Chapter 492: Interlude - Legata Katerina - Military Machinations

Chapter 492: Interlude - Legata Katerina - Military Machinations

Something was wrong.

Katerinas [Legatas Imperial Intuition] was hounding her. Telling her something was not right, and if she didnt figure it out, theyd die.

That simple.

Water levels of Shuixi higher than usual for the time of year.

Annual festival next week. Likely to be held with additional vigor, due to surrendering and paying tribute to Zhao She and Wang Jian. Army participating.

Estimated 40,000 tons of raw clay in. 35,000 tons of pottery produced. Water is 20% of raw clay by weight. 3,000 ton discrepancy.

Iron composition of the Legions new armor: 84% iron, 8% bronze, 5% copper, traces of titanium, aluminum, tin, and other metals.

The Sixth Legion was attached to Zhao Shes army, whod met up with their old employer, Wang Jian to siege the city of Shuixi. After some threatening and posturing, including threatening to let the barbaric Ironside Brigade loose upon the women and children of the city, and a three-day siege where the armies conspicuously built siege engines outside the wooden walls of the city, theyd capitulated with barely a shot fired.

High civic pride.

8% more cows than usual. 3% fewer sheep.

Utter lack of dinosaurs or other scaled animals.

Mountain snowcaps melting.

Katerina chewed on the inside of her cheek, a nervous habit, as she reviewed dozens of documents and thousands of pieces of information, debating if she needed to call a full officers meeting or not.Điscover new chapters on n0ve(l)bin(.)com

No, no. Itd be impossible to explain every piece of information she had available, and trying to corral the dozens of razor-sharp minds into a solution would take more effort than it was worth. If she knew what the problem was, shed call the meeting in a heartbeat to find a solution.

City claims to have been founded on the remains of a slain celestial serpent. Densely packed, built up high as a result of the legend.

Primary export: leather and textiles.

Armys food reserves: 20% pre-tribute, 80% post tribute. Legion reserves: 60%.

Mosquitoes seem unusually thick in Shuixi. Reported pests with levels.

Shuixi scents their streets with oregano.

Bridge tolls on three of four bridges.

There was something hiding in the vast reams of data shed gathered. Some combination of effects trying to warn her of a tragedy.

It was hidden deeply, otherwise her skill would be highlighting it and screaming the details into her ear. Wasnt the first time she almost had all the pieces of the puzzle and needed to work it out, wouldnt be the last.

Primary construction material: wood.

Place reeks of leather chemicals and dyes.

Drills have been up 28% from normal. Friendly rivalry between Wang Jian and Zhao She? Burning off energy after prepping for the siege and not carrying through?

Legion morale at medium-high. The people spoiling for a fight are mad, the majority are relieved to have skipped a full battle.

The last datapoint had Katerina use [Of Two Minds] to think about the aspect in more detail.

Were approaching three years, and the troops are tired. Should head home at the end of this season. Dont tell anyone, theyll be like horses smelling the barn. Too eager to get home, wont do a damn thing properly until then.

Get me Optio Coral, Optio Ardenus, and Tribune Hazel. Katerina ordered one of her [Messengers]. They were out the door in a flash, the three officers making their way to the command structure.

At ease. Katerina replied with a smile to each one.

Adjustment: Morale higher than before.

The nagging sense of doom didnt diminish with the new information. Instead, it was only going stronger.

Katerina looked out onto the field around Shuixi. The armies had almost entirely encircled the city, and now that the siege was lifted, hadnt bothered to reform back into a tight tent, instead choosing to simply party where they were.

Booze rations down significantly across the board.

There was far less drinking and alcohol flowing than Katerina anticipated, leading her to think that maybe the reports theyd gotten on how much tribute had been paid were wrong, or her estimates of their reserves were off. That, or they were anticipating one huge party at the festival itself.

Was that the missing piece of the puzzle? Was that what was wrong?

The sky darkened and the moons rose, full and foreboding. As red as the lanterns they were designing. Wang Jian himself came along with a large escort and collected a batch of the lanterns. It grated a bit to be used as base manual labor like this, but what could they do? It was part of the cover, and it was more fun than thousands of other tasks they couldve been asked to do.

Katerina forced herself to remain stately. To pace at an appropriate speed. Everyone looked to her to see and set the mood, and if she was running in a panic, the Legion would get into a panic. If she was seen as calm and in control, the Legion would be calm and in control. Panic beget panic. Calm beget calm.

Katerina scanned the Legion, picking out dozens of faces and names out of the crowd. Always-reliable Wren noticed her glance and waved. Tribune Callus was laughing with his centurions and a number of other members, all of them making the red lanterns as an activity and drinking. Dawn and Auri had made their own, although the phoenix - a phoenix - had decided to light her own a little early.

It promptly went up in flames, like everything a phoenix did. Katerina smiled at the pair bickering like an old married couple, the Sentinel losing to a non-stop stream of brrrpts.

Her smile faded as she got the last piece of the puzzle. As it all clicked together.

As a thousand lanterns all along the south side of the encampments were lit.

As a thousand burning torches took to the sky.

The resisting city. The densely packed wood. The [General of a Thousand Jade Scrolls]. The slight increase in Wind mages. The city not being a Wei city, the sheer brutality of a civil war.

They were going to burn the city to the ground.

With everyone still inside.

And that meant

Katerina whirled on Optio Coral.

Population of Shuixi! Now! She ordered.

Coral stammered out a number.

Katerina swore and put a hand on Reeds shoulder. He could let her borrow his skills, at the same time he could borrow hers. It worked nicely, and she roared out to the entire Legion, damn the diplomatic consequences.

They didnt matter at this point, not if they all died.

Sixth Legion! TO ARMS! Full assembly! Every last one of you, get out there, now!

Get me Dawn. She snarled at Reed, and a little click in her ear let her know the channel was open.

Flighty, bleeding-heart Dawn wouldnt be able to resist trying to save the citizens of Shuixi, and Katerina grudgingly approved. It was the same instinct that had led to her current power level, and one here again, gone again Dawn was still worth more than an entire line of Optio Henriettas.

It didnt mean Katerina wasnt going to try and steer Dawn to protecting the Legion, and with the right knowledge, she would.

Dawn, when you get the notification, immediately return. Katerina ordered.

Only the fastest [Speedsters] were assembled on the field outside the fortress, but it was enough. Enough for Katerinas trump skill [Empire of Nightmares, We Fight In The Shade, We Are Masters Of the Darkness, Rise Up, Shadows of the Legion!].

Arise!