Chapter 720: Playing to Win
“Autumn is almost here…”
The Emperor of Gephra gazed out at the peak of summer, but his thoughts were already on the bleakness of fall. His mindset had begun to shift.
Since the latter part of the world war, Gephra had been in a difficult position. Military spending accounted for more than half of national income, yet the war had brought little tangible gain.
The advancement of military technology turned localized wars into global ones. How to wage war, profit from it, and turn it into strategic advantage—these were still unfamiliar concepts to many.
Moreover, the war hadn’t ended with a clear victory. It had stopped because no one could continue fighting—someone gave in first. At the negotiation table, pushing too hard risked provoking the defeated side to flip the table and resume fighting.
At worst, they could abandon their coastal cities and fortify inland defenses. “Go ahead and try landing, Gephrans. See how far you get.”
Try it—and you die.
Everyone knew Gephra didn’t have a land army worth mentioning. The Allies wouldn’t sacrifice their own military strength for Gephra’s interests.
They couldn’t invade other nations’ territory, couldn’t capture cities. At best, the so-called invincible navy could shell a few coastal targets. But beyond increasing their own losses, there wasn’t much they could do.