470 - 477

Fall of the City

"We have to stop the attack, Your Grace. Our casualties are too great," pleaded Malek.

The northern district had burned for three days before it finally subsided, even now, though, it still lay smoldering. With the ruins all around them still steaming, it was very hot, even difficult to fight properly, but they could wait no longer, so the men deployed. They moved the men in the city through the district and started attacking the district walls. At the same time, they marched the forces still waiting outside the city on the western and eastern gates. Wessia put up a determined fight, however. They buried the streets in barricades and manned much of it with miners and other militia. The Norton attackers couldn't walk a single block without fighting several battles.

Frederika was a large city. It used to be one of the empire's biggest city and a crucial hub in its south. Its size and importance meant it already had serious defences, plus its continuous growth and renovation meant no map was ever up to date. This was confounded even further when Wessia took over. They renovated three quarters of the city (everything except the northern district), and upgraded its defences yet again.

The city's western district housed all its military facilities. It also had entertainment for the soldiers; brothels, baths, medical facilities, and taverns, amongst other things. Wessia had indeed won its soldiers' hearts. The men fought loyally; they would not retreat or surrender unless ordered to do so by their bosses.

The eastern district housed the miners and other skilled artisans. It was to be expected that the Union's military supplier would own many skilled in related arts. These, too, were treated well. The guild was not much different from the Japanese companies Lorist knew quite well. The various trades were passed down in the family, and each new generation worked for the same company as the last. Such people were incredibly loyal to their employers. They, too, would not let House Norton take their city as long as they breathed. Lorist's greatest fears had come true. There was no way he could poach these skilled laborers, they would die before serving him, and were doing so alongside his enemy's army as one of them.

The fight in the west was particularly intense and unforgiving. The district had been turned into a citadel, an insurmountable fortress. The eastern district wasn't too far behind. It was littered with barricades and obstacles, in some places even the houses along the road were demolished, torn down and collapsed over the street to block it off. Corpses paved the streets and blocked the doorways. If only a single battle could be called one of attrition, this was it.

The ballistae, so crucial in holding their foothold on the northern wall just a few days ago, was no useless. The streets curved and turned almost incessantly, and the few stretches of straight road was barricaded with furniture and rubble or blocked by a collapsed building. They were also prime targets and suffered frequent attacks out of nearby building or from nearby rooftops. A few days of this had forced Malek to pull the weapons back. A few more days brought everything to a halt. They stood at a stalemate.

"We cannot continue like this, Your Grace. Even if we take the city eventually, we'll be too weakened to push on to our other objectives. Tigersoar is down 4600 men and Firmrock about half that. All of this for barely any inroads. We haven't even taken half of the districts. Our best progress is in the eastern district, and that only because it's mostly rubble. We can do almost nothing with it and might as well not have taken anything at all. Our camp outside the city was attacked last night as well. We're still trying to figure out how bad the damage is. We're fighting blind and coughing while our enemy can see and breath clearly..." reported Malek.

A large portion of Wessia's forces were mercenaries. They excelled at guerilla tactics, and the ruined city was the perfect terrain as well. House Norton had no match. That the locals had taken up arms against them did them no favors either. They would usually take a city in a day or less, entirely intact. And the civilians would either be happy to have the Nortons as their new overlords, or be at worst indifferent. They had never faced a hostile populace before. Even the women, elderly, and children joined in the fighting. For the first time, House Norton was being treated as vile invaders, as the villains. The men's morale were not doing good.

Lorist stared at the simple city map on the table. It had been drawn based on descriptions provided by the men and th scouts' surveys. The southern district was almost featureless, only the inner, outer, and dividing walls, and a few landmark buildings like a church steeple were filled in. The eastern and western districts were far more detailed, but they might as well not be. The landscape inside changed almost by the hour -- the map was out of date even before it was drawn. In total, only a third of the outer city had been conquered, none of the inner city, and half of that was still being contested.

He had three Tigersoar divisions and one Firmrock division in and around the city at the moment. By his side was also 2000 of his personal guard. His forces totalled 60 thousand. If the men were packed in like sardines he could only fit 40 thousand in the area of the city he currently controlled.

Wessia, conversely, had suffered heavy losses to their heavy pikemen, but still had 30 thousand soldiers. If the civilians who'd also taken up arms, many of whom spontaneously, they had 80 thousand fighting bodies. The guild's extensive weapon stores were also still in their hands, so all 80 thousand were decently armed.

It turned out the guild had three of their four blademasters in the city. So far they had lost their two rookies, but their rank 2 blademaster, which was accompanying the guild's president, was also present. No one knew how many gold-ranked knights they had left. The guild had double the Nortons' fieldable forces and a stubbornness they had not encountered. Malek was right. They could not let this continue. At this rate they would have lost the fight even if they took the city. A pyrrhic victory in this battle was a defeat in the war.

The guild clearly knew this and were trying to cost him as many lives as they could. Every enemy they killed was a small victory for them. The city itself was a minefield Lorist could not take easily, and the guild stuffed the towers and walls it controlled to the breaking point with archers and ammo, so taking the walls go around the bogs that were the districts was not an option either.

He'd planned to clear out the three districts in which he now sat mired before marching along the walls. Once everything there was under control he would clear the southern district and force the guild to surrender. Once he could see the walls to the inner city properly, however, he gave up on the idea. Wessia had made the inner city a city separate from the outer city. Surrounding the inner city by taking all of the outer city brought him no closer to victory than surrounding the entire city without assaulting it at all. The inner walls were several meters taller than all the others, and could not be assailed from the others. The also had numerous massive ballistae that could cover almost a quarter of the way to the outer walls. No street within that range facing the inner wall was safe. Lorist's only consolation was that they were slow to fire and had to be refitted with new rope springs after only a few shots.

"Why not give them their wish, Your Grace? Since they wish to die in their city, let us burn it all," offered Loze. He was furious at Wessia for resisting his conquering fist. Who were they to want to not be crushed under his Norton heel? What right did they have to kill his men? Didn't they know the proper thing to do was to sit still and wait quietly to be executed?

Lorist shook his head.

Wessia could burn the northern district because it was made of flammable materials. But the rest of the city was built out of stone and ceramics, there was no burning it down. It was hard to even set something on fire there, much less have it spread naturally. At best they'd only be burning the houses at the edge of the ballistae's range. They'd actually be doing Wessia a favor by creating open space so they could see the Nortons coming.

"We have three Firmrock divisions still being held in reserve, why not deploy them to the city? They will be much better at fighting in this environment than Tigersaor," suggested Josk.

"Not happening. Wessia still controls all the other city gates. If we move them out they can either escape, or worse, encircle us instead. The latter is obviously unacceptable, but we can't let them escape either. We have to uproot them completely.

"This stalemate is thanks to the machinations of the guild's leaders. If we can push into the city and kill the leaders, the enemy will fall into disarray and be easy pickings. Even better, if we can take them hostage, we can force the men to surrender. It won't be too late to execute them later, in fact, I would prefer it that way."

"I cannot sanction assaulting the inner city, You Grace. We'll expose our sides and rear to the enemy. If they use the opportunity wisely, which experience says they will, the could force us out of the city entirely, or, even worse, wipe out everything we have in the city," Malek protested.

"We won't make our push through the two contested districts. Have the men halt their advance. We'll push through the northern district which we control completely. Potterfang will arrive with Thundebolt Brigade in about a week. We can just smash the northern district's inner wall and barge in. As long as we capture the president and the rest of their high-command, the city is ours."

So it was done.

For the next two days the Nortons made no pushes. The only fighting happened when Wessia sent forces out to try and retake some of the city or walls they lost. On the second day Wessia became very suspicious, this was not how Norton Lorist was known to operate. He was docile, but when he made his move, he finished it in one go. He'd never given up and accepted a stalemate. The president sent an envoy to figure out what was going on.

The envoy was a well-spoken senior officer in the guild. He confirmed Lorist's suspicions. The guild would fight him to the last man. The city would only be his once he'd killed every single inhabitant. He even claimed that Norton would not take the city. Wessia outnumbered him, even if they had to sacrifice one and a half men for every Norton they killed, there would still be more of their men standing when the last Norton fell.

The second month was coming to an end, in thirty days the first rains of the rainy season would fall. Neither side could fight. The side with the most supplies would win if the fighting lasted until then. If that happened, House Norton would lose without a doubt. Wessia was fighting on their home turf, in their capital, no less. They had supplies to hold out for months, even years. The Norton forces, on the other hand, were out in the field, hundreds of kilometers away from the nearest friendly territory, they could not bring in any more supplies, and whatever they had with them would not last them until they could. The guild hoped that Lorist would accept his inevitable defeat and retreat.

The guild would hold out until the rainy season ended one way or another, and would call for Union reinforcement the moment the rains abated. Lorist had no way to stand against the millions that would come marching down his throat if he still stood on Union soil. He might not even be able to hold out on home ground. If he was still in the city when the time came, he would not leave alive even if he tried. The man was not all threat, though. He offered Lorist an olive branch. He said the guild understood that he'd acted only because he could not stand up to his king and it would not hold him directly responsible if he withdrew without further futile fighting.

Lorist curled into a ball which shook in laughter for several minutes. The envoy stood, staring at him awkward until he recovered.

"I though you were an envoy, not a joker! We have only just gotten started with you. Do you think you'll still exist when this is over? Where do you get your confidence from? No, this can't be called confidence, it's nothing but arrogance!

"But, since you've made this offer, I'll return the favor. If you surrender immediately, I might consider sparing you. I don't care who you think you are, but to us you're nothing but another snake to step on. We've never fought a snake that could bite us, and you are no different."

The envoy didn't retaliate furiously. Lorist had to give him that much, he was worth his salt as a doplimat. The man seemlessly switched tactics when his first attempt failed.

"As long as you retreat and return the land you stole from us, we will pay you two million gold Fordes as ransom."

Another bout of laughter.

"Why do we need to give you the empire's land for money we'll own soon enough anyway? You should surrender and save your lives. Blame yourself for crossing the empire by occupying its rightful land. Learn your lesson well. You're free to go after whatever you want, but anything that belongs to the empire is off limits. If you surrender immediately, I guarrantee you can leave the city safely."

The envoy finally snapped.

"This is our city, our land, our people! The guild and its people will go to hell before we give you what is rightfully ours, and we'll pull you down kicking and screaming along with us! We've already prepared everything. If you break into the inner city we'll burn everything down, you will get nothing but ashes even if you survive!"

Lorist slammed the desk, which nearly collapsed, and jumped to his feet, furious.

"If you set fire to even a single warehouse, I swear that not a single man, woman, or child of your guild will walk out of this city alive! I will hunt down every last living being with even a single drop of Wessia blood in their veins and slaughter them at the top of your castle! In no more than ten years not a single Wessian will walk this earth and you will only be remembered in the curses of your subjects!"

The envoy turned around and stormed out, not even bothering adhere to etiquette and say goodbye properly.

Potterfang set Firmrock's Thunderbolt Brigade up in the northern district on the 7th of the 2nd.

On the 9th, the bombardment began. The inner wall in the northern district, and the portions of the western and eastern districts still under Wessian control were all assaulted. The defenders could do nothing to halt the bombardment and slowly withdrew to the inner city.

Lorist led his guards into the inner city in the afternoon. Wessia sent out its one remaining blademaster to face him. The man died quickly. In response the guilds leadership tried to retreat through the southern district, setting fire to everything behind them.

The fire raged for two days and almost nothing of the city was left untouched when the fire was finally put out. A third of the storehouses' contents were salvagable, however.

On the 12th of the 2nd, the miners in the eastern district surrendered. Nearly ten thousand Wessian soldiers withdrew to the citadel, however, and swore they'd fight to the last man.

Wessian leadership made it to the wall on the 13th but were all captured when they left through the gate. The men inside the citadel refused several offers of surrender and were crushed on the 14th. All were killed. Lorist then executed all the Wessian captives, men, women, and children.

On the 14th day of the 2nd month on Year 1787, Andinaq's Duke of The Northlands Norton Lorist's forces successfully took over Frederika and killed off 30 thousand of the guild's officials and men, as well as their families. Soon after the continent's second skeleton pyramid was built.

Wessia ceased to exist as a member of the Union's big-seven on that day. When word finally spread to the Union after the rainy season ended, it was tumbled into chaos for several days. When things calmed down the remaining guilds called a crusade on Norton Lorist. They declared him and anyone and everyone even remotely associated with him their mortal enemy and swore they would not rest until his torn corpse was rotting over Morant's city gates.

The Coming of the Rainy Season

"Your Grace, here's the record. Everything we got is in it," said Malek as he put a beastskin on the desk.

The pair was in the mayor's residence in the middle of the city. It was now Lorist's base of operations. Wessia's chairman and some other officials had ordered everything's burning when they left and half of the building was now ash. Only a third was saved. Lorist stared out of the window at the rubble outside. A few holes punctured the ground outside as the men dug for any buried treasure. He sighed gloomily.

"Today's the 33rd of the 2nd. The rainy season will start in the next day or two. Is everything ready? It'll be hard to stay in this ruin through it..."

"Everything's ready, Your Grace. We've gathered the captives in the western district and have them under tight watch, Potterfang is there, too. Josk is watching over our defenses. And the refugees are being housed in the eastern district. They're calm and willing to serve us. Dulles is inventorying our supplies."

"And our men? Are they settled in?"

"They are, Your Grace. Loze is stationing Tigersoar in the southern district and Firmrock in the northern one. The temporary camps are ready. The rainy season won't be a problem."

"Well done. You've been very thorough."

Lorist walked to the desk. He picked up a beastskin and scanned it.

"We only got four million gold Fordes?"

"Yes, Your Grace. We found everything in the main treasury. The captured treasurers say it's Wessia's reserves. It was supposed to pay the soldiers' salaries. The leftovers were in case of emergencies.

"In total we have about 10 million in spoils. Most of the food couldn't be salvaged though. Most of the spoils are metals. It's all worthless to us right now."

It was to be expected. Wessia was a military contractor. Most of their wealth lay in the materials they used to make weapons and the weapons themselves. Such things were useless to House Norton right now. And most of the value would be lost in transportation costs.

In physical value they were worth something, but shipping back home would cost about as much as they were worth. As for the weapons… The house could make far better weapons so they were only worth as much as the materials that could be salvaged from them.

The best option would be to sell them immediately, but the territory to the south was enemy territory, besides the fact that he would not sell it to them, they wouldn't buy it even if he gave them an offer. And his allies were either not nearby, or didn't have the wealth to make the purchase. Auguslo might seem like a good choice, but he would never pay what the weapons were worth. Most likely he'd make an empty promise of payment and Lorist would never see the money.

"I've checked all the documents over the last three weeks. I've found nothing about the alloy's production, they must have been destroyed in the fire. Have Reidy and Els found any Wessian material engineers? Our best spoil would be the knowledge of making the alloys they used for the gates."

"I am not privy to such knowledge, Milord. I know nothing of their possible progress," Malek answered, his stoic expression still intact.

"Oh, I forgot. I shouldn't have asked you. Forget it. Too many unexpected things have happened recently. There is no chance we can catch up to our original schedule. At least we still achieved our most important objectives. I leave the logistics for this coming season in your hands!" Lorist said, patting Malek's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Your Grace. I will not disappoint you. In that regard, though, our biggest issue is food. We'd banked on using the spoils to tide us over, but, as you know, that didn't work out. I've had someone run the numbers. While we can last through the rainy season itself, we'll be running on empty and won't last a week or two afterwards if we're not resupplied the moment the rain stops."

"Lasting the rainy season is enough. We'll be resupplied as soon as the rain stops and the winter harvests will solve all our problems. We can sweep the surrounding lands once the rain clears if we need a few more weeks for supplies to arrive. Potterfang will head out to Kanbona with Firmrock once the rain clears, it should also have some good stashes.

"Jaeger will arrive with the supply train so we can begin moving the refugees back home then as well. It should lower consumption so our supplies should stretch even further."

Lorist couldn't be more furious that Wessia would spite him so much. All he'd been planning to do was wipe them out, it was no reason to spoil his plans this badly.

The fight would have been over a few days earlier if not for the fires. He had to give up catching the leaders quickly so he could fight the fire and try to save as much as he could. But, in spite of his quick reaction and efforts, they only saved a third of the resources. It would be really tight to get everyone through the rainy season.

Reidy and Els entered as Malek left. When Wessia's newly formed miner forces surrendered, Lorist left the two in charge of finding talented people. Their current confident gazes told him they had found a good few.

"Here's the list, You Grace. We found 178 people. Most are technicians but a few are technical supervisors. None of their family died in the fight so they don't have a death grudge against us," Els reported.

"We found the master refiner who made the material used to construct the gates. He's called Modira, 47 years old and single. His acquaintances all describe him as completely obsessed with his work," Reidy added.

"Oh? How'd you find him?"

"Actually, he found us," Reidy laughed awkwardly, "We were busy asking around when he suddenly grabbed a guard and refused to let go. He kept muttering incoherently. We initially thought he was attacking and almost killed him. Luckily we noticed he was staring at the guard's armor. He didn't pay anything any attention. He just stared at the armor as he muttered to himself. When we asked around, we learned who he was and about his obsession with metalwork and metal alchemy. Do you want to meet him, Your Grace?"

"What's he doing now?"

"He refused to let go of the armor, so we put him in a tent with a set of steel gloves. He's busy looking at the gloves. He hasn't even bothered to eat or drink anything. He just keeps asking for more beastskins and writing material."

"Leave him be for now, then. We'll send him to the factories when he goes back. Put him to work under Grandmaster Sid."

"Yes, Your Grace."

...

The path up the mountain was a bloody one. Corpses were constantly rolling down the mountainside.

"We cannot press the attack, Your Majesty. It's too slippery. We can barely keep our footing even without the constant hail of arrows! We've lost three hundred men already and we haven't even reached the castle!" Ripleid reported.

He was the king's most trusted knight and the colonel in command of Blizzardblitz. His shame at being unable to accomplish his mission was unbearable. How could he not conquer a castle despite surprise and triple their numbers?

His king's expression was equally grim. He'd launched his attack at the very end of the previous year and everything had gone smoothly. He wiped out Zitram's entire army and pushed deep into enemy territory, wiping out 30 Union noble houses only to be halted by this tiny fortress.

He wanted to torture and eventually kill Duke Zitram, the traitor that had rallied ten thousand men against him and was the person behind his ambush last time he was here. He was made a duke when he joined the Union as a result. The bastard didn't stand his ground when Auguslo had Lorist invade last time. Instead he withdrew to a safe place and weathered the storm. He continued to rule over the lands he had left thereafter and never gave Auguslo an excuse to take action against him. He had yet to catch the bastard though. The duke kept evading him at every turn.

Auguslo underestimated how effective Zitraim's defenses and alarms were. He was discovered almost immediately, and the duke was ready for him when he got to his castle. He couldn't make a quick breach and had to wait for the catapults to catch up and batter down the walls. When he made it inside the castle, however, he realized the duke had already escaped. He couldn't go after him quickly, however, because the late winter melt and rainy season slowed him to a crawl. Zitram made it to his nearby cliff-side fortress with his remaining men.

The approach to the fortress was almost suicidal. The constant rain made the road muddy and landslides were frequent. He could only send small groups up at a time lest their weight cause the soaked cliff-side to collapse and make further attack impossible. These small groups, however, were easy pickings for the defenders' archers.

"If only the men would hurry up with the catapults! We'll pound that thing into rubble and send it down the cliff!" Ripleid grumbled.

"The roads are muddy and hard to travel," the king countered, "The rainy season is on us. We can't get the catapults up here quickly, if at all. Don't worry. The bastard isn't going anywhere. Withdraw for now and set up camp at the bottom of the mountain. It won't be too late to finish him off after the rainy season."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Regroup

On the 25th day of the 4th month, Year 1787, Frederika was occupied by House Norton, whose Tigersoar legion immediately moved against Bodolger. Firmrock moved on Kanbona at the end of the month.

Kanbona was a strategic location in the empire, being a transportation hub that neighbored Bodolger, the two southwestern provinces, the northwestern area, and the province of Malivia. The western edge of Cloudsnap Mountain Range and Morrison River made it a crucial location easy to defend and hard to attack. Whoever controlled Kanbona, controlled all the surrounding provinces.

Before First Prince Redlis saw his kingdom destroyed, Auguslo forced him to sign away the two southwestern provinces. The prince immediately started his preparations despite the treating including a five-year non-aggression pact. Be built numerous forts all over the province, manned by over 70 thousand men. Kanbona was turned into a solid wall just as impassable and even more dangerous than the mountain range it bordered.

Auguslo slammed an army of 300 thousand against it but couldn't break through. The only strategy he could come up with would cost him two-thirds of his army and he wasn't willing to break his back that way. His enemies would immediately bring up their reinforcements and drive him back to his capital. He might even lose everything.

The Prince had made sure the men would never dare surrender by putting all their families in Frederika. If they failed to defend the province, their families would be next in line for the pillage. He'd played his cards well, but nothing unfolded like he wanted. Rather than fight through Kanbona and Bodolger, Auguslo had pushed through Egret Swamp in exchange for offering up 20 thousand bodies, crossed Cloudsnap Mountains and Greatsnow Mountain for another 10 thousand, and attacked Frederika directly. The first prince vanished on that day and no one had heard from him since.

Fortunately for the military families, Kanbona surrendered without a fight. In the end the fortifications didn't see a single day's fighting. With the prince vanished, his kingdom crumbled and was quickly forgotten. Auguslo let his victory go to his head and got himself wiped out as well. He, too, vanished without a trace, though he did eventually make his appearance again.

The 70 thousand men in Kanbona's army had been put into the new army sent to Anderwoff, which left Kanbona's defences unmanned. Most of the local settlements didn't have the men to man the forts properly. At best they could put a few old men in them.

Wessia took the province easily and cut Auguslo off from his kingdom. And were the ones to wipe his army off the map in the end.

Auguslo escaped the city with a few thousand guards and moved to a secluded castle in the depths of Cloudsnap. There he ran into the first prince and his son. The two died in the ensuing battle, but wiped most of Auguslo's remaining forces out in the process. Unable to take back his now-stolen thrown, the ex-king was forced to turn to House Norton for aid, who put him back on the throne for a price.

Wessia was enfeoffed Kanbona, Bodolger, and Anderwoff. Queen Carey also ceded most of Hanstmost in the peace treaty, which was given to Lormo. The two Southwestern provinces were turned into the Union's puppet state, the Allied Duchies of Britt. Together, Lormo and Britt became good buffers between the Union and Andinaq.

Wessia thought they would never hear anything from Auguslo again. They were quite surprised to hear of him retaking his throne with House Norton's help, given the two's notorious cold feud. They even wiped out the Allied Duchies of Britt and retook the two southwestern provinces before turning their forces towards Lormo.

Duke Zitram didn't dare to take them on head-on, so he retreated to the northwestern area, allowing House Norton to take it back for the king easily. Auguslo reinstated himself as king and conquered the two southwestern province and Hanstmost. It was horrible news for Wessia; it meant the peace treaty they signed with Queen Carey was now void. Truthfully, though, the two nations never stopped considering each other enemies.

To prevent Auguslo from entering Kanbona and cut Bodolger off from the Union, Wessia provided immense support to the Union's nobles in the province. As expected of one of the big seven guilds of the Union, they not only gained the Union nobles' support, but also constructed a rather cohesive defensive force. They also made good use of the forts the king left behind.

Auguslo, to the opposite, was all bark and no bite. While he appeared rather audacious, with his claims of restoring the empire, he forbade Whitelion from approaching the border or making any ruckus near it. They couldn't even patrol near it. The king knew he was just a paper tiger after his ascension. While he looked impressive, he didn't have any power. Fortunately, his enemies were completely terrified by House Norton. The house had a long list of impressive exploits. They destroyed Madras, swept the whole of the kingdom, levelled the Allied Duchies of Britt, and even defeated one of the old empire's war gods and the four duchies. Together with their alliance they had become the only pillar keeping the Union from simply stomping Auguslo into the ground and wiping out the last remnants of the empire for good.

'The fox basks in the shadow of the tiger'. How Auguslo loathed this saying. Wessia knew nothing of the true relationship between him and the alliance. They didn't know he was the smallest fox in the shadow of the biggest tiger. He needed to reorganize, so it suited him to keep his relationship with Lorist obscure. He could have attacked when the Union moved on the Coalition, but he knew Wessia would expect just that, so he sat tight.

He made his move only a year into the conflict, and not against the Union, but against the duchies. The move convinced Wessia that he didn't dare to attack the Union and lowered their guard. The Union had replaced the Krissen Empire as the continent's superpower, after all. It appeared Auguslo had accepted this reversal and had, begrudgingly as it might be, accepted that he would not get back any land taken by the Union.

Andinaq played up this presumption by not moving on Anderwoff when he could have after taking over the duchies. He made every effort possible to avoid upsetting the Union. His decision to give Handra and Shabaj the lands bordering Wessia was also to assuage the Union's suspicions by not having any bordering land directly under his control.

The Union's occupation on the other side of their territory also helped to hasten their forgetfulness. They were quick to accept that Auguslo had no more ambition because it was what they wanted to believe. That they now had a swordsaint certainly made it a lot easier to think that Auguslo no longer had the guts to go against them.

Unfortunately they all underestimated how determined -- or stupid -- Auguslo could be and fell for his ploy completely. As a result the Union lost one of its strongest guilds and almost a sixth of its territory. And, this was only the beginning. Not everything was down purely to surprise however, Auguslo had to admit that Lorist's forces were even more formidable than he had imagined.

They took Anderwoff in a matter of days and had Frederika within a month. Wessia was completely wiped out with the city's fall and they had already taken Kanbona and Bodolger as well. When the union learned of this, they, as well as everyone else on the continent, collapsed in shock. This wasn't just a few slaps to the Union's face, this was stamping their face into dogshite!

They had just surpassed even the Krissen Empire at its peak and now they were already a sixth smaller? Even what was left of the Coalition began to drag on the negotiations. They were clearly trying their luck and hoping the Union would be forced to divert their attention, and forces, away from them, or, even better, lose the war.

Auguslo had to give it to the Union, however, they were nothing if not decisive. They immediately recalled all their armies out in the field, and called up every free man, soldier, and mercenary in their lands. Within a few weeks a hundred thousand men were barreling towards the new front. Within a month they crossed the border into Kanbona. Unfortunately for them, they ran into Tigersoar.

Rumor was that Loze, one of Lorist's subordinates was so happy he couldn't shut up for days! Apparently he didn't see the 100 thousand men as a threat at all. It was better to describe them as juicy pieces of meat just waiting to be roasted. The two armies clashed in a single, massive battle, which Tigersoar won, obviously. Auguslo knew of at least 20 thousand dead and 60 thousand captured. No more than eight thousand had escaped.

Tigersoar immediately moved into Malivia and it fell within a fortnight. Shocking the Union a second time in as many months.

Lorist left Frederika for Kanbona on the 23rd of the 6th to join Auguslo, the dukes, and the various other minor nobles accompanying the king on his campaign. He couldn't take any of them seriously. Potterfang had informed him on the way that, even as he swept through a sixth of the Union, the dukes were still dallying in their lands, they had yet to take a single step over the border.

Auguslo at least tried to do something. He pushed into Zitram with Blizzardblitz and caught the duke off-guard. He failed to capture him, however, and had yet to make any other gains. He lost a lot of men to take the duke's castle, only to watch him escape and hold up in the next one over. He had finally, at least, cornered the duke and was about to attack him now that the rainy season had ended, but lost the duke again. The old man fashioned a number of simple boats from the wood in the castle and rowed across the river running along one side of the castle one night. When Auguslo breached the castle gate, he found the inside completely deserted.

On the 11th day of the 7th month of Year 1787, Auguslo I of the Andinaq kingdom conquered the province of Kanbona with an army a million strong. From the fringes of the Union's province, Armenia, to Malivia, His camps could be seen from the fringes of Armenia to Malivia, their flags finally flapping over land lost to the empire for nearly 50 years. The Union panicked as the continent was thrown back a century to when the Krissen Empire invaded Falik Plains. Only, this time, they did not have any of the allies they had the last time. Strong as they may be now, they now had to face an enemy which -- thanks to House Norton -- was likely even stronger than the one they faced all those years ago.

Banquet

"One must not count the magical beasts before they're slain." ~ a popular Norton saying from the early days of Norton Lorist's reign.

"Are we really going to sit here and do nothing, Your Grace?" complained Loze.

"What's wrong? Can't sit still?" joked Lorist as he flipped through the documents on his desk.

They sat currently in House Norton's main camp. They'd successfully joined up with Auguslo and the rest of the nobles. The entire army, a million strong, was now encamped near Armenia's border, in the part of Malivia Lorist had conquered. The encampment was imposing, but nothing really happened. Auguslo even strictly forbade anyone from crossing into Union-held territory. It made for a weird atmosphere.

They had not even been here for half a month, and Loze was already here to complain. He still thought the king's plan to pressure the Union into ceding Armenia and Malivia was just ridiculous. It would be much better to just take it themselves and then sue for status quo. The Union was at its most vulnerable, but it wouldn't last for long. If they didn't jump at this opportunity, it would be lost to them forever. Once the Union moved its armies into place, at best they could hope to keep what they currently had. Loze did not believe they could gain anything through negotiation.

"Loze, you know this was the plan from the beginning. It's not that the king doesn't know we have to conquer Falik Plains, eventually. He wants us to pressure the Union into negotiations, and they won't agree to it if they feel we're being too aggressive. The kingdom is in no better a position than the Union either. Any combat we can avoid is a win. We need time to rest and rebuild. If it bothers you that much, just think of this as a vacation instead."

"Even if it's just for show, we shouldn't prevent our forces and scouts from launching attacks at the fringes. It would put more pressure on them. A one million strong army not daring to do anything when there is no force in the area even remotely capable of opposing it is just farcical," complained Loze.

"That is being done for a reason. The king wants to send a message to the Union. He's trying to tell them we don't intend to start an all-out war. We have a specific goal, and have no interest beyond that goal. They should send envoys soon.

"But enough of such tiresome talk. You don't fool me, anyway. I know you just want to make more money raiding."

"Haha... hahahaha..." Loze laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head, "I was only thinking of the House, Milord. Potterfang swept all of Kanbona but didn't get much. The 100 thousand youths only barely make us break even. I'm really disappointed with Kanbona's nobles!

"Malivia is different though. When we were chasing a few fleeing fools into the province, we took over a few castles. They're really rich! We took 38 castles in total and got about as much as half of Wessia's treasury from them!"

Loze hadn't acted according to a particular plan when to took out the nobles in the province. It was just a habit he'd picked up from the previous campaigns. He did not expect these small fry to be this rich. Bodolger's nobles were brand new, given land and titles by Wessia for their contributions to the guild. While they had some wealth, they could not compare to noble families who'd occupied their fiefs for generations.

Both, however, were rich compared to Kanbona's nobles. Their combined wealth was barely a fifth of the nobles in Bodolger. A Kanbona baron was rich is he had five thousand gold Fordes in his treasury. But Malivian barons had nearer a hundred thousand gold Fordes in their treasuries.

This was probably because the Malivian nobles came from rich merchants. The Union only got Lormo involved when they ran out of land to enfeoff, so the poorer bastards were the one that got that land later on.

"Enough. Stay put obediently for now. You've already caused me enough trouble by pushing into Malivia in the first place. The king nearly collapsed when he heard about it. He almost made me whip you as an apology to the Union! He may be acting belligerent towards the Union, but the king is walking a fine tightrope. He really doesn't want to go to war with the Union."

He just wants to raid the nobles and make more money!

The problem wasn't really with Auguslo's ban on sending troops into Armenia or Malivia. Lorist was more concerned for Loze's safety. Teribo VII offered exorbitant bounties during the War of Glass, and many high ranking mercenaries died, both for being the target of a bounty, and for blindly chasing bounties. Greed killed, even more so in war. Lorist had no interest in repeating those mistakes. Especially not with Loze. He was a good general and a promising candidate for becoming a blademaster. All the money in Malivia was not worth a single Loze.

"Sigh..." Loze wanted to say something else, but was stopped by the curtains covering the entrance parting to reveal Jinolio.

"Sigh..." Lorist echoed.

The army had sat still for just over ten days while Auguslo kept hosting banquets like the war was already won. The feasts weren't extravagant, but their number made it quite expensive. Auguslo's harvest must have been quite decent. On the surface they were parties to celebrate their successes thus far in the campaign, in truth they were opportunities for Auguslo to talk about the policies he wanted to implement after the war. Chances for him to get everyone behind him and his plans.

The brat's old habits are surfacing again.

This was exactly what Auguslo had done after conquering Frederika. His ego went from being a hill to being a mountain and he started bragging about what he'd do once the empire was unified again. His ego didn't work well with his illness. He made ridiculous decisions and gave out ludicrous orders, which led to his downfall.

Now he was doing the same. He was certain the Union would cave in the negotiations. His behaviour was again becoming arrogant. At least he had not turned his arrogance towards Lorist. He continued to act friendly towards him, though the traces of wariness were not completely gone from his eyes. Lorist was under no illusions, however. He knew this was all because of how much he had contributed to their current success. His military exploits had shocked the world yet again, it wasn't a stretch to say that his reputation was the real winner in this war. If he'd not made so many spectacular gains, he would have been relegated to the sidelines.

Everyone else, even the king, appeared to be there just to cheer him on. The minor nobles, at the very least, were at best a waste of food. The three dukes couldn't be expected to do much. They had been wounded in their war with the kingdom and had had neither the time nor the resources and land to recover. Given their precarious positions, they were also not willing to take any risks.

Most surprising, to outsiders at least, was the lacklustre performance of Lorist's close allies. Without his forces acting as their backbone, and without him there to strategize and lead them, they were a sail ship without wind for its sails.

If Lorist made the greatest contribution, and the king himself standing second, then Duke Fisablen was third. He had a decent relationship with the king, and still had a bit to prove, so he made some efforts. He deployed two legions, Second Frontier and one of his reserves. That the queen was from the house also spurred him on to do a few things. It had originally been suggested that he take on Kanbona, but he was quick to rebuke them. Who on earth was dumb enough to use cavalry to siege castles?

No one really wanted to take on the thorny province, so they just kept kicking the ball at one another. It eventually fell to Lorist to do the actual work if he wanted to keep his rear secure. It had, at one point, been suggested that the minor nobles deal with the province, but they would have none of it either. No one minor noble had a force large enough to take out a castle, and none of them were willing to put their whole force on the line and possibly lose their chance to make any further contribution to the campaign.

Potterfang had initially thought he would meet up with whoever was attacking Kanbona somewhere in the province. He was completely speechless when he had to march through all of the province, and back across the border into the kingdom to meet a single friendly soldier.

Auguslo's plan was to attack the province from three sides, but it failed for several reasons. One was that he overestimated his own force's capabilities. Another that he didn't take his opponent in his theater seriously. Duke Zitram was far more capable than he gave the duke credit for. While he did eventually gain control of his theater, the combat part of the campaign was basically over already and he had no chance to contribute anything else.

Lorist didn't let the opportunity to mock everyone else pass him by. Nor did he refrain from sneering at the king for his ineptitude. They were all pretty thick skinned, though, and didn't really take his mockery to heart. They only cared about the end result, not how it was achieved, in fact, they were quite happy to have achieved their initial goals without having to do much.

Lorist abstained from most of the celebration, however. He was too busy to waste time on merrymaking. He had to organise the transport of hundreds of thousands of captives and refugees back to his dominion. It was more challenging than the actual war as far as he was concerned. As much as Auguslo bled to see so much taken out of his hands, they were Lorist's rightful spoils and plunder and he could do nothing, even as the king.

"I will not attend tonight's banquet. Inform the king, Jinolio. I have too much to do."

Jinolio left, but returned soon after.

"His Majesty asks if you want to meet the captured count he chose to be the messenger to the Union. He'll leave after tonight's banquet to send our demands to the Union."

Lorist waved him out, annoyed. "No. His Majesty is free to do what he wants. What's so important about this count anyway? He's just a messenger. His Majesty's just looking to use my name to terrify the man. I have no interest in being his tool."

"As you wish, Your Grace."

Reply

"Alcohol is the world's greatest thief. It can steal a priest's celibacy, a king's dignity, a soldier's discipline, and a warrior's skill." ~ Jinolio

On the 13th day of the 8th month, Lorist finally caught a breather after five days of work. The last batch of forced immigrants left for The Northlands. He could finally relax, so he rode out of the camp with Potterfang to check on the Union army's encampment.

The big-six guilds mobilized their main force to the frontlines in the last twenty days and set up camp 15 kilometers from Andinaq's. The main force should be firmly entrenched by now. Similarly, the various smaller guilds, associations, and so on, also gathered. About 500 thousand men in all. Most surprising was that Jigda had apparently sent a contingent of 50 thousand to stand by the Union.

Lorist didn't initially care about the Union's army. He was too occupied with moving his new subjects home. Unfortunately, it was not winter, otherwise they would have been far more obedient since death would be the only other option. But, it not being that, many tried to escape, more willing to take their chances in the wilds than submit to this invader lord. It took far more effort and men to keep the move going relatively smoothly.

Their numbers were also much greater than Lorist had anticipated. He was only aiming for 400 thousand people from Bodolger, but Potterfang swept Kanbona and Loze took tens of thousands prisoner after his battles with the Union. His subordinates had also cleaned out the part of Malivia they'd conquered, adding another 100 thousand to their burden.

800 thousand people, double what he'd prepared for, had to be moved. The Northlands would have a three-million-strong population by the end of this, even if they didn't move a single person in the rest of the war. This duke now had more subjects than many kings. With this increase came more work, though, way more than Lorist could handle, even with all the protocols already in place. He only had enough energy to care about the war again after everything was done and dusted.

He immediately noticed something off about the Union's deployment when he turned his attention to it. Auguslo, in his usual overconfidence, hadn't paid proper attention and had missed it. It'd already been over a month since he'd sent his message via the count. A reply was well overdue. He just kept on celebrating, however, and had yet to become sensibly suspicious.

The Union's main force had been in place for 20 days already, yet Auguslo didn't make any appropriate adjustments to his own force's disposition. He did nothing as more and more Union forces kept arriving. While there were no skirmishes being exchanged, Union were patrolling the area incessantly.

"Odd... Is the Union really planning to fight us properly?" mused Lorist, the enemy camp staring at him through his telescope.

"How can you tell, Your Grace?" Potterfang asked.

Lorist handed him the telescope.

"Take a look. Notice anything odd?"

Potterfang stared at the camp through the telescope, slowly shaking his head.

"The camp is built lightly. It doesn't have any of the features or styles you'd expect if they expected it to be a long term set-up. Specifically, they have no ditches, no palisades, no watchtowers. The fence is just a few poles and stakes fastened loosely with some string. They just came out of a long war, do you really think they'd either be this lax, or make such a simple mistake? Either they're going to march on us soon, or they aren't afraid of us marching on them."

Potterfang's face grimmed.

"You're right. This is as much a temporary camp as I've ever seen. They're either going to withdraw soon, or attack, either way, they don't plan to stay there for long. The setup is designed to deploy the troops as quickly and efficiently as possible, but as such has no defenses. Maybe they are willing to negotiate and the soldiers are just there to put up a front. Hence their laxness." Jinolio interjected.

Lorist stroked his head. He had no issue with such interruptions, quite to the contrary, he enjoyed it when others voiced their opinions.

"That might be. But I wonder… Does the Union really want to negotiate with the king? There would be no need for so many men if they did. It isn't cheap to deploy 500 thousand men, 100 thousand should be enough for negotiations. It's also been a month since we sent the message, and yet we've not heard back… Whatever. I should pay His Majesty a visit."

"Loze just left with the last of the immigrants. We only have Firmrock and my personal guard right now… Pog head to the rear and set up a stronghold on advantageous terrain. A good general is prepared for any outcome."

"As you wish, Your Grace." replied Potterfang.

Lorist headed for Auguslo, accompanied by Jinolio. It stood ten kilometers from his, he reached it in the afternoon. As expected, the camp's security was all but non-existent; the gates were wide open and soldiers were free to enter and leave as they wished. The sentries in the watchtowers were nowhere to be seen, probably sleeping inside, and the guards along the walls strolled lazily.

The sentries jumped when Lorist walked past. They and the ten or so dangling around saluted hurriedly. Fear was writ large on their faces; everyone know Lorist, and everyone know he was the kingdom's most powerful and feared man.

"Where is His Majesty?" asked Lorist.

"His Majesty is in the tent in the middle of the camp with the dukes and lords. Does Your Grace need us to announce your arrival?" asked one eagerly.

Lorist waved his horse whip.

"No need. Jinolio, tip them."

Jinolio took out a pouch and tossed it to who appeared to be the group's leader.

"His Grace just bought you guys some drinks."

"Thank you... Thank you, Milord."

The men bowed, the men on the periphery of this exchange looking on enviously. Duke Norton of The Northlands was known as a generous man. Whilst no one knew how much was in the black pouch, it was definitely not a small amount. It was probably at least a twelfth of their annual pay.

The camp was erected around a small hill, on which stood the king's tent. The hill itself contained a subsection of the camp completely cut off from it, separated by a thick palisade. The nobles couldn't mingle with the commoners after all. Especially not the nobles' families, who had come to accompany them. The inner sanctum also contained many capture noble females of the younger variety. The king's harem, in plain terms.

Normally noble families were not involved in wars, it was shameful to involve the innocent, after all. If the family could not pay their captured loved one's ransom, however… Suffice to say that never happened, even if the family themselves became the ransom.

Most of the Union nobles were in a bad position. They had nothing with which to pay ransom, not only were their lands and wealth seized, even their families were taken as well, it all became part of what had to be ransomed, and nothing could be used to ransom for it. The few that had land and properties in parts of the Union yet unconquered could offer that, but many had sold their properties to purchase what they had now lost.

The banquets Auguslo threw so lavishly was as much a show of his newfound riches and a celebration of his success as a slap in his enemies' faces. It was all the more sweet because most had to watch their wives, sisters, mothers, and daughters bare themselves for, and be ravished by, their enemy.

Such vulgarity repulsed Lorist, however. It was just another reason why he didn't attend. His house had its own protocols for dealing with captured nobles. If they were cruel, they died in the gallows along with their whole family. He would rather kill innocents than let possible threats escape. If they were kind and upright, they were free to serve the house if they so chose to earn their freedom. Nobles were educated from birth; they were valuable resources. When they finally got their freedom, they had to choose whether to continue to serve the house, or leave and try to make a new life for themselves. Most chose the former.

Lorist refused the guards of the inner sanctum's offer to announce his arrival and moved in without his guards. Kenmeys emerged from the tent just as he was about to step in, a noble lady in his arms, her clothes disorderly.

Kenmeys shoved the girl aside when he saw Lorist.

"Haha, Locke! What brings you here today?" he asked, open arms.

"Don't come any closer! Go about your own business. I'm here to see His Majesty."

"I'm just asking out of curiosity. Why come see His Majesty?"

"Nothing worth neglecting your lover over. I suspect the Union is preparing to attack us. I am here to hear the king's opinion."

Kenmays sighed.

"You're too one edge, Locke. Come blow off some steam. There won't be a battle, they won't attack. We just got the Union's reply. They will send negotiators in three days. His Majesty is celebrating. Come, join us for a few drinks! The king was about to send you an invitation, anyway..."

Lorist was already inside. The tent was large, it could accommodate a hundred people easily. A number of nobles lay passed out on the floor, other were hanging around tables with wenches, making merry. Some were even making merries in the furthest corners. Duke Fisablen, his face flushed, sat like a baboon on a bench near the king, his hands plundering a half-naked wench.

Have some self-respect, you old coot!

Auguslo looked no better though. He downed a vase of alcohol sloppily, letting half of it soak his clothes rather than fill his stomach.

Lo-locke... Y-you're hee... Come... C-home! Cheers!"

Lorist turned and left immediately.

"Let's go. We're heading back." he murmured to Jinolio as he passed him.

Envoy Krilos

Three days passed quickly. Early in the morning of the 17th of the 8th, Auguslo sent a messenger to bring Lorist to his tent. Lorist took a simple bath and washed himself. After donning some fancy noble-military robes, left with Reidy and Jinolio and a thousand guards. Auguslo most likely wanted to impress the envoys with military might. Two rows of soldiers lined the road for five kilometers out of the camp. Their equipment shone like spit-shined cutlery. The people wearing the equipment, however, were less pruned. Lorist had no right to comment, however, feasting was a tradition and even a custom. The sludge called a road had been pressed and covered with sawdust and fine river sand. Lorist had no idea where on earth Auguslo got the supplies and materials necessary on such short notice. Or had he prepared it months earlier?

The white dragon curled through the landscape. According to Lorist's education on noble customs, this was the highest courtesy possible. Its use was only recorded seven times in all of history. The treaties signed in conjunction with its use were never less than 20 years long and often lasted much longer.

Haha, looks like Auguslo really wants to have peace... He's pressuring them with his one hand, and offering a path to peace with the other. If this were anyone else, they might be touched, but our opponents aren't nobles in anything other than name -- I don't think this means anything to them.

The entrance of the path of peace was guarded with soldiers who blocked the way with wooden barricades. Lorist brought his horse to a halt. A sergeant ran over and explained everything. Lorist nodded and took the detour. He couldn't complain since the path could only be used by the envoys. He knew that if he insisted on crossing the path with a thousand men, not only would everything be wasted, it might even make a haughty impression on the guests.

He arrived 20 minutes later. Lorist knew the main gates were off limits too, so he headed to the other entrance. As expected, there was a smaller gateway not far away with people traveling in and out constantly. He finally noticed how prettied-up the fence was when he got closer. Not only were the damaged parts filled up and repaired, even the uneven parts of the upper fence were trimmed to uniform level. Auguslo truly put lots of effort into this project. He had wanted to make sure the camp was in perfect condition before the envoys arrived.

As for the outside of the military camp, it was clean. Hygiene was the baseline and Lorist noted a red-feather-wearing patrolman pushed to the ground and given ten canes for spitting on the ground.

The only thing that didn't fit with the atmosphere was the colorful flags all over. Their sizes were not uniform, and they were almost everywhere, making Lorist feel like he was in a children's theme park. When he arrived, he realized the colored flags outside were simple decorations in comparison.

Other things aside, the wooden fences themselves were wrapped in multi-colored silk and covered in a myriad of tones, just like a bouquet. As for the insides of the central areas, the tents were all taken down, replaced by a majestic and grand palace at the center of it all.

Is that a palace?! thought Lorist his shock. He squinted for a closer look. A breeze blew, and he caught the roof of the 'palace' wave about slightly. Oh, so it's still a tent, it's just larger and drawn to look like it has a real roof.

A royal guard came over. He dismounted, and a servant took his horse away. He walked to the huge palace-tent with Jinolio and Reidy while the guards behind him went to their respective resting areas while they were being briefed on what they could and couldn't do to not disrupt the envoys' visit..

Upon entering the tent, Lorist saw that the internals were also decorated to make them look like those of a real palace. However, Lorist could tell that it was all looks. He was quite curious as to how Auguslo managed to convert the tent to look like a palace though.

Auguslo was at the center of the main hall with many other nobles. The main hall really did look like a palace's assembly hall, complete with steps covered in black and gold carpets. On the carpet was one gleaming seat which looked to be the throne.

Auguslo wasn't seated in his throne and was instead chatting idly with the other nobles beneath the elevated platform. As he was wearing a golden crown on his head, he stood out exceptionally from the other nobles who wore no hats.

All the nobles within the hall were clad in formal attire with their ceremonial swords. That was a tradition left behind from the time of the Krissen Empire. Formal wear accompanied with a ceremonial sword symbolized one's courage and remembrance for those that came before to build up the Krissen Empire. There was also an unofficial saying that claimed that the ceremonial swords were carried around back in the day when dueling was very commonplace. That way, the nobles could respond to duels at a moment's notice to settle their disagreements.

Seeing Lorist, Reidy and Jinolio entering the tent, Auguslo waved for them to come over to him. After the greetings, Lorist noted Auguslo's bloodshot eyes. He looked rather fatigued, so Lorist asked, "Your Majesty, did you not rest well the night before? You don't look too well."

"Is that so?" Auguslo rubbed his face and said with a smile, "The mere thought at the envoys of the Union coming to sign a peace treaty with us and the realization of my ambition of the empire would stir me from sleep. I haven't got any shuteye for the past two days. However, that wouldn't pose to be a problem. I have more than enough time to rest after today."

All things aside, Auguslo was still a rank 1 blademaster, so losing sleep over a couple of days wasn't something that could affect him much, apart from making him seem gloomier than usual.

Lorist advised, "Your Majesty, it's still rather early and the envoys of the Union might take another hour or two to come. Perhaps you might want to shut your eyes for a light nap during this time. That way, you'll look much better in an hour or two. At least, your eyes won't look that bloodshot."

Auguslo was convinced. "Alright, I'll heed your advice and take a short rest lest the envoys come see all the veins in my eyes and get a bad impression. Go about as you like here and ask the servants if you need anything else."

By the time Auguslo left, the nobles within the ten felt much more relaxed than before. Some found places to sit down at, some drank away as they chatted while others flirted with the maidservants beside them. However, they all knew that it was a momentous day and neither of them were willing to let Lorist see their debased states.

Kenmays and Shazin popped out of nowhere and made their way to Lorist's side. They shoved Lorist into a smaller partition of the tent where many small tables were laid out filled with food, juice and other beverages.

"What are you guys doing here? Where's Felim?" asked Lorist.

"Felim hasn't arrived yet. I brought you here for something to eat. You don't wanna be hungry when it starts," said Kenmays.

"How did you know they'd be food here?" asked Reidy. He hasn't eaten anything yet before following Lorist, so he began wolfing down a roasted goat thigh without hesitation the moment he saw that there was so much to eat.

"How did I know?" Kenmays said gleefully, "I laid this out, that's how. It's no problem for me to get the kitchen to cook something up for us."

"You're saying that you were in charge of this whole palace tent thing?" asked Lorist with surprise.

"Naturally. His Majesty had wanted to tear the main tent down to make a simple pavilion to receive the envoys, but he didn't have much time to do so. Seeing his trouble, I offered help as the representative of salt merchant committee and rebuilt it into something more appropriate with the help of some designers and artists to make it look like a palace. This is good business. I actually earned nearly 20 thousand gold Fordes doing this," replied Kenmays excitedly.

It could be seen from his expression that Auguslo was once more put onto a chopping board like a juicy sheep to be slaughtered. However, it was his own fault for liking grand spectacles. It's no wonder Kenmays didn't hold back at all when it came to pricing.

As they munched and drank within the small partition, Felim soon came to join them, followed by the thick-skinned Duke Fisablen as well. Duke Fisablen did complain to Kenmays for not having prepared any good wine, however.

An hour or so later as it was approaching noon, a loud horn could be heard from outside, startling all of them alert. The envoys from the Union finally came. Lorist and gang hurriedly straightened their robes and exited the partition.

Auguslo was also there. After a short nap, he seemed far more energetic and his eyes were no longer bloodshot. There was also a healthy glow to his face. He was listening to a scout's reporting on the arrival of the envoys.

The scout reported that the envoys brought a hundred guards with them and had already entered the path of peace in their luxurious carriage. It should take about 20 more minutes for them to reach the main tent.

Auguslo then excitedly called for the rest to wait for the envoys outside the tent.

Duke Fisablen stepped forward and said that it was inappropriate for Auguslo to make the reception, as he was the king of Andinaq himself, so he couldn't lower himself to do such a thing. The king should be sitting in his throne, waiting for the envoy to arrive, as is fitting for a king and so on.

Auguslo humbly accepted Duke Fisablen's criticism. He gave it some thought and made a compromise to receive them at the entrance of the central area. After all, he wanted to show his sincerity and desire for peace too.

So, the lot of them waited at the entrance for around half an hour before they finally saw the carriage before them. A thin and lanky middle-aged man got off from the carriage, followed by a white-bearded old man who carried a small wooden case in his hand.

The tall man was called Krilos, a count of the Union as well as the vice president of one of the big six guilds, Twinhead Dragon Merchant Guild. The old man beside him appeared to be his attendant who followed him everywhere.

Krilos's abilities were of the gold rank, but he mentioned that he was only training to keep fit and that he abhorred and feared jumping into a slaughterfest. He jokingly said that the ornate ceremonial sword he carried was only for show and that he hasn't even drawn it before. The old attendant on the other hand seemed to be a normal person who didn't train in battleforce and was in charge of tending to the count for his daily needs. Krilos joked that since he was born in a rich family, he was used to being spoiled and required the help of his servants for the easiest of tasks.

The hundred guards on the other hand caught everyone's attention. There were actually four blademasters and ten gold-ranked swordsmen among them, with the rest being all silver-ranked.,

Auguslo looked rather happy about that as the elite nature of the guard meant that Krilos was of high status. He wasn't the slightest bit worried about the guards causing any trouble. Other things aside, there were ten blademasters of the kingdom there. Even the four blademasters among the guards wouldn't dare to mess around.

Auguslo greeted Krilos really warmly and chatted to no end. The two of them even held hands like they got along exceptionally well with each other. In the end, Lorist could no longer stand watching that and he cleared his throat and reminded, "Your Majesty, shouldn't you talk after going into the tent first?"

"Ah, that's right," said Auguslo as he snapped out of it and invited Krilos into the tent. He then asked whether the envoy would like the blademasters and guards to follow him in as well.

Krilos laughed and said, "There's no need. Let the guards stay outside with the other guards. All I need with me is my old attendant over here. I'm here to sign a peace treaty, not to pick a fight. So, I'm quite confident in my safety here."

Auguslo was all the more gladdened by that and hurried the two into the tent with incredible hospitality.

Invitation

"Do not invite a man to your home if you are not prepared to receive him." ~ Master Magrut

Delicious varieties of food and wine were... not possible in such a scenario. The so-called banquet Auguslo threw for Viscount Krilos only had large pieces of roasted meat, honeyed bread, a large pot of potato and cow-innard stew, smoked fish, baked apples, vegetable salad, and a bowl of grapes and blueberries. In terms of food culture, Grindia's nobles were far behind Lorist's previous world.

To be honest, nobody really cared about the banquet. Even Auguslo only toasted once or twice out of custom. With his first toast he expressed his wish that Andinaq and the Union could coexist in eternal peace. His second wished the envoy, Krilos, and his family good health. That was all. Auguslo just stared at the viscount, hoping he had brought good news.

The envoy didn't seem in a rush though. He enjoyed the food with elegance and grace. He praised the roast meat and even asked Auguslo to call the chef over. The white-haired old man behind him just stood quietly, holding his small red wooden case. Time passed in this odd tension. When the envoy finally had his fill, the nobles were speaking in hushed chatters with one another and adjusting in their seats. They stared at the group anxiously. Though Auguslo appeared calm, anticipation flitted back and forth across his eyes when he looked at Krilos.

The viscount received the white handkerchief a maidservant brought with an elegant motion and wiped his mouth before getting rid of the oils on his hands. He rose slowly, thanked Auguso for the meal, and expressed his hopes that he would pay a visit to Morante. Auguslo denied, remorsing his lacking treatment. They were still on the frontlines, after all, so he could not provide the luxury due such an occasion. He thanked the envoy for his invitation and hoped he could head to the imperial capital as well so the king could play host too.

Lorist stifled a yawn at the laborious banter. Auguslo didn't want to keep this ging either, so he voiced the main question of the entire event.

"Lord Krilos, you were sent as an envoy. Has the Union made a decision regarding our offer? Will you sign the peace treaty?"

"Well..." Krilos stood silent for a few moments before he glanced at his white-haired servant. The old man nodded slightly, so the viscount put his elegant smile back on, "Naturally. I have come here to represent the Union. We wish for you to join us in Morante for some more talks."

Auguslo waved his hands cheerfully, "Lord Krilos, you've made the invitation already, which I already explained I cannot fulfill right now. The empire is finally unified again and there is still much that needs to be done before I can be absent for even a single day. The years of war have ravaged our lands and my people. That is why I wish to conclude our talks swiftly so I may return to the capital and begin the restoration work. I am sincerely grateful for the invitation, but I cannot leave now."

Krilos nodded without comment.

"Let us discuss terms, then."

The white-haired servant stepped forward and opened the red case. He removed from it a greyi-white beastskin which he handed to Krilos.

"Your Majesty, the Union has some disagreements with the terms. Here are our suggestions. I hope you will lend us an ear."

"Naturally," Auguslo nodded.

Disagreements were normal. In fact, he would be fraught with suspicion should the Union accept all his terms without some demand for negotiation. He reclined in his chair comfortably and sipped some wine.

"Pray tell, what are your disagreements? I'll gladly lend an ear."

"Firstly, the Union objects to your senseless invasion and infringement of our sovereign territory," Krilos announced loudly.

Auguslo's smile didn't fade, this was par for the course. It was only to be expected that the Union would have objections. Even some of the nobles present let out a few stifled snickers.

"As the largest superpower on Grindia, the Union will not tolerate invaders. Though the Kingdom of Andinaq has sued for peace, the high council believes being forced to sign by way of threat is a slight and insult to the Union's nobles and subjects. We will not accept a forced treaty! Even the Krissen Empire couldn't force us to bend the knee, even when we were much weaker than it, your kingdom has even less ability to do so now that we are more powerful than even the empire was at its zenith. We warn Your Majesty, Andinaq Auguslo, that you are not the empire. Your self-centered military actions have led to the destruction of several kingdoms and duchies we recognize and guarantee. Your arrogance and ambition has thrown the continent into war, destroyed millions of lives, and set the continent back decades, if not centuries.

"The Union is neither the Redlis Kingdom nor the Madras Duchy, and not a target on which you can impose your will! While we love peace, we aren't afraid of war. Your million-strong army will not make us hesitate to defend ourselves and our values. If we must bleed you dry for a century or two as we did the empire before you, we will gladly do so!

"An unjust war will never win victory for its perpetrator. Signwa will protect the nobles and people of the Union. No matter what your response, the Union will give you a chance for peace. We hereby give you our demands and with it that chance for peace. Each and every demand will be satisfied or blood will flow like rivers and dam up to form oceans!

"First, Andinaq will retreat from and return the occupied territories of Bodolger, Kanbona, Anderwoff, and the northwestern area. Second, Andinaq must immediately withdraw the army standing on the Union's borders. You will dismantle your army and report, in detail, what forces you had. Third, Andinaq will release all captives and their families and compensate and apologize to those harmed. Fourth, Andinaq will punish it's nobles for the atrocities they committed in Union territory and against its nobility and peasantry, especially the Duke of The Northlands, Norton Lorist, and his men, who have eterminated one of the Union's dear and treasured guilds. Andinaq will hand his entire house over to the Union to be tried and executed according to our laws."

Auguslo's face burned, his golden cup crushed. The wine within sprayed over his robes and the floor. He noticed none of it he stared at Krilos. The nobles were in a massive commotion. Viscount Krilos wasn't there to sign a peace treaty; he was there to declare war! Many stared at the viscount suspiciously. Their army was on the Union's borders, not the other way round. The kingdom wasn't defeated and forced to sign a treaty.

Krilos didn't bother with the change in atmosphere. He simply continued reading.

"Fifth, Andinaq will cede the two southwestern provinces and Majik to the Union as compensation for this unprovoked attack. Sixth, Andinaq's king, Auguslo I, will head to Morante, apologise to the Union for this affront, and personally sign the peace treaty we deem appropriate. Seventh, Andinaq will open all trade routes and cooperate to carry out all trade activities in their territory. As for tax--"

"Enough!" roared Auguslo, kicking the table.

"So, you're here to declare war? Don't forget we have a force double your size! I need only speak and your lands will be ravaged!"

The veins on the king's face pulsed. He had done everything possible to provide a path to peace bit his opponents were blind! This was not a peace treaty, these were terms for his surrender! The tent was in chaos. Most of the nobles clamored for Auguslo to give the order to march on Morante. Some even called for Krilos's hanging. Lorist didn't comment. He was more concerned with the source of the Union's arrogance.

Krilos still wore his elegant smile as if the curses and cries didn't faze him at all.

"Your Majesty will not start an all out war. You will not only accept this treaty, you will also come to Morante to apologize."

"Hahahaha!" laughed Auguslo. He glared at the viscount. "On what basis?! Why would I accept such insulting and insane demands?! If you want war, I will give you war! You are right about one thing, though. I will go to Morante, but not to apologise, to burn it to the ground!"

"You are delusional, king. You will do as we command," said Krilos with his ever-annoying smile. He gazed at Auguslo as an elder would a stupid child.

"Hehe... Hahaha!" Auguslo's voice became rough and sharp. He had tried so hard to plan this out and promised his vassals that, as long as the army could be brought to their borders, the Union would agree to peace and that the empire could be brought back to its former glory. All his dreams were shattered in an instant. Not only was this an insult, it was no different from an actual slap to his face. His effort to prepare the 5-kilometer-long path of peace only to have it swatted aside would be recorded in history and spread all over. Their kingdom would become a laughingstock!

"Lord Krilos," said Auguslo with sudden tranquility, "You are an envoy. Though you are from an enemy nation, worry not, I won't harm you. However, the blademasters and guards you brought along will feed my dogs tonight. You will be stripped and covered in honey and feathers and sent back to the Union on horse. We will meet again soon. I hope there will still be some feathers left on you when I come to Morante."

"Hehe, Your Majesty, unfortunately, you will do no such thing, nor will you hurt my guards. They have to escort you to Morante, after all," retorted Krilos as he drew his ceremonial sword.

"Haha, Lord Krilos, are threatening me with that?" Auguslo cracked a chortle. A gold rank dares draw his sword in front of a blademaster? Are you trying to get yourself killed? While Auguslo was only a rank 1 blademaster, dealing with a gold-ranked swordsman was something he could do without breaking a sweat.

"Ah, no, Your Majesty. Don't misunderstand. A puny little gold-ranked swordsman like me can't threaten Your Majesty, neither am do I wish to." Krilos handed the sword to the white-haired servant beside him.

"I ought to introduce this master beside me. He is not my attendant. He is Master Magrut. You may find this name foreign, because most know him by his sobriquet: the windstorm swordsaint."

Krilos turned to smile at Auguslo. "It can't be more honorable to be personally escorted to Morante by a swordsaint."

Lashing Out

"Blood for the blood god!" ~ Occult warcry in the late 18th century

The tent was filled with clashing. Not only did the nobles drop their cups, some also stood up with fright. Those already standing dropped their jaws. The tent was suddenly so quiet you could hear a pin drop. One noble after another glanced to the old servant beside Viscount Krilos.

The moment the old man received the sheathed sword, his aura changed dramatically. He stopped looking like an old man entirely. Krilos stood in the center of the tent with a gentle smile but he was no longer the center of attention. The old man no one paid any attention to now commanded everyone's gaze.

Master Magrut, the windstorm swordsaint, held his sword by the hilt and traced a few lines in the air, a smile cracking his face. However, that little move caused the nobles who were holding their breath in to despair, because all of them felt that they had fallen into the hands of the windstorm swordsaint completely. It was an indescribable feeling. Was this how the fish felt as it stared at the butcher's knife?

Duke Fisablen stood beside Lorist. Perhaps because of his identity or because Auguslo wished to use him to suppress House Norton, he arranged the duke's position in front of Lorist. However, as they were standing together, Lorist could detect the slight shivering of the old man's frame. It was as if the stronger a blademaster was, the more they would fear the formless sense of pressure and threat a swordsaint exuded. Even Reidy's legs were shaking uncontrollably… Jinolio seemed panicked.

Why do I feel nothing?

"It's... it's really the windstorm swordsaint... Dead... We're definitely dead..." stammered Duke Fisablen as he shivered.

Is he really that scary?

Lorist squinted and tried to suppress his raving desire to fight. He used all the calm he could muster to inspect the enemy. The moment Krilos announced his identity and handed his sword to Master Magrut, Lorist realized he wanted to fight. It was as if he was a hungry black bear, and his enemy was honey. He couldn't suppress this desire, it burned in every muscle in his body.

The swordsaint stood right there and the sword in his hand gently moved through the air. It was a mystical rhythm. No one spoke. The swordsaint stood calmly and played around with the sword, confident that he could end everyone if he wished. Regardless of how high their status; regardless of whether they were blademasters. He was an unsurmountable mountain. They were ants before a titan.

However, in Lorist's eyes, he was just an old man. Granted, he wasn't just an old man. He felt slightly ethereal. It felt like he existed almost outside of space, like his body was about to burst out of reality, tearing the world as he did.

The man stood beside Krilos, natural, carefree, and nonchalant. He looked as if he had openings all over. When Lorist played a fight in his head where he struck any of the openings, it always ended in a loss.

A strong enemy! As he struggled to suppress the desire to fight, excitement joined the fray. He wanted to make this challenge even if he couldn't overcome it. He suddenly woke to the fact that this could be the opportunity to break through he had so long sought. Now that a rank 3 blademaster like Duke Fisablen could not last a hundred strikes against him, only a swordsaint could pressure him enough to burst through the barrier that held him back.

"Surely Your Majesty won't refuse a swordsaint's invitation. The Union has sincerely invited you and the other lords to Morante for a relaxing vacation. You may return to your dominions after signing the treaty." Krilos still wore the same damned smile.

Auguslo's face was pale. He shivered. But his reply couldn't be more resolute.

"I'd rather die than follow you! Krissen's descendants will die rather than kneel before the likes of you!"

The elegant smile on Krilos's face vanished.

"Hoho? You want to die? Not so easily. Do you honestly think your life is still yours to take? Even if you resist, Master Magrut won't take your life. However, he will shatter your limbs and break your chin before bringing you back in a cage. If you think it'd be more fitting to travel like a prisoner, I will oblige you."

Just now, Auguslo was going to cover Krilos in honey and stick feathers on him. This was a punishment reserved for liars. Krilos's suggestion, on the other hand, was the punishment for bandits. They had each come up with the perfect treatment for the other.

"I admit I'm no match for a swordsaint, but can he really stop me from killing myself?" With a loud whir, Auguslo drew his sword and placed it against his throat.

"No, Your Majesty, don't!"

The nobles snapped awake. They racked their brains for a way to stop their king from dying. Some even drew their swords and stood in front of him. There was no choice. Should their king be killed by the swordsaint before everyone else, it would be a mark of for everyone's houses for the rest of eternity. They might as well commit suicide. Even if that meant facing a swordsaint, they could not stand by passively. At the very least, they could still leave their courageous deed behind for their house and make their reputation sore.

Krilos clapped slowly.

"I admire your bravery and your vassals' resolve. But I have to remind you that you can do nothing in front of a swordsaint, much less in their domain. Do you think you can take even a casual blow?"

Krilos shook his head.

"King, stop playing around. You had best come to Morante obediently. I want to leave you some face if at all possible. If you don't obey obediently, I will really break your limbs take you back in a cage. You, nobles. You had best advise your king likewise. We do not want to be called kingslayers, so he won't die, but you aren't kings. Time's running out."

Huh? What does he mean time is running out? Just as the rest were considering what Krilos's words meant, a loud alarm could be heard from the distance.

The patter of hooves soon approached. They stopped outside the tent and the royal guards barged in, instantly kneeling to make a report.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Union suddenly deployed their army and launched an attack. Near 100 thousand men are coming for Whitelion. The two divisions stationed near the border have crumbled, please make your decisions swift-- Ugh--"

That royal guard finally realized something was wrong and lost his head. His legs twitched a few times.

Auguslo's face paled and he stumbled back two steps, tumbling back into his throne. He even dropped his sword. As a blademaster who had seen the royal family records on the swordsaint, he knew Krilos' words were true. He was less than six meters from the swordsaint, which meant he was within range of his domain. The moment the swordsaint activated it, he would lose his ability to kill himself.

The guard's report only reinforces his despair. His army would be crushed. No wonder the enemy had kept gathering their forces. He had thought it was because they feared his army, the thought never occurred to him that they were just preparing to wipe his army out. If this happened, he would never be able to threaten the Union again even if he tried.

Two tears ran down his cheeks. He only wished he could die on the battlefield now. If he died like that, he would at least be remembered as a brave king. But his wish was destined to be unfulfilled. He couldn't even decide whether he lived or died. He could do nothing about his current situation. He hated his pride and recklessness. He was now the one responsible for the death of his bloodline, and the death of the last embers of the Krissen Empire. It could never rise again.

It's all over. He stared at the patterns on the ceiling, How laughable... The plan I spent years crafting actually ends like this. So what if I have a massive army? The Union only needed one man to undo everything. They dealt with the whole kingdom's elites in one move. Everything is over...

"Don't drag it on any longer. The weather is still good, so let us leave for Morante soon."

Auguslo didn't respond. He just sat catatonic on his chair.

"Sigh! Some people need to learn things the hard way!" Krilos turned to bow to the windstorm swordsaint, "Master Magrut, I have to trouble you."

The swordsaint nodded silently. With but a sweep of his eyes, the nobles blocking Auguslo's way were knocked aside, making a two-meter-wide path. The swordsaint snorted before he paced towards Auguslo. But he froze after taking two steps as another kingdom noble appeared in his way. The noble showed no fear, he even seemed confident. He had his hand on the hilt of his sword, slowly unsheathing it.

"Who are you?! How dare you draw your sword before Master Magrut?!" yelled Krilos angrily.

"Hehe, I am Duke Norton Lorist, the one your Union wants to punish publicly. His Majesty introduced us at the start of the banquet, have you forgotten already?"

Lorist glued his eyes to the swordsaint. The two were only three meters apart. The old man's face finally twitched. His sword was drawn, but he didn't attack. He waited patiently for his opponent to finish getting ready.

Whir! The tip of Lorist's sword pinged out of the sheath. He cracked a smile before everything inside the tent turned crimson. The swordsaint's expression shattered as he retreated in a hurry. He finally made a sound.

"A domain! You... You're a swordsaint too?!"