Meanwhile, on the street, Elizabeth remained blissfully unaware of the swirling storms behind the scenes. She knew that her grandmother's attitude was strange, but that was it. She had no idea that the one short introduction from Rena months prior would generate such an outcome! Besides, the current situation aligned with her interests anyways, so she was not about to start a fuss. Elizabeth was going to take everything in stride just as she always did! As she continued looking at the endless crowds, she felt a sense of helplessness and anxiety. They were pushing their grand expectations onto her! They hoped she could produce a miracle and defeat the Xingyuu Empire once and for all! The intensity of their excitement was palpable. What would they do if they realized her goal was peace, not slaughter? It was scary to imagine.
When she finally reached Corasen's harbor, almost two hours passed. That was how long it took to travel through the hordes of people! Elizabeth was drenched in sweat, exhausted all over. It was incredibly taxing to interact with that many people. She was never a people's person like Shirley, but more introverted like Freon. If not for the safe confines of the royal carriage, then she would have passed out already! She felt woozy stepping off the carriage, requiring her aunt's support. Seeing her like this, Lady Christina felt relieved that Elizabeth remained the same, pure from the darkness of politics. Elizabeth was still young, so let the young enjoy their youth… for it would be too soon to regret it in the future.
"You must be Her Highness, Princess Elizabeth Etuvel Reindel," a middle-aged man presented himself formally. "I am the new Third-In-Command of the Quinvoren Army, General William Barlyn. Pleased to be at your service."
"General Petra Tourelle, Your Highness."
"And this humble one is General Dennis Velt, Your Highness."
The three Army Generals bowed followed by fifteen Legion Generals kneeling on the ground behind. Remember they were not some random captains or commanders, but generals! Elizabeth's aunt was a Brigade Commander, fielding five thousand soldiers. However, a Legion General was her direct superior with twenty thousand under their wing! And an Army General was a step above that, standing at the top of the military hierarchy commanding one hundred thousand soldiers! An army of this size was typically responsible for an entire war theatre. And as one would expect, there were not many Army Generals in total, but every single one could shake the kingdom! They were the swords and shields protecting everyone, the pillars holding everything up!
The girl curtsied and replied, "I am Princess Elizabeth. I will be in everyone's care from now on and I look forward to working together."
"The fleet is ready for departure, Your Highness."
Elizabeth nodded and boarded the largest ship in the harbor, the Royal Warship Excellica! She caressed the polished wooden railing in deep reminiscence as memories flowed into her like a warm summer's spring. More than half a year ago, together with Benedict, Shirley, Freon, they defeated Emperor Lianghu, escaped from the Xingyuu Empire, and successfully returned to the Alzar Kingdom! It was a short journey but littered with physical and emotional turmoil. They fought with their lives on the line! And at the end of it all, Elizabeth could confidently say they became friends for life. In this world, aside from her aunt, she could say they were the closest people to her! Although it was just half a year ago since she last saw them, she felt it was an eternity. The grueling royal training, the run-in with the Whispering Shadow, the Lannisail explosion, the encounter with Rena, and then the path to Peak Gaseous Fog… So much happened, yet so little time passed.
She could not help but feel bittersweet. Where were they and what were they doing? Would they ever see each other again? Life was like that, a series of coincidences and chance encounters. You never know when your farewell would be your last. That was what Elizabeth feared the most. Her first friends… She wanted to keep them close by, so she could share in her joys and misfortunes. Here in Castle Reinhard, there was no one she could talk to and no way she could be herself. But that was selfish. They had their own lives and meeting once was already considered a blessing. Perhaps their paths would never converge again… She left behind an emotional sigh and walked away. Not long after, a horn sounded, the anchors raised, the sails unfurled, and the grand fleet departed. Their destination was Port Silic in the Acessentia Sea!
Approximately one month later, Elizabeth finally arrived at Pelangi Fortress. The fleet could only take them as far as Port Silic before they were forced to continue on foot. And since their army was large, the hurdle in transporting everyone from the capital towards Pelangi Fortress was equally large. From conservative estimates, Elizabeth heard that there were already close to two hundred thousand soldiers present! Because reinforcements and volunteers kept flowing in from across the Alzar Kingdom, they were expecting close to four hundred thousand! Four hundred thousand! Even Elizabeth had to reread the report to ensure her eyes were reading correctly.
For reference, half a year ago, when General Illion led the attack on the Yunyun Stronghold, the fleet strength was around seventy thousand strong and the total military force dedicated to the northern theatre was close to double that. But now, for the upcoming campaign, the numbers were expected to breach four hundred thousand! There was a reason why three Army Generals were tasked in managing this humongous operation! It was ranked among the highest in numbers alone with few exceeding it! Even the Battle of the Millennium involved something just short of two hundred thousand. In the Second Great Kingdom War, only the Teria Sea Campaign topped everything with a total military presence of over seven hundred thousand soldiers! So, from this alone, one could see how significant and monumental this upcoming campaign was. It was destined to alter the political landscape for good or for worse!
Pelangi Fortress was built against the ocean cliffside as one of the main cornerstones in the Alzar Kingdom's defensive line. Its high stone walls seemed to tower over the oceanside with a deeply oppressive air. Built with excellent angles and sightlines, attackers would find it difficult to scale, much less breach, this impenetrable fortress. And it was not a single-layer wall, or even a double, but a triple-layered defensive wall to further deter any invaders! To make matters worse, it occupied an excellent section of the coastline, which made it easy to defend, but hard to attack. Coupled with the deep moat, boom towers, and large garrison, it was worthy of its status as one of the 'impenetrable' fortresses! Elizabeth felt awed at the sight of such an architectural marvel and was reminded once more… this was war!
Although the fortress was big and housed a massive military presence, it would obviously be insufficient in supporting four hundred thousand soldiers. So, the camps were set up just outside the fortress walls on the open grassy plains. Due to the hot summer weather, the tents were simpler in design, which made it easier to accommodate larger numbers. The downside was that each tent could house, at most, four or five people and that was pushing it too. There would be no sense of comfort involved! To ensure that morale remained high, the maximum occupancy became three people. If one were to do some basic arithmetic, that meant over one hundred thousand tents… Although the generals divided the camps into three major groups, eventually becoming the three armies, the encampment almost stretched from horizon to horizon! It was a massive, sprawling, and complex mess!
Elizabeth had to take a long carriage ride to exit the camp and enter the fortress. Since she was the heir apparent, it only made sense that her residency would belong in the most exalted and fortified area. She headed to the central fortress, which stood tallest on the westernmost section of the wall, constantly overlooking the Maelstrom Gulf. It was not pretty by any definitions of the word, and it could even be considered ugly too. But function reigned over form here, and it worked its wonders over the years. Despite the repeated sieges from the Xingyuu Empire, it remained strong! Both Pelangi Fortress and the central fortress became a symbol for the Alzar Kingdom's unrelenting persistence and ambition! While Elizabeth remained engrossed in the layout, a large welcoming party approached her.
"Your Highness, Princess Elizabeth, I am honored that you would grace us with your presence. I am Legion General Edward Connisgate and I govern this fortress. On behalf of everyone, welcome to Pelangi Fortress," an elderly, but powerful man said. He radiated an immensely powerful and authoritative presence that made Elizabeth, even after her training, to hesitate.