"Another battle," Benedict sighed. "How many more times do we need to fight before it's over?"
"It'll be over once one side loses…" Shaking his head, Freon also felt dejected. "That's war for you, and this is the longest war in history. It's possible that it won't ever end."
Shirley added from the side. "Why are you two so negative? Why can't you be like them?"
She gestured to a group of hotblooded youths who enthusiastically cheered and waved their weapons around. Like them, there were many new recruits that were eager to fight in the war, earn a name for themselves, and settle with a nobleman's title. The Alzar Kingdom promised that anyone, regardless of background or affiliation, if they proved their worth in battle, then they would be appropriately rewarded. Lands, titles, and anything one could think of, they could be granted. That was what attracted countless people from across the kingdom to fight here. They wanted to stand alongside the heir apparent and become a hero! However, the reality was… life was not a fairy tale. Heroes were called heroes precisely because they were rare. Those that failed would die in obscurity, forgotten by the waves of time.
"You would think that the previous attack would have brought them to their senses," Freon snorted. "Next time, we might not be so lucky."
"The Featherwind Sect…" Benedict grew dull. "If my master were here, then we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Can your master defeat them? Two of them slaughtered more than eight thousand soldiers. Those things are… monsters!"
Benedict opened his mouth to rebuttal, but nothing came out. Although his master was a genuine Rank 3 King, standing at the apex of human potential, he had never seen his master at full power. His master could effortlessly defeat him and his other senior martial brothers, so there was never any need to reveal how strong he was. However, it was hard to imagine that the Sword King Sin could compare against monsters that could cripple an entire Alzar fleet in minutes…
"Never a good thing with you two, is there?" Shirley rolled her eyes. "Where is Elizabeth when you need her?"
"She's in another strategic meeting with the generals. We shouldn't disturb her."
"Talking about the Yunyun Stronghold, right?" Resting her cheek on her hand, she wondered, "Why do you think the Imperial Council is doing this now? Retreating from the stronghold and all. I thought it was their key strategic stronghold against the Alzar Kingdom."
"Pelangi Fortress and the Yunyun Stronghold… With the two of them, the kingdom would gain control of the Maelstrom Gulf. I trust the Imperial Council would know the consequences of yielding it to us, yet they did it anyways. What are they plotting?"
"Prime Minister Pon-Wai isn't the type of person to make a mistake here. We can't afford to let our guard down," Benedict said. "One wrong step, and we'll…"
"In the end, that's up to General Dennis and the rest to decide. As soldiers, we still need to do our job and being Elizabeth's friends doesn't change that."
"It'd be best if we could solve everything without fighting," Shirley sighed.
Elizabeth entered the tent shortly after with a look of exhaustion. She ignored everyone's questions and collapsed in a chair. Another multi-hour meeting! The war barely started and there were practically endless meetings about what the army should do. Their first steps had to be firm and correct to lay a solid foundation for the rest of the war. Although she might not have the final say in any decisions, it was her duty to understand the general state of the warfront. Moreover, she came here to help end the war. Whatever decision she believed was contrary to her goals, she would veto it with her royal authority. Those troublesome matters did not appear so far, but she knew they would show up eventually…
Taking big gulps of water, she exhaled loudly and slapped the table. This was a face she could only show to her friends. She complained, "That cursed Brigade Commander Vol and Legion General Stefan, always asking me for suggestions. You know I don't have anything to add, but you kept asking me for some! They must be out to embarrass me! And that Brigade Commander Nellendo too, that man never shuts his mouth! Going on and on about this and that… Get to the point already! We want to leave!" Huffing and puffing, she felt much better after releasing all her pent-up frustration.
"I take it your meeting went well?" Freon cheekily asked.
"Hmph. If you want to join in my place, be my guest!"
The boy chuckled awkwardly. "I'll leave it in your capable hands…"
"Here," Shirley said, getting up to massage Elizabeth's shoulders. Her motherly instincts were kicking in. "Take a deep breath, Elizabeth. Inhale… Exhale… Are you feeling better now?"
"I'm fine, Shirley," the girl felt embarrassed. "I just wanted to complain a little, that's all." Saying that, she returned to her usual calm.
"Do you need any food? Water? I'll go get something," Shirley asked.
"Wait, I can… call someone myself."
"She's already gone," Freon laughed. "Doesn't she know you're the heir apparent now?" To which, Elizabeth had to smile wryly. Some things never change.
"You shouldn't push yourself too hard," Benedict added. "Shirley's worried about you, as are the rest of us."
"This is my duty as the heir apparent, so it's not that of a big deal," Elizabeth said. "Back in Algard, my royal training was even more ridiculous. Now that was truly a nightmare!" Thinking about it caused shivers to travel down her back.
"Well, if you say so…"
"…Elizabeth, I won't beat around the bush. When are we attacking the stronghold?"
The girl turned solemn, and said, "I'll wait until Shirley returns before I talk about that."
It did not take too long for Shirley to come back. Sir Winstin was already guarding outside and stopped her, saying that the servants could handle it. When she returned, her hands were full of light treats and drinks.
Spreading them across the table, she said, "The servants said that they're willing to prepare a larger meal if you want, but we should settle with this first."
"Thank you, Shirley," Elizabeth smiled and picked up a few things to eat.
She was really starved but the feeling did not kick in until she saw the food. For Shirley to pick up on something like that from a few cues… It made Elizabeth feel warm inside. Still, her mood was dampened by the subsequent topic to come.
Once everyone finished their snacking, Elizabeth began saying, "Please listen carefully and calmly. According to our schedule, Admiral Aura should be returning from Pelangi Fortress with the second army in two days. Therefore, the generals have decided that the attack on the Yunyun Stronghold… will take place in five days. We will strike on the new moon of October!" No one said a thing in response, as their faces grew gloomy. War. This was something that no one wished for; however, it was inevitable!
Freon murmured, "Do we know why the Imperial Council abandoned the stronghold to us? Do you think it's a trap by the Featherwind Sect?"
"That was a long talking point during this meeting, but the general consensus was… we don't believe it's a trap. We've been stationed here for a while already, exposed in the open, and without any significant defense measures. Despite the Ten Dawns and the generals devising methods to countermeasures, nothing substantial has been made. With the Featherwind Sect's large-scale strategic-level attacks, they have the potential to annihilate us, like before! Yet, there haven't been any movements from the Imperial Council nor the Featherwind Sect.
"There are three possibilities. One, they cannot convince the Featherwind Sect to act due to internal conflict or otherwise. It is also possible there are certain conditions or restrictions which limit how many times they can do their strategic-level attacks. This is good news for us since we're able to gauge how powerful the Featherwind Sect is and how politically integrated they are.
"The second possibility is that they want to borrow our hand against the Li Family. The Li Family holds most of the north of the Xingyuu Empire, so they're stuck between both the Imperial Council's forces and ours. They might have the territorial advantage, but their overall battle strength is lacking when compared to us. They're unable to defend against a pincer attack, one from the east and one from the west. The Imperial Council giving us the Yunyun Stronghold plays into this.
"Finally, the third possibility that none of the above is true. It's possible that we misjudged our enemies' goals entirely, and their objectives were something else. After all, we might have informants in the Imperial Council and the Imperial Administration, but the scope of their information gathering is both limited and scattered. They might also be giving us falsified information. What the Imperial Council has scheming behind closed doors is only our guess."
Taking a drink of water to sooth her throat, she summarized the point, "Basically, the meeting concluded that the second possibility is the most likely, but we're preparing for the possibility of the first or the third. Of course, no matter what, we will be marching onwards to capture the Yunyun Stronghold. It's essential to our plans."