The expedition team brought the news back to Neverwinter as soon as possible.
"So they really came out in full force..." Roland sighed after listening to Lightning's report. This would undoubtedly be the first head-on collision between the two races, and possibly the last. Regardless of the outcome, it would determine the future fate of humans and devils.
"Can...we win?"
Lightning asked hesitantly. She was covered in dirt, and the hair on her forehead was matted in clumps. There was a sour smell of sweat when you got close. Obviously, to tell him the results of her discovery as soon as possible, she must have barely rested these days.
"Of course," Roland patted her shoulder, pretending to be relaxed. "We not only have to win, but we have to win decisively."
Devils have an undeniable advantage in numbers, which also shows how much pressure the World of Eternal Sky is putting on them. The First Army has a technological advantage, which is true, but it cannot kill enemies without taking losses. Once they enter the Four Kingdoms, even if they win, it will be a pyrrhic victory.
By the same logic, even if the devils can win, they will inevitably suffer heavy losses. So if they are not stopped west of the Impassable Mountains, the best outcome would only be a draw.
Lightning breathed a slight sigh of relief, then suddenly felt a little embarrassed. "Uh, do I smell a little... weird?"
Roland chuckled. "It's a little... but it's the smell of adventure, so it's not bad." He deliberately sniffed. "Honestly, I think it's pretty good."
Her face flushed immediately. She grabbed Maggie, who was sniffing her collar vigorously, and headed out of the office. "I'm, I'm going to take a bath!"
"Goo?" Maggie still looked blank.
"Lightning, Maggie." Roland called out to them as they were about to leave, and said slowly, "Thank you for your hard work. Take a good rest now."
"Mm..."
As soon as the door closed, he immediately picked up the phone of the Chief Administrator. "Notify all ministers to hold a meeting. The time to set off has come."
...
In the conference hall, the high-level officials of Neverwinter sat around in a circle.
Roland pinned Lightning's hand-drawn map to the map behind him, then recounted all the expedition team's findings.
"There are two pieces of information that can now be confirmed. One is that the new God-made God does exist. It is less than three hundred kilometers from the Spine of the Continent and is constantly moving east. Second, it is carrying a large number of devils, even so many that the floating land cannot accommodate them, so it is using this inefficient method of transfer."
"I think the former is not difficult to understand. In order to invade Everwinter and Wolfheart, the Devil Western Front Army not only established obelisks in the Spine Mountains, but also opened up a supply line spanning the Dawn Realm. Flying along the mountains not only prevents them from deviating from their course, but also allows the supply line to share the pressure of the Red Mist. It's a relatively safe route."
"The specific number of the latter is unknown, but since they are coming out in full force, it's not an exaggeration to estimate that there are at least ten million devils capable of fighting. At the current rate, they will reach the borders of the Four Kingdoms in at most a month and a half."
When he mentioned the number of enemies, Roland noticed that many people showed a little fear on their faces. But they can't be blamed for this. After two Wars of Divine Will, humanity was seriously injured. It's debatable whether there are even ten million survivors, let alone soldiers who can be used in combat. For Barov and others, a scale of ten million is no different from an astronomical number.
"This is the enemy's last-ditch effort, and it is also a battle that will determine the fate of humanity. The Eleanor floating island must set off immediately to stop them from advancing east before they approach the Impassable Mountains."
"But... Your Majesty," Barov said with difficulty, "The enemy's numbers are staggering, and the floating island can only carry a very limited number of troops. Wouldn't it be too risky to take the initiative to meet them?"
"Defending Graycastle is the riskiest option!" Edith stood up and glanced at the old Chief Administrator. "Everyone, don't be scared out of your wits by those ten million maniacs. If they can't reach Graycastle, it doesn't matter how many there are. Just use your heads and think about it. Blackstone Region hasn't had this many devils only since the Third War of Divine Will. The reason they can't get through is because the Red Mist supply can't keep up. So our real target is only one: the enemy's floating city."
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the conference hall changed subtly. After all, no one wanted to admit that they were afraid of the enemy.
"That's right," Roland said, holding back a smile and nodding slightly. "Once there is no Red Mist provided by the mobile obelisk, the devils will not be able to move an inch on the Fertile Plains. Besides, the fact that we are setting off now does not mean that we will immediately engage in battle. The time on the road should be enough for the army to prepare."
There was one more thing he didn't say.
That was the Lord of the Sky and the Calamity of Silence, who were returning to Sky City to gather their troops.
Since the devils' transfer utilized the Western Front Army's Red Mist supply line, Hexzoode could not possibly not know the location of the new royal city. For the king of the devil race, it was a complete traitor. Therefore, mastering more power was the best way to protect himself. The fall of the royal city was undoubtedly his best opportunity. When that moment came, Hexzoode should not remain indifferent.
Thinking of this, Roland looked at Tilly. "By the way, how is the sky knights' take-off and landing training going?"
"It's easier than I thought." Tilly replied calmly, "There is not much difference between taking off and landing from the floating island and taking off and landing on the ground. As long as the weather permits, the trainees can easily complete it. The only trouble is that in the past, the pilots could roughly determine their location by seeing the Impassable Mountains or the coastline, and then find the land airport. But in the future, both the enemy and us will be constantly moving, and the Fertile Plains lack landmark guidance, so there may be some difficulty in positioning during the return flight. Of course, this is not an unsolvable problem. You just need to provide sufficient fuel."
This is also a major problem for aircraft carrier operations - in a battlefield with a range of hundreds of kilometers, a slight deviation will eventually accumulate into a huge error. Fortunately, compared to the unchanging sea, even the most desolate land can always find a few "coordinate points" for positioning, such as forests, rivers, and mountains. Roland could roughly guess what she was planning. If they were not familiar with it, they would practice more. The more they flew, the more naturally they would know where they were.
"Don't worry, you can let them fly for as long as you want." He agreed immediately.
In this decisive battle, the sky knights will be the undisputed main force. It is precisely because of an air force that humans have the opportunity to intercept the Devil Royal City thousands of miles away.
Seeing that no one else was speaking, Roland looked around the hall and ordered in a deep voice, "Then, I announce that Project Sky Dome has entered its third phase. The floating island sets sail, heading for the northern region of the Fertile Plains!"