"Hoh!" One of the captains, present inside the tent, accidently chortled. Upon realising his faux pas, he immediately covered his mouth with both hands and sent a terrified gaze towards the boy emperor.
"V-Venerable Em-Emperor! T-This servant! D-Did not mean to la—!" Midway through his apology, he was interrupted by the boy emperor.
"Enough," Alexandros calmly said. "We realise how laughable our proclamation sounds."
Speaking thus, he then turned and fixed his gaze on General Arlo. With eerily set eyes, still as a moonlit well, he spoke, "Well? Can you meet Our requirements?"
"Your Royal Eminence, I—" General Arlo spoke severely. "War is no simple matter. It is one where dozens of lives are exchanged in an instant, all for seizing a few metres of land."
Cupping his hands, he bowed. "This servant advises His Royal Eminence to not make light of his soldiers' lives. Your requests, I'm afraid, are impossible to meet."
Alexandros calmly asked, "Are you denying Us then?"
"It is not a denial, your royal eminence," General Arlo shook his head. "As the commander in charge of this siege, this servant only feels that your royal eminence's words lack the foundation necessary for me to understand and support it."
He then, pointing at the map sprawled on the large table in the middle of the tent, spoke. "The scouts that I sent to survey the surroundings report to me that enemy reinforcements will arrive in 36 to 48 hours. And as we have already seen, our enemy also has access to the revolutionary weapons sold to us by the eastern merchant."
"For us to stand any chance at victory, we need to fell the city within this time period and re-barricade it for our own use. Otherwise." He spoke no further, making the meaning of his words implied.
After a few seconds of silence, Alexandros calmly asked. "And do tell, how do you plan to fell the city within this period? From what We have seen today, the city seems to be holding up quite well."
At that question, General Arlo and the remainder of the captains awkwardly scratched their heads. To say that they did not feel embarrassed by the emperor's rebuke would be a lie.
"That," General Arlo began, shame colouring his face, "is the reason why we gathered to meet, your royal eminence."
"Ah, so you all gathered to plan." Alexandros nodded his head in understanding. He then continued, "Well, We have a plan. Lend Us a thousand of your finest soldiers and as many of your cultivators, and We shall fell that city in six hours."
The boy emperor repeated his requests once more.
"Your Royal Eminence, you—" General Arlo began growing irritated. Just as he was about to reprimand the young boy, he was silenced by a glare shot by the boy emperor.
"Watch your words, general," Alexandros coldly spat. "A boy, I might be. Yet, I am your emperor!"
Without waiting for the general to apologize, Alexandros boldly walked forward and pressed his finger on a certain spot within the map. He seemed to be radiating a mystical charm for the eyes of everyone in the tent magically followed his every action.
As their gazes fell on the spot marked by the emperor, one of the adjutants spoke.
"That's Willow Valley. It was formed after the drying up of Willow River. It is situated thirty kilometres to the southwest of the port city."
Alexandros nodded his head at the adjutant's words. "Correct. It is a barren area that holds neither plants nor animals."
Furrowing his brows, General Arlo asked, "Your Royal Eminence, this servant does not understand. What significance does this barren land hold?"
"Tunnel," Alexandros succinctly spoke.
Everyone was confused. "Tunnel? What tunnel?" asked General Arlo.
Faced with that question, the boy emperor casually asked. "I ask the general; what significance does New Hope Port City hold?"
Although he felt confused by the emperor's question, General Arlo obediently replied, "Why, it is the Imperial City's personal port— AH!" A bolt of realisation flashed across General Arlo's head.
With his gaze aflame, he bored at the boy emperor and excitedly asked, "Your Royal Eminence, could you mean!?"
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Alexandros evenly nodded his head; looking neither excited nor disappointed. With a steady tone, he repeated. "Lend Us a thousand of your finest soldiers and as many of your cultivators, and We shall fell that city in six hours."
This time, General Arlo did not hesitate to agree. "This servant shall lend your royal eminence; one thousand of his finest soldiers, two captains, and all twelve of our cultivators!"
While making arrangements with his aide, he continued. "We shall also engage the enemy in a night raid," checking the time, he said, "in four hours."
"Will that suffice, your royal eminence?"
Alexandros nodded his head. "Yes. That will suffice. I shall wait at our camp's entrance until you gather the men." Saying so, he turned around and walked away.
The cryptic exchange between Alexandros and General Arlo puzzled many occupants in the tent. Few, however, were sharper than the others and quickly understood the plan from those few words. And having understood the implication, they immediately rushed to volunteer their names and clambered to be chosen for the task.
General Arlo kept his word and assembled the party. Less than thirty minutes after the discussion, the party of a thousand soldiers, two captains, twelve cultivators, the Royal Guards, and Alexandros left the empire's camp and rode into the darkness of the night.
The date was the 9th Day of the Eight Month of the Year 735 NCE. Only a few hours remained before the next dawn. All was quiet on the South Aislu Continent.
It was on such a quiet night that Alexandros took his first step and placed it firmly on the path of the Emperor!
---
Two hours later, Matthias pulled on the reins of his horse to ease the animal. After slowing his speed, he looked down at Alexandros, who was riding with him, and said, "Your Royal Eminence, we have arrived."
Opening his shut eyes, Alexandros groggily scanned his surroundings. The darkness enveloped the surroundings making it hard for him to see. Fortunately, however, the partly visible moon shed some light on the earth and aided him in his task.
"Venerable Emperor." Two riders, dressed differently from the common soldiers, rode up to the young emperor.
Alexandros succinctly nodded his head in greeting and spoke, "Follow Our horse. The valley is a natural maze. Be sure not to be lost."
After ensuring that they understood his words, Alexandros spoke. "Matthias. Ride forward."
"Understood, your royal eminence." The Royal Guard Captain complied. Under the direction of the boy emperor, the party entered the valley.
The hills of Willow Valley were very compact, creating long and narrow corridors. At a time, it was difficult for more than three fully grown men to walk side-by-side; not to speak of horses.
Fortunately, General Arlo seemed to have expected this scenario. He had thus instructed his men, the soldiers, to journey to the valley on foot. Although it had taken a full two hours to reach the valley from the encampment, it took not more than thirty minutes to reach their destination within the valley.
A few twists and turns later, the party found themselves in a large clearing. The roof of the clearing was partly covered by a huge, fallen boulder, effectively concealing the area from the eyes of the outside world. A heavenly lake, veiled in immortal white mist, occupied the centre of the cavern. Dense foliage containing earthly treasures grew in and around the lake.
When the party entered this area, the soldiers, captains, and cultivators all grew dazed at the sight of this picturesque scenery.
"Onward," Alexandros succinctly ordered, breaking the party out of their illusion. The young emperor, having dismounted his personal guard's steed, walked quick, steady steps.
Upon circling around the lake and arriving behind it, Alexandros ordered the soldiers to pitch torches. When the light of the torches' flames illuminated the darkness-enveloped area, a grand sight which caused everyone's throats to be caught appeared.
A pair of 4m tall stone doors, carved with the rich image of the first emperor, stood tall in the bosom of the secret cavern. The carven picture held a solemn expression on its face, as the first emperor oppressively stared down at the party. Although the image was simply a carving, most of the soldiers felt a sense of oppressive gloom assault them.
It appeared that even with a thousand years having passed since his death, the stoic charisma of the first emperor yet remained a force to be reckoned with.
While the others were caught appreciating the image, the young emperor was no different. Gazing at the carven figure, his still eyes broke calm for the first time in this night.
Lowering his head, Alexandros forced back the tears that threatened to fall. He remembered his promise. He would not cry until his duty was complete; especially before a figure that held a seven-parts resemblance to his late father.
Shaking off his gloom, Alexandros stepped forward. He grabbed the small dagger sheathed by his waist and ran its fine edge across his palm.
"Your Royal Eminence!" shrieked Matthias, as he ran towards the boy emperor with a pale face and startled expression.
Alexandros, however, frowned. He shot an annoyed glare at his Royal Guard Captain and barked, "Shut up."
Matthias obediently complied.
Keeping his bloody palm clasped, Alexandros took a few more steps forward and smeared his blook upon the stone door. He then quickly stepped back and bandaged his wound with a handkerchief found inside his pocket.
While the young emperor tended to his wounds, the other watched with agape jaws as the carven stone doors glowed with a mystical light. Mysterious characters, runic in nature, appeared along the frame of the door.
The runes then flowed to circle the blood smear left by Alexandros and began absorbing it. The mystical blue light turned crimson, as the door shined with an ominous red light.
Just as the party found themselves stifled by the oppressive energy given off by the stone door, Alexandros deeply spoke. "Open."
Bang! A short bang resounded and the tall stone doors heavily opened. The mighty figure of the first emperor split into two, with one half painted on either door and granted entrance to the party.
Turning around, Alexandros drew the gaze of every single soldier onto his tiny figure. He then said, "The passageway behind," he gestured, "leads to the Old Summer Palace."
"Here it is," he resoundingly said, "a direct entrance into the fortified city."
The hidden underground passageway built with the express intent to provide a safe escape for the imperial family during a difficulty now acted as a direct tunnel into the heart of the enemy's fortress.
"Come," Alexandros led. "Let us take this city before dawn."
He entered the dark tunnel.