling her finger, which led to the woman screaming further. Moritz on the other hand was just utterly confused. Florena had been panicking for a while now, especially with them unable to regroup with the rest of the ¡°Rose Team¡±. And she especially seemed even more mad when they reached the bank and it was just nothing but ruins.


    Without proper communications, deep inside enemy lines, and cut off from any friendly forces, Florena seemed to be turning desperate to Moritz¡¯s eyes. But now, she just seemed like she wanted nothing but to finish whatever mission she was given no matter if she regrouped with her team or not.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Florena shouted again, as she plunged her finger deeper into the gunshot wound. ¡°Tell me, damn it! I¡¯m not letting you lunatics blow an entire city. So you just speak up! Speak up damn it!¡±


    ¡°Screw yourselves, you bastards,¡± the Latian woman hissed. ¡°Latia will show the world the cost of its mistakes. And it will be glorious!¡±


    ¡°Hey, the fuck did she mean that she¡¯s blowing up this whole city?!¡± Moritz asked, now also panicking himself.


    ¡°They have a WMD in the city. My mission is to find it and stop it from detonating,¡± Florena angrily explained as she continued pushing her finger deeper into the woman¡¯s wound.


    ¡°And you already failed¡­at that¡ªwait! Ahhhh!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I failed huh? I failed?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Florena! We¡¯re here now!¡± A slightly cheery woman¡¯s voice shouted from behind. Moritz looked back. Four women from the RIU, all armed with various rifles, and all wearing tactical gear, rushed straight into their direction. The youngest woman however suddenly stopped. ¡°Wait, what are you¡ª¡±


    Moritz watched as three of the newcomer agents stared blankly at the psychotic mess that their team member created. The youngest and cheerful-looking one, seemed a tad bit horrified even. Florena on the other hand stared at her teammates in surprise, and then her face returned neutral.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Lotus Team is now fighting at the compound where the nuclear bomb is stashed,¡± the eldest woman of the four announced as she walked in their direction. She lowered her gaze at Moritz, who was still crouched beside the Latian woman. ¡°Are you from the Marine Corps?¡±


    ¡°Aye, Ma¡¯am,¡± Moritz replied, dazed. ¡°I am confused at what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re now exfiltrating,¡± the leader of Florena¡¯s team calmly said. ¡°Lotus Team should have everything under control in a few minutes now. If not, then it¡¯s best if we¡¯re out of this place already. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    ¡°They defused it,¡± Marie¡¯s brief report to the Orlish Cabinet led to everyone breathing a sigh of relief. On the other hand, Amelie watched as the communications between them and the CFN finally shut down. Both President Rimpler and Chancellor Kerensky had fully gone cold after that one confirmation.


    I guess¡­they just talked to us to deal with this.


    ¡°So Lotus Team won?¡± Jacqueline asked, as her smile grew. ¡°We¡­we avoided it? No nukes are going off in Corinthia, right?¡±


    ¡°The bomb is still about to be disarmed by our bomb disposal teams,¡± General Albrecht calmly said as he entered the room. ¡°Congratulations, Director Wittfield. The RIU proved itself as valiant heroes today.¡±


    Marie on the other hand just breathed out deeply, clearly also under extreme pressure herself. Amelie watched as her friend looked at her mother, Anne, who just gave her daughter a gentle, congratulatory smile. Even Marie¡¯s expression finally relaxed at that.


    ¡°Thank you, General Albrecht,¡± Marie said. ¡°I¡¯m just happy that I haven¡¯t lost a single RIU agent today. Except for the four who were badly injured.¡±


    ¡°We already have them in priority medevac,¡± General Albrecht reassured, as he turned to the rest of the cabinet. ¡°Well, ladies and gentlemen. Congratulations. We avoided nuclear annihilation for another day. Pat yourselves in the back. We¡¯re going to live slightly longer.¡±


    ¡°Not that there was a chance anyway,¡± Walter said, as he smirked. ¡°In fact, now, we know that the CFN also almost pissed their pants at this whole fiasco, we have a major problem solved. It¡¯s been the greatest mystery for us. Figuring out where their leadership stands when it comes to nuclear annihilation. Well, look at this. They ran to us the moment they realized that ¡®Oops, we might have pushed too far.¡¯ This¡¯ll give us much strategic leeway next time in our responses.¡±


    ¡°Be careful with that thinking,¡± Pristina placed her water bottle back on the table. ¡°We must remain careful when dealing with WMDs when the CFN is involved. Just because the lunatics were spooked and they tried talking, does not mean they¡¯re above being actual lunatics. They probably only did this because they too are still unprepared.¡±


    ¡°Now, the next question we have is clearing up Corinthia,¡± Amelie announced. ¡°Even if we decapitated the leadership and removed the nuclear bomb of the enemy, they still have active militants and coupist soldiers occupying the city. We still haven''t evacuated the Prime Minister from Kentro Palace.¡±


    ¡°Her defenders are on their last legs,¡± William cynically said. ¡°It seems like Kentro Palace¡¯s defenders have now been pushed to the final streets before Kentro Palace itself. And Kentro Palace is now being shelled with mortars and artillery. Mostly mortars. There¡¯s also a few tanks attacking them.¡±


    ¡°The 5th MEU has been held back and delayed,¡± General Albrecht crossed his arms and frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve also received reports that the coupists have somewhat entrenched themselves already in their positions. We¡¯d have to authorize heavy ordnance bombing from the Air Force to get things done.¡±


    ¡°Goddess¡­¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°And¡­and do we have enough strength to execute another attack to get to Kentro Palace?¡±


    ¡°You did make us redirect all of our forces away from Corinthia,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°Admiral Halberd reported that the Marine Corps is now ferrying elements of the 7th and 10th MEU to Corinthia. But that¡¯s going to take until tomorrow. Again, maybe we can. I think the 5th MEU still has the strength to push. If we bomb the hell out of the path to Kentro Palace.¡±


    ¡°Are there a lot of civilians still on the way?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± General Albrecht replied. ¡°Anyway, I should say, regardless of what happens, we¡¯d have to do what we have to do anyway. They¡¯ve taken over the downtown, the business areas, residential areas, you name it. We¡¯re going to have to bomb the city to the stone age for the next week anyway if they refuse to surrender and we have to retake it by force.¡±


    ¡°Well then,¡± Walter crossed his arms as he turned to Amelie. ¡°What¡¯s your priority then? Civilians, or the Prime Minister and her government?¡±


    Amelie felt herself stuck. She resorted to the last tool that she knew that worked. She looked at Marie.


    ¡°...Hey, can you get their Prime Minister, at least, out of Kentro Palace?¡±


    ¡°My girls can¡¯t pull out her entire staff and peers,¡± Marie replied. ¡°But maybe we can get the Prime Minister out.¡±


    ¡°Then do it.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Five: We Survived, For Now

    ¡°Kentro Palace is finally retaken by Orlish Marines after dozens of hours of heavy street-to-street fighting. The rest of Corinthia however remains in a state of chaos as MN forces mop up the resistance. Hundreds of coupist forces have also laid down their arms at last, but militants and remnants are continuing their resistance. With the Latian Government secured, and Orlish and Lorathian reinforcements funneling into the city, Corinthia is expected to be liberated in a few days.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    August 30, 2025


    The situation room was now filled by the Ministers of the Heiss Cabinet. The past few days have been extremely stressful for all members of the Orlish Government. Especially Amelie. But alas, it seemed that the bad situation was nipped in the bud at the very last second¡ªcourtesy of the Royal Investigations Unit. And so, the air today was more relaxed.


    The worst scenario had been avoided, after all.


    ¡°It is quite impressive,¡± Jacqueline declared. ¡°But also extremely worrying. I think we should consider how we will respond next time to non-state actors attempting to use WMDs. Somehow, a damned militant group managed to push us closer to nuclear annihilation than the CFN.¡±


    ¡°Well, the CFN are a bunch of spineless cowards it seems,¡± Walter laughed, as he looked at Amelie. ¡°I suppose our fears are overblown in some ways. We can be more aggressive in the next phase of the war.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to conduct offensives, yes,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But I¡¯m not authorizing anything too damning. And our offensives will remain focused on stabilizing our frontlines in Kusari and the Valken Region.¡±


    ¡°Operation Citadel is badly disrupted,¡± Pristina frowned. ¡°But I suppose Operation Eastern Jade can proceed nicely. I¡¯ve already sent a lot of the assigned KDUs to the region. And they¡¯re preparing. Night and day.¡±


    ¡°Same with the Air Force and Marine Corps,¡± General Albrecht declared. ¡°We are around forty percent ready to start this massive operation. Admiral Halberd and Chief Air Marshall Zimmerman are also both working on planning the tactical minutiae of the Hebeian Sea Operation. They want a decisive battle at least. Enough to defang the Hebeian Navy. The same way we defanged the Larissan Imperial Navy last year.¡±


    ¡°Ambitious,¡± Amelie commented. ¡°But I hope you¡­consider the safety of¡­of¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no shame in saying it, Amelie,¡± General Albrecht nodded. ¡°I think everyone in the Navy and the OAF wouldn¡¯t want your older brother to be killed in combat either. I¡¯ve heard many already in the Admiralty secretly advised him to not be onboard the ONS Rebenslof. But your brother is adamant. Where the Rebenslof goes, is where he goes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that necessary,¡± Amelie muttered. ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Correct. It isn¡¯t. Your brother¡¯s leadership had already fully yielded its results anyway. The officer staff, the personnel, and most importantly, the Rebenslof¡¯s air wing are capable on their own. They¡¯ll be able to execute the battle well even without him. And that is the master class of military leadership. But regardless, he¡¯s going to be there. You have to understand that some flag officers really will want to live on or sink with their men. Your brother is that type of officer.¡±


    Amelie crossed her arms and looked to her side, a bit annoyed.


    ¡°I get it, but I¡¯ve been¡­endlessly telling him not to,¡± she breathed out. ¡°I have only two people in my life that I call family. If that¡¯s reduced to one¡­¡±


    ¡°We understand,¡± Jacqueline smiled softly. ¡°Losing your own family in war is a¡­damning position to be in. But then again, I think that gives us all the more reason to end this war faster. Maybe if we fast-track the reforms of the Kingdom, we¡¯ll mellow out the Federalists¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility,¡± Walter stated. ¡°But, a possibility I will not bank on. You might mellow out President Rimpler, but there¡¯s a growing cadre of hardliners in their government. And they¡¯re straight up calling for the usage of WMDs on Orlish soil to ¡®redeem Orland¡¯. And it¡¯s the same in the Larissan Confederation. The recent losses haven¡¯t given the ¡®moderates¡¯ in control much credibility.¡±


    ¡°Of course it won¡¯t,¡± Amelie mumbled. ¡°Every time we inflict losses on them, they seem to just get worse and worse. Look at us. We¡¯re calling the people we called ¡®extremists¡¯ as moderates now.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be fair,¡± Walter chuckled. ¡°Radicalism and extremism are relative. Humans can be quite dreadful creatures. And the mind and its ideology can become worse over time. It¡¯s only natural.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯ll be the same result that we¡¯ll get if we win in the two planned operations,¡± Pristina shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s beyond concerning.¡±


    ¡°Concerning is underselling it,¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°Just because we evaded that disaster does not mean we¡¯ve stopped our journey of diving face first into the worst scenario.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Hey!¡± Alice was now in front of Amelie¡¯s desk. The Princess of Orland had her cheeks puffed, arms crossed, and she was pouting. ¡°I knew it. You didn''t sleep last night. And the last night before that. Why? That¡¯s very bad for your health!¡±


    Amelie just gently laughed in response to her little sister¡¯s tirade.


    ¡°Alice, I¡¯m going to sleep later, okay?¡± Amelie reassured. ¡°Don¡¯t you have studies to attend to?¡±


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    ¡°But I was asking about you not sleeping, Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but now I¡¯m asking about your studies.¡±


    The girl paused, as she started thinking about Amelie¡¯s answer. She dropped her annoyed expression and was about to answer before she frowned again.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re trying to trick me. I said why didn¡¯t you sleep?!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Amelie shook her head, as she felt her eyes sag a little. ¡°I had to deal with some heavy things in the last few days. Lots of coordination and organization with the folks on the ground. Very necessary for the Kingdom, okay? I had some naps here and there, so I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried¡­¡± Alice mumbled. ¡°A-and what about Albert? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be here soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Rebenslof docked yesterday to rearm and repair,¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°He should be here soon. But, look, understand that he¡¯ll leave again within a week.¡±


    ¡°Back to fighting?¡±


    Amelie smiled a hint of melancholy on her face.


    ¡°Unfortunately. Your older brother is way too stubborn.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll give him a piece of mind when he arrives¡ª¡±


    ¡°What was that, Alice?¡± a man¡¯s voice interrupted the two. The door to her office had opened, and the man who entered was none other than Albert. Still clad in his white naval officer¡¯s uniform, he removed his cap and smiled at both Amelie and Alice. ¡°I¡¯m back, everyone!¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re back,¡± Alice stopped, as her eyes started to water. Suddenly, she ran straight into Albert¡¯s hands, half crying as she started punching him lightly. ¡°Albert! Albert! I was so worried. You always keep getting into stupid, stupid fights. What if that ugly ship you¡¯re in is sunk? I heard so much bad news!¡±


    Alice continued crying, as Amelie just watched from her desk. Albert¡¯s face darkened a bit, and he patted the girl¡¯s back. She naturally soon melted into her older brother¡¯s embrace. Amelie and Albert soon looked at each other. And for a second, Amelie could see a brief trace of guilt from him.


    But it disappeared quickly, as Albert turned back to the tearful girl.


    He held her shoulders, as he smiled.


    ¡°Well, but I¡¯m back, in one piece,¡± Albert said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be fine. Just like back then.¡±


    ¡°But you could have been hurt.¡±


    ¡°But I am not hurt.¡±


    ¡°Lies! You have one eye left,¡± Alice pouted further as tears streaked down her cheeks. ¡°I know you do not need to be fighting anymore. Why don¡¯t you just listen to big sis? She¡¯s the Queen, right? You don¡¯t have to fight. I don¡¯t want you to fight. She doesn¡¯t want you to fight¡­¡±


    ¡°Alice, I still have a duty,¡± Albert explained. ¡°Trust me, once this war is over, I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be back here longer, and I¡¯ll get to tour you around in nice places more. But for now, adults have to sort out this mess. And just as Amelie is doing her best to sort it out, I¡¯m the same. Okay?¡±


    He wiped her tears a bit.


    ¡°It¡¯s not okay¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re trying to make sure everything will be okay,¡± Albert finished, as he patted her head. ¡°So that when you¡¯re of age, everything will be okay. You¡¯ll have a bright future. You, and all children like you. That¡¯s my duty.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s unfair¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not unfair. If I don¡¯t go, that will be unfair. Every adult in Orland has to fight. In their own ways. That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Then what if you get hurt again?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Albert reassured. ¡°I survived so far. We will survive going forward. I promise you.¡±


    Alice and Albert hugged each other again, as Amelie sighed on her seat. Naturally, Amelie made no comments so far. And from what she could tell from Albert¡¯s eyes, he appreciated it.


    +++


    Alice was soon deep asleep in the sofas of Amelie¡¯s office. Amelie and Albert were still discussing some family matters when they noticed that their youngest sister had fallen asleep. Albert smiled a bit.


    ¡°Been a long time since I got back here,¡± he shook his head. ¡°You took good care of her, it seems.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Amelie replied, as she took a bite of the biscuits they were sharing. ¡°...Alright, let¡¯s get to the point. Albert, you know things will only get more and more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I suppose. You guys nicked a nuke,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Close call. Really close call. But very impressive. You know, you should give all of those RIU agents some nice medals. They saved the damned world. That¡¯s honestly some great achievement.¡±


    ¡°I will give them all of that and some more. But that¡¯s not what we¡¯re discussing, Albert. Stop. I want you to stop. You can stay in the navy but in a more domestic post.¡±


    ¡°And I have explained to you, no. My men, they¡¯re important to me. They¡¯re going to a massive battle of life and death. They¡¯re my brothers. I lived my life with them. I cannot leave them on the high seas without me watching over them. They¡¯re my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°...And I respect that,¡± Amelie weakly mumbled. ¡°I¡­respect that. I always respect that. And I will always let you go¡­there. But, don¡¯t you see? She¡¯s¡­she doesn¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, she doesn¡¯t. But I can¡¯t let that block me from doing my job. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s reply was bitter.


    ¡°...That¡¯s cold but¡­alright.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Albert frowned. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve aged five years already.¡±


    Amelie groaned.


    ¡°Shut it. I¡¯m going to fix myself tomorrow. Just took a few days with overtime because¡­because of problems, obviously.¡±


    ¡°Sucks to be the Queen, huh?¡±


    ¡°But it has to be done,¡± Amelie replied adamantly. ¡°Because it¡¯s my duty. A massive crisis happened. And I cannot fall from my post when anything can happen at any moment. That¡¯s just all I did. Just because things worked out now, doesn¡¯t mean I should be complacent.¡±


    Albert smiled, as he took his mug. There was coffee in it, and he drank it as he relaxed on his seat in front of Amelie¡¯s desk.


    ¡°We¡¯re not too far off, really,¡± Albert said. ¡°Sure, you¡¯re not yet risking your neck on the line. But don¡¯t you think you¡¯re already doing the same by leading this Kingdom no matter the toll it takes on you?¡±


    Amelie looked down at the snacks she prepared for herself and Albert.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± she then looked at the flag of Orland beside her desk. ¡°We survived, yes. But I have to make sure we all survive going forward. Yeah¡­I guess¡­you¡¯re right. You have to make sure your men in that ship survive. Just as I have to make sure that Orland will survive. For our future.¡±


    This war is still a long journey.


    Amelie sighed.


    That¡¯s why I need to break the stalemate soon.


    Before survival becomes impossible.

 Epilogue (The Great Stalemate—Volume Four)

    The more things changed¡ªthe more they remained the same.


    On all fronts, all Great Powers, old and new, found themselves in the same global conflict they had just exited. No more different than the last. The great alliances were at war. The frontlines solidified. And millions were now about to perish in a conflict no one knew how to stop.


    On the Gallian¨CPozneki front, the situation had been stabilized.


    The demilitarized zone was now once again, the new battleline. The same place where the war started months ago. Orlish, Lorathian, and Gallian forces, side-by-side, were now fighting to shape the frontlines for a possible future offensive. Entire Pozneki cities and Gallian border towns had been evacuated.


    Meanwhile, bombs, artillery, rockets, and missiles from both sides constantly rocked the blood-soaked lands, as casualties now reached the first half million of the war. Both civilian and military.


    On the Valkenite front, Latian and Constanian troops remained in their trenches. The frozen, mountainous, high-altitude terrain of the Valkenite front was a horror for the two Kingdoms and the Coalition of Free Nations. Here, armored fighting was limited. Tanks and vehicles were too vulnerable in the frigid, rough, and hard-to-traverse region.


    The Latians and Constanians however were outnumbered and outgunned. Their desperation to hold on was only answered by the Orlish and Lorathian Air Forces in the skies. Their air strikes and denial of CFN air cover for revolutionary offensives were the only things that the two sister Kingdoms could count on.


    Yet casualties remained in the hundreds of thousands for both sides.


    In the Hebeian front, the Empress had called for her forces to retreat and dig in. Ginzhu Province had fallen into the hands of the Northern Republic once more. The once shining city of Ginzhu was now nothing but ruins, its destroyed spires and skyline only a reminder of how many times the gigantic East Vaeyoxan coastal city changed hands.


    Barely any civilians were left in the destroyed megalopolis. Even the soldiers of the Empire who wanted to resist for as long as possible had fully surrendered. On the frontlines, however, the situation remained the same. Gunfire and heavy artillery ruled the wide front, manned by nearly a million soldiers on both sides.


    On the coasts, the Orlish Navy and Asanaian Navy battled the North Hebeian Navy continuously. A night when the Hebeian Sea wasn¡¯t lit up by missiles was a night that didn¡¯t exist. Entire cities of millions of people were being reduced to rubble. Casualties now ranged above a million for both sides. For there could only be one sun that may rule the Celestial Realm.


    Down on the Kusari subcontinent, the flower of Orlish youth, young women in the Royal Guard¡¯s Knight Detachment Units, continued battling the waves of CFN invaders side-by-side with their Kusari allies. Orlish Marines on the ground, supported by Asanaian Imperial Army units were dug in for heavy fighting in front of Rajabad, the Empire¡¯s capital. The same was true in the Kusari front. Sky-high civilian casualties, both military and civilian.


    And in Amelie¡¯s lands¡ªthe Orlish Civil War raged on. The combined force of Orlish Royalists, Arkelian military, and Lieplatzan Royalists still struggled to resist the endless tide of Federalist assaults. On the Federalist side, desperation was rapidly becoming the norm. Besieged and surrounded at all sides, defeat wasn¡¯t out of the possibility.


    And just the same with all other fronts, casualties were sky-high. Civilian and military.


    And thus, truthfully, to the average soldier. Everything remained the same.


    +++


    A Gallian soldier watched the DMZ from his guard post silently. The frontlines today were silent, somewhat. The skies were pitch black, but the horizon itself was slightly lit up. He was huddled with another one of his buddies, both of them hiding beneath a makeshift foxhole.


    He listened to the distant cacophony of sporadic gunfire. Even the occasional artillery blasts. But here, in his area of the frontline, there was calm. And his buddy seemed to like that calm. He was sitting silently beside him, smoking his cigarette while reading what appeared to be a pocketbook.


    The Gallian soldier sighed and lowered his head. He placed his rifle to the side and took his box of cigarettes too. He lit it up, joining his comrade in indulging a bit to pass the time for his boredom. But unlike his buddy, he wasn¡¯t a book person. What he did have was a magazine. A magazine for various luxurious houses and properties.


    ¡°You planning to buy that one day?¡± his buddy asked with a chuckle.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± he replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever have money for it.¡±


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s unfortunate. You know, I bet all those fancy-pants houses are destroyed by the war anyway.¡±


    ¡°...I wonder what it¡¯s like living in one of them though,¡± the Gallian soldier muttered. ¡°Just¡­a nice silent property. Where you can live alone in solitude. None of this nonsense.¡±


    ¡°After this war, we¡¯re going to break our bones working to death. Only to get a shoebox apartment,¡± his buddy chuckled. ¡°You remember back during the Great War. When they said if we win, things would change?¡±


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    ¡°Nothing¡­we¡¯re just here again.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    The Gallian soldier stood up again and looked at the distant frontline. To this day, even after that victory, they are back here.


    Nothing really will change.


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    November 6, 2025


    Amelie had just finished a speech in front of the November Palace.


    It was a standard one. She called for unity amongst the Orlish people. She called for the peaceful surrender of the Federalist rebels. She called for international cooperation between the Mandate of Nations. And she called for the CFN to de-escalate the situation. Of course, when she spoke to the cameras and microphones, Amelie knew that her speech wouldn¡¯t change much.


    Yet, she did it anyway. Everyone must be reminded that this war should be ended. One way or the other, the war must end after all. Even if none on the other side listens yet, I have to remind them. We can still have peace if they lay down their arms. She continued walking back toward the palace.


    ¡°The ONS Rebenslof and Strike Force Seven have now departed for the Pardan Ocean,¡± William reported, as he followed Amelie from behind. ¡°The OHC has also given us the report that Kusari and Hebeian forces have now, albeit temporarily, stabilized the frontlines. All enemy offensives had been halted.¡±


    ¡°That means the CFN are licking their wounds,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°Not exactly the best development, since it means they still threaten the Kusari Empire¡¯s capital, but I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± William nodded. ¡°The frontlines¡­are really static right now.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°We have to break it before it solidifies fully,¡± William said. ¡°Even after Operation Eastern Jade, I think we have to continue our momentum. Keep attacking. Just like the CFN. Even if it costs us too much manpower and equipment losses.¡±


    Amelie sighed, as they finally entered the palace. She then turned around to face him.


    ¡°Are you sure about that, William?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Because as far as I can tell, looking at the grand strategic picture¡­we¡¯re fragile if we lose too much.¡±


    ¡°Amelie, I¡¯ve taken a look at the scenario already,¡± William replied. ¡°Across all fronts, our forces are becoming more and more dug-in. More and more demoralized. More and more¡­stretched to their limits. At some point, both sides will be sapped of too much strength, that it will freeze the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°I knew that already. We¡¯ve been in that situation already for months.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but at least, we built up some stockpiles to launch an offensive,¡± William placed his back on the wall. ¡°You¡¯re the Queen. You have to be more proactive in the war as well. Give more nudges to the OHC. I changed my mind from the cautious approach consensus that we had.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The Corinthian crisis,¡± William frowned. ¡°Seeing it play out made me realize the gravity of now letting this turn out like the Great War did.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So yeah, we have to break the stalemate, absolutely,¡± William declared. ¡°I am staunchly in support of that idea. And we have to take the initiative fully. That¡¯s why, in the coming months, we have to be the one in the constant offensive. Retake Kusari land. Then retake lost South Hebeian land. Then push hard into Poznek. Then we¡¯ll try to make a southern punch from the Valken front, and invade the Confederacy.¡±


    ¡°What about here?¡±


    ¡°Same thing,¡± William replied. ¡°We should punch the Federalists off from their occupied zones in the Grand Duchy and the Free Confederation. Then punch them off from Archduchy. Keep the tempo on, and press on them. And then, shower them with diplomatic assurances.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡­to make them surrender.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± William frowned even more. ¡°Because Amelie, if they do not surrender within the next year or so, they¡¯re going to be more unlikely to surrender in the year after that. And in the year after that. And so on. And if they do not surrender, they will take the nuclear option out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­but we¡¯re not yet ready for a nuclear exchange.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fast-tracking it anyway,¡± William shook his head. ¡°But I digress. We should now do the unthinkable. Push them to the utter limits, then get them to raise the white flag. I think that¡¯s a more reliable possibility than hoping that our nuclear defense program can save us.¡±


    Amelie breathed in deeply, and she looked down.


    ¡°You know, I wonder again, William,¡± Amelie mumbled. ¡°Do you still believe in me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± William answered. ¡°What kind of question is that? Of course, I believe in your ideals. Even more now. I¡¯ve been with you through most of your triumphs and defeats during this entire charade.¡±


    ¡°...You were.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± William smiled. ¡°And that¡¯s why, even when things have gone down the gutter¡ªI believe in you, Amelie. I may sound cynical, but all of this is just done to advise you. To finish the great cause you and I and everyone supporting you believes in.¡±


    Amelie turned back to him.


    ¡°Even when¡­at this point, almost nothing has been fixed, and the world is only getting worse?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± William nodded. ¡°You promised the world the light of a good future. Well, I tell you what, the world may be burning, but it¡¯s always the darkest before dawn. And I for one want nothing more than seeing that light at the end of the tunnel you promised everyone.¡±


    ¡°...Alright,¡± Amelie¡¯s determined smile returned. ¡°The work continues then. I¡¯m going to get to another meeting with the OHC.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Queen¡¯s spirit I was looking for.¡±

 Prologue (Volume Five—A World on Fire)

    Federal Republic of Orland


    State of Ludendorf (Occupied)


    November 18, 2025


    In the distance, the war continued. Gunfire, artillery, rockets. All of them continued their endless barrage on the lines of both the Federalist and Royalist sides. Through the rough ride of the Presidential convoy, it was clear that the war was long from being over.


    But, down here, in one standing village in the sea of destroyed Orlish towns and settlements, there was peace when they arrived. And for the first time, as the snow from the early Orlish winter began falling¡ªit would be the place where two leaders met at last. Two leaders of one divided nation.


    President Sullivan Rimpler wasn¡¯t exactly hoping for any development from these talks. When he exited the armored APC he was on, he eyed the distant gazes of Royal Guard troopers in the distance. They were elite girls, Sullivan knew. But that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d easily fold all because they were there.


    He continued onward straight into the Arcanist monastery. Sullivan wasn¡¯t exactly keen on worshipping or even respecting the churches of the Arcanist faith. To him and most revolutionaries, it was a religion only for the magical. Sure, these many Priestesses preached for good, even for men like him.


    But the reality was that they looked down, fundamentally, on him. To the Arcanist church, all men bore the ¡°original sin¡±. Hence, why, only women were pure enough to be born with magic. Of course, the church doctrine called for women to remain ¡°pure¡±, free from sin, and use their magic for the correct things. But all of it was bullcrap for Sullivan.


    They only used that narrative to make themselves look morally superior.


    And since they were born without sin, and more pure¡­surely, they wouldn¡¯t be able to be as ¡°evil¡± as men like him. It made it easier for them to get away with their crimes.


    He hated the monastery in front of him. Almost all men hated them. It was why his airmen barely regarded the rules surrounding religious sites. Even if they believe in the Goddess and her ¡°path to eternal salvation¡±, they were dirty creatures rejected from day one. If there was a goddess, then to Sullivan, all men had no interest in worshipping her.


    If anything, it would be a satisfaction to challenge her and bomb her prized holy sites.


    Yet¡­


    ¡°It is an honor to have you here, Mr. Rimpler,¡± the young Priestess smiled and bowed a bit. ¡°Her Majesty and her delegates are waiting inside. I hope this day is one of peace and dialogue, in front of the altar of Her Holiness.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sullivan wanted to bite back and insult her in front of his men. But he merely nodded and walked past her. There wasn¡¯t much of a protection for Sullivan down here. The only real protection he had was the fact that they had already directly threatened the Eutstadt Government with full-scale nuclear retaliation should they conduct these talks in bad faith.


    Not that he expected the Queen to pull out a suicidal stunt anyway. She was here too after all. Both of them, both leaders of the two warring sides, had a direct interest in keeping these proceedings hush, safe, and quick. And so, when he entered the room where the Royalist delegations were in, he went straight for his seat.


    He gave the main figures inside the room a glance. There was the Queen herself in the middle. She almost stood up when Sullivan went through the door. But she sat back down. Beside her was the leader of the enigmatic ¡®Office of Preventative Measures,¡¯ Director William Porter. Sullivan knew who the young man was before getting that position. JTF-Ludendorf, the same command that stopped his quick war plan, was something he regarded with a level of hate.


    And of course, there was the Royalists¡¯ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adelaide Wallenstein. She seemed to be relaxed in her seat. By the time Sullivan and his delegation sat down, silence reigned between the two sides. Sullivan of course sat right in front of the Orlish Queen.


    And the two stared at each other for a while in stone, cold, silence.


    Until he watched the Queen, strangely enough, grace him with a smile.


    ¡°I hope you had a safe trip, Mr. Rimpler,¡± she extended her hand. ¡°Rebel or not, I believe you are one of my subjects. I am happy that you made it here safe and sound.¡±


    Sullivan eyed her hand for a while. He found it quite curious. He watched this Queen, this young naive, way too idealistic woman, many times already. And he watched and watched the way she spoke. In a way, he understood why many men would be swayed to side and fight for her. Even now that she was speaking to him, her sworn mortal enemy, for some reason, Sullivan felt his cold heart thaw from her voice.


    There was warmth in her voice. She wasn¡¯t just telling him those words as, nothing but empty business-like blabber. She probably meant it. But Sullivan had already grown old and jaded at everything. A woman being kind was something he had seen many times already.


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    It¡¯s a trick. Always a trick. Sullivan reminded himself. Because if they even gave a crap about us, they wouldn¡¯t have tormented us this much.


    ¡°I hope we can have a cordial conversation, Mr. Rimpler,¡± the Queen continued. Sullivan however just stared at her extended hand. ¡°I want to talk to you and all rebel leaders. I want¡ª¡±


    Sullivan took her hand and shook it firmly.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s talk,¡± he then retracted it and rested her back on his seat. ¡°Alright, so what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Simple,¡± Amelie frowned. ¡°Mr. Rimpler, I understand you do not like the Kingdom. I understand that you and all¡­rebel forces, you, Federalists, are hoping for good changes in the land¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t aim for changes. We aim to destroy the system from its roots and plant a new one on its corpse,¡± Sullivan declared. ¡°And you, you represent that system, Queen. You should go. You should be the one being asked to surrender. Not us. You say you want to change things. But you only want it if you and your ilk can stay in power. Then you¡¯ll throw a bone at us to appease us. Then you¡¯ll pat yourselves on your back.¡±


    His sudden outburst silenced the Queen. He watched as her eyes faltered at those words, and how she looked down briefly. There was a smug satisfaction that briefly emanated from Sullivan. He had not faced this woman directly yet. But this time, the first time he truly met her.


    He lectured her like the child that she was. Just a childish, spoiled young woman, that Sullivan believed deserved to never even have the power to rule a nation-state.


    ¡°I want change for the nation, Mr. Rimpler,¡± the Queen mumbled a bit. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­I do everything to get to that point. I just want the horrors of this world to end.¡±


    ¡°It will end if you just surrender.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a lie, and you know that, and everyone in this room knows that,¡± she replied, her voice now taking a firmer stand. ¡°You and your Federalist forces have committed so many grave crimes against this Kingdom. Willingly, and in retribution. Retribution, Mr. Rimpler. Retribution. I may find your cause sympathetic, or something that I want. Something I support. But retribution? Even if you can twist it as justice, can I, the Queen of this land, allow some of my subjects to enact retribution against their fellow citizens?¡±


    ¡°You still see us as nothing but your subjects.¡±


    ¡°And that will remain true so long as Orland is my Kingdom and I¡¯m on this throne,¡± Amelie breathed in. ¡°Mr. Rimpler, you make the mistake that just because I call you my subject means that I look down on you. No, to me, it means that I have the responsibility to serve you and get you the best life you deserve. And that¡¯s true for all Orlish citizens. Rebel, royalist, whatever¡ªall of them are my subjects, and they deserve a good life, and justice. That¡¯s the Kingdom I want to build. You may disagree with the idea of a monarchy, or of the current system. But I want to build a more human face for Orland¡¯s system. Because that¡¯s my responsibility and duty for my subjects.¡±


    ¡°I am not surrendering out of nowhere just because you said all these nice things,¡± Sullivan laughed. ¡°I can say the same to you. That my revolution is all about equality for all and justice for those who have been crushed by the boot of the magical class. Because that¡¯s what this is. The Federal Republic is just the manifestation of the will of the silenced. The class of men who had been given not even a decent life, or a voice on this Kingdom. The lower class, fighting back against you¡ªthe blueblooded nobles.¡±


    Sullivan expected a hot comeback from the woman. In fact, he relished finally being able to say these things, these words that he could never throw at them, on her face. And watch in real-time how this stuck-up Queen would react. The matriarch of all matriarchs. The face of the system that had crushed him and his brothers for centuries.


    He enjoyed it. It was¡­liberating. Almost catharsis. To strike back. To bite back. To show her, directly, the horrors that she and her ilk had created. The horrors they benefited from. And how he, and all Federalist revolutionaries, would be the ones who would clean it all up. He wanted it all. To watch her face the crimes she represented.


    But no comebacks came.


    ¡°I see then,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°You and I are simply fundamentally opposed in that case. I can¡¯t do anything about that, to be honest. And proving myself otherwise is too hard to do quickly. All of the plans I have¡­need real peace first. And it needs time. But, I still want to reach out to you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Peace,¡± Amelie pleaded. ¡°Can we get there, one day? Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not in a month or so? But I want to ask, directly from you, the leader of the Federal Republic. Would you consider it?¡±


    ¡°I can ask the same from you¡ª¡±


    ¡°And if I am in your position, cut off from the world, besieged, with all of my people now mobilized for the fighting just to have a chance, I won¡¯t drag things to a bitter, bloodier end,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll lay down my arms and surrender. I have made it clear many times. I will never throw a tantrum if I¡¯m the one losing, and threaten nukes and other nasty weapons. We¡¯ve had enough. I don¡¯t want such a horror to befall the Orlish people.¡±


    Sullivan crossed his arms.


    ¡°I have no intention of giving away anything from the Federal Republic. This revolution will go on until the bitter end. Whatever that bitter end may be,¡± he watched her gulp. ¡°Do you want us to get to that point?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then surrender.¡±


    ¡°I cannot do that. Not until I can guarantee the safety of the Orlish people.¡±


    ¡°Then we might just get to whatever ¡®the bitter end¡¯ means,¡± Sullivan shook his head. ¡°What did I even expect from you.¡±


    ¡°And this is exactly why I am greatly worried,¡± Amelie¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°None of you are fighting anymore for a vision of a better world. All you want¡­is retribution.¡±


    The room turned silent. Internally, Sullivan gritted his teeth as he prepared to deny it.


    Now, it was Sullivan who had no comeback.

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Six: The Kingdom Endures

    ¡°Major clashes continue in the Gallia¨CPoznek borders. Four Pozneki towns near the former DMZ had been captured by Gallian and Lorathian forces after days of constant fighting. While no major operation has yet to occur, both sides are seemingly subjecting each other to constant heavy shelling and local assaults and counter-attacks. Most likely, these are the shaping operations underway before the next major battle, with analysts suggesting a possible push by MN forces against the currently weakened CFN forces in Poznek.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    November 20, 2025


    ¡°So we¡¯re going to Hebei?¡± Nia asked as she sliced the piece of roasted chicken on her plate. William on the other hand dunked the juice on his plate, while Amelie silently tapped on her phone. She placed it to the side of the table and resumed eating as well, as Nia continued. ¡°And in what, two days?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Amelie replied as she took a fork of the meat on her plate. She enjoyed the nice taste. It was well-roasted to perfection. The chicken¡¯s breast was still somewhat juicy, and the skin was seasoned nicely. Courtesy of the Palace¡¯s cooks. Amelie had greatly cut down on eating fancy stuff, but a nice chicken here and there certainly helped her morale.


    Especially in between major meetings between the Heiss Cabinet and the Orlish High Command (OHC).


    William placed his cup on the table, and relaxed on his seat, already finished eating.


    ¡°Gonna be a bit of a risky trip,¡± William warned. ¡°Though, I believe Empress Xue has positioned a lot of air defense near Yanhai City. But¡­it¡¯s a foreign expedition, and there have been¡­attacks of the Global Restoration League on Yanhai City itself.¡±


    ¡°That again¡­¡± Nia turned a bit pale. ¡°...Ugh, I¡¯m starting to really fear for my life here. Those people are way too damned threatening. I still feel like a dead woman that only luckily escaped death right now after Rastwurst.¡±


    ¡°Well, we learned a thing or two from Rastwurst anyway,¡± William tried. ¡°¡­Somewhat. I¡¯ve given a few of my OPM boys these LAW-82s. Some¡­light anti-tank recoilless weapons. Should punch into any of those fancy power armor if need be. I¡¯ve retrained and reorganized all four platoons of Salvo Company too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°I did see the guys from Anchor Platoon preparing those¡­anti-tank weapons. I think they had a dozen stashed somewhere?¡±


    ¡°More than a dozen, actually,¡± William replied. ¡°Anyway, Anchor Platoon is the heaviest armed one, so they get the most of the LAW-82s. Effect Platoon has none, since they¡¯re my close escort platoon with you, and they¡¯re more public-facing. But all members of Salvo Company have been armed with the new Mk-15 grenades, designed by the OPM.¡±


    ¡°A new grenade?¡± Amelie raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Yes. The nutheads designed it to somehow have enough explosive capacity to damage their armor, or at least, heavily disorient them,¡± William shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, it isn¡¯t for the prissy ones. It¡¯s basically a slightly smaller satchel charge. So if you see one throwing one of those bombs, well, eh¡­duck immediately low on the ground.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really help raise my confidence in living through another attack,¡± Nia groaned. ¡°Now my chances of dying to friendly explosives are higher.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we gotta try,¡± William countered. ¡°And as it stands, should the worst happen, at least we¡¯ll have a big explosion that we can throw at ¡®em. That should get them to stop shooting at us quickly. And if not, Theresa is hard at work training the HMSD with newer spells and techniques. Including Alpha Squad, which will be trailing closely behind Amelie at all times too.¡±


    ¡°That helps, I suppose,¡± Amelie said, as she returned to her food. Suddenly, an aide opened the door to the room they were dining in. She immediately reported something politely after bowing.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the cabinet meeting has finished their recess,¡± she reported. ¡°They¡¯re all returning to the conference room, alongside our military officers.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Amelie replied, as she sped up eating. ¡°Tell them we¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Regardless of what anyone says,¡± General Victor Albrecht grinned as he stood in the middle of the conference table. ¡°We triumphed, ladies and gentlemen. For now, we have fully repulsed all Federalist offensives against us. Both in the Archduchy, the Free Confederation, and the Grand Duchy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s commendable,¡± Defense Minister Pristina Dubois smiled. ¡°The OAF has performed nicely once again.¡±


    ¡°And, the Royal Guard has been helping greatly for that,¡± General Albrecht admitted. ¡°I should especially note the valiant action conducted by the 8th Knights Detachment Unit at holding out on critical positions in Southern Westlauren recently. That¡¯s alongside the mixed-gender brigades that we¡¯ve deployed over there. Quite frankly, it¡¯s a beautiful sight.¡±


    Amelie nodded.


    ¡°Finally. Our efforts have started to bear fruit. It¡¯s lamentable that both Orlishmen and Orlishwomen would now die for the Kingdom. But at the same time, it is progress,¡± Amelie declared. ¡°Now, we will have more available manpower at the front. Have we also started finally rotating out badly spent soldiers?¡±


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    ¡°Yes,¡± General Albrecht confirmed. ¡°Many of the soldiers that had already been fighting for a year or more have finally received their first rotations out of the front. We already drafted approximately four hundred thousand young women and trained them heavily for frontline duties. And they¡¯re trickling in to replace badly depleted or fatigued units.¡±


    ¡°That should help with our forces¡¯ morale,¡± Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss smiled. ¡°That might significantly change things soon. If we can reach the point where our soldiers are constantly finally being given enough rest, then we¡¯ll have more motivated forces for defense and offensive operations.¡±


    ¡°Are we not yet planning to do anything about the stalemate at our home?¡± Health and Social Welfare Minister Allison Thell suddenly asked. ¡°It¡¯s nice and all that we¡¯re finally¡­making some progress, but it seems that all of our upcoming offensive operations won¡¯t be to liberate our brothers and sisters, but other countries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a necessary strategy,¡± Deputy Prime Minister Walter Plock firmly said. ¡°The Queen and the OHC are correct in the idea of fighting overseas while containing and whittling down the Federalists. Besides, even with this progress, we¡¯re still not going to be capable of actually pushing them back in any significant manner.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate,¡± Allison turned more somber. ¡°Orland itself keeps bleeding. I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m starting to feel¡­not good about the length of the war in our home. Too many people are dying and getting injured. And my Ministry has to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s our updated tally anyway on military and civilian casualties?¡± Amelie suddenly asked.


    Everyone looked at Allison. After all, while the OAF technically kept the most up-to-date tally of military casualties, it was the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that tracked both civilian and military casualties in accurate weekly counts that she would routinely publish.


    Allison breathed in softly, as she pulled out a folder. Then, she read out loud its contents.


    ¡°Currently, our civilian deaths have reached¡­four hundred twenty-two thousand killed. There are also eight hundred fifty-eight thousand that have been wounded, or sick,¡± Allison frowned. ¡°And¡­and as of now, nearly half of that figure is still at our hospitals, clinics, and treatment centers.¡±


    ¡°...So it rose by nearly, what, around a tenth of the previous figure?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°How did that even happen?¡±


    ¡°Mostly because of the offensive in the Free Confederation,¡± Allison said. ¡°They¡¯re using a lot of deep air strikes and missile strikes against our densely populated cities there. And while the military¡¯s air defense is successfully keeping them off from military assets and critical infrastructure, the enemy is being petty by targeting residential areas.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same in the Archduchy,¡± Pristina fumed. ¡°Those bastards have been at it for the last two months. I guess it¡¯s not enough that they completely demolished Thein, my crown jewel. They also have to demolish every other smaller city in the Archduchy. And for what? Revenge? It¡¯s sickening.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re trying to cover our population centers as best as we can,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit difficult when the enemy goes on a full SEAD and air offensive. They start breaking things in our defense networks when that happens. Then we have to de-prioritize cities close to the frontline in favor of defending critical areas. Military HQs, supply depots, railway and rail stations, and power plants.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°But I think because of this, we should start seriously considering the full evacuation of all settlements¡­at what is the maximum distance of most of their long-range fires?¡±


    General Abrecht took a while to respond, checking the tablet he was holding.


    ¡°Most of their tactical missiles, which they spam in the high thousands each month, are capable of reaching three hundred kilometers on average. It¡¯s a bit of a growing trend. Last month, they fired around one thousand two hundred various tactical missiles. This month, they¡¯ve already reached one thousand four hundred missiles fired on the twentieth day.¡±


    ¡°Which means their capabilities are only growing,¡± Economic Minister Anne Wittfield crossed her arms. ¡°Does this mean that we need at least two thousand interceptors each month?¡±


    ¡°Yes, roughly,¡± General Albrecht nodded. ¡°Alongside a thousand tactical and cruise missiles monthly to sustain our counter-fires missions.¡±


    ¡°What are we mostly targeting anyway?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Most of our attacks are directed at their supply lines and communication lines, alongside tactical applications on the frontline itself,¡± General Albrecht replied. ¡°But the Federalists are¡­a different breed. They seem to dedicate a good portion of their attacks on our civilian centers no matter what.¡±


    ¡°They want to sow terror and retribution,¡± Amelie concluded. ¡°That¡¯s all that I can gather from this.¡±


    ¡°Most of our sophisticated air defense equipment is being placed in West Orland,¡± Jacqueline sighed. ¡°The rest of the country is still somewhat aching. I¡¯m already getting under pressure from members of parliament who represent our eastern principalities. They want more air defense coverage for their people.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t do that,¡± Anne shook her head. ¡°West Orland is where our new and online production bases are. And where most of our population now lives, even if temporary. A massive portion of the air defense budget should always be spent on West Orland because this place is what¡¯ll win us this war.¡±


    ¡°And thus, we¡¯re treating the east as a frontline to be sacrificed,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I can¡¯t say I agree with this. But¡­yeah, realistically, most of our air defense will be focused in the West.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be fair, most of our medium-range and tactical surface-to-air missile systems are defending the east, they just get consumed faster,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°In the West, the problems we face aren¡¯t cruise missiles or SRBMs and MRBMs. It¡¯s IRBMs and maybe ICBMs one day. The long-range ballistic missile types. Usually, they fire it on us with conventional MIRV payloads.¡±


    ¡°And how are we faring against that?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°So far, they¡¯ve fired four hundred IRBMs on our western cities,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­over the course of the war. And we¡¯ve had a ninety-eight percent intercept rate so far. The few that managed to land, well, we allowed them to land in uninhabited areas.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting our anti-nuclear defense capabilities tested at least, no?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Yes. Quite frankly, what they¡¯re doing is practically the equivalent of tossing nukes at us. If this was any other war, it would have escalated to nuclear warfare at this point,¡± General Albrecht sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no way for us to know if the IRBMs they¡¯re throwing at us are nuclear-tipped or not. Except for the fact that the AFI and NID are in constant contact with the OIA on underground channels. The general agreement between us is that once they fire IRBMs and we detect them, we will contact them, and they¡¯ll say ¡®no nukes there¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Weird,¡± Adelaide frowned. ¡°The only diplomatic contact we have with the CFN since the start of this stupid war is backchannels that are only used to say, ¡®We¡¯re not firing nukes yet¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s something,¡± Amelie said. ¡°It¡¯s something that¡¯ll keep this Kingdom living on another day. And while I¡¯d like to open more official communications with them, we should maintain this one at all costs. We can¡¯t go lower than this.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Seven: The Celestial Empire

    South Hebei


    Yanhai City


    November 22, 2025


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Amelie groaned as she settled on the lounge of their hotel room. ¡°That was a long flight. I feel like crap.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you do look like crap,¡± Nia commented as she smiled. ¡°Up for some fixing?¡±


    ¡°Later, later,¡± Amelie looked at the bags placed on the table. She then began sifting through the piles of files and documents in one of the bags. ¡°I need¡­some more reading for the upcoming meeting tomorrow. Ah! Wait, hmm¡­actually¡­¡±


    She walked straight into the windows, then, to the balconies. In the distance was the afternoon skyline of Yanhai. It was a massive coastal metropole that somewhat rivaled Ginzhu before the war. Of course, Yanhai, to Amelie¡¯s knowledge, while more ¡°populated¡±, was poorer on a per capita basis than pre-war Ginzhu, which was a true economic center.


    That didn¡¯t mean that Yanhai¡¯s central business district in the far distance was any less impressive. The temporary seat of the Celestial Empire still seemed to be a respectable city. And to Amelie¡¯s knowledge, a well-protected one. Though, probably nowhere close to Eutstadt or other cities on Orland¡¯s west coast.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°Do you think it¡¯d be awesome if we could run around the city? I¡¯ll get William to escort¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you have a sudden brain fog, Amelie?¡± Nia asked as she kept her smile up. ¡°Or has the existence of the Restorationists finally stopped bothering you? Because for me, I definitely am still bothered by it.¡±


    Amelie slacked and groaned.


    ¡°Ugh¡­I swear¡­¡± she pouted and looked at the city¡¯s skyline. ¡°I can¡¯t even go to any place I want anymore. I just want to check out a Hebeian City at last. And I can¡¯t even do it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on a diplomatic mission.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but not until tomorrow. I guess I¡¯ll just have to settle on ordering food,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°Oh, actually, please order a lot of it. I intend to drown my tears by eating.¡±


    ¡°That seems standard of you now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have to cope somewhat with having even my basic freedom of movement restricted. So, please! Get me some fine Hebeian food!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on it then.¡±


    +++


    The next day, Amelie and William, alongside Adelaide, arrived at the current seat of the Hebeian Government¡ªthe Yueliang Palace. It was the secondary residence of the Hebeian Imperial Family, similar to the November Palace¡¯s status relative to the Ivory Palace in Orland. Unlike in Larissa however, the proceedings were very much elaborate and ceremonial.


    Amelie and her crew had to practically follow the ceremonies and cameras, alongside the nearly scripted meeting between the two heads of state, alongside the diplomatic envoys of both sides. It took hours of cameras, handshakes, and endless discussions. Finally, Amelie secured what she was aiming for.


    A closed-door meeting with Empress Xue Li.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re fine, good friend,¡± Empress Xue respectfully said as she sat on her seat. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last properly met, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amelie nodded. Then, she smiled at her counterpart. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that we¡¯re still both somehow alive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long road to this point. But I¡¯m afraid the path forward is still even longer. We¡¯re not even a year into this global conflict yet. But we¡¯ve already been in so many close calls,¡± the young Empress shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s worrying. I¡¯ve been trying to enact more reforms in the meantime, but¡­there¡¯s the situation at the frontline.¡±


    ¡°Same¡­I¡¯ve been trying hard on that aspect too¡­¡±


    Empress Xue¡¯s eyes suddenly shone with interest.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I heard that you¡¯ve just changed one of the founding acts of your Kingdom,¡± her voice was tinged with much excitement. ¡°Tell me, is it working out well?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­well, yes. I suppose,¡± Amelie was a bit unsure. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting a lot of local administrators into changing their management. Appointed a lot of new officials on Orlish Principalities. A lot of legislative nonsense is being rolled back. A lot of discriminatory practices are being banned. And¡­yeah, we¡¯re organization for wartime defense too under the State Protection Act.¡±


    ¡°I still need more protective equipment for my citizenry. I loathe to imagine the consequences of people dying from another chemical attack. I¡¯ve so far prioritized people living near the frontlines. We¡¯ve been distributing a lot of protective personal equipment. Though¡­it¡¯s just usually gas masks.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we¡¯ve been doing relatively the same,¡± Amelie admitted. ¡°Until actual suits are mass produced at literally hundreds of millions, it¡¯s just gas masks and filters. Alongside awareness campaigns. And lots of nerve agent antidotes¡­¡±


    ¡°I have only enough antidotes to cover eighteen million people. It¡¯s not even close enough to manage a full-scale freakshow.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re that far off. Unless the enemy sends their entire arsenal at us, I think the numbers we have should be sufficient to reduce civilian casualties on the frontlines. We already conduct city-wide drills in Orland to reduce the casualties should it happen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough¡­¡±


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    Amelie sighed. Of course, Empress Xue would be extremely anxious about it too. Hebeian cities had larger populations than Orlish metropoles. A chemical strike straight into a Hebeian population center would yield multiple times the casualty of a similar attack sent to Orlish cities. Yanhai alone for example had nearly twice the population density of Eutstadt.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make do,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡­really can¡¯t help a lot until next year about this.¡±


    Empress Xue shook her head.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t push yourself too much. We¡¯re doing our measures regardless. I¡¯m just saying¡­because, I think you can understand,¡± her eyes became a bit moist. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­getting tired? Have your subjects you were born to lead and protect be slaughtered like sheep?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But¡­I have to stay strong. Orland cannot expect anything less from its Queen. The nuclear crisis in Corinthia only hardened my conviction. I cannot¡­make a mistake now. I have to do everything to remain levelheaded and deal with the problems ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°About the offensive,¡± Amelie proposed. ¡°Operation Eastern Jade.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± the Empress raised her head. ¡°I am¡­working on that. Losing all those territories has been utterly disastrous to us. To the Empire. And to the war effort. We¡¯ll do everything to reverse it¡­and¡­and relieve pressure for Kusari.¡±


    Amelie smiled apologetically.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I apologize that we can¡¯t actually do a full-scale counteroffensive in your lands yet. And the best we can do is use you for a diversionary attack.¡±


    ¡°No. Orland helped us a lot. As your ally, we have to do our best to help each other. Ultimately, Hebei will be worse off if Kusari collapses. So if we have to waste¡­thousands,¡± her voice cracked a bit. ¡°Yeah¡­send thousands of my people to an awful offensive to help them¡­then so be it. Just¡­my country expects that to be reciprocated soon. We want to retake the North and attempt to end our civil war at once. So please¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s the same with us. But, again¡­we have other priorities for now. Don¡¯t worry. One day, we¡¯ll get there. We¡¯ll move in and launch a full-scale offensive to retake your country and liberate your people. With Orlish guns and boots.¡±


    Empress Xue smiled at that proposition.


    ¡°Thank you then,¡± she said. ¡°As for the preparations¡­well, we should be around two-thirds done. We have our divisions already pre-positioned. The Asanian armored brigades have also been prepared. I¡¯ve also received the first copies of our plan for the offensive in Ginzhu.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­good then,¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°As for the naval support?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m getting the ships of the Imperial Hebeian Navy rearmed and repaired for the fight,¡± her tone became more disappointed. ¡°However¡­again, I can only send four guided missile destroyers and six guided missile frigates. The Republic took most of our Navy and Air Force¡­as you well know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why Orland and Asanai will be covering that part of the equation.¡±


    ¡°Good then,¡± Empress Xue raised her hand, and then Amelie shook it. ¡°We don¡¯t even have a deal. We just work together. I like it.¡±


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t transactional,¡± Amelie said. ¡°We¡¯re in this together, as sisters.¡±


    Empress Xue smiled and pulled Amelie into a hug. Which Amelie reciprocated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s win this war and fix things.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Amelie patted her back. ¡°I have your back.¡±


    +++


    They were now outside of Yanhai. Straight into one of the bases used by the Hebeian Imperial Army to intercept missiles. It was a brief inspection, with Amelie, Wiliam, and Empress Xue checking out the donated missile stockpiles from Orland. They soon left the major storage building and then checked out five M570 MLRS platforms outside.


    Two of them seemed to be armed with Orland¡¯s Tactical Strike Ballistic Missiles (TSBM), which was Orland¡¯s mobile tactical ballistic missile mounted on both naval ships and, in this case, the tracked M570 MLRS.


    Then, the last three were only armed with the quadruple mounted Astral 22 Missiles, also a tactical ballistic missile that was designed for a shorter range. Hence why there were four of them that could be launched from the two missile pods. It could reach five hundred kilometers, so it was still good.


    ¡°Now this,¡± Empress Xue pointed at the M570s. ¡°We¡¯ve been receiving a good amount of them. Last month, you shipped us¡­forty of these things. Unfortunately, we¡¯re running out quickly of the TSBMs and Astral 22 missiles. We¡¯re gonna need a few hundred of these missiles if we want the offensive to succeed.¡±


    Amelie quickly noted that down. She nodded.


    ¡°Ah¡­well¡­¡± her voice was a bit reserved. ¡°You see¡­the problem is, we really can¡¯t spend much. Hundreds is a bit ludicrous. I believe that¡­maybe we can send around fifty of the TSBMs¡­and maybe two hundred Astral 22 missiles.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re still opening two new major plants for the production of hopefully dozens of Astral 22 missiles daily for example,¡± William frowned. ¡°That should¡­raise our Astral 22 missile production to around one thousand four hundred monthly¡­but only in December will the two new plants finish their preparations. Right now, we¡¯re only churning out seven hundred twenty Astral 22 missiles monthly.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­we do have stockpiles,¡± Amelie said, looking at William. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Our stockpiles are pretty deep. Around two thousand Astral 22s,¡± he nodded. ¡°Alongside around eight hundred TSBMs. But remember¡­we¡¯re dealing with attrition rates in Orland itself. If the enemy launches another offensive and sends hundreds of these ballistic missiles, we¡¯ll have to retaliate. It¡¯s also our main way of stopping their offensives. By bombing the crap out of their supply lines.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s unfortunate,¡± Empress Xue sighed. ¡°I was hoping for at least eight hundred missiles. My generals want to create good opening salvoes for the offensive. We have a hundred and twenty M570s. We were envisioning an opening barrage of four hundred Astral 22s, and twenty TSBMs. That¡¯s supported by six hundred Xefing-18s and Xefing-20s from our locally produced arsenal.¡±


    ¡°And¡­you have your targets already?¡± Amelie asked.


    Empress Xue enthusiastically nodded.


    ¡°Yes. Absolutely. We¡¯re mainly targeting barracks, air defense installations, supply and maintenance depots, HQs, and ammo storage areas. Unfortunately, the enemy is projected to intercept fifty to eighty percent of that opening salvo.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­that¡¯s the problem,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°Hence why a few hundred extra missiles can hopefully tip the balance more,¡± Empress Xue begged. ¡°I believe those that get through will devastate them for a few hours. Then we can charge in with our ground forces while they¡¯re in a state of chaos. Should things go well, we¡¯ll recapture Ginzhu and establish a defense line before they counterattack.¡±


    ¡°Hence, reducing your casualties,¡± William finished.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s ultimately my goal,¡± Empress Xue admitted. ¡°I can do it without more missiles¡­but, I am appealing to your kindness, Amelie.¡±


    Amelie turned to William.


    ¡°Alright¡­can you¡­uhh, try talking to the eggheads in the OHC? Tell them I need to divert more missiles for Empress Xue here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± William replied. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if I can get them to move missiles already assigned for mission-critical operations in Orland.¡±


    ¡°Just try it. Maybe we can squeeze some more,¡± then Amelie turned to Empress Xue and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll check on you next week to see if we can ship them in short order.¡±


    ¡°Thank you again. My country appreciates this greatly.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Eight: Shaping Operations

    ¡°Royalist forces clash again with Federalist troops over the L?t¨CWuringen Axis today. Casualties run high, with thousands of troops dead while Royalist forces mobilize for mobile defense operations. Heavy shelling of approximately forty-thousand shells from both sides was recorded, alongside the launches of nearly three hundred or so ballistic and cruise missiles on tactical and strategic targets, most originating from the Federalists.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    Empire of Kusari


    Near Rajabad


    November 28, 2025


    6th Marine Regiment


    A Company/2nd Marine Battalion


    Corporal Oakley Fried was peacefully snoring in his seat. He truly felt that he was somewhat in heaven for now. There was pure silence. Pure darkness. And he was dreaming about what appeared to be a beautiful¡ª


    ¡°Wake up, dumbass! Hey! Hey! We¡¯re Oscar Mike in twenty minutes!¡±


    Oakley jumped at the violent shouts. He was being shaken quite vigorously by his friend, Corporal Timmy Huppert. Oakley wanted to almost punch his friend, but the marine simply groaned and pulled down his camouflaged boonie hat.


    ¡°Well give me two more minutes then, asshole,¡± he shot back. ¡°I was in the best part already.¡±


    ¡°Best part? What the heck are you dreaming about?¡±


    ¡°Something I won¡¯t ever attain,¡± giving up, he resigned himself and removed his hat. He then rubbed his eyes a bit as he sat upright. ¡°Fine, fine, damn it. Ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°There we go,¡± Timmy grinned, then, he looked outside of their High Mobility Light Vehicle (HMLV) and shouted at someone. ¡°Ay, sarge! He¡¯s awake.¡±


    Their team leader, Sergeant Mark Higgs, shouted back from outside.


    ¡°Oh thank heavens. Get that moron out here. And you too. We¡¯re going to grab those extra ammunition and AT tubes. I ain¡¯t riding out naked!¡±


    ¡°Aye, sarge!¡± Timmy replied, looking back at Oakley, who was still drinking water. ¡°Hey, you heard him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Oakley replied, as he closed the lid of his canteen. ¡°Damned¡­I barely slept last night. And this bullshit happens.¡±


    ¡°Come on, bud,¡± Timmy laughed. ¡°You still ain¡¯t used to that? No one¡¯s going to rotate us out of duty. Not at least until they figure out how to get recruits for the Marine Corps.¡±


    ¡°Whining about it makes me feel better.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, mate.¡±


    Oakley yawned one last time. Then he finally stood up and left their HMLV.


    The two of them immediately rejoined their sergeant, and they proceeded to the supply depot. Boxes of ammunition alongside four LATPM-12s were handed to them, and Oakley had the pleasure of being the one tasked to carry all of the four ATGM tubes. Thus, with two of them slung on his back, and two more on both of his hands, the trio walked back to their parked HMLV.


    It was a pretty quaint and silent neighborhood. They were right beside the road, covered by the tree line. Only a few HMLVs of A Company were ahead of them, all of them belonging to 1st Platoon like him. Soon, however, two of the ICV-24 Stryders used by 3rd and 4th Platoon dashed on the road.


    It¡¯s going to be a long damned day again.


    Within twenty minutes, they had all finished their preparations. Immediately, Corporal Jerry Kazper, their driver, pushed their HMLV ahead of the pack. As usual, Oakley was on the machine gun. He held his gun with a calm breath, as their group of vehicles dispersed themselves.


    They soon parted ways as they reached the flat plains ahead of them. Craters, mostly filled with water, littered the greenery. And he could see that their driver was being extremely careful about it. Oakley listened intently on their platoon-wide comms. Their Lieutenant ordered them to treat any targets ahead as hostile.


    Alright.


    He doubted there would be any civilians left here anyway. The wartorn region had been badly demolished for the past few weeks. There should be nothing left. What he expected to be ahead of them would be a few hostile squads that watched over this sector.


    ¡°Stay frosty everyone,¡± Sergeant Higgs shouted from below. ¡°Take your targets. Stay calm. We got drone support.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sarge!¡± Oakley, Timmy, and Jerry all replied at once. Their HMLV drove straight into one of the dirt roads that led to the village ahead. The first shots of the day finally opened up. Two explosions nearly blanketed both sides of their vehicle. But it was pretty weak and somewhat distant. Most likely it came from a mere mortar.


    Still, it was enough to make Oakley lower his head. Soon, he could see bullets streaming out of the foxholes and trench lines that dotted the village ahead of them. Oakley steeled himself, grabbed hold of his machine gun, and began littering down lead downrange. He couldn¡¯t exactly properly see who he was aiming at. He also had no idea whether his gunfire was even hitting anyone or not.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    But he kept it on. Below him, both Sergeant Higgs and Timmy were opening fire with their rifles. Bullets began pinging their HMLV¡¯s plate armor. Oakley lowered his head slightly in response, using his machine gun¡¯s shields as cover.


    Ah, damn it!


    He spotted something that drove out of the village¡¯s entrance roads. It was a tracked PMB-2, a Larissan IFV. It was supported by a wheeled BTP-2 as well. Both of their autocannons were opening fire on the HMLVs from 1st and 2nd Platoon. But they weren¡¯t aimed at their vehicle yet. Oakley heard their Lieutenant ordering them to focus on the enemy armor on the radio.


    ¡°Stop the vehicle!¡± Oakley shouted as he lowered himself. ¡°Timmy, give me one of those LATPMs!¡±


    ¡°Gotcha brother!¡± Timmy replied. He hastily set aside his rifle while their HMLV pulled into a hard stop. Then, he took one of the AT weapons and handed it to Oakley''s waiting hands. Oakley climbed back up to his firing position and aimed his LATPM straight at the active PMB.


    Come on. Come on! Take that lock, damn it!


    A burst of bullets out of nowhere nearly forced him down, but he managed to fire off the missile from his weapon¡¯s tube. It immediately rose to the sky and zoomed straight into the Larissan PMB. Another AT missile streaked from an HMLV that was parked a few meters from them, striking the enemy BTP.


    By the time it was done, however, two of their friendly HMLVs had been shredded. Their marines had already dismounted, some of them dead and injured.


    ¡°Damned Larissan bastards!¡± Sergeant Higgs shouted. ¡°Keep moving, Jerry. We¡¯re going to try and overrun them!¡±


    ¡°Copy, sarge!¡± Jerry replied. At once, Oakley felt their HMLV zoom forward. Around them, the various vehicles of A Company also joined, all of them charging straight into the lone village. When he returned his hands to his machine gun, he watched as dozens of enemy soldiers began climbing off their positions and running.


    Oakley grinned, as he pulled the trigger. They wouldn¡¯t be able to escape this time.


    +++


    ¡°Ow! Wait, wait¡ª!¡±


    Oakley couldn¡¯t stop shouting and whining as a healer mage carefully extracted the bullet stuck in his shoulder. The battle earlier was short but hard fought. Unfortunately, he had been nicked by a rifle round while he was going ham with his machine gun. The woman treating her, a fellow from the Royal Guard that he didn¡¯t even know, seemed disinterested as she placed the bullet in a tray.


    Her hand glowed again briefly, as she closed his wounds. It felt warm, itchy, and painful. The entire process of her pulling out the bullet was way too painful. She wasn¡¯t using any spell to kill his pain.


    ¡°There,¡± the woman said, sighing. ¡°You should be good now.¡±


    She nodded, took her medical kits, and left him to tend to other wounded soldiers in the infirmary. Timmy soon entered the room he was in, and the marine rushed in his direction as Oakley carefully touched his closed wound.


    ¡°Ay! Are you fixed now?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Oakley touched his wound a bit. It was still pink, and slightly hot. And when he touched it, it was still sensitive. ¡°Gee¡­that shit hurts.¡±


    ¡°Seems like she rushed it,¡± Timmy commented.


    ¡°Fair anyway. There¡¯s hundreds of injured buggers here,¡± Oakley touched it again, and hissed. ¡°Okay, screw this shit. I¡¯m not touching it again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just let it finish healing for a day or two,¡± Timmy gave him a thumbs up. ¡°You did well. You almost died though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but we could have died if I didn¡¯t expose myself for that shot,¡± Oakley shook his head. He remembered that Larissan soldier that he peppered with bullets. He was carrying a portable AT tube with him. He could have used that on their vehicle. ¡°Anyway, how¡¯s the village.¡±


    ¡°Captured,¡± Timmy replied, grinning a bit. ¡°B Company took over it. C Company is also advancing on the next village. We¡¯re going to get recalled to replace their depleted boys once they¡¯re done. Then we¡¯ll man that position until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Crap,¡± Oakley shook his head as he stood up and grabbed his shirt, uniform, and equipment. ¡°We still got a lot more work to do then.¡±


    ¡°Afraid that¡¯s the case. Especially with the talk coming around. They say these are just preparations,¡± Timmy frowned. ¡°Think about it. Behind us is the Kusari capital. Of course, they¡¯re doing all of this before the big event.¡±


    Oakley listened to Timmy¡¯s ramblings as he quickly wore his clothes back on. He took his combat vest and wore it, before turning back to Timmy.


    ¡°Yeah, well. Until they call for it, it might just be hearsay.¡±


    ¡°Of course, they won¡¯t tell us their plans clearly, we¡¯re just grunts. But you can smell it. They¡¯re going to want to push those bastards off their capital. And they¡¯re going to use us.¡±


    ¡°Tough luck then,¡± Oakley grabbed his helmet and rifle. He then immediately slapped his helmet on his head, not bothering to tie it to his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s just go.¡±


    ¡°Aight.¡±


    The two of them rushed out of the infirmary, and then straight into the rest of the newly established forward site. It was inside a town, and there was barely anyone inside except for a few hundred personnel. Three L?we EP4Bs from the Royal Guard drove rapidly on the highway in front of them. They dashed straight into the direction of the frontline.


    Oakley turned to his side, glancing a bit at the marines playing board games on one of the tables they had set up. He then looked away, back to Timmy, who was already walking in the other direction. Oakley immediately ran to catch up with him. Timmy seemed to be opening a paper wrapper. Then, he popped a chewing gum in his mouth.


    ¡°Ay, by the way,¡± Timmy started, as he chewed on it. ¡°Serge and 1st Platoon are over there. They¡¯re probably having a meal already. The whole platoon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool then,¡± Oakley said. ¡°Do they have proper food?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling ya. Local Royal Guard girls are operating from this town too. So their kitchen has lots of real food. El-tee managed to haggle with one of them to give us some extra beef. Real beef, man.¡±


    ¡°Shit, how¡¯d they even ship that kind of stuff to them,¡± Oakley asked, narrowing eyes. ¡°Those are luxury crap.¡±


    ¡°I dunno, you ask them. And I don¡¯t mean shit beef like, corned beef or friggin canned shtick that we get, I mean, like real ones. The ones you can turn into a proper steak.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­¡± Oakley grinned, already feeling hungry. ¡°Alright, how did they cook this time?¡±


    ¡°Roasted it on one of the ovens that the cooks from the Royal Guard bought. It smelled good,¡± Timmy nodded enthusiastically. ¡°You know, those bastards might eat it all first before we get there. I¡¯m running.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    Immediately, the two ran ahead at once. There was good food for once to be chased after all.

 Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Nine: Further Reinforcements

    ¡°The Imperial Asanaian Navy launched multiple long-ranged ballistic missile attacks using Orlish sea-launched TSBM missiles on North Hebeian targets along the Ginzhu Province last night. The North Hebeian air defense network attempted to intercept the missiles, with reportedly sixty-eight shot down. Forty missiles however struck major North Hebeian bases, bridges, and frontline supply depots. These operations are being followed through with sporadic missile launches from Orlish surface and underwater vessels aimed at North Hebeian ground forces.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    Kingdom of Rizalia


    Saya City


    December 8, 2025


    It was Amelie¡¯s birthday.


    Unfortunately, the Queen had little chance to celebrate her twenty-first birthday well. Instead, she had to fly today in another arduous expedition to the Kingdom of Rizalia, an island nation lying on the southeast of Hebei. It was a colony of the old Asturian Empire a century ago, only freed by her great-grandmother so long as they remained under effective Orlish suzerainty.


    Unfortunately, much like Asturia before the revolution, Rizalia had no head of state. The Kingdom had remained without a monarch for the last two decades already. It was only ruled back and forth by different regents from the bickering noble houses of the Kingdom. Thus, she was now with the fifty-year-old current Lady Regent, Angelica Lopez.


    ¡°Welcome to Rizalia,¡± the Rizalian regent, said with a wide smile as she received Amelie in her state room. Cameras flashed left and right. Then, Amelie shook the regent¡¯s hand and sat with her in front of the couches. ¡°I hope it¡¯s been a good visit so far.¡±


    ¡°Saya is a pretty nice city,¡± Amelie confirmed with a smile, as the photographers and other officials turned to leave. With the picture-taking phase over, it was effectively time for the private dealings to begin. And in this case, she needed the small but relatively capable Rizalian Navy quickly. ¡°I haven¡¯t visited the Bato Naval Base yet, but I know it must be a good place as well.¡±


    ¡°Aha,¡± the regent chuckled. ¡°Yes. Eighteen Orlish navy ships are already moored in Bato¡¯s extensive facilities. Thousands of personnel as well. Though, quite frankly, being an Orlish base, I attribute its good nature to Orland¡¯s diligent maintenance.¡±


    ¡°Lady Regent,¡± Amelie politely took her hand. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be frank. I visited because I need a good deal for the upcoming Operation Eastern Jade. I expect that Rizalia will participate in it. Please.¡±


    ¡°The Rizalian Royal Navy isn¡¯t exactly that massive, Your Majesty,¡± the regent shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s for my Kingdom¡¯s self-defense purposes. Not for expeditionary campaigns. I only have fifteen guided missile frigates. Alongside nine guided missile destroyers. And the two helicopter carriers we possess cannot even be used for any significant offensive action.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the RRN Diego Silang is capable of carrying VTOL aircraft,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I can send eighteen new LF-20Cs for it. For free. I just really need half of your navy to shore up our numbers. We won¡¯t even send them into close combat either. I just need those few hundred extra VLS launchers that can send ballistic missiles on Ginzhu.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± the regent raised her eyebrows. ¡°Then why not just send a few more of Orland¡¯s better warships?¡±


    ¡°Look¡­we¡¯re stretched thin patrolling the world¡¯s sea lanes. The CFN¡¯s submarine force is still a pain¡­they¡¯ve sunk sixty-seven merchant vessels last month alone. That¡¯s millions of tonnes of shipping lost. If I pull off more destroyers, cruisers, and frigates from sea lane protection, they¡¯ll shut down global shipping again.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± the regent sighed. ¡°Well, a squadron of LF-20s is certainly a nice deal. But I believe I need more.¡±


    ¡°Fine. What¡¯s your price point?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like a redrafting of the 1888 Treaty of Eutstadt,¡± the regent grinned. ¡°Specifically, regarding the price that the Kingdom pays to station Orlish forces here. During this fiscal year, we paid eighty percent of your military¡¯s expenses to be stationed here, as stipulated in Section V of the defense treaty.¡±


    Amelie nodded. It was a pretty unequal treaty after all. Not only did Rizalia have to kowtow to the Orlish government, but they also had to pay Halia billions of Orlish Blancs yearly to keep their homeland protected from the previously antagonistic Hebeian Empire. But it wasn¡¯t that bad from Amelie''s perspective as well.


    Rizalia, with its close ties to Orland, became her Kingdom¡¯s main base of power projection. Hence, the Kingdom industrialized rapidly and grew economically to counteract Orland¡¯s rivals in the area. Had it not been for the political instability that plagued Rizalia, they would have created a decent military industry to protect themselves, considering they already had the economy, technology, and workforce for it.


    But they didn¡¯t.


    Thus, it was a bit audacious for her to request this. Unfortunately, Amelie was now pressed for time. She needed to stitch together a credible force quickly.


    ¡°So how much do you want to lower it?¡±


    ¡°I want my Kingdom to only pay twenty percent from now on,¡± the regent said, nodding. ¡°Look, we gave you our land as your base already. Shouldn¡¯t you be paying us for the lease? Now, of course, that would be stupid, so I¡¯m not going to ask for that.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. You¡¯re benefitting from it.¡±


    ¡°But, regardless, in exchange for us sending our navy to support you in a war that, quite frankly, we have no interest in,¡± the regent shook her head. ¡°You make us pay less from now on. It may be small for Orland, but all those new Itak-Class Guided Missile Destroyers are worth two billion Orlish blancs each. And it¡¯s not like we can replace them fast with our new shipyards, we only have like what, six in construction?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Yeah, I can understand that.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s why, we¡¯d be essentially sending Rizalia¡¯s prized defense force for this. Something we cannot acceptably lose. A massive risk. So free us from the spending¡­long-term. Until the far future. I believe it¡¯s a good tradeoff.¡±


    Indeed¡­if they lower it¡­within a few decades, assuming we keep our presence here, they¡¯d save billions more. At least, it¡¯s not that bad of a deal for me. Mostly a financial problem. Fine¡­


    After all, she was always going to burn a lot of taxpayer money for this conflict anyway. What would she lose from removing Rizalian funding for the Orlish forces stationed in this Kingdom, when she could have more ships for Operation Eastern Jade? Nothing, truthfully.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Amelie took and shook her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll get Prime Minister Heiss and Foreign Minister Wallenstein working on it. Just get us those ships, please. We¡¯ll even give you the missiles to be fired as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± the regent grinned. ¡°We¡¯re in on this one then.¡±


    +++


    Bato Naval Base


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± William said, as he pulled their car into a hard stop. The rest of her security convoy also stopped at the entrance of the base. Outside, right on the building of one of the gates, flew both the Orlish tricolor and the Rizalian flag. It was a simple horizontal red-blue bicolor with a yellow triangle on the left side of the flag. It contained the Kingdom¡¯s main symbol, a jasmine flower with five petals.


    Due to the Kingdom¡¯s current wartime status, the flag was flown with the red part of the bicolor on the top, in contrast to its peacetime orientation, where the flag would be flown with the blue side on the top. It reminded Amelie of one of the things that her little project did. She truly did drag even smaller, uninvolved nations like Rizalia into this mess.


    And she was about to drag them further into the war.


    This country barely even had many problems with the revolution. They have had similar policies to Asanai for decades already¡­


    But, well¡­here they were. About to send a good chunk of their fleet with the rest of the Orlish Navy to a potentially dangerous operation. All because of Amelie¡¯s insistence. She felt their vehicle move again after William finished presenting their IDs. Then, they moved through the rest of the base.


    Orlish marines. Orlish airmen. Clerks and personnel. All of them lingered and worked throughout the base. Outside, Amelie saw everything from barracks, supply depots, oil depots, vehicle maintenance areas, and even the nearby air base where a few Orlish air squadrons operated.


    Multiple Regal air defense batteries also dotted the naval base. Amelie even saw a few of them outside of the base itself, camouflaged and pre-positioned by the dozens. This place was certainly well-established and well-protected.


    They soon drove through the docks of the naval base. Amelie gawked briefly at the docked warships of the Orlish Navy. One of the moored vessels itself was the ONS Rebenslof. The main reason why she visited this place. Soon, they stopped at the headquarters of the naval base, and Amelie made her way toward her brother¡¯s office.


    And indeed, as she had expected when she knocked and entered¡ªhe was inside. He seemed to be talking to someone, who Amelie recognized as the captain in charge of the Rebenslof. Captain James Vogel himself.


    ¡°Wait, the Queen?¡± Albert¡¯s friend was a bit surprised, and he stood up from his seat as Amelie entered. ¡°Y-Your Majesty, I didn¡¯t know that you were coming here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just my little sister¡¯s antics nowadays,¡± Albert chuckled. ¡°Coming in at people¡¯s places unannounced.¡±


    William also entered, and he closed the door as Amelie took her seat on one of the sofas, relaxing herself.


    ¡°Well, can you blame me?¡± Amelie asked as she smiled. ¡°I need to keep checking in on everyone. Oh, and Captain Vogel, don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m just here for a quick talk with my brother.¡±


    ¡°I see then,¡± the officer said, as he returned to his seat. Albert on the other hand tossed a box of donuts at Amelie. She caught it rather quickly.


    ¡°Have some of it. It¡¯s good,¡± Albert said, as he ate one of them. ¡°Trust me. Happy birthday too. If you had notified me, I would have prepared a nice cake.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, this is fine already,¡± Amelie replied, smiling thankfully. She picked up one of the donuts before William promptly snatched two for himself from behind. He truly was without shame. Amelie could only snicker a bit to herself before she placed the box on a smaller table beside her sofa.


    She took a bite out of it, and indeed, the chocolate donut was pretty nice. She immediately ate more of it.


    ¡°So I assume you came here to check in on my fleet,¡± Albert asked, as he leaned back to his chair. ¡°Well, as you can see over there, the Rebenslof is still doing its final resupply run. We expended quite a bit of the onboard munitions over the previous month.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Amelie innocently asked. She looked out the window. The afternoon sun was already setting peacefully, while the ONS Rebenslof alongside two other Orlish destroyers silently sat on the port. ¡°How long is it going to take?¡±


    ¡°Give or take four more days. We should be good for another sortie and rotate with the Cuirassier. They¡¯ve been in some deep shit for the past few weeks.¡±


    ¡°I heard we¡¯ve been sending missile strikes against the North Hebeians,¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be stockpiling them for our big attack?¡±


    ¡°Look. Empress Xue¡¯s forces need it. Gotta keep the North Hebeians at bay. And a TSBM here and there helps. Air sorties from the Rebenslof and the Cuirassier have to be maintained as well. Not that we¡¯re sending much. We¡¯re mostly just keeping the frontlines stable.¡±


    ¡°Have we lost anything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose. We lost eight LF-12s. That¡¯s¡­it, really. Well, we had one Tiger-Class frigate sunk by a random North Hebeian attack submarine last week, but the fatalities weren''t high since we recovered the crew. Much of our losses are just in our sea-launched cruise and ballistic missiles. Somewhere in the low two to three hundred.¡±


    Amelie nodded. That wasn¡¯t exactly ideal, as she had so many deals in place. Her missile stockpiles were getting squeezed at this point. So much so that she was now begging Anne to do something nearly every night. But she understood the necessity.


    ¡°Well¡­it is what it is,¡± Amelie said. ¡°What about the upcoming operation? Are you¡­and your men ready for it though?¡±


    Both Captain Vogel and Albert turned fully neutral at that question. But, within three seconds, they both replied firmly and resolutely.


    ¡°Absolutely. We are.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty: Prelimenary Deployments

    ¡°The Arkelian 1st Armored Division, which had joined Royalist Orlish forces in the L?t¨CWuringen Axis, have distinguished themselves in the past few days during mobile defense operations near L?t. Federalist forces have been attempting breakthrough attempts with their armored corps, advancing an average of five or six kilometers each day. The modernized M44-N?rds of the Arkelian 1st Armored Division, which had received significant upgrades with their sensors and even armor-piercing ammunition, have reportedly destroyed ninety-eight Federalist L?we MBTs over the course of their week-long deployment. This development has been celebrated by the Arkelian Government, calling it a ¡®successful demonstration of Arkelian military prowess¡¯. The Orlish High Command has also commended the Arkelian 1st Armored Division in light of these events.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    Empire of Asanai


    Midori City


    December 12, 2025


    ¡°The Royal Guard is now sending two of our best KDUs into Hebei,¡± Amelie announced over the gathering of the four heads of state involved in Operation Eastern Jade. ¡°I¡¯ve also approved sending three combat brigades under the I OEF¨CHebei to support the thrust into Ginzhu. Not marines, but folks from the Royal Army of Orland. Two armored and one mechanized.¡±


    In one room was Princess Kawasaki Yumi of Asanai, Empress Xue Li of South Hebei, Empress Arushi Mehru, and of course Amelie. Even the more minor participating nations sent their delegates¡ªwith officials from Lorathia, Gallia, Arkelia, and Rizalia present at the meeting.


    In just a few more days or weeks, the greatest military operation in the Eastern Vaeyoxan region was about to commence. Thus the interstate deliberations.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite surprising,¡± Arushi said. ¡°And in Kusari?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re pumping it up to eight KDUs alongside six regiments from the Orlish Marine Corps. The four MEUs we sent earlier will also be participating in any ground offensive. All in total, Orland will be committing nearly ninety thousand personnel on the ground. I tried already¡­but that¡¯s the furthest we can stretch things with our expeditionary forces,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too sorry,¡± Li said, as the Hebeian Empress¡¯ expression softened. ¡°Orland is already committing so much in the air and naval front. What more about weaponry? Almost all of us here mainly rely on Orland¡¯s heavy equipment.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I do wish that I could dedicate more to all of you,¡± Amelie said, as she smiled bitterly. ¡°But after deliberating with my military, we cannot. This is the absolute furthest that we can push ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the Secretary of the Ivory Alliance, Aurelia Thell, who was Allison¡¯s mother, spoke up. She represented the member states of the Ivory Alliance today. ¡°We¡¯ve already finished the plans with the rest of the Ivory Alliance to send the following to Hebei: Lorathia will be sending two armored brigades and an infantry brigade, alongside an entire MLRS regiment under the IV LEF Corps. The Gallians are sending a single paratrooper brigade. The Arkelians will be sending a single armored brigade. The Lorathian Navy is sending the LRN Princess of Hales and her task force to the Orlish 2nd Fleet as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Empress Xue smiled even more. ¡°With our combined numbers, we¡¯re almost above forty surface combatants that¡¯ll be participating. That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°A lot of land strike missiles,¡± General Albrecht declared as he grinned. The leader of the OHC was also present in the room. He leaned back on his chair. ¡°We¡¯ve already configured the ships of the 2nd Fleet to carry forty-eight HASM-16 cruise missiles already. Both the six Gallant-Class DDGs and the two Rolentz-Class CGs of the 2nd Fleet. The six Weirl?ff-Class nuclear attack submarines we¡¯re sending will be armed with thirty-six HASM-16s as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­a few hundred, no?¡± Amelie asked. The General nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re also debating the possibility of sending DesDiv 14 and DesDiv 12 into the fight and pulling them out of escort duty in the Pardan Ocean. Those are eight more Gallant-Class destroyers, and they can represent nearly four hundred HASM-16s as well. Though¡­that might risk our shipping lines a bit. Federalist Weirl?ff-Class nuclear attack submarines have been roving our lines more and more after all. Especially after they started assembling the first new ones near Monpleitz.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s concerning,¡± Princess Kawasaki said. ¡°I thought they had no naval shipbuilding capabilities?¡±


    ¡°That was yesterday''s news. They seem to have already been producing sections of the Weirl?ff-Class SSN inside the Free State for nearly a year. Perhaps enough to produce up to eight submarines at most. It was a problem how to assemble them though, a problem they fixed with their puppet government in Monpleitz. Hence why we really cannot afford to lose too many ships in this operation,¡± General Albrecht sighed. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to strike deep into East Lieplatz due to the density of their air defense. We tried naval drones, but the remnants of the Federalist and East Lieplatzan surface fleet are active there. We can¡¯t break in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Empress Xue shook her head. ¡°Regardless, they shouldn¡¯t be a problem, no?¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment,¡± General Albrecht confirmed. ¡°Besides, it¡¯d be suicidal to send their submarines near Asanaian or Rizalian waters, which is how you get into the Hebeian Sea. Mainly because our underwater detection networks there are already too saturated. It¡¯d be suicidal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a policy of my government to keep constant patrols over our waters and more,¡± Princess Kawasaki proudly nodded to herself as she turned to Empress Xue. She then began reassuring her. ¡°I doubt those submarines will get in, Empress. We¡¯re going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Empress Xue smiled. ¡°As for us, we¡¯re preparing a lot of infantry divisions and armored brigades for this fight. However, our air fleet is still lacking. I only have six squadrons that can be prepared for this attack. And since we can¡¯t lose any of them, I¡¯m ordering my air force to only conduct standoff strikes with the missiles Orland delivered to us¡­¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Kusari is going to be doing the same anyway.¡±


    ¡°Mostly at least,¡± Empress Mehru confirmed. ¡°We expect Orland, Lorathia, and Asanai to be the main ones responsible for establishing aerial supremacy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the next big goal,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°And we now have four ground-based LF-20 squadrons active here. The ONS Rebenslof and the ONS Cuirassier will be contributing another forty-eight LF-20s with their reinforced air wings. Right, General?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± General Albrecht nodded. ¡°Combined, the 2nd Fleet will surge a total of a hundred forty-four combat aircraft. Twelve squadrons of twelve planes each in total. Again, forty-eight LF-20s to ninety-six LF-12s. That¡¯s just the naval-borne ones though. Our land-based squadrons are twenty-four fighters each. And we plan to surge that to eighteen. Mostly based in Asanai and Kusari airbases.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Princess Kawasaki grinned. ¡°We now have eighteen squadrons of F-6A Shinseina multirole fighters at the ready. With Orland¡¯s donated TC-130 air tankers, we¡¯re going to be able to support more strike operations in Kusari from Rizalian and South Hebeian airfields.¡±


    ¡°I wonder when all of these deployments will be finished,¡± Amelie said. ¡°It¡¯s certainly impressive that we¡¯re all collectively about to dedicate a thousand combat aircraft, hundreds of thousands of ground troops, and nearly half a hundred ships for this, but¡­when?¡±


    ¡°Orland will be done with its deployments by next week,¡± General Albrecht said. ¡°After that, we¡¯d just be waiting for allies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the main difficulty between us,¡± Princess Kawasaki said. ¡°My military is still not used to synchronizing well with our allies. Even with the unified high command we established.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate, yes, but we''ll have to work with it. I believe after this one, we¡¯ll be much better at conducting things,¡± Empress Xue optimistically said. ¡°I hope fortune favors us this time.¡±


    Everyone in the room agreed.


    +++


    When they exited the meeting, Amelie, William, and Nia immediately went on a tour around Midori. It wasn¡¯t exactly the smartest thing from a security perspective, but Amelie had insisted on it. She truly wanted to see things for herself a bit more considering how dreary her birthday was.


    They didn¡¯t exactly go to many places to gawk and enjoy. It was mostly just William driving them like caged schoolgirls with his SUV to random destination sights. The only half-lucky thing they truly had was a few trips to good Asanaian restaurants, which served some fancy delicacies for the enjoyment of the two girls.


    And now, Amelie and Nia were being forcefully dragged by William out of a fancy sushi restaurant. The two protested it as they were led outside, but William turned around and frowned at the pouty ladies.


    ¡°Oh come on, you two,¡± William crossed his arms. ¡°I said I received some suspicious reports¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about your men encountering hooligans, William,¡± Amelie pouted even more. ¡°I haven¡¯t even tried to¡­the other ones, that they were showing off.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. Absolute killjoy,¡± Nia added.


    William simply facepalmed.


    ¡°Ah, whatever¡­¡± he groaned. ¡°Okay, okay. We can keep doing this. But this is like¡­the last, okay? Look, even with the tightened security, I don¡¯t trust Asanaian authorities to keep anyone in this massive city safe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you do have a point,¡± Amelie said. ¡°But, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re dragging a lot of security guys now. We¡¯re being stealthy. Extremely stealthy. No one¡¯s at risk but me and¡­well, Nia and you. And I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re severely limiting your life? I feel crushed by it. I just¡­¡±


    Amelie ran around the slightly snowy fields outside of the restaurant to take a few of the falling snowflakes.


    ¡°I just want to feel free for once¡­is what I¡¯m saying. Don¡¯t you want it too?¡±


    ¡°I do, but like, I¡¯m hired to do security,¡± William said, frowning. ¡°That¡¯s my number one priority. Always.¡±


    ¡°You sometimes spy on us, you know,¡± Nia huffed.


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t place cameras in people''s bathrooms,¡± William shot back. He crossed his arms and shook his head. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s for security. Security, security, security¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go eat sushi,¡± Amelie blankly said, dragging him back into the restaurant. ¡°You need to enjoy living a little bit.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    And the trio soon disappeared back inside the establishment.


    +++


    William was now driving them back into the Orlish Embassy in Midori. They were alone. A single unsuspecting vehicle on the city night. And as Amelie had deduced, nothing at all happened. She smiled to herself. Meanwhile, behind them, Nia was already blissfully asleep.


    ¡°Hey, I told you,¡± Amelie turned to William a bit. ¡°It was fine.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we just got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°I felt a bit selfish today, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You were.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just tiring¡­okay? I¡¯m just¡­¡± Amelie¡¯s smile turned melancholic. ¡°Living¡­in this increasingly tighter security cordon. It¡¯s kind of a bummer.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s an understatement,¡± William replied. ¡°You¡¯re going to be living in that lifestyle for the foreseeable future.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know. Can¡¯t believe what the terrorists want actually succeeded. They got me. They¡­terrorized me. Pretty well,¡± Amelie chuckled a bit. ¡°I can¡¯t even go anywhere now.¡±


    ¡°Heh. Struck fear into the heart of the leader of the MN,¡± William chided. ¡°Yeah¡­crazy. I think.¡±


    ¡°Crazy, but nowhere near as crazy as what other people go through nowadays. Even now, look at what we enjoyed today. I bet it¡¯s unreachable for so many of our girls and boys at the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°I feel guilty now.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t indulge much in anything. And you postponed celebrating your birthday until today. I wouldn¡¯t even call this much of a celebration.¡±


    ¡°Many don¡¯t celebrate it nowadays,¡± Amelie turned to her side. ¡°Soon, the big offensive will come. So many birthdays would become¡­nothing.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting well-prepared ahead of time. Trust me, the casualties will be greatly reduced. Besides, I doubt the CFN has enough assets to counter our air offensives this time around. They lost so much. They¡¯re still licking their wounds.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if there¡¯s a thousand or a hundred thousand to me William. I like to tell myself that I can detach myself more easily now from those numbers, but¡­¡± Amelie teared up a bit. ¡°You know¡­I signed this operation myself. And thousands of people are about to die again. Again. And again. And again. I just long for the day when I won¡¯t sign any more of this.¡±


    She turned back to William.


    ¡°Will that happen, one day, William?¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-One: Newer Equipment

    ¡°Two Lorathian guided missile destroyers have been sunk in the North Allas ocean by Orlish Federalist submarines. The two destroyers were conducting routine escort operations on a sea route used by hundreds of civilian vessels when they detected a suspected Weirl?ff-Class nuclear attack submarine. The LRN Duncan and LRN Sirius attempted to fully locate the Federalist submarine and fired multiple anti-submarine missiles. Unfortunately, the attempt failed, and both subs were sunk within thirty minutes. As of now, twelve more civilian cargo vessels and tankers have been sunk in the vicinity of the engagement, as the global shipping war continues.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    Kingdom of Rizalia


    Bato Naval Base


    December 16, 2025


    Amelie woke up early today.


    Quite frankly, work at setting up the big operation had been taking so much time for her. Endless high-level and low-level diplomatic talks happened each day, and she was flying back and forth from country to country. Then there were the various inspections and check-ins with the units participating in the operation, and Amelie had been¡­


    She looked at her eyes in the mirror as she silently brushed her teeth. She was starting to look more and more horrendous. She spat out the used toothpaste and rinsed her teeth. She sighed to herself. So much work. Most of it was self-inflicted to be quite fair.


    But that doesn¡¯t mean I should shirk from it!


    Amelie raised her face as she looked at the mirror.


    I¡¯m not just going to be a Queen who sits in my palace. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m¡­doing my best to lead. That¡¯s all there is to it.


    Quite frankly, her underlings could already do most things. And Amelie was risking herself by being a disastrous micromanager. But at the very least, it wasn¡¯t what she was doing. For some reason, Amelie felt better at being present all the time. It felt¡­more active. But at the same time, she didn¡¯t want to breathe down on the necks of her subjects either.


    I¡¯m just here, to give them my presence. That¡¯s right. Amelie smiled to herself. I may not be able to do much but talk and direct the broader scope of things, but being here should help. Because¡­I guess it would feel better for them. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here¡­with them¡­


    She sounded less and less convinced of her excuses.


    Perhaps she should just piss off back to Eutstadt at this rate. And do more Queenly things. Like sleeping and just waiting for the next report or emergency. Amelie sighed. She didn¡¯t like that anymore. She felt less in control of things. The further she was from developing situations, she felt less control over things.


    And if there was anything she didn¡¯t like, it was having no control when people died.


    Amelie patted her hair dry. The morning was quite quick. Nia combed and fixed her hair. She got herself properly dressed. She did her morning beauty routine to salvage whatever looks she had. And then she had breakfast while being served with the morning news. As always, the news was all about horrendous stuff, but Amelie was already so far used to it.


    As such, she merely skimmed through it as she ate. Within a few minutes, William had already arrived, right when Nia finally took her seat as well to begin eating her breakfast. Amelie naturally turned and smiled at William as he closed the door to their private room.


    ¡°Hey, good morning. Have you had breakfast?¡± Amelie asked. William nodded as he made his way to the table they were dining on.


    ¡°Yep. Had coffee and bread already,¡± he placed a folder on the table. Amelie and Nia on the other hand continued eating, while William took his seat on the third chair that was in the middle of the table. ¡°Right, so¡­the 2nd and 5th KDUs have arrived here today. Most of them at least.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Amelie asked, raising her eyebrows. ¡°They¡¯re¡­the ones we¡¯re sending to Hebei, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Alongside the 3rd and 16th Mechanized Brigades of the Army. The Lorathians have also already unloaded the equipment used by the 24th and 26th Royal Hussars in Tirad City down south. Should be only a few more days before these guys are sent off to Hebei proper.¡±


    Amelie nodded thoughtfully as she took another slice of her steak. She silently mulled about the current situation. It felt¡­almost slow to her. She envisioned that Operation Eastern Jade would happen in December, but at this rate, it might take until January.


    ¡°I hope we¡¯re not being too slow¡­¡± Amelie mumbled.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t fully rush things either even if we want to. Coalition operations are¡­fickle and harder to execute, especially since the Hebeians, Rizalians, Kusaris, and Asanians are still learning how to fight like how we did in the Ivory Alliance back then.¡±


    ¡°What about Asanai, by the way?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°How are they doing?¡±


    ¡°They already have all four of their armored brigades and two mechanized brigades ready near Ginzhu. Specifically, their main formations are the 1st Imperial Armored Division ¡®Midori¡¯ and the 2nd Imperial Armored Division ¡®Kawasaki¡¯. Nearly five hundred Type 14 MBTs, mostly fresh from the last three years of production, will be participating there.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Hmm¡­how do they stack up against our L?we tanks?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say they¡¯re close to L?we EP4As.¡±


    ¡°EP4As?¡± Amelie seemed a bit surprised. ¡°Damn¡­so these are really modern stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°The fourteen in the Type 14 name means that it was introduced back in 2014, Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why, I¡¯d say they¡¯re close to our EP4As. We probably only have around six to eight hundred total at the moment. Now of course¡­the thing is, these two divisions comprise two-thirds of Asanai¡¯s armored corps. Because they only have three armored divisions.¡±


    ¡°Wait, they only have that much?¡± Nia asked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­not a lot.¡±


    ¡°Only when compared to Orland. A massive superpower,¡± William countered. ¡°It¡¯s fairly large for a nation that mostly remained pacifistic for a century. Hence why this will be a mainly Asanaian operation. The ground part of the operation mostly will rely on them. It¡¯s not just these two armored divisions that they sent by the way. They also sent an entire marine division, alongside three infantry divisions.¡±


    ¡°In contrast, Orland and Lorathia will only send the equivalent of one division,¡± Amelie said, as she sipped her tea. ¡°Hmm¡­I wish we could have sent more.¡±


    ¡°Well, in Kusari, it¡¯d be mainly our KDUs that will be involved. And the Orlish Marine Corps. Besides, the recapture of Ginzhu isn¡¯t something we should be too locked on anyway. It¡¯s just an extra.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a valuable Hebeian city,¡± Nia said. ¡°And like¡­very important for Empress Xue¡¯s legitimacy. It was one of their largest port cities.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but now Ginzhu and Xilu, or well, just the Ginzhu Metropolitan Area in general, is nothing but rubble right now. The nearly twenty million people who resided in the area have mostly fled. Princess Kawasaki and Empress Xue would essentially be fighting the North Hebeians for a field of rubble just to distract the CFN.¡±


    ¡°That piece of rubble is still quite valuable in some ways,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I mean¡­the North Hebeians stationed a lot of troops there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why we plan to operationally encircle the Ginzhu Metropolitan Area. Both Ginzhu proper and Xilu City on the west. But I seriously doubt we¡¯d be able to retake it even after a month or two of urban combat operations. Metro areas are simply just such a nightmare to fight in¡­¡±


    ¡°Well¡­all the more reason not to let Rajabad fall,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°It¡¯d be an absolute pain to retake it if it happens.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­, even then, we¡¯d still have to retake three Kusari megacities in Operation Eastern Jade,¡± William chuckled cynically. ¡°The casualties for this one would be an absolute nightmare for the Kusari Army if the CFN decides to be stubborn.¡±


    +++


    Amelie watched as the tanks of the 2nd KDU ¡°Erzherzogin Delphine¡± and the 5th KDU ¡°K?nigin Alorie¡± entered the entrance of Bato Naval Base. They were carried in by heavy-duty trucks on their flatbeds, their turrets, and guns aimed at the rear. It wasn¡¯t just the tanks though. M8 IFVs and M3 APCs, also being transported on trucks soon arrived.


    Soon, the self-propelled guns of the unit were also shipped in. Amelie leaned closer to the ledge of the balcony, as William appeared behind him.


    ¡°Hmm¡­those are M45-A1s,¡± William commented. ¡°Those are some really new stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°New?¡± Amelie raised her eyebrows. ¡°They look the same as the other ones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the upgrades are mainly internal. Unlike the old models, these are optimized for shoot and scoot. It has powerful autoloaders and an advanced onboard control system. That self-propelled gun¡­it can fire six shells that hit a target simultaneously.¡±


    Amelie was at a loss.


    ¡°Uhh¡­how does that work? What do you mean¡­hit a target simultaneously? Is it like a machine gun or something?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± William chuckled. ¡°Artillery travels at different trajectories. What it does is range a target at least seventeen kilometers away, then fire six shells at different trajectories so they arrive at the same time.¡±


    ¡°...Okay? And what¡¯s the point of that?¡±


    ¡°Essentially, it would be as if we had six of the old M45s firing or a group of towed artillery firing a battery barrage. The point of barrages is to maximize damage and morale loss because the enemy gets overwhelmed in a short, sudden manner. Like, imagine, if you¡¯re struck by artillery and survive. You¡¯ll run before the next one. If you get rained by a dozen shells from two M45-A1s out of nowhere, you¡¯re probably dead, alongside everyone around you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­and what¡¯s shoot and scoot?¡±


    ¡°Well, that just means these things can fire their guns and then run away quickly. For context, this thing can fire twelve shells in sixty seconds during intensive barrages. Then it can drive away from the combat operations. Just in time before getting hit by any counterbattery fire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­kinda neat,¡± Amelie looked back at the vehicles entering below them. ¡°Hmm¡­how many of these things do we have now?¡±


    ¡°Last I¡¯ve heard, the first procurement for it was ordered back in June. Lot 1 of the M45-A1s was produced mostly in the Niedelheze Industrial Zone. Four hundred M45-A1s in total. I believe it was a four billion blancs acquisition project. Pretty experimental, so we¡¯re not yet ordering lot after lot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­and we gave them to our KDUs?¡±


    ¡°That was the last news I had with it. I mainly track the OAF¡¯s acquisition projects, not really the Royal Guard¡¯s. But yeah, the OAF is mostly staying with ordering older tech. Except for the Air Force. Because we¡¯re now scaling down the orders for older aircraft like the LF-12s. Especially with Lot 8¡¯s seventy billion blancs acquisition for one thousand four hundred LF-20s recently. Same with the Navy and their new ship programs. But for the Army, guns and tanks rarely get big upgrades.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, is the Army taking combat data from our KDUs?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Because looking at it, they¡¯re the ones getting all the cutting-edge stuff.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the OHC is taking notes. But otherwise, they¡¯re more interested in getting more metal in the fields than getting more expensive metal,¡± William frowned. ¡°Then again, last year, a single LF-20 cost us nearly a hundred million blancs on average. Now it¡¯s down to fifty million.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the drastic decrease¡­¡± Amelie said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­kinda impressive.¡±


    ¡°Factories in the homefront are becoming hotter and hotter. The more orders we place on our corporations, the faster the prices will fall to the floor. Lot 7 for example only ordered four hundred LF-20s just four months ago. Now we ordered more than thrice that. Maybe we can do the same with L?we EP4Bs and these new M45-A1s next year. Once the current RGO orders are done.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelie smiled as she watched the first vehicles that carried the actual personnel of the 2nd and 5th KDUs arrive. ¡°I hope they perform well then. Maybe we can spread out these new equipment for the rest of our military soon.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Two: Arrival of Mechs

    Empire of Hebei


    Zhenzhu City


    I OEF-Hebei


    4th Mobile Assault Brigade


    18th Light Mech Battalion


    B Company


    December 20, 2025


    Lieutenant Charles Rupkoff¡¯s M20 LSS ¡°Panther¡± drove as the lead vehicle when B Company was unloaded at the South Hebeian port city of Zhenzhu. It only took a few hours of reorganization and assembly, and the entire 18th Light Mech Battalion immediately headed out straight into the Hebeian metropole.


    ¡°They seem to like us,¡± his gunner, Corporal Hector Smith, excitedly said as he popped his head from his hatch. Charles merely shook his head as he cracked a small grin, watching the onlooking Hebeians who cheered at them. They carried the flags of the Orlish tricolor¡ªand the highway itself was cleared of any civilian traffic. It was almost as if an impromptu parade was happening.


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­maybe it¡¯s because we¡¯re here to save their arse,¡± Charles said. He looked at one of the high-rise buildings that had a massive Orlish tricolor draped on it. ¡°This place has been buttfucked like Orland. Guess that makes us close allies rather quickly.¡±


    Both of their radios soon buzzed.


    ¡°El-tee,¡± his driver, Corporal Jenkins Schleit, spoke through the comms. ¡°Can we save them though?¡±


    That elicited a dry laugh from Hector on the side. Charles picked up his radio.


    ¡°Probably not, Jenkins,¡± Charles looked onwards. ¡°But, as the Queen said: we gotta try.¡±


    They drove further forward. The almost alien six-legged mechs of the Orlish Army certainly were new to the Hebeians. The fact that they watched and gawked at them as if they were some new piece of kit that would save everything reminded Charles that these people were expecting high things from them. He doubted he¡¯d be able to deliver.


    Still, this is our second foreign deployment since the Civil War started. Charles looked at the crowd. Then, he tried to give them a confident thumbs up. Just do your job and we will come back home. Hopefully.


    He wondered what it would be like to fight revolutionary Larissans and Hebeians. He even heard that there were Pozneki and Lombardian troopers around. It was certainly going to be a coalition that they were up against. But, it didn¡¯t chip away from Charles¡¯ spirits.


    There was the Hebeian Imperial Army around, many of them on the road with their parked military vehicles. Their soldiers all keep a close watch over the crowd to not let them block the Orlish deployment. Ahead of Charles, was also an Imperial Asanaian convoy of their Type 14 main battle tanks.


    He also heard that behind them, the ships carrying elements of the Lorathian 24th Royal Hussars, which was a brigade-sized armored unit. They were all armed with the new Lorathian Cipher 2 main battle tanks, which to Charles¡¯ recent knowledge, was as good as a L?we EP4B and the Asanaian Type 14 tanks.


    It was thus going to be a continuous deployment of the MN¡¯s best kit. From Lorathia, Asanai, Gallia, and Orland. He even heard that the Arkelians would be sending their forces too. Still, Charles felt more pride over his vehicle. With all these new tanks coming out, they still were the only ones using a true mech.


    Can¡¯t be overconfident though. He looked at one of the flags. It was Asanai¡¯s flag. Who knows what those revolutionaries have up there?


    By mid-day, they were out of the city traffic. They drove out of Zhenzhu already. The Hebeian countryside so far was calm and quaint. Much of their formation had already scattered to other highways and roads. All that was left was the platoon-by-platoon columns of B Company.


    By this point, Charles¡¯ fifth platoon had already been relegated to the rear of B Company. Regardless, he was at the front of his now six-mech-strong platoon. Their numbers had risen and waned as the realities of war took their toll. He remembered back then when his platoon had eight mechs in it.


    At their worst point, they even went down to four mechs, which was the standard for most armored platoons. Due to the nature of mechs, however, it seemed that four mechs were usually too few for the wide and aggressive urban assault missions that they were relegated to.


    It was a bit ironic considering that their vehicle was called ¡°Light Support System¡±. But Charles was already expecting the worst of the missions would be their job. Especially since the Ginzhu Metropolitan Area was an urban nightmare. He already knew that his battalion would be the main breaching force.


    Soon, they reached one of the settlements used as a deployment hub for MN forces active in the area. They entered the small city and drove straight toward the nearby train station. Each of their mechs was soon parked near the residential apartments and various stores and establishments. When Charles received his orders to wait for the next train that would be transporting them to the deployment areas in the front, he ordered his men to finally ease up and find food from the locals.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    He stretched a bit after finishing his radio orders. On his side, Hector seemed to be preparing tea for himself. Charles curiously looked at it.


    ¡°Want some?¡± his Lorathian gunner asked. ¡°It¡¯s pretty nice.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Charles gratuitously took it and tasted it. ¡°Yeah, that one¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know a coffee sipper can appreciate good tea.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good, but it¡¯s beneath coffee.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll murder you, wanker.¡±


    Charles just laughed at him, while Hector took his tea to sip it. Charles pulled out his wallet and then popped his hatch open. He looked around the area they were parked on. Much of his men had already dismounted their mechs.


    Some seemed to have banded together to explore the place and buy food. Others seemed to be sitting on their mech¡¯s turrets while staring blankly at the skies. Others were already hard at work checking their mech¡¯s legs, guns, and engines. He even saw a few soldiers already setting up chairs they borrowed from the locals to play card games. Then there were a few who were taking pictures with their cameras.


    Charles breathed in the fresh Hebeian air.


    ¡°Well, it seems like we¡¯ll be stuck here for a while,¡± he looked at the sky. Suddenly, two fighter jets streaked above them. ¡°Well¡­yeah. It is what it is.¡±


    +++


    The frontlines itself was a dreary place as Charles had expected. They arrived at last by midnight by rail. Hebei, unfortunately, wasn¡¯t a forgiving place it seemed. The train that bought them, which carried both their mechs and various supplies and weapons, departed with corpses. He could only sigh as he watched it leave.


    The rest of B Company soon drove out into the countryside. This time around, in the darkness, they could finally hear the distant war. Occasionally, as they drove through the countryside, they¡¯d see flashes in the distance from what appeared to be Regal SAM launchers. There were even various SPAA vehicles that he¡¯d spot on the road.


    Their guns and radar seemed fixed permanently on the skies as if they were expecting the worst at all times.


    Whenever they stopped on the road, he¡¯d find that activity was near constant. Various Hebeian military vehicles would drive past them. Many soldiers even seemed to walk on foot on the muddy and crater-filled remnants of Hebei¡¯s infrastructure. It was also strange to watch. Their kit seemed to be a hodgepodge of everything.


    They wore Orlish, Hebeian, Asanian, and even Lorathian helmets. They carried guns of differing types. Even the vehicles they used seemed to originate from different countries, with the most common ones being Orlish trucks and HMLVs. Charles sighed at the sight of it.


    It seemed clear that the South Hebeian Army was being pushed to the brink whenever he looked at them. As if they were simply scratching together whatever tools and equipment they could get into the fight. It was something that Charles was at least grateful to avoid. In the Orlish Army, they had everything. The best kit. Standardized. And unless heavily disrupted by logistical restraints due to battlefield conditions, they seemed to rarely run out of anything.


    ¡°Man, I hope the northerners are just as shite,¡± Hector commented as he rose from his hatch. He placed his tray on the turret¡¯s roof. Then, he dug in on his heated ration¡¯s main dish. It was braised beef in tomato sauce. Certainly a decent dinner in Charles¡¯ mind.


    Charles on the other hand cracked open his biscuits from the ration he recently opened and consumed. He dipped it momentarily on the cup of coffee that he held, before chewing on it.


    ¡°Well, considering the size of them, they might be,¡± Charles said. ¡°Though, they still have a lot of armor. So expect to be shooting a lot once we roll in.¡±


    ¡°Been a while since I last opened fire on a tank.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We got lucky with our deployments after Lieplatz. It¡¯s a bit different now though.¡±


    ¡°I doubt the Larissans can match the Feds though,¡± Hector chuckled as he took another spoonful. Then, he dipped his bread in tomato sauce and ate it. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll have numbers, but they suck at fighting.¡±


    ¡°True. Somewhat. Who knows. Maybe the Larissans of today are very different from the Larissans of the Great War.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I mean, they¡¯re not led by out-of-touch women nobles.¡±


    Hector shook his head.


    ¡°So what?¡± he laughed. ¡°They¡¯re led by political commissars instead.¡±


    ¡°Well, who knows how they¡¯ll perform. Haven¡¯t met them yet.¡±


    ¡°Maybe like the Lieplatzans?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re oddly optimistic.¡±


    Hector finished his main course as he nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, well, what can a man do? Expecting the worst kinda gets old.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know man. Back then I''d never think like this. I¡¯m not sure what changed¡­but, yeah. It¡¯s nice to kinda hope for the better.¡±


    ¡°Dumbass, when the Queen gave us that speech, she was saying hope for things to be better, as in, our future prospects,¡± Charles laughed, almost slapping his gunner¡¯s helmet. ¡°She wasn¡¯t saying that we should be hoping that the enemy sucks ass so bad they die quickly.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on. Why can¡¯t you hope for the better while being psychotic?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll never get out of this war mentality aren¡¯t we,¡± Charles shook his head as he continued laughing. ¡°Hah¡­it¡¯s going to be a long damned operation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Hector nodded. ¡°That it will be. Hope we rack decent kills. You wager that¡¯d get me a better job post-war.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. You¡¯ll go to a job interview and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is that ¡®I murdered a dozen Larissan tanks in Gallia¡¯. Yeah, that¡¯ll get you a nice job. Surely.¡±


    ¡°Piss off man. It¡¯s a good plan,¡± Hector pulled out his plate as he chuckled. He then went back down inside their turret. ¡°Wake me up when we¡¯re Oscar Mike.¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± Charles replied, shrugging. He then looked up again at the night sky, straight at the moon above them, its pink glow slightly illuminating his face. ¡°It¡¯s all the same nonsense again¡­¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Three: Air Force Greenhorns

    ¡°The Larissan Armed Forces unveiled their first mech designs during engagements near the Pozneki border. Pictures of the reported mechs indicate that it is a close copy of Orlish M20 LSS Panthers, except for changes in the main gun, with the gun reportedly being changed into the Larissan 125-millimeter guns used in their main battle tanks. The Orlish High Command has stated that they are investigating the matter, claiming that the Federal Republic of Orland has been leaking sensitive design blueprints to their CFN allies since the start of the Orlish Civil War.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    Empire of Asanai


    Yamaka Airbase


    1st Eastern Air Wing


    16th Fighter Squadron


    December 21, 2025


    Major Bianca Brandt frowned after she gave her squadron a little roll call. They were now meeting at one of the hangars used to house their twenty-four LF-20 Phantoms. Of course, for tonight¡¯s sortie, however, she only needed five people to fly out with her.


    Regardless, each one of them tiredly recited their names one by one.


    It was quite a sore sight for Bianca. The 16th Fighter Squadron, like many of the newer Air Force squadrons being created, was mostly made up of young female recruits. Many of them were daughters of lower noble houses like her. Due to national conscription, many opted for the Air Force due to its relative prestige.


    Unfortunately, Bianca had a lot of work to do. The woman in front of her seemed barely attentive or interested in this whole war thing. It was truly the height of incompetence that they somehow managed to get in and fly a multi-million blancs fighter aircraft.


    But we¡¯ll work with what we have.


    She picked the five people who seemed to be at least a little bit enthusiastic about anything. Within a few minutes, the rest mostly shuffled out of the hangar, leaving Bianca alone with five other rookies. Unfortunately, if they weren¡¯t such bored and uninterested pilots, these ones seemed a little bit overenthusiastic.


    ¡°Are we flying today?¡± the youngest of the five pilots asked, her eyes almost beaming. ¡°This will be my first time here.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± another one smiled. ¡°I bet they won¡¯t expect our planes. I mean, would they even see us?¡±


    ¡°They probably will,¡± Bianca corrected with a deadpan tone, gaining the attention of the younger girls. ¡°So don¡¯t be overconfident. Due to the nature of our deployment here, we won¡¯t have much time to prepare for the new one. Or learn about each other much. Because we¡¯ll be doing that as we fight¡ª¡±


    One of the pilots coughed a bit, distracting Bianca¡¯s speech. The woman¡¯s face turned slightly red in embarrassment because of that.


    ¡°A-apologies, Ma¡¯am,¡± the pilot squeaked out. ¡°It¡¯s just kinda cold out here.¡±


    Is she from the south? Hmm, I suppose she is.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Lieutenant,¡± Bianca replied. ¡°Unless you¡¯re having temporary sickness problems?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m fine!¡± the woman smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine to fly tonight. Besides, training and training in Orland isn¡¯t the real deal. If I want to be a real pilot, then I need to get into the real fight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Unfortunately, or fortunately, this will be everyone¡¯s debut except for me and my wingman. So please do your best,¡± Bianca said, sighing a bit. Her wingman, Captain Anja Seelman nodded with a graceful smile. She was on the leftmost side of the five pilots. On the other hand, the four newbie pilots just looked at the two with curiosity. ¡°Alright, you know what. Be honest. Raise your hand if it¡¯s your mother who got you here in the Air Force.¡±


    The four young women all looked at each other awkwardly.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    Then, one by one, they all raised their hands meekly. Bianca placed her hands on her waist, shaking her head.


    ¡°Well, you all seem to have tried your best in your training at least. Otherwise, you¡¯d have been relegated to other squadrons. Right?¡±


    They all nodded in an equally meek manner.


    ¡°At least they¡¯re honest,¡± Anya quipped.


    ¡°Hey! I just did extra well at training how to fly,¡± one of the pilots insisted defensively. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to suddenly end up flying Orland¡¯s best aircraft.¡±


    ¡°And I suppose I can¡¯t blame any of you for trying to avoid getting drafted into the Army. But don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re not out there on the field digging trenches and latrines that you¡¯re now in a safe position,¡± Bianca frowned coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the Air Force since the start of this war. Same with Anja here. And believe me, people die here. Badly.¡±


    The four recruits all gulped.


    ¡°And don¡¯t think that your magic means jackshit when you¡¯re flying your plane. It means nothing. I¡¯ve seen enough greenhorn pilots who think they¡¯re better than their brothers out here dying when they overextend themselves. You are the same as anyone else. Even your enemies. Flyers who will die from a single anti-air missile.¡±


    They all further straightened themselves, as their eyes turned ever more tense.


    ¡°And it¡¯s the same today,¡± Bianca continued. ¡°We¡¯re flying out in groups of three. Two sections in total. I want standard formations from the rest of you. Two of you will follow Captain Seelman¡¯s lead here and will be designated Section Bravo. Two of you will follow me, under Section Alpha.¡±


    The newbies all nodded, absorbing that information quickly.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°All you have to do is follow our lead and your training. Our mission today is a basic one. We will be in contact with the 33rd Infantry Division from South Hebei. They are, as of now, active on the frontlines. Their combat units are engaged in moderate to heavy engagements with the North Hebeians. They will be giving us targets to engage, and we will destroy them with our AGM-224 SGBs.¡±


    One of the recruits raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Those glide bombs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll have two of them each in our internal weapons bay. That and two AMATA-80s each for self-defense. Make note of that. Self-defense. We¡¯re not going on a combat air patrol mission. We will just fire our glide bombs on our designated targets, then fly away.¡±


    ¡°So a pretty safe mission?¡± One of the newbies asked. Bianca frowned harder.


    ¡°I already said nothing is safe. You¡¯re not untouchable just because you¡¯re flying a stealth aircraft. We will be firing these at least fifty kilometers from our targets. While it¡¯s unlikely for us to be detected, there is still a possibility because we will be inside the range of enemy radars. So be on the watch. Clear?¡±


    ¡°Clear!¡±


    +++


    Within twenty minutes, Bianca¡¯s two teams were in the sky. It was already night above Asanai¡¯s easternmost island. Down below them, they could see the bustling city metropolises that they passed through. Most of them seemed to be still going with their daily lives undisrupted from high above.


    The sea itself was calm in comparison. There wasn¡¯t much traffic tonight in the skies.


    Neither her side nor the CFN¡¯s side seemed to be active in the skies at the moment. It was to be expected, as the CFN had reportedly stopped challenging the air dominance that her side had created. Thus, the flight toward Hebei was quite smooth.


    They barely talked in their comms except for directional changes or new orders. It was¡­quite a dry night. But Bianca supposed that it was normal. She remembered that in her past squadrons, she was quite the silent pilot. Especially since the squadrons she joined were predominantly men.


    It was only really now that many women flooded the Air Force. Even then, she could feel a certain disconnect between her and the recruits. It reminded her of the sheer disconnect she experienced back in the early days. When it was just her and a few enthusiastic recruits ready to serve their Queen, and her old, cynical, and jaded trainers and veteran squadron mates.


    I¡¯m almost at the same point now¡­


    ¡°So we¡¯re killing people for real now?¡±


    ¡°Two-Two, of course, we are,¡± Two-Three responded. ¡°Unless you miss.¡±


    A cacophony of giggles and laughter came from the other newbies. Bianca almost wanted to interfere and call out the unprofessional chatter. But she supposed she¡¯d let the new pilots at least get acquainted with each other. They were, after all, pulled out just recently from their training bases and dumped here with their brand-new planes.


    Bianca herself wasn¡¯t entirely sure yet how to manage a squadron. She was¡­quite new to this job. Before, she only managed a section of three pilots, back when she flew the LF-12. Then, she took a few months on the administrative side of things and then came back to limited combat roles. She did fly the LF-20 regularly, but quite frankly, she only ever had three combat sorties in it.


    She kept a tight hold on her controls, as she took a deep breath. Calmness was the most important thing when flying. And she felt a tad bit shifty about this. Truth be told, she also had never once used a glide bomb. All of her combat sorties were just her lobbing long-ranged anti-air missiles from afar, alongside that one time when she fired a few anti-ship missiles.


    It was the tedious job of an LF-20 pilot, she supposed. They were always just supposed to sit at the back and fire their missiles, then come back to base. Sometimes, they¡¯d be relegated to hover near a combat area to act as some sort of forward radar and control aircraft. But that only happened when AWACS was absent. And she never served that role.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to enter the Hebeian airspace, over,¡± Bianca gave her heads-up to her squadron mates. ¡°Again, keep your eyes peeled. We¡¯re going to be climbing at twelve thousand meters now.¡±


    ¡°Copy that, One-One!¡± came the collective response from her newbies. She almost heard her wingman crack a little laugh at that. Bianca could only roll her eyes as she pulled the nose of her LF-20 upward. She watched as her altitude counter slowly went up. Behind her, the rest of the squadron members followed closely.


    Within five minutes into their flight, they found themselves in contact with the Hebeian High Command. Then they were redirected to the administrative staff of the 33rd Infantry Division. She half-expected that they would speak to her in Hebeian, but the speaker instead Orlish in a professional manner. Naturally, Bianca talked to them as politely and cordially as she could. Soon, they were given the description and coordinates of their targets.


    ¡°Remain cautious. Potential North Hebeian SAM radars and launchers nearby. Pull out if any of them locks on you,¡± the man on the other side warned. ¡°Notify us once you¡¯re at the firing range.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, 33rd HQ,¡± Bianca replied. She then communicated with the rest of her squadron. ¡°Alright, everyone. You¡¯re being given a target now. You¡¯re now free to choose your flight path so long as you do not deviate from the squadron by at most eight hundred meters.¡±


    ¡°Copy!¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this everyone.¡±


    Bianca continued pushing her aircraft forward into the firing range. She checked her forward cameras and locked into the distant returns in her sensors. The target was a simple, concealed building. Their HQ told her that it was a munitions depot. Bianca wasn¡¯t exactly sure about that, as it was simply just another building on the horizon.


    No alerts. Seems like we¡¯re unspotted.


    ¡°33rd HQ, we¡¯re now at the firing range. Are we clear to fire?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Things are clear on our end. Good hunting, over.¡±


    ¡°Girls, you heard him. Take your targets.¡±


    A few more seconds passed before they finally began.


    ¡°This is One-Two, bombs are now off!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve fired mine as well.¡±


    ¡°Two-Three firing as well!¡±


    ¡°W-wait, I¡¯m still trying to lock on to my target. It¡¯s moving!¡±


    ¡°Calm down Two-Two,¡± Bianca said. Her wingman on the other hand also released her glide bombs, and she barely even spoke on their comms. Bianca tried to focus a bit more on her target, before continuing. ¡°If it¡¯s a vehicle, there¡¯s a homing option. Use that. Clear breaths.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± she breathed out with a nervous laugh. ¡°Um, this is two-two, bombs are off too!¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± Bianca sighed. Then, she pushed the buttons to release her glide bombs. ¡°One-One to all units, my bombs are off. We¡¯re disengaging now.¡±


    ¡°33rd HQ to Sixteen-Actual, we¡¯ve detected that you¡¯ve released your bombs, over.¡±


    ¡°Confirmed. We fired it all. Is there any problem?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Peel off from the AO now. Have a nice flight back to Asanai. Out.¡±


    Soon, they all turned around, as distant explosions blanketed the battlefield. Bianca¡¯s job wasn¡¯t done, however. She still needed to get all members of her squadron into land strike missions.


    They needed to have some experience at least before the big fight.

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Four: Please Rest Easy

    ¡°Orlish Federalists conduct further offensive operations against the Free Confederation of Westlauren this morning. Heavy rocket and missile barrages have been recorded this morning, many targeting critical areas of the Royalist frontlines. Heavy shelling has also been noted to have struck the various forward defensive positions held by the Westlauren Defense Forces¡ªwhich was followed up by an eight-hour-long determined assault from multiple Federalist armored and mechanized brigades. They managed to advance for a few dozen kilometers before being pummeled back by Royalist armored counterattacks as the evening rolled in.¡±


    - ROCN News


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    December 25, 2025


    ¡°Been quite the long month, huh?¡± Nia said, as she calmly combed Amelie¡¯s hair. The young Queen on the other hand simply sighed softly. She looked straight into the massive mirror in front of her. Even with last night¡¯s beauty sleep, she barely even recovered. Amelie almost felt half afraid of that.


    I¡¯m growing too fast out of my prime!


    However, she made no outward reactions about that major life setback. She imagined she¡¯d figure things out surely once she won the war. Then, she could sleep and slack all she wanted. All while taking better self-care.


    Indeed, indeed.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth it,¡± Amelie smiled a bit. ¡°Now, we have the final timeline for the upcoming attack. We¡¯ve deployed all that should be deployed. Smoothed out the diplomatic complications. And we¡¯ve united the MN command fully. I believe in us.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Amelie turned back to Nia with a determined grin. ¡°Are you not?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I believe I do,¡± Nia smiled a bit. ¡°We worked hard for this. Surely, it will bear fruit. For the entire alliance.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Amelie turned her hair back to Nia. Her assistant then began combing and fixing it again, as Amelie relaxed. ¡°Teamwork. That¡¯s what matters here. We learned a lot from Gallia. If we can beat them back there, we can do the same here.¡±


    ¡°Very optimistic, Amelie, hehe.¡±


    ¡°I like to be optimistic this time around. It makes me feel better. And maybe if we start believing in ourselves, we can do great things. That¡¯s what I told the officers participating anyway. Believe in themselves, and do their duties as best as they can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re placing a lot of faith in people who aren¡¯t even Orlish.¡±


    ¡°Orlish or not, they fought in this war and the previous wars equally hard. Even if Hebeian officers or Kusari officers don¡¯t have the best of the best in terms of troop and equipment quality, they still have the spirit to defend their homeland. I think that¡¯ll help greatly.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Nia finished her job. ¡°There, it looks quite nice now. That shampoo Empress Xue gave you is quite exquisite.¡±


    Amelie turned a bit, looking at how her hair shone, almost brand new. And it was very straight and silky too. She smiled uncontrollably.


    ¡°It seems that way.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be thanking the Empress for this even more then. It is nice to have some overseas friends, no?¡±


    Nia just smiled wider.


    ¡°I think Empress Xue finds it even nicer to have you as her friend, Amelie.¡±


    +++


    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve gone through hell,¡± Amelie pointed out.


    William on the other hand was barely standing in front of her table. His eyes were sunken and nearly dead. He reeked of alcohol. And even his suit was messy and ruffled. As if he merely rushed to get here early in the morning. In comparison to Amelie¡¯s slightly improved health, it seemed that William took a hit.


    ¡°They were too persuasive,¡± William blubbered out, strangely still cognizant. ¡°Very persuasive, might I add.¡±


    ¡°You got drunk with your officers after we just returned home from an extremely demanding international diplomatic tour.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tradition.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a stupid tradition.¡±


    ¡°Besides, the drinks tasted good.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think alcohol tastes that good.¡±


    ¡°You should try it someday¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Nia shouted from the side, turning her chair in William¡¯s direction away from her computer. ¡°Stop trying to get the Queen drunk.¡±


    ¡°She could use a shot or two, you know?¡± William said, laughing a bit. ¡°Ah¡­shit, my head hurts.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, it¡¯ll hurt,¡± even Amelie¡¯s tone turned disappointed. ¡°I heard that you and various high-ranking members of the OHC were ¡®flat-out drunk until four in the morning¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°The staff that was serving you with food and drinks.¡±


    ¡°Hey, come on, we all paid for it.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Why are we on that topic now?¡± Amelie shook her head and laughed. ¡°Look, I get it, things happen. Just, don¡¯t go too far next time, okay?¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    ¡°Now go back to sleep,¡± Amelie ordered. William stared at her blankly. She tapped her fingers a bit more impatiently on her table. Then, she took a deep breath. With a calm, gentle voice, she repeated her order. ¡°I said, go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I am still operational. And I need the daily wage money¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will always pay you your full salary and extra bonuses regardless of what happens William and you know that.¡±


    ¡°I have got¡­reports,¡± his words turned even more slurred. ¡°Reports¡­yes¡­things to smoothen out in the OPM. I need to meet the heads of each department. Then get them reorganized with the next phases of the operation.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you get drunk?¡±


    ¡°Again, they were very persuasive.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses, William,¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°I can see that you¡¯re just way too addicted to work so you¡¯re forcing things even if you¡¯re drunk. Look, if there¡¯s two things that you should learn, it''s that you should calm down sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I did do that last night¡ª¡±


    ¡°But not in that manner,¡± Amelie stood up, then, she walked to him. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m dragging you to your quarters. What you should be doing instead is taking a good rest. Even if it¡¯ll be today during daylight.¡±


    ¡°Are you for real?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°Will you come with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being dragged like a kid by the Queen to his damned room!¡±


    ¡°Well, you are now,¡± Amelie chuckled. She then grabbed his hand. ¡°Look, let¡¯s just go. You look like you¡¯ll collapse any second now. You already did a lot of good work anyway. So I¡¯m not letting you get away from your well-deserved rest. Alright?¡±


    William groaned and facepalmed.


    ¡°Fine¡­I¡¯ll walk myself to my quarters. I¡¯m good. Have a nice day¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not in that condition you won¡¯t,¡± Amelie said, grabbing him and dragging him out of her office. ¡°See, you''re dizzy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re about to fall,¡± Amelie chuckled, as she held his back while pushing him out of her office. She then looked back at Nia. ¡°Hey, just reorder this place while I¡¯m gone, okay?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­alright,¡± Nia timidly replied.


    Amelie closed the door. She turned back to William, who seemed like he was barely holding his head together.


    ¡°Look at you. Your hangover must be so awful,¡± Amelie pointed out.


    ¡°I drank a lot of water already,¡± William defensively countered.


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly not enough to clean the alcohol you gobbled,¡± Amelie pushed him forward. ¡°Come on, pick up your pace. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep watch on your back this time.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Cannonball!¡±


    Amelie tried her best to dodge¡ªbut alas, when she entered her little sister¡¯s room, she was tackled to the ground. Amelie tried to push Alice away, but the girl pushed and started to tickle Amelie as she laughed and giggled.


    ¡°H-hey!¡± Amelie said, laughing as well. ¡°Alice! That¡¯s so uncouth of you!¡±


    ¡°You were gone for weeks! Weeks! Jerk! Jerk!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Okay! You made your point. Chill out,¡± Amelie said, pushing her away further. She then placed her hands on Alice and carried her upwards away from her. The girl, who couldn¡¯t reach and tickle her anymore, decided to simply stick out her tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you turned this naughty just after I was gone for a while.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have anyone to mess with,¡± Alice said, pouting a bit. ¡°Put me down, will you?¡±


    ¡°Why do you weigh slightly heavier now?¡±


    ¡°Are you calling me fat?!¡±


    ¡°No, no, not at all,¡± Amelie sat upright. Then, she placed Alice back on the floor. The two began patting their clothes to straighten them and remove some dust. ¡°So, how are you doing today?¡±


    ¡°Studying, and studying,¡± Alice said, as her little smile turned into an irritated frown. ¡°Lady Lubaine is now trying to teach me how to better control my mana. And she¡¯s so strict!¡±


    ¡°Really now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She said I shouldn¡¯t be as defenseless as you.¡±


    Amelie took a bit of a hit from that.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Amelie said, before smiling a bit. ¡°Are you doing well with that though?¡±


    ¡°She says I suck.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose she really is that harsh,¡± Amelie placed her hand on her chin and looked to her side. Then, she turned back to Alice with glowing eyes. ¡°Maybe that just means you¡¯re doing well in her parlance.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°You are a good image for your age anyway. Maybe Lady Lubaine just has higher standards for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfair. In the new school I go to, I¡¯m one of the top students. But for her, I ¡®suck at magic¡¯.¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, different standards,¡± Amelie gave Alice a pat on her head. ¡°You¡¯re doing well. Trust me on that!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Amelie pulled Alice into a brief hug. ¡°Hah¡­I missed you.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Amelie said, hugging her little sister further. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy all the time. I¡¯ve barely been spending time with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting a big fight. It only makes sense. Not that¡­I like the fact that this fight started in the first place¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to end it as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡­talk with the ¡®bad guys¡¯ and tell them to lay down their killing weapons? Lots of people are just dying and dying and dying for nothing. Are they even really that bad?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Alice¡­if only it was that simple,¡± Amelie chuckled. ¡°Have you been watching the news?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ve been sneaking here and there.¡±


    ¡°At least you admit it this time.¡±


    Amelie felt Alice tightening her hug on her.


    ¡°Hey, Amelie¡­I have a question¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°How¡­is big brother doing? Is Albert¡­alright?¡±


    Amelie pushed Alice slightly away while holding her closely on the shoulders. Amelie tried to smile, but it came more as a bittersweet one.


    ¡°Alice¡­I tried doing what we both wanted, yes,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°You told him not to go?¡±


    ¡°Again and again,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°But, you see¡­I think, maybe we should just start to understand who he is. He¡¯s a military man. And a damn good one at that. It hurts, but just like many adults nowadays¡­he has to go do his duty. Not just to us and this country, but most importantly for him, his friends and comrades.¡±


    ¡°Friends¡­and comrades?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°Think about it, Alice. If you were like him, would you leave your close friends at school in a scary place just to go back to us?¡±


    ¡°I would,¡± Alice said, frowning a bit. ¡°I¡­I would, yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Amelie pulled her again into a hug. ¡°But Albert is different. He has a duty to those friends, you see. And he¡¯s just¡­doing his best to finish that. He¡¯ll go back home when all of them can go back home.¡±


    ¡°Then just make them all come back home!¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said¡­if only it was all that easy,¡± Amelie laughed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­really sorry. But it is the truth. But, I assure you. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll do my best to make sure that in the end¡ªhe and his buddies will come back home. I¡¯ll do my best. I¡¯ll¡­always do my best. For all of them.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Five: New Year Fires

    ¡°The situation regarding the revolutionary struggle is turning grave. Reactionary forces are now attempting increasingly desperate tactics that threaten the liberation attempts made by the Coalition of Free Nations. As such, the new Republic is now calling on all able-bodied citizens of Poznek. Nearly all men are now recorded to be either mobilized on the homefront or on the frontlines. Women aged eighteen to sixty-five are now required to report either to the War Recruitment Office to be mobilized into special auxiliary detachments for the defense of the homeland or to newly formed labor training units. Further strict rations are to be enforced. Deserters, looters, criminals, and other vagabonds disrupting the war effort will now be shot without trial by the State Police and any member of the Pozneki Army. There will be no effort that the Republic will fail to take for the defense of the revolution.¡±


    - Zbaweini Radio


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    Site-07A


    December 31, 2025


    ¡°Tea, perhaps?¡± Nia asked.


    Amelie respectfully shook her head as she smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, but no, I¡¯m fine with water.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Nia said, patting her back. ¡°I hope it all goes well.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too,¡± Amelie said. Soon, Nia left the meeting room. It was just her alone now, waiting¡­and waiting. Screens were already lit up inside. Laptops and tablets were strewn over the table that they used earlier. They were all in recess, which¡­well, Amelie had no appetite for.


    For some reason, not even her sugar rush during this stressful situation kicked in. Amelie merely felt¡­empty. She didn¡¯t feel any sense of confidence that she had previously when they drafted these plans. She felt as if at any moment, the entire plan would fall apart at the first seams.


    She was afraid. Extremely afraid.


    What if it happens again?


    She looked down at her hand.


    What if I have to pull the trigger this time?


    She closed her hand as her lips formed a thin line. She also closed her eyes. And all she could do was take a deep breath. She planned for this big day. She worked for it. She poured her soul into this. To save two nations that weren¡¯t hers. Yet¡­all her efforts felt quite inadequate.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she felt someone massage her back. ¡°Are you doing alright over there?¡±


    Amelie tried to smile a bit.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice you opened the door, William.¡±


    ¡°Well, I pride myself on being a sneaky bastard,¡± William grinned. ¡°Hey, you really shouldn¡¯t look that down now. It hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡±


    ¡°People are about to die because of my orders¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been on this same tired road all the time, Amelie.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change my view on things. You can tell me all those things that you want to tell to my ears. It doesn¡¯t change that whenever I open my hands, all I see is red.¡±


    He removed his hands from her shoulders. With a sigh, he went for the seat right beside her.


    ¡°You¡¯re too much of a bleeding heart,¡± William tiredly said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Amelie quickly denied.


    ¡°The people about to die in the next weeks would die regardless of your orders. The goal is the hasty end of this war. That¡¯s the important job you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Amelie pulled one of the folders near her. She mindlessly began to flip through the pages of documents that were placed inside of it.


    ¡°Whatever you say, William,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so hard to keep your spirits up high,¡± William replied, chuckling a bit. ¡°Very tricky.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the attempts regardless.¡±


    ¡°Well, in any case, the troops on the ground are ready now. We¡¯ve got most of our squadrons ready. The MLRS platforms and other ballistic missile launchers are already being pre-positioned. We¡¯re¡­fine and dandy.¡±


    ¡°And the navy?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re doing their own thing. To be honest, I doubt the North Hebeian navy would be audacious enough to commit to full resistance. I bet that within two days, the three squadrons of Tiger-Class Frigates we sent recently will be in the range of Ginzhu for their naval guns!¡±


    ¡°Awfully optimistic, and you¡¯re betting on people¡¯s lives,¡± Amelie said. She shook her head a bit. ¡°It¡¯s just so¡­you¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­me?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. William the tactless jerk.¡±


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    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re going with name-calling now huh? And here I thought I made a good friend from the Royal Family. I guess this is life.¡±


    Amelie shook her head as she laughed a bit.


    ¡°...You make things feel awfully normal even when they¡¯re not,¡± Amelie pointed out. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    William on the other hand merely grabbed his bottle of water.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re satisfied with my services again,¡± then, he drank it all. Behind them, the doors finally opened. Officers, government officials, staff, and aides, all flooded inside the room.


    Amelie naturally stood up to welcome the rest of the Orlish High Command. Most of them nodded and removed their caps as they walked past her. Then, they went straight for their posts. Then, straight in her direction, were the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.


    ¡°Been a long drive here?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°It was fine,¡± was Walter¡¯s dry answer before he took his seat.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± was the only thing Jacqueline said as she took the seat left to Amelie. On the other hand, the three leaders of the OHC¡ªGeneral Victor Albrecht, Admiral George Halberd, and Chief Air Marshall Lewis Zimmerman all went straight to the presentation area.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re going to start at last,¡± William said. Then, they were all ordered to take their seats. The screens soon began switching to the next topic at hand. After a few moments of deliberations between the three chiefs of staff, the last two left¡ªleaving General Albrecht alone.


    He took a deep breath, before announcing his next plans.


    ¡°Alright, everyone,¡± he said as he checked his clock. ¡°It¡¯s time. It is, as of now, 22:40 hours, Orlish Eastern Standard Time. That¡¯s¡­14:00 hours near Ginzhu province, ladies and gentlemen.¡±


    Amelie rested her back on her chair as she crossed her arms.


    ¡°...In twenty minutes, Phase One of Operation Eastern Jade is set to begin. Godspeed to all of our boys and girls down there.¡±


    +++


    East Hebeian Sea


    2nd Fleet (Orlish)


    Strike Force Seven


    ¡°This is Rear Admiral Albert Ludendorf speaking to you,¡± Albert spoke into his microphone. His voice was now broadcast to all vessels under Strike Force Seven. Crewmen, marines, mechanics, airmen¡ªall listened to his words. Today was a massive day. It was going to be New Year soon.


    But Albert knew, and everyone knew¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be a festive one. Still, he needed to raise the spirits of his men.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re all out there, still doubting what we can do. But what I can tell you, is that we will be doing our best. It¡¯s not just us out here, gentlemen. The best of the Mandate of Nations alliance is out here. We will be doing our job steadfastly. No matter what.


    ¡°To the boys onboard the ONS Rolentz¡ªyou¡¯re all doing great. The upgrades you have received for your SAM defense systems, I believe, will be of great use today. The entire fleet will appreciate your contributions, I imagine. Please keep the skies clear. And do it well.


    ¡°To those onboard the ONS Seafire, ONS Blackgem, and ONS Rumwall, I know you will fight well. You bastards have always helped keep the enemy¡¯s missiles off my boat, I know that. And I know you bastards are very good at targeting enemy ships. This time around, I¡¯d like to see your best once we conduct land strike missions.


    ¡°And to those onboard the Rebenslof, well¡­what other words would I have? CVW-3¡¯s fighter wing has been expanded to six squadrons. So all of you out there in the hangars, maintenance, rearming, and other services, no need to cry. I get it, it¡¯ll be a painful few days, especially since you poor sods now have to handle two different multi-role aircraft, but I know you can all do it well. For the rest of you, work hard, and do your part. You will and I know that.¡±


    He took a deep breath as the rest of the men on the Rebenslof¡¯s bridge had a good chuckle. Then, he grinned.


    ¡°So, what more is there to be said? Let¡¯s fucking go, everyone! Shoot down the planes of those CFN bastards! Shoot down their missiles! And let¡¯s place their raggedy-ass fleet underneath the waves of this rough sea. Because we¡¯ve sunk a lot of fleets already. Back in the Great War. Back in the early days of this war. And today. And tomorrow. Because that¡¯s what Strike Force Seven is. Gentlemen, remember our motto!¡±


    He turned around and held it up, as the rest of the bridge shouted.


    ¡°We shall carry on the struggle!¡±


    He turned back and placed his microphone close to his mouth.


    ¡°Gentlemen, we will be starting once High Command gives us their starting order. Synchronize your watches, because that¡¯s fifteen minutes out. Let¡¯s win this one.¡±


    He placed it back down. Then, he turned to his bridge crew and clapped.


    ¡°Well, there it goes everyone,¡± he turned to the Rebenslof¡¯s CO¡ªCaptain James Vogel himself. ¡°Get this ship and the rest of the fleet to speed up. Let¡¯s catch up on those Rizalians up ahead of us. What¡¯s the status of the Lorathians?¡±


    ¡°Heh, they¡¯re close behind. Just forty kilometers southwest of us. I have also received reports that the Princess of Wales has now launched two of its LF-20C squadrons in the air. They¡¯re going to be¡ª¡±


    The bridge crew was distracted by a formation of planes that made a flyby on the far side of the fleet. It seemed that the Lorathians had already sent their planes ahead of time.


    ¡°Well¡­there they are,¡± James said as he laughed. ¡°The impatient bastards that they are.¡±


    Beside him, the overall commander of CVW-3, the Rebenslof¡¯s air wing, Captain Ray Schlatt, spoke up.


    ¡°So, should I send my boys up there now?¡± Ray asked. Then, he grinned. ¡°VFA-24 is now on the ready back at the Rebenslof¡¯s deck. It should only take a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°And the rest?¡± Albert asked.


    ¡°Give me ten or twenty more minutes. They¡¯re already finishing their final preparations. VFA-24 and VFA-18 will be on their air-to-air configurations. The twenty-four LF-20Cs will be carrying four AMATA-80 Block IV missiles.¡±


    ¡°Heh, they¡¯re going to be shooting a lot of enemy birds down then.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The LF-12s of VFA-13 will be on their air-to-air load-outs as well. VFA-16, VFA-22 on the other hand will go up there on full naval strike loadouts. Both will be carrying ASCMs, four of them each. A bit vulnerable, but as you¡¯ve ordered, we¡¯re going all in with them. Only VFA-20 will be carrying the balanced loadout. Two ASCM each alongside two AMATA-80s and two SAA-10Bs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Albert nodded. ¡°After all, I believe the three original squadrons of the Rebenslof will be up to the task of clearing the skies. They¡¯ll do it well enough.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully. The Princess of Wales¡¯ LF-20Cs are also going to be in their air-to-air configuration, so I think we should be able to cover things well.¡±


    Albert turned back down to his flight deck. Down there, the first LF-20s were already being prepared in their catapults. They seemed to be all ready now.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Albert said. ¡°Send them off now. We¡¯ll see. We¡¯ll see.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Six: Cross their Lines

    ¡°The New Year¡¯s Eve has been marked with muted celebrations across the world. The fireworks show held in Eutstadt had been suspended after news of the MN offensive commencing in Hebei reached the TVs and internet. A joint statement from the leaders of the Mandate of Nations, including Prime Minister Heiss and Queen Amelie called for ¡®calm and sensible celebrations¡¯. Queen Amelie even promised that she wanted a victory for the free world at the start of the year. She has stated that ¡®help and liberation is coming¡¯ to all civilians living under the increasingly repressive CFN regimes.¡±


    - Geopol News


    +++


    Empire of Hebei


    Ginzhu Province


    Dichang City


    I OEF-Hebei


    B/18-4 Mobile Assault Brigade


    January 1, 2026


    ¡°Come on!¡± Charles called as he turned his commander¡¯s site to the left. ¡°Keep pummeling those bastards!¡±


    ¡°Aye, Lieutenant!¡± came the gruff response from his gunner. Their main gun soon opened fire again, sending a 120mm MPAT round set to detonate on contact. The distant building they had targeted immediately detonated, causing the apartment to collapse. Gunfire from that area immediately stopped.


    However, some sections of the apartment remained intact. An ATGM even flew out of it, striking one of the parked HMLVs used by their allied Hebeian forces on the street ahead of them.


    ¡°Gunner, MPAT, infantry to the left side of that apartment!¡± Charles called out again.


    ¡°Aye! Taking aim now!¡± Hector responded.


    Their turret turned into the left side of the damaged building. Then, another MPAT round was slammed by the Panther mech¡¯s autoloader straight into its main gun. Within a split second, another shot pummeled it. It only took a few moments for the rest of the residential structure to fully cave in and collapse.


    ¡°Good shot, son,¡± Charles said as he looked down at Hector. He gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Doing well as always.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Hector laughed and shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Charles scanned the area ahead of them with his sights. They were in a pretty decent cover behind one of the collapsed buildings that allowed them to overlook the main highway ahead of them. The rest of his squad¡¯s mechs on the other hand were still either at the rear or the forward positions taking potshots on the enemy¡¯s garrisoned buildings ahead of them.


    Otherwise, the situation was stable. Hebeian soldiers were slowly taking territory inch by inch, advancing through the rubble of the destroyed city. Even the dismounts of B Company were supporting them well. The various M8 IFVs and infantry platoons of his company were already advancing all well and good.


    ¡°Just keep targeting anything that looks like a good target,¡± Charles ordered. Then, he pulled out his microphone to speak to the mech¡¯s intercom. ¡°Jenkins! Just keep us in this position. If you see anyone that might get a shot at us, pull back. Or at my signal!¡±


    ¡°Noted, Lieutenant!¡± his driver replied.


    And thus, the hour of draining combat ensued. Under the morning sun, Charles and his team tried their best to stay out of trouble, while ensuring that their unit advanced. It was methodical. They would advance to a covered position. Then they would sit in the back and open fire on the enemy¡¯s garrisons.


    In front of them, the Hebeian soldiers acted as the main assault force. They organized themselves in assault platoons that advanced street by street, lane-by-lane. They cleared out areas with their grenades, rifles, and handheld AT weapons. They¡¯d also try to assault occupied buildings, but sometimes, it would fail.


    Charles would then receive a call for fire support whenever that happened. And he directed either Hector to take fire, or for any one of his six mechs to open fire at it. They were fairly spread out, each assigned to one lane or street, and advancing with various support units. Regardless, they were advancing nicely.


    No complications. No hiccups. It was merely a continuous inch-by-inch assault every minute. It was so routine, that by the time the enemy had fully withdrawn, all that Charles and his buddies could do was finally relax inside their mech. They had just expended nearly half of their munitions.


    They soon parked their mech on the side of the road. They were finally rotated out of the platoons assigned for the assault role. Charles naturally opened his hatch to get some fresh air. Same with Hector, who straight up jumped out of his hatch to sit on top of their turret.


    On the road itself, other vehicles and lines of soldiers on foot drove or marched forward. While they were now not on the active assault force, the advance was continuing regardless. And even in just a few minutes that they had stopped, the frontlines must have been pushed multiple kilometers already.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get shot over there,¡± Charles warned Hector. Then, Charles popped his canteen open as he continued. ¡°Get down.¡±


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    ¡°Nah. No chance. I mean, look at this. They¡¯re in disarray. And we¡¯re not even in a lane perpendicular to them. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, get down now.¡±


    His gunner groaned as he jumped down their mech¡¯s hull.


    ¡°Fine,¡± the man said. Then, he fished out a packet of cigarettes. Then, with his lighter, Hector started smoking while watching the marching soldiers. Charles on the other hand picked up his radio to give further orders to his squad. Two mechs soon were parked directly behind him. The rest were parked further away.


    The driver¡¯s hatch on their LSS mech¡¯s hull soon opened, and out came his driver, Jenkins. He had a clear frown on his face as he climbed out of the driver¡¯s compartment.


    ¡°El-tee, what¡¯s the news?¡± Jenkins asked. He used the gun of his mech to support himself when he stood in front of Charles. ¡°How long are we sitting our ass here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be driving out in twenty minutes. Just waiting for the battalion¡¯s resupply trucks to come.¡±


    Hector groaned.


    ¡°Oh come on, are we carrying boxes of munitions again?¡± Hector asked as he turned back up to Charles. ¡°Man, this is getting old.¡±


    ¡°You do it dozens of times yet you complain about it,¡± Charles laughed. ¡°Anyway, the two of you. Go take a snack or whatever. Just stay alert. I¡¯ll go back to my seat and have a brief rest.¡±


    ¡°Going to read that romance novel you got from that lady?¡± Jenkins teased as he laughed.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that more like a picture book?¡± Hector asked before returning to smoking. ¡°I remember reading one of those back in the olden days. Like those Asanaian things¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is Hebeian,¡± Charles said, grinning. ¡°Translated to Orlish. They call it Manhuas. Pretty interesting. It¡¯s like comics.¡±


    ¡°What even is the story of that shit man?¡± Jenkins curiously asked.


    ¡°You wanna read it? It¡¯s got pictures,¡± Charles offered. But Jenkins shook his head.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t into reading man. It still got words,¡± he scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t like reading words.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, figured as much,¡± Charles sighed. ¡°What about you, Hector?¡±


    ¡°Does it have people shooting other people?¡± Hector asked.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s about a noblewoman trying to use her magic for her new husband.¡±


    ¡°That shit¡¯s trash. Why are you even entertained by it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just interesting, asshole,¡± Charles defensively replied. On the other hand, Jenkins chuckled further.


    ¡°It¡¯s cause he¡¯s thinking he¡¯ll get married one day. Man¡¯s delusional!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you both are braindead,¡± Charles shook his head. ¡°Whatever. Call me again when the supply guys arrive. I¡¯m going down.¡±


    +++


    ¡°All right. All units! We¡¯re not going to falter this time around. We¡¯ve been assigned to do this, so we¡¯ll finish it well and good. B Company has always delivered. And we¡¯ll live up to that task!¡±


    There was applause on their company-wide comms from each platoon leader. Even Charles himself felt his spirit rise from the encouraging words of his commanding officer. They were now being arrayed for the final assault on the final strongholds of the enemy in this city.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Charles spoke to his platoon on his radio. ¡°You know this well enough. The enemy is pulling out rapidly from Dichang. This is our chance now. So do your best. There will be no resting from this onwards. We will charge in and chase them until they all surrender.¡±


    ¡°Copy that, El-Tee!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re ready now!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Charles breathed in. ¡°Captain, we¡¯ll be leading the charge now. Cover us please.¡±


    When he received the affirmation, he immediately ordered Jenkins to drive ahead. Immediately, their mech sped up through the fields of Dichang. The final central district was heavily destroyed by last night¡¯s bombing. Almost nothing stood due to the heavy barrages of allied rocket artillery and even normal artillery.


    Their mech charged through the highway, with the rest of his platoon¡¯s mechs trailing from behind. Above them, multiple glide bombs began pummeling Dichang¡¯s central business district. They were aimed straight at skyscrapers that had been confirmed as structures occupied by CFN forces.


    One by one, skyscrapers that stood collapsed to the ground with such violent force that entire roads and highways were blocked by the debris. Smaller buildings were also struck by further glide bombs. All of it eliminated the endless barrages of ATGMs and MANPAD missiles that came from Dichang¡¯s high rises.


    That meant that below, Charles and his platoon were able to conduct their thunder run with relative ease. The enemy however wasn¡¯t going to let things go easily. Stores and buildings, many occupied by the enemy, began opening fire on their mechs. But Charles and Hector were already at work.


    While Jenkins drove their mech hard ahead, their turret turned left and right to open fire on anything that tried to resist them. And the same measures were being placed by the rest of Charles¡¯ platoon. Their mechs would dash through the highway at fast speeds, and they would open fire on the bastards attempting to disrupt them.


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Charles laughed as he watched one of the buildings on his right completely collapse from Hector¡¯s shot. ¡°Keep doing it, son! We¡¯re killing a lot of them!¡±


    They were almost completely untouchable. The gunfire from the enemy¡¯s small arms barely even scratched their mech¡¯s armor. And a lot of their AT weapons seemed to be gone. Not a single ATGM flew at their face. All that was happening was carnage, with his platoon advancing without any effective resistance from their foes.


    Soon, when they realized that they were far enough away from their starting positions, Charles called for his platoon to stop and reorganize. They immediately fanned out on the lanes to find cover and clear out the rubble from any hostile troops. Behind them, the rest of their company¡¯s IFVs finally arrived, and the troops they carried immediately fanned out to support them.


    Within a few moments, Jenkins found another good position. They soon positioned their mech on it¡ªa mere collapsed building that offered some elevation with its remnants. In the far distance, Charles watched as a ten-story building fired an ATGM in their direction.


    He marked it.


    ¡°Gunner, MPAT, on that building, now!¡± Charles shouted. ¡°They got AT!¡±


    ¡°Copy that, Lieutenant!¡± Hector shouted as another round flew in the direction of the building. The building collapsed, and many of their enemies finally began to retreat en masse, yet the battle for Dichang was still far from completely over.

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Seven: The Flying Witches

    ¡°Operation Eastern Jade has been declared by the Mandate of Nations! All units of the combined Hebeian¨CAsanain¨COrlish¨CLorathian¨CRizalian forces have now commenced offensive actions against North Hebeian forces in the Ginzhu province. Sporadic battles have now commenced on the East Hebeian Sea. Even Gallian Expeditionary Forces (GEF) arrived on Hebei today, alongside the Gallian DesDiv 18. The operation has been marked initially with heavy MN cruise and ballistic missile attacks. It was followed by approximately a thousand rockets from Hebeian MLRS launchers pummeling North Hebeian frontline units. It is expected that soon, the CFN high command will be sending in their forces to reinforce North Hebei after a declaration early morning from Chancellor Kerensky about ¡®brotherly and revolutionary unity¡¯.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    East Hebeian Sea


    1st Eastern Air Wing


    16th Fighter Squadron


    ¡°Major. It looks like we¡¯re getting close to the combat zone. Our AWACS said already that there was an enemy ZU-34 squadron nearby. Should we continue?¡± Major Bianca Brandt¡¯s second in command, Lieutenant Anja Seelman, seemed to have reservations with her words.


    Naturally, Bianca took clear note of her subordinates'' warnings. But otherwise, they had a very important mission right now. The rest of the 16th Fighter Squadron was still two hundred kilometers away. Due to the continuous sorties they had been doing since last night, her squadron was unfortunately split into three halves.


    They were being rotated in and out of the operational area, which was the area at around one hundred and fifty-kilometer radius of the ONS Cuirassier¡¯s task force. So far, the North Hebeians offered no resistance in the naval and aerial front of the battlefield. Thus, their job was mainly to give escort and presence for the combined MN task forces active.


    Even from out here, she could still see them occasionally launching their missiles from the sea. They were but dots on the clear, morning ocean. But each dot seemed to have a large plume of smoke that rose to the sky. All they had to do was watch from up here. But Bianca wasn¡¯t going to trust that.


    Hence why she was taking a different route than normal for her group.


    ¡°Two-One, we¡¯ll simply make a quick sweep. These ZU-34s could be a bit more sneaky than we thought¡ª¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re getting too far from the radar coverage of the nearest AWACS.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, yes,¡± Bianca nodded. There were only eight of them flying with Bianca right now. Most of them barely had much real combat experience outside of lobbing glide bombs at the enemy for the last few days. Yet, Bianca had a growing sense of trust for her underlings. ¡°We¡¯re going out here to sweep things out nicely. Girls, we¡¯re flying the LF-20 Phantom. While I told you all that you should not put full faith in it, we¡¯re still stealthier. And we have the best AESA radars out there.¡±


    There was no response.


    ¡°Thus it falls into our job to sweep this area. If we find an enemy aircraft, then we¡¯ll report it and engage. If there¡¯s too many of them, we¡¯ll launch our long-range missiles then peel off.¡±


    ¡°I hope that works,¡± Anja said, a bit skeptical. ¡°I¡¯m just not feeling good at being outside of our AWACS coverage.¡±


    Bianca shook her head as she laughed a bit. She tried her best this time around to appear more confident instead of cautious to her underlings. After all, she was dragging them to a very dangerous sortie. They needed to feel some sort of confidence in what they were doing.


    ¡°Yeah, I can understand the anxiousness when we¡¯re outside of the eyes of the force. But, we¡¯re still flying the best plane out there. And High Command did tell us to do our best to patrol the skies. Let¡¯s prove ourselves capable of that task then.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Major!¡±


    They continued northwards. They soon reached around fourteen kilometers in the air, very much straight at a thinner atmosphere, and near the LF-20s flight ceiling. The seas below had already stopped being visible. Any distant ship firing its missiles barely even appeared as a flash this high above.


    And they have now exited twenty kilometers from the maximum range of nearby AWACS aircraft. It was just them now. Only Bianca and her seven newbie underlings. But there was almost zero dissent in her ranks. All members of her team were keeping an eye out. All of them reported and cooperated as best as they could.


    They soon began flying westward instead of northward, trying their best to cover the areas in front of the Cuirassier¡¯s task force. But there was nothing. Not a single blink on their radars. They had now already turned on their active radars. Due to their altitude, it scanned their surroundings well.


    They could see things as far as a hundred forty kilometers at this altitude. More if they flew a little bit higher. Bianca knew that the enemy had no stealth aircraft. Even if the newer variants of the ZU-34 and the newer ZU-40 fighters had greatly improved avionics, potentially matching the ones mounted on the LF-12 and her LF-20, she still doubted they¡¯d have much of a chance.


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    Just stay calm. She told herself. We¡¯ll be fine¡ª


    ¡°Blips detected at four o¡¯clock! One hundred and forty kilometers from us!¡±


    That was the report from Anja. Bianca immediately looked at her radar returns. Indeed, red dots were forming right now. And they were growing. Rapidly. Soon, it was almost as if she was facing the wall. And there were only eight of them.


    ¡°Ready two AMATA-80s now!¡± Bianca ordered. ¡°We¡¯re peeling out afterward. Fire them on my signal!¡±


    ¡°Copy One-One!¡±


    All members of her squadron immediately tightened their formation as they closed in on their target. While the AMATA-80s were all theoretically capable of hitting targets at a hundred eighty kilometers, Bianca knew not to place all her faith in what was stated in the paper. After all, the enemy could conduct maneuvers to drain the energy of her squadron¡¯s missiles.


    I need to get closer. A little bit. Come on¡­


    Soon, she reached that mark.


    ¡°Everyone! Fire at once! Fox Three!¡±


    ¡°Fox Three!¡±


    ¡°Break now. We¡¯re going to shadow them from the sidelines. Let¡¯s get out of their radar range.¡±


    There was a collective ¡®aye¡¯ in their chatter. On the other hand, sixteen AMATA-80s raced through the skies straight at the wall of enemy fighters. Her squadron on the other hand began turning close to the east, to Asanai¡¯s direction. They¡¯d try to hold the eastern flank at least.


    I need the rest of my squadron soon. Bianca began trying to communicate with HQ. Unfortunately, due to their distance, it was turning into a bit of a tedious affair. Damn it¡­did I overextend ourselves?


    +++


    Strike Force Seven


    ONS Rebenslof


    ¡°Attention! Gentlemen, we have a bit of a complication. An expected one,¡± Albert called in as he barged into the bridge of the Rebenslof. Immediately, all of the staff inside who were hard at work stood up and faced his direction in rapt attention. Albert raised his hand for a second as he walked to the forward section of the bridge, and the gesture made everyone sit back down.


    On the other hand, James went side-by-side with him. Albert faced the bridge crew and took a deep breath.


    ¡°So, I assume you all know what CIC reported. I¡¯m not going to mince words, because it¡¯s true. It would appear that the 16th Fighter Squadron, based from Yamaka Airbase, has spotted a hostile aerial strike force headed our way,¡± Albert explained. ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Elements of FrigDiv 12 have also reported that they are now engaging in ASW operations up north after faint underwater noise. Same with the ONS Weirl?ff and ONS Lutzen are also now shadowing what appears to be an enemy naval group en route to us.¡±


    ¡°Thus, as the Admiral has warned,¡± James spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a full naval battle soon. For real this time. It seems that the enemy has decided to rise out of their shell, and meet us head-on.¡±


    ¡°Foolish I should say,¡± Albert declared. ¡°Thus, from this time on, all of us will be on routine, fully alert for this battle. In a few minutes, the enemy¡¯s strike force should arrive soon. Let¡¯s place this task force¡¯s capabilities to the test again. Because I bet that we¡¯ll be getting a lot of cruise missiles on our ass soon. So damage control, be on standby.¡±


    With that out of the way, the crew returned to their task as Albert turned to the windows of his bridge. Outside, the morning sky seemed to bring a foreboding dread. Yet, he felt immune to it. He simply watched the ONS Seafire ahead of them firing two more cruise missiles.


    He picked up his microphone to communicate with the rest of Strike Force Seven.


    ¡°Attention all ships. This is the Admiral speaking. Suspend all land strike fire missions at once. We¡¯re shifting ourselves into a surface combat posture. Scan the skies, and don¡¯t let an enemy missile get in. That¡¯s all.¡±


    +++


    Bianca had finally managed to warn the rest of the Orlish Navy and Air Force about the development near them. Naturally, her underlings were all worried as they flew only a bit further from the enemy formation¡¯s radar range. At this point, Bianca was just waiting for another order from HQ.


    None was coming, however.


    ¡°So Captain Seelman, what do you think we should do?¡± Bianca curiously asked. ¡°Cause I¡¯m running out of ideas here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still going to take time for the rest of the squadron to rearm and refuel, no?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re still en route to land on Yamaka AB,¡± Bianca confirmed. ¡°I suppose we can¡¯t wait. Friendly AWACS seems to be tracking these guys anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think if we can come back to Yamaka quickly and get the entire squadron fitted for a new mission to counter this, we¡¯ll do better.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡±


    Bianca groaned.


    It just sucks how hard it is to coordinate with HQ when flying this far.


    Not to mention, all of the EW interference sweeping through all frequencies. It didn¡¯t fully stop communications, but it was interference nonetheless that made it harder for them to react quickly. At this point, she was merely juggling her options. Then, she made her call.


    ¡°Alright¡­I think at least one ship from below has already seen these guys,¡± Bianca said. ¡°Everyone, line up for a second volley. Let¡¯s take out more of them today.¡±


    Immediately, her two formations turned in the direction of the hostile air squadron. At once, they let off another sixteen AMATA-80s in the enemy¡¯s direction. Then, with their internal bays empty, Bianca¡¯s group pulled their planes back into the direction of Asanai.


    Regardless, the job isn¡¯t over yet. Bianca frowned. We need to get back here quickly to support the fleet.

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Eight: Deep Strike

    ¡°Combined Orlish and Asanaian armored forces punched deep through North Hebeian lines in the east Ginzhu Province. Beside them, South Hebeian forces, supported heavily by the Lorathian and Gallian armored corps, are slowly creeping northwards to threaten the Ginzhu Metropolitan Area once more, which is still forty-three kilometers from the South Hebeian lines. Constant bombardment from the combined MN navies are also ongoing, as they are reportedly unchallenged by the North Hebeian naval forces.¡±


    - Liberty One Radio


    +++


    East Hebeian Sea


    Strike Force Seven


    ONS Rebenslof


    ¡°This is ONS Blackgem reporting. We are firing our SM-2006 interceptors. We¡¯re firing fourteen of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. That should thin them up just a little bit,¡± Albert replied to the captain of the ONS Blackgem, one of the escort destroyers of the Rebenslof. ¡°They¡¯re not sending above fifty to us anyway.¡±


    ¡°Around forty-eight coming our way, yeah,¡± the captain said. ¡°These aren¡¯t the very fast types. We should be able to intercept them all with the short-range Shield IIs when there¡¯s just around thirty of them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the plan. May it work,¡± Albert relaxed on his seat as he watched the Blackgem fire its missiles. One by one, plumes of smoke rose from the VLS cells of the destroyer. Due to the nature of their operation, with the battlefield mostly transparent for both sides, Albert was expecting bad news if they used up their SAM too fast.


    He only really had three destroyers with him. Though the rest of the MN fleet technically protected them, he could only rely the most on his three destroyers. Each one of them carried ninety-six VLS cells since their last refit. They sailed out with ninety-six quad-packed Shield II short-range interceptors, thirty-six SM-2006 interceptors, and thirty-six HASM cruise missiles each.


    That meant in total, his three destroyers had the potential to intercept three hundred ninety-six missiles at most with their interceptors, not counting the close-in weapons systems mounted on each one of them. The Rebenslof itself also carried eight four-pod canisters with the Shield II interceptors, which meant they could also intercept thirty-two extra missiles.


    There was also the ONS Rolentz, which carried a hundred twenty-six VLS cells. With the forty-eight quad-packed Shield II interceptors and another forty-eight SM-2006 missiles, it could defend the fleet from two hundred forty enemy missiles. Nearly half of the rest of the fleet¡¯s interception strength.


    A lot, indeed. But this was going to be a very long battle.


    Right now, only the Blackgem fired their long-range missiles. That was their main bottleneck. The problem with the smaller interceptors they had, which made up the majority of their interception strength, was that they weren¡¯t as long-ranged. Albert already had experience with problems regarding them.


    Sometimes, the enemy would launch a complete wall of missiles that would blot out their tracking systems. Unlike the SM-2006 which had an active radar seeker, the Shield II only had a semi-active radar seeker. That meant it somewhat needed guidance from the vessel that launched it. At the moment, his ships could only guide twelve missiles effectively each.


    Hence why their first act was to thin out the enemy¡¯s forty-eight missile barrage. With fourteen slashed off their volley, hopefully, there would only be thirty-four enemy missiles incoming. That should be manageable for their short-range defenses.


    Albert looked back at his crew. Then on the report screens. It seemed that the enemy¡¯s missiles finally breached the one-hundred-kilometer mark. He waited for his missiles to reach them until the first interceptions were reported by the CIC. He calmly nodded when they gave their numbers: fourteen missiles were intercepted in total.


    That¡¯s a damned good interception rate.


    He turned to Captain James Vogel.


    ¡°Signal our escorts to fire forty-eight Shield IIs,¡± Albert ordered. ¡°Twelve missiles each. That should take care of the bastards.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, sir,¡± James turned to his microphone. Soon, the first missiles flew out of the VLS cells of the Blackgem, Rumwall, and Seafire. The ONS Rolentz, which was right ahead of the Rebenslof, also began firing its missiles from its forward deck¡¯s VLS cells. It was a pretty bright display from the fleet, and soon, the skies were blotted with forty-eight SAM missiles.


    Albert walked toward the screens that showed the trajectories of the enemy missiles and his unit¡¯s interceptors. It took a few minutes, but soon, the first interceptions began. The reporting from his commanders was mostly dry. A few of their interceptors managed to miss, but it didn¡¯t even cause much panic.


    Soon, the skies were clear. Albert immediately grabbed his microphone.


    ¡°Good hunting folks,¡± he smiled. ¡°Resume our ground strike missions.¡±


    +++


    Empire of Asanai


    Yamaka Airbase


    1st Eastern Air Wing


    16th Fighter Squadron


    ¡°They¡¯re retreating?¡± Anja asked. Bianca could only shrug as she ate her food faster. It was a short break that was afforded to them after they landed. They were supposed to fly immediately with naval strike load-outs, but her higher-ups informed her that they were now going to change missions.


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    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re going to fly out with glide bombs again,¡± Bianca replied, as she emptied her bowl of chicken soup. ¡°It seems that the boys on the ground are already needing more and more air support. So that¡¯s why, I suppose. We¡¯re also not flying as a full squadron because of that.¡±


    ¡°So the skies are clear again?¡± Anja skeptically asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Actually, you wanna fly with me?¡± Bianca asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°They¡¯ve identified an ammunition depot used by those North Hebeians, just north of Ginzhu. We can fly quickly there in short order to remove it. Then fly back here and wait for a bigger list of targets.¡±


    Anya groaned as she poked the piece of roasted beef on her plate.


    ¡°It¡¯s another risky mission,¡± Anja complained. ¡°Isn¡¯t that area still saturated with enemy air defense? And we¡¯re supposed to fly to a lone target together? Alone?¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Bianca frowned. ¡°Dozens of sorties are happening each hour. Folks are flying in and out of the battlefields. Not to mention the squadrons permanently assigned to CAP. Though¡­yeah, I suppose most sorties are targeting the frontline areas. Not the behind lines yet. Especially with glide bombs.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why we¡¯re not being assigned to it,¡± Anja said. ¡°Ah, I know now. That¡¯s why this mission is on us. It¡¯s really deep that our stealth is needed.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, but, again, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re flying there without cover. There should be a few guys in their LF-20s flying around to help out if someone jumps us,¡± Bianca tried to smile. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re already decent at this. I don¡¯t want to assign newbies to this mission.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they just give us a proper SEAD munition? Like, come on. It¡¯s north of Ginzhu. That¡¯s way too far. We¡¯ll have to fly too deeply to even have a chance of hitting those ammunition dumps. And we can¡¯t fly low either because¡­obviously,¡± Anja seemed a bit shifty. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why can¡¯t they just send a cruise missile on it?¡±


    ¡°So much complaining. You¡¯re going to fly out with me anyway though, no?¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    Bianca giggled as she finished the beef on her plate. Then, she turned to her dessert, which was a simple strawberry cake she bought from an out-of-base shop out of her pocket. The food they ate in this base was usually of the best class compared to other normal airmen. Unlike them, Bianca and her squadron were noblewomen.


    Which meant they had a lot of pocket money to buy things with.


    She enjoyed it. It wasn¡¯t exactly advisable to fly out with these kinds of things stuffed in her stomach, but truthfully, even Bianca feared the mission. It was too deep in enemy territory. It would only take a few mistakes for her wings to be clipped. And then this would be her last meal.


    She shook those bad thoughts off her head.


    No way! She thought to herself, as she cleansed her palate with a cup of cold, mango fruit juice. We¡¯re just going to fly in and fly out as is normal. It¡¯ll be fine.


    ¡°Right,¡± Bianca clapped. ¡°I¡¯m ready. You¡¯re done?¡±


    ¡°Give me a minute or two,¡± Anja said, as she picked up her pace. On the other hand, Bianca took her smartphone and checked it for any alerts. There was none. It seemed that things were still normal. She relaxed back briefly to her seat.


    This was going to be a hard mission.


    +++


    East Hebeian Sea


    The two of them were now streaming westwards over the relatively calm waters east of Ginzhu. They were high above the skies, almost around sixteen thousand meters from the ground. Bianca breathed in deeply as she analyzed the constant stream of information and reports on the battlenet.


    ¡°I guess there are no enemy air sightings here right now then,¡± Bianca said. She craned her neck to the side to look at Anja¡¯s plane, which was flying slightly above her. ¡°We¡¯re now only two hundred kilometers off our target. Should only take us a few more minutes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­we¡¯re¡­ alone here though,¡± Anja nervously laughed. ¡°And we only have two air-to-air missiles.¡±


    Bianca laughed.


    ¡°If it comes down to it, I¡¯ll even try dogfighting the bastards if need be,¡± she joked.


    ¡°Really now? Have you ever taken proper high-g training?¡±


    ¡°...Nope,¡± Bianca replied with a light laugh. ¡°But I think I can do that¡­hey, do I not have the right to pull off cool things?¡±


    ¡°I bet if you do that you¡¯ll just fly straight to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up,¡± Bianca wheezed before turning back to her controls. She soon sighed as she looked to the northern side of the world. ¡°You know¡­it¡¯s always so beautiful to fly. It¡¯s cool already I guess.¡±


    ¡°Flying is pulling out a cool move I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Bianca¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°I joined the Air Force because it looked nicer than the rest. And I get to fight for the Kingdom. All while remaining almost untouchable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly naive.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re already breaching their air defense area. But no alerts yet. Seems like we¡¯re flying undetected. Have they given any updates?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They already pinpointed the buildings we¡¯re targeting. The AFI sure works hard.¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been wondering. What kind of ammunition depot are we targeting?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, one of the most important ones. They¡¯re offloading a lot of APFSDS and HEAT rounds on that depot. The ammunition for their tanks. So if we target it, we¡¯ll place a further strain on their tank forces¡¯ ability to resupply¡­for a few hours maybe.¡±


    ¡°Enough to buy time then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    They continued onwards. Still no signs of detection. Bianca felt her spirits slowly rise. Perhaps the earlier SEAD operations truly knocked down a lot of the enemy¡¯s air defenses. That was good news, as they were now around a hundred kilometers off their target.


    Below them, they already began passing through the destroyed remnants of the Ginzhu Metropolitan Area. It briefly reminded Bianca of Halia and her surrounding towns and cities. Destroyed. Reduced to rubble. From above, it was hard to see the destroyed city from the clouds without using her sensors. But she could tell that most of the massive spires down there were either flattened or damaged.


    She sighed. This war was truly taking its toll.


    Soon, they neared their targets. Bianca immediately began searching for it using her targeting cameras. The two began analyzing the different buildings that they were seeing on the ground to the pictures taken by Orlish satellites and reconnaissance planes, which had a mark of the targets according to the AFI¡¯s reports.


    Soon, Bianca managed to get a positive visual. She immediately sent the rest of the data to Anja, who also began flying her plane into a position to target it.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Bianca said, as her finger hovered near the launch button. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    ¡°Bombs away!¡±


    ¡°Bombs away too!¡±


    The two immediately pulled away after their glide bombs were discharged. She hoped that this attack would be worth it for the boys and girls on the ground.


    Soon, a massive explosion struck the North Hebeian lines. The ammo depots were hit.

 Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Nine: Her Majestys Viewpoint

    ¡°Heavy combat engagements between the combined MN fleet and the North Hebeian Navy have been reported in the East Hebeian Sea. A massive aerial battle resulted in at least fourteen MN air losses and twenty-two CFN air losses. An Asanaian Guided-Missile Destroyer, the IAN Kirishima was also reportedly struck by a torpedo during the brief morning battle. It was the only recorded surface loss from both sides. Both fleets however have so far refrained from commiting to pitch battle, with the MN fleet instead opting to continue cruise and ballistic missile strikes instead against land targets, supporting the rapidly advancing MN troops to Ginzhu.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    January 2, 2026


    ¡°So they fled from the battlefield?¡±


    The question from Amelie¡¯s lips went unanswered for a few seconds. The Queen leaned a bit closer to the phone in her ears, as she waited for the reply. On the other line, Admiral George Halberd breathed out deeply, until he confirmed the answer to her question.


    ¡°We were unable to press them into the pitched battle that we were hoping for. We¡¯re going to continue trying, but our fleet is already slowly losing steam for a naval engagement due to their lowered cruise missile stocks.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? But isn¡¯t this an advantage?¡± Amelie curiously asked, silently tapping her fingers on her desk. ¡°If they do not want to attack our fleet, then we¡¯re free to bombard Ginzhu on our terms. I¡¯ve also heard that we have complete and effective control over the airspace in the battle area.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can confirm that. Still, this is disappointing. We¡¯ve fired three volleys on their fleet. Cruise missile volleys. They intercepted all of them. We¡¯ve also sent three strike sorties from the Cuirassier and Rebenslof throughout the day¡­but¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been repulsed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They forced us back. Mainly because of the appearance of the DA-22 fighters from North Hebei. They can carry the Jiangan III air-to-air missiles. It seems that they all have powerful active-seeker radars mounted on them, and they outrange our best missiles. Too risky.¡±


    ¡°How are the North Hebeians producing planes better than us?¡± Amelie gritted her teeth. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Don¡¯t we have technological supremacy over them? Are you telling me that our LF-20Cs cannot compete with these ¡®DA-22¡¯ fighters?¡±


    ¡°No. But these are fairly new designs produced in two of their northern advanced factories. They¡¯re not stealth aircraft either, they just have a reduced radar cross-section. Four-point five generation designs is what I¡¯ll estimate them to be. Capable, yes, but we¡¯ve dispatched four of them at the cost of not a single LF-20C.¡±


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t we pressed an attack?¡±


    ¡°They still have three squadrons of the bastards active in the battle area. While they cannot fight our LF-20Cs and LF-20As toe-to-toe, they can seriously threaten us with a few losses, especially with those Jiangan III missiles. It¡¯s the closest to a direct counter that the rest of the CFN has against us. So we¡¯re going to suffer losses if we hadn¡¯t backed out. And, according to your policy¡­one lost squadron is going to be unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°O-of course it¡¯s unacceptable. I need all LF-20s after this operation in Orland. Those planes don¡¯t grow on trees.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Hence why I followed your policy and held on to our strike mission. Do you change your mind?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Admiral Halberd waited for a few more seconds as Amelie parsed her thoughts. LF-20s were way too much of a valuable resource for her. Even a squadron or two of lost planes would be a massive temporary blow to her war effort. Since she didn¡¯t expect any credible opposition, she gave a policy that would make her commanders more cautious at deploying them.


    However, I¡¯ve heard that at times they deploy them anyway for some of the very dangerous missions out there. She placed her gloved hand on her chin, then she leaned back on her chair. So what difference does this make?


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m removing my policy about limiting LF-20 losses. But I don¡¯t want to lose all of them.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re not going to lose all of them, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Can we even still press on the attack though?¡±


    ¡°That depends on the enemy. We¡¯re holding our position to bait them out. If they don''t want to play though, as you¡¯ve said, we¡¯ll just take the win. Though, yeah¡­we won''t achieve the full victory that we expected. Wiping out the North Hebeian Navy will be out of the table in that scenario.¡±


    ¡°Can we launch a deep strike instead then?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to lose your entire air fleet assigned to this mission?¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°On the other hand, how¡¯s Albrecht doing?¡±


    ¡°Your brother¡¯s doing fine. He¡¯s in his element. Commanding at the frontline and all. I talked to him earlier, he seems fairly excited.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to believe that he is a battle junkie, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°You still do that at this point?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­I refuse¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s your prerogative.¡±


    ¡°But¡­at the same time, please tell him that he should be careful and he needs to come back or else,¡± Amelie¡¯s voice turned softer, almost begging. ¡°Because he just won¡¯t answer any calls I give him.¡±


    ¡°Of course he won¡¯t. He¡¯s in battle.¡±


    ¡°Yet he answers yours?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m his direct superior. Besides, I bet that talking to you just makes him more nervous. Being reminded of home when you¡¯re fighting life and death isn¡¯t exactly a great thing.¡±


    ¡°...I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯ll take note of that message. I¡¯ll relay it to him once things calm down a bit. Have a good evening, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Have a good evening too, Admiral.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s face sagged on her hand after she lowered her phone to the desk. There was a lot of good news on the ground, yes, but there was also a lot of bad news. Apparently, the casualties had already reached three to four thousand in total.


    It must be a hard battle down there. She breathed in and out deeply. And I¡¯m just here sitting.


    She looked briefly at Nia''s already sleeping form. Her secretary had practically overworked herself at doing today¡¯s tasks, so she requested to take a nap break. They were overloaded with requests and forms both from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Days like this always ended up with the two women utterly drained and down.


    Amelie stood up from her seat and grabbed a blanket from one of the closets near her. She went straight behind Nia and placed the blanket on her. Her friend stirred a bit, but Amelie merely patted her hair. Then, Amelie looked at the clock. It was already seven in the evening.


    We still have a few hours to go.


    Amelie stretched a bit, and then she went for her room¡¯s heater, raising it a bit. The winter cold outside was already turning quite extreme, which surprised Amelie, considering Rimwurz¡¯s usual temperate climate. This meant that the situation in the rest of the world¡¯s various frontlines must be worse, considering the fact that most battles were being fought in the northern latitudes.


    It¡¯s now the third year of this war. Amelie felt her eyes slightly tearing up as she looked out her window. Yet we¡¯re still nowhere close to victory.


    +++


    January 3, 2026


    A rapid, annoying tune blared out beside Amelie¡¯s eardrum. She stirred and refused to respond to it for a few seconds, but each continuous loop pushed the message clearer¡ªshe had to wake up. Groggily, she raised her head out of her desk to turn off her phone¡¯s alarm. Then, she held her face in her hand, utterly irritated by the lack of sleep she had gone through.


    ¡°Agh¡­I forgot to go to my room again,¡± Amelie groaned. Her face felt like it had a red pressure mark on it, and her left arm felt awkwardly numb considering she rested her face on it. Worse of all, she felt way, way too cold. ¡°Is the heater out?¡±


    Amelie looked at Nia¡¯s workstation. She wasn¡¯t there. Indeed, when Nia tapped out of her duties back at eleven PM, Amelie stubbornly continued working. She must have fallen asleep while reading reports midway through the morning.


    Her stomach grumbled.


    She stood up to check her face on the body-length mirror of her room. As was expected, she looked horrendous, with her messy face and messy hair. She briefly grabbed her handkerchief to at least wipe her face and clean it up. Then she gave her hair a brief comb so it wouldn¡¯t be so unsightly.


    Fixing her clothes, Amelie gave one last look to herself. She¡¯d need to walk from her office to her chamber after all to fully fix herself.


    I¡­also need to pee.


    Amelie turned slightly red. Someone began knocking on her door, and she already knew who it was. It was William. He briefly looked at Amelie when he opened the door, then he went in and closed it behind him. He seemed to be holding various files again, most likely for the morning report.


    ¡°You seem like you haven¡¯t left this room since yesterday,¡± William said. ¡°Fell asleep on duty again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I had way too much stuff to finish reading and checking. I haven¡¯t even had breakfast yet.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate. Well, I¡¯m just going to leave these files here then. You should go fix yourself and eat first. It¡¯s not so urgent anyway.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a rundown at least?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing really out of the ordinary. Just casualty figures. We¡¯ve also advanced pretty decently through Ginzhu. Our troops on the ground have achieved ninety percent of their outlined goals that we expect them to take today.¡±


    Amelie smiled a bit.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. How¡¯s our Orlish troops performing?¡±


    ¡°Fairly stellar and standard. The KDUs, marines, and the singular light mech brigade we sent are doing wonders in the frontline. We¡¯re practically leading most of the pincers going through the Ginzhu province. With air supremacy, they¡¯re advancing largely unopposed.¡±


    ¡°So no organized counterattacks yet?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    Amelie nodded. She went for her coat that was placed on her chair. Then, she placed it over her shoulder to at least defend herself a bit from the cold. William placed his files on her desk, then he followed Amelie out of her office.


    Soon, the two were walking briskly through the halls of the November Palace, discussing the current situation on the front a bit more. After William finished his reports about a few incidents in the Free Confederation, Amelie turned to him.


    ¡°Actually, what about you?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Have you had breakfast yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll have one at the diner. Then I¡¯ll drive to the OPM headquarters afterward. Should be quick. I need to talk to General Albrecht and a few officers too. Just standard planning and stuff.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Amelie then stopped. ¡°In that case, will you have breakfast with me?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Fix yourself first though. You look like a dead woman walking.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Forty: Care Packages

    ¡°Federalist forces attempt another assault straight on Thein today in response to the Mandate of Nation¡¯s rapid offensive against North Hebei. President Rimpler has condemned the Eutstadt Government of ¡®utilizing inhumane weapons and tactics to undermine revolutionary allies¡¯, adding that retaliation would happen soon. Right now, both Orlish militaries are stuck in yet another grinding battle for the eastern areas of the Archduchy. Casualties are now reported to be in the low thousands, with dozens of tanks being lost by the Royal Army in just a few hours.¡±


    - ROCN News


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    January 6, 2026


    ¡°The CFN is finally sending reinforcements?¡± Amelie asked. She and William were now walking through the halls of the November Palace, trying to get to the situation room, where the leaders of the OHC were gathered. ¡°What are they sending?¡±


    ¡°As of now, they seem to be relocating their fighter squadrons to North Hebei, out of their positions in Kusari. Same with their expeditionary forces in Kusari. It seems like the two Pozneki motor rifle divisions are being diverted from Kusari to Ginzhu,¡± William answered. ¡°It¡¯s working, slowly.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think will it take for them to relocate enough?¡±


    ¡°Probably a week or so. Then we¡¯ll be free to strike in Kusari. Though, it should be noted that they already found out about our potential attack from Kusari,¡± William sighed. ¡°It is whatever. I think they¡¯re still going to be diverting things because their troops, while numerous, aren¡¯t unlimited.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, North Hebei is more valuable for them too, so they¡¯ll have no reason to keep their troops in Kusari when their actual ally is in dire need of help.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. However, the ¡®Kusari Reclamation Government¡¯ has already begun mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers. They¡¯re being used to bolster the frontlines, apparently, and they¡¯re digging in deeply.¡±


    ¡°Kusari Reclamation Government?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± William laughed at it. ¡°They¡¯re setting up another one, replacing the old one. It was filled with too many moderates. The Reclamation Government on the other hand is stacked with extremists. They want to completely drive the Kusari Empire out of their homeland, and they¡¯re just arming a lot of the Kusari soldiers that were encircled.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re doing what?¡± Amelie frowned, that seemed stupid.


    ¡°It¡¯s working well for them,¡± William sighed. ¡°It is what it is. Those soldiers in the first place didn¡¯t look up to the Empire. The Reclamation Government is running very extreme propaganda, they¡¯re promising everything to every former soldier that was ¡®left behind¡¯ by the Empress. Rights, jobs, positions in the government, money, every bullcrap.¡±


    ¡°Are we seeing heightened defection rates in the Kusari Imperial Army?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat. I think it¡¯s in the normal range though, considering millions of them are just conscripts given a gun with barely even a few weeks of training. Their morale is in the gutter, and their professionalism so lacking, that it¡¯s just the MN expeditionary forces that are keeping things in line.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not ideal,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Especially when we need them to fight the offensive for us.¡±


    ¡°It is what it is.¡±


    Soon, the two reached the situation room. Inside, the various leaders of the OHC and Orlan¡¯s intelligence agencies were gathered, already discussing the situation in detail. When she arrived, they all gave her a brief salute, before Amelie took her seat, and watched the rest of the presentation.


    Mr. Rimpler must have been pissed off by my offensive. She watched as General Albrecht explained the situation in the Wuringer¨CL?t Axis. It seemed like the enemy was throwing their entire front at them, and her forces would be barely holding within a few days. He¡¯s trying to force me to divert my forces here.


    That wasn¡¯t exactly an option that was on Amelie¡¯s table. Diverting overseas troops was more than impossible. The only thing she could divert was her air squadrons, but that was that.


    Then again, maybe it¡¯s what they intend with these air offensives. If they can place enough pressure on me that I send my planes out of the offensive to defend the homefront, then¡­


    No, she wouldn¡¯t fall for such tricks. Amelie had her eyes locked on helping her allies regain their footing. Losing L?t or Thein, the capital of L?t, wasn¡¯t something that Amelie would find as a significant setback. After all, the entire principality was already largely evacuated and devoid of civilian life. Thein itself was just rubble, a fortress only manned and garrisoned by her troops.


    Her officers, however, seemed to have a different opinion. They were starting to discuss the possibility of redeploying their forces in response to the L?t offensive, hopefully to stem the Federalist tide.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I veto the idea of redeploying our forces,¡± Amelie said, confident. General Albrecht, who had proposed it, seemed a bit surprised. ¡°I said what I said. I already said back then that it won¡¯t matter if we lost Thein itself, so long as we make them bleed. I share that same opinion to this day.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Your Majesty?¡± General Albrecht asked. ¡°I mean, even if Thein is a bombed-out husk of a city, like Ginzhu, it¡¯s a very symbolic city. Losing it would mean a massive morale boost for the revolutionaries and a symbolic defeat for our side.¡±


    ¡°I understand the value of that, but I won¡¯t be diverting forces assigned to practical missions so they can defend symbolic targets,¡± Amelie crossed her arms confidently. ¡°No matter what the Federalists throw at us, we¡¯ll just delay them and make them bleed. I refuse to let them have the ability to even influence our overseas fights in any way. That¡¯s a part of our plan to isolate them.¡±


    General Albrecht nodded.


    ¡°I see then. If that¡¯s what you want, then discussions are over. We¡¯re ordering General Bohm to defend Thein with whatever he has left, and minimize casualties over holding territory.¡±


    ¡°I am satisfied with that,¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°Now, onto the next one. I want to hear more about our updated plans for Kusari.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Oh! Can I touch her? Please let me touch her!¡± Amelie¡¯s eyes shone in amazement as she poked the white-furred spitz dog on Jacqueline¡¯s table. The dog eyed Amelie neutrally, while behind her, Jacqueline chuckled, amused.


    ¡°Sure, who am I to refuse Her Majesty?¡± Jacqueline said, and Amelie immediately began petting the dog, who merely lowered her head in response.


    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re so cute. Oh! Who¡¯s the good girl? Is it you? Right, it¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ruffle her too hard,¡± Jacqueline shook her head, laughing as she went for her seat. Amelie on the other hand controlled herself, backing off a bit. ¡°So, how were the talks with the OHC?¡±


    Amelie watched as the dog jumped to Jacqueline¡¯s lap to lie down on it, before being petted gently by the Prime Minister. It was so cute, that Amelie felt herself wanting to just squeeze the poor animal internally. She cleared her throat.


    ¡°Well, it went fairly well,¡± Amelie answered, a smile present on her face. ¡°I feel confident about our chances. The CFN is being forced to divert their forces northwards, leaving their Kusari frontlines wide open for us to exploit.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I expect that we¡¯ll do very well once our forces commence their offensive,¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°In any case, we¡¯re going to drive out the CFN from Kusari¡¯s capital no matter what. I doubt the second-rate troops by their ¡®Reclamation Government¡¯ will stand a stone¡¯s chance at resisting us.¡±


    ¡°Well, you never know.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re armed with just rifles, artillery, and soft-skinned vehicles, Jacqueline,¡± Amelie retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t expect them to stand up well against our combined arms offensive. Not to mention, the Royal Guard¡¯s KDUs are out there. Oh! I forgot, have you seen how well our KDUs are performing in Ginzhu?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Jacqueline leaned back in her seat. ¡°They¡¯re starting to become the new terrors of the frontline. It makes sense, the magic they hold is some of the best that women can dish out, and they¡¯re gaining veterancy. They seem to be testing out a lot of new spells too, strengthening themselves.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± then, Amelie frowned. ¡°More importantly though, I¡¯ve heard rumors about our troops on the ground turning more and more¡­pissed at how the KDUs are being treated. They say they¡¯re getting a lot of preferential treatment.¡±


    Jacqueline shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what we can do about that. Unlike the Army, the Royal Guard isn¡¯t suffering gigantic attrition rates. So they can give out more for their units. Both in amenities and equipment, even if they have a lower budget than the Army.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re getting donations too¡­¡± Amelie added. ¡°And our boys are seeing it. So many care packages, money, everything flowing into women on the frontlines. I didn¡¯t expect this to happen, but I imagine the disparity will be causing great morale loss to our guys. Fighting side-by-side with someone better fed and taken care of is sure to cause something.¡±


    ¡°Well, we cannot realistically stop the donations and everything else. They¡¯re being sent by the parents of our troops. I mean, are we supposed to stop a worried mother from sending weekly care packages for her daughter on the frontlines? I think that¡¯ll just be pushing things too far.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I asked General Albrecht to look into any efforts to improve the amenities for our troops in the frontline that are¡­well, universal, but he flat out denied me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He said it¡¯s a drain on the resources of the Army. He told me that the standard rations and whatnot are already enough for our troops to survive day-to-day. All effort should instead be poured into getting more weapons and munitions, nothing else. He did say that if we can start a program about sending some niceties for our male soldiers, he won¡¯t mind the extra shipping requirements, since it¡¯s possible anyway.¡±


    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we start doing something about it?¡± Jacqueline smiled. ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡±


    ¡°The national budget is already too drained for everything else,¡± Amelie groaned. ¡°We can¡¯t tap out anything from that. I¡­do have some liquidity left though, and I can order some of the food companies under me to produce sweets, chocolates, whatever other packages needed.¡±


    ¡°I see then,¡± Jacqueline laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll work on it. I¡¯ll try to get a lot of our fellow high nobles to donate things then. I¡¯ll talk to them about it. Then¡­err, we can make some sort of a new agency, maybe to centralize sending care packages, both from NGOs and civilians.¡±


    Amelie immediately took Jacqueline¡¯s hand to shake it.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you! I appreciate this. I was feeling bad about it earlier, but now, I finally have somewhere to throw my money on!¡±


    Jacqueline raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Wait, how much are you going to throw at me?¡±


    Then, Amelie raised four of her fingers with a bright smile.


    ¡°Four billion Orlish Blancs.¡±


    ¡°...The Royal Family is going to be a bankrupt entity once this war is over.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Amelie stood up. ¡°If everyone is serving this nation with their lives, to give all of my wealth to it is the bare minimum.¡±


    ¡°For something as simple as sending chocolates and sweets to jealous soldiers? Which may not even exist?¡± Jacqueline laughed. ¡°I swear, you can be so childish sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d still like to give them something to enjoy from home. It¡¯s the simple things in life that make living worth it, after all.¡±

 Chapter Two Hundred Forty-One: Advance through Ginzhu!

    ¡°MN forces grind through the North Hebeian defenses in Ginzhu hard, with casualties now ranging into the high thousands from both sides. The skies above Ginzhu are dominated by MN airpower, with glide bombs and guided ordnance dropping at an astounding rate of nearly thirty-thousand tons of bombs dropped since the start of the offensive. Hundreds of ballistic missiles have also struck the logistical pipelines of the North Hebeian Army, as they struggle to resist their currently badly disrupted air defenses. The North Hebeian leadership has already called for their soldiers to ¡®stalwartly defend and counterattack¡¯, with generals vowing to hold Ginzhu at all costs.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    Empire of Hebei


    Ginzhu Province


    B/18-4 Mobile Assault Brigade


    January 8, 2026


    Lieutenant Charles Rupkoff sighed as he watched the destroyed urban district ahead of them. Their mechs were currently parked on the side of the destroyed buildings behind him, as military trucks passed by them.


    The battle had turned into a grinding offensive. The enemy seemed to be progressively more stubborn and dug in as they punched through the easternmost areas of the Ginzhu Metropolitan Area.


    He looked to his side, as one of the trucks, which drove to the rear of their lines instead of the frontlines, passed by their parked mechs. They could hear the pained screams of the injured behind the military vehicle.


    He sighed.


    ¡°Those sewer rats are crazy,¡± Corporal Hector Smith said, as he dropped a box of machine gun rounds on the side of their mech. He was slowly stacking them up, carrying them one by one from a parked logistical truck behind them. ¡°They said one of our mechs was hit by some handheld MANPAT ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to be expected,¡± Charles said, puffing a smoke from the lit-up cigarette in his hand. ¡°So you better keep your eyes peeled once we rejoin at the attack. You bet your ass that someone from beneath will pull off nasty shit on us.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± the man groaned, as he went back to the truck on the rear, scratching the back of his head. Charles on the other hand dropped his cigarette and used his shoes to kill its embers. With a heavy breath, he began taking the boxes of ammunition and placing them inside of their mech¡¯s turret.


    One by one, he stowed them in their dedicated store areas. It was quite a tedious task, but such was warfare. When he was done, Hector simply climbed their mech to place the last box he had carried from the truck. They were finally full of ammunition and battle-ready.


    ¡°Fuel¡¯s a check,¡± Charles said, placing a check on his notepad. ¡°We got HEs too. Fuel is checked too, well¡­we¡¯re set then.¡±


    Hector settled on his seat, grabbing for his canteen after a deep exhale, clearly tired.


    ¡°Man, I just want to sleep¡­¡±


    ¡°Sleep then,¡± Charles ordered, climbing back out of his hatch. ¡°I¡¯ll disturb you once we move out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, el-tee!¡± was Hector¡¯s response, before Charles jumped off his mech. On the side of the driver¡¯s hatch, Corporal Jenkins Schleit was calmly sipping coffee while watching the other mech crewmen in front of them work. As he dipped his cracker on his mug, Charles approached him.


    ¡°Oi,¡± Charles called out from behind. ¡°Word of warning, once we drive, you keep your eyes extra cautious on those sewers.¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Jenkins replied, enjoying his softened crackers. ¡°I always do that anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure you do, asshat,¡± Charles gave a skeptical chuckle. ¡°You always drive too fast, I¡¯m starting to doubt you even look at the debris below us.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I assure you I do!¡± Jenkins replied, defensive. ¡°Come on, if I don¡¯t look well on the debris ahead of us, I¡¯d screw up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, tone down the recklessness. We¡¯re not in an open battlefield, we¡¯re in tight urban areas.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, sure, I understand,¡± Jenkins groaned. ¡°The last few days have been too tedious. When¡¯s the last time we engaged an actual hostile vehicle?¡±


    ¡°Being a glorified HE carrier opening fire at buildings isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Charles said. ¡°It¡¯s funny how the two of you are laser-focused on getting kills on our name.¡±


    ¡°Of course we are!¡± Jenkins said. ¡°Have you not heard, the ladies coming in the Army like the guys with more kills.¡±


    ¡°Where the hell did you get those rumors from? That¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°Or, or, they say, if you perform better, you¡¯ll get better jobs after this war.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still listening to their bullshit?!¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but¡­you know, what if it¡¯s true?¡± Jenkins laughed. ¡°Then better kill more of those North Hebeian bastards.¡±


    He gave Charles a smug grin and a thumbs up.


    ¡°Yeah, sure¡­sure,¡± Charles shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t believe my men now believe in nonsense. Here I thought I drilled you all to stop believing in bullshit.¡±


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°But like, what if it¡¯s true, El-tee?¡±


    +++


    ¡°Take the shot now,¡± Charles ordered, eyeing one of the apartments ahead of them that had guns still cracking left and right. Hector grunted him before he pulled the trigger for their main gun. An explosion immediately struck the apartment, but the bastards continued to fight. ¡°Take a second shot, HE again.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha!¡±


    A high-explosive round was immediately pulled out of their mech¡¯s bustle rack, the autoloader slamming it straight into the barrel of their main gun. Hector took a few seconds to adjust it before he pulled it again.


    These fools are quite stubborn.


    ¡°Give it another pummeling,¡± Charles ordered. ¡°Those bastards seem to like to hold on to that building hard.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a damn good position, sir,¡± Hector replied, laughing. ¡°HE loaded again.¡±


    ¡°Fire.¡±


    He watched as the third round finally collapsed nearly half of the building. Then, taking control of the coaxial machine guns, Charles began peppering the remnants of the building with controlled bursts. Within a few minutes, they received confirmation from the drone teams that the enemy had either vacated it or died.


    ¡°That was a good one,¡± Charles commented, as their mech backed up a bit. Above them, the whistling screams of descending rockets thundered through the skies. In seconds, four explosions blanketed the already badly bombarded residential apartments ahead of them.


    ¡°Wish it was a tank,¡± Hector said. ¡°Oh well¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still going to your battlefield records, dumbass.¡±


    South Hebeian soldiers soon appeared on the streets ahead of them, their squads charging through already suppressed North Hebeian positions. Their assault was determined, dropping grenades on the houses and buildings occupied by the North Hebeian troops.


    Charles ordered Jenkins to drive forward, as his platoon also began advancing alongside their allies. Rifles and machine guns began to dominate the battlefield, with their mech slowly getting closer and closer to the furthermost areas of the advancing frontlines.


    They stopped behind a squad of South Hebeian troopers, who were storming a house beside them when suddenly, a dozen North Hebeian soldiers appeared ahead of them. Charles screamed at Hector to open fire, while Jenkins moved their mech backwards slightly just in time to dodge an incoming ATGM.


    ¡°That was a close one!¡± Jenkins shouted as the battlefield intensified.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna waste these assholes!¡± Hector said, sending an HE straight at their positions. The round exploded, badly suppressing them and leaving at least three dead on the streets. Behind them, the South Hebeian troops began joining in, their rifles opening fire in conjunction with their Panther¡¯s machine gun fire.


    Behind them, Charles began communicating with the rest of his platoon, trying to get them to respond close to their position. One of the mechs of the fifth platoon, designated as Five-Three, responded close behind them, climbing on one of the apartments to give fire support.


    An MPAT round came from the mech¡¯s main gun, seemingly by mistake, as it was set up in the armor-piercing configuration. Charles frowned, as he ordered Jenkins to stay still, even with them already taking direct heavy fire.


    I don¡¯t need to appear useless to the guys on the ground.


    He took brief control of the coaxials, taking controlled fire on what appeared to be a soldier who carried a light machine gun, who was hiding behind the wreck of a long-destroyed civilian sedan. Meanwhile, Hector prepared another HE round, aiming it at an area where four soldiers hid behind car wrecks.


    ¡°Five-Three, coordinate fire with us,¡± Charles ordered. ¡°HE!¡±


    ¡°Copy that, Five-One,¡± replied the commander of Five-Three. In a second, two HE rounds blasted the North Hebeian soldiers, completely lighting up the street ahead of them. A panicked rout consumed the enemy, causing them all to flee as the South Hebeian soldiers around Charles¡¯ mech rose, and charged ahead.


    ¡°Yeah, right!¡± Hector cheered. ¡°Take those bastards out as they run!¡±


    ¡°Jenkins, advance slowly,¡± Charles ordered using their intercom. ¡°Hector, just keep giving them fire support. We¡¯re doing well, let¡¯s not screw this up.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Hector replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Jenkins replied as well.


    Soon, their mech finally advanced, their main gun and coaxials continuously raging as the battle continued.


    +++


    As night approached, their ammunition finally began running low. All in all, Charles estimated based on how far they advanced, that they indeed marched forward at least ten kilometers from their starting positions yesterday.


    ¡°It¡¯s impressive,¡± Charles said, after checking his map. ¡°We¡¯re getting closer and closer to B Company¡¯s assigned objectives.¡±


    ¡°Think we¡¯ll reach it tomorrow?¡± Hector asked beside him. ¡°I wanna be rotated out of this crap soon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not getting rotated out of here dumbass,¡± Charles said, throwing the map at him. Then, he climbed up his hatch, opening it and watching the dark and burning city ahead of them. ¡°Can¡¯t escape this place until we¡¯ve liberated it all.¡±


    Hector climbed to his hatch as well, his head popping up to look at the stars above them.


    ¡°I just calculated by the way,¡± Hector said, right beside him. ¡°That we¡¯ve fired a total of forty-nine HE rounds today, alongside three thousand rounds from our machine guns.¡±


    ¡°That much?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve practically only fired HE and machine gun rounds,¡± Hector sighed. ¡°I kinda regret using our MPAT stocks early on.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not going to be sending new ones until next week,¡± Charles said, sighing. ¡°Most of the HEs we¡¯re getting are from the South Hebeian logistics. And they only have cheap rounds available, like old APFSDS and HE.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, if you think about it, their HE kinda performs better against footsoldiers than our MPAT rounds,¡± Hector pointed out, smirking. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, but the next time we face a tank, you¡¯re going to regret it when the only thing we have loaded is HE.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll switch fast to APFSDS!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Charles climbed back down on their turret, going straight to the containers that held their rations. He checked each bag, before picking one of them. ¡°I¡¯m going to eat now, by the way. Hit me up when something happens!¡±


    ¡°Sure, el-tee!¡± Hector responded from the top.


    Charles on the other hand settled on his seat, opening the pack of rations on his hands.


    Thank Goddess we still haven¡¯t lost anyone in the platoon.


    He began heating his main while taking a few bites of his crackers. Then, when his main was ready, he tore it open and began eating from the retour pouch itself. He stared at the pork stew inside.


    Damn long road for us still.

 Chapter Two Hundred Forty-Two: Domestic Military Pressure

    ¡°Federalist forces ramp up attacks along against the L?t¨CWuringen axis, forcing Royalist forces to redeploy more and more of their ground and air assets in the area. Reportedly, fifteen LF-20 Phantoms were shot down yesterday alone, with another twenty-three LF-12s also shot down from both sides. Both Royalist and Federalist forces also ramped up their missile campaigns, with an estimated one hundred thirty cruise missiles being fired by both sides, alongside upwards to a thousand one-way drones used against infrastructure and supply hubs. It is yet to be seen however if the threat against Thein will truly materialize, with local forces already holding fast amidst the tide of Federalist steel.¡±


    - ROCN News


    West Orland


    Duchy of Rimwurz


    November Palace


    January 12, 2026


    Amelie patted Alice¡¯s head, as the girl frowned at her.


    ¡°But why?¡± Alice asked, her pout clearly showing her disappointment. ¡°Isn¡¯t that place becoming more and more dangerous? I heard in the news last night that they¡¯re sending a lot of bombs there.¡±


    ¡°Shh, it will be fine,¡± Amelie replied, smiling to cheer up her little sister. ¡°I¡¯m just going to check in on our guys over there and figure out a strategy. Then I¡¯ll come back once things are neatly organized again.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Again,¡± Amelie placed her finger on Alice¡¯s lips, stopping her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll even bring you nice stuff when I come home. For now, just stay here, and be a good girl. Okay?¡±


    She nodded, even if it was clear that Alice greatly protested it.


    Amelie stood up, giving her a last pat, before she left the room her little sister used. Rushing through the palace¡¯s hallways, Amelie made her way briefly to the situation room. It wasn¡¯t exactly filled at the moment, with only Marie and William being inside the room, discussing things a bit.


    ¡°Amelie?¡± William turned to Amelie as she closed the door behind her. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we need to organize a defense,¡± she sighed. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been wondering about the current state of our forces in L?t. We¡¯ve been cutting a lot of men, materiel, and assets from that section of the front, and reduced their reinforcements¡­¡±


    ¡°All necessary to execute Operation Eastern Jade,¡± William countered, as Amelie went to the table. It seemed that Marie and William were talking about the ¡®Restorationists¡¯ again, which piqued Amelie¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t had an update about them for a while now,¡± Amelie said. ¡°Any new things about them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they attempted to attack my agents last night in North Hebei. They seem to be attempting to disrupt our operations against the North Hebeian government,¡± Marie replied, sighing. ¡°They managed to kill two members of Lily Team while we were trying to sniff out the updated locations of their high-profile military leaders.¡±


    William took out his cigarette, lighting it up. That immediately gained a stare of disapproval from the two women in the room, but he simply shrugged.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the smell of it,¡± Amelie crossed her arms.


    ¡°Same,¡± Marie said before she turned back to her laptop. ¡°But, anyway, back to what happened to Lily Team. Yeah, they were trying to track down the location of the ¡®Eagle¡¯s Lair¡¯, where members of the North Hebeian high command gathered regularly. The plan was to use explosives and magic to assassinate them and cause further disruption to North Hebeian command, but¡­well, we called it off.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Amelie sighed, noticeably disappointed about the deaths of two RIU operatives. ¡°How did Lily Team perform though? Did they manage to at least match those ¡®Restorationist¡¯ guys?¡±


    ¡°Well, we still ran into the same problem about their power armor and weapons,¡± Mary frowned. ¡°While Lily Team used improved anti-armor spells against them, it still struggled initially. We did kill six of their agents, but, like usual, they exploded and left no trace. Eventually, Lily Team was overwhelmed, so they had to abort.¡±


    ¡°I see then,¡± Amelie sighed. ¡°Well, hopefully, we won¡¯t see those guys again in this expedition.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just jinxing yourself at this point,¡± William chastised. ¡°I mean, come on though, do we have to? It¡¯s such a pain to organize the PSU for this thing.¡±


    ¡°Complaining about his job? That¡¯s new,¡± Marie chuckled on the side.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± William shot back. ¡°I have no problems working with this, but, see, we have problems in L?t already with missiles and bombs flying everywhere, and then, you have these guys in power armor that might strike out of nowhere. It¡¯s a damned hassle.¡±


    ¡°I believe there won¡¯t be any of that this time around,¡± Amelie declared. ¡°And if there is, I don¡¯t think it is a reason to abandon the troops I have on the ground. If I have to go to hell without security, then I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get there please.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± Amelie replied to William. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get to L?t.¡±


    Amelie turned around, ready for another expedition out of the palace. Behind her, Marie and William followed after closing their laptops and files.


    ¡°Fine,¡± William groaned. ¡°I signed up for this job anyway.¡±


    +++


    Archduchy of L?t


    January 13, 2026


    L?t.


    Once again, it was on fire when Amelie arrived at the wounded principality. It was where the full force of the Federacy¡¯s hatred was sent into. The recent offensive on this place wasn¡¯t the first, nor would it be the last.


    It was already night when they arrived. The towns, cities, and other settlements they passed through were all badly damaged. Shelling, missile attacks, drone attacks, and even something as simple as carpet bombing had leveled most of the principality¡¯s infrastructure.


    Even the roads at the most westward end of the principality were hard to traverse, craters from attacks still clearly painted on them. It was no different the closer they drove into the principality, where soldiers fought in back-and-forth offensives and counter-offensives.


    Amelie was now talking to one of the local commanders active on the battlefield. He was merely in the rank of Major, commanding a mechanized battalion that was rotated out of the main frontlines. At first, the man was quite surprised when Amelie arrived with their HMLV earlier at the town they used as a staging ground.


    But now, they were already inspecting the warehouses converted into motor pools, alongside the array of heavily used IFVs. Amelie eyed one of the M8 IFVs as the officer talked in length about their previous engagements, noting the various bullet marks and burn marks on its armor.


    Even its ERA blocks seemed to be used up. She pointed at the IFV¡¯s autocannon, specifically the white markings on its barrel.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Amelie innocently asked. ¡°White circles?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s their kill marks,¡± the officer laughed. ¡°The squad who used this specific IFV killed six enemy vehicles. I¡¯m not sure which type of vehicles to be specific by the way, but I encourage my men to do it a lot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amelie tilted her head. ¡°I notice that it¡¯s quite rare amongst the vehicles you have here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the officer nodded. ¡°Most M8 IFVs and even our tanks get chewed up in the battles before securing a lot of kills themselves. In fact, around a third of my vehicles usually find themselves destroyed before even taking out enemy armor. It¡¯s unfortunate¡­¡±


    ¡°Why exactly?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Why is it that most of your¡­crewmen die this way?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t all die when they¡¯re taken out, Your Majesty,¡± the officer explained. ¡°Though, yeah, many end up that way. The reason for that is simple¡ªrecruits. It¡¯s a bit difficult, but indeed, when you only have recruits, greens coming in, making up half of the unit, it¡¯s a hard business to keep them alive.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Amelie¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that recently, the death rates here shot up¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a direct result of the offensive, Your Majesty. This battalion for example already sustained one hundred-eight casualties since last week. A good amount of the guys you see outside are replacements for the dead and wounded,¡± he shook his head. ¡°The metal though, the vehicles themselves, since we lost eleven M8 IFVs and six L?we tanks, they¡¯ll be arriving¡­probably in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll be rotated back into the frontlines?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The rest of the brigade needs us quickly,¡± the officer sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll go in when another battalion is rotated out of the battlefield. Rinse and repeat. It¡¯s an endless business.¡±


    +++


    ¡°Damn¡­¡± Amelie silently muttered in shock as she watched the distant battles using her binoculars. Behind her, William silently smoked, standing in front of a tree while Amelie was lying on the ground. ¡°Who¡¯re those guys again?¡±


    ¡°57th Mechanized Brigade,¡± William answered, as three massive explosions struck the string of towns they held, lighting up the dark skies. ¡°They¡¯ve been holed out there for twelve hours already. They¡¯re going to be relieved soon by the 68th Infantry Brigade.¡±


    ¡°I wonder¡­do we have to start shifting troops from other fronts?¡± Amelie asked. ¡°Like¡­for example, from our southern front?¡±


    ¡°Nah, too dangerous. I doubt that¡¯s a bright idea,¡± William frowned, as the constant cracks of gunfire continued. It seemed that the battlefield here wasn¡¯t going to calm down even during the night. Glide bombs, rocket artillery, and heavy shelling continued nearly unabated.


    Earlier, while driving closer to the front, they even witnessed a convoy of military trucks getting struck by loitering drones. Luckily, due to the PSU being highly dispersed, with only a single HMLV that Alpha Squad used trailing behind them, they were largely outside of the crosshairs of anyone.


    From far away, they just seemed like an unimportant soft target. Even if a drone spotted them, there were always so many other assets that were being targeted instead of them.


    Amelie stood up, walking straight at William.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯d like to inspect even closer now,¡± Amelie said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the conditions at the rear, and it¡¯s bad, but I still haven¡¯t seen how bad it is over there. Maybe we can check the towns held by the 57th Mechanized?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding yourself?¡± William said, now truly surprised. ¡°Come on, I thought we were supposed to compile a report file and talk to the HQ guys of the L?t front.¡±


    ¡°We can do that tomorrow or after tomorrow,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°For now, I must check on my men. Besides, I need more info about the care package thing I was planning.¡±


    William stared at Amelie blankly.


    ¡°Why are you even insisting on that nonsense?¡± he groaned. ¡°Care packages should be at the bottom of the list for our soldiers. They need bullets and supplies.¡±


    ¡°Come on, have you not seen the faces of my men,¡± Amelie countered. ¡°They look so demoralized and downtrodden. These guys need a taste of our home¡¯s comfort. Otherwise, what are they even fighting for? Besides¡­I¡¯ve gathered letters too from schoolchildren. It¡¯ll be a part of the morale-boosting plan.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m quite sure they¡¯ll just wipe their asses with whatever letters you place on those care packages,¡± William said, skeptical. ¡°It¡¯s a bit out of touch, don¡¯t you think.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not,¡± Amelie defended. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not the best thing I can do out there, but regardless, there has to be something greater for these people to fight for. We ask them to fight for their country and the people behind them, yet the people behind them can¡¯t even manage to send them their words of appreciation and a few gifts. It¡¯s insulting.¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡­¡± William sighed, as Amelie huffed and went for their parked HMLV. ¡°So to the 57th?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Amelie and William boarded their HMLV. Amelie fastened her seatbelts, while William held the wheel. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°For the first time, I think I need to pray to the goddess for our safety,¡± William shook his head.


    Then, his feet pressed on the gas pedal.

 Chapter Two Hundred Forty-Three: Night Near Ginzhu

    ¡°Combined Orlish and South Hebeian forces have retaken the southern districts of the Ginzhu Metropole, and are advancing further and further into the battle-torn city. Already, the MN aerial and missile campaign continued at a constant pace of 2,000 to 3,000 tons of bombs dropped, mostly glide bombs sent by Orlish LF-20s, and LF-12s, alongside Asanaian A-16s. Alongside this, a continuous stream of cruise and ballistic missile strikes is ongoing, with MN ships continuously reloaded of its missile stocks in Asanaian and Rizalian ports, indicating that the campaign is forcing MN vessels into a constant stream of deployment and rotations. Even then, the offensive continues, with analysts suggesting that North Hebeian forces have suffered ¡®destructive casualties¡¯, which they might not recover from in the short-term.¡±


    - Geopol Press


    +++


    North Hebei


    Ginzhu Province


    17th Motor Rifle Division ¡®Sczlewig¡¯


    22nd Mechanized Brigade


    104th Infantry Battalion


    D Company


    Corporal Stefan Klimowicz wasn¡¯t having a fun time today. When he managed to get himself out of their destroyed BTP-3, he shivered as he confronted the cold outside. The rest of their convoy, which belonged to D Company of the 104th Infantry Battalion, was now destroyed.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he struggled to walk out of the road, as above him, more bombs flew. Fighters from those ¡®reactionary bastards¡¯ flew past them, and then explosions struck the rest of the darkened fields.


    He managed to get himself hiding underneath the shades of trees, but when he looked back at his unit¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much left.


    There were rows of BTP-3s burning on the road, alongside dozens of trucks that carried the rest of them. He hissed as he tried to place a bandage on his bleeding and half-burned leg, while the battle ahead of them continued.


    A continuous barrage of artillery and glide bombs sang through the frontlines, as he desperately tried to stem the bleeding on his leg¡¯s wounds.


    When he was done, all he could do was stand up as he continued to shiver through the January cold. The bombardment had ceased a bit, but he knew it would continue soon enough. On the other hand, he picked up his radio to regain contact with his unit.


    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work. No matter which frequency he used, the responses and orders were garbled, and he could only glean a few snippets of information from his radio.


    He tapped it a little bit forcefully with his gloved hand.


    ¡°Come on, work, damn it!¡± he urged, trying to even shake it, raising it to the air to gain reception. ¡°Come on, come on¡­why doesn¡¯t anything work out here?¡±


    Ever since he was deployed here, it had been a constant problem no matter where they went. With so many jammers deployed by those reactionaries at the frontline, it was a struggle for him and his comrades to even just communicate with each other. Some even said that Ginzhu was cut off, and their communication and supply lines were utterly compromised.


    Yet, they held. No matter what, even if their ammo, supplies, food, and whatever else they needed to keep fighting dried out. Cursing the heavens one last time, Stefan decided to soldier on instead and walk out.


    He briefly checked his watch. It was 02:43 hours.


    I need to regroup with my countrymen.


    The other units of his brigade should be nearby after all.


    He walked eastwards, bypassing the bombed-out roads and settlements that he managed to go through. Through it all, he felt his leg ache in protest. He struggled, but he managed to walk for a few kilometers from his starting position. Soon, he reached another neighborhood, which was utterly destroyed.


    When he managed to get close to the central area of the subdivision, Stefan was forced to duck behind a destroyed BTP. On the road, dozens of North Hebeian troopers seemed to be retreating, their rifles desperately opening fire at their enemies ahead of them. He couldn¡¯t understand what they were shouting about, as he didn¡¯t know any Hebeian.


    He readied his gun, watching intently from the sidelines as multiple soldiers tried to take cover behind the abandoned vehicles and the damaged buildings. One of them fired a handheld recoilless rifle in the direction of their enemies, causing a tiny explosion in the distance.


    He dragged himself to the side of the BTP, trying to see an opening where he could rejoin these allied soldiers. Until something flashed through the streets. It was a woman, and her flag patch was clear¡ªOrlish.


    The woman¡¯s pink hair flowed freely, as she had not bothered to wear a helmet. All she used was the dirty white colored uniform of the Orlish Royal Guard, underneath her vest and armor. Stefan realized what she was rather quickly. They were dealing with another battlefield monster.


    Shit!


    She rapidly dodged and weaved through the gunfire, her barrier spells absorbing the bullets before they had a chance to nick her. Readying her sword, she sliced it in the air diagonally, sending an arc of powerful fire straight at the panicked North Hebeian soldier. Stefan was already running to hide in one of the residential buildings when nearly four soldiers on the streets were sliced by her sword magic.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    He kicked the door to one of the houses, quickly climbing on the staircase, but as he did that, he curiously looked back at what was happening on the streets at one of the shattered windows.


    On the ground, more women soldiers of Orlish origin were funneling in. Armed with their magical guns, their gunfire quickly overwhelmed whatever remnants of the desperate North Hebeian positions were left. Their bullets simply weren¡¯t the same, as they exploded in various powerful magical spells¡ªeither fire or ice-based.


    By the time it was over, all that was left was an entire platoon of dead North Hebeian soldiers, their bodies either burned, sliced, or frozen. On the other hand, the Orlish combat mages continued advancing, luckily not noticing Stefan.


    Sweating bullets, he sat down on a chair on the second floor of the house he hid in. He removed his helmet before his face collapsed in anguish on his hands.


    He had no idea what to do now.


    +++


    5th Knights Detachment Unit ¡®Erzherzogin Delphine¡¯


    22nd Mage Rifles Battalion


    B Company


    Captain Rosa Schmidt planted her sword on the cold asphalt, kneeling as she prayed lightly. Known in her unit as the ¡®Rose Knight¡¯, she was one of the strongest traditional knights of the Royal Guard, born from one of the cadet houses of the House Pristina.


    She sighed when she finished praying to the goddess, looking around at the mess she had created once again in the service of her Queen and Kingdom. They were nothing but young boys to her, a woman who had already birthed three children at the age of thirty-six. It was perhaps why each time she killed these young men, guilt consumed her.


    I can¡¯t imagine how I¡¯d react if someone else killed my boys.


    The idea of the war dragging on even further that his eldest boy might be recruited and sent into this mess was enough to awaken her burning desire to end this war as best as she could.


    It was why she went here after all.


    She stood up, sheathing her sword back into her scabbard. To most of her underlings, the fact that she preferred the wand and the sword over their newer magical rifles was a strange one. But for Rosa, this was her way of fighting ever since she was inducted into the Royal Guard¡¯s knightly order decades ago.


    Considering how in a few minutes, she cut down nearly thirty men with her blade and magic, the results practically spoke for themselves.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± Rosa spoke to her soldiers, and the officers and soldiers of her unit immediately listened to her. ¡°We¡¯ll scour this subdivision, then we¡¯ll advance.¡±


    She turned to her executive officer, a younger woman who followed her constantly from behind, her hands cradling her magical rifle with a slight twitch of anxiousness.


    ¡°Lieutenant,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Contact command to also send a few recon planes to the areas ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Captain,¡± the lieutenant nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be on it.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Rosa looked away, leaving the rest of her soldiers to figure out the rest for themselves. On the other hand, she began searching for any stragglers around town, walking with the calmness of a woman who knew it was impossible for anyone to realistically touch her.


    With her hand on the hilt of her sword, she entered house after house, checking in if anyone was left. Somewhat, she was also searching for civilians, considering many of them were sometimes left on the battlefield. As she went through it, she entered bombed-out buildings and even checked military vehicles that were abandoned.


    It was a tiring affair. Death haunted this place, just like all places on the battlefield.


    In one of the military trucks, right beside a crater that must have been struck by artillery, were a dozen charred North Hebeian soldiers, the only thing identifiably about them being their flag patches and distinct helmets.


    There were also two tanks, one belonged to the Poznekis, and another belonged to the Larissans, both seemingly abandoned. At least, until she climbed one of them, opened its hatch, and saw the messy remains inside.


    Must have been hit by heavy artillery.


    She winced, closing the hatch. Then, she continued further. Pozneki soldiers. Larissan soldiers. She even found two Lombardian soldiers, their bodies unrecognizable under the rubble. This area must have been bombed so hard early on, and they must not have had enough time to clean things up.


    Soon, she went through one of the few slightly intact houses. She pushed on the door, opening it. Then, carefully, she climbed through the stairs, up to the second floor. Suddenly, she heard a click.


    She stopped.


    ¡°I heard you,¡± she called out. ¡°I¡¯m going to be clear now, if you wish to surrender, you can do so if you raise your arms, and disarm yourself.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Pozneki,¡± she replied. The soldier that was upstairs seemed to be hiding behind the wall, on the right side. She sighed. ¡°Come out now, there¡¯s no hope of further resistance. I know you¡¯re injured.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I have a perception spell,¡± she replied, matter-of-factly. ¡°I can see you from here.¡±


    The man laughed, clearly already at his wit''s end. It seemed to be common with these men. They all resisted fiercely, till the end, refusing to surrender in the face of overwhelming odds. It tired her.


    If she could make a few of them surrender instead of dying in a pointless last stand, she wanted that.


    ¡°Come out now, young lad,¡± she ordered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t squander your life when someone¡¯s offering you to live another day¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why does that matter to you? There¡¯s no point,¡± he replied. ¡°If the revolution fails, then I have no reason to live!¡±


    ¡°Your buddies are dead.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall die with them!¡±


    Suddenly, the man turned to attack, but before he could even press his trigger and aim at Rosa, she swiftly passed by him. Blood sprayed through the walls of the abandoned house, and he collapsed on his knees¡ªa cruel slice on his side.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Rosa calmly asked, turning a bit to face the fallen soldier. She sheathed back her bloodied sword.


    ¡°Stefan,¡± he replied, as his rifle fell on the floor, his blood pooling around him. ¡°I am Corporal Stefan Klimowicz.¡±


    He laughed.


    ¡°I serve the¡­revolutionary Pozneki Army,¡± he continued. ¡°I¡­I did my best for my brothers.¡±


    Soon, the Pozneki soldier collapsed, bleeding out completely. She sighed.


    They always act that way even when it¡¯s pointless to resist.