Fog drifted from the sea in great banks, obscuring the visibility of anyone who didn’t have [Blindsight] or an item that conferred it. Still, soldiers and mages worked through the darkness, raising earthen walls and preparing the few artillery pieces Alpar had.
Her spirits had confirmed that it was indeed only the 104th coming their way. No ship had left Thelma’s harbor in their direction, and everyone of note was still accounted for.
Having access to unnoticeable spies made her job as Minister of Intelligence significantly easier. She didn't care much about the title, but Leonard insisted they do things properly. He said that if they wanted to bring the revolution to success, they needed to build a proper government, and Amelia didn’t care enough to fight him.
He had become the Grand Marshal of the Revolution, while the other members of the war council had received a similar title as her.
The old witch, who was now Minister for Health and Alchemical Services, had confirmed her findings, which was always good, and so Alpar had been able to use the thirty-six hours the Royal Army was projected to need to reach them to fortify their position.
Their numbers were such that they could have won even in a direct fight, but Amelia agreed with Leonard that this was only the beginning. Expending even just a tenth of their men to defeat the Loyalists would be a significant blow to their future chances. They needed to quickly overrun the initial resistance before the true might of the Royal Army could be brought to bear against them, and hopefully, by that point, they’d have enough men and weapons to match them on the field without needing to rely on Leonard’s personal might.
Amelia was pleased that he was thinking long-term. She had feared that his rage would burn hot and quick, but it had taken a colder, more dangerous edge. She did not doubt that he genuinely believed in his cause, but equally, she knew the thought of revenge for Belinda was never far from his mind.
Looking over Alpar from the courthouse’s roof, Amelia smiled privately. Not every plan came together perfectly, but things were going as she had predicted. She would need to ensure that momentum remained on their side.
She took a step forward, which should have seen her plummet to the ground, but instead, she reappeared on top of the next building. Again and again, she did so until she reached the first set of walls. It was now surrounded by two more layers of defenses, which would put any enemy attempting to storm them in a precarious situation.
Sitting on top of the gatehouse was the Hero. His gaze was lost in the rolling fog, and she knew he was thinking of his previous life, having seen him in the same condition many times.
“Is there any update on their movements?” He asked as soon as she touched down next to him.
“They are following the path we expected them to. Walking through the forest rather than on the sea road seems foolish, but that’s only because we have eyes on them. From their point of view, it’s the best way to get here unnoticed.” She replied.
“I don’t know their Captain personally, as he never took to the field during the Incursion, but I would expect him to at least realize our presence here should change some things.” Leonard shook his head.
Amelia shrugged. She was never surprised at people's stupidity. Despite the Heroic Party having proven their might on every possible occasion, many nobles still made the mistake of treating them like normal powerhouses rather than the walking weapons of mass destruction they were.
Well, maybe not all of them. Someone understood the destructive potential Leonard holds. The Void’s Dew was a pretty good attempt, considering its anti-magic and anti-light properties. It just wasn’t enough.
“Any report from our scouts?” Leonard asked.
“They should be making contact soon. I doubt they’ll make a sizable dent in their numbers, but they have been instructed to exact a heavy psychological toll.” She replied, lips curling in amusement. She would have joined them in the fun if she hadn’t been enough to defeat the entirety of the 104th by herself. They needed the victory to come from the people, after all. With Leonard leading them in a very visible way.
“Any change in the forces inside Thelma?” He wondered idly. There was no one truly threatening they knew of, but the calculus would change depending on the forces arrayed before them. Considering their plans for the immediate future after the battle, keeping an eye on Thelma even while preparing to fight the 104th was a no-brainer.
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“No. The one Third Blessing slave attending to the Mayor is still there, and I don’t expect him to let her out of his sight anytime soon. Dandelion De Hoop is arrogant and conceited but also has a powerful self-preservation instinct. He knows that there is a good chance of someone going for his life to throw the town in disarray.” She replied.
Leonard nodded, likely having expected as much, “Thelma has enough mages that they could pose a problem if they got together with the 104th and local police force. We were lucky they have split themselves up for us.”
That was true. Thelma was richer and larger in population than Alpar, being a much more frequented market for local and foreign merchants. However, it was still just a town and didn’t have the resources to oppose them, especially if those few they had were mismanaged.
“I’m tempted to say that it used to be easier in the past, but it’s not true, is it?” He chuckled.
“Our enemies were clearly marked back then, but they didn’t make the same tactical blunders. Voidlings just swarmed everywhere, and there were always more of them, so getting a few killed in a foolhardy advance wasn’t much of a problem.” Amelia replied, thinking back to the war.
Having been personally chosen by the king for her prowess, she hadn’t had much of a chance to refuse. Joining the Heroic Party was supposed to be a massive honor, and for an adventurer like her, it was an opportunity that would never come again.
However, Amelia had been burned too many times and had gone into it with her eyes open. It was a good thing because she was sure she would have died multiple times if she had trusted the noble commanders to do their jobs.
Leonard sighed, standing up. He was a tall and powerful man, handsome enough to make any maiden blush with his regard, yet his eyes held only sadness when he looked at her, “We both know that this coming war is not that different from the last. If we allow the parasites that suckle the life from Haylich to continue, they will not stop until nothing is left. The Void was openly an enemy of all, but these people are too. You, of all people, should know it.”
Amelia grimaced. She didn’t like remembering her past and didn’t appreciate Leonard bringing it up. The Brander Republic’s civil war had been a terrible thing. While the country might now look like a shining example of order and magical research, she could only see burning buildings and dying families when she thought about it.
“Civil wars are terrible things, Leonard. They tear apart the fabric of a society. Brothers and sisters can kill each other without regret, all because of a greater cause.” She replied. Amelia wasn’t averse to asymmetric warfare; propaganda was right up her alley, which was why she respected it. She had seen firsthand what it could lead to.
“And that is why I trust you to do your job. You are the only one to know just how dangerous the power you wield is.” He told her, taking her hand, “Amelia, you have personally seen the danger we face. You have lived it on your skin. I know any action you take will be necessary. And that if you see me going too far, you won’t hesitate to pull me back.”
This was why she could never abandon him, no matter his high ideals and impossible beliefs. Leonard was a man too pure for this world, and at the same time, he understood its darkness better than everyone but her. She would kill thousands, if not millions, of innocents for him. It used to scare her.
In the far distance, feeble rays of light began to brighten the horizon, piercing through the dense fog. A new dawn was coming to Haylich, and it would herald a day like never before.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/YCpwjdy8/persimmon0-sight-from-the-top-of-a-wall-towards-the-looming-Dar-5e3d9fa3-20c7-4229-800b-cda7e772c148.png]
A flicker of shadow broke Amelia out of her contemplation, and she knelt to receive one of her contracted spirits. The small, round spirit buzzed in excitement and quickly broke apart, transferring its memory to her.
Amelia straightened, “The scouts have started harassing the main force,” she said, earning a fierce grin, “they seem incapable of stopping them and have closed the ranks to prevent anyone from being picked off.”
Leonard’s eyes glowed with intensity, “And so it has started.”
“I still have a few things to do, but I’ll join you before the next update,” Amelia said, earning a nod. With a few steps, she was halfway across the town. Here, the golden light of the morning was more prominent as the sea winds blew away the fog. The Temple glowed beautifully with the first rays of dawn, a white stone construction with two large spires at the sides and an ornate archway at the entrance. Even here, the clergy lived well.
Walking out of it was the man Amelia was looking for. With one last step, she materialized before him, making the vicar blink in surprise.
“If only the people knew our new Minister of Intelligence enjoyed playing pranks on poor, unsuspecting priests!” He exclaimed jokingly.
Amelia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “How are things on your end?”
Damien dropped the smile, expression becoming more serious, “As expected, the senior temple staff in Thelma is mostly resistant to my efforts, but the younger members are much more open to believing. They didn’t see the Divine Light descending directly, but everyone with an ounce of spiritual sense felt its presence.”
“How resistant are we talking about?” Amelia asked, already beginning to alter her plans for Thelma. She would have her hands full, but the relative weakness of the people there would allow her to operate uncontested when the time came.
Damien sighed, straightening his robes. “They aren’t ideologically opposed; it’s just that they haven’t witnessed the Hero with their own eyes, having been kept from joining the efforts during the Incursion by the Lord Mayor. They should change their tune once they get a good look at him.”
That was good enough for her. Amelia didn’t particularly care for the clergy, seeing them simply as another institution that worked tirelessly to monopolize an essential facet of magic. Still, she realized their support was necessary to get conquered people on their side.
“Good. How are your people doing in mana reserves?” She asked.
Damien scoffed, “I’m not so foolish to allow them to deplete themselves before a battle. We only healed as much as we could before closing service early. I doubt we’ll need to perform anything above the second tier, but it’s good practice to have enough mana on hand to perform [Raise Dead] if necessary.”
Amelia nodded in satisfaction. It was always nice to have capable allies. Damien himself was on the cusp of reaching his Third Blessing, and she didn’t doubt he’d get it during the coming campaign, but his greatest ability was that he had been taught how to perform Rituals and thus could use the mana provided by his congregation to enact Spells a tier above himself.
She doubted it’d be needed, with Leonard more than capable of resurrecting the entirety of the 105th by himself, but she hadn’t gotten to where she was by being lax.
“Good. I’ll see you soon, then.” Without another word, she left. Luck would have no role in the coming fight, so there was no need to call upon it.