Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 933 - 27 Map_2

Chapter 933: Chapter 27 Map_2

John Jeska acted as if he hadn’t heard anything, focused intently on carving the chess pieces.

Winters fiddled with a water cup, also silent.

In the silence, Colonel Alec gradually came to his senses. He slowly stood up, squinted his eyes, and hesitated to ask; “Could it be… you never signed the oath?”

John Jeska snorted disdainfully a few times.

The truth became clear! Signing the oath and distinguishing oneself from the Kingsfort puppet government is a process that all officers serving in the military government must go through.

Under the military government, the consequences of refusing to swear allegiance are not as simple as just “stopping salary.”

That John Jeska had not been detained, tried, or executed was perhaps a privilege granted out of consideration for his blindness.

Colonel Alec didn’t even know what to say: “It’s just a piece of paper, is it worth being so serious? Why bother? It’s already your luck not to be executed…”

John Jeska put down his carving knife and wooden pawn, stood up as well, “faced” Colonel Alec, and stated his stance word by word: “Firstly, I am loyal to the Republic of Palatu, and only to the Republic; secondly, I do not believe that Alpad Duyome and his political faction can represent the Republic of Palatu.”

“Those fat-filled politicians in the Grand Council Chamber of Kingsfort can represent?” Colonel Alec retorted sarcastically: “Do you believe, right now—this very moment, those fat pigs are busily discussing how to sell Palatu to the Federated Provinces!”

“If you didn’t split Palatu from the inside, how could there be an opportunity for the Federated Provinces?” John Jeska’s voice was cold, steady: “Regardless of the reason, Alpad’s actions are rebellion.”

“It’s Kingsfort that betrayed us!”

This kind of argument was meaningless, as neither was likely to convince the other.

John Jeska picked up the carving knife again and continued to carve the chess pieces. Colonel Alec sat down angrily, gulping down a whole cup of cold well water, with sweat beads forming continuously on his forehead.

Another silence ensued.

Colonel Alec impulsively slapped his thigh, staring at Jeska in exasperation: “Forget it! Have it your way. But, you have to come back with me to Oak Forest Fortress. I’ll find you a livable place.”

Colonel Alec took out a handkerchief to dry his forehead, looked around the empty room, and said bitterly: “Since you’re convinced the military government is rebellious, let’s see who will have the last laugh! But, not here—living in such a broken place, you wouldn’t survive the winter!”

John Jeska unappreciatively countered his friend and fellow soldier: “Will you last until next winter then?”

“What do you mean?” Colonel Alec’s face turned cold.

John Jeska swept his arm across the table, cleared it, and dipped his finger in the water in the cup to outline on the table.

The sun was about to sink below the horizon, a magnificent glow hanging high, while it was almost pitch dark inside the cabin.

John Jeska continued drawing in the darkness, not for others, but for himself. Each line he drew was extremely meticulous, as if he wanted to project entire mountains and rivers onto this small, wooden table.

Although the specific lines were unclear, Winters judged from the general contours that Colonel Jeska was likely drawing a map of Palatu.

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“Newly Reclaimed Lands Province, Westwood Province, Jiangbei Province…” John Jeska casually indicated on the map in darkness: “Going north is the Monta Republic, following Ashen Stream River eastward are the Federated Provinces and Vineta.”

John Jeska’s map was vast, not only including the Republic of Palatu but also encompassing the other four countries of the Alliance.

Such a map, depicting thousands of miles of territory within a small space and maintaining considerable accuracy, had probably only appeared before on the emperor’s desk.

With this intangible yet tangible map, Winters also for the first time comprehensively and visually assessed the internal and external situations of Palatu.

“Ashen Stream River, Ashen Stream River is the key to everything.” The water traces had dried, but John Jeska still accurately pointed out the river nestled between two mountains, the rushing river: “Without breaking through Ashen Stream River, no matter how sharp General Alpad’s cavalry saber is, he can only be trapped in the northwest corner of Jiangbei Province. Am I wrong?”

“No, you are not wrong,” Colonel Alec readily admitted.

“Did you break through the Ashen Stream River?”

“No.”

“If you can’t break through Ashen StreamReader, you will only be able to push east along the north bank of the Ashen Stream River,” John Jeska took out the chess pieces, placing them one by one on the traceless, formless map. His eyes could not see light, his body was trapped in a confined space, but his thoughts had never been so free.

John Jeska coldly stated, “From ancient times to now, the Kingdom of Galloping Horses has always been ‘poor on the north bank, rich on the south bank.’ Even if you fight all the way to the border abutting the Federated Provinces, the land you control will not exceed a third of Palatu. And the essence of Palatu—the town clusters on both sides of Ashen Stream River—you similarly cannot touch. Am I wrong?”

“You are not wrong,” Colonel Alec nodded slowly.

“That is to say, even in the most ideal situation, Kingsfort controls double the land和 three times the population compared to you. As a career officer, do you think you have a chance of winning?”

“Population, land, wealth… you only count these, but you overlook the most important part.” Colonel Alec bluntly rebutted: