Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 625: The Suggestion

TL: Rui88

Antonio rode a white horse, inspecting the Gabella military camp.

The groans of wounded soldiers constantly reached his ears. Although he had been a soldier for so many years, his heart still ached upon hearing these sounds of suffering.

He knew that many would not survive the fevers to come and would leave this world forever.

At times like these, Antonio would desperately wish that the heaven proclaimed by the Church truly existed, even though he also hated the Church.

Those who were uninjured or had minor wounds would salute and cheer him when they saw their commander pass by.

Antonio would acknowledge them with a grim expression, carefully hiding his sorrow, not revealing even a hint of it.

Gabella’s culture made his soldiers desire a cold and ruthless commander rather than a merciful one.

Antonio and his army were currently in the Kingdom of Kriel…a vassal state to the north of the Gabella Empire…confronting the southward-advancing orc army head-on.

Although he had successfully seized power in the coup, the threat of the northern orcs was also a real and present danger. Antonio, now in control of the empire’s center, could not ignore it, or his own legitimacy would be greatly diminished.

So, after the situation in the imperial capital had initially stabilized, Antonio left the old Marshal MacDonald to hold the rear and personally led the army to deal with the orcs.

The southward-advancing spear and the northward-advancing shield collided head-on. The two sides fought several major battles in the land of Kriel, with victories and defeats for both.

Overall, the orc cavalry had the advantage, and their army was larger. Their main force, combined with the subjugated human auxiliary troops, numbered around a hundred thousand in total.

The Gabella army, on the other hand, was superior in its elite quality but smaller in scale…Antonio needed to leave some elite troops to guard the still unstable rear.

A man on horseback approached him; it was Siegfried, Antonio’s deputy for this expedition.

He smiled, not needing to maintain his stern facade in front of Siegfried.

“Have you finished inspecting the area you were responsible for?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“How is the morale?”

“Very high, Your Highness! Everyone is eager to go beat the prairie barbarians again tomorrow.”

“That’s good!”

Siegfried came over and rode alongside Antonio.

“Your Highness, I seem to see a hint of worry in your brow! That’s not like your usual style.”

His tone was light, as if he was intentionally trying to lift his friend’s spirits.

“Oh, my dear Siegfried!”

Antonio confided in him.

“I have never fought a war like this…not because of the numerical inferiority, but… fighting a desperate battle with the enemy far from Gabella while having an unstable rear.”

This was what Antonio was unaccustomed to. In the past, although there were people like Felix and the Dias Family opposing him in the rear, his father, Bartley, was in overall command, and his great rear was generally stable.

But now it was different. His authority had not yet been established, and the lords in various regions were taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the situation in the imperial capital, or were even… ambitious.

He felt a warm touch on his shoulder; it was his friend’s hand resting there.

He felt a surge of strength flow into his body.

“All difficulties will be overcome.”

Siegfried said in a deep, sincere voice, “Antonio, we are all by your side.”

“I have always believed so too!”

Antonio replied to him, the frustration in his heart lessening considerably.

The two returned together to the main tent in the center of the camp, intending to have a drink, but they were surprised to find someone already waiting inside.

Master Aldridge, the renowned scholar of the Scholars’ Tower, stood up to greet them as Antonio and Siegfried entered.

Antonio asked with confusion, “Respected tutor, is there something important this late at night?” 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Aldridge’s brows furrowed slightly as he said solemnly to Antonio, “Your Highness, I have come to offer you some suggestions.”

“Oh? Please sit and speak in detail.”

Antonio extended his hand to him.

After all three were seated, Aldridge finally said softly, “Perhaps my suggestion will not be welcome, but the development of the situation leaves me no choice but to speak.”

“Have you received any latest news?” Antonio gestured for him to continue.

Aldridge nodded, “Several students have sent me secret messages. A few lords in the southeast are plotting against you, Your Highness!”

Antonio’s face turned cold.

The scholars who graduated from the imperial capital’s Scholars’ Tower had always been highly sought-after talents by the lords throughout Gabella. They spent large sums of money to recruit scholars to their banners, either to manage their territories, to devise strategies for them, or to educate their next generation.

These scholars, scattered across the major territories of the empire, were an important part of Gabella’s ruling class, each holding important positions.

Therefore, the information Aldridge had obtained should be very reliable.

“These reckless fools!”

Siegfried, sitting beside him, commented with disdain.

But he also frowned. Had the instability within the empire reached a point where someone was bold enough to openly oppose the imperial capital?

Antonio looked at Aldridge, “Tutor, I recall you said you were here to offer a suggestion.”

“Yes.” Aldridge nodded and said, “In fact, I suggest you make some concessions to the orcs!”

“Absolutely not!” Antonio refused without a second thought.

“Are you asking me to hand over Kriel? How would that make others see me? A man who has just gained the power to rule the empire, and the first thing he does is sell out the empire’s interests?”

Aldridge shook his head, “Not Kriel.”

“Not Kriel?”

“Not Kriel! The orcs’ strongest desire for a thousand years has been to obtain a plain that can be cultivated. Whether it is Kriel is not important.”

Antonio was somewhat puzzled, “Then where should it be? I feel that as long as it involves the empire, it is not acceptable, whether it is our own territory or the territory of our allies.”

Aldridge looked at him and said slowly, “Nerodan!”

Antonio and Siegfried were both surprised.

“That is Ordo’s land!”

“Yes, Ordo’s land.” Aldridge said with emphasis, “Isn’t that just perfect? We have preserved our interests, and the orcs have also gained theirs.”

“That is also not acceptable!”

Antonio still shook his head. “We have already weakened Ordo with Jars. If we let the orcs occupy Nerodan, Ordo’s heartland will be directly exposed to these barbarians. It’s too dangerous. That would throw the entire western continent out of balance.”

“It takes time to break the balance! Besides, the defense of the northeast has cost Ordo countless amounts of money and grain. If they lose Nerodan, perhaps Ordo can accumulate more strength.”

Aldridge insisted on his point of view.

“It is time for the hidden pieces we have placed in Nerodan to make their move.”