...
Meanwhile, at the command center within New Town, Major Fritz, who was on the night shift, was analyzing the situation.
The command center was in chaos, with messengers asking about the situation and others coming to inquire about it running around the courtyard.
No matter how high the self-expectation of the United Provinces Army, tonight was, after all, the first real battle for many of them.
Many officers in the command center were in a state of feeling they should be doing something but unaware of what to do.
Fortunately, Major Fritz was on duty tonight; as the planner of the operational contingency plan, no one was more familiar with it than he was.
"Have the fifth and sixth Hundred-Men Squads assembled?" Fritz asked, frowning at the map on the table.
"Ready to go." Someone replied loudly.
Fritz didn't immediately issue a support order but instead asked, "Have the messengers who went to inquire about other batteries returned?"
After a moment of silence, someone whispered, "They probably haven't."
Fritz slammed the table in anger: "Send more people!"
"Yes!" A junior officer ran out of the operations room sheepishly.
"Has General Cornelius not arrived?" Fritz became impatient unconsciously, "Send someone to wake the General again."
"Is that necessary?" Fully dressed, Jansen Cornelius strode into the operations room with a few aides, his voice booming, "The whole Kingsfort is probably already awake—"
Fritz immediately made room in front of the map table, and Cornelius unceremoniously stood in the focus of everyone's gaze.
Cornelius looked around the operations room and laughed, "The Paratu People are watching how well we fight!"
Low laughter broke out in the operations room, relieving the tense atmosphere considerably.
"'Knight's Castle' is under fire; two Hundred-Men Squads are ready to move at any time," Fritz concisely reported, "and two more are assembling."
"Send one Hundred-Men Squad over to make a show of it," Cornelius calmly ordered, "have Colonel Ludwick's troops gather and stand by, prepare the ferries!"
The junior officers in the operations room were a bit stunned by the department head's words.
Fritz was taken aback for a moment, then immediately came to his senses: "You think Knight's Castle is just a decoy attack? The rebels aim to attack Magit Island?"
"Don't think I don't know how you all talk about me," Cornelius looked at the young faces in the operations room, mimicking the tone of the trainees, said:
"'The tactics class in the Infantry Course teaches only four things: deploy reserves on the reverse slope, if you can't penetrate the front, flank them, the backup plan will come in handy sooner or later, and...'
Cornelius signaled with his eyes and gestures for the junior officers to continue his words.
The professionally trained officers present looked at each other; none had seen the department head so joyful and gentle before, and everyone was hesitant to speak.
Finally, Fritz cautiously asked, "Before the real attack is launched, must there be a feint in another direction?"
"Correct," Cornelius nodded, giving a slight grunt, "It seems only you learned well enough."
The junior officers present couldn't and didn't dare to refute.
"Signal warning to Magit Island," Cornelius ordered, "have Ludwick prepare quickly—if he moves any slower, we're just going to collect the body of Major Monta Cuccoli. And also..."
Cornelius scanned the operations room, "Who's in charge of the ferries tonight?"
"Report, I am," a junior officer timidly raised his hand.
"Then why are you still here?" Cornelius asked coldly.
The junior officer seemed to wake from a dream, stamped his feet, saluted, and dashed out.
"Tell me something I don't know," Cornelius looked at Fritz.
Fritz felt immense pressure but oddly also a sense of relief.
With each order Jansen Cornelius issued, the city defense command headquarters gradually began to operate.
...
Meanwhile, upstream of Magit Island, around a hundred naked soldiers from Mont Blanc County were quietly pushing rafts loaded with weapons and ammunition into the water.
Compared to the uproarious Jiāng'àn Battery, things were very quiet in the direction of Magit Island.
On the riverbank, Woods was persistently advising a capable young man, "Once you land, send the rafts back immediately, don't forget! We only have these few rafts now. If you send them back, I can send reinforcements."
"Rest assured," the young man replied with a grin, his entire body painted in black, revealing only his white teeth.
Originally, Woods wanted to lead this landing operation personally, but General Gessa strictly forbade him from going ashore, so he had to reluctantly entrust the mission to someone else.
Looking at his junior's somewhat young face, Woods suddenly felt reluctant.
"Take care," Woods tightly grasped his junior's hand.
The young man nodded, smiling as he bade farewell to his senior, then resolutely headed towards River Shijian.