"I am the fifteenth Emperor of the Morton family. I certainly will not allow the Gazalin Royal Family to fall in my hands. However, this doesn’t mean I care about those intangible reputations." James’s eyes sparkled, and his voice was cold. "Reputation is only heard by the victor. The defeated ones are forever unworthy to know others’ evaluations! Since Russell and the Leray Federation dare to bring Gazalin into this war, then they must be prepared for the consequences they cannot contain!"
"I am the ruler of Gazalin, the Emperor of the Empire! There are things I can do, but the President of the Leray Federation, that pathetic Hamilton, cannot!" A mocking smile emerged at the corner of James’s mouth. "This is the difference between the Empire and the Federation. Their public opinion, their reputation, can tie Russell with countless ropes. No matter how capable he is, he can only watch me sit here and manipulate him within my grasp!"
Philip asked with some doubt, "Your Majesty, Liebgoet is, after all, a person of the Naga Federation. Without substantial benefits, will Liebgoet fully commit to this support plan?"
James smiled slightly and said, "Don’t forget how many things you’ve done for George! Liebgoet is Stephen’s mentor, and what you can do, he can also do! Assisting Stephen in gaining Gazalin benefits him greatly, both personally and for the Naga Federation! Moreover, since the Naga Federation is now equally tied to the Western Alliance’s chariot, they must also consider the bigger picture! If Lucerne can’t hold on, and the Leray Federation drives straight to the Little Pyrenees, do you think the countries of the Western Alliance are ready for an all-out war?"
James slowly stood up, walked to the interstellar map that occupied a wall of the study, looked up, and sighed, "Liebgoet knows that this war concerns Stephen’s future, the whole of the Western Alliance, and even all of human society! He will go all out. If he can’t secure enough time for the Western Alliance and Stephen in Lucerne, then he wouldn’t have climbed to the position of the second great general in the Naga Federation, in a place where great generals abound!"
Philip bowed his head. The Emperor always stood on high, using bait to lure some ridiculous people to play tricks in front of him, and the ultimate victor was always him! He himself was also a clown playing tricks. The reason he could stand here was that he never played with fire, and all his tricks could be seen through by this Emperor at a glance!
A Crown Prince position, how many people has it tied down? Himself, George, Liebgoet, Stephen, perhaps also Bruce, Reinhardt, the Naga Empire, and the entire Gazalin Nobles Circle! James ceaselessly stirred this vortex, letting these people and forces ebb and flow in this whirlpool, at his whim!
"Go, keep me informed of any communications with the envoy. That matter must be expedited without anyone knowing! Lucerne can’t give us too much time." James’s words interrupted Philip’s thoughts. He bowed slightly, slowly walked out of James’s study, looked back at the closed door, smiled slightly to himself, and thought, "James, you seem not to really understand your loyal followers. He is the most typical Vibo person, and in his heart, the honor of the Vibo people is above everything! And to me, the difference between George becoming a puppet emperor or a real emperor is immense!"
"You once thought that no one in this world could play tricks in front of you, but eventually, you were played by Russell. This is a knot in your heart! Gazalin was dragged into war with the Leray Federation by Russell, and now you realize that the Freedom Front, which you have repeatedly failed to eradicate, is led by your once most trusted person, the Empire’s top general, Russell! If not for Reinhardt, this vortex you stirred could swallow you up!"
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As the Gazalin Empire Army voluntarily retreated, the Amayo Mountain battle zone, which had been fiercely contested for nearly two months, gradually quieted down. The Leray Federation Army finally opened a passage to the eastern heartland. The fall of the Amayo Mountain profoundly changed the dynamics of the entire Lucerne campaign. The Razi Defense Line and Rotersk City on the western front were facing the encirclement of the Leray Federation, and the Lavos Plain dotted with three medium-sized cities and the largest industrial city, Wali City, were also completely exposed to the Leray Federation Army. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt
The second phase of the campaign has ended! From the current situation, the Leray Federation has already achieved the conditions needed to ultimately occupy the entire Lucerne Planet. Under the command of the front command, the airborne base, which had been at a disadvantage, was quickly established. Around the basin occupied by the 9th Armored Division, dozens of fully mechanized infantry divisions and armored divisions were busy replenishing supplies and personnel. In the key battle zone covering tens of thousands of square kilometers, scattered soldiers were returning to their units one after another. The Federation did not rush towards Wali; they were amassing strength, waiting for the final battle.
The command headquarters in Gallipalan was even busier. Everyone was tidying up documents and equipment, preparing to move the forward command center to Lucerne before the third phase of the campaign began. Looking at the busy officers and staff downstairs, Bernadotte closed the door, handed the documents in his hand to Russell, and said with a bitter smile, "This is from the President’s office, the Supreme Command Department cannot hold on anymore. The Federation suffered too much loss in the second phase of the campaign, and people from both above and below are coming out to criticize. The President’s office demands that we explain the entire second phase of the campaign."