[After Margarete Templight arrived in South Kazimierz, you have been monitoring her actions closely through the Intelligence Department.]
[To your relief, Margarete did not charge directly into the camp of Grod and his rabble.]
[Instead, she first ordered the accompanying security force to seal off all trade routes connecting Zalak Town to the outside world, leaving open only the supply channels leading to the residential areas within the town.]
[She walked directly among the townspeople, who were panicking due to the interruption of transport, and personally distributed food to the hungry children.]
[She spoke with the elderly in fluent local Kazimierz dialect, listening to their complaints and fears.]
[She told them that the Empire's grain was enough to keep everyone warm and fed, but some people wanted to use them as bargaining chips to exchange for glory that had long since rotted away.]
["A knight's sword should not be pointed at the farmers who provide him with food," you heard her say to the populace.]
[Public sentiment began to reverse in just a single day.]
[Grod, the former Champion Knight, finally could not sit still. He led his men into the square, angrily denouncing Margarete as a "traitor to the Templight family."]
[Margarete calmly asked three questions.]
["Mr. Grod, is this 'knightly honor' of yours making the children of this town go hungry while they watch you strut around?"]
["You claim you want to expel the Leithanians, but the gold coins in your pocket—which generous 'Kazimierz compatriot' gifted them to you?"]
["Those young men behind you could have been earning wages in factories or learning knowledge in schools. Yet you have them blocking the road here, selling their lives for an old era that lost seven years ago. Is this the future you promised them?"]
[Under these three questions, Grod's followers fell into disarray.]
[Margarete publicly displayed evidence of Ursus infiltration. Grod, flying into a rage out of humiliation, drew his sword and charged at Margarete.]
[Margarete did not even pick up a weapon. She simply turned sideways, dodging the opponent's heavy strike, then struck Grod's jaw with her elbow, following up with a clean over-the-shoulder throw, smashing the former champion wretchedly onto the ground.]
[She pressed her knee against his chest, looking down at him with cold eyes.]
["The times have changed, Grod. The lance of the Templight family is now wielded only to protect the peace of this land."]
[The disturbance was quelled without shedding a drop of blood. Grod and his core subordinates were arrested, while the rest were sent to the newly opened "Re-education and Vocational Training Center."]
[Zalak Town was restored to calm, supporting Maenner's regime even more than before.]
[You are very satisfied with this. Margarete used her wisdom and strength to perfectly interpret the new mission the Empire bestowed upon her.]
[However, this was merely a beginning.]
[The incident in Zalak Town was like a signal. Ursus also instigated similar armed riots on the northern border of Victoria.]
[Their actions were more direct and bloody, directly attacking the Empire's newly built mines and government departments.]
[The Intelligence Department's report clearly indicated that these actions were directly planned and participated in by troops of the Ursus 3rd Army Group.]
[It is time to end this probing.]
[You instructed the Leithanien Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue the sternest inquiry to the Ursus Empire via public channels, demanding they immediately stop all military provocations and infiltration activities on Leithanien territory and hand over the culprits who planned the attacks.]
[You gave them a final deadline of forty-eight hours.]
[Ursus's response was silence.]
[In Fyodor's view, this public shouting was a manifestation of weakness, proof that Leithanien dared not start a total war.]
[He even felt that you were bogged down by the integration issues of Victoria and simply powerless to handle a two-front conflict.]
[Forty-eight hours passed. The silence of Ursus was the best declaration of war.]
[War is already on the string.]
Trullinczentyr, inside the Imperial Council Hall.
Lacey sat at the head of the long table, his gaze calmly sweeping over every core member of the Empire present.
Lacey opened his mouth and said, "Gentlemen, I believe you have all seen the latest report from the Intelligence Department."
"Emperor Fyodor of Ursus has chosen to respond to our ultimatum with silence."
Gertrude stood up. The projection behind her immediately lit up, displaying images of the massive military buildup in the Ursus border regions.
Countless soldiers, tanks, and landships were densely distributed across the vast snowy plains.
"Your Majesty, according to our latest intelligence, the Ursus Empire has completed pre-war mobilization for seven army groups, with a total troop strength approaching one million," Gertrude reported.
In fact, Ursus still had nearly eight hundred thousand reserves. If the battle line dragged on in the future, these reserves would also go to the battlefield after short-term training.
"The new 'T-34' tanks they obtained from Columbia have been equipped on a large scale."
"Fyodor himself has arrived at a border city and is expected to deliver a war mobilization speech there."
"He seems to think that we will be dragged down by Victoria's integration problems and dare not—and are unable to—fight a total war with him."
Low whispers sounded within the conference room.
An army of one million. Worthy of the 'fighting race'; this number was enough to make any country feel suffocated.
General Taylor stood up abruptly, his sonorous voice carrying an irrepressible fighting will: "Your Majesty! That stupid bear Fyodor mistakes our restraint for weakness! He has forgotten which country had its spine broken by mere Higashi in the Blood Peak Campaign!"
"The Imperial Army has completed its refitting and reorganization, and the Victoria Legion has also formed combat effectiveness! I request to lead the 1st and 3rd Army Groups to strike from Northern Victoria and give those Ursus people a lesson they will never forget!"
Taylor's face was quite agitated; he had been waiting for this day for a long time.
The soldiers of the Empire had long been unable to tolerate Ursus's repeated provocations.
Lacey raised his hand, signaling Taylor to be calm.
His gaze turned to Meklen and Leinia.
"Meklen, Leinia, are our money bags and granaries ready?"
Meklen pushed up his glasses and stood up confidently: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Over the past seven years, we have integrated Victoria's industrial system and used South Kazimierz as a pilot to establish a highly efficient wartime economic operation model."
"Once the war begins, all key industries of the Empire will immediately switch to wartime production. The strategic resources we have stockpiled are enough to support a high-intensity war for more than three years."
"Ursus's economic structure is relatively single-faceted, relying heavily on energy and mineral exports. Once war starts, we have at least ten ways to choke off their economic lifeline."
Leinia then added, "Regarding finance, Imperial Marks have completed full coverage of the Victoria, Kazimierz, and Siracusa regions. The Empire's fiscal revenue hit a record high last year."
"We have prepared a special war appropriation totaling five hundred billion Imperial Marks, enough to pay for all expenses in the early stages of the war."
"At the same time, I have drafted a war bond issuance plan. I believe the citizens of the Empire will be very willing to contribute their strength to defend their homeland."
Lacey nodded with satisfaction.
War is not just about armies; it is about industry, logistics, and economics.
In this regard, he had absolute confidence in his two ministers.
"Very good."
His gaze finally fell upon Gertrude.
"Gertrude, the fangs of the propaganda department should also be bared."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Gertrude answered with a smile.
"For the past few months, my department has been collecting the past deeds of the Ursus Empire."
"Including how they mistreated prisoners of war, how they colluded with Columbia to betray the alliance treaty, and how they armed terrorists to create bloodshed within our borders..."
"All chains of evidence are complete, accompanied by the highest definition video materials and victim testimonies."
She paused, a trace of playfulness flashing in her gray eyes: "I guarantee that before the sun rises tomorrow, all of Terra will see an image of an Ursus Empire that is treacherous, brutal, bloodthirsty, and a serious threat to peace."
"And we, Leithanien, will be the punishers forced to raise the sword of justice."
"'Sword of Justice'... excellent," Lacey repeated softly, a smile appearing on his face.
He stood up, walked to the map, and looked at the vast territory representing Ursus.
"The failure of the Blood Peak Campaign dealt quite a blow to Ursus. Fyodor is eager to prove to his people, and to all of Terra, that Ursus is still that fearsome military power."
"He is like a gambler who has lost all his chips, betting all his hope on the final hand."
Lacey turned around, his gaze like a torch, sweeping over every one of his subjects.
"But he is wrong. War has never been a wrestling match for brute boors."
"Ursus, from beginning to end, will not have any chance of victory."
After saying this, Lacey extended his hand to issue the final directive.
"Order! The Empire enters the highest state of war!"
"Meklen, Leinia, immediately activate the wartime economic contingency plan."
"Serafina, notify our allies and neutral countries. Tell them that Leithanien's actions are only to eradicate the root cause of war. We have no intention of expanding the conflict, but any aid to Ursus will be regarded as a direct declaration of war against the Empire."
Order after order issued from his mouth. At this moment, the gears of the entire Imperial war machine began to rumble and turn.
The door to the conference room was pushed open, and an officer of the Imperial Guard in uniform walked in silently, handing a document to Lacey.
"Your Majesty, an encrypted communication request from Londinium."
Lacey's gaze softened slightly.
He knew that at this moment, there was only one person who would send a communication from there.
"Put it through."
The Royal Palace of Londinium was long devoid of its former extravagance and noise.
Empress Vina, dressed in a simple, elegant long dress, stood on the stargazing terrace that once belonged to the Aslan royal family, gazing into the distance in the direction of Trullinczentyr.
The night wind blew through her long golden hair, bringing with it the chill of the north.
At this moment, Vina's heart was filled with worry.
She knew of the movements on the northern and southern borders of Kazimierz, and she had guessed Leithanien's next moves.
But was it really good to go to war with the colossal Ursus Empire when internal integration was not yet complete?
If the war fell into a stalemate, would the Empire fall apart because of it?
By then, what would become of Victoria's fate?
"Your Highness."
A lady-in-waiting spoke softly, interrupting her thoughts. "The communication with Trullinczentyr has been connected."
Vina took a deep breath and walked back inside.
On a screen, Lacey's figure appeared.
"Vina, it's so late, and you haven't rested yet?" Lacey's voice came through the screen.
"I saw the news." Vina's voice was tight.
"Lacey, is the Empire... truly ready? Is it not too hasty to start a total war with Ursus right now?"
She asked the deepest worry in her heart.
She did not want her people, who had just stood up from the ruins of one war, to be dragged into another, more terrible war.
Lacey listened quietly without interrupting her.
Only after she finished did he speak with a smile: "Vina, I understand your concerns."
"You are not a monarch who cares only for her own crown. You are truly thinking of the people on this land, and that is very good."
His tone shifted, his smile taking on confidence: "But you hold Ursus too high, and you hold us—hold Leithanien—too low."
"This war is not my momentary impulse, but a part of the plan."
"Fyodor's arrogance and greed made him jump into the trap I prepared for him."
"He thinks this is a gamble on national destiny, but he does not know that from the moment he decided to betray the alliance treaty and collude with Columbia, his ending was already determined."
Lacey's gaze seemed to penetrate the screen, looking directly into Vina's heart: "Victoria's integration will not stagnate because of this war. On the contrary, it will accelerate."
"A war against a common outsider, one that is bound to be won, is the best way to unite people's hearts."
"When the soldiers of Victoria and the soldiers of Leithanien fight side by side in the same trench, bleeding and sacrificing for the same Empire, those so-called national barriers will truly be broken."
"As for pressure..." Lacey chuckled lightly.
"Vina, pressure only makes the heart stronger."
"Ursus's behavior is not challenging the Empire's limits; it is clearing away the final stumbling block for the unification of Terra."
"They are using their own destruction to accelerate the arrival of a new era."
There was a calmness in his words, a sense of devising strategies within a command tent that determined victory a thousand miles away, a mastery of everything. It deeply infected Vina.
Her heartbeat slowly calmed, and the worry in her eyes was gradually replaced by a complex emotion.
It was awe for the power of the man before her, and also a trace of... trust.
"I understand," Vina said softly. "Then, what can I do?"
"Do what you have always been doing." Lacey's expression softened.
"Soothe the hearts of the people, coordinate production and material allocation in the rear. You are the symbol of Victoria. As long as you stand there, Victoria will not fall into chaos."
"You are my Empress, and also my most solid shield."
The phrase "my Empress" made Vina's cheeks flush slightly.
She nodded, responding solemnly, "I will."
Meanwhile, in the new territory of Kazdel, the Victoria-Cornwall Province.
Theresis stood at the highest point of the mobile city, having also received the news that Lacey was about to go to war.
"Your Highness, the Emperor's special envoy just sent a message. He hopes the Sarkaz Royal Court Legions can serve as the vanguard and launch a surprise attack on Ursus from the direction of Kazimierz."
A Sarkaz officer reported respectfully.
Theresis was silent for a moment, then let out a low laugh.
"Fyodor, that fool..."
"Very well. Let the blades of the Sarkaz raise the curtain for this feast."
He turned around, raging flames of war burning in his eyes: "Pass my order! Kazdel is to prepare for total war!"
At the same time, the military movements of the Leithanien Empire also affected other places.
In South Kazimierz, Maenner Templight stood before the map in the administration building.
He had just received the highest directive from Trullinczentyr: Cooperate with the Imperial main force to launch "Operation Recovery" and recover North Kazimierz, which was occupied by Ursus, in one fell swoop.
The unification of Kazimierz was obviously something Maenner was happy to see.
He instructed his subordinates to notify Margarete and Governor Lizelotte to prepare for military action.
And on the vast border line between the Leithanien homeland and Victoria, one of the largest and most elite attack clusters in the history of Terra had completed its final assembly.
Eight full-strength Leithanien Army Groups, totaling about six hundred thousand well-trained soldiers.
Three thousand of the newest "Tiger II" main battle tanks; their thick armor and main guns were enough to tear apart any enemy blocking their way.
One thousand six hundred "Stuka C-type" bombers and "Messerschmitt" fighters were parked at the airfields; they held absolute supremacy over the sky.
Nearly a hundred "Red Flag" anti-ship missiles and "Dongfeng" long-range ballistic missiles lay quietly on their launch racks, pointing straight at Ursus's command hubs and strategic nodes.
As well as a warlock corps composed of about one thousand Tower Nobles, nearly three thousand Golden Law Guards, and two hundred Imperial Guards.
This massive army was divided into two routes.
The West Army, personally commanded by Herlinmarte Hildegard, that "Ruthless Authority," assembled in Northern Victoria, sword pointing at the Ursus Northern Victoria Army Group.
The East Army, with Emperor Lacey personally sitting in command, was garrisoned at the border line between Leithanien and Ursus.
Adding in South Kazimierz, three routes launched simultaneously with the force of a thunderbolt.
The entire continent of Terra trembled under this terrifying cloud of war.
Emperor Fyodor was currently standing on a high platform, reviewing the massive army he was so proud of.
A torrent of steel composed of nearly one million Ursus soldiers rolled past him, extending all the way to the end of the snowy plains.
More than one thousand brand-new T-34 tanks lined up in neat phalanxes, their muzzles held high toward the sky, as if declaring Ursus's martial power to the world.
Hundreds of warplanes roared past at low altitude, pulling out long trails of smoke.
Further away, dozens of landships like moving mountains, including dreadnoughts, assault ships, gunships, and transport ships, emitted dull roars.
Columbia's technical assistance had allowed Ursus's military strength to achieve a leap-frog improvement in a short period.
This made Fyodor's self-confidence swell unprecedentedly.
He looked at the million-strong army before him, fantasizing about scenes of victory.
The Leithanians certainly would not expect that he dared to launch a total war of such scale.
They must still think this is just a border conflict.
By the time they reacted, the iron hooves of Ursus would likely have already trampled their border cities flat.
"Lacey... you are indeed a genius, but you are too arrogant," Fyodor sneered in his heart.
"Did you think that by integrating Victoria, you could challenge the entire North?"
"You have bogged down too many troops in that quagmire. Now, I will let you taste the flavor of being crushed by the invincible Ursus army!"
Beside him, Count Bogdanov, the Chief Advisor, wore a look of anxiety that was hard to conceal.
He always felt that things would not be so simple.
Emperor Lacey was not a man swayed by emotions. If he dared to declare war, he must have something to rely on.
"Your Majesty, should we be a bit more cautious? Leithanien's reaction is too calm; this defies common sense," Bogdanov advised in a low voice.
"Cautious?" Fyodor glanced at him disdainfully.
"Bogdanov, your guts are getting smaller and smaller."
"In the face of absolute power, any schemes and plots are futile!"
"My army of one million is enough to crush any country on the continent of Terra!"
"Pass my order: The entire army will launch the general offensive tomorrow at dawn, according to the original plan!"
He could not wait to see that stunned face of Lacey's after his defeat.
He wanted the whole world to know who the true master of Terra was!
________________________________________
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