Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Winter Solstice is a significant holiday for the people of this world. In ancient times long ago, it marked the threshold where the old year gave way to the new. With improvements in calendars, however, the Winter Solstice lost its role in the lunar calendar, and the first day of the new year in the solar calendar was pushed approximately a week after the Winter Solstice.
Nevertheless, the Winter Solstice remains a crucial day. Apart from its strong traditional significance, it carries religious connotations—legend has it that this day is when the Archangel Wendes led five hundred great angels to descend to earth. At that time, humanity was still at a primitive level of subsistence farming, oral traditions, tools polished from stone, and clothing made from animal skins and plant leaves.
The continent was populated by many diverse tribes, posing a threat to the weaker human races.
The angels taught humanity various miraculous technologies—agricultural techniques, the taming of animals and plants, metallurgical skills—and brought the incredible gift of writing, ultimately helping human society emerge from the age of ignorance. With these powerful technologies, humans gradually established dominance on the continent, forcing orcs to retreat to the steppes, dwarves to withdraw to deep mountains, and elves to seclude themselves in forests. Many other races simply disappeared into the annals of history without leaving a trace.
Humans eventually occupied the most habitable plains on this continent and have thrived for generations.
However, as time passed and sporadic communication continued between the various races, human technology gradually spread to the other races. The narrowing gap in technological levels also brought the military strengths of both sides closer together, sparking ambitions among the other races to reclaim their habitable territories. Human armies, however, could no longer crush their opponents unilaterally, and conflicts between the races intensified once again.
The last comprehensive suppression of the other races occurred during the peak of the Ancient Bela Empire's unified rule. The unified human empire sent numerous large expeditions with the full force of the nation, relying on superior weapons and advanced military systems to once again force the other races to capitulate and firmly establish human civilization's absolute dominance on the continent.
However, the empire eventually collapsed, and the fragmented human kingdoms turned on each other. Logically, this was a good opportunity for the other races to overturn the balance. Yet, due to the lingering influence of the empire, races such as dwarves and elves seemed to have abandoned their ambitions to dominate the continent due to their sparse populations.
Only the orcs, dwelling on the vast northern plains, with their high fertility and large population, remained a constant threat. However, the fragile ecology of the plains could not sustain too many inhabitants, and the pressure of survival, coupled with historical grievances from repeated suppression, kept them constantly eyeing the fertile lands to the south.
The orcs have launched several large-scale invasions, but they have abandoned their previous strategies of occupying and holding territory. Instead, they now adopt hit-and-run tactics, targeting settlements with weak defenses, and relying on their cavalry advantage to swiftly come and go, avoiding prolonged battles with the human kingdoms.
The disunited kingdoms, unable to support large-scale cavalry like the Ancient Belra Empire, with their increasingly weakened monarchies and deteriorating logistics, cannot mount a decent expedition, leaving humans extremely passive in the face of orc raids.
Orc raids have become a severe headache for rulers in the northern kingdoms.
In the hall of the Lord's Mansion in Alden Town, key military and political figures from both civil and military sides were gathered, including even Austin, the naval commander stationed at Frand Port, and Rubin, the shipyard manager.
As Winter Solstice approached and the old year was about to end, Paul decided to gather his subordinates in Alden Town to review the gains and losses of the year and look ahead to future developments.
Before the Lord arrived, the men discussed the many significant events that had occurred this year.
"News from the east suggests that since the onset of winter, many villages and towns have been raided by orcs again!"
"Ah, the rebellion in the south has prevented the royal family from diverting too much strength to support the northeast region."
"We are fortunate here, with continuous primitive forests and mountains to the north."
The Kingdom of Aldor is naturally protected by mountains to the north and east, but only the northeastern region, situated between two mountain ranges, has a small plain that serves as Aldor's "northeast corridor" to the northern grasslands.
Every winter, the orcs from the Great Plains raid various parts of the northeast through this corridor, especially during the "white disaster" on the grasslands.
Because the "corridor" in the northeast is far from the heartland of the kingdom, the small-scale orc raids are not as threatening as the barbarian rebellion in the eastern uplands. Additionally, the rebellion in the south has made it impossible for the upper echelons to divert too much strength, so this year the support for the northeast region was only symbolic.
For the Kingdom of Aldor, this year has indeed been eventful.
While others were relieved about Alden's location, the Chief of Staff Schroder and Joyce, who had already become the commander of the Third Battalion, wore worried expressions. They had both served in the army in the northeast region and had personally participated in wars against the orcs.
Both had emotional ties to that land, so hearing news of orc incursions did not bring them any joy. Especially Schroder, whose military career had been spent mostly there.
Seeing everyone looking indifferent to Alden's situation, Joyce couldn't help but speak up, "Gentlemen, when lips are gone, the tongue will feel the chill. If the orcs see the kingdom's vulnerability and gather their forces to occupy the northeastern territories, we could be their next target."
Bryce made a fist gesture in mid-air, "Then we'll blast them back with cannons!"
Joyce shrugged. These people had no idea of the ferocity of orcs; they were not like the pirates or feudal lords they had dealt with before, recruiting peasant soldiers.
But Joyce had seen them, terrifying creatures raised in harsh environments, born for war. Even an ordinary orc stands nearly two meters tall, with powerful limbs, a fierce temperament, and endurance against hunger and hardship.
Their poor discipline saved humans, as they lacked strategy, formation, and coordination among their troops. They often relied on their individual weapons to charge, which gave human armies the opportunity to win.
As discussions heated up in the hall, Paul Grayman entered with his chief secretary, Bernard, and Miss D'Arshi, the female advisor.
Everyone stood up to greet the Lord.
"Good day, everyone! Please, be seated."
Paul and his two companions took their seats, and the meeting began formally.
(End of the Chapter)