Chapter 566: Li Yunlong Behavior

"Why do the Saxons want us to see this?"

Brusilov's question silenced the murmurs in the command room.

Several staff officers who had just been analyzing the National Army's troop movements exchanged glances. Two of them quickly looked down, re-examining the aerial reconnaissance reports on the desk.

They had focused entirely on the content of the photographs, ignoring the fact that obtaining them had been far too easy.

It was true; the White Army aviation squadron had been conducting aerial reconnaissance continuously.

Long before the attack on Kyiv, Brusilov had ordered the aviation squadron to maintain surveillance over the west bank of the Dnieper River, prioritizing the search for Saxon Army artillery positions, supply hubs, and troop staging areas.

However, over the past month, they had gathered very little actionable intelligence.

The Saxons possessed superior fighter aircraft and better-trained pilots. The White Army's obsolete recon planes were intercepted the moment they crossed the front line.

Sometimes, four planes went out, and only one returned. And the lucky survivor didn't necessarily bring back valuable photographs.

Fly too high, and the ground targets were blurry... Fly too low, and they were easy pickings for Saxon fighters.

But over the past few days, the situation had suddenly changed.

The National Army's reinforcement routes toward Kyiv, their marching directions, and their general scale appeared in the aviation squadron's reports almost daily.

Kyiv was still an active warzone, and the Saxon aviation squadron had not lost its combat capability, yet White Army recon planes were consecutively securing critical intelligence...

Prompted by Brusilov, the officers exchanged looks, realizing this indeed made no sense.

"Your Excellency Field Marshal, are you suggesting the Saxons and the Rebels are intentionally letting our recon planes through?" a senior staff officer asked.

Brusilov picked up one of the reports, flipped to the page detailing aerial combat, and shook his head.

"I didn't say that. The Saxon interceptions haven't stopped, and the dogfights are real... Claiming they are simply 'letting them through' has no basis."

Another staff officer chimed in.

"Could it be they intentionally want us to see the troop movements toward Kyiv, while hiding the truly important assets elsewhere?"

Brusilov didn't answer immediately. He rearranged the aerial photographs on the desk chronologically.

Judging by the scale of the marches in the photos, the Provisional Government had reinforced the Kyiv sector with at least fifty to sixty thousand men. Troop movements of this magnitude were difficult to fake. The rations, tents, vehicles, and livestock couldn't deceive anyone.

Unless the Provisional Government was willing to expend massive resources to have tens of thousands of men march in circles on the roads. But clearly, the current Provisional Government wasn't wealthy enough for such theatrics.

Or rather, if they had that kind of strength, the war wouldn't be in its current state.

"Perhaps we are simply overthinking this."

Brusilov set the photos down and continued, "The aviation squadron has increased their reconnaissance sorties over the past few days, and the pilots are adjusting their routes... The Saxon fighters have to simultaneously protect Kyiv, Rzhyshchiv, and the northern front. It's normal for them to be stretched thin."

Hearing this, the lieutenant colonel who spoke first hesitated.

"Should we still heighten our vigilance?"

"Of course we should!"

Brusilov turned to face the operational map on the wall.

"I worked with Alekseyev for many years. He rarely leaves such obvious clues in military affairs... Even if this is all just a coincidence, maintaining vigilance won't cost us anything."

The staff officers fell silent. Before this offensive, many within the White Army believed the Provisional Government was on the brink of collapse.

They thought that once the Center Army crossed the Dnieper, the Kyiv garrison would rapidly lose its will to resist.

The first day's attack shattered that assumption.

The National Army's combat resolve far exceeded expectations, and the scale of Saxon Army intervention continued to grow. Although the White Army had barely secured a foothold on the outskirts of Kyiv, the casualties they suffered were already impacting follow-up offensives.

Brusilov plucked a blue marker representing the National Army from the east side of Kyiv, turning it over in his hand.

"Assume our judgment is correct. If they are using the troop movements toward Kyiv to bait our aviation squadron and induce a misjudgment... what are they trying to hide?"

The staff officers sank into deep thought, unable to provide an immediate answer.

Brusilov then ordered a staff officer responsible for collating front-wide intelligence to report the current situation across all sectors, hoping to spark some ideas.

The officer quickly stepped up to the map with a pointer, first indicating the area north of Kyiv.

"No significant changes on the northern front for now. General Yudenich's telegram yesterday indicated he organized two probing attacks, neither of which breached the opposing defense line."

"According to prisoner interrogations, the northern defense is handled by the Saxon Fourth Army and a Rebel reserve corps. The enemy commander is highly experienced, and their positional deployments are extremely tight."

Brusilov nodded. Judging from Yudenich's previous reports, achieving a breakthrough in the north was indeed difficult.

The troops led by Yudenich were White Army elites, and their offensive capability was unquestionable, but they were facing cohesive Saxon Army units.

The enemy commander in that sector was clearly a seasoned veteran, executing an airtight defense.

A disparity in training levels existed between the soldiers of both sides, and the gap in firepower was even more pronounced.

Saxon infantry companies were equipped with massive numbers of light machine guns and submachine guns, and their division-level artillery allocation far exceeded the White Army's.

Even if the White Army breached a position, the Saxons could rapidly seal the gap utilizing their reserves and firepower superiority.

Over the past few days, Yudenich's furthest advance was less than three kilometers, yet his casualties already exceeded eight thousand.

Expecting a sudden, major breakthrough on the northern front was unrealistic, at least in the short term.

"What about the south?"

Brusilov placed the marker back on the table. The reporting officer immediately replied, "Both river crossing operations at Rzhyshchiv failed, especially the second... The vanguard suffered a sudden strike from elite Saxon forces. Casualties were extremely heavy, and the blow to morale was severe."

The officers in the meeting room remembered the reports from that battle.

Denikin had originally planned to rely on numerical and firepower superiority to force a crossing at Rzhyshchiv. Once a foothold on the west bank was secured, the Southern Army could pressure Kyiv from the rear flank. They hadn't anticipated such catastrophic losses...

"We may have still underestimated this Instruction Brigade."

Brusilov fell silent for a moment before pressing his hand over Rzhyshchiv's location.

"Their strength is at most a single division, yet they managed to block the Southern Army frontally... This means they are already capable of influencing an entire battlefield."

Hearing this, a young staff officer suddenly picked up the recently compiled reconnaissance summary.

"Your Excellency Generalissimo, I've thought of a possibility."

"Speak."

"This report notes that the Rebel troop density in the Rzhyshchiv sector is decreasing... Is it possible the Rebels believe the Saxon Instruction Brigade, paired with a small garrison, is enough to stabilize Rzhyshchiv, so they moved the National Army units stationed there to Kyiv?"

The young staff officer grew increasingly excited as he spoke.

"If they were merely reinforcing defenses, they wouldn't need to make the troop movements so obvious. Does this indicate the Rebels might be preparing to organize a counter-offensive in Kyiv?"

"First, they concentrate forces toward Kyiv. Once the troops and ammunition are in position, they suddenly attack the urban areas the Center Army has already occupied, driving us back to the east bank."

Several staff officers began discussing this line of thought.

"...There really is such a possibility."

"The Center Army on the outskirts of Kyiv is still hampered by fortress firepower, and the pontoon bridges are under constant bombardment."

"If the Rebels mass superior forces for a counterattack, our troops on the west bank will be in grave danger."

"Especially since the Saxon armored airship, though repelled, could be recommitted to the battle at any moment."

Brusilov listened carefully, then picked up a pencil and marked several Center Army positions on the map.

"A very bold idea..."

The young staff officer was about to elaborate, but Brusilov raised a hand to stop him.

"Logically sound, but I believe my old friend would not place the answer so plainly in plain sight."

The heated discussion immediately cooled. After all, if reinforcing Kyiv was the answer itself, it was indeed too direct.

Alekseyev was perfectly capable of tightening night march discipline, utilizing villages and woods to conceal troops, and minimizing the probability of aerial detection.

The current method of movement, allowing the White Army aviation squadron to photograph multiple columns consecutively, clearly defied logic.

Brusilov stood before the map for a while before making a decision.

"Send telegrams to Yudenich, Kappel, and Denikin..."

The comms officer immediately grabbed a pencil and telegram forms, beginning to transcribe the old general's orders.

"Order all units to intensify ground reconnaissance. Dispatch small, elite squads across the front line. Focus on checking changes in enemy troop strength, supplies, and communication lines."

"Maintain aerial reconnaissance, but do not rely solely on aviation reports."

"Particularly enhance close-range night reconnaissance... Frontline outposts, crossing points, roads, and villages must all be investigated."

"Tell them, when encountering enemy recon units, do not merely focus on firefights... capture as many alive as possible. Even if you only catch a civilian cart driver, interrogate him."

The comms officer rapidly transcribed the orders, confirmed there were no omissions, and left the command room immediately. The other officers also received tasks and busied themselves.

Soon, Brusilov was left alone before the massive wall map.

He picked up the aerial photograph showing the National Army column again, studying it against the light for a moment before stepping up to the operational map.

The entire front line was jagged and interlocked. A change in any one direction could affect the other two battlefields.

His gaze finally settled between Kyiv and Rzhyshchiv. He muttered to himself, "My old friend, where are you planning to place your next piece?"

The next day, west of Kyiv. A group resembling a militia marched into the city.

These men wore a motley assortment of clothes; only the cloth bands tied around their arms and the newly issued rifles identified them.

The ranks included veterans, railway workers, and youths from surrounding villages and towns. The personnel provided by Petliura were being reorganized by the Provisional Government in batches, then fed into Kyiv's various defensive lines.

Near dusk, several more units marched into the urban area along the highways.

The increased cooking smoke, vehicles, and horses in the city could not be hidden from the White Army planes. Ultimately, they were translated into aerial reconnaissance reports and sent back.

As night fell, another movement began.

Several National Army units capable of field combat departed from southern Kyiv. They marched with only a handful of torches to guide the way, and the few supply vehicles provided by the Saxons used blackout covers to minimize light emission.

They didn't head straight for Rzhyshchiv along the main roads. Instead, they moved west first, bypassing two villages before turning south.

Furthermore, they would not march during the day, resting and holding in concealed locations instead.

In the basement of the Provisional Government's General Staff Headquarters in Kyiv, Alekseyev hadn't returned to his assigned quarters for several nights.

Troop deployment schedules and various order documents covered his desk.

Entering Kyiv were the new troops handed over by Petliura; leaving Kyiv were the few elites within the National Army still capable of executing field offensives.

The numbers were roughly equal, but their combat capabilities were worlds apart.

Defensive troops could rely on fortified positions, machine guns, and officer discipline. As long as recruits were pinned to the trenches, they could at least serve a purpose.

Field offensives were vastly more complex.

Disrupted marching columns, flank attacks, disconnected artillery support—any single issue could shatter an undertrained unit.

The White Bandit Army's Southern Army boasted over a hundred thousand men. If Alekseyev wanted to devour this prey, he had to extract every capable unit he possessed.

Yet he knew perfectly well this was a gamble.

Leaving aside whether it would ultimately succeed, the longer the preparation for the operation dragged on, the higher the probability of exposure.

And if they failed to swiftly pierce Denikin's flank, the battle would devolve into a war of attrition.

Worse still, the rainy season was approaching. Once the roads turned to mud, the mobility of artillery, trucks, and those Saxon armored units would be severely impacted.

If the supply lines were severed for even a few days, a hundred-thousand-man army deep behind enemy lines could be trapped.

Thinking of the "rasputitsa," Alekseyev couldn't help but recall Morin during the operational conference.

The young Saxon Major General had continuously fired off questions, all pointing directly to the pain points of fighting during the mud season, and the issues of allied coordination and follow-up.

However, several National Army officers at the meeting felt Morin was being overly cautious, even believing he exaggerated the impact of the rasputitsa.

Alekseyev didn't see it that way.

When commanding a hundred thousand men, the greatest fear is that everyone only focuses on the outcome of success, while no one considers how to clean up the mess if things go wrong halfway.

A bit later, several officers who had attended both joint operational conferences arrived at the deployment command center. While waiting for new orders, the topic of conversation shifted to Morin.

"Is Major General Morin truly only in his twenties?"

A National Army colonel set down his teacup.

"He certainly doesn't speak like a young man. The questions he asked the logistics department that night had both the Saxons and our quartermasters sweating bullets."

Another officer flipping through the deployment schedules casually added,

"He has vision, and his combat record speaks for itself... The White Bandits took a severe beating in that battle at Rzhyshchiv. His only flaw is that he's a bit too cautious."

The others chimed in with their own commentary.

"Indeed~"

"A young general with his skills should be bolder at times."

"Timid men rarely become renowned generals."

Hearing this, Alekseyev chuckled.

"There's nothing wrong with caution."

"This is the first time we and the Saxons have organized a joint operation of this scale. The communication protocols between the various units haven't even been fully unified... Having someone willing to hit the brakes might save a lot of lives at a critical moment."

The National Army colonel who spoke first shrugged.

"Let's hope he can truly maintain that caution."

Alekseyev smiled, shook his head, and said no more, simply looking down to sign a new deployment order.

The veteran Russian general couldn't have imagined that very soon he would retract that "cautious" evaluation... and call the man a "lunatic."

Rzhyshchiv, Instruction Brigade Headquarters.

After receiving the detailed operational deployment sent by the Eighth Army, Morin first reviewed the participating units, then the logistical arrangements, and finally turned to the coordinated command roster.

Upon seeing the first name, his hands stopped.

"Huh? Ludendorff..."

Manstein, who was organizing topographical data nearby, looked up.

"General, what is it?"

"Ugh, why is it this guy again?"

Morin grumbled as he handed the document over for Manstein to read himself.

The command roster at the top of the operational deployment document clearly stated that Major General Ludendorff, Chief of Staff of the Eighth Army, would personally travel to Rzhyshchiv to oversee the coordination of the joint operation between Saxon forces, the National Army, and the Cossacks.

The Instruction Brigade remained under Morin's command, but the overall dispatch authority for the southern counter-offensive would be handed to Ludendorff.

After reading the roster, Manstein wasn't as surprised as Morin, instead trying to comfort him.

"General, for an operation involving a hundred thousand men, the Eighth Army obviously wouldn't hand total command authority over to a brigade-level unit..."

"He's been fighting for so long and he's still a Major General. I'm a Major General now too... Why couldn't they let me do it..."

Morin knew, of course, that this arrangement couldn't be viewed so simple. He was merely venting his frustration right now. After all, the last time Ludendorff messed with him had genuinely left some psychological trauma.

Ultimately, he could only let out a long sigh.

"Sigh... I just didn't expect it to be Ludendorff. If he's transferred here, what happens in Kyiv? Is Hindenburg finally planning to start doing something useful?"

Manstein coughed. "Ahem... General, you should only say those things in here~"

Morin waved a hand, not continuing that train of thought, and began pondering the situation.

The Eighth Army was currently handling the defense of the Kyiv sector. The departure of the Army Chief of Staff from headquarters would inevitably impact operations there.

Based on Morin's observations over this period, Hindenburg spent most of his time AFK, basically "cosplaying a rubber stamp," rarely interfering directly in specific deployments.

The Army Commander preferred listening to his staff's opinions, confirming the overall direction, and then leaving execution to his subordinates.

Therefore, as Chief of Staff, Ludendorff shouldered a significant portion of the actual command work. Transferring him to the southern front now was tantamount to the Eighth Army Headquarters voluntarily removing a crucial component.

However, upon deeper reflection, Morin figured it out. The true operational planner of the Eighth Army was Colonel Hoffmann, the Chief of Operations.

During the several meetings over this period, most specific plans originated from Colonel Hoffmann.

The man rarely fought to speak, yet he could calculate railway transport, troop deployments, and attack timings with incredible precision.

Morin had some knowledge of this history prior to transmigrating.

In the original timeline, the several victories the Eighth Army achieved on the Eastern Front were often attributed to Hindenburg and Ludendorff, but the man responsible for planning those key operations was Hoffmann.

Hoffmann himself harbored some grievances regarding this. Rumor had it he later complained publicly, stating that certain people's primary job was merely signing documents.

Since Hoffmann remained at Army Headquarters, Ludendorff's departure south wouldn't cause the Eighth Army to grind to a halt.

They might even fight better~

Since he couldn't stop it, he could only take things as they came. Having thought it through, Morin returned to the document.

The two infantry divisions dispatched by the Eighth Army would arrive in Rzhyshchiv within three days.

National Army units would enter designated areas in batches, while the Cossack cavalry would assemble further southwest to prevent massive numbers of horses and men from exposing themselves prematurely.

The bridging and engineer units directly under Army command were already en route, and artillery, ammunition, and rations had clear allocation figures.

Compared to the verbal promises made during the operational conference a few nights ago, this plan was far more detailed.

But the most critical issue remained: the hundred-thousand-man allied force hailed from three distinct command structures.

The Saxon Army used its own communication and order formats. The National Army was internally divided into multiple factions. The Cossacks were more accustomed to obeying their respective chieftains.

It was fine when things went smoothly. But if the assault stalled, whether all units would continue executing orders was a guarantee no one could make.

Morin picked up his pencil and drew two lines under the words "Coordinated Command."

Seeing Morin's action, Manstein—who already shared a high degree of tacit understanding with his commander—grasped his concerns, but simultaneously realized something else.

"General, are you saying Army Headquarters sent Major General Ludendorff primarily to coordinate the various factions?"

"Hard to say... I think they probably also intended to keep me in check~"

"General, you always expect the worst..."

"According to an ancient Eastern saying, this is called 'being prepared for danger in times of peace'."

Morin felt his concerns were justified. A joint force of over a hundred thousand men, comprising Saxon regulars, the National Army, and Cossacks.

For an operation of this scale, supreme command couldn't possibly be handed directly to a Major General, let alone Morin, who had only ever commanded brigade-level units in practice.

Ludendorff's position and seniority were sufficient, and he was familiar with the Saxon Army's command structure. Since the Eighth Army's arrival on the Eastern Front, he had frequently negotiated with National Army personnel.

Therefore, having him act as the general coordinator made perfect sense in those regards... The problem was, Morin felt the man was too reckless, prone to "overextending" once he gained a slight advantage.

He had personally experienced this when dealing with him on the Western Front.

Thinking of this, Morin sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I'm just afraid he'll urge us to charge across the river before he's even finished surveying the terrain."

"Uh... surely not?"

"It better not be~"

As they were talking, footsteps approached outside the tent.

The duty comms officer pushed aside the flap, holding a freshly received telegram.

"General, urgent report from the forward recon teams."

"The White Army intensified their activities tonight. At least seven recon squads appeared on the east bank of Rzhyshchiv, and some attempted to swim across from downstream."

Morin and Manstein exchanged a look, immediately realizing the White Army's reaction was faster than anticipated.

"Did we catch any 'tongues' (prisoners for interrogation)?"

"Yes, General, we did!" The comms officer sounded somewhat excited.

"The 'Thunder Warriors' conducting stealth infiltration training on the opposite bank caught four. They just dragged them back across the river. A brief interrogation revealed they are scouts sent by the enemy's Southern Army."

Hearing this, Morin could only admit they had gotten incredibly lucky.

Normally, if these White Army scouts were only operating on the east bank, capturing them wouldn't be a simple task.

But over the past few days, in preparation for upcoming combat operations, Morin had Klaus lead the "Thunder Warriors" in armed infiltration training.

They didn't wear their "Mj?lnir" armor for this training. Instead, they wore hastily tailored "ghillie suits," carrying weapons across the river for armed infiltration and reconnaissance missions.

With the physical capabilities of the Thunder Warriors, they could indeed execute infiltration missions for far longer durations than regular soldiers.

Crucially, their individual combat prowess was also extremely high. In Morin's eyes, they were the absolute perfect candidates for executing "special operations."

He hadn't expected them to reap rewards so quickly...

"Did you find anything valuable on these White Army scouts?" Morin asked.

"General, aside from weapons, they had maps, binoculars, flare guns, and some handwritten orders... instructing them to confirm changes in our troop strength, prioritizing reconnaissance of nighttime roads and river crossing equipment."

As the comms officer spoke, he handed several captured handwritten orders to Morin.

Hearing this, Manstein leaned close to Morin and whispered, "General, it seems the enemy has genuinely grown suspicious."

Morin nodded. He was just about to read the captured orders when the tent flap was pushed open from the outside again.

A messenger rushed in, breathless as he saluted.

"Report: a situation has developed on the outer perimeter."

Manstein: "Did the White Army launch a night raid?"

"No, there's a conflict between friendly forces and the recon team."

Morin stopped what he was doing and looked up at the messenger.

"Hm? What happened?"

"Among the four captured White Army prisoners, one is an officer of the old Empire... Someone from the National Army recognized him and insisted on dragging him out for execution."

The messenger swallowed hard and continued, "The White Army officer's attitude is also terrible. He called them rebels and said they'll all be hanged one day..."

Morin didn't know what to say for a moment. He finally started walking out of the tent, asking, "Where are the prisoners now?"

"Still on the outer perimeter, General!"

"Let's go take a look."

Morin quickly left the Brigade HQ with Manstein, hurrying toward the outer perimeter.

Halfway there, Manstein couldn't help but speak.

"That White Army officer certainly has guts."

"That's not guts, the idiot just hasn't figured out where he is..."

Morin spoke without breaking stride, a hint of speechlessness in his voice.

"I mean, he's in National Army hands, yet he dares threaten them with the gallows to their faces? Does he really think his White Army uniform will stop bullets for him?"

"I suspect there are many old Imperial officers like him within the White Army ranks..."

Manstein wasn't surprised by this.

"They view the National Army as rebels, and the National Army views them as accomplices of their former oppressors... The grievances run too deep. It's hard to leave survivors when they meet on the front lines."

"That's exactly why I kept emphasizing that captured 'tongues' must be guarded by our personnel."

Morin exhaled, quickening his pace, forcing Manstein to hustle to keep up.

"We haven't even finished interrogating them, and they're about to be beaten to death by our allies. What kind of mess is this?"

However, by the time the two arrived at the temporary camp, the conflict had already ended.

Over a dozen National Army soldiers were leaving under the urging of several officers. Some cursed over their shoulders even after walking dozens of meters away, quickly pulled along by their comrades.

Klaus stood like a mountain at the entrance of a semi-buried bunker. Though unarmed, he exuded a dangerous aura.

Seeing Morin approach, he immediately snapped a salute.

"General."

Morin: "You guys didn't actually fight, did you? My main concern was that they wouldn't stand a chance and you'd beat them half to death..."

"It was close."

Klaus glanced toward the departing group of National Army soldiers.

"Fortunately, they were led by an International Brigade veteran who fought with us in Sevilla... We exchanged a few words, and he was willing to give me face."

"What about the captured officer?"

"Locked inside, gagged."

Klaus grew angry just mentioning it.

"That guy really needs a beating. He's been cursing non-stop since we grabbed him. He was just yelling inside the bunker a moment ago... If I had arrived a step later, the National Army men would have already strung him up on a tree."

"And the others?"

"Ordinary soldiers, quite honest... answered whatever we asked."

Morin didn't enter the semi-buried bunker. Instead, he peeked through a gap in the curtain at the blindfolded prisoners inside.

The prisoners were tied to chairs. The White Army soldiers kept their heads down, while the officer sat rigidly upright, a gag stuffed in his mouth and a bruise on his cheek.

Morin looked for a few seconds before turning to Klaus.

"Were these four blindfolded the entire time they were brought back?"

"Yes, General. Blindfolded from the moment they were captured by the river, and we took the outer communication trenches... So they didn't see our positions, much less enter the Instruction Brigade's sector."

Morin nodded. This handling was quite sound, worthy of Klaus, the Instruction Brigade's "number one fierce general."

"Have their identities been confirmed?"

"Confirmed. Their officer and soldier identification books are on them~"

Klaus paused, then continued, "The officer's name is Ilya Viktorovich, a lieutenant in the 6th Infantry Division of the White Army's Southern Army. The others are soldiers under his command."

Morin: "Did you extract any valuable information?"

"Not much."

Klaus shook his head, looking somewhat regretful.

"They only received orders last night to intensify reconnaissance around Rzhyshchiv... Priorities included our troop strength variations, road usage, crossing equipment, and rear encampments."

"How much has their reconnaissance radius expanded?"

"This lieutenant was only responsible for the downstream sector. He mentioned the 6th Infantry Division sent out several squads at once, and other divisions likely launched similar operations."

Standing beside Morin, Manstein couldn't help but interject after hearing Klaus's report: "The White Army's reconnaissance was previously concentrated on coastal positions. Now they're checking roads and bridging equipment. That exceeds the scope of standard tactical reconnaissance..."

"Mhm... They're looking for signs of an offensive."

Just as Morin finished his sentence, new information populated the system's [Intelligence] interface.

[White Army Southwestern Front Commander-in-Chief Brusilov has ordered the Center, Northern, and Southern Armies to intensify ground reconnaissance.]

[All units will prioritize close-range night reconnaissance to gather intelligence on the National Army's true troop deployments, communication line changes, and material transfers.]

[Brusilov is suspicious of the troop movements toward Kyiv and has not yet confirmed the National Army's actual operational intent.]

Morin paused upon reading this intel, and Manstein quickly picked up on his reaction.

"General?"

"Our earlier assessment was correct. It seems Brusilov has genuinely grown suspicious."

Morin tilted his chin, pointing toward the prisoners in the semi-buried bunker.

"If the Southern Army was merely heightening their own alertness, they wouldn't demand reconnaissance on so many things... It's true the Southern Army took a beating a few days ago, so intensifying coastal reconnaissance is normal. But now they even want to check the rear roads, which is entirely different."

"So you believe this is highly likely a unified order issued by their superiors."

Manstein continued the analysis based on Morin's assessment.

"If that's the case, doesn't it mean the troop movements toward Kyiv failed to completely deceive the White Army High Command..."

"Fooling Brusilov would naturally be ideal, but failing to do so isn't entirely unexpected."

Morin pinched his chin, pacing back and forth, constantly pondering the current situation and subsequent countermeasures.

The White Army High Command was a considerable distance from Rzhyshchiv. Brusilov could issue these intensified reconnaissance orders, but he couldn't personally oversee every recon squad of the Southern Army.

Therefore, the person who truly decided the Southern Army's reaction speed remained the Southern Army itself... or rather, Denikin.

"We can switch our deception target."

Morin stopped pacing and looked at Manstein and Klaus.

"Since Brusilov is too hard to fool, we'll ignore him for now."

Manstein quickly grasped his intent.

"You plan to target the Southern Army?"

Morin: "Mhm~ Denikin is the actual commander opposite Rzhyshchiv... As long as he concludes there are no anomalies here, no matter how many warnings the Southwestern Front Commander-in-Chief issues, he'll only make superficial preparations."

Having received the modified serum, Klaus's cognitive processing had also vastly improved, allowing him to keep pace with Morin and Manstein.

"General, how do you plan to make him believe that?"

"Relying solely on the Kyiv-related intelligence provided by the Southwestern Front, and their own blind reconnaissance efforts—" Morin paused, then looked at the system map.

In his view, since Brusilov had already alerted all three armies to intensify reconnaissance, continuing to hide under these circumstances would paradoxically make Denikin suspicious of Rzhyshchiv.

Therefore, they needed to proactively reveal something to scramble his judgment.

However, revealing too little would seem deliberate... Revealing too much would compromise the offensive.

Morin's gaze finally settled on several common crossing points downstream of the Dnieper River on the system map.

Two of these points featured slower currents and riverbanks suitable for bridging operations... Any military professional analyzing the topography around Rzhyshchiv would prioritize these locations.

After thinking for a moment, Morin looked up toward the room holding the prisoners.

"Keep those White Army soldiers. Send them to the POW camp."

"And the officer?"

"Let him go."

Klaus was stunned for a moment upon hearing this answer, and Manstein also hadn't anticipated Morin making such an arrangement.

"General, if we release him outright, won't the enemy realize we've been conducting infiltration operations on the east bank recently?"

"Which is exactly why we obviously can't let him go back empty-handed~"

A smile crept onto Morin's face. Manstein, who knew him well, immediately realized his commander had likely hatched another "devilish scheme."

"Prepare a gift for him."

Now even Manstein was confused. He couldn't fathom how this suddenly tied into a "gift."

"General, is this 'gift' you're talking about... legitimate?"

Morin: "Of course it's legitimate. I plan to have this officer carry a map back~"

Manstein reacted quickly this time.

"You want to feed Denikin false intelligence?"

"No, no, no. False intelligence won't fool anyone at a time like this."

As Morin spoke, he had someone fetch a newly drafted map of the Rzhyshchiv vicinity.

The scale of this map wasn't detailed. It only marked the river, villages, roads, and a few elevations. Critical troop deployments, artillery positions, depots, and camps were entirely absent.

Morin picked up a red pencil and marked three locations on the map.

Two were situated downstream of Rzhyshchiv, while the other was close to the original defensive positions. All were prime locations for conventional forces to construct bridges and force a crossing, and all lay within the White Army's observation range.

He thought for a moment, then scribbled a time next to one of the markers.

Staring at the marks, Manstein couldn't help but ask, "General, are we just going to hand this to the enemy?"

"Exactly~"

"But will Denikin believe it?"

"Once he has this map in his hands, whether he believes it or not is irrelevant."

Morin smiled, then continued, "The people around him will find a plausible-sounding explanation for him."

Manstein picked up the map, scrutinized it several times, and still expressed concern: "General, what if they reinforce defenses according to the map..."

"Then let them reinforce... Oh, Erich, just relax. I guarantee it will work~"

Wearing an expression that screamed "I've got this, don't worry," Morin rolled up the map and handed it to Klaus.

What he didn't say aloud was that this entire combo-move was "hand-picked by the ancestors"—it was just that "foreigners" like Manstein didn't understand the intricacies.

"Tuck this onto that officer. Tell him this is a gift from us to General Denikin."

Klaus took the map without further question. Since it was Morin's order, he would naturally execute it unconditionally.

It was Manstein, having just been hit by this unprecedented tactic, who remained somewhat uncertain.

"General, should we add a few forged orders? Won't it seem too casual with just a map?"

"~This is exactly the effect I want... adding more would just complicate things."

Morin waved his hand, feeling a pang of regret that he and Denikin weren't "old acquaintances," preventing him from dropping some classic, universally recognized lines. "We need to be this casual to mess with his head!"

"Understood."

"Also, when you send him back, don't blow our cover. Have two Thunder Warriors handle it. Unblindfold him only after crossing the river."