Man in the Ark: Revitalizing Kazdel

Chapter 505 Decapitation Operation

Count Victoria, returning from Lateran, brings the latest developments in the international situation. The Great Yan remains absent and silent; Kazdel and Ursus show subtle signs of an alliance; and Colombia, as a newly emerging nation, is demonstrating immense potential and ambition...

The rapidly changing international situation, the chaotic and turbulent internal environment, and the power struggles among the dukes... all these unfavorable conditions were urging the arrogant, complacent, and self-sufficient Victorian Empire to examine and maintain its hegemonic position on this land.

However, to accelerate its pace and keep up with the times, the great Victorian Empire had to prioritize resolving its internal problems, both large and small. A stable internal situation was of paramount importance to the empire's development.

Ending the war between Victoria and Tara is the easiest problem to solve compared to major projects such as improving the living standards of all people, introducing the most advanced Originium electronic technology, and building a stronger army; it only requires a resolution from the parliament.

At the joint command headquarters of the Dukes' alliance aboard the Dreadnought-class battleship, the dukes engaged in heated discussions regarding the council's resolution. The previous negotiations had completely broken down, but most still favored a swift end to the war through negotiations.

Victoria is currently facing internal and external troubles and must focus its efforts on development. Once the country is stable and its military strength has been enhanced, it should launch a war to completely conquer Tara.

"Duke Cumberland, what are your thoughts on the council's decision?" At the long table meeting, the slightly overweight middle-aged duke turned to look at Duke Cumberland, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"When have we ever truly cared about the so-called parliamentary resolutions? They're just an excuse." Duke Cumberland ruthlessly exposed the true intentions of some people, his sharp gaze sweeping across everyone's eyes.

"The Steam Knights have arrived at the front lines. If we execute a surprise decapitation strike, we still have a chance to win the war."

"Major Lincoln has confirmed to me that, provided the fleet provides timely fire support, his Steam Knight squad has a 50% chance of breaking through the Gastrill's firepower and posing a life-threatening threat to the Duke of Wellington and the new leader of Deeppool."

“Of course, if any of you wish to withdraw your troops and minimize losses, you may leave now,” Duke Cumberland said, gesturing for the others to do as they pleased.

A brief silence fell over the meeting room until the first person stood up and left, followed by the second, the third, the fourth... In the end, only three staunch allies remained who chose to stand with the Duke of Cumberland.

Alliances formed by shared interests will ultimately crumble when those interests diverge. This has been true throughout history.

Duke Cumberland had anticipated their departure and made no attempt to persuade them to stay, continuing to chair the meeting. "All irrelevant personnel have left. Now, let's begin formulating the decapitation strike plan. Major Lynch, you may enter."

As the Duke of Cumberland finished speaking, the door to the lounge was pushed open, and a tall, imposing figure slowly walked out, taking steady steps to the conference table.

“Steam Knight Charles Lynch greets the dukes.” After nodding to the dukes, Lynch pulled out a chair and sat down next to the Duke of Cumberland.

......

"Your Highness, the Duke's coalition forces on the other side have made new moves. A large number of warships have broken away from the fleet and are heading in different directions." On the Gastrill, in the office that once belonged to Abrahana, the captain and Ahmoni stood before the new leader of the Deeppool, reporting the latest intelligence they had gathered.

"Have you found out what the reason is?" The new leader of Deep Pool wore an iron mask that covered the upper half of his face, with platinum blonde hair hanging down and golden cross flames flashing at his collarbone.

After Abrahana faked her death and escaped, Deeppool fell into brief chaos, and the shadow leader Raphsini naturally took over and stabilized the situation.

"Not yet. Intelligence personnel are trying their best to find out the reason behind this." The officer shook his head and then said, "There's one more thing. That steam knight squad has secretly moved its location and escaped our surveillance. They may be planning something big."

“I have a strange sense of unease about informing my subordinates to be on high alert.” Rafishini stood up and looked out the window at the hazy outline of the opposite bank of the river.

"Yes, Your Highness." The officer and Ahmoni responded in unison, then turned and left the office to go about their own business.

......

The night was as dark as ink, thick clouds obscuring the light of the two moons. The Gastrill activated its high-powered searchlights, piercing the dense fog that blanketed the river. Other warships followed suit, their large beams frequently sweeping across a radius of several kilometers.

The unusual movements of the Duke's allied forces and the steam knights alerted Duke Wellington's fleet. Darkness and dense fog provided the best cover for a surprise attack, especially given the presence of steam knights on the enemy side.

"Boom!" The ground vibrated as the tracks of the high-speed warships rolled over the earth. In the pitch-black night, the Duke's allied fleet advanced without turning on any lights.

A piercing alarm blared through the night sky, and red flares, trailing white smoke, rose into the heavens like countless suns illuminating the entire riverbank. Experienced gunners quickly calculated the firing angles of their cannons, awaiting orders from the fleet commander.

As the Duke's allied forces raised their flares, they immediately took countermeasures, with smoke grenades of various colors exploding at different heights to cover the positions of their own warships.

This smoke contained a special substance that not only effectively absorbed light but also interfered with the detection capabilities of Originium magic. The smoke increased, drifting with the wind to the battlefield on the opposite bank of the river.

"The first to fifth firepower units will fire in one round in the predetermined direction, while the remaining units will be on alert in all directions, as the enemy may appear from any direction."

The fleet commander's voice came through the radio at just the right time: with visibility severely limited, waiting for the enemy to open fire before retaliating was the best option.

However, the fleet must be wary of steam knights lurking in the darkness, and cannot turn off its high-powered searchlights, as its position remains constantly exposed to the enemy. The only option is to fire first and eliminate the threat to one side.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..." A salvo of naval gunfire pierced through the thick smoke, bombarding the opposite bank and kicking up large amounts of mud and rocks. Due to the inability to aim and the allied fleet's retreating formation, the artillery barrage achieved no results.

"Decapitation strike, commence!" Duke Cumberland seized the opportunity when the enemy fired their next round of cannons and decisively gave the order. The steam knight squad hidden in the icy river water unleashed their full power, scalding steam billowing from every part of their black armor as they charged toward the Gastrill.