Pendra was both the capital of the Duchy of Seitz as well as its largest city. Sitting in that city’s center and serving as its symbol was Castle Pendra, a massive citadel that towered over its surroundings. There, in a chamber in the castle’s top floor, a council of war was being carried out around a large, round table.
All of Seitz’s most prominent and powerful nobility were gathered up in the room, including Boroths Heigand, the man who had been tasked with the conquest of Canarre County. One seat at the table, however, was empty: that of the castle’s lord, the Duke of Seitz himself. The tension among the gathered nobles was palpable as they awaited his arrival.
Finally, the door to the chamber slowly swung open. A somewhat small-statured man strode inside, his gait calm and unhurried. He seemed to be in his late forties, at a glance, and his features were distinctly dignified. Short though he was, his bearing gave him a commanding presence as he walked over to his seat and settled himself.
“Let us begin this council of war,” said Ashude Lindvall, the Duke of Seitz. “Boroths. If you would?”
“Of course. I shall report on the current state of affairs,” said Boroths. “In regard to the conquest of Canarre, my attempt to assassinate the current count, Ars Louvent, has ended in failure. Being as the threat of assassination has now been made clear to our foes, it stands to reason that any future attempts will meet a substantially greater degree of caution and will be less likely to succeed.”
Boroths Heigand split no hairs concerning his own failure. He seemed unpertubed of the consequences he might face. His expression was that of a man with the resolve to say anything, no matter how grim its implications may have been.
Ashude raised a hand to his chin and spent several seconds in thought. “It would seem, then, that this Ars Louvent is formidable indeed,” he said, his expression unchanging. “What news do we have of Missian’s movements, Raddas?”
“Counties across the duchy move to bolster their standing armies, seemingly under the order of Duke Couran. Given recent events, there is reason to believe that they have realized that we were the perpetrators behind the attempted assassination of the Count of Canarre, and intend to invade in retribution.”
The man who replied to Ashude’s question had long glossy black hair. His name was Raddas Keysias, and he was said to be Seitz’s greatest tactician─an aptitude that had earned him a place as Ashude’s right-hand man.
“I suppose it would be optimistic to think that they’re building up military might to defend against an invasion on our part,” said Ashude, his words calm and calculating as he dissected the situation. “No, far better to act under the assumption that they will launch an attack, and soon. This was inevitable the moment they declared their secession, but I hadn’t thought they would move so quickly.”
“The Duchy of Missian is rich in both resources and population compared to us. Engaging them in direct, open combat would leave Seitz at a disadvantage. Moreover, the men lost and resources exhausted in our recent attempted invasion of Canarre have yet to be replenished,” noted Raddas.
The bulk of Missian was made up of level terrain, and its climate was warm, with no shortage of water. It was, in short, a region with ample opportunity for agriculture. To make matters worse, not only was its population large, its armies were disproportionately massive.
Seitz, in contrast, was a far more mountainous region. Its terrain wasn’t quite as hostile as that of the duchies of northern Summerforth, perhaps, but it was also lacking in water sources, and vast regions of the duchy were made up of nonarable wasteland. Agriculture was hardly its greatest strength. This, perhaps, was part of why Missian boasted a greater population, despite the two duchies being roughly the same size.
“The defending side of a war always holds an advantage, but I cannot guarantee that we would be able to fend off Canarre’s armies,” said Raddas. “Especially considering that a Missian invasion would involve the army of Canarre’s participation…”
“…And having been trounced so thoroughly by that army, our troops will fear to go into battle with them. If Missian does invade, we can expect a blow to our own army’s morale,” said Ashude.
The expressions of the nobles seated around the round table took a bitter turn.
“Of course, we always knew that we would be at a disadvantage should Canarre invade. That’s precisely why we laid so many plans to prevent it from coming to pass,” Ashude continued. His expression, at least, spoke of calm and confidence.
“You mean that plan…?” said Raddas.
“Yes─whatever came of it, if I may be so bold?” another of the nobles in attendance timidly asked.
“It was a success,” said Ashude.
The eyes of every lord present widened.
“We, the Duchy of Seitz, have entered into a formal alliance with the Duchy of Paradille.”
A cheer rose up in response to Ashude’s announcement. Paradille shared a border with both Seitz and Missian. Its lands were meager, and its population small. Its military, meanwhile, paled in size compared to those of both Seitz and Missian. What it lacked in size, however, it more than made up for in terms of skill. In that regard, Paradille’s forces were feared by every other duchy in the empire.
“So then, we’ll be calling in the army of Paradille to help defend us?!” the nobleman from before shouted.
“The opposite. We’ll be joining them in an assault,” said Ashude. Once again, the gathered lords reacted with exclamations of shock. “Right now, our enemy assumes that if we are to invade, we’re sure to do so across the border of Canarre. With Paradille as our allies, however, our options have expanded. A sudden attack from Paradille’s territory will take Missian by surprise.”
All that Seitz had to do to enable their invasion, in short, was amass troops in Paradille and storm across the border.
“A surprise attack…” muttered one of the lords. “If this succeeds, we may be able to claim several of Missian’s fortresses before they can respond!”
“The war would turn in our favor in an instant!” chimed in another. Ashude’s strategy had prompted a surge of excitement throughout the chamber.
“Even should Missian see us coming and respond with surprising swiftness, our numbers combined with the mighty warriors of Paradille will more than exceed the capabilities of their army. We will be fighting at an advantage. While there’s no guarantee our alliance with Paradille will last forever, it stands to reason that while it does hold strong, they will not hesitate to join us on the attack,” said Raddas the tactician. Even he was in support of Ashude’s plan─in fact, not a single lord in attendance objected.
“This council is adjourned. Return to your people and prepare for war!”