"Well then... let's set up camp here." Selene ordered as she swung herself onto her horse.
After issuing the command, Selene turned her gaze to the garrison officer, who was still in shock, seemingly questioning his existence. "Hey, time to snap out of it."
"Huh? ...Yes, General!" The cold tone of Selene's voice instantly jolted the garrison officer out of his stupor. He quickly stood up, but in his haste, he almost tripped. After steadying himself, he respectfully saluted.
"Yueshan Pass is completely destroyed. Go inform the Governor of Patrypol Province and have him gather craftsmen and workers to begin rebuilding the fortress."
Selene gazed at the now vast 'passage' that extended to the edge of the mountains, her expression thoughtful as she spoke.
"Yes! However... General, rebuilding a wall that stretches for several kilometers will require a large workforce. To gather such a number of workers, I would need... at least a week," the garrison officer hesitated, looking at the now much wider mountain pass.
"I think you misunderstood my instructions. You only need to gather those with experience in construction. As for the laborers... there are plenty outside the empire's borders."
"General, are you suggesting we capture the southwestern barbarians to use as labor?" the garrison officer asked cautiously.
"Exactly. They've been crossing the border into the empire, pillaging and plundering for so long—how could we not take some interest? Remember, tell the governor to send more men. The barbarian tribes, having lost most of their warriors, will be easy to enslave..." Selene said with a smile, her voice as soothing as a lullaby, but the words she spoke were chilling to the core.
"Yes, ma'am! I will ensure the order is carried out!" The garrison officer quickly accepted the task and hurried back to Patrypol City. He knew that with Selene's ruthless decisiveness, the southwestern barbarians were about to face devastation, if not total annihilation.
Meanwhile, under Selene's orders, the imperial forces began to move into the valley, flattening the land around the mountains and setting up camp.
Normally, entering the area so soon after an earthquake, especially near mountains, would risk triggering secondary landslides. But—
The display of power had instilled immense authority in Selene, and with her orders, every imperial soldier, including those from the local garrison, obeyed without question.
The Eighth Corps, brought from the capital, followed Selene's orders unconditionally, having witnessed her overwhelming power during the southern capital explosion and subsequent large-scale operations that seemed to reshape the very earth.
As for the local garrison from Patrypol Province, they had just experienced Selene's immense strength firsthand, leaving them in awe.
In this world, imperial citizens could endure a tyrant but never a coward!
Strength was everything, and those who were powerful were revered. The people of the empire didn't fear being ruled by tyrants or inept monarchs—they feared being ruled by weaklings who couldn't lead them to victory.
Throughout the empire's thousand-year history, every time it was ruled by a powerful sovereign, the empire flourished, expanded, and exerted its dominance.
But when a coward, a mediocre ruler, took the throne, the empire would fall into chaos, division, and decline...
The empire was a nation built for strong leaders!
Moreover, as a "benevolent" commander, how could Selene neglect the safety of her soldiers? The ground in the valley and the surrounding mountains had already been reinforced by her.
"Order: The vanguard of the Eighth Corps will break into smaller units and scout ahead in squad formations. Clear out all remaining barbarian hideouts within a 50-mile radius of Yueshan Pass—dead or alive!"
This wasn't overconfidence. The main barbarian force had been completely annihilated. If the imperial army couldn't handle the remnants hiding in small outposts, then they might as well all return for retraining.
"Yes, ma'am!" The soldiers responded in unison.
...
Beyond the Empire's borders, through the Yueshan Pass canyon, in the primeval forest.
Several shadowy figures moved swiftly through the forest. They wore masks, their skin deathly pale, covered in strange markings. Upon closer inspection, one would see that these were drawn with some sort of white paint.
"What was that loud noise just now?" The leader, an elderly man dressed as a shaman, with a bronze mask and a staff adorned with skulls, asked. Despite his advanced age, his agile movements showed he was still as fit as the young warriors in his tribe.
"The sound came from Yueshan Pass. Didn't the chieftain already conquer it?"
"Yes, Elder. You don't need to worry. Those weak imperial soldiers are no match for our people!"
"But why do I have this terrible premonition?"
The elder stopped, mumbling to himself. The closer they got to the empire's border, the stronger his sixth sense became. Even the insects he had nurtured for years were crying out in fear, as if some terrible beast awaited them at the fortress.
Suddenly, they heard rapid, labored breathing coming from ahead. It was a barbarian soldier, wearing a white mask and tattered clothing. His right arm had been crushed by something, leaving a jagged stump.
"You are one of us..." the elder began, confused, intending to question him.
"Elder, run! The imperial army atta—"
Shing!—Thud!
Before he could finish, the sound of a blade slicing through flesh echoed. The next moment, the wounded barbarian soldier was cut in half at the waist, his upper body falling to the ground as he let out a heart-wrenching scream.
"Hah, looks like we've caught a big fish!" A tall imperial officer, clad in dark heavy armor, emerged from the shadows. Behind him, dozens of imperial soldiers appeared.
"You... the imperial army! How... how did they?!" The elder's voice trembled as he saw the imperial soldiers on their territory.
"Heh, do you even need to ask? Of course, they've..." The officer gripped his sword tightly and lunged forward, "...gone to meet their death!"
The individual combat prowess of these southwestern barbarian shaman guards was indeed formidable.
But against the heavily armored and well-armed imperial soldiers, the barbarians' bronze weapons and animal hide armor were hopelessly outmatched, as if from an entirely different era.
In an instant, the imperial officer charged into the group, cutting down one of the guards with his heavy sword. The other soldiers quickly joined the fray, attacking without a word.
This was war—"kill or be killed" was the only rule. Outnumbering the enemy, overwhelming them with superior equipment—what's wrong with that?
Outnumbered, outgunned, and outmatched in morale, the barbarian shaman guards were quickly overwhelmed, with most of them killed within a few breaths.
The elder shaman tried to resist but was dismembered by the imperial soldiers, never getting a chance to use his insect magic.
"Report to the General: Our unit has successfully cleared the southwestern barbarian hideout under our responsibility!"