The black sun hangs high

Chapter 134 Magic Sandbox
After Hughes looked away from the magic letter, Zeke Ernst spoke up: "I can tell you definitively that most of the information here has been verified... these things have indeed happened."

"The Second and Fourth Artillery Regiments, located in the rugged hills, have suffered very serious damage. According to the latest orders, they have begun to withdraw and prepare for troop replenishment."

The old man raised his glass slightly, sniffing the enticing aroma of the wine, and said, "The other legions, as well as our allies' forces, have also suffered some losses, but everything is still within acceptable limits, so the planned operations will not be easily changed."

Hughes pinpointed the key point in the sentence, and frowned as he asked, "The planned schedule?"

"Ah."

The old man turned slightly, freeing a finger from his hand that was holding the wine glass, and pointed to a huge map hanging on the wall of the exhibition hall.

"The climate on the plains is different from ours. Their soil is more fertile and more moist... Therefore, when winter comes and there is heavy snowfall, the roads and ground on the plains will become muddy. Under such circumstances, the movement of troops and the transportation of supplies and weapons will be greatly affected."

If Hugh still doesn't understand what the other party means after all this has been said, then he's just pretending to be stupid.

So he asked, "You mean we should attack?"

"Yes...we need to attack."

As night fell, the temperature outside dropped further, but the enormous mansion radiated warmth as the magical ritual unfolded.

Hugh felt a little uncomfortable, so he tugged at his collar, then took off his blood-stained trench coat and draped it over the back of the chair.

As if he hadn't noticed Hugh's expression and actions, old Zeke maintained his previous speaking pace and said, "This is no secret anymore. Go take a look at that map. I made some adjustments before you came... It should be easy to understand."

So Hugh walked toward the map.

This map is not merely for decoration; it is actually an alchemical creation from the Waterloo Academy of Magic.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a magic sandbox.

Numerous magical symbols, signs, texts, and lines floated above the enormous map in the form of semi-transparent phantoms. Hugh immediately noticed the dark curve that symbolized the boundary between the Lovi Plateau and the Goddess Plain.

This curve is generally referred to as the "terrain step".

On this "step" that spans almost the entire continent, there are several obvious gaps and passages. The southern gap, which is closest to the Kingdom of Delan, is near the current garrison and joint "exercise" site of the plateau nations. That place is rugged hills, and on this important passage stands the city of Seren.

The poor city was adorned with a striking crimson flag by old Zeke.

Hugh's gaze moved upwards along the dark curve of the "Earth Steps," where he saw blue or purple markings in the middle and near the top of the curve.

In two of these locations, dark blue lines symbolizing the defensive line have even been drawn.

"East of the Black Nest Mountains, the upper reaches of the Isa River..."

"Yes, that's the main focus of our attack, especially the Isa River, which is a disputed area... the Saint Steeles from the north, the Delans, and of course, us... everyone wants that place."

“Saint Steele is our ally.”

"Yes, so these northerners will bear the main offensive pressure in the Isa River basin next."

Hugh narrowed his eyes: "It's winter now, and the Isa River will soon freeze over. Are they planning a large-scale attack when the river freezes? But it's not far from Merlinle and the other side. The frozen surface isn't an insurmountable problem for mages. As long as the Magic Council is willing to invest, they can thaw the river ahead of time... Under these circumstances, the Saint Steeles in the Isa River basin are destined to be unable to launch an attack first, given that the Delans have already set up defenses and there is mage intervention. Their progress should be slightly delayed, and they will only take further action based on the situation after the battle east of the Black Nest Mountains breaks out."

"Hmm...not a bad perspective, go on."

Old Zeke swirled his glass, signaling for Hugh to continue.

So Hugh turned his gaze to the area east of the Black Nest Mountains, where there was a very conspicuous gap, which looked as if the "Earth Steps" had been hit hard by something and cracked open.

This gap is also famous.

Because this area is rich in silver mines, it is known as the "Silver Corridor." In front of this "Silver Corridor," there are also dark blue lines symbolizing the defense lines of the plains.

Just then, General Bernhardt, who was sharing Hugh's vision and observing the map in front of him, suddenly spoke up: "This is not right. There is a problem with the grand strategy... Although the Silver Corridor is very suitable for troops on the plateau to march downhill, once they leave this gap, they will inevitably face pressure from multiple directions. Even if they can break through the defenses head-on, the supply line will be very easy to cut off. At that time, the part that has left the 'Silver Corridor' will be completely isolated."

But Bernhardt quickly realized what was happening.

He realized he was instinctively using his past habits and perspectives to look at the map before him. Thinking of the new weaponry he'd never seen before, he said uncertainly, "Unless... the breakthrough is fast enough? Not only can it breach the defenses head-on, but it can also expand its controlled area outwards, forcibly creating a stable salient in a short time... But is that even possible?"

Hearing Bernhardt's words, Hugh instinctively turned his head to look at the new weapons displayed in the exhibition hall, which combined the properties of steam machinery and magical crystals.

Old Zeke noticed this action and nodded with satisfaction. He then said, "The nature of war has changed. While the quality of soldiers is important, this time we need to consider not only their courage but also the verification of many new inventions. I have a feeling that they will change our understanding of the concept of war."

Hearing this, Hughes remained silent for two seconds.

He then raised his hand and pointed to another magical banner fluttering near the city of Seren.

It was deep black and had no markings on it, yet it inexplicably gave off a sense of eeriness.

"This must be the source of the magical turbulence?"

"Yes."

"This place is very close to Seren City. What's the situation in that city now?"

Old Zeke wheeled himself to the small round table, took a small sip of the wine in his glass, and then put it down. Perhaps because of the wine, his face became rosy. After letting out a very relaxed breath, he said, "It's bad. According to the latest agreement signed by the three parties, the entire city of Seren is now under the control of Merlinle and the mages... When that magical turbulence swept through Seren, it disrupted the ritual set up by the Magic Committee, but the Magic Committee quickly restored the ritual. It is said that during that brief interval, some people escaped from the city."

"So, even under these circumstances, this war still has to be fought?"

Hugh turned to look at the old man in the wheelchair and said earnestly, "During our last conversation, you mentioned the Black Sun prophecy. In this situation, wouldn't people connect this abnormal phenomenon with the Black Sun prophecy?"

He waved the letter in his hand: "I think that not only us, but also the Kingdom of Delan, the Legal Council... everyone should know that it was not an earthquake in the conventional sense, but a new disaster that humanity does not yet understand and is difficult to predict and deal with..."

"I know what you're going to say, child."

Old Zeke interrupted Hugh: "But the war will not stop."

"The Kingdom of Saint Steel is going through a tough time right now. Merlinle's control and monopoly over the crystal mines is almost crushing them. If this continues, the rule of the Northern Royal Family will be defeated by external forces sooner or later, or overthrown by their own people. Therefore, it is extremely important for them to take back ownership of the Northern Crystal Mine from the Legal Council. The land in the Isa River Basin and the ice-free ports in the North are equally tempting to them. They will not stop."

"As for the Kingdom of Hein, their maritime disputes with the countries south of the Goddess Plain have also completely broken out. The profits from colonies, shipping routes, and the transport and sale of goods to the Eastern world are making Merlinle and Du envious, so the Kingdom of Hein will not be willing to withdraw... They have already taken action in their overseas colonies, and the news will probably come back in a few days."

Hugh had already heard of the cases Old Zeke mentioned before.

So he asked, "But magical turbulence and disturbances are an uncertain factor for everyone, and people can't just ignore them."

"Of course it's impossible to give it up."

Old Zeke grinned: "However, now, no one can say for sure what the situation is... especially now, Merlinler and others are no longer able to take the lead on this kind of issue. Even if everyone sends their own scholars and teams to investigate, it is completely impossible to share the research results as in the past."

"Is it a pure hidden danger, or a new opportunity... who can say for sure?"

After hearing these words, Hugh couldn't help but sigh.

The old man and the young man tacitly ended the topic of military affairs. At old Zeke's signal, Hugh pushed the wheelchair and, accompanied by Ellen and other guards, walked towards the study.

The window in the study was open. Hugh wanted to go and close it, but Zeke stopped him. The old man seemed to have some quirks; he seemed to enjoy the cold winter wind.

At old Zeke's signal, Ellen and the others left the room and closed the door.

"Your father is dead."

He said this very calmly, without much emotion in his words; it sounded as cold and indifferent as the cold wind blowing in.

Hugh was slightly taken aback.

His knowledge of Erevan Ernst was far too limited, and the original owner of this body felt more fear and disgust towards Erevan. Under these circumstances, upon suddenly hearing these words, he did not experience much emotion.

"I killed him."

However, the old man's next words really surprised Hugh.

He didn't even know what expression he should "pretend" to be: shocked? Sad? Grief-stricken?

Or something else...

Hughes was really unsure, so he could only keep a straight face and remain silent.

Seeing that Hugh didn't speak, old Zeke gently activated the magic crystal on his wheelchair, driving it to the huge desk at the far end of the study. He pressed his finger on a corner of the desk, and as he touched it, fine magic patterns spread out on the surface of the desk. Then, a hidden drawer, clearly reinforced with a magic ritual, jumped out from the desk's compartment.

“Your father, he has gone too far... just like most of the nobles in Borden, he has no restraint and no sense of proportion.”

As he spoke, he took a small velvet bag from the drawer with his withered hand and placed it on the table: "Child, tell me, what is your opinion of the Black Sun Society?"

Hughes stared at the old man behind the desk for two seconds before replying, "A bunch of lunatics."

"Heh, you're crazy... Tell me, how exactly are you 'crazy'?"

At this moment, Hughes spoke his most honest judgment: "Their 'madness' is not the same as that of ordinary people... Their madness stems from their cognition and beliefs. The members of the Black Sun Society may have fundamentally denied their human identity. They worship those lost ancient gods and yearn to become their followers. On this basis, everything they do will lead to an unpredictable and chaotic end, and this chaos is of no benefit to any human individual or group."

After listening to these words, Zeke Ernst pondered for a long time, until another gust of cold wind blew into the room, bringing him back to his senses. He then asked, "Child, what is the basis for your judgment?"

"The basis is my personal experience and what I have seen with my own eyes."

Hughes pointed to the ground beneath his feet: “As long as the underground of the manor doesn’t collapse, you can go and see for yourself what’s going on there; that will tell you a lot.”

Hearing this, the old man seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief. He gently pushed the velvet bag forward and said, "Take it. With this certificate, you can mobilize and use the family's resources to a certain extent, and it will also help you in terms of connections."

"It sounds like I can leave now?"

"Okay."

Old Zeke watched as Hugh picked up the velvet bag, and a smile finally returned to his face: "I will seriously consider your suggestion... Once the soldiers have cleaned up the ruins under the manor hotel, I will go and take a look myself."

Hughes nodded, and following the principle of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, he asked, "It's cold in the room, should I close the window for you?"

"No need, we have guests coming."

(End of this chapter)