Alex arrived a few hours later at the war room, and when he entered, everyone was present—from department heads to other officials and representatives of his corporation groups.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin this post-war meeting," he stated. The attendees nodded and prepared their documents. Around the room, TV screens displayed the stock market, while others showed major military and naval bases. Some screens depicted the eastern and western fronts, with battlefields strewn with bodies, some of which were stone statues and broken remnants.
Alex sat at the head of the rectangular table. After five minutes of silence, during which he skimmed through papers, he finally spoke.
"The hit on the economy might take a few months to recover, so I plan to mobilize five legions and have them on standby until further orders."
The military side was obviously concerned but didn't question his decision, understanding that this could be used for public perception, giving the enemy a faint bait to pull.
"Next, we need to allocate 3% of our GDP to upgrade the infrastructure of our empire. I want all cities and towns to reach the level of a great city while maintaining their historical buildings and increasing safety for our people." Everyone nodded in agreement, as the military had enjoyed its golden age, and now it was time for public works.
"Moving on to the current diplomatic plan," he said, flipping to the diplomatic reports.
"After this war, the political situation in Olympus will likely erupt into a full-blown civil war. My plan is to stay neutral until both sides drain their resources, and then we will take military intervention." He paused. "We will conduct a fake invasion in the east, forcing them to fight until exhaustion, and then we'll send the 1st and 15th Legions to invade Olympus." The room was filled with nodding heads and note-taking.
"Regarding the battles in the east and west, order our forces to launch an offensive and give the enemy no breathing space. After the war, ensure they can't move around easily without us noticing, and force them to drop their claims on lands we've held far longer than they have."
He continued, "As for sanctions, keep them in place. They need to know who to listen to. If they begin complying, gradually lift them, but maintain the facade of still imposing sanctions. Now, let's discuss the Grand Duchy of Athena, her followers, and the Kingdom of Hades."
The room tensed. It was no secret that Alex disliked the two, as they had failed to fulfill their obligations and ignored many directives. A month ago, mobilization orders were issued, and Alex had instructed his team to keep a close eye on them.
"Next, we need to honor the living and the fallen soldiers." He displayed a schematic of a large statue. "I want a memorial cemetery for soldiers and heroes who perished in this war and future conflicts. Their ashes and bodies will be buried in a land allocated south of Draconia, spanning over 100 acres. At the center, an obelisk will be erected, engraved with the names of fallen soldiers from all military operations and wars in which we have participated."
Everyone agreed with this proposal.
"Finally, we need to expand the navy. Instead of five fleets in three years, I expect two more fleets to be added. In ten years, I want our men to be prepared for war—not just any war, but a regional conflict."
After five hours of discussions, debates, and agreements, the conference concluded. This annual report to the entire empire also served as a post-war meeting.
---
**Imperial Office**
Alex stood before a miniature model of Draconia, now a far more modern version, with skylines, high-rise buildings, and long rail tracks encircling the city. The model depicted three corridors: the first contained the main palace, government buildings, military HQ, and police HQ. The second held the industrial and entertainment sectors, along with high-class residences, with a quarter occupied by military factories. The third corridor housed civilian residences, organized into divisions, with each family allotted land to build and design their homes within safety standards. A large sewage system was planned, and the renovated city of Draconia would be the size of a medium-sized country.
"So, over 1 trillion dracs are needed for this project?" Alex asked the designer, who worked with architects and engineers to fit every factor, including strategically placed police stations and potential military bunkers for wartime.
"Yes, Your Majesty. With the assistance of the military and police, we were able to design a habitable and defendable city. It can house 100 million people, with large apartments capable of holding thousands. The structure itself can withstand artillery bombardment, and underground rooms act as air raid shelters, capable of surviving an attack from a god," the man said confidently.
"Alright, I want prototypes of this building constructed in the time chamber. I want to see if this type of building can survive a direct attack from me," Alex said, writing down orders. After a few minutes, he handed the papers to the designer, allocating funds for the prototype cities' construction, materials, and manpower.
"I want your best design and build because this will be implemented across the empire if you impress me. This is an order from the Draconian Sentinels," he said. The Draconian Sentinels, the renamed version of the elite order, had the right to raise an army, but payment must come from their own pockets.
Currently, Sean, Alric, Ling, Kalvin, and Jin were members of this elite group. Though Arthur had yet to officially join, he was already considered one of them. Each member had a castle to train their men for war and, in peacetime, to maintain peace and order. Alex had made a law stating that any incompetent heir would be rejected by the throne, and the Sentinels would cooperate with the Imperial Guard to find a better successor and inject his own bloodline.
He set up many safeguards to ensure that future descendants were not degenerates or idiots and would be trained by the throne through rigorous trials, beginning in childhood, where they must learn how to fight.
"Of course, Your Majesty. I shall complete the work in a month," the leader said.
---
**Kosack Front**
The 1st Novoros Army had just arrived in full force, greeted by the harsh winter. They entered the trenches previously occupied by the 4th Legion, which was still recovering from heavy losses.
"Holy shit, it's far worse than our battlefield," a private remarked as he looked at the no-man's land, strewn with rotting corpses and the occasional sound of machine gun fire.
"Yeah, tell me about it. But oh well, let's set up defenses, or our officer might chew us out," another soldier replied as they placed the machine gun at the trench's edge. Since their arrival, they had expected to see people, but only military personnel were present; each town and city they entered was either deserted or sparsely populated.
"So, you're saying that in six months, we will launch an endgame offensive?" Ivan, the commanding officer, asked his superior, the overall commander of the 1st Army.
"Yes, Ivan. We need to prepare, as we'll be fighting in deep forests with many traps and giant maces. Our small bodies and armor make it difficult to maneuver, so have the men train in close-quarters combat with a slave titan. We need to drill our men for this conflict and future wars. The battlefield is never kind to us," his superior said. Every commander, including Ivan, nodded in agreement as he led the 4th Armored Division.
"Yes, sir!" everyone saluted and left the tent. Across the frontlines, Novoros soldiers studied the defenses and learned from veterans who stayed behind to teach the new arrivals.
"Aim for their legs and eyes from afar. Remove their ability to move, see, and hear. Use everything in your arsenal. Don't charge recklessly; if you do, consider yourself meat paste," a Draconian officer instructed a company-sized group of soldiers, sharing quick and swift tactics. A group of officers took notes, as they were told to learn from others and reform their strategies.
On other fronts, where the largest concentration of Draconian legions were stationed, soldiers relaxed and prepared for the final battle, knowing that their armor would not always protect them.
---
**Graves' POV**
*Unknown Facility*
Graves was at the shooting range, firing his assault rifle at a target. After emptying his magazine, he switched to his pistol and fired at the target's stomach, chest, and head.
"Damn it, I'm still too slow," Graves muttered. He had been on edge since the rescue, reforming tactics and changing the unit's movement strategy from one large group to smaller squads or teams of four.
After testing these tactics, Graves found great potential and implemented them in the battalion. He continued practicing weapon switching during combat, upgrading his equipment, and training rigorously. Meanwhile, his elven companion trained in close combat, using daggers, short swords, and her bow, which she had modified to be foldable.
"Instead of resting, you're training," the elven companion remarked as she watched Graves draw his knife and stab a target in quick succession.
"I need to train," he replied. Just as he was about to make another move, his knife was blocked by a long, thin, but strong sword.
"Beat me, and you can continue. If I beat you, you rest," she challenged. Soon, both sides exchanged blows. Graves got close, preventing her from using the full length of her blade, forcing her onto the defensive.
The swordfight lasted for 30 minutes. Graves kicked her left leg and struck her temples, but she swiftly blocked or dodged each move. For the elf, she found a way to counter Graves' attacks. Both sides began countering and developing new techniques. Quin
ella, over 30 years old and experienced, had never faced a Special Forces operative like Graves, but over time, she adapted and planned to forsake her identity, choosing instead to continue living as a covert operative and eventually settle down. However, she knew the empire had other plans for her.
Boom!
Graves took advantage of her brief pause and gut-punched her. When she lost her breath, he locked her in a chokehold and whispered near her pointy ears, "Yield."
He blew air into her ears, knowing the weakness of certain elves. He stopped any attempts by Quinella to escape. Even with her enhanced physique, she couldn't break free from the hold, as he had knocked all the energy out of her.
"I yield," she muttered, just loud enough for Graves to hear. He released her and returned to his training, muttering, "Rise and grind." The elf watched from afar, realizing that despite her attempts to get Graves to rest, he was persistent in his training.
*To be continued...*