No Turning Back

The time for diplomacy had passed. Elysea and Iberia were now locked in a conflict that would decide the fate of Pan-America. Marshal Armand Roux had no interest in waiting for the Iberians to make the next move. He would bring the fight to them.

Fort San Rafael, the largest Iberian outpost in the region, was the key. If Elysea took it, Iberia's ability to reinforce its colonial holdings would be crippled. Their supply lines would be cut, and their influence in Pan-America would collapse.

Roux was not one for hesitation. He ordered his forces to prepare for war.

On April 15, 1697, the Elysean army departed Fort Saint-Louis. It was a force built for conquest—1,200 infantry, 300 cavalry, and six artillery pieces. Giraud led the cavalry, scouting ahead for enemy patrols, while Vasseur commanded the rear guard, ensuring that the supply wagons kept pace.