In the Name of Empress-Chapter 289 - 198: When It Comes to Cunning, Roland Is the Master
This is Roland’s style of employing people: trust those you hire, and do not hire those you doubt.
He invited the Divine Court of Light to send a High Tier Sanctuary to act as a commander.
Since there is a need, of course, a High Tier Sanctuary must be invited to take charge.
The other two Sanctuaries were assigned to the military academy to serve as instructors, instructing the naive locals.
The best commander, Christine, naturally needs to be used on the cutting edge.
A carrier pigeon flew out from the Governor’s Mansion, summoning Christine to come.
One day later.
Christine, having traveled non-stop, arrived at the Governor’s Mansion, reporting to Roland.
"Lord of Light, High Tier Sanctuary Christine at your service."
"Knight of Light" is Roland’s title, and Christine used this way to remind Roland that she was not his subordinate, only temporarily following his orders because he is an Honorary Knight.
Roland paid no mind to these details; as long as she was willing to help, that was fine.
"Christine, you reached here in just one day; you must be exhausted. Rest first, and we can discuss matters tomorrow."
"I am not tired. It was the horse that was running, not me." Christine’s tone was indifferent, with a sense of aloofness that kept people at arm’s length.
Roland teased with a smile: "Your sweat is dripping down your cheeks, yet you say you’re not tired?"
"Lord of Light, I am not playing games with you. We are in a state of alert; it could be understood that the war has already started."
Looking at Christine’s serious expression, Roland’s smile gradually faded.
She truly deserves the title of the best High Tier Sanctuary; her dedication already far surpasses the generals of the Governor’s Territory.
It’s a pity this capable commander belongs to someone else.
Christine accepted the intelligence Roland handed over and also looked at the war map Roland had set up.
Seeing her focused expression, Roland asked somewhat self-consciously: "Is the setup problematic?"
"There are minor flaws, but they do not affect the overall situation; the placement is fine."
Christine’s lips curled into a slight smile, "Since the Lord of Light understands military command, discussing some matters becomes much easier."
"Now you will command the Governor’s Territory army, and I will command the Oden Kingdom army; we will conduct a simulation."
Hearing Christine’s praise, Roland was instantly drenched in sweat.
He preferred to avoid military simulations altogether.
His entire understanding of military simulations only extended to the basic rules.
This feeling was akin to a novice who just learned the rules of chess having to go up against an international grandmaster.
It would start evenly matched, only to lead to being overwhelmingly crushed.
"Lord of Light, no need to be constrained; it is just a simulation."
With the conversation at this point, retreating further would be somewhat impolite.
Roland could only brace himself and proceed.
Yet some matters cannot be faked; after only a few steps, Christine realized Roland’s level.
In less than half an hour, Roland was completely defeated.
He could not even worry about wiping his sweat as "victory reports" kept coming in from all fronts, leaving him numb.
He felt a bit frustrated, but fortunately, Christine was not here to pick faults; she said softly:
"According to the standard for beginners, your response was already quite excellent."
"My earlier strategies were the best solutions; now let’s switch roles, and you try attacking with the tactics I used earlier."
Copying homework, is it? That’s simple enough.
With super memory, Roland remembered every move Christine made.
He launched an attack with full confidence.
No wonder it was a High Tier Sanctuary’s offensive strategy, as sharp as a fierce storm.
Christine advanced and retreated, Christine found herself in a quandary, Christine was driven into a corner.
Christine launched a counterattack!
As Roland commanded the Oden Kingdom army to advance further, even reaching Hansa City where the Governor’s Mansion is located, Christine launched a counterattack.
The Oden Kingdom army’s line was stretched too thin.
Insufficient logistical support greatly reduced the army’s morale and fighting strength.
Yet unbeknownst to them, Christine had completed battlefield deployment, using city defenses to wear down the Oden military’s morale and launching a counterattack, dividing and encircling the enemy.
As the counterattack continued, the final battle line stalemated 170 kilometers within Oden Kingdom’s territory.
This was the logistical limit of the Governor’s army.
If they continued the chase, the logistically strained Governor’s army would also lose morale and combat effectiveness, retracing the path Oden Kingdom took.
Christine concluded with a soft sigh.
"Pity, this is our counterattack limit, the northern part of the Oak Forest. To annihilate the Oden Kingdom, we would have to wait for the enemy to make a foolish move."
"This is enough!"
Upon hearing Oak Forest, Roland’s eyes lit up.
His preparation for war was aimed at this forest.
The Oden Kingdom’s history is no shorter than the Sussex Empire’s; it is a nation with deep roots, making it not so easy to eradicate them.
But having the defeated party cede some lumber is simple.
Christine curiously asked: "You’re waging war for this forest?"
She suddenly understood the use of oak and fully grasped Roland’s ambition.
She could neither evaluate nor wanted to evaluate Roland’s ambition.
She only wanted to complete her task soon and use a grand victory to gain leverage for her election as a Saintess.
With a solemn look, Roland said to Christine: "Christine Sanctuary, I wish to appoint you as the temporary Commander in Chief of my army, granting you the temporary military rank of Lieutenant General."
The previous highest rank in the Governor’s Territory was Vice Admiral. Without the rank of Lieutenant General, it would be impossible to command respect from those veteran soldiers.
Christine did not hesitate for a moment, saluting Roland.
"At your command, Lord of Light."
"Christine, since you are temporarily joining my army, let us avoid religious titles; you may call me Governor or Roland."
"This... at your command, Lord Governor!"
Christine certainly understood what concerned Roland. The mainstream faith in the Sussex Empire is Fengrao.
There is no issue with Fengrao Believers employing the Holy Hall of Light for warfare, but commanding Temple Warriors and the Sanctuary long-term under the guise of a Knight of Light would be inappropriate.
With the commander’s issue resolved, Roland’s mind opened up instantly, smiling as he said:
"Perhaps we can find a way to make the enemy drop their guard and advance recklessly, effectively reducing our army’s casualties."
"Do you have a way?"
Christine thought Roland might be overthinking it.
While Sven the Seventh may look down on young people who succeed through connections, the battlefield is ruthless; once engaged, he will surely take matters seriously.
Deceiving the enemy is not easy.
Just as Christine was pondering hard, Roland said with a smile: "A celebration plus an invitation will be sufficient."
"I plan to use the guise of Samaria’s illegal merchants falling out to host a banquet for the Central Mansion officials and merchants from around the world, even inviting representatives from Oden Kingdom and other countries to the evening banquet."
Christine’s eyes lit up.
Facing an army whose commander in chief is holding a banquet celebration in their stronghold, what would the Oden Kingdom think?
They would surely see it as an unmissable opportunity, then swiftly charge out.
This was the best opportunity to defeat the Oden Kingdom with minimal losses.
This was Roland, always so adept at playing sneakily.
Christine silently thought.
