The plans created by the war council were one of the focal points of their overall war strategy. It was not as if they were randomly throwing soldiers everywhere. Although not everything went according to plan, like the Teria Sea Campaign or the iconic Battle of the Millennium, the flow of the war was still being predicted and controlled! That was what it meant to be a general! The plan to siege Yongtein did not come lightly. After all, the two civilizations were divided by the vast ocean. Logistically speaking, transporting a large army across was incomparably difficult. This was one of the contributing reasons why the two wars lasted so long. They could not decisively defeat the other!
However, the Xingyuu Empire changed that. They threw caution to the wind and devoted monstrous amounts of resources into defeating the Alzar Kingdom! The reason being that they believed that Empress Mei Li was assassinated by the Alzar Kingdom! For such a beloved figure to be killed, her death brought waves across the empire, fuelling their hatred. They were willing to let their economy burn for mutual destruction! Later, this led to the Teria Sea Campaign… This was exactly why Lord Korogin and the Royal Assembly were feeling such headaches. The scariest enemy was one that did not fear death.
Consequently, the war council had devised a way out. The three pillars of the army, Lord Korogin, Prince Dannark, and General Illion, had all considered it, culminating into the plan to siege Yongtein. Using the warfront on the south of the kingdom and drawing the attention of the armies in the north of the empire would leave the capital undefended! If the siege was swift and decisive, then the Alzar Kingdom had a chance to sweep both the Imperial Family and the Imperial Council simultaneously. To this end, two of the Ten Dawns, Tengon and Nassandra, were deployed alongside General Gordon. However, Lord Korogin's participation was not planned for.
Illion did not understand. The position of Master of Strategy was second only to the monarch in terms of importance. Why else did Lord Korogin reside as the leader of the Royal Assembly? Furthermore, he was the temporary monarch! He was like a star in the night sky. His power was nearly unparalleled. Strictly speaking, dangerous jobs were best left to those who were less important. That was the way of the world. Taking it further, even General Gordon, the Ten Dawns, and that army were expendable… They were sacrifices that the kingdom was willing to gamble with. But, by throwing himself to the frontlines as well, Lord Korogin discarded everything! If everything went fine, that would be okay. But on the off chance that Lord Korogin died, then the Alzar Kingdom would spiral into chaos! Their defeat would be guaranteed. Illion always considered Korogin to be the peak of cunning. Being a Master of Strategy required that. But this…
Still, many steps were taken to ensure no information leaks. The only people who know the entire plan are General Gordon, Lord Korogin, Prince Dannark, and me. In addition, the Royal Assembly and the Royal Family who approved of the plan. The army would be appropriately split up into brigades, which would then independently rendezvous in the Desterina Ocean. Only then would they proceed to their destination. The plan is risky, but Lord Korogin should not be in grave danger. Several Royal Guards as well as Sir Winstin accompanied him, Illion thought. The Imperial Council shouldn't have caught word of it.
Elizabeth frowned. From the way things sounded, although the plan deviated a bit, it was still within their control. She knew little about military strategy and even less about the situation across the entire war. Therefore, she believed in what Illion said. However, that only left her more unsettled. Under what wild wind did Lord Korogin decide it was a good idea to join the army? His position as the temporary monarch was far more important than leading an army across the ocean. From the conversation she had with him, he seemed to always place the kingdom first. This seemed counterintuitive.
Furthermore, the sense that she did not understand everything weighed even heavier. Minister Linshi was the Minister of Information. Her reaches extended far beyond what a normal person could imagine. If what the Imperial Princesses said was true, she was the person who singlehandedly conspired against the emperor to create the Second Great Kingdom War. She was responsible for everything! How could such a figure be simple? Moreover, she had grasped double-casting and achieved a profound mastery in Arcania. She was powerful enough to defeat a dozen Perception Realms simultaneously! Unwilling to let the matter go, Elizabeth decided to fully explain everything!
Previously, she was so preoccupied with recovering and the Imperial Princesses that her friends reported what happened during their capture. Even then, only Elizabeth knew everything! The Imperial Princesses only decided to confide in her after she woke up from her frostbite. Of course, that was on the basis that she was the heir apparent. Her friends did not earn such treatment and they were kept in the dark. It was all in hope of gaining her trust! But she did not think much of it until now when General Illion explained that Lord Korogin was embarking on a dangerous journey! It would be too much of a coincidence!
As she explained things, General Illion was initially disinterested but gradually a flicker of incredulity appeared. After all, what she said was simply too shocking! As the Third-In-Command of the military, he had full access to the Alzar Kingdom's widespread information network. It did not pale in comparison to the Xingyuu Empire's own! Otherwise, how could he know about the situation inside the Yunyun Stronghold and the Li Family's rebellion? However, even with the spies spread through the empire, there were things that would never see the light of day. For example, the conversation between Minister Linshi, the Imperial Princesses, and Imperian Qiang! Even the truth about Minister Linshi unleashing the might of double-casting went unknown. One had to remember that everyone involved in that fight either fled or died! There was no way that the Alzar Kingdom knew anything about it.
When Elizabeth repeated the story told to her by the princesses, she recited it back with perfect accuracy, as if the smallest detail might be important! By the time she finished, General Illion could barely believe everything. In fact, he could not! He needed proof and undeniable evidence! Without bothering to say anything else, he sent word for his subordinates. One of which was Sir Lorenzo, now a Brigade Commander! With the Legion Generals leading the attack on the Yunyun Stronghold, he was currently one of the highest-ranking officers present. Meanwhile, the general started consulting various reports, trying to determine the validity of Elizabeth's story. Although no reports explicitly stated anything, he could infer and work backwards! He unleashed the full power of the kingdom's intelligence network!