In warfare, information was the most valuable commodity. It enabled Sonata to gauge his army's position against that of the enemy, to determine whether his forces were superior or inferior. He could analyze the terrain, predict the enemy's tactics and reactions, and outmaneuver them at every turn.
The Chaos rebels numbered only a few hundred, but they had one advantage: the Royal Hunting Hill. This mountainous stronghold provided natural defenses, as well as traps and weapons that Cerise and the other Generals had devised to fend off attacks.
In contrast, Atezia boasted an army of several hundred thousand soldiers. However, most of their forces were scattered throughout the cities, particularly those near the Revarent Territory.
Years ago, Atezia had sent a massive army to invade Royal Hunting Hill, only to suffer a crushing defeat.
Many years ago, Atezia sent a large army to invade Royal Hunting Hill once but found a defeat.
Cerise still recalled the battle vividly. The narrow, winding paths of the mountain had made it challenging for the Atezia forces to navigate, resulting in their disorganization and defeat.
Alkaiser's robust firewalls effectively separated each of the Atezia battalions for several days. The enemy troops at the front line, who had managed to avoid the traps, were killed by Tales and his followers.
As chaos engulfed the Atezia army, Cerise appeared in the form of a nine-tailed firefox, rampaging through the enemy ranks with unstoppable fury. The sight of her struck fear into the hearts of the enemy soldiers, causing them to scatter in disarray.
However, if the battlefield shifted to the capital city of Atezia, the situation would be vastly different...
The capital boasted a formidable array of troops, including infantry, archers, priests, mages, artillerymen, and knights. Moreover, Atezia had a corps of elite special forces known as paladins. These paladins were skilled knights as well as magical priests, capable of healing, resurrecting, and unleashing unique paladin abilities.
In addition to the regular paladins, Chaos members regarded the "Three Holy Paladins" as equals to Cerise, Alkaiser, and Tales.
"The Holy Blizzard, Waldo Kyle, wields the legendary Glacius Sword," one member explained. "He has the power to summon ice storms and is King Baldric's most trusted paladin."
"The Holy Flame, Devan Alexis, wields the legendary Frakarian Sword," another member chimed in. "He can control the Holy Flames that are effective against the undead. He is Waldo's top disciple and Atezia's best hope for protection."
"The Holy Thunder, Tina, wields the Flenirus sword," another member explained. "She has the power to summon lightning and is the most skilled of the Three Holy Paladins, despite her age."
Sonata activated a holographic communications screen, displaying detailed information that he and his subordinates had gathered over the past several days. Thanks to his skilled scouts and spies, he had obtained a wealth of intel in a short amount of time.
He contacted his friend Alto, who had been tasked with spying on other cities, as well as his ally Doc.
"It may look prosperous, but this kingdom is on the verge of collapse," Sonata said, a sly smile on his face. The more information he gathered, the more he realized just how vulnerable the enemy was.
"The important mining area is controlled by Revarent, and the central cultivation area is nearly depleted. The Prewood Forest, which covers one-fifth of the continent, is unusable to Atezia due to the hermits who occupy it. Atezia lacks food, minerals, and other resources that could be obtained from the forest," the AI assistant, Angie, added.
"The Chaos rebels near the capital pose a chronic problem," Professor Dogma explained. "Atezia cannot withdraw troops from the front lines against Revarent to deal with them, as Revarent is waiting for Atezia's defenses to weaken."
... Atezia was in dire straits and would inevitably perish within ten years, even if Sonata and Cerise did not intervene…
But if they did nothing, countless lives would be lost in the fight against Revarent. Sonata could not ignore the grim reality and wait for Cerise to take the initiative.
Thus, the grand plans were set in motion. The first target was Reflinton, a city ruled by the Rodos family. The Chaos members stole the limited winter supplies from the city's shed. Before the magistrate could respond, Genevieve spread rumors that the authorities planned to impose higher taxes.
Genevieve was a crucial part of Sonata's plan, driven by a desire to avenge her grandmother's death and support his cause. At first, she had little confidence in her ability to aid the troops, but Sonata saw her talent for convincing people.
Accompanied by her bodyguard, Genevieve traveled from town to town, inciting the villagers against the King's regime. Initially, her words fell on deaf ears, but as Sonata's other plans progressed, her message gained weight and resonance.
The more Genevieve spoke out against the King, the more the people began to listen. Her passion and conviction rallied others to join the cause, and soon, the seeds of rebellion had been sown throughout the land.
Genevieve had another reason for joining Sonata's cause beyond vengeance. She had fallen for him at first sight and believed that destiny had brought her to his side.
But now, with war looming, her feelings for him remained unspoken. Every breath he took was a matter of life and death. All she could do was aid him in any way possible.
"Is it true that these supplies came from the Chaos rebels?" a disguised Chaos member asked Genevieve loudly.
"Where did you hear that?" Genevieve raised her voice, hoping that the villagers waiting in line for food would hear.
"Is it true?" the disguised Chaos member asked, even louder than before.
"Quiet! If the officials find out, they'll confiscate the food," Genevieve replied, feigning concern.
She was certain that the rumors would spread like wildfire. When winter arrived and the villagers were taxed again, they would remember how Chaos had secretly helped them in their time of need.
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Similar incidents occurred in many other cities as well. Using Alto's special ability, a truck equipped with a cloaking device crashed through each city's walls. The combination of an invisible vehicle and a man who could penetrate anything rendered the defenses of each city useless.
The cities tried to help each other by increasing the delivery of supplies from one city to another, meeting Sonata's expectations. But the Chaos rebels intercepted every convoy, spreading fear and paranoia among the cities.
As a result, the cities became reluctant to send supplies to each other, fearing they would fall into enemy hands.
As winter descended upon the land, the cities were ravaged by the harsh weather. With supplies in short supply, more and more resources were extorted from the villagers, but even these were not enough. Robbery and plunder became rampant, leaving the people desperate and destitute.
The Greel Village was among the places hit hard by the robbery scheme. The villagers had already been struggling to survive on meager rations, and when Reflinton demanded even more supplies, it seemed like they were doomed to starve.
That was when Cerise appeared, offering a glimmer of hope to the people of Greel Village. She brought with her much-needed supplies and rallied the villagers to join the fight against the oppressive regime.
Meanwhile, rumors continued to spread across the land, both true and false. Some spoke of a returning princess who would champion the cause of the poor and downtrodden. Others told of Atezia's outposts being overrun by the forces of Revarent, while whispers of cities secretly pledging allegiance to Cerise as their new ruler without firing a shot circulated through the grapevine.
Sonata did his part to fuel the Chaos, sending his subordinates disguised as Atezian soldiers to infiltrate Revarent's territory and launch surprise attacks. The already-tense situation quickly escalated into a full-blown conflict, with Revarent's soldiers clashing with Atezia's forces in multiple locations.
Conflicts brewed both within and beyond the borders of Atezia. King Baldrick, initially mistrustful of many within his own court, summoned military nobles to ensure their loyalty in the midst of rumors and chaos.
However, this move only backfired as Mayor Deacon, having heard rumors that the king possessed evidence of his involvement with the rebels, felt threatened and hastily relocated to the nearby city.
With Deacon's move, the city became the new stronghold of Chaos, posing a formidable threat to the kingdom's stability.
This move provided many benefits, as Deacon was connected to Royal Hunting Hill and was tens of times larger than their original base. The Chaos was able to support fleeing citizens and create even bigger armies.
On the other hand, the royal army of Atezia became blocked, with main routes no longer available. Supplies, weapons, troops, and information were almost completely cut off. Cities farther afield were at war with Revarent, and many of them turned to support traditional royal lineages, agreeing to be on the same side as Cerise.
With tensions escalating, the real war began…
The Chaos group had divided into two armies for their attack. Tales led one army to infiltrate the capital through a secret passage, while Cerise and Alkaiser led the other from Deacon to attack the front lines.
Meanwhile, Sonata, Alto, and Vanay had already infiltrated the capital. They received intel that the "White Castle" held an ultimate weapon and their mission was to destroy it before the Atezian army could use it.
"Can we even hope to find the treasure room guarded by dragons?" Sonata muttered, his thoughts racing.
"Who would be foolish enough to use dragons as guards?" Alto scoffed.
The trio activated their cloaking devices, which took the form of black cloaks that rendered them invisible to the naked eye.
"Oh no, we've been discovered. This cloak is not as effective as I thought," Vanay lamented as the trio suddenly became visible again when they stepped into the castle.