Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 566: Resolve
Chapter 566: Resolve
TL: Rui88
Hydra, the capital of the Duchy of Eton, had been an ocean of joy for several days straight. The streets were filled with people singing and dancing, and taverns were open at half price and did not close at night. Apart from the guards on the city walls who remained on high alert, every face was beaming with a sincere smile.
The reason for this was that the ruler of the duchy, Grand Duke Ettiot Cabre, had led his army to defeat the Crusader Army sent by the Horn Bay Church outside the city.
This great Crusader force, led by General Collins Fedotov, was complete with cavalry, infantry, archers, and auxiliaries. They were well-equipped and had “borrowed a path” through the unprepared neutral states to the north. When they set foot on Eton’s territory, this army’s vanguard was sharp and its morale high. A series of victories had filled everyone from the commander down to the soldiers with confidence in their inevitable triumph.
As long as they took Eton and pressed from the north into the soft underbelly of the New Protestant Alliance’s main force…the Horn Bay Alliance…and attacked in concert with the Crusader Army facing the Horn Bay Alliance’s main force in the east, it would be like a giant pair of iron tongs clamping an egg. With a little force, the egg would shatter with a crack. The coastal nations would once again fall under the control of the Horn Bay Church, and those blasphemous villains would surely be punished.
But such an aggressive army had met its match before the walls of Hydra. They had hit an iron plate and were left bloodied and broken, soundly defeated by Grand Duke Cabre’s army. The Church’s expeditionary force was utterly routed, returning in disgrace. Perhaps “returning in disgrace” was too light a term, for they had been completely shattered, reduced to a state of disorganization and indiscipline. It was hard to say how many would even make it back.
According to the recollections of those who witnessed the battle, the situation on the battlefield was initially quite unfavorable for the Etonian army, until a mysterious and powerful reinforcement entered the fray and turned the tide…
Inside the royal palace of Hydra, the ruler of Eton, Grand Duke Ettiot Cabre, was resting quietly on a lounge chair. He had his eyes closed and his right arm stretched out on a small table beside him, where a man dressed as a doctor was changing his medication.
“Hiss…”
The Grand Duke couldn’t help but let out a groan.
In the battle to defend Hydra, he had been wounded. A large iron hammer had struck his right arm with great force, nearly causing him to lose control of it on the spot. The greatsword he had been holding fell to the ground, and the immense pain almost made the Grand Duke faint. Fortunately, he was protected by the guards around him. Even more fortunately, the tide of the battle had already turned by then, and the Etonian soldiers were counter-attacking the enemy with overwhelming momentum. If he had been injured earlier, when the Etonian army was barely holding on, the Grand Duke’s injury might have caused his army to collapse instantly.
“Your Highness, please bear with it. It will be over soon… oh, there, you can move your arm a little, but don’t move too quickly or too widely.”
Grand Duke Cabre lifted his bandaged arm from the table and slowly flexed and extended it a few times. “I feel that I am recovering quickly. At least, I feel better every day.”
“Your feeling is correct, Your Highness,” the doctor said with a relaxed expression. “I estimate that in another ten days or so, your arm will be as good as new.”
“Thank you for your care, Ramirez,” the Grand Duke thanked him.
“Oh, oh, I am not worthy of your thanks, Your Highness. Not to mention that as your court physician, this is my duty. To be able to care for the hero who saved Eton is the greatest honour of my life. If anything were to happen to you, I would be torn to pieces by the people of Hydra the moment I stepped out of the kingdom’s gates.”
Doctor Ramirez looked at Grand Duke Cabre, his face full of reverence.
Grand Duke Cabre smiled modestly, “Haha, I only did what I had to do. The heroes who saved Eton are others.”
The doctor waved his hand, “You absolutely must not be so self-deprecating.” He thought the Grand Duke was referring to the loyal and brave soldiers.
“My dear, how are you?” Just then, a charming female voice came from outside.
The Grand Duchess Helen walked in gracefully with light steps.
“Oh, Helen, Ramirez has treated me very well. He says I’ll be fully recovered in about ten days. Look…”
As the Grand Duke spoke, he leaped up from the lounge chair, waving his arm as if to show off to his wife, which made Doctor Ramirez hastily grab hold of him.
“Your Highness, you cannot move so vigorously yet.”
Helen quickened her pace to her husband’s side, her eyes wide and round as she chided him angrily, “Have you forgotten the pain now that the wound has healed?”
The Grand Duchess had a gentle nature and rarely got angry. As a great beauty, her anger had a particular charm, and Grand Duke Cabre found himself momentarily captivated.
Doctor Ramirez felt he should leave. After excusing himself, he quietly departed.
The Grand Duke gently put his still-mobile left arm around his wife. “Is there any new word from Teacher Mariana?”
Helen looked up at her husband and said with displeasure, “What? Does there have to be news from the front for me to come and see my husband?”
“Ah, my dear, you know I didn’t mean that.” Grand Duke Cabre gave a wry smile. ‘Women, always finding fault when you least expect it.’
“I am just very concerned about the war situation, after all, we fought so hard to gain the momentum for a counter-attack.”
“Hmph!” Helen wrinkled her small nose gently, with an expression that said ‘I’ll let you off this time’. “Teacher Mariana did indeed send back the latest news. A more detailed battle written by your general should arrive the day after tomorrow.”
“Ah, quickly, let me hear Teacher Mariana’s . I can’t wait.”
Helen said with a serious expression, “It can be confirmed that the Church’s army on our front truly has no capacity to fight its way back!”
“Oh?”
“The remnants of the Church’s army retreated in a rather sorry state. Those neutral city-states they ‘borrowed a path’ from seized the opportunity and began to show signs of resistance. With traps waiting for them ahead and us in pursuit behind, they continuously lost soldiers and generals along the way. They can hardly be called an army anymore.”
“Haha, that’s truly gratifying! Ugh-ahhhhh!”
“Didn’t the doctor tell you to be careful?”
In his excitement, Grand Duke Cabre couldn’t help but start waving his arm again, only to be hit by a wave of pain, which also earned him another chiding from his wife.
“There is another piece of good news. The city-state of Palada hopes to receive our protection, to prevent the Church’s army from making a comeback.”
Ah? Cabre was surprised. This news was indeed an unexpected delight. To proactively request Eton’s protection…the Grand Duke, as the ruler of a nation, knew all too well what that implied.
“However, Teacher Mariana suggests that our army should stop at Palada. Any further would be beyond Eton’s current capabilities, especially with our main force not yet returned.”
Helen reminded her husband, who was getting a little carried away.
The Grand Duke said, “Oh, of course. I’m not one to be carried away by victory. Having a buffer zone is already very good.”
“That…” Helen suddenly became somewhat hesitant and stammered.
“What is it, my dear? What is there to be nervous about in front of me?” The Grand Duke placed his left hand on his wife’s shoulder.
“Teacher… Teacher she asked me to ask you, if your previous promise is still valid?”
“Of course!” Grand Duke Ettiot Cabre said in a resonant voice, “I said of course it is valid!”
There was not a trace of hesitation in his voice.
“The Cabre family always keeps its word, not to mention they saved Eton and its people.”
Helen looked at her husband with excitement. His eyes were perfectly clear.
“Whatever may happen in the future, let us face it together.”
.
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Chapter 566: Resolve
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