In the Name of Empress-Chapter 296 - 203: The Cold-blooded Witch’s Decision
Good news: Helentz Castle is still holding.
Bad news: Helentz is still holding.
The Governor’s Mansion, operations command room. Christine sat in the main seat, looking at the battle reports from the front line. She adjusted the pieces on the sand table according to the latest developments, then fell into deep thought.
The defense of Helentz Castle has exceeded everyone’s expectations.
When it held on to the fourth day before being breached, Christine was worried to the point of sleepless nights. At that time, the Hansa City pincer formation was not yet set, the artillery was not positioned for ambush, and Mr. Norton’s decisive weapon was far from being ready.
By the eighth day, Christine was pleased. The results of the defensive battle were beyond her expectations, the pincer formation was basically in place, just waiting for the enemy to deliver themselves.
Yet, Helentz Castle is still holding.
Fifteen days have passed, the defenders of Helentz Castle have not broken through, and the attacking Oden Kingdom Army has suffered thousands of casualties, still finding themselves battered and bruised.
Moreover, the artificial flood had long since receded, the Fourth Fleet re-entered the canal, and Helentz Castle was even able to receive limited supplies.
Christine was somewhat perplexed. The script was perfect, yet the supporting roles were stealing the show; what could be done?
According to the plan, should she abandon Helentz Castle and battle the Oden Kingdom Army in Hansa City? 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
If she decided so, Roland and Sif would not oppose, as she was the chief commander.
Ten days ago, Roland appointed her as the campaign commander, responsible for the entire campaign.
Everyone in the Governor’s Territory had to follow her orders, including Roland and Sif.
Only the Empress was not under her command authority.
If she needed Sif to charge personally, Count Tyrone and the White Rose Knight would take the field.
Roland, true to his word, never interfered with her command, even adopting a stance of humbly learning.
Christine thought Roland was honoring his promise, but she didn’t know Roland simply understood his own limits, and his learning was genuinely heartfelt.
Should Helentz Castle be rescued?
Not rescuing it would harm morale.
But rescuing it would harm the war situation.
In Christine’s plan, Helentz Castle was a pawn to be sacrificed.
She dispatched five hundred Temple Warriors and High Tier Sanctuary Joseph, sent cavalry units to raid and support the perimeter, just to make this sacrificed pawn not appear so.
Joseph was extraordinarily capable, able to escape by himself. As for the five hundred Temple Warriors, however many could escape would count, and those who couldn’t would return to the embrace of the Goddess of Light.
In war, human lives are just numbers, and as a commander, one must be as cold as a butcher.
Usually, she would gently treat soldiers, striving for their benefits, but on the battlefield, everyone is expendable.
She deeply understood that kind-hearted people cannot control the battlefield. Once in command, she would become a ruthless demon of slaughter, calculating the value of each piece coldly.
Sacrifice, exchange, checkmate.
This is Christine’s philosophy of war.
At first, she was worried Roland wouldn’t understand, and Sif wouldn’t accept it, but thankfully, they just silently watched, never opposing any of her orders.
She successfully deceived Sven the Seventh, making the Oden King not realize this was a pawn to be sacrificed, and they paid a heavy price to take Helentz Castle.
In the past ten days of holding, the Oden Kingdom Army’s loss of thousands of soldiers was secondary; their greatest loss was morale and spirit.
Sven the Seventh, who boasted of taking the Hansa Three Provinces in a short time, found himself battered and at an impasse at the small Helentz Castle. His soldiers would surely doubt life itself.
They would further question whether His Majesty the King was truly capable.
Sven the Seventh must pay an even heavier price to quickly take Helentz Castle, or else the campaign on the Three Overseas Provinces would become a huge joke.
However, too successful a disguise might not always be a good thing.
The deception and disguise of this bait operation were done so well that the new army in the Governor District also thought Helentz Castle was not a pawn to be sacrificed.
Christine could not tell other officers not to support and directly abandon Helentz Castle. She could think so and do so, but she absolutely couldn’t say it.
So a miraculous scene occurred.
Everyone believed Christine was determined to protect Helentz Castle to the death, only she knew it was a sacrificial pawn.
She stared blankly at the sand table, suddenly feeling a bit guilty.
She recalled what her military teacher, Chushko, had said: War is not the art of the chessboard but a cruel struggle between life and death. Everyone in war has thoughts, whereas chess pieces don’t. If war is treated as a chess game, facing lively pieces, one will eventually be at a loss.
At that time, she didn’t take her teacher’s words too seriously; now she finally understood him.
If it were a war game simulation, the defenders of Helentz Castle would at most be a veteran infantry brigade, quickly losing organization and combat power under the frenzied attack of tens of thousands of troops and artillery, becoming a white pawn with a roster but without combat capability, even being directly discarded into the box of abandoned pieces.
But this is not a war game simulation.
The miracle of dozens of pieces not consuming a single piece just happened.
Faced with the miracle created by the frontline warriors with their lives, Christine was torn between laughter and tears.
The frontline troops exceeded their mission, leaving the enemy scrambling. She should be happy, but she couldn’t be.
If Helentz Castle always holds, and the Oden Kingdom withdraws after failing to conquer it, leading the Governor’s new army to pursue across borders, it would be the new army facing logistical difficulties.
The new army’s equipment and morale were very good, but they lacked combat experience and adaptability.
In a siege, they were defending their homeland, with a solid position, no retreat, and a very firm fighting spirit, able to fight to the last man.
