prynovel Chapter 48 I Don't Want to Hear Sorry
Chapter 48 I Don't Want to Hear Sorry
Half an hour later, at the command post on the second floor of the lord's castle.
All battalion commanders completed an emergency assembly. Also present were Ronan and Madale, as well as two auxiliary witches from the Witch's Eye.
The battalion commanders ran over; they hadn't even returned to the military region after visiting the steam engine when they were stopped halfway there.
But they had no time to catch their breath. Everyone was focused on the large map in the command post, afraid of missing any information—because they were about to face the Northern rebels, the nightmare that had once made them wish they were dead!
"This is the rebels' current location. According to the intelligence we have gathered, they will most likely rest in the White River area at night, during which time they will set up strict sentry posts and send witches to keep watch at night."
Once they close the distance to their target, they slow down their march, adopting a slow-advancing posture, and then launch a surprise attack when the target lowers its guard, dismantling the target's manpower in the shortest possible time.
From a macro perspective, this is evident in the fact that after conquering the northern border, they did not immediately march into the western border, but waited until the leaders of the western border relaxed their guard before beginning a covert and rapid march. From the current specific situation, they clearly intend to use the same tactics against the Thorn Territory, using seemingly deliberate steps to confuse our scouts, and then break through our defenses in one fell swoop.
Therefore, we must not take any chances. We must not only safeguard the natural barrier of Fulong Valley, but also block the secret passages and trails in the surrounding mountains and forests.
Ronan analyzed the situation for the battalion commanders using the large map in the room.
This map, measuring three meters wide and four meters long, is composed of numerous smaller maps of equal scale. It was drawn and calibrated by Scarlett O'Hara and surpasses all other maps of its time in both size and accuracy.
Since accepting Ronan's commission, Scarlett has surveyed an area of nearly 100 kilometers around Thornridge and created small maps of it to scale.
In this way, one can carry a map of a specific area with them, or combine it into a large map as is the case now.
The rapid improvement in the military skills of the militia is also inseparable from the guidance of high-precision maps in the exercises.
However, given Scarlett's special position, Ronan could only temporarily conceal her existence and describe these maps as the result of surveying by a professional.
The battalion commanders expressed their opinions from different perspectives. Some suggested setting up fortifications such as chevaux-de-frise and trenches to weaken the rebel cavalry's power; others believed that the role of crossbowmen should be brought into play, and that the arrows of Maddale should be used for fire suppression; still others expressed concern about the rebel witches' transformations, to prevent repeating the mistakes of the Northern Alliance.
As combat veterans who had clashed with the rebels, they had already accumulated experience in dealing with various situations during their nearly month-long exercises.
Soon, a detailed battle plan was formed after discussions at the command headquarters.
Although on paper the Thorn Territory side had a better chance of winning, Ronan, adhering to the principle of anticipating the worst-case scenario, still considered all possible worst-case scenarios and made corresponding contingency plans.
Pragmatism is the style of the Thorn Leader, and at this critical juncture, time is life—this meeting had no unnecessary platitudes or nonsense. After the meeting, the battalion commanders immediately set off to lead their battalions in deployment.
"I'm sorry to trouble you again."
Ronan patted Madonna's shoulder lightly and sighed softly.
As the saying goes, plans can't keep up with changes. Although the westward advance of the rebels was foreseen, it slightly disrupted his current plans.
With the key machinery yet to be deployed, Maddale has had to rush to produce a batch of urgently needed combat equipment, such as barricades, arrowheads, and weapons and armor, at the cost of significant pollution.
The cooperation between the Thorn Territory and the Mountain Territory had been going on for some time, and the gap that needed to be forcibly filled by Maddale using magic was not too large. However, Ronan, who could see the status values, knew that this level would inevitably cause her some discomfort and pain.
The girl smiled upon hearing this.
She shook her head and gently removed Ronan's hand from her shoulder.
"I am honored—not only to serve you, but also to be involved in an unprecedented undertaking. What we are trying is something no one on this land has ever tried before, and it is all because of you."
The girl blinked her pale pink eyes gently.
"So—what I want to hear isn't 'I'm sorry.'"
"That……"
"Shhh."
She raised her index finger and blinked rapidly, looking somewhat nervous.
"Tell me about it when victory comes."
After saying that, she jogged away from the command post, then stopped at the door and turned back to remind him, "Don't forget to eat properly!"
Her long, flowing purple hair disappeared around the corner.
A moment later, the light screen scrolled out:
[Current Witch: Medallion]
[Status value: 88%]
[Cumulative purification amount: 3001/3000]
[Stage Target (3000) Completed]
[Remaining upgrade nodes: 5000]
[Additional privileges unlocked: Assault Protocol - Vanguard]
【协议内容：契约者可选择自己和任意一名契约对象，在接下来的24小时内造成伤害+30%、受到伤害-30%且灵能/魔能消耗-50%，效果可随时终止。冷却时间72小时。】
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That day, Thorn Ridge was brightly lit all night long.
The militia, organized into battalions, systematically arranged for each group to improve the defensive fortifications in the Fulong Valley area.
Some were responsible for guard duty, some for processing, and some for transportation and logistics. Each group and battalion worked smoothly and in an orderly manner under the guidance of signal flags, just like in a regular exercise.
The only difference from the exercise is that the defending side usually has at least 200 people, equipped with only one witch, Madale, to stop the attacking side of 800 people as well as the attacks of two witches, Liyan and Haiyue.
Now, all 1000 militiamen will be deployed to the defense, and Maddale, Liyan, Haiyue, and Scarlett in the shadows will fight together.
Furthermore, their opponents were no longer trusted comrades, but rather a menacing rebel army that had come from afar.
Vance trusted Ronan's abilities, but in his view, a defense of 1000 men was still a bit too weak.
He asked Ronan if the Mountain Territory should also recruit some warriors to help in the battle, but Ronan politely declined.
Putting aside the fact that the private soldiers and serf soldiers of the Mountain Territory were far inferior in combat quality, they had not practiced or trained with the militia of the Thorn Territory, and hastily assembling them would only lead to chaos.
This wasn't Vance's fault—he had tried to emulate Ronan's training methods, but with little success. Ultimately, Ronan's support wasn't these well-organized militia, but the entire Thorn Territory.
Of course, this doesn't mean the Mountain Territory is useless—Ronan entrusted Vance with the crucial task of logistics so the militia at the front could focus on fighting. The two territories have a long-standing cooperative relationship and a tacit understanding regarding the exchange of supplies, making the Mountain Territory the perfect fit for this role.
Just now, as the militiamen of the Thorn Territory worked in three shifts to complete the fortifications, the convoys of the Mountain Territory were also continuously transporting food, equipment and various materials to them.
However, there were also some harsh noises during this process.
"My lord, what you're doing is truly against tradition!"
Late at night, when Vance arrived at the Mountain Church, the pastor angrily protested to him.
"How can you let a witch sleep in a bed with mattresses? Give her hot food, and even let her eat meat? She will fall into depravity through pleasure! Only discipline and asceticism are the right ways to discipline these sinners!"
"Really? But as far as I know, you eat quite a lot too."
Vance's eyes narrowed. "The rebels are approaching, and the entire Mountain Territory is fighting tooth and nail to defend their homes. Yet you are hoarding food, creating famine, and doing nothing to uphold the Church's creed!"
"Ah, I..."
The pastor slumped to the ground, speechless.
Vance gestured for his guards to take him away, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the mountain territory is a remote and small place, the church still has a small chapel here. The person in charge here is the pastor, who is a staunch supporter of tradition and advocates for the severe suppression of witches.
He had always been critical of Vance, and even threatened to report him to the church.
Vance had wanted to mess with this guy for a long time, but he lacked a reason and was afraid of retaliation from the church.
Now that he's caught red-handed, he can't really say anything about expelling the pastor from the church. Plus, it's a state of war now, and who knows when the next pastor will arrive? He can even promote a relatively moderate local believer, which is permitted by the church.
At that time, introducing machines will be much easier.
However, Vance was somewhat disturbed by the fact that Ronan had secretly revealed the crimes of the Mountain Territory priests to him... Ronan rarely left the Thorn Territory, so how could he know so much about the affairs of the Mountain Territory?
Watching the sparrows silently fly away from the church entrance, Vance smiled helplessly, only able to admire Ronan's extraordinary connections.
Fortunately, I didn't choose the wrong side.
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