The first sign of trouble came at dawn.
Alexander stood outside the gates of Emberhold, his eyes scanning the horizon as Tyrell's scouts returned from their latest patrol. The men were covered in dust, their expressions grim.
"The trade routes are under siege," Tyrell reported, wasting no time. "Vale's forces aren't just raiding anymore—they're burning everything."
Alexander exhaled slowly. So this is how Vale wants to play it.
"How bad is it?" he asked.
Tyrell shook his head. "Bad. Caravans aren't just being attacked. They're being wiped out completely. No survivors, no stolen goods—just ashes."
That was a significant change. Before, Vale's men had looted supplies, taken prisoners, and disrupted trade through controlled pressure. Now? They weren't looting at all. They were systematically destroying.
"They're making it too costly for merchants to do business with us," Silas murmured, stepping beside Alexander. "If no one can profit, they'll turn back to Vale's market for safety."
Alexander nodded. Vale wasn't trying to starve Emberhold.
He was trying to make The Maxwell Dominion irrelevant.
Merchants Begin to Waver
The first wave of deserters came two days later.
A group of independent traders, men who had once eagerly sought out Emberhold's growing economy, stood before Alexander's council chamber. Their leader, a balding merchant named Keston, spoke carefully, his words betraying the weight of fear.
"My lord," he began, wringing his hands. "We have done good business here, but… circumstances have changed."
Alexander watched him carefully. "You want to leave."
The merchant hesitated before nodding. "Vale has made it clear. Anyone who trades with you is marked. We have lost caravans, wagons, men. We cannot sustain these losses."
"So you return to Vale," Silas said, arms crossed. "After all we've done for you."
Keston swallowed. "It is not a matter of loyalty, my lord. It is survival."
Alexander studied the merchant, noting the shift in his posture. Fear, not greed, dictated this choice.
Vale's campaign was working. Merchants were beginning to abandon The Maxwell Dominion—not out of preference, but out of necessity.
Alexander remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "You are free to go. But remember this—those who turn their backs now will not be welcomed back later."
Keston paled but said nothing. He and his men departed, leaving behind a growing unease within Emberhold.
The Impact on The Maxwell Dominion
Within the next week, more caravans were lost, more merchants fled.
Emberhold's economy, once steadily rising, began to slow.
Imports dropped by nearly thirty percent as traders refused to risk their livelihoods.
Food supplies became tighter. While they weren't in immediate danger, prolonged shortages could become a problem.
Blacksmithing exports halted. Without consistent trade, excess weapons and tools had nowhere to go.
The expansion of Ironridge slowed. Without a steady supply of materials, construction crews struggled to maintain their pace.
Silas placed the latest reports before Alexander in the council chamber.
"If this continues for another month," Silas said, "our progress will grind to a halt."
Alexander tapped his fingers against the table. This was exactly what Vale wanted.
He didn't need to march an army.
He was forcing The Maxwell Dominion to collapse under its own weight.
A New Problem – Organized Bandit Raids
As if the trade war wasn't enough, scouts began reporting increased bandit activity.
But this wasn't random.
Tyrell stormed into the war tent that evening, throwing down a torn banner.
"They're not just attacking trade routes anymore," he growled. "They're hitting our settlements."
Alexander lifted the ragged cloth, recognizing the symbol of Vale's forces.
Silas exhaled. "Vale is using them to do his dirty work."
Bandits had always been a problem in the frontier, but these attacks were too coordinated to be mere opportunism. Settlers were being harassed, outposts burned, and smaller caravans wiped out completely.
The message was clear: The Maxwell Dominion was not safe.
If the people lost faith in their protection, it would not matter how strong their army was.
Alexander clenched his jaw. Vale had escalated the war.
And now, it was time to strike back.
Alexander's Counterstrategy
"We can't just play defense," Elias said, fists clenched. "If we keep reacting, we're already losing."
Alexander nodded. Vale was controlling the battlefield. That had to change.
"We fight back in three ways," he said. "First, we fortify our supply lines. Increase guards on all trade routes, set up more outposts, and introduce armed convoys. If Vale wants to burn caravans, we make sure every one of them is a fight."
Elias grinned. "Good. What else?"
"Second," Alexander continued, "we turn his own merchants against him. Vale can scare off traders, but he cannot supply everyone. We find those who are unhappy under his rule and give them a reason to defy him."
Silas smirked. "Bribes, protection, and secret deals. I like it."
"Lastly," Alexander said, his voice cold, "we go after the ones burning our land."
Tyrell straightened. "You mean the bandits?"
"I mean anyone who attacks us." Alexander's gaze was like steel. "If they think we will sit back and let them destroy our trade, we will show them the cost of their mistake."
Silas exhaled. "A coordinated counterattack, then."
Alexander nodded. "Exactly. We take the fight to them."
Preparing for the Next Strike
The days that followed were filled with rapid movements.
Additional guards were assigned to every major trade route. Armed convoys were organized, turning caravans into moving fortresses.
Scouts were sent behind enemy lines to track Vale's hired mercenaries and bandits.
Secret negotiations began with independent merchants, offering them better deals than Vale could.
Alexander's war council devised a plan to strike back, eliminating the raiders and sending a message: The Maxwell Dominion would not be broken.
The economic war was not over.
But now, The Maxwell Dominion was fighting back.