In an austere meeting room of the City Hall with ornate furnishing, I begin my speech in front of all the relevant factions- my Legion’s general staff, the nobles of Carnwennan, and the general staff of the 626th Legion. Every one of them are in full military or noble dress, sparing no expenses.
“Gentlemen, it has been a challenging moon and a half, but we have finally saved Carnwennan from the brink.” After waiting for the polite applause to die down, I continue. “Now, I will announce the reason why I came to Carnwennan. I was called here to accomplish the Quest that the Pantheon had bestowed upon me- the capture of Adept Rummy and his associates.”
A wave of confused murmurs and “who?” erupts at my announcement. Fully understandable, I admit. But it is not the duty of mortals to publicly question the will of the Gods. Nor is it the duty of subjects to publicly question the will of their prince. That is the natural order of the world we live in.
In response to this chatter, my Paladin pointedly puts his hand on his sword, ready to cut down any offenders of Imperial majesty. Fortunately, the room quiets down in response. Ser Palusi’s eagerness at violence is a bit concerning at times, but he is definitely an asset in times like this. I was once taught that a good prince prefers to speak softly behind a menacing Paladin, and Ser Palusi plays this part exceptionally.
Once silence returns to the meeting, I continue. “Adept Rummy is a former legionnaire and local forge-smith who has discovered a revolutionary method of weapon production. Instead of sharing his Gods-given gift with the Empire that nurtured him, this selfish man left Carnwennan to live in an illegal settlement somewhere in the Western Wilderness.”
I scan the room. A few of the nobles in the audience seem to connect the dots between this man and Lady Natalia. I am relieved to see some signs of intelligence amongst the Carwennan nobility. Any noble who cannot connect the fact that Lady Natalia was regularly recruiting residents and paying “toll” (what a colorful way of saying bribe) to get them out of the city with the fact that Adept Rummy somehow developed weaponry advanced enough to hold a forward settlement in the Wilds is woefully unfit to rule.
“The Pantheon had seen enough of this foolishness and decreed that he must be brought back into Imperial rule post haste. To this end, I was commanded to mobilize all 4 of my Household Legions and the 626th Legion to partake in an Imperial Expedition to the Western Wilderness. The Quest specifically commanded me to capture Adept Rummy alive, and to that end, I shall conduct this campaign with a limit-loss doctrine.” I calmly announce.
I could see the predicted surprise from the audience. After all, aggressive generalship is the hallmark of the Imperial Legions. No commander wants to be seen as an effeminate coward, not when the cost of ill-advised aggression is a few peasant-levy Cohorts. But that was precisely why the previous Expedition into the Wilds failed so miserably. The Wilderness simply has too many threats, and each individual threat is severe enough to cripple a military campaign by itself.
“The previous Imperial Expedition into the Wilderness ended in failure. After reviewing the archives regarding this disaster, I believe that over-aggression is the primary cause of the failure. Gods-willing, I shall not be the arrogant fool who repeats their fatal mistakes 30-some winters ago. There will be specialized scouting Cohorts in our Legions. There will be skirmishers screening our flanks and rear. And there will be several dedicated logistics Cohorts working with the City Council to ensure our supply lines are safe and secure.”
One of my Legion commanders stands at attention before asking. “Your Grace, how much time did the Pantheon give you? If we operate with a limit-loss doctrine, the column would move at a considerably slower pace. It is entirely possible that we will take a moon to reach the illegal settlement!”
“Thank you for voicing your concern, Commander Felix. But there is no time limit in this Quest. So the primary priority of this campaign is to get all 5 Legions with minimal casualties at the illegal settlement to compel a diplomatic resolution following a prolonged siege.”
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Felix cautiously asks, “A long-term siege, your Grace?”
“That is correct, Commander. We have reason to believe that Rummy already has developed weapons capable of loosing hundreds of bolts in a matter of minutes. This, in our estimation, would render any frontal assault a futile and costly tactic. In addition, since Rummy is expected to be in the thick of fighting, the risk that he gets accidentally killed or maimed is unacceptably high.”
Felix sits down, unsure of what to say.
“Gentlemen, I must impress upon all of you that this is no ordinary campaign. Bravery is commendable, but your Prince now demands cunning from you as well. The target of this Expedition is a brave and cunning man who knows the full measure of our bravery and is fully prepared to combat it.”
After a moment of contemplative silence. I move onto the next topic. “I don’t fault you or your predecessors for underestimating this commoner. But that imprudence ends now. Archmage Schuma, please brief these Gentlemen everything you know about Adept Rummy.” I command as I step into the background.
The Archmage gives me a salute before stepping forward with a dossier in hand.
“Adept Rummy of Carnwennan. He has lived approximately 24 winters. He has a medium build and has black hair. Based on his hair color and his Legion records, he likely has Air and Space elemental affinities, and has demonstrated high proficiency in his Air elemental spell-casting despite only a 6-star mana talent. He is a remarkable marksman who has distinguished himself on several occasions when he served as a Legionnaire of the 626th during his first tour of duty. On his second tour, he transferred to the Auxiliary Cohort and specialized in forge-smithing, where he distinguished himself yet again during the mana beast wave. Mustered out after 2 tours against the recommendation of his superiors.”
After taking a big breath, he continues. “According to sources, he worked at Stanfur’s Forge-smithy for a few winters before his dismissal. After that, he was employed by Lady Natalia of House Galahad. There exists very few records of his true combat capabilities, but based on what little information I have, it is suspected that Rummy had wiped out thousands of mana beasts, a full team of Witches, over 200 Household Knights and retainers of House Galahad, and over 150 Household Knights and retainers of House Mordred. Lastly, the fact that he successfully established a settlement that deep in the Wilderness suggests that his weaponry is resistant or immune to supply shortages that plagues most civilian militias. Personally, I would rate his true combat capabilities as “hyper-lethal”. Underestimate him at your own peril, Gentlemen.”
As my trusted aid steps back, I take over. “Thank you, Archmage Schuma, for your extensive research over the past few weeks. Now I would ask Decanus Vinnick to brief us on the possible locations of this illegal settlement.” I gesture towards Vinnick to come forward. The man apprehensively speaks.
“After confronting him almost 2 moons ago, a tracking team was sent to pursue Rummy of Carwennan and the caravan of civilians who’d left the city. The sole survivor of that team was a messenger who was sent back to Legion HQ to report on the pursuit. The last known location of the team is deep in Elf territory, at the base of Mt. Fae.”
An eruption of murmurs and discussions breaks out. Most of the audience suspect that Mt. Fae was a decoy location. Some raise a good point that they could have a non-aggressive relationship with the Elves, which could be troublesome for the campaign. After a while, I clear my throat and the impromptu discussion abruptly ends.
“Like many of you have suspected, I doubt the illegal settlement is in Elf territory, but it could very well be next to it, likely next to the Acheron River. The Acheron offers a secure rear and a source of freshwater. If I were him, that is where I would build my settlement. With the Acheron securing his western rear and the Elves blocking his northern flank, his settlement would only need to worry about the goblins to the southeast.”
“Thank you, Decanus Vinnick. You may take a seat.”
“It is my honor to serve, your Grace.” He salutes me before taking his seat.
“Gentlemen, time is of the essence. I want the Imperial Expedition to head out before the end of this moon! Archmage Schuma and Paladin Palusi have your marching orders. Every man must do his part for the campaign to be a success- even the City Councilors who are charged with keeping the peace of Carnwennan to ensure the safety of the supply lines.” I stare at the nobles in the room with the intensity of two suns. I made sure they’d understand that I will not tolerate any false-flag attacks for political advantages.
“Failure is a sin, but in this particular instance, it is also blasphemous. And Gentlemen, let me remind you that there is no forgiveness for blasphemy in the Empire.”