[Under the dual-line assault, Kazimierz's multiple defensive lines fell one after another.]
[The Leithanien armored torrent commanded by Taylor captured several key towns in a pincer offensive, advancing unstoppable; meanwhile, Ursus in the north pushed forward relentlessly with unmatched momentum.]
[In just a few days, the vanguard troops of both nations had penetrated into the central plains of Kazimierz, their blades pointed straight at the Grand Knight Territory.]
[This city, once a symbol of knightly glory, was now shrouded in a cloud of panic.]
[The upper echelons of the Commercial Federation were thrown into chaos, with numerous wealthy merchants secretly transferring their assets, the city defense forces' morale at rock bottom, and the populace gripped by fear. The once-prosperous streets were now quietly overrun by despair and terror.]
[You ordered Gertrude's Intelligence Department to spread the long-prepared rumors.]
[In an instant, tales of the Commercial Federation's leadership colluding with the enemy, betraying the knights, and preparing to surrender the city in exchange for their own survival spread through various covert channels to every corner of the city.]
[The people all believed that the Commercial Federation had stabbed Kazimierz in the back.]
[Meanwhile, the Ursus forces in the north seemed to have been blinded by victory.]
[In their occupied zones in northern Kazimierz, they wantonly plundered mineral resources and industrial facilities, with transport convoys laden with spoils continuously heading back to the frozen tundra.]
[Emperor Fyodor Vladimirovich's attention was clearly drawn by these rich returns, slowing the advance of his main forces as he dispatched only a vanguard detachment for reconnaissance.]
[You keenly seized this opportunity.]
[With a single order, General Taylor's armored cluster abandoned rest, pressing non-stop along the central plains toward the heart of Kazimierz—the Grand Knight Territory—at full speed.]
[Finally, on the outskirts of a city in central Kazimierz, a dramatic scene unfolded.]
[Leithanien's vanguard reconnaissance battalion arrived almost simultaneously with the vanguard of Ursus's 4th Army Group.]
[After a brief standoff, for some reason, the Ursus side fired first. This probing skirmish met with Taylor's merciless counterattack.]
[The tactical proficiency and firepower superiority displayed by Leithanien's tanks and motorized infantry turned Ursus's probe into a humiliating rout.]
[Through Serafina, you sent a harshly worded diplomatic note to Ursus.]
[After receiving the frontline report and your diplomatic warning, Emperor Fyodor Vladimirovich, facing Leithanien's firmness and recalling the heated factional struggles at home, ultimately chose compromise.]
[A potential escalation into a larger conflict was quietly defused when Ursus diplomats entered the Leithanien camp.]
[From this point, no force could halt the advance of the two empires.]
[Ursus's great army arrayed itself north of the Grand Knight Territory, while Leithanien's armored torrent halted to the east of the city.]
[Both armies were poised to deliver the fatal blow to Kazimierz.]
[On the eve of the Grand Knight Territory's fall, Chairman Czarny, with his last loyalists and looted wealth, attempted to flee via an abandoned underground passage.]
[However, his movements had long been under Gertrude's control.]
[When he crawled out of the exit in disarray, he was greeted by the black muzzles of Leithanien agents' guns. This commercial titan who once stirred storms in Kazimierz ultimately became a prisoner.]
[Inside the city, the final moment arrived.]
[Under Maenner Templight's persuasion, Iolanta Russell announced Kazimierz's unconditional surrender in the name of the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi.]
[She hoped Maenner could use the prestige of the Templight family to rally the surviving knights to evacuate the Grand Knight Territory, preserving the spark for Kazimierz's restoration.]
[But Maenner refused; he chose to stay.]
"We have betrayed all the fallen knights."
Iolanta Russell closed her eyes, her voice low and dejected.
"No, we are saving all the living people of Kazimierz."
Maenner Templight spoke resolutely.
"Lady Iolanta Russell, you are first and foremost Kazimierz's guardian, and only secondarily a knight."
Russell's body swayed, as if drained of all strength by those words.
[Leithanien and Ursus accepted Kazimierz's surrender. After negotiations, the two nations established the "Kazimierz Provisional Autonomous Government." Iolanta Russell refused the position.]
[On her recommendation, they decided to prop up Maenner Templight as the leader of the new Kazimierz.]
[Afterward, Leithanien and Ursus began discussing the "division of spoils."]
"According to the supplementary protocol of the Leithanien-Ursus Non-Aggression Treaty, the central plains of Kazimierz shall serve as the boundary."
Serafina drew a clear red line on the map with her pointer.
"To the south, including the Grand Knight Territory and all commercial cities and transportation hubs, shall belong to Leithanien."
"To the north, all mining districts, industrial bases, and agricultural zones, shall belong to Ursus."
Grand Duke Vanya of Ursus's face stiffened momentarily.
He hadn't expected Leithanien's appetite to be so vast—not only taking the commercial heart of the Grand Knight Territory but also all southern trade routes.
This claimed nearly eighty percent of Kazimierz's commercial value.
"Minister Serafina, this division seems somewhat unfair, does it not?"
Grand Duke Vanya tapped the northern region on the map.
"The northern lands are vast, but mostly barren hills and undeveloped forests, while the south holds Kazimierz's true essence."
"Our warriors shed blood in the north not to pave the way for Leithanien."
Taylor, standing beside Serafina, snorted coldly.
"Without our Leithanien blitzkrieg in the east drawing away Kazimierz's elite Silver Lance Pegasus Knights, your warriors would still be gnawing mud at the first defensive line, no?"
"You!"
Grand Duke Vanya's face darkened.
Serafina soothed him before continuing: "His Majesty the Emperor believes the values are equivalent. For Ursus, the value of the northern resource zones clearly outweighs the commercial districts."
"We each take what we need; this is fair."
Grand Duke Vanya did not refute this.
He knew full well that Emperor Fyodor now most needed northern resources to placate the old nobles and military-industrial groups at home.
Moreover, in verbal sparring, ten Ursus diplomats couldn't match one Leithanien.
In the end, Grand Duke Vanya could only snort through his nose, tacitly accepting the plan.
[Leithanien and Ursus formally signed the "Kazimierz Demarcation Line Agreement." Leithanien gained Kazimierz's wealthy southern commercial districts and some mines, while Ursus obtained the northern resource zones.]
[Kazimierz was divided in two.]
[Leithanien announced the establishment of the "South Kazimierz Provisional Autonomous Government." Maenner Templight was appointed as the first Chief Administrator, responsible for reconstruction in southern Kazimierz, with Leithanien commissioners providing guidance.]
"Your Majesty, regarding the appointment of the governor for South Kazimierz…"
In the Twin Towers, Intelligence Minister Gertrude inquired.
Lacey's gaze fell on the white figure standing silently beside the throne.
"Lizelotte, are you perhaps better suited to governing a grand region than your sister?"
Mentioning her sister, Lizelotte snorted coldly, but she did not refuse Lacey's proposal.
[You selected Lizelotte as the governor of South Kazimierz, leveraging her slight jealousy toward her good sister's current situation. You believed she would do well.]
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