Inside Pariston, a signalman rushed in with a report:
"Your Majesty, the artillery barrage has been launched towards the first line of defense as planned, and heavy casualties have already been inflicted on the enemy!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Ze, who was sitting upright in his chair, raised his head and asked expressionlessly, "Did they retreat?"
"Your Majesty, the enemy has not only not retreated, but has instead charged forward with even greater ferocity."
Qin Ze rested his chin on his hand and couldn't help but chuckle: "You brute."
The communications soldier nodded and said, "Yes, but it seems that the enemy has a strong force. There are at least 100,000 enemy soldiers just in the due east direction. They are coming on strong."
Qin Ze nodded slightly and said, "It's no use saying more. We're no longer in the era of close-quarters combat with cold weapons."
At this point, he changed the subject and said, "The northern defense line has been quiet for some time now."
As soon as he finished speaking, another communications soldier beside him immediately said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the enemy troops there have not completely withdrawn; they have only retreated a few kilometers. They are probably waiting for an opportunity to strike."
Qin Ze shook his head and laughed, "The Goths have been attacking us from all sides, but so far they haven't made any progress. They're waiting for an opportunity to strike, but they can't wait for the next chance to attack."
"We cannot allow the Goths to break through the frontal defenses of Pariston. The southern defenses are currently fiercely contested, with the enemy launching a relentless assault regardless of casualties. Not to mention the rear."
As soon as he finished speaking, the communications soldier immediately said, "Your Majesty, if we can't wait for an opportunity, the enemy forces in the north should retreat."
After a moment's thought, Qin Ze nodded and said:
“The enemy commander in the north doesn’t seem so reckless. If there’s no news of a breakthrough on other battlefields, they might indeed withdraw.”
"Then do you think we should take the initiative?" the communications soldier asked.
Qin Ze shook his head: "They are cavalry. Even if we send out cavalry to attack, they can easily escape if they avoid fighting, and they will also completely expose our secrets."
There is no need to launch an attack.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the communications soldier replied.
But then Qin Ze suddenly said, "Go, take my orders with you, and have everyone on the northern defense line withdraw back into the city."
"When you retreat, bring all the artillery back with you. We don't need that defensive line anymore."
"Let's see if they're willing to come and occupy it. If they do, ha... we'll just use firepower to bombard the entire area within range."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The communications soldier immediately accepted the order and left.
——
Just after 11 o'clock, in the rear of the main force of the Götterdölln army.
"Sir, this won't do! Our casualties are escalating. We have to retreat temporarily and rethink our battle plan." At this point, Leo was extremely anxious and couldn't care less about anything else. He urgently urged Saski to change his mind.
Previously, they had barely managed to withstand the enemy's firepower and forcibly occupy their positions, but before they could fully consolidate them, they were subjected to devastating and intense bombardment, which caused heavy casualties on their side. Saski was also completely enraged and, in a moment of madness, ordered a full-scale attack. However, up to this point, the attack had not made much progress.
Although the soldiers on the front lines had organized multiple linear columns to charge towards various parts of Pariston, on the opposite side, a large number of enemies were hiding in the houses on the edge of the town. They were hiding behind the windows of those houses, using the windows as gun emplacements, and continuously firing highly destructive shells.
Although their artillery units, which had advanced to the forefront, were providing cover, the shells they fired were completely unable to penetrate the civilian houses, which were surprisingly sturdy.
After the fighting had been going on for a while, Leo belatedly realized that Pariston, being near the N'Zoth Mountains, had built most of its houses using red sandstone from N'Zoth, making them incredibly sturdy and suitable for military construction.
"Fight! Keep fighting!"
"I'll see how long they can hold out!"
Leo's advice did not shake Saski's resolve. Although his own casualties were rising, the more this happened, the more furious he became.
At this moment, Leo thought that Saski's tough attitude was a sign that he had been blinded by anger. The battle had been going on for nearly five hours, and not only had they not made much progress on the front, but the enemy's supposedly weak flank defenses had not been breached.
Therefore, all previous assessments of the enemy must be overturned. There must be a large number of enemy troops and weapons stationed in Pariston, which is why they were able to defend the town like an iron barrel.
Thinking of this, Leo gritted his teeth, stepped forward, grabbed Saski's arm, and then admonished her:
"Sir, if you decide to continue the attack, you must immediately order the entire flank force to be recalled!"
Saski turned angrily to Leo: "Why did you bring them back?!"
Leo said with a grim expression, "Ril sent someone earlier saying that a breakthrough was imminent on the southern front, but so far, there has been no progress, and the same is true for Phil."
"Under these circumstances, our flanking maneuvers have become completely ineffective. They are all light cavalry units, and a prolonged battle will only put them at a disadvantage, and their numbers will dwindle. We must cut our losses in time and focus our efforts here."
Saski immediately rebuked, "Do you think the Yan people aren't under pressure from this offensive? They definitely won't be able to hold on!"
As soon as he finished speaking, an officer beside him said in a low, cautious voice, "Sir, what the Chief of Staff said... is not entirely unreasonable."
"For our main force, fighting for several more hours is not a problem, but for the flank forces, if they cannot gain an advantage in a short time, they will only become more and more vulnerable..."
"You... really need to think about this carefully."
Saski glared at him, and the officer who had been speaking quickly lowered his head.
"You all think so too?!" Saski shouted at the others, and then cautious voices began to emerge.
"Hmm...Sir, we need to change our tactics..."
"I...I also think some changes need to be made."
"Sir, this battle has lasted longer than we anticipated, and the casualties are far greater than..."
As one person after another voiced their thoughts, Saskia's expression grew increasingly grim. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Attack for another half hour! If we haven't broken into Pariston by then, we...we'll retreat."
"But listen to me carefully, this is only temporary! A strategic retreat! Understand?!"
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