Chapter 1410: Prologue: The Worst Ending (Final)

“I’m sorry, but ‘he just is’ is not an answer.” Fritz spoke bluntly:

“Although Winters Montagne is now in the United Provinces and is more famous than several other leaders of the New Reclaimed Land Rebel Army, it is mainly because of his unique identity ‘among the Pavi People’ and those legendary experiences that clearly contain many fictional elements.”

“However, whether from the perspective of seniority or territory, he should be the weakest and easiest to deal with among the various factions within the Rebel Army.”

“So I really can’t understand why you specifically say that Winters Montagne is the most difficult enemy to deal with?”

“Is it because of his personal combat skills? I have indeed heard people say that he is a spellcaster. But what can a spellcaster do on the battlefield? It’s nothing more than killing people, cannons can also kill people, and possibly kill more than a spellcaster.”

“Your view is not without reason, and most United Provinces officers think this way too.” Cornelius changed the subject and said with a tsk:

“However, this also proves that your understanding of Winters Montagne is as lacking as that of most United Provinces officers. Since you need to be Winters Montagne’s enemy, your understanding of him cannot remain at the level of ‘most people’.”

“But the Newly Reclaimed Land is far away, and the information I can get in Guidao City is limited.” Fritz asked knowingly: “Is there any way that you can help me learn more about Winters Montagne, teacher?”

Sure enough, this hit the former minister’s itch.

“Come!”

Cornelius got up and beckoned, the corners of his habitually tense mouth unconsciously lifted slightly. He went around from behind the desk and strode towards the sand table at the other end of the room.

Fritz followed closely.

“How is it?” Cornelius asked energetically as he stood beside the sand table, hands on his hips, with his back to his student: “Does this sand table look alright?”

Standing slightly behind Cornelius, Fritz bent down to observe closely and saw a sand table as large as a double bed arranged in the terrain of a valley exit.

A strip of blue wood chips representing a river flowed out of the valley, spanning the entire battlefield.

Numerous red and blue flags representing two armies were engaged in fierce combat around the small village in the center of the battlefield.

The number of red and blue flags was extremely large; if, according to the Alliance Army’s sand table arrangement practice, each flag represented a brigade-level force, then the total strength invested by both sides would reach the level of one hundred thousand.

Fritz thought this was unlikely. First, if it were a battle at the level of one hundred thousand people, he wouldn’t have not heard of it; second, ten thousand people would be too crowded for this valley.

Thus, the only explanation is that each flag does not represent a brigade but a hundred-men squad level or cavalry detachment level military unit.

It’s not impossible to arrange a sand table with each flag representing one hundred men, but…

“How much effort does it take to subdivide a sand table down to each hundred-men squad?” Fritz marveled.

“Not much, just took the teaching and research room seven nights to replay… no need to stand so far, look closer.”

The former minister’s tone was quite nonchalant, but the corners of his mouth were almost lifted enough to hang a saber.

Perhaps realizing his own misconduct, Cornelius lightly coughed, turned, and walked towards the large cabinet next to the sand table, casually saying:

“Let me give you a question — observe the sand table and tell me, which battle is it?”

“Judging by the battlefield situation alone, I don’t know.” Fritz answered honestly: “But since you’re asking me now, I guess it’s the Battle of River Valley Village.”

Cornelius hummed noncommittally, opened the cabinet door in the northeast corner, and took out a file box from the backmost position.

Cornelius placed the file box in front of Fritz; judging from his movements, the file box was not light.

“Here.” Cornelius tapped the lid of the file box with his finger and said to Fritz:

“Inside here is all the intelligence I have gathered about the Battle of River Valley Village. From the co-signed announcements issued by the Rebel leaders to the reports sent back by the Kingsfort vanguard, to the information provided by every shop with a branch in Kingsfort, as well as recent inquiry records from those returning from Paratu, transcripts of letters from participating soldiers that could be accessed…

“In short, all the intelligence that can be obtained in Guidao City, whether written or spoken, has been aggregated here and analyzed and judged by the teaching and research room…”

While the former minister was eloquently speaking, Fritz’s attention was attracted by the label on the side of the file box.

The label had three lines of text:

[Battle of River Valley Village (Preliminary)]

[River Valley Village · Mirror Lake County · Newly Reclaimed Lands Province · Paratu]

[Year 560, May 28 (Tentative)]

Fritz suddenly realized something and abruptly raised his head, looking around — a total of three walls, three hundred giant file boxes large enough to hold a double open book, each side labeled with the same, but different content.

Some of the place names and battle names on the file boxes in Fritz’s memory were related to the Alliance.

A few place names and battle names on the file boxes came with obvious Eastern style.

And the vast majority of the labels on the file boxes were either battles Fritz had heard of or those he had not but knew by location were battles involving the Imperial Army.

Some well-known large battles, each connected full of over ten file boxes.