System: Build My Own Territory Chapter 990 - 291: Blitzkrieg (10,000 Words)_3

Upon witnessing the faint outline of Land’s face, Walter’s expression unmistakably held a hint of surprise. However, in the very next instant, a smirk played upon his lips. Walter raised the wine pouch he held aloft. As Land watched, he drew his arm back, took a deep swig of wine, and let out a contented belch! Land let out a cold snort and proceeded with measured steps towards the inner chambers of the manor estate. Yet, the reverberation of laughter from outside the estate, near the bonfire, continued to assail his ears. It echoed persistently, much like a parasitic bone worm clinging to his senses. Only when Land’s presence had entirely vanished did the reception hall on the ground floor fall into complete silence. The only illumination came from the wall-mounted oil lamps that had yet to be extinguished, their flames burning steadily. In the gentle caress of the night breeze, the fiery orange flames danced softly.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

The advancing military force, akin to a surge of steel, moved with speed under the cloak of night. Each soldier bore a torch, casting light upon the dimly lit path ahead. Astride his steed, Mo Ying, Lynn surveyed their surroundings. The marching troops had successfully passed the Outpost Fortress, marking the end of the red brick road. Now, amidst the tree-laden mountains, only a rough path of mud and gravel stretched before them. This mountain path had, in fact, been worn down by the constant passage of merchant carts over the past year and more, en route to his territory. Otherwise, considering the remote location of his domain, which was essentially a weed-choked wasteland, how could such routes accommodating carts possibly exist?

However.

If this ongoing external conflict resulted in his complete dominion over Morgan Town, he envisioned arranging for Avery to pave the route between the Outpost Fortress and Morgan Town with smooth red bricks. From a military perspective, this would greatly facilitate swift troop movements and large-scale mobilizations. Should the enemy launch an assault on Morgan Town or the Manor Castle, he could instantly deploy forces for rapid reinforcement. Furthermore, the red brick paving would ensure the smooth transport of supplies for subsequent military endeavors. A flat, red brick road would even expedite the transmission of information, allowing cavalry returning from Morgan Town to reach the territory with greater speed! In terms of economics and trade, the red brick thoroughfare would offer merchants more convenient transportation conditions. It might even entice a larger number of merchants to frequent Morgan Town, and subsequently, his territory, engaging in trade activities!

Of course.

This was merely a nascent concept forming in his mind. The threat posed by Jon Zuck remained unresolved, leaving both Morgan Town and his territory vulnerable. Even with an ample supply of stonemasons, he would certainly not immediately commit them to infrastructure development outside his territory’s borders. The reason being, if the enemy managed to breach Morgan Town in an attack, the newly paved red brick ground would enable them to reach his walls from Morgan Town in an alarmingly short time!

Pushing these thoughts aside, Lynn turned his attention to Rose, who rode her warhorse beside him. He issued an instruction: “Dispatch a messenger immediately to the Manor Castle to inform Wesley to prepare provisions. The marching troops will be entering the Manor Castle for sustenance and rest!”

Rose responded without a moment’s delay, “Yes, master!”

Observing that Lynn had no further commands, Rose promptly summoned a soldier and began relaying Lynn’s orders. Within mere seconds, the messenger, accompanied by two soldiers, spurred their horses forward, outpacing the advancing army. Carrying their blazing torches high, they galloped into the encroaching darkness.

The distance separating his territory’s walls from Morgan Town spanned one hundred and sixty li. At their current marching pace, it would take at least until tomorrow night to reach the Manor Castle! This estimation accounted for three thousand eight hundred soldiers, abstaining from carrying excessive supply baggage, and navigating relatively level muddy gravel roads. Should the convoy also include supply carts and siege equipment, reaching the Manor Castle, where Wesley was stationed, would necessitate at least an additional week! And this was merely within the vicinity of Morgan Town! If their objective was to campaign on a more distant battlefield, unless every soldier was mounted cavalry, limitations imposed by distance and time would compel the army to spend a considerable duration just traveling to the site of conflict.

Not only were they constrained by distance and time, but the longer a marching army traveled, the greater the corresponding expenditure of provisions became! With low food production, substantial transport losses, and inefficient supply delivery mechanisms. Consequently, given the limited transport speed, unless they engaged in battles along the route to sustain themselves, it would prove exceptionally challenging for a large-scale army to maintain a prolonged campaign! Consider, for instance, Morgan Town, where his territory was situated; for an army to march to the Kaldi Imperial City—Triumph City! Based on the standard marching speed of a mixed force of cavalry and infantry equipped with supplies.