Zero no ambassador: my harem

Anrietta and the others were stunned at first, then thought about it.

"They don't want us to go south, so it's best to give them more time to mobilize troops from home, if Goliath's troops entering Torristine increase to 100,000, then Torristine can hardly fight even if it raises the country's strength at present; if it increases to 50,000, then it's similar to our current strength and may not be able to outrun them. Therefore, it's better to move south soon." Hao Tian voiced his opinion.

Osman was silent for a moment, nodding his head as if convinced.

When Anrietta saw that the ministers were unified in their opinions, she also decided to let the army go south tomorrow.

"As for the command of the southward battle?" Anrietta suddenly spoke up, "Let me command it myself."

"What!!!" "No." "Your Majesty think twice."

Osman, Carina, and Nils objected.

Anrietta seemed to have made up her mind.

"This is an extremely important battle that will decide Torristine's fate, how can I bear to be at the mercy of the king's capital?"

Osman and the others were speechless.

Hao Tian, however, spoke up, "That said, Anrietta, you're not good at commanding battles, are you. If you were in command, you might waste these troops."

Only Hao Tian dared to speak so bluntly about Anrietta's shortcomings.

Anrietta was momentarily speechless. "But--"

"I'll take command of the south. Anrietta will sit in the King's Capital, do your best to restore and replenish the Gramont Legion. The remaining local armies in the north and those on the west coast choose the best to be transferred into the Gramont Legion, and the undisbanded militia in the south fill in the local armies to first hold up the skeleton of the army."

Othman and Carina nodded at the news, nowadays in times of war, military strength was the most direct expression of a country's strength.

Anrietta was a bit reluctant. "But-"

"It's nothing, I'll win the fight." Hao Tian smiled faintly.

"All right. You must, you must come back." Anrietta dementedly said.

"Yeah, I promise."

The atmosphere in the palace was shrouded in pink for a moment, but soon Anrietta recovered her queenly demeanor and solemnly said.

"Then, I appoint Secretary of State Hao Tian as the Commander-in-Chief of the Southbound Army, with full powers to represent me and Torristine, and all matters are at Hao Tian's discretion and cheap. Othman as the Southern Army, local army command; Carina as the Southern Army, Valier army command. In addition, the entire [Magic Knights] will accompany the army to the south, under Hao Tian's command. Tomorrow you will go south with Princess Kelmania Alice's 30,000 direct troops to drive out the Goliath army."

Hao Tian: "Yes."

Osman: "I will take orders."

Lady Carina: "All is subject to the Queen's will."

After the meeting, Anrietta returns to the Lakewood Pavilion to tell Alice the results.

Alice is pleased with the efficiency of Torristine's decision making, but is surprised that the commander in chief of Torristine's place is Hoshi. "How can he be commander-in-chief when he's not the captain of your escort?"

Somewhat proudly and sweetly, Anrietta said, "Hao Tian is now my Secretary of State, and runs this country with me."

"Really? I heard he was a civilian just over a year ago, but now he's second only to you in this country. It's really surprising." Alice had once been hostile towards Hao Tian, but that had dissipated after defeating Hao Tian, and now she was just curious.

"Well, Hao Tian he's very capable. A knight I can trust."

"A knight? Oh-" Alice was meaningful.

Embryetta blushed and asked rhetorically, "And what about you, Alice? You're so beautiful, there must be many nobles after you."

Alice scowled, "Those domestic trash? All of them came for my looks and status, and in terms of magic, not even [Triangle Level]; in terms of leading a war and governing a party, even more embroidered pillows. One by one, they're all good-looking but not useful. Instead, there are some officers in the army who are quite capable, but they're on the older side, and some of them are married."

"Doesn't Alice have anyone she likes anymore?" Anrietta asked in surprise.

"The fancy man-" a fragment of the humiliating seven days and nights of being abducted, imprisoned, eating and defecating and bathing under false pretenses, and even being seen incontinent by that bastard, came to Alice's mind. Unforgivable, I absolutely must kill him!!!! That back was firmly in Alice's heart.

"Alice? Alice?" Anrietta called out twice before Alice came back to her senses.

"Oh, I haven't thought about a relationship yet. Maybe after I get my revenge, I could think about it."

"Revenge? Who can offend you?" Anrietta wondered.

"Never mind, it's nothing. I'm going back to bed, and I have to get up early tomorrow."

Aeris left the Lakewood Pavilion and returned to the residence of her valued guest in the palace.

Anrietta paid some attention to what Alice had said, but was more distracted by the upcoming battle between the Second Degree and Goliath.

After returning to the bedchamber, the atmosphere was also somewhat somber as Hao Tian and Louise and the other women sat around the long table in the first floor hall. Tabatha, Churuk, and Louise who were able to go south with Hao Tian were fine, and Tiffania, Eleanor, and Katria were all very worried, frequently measuring Hao Tian and constantly thinking of something to remind Hao Tian. Anrietta also joined the group.

With a bitter smile, Hao Tian accepted the girls' advice one by one.

Upstairs, Alia, who was dressed in a white sari, came down. She was still unable to pick up weapons and armor due to being hit by Louise's [Attack of Mercy], and was afraid when she saw it, so she should be very miserable as a powerful possessor capable of defeating [Triangle Level] magicians. Now that she was being cared for by a maid from the Queen's chambers, she was like a weak noble girl.

"I heard you're going to war. Although I cannot take up a weapon to protect you now, I hope it will protect you instead." Alia handed over a blue silk-woven amulet containing a high-purity windstone that emitted a slight blue light.

Hao Tian was slightly stunned, then smiled and received the amulet into his arms.

"Well, thank you."

Alia nodded and returned upstairs.

The other girls looked like "Why didn't I think of that?" "I was robbed first. It was too late to make a protective charm now.

After hugging the girls one by one and saying good night, Hao Tian returned to his room to rest. He had to get up early tomorrow.

The girls chatted a bit and returned to their rooms. Some emptied their heads and let themselves sleep, such as Louise, Tabatha, and Chuluk; some worried about Hao Tian and couldn't sleep at night, such as Anrietta and Tiffania.

chapter forty-seven - the southward meeting

The territory of Torristine was smaller than Goliath, and it had reached the southern region in just a day's work from the central capital of the country. The arrival of Alice's 30,000 troops plus Torristine's 25,000 troops put the local nobles who were still remaining in the cities and territories much more at ease.

The local nobles held a banquet to welcome the arrival of Alice and Hao Tian and the others, and incidentally reported to them about the situation of Goliath's advance army.

"Yeah, so." Hao Tian nodded.

Alice didn't say anything.

In addition to the city of [Tot], just yesterday afternoon, the Goliath army in the city of [Tot] split in two and took down the cities of [Toni] and [Tori] as well. The Goliath army relied on the three cities and sent soldiers to patrol the Goliath-Toristine border, and could no longer detect any movements on the Goliath side.

"Then what is the strength of each of the three cities?" Hao Tian asked a key question.

The reporting nobleman was stunned "Huh?" Cold sweat oozed out on their foreheads. That little private army of theirs was almost enough to see if there were any troops out of the city outside of [Tot], how could they tell the number of troops.

Hao Tian gave him a dissatisfied glance and let him leave.

After the banquet, Hao Tian and Alice met separately as the commanders of the two armies, choosing that lord's study.