Lin Lan thus set the future direction for the Ark’s efforts.
Jay left the warehouse with training tasks in long strides, the joy on the young man’s face from obtaining the armor completely vanished, replaced by the sobriety and maturity learned from the Lord, along with an unwavering determination.
The dark and damp corpse warehouse was not a good place to discuss serious matters.
In the bright and clean conference room, Lin Lan took a sip of hot coffee and spread out the map of the Lion Heart Kingdom on the table.
Ed sat opposite with a cup in hand, this former officer of the Alliance now also loved this wonderful drink that restores the spirit.
Their eyes were firmly fixed on the map.
The shape of Lion Heart Island resembles a crescent moon, with the Southern Territory and Northern Border each occupying the horns of the moon, while the Eastern and Western Borders form the main body of the island, closely fitting together.
Due to the hilly terrain of the Eastern Border and the swampy and forested terrain of the Southern Territory, the Lionheart Knights did not rush to advance toward the East and South Borders, instead settling on the very flat plains of the Western Border, patiently cultivating the Blood Plague Curse.
"Those knights really picked a good location..."
Lin Lan rubbed her forehead and murmured.
The current issue is that Seagull Town is located at the edge of the Southern Territory, and even with forest roads built, it would take soldiers a full two days to march to the edge of the Eastern Border.
Although Eleanor could fly over in half a day and make the Eastern Border nobles weep, controlling the territory long-term cannot solely rely on violence and slaughter.
Eliminating the noble class is just the first step in the plan; Lin Lan’s true aim is to save the farms and cultivated lands being gradually devoured by the Blood Plague.
To evenly sprinkle the Ash Soil’s radiance on the soil, the only way is to establish order. Only stable living and prolonged education can prompt people to produce enough Sun Ore.
"The troops we have are insufficient for protecting the Eastern Border long-term, my lord."
Ed also pinpointed the crux of the problem and said solemnly, "The region where the Eastern and Western Borders meet is too long. Occupying the Eastern Border means the warriors would constantly face pressure from the Blood Plague and knights."
The Western Border is a vast plain without geographical restrictions, allowing the Royal Court Knights to launch attacks from any point at any angle.
These guys are not foolish noble guards, but bloodthirsty butchers blessed by curses; they are the regular army that the Ark is about to face.
"Then let’s take it step by step; if we can’t swallow it in one bite, we’ll nibble at it bit by bit."
Lin Lan carefully sorted through her thoughts and quickly made a judgment: "We should hold onto as much territory as we can!"
Ed nodded, indicating his agreement.
In the following prolonged war, the Ark must consider logistics, personnel transportation, and combat strategies.
Every aspect must be taken care of.
In terms of logistics, it is barely enough for now since the Civilian Corps just overthrew the Southern Territory’s nobles, coupled with the Reconstructor’s production, allowing people to not go hungry.
For personnel transportation, the Ark not only has to consider transporting soldiers but also the managers responsible for maintaining order and various types of craftsmen.
The Royal Court Knights won’t allow the Ark to slowly appease and cultivate the local talents.
Though Lion Heart Kingdom is a small island nation, sailing along the coast is completely unrealistic.
There is indeed a buffer zone between land and the actual open sea, covering about 200 meters offshore, but even fishermen who make their living by the sea dare not linger too long in this zone.
Over time, people would encounter strange occurrences on the water surface...
The wakeful dreams that the people involved are completely unaware of, sudden nighttime, the voices of conversation coming from under the ship, smiling sea waves, skeleton fish schools...
After encountering any strange phenomenon, fishermen would generally compose themselves and tidy up their appearance.
The pull of the sea is no joke.
Hence, it seems that the only method left for Lin Lan to transport personnel is using the carts collected from the Southern Territory nobles, but these are extremely slow.
This situation highlights the gap between the Ark and the Alliance Empire.
Disregarding the warships at sea, the land transportation capabilities of the Alliance and Empire are extremely advanced.
According to Ed’s description, the Alliance’s Alchemy Magic-guided Vehicle can adapt to any complex terrain in a short period of time; even on cliffs, it maintains a nimble and light posture, as if walking on flat ground.
The Empire’s heavy train is an aggressive and powerful machine, the steam-belching brass beast can easily crush ice and speed forward in the harsh climate of the Eternal Ice Field.
Is it possible for surrounding small countries to acquire such technology?
Sorry, not a chance.
Take the Magic-guided Vehicle that Ed is familiar with, for instance, the Alliance’s top brass prohibits merchants from selling land vehicles, but allows large firms to lease them to nearby small countries.
The annual rental for the most basic Magic-guided Vehicle starts at a hundred Bright Gold Coins.
In addition to this, the lessee not only has to bear the insurance costs but also conduct energy charging for the Magic-guided Vehicle’s alchemical engine at regular intervals.
This technology is tightly held by the elite Demon People of the Alliance, and as for the charging price, there’s no need for more explanation; a simple number from Ed almost scared Lin Lan faint.
Damn, it’s several times more expensive than renting the vehicle itself...
Lin Lan sighed and ultimately abandoned the idea of relying on the Alliance for support; the Ark was too impoverished to afford such extravagance.
Soon, the two discussed the most crucial aspect: combat.
While the Abyssal Calamity is indeed terrifying, what’s currently spreading on Lion Heart Island is just the calamity’s embryonic form; the Lionheart Knights that spread the Blood Plague were once humans, and there’s nothing to fear in that.
The Ark Legion equipped with Sun Battle Armor could potentially confront them.
But the mobility difference between the two sides is worlds apart.
The mounts of the Lionheart Knights are twisted Plague Warhorses, these creatures have long been twisted into tireless flesh monsters due to the curse, and according to the intelligence from the Grey-clothed Secret Guard, some of those ’horses’ even grew an extra four legs!
On the other hand, although there are some horses in the Ark’s current territory, ordinary warhorses must consume refined feed to maintain sufficient energy.
But now, most people are chewing tasteless biscuits, and it’s already fortunate if the horses have hay to eat.
Lin Lan couldn’t help but feel a headache.
In real combat, imagine warriors donned in something like Power Armor riding sickly horses charging slowly towards the enemy. The scene would be so abstract, it’s hard to hold it together just thinking about it.
"My lord, we hold a Cooperation Letter from the Alliance, perhaps we can find a way through diplomatic channels to lease an ’Alchemy War Chariot’ from the Alliance."
At this moment, Ed proposed his suggestion: "Even if the rental is extremely expensive, we can take it on credit for now, it’s a necessary expenditure."
He swallowed his coffee and said seriously, "Just a single war chariot could significantly ease the pressure on the edge of the Eastern Border."
"War Chariot?"
Lin Lan was intrigued.
"Generally, war chariots are among the most crucial decisive factors on the battlefield."
Ed nodded, "Whether it’s the Alliance or the Empire, both have developed different models of war chariots in response to warfare."
"The Empire’s ’War Giant Structure’ is a prime example; its mere presence on the battlefield can instantly change the course of battle."
Ed explained with a focused expression:
"When I served in the Alliance’s legion, the thousand-man squad I led was equipped with a basic war chariot called the ’Poison Sting,’ characterized by extremely high mobility plus adequate long-range killing capability."
At this moment, a hint of nostalgia and melancholy appeared in the man’s eyes.
"It was with that ’Poison Sting’ that we managed to fend off the advance of the Empire’s Mechanical Legion..."
Lin Lan fell into deep thought, her thoughts drifting.
If war chariots are the decisive elements on the battlefield, is it possible for the impoverished Apocalypse Ark to own a ’war chariot’ of its own?
Ah!
Actually, it does!