Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

"Hey, the flag's been planted!"

Inside the hot air balloon basket, the metal frame gleamed with a warm red glow in the setting sun, and several officers held binoculars, their lenses reflecting the light and shadows above the distant fortress.

The long standoff finally came to an end. As the sun sank below the horizon, turning the sky a molten gold, the banner representing Yoda atop the fortress was suddenly ripped down. Immediately afterward, the blue and white banner of Midland rose rapidly up the flagpole, eventually fluttering in the evening breeze.

The telescope lenses were slowly lowered, and someone raised their hand to rub their sore eyes.

The lingering image of the swaying flag remained in my vision after a long period of staring, and a soft sigh of relief filled the air, mixed with the subtle sound of the ropes of the suspended basket rubbing against each other.

"Not easy."

An officer lowered his binoculars.

"Yoda's ability to hold out until now has exceeded everyone's expectations."

Several officers from Midland stood upright, one of them wiping the thin layer of sweat from his forehead. His tense shoulders visibly relaxed, and the stale air that had been building up in his chest was slowly exhaled with a breath of relief.

Meanwhile, the Yoda officers on the other side had faces as somber as the darkening clouds on the horizon. Some slid down slowly against the inner wall of the gondola, their hands hanging at their sides, their eyes blankly fixed on the ground in the distance. They had completely lost their previous composure and were now just blankly at a loss.

“Call it over and call it a day.”

The operator in charge of controlling the hot air balloon broke the complex silence. He turned to look at the flag bearer beside him, his tone visibly tired yet sharp.

"Raise the drop flag on the ground and prepare for landing."

The flag bearer immediately responded, took the conspicuous descent flag from the hook on the side of the basket, and waved his arm vigorously to signal the ground crew who were already waiting on the ground.

He continued waving the flag until another flag rose on the other side of the ground, waving it back and forth three times to clearly indicate that he had received the instruction. Only then did he stop, roll up the flag, and put it back in its original place.

The hot air balloon slowly descended, the ropes under the basket gradually tightened, and it finally landed steadily on the pre-cleared ground.

Ground crew immediately stepped forward to secure the ropes, the basket door was opened, and the officers stepped out one by one.

Two Heldran officers walked at the back, side by side, their eyes sweeping across the direction of the gradually quieting fortress in the distance.

"After these few years, the battlefield has really changed a lot."

One of them spoke softly, his tone tinged with emotion. He recalled a few years ago, when there weren't so many powerful weapons, and the course of battle often depended more on the soldiers' charges than on the prolonged stalemates of today.

His colleague glanced at him sideways, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. He lowered his voice, so only the two of them could hear him:

"It doesn't matter. Whether Midland wins in the end or Yoda holds out until the end, we, Hilderan, are always the biggest winners."

A brief silence fell between them, then the former changed the subject, her tone becoming more approachable:

"So, what should we eat today? I've been busy all day, and my stomach is really empty."

"The ground crew told me it's Kusha vegetables."

Colleagues recalled the news they had heard before,

"What's it called... curry beef with rice."

Night, like a thick curtain, slowly covered the earth.

Inside the palace, John sat at his desk, with a list of battle reports from various parts of the Dordogne border spread out in front of him.

When the letter marked "urgent" was delivered to him, he opened the envelope without hesitation, his eyes quickly scanning the words on the paper.

"The day has finally come."

John put down the letter, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

He knew that this meant the plot had finally progressed to the "Doldore Conquest" stage, but the current situation was very different from the original plot in his memory.

The most obvious change was the increasing number of muskets and cannons on the battlefield. Their appearance changed the course of the battle, making the offensive more brutal and lasting longer than originally expected.

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and quickly sorted out the subsequent developments in his mind.

According to the original plan, the city of Dordore should have been cleverly captured by Griffith from Goron this autumn or winter.

With the introduction of these firearms, will the plot continue in the original direction? Or will there be more unexpected variables?

Just then, a clear knock came from outside the door.

"Come in."

John opened his eyes and spoke.

The door was gently pushed open, and Stephen walked in, his steps steady, his face showing an barely suppressed excitement.

He stopped in front of the desk and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty, the Netherworld portal is operating very smoothly this time."

Stephen's voice carried just the right amount of solemnity.

“No Netherworld creatures are pouring in; everything is under our control. According to Ms. Flora's assessment, the other end of the portal should be located in a forest. Now, shall we proceed with the next step of the plan?”

The plan Stephen mentioned was a ghostly exploration operation that John had already devised.

They need to dispatch several special expedition teams, each member of which is proficient in the use of Netherworld energy, enabling them to both protect themselves in the unfamiliar Netherworld environment and complete exploration missions.

The core objective of this operation, besides understanding the specific situation of the Netherworld and laying the foundation for subsequent plans, is more importantly to find the legendary dwarf race that John is said to be able to create runes.

The power of runes should not be underestimated; if they can be combined with modern technology, they will undoubtedly bring even greater advantages.

John did not hesitate at all:

"Execute according to plan."

Having received an affirmative answer, Stephen nodded, took out an operation document from his briefcase, and handed it to John.

The document detailed the expedition team's personnel configuration, task assignments, and emergency plans, each of which had been carefully considered.

John picked up the pen and signed his name at the end of the document.

Stephen put away the signed documents, knelt down on one knee again to pay his respects, and then turned and walked out of the room.

At the palace gate, a carriage was already waiting. He boarded the carriage, and the wheels rolled as it headed towards the magic experiment area.

Inside the brightly lit magical experimental area, Stephen alighted from his carriage and strode into a building specifically used for military operations preparation. He walked through several corridors and finally stopped at the door of a room, pushing it open and entering.

Inside the room, Commander-in-Chief Hawke was standing by the window, gazing at the night outside. Hearing the door open, he turned around.

Stephen looked at Hawke in front of him and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

Time seemed to have left its mark on Hawke; he looked a bit older than when we last met, but his eyes remained sharp, revealing the composure of someone who had been through many battles.

He recalled that twenty years had passed since he joined John's team.

Over the past two decades, they have fought countless battles together and witnessed the rise and growth of Helderland.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you."

Stephen began to speak.

Hawke nodded, a gentle smile breaking his usual seriousness.

"I've been too busy lately, staying at the military headquarters to handle affairs, and also taking care of my son's wedding."

After saying that, he changed the subject, his gaze falling on the briefcase in Stephen's hand, and cut straight to the point:

"Did you bring the documents?"

"Brought it."

Stephen responded and stepped forward to hand over the signed execution document.

Hawke took the document, but did not open it immediately. Instead, he glanced at Stephen first before turning the pages and quickly scanning through them.

He read very quickly, scanning each item with his eyes. After confirming that there were no problems, he closed the document and put it in his pocket.

"Let's go check on the team."

Hawke took the lead and walked towards the door, with Stephen following closely behind.

The two walked out of the room and came to an open space outside. In the darkness, a team of about a hundred soldiers had already gathered there, standing in neat rows with upright postures.

Their armor and weapons were clearly different from those of ordinary Heldran soldiers, but what was most striking were the ten soldiers standing at the front of the column.

They were over two meters tall, wearing specially made steam armor with a cold, hard metallic sheen. Each joint had a precise mechanical structure, and they made a slight steaming sound as they walked.

The weapons they held were even more astonishing, almost as long as an adult's height.

Hawke walked to the front of the column, stopped, turned around, and slowly scanned each soldier in front of him with his gaze.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, carrying an unquestionable majesty. The soldiers felt this gaze, and their posture became even more upright, even their breathing became steady and even.

"With His Majesty's approval, this expedition to the Netherworld shall officially commence."

Hawke's loud voice echoed across the open ground, reaching the ears of every soldier clearly.

"You are all elites in the military, having undergone rigorous training and mastered the use of Netherworld energy. This mission is arduous and fraught with unknown dangers, but you bear an important responsibility. I demand that you do your utmost to complete the task assigned by His Majesty."

"I wish you success."

As he finished speaking the last four words, Hawke slowly raised his right hand and solemnly saluted the soldiers.

The soldiers moved in unison, raising their hands in return.

After the ceremony, the huge gate beside them slowly opened with a heavy metallic sound, revealing the teleportation portal behind it that emitted a faint, eerie light.

The soldiers walked toward the portal in a pre-arranged order, with ten soldiers in steam armor walking in the middle of the line.

Hawke and Stephen climbed onto the nearby platform and stood there, their eyes following the soldiers as they filed in, passing through the portal one by one, their figures gradually disappearing into the dim light.