Although he didn't want to think about this troubling problem, Lucat knew it was something he couldn't avoid.

Having established their authority through this battle, Da Gan naturally needs to send its fleet to other continents to further expand its influence. Most of the countries that have already clashed with Da Gan are located on the continent of Leon, with the Sa Ri Kingdom bearing the brunt. Da Gan's own country is right next to Sa Ri Kingdom, and now it follows Sa Ri Kingdom's lead. Once a full-scale war begins, no one can remain unaffected.

As for the solution, Lucate pondered for a long time before speaking:

"In short, we cannot easily engage them in battle on the open sea."

"The large fleet we saw this time may not be their entire fleet; there may be other fleets in other places."

Upon hearing this, Leto raised an eyebrow: "That shouldn't be the case. If they really had that much strength, they should have set sail years ago. Why would they have waited until today?"

Lucat stroked his chin: "I've thought about this before, and my judgment is that this country has only undergone tremendous changes in the last two years."

"But what exactly has changed is unknown to us since no one has made it ashore. It seems that most of the people we sent out to work hard are now dead."

At this point, Lucat turned to look at the sea and said in a deep voice, "In short, this mysterious country is about to start making its move."

"But if they really do send a fleet to our Leon continent in the future, it won't be so easy. We have more warships on our homeland. In addition, the sea conditions there are complicated, with straits with huge waves and reefs. These are our advantages, and their warships may not be able to reach our continent smoothly."

Leto's expression gradually softened, and he continued, "But if they want to land, they will face fierce artillery fire. Our Portani port is well-fortified and has a large number of cannons. They will definitely not be able to land."

Lucat shook his head. "It's hard to say. If a fleet of more than a thousand warships comes to attack, Portani Port may not be able to hold out."

This was rather discouraging, and Leto retorted, "Marshal, you should know that we also have our navy in the coastal waters. How could they possibly attack Porta Nie port with a thousand warships unscathed?"

Lucat shrugged. "That's just my analysis."

"This time we all saw their South Port. Although we didn't get a close look, just from the dense cannon fire, we knew that South Port was a fortified stronghold. Port Potani... can't compare."

These words immediately silenced Leto, who blushed but knew it was true.

Lucat glanced at him and said, "But there's no need to worry too much. They won't go to our port right away. If we're talking about something, their target will definitely be the three major ports in the southern region of the Kingdom of Sassa."

"Those three ports, each one of them, have strong fortifications and countless gun emplacements, not to mention the coastal defense forces. This is the Kingdom of Sa, after all; they are the opponents that we must defeat in this great campaign."

"And we..."

—We may need to assess the situation and find our place in a potential all-out war. We must neither rashly join the war nor go in the wrong direction. While the Sasiri Kingdom is indeed a hegemon and has been powerful for many years, the mysterious nature of this rising star, Dacheng, gives them enormous potential. Perhaps they really have the strength to compete with the Sasiri Kingdom.

If that's the case, then we must make reasonable decisions in the future so that our motherland can continue to develop steadily amidst the struggles, and I can live out my life peacefully without worry.

Lucat did not confide these thoughts to Leto. He knew Leto would not like to hear or understand these negative words. He was still preoccupied with participating in the war and fighting, and had not yet fully realized that once the war officially started, only truly great powers would be qualified to clash, and that countries like his homeland and Hungary might no longer be worthy of consideration.

As Lucat finished speaking, Leto leaned closer and whispered, "Marshal, according to your analysis, this is indeed a huge opportunity for our Shenglu Kingdom."

Lucate bowed slightly, frowning as he looked at him.

Leto lowered his voice even further and said in a deep, calm tone:

"The Sasir Kingdom holds hegemony on the continent, which restricts our development. Especially in recent years, since Isabella ascended the throne, the gap between our national strength and theirs has widened. Last time, they massacred hundreds of thousands of Ninos on the continent of Feni, which greatly affected our colonies there. Meanwhile, they took the opportunity to gain more influence. Now it seems that it was a conspiracy by the Sasir."

“If this continues, things will only get more and more difficult for us. But as you said, if Da Gan is to get involved in the fighting, then the Kingdom of Sa Ri will inevitably be affected. With Da Gan as a distraction, the Kingdom of Sa Ri will have to free up its hands to focus on dealing with them.”

“Then we’ll have a chance.” Leto’s eyes gleamed with a fiery light.

Seeing his expression, Lucate shook his head helplessly: "Is it possible to profit from this?"

"Or should we try to survive in the cracks?"

Leto was momentarily speechless, but Lucate waved his hand and continued, "Anything is possible."

He rubbed his temples and sighed again.

"But I am no longer able to do it. When I return, I will resign from my post as marshal. I can no longer serve as marshal."

Upon hearing this, Leto exclaimed urgently, "This won't do! Marshal!"

"No one is more suitable to be the commander-in-chief than you!"

"Having accomplished nothing and returned in disgrace, what face do I have to be a commander? I'm not only unqualified, I'm a complete waste!" Lucate sighed heavily.

Leto advised, "No, Marshal, I also thought you were not up to the task at first, but now it seems that you have foresight in everything you do. Our army needs you!"

“No need to say anything more.” Lucate held out his palm.

"I didn't do anything. I just led you all to flee for your lives. It's shameful to even talk about it. It would be good enough if the Emperor didn't punish me severely after we returned home."

“If the Emperor were to make me marshal out of respect for my father, I would still refuse. I can’t do this job.”

"If you want to take the position, I can recommend you for it, but I don't know if the Emperor would be willing."

Leto was stunned.

Lucate, however, had already closed his eyes to rest. He didn't want to go through such a dangerous battle again, after all, nothing was more important than his own life.

Now, all he wants is to return to China, resign from his post, and live a peaceful life.

——

Lucat did not carry out his resolve. A few months later, when the massive war that swept the world and involved all continents arrived, he eventually took up the position of marshal again. At that time, he was the Grand Admiral of the Lucatan Navy, in charge of the entire navy. It was a period of extremely intense and chaotic warfare that affected all countries.