Chapter 1048

The Allied Forces began preparations for the amphibious assault on Ador.

Hansen came up with yet another strategy while the preparations were ongoing.

“The snowfall has eased a bit, so it’s finally possible to move our troops again. With that in mind...” Hansen said, glancing at King Leonid and Draculis.

Both King Leonid and Draculis were Masters, so they were powerful. They were basically living weapons of mass destruction capable of turning the tide even in greatly disadvantaged battles, so it made perfect sense to entrust them with missions of critical importance.

“If Your Majesty and General Draculis attack this location, then it'll greatly help our forces.”

The location Hansen had pointed out was the ideal foothold for the Allied Forces. They could use that place to launch an offensive against the Holy Alliance. While it wasn't fortified with a fortress or anything of that sort, the terrain was rugged and mountainous enough to make it difficult to capture.

“Once the area is secured, Sir Seung-Gu can lead our labor forces to construct a small fortress there. That way, our Allied Forces can push deeper into the Holy Alliance’s territory much more easily.”

As expected of Hansen, not only was he capable of devising excellent strategies, but he also knew how to maximize their effectiveness by proposing multiple operations simultaneously.

‘

This guy is the real deal,’

Siegfried thought to himself.

In his eyes, Hansen was like the light and salt of the Proatine Emperor.

Master warriors were so rare on the continent that there were only ten known ones so far. If even the hidden ones, like Draculis, were included, then there were probably twenty at most in total.

And just like those rare Masters, people like Hansen, who possessed unique abilities, were just as hard to come by.

Hansen was a poor slash-and-burn farmer who had spent most of his life cultivating barren land and had never received any proper education. His combat prowess was so poor that he struggled to take down even a single orc.

In other words, he had no talent for combat to begin with, making him smack below-average as a soldier.

But as a strategist?

Hansen was so brilliant that his lack of combat prowess could be completely disregarded.

He had only spent two years in the military, read some maps, and overheard a few conversations here and there, yet he managed to draft core strategic plans for the high command.

This was something only a genius could hope to achieve.

‘

At this level, I can safely leave all strategizing to him,’

Siegfried thought.

He decided to entrust the strategies of the Allied Force to Hansen.

Hansen would handle the strategies while Siegfried would engage in direct combat.

Overwhelming might combined with overwhelming intellect created a unique synergy that could create overwhelmingly favorable battle conditions.

In the near future, it was highly likely that just news of Siegfried and Hansen leading an army could strike terror in the hearts of their enemies, making them flee in panic.

Hansen was just like Zhuge Liang from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel.

‘

I’ll keep watching him just a little longer. When the time is right, I’ll promote him for sure. Maybe I’ll even get him some proper education?’

Siegfried thought with a smile as he stared at Hansen explaining his strategy.

Moreover, Hansen became a symbol of inspiration for the Proatine Empire’s Imperial army.

The story of Hansen, once a poor slash-and-burn farmer, being promoted to the rank of Captain to devise strategies for the high command had already spread throughout the Imperial army’s ranks.

The soldiers of the Proatine Imperial Army were greatly inspired by his story.

“Yeah! If he can do it, then I can do better!”

“My chance will come too if I serve diligently!”

“Captain Hansen didn’t even go to school. He's from a dirt-poor family, yet he still made it!”

“I can't rise as high as him, but I can still earn a decent position and live a good life if I work hard.”

The soldiers witnessed with their own eyes that anyone could climb the ranks regardless of their social class or background. Of course, they needed to have the talent to back it up.

The soldiers became more eager in their assigned duties. Hansen was like a glimmer of light in what once seemed like a life with neither hope nor future.

***

The Allied Forces immediately deployed an armada along the Piaro River and steadily loaded up their troops. Then, they headed toward the North Sea using the high-speed sea route.

It was truly a grand armada.

The armada transported a force of two hundred thousand soldiers, so its size was naturally on a staggering scale.

Moreover, the armada was escorted by five hundred Aqua Runners, each carrying Nordic Warriors and Blanc Warriors.

In terms of pure naval power, this was the strongest fleet ever deployed in the history of the entire continent.

And as the fleet set sail—

“Let’s go, Hamchi.”

“

Kyuuu!

Why aren’t we getting on a ship too, owner punk?! Hamchi wants to ride a ship too!”

Hamchi, eager to play pirate again after so long, even brought out his pirate hat and pestered Siegfried.

“No, we can’t.”

“

Kyuuu!

Why not?! Hamchi wants to be a pirate!”

“We’ve got to infiltrate separately.”

“

Kyu?

What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll explain later. Let’s go.”

Siegfried turned away from the departing fleet and headed toward the warp gate.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A unit of three hundred elite soldiers followed behind him.

They were the elite units of the Proatine Imperial Army, known as the Proatine Force, and they were hardened by hellish training.

Their personal identities were kept strictly confidential. Their identities were so confidential that not even their families knew they were part of the Proatine Force.

These elite soldiers possessed not only immense combat prowess but also the courage to risk their lives for their comrades.

Without exaggeration, they were the most elite unit within the Proatine Imperial Army.

“We’re not playing pirates this time, Hamchi,” Siegfried said. Then, he grinned and added, “We’re playing special forces.”

“

Kyu?”

“Our mission is to infiltrate the enemy’s naval base, disable their defense systems, and disrupt their communication systems.”

“

Kyu?!

Hold on! Hamchi will change into special forces clothes!

Kyuuu!”

Hamchi immediately suited up, donning a black military uniform and bulletproof vest just like a real special forces soldier. He even wore a black mask and black helmet that matched perfectly with the rest of the Proatine Force unit.

Unfortunately, no matter how well he blended in, he was still just a giant hamster.

‘

Does this guy have a cosplay hobby or something?’

Siegfried wondered.

Now that he thought about it, Hamchi seemed to be able to pull out perfectly matching outfits and gear every time they went on a mission. At this point, he honestly would not be surprised if the hamster did cosplay as a hobby and had a variety of outfits for every occasion.

“Anyway, let’s move out.”

“

Kyuuu!

Roger!”

With Hamchi and the Proatine Force in tow, Siegfried stepped into the warp gate and headed north. Their destination was the Holy Alliance’s naval base.

***

The following night, Siegfried, Hamchi, and the Proatine Force arrived near the enemy’s naval base. They hid and waited for their fleet to arrive.

After about two hours of waiting...

“We have received a report, sire. Our fleet is scheduled to arrive at the enemy naval base in two hours.”

A signalman reported to Siegfried.

“Is that so?”

Siegfried, who had been lying on a tree branch, hopped down at the report. Then, he turned to the Proatine Force operatives, all suited in dark gear and equipped with magical night vision goggles.

“Don’t overexert yourselves. Please take great care not to get hurt. This target isn’t strategically critical, so the difficulty of the mission isn’t particularly high. Still, I don’t want even a single casualty, so please be careful.”

“As you command, Your Imperial Majesty!”

Seeing how deeply their emperor cared for them, the morale of the Proatine Force surged.

“All right then. Let’s move out,” Siegfried said, stepping forward.

The operation began like a whisper so silent that neither a rat nor a bird noticed it.

‘

Oh, come on... They didn’t even need me.’

Siegfried immediately felt like he was redundant as soon as things were set in motion.

The Proatine Force operatives were so adept that there was no room for Siegfried to even step in. According to their training, they scaled the fortress walls in perfect silence, eliminated the guards with their daggers, and steadily secured control of the wall.

From time to time, they used silenced crossbows to snipe sentries in the distance or ambushed patrols from behind while hanging off the walls.

Even their movements were impeccably disciplined and fluid.

Siegfried truly admired their teamwork.

Knock! Knock! Knock.

The Proatine Force eventually made it to the communications room and knocked on the door.

“What is it—

urgh!”

The communications officer opened the door without much thought, only to have a bolt pierce his forehead.

Shwik! Shwik! Shwik!

The Proatine Force operatives rushed into the room, one after another, unleashing bolts into the heads of every communication officer inside.

Every enemy officer in the communication room was instantly neutralized.

‘

Wow... They’re like a work of art,’

Siegfried thought, realizing that their skills had reached a whole different realm from the last time.

This was not just about one-on-one combat prowess, nor was it about dominating a battlefield. It was about penetrating deep into enemy territory, silently assassinating targets, sabotaging facilities, or disrupting critical systems.

Most great powers possessed their own covert units, but the Proatine Force operatives were a step above them. Not only were they adept at carrying out clandestine operations, but each of them possessed combat prowess rivaling elite knights, too.

‘

Hell, I’m giving them a huge bonus,’

Siegfried decided to reward these elite operatives handsomely. He was quite satisfied with the way they swiftly handled the operation, so he thought that they deserved to be rewarded for it.

Then, he approached one of the communications officers who was still barely alive.

Sseuuu...!

He injected the man with radioactive microbes, turning him into an Irradiator.

Why?

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

It was all because this Irradiator would give false intel to the Holy Alliance.

“It’s the enemy!”

“The enemy has infiltrated our base!”

Just then, chaos began to erupt outside.

The Proatine Force operatives were skilled, but they were not ghosts. It would be a different story if they were only carrying out clandestine operations such as assassination or subterfuge, but that was not the main goal this time.

Their goal was to disable the enemy’s communication system and neutralize the defensive systems installed all across the naval base. Thus, engaging the enemy in direct combat was inevitable, which meant they would get discovered sooner or later.

“You stay here and act like everything’s fine if anyone tries to call in, got it?” Siegfried ordered.

“As you command, my master,” the Irradiator bowed deeply and replied.

“And the four of you. Stay here and defend this room,” Siegfried further ordered, pointing at four operatives.

The four of them replied with a salute, “As you command, sire!”

With the fleet’s arrival imminent, Siegfried’s mission now was to assist in neutralizing the coastal and anti-air defenses of the enemy.

Moving swiftly, he joined the battle and managed to disable nearly seventy percent of the enemy’s defensive cannons placed on the walls with the help of the Proatine Force operatives.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Kaboom!

Just then, bright flashes followed by a thunderous roar erupted across the distant sea.

Shells began raining down immediately afterward.

The Proatine Empire’s armada had arrived and was commencing bombardment of the naval base.

“Retreat! Everyone, evacuate now!”

The moment the allied cannons opened fire, Siegfried immediately ordered all Proatine Force operatives to retreat.

Why?

It was all because they could get caught in the crossfire if they weren't fast enough.