“Second Lieutenant Molin, is it?”
The brigade commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Karl Paul, finally spoke. He was a man who looked to be in his forties, with a stern, resolute face.
“No wonder Lieutenant General Mackensen assigned you to the military observation group. I had originally thought it was some dubious nepotism, but it seems you do have some genuine skill.”
Hearing this, Molin was at a loss for how to respond.
He knew better than anyone that getting into the military observation group had nothing whatsoever to do with his abilities.
Lieutenant General Mackensen had purely been looking out for him as the son of a close friend, wanting to properly train him. From a certain perspective, he had indeed benefited from “nepotism.”
But at the moment, he had no mind to dwell on this. He simply stood quietly, waiting for the brigade commander’s final decision.
“The intelligence you brought back is extremely valuable, Second Lieutenant Molin.”
Brigadier General Paul studied the markings on the map carefully, his tone carrying approval.
“This information will provide tremendous assistance for our upcoming operations.”
Hearing this, the ominous premonition in Molin’s heart grew stronger and stronger.
These words didn’t sound like they were leading toward canceling the offensive at all.
Sure enough, Brigadier General Paul’s next words made his heart sink completely.
“But the offensive plan will not change.”
The moment these words were spoken, not just Molin, but Major Thomas beside him and the commander of the 32nd Regiment also changed expressions.
“Exactly, General!”
A liaison officer from the International Column stepped forward, somewhat agitated.
“We must act now, while the Britannian reinforcements are not yet firmly established, and take Seville in one stroke!
This is the key to liberating all of Andalusia! This Second Lieutenant Molin just said that the Royal Army is running rampant in Seville. We can’t wait any longer!”
A liaison officer from the National Army immediately echoed, “Yes, we cannot wait any longer! The longer we delay, the more solid the enemy’s defenses will become!”
Major Thomas and the commander of the 33rd Regiment both tried to raise objections, believing that a forced assault with insufficient intelligence carried too great a risk.
However, quite a few brigade staff officers believed that the enemy intelligence gathered before this battle was sufficiently detailed. In particular, the magic crystal cannons that could easily inflict casualties on their forces had all been located precisely.
Based on previous engagements with the Britannians in overseas colonies, the range of their magic crystal cannons was less than five kilometers.
And the field artillery regiment currently attached to the 16th Infantry Brigade, whether the 77mm cannons or the 105mm howitzers, far exceeded the range of the Britannian magic crystal cannons.
Therefore, it was entirely possible to carry out a devastating strike on these magic crystal cannon positions before the offensive!
And once deprived of magic crystal cannon support, the remaining Royal Army and Britannian infantry would not be difficult to deal with.
The hawks and those favoring delay each held to their arguments. In the end, it was Brigadier General Paul who made the decision, announcing in an irrefutable tone that the offensive against Seville would continue.
The argument inside the tent ground to an abrupt halt.
Major Thomas looked at Molin and shook his head slightly, his eyes seeming to say: Don’t do anything rash. This is as far as it goes.
Molin clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them.
He actually understood very well that the hawkish staff officers weren’t wrong either. With detailed intelligence support and the range advantage of artillery, this offensive was feasible.
But no matter what, once the offensive was launched, there would definitely be casualties.
But he also understood that everything was already beyond changing.
This impromptu military conference ended in this oppressive yet resolute atmosphere.
When leaving the brigade headquarters tent, Molin refused to give up and wanted to make one last effort to find Lieutenant General Mackensen.
He was informed, however, that Lieutenant General Mackensen had already boarded a military train that afternoon and returned to the Expeditionary Force Headquarters in the rear.
The last shred of hope was extinguished.
Molin and Major Thomas rode side by side on the road back to camp. Neither spoke along the way, their moods heavy to the extreme.
When the two returned to the 1st Battalion camp, they were greeted by faces full of concern and anticipation.
Captain Hauser was the first to come forward.
“How did it go? Major, what did brigade say?”
Major Thomas shook his head wearily without speaking.
When the other battalion staff officers saw the battalion commander’s expression, their hearts immediately sank.
Watching everyone’s disappointed expressions, Molin also felt bitter in his heart.
He knew he had already done everything he could.
But an individual’s effort, before the massive war machine and the will from higher levels, ultimately appeared so insignificant.
“The offensive plan remains unchanged.”
Major Thomas answered everyone’s questions.
“I expect the formal brigade orders will arrive in an hour or two. We will break camp in the latter half of the night and move into attack positions. At dawn tomorrow, we will formally launch the assault on Seville.”
Molin didn’t know what more he could do.
Perhaps the only thing he could do now was to act as a junior officer, lead his platoon, and try his best to survive this brutal battle.
“All of you, go back and rest.”
Major Thomas finally spoke, his voice extremely firm.
“You are all soldiers of the Saxon Empire. It is our bounden duty to obey orders and fight for the Empire! All of you, get plenty of rest. We have a hard battle to fight tomorrow. Understood?!”
“Yes, sir!”
The officers snapped to attention with a crack, answering loudly.
At the 16th Infantry Brigade headquarters, in the main command tent, most people had already left. Only the brigade commander and his chief of staff remained.
“You actually had reservations about this offensive as well, didn’t you?”
The chief of staff of the 16th Infantry Brigade looked at Brigadier General Paul’s tired profile and asked softly.
“I’m curious why you ultimately decided to force the offensive?”
Brigadier General Paul was silent for a long time and let out a long sigh.
He didn’t answer but turned and took out a telegram from a document case beside him—one that had been delivered directly to him before the meeting—and handed it to the chief of staff.
“See for yourself.”
It was a telegram from the Imperial General Staff.
The content was simple and direct, using the clearest possible wording to order the 16th Infantry Brigade to capture Seville at any cost, in coordination with friendly forces, within the stipulated time, and ensure it was firmly held in their hands.
While the chief of staff was still shocked by such a forceful order from the General Staff, his gaze fell on the final paragraph of the telegram.
That line of text made his breath stop.
The General Staff had ordered the Zeppelin-class armored airship L30, currently on standby in Mediterranean airspace, to provide support after completing its maritime resupply.
“Armored airship...”
The chief of staff’s hand holding the telegram trembled slightly. He found it somewhat unbelievable.
He had never imagined that the General Staff’s regard for the city of Seville would be so high.
To the point of not hesitating to deploy an armored airship—one of the Empire’s strategic weapons.
That was a true aerial behemoth, a powerful weapon capable of hovering over the enemy’s heads and wantonly pouring down firepower.
“Now you understand...”
The brigade commander sat back down in his chair and rubbed his temples.
“For me, this is not a choice, but an absolute order.”
The chief of staff gently placed the telegram back on the table. The doubts in his heart were completely resolved, replaced by a complex mixture of excitement and awe.
“I understand, sir. But why Seville? What is it about this city?”
“The newly discovered Radiant Crystal vein is located underground near Seville.”
The chief of staff immediately understood and asked no further.
The brigade commander raised his head to look at the tent ceiling, as if he could penetrate the canvas and see the night sky that was about to see storm clouds gather.
A moment later, he glanced at the time on his pocket watch and said to his chief of staff:
“In two hours, have the orderlies deliver the operational orders to each battalion. The brigade headquarters and other directly subordinate units are also to prepare to move forward!”
Molin returned to his own 3rd Company’s position. Company Commander Captain Hauser had specially followed him.
“Molin, don’t overthink it! Sometimes, this is what soldiers do. We only need to carry out orders.”
“I know, Captain.”
“Good.” Hauser patted him on the back. “You’ve already done enough today. Go back and get a good night’s sleep!”
Molin nodded. After bidding farewell to Captain Hauser, he returned to his tent.
The moment his head hit the pillow, surging drowsiness completely overwhelmed everything else.
Just as he fell into deep sleep almost instantly, a new line of information appeared in the System’s “Intelligence” tab.
[Detected friendly strategic unit. Analyzing information...]
[Saxon Imperial Air Force - ‘Zeppelin’-class Armored Airship - L30]
[Status: Currently conducting maritime resupply]
[Estimated time of arrival: 15 hours 21 minutes]