Bab 65: Chapter 65

I release a sigh and get out of the bed. It has been two weeks since the last battle. I have been busy ensuring the Loyalist Army has enough money to pay for their campaign. Sadly, there is nothing I can do for the past week.

My money-making perk gave me nothing because there was nothing to buy and sell. What I mean is that I did not have a strong pull from that perk and only a weaker pull. Because of this, I only visit Nirva every now and then to buy their spices and sell them to the people here.

It is good money but less than before. I have the supply, but the demand has slowed down lately.

Other than me, Chiyome also has been busy lately. She has been capturing many waifu inside and outside the castle. Because of this, I have almost one hundred points in my pocket. My finger twitches every time I remember the number of points I have in my pocket. However, I decided to save them for now.

After capturing the target, Chiyome decided to take my advice and chill every now and then. She will still come with me when I decide to leave the castle, but when I am in the castle, she decides to watch the theater and do her Miko (priestess) duty after building a small shrine at the corner of the castle.

She loves to go to have a picnic. While she did not mind the other coming with us, I can see she would be happier if it were only the two of us.

"Excuse me, Sir Gerrald!"

I snap from my thoughts when I hear someone shout from outside my room. I get off the bed and open the door. I can see one of the soldiers waiting for me.

"What is it?"

"I am sorry for disturbing you, sir Gerrald. However, Lady Lucretia is asking for an emergency meeting. His Highness and she are already waiting in the war room."

"I will be there in a minute."

"Of course, sir Gerrald."

I nod and close the door. I decide to change my clothes to my meeting clothes and leave the room. I walk into the war room, and I can see there are already people there. I can see Boz, the Commander of Infantry, and Dinn, the Commander of the Cavalry, already inside the room. Other than the two of them, I can also see Wilhelm of the Lindwurm Mercenary Brigade in the room.

There is one thing in common with their expressions. They have a grim expression on their face. They look like they have heard bad news and do not like their chance of surviving it.

"Ah, Gerrald. You are here. Please take a seat. We will start when all the people are here."

I nod and wait for the others to arrive. I can feel Chiyome arrive next to me while still in her spiritual form.

'Do you know about this meeting, Chiyome?'

I ask her mentally.

'Yes. It is about the alliance between Godwin and the New Armes Kingdom.'

'Shit. How do you know this?'

'One of Lucretia's spies in the capital just arrived with this news, Lord Master. I am about to inform you, but the soldier has already woken you up.'

'I see. Good job.'

I waited for a few more minutes before the rest of the people arrived. Raja and Kiara of Raftfleet are the last people to arrive here.

"Sorry for the delay. There is something I need to do before going here."

"Don't worry about it, Admiral Raja," Lucretia answers with a small smile on her face. "Please take a seat, and we will start the meeting."

Raja and Kisara nod and sit on the chair beside me. With them taking their seats, Lucretia looked at us with a frown on her face.

"There is bad news coming from Sol-Falena."

"What kind of bad news, Lucretia? Is Lymsleia okay?"

Lucretia smiles at Freyjadour and says.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. The Queen is doing fine. However, her authority is not."

"What do you mean, Lucretia? What has Godwin done to my niece?"

Lucretia looks at Sialeeds and says.

"They have used her authority to create an alliance with the New Armes Kingdom."

"What?!"

Boz, Dinn, Raja, and Sialeeds shout simultaneously at that news. Right. They are the people who joined the war against Armes in the past, huh? This is the worst news for them because not only did Godwin take over the country by force, but they also made an alliance with their sworn enemy.

"How could they do this?!" Sialeeds shout in anger. "Doesn't they lose many of their men to Armes in the previous war?! Why do they decide to make an alliance with them?!"

Lucretia can only sign and say.

"I don't know. However, it is not the worst news. Currently, General Luger and General Novum are moving on Doraat as we speak. The leader of this army is a newly appointed Queen's Knight called Childerich."

"Childerich?! Not the Childerich from Nether Gate?!"

Sialeeds shout in anger. It looks like she remembers the fighter who beat Belcoot in the Sacred Games, and he is also a member of the Nether Gate, the one who tried to kill her and the prince when they tried to run from the palace.

"That is not the worst of it. We have received word that enemy forces are advancing on both Sable and Estrise. Forces from Armes. The Armes Southern Mountain Corps is in Sable, and the Armes Western Marine Corps is in Estrise."

Dinn says that with a frown on his face.

"Armes?! That's mean…"

Lucretia nods at Frey's words and says.

"That's right. This is no coincidence. It's a joint operation, carefully planned. A deadly three-pronged attack. Because they had nothing to lose, they decided to use our sworn enemy to defeat us. As long as they have one win, the rest of their faction will fall in line, and they will regain their old authority."

"I'm surprised Armes even agreed to this. I wonder what terms Godwin offered…"

Boz says with a frown as he thinks of the offer Godwin gives to Armes for them to accept them as their ally.

"It must have been a really tempting deal for Armes to send such a substantial force," Lucretia says with a frown, as I feel she is already thinking of things Godwin offers for the Armes Kingdom. "Doraat, Sable, and Estrise won't last long against such might."

"Let's send a reinforcement now!"

Frey suddenly says that with worry and determination in his voice.

"No, wait, Prince!"

Boz quickly stops the prince before he gets any idea.

"Lord Wilde and I appreciate your concern for our hometowns. However, it is far too risky to send reinforcements."

Dinn agrees with Boz.

"We don't have nearly enough troops to engage all three enemy forces. And if we focus on just one of them, we'll eventually be attacked by the other two." Lucretia decided to explain Boz and Dinn's decision: "Instead, we'll adopt a 'defense-in-depth' strategy against all three. We'll slowly draw them toward us, whittling their numbers down with repeated minor skirmishes along the way. I believe this is the only way to use our limited forces effectively."

By the end of her explanation, Frey looks at Lucretia in worry and says.

"But what about Estrise and Sable? They'll be–"

"No, Your Highness. I'll sacrifice my town if need be!"

Boz stops the prince and agrees with Lucretia.

"Thanks to Lucretia's early warning, the evacuation of Sable will be underway this afternoon, and the Sable garrison is ready to defend the town. Armes may well take my hometown eventually, but they will pay dearly for it!"

"Yeah, and don't think we won't make 'em pay in Estrise!"

Dinn also agrees with Lucreita's plan.

"Doraat's going to be a bit more difficult. The town leaned toward the Godwins from the beginning. Even if we tell them to evacuate, I doubt they'll all listen."

Raja put her two cents on this plan.

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

"I know, Lucretia…" Raja thinks for a second before nodding her head. "Yes. Concentrate on protecting the citizens and wearing down the enemy for now. After that, we might–"

"Wait!"

The people look to the side and see Miakis, one of the Queen's Knights that Frey recruits after defeating her in Doraat, suddenly saying,

"The Dragon Cavalry! They did not join our faction because they only joined a war against outside invaders, not an internal fight. However, with Armes invading, we can ask them to join the war, right?!"