"Ships can be rebuilt, so it's too naïve to judge things as simply as that," Benedict shook his head. "However, people cannot be replaced as easily. Are the two admirals safe?"
"They're unharmed, though I can't say the same for the rest of the soldiers. We lost a considerable portion of our manpower in that battle."
"Is there anything we can do?" Shirley asked.
Elizabeth sighed. "Sadly, no. We still don't fully understand the Featherwind Sect's stance or motives. There's a chance that they might attack us again should we reveal ourselves. I don't want a repeat of that battle again. At this point, we'll have to leave it up to the admirals and army to solve. The worst-case scenario is we shrink our active battlefronts and reduce our logistical demand."
"You mean pull back our frontline?" Benedict was horrified. "We would be giving up everything we accomplished over the past few months!"
"Either that, or we starve our own forces and cause an uprising. No one wants to fight on an empty stomach. By that point, we would be digging our own graves," Freon refuted.
"Maybe it's better to call off the whole war," Shirley suggested with a hint of sadness. When she recalled the thousands of dead from the Battle of Liguang, she had to wonder: why? All those lives lost and for what? Not to mention, the unimaginable time, effort, and resources invested into this from across the human world. She and her friends suffered enough already. Last time, they were saved, but the next time, they might not be so lucky. Perhaps, they should quit while they were ahead.
"Maybe you're right. This might have been a hopeless venture from the start," Elizabeth said dejectedly. "I will consult with General Petra on our next move."
"We also need to keep an eye on the Li Family. They'll probably strike the second they see an opportunity. That might be why they allied with the Imperial Council over us. They predicted this was going to happen," Freon murmured.
"What do you think, sister?"
Ming glanced at Xiuying and shook her head softly. "I can't fathom what Lord Foshan, or the elder council have in mind. However, the Imperial Council will likely bide their time until the kingdom's forces collapse before striking. And since they occupy the Quiton Gates now, they hold the initiative for when to attack. The Alzar Kingdom's situation isn't looking good. Whoever controls the Maelstrom Gulf will decide the entire war."
"You won't have to worry about the Li Family. They won't do anything against the Alzar Kingdom for the time being," a third person said. It was Imperian Qiang Li, the current patriarch of the Li Family!
"Is your source reliable, uncle?" Ming asked.
"It comes from Lord Xai of the Shen Family."
While the Loon Family nurtured peak experts like the Four Dragons to protect the Li Family, the Shen Family dealt with information gathering and assassination. They were two of the four main families serving under the Li Family, acting as their arms and legs! And Lord Xai Shen was the current patriarch of this Shen Family. Back when Imperian Qiang infiltrated the Yunyun Stronghold to confront Minister Linshi alongside his nieces, Lord Xai and his subordinates were the ones who helped him. He had absolute trust in the Shen Family patriarch! This was why he doubted the Li Family could conspire behind his back without his knowing. Lord Xai would have informed him about it long beforehand and the fact that he did not suggested trickery. Perhaps Lord Xai was specifically alienated by the elder council?
The greatest proof was in Lord Shuping Shen, the person assigned to oversee the aftermath of the Battle of Liguang. Although the Li Family seemed monolithic, it was far from the truth. In reality, there were several internal factions that stood at odds with one another, and minor disputes could be seen everyday. Lord Shuping was in a faction that opposed Imperian Qiang's own faction, and he was very vocal about it too. Everyone knew about his 'exploits'. Since Lord Shuping was here instead of Lord Xai, it told Imperian Qiang all he needed to know about the current situation. The Li Family was no longer supporting him! Thankfully, it seemed the elder council also believed he was dead, so he could contact Lord Xai again.
"Could you tell me more about the situation inside the Li Family?" Elizabeth asked.
"Your Highness should know already, but rumors have begun to surface about my supposed death in Liguang. Although Lady Hong-Lan has been serving as the leader of the Li Family in my absence, that is a temporary assignment. The current disputes are over who should succeed me. I would say the situation is very similar to the inheritance race in the Alzar Kingdom. Normally, the elder council would step in here, but they have stayed neutral thus far."
"How long do you think this dispute will last?"
"Under these conditions, the dispute should resolve itself within three to four months. After all, we have twenty-four subordinate families, millions of subjects, and territory spanning a quarter of the empire. Stabilizing the situation will take considerable time and effort from all parties involved."
"And if the elder council steps in?" Elizabeth frowned.
"They wield influence and power greater than my own, especially Lord Foshan and Fengji who lead the elder council. Once they move, they could stabilize the Li Family within a month. I believe the key factor Your Highness should worry about is whether the elder council believes the kingdom is worth attacking or not. Depending on how they view the situation, they may intervene earlier or later than expected."
"The same as the Imperial Council then," Elizabeth summarized.
"The difference is their speed of deployment. The Imperial Council can deploy their forces at any moment since they've been stationed at the Quiton Gates for some time now. And aside from the Battle of Liguang, they sustained no damages thus far. They are at full strength. Conversely, the Li Family has sustained heavy losses from fighting the kingdom's forces, and we were forced to withdraw from the Samfeng Province. The massacre at the Battle of Liguang did not help either. Whether the elder council steps in or not, the situation is the same, which is why I said the Li Family won't do anything against the kingdom for the time being."
"I see… Thank you, Imperian Qiang. That was very informative."
"There's no need for thanks, Your Highness. This was part of our agreement," he replied plainly, prompting Elizabeth's eyebrows to twitch. The resemblance between him and Princess Ming was uncanny! Nevertheless, what they said was true. Whoever controlled the Maelstrom Gulf would control the war!
***
As Princess Ming theorized, things heated up over the Maelstrom Gulf. Since the Maelstrom Gulf was the Alzar Kingdom's only supply route, they could not afford to lose here and the same naturally went for the Imperial Council. By strangling the kingdom here, they could decisively defeat the kingdom's forces in the empire! The stakes had never been higher as both sides assembled massive fleets with numbers far exceeding anything seen thus far! It was a shocking sight! Suffice to say, the battle over the Maelstrom Gulf would be the most important battle in this war to date. It would decide everything! Soon, it was mid-January, and the Alzar Kingdom's second fleet departed from Pelangi Fortress. They encountered Admiral Kang and the pirating fleet enroute to the Yunyun Stronghold. Another battle began in earnest!
Battles erupted everywhere across the open waters. Naval battles were fundamentally different from land battles because it was harder to engage in direct combat. There were no full-scale engagements featuring thousands of combatants like the Battle of Liguang or the Siege of the Yunyun Stronghold. Naval combat relied on boarding strategies which meant that fleet maneuverability and responsivity played a large role. Any battles were short, but intense! The problem was that the kingdom's big and unwieldy supply ships suffered at the hands of the pirates' smaller and more agile ships. There was no outsailing them! The escort fleet had no choice, but to engage in a protracted battle against the empire's forces. It was around the second day when a small Alzar detachment fleet was isolated by pirate Captain Mo Ting-Wan.