Before Rodney XVIII summoned Giles's envoy, the Kingdom Government had already begun preparations for war.
During that period, the various logistics units within the military were the busiest.
...
Ironworks Lane in the southern part of Crystal Radiance was still shrouded in a gray-blue morning mist, and Logistics Officer Edmund White had already kicked open the door of the third blacksmith shop.
The unfinished breastplate on the anvil still glowed with a dark red warmth. The old blacksmith, wrapped in a leather apron, raised his head from the pile of coals, his cloudy eyes suddenly narrowing when he saw the emblem on the newcomer's chest.
"You have two hundred sprues to deliver in three days," Edmund said, his leather boots crunching over the slag, his metal folder slamming heavily against the furnace. "I'd like to inquire about your progress."
"Sir, the fire in the furnace has never gone out!" The burly old blacksmith raised his hands, which were covered in burns. "But..."
Edmund immediately frowned, his thick eyebrows almost twisting together. "But what? I warned you, this mission cannot be flawed in any way. His Majesty the King is very concerned about the army's logistics."
"We're running low on iron ingots."
Edmund said angrily, "You guys are really going to cause me trouble! You're only interested in taking money out of His Majesty the King's pocket. Didn't you expect this kind of difficulty when you took this job? If we don't meet the quota, you and I will both be in trouble!"
"I'm so sorry, sir!"
The quartermaster paced back and forth on the ground with his hands behind his back, finally saying, "Here's what we'll do. A batch of iron ingots will be arriving from West Port soon. These are originally for the army's own use. I'll try to apply for some to be allocated to your shop, but some of the remaining balance must be deducted as a penalty."
The old blacksmith was overjoyed. "Thank you, Lord Edmund! The final payment is negotiable. I will definitely deliver the goods on time!"
In Crystal Radiance and the surrounding towns, many blacksmith shops received similar military orders. The Kingdom Government ordered many military supplies directly from Northwest Bay, where the workshops had large outputs and good quality. However, some less important parts, such as cleaning rods for firearm barrels, were outsourced by the Kingdom Government to workshops under its control.
We can't just throw all those hard-earned silver coins at Northwest Bay.
Nevertheless, the vast majority of supplies directly used in combat were transported by cargo ships from the western bay.
The large-scale transport of supplies from West Port to Crystal Radiance has been ongoing for half a month, including weapons such as swords, spears, and armor, as well as important raw materials such as iron ingots.
To minimize disturbance, most transportation work is carried out at night and in the early morning.
Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the last convoy entered the White Oak Camp outside the city. Figures moved in and out of the military warehouse, and four-wheeled supply wagons formed a winding iron snake. The newly cast steel bearings on the axles gleamed with a faint blue light under the moonlight. It is said that these wagons were a secret invention of Northwest Bay, which could increase the carrying efficiency by more than four times compared to traditional horse-drawn carriages.
The chestnut geldings leading the wagon puffed out white smoke from their mouths and nostrils, their horseshoes breaking through the icy ruts, and the wooden boxes on their wheels clattered with each bump.
The work of receiving materials was very busy. The soldiers responsible for moving the materials were like worker ants, carrying metal crates and shuttling back and forth in the warehouse.
Logistics officer Horn pulled open his wool scarf, his breath condensing into frost flowers on his brass-rimmed glasses. His sheepskin gloves, clutching the list, were covered in frost, yet he still managed to pinpoint the crack with his wool pen: "Three teeth are loose in the clasp of this wooden crate! Get the blacksmith over to reinforce it—now!"
The soldiers next to him responded and hurriedly ran out.
In the old army, such things would not have been a big deal, but the instructors from Alda had established a strict accountability mechanism for the royal family's new army, so Horn was conscientious and dared not be negligent in any of the supplies he handled.
"Watch out for that crate! Don't walk near the torch!" he suddenly shouted, startling the soldiers carrying the crates so much they almost fell. Several other soldiers hurriedly braced themselves against the tilting crates, some black powder seeping from the corners —gunpowder. No wonder Horn was angry to see the soldiers so close to the open flame.
After much deliberation, Paul lifted the restrictions on the sale of firearms to Crystal Radiance, but limited them only to smoothbore muskets and cannons discarded by the Alda army.
In addition, the proportions of raw materials for the gunpowder were modified, and some impurities were added, which reduced its power and increased the difficulty of cracking its formula.
The inventory of supplies required careful attention. After a flurry of activity, Horn took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow.
The officer in charge of the shipment unfolded the manifest, its edges wrinkled and soaked with sweat. "This is the shipment I'm responsible for: twenty crates of firearms, four six-pound cannons, and fifty barrels of gunpowder. If there are no problems, please sign here."
"The count is correct." Horn took the list, spread it on the table, signed his name, and returned it to the other party.
Similar scenes played out daily in the military warehouses near Crystal Radiance, where the royal war machine roared to life under the orders of King Rodney XVIII.
Or perhaps it's a road roller, heading straight for the southern border to crush the villains there.
However, Giles, who was the one being crushed, was not so happy.
Not a single mistake, not a single song, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single 6-9 book, not a single bar, take a look!
The moment the golden cup shattered in the fireplace, splashed wine left grotesque claw marks on the tapestry. Grand Duke Giles clutched the gold-edged proclamation, the parchment edges crumbling into falling gold leaf between his fingers, as if he were trying to crush Rodney XVIII's repulsive crown.
"That greenhorn dares to declare war!" Veins bulged on his forehead, his amber eyes burning fiercely. "Hmph! Look at the force of this seal; the coward's stamp shines brighter than the late king's!"
Giles, enraged, cleaved the silver platter brought by the maid in two with his longsword, and the candied cherries rolled into the exquisite carpet.
Giles said viciously, "I can't believe it. Just three months ago, he was writing to me like a dog, calling me 'brother' so affectionately."
He suddenly froze on the spot. He remembered that it was a marriage alliance with the Marquis Glaeman of Northwest Bay. Yes, it had witnessed the royal family's determination to attack him.
Suddenly, the bronze mirror reflected his twitching lips. The man who had once forced the royal army to retreat back to Crystal Radiance was now trembling, like an old horse encountering a pack of wolves on a snowy night.
Giles was hallucinating, seeing Paul Greiman's repulsive face.
Glaeman was mocking him cruelly: "Your Highness, I remember you asked me to teach you a lesson, to show me how cruel reality can be."
"Damn it!" Giles swung his arm forward fiercely to dispel the hallucination.
" Rodney, Glaeman, since you've chosen war, then let's have war! Let's see if my Undead Army is stronger, or your toy soldiers!"