Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks

In the distance, the Prussian airship marked with an iron cross has already turned its bow.

In the command room of the flagship "Teutonic Eagle," the Grand Master of the Order of Knights gripped the railing tightly, causing it to creak.

Losa’s display of power had shattered his preconceived notions. In this era, even the great powers like the Blood Royal Court, the Wolf Race Clans, and others had to keep a respectful distance, yet there still existed individual might capable of influencing the course of a war.

Though unwilling, he had to admit, Frederick, you had made quite a deal using your daughter.

He exhaled lightly and turned to the captain of the "Teutonic Eagle" behind him: "Order the entire fleet to accelerate; our allies have done enough. Now it’s time for the Slavs to face the blade of the Teutonic Knights!"

"Everyone, the outcome of this battle is linked to the future of the Knight Order Country and the entire German nation. If victorious, Tsarist Russia will become an unstable house, easily knocked down with a single kick from us."

In the command station, many officers listened solemnly and intently.

The Grand Master forcibly restrained his excitement and with a heavier tone said, "Some might think I still need to warn you what would happen if we fail. But with such a massive advantage, how could we possibly lose to those Slavs!"

Should Tsarist Russia’s First Fleet be entirely defeated today, the air power comparison on the Eastern Front will be completely unbalanced, and this "Lightning Offensive" will be unstoppable.

Then, swallowing up one million Russian troops in the Polish region would almost assure a victory on the Eastern Front.

Understand that, on this day when the war has lasted three years, domestic unrest is rampant, and rebellion is not solely happening in Debang.

Among the four great powers involved, none is in a good situation, and the worst off are Debang and Tsarist Russia, which lack extensive overseas colonies for support.

Tsarist Russia’s industrial base was already the weakest among the four powers, and due to the mass conscription of farmers, food production plummeted, severely impacting both agriculture and industry.

The worse the economy, the more Tsarist Russia had to issue currency. In Saint Petersburg, inflation caused the prices of bread, sugar, meat, and other necessities to increase more than tenfold.

This was in the capital of Tsarist Russia; in rural areas, many places have become no-man’s lands, as farmers were conscripted to supplement the frontlines, leaving women and children unable to undertake heavy labor, forcing fields to be abandoned.

Since the outbreak of war, Tsarist Russia has conscripted a total of fifteen million soldiers.

Reduced rural food production was bearable, but Tsarist Russia enforced a mandatory grain requisition policy for frontline supplies, igniting numerous small-scale peasant uprisings, with many even burning down noble estates to seize land.

The requisitioned grains were also challenging to transport to the frontlines because although Tsarist Russia’s territory is vast, its railway mileage ranks last among the four great powers, far behind the third-placed Debang.

Tight transport capacity made frontline soldiers lacking food and clothing, and the railways had to prioritize the needs of the frontline soldiers over the cities, creating a vicious cycle.

Compounded by occasional reports of corruption scandals involving Tsarist officials and news of frontline defeats.

In the Grand Master’s eyes, this seemingly mighty and robust bear has undoubtedly reached its most vulnerable point; just one more major victory could potentially cause the Romanov Dynasty’s rule to collapse.

Boom—

The Prussian ships turned, their turrets aiming at enemy ships and began shelling.

...

Compared to the morale of the Knight Order Fleet, for the First Fleet still within the scope of Losa’s "Palace," it was like mourning a loss.

The binding decree duration had expired.

But within that brief time, the First Fleet suffered immeasurable losses.

Most of the outdated escort ships had been destroyed, leaving the new vessels heavily damaged.

The ten main battleships barely retained half their combat strength; if regrouped, they could still fight against the opposing Prussian fleet.

But not to mention the Demon Dragon King still watching fiercely, the pride of these Boye nobles was crushed with such brutal losses.

"Lord Petrov, the armor of the Ivan the Terrible is severely damaged, and many crew members have fainted due to high temperatures, unable to hold their positions. The Royal Mage’s magic power is nearly depleted protecting the flagship; we can’t continue this battle."

The aide’s voice trembled; not just the Prussian fleet, even against the Demon Dragon he couldn’t conceive an effective response.

Petrov took a deep breath; he wasn’t a reckless, headstrong fool. No matter how arrogant, before that Demon Dragon King, no one could remain arrogant.

"But, everyone, even if we wish to preserve the essence of the First Fleet, the enemy won’t allow us to leave."

The escorts are typical examples of small ships carrying big guns; the tonnage limits the armor thickness required for mobility, focusing entirely on firepower instead.

This makes escort ships unable to withstand any main battleship cannon shots, but their lethality is palpable.

Without the protection of escorts, even if the Demon Dragon exited the battlefield, the nine remaining main battleships couldn’t evade the pursuit of Prussian escort ships.

His tone was grave: "Everyone, the time to serve His Majesty the Tsar has come; we have no retreat."

In the command room, the officers’ expressions turned heavier but soon became relieved.

"Then let’s fight them!"

"For the glory of the family, for the glory of the Boye Knights!"

Boom—

The damaged giant ships, confronting the Prussian fleet’s counterattack, not only didn’t flee but sped up to charge towards them.

Like a group of knights charging to their deaths.

Petrov donned a military uniform, prepared for the age-old tactic of "boarding battle" that occurs only between main battleships.

"Everyone, our ancestors once fought on this land to shatter the shackles imposed on us by the Tatars!"

The damaged giant ships, confronting the Prussian fleet’s counterattack, not only didn’t flee but sped up to charge towards them.

Like a group of knights charging to their deaths.

Petrov donned a military uniform, prepared for the age-old tactic of "boarding battle" that occurs only between main battleships.

"Everyone, our ancestors once fought on this land to shatter the shackles imposed on us by the Tatars!"

The damaged giant ships, confronting the Prussian fleet’s counterattack, not only didn’t flee but sped up to charge towards them.

Like a group of knights charging to their deaths.

Petrov donned a military uniform, prepared for the age-old tactic of "boarding battle" that occurs only between main battleships.

"Everyone, our ancestors once fought on this land to shatter the shackles imposed on us by the Tatars!"