The safety of the coastal defense line was now entirely handed over to Duke Ruske and his Silver Armor Legion, who bordered Horton's territory.
Furthermore, he possessed a mysterious ace unit, known as the Silver Edge Daredevils. They were clad from head to toe in thin silver armor. No one had seen their true faces, no one knew their identities, and no one knew how they fought or attacked, because everyone who had seen them was dead.
This was a unit brimming with morale and employing diverse methods. They could achieve Duke Ruske's combat orders through any means and methods, completely unrestrained, and were exceedingly cruel, surpassing even the orcs in their brutality.
This was why the orcs and the Frost Race had abandoned Ruske's territory, the closest option, and instead took a detour to attack Duke Mercury's territory, believing that Mercury, as an elder of honor, would be a benevolent person.
The people on this planet seemed to have no concept of naval warfare, thus the Silver Armor Legion could only engage in passive defense, lacking the capability for active offense.
Although Xiao Xun was concerned about Yun Mei's investigation on the other side, and he knew his parents should be arriving soon.
But he had more important matters to attend to now; the most pressing need was time. If the enemy did not stop, he could not afford to either.
News of production cuts had come from the armament factory because the raw materials needed to manufacture tanks and airplanes were almost depleted.
The most critical issue at present was the food crisis. Although the harvests in various parts of Saint Luoman had been bountiful this year, the sudden influx of refugees from other countries had quickly strained the grain supply. To ensure they could survive the winter, grain prices were doubling.
Although the Empress and the Prime Minister had both issued orders to prohibit price gouging, the effect was minimal. Wealthy landowners simply stored their grain, refusing to sell it in the market. Not only did the grain prices fail to drop, but the available grain on the market also significantly decreased.
This situation could easily incite civil unrest and rebellion. The House of Representatives met daily to discuss countermeasures, but after many days of deliberation, no effective solutions had been found.
Xiao Xun had told Mu Jiahe that they could build greenhouses to cultivate short-cycle vegetables or grains to resolve the current crisis.
However, the plastic, which was essential for building these greenhouses, had not been successfully developed yet, making progress on this project difficult.
Xiao Xun stared blankly at the land. The twelve Star Envoys had all returned and stood behind him. Libra, at this moment, took the initiative to speak, "My Lord, what is your purpose in seeking this thing called plastic? Why must plastic be used to build greenhouses? Are there no substitutes? What is the principle behind these greenhouses enabling crops to grow in such a cold winter?"
He then looked at the people around him, "If you tell us, perhaps we can solve the problem."
This struck a chord with Xiao Xun, and he suddenly clapped his hands, "Yes! How did I not think of that?"
He turned and patted Libra's shoulder, "Excellent. Let's first find an experimental plot. Although we don't have plastic, we have glass!"
He immediately sought out Selafees, who was currently receiving guests. Although Her Majesty the Empress was displeased by Xiao Xun's sudden intrusion, she did not show it on her face.
"What happened, why the rush?"
Xiao Xun, unable to conceal his excitement, said, "We can now plant in greenhouses."
Selafees asked doubtfully, "Have you developed plastic?"
"No, but I've thought of something that can substitute for plastic."
Then, he glanced at the guest sitting on the sofa and lowered his voice to tell Selafees, "It's glass. I plan to section off an area, build a glass house, and then plant vegetables. If it works, we'll promote it extensively."
Selafees turned to the person on the sofa and said, "Did you hear that? Your business has arrived."
The person stood up, a smile on their face, "It is all thanks to Your Majesty's favor."
Xiao Xun looked curiously at the man, who was slightly plump but very tall, "And who is this?"
The man introduced himself, "Hello, Duke Svein. I am the director of the largest glass manufacturing and production plant in Saint Luoman. My name is Sidyaodo."
Upon hearing the man's identity, Xiao Xun immediately turned to Empress Selafees, "Did you already anticipate this?"
Seeing her not respond and frown slightly, he quickly corrected himself, "My apologies, Your Majesty, I got too excited."
Selafees said expressionlessly, "Next time, do not be so excited. You may withdraw now. I have other matters to discuss with him."
Xiao Xun bowed to the Empress and retreated.
Outside, Xiao Xun was filled with regret, muttering to himself, "Why didn't I think of using glass from the start? It's caused such delays. If I had thought of it sooner, perhaps grain prices wouldn't be so high, and so many displaced people wouldn't have starved to death."
Even now, many refugees continued to flock to Saint Luoman from various countries because Selafees had ordered that all who came would be accepted. This was currently the largest sanctuary on the planet.
However, among those arriving were refugees, as well as spies disguised as refugees gathering information.
Xiao Xun had considered this problem from the beginning, which was why the most crucial locations, such as the armament factory, the military academy, the House of Representatives, and various administrative units, could not hire refugees. Even the dirtiest and most strenuous jobs, like cleaning and sewage maintenance, were assigned to local slaves.
For this purpose, Xiao Xun had also established a special disciplinary team tasked with investigating these important locations for any suspicious individuals who might be foreign infiltrators.
In the afternoon, there was a military conference. The principal officers of the Phoenix Army, who were about to be deployed to the front lines, were gathered in the roundtable conference room. Xiao Xun, as the commander of the Phoenix Army, naturally occupied the head seat.
This conference was held to, first, express their resolve; second, formulate combat and defense plans; third, allocate weapons and personnel; and fourth, estimate the enemy's strength.
Since the enemy was coming from the sea, the combat strategy had to change. If they were to engage in offensive operations, a navy would need to be built.
Most of the Phoenix Army's personnel were fire mages, making them very reluctant to engage in naval warfare.
However, it was their homeland, and driven by their affection for their homeland, the Phoenix Army's enthusiasm for local combat was extremely high.
After this military conference concluded, Her Majesty the Empress departed, and Xiao Xun held a separate meeting for them.
He said to Delvana, "Sister Na, I'll have to trouble you to lead the troops first. I have a few more important matters to attend to here."
Delvana felt a pang of disappointment but managed to maintain her composure, "No problem. About how long will you arrive? I also have no experience fighting naval battles."
Xiao Xun pondered for a moment, "At most a week. I will definitely be there."
Delvana stood up abruptly, "Alright. I will defend fiercely for this week and wait for your return."
Xiao Xun commandeered the largest hotel in the capital of Saint Luoman and hosted a send-off banquet for the officers of the Phoenix Army. During the feast, he left them with just four words: "Not to return until drunk."
He had two reasons for doing this: first, to genuinely celebrate their departure; and second, to eliminate the greatest hidden danger within the capital.
The banquet was scheduled to begin at seven in the evening, by which time the sky would have completely darkened.
The streetlights here used magic stones that emitted light. These magic stones absorbed solar energy during the day and released it at night, providing a brightness greater than ordinary incandescent lamps.
The hotel was named the Kelcy Grand Hotel, a nationwide chain with comprehensive facilities and luxurious decor, making it a prime venue for dignitaries to entertain guests.
News of Xiao Xun hosting the send-off banquet spread throughout the streets in less than an hour. Many people gathered at the hotel entrance. The army wished to see what the officers of the Phoenix Army, who had defeated the Disaster Legion, looked like. Were they rumored to have three heads and six arms?
On the second floor of a coffee shop, located opposite the Kelcy Grand Hotel on the main street in the city center.