The number of troops I will lead is three thousand. A troop of 1,500 mounted buffalo guards, and a troop of 500 buffalo light cavalry for reconnaissance and scouting.
And five hundred infantry units, a mixture of spearmen and light infantry, and five hundred archers to provide support with bows from the rear.
In this way, a total of three thousand warriors began to leave the training camp one by one to march through the streets. A moment later, the first unit of light cavalry mounted on buffalo appeared on the straight road.
"People are watching!"
"Get in line like the sun warriors of the sky!"
The white generals leading the light cavalry began to confidently move along the road, urging their warriors. The 'Sun of the Sky People' gathered on both sides of the road gave a thunderous applause and enthusiastic cheers.
"The buffalo cavalry!"
"Look at that buffalo! Isn't it so cool!"
The cavalry warriors riding buffalos straightened their shoulders even more at the sound of the people's cheers. That wasn't all.
The streets were filled with pollen, and pretty girls ran in carrying flower necklaces to put around the necks of light cavalry warriors.
"We must win the war."
"Come back safely without getting hurt."
"I'll be waiting."
"When you come back, let's get married."
Next, infantry and archer units marched through the streets. As expected, cheers erupted here and there along with the pollen.
"They are spearmen warriors!"
"Look at that window and shield."
"They are all so manly."
"How many arrows are there in the quiver?"
The morale of the infantry warriors and archer warriors was also quickly boosted. Finally, as I left the training grounds with a wide escort of the SS warriors, cheers and applause erupted louder than ever.
Waaa ...
"Your Majesty the Emperor!"
"These are the warriors of the Royal Guard!"
"Even the buffalo is armed with armor."
From the training camp to the outer wall where the gates were, the street march continued like that.
* * *
While the warriors waited outside the gate, I had a brief conversation with my closest aides as they saw me off.
"Be careful. I'll be right behind you."
"The Brave Wolf," who was in charge of the waterborne landing operation in this war with the Iroquois Confederacy, spoke powerfully.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Just do what you usually do."
"I will keep that in mind."
After patting him on the shoulder once, I stood in front of 'Roaring Thunder', who was now standing with a slightly dejected expression.
"Roaring thunder! Do you still regret not being able to participate in this war?"
"No, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
Although he said so outwardly, the 'Roaring Thunder', who was a fierce general, would have wanted to lead the battlefield with me.
I moved closer to the 'Roaring Thunder' who was smiling bitterly and spoke into his ear.
"As the head of the training camp, don't you know the importance of supplies better than anyone else? I believe that the outcome of this war was determined by the stable supply of military supplies and provisions more than anything else. So please take good care of me. Roaring Thunder!"
Feeling anew that the mission he had been given was very important, 'Roaring Thunder' laughed heartily as if nothing had happened.
"Puhahahahaha! Don't worry, Your Majesty! I will take responsibility for not only the supply but also the stability of the rear."
"okay."
After giving a few more instructions to 'Roaring Thunder', he moved towards 'Fast Deer', the head of the Intelligence and Inspection Department.
"You must closely monitor the movements of the surrounding tribes. Take action first, report later. If there is anything urgent, report immediately."
"Yes. As His Majesty the Emperor has instructed, we will continue to monitor the Illinois Federation and the Abnaki Federation."
"I believe you will do well."
He looked at the 'fast-footed deer' with trusting eyes and spoke with the rest of the executive branch leaders, giving them various advice.
"I look forward to hearing news of victory."
"The Creator and the spirits will be with His Majesty the Emperor."
Finally, he walked towards the gate alongside the 'Splendid Sunset', the head of the administration and senior advisor.
"Lead the 'Sun of the Sky' well in my stead."
"Trust me and focus on the war. By the time His Majesty the Emperor returns, the shipyards, ports, and banks will be fully established."
I nodded at her confident look.
"Don't expect it."
Finally, I finished greeting my closest associates. At that moment, the 'Honest Bear' who was escorting me approached me.
"Your Majesty the Emperor! The warriors are waiting."
'The Honest Bear', who returned to the Royal Guard after a short honeymoon, had a definitely different vibe than before.
Should I say it has become brighter? The face of the 'Honest Bear' was always lively as salt poured from the sesame seeds.
Moreover, since I kept my promise to marry him, the loyalty of the 'honest bear' to me was higher than ever. No, I dare say I've reached the top.
"let's go."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
After a while, I went out to the gate and lightly climbed onto the buffalo I was to ride. And seeing the warriors whose morale was at its peak during the street parade, he gave instructions to the 'Heavy Snowstorm'.
"Let's go."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
'A heavy snowstorm' drove the buffalo and gave instructions to the scout unit that would be the first to go on a reconnaissance mission.
"Mix buffalo cavalry and infantry units appropriately to scout the front and rear."
"All right."
"From now on, the Imperial Guard will form a defensive formation and protect His Majesty the Emperor as their top priority."
"Yes, Mr. Cheon In-jang!"
Each unit began to move along the road leading to the Mohawk territory, maintaining their camp according to their assigned mission.
I nodded my head in deep thought as I rode a buffalo in the center of the camp. The die has already been cast. This war will be a very important one, one that will determine whether or not we will dominate North America.
So, I deliberately held a parade of warriors through the streets, including a ceremony to send off troops, to draw the attention of the Iroquois Confederacy to the unit I was leading.
Of course, there were reasons for the warriors to boost their morale.
"I wonder who the Iroquois Confederacy will drag into it."
* * *
'Sun in the Sky', lower reaches of the Muhekunnetuk River (Hudson River). Three days have passed since the splendid inauguration ceremony.
And as the day drew to a close and the night grew dark, the warriors of the 'Sun of the Sky' appeared one after another, as if they had been waiting by the riverside not far from the 'very large' city.
"The white captains of each unit start by checking the personnel."
"Warriors, check your weapons status again to make sure nothing is missing!"
"First, let's load the provisions onto the ship."
Under the direction of the 'Brave Wolf', seven thousand warriors who had completed personnel and weapon checks moved quickly.
After a while, when nearly a hundred Viking ships were loaded with war supplies and provisions, the white general approached the 'Brave Wolf' on the flagship and reported.
"Ready to set sail."
Looking at the river sparkling in the torchlight, the 'brave wolf' immediately gave instructions.
"Hoist the sails! Let's sail up the river using as much wind as possible!"
"Yes, sir!"
The white captains on the deck of the flagship quickly relayed orders to each Viking ship by running around with torches.
"Hoist the sails!"
"Row!"
The sails were spread taut, and the warriors on each Viking ship began to row powerfully in a relaxed manner.
"One! Two!"
"One! Two!"
And soon, close to a hundred Viking ships lined up in three columns around the flagship began to quickly sail up the river.
Standing on the deck of the flagship, the 'Brave Wolf' asked the White General who was assisting him, with a satisfied expression on his face at the speed of the fleet.
"How long do you think it took to get to our first destination?"
The white chief answered, looking at a map showing the Muhekunnetuk River (Hudson River) in detail.
"If we maintain this pace, we should arrive in two days."
"It's faster than I expected."
"This is all the result of training."
"The warriors might get tired, so have them row in shifts."
"Understood. I will relay this to each ship."
* * *
Lake Ontario, Seneca tribe village. The whole town was in an uproar over the news of war. Although the war with the 'Sun in the Sky' was not yet certain, the Iroquois tribesmen took it almost as a fait accompli.
The Seneca villagers, who were not warriors, were anxious and preparing to leave in case of war damage. Meanwhile, inside the long house where the chief was staying, the chiefs and elders of the Iroquois Confederacy were holding emergency meetings every day.
"They say that warriors have set out from the sun in the sky."
"It seems like the negotiations with the sun in the sky are over."
"We are not without our grievances, but let us once again unite the Iroquois Confederacy and fight to the end."
'Rough Breath', who leads the Iroquois Confederacy, wanted to resolve the issue with 'The Sun in the Sky' through peaceful means until the end, but the situation was not so favorable.
'Heavy Breath' asked with a serious expression.
"Have you heard anything yet from those who went to meet the Illinois Federation?"
"I just got a call. They said they'll be here before sunset, so I guess I'll just have to wait a little longer."
The nature of the war would have been different depending on whether the Illinois Confederacy entered the war. Naturally, the Iroquois chiefs and elders inside the longhouse waited anxiously for the Rising Flames party.
"Well then, let's talk about the Abnaki League again."
The meeting began to heat up again with the words of Seneca chief 'Heavy Breath'.
"We will have to discuss this with the Illinois Federation later, but we will accept the Abnaki Federation's terms."
"I agree. The more tribes that cooperate with us, the better, right?"
"Half the territory? Do you think that makes sense?
"Since the fate of our alliance is at stake, we must win this war by any means necessary."
The meeting gradually moved towards accepting the terms of the Abnaki League's participation in the war. After a while, the long meeting of the Iroquois League came to an end.
'Heavy Breath' calmly announced the results of the vote.
"It has been unanimously decided by all tribes to accept the proposal of the Abnaki League. We will send men to the Abnaki League with haste, as the war with the 'Sun of the Sky' is just around the corner."
"All right."
"If we're going to do this, I think it would be a good idea to also tell the Abnaki Federation which part of the Sky Sun territory we're going to attack."
'Rough Breath' actively accepted the opinions of other chiefs.
"My personal opinion is that the best strategy would be to attack the Wampanoag tribe."
"Let's divert the attention of the battlefield? That's a very good strategy."
As the 'Sun of the Sky' has a large territory, there are many places to defend. If we could just attack the Wampanoag tribe that just joined the 'Sun in the Sky'...
It was possible to divert attention from the battlefield and weaken the solidarity of other tribes belonging to the 'Sun in the Sky'.
Just as I was pondering how to fight the 'Sun of the Sky', I heard noises coming from outside. The door opened, and the Rising Flames, who had gone to negotiate with the Illinois Union, came into the long house with a very weary look on their face.
"You said you'd be here in a hurry, but you're too late."
The Iroquois men inside the long house all looked at him. At that moment, 'Rough Breath' asked urgently with a very curious look in his eyes.
"What happened to the Illinois Federation?"
* * *
Western part of the middle reaches of the Muhekunnetuk River (Hudson River). The road connecting the Mohawk territory, where warriors had been comfortably leading their way until now, had ended.
"Once the war with the Iroquois Confederacy is over, the Department of Construction will resume road construction that was halted."
"I see."
I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the report of a 'heavy snowstorm'. Since the territory of 'Sun in the Sky' is so vast, road construction is not yet finished.
I immediately gave the order to 'Heavy Snowstorm' to rest.
"I think it would be a good idea to give the warriors a short rest before entering the forest in earnest."
"Understood, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
As the 'heavy snowstorm' subsided, a soldier from the Information and Inspection Department came running towards me in a hurry.
"Your Majesty the Emperor!"
As I quickly read through the report he handed me, my expression suddenly hardened.
"The Iroquois League is quite clever."