Cannon Fire Arc

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November 10th, 0400 hours, Ekaterinburg Fortress, Summer Palace.

Tsar Nicholas V questioned: "If there is a parade, will Belinsky come? He hasn't run away, has he? This guy must be thinking we'll die defending this place, like Ivan did in battle, and then he'll come to reap the rewards!"

Chief of General Staff Tukhachev glanced at Marshal Boris who had taken over as Minister of Defense after the former Commander of the Western Front Army.

Marshal Boris adjusted his glasses: "As far as we know, His Eminence the Grand Patriarch has not left Ye Fort and will participate in the parade."

"It must be a body double!" Nicholas V dismissed with a wave of his hand. "A body double! If you ask him some questions about the Secular faction and demand he interprets the scriptures, he will beat around the bush!"

"I am willing to answer any questions about the Secular faction," a deep bass voice sounded from the direction of the main entrance.

Everyone turned their heads toward the entrance.

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Grand Patriarch Belinsky walked into the room with measured steps, followed by two red-clothed bishops and guards.

"Your Majesty," the Grand Patriarch greeted Tsar Nicholas V with a court bow, a form of salute reserved for subjects greeting the emperor.

Nicholas V's expression softened: "You misunderstand, Belinsky. I was just... I just overheard some rumors. I've already punished the person who spread them. Oh, and, dispense with the formalities."

Belinsky then straightened his body: "Your Majesty, the enemy is actually at the end of their tether; it's only the continuous advances that have emboldened them. They have also notably stepped up pamphlet attacks around Ye Fort — just yesterday, their planes dropped over ten tons of leaflets.

"The enemy clearly wants to break our will to resist, just like with the Carolingians. The Carolingian capital was still defensible; the City Defense Command had mobilized a million militiamen. This heroic city has resisted foreign invaders countless times, and its people are prepared to do so again!

"However, the Carolingian high command were cowards afraid of death, so they chose to surrender. The Prosen armies hadn't even seen the capital before they surrendered.

"The Prussians are hoping we will do the same thing."

Nicholas V fixed his gaze on Belinsky: "But look at the battlefront, how many troops we've committed, all scattered by the enemy, and the latest forces couldn't even hold for a day! Can you guarantee they won't break through into Ye Fort?"

Belinsky: "Rocossov has assured me that the enemy won't enter Ye Fort."

"He said that at the public memorial too! He said mud and heavy snow would stop the enemy. Mud has come and gone, and heavy snow is at least ten days away, but the enemy is already less than fifty kilometers from Ye Fort!"

At this moment, Olga, who was standing aside, suddenly said, "Rocossov's forces are stationed twenty kilometers away from Ye Fort's outer ring — they are the final barrier! He also assured me that not a single enemy will get past his defense."

Nicholas V whipped his head around, scrutinizing his daughter, surveying her carefully, then his eyes settled on her waist: "I know you stayed with him for a day! What exactly did he use to assure you? Huh? With what?"

Olga: "With reason and logic. Father, Your Highness, the people need you to set an example. Besides, didn't you swear to avenge my brother?"

Nicholas V suddenly stopped, gazed at his daughter's face, which bore a slight resemblance to his son, then his expression firmed up again: "Ah, yes, Ivan, you're right."

The moment she was mistaken for her brother by her father, Olga's mouth twitched, but she quickly regained control of her expression with years of court etiquette training, maintaining her dignified demeanor.

Nicholas V turned to Belinsky, his demeanor completely transformed: "You're right, we must parade! To show those Prussians that we will never give up resistance! One day, we will storm into their capital and raze it to the ground!"

Having said that, Nicholas V left the room in high dudgeon.

Only then did Olga sigh, her shoulders slumping wholly.

Belinsky approached her and murmured, "Don't be sad. One day, he will recognize you clearly."

Once Belinsky had spoken, he followed Nicholas V out of the room with long, determined strides.

Until he followed out, no one in the room, including the Chief of General Staff and the Minister of Defense, dared to follow, but now they hurriedly trailed after him.

————

Within the Prosen Empire, Eagle's Nest.

Prosen Emperor Reinhard put down a secret report that had just been delivered by the Asgard Intelligence Department: "Our radio operator in Ye Fort risked their life to send a message, saying that the Ante people will hold a national parade today."

He looked at the head of Rabowell, Duke Redwitch.

Duke Redwitch: "We also submitted a report suggesting the possibility of a parade. We believe the parade is to stabilize the morale of the troops, and thereafter, they will still retreat to the Carillon defensive lines, given that they have already sent the empire's Iron Wall Rocossov to the Carillon lines."

Reinhard: "Rocossov is in front of the Second Armored Cluster!"

"Such level of error was also within our predictions. It's possible that he was meant to go to Carillon, but his appointment was canceled. Or perhaps the appointment was not carried out in time. You should know that our newly established Krat Bureau is very powerful and has directly established connections with the exiled organization of the Sanctified faction," Duke Redwitch said proudly.

Reinhard clicked his tongue, turning back to ask his secretary of the Confidential Secreatariat: "Is this what Rabowell says?"

"Yes, but at the time, you discarded this report. Because you wanted to end the war after taking Ye Fort, you refused to look at any intelligence suggesting the war might continue after Ye Fort's capture," the secretary responded.

Reinhard fell silent for a second, deciding to move past this matter and turned to ask the Grand Duke Mayer, Air Force Marshal: "Can the Air Force disrupt the parade?"

Grand Duke Mayer shook his head: "No, because our forward airfields are not yet operational. We can reach Ye Fort from our current airfield, but we can't sustain it for long."

Reinhard: "We've advanced to less than fifty kilometers from Ye Fort!"

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Duke Meyer: "Our advance airstrip is still 300 kilometers away, and the mud before made it impossible for engineers to level the new temporary airstrip's runway—there's always water. They're trying their best to build a new airstrip right now.

"The Ante People have concentrated all their fighter jets to protect the capital, and escort fighters flying from our current airfields are at too significant a disadvantage."

Reinhard: "What disadvantage?"

Duke Meyer spread his hands: "I am an ace pilot, so I can explain it to you. First, our fighters have to fly over three hundred kilometers, which takes more than an hour..."

Reinhard: "I remember our planes can fly at 500 kilometers per hour, can't they?"

"Most of the time, they can't reach that speed, and they also have to climb, so by the time they reach the airspace over Ye Fort, the pilots are usually very fatigued. If they have to coordinate with the much slower heavy bombers, it will take even longer.

"Because the heavy bombers can't take off from the frontline airstrips, they need to rendezvous in the air with the heavy bombers, climbing for dozens of minutes to reach the altitude of the heavy bombers before they can meet. In short, you should know that our pilots will be extremely fatigued by the time they reach the airspace above Ye Fort.

"Another issue is drift. We use radio navigation for bombing runs on the United Kingdom to guide the bomber formations toward the capital of the United Kingdom. But in Ante... we don't have such facilities.

"Without radio guidance, they can only rely on compasses for instrument flight because the landscape of Ante lacks significant landmarks."

Reinhard interrupted Duke Meyer again: "What's the problem with instrument flight?"

"There's wind in the sky, Your Majesty," the Duke commented, seeing that the Emperor seemed unconcerned before he continued, "there are often tremendous winds in the air that can blow the planes off course. Our heavy bombers are equipped with gyroscopes, which can counteract the wind to some extent—but drift is still inevitable.

Unless we innovate our navigation technology, drift cannot be avoided under current conditions."

Reinhard sighed: "Have them hurry up and build the frontline airfield!"

At that moment, the sweat began to pour from the Chief of General Staff of the Prosen Empire: "Your Majesty, the supply situation at the front is very difficult; although the muddy conditions have disappeared, the impact of distance and Ante's poor infrastructure still persist... to have the front build an airfield now is not quite appropriate."

Reinhard: "Building just one should be possible, right? Just one! Build it!"

The Chief of Staff glanced at the others and answered, "Yes!"

----

Olga climbed onto the parade platform alongside her father and the Grand Patriarch.

The nobles already waiting in the spectator stands on both sides were shocked, having not expected the Grand Patriarch to ascend the "side" platform.

The church's viewing stand was on the opposite side of the parade avenue.

As Olga reached the platform, she suddenly heard the troops awaiting inspection singing below.

She hurriedly looked down to see that some soldiers were holding their steel helmets to their chests, patting and singing along.

It was a song of Rocossov!

Initially, Olga thought it was just two or three people singing loudly, but then she realized it wasn't so. All the inspecting troops were singing, each voice not loud on its own, yet they collectively reached a volume audible to the viewing platforms hundreds of meters away.

"I'm surrounded, surrounded, with no more chance to escape.

"Come closer, just come closer, beasts, let me entertain you a bit!"

Just then, the Grand Patriarch suddenly said, "Do you know, a long time ago, the author of the Rhine River Battle Song met with the Emperor of Prosen, and the Emperor said, 'Your song is mightier than a few legions.'

"He said that because the Carolus Army, singing the Rhine River Battle Song, charged towards the Prussian lines with a readiness to die. As long as the song echoed, the Carolingians would not be defeated.

"It seems that the Carolingians have forgotten how to sing that battle song."

Just as Olga was about to reply, the military band began to play 'The Farewell of the Ante Woman.'

The troops seemed provoked by this and sang even louder, as if to overpower the band.

Officers started running around, desperately shouting to overpower the singing.

The master of ceremonies announced the start of the parade, and the parade commander first began the inspection of the troops.

The Grand Patriarch, beside Olga, commented on the commander: "He lacks presence, both man and horse."

Olga did not express her opinion but tried to imagine the inspecting troops being replaced by Rocossov, riding Bucephalus.

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She laughed and said, "Indeed, there's a considerable lack of presence."

During the Tsar's speech, Olga didn't pay much attention to what her father said, only feeling that his shrieking was somewhat shrill and annoying.

Seemingly in echo of Olga's thoughts, the troops' hurrah after the speech was somewhat lackluster.

Then came the march-past, and almost immediately after leaving the site, the troops began to sing "I Still Have One Last Grenade."

They sang this song with heads held high and firm strides, charging toward the battlefield.