Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 434: Situation in the South
"About that...I want you to validate the information in the letter first. If it turns out to be true, I will not let this chance be wasted. This is one is a lifetime opportunity...to kill Johann."
"K-Kill?! Isn't that going overboard?" The butler was shocked. He couldn't believe his own ears. Sir Johann he knows is not some snotty brat who's wet behind his ears.
"Overboard? My action is the most appropriate response for someone of Johann's calibre. Anyway, it is not your problem to think about the execution plan. Just go and do some fact-checking for me."
"I'll do my best!"
"As you should. Keep everything we discuss here to ourselves and get out." Demin waved his hand, shooing the butler out of his office.
....
As in the latest issue of the newspaper Demin just perused, the war between the Kingdom of Inver and the Inverloch Empire is in full swing.
The current state of war leans heavily in favour of the Inverloch Empire.
As of now, the city of Lakish become the final bastion for Inver. The hard-fought city which originally belonged to Inverloch is being defended with all their strength.
While Inverloch is relentlessly attacking the city, Inver is mobilizing every available man and resource to bolster their defences and push back against the onslaught.
However, the results of their efforts look disheartening. Despite the united efforts and sacrifices made by the Inver forces, the tide of the war seems to be against them.
Perched atop the city wall of Lakish, King Isaac gazes down upon the unsettling sight below.
His face bore a grim expression.
The outskirts of Lakish that filled with lush greenery and nature were now destroyed by the presence of the massive Inverloch army.
From his vantage point, the Inverloch soldier was like an endless sea of humans.
Nevertheless, this fact didn't shake the king. Inver was in a defence position.
As long as there's no hole in their defence, the damage dealt by Inverloch on them is less than the casualty Inver inflicted on their enemy.
Turning to his war minister, Isaac asked, "How should we proceed from here? Should we keep going as it is?"
The enemy is nowhere near their supply lines. In Isaac's opinion, the Inver army can continue to defend until war exhaustion affects the Inverloch.
"As long as the city wall can hold up, we'll be fine." Jean Yolger, the war minister of Inver replied.
He was a bit sceptical about their chance of winning at first. But, seeing a steady resurgence of the war statistics made his confidence grow.
To put it in simpler terms, Inverloch soldiers suffered casualties three times more than that of Inver every time an assault was launched.
The significance of this statistic cannot be overstated. Despite the sheer size of the Inverloch army and their seemingly boundless human resources, they are bound to be affected by the losses.
While Jean Yolger focuses on the threats at the city wall, he is not oblivious to the importance of the bigger picture.
Just in case, he keeps a vigilant eye on their back and ensures to safeguard the crucial supply line. It is not only a logistical lifeline but also a potential escape route if the situation becomes dire.
Under no circumstances can he allow the enemy to get close to it.
Martin Midvier, on the other hand, looks at the situation differently. An old man of his age is full of worries that manifest through lines etched on his face.
Perhaps his worry is what made him an excellent intelligence minister.
"Your Majesty, if I may speak..."
"Go on."
"We need to keep in mind that our soldiers are far less than Inverloch. Even if we manage to inflict three times of casualties on the enemy, our soldiers are bound to be depleted first."
Jean addresses the old minister's concern with confidence. "Your worry is baseless, Martin. If we lack personnel, we can keep conscripting more. Since we are not fighting them head-on, the quality of conscripts can be lowered which allows for more people to be pulled into this fight."
"Until when we should be using this strategy?! We will lose all of our able-bodied men at this point." Martin retorts.
"Don't exaggerate this matter, Martin. The resources are continuously flowing into this city. The scenario you're imagining won't happen."
"Have you considered about Inverloch side? They can also play this attrition game." Martin points out.
"Compared to ours, Inverloch's supply line is longer and huge. If they do that, the pressure on them would be several times stronger than ours. In that kind of situation, Inverloch will be more desperate. Their desperation will cause them to make a mistake which leads to more casualties."
Boom- 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
The three of them turn their heads simultaneously. They are all looking in the same direction.
Far away from the city wall, they see a metallic cylindrical thing on a cart. It wasn't hard to detect since its surface shone under the sun.
While they suffered no damage, the sound of that thing was loud enough to shake their hearts.
"Can we take this as a sign of their desperation, Jean?" the old minister asked. His face was not good either. Inverloch shouldn't have this weapon.
"Impossible..." King Isaac was unable to say more words. Turning to Martin, "Didn't you say they do not form any alliance with Ryntum?"
Martin helplessly laughed, "Yes, I said that and it remains true." He pointed his finger to that weapon. "But that doesn't mean they can't develop it on their own."
Honestly, Martin is more frustrated that Inverloch managed to hide it from his knowledge so well. He never caught a wind of this even once.
"Develop?" Isaac looks at the weapon in Inverloch's possession. Sure enough, there's no second bombardment. He can deduce that it is probably cooling down.
The weapon is not perfect yet.
"So, we don't have to worry about it, right?" Jean felt relieved. The presence of that weapon made him lose his calm for a second.
Isaac, instead of answering, ordered Martin to dispatch a messenger to Bideford.
Jean, however, disagrees. He still believed that they could manage it somehow.
"Jean, it's better to be safe than sorry."
