Upon hearing this, Leto was startled and then said:
"This...it shouldn't be, right?"
Lucat lay languidly on the bench, his hands behind his head, and said lightly:
"Of course you would."
"What do you think was the point of all this trouble, using Nangang as bait? Was it just to capture us alive?"
Leto, puzzled, asked, "What is that?"
Lucat crossed his legs and continued:
"If they only wanted to win a battle to deter others, they could have launched a full-scale attack at sea with their fleet from the beginning. Once they gained the upper hand, the Lieyang Fleet would naturally have to withdraw, and the deterrent effect of a large-scale attack would have been achieved."
"But they didn't do that. Instead, they devised more risky tactics, which shows that they wanted to achieve more results."
"The naval port has a particularly large number of artillery pieces with extremely fierce firepower. At sea, there is also a huge fleet assembled by Daqian, attacking from both the front and the rear. This tactic is rarely seen at sea and is more like an annihilation tactic on land."
"Therefore, deterrence is not about driving away, but about achieving victory through a complete and decisive triumph."
"So, what kind of outcome constitutes a complete victory?" At this point, Lucate's flippant expression vanished, replaced by a serious face and sharp eyes as he looked at Leto.
A fine layer of cold sweat seeped down Leto's back as he said in a low voice:
"It seems so..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lucat nodded and said, "Yes, they're going to kill everyone."
"This has a far greater deterrent effect than a single victory."
"Of course, this is just my guess, but the possibility is very high, so to say 'absolutely' is... well, that's about right."
Leto wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his brows furrowing even more deeply. He bit his lip and then said coldly:
"If that's the case, then a major battle... Hmph, after this battle, there won't be any good days."
“The Kingdom of Sauri will surely vent its anger on Daqian in the next step. As for the Kingdom of Hunli, the Grand Duke of Saint Ister is a particularly vengeful person. If the Sea Lion Fleet is really destroyed here, then given his personality, he will definitely bring bloody revenge.”
"Needless to say, the Delta Federation brought so many warships this time, which shows that Von Palen wants to make Da Gan their colony. They may not even back down in front of the Sa Ri Kingdom. After this defeat, Von Palen will probably immediately deploy his forces and focus on Da Gan."
At this point, Leto let out a cold laugh, crossed his arms, and said in a sinister tone:
"Hmph, fine, kill them all, the more the better."
“The more we kill, the more severe the retaliation will be. When more troops are sent by various countries, Daqian will inevitably be completely engulfed in war. And at that time, we may also be able to benefit from it…” Leto grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
"Stop, stop, stop."
"Stop your foolish fantasies."
Lucat jumped up from the bench, frowning as he interrupted Leto.
Leto paused, then his smile faded. "What's wrong, Marshal? I think what I said is correct."
“There’s a problem, a big problem,” Lucate said, rolling his eyes.
Leto blushed, but still argued softly, "Isn't that right?"
Then he muttered, "I wonder what brilliant idea the Marshal has."
“Of course not. You have absolutely no idea what this big project is all about.” Lucate’s voice suddenly rose. “It would be too absolute to say you don’t understand. We’ve come here this time to get a better understanding of what the real big project is like.”
“Although we haven’t landed yet,” Lucate chuckled self-deprecatingly, then added with a straight face, “at least we’ve learned that their navy is very strong and has a lot of artillery. That’s a confirmed fact, and you have to admit it.”
Leto nodded in agreement.
"So, with such combat power, you have to try to figure out what they're going to do next. That's the most important thing!" Lucate slammed his fist into his palm, his face extremely solemn.
"Instead of what you think, what other countries will do next, does it really matter what they do? You don't even need to think about it to know. What's crucial is what we do after we win this great victory!"
Leto was so confused by Lucate's words that he scratched his head, unsure of what to say.
Seeing his expression, Lucate rolled his eyes again and sighed, "Leto, your idea just now was to assume that Dagan is the defensive side and make a series of judgments."
"That's why I'm telling you to stop fantasizing; you have no idea how to make a big difference."
"How do you understand the law?" Leto asked, moistening his dry throat.
Lucat leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, stroked his chin, and said calmly, "I wouldn't dare say I understand."
"But assuming... they really did kill everyone, that would expand their gains and greatly enhance their deterrent effect."
"So, this has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it demonstrates their strength and can deter some weaker countries from coming again. The disadvantage is also obvious: it makes the major powers, led by the Sasiri Kingdom, even angrier and will bring them fierce retaliation."
"Based on this consideration, I guess..."
Lucat opened his eyes and then said in a deep voice, "Da Gan wants to take the initiative."
"They...are not afraid of war or retaliation; instead, they want to compete with a nation like the Kingdom of Sari."
"This battle is not the beginning; it is merely a war to establish their authority, intended to warn countries around the world that before they can launch a major offensive, they should first consider whether their country has the capability."
At this point, there was a "click".
Lucat snapped his fingers.
"Simply put, it's a warning to some scoundrels not to overestimate their abilities, or they'll get crushed underfoot." He looked at Leto.
Upon hearing this analogy, Leto's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and he said, "This... it shouldn't be that bad, right?"
"Even if they're incredibly capable, it shouldn't come to this."
Lucat sighed, "Who knows?"
"Perhaps they are too arrogant. The commander is too conceited, just like the Grand Duke of Saint-Ister, no, even more arrogant than him."
"However, judging from this battle, I don't think so. I still trust my intuition."
“He’s always very accurate.” Lucat pointed to his head.
Leto nodded and said, "Yes, Marshal, I have witnessed your self-awareness this time. Without you, we would not have been able to return unscathed."
Lucate didn't seem to care, and he sighed again.
"But if it's really as I said, then that would be troublesome."
“Our people have already gone to do something big, which must have offended them. If they come to our mainland by sea next… sigh.” Thinking of this, the joy of surviving the disaster vanished, and Lucat looked dejected.
"Then, if that's really the case, how does the Marshal think we should deal with it?" Leto looked at Lucat, who was fifteen years younger than him but had performed exceptionally well in this battle.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
