Final Chapter:
From All Positions
Cosworth Yelenetta
OUR ONLY SOURCE OF LIGHT WAS THE SUNLIGHT that shone through the entrance of the large red tent. The rest of the tent was bathed in darkness so thick it felt like we were deep in the woods. Materials, equipment, and booze were scattered haphazardly to the side. The ground, covered in all sorts of low-growing weeds, was overlaid with a thick carpet upon which I sat cross-legged, gazing at the men who sat in front of me. Despite my cross-legged posture, their faces were much closer than mine to the ground, and every time I tried to look them in the eyes, they cast their gazes down to it.
My little brother Istana and Commander Hellenic each knelt on one knee, their arms on the ground and their heads lowered to me. Here in Yelenetta, this was a traditional, formal way to express absolute loyalty to another, but it was also the stance taken when issuing a deep apology. Which of the two was this? A tricky question indeed.
“I require more details,” I said to their bowed heads.
Hellenic twitched in response. Eventually, Istana slowly raised his head, his expression one of absolute exhaustion. Had the battle been that fierce? Istana may have been my little brother, but he was often difficult to read.
Istana took a long breath, collected himself, and said, “I might ultimately repeat what was said in the previous report, but permit me to explain. The enemy took Werner Fortress. We tried to reclaim it immediately, but we failed. In the second battle, we caused damage to their forces, but our side took far greater casualties. We lost because we did not anticipate such a large armed group to cross the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range. Moreover, the enemy managed to build a fortress between the mountain path and our own stronghold, which should have been an advantageous position.”
Having echoed precisely what was in the earlier report, Istana fell silent, looking up at me expectantly as if he had no more to say. I ruminated over this information, but wrapping my mind around the situation was no simple feat. I found Istana’s failure to defend the stronghold with which he had been entrusted difficult to comprehend, and I failed to understand how my other younger brothers had likewise lost battles in three different places. Battles they should have handily won. It was unbelievable.
Reports had come in on all these events, but even now, I failed to understand elements of what had transpired. Pushing through the beginnings of a headache, I posed another question. “When we built Werner Fortress directly ahead of the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range, we created a situation in which any would-be invaders would be forced to watch their backs for monsters. Certainly, a fortress at the foot of the mountain range would be desirable, but building such a fortress would be difficult. Am I wrong?”
Istana frowned, thinking this over. “I thought the same as you, but the reality is that Scuderia has done just that. When they finished, a small child, likely an earth mage, stood atop the hill with a knight by his side and declared war against us, and an immense wall of earth appeared soon after. We attacked them with our black balls, but they were able to repair the wall so quickly that we were unable to bring it down. Their ability to construct a fortress at that speed makes them a clear and present threat. In fact, that skill might even eclipse our cannons.”
No new information was forthcoming from Istana, then. I couldn’t help but sigh. Casting my gaze at Hellenic, I said, “I understand what happened at Werner, even if I am not particularly satisfied by the answers I’ve received. I assume you heard about what happened on the other battlefields? A giant crossbow with breathtaking range, a pair of immortal knights… None of these reports are believable.”
“That was the mysterious party who appeared in House Ferdinatto’s territory, yes? They did not appear at Werner Fortress, so it is doubtful that they’re part of Scuderia’s royal army. Scuderia must have received help from some other large nation on the Central Continent.” Hellenic lowered his gaze.
“That’s possible, but I think the chances of it are low. The Solstice Empire is the Central Continent’s greatest power. Weapons may have been acquired from another country, yes, but they could never stand up against the might of the empire’s cannons. On top of that, we are in possession of all routes leading into the Central Continent. If any other nations tried to develop diplomatic relations with Scuderia, we would know.”
Istana furrowed his eyebrows and let out a troubled sigh. “Then how did Scuderia undergo such rapid technological advancement?”
“That is the question,” Hellenic agreed. “Even if they spent the past few years developing new weapons, this is too much and too soon. We would have caught wind of such a thing before we invaded them, especially considering we are constantly at war.”
Istana nodded. I agreed on that point, but ultimately, the most plausible explanation was still that Scuderia had developed these new weapons themselves.
Spending further time on this debate was fruitless. What mattered most was defeating Scuderia. Since we were borrowing the strength of the Solstice Empire—receiving powerful aid from outside sources—defending ourselves was no longer enough. We needed to be the most powerful nation on the continent. Otherwise we would be bled dry, left behind as a minor power to be manipulated by the empire.
“I am sure you both understand this, but it bears repeating: we cannot back down. If we lose shamefully to Scuderia, the empire will forsake us and almost certainly extend a cooperative hand to our enemy. They need an alliance with a powerful nation here in order to have control of this continent,” I explained. Their faces tensed up. “Winning is all that matters. I do not care about the veracity of the information we receive about our enemy; we must put it all on the table, stay on guard, and deliver Scuderia a critical blow.”
Three weeks had passed since then, and at this point, open combat had probably begun between our two nations. If the people in charge over there were as brainless as that prince who tried to attack Seatoh Village, they’d probably use the same strategy to attack Fortress City Murcia, and if they did that, they would lose. Every. Single. Time. Panamera and Ventury, two extraordinarily powerful mages, were both on standby in Fortress City Murcia. The enemy’s primitive cannons would be annihilated on approach. The real problem would be them coming at Murcia with a different strategy altogether.
Under normal circumstances it would have been impossible to invade Yelenetta without breaking through multiple fortresses and strongholds along the coast. That was why passing through the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range and straight into the center of Yelenetta was so effective. As far as the enemy was concerned, this was the worst-case scenario.
If we marched out of Fortress City Murcia toward their capital city, we could potentially take control of the entire country within a few months’ time. And in the event of them somehow preventing that from happening, we could launch an attack on their coast and strip away twenty percent of their land. Yelenetta possessed no means by which to defend both areas simultaneously, and if their neighboring nations realized this, those neighbors might approach Scuderia with offers of alliance.
If that happened, Yelenetta would be finished. They would crumble from the inside, starting with their most cowardly nobles. In other words, Yelenetta’s best move was to retake Fortress City Murcia as quickly as possible.