Growing Tension

Marshal Armand Roux had spent years at war, carving out an empire from the untamed wilderness. His hands had shaped Elysea's future, and now, the entire continent belonged to the crown.

Yet, as he stood in Fort Saint-Louis, overseeing the daily affairs of what had become the de facto capital of the New World, he felt something that had never weighed on him before.

Discontent.

The land was his to rule in all but name. His orders governed the territories, his generals controlled the garrisons, and his soldiers marched at his command.

And yet, across the ocean, King Bruno sat on a throne, signing documents as if he had fought for any of this.

Roux dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come. He was no king. He was a soldier.

But soldiers were meant to fight, to conquer, to create. What happened when there were no more wars left to win?

He pushed the thought away and turned to his officers.