"Does the King have a copy of this map?" Achim asked the previous fort leader named Ohab.
"We regularly send logistic reports to the castle, which include updates to the map terrain and changes in the fort blueprint," Ohab replied thoughtfully. "There is an order to increase the hidden traps and armed towers, but those had little change on the last map we submitted."
He swiped his hand over the projection and showed the last map. Just as he said, there was little change with the green and red dots from the last map to the new one.
"Given the ability of the King's Knights, we can expect them to guess the new locations of the additional traps and towers," Ohab concluded.
"True," Achim agreed with a nod. "But we don't need to worry about that. Instead, we can use this to our advantage."
"Hm," the fort leader from another fort also agreed. "Since they know the locations of the traps and towers, we can predict their route."
"There is a better way to take advantage of their knowledge," Achim said with a slight smile. "Instead of predicting their route, we will provide one to them."
The eyes of every fort leader inside lit up as they realized what Achim meant— all of them nodded in agreement.
If they arranged the traps and towers in a way that would allow the King's army to pass through, they could lead them to a location wherein they could have the advantage over them.
The fort leaders looked at Achim with a strange light in their eyes. To be honest, most of them surrendered and joined forces with them because of Kesiah. They knew how ambitious Achim was and wanted nothing to do with him as much as possible. Apart from that, Achim's intelligence paled in comparison with Kesiah's. For this reason, they believed that following him would be akin to throwing away their lives because he was prone to making mistakes.
But these past few weeks made them see a different side of Achim, prompting them to give him a benefit of a doubt. At that moment, hearing his insight on how they should prepare for the King's army, they were beginning to suspect that all this time, Achim might have been acting like a villain on purpose to gain the King's trust.
Of course, this was only their assumption. But regardless of the truth, their remaining reservations about following him had disappeared. They were now more than willing to offer their life to assist him and Kesiah in this fight.
"Still, we have to devise a way to utilize our number," Achim continued, looking solemnly at them. "Though knowing our uncle, he will not send a huge army in the first contact. Most likely, he will send a company under either Filren or Mo's leadership."
The others agreed with his sentiment.
"If it is Filren, we may have a chance to lure them in, but if it is Mo...."
Their expressions turned grim at Achim's words.
King Aran had twelve powerful knights. They were also his most trusted subjects, and Filren and Mo were two of the most powerful. Still, the two had specialties that differentiated them.
Filren excelled in covert missions, while Mo excelled in frontal attacks. If the former were to infiltrate their fort, it would be easy to lure them without making big movements. But if it were the latter, any preparation would be rendered useless because he would likely bulldoze his way in.
"Regardless of who will come, we'll make preparations," Achim said after a moment's pause.
"Do you know how we can best counter Knight Mo?"
"Not at the moment," Achim replied with a slight shake of his head. "But I will talk to Kesiah and see what she says."
Hearing this, everyone seemed to realize why he answered 'not at the moment' instead of a definite 'no.'
If there was someone who could counter Knight Mo, it could only be Kesiah and her Divine Armament— which could shift between defensive or offensive depending on the situation. Besides, once she used her Divine Armament as armor, she could still fight without showing any obvious weakness, given her powerful and stable combat prowess.
In any case, the fort leaders were even more convinced about Achim's and Kesiah's collaboration from his reply. If it were the previous Achim— rather, if it were the Achim they knew— he would not have openly sought Kesiah's opinion.
The meeting continued with them focusing on the new arrangement of the traps and towers. After that, Achim adjourned the meeting and met with Nahir.
Thus far, Achim and Nahir agreed not to show up when meeting with their own people. Doing so would normally cause a rift between the two sides. But, there was already a rift between them that had yet to be fixed in the first place; thus, meeting each side separately would not really cause any problem.
Achim relayed what transpired during his meeting with his side. Afterward, Nahir also shared what they had discussed.
Nahir and the rest of the Eidums' main responsibility was providing assistance. Apart from the additional hidden tower that the former requested to be built on one side of the valley, they wanted to set up rally points where two healers and three Eidum fighters would be available around the clock.
This suggestion occurred after they realized the fort's infirmary was too far from the front. If a war of attrition started, the Eidums could not provide assistance immediately if all of their healers had to stay at the rear. Besides, it would be easy for them to control the surge of patients if several rally points were scattered close to the front.
Achim had no objections on this matter. Frankly, the fort's infirmary was at the rear mainly because the greenhouse's location was also there. Armakeans did not have healers like the Eidums and only relied on Apothecarist to concoct potions. Although they could stock up on potions, if a war broke out and their supplies ran out, they could not possibly have their apothecarists stay near the front and risk contaminating their ingredients or disrupting their concentration during the concoction process.
With this in mind, Achim had no problems convincing his side to accommodate Nahir's request.
On that note, Achim and the rest made their preparations.
The estimated time until the first wave of the King's army arrived at their fort was twelve days.
Meanwhile, Kesiah also made preparations with thirty knights and almost all remaining officers under her leadership. She would leave the remaining fifty or so knights and ten officers and have Jita take the lead once they left to assist Achim and Nahir.
Frankly, Kesiah was skeptical about leaving the border with only Jita defending because there was a good chance that King Aran would dispatch two groups to attack them— with one aiming at Achim's side and one at the borders where she was stationed. When that happens, Jita and the remaining forces under her might not be enough to protect the border even if the three magical beasts and the rest of the beasts assist them.
Kesiah was afraid that their Master would be vulnerable if Jita were to fall. In the end, True Void assured her that he would take action if the situation did come to that.
With True Void's assurance, Kesiah could leave the border with fewer worries.
True Void hovered cross-legged in midair and sighed while watching Kesiah's group leave the borders from a projection inside Kyran's chamber.
Apart from Jita and the remaining knights and officers under Kesiah's group, a few Eidums remained at the Armakea border. Some of them, True Void recognized as those taking care of Cyneah. Though their number might seem enough to deal with any sneak attacks, the truth was that it was not, especially if the sneak attack was done by two powerful outsiders.
"Is something the matter?" Jita asked while standing a few feet behind True Void.
"If the worst-case scenario happens, take Void Halfling and the Mistress away," he said without looking at her.
Jita's eyes narrowed. Though they did not know the whole account of what happened to their Master, they did not need an overly bright mind to guess that whoever did this to him was very powerful.
"I will lay my life for Master," she replied with conviction.
"No, no, no," True Void shook his head vehemently. "Don't lay your life for him, please. You have to take them away! Far away! You understand?"
"But—."
"Void Halfling will recover soon, but if the worse comes, just take him and the Mistress away while I deal with the rest."
"I—."
"That won't do. He has to wake up now."
"Yes, I know. Really, I do. But the thing is I—."
True Void suddenly froze, realizing the voice just now did not sound like Jita's. It also did not speak in the Somulian tongue.
Jita was also rendered rooted on the spot as she looked at the woman that suddenly appeared before her.
True Void slowly turned to look at the one who had just spoken and nearly fainted in shock.
"A-A..."
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m