V5: Chapter 6

…

The air lift saved all the women and children in the Citadel. We could've taken more elderly, but many of them refused to come aboard. Their reasoning was that their lives were played out and it was better to take others in their stead. Meanwhile, many of the male Conquerors who came along had to be forced to do so, and their shame was palpable. If not for the support of their people, if not for their opportunity to kill the people who wronged them, they would've been listed as deaths, too.

Yeah, as usual, the Conquerors were being cool even at the worst of times.

And, it was the worst as times go.

After a long sleep to recover, all the information from the region was gathered, and I got a good, long look the situation.

It's fucked.

The Conquerors had invested a lot into their Capital. They were running off of the flat income from a starting Citadel at the start of midgame, and their units were expensive to produce and maintain. The various villages and towns were focused on supporting their Citadel/Capital with food and raw materials and gold, so that they could continue to build it up, reach higher levels of industry, and have as much of their people supported by the Citadel as possible.

However, with the corruption changed everything, as it took their capital from them, took over their prime Champion, and took out their city guard. In-game, this sort of event would be called imbalanced and unfair. It's a run-killer, especially with game-based AI in play, and the forums would be lambasting the devs until it was removed. Even AI opponents didn't deserve this sort of shit happening to them, let alone actual players struggling to catch up and doing everything right like the Conquerors were.

Seriously, this shit's not fair and not fun. Only a masochistic idiot would enjoy this sort of scenario happening to them, and only an idiot would want the scenario to stay in the game, even if it'd be funny to see it happen to other people.

But I've complained to myself about the shitty situation long enough.

It was time to start solving the situation instead.

Most of my first army was going to take another three months to arrive, but with my territory spread out, I'd adopted a decentralized approach to my second one. While the first was my mailed fist that patrolled each territory in turn to deter people, the second was broken up, set on patrols all over the kingdom, and work as a mobile strike force.

Essentially, the second army was a sacrificial/holdout force.

In theory, the rest of them could charge at one another to form an army within a few days of a serious engagement, while the one that gets hit does a fighting retreat. Practically speaking though, even if doesn't happen, I'm putting them around as bait and waiting for someone to take it, so that I could get the excuse to sucker-punch them. I put the most hot-blooded, young commanders there, barely any aristocracy, and riled them up, so that they weren't very friendly with the neighbors, too. In the game, the enemy faction would take the opportunity to attack them, then I'd get to play out a defensive war and hit back and take all their shit while in the right.

Anyway, while the main army was gearing up and the militia/reserves were going to strengthen the border forts, we were getting the second army arriving piecemeal.

Those bits and pieces coming in were in surprisingly better shape than I thought.

And, Rita and Ilych arrived with a surprise.

…

Just as the reports started coming in that the corrupted entered the Citadel and we were forced to shut it down from outside, with the control ring recovered during the airlift in Conquest's hands, I'd wanted some good news.

Good news came in the form of the schizophrenic, nearly-mute murder blender that was Ilych.

"The winds bid me to bring these."

"Tell the winds they have my thanks. This is perfect." With my superiority over the air, I naturally gravitated towards dominating the airspace too. That came in the form of the upgrade to flying cavalry via the Thunderlance upgrade, which was available as soon as guns were. With the Citadels unlocking that for us, I went ahead and had the research started, completed, and ordered a production run at the Scholar's Citadel. I'd intended to unleash the weapon on the Conquerors when they tried to take it by force, so I had them produced there for logistics' sake. The production run in question wasn't set to finish for another six months, but that was for a whole company of aerial cavalry for use in a prolonged battle. "These will be essential for damaging the enemy, especially with the magics they are using to dodge attacks."

The Thunderlance upgrade turned the magical charge of aerial cavalry into a bombing run. Aerial cavalry goes from a cavalry unit that you micromanage charge cooldowns with into units that loiter in the air, dump bombs where you point, and rearm at your HQ, if you bought the Ammo Depot upgrade and set up your supply lines right.

Every single flying unit will carry tubes filled with chemical propellant used by Ancient weaponry and release them on the enemy, before igniting them with magic. Two of them maxed out the capacity that one flying horse could muster, so they needed reloading in battle, specific upgrades to one's HQ, and a protected supply line. Essentially, you exchange in-battle management into a proper logistics chain outside of it, and your units get a safer, more effective way of attacking the enemy.

And, the price of the aerial cavalry unit remains at T1, even though they're doing T2 damage, so they're pretty cheap.

So, in short, the answer to demons that can use magic to warp past attacks is high explosives.

And, if it doesn't work, you're not using enough.

Rita came forward to deliver her own news.

"We took the copies of records from all the message posts that we passed. The Guardians are currently engaged, but the Wardens are coming. They promise that their Paladins will be of great aid, or at least administer mercy in such a way that those defiled can be returned."

"The bodies of Conquerors will not be handed over to others. We welcome their attempts to remedy the taint of corruption, but they will not be given over." That's a smart call, Conquest. The Wardens of the Caverns can't usually revive enemy units they've killed. There's a whole questline that gives a Champion the ability to do it, but it's too much effort for too little payoff. However, a lot of game limitations weren't present in reality. The Wardens could theoretically scour battlefields clean and just revive loads of people. Lore-wise, all those who return are loyal to the Wardens and their idea of victory, so whoever's coming back won't be on your side anymore. "We would say the same to the Guardians, and yourselves, if you intend to use necromancy. The bodies of our people are ours."

"I'll keep that in mind, and tell them the same. However, their help is much appreciated, even if they'll come with the battle already ended." We were breaking out the supplies in Tradestown. The militia was being called up here and in nearby towns to reinforce us. All the transports were being put aside, and the remaining riders were going through a quick retraining process as aerial cavalry, which was made easier by the weapons Ilych brought along. Less chance of them messing up a charge, when all they've got to do is swoop in, detach the bombs, and pull up and come back to a depot. "How are your troops, Conquest? My militia forces and my aerial cavalry need to be defended. Can you hold against them with Ilych, Ayah, and Rita's help?"

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Conquest paused for a moment before nodding with arms crossed at my words.

"Aye, with their help, me and my men can hold against the creatures that have taken the faces of my people." This was her specialty, so I trusted in her expertise. Besides, if she fucked up, then it'd be entirely her fault. I'm all for pushing all the responsibility on her. "King of Wisdom, when can we move?"

"By dawn the next day."

We've got a lot of pikes and a lot of breach-loaded guns in the hands of militia, aerial cavalry, and a frontline composed of Conquerors.

Around seven thousand combat troops.

Against five thousand Conquerors with demonic corruption led by Crusher were against us.

They were strong and had a slew of powers at their command, but we had aerial dominance, explosives, and guns.

Honestly, it was a much fairer fight than I wanted it to be. I wanted to wait, but if we waited the surrounding settlements of the Conquerors would be put into danger… and the corrupted army might snowball with more troops with each sacked town.

Time wasn't on my side, so we had to move quickly with what we had.

Got I hate missions with time requirements.

Let me leverage my industry and manpower to just bulldoze challenges, dammit!

…

Interlude: Khanrow

…

The lands past that of the Ancient's defenses were unlike anything we'd ever seen before.

Magic flowed through everything like an ever-present breeze and the skies were constantly filled with glittering sheets of sparkling wonder. fruit-bearing trees were everywhere, as were herds of animals such as deer and horses, but of greater size than we'd ever seen before. What few of our kin that we found lived in straw or mud huts, living as foragers along rivers… completely subservient to demons who acted like gods.

"Are you sure we can't do anything, sir?" Wallace asked me. He was a young, new officer filled with life and virtue. One of the finest graduates from the officer's academy back home. Despite our long expedition, he was clean shaven and his hair was cropped short and close to his skull. Most of the men kept themselves clean whenever possible. We could scarcely afford to be sick. "Those people… they're going to die if we do nothing."

"And, those who have entrusted us with so much will perish, if we help them." Again and again, as we travelled through these lands, we saw the same ritual. Mortals such as us, Conquerors, Merchants, Children of the Elm, and all the others, were degraded into subservience and worship by demons living in sprawling cities of stone. Stone cities through which blood ran instead of water. The curse of the Ancients upon them was meant to starve and kill them, but the Demons, even in their degraded state, found another, horrible path. "You've seen their cities and their lands. We will be crushed."

"Yes, sir." Wallace looked as though he bit into the most bitter of fruits, but he nodded and took a deep breath to regain control. We numbered around a thousand able-bodied, well-armed men. More than enough for roaming, large monsters or tribes of lesser creatures, as well as capable of delving into Ancient Ruins still defended against the creatures that had the world in their grip. But no more than that. "I'll have a course plotted to circumvent the region."

"Have scouts find a place to rest for a week, as well. I have a feeling that we're close to our destination." Jack's instructions for our expedition bordered on prescient. He had told us to avoid all contact with our fellow mortals, to not be swayed by beguiling words of the demons who stumbled upon us, and to forage and explore as much as possible. In doing so, time and time again, our expedition avoided conflict, found ourselves emboldened, and even found weapons from the past. His directives were priceless and I had to take care not follow them like gospel and think for myself. "Look over there."

Wallace blinked and looked at where I pointed.

It was a massive, dark forest surrounded by dark clouds, despite the glittering, blue skies that surrounded the rest of the land. Jack had described what we searched for as something that our enemies would avoid. The forest that I pointed out was surrounded by untamed wilderness, many groves, and even small encampments of lesser beasts.

The Demons and their civilization kept clear of it, with almost a line between their land and that place visible to the naked eye.

"Ah, I see. It truly is a place that they fear." Wallace whispered, and I nodded. Such were the words that Jack had used in the briefing, before we all soldiered forth into the unknown. His words resonated with the men even though months and months had passed since they last saw him. Truly, his words alone were a weapon that would give most pause. "Commander, if I may, would it not be better to make for that location as soon as possible? The defenses will recognize us and we will rest easier behind them."

At my height of power and status as a warlord, only Riegert, a Champion, would deign to advise me.

All others would fear me and simply offer platitudes and never question my commands.

However, Wallace always made suggestions, always used his mind, and always spoke out for the sake of the troops.

I didn't mind in the slightest.

"Speak with the officers. If the men can do it, we will. Tell them to speak with the truth, rather than their spirit. I don't want people dying because of foolishness."

"Yes, commander! Thank you!"

Wallace left at that and moved to do as I bid

We operated in the forests as much as possible, in staggered lines, and in cloaks that muddled our outlines into the forests. Our mages erased our presence as much as possible, making it so that not even birds or other creatures would flee from our approach and alert observant hunters. Twenty cells of fifty men in a loose formation, travelling staggered and with such tactics, sounded absurd.

I wouldn't have believed it possible in my prime, when I commanded my own warband.

Yet, here I was, in the land of Demons, undetected by our foes, and approaching our objective: a gift so fiercely defended by the Ancients that their foes were unable to touch it for millennia.

The soldiers that Jack forged were truly monsters beyond reckoning.