Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 290 - 283: Discussing Doctrine While Sitting

Chapter 290: Chapter 283: Discussing Doctrine While Sitting

Melia sat alone in a quiet room, the sunlight streaming in through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, making the room very bright. She held a goblet in one hand, while the other massaged her temple.

Luo’er was directed by a servant to the location of Melia. The knight captain, having finished his socializing, stood by the door, his sword in hand. As Luo’er approached, a glower fell upon his face.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Seeing Luo’er about to march in, the knight captain decisively halted him, asking with a curt tone.

"I’ve come to see Princess Melia," Luo’er truthfully answered.

"The princess is resting and will see no one. Begone this instant," the knight captain replied coldly.

His disdain for Luo’er stemmed from the latter’s elven heritage. To him, half-elves were a lowly species, their status no better than slaves. Surely, it was only because Melia harbored ambitions that she would lower herself to interact with such a half-elf.

"Would you be kind enough to announce my arrival to the princess?" Luo’er didn’t show any signs of anger towards the knight captain’s obstinance, but instead remained courteous.

"Did you not hear me? The princess stated that she’s resting and will see no one," the knight captain raised his voice, his tone growing even more hostile.

"I never said that." Just as the knight captain was about to lose his temper, he suddenly heard a gentle voice from behind him. Shocked, he wheeled around to see Melia standing at the door, a stern look on her face.

"My sincerest apologies, Princess, for disturbing you," the knight captain assumed that Melia was angry with him and promptly apologized.

"Knight Captain, in the future when Captain Luo’er comes to see me, there’s no need to announce his presence, just let him in," she said, sparing a glance at Luo’er before adding, "regardless of what I am doing."

"Yes, yes, your majesty! I’ll make sure to remember!"Although the knight captain was twice as old as Melia, in the face of the princess with an inherent aura about her, he felt nervous and afraid of making a mistake.

Luo’er cast the knight captain a sympathetic glance, before stepping inside the room, following Melia.

"I didn’t think you’d come to see me voluntarily." Melia spoke in a calm tone before picking up a bottle of red wine and goblet and pouring Luo’er a glass.

Luo’er felt that Melia’s attitude was somewhat unusual, too composed, and he wondered if she was offended by what had just happened.

"Are you upset with me?" Luo’er hesitated for a moment before taking a shot at asking.

At his words, Melia blinked momentary surprise, then softened her gaze before raising the corners of her mouth into a soothing smile. "Do you think I’m upset with you?" she asked, softly returning his query.

"Uh, that’s good to know then." Luo’er awkwardly scratched his head. When it came to flirting, the late thirties Luo’er didn’t stand a chance against the seventeen-year-old princess.

Seeing Luo’er’s flustered state, Melia’s smile grew wider. Clasping the stem of her goblet, while staring at the red wine within it, she spoke, "I am annoyed with you, but..." She paused briefly before adding, "I’m also thinking about how to familiarize the soldiers with these weapons so the army can form as quickly as possible."

"That’s something you don’t need to worry about. The military instructors that we sent will take care of the soldiers’ training and turn them into real fighters," Luo’er replied in a relieved tone.

"Then what did you come here to see me for?" Melia asked, turning her gaze to Luo’er.

"I..." Luo’er hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, "Melia, could you tell us about the situation and location of the military assembly of the Masya army and the Odelanqi army now, so we can plan our next move?"

"Are you in such a hurry to leave?" Melia asked him, her eyes holding a hint of reluctance.

"Not at all. The most important thing is to complete our mission ahead of time. The situation in Yazhi City is unstable, and the people at headquarters are very sensitive. They get jumpy at the slightest disturbance," Luo’er quickly explained.

"Relax, I’ve got people watching those guys. If anything major happens, they’ll send information here immediately. Besides, the kingdom’s forces haven’t yet crossed the Roen River to join up with the Odelanqi army; you don’t need to be in such a rush," Melia calmly replied.

"When did Masya and Odelanqi reconcile and form an alliance?" Luo’er couldn’t help but ask.

"How should I know," Melia was clearly annoyed at the mention of Odelanqi, "Even if my father asked me to return to the palace to remarry the Prince of Odelanqi, I wouldn’t go. From the day I left the palace, I made a vow that I would return to the Galan Palace only as a victor."

"Would your men willingly follow your orders?" Luo’er asked.

"Of course, they’ve been carefully chosen by me. They’re warriors who are only loyal to me." Melia nodded in confirmation.

"Rest assured, as your partners, our headquarters will always stand by your side. Even if the headquarters abandon you once they feel you’re of no value, our advance team will be there to help you at any time," Luo’er earnestly told her.

Upon hearing his words, Melia quietly looked at him. Suddenly she broke into a small laugh, her eyes filled with tears she couldn’t hold back. Wiping away the tears on her face, she smiled and said, "Why are you saying such affectionate words?"

"Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would upset you." Seeing Melia in tears caught Luo’er somewhat off-guard.

"But still, thank you," Melia looked at him, her voice saturated with emotion. Her eyes were encased in a redness, shimmering with tear drops. When she glanced at Luo’er, he couldn’t tell if her eyes held tears or deep affection.

"If my father forces me to marry, then I’ll marry a half-elf just to infuriate him." Melia wiped her tears and amusingly suggested. Although she didn’t point directly, Luo’er understood what she meant.

Luo’er fell into a silence, not daring to look directly at Melia. He faintly remembered the first time he saw her; she walked out from the carriage, her aura exuding elegance and composure. That was when Luo’er first realized that a real noble could possess such charisma.

Later, to ensure her place in the politics of Galan without any bargaining chips at her disposal, Melia had even offered herself to thwart the budding friendship between Masya and Odelanqi. That version of Melia was frightening. That was the first time Luo’er realized how terrifying a girl consumed with the pursuit of power could be.

Thereafter, Melia came to Yazhi City to discuss cooperation with headquarters. Despite being a girl not yet twenty, she was able to persuade top executives at headquarters to let her pledge her future assets in exchange for their support. Luo’er was once again humbled by her tenacity.

If Luo’er was asked who left the most profound impression on him during his first year in Otherworld, without a doubt, it was Melia Alaphasia.

"By the way, about the formation and command of the new army, I’m still in the dark. Could you teach me?" Melia suddenly asked him.

"Of course, what do you want to know?" Luo’er’s thoughts were interrupted by her words and he nodded in acknowledgment.

"I want to know how Earth’s military operates," Melia said, looking him earnestly. As she wanted to learn Earthly knowledge from Luo’er, she decided not to tease him anymore.

"Operations of Earth’s military can be divided into two aspects. In terms of Earth, the military relies on achieving air supremacy. Once this is achieved, it means obtaining the initiative on the battlefield," Luo’er began explaining earnestly.

"Air supremacy?" The concept was quite new to Melia.

"Yes, clearing the airspace to ensure airforce support at any time, and coordinating attacks with ground forces." Luo’er elaborated, "Considering your army does not have an air force, you can consider the Army of Ronisca, which is entirely an air force."

"You mean airships?" Melia inquired.

"Yes, but on Earth, we lack the capability to construct such massive airships. However, our aircraft are more advanced and intelligent. The missiles we launch can automatically target and our aircraft can move several times faster than the speed of sound," Luo’er clarified.

"I see." Melia nodded, not entirely grasping his point.

"Earth’s military tactical system is built on the doctrine of overwhelming firepower. Whether it is air supremacy or establishing a network of firepower, the ultimate goal is to drop as many bombs as possible onto the enemy and destroy their positions and manpower with our superior firepower. Then use armoured forces to break through the stubborn positions, finally, the infantry conducts a battlefield cleanup and secures the region," Luo’er continued.

"It’s becoming harder to understand!" Melia confessed frankly.

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand, after all, you are not familiar with the operational system of Earth’s military. You can seek books related to the first and second Prophetic War, then you’ll gain a basic understanding of Earth’s doctrine of overpowering firepower," Luo’er explained patiently.

"Then, what if we’re battling in our world?" she continued.

"If warfare takes place in the Magic World, wireless communication will be completely ineffective, so you must find a reliable and fast means of communication. Furthermore, guided weapons won’t function as intended, so you must rely on traditional ground firepower units for support," Luo’er explained, "We’ve fought such wars before. During the two world wars on Earth, we battled under similar circumstances, and incrementally summarized our experiences. Otherwise, we couldn’t have held for so long under the Otherworld Allied Army’s assault."

"If I need to organize an army to fight the rebels now, what should I rely on as the main force?" This was a significant concern to Melia.

"Artillery!" Luo’er immediately responded, "No matter whether it is on Earth or in Otherworld, artillery will always be the soul of the army."