158: Province naming

"Before I came here, I already held a meeting in the East Sea Province." Linn's voice pulled everyone's attention back. "Payson, the former Governor of the East Sea Prefecture, has been promoted to Governor of the East Sea Province. Additionally, twenty thousand Reserve Force troops will be transferred from Star Sea Island to supplement Yilman's Po Jun Legion. Along with the ten thousand Divine Arrow Army troops led by Angus, a total of sixty thousand soldiers will be stationed in the East Sea Province."

Having said that, his gaze slowly swept over the generals in the hall as he continued to issue commands:

"Karl."

"Present!" Karl, the commander of the Star Shattering Legion, stepped forward, his armor clanking as he moved.

"Your Star Shattering Legion is to be reassigned from Shattered Star City starting today, to be permanently stationed in the Rhine Province." Linn's gaze was calm and powerful. "Twenty thousand troops from the Star Sea Island's permanent Reserve Force will be transferred to supplement your legion, bringing it to a full strength of fifty thousand. These fifty thousand soldiers will be the initial Foundation and pillar of the Rhine Province."

"Understood! The Star Shattering Legion will surely take root in Rhine and defend the territory with our lives!" Karl accepted the order in a deep voice, his eyes burning with the weight of the responsibility.

Linn nodded slightly and turned his gaze to the other side: "Evan."

Evan, the Grand Master of the Dragon Scale Knights, stepped forward, his Aura as imposing as a mountain: "Please give your instructions, My Lord!"

"The vast continent is where the Dragon Scale should gallop." Linn's tone carried deep expectations for this heavy cavalry. "The station of the Dragon Scale Knights will be changed to the Rhine Province starting today. You must personally survey along the Rhine River to find a place by the river with lush grass and open terrain to establish a new, larger training base and ranch. I want the sound of the Dragon Scale's hooves to echo through these new mountains and rivers from now on."

"Evan accepts the command! I will find the best home for the Dragon Scale and live up to the prestige of the continent's heavy cavalry!" Evan's voice was like clashing metal, as if he could already hear the warhorses neighing in the wind.

"Thus, with fifty thousand from the Star Shattering Legion and five thousand from the Dragon Scale Knights, a total of fifty-five thousand main force troops will be permanently stationed in the Rhine Province, under your command, Karl." Linn looked at Karl, his tone turning solemn. "In the period before the new Governor arrives, you will temporarily act in all military and political affairs of the Rhine Province."

"Acting Governor?" Karl was slightly stunned; he was more accustomed to charging on the battlefield, but he quickly suppressed his thoughts and stated solemnly: "Thanks to the Lord's trust, Karl will do his utmost to stabilize the region and manage the territory, awaiting a capable successor!"

"Very well." Linn praised his decisiveness and then pointed to the area on the sand table representing the captives. "These fifty-three thousand plus foreign captives, especially the twenty-eight thousand Goblins and fifteen thousand Centaurs, are both valuable labor and potential sources of instability. Send them all to the mouth of the Rhine River—the chosen site for Rhine City."

He pointed firmly at the river mouth: "Their primary task, under your supervision and planning, will be to fell timber, quarry stone, build dams, and level the land to establish the first city of the Rhine Province, which will also be the future provincial capital, Rhine City. This city must be built as a solid river-sea hub fortress, catering to both trade and residence. As for the specific construction plan, the Administrative Hall will send someone to coordinate with you later."

"Understood! Using prisoner labor to build the city can both alleviate the labor shortage and consume their energy, making them easier to control." Karl quickly grasped the deeper meaning.

"Exactly." Linn looked around at the generals, his voice steady as he defined the boundaries of the current strategy. "As for the other vast areas within the Rhine Province—the forests, swamps, and plains... no cities will be built for now, nor will any large-scale development be carried out."

He paused briefly to let everyone digest the weight of these words: "In this westward advance, our army has achieved a great victory and expanded our territory by hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. However, the Star Sea Territory's foundational population, mature officials, and abundant resources are still mainly concentrated on Star Sea Island and the original East Sea Prefecture. Swallowing over five hundred thousand square kilometers all at once is already near the limit. If we are greedy for more and rush to develop everywhere, setting up outposts and cities all over, it will only thin our army's strength into a net full of holes, giving remnants of foreign races, potential enemies, and even natural obstacles an opportunity to strike."

General Clay strongly agreed and added: "The Lord is wise. Militarily, our army has controlled key passages and strategic points; politically, sovereignty has been declared and the province has been demarcated. Right now, the wisest move is to consolidate and digest the core areas we have gained. The establishment of Rhine City is the deepest nail driven into this new land. With this city as a base and relying on the Rhine River waterway, our influence can steadily radiate outward rather than being mere posturing."

"Clay is absolutely right." Linn nodded in approval. "The current strategy can be summarized as 'point-and-line control, focused management.' The 'points' are Rhine City and the necessary river outposts and docks; the 'line' is the Rhine River, this lifeblood waterway, and its controllable riparian zones. Using points to drive the lines and lines to protect the points, we ensure that this 'blue corridor' connecting the East Sea Province and the Aolai Kingdom is absolutely smooth and safe. For the land beyond that, we only need regular patrols and reconnaissance to clear major threats, leaving it to nature for the time being. Once Rhine City is stable, the population grows, and our national strength increases further, we will slowly plan to expand inland."

After hearing this, the generals showed expressions of reflection and realization. The Lord's vision was clearly much further than theirs; he not only saw the fruits of victory but also soberly measured their ability to digest them. Such a steady and even slightly conservative layout was based on a profound grasp of the territory's actual situation, avoiding the risks of arrogance and blind progression following a victory.

"As for the East Sea Province," Linn brought the topic back slightly, "Governor Payson is already in place, and sixty thousand troops from the Po Jun Legion and the Divine Arrow Army are stationed there, which is enough to stabilize the eastern gateway. The East Sea Province and the Rhine Province, one in the east and one in the west, are like a pair of pincers, together gripping this life passage. Between the two provinces, especially the security, communication, and supply lines along the passage, close coordination is required. Clay, you will oversee and coordinate this matter."

"Yes!" Clay accepted the order solemnly.

Linn's gaze once again swept over the new patch of azure on the sand table, finally landing back on the generals: "The first phase of the Western Front campaign ends here. However, for my Star Sea Territory, a larger and more complex new phase—governance and construction—has only just begun. Military victory won the land, but whether the land can truly be turned into the Foundation of the territory's prosperity depends on the management that follows. I hope you all will guard against arrogance and impetuosity, perform your duties well, and solidly transform this victory into the future strength of the Star Sea Territory."

He paused for a moment and ordered: "Clay, you, Hogan, and the others will stay for a while to assist with the handover, and then lead your units back to Star Sea Island."

"We respectfully follow the Lord's teachings!" The generals responded in unison, their voices losing some of the excitement from the end of the battle and gaining a bit more heavy responsibility and determination.

Linn said no more, and his figure quietly faded away as if merging into the Void Realm under the respectful gaze of everyone, leaving only the lingering charm of that vast and peaceful Aura to slowly dissipate.

The command hall was silent for a moment. Then, General Clay straightened his body, regaining the steadiness and efficiency of a commander-in-chief: "Alright, everyone! The Lord has pointed the way forward. Karl, you are to immediately start coordinating with the rear, receiving the Reserve Force personnel, reorganizing the legion, and drafting the plan for prisoner transport and the Early Stage construction of Rhine City. Evan, your survey team can set out today; safety must come first. The rest of the units, according to the original plan, will carry out the campaign's concluding work—counting the spoils, comforting the wounded, maintaining order in the prisoner camps, and establishing regular communication channels with the East Sea Province. Action!"

"Yes!" The generals responded with a roar, bowed, and then turned to leave with brisk steps. The Western Front camp, this frontline hub that had just witnessed a brilliant victory, quickly shifted to the pragmatic rhythm of bringing the fruits of victory to fruition. The vast Rhine Province would welcome its first dawn personally forged by the Star Sea Territory under their footsteps.