Seeing how eager everyone was, Free Sniper scratched his head and simply closed his eyes, poking randomly at the VM screen. “... Coincidence. You take your squad and get it done as soon as possible.”

Under the envious gazes of the others, Coincidence grinned and couldn’t resist showing off. “Looks like we got called into action at a critical moment! Brothers. I’ll take my leave first!”

Looking at his smug, punchable face, a nearby player rolled his eyes. “Fuck off.”

“Careful you don’t get shot in the back by the locals.”

“Tsk.” Unable to stand their idiot captain drawing even more aggro, Half Wasted gritted his teeth and dragged the guy out of the crowd.

...

Holding an entire settlement of over a million people with only 500 troops was still a tall order.

The densely packed slums were like a tangled ant nest, and the uneven terrain turned that nest into a three-dimensional maze.

Sending troops in blindly without familiarity with the terrain could easily lead to their forces being spread too thin and attacked from all sides.

Thus, before the operation even began, the Burning Corps players had agreed on the overall strategy on the forums. They would keep the combat zone confined to the streets near the port.

The port was the most critical facility in all of Port Gallon. As long as they held the port, they could advance or retreat at will and receive a steady flow of supplies from the sea.

Moreover, since the most valuable area of the entire settlement was under their control, the Xilande Empire’s army would have to think twice before launching an attack.

Also, compared to the flimsy mud houses in the slums that could be kicked down with a single blow, the buildings along the streets near the port made far more reliable cover.

At the same time the port district of Port Gallon changed hands, far away on the western coast of Poro Province, the Xilande Empire’s capital, “Heavenly City,” was filled with celebration.

Under the morning sun, a delegation convoy from the Army passed through the northern gate, moving toward the Heavenly Palace amid cheers from the survivors lining the streets.

That was the emperor’s palace. It was both his place of rest and the site where he met with his ministers.

Sitting in an armored off-road vehicle, McClennan looked out the window at the cheering crowds with boredom, but still forced a smile and waved back. Only when he grew tired did he pull the blackout curtain shut and mutter a complaint to the aide beside him.

“Why are there so many people here?”

The sea of heads stretched as far as the eye could see.

The aide replied softly, “This is the capital of the Xilande Empire, after all. It’s normal for there to be so many people.”

McClennan snapped, “I know it’s their capital, but this is ridiculous... What are these people, rats or something?”

The aide coughed lightly and reminded him politely. “They’re our partners... at least for now. I would appreciate it if you showed them a bit more respect and didn’t act like you did back in the Falcon Kingdom.”

The Poro Province fell within the sphere of influence of Triumphant City’s civil officials. The Army’s diplomatic posture in the region emphasized co-optation, a directive personally issued by the Marshal.

The Army’s civil officials had operated there for many years, trading surplus equipment the military officers had grown bored of for countless hardworking servants for Triumphant City, sending large numbers of capable auxiliary troops to the western front. Even the Xilande Empire itself was counted among their achievements.

The aide had no desire to see the muscle-brained officer ruin things.

McClennan grunted impatiently, “Got it.”

The aide looked at him in surprise.

It was their first time working together. He had expected General McClennan to be far more difficult, yet this man was unexpectedly easy to deal with.

That was completely different from what he had heard from colleagues.

McClennan ignored him, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes to rest.

Ever since spending half a year in a New Alliance prison, he seemed like a different person, far less arrogant and far more withdrawn, especially after hearing the news of General Griffin’s death.

Whether shaken by the brutality of factional struggles or for some other reason, after returning to Triumphant City, he had kept himself in a state of self-exile, staying away from the core of power.

Even when various factions extended olive branches to him, he ignored them. Over time, he became a marginal figure in Triumphant City, never even being appointed as a new airship commander. That was despite his rank as a two-star General.

It was only this time that the civil officials, who themselves were also outside the core power structure, extended an invitation for cooperation, asking him to serve as a military advisor to the Army’s strategic ally.

Perhaps thinking it would be good to get away for a while, he accepted without much hesitation, though he wore a sour expression the entire journey.

The convoy stopped at the gates of the Heavenly Palace.

An officer got out of the passenger seat and opened the doors for the two in the back. A towering structure soon came into view before the Wislander delegation.

The tower had a flattened shape, like a sharp-edged rectangular block, its walls sheer and mirror-smooth. Yet its most astonishing feature was not its imposing silhouette, but the fact that it floated ten meters above the ground like a book laid flat, connected to the earth only by a single marble staircase carved by hand.

There was only one possible explanation for freeing such a massive building from gravity’s pull.

Staring at the majestic palace before him, McClennan narrowed his eyes slightly. “Anti-gravity technology?”

The aide nodded faintly. “Yes. Its core is a cargo starship. You should be quite familiar with that sort of thing.”

McClennan snorted noncommittally. “Using something like that as a palace, what a waste.”

“After all, this 3,000,000 square kilometer peninsula is the only preserved land.The deserts and mountains block out too much of the rest. You’ll understand once you’ve stayed here for a while, being born here is both a blessing and a curse...” the aide said softly. At that moment, an officer suddenly jogged up to him and whispered urgently in his ear.

The aide’s expression changed instantly.

Catching the shift in his face, McClennan raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing. There’s been a small situation in the eastern part of the Poro Province, but it’s not a big deal. You don’t need to worry. We’ll resolve it through diplomatic channels,” the aide replied evasively, looking a bit awkward.

McClennan’s brow furrowed even tighter as he stared at him, his gaze burning. “What exactly is it? I order you to tell me immediately.”

Rank crushed all resistance, and with such a vast gap between them, the aide finally gave in under the pressure and spoke reluctantly. “New Alliance troops have landed at Port Gallon...”

Before he could finish, McClennan abruptly turned and started walking back toward the convoy.

Startled by the reaction, the aide hurried after him and grabbed his arm. “Wait, General McClennan! What are you, what are you doing?!”

McClennan turned, glaring at him with fury. “What am I doing? You told me to come here to train soldiers, not to fight the New Alliance!”

It wasn’t that he feared those blue ground rats. It was just that he didn’t even have a proper force under his command. Sending a bunch of cannon fodder to fight the New Alliance would only waste lives. He might as well surrender.

Still clutching McClennan’s arm, the aide hurriedly explained, half laughing, half panicking. “P-please don’t get excited. They’ve only landed a single battalion, and it’s at the easternmost edge of the Poro Province. We’re in the west and we haven’t heard any news of the New Alliance formally declaring war on the Xilande Empire. There must be some misunderstanding!”

McClennan stopped and looked at him suspiciously. “Are you sure? Just a single battalion?”

The aide nodded vigorously. “I’m sure! Our intelligence network covers the entire peninsula. I can guarantee it. Things aren’t what you think...”

A single battalion... Taking Port Gallon would already be difficult, let alone pushing all the way here.

Realizing he might have overreacted, McClennan’s face flushed slightly. He shook off the hand gripping his arm and coughed loudly. “Next time, say everything at once. Don’t talk like you’re squeezing toothpaste.”

You didn’t give me a chance to finish either...

The aide forced a bitter smile, grumbling silently to himself. However, he remain silent, allowing the general to grumble as he wished.

Just then, surrounded by a crowd of ministers, a man dressed in magnificent robes appeared at the top of the staircase leading to the Heavenly Palace.

A hearty, bold smile arrived together with an exuberant welcome.

“Welcome! Friends from the north, you’re finally here!”