Chapter 99: External Help

Everyone remained silent, half of the people were surprised that Harrison, a drunkard and a loser, would be the first one to offer a possible solution. In theory was a reasonable idea, they had powerful friends on the continent of Simbar. One of which was a king.

The continent has a similar power dynamic to the Bulgar continent. There were 3 kingdoms that kept each other in check, their power and influence all equal to each other. The first was the Kingdom of Fang, ruled by King Fang Zhao. They held the Northern region of the continent.

The second Kingdom was the Kingdom of Sun, their ruler was named King Sun Cheng, and they controlled the eastern region of the continent. While the final kingdom, the Kingdom of Gu, ruled the western region of the continent. They were ruled by King Gu Tian.

Simbar was the continent east of the Asharan, meaning they had a fair amount of trade with not only the Luxenbergs but also the Verdants and Fontaines. The kingdom that was able to capitalise most of these trades was the Kingdom of Gu. 

Through trade, the Kingdom of Gu had formed a strong relationship with the Grand Duchy of Fontaine. They had helped the kingdom, during a plague 20 years ago, by sending necessary medicines and medical supplies, in exchange for discounted goods in future trade endeavours. 

Simeon Fontaine was tempted by his son's suggestion to call upon the Kingdom of Gu for aid but knew that they could not offer much support due to them trying to keep the balance with the other two kingdoms.

"As much as I want to, they are not in a position to offer meaningful support, especially if we are the ones to start a war. Even if they did send support, it would take many months for them to arrive. The unfortunate reality is we will have to face the Kingdom of Luxenberg alone," Simeon said in a deflated tone.

Stetson studied the map that was laid flat on the table, identifying any possible routes they could use to strike the enemy. As he surveyed the map, a certain point on it stuck out to him. It was the massive lake that split down the middle of the north, stretching from Hausen up to Bourbon. It was known, as Lake Oval, due to its large shape. It acted as a natural barrier for the east and western regions of the north.

"Father we have identified, that the enemy cities of Bourbon, Kreighelm, Jenkas and Vrague all have bolstered garrisons. What if we could draw some of them out? If we constructed barges to ferry a few thousand soldiers, across Lake Oval and attack a lightly defended area like Hausen," Stetson proposed confidently.

The group each bore furrowed brows and a perplexed look. Stetson's idea was a viable strategy, however, it had some massive setbacks. They would only be able to ferry across infantrymen and a few small and light cannons. From a mobility standpoint, that force would get mown down by Luxenberg cavalry.

Simeon looked at his son and said, "It is a good idea son, but it is not a practical one. We need our men more than King Luxenberg needs his, we can not afford to send soldiers on a suicide mission to try and distract our enemy."

In the end, the only half-decent plan the group could formulate was a full-on assault, on the city of Kreighelm. Strategically, Kreighelm was the most viable place to invade first. It had 2 bridges into the region and it could be used as a staging point to attack further south. An added bonus would be that Helen Fontaine would be able to retake her family home.

With a simplistic strategy decided upon the next 5 and half months were dedicated to slowly preparing for the invasion of Kreighelm. Food, ammunition and medical supplies were all being stockpiled in the Dukedoms of Godert and Hirschmann.

Duke Albus Godert's city of Auderbrast was the closest city to Kreighelm and was near The Fifth Hessen Bridge. His territory was the furthest eastern region on the continent. Although Duke Godert's realm was not the most wealthy or powerful, his lands produced the most food in the entire continent, they would ensure that their army and allies would not starve during this war.

The Fourth Hessen Bridge was located on the outskirts of Duke Goderts territory, intersecting with the Dukedom of Hirschmann's border, While the Third Hessen Bridge was located near Lake Oval. If the Fontaine Faction wanted to attack Jenkas they would make use of Duke Hirschmann's realm.

Duke Geraldt Hirschmann's city of Joltz was the Fontaine Faction's most defendable city. It lay near Lake Oval and has similar walls to that of Archenshien. Hirschmann's city was a fortress and could hold against any force. The dukedom's only weakness is the lack of money it makes, hence why they are considered weak, due to the lack of military might or economic power.

The Fontaine Faction had spent the time since the end of the Maldenberg War trying to bulk up their army, even if it meant having untrained soldiers amongst their ranks. Their total number of soldiers were 240,000 infantrymen, 30,000 cavalrymen and 700 guns. In terms of possible commanders, there were 5 suitable candidates.

Duke Hirschmann was a reputable figure in defensive tactics so his knowledge would be indispensable to Simeon. Dukes Verdant and Godert were both men of high education and could be trusted to lead competently. Finally, there were Stetson and Simeon, they were not at the same calibre as the dukes, but were charismatic and beloved by the men,and they could do well if advised properly. 

Grand Duke Fontaine had forcibly recruited 20,000 men to join his infantry. They were made up of farmers, former prisoners, dock workers and many other lower class people. With an added 20,000 infantrymen, the total had risen to 260,000. 

Compared to Victor's army, the Fontaine Faction believed they had a good chance of defeating the young king, however, Victor's army not outnumbered them, but were more experienced. The Luxenberg army was made up of well-disciplined and trained soldiers who had proven themselves through hard-fought battles.

By Victor's 9th anniversary of being taken over by Conrad, war with the Fontaine Faction had finally begun.