"Sackett Fort has been captured by the Giant Clan. ”

Prince Iscario took the battle report from his brother Francisco, glanced at it, and put it aside.

"The left front is quite difficult, where is Wollaston's army?"

Prince Francisco, who was not well versed in military affairs, looked at the map and could not find his target in the complicated indications for a while, but the Minister of War, Field Marshal Felix Zaclyde, stepped forward and pointed out the current location of the Duke of Wollaston in a corner of the map.

"It seems that he has managed to bypass the eyes and ears of the people of the White Land, and I hope that things will continue to go smoothly like this. ”

Prince Iscario exhaled lightly, pulled his handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"With the loss of Sackterburg, the left flank may not be able to hold out for long enough, and the right flank, though less pressurized, will not be able to draw reinforcements to support the left flank, so that the enemy's left flank will be able to attack the city of Kuknas and engage us before the right flank is decided. ”

Iscario looked at the red color of his own army on the imperial capital like a bird with open wings, and instead of feeling distressed by the withering wings of the left flank, he smiled because the main force of the opponent's forward force was about to hit his own position.

"Then, while the White Ground and I are in a fierce battle, let Wollaston's Blackwater army go south and flank the enemy, and we will be able to easily win a great victory. If only their Great Chief were among them, they could have done it all, just as they had told the story thirty years ago, and drove the White Men back to the snowy fields again. ”

Francisco said with a flush of excitement on his face, even a man with no military talent like him was very optimistic about the prospects of the war after learning about the imperial brother's battle plan.

Marshal Felix Zaclayde did not say a word, he just glanced at Prince Francisco silently, and then lowered his head and continued to study the map.

Francisco noticed Zaclyde's silence and deliberately asked, "Marshal Zaclyde, do you think there is anything else to add to this plan?"

Zaclyde only raised his eyelids, not looking at Francisco with some contempt.

"His Highness's plan is excellent, and the Duke of Wollaston has carried it out well so far, and has done the hardest thing - to avoid the detection of the whites, and the future of the empire is in the hands of the Duke of Wollaston. ”

Francisco frowned, he heard Zaclyde's voice, but he glanced at the royal brother again, and when he saw the calm expression on Iscario's face, he couldn't help but speak.

"Marshal Zaclyde. Iscario spoke slowly, but his eyes were fixed on the map, "Are you worried that something will happen to the Blackwater Lord's army?"

It is self-evident what this "accident" refers to.

"Yes. Zaclyde said very seriously, "Even if the Duke of Wollaston only has the idea of preserving his strength, it is very dangerous for us, and if Wollaston's troops are not supported in time, we may not only suffer heavy losses, but even be completely annihilated." Please never underestimate the fighting power of the White People, even in siege warfare, we may not be able to take much advantage - the fall of Saketburg has proved that even after thirty years, the Giant Clan is still good at siege, and the walls are nothing more than low fences in front of the giants. ”

"But not all of them are tribesmen of the Giant Clan, and not all of them are weak and incompetent people who are greedy for life and afraid of death. Francisco retorted loudly, "I believe Duke Wollaston, the White Ground people are not terrible, they are not invincible. Even though we have always described the White people as like demons, for hundreds of years, the empire has still held on to its territory and has not been defeated by the white people. On the contrary, those who take the terrible of the white people as an unshakable fact are not worthy of newcomers, and we do not need a coward to be a marshal. ”

More blatant provocations still could not arouse Zaclyde's anger, perhaps because he had long been accustomed to all kinds of criticism, accusations and even abuse during his many years as military secretary, so the elderly marshal had lost his fighting spirit early.

Marshal Zaclyde did not respond, but Prince Iscario frowned and scolded his younger brother: "You have lost your temper, go out first, and come in again when there is new news in a while." ”

Francisco glanced at the royal brother, and when he saw that Iscario's expression was serious, he didn't say anything and walked out obediently.

Zaclyde folded his hands in front of his slightly bulging belly, his eyes calmly staring at the map on the table.

Iscalio watched his brother leave, and only after confirming that Francisco was really gone did he speak:

"Do you think Francisco will be the one to have a secret relationship with the white guys?"

Zaclyde looked up, his eyes regaining some of their brilliance. Although he never showed it, the prince had actually been suspicious of his own brother, much to Zaclyde's surprise when he first learned the news.

"In terms of motives, Prince Francisco is indeed more justified than His Royal Highness Alcott, and his actions seem to confirm this all along, but ...... Because all this is taken for granted, it can't help but make people wonder if he is doing it too conspicuously. ”

"Well, if you want to suspect anyone, you do think of him right away, but that doesn't seem very reasonable. Iscario clasped his hands on his chest, and like Arnold, he had already sensed that the attack of the White Lands might have something to do with the issue of heirs within the Empire.

Zaclayde glanced at Iscario, he was now more and more curious about Iscario as a person, obviously he was also the center of this whirlpool, but he was completely able to look at all this from the perspective of a bystander, Iscario was perhaps more powerful than everyone else knew.

Especially if he himself was the one who had secretly mastered the White Guys, then Zaclyde admired him even more - because Iscario had succeeded in convincing everyone that he would not be that man.

"However, compared to His Highness Francisco, the situation on His Highness Alcott's side has been even more incomprehensible recently. ”

Zaclyde's gaze focused on the location of the Divine Capital on the map, and then his gaze wandered around the Azure Harbor.

"You expected that Duke Arnold would stop in the imperial capital and refuse to come to the front. ”

"It was only after I learned that the people of the White Land had really attacked from Mirror Lake that I was really sure of this. Iscario said calmly.

"That's why you gave the order for Duke Arnold to support the front?"

"He's a gifted careerist, but he's still too young. His intention to break free from the control of Titurin is already obvious, and with this incident, the three eastern dukes will no longer actually accept any orders from us, and if this goal can be achieved, then the Duke of Cold Mountain will be able to manage the territory and power he has taken from his father with peace of mind. Should I say, is it really the son of the Duke of Tagman?"

But he's a little too unwise now. Zaclyde shook his head, "In the face of the pressure of the White People, does he still feel that he can be left alone?"

"No, you're biased to say that. ”

"Please advise. ”

"It is clear that some of our brothers are using the people of the White Land to clear the way for their own succession. Of course, this is a conspiracy with the tiger, but it is also a constant conspiracy. The current Wind Caller family, the purpose is different from the previous big chiefs of the White People, what they want is to establish a country that belongs to the White Land people, so in the treatment of the Empire, it is not necessarily necessary to kill it all, and what the Wind Caller Family wants to get from the Empire at present, in addition to enough military achievements, is the Empire's recognition of the White Land Empire.

And on this basis, since they can't wipe us all out, then an agreement needs to be reached, in other words, the Empire and the White People are not a life-and-death relationship, but two sides who sit at the negotiating table equally and can make a deal. Then, despite the danger, it is true that this can be exchanged for the opportunity to obtain a throne, which is also a strategy, and it can be regarded as a clever strategy, after all, if it is not used in this way, perhaps that person will never have a chance to get the position of emperor. ”

Zaclyde stared at Iscario, and when the second prince said this, the marshal felt the other party's inexplicable confidence, but whether this confidence was due to this strategy or because he thought that he would be able to seize the throne, Zaclyde could not tell.

"And so did the young duke. Iscario continued, "Maybe he couldn't be sure before coming to the Imperial Capital, but now he should have figured out that the White Landers are not a complete threat to him, but on the contrary, they can be a great help to balance the royal family, and they are allies in another sense for these eastern lords." So he's starting to plan right now, waiting for us to win here. Whoever wins, he will be able to cope and get the most out of it. ”

"Then he's a little too conceited. Zaclayde cocked his goatee and stared at the location of the Divine Capital on the map, "Maybe he still thinks that the White Ground people have a better chance of winning, but hasn't he thought about what kind of regents he will face if we win?"

"He must have figured it out. Iscario said confidently, "The imperial capital is the biggest capital in his hands." ”

"He only has 10,000 people, and the soldiers are all strangers, how can he occupy the imperial capital?"

Iscario was silent, but his expression was unusually determined. Zaclyde was sure that the second prince had guessed the Duke of Arnold's intentions, but he couldn't.

"Then we'll see. ”

Zaclyde frowned suspiciously, but as soon as he wanted to speak, Prince Iscario changed the subject.

"Alright, let's get ready to defend the city, and then we will face the real problem. Iscario rolled up the map and said to everyone in the room, "We must delay the army of the White Didins under this city long enough to get the best flanking effect, this is the opportunity created by Wollaston, and it is also the opportunity we create, we must grasp it, we must defeat the White Didins in this battle!"

Zaclyde silently looked at the back of Iscario commanding everyone, and felt more and more that he could not understand the prince.