V4: Chapter 5:

…

If I can get something done without being involved, I'd happily take a seat, prop up my feet, and let someone else do the work.

Unfortunately, invasions are hard, and I was the only person on this planet who could navigate random events.

Especially when those random events were in heavily-ravaged terrain.

Naturally, the Random Event Table for a region that had lots of pillaged or destroyed tiles was separate from the normal set. The normal set can see your army fucked up to half-strength if you don't pick the right choices between events. Of course, the event table for a literal war zone filled with hungry people, enemy skirmishers, and hostile towns could easily have your full stack just disappear off the face of the planet. In a ravaged, pillaged, and fucked-over territory like the Scholars' seeing your army attrition'd to eighty percent is considered optimal.

Which is fucking horrendous when you consider that 1/5 soldiers are going to die just getting to battle. That's the best outcome right now, since we didn't have the military techs and infrastructure built up to support armies taking over regions. So, I had to go and lead the coalition of forces and provide my input into the situation.

The only other option was revealing my knowledge of Random Events… and that wasn't happening. The remains of the game's Wiki and thousands of hours of playing were my main advantages in this world. I wasn't going to lose it.

Therefore, I had no choice but to join the invading armies and help them out on their warpath.

If I could have someone else do it, I would.

But, I have to do it, otherwise someone might do it wrong.

…

The Conquerors arrived with an unexpected guest at the designated location. Already, with the help of the Wardens, I set up a pseudo-staging area for the coalition army. In-game, you can create a caravan unit that can set up staging areas where your army can heal and rearm their munitions in enemy territory. You'd use up the unit in the process, they only lasted a turn, and they cost a lot, but popping a caravan or three on the way to an enemy capital is the difference between a loss and a win. As long as the unit didn't die in the last battle, even if they were down to their last man out of a hundred, you'd be able to pay gold, get all the veterancies of that unit on a new one, and march on.

I hoped that aerial resupply would be able to work to replace the Caravan unit, but I wasn't holding my breath.

Speaking about held breath: the Undead were here.

"Good morning, Lady Adil. It's quite cool, isn't it?" I greeted my old classmate with a wave. They led her up the main road of the complex. It was pretty standard as a forward operating base. Lots of prefabricated walls and slanted roofs. Mostly warehouses and places for soldiers to sleep and flying horses to stay. Accommodation for Conquerors meant most of the barracks were just large tents where soldiers put up some plywood or extra materials to build themselves a cubicle or something. Nowhere close to the forward operating base tiles factions could make in the mid-game that could even provide bonuses like artillery strikes on the overworld. This place was just a location to eat, rest, stay safe in, and resupply from. "I thought you and the Forgers would try to take the Merchants over behind our backs. What are you doing all the way over here with your second army?"

The Vampire clad in a blood-red imperial military officer uniform looked at me with a scowl from atop her spectral horse.

"I see that you're as well-informed as ever, Jack." Now this is awkward. I forgot her first name. I know it started with C. Ah, whatever, we're not that personal with one another. HM, what's that about information? I mean, Adil was pretty decent as a leader, so it was only natural that she had that much. She'd have to a brain-dead, easy-mode NPC, even after all her setbacks to not have a second stack and grand aspirations at this turn. Unfortunately, everyone was playing for keeps and decent at their jobs, which made my life a whole lot harder. "However, as a Guardian of the Moon, I could not ignore what the Scholars have done. My people will aid you in bringing them to justice."

"And, what do you want in exchange for your justice? Last time, I recall, you wanted a whole Citadel for the sake of your justice. The Conquerors' I believe." I didn't hesitate to put her in a tough spot. With a smile, I put all the attention on her. If she wanted to shave time off my year with the Citadel, then she can go ahead and leave with the army she brought. Sure, the masses of Undead and elite Vampires, Dhamphirs, and Necromancers were very intimidating and would be very helpful, but I'd been sabotaging Scholar lands for nearly a whole turn and two full army stacks from the Conquerors were here. That was enough, but the Wardens also sent in a whole stack. Almost five thousand soldiers were here, and most of them weren't Undead with garbage defense and HP. "I don't think I can accept your help, Lady Adil, for such a high price."

That earned me a death glare from beneath a pretty spiffy tricorn, feathered hat, but a little chuckle left her before she spoke again and shook her head.

"I ask for nothing in return. My people will fight simply to ensure that future generations will know that the actions of the Scholars shall be met with overwhelming force. That guarantee is payment enough." With those words said, I looked over my shoulder at Sirena and Conquest. That mollified Conquest, who probably represented most of the Conquerors well enough. Sirena didn't seem impressed by the statement, but she didn't seem against it either. Well, I was more worried about the Conquerors' reaction, since they were the ones that had a Citadel on the line. "Is that enough, King of Wisdom, or would you like for my people to provide you a Champion of our own to have you allow us to fight the Scholars?"

Yep, Adil was still eyeing me as a potential threat and future hegemon that she had to stop.

Nice to know that I could still make a decent guess at other people's future goals and desires, despite the Scholars throwing a curveball at me.

Well, at the Academy, but the city-drop had been a wake-up call.

Can't rely on game-knowledge, at least without verification.

"Hm, okay. You can join our little coalition. I'll have your troops housed within a few days, but you'll have to stay in tents for a bit." I looked over my shoulder and Ayah nodded at me. I ignored Adil's insinuation that I was collecting Champions. She might see it that way, but in reality I was getting more and more people whose loyalty wasn't entirely mine set up around me. These Champions are like guillotine blades ready to rush at my neck at my betrayal. Man, I really need to find a way to stop them. I've got 1 year after the Scholars Citadel is taken. The schedule will be tight, but I should get another Champion specialized to kill them both up and running. "Well, I have things to do. I'll have a few officers come down to help you settle down! See ya!"

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

I gave Adil a wave before leaving.

I crunched the numbers in my head.

We should have enough food, but it wouldn't hurt to get some more.

That's the bad thing about having a lot of firepower and bodies on the field.

You needed a lot of food and supplies to get them where they needed to go.

Thankfully, through the power of money, lots of hard working citizens, and Pegasus-based shipping, I could get things where they needed to be.

…

Interlude: Riegert

…

A city built over a week.

Jack will never cease to amaze.

"I'm not going crazy, right? Captain?" Gunther walked up to my side, and so did Oswald. The latter's mouth was open. "We were here just a week ago, right?"

"Aye, we were. Jack's been busy." It almost felt strange to call him by first name now. With a whistle, I cleared for all the men to come to us. Weeks of constant raiding, pushing, and setting things alight were now at its end. We were at our last rendezvous point. Once more, we expected to be picked up and shipped off. Instead, we looked upon a city built of wood surrounded by palisades and innumerable tents. A constant stream of wagons, both on the ground and in the air, flowed into the walled city. It was larger than many of the towns that we destroyed. "I thought his promise of hot food and a bath on our return was in jest, but it looks like we're getting exactly that."

"From the wilderness straight into the lap of luxury. Impossible, I'd say, if I didn't see it with my own eyes." Gunther grunted and shifted his arm. It was in a sling and his arm in a splint. Besides that wound, he was unhurt and hale. The wound had been cleaned and wrapped in a poultice, which many soldiers carried. Dry until water was added, it turned into a slurry that protected against infection. A grand tool to have whilst acting as bandits and raiders and pillagers in enemy territory. "You think they have someone there that can heal this?"

"I reckon they would."

We moved forward on foot and in mere moments we received a signaling whistle. I returned it with my own. Four breaths through the whistle, signaling we had wounded with us and were friendly, and in a moment we had fresh troops helping us along from a nearby patrol. Our weapons and burdens were relieved of us soon enough, and those too tired were offered rides on wagons that swiftly arrived. Many men tried to persist, until I got onto one myself. No use in walking farther.

"How did this happen so quickly? We were just here." Oswald managed to find his tongue. His eyes were on the assembled army. After so many days of constant battle, some of his hair returned to his scalp and his facial hair was wild and unkempt. He'd grumbled about not even having the time to shave and cleanse himself, but here he was sure to enjoy warm baths and a cot to sleep on. But those creature comforts were lost to him. "The Conquerors are a whole region away. The Dark Elves have the Marshlands between them and here. The Guardians, I can understand, but all three… here? Now?"

"The transports, of course. How else?" Gunther grunted, his brow furrowing, and his face souring even further at the question his fellow officer posed. "The King asked them to come here from all over the world. Of course, he'd make sure they're all here. If they just trickle in, we'd be wasting time and lives."

"Right, right. I… I just thought that with so many aiding us, that there would be no way he could lift whole armies here." Ah, that was the reason behind Oswald's surprise. It wasn't the ability of our people to send people to and fro through the air. It was the capacity of that ability. We'd been restocked, reinforced, and sent all over the lands of the Scholars. We rarely met the same set of aerial riders the same time and they were always fresh and rested. Yet, despite the demands of their duties all over the continent, we had enough to carry over three whole armies from different places on the continent to converge upon one. "I was mistaken."

At those words, Gunther had no retort, and we all travelled through the walls into the city proper.

It could not compare to a true capital city, but it was beyond the forward base that we used to have. There was a main road, warehouses being filled with supplies ranging from rations to weapons, and soldiers training and keeping themselves sharp. There was a place to wash the body, numerous places to consume food, stations for guards, a small jail, and stables aplenty. Some soldiers rested and gathered near stores where they could spend their money, there was a classroom that we passed by that was teaching soldiers how to read and write, and even a small building dedicated solely to sending and receiving mail.

My soldiers were approached, sent off for food and rest, while Gunther, Oswald, and myself were taken to the command building at the center of it all.

Khanrow had prided himself in his wagon train and the luxuries his officers had at their disposal. I had looked upon our warband, all its supplies and support, and felt pride myself. Then, I had witnessed the forward base that we had as we fought against the guardians, and I had believed that was the finest that I'd ever witnessed. Yet, now, I looked upon a city built within a week, solely meant to house and support and army, and all that it required was flown in from cities that the enemy it would face cannot touch.

It was difficult to not laugh in disbelief, as I looked upon a small manse surrounded by a fence proved to be Jack's headquarters with our banner beside that of the Conquerors, the Wardens, and the Guardians. True, it could not compare to an actual mansion, but it was a large domicile with three separate wings, its own well, and servants in pristine black-and-white clothes flittering between buildings carrying linens, food, and othersuch things.

I gave in, as I my name was announced and the double-doors opened and I found myself looking upon carpets, oil lamps, and a foyer filled with guards. The open door to the left revealed a meeting area and a dining room. The door to the right was another room where maps were strewn and officers from all four of the alliance argued over what the next move… but the door at the center was an office.

An office that I would recognize after seeing it so many times when visiting Jack in the Citadel.

The brat had his whole work area flown in.

How couldn't I laugh at my own foolishness?

I had thought I'd seen the true strength of the nation I now helped lead… when I had in fact been stunned by mere glimpses of what could be.

Nothing ever was going to be the same.

We were truly living in a new age of myth and legend.

I could only hope that me and my men will survive it, despite winning the last.