Chapter 703: Tuition

What’s missing…

Andersa met the gaze of Rosetta Augustus, the ruler of the Empire. In his eyes, she saw a depth and calmness like a still, deep pool. That look made her realize that she wasn’t here today to beg for forgiveness or offer excuses. She was here to prove her worth to the Empire.

Rosetta watched Andersa quietly.

The Winter Wolf Legion had come up short in the recent border skirmish, and the diplomatic pressure that followed was something the Emperor had taken upon himself. The generals would work with Duke Ferdinand to review and learn from the experience. But at this moment, the young wolf general’s duty was to tell the Empire’s ruler how to strengthen the army and prepare for the next confrontation.

“First, communications,” Andersa began after a brief pause.

“Our current communication methods have flaws. The Cecile Magi Corps have introduced a new form of warfare. Their long-range attacks are diverse and flexible, allowing their forces to coordinate and counterattack swiftly across a vast battlefield. This means the pace and scale of changes across the front are far greater than before…

“The signal towers can communicate over long distances, bridging the battlefield, but they require fixed installations to maintain large-scale magic arrays. They can only serve as links between fortresses. The mages’ message spells are flexible but limited to under two kilometers, which is insufficient for the scale of upcoming battles. Moreover, casting message spells demands high skill; mid-level mages are scarce, and those who can use message spells are usually commanders, not messengers relaying orders on the field.

“The signal mages’ magic light is an unhidden form of communication. While useful, it’s too restricted in special circumstances—and we encountered exactly such a ‘special circumstance’…

“Second, our command system hasn’t kept pace with our legion structure. Especially, the role of advisory scholars hasn’t been fully utilized. They should have the authority to participate in tactical planning, not just offer suggestions. Also, there’s no effective coordination among the advisors themselves, specifically in…

“Third, we need to update our equipment. Your Majesty, though it’s hard to admit, we’re falling behind the Cecilians in armaments. The supernaturals corps are indeed powerful, but we have far more ordinary soldiers. Cecile’s magitech weapons determine how much value ordinary troops can bring to the battlefield. If our vast numbers of regular soldiers are outmatched in equipment, then no matter how much advantage our supernaturals hold in localized battles, we will be overwhelmed overall…

“My reconnaissance units have clashed multiple times with Cecile scouts. Their scouts are ordinary people but can hold their own against our shadow rangers and scouting mages. That’s a very dangerous sign…”

“The last point, and the hardest to control, is our ‘way of thinking’—our approach to and understanding of war… It’s limited.”

Andersa noticeably slowed her speech when she reached this final point. Even though she had prepared her thoughts in advance, summarizing this was clearly difficult. Rosetta Augustus didn’t rush her; he simply looked at the young general calmly, silently encouraging her to continue.

Encouraged by the Emperor’s quiet support, Andersa took a deep breath and began to explain where the Typhon forces had truly stumbled in this border clash—

“At the start, the Cecilians had no real advantage. The Longwind defensive line was practically no match for the Winter Wolf Legion. Yet they managed to drag the fight out for a full two weeks using a deception tactic, turning their disadvantage into an advantage. And this deception wasn’t just a show on the battlefield—in those two weeks, they conducted fake troop movements, built false fortifications, even created fake caravans and leaked false supply intelligence. But what they did went far beyond that.

“On the way here, I learned more from my grandfather. The Cecilians even manufactured a false post-war atmosphere throughout the entire eastern region, using changes in commercial orders to lull our royal advisors. Your Majesty, this is the most terrifying part—

“For us, war happens on the battlefield. But for the Cecilians, the front line is only one part of the war.

“Their markets, their propaganda, their frontline soldiers, their merchants on the sidelines, even the common people at the bottom—all their actions are part of the war, all working toward the same goal. That’s truly frightening, Your Majesty.”

Andersa finished her report. Rosetta Augustus fell into a brief silence. After several seconds, the Emperor furrowed his brow and spoke quietly, “War is not only fought on the battlefield… You’re right, Andersa.

“We were deceived by the Cecilians once. Even now, some noble councilors still think their scheme was just a lowly ‘trick.’ But the truth is more than that—the Cecilians didn’t just create a lie; they created a comprehensive illusion. From border trade orders to domestic propaganda to frontline troop movements, they built an almost flawless ‘curtain’ that completely enveloped us. They performed their act, and we only saw what they wanted us to see. Even though our spies in the east risked their lives to send us intelligence, the information they sent was false. This is truly terrifying, Andersa. Terrifying.

“Even more frightening is that our current provincial governor system can’t do the same.”

Rosetta finished quietly. Duke Ferdinand glanced at Andersa, his expression a mix of surprise and relief.

Everyone makes mistakes, and the Wendel family was no exception. But at least Andersa hadn’t let those mistakes cloud her judgment as a wolf general. Or perhaps, because of her lingering attachment to the old Ansu Kingdom, she was especially sensitive to the Cecilians’ actions, connecting seemingly unrelated behaviors across different fields, analyzing them all from a hostile perspective, and drawing conclusions others hadn’t considered.

Of course, besides that, her long-term border service and frequent dealings with the Longwind fortress were also key factors in her insights.

Afterward, Rosetta learned much more from Andersa—not only about the shifting border situation but also about the operations of several border legions and the progress of border trade. During this, he invited both of the Wendel family’s wolf generals to lunch in his audience chamber. The long conversation only ended as the sun dipped low toward the horizon.

Andersa had just returned from the border today. Though high-level supernaturals could handle the fatigue, Rosetta still told her to go home and rest, to gather strength for tomorrow’s noble assembly. Duke Ferdinand stayed behind to continue discussions.

“She’s a sharp one,” Rosetta said quietly once only he and Ferdinand remained. “She always notices what lies beneath the surface.”

Ferdinand lowered his head. “But her recklessness nearly caused a disaster this time, Your Majesty.”

“Young faults can be corrected with time, but sharpness is hard to teach,” Rosetta said calmly. “She mentioned the ‘illusion’ the Cecilians created. This really highlights the difference in state control between their empire and ours. What’s your take on that?”

“…With all due respect, Your Majesty, at least for now, the Cecilian Empire, as a young nation, doesn’t have stronger control over more than half their territory than we do. Our regional governor system has been in place for over ten years, while they only recently relied on feudal oaths to maintain unity,” Ferdinand said bluntly. “But if they keep developing, it’s only a matter of time before they surpass us.”

He paused, then continued, “As for this large-scale deception, it’s less a sign of control and more a testament to how effective their propaganda tools are.

“Just one week after the Holy Spirit Plain War ended, news of the Cecilian army’s great victory and smooth royal succession was delivered by newspapers to all nobles in the eastern region. Ordinary people, cut off from information, knew nothing of what happened on the Holy Spirit Plain. The newspaper became the only reliable source, eagerly passed among local nobles and merchants. So… we believed their propaganda.

“Typhon has newspapers now too, but as far as I know, they’re only accessible to wealthy upper-class citizens. They should play a bigger role, but that potential is wasted.

“The Cecilians have taught us a lesson—and it wasn’t free. So we must learn well.”

Rosetta smiled faintly after hearing Ferdinand’s words. “Indeed. This lesson didn’t come cheap…”

He walked over to his desk. “It’s time to write a letter to the Cecilian Emperor. He’s cut the purchase price of textiles by thirty percent in the new order. Let’s see if we can use some words to reduce this tuition fee.”

Ferdinand chuckled. “Soon, someone in the parliament will accuse us of bowing to Cecile.”

Rosetta replied with an old Typhon proverb: “To climb a mountain, one must keep their head down and keep walking.”

…

Cecilian Empire, eastern Holy Spirit Plain, near Solin Fortress.

The sun was sinking, half of its massive disk lingering on the horizon. The glowing orb, with its mysterious wood grain and radiant halo, cast an orange-red light over the land. The glow spread through the clouds, painting the sky with a blood-red sunset.

The crimson clouds stretched from east to west across the horizon. Beside the war-ravaged Solin Fortress, a hastily built watchtower stood silently in the sunset. A sentinel stood alert atop the tower, gazing toward the plain west of the fortress.

The battlefield was scarred with shell craters. A strange strip, marked by scorched earth and vibrant flower paths, stretched from the distance, brushing past the edge of Solin Fortress and extending eastward. Around the fortress, several other watchtowers rose, supporting each other. Scattered tents and simple buildings surrounded the towers, with military vehicles and patrolling soldiers moving about—a scene of tight surveillance.

The sentinel stretched his stiff neck and shoulders but kept his eyes fixed on the heavily monitored area.

He knew that was where the terrifying “Man-Made God” had emerged. There was a massive fissure leading deep underground, beneath which lay the dark lair of the End of All Things—a place filled with deadly traps and out-of-control magical constructs. The soldiers had cleared the nearby wandering crystal giants but were helpless against the underground nest.

The higher-ups had no extra manpower or resources to deal with the End of All Things’ lair, so they had sealed off the area. The watchtower near the western wall of Solin Fortress was part of this blockade.

At the scheduled report time, the sentinel opened the nearby magitech terminal, eyes still on the distant plain. “Command post, this is Watchtower One. All clear in the target area…”

Suddenly, he stopped. His gaze locked on the starting point of the scorched and flowered path. His tone turned serious. “Wait, there’s something…”

From the direction of the plains came a sudden commotion. Thick clouds of dust billowed up from the fissure, and something seemed to be rising out of the smoke. One by one, the watchtowers nearby lit up with flashing red lights, and soldiers within the camp quickly assembled.

A voice crackled through the magic communication terminal from the command post: “Watchtower One, report! What’s happening?”

“There’s something coming up from the fissure…” the sentry replied, eyes wide with shock. “It looks like… vines… or maybe a tree?!”

(End of chapter)