Chapter 36 - On the Western Front
Holtar turned to his female advisor when the subject turned to the war. “Fria, you’ve got a better understanding of the current situation than me. Tell them the situation.”
The blue-robed lady nodded and walked a few steps forward. “We are currently holding them back by fortifying key cities and strategically located forts along the border, which serve as strongpoints to resist enemy advances. However, they have recently forced us to meet them on the battlefields to prevent them from traveling deeper into the country.
We have lost about 30% of our forces, mostly consisting of newer recruits and soldiers. The adventurers have proven to be far more efficient in chaotic battlefields, but less so during the initial phases. Our allies from Sarthas are traveling between our forces depending on where we think they are needed, but Dortfell has so far strategically avoided direct confrontations with them, choosing instead to target our weaker points.
We have been struggling to keep up after they started choosing the battlefields and setting up defenses. Morale among our troops is starting to waver due to the high casualty rates and the relentless pressure from the enemy. Additionally, our supply lines are being stretched thin, making it difficult to maintain adequate provisions and equipment at the front lines.
At the current rate, and judging by the forces we know Dortfell has available, I think we will be spread too thin to defend properly in about two weeks. And at that point, prolonged sieges and civilian casualties are unavoidable. It wouldn’t mean a loss, but it would be the end of the current stalemate we have been maintaining.”
Holtar had his eyes closed as the grim situation was explained. “So you can see why I need your help, Lady Lilly. All of you, preferably.”
Dahn sighed deeply. He was obviously the one with most experience here, so Lilly trusted his judgement. “It’s already this bad, huh? Are the other generals controlling one army each, or are they huddled up somewhere, strategizing?”
“One army each, keeping constant communications between each other,” Fria replied. “I’m not sure we can split the forces in four right now, so you might have to join one of them and cooperate, General Dahn.”
“Yeah, I am better at fighting than commanding, so that suits me perfectly. I guess we’ll have to go there to figure out what you should be doing, Lilly. They would know more about the immediate situation.”
Lilly hesitated slightly. She had hoped to get back to Thundrel before long. But when considering the seriousness of the situation at the frontlines, she could hardly prioritize dates and relaxation. “Yeah, I guess that’s for the best. Elly, could you go back home for a little while, just to explain everything to Mia and Adelia? I think you’re the least useful one here when it comes to war, and I trust no one more.”
Eolande pretended to be hurt by her comment, but changed her tune after hearing the last part. “I’ll let them know what’s going on. Besides, I’m the fastest one here. It’s understandable you would want me to go.”
“Oh, I thought you could just teleport. Isn’t that what Adelia does?” Lilly looked at Holtar for confirmation.
He nodded lightly. “Yes, you can take the teleportation gate. It requires a bit of time to charge, though, so you’ll have to wait a bit.”
Lilly narrowed her eyes and looked back to Eolande. “How fast can you get there, do you think?”
“That depends,” Eolande said. “How long did it take you to get here?”
“About half an hour,” Lilly lied, shaving off a good portion of her travel time. But it was fine, she thought; she hadn’t been traveling at full speed.
“Then twenty minutes, I should think,” Eolande replied, smiling. She seemed quite confident in her newfound speed if she was making such bold claims. And considering the distance was somewhere around three hundred kilometers, she would have to run fast.
Lilly looked back at Holdar, who nodded his head rapidly. “Yeah, she’ll get there faster by running.”
“Then I’ll get to it! Have fun at the front lines, you two!” Eolande said cheerfully, hiding some of the obvious tension in her voice.
“We’ll see you there, Elly. Thanks for going.”
“No worries, sweetie. I’ll let everyone know what has happened, and I’ll try to join you in a few hours.” Eolande gave Lilly a short hug first, before doing the same for Dahn. “I know you want to spend some more time together now, but we’ll have the night to ourselves, my love.”
Dahn smiled with a hint of embarrassment. “See you later, then. Don’t run into any trees this time.”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Ah, I knew you would keep bringing up stuff like that! I’m eight hundred years old; some mistakes are bound to happen!”
Before Lilly could react to her words, Eolande was gone. She seemed eager to finish her tasks so she could join them again.
Lilly chuckled at the abrupt takeoff, finding it to be typical of Eolande not to drag things out. Her eyes drifted to Dahn, who was staring out the door after Eolande. “How are we getting to the frontlines then? I can fly there pretty fast, but what about you?”
Fria answered for him. “The teleporter will let you both get there in about 40 minutes. That way, you can travel together, making everything easier to explain.”
Dahn nodded at her words. “I think that’s for the best. If you show up alone I don’t know what kind of reaction you would get. I’ll be able to explain everything without any need for proof.”
Lilly thought he had a good point. She could get there herself in a shorter period of time, but it would save a lot of unnecessary explanation. “Then let’s do that. You’ll probably have to get equipped as well first, right?”
“Yes, I should get my equipment ready,” Dahn responded, looking at Holtar. “You still have everything ready? Other than my amulet, I reckon.”
Holtar seemed to shrink a bit at Dahn’s hinted accusation, but nodded in response. “Indeed, everything else should be stored in your quarters. Samuel, get someone to fetch the amulet, please.”
Samuel bowed lightly and left the room, walking in the direction of the dungeon again. Lilly expected there to be a trap waiting for him, with the amulet used as bait. She had to shake her head and convince herself it was water under the bridge now.
“Okay, let’s get to it. I’ll just head out of the castle for a moment. I need to pick up my staff, and I can’t seem to control it from here,” Lilly noted, turning toward the door.
“Ah, let me join you. It will make it easier to get around the castle without being stopped,” Holtar said, jogging lightly to catch up to her.
“... Sure, feel free.”
----------------------------------------
The two of them walked side by side through the castle halls. Lilly sensed the man had something he wanted to talk about, since he could just as easily have told a guard to escort her.
“So… about Adelia,” he started, confirming her suspicions. “I understand she’s disappointed in me. But… how bad is it, do you think?”
Lilly stopped walking, causing Holtar to turn to her with a nervous expression. “... You’re asking me for advice after what you did? After trying to create a rift between me and my closest family?”
His stature shrank back, lacking all resemblance he ever had of a king. “I apologize, Lady Lilly. It was… I shouldn’t have asked.” He seemed to age right in front of her, weighed down by his own actions.
Lilly knew she should hate him, but for some reason she disliked seeing him like this. The reasons for his actions had always been justified in his own eyes, but the same had been true for Eolanathel. Why should she forgive the king and not the assassin?
Was it the relief she felt after meeting Eolande again? The fact that neither of his actions had ended with her losing anything? And if she hadn’t been forced to reveal her powers, would she ever join the war?
A sigh escaped her as she started walking again, bringing Holtar along with a simple gesture. The water had flowed under the bridge already, leaving it stronger and wiser than before.
“I think you’ll have a tough time repairing your relationship, honestly. She felt both betrayed and disappointed by your actions.”
Holtar halted his gait at her response, making Lilly turn around to look at him. He seemed quite heartbroken. “I… if I could try to explain my thoughts? Would that only make it worse?”
Lilly continued walking as she responded. “I think your best course of action is showing remorse. I know exactly how she felt at the time, actually. Even after everything you did, she still felt respect and love for you.”
Holtar joined her again after a light jog, a bit cheerier than before. “Even respect? Then perhaps…” He sighed. “I hope she finds the job easier than I did. Once the crown fell from my head… I don’t think I have the strength to pick it up again.”
Lilly glanced at him, feeling a hint of empathy for the man. She knew the responsibility of having one city under her, which she thought was more than enough. An entire country would obviously be way heavier, which was why she had turned it down with such determination. That, and the fact that she had very little confidence in her ability to rule.
“If it’s any consolation, I think she’s going to do a great job. She has her quirks, but she’s also one of the sharpest people I’ve ever met, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.”
Holtar chuckled, lost in memories for a moment. “You’re very right about that. She could fill a small library with the knowledge in her mind. If only she found courtly etiquette to be as interesting as the growth shape of wood grains, I would feel much more at ease. But ‘arbitrary rules of interaction’ isn’t as interesting as knowing how the world works, she says.”
Lilly smiled, imagining Adelia saying exactly that. She found it interesting to hear how even kings could have struggles with their kids.
The two of them walked out of the castle gates, arriving at the small area outside the entrance. Lilly held her arm out, trying to focus on retrieving the staff from the forest. Her goggles were attached to the staff, but there was a chance they could fall off during the flight. She would have to be a bit careful.
It didn’t take long before it responded. Lilly commanded it to return to her, making sure to keep the altitude high enough to avoid any damage.
“Is it working?” Holtar asked, looking at the sky with interest.
“It’s already here,” Lily replied, spotting it approaching at an incredible speed. When it had no passengers it could fly as fast as it felt like, so it only took a few seconds for it to reach Lilly’s hand again. The goggles had stayed on, wrapped securely around the top.
“Okay, time to join the war…”