Yes, in Loren's plan, the fall of Ebolden was a matter of time.

Or it should be explained the other way around, that this important port city could not have been held from the start.

Because her "walls"—the ocean-going fleet that the empire spent so much money to build and maintain—are long gone.

As a city, Ebolden was surrounded by the sea on both sides, meaning that the enemy's fleet could attack both walls at the same time without even landing, and on land the walls of Eboden were so thin and low that even if they had been remodeled and maintained as much as possible in the last three years, it would be useless.

But her position was so important that as long as Ebolden remained under Imperial control, it would be impossible for the Azorean army to invade and land on a large scale, because there were not enough ports for them to anchor, and there was no stable foothold to connect with the rear, and at the same time completely blockade the Empire's coastline.

For the Empire, as long as Ebolden is still there, the rear line can pass through the Gem River, and continuously deliver supplies from the direction of the imperial capital to the front line, and at the same time control the battlefield at Ebolden, greatly reducing the losses and damage caused by the war.

For the Azorean elves, the capture of Ebolden is something they must do, and it is inevitable that they will attack with all their might, even if it will scorch the city, it will be worth it for them.

Weak defenses and geographically important to both sides meant that Ebden would become a terrible abyss, devouring the flesh of both sides until one side ran dry.

It's scary, it's tragic, it's cruel, it's real... It's fair, the narrow battlefield and the monotonous offensive and defensive battles, neither side has too many tricks, or any room to show.

But the problem is that now the empire ... There is no way to immediately put all the capital into this table and play with the opposite side.

She has hundreds of thousands of troops, abundant logistical supplies, and mountains of wealth – but it will take time to "monetize" them all.

Since the Centaur War, Loren has also somewhat understood the war mobilization of the Empire - the first to be assembled must be the Imperial Legion, and it will take at least a month from the time the order is issued to the successful arrival of the designated target.

This is not the end of the story, because the assembled army does not carry much logistics, and after deducting the month of assembly, all kinds of supplies (especially food) can only support the consumption of a maximum of twelve days to a month.

Therefore, the next step is to establish a stable supply line according to the place of supply and the battlefield, so that the army can advance without any worries and maintain 100% combat effectiveness.

At this time, the armies of the principalities also began to assemble and set out, and the supply of these armies depended partly on their own logistics, and partly on the towns and villages along the way;

Because the supplies that each region can provide are limited, in order not to compete with the Imperial Legion for supplies, it is often necessary to divide the route first and go hand in hand.

In the end, it would take at least three months for the army to reach its destination and assemble it—an ideal state of view, and according to all the existing historical records in the history of the empire, it would have been possible to assemble in four to five months.

So before she could liquidate her capital, Eberten was sure that it was 100 percent gone.

Apparently, the dukes present had this in mind.

So another question arises, which is who will lead the way?

This is evident - in addition to a sufficiently elite army, the easy-to-defend Ebolden needs at least another commander with enough experience and prestige to ensure that the city can hold out until the Empire's troops are assembled and ready for battle.

Not enough prestige to stir up the morale of the soldiers;

Without a wealth of experience, it is not enough to face such a formidable enemy on a par with the Empire.

It's better to have a high status, because it can also boost the morale of the whole empire, so that the various forces can put aside their prejudices and plunge into the war—otherwise everyone will be doomed together.

Prestige, respect, experience, and a well-known commander......

The dukes, who had different expressions, subconsciously turned their gaze in the same direction... Very tacitly, staring at Conod cautiously.

The atmosphere of silence suddenly became very subtle.

Under the gaze of the dukes, Emperor Conod looked at the black-haired wizard very calmly: "So... I don't think there should be any objection to who the position of 'Ebolden commander' should belong to?"

"On the contrary, in fact I believe that everyone in this room – well, with the exception of Master Corona, who has no intention of offending – every Duke has the qualifications to lead the army. Loren sighed and shook his head slowly:

"But it must not be you, Temple... Your Majesty!"

Well?!

Leven and Salika turned their heads in shock, and Yuri Wirtz's eyes flashed with disbelief.

"Duke of Loren Turin, what does this mean?"

Nolan Ode had an expression of "are you stupid", and asked with a smile: "Could it be that in your eyes, our Emperor His Majesty is actually not qualified... Command this battle and defend his empire?"

"On the contrary, it is precisely because His Majesty is so suitable that he cannot go. Loren glared at him and said coldly: "Choosing a commander is not only to consider a battle, but also to think about the overall strategy. ”

Really... The Duke of Arles had only cooperated with Conod before, otherwise if he was really "loyal", he would have agreed with his own statement.

There are many reasons why Conod can't go, and the most important one is that it will turn this war into a "meat grinder war" in advance, and the empire must do its best to invest more forces as quickly as possible to keep Conod alive.

In such a battle situation, the Byrne Legion, which is now ready to be mobilized at any time... Definitely the first to be filled in!

Could it be that the Duke of Byrne and his knights did not have the determination to fight for the Emperor, and that the House of Turin were not vassals of the Empire?

As for the rest of the principalities ... Except for Levin and Lothair, who are basically prepared and have no crooked thoughts, the rest, whether true or fake, will not be able to support themselves for a while, and throwing them in will be sent to death.

On the one hand, this will allow Conod to command him, and on the other hand, the Byrne Legion will be trapped to defend him, unable to take advantage of the Heavy Knights... Neither Loren was willing.

But to convince them, a different story is needed.

"For the Azorean elves, we know they must fight to take Ebolden, and for the Empire, we need to keep the battlefield within the borders... At the very least, to ensure the safety of the imperial capital of Golovin. Loren paused, and looked around:

"But the Azorean elves on the other side, do they know the same thing as us?"

The dukes' expressions were subtle, and no one spoke during the brief pause.

"What do you mean... Can't they also feel that Ebolden is also important to us?" Yuli Wirtz frowned and had a serious expression: "Your Majesty's existence will make them even more desperate to capture Ebolden?"

"No, if I were the commander of the Azorean elves and knew that the emperor of the Sakran Empire was in this city, I probably wouldn't have much thought of taking it. Loren shook his head again and held up two fingers: "I'll prepare with both hands." ”

"First of all, I will send the most elite elven warriors into the city as I did before, and do everything possible to capture the Emperor alive, and secondly, even if I don't succeed, it will at least cause chaos;"

"I'm going to take advantage of this chaos, while the defenders are still in the Six Gods, and use whatever I can think of... Reduced Ebolden to rubble!"

"A city is nothing compared to an orthodox emperor of the empire - not to mention that they don't need a city, just a harbor for warships. ”

The expressions of everyone present moved slightly.

That's right... For the Empire, Ebolden was a wealthy city, a good front-line battlefield, and a densely populated place with a population of tens of thousands.

But for the Azorean elves, all they need is a port ... As for the city, people, and wealth, they are just additional "gifts", and it is simply a good deal to exchange them for an emperor.

"I believe that if Your Majesty were to take charge of Eboden in person, he would be able to boost the morale of the empire and unite as one, but on the other hand, ......"

"It will also make the Azorean elves do their best, not hesitating to destroy the city and strangle His Majesty in the city!" Before the black-haired wizard finished speaking, Yuri Wirtz, who frowned, took over the words, his expression a little creepy:

"We can hold Ebolden—but all we can hold is her ashes and bones!"

Looking at the remaining dukes, who still looked stunned, Loren leaned back in his chair and said no more.

He didn't have to explain anything more.

"Nobody speaks, which means that... Do they agree with the Duke of Byrne, and do they agree with me guarding Ebolden?"

Emperor Conod raised his head, and his sharp gaze swept towards the people in front of the round table: "Then tell me what it seems to you... Who should bear this burden?"

Barely waiting for anyone else to react, Yuri Wirtz stepped up again.

"Your Majesty, I think Duke Byrne's proposal should be more than that. Beneath the tips of his inky blue hair, his remaining silver pupils radiated a brilliance that was no less radiant than that of Conrad:

"He's afraid... There's another reason why you can't say it directly!"

Ay?!

Everyone's expressions were startled at the same time, and they looked back at the black-haired wizard at the same time.

Loren, whose heartstrings trembled, did not change his face, and forcibly calmed himself not to look at Yuri's expression.

Even if it's for the sake of Lu Sien's points, I shouldn't tear down my platform......

"That's... We can't confine the battlefield to Ebolden;

Yuri Wirtz said solemnly.

In an instant, the gaze that looked at Loren immediately changed from sharp to soft and confused.

Loren, who was still silent, pressed his slightly trembling hand and bowed his chin to sign.

Whew, it's dangerous, it's dangerous......

"It's not just about thinking about a fight, it's about thinking about the big picture – that's a reminder to me. Yuli Wirtz glanced at Loren solemnly, and then turned his gaze to Conod very seriously:

"If we really want to hold Ebolden, then we must not just hold the city, but expand the battlefield and give full play to the advantages of local warfare!"

"But from the very beginning, we had to use the city as bait to attract the attention of the enemy. Nolan Ode opened his mouth with a smile, and his voice was rough and hoarse: "Duke of Elleman, isn't your proposal putting the cart before the horse?" ”

"No, I think that's probably the most appropriate thing to do, Duke of Arles. Yuli Wirtz glared at him: "Byrne's knights **** Yi's hussars... If you are just trapped in a lonely city, you will not be able to exert the true strength of these excellent warriors at all, and you will become constrained because of this!"

"Only by expanding the battlefield and at the same time containing the enemy's offensive line, and using the city to contain the enemy's attention and the vast majority of troops, can we block the offensive of the Azorean elves as much as possible on the premise of using the small number of troops we have. ”

"Maneuvering in all directions, blossoming in the center – that's the best summary of this tactic. ”

The people around the round table thought about it and immediately understood the key.

That's right, this is actually a replica of the Broken Mountain Fortress's annual targeting of the Icewolf crowd - with the heavily garrisoned stronghold as the core, and the rapid and mobile elite troops are constantly harassed, so as to achieve the purpose of defending the city.

The only difference is that the fortified Fortress has been replaced by the "less fortified" Ebolden, and the enemy is no longer the brainless werewolves, but the Azorean elves, who are on a par with the Empire.

And the good thing about this tactic is that it doesn't require as many troops as it seems.

Yes, it takes a lot of troops to garrison a city, and a lot of people to move quickly and contain troops - but when you spread it out over the various principalities, it's only a few thousand.

Tens of thousands of troops can be mobilized in months, but if it is only an elite of a thousand men, then the speed of assembly is very fast - the nearest West Sacland and Lothair only need half a month, and the farthest Boi and Arles are more than enough for a month.

The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly, and the dukes' expressions relaxed a lot, and they finally walked out of the embarrassment of Brandon snatching the door.

So at the beginning, the problem came back again:

Who should be the commander of the Ebolden defenses?

"Guarding Ebolden is the duty and duty of the people of Ebolden. Master Corona slowly spoke: "If Your Majesty does not give up, I am willing to lead all the Eboton merchants and wizards, nobles and commoners to hold Ebolden until ......."

"If Your Majesty doesn't give up, I'm willing to recommend myself!" coldly, Loren suddenly interrupted, his dark pupils staring at Conod's bland, as if waiting for him to speak:

"Since this is my plan, then it's up to me to carry it out......"

"Isn't that reasonable?"