The murmurs in the council chamber had not yet subsided; ministers and advisors were still exchanging views on the news of Aldor's advance into the grasslands and into the Redstone Desert.
At that moment, a servant walked quietly into the hall, carrying a sealed scroll of intelligence. He went straight to the throne, bowed, and presented the intelligence to Antonio.
Antonio took the intelligence report, opened it, and quickly scanned the text.
The emperor's already solemn expression darkened further, and a hint of undisguised surprise flashed in his eyes.
He rolled up the intelligence report in his hand, looked up at the crowd below, and said loudly, "Gentlemen, let's hear another report from Aldor."
The council chamber fell silent instantly, all eyes turning to him. Antonio slowly read aloud, " The Aldo Royal Family has dispatched troops into Paradise Basin, targeting the Veblen Family, who have shown disrespect to the monarchy."
" Paradise Basin?" A minister immediately exclaimed in a low voice. "It is surrounded by mountains, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Sword Fortress can be called a natural fortress. How dare the Aldo Royal Family open up another battlefield in the south while fighting the orcs in the north?"
Antonio continued reading the key information from the letter without pausing: "Sword Fortress is the only passage into Paradise Basin, but when the Royal Army launched its attack, a sudden epidemic broke out inside the fortress. The Veblen Family's defenders suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, making it difficult for them to even stand with their weapons, let alone fight. Aldor..." The Royal Army easily captured the fortress.
"A plague?" Doughty Matte of Arcane Society's eyes narrowed, and she subconsciously glanced at her colleague beside her. "This is too much of a coincidence. Could it be..."
The ministers and advisors engaged in a more heated discussion than before.
"Fighting on two fronts and succeeding at the same time? When did Aldor's military strength become so formidable?" The Minister of Finance looked incredulous. Previously, Aldor was nothing more than a kingdom plagued by internal strife and easily defeated.
Scholars Tower leader David Aldrich frowned: "Sword Fortress is well-defended, and even with mediocre troops, it can hold out for months. The sudden outbreak of disease has rendered the troops incapable of fighting. There's probably more to this than meets the eye. Perhaps Aldor has found some special means, or perhaps they have external assistance."
Marshal McDonald said in a deep voice, "Regardless of the truth, Aldor's expansion momentum is already very clear. They defeated the orcs in the north and reclaimed the desert vassal states, and they quelled the rebels in the south and took control of Paradise Basin. If this continues, they will soon be able to consolidate their domestic forces and become a powerful force on the western side of the continent."
Antonio leaned back on his throne. Aldor's two-pronged attack had clearly exceeded his expectations. He had thought that the enemy would be tied down by the orcs and be unable to defend themselves, but he never expected that they would be able to make breakthroughs on both the northern and southern fronts in such a short period of time.
His attention had been so drawn to the war with the Papacy that he had overlooked the changing situation on the western side of the continent.
Antonio raised his hand to silence the murmurs in the hall and turned his gaze to MacDonald: "Marshal, tell me in detail the intelligence you have. How did the Aldor army operate in the grasslands and deserts?"
MacDonald stepped forward. "In my opinion, the Ausser Army's attack on the orcs and their allies is clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a well-planned three-pronged coordinated operation."
"The Western Army was the first force to be deployed. They crossed the sea from Northwest Bay, bypassed the western section of the Rocky Mountains, and arrived in the western part of the plains while the orc army was still invading Aldor. After landing, they did not rush to advance, but instead seized several key water sources in the plains, such as Blackwater Lake. It should be noted that the plains tribes live by water and grass, and water is their lifeline. The Ausser Army built temporary fortresses around the water sources and stationed soldiers to guard them, continuously harassing the pastures behind the orcs' rear—this was also an important reason why the orc army in Aldor withdrew to the plains early."
"The central army is the main force of this attack, personally led by Paul Greiman. This spring, when the snow melted, they directly invaded the heart of the grasslands through the territory of the Stonemason Clan, a dwarf who recently submitted to Aldor." MacDonald's voice rose slightly. "This force is extremely well-equipped, reportedly armed with powerful firearms, and its combat strength far surpasses that of traditional armies. They have fought several decisive battles against the main orc force, each time defeating the Orc Cavalry, which outnumbers them several times over, with minimal casualties. They have forced Abar's Royal Tent to flee deep into the grasslands, and the main orc force has been completely scattered."
"As for the Eastern Army, it is the Sentinel Legion, which was almost wiped out during the first orcish invasion and later rebuilt in Northwest Bay," MacDonald added. "While the Central Army crossed the Rocky Mountains and drew the attention of the Abar main force, the Eastern Army set out from the recaptured Watchers Fortress and advanced towards the Redstone Desert. The desert oasis kingdoms that had been coerced into surrendering by the orcs were already dissatisfied with the orcs' brutal rule, and most of them surrendered without a fight when the Sentinel Legion approached. Only a few city-states resisted stubbornly, but they were quickly pacified by the Ausser Army. Now, the main trade routes and city-states on the western side of the Redstone Desert are all under the control of the Aldor."
After Old Marshal's detailed account, the council chamber fell silent; even breathing became audible. A moment later, a general abruptly stood up, his voice filled with obvious disbelief: "Marshal, are you sure you haven't been deceived? It's one thing for the Aldor to be divided into multiple forces, but to stretch nearly 2,800 miles from the western Great Prairie to the Redstone Desert —grasslands, mountains, deserts…the terrain is so complex—how could they possibly coordinate their operations across such a vast area?"
MacDonald replied, "This intelligence mainly comes from merchants and adventurers traveling between the grasslands and deserts over the past three months, as well as scattered information intercepted at northern outposts. After my verification and compilation, it has a certain degree of credibility."
Although Doughty Matte of the Arcane Society is not an expert in military affairs, he keenly noticed the key point: "The ability to support such large-scale coordination shows that Aldor not only has strong military power, but also considerable internal organizational capabilities."
David Aldrich, the leader of Scholars Tower, stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Antonio. "Your Majesty, my colleagues, there is one thing we must face squarely— Aldor's recent actions have long since gone beyond the scope of self-preservation or suppressing a rebellion."
He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and continued, " The Sentinel Legion's eastward advance into the Redstone Desert perfectly illustrates this point. At present, the Aldo Royal Family has not yet completely wiped out the Veblen Family's rebellious forces, the situation in the Paradise Basin in the south is not stable, and they still need to digest the gains of the grassland battlefield and settle the orc prisoners. Yet they are impatiently sending troops to advance into the Redstone Desert to subdue those oasis nations that once submitted to the orcs."