Only God

Although Maxwell had created what was dubbed "Maxwell's Miracle" through an extremely outstanding strategy and the cooperative resistance of Golan's legions, the dwarves of Kaelonde still had the strength to fight another battle.

Even though their ten main legions were badly damaged, under the command of Kafu the Sixth, they were able to draw reinforcements from the second and third-tier reserve legions, track down the fleeing soldiers, and in a short time, they managed to reorganize four main legions. They retreated towards the Helong Mountain Range, strictly following the King's order, avoiding direct confrontation with the people of Golan.

Maxwell pursued them with forced marches, continuously harassing, besieging, and ambushing the retreating dwarves. Although these measures inflicted certain losses on the dwarves, they could not completely crush all the dwarf armies.

During their withdrawal to the Helong Mountain Range, their greatest loss occurred in the battle of Niefeikela. At that time, two dwarf legions were resting and recuperating in the town of Niefeikela—one was a reserve legion, and the other a recently reorganized main legion.

Somehow, the news leaked, and the very next day, as they set off, Golan's cavalry swarmed in, slowing the two legions' movements. Soon, in the afternoon, Golan's main forces arrived upon hearing the news and engaged in a battle.

Maxwell's capable general Skar commanded this battle. Under his excellent maneuvering, the dwarves, who were forced to face the battle hastily, began to retreat in a short time, and not long after, they were in full-scale flight. These two dwarf legions, having just sent for reinforcements, were defeated before the reinforcements could arrive, with Golan securing victory before the dwarves could bolster their ranks.

Aside from this encounter, until the dwarves reached the Helong Mountain Range, Golan did not achieve any more significant victories. Maxwell could not help but remark that the dwarf king possessed an immense authority that held sway over the generals, as his legions did not reveal any fatal weaknesses during their retreat.

Many times, wars initially come to a stalemate, but once one side considers retreating, their armies often become divided with unrest. In such situations, it is easiest for the enemy to seize the opportunity, break through in one fell swoop, and cause a complete collapse.

The dwarf army still had the strength to fight another battle. With the existence of reserve legions, the reorganization of the main legions, and the wounded returning to battle... they still had more than forty thousand, nearly fifty thousand fresh troops. Although their threat was significantly less than before, no longer as unstoppable as at the beginning of the war, they were still not to be underestimated.

On Golan's side, despite conscription from multiple areas and several rounds of reinforcements, they too had only just over fifty thousand men, a number comparable to that of the dwarves.

As the dwarves retreated deeper into the Helong Mountain Range, the old general did not hesitate. He intended to resolve the situation quickly, launching fierce attacks on the dwarves' occupied cities, strongholds, and fortresses, hoping to swiftly reclaim the lost Helong Mountain Range.

Contrary to his wishes, even though Golan's morale was high and the dwarves had recently suffered a significant defeat, within the stout and constricted defense, after more than ten days of relentless assault, Golan's fierce attacks had little effect.

During the most intense period of the offensive, Maxwell only slept three to four hours a day. When awake, he was almost constantly monitoring the situation, either staring at the sand table or the map, listening to scouts' reports, or personally commanding on the field.

The two sides became entrenched in the Helong Mountain Range for nearly two months, where the old Earl once again witnessed the formidable power that steam technology had brought to the dwarf army.

This power was not shown in directly inflicting casualties on the enemy soldiers but was evident in logistics.

As the stalemate persisted, the dwarves' defenses became stronger and stronger, with an endless stream of weapons, equipment, and supplies being transported from within Kaelonde to the frontlines, making the attack by the people of Golan increasingly difficult.

Train after train of steam locomotives arrived at the front lines, whistling with death-like echoes, at a speed beyond imagination. Golan's soldiers found that the dwarves' armor, battered the day before, appeared shiny and new the next day. The battlefield had become a situation where the dwarves' resources seemed to increase with every battle while the humans' resources diminished.

Maxwell saw all this very clearly. Far more than the other people of Golan, he understood the dwarves. He dispatched men to attack the dwarves' transport routes, tightly besieged stronghold upon stronghold occupied by the dwarves, intercepting communications between them, and even ventured into the borders of Kaelonde for this purpose.

These measures initially struck at the dwarves, but in the face of the tremendous transport capability, the dwarves still managed to replenish their supplies amply. Several times, dwarf legion commanders deliberately had their soldiers throw the discarded armor from the city walls to mock the men of Golan.

Maxwell understood, or rather, he had understood long ago, but now his realization was deeper. They had created "Maxwell's Miracle," not just because of the fierce resistance of the men of Golan and the excellent strategic arrangements but simultaneously because the dwarves had ventured too deep, losing the logistical advantage of the Steam Trains. Furthermore, the dwarves' massacres and plundering made the men of Golan see them as mortal enemies.

However, the situation was gradually reversing day by day at the Helong Mountain Range. Helong Mountain Range was located on the border between the two nations. Railroads within Kaelonde could provide a continuous supply of materials, and there were also some newly built railroads by the dwarves in this region; additionally, the Helong Mountain Range had been dwarf land hundreds of years ago, and many dwarves still lived there, naturally offering staunch support to the army of Kaelonde. Several times, dwarf guides deceived Golan's troops, leading them almost into ambushes.