Chapter 413 - 413: Fence-Sitters

"Supreme Military Commander, according to our intelligence, the Marleyans are preparing to hold a joint conference in Tessi Province this time. The remaining Middle Eastern forces, Indar, Aldia, and six other nations have all clearly stated they will attend. The coalition army formed by these countries, excluding their basic homeland defense forces, should have around five hundred thousand troops capable of participating in the war."

Sitting opposite Yago, an Eastern region general dressed in a magnificent military uniform calmly reported the intelligence they had gathered.

The Eastern region general was no longer young. The hair at his temples had already turned white, and his face remained stern and dignified. He was a rigid yet upright commander. Just like his name, Azumabito Kiyomasa, it was obvious he was connected to the Azumabito family that currently held power in Hizuru, and his relationship with the head of the Azumabito family, Azumabito Kiyomi, was self-evident.

Azumabito Kiyomasa was also the current supreme commander of the fifty-thousand-strong Eastern Allied Army. Among all the Eastern region nations, only Hizuru possessed the capability to command the others. The fact that Hizuru was willing to send Azumabito Kiyomasa as their representative clearly demonstrated their stance this time.

Calling a teenager "Supreme Military Commander" without even changing expression—this Azumabito Kiyomasa was clearly no ordinary man either.

"Five hundred thousand troops... that's quite a lot. What about the Far East?" Yago asked while stroking his chin.

Azumabito Kiyomasa replied, "On the Far East side, there are over three hundred thousand troops stationed along the border between the Middle East and Marley. However, because the entire Middle East has fallen, many nations around the world have already leaned toward the Far East, so the Far East still possesses at least another three hundred thousand auxiliary troops.

"As for the World Alliance formed by the European nations, they are obviously eyeing Marley like hungry wolves. If Marley loses the war, those people will probably turn into vicious hyenas.

"Just to guard against the World Alliance along the coastline of Europa, the Marleyan coalition must reserve at least one hundred thousand troops. So in reality, Marley can only deploy around three hundred thousand soldiers."

Then Azumabito Kiyomasa raised his head and stared at Yago.

"Additionally, it depends on your intentions, Supreme Military Commander. Including our Eastern Allied Army, the one hundred thousand Eldian Revival Army under your command, and the fifty thousand troops from Paradis Island, we have a total force of two hundred thousand soldiers. That's already a powerful military force.

"However, both I and the military experts of my nation truly cannot understand one thing, and we hope you can enlighten us."

Yago curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.

"You don't understand why we're choosing to oppose the Far East, right?"

"Exactly. Whether from a strategic perspective or from personal feelings, I believe Marley and the Middle East should be our enemies. The Far East, meanwhile, has no major conflict with either our Eastern region nations or your Eldians.

"Furthermore, our current position lies deep within the center of Marley. If we joined forces with the Far East and attacked from both inside and outside, the benefits would obviously be far greater than making enemies of them.

"Most importantly... can the soldiers under your command truly forgive the crimes Marley committed against the Eldians in the past?"

Yago let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

Azumabito Kiyomasa was not the only one with such regrets. Almost everyone failed to understand why Yago had chosen to help the Marleyans fight against the Far East. Even Serena had argued with him about it not long ago.

But there were some things Yago simply could not tell anyone.

"You've surely read the intelligence reports on the Far Eastern military, General Azumabito. Then you should know the current combat strength of the Far East forces. Their military technology far surpasses ordinary armies, and they even possess some horrifying biochemical weapon.

"The Blood Titan... a chemical weapon capable of transforming ordinary humans into Blood Titans. Isn't that terrifying?"

A trace of confusion appeared in Azumabito Kiyomasa's eyes.

Terrifying?

To military commanders like them, weapons themselves were never important. Victory was what mattered. Since the Far Eastern military was already so overwhelmingly powerful, shouldn't that make cooperation with them even more desirable?

The Eastern region nations had always been like this—they attached themselves to the strong.

"Exactly. Victory gained alongside the strong is dull and meaningless. Only victory achieved in an impossible situation of absolute despair is what we Eldians truly need.

"If we Eldians wish to revive our nation, then we must return to the world stage in an unparalleled manner.

"Only then... will the nations of the world bow before us!

"Only then can the Eldians truly stand tall in this world once more!" Yago said with a smiling expression.

Yet Azumabito Kiyomasa kept a straight face, though inwardly he felt some contempt.

A brat was still a brat. Everything he said was unrealistic nonsense.

At a time like this, who still cared about honor?

Victory was the only thing that mattered!

As long as you won, what nation would dare refuse to bow? Who cared how the victory was achieved?

This old Eastern region general was deeply disdainful of Yago's naive thinking, though he did not voice any rebuttal.

Azumabito Kiyomasa stood up and said seriously,

"Supreme Military Commander, your insight has enlightened me. Indeed, victory achieved in desperate circumstances would earn greater respect and admiration from the nations of the world. We of the Eastern region nations have no doubt about this.

"And we firmly believe our allied forces will achieve victory. After all, with the Rumbling—the power of a god itself—victory will forever belong to us!"

Yago's eyes narrowed.

This old man had finally exposed his true thoughts.

The Rumbling.

The Rumbling.

In the eyes of these old men, everything always came back to the Rumbling.

Turning around with a cold smile, Yago knew very well that if he had not slightly displayed even a tiny fraction of the Rumbling's power before the Eastern region nations, these people would never have risked everything to board the Eldians' "ship."

Indeed, in the eyes of the Eastern region nations, the Eldians—who possessed the Rumbling, this ultimate weapon—were already undefeatable.

With such terrifying destructive power, what did it matter if the Far East had one million or even ten million soldiers?

All of them would be reduced to dust!

Knowing full well that the Eldians could never lose, why wouldn't you immediately bet everything on them?

Were you stupid!?

And it was precisely because of the Rumbling that the Eastern region nations felt secure forming an allied army with the Eldians. Otherwise, judging from the personalities of old foxes like Azumabito Kiyomi, they would have long since run to flatter the Far East and join them in stabbing Marley from behind.

Would someone like Azumabito Kiyomasa—a stern old general who never smiled—otherwise be sitting here flattering a young man like Yago?

Yago was not an idiot. He could naturally see the disdain hidden in Azumabito Kiyomasa's eyes.

But he did not care.

Nor had he ever truly placed any hopes on the Eastern region's mixed fifty-thousand-man army. These fence-sitters who only wanted to fight easy battles had another use in his plans. Whether they came or not made little difference.

After casually exchanging a few more meaningless words to satisfy Azumabito Kiyomasa and sending the old general away, Yago finally had the chance to properly refine his own strategy.

If Azumabito Kiyomasa had seen the battle plans laid out before Yago, his jaw would have dropped to the floor.

Because Yago had never intended to commit all of the Eldian Revival Army and the New Army of Paradis Island.

And his target was not merely the Middle East.

"There's not much time left. I must carve out new land for the Eldians!"

Yago slammed his fist heavily onto the map, a crimson flash flickering through his eyes before vanishing.