章節 659: CHAPTER 815
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***
Zipfel, Drakka.
"The Empire's Bird Dragon Fortress has been attacked by the Red Plutonian Tribe, so our propaganda efforts will lose their effectiveness."
Veradin examined the report and spoke. Although Zipfel's intelligence agents hadn't witnessed the battle directly, they confirmed the ruins of the Bird Dragon Fortress.
Beside the report were newspapers. All the newspapers from the Lutero Magic Federation incited the public, claiming that the Jin and Vamel alliance were awakening the Red Plutonian Tribe to threaten the human world. Meanwhile, Huphester's newspapers detailed the great victory at the Bird Dragon Fortress.
It was a stark contrast. Just comparing the damages, Zipfel lost a 2nd-class Magic tower, while the Vamel alliance lost the Bird Dragon Fortress but managed to rescue most of their reserve knights, save the Bird Dragon, and killed Drek and destroyed his fleet.
"Huphester has failed to provide a proper rebuttal against the claim that the Red Plutonian Tribe awakened due to the Jin Runcandel. We should focus on attacking that particular point."
"Proceed accordingly, elder brother Ronil. Since we'll eventually be directly manipulating history, the most crucial aspect is that point. However, this incident will undoubtedly make the public perceive us as even less capable than the Vamel alliance. That fact will be even more painful."
"...The problem lies in our technological capabilities. The Vamel alliance seems to have acquired long-distance communication methods in addition to their teleportation ability. Our spies within the Empire have confirmed this."
Veradin nodded at Satrin's words.
"If only the former patriarch had dealt with Valeria Hister and protected Tingen Bauer in time, we wouldn't have such a technological gap. The only possibility for us to make a significant technological leap like the Vamel alliance is to capture technology from the Red Plutonian Tribe. The Chaos Control technology we invested so much in is almost useless now."
The problem was that they had no idea where the Red Plutonian Tribe's main base was.
"...It's frustrating. Since the Red Plutonian Tribe has complete initiative, the only option for us is to wait for their invasion if we want to analyze their technology. After the battle, all we can do is examine the remains. Of course, if we somehow manage to capture the Red Plutonian Tribesmen alive, that would be slightly better."
"But even then, we'll be too late compared to the Vamel alliance. Jin probably already obtained a considerable amount of the Red Plutonian Tribe's items and remnants through the Kinzelo 3rd branch and the Bird Dragon Fortress battles. Valeria Hister and Tingen Bauer are most likely analyzing them diligently. And after this defeat, the Red Plutonian tribe will fear Jin even more. Everyone, do you understand what that means?"
Veradin looked around at his executives with narrowed eyes.
"From now on, the Red Plutonian Tribe is most likely only targeting us and Kinzelo. However, they invaded Kinzelo and unexpectedly faced Jin, so they must have judged that it's safer to attack us."
The atmosphere in the conference room grew heavy.
"Lord patriarch, have you heard anything from the shrine maiden?"
"No, Captain of Spectres. She's praying, and she believes she'll soon have a revelation. Finding out both the former patriarch's whereabouts and the Red Plutonian Tribe's base is her responsibility."
Unsurprisingly, Zipfel was still tracking Kelliark Zipfel to deal with Kelliark and Sheenu flawlessly, accelerating the completion of the Demon's God's Orb.
"If the shrine maiden can accomplish such a feat... what we need is time. Until the shrine maiden obtains the results."
As Octavia said that, a commotion could be heard coming from the corridor.
"What's the commotion about!"
As a seated executive shouted, a scholar mage entered the room.
"Lord patriarch! The Red Plutonian Tribe's battleships are currently bombarding the Federation with these kinds of papers...!"
"What? You mean their battleships are flying over the Federation's airspace!?"
"Come here."
As the mage urgently handed a note to Veradin, it contained the following content:
(To the humans of the Lutero Magic Federation,
As of this moment, our Red Plutonian Tribe declares war on the Lutero Magic Federation.
The Federation cannot withstand us.
However, when the war ends in our victory, there will be more than just bloodshed and war scars left in the Federation.
Before officially commencing the war, we, the Red Plutonian Tribe, promise two things to civilians, not part of the 'Federation Army.'
Firstly, we will engage in the war without causing harm to civilians. We are conquerors, not butchers. If soldiers surrender, we will treat them as civilians and provide fair treatment. The only ones to die by our swords and bombardment will be soldiers. There will never be any massacres of civilians.
Secondly, after the war, we will dramatically advance the civilization of the Lutero Magic Federation using our superior technology and resources. The entire Federation will be redesigned with the benefits available to all civilians equally.
Our next goal is one of Zipfel's 1st-class Magic towers. You will lose one within a week.
Prepare yourself to the fullest.
The Red Plutonian Tribe, once again, will make this world complete. - Red Plutonian Tribe's Great Battle King, Bakarun Jung.)
The executives looked at the paper for a while, momentarily speechless. From the message alone, it seemed that the Red Plutonian Tribe was already confident of their complete victory.
"How considerate. They even informed us of their next target."
Although Veradin spoke calmly, the executives barely suppressed their anger. In the past thousand years, Zipfel had never experienced such provocation.
"What happened to the Red Plutonian Tribe's battleships that distributed the papers?"
"I only saw them appear in Palin. The Federation fleet attempted to intercept them immediately, but they successfully escaped without any significant damage. The allied large battleships couldn't catch up due to the significant speed difference, and the small high-speed ships couldn't break through the blockade, so they couldn't continue the pursuit."
"The difference in battleship technology made it inevitable, I suppose. Palin currently has no superhumans either."
"That's correct, Lord patriarch."
"Understood."
As the mage who brought the note left, a brief silence filled the room. Veradin pondered for a moment before looking at the executives.
"Immediately transition all 1st-class Magic towers in the entire Federation to a state of war and recall the major flying ships on external assignments."
"What should we do with the civilians near the Magic towers?"
"Implement a blockade. Prevent them from taking refuge. Let's observe whether the Red Plutonian Tribe truly fights without causing harm to civilians, as they emphasized in their declaration."
In saying so, Veradin was considering using civilians as hostages. He thought he understood the reason why the Red Plutonian Tribe emphasized not harming civilians in their propaganda.
"So far, the results have spoken for themselves. We have very few areas where we hold an advantage over the Red Plutonian Tribe in this war. Our fleet's performance, as well as communication and mobility, are severely lacking. Therefore, we need to buy time to use the preparations we have made. We can use civilians as a shield."
"...Do you think that even if the Red Plutonian Tribe doesn't adhere to their declaration and indiscriminately kills civilians, we can buy enough time? Our Zipfel."
"That will depend on the true capabilities of the Red Plutonian Tribe, Captain of Spectres. However, even if they were to massacre civilians, it wouldn't be too bad for us."
"Why is that?"
"If they do such a thing, Jin won't stand idly by and let the war between us and the Red Plutonian Tribe unfold without interference."
Veradin replied with a cold smile.
***
[This propaganda letter from the Red Plutonian Tribe shows how much they fear you.]
Ameris said as she held the propaganda letter from the Red Plutonian Tribe.
They were conducting a meeting immediately after obtaining the Red Plutonian Tribe's propaganda letter.
[They are convinced that if they slaughter civilians, even if they are part of the Federation, you won't stand still. That's why they emphasized such content, to avoid your involvement in this war.]
The Red Plutonian Tribe had been gathering information from the surface since Shimat and his group was released from the seal. Naturally, they had looked into the records published for the public, including the contents passed down from the Vermont Imperial Family, which urged them not to provoke Jin.
The primary principle was to avoid touching civilians under any circumstances.
In reality, if civilians were massacred by the Red Plutonian Tribe, Jin would immediately offer support. It was a proper duty for someone who held the position of a regressor, dominating one of the axes of the current world.
Even though it was a full-frontal battle between the nether's largest force and the surface's oldest conqueror.
By Jin Runcandel's influence, civilians were guaranteed a level of safety that seemed impossible during war. However, it was still a war.
The ordinary citizens of the Lutero Magic Federation would inevitably suffer in some way. They might lose family members who were in the military, their livelihoods, or their homes. But the important thing was that large-scale massacres were strictly prohibited.
Therefore, as long as the Red Plutonian Tribe kept to their self-declared content, it was a rather good situation for the Vamel alliance. It was purely a battle between "enemies."
"At the last meeting, I mentioned that time was what we needed most. Time to produce the fleet, distribute communication devices throughout the region, complete the mass-produced Iello and magic knight units, time to identify the means the Red Plutonian tribe possesses, time until Murakan returns, and time to complete the way for my brethren to come out. Now, it seems like an opportunity to buy time has presented itself."
As Jin spoke, his comrades looked at him.
"If both the Red Plutonian Tribe and Zipfel adhere to their declarations, the war between the two forces will inevitably be lackluster. The Red Plutonian Tribe cannot conduct indiscriminate bombardments due to civilians, and Zipfel lacks the initiative as they don't know the Red Plutonian tribe's stronghold. The crucial moment will come when either side discovers a clue."
From the Red Plutonian Tribe's perspective, it would create a situation where they no longer needed to be cautious of Jin.
From Zipfel's perspective, it would create a situation where they could locate the Red Plutonian tribe's stronghold and engage in battle, potentially leading to victory.
These two factors were the core of this war. Until one of them was realized, the Vamel alliance needed to prepare for the inevitable expansion of the war in the future.
"We must immediately issue a declaration. We will not participate in this war unless civilians are massacred. Furthermore, we will spare no effort to provide material support to the civilians isolated in the Federation. We should also be prepared to form teams and get ready to infiltrate each 1st-class Magic tower in the first battle for direct verification."
As Jin laid out his plan, his comrades nodded in agreement and began making preparations for their response.
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章節 660: CHAPTER 816
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***
October 25, 1805.
Five days have passed since Zipfel received a declaration of war from the Red Plutonian tribe. The position of the Vamel Alliance had been communicated to the whole world, and the only remaining task was to verify whether the Red Plutonian tribe would keep their promise.
Naturally, not only Zipfel, as they were potential targets of the Red Plutonian tribe's invasion, but all the major powers were closely monitoring the situation.
Especially, the Vamel Alliance had divided their infiltration team into five groups to infiltrate the federal territory, in accordance with Zipfel's 1st-class Magic Towers.
"It's truly remarkable," Mary said. She, along with Yona and Tona brothers, was stationed near the 1st-class Magic Tower of the Listin autonomous district.
"You're right, elder sister. Just how many battleships are there for each 1st-class Magic Tower? If there are this many battleships stationed at all 1st-class Magic Towers, their production capacity must be many times greater than during the Evil God War."
"Even if we estimate conservatively, it must be over a hundred battleships. And with around fifty battleships stationed at each 2nd-class Magic Tower, their production capacity is beyond any normal understanding. There must be places like the Sota Desert under the ground shipyards to support such production."
"Hehe, the lights from the fleets are beautiful, Mary unnie. It feels like looking at a sky full of stars on a starry night."
"Those are our enemies, elder sister Yona. It's not appropriate to appreciate them like that."
"What do you mean? Say that again, hehe."
"Haha, never mind."
"Yona, Haytona is right."
"If Mary unnie says so, then I guess it's true, hehe. Okay, I'll see them in a bad way. When I see them again, I'll find them overly flamboyant and annoying."
"Sure, sure. You're such a good girl, Yona. And since Tona brothers are flagbearers, should you ignore them like that in front of others?"
"Yes, I'll treat them well!"
The Tona brothers secretly swallowed tears and smiled awkwardly. Despite becoming heroes of the clan and the world after the Evil God War, their treatment from their siblings hadn't changed much.
In truth, Yona was just playing mischievous pranks on them, and Mary admired how they didn't let the fame get to their heads and remained down-to-earth.
"But seriously, do you think the Red Plutonian tribe can easily take down those magic towers, elder sister? There seem to be countless mages of Spectre corp and ghost division on par with transcendent beings inside the Magic Towers."
"That's why we're here to find out. Especially since this 1st-class Magic Tower is the farthest from residential areas, it's likely to be their primary target. They'll attack without any restraints."
From the perspective of the Vamel Alliance, the best-case scenario would be for Zipfel to retaliate with an equal force after their invasion.
The more significant losses both sides suffered, the greater the benefits for the Vamel Alliance.
"If Zipfel keeps suffering defeats like this, then we might end up changing our enemies, from Zipfel to the Red Plutonian tribe."
"That's possible, but it's more likely that they will suddenly form an alliance at some point. They've already been known to form alliances with the remnants of the imperial family, so there's no law that says they won't increase their alliances when pushed into a corner."
"Unless the youngest's brethren are liberated from Laprarosa, that scenario seems really difficult. Well, let's prepare the meal for now."
As the Tona brothers were about to enter the pit they had prepared in advance, Mary suddenly pointed to the sky.
"Stop moving! It looks like it's starting. A dimensional portal has opened in the sky."
"What on earth is that huge thing?"
"Heh? It's beautiful, it feels like looking at the Milky Way sinking down all at once!"
"But they are also our enemies, elder sister Yona."
The dimensional portal that appeared before them was much larger than what anyone who had experienced the Red Plutonian tribe's dimensional portals, including Jin, had seen before.
At a glance, it seemed that about five hundred battleships could easily emerge from the space opening in the sky.
The location was directly above the 1st-class Magic Tower of Listin.
Mary and her group naturally thought that a massive fleet would come out of that dimensional portal. Since the Magic Towers were fully operational, they expected an immediate aerial battle to commence.
"What is that?"
However, what came out of the portal was something so colossal that it could not be simply called a single battleship.
"Is that the aerial fortress that Ms. Ameris mentioned...!"
In ancient times, the power of each faction was evaluated not by their fleet but by the number of aerial fortresses they possessed.
Among them, the Red Plutonian tribe had the most aerial fortresses. There were a total of six, including the five overseen by the Great Battle Kings and one exclusive aerial fortress operated by the Battle God.
One of them was now looming over the Listin's Magic Tower, exuding an imposing presence. Its name was Oos, the aerial fortress operated by the Great Battle King Gaila of the Usrok Castle.
"It's not on the level of the Evil God's Ram, but it's terrifying... Can't they easily take care of a 1st-class Magic Tower with that alone?"
Bang, roar...!
As soon as the aerial fortress Oos appeared, the Zipfel fleet began its bombardment. A protective barrier formed over the entire Magic tower, and the waiting mages unleashed their mana and performed link magic spells.
Even those known as Transcendents would have to risk their lives to break through with a single breath of such firepower.
Mary and her group lay flat on the ground, closely observing Zipfel's response. Even though they were 2.5km away, the heat radiating from the Magic tower was making the wind scorching hot.
"The 1st-class Magic Tower's firepower is even more exceptional than we expected, elder sister."
"The problem is that it seems to have no effect on that aerial fortress from the looks of it. Already from the beginning."
Tona swallowed his dry spit and spoke. As he said, the bombardment and magic pouring out from the Listin's Magic tower were completely ineffective against Oos.
"Full fleet! Increase the power to the maximum. The mages of Spectre Corps and Ghost corps should disengage from the linkage magic formation and prepare to infiltrate the enemy ships!"
The tower master swung his staff and shouted. The mages of Spectre Corps and Ghost corps followed his orders and mounted the dragons, but as they got closer, they only confirmed that the protective shield was still intact.
In other words, the Magic tower was pouring all its power while the aerial fortress appeared, but it posed no threat to the Red Plutonian tribe at all.
Moreover, Oos had not launched a single attack yet. It was simply floating there, seemingly flaunting the gap in power.
{I will give you a chance to surrender. Those who do not wish to fight, raise your hands and come out of the Magic tower. A white flare signal will be considered a sign of surrender, so the commanders of each battleship must decide to surrender within one minute.}
The voice of Great Battle King Gaila echoed throughout the vicinity of the Magic tower.
{Our Red Plutonian tribe always keeps its promises. Those who surrender will be treated as civilians.}
The dragons carrying the mages of Spectre Corps and Ghost corps were unable to approach Oos properly. Only once, they barely touched the bottom of the protective shield, but the spikes that emerged from it pierced through the dragon's body. It was evidently impossible to infiltrate Oos using dragons and battleships.
It seemed that only individuals with the power to tear through the shield alone could infiltrate.
"Tower Master, we need to retreat."
After returning to the Magic tower, the mages of Spectre Corps and Ghost corps proposed retreat to Tower Master. They realized that with the power of only a 1st-class Magic Tower, they couldn't even engage in 'combat' with the aerial fortress.
It was like a battle between a young child and an armed knight.
The disparity between the 1st-class Magic Tower and the aerial fortress was beyond comparison. If it were the Red Fleet that attacked the 2nd-class Magic Tower a while ago, they might have had some chance, but the aerial fortress was an entirely different thing.
Tower Master immediately accepted the suggestion of the mages. The mages who said to retreat were the survivors of the 2nd-class magic tower attack.
"Damn it...!"
Tower Master cursed and fired a retreat signal flare. Similar flares were fired from various points in the fleet.
{If you want to live, you should have fired the white signal flare as I said, you fools.}
Immediately after Gaila's words, the lower part of Oos opened. The Zipfel fleet turned around, and Tower Master, along with the mages of Spectre Corps and Ghost corps, was already boarding small ships and taking off.
The only remaining goal for the Listin's Magic tower was to survive and report the power of the aerial fortress to the higher-ups.
Gaila had no intention of allowing even that.
"Compatriot Shimat, fire."
Gaila poured blood into a glass jar as he spoke. He could see humans futilely fleeing beyond the bridge.
"Compatriot Gaila, I think it's better to acquire and analyze some of the Magic tower rather than completely destroying it."
"At first glance, it looks like a structure built with inferior technology. Is there really a need to go to such lengths?"
"We have to. Even if it's inferior technology, there may be elements that can threaten us. What was the price we paid for underestimating Jin Runcandel and the Vamel Alliance?"
"Hmm... Alright, if that's what Compatriot Shimat wants, then so be it. Let's destroy the Magic tower to a certain extent and retrieve what we need. Everything else must be eradicated. This time, we'll only take those who survived the bombardment aftermath."
"Understood!"
A massive red sphere formed in the lower part of Oos. Just its presence caused the space around the Magic tower to distort, and some mages and dragons were pulled into the sphere and disappeared without a trace.
Like a watermelon being smashed, the Magic tower was breaking into pieces. The shattered fragments were being absorbed into the upper part of Oos.
Soon after the Magic tower was retrieved, Oos fired its main cannon, and it was not a simple straight shot. It was a column-shaped projectile that turned the area into scorched earth, with tentacle-like beams emanating from it, covering the fleeing Zipfel forces.
The personnel fleeing from the Magic tower could do nothing but be massacred by the barrage. They didn't even have a chance to resist.
Watching this scene, Mary and her group couldn't help but shudder.
"...The Red Plutonian tribe probably didn't only attack this place today. I wonder how the situation is on the other side. But if every battle is like this, there's no hope for Zipfel."
The power and devastation displayed by the aerial fortress Oos were awe-inspiring and overwhelming. It made it clear that facing the Red Plutonian tribe's forces head-on would be a daunting task.
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]
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