Chapter 263: Newspapers, Deception, and War (7)
The Marquis of the Kingdom of Lyon and the Kingdom's Army General, Gaston de Orléans, declared the opening.
"We have gathered intelligence that the Holy Empire is preparing for war," he said.
The people gathered here showed no signs of surprise or shock, even upon hearing the news that war might break out. As soldiers who had served for decades, they could not afford to show fear at the prospect of war with the enemy. It was not just their accumulated courage and composure built over the years that kept them calm, but the fact that they had already predicted this scenario ever since their great victory over the Holy Empire.
"Madeline, Philippe, Tond, Kish, Saltz, and others. Merchants and citizens in areas bordering the Holy Empire have testified that they saw large shipments of goods being brought in by the Holy Empire," he continued.
If it were just small shipments, it might be understandable, but this involved supplies that could sustain an army of thousands, if not tens of thousands, for over a year—preserved foods, weapons, armor, and more.
Transporting such massive quantities of goods secretly would be impossible, even with all the technology available at the time.
It would take hundreds, if not close to a thousand men, and hundreds of horses to transport the supplies, which would be impossible to hide unless they were flying through the air.
"If even the general public is reporting such sightings, then it can only mean that war with the Holy Empire is imminent," Gaston said.
Even in a notorious game where time travel was a thing, it was common to move your troops near the enemy’s borders before declaring war. This applied to wars in the Albanian continent as well.
But unlike games, where battles could proceed without supply lines, in real-life wars, without maintaining the supply line and logistics, the army would be doomed before even engaging in combat. The key difference is that real wars require the accumulation of supplies, especially food, which moves more slowly than soldiers.
"As the general of the Kingdom's Army, I believe we must prepare for an all-out war with the Holy Empire. What are your thoughts?" Gaston asked.
The general's statement was obviously true.