“Oh?” Roland raised an eyebrow. “Tell me about it?”
“Since the Devouring Worms of Taqila can create tunnels through mountains in the Impassable Mountain Range, the underground of the Barren Land shouldn't be a problem for them either.” Edith held up two fingers. “As long as two worm carriers operate in parallel, they can dig a tunnel large enough for horse-drawn carriages. Regarding this, I specifically consulted with Minister Karl, and the conclusion is that while the mud cannot support an underground palace like the Third Border Town, passage is possible if a certain depth can be guaranteed.”
“How to advance?”
“Act simultaneously with the main force of the First Army. The tunnel entrance is located in the center of the camp and is extracted using a vertical shaft, which can be used to set up tents and disguise as a normal camp area.”
“What about after evacuation?”
“Seal the vertical shaft, restore the topsoil, but leave vents for air intake into the tunnel.”
“Time required?”
“It will be about half a month slower than normal marching, but under the harassment of the devils, it is difficult to maintain the usual marching speed. And the biggest weakness of the First Army will disappear – viewed from the sky, this force will only appear as a fist, which will inevitably attract all the attention of the devils.”
Roland couldn't help but curl his lips. It seemed that after a day and night of thinking, the plan was quite mature.
“Was this idea your idea?”
“Sort of,” Edith admitted frankly, “but its final completion is the result of collaboration between multiple departments. In addition to the Construction Department, the Arithmetic Institute also participated – although they do not know the specific details of the Second Plan.”
Should he say she truly deserved to be called the Pearl of the North? The most valuable aspect of this plan wasn't the idea itself, but the utilization of every available resource.
If it were an ordinary person, it would probably be difficult to include the monster-like worm carriers in consideration.
Moreover, the Arithmetic Institute was a newly established institute that was less than a year old. Usually, apart from stargazing, it only received tasks assigned by Roland, and she was already trying to use more professional personnel to calculate whether the tunnel's supply logistics efficiency was feasible.
This extraordinary vision was truly gratifying.
In addition, he vaguely had the illusion that Edith seemed even more sharp and assertive than before, as if she had shed a layer of disguise.
“Good job,” Roland encouraged. “Implement this plan.”
“Yes,” the Pearl of the North paused. “But I still have one thing to say. The deduction results of the Second Plan will still involve casualties, and the process will not be easier than the Church's battle at Coldwind Ridge. After all, the devils occupy the initiative. Before the First Army reaches its destination, it is unlikely to be able to defend itself using pre-arranged positions and bunkers as it has in the past.”
“So you prefer to stand still and wait for an opportunity?”
“No, I prefer to gnaw on this bone no matter what,” she replied slowly. “If the Divine Will War is as brutal as the Taqila people say, then a trial by fire is absolutely necessary for the First Army. It's you – I always feel that you care too much about the lives of the soldiers, to the point that you want to make every step foolproof. But when the enemy is an unknown devil, some things are beyond human reach, so please be prepared.”
That's the feeling… Roland thought to himself. If it were before, she wouldn't have said such a thing. If it were another lord, he might have considered it an offensive remark. Someone as clever as Edith wouldn't make such a low-level mistake in such details.
Is this a chain reaction of the backlashes he'd dealt?
But never mind.
As long as she could serve him, everything else was insignificant.
“I understand, you may leave.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After Edith saluted and left, Nightingale appeared, her face showing dissatisfaction. “Is it wrong to care about the safety of your subordinates? She's overstepping!”
“I don't think there's anything wrong with it either,” Roland laughed. “But everyone has their own ideas. It's good to listen to all sides.” But in his heart, he had another thought – the reason why he wanted to consider everything as comprehensively as possible was because he simply couldn't afford to lose any more at the moment. These soldiers weren't
mercenaries and serfs cobbled together. Almost everyone could write, not to mention that some officers had the ability to read maps and write reports. It was necessary to minimize losses as much as possible.
Just as Nightingale was about to say something else, the Listening Amulet hanging on her chest suddenly lit up red.
Roland's heart sank. “Have the devils made another new move?”
The transmission time was very short. She answered almost immediately while pressing her chest. “No, it's good news. The third batch of witches from Sleeping Island is expected to arrive in Neverwinter City tomorrow evening, led by Ms. Camilla Dary.”
So it was Tilly sending a magic power transmission… Roland breathed a sigh of relief. “Go tell Wendy. Welcome them according to the reception standards of the previous two batches.”
This should be the last batch of migrants, accounting for almost half of the total number of witches on Sleeping Island. The framework of Sleeping Curse has also been completed. After that, whether it's statistical ability or recruitment process, he can safely hand it over to Wendy. As for the remaining witches, he believed that as long as he gave them time, they would eventually accept the fact that the Kingdom of Graycastle had been completely renewed.
“No problem.” Nightingale seemed to have forgotten about the Pearl of the North incident and was about to escape into the mist when Roland suddenly stopped her again.
“Wait… the leader is Camilla? The witch who was going to go to the coastline with Joan?”
“Yes, what's wrong?”
“Let me think…” Roland pondered for a moment. “Didn't the previous situation deduction believe that the devils always occupied the initiative? Perhaps I can shrink the opponent's maneuverability advantage a bit more.”
“Uh, are these two related?” Nightingale looked blank.
“Not sure, but we have to try,” he said with interest. “When Camilla arrives, I need to talk to her in person.”
*******************
After entering the Western Region along the Scarletwater River, the riverbanks gradually turned brown-yellow – that was the color of harvested wheat stalks and soil mixed together.
Judging from the thickness of the straw, this year was another year of good harvest.
Andrea stood at the bow of the ship, took a deep breath in the refreshing autumn wind. The farmland baked by the sun emitted a unique smell, making people feel inexplicably relaxed and satisfied.
She didn't know if it was the afterglow of the harvest or the anticipation of returning home.
Perhaps it was both.
“Don't they… collect these things?” A good voice suddenly came from behind. “It's clearly a good kindling.”
Andrea turned around and found that the person who spoke was actually a God's Punishment Witch. Her name seemed to be Carole.
“You actually know this?” She had also asked her father a similar question when she was a child, such as why farmers would collect the cut wheat stalks and tie them into small mountain-like shapes. At that time, her father's answer was for survival.
「They don't have enough money to buy firewood, so in order to survive the winter, they must collect as much heating material as possible, and straw is an excellent fuel. It is both flammable and readily available. Many nobles also buy some to light fires. At the same time, in the absence of clothing, people can also use it as bedding. Although it burns with choking smoke and is prickly to sleep on, it's better than freezing to death. In your eyes, these stalks may be useless, but for those who need them, they are as important as wheat ears, both of which are indispensable parts of life.」