Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 229: Volume 4 Chapter 18 This Treacherous Kingdom_2

James needs time to execute his plan. Once Stephen suffers an irreversible defeat on Lucerne, James will unhesitatingly kick Stephen aside, then stir up a bloody storm, eliminating all distractions and dragging the Gazalin Empire, the Leray Federation, and the entire international community into a chaotic war.

James’ character dictates that even if he dies, he will drag his enemies down with him! He would never tolerate Russell and his Freedom Front emerging as victors before him. The Gazalin Empire may be destroyed, but no one should think about ruling this country in place of James!

Before the final decisive battle on Lucerne Planet, it was the only chance for him and Stephen. This time, the opponent is not George, the man with the title of Crown Prince, but his own father, the increasingly deranged James! Once James falls, what is George? He is just a fox exploiting the tiger’s power–without the tiger, he is merely a toy for the Hunter!

When that time comes, what could I not obtain? Bruce summoned the defense map of Tanville, opened the detailed guard deployment map of Abnosk Prison, and stared. When the Gazalin Emperor and that pathetic insect perished together in a massive riot, Ann Lei, what choice would you make?

”My choice is your choice, and also the choice of the Gazalin Empire. By then, no one can sway me anymore!” Bruce moved a flag from Lucerne Planet to Abnosk Prison. A neurotic smile appeared on his face:

”Gazalin, this betraying country! Will be reborn or perish in this betrayal. Ann Lei, you can’t betray me anymore! My things, ultimately, forever, are mine!”

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Liebgoet quietly looked at Stephen and said in a deep voice, ”Are you sure you have thought this through?”

Stephen slowly nodded, ”Yes, teacher, this is my only chance.”

Liebgoet fell silent. The usually spirited old man suddenly seemed like a sword sheathed! After a long while, Liebgoet finally said, ”Stephen, perhaps taking you as my disciple was the biggest mistake I made!”

”Teacher...” Stephen was a bit surprised and somewhat perplexed.

”Hear me out...” Liebgoet waved his hand at Stephen and sighed, ”In terms of talent, you are the most outstanding student I have ever seen. But you shouldn’t have been born into a royal family. You carry too many burdens, and the scheming has occupied most of your life, blinding your true nature.”

”And what about me? I am a pure military man. War is war. Even in the Naga Federation, I have never participated in politics. That’s why I’m the head of a Military Academy, not a high-ranking official in the Military Department. But...” Liebgoet’s eyes were sharp, ”That doesn’t mean I don’t understand politics!”

”This Gazalin nation has many things beyond common understanding, but I can understand you.” Liebgoet looked at Stephen with a rare trace of warmth in his eyes, ”After all, you’ve been by my side these years. I taught you, saw you grow step by step, and watched you make your own choices at each crossroads.”

Stephen lowered his head. He had never realized that his not-so-respected teacher cared so much about him. All these years, his thoughts had been consumed by the struggle for power, blinding him to everything else, leading him to this point. He finally understood why Liebgoet had suggested the absurd idea of being a soldier in the Naga Federation before returning to Gazalin.

”I thought I had enough time to teach you this final lesson, to cure your impulsiveness and paranoia. Now it seems we have no time left.”

”We...” Stephen chewed over Liebgoet’s wording, lifting his head in surprise and delight.

The Liebgoet General before him regained his composure and sharpness. The slight upturn of his lips revealed a blade-like sharpness: ”Whether for the Naga Federation or the entire Western Alliance, rushing into this war is not a good choice. Your father is playing with fire! I don’t know what agreement he has with our politicians, but I know that the Naga Federation is my homeland, and I won’t allow it to be hastily dragged into war.”

”I’ve no objections to your plan. After all, it’s your last chance. But...” Liebgoet asked word by word, ”Reversing the transport forces of the Naga Federation to bring loyal troops from the battlefield back to Tanville means we can’t possibly win the battle of Lucerne anymore. Are you sure?!”

”We could identify the Federation’s weaknesses and conduct a similar long-distance airdrop to win this contest!”

Stephen was silent for a long time and then said lightly, ”Perhaps we could use unknown transportation forces from the Leray Federation to win the battle of Lucerne, but what we could win is just fleeting time, not the entire war, right, teacher?”

”Yes...” Liebgoet’s voice was somewhat helpless.

”In that case, this war is meaningless for me, for Gazalin, and for the Morton family.” Stephen said firmly, without hesitation, ”So, I am sure!”

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The last month of 2061 is destined to be filled with bloodshed, like the twilight of human society. The setting sun in this last moment painted the clouds with an eye-piercing red.

Lucerne, Lavos Plain has become a massive killing field. A total of over a million soldiers from both sides are tearing each other apart on this vast plain.

East Valley City has been occupied by a pincher attack from two Army Groups of the Leray Federation. The Gazalin Empire Guards entrenched in East Valley City fought almost to the last man, from the periphery, to the city’s edge, and then in street battles. Both sides contested every inch of land in this not-large city. In the end, what the Leray Federation occupied was just a vast ruin, with almost no intact buildings, and the civilian death rate reached as high as 80%. This tragic battle shocked the entire human world.

The blood of East Valley City dyed December 2061 red, marking the beginning of the largest war since the disintegration of the Earth Federation.

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Continuing to type, trying to get another Chapter out before 12

(To be continued. For more updates, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, support the author, support legal reading!)