Chapter 27: Continuing the Advance

"Second Lieutenant Morin, is that correct?"

Brigadier General Karl Paul, commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade, finally spoke. He was a man in his forties with a stern, resolute face.

"It is no wonder Lieutenant General Mackensen assigned you to the military observer group... I had originally assumed it was some vague case of nepotism, but it seems you truly possess genuine skill."

Upon hearing this, Morin did not know how to respond. He knew better than anyone that his placement in the observer group had absolutely nothing to do with his own merits. Lieutenant General Mackensen had acted purely out of affection for the son of an old friend, wishing to provide him with rigorous training. In a sense, he had indeed benefited from "nepotism."

However, he had no heart to dwell on this right now. He simply stood still, waiting for the brigade commander's final decision.

"The intelligence you brought back is extremely valuable, Second Lieutenant Morin." Brigadier General Paul looked closely at the markings on the map, his tone carrying a hint of approval. "This information will provide tremendous assistance to our upcoming operations..."

Hearing this, the sense of foreboding in Morin's heart grew even stronger. This did not sound like a man intending to cancel an offensive. Sure enough, the Brigadier General's next words made his heart turn cold.

"However, the offensive plan will not change."

As soon as these words were uttered, not only Morin, but Major Thomas and the commander of the 33rd Regiment standing beside him changed their expressions.

"That is correct, sir!" A liaison officer from the International Brigade stepped forward, his emotions slightly agitated. "We must seize this opportunity while the Britannian reinforcements have yet to gain a firm footing and take Seville in one fell swoop! This is the key to liberating all of Andalusia! As Second Lieutenant Morin just said, the Royal Army is running rampant in Seville; we cannot wait any longer!"

The liaison officer from the National Army immediately echoed this: "Yes, we cannot wait! The longer we delay, the more fortified the enemy's defenses will become!"

Major Thomas and the commander of the 33rd Regiment attempted to raise objections, arguing that launching an assault with insufficient intelligence posed too great a risk. However, many staff officers at the brigade headquarters believed that the information gathered before the battle was sufficiently detailed, especially regarding the exact positions of the magic crystal cannons that were likely to cause casualties. Based on previous engagements with the Britannians in overseas colonies, their magic crystal cannons had a range of less than five kilometers. The field artillery regiments currently reinforced to the 16th Infantry Brigade—whether the 77mm cannons or the 105mm howitzers—far outranged those of the Britannians. Therefore, they could completely devastate these artillery positions before the assault began. Once the support of the magic crystal cannons was lost, the remaining Royal Army and Britannian infantry would not be difficult to deal with.

The pro-war and pro-delay factions argued their cases, but ultimately, Brigadier General Paul made the decision, announcing in an irrefutable tone that the offensive against Seville would proceed.

The debate in the tent came to an abrupt end. Major Thomas looked at Morin and shook his head slightly, his gaze saying: *Do not be impulsive; it ends here.*

Morin clenched his fists, then slowly let them go. He knew well that the pro-war staff officers were not entirely wrong; with the support of detailed intelligence and the advantage of artillery range, this offensive was feasible. But no matter what, once the attack began, there would inevitably be casualties. He understood that everything was beyond change.

***

This impromptu military meeting concluded in a repressive and resolute atmosphere. Upon leaving the command tent, Morin, unwilling to give up, wanted to seek out Lieutenant General Mackensen for one final effort. However, he was told that the Lieutenant General had boarded a military train that afternoon to return to the Expeditionary Force headquarters in the rear.

The last sliver of hope was extinguished.

Morin and Major Thomas rode their horses side by side on the way back to camp. They did not speak, both feeling a crushing weight in their hearts.

When they returned to the 1st Battalion camp, they were greeted by faces filled with concern and anticipation. Captain Hauser was the first to approach.

"How did it go, Major? What did headquarters say?"

Major Thomas shook his head wearily, remaining silent. The other officers of the battalion staff felt their hearts sink upon seeing their commander's expression. Morin looked at the dejected crowd, his own heart filled with bitterness. He knew he had done his best, but individual effort remained insignificant in the face of a massive war machine and the will of higher command.

"The offensive plan remains unchanged," Major Thomas answered everyone's unspoken questions. "I expect the official orders from brigade headquarters to arrive in an hour or two... We are scheduled to break camp and move into attack positions late tonight, and launch the formal assault on Seville tomorrow morning."

Morin did not know what else he could do. Perhaps the only thing left was to act as a junior officer, leading his platoon to survive this cruel battle as best he could.

"Everyone, go back and rest," Major Thomas finally said, his voice firm. "You are all soldiers of the Saxon Empire; our duty is to obey orders and fight for the Empire! Get some rest—there is a hard battle to be fought tomorrow... Do you understand?!"

"Yes, sir!" The officers snapped to attention and replied loudly.

***

In the main tent of the 16th Infantry Brigade, most had already left, leaving only the Brigadier General and his Chief of Staff.

"You were actually hesitant about this offensive, weren't you?" the Chief of Staff asked softly, looking at the Brigadier's weary profile. "I am curious, why did you decide to force the offensive in the end?"

Brigadier General Paul remained silent for a long time, then let out a long sigh. He did not answer, but instead turned and took a telegram from a file box that had been delivered to him just before the meeting, handing it to the Chief of Staff.

"Read it yourself."

It was a telegram from the Imperial General Staff. The content was simple and direct, ordering the 16th Infantry Brigade in the clearest terms to coordinate with friendly forces to capture Seville at any cost within the specified timeframe and ensure it remained firmly under their control.

While the Chief of Staff was still shocked by the harshness of the order, his eyes fell on the final paragraph. That line made his breath hitch. The General Staff had ordered the *Zeppelin*-class armored airship L-30, currently on standby in the Mediterranean airspace, to provide support after completing its maritime refueling.

"An armored airship..." The Chief of Staff's hand trembled slightly as he held the telegram, finding it unbelievable. He had never expected the General Staff to value the city of Seville to such an extent, even going so far as to deploy one of the Empire's strategic weapons. That was a true behemoth of the sky, a powerful weapon capable of hovering over the enemy's head and raining down fire at will.

"Now you understand..." The Brigadier General sat back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "For me, this was not a choice, but a death order."

The Chief of Staff gently placed the telegram back on the table. His doubts were resolved, replaced by a complex mix of excitement and awe. "I understand, sir... but why Seville? What is it about this city?"

"The newly discovered vein of Brilliant Crystal is located underground near Seville."

The Chief of Staff understood instantly and asked no further questions. The Brigadier General looked up at the ceiling of the tent, as if he could pierce through the canvas to see the turbulent night sky that awaited them. After a moment, he checked the time on his pocket watch and spoke to his Chief of Staff:

"Have the orderlies deliver the operational orders to the battalions in two hours. The brigade headquarters and other direct support units are to prepare to advance!"

***

Morin returned to the 3rd Company's position, and his company commander, Captain Hauser, sought him out.

"Morin, don't think too much! Sometimes, that is the life of a soldier; we just need to execute orders."

"I know, Captain."

"Good." Hauser patted him on the back. "You've done enough for today. Go get some sleep!"

Morin nodded, bade farewell to Captain Hauser, and returned to his tent. The moment his head hit the pillow, the surge of exhaustion completely overwhelmed everything else.

Just as he fell into a deep sleep at record speed, a new line of information appeared on the system's "Intelligence" tab:

[Friendly strategic unit detected... Parsing information...]
[Saxon Imperial Air Force - *Zeppelin*-class armored airship - L-30]
[Status: Currently undergoing maritime refueling]
[Estimated arrival time: 15 hours 21 minutes]