“Sir! Group 1 has made contact and retreated with success.” A young soldier reported, almost vibrating with energy.
Leonard nodded sharply, moving one of the figurines in the shape of a hooded ranger across the map splayed over the table. He was in the war room this time, despite his tendency to handle battles from the frontlines.
“Very well. Return to your post and come back if there is any further information.” He replied, dismissing the soldier, who saluted and marched out.
“I think he would have burst into flames if you looked at him directly.” Oliver joked from where he was busy parsing through the reports from the many scouts observing the approaching army.
Some were in Hylean, the local language, and others in Elvish. Those came from the two [Night Hunters] Amelia had summoned, as they were the lowest form capable of speech and writing. Since Elvish was a Fae Tongue, despite its closeness with mortal languages, they could use it to communicate.
It was overkill, as the two elementals would have been enough, by themselves, to face the entire 104th. The Captain was probably the only one present who could face them directly, but the rest would be fodder against a Third Tier creature. Instead, they were being used to report on their movements so that the rangers Leonard had dispatched could conduct their harassment without fearing counter-ambushes.
The fact that Group 1, which Gareth led, had completed its mission meant that things were coming together.
Not that Leonard expected any different, as the men were all experienced adventurers, but it was good to have confirmation. Their success meant that the heaviest artillery the 104th had brought along, and the only equipment they had that could do significant damage to Alpar’s defenses, was stuck in the mud, with its wheels broken beyond repair.
“You weren’t much better when we first met,” Leonard reminded his squire while removing a cannon from the cluster of figurines representing the enemy.
The boy grumbled but returned to his job, taking the light rebuke with good spirit.
They are getting close; I should start getting ready soon. We might engage directly within the hour if they keep pushing and abandon the heavy artillery like I think they will.
Gerard couldn’t offer much about what the enemy commander, Captain Vettel, would do, but he seemed convinced that the man was arrogant and self-assured, confirmed by his marching on Alpar with just his men. Had he taken a contingent of mages and healers, Leonard would have treated him as a more canny foe, but for the moment, nothing showed that the man understood precisely what he’d face.
At least he had been wise enough to avoid sending any more rangers out by themselves after the first few disappeared in the Darkwood, never to return. Still, that only made them tighten the ranks and not reevaluate their strategy.
Greed is a powerful force. Little will stop them if they think they can loot Alpar with little losses. Our actions probably look desperate to them.
With practiced movements, Leonard put on his armor. Oliver should technically do it for him, but he was serving a more important role at the moment, and becoming the Grand Marshal had yet to make his head swell, despite what Amelia said to tease him.
Ten minutes later, his prediction became reality as the same soldier rushed into the war room. “Sir! The watchers have spotted the enemy!”
“Very well. Oliver, get ready to move. Lia, I will leave the coordination of any further intelligence to you.” Leonard stated resolutely. The energy around him changed, going from expectant to focused. There was a heaviness in his words that ensured no one gainsaid him as they all moved to obey. Even the old hobgoblin nodded mutely, taking the stack of papers Oliver handed her without a snarky remark.
Soon after, Leonard strode outside the courthouse, his squire decked in silverite armor behind him. It wasn’t as mighty as his own mithril one - which was considered a National Treasure and technically belonged to the Temple - but it was by far the best that could be found in the south. He had needed to call in a couple of favors to have one of Garva’s best Artificers enchant it so it would grow alongside the boy, which had significantly levitated the cost. Still, it was something Leonard didn’t mind spending on.
They made for an intimidating sight as they marched down the street, joined by a guard of the 105th soldiers who sported their full gear. Armed to the teeth, the men who had faced the Void for years and never backed down would now fight against their countrymen. By the cheers of the populace, the well wishes and prayers directed their way, Alpar stood with them.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
It was the reason why Leonard had not ordered a complete lockdown of the town. It was important for the people to see the men who would bleed and die for them march, just as it was so for the soldiers to remember who it was they fought for.
They reached the western gate and were let through after a round of salutes. Before the walls, a vast area of earthen walls and pits made for an intimidating sight. Any army who carelessly tried to maneuver around the Revolutionaries’ main body would quickly fall into the traps prepared for them. They would slow down enough to be easy pickings.
Leonard believed there wouldn’t be much need for the traps, despite the hard work that went into preparing them, as the 104th shouldn’t be able to hold against the direct assault he would lead, but just in case something went wrong, he had ordered they be prepared nonetheless.
Around them, the rebel army was arrayed, waiting for the moment they’d be called upon. Given their apparent readiness, Leonard believed they had already been informed of the enemy’s closeness.
Reaching the forward command position, which was made of an open, large tent with a series of chairs and tables laden with a similar map to the one he was observing just before coming, Leonard received the salute of his officers.
Gerard, Gareth, and all the other ranking members of the fledgling army stood and paid respect to the Grand Marshal, who waved them back to their position.
“Has there been any change?” Leonard asked.
“Nothing new. So far, everything has gone as planned. They even left the heavy artillery behind in the Darkwood, which we already sent a team to collect.” Gerard replied, looking out beyond the defenses. “We should be able to spot them within a few minutes now.”
He was right. Despite their losses marching through the Darkwood, the 104th Corp of the Royal Army exited the forest in neat ranks. The soldiers were focused and armed to the teeth, evidently ready for a hard fight after what they went through.
Of the six hundred men that had been observed exiting Thelma, about fifty were missing. Some were scouts who had been picked off the moment they left the safety of the army’s main body, while others had fallen to traps, ambushes, or even the natural fauna of the Darkwood, which had begun repopulating in the months since the Incursion.
The captain’s horse had been one of the first victims of the ambushes, so the man was forced to walk alongside his men, but to his credit, he did so with dignity.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/13Hq0gKT/persimmon0-hundreds-of-men-of-the-Royal-104th-Army-corp-emergin-2d514ad9-5170-4dc0-ac64-a5a12fe37187.png]
The 104th drew up before the first set of fortifications, a mile away from Alpar’s walls, and started setting up. The tanks removed their shields from their backs, building a wall to protect them from most long-range weapons. Behind them, the marksmen took position, aiming their firearms at the empty space between the fortifications. Their weapons had little to do with Earth’s modern ones, instead looking much like old-school muskets, with glowing lines running along their length and a blue crystal sticking out of the back, serving as ammunition.
Mana weaponry was the primary firearm in Haylich and the rest of the world. It was a significant improvement over archery, as people at their First Blessing could kill Second and, if they were exceptionally lucky, even Third Tier enemies with minimal training. They were more expensive to make, but their production had long since been streamlined, and industries all across the kingdom produced a vast quantity. Enough that some people said they would replace mages too, though Leonard knew that to be incorrect, as they weren’t nearly as flexible.
Still, mana muskets were a dangerous weapon, even in the hands of an Apprentice. They could recharge the crystals with their own supply in a few minutes, though they could only do so a couple of times a day.
Leonard’s men drew up, the tanks taking the first line while the rest arranged behind them. They planned to resist the initial barrage and force the 104th to come to them, but the enemy didn’t seem intentioned to go along with their wishes.
A first exchange of gunfire exploded before Leonard could reach the backlines. Mana weaponry was almost silent as it shot since the bullets were not corporeal, but the explosions the bullets caused as they crashed against the tanks were deafening.
Reinforced shields, held by Journeymen tanks, could hold almost indefinitely against light fire. The heavier cannons would have been different, which that was why they had been targeted first.
A few minutes later, the enemy stopped firing, and Leonard lifted a hand, signaling for his men to stop, too, though they could have kept going, as they had several mages in reserve that could recharge the crystals.
Fearlessly, he walked through the ranks until he reached the front lines. This part of his plan had seen the most pushback from his council, but Leonard couldn’t be moved.
He let go of his aura for the first time since his trial. Power flooded through his veins, and it immediately affected the environment.
The sunlight shone brighter, chasing away shadows, and the men under his command stood straighter, their hearts full of courage.
The 104th seemed to falter under the weight of his presence. They had known he would be there, but it seemed not many understood what it would mean.
“My friends!” His voice broke through the stillness that had settled over the battlefield at his appearance, enhanced enough that everyone could hear him clearly. “You are here today because you have been deceived! Not just by your Captain, though I’m sure he is responsible too. You have been deceived by the King and your Lord, who ordered you to march here, knowing you’d die by my sword. You’ve been deceived the moment you were told other lives were worth less than yours, while those who said so profited from the spilling of your blood. Lay down your arms and join me. Join the cause of the Light!” Leonard thundered, and as he finished, he lifted his sword from its sheath and pointed it at the sky.
A blinding flash of light followed as holy power coursed through the blade. [Halo of the Righteous], a Master Tier spell, settled over Alpar’s defenders. Strength beyond their ability coursed through their veins, and any doubt they might have had disappeared as certainty filled their hearts.
Across the enemy lines, a dozen men let go of their weapons and ran, their resolve broken by the presence of the Light. More seemed ready to join them but were stopped by a [Commanding Shout].
“Traitors!” Captain Vettel screamed as much at Leonard as to his own men. “Don’t listen to him! He betrayed his oaths and now wants to take us down with him. Men! Prepare to charge! We’ll free Alpar from this madman before the day is over!”
It wasn’t a grandiose speech, but the skill did its job, stopping any further defection.
Leonard sighed in sadness. He could have pushed more power into his aura to break their resolve, but he was already interfering more than he’d like. Squaring his shoulders, he sealed their fate.
“For Freedom!” He shouted and began to run, and his men roared in response, following him without hesitation.