Her friends were dumbstruck silent and looked at her funnily. Shirley glanced at her and murmured, "You've changed, Elizabeth."
"Have I?"
"Before, you were… more of a country bumpkin," Freon explained, earning a grimace from Elizabeth. "The difference between then and now is like night and day. You're completely different."
"Haven't we all changed?" she replied with a smile.
"I think you changed more than any of us," Benedict refuted to which Shirley nodded furiously.
The girl spread her hands in exasperation. "I guess you could say that. Compared to when I was living on New Havens, it feels like I'm a different person, but that's expected for the heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom. These are the minimum qualifications I need for the throne."
"As long as you're happy," Shirley said.
"Happy, huh?" Elizabeth lost herself in thought.
***
Roughly two days later, Admiral Aura landed with the second army of fifty thousand soldiers! This was one of the main army groups and the true fighting powers of the war campaign. Combined with the original twelve thousand survivors of the first vanguard strike force, there was a total of sixty-two thousand soldiers present! The number of people in the camp instantly swelled to more than four times, pushing the logistics division to the limits. Thankfully, General Dennis made apt preparations for this and cleared out space ahead of time to fashion a temporary army headquarters. If they could take the Yunyun Stronghold, then their headquarters would be relocated there instead.
The landing fleet also suffered little hindrances in crossing the Maelstrom Gulf. The Featherwind Sect refrained from making a second appearance. This was an important discovery that allowed the generals and commanders to relax a little. Ludin and Crus's attacks were too tyrannical and possessed enough power to annihilate fleets. It would be devastating to their war campaign if the Imperial Council had the Featherwind Sect protecting the gulf. Limits were a good thing, and they gave a small peek at the battle strength that the council held.
Once the preparations were complete, the grand army marched out on the new moon, exactly five days later. General Dennis, a Legion General and Brigade Commanders would be personally leading this historical battle. This would be their first official battle of their campaign on imperial soil, so it had great significance. The morale of the soldiers fell since their defeat at the hands of the Featherwind Sect, so they had to win a flawless victory. Of course, rather than the full sixty-two thousand soldiers, there would only be fifteen thousand involved for the invasion of the Yunyun Stronghold. This included key strategic individuals such as Ten Dawn Krogan, Iris, Rosemary, and Yvonne. Their large-scale tactical spells would be instrumental in breaching the stronghold's defenses.
It took the fifteen thousand strong force around two days to arrive at the Yunyun Stronghold, cleaving a path through the thick forest bush. Once they came close enough, the forest opened to farmlands or pastures which led to the city, and what a sight it was. The actual Yunyun Stronghold itself was a monolithic behemoth of human engineering and architecture. Gigantic walls lined the city, more than ten times the height of a normal person, with towers which seemed to pierce the skies above and triple-gated portcullises lined the few entrances inside. Marring the countless thick walls were battle scars and wounds from the innumerable battles it weathered, but ultimately prevailed in. The fortress released such a foreboding presence that all the soldiers were stifled by the mental pressure. It was like a slumbering giant which when awoken would slay demon and god alike! Absolutely worthy of being called one of the main pillars of the Maelstrom Gulf alongside Pelangi Fortress, this was the Yunyun Stronghold!
The population of the Yunyun Stronghold was estimated to be thirty thousand, excluding the military personnel, so it was by no means big. This was expected from one of the most dangerous fortresses in the empire, which faced non-stop clashes with the kingdom! Those with connections had already fled with either Admiral Kang's fleet or their own means. Seven hundred left with Admiral Kang, while another four thousand left on their own two feet for Guanhuang. They hoped to seek refuge from the Li Family. The remaining twenty-five thousand had nowhere to go, no means to go, or no will to go. Some chose to hide in secret bunkers, some planned to offer up their coffers, others decided the afterlife was a better alternative, while others… took up arms!
Gazing at the fortress, there were no soldiers, only an angry mob of commoners manning the walls. Although they sacked the military warehouse for weapons, most of it was vacated by the army. Why would they leave anything good for the Alzar Kingdom to pilfer? Instead of swords and shields, they wielded kitchen knives and cutting boards. Instead of bows and arrows, they wielded bricks and mud. The scouts reported that there was more than eight thousand in this mob, covering the three entrances to the Yunyun Stronghold! With the nigh-impenetrable defenses of the fortress, it would indeed be difficult for a conventional army to siege and capture it, even if those defending it were a bunch of stick-wielding commoners. That was just how formidable the Yunyun Stronghold was! However, the Alzar army present was anything but conventional.
The army parted to give way to four individuals. Ten Dawn Iris Cisvernia, Krogan Jermon, Rosemary Arkfell, and Yvonne Malkhorn stepped up, their presence dominating the battlefield! Everyone, friend and foe alike, instantly locked onto them. As wielders of large-scale tactical magic, they were the military's secret trump cards, capable of changing the battlefield in an instant! Conventional defenses were irrelevant to them! General Dennis and the other commanders nodded briefly. They just received notification that their encirclement was complete. A thousand soldiers locked down the west, another thousand locked down the south, and towards the eastern side facing the Maelstrom Gulf… Admiral Aura had sealed the waters with her fleet! The remaining force was concentrated here on the northern gate, ready to attack at a moment's notice!
"Demand their surrender," General Dennis said plainly. "If they don't open the gates in three hours, then we'll launch our attack."
"Do you think they'll surrender?" a Brigade Commander asked.
"If not, then we'll bath the gates in their blood," the Legion General sneered. "This is our final act of mercy. It's their fault if they refuse it."
"It's better that they refuse. We need to crush them with overwhelming force to threaten the empire. This is sending a message!"
"Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still need to be cautious of a counterattack. Overconfidence is the cause for too many failures," General Dennis advised. "Any news from our scouts?"
Like a splash of cold water, the generals and commanders returned to their usual tranquil state. It was nothing but a momentary ripple in their emotions. Among them, who had not swum through oceans of blood, slaughtering their way through countless battlefields? When the head panics, the body will soon follow. The general was the key to every operation and must always remain calm. If those that failed perished, then those that survived would naturally understand this principle.
The land and seas might be clear, but the Featherwind Sect was something that defied common sense. They could attack from the air with supreme destructive power, enough to massacre their army! There was always a chance that the Imperial Council had a card up their sleeve ready to play. And what about the Li Family? Would they respond in time? A war was not a battle of swords, but a battle of wits. The side who could outsmart the other would be victorious! Until the smoke was clear, until the last soul was laid to rest, there was no telling who might prevail in the end!
This army might seem idle during its three hour-long ultimatum, but the scouts were actually buzzing with more activity than ever before! They constantly communicated with each other in an ever-expanding all-encompassing net that fanned out from the Yunyun Stronghold, probing the depths of their surroundings to fish out any hidden dangers. No stone was left unturned as everything was reported with excruciating detail and even trivial details like a change in temperature or an ominous feeling were delivered straight to the commander's table! General Dennis and his subordinates then dissected these reports and transformed them into a vast picture of their surroundings. Everything was shown!