Chapter 167 - 167 "Lunar Eclipse"

167 “Lunar Eclipse”

The emperor was looking at the war map as he continued to hear the opinion of the higher up officials.

‘What am i missing?’

He felt it odd as how can the man who dared to steal the imperial soldiers information and declare a war against them, would came up with such an obvious plan?

Cathain thought as he narrowed his eyes at the word ‘Demacia’, which was Eleanora’s base camp and twitched at a sudden realisation.

‘Wait, could it be-‘

Just then, a sweet but cold voice sounded.

“Are you people dumb or he is too cunning?”

Everyone become dumbfounded for a moment as they heard the crown princess’s word, who looked at them with indifference.

Even the emperor himself was shocked to hear her the coldness in her voice after she spoke.

.....

Cathain felt angry because he thinks his proposal that day made her like this.

She hates him so much that she completely changed to make him realise it by himself.

Where, The officials got angry as her words felt insulting to them as she is younger then them.

‘Does she thinks being the crown princess makes her higher?!’

‘She doesn’t even respects the elder!’

‘How did she become this arrogant?!’

‘She can act like this because the emperor and the duke spoils her... And because of her power!’

Everyone was dissatisfied with Eleanora’s cold behaviour for the past few days.

She had completely isolated herself from everyone; working and fighting all day.

Which made Cedrick concern for her as she didn’t talked much with him either.

“This is too much, Your highness; Dame Dalton.”

“Yes! How can you speak to us like this?!”

“This was so rude!”

Everyone was expressing their dissatisfaction, where Eleanora just stared at them blankly with a calm face.

“This isn’t ‘Operation Moonlight’ at all; and here you people ask why you are dumb?”

“!!!”

“...”

Everyone was taken aback and speechless at the same moment because of Eleanora’s words.

They didn’t knew on which one they should comment first.

Where Cathain narrowed his red eyes to observe Eleanora calmly.

‘Is she thinking the same as me?’

“THEN WHAT’S IT?!”

“YEAH, TELL US IF YOU ARE SO WISE,”

The officials spoke as they demanded an explanation from Eleanora, who remained calm.

“The ‘Operation Moonlight’ tactic is known for an overall attack, just like how the moon spreads it’s light everywhere.

You think it’s ‘Operation Moonlight’ just because they are divided into three teams to go out for an all out attack?”

“IS IT NOT?!”

Eleanora sighed as she heard their words and started to explain.

“The Rua’s want us to divide our soldiers at the central base and use them as backup for each sides.

In the other words, He wants to weaken our manpower by dividing our troops into three team.”

Eleanora changed her explanation a little as she knows that, they will say that she is too much for thinking herself as the main target.

They won’t take her words seriously is she says that.

With that thinking, Eleanora continued her words.

“The attacks headed to one place where the other two of them are just a disguise.”

“The Rua’s troops on either sides will turn and focus on one point, even before our troops could come as backup from the both sides.”

Then we will be vastly outnumbered, at the side they attack.”

“!!!!!”

Everyone gasped in shock as they heard her words and Cathain looked at her with unbelievable eyes as he had thought the same as her.

“If what you said is true, then we will be defeated for sure! But what prove do you have?!”

Hearing the answer, Eleanora felt tired as they seem like not understanding her words at all.

“I am saying this because of-”

“Because of geographical factors and the distribution of our soldiers?”

Cathain’s words made Eleanora pause on her sentence and she looked back at him.

‘Thank God, someone finally understood...’

Cathain looked at the officials seriously before he started to explain again.

“Our soldiers are stationed in a triangle around the central base.

Our troops on the east have moved in Fort Demacia from their original position.

As for the Rua’s troops, their first squad is headed towards the west and the second on east. Both squad have 100 thousands troops;

Where the third squad have only 150 thousand troops heading for our central base.”

Cathain spoke as he explained the situation to others to help Eleanora.

He expected that she would look a little grateful as he helped her but she looked no different then before.

‘What am i expecting...’

Cathain sighed as he started to explain the situation again.

“Our central base has 200 thousand soldiers, where the west have 100 thousand and the east have only 70 thousands soldiers.

Demacia and Ionia base camps are connected with the central camp in a triangle location;

but it’s only Demacia which is farther from the central camp with less soldiers... Closer to the camp of Rua.

It will be harder for them to sent reinforcement or get any help if it’s attacked.”

Cathain spoke as he wanted the others to guess that scenario where the commander would not only be outnumbered by the enemy but also no chance to get reinforcement.

The meeting room once again become silent as what Eleanora and Cathain spoke was indeed logical.

But still there is prove of it to be sure.

“But how can we be so sure that this is the enemies goal?”

“Why would they attack on Demacia rather then the central base camp?”

“What will happen if they doesn’t make a turn and follows the Operation Moonlight tactic?”

“...”

‘Should i tell them why?’

‘Would it be okay?’

Eleanora thought either she should speak it or not but someone spoke before she could decide.

“It’s ‘Lunar Eclipse’ tactic...”

Jennifer, who was quitely listening unintentionally murmured out loud and everyone turned their heads toward her direction.

“Lady Raven, can you explain it more clearly?”

Cathain asked as he knew it would be better if someone else explained it instead of Eleanora.

He understood what Eleanora was thinking.

.....

If she said those words, this higher up officials will take her as a paranoid person and it will be hard to convince them then.

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jennifer spoke as she stood up to explain her thoughts in this.

At first, she felt nervous but then the thought of thousand soldiers dying and the psychologically traumatised Eleanora’s face came in her mind.

Which gave her the courage to speak up as she didn’t wanted that thing to happen again.

“Their tactic looks like ‘Operation Moonlight’ where it’s actually ‘Lunar Eclipse’ tactic;

Where they attack on one focused point and isolates the enemy completely with no chance of getting any reinforcements.

Like how the earth gets between the moon and the sun during Lunar eclipse.”

“They wanted our troops from the east to march towards Fort Demacia, so that they could be farther from the central base and the Ionia base in west.”

“!!!”

“Lady Raven, What are you trying to say?!”

“Your assumption is quite ridiculous!!”

“Are you saying our troops and Dame Dalton was able to seize the fort because it was a trap?!”

Everyone find their words to be quite ridiculous and got frustrated because of that.

The meeting room filled with murmuring sounds again as she spoke out and presented her thoughts.

But Jennifer didn’t got scared and continued.

“It’d be easy for Rua’s troops to make a turn and march towards Demacia from behind, and they will be upon them before we could sent reinforcement from the west or the central.”

“Fort Demacia will be completely isolated if that happens with no chance of getting reinforcements as it would be attack from both sides.”

‘Why is she helping me?’

Eleanora thought as she observed Jennifer who was explaining the whole tactic like she wanted to do.

Her relationship with Jennifer is neither good or worse, it’s just she thought about how mean she was when Jennifer bumped into her and she walked away without helping her.

‘I even vented my anger on her…’

“Pardon me, but may i be allowed to say a few words?”

Cedrick raised his hands and stood up after he was granted the permission by the emperor.

“I am lieutenant colonel Cedrick De Raven, An advisor of the intelligence divison; i would like to add my opinion.”

“I partially agree with Dame Dalton and Lady Raven. What his Majesty, the emperor spoke is also true.”

“The intelligence divison has found many suspicious details about our takeover of Fort Demacia.”

“As i was also present during that time along with Dame Dalton, to put it more simply;

The Rua’s troops wasn’t that careful enough, despite Demacia being an important strategic point.”

“COLONEL! ARE YOU SAYING THAT RUA PURPOSELY LET US TOOK OVER FORT DEMACIA?!”

“It’s hard to say as we can’t find any strong evidence to proof that.”

“One thing is for certain, the east wouldn’t be able to get any help or sent help in emergency.”

Eleanora quitely listened to Jennifer and Cedrick, she didn’t expected them to see through this too.

In her past life, the west was under the supervision of her father and the central was under the emperor.

When this tactic was taken as Operation Moonlight, even if they was suspicious but they couldn’t take such a risk to act on their assumption.

At first, three sides was attacked but then, suddenly more troops came to attack them from the behind;

Lead by the King of Rua.

Eleanora was not only vastly outnumbered but for some unknown reason, all of them lost their mana.

By the time the reinforcement arrived, it was already too late.

Eleanora was satisfied and helpful towards both Jennifer and Cedrick.

She wouldn’t be able to convince them with her current attitude.

She herself doesn’t know why she is acting cold like this.

‘Finally we can avoid that-‘

Eleanora and Jennifer thought but then both of them was shocked as they heard the emperor’s words.

“That’s enough. I’ve listened to what you all had to say and here’s my conclusion... We will follow ‘Operation Moonlight’ tactic,”

“!!!”

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[Boring chapter, right? I think if i had used this much brain in my exams, i would be a topper. This war tactics made me feel dizzy -_- ]