Meanwhile, in the Royal Navy faction's command room...
Elizabeth stared at the light representing Lion as it charged headfirst into Sector B on the tactical screen.
Her expression darkened instantly.
"That idiot Lion! We had the advantage from the very start! As long as we played cautiously, victory was practically guaranteed! But now look at her!" Her voice rose louder with every word.
"What the hell was she thinking, charging in like that?! She's completely surrounded by the Sakura Empire and Eagle Union fleets now! Is she happy? Was this reckless stunt really worth it?!"
The more she spoke, the more her frustration boiled over.
By the end of it, she was stomping her foot in frustration.
Just as her temper was reaching its peak, a large hand gently rested atop her head, followed by a soft, comforting rub.
"What has our Queen so upset?"
'That voice...' Elizabeth thought, quickly turning around.
As expected, Jun Hao stood behind her with a warm smile, while Belfast remained quietly at his side.
"S-Servant?! Y-You... why are you here?"
Seeing her startled reaction, Jun Hao chuckled softly.
"What? Am I not allowed to come watch the exercise? Besides, maybe I can even help."
Elizabeth immediately ignored Jun Hao and shot Belfast a sharp glare instead.
Her eyes brimmed with silent reproach.
| Belfast, why would you bring him somewhere like this?! Even if it's only an exercise, cannon fire doesn't discriminate! What if he gets hurt?! |
Belfast gave a graceful curtsy, calmly enduring the Queen's furious stare.
| My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. The Master insisted on coming. As his maid, I cannot refuse his orders. |
Faced with such a flawless explanation, Elizabeth could only let out a helpless sigh.
Turning back toward Jun Hao, she found him studying the tactical projection overhead with obvious curiosity.
Even so, her concern outweighed her irritation.
"Servant, this place is dangerous. The shockwaves from the exercise could still injure you. You should head back first. Once this is over, I..."
A faint blush spread across her cheeks before she could finish.
Seeing her shy expression, Jun Hao felt his heart stir slightly. He leaned closer to her ear, his voice dropping into a teasing whisper.
"When it's over... what does Your Majesty plan to do?"
Elizabeth's face immediately turned even redder. Embarrassed, she lightly punched his chest with a small fist.
"Servant, y-you're absolutely shameless! Asking when you already know perfectly well! Anyway! Go wait in my bedroom first! This exercise will be over soon..."
As she spoke, she hurriedly signaled Belfast with her eyes, clearly urging her to drag this troublesome man away at once.
Jun Hao simply waved his hand dismissively.
"Come on, don't be like that."
His gaze returned to the massive tactical display.
"Honestly, the situation isn't nearly as bad as you think. If you ask me, there's no need to send reinforcements to Lion at all. Let them handle their fight while we focus on ours. Wouldn't that work out better?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire command room fell silent.
Elizabeth and Belfast both stared at him in disbelief.
What kind of strategy was that supposed to be?
Elizabeth frowned deeply, her tone carrying both confusion and irritation.
"Servant, what nonsense are you talking about? Lion is surrounded by the Sakura Empire and Eagle Union's main fleet right now. If we don't support her, how is she supposed to hold out?"
"She's the Royal Navy's strongest combat force! If she falls, this exercise becomes far more difficult for us!"
Belfast, meanwhile, spoke in her usual composed and respectful tone.
"Master, forgive me, but I also find your proposal somewhat difficult to understand. Are you suggesting we abandon Lady Lion and Lady Trafalgar?"
Seeing the confusion written across both their faces, Jun Hao beckoned them closer to the tactical projection.
"Of course not."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"I'm saying there's no need to rescue them... because Lion was never the bait to begin with."
Jun Hao raised his hand and pointed toward another sector on the map.
"The real target... is here."
He reached out with his free hand and pointed toward Sector B, the area densely packed with blue dots on the tactical map.
"Look closely. The reason Lion pushed forward so aggressively and ended up surrounded is because Amagi intentionally baited her deep into enemy territory."
He lifted a finger thoughtfully as he continued.
"So, if I were Amagi, I'd naturally assume you'd rush reinforcements over to rescue Lion. And once you did, I'd either prepare an ambush along the route or exploit the opening in your defenses and strike directly at your headquarters."
Elizabeth had already considered those possibilities herself.
"Exactly! That's why we need to reinforce Lion immediately!"
"No."
Jun Hao calmly shook his head.
"Right now, you should do exactly what I said earlier. Lion fights her battle, and we fight ours."
He glanced at the tactical projection again before continuing.
"Amagi's strategy is flawless in theory, but she overlooked one critical detail."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"She severely underestimated Lion's combat strength."
"I highly doubt ordinary forces would be enough to bring down someone like Lion so quickly. Do you understand what that means?"
Seeing that both Elizabeth and Belfast still looked uncertain, Jun Hao decided to explain more directly.
"It's simple. Gather your strongest forces and strike wherever Amagi's defenses have weakened. Ignore Sector B for now. With Lion's strength, even surrounded, Amagi and the others won't be able to defeat her anytime soon."
"And that period of time is more than enough for you to secure decisive gains elsewhere. By then, the ones forced onto the defensive won't be us, but Amagi, New Jersey, and the rest of them."
Elizabeth found herself persuaded almost at once.
Slowly, she sat back down on her throne and looked up at him.
"But what if they really do send forces to attack our command room, just like you predicted, Servant?"
"Then let them come."
Jun Hao answered without the slightest hesitation.
"We'll wait for them here. At that point, it simply becomes a race to see who can destroy the other's base first. That's what I mean by 'they fight their way, and we fight ours.' Understand?"
As his words fell, both Belfast and Elizabeth stared at him in stunned silence.
This kind of combat philosophy was unlike anything they had encountered before.
To be honest, it sounded downright insane.
What kind of commander willingly chose to "trade bases" with the enemy?
Elizabeth's small hands trembled faintly. Part of it came from nervousness, while the rest came from excitement.
She was nervous because she had never attempted such a bold and reckless strategy before.
But at the same time, she felt strangely exhilarated. For the first time, she was experiencing what it felt like to fight side by side with her husband during an exercise.
In the end, excitement overcame hesitation.
Elizabeth raised her hand decisively.
"Belfast."
"Your Majesty."
Belfast immediately straightened herself.
The moment she and Jun Hao entered the sea zone, it meant she had already joined the battle.
"Relay my orders. All units are to follow my husband's commands."
"Understood."
After giving a respectful bow, Belfast took out her communicator and transmitted Elizabeth's orders, or more accurately, Jun Hao's commands, through the exercise channel.
The instant the order spread across the battlefield, the entire communication network erupted into chaos.
At the same time, the tactical projection shifted dramatically.
Under the Royal Navy's sudden, ferocious offensive, the defensive lines of the Eagle Union and Sakura Empire began collapsing visibly.
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