Soldiers

Seattle officials were numb as boxes of shells, machine guns, and artillery were unloaded from the armored train.

It wasn't until Arthur and John walked over that Mayor McCann of Seattle finally reacted.

"Mr. Miss him, Mr. Miss him! I am Mayor McCann Gruler of Seattle. You can just call me McCann." Mayor McCann hastily extended his hand towards Arthur, cold sweat already dripping down his forehead.

Mayor McCann, who had never seen such a strong and fierce army, was sweating profusely.

The oppressive feeling brought by elite soldiers was far beyond what trash soldiers could compare to.

Looking at Mayor McCann's respectful and cautious hand reaching out for a handshake, Arthur felt a slight sense of emotion.

He never expected them to have reached such a position!

Back in 1899, they were just a bunch of wanted criminals, low-level people whom the Mayor could order the Pinkerton Detectives to hunt down with a single command.

But now, even a city's Mayor needs to look at his expression just to shake Arthur Morgan's hand.

Arthur, with a sigh, took Mayor McCann's outstretched hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Hello, Mr. Mayor, I am Arthur Morgan, Marshal of the VDL Party. You should have received the message we sent earlier. Our main purpose for coming here this time is to completely crush these damned Russians!"

"Sure! Sure! Mr. Morgan, please come with me. We have already arranged a banquet for you, and I think we..." Mayor McCann was both delighted and anxious, and he quickly and respectfully invited Arthur and John, who was behind him.

"No!" Arthur suddenly waved his hand.

"There's no need for a meal! In wartime, everything is kept simple. John, full army attack!"

"Yes, sir!" General John snapped his legs together, shouldered his rifle, and became a soldier.

Following Grand Marshal Arthur's command, the entire VDL Party, consisting of fifteen thousand soldiers, moved in perfect order, heading majestically towards Seattle's port.

The people of Seattle had been living in fear and trepidation these past few days.

Helplessness and endless fear filled the hearts of Seattle's residents.

In this era, Americans, whether high-ranking officials or common citizens, actually had no sense of pride or identity with their own country.

Especially in terms of war.

Although America claimed to be a strong industrial nation with integrated industries worldwide, the goods they produced were considered fragile, inferior products, meant for the lower class.

Workers on European assembly lines didn't even use cheap American goods because it was embarrassing to do so.

In terms of war, America even believed itself incapable of fighting against European or even other countries worldwide.

Although there had been a million-man civil war between the North and South before, the two sides in that civil war were completely like chickens pecking at each other. Soldiers, who were practically like slaves, didn't even have the resolute spirit and strong physiques of the soldiers before them; if they could run without falling behind, they were considered good soldiers.

At this time, all the soldiers in America joined because they couldn't afford food, and even after joining, they weren't allowed to eat their fill, making their frail bodies easily blown over by the wind.

America's only truly honorable battle was the War of 1812 between America and Canada, which ended with them being utterly thrashed by Canada and the British, even leading to the burning of the White House. And this was even when Britain was deeply embroiled in Napoleon's wars.

From then on, the Americans' spirit was completely crushed. Both the upper leadership and the common people believed that they could not defeat any strong nation.

So, after the old empire of Russia invaded Washington State, the threat of war filled the populace with fear and helplessness.

They didn't know if they would have a tomorrow. The rich had already fled far away, leaving only the poor citizens waiting here, enduringly, for the judgment of their fate.

But today, everything was different.

"Boom boom boom..."

The hum of internal combustion engines echoed through the streets, further terrifying the civilians hiding in various corners, yet they could only suppress their fear and cautiously peek out.

As they poked their heads out, they immediately saw dense rows of tall, strong soldiers in the streets of Seattle, running swiftly behind massive, terrifying steel vehicles they had never seen before.

These soldiers were uniformly and solemnly equipped, luxurious and majestic, and there were even troop carriers, similar to Jeeps, that they had never seen before, loaded with soldiers, speeding through the streets.

The steel barrels on the massive steel vehicles made one's heart tremble at a mere glance; no one knew how powerful the bombardment such terrifying giant cannons could unleash.

This elite, never-before-seen, and even terrifying force completely stunned the civilians of Seattle.

Countless people covered their mouths, daring not to let out cries of fright, and those on the roadside, upon seeing this contingent, frantically ran towards corners to seek cover.

Even though everyone tried their best not to cause a commotion, gasps and shouts of panic still spread throughout Seattle.

Americans have always disliked their army because their army also serves capital and is fundamentally not much different from bandits.

Incidents of soldiers robbing and raping outside the army have repeatedly occurred, and their soldiers also do not have the purpose of serving the people. Therefore, upon seeing such an elite army to its core, their inner sense of panic could not be suppressed.

However, the next moment, a loud electric horn blared from the massive steel trucks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, do not panic, do not fear. We are Mr. Dutch Van der Linde's troops, we are the Van der Linde's Guard. We uphold the principle of serving the people, taking not a single needle or thread from them. We will protect your lives and safety, even at the cost of our own lives.

Ladies and gentlemen, please do not be afraid..."