CHAPTER 542: CHAPTER 534: THE ALLIES SPLIT FORCES

Admiral Kornilov, having explained part of his plan to the Priest and the Bishop, walked to the table, placed his hands on it, supported his body with his arms, and lowered his head in a contemplative posture, awaiting their response.

"Admiral, please allow us to step outside for a discussion! This matter can’t be decided by one person alone!" The Bishop of Sevastopol pleaded with Kornilov.

"Of course!" Kornilov replied to the Bishop of Sevastopol: "But, it must be quick!"

"It will only take a moment!" The Bishop of Sevastopol nodded, then called all the priests out of the command post.

The bustling command post suddenly was left with only Nakhimov and Kornilov.

"Should I send someone..." Nakhimov whispered to Admiral Kornilov.

The implication was clear.

"No need!" Kornilov shook his head, declining: "I believe the Bishop is a person with a great sense of the bigger picture! The fall of Sevastopol offers him no benefit."

After a while, the Bishop of Sevastopol and the priests returned to the command post. Standing solemnly before Admiral Kornilov, the Bishop of Sevastopol said, "I, representing all the priests of Sevastopol, agree to the conditions you proposed and am willing to assist you in maintaining the order of Sevastopol!"

Receiving the Bishop’s reply, Admiral Kornilov straightened his previously leaning body, removing his hands from the table. He then slowly walked over to the Bishop of Sevastopol, shook his hand sincerely, and said, "Thank you very much for your support of our work!"

"I just don’t want Sevastopol... this beautiful bay to be ravaged by the barbaric Allied Forces!" the Bishop of Sevastopol replied calmly.

"I assure you, we will fight to the last moment!" Admiral Kornilov responded to the Bishop of Sevastopol.

"I hope you will keep your word!" The Bishop of Sevastopol said solemnly to Admiral Kornilov.

"Certainly!" Admiral Kornilov responded firmly.

"If there is nothing else, then we will take our leave!" The Bishop of Sevastopol turned and walked toward the door.

"Let me see you off!" Admiral Kornilov followed behind the Bishop of Sevastopol and personally escorted him out of the camp.

The priests residing in Sevastopol also followed and left the camp. Standing at the camp entrance, Admiral Kornilov watched as the priests gradually disappeared into the night, muttering, "Success!"

Returning to the command post, Admiral Kornilov signaled to Nakhimov, indicating he could go rest.

"You too!" Nakhimov said before leaving the command post.

In the command post, only Admiral Kornilov remained. Sitting in a chair, he placed his arms on the table again, resting his chin in his hands, pondering if there were any flaws in his plan.

As time passed, Admiral Kornilov’s eyes grew heavy; a sudden wave of drowsiness swept over his entire body, making it hard for him to concentrate.

Unconsciously, Admiral Kornilov fell asleep. In his dream, Admiral Kornilov became an invincible general, leading the residents and soldiers of Sevastopol to defeat the Allied Forces, earning the rank of Navy Marshal...

"Admiral, Admiral!"

Amidst distant cries reaching from the heavens, the decorated Admiral Kornilov finally realized he was in a dream.

No! I must arise! I still have many things to do!

With firm resolve, Kornilov quickly broke free from the dream. As he opened his bleary eyes, he immediately saw Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Bolkonsky standing beside him.

"It’s you!" Admiral Kornilov yawned as he spoke to Andrei Bolkonsky: "What time is it now?"

Andrei Bolkonsky took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, and responded to Admiral Kornilov, "Six thirty!"

"Six thirty? Not too late yet!" Admiral Kornilov mumbled softly to himself.

"Admiral, what are you saying?" Andrei Bolkonsky asked Admiral Kornilov.

"Nothing!" Admiral Kornilov shook his head, then ordered Andrei Bolkonsky: "Can you bring Admiral Nakhimov over here?"

"Of course!" Andrei Bolkonsky answered immediately.

After Andrei Bolkonsky left the command post, Admiral Kornilov dragged his nearly numb right leg to the command post’s entrance, gazing at the ships moored in the distant bay.

When a team of patrolling sailors passed by the command post entrance, Admiral Kornilov stopped them and ordered them to summon the captains from the ships at the bay dock.

The patrolling sailors, having received the command, promptly headed to the bay. Feeling returned to Admiral Kornilov’s right leg as he returned to the command post.

After sitting in the command post for five minutes, Andrei Bolkonsky brought Nakhimov before Admiral Kornilov.

"Right! There’s one more thing you need to accomplish!" Admiral Kornilov said to Andrei Bolkonsky in front of Nakhimov.

After hearing Admiral Kornilov’s plan, Andrei Bolkonsky was greatly shaken internally.

"Well? Do you have the confidence to complete the task!" Admiral Kornilov asked Andrei Bolkonsky.

"Yes!" Andrei Bolkonsky replied firmly, coming back to his senses.

"Go! Let me see your progress!" Admiral Kornilov lightly pushed Andrei Bolkonsky, signaling that he could leave.

"Yes!" Andrei Bolkonsky saluted Admiral Kornilov and left the command.

"You actually let him execute this task, aren’t you afraid he’ll mess it up?" Nakhimov asked Admiral Kornilov somewhat puzzled.

Generally speaking, for a task of spreading rumors, it’s best to choose someone savvy within the army as the most suitable candidate.

A young nobleman like Andrei Bolkonsky, by contrast, may not be able to handle such work.

"Young people have to be given a chance to train! Besides, what if he fails?" Admiral Kornilov said indifferently.

For Admiral Kornilov, the Sevastopol Fortress was already sufficiently panic-stricken. Even if Andrei Bolkonsky failed, it would simply maintain the status quo.

The most important thing was instead the baptism by the priests, as the success or failure of the baptism affected the fall of Sevastopol.

"That’s true!" Nakhimov nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I also called those captains over! They’ll be here shortly!" Admiral Kornilov continued speaking to Nakhimov.

After a while, the captains of sixteen ships appeared in the command.

Kornilov immediately assigned the tasks each captain needed to complete.

Once all the tasks were assigned, Kornilov declared forcefully, "I hope you can complete the tasks swiftly!"

"Yes!" The sixteen captains responded in unison to Admiral Kornilov.

Watching the captains leave, Admiral Kornilov sat back in his chair, took a long breath, and muttered to himself, "Hope everything goes smoothly!"

...

The captains who left the command, following Admiral Kornilov’s instructions, departed from the South Shore of Sevastopol to construct a floating bridge on the North Shore. When the Russian Empire Navy was halfway through setting up, the French troops on the North Shore of Sevastopol noticed this situation.

French staff personnel, who ascended into the sky by hot air balloon and had barely landed, immediately went to report the situation to Brigadier General Troche.

After receiving the report from the "balloon staff" (as dubbed among the troops), Brigadier General Troche didn’t hesitate to present this intelligence to Marshal Saint Arno and Pellissier.

After pondering for a long while, Marshal Saint Arno asked Pellissier for his opinion, whether the Russian Empire’s move on the South Shore of Sevastopol was to reinforce the North Side or to transport forces from the North to the South.

"I think the Russian Empire’s move is clearly to concentrate all their forces in one place. Presently, the North Shore of Sevastopol is completely surrounded by our forces. If the commander on the South Shore of Sevastopol isn’t stupid, they would only choose the South Shore, which hasn’t been surrounded by our troops yet!" Pellissier responded to Marshal Saint Arno.

"Then what should we do now?" Marshal Saint Arno inquired of Pellissier.

"Marshal! Since the South Shore forces expect us to land on the North Shore, why don’t we send a contingent to the South Shore and pose as if we’re going to land there, thus confusing their judgment! This contingent doesn’t need to be large, one regiment would suffice!" Pellissier replied to Marshal Saint Arno, then added, "However, this requires the cooperation of the British Navy!"

"Trocch, head to the British Command immediately and convey our request to Commander Lagren. I’m sure Commander Lagren will agree!" Marshal Saint Arno directed his gaze to Trocch.

Leaving the French Command, Brigadier General Troche spent nearly 5 minutes riding a horse to the British station and, with the guidance of the stationed soldiers, found Commander Lagren.

At this moment, Commander Lagren was with the Duke of Cambridge and Jinsteke’s Aide on a hill, using binoculars to monitor enemy movements on the North Shore. The sudden arrival of Brigadier General Troche startled Commander Lagren slightly.

"Does Marshal Saint Arno have an arrangement?" Commander Lagren half-jokingly asked Brigadier General Troche.

"Commander Lagren..." Troche explained the discovery from the hot air balloon to Commander Lagren.

"So you’re predicting that the Russian Army on the North Shore wants to retreat to the South Shore, is that right?" Commander Lagren asked Brigadier General Troche.

"That’s right!" Brigadier General Troche nodded and replied to Commander Lagren, "Our Marshal hopes the French Fleet can join forces with the British Fleet to go to the South Shore and contain the Russian Empire’s troops, preventing them from recklessly withdrawing their troops completely!"

"Tell your Marshal that I agree with his idea!" Commander Lagren first said to Brigadier General Troche and then ordered Jinsteke’s Aide to go to the coast to liaise with the British Navy.

Jinsteke’s Aide, upon receiving the order, quickly left, and Troche likewise did not linger, returning to the French Command.