Beneath the Red Dragon

Though tens of thousands of Gold Coins may seem vast, they are merely the basic unit for the construction costs of the entire Marino Defense Line.

Furthermore, massive armor-piercing bed crossbows and alchemical giant crossbows serve as mighty weapons against Giants and Dragons, deployed across various watchtowers along the entire defense line.

The entire Marino Defense Line, extending from the Marino Duchy to the adjacent Rosetta Duchy and Dumyat Duchy, spans over three hundred kilometers along the Dorabi Mountain Range.

On the mountain’s strategic points and Magic Spring Nodes, over a thousand fortifications have been established with the combined forces of the Southern Countries, although most serve as regular observation and warning posts.

Some permanent fortifications are first equipped with heavy cannons and giant crossbows, then constructed based on the terrain, showcasing the Nobility’s determination.

The Legion Warriors stationed within these fortifications number up to three hundred thousand.

Including the logistical support personnel and the slave laborers building the defense line, the entire population around the Marino Defense Line totals over a million, nearing a quarter of Marino Duchy’s total population statistics.

This illustrates the Southern Nobles’ fear of the Allied Kings Army.

As the gateway for advancing south, if the Allied Kings Army directly attacks this defense line, they will face the flanking attacks from both Rosetta Duchy and Dumyat Duchy on either side.

However, if the Allied Kings Army attempts a sea breakthrough, it would be even more challenging; the entire terrain of Dumyat Duchy in the west is characterized by highland hills, with urban defensive networks no easier to break through than the Marino Defense Line.

The eastern Rosetta Duchy, situated by the sea, boasts a strong naval fleet and the Noble Alliance’s joint fleet as a foundation for its urban maritime defense line.

Should the Alliance’s army encounter obstacles in their attack, the immense pressure on logistics supply could easily overwhelm the Allied Kings Army.

Thinking of this, Duke Lorne’s expression grew solemn.

He gazed at the dawning sky, where the sun’s light was faintly visible on the horizon, and couldn’t help but mutter, ”I both hope these monsters arrive late so our defense line can be more complete, and wish they come sooner; otherwise, before the Nobility suffers much loss, the Duchy is destined for severe loss.”

”As rises and falls shift, the future of Marino as a High Duchy remains unknown!” Lorne raised his head, sighing deeply.

...

After the meeting of the Eight Kings, the kings deliberated on joint mobilization, planning to move south to sweep away the Noble Alliance and occupy the domains of the Southern Countries.

From among them, the Golden Empire dispatched two complete legions and several independently titled warbands, totaling one hundred thousand Warriors. Each complete legion numbered about thirty thousand.

Following the military reforms of the Golden Empire, the army’s basic structure comprises Legion, Warband, Battalion, Company, Platoon, and Squad.

A squad consists of about ten Warriors, give or take. A platoon commands three squads.

A company comprises three platoons, a battalion commands three companies, and a warband commands three battalions.

At the legion level, besides commanding three infantry battalions, sometimes it also includes long-range artillery battalions, long-range bow and arrow battalions, mid-range firearms battalions, and golem armor companies depending on the legion’s composition.

Thus, the Warrior numbers of a legion are not rigidly fixed, but this slightly complex military system does not imply chaos.

On the contrary, with a reserve of baseline quality Warrior talents, the systematic segmentation of military reforms becomes easier to manage and deploy.

An officer capable of leading a thousand men without chaos is considered talented; one who can lead ten thousand Warriors is regarded as a capable general; one who can lead one hundred thousand Warriors is an extraordinary, rare commander.

Although the Golden Empire lacks such rare commanders, with long-term foundational education and training, coupled with familiarity with comprehensive military structures, the one hundred thousand troops operate nearly seamlessly.

Under the command of the army’s chief general, they have already set forth to interact with the Hobis Empire’s legions.

Following them, the King of Dark Elves leads four elite legions totaling over forty thousand, while the Dark Nest Lord Shalos commands two alchemical legions with only twelve thousand Warriors, forming the second batch to set forth.

King of Frost Giants, Ragna Heg, leads a three-thousand elite Frost Giant Corps along with a Frost Plain Mixed Corps totaling sixty thousand Warriors to set forth and rendezvous with the vanguard.

After these kings’ armies converge, they will target Dumyat Duchy with the Frost Giant Corps, Dark Elves, and Dark Nest Corps attacking, becoming the main force on the frontline to pin down Dumyat.

Furthermore, they will maintain communication to seek an opportunity for quickly breaking through the united defense line of the three duchies’ Nobility.

Beastman King Bossel Lane also mobilizes the elite of the Beastman Kingdom, utilizing the Golden Empire’s ’Imperial Glory’ flagship fleet, deploying the Beastman army of two hundred thousand directly to the southern sea area of Rosetta Duchy.

Beastman King Bossel Lane personally oversees the army, awaiting messages from the Golden Empire, ambitiously intending to personally break through Rosetta Duchy, determined to achieve the first victory in the Eight Kings Alliance.

The Elf Kingdom is currently dealing with internal chaos, unable to send more Legion Warriors, only dispatching two thousand mixed Demon Archers and Sword Dancers Corps, and sending a Sun Elf Legendary Warrior as the chief general alongside Elf Princess Agani Isabel, following the army of Multi-armed Giant Mogyes from the Divine Forsaken Mountain Range.