Chapter 10: All Fronts

"I am Matteo Lorenzo IV. I was the supposed heir of the Ventian Empire. My father, Matteo III, exiled me a few weeks ago. All I wanted was to improve the living conditions of the people of South Ventia. Do you know what I did in response to this unfairness? I went down there, rallied all the lords under my command, and launched a rebellion that could rival the stunt the Opamish and the Palvertians did. I fight for the freedom of all. We all fight for the freedom of all. People will no longer live under the dependence of a liege no more. New Ventia will bring a revolution that will free the people of their woes, whether they like it or not. New Ventia will reign. Gloria alla Vittoria."

An excerpt from New Ventia's official declaration of independence from the Ventian Empire, 848.

***

Matteo resided in the New Ventian capital, Alvemoz. He wasn't hailed as a king, an emperor, or a duke. He was simply referred to as "Duce", (Leader) by his subordinates and anyone that was under his rule. He has completely militarized the entire society of New Ventia in a matter of weeks, putting forth secret military missions and arming pretty much anyone that could fight. Not to mention, pretty much the entire world is against them. Their whole goal is to unite Jaralosa under one banner and Matteo's doctrines. For their entire existence, New Ventia has been at war with the Ventians and their puppet states. Clashes have begun with the Commonwealth at the start, but now it's a complete deadlock.

Their economy sure could not have handled the years of war, but Matteo has also prepared for this. Each individual within the nation has to choose between domestic work or military service. It did not matter if you were a child or an old man, male or female, crippled or disabled. The whole of the population had to be doing something in this all-out war Matteo is planning. Though he is riddled with this illusion of a world revolution, he has the assets to make it happen. He has sent entire armies around the world, but now he waits in the palace war room for the reports of his "Grande Esercito", Grand Army he called them. It was an effort to boost morale and instill a vision within the ranks that they were indeed the best in the world.

Matteo takes a seat at the center of the conference table, waiting for his subordinates to arrive. He was in his late 20s, having long black hair and emerald green eyes. He was still wearing his royal attire when he was still in the Ventian Empire, but he simply cut out the device that displayed the royal standard of the Ventians, replacing it with New Ventia's once it was thought up and implemented within army units. He looks down at the paperwork below him, which are the documents that were sent to him before this meeting. He was so outraged with the contents within it that he has summoned all the high commanding officers in his army to discuss this with them.

"Duce." A female voice was heard from the war room's door before it opened. It was a rather tall woman, having flowing blonde hair, hazel brown eyes, and was dressed in an officer's field dress. She was the overall commander in charge of the "Liberation" of Opami.

"Alessa Von Kastanienbraun. What in the hell did you send me?" Matteo raised his tone abruptly but figured it was too early for him to be infuriated without hearing any explanation from the woman.

"I only reported back what happened, sir." Alessa's demeanor was not shaken or even touched by Matteo's tone.

"Oh yeah?" He asked mockingly, looking down at the documents below him again and taking a single page for him to recite its contents. "The Siege of Erenlow was a decisive defeat, it was caused by elements of mercenaries sullied out and destroyed the formation behind the Center force. General Gregor was slain in a duel before it even properly began." He recites in front of Alessa. "I have no idea how Gregor of all generals was slain in a duel. Were you even present at the time of the battle?" He asked.

"No, sir. He ran off with a contingent of troops, stating that he could take a key city from the Opamish in a day. Once I caught wind of the situation from my end, his forces were already routed." She stated plainly.

"You should have put that in the report if it was something in that circumstance..." Matteo frowned, his expression softening and ushering Alessa to sit down.

"Duce, I have given orders to the generals to hold their positions and dig in. What will be our next move?" She asked as she took a seat across Matteo.

"I say you make do with your holdings. Don't go for all-out assaults like what Gregor did. They cannot drive you out of your initial perimeter, right? Then do a concentrated advance on both sides of the pocket until all of the ports in that region are yours. At that point, we can ship more supplies and troops rapidly." Matteo explained and traced his finger along with the surface of the map on the table. "But I am curious. Who the hell could have had the audacity to strike Gregor preemptively?" He asked in curiosity, assuming she knew the answer.

"It was a young man from the unknown mercenary element. We still have yet to send a spy, but eye-witnesses remember that he looked foreign in lavish clothing, but no armor. Maybe he's a lord's son? We are not sure just yet." She responded.

"Whoever he is, he needs to be put down. I will be needing you to work extra hard on identifying this savage duelist. Put an end to him quickly." Matteo ordered, sensing the dangers that could come if he lets a hero stay alive like this. He was not sure if this young man would become a notable figure later on, but he thought to deal with the little problems to prevent a larger one.

Suddenly, another person storms into the room hurriedly. "D-Duce... Sorry for being late." It was a young man who would have been mistaken for a teenager. He had cut orange hair and blue eyes. He wore the same officer's field dress as Alessa, but one that was fit for males.

"Fernando Li Fonti. Take a seat and tell me how things are coming along." Matteo's reception of the male was much warmer compared to how Alessa was treated. He must have brought good news.

"Bleak outlook, Duce." Fernando started, taking a seat next to Alessa. "Our negotiations with the Grand Duchy of Edenaunia have stalled. I suppose those Ventian dogs would not let their subjects fall so easily. I know our army can roll over their meager force, but it's a whole different story if Ventia gets involved. It will be a slugging match if we give them time to send men over." He explained with a sigh.

"Write up an ultimatum at once. Make it have them decide between two things: their submission, or their death. Give it a deadline of 3 hours so no negotiations will happen. If the 3 hours are up and they have not decided, you may utilize the forces on the border... You know what to do next, Ferdinando." Matteo quickly explained, knowing exactly how to deal with a situation like this.

"But Duce, the Edenau are prepared with a series of defensive positions. Their longbowmen will shred through our ranks even if it is 3 hours of preparation." Fernando was a bit hesitant in going through Matteo's plan, only foreseeing disaster.

"Then strike them at your convenience! Give them a false sense of security with the halting of negotiations, mobilize our forces to their border in the cover of the night, and when everything is in place, you have my consent to advance into their territory." Matteo seemed a bit annoyed in his commander's ignorance but shrugs it off for now.

"I see. I would request ample cavalry support, though. I don't want to commit to such a failure as Alessa." Fernando referred to how Alessa's entire force within Opami lacked substantial cavalry forces. They were only reserved on the vanguard and bodyguard duties.

"Of course. Take as much as you need from the knights, but don't put them to waste. You know what I mean." Matteo states and looks over at the open door to the war room, now visibly irritated. He was waiting for two other commanders. They were pretty late, but it wasn't an emergency. He just wants to address some obvious issues they all need to work on.

As Matteo was going to address another matter, the two remaining commanders enter the room. Eugenio Strinati, the man in charge of the Western front, namely the struggle against the Commonwealth of Landorf. And last but not least, Fausto Arcuri, the commander sent to perform a covert takeover of the Kingdom of Palvertia via the established Ezikel movement that has caused a great divide within the country.

The two new arrivals take their seats and face Matteo. Eugenio is a grizzled old man, most of his black hair now turning white, a veteran of the numerous wars and battles that transpired during the conquest of South Ventia. He defected from the Ventian Empire to New Ventia since he found great promise in Matteo's ideals. Meanwhile, we have Fausto, the man who looks bored all the time. He's the same age as Matteo and had long green hair that covered one of his eyes.

"You two. I didn't even bother reading these damn papers because from the first line, it was garbage already." Matteo was not pleased, throwing the rest of the paperwork to the ground. "Let's start with you, Fausto. I never really understood or supported this whole Ezikel scheme of yours, but now it's backfiring. One of the rebel leaders are still alive, and what's worse is they have taken over a whole stronghold. What the hell happened?!"

It took a few moments for Fausto to completely process Matteo's outrage, but he waved a hand dismissively to try and calm the leader down. "It's just a minor setback, Duce. As long as that massive blob of an abomination is properly fueled with mana, we'll be fine. I'll just intervene when I am needed."

"That's not what I mean. How could a single man take an entire stronghold by himself? You must have put children to guard the damn thing." Matteo retorted.

"Hey, they were our troops. Problem is, they were conscripts that couldn't swing a sword without hitting themselves. Look, the rebels haven't made a move in 6 months. The royal family and almost all of the regions are under my control. If it makes you feel better, I'll order all contingents to be hunting these pests down." Fausto responded with a sigh.

"That still does not excuse the fact you haven't expelled all cells of resistance in the kingdom just yet. If you have only listened to me, this wouldn't have happened." Matteo was growing frustrated.

"Ease it up, Matteo. It's like Palvertia is gonna be liberated overnight. I'll be borrowing some of your best spies then, find out exactly what's going on." The other male finally was in the right mind to take any action. He would normally leave it up to his subordinates back there, but he supposed that living as a pseudo monarch is not something he wants to give up so easily.

"Besides, they would probably station men there to hold down the fort. I'll take back that holding, no sweat. I'll have one of my commanders ambush them when they are most vulnerable." He added.

Matteo let out another long sigh, "Sure... But do your actual job this time! I know you can get things done, but now is not the time to be lax! My plan for a systematic takeover is perfect, it's just the moving pieces that can ruin it all." He explained. Fausto simply shrugged with the same unamused expression.

Matteo then shifted his attention towards Eugenio, a little less angry but more of a look of disappointment if anything. "Sir Eugenio, I simply cannot believe what you have sent back to me. You and your army are back where you started?" Matteo used "sir" to refer to the old commander due to his seniority and prestige in the army.

"Unfortunately it is true, Duce. The Landish have repelled our forces back. Their rifles overwhelmed the advancing troops. When the war first started, only their best marksmen would get those dishonorable weapons. But it proved still pretty deadly, as you know. They had one shot, and they had to reload. This proved advantageous for us since we can sacrifice a prisoner or a cripple, then zone them out with archers or cavalry." The general went on.

"But now, almost all of them have one. What's worse is, they devised how to fire by rank as archers and crossbowmen do. One line would fire, kneel, making way for the line behind them, then the second line fires, and then they kneel and let the third line fire as well. At that point, the first line had enough time to reload and was ready to repeat the cycle."

Is there any way we can get one of these rifles?" Fernando suddenly spoke up.

"And why would we need them exactly?" Matteo questioned, agitated by the question.

"Think about it, Duce. If our forces could have such a devastating weapon, our war will be done faster."

"That's outrageous. Do you say our soldiers wield a coward's weapon? I won't allow it."

"The Landish has been dominant in our region because of their military might. They have a smaller force, but each soldier is armed with a marvel. Listen, Duce-" He was cut off mid-sentence.

"That is quite enough, Fernando! Know your place, I'm the Duce, and you follow my orders!" Matteo finally exploded, sick with the foolish questions of his subordinate. And Fernando promptly backed down, while Matteo gestured for Eugenio to continue.

"So anyway, the frontline has reached a standstill, with them advancing slowly but steadily into our territory. But recently, they are starting to set up a long line of defenses. I suppose they'll be digging in for the coming winter."

"So is that all from all of you?" Matteo asked the four commanders.

"Yes, sir." They all replied in unison.

"I have given you advice on your proceeding actions. All of you except Eugenio, you are dismissed. Get back to your respective stations as soon as possible. Avanti!"

"Avanti!" The three commanders stand up and do a salute before promptly heading out of the room. This left Eugenio alone with Matteo.

"Now..." Matteo's volume of voice lowered drastically, he leans his head towards the remaining commander for him to be heard clearly.

"I think I have figured out a way to finally defeat those Landish cowards." He murmurs.

"What do you mean? Sending waves of men won't do us any good-" Eugenio was cut off mid-sentence by Matteo putting his finger on Eugenio's mouth to silence him.

"God himself has spoken to me in my dreams. He gave me a technique of magic for me to use." Matteo continued, eventually withdrawing his hand from Eugenio's face.

"He talked to you? Remember Duce, the Gods only speak to either a saint... Or the absolute embodiment of garbage on Jaralosa." Eugenio was visibly taken aback and wanted to reaffirm if his words are true.

"I am very much aware. And it seems on one extreme on that spectrum, unfortunately. But that hardly matters for us right now. He... Told me to use this power for our conquest of the entire continent. The others must have left on their carriages already. Let's head outside, I'll show you this magic to prove that it is real." Matteo stood up and peeked out of the doorway, checking if the coast was clear of the other commanders or housekeepers who were doing their rounds. He heads out of the room and Eugenio follows suit.

At the quiet courtyard just a couple of steps away from the prior room, there stood Matteo and Eugenio.

"Gather some rocks from outside and bring them here. Hurry before anyone else shows up." Matteo orders the commander, he extends his arms outwards and let his magical energy course through him as to prepare himself for whatever spell or ritual that he wants to perform.

Eugenio did not waste any time, storming out of the palace gates and collected as much solid debris and reasonably sized rocks that he can carry with his arms. He shortly returns and dumps them all off in front of Matteo, who has magical energy visibly forming an aura around him.

"As you instructed." Eugenio broke the silence and got the attention of the Duce in front of him.

"Now then. Watch closely. This will be the very being that will crush everyone that dares oppose us." Matteo positions himself a good distance away from the collection of rocks and debris. He closes his eyes and extends his hands outwards, his magical energy flowing out of him and surrounding the debris. He starts chanting with a low voice.

"Alzati dallo sporco e obbedisci a ogni mio comando. Sarete quelli che combatteranno in suo nome. Alzati!"

The ground shakes for a moment, and the magical energy surrounding the debris seeps into the rocks. A glaring light gleams upon the caster and the commander, forcing them to look away or shield their eyes from the intense light. And suddenly, it all stops. What now stands before the two brings Matteo to tears of joy.

That thing is a giant Golem that towers over both of the men. It stands at 9 ft. tall, and its body is composed of the very debris that Eugenio gathered merely moments before.

Matteo now goes into a fit of laughter, dropping onto his knees and was mumbling nonsense that Eugenio could not understand from their distance. "Finally! A creature that we could only prophetize about before, now in our hands!"

"The Golem, a monster fueled entirely by the magic of the Gods... And it's yours to command, right?" Eugenio was shaking from nervousness, hiding his hands behind his back to conceal them.

"Yes, yes! You are correct, my good friend! This will teach the Landish their lesson about resisting their rightful liberation." Matteo finally stands up, looking up at the Golem that stands idly. "Give it a strike with your blade." He instructs.

"As you say." Eugenio hesitates for a split second, but he eventually went up to the Golem and drew his sword. It was a rapier forged out of regular steel, but it was embellished with golden and silver features around the hilt. There was yet another moment of hesitation, he was holding the weapon wrong and his entire arm was shaking.

"Just stab it, you piece of garbage!" Matteo snaps, growing impatient.

At the same moment, Eugenio lets his instincts kick in and attempts to thrust the rapier into the Golem. And as expected, the long blade just scraped off the surface of the rocky being. Immediately after, Eugenio scurries away out of fear of retaliation from the Golem. If the prophecies were true, the thing would have incinerated him at that instant.

"It won't kill you, at least without my permission." Matteo approached the commander with a twisted grin on his face. "Use your brain now, Eugenio. What do you think will I do with these things?"

"Use them to break the stalemate in Landorf?" He responded quickly, finding it rather obvious.

"It will be much greater than that. The regions up North will not stand a chance. Or even abroad in Palvertia." Matteo rambled, giggling to himself.

"There must be a catch, surely. It can't just be immune to anything, like the legends say." Eugenio brought up, bringing Matteo back to reality.

"And that's exactly why you will be the first to test them out. So far, the Landish are the most powerful foes we have faced so far. The kid was right, it will benefit our men if we were on even ground in terms of arms." Matteo regains his composure and lets out a long sigh.

"Then why can't we do it as he proposes?" The other male raised an eyebrow.

"We simply cannot afford to right now. We don't have the industrial might that the Landish possess, plus we don't have a clue how those things even work in an artisan's sense. For now, this will be our substitute." Matteo explained, going back to the Golem and giving it a single tap as if he was proud of his creation.

He looks back to Eugenio, with the same sinister smile as earlier.

"Let's get to work."