Chapter 1635: Royal Alliances are always screwy
An entry from the journal of a soldier who had fought one war too many.
...
War...war never changes.
When I first heard that line, I thought it was stupid.
"War does change," I had said in response, unaware of what that guy truly meant at the time.
I had said that the cause changes every time, and so do the people and the ways that war was waged.
"War did change," I had said with my whole chest, "war did change."
But now... I realize what he meant.
The cause between wars may be different, but it always seems to start with someone getting hurt.
Just because the participants change every time there is a war, doesn’t mean that they weren’t all dragged into this without their say-so or expressing their desire to participate.
And the ways of war...battlefields change, tactics change, and the weapons change, but the result is always the same: death and destruction.
The variables of war may change, but the overall formula is the same.
No matter who fought, and no matter what the purpose behind the fight was, people were going to die.
And sometimes, that includes non-combatants.
__________________________________
...Time Skip Time...
<How long have we been lingering around this soon-to-be warzone of a city? A week? Two? Has it been a month yet?>
=It’s only been about two weeks,= Logos assured his more emotional counterpart. =And before you complain about not having done anything productive, we have done plenty of productive things.=
<Like...?>
=Well, our Lord has managed to secure some rare aether medicines that have helped Zhen Xing and Zhen Tai reach the edge of Aether Master while helping Jinju Ren actually break through to Aether Lord entirely and Rianna into Aether Grandmaster. One more push and the scions should be summoning [Regalia] of their own in no time, though. As well, we did secure additional aether medicine that should be able to help some of the Zhen Clan Elders break into Aether Lord rank and give Patriarch Zhen Shi a cultivation boost by at least a ring or two. =
<I guess, but they were going to reach that point in at least a year anyways,> Pathos oddly complained. <Speaking of the Zhen Clan family members, have you been able to contact the Neo Storm Knights?>
=Not since they suddenly disappeared from our radars,= Logos sadly confirmed. =On the plus side, their connection still shows them as being alive, so...they’re probably okay...maybe.=
<I’m still surprised that our current Lord didn’t decide to immediately take the kaijin with him to go on an expedition to the Echoing Valley,> Pathos admitted. <Given his perchance for flying off the handle when it came to the safety of others.>
=To be fair, he’s still thinking that since his karmic void is attracting more trouble than it’s worth, he’s worried his appearance in the Echoing Valley will trigger something absurd like the revival of the Frostblood Mammoth or another hole in the fabric of reality ripping...something like that.=
<He doesn’t think that his karmic void is attracting problems here?>
=He figured that he must’ve reach some kind of maximum limit on that due to the lack of appearances from any of the other antagonists he had manifested from his past encounters.=
<I...why does that feel like counting chickens before they hatched?>
=More like before the eggs are laid.=
<Fair enough.>
Ping!
=Oh, speaking of, the zakos have reported a development at that Erupting Dawn war camp.=
<What kind of development?>
=The Imperial kind.=
<Fun.>
...Back to the people that matter...
"Attention! Their Imperial Highnesses, First Prince Lofaro, Fourth Prince Galban and Eleventh Prince Lauvane have arrived! Raise your arms in salute!"
"Hail!"
Two weeks had passed since General Legante failed to establish his ideal siege base against Emberona. However, an unexpected change in circumstances had presented him with an even better location to siege Emberona.
By luck, happenstance, or the machinations of others, Legante had been given a map that showed a special location that was quite close to Emberona.
This location was a hidden grove that was a mile away from the overly religious city. It was the perfect place to organize and coordinate raids against Emberona; granted, not everyone could appreciate this tactical advantage.
"I thought you said General Legante was one of your top warriors, Lauvane," Galban complained. "This war camp looks like a shitty pile of sticks and stones."
These three princes of the Erupting Dawn Empire were part of the first wave of warriors who were tasked with finally taking Emberona from the Theocracy. The Fourth and Eleventh Princes were both peak Aether Lords, while the First Prince was a peak Aether King.
The three of them arrived on foot, as no mere beast would be faster than they were in flight.
"That’s because none of your floozies are here to wait on you hand and foot, dear brother," Lauvane retorted. "Strategically speaking, this location is ideal for attacking and defending. Which is honestly quite rare in a place this deep into enemy territory."
"It isn’t the promised siege position of Mercenary Town," Lofarro commented. "But this place is still quite strategically viable. How did they find it?"
"The report mentioned an unidentified ally, but I’ll be certain to ask the general for greater details."
"Hmm."
The three princes arrived at the central tent, where they were welcomed in by a member of Legante’s honor guard.
"My Imperial Highnesses, I welcome you to the forward base."
As for the general himself, he made sure to get up and properly show reverence to the people closest to the Emperor.
"At ease, Legante," Lauvane ordered Legante.
The general proceeded to do as instructed, reset his posture so that he was merely standing at the ready.
"I see that you and your men have managed to establish a fairly defensible base of operations," Lauvane praised. "I expected nothing less from the most veteran general in the army."
"Thank you, my liege."
"It isn’t what you promised, though," Galban snorted. "You said you’d be able to secure a sieging base that was directly attached to that city of weirdos. From what I’ve seen, this place is at least a mile away."
"Apologies, your highness, but this is the closest hidden base we could establish. Our attack on Mercenary Town was intercepted by unaccounted-for forces."
"Mercenaries hiding their true ability?" Galban asked with a touch of sarcasm.
"In a sense," Legante agreed. "There was a royal from a foreign land leading a coordinated counterattack. One from the Roaring Tide continent, no less."
"What?!"
The three princes were alarmed at the presence of a foreign noble, especially a royal from a rival continent, because that meant this war of theirs with the Sacred Flame Theocracy had escalated.
After all, it was one thing for small nations to get work together in a military alliance; it was another thing entirely when one of those allies came from afar.
"Do you happen to know who this royal is?" Lofarro asked, his interest the most piqued out of everyone present. Nobility and royalty had a tendency to brag about their accomplishments as warriors, but the ones who get gossipped about are usually the ones who have some real power behind them.
Lofarro, taking after his father, had always wanted to clash blades with these rumored nobles, and he was hoping that this interloper was on his wishlist.
"We have, your highnesses," Legante answered. "They have been identified as Princess Jinju Ren of the Pearl Scale Empire."
"One of the Pearl Emperor’s brood? Here?!" Galban screeched in alarm. "When did that happen?"
"Do you mean, when did the Hearth Tenders make an alliance with one of the oldest powers of the Roaring Tide continent?" Lauvane asked with a slightly flat tone.
"Yes!"
"No, it’s definitely nothing like that," Lofarro assured his younger brothers. "Princess Jinju Ren is famous amongst her myriad of siblings as being the most battle-hungry and adventurous. It’s very likely that she came here on her own free will in order to see how the people of this continent wage war."
Lofarro had heard about the princess’s famed saber, and he was quite eager to see what it was like to face a horde of dragon-blooded beasts. Especially when the opponent was such a fine beauty.
"Wait...royalty such as her shouldn’t be left unattended. Do you have any clues or ideas on who might be with her?"
"That...is unfortunately out of my domain...but I can acquire that information, your highness," Legante assured the First Prince. "It is actually information I can get from the same ally who helped us secure this location."
"Oh?"
"What are you talking about?"
Legante paused, answering the princes, in order to go to his desk and produce a sealed report scroll.
"Inside of Emberona, we have an informant and ally. One who also happens to be high enough in the church courts to be able to actively influence the First Hearth Tender," Leganted explained as he handed over the document to Prince Lauvane. "This is everything that we know about him."
